KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit edged higher against the US dollar at Monday’s close and was mixed against its ASEAN peers, supported by signs of Malaysia’s economic resilience after advance gross domestic product expanded a stronger-than-expected 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025. At 6 pm, the local currency inched up to 4.0520/0570 against the greenback from 4.0555/0605 at last Friday’s close. "This is particularly as Bank Negara Malaysia’s Monetary Policy Committee decision on Thursday will be closely watched,” he told Bernama. "Markets remain uneasy over the (US President) Trump administration’s economic policies, especially its continued use of import tariffs to pursue policy objectives,” he added. It declined against the Singapore dollar to 3.1521/1562 from 3.1479/1521 and slid versus the Thai baht to 12.9623/9845 from 12.9115/9332.

KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) has appointed Mohd Jukris Abdul Wahab as chief operating officer (COO) with effect from Feb 1, 2026. In a brief statement today, the global energy company said the appointment was in line with its pursuit of transformation ambitions amid a dynamic global energy environment. "Mohd Jukris’ appointment as COO is concurrent with his role as executive vice president and chief executive officer of upstream at PETRONAS,” it added.

It left 122 people injured, with 48 still in ‍hospital and 12 in intensive care, according to emergency services. Firefighters later rescued her sister from the train and took ‍her to hospital, where she is in intensive care. Outside the ‌crash site, sirens echoed through the night as emergency vehicles flooded the narrow roads. Residents of Adamuz said the whole town mobilised, bringing water, blankets and food to help the stranded passengers. (Reporting by Nina Lopez, Michael Gore, Leonardo Benassatto, Susana Vera, writing by Jesus Calero, editing by Andrei Khalip and Sharon Singleton)

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The combination of the region's ongoing economic importance, developing financial markets and regulatory environment is creating opportunities in derivatives, as the global market shifts its focus eastward. Growth in derivatives trading in the Asia-Pacific region is being driven in part by its rising middle-income group. Embrace derivatives mktsThe ongoing development of China's derivatives market is a significant highlight in the Asia-Pacific derivatives sector. The provisions aim to enhance the regulation of program trading, standardize its development and maintain order in futures trading. Looking aheadAsia's growing importance on the global economic stage looks set to drive significant growth in its derivatives market.

THE proposed amendments to the Federal Capital Act (FCA) 1960 are being reviewed following calls by Kuala Lumpur MPs to have a bigger say in the capital's planning and management. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said this would be carried out by the Federal Territories Department. In November 2025, seven Kuala Lumpur MPs headed by Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad submitted a Private Member's Bill seeking to amend the FCA to introduce greater democratic oversight in the capital's management. PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said that DBKL's advisory board, which was provided for under the existing Act, had played a limited role. This, she noted, led to poorly regulated developments in the capital and violations involving DBKL's city planning guideline, namely the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan.

KOTA KINABALU: A dog that was believed to have got its head stuck inside a tyre rim while chasing rats or sniffing around was finally freed after hours of distress. Owner Charles Teo said he discovered his dog, Bento, trapped inside the rim and struggling to breathe at about 5.15am on Monday (Jan 19). Bento became increasingly stressed and weak over the next few hours, prompting his owners to turn to social media for help. Help eventually arrived after a representative from the Civil Defence Department saw Teo’s social media post and offered assistance. “Initially, Bento was aggressive, but after some persuasion and with the patience of the Civil Defence officers, he calmed down,” Teo said.

(Jan 19): Tencent Holdings Ltd, Fidelity International Ltd and Temasek Holdings Pte are planning to invest in the Hong Kong initial public offering (IPO) of Chinese snack retailer Busy Ming Group Co, according to people familiar with the matter. Busy Ming is planning to start taking investor orders as soon as Tuesday, they said. Representatives for Busy Ming, Tencent and Fidelity didn’t respond to requests seeking comment. Busy Ming’s IPO comes as Hong Kong heads towards a record January for first-time share sales, with companies seeking to list before the Lunar New Year holiday in February. Busy Ming traces its roots back to 2016.

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - ‌South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Italian ‌Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed on Monday ‌to expand cooperation in sectors such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, chips and critical minerals, according to the Blue House. Meloni is ‍visiting South Korea for summit talks ‍with Lee. Italy is one of South Korea's four largest trading partners in the European Union, the Blue House said. Meloni, who is on an Asian tour also taking in Japan and Oman, is on the ‌first state visit by an Italian leader to South Korea in 19 years, it said. The Italian Prime Minister renewed ​expectations that Lee may pay a state visit to Italy this year.

(Jan 19): Inflation accelerated in Canada by more than expected as a federal tax holiday at the end of 2024 pushed yearly price comparisons higher, offsetting falling gasoline costs. Headline inflation quickened to 2.4% in December, Statistics Canada data showed on Monday. That was above the median projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists, who were expecting yearly price pressures to stay at 2.2%. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index fell 0.2%, missing economists’ expectations for a 0.3% decrease. The breadth of inflationary pressures widened, with about 46% of items in the consumer price index rising above a 3% yearly pace, from 44% previous.

In addition, some instant coffee products may contain additives, preservatives or artificial flavouring agents that are prohibited in certain countries or regions. There is a possibility that instant coffee may contain higher levels of acrylamide compared to freshly ground coffee. One of the first steps the public should take is to carefully select the instant coffee products they intend to consume. Hence, consumers are encouraged to consider sugar-free options, as some brands offer sugar-free or low-sugar instant coffee mixes for those seeking healthier alternatives. It is important for consumers to carefully check the ingredient lists of instant coffee.

(Jan 19): France is seeking to convene a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) finance chiefs as soon Wednesday to discuss US President Donald Trump’s threat to hit allies with additional tariffs for opposing his bid to annex Greenland. “The meeting is obviously to review the G7 agenda, but also to have a frank discussion with all G7 members including the US concerning this regrettable situation,” Lescure said speaking to journalists ahead of a meeting with euro-area peers in Brussels. France has held the rotating presidency of the G7 since the start of January, but so far given little indication of its priorities. Last week, the US called ministers from G7 countries and a handful of others to Washington to discuss how to counter China’s dominance in rare earths. The meeting of finance ministers this week would take place by video conference, a French official said.

(Jan 19): The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is building a venue using blockchain technology to allow for trading tokenised stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) around the clock. The company is looking to launch the new digital trading platform later this year, pending regulatory approval. Round-the-clock accessNYSE’s main competitor in the US, Nasdaq, asked regulators in September to let investors trade tokenised versions of stocks on its public exchange. NSYE already outlined its path to extend trading hours on its Arca equities venue, with plans to offer trading 22 hours on weekdays. NYSE’s new digital venue could be another push towards non-stop trading, and help bridge the gap between traditional markets and digital finance.

But is the government really distributing RM300 in Sara aid through Touch 'n Go? Verdict:FALSEThe claim that the public will receive a one-off Sara payment of RM300 through Touch 'n Go is false, according to fact-checking website MyCheck.my. The actual amount of the one-off Sara payment that Malaysian citizens aged 18 and above will receive is RM100, not RM300. Kelantan Police issued a warning regarding the RM300 Sara aid SMS in a post uploaded on the Kelantan Police Contingent Facebook page on Jan 7. The government provides an official portal to check Sara aid eligibility at sara.gov.my, whether for the one-off Sara payment for citizens aged 18 and above or monthly Sara for the poor.

KINABATANGAN (Jan 19): Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Lamag state by-election, Mohd Ismail Ayob, said close cooperation between the state and parliamentary elected representatives from the government would be key to resolving basic infrastructure issues faced by residents in the Lamag constituency. “That is why voters should support the BN candidate for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar,” he said during a community programme with Lamag constituents in Kampung Sungai Lokan here on Monday. Mohd Ismail also gave the assurance that efforts to provide a clean water supply to villagers, who currently rely on rainwater harvesting, would be realised within the next five years. The Kinabatangan parliamentary by-election is a three-cornered contest involving Mohd Kurniawan Naim, Warisan candidate Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman and an independent candidate Goldam Hamid. Meanwhile, the Lamag state by-election will be a straight fight between Mohd Ismail and Mazliwati Abdul Malek, of Warisan.