Tuesday, 19 Nov 2024

Asia

Asia News – Get latest breaking news & top stories today in Asia, South-East Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Australia/New Zealand at…

Work-from-home expectations to drive S'pore's furniture industry

SINGAPORE – With work from home expected to remain relevant even in post-Covid-19 times, the furniture industry will have to focus on developing products that are suitable for it. This could be as simple as incorporating power outlets into furniture, to making smart furniture that can help to maintain and even improve one’s posture. The focus […]

2 more Omicron cases transited through Singapore to Australia and Malaysia: MOH

SINGAPORE – Two more people infected with the Covid-19 variant Omicron travelled through Singapore to Malaysia and Australia, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). MOH, in a statement on Friday (Dec 3), said the first case was a traveller who departed from Johannesburg in South Africa on Nov 27 on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ481, and arrived at […]

Family physicians display commitment and professionalism throughout Covid-19 pandemic: PM Lee

SINGAPORE – Primary care providers, such as family physicians, have displayed commitment and professionalism at every step of the way during the Covid-19 pandemic despite their demanding tasks, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Friday (Dec 3). He was speaking at the College of Family Physicians’ (CFPS) 50th anniversary celebration, which was held virtually […]

Free pneumonia vaccines for seniors in Marsiling under its new health programme

SINGAPORE – Seniors account for most of the deaths from pneumonia, but only about 14 per cent of them are vaccinated against the illness. Improving the vaccination rates for pneumonia is a key part of the focus of a new health programme between Marsiling and the RSVP Singapore The Organisation of Senior Volunteers launched on […]

Indian doctors strike as Omicron sparks fears of third wave of Covid-19

NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – India reported 9,216 new Covid-19 infections on Friday (Dec 3) after announcing its first two Omicron cases the previous day, as groups of resident doctors stayed away from non-critical work to demand new post-graduate students be enrolled to boost staffing. The country, whose hospitals bore the brunt of a record second […]

Indonesia increases mandatory quarantine period for all international arrivals

JAKARTA (JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Indonesia has increased the mandatory quarantine period for all international arrivals from seven days to 10 days, effective on Friday (Dec 3), as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the globe. The government earlier this week banned foreigners who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, […]

Land VTL: More going to Malaysia than coming to Singapore, says Johor official

JOHOR BARU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – There are more travellers coming into Malaysia under the land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL-Land) scheme than there are those going into Singapore. The number of travellers crossing the Causeway between Malaysia and Singapore has also shown a steady increase since the start of the VTL-Land on Monday (Nov […]

Sale of standard rail tickets to end by March 2022

SINGAPORE – Sale of standard tickets – limited use paper tickets – at MRT stations will be progressively phased out between January and March 2022. This comes as most commuters are already using stored value cards or account-based ticketing such as contactless bank cards. Standard tickets were introduced to allow commuters to pay for their […]

Australia records first Omicron community case, authorities hold nerve for now

SYDNEY (REUTERS) – Australia on Friday (Dec 3) reported its first community transmission of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, but the authorities held steady on a plan to reopen the economy amid hopes it would prove to be milder than previous strains.  The new case, a school student from Sydney, was the first confirmed Omicron […]