Police: 42 fatal accidents during first three days of Op Selamat 16
PETALING JAYA: There have been 4,971 road accidents as Op Selamat 16 entered its third day on Monday (Jan 20), with 42 of those being fatal. "Out of that, 42 road accidents were fatal and 28 of the deaths involved motorcyclists and their pillion riders," he said. Statistics also revealed that Selangor had the most number of accidents, recording 1,557 in the first three days, followed by Johor and Kuala Lumpur, which recorded 786 and 548 accidents, respectively. "Additionally, there were 10 fatal accidents each in Johor and Selangor and six more fatal accidents were recorded in Kedah," he said in a statement Tuesday. Op Selamat 16, conducted in conjunction with Chinese New Year, will end on Feb 1.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 13:18 UTC
63-year-old woman killed in Sibu hit-and-run
SIBU: A 63-year-old woman died in a hit-and-run accident at about 4pm Tuesday (Jan 21) on Jalan Oya here. The victim has been identified as Len Tanbol of Matu, but stayed in Sibujaya working as a bottle cleaner at a shop near the scene of the accident. According to an eyewitness, the victim was crossing the road when a motorcycle ridden by a man knocked her down. She added that she could not see the registration plate of the motorcycle but remembered that it was a Yamaha 135LC motorcycle. Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 12:22 UTC
CIMB Thai's net profit in 2019 grew 216 fold y-o-y
KUALA LUMPUR: CIMB Thai Bank PCL has registered a net profit of 1.501 billion baht for the year ended December 31, 2019, an over 216-fold year-on-year (y-o-y) increase of 1.49 billion baht. As at December 31, 2019, total gross loans stood at 242.1 billion baht, up 6.3 per cent from December 31, 2018. Deposits stood at 241.5 billion baht, an increase of 3.1 per cent from 234.3 billion baht at the end of December 2018. As at December 31, 2019, total provisions stood at 10.5 billion baht, translating to a 4.9 billion baht excess over the Bank of Thailand’s reserve requirements. Total consolidated capital funds as at December 31, 2019 stood at 47.6 billion baht.
Source:New Strait Times
January 21, 2020 12:11 UTC
Kyrgios shines for Australia after bushfire disaster
MELBOURNE: Australia’s Nick Kyrgios put his country’s bushfire disaster behind him and gave home fans something to cheer about with a first-round win at the Australian Open. He thrived in the atmosphere, grinding down Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/1). But he rose to the challenge and the 23rd seed did so in largely drama-free fashion, keeping himself calm for most of the match. With Kyrgios not facing a single break point, television commentator John McEnroe lavished praise on his booming serve. “He has actually got one of the best serves I’ve ever seen,” said the tennis legend.
Source:New Strait Times
January 21, 2020 11:37 UTC
Schools shut as severe smog smothers Bangkok
The Bangkok air quality index (AQI) climbed to 170 - a reading above 150 is classified as unhealthy - this morning and the city was ranked as having the world’s ninth worst air for a major city, according to independent air quality monitor AirVisual. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ordered 437 schools in Bangkok, the most visited city in the world, to close for a day tomorrow as one of the emergency measures against pollution. Bangkok’s level of PM 2.5 particles was 92.7 pg/m3 on Tuesday, while anything over 35 is considered unhealthy. The last few years’ annual deterioration in air quality early in the new year coincides with the annual sugarcane harvest, which normally runs from November to March. To be sure, crop burning is not the only cause of the smog in Thailand - pollution from cars and trucks, weather patterns and industrial emissions are also blamed.
Source:New Strait Times
January 21, 2020 11:15 UTC
Form One student killed in hit-and-run in Banting
PETALING JAYA: A Form One student was killed and another left with a broken arm in a hit-and-run accident in Banting. Selangor traffic investigation and enforcement department chief Supt Azman Shariat said the two female victims, both 13, were making their way to a bus stop on Jalan Banting-Dengkil to wait for a bus that would take them to school when the accident occurred around 6.40am on Tuesday (Jan 21). "The driver, who was coming from Dengkil, hit them as they were crossing the road and sped off," he said, adding that the first victim died at the scene while the other victim broke her arm. He said the injured victim was went to the Hospital Banting for treatmentSupt Azman said police are now searching for the driver and the case is being investigated under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving. Eyewitnesses are urged to channel any information to Insp Lau Ung Hee at 019-669 9901.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 10:52 UTC
Firemen finally persuade man to climb down telco tower after 30 hours
"A police officer climbed up the tower and tried to persuade him to come down. The man claimed he had climbed up after quarrelling with a colleague at an oil palm estate in Nanga Dap here. "The policeman's efforts to persuade the victim to climb down were unsuccessful, forcing us to send up two firemen at 3.22pm to speak to him again," he said. The man finally agreed to climb down at 3.51pm. Arrahman said firemen did not sleep at all on Monday night, keeping an eye on the victim for fear he would fall or jump off.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 10:30 UTC
Iranian MP announces $3 million award for "whoever kills Trump" - ISNA
DUBAI (Reuters) - An Iranian lawmaker announced a 3 million dollar (2.3 million pounds) award to "whoever kills Trump", Iranian semi-official News agency reported. "On behalf of people of Kerman province, we will pay 3 million dollar award in cash to whoever kills Trump," Ahmad Hamzeh told parliamentarians, according to ISNA. He did not elaborate whether it was a decision made by Iran's clerical rulers to threaten U.S. President Donald Trump. Kerman is the hometown of Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top commander of the Quds Force who was killed by a U.S. drone on Jan. 3 in Iraq. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams)
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 10:18 UTC
Hong Kong leads Asia stocks down as virus spooks markets
HONG KONG: Hong Kong stocks tumbled on Tuesday (Jan 21) after the city's credit rating was downgraded over its response to months of sometimes violent protests, while investors were also spooked by a deadly SARS-like virus that has been confirmed to be transmitted between humans. The move comes as the business community grows increasingly worried that the features that give Hong Kong more political and economic autonomy are weakening under pressure from Beijing. The new coronavirus strain has caused alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 650 people across mainland China and Hong Kong in 2002-2003. The World Health Organisation will meet on Wednesday to determine whether to declare the outbreak "a public health emergency of international concern" -- a rare designation only used for the gravest epidemics. Tourism-linked shares plunged in Hong Kong, with Cathay Pacific losing more than 4%and casino operator Wynn Macau down 4.8%.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 09:56 UTC
Thai Energy Ministry encourages motorists to use biodiesel to reduce smog
BANGKOK: Thailand's Ministry of Energy on Tuesday (Jan 21) suggested motorists to use biodiesel B10 and B20 to curb aggravating smog that is currently gripping the country. "By using biodiesel B10 and B20, we all can help reduce smog by 3.5 to 25%," said the ministry's Department of Energy Business. The consumption of B10 and B20 helps reduce PM2.5 and supports palm growers. Nantika also said that six Thai oil refineries will invest 50 billion baht (US$1.64bil) to improve the quality standard of their products from Euro 4 to Euro 5. The improvement is required to be completed before Jan 1, 2024 to reduce smog.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 09:56 UTC
Lesotho police summon PM over wife's murder
MASERU, Lesotho: Lesotho police on Monday summoned Prime Minister Thomas Thabane for questioning over alleged links to the 2017 murder of his estranged wife. The brutal assassination of Lipolelo Thabane sent shock waves through the tiny mountainous kingdom, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa. On Monday, police summoned the prime minister to their office to “cast a light” on the 58-year old’s murder. “This case does not only attract the attention of Basotho nation (Lesotho) but it is of international concern,” deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete said in a statement. But police have been unable to trace her whereabouts since she failed to turn up for questioning on Jan 10.
Source:New Strait Times
January 21, 2020 09:33 UTC
Hope fades for missing S. Korean, Nepali trekkers
POKHARA: Rescuers in the search for four South Korean trekkers and three Nepalis said there was little hope of finding them alive after they were swept away and buried by an avalanche in the Himalayas. This morning, an 11-member specialised team from the Nepal Army departed by chopper for the site along with South Korean personnel. Six of the missing were part of the same expedition, while one Nepali porter was escorting a different group. The four foreigners – two men and two women – were part of an 11-member team of South Korean nationals. Thousands of trekkers visit Nepal every year for its stunning view of the Himalayas and routes lined with picturesque villages.
Source:New Strait Times
January 21, 2020 09:22 UTC
How US artist Judy Chicago rocked Paris fashion aged 80
On Monday, it hosted half of Hollywood and an embarrassment of pop stars for Dior's haute couture fashion show. "Everybody wants to go back to the womb," she added, joking about the space she had created inside the goddess. says Judy Chicago about the space she had created inside the goddess. Judy Chicago, a feminist pioneer artist, has planted a massive temple to the mother goddess on the lawn of one of art's greatest machos, the sculptor Gustave Rodin. Chicago said her temple – which will open to the public on Tuesday for five days – was "the creative opportunity of a lifetime".
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 09:11 UTC
Chinese sentences ex-boss of Interpol to 13 years for accepting bribes
BEIJING: China on Tuesday (Jan 21) has sentenced the former president of Interpol, Meng Hongwei, to 13 years and six months in prison on charges of accepting more than US$2mil in bribes. Interpol was not informed and was forced to make a formal request to China for information about Meng's whereabouts amid suspicion he had fallen out of political favour with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Meng's wife, who remains in France with their two children, has accused Chinese authorities of lying and questioned whether her husband was still alive. Grace Meng is now suing Interpol, accusing it of failing to protect him from arrest in China and failing to look after his family. While serving at Interpol, Meng retained his title as China's vice minister of public security.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 09:00 UTC
Eight Indian tourists found dead in hotel room in Nepal
KATHMANDU: Eight Indian tourists visiting Nepal were found dead in their hotel room on the outskirts of Kathmandu on Tuesday, police said on Tuesday (Jan 21). The Indian tourists were part of a 15-member group who were spending the night at Everest Panorama Resort in Palung, about 50 kilometres west of Kathmandu, said Bikash Tamang, a local police officer. They were airlifted to a hospital in Kathmandu, where doctors declared them dead, according to Umesh Lamsal, a police officer in Kathmandu. He said an autopsy would be carried out on the bodies, which will determine the cause of the death. Two Chinese and two Italian tourists were found dead in two separate incidents in Nepal in 2013.
Source:The Star
January 21, 2020 09:00 UTC