KUALA LUMPUR: Investigations into alleged child abuse at a nursery in Cheras have resulted in the arrest of one suspect. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Aidil Bolhassan informed the media that the police had received three reports concerning the alleged abuse of two infants at the nursery. "The Cheras police confirm that reports of abuse involving two babies, aged six and nine months, have been filed. Several CCTV videos shared on social media displayed a caretaker mistreating and slapping the two babies. One of the videos even showed the caregiver wiping a used tissue on a baby's mouth.

— Yee Xiang Yun/The StarJOHOR BARU: For the past two months, he was given the runaround, going from Johor to Putrajaya and Selangor in his quest to apply for a passport. “I returned to the Johor Baru Immigration office with the relevant documents, thinking the matter would be resolved, but I was informed that my application still could not proceed. “To be certain, I also checked the Sessions Court, Magistrate’s Court and High Court in Shah Alam, as well as the courts in Johor Baru. “I was looking forward to obtaining a passport to travel to Singapore to seek employment, as job opportunities in Johor Baru are limited at my age,” he said. When contacted, Johor Immigration director Datuk Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said he will meet Abdul Malik to better understand the matter.

Contenders to durian, pineapple also mulledPETALING JAYA: Perhaps it’s time to harvest ideas from Malaysians on what should be recognised as the country’s national fruit. Both sides are seeking recognition as Malaysia’s official national fruit. The group also wanted July 7 to be declared National Durian Day. In June, the LPNM proposed that pineapple be designated as the national fruit. It also declared June 27 as National Pineapple Day.

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth will hold a special convention to determine whether the party should sever its ties with coalition partner Pakatan Harapan. In a TikTok video on Sunday (Dec 28), Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the convention aims to gather grassroots opinions on the party’s continued support for the unity government. The convention – titled ‘Hala Tuju Umno, Sama Ada Kekal Atau Keluar Dari Kerajaan’ (Umno’s Direction: Stay or Leave the Government?) The post triggered backlash from several Umno leaders, who condemned the remarks as insensitive, sarcastic and disrespectful. On Saturday (Dec 27), the Umno’s Puchong division announced that it had severed all political cooperation with Puchong Pakatan Harapan after Yeo failed to issue an apology within the given 24-hour period.

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PM says stronger economy and global ties are benefiting M’siansKUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government’s achievements now are the result of policy stability, the courage to implement reforms and the trust of the people. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creations and an inclusive growth agenda. “In fact, at the international level, the relationship between governments, various countries and groups of leaders, opens up space for strategic investment and strengthens Malaysia’s position in the eyes of the world,” he said in a social media post yesterday. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. “They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities to a more resilient future.

“We are currently managing about RM5 billion across equity, fixed income and private market strategies. The Areca equityTrust Fund (AETF) won the Best Equity Malaysia Fund at the LSEG Lipper Fund Awards for nine years in a row. The Areca Premier Wealth Fund, a regional fund that invests in regional equities, including Asean, was launched under her watch. We do direct investment via private capital funding into the private market, rather than indirectly through peer-to-peer financing platforms. However, global and regional markets, including South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore, have shown strong performance.

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): The public should stay vigilant against scams where impostors pretend to be the Commissioner of Police, who is the highest-ranking police official. The e-mail, the police said, contains a “warning letter” which claims that the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore have started investigating the e-mail’s recipients for their involvement in criminal activities. In that “warning letter”, the police said, victims would be told to submit their written statement to a designated e-mail address. In their statement on Dec 28, the police underscored that these e-mails are not issued by them or by any government officials. People should never transfer or hand over monies, cryptocurrencies or other valuables to unknown people or to anyone whose identify one has not verified, the police said.

MOSCOW, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Russian President ‌Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace and ‌if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, ‌Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force. Putin's remarks on Saturday, carried by state news agency TASS, followed a vast Russian drone and missile attack that prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ‍to say Russia was demonstrating its wish to ‍continue the war while Kyiv ‌wanted peace. Zelenskiy is to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday ‍to ​seek a resolution to the war Putin launched nearly four years ago with a full-scale invasion of Russia's smaller neighbour. The Southern Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Telegram "fierce fighting" continued in Huliaipole. "However, a substantial part of Huliaipole continues to be held by the Defence Forces of Ukraine."

KUALA LUMPUR: The success of the government today is the result of stable policies, the courage to have reform and the trust of the people, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said that domestically, the economy continues to strengthen through quality investments, job creation and an inclusive growth agenda. Anwar said all these achievements are not just numbers and statistics. "They are translated into tangible benefits for the people, from family well-being, new economic opportunities, to a more resilient future. "With the strong support of family, friends and the Malaysian people, I believe the Madani Government will continue to move forward, serve with trust and build a fair, prosperous and competitive country for all," he said.

KLUANG: A 19-year-old motorcyclist was killed after losing control of his motorcycle, veering into the opposite lane and colliding with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Kluang OCPD Asst Comm Bahrin Mohd Noh said the incident occurred at KM84 Jalan Kota Tinggi–Kluang at about 10.48pm on Saturday (Dec 27). “The four-wheel-drive vehicle was driven by a 29-year-old local man who was travelling from Kluang towards Kota Tinggi, accompanied by a 28-year-old local woman. “The passenger of the four-wheel-drive vehicle suffered injuries to both hands and sustained minor wounds. He added that checks on the motorcycle’s chassis number revealed that it had been reported stolen and was still listed as wanted.

SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): More than 4,000 schools nationwide have closed due to a lack of students, a South Korean lawmaker said on Dec 28. Elementary schools accounted for the majority, at 3,674, followed by 264 middle schools and 70 high schools. Over the past five years, 158 schools closed, and another 107 are expected to shut down over the next five years. Of the 4,008 closed schools, 376 remain unused. “A significant number of schools have already closed, and more are expected to shut down due to declining student numbers,” Mr Jin said.

Dec 28 (Reuters) - Magnus Carlsen ‌pushed away a camera after losing to ‌Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz ‌Chess Championships in Qatar, the latest example of the former world champion letting his vexation boil over. Carlsen, world champion between 2013 and ‍2023, had a frustrating second day ‍at the championships in ‌Doha on Saturday, splitting a point with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave before ‍he ​was beaten by Artemiev. When a photographer followed as Carlsen stormed out of the venue, the ⁠Norwegian pushed away the camera. Carlsen attracted attention ‌for slamming his fist on the table after losing to world ⁠champion Gukesh ‍Dommaraju at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. Also last year, he briefly quit the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in ‍New York when governing body FIDE ‌barred him from a round for wearing jeans.

KUALA LUMPUR: National junior mixed doubles pair Datu Anif Isaac-Clarissa San captured their second title in Bangladesh within a week after being crowned Bangladesh International Series 2025 champions in Dhaka on Friday. Fresh from securing the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 crown on Dec 20, Datu Anif-Clarissa continued their fine momentum by brushing aside compatriots Wee Yee Tern-Tan Zhing Hui 21-14, 21-15 in the final at Sahid Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium in Paltan. Last week, Datu Anif-Clarissa landed the Bangladesh International Challenge 2025 title following a straight sets victory over home pair Jumar Al-Amin-Urmi Akter 27-25, 21-14. Meanwhile, it was a double blow for Zhing Hui, who was also denied a women’s doubles title, this time with Gan Min Yee following a hard-fought rubber set defeat to Thailand’s Thitiwarada Buakaew-Sarisa Janpeng 13-21, 21-18, 17-21. Women’s singles player Lim Zhi Shin also endured a similar fate as she missed out on a title after going down to India’s Tanvi Reddy Andluri 19-21, 10-21.

March> AppointmentsScience, Technology and Innovation Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim was appointed to the same post at the Education Ministry, taking over from Datuk Ruji Ubi. > Social media circularThe Education Ministry issued a circular prohibiting teachers from making inappropriate social media posts. October> Budget 2026The education sector received the largest allocation with RM66.2bil going to the Education Ministry and RM18.6bil to the Higher Education Ministry. November> SPM 2025 kicks offSPM 2025, involving 413,372 candidates, started on Nov 3, and ended on Dec 23 at 3,350 exam centres nationwide. It would replace the existing Science, Health Education, Visual Arts Education, and Music Education subjects.