MELBOURNE (REUTERS) – Firefighters in Western Australia got under control six fires in the state’s south-west that the authorities said on Sunday (Feb 7) were most likely deliberately lit, while rain helped to contain a week-long blaze that destroyed 86 homes in the hills of Perth. The state’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) […]
YANGON (AFP, REUTERS) – Thousands of people marched for a second day in Myanmar’s biggest city on Sunday (Feb 7) to protest against the military junta’s overthrow and detention of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi last week. Protesters in Yangon carried red balloons – the colour representing Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy Party […]
JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia has approved Sinovac Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use in the elderly, a letter from the food and drug agency shows, potentially changing the country’s strategy which has prioritised its working population. That strategy was partially due to limited data on the vaccine’s safety for the elderly, authorities have said. The food and […]
SINGAPORE – The Chingay parade is set to go digital for the first time this year, yet is expected to still play its part in rallying people from diverse backgrounds and lifting the viewers’ spirits. The People’s Association announced on Saturday (Feb 6) that the parade’s theme will be “light of hope”. It will be […]
NEW DELHI (BLOOMBERG) – Thousands of Indian farmers called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to lift its blackout on phone and Internet services ahead of a push to block roads across the country on Saturday (Feb 6) to escalate protests now in their fourth month. The farmers, backed by a growing international campaign of […]
NEW DELHI (BLOOMBERG) – Thousands of Indian farmers called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to lift its blackout on phone and Internet services ahead of a push to block roads across the country on Saturday (Feb 6) to escalate protests now in their fourth month. The farmers, backed by a growing international campaign of […]
SINGAPORE – There were 26 new coronavirus cases confirmed as at Saturday noon (Feb 6), taking Singapore’s total to 59,675. All 26 cases were imported and had been placed on stay-home notice on arrival in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH). There were no new cases in the community or in workers’ dormitories. More details will be announced […]
SYDNEY (AFP) – Australian firefighters have managed to contain a bush fire burning near Perth, authorities said Saturday (Feb 6), allowing them to downgrade the blaze which has destroyed 86 homes. Despite another night battling the fire amid strong winds on the fringes of Australia’s fourth-biggest city, crews managed to hold the blaze back and […]
SINGAPORE – The number of applications for two key Government financial aid schemes jumped by 26 per cent last year as Singapore was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic. About 83,000 applications were received for the ComCare Short-To-Medium Term Assistance Scheme and the ComCare Long-Term Assistance Scheme last year (2020), up from about 66,000 in 2019, […]
SINGAPORE – The decision by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to postpone its leadership summit in Singapore has not deterred those planning other major events here, such as the Shangri-La Dialogue in June. Several organisers of upcoming high-profile meetings, conferences and exhibitions told The Straits Times on Friday (Feb 5) they would press ahead. While […]