KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi to discuss regional developments in the Middle East. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, during the call Anwar expressed condolences to the government and people of Iran over the death of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Iranian citizens killed by United States (US) and Israeli attacks. For his part, Araghchi thanked Malaysia for its message of condolence and its stance condemning the US and Israeli military aggression against Iran and the killing of the country’s leader and Iranian citizens. Araghchi further noted that Iran harbours no hostility towards the countries along the Persian Gulf and remains committed to a policy of good neighbourliness and friendship with them. He added that it is regrettable that the territory of Muslim countries in the region has been exploited during the holy month of Ramadan by US aggressors to launch attacks against a Muslim country and kill Muslims.

BAGAN DATUK: Applications to join Rumah Bangsa have received a very encouraging response, says Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. However, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said applications to join the committee chaired by Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin must be made formally to avoid problems in the future. I believe Umno will flourish as new brothers have emerged among those who wish to rejoin (Umno)," he said. He was responding to media queries on the response to applications to join Rumah Bangsa when met after attending the Ihya Ramadan Al-Mubarak 1447H 2026M Programme for the Bagan Datuk parliamentary constituency here Saturday (March 7). When asked about the intention of former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin to rejoin Umno, Ahmad Zahid said the former health minister had met him several times to express his wish, and Umno has no problem accepting anyone who wants to return without any conditions.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia can still maintain the subsidised RON95 petrol price at RM1.99 per litre for up to two months, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. However, he warned that the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could cause an unprecedented economic crisis. As such, he urged the public and private sector not to treat the ongoing conflict in the Middle East lightly. We will monitor this situation because so far, we can still hold off for one or two months. The Prime Minister said the economic impact of the US-Israel attacks on Iran were still under control.

The promises were written down clearly in black and white, yet their implementation remains a distant prospect,” said the MCA secretary-general. Chong said that besides safeguarding the rights of the Chinese community, MCA must also stand up for social justice more broadly. “If the government believes Ang Woei Shang has spread false information, then charge him through open and proper legal processes. “Defending freedom of expression and pushing for institutional reforms were their commitments to the people. The promises are crystal clear on paper, yet their implementation is nowhere to be seen,” he added.

PETALING JAYA: Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli should stop confusing the public and instead, fully cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in its probe into a RM1.1bil mega deal. PKR vice-president Datuk Seri R. Ramanan said Rafizi must address the specific allegations concerning the awarding of contracts to his acquaintances rather than deflecting the matter with misleading statements. Ramanan said Rafizi should not mislead the public with incorrect claims or accusations. “Do not think you can slander the president (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) or the party (PKR). “He was the economy minister before this.

Selangor will be looking to shake off a string of inconsistent performances when they host Immigration FC at MBPJ Stadium on Sunday. - Pic courtesy of Selangor FC FB pageKUALA LUMPUR: Selangor will be looking to shake off a string of inconsistent performances when they host Immigration FC at MBPJ Stadium on Sunday. "I think if you want second position, we must win this kind of game," said the South Korean. The former Harimau Malaya head coach has been working on Selangor's finishing, which looked blunt in recent matches. The Red Giants are fighting with KL City and Kuching City for second place (behind Johor Darul Ta'zim) to qualify for the Asian Champions League.

- REUTERS PICCORTINA D'AMPEZZO: Russia won its first Winter Paralympic medals since 2014 on Saturday as Varvara Voronchikhina and Aleksei Bugaev claimed bronze in the women's and men's downhill standing events in Cortina. Russia was banned from the 2018 Games due to a doping scandal, although some athletes were permitted to compete under neutral colours. Voronchikhina said that four years ago in Beijing, she was ready to compete before Russia was suspended by the IPC. "For me it was really, really sad and I hope in these Games I will be better and it will be." And even more so to bring home a medal so that the flag can fly."

SEREMBAN: The Cabinet has approved an evacuation plan for Malaysians in the Middle East should the regional conflict escalate, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. The Cabinet, he said, had approved the plan to allow the Government to quickly trigger the plan in case the situation worsened. Mohamad said at present, there were some 31,000 Malaysians living in the region in countries like Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and others. He said the Government's priority now was to bring home about 2,300 Malaysians stranded there including those who had gone to perform their pilgrimage in Mecca and those on transit. Mohamad Hasan, Middle East, Evacuation Plan, Wisma Putra, Malaysians Abroad, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Flights, Conflict

The first arrest led to another raid on a nearby condominium, where four Chinese nationals, three men and a woman, aged 25 to 35, were arrested while they were managing the online gambling website - PIC COURTESY OF POLICEKUALA LUMPUR: Five people, including a woman, were arrested for online gambling activities during raids at two premises around Bukit Jalil here yesterday. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Fadil Marsus said that the first raid, at about 1pm, was conducted against office premises in the area and a local woman, 36, was arrested. "The arrest led to another raid on a nearby condominium, where four Chinese nationals, three men and a woman, aged 25 to 35, were arrested while they were managing the online gambling website," he said in a statement today. Investigations revealed all suspects acted as agents managing, promoting and organising online gambling targeting clients from China and all the China nationals had entered the country using tourist passes, he said. "All suspects have been remanded for three days till Monday for further investigation," he added.

A 44-year-old Indian national who was seen behaving indecently at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) terminal had earlier missed his flight after falling asleep, police said. - NSTP file picSEPANG: A 44-year-old Indian national who was seen behaving indecently at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) terminal had earlier missed his flight after falling asleep, police said. "So far, police have not received any report regarding the incident," he said in a statement today. Investigations found that the man had missed his scheduled flight at about 8.45pm on March 5 after falling asleep. "Staff at the scene reprimanded the individual and assisted him in pulling his trousers back up," he said.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Azahar Abdul Rahim said the couple would be remanded until tomorrow after their initial remand order expired today. "The previous remand order for the female suspect and her husband expired today. He added that the suspects are currently linked to three separate cases involving three different victims in Negri Sembilan. It was previously reported that the couple were detained last Wednesday while hiding at a madrasah in Hulu Langat. It was previously reported that a beauty product entrepreneur had also claimed to be a victim of the actress and her husband.

Horses whinny to find new friends, greet old ones and celebrate happy moments like feeding time. How exactly horses produce that distinctive sound - also called a neigh - has long eluded scientists. It comes from air passing over bands of tissue in the voice box that make noise when they vibrate. The whinny's mysterious high-pitched tones, they discovered, are a kind of whistling that starts in the horse's voice box. Air vibrates the tissues in the voice box while an area just above contracts, leaving a small opening for the whistle to escape.

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional should contest the upcoming Melaka and Johor state elections under its own banner, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong. Speaking at MCA’s 77th anniversary celebration at Wisma MCA here, Dr Wee said the party expected the Melaka state election to be held this year, followed by Johor in early 2027. “Today, I can state clearly that MCA’s position is that Barisan Nasional should contest the Melaka and Johor state elections under its own banner, independently,” he said in his keynote address on Saturday (March 7). Dr Wee noted that Barisan won both Melaka and Johor in the previous elections, adding that Barisan currently governs Johor while Melaka operates under a unity government model. Also present were party veterans and former leaders including Tan Sri Tan Koon Swan, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai, Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek and Tan Sri Wong Foon Meng, as well as Datuk Yap Pian Hon, Tan Sri Fong Chan Onn, Tan Sri Chor Chee Heung, Datuk Seri Hou Kok Chung, Datuk Seri Yew Teong Look, Datuk Seri Kee Yong Wee, Tan Sri Kuan Peng Soon, Datuk Hon Choon Kim and Datin Paduka Tan Siok Choo.

FINANCE Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan took to LinkedIn recently to defend the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) dividend for 2025, saying critics had “missed the point entirely”. It looked like a response to former finance minister Lim Guan Eng, who linked the lower dividend to a so-called “two-tier economy”, where Malaysia’s economic growth gains do not flow evenly across society.

PETALING JAYA: Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah continue to break barriers after reaching their first All-England semi-finals in Birmingham on Friday (March 7). There were anxious moments when both pairs were tied at 16-16 in the second game, but the Malaysians pulled through with sheer determination. The last Malaysian pair to make the semi-finals were Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty in 2007. None have gone beyond the semi-finals, and Pearly-Thinaah will be looking to do just that when they take on South Korea’s Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee for a place in the final. The pair were the quarter-finalists at the 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025 editions but lost in the opening round in 2023.