DUBAI/DOHA (Jan 14): The US is withdrawing some personnel from bases in the Middle East, a US official said on Wednesday, after a senior Iranian official said Tehran had warned neighbours it would hit American bases if Washington strikes. An Iranian official has said more than 2,000 people have died. Iran asks regional states to prevent a US attackTrump has openly threatened to intervene in Iran for days, without giving specifics. Direct contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended, the official added. The government's prestige was severely damaged by a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign in June — joined by the US — that followed setbacks for Iran's regional allies in Lebanon and Syria.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik made it into the Indian Open second round, but it was all over for teammates Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi. Aaron-Wooi Yik were leading 21-12, 11-6 against junior teammates Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing when the latter were forced to retire at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Wednesday (Jan 14). It is learned that the younger Aaron suffered pain in his back and could not carry on. 2 Aaron-Wooi Yik, who finished runners-up in the Malaysian Open on Sunday (Jan 11), will next play Japan’s world No. Independent pair Chia Weijie-Lwi Shenghao’s campaign also ended after they went down 18-21, 15-21 to Japan’s Hiroki Midorikawa-Kyohei Yamashita.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation into an air-conditioning gas explosion at HELP University in the capital on Monday. He also wished a full recovery to the injured, including Reeya Kaur Thandal, who is still receiving treatment following the incident. The prime minister extended condolences to the family of the late Soo Yu Juan, who died in the explosion. “Condolences to the family of the late Soo Yu Juan on the loss of your beloved child. Soo, 24, died while receiving treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, while nine others were injured in the explosion at the private university at around 11.40am.

KUALA LUMPUR: Melaka-based food products and manufacturer Guan Huat Seng Holdings Bhd’s initial public offering (IPO), ahead of its ACE Market listing on Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd, was oversubscribed by 4.78 times. A total of 2,842 applications for 137.61 million shares were received for the 23.8 million shares allocated to the Malaysian public. The Bumiputera portion received 649 applications for 35.16 million shares, representing an oversubscription of 1.96 times, while the other Malaysian public portion attracted 2,193 applications for 102.45 million shares, resulting in an oversubscription of 7.61 times. Additionally, the 14 million public issue shares made available for application by the eligible parties have been fully subscribed. The placement agent has confirmed that the 23 million public issue shares and 21.0 million offer shares to selected investors, as well as 59.2 million public issue shares to Bumiputera investors approved by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, were fully placed.

(Jan 14): US retail sales rose in November by the most since July, fuelled by a rebound in auto purchases and resilient holiday shopping. Motor vehicle sales bounced back after the expiration of federal tax incentives on electric cars restrained sales in the prior month. Metric Actual Estimate Retail sales (MoM) +0.6% +0.5% Sales ex. Inflation-adjusted spending data on goods and services for October and November will be released later this month. The November retail report was originally due on Dec 17.

KUALA LUMPUR: There was no hint of sulking or tension between Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, says Datuk Nurul Hidayah. The daughter of the Umno president said Akmal, who was the party Youth chief had met Ahmad Zahid in a harmonious way and believed that Akmal knew the next direction to bring the youth wing. "I see it more as between a child and a father, and a child to a father," she said when met after a closed-door briefing with the party president here on Wednesday (Jan 16). Akmal previously hinted at stepping aside from his post as Umno Youth chief after his call for Umno to withdraw from the unity government drew a negative reaction from the Umno president. On Monday (Jan 12), Akmal said he would abide by the decisions made by Umno president and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh regarding the positions he currently holds.

(Jan 14): US wholesale inflation picked up slightly in November from a month earlier on a jump in energy costs, even as prices for services were unchanged. The producer price index (PPI) rose 0.2% after climbing 0.1% in the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The report, which included the first estimate of October wholesale price data, was delayed by the 43-day federal shutdown. The Bureau of Economic Analysis will issue November PCE price data, along with income and spending figures, on Jan 22. The PPI report showed wholesale goods prices rose 0.9%, the most since February 2024, with 80% of the increase due to energy.

(Jan 14): Opec’s first detailed assessment of 2027 projects that global oil demand will continue to increase at a steady pace. World oil consumption will grow by 1.3 million barrels a day in 2027 — fractionally lower than this year — and average 107.9 million barrels a day, according to a report from Opec’s secretariat seen by Bloomberg News. However, demand estimates from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries have proven excessively bullish side in the past. In 2024, Opec slashed demand projections by 32% over the course of six monthly downgrades. The country’s output fell by 237,000 barrels a day to 1.52 million a day, amid attacks on the key export terminal for Kazakh crude.

The former prime minister said that he merely approved the names of directors given to him for approval, and he was not involved in selecting the candidates. Asked by Kwan if he knew who initiated the selection of the board members, Najib said he did not know. Najib: Not binding, unless the board thought it was in the best interest of the company. Only to give due consideration to specific matters and best interest of the company,” he said. The lawyer referred to Article 117, which states that SRC directors would have to refer to the prime minister for major decisions on investments or expenditure.

(Jan 14): US mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped seven basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan 9, according to Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) data released on Wednesday. That’s the lowest reading since September 2024 and one of the lowest since 2022. The rate on a five-year adjustable mortgage plunged nearly a half percentage point to 5.42%, the second-lowest since May 2023. The MBA survey, which has been conducted weekly since 1990, uses responses from mortgage bankers, commercial banks and thrifts.

PETALING JAYA: Mixed doubles shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei suffered a surprise first-round exit from the Indian Open after losing to China’s Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi. The reigning world champions struggled to raise their game and went down 16-21, 19-21 to the world No. 16 pair at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Wednesday (Jan 14). It was Tang Jie-Ee Wei’s first defeat to Cheng Xing-Zhang Chi after beating the pair in their sole encounter previously in the 2024 Korean Open. 3 pair's first early-round loss since their defeat in the second round of the Singapore Open in May last year.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Malaysia’s logistics and transport sector continues to grow, valued at approximately RM117.36 billion and projected to be around RM153.78 billion by 2030. Lin said these shifts are driving stronger demand for logistics partners that can support both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) needs. I think for more cost-effective services, customers also look at reliable services that have consistently delivered within a certain time frame and with low damage rate,” he said during his presentation at the Ninja Van Malaysia Logistics Outlook 2026. “For cold logistics, previously there were no real B2C solutions to transport across Peninsular Malaysia. The logistics company will also be looking to expand its B2C cold chain logistics and expand its cross-border logistics with Singapore first.

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) - British technology ‌minister Liz Kendall said on Tuesday the government was seeking a "reset" ‌on plans to overhaul copyright rules to accommodate artificial intelligence, pledging ‌to protect creators while unlocking AI's economic potential. Creative industries worldwide are grappling with legal and ethical challenges posed by AI systems that generate original content after being trained on popular works, often ‍without compensating the original creators. Britain, which Prime Minister ‍Keir Starmer wants to turn into ‌an AI superpower, initially proposed relaxing copyright laws to allow developers to train ‍models ​on any material they could lawfully access, with creators required to opt out. Kendall told a committee ⁠of lawmakers that the publication of the government's review - ‌due in March - would be a "genuine reset moment". She said the creative industry's two main ⁠concerns - reward for ‍their work and control of their art - were incredibly important.

“When approached by stran­gers, always keep a safe distance when communicating with them. In the 30-second video, Lim was chasing after two women, said to be Chinese nationals, while recor­ding the incident with his mobile phone. Lim recalled that a man and a woman had approached his ­girlfriend Sharon Ng at the shopping mall during the incident on Jan 6. When contacted, Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the incident was a cheating attempt but no losses were incurred. ACP Abang Zainal Abidin said police were investigating the case under the Immigration Act.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao was forced to retire from his opening round match against Japan’s Yushi Tanaka in the Indian Open due to a high fever. Men’s singles coach K. Yogendran said that the 26-year-old was suffering from a high fever. “Jun Hao started having a fever on Tuesday (Jan 13), and it got worse today,” said Yogendran. The 26-year-old’s exit meant that Malaysia’s challenge in the men’s singles in the competition had ended. Earlier, Justin Hoh also bowed out after going down 17-21, 15-21 to China’s Lu Guangzu