KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Sports Toto Bhd (KL:SPTOTO) reported a 9.2% drop in its second-quarter net profit, mainly due to widening losses at its British luxury car dealership unit. In contrast, its UK-based luxury car dealer, HR Owen plc, posted a pre-tax loss of RM15.6 million, doubling the RM7.8 million loss recorded a year earlier. Segment revenue fell 3.4% due to softer new car sales and unfavourable foreign exchange fluctuations. The wider loss reflected both the revenue decline and higher operating expenses amid challenging UK economic conditions and new labour regulations. For the first half of the financial year, Sports Toto's net profit dropped 26.1% to RM67.22 million from RM91.01 million, even as revenue rose 1.6% to RM2.97 billion from RM2.92 billion.

(Feb 23): Carlsberg A/S has appointed three banks and begun preparations for a potential listing of its India unit that could raise as much as US$700 million (RM2.73 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. The offering is expected to consist of a secondary share sale by the parent company and could take place later this year, the people said. Hyundai Motor trades at 11 times estimated earnings for this year, compared with about 32 times for its Indian unit, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Carlsberg India is the country’s second-largest brewer with about a 22% share of the beer market, according to a company presentation. The unit posted revenue of about 90 billion rupees (RM3.87 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 2025, according to data provider Tracxn.

Solarvest Holdings Bhd believes the recent correction in share prices of energy stocks actually bodes well for the sector, with energy selling prices seen to be firming up, with China likely to cap production of solar panels. Bursa Malaysia experienced a brief sell-down of energy counters at the beginning of this month, primarily as a reaction to China’s removal of the 9% value-added tax (VAT) export rebate on solar panels (effective April 1, 2026), which raised concerns about higher input costs and potential margin pressure.

Jerry O’Connell has revealed he quit smoking after being hypnotised, saying he has not touched a cigarette in 14 years now. INSTAGRAM/MRJERRYOCNEW YORK CITY: Actor Jerry O'Connell has revealed he quit smoking after being hypnotised, saying he has not touched a cigarette in 14 years following an US$800 (about RM3,107) session in 2012. "My wife said, 'I'm not touching you anymore until you quit smoking.'" He explained that a friend who had successfully quit smoking led him to try hypnosis. "I knew a girl who had quit smoking, and I called her up, and I said, 'How did you do it?'

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Lawyers and retired judges are eligible candidates to fill the proposed public prosecutor role as long as they have 10 years of litigation experience under their belt. The proposed bill, however, also explicitly prohibits Members of Parliament from being considered for the role unless they resign from their seat. The proposed term of office for the public prosecutor is seven years. The attorney general, meanwhile, will continue advising the government on matters of law though legal matters involving criminal law and criminal procedure will fall under the public prosecutor’s purview. Syahredzan Johan (Bangi-DAP) asked if the public prosecutor’s seven-year term in office is capped and if the person can be reappointed.

TOKYO (Feb 23): The Bank of Japan may raise interest rates as soon as March if the yen renews its slide ahead of a US-Japan summit expected to be held during the month, former central bank board member Makoto Sakurai told Reuters. The best way to counter a weak yen is for the BOJ to raise interest rates," said Sakurai, who retains close contact with incumbent policymakers. "It would make better sense to wait until April but depending on yen moves, there's a chance the BOJ could raise rates in March," Sakurai said. A majority of economists polled by Reuters expect the BOJ to raise rates to 1% by end-June, while markets have priced in a roughly 70% chance of a hike by April. The BOJ next meets for a policy meeting on March 18-19.

GDANSK (Feb 23): Renault will buy out truckmaker Volvo's and shipping group CMA CGM's stakes in their new generation electric vans joint venture Flexis, the French carmaker said on Monday. The agreement will become effective by the end of the first half of 2026, as Renault CEO François Provost, who took over last year, accelerates his efforts to streamline the group's operations. Flexis was created in 2024 by former Renault CEO Luca de Meo in partnership with Sweden's Volvo, with CMA CGM joining later as a minority shareholder. Renault and Volvo each hold 45%, with CMA CGM owning 10%. It added that Volvo will also market the vehicle from 2027 onwards through Renault Trucks, part of the Volvo Group, as part of a long-term partnership for light commercial vehicles.

SINGAPORE (Feb 23): Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 1.0% in January from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday. The core inflation rate, which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs, was lower than the median forecast of 1.5% in a Reuters poll of economists. Headline inflation was 1.4% in annual terms in January, close to the poll forecast of 1.45%. In January, the Monetary Authority of Singapore updated its core inflation and headline inflation forecasts for 2026 to 1.0% to 2.0% for both, from a previous forecast of 0.5% to 1.5% for both.

He said the Excise (Determination of Value of Locally Manufactured Goods for the Purpose of Levying Excise Duty) Regulations 2019 apply to all locally manufactured goods and are not limited to vehicles. “The impact on vehicle prices will be minimal. Sim said that previously, the government had provided a five-year exemption, up to June 30, 2026, to allow excise values for locally manufactured vehicles to be calculated based on manufacturing costs. Sim noted that the government must ensure the industry’s tax structure is fair and equitable, without favouring any particular party. The approach, he said, aims to minimise the impact of the regulation’s implementation, particularly for new vehicle models, while ensuring that more than 90% of existing models will not see price increases.

(Feb 23): Gold climbed after a run of three weekly gains, as heightened uncertainty over US trade policy unsettled markets and hurt the dollar. Bullion rose as much as 1.4% toward US$5,180 (RM20,155.38) an ounce. The court ruling has cast doubt over deals the US has negotiated with major trading partners. Gold’s recent run of gains has helped the metal to recover ground following a sudden rout at the turn of the month, which had dragged prices down from a record. Gold rose 1.3% to US$5,174.75 an ounce at 11.02am in Singapore (same time as Malaysia).

KOTA KINABALU: Residents of Kota Kinabalu and nearby Putatan faced a tense 10 seconds of fear at midnight as an earthquake rattled the waters off the coast, sending waves of panic through the area. The ceiling fan in the living room swung violently, and picture frames shook. The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) reported a 6.8-magnitude earthquake off Kota Kinabalu at 12.57am Monday (Feb 23), with no tsunami threat. "The tremor lasted around 10 seconds, but the swaying forced me to hold onto the corridor railing. The tremor was widely felt by residents in Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas, especially those living in high-rise buildings.

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 23): Individuals filing reports at police stations in emergencies or situations requiring immediate assistance are now exempt from the dress code, the Dewan Rakyat was told on Monday. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said a circular issued on Dec 29 made the exemption effective immediately, ensuring that the rights of complainants or victims in urgent cases are fully protected. “In such cases, the welfare and safety of complainants take priority and should not be constrained by dress code requirements. He was responding to Ramkarpal Singh (Pakatan Harapan-Bukit Gelugor) regarding a proposal to introduce a law requiring all police stations nationwide to accept reports from the public regardless of their attire. Commenting further, Shamsul Anuar said the ministry considers the existing administrative directive sufficient and sees no need to enact new legislation on the matter.

JOHOR BARU: Four company owners have been arrested by the Customs Department for allegedly violating vehicle import laws involving 42 cars. Johor Customs director Aminul Izmeer Mohd Sohaimi said the arrests were made following statewide operations from Jan 5 to Feb 6. He said that the vehicles, which do not have licence plates, were stored in bonded warehouses. "However, our inspections found that some of the vehicles had exceeded the permitted storage period, thus violating the law. He added that imported vehicles stored in bonded warehouses are subject to taxes and duties immediately upon being removed from the premises.

KUALA LUMPUR: It costs around RM3mil to treat a thalassemia patient from infancy up to the age of 40, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The standard treatment for thalassemia patients in Malaysia includes regular blood transfusions, chelation therapy to control iron overload, and other supportive clinical care. “A one-time curative treatment costs between RM10mil and RM13mil per patient,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Feb 23). He added that the ministry has also been using Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) to treat patients. “A total of 212 thalassemia patients have been cured through HSCT since 2007.

IDFC First Bank, a mid-sized lender, has attracted investments from the likes of Warburg Pincus and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority last year. The government notification did not share any information on why AU Small Finance Bank has been removed from the list. AU Small Finance said Haryana had sought information on transactions in an account, which has been submitted. "Based on available facts at this stage and preliminary review, there is no indication of any financial impact or any fraudulent activity towards the Bank," AU Small Finance Bank said in a statement to exchanges. Shares of AU Small Finance Bank fell as much as 7.74% in their steepest percent loss in more than a year.