Central banks stand ready to tackle war-led inflation

Central banks stand ready to tackle war-led inflation

Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 06:32 AM [LONDON] Top central banks said on Thursday they stood ready to tackle any surge in inflation with tighter policy, as an escalation in the Iran war put the Middle East’s vital energy infrastructure in the line of fire and pushed fuel prices higher. In a rare coincidence…

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Brent up but off highs, US crude finishes with small loss

Brent closes up at US8.65 but off highs, US crude finishes with small loss

Published Fri, Mar 20, 2026 · 05:55 AM [HOUSTON] Brent crude was up on Thursday but well off session highs of US$119 a barrel while US crude futures finished with a small loss hours after hitting a session high over US$100 a barrel. Trading was volatile as Iran attacked energy targets overnight in the Middle…

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Hongkong Land acquires 10.8% stake in Suntec Reit for S$541 million

Hongkong Land acquires 10.8% stake in Suntec Reit for S1 million

It says the move aligns with its ‘positive outlook and conviction in Singapore’s prime commercial property market’ [SINGAPORE] Property developer Hongkong Land has acquired a 10.8 per cent stake in Suntec Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit) for S$541 million in its drive to grow its presence in Singapore’s prime commercial sector.  In a statement on…

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Wall St opens lower as oil prices gain

Wall St opens lower as oil prices gain

Published Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · 09:50 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened lower on Thursday (Mar 19) as crude prices soared on intensifying Middle East hostilities, reviving inflation worries that have prompted the Federal Reserve to take a more cautious stance on interest rate cuts. The rate-sensitive small-caps Russell 2000 index dropped…

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ECB keeps rates on hold as Iran war clouds outlook

ECB keeps rates on hold as Iran war clouds outlook

It’s monitoring the war and its impact on inflation, both including and excluding energy prices, and growth Published Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · 09:40 PM — Updated Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · 10:50 PM [FRANKFURT] The European Central Bank kept its key interest rate at 2 per cent on Thursday (Mar 19) and warned that…

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