Posts by Mark Darwin
Four energy companies from Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam ink deal to explore clean energy export from Vietnam
Alliance reflects growing momentum towards a regionally integrated Asean Power Grid [KUALA LUMPUR] Four energy companies from Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam have inked an agreement to explore the export of renewable electricity from Vietnam to the other two countries. “Together, the consortia will focus on unlocking Vietnam’s rich renewable energy resources – particularly offshore wind…
Read MoreVolvo Cars to cut 3,000 jobs in restructuring
The reductions will primarily affect office-based positions in Sweden and represent around 15% of the total office-based workforce globally Published Mon, May 26, 2025 · 07:53 PM [STOCKHOLM] Sweden-based Volvo Cars said on Monday (May 26) it will cut 3,000 mostly white-collar jobs as part of a restructuring announced last month as it grapples with…
Read MoreFrance, Vietnam sign Airbus, satellite deals as Macron visits Hanoi
[HANOI] France and Vietnam signed a deal on Monday (May 26) for 20 Airbus planes, among other pacts, as President Emmanuel Macron visited Hanoi seeking to boost France’s influence in its former colony, grappling with threats of crippling US tariffs. Macron’s first formal visit to Vietnam, the first by a French president in nearly a…
Read MoreAlibaba chair says Asian firms can seek growth outside US
[BEIJING] Alibaba Group Holding chairman Joe Tsai said Asian companies can look to inter-Asia opportunities and the European market for growth as tensions between Washington and Beijing persist. During a tech conference in Macau on Saturday (May 24), Tsai also called out “some governments” who “try to tear down this bridge that we have built…
Read MoreAsia’s rich trim US exposure, head to Europe amid tariff turmoil
[SINGAPORE] Asian private banking clients sprung into action over the past month, refusing to sit idle despite the whiplash in global financial markets caused by the tariff turmoil. Individuals have been rebalancing their portfolios, according to some senior private bankers whose clients each have at least S$2 million in investible assets. Global financial markets have…
Read MoreGoldman Sachs expects stronger yuan to boost Chinese stocks
The People’s Bank of China has sought to keep the yuan stable and add support to the economy via interest-rate cuts Published Mon, May 26, 2025 · 12:01 PM CHINESE stocks are expected to benefit from further gains in the yuan, which has been showing resilience amid the country’s trade spat with the US, according…
Read MoreCPF extends Great Eastern’s Dependants’ Protection Scheme administrator contract to September 2028
The term life insurance scheme currently covers more than two million Singaporeans and permanent residents, the CPF Board said [SINGAPORE] Great Eastern will continue to administer the Dependants’ Protection Scheme (DPS) for another three years as the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has extended its administrator contract until September 2028. The extended contract period will…
Read MoreSingapore’s STI down 0.1% post Trump’s Apple tariff threats; most Asia markets rise
[SINGAPORE] Singapore shares were down at Monday’s (May 26) open while most regional markets traded higher, after US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened tariffs on Apple. As at 9.01 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) slid 0.1 per cent or 4.02 points to 3,878.4. Across the broader market, gainers outnumbered losers 59 to 39…
Read MoreGold remains in long-term uptrend but caution needed
Gold markets have been anything but dull in 2025, but what’s more interesting is that the metal is back in the headlines and climbing higher once again. In recent weeks, gold briefly pushed above the US$3,400 per ounce mark before retreating, as a confluence of geopolitical tensions, global economic uncertainties, and technical signals lured investors…
Read MoreUS dollar tumbles as Trump’s EU tariff talk spurs investor flight
[NEW YORK] The US dollar dropped across the board on Friday (May 23), as investors dumped the currency after US President Donald Trump once again ratcheted up his trade war, recommending that the European Union (EU) be hit with 50 per cent tariffs beginning Jun 1. That rekindled concern about the impact of duties on…
Read More