WASHINGTON: Ten days after attacking Iran together, the United States and Israel have seen a public divergence, with President Donald Trump facing political pressure and not sharing Israel's long-term goals. Even Senator Lindsey Graham, a hawkish Republican ally of Trump who has urged war on Iran for years, called on Israel to "please be cautious about what targets you select." He said that Israel wants Iran, whose cleric-run government has championed Hamas, to be "permanently weakened" -- a strategy Israel has pursued across the region, notably in repeatedly bombing historic adversary Syria despite a change in government. Both Netanyahu and Trump have spoken favourably of the Iranians overthrowing the Islamic Republic, which faces widespread opposition and ruthlessly suppressed protests in January, but neither has made it an explicit goal. Growing partisan gapIsrael retains strong support within Trump's Republican Party but the rival Democratic Party -- and a few prominent voices on the right -- have accused Trump of blindly following Israel into a regional war.

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Four men including two engineers have been remanded for two days to assist in investigations into an alleged attack on independent preacher Zamri Vinoth. The remand order was issued by Magistrate Roshayati Radellah at the Bukit Mertajam magistrate's court on Tuesday after police initially applied for a four-day period. The four men arrived at the Bukit Mertajam Court Complex at about 8.35am in police vehicles wearing lock-up uniforms. Previously, two brothers were remanded separately to assist in the same investigation but both have since been released. Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail earlier confirmed receiving a report from Zamri regarding the alleged attack and said further investigations are ongoing.

Penang welfare committee chairman Lim Siew Khim said enforcement officers carried out the temporary closure under Section 16 of the Child Care Centre Act 1984. ALSO READ: Baby dies at hospital's childcare centre, two arrested"We are treating this matter very seriously. It should serve as an important reminder to all childcare centres to ensure they are properly registered and that all relevant childcare guidelines and standards are strictly adhered to," she said. The childcare centre operates 24 hours a day to support hospital staff on duty. The infant had only recently been sent to the childcare centre after his mother returned to work following her confinement period.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 10): PUC Bhd (KL:PUC) group managing director and CEO Cheong Chia Chou, who has held the role since 2016, has ceased to be a substantial shareholder in the loss-making digital payment solutions provider after selling a 1.73% stake. He ceased to be a substantial shareholder in PUC on March 12 last year, but later reemerged as one in December. Genting Bhd’s (KL:GENTING) vehicle GPVF Sdn Bhd is also a substantial shareholder with a 5.33% stake. PUC has been in the red since the financial year ended Dec 31, 2019 (FY2019). For its latest 18 months ended Dec 31, 2025 (FY2025), it posted a net loss of RM50.92 million on revenue of RM82.55 million.

PUTRAJAYA (March 10): The Ministry of Education (MOE) has declared March 18, 2026 as an additional school holiday for all schools nationwide in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri. In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry said the additional holiday is intended to allow teachers, students and parents adequate time to prepare for the festivities in an organised manner. It said based on the 2026 Academic Calendar, schools in Group A states, comprising Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, had already been allocated an additional holiday on March 19. Meanwhile, schools in Group B, comprising Melaka, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, were granted two additional holidays on March 19 and March 20. The ministry added that the additional holiday is also in line with its commitment to prioritise the welfare of the education community.

(March 10): HSBC on Tuesday raised its 2026 average Brent oil price forecast by US$15 to US$80 per barrel and lifted its WTI outlook by US$14 to US$76. Brent prices have gained more than 27% since the war involving Iran began last week, while WTI has risen about 33%. Prices jumped after the conflict prompted the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint through which about a fifth of global oil supply passes. The shutdown has led major OPEC producers, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, to reduce shipments as vessel traffic across the region stalls. Brent was down 6.7% at US$92.06, while WTI fell 5.7% to US$89.21 as of 1300 GMT, after US President Donald Trump said the Middle East war could end soon, easing worries about prolonged supply disruptions.

As war in the Middle East forces flight rescheduling and re-routing, Indian airlines have limited options because they can't fly over Pakistan either. "It is a double whammy for Indian airlines which fly international routes," said Amit Mittal, an independent aviation expert. Pakistan has banned Indian carriers from its airspace since last April following military tensions between the two neighbours. Last week, HSBC said that current geopolitical tensions in the Middle East will lead to a "significant burden" on the cost and profitability of Indian airlines. In comparison, an American Airlines flight on Sunday took about 16 hours on the same route, via Pakistan.

Balik kampung was how Malaysians traditionally do festive travel, but in recent years there’s been a trend of taking holiday trips instead during festive periods. Those who opt for international trips typically choose Japan’s Tokyo and Osaka or Australia’s Perth. But this time, half of domestic bookings were made over 60 days in advance. For international trips, most Malaysians opted to travel to neighbouring Singapore and Bangkok (Thailand) during Chinese New Year. As for inbound visits, there was a 33% year-on-year increase in travel bookings.

KUALA LUMPUR (March 10): Malaysia’s industrial production is expected to sustain its upward momentum this year but an escalation in the Middle East conflict and uncertainties surrounding US tariffs could dampen trade flows and export growth, said economists on Tuesday. This following the release of the industrial production index (IPI) for January, which showed a 5.9% year-on-year growth. January’s growth was higher compared with the 5.0% average growth predicted by Bloomberg’s economists and December’s 4.6% year-on-year gain. Kenanga maintained its 2026 gross domestic product growth forecast at 4.5%. Meanwhile, RHB Research forecast IPI to grow by 4.1% in 2026, underpinned by strong domestic private consumption and investment, driven by steady income growth and confidence in labour market conditions.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sidestepped a question on whether Tan Sri Azam Baki would continue as chief commissioner when his contract expires on May 12. When asked about a report by the Singapore-based Straits Times, which quoted sources claiming that the term for Azam would not be renewed, Anwar remained coy. "Well … Straits Times mana? (which Straits Times)?" Anwar was at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) for an International Womens Day event.

(March 10): The mayor of Panama City wants Elon Musk to create a “transformative tourist experience” by tapping the Boring Co to dig a pedestrian tunnel under the country’s namesake canal. In an interview, Panama City Mayor Mayer Mizrachi said the tunnel would be “the best marketing tool to show this American ingenuity and invention”. His city earlier this year applied to Boring’s Tunnel Vision Challenge, which will result in one city getting a 12-foot diameter tunnel of up to one mile free of charge. Panama City is one of the 16 finalists for the competition out of 487 entries. Boring is actively working on a project in Las Vegas, which it began in 2019, and the company currently has about 10 miles of operational tunnel.

Jet fuel prices, previously hovering between US$85 per barrel and US$90 per barrel (US$1=RM3.94) before the conflict, have surged above US$100 per barrel in recent days. Across the wider Asia-Pacific region, several airlines have also begun increasing fares as jet fuel costs rise. He noted that jet fuel constitutes a significant portion of airline operating costs, and historical data show that fluctuations in fuel prices can sharply erode profit margins. "This was evident during the 1970s and 1990s when disruptions in jet fuel supply chains contributed to sharp increases in crude oil prices,” he told Bernama. It said Europe is among the most exposed, with 25 per cent to 30 per cent of its jet fuel demand originating from the Persian Gulf.

(March 10): Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it’s adding flights to Asia and Africa amid increased long-haul demand, as customers seek alternatives to Middle East carriers like Emirates or Qatar Airways hamstrung by air-space closures at home. Lufthansa will add flights at short notice from Germany to Singapore, Cape Town and Riyadh, it said on Tuesday in a statement. Its Austrian Airlines subsidiary has already arranged 10 special return flights from Vienna to Bangkok, the company added. The move follows British Airways, which has added flights from London to Singapore and Bangkok this week. “This is understandable opportunism by European carriers,” said John Strickland, an aviation analyst at JLS Consulting.

(March 10): Amazon.com Inc is returning to the bond market with a jumbo cross-border offering, adding to a borrowing spree among companies spearheading the artificial intelligence boom. It’s the latest in a series of jumbo bond sales by hyperscalers as they plan to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure. Amazon last tapped the market in November, when it sold US$15 billion of dollar bonds. The firm last month said it would invest about US$200 billion in data centres, chips and other equipment in 2026, beating analysts’ estimates. Amazon, along with Alphabet, Meta Platforms Inc Oracle and Microsoft Corp, have forecast capital expenditures of about US$650 billion in 2026.

PETALING JAYA: All schools have been given an additional holiday with their breaks now starting on March 18, the Education Ministry says. "The ministry has announced an additional holiday on March 18 (Wed) for all schools nationwide in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration in 2026. The additional holiday is intended to give teachers, students, and parents time to make the necessary preparations for celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Group B states are Melaka, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya. Previously, it was announced that Group B states will have March 20 off as well, and that the term break will be combined with the festive holidays.