Posts by Liam Redmond
SIA extends Dubai halt to end-April, adds capacity to London and Melbourne
The airline is shifting aircraft capacity to capture rising travel demand for the northern summer season [SINGAPORE] Singapore Airlines on Friday (Mar 20) extended the cancellation of its flights between the city-state and Dubai to the end of April, citing escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The cancellations of the SQ494 and SQ495 flights…
Read MoreBYD showrooms are bustling across Asia after Iran oil shock
South-east Asian countries have EV adoption rates of around 40%, exceeding levels in the UK and Europe Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 05:08 PM [MANILA/HONG KONG/HANOI] At a BYD car dealership in Manila’s financial district, demand for the Chinese company’s electric vehicles is so high that Matthew Dominique Poh said he has seen a…
Read MoreECB would need April hike if price outlook sours, Nagel says
Governing Council member Joachim Nagel says a more restrictive monetary-policy stance would probably be necessary Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 04:00 PM [BRUSSELS] The European Central Bank will need to consider hiking interest rates as soon as next month if price pressures build further due to the Iran war, according to Governing Council member…
Read MoreIMDA to boost AI adoption among Singapore enterprises with new bootcamp
The programme will be run with Boston Consulting Group and EY-Parthenon, with plans to partner with more firms [SINGAPORE] The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is launching a programme to increase the adoption of AI among local enterprises. Known as the Digital Leaders Accelerator Bootcamp (DLAB), it aims to equip participants with capabilities, tools and…
Read MoreOCBC cannot claim US$56 million from insurers for the capsized vessel it funded: Court of Appeal
Court says bank had not proved rig was lost by peril of the seas as it did not offer a cause of seawater entering vessel by chance [SINGAPORE] OCBC is unable to claim US$56 million from a group of insurers for a vessel that it offered mortgage after the Court of Appeal allowed the five…
Read MoreBitcoin holding at US$70,000 as Iran war stokes inflation concerns
Bitcoin has fallen for three straight days after reaching a six-week high of nearly US$76,000 on Tuesday Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 03:27 PM [NEW YORK] Bitcoin is holding just above US$70,000 as the Iran war stokes inflation concerns, overshadowing a regulatory win for cryptocurrencies in the US this week. Bitcoin has fallen for…
Read MoreMAS launches AI risk toolkit for financial institutions with case studies from DBS, peers
Singapore’s central bank will also set up an artificial intelligence risk management workgroup [SINGAPORE] Financial institutions seeking guidance on implementing artificial intelligence (AI) risk management frameworks can now turn to a new set of handbooks, which includes case studies from leading industry players. The publications form part of an AI Risk Management Toolkit released following…
Read MoreRHB keeps ‘buy’ on Suntec Reit following Hongkong Land’s acquisition of 10.8% stake
[SINGAPORE] RHB Group Research is keeping its “buy” rating on Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) following Hongkong Land’s purchase of a 10.8 per cent stake in the trust. The 318 million units valued at S$541 million was sold by ESR Group to Jardine’s property arm at S$1.70, above the market price. The reit was…
Read MoreGold set for third weekly fall on hawkish US Fed, elevated dollar
Bullion has lost over 6 per cent so far this week. Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 12:32 PM Gold prices rose on Friday on technical buying, but were headed for a third consecutive weekly decline, pressured by a firm US dollar and as a hawkish US Federal Reserve dampened hopes for near-term interest rate…
Read MoreRupee set for all-time low on oil fears, pullback in crude from highs offers relief
Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 11:57 AM [MUMBAI] The Indian rupee is set to weaken toward a lifetime low on Friday, pressured by persistently high oil prices, although a pullback from recent highs in crude is likely to limit the extent of losses. The 1-month non-deliverable forward indicated the rupee will open near 92.90…
Read MoreRupee breaches 93 per US dollar to hit record low as Iran war risks deepen
With no let-up in the conflict, Indian currency looks increasingly vulnerable and could slip to 95 per dollar Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 11:57 AM [MUMBAI] The Indian rupee fell past the 93-per-US dollar level for the first time on Friday (Mar 20), on heightened worries over the hit from the Iran war-led disruption…
Read MoreTesla in talks with Chinese firms to buy US$2.9 billion worth of solar equipment, sources say
Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 11:23 AM TESLA is looking to buy equipment worth US$2.9 billion for manufacturing solar panels and cells from Chinese suppliers including Suzhou Maxwell Technologies, two people familiar with the matter said, as Tesla chief Elon Musk aims to add 100 gigawatts of solar capacity in the US. Musk said…
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