Posts by Liam Redmond
PetroChina plugs Singapore plant’s shortfall with crude from China storage, trackers say
The tanker New Merit hauls 1.8 million barrels of crude from Dalian to Jurong Island Published Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · 07:33 PM [SINGAPORE] PetroChina has supplied a rare cargo of close to two million barrels of crude oil from storage in China to its half-owned refinery in Singapore, as the firm moves to plug…
Read MoreNio deliveries rise 136% in March; Q1 volume nearly doubles
[SINGAPORE] Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio reported a 136 per cent year-on-year (yoy) increase in March vehicle deliveries, with the number of units shipped in the first quarter nearly doubling from the year before. The company delivered 35,486 vehicles across its brands in March 2026, comprising 22,490 vehicles from Nio, 6,877 vehicles from Onvo,…
Read MoreUnilever and McCormick investors find US$65 billion food deal hard to swallow
Analysts cite concerns over deal structure, integration challenges, and regulatory risks Published Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · 07:18 PM [NEW YORK] Unilever and McCormick shareholders found the reality of their planned US$65 billion food deal hard to digest on Tuesday (Mar 31), perturbed by the transaction’s structure, its long timeline to closing and the potential…
Read MoreShell in advanced talks with Venezuela for more gas areas
Published Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · 07:11 PM [HOUSTON] Shell is in advanced talks with Venezuela’s government to develop four large areas near Trinidad and Tobago, in two of the South American country’s largest offshore natural gas fields, two people familiar with the discussions said. The London-based energy major has been trying for years to…
Read MoreSingapore stocks rebound on optimism over Iran war resolution; STI up 1.8%
Across the broader market, gainers outnumber decliners 468 to 176 after 1.7 billion securities change hands [SINGAPORE] Stocks on the local bourse closed higher on Wednesday (Apr 1), tracking regional gains as optimism grew over the possibility of the Iran conflict coming to an end. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) advanced 1.8 per cent…
Read MoreSingapore plays neutrality card to vault central bank gold, elevate bullion hub status
Emphasising sovereign-grade vaulting, internationally aligned standards can set the Republic apart: analysts [SINGAPORE] Singapore is leaning on its neutrality to attract central bank gold flows as it pushes to build a regional gold trading hub, but analysts say the real test will lie in whether it can generate enough liquidity to sustain it. This follows…
Read MoreContributor: Investigate the AI campaigns flooding public agencies with fake comments
California built its tradition of open government — including for citizen boards that set the rules for such functions as automotive repair and security guard licensing — precisely to keep well-funded corporate interests in check. Lobbyists and special interests are constantly scheming to defeat the will of the majority. Now they are able to do…
Read MoreOracle lays off thousands in latest sign of tough times for tech industry
Software giant Oracle on Tuesday started laying off workers as it looks to rein in costs and double down on artificial intelligence. On LinkedIn, Oracle employees, including software engineers, account executives and program managers, shared publicly that they were affected by a mass layoff at the company and were looking for new jobs. Oracle was…
Read MoreCSU made a $17-million AI bet. A year later, students and faculty give it a mixed grade
California State University’s controversial $17-million deal to provide ChatGPT to every one of its campuses has been met with mixed results, with wide but uneven use across the system, high distrust of AI-generated content and broad fears that the technology could imperil job security — even as people say they want more training in systems…
Read MoreAI and gender inequality: DBS’ Tan Su Shan and former Singapore president Halimah Yacob look at rising risks
Their discussion at DBS International Women’s Day event also covers issues such as female representation in leadership roles [SINGAPORE] Tan Su Shan, chief executive of DBS Bank, and former Singapore president Halimah Yacob discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) could reinforce gender inequality, during a fireside chat on Wednesday (Apr 1). The discussion, held at DBS’…
Read MoreSome IP insurers hike premiums of base plans for private hospital and A-class wards
This comes after launch of new, cheaper riders which do not cover deductibles, the latest effort to curb ‘buffet syndrome’ [SINGAPORE] Policyholders may feel relief that the newly designed Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders are at least 30 per cent less costly than the older riders. But the savings are diluted by hikes in premiums…
Read MoreAsia LNG imports drop most since 2022 as Iran war upends supply
Published Wed, Apr 1, 2026 · 03:09 PM [BEIJING] Asian liquefied natural gas imports fell the most in more than three years last month as the conflict in the Middle East choked supply and sent prices higher. LNG deliveries to the region declined 8.6 per cent in March from a year earlier to about 20.6…
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