SINGAPORE – In a post-Covid-19 world, Singapore should strike a balance between performance and resilience, even as it becomes less dependent on foreign workers against the backdrop of rapid advances in technology and digitalisation. Several leading economists offered this view on Tuesday (Jan 12) at the Singapore Perspectives conference – an annual flagship event organised […]

SINGAPORE (REUTERS) – Social media firms are hampered by their commercial interests when tackling fake news, Singapore’s Law Minister said, underlining the need for the city-state’s law against online falsehoods, which critics say stifles free speech. Mr K. Shanmugam, speaking on Thursday in an interview for broadcast at the Reuters Next conference on Tuesday (Jan […]

Good evening! Catch up on some of the main headlines on Tuesday, Jan 12. Malaysia’s state of emergency: Elections once Covid-19 under control, and no military rule, says Muhyiddin Mr Muhyiddin promised to hold a general election as soon as the Covid-19 crisis was under control. READ MORE HERE Malaysia’s state of emergency: What you […]

KUALA LUMPUR – The move by Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resort to emergency powers to contain the spread of Covid-19 has been sharply criticised in some quarters. Former premier  Mahathir Mohamad said it was unnecessary. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at […]

SEOUL (BLOOMBERG) – South Korean police are on the hunt for a female casino executive who disappeared after her employer discovered 14.6 billion won (S$17.7 million) in cash missing from the resort’s coffer. Hong Kong-based Landing International Development, which operates Jeju Shinhwa World, disclosed in a statement on its website that it was unable to […]

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) – China’s President Xi Jinping issued an unusually upbeat assessment about China’s future, noting that “time and the situation” were on the country’s side in a new year marked by domestic turmoil in the United States. The Chinese leader told a gathering of provincial and ministerial-level officials on Monday (Jan 11) that he […]

SINGAPORE -The fight against Covid-19 shows international collaboration is crucial if the world wants to continue making scientific breakthroughs, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat told young scientists at a global virtual summit on Tuesday (Jan 12). He said sharing the virus genome with the global community had allowed various diagnostic test kits to be […]

TAIPEI (REUTERS) – The US ambassador in the Netherlands has hosted Taiwan’s representative to the country at the US embassy, in the first publicly announced visit to a US government office since the secretary of state lifted restrictions on interactions. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the change on Saturday (Jan 9), which scraps […]

SINGAPORE – When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, Madam Marini Ismail was referred to Thye Hua Kwan Moral Society (THK) by the hospital to receive assistance during her recovery phase. She received help under THK Home Help Services, which included free meals and home nursing services. Madam Marini said: “The volunteers come […]

BANGKOK – Residents of six Thai provinces now need to obtain permits before they can leave their province. Restaurants in Bangkok must also stop serving dine-in patrons by 9pm. Cinemas are shuttered, and massage parlours are once again dark and empty. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access […]