EVENING 5: Five things you need to know today

Dirty dealings. Corporate battles. Consumer woes. Here are five things you need to know today.

1. Putrajayaextends the movement control orderfor another two weeks as the number of new cases continues to rise by the hundreds every day.

2. Think tank MIER is calling on Putrajaya toset aside an extraordinary crisis budgetas it projects the loss of 2.4 million jobs amid a looming recession.

3. Bank Negara is allowingbanks to tap into their capital buffers, and providing flexibility on several operating guidelines.

4.The US lifts its ban on WRP Asia Pacific, the rubber glove maker it had accused of using forced labour.

5.Astro Malaysia reports a 17% jump in 4Q net profit, helped by lower staff-related costs, and declares an interim dividend of 1.5 sen per share.