Marinakis lines up VLCC newbuilds in South Korea

Global seaborne trade is showing signs of weakness as bunker sales and prices decline, with VLSFO prices dropping 20% year-on-year. Singapore and Fujairah report a 9% decrease in VLSFO sales in February, reflecting a slowdown in trade as seen in declining ship visits and tonnage. Clarksons Research projects a 1.2% growth in seaborne trade for 2025, down from the 2.1% growth in 2024. Full Article

Global adspend growth forecasts have been lowered by $19.8 billion due to market volatility, with the ad market now expected to grow by 6.7% in 2025 according to WARC. Sectors like automotive and retail are expected to decline in adspend, while online platforms like Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta are predicted to control 50% of the market by 2029. Despite economic pressures, social media adspend is projected to grow by 12.1% this year, with TikTok leading...

Hong Kong's "Super March" campaign, focusing on sports, arts, and tourism, has successfully increased tourist arrivals, with an emphasis on quality experiences over quantity, according to Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui. The city plans to leverage its pristine coastline and islands to attract quality tourists, while also negotiating investments in coastline projects at Victoria Harbour. Other strategies include hosting mega-events at Kai Tak Sports Park and using the campaign to draw...

The State of the ASEAN Technology Ecosystem Report CY2024 by January Capital reveals stabilising capital deployment but a decline in overall deal volume, with fundraising challenges for founders. Funding by stage shows a scarcity of seed capital, while later-stage financing rounds see improvements in deal size. Geographically, Singapore and Indonesia remain active markets, with emerging opportunities in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Fintech dominates sector-specific funding, with AI investments lagging behind. The founder journey highlights...

Former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri is a suspect in a US$156 million corruption case, adding to the growing list of Malaysian leaders facing corruption charges. This includes three former prime ministers either in jail, under investigation, or charged with corruption, along with one deputy prime minister, at least two former state chief ministers, and several cabinet ministers. Full Article

AsianScientist reports on Associate Professor Verena Tan's groundbreaking research at the Singapore Institute of Technology, where she is developing a localized version of the Mediterranean Diet tailored to the Asian population. By mapping out the nutritional composition of the MedDiet and creating over 100 recipes using locally available ingredients, Tan aims to make the diet more affordable and accessible for Singaporeans. Through collaboration with SATS and a pilot study involving patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver...