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☆ China state media plays down COVID wave severity before WHO meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Bernard Orr | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The World Health Organization on Friday urged China's health officials to regularly share specific and real-time information on the COVID situation. The agency has invited Chinese scientists to present detailed data on viral sequencing at a meeting of a technical advisory group scheduled for Tuesday. The European Union has offered free COVID vaccines to China to help contain the outbreak, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. China has rejected criticism of its COVID data and said any new mutations may be more infectious but less harmful. Data on Tuesday showed China's factory activity shrank at a sharper pace in December as the COVID wave disrupted production and hurt demand.

☆ Singapore's venture capital scene looks set for a 'pretty decent' 2023, investment firm says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Sheila Chiang | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Singapore's tech start-up scene has grown in recent years, and the city-state ranked seventh in the latest Global Innovation Index 2022. Global venture dollars may have dropped in 2022, but Singapore's government-owned tech investment firm is optimistic about 2023. "2023 is probably going to be a pretty decent year for venture capital in Singapore," Hsien-Hui Tong, executive director of investments at SGInnovate, told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" Wednesday. Unlike global markets more generally, the venture capital scene in Singapore is "still very active," Tong said. Global markets, on the other hand, tend to be at the "more mature" stages of Series B and C, where venture capital has "dried up a little bit."

☆ A promising new Covid pill shows key advantages over Paxlovid in trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Aria Bendix | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A new antiviral pill for Covid was found to be as effective as Paxlovid at curbing mild to moderate illness among people at high risk of severe disease in a Phase 3 trial in China. The results, published Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that the treatment had fewer side effects than Paxlovid, the go-to antiviral for high-risk patients. Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. In the trial of VV116, more than 380 people took the experimental drug, while a similarly sized group took Paxlovid. The median time to recovery — defined as no Covid symptoms for two consecutive days — was four days for VV116 recipients and five days for those who took Paxlovid.

Around 67% of people who took the experimental pill, called VV116, reported side effects, compared to to 77% who took Paxlovid. In the trial of VV116, more than 380 people took the experimental drug, while a similarly sized group took Paxlovid. The median time to recovery — defined as no Covid symptoms for two consecutive days — was four days for VV116 recipients and five days for those who took Paxlovid. Three-quarters of the trial participants were vaccinated, though the study found consistent results regardless of vaccine status. The National Institutes of Health recommends Paxlovid, with molnupiravir as an alternative in situations when neither Paxlovid nor remdesivir is available or appropriate.

☆ 2023 may be a decent year for Singapore venture capital: SGInnovate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email2023 may be a 'decent' year for Singapore venture capital: Government-owned tech organizationHsien-Hui Tong of SGInnovate says there is a lot of government support for the development of start-ups at the early stage.

☆ An Indian tech unicorn's founders share 3 tips for success — including a 'hit by a bus' plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Harsh Jain says it's an "open secret" that he doesn't use his own fantasy sports app — for fantasy football, at least. After introducing it to his childhood friend Bhavit Sheth, they set out to look for a fantasy cricket platform in India. Are you building scale and systems in a way ... not dependent on [a single person] and … having one person make a decision? Harsh Jain Co-founder and CEO, Dream SportsAccording to Jain, it's the "first mover's advantage" that brought their company Dream Sports — the parent company of Dream11 — to great heights. Harsh Jain CEO and co-founder, Dream Sports

☆ A sports tech startup lost millions — then made it big. Here's how its millennial founders staged a comeback
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Losing millions of dollars when they were 24 years old was a defining moment for entrepreneurs Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth. More than a decade after its launch, their company Dream Sports says it's now valued at $8 billion dollars, with 160 million users to boot. Dream Sports is a sports tech firm from India that owns Dream11, the biggest fantasy gaming platform in the country. Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth launched their startup Dream11 when they were just 22 — but it quickly "crashed and burned." That is something they learned from losing a large sum of money in the early days of their company, Jain added.

☆ They launched a fantasy sports company at 22. It's now worth $8 billion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth are the founders of Dream Sports, a sports tech firm from India that owns one of the biggest fantasy gaming platforms in the country — Dream11. The childhood friends started the company in 2008, but lost millions of starting capital in less than three years. More than a decade after its launch, Dream Sports says it's now valued at $8 billion with 160 million users. Watch the video above to find out how the duo bounced back from failure to launch India's first sports tech unicorn.

REUTERS/Thomas PeterDec 6 (Reuters) - China's capital Beijing dropped the need for people to show negative COVID tests to enter supermarkets and offices on Tuesday, the latest in an easing of curbs across the country following last month's historic protests. "Beijing readies itself for life again" read a headline in the government-owned China Daily newspaper, adding that people were "gradually embracing" the slow return to normality. That has sparked optimism among investors for a broader reopening of the world's second biggest economy that could boost global growth. This marks the first decline in Nomura's closely-watched China COVID lockdown index since the start of October, nearly two months ago. Reporting by Ryan Woo and Bernard Orr in Beijing; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Simon Cameron-MooreOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ From 'antiwork' to 'act your wage' — more disgruntled workers flocked to Reddit in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The top trending keywords among work-related subreddits in 2022 include, "anitwork," "act your wage" and "quiet quitting," said Reddit. The top trending keywords among work-related subreddits or communities in 2022 include "antiwork," "act your wage" and "quiet quitting," Reddit told CNBC Make It. "Act your wage" — like quiet quitting, it's a call for workers not to go above and beyond for their jobs — saw a 95% year-on-year increase in the same period. Natalie Baumgartner Workplace psychologist"Redditors" submit posts about work attitudes and experiences on work-related communities, asking for or giving general life and career advice. Natalie Baumgartner Workplace psychologistBaumgartner agreed, saying that workers engaging in conversations on Reddit need to be aware that they're "not necessarily going to receive best practices."

☆ CEO of multimillion-dollar company Casetify shares his No. 1 'super underrated' business tip
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Ng now runs his own business, Casetify, with the same philosophy. Headquartered in Hong Kong, the tech accessory brand is most well-known for its wide range of trendy phone cases. Wesley Ng Co-founder and CEO, CasetifyTo date, Casetify said it has sold more than 15 million phone cases worldwide. BootstrappingCasetify was first launched as an e-commerce platform back in 2011 that allows customers to customize phone cases with Instagram photos. There are currently 19 stores globally, where customers can design their own phone cases and "get it within 30 minutes," he added.

☆ Anne Hathaway-backed VC firm Pact just closed the first tranche of its $36 million seed fund. Here's the 11-slide LP deck it used to raise the capital.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A female-founded VC firm has closed the first tranche of its £30 million ($36 million) early-stage fund. Check out the 11-slide LP deck the London-based firm used to raise the fresh funds. While investments will span Europe, Pact will help its portfolio companies scale into regions underserved by traditional investors, Gu told Insider. Gu will support companies looking to enter Asia while Pham and Mobassaleh-Wyndham will focus on EMEA, and specifically Türkiye. It sees this as a pull for potential portfolio companies who can then take advantage of the network's expertise.

☆ Has your workplace caught the 'turnover contagion'? Here are some warnings signs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This phenomenon is called "turnover contagion," the report said, where workers quit their jobs because of their peers. "[This] can provide the ideal breeding ground for turnover contagion as the interviewing process and learning more about potential other employers is made easier for employees." Smaller teams at higher riskAccording to Visier, smaller teams are most at risk of turnover contagion. That is due to "strong interdependencies" and personal relationships between co-workers in smaller teams, said Derler. Turnover contagion can last as long as 135 days, the report added, from the moment an employee voluntarily resigns.

☆ Analysis: China has limited power, and perhaps little desire, to curb North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Martin Quin Pollard | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China does not want to see a nuclear-armed North Korea, nor does it want to see U.S. nuclear weapons in the region, but the prospect of an expanding U.S. military footprint raises other priorities for China, said Jenny Town of 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea project. "They see the United States, South Korea and Japan forming as a security bloc, creating a need for a counter bloc, which would include North Korea," she said, referring to China. "Americans have perennially overestimated China's influence over North Korea," said John Delury, professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. "Sanction North Korea, which cut itself off from the world for three years because of COVID and continued testing missiles? The whole point is China doesn’t control North Korea."

☆ Laid off from your tech job? Here's what you need to do to boost your chance of getting hired
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Pooja Chhabria Career expert, LinkedInThis makes for a tight labor market that is "flooded with unemployed professionals and qualified candidates," she added. Time is of the essenceThe good news is that there are still tech opportunities available in "countless industries," said Salemi. Vicki Salemi Career expert, Monster.comWhile there are jobs available, experts told CNBC Make It that time is of the essence. Other than highlighting tech skills in your resume, soft skills like time management and customer service are crucial too. Be sure to engage and check in on your professional community on a regular basis to pave the way for mentorship opportunities, career advice and potential job opportunities.

☆ Analysis: COP27 loss and damage fund heralds 'new dawn for climate justice'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Yeb Saño, head of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said the fund's approval "marks a new dawn for climate justice." While the loss and damage fund would not be enough to deal with growing climate losses, "it is a much-needed political signal to rebuild broken trust" between rich and poor nations, he said in a video statement. Their opposition was rooted in fears of being held financially liable for the impacts of their historically high greenhouse gas emissions. FOSSIL FUELS MISSINGPolitical figures had urged countries at COP27 to set aside geopolitical fights in order to keep climate action on track. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, global climate and energy lead for environmental group WWF, who presided over COP20 in Peru, said leaders had missed the chance in Egypt to speed up the rapid and deep emissions cuts essential to limit climate damage.

☆ IMF chief says war in Ukraine is the ‘single most important negative factor’ for global economy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowThe war in Ukraine is the "single most important negative factor" for the world economy this year — and most likely for 2023 as well, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva told CNBC Wednesday. "We judge the war in Ukraine to be the single most important negative factor for the world economy this year, most likely also next year," she told CNBC's Martin Soong on the sidelines of the Group of 20 meeting in Bali, Indonesia. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva attends a session during the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 16, 2022. Russia bears ultimate responsibility as it continues its illegal war against Ukraine," Jens Stoltenberg said. 'High price to pay' for fragmentationThe IMF previously issued warnings on the fragmentation of the global economy as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, and cut 2023 growth forecasts to 2.7% — predicting a slowdown from an expected 3.2% in 2022.

☆ 8 retails stocks to buy from top analysts as Target signals tough times for the sector
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Target on Wednesday reported that its profit fell by 50% as it tried to clear out excess inventory in the third quarter. To find a list of top-ranked retail stocks, CNBC Pro searched Tipranks for names in the sector rated at least a "strong buy" and with a more than 20% upside to the consensus price target. Callaway Golf has the largest upside to its consensus price target, with analysts saying it could surge more than 79% from where it currently trades. Jefferies boosted its price target on the name after its third-quarter earnings beat expectations and it raised its guidance for the fourth quarter. The company is strongly backed by Wall Street and has a more than 43% upside to its consensus price target as it's been beaten up this year.

☆ Estee Lauder to buy fashion label Tom Ford in $2.8 billion deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 15 (Reuters) - Estee Lauder Cos Inc (EL.N) said on Tuesday it agreed to buy U.S. fashion label Tom Ford for $2.8 billion, its biggest deal yet, adding a line of beauty products and apparel to the Clinique brand owner's portfolio. While Estee Lauder already sells Tom Ford beauty products and fragrances, the deal has raised some eyebrows on Wall Street. (https://reut.rs/3tqhWrK)As of Tuesday's close, Estee's stock fell 17% since the deal talks with Tom Ford were reported by the media in August. Tom Ford had entered into exclusive negotiations with Estee Lauder last week, beating competing bids from companies including Gucci owner Kering SA (PRTP.PA), the Financial Times reported on Friday. Chief Executive Officer Tom Ford will continue to serve as the brand's creative visionary.

☆ 40 states settle Google location-tracking charges for $392M
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Location tracking can help tech companies sell digital ads to marketers looking to connect with consumers within their vicinity. Even a small amount of location data can reveal a person’s identity and routines, they said. Google uses the location information to target consumers with ads by its customers, the state officials said. The attorneys general said Google misled users about its location tracking practices since at least 2014, violating state consumer protection laws. As part of the settlement, Google also agreed to make those practices more transparent to users.

☆ 'No longer science fiction'? Metaverse could pump $1.4 trillion a year into Asia's GDP, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The impact of the metaverse to GDP in Asia could be between $0.8 and 1.4 trillion per year by 2035, said a new Deloitte report. The impact of the metaverse to GDP in Asia could be between $0.8 and 1.4 trillion per year by 2035, said a new Deloitte report. watch nowDeloitte's new report, titled "The Metaverse in Asia: Strategies for Accelerating Economic Impact," examined the potential influence of the metaverse on 12 Asian economies. Developing the technology stacks, human capital and regulatory frameworks to realize Asia's trillion-dollar metaverse potential will benefit a wide range of industries and economic activities," said Kulasooriya. ObstaclesThough Deloitte's report suggests China could the biggest beneficiary in terms of GDP, the country still faces heavy regulatory challenges in developing the metaverse.

☆ George Conway says he doesn't think Ron DeSantis will run for president because there's no 'upside' to wading into a 'mud fest to end all mud fests'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

George Conway doesn't think Ron DeSantis will run for president. Conway said he did not see any upside for DeSantis to wade into a "mud fest" with Trump. Ron DeSantis will run for president against Donald Trump in 2024. "He's rational, unlike Trump," Conway said. Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway said in September that the former president is eager to announce his 2024 run soon.

☆ From Great Resignation to great uncertainty, the big quit may be losing steam
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The Great Resignation has dominated the workplace for nearly two years — but employers may soon be able to heave a sigh of relief. The labor market is now "emerging from" the Great Resignation, LinkedIn's CEO Ryan Roslansky told CNBC Make It. The phenomenon — also known as the "Great Reshuffle" — refers to the mass exodus of workers during the pandemic. According to Roslansky, the year-on-year share of global LinkedIn members changing jobs has dropped from a high of 44% in September last year to -2% this year. In November alone, more than 20,000 U.S. tech workers were laid off, as internet giants Twitter, Meta and Salesforce downsized their workforce in the past week.

☆ People with disabilities rate the top 10 cities that are easiest for them to travel around
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Goh Chiew Tong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Valuable 500, a business coalition, released its list of the top 10 most accessible cities in the world. Over 95% of pedestrian walkways, taxi stands and bus shelters in Singapore are also accessible to wheelchair users, seniors or other individuals with disabilities. United StatesLas Vegas The "sheer number" of accessible hotel rooms in Las Vegas makes the city a stand-out choice for travel. Orlando Orlando is well known for being home to iconic theme parks such as Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios Florida. Amsterdam is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world, with an extensive network of bike lanes.

☆ Bao Tong, Former Reformist Official and Critic of China’s Leader Xi, Dies at 90
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Chun Han Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bao Tong had remained a prominent figure within liberal party circles in the decades since his political fall from grace. A photo of the former Communist Party official from 2014. Bao Tong , a senior Communist Party official who became one of China’s most outspoken dissidents after his purge during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and later emerged as a vocal critic of Chinese leader Xi Jinping ’s autocratic rule, died Wednesday. Mr. Bao, who had been living in Beijing, died peacefully at around 7 a.m., according to a post published on his son Bao Pu’s Twitter account. The younger Mr. Bao couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

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