SYDNEY (April 1): Australia's central bank on Tuesday left its cash rate steady as widely expected, but took a small step towards further easing in a policy meeting dominated by risks of a global trade war.

Australia's central bank holds rates as it frets over trade war risk

US President Donald Trump said he would pause higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of non-retaliating countries for 90 days, while raising duties on China to 125%.

Trump pauses higher duties on most nations, hikes China tariffs to 125%

Asean, which has faced a series of global uncertainties, has emerged from a quiet corner of the global economy to become central to it, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

From currency shocks to global contagion, Asean has seen it all, the prime minister said in his keynote address at the gala dinner in conjunction with Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship of the Finance Track here on Wednesday.

Asean emerges as a central player in global economy after overcoming series of adversities — Anwar

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s trip to see President Xi Jinping will offer a chance to swap notes on a common problem: how to respond to an increasingly unreliable US.

Sanchez, who is due in Beijing on Friday, will be the first European leader to visit China since President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on most of the world. With agreements due to be signed in areas including pharmaceuticals, agricultural and medical products, Sanchez can argue that Spain is the go-to partner for China in Europe at a time of growing economic uncertainty.

Spain pushing for EU pivot to China to counter Trump tariffs

Spain will pursue closer trade ties with China in the interests of its citizens and of the EU, its agriculture minister Luis Planas said on Wednesday, rejecting a US warning that moving closer to the Asian country would be "cutting your own throat".

Spain defends closer trade ties with China after US warns against 'cutting own throat'

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the administration is considering plans to offer assistance to farmers amid worries that the US-China trade war will have a disastrous effect on American agricultural producers.

US weighs farmer bailout as China retaliation threatens exports

CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd rejected accusations it failed to pay about 1.2 billion balboas (US$1.2 billion or RM5.4 billion) to the Panamanian state over the concession contract to run the two key ports in the Central American country.

CK Hutchison rejects accusations over Panama Ports payments

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Here is a brief recap of some corporate announcements that made news on Wednesday;

AMMB Holdings Bhd's (KL:AMBANK) group chief financial officer Shafiq Abdul Jabbar is stepping down “to pursue other professional opportunities”. Industry sources say Shafiq ...

AMMB, KIP REIT, Khee San, Sapura Energy, Jati Tinggi, AWC, Hibiscus Petroleum, HHRG

China on Wednesday issued a risk alert for Chinese tourists travelling to the US, according to a statement from the culture and tourism ministry.

China issues risk alert for tourists travelling to US

The angry mutterings at the Permian Basin Petroleum Association’s “Spring Swing” golf tournament this week weren’t all about missed putts or lost balls. The Texas oilmen on the fairways had a more serious concern: The president they helped elect was tanking oil prices.

Texas wildcatters impatient with Trump as oil prices tank

When the 24% reciprocal tariff US President Trump imposed on Malaysia on April 9 takes effect, Malaysia would face the biggest economic threat since we transitioned from an agricultural and commodity exporting country to a manufacturing exporting country in the 1980s. The reciprocal tariff would bulldoze all the economic prosperity that Malaysia has generated since then, rendering us a hollowed industrial ecosystem with a high unemployment rate.

How Malaysia’s manufacturing industries can survive Trump’s reciprocal tariff

China retaliated against new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump by announcing it would raise duties on US goods, roiling markets and deepening a trade war between the world’s largest economies.

China raises tariffs on US goods to 84% as trade rift worsens

US President Donald Trump said he would pause higher reciprocal tariffs on dozens of non-retaliating countries for 90 days, while raising duties on China to 125%.&nbsp;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he envisions reaching trade agreements with US allies that would then lay the ground for a collective approach toward Beijing to address what he described as China’s unbalanced trade structure.

Bessent sees a deal with allies, then group approach on China

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Here is a brief recap of some corporate announcements that made news on Wednesday;

AMMB Holdings Bhd's (KL:AMBANK) group chief financial officer Shafiq Abdul Jabbar is stepping down “to pursue other professional opportunities”. Industry sources say Shafiq ...

Asean has received overwhelming support from the US-Asean Business Council (US-ABC) to convey key messages to Washington that its tariffs can severely impact businesses in Southeast Asia with the fallout inevitably jeopardising American trade and investments in the region.&nbsp;

US business council urged to tell Washington tariffs can jeopardise US business ops in Asean, says Amir Hamzah

When the 24% reciprocal tariff US President Trump imposed on Malaysia on April 9 takes effect, Malaysia would face the biggest economic threat since we transitioned from an agricultural and commodity exporting country to a manufacturing exporting country in the 1980s. The reciprocal tariff would bulldoze all the economic prosperity that Malaysia has generated since then, rendering us a hollowed industrial ecosystem with a high unemployment rate.

US Treasuries, the bedrock of the global financial system, were hit by fresh selling pressure on Wednesday in a sign that investors were dumping their safest assets as turmoil unleashed by US tariffs prompts forced selling and a dash for cash.

The 10-year Treasury yield has risen 36 basis points (bps) to 4.35% this week alone as prices fall sharply. If sustained, that would mark the biggest weekly jump since 2013.

Global bond rout starting to sound market alarm bells

Wall Street's main indexes inched higher on Wednesday as investors lapped up cheaper technology stocks in a choppy session that remained centered on tariff moves as China retaliated with more levies on US goods.

Tech shares lift Wall Street amid escalating US-China tariff war

President Donald Trump urged Americans to remain calm and continue investing on Wednesday as his sweeping reciprocal tariffs hit, in an indication the White House was closely monitoring market reaction to the levies.

Trump says ‘be cool’ after tariffs, adds ‘great time to buy’ 

Perdana Petroleum Bhd (KL:PERDANA) has secured two contracts for the charter of anchor handling tug and supply vessels.

Perdana Petroleum lands three-year offshore vessel contracts

HHRG Bhd (KL:HHRG)&nbsp;on Wednesday announced that the Penang High Court has allowed an order sought by its 51%-owned MG Furniture Sdn Bhd to prohibit managing director Ch’ng Chen Mong, director Tan Poh Cheng and their son, production manager Ch'ng Boon Sin, from entering its premises, except to carry out statutory duties with prior notice.

HHRG’s 51%-owned unit MG Furniture secures order to prohibit MD and family members from entering premises

A former assistant officer of the Sarawak Welfare Department was on Wednesday sentenced to 468 years in prison and fined RM180 million, in default 36 months’ imprisonment, for money laundering and criminal breach of trust (CBT) involving over RM16 million.

Ex-Sarawak welfare officer sentenced to 468 years in prison for money laundering, criminal breach of trust

Food and beverage manufacturer Able Global Bhd (KL:ABLEGLOB), which has operations in Mexico, is looking to avail of the zero-tariff perk accorded under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to mitigate rising trade barriers on exports to the United States.

Able Global Bhd seeks USMCA zero-tariff benefit to counter rising trade barriers on US exports

Before he stepped down as Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau called Donald Trump’s tariff policies “very dumb”. This might be an accurate description of many Trump administration policies — but the more objectively correct word is “stupid”.

In fact, Québec’s largest newspaper, Le Journal de Montréal, published a front-page photo of Trump in early February with the word “stupid” in 350-point type. Some may call this an opinion, but the science of stupidity tells us that it’s more of a definition.

Trump’s policies are more than dumb — they’re stupid, according to stupidity researchers

The government is open to reviewing the appointment process for the chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including the prime minister’s role in the decision-making process, according to news reports quoting Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

Govt open to reviewing appointment process for MACC chief — reports

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s trip to see President Xi Jinping will offer a chance to swap notes on a common problem: how to respond to an increasingly unreliable US.

Sanchez, who is due in Beijing on Friday, will be the first European leader to visit China since President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on most of the world. With agreements due to be signed in areas including pharmaceuticals, agricultural and medical products, Sanchez can argue that Spain is the go-to partner for China in Europe at a time of growing economic uncertainty.

KUALA LUMPUR (April 9): Ajay Sharma CMG has been appointed the British High Commissioner to Malaysia in succession to Ailsa Terry CMG, according to the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Ajay Sharma named new British High Commissioner to Malaysia

China's commerce ministry slapped restrictions on more than a dozen US defence firms on Wednesday after President Donald Trump made good on his threat to impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports.

China slaps restrictions on 18 US firms over Trump tariffs

The European Union (EU) approved tariffs to hit around €21 billion (US$23.2 billion or RM104.4&nbsp;billion) of US goods in retaliation for the 25% duties President Donald Trump imposed last month on the bloc’s steel and aluminium exports.

EU adopts tariffs on €21 bil of US goods in metals fight

JAKARTA (April 9): Japanese oil and gas explorer Inpex Corp&nbsp;on Wednesday&nbsp;started the front-end engineering design&nbsp;process&nbsp;for its Abadi liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Indonesia, as the government put pressure on the company to accelerate development.

Stella Qiu & Wayne Cole