Labubu maker Pop Mart sets up London hub for European push
(Jan 31): Pop Mart International Group Ltd is setting up a London headquarters for its European operations as the Chinese maker of Labubu collectible toys seeks a new growth market after its breakout success in the US. Establishing a base in the UK underscores Pop Mart’s ambition in Europe, where it posted rapid growth last year amid rising global popularity of Labubu, the plush fantasy creature that comes in myriad versions. Pop Mart has been recruiting artists across Europe to tailor designs to local preferences, posting job ads on its Instagram accounts for countries including the UK, France and Italy. Sales in overseas markets have been surging, becoming Pop Mart’s key growth driver. Shares of Pop Mart have dropped more than 30% from their August peak around the height of the Labubu mania.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 31, 2026 03:47 UTC
Gold, silver prices drop sharply
NEW YORK, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The futures prices of precious metals plunged during Friday trading, with COMEX April gold futures once dropping over 10 percent to as low as 4,700.4 U.S. dollars per ounce and March silver futures once down more than 30 percent to as low as 74 dollars per ounce.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 02:49 UTC
Healing the city
AS WE celebrate the 52nd anniversary of Federal Territories (FT) Day, the focus is to give more emphasis to the people who call Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan home. Being the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur stands as a central pillar for the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 02:24 UTC
Penang safeguards its best food
GEORGE TOWN: Penang is planting its flag on the world’s food map before anyone else stakes its claim. The state government will gazette 10 dishes and six cultural practices, including food culture, as unique facets of Penang’s intangible cultural heritage. In addition, six intangible cultural heritage items will be sealed in the gazette. CLICK TO ENLARGEOn the food list, Penang Chefs Association president Audee Cheah said: “This is the best way to ensure that our food pride will not be ‘hijacked’, like kaya toast or nasi lemak.”He was referring to kaya toast in Singapore becoming the 42nd best bread in the Top 100 Breads in the World list in 2024. He said that the food list was a work-in-progress and as more dishes were researched, those with definite Penang roots would be added.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 02:13 UTC
PM calls for zero compromise on foreigners misusing visitor’s pass
PUTRAJAYA: Action has been taken against more than 54,000 foreign visitors for misusing their social visit passes, prompting the Prime Minister to call for firm enforcement measures, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The government spokesman said the Home Ministry had informed the Cabinet that from 2025 up to mid-January, a total of 54,791 individuals had been inspected and subjected to enforcement action for misusing social visit passes. Of the total, 51,100 cases were recorded throughout 2025, while action was taken on 3,691 individuals during the first half of January. Press briefing: Fahmi speaking to reporters about the number of foreign visitors who have been caught abusing their social visit passes. — BernamaFahmi said the Cabinet had not taken any action nor interfered in ongoing investigations, which are being handled independently by enforcement authorities.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 02:07 UTC
Reformist Natthaphong is poll frontrunner
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut (pic), Progressive People’s Party leader, continued to lead opinion polls, highlighting the stiff challenge facing Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s bid to stay in power ahead of elections. The vote on Feb 8 has settled into a three-way race between Anutin’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party, the former ruling Pheu Thai Party and the reformist People’s Party. A poll by Suan Dusit University said Natthaphong was backed by 35.1% of respondents, with Anutin coming in third with 16.1%, behind Pheu Thai’s candidate for prime minister Yoshanan Wongsawat at 21.5%. The poll surveyed 26,621 people from the Jan 16 to 28 period. The People’s Party is the successor to Move Forward, which won the 2023 elections but was subsequently blocked by conservative lawmakers from forming a government and was later dissolved by court order.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 02:03 UTC
Beat young chess challenger and win RM2
Muhammad Nur Raziq Muhammad Nur Qisti had issued the dare in a bid to improve his skills in the board game. His mother Nur Syazana Zakaria, 36, said she never expected him to be good at chess, so she was surprised when a teacher told her they wanted her son to compete in a national-level chess carnival. “That’s how we decided to advertise inviting people to play chess with Raziq at the stall. I’m running a wantan mee stall (in Seremban) to earn extra income to pay for his chess class fees,” Nur Syazana said. She did not expect it to go viral and within two days seven individuals came to play chess.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 01:58 UTC
Final Thaipusam preparations in full swing
JOHOR BARU: Thaipusam preparations are in full swing here, with some temples expected to see thousands of devotees taking part in the processions. “We have about 30 volunteers helping out to prepare for Thaipusam this year, including six cooks who will be laying out vegetarian food for more than 4,000 people. Apart from the main 5km procession tomorrow evening, he said devotees will be carrying paal kudam (milk pots) around the temple at about 5am. Arumugan also said the chariot procession is expected to see 500 devotees carrying the paal kudam and about 50 kavadi bearers. The temple is also expecting to see 7,000 people carrying the paal kudam and 50 kavadi bearers.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 01:54 UTC
Spitting water in MRT carriage a chargeable offence
A WOMAN who spat water inside an MRT carriage in Singapore has been charged with public nuisance, Oriental Daily reported. If convicted, she faces a fine of up to S$2,000 (RM6,220), imprisonment for up to three months, or both. The carriage floor was covered in water stains and the woman even spat water while spinning in circles. The nightclub director pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Public Entertainments Act and was fined S$2,000. They reported that the women started dancing topless and offering the officers sexual services.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 01:54 UTC
Cabinet wants explanation for steep rise in classroom building costs
PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet will seek further clarification from the Education Ministry on the estimated cost of constructing a classroom, which has reportedly risen to between RM280,000 and RM520,000. ALSO READ: Classroom construction costs in Malaysia more than double in a decadeFahmi, who is also Communications Minister, said the Cabinet would follow up with the Education Ministry to obtain further explanation on the increased cost estimates. ALSO READ: No time to waste in integrating AI in classroomsFahmi added that the Higher Education Ministry is expected to hold follow-up meetings next week, including with the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA), to examine pathways into public higher education institutions. "After both the Education Ministry and Higher Education Ministry complete these discussions, they are expected to issue a joint follow-up statement," he said. He also said that preparatory measures are already under way, including the process to recruit 20,000 teachers.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 01:45 UTC
MACC denies defamatory allegations on TikTok, demands retraction and apology
PUTRAJAYA (Jan 30): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has denied a series of defamatory allegations that went viral on TikTok, accusing the agency of issuing "fake summonses", posted by the user Justicenafisa (@misuscu.yong). In a statement on Friday, the commission clarified that the viral post contains false and misleading accusations that could undermine its credibility and tarnish its reputation as a law enforcement body. It said the viral post falsely alleges that an MACC officer issued a ‘fake summons’, which the user called a scam. "The MACC has demanded an immediate retraction of the post and a public apology from the individual. Failure to comply will result in legal action to safeguard the commission's standing and integrity," the statement read.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 31, 2026 01:32 UTC
Malek Razak appointed new Armed Forces Chief
KUALA LUMPUR: Leftenan Jeneral Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman has been appointed the new Armed Forces Chief, effective Feb 1. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, has consented to the promotion of Malek Razak to the rank of Jeneral and his appointment as the military's head. The new Armed Forces Chief holds a Diploma in Strategic and Security Studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College London, and a Master of Social Science from UKM. Over nearly four decades of service, he has demonstrated strong capability and leadership, Mohamed Khaled said. Malek Razak began his career as a platoon commander with the 21st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment before serving in various units and holding numerous command and staff appointments.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 01:10 UTC
Boy dies three months after mongoose bite
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy in the Thiruvarur district of India’s Tamil Nadu state died three months after he was bitten by a mongoose, Malaysia Nanban reported. The boy, identified as Naveen Muthu, was sleeping near the family’s small chicken shed during the time of the attack. A mongoose, looking for food was said to have bitten Naveen’s hand as he was sleeping. However, several days ago, Naveen began developing high fever and was admitted to the intensive care unit where he later died. Authorities said the boy’s illness and death was due to an infection from the animal bite.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 00:24 UTC
Five enforcement officers arrested over massage parlour graft
PETALING JAYA: Five suspects, including active and retired enforcement agency members, have been arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) following an ongoing probe into a chain of massage parlours. All suspects are believed to have received bribes from a massage centre business to facilitate operations and ease foreign worker permit processes. It is suspected that bribe payments amounting to RM2.7mil per year were paid to several officers from various enforcement agencies, including local authorities, as protection money. MACC Special Operations division senior director Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin confirmed the arrest and said the case is being investigated under Section 16 and 17 of the MACC Act 2009. Investigators uncovered alleged bribery payments made to enforcement officers and local authorities to facilitate the company’s operations.
Source:The Star
January 31, 2026 00:15 UTC
Pillars of good investing
MOST investors know the FTSE-Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (FBM KLCI), but very few know of other indices that represent the main sectors listed on the market. Among them are the FTSE Bursa Malaysia EMAS Index, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Top 100 Index, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia Mid 70 Index, the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index, and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia ACE Index.
Source:The Star
January 30, 2026 23:42 UTC