THE BIG STORY
S'pore economy grows, but GDP forecast unchanged
Singapore's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, but the spike in Covid-19 cases has cast a shadow over recovery hopes. Analysts said the performance would have called for an upgrade of the official gross domestic product (GDP) forecast, but the Ministry of Trade and Industry opted to stick with its previous one.
WORLD
ST webinar discusses role of Asean in US-China tensions
Asean's unity and neutrality is what allows the grouping to be the convener of regional processes, and it needs to maintain that role amid stormy United States-China relations, Singapore's ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh said yesterday. He was speaking at the Straits Times Connect webinar series.
WORLD
South-east Asia battles new wave of coronavirus infections
Largely spared the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic for most of last year, South-east Asia is now in the grip of a new wave of infections that is putting unprecedented pressure on health systems of countries in the region and threatening to bring their economies to the ground.
The Straits Times takes a look at some of the issues faced by the region.
SINGAPORE
Grab to raise ride-hailing fares by $1 from June 1
Ride-hailing firm Grab will raise its fares by $1 from next month to improve driver earnings amid rising fuel and maintenance costs, it said. With taxi and private-hire car ridership at just 55 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Grab said it will not collect commission on the additional $1 from June 1 to June 30.
OPINION
Making sense of the Bitcoin crash
As critics and defenders of Bitcoin continue their argument over the future of cryptocurrencies, readers must decide what narrative they choose to believe. But whichever they choose, one of the big lessons from the recent crash is that crypto investments are not for the faint of heart, says associate editor Vikram Khanna.
LIFE
Stay in shape at home without special gear
With many gyms closed temporarily to minimise the spread of Covid-19, many people are seeking alternative workouts. Mr Richard Englisch, a personal trainer at One Personal Training, shows how people can adapt their gym workouts to stay fit at home without special gear.
