PETALING JAYA: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has agreed to help Malaysia in the Thomas Cup campaign without making any demands from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM). However, in a show of commitment to ending the nation’s 34-year wait for the Thomas Cup title, Zii Jia has agreed to set those matters aside. "It is with great pleasure to announce that Lee Zii Jia has reached an agreement with the Badminton Association of Malaysia to be part of Malaysia’s 2026 Thomas Cup squad. "Zii Jia has also agreed to waive his image rights fee in order to represent the country at the upcoming Thomas Cup, reflecting his commitment and dedication to Malaysia," Team LZJ said in a statement on Monday (Feb 23). "We hope this marks a new dawn for Zii Jia and BAM, moving forward together in the best interest of Malaysian badminton."

BEIJING: A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit Yuli County, Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Bayingolin of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, at 12.12pm local time on Monday (Feb 23), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The quake struck at a depth of 15km and its epicentre was monitored at 40.88 degrees north latitude and 84.17 degrees east longitude, according to the CENC.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has dismissed an application by UK law firm White & Case LLP to stay a High Court ruling allowing a lawsuit filed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to proceed in Malaysia. The firm had sought to halt the High Court proceedings pending the disposal of two appeals scheduled to be heard by the Court of Appeal on May 20. He then ordered the law firm to pay RM30,000 in legal costs. Last year, the High Court rejected White & Case’s challenge, ruling that it could hear the lawsuit because the trial witnesses are located in Malaysia. The law firm then appealed this decision to the Court of Appeal.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ashwad Ismail has been appointed as the new Broadcasting director-general (DG) together with Dr Sharifah Adlina Syed Abdullah as his deputy. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has extended his congratulations to Ashwad, the former Astro Awani editor-in-chief and Sharifah, the former Plantation and Commodities Ministry (strategic planning and management) deputy secretary-general. "May the leadership you bring continue to strengthen the national broadcasting industry, drive innovation and deliver accurate and trustworthy information for the well-being of the people," he said. Ashwad, 40, succeeds Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman who stepped down on Feb 22 after nearly three years at the helm of the government's broadcasting agency. Ashwad was also among the Malaysian delegates on the Global Sumud Flotilla in 2010, aboard the MV Mavi Marmara, which was seized by Israeli forces during the Gaza Freedom Flotilla mission.

KUANTAN (Feb 23): The Pahang Palace has denied claims that the Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, is offering government financial aid to the public through social media. Through a Facebook post by the Pahang Sultanate, the Palace stated it has detected the recirculation of several fake video clips produced using artificial intelligence technology. The post also clarified that the Sultan of Pahang does not have any personal social media accounts. All official activities or royal addresses are only broadcast through the Pahang Sultanate's Facebook platform, which currently has approximately 758,000 followers. “On other social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, only the name 'Kesultanan Pahang' is used, while the official portal of the Pahang Palace is istanapahang.my,” according to the post.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Media Chinese International Ltd (KL:MEDIAC) on Monday (Feb 23) reported a lower third-quarter net loss, bolstered by a robust performance in its travel division that offset continued headwinds in its publishing business. The group attributed the revenue growth primarily to its Hong Kong travel operations. Beyond the travel segment's contributions, Media Chinese highlighted that its cost-saving measures, particularly in paper costs, depreciation charges and bad debt provisions, helped cushion the bottom line. Net loss expanded to RM29.41 million from RM16.76 million a year ago, as revenue slipped 1.9% to RM496.39 million from RM505.93 million. Management cited "prolonged structural challenges facing the print media industry" as the primary driver behind its nine-month revenue dip.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Sports Toto Bhd (KL:SPTOTO) reported a 9.2% drop in its second-quarter net profit, mainly due to widening losses at its British luxury car dealership unit. In contrast, its UK-based luxury car dealer, HR Owen plc, posted a pre-tax loss of RM15.6 million, doubling the RM7.8 million loss recorded a year earlier. Segment revenue fell 3.4% due to softer new car sales and unfavourable foreign exchange fluctuations. The wider loss reflected both the revenue decline and higher operating expenses amid challenging UK economic conditions and new labour regulations. For the first half of the financial year, Sports Toto's net profit dropped 26.1% to RM67.22 million from RM91.01 million, even as revenue rose 1.6% to RM2.97 billion from RM2.92 billion.

(Feb 23): Carlsberg A/S has appointed three banks and begun preparations for a potential listing of its India unit that could raise as much as US$700 million (RM2.73 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. The offering is expected to consist of a secondary share sale by the parent company and could take place later this year, the people said. Hyundai Motor trades at 11 times estimated earnings for this year, compared with about 32 times for its Indian unit, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Carlsberg India is the country’s second-largest brewer with about a 22% share of the beer market, according to a company presentation. The unit posted revenue of about 90 billion rupees (RM3.87 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 2025, according to data provider Tracxn.

Solarvest Holdings Bhd believes the recent correction in share prices of energy stocks actually bodes well for the sector, with energy selling prices seen to be firming up, with China likely to cap production of solar panels. Bursa Malaysia experienced a brief sell-down of energy counters at the beginning of this month, primarily as a reaction to China’s removal of the 9% value-added tax (VAT) export rebate on solar panels (effective April 1, 2026), which raised concerns about higher input costs and potential margin pressure.

Jerry O’Connell has revealed he quit smoking after being hypnotised, saying he has not touched a cigarette in 14 years now. INSTAGRAM/MRJERRYOCNEW YORK CITY: Actor Jerry O'Connell has revealed he quit smoking after being hypnotised, saying he has not touched a cigarette in 14 years following an US$800 (about RM3,107) session in 2012. "My wife said, 'I'm not touching you anymore until you quit smoking.'" He explained that a friend who had successfully quit smoking led him to try hypnosis. "I knew a girl who had quit smoking, and I called her up, and I said, 'How did you do it?'

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Lawyers and retired judges are eligible candidates to fill the proposed public prosecutor role as long as they have 10 years of litigation experience under their belt. The proposed bill, however, also explicitly prohibits Members of Parliament from being considered for the role unless they resign from their seat. The proposed term of office for the public prosecutor is seven years. The attorney general, meanwhile, will continue advising the government on matters of law though legal matters involving criminal law and criminal procedure will fall under the public prosecutor’s purview. Syahredzan Johan (Bangi-DAP) asked if the public prosecutor’s seven-year term in office is capped and if the person can be reappointed.

TOKYO (Feb 23): The Bank of Japan may raise interest rates as soon as March if the yen renews its slide ahead of a US-Japan summit expected to be held during the month, former central bank board member Makoto Sakurai told Reuters. The best way to counter a weak yen is for the BOJ to raise interest rates," said Sakurai, who retains close contact with incumbent policymakers. "It would make better sense to wait until April but depending on yen moves, there's a chance the BOJ could raise rates in March," Sakurai said. A majority of economists polled by Reuters expect the BOJ to raise rates to 1% by end-June, while markets have priced in a roughly 70% chance of a hike by April. The BOJ next meets for a policy meeting on March 18-19.

GDANSK (Feb 23): Renault will buy out truckmaker Volvo's and shipping group CMA CGM's stakes in their new generation electric vans joint venture Flexis, the French carmaker said on Monday. The agreement will become effective by the end of the first half of 2026, as Renault CEO François Provost, who took over last year, accelerates his efforts to streamline the group's operations. Flexis was created in 2024 by former Renault CEO Luca de Meo in partnership with Sweden's Volvo, with CMA CGM joining later as a minority shareholder. Renault and Volvo each hold 45%, with CMA CGM owning 10%. It added that Volvo will also market the vehicle from 2027 onwards through Renault Trucks, part of the Volvo Group, as part of a long-term partnership for light commercial vehicles.

SINGAPORE (Feb 23): Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 1.0% in January from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday. The core inflation rate, which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs, was lower than the median forecast of 1.5% in a Reuters poll of economists. Headline inflation was 1.4% in annual terms in January, close to the poll forecast of 1.45%. In January, the Monetary Authority of Singapore updated its core inflation and headline inflation forecasts for 2026 to 1.0% to 2.0% for both, from a previous forecast of 0.5% to 1.5% for both.

He said the Excise (Determination of Value of Locally Manufactured Goods for the Purpose of Levying Excise Duty) Regulations 2019 apply to all locally manufactured goods and are not limited to vehicles. “The impact on vehicle prices will be minimal. Sim said that previously, the government had provided a five-year exemption, up to June 30, 2026, to allow excise values for locally manufactured vehicles to be calculated based on manufacturing costs. Sim noted that the government must ensure the industry’s tax structure is fair and equitable, without favouring any particular party. The approach, he said, aims to minimise the impact of the regulation’s implementation, particularly for new vehicle models, while ensuring that more than 90% of existing models will not see price increases.