Time to visit Johor, from one district to another
Visit Johor 2026 officially kicked off last month. Using Kuala Lumpur as the starting point, a car ride takes a little more than four hours to Johor Baru. You can look forward to returning events like the Johor International Outdoor Festival, Amazing Tangkak Festival, and Ombak Festival – a music and culture festival in Desaru Coast. There are also extreme sport events making a return this year, like the Viper Challenge Johor and Gunung Arong Challenge. Island hopping is possible in the Mersing district, which usually includes islands like Pulau Rawa, Pulau Tengah and Pulau Besar.
Source:The Star
February 10, 2026 00:01 UTC
Shifting gear on parking fee fuels frustration
“However, parking fees were suddenly imposed in January 2024. Lim: Decision to impose parking fees is to address disorder and reduce congestion. Lee also objected to the implementation of parking fees along Jalan Selingsing in Taman City, which is a residential area. “The number of parking bays allocated by the condominium’s management to each owner was already fixed when we bought our units. DBKL encouraged residents parking in the commercial area to obtain the RM140 monthly parking pass, which is 56% cheaper than the hourly parking rate.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 23:25 UTC
Bank of England’s Mann says China raising export prices due to US tariffs
(Feb 10): President Donald Trump’s trade wars are contributing to UK inflation as China raises prices on exports to Britain to recover the cost of US tariffs, Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann said. It has lowered prices to retain a presence in what continues to be a vital export market, Mann argued. “Prices going into the US market have fallen and prices going into other markets have increased,” she said, citing evidence in the trade data. Her comments contradict assumptions made shortly after Trump launched his trade war in April last year. Mann said the BOE has embedded the assumption that the US trade war with China is pushing up UK prices in its latest forecast, which shows import prices adding to inflation.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 22:41 UTC
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Banks demand delays as crypto firms push for Fed payment access
Crypto and fintech firms now rely on partner banks for access and compliance infrastructure like anti-money laundering monitoring. The “skinny account” proposal would let stablecoin issuers like Circle Internet Group Inc. and payment firms like Stripe Inc. bypass that intermediation. “The provision of payment accounts by the Fed is very likely to be implemented despite any comments to the contrary,” Better Markets CEO Dennis Kelleher wrote. The new payment account shouldn’t be used as a stepping stone to a master account, which should require a separate application, the banking trade group said. Offering payment account holders access to FedACH would be subject to the development of controls to prevent overdraft, Circle wrote in its letter.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 22:16 UTC
DOJ seeks to drop 2021 contempt case against Steve Bannon
He was in the midst of pursuing his case before the US Supreme Court. By ending the case in this way, the justices won’t rule on the merits of Bannon’s challenge to his conviction. Although Bannon served his sentence in 2024, his case remained open as he appealed the jury’s guilty verdict. He lost before a federal appeals court in Washington and filed a petition in October with the Supreme Court. The case is US v. Bannon, 21-cr-00670, US District Court, District of Columbia.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 22:06 UTC
Fed’s Waller says Trump-induced crypto euphoria may be fading
(Feb 10) : Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said initial optimism that lifted crypto markets after President Donald Trump was elected may now be fading amid a selloff that has rattled the asset class. “Some of the euphoria that came into the crypto world with the current administration, some of that’s kind of fading,” Waller said Monday in La Jolla, California, during a conference hosted by the Global Interdependence Center. The Fed governor said ups and downs are common in the crypto market, and recent volatility could be driven by regulatory uncertainty and risk-management moves by larger financial firms. Waller’s comments underscore how crypto markets are becoming increasingly entangled with the broader financial system. Last week’s sharp drop in Bitcoin to US$60,033 — its lowest since October 2024 — triggered the biggest spike in volatility since the 2022 collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 22:01 UTC
S&P 500 closes near record as tech keeps rallying
“When markets sell off like certain areas in tech have, there’s often knee-jerk rallies,” said Sameer Samana at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. The team led by Michael Wilson said revenue growth expectations for the biggest tech stocks have reached “multi-decade highs,” while valuations have declined after recent market volatility. We maintain our June 2026 and December 2026 S&P 500 price targets of 7,300 and 7,700.”The gauge closed at 6,964.82 Monday. He noted that an area like consumer staples that has done so well this year is quite “overbought” while non-software tech stocks remain “very crowded” not only with institutional investors but retail as well. “We’re watching whether early-year price pressures will be contained after strong core inflation in January,” said BlackRock Investment Institute strategists.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 21:56 UTC
Putrajaya shelves automated Rapid Transit plan over RM212mil price tag
KUALA LUMPUR: There are no plans to roll out or expand the Automated Rapid Transit (ART) system in Putrajaya after its projected 10-year cost of RM211.95mil was deemed too high, the Dewan Rakyat was told. "Preliminary studies found that the estimated cost of implementing the ART system, including infrastructure development, systems, operations and maintenance, was very high at RM211.95mil over a 10-year period. Zaliha had asked the government to provide the latest status and the official operational date for the Automated Rapid Transit (ART) system in Putrajaya, given that a pilot phase had previously been conducted. Lo however, said PPJ remains open to considering future public transport planning needs, subject to financial capability and funding approvals, particularly to support a 70:30 public transport modal share target, 70% public transport usage and 30% private vehicles. It also implemented centralised traffic management through the Putrajaya Control Centre (PCC) and integrated new public transport initiatives, such as Demand Responsive Transit (DRT), implemented in stages to ease congestion, alongside the preparation of the Transport Masterplan Study and Action Plan 2050.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 19:20 UTC
Sara aid: Housewife buys 40kg of rice for CNY preparations
She said the one-off Sara assistance received by her and her husband helps cover part of their overall Chinese New Year expenses, which usually reach around RM500. "I found out about the one-off Sara aid for all Malaysians in early February. "Therefore, RM200 from the Sara aid was used to buy essential items as preparation. "The Sara aid for all is good news. He added that the disbursement of the Sara aid was timely as most supermarkets are offering promotional discounts, enabling families to buy more necessities.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 18:31 UTC
Yes, there was a real wedding during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show
Yes, the wedding depicted during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show was real. The couple parted to reveal Lady Gaga and Los Sobrinos, a Puerto Rican salsa band who played on Bad Bunny's most recent album and at his Puerto Rican residency. They played part of Gaga's Die With A Smile before Bad Bunny joined the scene for his hit Baile Inolvidable. The unnamed husband and wife had invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, but he said they should instead be part of his halftime show. The wedding scene, which recreated a small outdoor plaza, was part of the show's greater celebration of Puerto Rico.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 18:10 UTC
Gold miner charged with robbing Chinese national woman of RM2.1mil
KUALA LUMPUR: A gold miner pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of committing gang robbery on a Chinese national woman, resulting in losses of more than RM2.1mil last year. Mohamad Al-Farouq Mat Isa, 41, is charged with three others with robbing the Chinese national, housewife Chen Kexue, 31, at a villa in Bukit Damansara at about 10.10pm on July 21, 2025. The items allegedly stolen included a designer watch valued at RM1.2 million, three gold bars totalling 300g, RM100,000 in cash, and five mobile phones of various brands, bringing the estimated loss to RM2,146,000. Deputy public prosecutor Subri Hashim appeared for the prosecution, while lawyer Bazlinda Bahrin represented Mohamad Al-Farouq. The other three accused – Mohd Syaqir Mohd Ami, 30, Nur Mohamed Mahsar Mohamed Nor, 34, and Syed Ali Imran Alqudri Syed Zulkefeli @ Syed Zulalqudri, 42 – were charged with the offence last year and pleaded not guilty.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 18:05 UTC
Sweden to tighten citizenship rules amid push to cut immigration
STOCKHOLM (Feb 9): Sweden will tighten citizenship rules with applicants facing a longer, eight-year wait before they can apply, a minimum wage threshold and a test of their understanding of Swedish society, the centre-right government said on Monday. Successive governments have tightened immigration policies since 2015, when around 160,000 asylum seekers sought refuge in Sweden. But the minority coalition government is betting that an even more restrictive line on immigration will prove popular with voters in September's parliamentary election. Anyone with a criminal record, either in Sweden or abroad, will have to wait longer before they can apply. The anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who back the minority coalition government, have blamed decades of what they say are failed immigration policies for a wave of gangland crime that has swept the country.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 17:41 UTC
Artificial intelligence takes sex toy industry by storm
HONG KONG: The burgeoning development of artificial intelligence has found a sultry new frontier in the sex robot industry, as a Chinese company unveils a new series of realistic dolls designed to respond like humans. Currently, the AI sex dolls are only available for sale in overseas markets, but they could be launched in the Chinese market very soon. With an eye on customer desires, it produced its first TPE dolls in 2012. "Our customers were keen on buying TPE models of body parts that look and feel human. So we expanded into making TPE sex dolls," Liu said.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 17:36 UTC
KLIA National Gateway Landscape Development project completed within six months — Nga
SEPANG (Feb 10): The RM3 million National Gateway Landscape Development Project at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), which began last August, has been successfully completed within six months, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. The initiative aims to strengthen the nation's image through beautiful, organised landscape elements that reflect Malaysia's identity. "The implementation of this development, with an allocation of RM3 million, was carried out as a 'fast-track project.' He noted that the KLIA landscape project is the first national gateway development implemented by KPKT under the theme "Harmony in Diversity," emphasising cultural wealth, heritage, racial diversity, as well as Malaysia’s natural resources and biodiversity. Nga added that in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026), KPKT — through the National Landscape Department (JLN) — is committed to beautifying the country’s main gateways to create a positive first impression and increase appeal to international tourists.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 09, 2026 17:16 UTC
Ringgit higher against US dollar on strong December IPI
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit traded higher against the US dollar on Monday after Malaysia’s December Industrial Production Index (IPI) came in above market expectations, signalling that the domestic economy remains on a firm footing. At 6 pm, the ringgit increased by 0.33 per cent to 3.9325/9375 against the greenback compared with last Friday’s close of 3.9440/9525. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said emerging-market currencies are mostly stronger against the US dollar today. At the close, the ringgit traded mostly higher against a basket of major currencies. However, the ringgit edged down vis-à-vis the Singapore dollar to 3.0979/10.21 from 3.0965/1034, fell versus the Indonesian rupiah to 234.0/234.4 from 233.6/234.3 and declined versus the Thai baht to 12.5876/6101 from 12.4609/4933.
Source:The Star
February 09, 2026 17:16 UTC