Sarawak goes to the polls

Sarawak will today hold its state elections which are being closely scrutinised for signs of a voter backlash against the national ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has been beset by allegations of corruption. Parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional, however, have long held firm control of resource-rich Sarawak and are widely expected to retain it comfortably.

First large childcare centre opens

The E-Bridge large childcare centre in Edgedale Plains will be opened today. With a land area of 5,000 sq m, it will be the first large childcare centre to start operations and the biggest in Singapore. The centre's first-of-its- kind hygiene and design standards for the childcare scene include features to fight the spread of infectious diseases, like a newly invented sanitisation programme and mass temperature screening equipment.

China to release forex reserves data

China is set to release data on its foreign exchange reserves for last month today, a figure that rose modestly to US$3.21 trillion (S$4.4 trillion) in March. China's reserves, controlled by its central bank, include currencies and gold, and are mostly invested in US Treasury bonds. Economists expect the April figures to show a fall - an indication of renewed capital outflows - amid a slowing economy.