TAIPEI (REUTERS) – Taiwanese cities are tightening restrictions on access to public venues like gyms and libraries after a rare rise in domestic Covid-19 infections that has spooked the stock market and unnerved the island. Early and effective prevention steps, including largely closing its borders, succeeded in shielding Taiwan from the worst of the pandemic. […]
PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The Malaysian government’s decision to prohibit visits during Hari Raya Aidilfitri is not a cruel one, but a crucial move to prevent the spread of Covid-19, said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday (May 12). He said in a televised Hari Raya address thatthe Covid-19 situation in the country […]
SINGAPORE – The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) and death penalty were among the key issues raised during the review of Singapore’s human rights record on Wednesday (May 12). At the 38th session of the Universal Periodic Review Working Group Meeting in Geneva, 141 United Nations members signed up for Singapore’s packed […]
SINGAPORE – Muslims coping with the second Hari Raya Aidilfitri marred by Covid-19 restrictions have been praised for their resilience. Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli told the community on Wednesday (May 12): “Following the fresh outbreak of cases locally, tighter measures have been reintroduced. I understand that many of you are disappointed. “However, I […]
SINGAPORE – An independent newsroom is one of the crucial factors that will determine the success of the new SPH Media Trust, said the company’s chairman. Mr Khaw Boon Wan, on Wednesday (May 12). “If you undermine that, you undermine what we are trying to achieve,” he added. “That is my position. It is, to […]
Park Na-rae, a comedian, grabbed a male doll, placed its plastic arm between its legs and made a suggestive remark. By the standards of Western comedy, the stunt on her YouTube show in March would have hardly seemed offensive. But the skit became a scandal in her home country, South Korea. Legions of aggrieved young […]
SINGAPORE – All Changi Airport passenger terminal buildings and Jewel Changi Airport will be closed for two weeks to the public from Thursday (May 13). While some staff and travellers can still access the terminal buildings, Jewel will be completely closed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) said the […]
SINGAPORE – Plans to fix and replace the “digital plumbing and piping” in the new Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) media entity are in place, and its chairman on Wednesday (May 12) urged Singaporeans to be patient and give the new entity some time to embark on the acceleration of its digital transformation plans. This is because […]
SINGAPORE – Central Singapore Community Development Council (CS CDC) and bubble tea brand Gong Cha are showing their appreciation to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) staff for bravely “sticking their necks out” to help in Singapore’s fight against Covid-19. They will be giving all 12,000 TTSH doctors, nurses, and staff an appreciation pack. Ride-hailing service […]
SINGAPORE – The new chief executive officer of the SPH Media Trust that is to be set up should ideally be Singaporean and digitally savvy, said its chairman Khaw Boon Wan. Mr Khaw, a former Cabinet minister, will chair the board of the new company limited by guarantee that will be formed after Singapore Press […]