SINGAPORE has moved up the rankings for the world's top country brand, jumping from 24th place to 13th in this year's Country Brand Index (CBI).

THE year is coming to a close with the biggest tumble in pay rises in a decade, with wage increases in Singapore tipped to average just 1.8 per cent for 2009, down from 5.3 per cent last year.

SOFTER demand plus lower wholesale prices resulted in a significant drop in the value of electricity traded here in the first three quarters of the year, says the Energy Market Company (EMC).