CNBC Asia

Germany's Deutsche Bank appears to have facilitated more than half of the leaked $2 trillion of suspicious transactions flagged to the U.S. government over nearly two decades, reported German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

The banks were identified in reports as having allegedly moved large sums of suspicious funds over a period of nearly two decades.

Singapore residents with an Apple Watch can use a new LumiHealth app to earn rewards of up to $380 Singapore dollars — about U.S. $280 — for activities like meditation, walks, swimming, better quality sleep, as well as public health actions like getting immunized.

The onshore Chinese yuan, which strengthened significantly against the greenback in recent days, traded at 6.7587 per dollar in the afternoon of Asian trading hours following levels above 6.81 seen earlier this week.

Malaysia's Top Glove still expects "very strong" growth ahead, following its blockbuster earnings report on Thursday, the firm's managing director Lee Kim Meow told CNBC on Friday.

UBS has raised its gold price forecast for next year from $1,850 to $2,100 per ounce, said Yeoh Choo Guan, the bank's head of ASEAN global markets.

The Chinese yuan strengthened sharply against the U.S. dollar this week, following gains seen in recent months as the country's economy recovers and the greenback weakens.

"Jobs that can be done over the internet can be done anywhere in the world and because of this, white-collar jobs will no longer have the geographical insulation it used to have," said Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) kept monetary policy steady on Thursday.  In its monetary policy statement, the BoJ said the Japanese economy has started to pick up but remained in "a severe situation" due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic at home and abroad.

Both the onshore and offshore Chinese yuan saw a dramatic strengthening this week from levels above 6.8 against the greenback. That came as data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed the country's first positive retail sales report for 2020 in August.

Four experts debated about whether a leaderless and divided world will be the new norm at this year's Singapore Summit, which was held virtually.

Earlier on Wednesday, the U.S. government rolled out its plans to begin distributing a Covid-19 vaccine to Americans to begin as early as January.

Provisional trade statistics from Japan's Ministry of Finance released Wednesday showed the country's exports in August falling 14.8% as compared to a year ago. That compared against a 16.1% drop expected by economists in a Reuters poll.

Singapore is turning to domestic tourism as borders remain largely closed to leisure travelers, said Chaly Mah, chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board.

"The fact is Hong Kong is sitting here as the gateway to China for capital into China and out of China. That's only become more clear," said StanChart's CEO Bill Winters.

In the next 5-10 years, interest rates will normalize and companies will face "plenty of headwinds" that put pressure on earnings, said Blackstone's Executive Vice Chairman, Tony James.

Shares of Japan's Sony fell following a report that the company is reducing its estimated production for its PlayStation 5 gaming console.

The vaccine, developed by China's Sinopham, will be given to the UAE's frontline workers

Companies from the U.S. and other countries have shown little interest in pulling out of China, said Chen Deming, who headed China's commerce ministry from 2007 to 2013.

Retail sales in China rose 0.5% in August from a year ago — the first positive report for the year so far — according to the country's National Bureau of Statistics.