PUTRAJAYA: The police have yet to trace the family of a local woman who allegedly lived for a year in Terminal 1 of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). KLIA OCPD Asst Comm Azman Shari’at said the woman, who was detained on Dec 18, is currently receiving treatment at Hospital Kajang. ALSO READ: Woman allegedly living in KLIA for a year has mental health issues, say copsACP Azman said that investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances that led to the woman staying at KLIA Terminal 1 for an extended period. Earlier, a video recording of the woman allegedly living in the terminal with her personal belongings went viral on social media. Following the incident, police detained the woman and confirmed that she was in possession of a card indicating mental health-related issues.

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit ended marginally lower against the US dollar today but was said to maintain its momentum as it attempted to breach the 4.03 level during the morning session. At 6 pm, the local currency edged down to 4.0470/0535 versus the greenback from 4.0425/0515 at Wednesday’s close. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the ringgit versus the US dollar went up to as high as 4.0318 during the morning session but later weakened to 4.0470 towards closing. "It appears that ringgit continues to remain firm as it attempts to breach the RM4.03 level,” he told Bernama. At today’s close, the ringgit traded higher against a basket of major currencies.

“Taxpayers are required to complete the stamp duty return form (BNDS) through the e-Duti Setem (e-DS) system, and provide the details for the purpose of calculating the stamp duty. “I believe people are more concerned when they are required to assess the stamp duty themselves, compared with before. Shafudin also said that the existing method of paying stamp duty remains unchanged, with payments continuing to be made online through the FPX platform. “Stamp duty is not merely a form of payment, but a confirmation of the legal validity of a document. Without stamp duty, documents may be considered invalid and difficult to accept in official matters, including in court,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 26): Eight individuals arrested over the incident at Kampung Sungai Baru, which left the former Dang Wangi police chief injured in September, will soon face charges. The charges will be filed soon, following instructions from the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Fadil added. Fadil emphasised that obstructing a public servant is a serious crime, and the charges are a positive step in upholding the law. On Sept 11, it was reported that several individuals were arrested following an incident in which former Dang Wangi police chief ACP Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman was injured during a clash with a group of people in Kampung Sungai Baru. The operation was carried out following a court order to demolish structures in the area.

A heart attack is a medical emergency that requires an immediate call to the emergency services. A heart attack occurs when the vessels that supply the heart itself with oxygen and nutrients – known as coronary arteries – become blocked. However, even milder symptoms can be precursors to a heart attack and should be medically investigated, says the German Heart Foundation. In the event of a heart attack itself, every minute counts because there is a risk of permanent heart failure and cardiac arrest. ALSO READ: You might not expect these signs of a heart attack in womenBut call the doctor if you are concerned as it is better to be safe than sorry.

IPOH: Twenty-one houses in Lorong Pulai Raya 4, Simpang Pulai, were hit by flash floods after two and a half hours of relentless heavy rain on Thursday (Dec 25) night. The team arrived at the Simpang Pulai flood site for monitoring at 10.28pm, accompanied by four personnel from the Simpang Pulai police station. The cause of the flooding was a blocked drainage system due to a new housing project," the statement read. No temporary relief centres have been opened, as the blocked drains have been cleared and the floodwaters have fully receded. Simpang Pulai assemblyman Wong Chai Yi and officials from the Ipoh City Council also visited the affected area.

The S&P 500 posted a record close on Wednesday, ahead of the Christmas holiday on Thursday, and was about 1% from reaching the 7,000 level for the first time. Heading into the new year, investors are highly focused on when the Fed might further cut interest rates. With just a handful of trading sessions left in 2025, the S&P 500 was up nearly 18% for the year, with the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite up 22%. Despite rebounding this week, the S&P 500 tech sector has declined more than 3% since the start of November. The market moves indicate some rotation into areas where valuations are more moderate, said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial.

BANGKOK (Dec 26): Thailand's defence minister will join ongoing talks with Cambodia on Saturday that could lead to a truce, the Thai premier said on Friday, as border clashes between the two Southeast Asian neighbours continued for a third week. A Cambodian defence ministry spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Thai and Cambodian officials have been holding parleys at a border crossing since Wednesdayas hostilities between the two countries continued. Since the conflict restarted, neither Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim — chair of the Asean bloc that facilitated the previous ceasefire — nor Trump have been successful in halting hostilities. Thailand and Cambodia have accused each other of moves that led to the breakdown of the July truce, which was expanded into a wider agreement in October to help settle the conflict.

(Dec 26): The Bank of Thailand has instructed commercial banks and state-owned financial institutions to declare foreign currency transactions of US$200,000 (RM807,800) and above to help it manage the baht’s persistent appreciation. Effective Dec 29, banks must request evidence of sales abroad for every foreign currency transaction relating to gold, according to the Bank of Thailand letter. Documentation may be submitted on the trade date or by the next business day for transactions conducted outside business hours. For foreign banknotes in amounts of US$15,000 and above, banks must request documentation demonstrating that such foreign currency was brought into the country. For foreign currency received from abroad into foreign currency deposit accounts of residents, banks shall apply the same requirements as those for spot foreign currency purchase transactions.

“I believe we have put together a budget that strikes a balance between achieving a strong economy and ensuring fiscal sustainability.”Securing a primary balance surplus has been a government goal for more than two decades. The primary balance at the national level is projected at a surplus of ¥1.34 trillion in the budget for the fiscal year starting in April, according to the finance ministry. Given that local governments have posted primary surpluses in recent years, Japan is likely to meet the primary balance target under the Cabinet Office measure. While the government hasn’t abandoned the primary balance as a yardstick for fiscal discipline, Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said that the administration is looking at it over multiple years rather than focusing on single-year results. Japan’s government initially aimed to achieve a primary balance surplus in fiscal 2011 but kept pushing back the timeline for over a decade.

(Dec 26): China announced largely symbolic sanctions against 20 US defence companies and 10 executives, signalling its anger over Washington’s latest arms sales to Taiwan while stopping short of a broader escalation. The measures include freezing any assets the companies hold in China and banning them from doing business with Chinese entities. The sanctions follow what Beijing described as “large-scale” US arms sales to Taiwan. “Any enterprise or individual involved in arms sales to Taiwan will pay the price for their misguided actions.”Limited impactIn reality the impact of the measures is likely to be limited. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must ultimately be brought under its control, by force if necessary — a position Taipei firmly rejects.

TAMPIN: A 51-year-old man was charged in the Magistrate's Court here today with the murder of Suri Narudin, whose body was discovered in a bag buried behind a house near Rembau. The unrepresented man was accused of murdering Suri, 53, behind a house at Jalan Pedas Linggi, Rembau, between Dec 7 and 18. He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries a death sentence or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years. If the death sentence is not imposed, the offender shall also be punished with at least 12 strokes of the cane. Subsequently, the deceased's identity was confirmed as Suri through a fingerprint comparison with records from the National Registration Department.

PETALING JAYA: Netizens have suggested that more rubbish bins be placed in public areas to tackle the issue of littering. This comes after Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming expressed anger over the ongoing issue of littering, particularly in city centres and public areas. It is already the 21st century, there is no reason for anyone to simply throw rubbish in public places. User Chen Lin Yong asked for “more bins so people can throw their rubbish.”Lill Rq agreed, adding that rubbish bins were also hard to come by based on her last visit to Kuala Lumpur. “Though the absence or lack of rubbish bins should not be an excuse for littering…but I guess we are far away from the Japanese culture of carrying your rubbish with you.

KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas Gas Bhd (PGB) announced revised tariffs for its gas transportation and regasification services under Regulatory Period 3 (RP3), to be implemented from Jan 1, 2026 to Dec 31, 2028, following government approval. The compression tariff for the supply of high-pressure gas to Singapore has been set at RM1.609/GJ/day, with an allowed tariff of RM1.592/GJ/day. Regasification tariffs have been revised to RM3.542/GJ/day for the Regas Terminal Sungai Udang and RM3.142/GJ/day for the Regas Terminal Pengerang, with corresponding allowed tariffs of RM3.540/GJ/day and RM3.103/GJ/day. “PGB remains steadfast as a trusted energy partner, dedicated to supporting the nation’s transition and growth agenda through successful implementation of RP3,” PGB said. “The approved RP3 tariffs are expected to enable both segments to sustain their positive contribution to PGB and its subsidiaries’ earnings,” it added.

SEREMBAN: The suspect involved in the explosion in Desa Palma, Nilai near here, on Dec 22 is believed to have technical knowledge and special skills in making explosives. Negri Sembilan police chief Datuk Alzafny Ahmad said this was based on the discovery of devices and equipment seized from the rented house of a man known as Yeoh Hock Sun, 62, including explosive devices, flammable cleaning agents and carbon as well as sulphur elements. "Investigations found that the suspect has knowledge in the field of chemistry and had worked in a pharmaceutical factory for three years, as well as knowledge in the field of information technology (IT). He said that an inspection of the man's house, which was suspected of being used as a laboratory, also found 31 more improvised explosive devices (IEDs), all of which were destroyed by the police. "The fragments used were nails and a folding knife that were finely shredded, so looking at the preparation we interpret that he had the knowledge to prepare a perfect explosive,” he said.