SINGAPORE – A programme that aims to strengthen Muslim marriages has been expanded to provide more support for couples starting a family. Under the two-year pilot, Muslim newlyweds will receive guidance on pregnancy, parenting and marriage from their “naib kadi”, or wedding solemniser, as well as healthcare professionals from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). The […]
SYDNEY (BLOOMBERG) – The Australian federal police said it’s investigating a phishing scam that targeted senior Australian ministers through the Telegram messaging app on their mobile phones. The phishing campaign, which was first reported to authorities on March 18, “appears to be in the form of a message from an associate and encourages recipients to […]
JAKARTA – The Indonesian province closest to Singapore, the Riau Islands, including Batam and Bintan, is the area most ready to reopen to tourists from neighbouring countries as coronavirus infections have declined and stabilised, tourism and creative economy minister Sandiaga Uno has said. The plan is to start reopening tourist spots in Nongsa (Batam) and […]
YANGON (REUTERS) – Opponents of Myanmar’s military rule, many in small towns across the country, staged candle-lit protests on Saturday (March 20) night and into Sunday in defiance of crackdowns by the security forces and the killing of nearly 250 people since the Feb 1 coup. The violent suppression has drawn the condemnation of Western […]
HONG KONG (AFP) – After successfully muzzling Hong Kong’s democracy protests and opposition, Beijing’s loyalists are now taking aim at the arts as they seek to impose mainland-style orthodoxy on culture and purge the city of dissent. Newly built on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, M+ Museum aims to rival Western contemporary heavyweights such as London’s […]
SINGAPORE – It was 17 years ago that I was attacked by a young man in England while walking home at 9pm. Drunk and laughing, he punched me and sent me crashing to the pavement. I was lucky to get away with a few bruises and scrapes. Being a foreign student then, and not wanting […]
SINGAPORE – The Stories of a Pandemic (Soap) Awards has just announced its final list of winners, bringing the year-long project to a close. The judging panel which I chair has read hundreds of stories and looked at as many photos and illustrations to select these winners. In all, we recognised 158 writers, photographers and […]
HONG KONG — When six of the eight victims of this week’s shootings at Atlanta-area spas were confirmed to be of Asian descent, the news reopened wrenching debates in the United States about anti-Asian violence, bigotry and misogyny. In East Asia itself, the public conversations about the violence played out with far less intensity. The […]
SINGAPORE – A car caught fire in Jalan Sultan at the junction with Beach Road on Saturday evening (March 20). The incident occurred around 7.20pm. No injuries were reported. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a vehicle fire, which involved the engine compartment of a car. SCDF extinguished the fire […]
NEW DELHI – US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin yesterday said India was the “central pillar” of Washington’s approach to the Indo-Pacific region as both countries agreed to strengthen defence ties. Mr Austin is on a three-day visit to India, part of an Asia tour which comes close on the heels of the first summit meeting […]