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The war in Iran might have started as a geopolitical crisis but is being rapidly recognised for what it truly is: an energy crisis. While the state of peace negotiations swings between calm and violence, oil prices are oscillating just as wildly. On April 2, the price of dated Brent went above US$140 ($178), the highest since 2008. Although oil prices have started to come down amid peace talks between the US and Iran, it remains to be seen when exactly the conflict will come to an end. 

Missiles may rain in the Middle East, but that has not stopped Singapore’s construction boom from grinding forward, with even wrecking crews getting in some of the action.

Tucked away in a corner of Owen Road is an unassuming bak kut teh shop known for its mild yet savoury, peppery broth topped with abalone (optional) and steamed fish, which food aficionados say is something out of this world.

Vietnam’s Mice market reached US$5.1 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach US$7.3 billion by 2034. How is Ascott positioning to capture this demand in Southeast Asia’s new tourism hotspot?

The Ascott is doubling down on its growth in Southeast Asia and momentum remains firmly anchored in this region. According to an April 20 announcement, Ascott says it plans to open more than 25 properties across the region over the next 12 months.

Singapore-founded furniture design brand Castlery is now a certified B Corporation, becoming the first Asian furniture design brand to achieve the global standard for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Investors in Asia are well-acquainted with real estate — especially in Singapore, where some of the world’s largest investors in the asset class are from. This familiarity with its advantages is reflected in the abundance of S-REITs — a good proxy for the depth of the domestic real estate market — which account for 10% and 12% of the total market capitalisation of the Singapore Exchange and are a significant contributor to local market equity.

When The St Regis Singapore embarked on its first major transformation since opening in 2008, the motive was not to reinvent the hotel, but to evolve it thoughtfully for the modern luxury traveller.

Refurbishment works were carried out in phases from 2024, which was also the five-star hotel’s Sweet 16. To minimise disruption to guests, St Regis carefully scheduled works, isolated renovation zones and implemented strict acoustic and operational controls, says the hotel’s general manager, Nick Heath.

The world added 162,000 ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) between 2021 and 2026 — the equivalent of 89 new UHNWIs every single day, according to the 20th edition of Knight Frank’s annual wealth report, released April 23. These well-heeled individuals each have a net worth of US$30 million ($38.19 million) or more. 

Of the world’s 3,110 billionaires, Asia Pacific hosts the largest share, at 1,116 billionaires, ahead of North America’s 965. Nearly 31% of that global UHNWI population now sits in this region. 

uSmart analyst Ng Xin Yang has initiated a “buy” call on Mainboard-listed Soon Hock Enterprise with a 12-month target price of 72 cents.

Ng’s target price implies a total return of around 19%, including the company’s FY2026 dividend yield of 5.8%. It is also valued based on a 30% discount to Soon Hock’s gross residual net asset value (RNAV) of $319.5 million. The company’s financial year ends on Dec 31.