(Dec 29): Lululemon Athletica's founder Chip Wilson said on Monday he had launched a proxy fight bynominating three independent directors to the company's board, days after the apparel maker announced the exit of CEO Calvin McDonald. Lululemon has struggled to find its footing with younger and affluent shoppers amid stiff competition from fast-growing newer rivals like Alo Yoga and Vuori, as well as pressure from activist investor Elliott Management. Wilson has nominated three director candidates to Lululemon's board, including former On Running co-CEO Marc Maurer, former ESPN chief marketing officer Laura Gentile and former Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg. "The recent CEO change announcement was the third total failure of board oversight with no clear succession plan in place. Shareholders have no faith that this board can select and support the next CEO without input from a board with stronger product experience," Wilson said in a statement.

Amid discussions of advanced technologies, one message stood out — artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly reshaping hospital care. The most consequential changes in hospital care today are not dramatic breakthroughs, but steady system-level adjustments happening largely out of public view. One of the most important contributions of AI in hospital care is its role as a workforce multiplier. Hospital care is resource intensive, particularly when managing late-stage disease. Artificial intelligence will not transform hospital care overnight.

PETALING JAYA: The PAS central committee will meet soon to decide its position within Perikatan Nasional, says an aide to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang. “The PAS central committee will have a meeting soon. Mohd Syahir, who is also Bachok MP, said PAS always respects the democratic process and the discretionary powers of the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. Mohd Syahir had earlier issued a cryptic remark in a Facebook post. Ties between PAS and Bersatu, who are key partners in Perikatan Nasional, have since been strained.

OIL prices rose on Monday as investors weighed Middle East tensions that could disrupt supply, while a major hurdle remains in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks. "The Middle East has also been unsettled recently, with Saudi air ‍strikes in Yemen ⁠and Iran saying ‍the ​country is in a 'full-scale war' with the U.S., Europe, and ⁠Israel. This may be what's driving market concerns about potential supply disruptions," Yang added. The two leaders spoke at a joint press conference late Sunday afternoon after meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago ⁠resort in Florida. Trump said it will be clear "in a few weeks" whether negotiations to end the war will succeed.

JOHOR BARU: What began as a personal debt dispute erupted into a violent late-night attack at a restaurant in Taman Mount Austin, leading to the arrest of 13 people, including a foreign woman. Johor Baru Selatan OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said 12 Malaysian men and a Vietnamese woman, aged between 20 and 40, were arrested in stages between 3am on Saturday and 12.40am yesterday at several locations around the district. The victim suffered injuries to the head, arms and calves, along with multiple scratches across his body. Checks revealed that seven of the suspects had records for drug-related and criminal ­offences, while six tested positive for ketamine. The public has been urged not to speculate in ways that could disrupt investigations.

Energy AsiaAs energy demand doubles and climate risks intensify, Asia’s transition will hinge on how effectively capital are mobilised. The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts record global energy investment of US$3.3 trillion in 2025, with US$2.2 trillion flowing toward renewables, double the amount directed to fossil fuels. Policymakers, industry captains and energy professionals agreed ambition alone will not deliver Asia’s energy transition. Clean energy investment strengthens energy security, creates jobs and supports economic resilience. Energy Asia reinforced a fundamental truth - Asia’s energy transition will not follow a single pathway.

KOTA TINGGI: A 32-year-old man has claimed trial to charges of causing the death of three men through dangerous driving. He was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of a RM50,000 fine and up to 10 years' imprisonment upon conviction. In the same court, Loo also pleaded not guilty to a charge under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967 for possessing RM3,894 worth of untaxed cigarettes. Prosecuting officer Insp Nor Ayu Hidayah M Safri requested bail of RM10,000 for the offence under the Customs Act and RM5,000 for each offence under the Road Transport Act 1987. The judge set bail at RM15,000 with one surety for all the offences and fixed Feb 6 for next mention of the case and document submission.

PETALING JAYA: The appointment of a Bersatu leader as Perlis Mentri Besar may help rebalance power within Perikatan Nasional but risks fuelling dissatisfaction among PAS grassroots, say analysts. Abu Bakar Hamzah, the Kuala Perlis assemblyman and Perlis Bersatu chief, was sworn in at Istana Arau yesterday after receiving the consent of the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail. His appointment marked the first time Bersatu is taking the helm of the state following the resignation of PAS’ Mohd Shukri Ramli on Thursday, citing health reasons. Prof Sivamurugan added that unresolved tensions between PAS and Bersatu could continue to erode unity, especially at the grassroots and state levels. “This shows PAS and Bersatu are slowly moving in different directions,” he said, adding that the Perlis crisis reflected miscalculations by PAS and shrewd political manoeuvring by Bersatu.

The privatisation of public parking emerged as the most contentious issue in Petaling Jaya. The SIP scheme proposed a centralised parking system with four local authorities – Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council and Selayang Municipal Council – implementing it first, from Aug 1. Petaling Jaya is set to standardise its reserved parking system next year, with all business-allocated bays converted to 24-hour parking across the city. Still on parking, Petaling Jaya is set to standardise its reserved parking system next year, with all business-allocated bays converted to 24-hour across the city. Under the PJ Watch Programme, the city council is also monitoring illegal dumping from its headquarters in Menara MBPJ.

SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday (Dec 29) an independent review into law enforcement agencies set up after the Bondi mass shooting will assess whether authorities could have taken additional steps to prevent the terror attack. Fifteen people were killed in the mass ​shooting at a Jewish Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach on Dec 14, shocking a country with strict gun laws and fuelling calls for tougher controls and stronger action against antisemitism. "Announcements made so far by the ⁠federal government in response to the Bondi massacre are not nearly enough... You owe us answers. And you owe Australians the truth," said a statement from the ‍families of those involved in the ‍mass shooting, according to media reports. We need to get on with any changes that are required," Albanese told reporters, while announcing the terms for the review into the attack.

(Dec 29): Nvidia has purchased Intel shares worth US$5 billion (RM20.3 billion), the American semiconductor firm said in a filing on Monday, carrying out a transaction announced in September. The leading AI chip designer said in September it would pay US$23.28 per share for Intel common stock, in a deal that is seen as a major financial lifeline for the chipmaker after years of missteps and capital intensive production capacity expansions drained its finances. The world's most valuable firm has bought over 214.7 million Intel shares at the price set out in the September agreement, in a private placement, according to Monday's filing. US antitrust agencies had cleared Nvidia's investment in Intel, according to a notice posted by the US Federal Trade Commission earlier in December. Nvidia shares were down 1.3% in pre-market trading while Intel stock was little changed.

KOTA BARU: The Public Works Department (JKR) has identified 29 federal roads in nine Kelantan districts that require urgent maintenance. “There are seven roads in Gua Musang and six in Kota Baru that need maintenance,” he said. In the district of Kota Baru, six roads need urgent repairs – Jalan Pasir Puteh-Kota Bharu; Jalan Wakaf Che Yeh-Salor-Pasir Mas; Jalan Kota Bharu-Pengkalan Chepa; Jalan Gua Musang-Kota Bharu; Jalan Pantai Cahaya Bulan; and Jalan Sultan Ismail Petra. He said the other roads that needed immediate attention are Jalan Gua Musang-Kota Bharu, Jalan Machang-Jeli, Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Terengganu and Jalan Pintas Pasir Puteh. Also on the list are Jalan Kota Bharu-Rantau Panjang, Jalan Kota Bharu-Pengkalan Kubor, Jalan Panglima Bayu-Rantau Panjang, and Jalan Kubang Kerian-Bachok.

(Dec 29): Despite surging demand for office space in Dubai, one tower on the edge of the city’s financial district has stood empty for about a decade. Abbas Sajwani, the 26-year-old son of billionaire developer Hussain Sajwani, bought the building last year for US$120 million (RM485.64 million). Despite its prime location, the tower had remained vacant after its previous owner fell behind on debt repayments to Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC. The tower, built around the time of the global financial crisis that upended Dubai’s property market, was beset by delays and disputes, leaving it unfinished for years. Once refurbishment is complete, the building — now rebranded as AHS Tower — will lose the clock-face design that earned it the “Big Ben” moniker.

For the quarter ended Oct 31, 2025 (3QFY2026), the group's net profit fell to RM70.3 million or 8.35 sen per share, compared to RM101.3 million, or 12.08 sen per share, in the previous year. The group declared a special single-tier dividend of six sen per share, payable on Feb 10, 2026. This raised its year-to-date payout to seven sen, as opposed to seven sen in the same period last year. This segment generated RM201.7 million in revenue and RM85.5 million in operating profit, accounting for over 78% of group revenue and 81% of operating profit. Net profit fell to RM93.70 million from RM523.72 million in the corresponding period last year, as revenue fell 66% to RM362.76 million from RM1.08 billion.

Political parties in the country have registered their candidates for the next prime minister, marking the unofficial start of campaigning for the Feb 8 general election. The election is seen as primarily pitting Anutin’s conservative party against the progressive People’s Party, which under a different name and leadership won the highest number of House seats in the 2023 election. The populist Pheu Thai Party, backed by billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shina­watra, is another major contender. However, the People’s Party at the same time insisted on acting as an opposition party. The Pheu Thai party is fielding 46-year-old Yodchanan Wongsa­wat as its main candidate for prime minister.