US President Donald Trump’s long-held fascination with the world of aviation is proving a useful tool for governments and companies seeking to win his favour. 

The US president is a noted aviation buff — branding his personal Boeing 757 “Trump Force One” and seeking to acquire a Qatari luxury jet to serve as a the new presidential aircraft. The latter is a prime example of the transactional nature of Trump’s presidency, a dynamic that was on full display during his tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Analysis: In Trump’s world, jets are key to unlocking political favours

US President Donald Trump’s hopes of securing as much as US$1 trillion (RM4.32 trillion) in investment commitments from Saudi Arabia might clash with another costly ambition — transforming the kingdom’s own economy.

Trump faces US$2 tril hurdle to win money from Saudi prince

To hear Donald Trump and some of his advisers tell it, trade tariffs will accomplish many things: stimulate the US economy, bring home manufacturing jobs, raise tax revenues and provide America leverage to renegotiate security deals with its allies. Many economists believe those aims are too sweeping, or downright contradictory.

Insight: In Trump's circle, some expect high tariffs even after trade deals

Long gone are the days when an imported car meant a foreign car. And no company proves the point more than General Motors Co (GM).

American car, made in South Korea: Why GM is getting roiled by tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to meet US President Donald Trump inside the Oval Office in a high-pressure bid to reset a relationship that has been shaken up by tariffs and US threats to Canada’s sovereignty.

Trump, Canada's Carney to meet with US$900b relationship on the line

An unprecedented two-day surge in Taiwan's currency is the latest leg of a scramble out of the US dollar and signal of disquiet in markets as US President Donald Trump's trade war rattles confidence and disrupts trade relationships.

Taiwan dollar's record rally is a trade-war tremor

Chinese investments in Southeast Asian manufacturing are likely much higher than official data showed, underscoring the difficulty of any US attempt to box in Beijing or exclude Chinese-made goods from its supply chains.

China’s investments in Southeast Asia snarl US plans for supply chains

Chinese lenders including Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd, China Construction Bank Corp, Agricultural Bank of China Ltd and Bank of China Ltd will report earnings, as the US-China trade war threatens to erode their margins.

Outlook for Chinese banks, HSBC and StanChart to be shadowed by US tariffs

Investors are fearful of a deep hit to asset prices if US President Donald Trump attempts to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, undermining confidence in the central bank's ability to fight inflation and act independently.

That could hurt the already bruised dollar, under-pressure equities and send bond yields higher, market participants said.

Investors fear Trump's attacks on Powell will pile on pain

Asian bond curves face the risk of steepening further as bets on monetary easing to soften the tariff blow drag down short-end yields, while long-term rates track Treasury yields higher.

Asian bond curves set to steepen more as trade war rages on

When Samsung Electronics chairman Jay Y Lee met Vietnam's prime minister in July, he had a simple message to convey.

What Samsung and Vietnam stand to lose in Trump's tariff war

US Treasuries are on track for their worst weekly sell-off in decades compared to German bunds, illustrating the extent to which President Donald Trump’s tariff policies have undermined faith in the market’s safest asset.

US bonds have never lost out this much to German bunds in a rout

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

Days after US President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs shocked multiple US trading partners and global markets, a handful of countries are emerging as potential winners, although the risk of a tariff-induced recession will limit the upside.

Brazil, Egypt and Singapore among potential winners from tariff onslaught

The impending hit to global oil demand from electric vehicles looks fractionally smaller than previously expected amid faltering American sales growth, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Electric vehicles hit to oil use looks slightly milder, IEA says

Over 9,000 delegates will participate in physical voting for the PKR central leadership election for the 2025-2028 term here next week.

PKR polls: Central leadership election involves over 9,000 physical and 20,000 online voting

Oil and gas (O&G) services provider Steel Hawk Bhd (KL:HAWK) is confident of further growth after its first quarter net profit more than doubled year on year, driven by stronger revenue as it received new work orders from Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) from recently awarded contracts.

O&G services provider Steel Hawk's 1Q profit jumps on strong orders from Petronas, cost efficiency

The Cabinet has given the Ministry of Transport (MOT) one month to complete a report on the road accident in Teluk Intan, Perak, that claimed the lives of nine members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) on Tuesday.

MOT has one month to submit report on fatal FRU crash — Fahmi

NEWS: AirAsia and Tourism Western Australia form a strategic partnership

Tencent Holdings Ltd’s revenue grew at its fastest pace in more than three years, affirming investors’ expectations that China’s gaming and social media leader will weather a potential global downturn in 2025.

Tencent grows fastest since 2021 in solid start to rocky year

A team of counsellors has been mobilised to provide emotional support to the families of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel, who tragically lost their lives in Tuesday's crash in Teluk Intan, helping them cope with their loss.

FRU truck crash: Counsellors mobilised to assist families cope with loss — Saifuddin 

VSTECS Bhd (KL:VSTECS) posted a 24% rise in net profit for the first quarter of 2025 on the back of higher information and communications technology (ICT) product sales.

VSTECS’ 1Q profit up 24% on robust ICT product sales

US stock futures and Treasuries posted small moves, with investors signalling that the equity rally is losing momentum as it stretches into a fourth week. The dollar fell.

US stocks churn as rally shows fatigue; dollar drops

Sunway Real Estate Investment Trust (KL:SUNREIT) reported a 20.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in its net property income in the first quarter of 2025, thanks to contribution from asset acquisitions made in 2024.

Sunway REIT’s 1Q net income rises 20% on new asset contribution, retail boost

The US Commerce Department issued guidance stating that the use of Huawei Technologies Co’s Ascend artificial intelligence (AI) chips “anywhere in the world” violates the government’s export controls, escalating US efforts to curb technological advances in China.

US warns that using Huawei AI chip ‘anywhere’ breaks its rules

Oil and gas services company Sapura Energy Bhd’s (KL:SAPNRG) external auditors have red-flagged the group’s ability to continue as a going concern, as its current liabilities have exceeded its current assets.&nbsp;

Auditors flag going concern risk in Sapura Energy's FY2025 accounts; regularisation plan submission by month end

Upstream oil and gas contractor Sapura Energy Bhd (KL:SAPNRG) has revealed its proposed regularisation plan to exit its Practice Note 17 (PN17) status, which could see the Ministry of Finance (MOF) owning up to 33% in the company following its RM1.1 billion capital injection in March.&nbsp;

MOF may end up with 33% in Sapura Energy with restructuring plan

KUALA LUMPUR (May 14): A key witness to Lim Guan Eng’s Penang undersea trial told the Sessions Court on Wednesday that he had kept a portion of the RM79 million obtained from the late businessman Datuk Ewe Swee Kheng in a safe, after obtaining the sum following a land swap in 2016.

Zarul Ahmad: I kept a portion of RM79 mil obtained from Ewe in my office safe

MN Holdings Bhd’s (KL:MNHLDG) stock rose to a new all-time high on Wednesday as Maybank Investment Bank joined coverage of the utilities engineering services firm.

MN Holdings charts new record high as Maybank joins coverage with 'buy'

MSCI maintained the constituents of its main country index for Malaysia while deleting six stocks from its small-cap index following its latest review.

The indices are closely watched by fund managers and foreign investors. An exclusion from the indices can trigger outflows as passive investors sell the former constituent in their portfolios to mirror the benchmarks.

MSCI keeps Malaysia index constituents unchanged, deletes six stocks from small-cap index

Signature Alliance Group Bhd, a subsidiary of kitchen and wardrobe maker Signature International Bhd (KL:SIGN), has launched its initial public offering (IPO) on the ACE Market, aiming to raise RM161.2 million.

Signature Alliance Group's ACE Market IPO aims to raise RM161.2 mil at 62 sen per share

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested three bank officers from two banking institutions in&nbsp;Kuala Lumpur over suspected involvement in money laundering and corruption regarding loan applications valued over RM21 million.

Three bank officers arrested for money laundering, corruption

SiCarrier, a Chinese chip equipment maker with close links to Huawei, has created a stir with the breadth of its planned product range.

Its efforts to become a one-stop shop for all tools needed to semiconductors illustrate how the sector — still relatively young in China — is responding to President Xi Jinping's call to reduce the country's reliance on foreign suppliers.

How China's chip equipment manufacturing sector stacks up

Lai Pei-Si, the chief executive officer of GXBank, Malaysia’s first digital bank, will lead Singapore’s GXS Bank after current group CEO Muthukrishnan Ramaswami retires on May 31.

Change of guard at GXBank as CEO Lai Pei-Si moves to head Singapore’s GXS Bank

KUALA LUMPUR (May 14): Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) shareholders can now continue focusing on infrastructure expansion and cost optimisation initiatives, after U Mobile Sdn Bhd exits DNB to become the sole shareholder of Malaysia’s second 5G network, analysts said.

DNB shareholders to focus on expansion, cost optimisation initiatives after U Mobile exit — analysts

Tenaga Nasional Bhd or TNB (KL:TENAGA) and Malakoff Corp Bhd (KL:MALAKOF) are expected to benefit most from Malaysia’s first new gas power plant tender in nine years, as demand rises sharply due to data centres.&nbsp;

TNB, Malakoff front runners for Malaysia’s first new gas power plant tender in nine years — CGS International

XOX Bhd’s (KL:XOX) managing director&nbsp;Datuk Kenneth Vun has been appointed as the chairman of Nexion Technologies Ltd, effective May 12.

XOX MD appointed as chairman of Hong Kong-based Nexion Technologies

KUALA LUMPUR (May 14): Wide-ranging unilateral tariffs imposed by the administration of the US President Donald Trump will cause short-term problems for certain sectors of the export-oriented states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) grouping, but will lose their bite over time considering the resilience of these countries, according to analysts.

US tariffs pose short-term threat, Asean resilience will prevail over long term — Xinhua

The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has reminded resident individuals not carrying on a business that the e-Filing deadline for the year of assessment 2024 is&nbsp;May 15, Thursday.

IRB reminds individuals to submit e-Filing for 2024 as May 15 deadline nears

KUALA LUMPUR (May 14): MCE Holdings Bhd’s (KL:MCEHLDG) unit will partner with China’s Cheling Smart Mobility Technology and Wuhu Atech Automotive Electronics to support Chery Malaysia’s local production, focusing on automotive parts, technology transfer, and quality standards, with potential joint investments in tooling or facilities.

MCE Holdings partners Chinese firms to support Chery Malaysia’s local production

The ringgit’s continued rally is cushioning input costs and boosting margins across consumer and manufacturing sectors, MIDF Research said on Wednesday.

Ringgit's rally to provide 'meaningful' boost to consumer stocks — MIDF

BUTTERWORTH (May 14): Former Penang deputy chief minister II Dr P&nbsp;Ramasamy was charged in the Sessions Court here on Wednesday on 17 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT)&nbsp;involving funds belonging to the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB) totalling RM859,131.29.

Ramasamy pleads not guilty to 17 criminal breach of trust charges involving Penang Hindu Endowment Board's funds

MOSCOW (May 13): The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected as biased a ruling by the United Nations (UN)&nbsp;aviation council, that Russia was responsible for the downing of a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine in 2014 that killed all 298 passengers and crew.

Russia rejects 'biased' UN ruling on 2014 downing of MH17

Kuala Lumpur’s real estate market is showing signs of resilience and broad-based growth across its key segments, according to JLL Malaysia’s market dynamics report&nbsp;for the first quarter of 2025 (1Q2025).

Analysis

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