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Seven companies have gone public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange so far this year, raising about 2.16 trillion rupiah.

Indonesia’s IPOs slow to a trickle after regulator raises listing bar

The exchange says the rejection rate has risen to about 60%, from 20% to 30% previously

Growing Singapore’s secretive billions: What GIC reveals at its first public exhibition

The Secret Vault will be held from Oct 10 to Nov 1 at New Bahru.

The immersive show marks the global sovereign wealth fund’s 45th anniversary

S$8 billion wiped off OCBC value as shares slide 5.8% in heavy trade

Citi downgrades OCBC from “neutral” to “sell” in a banking note on Wednesday morning.

The lender is also the top traded stock by value; Citi downgrades stock from ‘neutral’ to ‘sell’, expects flat Q3 earnings

Musk’s SpaceX in talks to borrow US$40 billion to buy Nvidia chips

SpaceX’s fundraising discussions are said to be in an early stage and may end without a deal being completed.

Firms are investing and borrowing billions to build and lease data centres that power AI systems

The summer of 2026 was the hottest one on record for Austria and many of its European neighbours.

The lucrative business of cooling off in a hotter world

The constant struggle to stay alive and functioning in higher temperatures will become the new normal

Lee Su Shyan &

Joyce Hooi

‘Fear and uncertainty’: Iran ramps up ship attacks in Hormuz as oil, gas flows climb

How much energy flows through Hormuz is vital for the direction of oil and gas prices, particularly ahead of the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.

Nine attacks in the waterway have already been reported in October

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From haven to exit: The great wealth flight from Britain

With millionaires fleeing Britain, prices of London’s top properties have declined by around 11% over the past 10 years, according to data compiled by Savills.

Critics of the government claim that the steady departure of the very wealthy will turn into a rout which will inflict a heavy blow on the nation’s economy

China’s cities want young people. What do the young want?

China is facing a demographic crisis, with its population falling by 3.39 million in 2025, when just 7.92 million babies were born.

Beijing wants cities to compete for talent, consumers and future parents. But incentives will count for little without affordable housing and good jobs

Once staunchly pro-China, Malaysian Chinese businesses are now distancing themselves from Beijing

Malaysian Chinese bag-maker Liew Bin now sees value in protectionist measures as low-cost competition from China threatens Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises.

China remains Malaysia’s key economic partner, but its businesses are increasingly becoming formidable local competitors.

Opinion

Singapore’s super-aged society needs new ways of funding healthcare

Graham Cookson

The Web isn’t ready for millions of rule-bending bots

Parmy Olson

The bond market’s balancing act is perfectly normal

Nir Kaissar

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

PSD’s review followed claims in a working paper that civil servants had disproportionately bought properties near planned but unannounced MRT stations.

8 public officers referred to police over property buys near unannounced MRT stations: Chan Chun Sing

They are among 191 individuals with transactions reviewed by PSD; checks are still ongoing

North-South Corridor delay: Higher costs likely, surface works will be prioritised, says Jeffrey Siow

The government will aim to complete major structural works creating the most dust and noise by the end of 2027, said Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow.

Revised plan is for the viaduct from Admiralty Road West to Lentor Avenue to open in phases from 2029

Singapore firms’ payment delays worsen for third straight quarter in Q3: SCCB

Slow payments accounted for 44.47% of total payment transactions in the third quarter of 2026.

Ongoing trends highlight financial strain on local businesses, says bureau’s CEO Audrey Chia

Parliament approves increases to salaries of President, Speaker of Parliament and Deputy Speakers

Retrenched PMETs who return on lower pay see median 25% wage cut

The Leadership Playbook

The only common thing in S-E Asia is that we all eat rice: Cisco’s Asean president

Cisco’s Tay Bee Kheng says that her value-add as the tech giant’s Asean chief lies in identifying what each regional market needs specifically, and presenting that to her global bosses.

Tay Bee Kheng says her role is to help the US company understand this region in a simplified manner

From finance aspirant to Asean CEO: TUV SUD’s Jonas Strahberger on finding people who believe in you

Jonas Strahberger, CEO of TUV SUD Asean, says young jobseekers should look for organisations that are willing to invest in their growth.

The 40-year-old talks investing for the long term – in new technologies, businesses and, most importantly, people

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

Data crunched by property players for BT shows that buyers of resale properties tend to turn a bigger profit than those of new builds.

BRUNCH

Many happy returns for resale homes

But buyers of new launches face slimmer gains on higher purchase prices

Asean

Some of the fastest growth is being recorded across a cluster of northern industrial provinces closely tied to electronics manufacturing and global supply chains.

Vietnam’s northern provinces, not Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, are powering near 10% GDP growth

The country’s economic acceleration is showing up far beyond its two biggest cities

The new law called for the creation of a severance security programme, which would ensure that a company has funds for allowances in the event of layoffs.

Indonesian parliament agrees higher severance benefits in new labour law

Employers can no longer “easily” lay off workers on the grounds of cost efficiency

The consumer price index rose 2.82% in September from a year earlier, accelerating from 2.53% in August, Commerce Ministry data showed on Oct 6.

Thai inflation accelerates again with floods adding price risk

Despite the pickup, inflation remains within the Bank of Thailand’s 1% to 3% target range

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