BANGKOK (BLOOMBERG) – Thailand ordered the closure of entertainment venues, including pubs and bars, in some areas of the nation’s capital for two weeks to stem the spread of Covid-19 infections ahead of the Thai New Year holiday next week. A total of 196 night-entertainment venues spread over three districts in the capital city will […]
ROME (Reuters) – The world’s financial leaders will discuss on Wednesday how to coordinate policies to prevent their virus-battered economies emerging from recession at highly different speeds, officials said ahead of the virtual meeting. When finance ministers and central bank governors of the world’s top 20 economies hold their video-conference the patchy response to the […]
BEIJING (AFP) – Two Uighur former government officials in China’s Xinjiang have been handed death sentences for carrying out “separatist activities”, a court said, as Beijing comes under increasing fire for its actions towards minority groups in the region. Shirzat Bawudun, a former head of the Xinjiang department of justice has been sentenced to death […]
SINGAPORE – Staggered hours have been the norm at some firms here, as companies prepare to bring more employees back to the office when Covid-19 regulations on workplaces ease on Monday (April 5). The Straits Times spoke to about 10 employers ahead of the eased restrictions that allow up to 75 per cent of workers […]
KUALA LUMPUR (REUTERS) – Malaysia’s Court of Appeal on Monday (April 5) will begin hearing a bid by former prime minister Najib Razak to set aside his conviction on corruption charges in a case linked to a multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB. Najib, who was voted out in a historic 2018 election, faces several […]
SINGAPORE – An alumnus of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has gifted his alma mater $1 million to kickstart a new scholarship and bursary fund for final-year students. Mr Steven Lim, chief executive of RSTN Consulting, gifted the contribution at a ceremony held at the Campus Clubhouse at NTU on Tuesday (April 6). Professor Ling San, […]
SINGAPORE – The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates for some gantries located along two expressways will be raised by $1 with increased congestion as more people return to workplaces. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Monday (April 5) said that the new charges will kick in from next Monday to manage congestion at certain stretches on […]
SINGAPORE – National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers can now identify cancer cells by studying their acidity or pH levels using artificial intelligence technology. This technique could be potentially useful in detecting cancer cells in tissue samples, either obtained from tumour biopsies or liquid biopsies, which are blood tests. “As the number of cells in […]
SEOUL (REUTERS) – South Korea is considering all options to secure enough coronavirus vaccine supplies, a top vaccine official said on Tuesday (April 6) in response to questions about possible export curbs on locally made vaccines. The remarks come as authorities face a backlash for relying on global vaccine-sharing scheme Covax for a bulk of […]
YANGON (REUTERS) – Demonstrators in Myanmar held protests demanding the restoration of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s government on Monday (April 5) and called for more coordinated nationwide dissent, defying the military’s moves to suppress attempts to rally opposition to its two-month rule. Six people were killed at the weekend, according to activists, as police and […]