AI & oil dictate markets: Tech earnings lift Asia while war shock spurs hawkish central banks

Market news for April 30, 2026: AI and oil prices dominated markets: strong tech earnings lifted Asian shares, but surging crude and hawkish central banks amplified inflation fears amid rising Mideast tensions. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks…

Oil Back Up, Powell Exits and Trump Says the Iran Blockade Could Last Months 

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 s…

The Economy Is Changing. Will We Still Have Work?

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 ha…

UAE-OPEC split causes oil jump, Iran/AI worries loom ahead of Fed/tech earnings

Market news for April 29, 2026: UAE's OPEC exit and Iran/AI worries clouded markets ahead of the Fed and tech earnings, while Brent crude rose on stalled peace talks. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the day’s market movements and news from…

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

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 …

Oil stalls near highs as BOJ hawkish split underlines Iran war inflation fears

Market news for April 28, 2026: Stocks held ground despite the Iran stalemate and big tech earnings test, while hawkish BOJ action on inflation fears from the conflict pushed oil prices to a three-week high. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at…

Trump Unhappy with Iran's Proposal as King Charles Arrives in Washington 

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…

What potential benefits can technology bring to the way we transact homes?

Get to grips with how technology can disrupt the house hunting journey to the benefit of consumers. In this episode of PropertyBT, host Leslie Yee chats with realsmart.sg’s co-founder Tan Zhi Long. Why venture into the proptech space? Can housing transactions get more frictionless? Learn about ho…

Oil surges, chip stocks climb on AI hopes amid central bank floodgates

Market news for April 27, 2026: Oil climbed on stalled US-Iran talks, boosting inflation fears and crude to three-week highs. Chip stocks rallied amid central bank floodgates and critical tech earnings. Synopsis: Market Focus Daily is a closing bell roundup by The Business Times that looks at the …

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

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…