MANILA (AFP): A Malaysian national and a Filipino have been killed when a helicopter crashed in a vacant lot about two hours southeast of Manila. Rizal provincial police officer Ramjae Pangga told AFP that two passengers, a Malaysian and a Filipino, were killed in the crash. The pilot, meanwhile, had been critically injured, said Pililla town mayor John Masinsin. "The three survivors are... still in shock, especially the pilot," he told AFP. An investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is underway.

“For this amendment to be approved, it required the support of two-thirds, or 148 Members of Parliament physically present. “I want to emphasise that all 40 DAP Members of Parliament were present to support the amendment. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who tabled the Bill for its second reading, said the amendment was intended to strengthen institutional reforms and ensure leadership renewal. “Malaysia missed an opportunity to make our country more democratic,” he said, noting that it required political will for a sitting Prime Minister to back reforms limiting his own tenure. Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said this was the first time a Bill under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government had failed.

The US and Israel launched an air campaign against Iran on Saturday, striking Tehran and killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In response, Iran and its proxy Hezbollah retaliated, drawing the wider Gulf region into the escalating conflict. At 02:41am ET, Dow E-minis were down 494 points or 1.01%, S&P 500 E-minis were down 72.5 points or 1.05%, while Nasdaq 100 E-minis were down 332.75 points or 1.33%. Travel and airline stocks, however, took a beating amid flight cancellations, higher jet-fuel costs and sweeping Middle East airspace closures. Markets will also be looking out for fresh signals from the Fed, especially given recent divisions over the path of rates.

PARIS, March ⁠3 (Reuters) - France is ready to ⁠defend its partners if they ‌request help after Iranian retaliatory strikes and ireserves its right to intervene, Foreign ​Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said ⁠on Tuesday. "This war... ⁠is dragging a number of countries ⁠in ‌the region into the conflict with which we ⁠have relations, defence agreements, and interests, ​including ‌military bases," Barrot told French ⁠broadcaster BFM ​TV. He added that French Rafale fighter jets carried out air ⁠operations to secure the skies ​above France's bases in the region. Around 400,000 French nationals are ⁠currently in the countries affected by the crisis in the Middle East and the French government ​is ready to ⁠fly back those most at risk ​using both commercial ‌and military flights, Barrot ​said. (Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Dominique Vidalon)

EARTHWORKS for a proposed 1km road located within the Shah Alam Community Forest (SACF) are about 70% complete. The project will link Jalan Pulau Angsa U10/39 to Persiaran Setia Duta in Setia Ecopark by cutting through a popular green space in Setia Alam used by hikers and nature groups. A Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) spokesperson, speaking after a full board meeting at Wisma MBSA, said the project was proceeding as the gazette notification on the land remained legally valid. She said the road connection was approved by the state government through a Selangor State Executive Council (MMKN) decision on Sept 28, 2018. “The project also forms part of an integrated road network approved under the U10 Development Master Plan in 2007,” she said.

SEREMBAN: Police are looking for a married couple believed to be involved in a RM1.5mil fraud case related to the sale of a non-existent plot of land in Selangor. District OCPD Asst Comm Azahar Abdul Rahim said the male suspect and his wife, a local television actress, were now believed to be in Sarawak. "Both suspects are now on our wanted list," he told the media on Tuesday (March 3). Police have also sought assistance from the Immigration Department to trace the duo, he added. ACP Azahar appealed to those with information on the couple to contact the authorities.

CYBERJAYA (March 3): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday launched the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Tower 2 here. Established on Oct 12, 2022, the centre can be reached via hotline 997. Also present at the ceremony were Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) director general Datuk Seri Shamshun Baharin Mohd Jamil were in attendance. The move to strengthen the NSRC aligns with the government’s broader push to enhance national digital security and safeguard the public against increasingly sophisticated cybercrime threats.

PETALING JAYA: India’s women’s singles shuttler PV Sindhu will miss this year’s All England Open Badminton Championships after being stranded in Dubai for several days. The 2019 world champion decided to return to Bengaluru after her flight to Birmingham was cancelled while she was in transit in Dubai. The 30-year-old also expressed her appreciation to the Dubai authorities and ground staff who assisted her throughout the ordeal. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and took such good care of us during a very difficult time. A heartfelt thank you to the incredible ground teams, Dubai authorities, airport staff, immigration, and every single person who stepped up and…— Pvsindhu (@Pvsindhu1) https://twitter.com/ Pvsindhu1/status/ 2028700283715612938?ref_src= twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026

MIC has questioned the accuracy of the latest statistics showing the Indian community as just 6.6% of the country’s population, Makkal Osai reported. MIC economics and statistics chief Mangaleswaran Annamalai said the figures indicate Indians make up between 6.6% and 7.2% of the population. He said the overall population estimate of 34.3 million includes non-citizens, who account for about 10%, resulting in the lower 6.6% figure when they are included. Mangaleswaran said that the population census was previously conducted door-to-door with clear transparency, but said ­current methods and the way racial data is compiled are unclear. The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies).

(March 3): Nidec Corp said it may book up to ¥250 billion (US$1.6 billion or RM6.26 billion) in impairment charges as the world’s largest manufacturer of precision motors looks to tally the cost of an accounting scandal that’s seen its founder effectively cut ties with the company. Nidec also warned there could be additional charges that would impact its past financial results. A third-party investigation into suspected accounting irregularities is ongoing, the company said Tuesday, without disclosing a timeline for the release of its revised financial reports. As the scandal grew, so did the fallout: the company delayed financial results, had its credit rating downgraded and is at risk of being delisted. The cases have bogged down auditors assessing the company’s finances, delaying the submission of its financial results and seeing Moody’s Ratings downgrading the company’s debt three levels to junk.

The claim filed with the EU’s General Court in Luxembourg contests the European Council’s regulation of Dec 12, 2025, according to a Russian central bank statement published on Tuesday (March 3). The EU intends to keep the assets immobilised until the war ends and Russia pays reparations to Ukraine. The regulation blocks any transfer of the assets for an unlimited period and prevents the Bank of Russia from using the courts to defend its rights, including enforcing any rulings or arbitration awards related to those assets, according to the central bank. It also argues that the council committed serious violations of EU procedure by adopting the regulation with a majority vote rather than unanimously. Shortly after the EU published the regulation, the Russian central bank issued a warning to the bloc, threatening to seek compensation in local courts from European lenders if it proceeded to use the frozen assets to support Ukraine.

(March 3): Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr plans to seek emergency power to slash taxes on petroleum products amid the war in the Middle East, as his government finds ways to ensure the safety of millions of Filipino workers in the region. A reduction in the excise taxes could cushion the impact of costlier fuel in the Southeast Asian nation which imports nearly all of its oil requirements. “Let me assure everyone, we have sufficient supply of oil,” he said, adding the country has a 50-to-60-day stockpile. The Marcos administration is in touch with the US and Israel to ensure the safety of 2.4 million Filipinos working in the Middle East. “This is something that will affect the families of those remitting funds from this part of the world,” Marcos said.

Chip designer Moore Threads Technology Co, which has surged more than 400% since it started trading in Shanghai in early December, still has no analyst covering it. MetaX Integrated Circuits Shanghai Co, which popped 693% on its December debut to claim the record from Moore Threads, has two. Bank of America technology analysts recently initiated several new names, partly due to the growing importance of Chinese AI firms in the global supply chain. And with many of them still unprofitable, the lack of analyst coverage can be an under-the-radar investment risk, especially with so many companies competing in the same space. “For Chinese technology companies, there often are three or four reasons that always change the picture in the future.

GEORGE TOWN: Twenty-three people were left with only the clothes on their backs after four single-storey squatter houses were destroyed in a fire in Tanjung Tokong early Tuesday (March 3). Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director John Sagun Francis said the department received a distress call at 3.14am. The first fire engine from the Bagan Jermal Fire and Rescue Station arrived seven minutes later. The four houses were occupied by 23 residents – 10 men, six women and seven children – from Malay and Rohingya families. All the occupants managed to escape safely after realising a fire had broken out, and no injuries were reported.

(March 3): The next four weeks will determine whether Europe’s economy is facing a fresh crisis or simply a speed bump in its recovery. A reliance on oil and gas from the region makes the bloc the “most exposed major economy” to Iran spillovers, ING’s Carsten Brzeski reckons. “If the conflict is short-lived and energy prices rise only briefly, the damage will be contained,” Bloomberg Economics’s Antonio Barroso and Simona Delle Chiaie said. “I’d expect Trump to go to great lengths to prevent a lasting surge in energy prices that could hurt him at home,” Schmieding said. “I would certainly not rush to react to any movements in energy prices,” he said.