[SINGAPORE] The proportion of private housing loan applicants without any outstanding mortgages continued to rise in the first quarter of this year, according to latest figures from Credit Bureau (Singapore).
Companies
DBS Bank has been ranked the most valuable brand in Singapore for the first time, coming ahead of Singapore Airlines, in Brand Finance's annual "Top 100 Singapore Brands" league table.
Singapore
THE results of the government's productivity drive has been mixed so far, with some companies already making changes to raise efficiency standards but also others that continue to rely on the old way of doing things, said Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan yesterday.
Singapore Markets
[LONDON] The yen yesterday fell to the weakest level in three years against the euro after Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymakers affirmed a plan to double the monetary base over two years and their statement showed no concern with rising bond yields.
Economy Watch
[BRUSSELS] EU leaders, desperate to give growth a boost, have made energy policy a priority amid concerns that a US-led revolution in shale oil and gas development would reshape the global economy and leave Europe far behind.
Malaysia
[HONG KONG] Axiata Group Bhd, Malaysia's largest mobile-phone operator, is evaluating a bid for PT Axis Telekom Indonesia, three people with knowledge of the matter said yesterday.
Asia Pacific
[TIMIKA, Indonesia] Rescuers yesterday recovered the last of 28 miners killed last week when an underground room of a giant Indonesian gold and copper mine collapsed, the operator of the US-owned facility said.
China
[LONDON] The European Union is poised to penalise imports of Chinese solar products, a move that would increase Europe's cost for most photovoltaic panels by an estimated 45 per cent overnight.
India
[NEW DELHI] India's market regulator revised guidelines for computer-based trading, providing for temporary suspension of brokers and higher fines to check manipulation.
World
BANK of Japan (BoJ) governor Haruhiko Kuroda promised yesterday that the central bank would keep a close watch on developments in the Japanese Government Bond (JGB) market, where fears of a sudden upward spike in yields have unnerved bond investors and triggered concerns about the Japanese government's finances.
Transport Hub
[ATLANTA] United Airlines partner SkyWest Inc has agreed to buy more than US$4 billion of Embraer jets as new pilot contracts at the largest carriers allow commuter operators to fly bigger planes.
Editorial & Opinion
EVEN though the Indian economy was growing at a brisk clip until last year, it has not created many quality jobs. The government of India's Economic Survey released recently framed the problem this way: "India's challenge is to create the conditions for faster growth of productive jobs outside of agriculture, especially in organised manufacturing and in services, even while improving productivity in agriculture."
Dining
WHEN it comes to Thai food, you don't mess with David Thompson. He looks Australian on the outside but inside, you can't get any more Thai than the chef who made his name first Down Under and then in London's now defunct Nahm which, at its peak, held a Michelin star.
Wellness
PEOPLE with pre-existing heart conditions can join the global trend of travelling by plane, but for them, making the right holiday decisions can mean a difference between life and death.
Home & Garden
RIGHT from the start Ravin Sinan and Maha Lakshmi had an idea of how their three-storey cluster terrace home off Braddell Road should look.
BizIT
F5 Networks, which provides solutions that optimise delivery of network-based applications and security for servers and other network devices, is looking for a location...
SME Inc
ECONOMISTS traditionally assume that consumers' preferences are fixed and stable over time.
Executive Money
A LOOK at US equity ownership, investor sentiment and historical valuation reveals a compelling case for investors to have more exposure to stocks. Stocks are "under-...
Property
[NEW YORK] New media is replacing old in Times Square. Yahoo, the giant Web company that agreed on Sunday to buy Tumblr for US$1.1 billion, is moving its New York...
Raffles Conversation
SIXTEEN years after the Asian financial crisis of 1997/98, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - the world's watchdog of economic health and financial stability - is...
Views From the Top
How do you view Malaysia from a business viewpoint after the election? What opportunities do you see, and what risks?
