CNA

Singtel is seeking clarity from regulators on whether it can participate in further consolidation of Singapore’s telecommunications market, after the planned M1-Simba deal fell apart. “If we are able to participate in the consolidation, we will definitely evaluate where are the opportunities and how we would help lift the industry altogether in Singapore,” group chief executive officer Kuan Moon Yuen said on Thursday (May 21). The company also said it is open to a local partner taking a “meaningful minority stake” in its Australian subsidiary Optus. CNA's Abigail Ng has more details: https://cna.asia/4dxTXxl #Singtel #Telecommunications #singaporebusiness

Bread maker Gardenia is moving its bakery production from Singapore to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It means that 141 employees at its Pandan Loop facility will be retrenched when production stops on Jun 30. The company told CNA that its decision to shift its bakery production from Singapore to Malaysia "goes beyond cost-cutting". "It is a strategic step in response to business continuity, labour constraints, and the need for industrial land for large-scale production," said a Gardenia spokesperson. Read the full report here: https://cna.asia/3PvKEWU #singapore #sgnews #manufacturing #retrenchment

For Filipino urban professionals, earning a living requires paying a premium to stay connected and employable, says HR practitioner Nicasio Pimentel. https://cna.asia/4tROyrg

Singapore's falling fertility rate is now seen as a national problem to solve. But for a growing number of couples, having children simply isn’t part of their plans. How have our attitudes towards parenthood changed and what does the rise of the "dual income, no kids" or DINK lifestyle say about the country's future? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Alisa Chopard, a 39-year-old who has chosen not to have children, and 31-year-old Alicia Dusadidecho, who hopes to start a family soon, to unpack the pressures surrounding couples in Singapore today. Watch: https://cna.asia/43kViTz

H&M staff across its East Asia regional market, including Singapore, have been asked to reapply for roles as part of a restructuring exercise. The exercise involves moving H&M’s Southeast Asia headquarters from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. Employees told CNA's Hwee Min Ang & Davina Tham that staff can reapply for 178 available roles, including four that'll be based in Singapore. 📌 Restructuring and staffing decisions will take effect by Jul 1 📌 Roles formerly in Singapore are being moved to Kuala Lumpur and Manila, said an employee 📌 Employees must nominate themselves for two roles 📌 Unsuccessful staff face “mutual separation” Read the full report here: https://cna.asia/4dkHlLg #Retail #SingaporeJobs #Restructuring

OpenAI will commit more than S$300 million to develop Singapore’s AI ecosystem, under a new “OpenAI for Singapore” partnership with the government. The initiative includes OpenAI’s first Singapore Applied AI Lab outside the United States. Key points to note: 📌 OpenAI will grow Singapore technical teams to over 200 roles in the next few years 📌 AI training will cover educators and tech professionals 📌 Businesses and startups will gain greater AI access More details: https://cna.asia/43p7Rgx 💬 Share your thoughts on this move. #ArtificialIntelligence #SingaporeNews #FutureOfWork #Innovation

Standard Chartered plans to cut more than 7,000 jobs over the next four years as it boosts the use of artificial intelligence. "It's not cost-cutting. It's replacing in some cases lower-value human capital with the financial capital and the investment capital we're putting in," said CEO Bill Winters. 📌 AI will drive the bank's ongoing revamp to automate more of its core system 📌15 per cent of corporate function roles will be cut by 2030 📌 Back-office centres are expected to be most affected, including those in Chennai, Bangalore, Kuala Lumpur and Warsaw 📌 StanChart said some roles will grow, while new ones will emerge Read the full report here: https://cna.asia/4dD4GXD 💬 Since AI is here to stay, how can companies pursue productivity gains without leaving workers behind? #jobcuts #AI #banking #StandardChartered

In the 1960s and 70s, tens of thousands of South Koreans went to what was then known as West Germany as miners and nurses under a labour-for-loan deal. They were meant to stay for three years. Many never left. On the CNA Correspondent podcast, Genevieve Woo speaks to CNA Senior Correspondent Yun Suk Lim about the sacrifices behind South Korea’s rise - and the lives built between two countries. Watch: https://cna.asia/4wzLBhr

When writer Annie Tan ordered a kids' printer and could not understand the manual, her children's first instinct was to ask AI. The problem is that lifelong learning doesn't work this way, she writes. https://cna.asia/4v0rPKx

SQ321 final report: Investigators say the plane's weather radar may have failed to display the true weather conditions before the plane flew into severe turbulence over Myanmar in May 2024, which resulted in the death of an elderly British man and others injured. Read the full story: https://cna.asia/4ny3Q2E