Markets

Bursa Malaysia lower at midday amid hawkish US Fed cues

KUALA LUMPUR: Bursa Malaysia was lower at midday today as hawkish United States Federal Reserve (US Fed) cues and ongoing Middle East tensions weigh on market sentiment.

Nation

Fashion designer Jovian Mandagie fails in appeal against bankruptcy order

KUALA LUMPUR: Fashion designer Datuk Jovian Mandagie has failed in his appeal to set aside a High Court order that declared him bankrupt for defaulting on a RM5mil friendly loan from a company.

India

India chases 'DeepSeek moment' with homegrown AI models

NEW DELHI: Fledgling Indian artificial intelligence companies showcased homegrown technologies this week at a major summit in New Delhi, underpinning big dreams of becoming a global AI power.

Cambodia

Early February sees 2,700 scam busts in Phnom Pehn; 20,000 foreigners identified

PHNOM PENH: In just 15 days, from Feb 3 to Feb 18, Phnom Penh authorities conducted a sweep of 2,709 suspected scam locations, discovering 21,104 foreigners, including 6,683 women.

Economy

Malaysia's Jan exports jump 19.6% as E&E demand grows

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's exports in January 2026 jumped 19.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) to RM146.87bil with double-digit growth registered across nearly all its major markets, data released by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) showed.

Vietnam

Vietnam crowned as world’s most affordable expat destination for fifth straight year

PARIS: Vietnam has once again been voted as the world's most affordable country for expats in 2026, securing the top spot for the fifth consecutive year, according to the French newswire Journal du Net (JDN).

Cricket

Cricket-Australia coach defends World Cup planning, puts blame on players

MELBOURNE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Australia head ⁠coach Andrew McDonald put the blame for the team's humiliating T20 ⁠World Cup exit squarely on the players, rejecting criticism of their ‌preparations and a "false narrative" that the nation is not taking the format seriously.

Indonesia

Indonesia pledges up to 8,000 troops to Gaza, deployment in 1-2 months: Prabowo

JAKARTA: Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to contribute up to 8,000 troops, or more if necessary, to play an active role in the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, Palestine, President Prabowo Subianto said.

South Korea

Suspect used ChatGPT in planning drug killings in South Korea: Police

SEOUL: A woman suspected in two deaths via drug-laced drinks was found to have used ChatGPT in planning the crime, police said on Thursday (Feb 19).

Thailand

Thai army reports wildfire situation in eight border areas, originating from Cambodia

BANGKOK: The 2nd Army Region reported the ongoing wildfire situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border on Thursday (Feb 19), with eight areas under surveillance.

Philippines

Philippines' Duterte earned global infamy, praise at home

MANILA: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte earned global infamy for the deadly drug crackdown that led to his arrest over crimes against humanity charges, despite his huge popularity at home.

Singapore

Crew member dies after fire on cruise ship en route to Singapore; all 224 passengers safe

SINGAPORE: A crew member has been reported dead after a fire on a cruise en route to Singapore early on Friday (Feb 20).

Markets

Stocks dip and oil climbs as Trump ramps up Iran threats

SINGAPORE: Stocks fell in Asia on Friday, the dollar headed for its largest weekly gain in four months and oil prices were rising as a U.S. military build up in the Middle East and a rout in private equity stocks sent ripples of nerves across markets.

Sabah & Sarawak

Three rural areas in Sabah declared disaster zones after floods

KOTA KINABALU: Three places in rural Sabah have been declared disaster zones following floods that hit the areas early Friday (Feb 20).

Markets

FBM KLCI lifts slightly amid higher crude oil prices

KUALA LUMPUR: The FBM KLCI edged higher on Friday as crude oil priced climbed amid rising geopolitical tensions in the middle east.

Entertainment

Singaporean host-actor Ben Yeo is a workhorse who wants to find success in live-selling

The 47-year-old shuttered his Chinese restaurant in 2025 after incurring RM3mil loss in two years.

World

North Korea's Kim opens 9th Party Congress citing economic achievements

SEOUL, Feb ⁠20 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his reclusive country had overcome recession and accomplished major ⁠economic goals over the past five years as he opened the Ninth Party Congress, state media KCNA ‌reported on Friday.

Thailand

Birth control to tame wild elephants

The country has begun using a birth control vaccine on elephants in the wild to try and curb a gro­wing problem where human and animal populations encroach on each other – an issue in areas where farms spread into forests and elephants are squeezed out of their natural habitat.

India

AI summit hits setback

Bill Gates (pic) pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and delegate complaints over traffic disruptions.

India

‘Roaring new chapter’ for nation’s cheetah population

The country's ambitious bid to reintroduce cheetahs received a major boost when the environment minister announced the birth of three cubs.