The Malaysian ringgit strengthened to the highest level since 2018, buoyed by optimism over the country’s ties to the artificial intelligence supply chain and the nation’s growth outlook. The currency appreciated to as high as 3.970 per dollar on Monday, the strongest since June 2018. Malaysia’s growth momentum is expected to continue this year, supported by resilient domestic demand and likely st...
The Malaysian ringgit strengthened to the highest level since 2018, buoyed by optimism over the country’s ties to the artificial intelligence supply chain and the nation’s growth outlook. The currency appreciated to as high as 3.970 per dollar on Monday, the strongest since June 2018. Malaysia’s growth momentum is expected to continue this year, supported by resilient domestic demand and likely strong tourist arrivals . Rapid expansion of the data-center sector is also opening new opportunities and drawing in investments.
Make sure pupils don't ever use phones at school, Phillipson tells teachers 10 minutes ago Share Save Nathan Standley Education reporter Share Save PA Media All schools in England should follow new government guidance and be phone-free for the entire school day, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said. In a letter to schools seen exclusively by the BBC, she said it was "not appropriate for...
Make sure pupils don't ever use phones at school, Phillipson tells teachers 10 minutes ago Share Save Nathan Standley Education reporter Share Save PA Media All schools in England should follow new government guidance and be phone-free for the entire school day, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said. In a letter to schools seen exclusively by the BBC, she said it was "not appropriate for phones to be used as calculators, or for research during lessons", as well as during break times and lunchtime. Ofsted will be inspecting schools on the implementation of their mobile phone policies going forward, she confirmed, with teachers also being advised not to use their phones in front of pupils. One head teachers' union said using Ofsted to "police" schools' mobile phone policies was "deeply unhelpful and misguided". Schools were first given guidance on phones by the previous Conservative government in February 2024, but Phillipson said in her letter that it "did not deliver the clarity or consistency that schools need". She said the government had therefore "strengthened" the guidance issued last week, to make it "explicit" that pupils should not be using their phones at school. Phillipson's letter to schools comes just under a week after the announcement that the government would be launching a three-month consultation on banning social media for all under-16s in the UK. The education secretary has encouraged teachers to "contribute your professional insight". Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservatives, has already said her party would introduce such a ban if it was in power. Last week's announcement also included tougher guidance for schools from Ofsted, including telling staff not to use their devices for personal reasons in front of pupils. Recent research by the survey tool Teacher Tapp suggested 86% of primary school teachers said they were able to use their phones at school for personal use, but only during breaks, while 44% of secondary school teachers sa...
Flags flutter during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2026. Denis Balibouse | Reuters BEIJING — While high-profile world leaders in Davos last week opined on U.S. claims to Greenland , China's envoy reiterated calls for cooperation . Businesses and analysts in China said the developments highlighted an opportunity for Beijing to expand its infl...
Flags flutter during the 56th annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting, in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2026. Denis Balibouse | Reuters BEIJING — While high-profile world leaders in Davos last week opined on U.S. claims to Greenland , China's envoy reiterated calls for cooperation . Businesses and analysts in China said the developments highlighted an opportunity for Beijing to expand its influence globally as tensions between the U.S. and its allies grow. This year's Davos is a "watershed" moment, said Hai Zhao, a director of international political studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a state-affiliated think tank. He said countries are likely to shift toward regional trade, rather than a global economy centered on the U.S. The world's second-largest economy sent He Lifeng, one of its four vice premiers, to Davos, where he promoted business opportunities in China and called for the fair treatment of Chinese companies. In his speech Tuesday, He cited U.S.-China trade talks as an example of cooperation, with no specific discussion of other countries. His remarks drew less attention than those of other world leaders at the forum. U.S. President Donald Trump made headlines by making personal jabs at foreign leaders and later softening his stance on Greenland . European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined possible trade agreements, including a potentially " historic " deal with India. Notably, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney laid out " a rupture in the world order " in a brief speech that was lauded by many commentators as potentially historic . But analysts in China said it was Beijing's consistent messaging that would wield greater global sway. U.S. tensions with Europe are good for China's relationship with the bloc, said Wei Wang, a researcher at Tianjin University of Commerce. He said the Greenland controversy could accelerate what he described as Western acceptance that competition with China is failing, while reinforcing the ...
(RTTNews) - The Singapore stock market has moved higher in back-to-back sessions, adding almost 35 points or 0.8 percent along the way. The Straits Times Index now sits just above the 4,300-point plateau and it may add to its winnings again on Wednesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests mild upside as investors figure to wait and see is the U.S. government can avert a shutdown. T...
(RTTNews) - The Singapore stock market has moved higher in back-to-back sessions, adding almost 35 points or 0.8 percent along the way. The Straits Times Index now sits just above the 4,300-point plateau and it may add to its winnings again on Wednesday. The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests mild upside as investors figure to wait and see is the U.S. government can avert a shutdown. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian bourses are expected to open in similar fashion. The STI finished modestly higher on Tuesday following gains from the financial shares and industrials, while the property sector was mixed. For the day, the index improved 30.18 points or 0.71 percent to finish at the daily high of 4,300.16 after trading as low as 4,272.48. Among the actives, CapitaLand Ascendas REIT rose 0.36 percent, while CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust improved 0.44 percent, CapitaLand Investment gained 0.37 percent, City Developments jumped 0.73 percent, DBS Group spiked 1.47 percent, DFI Retail Group accelerated 1.24 percent, Genting Singapore tumbled 1.34 percent, Hongkong Land sank 0.63 percent, Keppel DC REIT and Seatrium Limited both added 0.42 percent, Keppel Ltd rallied 0.79 percent, Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust strengthened 0.70 percent, Mapletree Industrial Trust advanced 0.47 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation climbed 0.61 percent, Singapore Technologies Engineering dropped 0.81 percent, SingTel gathered 0.24 percent, United Overseas Bank collected 0.38 percent, UOL Group perked 0.13 percent, Yangzijiang Financial soared 2.56 percent, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding surged 4.33 percent and Thai Beverage, SembCorp Industries, Mapletree Logistics Trust, Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust, Wilmar International, SATS and Comfort DelGro were unchanged. The lead from Wall Street is cautiously optimistic as the major averages spent all of Tuesday under water until the very end, when they crept up into positive territory. The Dow cli...
The main test for the UK’s second deadliest cancer is being made more accurate in England, in a move NHS bosses believe will save hundreds of lives. The sensitivity of the faecal immunochemical test (Fit), which detects bowel cancer by spotting blood in the patient’s stool, will be increased as part of an overhaul of cancer diagnosis and treatment. NHS England is lowering the threshold for the amo...
The main test for the UK’s second deadliest cancer is being made more accurate in England, in a move NHS bosses believe will save hundreds of lives. The sensitivity of the faecal immunochemical test (Fit), which detects bowel cancer by spotting blood in the patient’s stool, will be increased as part of an overhaul of cancer diagnosis and treatment. NHS England is lowering the threshold for the amount of blood detected through a Fit test needed to trigger the patient being sent for further investigation. It is now 120 micrograms of blood a gram of stool. But that will be reduced to 80 micrograms by 2028 and will bring England into line with the threshold already used in Scotland and Wales. “This is a major step forward in bowel cancer detection and will help save hundreds more lives from this devastating disease,” said Prof Peter Johnson, NHS England’s national clinical director for cancer. “Testing at a lower level threshold will now provide a better early warning system for bowel cancer, helping us to spot and treat cancers earlier, often picking up problems before symptoms occur.” About 44,100 people in Britain are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year and it claims about 17,400 lives, making it the second commonest cause of cancer death. Risk factors include eating processed meat, being overweight and drinking alcohol, leading Cancer Research UK to conclude that more than half of cases – 54% – are preventable. “Once fully implemented testing at the lower level threshold is expected to reduce late stage diagnoses and deaths from bowel cancer by around 6%,” NHS England said. Preventing and detecting more cases earlier will save the health service £32m a year, it estimates. The change will lead to 600 more bowel cancers a year being detected in England, an 11% increase on top of the 5,320 cases that are identified annually by the current test. It will also see the NHS carrying out 35% more colonoscopies, the diagnostic test offered to patients who the Fit test has ...
The UK and nine other European countries have agreed to build an offshore wind power grid in the North Sea in a landmark pact to turn the ageing oil basin into a “clean energy reservoir”. The countries will build windfarms at sea that directly connect to multiple nations through high-voltage subsea cables, under plans that are expected to provide 100GW of offshore wind power, or enough electricity...
The UK and nine other European countries have agreed to build an offshore wind power grid in the North Sea in a landmark pact to turn the ageing oil basin into a “clean energy reservoir”. The countries will build windfarms at sea that directly connect to multiple nations through high-voltage subsea cables, under plans that are expected to provide 100GW of offshore wind power, or enough electricity capacity to power 143m homes. The commitment, which will be set out in the “Hamburg declaration”, is expected to be signed on Monday by energy ministers from the UK, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said the UK was “standing up for our national interest” by pushing for clean energy and getting “off the fossil fuel rollercoaster”. The pact comes less than a week after the US president, Donald Trump, criticised the UK’s plans to phase out production of North Sea oil and gas, and complained about European wind power. He told the World Economic Forum in Davos last week: “There are windmills all over Europe. There are windmills all over the place and they are losers. One thing I’ve noticed is that the more windmills a country has, the more money that country loses and the worse that country is doing.” The latest agreement reaffirms Europe’s commitment to wind power, after North Sea countries promised three years ago to build 300GW of offshore wind in the area by 2050. The new offshore wind power grid will contribute to this target. Miliband is also expected to sign a statement of intent with Germany, Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands to open up cross-border, offshore electricity projects, with a focus on joint planning and cost sharing. Energy UK, the sector’s trade association in the UK, said it fully backed the “landmark efforts … to transform the North Sea into a truly regional clean power hub”. Dhara Vyas, the chief executive of Energy UK, said: “This deeper cooperation on supp...
An inquiry into class representation in creative fields has recommended changes believed to be the first of their kind in Greater Manchester to increase the number of working-class people in the arts. Class Ceiling, a report led by Nazir Afzal, the chancellor of the University of Manchester, and Avis Gilmore, the former deputy general secretary of the National Education Union, was announced on 26 ...
An inquiry into class representation in creative fields has recommended changes believed to be the first of their kind in Greater Manchester to increase the number of working-class people in the arts. Class Ceiling, a report led by Nazir Afzal, the chancellor of the University of Manchester, and Avis Gilmore, the former deputy general secretary of the National Education Union, was announced on 26 September, with promises of providing a “blueprint for change” that would highlight solutions to the obstacles that have kept working-class representation in the arts low, with the hope that such changes could be put in place throughout the country. Despite the existence of working-class talents in a variety of fields coming from the region, representation among prospective creatives from humble backgrounds has long been seen as an issue in the north-west, with the Salford-born actor Christopher Eccleston telling the Guardian in 2023: “If you grow up in the north-west, you don’t feel culture and the arts belong to you. You don’t believe if you come from a council estate you can be an actor, a poet or a painter.” The report outlines 21 recommendations, with one of its leading proposals being that class should become a protected characteristic, in the same way that characteristics such as race, sex and religion are. Afzal believes that Greater Manchester has led the way with such changes before and should be prepared to do so again for class representation in the sector. “As a former prosecutor, I have seen our region do this before,” he said. “When Sophie Lancaster was killed, Greater Manchester police broke new ground by offering people from alternative subcultures hate crime protection – and other police forces eventually followed suit. This was the right thing to do and we need to be equally bold. Because we are not going to break down barriers that are crushing creativity until we build an arts sector that treats class as a core inclusion issue.” Another problem that the...
Edinburgh and Glasgow have a busier nightlife than London, according to data on late-night journeys from Uber. The global ride-hailing app analysed millions of trips and takeaway deliveries from the UK’s biggest cities, and found that Edinburgh had the highest proportion of journeys made between 10pm and 4am. The most popular late-night spot was Cabaret Voltaire. Glasgow had the next highest numbe...
Edinburgh and Glasgow have a busier nightlife than London, according to data on late-night journeys from Uber. The global ride-hailing app analysed millions of trips and takeaway deliveries from the UK’s biggest cities, and found that Edinburgh had the highest proportion of journeys made between 10pm and 4am. The most popular late-night spot was Cabaret Voltaire. Glasgow had the next highest number of late-night trips, with most rides requested to and from Sub Club, the world-renowned basement venue that has been going since 1987. London came third, with its most popular nightlife venue being Fabric. Cardiff also featured in the top 10, with Clwb Ifor Bach claiming the title of most requested nightlife spot. Separate data from the rival taxi app Bolt late last year showed a 15% increase in night-time activity in 2025 comparedwith the previous year, with the peak time to go out shifting from 11pm on Saturdays to midnight. The Music Venue Trust suggested earlier this week that there were reasons to be cheerful after bleak years for grassroots music venues in 2023 and 2024. Its annual report found that nearly as many venues opened or were revived as closed down – an improvement on recent years. The number of nightclubs in the UK more than halved from 1,700 to 787 between 2013 and 2024 after being hit by the pandemic, legislative changes and the cost of living crisis. Uber’s data shows that eight out of 10 of the country’s top requested destinations were train stations, but tourist spots were also in high demand, with the likes of London’s Hyde Park, Edinburgh Castle and The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool the most sought after in their respective cities. Data from Uber Eats showed that major cities and university hubs such as Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds were a hive for late-night deliveries, and were most likely to place orders between 10pm and 4am. Chinese food remained the most searched for on the app in 2025, but searches for sushi, pizza and Thai food more t...
It will take 10 years to fix the Philippines ’ growing learning gap and reform the education sector, a national commission has said, as related groups warn of a deepening proficiency crisis. Only four in 1,000 senior high school students are proficient in problem-solving, managing and communicating information and analysing data to form ideas, according to findings by the Second Congressional Comm...
It will take 10 years to fix the Philippines ’ growing learning gap and reform the education sector, a national commission has said, as related groups warn of a deepening proficiency crisis. Only four in 1,000 senior high school students are proficient in problem-solving, managing and communicating information and analysing data to form ideas, according to findings by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), tasked with assessing the country’s education sector. The commission’s report, being released on Monday, examined data from the Department of Education (DepEd) and found that proficiency levels drop sharply from 30 per cent at Grade 3 to 0.4 per cent at Grade 12. Advertisement This means that about 70 per cent of Grade 3 students struggle with foundational skills, such as reading common words, recognising letters and sounds, understanding short texts and basic arithmetic. Many children in the Philippines are not reaching their potential, with millions said to be ‘functionally illiterate’. Photo: AFP By the time they reach Grade 6, the levels fall to 19 per cent before dropping dramatically at high school. Advertisement “Since we are dealing with deep-seated problems spanning nearly three decades, we need at least 10 years,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said on January 18, in a local radio programme on the station Super Radyo dzBB.