Posts by Kim Browne
Singapore turns to next-generation power systems to scale AI, train future workforce
This comes as the Republic transitions to a low-carbon energy grid while advancing regional net-zero ambitions [SINGAPORE] As artificial intelligence (AI) drives rising energy demand, data-centre operator ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) is deploying more efficient power systems to scale its operations, through a pilot it described as being the first in South-east…
Read MoreSoftBank stops talks to buy data centre firm Switch
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 02:48 PM TOKYO] SoftBank Group has halted talks about an acquisition of US data centre operator Switch, a setback to founder Masayoshi Son’s ambition to roll out Stargate AI infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter. For months, Son pursued a deal of around US$50 billion for Switch,…
Read MoreBlackstone eyes more hiring in Asia to tap private market demand
The alternative asset manager sees huge potential from bringing private markets to individual investors Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 02:14 PM [HONG KONG] Blackstone is planning to hire more people across Asia to tap growing opportunities in private markets, said Ed Huang, the firm’s head of Asia-Pacific private wealth. The alternative asset manager sees…
Read MoreBritish banks to join European rivals in hiking profit targets: sources
In continental Europe, many banks have already lifted their profit goals, signalling confidence higher margins will last for years Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 01:49 PM [LONDON] Britain’s biggest banks, including HSBC and NatWest, are set to follow their European rivals and lift their key profit targets when they report annual earnings in the…
Read MoreIndia to slash tariffs on cars to 40% in trade deal with EU: sources
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 01:19 PM [NEW DELHI/BRUSSELS] India plans to slash tariffs on cars imported from the European Union to 40 per cent from as high as 110 per cent, sources said, in the biggest opening yet of the country’s vast market as the two sides close in on a free trade…
Read MoreJapan says in close coordination with US on forex as yen intervention risks mount
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 12:55 PM [TOKYO] Top Japanese authorities said on Monday they have been in close coordination with the United States on foreign exchange, but declined to confirm news reports of rate checks that drove the yen sharply higher. The yen has spiked since the New York Federal Reserve reportedly conducted…
Read MoreMorgan Stanley looks to expand in Asia as markets deregulate
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 12:10 PM [HONG KONG] Morgan Stanley is pushing to expand its footprint in Asia, betting on a more favourable business outlook and growing opportunities in deregulated economies, according to Gokul Laroia, the firm’s chief executive officer for the region. Speaking in a Bloomberg Television interview, Laroia said that the…
Read MoreYen surges as intervention risks lurk
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 10:59 AM [SINGAPORE] The yen firmed 0.5 per cent to 154.84 per dollar as of 0052 GMT, after sharp spikes on Friday sparked speculation over potential intervention. The New York Federal Reserve conducted rate checks on Friday, sources told Reuters, raising the chance of joint US-Japan intervention to halt…
Read MoreMalaysian ringgit hits highest since 2018 on AI, growth optimism
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 10:02 AM [MANILA] The Malaysian ringgit rose to the strongest level in more than seven years, buoyed by optimism over the country’s ties to the artificial intelligence (AI) supply chain and the nation’s growth outlook. The currency appreciated as much as 0.8 per cent to 3.9750 per US dollar…
Read MoreChina’s low birthrate isn’t doomsday for formula milk suppliers
Falling birthrates, a phenomenon across richer countries, are obviously a drag on firms that make products for children Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 09:02 AM [MELBOURNE] China’s shockingly low birthrate is not quite the calamity for overseas milk suppliers that some recent stock moves might suggest. Foreign firms that make baby formula, from Swiss…
Read MoreGold rushes to record high above US$5,000/oz
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 08:03 AM [BENGALURU] Gold surged to a record high above US$5,000 an ounce on Monday (Jan 26), extending a historic rally as investors piled into the safe-haven asset amid rising geopolitical tensions. Spot gold rose 0.94 per cent to US$5,029.62 per ounce by 7.21 am, while US gold futures…
Read MoreTrump’s JPMorgan lawsuit underscores his growing clash with Wall Street
Published Mon, Jan 26, 2026 · 07:00 AM [NEW YORK] US President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon highlights a growing, and politically fraught, conflict in the administration’s policy agenda for Wall Street, with big banks scoring wins but also facing setbacks. In his most confrontational move yet against Wall…
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