(March 4): Traders were on Wednesday awaiting further details of President Donald Trump’s plan to guarantee the free flow of energy shipments through the Persian Gulf, as the shipping industry warned the proposal may struggle to restore confidence after attacks effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz. “Lives are at risk, cargoes are at risk, ships are at risk. The company currently has some ships in the Persian Gulf, and has been struggling to secure war-risk cover before they sail from the region, he said. Oil prices did pare some of their gains after Trump’s announcement on Tuesday before resuming their advance. With limited details on hand, shipowners say they were cautious about both the insurance provision and the cost.

KUALA LUMPUR: CP Axtra Public Co Ltd has announced to the Stock Exchange of Thailand that its wholly-owned subsidiary Lotus's Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd will acquire supermarket chain operator The Food Purveyor Sdn Bhd for RM1.66bil from private equity firm Navis Capital. CP Axtra, the retail and wholesale arm of Thailand-based CP Group, has operated Lotus's in Malaysia since the acquisition of Tesco Malaysia in December 2020. With the addition of The Food Purveyor's 50 stores, CP Axtra would have a nationwide network of more than 120 outlets. Apart from Village Grocer and B.I.G, The Food Purveyor also owns BSC Fine Foods, Leisure Grocer, Pasaraya OTK and an e-commerce platform “Bites Shop”. The acquisition is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of this year, subject to regulatory approvals, said CP Axtra in its stock exchange filing.

WASHINGTON (March 4): The US services sector activity surged to more than a 3-1/2-year high in February amid strong demand, consistent with hopes for an acceleration in economic growth this quarter, but war in the Middle East poses a downside risk to the rosy picture. A reading above 50 indicates growth in the services sector, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity. The war has raised natural gas and oil prices, and caused volatility on global stock markets. "Uncertainty surrounding the length of the conflict and the recent decline in the sensitivity of energy investments to oil prices might limit this capex offset, pushing the GDP drag to about 0.13 percentage point." New orders increase stronglyThe ISM survey's measure of new orders increased to 58.6 last month, the highest level since September 2024, from 53.1 in January.

JOHOR BARU: Thousands of daily commuters between Malaysia and Singapore are forced to endure longer journeys following the intensification of security checks by the island republic following the Iranian crisis. The stringent security checks, which began Feb 28, applies to all vehicles, including motorcycles. Another daily traveller, Rosli Mat Hassan, said more people are opting to walk across the Causeway to avoid the jam. Another frequent commuter took to social media to warn people to expect longer than usual delays. “By 8.25pm, we finally got closer to Singapore, and the bus dropped us off so we could walk to the Singapore checkpoint.

British rapper Ghetts was jailed for 12 years on Tuesday for killing a Nepali student in a hit-and-run while driving dangerously and over the drink-drive limit. Clarke-Samuel, 41, also admitted an additional charge of driving his BMW M5 dangerously before the fatal incident. Ghetts was nominated for the 2024 Mercury Prize for his fourth studio album On Purpose, With Purpose and won best male act at Britain's MOBO Awards in 2021. Tamang's mother Sharmila Tamang tearfully read a statement to the court through a translator, which said: "My son had come to this place to study. I cannot express the enormous feeling of guilt and shame I feel for the suffering I have caused."

A 10-YEAR-OLD girl in China’s Guangdong province narrowly escaped being mauled by a lion during a close-range feeding session, reported China Press. The incident took place recently at the Zhongshan Park in Shantou city with video footage showing a girl attempting to feed a lion from outside a cage when it bit on the her trouser leg. The lion then tried to drag her into the cage. The park later said the girl sustained minor abrasions on her leg and was given a rabies vaccination before being released to her parents. > An undergraduate in Taiwan collapsed and fell into a coma after staying up for four consecutive days playing online games, reported China Press.

A 35-YEAR-OLD married man, who was having an affair, ironically ended up killing his mistress when she disparaged his wife, Malaysia Nanban reported. Identified only as Suresh, he was having drinks with the mistress in Chennai, India, when she began to speak ill of his wife. Suresh grabbed the 50-year-old woman, known as Radha, and slammed her head into a nearby wall. Suresh ran away from the scene but was later arrested and confessed to the killing. The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies).

GEORGE TOWN: A 72-year-old woman and her son, 39, were found dead in their locked apartment unit at Flat Taman Sahabat, Teluk Kumbar here on Tuesday (March 3) night. Penang Fire and Rescue Department Operations Division assistant director John Sagun Francis said the department was alerted by the police at 8.17pm after neighbours complained of a bad smell coming from the unit. John said the firemen together with the police used special equipment to open the door of the apartment unit. He said two victims were found inside the house, one in the living room and another in a bedroom. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene by personnel from the Health Ministry, who were present at the location.

GEORGE TOWN: PKR assemblyman Fahmi Zainol has been removed, with immediate effect, as the state agrotechnology, food security and cooperative development committee chairman. "I will propose Fahmi’s replacement to the Yang di-Pertua Negri this evening. Chow said Fahmi’s replacement will also be from PKR. "Maybe the party (PKR) felt that, as he (Fahmi) has already been brought to court, the situation is different. "We received a letter from Fuziah on Tuesday (March 3) regarding Fahmi's suspension, requesting that he be removed from his position as state exco," he said.

The “add and subtract” measures on the sugar industry seem to have neutralised the government’s efforts at diabetes prevention, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic). “For those who do not contribute, can the ministry inform MPs what kind of help is available? In his reply, Dzulkefly stressed the importance of health literacy and early detection, particularly in rural areas where undiagnosed diabetes and hypertension remain widespread. On fiscal policy, Dzulkefly said the Cabinet worked collectively to balance taxation and ­subsidies, including measures to ­incentivise or discourage sugar ­consumption. “NGOs are helping us greatly in reducing the burden, and this new plan will strengthen our collective effort,” he added.

SINGAPORE: Asian markets skidded on Wednesday, with investors cutting crowded positions in gold and chipmakers on worries a wider Mideast war could deliver an energy shock that raises inflation and delays rate cuts. Early in the Asia session gold steadied at $5,128 an ounce, while U.S. and European futures also tried to stabilise, with S&P 500 futures flat and European futures up 0.8%. On Wall Street, indexes pared heavier losses but the S&P 500 closed 0.8% lower on fear over potentially prolonged higher oil prices. "Are energy prices going to remain elevated for a longer period of time than people thought yesterday, and then does that pass through?" The euro has slid below $1.16 as investors expect Europe will be hit hard by higher energy costs.

SEREMBAN: Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun admits that his driver is occasionally forced to run red lights to ensure he arrives at official events on time. Earlier, a clip went viral showing a car being driven along Jalan Rasah near here, which had allegedly beaten the red light. Some who claimed to recognise the vehicle said it was the Negri Sembilan MB's official car. "Otherwise, I would not beat the red light. Those in agreement said the MB should consider using a police escort to ensure the safety of other road users.

Despite their star power in the Asian entertainment scene, Hong Kong celebrity couple George Lam and Sally Yeh remain as humble as ever. The pair, married since 1996, were recently spotted flying a budget airline back to Hong Kong after a 10-day trip in Da Nang, Vietnam. A netizen who ran into the two singers described them as friendly and down-to-earth, noting that both Lam, 78, and Yeh, 64, were wonderfully open and eager to chat. Many netizens have since flooded the comments section with praises for Lam and Yeh. Some admired the couple’s warmth and kindness, while others applauded them for flying a budget airline despite their huge status.

PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have kept their promise to be more selective with tournament entries for the elite players. Last year’s All-England was a nightmare for Malaysia, as most national players fell early, including all three elite doubles pairs. Aaron suffered a wrist injury a few weeks prior, and he and Wooi Yik were eliminated in the opening round despite being seeded fifth. With the new changes in place, Rexy hopes the elite players can deliver in Birmingham, as thorough preparations were made before their departure. In the women’s doubles, the country has yet to claim a championship, while in mixed doubles, the best result came in 2017 when Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying finished runners-up.

An Indian government source said New Delhi was scouting for alternative supply to prepare for continuing conflict in the Middle East beyond 10–15 days. The industry source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia was ready to help India meet up to 40% of its crude needs. US President Donald Trump last month agreed to drop punitive tariffs levied on imports from India over its purchase of Russian oil, saying New Delhi had agreed to "stop buying Russian oil." An Indian source said days before the Iran war that Indian companies had not been told to shun Russian oil. The source said Russia was also ready to sell liquefied natural gas to India after top supplier Qatar halted production on Monday as the conflict widened.