Dec 28 (Reuters) - Magnus Carlsen ‌pushed away a camera after losing to ‌Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz ‌Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over. Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and ‍2023, had a frustrating second day ‍at the championships in ‌Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before ‍he ​was beaten by Artemiev. When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the ⁠Norwegian pushed away the camera. Carlsen attracted attention ‌for slamming his fist on the table after losing to world ⁠champion Gukesh ‍Dommaraju at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. Also last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in ‍New York when governing body FIDE ‌barred him from a round for wearing jeans.

KUALA LUMPUR: National junior mixed doubles pair Datu Anif Isaac-Clarissa San captured their second title in Bangladesh within a week after being crowned Bangladesh International Series 2025 champions in Dhaka on Friday. Fresh from securing the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 crown on Dec 20, Datu Anif-Clarissa continued their fine momentum by brushing aside compatriots Wee Yee Tern-Tan Zhing Hui 21-14, 21-15 in the final at Sahid Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan. Last week, Datu Anif-Clarissa landed the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 title following a straight sets victory over home pair Jumar Al-Amin-Urmi Akter 27-25, 21-14. Meanwhile, it was a double blow for Zhing Hui, who was also denied a women’s doubles title, this time with Gan Min Yee following a hard-fought rubber set defeat to Thailand’s Thitiwarada Buakaew-Sarisa Janpeng 13-21, 21-18, 17-21. Women’s singles player Lim Zhi Shin also endured a similar fate as she missed out on a title after going down to India’s Tanvi Reddy Andluri 19-21, 10-21.

March> AppointmentsScience, Technology and Innovation Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim was appointed to the same post at the Education Ministry, taking over from Datuk Ruji Ubi. > Social media circularThe Education Ministry issued a circular prohibiting teachers from making inappropriate social media posts. October> Budget 2026The education sector received the largest allocation with RM66.2bil going to the Education Ministry and RM18.6bil to the Higher Education Ministry. November> SPM 2025 kicks offSPM 2025, involving 413,372 candidates, started on Nov 3, and ended on Dec 23 at 3,350 exam centres nationwide. It would replace the existing Science, Health Education, Visual Arts Education, and Music Education subjects.

KUALA LUMPUR: In line with its mandate to identify, nurture and develop Bumiputera talent to compete on a global scale, Yayasan Peneraju (YP) recently completed its Bah, Upgrade Kita Bersama YP programme, an initiative aimed at broadening access to Bumiputera talent development opportunities and strengthening YP’s presence across Sabah’s diverse communities. These themes were implemented selectively across 21 different locations based on local needs, ensuring that each community received programmes most relevant to their talent development priorities. The Bah, Upgrade Kita Bersama YP initiative has dramatically shifted that trajectory. Through this single initiative, that number has more than tripled, and more than 150 people have already applied for our long-term, high-value programmes in technology and professional development. Under its Talent Bank direction, the agency is working towards developing 10,000 Value Creators across Business, Community and Professional leadership streams to strengthen the nation’s future talent pool.

BEIJING (Agencies): In a significant development within China’s military leadership, three high-ranking officers have been expelled from the national legislature as part of an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has intensified across the armed forces. All three remain full members of the Central Committee, the Communist Party’s top decision-making body, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Wang Renhua, who served as the head of the Central Military Commission’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee, has been under scrutiny in recent months. Notably, all three individuals continue to hold positions as full members of the Central Committee, the top decision-making body within the Communist Party. Wang Renhua, 63, had only recently been elevated to the rank of admiral by President Xi Jinping, receiving the promotion less than a year ago.

According to the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) "2025 Social Connections and Loneliness Report", up to 14% of people in member countries feel lonely most or all of the time. “No matter the part of the world, holidays come with a lot of ‘shoulds’ and unrealistic social expectations of happiness and connectedness. According to the 2025 “Festive Feeling” study from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, more than one in three people feel tired “for no good reason” and lonely this holiday season. "When that happens, it’s much harder to regulate emotions or make considered decisions, thus social cues can feel harsher. Even simple actions like reaching out to an old friend or setting up a video call with family can help ease the loneliness many feel this holiday season.

SIBU: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) has re-emphasised that the RMRM188,132.26 seized by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has no connection with a donation it received from the then Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak before 2013. In a statement on Sunday (Dec 28), SUPP said political parties in Malaysia, including SUPP, relied on donations from members, the public and, at times, contributions from coalition partners to fund their operations. SUPP explained that the donation in question was received before 2013, well before any court findings involving the former prime minister and 1MDB. The party said MACC conducted investigations, interviewed relevant parties and was provided with all documents requested to support SUPP’s position that the seized funds and pre-2013 donation were not related. MACC later filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal but eventually withdrew it after several postponements," the party added.

PETALING JAYA: Perlis PAS Youth Chief Haziq Asyraf Dun claims that he was among the state assemblymen invited to sign a statutory declaration (SD) withdrawing support for former Perlis Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli. “As an assemblyman chosen by the party, my principle is to consult the PAS Central Committee and state chapter leadership before taking any actions. “I did not participate (in the signing of the SD) as the invitation was not made officially,” he wrote. Betrayal remains betrayal, and this should serve as a lesson for all PAS members, not only in Perlis but nationwide,” he added. On Sunday (Dec 28), Kuala Perlis assemblyman and state Bersatu chief Abu Bakar Hamzah was sworn in as the new Mentri Besar of Perlis at Istana Arau.

KOTA KINABALU: Viral videos showing a dolphin stranded along the beach in Karambunai have prompted investigations by the relevant authorities, with officials confirming that a report has been received. The incident is believed to have occurred on Saturday (Dec 27), though the exact time could not be ascertained. Several videos circulating on social media show the dolphin alive but struggling on the shoreline, while another clip shows a young man pulling the animal by its tail back into the sea. Mohd Soffian Abu Bakar, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department, said the department was aware of the incident and would provide further updates once all information had been verified. We will update once all information is ready to be published,” he said when contacted.

IPOH: An elderly woman suffered a loss of RM318,521 after being duped by a phone scam syndicate impersonating the authorities. Taiping OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Nasir Ismail said the 74-year-old victim, a government retiree, lodged a police report at approximately 2pm on Friday (Dec 26). Initial investigations revealed that the victim received a phone call on Dec 2 from a man claiming to be a representative of Tenaga Nasional Berhad. "The victim was asked to provide her personal information and disclose all the money and jewellery she owned for investigation purposes," he said. "The victim was asked to list her movements from Dec 10 to 23, and was also asked to provide her ATM card password for investigation purposes.

ARAU: Newly appointed Perlis Mentri Besar Abu Bakar Hamzah has pledged to maintain unity and rapport among Perikatan Nasional state assemblymen, comprising PAS and Bersatu representatives. Abu Bakar, who is the Kuala Perlis assemblyman, welcomed the decree from the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, urging all Perikatan assemblymen to unite and collaborate for the well-being of the state and its people. He told reporters this after his appointment and swearing-in ceremony as the new Perlis Mentri Besar at Istana Arau here on Sunday (Dec 28). On the state executive council lineup, he said minor reshuffles will be undertaken and that the portfolio distribution will be balanced between PAS and Bersatu assemblymen. Abu Bakar also conveyed his appreciation to former Perlis Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli for his contributions in the three years he led the state, which ended on Dec 25 due to health reasons.- Bernama

MIMOS continues to serve as Malaysia’s bridge between policy and innovation, ensuring that national R&D investments translate into real socioeconomic outcomes." “Deep-tech sovereignty is the freedom for Malaysia to innovate, own and control its critical national technologies,” says Dr Shukri. The second pillar is the development of a sovereign AI cloud, built on integrated cybersecurity, strong governance models and trusted national datasets. MIMOS TO LEVERAGE GROUNDWORK SET IN 2025The national R&D centre, which celebrated its 40th anniversaryrecently, launched several major initiatives in 2025. On its part, the agency will move towards faster tech-to-market execution through disciplined R&D-to-commercialisation gates, ensuring that sovereign technologies transition smoothly from prototypes to deployment.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds across six states until 7pm on Sunday (Dec 28). It said in a statement that the severe weather forecast covers Kulim and Bandar Baharu in Kedah, all of Penang, Kerian, Manjung, Bagan Datuk, as well as Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak and Pontian, Kulai and Johor Baru in Johor. The warning also covers Kuching (Bau and Kuching), Serian, Samarahan (Samarahan and Asajaya) and Kapit (Song, Kapit and Bukit Mabong) in Sarawak, as well as the interior (Nabawan and Tambunan), west coast (Putatan, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Ranau and Kota Belud), Tawau and Kudat in Sabah. "The warning is issued when there are signs of thunderstorms with rainfall exceeding 20mm per hour that are expected to last more than an hour,” it added. MetMalaysia said a thunderstorm warning is a short-term alert valid for up to six hours.- Bernama

One year on, Ko and other bereaved families say the investigation has failed to meet basic standards of transparency and fairness. The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board, an investigative body under the Transportation Ministry, has led the probe since the crash. A year of stalled findings and unanswered questions has taken a growing psychological toll on bereaved families, including those who remain near the airport awaiting answers. An internal survey conducted by South Jeolla Province found that up to 89 per cent of bereaved families showed symptoms consistent with clinical depression. Experts warn that bereaved families, exhausted by the shock of the tragedy and the prolonged process of seeking answers, may become increasingly isolated.

Malaysia’s indigenous tongues and community dialects, they stress, must continue to be preserved, especially among the young. “What this means is that there is little or no transmission of heritage languages from older to younger generations. “The nuances and knowledge that come with heritage languages may be lost, or may not be translated in the same way,” she told StarEdu. Mohammed Azlan said all parties, including individuals, communities and the government, play a role in preserving Malaysia’s dialect heritage. “Among the strategies that can be implemented are activities outside the classroom that use dialects, special programmes related to regional languages or dialects in Malaysia, exhibitions, traditional games and sports featuring dialects, as well as language campaigns promoting Malay and its dialects,” he suggested, adding that families play a crucial role by using dialects at home.