KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
Following the collapse of regional carrier Rex , domestic airfares between Australia's major cities have surged, with some routes experiencing almost 100% increases . The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) reported a 13% average rise in fares between major cities and highlighted the reduced competition as Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia now carry 98% of domestic passengers. This has limited choice for travelers, with fewer incentives for airlines to lower fares or improve reliability. One of the most significant fare hikes was for the Adelaide-Melbourne route , where "best discount economy" fares rose 95% to A$296 , and Melbourne-Gold Coast fares increased by 70% to A$432 . Qantas responded to the ACCC report by saying the data only reflects a snapshot of the lowest fares available three weeks before travel, suggesting these fares may not represent what most customers pay. They attributed higher prices partially to high demand around event...