<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SYDNEY (June 26): Job vacancies in Australia rose to their highest in over a year in the three months to May, a second straight quarter of gains that hint at a welcome sign of returning demand for labour.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Thursday's data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed total job vacancies rose 2.6 percent in the three months to May in seasonally adjusted terms, following a 2.7 percent increase the previous quarter.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Vacancies of 147,100 were also up 2.6 percent on the same quarter last year and the highest since early 2013.</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Vacancies in the private sector rose 1.3 percent in the May quarter, from the previous quarter. Public vacancies rebounded 17.6 percent but from historically very low levels. Employment in the public sector had been hit by belt tightening by Federal and state governments.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>Analysts value the vacancies series as it has proved a reliable leading indicator of labour demand and turning points in employment. The pick up in vacancies should also help offset softness seen in some of the monthly indicators of job advertisements.</div>

SYDNEY (June 26): Job vacancies in Australia rose to their highest in over a year in the three months to May, a second straight quarter of gains that hint at a welcome sign of returning demand for labour.

Thursday's data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed total job vacancies rose 2.6 percent in the three months to May in seasonally adjusted terms, following a 2.7 percent increase the previous quarter.

Vacancies of 147,100 were also up 2.6 percent on the same quarter last year and the highest since early 2013.

Vacancies in the private sector rose 1.3 percent in the May quarter, from the previous quarter. Public vacancies rebounded 17.6 percent but from historically very low levels. Employment in the public sector had been hit by belt tightening by Federal and state governments.

Analysts value the vacancies series as it has proved a reliable leading indicator of labour demand and turning points in employment. The pick up in vacancies should also help offset softness seen in some of the monthly indicators of job advertisements.

Australian job vacancies at highest in over a year

A Philippine freight railway project may be built with the support of the US and Japan, an official in charge of it said, as Manila seeks alternative financing deals after dropping funding talks with China.

Philippines wants US, Japan to take over rail deal eyed by China

The World Bank on Friday said that 11 countries have pledged to contribute over US$11 billion (RM52.62 billion) to new hybrid capital and portfolio guarantee instruments designed to expand the bank's financing capacity by US$70 billion over a decade to tackle climate change, pandemics and other global challenges.

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Shareholders of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed this week on the importance of addressing challenges faced by low-income countries, many of which are facing unsustainable debt burdens, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

IMF concerned about debt, fiscal challenges facing low-income countries

The ringgit is likely to trade in the same range of around 4.78 against the US dollar next week, as the situation in the Middle East will continue to be under scrutiny by investors, said an analyst.

Ringgit likely to trade around 4.78 versus greenback next week

Attention this week will be on the March inflation rate, with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) slated to put out Consumer Price Index (CPI) — the key gauge for inflation — data on Thursday.

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Persistent inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates were cited as key risks to financial stability in the Federal Reserve's (Fed) latest survey of US central bank contacts, with geopolitical troubles and the 2024 US presidential election also mentioned as "a potentially significant source of shocks".

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Former inspector general of police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar died at 2.15am on Saturday. He was 85.

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The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed sharply lower on Friday and Treasury yields dipped as investors juggled lacklustre earnings, uncertainties surrounding central bank policy and geopolitical strife.

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Oil settled slightly higher on Friday, but posted a weekly decline, after Iran played down a reported Israeli attack on its soil, a sign that an escalation of hostilities in the Middle East might be avoided.

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The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 ended lower on Friday as Netflix shares weighed, but American Express (AmEx) kept the Dow afloat after quarterly earnings from both companies, while growing pessimism that the Federal Reserve (Fed) would cut interest rates soon also dented sentiment.

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KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): Here is a brief recap of some business news and corporate announcements that made the headlines on Friday:

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KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): M&amp;A Equity Holdings Bhd announced that an individual by the name of Siti Nur Aishah Ishak has become a substantial shareholder of the stockbroking firm, after acquiring a 0.13% stake in the company.

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Former inspector general of police Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar died at 2.15am on Saturday. He was 85.

The mandatory general offer (MGO) for the remaining 34.1% stake in Pan Malaysia Holdings Bhd (PM Holdings), launched by property developer Exsim Group's founders, the Lim brothers, concluded on Friday with acceptances for only 35,997 shares received.

No change in Lim brothers' stake as Pan Malaysia Holdings' MGO concludes

The long-awaited Energy Exchange Malaysia (Enegem) has finally been introduced, along with guidelines on cross-border electricity sales announced by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra) last Monday for exports of green electricity from Malaysia to Singapore and Thailand.

Enegem: Malaysia edges closer to RE exports

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Friday night for a one-day working visit to the state.

Anwar's plane landed at Terminal Two, Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 11.40pm, where he was greeted by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

Anwar arrives in Kota Kinabalu for one-day visit

All travellers entering or leaving Singapore carrying Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments (CBNI) that are valued more than S$20,000 or its equivalent in a foreign currency, must submit the necessary declarations electronically with effect from May 13.

Travellers to and from Singapore carrying over S$20,000 must submit online declaration from May 13

KUALA LUMPUR (April 19): Ten individuals suspected of being involved in the case related to an&nbsp;Israeli man who was charged with possessing bullets and trafficking&nbsp;guns, were rearrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).

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The Nasdaq and the S&amp;P 500 ended lower on Friday as Netflix shares weighed, but American Express (AmEx) kept the Dow afloat after quarterly earnings from both companies, while growing pessimism that the Federal Reserve (Fed) would cut interest rates soon also dented sentiment.

Israel's apparent strike on Iran after days of vacillation was small and appeared calibrated to dial back risks of a major war, even if the sheer fact it happened at all shattered a taboo of direct attacks that Tehran broke days earlier.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet had initially approved plans for a strike on Monday night inside Iranian territory to respond forcefully to last Saturday's missile and drones from Iran, but held back at the last-minute, three sources with knowledge of the situation said.

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CIMB Thai Bank PCL’s net profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) dropped 24.6% year-on-year to 626.1 million baht from 830.1 million baht, as it reported lower operating income and higher expenses. &nbsp;

The group recorded an 8.4% drop in operating income and an 11.8% increase in operating expenses. The effects of these were partially offset by a 36.9% decline in expected credit loss, according to CIMB Thai president and chief executive officer Paul Wong Chee Kin in a statement. CIMB Group Holdings Bhd has a 94.83% interest in CIMB Thai.

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Fitters Diversified Bhd has landed a subcontract worth RM26.1 million from a unit of IJM Corp Bhd for fire protection services at the compound of a four-storey logistics hub, including its parking and ancillary buildings, in Shah Alam, Selangor.

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HPP Holdings Berhad slipped into the red in the third quarter ended February 29, 2024 (3QFY2024) for the first time since its listing on the ACE market in January 2021, mainly due to commission payments of RM520,000 and a one-time compensation payment of RM400,000 million to foreign workers, in line with the group's adherence to its zero recruitment fee policy.

It posted a net loss of RM62,200 in 3QFY2024 compared to a net profit of RM1.53 million in the previous corresponding quarter, resulting in a loss per share of 0.16 sen for 3QFY2024 compared to earnings per share of 0.39 sen for 4QFY2023.

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Parties in the Unity Government have their methods to ensure a win in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election next month, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said this was discussed at the Unity Government secretariat meeting on Wednesday.

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The Bank of Japan (BOJ) must tread cautiously in raising interest rates, as some indicators of inflation expectations remain short of its 2% target, the International Monetary Fund's Japan mission chief Nada Choueiri said on Friday.

IMF urges Bank of Japan to tread cautiously in raising interest rates

Attention this week will be on the March inflation rate, with the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) slated to put out Consumer Price Index (CPI) — the key gauge for inflation — data on Thursday.

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(April 19):&nbsp;Oyo Hotels is in talks to raise up to US$450 million via dollar bonds, a person familiar with the matter said, as the once-high-flying Indian startup seeks to replace an existing high-cost loan amid delays in its stock-market debut.

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The ringgit is likely to trade in the same range of around 4.78 against the US dollar next week, as the situation in the Middle East will continue to be under scrutiny by investors, said an analyst.

Persistent inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates were cited as key risks to financial stability in the Federal Reserve's (Fed) latest survey of US central bank contacts, with geopolitical troubles and the 2024 US presidential election also mentioned as "a potentially significant source of shocks".