Jun Hao out to prove his No. 1 worth
PETALING JAYA: The spotlight will be on men’s singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao (pic) at the German Open next week as he looks to prove he truly deserves his status as Malaysia’s No. “Previously, I was in recovery, and now I am continuing my training, and everything is going well as we build up to the All-England,” said Jun Hao. Jun Hao will have the chance to silence his critics in Mulheim when he faces world No. Should he clear the first hurdle, Jun Hao is likely to face another Taiwanese Lee Chia-hao. The tournament also gives Jun Hao a chance to restore confidence in Malaysia’s men’s singles following Lee Zii Jia’s withdrawal.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:54 UTC
Argument heard before tragedy
Suspect’s brother heard incident unfold from his bedroomKUANTAN: A witness to the tragic incident where a family of five were killed in a house in Cherating Damai has claimed that he heard an argument before the alleged murders unfolded. But, at the time of the incident, only six family members were home. Murder probe: Five members of a family were found dead at a house in Lorong Cherating Damai. ACP Ashari said the bodies of the five family members were claimed by relatives yesterday after post-mortem examinations were completed. “The bodies have been released to family members for burial in Cherating,” ACP Ashari said when contacted.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:53 UTC
Australia’s soaring fiscal spending ‘unsustainable’, report says
(Feb 19): Australian governments are spending at an “unsustainable” pace and public debt is set to rise further, leaving the economy more vulnerable to future shocks, a report by the e61 Institute and McKinnon found. “There is no imminent debt crisis, but with renewed pressures ahead like an ageing population and slow productivity growth Australia’s fiscal options are narrowing,” Brennan’s team said in the report released Thursday. While the RBA cited excess demand running up against supply constraints for its decision, former Governor Philip Lowe also this week criticised the government’s spending trajectory and sluggish productivity growth. However, its gross debt position has deteriorated to 13th among 38 countries in 2023 highlighted in the report, from 3rd in 2007. A mid-year fiscal update in December showed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labor government is facing deep budget deficits across its forecast horizon through fiscal 2029.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 03:47 UTC
Naan, tosai, and tough drills – Misbun’s Indian routine for Ramadan
PETALING JAYA: Naan, chapati, spicy curries and teh tarik are set to become Datuk Misbun Sidek’s regular fare when he breaks fast in Thiruthangal, Tamil Nadu, during Ramadan beginning today. The holy month, which follows closely after the Chinese New Year period, will not slow the 66-year-old down as he will continue to put in long hours at the Hatsun Badminton Centre, about 70km from Madurai. Known for his no-nonsense approach, Misbun has already increased the training volume at the centre – without complaints from the players. The demanding routine has left some players battling cramps and changing multiple sweat-soaked shirts, yet attendance and enthusiasm remain high. They have good physique for badminton.”Listen up: Datuk Misbun Sidek stands tall as he gives instructions to the Hatsun Badminton Centre players.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:46 UTC
If your child shows signs of autism, take him to a paediatrician
It seems that there is an increasing trend in autism cases. Apparently, over the past 20 years in the United States, autism cases have increased about 300%. Recently, the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) criteria and definition has been broadened. This meant that many more patients who were not previously considered autistic and diagnosed with different disorders, were now considered to be under the large “autism” spectrum. They replaced specific diagnoses with a single broad term: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:32 UTC
Indonesia, US firms sign over US$7 bil in trade, investment deals
WASHINGTON (Feb 19): Indonesian and US companies on Wednesday signed trade and investment deals valued at more than US$7 billion a day ahead of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto's meeting with US President Donald Trump to sign a final trade deal, the US-Asean Business Council said. It added that Indonesia will buy one million tons of wheat this year and up to five million tons by 2030. Not all of the deals were given price tags, and these included Indonesian purchases of US lumber and furniture products. In remarks to the dinner, Deputy US Trade Representative Rick Switzer did not mention the final tariff rate for Indonesia, but said the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade between the two democracies "will mean more trade — bilateral trade. It'll mean deeper, more comprehensive economic, investment and trade ties."
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 03:17 UTC
Man loses over RM600,000 in investment scam
KUANTAN: A private sector employee lost more than RM600,000 after being duped by a bogus stock investment scheme promoted on social media. Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said that on Nov 3 last year, the victim, a 57-year-old man, is believed to have contacted the suspect via WhatsApp after seeing a stock investment advertisement promising lucrative returns. "The suspect offered a stock investment scheme with a guaranteed profit of 30 per cent within one month, with a minimum capital of RM10,000. To convince the victim, the suspect instructed him to download an investment application," he said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 19). Scam victims are also advised to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 for prompt assistance," he said.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:14 UTC
Body of missing firefighter’s brother found after 37-hours
BACHOK: The younger brother of a firefighter who had been missing for more than 37 hours while swimming at Kandis Beach here was found drowned on Thursday (Feb 19). "The victim's body was found by members of the public on the shore of Pantai D'Aur near here at 6.55am after we received information at the Fire Operations Post," he said. He said the victim's body was handed over to the police for further action. Sinar Harian on Wednesday reported that the body of a firefighter who had reportedly drowned while trying to save his younger brother at Pantai Kandis here was found on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier, at about 5.30pm on Tuesday, Ahmad Badrul Naim had tried to save his brother, Ahmad Nuruddin, 21, who was seen struggling in the water, but both were swept away by the waves.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:13 UTC
Man loses leg in fireworks blast
SEGAMAT: A man lost his left leg after fireworks he had set up in front of his house exploded. Segamat OCPD Supt Mohd Jumazanzahir Chek Ismail said the incident occurred at Taman Damai Jaya, Bukit Siput, here at about 12.30am on Tuesday. “He was rushed to the red zone of Hospital Segamat. “Medical officers confirmed that he suffered a below-the-knee amputation of his left leg and is currently in stable condition,” he said in a statement yesterday. He added that the case is being investigated under Sections 6 and 8 of the Explosives Act 1957.
Source:The Star
February 19, 2026 03:00 UTC
UK retailers' labour cost fears jump after reforms, survey shows
LONDON (Feb 19): British retailers have grown markedly more anxious about rising labour costs over the next year after new employment rights began to be implemented, a trade body survey of finance chiefs showed on Thursday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour government secured parliamentary approval for its Employment Rights Act in December. The government has called the legislation the biggest upgrade to UK workers' rights in a generation, arguing it is the best way to avoid the industrial action that has disrupted services in recent years. It said 55% plan to reduce head office headcount and 42% plan to reduce stores headcount. The BRC said the risk does not lie with the Employment Rights Act's aims, but in how it is implemented.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 02:17 UTC
Germany will seek strategic partnerships with China amid US tariffs, Merz says
BERLIN (Feb 18): German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday he would seek "strategic partnerships" with China during a trip next week, as he looks to discuss future cooperation between Europe and the world's second-biggest economy while the US leans on tariffs. He said foreign policy and economic policy could no longer be separated. But it is not our policy," Merz said. "You can do it, but we will not go along with it," Merz said on tariffs. Merz said Europeans had shown they could act together during a recent flare-up linked to Greenland and warned the European Union would respond if Washington raised tariffs again.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 02:07 UTC
Fed minutes downplay impact of Trump mortgage buying on housing affordability
(Feb 18): An effort launched by the Trump administration to improve home borrowing costs is not coming to much so far, meeting minutes from the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) Jan 27-28 meeting, released on Wednesday, said. The biggest driver of lower mortgage rates has been the Fed’s easing in the cost of short-term credit, which saw officials lower their interest rate target by three quarters of a percentage point last year, to between 3.5% and 3.75%. The Fed is currently on hold as it seeks evidence inflation is coming down, amid market expectations of more cuts this year. The meeting minutes also noted that the New York Fed official said that recent changes to standing repo operations, which help the Fed manage its interest rate target, had made the lending tool more attractive to financial institutions. The minutes also said that large-scale purchases of Treasury bills aimed at bolstering reserve levels ahead of the mid-April tax date were proceeding according to plan.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 01:32 UTC
US DOJ probes Warner Bros' planned sale impact on theatres, Bloomberg News reports
(Feb 18): The US Justice Department has summoned some of the country's major theater chains to private conversations about the potential impact of a sale of Warner Bros Discovery, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. Warner Bros Discovery and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Paramount acknowledged the seven-day offer but called Warner Bros' board actions "unusual." The CBS-parent had said it would continue to advance the tender offer, oppose the "inferior" Netflix merger and still plans to nominate directors for the upcoming Warner Bros annual meeting. Warner Bros is moving forward with a vote on Netflix's offer for streaming and studio businesses on March 20.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 01:22 UTC
Yayasan Peneraju offers membership rebate to encourage Chartered Accountant registration
KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 19): Yayasan Peneraju, an agency under the Ministry of Economy, has introduced a membership fee rebate to encourage its talents and alumni to register and become members of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). The amount will be deducted from their outstanding repayment balance with Yayasan Peneraju. In a statement on Sunday, Yayasan Peneraju chief executive officer Ibrahim Sani said the move is aimed at supporting Bumiputera accounting talents in obtaining the Chartered Accountant (Malaysia), or CA (Malaysia), designation conferred by MIA. Since its establishment, Yayasan Peneraju has supported more than 90,000 Bumiputera individuals across high-impact sectors, including technology and professional development. For 2026, Yayasan Peneraju aims to train 2,000 more professionally qualified accountants as part of its broader target of producing 5,000 such professionals annually by 2030.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 19, 2026 00:42 UTC
Oil prices settle up over 4% on Iran-US tensions
Also, US heating oil futures jumped around 5%. Brent crude futures settled up US$2.93, or 4.35%, at US$70.35 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up US$2.86, or 4.59%, to US$65.19. On Tuesday, oil fell after Iran's foreign minister said Tehran and Washington had reached an understanding on guiding principles of nuclear talks. Traders will monitor US oil inventory reports from the American Petroleum Institute, due on Wednesday, and from the Energy Information Administration on Thursday.
Source:The Star
February 18, 2026 23:39 UTC