TAMPA, Florida, March ⁠5 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ⁠said on Thursday the United States was ‌not expanding its military objectives in Iran, after President Donald Trump told Reuters that the United States must ​be involved in choosing the ⁠next leader of ⁠Iran. He added that Trump was "having a ⁠heck of a say in ​who runs Iran given the ongoing operation." In a telephone interview with Reuters on Thursday, Trump said ⁠the United States would have to help pick the next person to lead the country. The United States has hit more than 2,000 ​targets in Iran over ⁠the past six days, including Iranian warships. (Reporting by ​Phil Stewart in Tampa, Florida.

COMMUTERS in Johor Baru are calling for an increase in public transport service frequency as they grapple with chronic overcrowding and lengthy wait times. “The buses are often overcrowded, especially as many working in Singapore also use them to get to BSI,” he said. Keshav suggested a two-tier bus system to address overcrowding: one dedicated to Singapore-bound commuters and another for locals travelling to schools, hospitals and workplaces within the city. Student Airis Syafiqa Muhd Reduan, 19, said she would often be forced onto the bus when train tickets sold out. “Electric train service tickets from my hometown in Kulai to the college in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, sell out quickly because the service is limited in frequency and capacity.

CONCERN has been raised over residential land conversion to commercial in the draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan (RTPJ) 2035 (Replacement). Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung said based on the draft RTPJ, future growth was being squeezed into existing built-up areas of the city through aggressive redevelopment. “In older areas, density is being pushed from a historical 12 units per hectare to an overwhelming 100 units per hectare,” he said, referring to housing or office units within commercial areas. “The infrastructure and utilities in Petaling Jaya have existed since the 1960s,” said Tunku Johan, who is also Section 5 RA chairman. A PJ Sejahtera committee member, who wanted to be known only as Shanti, said residents were concerned that unchecked densification of Petaling Jaya would further erode the liveability of established neighbourhoods.

Malaysia’s tourism industry, however, is confident the country’s diversified visitor base will help cushion any potential impact on the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign. Malaysian Tourism Agency Association president Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khalid Harun said geopolitical conflicts have historically disrupted tourism campaigns, but the industry has learnt to adapt. “Malaysia has long been recognised for its Muslim-friendly tourism ecosystem, making it attractive for visitors from Muslim-majority countries,” he said. Inbound Tourism Alliance founder Uzaidi Udanis said Malaysia’s tourism sector is likely to remain resilient as long as the conflict does not escalate. “Tools such as AI can help tourism companies react to cancellations by suggesting alternative markets or last-minute packages, making the sector more agile.”

Only God can repay his cruelty,” Siti Aishah Ariffin, 53, told Berita Harian. The girls – Noor Syafikah Nadia, 14, Nur Izzati Husna, 12, and Puteri Nurul Akma, three – died in a brutal attack. Every Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the hardest for Siti Aishah as it would remind her of her daughters. > Actress and singer Diana Rafar shared with Utusan Malaysia that she had assisted nine individuals to convert to Islam. “On the day he recited the syahadah, his friends travelled from Kelantan and Terengganu just to witness it,” she shared.

BENGALURU/MEXICO CITY (March 5): MiniMed, the diabetes business of medical device maker Medtronic, said on Thursday that it has raised US$560 million in its US initial public offering (IPO). The diabetes care company, which makes insulin pumps, glucose monitors and sensors, priced 28 million shares at US$20 each, well below its marketed US$25-US$28 price range. The offering valued MiniMed at US$5.61 billion, based on the number of common shares outstanding listed in its IPO prospectus. MiniMed was founded in 1983 by Alfred E Mann with a goal to make diabetes care wearable and consumer-focused. The company was the first to create a pager-sized portable insulin pump, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) used by physicians, and a wearable insulin pump integrated with a CGM.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao failed to progress further in the All-England after crashing out in the second round on Thursday (March 5). Jun Hao was expected to face little trouble against Japan’s Koki Watanabe, having beaten the player four times previously. However, the script was flipped as Jun Hao struggled from the start and eventually went down 9-21, 13-21 in 37 minutes.

March 5 (Reuters) - ⁠U.S. President Donald ⁠Trump said on Thursday ‌he wants to finish the war in Iran first, ​but then it "will ⁠be just ⁠a question of time ⁠before you ‌and a lot of ⁠unbelievable people are going to ​be ‌going back to Cuba." Trump, ⁠speaking ​at an event with the Inter ⁠Miami soccer team at ​the White House, said Cuba wants "to make a ⁠deal so badly." "We want to finish this one first," he said, ​referring to ⁠the conflict in Iran. (Reporting ​by Bo ‌Erickson; Writing by ​Michelle Nichols; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis)

HOUSTON/BENGALURU (March 5): Oil major Shell inked several oil agreements with the Venezuelan government on Thursday that span offshore natural gas and onshore oil and gas opportunities, the company said in a statement. It also signed several technical and commercial agreements with Venezuelan engineering company VEPICA, as well as with KBR and US oil services firm Baker Hughes. Shell has had a long-running offshore gas project in Venezuela called Dragon that has experienced setbacks in recent years as US policy towards Venezuela shifted. In February, Shell said that general licences for oil and gas exploration issued by the US will allow the company to move forward with the project. Atlantic LNG is owned by Shell, BP and Trinidad's National Gas Company.

Malaysia Shipowners’ Association chairman Mohamed Safwan Othman said the heightened threat level has prompted operators to avoid the key shipping lane entirely. The disruption could directly affect Malaysia’s maritime industry, particularly in the oil and gas trade, as many Malaysian vessels operate in the region. Malaysia imports and exports oil and gas with countries in the Middle East, making the Strait of Hormuz an important route for energy shipments. Mohamed Safwan said the conflict has already begun affecting the shipping industry through rising risk levels and potential changes to insurance coverage. The higher risk classification could lead to increased war-risk insurance costs and force ships to take longer alternative routes, raising operating expenses for shipping companies.

THE country’s election body said it had certified all but one of the 500 parliamentary seats won in last month’s vote, setting the stage for the victorious conservative party to lead the next government. Bhumjaithai secured 19 seats for its party-ranked candidates and 172 more constituency seats, according to the commission. Pheu Thai, the populist party of jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, won 74 seats, according to the official results. The reformist People’s Party – which had been polling first ahead of the election – came in second, with 120 seats. Last week, the commission certified 396 constituency MPs and on Wednesday ratified the results in three additional constituencies, two of which went to Bhumjaithai.

That is the spirit mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie are carrying despite seeing their All-England campaign end in the second round after falling to world No. Soon Huat-Shevon believe they could perform better at next year’s All-England if the Badminton World Federation (BWF) changes the current scoring system from 21-3 to 15x3 points. After battling for 42 minutes, Soon Huat-Shevon went down 16-21, 18-21 and it marked their 10th defeat to Zhenbang-Ya Xin since they first met in 2023. During that period, Soon Huat-Shevon managed to beat the pair only once, which came at the China Open in 2024. During that period, Soon Huat-Shevon managed to beat the pair only once, which came at the China Open in 2024.

The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, with all sectors falling except energy, technology and consumer discretionary stocks — suggesting equity investors are seeing some opportunities amid the gloom. The possibility that the conflict doesn’t last long “remains the base case, and that the US is winning the battle. Higher oil prices raised the risk of another breakdown in stock-bond correlations, but bonds can still diversify equity risk, according to Morgan Stanley strategists including Serena Tang. Meanwhile, a global bond rout showed no respite, with Treasuries selling across the curve on concerns that higher oil prices will fuel inflationary pressures that could hinder the Federal Reserve’s ability to cut rates. “The stronger the better given the increase in inflation expectations due to energy prices,” the JPMorgan Market Intelligence desk led by Andrew Tyler said.

1 women’s singles star An Se-young has extra motivation at this year’s All-England with her family in Birmingham as she bids for a third title. For Se-young, the presence of her parents and grandparents at the Utilita Arena Birmingham has given her added drive to deliver her best. At the same time, competing in Birmingham has also provided Se-young with an opportunity to improve her English. Se-young revealed that she attends online English classes three times a week and is given homework to complete every day. So I believe it is important for me to work on my English every day,” she added.

GEORGE TOWN: A 31-year-old man suspected of cheating an influencer of RM2.8mil has been remanded for four days. The businessman was produced in court here on Thursday (March 5), with Magistrate Shyahirah Abdul Salim approving a remand order until Sunday (March 8). The suspect is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. He allegedly failed to resolve her company and personal income tax matters with the Inland Revenue Board. The suspect, who appeared calm and smiled for photographers outside the court, was arrested outside a recreational centre in Kuala Lumpur at 3.30am.