<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>(Aug 19): European banks and other financial companies are set to pay out a record €228 billion (RM1.07 trillion) this year to shareholders, according to <em>Bloomberg</em> Intelligence.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>That will be up 13% from last year, with banks expected to lead earnings gains in the second half, BI analysts Laurent Douillet and Simbarashe Gumbo wrote in a report on Wednesday.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>HSBC Holdings plc, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA, Banco Santander SA, Allianz SE and Intesa Sanpaolo SpA account for about €54 billion of the total, according to BI.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Many European financial firms have caught up with the profitability of US competitors. Yet revenue that has barely increased since 2020 means growth remains their “Achilles heel", the BI analysts said.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Estimates indicate that the financial sector will be the largest growth contributor to earnings on the MSCI Europe Index this year and next, the analysts wrote. Banks and insurers are set to benefit from higher interest rates and efficiency from deploying artificial intelligence, according to BI.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p><em>Uploaded by Arion Yeow</em></p></div>


European banks and other financial companies are set to pay out a record €228 billion (RM1.07 trillion) this year to shareholders, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.

European financial firms set for record €228 bil in payouts

Limousines whisked world leaders away from the United Nations (UN) on Friday after a week of speeches, meetings and hallway diplomacy.

Six big takeaways from a turbulent week of UN diplomacy

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has yet to receive Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook’s resignation letter.

Anwar says yet to receive letter on Loke's resignation as transport minister

Asset World Corp Pcl’s new Thai Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) aims to raise at least US$1 billion (RM4.07 billion) through a listing as it seeks funds to expand its hotel and commercial property business, according to a senior executive.

Thai billionaire Charoen’s Asset World targets US$1 bil REIT IPO

The government will announce more decisive measures to ensure graduates secure jobs that match their qualifications and receive fair wages in Budget 2027, which will be tabled on Oct 9.

Govt to announce firm measures under Budget 2027 for fair wages — PM

Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter downplayed a suggestion that UBS Group AG could quit Switzerland to avoid stricter capital rules there, saying such a move would be more expensive than to stay.

Swiss finance minister says leaving Switzerland more costly for UBS

Kuehne+Nagel International AG sees at least three years of double-digit growth in the burgeoning business of logistics services catering to big technology companies and the data centres they’re building to handle the boom in artificial intelligence (AI).

Kuehne+Nagel CEO expects to ride AI-driven cargo wave into 2029

Bangkok authorities declared a flood disaster across the Thai capital on Saturday after almost 48 hours of heavy rain left canals full, roads submerged and residents wading through deep water.

Canals full, roads submerged as Bangkok declares flood disaster

The decision on the abolition of the 30% Bumiputera equity requirement for private educational institutions (IPS) falls under the purview of the relevant ministry in accordance with its jurisdiction, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

Private educational institutions' 30% Bumiputera equity requirement abolished under relevant ministry's purview — Akmal Nasrullah

China agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the US next year and again in 2028, according to the White House, in a sign of further progress in easing trade frictions between the world’s two largest economies.

US says China to buy 10 mil tons of coal in 2027, 2028

The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development has channelled nearly RM10 billion through various support and financing programmes under the ‘Power Up 10K’ initiative to about 270,000 entrepreneurs nationwide as of the end of August.

Steven Sim: RM10b channelled to 270,000 entrepreneurs as of August

<p>Iran on Saturday awaited an official US response to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting in the wider Middle East war after <em>The Wall Street Journal </em>reported that US President Donald Trump had rejected the deal.</p>


Iran awaits US move after Trump said to have rejected peace plan

<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stressed that he would not interfere in matters concerning the position of the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, and that any dispute involving the royal institution should be resolved in accordance with the Constitution and the law.</p>


Anwar firm on not interfering in Negeri Sembilan Ruler's position

<p>President Donald Trump’s lavish welcome of leader Xi Jinping this week marked a high point for stability in a US-China relationship that’s seen a lot of lows. Now, the Chinese president&nbsp;is pushing to lock in more favourable terms on Taiwan and trade while he still can.</p>


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<p>The government is actively reviewing processes and systems to fully transition business applications online so that entrepreneurs no longer need to spend unnecessary time chasing officers for status updates.</p>


Govt committed to put business applications online, cut red tape, says Hannah Yeoh

<p>Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim heads into the Budget 2027 announcement on Oct 9 facing narrowing fiscal room, as higher fuel subsidies, a growing debt-servicing burden and the possibility of an early general election complicate the government’s efforts to keep fiscal consolidation on track.</p>


Double cover: Budget 2027’s narrowing fiscal space + Credit under watch

<p>Chipmaker SK Hynix's Solidigm is considering an initial public offering (IPO) as early as next year that could value the US subsidiary at up to US$150 billion (RM611&nbsp;billion), according to three people familiar with the matter.</p>


SK Hynix's Solidigm weighs IPO that could value the unit at up to US$150 bil, sources say

<p>US President Donald Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping against providing support to Iran during talks in Washington this week and received assurances that China would not do so, the US ambassador to China said on Friday.</p>


Trump said to receive assurances after warning China against supporting Iran

<p>Joe Baratta, the billionaire Blackstone Inc executive and long-time face of its signature buyout fund, is leaving the alternative asset manager by year end after 28 years.</p>


Blackstone’s PE chief Joe Baratta leaving firm

<p>US Treasury yields stabilised on Friday with benchmark 10-year note yields edging lower on the day as oil prices dropped, after they earlier set fresh multi-decade highs, with traders pricing in further Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate hikes.</p>


Battered bonds draw support from falling oil prices; stocks buoyed by AI enthusiasm

<p>The debate over artificial intelligence and employment has become preoccupied by a false choice. One side predicts large-scale job destruction; the other notes that aggregate data still show little. Both observations can be true. While AI’s economy-wide employment effects remain limited, the conditions for disruption are already emerging at the level of tasks, firms, and early careers. Given this, waiting for clear evidence that the shock has arrived would be a mistake. The data that eventually settle the argument may arrive only after the opportunity to shape the outcome has passed.</p>


The New Global Economy: AI and the Broken Career Ladder

<p>US President Donald Trump will host an event with tech and AI leaders on Tuesday to launch a new government website, as his administration faces pressure to adopt new guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence (AI).</p>


Tech, AI leaders to join Trump for launch of govt website

<p>OpenAI’s artificial intelligence (AI) models accessed publicly available information from US government websites, including those of the Census Bureau and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).</p>


OpenAI’s models accessed public US census, SEC data

<p>Barisan Nasional (BN) will begin negotiations&nbsp;with two different&nbsp;groups next week on cooperation for the Melaka state election, said its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.</p>


Melaka polls: BN to hold separate talks with two groups next week

<p>A federal appeals court upheld on Friday the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic from military contracts, handing a victory to US President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in their battle with the artificial intelligence (AI) start-up over safety guardrails on its technology.</p>


US appellate court upholds Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic

<p>The White House has offered assurances that the Trump administration won’t ban US diesel exports, Senator Ted Cruz told refining industry leaders late on Friday.</p>


Refining industry leaders told White House won't ban diesel exports

<p>US television networks resumed coverage of President Donald Trump’s White House events on Friday, providing the first live pool access for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, as a legal battle continues over restrictions on <em>CNN</em>,<em> MS NOW</em> and<em> Politico</em>.</p>


Trump's media fight continues as CNN barred from weekend trip

<p>Alabama said on Friday it had reached a settlement with TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, that requires the social media platform to impose new usage limits and enhanced age-verification measures for users in the state, resolving claims that the platform endangered children and misled consumers about its safety.</p>


TikTok reaches first state settlement over teen safety claims, agrees to user limits

<p>A weak earthquake, measuring 3.3 on the Richter scale, hit&nbsp;Kuamut here at 5.32am on Saturday, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).</p>


Weak earthquake hits Kinabatangan, no tsunami threat

<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that all proposals for a settlement in the 4-1/2-year-old war with Ukraine remained on the table, but Moscow still needs to assess what is in its best interests.</p>


Putin says all Ukraine peace proposals on table, but Russia must weigh its interests

<p>The Serian district police headquarters in Sarawak recorded an unhealthy air pollutant index (API) reading of 151 as of 9am on Saturday.</p>
