Posts by Liam Redmond
Global M&A tops US$2.5 trillion after first-half deals surge
[NEW YORK] The year was tipped to be a potential blockbuster in deals and the first half delivered, setting a pace that is likely to continue in the closing months of 2026. From well-known food products to power grids and everywhere in between, chief executives, boards and the bankers that back them served up a…
Read MoreNio delivers 40,597 vehicles in June, up 62.9% year on year
[SINGAPORE] Chinese electric vehicle giant Nio delivered 40,597 vehicles in June, representing a year on year increase of 62.9 per cent. A bourse filing on Wednesday (Jul 1) said that deliveries consisted of 21,908 vehicles from Nio brand, 11,743 vehicles from their Onvo brand, and 6,946 vehicles from the Firefly brand. As such, cumulative deliveries…
Read MoreOCBC rolls out AI-native banking, to hire 600 relationship managers in wealth push
Its new app uses AI-powered digital avatars to deliver personalised wealth insights to affluent clients [SINGAPORE] OCBC is going big on artificial intelligence even as it increases its human advisers in a bid to deepen its wealth push. South-east Asia’s second largest bank is launching an app for its wealth customers that features digital avatars…
Read MoreIran war delivers massive swings in Chinese petrochemicals trade
Amid loss of feedstock from the Persian Gulf, Asian petrochemical importers tapped China, which has massive stockpiles Published Wed, Jul 1, 2026 · 10:32 AM THE WAR in Iran has rewired China’s petrochemicals trade, allowing plants to ease their glut of the key building blocks for plastics, rubber and textiles by boosting exports. The loss…
Read MoreJardine Matheson taps ex-Indonesian fund CIO as country head
Christopher Ganis, former Indonesia Investment Authority chief investment officer, assumes the new role on Jul 1 Published Wed, Jul 1, 2026 · 09:44 AM [SINGAPORE] Jardine Matheson has hired Christopher Ganis, formerly chief investment officer (CIO) at sovereign wealth fund Indonesia Investment Authority (INA), as country head for Indonesia, according to people familiar with the…
Read MoreAustralia proposes consulting sector overhaul after scandals
Transgressions across high profile firms in recent years spark calls for an industry overhaul Published Wed, Jul 1, 2026 · 09:17 AM AUSTRALIA proposed sweeping changes to the consulting sector including new powers to police the industry and impose larger fines for poor behavior, following a string of scandals in recent years. The Treasury released…
Read MoreAfter Amazon drops OpenAI movie ‘Artificial,’ film finds new home at Neon
A Hollywood portrayal of OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman portrayed by actor Andrew Garfield will be released later this year, after Amazon MGM Studios dropped the movie. “Artificial,” which chronicles Altman‘s 2023 ouster from OpenAI and his reinstatement as CEO, was acquired by Neon, the studio announced Tuesday. “The acquisition underscores Neon’s commitment to partnering…
Read MoreConsortium including Visa, Mastercard jointly launch new global stablecoin
It is aimed at increasing the usage of the digital tokens worldwide by addressing hurdles that businesses face in scaling stablecoin adoption Published Wed, Jul 1, 2026 · 12:04 AM A CONSORTIUM including Visa, Mastercard and Coinbase on Tuesday (Jun 30) launched a new joint stablecoin in a bid to broaden the adoption of the…
Read MoreAmazon’s AWS commits US$1 billion toward new unit for embedded AI engineers
Forward-deployed engineering is a rare bright spot among tech companies that have been retrenching staff Published Tue, Jun 30, 2026 · 11:25 PM [SAN FRANCISCO] Amazon said on Tuesday (Jun 30) it is creating a new division under its Amazon Web Services cloud unit employing so-called forward-deployed engineers who embed with customers to help them…
Read MoreWall St subdued at open on final trading day of strong quarter
Published Tue, Jun 30, 2026 · 09:44 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened flat on Tuesday (Jun 30), the final trading day of a quarter that saw equities post the biggest gains in years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 14.6 points, or 0.03 per cent, at the open to 52,168.18. The S&P…
Read MoreMeta loses bid to dismiss US states’ claims that Facebook, Instagram addict children
Published Tue, Jun 30, 2026 · 09:24 PM A US federal judge rejected Meta Platforms’ bid to dismiss a lawsuit by dozens of US state attorneys general accusing it of designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and knowingly concealing the harm from the public. In a decision late on Monday night (Jun…
Read MoreJumbo Group unit in JV to bring Chinese quick-service restaurant Lausanjee to Singapore
The subsidiary will have a 49% shareholding interest in the joint venture company [SINGAPORE] A wholly owned subsidiary of seafood restaurant operator Jumbo Group and China’s Laoxiangji Holdings have agreed to incorporate a joint venture company in Singapore to establish and operate Chinese-style quick-service restaurants under the Lausanjee brand in the city-state. Laoxiangji holds the…
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