The Business Times

Start your day with BT ☕️: Stocks to watch: Keppel, Keppel DC Reit, Frasers Property, ThaiBev Top stories: 1. Working: 53% of Singapore workers plan job switch if raises, bonuses don’t meet expectations: Randstad survey…

Fujian gang, Prince Group money laundering incidents unlikely to dent Singapore’s appeal as wealth hub The fact that the Singapore government moved quickly and transparently in both cases signals that Singapore still tak…

Fancy one or more mini-retirements? Start planning early for a multi-phase life A recent survey by HSBC finds that most Singaporeans plan for two to three mini-retirements over their lifetime

Charities need to make money, too “Donor expectations have changed. They are more engaged and want to understand the impact of their support. Charities that cannot articulate their impact will struggle to secure funding,…

Keeping quality high for over a century: VSS Varusai Mohamed & Sons fends off cheaper competition “Whether we are still around or not, at least we will be there in the books as a business that ran for 100 years,” says Fa…

17 new cars worth waiting for in 2026 Before April, Ferrari will relaunch one of its most loaded names with the new Testarossa, offered in both coupe and open-top Spider form, yours for S$2.1 million without COE and S$2.…

So bad it’s good: Why Chinese equities could shine in 2026 Sometimes good things happen for all the wrong reasons, a paradox not uncommon in the topsy-turvy world of financial markets.

China’s Polar Silk Road takes shape, putting Singapore’s maritime future in focus The rise of Arctic shipping poses a quiet but consequential test. If more cargo shifts north, fewer vessels may pass through Singapore, po…

Malaysia equities in 2026: Five themes to watch, from infrastructure to IPOs With reforms and project roll-outs likely to speed up ahead of a potential 2027 election, investors are watching for a steadier stream of infra…

Hongkong Land should do a listed Reit with its Singapore commercial properties instead of a private fund SGX would gain if Hongkong Land injects its prime Singapore commercial properties into a local-listed Reit, says BT…

Prime retail rents seen rising further in 2026 with tenant demand firm amid tight supply Market watchers expect increases of between 1% and 4%, with city centre malls likely outperforming suburban centres.

Thailand and Cambodia sign ceasefire agreement to halt fierce border conflict The South-east Asian neighbours have been locked in fierce border clashes for weeks.

Shopee, Lazada are laying the ground for AI shopping agents. Is a brutal price war looming? “Think of AI agents as the new search bar,” says the co-founder of e-commerce enabler aCommerce. “Eventually, every platform nee…

Repeat after me: Never underestimate China Chinese President Xi Jinping was the only foreign leader who stood up to Trump’s bullying tactics on trade, and forced him to back down by weaponising Beijing’s control of rare…

Ex-PM Najib Razak ordered to serve 15 years in jail in 1MDB case Najib was convicted on multiple counts of abuse of power and money laundering.

TotalEnergies sues Charge+ over sale of EV charging assets The defendant says it refused to proceed with the deal because BlueSG – which accounted for more than 95% of the claimant’s revenue – was alleged to not be a goi…

Vingroup’s rail retreat sparks VN-Index rout, exposes strain in Vietnam’s mega-project push Shares of Vingroup and its three core listed affiliates plunged for two consecutive days after the conglomerate formally withdre…

Singapore court upholds worldwide asset freeze in alleged fraudulent US$38 million gold scheme The claimants say they were induced to invest in what was presented as a trading operation spanning South Africa and Zimbabwe…

Sheng Siong awards long-serving staff members with gold coins Staff members with 15 years of service got 40g, and those with 20 years of service got 100g, according to The Straits Times.

Malaysia court finds ex-PM Najib Razak guilty of abuse of power in biggest 1MDB trial Najib had been charged with four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering for receiving illegal transfers of about RM2.2…

What will power South-east Asia in the coming year? Five trends to watch in 2026 Fears of a major trade slowdown in 2025 turned out to be less destructive than expected - but uncertainty still remains in South-east Asia.…

Singapore considering sixth desalination plant to safeguard water security The study, which is expected to take about 10 months to complete, will assess the viability of a plant that can treat both seawater and freshwate…

🥳 Your most-read story of 2025? These property sectors in Singapore could take a hit from the JS-SEZ, analysts say From fears that the SEZ may hurt certain industries in Singapore, to an Indonesian tycoon’s family payin…

From US$300 billion to US$4 trillion: Singapore eyes explosive stablecoin growth Stablecoins have been all the rage in 2025 - will it last throughout 2026? BT looks at how Singapore has taken advantage of the surge in st…

Malaysia’s ex-PM Najib faces verdict in his biggest 1MDB trial He faces a High Court decision today over 25 corruption and money laundering charges worth roughly RM2.2 billion (S$699 million), days after losing a bid to…

Start your day with BT ☕️: Stocks to watch: Sembcorp Industries, Keppel Reit Top stories: 1. International: What will power South-east Asia in the coming year? Five trends to watch in 2026 2. Wealth: Has Singapore’s stab…

Li Ka-shing is remaking his empire as a generational shift looms The Li family has lately found itself on the wrong side of the politics. 97-year-old Li Ka-shing, who once rubbed shoulders with China’s top leaders, has f…

#BTLuxe: Lessons from the High Arctic An expedition cruise from Greenland to Canada shows that real luxury goes beyond butler service – it’s the opportunity to truly connect with local communities and culture.

Vietnam puts 1,200-hectare, two-city International Financial Centre into operation Our Vietnam correspondent Jamille Tran unpacks Hanoi's sweeping guiding frameworks that include a 10-year residency for foreign experts a…