Financial markets are likely to face a volatile start to the week in Asia after geopolitical tensions flared in the Middle East. Futures in Japan dipped with traders returning after an extended holiday last week. They also slipped in Sydney and Hong Kong. Gold and Treasuries climbed in a flight to safety, and the yen also advanced. All the Middle East’s major equity gauges fell Sunday and the S&P 500 Index posted its biggest loss in a month Friday. Oil surged on Friday, and is set for a bumpy week as the U.S. warned Iran may attack Saudi Arabia again.

Draghi, Yellen Warn of Risks Facing Policy in Low-Rate World. The U.S. and the euro area face daunting economic challenges in a world of low inflation and interest rates and central banks alone don’t have the tools to cope.

Temasek-backed firm leads consortium to vie for digital wholesale bank licence. HK-listed Sheng Ye Capital teams up with PhillipCapital and Advance.AI in the quest to build a data-driven "next generation" SME bank. Among the trio, Sheng Ye Capital and Advance.AI are backed by Temasek subsidiary Pavilion Capital.

The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) will be joining a consortium led by Ron Sim's V3 Group and stored-card operator EZ-Link that is gunning for the digital full-bank licence in Singapore. Sources tell The Business Times (BT) that the business chamber will be taking a minority stake of below 10 per cent, in a move to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their funding needs.

Singapore-listed fintech firm iFast Corp said on Friday that a bid for the Singapore Digital Banking license was submitted in December together with a consortium of Chinese partners. Other companies that have submitted bids include Razer Inc and Grab Holdings Inc. Iraq's parliament on Sunday backed a recommendation by the prime minister that all foreign troops should be ordered out after the US killing of a top Iranian military commander and an Iraqi militia leader in Baghdad.