<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>SINGAPORE (Oct 28): Sim Lian plans to acquire Lara Village Shopping Centre, a freehold neighbourhood shopping centre in Victoria, Australia.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The centre is less than a year old and is located in the suburb of Lara, about 60 km from Melbourne central business district. It has a total gross lettable area of 6,449 square metres.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The centre will be acquired by SLG Property Trust II through a newly constituted sub-trust, SLG Lara Trust. RCP Property Australia is the trustee of SLG Lara Trust.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>On Oct 27, RCP had entered in a sale and purchase agreement with Coles Group, whose supermarket is the anchor tenant in the centre, for a total consideration of A$30.2 million ($30.4 million).</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The open market valuation of the centre by Jones Lang LaSalle is A$30.75 million.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Coles Supermarkets occupies 65% of the total gross lettable area of the centre. Coles operates 762 supermarkets in Australia and is owned by Wesfarmers, a listed company on the Australian Stock Exchange. The centre has a variety of retailers, including cafes, bakery, food and beverages outlets and a gymnasium.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Sim Lian’s shares closed 1.7% higher at 90.5 cents.</p></div>


SINGAPORE (Oct 28): Sim Lian plans to acquire Lara Village Shopping Centre, a freehold neighbourhood shopping centre in Victoria, Australia.

The centre is less than a year old and is located in the suburb of Lara, about 60 km from Melbourne central business district. It has a total gros...

Sim Lian plans to buy Australian suburban mall

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has denied recent claims in local media reports that the state government plans to increase hotel accommodation fees by up to 50% this year.

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Malaysians abroad should not underestimate the technological advancement, expertise and talent available back home, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to the UK has successfully attracted RM11 billion in potential investments across various sectors, including renewable energy and the digital economy.

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With US President-elect Donald Trump due to be sworn in on Monday, Jan 20, Malaysia believes it can navigate any political or economic uncertainties arising from his second term in the White House.

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MSCI's global equities index rose on Friday, while US Treasury yields turned higher with the dollar, as upbeat economic data and earnings appeared to help investors shrug off any jitters ahead of the US presidential inauguration.

Global shares rise with dollar, US bond yields turn higher

The European Union (EU) is debating whether to drop a sensitive trade investigation against China over alleged coercive activity targeting Lithuania, a prospect that’s frustrated officials in Washington, where the incoming Trump team sees it as capitulation to Beijing.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to take a tough line on China and the possible EU move would reinforce for his team how the bloc will approach dealing with Beijing, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The US Treasury department on Friday sanctioned Singaporean Yin Kechen and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co, accusing both of being involved in a series of hacks against American telecom companies.

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed back against accusations that he is casting Ukraine aside in an attempt to drum up support for his trailing Social Democrats ahead of a snap election next month.

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<p>Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Friday.</p>


CIMB, Berjaya Corp, Mitrajaya, HeiTech Padu, Datasonic, Petronas Gas, Dialog, Hong Leong Bank, JF Tech, Cosmos, MYMBN, Homeritz 

<p>Upholstery furniture manufacturer Homeritz Corp Bhd (KL:HOMERIZ) said on Friday that the fire at one of its production facilities in Muar, Johor, has been confirmed to result in an estimated loss of RM3 million, and will be recognised in the company’s financial results for the quarter ending Feb 28, 2025 (2QFY2025).</p>


Homeritz hit by RM3 mil loss in Muar facility fire, no insurance coverage

<p>The European Union (EU) is debating whether to drop a sensitive trade investigation against China over alleged coercive activity targeting Lithuania, a prospect that’s frustrated officials in Washington, where the incoming Trump team sees it as capitulation to Beijing.</p>

<p>President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to take a tough line on China and the possible EU move would reinforce for his team how the bloc will approach dealing with Beijing, according to people familiar with the matter.</p>


<p>Wall Street's main indexes rose on Friday, with the S&amp;P 500 and the Dow on track to log their biggest weekly gains since November, as investors anticipate a wave of policy changes under the incoming Trump administration.</p>


<p>The International Monetary Fund on Friday raised its forecast for global growth in 2025 by one-tenth of a percentage point, with stronger-than-expected growth in the US offsetting downward revisions in Germany, France and other major economies.</p>


IMF lifts US outlook, warns countries against protectionism, subsidies

<p>US President-elect Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed trade, TikTok and fentanyl on Friday in a pre-inauguration conversation that could set the tone for relations between the world’s two largest economies and main geopolitical rivals.</p>

<p>“I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China,” Trump posted on social media. “The call was a very good one for both China and the USA.”</p>


Trump and China’s Xi discuss trade, TikTok ahead of inauguration

<p>TikTok fans in the US are racing to secure alternatives and safeguard their digital empires ahead of a looming shutdown on Sunday, evoking the chaos of India's 2020 ban that erased the app from the lives of 200 million users overnight.</p>

<p>While the US ban has been debated for months, India acted swiftly in June 2020 to block TikTok and nearly 60 other Chinese apps over national security concerns, stripping many creators of their main source of income and shattering a digital community.</p>


US TikTok ban could echo India chaos as users seek options

<p>MSCI's&nbsp;global&nbsp;equities index rose on Friday, while US&nbsp;Treasury yields turned higher with the dollar, as upbeat economic data and earnings appeared to help investors shrug off any jitters ahead of the US&nbsp;presidential inauguration.</p>


<p>The US Treasury department on Friday sanctioned Singaporean Yin Kechen and cybersecurity company Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co, accusing both of being involved in a series of hacks against American telecom companies.</p>


<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to the UK has successfully attracted&nbsp;RM11 billion in potential investments across various sectors, including renewable energy and the digital economy.</p>


<p>Housing starts in the US climbed in December to the fastest pace since early 2024, reflecting a surge in multifamily projects and a more modest advance in one-family homes.</p>

<p>New residential construction increased nearly 16% to an annualised rate of 1.5 million, rebounding after a three-month slump, according to government data released on Friday.</p>


US housing starts top all forecasts on multifamily construction

<p>In a last-minute move by the Biden-Harris administration, a new Interim Final Rule on Artificial Intelligence Diffusion was announced on Monday (Jan 13), imposing stricter export controls on US-developed AI chips.</p>


<p>The European Union (EU) and Mexico agreed to a revamped free-trade agreement, just as both are under pressure from president-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened them with a new round of tariffs.</p>

<p>The agreement aims to boost both trade and economic security by de-risking supply chains, securing a sustainable supply of critical raw materials and tackling climate change, according to a European Commission statement on Friday.</p>


EU, Mexico seal trade deal as Trump threatens tariffs

<p>German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pushed back against accusations that he is casting Ukraine aside in an attempt to drum up support for his trailing Social Democrats ahead of a snap election next month.</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Scholz said he was ready to send an additional €3 billion (RM13.89 billion) to Ukraine so long as the funds were generated through net new borrowing and not budget cuts.&nbsp;</p>


<p>With US President-elect Donald Trump due to be sworn in on Monday, Jan&nbsp;20, Malaysia believes it can navigate any&nbsp;political or economic&nbsp;uncertainties arising from his second term in the White House.</p>


<p>US industrial production rose in December by more than forecast, helped by a pickup in factory output that indicates manufacturing is stabilising after two years of weakness.</p>


US industrial production tops forecasts after Boeing strike ends

<p>Malaysians abroad should not underestimate the technological advancement, expertise and talent available back home, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.</p>
