<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SINGAPORE (May 14): Food and agriculture company Olam International has reported a 6.1% y-o-y increase in 1Q20 earnings to S$179.1 million, on the back of net exceptional gains mainly from the divestment of Olam’s 50% stake in Far East Agri and the reduction of the company’s effective interest in ARISE P&amp;L.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Revenue for 1Q20 grew 4.6% to S$7.68 billion from last year.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) declined 7.0% to S$390.9 million, due to lower contributions from the company’s edible nuts, spices, coffee, dairy and edible oils.</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Excluding exceptional items, operational profit after tax and minority interests (PATMI) fell by 24.9% to S$135.9 million in line with higher finance costs arising from<a href="https://www.theedgesingapore.com/capital/results/olam-posts-4-increase-1q20-earnings-1791-mil" target="_blank">...(click on link for full story on theedgesingapore.com)</a></div>

SINGAPORE (May 14): Food and agriculture company Olam International has reported a 6.1% y-o-y increase in 1Q20 earnings to S$179.1 million, on the back of net exceptional gains mainly from the divestment of Olam’s 50% stake in Far East Agri and the reduction of the company’s effective interest in ARISE P&L.

Revenue for 1Q20 grew 4.6% to S$7.68 billion from last year.

Olam posts increase in 1Q20 earnings to S$179.1 mil

Alphabet's Google has expanded employee buyout offers to several countries this year as it looks to rein in rising costs amid heavy spending on artificial intelligence.

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As court payment counters closed for the day, imprisoned former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has yet to pay the RM50 million fine which would pave the way for him to start serving the remainder of his prison sentence at home.

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The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested three individuals, including a Datuk, for allegedly offering about RM1 million in bribes to police personnel.

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THE Lees of IOI Corporation (KL:IOICORP), with its sprawling plantation and property interests, are a high-profile family in Malaysia. Until recently, IOI Properties Group (IOIPG), the conglomerate’s Bursa-listed property arm, had remained relatively unknown in Singapore. 

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Singapore’s government has proposed amendments to toughen its law on cross-border haze, responding to a devastating wildfire season in Indonesia that cloaked the city-state in smog for weeks.

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Saudi Arabia’s quarterly fiscal deficit more than doubled as the kingdom’s oil revenues tumbled on the back of disruptions from the US-Iran war and lower fees paid by state oil giant Aramco.

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The narrow structure of the old bridge along Jalan Gajah Utama in Kubu Gajah, which restricted the water flow, has been identified as one of the contributing factors to its collapse across Sungai Subang early Wednesday morning.

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South Korean and Taiwanese stocks tumbled on Wednesday as early US midterm election results pointed to strong Democratic gains, stoking worries that stricter oversight of data-centre projects could weigh on artificial intelligence (AI) investment.

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Oil prices rose on Wednesday in a volatile session as investors awaited Washington's next move in the US-Israeli war on Iran, after Democrats captured control of Congress from President Donald Trump's Republicans in the midterm elections.

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Several major roads and areas in Selangor were affected by flash floods following continuous heavy rain since early Wednesday, with a bridge along Jalan Kubu Gajah spanning Sungai Subang in the Petaling district collapsing.

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Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the lead defence counsel for imprisoned Datuk Seri Najib Razak, said that he has no knowledge of rumours that the former prime minister is expected to pay the RM50 million fine on Wednesday, which would pave the way for Najib to start serving his house arrest.

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The group of six Negeri Sembilan deposed Undangs and chieftains will have to answer the committal proceedings at the Seremban High Court.

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Global stocks swung between gains and losses on Wednesday as investors weighed the prospects of tougher regulation, higher taxes and oversight of areas such as artificial intelligence (AI)&nbsp;and cryptocurrencies, after the Democratic Party swept the US midterm elections.

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Local independent palm oil millers could face a hard time selling their crude palm oil (CPO) over the next two months as refineries move to halt deliveries amid record-high inventories, according to industry sources.

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SINGAPORE (Nov 4): UOB announced net profit of S$1.25 billion for the 3QFY2026 ended Sept 30, down 15% quarter-on-quarter and 10% below the Street’s forecast of S$1.376 billion as other non-interest income (non-II) fell by 41% q-o-q to S$370 million.&nbsp;

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The ECM Libra Foundation and CVSKL Foundation have teamed up to provide affordable health screenings for serving and former journalists struggling to afford medical care.

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Global stocks slumped and the dollar hit a one-month low on Wednesday as Democrats gained control of both the Senate and the House in the US midterm elections, fuelling fears that rapid artificial intelligence (AI) sector growth could be hamstrung by regulatory scrutiny.

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Non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) do not fall under the regulatory framework of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said.

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If Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) implements a surprise overnight policy rate (OPR) hike on Thursday, banks with higher domestic loans and floating-rate loans would be the primary beneficiaries while leaving other banks behind, according to an analyst from BIMB Securities Sdn Bhd.

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Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd (KL:KOPI) appears unscathed from a public uproar over its menu language, with little impact on revenue and minimal cost, said an analyst.

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Sime Darby Property Bhd (KL:SIMEPROP) is laying the groundwork for its future growth, as it explores two primary avenues for expansion, including a potential&nbsp;real estate investment trust (REIT)&nbsp;listing by 2028, according to Maybank Investment Bank.

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The government on Wednesday announced the formation of an independent board to provide leadership, oversight, and monitoring of MediAsas plans moving forward.

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KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 4): Yes Group Management Bhd is accepting applications for its shares at 18 sen per share for the travel agency’s listing on the ACE Market.

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Princeton Digital Group (PDG) has secured US$1.3 billion (RM5.3 billion) in green financing for its JH1 campus in Johor.

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The Youth and Sports Ministry will not approve the Hyrox Kuala Lumpur 2026 event, scheduled to take place from Dec 10 to 13, unless the sponsorship from an alcoholic beverage company is withdrawn entirely.

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Malaysia’s bond market, highly-convinced of a policy rate hike this week, will be proven wrong once again, according to BIMB Securities.

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(Nov 4):&nbsp;Advanced Micro Devices Inc, a key challenger to Nvidia Corp&nbsp;in artificial intelligence chips, gave a revenue forecast that exceeded analysts’ estimates, showing that demand for data centre processors remains strong.

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Rakuten Trade has resumed online buy and sell order placement for Bursa Malaysia stocks through its iSPEED.my app.

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IOI Corp Bhd (KL:IOICORP) is looking to lease out more of its plantation land for solar projects as it seeks to diversify its income streams beyond palm oil, said group managing director and CEO Datuk Lee Yeow Chor.