MELBOURNE (REUTERS) – It would be “inconceivable” for Australia not to join the United States should Washington take action to defend Taiwan, Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said on Saturday (Nov 13). On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States and its allies would take unspecified “action” if China were to […]
BEIJING (REUTERS) – Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken not to “send wrong signals” to Taiwan pro-independence forces, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday (Nov 13). Both men also spoke about the virtual meeting that Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden would have […]
DALIAN (BLOOMBERG) – Tens of thousands of university students are under lockdown on their campuses in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian, which is battling the biggest flare-up in the country’s current outbreak, according to newspaper Dushikuaibao. Two universities in Zhuanghe in Dalian have imposed the curbs since the port city discovered Covid-19 cases on […]
DENPASAR, BALI – Like many converts to online grocery shopping during the Covid 19 pandemic, Mr Billy Kwan began with small orders for non-perishables like soft drinks or toilet paper. The 37-year-old Singapore resident, who owns a business management consultancy, has been trying out different e-grocery platforms for different products: Urban Tiller for vegetables because […]
SINGAPORE – A trip to the Singapore Zoo is a monthly excursion for Mr Mark Lee and his three children, aged nine months, two years and four. But he hesitated when he heard that five lions at the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari tested positive for Covid-19. However, Mr Lee, who is a Friends of Singapore […]
Speaking of Asia Ep 7: Will immigrants really define our destiny? 38:23 mins Synopsis: Join The Straits Times’s associate editor Ravi Velloor, in this series of podcasts as he distils his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this seventh episode, he hosts Dr Parag Khanna, a scholar, global thinker and the author […]
SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – I finished “Squid Game” in one sitting. The binge-watch was borne out of necessity. Anxious to see why the Korean series was soaring to No. 1 on Netflix’s global list, my overloaded schedule was unrelenting. But then an eight-hour gap cobbled into place. Honestly, I got trapped, willingly. […]
SINGAPORE – From Thursday (Nov 11), most travellers can take an antigen rapid test (ART) performed by a trained professional overseas before flying into Singapore. This applies to those returning via the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) and from countries in Categories II and III, which include Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Previously, […]
WELLINGTON (REUTERS) – New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday (Nov 12) paid tribute to outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, commending her 16-year leadership of Europe’s largest economy and describing her as a “very good person”. The leaders, held in high regard on the international stage as role models for women in policymaking, met […]
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The Bank of Mexico raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points for the fourth straight policy meeting on Thursday, taking it to 5.00%, in a 4-to-1 vote by its governing board, as markets looked forward to more hikes down the pike.FILE PHOTO: The logo of Mexico’s Central Bank (Banco de […]