Oil rises on flareup in US-Iran tensions and drop in inventories
(Feb 4): Oil rose for a second day as geopolitical tensions resurfaced following the US downing of an Iranian drone near an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. West Texas Intermediate advanced toward US$64 (RM251.68) a barrel after adding 1.7% on Tuesday (Feb 3) while Brent closed above US$67. The skirmish spooked oil markets, but US President Donald Trump reiterated the sides are maintaining diplomatic talks and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed US-Iran negotiations are still scheduled for Friday. In another sign of rising tensions, a US-flagged oil tanker was hailed by Iranian ships in the Straits of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global trade. Elsewhere, Opec+ expects global oil demand to grow gradually from March or April, bringing additional balance to the market, according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 04, 2026 00:40 UTC
Late actress Barbie Hsu’s statue unveiled on her first death anniversary
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s husband DJ Koo has designed a statue in memory of her a year after her death. Koo, whose full name is Koo Jun-yup, unveiled the statue on Feb 2 in the celebrity section of Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei, where the late actress’ grave is located. Among those who attended the ceremony in the rain were Hsu’s mother Huang Chun-mei; Hsu’s sister, TV host Dee Hsu; Dee Hsu’s husband Mike Hsu; TV host Kevin Tsai, who co-hosted the talk show Mr Con And Ms Csi (2004 to 2016) with Dee Hsu; actors Jerry Yan and Vic Chou, Barbie Hsu’s co-stars in the idol drama Meteor Garden (2001 to 2002); singers Rainie Yang and Show Lo; as well as TV host Blackie Chen and his wife, singer Christine Fan. Huang embraced the statue and wept when it was unveiled, while Dee Hsu delivered her speech in tears and said fans who missed her sister are welcome to visit the statue. Barbie Hsu’s memorial statue is titled Eternal Orbit Of Hsi-Yuan.
Source:The Star
February 04, 2026 00:37 UTC
10,000-year-old porcupine fossil goes ‘missing’
IPOH: A fossil, believed to be that of a porcupine dating back 10,000 years, previously embedded in a cave wall at Gua Matsoorat near here, has gone missing, raising concerns about the protection of geological heritage sites. Gua Matsoorat is part of the Kinta Valley Geopark site. — RONNIE CHIN/The StarHe often brings researchers, university students and professors to Gua Matsoorat for expeditions, and he works closely with Kinta Valley Watch. Ching Boon Tat, the spokesman for Kinta Valley Watch, said as an environmental activist, the group’s role is primarily to monitor and record activities at such ecological heritage sites. In 2019, Kinta Valley Watch, during an expedition near Gua Naga Mas in Simpang Pulai, found 107 fossils dating back 10,000 years.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:39 UTC
QuickCheck: Is a video of mass fish deaths in Sungai Kinta real?
A VIRAL video showing dozens of dead fish floating in the waters of Sungai Kinta and washing up along the riverbank raised the alarm among nearby residents and prompted questions about possible pollution or other environmental factors affecting the waterway. However, when it comes to viral videos online, one must first ask whether the video is genuine and, if so, whether it is recent. Verdict:TruePerak environment committee chairman Teh Kok Lim, when contacted, confirmed that the claims in the video were being investigated. "The dead tilapia fish are uniform in size. In the video, a man's voice states that the incident occurred at Sungai Kinta on Feb 1, though he did not specify which district.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:26 UTC
Elected mayor answerable to people, say stakeholders
PETALING JAYA: An elected mayor for a city like Kuala Lumpur would give the city leadership a direct public mandate on the implementation of city policies, says Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Development Association. Its honorary secretary Joshua Low said at present, the Kuala Lumpur mayor answers to the federal executive, not to residents. “An elected mayor would make city leadership directly answerable to the people who live with the consequences of city policies,” he said yesterday. Low added that even if councillors are not immediately elected, mayoral elections would still be a pragmatic step toward a more accountable city management. “Kuala Lumpur residents currently have MPs but no direct say over the managing of the city.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:26 UTC
IIUM conducting study on KL mayoral election
KUALA LUMPUR: A feasibility study on the mayoral election in Kuala Lumpur is being conducted by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh (pic). It is being carried out by IIUM, a reputable university, and I am confident in the quality of their research,” she said in response to criticism from politicians who opposed the Kuala Lumpur mayoral election. She was speaking to reporters following the signing of a Note of Collaboration between the Federal Territories Department and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) here yesterday. “We will then prepare a paper to inform the Cabinet whether the Federal Territories Department should amend the Act or maintain the existing law,” she said. In a social media post, he argued that a mayoral election raises serious concerns over security, governance and the independence of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:26 UTC
Experts: Risks persist without proper monitoring, safeguards
PETALING JAYA: Independent monitoring by civil society groups and international bodies is crucial to ensure direct hiring systems protect foreign workers as exploitation could persist otherwise, stakeholders warn. “Bodies such as the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) can help determine whether direct hiring is truly effective and whether it genuinely eliminates exploitative middlemen and traffickers. “For direct hiring to work effectively, both sending and receiving governments, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, must provide clear guidelines, capacity-building for stakeholders and standardised contracts,” she said. While supporting direct hiring in principle, Zarina said eliminating middlemen alone would not end exploitation. “Direct hiring can work, but only if it is supported by clear systems, monitoring and enforceable safeguards,” she said.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:16 UTC
Immigration rescues abused Indonesian maid in Seremban
SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan Immigration Department has rescued an Indonesian domestic helper who appeared to have been abused in Taman Kemayan, Seremban 2, here. The victim was also in a state of trauma due to physical and mental abuse. "The victim was rescued and taken to the Senawang Immigration office for protection and to assist further investigations under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007," he said in a statement on Tuesday. He said a local woman, the victim's employer, was detained under Section 12 of the Act, while two other individuals were issued summonses as witnesses to give statements at the Seremban Immigration enforcement division office. Tan said the rescue operation was carried out based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0 as a reference for the identification of trafficking victims.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:10 UTC
Oil climbs after US shoots down Iranian drone
NEW YORK: Oil prices climbed about 2% on Tuesday after the US shot down an Iranian drone approaching a US aircraft carrier and armed boats approached a US-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, stoking concerns talks aimed at de-escalating US-Iran tensions could be disrupted. On Monday, both crude benchmarks dropped more than 4% after US President Donald Trump said Iran was "seriously talking" with Washington. But on Tuesday, the US military shot down an Iranian drone that "aggressively" approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. Opec members Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq export most of their crude via the strait, mainly to Asia. Any delay to ending the war in Ukraine would likely keep oil prices elevated by leaving sanctions limiting Russia's oil exports in place following Moscow's 2022 invasion.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:08 UTC
Wall St ends down as traders fret about AI disruption
We're seeing a lot of software companies across the spectrum get hit,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley Wealth. The S&P 500 software and services index fell 3.8%, down for a fifth consecutive day. The S&P 500 declined 0.84% to end the session at 6,917.81 points. With Tuesday's losses, the S&P 500 is up about 1% in 2026 and the Nasdaq is flat. The S&P 500 posted 81 new highs and 28 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 202 new highs and 311 new lows.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:08 UTC
Direct hiring system for foreign workers in the works
The proposed platform, he said, would allow employers to communicate directly with the foreign workers. “That is why many foreign workers say that they were promised ‘job A’ but were instead given ‘job B’ upon arriving here,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Star. Acknowledging that the proposed platform may not eliminate long-standing issues entirely, Ramanan said at the very least, it would address the middlemen problem and help reduce unnecessary migration costs in hiring foreign workers. “The platform will match employers with suitable foreign workers based on their requirements. It is understood that the proposed platform will adopt a government-to-government approach, with no involvement of third parties in the recruitment process.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:06 UTC
Bangladeshi arrested for possessing fake gun
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a Bangladeshi man after finding a fake firearm during a raid in Razak City Residence here. Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Rosdi Daud said during the arrest at about 11.30 am on Monday (Feb 2), the police also seized a fake 9mm HK VP9 pistol from the suspect, who is unemployed. He said police are still looking into the suspect's motive for owning the firearm, adding that he was remanded for four days until Feb 6. The case is being investigated under Section 36(1) of the Arms Act 1960 and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63, he added.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 23:00 UTC
Endangered river terrapin killed by fish trap in Kemaman River
KEMAMAN: Another critically endangered river terrapin (Batagur affinis) has been found dead, trapped by fishing gear in the Kemaman River here. A local fisherman reported the death to the Turtle Conservation Society's (TCS) patrol team on Jan 29. In a statement, TCS said the 18kg sub-adult male terrapin measuring 47cm in length, was snagged by a fish trap, with fishing lines entangling its feet and neck. "Our team removed the weighted fish trap. Founded in 2011 and based in Kemaman, Terengganu, TCS (www.turtleconservationsociety.org.my) is the first Malaysian non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to freshwater turtle conservation.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 22:24 UTC
Stock rotation hits tech giants as small caps rise
(Feb 4) : A tech selloff dragged down stocks from near-record levels amid a rotation into more economically sensitive industries. In fact, a violent rotation has taken place in 2026, with value shares far outpacing growth. At the same time, AI investing has become less monolithic in the tech sector, with investors starting to choose winners and losers. While results from tech megacaps were in line or better than expected, market reaction to their spending plans varied wildly. The announcement — and a subsequent bond sale Monday — coincided with persistent fears about whether massive AI-linked investments by tech companies will pay off.
Source:The Edge Markets
February 03, 2026 22:05 UTC
Witnessing a forensic post-mortem first-hand
When we arrive, Dr Shatishraj is attired in his personal protective equipment (PPE) and Wellington boots. With soiled hands, Dr Shatishraj beckons me to come in, as he is about to saw the head open. Dr Shatishraj says: “The brain matter is naturally soft and mushy, so when there is no blood, it turns porridge-like. A heart attackA heart tissue specimen from another post-mortem, which has been prepared for microscopic inspection in the laboratory. From examining the heart, Dr Shatishraj finds a significant build-up of scar tissue (fibrosis) in the heart muscle.
Source:The Star
February 03, 2026 18:03 UTC