Posts by Swedan Margen
Bank Indonesia to raise interest paid on government deposits under ‘burden sharing’ deal
Published Thu, Sep 4, 2025 · 09:46 AM [JAKARTA] Indonesia’s central bank said it had agreed on a “burden sharing” arrangement with the government where it will raise the interest rates it pays on government deposits as a way to help the government fund their programmes. In a statement on Thursday, Bank Indonesia spokesperson Ramdan…
Read MoreKKR, Apollo fuel rush of private investment into Asia’s schools
[SINGAPORE] Private money is pouring into schools in Asia as investors seek to turn a profit on the growing demand for quality education. The booming market is increasingly catching the eye of financiers such as Apollo Global Management and KKR. They have bought stakes and lent to school chains in a bet that a growing…
Read MoreTrump’s oldest sons’ American Bitcoin stake worth US$1.5 billion in stock debut
[NEW YORK] A bitcoin company tied to President Donald Trump’s two oldest sons more than doubled in value in its stock market debut on Wednesday, valuing the sons’ stake at well over US$1.5 billion as the first family grows their crypto business interests. Shares in American Bitcoin Corp, a bitcoin miner, soared as high as…
Read MoreUS tells countries to reject UN ship fuel emissions deal or face tariffs: sources
[LONDON] The United States has told countries to reject a United Nations’ marine fuel emissions-cutting deal or face tariffs, visa restrictions and port levies, US and European officials and sources told Reuters. The Trump administration is looking to boost US economic might, including by taking a bigger role in global shipping, and has used tariffs…
Read MoreStocks to watch: Keppel, Keppel DC Reit, Oiltek, mm2 Asia
[SINGAPORE] The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their securities on Thursday (Sep 4): Keppel, Keppel DC Reit: The manager of Keppel DC Reit announced on Wednesday its acquisition of the remaining stake in two data centres from its sponsor Keppel, for a consideration of up to S$8.4 million. This gives…
Read MoreSingapore’s snowballing cash levels are boosting local bonds
[SINGAPORE] The recent build-up of cash in Singapore’s money market is strengthening demand for the nation’s bonds, driving returns to near the highest in the region. The cost of borrowing in the interbank market fell to the lowest since June 2022 this week, after tumbling more than 70 basis points in August. Inflows driven by…
Read MoreFederal Reserve officials, worried about jobs, muse on rate-cut prospects
SEVERAL Federal Reserve officials who spoke on Wednesday said labour market worries continue to animate their belief that rate cuts still lie ahead for the central bank. “I’ve been clear that I think we should be cutting at the next meeting,” Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in an interview with CNBC, reiterating the view he has…
Read MoreMcDonald’s exits restaurant group as wage rift divides industry
The association has said that tipped workers often make much more than minimum wage Published Thu, Sep 4, 2025 · 07:27 AM [CHICAGO] McDonald’s pulled out of the trade group that lobbies on behalf of the restaurant industry, in part over a disagreement regarding how workers are compensated. Executives told Wall Street analysts about the…
Read MoreFederal Reserve report spotlights strains felt by US businesses, households
US ECONOMIC activity and employment were mostly little changed or unchanged in recent weeks while prices rose moderately or modestly, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, a mixed report that highlighted the impact of tariffs and other Trump administration policies on households and businesses as the central bank weighs a cut in interest rates this month.…
Read MoreApple plans AI-powered web search tool for Siri to rival OpenAI, Perplexity
[LOS ANGELES] Apple is planning to launch its own artificial intelligence (AI)-powered web search tool next year, stepping up competition with OpenAI and Perplexity AI. The company is working on a new system, dubbed internally as World Knowledge Answers, that will be integrated into the Siri voice assistant, according to sources with knowledge of the…
Read MoreNTT Data hedges its AI bets
[SINGAPORE] Global systems integrator NTT Data is navigating the rising tensions between artificial intelligence (AI) giants in the East and West by forging deeper partnerships on both sides, said John Lombard, its Asia-Pacific chief executive officer. In an exclusive interview with The Business Times, he noted that NTT Data works with various collaborators so that…
Read MoreRecord French fines for Shein and Google over internet cookies
FRANCE’S data protection authority on Wednesday issued record fines against search giant Google and fast-fashion platform Shein for failing to respect the law on internet cookies. The two groups, each with tens of millions of users in France, received two of the heaviest penalties ever imposed by the CNIL watchdog: 150 million euros (S$225.6 million) for Shein and 325…
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