Prior to becoming the chief sustainability officer for global banking, Apac, Eric Tran was previously the head of sustainability for transaction banking Asia Pacific ( Apac ) at French bank BNP Paribas.
Capitol Media Limited. All trademarks are reserved.
In Singapore, Indah Yosevina and Raman Saravanan are just two of the many migrant workers who enjoy taking their time off to plan or take part in society projects.  ,
Indah, a home contractor from Indonesia who has been employed in Singapore for more than six years, organizes various initiatives to help both the immigrant community and the wider Singaporean community.
The 41-year-old has organized a number of exercise and educational groups to empower other domestic staff from Indonesia as chairman of the Indonesian Family Network ( IFN), an organization made up of fellow Indonesian home employees.
Beyond that, Indah has spearheaded blood donation pulls and volunteer work in Singapore to supply meals for those in need.  ,
According to Indah, the show’s annual blood donation travel, which takes place every three weeks since 2016 attracts around 40 Indonesian home workers each day.  ,
She told CNA, adding that the program is accessible to migrant workers of different nationalities when well.” We manage it ourselves, we write a email to the bloodstream bank, make an appointment to get a date and obtain people,” she continued.  ,
Indah has likewise organized volunteer projects for migrant workers at the Singapore-based donation Willing Hearts, which serves the elderly, disabled, and low-income people.  ,
The program is offered on Sundays once a month, and those interested can sign up through IFN’s social media accounts.  ,
Indah was elected as the network’s chairman in January 2025 after joining the organization in 2021 to take part in its singing group.  ,
Since joining the channel, she has grown in her enthusiasm for working, and even prior to that, she had taken up both” The Story Behind Smile” and” Migrant Writers of Singapore” initiatives. Both of which aim to bring attention to the life of immigrant workers in the nation.  ,
When asked how she juggles her daily work with her society work, she responded,” For me personally, I like doing working work, I like doing good points on my off days.”  ,
In addition to volunteering, Singapore’s migrant workers have also made a name for themselves through their favorite sports.  ,
A team of migrant workers led by 43-year-old Raman Saravanan finished second at the annual Century Race held by the Singapore Dragon Boat Association on February 23.
According to Saravanan, the team consisted of general workers on construction sites, drivers, safety coordinators, and safety personnel.  ,
My job was to organize the team, while my friends managed to book the coach, set up training sessions, and secure the necessary equipment. Saravanan, who has worked in Singapore for over 20 years, told CNA.  ,
Saravanan was determined to make sure that his team, which trains once a week, was well-prepared for the race despite his busy schedule as a safety coordinator at a construction site. He even obtained funding from the neighborhood charity ItsRainingRaincoats in order to help them.
Some of my teammates worked on Sundays and worked nights, which made it difficult for them to attend training during the day, Saravanan, who is from India, told CNA.” We made the most of the time we had together,” Saravanan said.  ,
Saravanan was moved by how the journey had cultivated the bond of cohesion among his migrant friends.  ,
” Some of my friends who work on construction sites provided food and flags to share, to encourage us to paddle faster,” said one of my friends.
June Rusdon, who had been working as a trader for ten years, made the decision to work in the care sector because she wanted her baby to have the best possible start in life when she was about to give birth to their first child.  ,
Rusdon sold her Learning Vision Group to US-based Knowledge Universe in 2007 and continued to lead the organization’s South Asian operations as it expanded from one care center in a Bukit Batok vacuum board to a local community of 142 centers with an enrollment of more than 15, 000 kids.  ,
Busy Bees, a UK-based company, acquired the company in 2014, and Rusdon became the company’s CEO for Asian operations.
I had to figure out how to balance all the tasks in my life, including mother, wife, daughter-in-law, girl, and investor. The reality is that balance is a myth, the 65-year-old told CNA Women. There is this misconception that people may be able to do it all.  ,
In her youth, Rusdon’s eldest sister took over the care of the home, despite the fact that she had lost both of her parents.
” My childhood was filled with suffering and loss, but it also taught me stamina and endurance. In the press release from SCWO, she said,” I realized that life never bring us down if we choose not to let it.” ” Most of my parents are no longer around, but they still live on through how I lead my life and the work I put in.”
According to Mr. Melvin Tay of the Institute of Policy Studies ‘ Social Lab, study conducted at the consider reservoir has shown that the average number of close friends in Singapore has decreased from about 10 in 2018 to about 6 in 2024.  ,
Our joy is largely influenced by social relationships. This is especially true for young people who report higher levels of anxiety and less pleasure in less social networks, according to the research associate.
” As humans, we seek compassion and mental support. People would feel more vulnerable to mental health issues, panic, and despair, which may lead to a decline in happiness when these relationships were weak.
While Singapore continues to lead Southeast Asia, Mr. Tay noted that the country’s levels of happiness appear to possess waned.  ,
Neighbors are closing the gap, with Vietnam in particular seeing significant increases from 96th in 2015 to 46th next year.
This suggests that social support and powerful social cohesion can significantly increase happiness, yet with lower benchmark GDP levels, he said on CNA’s Singapore Tonight program.
He added that there are opportunities for advancement in non-economic factors like community support and work-life balance.
He echoed the study’s results regarding the link between goodwill and joy.
Studies consistently link pro-social behaviors like helping others, working, and giving to a cause with improved mental health, reducing stress, and enhancing life satisfaction, he said.
Knowing or perceiving that positive actions ( of pro-social acts ) contribute to your own happiness or satisfaction, too.
Complete the right thing, then. Late on Wednesday, Trump urged decision-makers to reduce costs and urges on his Truth Social software to “do the correct thing.” The Fed faces many questions about how it is interpreting the change in the US market and its legislation effects, according to Kerry Craig,Continue Reading
Bangkok: On Tuesday ( Mar 18 ), Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, met with Stefano Domenicali, the country’s top driver, and promised to launch a feasibility study into holding Grand Prix competitions in Bangkok from 2028. Formula 1 currently has a busy routine with 24 races scheduled around the world,Continue Reading
Getty ImagesIndia has usually turned to economic reforms in times of distress, with the most famous example being 1991, when the country embraced liberalisation in the face of a deep financial crisis.
Now, with US President Donald Trump’s tit-for-tat tariff wars and the global trade upheaval that has followed, many believe that India finds itself at another crossroad.
Could this be a major opportunity for the world’s fifth largest economy to shed its protectionism and further open up its economy? Will India seize the moment, just as it did more than three decades ago, or will it retreat further?
Trump has repeatedly branded India a “tariff king” and a “big abuser” of trade ties. The problem is that India’s trade-weighted import duties – the average duty rate per imported product – are among the highest in the world. The US average tariff is 2.2%, China’s is 3% and Japan’s is 1.7%. India’s stands at a whopping 12%, according to data from the World Trade Organization.
High tariffs increase costs for companies dependent on global value chains, hindering their ability to compete in international markets. They also mean that Indians pay more on imported goods than foreign consumers. Despite growing exports – primarily driven by services – India runs a significant trade deficit. However, with India’s share of global exports at a mere 1.5%, the challenge becomes even more urgent.
The jury is out on whether Trump’s tariff war will help India break free or double down on protectionism. Narendra Modi’s government, often criticised for its protectionist stance, seems to have shifted gears in recent years.
Getty ImagesLast month, ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s meeting with Trump in Washington, India unilaterally lowered tariffs on Bourbon whiskey, motorcycles and some other US products.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has made two trips to the US to discuss a potential trade deal, following Trump’s threatened retaliatory tariffs, looming on 2 April. (Citi Research analysts estimate India could lose up to $7bn annually from reciprocal tariffs, primarily affecting sectors like metals, chemicals and jewellery, with pharmaceuticals, automobiles and food products also at risk.)
Last week, Goyal urged Indian exporters to “come out of their protectionist mindset and encouraged them to be bold and ready to deal with the world from a position of strength and self-confidence”, according to a statement from his ministry.
India is also actively pursuing free trade deals with several countries, including the UK and New Zealand, and the European Union.
In an interesting turn of events, homegrown telecoms giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have teamed up with Trump ally Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch satellite internet services via Starlink in India. The move surprised analysts, especially after Musk’s recent clashes with both companies, and came as US and Indian officials negotiate the trade deal.
India’s rapid growth from the late 1990s to the 2000s – 8.1% between 2004-2009 and 7.46% from 2009-2014 – was in large part driven by its gradual integration into global markets, particularly in pharmaceuticals, software, autos, textiles and garments, alongside a steady reduction in tariffs. Since then, India has turned inwards.
Many economists believe that protectionist policies over the past decade have undermined Modi’s Make in India initiative, which prioritised capital- and technology-intensive sectors over labour-intensive ones like textiles. As a result, it has struggled to boost manufacturing and exports.
High tariffs have also fostered protectionism in several Indian industries, discouraging investments in efficiency, according to Viral Acharya, a professor of economics at New York University Stern School of Business.
This has allowed “cosy incumbents” to gain market power by consolidating their positions without facing much competition. As Mr Acharya, a former central banker, noted in a paper by Brookings Institution, restoring industrial balance in India requires “reducing tariffs to increase the country’s share of global goods trade and reduce protectionism”.
With India’s tariffs already higher than those of most countries, further increases could be especially damaging.
“We need to boost exports and a tit-for-tat tariff war won’t help us. China can afford this strategy due to its massive export base, but we can’t, as we hold only a small share of the global market, Rajeshwari Sengupta, an associate professor of economics at Mumbai-based Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, said. A trade conflict could hurt us more than others,” she added.
Getty ImagesIn light of this, India finds itself at a crossroad. As the world undergoes a major shift, India has a “unique opportunity to shape a new vision” for global trade, says Aseema Sinha, a trade expert at Claremont McKenna College.
By lowering protectionist barriers in South Asia and strengthening ties with Southeast Asia and the Middle East, India has the chance to lead in shaping a new trade vision, positioning itself as a key player in a “re-globalised” world, Ms Sinha, author of Globalising India, says.
“By reducing tariffs, India could become the regional and cross-regional magnet for trade and economic activity, drawing in varied powers in its orbit,” she adds.
That could help India create the jobs it desperately needs at home. Agriculture, which makes up 15% of its GDP, accounts for a whopping 40% of employment, reflecting extremely low productivity. Construction remains the second-largest employer, absorbing casual daily workers.
India’s challenge isn’t in expanding its thriving service sector, which already makes up nearly half of total exports, but in dealing with the large pool of unskilled workers who lack the basic skills needed for service jobs.
“While high-end services are thriving, the majority of the workforce remains uneducated and underemployed, often relegated to construction or informal jobs. To provide meaningful employment to millions entering the workforce each year, India must ramp up its manufacturing exports, as relying solely on services won’t address the needs of the unskilled labour force,” says Ms Sengupta.
ReutersOne concern is that reducing tariffs could lead to dumping, where foreign companies flood the market with cheap goods, potentially harming domestic industries.
According to Ms Sengupta, India’s ideal approach to trade would involve a “universal reduction” in import tariffs, as it currently has some of the highest tariffs among its trading partners.
However, there is a caveat: China’s trade struggles, particularly with the US due to the ongoing trade war, could lead to Chinese dumping in India in the “short run”.
“To protect against this, India can use non-tariff barriers against China but only against this one country and only in cases of proven dumping. Barring that, it is in India’s interest to do a wholesale slashing of tariffs,” she says.
There’s also a growing concern that India may be overcompensating in its efforts to flatter the US.
Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), believes that India’s tendency to soften trade policies “based on rhetoric rather than economic pressure” shows a lack of assertiveness in global trade talks.
If this trend continues, he says, India may end up making even more compromises in its trade deal with the US, further “eroding its bargaining power”.
“In comparison to other major economies, India’s pre-emptive surrender on multiple trade fronts – without the US imposing a single country-specific tariff – makes it appear exceptionally vulnerable to pressure tactics.”
The broader consensus seems to be that India should capitalise on what could be the unintended consequences of Trump’s tariff wars. Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, believes that “potential US tariffs may have become a catalyst for reforms.“.
“If supply chains are rejigged again during the second Trump presidency due to higher tariffs on large exporters, and the world looks for new producers, India may get a second chance,” she writes.
Creating jobs that manufacture goods for the world won’t be easy. India has largely missed the bus on low-end, unskilled factory work – jobs China dominated for decades. Automation is taking over. Without deeper reforms, India risks being left behind.
The wedding price in China is rapidly declining. In 2024, there were 6.1 million relationship licenses globally, along from 7.7 million in the previous year. A national political adviser to China’s Chen Songxi has been inspired by this decline to propose a lower lawful marriage era, from 22 to 18.
China’s wedding rate has decreased as a result of a number of factors. These include higher levels of education, changing social attitudes toward marriage, and increased financial pressures.
Particularly in urban Chinese women are increasingly challenging conventional gender stereotypes, which view marriage and pregnancy as crucial life goals. Some young people are unable to afford to get married because of rising living expenses.
China is also grappling with a long-standing female imbalance, which is a result of the country’s strict one-child policy and preference for adult children in China. China’s gender ratio at baby reached 121 kids for every 100 women in the early 2000s, when the imbalance was at its height. There were more than 130 kids born for every 100 women born in some regions.
The sex imbalance is especially evident in those who were born in the 1980s, a technology I am a part of. Since the mid-1980s, which gave families the option to end their child’s pregnancy if their baby was a woman, the use of ultrasound technology has become more common.
In China, unmarried men have merged into the infamous “era of leftover men” ( shengnan shidai in Chinese ). This is a loosely defined name on the internet that loosely refers to the 2020 to 2050 time, when an estimated 30 to 50 million Foreign men are expected to be unable to get a wife.
The problem is that many of these “leftover” people want to marry, and I am aware of this from the outset. Some of my primary and secondary school classmates have been trying desperately to find a family but have had trouble finding one. This struggle is best expressed by a phrase that is frequently used in China ( jiehun nan ).
Some Chinese people have turned to “purchasing” international weddings because they are able to find a home family. A surge in illegal marriages has been attributed to the rising demand for these wives, particularly in rural areas. This includes couples involving women who have been trafficked into China from Southeast Asian neighbors and involved in trafficking, especially children who have been there for years.
A porous border and a lack of response by law enforcement on both flanks [has ] created an environment in which criminals flourish, according to a Human Rights Watch statement released in 2019 on wedding smuggling from Myanmar to China.
The Taiwanese government has today pledged to repress the business. China’s Ministry of Public Security launched a campaign in March 2024 to combat multinational trafficking of women and children, calling for improved international cooperation to stop these crimes.
According to China’s State Council, these relationships are frequently arranged through casual sites or business organizations, both of which are outlawed and illegal.
According to Human Rights Watch, agents who promise well-paying jobs in China frequently trick women and girls in neighboring states. When they arrive in China, they are left at the mercy of the agents, and they are offered to Chinese men for between US$ 3, 000 and US$ 1, 000.
Due to the secret nature of these actions, it is difficult to determine the amount of unlawful cross-border marriages in China. However, the most recent information from the UK’s Home Office suggests that 90 % of Vietnamese victims of human trafficking were smuggled to China, with women and children accounting for 90 % of the cases.
An award-winning film from 2022, The Girl from Myanmar, follows the story of a smuggled Myanmar girl who was forced to marry in China. The movie exposes the terrible realities that some brides who have been trafficked encounter.
It captures not only the force and abuse that many of these people go through, but also their fight for freedom and success in a world where they are treated as assets. A recruited person featured in the film, Larry, stated that she saw her ability to survive as her ability to bear children.
The Chinese government keeps issuing scams involving weddings bought worldwide. For instance, in November 2024, two people were charged with part in an improper cross-border matching structure. Chinese men were lured into “marriage tours” worldwide with the promise of “affordable” international wives, which turned out to be extremely expensive.
There have also been instances in which illegal brides have vanished with large sums of money before the wedding is set to be final.
China’s relationship crisis has profound effects on the nation’s statistical future. The greatest obstacle to Chinese economic development and social security is often cited as a dwindling and aging population. Beijing has refrained from putting this claim to use as evidence that economic development will continue to be fueled by continuous technological advancement.
Unquestionably, the work force plays a significant role in economic growth. What matters more is powerful work, the solution of both the quantity and the quality of the labour force, according to Justin Lin Yifu, a part of the advisory body for the Chinese Women’s Political Consultative Conference.
In order to meet the challenges that will arise from its aging people, China has continued to invest in learning over the past few years.
The large number of left men, however, could be a bigger issue because of their significant impact on social security, which is even more concerning. Studies have shown that large male-to-male sex ratios and crime charges are related to one another’s significant identity imbalance, both in China and India.
Research has revealed that since the mid-1990s, skewed male-sex numbers have been responsible for roughly 14 % of the increase in crime there. And modeling suggests that a 5.5 % increase in the male-sex amount would increase the chances of young people being harassed by more than 20 % in India.
Who will be married to China’s lone people is gaining in popularity in Beijing. The administration’s answer will determine the country’s future for many years to come.
Ming Gao is a study scholar at Lund University’s History Department.
This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.
In its most recent investment round, Kyberlife, Singapore’s leading B2B healthcare e-commerce platform, raised US$ 3 million ( RM13.3 million ), led by Singapore’s leading B2B venture capital firm 5I Ventures, with East Ventures, A2D Ventures, and NUS Alumni Ventures as partners. The new funding will help the startup expand its local footprint and realize its goal of reviving the heath procurement process.
The Eastern health sector is expanding, and McKinsey projects that it will account for one-third of international sales by 2025. Acquisition of crucial test technology has become more difficult and time-consuming due to changes in supply chains and fresh compliance requirements. To address these issues, Kyberlife has developed an online industry that connects international researchers and suppliers to research facilities, medical facilities, and research centers in Southeast Asia.
With its open digital marketplace concept, Kyberlife, which is based on a platform-as-a-service ( PaaaS ) model, claims to revolutionize the sourcing process. The program offers a wide range of products, including lab equipment and life-science equipment, with 1.2 million products from 160 brands.
The startup’s ability as a one-stop shop allows academic and research labs, as well as other medical institutions, to purchase important equipment, breaking the mold of drawn-out sourcing procedures, extensive lead times, and transparent pricing common of traditional procurement. The program claims that by digitizing manual processes and streamlining the supply chain, the average sourcing period has been reduced by 40 %.
The platform’s proprietary technology is built to work smoothly with existing purchasing enterprise resource planning systems and direct-to-consumer online workflows. The business has improved the buying and selling knowledge over the past year by incorporating cutting-edge technologies like AI and data analytics to create personalized product recommendations.
Kyberlife stated that its most recent funding round will encourage geographical expansion and that it will put an emphasis on expanding into Indonesia by bringing in local vendors to expand internationally. Additionally, it intends to expand its customer and dealer network in Southeast Asia, with a goal of a twofold increase in its vendor portfolio in the next three years. Also, the startup has plans to invest in AI to improve the quality of products, improve procurement, and reduce the need to rely on sourced and acquired goods for sustainability.
“Kyberlife is a program created by professionals, specifically for professionals. Our goal is to make the complicated and time-consuming steps that scientists must take to obtain lab equipment and supplies for R&, D in the medical sector simpler. Ryan James Lim, co-founder and CEO of Kyberlife, expressed his gratitude for the ongoing help and look forward to collaborating with more care providers to advance R&, D attempts in Singapore and the broader Southeast Asia region.
We invest in businesses that undermine business and offer flexible options at 5I Ventures. Dieter Schlosser, managing companion at 5I Ventures, said that Kyberlife’s revolutionary approach to purchasing is a game-changer for the life sciences sector.
In the meantime, A2D Ventures ‘ general partner Ankit Upadhyay said:” We support Kyberlife’s ability to redefine how government institutions, laboratories, and healthcare facilities access crucial supplies. Our goal is to support revolutionary startups because of their system’s capacity to grow and inspire innovation in a sector that has millions of lives in it.
Wesley Tay, the superintendent at East Ventures, stated:” We believe Kyberlife may make a difference in digitizing and streamlining procurement processes in the medical and life sciences area in Southeast Asia and above, while also bringing local medical institutions greater admittance to international suppliers. We’re delighted to have Kyberlife join the East Ventures ecosystem, and we’re optimistic about their success.
A roster of supporters has been drawn to Kyberlife since its founding in 2021, including Maya Hari, a former global vice president at Twitter, professor Jeremy Lim, a former CEO of AMiLi, and Dr. Michael Gorriz, a former global CIO of Standard Chartered Bank, all of whom have contributed significantly to the company’s expansion.
Leading suppliers like Merck, Zymo Research, DKSH, Eppendorf, and Sartorius have been signed up to date through the platform, which includes over 160 global brands and 1.2 million SKUs. It provides major clients, including the National Cancer Center of Singapore, Duke-NUS, Nanyang Technological University, and National University of Singapore.
According to Rosie Leishman, Thais with lower incomes have limited choices for healthy eating.
According to nutrition experts, Thailand is succumbing to international food trends that negatively impact children’s diets and habits, suggesting that the government taking more steps to ensure healthy diets among the country’s youth.
One report indicates that one in every four kids in Southeast Asia and the Pacific is heavy, according to Roland Kupka, a diet director for Unicef East Asia and the Pacific.
Given that less than one in ten children were diagnosed with obesity in 2000, the price is alarming.
In addition, over the past 15 years, the number of shops per person in the area has increased by 52.5 %, more quickly than in any other area of the world.
Due to Thailand’s rapid progress in the food retail market, which is dominated by chain stores and supermarkets and made yet more convenient by online shopping, there is no longer any new, economical meal for Thais with low incomes.
According to Mr. Kupka, as the number of retail stores grows, the cost of non-nutritious meal decreases.
According to Unicef, East Asian children eat fewer fruits and vegetables, opting for foods high in sugar, water, and unhealthy fats, which increase fat.
Thailand is acclimating to the world trend that children’s nutrition and lifestyles are harmed by food systems, according to Mr. Kupka. He claimed that the rise in ring retailers is the result of rapid urbanization, economic growth, and changes in consumer habits.
The rise in the availability and promotion of toxic, highly processed foods is at the heart of the styles we are seeing, he said. The food and beverage sector places a high value on the availability and promotion of affordable, high-energy products, which promote unhealthy eating habits and the obesity epidemic.
Low discounts on unhealthy foods, colorful promotions, and proper supermarket layouts encourage people to buy bad foods, which are more lucrative than fresh produce.
Digital environments for online trends and modern food financial environments are also crucial for shaping social norms. Children and adolescents who are developing their eating patterns are especially at risk from this coverage.
In November 2023, Unicef and Deakin University conducted a study to discover that 79 % of Thai teenagers used online to shop for food and beverages, and 76 % of them surveyed in Thailand.
According to the research, parents and caregivers who purchase food for babies are also being influenced by financial marketing tactics. But, Mr. Kupka said this shouldn’t be the blame game for kids.
Parents want their children to be well-off and good. Parents don’t need to be fixed; instead, we need to correct the systems and make the decision-making process simpler, according to Mr. Kupka. If there isn’t anything being done,” this location is likely to follow the same path as Western Europe and North America, where big chains have wiped out the food culture.”
Unicef Thailand’s chief of communication Rudina Vojvoda stated:” The negative price of unhealthy food is great. Everyone pays when these items aren’t done properly, so everyone has a role to play in this.
We need federal authority and policies that will have an impact on everyone, Mr. Kupka said. Laws that require change will produce a level playing field.
He said the important steps to solving this problem include taxes on unhealthy food, stricter labeling laws, restrictions on children’s exposure to toxic meal marketing, and restrictions on in-store promotions of harmful products.
