<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>SYDNEY (April 11): Lynas Corporation has appointed Luminis Partners, Moelis New York, King &amp; Wood Mallesons and Cannings as part of its advisory team, the co. says in a filing.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>* Co. notes regulatory challenges faced in Malaysia over past few months; will continue to engage with Malaysian govt to reach good outcome for Malaysia and for the co.</div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>** Lynas says it looks forward to receiving further clarification from the Malaysian Govt</div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner>* Co. says objective in developing plans to add to current operations; will update in coming weeks</div>

Lynas Corporation has appointed Luminis Partners, Moelis New York, King & Wood Mallesons and Cannings as part of its advisory team, the co. says in a filing.

Lynas says no decisions have been made on final growth plans

Surface engineering service provider Frontken Corp Bhd recorded a 27.4% jump year-on-year (y-o-y) in its net profit for the first quarter ended Mar 31, 2024 (1QFY2024) to RM30.05 million, from RM23.58 million last year, mainly due to improved revenue and better profit margin.

Frontken kicks off FY2024 with 27% jump in net profit on improved revenue, better profit margin 

India's food safety regulator said on Thursday it had ordered testing and inspections at all companies making spice mixes, widening an investigation into the sector as global regulators look into suspected contamination in two popular local brands.

India widens spices probe amid contamination concerns

In China, electric carmakers are offering up luxury tech — without the luxury price tag — in the battle for buyers. Cars are being loaded with once-expensive interior features and technology for as low as US$20,000 (RM95,335) — less than half the cost of the average new car in the US.

EVs are getting smarter and cheaper in China

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is confident that Parliament will approve the public service salary hike of more than 13% when it is tabled in Budget 2025 this October.

PM confident Parliament will approve wage hike for civil servants

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said it’s important for TotalEnergies SE to keep its primary listing in France, stressing the benefits to the country of having a domestic oil major.

France wants TotalEnergies to maintain Paris main listing, says Le Maire 

The interim report on the helicopter crash in Perak that killed 10 Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) personnel on April 23 is expected to be ready next week.

Interim report on helicopter crash to be ready next week, says defence minister

The ongoing downturn in eurozone manufacturing activity deepened in April due to crumbling demand despite factories cutting prices, pushing firms to reduce headcount again, a survey showed on Thursday.

Eurozone factory activity took turn for the worse in April, PMI shows

The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to continue for the next two months, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

El Nino to last two more months; 2024 could be Malaysia’s hottest year — Nik Nazmi 

Thailand's government plans to increase the daily minimum wage to 400 baht (RM51.67) from October, a spokesperson said on Thursday, a policy that could help lift consumption in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy.

Thailand to increase daily minimum wage to 400 baht in Oct

PappaRich is attempting to become a comeback kid in Malaysia’s cutthroat F&B scene.

NEWS: PappaRich attempts to make its mark again

US software giant Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it would invest US$2.2 billion (RM10.5 billion) over the next four years in cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in Malaysia.

Microsoft to invest US$2.2 bil in Malaysia over next four years on cloud, AI

Shares of Bursa Malaysia Bhd climbed to its highest in more than three years after the stock exchange operator reported better-than-expected results that prompted at least two analyst upgrades.

Bursa Malaysia climbs to over three-year high after above-view 1Q

Apex Securities Bhd has recommended investors to “subscribe” to ACE Market-bound Farm Price Holdings Bhd at an initial public offering (IPO) price of 24 sen and a fair value of 42 sen by pegging financial year 2025 (FY2025) forecast core earnings per share of 3.2 sen to price-earnings (PE) of 13 times (75% potential upside from IPO price).

Apex Securities advises investors to subscribe to ACE Market-bound Farm Price with fair value of 42 sen

Luno, a digital asset exchange (DAX) licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia, expands its coin offerings with the launch of Cosmos (ATOM) and Polkadot (DOT).

Luno launches two new digital assets

Feytech Holdings Bhd's initial public offer (IPO) on Main Market of Bursa Malaysia is offering&nbsp;252.94 million shares at 80 sen apiece.&nbsp;

Feytech's Main Market IPO to raise over RM201m

Protasco Bhd, which has businesses ranging from hotel to engineering, said on Thursday it has received an offer to buy its unit Ikram Education Sdn Bhd which owns the Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL).

Protasco gets offer from HK firm to buy its university unit

Elon Musk’s latest cost-cutting victims: Summer interns.

Tesla Inc is rescinding offers just weeks before internships were set to start, prompting aspiring employees to take to LinkedIn to appeal to other employers to take them in.

Tesla interns say offers are getting revoked weeks before their start date

Shares of Duopharma Biotech Bhd surged more than 9% during early trade on Thursday following news of the pharmaceutical company securing supply contracts worth RM578.09 million in total.

Duopharma Biotech surges over 9% after RM578m contract news

Subang Airport, officially known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, will likely be able to handle jet aircraft by the third quarter this year, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Subang Airport’s jet ops likely to start in 3Q, also eyes business jets — Loke

Smart Asia Chemical Bhd, an industrial paint and coating manufacturer, on Thursday has begun taking orders from investors for its ACE Market initial public offering (IPO) that would raise up to RM37.4 million.&nbsp;

Smart Asia Chemical starts taking orders for ACE Market IPO to raise RM37.4 mil

US stocks closed mixed on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve (Fed) left its key interest rate unchanged, as expected, and indicated that while its next move will likely be a rate cut, continued progress on inflation is not assured.

S&P 500, Nasdaq end lower after Fed rate decision, Powell press conference

The additional investment by Microsoft amounting to US$2.2 billion or RM10.5 billion in the country over the next four years is the largest single investment by the company in its 32 years in Malaysia.

Microsoft’s new US$2.2b outlay is company’s largest single investment in Malaysia, says Anwar

Latest data signalled further downbeat trends across the Malaysian manufacturing sector at the start of the second quarter of 2024.

In a statement on Thursday, S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence said that while demand remained generally subdued, there were slight indications that firms were on an upward trajectory, as firms scaled back production at a softer rate amid a slower reduction in new order inflows.

Overall manufacturing conditions in Malaysia ease to lesser extent, says S&P Global

Yinson Production, the offshore production business unit of Yinson Holdings Bhd, has closed the limited recourse term loan facility of up to US$1.3 billion (RM6.2 billion) for the pre- and post-delivery financing of the Agogo floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which will be deployed in Angola.

Yinson unit secures single largest term loan of US$1.3b to finance Agogo FPSO delivery

Asian stocks and US futures rose on Thursday after the Federal Reserve downplayed risks of an interest rate hike, while the yen was bumpy after another burst of suspected intervention from Japan.

Asian stocks rise as Fed tamps down hike fears; yen leaps

Malaysia’s biggest port operator Westports Holdings Bhd said on Thursday its net profit rose 11.4% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the first quarter, thanks to higher container revenue, coupled with higher finance income and share of results of a joint venture (JV).

Westports' 1Q net profit up 11% on higher container revenue, finance income and share of results of JV

US President Joe Biden included ally Japan along with rivals China and Russia in a list of countries he called “xenophobic” in a speech at a campaign fundraising event in Washington.

Biden calls ally Japan ‘xenophobic’ along with China, Russia

Shares of Ge-Shen Corp Bhd rose as much as 14.91% to a new record high of RM4.47 on Thursday, following the emergence of Chin Hin Group’s Chiau family as its second largest shareholder.

Ge-Shen shares hit new high on emergence of new substantial shareholder

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is moving to prevent Huawei, ZTE and other foreign companies deemed to pose US national security concerns from certifying wireless equipment, officials told Reuters on Wednesday.

US moves to bar Huawei, other Chinese telecoms from certifying wireless equipment

The High Court on Thursday dismissed Tengku Datuk Zafrul Abdul Aziz's application to file an affidavit with regards to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's judicial review application to unearth an addendum to his pardon order which detailed that he was to spend the remainder of his sentence under "house arrest".