The Business Times

BT Lens On

News EN ↓ 577 episodes

Catch up on the biggest news from around the world at the start of every business day with Lens on Daily. In Lens on Singapore, we take a monthly big picture look at current affairs, societal issues and government policies. Podcaster: BT PodcastsThe Business Times, SPH Media.

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The Business Times

Episodes

Trump Launches Project Freedom and Singapore Signs an Essential Supplies Deal 04.05.2026 4:04

Headline news for May 4, 2026: President Trump launches Project Freedom to escort stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, even as a tanker is struck by unknown projectiles this morning. In Singapore, Prime Minister Wong meets New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon today to sign a landmark Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

Oil Back Up, Powell Exits and Trump Says the Iran Blockade Could Last Months 30.04.2026 4:19

Headline news for April 30, 2026: Oil closes at its highest level since 2022 as President Trump says the Iran blockade could last months with no nuclear deal in sight. Jerome Powell ends eight years as Fed chair with four dissents and a defiant pledge to stay on, handing a divided central bank to successor Kevin Warsh.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busines...

The Economy Is Changing. Will We Still Have Work? 29.04.2026 29:07

Minister for Manpower, Tan See Leng and Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, Jasmin Lau join Claressa Monteiro on Lens on Singapore to tackle the question many Singaporeans are quietly asking: as the economy transforms, will there still be a place for me? Growth is getting harder, jobs are no longer guaranteed and AI is reshaping work faster than most people feel re...

UAE Quits OPEC After Sixty Years as Iran War Fractures the Gulf's Energy Order 29.04.2026 4:36

Headline news for April 29, 2026: The UAE quits OPEC after nearly sixty years, effective Friday, as the Iran war fractures the Gulf's energy order and oil surges back above a hundred dollars a barrel. Iran is preparing a revised peace proposal, but President Trump has already signalled the current terms are unacceptable.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busin...

Trump Unhappy with Iran's Proposal as King Charles Arrives in Washington 28.04.2026 3:53

Headline news for April 28, 2026: Electric vehicles cross the fifty per cent threshold in Singapore for the first time, as Trump rejects Iran's latest peace proposal and the Hormuz stalemate drags on. King Charles arrives in Washington for a landmark state visit, and at least five people are killed in a Jakarta train collision.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by Th...

Iran’s New Peace Proposal, an Assassination Attempt and Ham Wins the Singapore Open 27.04.2026 4:11

Headline news for April 27, 2026: Iran submits a new peace proposal through Pakistani mediators as the Strait of Hormuz stays shut and oil climbs. In Washington, a gunman opens fire at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, King Charles arrives for his state visit today regardless. And South Korea's Jeongwoo Ham wins the Singapore Open.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

HDB Prices Fall, Iran Storms a Cargo Ship and Israel-Lebanon Buys Time 24.04.2026 4:08

Headline news for April 24, 2026: Israel and Lebanon extend their ceasefire by three weeks after an Oval Office meeting, but Iran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and oil climbs above a hundred and six dollars. At home, Singapore's HDB resale prices fall for the first time in nearly seven years.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times. ...

Ceasefire Deadline Shifts, Japan Rewrites Its Defence and Apple's a New CEO 21.04.2026 4:07

Headline news for April 21, 2026: The Iran ceasefire deadline has been pushed to Wednesday evening Washington time, Thursday morning in Singapore, as both sides signal cautious willingness to talk. Japan scraps decades of arms export restrictions and Apple names John Ternus to succeed Tim Cook after fifteen years.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Tim...

Hormuz Shuts Again, Oil Surges as Truce Teeters Before Tuesday Deadline 20.04.2026 4:00

Headline news for April 20, 2026: The Iran ceasefire teeters on collapse as the US seizes an Iranian cargo ship, Tehran fires on commercial vessels and closes the Strait of Hormuz. Britain's Keir Starmer faces calls for his resignation, and oil surges six per cent on renewed supply fears.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Clar...

Israel and Lebanon Agree to Ceasefire in First Direct Talks in Decades 17.04.2026 4:28

Headline news for April 17, 2026: Israel and Lebanon agree to a ceasefire; the war's biggest diplomatic breakthrough yet as Singapore's exports surge fifteen per cent and Trump signals Iran talks may resume this weekend.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Cl...

President Trump Declares War Nearly Over; Asia Markets Rise 16.04.2026 4:11

Headline news for April 16, 2026: Washington grows optimistic about ending the Iran war as Tehran signals a partial opening of the Strait of Hormuz while PM Wong calls for collective regional energy resilience. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro...

Nasdaq Notches Longest Win Streak Since 2021 as US-Iran Diplomacy Revives 15.04.2026 4:20

Headline news for April 15, 2026: US-Iran peace talks look set to resume in Pakistan as oil falls for a second day, Asian markets rally, and Singapore sharpens its focus on long-term energy security. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Li...

Oil Retreats as Tehran Signals Willingness to Talk After Hormuz Blockade Begins 14.04.2026 4:09

Headline news for April 14, 2026: Singapore's central bank tightens policy for the first time in four years as Q1 growth slows to four-point-six per cent and the Iran war clouds the economic outlook. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Li...

No Deal, No Ceasefire Certainty: Markets Brace as Hormuz Standoff Deepens 13.04.2026 4:12

Headline news for April 13, 2026: Singapore anticipates an MAS policy shift as the US blockades the Strait of Hormuz, oil tops $103, and US-Iran peace talks collapse without a deal. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT...

A Fragile Truce, a Deadly Week, and Singapore Braces for the Long Haul 10.04.2026 4:01

Headline news for April 10, 2026: Lebanon's death toll passes eighteen hundred after Israel's deadliest single day of the war. Netanyahu now wants direct talks with Beirut. Singapore's PM says the SAF must learn from Ukraine and Iran. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edite...

Ceasefire Fractures as Israel's Strikes on Lebanon Kill More Than 250 09.04.2026 4:16

Headline news for April 9, 2026: The ceasefire is fraying. Israel's deadliest strikes on Lebanon kill 254. Iran calls talks unreasonable. Hormuz transit remains disputed. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, T...

Asian Markets Surge as Trump Suspends Bombing of Iran 08.04.2026 4:10

Headline news for April 8, 2026: A two-week pause in the Iran war. Singapore unveils a billion-dollar relief package. Asian markets surge. Oil plunges fifteen per cent. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, The...

Iran's Counter-Offer, Trump's Ultimatum, and Tightening Fuel 07.04.2026 3:57

Headline news for April 7, 2026: Iran rejects Trump's ceasefire and demands a permanent end to the war hours before his deadline. Asian airlines cut flights as jet fuel tightens. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Pod...

As Deadline Looms, Oil Climbs and Civilian Deaths Mount in Lebanon 06.04.2026 3:23

Headline news for April 6, 2026: President Trump's deadline for Iran expires tonight. Oil climbs past $110. Civilian casualties mount in Lebanon. Vietnam's growth slows on fuel costs. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: B...

Oil Below $101, Chinese Tech Slumps, and a War That May Be Ending 02.04.2026 3:28

Headline news for April 2, 2026: President Trump declares the war's goals near completion and threatens to quit NATO. Oil dips. Chinese tech profits hit a three-year low. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, T...

Five Weeks of War: A Record Oil Surge, and No Deal Yet 01.04.2026 3:28

Headline news for April 1, 2026: A record month for oil, cracks in the Western alliance over Iran, and rising cooking gas costs in Singapore. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times , SPH Media...

82nd Airborne Lands as the War Enters a Dangerous New Phase 31.03.2026 3:40

Headline news for March 31, 2026: US paratroopers land in the Middle East. President Trump renews threats against Iran. Oil heads for a record monthly gain. Spain closes airspace. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Po...

A New Front Opens as the Houthis Strike Israel for the First Time 30.03.2026 3:36

Headline news for March 30, 2026: Houthis widen the war with first strikes on Israel. Oil heads for a record monthly rise. Asian markets slump. Pakistan offers to host peace talks. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT P...

US Extends Pause on Iran Strikes, but Tehran Calls Peace Plan Unfair 27.03.2026 3:27

Headline news for March 27, 2026: President Trump extends his pause on Iran energy strikes to April. Tehran calls the US peace plan unfair. Oil dips but stays volatile. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts, The...

Mixed Signals on Peace as Oil Climbs and Gold Steadies 26.03.2026 3:23

Headline news for March 26, 2026: Iran reviews America's peace plan but refuses talks. President Trump reschedules his China summit. Oil climbs on conflicting war signals. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Claressa Monteiro ( claremb@sph.com.sg )  Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro or Howie Lim Produced by: BT Podcasts,...