BANGKOK (AFP) – Thailand’s junta defended its US$7 billion (S$9.49 billion) defence budget and annual draft on Monday (Feb 18) after political opponents proposed slashing military spending by 10 per cent and ending conscription after elections. The country spends among the most on defence in South-east Asia and recent big purchases – including submarines and […]
SINGAPORE – Three land parcels that employed a new tendering process have been awarded for general agriculture in Sungei Tengah. The tender method considered both the concept proposed for the site and the bid price. Applicants were first assessed on their production capability, production track record, relevant qualifications and innovation and sustainability. Those who passed were […]
SINGAPORE – Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Monday (Feb 18) delivered a generous Budget that will help Singaporeans with healthcare costs and other expenses, and provide support for businesses and workers to thrive in a changing global environment. He unveiled a $6.1 billion fund that will subsidise healthcare for Singaporeans born in the 1950s, […]
SINGAPORE – More progress will be made to cement Singapore’s position as a regional node of technology, innovation and enterprise, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Monday (Feb 18). And to cement Singapore’s position as “Asia 101” for global MNCs looking to expand into Asia’s growing markets, and as “Global 101” for Asian companies […]
SINGAPORE – The cost of huge infrastructure projects like Changi East and the Cross Island Line will be partly funded through borrowing. The same strategy will also apply to other infrastructure investments such as projects to tackle climate change. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat noted: “For these large and lumpy expenditures where the benefits span […]
(Reuters) – Japan’s SoftBank Group has provided nearly half the cash for the new $400 million fund by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned Mubadala Investment Co that aims to back European start-ups, the Financial Times reported on Monday. Mubadala, which is a big investor in SoftBank’s Vision Fund, will use the fund to invest between $5 million […]
SINGAPORE – A woman who was trapped under a car in an accident in Punggol earlier this month has lost her left foot and undergone multiple surgical operations to save her remaining foot. Madam Alice Hee, who is in her 50s, was on her way to service at the Church of the Transfiguration with her […]
TOKYO (BLOMMBERG) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declined to say whether he nominated Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize, after the US president credited the Japanese leader with doing so. Abe, who has worked hard to build a personal rapport with Trump, walked a fine line during a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday (Feb […]
TOKYO (Reuters) – Overseas orders for Japanese machinery posted their biggest decline in more than a decade in December and manufacturers expect orders to fall further this quarter as trade friction weigh on global demand. Data released on Monday showed core machinery orders, considered a leading indicator of capital expenditure, fell 0.1 percent month-on-month in […]
Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Monday, Feb 18 More primary schools keep out sugary drinks At least three have done away with drink stalls altogether as the war on sugar hots ups. READ MORE HERE HIV data leak: Brochez illegally disclosed list of 13 HIV-positive individuals’ details, says prisons […]