The Bank of Japan (BOJ) kept interest rates steady on Wednesday in a widely expected move, as policymakers chose to spend more time gauging how prospects of higher US tariffs would affect the export-focused economy.

BOJ keeps interest rates steady as Trump risk looms

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he told leaders of Japan and China they cannot continue to reduce the value of their currencies as doing so would be unfair to the US.

Trump says Japan, China cannot keep reducing value of their currencies

Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda said on Friday the central bank must maintain loose monetary policy to ensure underlying inflation gradually accelerates toward its 2% target.

BOJ must maintain monetary support, says governor Ueda

The Bank of Japan raised interest rates on Friday to their highest since the 2008 global financial crisis and revised up its inflation forecasts, underscoring its confidence that rising wages will keep inflation stable around its 2% target.

BOJ raises interest rates to highest in 17 years, yen jumps

Unique Fire Holdings Bhd (KL:UNIQUE) has received approval from the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) to transfer its listing from the ACE Market to the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia.

Unique Fire secures SC approval for transfer to Main Market

Hotayi Electronic (M) Sdn Bhd, a Taiwanese electronics manufacturing services company, has launched the third phase of its expansion in Batu Kawan, Penang, with an investment of RM500 million in a manufacturing facility.

Taiwanese firm Hotayi Electronic launches RM500 mil smart factory expansion in Penang

A multi-storey school initiative will be introduced in collaboration with the corporate sector, to address overcrowding in urban schools, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Multi-storey school initiative to be introduced to address overcrowding — PM

South Korean opposition parties raised a motion to impeach acting President Choi Sang-mok on Friday, the majority Democratic Party said, in a move likely to escalate recent political strife in the country.

Although the motion starts a process that would lead to a vote by parliament to pass it by a simple majority, the timetable was not immediately clear.

South Korea opposition brings motion to impeach acting president

The Consumer Credit Oversight Board (CCOB) Task Force aims to gazette the Consumer Credit Bill 2025 by year end, said Bank Negara Malaysia assistant governor Abu Hassan Alshari Yahaya.

Task force aiming to gazette Consumer Credit Bill 2025 by year end — BNM

Malaysia’s aviation industry is set to recover and establish a solid foundation for continued growth and expansion, in line with total recovery of the region’s airline sector.

Malaysia's aviation on solid foundation for expansion on back of 'total regional recovery', says PM

Read more in the March 24 edition of The Edge Malaysia Weekly.

Trumpianomics: The Art of Coercion

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted five stocks with momentum. One stock showed positive momentum, and four stocks showed negative momentum at Bursa Malaysia's noon break on Friday.

Stocks with momentum on March 21, 2025: Seal, MMAG, Perak Transit, Pecca, Velocity Capital

Boeing Global president Brendan Nelson has announced that the company will increase its Malaysian workforce by 20% over the next two years, reinforcing its commitment to the country’s aerospace industry.

Boeing to increase Malaysian workforce by 20% as part of expanded partnership with Malaysia Airlines

Britain's Heathrow Airport said it would be closed all of Friday after a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power, disrupting flight schedules around the world.

The London Fire Brigade said around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the west of London, which caused a mass power outage at Heathrow, Europe's busiest and the world's fifth-busiest airport.

Huge fire closes UK's Heathrow Airport, global flight schedules disrupted

Shares of Lim Seong Hai Capital Bhd (KL:LSH) fell 17% on its first-ever trades on the ACE Market after the construction firm raised RM168.08 million as part of its transfer from the LEAP Market.

Lim Seong Hai Capital opens 17% lower on ACE Market debut

Top Glove Corporation Bhd (KL:TOPGLOV) will likely turn in smaller-than-expected profits for fiscal 2025, analysts said while flagging rising risk from Chinese rivals.

Top Glove faces rising risks from Chinese rivals, analysts flag after weaker-than-expected 2Q

Malaysia Airlines’ parent Malaysia Aviation Group Bhd (MAG) is acquiring another&nbsp;30 new Boeing aircraft&nbsp;for the second stage of its fleet renewal strategy.

Malaysia Airlines’ parent opts for 30 new Boeing aircraft for second stage of fleet renewal

Asian stocks inched lower on Friday in a subdued end to the week as deepening geopolitical worries and fears over US tariffs and their impact on the global economy curbed investors appetite for risk, keeping safe-haven gold near record highs.

Asian stocks slip as growth, tariff worries weigh

The Bank of Thailand, which has long resisted interest-rate cuts despite immense political pressure, may end up having to embark on the region’s most aggressive easing cycle as a sluggish economy takes a turn for the worse, according to analysts.

Thailand may yet embark on Southeast Asia's most aggressive rate cuts

Lembaga Tabung Haji declared a profit distribution rate of 3.25% after zakat for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2024 (FY2024), breaking its previous four-year streak of declaring 3.1%.

Tabung Haji declares 3.25% profit distribution for FY2024

Read more in the March 24 edition of The Edge Malaysia Weekly.

South Korean chemicals companies are racing to tap new markets after racking up hundreds of millions of dollars in losses in the face of a deluge of capacity from China, their biggest market.

South Korean plastics giants struggle as China becomes a rival

Oil advanced after the US ramped up measures to hobble Iran’s crude exports, increasing pressure on Tehran amid a push for a new nuclear accord.

Oil advances as US ramps up sanctions against Iranian crude

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

A fresh bout of instability gripped the stock market as concern around the potential impacts of a trade war outweighed the latest housing and jobs data showing the world’s largest economy is still holding up.

US stocks halt Fed-fuelled rally as trade fear lingers

For months, President Prabowo Subianto’s moves to chip away at Indonesia’s long-established economic guardrails have stoked anxiety in markets. This week’s sudden rout suggests investor patience is wearing thin.

Prabowo faces investor revolt over Indonesia’s economic path

MSB Global Group Bhd, an aftermarket automotive parts and components distributor, on Friday launched its initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to RM41.4 million from the ACE Market.

Autopart distributor MSB Global sets ACE Market IPO price at 20 sen per share

Nestlé (Malaysia) Bhd (KL:NESTLE) on Friday broke ground for a RM250 million integrated logistics hub in Port Klang.

The facility is designed to function as a regional hub, facilitating product exports to over 60 countries and sourcing imported raw materials, Nestle Malaysia said in a statement. The hub is expected to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2026 and create over 200 new jobs, it said.

Nestlé Malaysia breaks ground for RM250m regional logistics hub in Port Klang

Malaysia’s headline inflation slowed in February 2025 as food prices stabilised while housing and utilities costs moderated, according to official data released on Friday.

Malaysia's February inflation slows as housing, utilities costs moderate, official data show

Trump says people that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to 20 years, and that includes the funders — Truth Social post

Trump says people that get caught sabotaging Teslas will stand a very good chance of going to jail for up to 20 years, and that includes the funders — Truth Social post

Chinese consumer giants dominate next week’s earnings after a survey showed consumers are&nbsp;feeling&nbsp;increasingly optimistic and Beijing&nbsp;outlined plans&nbsp;to revive consumption by boosting incomes.

Pop Mart, Haidilao, Nongfu Spring to set tone for China consumption

Micron Technology forecast third-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, signaling strong demand for its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI models, sending its shares up 2% in after-hours trading.

Micron forecasts upbeat quarterly revenue on strong AI memory chip demand

Britain's Heathrow Airport said it would be closed all of Friday after a huge fire at a nearby electrical substation wiped out power, disrupting flight schedules around the world.

The London Fire Brigade said around 70 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the west of London, which caused a mass power outage at Heathrow, Europe's busiest and the world's fifth-busiest airport.

Australia's dominant supermarket chains have benefited from wider profit margins at a time of rapidly increasing shelf prices, the competition regulator said in a new report on Thursday, and called for measures to make the industry fairer.

Leika Kihara & Makiko Yamazaki