BT Lens On

Headline news for June 18, 2026: President Trump signs the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding at the Palace of Versailles and the Strait of Hormuz reopens instantly, all sanctions are lifted and the war that began February twenty-eighth is formally over. The Federal Reserve holds rates under new chair Kevin Warsh but nearly half of policymakers now expect a hike by year end.  Synopsis: A r...

Headline news for June 17, 2026: Singapore's exports surge thirty-eight-point-four per cent in May on AI-driven demand. Reuters reveals a three-hundred-billion-dollar private reconstruction fund is embedded in the US-Iran framework with over half already committed from companies across four continents. President Trump meets President Zelenskyy at the G7 and says Russia should make peace with Ukrai...

Headline news for June 16, 2026: The Bank of Japan is set to raise rates to one per cent today — the highest in nearly thirty years. The U.S. and Iran have signed a preliminary agreement extending the ceasefire by sixty days and reopening the Strait of Hormuz but a permanent deal remains to be negotiated.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times....

Headline news for June 15, 2026: The U.S. and Iran announce a peace deal to end their war. President Trump says it is "complete," ordering the naval blockade lifted and the Strait of Hormuz reopened, with signing set for June 19, in Switzerland. Oil falls to its lowest since March, gold rises two per cent, and Asian markets surge.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by...

Headline news for June 12, 2026: President Trump says a "great settlement" with Iran could see the Strait of Hormuz reopen this weekend, though Tehran has not confirmed. SpaceX prices the largest IPO in history, putting Elon Musk on the verge of becoming the world's first trillionaire. Asian markets rally and oil falls to two-month lows.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

Headline news for June 11, 2026: SpaceX prices the largest IPO in stock market history today with trading on Nasdaq beginning Friday evening Singapore time under the ticker SPCX. Iran declares the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice after a second consecutive day of U.S. strikes. Asian stocks fall and gold hits a six-month low.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, but what does that actually mean for jobs in Singapore? In this episode of  Lens on Singapore , Claressa Monteiro speaks with Dean Tong, head of group human resources at UOB, and Victor Chua, deputy CEO of NUS-ISS. From workforce redesign and reskilling to hiring priorities and the rise of "AI bilinguals", they discuss how organisations are...

Headline news for June 10, 2026: The US strikes Iranian air defences after Iran downs a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran retaliates with drone attacks on US bases in Bahrain and Kuwait. Japan's three biggest banks announce joint stablecoin issuance. Singapore and Indonesia launch a joint technology study for the Batam-Bintan-Karimun region.  Synopsis: A round up of global...

Headline news for June 9, 2026: Iran and Israel halt direct attacks on each other after President Trump intervenes but Israel says strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon will continue in full force and Iran warns of crushing retaliation if provoked. Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping meet in Pyongyang pledging to expand cooperation into a new chapter.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your...

Headline news for June 8, 2026: A powerful earthquake strikes off Mindanao this morning with tsunami warnings issued across the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia with coastal residents ordered to evacuate. Israel launches fresh strikes on Beirut despite the ceasefire as Trump says he will tell Netanyahu to stand down. South Korea's Kospi tumbles nearly seven per cent.  Synopsis: A round up...

Headline news for June 5, 2026: Indonesia's stock market has tumbled thirty-six per cent from its record high as the rupiah hits an all-time low past eighteen thousand to the dollar. Hezbollah rejects a Lebanon ceasefire and Israel refuses to withdraw troops, undermining President Trump's push to link Lebanon peace to an Iran deal.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day b...

Headline news for June 4, 2026: South Korea's ruling Democrats sweep local elections but face a narrow defeat in the Seoul mayoralty. Lebanon and Israel agree to implement a ceasefire contingent on Hezbollah withdrawing from southern Lebanon. The US House passes a war powers resolution directing Trump to end the Iran war but it carries no binding legal force.  Synopsis: A round up of global h...

Headline news for June 3, 2026: Iran fires ballistic missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain but all fail or are intercepted as the US strikes Qeshm Island in response and Iran's Revolutionary Guards warn of a much stronger retaliation to come. Russia kills twenty-three people in an overnight assault on Ukraine. Japan passes an emergency energy budget.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to star...

Headline news for June 2, 2026: Lebanon announces a partial ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel — but Netanyahu says military operations in the south will continue. Anthropic confidentially files for a U.S. IPO at a valuation approaching one trillion U.S. dollars. And Malaysia's Johor state assembly is dissolved with an election due by July 31.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlin...

Headline news for May 29, 2026: Asia’s largest security conference, Shangri-La Dialogue kicks off its twenty-third session in Singapore today. The US and Iran reach a deal to extend the ceasefire, pending President Trump’s approval. Oil prices mixed amidst conflicting reports on the US-Iran agreement to end the war. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Busi...

Headline news for May 28, 2026: US launches new strikes on an Iranian military site, complicating an already uncertain US-Iran draft framework deal. The RBNZ holds rates steady as New Zealand reveals its’ budget today. More discounts on groceries for lower-income Singaporeans. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by: Nicole Teo ( nic...

Are we seeing a fragmentation in the rules-based global order? And if so, what does this mean for Singapore? In this episode of Lens on Singapore, Claressa Monteiro speaks to Henry Wilkinson, chief intelligence officer at Dragonfly Intelligence from Dow Jones for his expert take on the biggest geopolitical flashpoints, from the war in the Middle East, to the Taiwan question. With two decades of ex...

Headline news for May 26, 2026:  Singapore and China jointly call for an immediate Middle East ceasefire as Iran's top negotiator heads to Doha for talks even as U.S. forces strike Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats. Russia warns of systematic strikes on Kyiv and urges foreigners to leave the city.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times...

Headline news for May 25, 2026: Russia launches its largest assault on Kyiv in years with six hundred drones, ninety missiles and a nuclear-capable hypersonic weapon then strikes again overnight killing twelve more. President Trump tells his Iran negotiators not to rush a deal as its outlines take shape. Oil falls below one hundred dollars on deal optimism.  Synopsis: A round up of global hea...

Headline news for May 22, 2026: The M1-Simba merger is officially dead as Tuas Limited terminates its sale agreement following the IMDA's suspension of the review. US-Iran talks remain deadlocked over uranium and Strait of Hormuz tolls with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning a deal is unfeasible if Iran pursues toll charges on the waterway.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to...

Headline news for May 21, 2026: US President Donald Trump says he was “right on the borderline” between a deal and resuming the war on Iran. OpenAI announces it will open its first Applied AI Lab outside of the US in Singapore. The China-Russia meeting concludes with no significant deals. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.  Written by...

Headline news for May 20, 2026: Singapore will undergo an IAEA nuclear readiness assessment in 2027 as it considers whether to deploy nuclear energy. President Trump says he was one hour from striking Iran before Gulf leaders intervened, setting next week as the new deadline for a deal. US 30 year bond yields hit an eighteen-year high.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your d...

Headline news for May 19, 2026: President Trump says he paused a planned strike on Iran at the personal request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as a new Iranian peace proposal arrives in Washington. Russia’s President flies to Beijing for talks with Xi Jinping. Oil falls more than two per cent on eased escalation fears.  Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to star...

Headline news for May 18, 2026: Taiwan President Lai Ching-te responds to President Trump’s silence on Taiwan during the Beijing summit. Ukraine launches its largest drone strikes on Moscow in over a year in retaliation. Singapore’s non-oil domestic exports rose twenty four point five per cent year on year in April, exceeding forecasts. Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start...

Headline news for May 15, 2026: President Trump and President Xi wrap up their Beijing summit with a stark warning from Mr Xi that mishandling Taiwan risks collision between the two powers. Both agree the Strait of Hormuz must stay open. Russia launches its largest drone assault of the Ukraine war. And Singapore's Circle Line completes its loop on July twelfth.  Synopsis: A round up of global...