Posts by Liam Redmond
Alibaba plans major revamp to heighten focus on AI profits
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 07:24 PM [HONG KONG] Alibaba Group Holding is setting up a business unit to bring its sprawling AI services and development endeavours under a single umbrella, signalling its determination to profit off artificial intelligence. The company is moving the research team that develops its flagship Qwen models, the consumer-facing…
Read MoreSIA Group sees rise in passenger traffic
The group credits this to healthy holiday demand with the shift of the Chinese New Year period from January in 2025 to February in 2026 [SINGAPORE] Passenger traffic for Scoot rose by 17.4 per cent year on year in February, going by the latest operating results released by Singapore Airlines Group (SIA) on Monday (Mar…
Read MoreSingapore stocks end higher on Monday as Middle East conflict enters third week; STI up 0.6%
[SINGAPORE] Singapore stocks ended higher on Monday (Mar 16), as the conflict in the Middle East entered its third week and investors looked ahead to the US Federal Reserve’s upcoming monetary policy meeting. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.6 per cent, or 26.42 points, to close at 4,868.69. The iEdge Singapore Next 50…
Read MoreJulius Baer CEO tops highest pay at UBS
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 05:55 PM [ZURICH] Julius Baer CEO Stefan Bollinger was awarded a total compensation of 23.96 million Swiss francs (S$39 million) for 2025, a sum that includes replacement awards for forfeited variable pay of a previous employer, the Swiss bank said on Monday (Mar 16). Bollinger joined Julius Baer in…
Read MoreChina’s No 2 chipmaker readies 7 nm production as Beijing ramps up self-suffiency drive
The development comes after Washington eased some of its tech export controls since last year Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 04:51 PM [SINGAPORE] China’s Hua Hong Group has developed advanced chip manufacturing technologies that can be used to produce artificial intelligence chips, four people familiar with the matter said, a major milestone in Beijing’s…
Read MoreItaly’s UniCredit makes takeover bid for Germany’s Commerzbank
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 04:30 PM [ROME] UniCredit made a 35 billion euro (S$51.3 billion) takeover bid for Commerzbank, while saying it doesn’t expect to actually take full ownership just yet. The Italian lender said in a statement on Monday (Mar 16) that it expects the move to push its Commerzbank stake above…
Read MoreJapan starts release of oil from reserves as war snarls flows
The global oil market has been pitched into turmoil by the war between the US, Israel and Iran Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 02:01 PM [TOKYO] Japan started releasing oil from the nation’s reserves, as the war in the Middle East threatens the energy security of importers. The amount of crude refiners must keep…
Read MoreVietnam braces for flight cuts from April after China, Thailand ban jet fuel exports
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 01:49 PM [HANOI] Vietnamese authorities have warned the country’s aviation industry to prepare for potential flight reductions from April after China and Thailand halted exports of jet fuel due to the Iran war, increasing the likelihood of shortages. Vietnam imports more than two-thirds of its jet fuel needs, with…
Read MoreAlibaba creates AI tool for companies to ride China agent craze
The company’s latest product underscores its steady investment in a panoply of artificial intelligence services Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 01:28 PM [HONG KONG] Alibaba Group Holding plans to release an agentic artificial intelligence (AI) service for companies, banking on national enthusiasm around AI assistants such as OpenClaw that help users perform actual tasks.…
Read MoreBank of Japan likely to stand pat as Iran war muddles outlook, sustain rate-hike bias
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 01:21 PM [TOKYO] The Bank of Japan is likely to keep interest rates steady on Thursday but signal its resolve to sustain its rate-hike bias, as the weak yen and surging oil prices from the Iran war heighten inflationary pressure for an import-reliant economy. Global oil prices surged as…
Read MoreNikkei falls a third day as Iran crisis stokes stagflation concerns
Published Mon, Mar 16, 2026 · 11:20 AM [TOKYO] Japan’s Nikkei share average slid for a third straight day on Monday as the Middle East crisis threatened longer-term damage to the economy through higher energy prices and a weaker yen. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.3 per cent to 53,138.42 as of the midday…
Read MoreLTA awards S$199 million Downtown Line 2 contract to China Railway Tunnel Group
[SINGAPORE] The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the final contract for the Downtown Line 2 extension, it said on Monday (Mar 16). The S$199 million contract, won by China Railway Tunnel Group, is for the design and construction of the tunnels between the existing Bukit Panjang station and the upcoming DE1 station on the…
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