Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino said on Thursday that he didn't place any value on reports the US military is looking into options for ensuring full US access to the Panama Canal, since these reports came from unnamed sources.

Mulino dismisses reports of US military evaluating Panama Canal options

German software developer SAP SE unseated Danish weight-loss drug maker Novo Nordisk A/S as Europe’s most-valuable public company.

SAP topples Novo to become Europe’s biggest listed company

Buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) transactions in Malaysia continued to expand in the second half of 2024 but their total outstanding debt remained modest at RM2.8 billion or 0.2% of total household debt, according to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

BNM: Buy-now-pay-later debt remains small at 0.2% of total household debt

Former director general of Public Service (KPPA) Tan Sri Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman has emerged as a substantial shareholder in NexG Bhd (KL:NEXG) — formerly Datasonic Group Bhd — with a 6.11% indirect stake.

Former Public Service DG emerges as substantial shareholder in NexG, chairman Hanifah now largest shareholder

GX Bank Bhd, Malaysia’s first digital bank, commands the largest share of customer deposits among operational digital banks with RM2.16 billion deposits as of September 2024, according to RAM Ratings.

GXBank tops digital banking sector deposits with RM2.16 bil as of September 2024 — RAM Ratings

China’s central bank unveiled a new method for pricing its one-year loans to banks, the latest move in policymakers’ efforts to revamp their monetary toolkit.

PBOC unveils new method to auction its one-year loans to banks

Defaulted Chinese developer Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd won a Hong Kong court’s approval for its offshore restructuring, according to people familiar with the matter, clearing the way for it to proceed with its debt plan.

Kaisa wins Hong Kong court approval for offshore debt plan

DBS Group's incoming CEO Tan Su Shan is eyeing "bolt-on" acquisitions that align with the Singaporean lender's digital and AI-driven priorities, while focusing on boosting high-return businesses such as wealth and transaction banking.

DBS' new CEO Tan eyes 'bolt-on' acquisitions to bolster tech capabilities

The UK economy showed tentative signs of shaking off the stagnation that has dogged the Labour government since it took power last summer, according to a closely watched survey.

UK PMI hits six-month high in early sign of economic turnaround

Malaysia’s central bank on Monday said that the current level of overnight policy rate remains supportive and in line with its outlook on economic growth and inflation.

Current policy rate supportive, in line with outlook on growth, inflation — BNM

Malaysian retail group Macrovalue is set to acquire all Cold Storage and Giant supermarkets in Singapore in a deal valued at S$125 million (RM414 million).

Malaysia's Macrovalue to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarkets in Singapore for RM414 mil

Ge-Shen Corp Bhd (KL:GESHEN) and Tex Cycle Technology (M) Bhd (KL:TEXCYCL) were among the top losers in the morning session on Monday.

Counters related to businessman Keh Chuan Seng under selling pressure

Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd’s (KL:ABMB) stock fell sharply on Monday in active trade&nbsp;amid concerns of dilution after the lender announced a proposed RM600 million rights issue.

Alliance Bank shares fall sharply as investors balk at rights issue

Erdasan Group Bhd (KL:ERDASAN) announced on Sunday that its officers had blown the whistle to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) regarding potential misconduct by suspended executive director Mak Siew Wei.

Company officers served as whistleblowers, reporting Mak Siew Wei to MACC — Erdasan

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is set to pay a record RM5.25 billion dividend to the government this year, following a surge in net profit to RM13.16 billion for the financial year ended Dec&nbsp;31, 2024 — the highest on record since 1997.

BNM to pay record RM5.25b dividend to govt as profits hit 27-year high in 2024

Malaysia is planning to tighten regulations on semiconductors under pressure from the US, the Financial Times reported citing Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

Malaysia to tighten semiconductor trade regulations under US pressure, Zafrul says in FT interview

Shares in Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd&nbsp;rallied after one of his sons was invited to a high-profile summit in Beijing over the weekend amid the company’s controversial sale of its ports in Panama.&nbsp;

CK Hutchison stock jumps as Li Ka-shing’s son gets China invite

IJM Corp Bhd (KL:IJM) remains positive about its business outlook and the potential to secure tendered projects, according to its chief financial officer (CFO) Datuk Edward Chong Sin Kiat, despite recent online allegations casting a pall over the company.

IJM remains confident in project prospects despite online allegations, says CFO

Shares of Zensho Holdings Co, which operates Japanese restaurant chain Sukiya, fell as much as 7.1% on Monday, the most since Feb&nbsp;13, after the firm said a customer had found a dead rodent in its miso soup.

Rodent found in miso soup prompts plunge in Sukiya owner’s stock in Japan

Jack Ma-backed Ant Group Co&nbsp;used Chinese-made semiconductors to develop techniques for training artificial intelligence (AI)&nbsp;models that would cut costs by 20%, according to people familiar with the matter.

Jack Ma-backed Ant touts AI breakthrough on Chinese chips, Bloomberg reports

Analysts are positive&nbsp;that Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV), a subsidiary of Genting Bhd (KL:GENTING), will retain its non-restricted gaming licence after paying a hefty fine&nbsp;to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB).

Analysts positive on Resorts World Las Vegas retaining licence despite hefty Nevada fine

Artificial intelligence (AI) advances are fuelling a funding frenzy for data centres in Asia, spawning a series of record-breaking loans and filling the pipeline with even more potential deals.&nbsp;

AI boom turns Asian data centres into magnets for loan deals

VS Industry Bhd’s (KL:VS) earnings are likely to decline this year amid subdued consumer electronics demand, which is expected to persist, and delays in earnings contributions from its Philippines venture, analysts flagged.

VS Industry faces earnings decline amid weak demand and delays in contributions from Philippine venture — analysts

The Court of Appeal on Monday has recorded a consent judgment between the federal government and AwanBiru Technology Bhd’s unit Prestariang Skin Sdn Bhd, where the government has agreed to pay Prestariang a sum of RM201.477 million within three months and withdraw its appeal for a stay of the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision last year that ordered it to pay RM231.55 million.

Government settles with Awantec subsidiary Prestariang Skin, agrees to pay RM201m over termination of immigration control system project

(March 24): For a symbol of the chaos engulfing world trade since the Trump administration walked into the White House, look no further than a pile of 16,000 metric tonnes of steel pipes. Stevedores in Germany should be preparing to load the first batch on a container ship bound for a massive energy project in Louisiana. Instead, the cargo is sitting in a German warehouse after Washington proposed putting million-dollar levies on Chinese ships docking in the US.

Billion-dollar US levies on Chinese ships risk ‘trade apocalypse’

The Federal Court has allowed Attorney General Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar to go ahead with his&nbsp;application to ask the seven questions of law posed by the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) in its quest to overturn Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s successful attempt to have the justifications of his addendum challenge to be heard.

Apex court dismisses Najib’s attempt to block AGC’s challenge application against having the merits of his addendum to be heard

Financial&nbsp;markets&nbsp;made an mixed start on Monday with US&nbsp;stock futures rising but the dollar wavering ahead of a week driven by data, Chinese earnings and the threat of steep US&nbsp;tariff hikes on the horizon.

Futures buoyant, dollar drifts as markets sail towards tariff storm

BEIJING (March 24): China's Vice Premier He Lifeng sought to reassure foreign corporate chiefs of the country's business potential when he met with the heads of Apple, Pfizer, Mastercard, Cargill, and others on Sunday.

China's vice premier reassures Apple, Pfizer, Cargill, others of business potential

KUALA LUMPUR (March 24): Moody’s Ratings has assigned an A2 rating to Petronas Capital Ltd’s proposed US dollar-denominated senior unsecured notes under its medium-term note (MTN) programme, which is guaranteed by national oil company Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).

Moody’s assigns A2 rating to Petronas Capital’s US dollar notes, citing strong credit profile

Malaysia may face heightened and recurring supply shocks going forward, the central bank warned, but argued that any monetary policy response is only needed if the risks worsen or intensify.

Malaysia may face heightened and recurring supply shocks, BNM flags

KUALA LUMPUR (March 24): Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) says the interim measure of spreading medical premium adjustments over three years is expected to negatively impact the net underwriting income of life insurers and family takaful operators.

Elida Moreno & Sarah Morland