Singapore

Four of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' members -- Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei -- belong to the CPTPP trade pact.
International relations

China courts Vietnam and Malaysia for support on CPTPP bid

Outreach to ASEAN members key to groundwork for trade negotiations

27 October 2021
Vertex Holdings is likely to be one of the first blank-check companies to list on the Singapore Exchange.
DealStreetAsia

Temasek-backed venture readies for SPAC IPO in Singapore

Vertex Holdings looks to list $150m blank-check company by year-end

26 October 2021
10x Genomics' Asia-Pacific headquarters in Singapore includes the company's first manufacturing facility outside the U.S. (Photo courtesy of 10x Genomics)
Biotechnology

U.S. biotech unicorn eyes bigger China presence from Singapore

10x Genomics opens Asia headquarters in city-state, supporting COVID-19 research

25 October 2021
Singapore has been grappling with COVID-19 infection spikes despite over 80% of its population being fully vaccinated.
COVID vaccines

Singapore to impose workplace vaccine mandate from January

Unvaccinated workers must show negative COVID results, pay for own test

23 October 2021
Singapore's heavy reliance on imported gas has left the city-state vulnerable to surging energy prices.
Energy

Surging fuel prices shake Singapore's electricity market

Gas-reliant country urges power companies to 'at least meet' retail demand

21 October 2021
A Grab delivery person checks his bicycle outside a fast food chain in Singapore: The company is strengthening its home delivery business, which has significant room for growth.
Startups

Grab touts food and grocery deliveries as ride-hailing slows

Singapore company hopes sales promotion app helps corral new partners

21 October 2021
The South Beach mixed-use development in Singapore secured a five-year green loan worth SG$1.22 billion.
Finance

ASEAN's largest banks go big on green real estate

Undaunted by Evergrande, lenders in Singapore, Malaysia embrace ESG loans

20 October 2021
Students head to class at a secondary school in Singapore. Singapore's edtech startup Geniebook offers GenieClass, letting students learn from teachers via live online classes, and GenieAsk, which allows students to chat with and receive help from teachers in real time. 
DealStreetAsia

Singapore edtech startup Geniebook raises $16.6m

Firm to innovate on AI-personalized learning materials using fresh funds

20 October 2021
Singapore is now allowing inoculated travelers from the U.K., the U.S. and selected other countries to enter without quarantining.
Coronavirus

Singapore quarantine-free travel stirs hope for wider Asia revival

Philippines, Thailand also easing rules for some arrivals to spur economies

19 October 2021
Detail of a poster for the movie "Seperti Dendam, Rindu Harus Dibayar Tuntas" ("Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash"). Shot using vibrant 16 mm film, the movie is a mashup of classic vintage genres, ranging in style from Hong Kong martial arts flicks to Indonesian horror films to American juvenile delinquent B-movies. (Courtesy of the Match Factory)
Arts

Fistfights and impotence recall Indonesia's troubled history

Pulp film exploring patriarchal society draws international plaudits

18 October 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by phone on Oct. 15.
Trade

Singapore backs Beijing's CPTPP bid, Chinese ministry says

Xi wants RCEP to enter into force as scheduled

16 October 2021
TDCX CEO Laurent Junique: "There is a lot of momentum in the market we operate in, especially in Southeast Asia." (Source photos courtesy of TDCX)
Interview

Singapore's TDCX sees growth behind the scenes of ASEAN tech battle

CEO says outsourcing provider aims to serve more consumer-facing companies in Asia

14 October 2021
A shopping mall in central Singapore informs customers they must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. (Photo by Kentaro Iwamoto)
COVID vaccines

No jab, no entry: Singapore highlights rise of vaccine mandates

New COVID rule at city-state's shopping malls adds to growing trend in Asia

14 October 2021
Singapore's economy is recovering from the worst periods of last year, but the pandemic continues to haunt the city-state.
Economy

Singapore surprises with monetary tightening as Q3 GDP grows 6.5%

Central bank's move follows South Korea and New Zealand; COVID clouds outlook

14 October 2021
A sign encourages social distancing in Singapore in late September, as coronavirus cases rise.
Coronavirus

Singapore's upcoming leaders tested as COVID wave rattles public

PM hopefuls in tight spot between virus containment and vow to unchain economy

11 October 2021
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong 
Coronavirus

Singapore allows quarantine-free travel to major countries starting Oct. 19

Reaching COVID 'new normal' could take six months, PM says

9 October 2021
Singapore's Grab is a major investor in Indonesian e-payment service Ovo. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura) 
Business deals

Grab stake in Indonesia's Ovo reduced with help from new investor

Move helps Singapore superapp comply with regulation governing local ownership

8 October 2021
Singapore has become a leading venue for arbitration, as popular as London. (Photo courtesy of Maxwell Chambers)
Business trends

Singapore, Hong Kong rise as business-dispute arbitration hubs

Japan poorly positioned as pandemic popularizes alternative settlement mechanism

7 October 2021
Singapore’s PropertyGuru is set to become a publicly-listed firm on the New York Stock Exchange by way of merging with a SPAC backed by billionaires Richard Li and Peter Thiel.
Interview

Singapore's PropertyGuru plans fintech thrust to conquer ASEAN

Real estate listings unicorn taps U.S. SPAC to build finance arm

5 October 2021
Singapore hopes its vaccination rate above 80% will allow it to leave COVID-19 restrictions behind, but for now it is focused on keeping infections in check.
Asia Insight

Singapore 'soul searching' over economy as COVID surges

Even if vaccines help city-state 'live with' the virus, long-term questions loom

5 October 2021
A traffic jam at an Indonesian toll gate in May: ST Engineering looks to bring TransCore's electronic toll collection and other systems to Southeast Asia.
Business deals

N.Y. congestion pricing operator bought by Singapore company

Defense contractor ST Engineering revs up smart city business with $2.7bn deal

5 October 2021
Indonesian e-payment service OVO is now under Grab's control. (Source photos by Dimas Ardian and Reuters) 
Business deals

Grab takes 90% share in Indonesian digital wallet OVO

Superapp needs partner to skirt rule against foreign majority e-payment stake

4 October 2021
JPMorgan Chase is implementing artificial intelligence throughout the company, from fraud detection to customizing its online portal for analyst reports.
Interview

Asian tech talent helps JPMorgan compete: CIO

AI development and blockchain feature prominently in $12bn technology budget

3 October 2021
Singtel is looking to expand its data center business in Southeast Asia as the pandemic boosts demand for data-related services.
Telecommunication

Singtel sells Australia cellphone towers to fund 5G expansion

Singapore telco to net $1.37bn from sale as it plans regional data center push

1 October 2021
People wait in line outside a COVID-19 vaccination center at Sydney Olympic Park. Vaccines from the U.K. that had been at risk of expiring have been put to use in Australia.
COVID vaccines

From Australia to Thailand, vaccine swap deals help ease shortages

Nearly expired doses shipped to nations with slow rollouts

1 October 2021