But is it true that there’s one in South Korea where you do nothing? Officially launched in 2014, it was the brainchild of South Korean artist Woopsyang, inspired by her personal experience. The competition aims to change people’s mindset, encouraging them to value rest and challenge the idea that doing nothing is a waste. The only thing you’ll be doing here for 90 minutes is… nothing, meaning no talking, no using phones, no moving around or sleeping. The event organisers will monitor participants’ heart rates and winners are assessed based on who maintains the lowest and most steady rate.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh will make an announcement on his status at the party’s general assembly today, says party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Dr Muhamad Akmal had previously hinted at stepping aside from his position after his call for Umno to withdraw from the unity government received a negative reaction from the party presi- dent. On Monday, Dr Muhamad Akmal said he will abide by the decisions made by Umno president and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh regarding the positions he currently holds. In a separate post, Dr Muhamad Akmal said he had shared all his intentions and feelings with the Umno president. “Thank you, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi for your advice and for your willingness to listen.

(Jan 14): Base metal markets roared higher on Wednesday, extending a powerful start to the year’s trading, with both tin and copper rallying to records. Tin is the least-liquid market on the LME, and can be subject to periods of dizzying volatility. As with other metals, supply disruptions have also spurred the bulls, with uncertainties over exports from second-biggest producer Indonesia still stalking the market. Despite the surge in prices, the tin market has yet to indicate physical tightness, with stockpiles held in LME-tracked sheds having risen to the highest in 11 months. Tin traded 5.2% higher at US$52,085 a ton on the LME at 12.13pm Shanghai time on Wednesday.

(Jan 14): Prosecutors in Taiwan issued an arrest warrant for the CEO of the Chinese smartphone company OnePlus, stepping up the island’s efforts to block China’s tech players from recruiting Taiwanese talent. OnePlus, a niche player whose phones run on a customised version of Android, is suspected of illegally recruiting more than 70 engineers in Taiwan. The autonomous territory has stepped up its efforts to stop Chinese companies from raiding workers, who are often coveted because of their technical knowledge and experience. Taiwan doesn’t allow Chinese companies to set up local operations or hire locally without formal government approval. However, there have been many cases of Chinese tech companies setting up facilities in Taiwan and posing as foreign or local firms.

(Jan 14): As Brendan Nelson begins his first year as the new chairman of HSBC Holdings plc, there’s one familiar face he will still likely see around the office: his predecessor Mark Tucker. Keeping its old chairman on as an adviser comes despite Tucker recently taking on the chairmanship of AIA Group Ltd, the Hong Kong-based insurance group that he once ran as its CEO. A spokesperson for HSBC said Tucker “remains an adviser to the HSBC board and group CEO in line with all appropriate governance and disclosure requirements”. During his eight-year tenure as the chairman, Tucker became known for his hands-on-style leadership that saw him preside over the appointment of three CEOs, including the current chief Georges Elhedery. As well as his continuing work for HSBC and his chairmanship role at AIA, Tucker is also the chairman of South African insurance group Discovery Ltd, where he has been on the board since 2019.

Malaysia’s multicultural landscape and long-established Tamil community have helped keep the Tamil language and cinema alive far beyond India, says popular South Indian actor-turned-politician Vijay. Malaysia stood out among overseas markets not only for the size of its audience, but also for its ability to preserve Tamil culture within a diverse, multilingual society, he said. “That coexistence has allowed Tamil cinema and traditions to remain alive across generations,” he said to thundering applause at the event, as reported by Bernama. He also said Malaysia’s consistent engagement with Tamil films had made the country a respected reference point within the industry, adding that overseas audiences often influenced how Tamil films were remembered globally. The event titled “Thalapathy Thiruvizha” was a tribute to Vijay and launch of the soundtrack to Jana Nayagan.

KUALA LUMPUR: Three of the injured victims from the explosion at HELP University are still being treated at the hospital, say police. In a statement on Tuesday (Jan 13), Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said that the three victims are a 54-year-old contractor supervisor, a 19-year-old student and a 22-year-old Indonesian worker. The student, he added, was still unconscious and suffered a fractured skull and brain hemorrhage. “Six victims were discharged from the hospital on Tuesday,” he said. On Monday (Jan 12), it was reported that the explosion killed one person and injured nine others.

Scott Adams, the US cartoonist famous for his "Dilbert" comic strip whose career was later soured by a racism row, has died at age 68, his ex-wife said on Tuesday. Ex-wife Shelly Miles announced his passing in an emotional, live-streamed message on Adams's YouTube channel, "Real Coffee with Scott Adams." US President Donald Trump paid tribute to Adams as a "great influencer" in a post on his Truth Social platform. But many publications including the Washington Post dropped the comic after Adams posted a video in 2023 calling Black people a "hate group." Adams later defended his comments and said that he had been using hyperbole.

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 14): Malaysian utilities are expected to see a modest earnings recovery in 2026 after a difficult 2025, according to Maybank Investment Bank (Maybank IB). Major operational and regulatory overhangs are easing although upside remains capped by regulatory constraints and already-stretched valuations, the research house said. Earnings growth in 2026 is expected to be driven by Tenaga’s contingent capex deployment, Malakoff’s Tanjung Bin recovery and Ranhill Utilities Bhd’s (KL:RANHILL) full-year benefit from Johor’s 2025 water tariff hike. Meanwhile, domestic gas prices are expected to trend lower year-on-year in 2026, which could pressure Gas Malaysia’s retail margins. Given that sector valuations are already around or above their five-year averages, Maybank IB "does not expect significant share price appreciation for most stocks in 2026 arising from further expansion of multiples".

KUALA LUMPUR: A senior Armed Forces officer has been detained by graft busters in connection with an ongoing investigation involving the military. Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the officer was detained at about 11am on Wednesday (Jan 14). "We will provide further details during a press conference tomorrow (Thursday, Jan 15)," he said when contacted. Meanwhile, Azam said former Army chief Jeneral Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan has been freed from remand. It was previously reported that MACC recorded the statement of a senior military officer on Sunday (Jan 11) and Monday.

(Jan 14): Cocoa processing remains under pressure around the world, highlighting continued demand destruction and struggles for the chocolate industry in the wake of record prices a year ago. That would be the lowest for a fourth quarter in 11 years. The price shock prompted consumers to cut back on chocolate and candy makers changed recipes to use cheaper substitutes and include more fillers like nuts. Producers and analysts expect cheaper cocoa to only start feeding through to supermarkets in the second half of this year. European cocoa processing margins fell below break-even levels in August and then reached the lowest on record in December, according to data from KnowledgeCharts, a unit of Commodity Risk Analysis.

ALOR SETAR: It is misleading for a group of lawyers to claim that the National Registration Department (NRD) was delaying the issuance of a MyKad to a 17-year-old male student, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (pic). “The parents themselves admitted that the birth certificate was obtained illegally when the child was a baby. Claims that the NRD is complicating the procedure or requiring the support of elected representatives are untrue,” Saifuddin Nasution was quoted as saying by Bernama. Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said the number of outstanding citizenship applications has been significantly reduced, from about 50,000 to fewer than 4,000 over the past three years. In a separate development, Lawyers for Liberty reportedly said it would not proceed with contempt of court proceedings against Saifuddin Nasution and the NRD as the department had accepted the teenager’s MyKad application.

(Jan 14): Bitcoin reached a two-month high, continuing a cautious climb higher in January as geopolitical uncertainty enhances its appeal. Another factor is “a sharp short squeeze” in bitcoin derivatives markets, said Vincent Liu, chief investment officer at Kronos Research. Some US$270 million of bitcoin short positions have been liquidated in the past 24 hours, according to CoinGlass data. Across all cryptocurrencies, about US$600 million of short positions were wiped out. Broadly, traders view the current macro backdrop as positive for bitcoin, said Joshua Lim, global co-head of markets at FalconX.

BANGKOK (Jan 14): A train travelling from Thailand's capital to the country's northeast was derailed on Wednesday after a construction crane fell on top of one of its carriages, killing at least 12 people and injuring at least 30, police said. The accident took place on Wednesday morning in the Sikhio district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, 230km (143 miles) northeast of Bangkok, on a train bound for Ubon Ratchathani province. Local police told Reuters by phone that a crane working on a high-speed rail project collapsed and hit the passing train, causing it to derail and briefly catch fire. The fire has been extinguished and rescue work in now underway, police said.

NEW YORK: Iran's government on Tuesday accused the United States of seeking to manufacture a pretext for military intervention, after US President Donald Trump threatened "strong action" over the deadly crackdown on mass protests. "US fantasies and policy toward Iran are rooted in regime change, with sanctions, threats, engineered unrest, and chaos serving as the modus operandi to manufacture a pretext for military intervention," Iran's UN mission posted on X, vowing that Washington's "playbook" would "fail again."