Kopi With YP: Your Minimalist Morning Brief, 28 Mar

Get up to speed and stay smart with the latest business, tech, and local news in under 2 minutes

Business

Dow Chemical and DuPont finally won the blessing of the European Union for their $130 billion merger.

China overtakes Singapore as top property investor in Malaysia, investing a total of 42.6 billion over two years.

The US equity indexes fell to a six-week low after Trump’s setback to overhaul the whole healthcare system.
 

World

The world’s biggest meat producer ordered three more food processing facilities to be suspended amid investigation into alleged corruption of investors.

China can now deploy warplanes on the artificial South China Sea islands at any time with the completion of their military infrastructure.

Britain’s new pound coins entered circulation, just as Brexit launches.
 

Local

Improved safety for cyclists. The first and last on-road bicycle lane will open at Changi East, for those frequenting the Changi Coast route.  

Going the extra mile? Standard Chartered Bank is set to roll out a 20 week paid maternity and adoption leave, 4 extra weeks from the MOM requirement.

This startup is disrupting the local forex scene by helping online shoppers avoid hidden fees when making cross-border purchases.
 

Tech

Samsung will sell some of its recalled Note 7 smartphones, so as to clear their stockpile in an “environmentally-friendly” manner.

Microsoft will bring its virtual assistant, Cortana, to the lock screen of Android devices.