Months of sustained wildfires in Indonesia have caused a spike in respiratory illnesses and blanketed several Southeast Asian countries in hazardous haze, with Singapore and Malaysia also hit badly over the last week.

The pollution has stoked political tensions across the region, with officials questioning Jakarta's handling of the fires as well as its reluctance to accept help from its neighbours.

Why is the haze so bad in Southeast Asia this year?

The US government said on Thursday it is suspendingsome major global tech and IT firms including Microsoft and Cognizant from a key green card programme that allows skilled foreign workers to gain permanent residency through their employment.

The tech green-card programme under attack from Trump

It’s telling that among the first casualties of David Ellison’s takeover of Warner Bros Discovery Inc were Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the studio executives known for spending freely on auteur-driven films like last year’s best-picture winner, One Battle After Another.

Ellison’s new Skydance seeks to wring more profits from movies

India's Tata Group, which owns Jaguar Land Rover and Air India, is facing its worst crisis in years, pitting the board of its holding company against its controlling charity arm and raising questions about the future of the 158-year-old conglomerate.

Tata Group's boardroom clash rocks India's most storied conglomerate

Investors are gaining more confidence in the Federal Reserve's inflation-fighting backbone, but uncertainty about how far it will raise interest rates to keep prices in check is likely to cause volatility for stocks and bonds in the weeks ahead.

The US central bank on Wednesday raised rates for the first time since 2023, a widely expected move as it seeks to address persistently above-target inflation, despite repeated public calls by President Donald Trump for rate cuts. Bond yields pulled back on Thursday, after a long run-up which had partly reflected worries over whether the central bank would take action.

Fed builds credibility, but hawkish turn leaves investors edgy

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s latest family support package is a familiar strategy for Singapore: make parenthood cheaper and easier in the hope that people will have more children. The record shows there are limits to how much that can actually achieve.

Singapore doubles down on a baby push that keeps falling short

US President Donald Trump last Friday vowed to hit Iran hard economically, a day after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that Washington would impose measures on Tehran that have "never been seen" as soon as next week.

Trump wants more economic pressure on Iran. What are his options?

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran is preparing to step down after nearly a decade at the helm, intensifying focus on succession and a potential stock market listing.

The transition at Tata Sons, the holding company of 31 group companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Air India, has also raised questions about the balance of power between its board and the charitable trusts that control the conglomerate.

Why India's Tata Sons is facing pressure to list

Near-record inventories, technological advances and the rise of key exporters such as Brazil and Russia have made the global food system more resilient to this year's "super" El Niño than similar past events.

Decades of farm gains, inventories strengthen food system against 'super' El Niño

Global investors pulled back from South Korean stocks through a wild turn in July but are keeping faith with the heavyweight chipmakers on the view that their growth momentum is intact, while leveraged holdings that rocked the market may have thinned out.

Big investors think it might be time to buy in South Korea

A technique that allows developers to shrink powerful artificial intelligence models into cheaper, more efficient systems has become the latest battleground in the intensifying US-China race for AI dominance.

Known as model distillation, the method uses the outputs of a powerful AI system to train a smaller model that can perform some of the same tasks with fewer computing resources.

What is AI model distillation and why is it becoming a US-China flashpoint?

Meta can simultaneously fuel its own AI ambitions and rent out its scarce computing capacity to bolster returns, CEO Mark Zuckerberg signaled on Wednesday. The problem is: investors aren't buying it.

The Instagram owner is splurging billions to build compute — chips, servers, energy and data centers that power AI — leaving it with free cash flow of just US$784 million in the second quarter to run and grow its business. That collapse, of 91% from a year ago, drove its stock down more than 9% on Thursday.

Meta's AI splurge lays bare its compute conundrum

Nearly five million Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members under the age of 55 have tapped into the 'Akaun Fleksibel' facility as of October 2025, with total withdrawals reaching RM16.6 billion, according to the pension fund’s latest research report.

EPF's Akaun Fleksibel: Trends, withdrawals and spending patterns

After a year of adjustment, Southeast Asia’s auto sector in 2026 is shifting from rapid growth to sustainable development. Chinese automakers, once new entrants, are now shaping consumer expectations and competition beyond just price, says Carsome group chief business officer Aaron Kee.

Chinese car brands shaping consumer expectations in Southeast Asia, says Carsome

The average size of monitored wildlife populations worldwide declined by 73% between 1970 and 2022, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) “Living Planet Report 2026: The Science of Hope”, released on Oct 8.

Monitored wildlife populations shrink by 73% on average over five decades

With the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) preparing to mandate recycling facilities across all shopping malls, retail operators must begin investing substantial time and capital into recycling initiatives, mainly centred on waste separation at source systems and logistics partnersh...

Circular Economy: Malls taking the lead to promote recycling

Six youths looking to sue the government in their bid to enforce Malaysia’s 50% forest cover pledge will know on Dec 9 whether their case can proceed further, their lawyer Lim Wei Jiet tells ESG.

The six applicants are Abe Lim, Sitti Fatimah, Winona Elisha Jemak, Lee Yu Dong, A...

Action: High Court to rule on ‘Mana Hutan Kami’ suit on Dec 9 following AGC objection

The Securities Commission Malaysia’s (SC) announced plan to ask major listed companies for their El Niño preparedness is both a climate-disclosure development and a governance stress test, assessing the quality of board oversight over climate-related business risk.

Many Malaysian organi...

Views: When moderate to low climate risk becomes a board’s blind spot

While carbon footprints and board diversity are frequently discussed, the inclusion of neurodivergent individuals — those with autism, attention-deficit or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other cognitive differences — remains a frontier that few small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have dared to...

Social: Incentive claiming process for hiring PWDs needs to be digitalised and simplified

A common criticism of nature-based carbon projects is that they could erode the rights of indigenous communities who live on the land and rely on the forests for farming, hunting and gathering forest produce.

There are allegations of failure by project developers to engage with indigeno...

Cover Story: Benefit sharing in carbon credit projects must be strengthened

Datuk Ho Leng Wai, executive chairman of CY Plastic Recycling Group of Companies, began his career in this industry on the ground. He started by collecting plastic scrap and later made a trip to China to learn how to turn it into new plastic again.

In 2004, he established a factory in K...

Waste: Consumer acceptance and regulation needed to boost use of post-consumer recycled plastics

Under a voluntary framework unveiled on Sept 28, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) wants the telecommunications, broadcasting, and postal and courier sectors to manage 15 million devices sustainably and set up 300 e-waste collection and refurbishment points by 2030.

Blueprint: MCMC targets 15 million devices managed sustainably under voluntary road map

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

Maxis, Zetrix AI, Bursa Malaysia, CTOS Digital, CIMB, Jati Tinggi, Oriental Interest, Pantech Group, Berjaya Property, Titijaya, T7 Global & Kanger International

Private healthcare group Asia OneHealthcare Bhd (A1H), whose portfolio includes Subang Jaya Medical Centre and the Columbia Asia network, has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) on Bursa Malaysia to fund hospital expansion, maintenance capital expenditure and debt repayment.

Asia OneHealthcare files for IPO to fund hospital expansion, repay debt

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has fined two subsidiaries of AMMB Holdings Bhd (KL:AMBANK) a total of RM552,000 for failing to promptly report cash transactions of RM25,000 and above, following lapses in their reporting systems.

BNM fines AmBank, AmBank Islamic RM552,000 over delayed cash transaction reports

The Malaysian billionaire families behind Maxis Bhd (KL:MAXIS) and U Mobile Sdn Bhd are reviving plans to combine the companies in a deal that could create the country’s biggest wireless operator by market value, people with knowledge of the matter said.

Malaysian billionaires said to revive plan to create nation’s biggest mobile operator

States without sufficient water supply will not be allowed to host data centres, even if land is available, as Malaysia tightens its approval process for new projects, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.

States without sufficient water supply cannot host data centres, says Johari Ghani

<div class="content-side-bar-box" style="background-color: lightblue; color: black;">
Summary

•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;While high-profile deals continue (such as the RM132 million sale of Menara Haw Par and other land acquisitions), buyer...

Menara Haw Par deal signals renewed interest in KL’s Golden Triangle

Singapore’s top diplomat got to Jakarta so fast this week that his hosts described the visit as unexpected.&nbsp;

Singapore’s top envoy on mission to soothe Indonesian angst

Berjaya Property Bhd's (KL:BPROP) unit Berjaya Construction Bhd said on Wednesday it will undertake design-and-build works for the Sanglang Port development project in Perlis.

Berjaya Construction to undertake design-and-build works for RM1.2 bil port development project in Perlis

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has paid a visit to Zetrix AI Bhd’s (KL:ZETRIX) headquarters in Petaling Jaya as part of an investigation involving the company, according to sources familiar with the matter.&nbsp;

SC visits Zetrix AI headquarters amid probe, sources say

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will vigorously resist a Lebanese jewellery firm’s bid to enforce a High Court judgement in June which had ordered her to pay the firm RM67.5 million over 43 missing pieces of jewellery that had been sent to her in February 2018.

Rosmah to vigorously resist Lebanese firm enforcing RM67.5 mil judgement on her

AMMB Holdings Bhd (KL:AMBANK) will likely shrug off rising bond yields, and it may be time to start buying shares of the sixth-largest bank in Malaysia again, an analyst said.

AMMB on track with earnings, time to ‘buy’ again — analyst

Mitsubishi Materials Corporation will stop processing copper and copper alloy strips in Johor as part of reorganisation efforts at the Japanese smelting firm.

Mitsubishi Materials to shut down copper processing ops in Johor

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 28): Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA) reported on Wednesday that its earnings grew nearly 10% in the third quarter from a year earlier, thanks to higher trading activities.

Bursa Malaysia grows 3Q net profit by nearly 10%, says on track with targets

Standard Chartered (StanChart) on Wednesday hiked its full-year growth and profitability targets after third-quarter income handily beat estimates, sending its shares 8% higher.

StanChart shares soar after it hikes full-year targets and trounces profit estimates

Malaysian advanced materials company and deep-tech unicorn&nbsp;Vertex Material plans to list on the US Nasdaq stock exchange in the second or third quarter of next year, targeting&nbsp;to raise funds of US$300 million (RM1.22 billion) to US$400 million, said its chief executive officer Chris Lai.

Malaysia's Vertex Material plans Nasdaq listing by 2Q-3Q next year, to raise US$300m to US$400m

Israel's currency, stocks and bonds came under pressure on Wednesday as election results showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc performing more strongly than expected, but still falling short of a parliamentary majority.

Israeli stocks fall, shekel weakens as Netanyahu bloc beats election forecasts

The Malaysia Competition Commission is investigating 510 firms over suspected bid-rigging in tenders worth more than RM3 billion across the public and private sectors.

Malaysia Competition Commission probes 510 companies for potential bid-rigging

Tan &amp; Tan Developments Bhd, the property development arm of IGB Bhd (KL:IGBB), is all set to unveil its mixed-use development — Aviera Bangsar South — in Kuala Lumpur this November.

The freehold project, which has a gross development value (GDV) of RM656 million, comprises the 35-st...

Tan & Tan Developments to launch Aviera Bangsar South next month

Opcom Holdings Bhd, now known as Hextar capital Bhd (KL:HEXTAR), co-founder Eric Chhoa Kwang Hua is seeking to list fibre-optic cable protection materials manufacturer Unigel Global Bhd on Bursa Malaysia’s ACE Market to fund its Malaysian expansion.

Opcom co-founder Eric Chhoa’s Unigel Global seeks ACE Market listing to fund Malaysian expansion

JAKARTA (Oct 28): Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara has submitted a bid to buy a stake in the country's stock exchange as the bourse prepares for demutualisation, the exchange's chief executive said on Wednesday.

Danantara bids for stake in Indonesian stock exchange, bourse chief says

T7 Global Bhd (KL:T7GLOBAL) said on Wednesday it has secured a three-year contract to provide hook-up and commissioning (HUC) services in Peninsular Malaysia from a&nbsp;PETRONAS-Eni joint venture.

T7 Global bags three-year commissioning contract from PETRONAS-Eni JV   

<div class="content-side-bar-box" style="background-color: lightblue; color: black;">
Summary

•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Malaysian market players view Indonesia’s planned Icomex positively

•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Success of futures pr...

Analysis

‌
‌

Analysis

‌‌

‌
‌