A QUIET week is in store for businesses around Suntec City with shoppers giving the Apec venues a wide berth.

There are also few road closures and most areas are accessible to the public yet bosses are already feeling the pinch.

The slowdown began last weekend with one despairing shop manager saying plaintively: 'We don't know where all the people went.'

TWENTY years ago, a group of 12 countries went against the grain, deciding to band together and commit to free trade.

Now, in a pivotal moment in economic history, the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) must once again take the lead in breaking down trade barriers and helping global businesses.

PORK sellers in wet markets across the island will take an unscheduled holiday on Wednesday, following a gas leak that forced a one-day closure of the sole abattoir here.

Most of those who sell fresh Indonesian pork have opted to take the day off instead of switching to selling frozen pork or pork from other sources.

SINGAPORE - SINGAPORE called on Tuesday for creating an ambitious Asia-Pacific free trade area comprising about half of global trade, as it warned nations that any backsliding on trade liberalisation would be disastrous.

The call by Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo came ahead of a summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that is expected to discuss free-trade proposals.