How do you save up for your dream home when the average condo costs around 25 times median household income? Manila resident Mark Lorenzo Permalino strategises ways to climb the housing ladder, as he bides his time in his 22 square metre studio loft in Makati.
The world’s biggest city also has some of its smallest homes. How small? We meet Kazuki Hirata, who lives in a micro apartment in Tokyo. It’s just 9 square metres, which is smaller than a car parking lot.
With the ban on TikTok in the US imminent, are Chinese-linked e-commerce platforms next? The Biden administration is cracking down on de minimis shipments, closing a loophole that allows packages under $800 to avoid import duties and border scrutiny. Observers say this targets Chinese-linked companies, in particular Temu and Shein.
But this is just one of the measures that could curb Chinese shopping apps. The US government is also investigating allegations of data collection and forced labour. Meanwhile, environmentalists say that Chinese shopping apps are responsible for waste and emissions. China, however, argues that these are just further moves by Washington to enact unfair trade protections, aimed at limiting the growth of Chinese companies. Is the US-China trade war gunning for online shopping apps?
30 years ago, China and Singapore shook hands on an industrial park that would become a game-changer. Suzhou Industrial Park is a technology powerhouse with a magnetic pull for young talent, so much so that it has been ranked the top economic and technology zone in China for eight consecutive years.
CNA Correspondent takes a deep dive into the zone’s sizzling innovation scene, the standard of living there that keeps workers happy and the surprising ways this park is boosting the economies of both China and Singapore.
So what’s the deal with Hainanese chicken chop? The Deep Dive team is pretty sure that they do not exist on Hainan Island. Even though Vic and Thet are still stuck on Christmas Island, their investigation must go on. The duo enlists the help of their awkward intern and trusty editor.
As the Singapore team go on a Hainanese chicken chop spree, they discover the origins of Hainanese chicken chop in Singapore through chats with chefs and a Hainanese history buff. But more importantly, the Singapore team presses on to answer Vic’s burning question: Why the heck are baked beans a side dish in Hainanese chicken chop?
Curious about the rapid expansion of a particular fried rice chain, Thet and Vic decide to investigate the challenges of franchising a business. They speak to a franchise trainer, who shares the challenges of setting up a franchise in Singapore. This leads Thet and Vic to wonder - Is the standard across the multiple fried rice outlets consistent? Are online reviews a good representation of the taste, quality and service of a store?
To put their theory to the test, they get a food taster to try out 31 plates of fried rice within a week.
Intrigued by the low prices at budget stores like Valu$, Thet and Vic investigate if there is any difference in taste and quality between budget store food products and their supermarket counterparts.
Food samples are sent to a lab and a ‘legitimate’ test taste is done by the Deep Dive team. To figure out how the budget prices came to be, the investigative duo speak to Radha Export, the company behind the import of some of these budget products.
