The Hour Glass’ exceptional customer service is a key factor contributing to its reputation as one of the region’s most respected specialist watch retailers. While its extensive range of timepieces and brands is undeniably alluring, it is oftentimes the intimate connections forged through its personnel that cultivate multi-generational loyalty.

All in good time

Covid brought Leong Kwong Yee back to his adopted hometown, Penang, where he noticed there was no contemporary art space. In 2022, he opened Blank Canvas in the heart of George Town, which welcomes artists, curators, exhibitors and everybody to participate in bringing out art. The spirit with which he created the non-commercial space syncs with its name: People are free to pursue their art, exchange ideas, have conversations and collaborate, particularly across borders.

Homing in on art

To be the first takes daring commitment, a strong sense of purpose, and — as GXBank chief executive officer Lai Pei Si and chief of staff Hildah Hamzah will tell you — a little craziness.

Fortune favours the bold

Time is the great equaliser. Anne-Laure Pressat, an executive director of esteemed cognac line Louis XIII, knows this well. Crafted over a century, each bottle is the product of a 150-year legacy, commemorating generations who dedicated their lives to the maison. For Pressant, who has enjoyed 12 years with the Rémy Cointreau group, every day is carried out with the next 100 years in mind — and the future she imagines is bright. At The Chamber in The Starhill here, Pressat talks about her most memorable moments with the King of Cognacs, the key to creating a brand that stands the test of time and honouring those who live on with us in spirit.

Captain of the cru

Life’s a cinch, so the saying goes. It might surprise everyone, though, that the renowned landscape artist Inch Lim started working with gardens only at the age of 46. Today, with Inchscape firmly established, he turns his attention to the possibility of converting his celebrated country estate in Batu Pahat, Johor, into an eco-conscious retreat.

Nature and nurture

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 13): Poignant best describes the year 1948. It began with the assassination of Indian pacifist leader Mahatma Gandhi by an extremist. Midway through, our tanahair (homeland Malaysia) was rocked by what would be the start of a guerrilla war between the military forces of the Federation of Malaya and the Communists, that would become known as the Malayan Emergency, or Darurat Tanah Melayu. Happening almost concurrently 8,000km away in the Middle East was what is now referred to as the Nakba.

Brave heart

Many ingredients are vital for one to go far in F&B. Being accountable and responsible are two, says Upper Palace Dining Group founder Datuk Henry Yip, who learnt that the hard way.

Tastes and tribulations

Art collecting is a profoundly personal, often lifelong, pursuit. For Ng Seksan, the adroit landscape architect who has dedicated his career to attenuating the urban sprawl’s ecological imbalance, the bug bit hard in 1994, the same year his firm Seksan Design was established.

Life imitates art

The condition of higher education is instrumental to the strengthening and development of a nation, but as new generations of aspiring scientists are faced with increasingly complex global issues from the pandemic to climate change, how can universities adapt their curricula to prepare their students?

Of nature and systems

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 15): Inspired by the ongoing “Naomi: In Fashion” exhibition at the Victoria & Albert museum in London, we take a look at some of the most unforgettable moments in the groundbreaking model, cultural icon and activist’s 40-year (and counting) career history, starring Suganya Bala Subramaniam.

Super trouper

Those who have read When Breath Becomes Air, the beautiful and evocative autobiography by the late neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi that documents his battle against stage IV metastatic lung cancer, can rest assured they won’t be ugly-crying while reaching for the Kleenex in the book Beyond The White Coat.

Of passion + compassion

KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 1): Child of the cinema and a bona fide style icon, Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola releases a line of sheer tinted lip balms in collaboration with cult skincare brand Augustinus Bader.

Gloss in translation

In honour of the 67th anniversary of Merdeka, 10 of the country’s best and brightest sartorial talents — from the OGs to the rising stars — play dress up (albeit with a local twist) with one of the industry’s best-loved personalities — model, actress and TV host Scha Al-Yahya.

Style of a nation

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 18): When Puan Sri Siew Yong Gnanalingam was first approached about joining the charter of Soroptimist International Petaling Jaya, she was unaware of its existence and had no interest in taking part, being then too busy with her job as public relations manager of Malaysia Airlines.

Hear her roar!

The government successfully saved almost RM1 million in flight costs for the recent official visit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his delegation, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi: Govt saved nearly RM1 mil in Anwar's official flight costs

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a stimulus package that’s slightly bigger than last year’s, as he followed up on a pledge to ramp up support for households and businesses struggling to cope with higher costs.

Japan’s Cabinet approves stimulus in show of progress for Ishiba

Amazon.com Inc is investing an additional US$4 billion (RM17.87 billion) in artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic, boosting its stake in one of OpenAI’s chief rivals.

Amazon invests additional US$4b in AI firm Anthropic

The corporate earnings reporting season for the July-September quarter comes to a close this week. Among the companies slated to announce their financial results are banking groups Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK), Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK), RHB Bank Bhd (KL:RHBBANK) and Hong Leong Bank Bhd (KL:HLBANK) as well as utility giant Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA).

The Week Ahead: Spotlight on corporate earnings of banks, Tenaga and Opec+ meeting

President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he will nominate prominent investor Scott Bessent as the US Treasury secretary, a key Cabinet position with vast influence over economic, regulatory and international affairs.

Trump taps tax reform, deregulation advocate Scott Bessent for Treasury

US bank Citigroup has received approval to establish its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday.

Citi granted licence for regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, memo shows

Global stocks registered a strong weekly gain on Friday, while US Treasury yields slipped as markets eyed President-elect Donald Trump's likely policies and their impact on the US economy, even as bitcoin traded near the US$100,000 (RM446,800) threshold.

Stocks notch strong weekly gain, US yields slip as markets eye Trump policies

When Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) was established in 2007, with an initial fund of RM41.9 billion, the federal government’s pension and gratuity obligations stood at a mere RM8.25 billion, just 6.7% of its total operating expenditure (opex).

The pension conundrum: KWAP pushes for thoughtful reform amid growing charges

UK retail sales declined more than expected in October, as uncertainty over Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves first budget prompted consumers to hold back spending.

UK retail sales fell more than expected amid budget anxiety

The banks most reluctant to tap the US central bank's discount window to shore up their capital are in fact those who face the highest failure risk, according to new research from the New York Federal Reserve (Fed) that turns the notion of bank emergency borrowing stigma on its head.

New York Fed paper challenges notion of discount window stigma

Vizione Holdings Bhd (KL:VIZIONE) said its unit has served a notice to Inspirasi Langkawi Sdn Bhd to terminate its employment as main contractor for the development of a 14-storey hotel in Langkawi, claiming it had not been properly paid for its works so far.

Vizione quits RM116 mil hotel construction job over alleged unpaid works

Here is a brief recap of some corporate announcements that made the news on Friday.

Allianz Malaysia, Bumi Armada, Bintulu Port, D&O, Sarawak Plantation, Favelle Favco, CSC Steel, BM Greentech, SkyWorld, Lagenda Properties, Solarvest, SMI, Icon Offshore, Top Glove, MNRB, Chin Hin Group Property

A record-high US$7 trillion (RM31.28 trillion) of cash is currently sitting "on the sidelines" in money market funds (MMFs). Anyone hoping to see a significant chunk of this flooding the wider investment field in the coming months may be disappointed.

America's US$7 tril cash stash isn't going anywhere

When Kumpulan Wang Persaraan (Diperbadankan) (KWAP) was established in 2007, with an initial fund of RM41.9 billion, the federal government’s pension and gratuity obligations stood at a mere RM8.25 billion, just 6.7% of its total operating expenditure (opex).

The corporate earnings reporting season for the July-September quarter comes to a close this week. Among the companies slated to announce their financial results are banking groups Malayan Banking Bhd (KL:MAYBANK), Public Bank Bhd (KL:PBBANK), RHB Bank Bhd (KL:RHBBANK) and Hong Leong Bank Bhd (KL:HLBANK) as well as utility giant Tenaga Nasional Bhd (KL:TENAGA).

French defence and technology firm Thales said on Friday it was denying unspecified allegations after Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) announced a joint investigation with French authorities into suspected bribery and corruption.

Thales denies wrongdoing as Anglo-French bribery probe hits shares

Cboe Global Markets Inc. said it is set to list the first cash-settled index options related to the spot price of Bitcoin, marking the latest addition of cryptocurrency-related securities to traditional exchanges.

Cboe to launch cash-settled Bitcoin ETF options as crypto booms

President-elect Donald Trump on Friday said he will nominate prominent investor&nbsp;Scott Bessent&nbsp;as the US&nbsp;Treasury secretary, a key Cabinet position with vast influence over economic, regulatory and international affairs.

The banks most reluctant to tap the US&nbsp;central bank's discount window to shore up their capital are in fact those who face the highest failure risk, according to new research from the New York Federal Reserve (Fed) that turns the notion of bank emergency borrowing stigma on its head.

The S&amp;P 500 and the Dow touched over one-week highs on Friday after data showed a still robust economy, while small-cap stocks outperfomed large-cap indexes.

The S&amp;P flash PMI showed manufacturing activity stood at 48.8 in November, in line with estimates from a Reuters poll of economists.

S&P 500, Dow touch over one-week highs after business activity data

UK retail sales declined more than expected in October, as uncertainty over Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves first budget prompted consumers to hold back spending.

Amazon.com Inc&nbsp;is investing an additional US$4 billion (RM17.87 billion) in artificial intelligence (AI) startup Anthropic, boosting its stake in one of OpenAI’s chief rivals.

Global&nbsp;stocks registered&nbsp;a strong weekly gain on Friday, while US&nbsp;Treasury yields&nbsp;slipped as&nbsp;markets&nbsp;eyed President-elect&nbsp;Donald Trump's likely policies&nbsp;and their&nbsp;impact on the US&nbsp;economy, even as bitcoin traded near the US$100,000 (RM446,800) threshold.

A weekly round-up of tanker and dry bulk market (Nov 22, 2024)

Baltic Exchange shipping updates: Nov 22, 2024

As the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) chair for 2025, Malaysia has a key role in strengthening the Asean community and tackling complex regional challenges, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said.

Malaysia to strengthen Asean community, tackle regional challenges as Asean chair 2025 — Mohamad

US&nbsp;bank Citigroup has received approval to establish&nbsp;its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Friday.

A measure of US business activity raced to a 31-month high in November, boosted by hopes for lower interest rates and more business-friendly policies from President-elect Donald Trump's administration next year.

US business activity gauge rises to 31-month high in November

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a stimulus package that’s slightly bigger than last year’s, as he followed up on a pledge to ramp up support for households and businesses struggling to cope with higher costs.

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