Singapore - Singapore's economy grew at a slower-than- expected pace in the second quarter as manufacturers cut production amid a decline in demand, Trade Ministry data said Thursday. 

Singapore - Singapore is launching a mercantile exchange to facilitate the trading of commodity derivatives in the Asia time zone, a financial market conference was told on Wednesday.

The Singapore Mercantile Exchange (SMX) will offer trading in metals, base metals, energy, agricultural goods, currency pairs, carbon credits and commodity indices, said Ministry of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang.

It will be the first in Asia to offer such a diversified range of products on a single platform, analysts said.

SMX is backed by India-based Financial Technologies.

Lim said the involvement of Financial Technologies, which operates seven exchanges, "underscores Singapore's position as a key commodities trading hub."

Singapore - Representatives of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) met in Singapore on Wednesday in a bid to make further progress on voluntary guidelines that would allay European and US fears of political interference.

A set of generally accepted principles and practices are under deliberation with the aim of promoting "a clearer understanding of the institutional framework, governance, and investment operations of SWFs that would support the maintenance of an open and stable investment climate," a statement by the SWF's International Working Group
(IWG) said.

The second working session of the 23-member IWG, which was formed in May, is seeking to formulate a code of ethics that could be formalized by October.

Singapore - Pop band F. I. R. delighted passengers at Singapore's Changi Airport on Tuesday with a special appearance prior to heading to China.

Singapore - The Islamic Bank of Asia (IB Asia) has launched two risk-management products to help companies manage their liability risks and limit their exposure to fluctuating funding costs, a pub

Singapore - More than 25 per cent of banks in the Asia-Pacific region have been hit by attempts to steal online information over the last 12 months, but beefing up security is still not viewed as