Singapore's key exports shrank 0.1% in May, compared to a contraction of more than 9% the month before. But, the recovery journey is facing some major roadblocks, ranging from congestion at its ports, to an ongoing trade spat between the world's two largest economies. NODX is already down some 3.4% in the first quarter, so it seems there may be a long way to go for it to reach the forecast of growth between 4% and 6%. Nasyrah Rohim reports.

Singapore has been ranked the world's most competitive economy this year, according to a survey by academic institute IMD. Switzerland is second in place, with Denmark in third. Over 6,000 business leaders rated Singapore out of 67 economies. They cited three top factors: Business efficiency in the form of a strong labour market, good attitudes and values locally, and technological infrastructure. Professor Arturo Bris, who leads the World Competitiveness Ranking at IMD, shared why this ranking matters to Singapore.

Cleaning companies can access a new round of funding under the National Environment Agency's Productivity Solutions Grant. It helps companies adopt tried-and-tested technology to improve their operations. It's part of larger efforts to drive tech adoption in the environmental services sector. The announcement came at the preview of the sixth CleanEnviro Summit (CESG) in Singapore, where some new tech made their first appearances. Rachel Teng reports.

Transport minister Chee Hong Tat said it will take time to complete full investigations into the oil spill involving two ships, which occurred on Friday. He said preliminary findings show that the incident was not due to port congestion, but was instead caused by the sudden loss of engine and steering controls on one of the ships. Authorities have been working to clean up the oil spill, but they said the oil is currently drifting at six kilometres an hour, which makes keeping track of it a problem. Nicolas Ng reports.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang has concluded his final day in Australia, after four days of discussions on lingering trade barriers, security concerns, as well as ways to strengthen business and bilateral relations. Mr Li visited a lithium processing plant in Western Australia. The state supplies more than half of the world's lithium, and China is one of its top customers. Lithium is a key ingredient in China's electric vehicle industry, but Australia shares concerns about China's global dominance in critical minerals. Olivia Siong reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to bolster security ties with North Korea, ahead of his first visit to the country in 24 years. South Korea, Japan and Western nations have expressed increasing concerns over Moscow drawing closer to Pyongyang. In a letter published by North Korean state media, Mr Putin said he appreciates Pyongyang's support for the Kremlin's military operations in Ukraine. He vowed to support the North's efforts in defending its interests against "pressure, blackmail and military threats" from the US. Dasha Chernyshova reports.

Meet Rifda Irfanaluthfi, Indonesia's first gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. The 24-year-old is training hard for Paris, where she will compete in artistic gymnastics. She hopes her qualification would raise the profile of gymnastics in Indonesia, where the sport is often overlooked.

Authorities are advising the public not to touch or feed wild birds as a precaution against avian flu, or H5N1. No cases have been reported so far but they say there is a need to stay vigilant. Also called bird flu, the virus has infected humans in Australia and the United States. CNA’s Sherlyn Seah checks out what steps are being taken to prevent the virus from affecting Singapore. Read more: https://cna.asia/3Vw6UPv Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Meet Rifda Irfanaluthfi, Indonesia's first gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. The 24-year-old is training hard for Paris, where she will compete in artistic gymnastics. She hopes her qualification would raise the profile of gymnastics in Indonesia, where the sport is often overlooked. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Award-winning Singaporean jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro talks about his lowlights, highlights and how he continuously learns and grows. Read the interview: https://cna.asia/3XoGkKF

Seen videos of US President Joe Biden looking disoriented or "freezing"? The White House calls them "cheapfake" videos that are deceptively edited to mislead viewers.

Singapore goalkeeper Hassan Sunny was welcomed by newfound fans in Shanghai on Monday (Jun 17). Fans showed up to show their appreciation for his man-of-the-match display against Thailand in the World Cup qualifier last week, which indirectly helped China advance to the next round.

Sea sports companies hoping to cash in on the long weekend have lost three days of revenue due to Friday (Jun 14)’s oil spill along Singapore’s southern shores. Beaches at East Coast Park and Sentosa remain out of bounds, but this does not mean the coast is clear for companies farther away. CNA’s Nicolas Ng reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Friday (Jun 14)'s oil spill along Singapore's southern shores have had little to no impact on the country's water and local fish supply so far, say authorities. Professor Shane Snyder, former executive director of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, tells CNA’s Singapore Tonight that there are multiple reasons the country is more protected against such incidents. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

About 400 metric tonnes of oil was spilled following a shipping crash on Friday (Jun 14), when a dredger struck a bunker vessel and ruptured an oil tank at Pasir Panjang Terminal. CNA looks at how this measures up to other spills, including Singapore’s worst incident in 1997. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

In the wake of a shipping crash on Friday (Jun 14), Singapore is deploying more oil absorbent booms to contain the oil spill along its southern shores. These include Siloso and Tanjong beaches at Sentosa to prevent oil from entering lagoons or going back to sea. More booms will also be set up at Labrador Nature Reserve to clean accumulated oil at catchment areas, as well as the Southern Islands. These are among more than 3,000 booms being deployed in the clean-up effort. CNA’s Alxis Thng reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

The European Commission said on Jun 12 that it will impose extra duties of up to 38.1 per cent on imported Chinese electric cars from July. The tit-for-tat trade spat means Chinese EV makers, prompted by higher levies, could turn their attention to India. While there are benefits from increased investment, analysts say New Delhi will be wary about giving too much market access to its rival. CNA's Rebecca Bundhun reports on this delicate balancing act.

There are concerns that the European Commission’s move to slap additional tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles could complicate the EU’s ambitious plans of reaching net zero carbon emissions come 2050. The duties of up to 38 per cent are in response to the European Union's accusations that Beijing is engaging in unfair trade practices. China has rejected the allegations, and has threatened to retaliate. CNA's William Denselow reports from Brussels.

Eating out in Singapore can come with a 10 per cent service charge. As restaurants adopt more self-service technology such as QR code ordering, diners may see less interaction with staff. This will not necessarily translate into less service charge, says NUS Business School professor Sumit Agarwal in this video commentary. 0:00 Introduction 0:48 Is it fair to levy a service charge when the customer is doing the "work"? 1:22 Should there be a minimum standard if restaurants charge for service? 2:04 What to expect as the trend of self-service F&B continues? More video commentaries: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnMTcZEga8TQ_9x-namlpsvTHmnQIkeR&si=RYHmGnkExVXXA6go Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

A tug of war between conservationists, the timber industry and the New South Wales government is threatening the survival of one of Australia’s most iconic creatures - the koala. The state government has pledged to open a national park for koalas covering thousands of hectares. But a report by the Australia Institute claims it's deliberately going slow on the opening of the park, or ending logging and land clearing, until it first secures another way to make money from the trees. CNA's Roger Maynard reports from Bellingen on Australia’s mid-north coast.