Economy
Singapore crowned as best city in managing post-COVID-19 era
Singapore crowned as best city in managing post-COVID-19 era
The city-state came first as well with the lowest change in unemployment rate.
NODX up 5.8% in Q1
Non-electronic exports countered the lower exports seen on electronics.
GDP could contract 4% to 7% in 2020: MTI
Weak external demand will continue counter projected expansion of the manufacturing sector.
Singapore to move on second phase of reopening by end of June: report
Government plans to continue testing the population.
VCs bet big on ESG startups
Investments in the urban solutions and sustainability domain surged 56% over last year.
Daily Briefing: CPF, HDB, IRAS to resume operations from 2 June; Kollective Ventures acquires Paktor Group
And B Capital, Antler announced collaboration.
Chart of the Day: Budget measures a huge help in SME staff retention
But sectors such as hospitality/F&B, amongst others, need more support.
Nearly half of APAC firms stray from due diligence checks
This comes as companies struggle to monitor third-party risks during the pandemic.
Chart of the Day: SMEs turn to WFH and reduced work hours to cut costs
Some in the hospitality/F&B, wholesale and construction sectors resort to delaying payments.
Daily Briefing: Vickers Venture seeks investment from Korean investors; Ride-hailer TADA's parent company completes series A funding
And Bvlgari launches Singapore online store ahead of Italy.
SEA VC funds accumulate $1.3b in additional assets
Singapore and Indonesia dominated the VC fundraising market.
Chart of the Day: Delayed payments perceived as top hiccup for SMEs
The services and transport/storage sectors registered the highest occurrence of late payments.
Daily Briefing: ComfortDelGro trials plastic shields in 400 taxis; Solubots unveils self-cleansing disinfecting robots
And Sirius Ventures leads funding in ShuttleOne.
Singapore to implement three-phase reopening plan
Some manufacturing and healthcare businesses will be allowed to resume on 2 June.
Daily Briefing: ARA Asset Management delays closing of second value-add fund; Grab Ventures Velocity programme selects five startups
And agritech accelerator Grow launches Food Bowl programme.
Chart of the Day: Over half of logistics SMEs expect negative outlook
They are anticipating more challenges on operating capital in the next six to 12 months.
Japan's GDP growth could contract 5.2%
Economy activity is expected to suffer despite restrictions being lifted in prefectures.
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