Daily Briefing: Singapore back as IPO king; SIA allows passengers to bid for seat

And Singapore leads the way for the digital economy.

Singapore’s stock exchange has regained pole position for initial public offerings in Southeast Asia. The bourse was lifted by the debuts of Frasers Logistics & Industrials Trust and Manulife US Real Estate Investment Trust, which accounted for 96 percent of the $1.2 billion raised in the first half of the year, and a drop in activity in Thailand. Read more here.

Singapore Airlines Ltd. has introduced a system that would allow a few select passengers to bid online for a seat upgrade a few days before their departure. The city-state’s flag carrier, at its discretion, will invite fliers who have booked economy class seven days in advance to bid for its premium economy class, which offers relatively more comfortable seats, according to the company’s website. Find out more here.

Singapore is the country seen as benefiting the most from the investments it has made into technological innovations, according to a report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Wednesday. The country topped the WEF's "networked readiness" index for the second year in a row. The index analyses how prepared countries are to benefit from emerging technologies and opportunities created by digital innovation, which the WEF calls the fourth industrial revolution. Read more here.