Arts

Vermeer masterpiece 'Girl With A Pearl Earring' set for rare Japan showing

The 17th century masterpiece will be loaned to the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka in August and September

Philippines

Landslide at Cebu landfill in the Philippines leaves one dead, several injured

CEBU CITY: A landslide at a landfill in Cebu City, Philippines, on Jan 8 left one person dead and several others injured, according to city officials.

Nation

Court's vape ruling sets legal precedent in enforcement of smoking control law, says Dzulkefly

PETALING JAYA: The decision by the Putrajaya Magistrate's Court to convict a known personality for promoting vape has set an important legal precedent in enforcing the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act (Act 852), says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Cambodia

Who is Chen Zhi, the young tycoon accused of running global cyber scams?

PHNOM PENH: Chinese-Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi's arrest and extradition to China this week marked a stunning fall for a young tycoon accused of running a brutal online scam and money laundering operation.

Markets

Bursa Malaysia bounces slightly ahead of US payrolls data

KUALA LUMPUR: Trading on Bursa Malaysia is expected to remain cautious ahead of the weekend release of US employment data that could offer more insight into the country's economic outlook and potential interest rate cuts.

Entertainment

HK singer Jacky Cheung, 64, reflects on ageing and 'unemployment anxiety' as tour nears its end

His 60+ Concert Tour kicked off in Macau on June 9, 2023 and will culminate in a grand finale in Hong Kong on Jan 24.

Forex

Ringgit opens lower against firmer US$ ahead of US non-farm payrolls release

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened lower against the US dollar, weighed by a firmer US Dollar Index (DXY) as global markets position ahead of tonight's US non-farm payrolls release.

Nation

Wreath-laying at Ataturk mausoleum is mandatory official protocol, says PM Anwar

ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the laying of a wreath at the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkiye, is a mandatory official protocol that must be observed by all heads of state during official visits to the country.

Commodities

Oil settles up on Venezuela news, supply worries

Oil prices climbed over 3% on Thursday after two straight days of declines, settling at a two-week high as investors assessed developments in Venezuela and worried about supplies from Russia, Iraq and Iran.

Markets

Street ends mixed as tech dips, defence stocks rally

Wall Street ended mixed on Thursday, as Nvidia and other technology stocks dipped, while defence companies advanced after President Donald Trump called for an enlarged US$1.5 trillion military budget.

India

India arrests environmental activist for anti-fossil fuel work

A global environmental activist working on an effort to coordinate a global treaty to phase out fossil fuels was detained and released by Indian authorities as part of their probe into the use of foreign funds to undermine Indian energy policies, Indian officials said.

Japan

‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ to be shown in Japan in rare trip abroad

Johannes Vermeer's painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be displayed in Japan later this year, the Dutch Mauritshuis museum said, a rare outing abroad for one of the world's most famous artworks.

AseanPlus News

F-16 fleet grounded after jet crash

THE nation has temporarily groun­ded its fleet of F-16 fighter jets for inspection, the defence minister said, as the search continued for a pilot whose aircraft apparently crashed into the sea.

Economy

South Korean FDI hits fifth straight record last year at US$36bil

Foreign direct investment or FDI commitments to South Korea hit a fifth consecutive record last year, rising 4.3% to US$36bil, while actual inflows jumped 16.3% to US$17.95bil, the Trade, Industry and Resources Ministry says.

Focus

From tea wars to chicken bargains

THE economic relationship between the United States and China is as strained as it has been in years. Yet, that has not stop­ped a wave of Chinese food and beverage chains from pushing into the United States for the first time.

Japan

Nuclear official loses phone with confidential data during China trip

An employee of the nation's nuclear regulator lost a smartphone, ­possibly in China, containing a confidential list of contacts, an official and local media reports said.

Nation

RM1.8bil shipyard to be built in Melaka

MELAKA: A RM1.8bil modern shipyard to be developed here in collaboration with Turkiye will be named after Panglima Awang, also known as "Enrique de Malacca", the famed navigator believed to have circumnavigated the globe in the 1500s.

Nation

Akmal: M’sia to unveil JS-SEZ plan in Q1

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia plans to unveil the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) blueprint in the first quarter of 2026, says Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

Philippines

Volcano resuming activity

A series of mild eruptions at the country's most active volcano has prompted the evacuation of nearly 3,000 villagers from a danger zone on its foothills.

Nation

Influencer claims trial to assault on disabled person

PETALING JAYA: A social media influencer pleaded not guilty at the Magistrate's Court here to a charge of hitting a fast food restaurant worker.