Singapore convicts first suspect in record money laundering case

A Porsche 911 Targa vehicle seized by police at a residence of Su Jiafeng, one of the suspects in the S$2.8 billion money-laundering case, in Singapore, on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023. Allegations have erupted that wealthy Chinese have been pouring ill-gotten gains into the Asian financial hub, in what the government itself describes as potentially … Read more

Singapore, Denmark, U.S. are the best places to do business: EIU

Singapore topped the list on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s business environment ranking. franckreporter | E+ | Getty Images Singapore, Denmark and U.S. are the best places in the world to conduct business, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit business environment ranking. “Singapore will remain the best geography in the world to do business, as it … Read more

F1’s net-zero pledges are colliding with its ambitions to go truly global

Oscar Piastri of McLaren during the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 9, 2024. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images LONDON — To any reasonable observer, Formula One’s plan to increase the number of races in its calendar from 24 to as many as 30 … Read more

Falling fertility rates pose major challenges for the global economy

Terry Vine | Getty Images Falling fertility rates are set to spark a transformational demographic shift over the next 25 years, with major implications for the global economy, according to a new study. By 2050, three-quarters of countries are forecast to fall below the population replacement birth rate of 2.1 babies per female, research published … Read more

‘Mr Yen’ says Japan may intervene if yen drops to 155

Japanese authorities may intervene if the yen sinks to 155 to 160 against the dollar, according to a former top foreign exchange official Eisuke Sakakibara. The Bank of Japan’s decision on Tuesday to exit the world’s last remaining negative rates regime sparked a sell-off in the Japanese currency as Governor Kazuo Ueda reiterated monetary conditions … Read more

The ocean freight market is in standoff as peak contract season hits

March and April are critical months for ocean carriers looking to ink annual freight contracts with shippers, including the world’s biggest retailers, but this year contract season is turning into a waiting game. The $2,500 spread between spot market rates and long-term freight contract rates for Asia to U.S. West Coast containers has reached its … Read more

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia ‘glitch’ sees customers withdraw millions

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Dec. 7, 2023: A branch of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Ethiopia’s largest bank is struggling to recoup millions of dollars after a glitch over the weekend allowed customers to withdraw unlimited funds, according to local media reports. More than $40 million … Read more

Bank of Japan made a landmark rate pivot. Here’s what happens next

Neon advertisements in Osaka’s Dotonbori district in Japan Alexander Spatari | Moment | Getty Images Japan’s central bank on Tuesday finally ended its experiment with negative rates and unconventional easing tools which were aimed at reflating the world’s fourth-largest economy. The Bank of Japan’s decision came just days after Rengo, Japan’s largest federation of trade … Read more

United Arab Emirates is using cloud seeding tech to make it rain

Rising global temperatures have added a strain on regions like the Middle East, which is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. These nations are now faced with a big problem, how can they solve their water shortage issues?  The United Arab Emirates averages less than 200 millimeters of rainfall a year, in stark … Read more

Denmark leads, with top four from Europe

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Four of investors’ top five favorite destinations are in Europe, according to the Milken Institute’s Global Opportunity Index (GOI) report. Denmark topped this year’s rankings, scoring first on business perception, a measure of the … Read more