SINGAPORE – The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) will be organising a series of seminars to forge stronger ties with Muslim minority communities around the world, announced Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli. Speaking on Friday (May 21) during his annual Hari Raya get-together, held virtually, Mr Masagos said these seminars will lead up […]
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia on Friday (May 21) announced that it will tighten the enforcement of the ongoing movement curbs, including adding restrictions to parts of the economic and social sectors. The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that details on the additional restrictions will be announced by Senior Minister (Defence Cluster) Ismail Sabri […]
SYDNEY, Australia — An Australian writer and businessman is scheduled to face trial in Beijing next week on a charge of espionage, bringing to the fore one of the disputes that have sent relations between China and Australia tumbling into icy antagonism. The trial of the businessman, Yang Hengjun, is set to take place on […]
Japan on Friday approved the Moderna and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines for use in adults, giving the country much-needed new options as it tries to speed up an inoculation campaign that has been one of the slowest in the developed world. Previously, only the Pfizer vaccine had been authorized for use in Japan, where just 4.1 […]
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia on Friday (May 21) pressed over-50s to get their coronavirus shots, as fears mounted that vaccine hesitancy could be priming the country for disaster. Australia is one of the few countries in the world to eliminate community transmission of Covid-19, but vaccine roll-out has been slow. After chronic delivery delays, there […]
SINGAPORE – The Republic is ready to continue working with the Arctic States on sustainable development and environmental issues like marine litter and green shipping, said Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann at the 12th Arctic Council’s ministerial meeting on Thursday (May 20). In remarks issued by the Ministry […]
TAIPEI (REUTERS) – Taiwan’s health minister said on Friday (May 21) he had spoken to his US counterpart to get help obtaining Covid-19 vaccines, and he had replied that he would take the matter to President Joe Biden, amid a spike in infections on the island. Having for months been held up as an example on how to […]
SINGAPORE – Former radio DJ Daniel Ong Ming Yu, 45, was fined $65,000 on Friday (May 21) for failing to prevent Twelve Cupcakes from underpaying its foreign workers. Ong had co-founded the confectionery chain in 2011 with then-wife artiste, Jaime Teo Chai-lin, 43. He pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower […]
SINGAPORE – More inmates, prisons staff and vendors from areas not affected by a recent cluster of Covid-19 at the Changi Prison Complex will be undergoing tests as a precaution, said the Singapore Prisons Service (SPS) on Friday (May 21). They are from Changi Prison Complex’s Cluster B, as well as those from Selarang Park […]
SINGAPORE – The history of a prominent Eurasian Singaporean family, the Hochstadts, is now on sale at bookstores here – for a good cause. Proceeds from the sale of The Clan… At Large will go to the Hochstadt Bursary Endowment Fund, which benefits needy students enrolled in any course of study at the National University […]