Aaron-Wooi Yik make it a perfect day for Malaysia at Axiata Arena
Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik advanced to the Malaysia Open second round at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, on Wednesday. - NSTP FILE PICKUALA LUMPUR: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik completed a perfect day for the national shuttlers on Wednesday, advancing to the second round of the Malaysia Open. 2 defeated Americans Chen Zhi Yi-Presley Smith 21-11, 21-19 at Axiata Arena to maintain their winning streak against the world No. They will meet either China's Chen Xu Jun-Liu Yang or Taiwan's Liu Kuang Heng-Yang Po Han in the second round. Earlier, mixed doubles Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai, men's singles Leong Jun Hao, and men's doubles Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King also advanced to the second round of their respective events.
Source:New Strait Times
January 07, 2026 09:34 UTC
#SHOWBIZ: Uyaina Arshad, husband await 'surprise' arrival of third child
Uyaina Arshad and her husband have chosen not to guess their coming baby's gender (NSTP/RAIHANA MANSOR)KUALA LUMPUR: Actress and television host Uyaina Arshad is counting down the days until her new bundle of joy arrives, but she and her husband, Raja Syahiran, are keeping the baby's gender a closely guarded secret—even from themselves. "My husband and I want the baby's gender to be a surprise for everyone, including ourselves. What's more important is that he or she arrives safe and healthy," Uyaina said, adding that the couple has already finalised the baby's name. "My husband gave me a credit card to shop for gold, on the condition that I did not overspend. Uyaina and Raja Syahiran tied the knot on Dec 21, 2021, and are already parents to two sons, aged 2 and 4.
Source:New Strait Times
January 07, 2026 09:01 UTC
China's central bank adds gold for 14th month as prices hit record
(Jan 7): China’s central bank extended its gold-buying streak to 14 months, underscoring sustained official demand for bullion as prices surged to records. Bullion held by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) rose by 30,000 troy ounces last month, according to data released on Wednesday. Gold had a volatile run in the last month of 2025, surging to a record before paring some gains. The data highlighted official-sector demand as a key pillar to support gold prices into this year, as countries continued to see bullion as a hedge against the dollar. The true scale of PBOC purchases remains difficult to pin down, as numerous estimates put the actual buying higher.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 08:57 UTC
UBS cuts Indian rupee March forecast to 92, expects short-lived US trade deal relief
MUMBAI (Jan 7): UBS Investment Bank expects the Indian rupee to weaken to 92 per US dollar by March, making the case that any relief from a potential US-India trade deal announcement would likely be undermined by the central bank replenishing foreign exchange reserves. The RBI can be expected to restore those reserves in periods of stability, Arora said in a media conference call on Tuesday. A capital flow, growth issueIndia’s equity outflows accounted for much of the rupee’s nearly 5% fall in 2025, with lingering US tariffs adding to the pressure. Arora argues that pressure on India’s capital account stems more from growth concerns than trade uncertainty, with relatively expensive equity valuations playing a key role. Though India has reported robust real GDP growth, slower nominal growth figures have weighed on earnings expectations, contributing to record selling of Indian equities by foreign investors last year.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 08:17 UTC
China’s curbs leave Japan little choice but to look to the US
Beijing’s ban on exporting any dual-use items to Japan for military use — as well as a separate threat to step up rare-earths curbs — strike at well-known vulnerabilities in Japan’s supply chains. Any tit-for-tat response from Tokyo would risk compounding economic woes, especially for Japanese carmakers that require Chinese-source inputs to produce electric vehicles. The Lynas Rare Earths processing plant in Kalgoorlie, Australia. After the 2010 embargo, Japan moved to diversify its sources of rare earths. Raising concerns about China’s export controls there would be an easy sell, since other members share similar concerns about critical minerals and industrial security.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 08:07 UTC
Soccer-Neymar extends Santos deal through 2026, eyeing World Cup return
SAO PAULO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Neymar has agreed to extend his contract with Santos until the end of 2026, the Brazilian club said on Tuesday, as he maintains hopes of a World Cup call-up despite recent injuries. "Santos is my place, I'm at home," Neymar said in a video published on the Brazilian club's social media. The former Barcelona and Paris St Germain star, Brazil's all-time top scorer with 79 goals, has not featured for the five-time World Cup winners since 2023. Brazil will face Scotland, Morocco and Haiti in Group C of the World Cup, running from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the United States. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo in Sao Paulo; additional reporting by Andre Romani; Editing by Sonali Paul)
Source:The Star
January 07, 2026 08:04 UTC
TPG Capital in talks to buy up to 20% stake in India's IIFL Capital Services — Reuters
MUMBAI (Jan 7): TPG Capital is in talks to buy a stake of up to 20% in Indian securities firm IIFL Capital Services, according to two sources familiar with the deal. US buyout group TPG, TPG Capital's parent, declined to comment, while IIFL Capital Services did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier on Wednesday, local newspaper the Economic Times reported that TPG was closing in on a deal to acquire 30% to 40% of IIFL Capital Services. The deal size was estimated to be in the range of 36.36 billion rupees to 48.48 billion rupees (US$404.3 million to US$539.1 million). IIFL Capital Services shares rose as much as 5.3% to 411.30 rupees in early trading before paring gains to trade 1.4% higher in the afternoon session.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:57 UTC
Revolut said in talks to buy digital bank FUPS for Türkiye debut — Bloomberg
(Jan 7): Revolut Ltd is in talks to acquire Turkish digital bank FUPS to start offerings its services in the country, according to people familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for Revolut said the company doesn’t comment on “market rumours or speculation.” FUPS declined to comment. The platform garnered a US$75 billion (RM304.32 billion) valuation in November, cementing its status as one of Europe’s most valuable startups. FUPS, a little known Turkish bank offering fintech services, received a licence in 2022 with a founding capital of 1.5 billion liras, which amounted to just over US$81 million at the time. As of September, the company had 60 employees, according to most recent data available from the Turkish Banks Association.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:47 UTC
Baidu's AI chip arm may raise up to US$2b in HK IPO, banks picked — Bloomberg
(Jan 7): Baidu Inc’s artificial intelligence (AI) chip unit has hired banks for an initial public offering (IPO) in Hong Kong that may raise as much as US$2 billion (RM8.11 billion), according to people familiar with the matter. China Securities International is also working on the potential offering, they said. China Securities, CICC and Huatai also didn’t respond, and Citic declined to comment. Kunlunxin, which makes chips that power servers in data centres, confidentially filed for the IPO last week, Baidu said on Jan 2. AI-related companies are going public in Hong Kong to tap investor demand for a sector deemed strategic by Beijing as it pushes for technological self-reliance.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:42 UTC
Goldman Sachs tops global M&A rankings with US$1.48 tril in deals
It was the strongest period for mega deals, by number, since LSEG records began in 1980. Calling 2025 an "exceptional M&A year," Goldman's global co-head of M&A Stephan Feldgoise told clients "it was an extraordinary M&A market," with activity driven by a "ubiquity of capital," according to the investment bank's 2026 M&A outlook. Goldman ranked number one in two key areas: M&A fee revenue and overall value of the deals it worked on, gaining market share in both areas. In terms of volume of deals, Goldman, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley held the first, second and third spots, respectively, followed by Bank of America and Citi. Whether they stay at their current rankings could depend on who wins the Warner Bros bid.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:32 UTC
Goldman forecasts 20% gains for China stocks in 2026
The MSCI China has gained about 3.6%, outperforming the S&P 500. Mainland Chinese investors’ southbound buying of Hong Kong-listed shares is projected to reach US$200 billion (RM810.5 billion) on a net basis, setting another record, the strategists said. Goldman Sachs has long been bullish on China, often defying market pessimism during the multi-year slump. A year ago, its strategists projected a roughly 20% gain for Chinese stocks in 2025. In 2025, the MSCI China rose 28%, while CSI 300 climbed 18%.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:27 UTC
Border controls tightened, arrest of Malaysians in Sg Golok declines
KOTA BARU: The decline in the number of arrests involving Malaysians in the border town of Sungai Golok throughout last December reflects the effectiveness of preventive measures resulting from tightened border controls by the Thai and Malaysian authorities. Sungai Golok Police Chief Colonel Thun Sirikhunt said only seven Malaysians were detained in several enforcement operations during the period, involving cases of entering Thailand without valid travel documents as well as drug-related offences. He said one of them was arrested for a drug offence while the other six were detained for illegal entry into Thailand, indicating that syndicate movements are increasingly being curtailed before criminal activities can be carried out. "Methamphetamine or Yaba pills remain the main prohibited substance being smuggled, therefore enforcement operations will continue to be intensified,” he told Bernama. He said continuous integrated operations are being conducted involving the police, military, Sungai Golok District Office and the Mayor’s Office, in addition to close cooperation with the Malaysian authorities to curb cross-border crime.
Source:The Star
January 07, 2026 07:22 UTC
Asian rare earth stocks surge on new China-Japan export curbs
In Tokyo, Toyo Engineering Corp, which makes technology to recover rare earths from the seabed, jumped 20%. Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths Ltd was also up as much as 16%, the most since July, with metal producer Australian Strategic Materials Ltd climbing almost 10%. Rare earths are essential for making magnets and the elements are used in electric vehicles, robots and some defence-related technology. China’s latest export controls extend beyond rare earths to cover more than 800 items from chemicals to sensors. “It looks like Japan-China tensions are set to continue and I see that suppressing Japanese stocks’ upside for a while.”
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:07 UTC
IJM Land to launch fourth phase of Ridge View @ Puchong this month
KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 7): IJM Land has opened registration for Phase 4 of Ridge View @ Puchong and will officially launch the phase on Jan 17, according to a statement on Wednesday. Phase 4 of Ridge View @ Puchong is part of the larger 25-acre gated and guarded development. Phase 1 has received a take-up rate of 90%, while Phase 2 and 3 have achieved take-up rates of about 80%. “As Ridge View continues to unfold, we see a growing appreciation for homes that offer clarity, elevation and thoughtful planning. Phase 4 reflects this progression and strengthens Ridge View’s position as one of Puchong’s most distinguished residential enclaves,” Chai added.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 07:02 UTC
Mobile labour court to begin operations in peninsula this August — Ramanan
PUTRAJAYA (Jan 7): The Mobile Labour Court will begin operations in Peninsular Malaysia this August to improve access to justice for workers and employers, particularly in rural and remote areas. He said the approach allows hearings to be conducted closer to the public, reducing travel costs and logistical challenges associated with attending Labour Court proceedings, especially for rural workers. People will no longer need to go to court; the court will come to them,” he said after a working tour of the Peninsular Malaysia Department of Labour (JTKSM) here on Wednesday. Ramanan said the Labour Court will also be strengthened through digitalisation, with six additional offices to be equipped with digital recording systems this year at a cost of RM1.8 million. Meanwhile, Ramanan said three key labour agencies, JTKSM, the Trade Union Affairs Department and the Industrial Relations Department, will be merged to improve service delivery efficiency and the enforcement of labour laws.
Source:The Edge Markets
January 07, 2026 06:57 UTC