Headline news for December 16, 2025: Ford slashes its EV ambitions, Brussels retreats on its 2035 combustion-car ban, and border clashes escalate in Southeast Asia, as Japan edges toward a rare rate hike and Singapore inks major deals with China.

Synopsis: A round up of global headlines to start your day by The Business Times.

Written by: Howie Lim / Claressa Monteiro (claremb@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

Produced with AI text-to-speech capabilities

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S2E134: Ford’s EV Reversal, Europe’s Policy U-Turn and Border Clashes