BANGKOK (THOMSON REUTERS FOUNDATION) – Urban planners and local authorities must improve walkability in cities to tackle poor health and social inequality, researchers said on Thursday (Oct 15), after the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the importance of being able to walk easily and safely. The cities of Paris, London, Bogota and Hong Kong are among the […]
Political temperatures in Malaysia rose yesterday ahead of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s meeting with the King, Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin, over his bid to wrest control of the government. Moves by the police yesterday to question Datuk Seri Anwar over speculation in social media about which MPs supported his bid to wrest power from Prime Minister […]
SINGAPORE – Since he was retrenched from his sales job that drew a five-figure monthly salary, Mr Tan has attended job fairs and sent out multiple resumes. But the 50-year-old, who lives in a terraced house, remains unemployed and works as a Grab driver to make ends meet. He does not qualify for the Self-Employed […]
KUALA LUMPUR – The trust deficit between Malaysians and their politicians have apparently grown wider, with yet another power struggle amid a worsening Covid-19 situation. Residents are bracing for another round of restrictions as infections surge in the aftermath of a recent state election. Several people – all of whom were masked – on Tuesday […]
SINGAPORE – A specialised children’s agency and beefed-up counselling resources were some of the proposals to help vulnerable individuals put forth by MPs on Wednesday (Oct 14). Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC) called for an equivalent of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) – which supports seniors and their caregivers – to supervise, […]
SINGAPORE – Technology is allowing more people to get involved in volunteer work and continue helping others despite restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the start of the year, the President’s Challenge Volunteer Drive (PCVD) has rallied more than 2,200 volunteers from over 20 organisations to support its beneficiaries. Online activities such as hand yoga […]
SINGAPORE – A “Right to Disconnect” law would help employees have protected time to rest and recharge, said labour MP Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) on Wednesday (Oct 14) in a bid to address arguments made against a proposed legislation he had mooted. The most common criticisms revolve round the potential rigidity of stipulating working hours […]
SYDNEY (REUTERS) – An Australian politician at the centre of a corruption probe told an inquiry on Wednesday (Oct 14) that he had received envelopes full of thousands of dollars in cash at his parliament office as part of a scheme for Chinese nationals to fraudulently acquire visas. Mr Daryl Maguire, who quit the New […]
SINGAPORE – About 31,700 people were given Singapore permanent resident status each year over the past five years, and their number has remained stable, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah. And there have been about 22,100 new citizens every year on average over the same period, including about 1,600 children born overseas […]
BANGKOK (REUTERS) – Thai anti-government protesters hurriedly brought forward a demonstration in Bangkok on Wednesday (Oct 14), saying they feared confrontation with royalist groups planning to assemble nearby in support of the King. Three months of protests demanding a new Constitution and the departure of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha – a former junta leader – […]