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The Pinglu Canal is regarded as a pivotal development for Guangxi.

China’s Pinglu Canal likely to benefit Singapore, other South-east Asia ports in the long term

Strategic enhancement could slash logistics costs by a third, say observers

Asean to roll out upgraded trade pact ahead of schedule: Gan Kim Yong

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong speaking at the Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings, held in Manila, on Sep 19.

Early roll-out would allow goods to move more easily across borders and give businesses better access to markets across the region

Innovation core to AI trade in China’s two-speed economy: BlackRock executive

While China has pockets of markets that are doing well and set to drive innovation, domestic demand is still slow.

Global AI adoption is still at its infancy, with interest in agentic AI further driving demand

Grab’s acquisition of Atome signals need for wider ecosystem play for standalone BNPL platforms

Atome Financial reports an 80% growth in 2025 revenue to US$470 million.

Buy-now-pay-later players need a lower cost of capital and access to data to improve their credit underwriting

A farmer from West Kalimantan whose plot was damaged after a fire in the neighbouring land spread to the area.

BRUNCH

No smoke without fire: Smallholders’ view from ground zero of the haze

Despite industry commitments to curb burning, Indonesia’s farmers are still feeling the heat

Evan See

Five ways US$100 oil cuts both ways for Malaysia

Higher crude oil prices can increase Malaysia’s fuel-subsidy costs.

Whether the country gains depends on factors such as what it exports and imports and its subsidy exposure

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As US ups stakes on AI, can China win over the world with open-weight models?

The Moonshot booth promoting its Kimi K3 AI model, during the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, on Jul 17.

From frontier models to data centres and power grids, China and the US are competing to shape the AI age

China got cool for foreigners. But can they find a job there?

Founder of Omeida Language College Ou Da (front row in black trousers) says that more foreigners want to work in China, but not many jobs are available.

Rising interest in working in the country comes amid a slowing economy and high youth unemployment

From petrodollar to AI dollar: Can the greenback continue to rule?

The greenback could retain its pre-eminence by becoming the main currency in which AI is purchased, financed and traded.

Dominance in AI gives the US a big advantage, but the AI dollar is unlikely to be a true successor to the petrodollar

Opinion

Donald Trump drops demands to own Greenland, but the harm has been done

In today’s business environment, purpose is the path to enduring profit

Rajeev Peshawaria

How AI could help – or hurt – Asia’s energy future

Woochong Um

Behind The Name

He built the Vingroup empire. Now South-east Asia’s richest man is handing some key roles to his sons

From left: Pham Nhat Quan Anh, Pham Nhat Vuong, Pham Thu Huong and Pham Nhat Minh Hoang. The couple (centre) remain senior figures in Vingroup, with their children’s presence in the ecosystem growing.

Vingroup founder Pham Nhat Vuong is accelerating succession plans while retaining a central role

What’s luck got to do with it? Everything, says Malaysian jewellery king Tomei’s chief

“I consider myself lucky. I don’t consider myself successful,” says Ng Yih Pyng, the second-generation leader of Tomei Consolidated.

Failed overseas ventures, painful exits are unexpectedly a blessing in disguise for the jeweller

Scaling Berli Jucker’s retail empire – daughter of Thai beer billionaire seeks growth outside home country

Thapanee Techajareonvikul, CEO and president of Berli Jucker, sees Vietnam as an important growth enginee for BJC, which has traditionally been heavily invested in Thailand.

CEO thinks diversifying its revenue is important for both BJC and TCC Group, which BJC is a part of

Singapore

More interest in ETFs, low-cost funds but Singapore still lacks pressure to further lower fund fees

As investors become more digitally savvy and self-sufficient, observers expect ETFs to continue gaining ground

Grab’s acquisition of Atome signals need for wider ecosystem play for standalone BNPL platforms

Buy-now-pay-later players need a lower cost of capital and access to data to improve their credit underwriting

StarHub 5G upgrade may defend market share, but unlikely to reverse underlying earnings slump

With the upgrade, StarHub becomes only the second telco in Singapore to offer mass market plans using the 700 MHz low-frequency spectrum.

Analysts warn that better connectivity may not be enough to persuade customers to pay a premium for mobile plans

Fed hike throws Singapore banks a margin lifeline; UOB likely to benefit more

North-South Corridor opening delayed two years amid construction challenges

The Leadership Playbook

Endowus’ Samuel Rhee on the drive for better financial outcomes for customers

Endowus chairman Samuel Rhee believes the platform being named as a CPF digital adviser was a positive development.

With its platform that provides many with institutional-level services, the wealth manager is doing things differently

Why Tan Aik Keong of digital solutions specialist Agmo wants to make himself less indispensable

Agmo CEO Tan Aik Keong’s unconventional rule is to “say yes first, then figure out how”.

The tech entrepreneur says leadership is about building an organisation that can thrive without him

‘Be confident’: Yum Cha second-gen owner’s advice on taking over the family business

Melody Tan thinks second-gen family business owners need to have confidence in themselves when taking over the business.

Building authority is not about inheriting a title, it is about earning trust through actions and results

BT takes a look at big names in the segment – both home-grown Singapore champions and massive regional operators.

From Haidilao to Oriental Kopi: How some of Asia’s favourite F&B players are faring in 2026

Dining groups have been facing intensifying competition, cost inflation and more

Asean

The combined mining quotas of Bayan and Haji Isam’s Jhonlin Group, a coal producer, would place him above industry giants like Glencore.

Indonesian tycoon creates coal mining giant with 30% Bayan stake deal

The ‘jumbo transaction’ could make billionaire Haji Isam one of the world’s top coal producers

“I can say confidently the government said we never said anything like that,” said Tony Fernandes, co-founder of South-east Asia’s largest low-cost carrier.

‘We do not need rescue’: AirAsia's Fernandes denies reports on Malaysian government seeking rivals’ help

The airline can withstand fuel cost spikes as its current crisis is less severe than Covid, he adds

Between May 2024 and July 2026, around two-thirds of the estimated 640 tankers loaded at the Westridge Marine Terminal in Vancouver arrived in Asia.

Canada is upping oil flows to Asia, but South-east Asia’s refineries aren’t ready to handle them yet

Although shipments have been limited to Singapore and Brunei, potential lies in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam

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