Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange is said to be starting a new trading system in May, as Vietnam works to win an upgrade to emerging-market status.

Vietnamese bourse said to start new trading system in May, Bloomberg reports

Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK) plans to double assets in Vietnam to US$2 billion (RM9.42 billion) by 2027 and become the country’s top foreign bank for syndicated loans, to capitalise on a booming economy.

Maybank aims to double Vietnam assets by 2027, expand investment

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) kicked off its General Election (GE2025) campaign with five seats secured on nomination day, following an uncontested win at the newly formed Marine Parade–Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

Singapore GE2025: PAP secures five seats after first walkover since 2011

A longtime board member of City Developments Ltd, the property giant controlled by Singapore’s richest family, lashed out at other directors on Wednesday over a recent feud that rocked the developer and the billionaire Kwek clan.

Singapore Kwek clan’s CDL annual meeting descends into chaos

HOUSTON (April 23): ConocoPhillips, a top U.S. oil and gas producer, plans to cut staff, the company said on Tuesday, amid a broad push to rein in costs and streamline operations after its $23 billion buyout of rival Marathon Oil.

The job cuts are the latest sign of pain in the oil and ...

ConocoPhillips plans layoffs as part of broad restructuring

Oil prices may decline further this year as new production swells and demand remains capped by China’s faltering growth, the head of the International Energy Agency said.

Oil prices may fall further on China slowdown, IEA chief says

Many American cities have suffered after the disruption of a crucial hometown industry. The nation’s capital never has, until now.

DC’s special status gets ripped up by DOGE’s job and cost cuts

The US dollar steadied against its major peers on Wednesday on hopes of de-escalating trade tensions and as President Donald Trump backed away from threats to fire the head of the Federal Reserve (Fed), offering relief to investors.

Dollar steadies as Trump cools Fed rebuke, hints trade deal optimism

Malaysia and China on Wednesday agreed to strengthen their aviation ties by accelerating the development of a ‘twin hub’ cooperation between the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport, in pursuit of a smoother and more efficient Asean-China Air Silk Road.

Loke: Malaysia, China to boost aviation ties via ‘twin hub’ cooperation 

VATICAN CITY (April 23): The body of Pope Francis, laid out in an open coffin, was carried in a solemn procession on Wednesday from his residence within the walls of the Vatican City to St Peter's Basilica.

Pope Francis’ body taken in procession to St Peter’s for lying in state

Chinese investors sold a near-record amount of Hong Kong stocks on Wednesday, reducing holdings after hopes of easing in trade tension spurred a relief rally.

Chinese investors dump US$2b Hong Kong stocks in rare move

Malaysian stocks rose on Wednesday with the benchmark index retaking a key psychological level as potential US tariff relief injected hope of easing trade tensions into Asian markets.

Malaysian stocks climb, KLCI retakes key level amid hope for easing trade tensions

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Johor Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han announced that Forest City’s Special Financial Zone (SFZ) has welcomed its first family offices, CMY Capital Family Office and Yow Kee Family Office, and attracted interest from 30&nbsp;other companies to set up operations in Johor Bahru.

Forest City SFZ welcomes first two family offices, sees interest from 30 other companies

US President Donald Trump said he plans to be “very nice” to China in any trade talks, and that tariffs will drop if the two countries can reach a deal, a sign he may be backing down from his tough stance on Beijing amid market volatility.

Trump floats cutting China tariffs ‘substantially’ in trade deal

Sapura Holdings Sdn Bhd's founder Tan Sri Shamsuddin Abdul Kadir took the stand on Wednesday as the company's winding-up case continued, following a breakdown in settlement talks between his sons, feuding brothers Tan Sri Shahril Shamsuddin and Datuk Shahriman Shamsuddin.

Sapura Holdings founder Shamsuddin takes the stand as sons' settlement talks fail

Several areas in Selangor were affected by flash floods following heavy rainfall since early Wednesday morning.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations&nbsp;Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar&nbsp;said the affected areas were&nbsp;Sungai Buloh, Petaling Jaya&nbsp;and Subang Jaya.

Flash floods hit several areas in Selangor, no evacuations reported

European stocks rebounded on Wednesday, as investors drew some relief from US President Donald Trump saying he had no plans to fire the head of the Federal Reserve, and hinting at lower tariffs for China.

Stocks, dollar gain after Trump backtracks on remarks over Fed

Malaysia’s headline inflation decelerated to its slowest in four years as price gains at restaurants and of other non-food items&nbsp;eased.

Malaysia's consumer inflation slowest in four years as non-food price gain eases

(April 23): It’s 8am and already sweltering at the&nbsp;Pomina Flat Steel JSC&nbsp;plant outside Ho Chi Minh City, as&nbsp;the night shift’s last pour of molten metal is shaped, cooled and cut into rods. Down the road, at a Vietnam Steel Corp facility, a&nbsp;long strip is uncoiled into an acid bath and fed through a powerful press, making it thinner but tougher.

In China’s backyard, steel buyer Vietnam is trying to stem a tide of cheap metal

(April 23):&nbsp;Chinese corporate and government borrowers have pushed issuance of dollar and euro bonds to a record proportion of all such note sales in emerging markets (EM) this month, in one sign of resilience to the&nbsp;trade war.

Chinese foreign bond sales mark record share of total in emerging markets

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit on Tuesday that the tariff stand-off with China cannot be sustained by both sides, and that the world’s two largest economies will have to find ways to de-escalate.

US Treasury Secretary Bessent expects tariff stand-off with China to de-escalate

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and his team have arrived in the US to urge US officials to review tariffs on Malaysian imports.

Zafrul lands in US, to meet with US Trade Rep Jamieson Greer over tariffs

Ferrotec Holdings Corporation, a Japanese advanced materials and component company, will be investing RM1 billion for the construction of its second manufacturing facility in Kulim, Kedah.

Japan's Ferrotec to invest RM1 bil in second plant in Kedah

The imposition of US duties on solar panels from Southeast Asia&nbsp;will have far-reaching implications for&nbsp;the manufacturing base across the region, according to the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).

US solar duties threaten Malaysia's role in global clean energy supply chain, says FMM

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has downgraded its real gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for Malaysia to 4.1% this year, from its January estimate of 4.7%, in line with a broader reduction in regional projections.

IMF cuts real GDP growth forecast for Malaysia to 4.1% in 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Bumi Armada Bhd (KL:ARMADA) is expected to report strong earnings in first quarter of 2025 (1QFY2025), but foresees a drop in the following quarters as its floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) Kraken vessel sees a steep cut in its daily charter rates.

Bumi Armada to post strong 1Q earnings, later quarters impacted by FPSO Kraken rate cut — Maybank IB

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Malaysia will likely miss some economic and policy targets held back by fiscal constraints, bureaucratic drag, and global macro headwinds, said BIMB Securities.

Malaysia will miss some targets amid fiscal, bureaucratic drag, macro headwinds — BIMB

Former Goldman Sachs Group Inc banker Roger Ng Chong Hwa can testify as a defence witness in the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)-Tanore criminal trial of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Ex-Goldman banker Roger Ng can testify as Najib's defence witness, court rules

Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp&nbsp;on Tuesday signed an agreement to establish a wholly owned electric vehicle (EV) plant in Shanghai, in a strategic move to bolster its presence in China, the world's largest automotive market, Xinhua reported.

Toyota signs deal for US$2b EV project in Shanghai

Chinese President&nbsp;Xi&nbsp;Jinping&nbsp;said on Wednesday that tariff and trade wars undermine the legitimate rights and interests of all countries, hurt the multilateral trading system and impact the world economic order, the official&nbsp;Xinhua news agency reported.

China's Xi says tariffs and trade wars hurt world economic order

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Malaysia’s 30-stock benchmark FBM KLCI constituents will achieve modest earnings growth of 2% in 2025, even under a stressed scenario involving escalating tariff risks, according to Kenanga Research’s latest market strategy report.

Kenanga expects modest growth in KLCI valuations despite rising tariff risks

KUALA LUMPUR (April 23): Malaysia’s exports are likely to be impacted by the imposition of any direct tariffs, global growth slowdown or possible recession, but the longer-term outlook remains bright, as there is room for the country to benefit from supply chain diversification, said Franklin Templeton.

Nguyen Kieu Giang