For President Xi Jinping, the stage was set for an explosive start to Donald Trump’s presidency, after he campaigned on a promise to punish China with tariffs. Instead, the American leader’s first day back in office bought Beijing some unexpected breathing room.

Xi dodges early Trump tariffs, buying China time to influence US

Ahead of Donald Trump's presidential inauguration, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg ended its US fact-checking programmes meant to label viral, misleading content.

Meta dropped fact-checkers in US — what does this mean for the world?

Chinese social media app RedNote has been thrust into the limelight after more than half a million TikTok users recently joined the platform in protest against a likely imminent ban on the short video app in the US.

China's RedNote: What you need to know about the app TikTok users are flocking to

The world is bracing for a fight for natural gas supplies this year, prolonging the pain of higher bills for consumers and factories in energy-hungry Europe and putting poorer emerging countries from Asia to South America at risk of getting priced out of the market.

Europe threatens to trigger a global scramble for natural gas

We journalists are by nature a pretty paranoid lot. Permanently worried that somebody somewhere — governments, lawyers, our colleagues, the IT department — is about to do something terrible to us, or our copy.

How journalism will adapt in the age of AI

Donald Trump’s obsession with Greenland has put the world’s largest island in an unexpected position of power.

While Trump’s 2019 bid for the Arctic territory was dismissed as little more than a joke, the president-elect’s timing is better this time around — Greenlanders are intensifying their push for independence from Denmark. Within the next three months, they will hold a general election that will take the temperature of that relationship.

Greenland can use Trump’s proposed land grab to its advantage

Nato won't heed Donald Trump’s proposal for a massive hike in defence spending but will likely agree to go beyond its current target, according to officials and analysts.

The US president-elect declared on Tuesday members of the military alliance should spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence — a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no Nato country, including the United States, currently reaches.

Nato won't back Trump's new defence spending target but will raise its sights

As 2025 begins with wildfires wreaking devastation across Los Angeles, it’s now clear that insured losses from natural catastrophes last year soared to US$140 billion (RM630.8 billion), the highest since 2017 and well over double the 30-year average.

Extreme weather drives insured losses to highest since 2017

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.

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

For months, US Steel Corp argued that selling out to Japanese-owned Nippon Steel Corp was the only way to survive. President Joe Biden thought different, concluding that even a takeover by a company based in close ally Japan wasn’t enough to allay national-security concerns.

Nippon Steel rejection shows US national security means whatever you want

Wars in Europe and the Middle East. Global political upheaval. Angst over a potential US recession. These and other pitfalls stalked markets in 2024, but in the end investors who embraced risk reaped the rewards.

How US$10,000 fared in 2024 across a range of standout investments

Japan’s record dealmaking activity this year isn’t giving foreign firms much holiday cheer: For now, the field remains mostly dominated by the local megabanks and law firms with deep ties to the corporate world.

Nissan deal sets up next fight for bankers in Japan's M&A boom

Major European energy companies doubled down on oil and gas in 2024 to focus on near-term profits, slowing down — and at times reversing — climate commitments in a shift that they are likely to stick with in 2025.

Big Oil backtracks on renewables push as climate agenda falters

Asked what makes Nissan Motor Co a strong business partner, Honda Motor Co chief executive officer Toshihiro Mibe struggled to find the right words.

For Honda, a Nissan rescue comes with only a thin silver lining

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Mah Sing Group Bhd’s (KL:MAHSING) proposed acquisition of land in Sentul, its first deal of the year, is being done at fair and “attractive” valuations, analysts said.

Mah Sing's first land deal in 2025 is fair and attractive, analysts say

Bank of Japan (BOJ) governor Kazuo Ueda is on track to raise interest rates to the highest level since 2008 on Friday, after global financial markets responded with relative calm to US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

BOJ heading towards rate hike as markets take Trump in stride — Bloomberg

theedgemalaysia.com highlighted three stocks with momentum at Bursa Malaysia’s afternoon close on Wednesday. Two stocks showed negative momentum, while only one stock showed positive momentum.

Stocks with momentum on Jan 22, 2025: FSBM, Perak Transit, Keyfield International

A fugitive banker accused of orchestrating a US$1 billion (RM4.45 billion) fraud in Moldova appears to be helping Russian lenders and businesses to continue conducting foreign trade amid payment problems caused by sanctions.

Fugitive banker may be helping Russian firms beat US sanctions

Shares of SoftBank Group Corp jumped 12% on Wednesday, after the company announced it is teaming up with OpenAI, Oracle Corp and Abu Dhabi-backed MGX on a US$500 billion (RM2.22 trillion) project to build data centres and infrastructure in the US for the ChatGPT creator.

SoftBank shares soar as founder's AI vision coalesces

Google is making a fresh investment of more than US$1 billion (RM4.5 billion) into AI startup Anthropic, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.

Google to invest fresh US$1b in OpenAI rival Anthropic — report

Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s port business in Panama said it is committed to operating in the country, after local authorities launched an audit of the company, amid concerns raised by US President Donald Trump.

Li Ka-shing’s port firm ‘committed’ to Panama amid Trump threats

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he did not interfere with the attorney general’s (AG) prosecutorial discretion while he was prime minister.

Najib claims he was mindful not to interfere in AG's prosecutions 

Stocks in India look set for further declines as foreign investors resumed selling shares, amid persistent worries over company earnings growth and sluggish consumption.

Indian stock exodus balloons to US$5b on downbeat profits

THIS time last year, I wrote about how I saw the US stock market performing in 2024, after its spectacular 26.3% total return in 2023. Given the strong earnings growth in the US, robust capital expenditure around artificial intelligence (AI) and anticipated interest rate cuts, my view was that th...

How Asian investors should look at US stocks in 2025

Sunway Bhd (KL:SUNWAY) has started the ball rolling for the initial public offer (IPO) of its healthcare unit, sources told The Edge.

Maybank Investment Bank Bhd and AmInvestment Bank Bhd are said to be the front-runners as principal advisers for the IPO of Sunway Healthcare Group, the sources said.

Sunway shortlists bankers for healthcare unit's IPO 

MIDF Research said&nbsp;the recent selldown of data centre-linked construction stocks&nbsp;may have been overdone as it sees the US’ AI chip export restrictions having minimal impact on data centre operations here.

In a note, MIDF Research said this prompted&nbsp;its upgrade on&nbsp;Sunway Construction Group Berhad (KL:SUNCON) to a “buy”, from “neutral”.

MIDF says selldown on data centre-related stocks overdone, upgrades SunCon

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): Malaysia’s property market is now showing signs of improvement that will lift Malaysian banking stocks under pressure from uncertainties over data-centre outlook, according to CIMB Securities.

CIMB Securities: Malaysian property market now showing signs of improvement that will lift banking stocks

(Jan 22): US&nbsp;President Donald&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;on Tuesday announced&nbsp;a&nbsp;private&nbsp;sector&nbsp;investment&nbsp;of up to US$500&nbsp;billion (RM2.23 trillion) to fund&nbsp;infrastructure&nbsp;for artificial intelligence (AI),&nbsp;aiming to outpace rival nations in the business-critical technology.

Trump announces private-sector US$500 bil investment in AI infrastructure

Founders of FashionValet Sdn Bhd Datin Vivy Yusof and her husband Datuk Fadzarudin Shah Anuar have been charged with the misappropriation of RM8 million from Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), belonging to the company.

FashionValet founders claim trial to alternative charges of fund misappropriation

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday vowed to hit the European Union with tariffs and said his administration was discussing a 10% punitive duty on Chinese imports because fentanyl is being sent from China to the US via Mexico and Canada.

Trump stirs tariff pot with fresh threats on EU, Feb 1 China deadline

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 22): TechStore Bhd, which provides hardware and software to businesses, has fixed its initial public offering (IPO) price at 20 sen per share ahead of its listing on the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia.

Enterprise hardware and software firm TechStore sets IPO price at 20 sen

President Donald Trump said he would be open to billionaire supporter Elon Musk or Oracle Corp chairman Larry Ellison purchasing social video app TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government.

Trump says he’s open to Elon Musk or Larry Ellison purchasing TikTok

Global stocks gained on Wednesday as a flurry of new policies from US President Donald Trump combined with robust corporate earnings to bolster investor optimism, while tariff uncertainty kept the dollar near two-week lows.

Stocks bask in Trump glow, tariff uncertainty weighs on dollar

Malaysia's currency hit a six-week high and stocks advanced for a fourth straight session on Wednesday ahead of a central bank policy decision, while a gauge of emerging Asian equities reversed course weighed by China on US tariff plans.

Ringgit hits six-week high ahead of BNM decision

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said digitalisation is a "missing component" in all of Malaysia's previous free trade agreements (FTAs).

PM: Malaysia seeks to upgrade its free trade agreements to cover digitalisation

Over the past two years, the Biden administration struck a careful balance on artificial intelligence. The White House took steps to ensure the US stayed ahead of China in developing the technology while also trying to address some of AI’s many potential risks.

Trump pushes to make US an AI superpower, with fewer guardrails 

Indonesia's antitrust agency on Tuesday ordered Google to pay fines about 202 billion rupiah (US$12.4 million or RM55.3 million) for unfair business practices related to its payment system services for Google Play Store, its software distribution platform.

Indonesia fines Google US$12.4m for unfair business practices

Lawmakers in some of Asia’s key digital-assets markets are warming to the industry as Donald Trump’s pro-crypto agenda in the US ripples through the region.

Crypto fears ease in Asia as officials aim to keep up with Trump

Inflation in Malaysia eased slightly and was marginally slower than expected in December as prices of non-food items and services rose at a more moderate pace, official data released on Wednesday showed.

Malaysia’s inflation in December slows as non-food price pressure eases, official data shows

President Donald Trump faces a host of headwinds that could thwart his ability to generate a boom for the US economy, according to Harvard University professor Ken Rogoff.

Trump’s plan to trigger boom risks coming undone, Rogoff warns

Analysts are positive on Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust’s (KL:SUNREIT) acquisition of AEON Mall Seri Manjung in Perak, prompting revisions of their earnings forecasts.

Analysts raise Sunway REIT earnings forecasts after AEON Mall acquisition in Perak

Microsoft on Tuesday said it has changed some key terms of a deal with OpenAI after the ChatGPT creator announced a joint venture with Oracle and Japan's SoftBank Group to build up to US$500 billion (RM2.2 trillion) of new AI data centres in the United States.

Microsoft relaxes data centre grip on OpenAI amid US$500b joint venture

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21): The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country’s healthcare system will not only boost efficiency but also help reduce cost wastage, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday.

Anwar: AI in healthcare to boost efficiency, reduce cost wastage

DAVOS, Switzerland (Jan 21):&nbsp; Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia&nbsp;is not in “pressing need” to adopt nuclear power, as the country still sees much potential in solar power and the Asean Power Grid (APG).

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