STARPICKS

Shell NXplorers nurtures young innovators for greater social impact

IT TAKES only a small pool of stagnant water for mosquito larvae to breed. And by the time they grow into adults, the problem is far harder to contain.

Technology

Exclusive-OpenAI seeks to accelerate fundraising ahead of Anthropic IPO, sources say

NEW YORK, Oct 19 (Reuters) - OpenAI is ⁠racing to secure investor commitments before rival Anthropic's expected public market debut in mid-November, in an unusually fast fundraising that could value the ChatGPT maker at over $1.4 trillion, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Nation

‘Corporate mafia’, Felda abuse of power claims among Dewan Rakyat focus today

KUALA LUMPUR: Allegations of 'corporate mafia' activities and abuse of power involving the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) are among the issues to be raised in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 20).

Nation

Nearly RM11bil in STR and Sara aid disbursed to recipients as of September, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Almost RM11bil in Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) assistance have been disbursed to eligible recipients as at September 2026, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Nation

No commitment for public funding support for AirAsia, Parliament told

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has not made any agreement or commitment to provide financial support to AirAsia, whether through guarantees, loans or injections of public funds, says the Finance Ministry.

Markets

Indonesia to exclude 80 highly concentrated stocks from benchmark index

JAKARTA: The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) plans to exclude 80 stocks with highly concentrated ownership, currently accounting for 18 per cent of the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), as part of efforts to improve market transparency and integrity.

Technology

Former Google CEO Schmidt owns 1% stake in Anthropic, Bloomberg reports

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Former ⁠Google CEO Eric Schmidt owns about 1% of ⁠Anthropic, positioning him for one of the largest ‌individual windfalls when the AI startup goes public, Bloomberg News reported on Monday.

Technology

3M expands Amazon data center partnership, shares gain

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Industrial ⁠conglomerate 3M said on Monday it was ⁠expanding its commercial relationship with Amazon and had ‌issued a warrant to an Amazon subsidiary, allowing it the right to buy 3M common stock worth over $521 million.

Corporate News

Trading ideas: CAB, TNB, IHH, Duopharma, Zetrix, Mi, GDB, Jati, Cosmos, MMAG, LYC, MBSB, Toyo, Eonmetall, KIP REIT

KUALA LUMPUR: Here is a recap of the announcements that made headlines in Corporate Malaysia.

Markets

US stocks rebound with AI earnings test ahead, euro falls on France unrest

NEW YORK/MILAN: The Nasdaq rose more than 1% on Monday as tech shares rebounded ahead of a big week for AI-related earnings, while European stocks and the euro fell as unrest in France added to concerns about the country's fiscal outlook.

True Or Not

QuickCheck: Is it possible to have a headache and a migraine at the same time?

IF YOU'VE ever had head pain so strong that you couldn't tell whether it was a headache or a migraine, you're probably not alone.

Technology

Germany's Merz urges AI investment ahead of Nvidia deal

BERLIN/FRANKFURT, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Chancellor Friedrich Merz ⁠appealed to Germany's businesses to embrace artificial intelligence at an industry summit in ⁠Berlin on Monday that was meant to attract investment, including an expected deal ‌with US chip maker Nvidia. 

Technology

Nvidia-backed Nscale, Anthropic in talks for new $45 billion AI cloud deal, source says

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Nscale is in ⁠talks to sell AI computing power to Claude maker Anthropic in ⁠a new deal that could be worth about $45 billion, a person ‌familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

World

Killing of former anti-graft prosecutor a grim milestone in Guatemala's political violence

GUATEMALA CITY, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The ⁠assassination at the weekend of anti-graft lawyer Juan Francisco Solorzano Foppa, who made powerful enemies by taking on Guatemala's elite, marks one of the most ⁠significant political killings in the country in recent decades, renewing concerns about the vulnerability of those who fight corruption in Central America.

World

14 dead, 7 injured in Colombia illegal gold mine collapse

BOGOTA, Oct ⁠19 (Reuters) - 14 people were killed and ⁠7 others injured following the ‌collapse of an illegal gold mine in southwestern Colombia, local authorities said on Monday.

Technology

Netflix film division boss to exit in second senior departure in a week

Oct 19 (Reuters) - Netflix ⁠said on Monday its film division head Dan ⁠Lin would leave after nearly three years ‌at the helm, marking a second senior executive departure in less than a week amid concerns over slowing engagement.

Technology

Apple to host 'Pro and tell' event on October 28 in LA

(Refiles to correct ⁠syntax in the last bullet, ⁠spell out "October" in headline and add ‌media packaging code to broaden distribution)

Letters

Budget 2027: Dialysis patients are in great need of aid

From A VOICE FOR DIALYSIS PATIENTS, Kuala Lumpur

Technology

Ex-OpenAI employee accused of planting device appears to have Saudi backing, US prosecutors say

WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - An ex-OpenAI ⁠engineer accused of planting a recording device in an executive conference room at the AI company appears to have received considerable support from ⁠the Saudi government, US prosecutors said in a court filing.

Corporate News

KIP-REIT posts 19.6% revenue growth in 1Q27

PETALING JAYA: KIP Real Estate Investment Trust (KIP-REIT) recorded revenue of RM48.8mil for the first quarter ended Sept 3, (1Q27), an increase of 19.6% year-on-year (y-o-y) from RM40.8mil.