Human Times

APAC Edition

8th April 2026

THE HOT STORY

Hiring surges despite slower growth among small businesses in Singapore

Small businesses in Singapore are pressing ahead with hiring plans despite softer growth and ongoing economic uncertainty, according to the latest annual Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey by global professional accounting body CPA Australia. The survey found that 44% of Singapore's small businesses reported growth in 2025, below the survey average of 63% and down from 51% in 2024. Against the backdrop of weaker growth, the findings point to underlying resilience and medium-to-long-term confidence. Last year, 54% of small businesses increased employee numbers, the highest among the 11 markets surveyed and well above the survey average of 36%. While growth expectations remain relatively subdued with only 53% expecting to grow in the next 12 months, hiring intentions remain strong, with 63% anticipating an increase in 2026.

Straits Times

WORKFORCE

Bins go uncollected as Melbourne council workers walk off the job

Workers from several Melbourne councils launched a 24-hour strike this week in a dispute over pay, leaving thousands of bins uncollected. The Australian Services Union (ASU) led the action, demanding a 10% pay rise in the first year, followed by 4% increases thereafter. Tash Wark, ASU Victoria and Tasmania branch secretary, described the strike as “the biggest strike local government has ever seen.” She said workers had lost 7% to 12% of their wages in real terms since 2021. "The councils involved in this have fought tooth and nail to try and stop our members from bargaining together across the group of councils," she told ABC Radio Melbourne. "So really what we're doing now is playing a lot of catch up."

Yahoo News Australia

ABC Online

STRATEGY

Sony Pictures Entertainment to cut hundreds of film and TV jobs

Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced a shift in business strategy, precipitating job cuts across its film, TV and corporate divisions. “As we lean into those priorities, we need to operate with greater focus, speed, and alignment to strengthen our differentiated capabilities,” Chief Executive Officer Ravi Ahuja wrote in a note to staff. “To support our growth, we are aligning our organization with where the business is going - not where it has been. That requires changes to how we are structured and where we invest.” The company - part of Japanese conglomerate Sony Group - declined to specify how many would lose their jobs.

Bloomberg

Japan Times

Los Angeles Times

BioNTech to close Singapore manufacturing plant

BioNTech will close its vaccine and therapeutic drug manufacturing plant in Singapore by February 2027, following a comprehensive review. The company cited the need to align capacity with its clinical portfolio and long-term strategy. Currently, 85 employees work at the site, and BioNTech said it is committed to supporting them during this transition. The closure follows MSD's announcement of a similar move in March. Despite the challenges, Singapore's biomedical sector remains robust, contributing 1.9% to the country's GDP in 2024, according to the Economic Development Board.

Straits Times

LEGAL

Norway's Telenor faces lawsuit over data protection in Myanmar

Norwegian telecommunications company Telenor faces a lawsuit in Norway over sharing data with authorities in Myanmar from local customers who were suspected of opposing the 2021 coup. Justice and Accountability Initiative, a Swedish nonprofit organization, said it filed a civil class action suit against the firm before Asker and Baerum District Court. “Based on what we have heard through the media, there is nothing in this potential lawsuit that has not already been addressed, and in our view it is unlikely that such a claim will succeed,” a Telenor spokesperson said.

Bloomberg

CYBERSECURITY

Hackers steal $280m from decentralised finance crypto exchange Drift

Hackers have stolen $280m from Drift, the largest so-called perpetual futures exchange on the Solana blockchain. Blockchain analytics firm Elliptic said the heist shows multiple hallmarks of North Korean state-sponsored DPRK hackers. “It is a continuation of the DPRK’s sustained campaign of large-scale cryptoasset theft, which the U.S. government has linked to the funding of its weapons programs. DPRK-linked actors are believed to be responsible for billions of dollars in cryptoasset theft in recent years,” Elliptic said.

CoinDesk

Financial Times

ECONOMY

Cyclone Narelle to spike food prices

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has devastated Western Australia's food bowl, leading to anticipated increases in food prices. The cyclone struck in late March, severely affecting the Carnarvon region, which supplies 60% of the state's fresh produce in winter. Phil Frzop, President of the Carnarvon Growers Association, said: "It's a A$110m industry, and a lot of that's gone probably until the middle of the year." Experts predict that major supermarkets will source produce from further afield, increasing costs due to longer supply chains and rising diesel prices, and impacting consumers significantly.

West Australian

Sydney Morning Herald

INTERNATIONAL

New UK agency to tackle abuse of labour market rules

The UK's Fair Work Agency (FWA), which launched this week, brings together several existing labour enforcement bodies and its responsibilities will include policing the minimum wage, holiday pay and modern slavery. The agency's incoming chair, Matthew Taylor, recently listed the five priorities the Department of Business and Trade had laid out for the FWA in its first year - including “thought leadership” and “reducing regulatory burdens.” The Guardian reports that trade unions say that, rather than reducing regulation, a more robust approach and greater funding for inspections is needed. The FWA is a cornerstone of Labour’s Employment Rights Act - sweeping reforms of workers’ rights that are set to take effect over the next two years.

Financial Times

The Guardian

The Times

Tips to city hotline uncover employees sleeping on shift

Ottawa Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon's latest report on the city's fraud and waste hotline identifies 57 substantiated cases of employee misconduct last year. Reported issues included sleeping on the job, taking city vehicles for personal use, and excessive overtime. One employee improperly included a relative in a hiring pool, violating city policy. Five employees were terminated, while others faced suspensions or letters of reprimand. City manager Wendy Stephanson said the cases represent a small sliver of the workforce. "It's not widespread. I want to be clear about that," she said. "These are very few and far between. I think what this tells us is that fraud and waste reporting works."

CBC

Coca-Cola to invest $1bn in South Africa to expand capacity and distribution

Coca-Cola has announced plans to invest 17.6bn rand ($1bn) in South Africa through 2030 to expand production capacity, distribution and innovation, reinforcing the country’s role as a key hub for its African operations. The investment, alongside local bottling partners, builds on a long-standing presence in the market and follows recent restructuring of its African bottling network, including a $2.6bn deal to combine bottling operations. South Africa remains central to Coca-Cola’s regional strategy, with the business supporting tens of thousands of jobs, as the company deepens its commitment amid broader efforts to attract investment into the country.

Bloomberg

Working through conflict: staff across Middle East adapt to war

The Financial Times reports on how workers across the Middle East are adapting to a war which has shattered daily routines for millions throughout the region.

Financial Times

OTHER

2026 World Cup risks becoming ‘stage for repression’

Amnesty International has raised concerns that the upcoming World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico may become a "stage for repression." In its report, called "Humanity Must Win", the organisation urged FIFA and the host nations to take immediate action to safeguard the rights of fans and players. Amnesty highlighted the US's "human rights emergency" under the Trump administration, citing issues including mass deportations and aggressive ICE operations. Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of economic and social justice, said: "While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price . . . It is these people - not governments, sponsors or FIFA - to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament."

France 24

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