SINGAPORE – The ongoing warm and humid weather is set to continue over the next fortnight, with rainfall expected to be below average over the majority of the island, said the weatherman on Tuesday (June 1). In an advisory, the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) said the start of the south-west monsoon season typically extends into […]
SINGAPORE – A ward at Alexandra Hospital (AH) has reopened following 14 days of “lockdown” after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (June 1), the hospital said no new cases have emerged for more than 14 days. On May 18, a 24-year-old basic care assistant who had […]
After China said it would allow couples to have three children, the state news media trumpeted the move as a major change that would help stimulate growth. But across much of the country, the announcement was met with indignation. Women worried that the move would only exacerbate discrimination from employers reluctant to pay maternity leave. […]
TOKYO – Ultraman meets Merlion in a new virtual campaign by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in Japan to keep the Republic at the top of consumers’ minds as the two countries mark 55 years of diplomatic relations. The beloved Japanese superhero iconis also celebrating its 55th anniversary this year. STB Japan public relations manager […]
BEIJING (AFP) – China reported the world’s first human infection of the H10N3 bird flu strain on Tuesday (June 1) but said the risk of it spreading widely among people was low. A 41-year-old man was admitted to hospital with fever symptoms in the eastern city of Zhenjiang on April 28 and was diagnosed with […]
SINGAPORE – A doctor has been suspended for five months for trying to sell an erectile dysfunction drug to a man who was not his patient. Although the man did not end up buying the drug, which is regulated, the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) felt that Dr Ho Tze Woon’s two attempts at providing it […]
WELLINGTON (AFP) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern toured flood-hit areas of the country’s South Island on Tuesday (June 1), expressing shock at the destruction left when three months’ worth of rain fell in three days. Swollen rivers swept away bridges and landslides blocked highways in the deluge, which finally began to ease on […]
TAIPEI (REUTERS) – Foxconn and its billionaire founder Terry Gou sought permission from Taiwan’s government on Tuesday (June 1) to buy Covid-19 vaccines from Germany’s BioNTech as the island grapples with a rise in infections. The proposed purchase of five million doses, which would be distributed among the general population, comes after the government ceded to […]
HANOI (REUTERS) – Vietnam is seeking to buy Covid-19 vaccine production technology and wants to build a plant to supply the Covax programme, its health ministry said on Tuesday (June 1), as the country tries to step up vaccinations to stem a new outbreak of infections. India and South Africa are among developing countries that […]
BONGHWA, SOUTH KOREA (AFP) – Hidden in a South Korean mountain tunnel designed to withstand a nuclear blast, the seeds of nearly 5,000 wild plant species are stored for safekeeping against climate change, natural disaster and war. Plant extinction is progressing at an alarming rate, researchers warn, driven by increasing human population, pollution and deforestation, […]