KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia's key index closed at an intraday high today, supported by continued buying interest even as renewed geopolitical tensions and a weaker overnight lead from Wall Street following the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) decision to stand pat on interest rates weighed on broader sentiment. The Fed has decided to hold rates steady for the fifth consecutive meeting, with the Federal Funds Rate unchanged between 3.50 per cent and 3.75 per cent. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) rose 4.84 points to 1,720.40 from yesterday’s close of 1,715.56. The benchmark index, which opened 1.14 points lower at 1,714.42, hit its lowest level of 1,710.69 in early trade before gaining momentum for the rest of the day. However, the broader market was negative with losers outpacing gainers 581 to 411, while 612 counters were unchanged, 1,173 untraded, and 87 suspended. Turnover declined to 2.49 billion units valued at RM2.25 billion from ...
Donald Trump , the Republican presidential candidate , has reignited his stance on South Korea’s financial contribution to host US troops , stating that South Korea should pay significantly more if he returns to the White House. He described the nation as a "money machine" and claimed that they would willingly pay US$10 billion annually to keep US military forces stationed there. Trump's remarks come shortly after a new five-year cost-sharing agreement was reached between the US and South Korea , where Seoul agreed to raise its contribution to 1.52 trillion won (US$1.13 billion) by 2026. This deal increases South Korea’s payment by 8.3% compared to this year. During his presidency, Trump pushed for South Korea to contribute US$5 billion , far higher than the US$1 billion previously agreed upon. He has consistently criticized US allies for not spending enough on defense arrangements and emphasized that North Korea's nuclear capabilities justify higher paymen...