New Year of Fire Horse brings ‘rapid change’ in 2026

The Fire Horse Effect—Why Powerful Women Are Still Labeled ‘Too Much’

 PETALING JAYA: The Year of the Fire Horse is expected to bring fast-moving opportunities, stiff competition and rapid change, with success favouring those who act boldly but think clearly, according to feng shui and metaphysics practitioners.

They said 2026 carries strong forward momentum, but warn that impulsive decisions and reactive thinking could lead to missteps in a year defined by speed, intensity and transformation.

In Chinese metaphysics, they added, each year is governed by a combination of a zodiac animal and one of the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – which rotate in cyclical patterns.

2026 is classified as a Fire Horse year because it combines the Horse zodiac with the Fire element – a pairing associated with movement, ambition, visibility and acceleration, they said.

“The horse symbolises momentum and forward drive, while fire represents intensity, leadership and transformation.

“Together, they form a high-energy cycle often linked to rapid shifts, heightened competition and expanding opportunities but also greater risks when decisions are made impulsively,” said feng shui and geomancy consultant Prof Joe Choo Sook Lin.

Choo said the Fire Horse year reflects a period where growth potential builds steadily rather than explosively.

She described 2026 as a phase where opportunities emerge gradually, with momentum strengthening over time rather than arriving instantly.

Metaphysics expert Desmond Chun Yew Leong said personal grounding remains just as important as external action.

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He encouraged Malaysians to return to basics, starting with family, intention and mindset.

“When nothing seems to move smoothly, start at home. Spend time with your parents or elderly family members, not just during Chinese New Year but regularly. Maintaining that bond often has a grounding effect that goes beyond symbolism,” he said.

“It’s not about rituals. When you reconnect with your parents, your heart settles. When your heart is steady, your decisions become clearer,” he added, describing parents as a form of gui ren (noble support).

Chun also encouraged charity and good deeds, stressing intention over expectation.

“Charity is about the cultivation of the heart. If you expect returns, the purpose is lost. When you feel adequate and at peace, you act with steadiness, which helps you navigate challenges,” he said.

He added that character plays a crucial role in both life and career.

“Being kind and responsible builds trust, reputation and relationships, which in metaphysical terms attracts supportive energy from those around you,” he said.

Chun also suggests spending time in positive environments, such as morning visits to temples, as a way to refresh energy and maintain balance.

“Before trying to change fate, take care of the heart. Many answers start at home,” he said.

Chinese New Year elements gain momentum overseas as ...

People's Daily

http://en.people.cn › ...

 In simple terms, Vogue summarized the symbolism as "rapid change, fresh opportunities, personal growth, and a faster pace of life."Read more

Penang dazzles for Chinese New Year

The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my › metro-news › 2026/02/11

 PENANG'S streets have turned a striking shade of red this Chinese New Year, as lanterns, temple lights, and modern projections combine to ...Read more

PENANG DAZZLES FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR from www.thestar.com.my

New Year of Fire Horse brings ‘rapid change’ in 2026

The Fire Horse Effect—Why Powerful Women Are Still Labeled ‘Too Much’

 PETALING JAYA: The Year of the Fire Horse is expected to bring fast-moving opportunities, stiff competition and rapid change, with success favouring those who act boldly but think clearly, according to feng shui and metaphysics practitioners.

They said 2026 carries strong forward momentum, but warn that impulsive decisions and reactive thinking could lead to missteps in a year defined by speed, intensity and transformation.

In Chinese metaphysics, they added, each year is governed by a combination of a zodiac animal and one of the five elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – which rotate in cyclical patterns.

2026 is classified as a Fire Horse year because it combines the Horse zodiac with the Fire element – a pairing associated with movement, ambition, visibility and acceleration, they said.

“The horse symbolises momentum and forward drive, while fire represents intensity, leadership and transformation.

“Together, they form a high-energy cycle often linked to rapid shifts, heightened competition and expanding opportunities but also greater risks when decisions are made impulsively,” said feng shui and geomancy consultant Prof Joe Choo Sook Lin.

Choo said the Fire Horse year reflects a period where growth potential builds steadily rather than explosively.

She described 2026 as a phase where opportunities emerge gradually, with momentum strengthening over time rather than arriving instantly.

Metaphysics expert Desmond Chun Yew Leong said personal grounding remains just as important as external action.

He encouraged Malaysians to return to basics, starting with family, intention and mindset.

“When nothing seems to move smoothly, start at home. Spend time with your parents or elderly family members, not just during Chinese New Year but regularly. Maintaining that bond often has a grounding effect that goes beyond symbolism,” he said.

“It’s not about rituals. When you reconnect with your parents, your heart settles. When your heart is steady, your decisions become clearer,” he added, describing parents as a form of gui ren (noble support).

Chun also encouraged charity and good deeds, stressing intention over expectation.

“Charity is about the cultivation of the heart. If you expect returns, the purpose is lost. When you feel adequate and at peace, you act with steadiness, which helps you navigate challenges,” he said.

He added that character plays a crucial role in both life and career.

“Being kind and responsible builds trust, reputation and relationships, which in metaphysical terms attracts supportive energy from those around you,” he said.

Chun also suggests spending time in positive environments, such as morning visits to temples, as a way to refresh energy and maintain balance.

“Before trying to change fate, take care of the heart. Many answers start at home,” he said.

Chinese New Year elements gain momentum overseas as ...

People's Daily

http://en.people.cn › ...

 In simple terms, Vogue summarized the symbolism as "rapid change, fresh opportunities, personal growth, and a faster pace of life."Read more

Penang dazzles for Chinese New Year

The Star

https://www.thestar.com.my › metro-news › 2026/02/11

 PENANG'S streets have turned a striking shade of red this Chinese New Year, as lanterns, temple lights, and modern projections combine to ...Read more

Penang to pay out i-Sejahtera aid starting Saturday

Great benefits: Chow (second from left), deputy state finance officer Khairusany Mohamed Yusof (third from left) and Lim (fourth from right) at the press conference in Komtar. — K.T. GOH/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Penang will spend RM50.93mil on 281,135 recipients under Phase One of this year’s i-Sejahtera aid programme.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the aid will be disbursed via electronic fund transfer starting Feb 7.

He said the allocation would benefit 211,471 senior citizens, 16,694 persons with disabilities, 10,296 single mothers and 42,674 recipients under the golden housewife scheme.

“This programme is the state government’s ongoing commitment to the well-being of the people, particularly vulnerable groups such as senior citizens, the disabled, single mothers and housewives,” he said during a press conference in Komtar yesterday.

Chow said the allocation, which amounted to about 5% of the state’s revenue, is slightly lower than in 2025 due to a more targe­ted and focused approach.

Last year, the state government spent RM56.76mil on 290,629 recipients under various ­i-­Sejahtera programmes.

Chow said the adjustment reflected updated recipient data and stricter eligibility screening to ensure aid reaches those who are genuinely in need.

He said the initiative went beyond financial assistance, serving as recognition of the contributions made by these groups to the state’s social and economic deve­lopment.

Applications submitted after Jan 10 will be processed for payment under Phase Two of the 2026 programme, he added.

Also present was Penang social development, welfare and non-­Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Lim Siew Khim.

Registration can be carried out via the official i-Sejahtera website at https://isejahtera.penang.gov.my.

Applicants are encouraged to update their bank account details to ensure smooth payment processing.

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Easy buys for all and sundry

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Starmer and Xi signal reset in tie

British PM seeks closer economic engagement with China amid Trump tensions

To better relations: Xi and Starmer shaking hands before their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. — Pool/AFP

British Prime Minister Keir starmer told Chinese President Xi Jinping that he wanted to build a “sophisticated relationship” with Beijing to boost the UK economy, signalling a reset after years of strained ties.

On the key day of his four-day visit to China, the first by a British prime minister in eight years, starmer held an 80-minute summitwithxiatthegreathallofthe People before they lunched together.

starmer said the pair chatted about soccer and shakespeare, as well as business matters.

the British leader will also meet Premier Li Qiang.

starmer, whose centre-left Labour Party government has struggled to deliver the growth it promised, has made improving relations with the world’s secondlargest economy a priority.

“China is a vital player on the global stage, and it’s vital that we build a more sophisticated relationship where we can identify opportunities to collaborate, but of course, also allow a meaningful dialogue on areas where we disagree,” starmer told Xi at the start of their meeting.

Xi said ties with Britain had gone through “twists and turns” that did not serve the interests of either country and that China was ready to develop a long-term partnership.

“We can deliver a result that can withstand the test of history,” the Chinese leader told starmer, flanked by his top ministers.

starmer is the latest Western leader to engage in a flurry of diplomacy with China, as nations hedge against unpredictability from the United states under President Donald trump.

trump’s on-off threats of trade tariffs and pledges to grab control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, have rankled long-standing allies like Britain.

starmer’s visit immediately follows that of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who signed an economic deal with Beijing to tear down trade barriers, drawing trump’s ire.

the British leader told reporters he had made progress in discussions with China’s leader to reduce tariffs on whisky, while Xi also said China would consider waiving visas for British nationals.

“the relationship is in a good place, a strong place,” said starmer, who is being accompanied by more than 50 business leaders on the trip.

Asked by a reporter yesterday if Xi was someone he could do business with, starmer replied “yes”.

starmer has adopted a new policy of engagement with China after ties deteriorated for years under previous Conservative governments.

“i made the promise 18 months ago, when we were elected into government, that i would make Britain face outwards again,” starmer told Xi.

“Because, as we all know, events abroad affect everything that happens back in our home countries, to prices on the supermarket shelves to how secure we feel.”

in a sign of how the countries can work together, starmer also announced that Britain and China would jointly tackle gangs involved in trafficking illegal migrants.

British and Chinese officials will share intelligence to identify smugglers’ supply routes and work with Chinese manufacturers to prevent legitimate businesses from being exploited by organised crime, Downing street said. — reuters

UK-China Business Council meeting held in Beijing

UK-China Business Council meeting held in Beijing

UK firms buzz over growing China opportunities, investment prospects amid PM's China visit

UK businesses are actively discussing new investment opportunities in China, as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is paying a visit. Several cooperation agreements have already been reached or in talk, the Global Times learned from corporate representatives at the China-UK ...

Australia Day marked by 'Invasion Day' rallies, anti-immigration protests

 

Protestors hold signs as they gather for an "Invasion Day" rally on Australia's national day, Australia Day, in Melbourne, Australia January 26, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams

 

SYDNEY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Thousands marked Australia's ‌national day on Monday by attending "Invasion Day" rallies in support of Indigenous Australians ‌and calling for unity,while separate anti-immigration protests also drew crowds.

Australia Day commemorates the day ‌Britain established the state of New South Wales as a penal colony, with the arrival in Sydney of ships bringing colonists and convicts.

However, for many Indigenous Australians, who make up about 4% of the country's 27 million people, ‍the holiday is known as "Invasion Day" and marks the destruction ‍of their cultures by European settlers.

At Sydney's ‌Hyde Park, the annual "Invasion Day" rally started at 10 a.m. (2300 GMT) with a tribute to ‍those ​killed by a gunman in a NSW rural town last week.

Indigenous speakers also talked about land repatriation, the high number of deaths of Aboriginal people in police custody and ⁠the need to stay united against increasing nationalism with the ‌right-wing opposition in disarray and Pauline Hanson's populist One Nation party rising in the polls.

Australia - where one in two ⁠people is either ‍born overseas or has a parent born overseas - has seen record-high immigration in recent years, fuelling discontent among some voters amid soaring costs of living and a housing shortage.

"We need a coalition of all new ‍Australians because if it wasn't for immigrants, Australia would ‌have perished," Aboriginal woman Gwenda Stanley told the rally, as she condemned Hanson.

"So don't just stand with us today. Stand with us every day."

Every year on January 26, protesters rally against the mistreatment of Indigenous people, demanding the government drop the Australia Day celebrations or move the date. However, a survey by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Sunday showed a record number of Australians wanting to maintain the holiday on the same date.

Nearby, anti-immigration demonstrations began at noon as protesters, ‌estimated in the hundreds by local media, arrived carrying Australian flags on poles. March for Australia, which has been criticised for alleged links to neo-Nazi groups, organised the demonstration.

Similar events - "Invasion Day" rallies and March for Australia protests - ​are being held across the country.

Earlier in the day, in a speech as he presidedover an Australia Day citizenship ceremony, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for unity, not division.