Royalty, presidents, prime ministers and a legion of faithful arrived in St Peter's Square on Saturday to pay their last respects to Pope Francis at a funeral mass to honour his sometimes turbulent papacy.

Royalty and presidents join multitude of mourners at Pope Francis' funeral

The US and the European Union (EU) still need a lot of work to reach a deal that would prevent the imposition of tariffs on each other's goods, EU Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said on Friday.

EU economic commissioner says union not close to deal on tariffs with US

China's President Xi Jinping pledged "self-reliance and self-strengthening" to develop AI in China, state media reported on Saturday, as the country vies with the US for supremacy in artificial intelligence (AI), a key strategic area.

China's Xi calls for self sufficiency in AI development amid US rivalry

Nissan Motor wants to end vehicle production at its Wuhan plant in China by March 31, 2026, two sources with knowledge of the plan said.

Nissan wants to end vehicle production at Wuhan plant, Reuters reports

Singapore has ordered Facebook parent Meta to block Singaporeans' access to posts made by foreigners, ahead of a national election under rules restricting their social media posts.

Singapore orders foreigners' Facebook posts taken down under new election rules

Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has expressed satisfaction with the strong collaboration between BN and Pakatan Harapan (PH) throughout the 14-day campaign for the Ayer Kuning state by-election.

Zahid pleased with BN-PH collaboration for Ayer Kuning state by-election

There will be road closures and diversions around the Bukit Jalil National Stadium from 2pm on Saturday, in conjunction with the 2024-2025 Malaysia Cup final between Johor Darul Ta'zim and Sri Pahang FC.

Road closures, diversions for Malaysia Cup final

The Sarawak government has given an assurance that moves to merge the three main water boards in the state into one single entity will be more beneficial to all the employees.

Merger of water boards in Sarawak to bring more benefits to employees, says state minister

Some 34.06% of voters in the Ayer Kuning state by-election have fulfilled their responsibilities as of noon on Saturday to elect a new representative in the State Legislative Assembly for the constituency, according to the Election Commission.

Ayer Kuning state by-election: 34.06% voter turnout as of noon

US President Donald Trump’s administration is putting pressure on Europe to ditch a rulebook that would compel developers of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to follow stricter standards of transparency, risk-mitigation and copyright rules.

Trump administration pressures Europe to ditch AI rulebook

US President Donald Trump suggested another delay to his higher so-called “reciprocal” tariffs is unlikely, raising pressure on nations to negotiate trade deals with his administration.

Trump doubtful on another tariff pause, wants China concessions

For a small domestic-focused bank, Alliance Bank Malaysia Bhd (KL:ABMB) has managed to rack up admirable growth in the last two years by playing to its strategy of doubling down on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) — its niche business — while firing up the consumer and corporate banking businesses that had been lagging.

Can Alliance Bank keep up its strong growth momentum?

US Federal Reserve (Fed) chair Jerome Powell used a gathering of finance chiefs from around the world to stress that central banks must be shielded from politics to ensure they can focus on keeping inflation stable and employment high, according to people who listened to his remarks.

Defying Trump, Powell said to tell world's finance chiefs 'central banks must be shielded from politics'

Finance Minister II&nbsp;Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) takes a measured approach in managing the overnight policy rate (OPR), describing it as a powerful policy instrument that should be used only when circumstances warrant&nbsp;it.

BNM'S OPR decisions based on measured approach, not pre-emptive, says Amir Hamzah

A shipment&nbsp;of Malaysian palm oil from Sabah totalling 100,000 tonnes entered the storage depot at the Port of Liverpool, England, on April 5, said Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland&nbsp;Datuk Zakri Jaafar.

CPTPP: Consignment of Malaysian palm oil totalling 100,000 tonnes enters UK tariff-free

US President Donald Trump said he would “absolutely” sign a bill banning congressional stock trading, saying he is concerned lawmakers could be using insider information for an advantage.

Trump says he would 'absolutely' sign bill banning congressional stock trades

Most stock indices climbed on Friday, with Wall Street buoyed by technology-related shares, while the dollar had its first weekly rise in over a month as investors searched for signs that the US-China trade war may be easing.

Stocks rise with tech-related shares, notch weekly gains; dollar up

As of 3pm on Saturday, 50.18% of voters in the Ayer Kuning state by-election had cast their ballots, the Election Commission (EC) said.&nbsp;

Ayer Kuning state by-election: 50.18% voter turnout as of 3pm

Malaysia seeks to maintain&nbsp;good ties with the US, said&nbsp;Finance Minister II&nbsp;Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.

“Malaysia has always been a good economic partner to the US. That's why the US has always been among Malaysia's highest foreign investors.

Amir Hamzah: Malaysia seeks to maintain good ties with US

Elon Musk’s xAI Holdings is in talks with investors to raise roughly US$20 billion (RM87.48 billion) in funding for his newly combined artificial intelligence (AI) start-up and social media business, according to people familiar with the matter.&nbsp;

Musk’s xAI Holdings in talks to raise US$20b, Bloomberg reports

Citadel founder Ken Griffin extended his&nbsp;criticism&nbsp;of the Trump administration’s trade policy, saying that tariffs won’t bring back American manufacturing jobs the way that the US president anticipates, and the country should play to its strengths instead.&nbsp;

Citadel founder criticises Trump tariffs: 'These jobs are not coming back’ 

As Malaysia’s growth forecast is being revised downward in reflection of&nbsp;a broader global trend, Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan&nbsp;is&nbsp;emphasising&nbsp;the importance of not being overly fixated on growth figures.&nbsp;

Malaysia won't be fixated on growth forecasts but will focus on building resilience — Amir Hamzah

China’s DiDi Global Inc&nbsp;is quietly recruiting new drivers in Hong Kong as it looks to grow outside of mainland China.

The move sets the Chinese ride-hailing pioneer up for close competition with Uber Technologies Inc&nbsp;in a financial hub where regulations governing the sector are still in flux, providing a window for rivals to win market share. DiDi has been offering limited taxi services in Hong Kong for some time, but lacks a ride-share option.

China’s DiDi recruits ride-hailing drivers in Hong Kong push

US President Donald Trump’s administration is putting pressure on Europe to ditch a rulebook that would compel developers of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to follow stricter standards of transparency, risk-mitigation and copyright rules.

Google is the only company that can offer the level of features and functionality that its popular Chrome web browser has today, given its “interdependencies” on other parts of the Alphabet Inc&nbsp;unit, the head of Chrome testified.&nbsp;

Only Google can run Chrome, company’s browser chief tells judge

A Jeff Bezos-backed start-up aims to appeal to American car buyers’ patriotism and pocketbooks.&nbsp;

Bezos-backed start-up launches cheap, US-made electric pickup

Asean has consistently maintained a neutral stance in its relations with both the US and China, and this&nbsp;remains central to the region’s diplomatic approach, said Finance Minister II&nbsp;Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.

Asean’s neutrality works, says Amir Hamzah

The Asean&nbsp;Power Grid (APG) is a pillar that can strengthen&nbsp;cooperation among&nbsp;the bloc’s member states, according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Asean Power Grid set to strengthen regional cooperation, says Fadillah

China will adopt new policy support for the economy to counter external shocks if needed, central bank governor Pan Gongsheng said, in line with top officials’&nbsp;latest signals&nbsp;of taking a patient approach to supporting growth.&nbsp;

China's central bank governor pledges more steps to address tariff shock if needed

China will take measures to achieve its annual economic growth target of around 5% despite escalating trade tensions and uncertainties, the country’s finance minister said in Washington earlier this week.&nbsp;

Nandita Bose, Dawn Chmielewski, Milana & Kanishka Singh