TOKYO (AFP) – Japan has softened its suspension of all new incoming flight bookings to make it easier for citizens to return, the government said on Thursday (Dec 2), a day after it announced the move prompted by worries about the Omicron coronavirus variant. The Transport Ministry abruptly said on Wednesday it was asking airlines […]
Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Thursday, Dec 2, 2021. Most HDB flat owners to pay more in property taxes next year: Iras Iras will be revising the annual value of HDB flats in line with increase in market rentals. READ MORE HERE South Korea reports first 5 Omicron cases, mandates […]
SINGAPORE – Sengkang residents interviewed by The Straits Times by and large said it was the right thing for Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan to resign, noting that her action of lying to Parliament had shown dishonesty not befitting of an elected representative, and had eroded the trust of people. But three of the 20 […]
SINGAPORE – New rules governing court proceedings, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Singapore’s civil litigation process while keeping legal costs reasonable, were gazetted on Wednesday (Dec 1). The updated Rules of Court will be implemented on April 1 next year, the Supreme Court and the State Courts said. The new rules entail simplifying rules […]
SINGAPORE – Food importer Fresh Choice Avenue was fined $10,000 for bringing in fresh and processed vegetables illegally, said the Singapore Food Agency on Wednesday (Dec 1). SFA seized 349.6kg of undeclared and underdeclared fresh fruits and vegetables on Sept 2 last year, as well as another 304.5kg of undeclared processed vegetables from Malaysia. Fruits […]
BEIJING – A government clampdown on private tutoring firms in China in July has forced many to diversify. The country’s largest agency New Oriental Education and Technology is venturing into e-commerce, with its founder Yu Minhong leading hundreds of teachers to sell farm produce such as eggs, fruits and meat on live-stream. Please subscribe or log […]
SINGAPORE – Full-time employed residents put in fewer hours of work a week this year, compared with a decade ago, according to an annual report by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The advance estimates for the resident labour force, released on Wednesday (Dec 1), revealed that full-timers worked an average of 45 hours a week this year, […]
SEOUL (REUTERS) – US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and other top military officials were set to gather in South Korea on Wednesday (Dec 1) to discuss the future of their military alliance and plans to counter threats from North Korea. Mr Austin was due to arrive on Wednesday afternoon, while General Mark Milley, chairman […]
SYDNEY/JAKARTA (REUTERS) – China told Indonesia to stop drilling for oil and natural gas in maritime territory that both countries regard as their own during a months-long standoff in the South China Sea earlier this year, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The unprecedented demand, which has not previously been reported, elevated tensions […]
HONG KONG (CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) Hong Kong scientists have succeeded in isolating Omicron variant from clinical specimens which will help in developing vaccines against the new Covid-19 strain, The Hong Kong University (HKU) said on Tuesday (Nov 30). In a statement, HKU said its Department of Microbiology researchers were the first known research team […]