‘I chose to kill the last student to leave’: Teacher in S. Korea confesses to fatal stabbing of eight-year-old girl

SEOUL: Police investigating a tragic case of a teacher fatally stabbing an eight-year-old girl at an elementary school in Daejeon said Tuesday (Feb 11) the teacher's attack had been planned but was not targeted, releasing her confession that she randomly chose the last student leaving the school. According to police, the attack occurred on Monday inside...

Four weeks’ jail for Singapore woman who hit neighbour with mop, threatened to kill husband in his sleep

SINGAPORE: A woman who hit a neighbour with a mop until its aluminium handle broke into three pieces, and told her own teenage son she was going to kill his father in his sleep, has been sentenced to jail. Jessinta Tan Suat Lin, 50, was sentenced to four weeks’ jail and fined S$4,600 on Tuesday (Feb...

Woman in China injured after mistaking firecracker for candy

BEIJING (SCMP): A woman from southwestern China misidentified a firecracker as a milk confectionery, resulting in mouth injuries when it exploded unexpectedly, alarming many and raising concerns about misleading packaging. The woman, surnamed Wu, from Chengdu in Sichuan province, shared her experience on social media, revealing that the packaging of a specific type of firecracker, commonly...

Attendance at PLKN 3.0 compulsory for selected 18-year-olds

KUALA LUMPUR: Attendance at the later two series of the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) 3.0 this year will be compulsory for the 18-year-olds who are picked as participants, said the National Service Training Department. Unlike the volunteer trainees in the first series that started last month, participants of the second and third batches will be...

Health Ministry holds nationwide discussions on 45-hour work week for shift staff

BUTTERWORTH: The Health Ministry is holding nationwide engagement sessions before making a final decision on implementing a 45-hour work week for shift-based staff, including nurses, assistant medical officers, and ambulance drivers. Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said he has personally attended several sessions in Penang, Pahang, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), and Batu Pahat (Johor), with...

Selangor Sultan calls for unity, rejects proposed guidelines on Muslims at non-Muslim celebrations

KLANG: Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has shot down the proposal to set guidelines for Muslims attending non-Muslim festivities. A statement issued by Istana Alam Shah on Saturday (Feb 8) said Sultan Sharafuddin had expressed stern disagreement against the proposal, especially in Selangor. “As the head of Islam in Selangor, His Royal Highness opined that the...

Johor contributes 17.1% of Malaysia’s GDP, says Onn Hafiz

JOHOR BARU: Johor is the top contributor to the country's agricultural sector, says Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Onn Hafiz said the state recorded a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) value of RM17.21bil or 17.1% of the national GDP in the agriculture sector. "Johor continues to be the leader and the largest contributor to the country's...

Wooing Chinese tourists, Thai leader Paetongtarn says she has ‘Chinese blood in her’

BEIJING/BANGKOK (Reuters): Thailand's prime minister, seeking to allay security concerns among Chinese tourists visiting Thailand, said she had "Chinese blood in her" and that she had personally looked into security protocols in place to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens. Security in Thailand has become a trending topic of conversation among Chinese nationals, by far the...

Indonesia begins talks with Britain to repatriate UK’s ‘most prolific rapist’

JAKARTA (Reuters): Indonesia has begun talks with Britain to repatriate the most prolific rapist in British history, a senior minister said, following its move to also seek the return of a Guantanamo Bay detainee accused of being one of the Bali bomb plotters. Reynhard Sinaga, 41, was found guilty in Manchester in 2020 of assaulting 48...