Posts by Liam Redmond
‘Mr Lufthansa’ taps crisis playbook to tackle costs, union battles
Carsten Spohr is focused on efficiencies, centralising management of the group’s 12 airlines and betting on more long-haul flights in the year ahead Published Wed, Mar 4, 2026 · 03:41 PM [FRANKFURT] At Lufthansa’s base overlooking Frankfurt’s bustling international airport, chief executive Carsten Spohr has his eye firmly on his sprawling airline empire as giant…
Read MoreIndia rupee hits record low as oil rise sparks regional meltdown
Published Wed, Mar 4, 2026 · 01:41 PM [MUMBAI] India’s rupee fell to a record low, while stocks and bonds declined amid concerns that rising crude prices, driven by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, fanned worries over inflation and the country’s widening trade deficit. The currency fell as much as 0.8 per cent…
Read MoreOil prices rise 1% as Iran crisis disrupts Middle East supply
Published Wed, Mar 4, 2026 · 12:51 PM OIL prices rose 1 per cent on Wednesday as the US-Israeli war on Iran disrupted Middle East supplies, but the pace of gains slowed from past sessions after President Donald Trump raised the possibility of the US Navy escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent rose…
Read MoreCGSI upgrades Sheng Siong to ‘add’; RHB raises target price on store outlook
However, DBS argues the supermarket operator’s 2026 growth has already been priced in [SINGAPORE] CGS International (CGSI) upgraded Sheng Siong Group to “add” from “hold”, citing a stronger-than-expected pipeline of new stores and sustained expansion in gross margins. In a note on Tuesday (Mar 3), the research house raised its target price on the supermarket…
Read MoreMiddle East conflict likely to raise global energy and Singapore electricity prices: EMA
Gas prices surge as much as 50% in European and Asian markets, after the world’s largest LNG producer shut down its facility [SINGAPORE] Singapore electricity prices could rise if global gas prices remain elevated amid Middle East tensions, the Republic’s energy regulator told The Business Times. Singapore relies on imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) to…
Read MoreFormer oil tycoon OK Lim granted jail term cut in US$111.7 million case appeal
The High Court rejects OK Lim’s appeal against conviction, but allows his appeal against a 17.5 year sentence [SINGAPORE] The High Court dismissed an appeal by Lim Oon Kuin, better known as OK Lim, against his conviction on Wednesday (Mar 4), but allowed an appeal to his sentence, reducing Lim’s original jail term by four…
Read MorePrediction market boom finds a new challenger with Asia roots
To compete, Opinion uses a crypto-oriented incentive system that rewards loyal customers for their patronage [SINGAPORE] A little-known prediction market platform with Asia roots burst onto the scene late last year, but already its fast start appears to be running out of steam. Opinion Labs debuted in October and within weeks began recording notional trading…
Read MorePump prices in Singapore rise amid widening Middle East conflict
Global energy prices have surged as the US-Israel war on Iran halted exports from the oil-and-gas rich region Published Wed, Mar 4, 2026 · 08:52 AM [SINGAPORE] Prices of petrol have largely climbed as a conflict in the Middle East which has shut a crucial channel for oil supplies escalates with no end in sight.…
Read MoreMiddle East conflict widens as Israeli, US strikes again hit Iran; oil soars, shares slide
[DUBAI] Israeli and US forces pounded targets across Iran on Tuesday, prompting Iranian retaliatory strikes around the Gulf as the conflict spread to Lebanon, rattled global markets and sent oil prices sharply higher. Four days into the war, US President Donald Trump told reporters that the US military had struck numerous Iranian naval and air…
Read MoreUS stocks: Wall Street indexes end lower as Middle East conflict fans inflation fears
Published Wed, Mar 4, 2026 · 05:47 AM [NEW YORK] US stocks fell on Tuesday as investors worried about how long the Middle East conflict may persist, but indexes ended well off the day’s lows. Selling was broad-based, with materials down the most among the major S&P 500 sectors, and the Cboe Volatility index rose. Investors are…
Read MoreApple launches new MacBooks with M5 chips, bigger base storage
Published Tue, Mar 3, 2026 · 10:54 PM [BENGALURU] Apple on Tuesday (Mar 3) unveiled updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, featuring its latest M5-series chips and bigger base storage, in a bid to lure buyers in a softening PC market squeezed by rising memory costs. The update includes a new MacBook Air powered…
Read MoreWall Street opens lower as Middle East conflict fans inflation fears
Published Tue, Mar 3, 2026 · 10:45 PM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s main indexes opened sharply lower on Tuesday (Mar 3) as investors braced for the impact of a widening conflict in the Middle East on inflation and global trade. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 411.7 points, or 0.84 per cent, at the open…
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