NEW YORK: Oil prices settled up nearly 5% on Wednesday as fresh attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz worsened supply disruption fears, and analysts said the International Energy Agency's proposal for a record release of oil reserves is inadequate to ease those worries. Three more vessels have been hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk firms said on Wednesday. President Donald Trump has said the United States is prepared to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz when necessary. Oil prices also shrugged off a US government report that showed crude oil stockpiles in the top oil-producing country had grown more than expected last week. Energy consultancyWood Mackenzie said the war is currently cutting Gulf oil and oil products supply to the market by some 15 million barrels per day, which could raise crude prices to US$150 per barrel.

PUTRAJAYA: The government may amend certain laws or create new legislation to address 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues more sternly, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The government spokesman said following an increase in racial tensions recently, a slew of 3R issues were discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday. “The Cabinet decided that stern action must be taken by the authorities, including the Attorney General. Recently, arsonists torched three cars belonging to activist S. Chandrasegaran, also known as Cikgu Chandra, at his house in Taman Kinrara, Puchong. It is believed that the incident was related to debates over the demolition of illegal places of worship in the country.

SEPANG: Datuk Ismail Ahmad went to Qatar to visit his daughter, her Malaysian husband and their children. The 67-year-old former Sabah National Registration Department director was among 170 people who arrived here on a special evacuation flight by Malaysian Airlines. The flight took another eight hours. “They include Malaysian umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia as well as in Qatar, Jordan and Syria,” he said. Initially, more than 400 Malaysians had signed up for evacuation, but some were able to return home earlier when commercial flight operations resumed.

GEORGE TOWN: Pre-war houses in the Unesco World Heritage Site here cannot be demolished without prior approval, says mayor Datuk A. Rajendran. Rajendran said heritage proper­ty owners must submit detailed plans to MBPP for approval before demolitions. The property owner was instructed to install hoarding as a safety measure and submit relevant plans for the council’s consideration. Liang described the demolition as “a terrible violation of Unesco World Heritage protection rules”. George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) general manager Dr Ang Ming Chee said there was no excuse for the owner or contractor to make such a mistake.

Owing to the recent developments in the Middle East, local carriers have also adjusted their fuel surcharges to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs. A Malaysia Airlines memo dated March 9 stated that the increase in fuel surcharge costs would be done in phases. According to the same memo, the fuel surcharge for domestic flights is set at RM36 for business class seats and RM18 for economy class seats. A Batik Air memo also notified of increases in fuel surcharges for all domestic and international routes in phases. The same source said carriers are still subsidising the fares on average despite the fuel surcharge prices.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bersatu is far from being “buried” despite the recent internal issues, says its president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He dismissed reports, including on social media, suggesting the party had been “buried” amid its recent internal troubles. He also announced that Bersatu have completed all of the improvement measures within our Bersatu party. "Therefore, all of the statements made by certain parties are inaccurate," said Muhyiddin, adding that the purpose was none other than to give the impression that Bersatu was facing problems. He also provided assurance, especially with the leadership of Perikatan Nasional, that he was confident that Bersatu is capable of managing party matters and internal party affairs.

PUTRAJAYA: Possible cost-saving measures for the Human Resources ministry and the private sector will be discussed in the upcoming special Cabinet meeting tomorrow, says its Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan (pic). He said among the possible measures that are being considered is the implementation of work-from-home for his ministry’s employees and the private sector. ALSO READ:“I will then present the findings to the special Cabinet meeting on Friday,” he told reporters during a press conference here yesterday. The meeting will also discuss how ministries can collaborate and support one another in implementing cost-saving processes and measures. “If we ourselves do not practise savings but ask the people to do so, that would not be fair.

Hong Kong actor Bosco Wong recently attended a health event, where he shared insights into his journey toward a toned physique. During the event, Wong also shared some anecdotes about his mother, revealing that she’s a huge foodie who struggles with controlling her diet. Wong said Chow, 70, shared insights about acting, diet and health during their conversation. When asked if he would encourage his mother to run alongside Chow, who’s a known jogging enthusiast, the actor gave a playful answer. For the record, Wong shares a close bond with his mother, who raised him as a single parent.

Economies that will be subject to the inquiry include some of the US’ largest trading partners: China, the European Union, Mexico, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh will also be investigated. Targeting Mexico could further damage the already strained efforts to renegotiate the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement that Trump signed during his first term. In a Federal Register filing, Greer’s office levied allegations of overcapacity for each economy, saying China maintains a trade surplus across several sectors. Forced labourAs early as Thursday, the Trump administration also plans to open a separate investigation related to a ban on imports made with forced labour that cover at least 60 countries.

A post that says “BREAKING: TOTAL ANNIHILATION, HERE’S WHAT THEY’RE NOT TELLING YOU”, gets two million views. And the cruel irony is that traditional media, for all its slowness and caution, is looking good right now by comparison. That it comes from the big corporations, big governments, they don’t want you to know the truth, bro! Yes, traditional media isn’t perfect but it has journalistic standards. Just don’t go trusting “American Warrior Truth Eagle” on Twitter because rocket emojis means accurate reporting.

(March 12): US President Donald Trump said the massive release of emergency oil reserves approved by the International Energy Agency (IEA) would ease energy price pressures while the US seeks to “finish the job” in its campaign against Iran. The confirmation of the emergency oil release did little to calm volatile markets. “They didn’t expect anything like this.”Earlier on Wednesday, the IEA approved its largest-ever release of emergency oil reserves, a move to curb surging prices while the critical waterway remains effectively closed. The IEA agreed to discharge 400 million barrels from emergency oil reserves, more than double the 182 million barrels member countries released after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Escalating rhetoric from global leaders over the war in Iran outweighed an emergency release of crude reserves by wealthy nations.

PUTRAJAYA: The Cabinet has approved a proposal to build a third port on Carey Island, says Anthony Loke. He said the Transport Ministry would act as a regulatory body to oversee the construction while the Selangor state government would spearhead the construction. Loke also said a special purpose vehicle would be set up by the Selangor government together with the private sector to garner investments from the private sector to build and operate the port. He added the construction of the third port sends a signal globally that development in Malaysia is not affected by geopolitical challenges. In February 2023, Loke announced that Carey Island was slated to become Selangor's third international port after Northport and Westport.

The dinner was over, the speeches were finished and all that remained for the newly married Dayna and Gary Yendell was a first dance. “We’ve been to many weddings with dancing, and it’s just not our thing,” Dayna Yendell, who works in quality compliance, explained. The couple, who live in Torrance, California, were introduced to video games early in life, and playing games with their parents and friends created memories that affected them deeply. A single sound system played video game soundtracks on a loop while their friends played. What they’ll remember most, the couple said, is the sight of Bozarth’s 58-year-old mother, who was originally apprehensive about the games, laughing after a round of Dance Dance Revolution – and then challenging another guest to a rematch.

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has ordered all government agencies, government-linked companies and government-linked investment companies not to hold Hari Raya Aidilfitri open houses this year. He said this was due to the economic effects of the ongoing Middle East conflict, adding that the number of trips abroad should also be reduced. "This sends a message for more prudent spending," he said in a special press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday (March 11). Meanwhile, Anwar said a special Cabinet meeting will be held on Friday (March 13) to address the ongoing international developments that are unfolding quickly. He said the special Cabinet meeting will deliberate on the country’s fiscal and financial position.

US financial giant Citigroup told its staff to evacuate offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai's Oud Metha neighbourhood, a memo sent to employees which was seen by Reuters shows, telling them to work from home until further notice. A spokesperson for the bank said it was continuing to take measures to keep staff safe and had contingency plans in place to ensure business continuity. Separately, HSBC has closed all branches in Qatar until further notice, according to a customer notice, saying the measure was to ensure the safety of staff and customers. Hoornweg declined to comment via a bank spokesperson. "The safety of our colleagues and customers remain our top priority," HSBC said in a statement on Wednesday in relation to its Dubai-based staff.