Singapore flags corporate service providers, real estate among non-bank money laundering risks

Singapore flags corporate service providers, real estate among non-bank money laundering risks

CORPORATE service providers, real estate, casinos as well as precious stones and metals are among the non-banking sectors that pose higher money laundering risks to Singapore, indicated the updated Money Laundering National Risk Assessment published on Thursday (Jun 20). The banking sector, which includes wealth management, was assessed to pose the highest money-laundering risk to…

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Forwards become Malaysia’s favoured tool for boosting the ringgit

Forwards become Malaysia’s favoured tool for boosting the ringgit

MALAYSIA’S central bank has been increasingly using currency forwards to support the ringgit, easing pressure on its foreign-exchange reserves. Bank Negara Malaysia’s net forward FX position widened to negative US$27.7 billion in April – reflecting a record net short position its the forward books – showing a preference for using that avenue to bolster its…

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Gold edges higher as weak US data lifts Fed rate-cut bets

Gold edges higher as weak US data lifts Fed rate-cut bets

GOLD prices edged higher on Thursday (Jun 20) as lacklustre US economic activity fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates this year. Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent at US$2,331.38 per ounce, as at 0126 GMT. US gold futures edged 0.1 per cent lower to US$2,345.00. With recent data showing moderation…

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Citi sees AI displacing more finance jobs than any other sector

Citi sees AI displacing more finance jobs than any other sector

CITIGROUP said artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to displace more jobs across the banking industry than in any other sector as the technology is poised to upend consumer finance and make workers more productive. About 54 per cent of jobs across banking have a high potential to be automated, the bank said on Wednesday (Jun…

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Europe: Shares lose ground on real estate, tech losses

Europe: Shares lose ground on real estate, tech losses

EUROPEAN shares ended lower on Wednesday (Jun 19), pressured by losses in real estate and technology stocks, while UK stocks were buoyed by metal miners as investors digested its inflation data. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed down almost 0.2 per cent, with the real estate sector falling 1.2 per cent and technology stocks dropping 1.1…

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KitKat maker sees chocolate demand ebbing as cocoa costs creep in

KitKat maker sees chocolate demand ebbing as cocoa costs creep in

CONSUMERS will probably cut back on chocolate as this year’s historic cocoa rally gradually trickles down to manufacturers and forces them to raise prices, a Nestle executive warned. Cocoa futures have more than doubled this year on the back of a huge global shortage, making it more expensive to produce confectionery. But shoppers are yet…

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