Singapore Financial News

Air India aircraft, evocatively named the Emperor Ashoka, way back in 1972. Needless to add it left a deep impression on my six-year-old mind, not only because of the dimension of a Boeing 747 ('Jumbo') but the regal ambience, the glamorous, poised cabin crew, and even the food.

Gukesh Dommaraju, a.k.a. D Gukesh, was 'only' the third youngest grandmaster in history. By yesterday evening, the teenager from Chennai also entered the annals of chess history, becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. SINGAPORE : China’s leaders promised more government support for their struggling economy next year as they brace for the return of President-elect Donald Trump and another big showdown over trade. An annual gathering of top officials on the economy concluded with pledges to cut interest rates and boost government borrowing to pep up economic growth, according to a report by China’s state broadcaster Thursday.

Gukesh Dommaraju made history on Thursday by becoming the youngest chess world champion, defeating defending champion Ding Liren of China in a dramatic final game of a 14-game match held in Singapore. At just 18 years old, Gukesh is now the 18th world chess champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov, who held the record as the youngest champion since 1985 when he defeated Anatoly Karpov at the age of 22. In the decisive game, Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, capitalized on a blunder by Ding, who faltered under pressure in what was considered a favorable position. The win gave Gukesh a 7.5-6.5 victory in the match, sealing his historic triumph.

Rebel Foods, a startup that specializes in online-only restaurants, unveiled a $210 million funding round, ahead of an initial public offering the company is seeking to pull off by 2026. Singapore’s Temasek Holdings Pte led the fundraising, while Evolvence, an existing investor, will also participate, the company said in a statement. The Series G round includes the sale of new and existing stock, allowing current shareholders to sell some of their holdings. The Mumbai-based company is now valued at $1.4 billion.

TikTok has challenged a Canadian government order to shut down the Chinese video-sharing app’s business operations in the country that was imposed over national security concerns

holiday shopping scams that one should watch out for this December. The social media giant has launched a worldwide anti-scam awareness campaign aimed at protecting users from fraudulent schemes during the holiday shopping season. The company, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, revealed it has taken down over two million accounts linked to scam centers in Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, the UAE, and the Philippines this year. In another instance, Meta said its enforcement efforts have removed 15,000 phishing URLs in Vietnam and 9,000 in Singapore this year to save people from holiday shopping scams. Meta in a blog post said it has partnered with a top internet safety expert and ethical hacker, Rachel Tobac, to share how scammers might be targeting people online this holiday season and how to avoid scams. Meta disrupted scam campaigns targeting holiday shoppers outside of our platforms and took thousands of malicious URLs that impersonated Meta’s apps off the internet, it said in a statement.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. State-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) are set for a better December quarter (Q3FY25) after seeing earnings drop sharply year-on-year in the first half of the fiscal year. Amid healthier demand for crude oil and refined products in November, largely stable crude prices improved refining and marketing margins.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Earlier this year, Singapore’s government noted with alarm that the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) in 2023 had fallen to a record 0.97. TFR is the average number of children born to a woman during her lifetime.

Flipkart, India’s largest ecommerce firm valued at $36 billion, is preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) in the coming year with a definite timeline of 12-15 months, multiple people aware of the development said. The proposed listing, which is likely to be the largest share issue by a new-economy company, will mark a seminal moment for the country’s startup sector that is now regarded as the third largest worldwide. The Walmart-owned firm has secured internal approvals to move its domicile from Singapore to India, regarded as a first step to an IPO, and is targeting a public sale of shares by the end of the next calendar year or within the first quarter of 2026, people in the know told ET. “The process has begun and there is clear understanding that in this timeline the company should be public,” one of the sources said.

Barclays just promoted 66 new managing directors (MDs) in its corporate and investment bank (CIB). We have the list (before everyone else) below. 

India registered a commanding 35-22 win over Singapore at the Asian Women's Handball Championship in Delhi on Sunday, opening up the opportunity for their best-ever finish in the tournament. India, who have never finished above sixth, will face China on Tuesday in the 5th/6th place playoff match. Charged by the backing of their fans, India opened the placement match against Singapore with high energy, leading 9-6 midway through the first half, courtesy Menika and Bhawana Sharma's consistent scoring. At the other end, captain Diksha Kumari and goalkeeper Nina Shil, who made key saves including a penalty, kept Singapore at bay.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. It was a tea-loving author who started off my dalliance with cosy crimes that transformed into a 20-year affair before gently fizzling out. My current infatuation is also set off by a tea-loving author, Kevin Kwan, and his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Raise your hand if you’ve been victimized by bad weather in the last year or so. Was your travel disrupted? Did your home get unbearably hot? Have you been impacted by flooding? When I asked these questions at a panel event recently, only a lucky few in the audience kept their hands down.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India have crossed the USD one trillion milestone in the April 2000-September 2024 period, firmly establishing the country's reputation as a safe and key investment destination globally. According to data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the cumulative amount of FDI, including equity, reinvested earnings and other capital, stood at USD 1,033.40 billion during the said period. About 25 per cent of the FDI came through the Mauritius route. It was followed by Singapore (24 per cent), the US (10 per cent), the Netherlands (7 per cent), Japan (6 per cent), the UK (5 per cent), UAE (3 per cent) and Cayman Islands, Germany and Cyprus accounted for 2 per cent each. India received USD 177.18 billion from Mauritius, USD 167.47 billion from Singapore and USD 67.8 billion from the US during the period under review, as per the data.

NCLAT) has declined to lift the stay on the NCLT order, barring amendment of the Articles of Association of Aakash Educational Services, a subsidiary of the debt-ridden edtech major Byju. Disposing the petitions moved by Manipal Health Systems and Aakash Educational Services, the Chennai bench of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Friday asked them to file applications before the National Company Law Tribunal for vacating the order passed on November 20, 2024. A two-member bench granted them a week to file it and also directed the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to decide it within three weeks thereafter. Moreover, the status quo would continue as directed by the Supreme Court in this matter, a 14-page-long NCLAT order said.

Paytm operator One 97 Communications on Friday informed exchanges about the company's plans to sell its stake in Japanese digital payments company PayPay Corporation. Paytm in its regulatory filing said the board of directors of One97 Communications Singapore Private Limited in a meeting on Friday gave an approval for the said transaction. One97 Communications Singapore is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paytm Singapore.

food processing sector received foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 368.37 million till September of the current fiscal year, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said, Ireland invested USD 83.84 million, Singapore USD 48.45 million, Mauritius USD 41.65 million, the United States USD 38.60 million, Australia USD 20.18 million, and Mexico USD 9.59 million in April-September FY25. In FY24, FDI in food processing was USD 608.31 million.

Bryan Johnson, an American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-ageing endeavours, is currently on a six-day trip to India. From meeting the Ambanis to Bollywood celebrities like Sonam Kapoor, Bryan has shared his numerous experiences- not to forget how he felt the severity of air pollution in Mumbai soon after he landed in the city for an event held in collaboration with Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal. He attended an intimate gathering at Soho House, where he met Deepinder Goyal and comedian Tanmay Bhat, engaging with a crowd of 50 for a candid conversation. Known for his groundbreaking 'Blueprint project' aimed at reversing ageing, the US tech billionaire is making waves during his visit to India. Johnson has been travelling across time zones which can often lead to jet lags. But the US software engineer has devised a comprehensive strategy to combat it. ALSO READ: Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson's India visit sparks buzz. What’s his link to Poonam Pandey?

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. OpenAI said it would set up a new office in Zurich, Switzerland, as part of efforts from the ChatGPT maker to bolster its presence in Europe as the continent emerges as a key battleground for regulating artificial intelligence. The startup said Zurich would be its fifth location in Europe after opening offices in Dublin, London, Paris and Brussels over the past two years.