<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Kuala Lumpur (June 16):&nbsp;France-based IDEMIA, which specialises in augmented identity, has launched the first eco-friendly recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC) payment card in Asia-Pacific in partnership with RHB Bank Bhd in Malaysia.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>In a statement, IDEMIA said RHB had created the RHB Visa WWF Debit Card-i in partnership with the company, WWF-Malaysia&nbsp;and Visa as part of the bank’s efforts towards environmental sustainability.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>IDEMIA said it reaffirmed this commitment by moving away from the linear take-make-waste model.&nbsp;</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>It said this would save a total mass of 3.18g of industrial waste per finished card.&nbsp;</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>IDEMIA said the card&nbsp;had passed all durability testing&nbsp;and is ISO-certified as well as Europay, Mastercard&nbsp;and Visa-compliant. &nbsp;</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The card&nbsp;will be available to&nbsp;all existing RHB customers in Malaysia in July 2020.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Vincent Mouret, senior vice-president of financial institutions in Asia-Pacific at IDEMIA, said IDEMIA was proud to be part of the solution in creating less plastic waste and reducing land and water pollution while optimising the carbon footprint.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>"Every single contribution we can make towards a greener world matters," he said.</p></div>


France-based IDEMIA, which specialises in augmented identity, has launched the first eco-friendly recycled polyvinyl chloride (PVC) payment card in Asia-Pacific in partnership with RHB Bank Bhd in Malaysia.

IDEMIA partners with RHB Bank to launch first recycled debit card in Asia-Pacific

BEIJING (Dec 20): Britain's finance minister Rachel Reeves will visit China on a two-day trip in January to revive high-level economic and financial talks that have been frozen since 2019, three people with knowledge of the plan said.

Reeves is scheduled to meet China's vice premie...

UK finance minister to revive regular economic talks with China in January trip, sources says

Malaysia has agreed to resume the search for the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, its transport minister said on Friday, more than 10 years after it disappeared in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

Malaysia agrees to resume search for wreckage of missing Flight MH370

The prosecution has filed an appeal against Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor's full acquittal in her money-laundering and tax evasion case.

Prosecution files appeal against Rosmah's acquittal in money-laundering and tax evasion case

Slowing inflation has created room for Singapore's central bank to ease monetary policy in January but it may wait until later in 2025 so it can assess incoming US President Donald Trump's policies, analysts said ahead of key data next week.

Singapore's low inflation not enough for a January easing, analysts say

Britain ran a smaller-than-expected budget deficit last month as a past lull in inflation pushed down interest paid on government bonds, giving a small boost to finance minister Rachel Reeves who has been under pressure following her budget announcement.

UK borrows less than expected in November but Reeves still under pressure 

UK retail sales grew more slowly than expected in November suggesting Christmas shoppers might not boost the economy in the crucial final months of the year.

The volume of goods sold in stores and online rose 0.2% last month, with supermarket sales partly offsetting a decline in clothing buys, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Slow UK November retail sales signal Christmas shopping won’t lift growth

Tencent Holdings Ltd and Honor Device Co will engage in a long-term strategic cooperation on cloud and artificial intelligence development, according to a statement on Friday.

Tencent and Honor forge wide-ranging partnership on AI and cloud

Gold headed for a weekly drop, as traders weighed the interest-rate outlook after the US Federal Reserve dialed back rate-cut expectations for next year.

Gold heads for weekly decline as 2025 rate-cut optimism dwindles

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20):  The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has received 26 reports related to the Nicshare and CommonApps investment schemes, linked to a fraudulent syndicate led by a Malaysian national who was arrested by Thai authorities on Monday.

Inspector General of Police (IGP...

IGP: Malaysian man nabbed in Thailand under probe for leading investment scam syndicate

CBH Engineering Holding Bhd (KL:CBHB), which is set to be listed on the ACE Market on Jan 16, is gearing up to expand its portfolio, with a focus on high-scale projects, particularly data centres.

ACE Market-bound CBH Engineering eyes larger projects, data centre jobs

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) has concluded that the RM11 per share takeover offer for Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (KL:AIRPORT) from the consortium led by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) is not fair.</p>


MAHB takeover: Adviser recommends acceptance but independent directors disagree

<p>Shares of YTL Corporation Bhd (KL:YTL) and its associate YTL Power International Bhd (KL:YTLPOWR) resumed their rallies to climb to multi-month highs after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) cleared YTL Power's subsidiary of any wrongdoing in the 1BestariNet project investigations.</p>


YTL Power, YTL Corp continue to climb after MACC clearance

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Top Glove Corp Bhd (KL:TOPGLOV) returned to black with a net profit of RM5.47 million for its first quarter ended Nov 30, 2024 (1QFY2025), from a net loss of RM57.71 million in the corresponding quarter a year ago, thanks to higher sales volumes and increased foreign exchange gains.</p>


Top Glove returns to profitability in 1Q on stronger sales

<p>Southeast Asia is fast emerging as an investment hot spot for AI leaders like Nvidia Corp and Microsoft Corp, which are plowing money into cloud services and data centres. But the region’s own young tech companies are failing to capitalise on the boom.</p>


Southeast Asia has US$60b AI boom, but its own startups are missing out

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Malaysia’s inflation rate dipped to 1.8% in November this year, compared to 1.9% in October, marking the first decline since August 2021, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) on Friday.&nbsp;</p>


Inflation eases to 1.8% in November from 1.9% in October, driven by lower tech and clothing costs

<p>(Dec&nbsp;20):&nbsp;A federal judge confirmed an 18-year prison sentence for Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Hwang, rejecting arguments that he should be allowed to spend a third of that time in the comfort of his own home.</p>


Bill Hwang’s bid to reduce 18-year prison term is rejected

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Crude palm oil (CPO) prices are expected to climb to a higher average of RM4,600 per tonne in 2025, from the projected average of RM4,200 per tonne this year, due to supply-side challenges, including weather disruptions and slow replanting progress.</p>


Palm oil prices set to rise further in 2025 amid supply concerns, says MARC Ratings

<p>DELAWARE/SAN FRANCISCO (Dec 19): A licence dispute between Arm Holdings and Qualcomm went before a jury on Thursday, after attorneys from both sides completed closing arguments.</p>


Jury deliberates in Arm, Qualcomm trial after closing arguments wrap

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Analysts cut Aeon Credit Service (M) Bhd’s (KL:AEONCR) earnings projections due to elevated credit costs.</p>


Analysts cut Aeon Credit’s earnings, TPs, on higher credit costs

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 20): Mechanical and electrical (M&amp;E) engineering services provider CBH Engineering Holding Bhd (KL:CBH) has begun taking orders from its investors for its initial public offering (IPO) on Friday, to raise up to RM83.44 million on the ACE Market.</p>


ACE-bound CBH Engineering starts taking orders for RM83m IPO

<p>(Dec&nbsp;20):&nbsp;US stocks ended a choppy session with modest losses, struggling to rebound from the selloff they suffered after the US Federal Reserve dialed back rate-cut expectations for next year.&nbsp;</p>


Stocks fail to recover from Fed-fuelled selloff

<p>Singapore-based V Medical Aesthetics Group is exploring an initial public offering in Malaysia that could value the company at as much as RM6 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.</p>


Singapore’s V Medical Aesthetics is said to mull IPO in Malaysia — Bloomberg

<p>Kedah-based Imperio Group has signed an agreement with Accor Group to open an ibis Styles hotel at its upcoming The Tenz integrated development in Alor Setar, Kedah. The hotel will be the first international hotel in the city.</p>


Imperio Group partners Accor Group to open first international hotel in Alor Setar

<p>theedgemalaysia.com highlighted one stock with positive momentum and two stocks with negative momentum at Bursa Malaysia's afternoon close on Friday.</p>


Stocks with momentum on Dec 20, 2024: YTL Power, Ranhill and Bertam Alliance

<p>(Dec 20):&nbsp;Asian stocks traded in a tight range early Friday, after the US Federal Reserve’s hawkish pivot continued to weigh on US equities and bonds but lifted the dollar.</p>


Asian stocks fluctuate after downbeat US session

<p>Tencent Holdings Ltd and stocks linked to the company rallied on Friday, fuelled by investor enthusiasm over a new gifting function on its popular WeChat platform.</p>


Tencent, related stocks jump as WeChat gifting tool fuels rally

<p>Malaysia has agreed to resume the search for the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, its transport minister said on Friday, more than 10 years after it disappeared in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.</p>


<p>Catcha Digital Bhd (KL:CATCHA), formerly known as Rev Asia Bhd, is acquiring a 60% stake in Drive 2 Digital Sdn Bhd (D2D) for RM16.2 million, cash, marking its entry into the automotive digital media sector, with a focus on Chinese and Malay language automotive content.</p>


Catcha Digital expands into automotive digital media by investing in Drive 2 Digital 

<p>(Dec&nbsp;20):&nbsp;A look at the day ahead in Asian markets.</p>


Seeking respite from Fed; PBOC set to hold the line

<p>China’s aggressive drive to replace brand-name foreign drugs with dirt-cheap homegrown generics has already taken a toll on global pharmaceutical companies’ local business. Now they’re almost nowhere to be found on the latest list of companies winning contracts to sell commonly used drugs to Chinese hospitals.</p>
