Singapore’s developers are taking hits as China’s property downturn drags into another year, with declining rents, emptier buildings and falling values weighing on their results. But analysts say Beijing’s huge market and recent policy support mean most investors are unlikely to pull back entirely, instead becoming far more selective about where they invest. Recent earnings from several Singapore developers show the pressure building across their China portfolios, even as investors watch for...

The US ⁠customs agency is readying a system within 45 days to process refunds on President Donald Trump’s tariffs that were struck down as illegal, a customs official said in a court filing on Friday. The declaration by Customs and Border Protection official Brandon Lord came just before government lawyers met with a federal trade judge to try to hammer out a broad settlement process for returning US$166 billion in tariff ‌payments to around 330,000 importers. Last month, the US Supreme Court...

I am a sucker for all kinds of humour, including tasteless jokes. But I draw the line at sick jokes being reported as serious news. As far as those jokes go, the Monday appearance of US first lady Melania Trump as chair of a United Nations Security Council meeting takes the cake. The topic of her speech? Children, technology and education in conflict. She declared that the US “stands with all of the children throughout the world”. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. The cynicism and...

The US unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling pressure on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda as key midterm elections approach. The world’s biggest economy shed 92,000 jobs last month, in a sharp reversal from the job growth of 126,000 in January, the Labour Department said. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, crept up to 4.4 per cent from 4.3 per cent. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett insisted Friday that the US...

⁠Australia has raised concerns with ⁠China following an “unsafe and ⁠unprofessional” encounter between two military helicopters, the defence department said on Friday. An Australian military helicopter was flying over international waters in the Yellow Sea when it was intercepted by a Chinese helicopter on Wednesday, a statement ‌said. The Chinese helicopter matched the Australian aircraft’s altitude before “closing in to an unsafe distance”, increasing speed and then rolling towards it,...

US President Donald Trump said Friday Cuba was next on his agenda after Iran, predicting that the communist-run island, crippled by a US energy blockade, is “gonna fall pretty soon”. “They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview, a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran. “We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready – after 50 years,” he added, explaining that...

The Hong Kong women’s football team made it home safely on Friday night after several anxious days stranded in Dubai following the US-Israel attacks on Iran, with members expressing relief at their return but disappointment about having to withdraw from a tournament. Twenty-seven players and staff landed in Hong Kong via Bangkok, where they had transited earlier in the week. One player flew from the Thai capital to Boston in the United States, while another is scheduled to leave Dubai for...