Singapore

Jobless because of SARS, she built a thriving hostel. Now with COVID-19, it’s closing
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, Singapore, USA, World

Jobless because of SARS, she built a thriving hostel. Now with COVID-19, it’s closing

Last month, Viji Jagadeesh had only eight guests at Mitraa Inn, not even enough to cover the Internet bill. CNA Insider looks at how hostels like hers could face a wipe-out, in a series on micro SMEs beaten down or changed drastically by the coronavirus pandemic. SINGAPORE: During the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, Viji Jagadeesh lost her job when the accounting firm she was working in struggled with poor business. After being jobless for more than a year, she started a small outfit with 12 beds, offering short-term rental to budget travellers. Three years later, Viji opened hostel Mitraa Inn with 60 beds, riding the low-cost aviation boom which saw a spike in budget travellers in Singapore. Her business flourished and, over the years, became one of the ...
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Japan’s foreign minister to make official visit to Singapore from Aug 12
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Japan’s foreign minister to make official visit to Singapore from Aug 12

SINGAPORE: Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Motegi Toshimitsu will make a three-day official visit to Singapore from Wednesday (Aug 12). He will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana and be hosted to lunch by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday. This will be Mr Motegi's first official visit to Singapore as foreign minister. It comes after Japan announced last month that it will proceed with discussions on the resumption of essential travel with 12 places, including Singapore. "Singapore welcomes the Japanese government’s decision to include Singapore as one of its partners to commence such negotiations," MFA had said on Jul 23. It added then that the establishment of a "reciprocal ...
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Government to mesh economic, social policies more tightly for post-COVID-19 world: Heng Swee Keat
1Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Government to mesh economic, social policies more tightly for post-COVID-19 world: Heng Swee Keat

SINGAPORE: The Government will tighten coordination between its economic and social policies to ensure that Singaporeans can have access to jobs and opportunities in the post COVID-19 economy, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Friday (Aug 28). This is part of its efforts to more closely align different public policy areas to tackle the complex challenges and new opportunities arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulnerable workers will receive additional support and social mobility will continue to be a feature of Singapore society, he said. To better understand the concerns of citizens and develop “more citizen-centric” policies, the Government is growing new capabilities in data analytics and citizen engagement, Mr Heng added in an addendum by the Prime Minister’s Of...
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10 arrested for dangerous riding after police probe video of PMD, e-bike riders on Sheares Avenue
31Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

10 arrested for dangerous riding after police probe video of PMD, e-bike riders on Sheares Avenue

SINGAPORE: Eight men and two women have been arrested for dangerous riding, after a video online showed a group of riders on personal mobility devices (PMD) and power-assisted bicycles (PAB) travelling with a motorcyclist along Sheares Avenue. The suspects are aged between 16 and 25, said the police in a news release on Monday (Aug 3), adding that they were alerted to the video on Jul 13. The video, posted on Facebook page SG Road Vigilante, shows several riders on major roads at night, including Sungei Road and Ophir Road. They were also seen riding up Benjamin Sheares Bridge towards Sheares Avenue. The video ends with them gathering at an open space. The police said the suspects were arrested between Jul 17 and Jul 20. Two PMDs, device parts of a PAB and mobile phones were ...
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Government to implement programmes that boost investment, create more ‘good jobs’ for Singaporeans: Chan Chun Sing
31Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, Singapore, World

Government to implement programmes that boost investment, create more ‘good jobs’ for Singaporeans: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: Despite a changing world economy disrupted by COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions, the Government will implement new programmes to bring in business investments, support local entrepreneurship and create “good jobs" for Singaporeans, said Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing on Wednesday (Aug 26). Mr Chan was outlining how his ministry will support key priorities laid out by President Halimah Yacob at the opening of Singapore’s 14th Parliament on Monday. Mdm Halimah had said the Government will provide greater social support and strengthen safety nets for Singaporeans in the long term amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Chan said on Wednesday that Singapore is confronting the crisis “from a position of strength”, given the country’s reputation for “transparency, rule ...
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New COVID-19 TraceTogether tokens to be manufactured and designed by two bidders: GovTech
30Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

New COVID-19 TraceTogether tokens to be manufactured and designed by two bidders: GovTech

SINGAPORE: The tender to design and manufacture subsequent batches of TraceTogether tokens has been awarded to two bidders, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) said on Friday (Aug 21). The first bidder is a consortium comprising electronics distributor Siix Singapore and wireless connectivity solutions firm iWOW, and the second bidder is PCI, an electronics manufacturer which won the tender for the first batch of TraceTogether tokens. Each token is expected to cost about S$10, down from the S$20 in the first batch, with GovTech managing and pacing production of further batches based on demand. "Drawing from the experience gained in producing the initial batch, GovTech will work with both tenderers to review their designs to further reduce cost, while ensuring effectiveness of...
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In China, fears of financial Iron Curtain as US tensions rise
29Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, Market, Singapore, World

In China, fears of financial Iron Curtain as US tensions rise

SHANGHAI: A sharp escalation in tensions with the United States has stoked fears in China of a deepening financial war that could result in it being shut out of the global dollar system: A devastating prospect once considered far-fetched but now not impossible. Chinese officials and economists have in recent months been unusually public in discussing worst-case scenarios under which China is blocked from dollar settlements, or Washington freezes or confiscates a portion of China's huge US debt holdings. Those concerns have galvanised some in Beijing to revive calls to bolster the yuan's global clout as it looks to decrease reliance on the greenback. Some economists even float the idea of settling exports of China-made COVID-19 vaccines in yuan, and are looking to bypass dollar settl...
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Changes to Bukit Panjang bus services postponed to Aug 30, mitigation measures to be introduced: Chee Hong Tat
27Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Changes to Bukit Panjang bus services postponed to Aug 30, mitigation measures to be introduced: Chee Hong Tat

SINGAPORE: A series of unpopular changes to bus services in the Bukit Panjang area, which were to come into effect on Sunday (Aug 16), will now be delayed by two weeks while mitigation measures are being introduced. The changes will now be introduced on Aug 30 to allow bus operators more time to implement the new measures, which include the provision of a direct bus service to the city, said Senior Minister of State for Transport Chee Hong Tat on Thursday (Aug 13). This comes after it was announced earlier this month that services 700 and 700A would cease operations, while service 171 would loop at Bukit Panjang MRT station instead of travelling to the Marina Centre bus terminal. From Aug 30, bus service 171 will loop at Bukit Panjang MRT station instead of travelling to the Marina ...
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Hillion Mall, Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub among new locations visited by COVID-19 cases during their infectious period
25Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Hillion Mall, Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub among new locations visited by COVID-19 cases during their infectious period

SINGAPORE: Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub and the Hillion Mall connected to it were among the new locations added on Thursday (Jul 30) to a list of places visited by COVID-19 cases during their infectious period. Four outlets within the shopping mall – My Briyani House, McDonald’s, Watsons and FairPrice – were added to the list, according to the Ministry of Health's daily update. Also on the list is the Mr Teh Tarik deli at Bukit Panjang Integrated Transport Hub, which is linked to Hillion Mall. The transport hub has been designated as a COVID-19 cluster, with eight cases linked to it so far. They include four new community cases reported on Thursday - a Singaporean and three work permit holders from Malaysia. The other locations added to the list include Causeway Poin...
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Japan and Myanmar agree to reopen borders for long-term residents
25Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, World

Japan and Myanmar agree to reopen borders for long-term residents

The foreign ministers of Japan and Myanmar agreed Monday to reopen borders for expatriates and other long-term residents as soon as early September, relaxing travel restrictions that were imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi also confirmed at their meeting in Naypyidaw that they would speed up talks to facilitate short-term business travel, while taking measures to combat the virus, according to the Foreign Ministry. Motegi, in his final stop on a four-nation tour since Thursday, told reporters online that his country's pledges of economic and medical support to leaders in the respective countries demonstrated that "Japan leads international cooperation efforts" in fighting the pandemic. The ...
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