Posts by Kim Browne
Malaysia prime minister confident on resolving Petronas-Petros dispute
Published Sun, May 4, 2025 · 01:48 PM [KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia’s prime minister said on Sunday (May 4) he was confident that a dispute between energy company Petronas, owned by the federal government, and Petros, owned by the state of Sarawak, will be resolved through discussions with the Sarawak premier. The two companies’ long-running dispute…
Read MoreOpec+ agrees another accelerated oil output hike for June
[LONDON/DUBAI] Opec+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, has agreed to accelerate oil production hikes for a second consecutive month, raising output in June by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd), the group said on Saturday (May 3), despite falling prices and expectations of weaker demand. Following an…
Read MoreIndia’s largest bank plans to raise 250 billion rupees in share sale
[MUMBAI] State Bank of India, or SBI, plans to raise 250 billion rupees (S$3.8 billion) through new shares and this fiscal year, marking the first equity raising by the state lender in seven years. Net income at the country’s biggest lender fell 9.9 per cent to 186.4 billion rupees in the three months to March,…
Read MoreGoogle can train search AI with web content even after opt-out
[NEW YORK] Google can train its search-specific artificial intelligence (AI) products, such as AI Overviews, on content across the web even when the publishers have chosen to opt out of training Google’s AI products, a vice-president of product at the company testified in court on Friday. That’s because Google’s controls for publishers to opt out…
Read MoreBen & Jerry’s cites investor Peltz’s growing influence over parent company Unilever
[NEW YORK] Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s said late on Friday (May 2) that billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is on its parent company Unilever’s board, has increased his influence over the consumer goods conglomerate, including on political issues. Unilever and the unit have been locked in a bitter legal dispute since last…
Read MoreShein’s London IPO stalled amid US tariff fallout
[HONG KONG] Shein Group’s initial public offering (IPO) plan has slowed to a crawl as the retailer assesses the impact of US tariffs on its business and awaits regulatory approvals, according to sources familiar with the matter. Enthusiasm for what could be London’s biggest IPO in years has been dwindling, with Shein’s valuation target sinking…
Read MoreTiny logistics firm’s shares surge on plan to buy Trump Coin
Published Sun, May 4, 2025 · 09:00 AM [NEW YORK] A small logistics company’s plan to hold US President Donald Trump’s memecoin as a treasury asset is fuelling its blistering stock rally. Freight Technologies said it will use proceeds from the sale of convertible notes to buy the Trump digital token. The company intends to…
Read MoreOil Prices Are Falling. Here’s Where That Could Spell Trouble.
Oil producing countries are bracing for a bumpy ride this year, with a precipitous drop in prices to the lowest levels in four years seen as the initial, alarming sign of looming turmoil. A price drop benefits any country seeking to cut its fuel bill. But in oil producing nations, lower prices can feed economic…
Read MoreA Tidal Wave of Change Is Headed for the U.S. Economy
When the Covid pandemic hit, factories in China shut down and global shipping traffic slowed. Within a matter of a few weeks, products began disappearing from U.S. store shelves and American firms that depend on foreign materials were going out of business. A similar trend is beginning to play out, but this time the catalyst…
Read MoreWarren Buffett Criticizes Trump’s Trade Policies
Warren E. Buffett took a shot at President Trump’s efforts to use tariffs to batter global commerce on Saturday, as his $1.1 trillion conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway, braced for potential hits from American trade policies. “Trade should not be a weapon,” Mr. Buffett said at Berkshire’s annual shareholder meeting, a perennially popular event that has been…
Read MoreWhy OPEC Plus Is Increasing Oil Supplies Despite Falling Prices
Oil prices are falling. Economists are cutting forecasts for global economic growth. Oil giants are reporting lower profits. But on Saturday, eight countries that belong to the oil cartel known as OPEC Plus said they would add about 411,000 barrels of oil a day in June. The move, which follows a similar step by the…
Read MoreThey Help Companies Set Prices. Tariffs Are Making It Trickier.
We import a few raw materials for our manufactured products such as yttrium oxide, which is derived from a rare earth metal. We also import technical ceramic parts mainly produced by two exceptional suppliers from China. One immediate effect of the tariff is that we had a shipment of raw materials en route when the…
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