President Donald Trump’s threat to slap tariffs on imported vehicles puts a US$240 billion (RM1.07 trillion) trade route in the crosshairs, with some of the biggest brands in Germany and South Korea among the most exposed.

Trump floats auto tariffs targeting US$240b trade spigot

MORNING CALL: 24/4/25

Prices are rising and economic activity has begun to slow across parts of the nation as businesses and households try to adapt to U.S. President Donald Trump's erratic rollout of sweeping tariffs aimed at reshaping global trade, a report Wednesday from the Federal Reserve showed.

Price hikes, a rush to buy autos, and uncertainty in wake of Trump tariffs -- Fed report

WASHINGTON (April 24):  The U.S. Justice Department has canceled hundreds of ongoing grants that funded everything from services for mental health care for police officers to support programs for victims of crime and sexual assault, according to internal records and four people familiar...

US cancels hundreds of grants for police, crime victims, Justice Dept documents show

Global equities and long-dated Treasuries rose while havens retreated on signs US President Donald Trump is rethinking the most-aggressive elements of his combative stances on trade and the Federal Reserve.

Equity futures for Japan and Australia were primed to rise Thursday after the S&P 500 climbed 1.7% and the Nasdaq 100 rose 2.3%.

Stocks rise as Trump signals softer China stance

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration won’t be pursuing specific exchange-rate targets in its talks with Japan, instead reiterating his predecessor’s calls for Tokyo to abide by long-standing Group of Seven commitments.

“Absolutely no currency targets,” Bessent said when asked whether he was seeking such a thing in his engagement with Japan.

Bessent says ‘no currency targets’ sought in Japan talks

Signs Donald Trump is rethinking the most-aggressive elements of his combative stances on trade and the Federal Reserve spurred back-to-back gains in stocks and the dollar, while soothing volatility across asset classes.

The S&P 500 rose 1.7%, though it pared an earlier surge that had swelled to as much 3.4%.

Stocks notch back-to-back gains as dollar climbs

Kering reported on Wednesday a bigger-than-expected decline in first-quarter revenue, the latest set of disappointing results from the luxury group as its star label Gucci continues to struggle amid a worsening economic environment.

Kering reports 14% sales drop in first quarter as Gucci sales slide further 

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump hasn’t offered to take down US tariffs on China on a unilateral basis.

Bessent says no unilateral US offer to cut tariffs on China

Bank Negara Malaysia will support Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and sustainability” by focusing on two areas: Financing for energy transition projects in Asean, and supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their journey on the low-carbon transition.

These ...

Finance: Bank Negara Malaysia to work with Asean on the green transition

Malaysia is not short of policies and plans to tackle climate change. However, for these initiatives to be effective, climate change and its related impacts must be considered in the country’s public financial management processes.

These are among the suggestions that Marco Larizza, sen...

Climate: World Bank: Malaysia has to strengthen institutions to adapt to climate change

Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Wednesday.

Ramssol, MCE, MN, United Plantations, IGB REIT, IGB Commercial REIT, Axis REIT, AME REIT, Sarawak Consolidated Industries, Iconic Worldwide

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that President Donald Trump hasn’t offered to take down US tariffs on China on a unilateral basis.

Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd, the master developer of Putrajaya, is partnering with Sunway Healthcare Holdings Sdn Bhd, the healthcare arm of conglomerate Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY), to develop a multi-speciality tertiary medical centre in Putrajaya.

Putrajaya Holdings partners Sunway Healthcare to develop advanced medical centre

Messrs UHY Malaysia PLT has resigned from its role as the external auditor for both Key Asic Bhd (KL:KEYASIC) and UCrest Bhd (KL:UCREST), effective Wednesday.

UHY resigns as external auditor for Key Asic, UCrest

Economic pressures from steep new US tariffs will push global public debt above pandemic-era levels to nearly 100% of global GDP by the end of the decade as slower growth and trade strain government budgets, the International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday.

The IMF's latest Fiscal Monitor projected that global public debt will grow 2.8 percentage points to 95.1% of global GDP in 2025. It said the upward trend was likely to continue, reaching 99.6% of global GDP by 2030.

IMF says tariff pressures to push global public debt past pandemic levels

Türkiye’s largest city of Istanbul was hit by a 6.2-magnitude earthquake, the US Geological Survey said, though no damage or injuries were immediately reported by authorities.

Türkiye’s largest city Istanbul hit By 6.2 magnitude earthquake

The basic technology behind Ambient Photonics’s solar cells is so simple that it’s routinely assembled as a high school science experiment. In labs across the US, students sandwich blackberries’ potent pigment between glass to create dye-sensitised cells capable of harnessing energy from the sun.

High-powered solar cells are poised to replace batteries

The retail prices of RON97 and RON95 petrol throughout the country will remain unchanged at RM3.18 and RM2.05 per litre respectively from April 24 to April 30.

Fuel prices unchanged till April 30 

The Dolphin Company’s former CEO, aided by armed men, took control of the bankrupt aquatic parks operator’s Mexican headquarters in the middle of the night earlier this month, restructuring advisers battling for control of the company alleged in court filings.

Ex-aquatic park CEO accused of seizing HQ after midnight

Heads of state and government leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took part in a two-hour-long virtual meeting aimed at returning focus to climate action in an increasingly challenging global context.

World leaders from China to EU hold climate meeting without US

Penangites have begun making early and thorough preparations to ensure they have adequate water supply during the scheduled water supply disruption from this Friday until April 28, due to the implementation of 23 simultaneous water projects.

Penangites rush to stock up on water ahead of scheduled cuts 

Boeing Co is prepared to find alternative buyers for China-bound aircraft that are mired in a trade dispute with the US, as the planemaker seeks to reduce the fallout on its jet deliveries and earnings recovery.

Boeing prepared to remarket China aircraft to other customers

The US$1.7 trillion (RM7.46 trillion) fashion industry is a major polluter: By one estimate, it’s responsible for between 8% and 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, more than aviation and shipping combined.

Fashion is the next frontier for clean tech as textile waste mounts

The long-awaited US$16 billion (RM70.26 billion) rail tunnel project connecting New York City and New Jersey is expected to provide the national and regional economy with a US$445 billion boost.

NYC gateway tunnel expected to generate US$445b for economy

Kering reported on Wednesday a bigger-than-expected decline in first-quarter revenue, the latest set of disappointing results from the luxury group as its star label Gucci continues to struggle amid a worsening economic environment.

Fifteen individuals have been fined between RM800 and RM3,500 by separate Magistrates’ Courts here after admitting to providing false information to the National Registration Department (JPN) in efforts to obtain birth certificates and identity cards.

Fifteen fined for giving false information in birth certificate, MyKad applications

Bank Negara Malaysia will support Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship theme of “Inclusivity and sustainability” by focusing on two areas: Financing for energy transition projects in Asean, and supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their journey on the low-carbon transition.

These ...

Global equities and long-dated Treasuries rose while havens retreated on signs US President Donald Trump is rethinking the most-aggressive elements of his combative stances on trade and the Federal Reserve.

Equity futures for Japan and Australia were primed to rise Thursday after the S&amp;P 500 climbed 1.7% and the Nasdaq 100 rose 2.3%.

Japan’s biggest financial firms are abolishing decades-old employment practices that kept women off the corporate ladder.&nbsp;

Top Japanese companies scrap job system that held women back

Toyota Motor Corp is planning to spend US$88 million (RM386.41 million) at an engine factory in West Virginia to boost production of gas-electric hybrid vehicles, an effort to widen its manufacturing footprint in the US as the Trump administration moves to impose tariffs on auto imports.

Ryan Beene & Keith Laing