Singapore's Temasek Holdings and other global investors are growing cautious over China. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Finance

Temasek's China strategy to focus on companies with big domestic demand

Market pressure weighs on Singaporean investor despite rebound to 1.6% return

9 July 2024
This artist's rendering shows the facility where Keppel unit Volt Singapore will operate a large-scale EV charging hub in the city-state. (Volt Singapore)
Electric vehicles

Singapore to host Southeast Asia's largest EV charging hub

Keppel unit to operate new facility for buses, taxis and passenger cars

8 July 2024
DBS, Singapore's biggest lender, has been fined for allegedly running afoul of Hong Kong's anti-money laundering regulations.
Finance

Hong Kong fines DBS for breaching anti-money laundering rules

Singapore's biggest lender hit with $1.28m penalty over alleged past failures

5 July 2024
The Taiwan Stock Exchange partnered with the Singapore Exchange for the first time to host a pitch event for institutional investors in the city-state, held at SGX in April. (Singapore Exchange and Taiwan Stock Exchange)
Taiwan tensions

Singapore hooks Taiwan companies shunning China's investors

Taiwanese firms chase funds in city-state as cross-strait tensions rise

4 July 2024
CapitaLand plans to complete its third Japanese lyf building, this one in Tokyo's Shibuya, by 2024. (CapitaLand image)
Property

Singapore's CapitaLand charts Japan real estate buying spree

In bid to diversify from China, property group targets 'workcation' and logistics sites

4 July 2024
A reliance on overseas players for cutting-edge technologies could poses risks for economic security. (Nikkei montage)
Artificial intelligence

Japan to help Southeast Asia develop AI in local languages

Public-private initiative to spearhead development of large language models

4 July 2024
Myanmar's military regime is almost entirely dependent on imported fuel to kill and terrorize civilians, and to power all aspects of its war machine. With revenue from natural gas sales to Thailand and China falling off dramatically, this is proving an unaffordable vulnerability.  (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
The Big Story

Myanmar's reliance on imported fuel squeezes military as civilians suffer

Economic crisis likely to hit generals harder than sanctions as insurgents gain ground

3 July 2024
Morus CEO Ryo Sato explains his company's business during an event in Singapore on June 25. (Photo by Fumika Sato)
Startups

Japanese startup to sell protein-rich 'silkworm food' in Singapore

City-state's move to allow edible insects attracts businesses from Asia

1 July 2024
A rendering of CapitaLand Investment's OMEGA 1 Bang Na automated storage facility in Thailand. The company plans to add industrial assets in the country, Malaysia and Vietnam. (Image courtesy of the company)
Supply Chain

Singapore's CapitaLand focuses on Vietnam as supply chains leave China

Property manager also eyes industrial park in Malaysian special economic zone

28 June 2024
According to LSEG data, the largest IPO on Asian markets so far this year, excluding India, has been Chinese bubble tea maker Sichuan Baicha Baidao. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
IPO

Asia's IPO market trails U.S. and Europe as proceeds plunge 73%

India tops global listings in first half of year, buoyed by strong economy

28 June 2024
Shopee is a leading e-commerce platform in Indonesia. The country's competition watchdog said on July 26 that the Singaporean company violated anti-monopoly rules.
Startups

Shopee to adjust services in Indonesia after antitrust violation

Singapore group's unit allegedly directed customers to certain delivery services

26 June 2024
Thai Airways plans to expand its fleet from 70 airplanes at the end of 2023 to 96 by 2033. 
Transportation

Southeast Asian airlines spend big to cash in on return of travelers

But a pilot shortage threatens resurgence of Thai Airways and others

26 June 2024
ST Engineering holds a groundbreaking ceremony for a data center in Singapore on June 25. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Technology

Singapore's ST Engineering to add data center as restrictions lifted

Defense group taps patented cooling system with 20% energy savings

25 June 2024
Marcus Ong, second from left, managing director of Niugini Resources and Investments, with members of a community in Papua New Guinea. (Photo by Niugini Resources and Investments)
Commodities

Singapore company launches mining venture in Papua New Guinea

CEO calls Pacific nation 'very blessed' despite civil unrest, U.S.-China tussle

23 June 2024
Wealth management executives see Hong Kong overtaking Switzerland in the sector in the coming years. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)
Wealth Management

Partners Group opens Hong Kong office as Swiss swoop in for Chinese cash

Senior exec acknowledges city poised to overtake Switzerland in wealth management

21 June 2024
Prem Kumar Nair, CEO of IHH Healthcare, speaks during an interview with Nikkei Asia in Singapore. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Health Care

Malaysian hospital group IHH weighs entry into Indonesia, Vietnam

CEO Nair says 'the time is right' due to middle-class demand, regulatory reform

21 June 2024
Singapore's three largest banks are pushing to expand outside their home markets, focusing on areas such as trade finance and wealth management. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Finance

Singapore's top banks hungry for regional expansion

Domestic challenges prompt DBS, OCBC, UOB to seek growth elsewhere

21 June 2024
“Increased” numbers of suspicious transaction reports have been filed in Singapore involving digital tokens, according to a report from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Cryptocurrencies

Singapore flags crypto for 'higher risk' in money laundering

Enforcement agencies put financial sector on digital currency crimes alert

20 June 2024
Hong Kong and Singapore have been competing to attract wealthy investors in recent years. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and AP) 
Wealth Management

Singapore loses China's rich to Hong Kong in family office rush

Tough scrutiny, 'backlog' temporarily push some wealthy Chinese to rival hub

20 June 2024
Singapore's Trafigura Group, Thailand's PTT and Indonesia's Pertamina topped the Southeast Asia 500 ranking. 
Companies

Singapore commodity trader tops Southeast Asia's first Fortune 500

Indonesia dominates inaugural ranking with highest number of companies

18 June 2024
An illustration of the hotel that Singapore-based Philippine chain Hotel101 is building at the Niseko ski resort in Japan. Global CEO Hannah Yulo-Luccini says the company is offering investors the chance to buy individual rooms. (Hotel101)
Travel & Leisure

Philippine hotel chain goes global with Japan ski resort development

Hotel101 CEO aims to apply fast-food-inspired standardization for efficiency

17 June 2024
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, center left, walks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as they meet in Putrajaya on June 12. (Prime Minister's Office of Malaysia)
International relations

Singapore PM Wong 'open' to discussing high-speed rail plan with Malaysia

New leader meets with Anwar in his first overseas trip since May inauguration

12 June 2024
AI-dedicated data centers will require 90 trillion watt-hours of electricity globally by 2026, over 10 times the amount they used in 2022, according to the International Energy Agency. The environmental impact of that huge boom in energy demand is becoming more difficult to ignore.
The Big Story

AI's looming climate cost: Energy demand surges amid data center race

From Singapore to China, AI's appetite for electricity and water grows insatiable as models get larger

12 June 2024
Lee Hsien Loong, right, congratulates Lawrence Wong at his swearing in on May 15 as Singapore's new prime minister: Wong brings a fresh perspective and leadership style.
Opinion

Singapore leadership transition shows value of continuity

New PM Lawrence Wong's accession reflects prioritization of merit and consensus

12 June 2024
Varying approaches to regulating AI are a headache for tech companies in Asia, but political differences make cross-border cooperation difficult. (Nikkei montage)
Artificial intelligence

From China to Singapore, Asia's AI policy 'gaps' pose headaches for business

Governments shy from common rules, creating uncertainty for business

10 June 2024