Donald Trump

THE BOTTOM LINE

The Epstein files: Accountability and the question of elite impunity

Jeffery Epstein’s ability to operate for decades, despite credible allegations, points to failures across multiple institutions

Japan PM Sanae Takaichi is seeking a public mandate for spending plans that have rattled investors, and a defence build-up that could further strain relations with China.

Trump endorses Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi ahead of Feb 8 election

Her coalition is widely expected to win, opinion polls reveal

The deals include agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to slash the prices of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

Trump unveils TrumpRx discounted drugs website

The website is targeted at consumers looking to buy drugs without using insurance

US President Donald Trump (right) said in an interview with NBC News on Feb 4, 2026, that Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left) should be "very worried," as the US builds up its military forces in the region.

US says Trump prefers diplomacy with Iran but warns he has military options

Regional governments fear conflict could spill over to other countries in the Middle East

Britain's former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is among the royals and other powerful figures who were part of Epstein's expansive network.

The Epstein rot goes deep

America must now ask itself if it can restore a culture of shame

“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way.” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

China’s Xi and Trump talk by phone, hours after Xi spoke to Putin

Trump says the two leaders had ‘a long and thorough call’

Kenneth Yeoh, head of debt capital markets, global investment banking at OCBC, says investors with a Singdollar mandate have helped to boost the market.

Singdollar bond issues may match recent highs due to geopolitical uncertainty: OCBC

Refinancing activity on perpetual securities issued during the Covid-19 pandemic years might also help

Democrats want immigration enforcement officers to forgo masks, wear body cameras and obtain warrants before entering private homes.

US shutdown ends as Trump signs his funding deal with Democrats

The rest of the government is funded to the Sep 30 end of the fiscal year

Despite a pro-crypto White House and surging institutional adoption, Bitcoin has plummeted about 40% since rocketing to a record in early October.

Bitcoin drops to lowest price since Trump’s election victory

Investor concerns have remained elevated amid economic headwinds, while stocks have struggled to rebound amid low risk appetite and persistent AI bubble fears