Singapore

SBI has confidence in the growth of regional startups, even amid a global sell-off of technology companies. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Startups

Japan's SBI to invest in Asian tech with new Singapore fund

Financial giant partners with local university, South Korean insurance group

19 May 2022
Singapore Airlines says it will maintain "cost discipline" in the face of inflationary pressure, particularly in regard to fuel prices.
Transportation

Singapore Airlines trims losses as Asia travel slowly rebounds

Japan and South Korea peers also look to ride elusive COVID recovery tailwind

18 May 2022
Sea has lost steam in online sales and engagements as more Asian economies emerge from the pandemic.
Technology

Singapore's Sea warns on inflation risk for e-commerce

New York-listed tech group posts $580m loss for Q1 as economies reopen

17 May 2022
Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The government will develop guidelines for businesses based on the results of the project involving visitors from four countries. (Photo by Tomoki Mera)
Coronavirus

Japan to test accepting tourists from Singapore, Thailand and more

U.S., Australia included in trial letting in small groups ahead of easing in June

17 May 2022
Taiwan cloud-kitchen operator JustKitchen wants to be the item of choice on the menu of Southeast Asian food delivery rivals. (Photo courtesy of JustKitchen)
Interview

Taiwan's JustKitchen takes on Grab in ASEAN cloud-kitchen race

Startup eyes Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand with mobile app, food delivery

16 May 2022
Shared spaces at a lyf property in a Singapore mall are used by residents and nonresidents alike. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Property

Asia jumps on co-living bandwagon to draw young, mobile talent

Singapore's Ascott aims to expand from 17 properties under 'lyf' brand to 150 by decade's end

15 May 2022
A restaurant in Chengdu, China. There is a growing appetite for convenience among the country's urban population.
Food & Beverage

Singapore's Wilmar launches 'ready-to-eat' meal business in China

Palm oil producer plans to create network of 100 central kitchens over 10 years

13 May 2022
The loss marks a dramatic swing in fortunes from a year earlier, when the company posted a 1.9 trillion yen quarterly profit. (Screenshot from SoftBank's YouTube)
SoftBank

SoftBank's Son turns defensive in face of record $16bn loss

Group vows to scale back new investments after tech sell-off hits its portfolio

12 May 2022
Office workers in Singapore, where women hold 13.1% of CEO positions.
Business trends

Singapore touts top share of women CEOs, pushes for more

City-state leads with 13.1%, compared with China's 6.4% and Japan's 0.3%

12 May 2022
Prime Minister Kishida enters the Prime Minister's Office after returning from a visit to Southeast Asia and Europe on May 6. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
International relations

Kishida weighs attending Asian security conference in Singapore

Japan PM aims to confirm unity at Shangri-La Dialogue, with eyes on Russia, China

7 May 2022
The Singapore Foreign Ministry's ambassador-at-large says countries are increasingly taking an issue-by-issue approach to diplomacy, rather than simply aligning themselves with one big power or another.
Interview

ASEAN's Ukraine split shows desire for space between powers: envoy

Singapore's Chan Heng Chee says neither West nor China should take others for granted

6 May 2022
Singapore has eliminated almost all its coronavirus-related restrictions except for requiring that masks be worn indoors.
Coronavirus

New COVID-19 cases slow in Asia as omicron wave ebbs

Malaysia, South Korea drop outdoor mask restrictions in step toward normalcy

2 May 2022
Beh Swan Gin, chairman of Singapore's Economic Development Board, is seeking the understanding of Japanese and other companies as the city-state cuts back on foreign workers who are not highly skilled. (Photo by Toru Takahashi)
Interview

Singapore investment inflow remains intact despite weaker demand

City needs 'right balance' of foreign workers, chair of development board says

30 April 2022
As Singaporeans grow comfortable living with the virus, the Clarke Quay nighttime social scene has blossomed.
Coronavirus

Southeast Asia's COVID-hit economies scramble for tourists

Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand throw caution to wind; Indonesia a bit more careful

30 April 2022
United Overseas Bank, DBS and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. remain hopeful that the recovery from the pandemic will continue. 
Finance

Singapore banks warn of Ukraine war impact as profits dip

ASEAN's largest lenders win fewer wealth management fees as uncertainty rises

29 April 2022
Founded by Aung Kyaw Moe in 2003, 2C2P has hitherto focused on Southeast Asia's top six markets but with Ant investment can now look further afield. (Source photos by Getty Images and courtesy of 2C2P) 
Companies

2C2P aims beyond Southeast Asia with Ant Group investment

Majority stake gives Ant access to large regional retailers and airlines

28 April 2022
Keppel and Sembcorp Marine are listed on the Singapore Exchange and are among the world's largest builders of offshore oil rigs.
27 April 2022
The rush for tech M&As in Asia has slowed to a crawl in China and South Korea. (Source photos by Reuters)
26 April 2022
Singapore's finance minister and likely next prime minister, Lawrence Wong, speaks at a U.S. think tank in Washington on April 18. (Photo provided by Singapore's Ministry of Finance)
Politics

Singapore's PM heir apparent Wong takes global stage on U.S. trip

PM-in-waiting tests clout on first tour abroad since announcement as next leader

26 April 2022
Politicians up for election say that raising the earnings of workers at the bottom of the pay scale could kickstart a multiplier effect that reverberates across economies, but the chiefs of Southeast Asian industries are not so sure.
Asia Insight

Malaysia's 35% minimum wage hike stirs recovery concerns

Critics say politicians are promising happier paydays as an election ploy

26 April 2022
In-flight meals and other aviation services made up 80% of revenue for SATS in the pre-pandemic era.
Food & Beverage

Singapore airline meal purveyor spreads wings to store-bought food

SATS to de-emphasize dependence on 'older brother' Singapore Airlines

26 April 2022
China and India were the main drivers for the growth in Asia's defense spending, SIPRI said. (Source photo by Reuters and Getty Images)
Indo-Pacific

'Geopolitical powder keg' Asia jacks up global military spending

SIPRI report shows Japan and Singapore raised defense budgets over 7% in 2021

25 April 2022
The Singapore plant will produce vaccines, including those using mRNA technology, mainly for the Asian market. (Photo courtesy of Sanofi)
Pharmaceuticals

Sanofi moves up opening of Singapore vaccine plant to 2025

Drugmaker ushers in 'the future' with modular production and AI

23 April 2022
Container vessels are seen docked at the Pasir Panjang terminal port in Singapore on January 17. Singapore is one of several Asian countries that has seen a fall in exports to Russia. (Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)
Ukraine war

Asia's exports to Russia plunge amid Ukraine war

But some countries see rise in imports from Russia on higher energy prices

20 April 2022
The Fangchenggang Nuclear Power Plant in China, which leads Asia on nuclear power, will begin operation this year. Sanctions on Russian fossil fuel and looming decarbonization deadlines are causing many Asian governments to reconsider their stances on nuclear energy. 
The Big Story

Asia's nuclear power dilemma: Ukraine war drives energy turnarounds

From Japan to Singapore, Russia sanctions and carbon-zero targets push states to reconsider nuclear energy

20 April 2022