Catch up on the morning's top business headlines in Singapore with The Straits Times Money Desk's daily update.

1. Ezra posts 34% drop in Q2 net profit, secures new contract win. The fall in earnings was due to a weaker-than-expected performance by its offshore support services division and the absence of one-off gains last year from a sale of assets.

2. China says to ease restrictions on overseas investments. Chinese firms planning to invest less than US$1 billion (S$1.25 billion) will only need to register with authorities rather than seek approvals from the National Development and Reform Commission.

3. Asian shares slip after Wall Street rout. This followed another sell-off in United States technology stocks, while China released data showing inflation picked up in March but was still below forecasts.