Wall Street mixed on the first trading day of 2026; precious metals resume rally
NEW YORK, Jan 2 : U.S. stocks faded after the opening bell on Friday, as the Nasdaq clung to gains due to semiconductor strength and precious metals extended their rally.All three major U.S. indexes pared earlier gains, on the verge of extending their four-session losing streaks as investors ende ...
French ministers report Grok's sex-related content on the X platform to prosecutors
PARIS, Jan 2 : French ministers have reported to prosecutors sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence chatbot Grok on the X platform, saying in a statement on Friday the "sexual and sexist" content was "manifestly illegal". Grok ...
Wall Street opens higher on first trading day of 2026
[WASHINGTON] Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher on the first trading day of 2026, as risk sentiment improved after multiple sessions in...
Tesla sales slip as it loses EV crown to China's BYD in 2025
The American company led by Elon Musk recorded a full-year sales figure of around 1.64 million EVs, while BYD reported that it sold 2.26 million EVs for 2025.
Grok says safeguard lapses led to images of 'minors in minimal clothing' on X
Jan 2 : Elon Musk's xAI artificial intelligence chatbot Grok said on Friday lapses in safeguards had resulted in "images depicting minors in minimal clothing" on social media platform X and that improvements were being made to prevent this. Screenshots shared by users on X showe ...
Propnex says lawsuit against unit for alleged salesperson misconduct withdrawn
Elysia Tan - There is no material impact on its financial position and performance of the group
2025’s winners and laggards: STI posts best gains in years; South Korea, Vietnam outshine regional peers
Therese Soh - The Straits Times Index turns in its strongest performance in at least four years, with a total return of 22.7% in 2025
Which of the STI’s worst performers could shine in 1Q?
Goola Warden - A couple of 2025’s top 11 worst perfomers among the component stocks of the Straits Times Index could attempt to outperform in 1Q2026 from a technical perspective. The STI recorded a price gain of 22% in 2025, and a total return of 29% based on Bloomberg’s data. The top two contenders are likely ...
BCA to streamline approvals for outdoor advertising licensing from H2 2026
Elysia Tan - This will help improve the efficiency of businesses’ operations and reduce administrative burden
TOTM Technologies’ subsidiary awarded contract in Indonesia for maintenance of National ID system
Nicole Lim - TOTM Technologies’ wholly-owned subsidiary as part of a consortium has been awarded an annual technical support (ATS) contract in Indonesia worth IDR79.1 billion ($6.08 million). The subsidiary, International Biometrics (InterBio) Indonesia, was part of a consortium with Indonesia Comnets Plus, an ...
Singapore shares rise on first trading day of 2026; STI up 0.2%
Ranamita Chakraborty - The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index climbs 0.6% or 8.24 points to 1,458.37
Economists hold 2026 Singapore growth forecasts despite strong 2025 finish
Low Youjin - This year’s risks include trade policy uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and manufacturing normalisation
MDDI, IMDA propose tighter approval process for M&As in media sector
Young Zhan Heng - This change and others aim to ‘further harmonise and refine’ the treatment of competition in the telco and media sectors, says a...
Competition watchdog seeks feedback on SP Mobility’s purchase of fellow charging point operator
Therese Soh - The SP Group subsidiary intends to acquire ChargEco; the parties say the deal will not substantially lessen competition
Civmec secures new contracts and extensions with combined value exceeding A$400 mil
Nicole Lim - Civmec Limited has secured a series of new contracts and extensions with a combined value exceeding A$400 million ($344.63 million). The A$400 million of new contracts and extensions are expected to be delivered across 2HFY2026 and FY2027, building upon an uplift in activity heading into the second ...
Pan-United’s technology subsidiary to debut AI-powered operations management system for ready-mix concrete in US
Nicole Lim - Pan-United’s technology subsidiary AiR Digital Solutions will debut its AI-powered operations management system for ready-mix concrete at World of Concrete in the USA from Jan 20 to Jan 22. The AI solution helps to optimize and automate the operations of ready-mix concrete (RMC) producers, logisti ...
Nanyang Polytechnic launches AI lab to support SMEs while training students
Nurdianah Md Nur - Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) has launched an AI Nexus Lab to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt artificial intelligence (AI) while giving students hands-on experience working on real business problems. The AI Nexus Lab aims to lower barriers to digitalisation for SMEs while giving lea ...
RHB ‘slightly negative’ on Keppel Reit’s MBFC deal, advises switch to Suntec Reit
Shikhar Gupta - Meanwhile, DBS Group Research says office S-Reits offer ‘brightest prospect’ in 2026
India approves electronic component projects worth $4.6 billion
Jan 2 : India has approved projects worth 418.63 billion rupees ($4.64 billion) from a host of companies to boost domestic manufacturing of electronic components under an incentive scheme, the country's IT ministry said on Friday.Global majors Samsung Electronics, Tata Electronics and Fox ...
RHB maintains ‘neutral’ call on Keppel REIT but lowers target price to 98 cents
Kwan Wei Kevin Tan - RHB Bank Singapore analyst Vijay Natarajan is maintaining his “neutral” call on Keppel REIT (SGX: K71U ) but is lowering his target price for the REIT to 98 cents from $1.05. According to Natarajan, Keppel REIT’s acquisition of an additional one-third stake in Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC ...
Australia shares kick off 2026 higher as banks lead gains
[CANBERRA] Australian shares snapped a four-day losing streak on Friday (Jan 2), as investors returned to bellwether financials and lifted the index...
Asia Pacific’s AI scale-up will put cyber resilience to the test
Nurdianah Md Nur - Asia Pacific’s race to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) is exposing a growing mismatch between digital ambition and cyber readiness. As AI becomes embedded across cloud, data and enterprise workflows, cybersecurity leaders are quietly shifting focus from stopping every attack to ensuring system ...
Pandemic surveillance’s data problem meets a sovereignty-first approach
Nurdianah Md Nur - When the next pandemic emerges, experience suggests that coordination will impact how quickly countries respond. Global disease surveillance, however, remains shaped by national reporting, fragmented data and IT systems, and political caution. Traditional surveillance relies on case counts, hospital ...
When change is the constant: Policies and politics to watch in 2026, at home and abroad
Elysia Tan - From Cabinet confirmations to potential confrontations, much lies ahead in the new year
Indonesia to divert 75 trillion rupiah from state-bank placements
The funds are typically kept for the government’s liquidity needs, including urgent spending and budget deficit financing
BOK’s Rhee says recent dollar-won levels do not reflect economic fundamentals
South Korea is expected to fund its US$350 billion US investment pledge mainly through the return of foreign currency assets
Shares are higher in Asia in an upbeat start to the new year
TOKYO: Asian markets made a bright start to 2026 on Friday (Jan 2) but volumes were thin with Tokyo and Shanghai still closed as investors awaited fresh direction from Wall Street.Stocks had a bumper 2025, with the S&P adding 16.4 per cent, the tech-rich Nasdaq 20.4 per cent and London's FT ...
Link announces interim leadership structure
The Edge Singapore - As announced on Sept 23, 2025, Link REIT confirmed the initiation of its interim leadership structure and its strategic direction. In the Sept 23 announcement, an interim leadership structure is in force following the retirement of former Link CEO George Hongchoy. The interim leadership structure co ...
China lowers battery scrap import duty to aid recycling sector
The move comes after Beijing first relaxed restrictions on such imports from August
BOK's Rhee says recent dollar-won levels do not reflect economic fundamentals
SEOUL, Jan 2 : South Korea's won weakened on the first trading day of the year on Friday even after authorities renewed their determination to stabilize foreign exchange markets following a package of measures to bolster the local currency.In his New Year speech, Bank of Korea Governor Rhee ...
Bain Capital buying South Korean activewear firm Echo Marketing in $344 million deal
SEOUL, Jan 2 : Bain Capital is buying a 43.66 per cent stake in South Korea's Echo Marketing, which owns local activewear brand Andar, from its founder and another shareholder for 216.6 billion won ($150.14 million), Echo said in a regulatory filing on Friday.The U.S. investment fir ...
Stocks make upbeat start to 2026; precious metals extend sparkling rally
[SINGAPORE] Stocks began 2026 on a positive note in holiday-thinned trade as investors braced for a year set to test the AI-led rally,...
Vale Indonesia halts nickel mining on delayed work plan approval
HPAL capacity is set to expand significantly in the country this year, from six facilities to at least 14
Baidu’s AI chip unit Kunlunxin confidentially files for Hong Kong IPO
The Beijing-based firm has been valued at at least US$3 billion, according to sources
