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Barisan Nasional chairman Zahid Hamidi (third from left) hugging caretaker menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi as the coalition takes early lead in the Johor state election.

BN extends control over Johor with ‘extraordinary’ victory. Will general election await next?

PH and BN are set to do battle again in Negeri Sembilan, which is now more crucial after Johor results

China narrows AI gap with US as open-source shift could hit valuations: George Yeo

Steve Brice (left), Standard Chartered’s global CIO, at a fireside chat with former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo.

As more Chinese firms make LLMs publicly available, big developers’ proprietary ‘moats’ and pricing power may shrink

Reality check on sustainability not necessarily a setback: OCBC’s Mike Ng

Mike Ng, group CSO at OCBC, on his own residential rooftop where solar panels were being installed.

The emphasis on economic viability will define the next phase of green finance, says the bank’s group CSO

Tencent in talks to become Singapore-based AI startup Manus’ largest shareholder, sources say

Sources say that parties including Tencent and Manus’ original investors plan to repurchase the startup from Meta for no less than US$2 billion.

This comes as investors seek alternatives after Beijing ordered Meta to unwind its US$2 billion acquisition of firm

In emerging markets, discovery, engagement, and transactions are increasingly happening within the same mobile ecosystem.

THE BROAD VIEW

The global e-commerce playbook is being rewritten in emerging markets

Singapore businesses should look towards the Global South, not West, for the future of e-commerce

Eduardo de Abreu

Consumer spending can be an important pillar for Vietnam in hunt for double-digit growth

Total retail sales of goods and consumer services in Vietnam surged 12.9% year on year in the first six months of 2026.

The country is setting an ambitious target to expand its GDP by at least 10% for 2026

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BT Plus

The best insights across SPH Media

How China outgrew Singapore’s F&B brands

Buoyed by the international halo of “Singapore quality”, established local F&B brands brought Nanyang flavours to the Chinese market in the early 2000s.

The once-flourishing expansion momentum enjoyed by homegrown brands in China has reversed following the Covid-19 pandemic

A new kind of ‘ceasefire’ between US and Iran where talks, strikes are part of the same process

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (far left) and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent listening as President Donald Trump (centre) speaks to the media on the sidelines of a Nato summit in Ankara, July 8, 2026.

The Iranians are trying to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz

Despite Brexit, London hasn’t lost its lustre as Europe’s financial hub

The transfer of business that Brexit undeniably triggered never created a new European centre of gravity.

Separation from the EU hit Britain’s economy, but did not dethrone London as the continental financial centre

Opinion

Understand what AI replaces, not whom

Shai Ganu

Nato looks East amid squabbles in the West

Andrew Hammond

‘So little’?: Why critics of Temasek’s 10.5% returns in a bull run are getting it wrong

Jude Chan

Singapore

Located at the corner of Neil Road and Bukit Pasoh Road, the property has four storeys and a basement. It is mostly occupied by Goethe-Institut Singapore.

SINGAPORE PROPERTY

Italian aristocrat sells pair of Neil Road shophouses for S$40.88 million

A Singapore vehicle linked to Luca Padulli paid S$17.5 million in 2011 for the freehold property, which was extensively restored

Upcoming Gillman Barracks housing estate set to retain 25 heritage buildings, green spaces

The 40 hectares estate is likely to have a mix of public and private homes.

These buildings were among 86 that were assessed in a heritage study ahead of the redevelopment of the former military site for housing

Singapore biotech startup Lucence expands across Asia, US as demand grows for preventive health tests

Lucence founder and CEO Tan Min-Han notes that AI is strengthening the startup’s efforts in the area of preventive health.

It aims to make its tests for the detection of cancer and other diseases more accessible

JustCo takes over master tenancy at OG Orchard Point building with push into co-living market

GIC announces senior leadership appointments, including deputy group CIOs

The Leadership Playbook

Reality check on sustainability not necessarily a setback: OCBC’s Mike Ng

The emphasis on economic viability will define the next phase of green finance, says the bank’s group CSO

Tech chief betting on a ‘clear North Star’ and ‘deep care’ to drive Google’s Apac solutions

Ben King, Google’s managing director for Singapore, says the company wants to “be part of the fabric of how a country moves forward”.

The American tech firm has expanded its partnership with Singapore to include health and life sciences

‘Baptism of fire’: Andre Khor on leading Singapore refiner Aster through an energy crisis

Aster deputy CEO Andre Khor, citing the age of the “polycrisis”, says: “It’s very important to be agile, to be focused on execution… We don’t know all the answers but we keep going forward.”

Growing up the son of a steel labourer taught him the value of hard work and dignity, which he applies to the business today

While small-capacity bikes make up over 60% of the Chinese motorcycle industry’s exports, its fastest-growing segment is middle-to-high-end machines with appealing designs, features and technology.

BRUNCH

How much ground can China’s motorcycle brands gain in Singapore?

The likes of Zontes and CFMoto have zoomed into the top ranks for new registrations, with competitive prices and attractive designs

Asean

Headline inflation slowed to 2.42% in June, remaining within the central bank’s 1% to 3% target range and below expectations.

Thai inflation likely below 2.8% for 2026, policy to remain accommodative: central bank chief

Q4 monthly inflation is now expected to be under the 4.5% previously forecast

Consumer spending can be an important pillar for Vietnam in hunt for double-digit growth

The country is setting an ambitious target to expand its GDP by at least 10% for 2026

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ focus is now on the indirect, lagged effects of the initial oil price hike after the US-Iran conflict began in February, says an analyst.

South-east Asia’s central banks now face questions beyond oil shocks – peace deal or not

Geopolitics has given way to issues related to the Fed, currency dynamics and El Nino

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International

Infographic: Why university rankings don’t agree – A look at QS 2027 results

BN extends control over Johor with ‘extraordinary’ victory. Will general election await next?

China narrows AI gap with US as open-source shift could hit valuations: George Yeo

Reality check on sustainability not necessarily a setback: OCBC’s Mike Ng

Tencent in talks to become Singapore-based AI startup Manus’ largest shareholder, sources say

The global e-commerce playbook is being rewritten in emerging markets

Eduardo de Abreu

Consumer spending can be an important pillar for Vietnam in hunt for double-digit growth

BT Plus

How China outgrew Singapore’s F&B brands

A new kind of ‘ceasefire’ between US and Iran where talks, strikes are part of the same process

Despite Brexit, London hasn’t lost its lustre as Europe’s financial hub

Opinion

Understand what AI replaces, not whom

Shai Ganu

Nato looks East amid squabbles in the West

Andrew Hammond

‘So little’?: Why critics of Temasek’s 10.5% returns in a bull run are getting it wrong

Jude Chan

Singapore

Italian aristocrat sells pair of Neil Road shophouses for S$40.88 million

Upcoming Gillman Barracks housing estate set to retain 25 heritage buildings, green spaces

Singapore biotech startup Lucence expands across Asia, US as demand grows for preventive health tests

JustCo takes over master tenancy at OG Orchard Point building with push into co-living market

GIC announces senior leadership appointments, including deputy group CIOs

The Leadership Playbook

Reality check on sustainability not necessarily a setback: OCBC’s Mike Ng

Tech chief betting on a ‘clear North Star’ and ‘deep care’ to drive Google’s Apac solutions

‘Baptism of fire’: Andre Khor on leading Singapore refiner Aster through an energy crisis

How much ground can China’s motorcycle brands gain in Singapore?

Asean

Thai inflation likely below 2.8% for 2026, policy to remain accommodative: central bank chief

Consumer spending can be an important pillar for Vietnam in hunt for double-digit growth

South-east Asia’s central banks now face questions beyond oil shocks – peace deal or not

Read more

International

Infographic: Why university rankings don’t agree – A look at QS 2027 results

Bitcoin has plummeted nearly 30% this year. Why is it falling and will it rebound?

Gold’s epicentre is shifting to Asia, with prices buoyed by regional demand: analysts

Samsung, SK Hynix and leveraged ETFs drive 70% of Korea trading, drawing criticism

IMF edges 2026 global growth forecast lower to 3%, sees rebound in 2027