PETALING JAYA: Former men’s doubles shuttler Lim Khim Wah may be best known for his exploits on the badminton court, but he has taken a different path since retiring, choosing not to stay in badminton and instead opening a snooker training centre. Khim Wah, who retired in 2023, now runs The J Trick Snooker and Cafe in Klang, Selangor, which has been operating since August.

(Dec 29): Global stocks held at record highs on Monday, while silver rallied to a new peak before turning sharply lower as trading winds down heading into year end. Silver retreated after smashing through US$80 (RM324.20) an ounce for the first time, turning volatile following a historic rally powered by a structural imbalance in supply and demand. “We are witnessing a generational bubble playing out in silver,” Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG Australia, wrote in a note on Sunday. With silver inventories near their lowest on record, there’s a risk of supply shortages that could impact multiple sectors. The gauge of global stocks has risen nearly 22% in 2025, headed for a third straight annual gain and the biggest since 2019.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit is expected to trade in a narrow range next week, hovering between 4.03 and 4.05 against the US dollar amid a holiday-shortened week. The local currency traded mixed this week, opening at 4.07 before strengthening to as high as 4.0410 on Friday morning, then easing to close the week at 4.0470. Earlier this week, the local currency was mainly influenced by expectations of a US interest rate cut and by weaker US consumer confidence. On a weekly basis, the ringgit strengthened against the greenback, closing higher at 4.0470/0535 compared with 4.0740/0785 at the end of last week. However, the local currency depreciated vis-a-vis the Thai baht to 13.0212/0484 from 12.9428/9620 previously.

KUALA LUMPUR: Investigations into alleged child abuse at a nursery in Cheras have resulted in the arrest of one suspect. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Aidil Bolhassan informed the media that the police had received three reports concerning the alleged abuse of two infants at the nursery. "The Cheras police confirm that reports of abuse involving two babies, aged six and nine months, have been filed. Several CCTV videos shared on social media displayed a caretaker mistreating and slapping the two babies. One of the videos even showed the caregiver wiping a used tissue on a baby's mouth.

— Yee Xiang Yun/The StarJOHOR BARU: For the past two months, he was given the runaround, going from Johor to Putrajaya and Selangor in his quest to apply for a passport. “I returned to the Johor Baru Immigration office with the relevant documents, thinking the matter would be resolved, but I was informed that my application still could not proceed. “To be certain, I also checked the Sessions Court, Magistrate’s Court and High Court in Shah Alam, as well as the courts in Johor Baru. “I was looking forward to obtaining a passport to travel to Singapore to seek employment, as job opportunities in Johor Baru are limited at my age,” he said. When contacted, Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said he will meet Abdul Malik to better understand the matter.

Contenders to durian, pineapple also mulledPETALING JAYA: Perhaps it’s time to harvest ideas from Malaysians on what should be recognised as the country’s national fruit. Both sides are seeking recognition as Malaysia’s official national fruit. The group also wanted July 7 to be declared National Durian Day. In June, the LPNM proposed that pineapple be designated as the national fruit. It also declared June 27 as National Pineapple Day.

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth will hold a special convention to determine whether the party should sever its ties with coalition partner Pakatan Harapan. In a TikTok video on Sunday (Dec 28), Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the convention aims to gather grassroots opinions on the party’s continued support for the unity government. The convention – titled ‘Hala Tuju Umno, Sama Ada Kekal Atau Keluar Dari Kerajaan’ (Umno’s Direction: Stay or Leave the Government?) The post triggered backlash from several Umno leaders, who condemned the remarks as insensitive, sarcastic and disrespectful. On Saturday (Dec 27), the Umno’s Puchong division announced that it had severed all political cooperation with Puchong Pakatan Harapan after Yeo failed to issue an apology within the given 24-hour period.

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PM says stronger economy and global ties are benefiting M’siansKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government’s achievements now are the result of policy stability, the courage to implement reforms and the trust of the people. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creations and an inclusive growth agenda. “In fact, at the international level, the relationship between governments, various countries and groups of leaders, opens up space for strategic investment and strengthens Malaysia’s position in the eyes of the world,” he said in a social media post yesterday. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. “They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities to a more resilient future.

“We are currently managing about RM5 billion across equity, fixed income and private market strategies. The Areca equityTrust Fund (AETF) won the Best Equity Malaysia Fund at the LSEG Lipper Fund Awards for nine years in a row. The Areca Premier Wealth Fund, a regional fund that invests in regional equities, including Asean, was launched under her watch. We do direct investment via private capital funding into the private market, rather than indirectly through peer-to-peer financing platforms. However, global and regional markets, including South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore, have shown strong performance.

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The public should stay vigilant against scams where impostors pretend to be the Commissioner of Police, who is the highest-ranking police official. The e-mail, the police said, contains a “warning letter” which claims that the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore have started investigating the e-mail’s recipients for their involvement in criminal activities. In that “warning letter”, the police said, victims would be told to submit their written statement to a designated e-mail address. In their statement on Dec 28, the police underscored that these e-mails are not issued by them or by any government officials. People should never transfer or hand over monies, cryptocurrencies or other valuables to unknown people or to anyone whose identify one has not verified, the police said.

MOSCOW, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Russian President ‌Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace and ‌if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, ‌Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force. Putin's remarks on Saturday, carried by state news agency TASS, followed a vast Russian drone and missile attack that prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ‍to say Russia was demonstrating its wish to ‍continue the war while Kyiv ‌wanted peace. Zelenskiy is to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday ‍to ​seek a resolution to the war Putin launched nearly four years ago with a full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour. The Southern Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Telegram "fierce fighting" continued in Huliaipole. "However, a substantial part of Huliaipole continues to be held by the Defence Forces of Ukraine."

KUALA LUMPUR: The success of the government today is the result of stable policies, the courage to have reform and the trust of the people, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creation and an inclusive growth agenda. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. "They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities, to a more resilient future. "With the strong support of family, friends and the Malaysian people, I believe the Madani Government will continue to move forward, serve with trust and build a fair, prosperous and competitive country for all," he said.

KLUANG: A 19-year-old motorcyclist was killed after losing control of his motorcycle, veering into the opposite lane and colliding with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Kluang OCPD Asst Comm Bahrin Mohd Noh said the incident occurred at KM84 Jalan Kota Tinggi–Kluang at about 10.48pm on Saturday (Dec 27). “The four-wheel-drive vehicle was driven by a 29-year-old local man who was travelling from Kluang towards Kota Tinggi, accompanied by a 28-year-old local woman. “The passenger of the four-wheel-drive vehicle suffered injuries to both hands and sustained minor wounds. He added that checks on the motorcycle’s chassis number revealed that it had been reported stolen and was still listed as wanted.

SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): More than 4,000 schools nationwide have closed due to a lack of students, a South Korean lawmaker said on Dec 28. Elementary schools accounted for the majority, at 3,674, followed by 264 middle schools and 70 high schools. Over the past five years, 158 schools closed, and another 107 are expected to shut down over the next five years. Of the 4,008 closed schools, 376 remain unused. “A significant number of schools have already closed, and more are expected to shut down due to declining student numbers,” Mr Jin said.