Posts by Liam Redmond
US launches US$20 billion reinsurance plan to ease Gulf oil trade
The strait carries about a fifth of global oil flows, as well as gas, fertiliser and other products Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 01:13 PM [NEW YORK] The Trump administration announced a US$20 billion reinsurance programme aimed at reviving shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has all but stopped amid the US…
Read MoreBoeing close to 500-jet order with Trump-Xi summit
Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 12:11 PM [LOS ANGELES] Boeing is closing in on one of the largest sales in its history, a 500-aircraft order for 737 Max jets set to be unveiled when US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for his first state visit to China since 2017, sources familiar with the…
Read MoreUS airlines brace for second year of turmoil as fuel costs surge
Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 11:39 AM [NEW YORK] US airlines were preparing to put aside the chaos caused by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs this year and the ensuing plunge in travel demand. Instead, they face a second year of turmoil as jet fuel prices spike amid war in the Middle East. Jet…
Read MoreCrisis management for Singapore banks, fund managers in Dubai as conflict sparks anxiety among clients
[SINGAPORE] It has been a week of crisis management and client reassurance for private bankers in Dubai, as Iranian missile strikes tested confidence in the Gulf’s financial hub. Many fielded calls and text messages from anxious clients on asset safety and contingency plans after Iranian missiles pelted the city over the weekend, according to Singapore-based…
Read MoreIndonesia to block children under 16 from social media
Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 10:55 AM [BANGKOK] Indonesia said on Friday (Mar 6) that it would bar anyone younger than 16 from access to social media, joining a growing list of countries that are enacting such restrictions in a bid to safeguard the well-being of children. “The rationale is clear: Our children face…
Read MoreOracle and OpenAI end plans to expand flagship data centre
Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 10:32 AM [SAN FRANCISCO] Oracle and OpenAI have scrapped plans to expand a flagship artificial intelligence (AI) data centre in Texas after negotiations dragged on over financing and OpenAI’s changing needs. The collapsed talks created an opening for Meta Platforms to step in and consider leasing the planned expansion…
Read MoreSouth Korean EV battery maker SK lays off 958 workers in Georgia
The company says that it’s pursuing customers in the automotive and stationary storage space Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 10:02 AM [NEW YORK] The battery unit of SK Innovation is laying off more than a third of the workforce at its plant in Georgia as the South Korean manufacturer navigates a slowdown in electric…
Read MoreFed faced with hard choice on weak jobs, high inflation
The central bank aims for 2% inflation, though it has not met that goal for the past five years Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 09:40 AM [NEW YORK] Fresh signs of labour weakness and oil-driven inflation concerns are cornering US Federal Reserve officials into an uncomfortable choice: leave borrowing costs steady to ensure that…
Read MoreOnline sellers brace as Gulf logistics grinds to near halt after US-Israel strikes
The region has become an important destination for Chinese and Western e-commerce exporters alike Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 09:17 AM THE escalating military confrontation among the US, Israel and Iran has disrupted Middle Eastern logistics, dealing a blow to cross-border e-commerce during Ramadan, one of the region’s busiest shopping months. Following US-Israel military…
Read MorePop Mart sues 3D-printer firm in Labubu copyright fight
Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 08:54 AM POP Mart International Group has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Shenzhen-based Bambu Lab, a leading maker of consumer 3D printers, escalating tensions between intellectual property owners and the fast-growing personal manufacturing industry. At the centre of the dispute is MakerWorld, a 3D-model platform operated by Bambu…
Read MorePanama Canal saw 2.8% transit increase through January despite tensions
Analysts expect an increasing passage of vessels carrying US LNG through Panama to reach destinations in Asia Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 08:27 AM [PANAMA CITY] The Panama Canal, the world’s second busiest interoceanic way, saw a 2.8 per cent increase in vessel transits in the first four months of its fiscal year through…
Read MoreUS stocks close down as oil spikes 12%, job market weakens
The increase in oil prices has fuelled expectations of higher input costs and pressure on corporate profits Published Sat, Mar 7, 2026 · 07:22 AM [NEW YORK] Wall Street’s three main indexes closed down on Friday (Mar 6) amid a sudden setback in the US labour market and a 12 per cent spike in US…
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