TOKYO (Jan 5): Japan's manufacturing activity stalled in December as demand declined at a slower pace from the previous month, a private-sector survey showed, ending a five-month streak of deterioration. The S&P Global Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) was flat at 50.0 in December, improving from 48.7 in November and hitting the break-even point separating expansion from contraction. "Japan's manufacturing industry saw conditions stabilise at the end of the year," said Annabel Fiddes, an economics associate director at S&P Global Market Intelligence. The decline in new orders in December was the softest since May 2024, the survey showed. Although many firms noted subdued demand, some saw sales had improved, underpinned by new projects and stronger-than-expected customer spending.

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Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHANEASY-TO-RETURN policies on China’s e-commerce platforms have led to some consumers exploiting the system by sending back used items, China Press reported. In a recent complaint, a trader from Zhejiang said a buyer claimed that a down-filled jacket she purchased for 633 yuan (RM367) was second-hand and requested a return. Upon receiving the returned jacket, the trader found oil stains on it. Suspecting that the jacket had been worn, the trader vented his frustration online. Su later admitted that she had worn the jacket once in Harbin, from the airport to the hotel.

Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHANHE thought the young woman sleeping on a bus was an easy target for harassment but ended up getting beaten by her, Makkal Osai reported. The female passenger, who was fast asleep while travelling on a bus in India’s Karnataka state, was abruptly awakened when the stranger sitting next to her began molesting her. She immediately filmed the man, berating him as he tried to get away by alighting from the bus. Local police soon pursued the case and identified the culprit as a 28-year-old local man. > The Johor Tamilar Sangam is leading efforts to build a monument to the late writer Thamizhavel G. Sarangapani in the state capital, Makkal Osai reported.

“I can’t imagine running my eatery without foreign workers in the kitchen,” said Seeni, who has been operating his business for two years. — LIM BENG TATT/The StarHe said foreign workers were more dependable as locals preferred other types of jobs. “I won’t ask my foreign workers to cook unless they have been trained by me. “Ingredients can be prepared by the owners while the foreign workers just combine the items or plate the food up – no actual cooking or frying involved, only basic preparations,” she said. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The StarA previous report said Penang Island City Council (MBPP) identified 13 hawker dishes that could not be prepared by foreign cooks at hawker stalls, food courts or coffeeshops.

So definitely, this is my main target,” said Zii Jia. Despite still having around two months remaining under the protected world ranking he applied for with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Zii Jia felt he could not afford to wait any longer. As the weeks and months passed during his recovery, his world ranking continued to slip gradually from No. “I will be competing in four tournaments in January (Malaysian Open, Indian Open, Indonesian Masters, Thailand Masters). “There are a lot of points on offer here at the Malaysian Open.

AN inventory of locations and traders at food courts and hawker centres in Kuala Lumpur is needed before any upgrades are rolled out, say traders and patrons. — Courtesy photoDeserted hawker centresAt a hawker centre in Bandar Tun Razak, only five out of 20 stalls were open on a weekday afternoon. Visible water leakage seen at the hawker centre in Bandar Tun Razak. “Some stallholders have opted to use the premises as storage spaces or for catering operations instead of running full-service food stalls,” he said. Regular customer Muin Abdul Manaf said the hawker centre was a popular spot for families and groups.

He said misconceptions persist among some people, including the belief that flying foxes have medicinal value and can cure asthma. “There are about 100 known bat species in Borneo, some found nowhere else in the world, but most people know very little about them. Shavez said different fruit bat species specialise in different food sources. Dog-faced fruit bats feed on secondary forest trees with small fruits, supporting forest regeneration in disturbed areas. Figs are also a key food source for many fruit bat species and attract other animals such as civets and katydids, which may in turn attract flying squirrels.

Day in court: Teoh arriving at the Magistrate’s Court in Alor Setar. She was also accused of uttering insulting words and making an obscene gesture at the same police officer at the same location and time. The charge was framed under Section 509 which carries a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine, or both upon conviction. For the third charge, Teoh was said to have intentionally hurt the religious feelings of Muslims by uttering words that are insulting to Islam at the same location and time. The offence under Section 298 provides for imprisonment of up to one year or a fine, or both upon conviction.

SEREMBAN: Two Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Rembau campus students have died after the motorcycle they were on skidded off the road at KM 1 Jalan Chengkau-Panchang-Lubok Cina here. Rembau OCPD Supt Hasani Hussain said in the incident at about 4 pm on Sunday (Jan 4), Ismawanie Husna Ismail, 19, and Nur Ain Zulaisya Zahrain, 19, died at the scene due to head injuries. "Initial investigations found that the accident occurred when the duo were travelling from UiTM Rembau towards Pekan Lubok Cina. "When they reached a bend in the road, Ismawanie Husna is believed to have lost control and control of the motorcycle and hit a guardrail," he said in a statement on Sunday night. He said the bodies of both victims were sent to the Rembau Hospital for a post-mortem examination and the case is being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

South Korea�s President Lee Jae Myung (Right) and his wife Kim Hea Kyung (Left) board their plane to depart for China at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam yesterday. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung left for China eager to boost economic ties with Seoul's largest trading partner while keeping a lid on potentially explosive issues such as Taiwan. — AFPBEIJING: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet Monday with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing, with closer economic ties as well as the recalcitrant North on the agenda. The South Korean leader, accompanied by a delegation of business and tech leaders, hopes to secure pledges to expand economic cooperation with his country's largest trading partner. He has previously called for South Korea and China to work towards "more horizontal and mutually beneficial" trade.

Wide variety of creative desserts keeps king of fruits popular beyond peak seasonGEORGE TOWN: The durian kingdom has spawned by-pro­d­ucts so wide in range that the thorny fruit is available 365 days in diverse forms. There’s durian-flavoured bing­su (shaved ice), coffee, mochi, smoothies, chocolates, ice cream, freeze-dried durian chips and crepes filled with durian-flavoured cream. He said several entrepreneurs have developed a wide range of products, enabling visitors to sample different forms of durian and take them home as souvenirs as well. “Over time, this will help build a mature durian market featuring a full range of products, similar to other popular fruits,” he said at the launch of the Durian Tree Experience Centre here yesterday. With durian-flavoured desserts, he said, domestic and international tourists are no longer limited to orchard visits or eating durian by the roadside.

Seberang Perai Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Helmi Aris said police raided a house and arrested a 45-year-old local man at 10.20pm on Sunday (Jan 4). "In a search of the house, police found 130 vape cartridges containing liquid syabu, valued at RM45,500," he said in a statement on Sunday night. Helmi said police also seized two cars and jewellery comprising bracelets, bangles, rings, necklaces and earrings worth a total of RM429,500. He added that the suspect, who has a record of 10 previous crimes, tested negative for drugs. The suspect has been remanded for seven days until Jan 10 for investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

(Jan 5) : Japan’s retail investors have ignored the equity rally at home and have placed their faith in overseas stocks. Meanwhile, their net buying of overseas stocks via investment trust funds has hovered near 2024’s record-high 9.4 trillion yen, indicating that retail investors continue to have a good appetite for foreign assets. That’s driven by weakening in the yen which inflates the value of overseas equities in Japanese currency terms. Still, a slowdown in the AI rally may prompt retail investors to shift their focus to domestic equities. “Selling by retail investors will probably continue.”

Patrons at a fast-food outlet and nearby premises in Banting, Kuala Langat, were left in shock following an incident believed to be a shooting last night. - NSTP picSHAH ALAM: Patrons at a fast-food outlet and nearby premises in Banting, Kuala Langat, were left in shock following an incident believed to be a shooting last night. Several photos and video recordings that went viral showed a man lying unconscious against the exterior wall of the restaurant with visible injuries. Bloodstains were also seen on the wall near where the man was found. Kuala Langat police chief Superintendent Mohd Akmalrizal Radzi, when contacted, said police would issue a statement on the matter soon.