Low-profile shipping tycoon Tan Sri Halim Mohammad decides to make a comeback in maritime by turning his ships into floating classrooms. He tells Sulhi Azman how he expects this venture to set sail.</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage>

TALKING EDGE: Maritime tycoon turns ships into floating classrooms

Asian equities faced downward pressure at the open on Friday after US stocks fell past a key milestone, weighed down by US President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Equity futures for Japan and Australia both declined. The S&P 500 dropped 1.4% to a six-month low, bringing its three-week rout past 10% — a correction in trader parlance.

Asian stocks to fall as S&P slides into correction

In a few short weeks, President Donald Trump has started silencing the buy-the-dip stock traders who set the tone on Wall Street for the better part of two decades. 

In their place are growing calls to lock in profits and sit on the sidelines while Trump’s trade-war chaos upends the economic outlook — and casts uncertainty over who, if anyone, will emerge as the new era’s stock-market winners.

‘Buy the dip’ calls fade as Trump selloffs rattle Wall Street

(March 14) : As stocks stumbled in recent weeks, a cohort of Wall Street pros took solace as credit markets held firm and economic data proved benign.

On Thursday, neither offered much relief. 

After President Donald Trump escalated his trade war across the...

Stock turmoil spreads as fear hits the world of corporate bonds

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia agreed with US proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that any truce would have to deal with the root causes of the conflict and that many crucial details needed to be sorted out.

Putin backs US ceasefire idea for Ukraine, but says many details need to be sorted out

Senate Democrats continued a standoff on Thursday with Republicans over Elon Musk’s DOGE cuts as the US government approached a Saturday shutdown.
 
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer declared a day earlier his party would block a Republican spending bill to avert the impending shutdown and urged the GOP to accept a Democratic plan to provide funding through April 11 instead.

Democrats in standoff with GOP as US shutdown deadline nears

The third accused in the murder case of Kolej Vokasional Lahad Datu student Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, also known as Ijat, told the High Court here on Thursday that he did not personally see the victim stealing his money or that of the fourth accused.

Vocational college murder case: Third accused says did not see victim steal money

Anglo American plc is planning more job cuts at its corporate office, as it restructures its business by selling assets and spinning off its platinum unit.

The company has sent notices to employees who are likely to be affected, people with knowledge of the matter said, asking not to be identified as a public announcement hasn’t been made.

Anglo American plans fresh job cuts at corporate office under restructuring

The Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (Omers) hired Alexander Fraser, a former partner of a Temasek-backed fund, as the global head of its private equity arm.

Ontario fund hires Alexander Fraser as its global head of private equity

A brief recap of some corporate announcements that made news on Thursday.

UWC, Apollo Food, Hibiscus Petroleum, TMK Chemical, Avangaad, Kerjaya Prospek Group and PUC

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday he was not concerned about recent Wall Street volatility, telling CNBC in an interview that the Trump administration was focused on medium- and long-term gains for the market and Americans.

US Treasury chief says economic 'detox' does not have to be a recession

AirAsia’s decision to pull out of Subang Airport isn’t just a shift in flight operations — it’s a warning signal for Malaysia’s broader aviation strategy.

Subang’s turbulence: Malaysia’s airport expansion faces market realities

Shares of Intel surged 10% in premarket activity, as Wall Street cheered the decision to name former board member Lip-Bu Tan as CEO, who left in August over differences about the chipmaker's direction, after several years of market underperformance.

Intel jumps 10%, as investors cheer appointment of new Malaysian-born CEO Tan

A brief recap of some corporate announcements that made news on Thursday.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to slap a 200% tariff on all wines and other alcoholic products coming out of Europe if the European Union does not scrap its planned tax on American whiskey.

Trump threatens 200% wine tariff if EU does not relent on whiskey

The main US stock indices slipped on Thursday as President Donald Trump's escalated tariff rhetoric against the European Union (EU) impacted investor sentiment, although cooling inflation provided some relief.

Wall St trips on Trump's latest tariff threat; inflation data offers respite

Workers recruitment and management company Manforce Group Bhd (KL:MFGROUP) is eyeing a transfer of its listing from Bursa Malaysia’s LEAP Market to the ACE Market.

LEAP Market-listed Manforce Group plans transfer to ACE Market

Sin-Kung Logistics Bhd (KL:SINKUNG) expects to commence air cargo services in the third quarter of 2025 (3Q2025) following the completion of its acquisition of private jet charter and air freight cargo services company Prima Air Sdn Bhd.

Sin-Kung to launch air cargo services in 3Q following Prima Air acquisition completion

PUC Bhd (KL:PUC) group managing director and chief executive officer Cheong Chia Chou has ceased to be a substantial shareholder in the loss-making digital payment solutions provider, after trimming his stake to 4.06%.

CEO Cheong Chia Chou further cuts stake in PUC, ceases to be substantial shareholder

Shares in City Developments Ltd (CDL) closed 15 Singapore cents (50 sen) higher, or 3.04% up, at S$5.09 on March 13, a day after executive chairman Kwek Leng Beng said he would drop legal action against group CEO Sherman Kwek.

CDL shares close 3% higher after Kwek Leng Beng drops legal action

Thailand’s largest meat producer Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL will accelerate the initial public offering (IPO) and listing of its biggest offshore unit to fund expansion.

Biggest Thai meat producer to speed up IPO of offshore unit

About 70% to 80% of local palm oil smallholders already complied with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), said Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.

Almost 80% of palm oil smallholders comply with EUDR — Johari Ghani

The Trump administration’s push to drastically shrink the federal government shifts to a new gear on Thursday, when agencies face a deadline to submit plans for large-scale layoffs and budget cuts.

Federal worker layoffs climb towards 250,000 as deadline looms

Russian President Vladimir Putin's top foreign policy aide said on Thursday he had told Washington that a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States to pause the war in Ukraine would simply give Kyiv's forces a much-needed battlefield respite.

Kremlin says there's 'nothing' for Russia in a US ceasefire idea for Ukraine

Simon Miao, a Hong Kong resident, signed up for a food-delivery subscription with Deliveroo during the pandemic, but he later cancelled it because the monthly fee, which tops out at HK$98 (US$12.61 or RM55.94), didn’t bring many perks.

Deep-pocketed Meituan looks to build on its Hong Kong victory

For years, investors have talked of Apple Inc as a potential port of safety in times of market turmoil. That hasn’t been borne out this time around.

Apple shares are losing haven allure as headwinds deter bulls

The Health Ministry is in the final stages of discussions with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) to determine the consultation fees for private general practitioners.

Health Ministry in final stages of discussion on private general practitioner consultation fees — Dzulkefly

Gold prices rose more than 1% to an all-time high on Thursday as elevated tariff uncertainty and bets on monetary policy easing by the Federal Reserve kept bullion's appeal strong.

Gold scales record high as tariff uncertainty, rate cut bets lift demand

The Madani government has successfully resolved nine claims related to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) to date, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Madani govt settles nine MA63 claims so far — Fadillah

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia agreed with US proposals for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but that any truce would have to deal with the root causes of the conflict and that many crucial details needed to be sorted out.

The third accused in the murder case of Kolej Vokasional Lahad Datu student Mohamad Nazmie Aizzat Mohd Narul Azwan, also known as Ijat, told the High Court here on Thursday that he did not personally see the victim stealing his money or that of the fourth accused.