KUALA LUMPUR: After a month-long war of words between Bersatu and PAS over Perikatan Nasional leadership issues, a PAS leader has called for a ceasefire. He drew parallels between Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation as Perikatan chairman on Jan 1 as "losing our bus driver". In December, Muhyiddin announced his resignation as chairman effective Jan 1, resulting in a back-and-forth between Bersatu and PAS. Muhyiddin recently said that Bersatu and PAS have agreed to do away with the post of Perikatan chairman – a claim which PAS leaders later rejected. ALSO READ: Perikatan extraordinary meeting called off to control the 'storm in the teacup', says Takiyuddin

NEW DELHI: A gripping Bollywood spy thriller set in Pakistan has become the highest-grossing Hindi film in India in just eight weeks and counting. Yet, making a Pakistan-bashing action film does not always guarantee commercial success. For instance, the 2025 Bollywood action drama War 2, with a Pakistan-linked terror network as the antagonist, failed to recoup its production costs estimated at around four billion rupees. Several BJP-led state governments have even offered support through tax incentives that lower cinema ticket prices for Bollywood films whose plot lines the party finds appealing, in recent years. Meanwhile, amid all this Bollywood chest-thumping war cinema, there are few films that spotlight the human cost of conflict.

GEORGE TOWN: A 72-year-old housewife from Penang has become the latest multi-millionaire after winning the Supreme Toto 6/58 jackpot worth RM40.1mil with a Lucky Pick ticket. A loyal Toto player since the 1980s, the winner said she routinely visits her regular Toto outlet on draw days while doing her grocery shopping. On the day of the draw, she decided to buy a System 10 Lucky Pick ticket after noticing that the jackpot had swelled to RM40mil. As she carefully compared her ticket with the winning numbers – 19, 29, 32, 39, 40 and 54 – she realised she had hit the jackpot. In addition to the RM40,120,690.20 jackpot, her System 10 ticket also earned her an extra RM173,152 in System Play bonus winnings.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Bad Bunny, ‌the Latino rap star whose forthcoming Super Bowl gig has ignited a culture wars controversy, won the top Grammy prize on Sunday, a first for a Spanish-language ‌album, with "Debí Tirar Más Fotos," a celebration of his Puerto Rican roots. RECOGNITION OF BAD ‍BUNNY CARRIES POLITICAL OVERTONESGrammy recognition of Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martinez ‌Ocasio, carried strong political overtones given his outspoken criticism of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump in cities across the country.The singer-producer skipped the ‍continental ​United States on his recent concert tour, saying he feared federal immigration agents would show up to arrest his fans. Bad Bunny openly supported Trump's Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race. Lady Gaga won Grammys for best pop vocal album with "Mayhem," and ‌best dance-pop recording for "Abracadabra." Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, 79, achieved EGOT status — one of the rarest honors in the entertainment industry — after winning his first Grammy award for best music film for "Music by John Williams," which he produced.

While the underlying motivations and outcomes remain the same, the form of these exit assets changes with prevailing technology and culture. The new generation of exit assets included Swiss banks, Caribbean structures as tax havens, and other secrecy jurisdictions. Crypto as an exit assetAgainst this backdrop, crypto assets can be said to be the latest reincarnation in this lineage — a modern digital exit asset. But exit assets are defensive — accumulated when trust collapses, policy credibility erodes or inflation threatens contractual claims. And if we were to learn from historical episodes, most people enter exit assets too late and leave them too slowly!

(Feb 2): Copper deepened its slump from a record — and other base metals posted big losses — as bulls in China stepped back from a tumultuous few days that have rocked global metals markets. Copper had spiked to a record above US$14,500 just last Thursday, before plunging below US$13,000 a ton on Friday and continuing its slide on Monday. Metals — both base and precious — had surged in January as bullish Chinese investors piled into commodities amid doubts about the dollar and a shift away from currencies and sovereign bonds. January was the busiest month ever for metals trading on the Shanghai bourse, and copper volumes surged on Friday to a record amid the sharp selloff. Copper fell 3.1% to US$12,749 a ton on the LME at 8.04am London time, after ending 3.4% lower on Friday.

MUAR: A Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) student was killed after the car he was travelling in with four friends was involved in a crash along Jalan Felda Moakil while they were heading back to Pagoh Campus from Labis, Segamat on Saturday (Jan 31). Muar OCPD Asst Comm Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz said the accident occurred at 1pm when the sedan they were in lost control and skidded to the left side of the road. "Mohd Amir Faizal Hasrolnizam, 21, who was seated in the rear passenger seat, sustained severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene," he said on Sunday. Another victim, Dameer Amir Mokhzani Aris, 21, sustained serious injuries, while three others, Ameer Ikhwan Ahmad Nurul Lail, Muhammad Aiman Musa, and Muhammad Hakimi Hisyamuddin, all 21, suffered minor injuries and are being treated at the Segamat Hospital. Meanwhile, the UTHM Student Representative Council (MPP) conveyed its condolences over the death of the university's second-year electrical and electronic engineering student.

PETALING JAYA: The personal income tax relief system should be simplified as the current filing process is getting more complicated and disconnected from everyday household realities, say tax professionals. They said many Malaysians have to deal with a growing list of small, specific tax deductions that are difficult to understand and even harder to apply, making tax filing stressful and inefficient for ordinary taxpayers. “There are too many small and niche tax deductions that look good on paper but are not practical for most people,” he said. “Instead of introducing more small reliefs, the government should consolidate them into a higher basic tax relief for individuals and dependants. “Micro enterprises will also benefit from this change as most of them file their tax as personal income tax, giving them more disposable income,” he said.

(Feb 2): China Vanke Co’s US$12 billion (RM47.3 billion) record loss underscores how its ability to avoid default depends on how far its state shareholder is willing to support the stricken property developer. The homebuilder lost about 82 billion yuan (US$12 billion) last year, it said in a preliminary earnings statement late Friday. The company has been wrestling with a liquidity crunch for more than two years, during which it leaned heavily on shareholder loans from Shenzhen Metro to service debt. Vanke also said Shenzhen Metro will provide another loan to help it repay principal and interest on bonds issued in the public market. It remains unclear whether there would be any further support from Shenzhen Metro to help address the builder’s upcoming bond maturities in the months ahead.

Our six-week ancient Silk Road adventure from Tehran, Iran to Almaty, Kazakhstan last year was a rugged journey of time and discovery. This was a road that over centuries, merchants, travellers, poets, pilgrims, despots and more have all traversed. From here our guide drove us to the Turkmenistan border and we arrived at Mary, where we visited the Silk Road city of Merv, once the capital of the Seljuk Empire. Crossing the border into Uzbekistan, we arrived in the heart of the Central Asian Silk Road. This journey along the Silk Road was more than an adventure; it was an immersion into the rich tapestry of human history, art, and resilience.

GOMBAK: A suspended policewoman, Inspector Sheila, was arrested for allegedly disturbing public order during the Thaipusam celebrations at Batu Caves on Sunday (Feb 1). Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said Inspector Sheila, whose real name is Sheila Sharon Steven Kumar, was arrested under Section 186 of the Penal Code and remanded for one day. He said the arrest followed an altercation between the woman and several traders near the temple at around 4am. Mohd Khalid said police took action to prevent the situation from escalating and to ensure public order was maintained during the celebrations. Sheila was remanded for one day before being released on bail on the same day, he added.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police are in discussions with the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to identify the most effective mechanisms to address issues related to race, religion and the royal institution (3R), which are on the rise on social media. Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the open nature of social media platforms resulted in certain parties making comments freely that at times went beyond the boundaries of the country’s laws. These are among the matters we frequently discuss with the Attorney General on how best to address them. "Depending on the investigating unit, we may need additional witnesses for further action,” Mohd Khalid said. The investigation is being carried out by the Bukit Aman Classified Criminal Investigation Unit under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.- Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: An opposition assemblyman has urged the Sabah government to review or defer a new state electricity tariff hike, citing it as a burden on the public amid rising living costs. Kepayan assemblyman Chin Tek Ming from Parti Warisan said the increase would hit ordinary households, low-income earners, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Chin was commenting on Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd’s decision to raise tariffs from 34.52sen per kilowatt-hour to 39.70sen per kilowatt-hour starting Sunday (Feb 1). On Saturday, Sabah Electricity said the tariff revision was aimed at ensuring a stable, high-quality and sustainable electricity supply for the state, while safeguarding consumers’ interests. “At a time when people are grappling with inflation and slow income growth, raising electricity tariffs will only add to their hardship,” he added.

PETALING JAYA: National men sprint sensation Mohd Azeem Fahmi has smashed the national 200m indoor record at the Bob Pollock Invitational in Clemson, South Carolina, on Saturday (Jan 31). He now holds both the 60m and 200m indoor national records. Azeem finished third in his heat, with teammate Israel Okon taking top spot in 20.82s, followed by James Harris in second place with 21.23s. Azeem holds the 60m's fastest time with 6.56s, which he set last year at the SEC Championships. Azeem is also currently the national 100m record holder with a time of 10.09s, which he set at the World Junior Championships in 2022.

PETALING JAYA: It was relief for the team bound for the Asia Team Championships after men’s doubles shuttler Yap Roy King recovered from an ankle injury in time for the competition starting on Tuesday in Qingdao, China. “I will say Roy King’s recovery is at about 90%. “He will be able to compete in the Asia team meet,” said men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi. Roy King is set to play an important role as the top doubles pair for the team along with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi. The other pairs who will join Roy King-Arif in Qingdao are world No.