(Feb 25): Google disrupted a Chinese-linked hacking group that breached at least 53 organizations across 42 countries, the company said Wednesday. The hacking group, tracked as UNC2814 and "Gallium,” has a nearly decade-long history of penetrating government organizations and telecommunications companies, the company said in findings shared exclusively with Reuters. Google and unnamed partners terminated Google Cloud projects controlled by the hacking group, identified and disabled internet infrastructure it was using and disabled accounts the group used to access Google Sheets, which it used to carry out its targeting and data theft operations. Using Google Sheets allowed the group to evade detection and blend into normal network traffic and was not a compromise of any Google product, the company added. The activity is distinct from separate high-profile, telecommunications-focused Chinese hacking activity tracked as “Salt Typhoon,” Google said.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): The Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday approved amendments to legislation paving the way for Sabah and Sarawak to have greater autonomy in managing scheduled waste in their states. The Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2026 was passed via a majority voice vote after 20 Members of Parliament from both sides debated the proposal. The Bill allows the minister to suspend the operation of certain provisions of the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127) in different parts of the country. Currently, the regulation of scheduled waste nationwide is centralised under Act 127, a matter under the federal government’s jurisdiction. “The mechanism ensures a clear and orderly transfer of authority, avoids legal conflicts, and follows constitutional and statutory requirements under Act 127,” he said.

Masai Orang Asli community hopeful about rebuilding their lives in run-up to Hari RayaTHIS year’s Ramadan and Syawal will be subdued for dozens of Orang Asli Seletar families in Johor after a fire razed their homes. The inferno on Feb 12 at Kampung Orang Asli Teluk Jawa, a village built mostly over water in Masai, destroyed about 30 homes. Fisherwoman Norsidah Jumait, 32, said, “I was planning for a happy Raya (Aidilfitri) celebration but the fire happened. “My family and I feel sad but we will just prepare in a simple way,” she told StarMetro. “My husband tried to put out the fire but it spread quickly.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): A joint villa owner has filed a lawsuit against Datuk Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie, Malaysia’s first astronaut, and his wife Dr Halina M Yunos over alleged seepage and leakage affecting their Bukit Kiara unit since 2021. Co-owners Jeffri Shahul Hamid and Low Shih Yuin filed the suit at the High Court on Feb 19 through Messrs Chee Hoe & Associates, naming Sheikh Muszaphar and Halina as defendants. The main issue, according to the suit, is water seepage from the shared party wall, which Jeffri and Low say is caused by Sheikh Muszaphar and Halina. Nov 7, 2023: Leakage from the rooftop gutter causing dampness and mold on the party wall. The notices, Jeffri and Low claimed, clearly stipulate that the repair works are to be undertaken by Sheikh Muszaphar and his wife as the registered proprietors of the unit.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): DRB-Hicom Bhd (KL:DRBHCOM) is exploring the potential launch of a ringgit-backed stablecoin as part of a broader push to integrate blockchain technology across its automotive, banking and logistics businesses. The group on Wednesday signed a memorandum of collaboration with UK-based Geno Group Ltd to deploy enterprise-grade blockchain solutions in phases. Geno is a technology company that specialises in blockchain-as-a-service infrastructure and digital financial solutions. “This memorandum of collaboration sets a strong foundation to deploy enterprise blockchain and to pioneer an industrial-scale ringgit stablecoin anchored in the real-economy. “Together, DRB-Hicom and Geno will build solutions that are secure, scalable, and designed to deliver operational success for Malaysia’s financial and industrial transformation,” they said.

BENGALURU (Feb 25): The Thai baht trimmed early gains, while equities extended their rally on Wednesday after the central bank cut interest rates by a quarter point in a surprise decision. The baht was last trading 0.1% firmer at 31.04 per dollar, after gaining as much as 0.3% earlier in the session. Thai equities jumped as much as 2.2% to hit their strongest level since late September, extending gains to a third straight day. Thailand's central bank cut rates again as economic growth remains weak and below potential, because of a recent one-off fiscal spending, while underlying demand is soft and inflation is deeply subdued with core prices barely rising. The Taiwan dollar gained 0.5% in its third straight day of advances and hit its highest since Jan 29.

TOKYO (Feb 25): Japan's Fair Trade Commission raided Microsoft Japan's offices on Wednesday as part of an investigation into whether it improperly restricted customers of its Azure platform from using rival cloud services, the Nikkei business daily reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Musang King durian is uniquely Malaysian and other countries cannot market their produce under the same name, says Mohamed Sabu. The Agriculture and Food Security Minister, popularly known as Mat Sabu, said this is because Musang King is protected under Malaysia’s Geographical Indication (GI) registration. Other countries cannot call their durians Musang King. He added that the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) ensures Musang King durians carry official FAMA and MyBest labels. Mat Sabu also stressed the importance of educating Chinese consumers that only GACC-approved Musang King durians bearing the MyBest stamp are authentic Malaysian exports.

(Feb 25): South Korea’s equity market has surged past France to become the ninth-largest in the world, propelled by gains in technology shares riding the global boom in artificial intelligence. The Asian nation’s stock market climbed to a valuation of US$3.76 trillion (RM14.64 trillion) after adding roughly US$2.23 trillion since the start of 2025, according to Bloomberg-compiled data as of Tuesday (Feb 24). In 2024, Korea ranked 12th globally in gross domestic product while France held seventh place, according to World Bank data. And with recent French political upheaval now easing, some expect the country’s equity market to regain momentum after almost 18 months of underperformance. The French market would likely benefit from capital flows as investors diversify from US equities and tech stocks, he added.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) confirmed Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin’s transfer from his role as director of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s legal and prosecution division, but said he will continue prosecuting ongoing cases. Wan Shaharuddin’s placement in this division is suitable with his expertise and he would continue to contribute in the handling of appeal cases which are more complex and have a higher profile,” the statement said. The AGC states that Wan Shaharuddin’s transfer would not affect his ongoing cases that he handled with the MACC. Datuk Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin (Photo by Low Yen Yeing/The Edge)“He is capable of continuing with the responsibility of handling those cases, and he is given an opportunity to handle appeal cases in the upper courts. Earlier, it was reported that Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar had issued a transfer letter dated Feb 24 (yesterday) on Wan Shaharuddin to his new post.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 25): Globaltec Formation Bhd (KL:GLOTEC) has been told to explain unusual market activity on Wednesday that sent the stock to its daily lower limit. Shares of Globaltec opened two sen or 2% lower at 98 sen and hovered above the 90-sen level through most of the morning session. The stock then tumbled as much as 30 sen or 30% to limit down at 70 sen on the back of a spike in volume just before the noon trading break. Globaltec ended the day at 81 sen after nearly eight million shares changed hands. Revenue for the quarter was down 14.11% year-on-year to RM38.7 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir has urged for calm over an alleged incident involving a copy of the Quran at a university, as authorities investigate the matter. “I would like to urge all parties to stay calm as this issue is being addressed. He said the university concerned had lodged a police report immediately after the incident surfaced. The university also filed a report right away, and appropriate steps have been taken. The alleged incident came to public attention following a post on Threads depicting an individual’s foot on a Quran, prompting outrage.

KOTA TINGGI: A 35-year-old Rohingya man was charged in the Magistrate’s Court here with murdering his pregnant wife and causing the death of their unborn child two weeks ago. According to the charge sheet, he is accused of murdering Fazanah Eskar, 34, at a house along Jalan Haji Mustafa in Kampung Makam here at about 3am on Feb 13. In the same court, the accused, who works as a barber, also faced a second charge of committing an act that caused the death of his wife’s full-term unborn baby. After indicating that he understood the charges and possible penalties, the accused broke down and apologised. Magistrate Nurkhalida Farhana fixed March 18 for an interpreter to ensure that the accused fully understands the charges before any further decision is made.

(Feb 25): Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese evacuated his official residence in Canberra for a few hours on Tuesday evening following a bomb scare connected to a religious group that’s banned in China, according to a report in the national broadcaster ABC. A series of threats directed towards Albanese were emailed to members of the “Shen Yun” dance troupe in February, according to a newspaper connected to the Falun Gong religious group, which runs the dance company. The messages threatened violence against Albanese and other “high officials” if the dance troupe didn’t call off the performances planned for this year in Australia. The threats were forwarded to Australian police on Tuesday by people related to Shen Yun, according to the Epoch Times. Falun Gong is banned in China, with the government in Beijing calling it a cult.

(Feb 25): Lynas Rare Earths Ltd has overtaken Australian blue-chip stalwart Qantas Airways Ltd by market capitalisation, as concerns about China’s dominance of critical minerals lift the miner’s stock. Both companies are set to report annual results on Thursday (Feb 26), with net income estimates for the airline of A$1.03 billion (RM2.85 million) set to dwarf the A$112 million forecast for Lynas. However, the miner’s shares have surged more than a third this year — compared with a tepid 2% rise for Qantas — to make it the more valuable company. Lynas produces a small volume, by mining standards, of rare earths used in electric vehicle motors, smartphones and defence technology from a mine in Western Australia, which it refines in Malaysia. “Lynas is quite different from your typical mining company,” Reg Spencer, a metals and mining analyst at Canaccord Genuity Australia Ltd, said by telephone.