Category: Business
Business
Singapore’s IPO Market Is Making a Comeback — But One Major Problem Still Threatens SGX
SINGAPORE — While Hong Kong and Malaysia race ahead in Asia’s booming initial public offering market, Singapore is quietly staging its own comeback — one built less on the number of listings and more on the value they bring. The Singapore Exchange (SGX) may not be matching the IPO frenzy seen elsewhere in Asia, but analysts say the city-state’s stock market is showing signs of a meaningful recovery after several years of sluggish listing activity. In the first half of 2026, Singapore recorded
Business
Singapore Retiree Spends 8 Years Sweeping Carpark for Free — ‘Seeing It Clean Makes Me Happy’
SINGAPORE — Most people dream of slowing down after retirement. But for 78-year-old former taxi driver Chen Jinhe, sitting at home was never part of the plan. For more than eight years, the Singapore retiree has voluntarily swept fallen leaves at an open-air carpark in Ang Mo Kio — without a boss, without a salary and using many of his own tools. His simple daily routine has now captured public attention, with one reason behind his remarkable dedication: he simply enjoys seeing the place clean
Business
China’s Property Reset Has Begun: Why Beijing Is Dismantling Housing Presales Without Killing Them Overnight
BEIJING — China is finally moving away from the housing system that helped fuel one of the biggest property booms in modern history. But Beijing is not pulling the plug overnight. For decades, Chinese developers have relied heavily on selling apartments before construction was completed. Buyers would put down deposits, take out mortgages and begin paying for homes that often existed only on paper. The system powered a spectacular building boom. It also helped create a dangerous cycle of debt
Business
From Sarawak Longhouses to Kuala Lumpur: Can Malaysia’s Ancient Tuak Become the Next Global Drink?
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — For generations, tuak was made in Sarawak homes and longhouses, poured during harvest festivals, family gatherings and important cultural celebrations. It did not need glossy packaging. It did not need a marketing campaign. And it certainly did not need to compete for shelf space in Malaysia's modern cities. Now, a new generation of Malaysian entrepreneurs wants to change that. Young brewers and business owners are taking tuak — Sarawak's traditional fermented rice
Business
Southeast Asia Is Growing Older — And a Massive New Business Boom Is Just Beginning
SINGAPORE — Southeast Asia is getting older. And increasingly, business is paying attention. Across the region, private companies, healthcare operators, property developers and even luxury resorts are racing to serve a rapidly expanding generation of older consumers — creating what policymakers and businesses now call the silver economy. From assisted living homes in Singapore to retirement communities and wellness-focused developments in Thailand, ageing is no longer being viewed only as a d
Business
China Wants Consumers to Spend More — But Economist Lan Xiaohuan Says Beijing Faces a Delicate Balancing Act
BEIJING — China has built one of the world's most powerful manufacturing and export machines. Its factories produce everything from electric vehicles and solar panels to smartphones, machinery and advanced technology. But Beijing now faces a problem that could define the next phase of China's economic future: How do you convince hundreds of millions of consumers to spend more? Economist and bestselling author Lan Xiaohuan says the answer is not as simple as handing out more subsidies or laun
Business
Uber Is Cutting 3,300 Jobs Even as Business Booms — But the Real Shake-Up Is About What Comes After Human Drivers
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber is eliminating thousands of corporate jobs in its largest workforce reduction since the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, that sentence would suggest a company in trouble. The numbers tell a much stranger story. Uber's revenue rose 12% to $14.2 billion in the second quarter. Gross bookings surged 24% to $58 billion. Trips climbed 18% to nearly 3.9 billion. Operating income reached $1.9 billion. And trailing 12-month free cash flow exceeded $10 billion for the first time in
Business
Philippines Welcomes 4.11 Million Visitors in Eight Months — But the Race to 7 Million Just Got Much Harder
MANILA, Philippines — More international travelers are coming to the Philippines this year, but the country will have to accelerate sharply over the final four months of 2026 if it wants to reach its ambitious 7-million visitor stretch goal. The Philippines recorded 4,112,488 international visitor arrivals from January through August, up roughly 3.7% from 3.97 million during the same period in 2025, according to Department of Tourism data. That is genuine growth. But the numbers also reveal a
Business
China Is Producing More Cars, Batteries and Goods Than Ever — But the Numbers Reveal Why the West’s ‘Overcapacity’ Case Isn’t So Simple
BEIJING/WASHINGTON/BRUSSELS — A battle over Chinese factories has rapidly become one of the biggest economic confrontations of 2026. Washington says China is producing too much. Europe says a flood of subsidized Chinese goods threatens its industrial base. Beijing says Western governments are using the language of “overcapacity” to disguise protectionism against increasingly competitive Chinese companies. And the numbers suggest an uncomfortable conclusion: there is evidence supporting parts