☕️ Syed Saddiq final verdict delayed two weeks because judge fell ill

1. MARKET SUMMARY 📈

2. NUMBERS AT A GLANCE 🔢

All about Messi

Six World Cup appearances – Argentine icon Lionel Messi is the first footballer to play in six World Cups, and he cemented his status as the most decorated player in World Cup history by scoring his first tournament hat-trick against Algeria. The match at Kansas City Stadium also marked his 200th international appearance, coming exactly 20 years after Messi made his World Cup debut for Argentina. Cristiano Ronaldo was the second footballer to play in six World Cups, with Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico being the third. Ochoa was named in six World Cup squads, but made appearances in only four.

18 goals – Messi became the highest goalscorer in World Cup history after scoring his 17th and 18th tournament goals against Austria. The first saw him surpass the World Cup record of 16 goals set by Germany’s Miroslav Klose, while the second saw him break the 17-goal record set by Brazilian women’s striker Marta Da Silva in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The win also took Argentina past the group stages into the knockout stage.

Second football billionaire – Messi has joined the ranks of the 10-figure club as well, becoming the second footballer to do so after Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the sport’s first billionaire after joining Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr FC in 2023. Messi’s net worth reached the billion-dollar mark following a massive paycheque from his current team Inter Miami, purported TV revenue-sharing deals, real estate holdings, and a stake in an Argentine restaurant chain. Notably, he could have become a billionaire a lot sooner had he accepted a contract to play in the Saudi Pro League. Instead, he refused the USD400 mil-per-year (RM1.63 bil per year) contract to join Inter Miami.

3. IN MALAYSIA 🇲🇾

Syed Saddiq's final verdict will have to wait
The wait for a final decision in Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman's high-profile court case will continue a little longer. The Federal Court was due to deliver its decision on the prosecution's appeal following his acquittal, but proceedings were postponed after one of the three judges fell ill.

The panel said the judgment was ready, but it would not be appropriate to deliver it without all three judges present. The case has now been rescheduled to Jul 13. The appeal follows the Court of Appeal's decision in June to overturn Syed Saddiq's conviction on four charges, including criminal breach of trust, misuse of property and money laundering.

Campaign season, but no new promises
With several state elections around the corner, the government is reminding everyone that the campaign trail comes with clear rules. PM Anwar Ibrahim said no new projects or policies can be announced once nomination day begins, as required under the Election Offences Act 1954. The restriction applies to the federal government, state governments and local councils, and is meant to prevent the use of government machinery to influence voters during the campaign period.

However, projects that have already been approved or budgeted for before the election can still be announced, as they do not count as new initiatives. Anwar also stressed that caretaker governments must avoid making new policy decisions, especially those involving public spending.

New passport offers 10-year validity
Malaysians aged 18 and above can now apply for the new International Malaysian Passport with either a five-year or 10-year validity period, giving frequent travellers a longer-lasting option for work, study, business or family travel. The new 10-year passport costs RM350, which is RM50 cheaper than renewing a five-year passport twice - factor in the time to go make and collect your passport, the savings get bigger. It also comes with 94 security features, up from 49 previously, including upgraded technologies designed to make the passport much harder to forge or tamper with. The rollout will take place in phases across 71 passport offices nationwide starting this month, although existing passports remain valid and there is no need to replace them before they expire.

Parliament in action
Malaysia expands child protection law overseas
Malaysia has tightened its child protection laws by passing amendments that allow certain child sexual offence cases to be prosecuted even if the crimes were committed outside the country. The change is designed to stop offenders with links to Malaysia from escaping justice simply by crossing borders.

That said, the country where the offence took place will still have the first right to investigate and prosecute, with Malaysian authorities stepping in only where appropriate and in cooperation with their overseas counterparts. The amendments also avoid giving a rigid definition of "permanent resident", allowing each case to be assessed on its own merits, while making it clear that the law is meant to protect all children, including stateless children.

Employers face new job vacancy reporting rules
Employers who fail to report job vacancies to the Social Security Organisation (Socso) could soon face progressive fines under amendments passed by the Dewan Rakyat. Instead of a flat penalty, the new structure starts with a fine of up to RM1,000 for a first offence, rising to RM3,000 for a second offence and up to RM5,000 for repeat offenders.

The government says the changes are meant to encourage compliance rather than punish employers outright, with warning notices and engagement sessions planned before compounds are issued. The revised penalties also reflect feedback from businesses, with the maximum fine reduced from the originally proposed RM10,000.

4. AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

China waives USD50 mil loan to Sudan
China has waived loans worth USD50 mil (RM204.19 mil) that it had given to Sudan, three years into a war between Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has shrunk the country’s economy by roughly 40%. Although the sum is small compared to what Sudan owes overall to external governments or agencies - estimated at more than USD56 bil before the war - this deal is significant for both countries.

China’s relationship with Sudan predates the war by decades, built on oil and infrastructure interests that survived multiple changes of government in Khartoum. Experts and analysts say that it is a notable symbolic gesture of Beijing’s public political solidarity with Sudan’s government amid Western sanctions. However, such a waiver is unlikely to alter Sudan’s economic trajectory without broader financial support and structural reforms. Geostrategically, the move actually gives China outsized influence in a country that sits at the intersection of the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

FIFA World Cup: Bye bye Germany
Paraguay coach hails players for ‘extraordinary’ win over Germany
Paraguay has produced arguably the greatest World Cup upset after winning in a dramatic shootout against Germany. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro praised his players for producing an “extraordinary” performance in a match full of tension from start to finish. Alfaro said his team executed the game plan effectively, limiting Germany’s ability to impose their style. A win in the next round would allow Paraguay to match their best World Cup result. They reached the quarterfinals in 2010 before losing to a late goal against eventual champions Spain. Germany never lost in a World Cup penalty shootout before.

Watch the penalty drama:

Nagelsmann slams referee’s decision
Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has slammed the referee’s decision to disallow player Jonathan Tah's apparent extra-time goal, calling it a “joke” and saying the goal was legitimate. The former powerhouse team crashed out of the FIFA World Cup after losing to Paraguay via a penalty shootout on Monday. Germany's downward trend has lasted far longer than Nagelsmann's three-year tenure. While his squad technically halted a run of group-stage exits under the expanded 48-team format, they still failed to reach the round of 16, as did the 2018 and 2022 sides.

Shorts:

1. Three wounded in Monaco blast
   Three people, including a teenager and Ukrainian oligarch Vadym Yermolaiev, were wounded in a bomb explosion that struck a residential building in Monaco, a micro-state along the French Riviera, known as a haven for billionaires and their luxury yachts. The explosive device apparently contained bolts and buckshot, and a hunt for a man suspected of detonating the makeshift bomb is currently underway. Monaco’s Minister of State said the blast appeared to be “an attack”, but later dropped the term, describing it as a “deliberate explosion”. He also said that it is the first time that such a thing ever happened in the principality.

2. What’s your WhatsApp username?
   Meta-owned WhatsApp said that it will start letting users go by usernames instead of phone numbers as part of its core privacy feature. There will be no public directory of usernames and no autocomplete suggestions, which effectively means users will need to know someone’s exact username to reach them for the first time. WhatsApp will allow users to reserve unique usernames before a wider rollout later this year, and people will be able to choose to be found and contacted only by their handles. Very reminiscent of mIRC.

3. An expensive miscommunication for Mirae
   Korean company Mirae Asset Securities Co - South Korea’s biggest brokerage - has been forced to apologise to its clients and have its practices inspected by local regulators over a misunderstanding of how orders were supposed to be submitted for SpaceX’s IPO. The brokerage mistakenly treated indications of investor interest as binding IPO orders. As a result, more than USD1.1 bil (RM4.48 bil) worth of Korean demand was never entered into the IPO order book. The company was an early investor in Elon Musk’s rocket, satellite communications and artificial intelligence company, giving it an inside track to become one of only a handful of foreign underwriters on the IPO.

4. Japanese Yen hits historic 40-year low against USD
   The Japanese Yen slid to its weakest level against the US dollar since 1986, depreciating as much as 0.2% to touch JPY161.98 versus the greenback in New York trading on June 29.
   The country’s import costs are swelling, notably for oil and gas shipments priced in US dollars. The ensuing inflation is hurting consumers, who are paying more for everything from food to electricity, and threatening to undermine the popularity of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government.

5. FOR YOUR EYES 📺

1. What’s inside a RM30 mil home?

2. The RM25 mil home featured in Crazy Rich Asians.

3. Enough of humans. See how falcons lives in this massive complex space - a private breeding and research facility of the Crown Prince of Dubai. Crazy Rich Middle Easterns.