KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has filed an appeal against the High Court ruling that dismissed his bid to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest. His lawyer, Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, confirmed that the appeal was filed on Dec 24. Two months later, on April 1, 2024, Najib filed an application for leave for judicial review, claiming there was a royal addendum order that would have allowed him to serve his prison time under house arrest. "The 1MDB appeal will be filed shortly once we get the formal order from court in order for us to verify," he added. On Dec 26, the High Court sentenced Najib to 15 years' imprisonment and an RM11.4bil fine for all 25 charges in the 1MDB case.

JAKARTA: A fire at a retirement home in the city of Manado on Indonesia's on Sulawesi island has killed ‌16 people, a local ⁠police official was quoted as saying on ​Monday (Dec 29) by state news agency Antara. The fire at the Werdha Damai retirement home was finally extinguished late on Sunday and authorities are ‍still investigating ⁠its cause, ‍police ​official Alamsyah P. ⁠Hasibuan said. Footage by news channel Metro TV showed the fire blazing through the home, turning ‍the ‍night sky orange, with ‌residents appearing to help one elderly person escape ⁠from the burning building. Jimmy Rotinsulu, chief of Manado's fire department, told Metro TV ⁠that the home's residents, most of whom were elderly, were trapped inside the building, adding that ‍another three people suffered burns.

KANGAR: The official notification of the casual vacancies for the Chuping, Bintong and Guar Sanji seats in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly was submitted to the Election Commission (EC) on Monday (Dec 29). Perlis State Assembly Speaker Rus’sele Eizan said the notice was handed over at the EC Perlis office here at about noon. Rus’sele said the notice also informed the EC of the reasons and necessity for holding by-elections in the three constituencies for the commission’s consideration. "I leave everything to the consideration of the EC,” he told reporters briefly here on Monday. In the 15th General Election, Perikatan Nasional (PN) won 14 state seats in Perlis, comprising nine seats won by PAS and five by Bersatu, while Pakatan Harapan (PH), through PKR, secured one.

(Dec 29): Lululemon Athletica's founder Chip Wilson said on Monday he had launched a proxy fight bynominating three independent directors to the company's board, days after the apparel maker announced the exit of CEO Calvin McDonald. Lululemon has struggled to find its footing with younger and affluent shoppers amid stiff competition from fast-growing newer rivals like Alo Yoga and Vuori, as well as pressure from activist investor Elliott Management. Wilson has nominated three director candidates to Lululemon's board, including former On Running co-CEO Marc Maurer, former ESPN chief marketing officer Laura Gentile and former Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg. "The recent CEO change announcement was the third total failure of board oversight with no clear succession plan in place. Shareholders have no faith that this board can select and support the next CEO without input from a board with stronger product experience," Wilson said in a statement.

Amid discussions of advanced technologies, one message stood out — artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly reshaping hospital care. The most consequential changes in hospital care today are not dramatic breakthroughs, but steady system-level adjustments happening largely out of public view. One of the most important contributions of AI in hospital care is its role as a workforce multiplier. Hospital care is resource intensive, particularly when managing late-stage disease. Artificial intelligence will not transform hospital care overnight.

PETALING JAYA: The PAS central committee will meet soon to decide its position within Perikatan Nasional, says an aide to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. “The PAS central committee will have a meeting soon. Mohd Syahir, who is also Bachok MP, said PAS always respects the democratic process and the discretionary powers of the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Mohd Syahir had earlier issued a cryptic remark in a Facebook post. Ties between PAS and Bersatu, who are key partners in Perikatan Nasional, have since been strained.

OIL prices rose on Monday as investors weighed Middle East tensions that could disrupt supply, while a major hurdle remains in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. "The Middle East has also been unsettled recently, with Saudi air ‍strikes in Yemen ⁠and Iran saying ‍the ​country is in a 'full-scale war' with the U.S., Europe, and ⁠Israel. This may be what's driving market concerns about potential supply disruptions," Yang added. The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference late Sunday afternoon after meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago ⁠resort in Florida. Trump said it will be clear "in a few weeks" whether negotiations to end the war will succeed.

JOHOR BARU: What began as a personal debt dispute erupted into a violent late-night attack at a restaurant in Taman Mount Austin, leading to the arrest of 13 people, including a foreign woman. Johor Baru Selatan OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said 12 Malaysian men and a Vietnamese woman, aged between 20 and 40, were arrested in stages between 3am on Saturday and 12.40am yesterday at several locations around the district. The victim suffered injuries to the head, arms and calves, along with multiple scratches across his body. Checks revealed that seven of the suspects had records for drug-related and criminal ­offences, while six tested positive for ketamine. The public has been urged not to speculate in ways that could disrupt investigations.

Energy AsiaAs energy demand doubles and climate risks intensify, Asia’s transition will hinge on how effectively capital are mobilised. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts record global energy investment of US$3.3 trillion in 2025, with US$2.2 trillion flowing toward renewables, double the amount directed to fossil fuels. Policymakers, industry captains and energy professionals agreed ambition alone will not deliver Asia’s energy transition. Clean energy investment strengthens energy security, creates jobs and supports economic resilience. Energy Asia reinforced a fundamental truth - Asia’s energy transition will not follow a single pathway.

KOTA TINGGI: A 32-year-old man has claimed trial to charges of causing the death of three men through dangerous driving. He was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM50,000 fine and up to 10 years' imprisonment upon conviction. In the same court, Loo also pleaded not guilty to a charge under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for possessing RM3,894 worth of untaxed cigarettes. Prosecuting officer Insp Nor Ayu Hidayah M Safri requested bail of RM10,000 for the offence under the Customs Act and RM5,000 for each offence under the Road Transport Act 1987. The judge set bail at RM15,000 with one surety for all the offences and fixed Feb 6 for next mention of the case and document submission.

PETALING JAYA: The appointment of a Bersatu leader as Perlis Mentri Besar may help rebalance power within Perikatan Nasional but risks fuelling dissatisfaction among PAS grassroots, say analysts. Abu Bakar Hamzah, the Kuala Perlis assemblyman and Perlis Bersatu chief, was sworn in at Istana Arau yesterday after receiving the consent of the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. His appointment marked the first time Bersatu is taking the helm of the state following the resignation of PAS’ Mohd Shukri Ramli on Thursday, citing health reasons. Prof Sivamurugan added that unresolved tensions between PAS and Bersatu could continue to erode unity, especially at the grassroots and state levels. “This shows PAS and Bersatu are slowly moving in different directions,” he said, adding that the Perlis crisis reflected miscalculations by PAS and shrewd political manoeuvring by Bersatu.

The privatisation of public parking emerged as the most contentious issue in Petaling Jaya. The SIP scheme proposed a centralised parking system with four local authorities – Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council and Selayang Municipal Council – implementing it first, from Aug 1. Petaling Jaya is set to standardise its reserved parking system next year, with all business-allocated bays converted to 24-hour parking across the city. Still on parking, Petaling Jaya is set to standardise its reserved parking system next year, with all business-allocated bays converted to 24-hour across the city. Under the PJ Watch Programme, the city council is also monitoring illegal dumping from its headquarters in Menara MBPJ.

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday (Dec 29) an independent review into law enforcement agencies set up after the Bondi mass shooting will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the terror attack. Fifteen people were killed in the mass ​shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on Dec 14, shocking a country with strict gun laws and fuelling calls for tougher controls and stronger action against antisemitism. "Announcements made so far by the ⁠federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough... You owe us answers. And you owe Australians the truth," said a statement from the ‍families of those involved in the ‍mass shooting, according to media reports. We need to get on with any changes that are required," Albanese told reporters, while announcing the terms for the review into the attack.

(Dec 29): Nvidia has purchased Intel shares worth US$5 billion (RM20.3 billion), the American semiconductor firm said in a filing on Monday, carrying out a transaction announced in September. The leading AI chip designer said in September it would pay US$23.28 per share for Intel common stock, in a deal that is seen as a major financial lifeline for the chipmaker after years of missteps and capital intensive production capacity expansions drained its finances. The world's most valuable firm has bought over 214.7 million Intel shares at the price set out in the September agreement, in a private placement, according to Monday's filing. US antitrust agencies had cleared Nvidia's investment in Intel, according to a notice posted by the US Federal Trade Commission earlier in December. Nvidia shares were down 1.3% in pre-market trading while Intel stock was little changed.

KOTA BARU: The Public Works Department (JKR) has identified 29 federal roads in nine Kelantan districts that require urgent maintenance. “There are seven roads in Gua Musang and six in Kota Baru that need maintenance,” he said. In the district of Kota Baru, six roads need urgent repairs – Jalan Pasir Puteh-Kota Bharu; Jalan Wakaf Che Yeh-Salor-Pasir Mas; Jalan Kota Bharu-Pengkalan Chepa; Jalan Gua Musang-Kota Bharu; Jalan Pantai Cahaya Bulan; and Jalan Sultan Ismail Petra. He said the other roads that needed immediate attention are Jalan Gua Musang-Kota Bharu, Jalan Machang-Jeli, Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Terengganu and Jalan Pintas Pasir Puteh. Also on the list are Jalan Kota Bharu-Rantau Panjang, Jalan Kota Bharu-Pengkalan Kubor, Jalan Panglima Bayu-Rantau Panjang, and Jalan Kubang Kerian-Bachok.