Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Iran said on Monday it wanted a durable end to the war with the United States and Israel rather than a temporary truce, rejecting pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on Washington’s timetable as President Donald Trump warned the country could be “taken out” if it failed to meet his Tuesday night deadline for a deal. Tehran’s stance underscored how far apart […]
OpenAI has asked the attorneys general of California and Delaware to investigate Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire and his associates of improper and anti-competitive conduct as a legal fight over the company’s structure moves towards a jury trial in Oakland later this month. The dispute marks a sharp escalation in a feud that has come to symbolise the wider struggle over who controls advanced artificial intelligence and […]
Polymarket has unveiled what it calls a full exchange upgrade, setting out plans to rebuild the core plumbing of its prediction market, launch a native collateral token and strengthen the systems it uses to turn disputed outcomes into settled trades. The move comes as the company, widely discussed at a roughly $20 billion valuation, positions itself for a broader push into the United States and for a […]
Singapore’s parliament is set to turn its attention on Tuesday to the economic and security consequences of the war involving Iran, with lawmakers filing 62 questions and three ministers due to deliver statements on how the conflict could affect energy supplies, inflation, transport costs and broader national resilience. The questions, lodged by 32 members from both the ruling People’s Action Party and the opposition, underline growing concern in the trade-dependent city-state over the fallout from turmoil in the Middle East.
The scale of parliamentary scrutiny is notable even by Singapore’s standards. According to the order paper for the 7 April sitting, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam, and Acting Transport Minister and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow are scheduled to address the chamber. The questions range from the immediate effect of higher oil and gas prices to the security of liquefied natural gas supplies and the government’s plans to shield households and businesses from a prolonged external shock.
At the centre of concern is Singapore’s dependence on imported energy and its exposure to global shipping routes. The order paper shows MPs asking whether damage to Qatar’s Ras Laffan LNG facilities could materially affect short- and medium-term supply, whether alternative procurement arrangements would be enough to offset any shortfall, and whether disruption in the Middle East might accelerate efforts to diversify the energy mix, including greater investment in alternatives such as nuclear power. That line of questioning reflects a deeper vulnerability: Singapore generates most of its electricity from natural gas and has little room to escape sudden swings in international fuel markets.
Cost pressures are another major theme. Lawmakers have asked how rising fuel and electricity prices may feed through to household expenditure, transport operators and the wider cost of living. For a government already balancing inflation management with fiscal prudence, the debate offers an opportunity to show whether existing buffers are sufficient or whether targeted support may be needed if the conflict persists. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in a video message on 2 April, had already warned Singaporeans that instability in the Middle East could affect the economy through higher energy prices, supply chain disruption and weaker global confidence, signalling that the government was preparing the public for a potentially difficult external environment.
Singapore’s predicament is shaped by geography as much as policy. The republic sits far from the conflict zone, yet its economy is tied tightly to global trade, imported food and imported fuel. Any threat to Gulf energy production or maritime passage through strategic chokepoints can ripple quickly into Asian benchmark prices, freight costs and business sentiment. Questions filed for parliament suggest MPs are not only concerned about immediate supply disruption, but also about second-round effects on manufacturers, logistics firms, electricity generation and consumers already sensitive to living costs.
The breadth of the questions also points to a broader political calculation. Singapore’s leaders have long framed resilience as a whole-of-government and whole-of-society effort, particularly when external shocks threaten domestic stability. The debate now unfolding in parliament is likely to test how far that framework can stretch in the face of a conflict whose trajectory remains uncertain. Opposition members, including Workers’ Party figures, have pressed for details on fuel reserves, assistance for workers dependent on transport and the likely effect on household budgets, while ruling-party MPs have focused heavily on energy security, diversification and inflation spillovers.
Beyond energy, the parliamentary discussion may widen into questions of diplomacy, national security and public confidence. K. Shanmugam’s planned statement suggests the government sees the crisis as more than a commodity shock. Singapore has consistently sought to position itself as stable, rules-based and open to commerce, which means geopolitical conflict in a key producing region carries implications not only for prices but also for investor confidence and regional security calculations. Ministers will face pressure to reassure the public that contingency planning is in place, even as they acknowledge that a small open economy cannot fully insulate itself from a major war-driven disruption.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai AirAsia X has raised ticket prices by between 31% and 40% and lifted fuel surcharges by as much as 20% after jet fuel costs surged following the Iran war, according to Group Chief Executive Officer Bo Lingam, underscoring how quickly conflict in the Middle East is feeding into Asian aviation costs and passenger fares. The Malaysia-based low-cost carrier said average jet fuel prices […]
A malware campaign targeting organisations in South Korea is using weaponised Windows shortcut files and GitHub’s infrastructure to slip past standard network defences, according to threat researchers who say the operation relies on native Windows tools, hidden scripts and trusted web traffic to keep a low profile. Technical analysis published over the past few days shows the attackers embedding or decoding malicious PowerShell from LNK files, then […]
That message reflects a wider shift in digital assets. After years dominated by token launches, trading cycles and proof-of-concept experiments, the emphasis across much of the industry has moved towards tokenised securities, cross-border settlement, digital identity, compliant custody and blockchain rails for mainstream financial institutions. Reuters has reported that major market infrastructure players are developing tokenised securities platforms, while analysts have projected strong growth in tokenised real-world assets, even as sceptics warn that much of the promise still sits in early-stage back-office applications rather than broad public adoption.
For Indonesia, that debate carries particular weight because the country has spent the past two years reshaping supervision of digital assets. Regulatory oversight of crypto assets and other digital financial assets was formally transferred from commodity futures regulator Bappebti to the Financial Services Authority, or OJK, under the wider financial sector reform framework. That has tightened the link between blockchain activity and mainstream finance, while signalling that the authorities want a more structured regime around licensing, compliance and consumer safeguards.
OJK’s own public updates show that digital financial assets and crypto supervision now sit within a broader integrity and resilience agenda for the financial system, alongside sandbox oversight and enforcement. That regulatory direction matters for a conference such as Indonesia Blockchain Week because institutional investors, banks and enterprises are less likely to engage seriously with Web3 infrastructure unless licensing, governance and disclosure standards are clearer than they were during the sector’s earlier growth phase.
Another strand of the Indonesian story is the state’s interest in sovereign digital infrastructure. Bank Indonesia’s Project Garuda, the central bank’s digital rupiah initiative, has been presented as part of a broader effort to safeguard monetary sovereignty in the digital era. Even though a retail or wholesale digital rupiah remains under development rather than fully launched, the project has become one of the clearest signs that distributed ledger technology is being examined not just by crypto-native firms but by the institutions that underpin payments and currency systems.
That backdrop helps explain why conference organisers are leaning into the language of “impact”. Across Asia, the conversation has become more institutional and more policy-aware. Reuters reported last year that wealthy Asian investors were increasing crypto exposure, while other reporting this year has shown how tokenisation is moving closer to exchanges and regulated financial venues. At the same time, risks remain central to the story: the IMF warned this month that tokenised finance could amplify market stress if regulatory guardrails and crisis-response mechanisms do not keep pace with technology.
That balance between promise and caution is likely to define the Jakarta event. Proponents of tokenisation argue that blockchain-based representations of bonds, funds, property interests and other assets can reduce settlement delays, widen market access and make ownership more divisible. Critics counter that many of these benefits are still more theoretical than proven at scale, and that fragmented standards, legal uncertainty and cybersecurity risks continue to hold the sector back. Reuters’ explainer on tokenisation captured that divide by noting both the liquidity and access arguments advanced by supporters and the unresolved questions over how fast real adoption will follow.
Indonesia Blockchain Week itself appears keen to place the country at the centre of that regional conversation. Organiser material describes the event as a gateway between local innovation and global capital, policy and technology networks. Yet the official website also shows some transitional messaging, with parts of the site still carrying 2025 branding even as other official channels and partner announcements point to the August 2026 summit. That inconsistency does not alter the announced dates, but it does suggest organisers are still in the process of consolidating the event’s next edition across platforms.
Psychedelic drugs appear to alter consciousness by loosening the brain’s usual chain of command, allowing regions that normally operate in more separate layers to communicate more freely, according to a large international analysis of brain scans that is helping sharpen scientific understanding of how substances such as LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca affect perception and the sense of self. The study, published in Nature Medicine on […]
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector slipped into contraction in March, with business conditions deteriorating for the first time since August 2020 as conflict across the Middle East disrupted supply chains, delayed exports and hit customer demand. The Riyad Bank Saudi Arabia Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 48.8 in March from 56.1 in February, dropping below the 50-point threshold that separates growth from contraction. Data for the […]
Al Hudayriyat Island has emerged as one of Abu Dhabi’s clearest statements of how urban expansion, tourism strategy and lifestyle planning are being fused into a single waterfront destination, as the emirate pushes to raise liveability, broaden its non-oil economy and create new high-value districts beyond its traditional city core. Developed by Modon, the island’s evolution has moved well beyond a beach-and-leisure concept into a much […]
Scientists in Poland have built an ultrathin optical structure that traps infrared light inside a layer about 40 nanometres thick, a result that pushes light confinement far below the scale long regarded as practical for conventional photonic components. The work, led by researchers at the University of Warsaw with partners at Łódź University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology and the Polish Academy of Sciences, uses patterned […]
Bit Reactor founder Greg Foertsch has praised Lucasfilm Games and Respawn Entertainment for backing Star Wars Zero Company, saying the decision to build a turn-based tactics title around one of entertainment’s biggest franchises stood out at a time when much of the games business is leaning towards safer, more familiar ideas. Foertsch said the two companies showed “vision and the courage and the conviction” by trusting a […]
Greenlogue/AP Solar power capacity across the Gulf Cooperation Council has expanded at an exceptional rate, with a new GCC-Stat report showing average annual growth of 88.1 per cent between 2013 and 2024, underscoring how one of the world’s leading hydrocarbon-producing regions is accelerating investment in cleaner energy while also strengthening climate resilience measures. The same report said electricity generated from solar energy climbed from 0.13 thousand gigawatt-hours […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Huawei has raised its research spending to one of the heaviest levels in the global technology industry, saying it invested CNY192.3 billion in 2025, or roughly $27.8 billion, equal to 21.8% of annual revenue. The figure came with group revenue of CNY880.9 billion and net profit of CNY68 billion, underlining how the Shenzhen-based company is continuing to prioritise long-term technology development even as […]
Justin Bieber’s headline-grabbing purchase of a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT for about $1.3 million in January 2022 has become one of the clearest symbols of how sharply the NFT market has deflated, with comparable pricing for the collection now hovering around $11,000 to $12,000. The singer bought Bored Ape #3001 for 500 ether at a time when digital collectibles were commanding extraordinary sums, fuelled by celebrity […]
Anthropic’s acquisition of Seattle startup Vercept, little more than a year after the company emerged from stealth, has become one of the clearest signs yet that the contest for elite artificial intelligence talent is reshaping the sector as quickly as the technology itself. The deal folds Vercept’s team and technology into Anthropic’s push to make Claude better at “computer use”, the industry term for AI systems that […]
Patients with dangerously hard-to-control blood pressure may be moving closer to a new treatment option after late-stage evidence showed baxdrostat can cut systolic pressure in people who do not respond adequately to standard medicines. The once-daily pill, developed by AstraZeneca, works by blocking aldosterone synthase, an enzyme involved in producing the hormone aldosterone, which drives salt and water retention and can keep blood pressure elevated despite multiple […]
Proudly Malaysian, Swiss Watch has grown to become a cornerstone of the luxury watch and jewellery community in the region, collaborating closely with the world’s most esteemed maisons. This Royal Warrant is a testament to this journey, reflecting Swiss Watch’s unwavering dedication, its shared pursuit of excellence, and the sincere commitment of its network of Watch Experts.
“Our team has been instrumental in shaping Swiss Watch into a leading watch retailer in the region – we would not have come this far without their continuous contributions. This recognition is a momentous milestone in our ongoing journey in Celebrating Fine Watchmaking, and Swiss Watch is more committed than ever to continue creating exceptional experiences that celebrate the legacy of fine watchmaking,” said Ashvin Valiram, Executive Director of Valiram.
The recognition validates Swiss Watch’s position as a leader in luxury watch and jewellery retail, operating 10 Swiss Watch boutiques and more than 30 specialist boutiques across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Thailand. Each boutique serves as a curated destination where discerning collectors can discover the world’s most renowned watch and jewellery maisons.
Established in 2001 by leading luxury and lifestyle retail specialist Valiram, Swiss Watch has built a distinguished heritage rooted in local excellence while maintaining global standards of luxury. The company’s journey began with its first boutique at Penang International Airport, featuring an extensive selection of 16 watch brands at that time, earning the company a spot as one of the most prestigious watch emporiums.
This recognition reinforces Swiss Watch’s philosophy of discretion, expertise, and service excellence — values that remain central to its identity as it continues to honour the art of horology for future generations.
Hashtag: #SwissWatch
https://www.swisswatchglobal.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/swisswatchglobalmy/
https://www.facebook.com/swisswatchglobal
https://www.instagram.com/swisswatchglobal/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SdmRaRe9aRu5bxo99xbDw
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Swiss Watch began as a multi-brand emporium of luxury watches established by luxury and lifestyle retail specialist Valiram. The business has grown remarkably since its inception in 2001 and today comprises ten Swiss Watch boutiques, and more than 30 specialist watch and jewellery boutiques representing the world’s best-loved brands and a sizable portfolio of almost 40 brands across Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Thailand. Swiss Watch has become synonymous with horology destinations that cater for watch enthusiasts and collectors as much as it does for the first-time watch buyer, offering a compelling shopper experience through elegantly appointed boutiques enriched by exceptional service. Discover more at swisswatchglobal.com.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai and Abu Dhabi have retained places among the world’s leading smart cities in the latest IMD Smart City Index, underscoring how the two emirates have turned digital infrastructure, public services and urban planning into a defining part of their global profile. The 2026 index placed Dubai sixth and Abu Dhabi tenth out of 148 cities, while the 2025 edition had ranked them […]
Researchers at the Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences say they have developed and patented a wearable sensor designed to attach to the arm and track stress through compounds found in sweat, adding a new Russian entrant to a fast-moving global race to turn biochemical signals into consumer-friendly health data. According to the official account carried by Emirates News […]
Ethereum’s main non-profit steward has moved sharply deeper into staking, depositing 45,034 ether worth about $93 million in a single day and taking its cumulative staked holdings to roughly 67,500 ETH, or about $143 million at current prices. The move leaves the Ethereum Foundation just short of the 70,000 ETH level it set out in February as part of a broader treasury strategy intended to generate on-chain […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Uber has launched a five-day promotion in the UAE offering 20 per cent off rides to selected destinations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in a campaign aimed at steering more residents and visitors towards local shopping, dining and cultural districts at a time when consumer-facing businesses are navigating softer momentum across the non-oil economy. The offer began on April 3 and runs until […]
Gold prices surged on 27 March as bargain hunters returned to the market after a sharp pullback earlier in the week, lifting bullion by more than 3% and sending other precious metals higher as investors weighed signs that tensions in the Middle East might ease. Spot gold climbed as much as $4,554.39 an ounce during the session before trading around $4,491.78 by mid-afternoon in New York, while […]
Shiba Inu posted a sharp rebound on 3 April, with market trackers showing the token climbing by roughly 2% on a daily closing basis and by a little over 3% at points during trading, offering traders a tentative sign of technical recovery after weeks of pressure on meme coins. SHIB closed around $0.00000599 on 3 April, up from about $0.00000586 a day earlier, while current live pricing […]
