Newly minted PM Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says that the first thing on his agenda is tackling the cost of living crisis</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage>

NEWS: PM puts tackling cost of living as a priority

Europe is burning through gas reserves more quickly than at any point in the last seven years as cold weather ramps up heating needs, with temperatures expected to drop again this week.

The region’s vast underground storage sites — which act as a buffer against tighter flows — are just over 70% full compared with about 86% a year ago.

European gas storage sites dwindle at fastest pace since 2018

The US Defense Department said on Monday it had added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China's military.

US adds Tencent, CATL to list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing's military

Brazil's government said in a statement on Monday that Indonesia is formally joining BRICS as a full member, further expanding the group of major emerging economies that also includes Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Indonesia joins BRICS bloc as full member, says Brazil 

Canada's Barrick Gold said on Monday it would suspend operations in Mali if the country does not lift restrictions on gold shipments within the coming week, as mining companies face an increasingly hostile operating environment in West Africa.

Barrick threatens to freeze Mali operations in row over rules

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is resigning after more than nine years leading Canada, bowing to sagging approval numbers and a rebellion within his political party.

Trudeau, 53, currently the longest-serving leader of any Group of Seven (G7) country, announced on Monday he plans to step down as head of the governing Liberal Party. He will remain as prime minister until a new leader is selected, and parliament has been suspended until March 24 while that process is underway.

Trudeau resigns after nine years in power as Liberals force him out

Donald Trump asked a New York appeals court to stop his hush money sentencing set for Jan 10 while the US president-elect tries again to overturn his guilty verdict ahead of his inauguration.

Trump asks New York appeals court to stop hush money sentencing

Electricite de France SA (EDF) is simplifying the design of its small modular nuclear reactors (SMR), targeted to replace coal-fired power plants. 

The SMR “will rely on well-known and perfectly mastered technological building blocks within the nuclear sector,” EDF said in a post on Linkedin on Monday.

EDF to simplify small nuclear reactor after design setback

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday night hosted a dinner in honour of visiting Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Rumah Tangsi here.

Anwar hosts dinner for Singapore PM

Nvidia Corp investors have high hopes that Monday’s speech from CEO Jensen Huang will spark a fresh breakout in the chipmaker’s shares, which have plateaued since November after roaring higher for much of 2024.

Nvidia investors look to Huang CES speech to spark next breakout

The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) sued a unit of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway on Monday, accusing it of pushing borrowers into unaffordable loans to buy homes from Clayton Homes, Berkshire's manufactured housing business.

US regulator sues Buffett's Berkshire unit over risky home loans

<p>Oriental Kopi Holdings Bhd, a cafe chain operator en route to the ACE Market, said it is not spared from rising cost pressure and plans to raise prices to mitigate the impact.</p>


Oriental Kopi to raise menu prices amid rising raw material costs

<p>CBH Engineering Holdings Bhd (KL:CBHB) saw its initial public offering (IPO) of 94.05 million shares — available to the public at 28 sen apiece — oversubscribed by 34.21 times.</p>


CBH Engineering’s IPO shares for public oversubscribed by 34 times

<p>Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad&nbsp;Zahid&nbsp;Hamidi has appealed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to grant a full pardon to the jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.</p>


Zahid pleads with King for full pardon of Najib following court's decision allowing addendum appeal

<p>Gateway Development Alliance (GDA), the consortium proposing to privatise Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) (KL:AIRPORT), has extended the closing time and date for the acceptance of its takeover offer to 5pm on Jan 17, 2025, from 5pm on Jan 8, 2025, previously.&nbsp;</p>


Khazanah-EPF consortium gives MAHB shareholders seven more working days to accept takeover bid

<p>A former hedge fund manager whose firm made billions during the global financial crisis is ready to pounce on volatility again, as he sees threats to market stability at a level not seen since 2008.</p>


Trader who made billions in 2008 returns to bet on market swings

<p>Despite being 1Malaysia Development Bhd's (1MDB)&nbsp;then chairman of the board of advisors (BOA), its sole shareholder&nbsp;and the then prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that he never hired or fired anyone at the company.</p>


1MDB-Tanore: Najib says merely 'formalised' board appointments, management had autonomy

<p>US President-elect Donald Trump denied a <em>Washington Post</em> report that his aides are considering narrowing his tariff plan so that it would only apply to limited specific critical imports.</p>


Trump says his tariff policy won’t be pared back

<p>Aizo Group Bhd (KL:AIZO), formerly known as Minetech Resources Bhd, has been selected to develop a 99.99MW large-scale solar photovoltaic plant in Kampar, Perak.</p>


Aizo selected by EC to develop 99.99MW solar plant in Perak

<p>The Prisons Department never received any directive from the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya Pardons Board to allow Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.</p>


Prisons Department never received any order on Najib's house arrest — Saifuddin Nasution

<p>Proton Holdings Bhd, in which DRB-Hicom Bhd (KL:DRBHCOM) owns a 50.1% stake, concluded 2024 with 152,352 cars sold, retaining its second-place position in the local market for the sixth year running.</p>


Proton's annual sales up less than 1% in 2024, defends second spot for sixth year

<p>D&amp;O Green Technologies Bhd (KL:D&amp;O) said its 93.2%-owned subsidiary Dominant Electronics Sdn Bhd (DESB) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jing Wei Hirain Automotive Electronics Malaysia Sdn Bhd to establish a new operating company in Malaysia focusing on engineering services and automotive module production.</p>


D&O unit signs MOU with China-listed Beijing Jingwei Hirain Technologies for automotive module business in Malaysia

<p>Citaglobal Bhd (KL:CITAGLB) has acquired&nbsp;a 55% equity stake in&nbsp;Germany’s LAWI Engineering GmbH (LAWI Germany), as part of a partnership to provide advanced waste-to-energy (WTE) technology and engineering solutions for waste management projects.&nbsp;</p>


Citaglobal acquires 55% stake in waste-to-energy partner LAWI Germany for undisclosed value

<p>Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Monday.</p>


MAHB, Oriental Kopi, Kerjaya Prospek, Kumpulan Kitacon, T7 Global, Aizo, Keyfield, Citaglobal, D&O

<p>XOX Networks Bhd (KL:XOXNET), an event management and distribution company, has proposed a share capital reduction to wipe out up to RM55 million of its accumulated losses.</p>


XOX Networks proposes share capital reduction to eliminate losses

<p>Wawasan Dengkil Holdings Bhd, a construction services company, entered into an underwriting agreement with M&amp;A Securities in conjunction with its initial public offering (IPO) on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.</p>


Wawasan Dengkil Holdings inks underwriting agreement with M&A Securities

<p>A summary of how key Bursa Malaysia indices and the ringgit performed on Monday.</p>


FBM KLCI down 0.24% to 1,625.47 on Jan 6, 2025

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EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

<p>Malaysia’s palm oil inventories are forecast to fall in December, for a third consecutive month, amid declining production due to recent heavy rainfall that affected the harvest, a <em>Reuters </em>survey showed on Monday.</p>


Malaysia’s end-December palm oil stocks decline for third straight month on lower output

<p>US President Joe Biden is indefinitely blocking offshore oil and gas development in more than 625 million acres (252.93 million hectares) of US coastal waters, warning that drilling there is simply “not worth the risks” and “unnecessary” to meet the nation’s energy needs.&nbsp;</p>


Biden bars offshore oil drilling in US Atlantic and Pacific

<p>Oil and gas services firm Keyfield International Bhd (KL:KEYFIELD) is acquiring a five-year-old platform supply vessel for US$17.6 million (RM79.2&nbsp;million).</p>
