Singapore

Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia, will tour the region through December 4, a U.S. State Department statement said.
Indo-Pacific

Top U.S. diplomat for Asia to visit four ASEAN countries

Daniel Kritenbrink to stress support for 'rules-based order in Indo-Pacific'

27 November 2021
Health workers in Hong Kong earlier this year: Authorities are on alert after finding two cases of a new, highly mutated variant in quarantining passengers.
Coronavirus

New COVID variant's arrival in Hong Kong sows Asiawide concern

Singapore bans entry from 7 African states; India orders 'rigorous screening'

26 November 2021
Fermata's shop in Tokyo. Femtech is gathering more attention as companies and startups launch services and products. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
Business trends

Femtech attracting more attention from businesses in Asia

Female health gains momentum but hurdles remain for investment

26 November 2021
Reuben Lai, head of Grab Financial Group, speaks during a Nikkei webinar. He says he doesn't see traditional banks as competition. (Nikkei montage/Retuers)
Interview

Grab targets ASEAN's unbanked in 'once in a lifetime' opportunity

Digital bank, 'buy now, pay later' to drive growth, says executive

26 November 2021
Circle unveiled plans to set up a hub in Singapore to test stablecoins with companies in the city state.  (Source images from Circle website)
Cryptocurrencies

US startup Circle to build bigger stablecoin presence in Asia: CEO

Payments group to 'demonstrate' value of crypto reserve currency in Singapore

25 November 2021
A stretch of shuttered food stalls in Singapore on Nov. 3: The city-state expects its economy to keep recovering in 2022.
Economy

Singapore expects 3-5% growth in 2022 amid 'uneven' COVID rebound

Forecast slower than this year's upgraded projection of 'around 7%'

24 November 2021
Critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoos handed in by owners for release in Indonesia in 2015: Experts say the exotic pet trade raises major issues regarding animal welfare, conservation and public health.
Asia Insight

COVID casts Asia's exotic pet trade in harsher light

From Thailand to Japan, health risks add to animal welfare and biodiversity concerns

23 November 2021
Leanne Robers, left, co-founder of She Loves Tech, and Microsoft Asia President Ahmed Mazhari announce a partnership to foster female entrepreneurs, primarily in Asia. (Photo courtesy of Microsoft and She Loves Tech)
Interview

Microsoft aims to fund more female-led startups in Asia

U.S. cloud giant partners with Singapore-based women-focused tech organizer

19 November 2021
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo meets Malaysian Trade Minister Azmin Ali on the final leg of her Asia tour on Nov. 18. (Photo courtesy of Malaysian Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
Biden's Asia policy

U.S. aims for 'flexible and inclusive' Indo-Pacific framework

Commerce chief Gina Raimondo in Asia to reset economic ties to counter China

18 November 2021
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Nov. 16. (Photo from Lee's Facebook page)
Trade

U.S. pushes for Indo-Pacific rules on digital trade, AI

Biden administration seeks 'like-minded allies' as China looks to join regional blocs

18 November 2021
Singapore's Sea began as an online gaming company but its e-commerce unit Shopee has expanded rapidly in recent years.
Startups

Sea expands globally with European e-commerce, U.S. investment

Singapore group's revenue and net loss rise on the year in September quarter

16 November 2021
As an entrepreneur herself, Tomoko Namba notes that one major issue for Japanese startups is that "most of them have a business based on a domestic perspective instead of Asia or the world." (Photo by Yoichi Iwata)
Global Management Forum 2021

DeNA founder urges more M&A to boost innovation

Vice chair of Japan's business lobby points to Singapore and South Korea as successful startup hubs

16 November 2021
Ride-hailer Didi is just one of the Chinese companies in Temasek's portfolio that has been caught up in Beijing's clampdown on the tech sector. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Interview

Temasek pauses China tech investments amid Beijing crackdown

Singapore state investor wants regulatory clarity as Didi, others face scrutiny

15 November 2021
Singapore Airlines and other Asian carriers have been hit hard by tough travel restrictions in the region.
Business Spotlight

COVID curbs leave Asian airlines lagging their U.S. peers

Loss-hit Singapore and Japan carriers pin recovery hopes on borders reopening

12 November 2021
Grab's losses in the July-September quarter have widened from a year ago due largely to noncash expenses. (Photo by Kentaro Iwamoto)
Startups

Grab reports $988m net loss for Q3 as lockdowns hit ride-hailing

Singapore unicorn says its SPAC deal is expected to close in Q4

11 November 2021
Singapore's Singtel said that its Indian unit Airtel has returned to profitability for the first time in 13 quarters thanks to growth in mobile users and 4G upgrades. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Telecommunication

Singtel logs SG$954m net profit as India unit swings to profit

Singapore telecom operator banks on 5G to lift revenue for further growth

11 November 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech to the APEC CEO Summit, stressing that "openness and inclusiveness" are key to the region's continued growth.
International relations

Xi warns APEC against Cold War redux in wake of AUKUS

Singapore's Lee urges digital integration as Vietnam's Phuc talks sustainability

11 November 2021
The coronavirus pandemic has added further fuel to Southeast Asia's rapidly growing digital economy. (Source photo by AP)
Business trends

ASEAN's digital economy projected to hit $1tn by 2030

Google-led report says retail and finance to fuel growth as internet use surges

10 November 2021
Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines planes at Singapore's Changi Airport in 2019: The international route between the city-state and Kuala Lumpur was one of the world's busiest before the pandemic.
Coronavirus

Singapore, Malaysia to restart quarantine-free air travel link

Vaccinated passengers can fly between Kuala Lumpur and city-state from Nov. 29

8 November 2021
Singapore's three biggest lenders see China as a key market for growth as the world struggles to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance

Singapore banks raise their China stakes amid Evergrande crisis

ASEAN's largest lenders tap economic powerhouse on path to COVID recovery

5 November 2021
Japan's high vaccination rate and relatively widespread resistance from past infections appear to be working together to keep daily case numbers low.
COVID-19 Recovery Index

Japan leads Asia in COVID Recovery Index as Singapore lags

Region's most-vaccinated countries diverge in ranking, at least for now

5 November 2021
A man receives his COVID-19 booster jab in September: Singapore is now offering Moderna third shots on a walk-in basis.
COVID vaccines

Singapore offers walk-in Moderna boosters amid COVID care strain

City-state braces for possibility of 2,000 deaths from endemic virus per year

3 November 2021
The startup-incubation space Block 71 in Singapore. The nation is said to have a fertile environment for startups. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Startups

Singapore's high tide of tech startups surf digitalization boom

Fintech and edtech companies flock to Asia's welcoming Silicon Island

3 November 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden and other leaders stand for a family photo at the G20 summit in Rome.
G20 Summit

Indo-Pacific a focus for U.S. and Europe on G-20 sidelines

Group endorses minimum corporate tax; Biden calls for energy output boost

31 October 2021
Global investors will have access to one of Southeast Asia's biggest tech players when Grab lists in the U.S. this year. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Getty Images)
Business Spotlight

What Singapore's Grab brings to global investors with U.S. listing

Superapp emerges as alternative investment vehicle amid China tech crackdown

29 October 2021