World

Commentary: Could S$1 ride-hailing fee hike hurt Grab more than it realises?
16Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

Commentary: Could S$1 ride-hailing fee hike hurt Grab more than it realises?

Grab has a fine balancing act to consider yet in this instance, both customers and drivers were not happy, says NUS Business School's Nitin Pangarkar. SINGAPORE: Grab recently announced a S$1 increase in its base fare effective from Jun 1. The fare increase is aimed at increasing the earnings of its drivers, albeit marginally. The hike will apply to Grab’s transport offerings except for Standard Taxi, GrabHitch and GrabCoach. Grab had earlier offered benefits to eligible drivers before new restrictions under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) were announced, including rental rebates of up to S$45 a week for GrabRentals, delivery opportunities on the Grab platform, and training and career support initiatives via Grab Academy. The fare increase has attracted negative reactions from some cus...
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Why France is a welcome security partner for Japan
16Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, USA, World

Why France is a welcome security partner for Japan

This past week, French forces joined the Japan Self-Defense Force, Australian Defence Force and U.S. military for a multilateral amphibious exercise in Camp Ainoura, Sasebo. This marks the first time French ground forces have trained on Japanese soil in the postwar era. This training comes on the heels of two French naval vessels that made port in Kochi last month, en route to a joint maritime exercise with members of the so-called “Quad” (Australia, India, Japan and the United States). These activities are representative of the steps Japan is taking to diversify its portfolio of security partners, but many outside observers may now be asking the blunt but obvious question: Why France? Certainly, partnering with countries such as Australia and India makes sense given the centrality of J...
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1,000-year-old ‘stolen’ artefacts to return to Thailand from US
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, World

1,000-year-old ‘stolen’ artefacts to return to Thailand from US

BANGKOK: Two ancient sandstone artefacts believed to have been stolen from Thailand during the Vietnam War are set to return from the United States Friday (May 28) night, officials say. The temple support beams with their exquisite carvings of the Hindu deities Indra and Yama date back to the late 10th or 11th century and had been on show for decades at the San Francisco Asian Art Museum. They are expected to touch down in Bangkok on Friday night and will be put on display at the National Museum for three months from Tuesday, following a special ceremony. Thai Fine Arts Department Director General Prateep Pengtako said the two lintels are about 1,000 years old and show the influence of the ancient Khmer Kingdom, which had its capital in modern-day Cambodia. "Lintels are part of the...
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Hunger stalks India’s poor in COVID-19 pandemic double blow
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

Hunger stalks India’s poor in COVID-19 pandemic double blow

NEW DELHI: Rasheeda Jaleel lives in fear that she may not be able to feed her seven children as millions of Indian families are forced into poverty by a devastating new coronavirus wave. The 40-year-old, her husband Abdul Jaleel, 65, and the children already survive on just one meal a day. "When we are hungry and thirsty, I feel very helpless and worry, 'How am I going to survive like this?'" Jaleel told AFP as she made roti (flatbread) for the solitary meal in their tiny New Delhi flat. "We manage with whatever my husband is able to earn. If it's not enough, I stay hungry so I can feed my children." The coronavirus has killed 160,000 in eight weeks, overwhelmed hospitals and shut many businesses in India. Experts warn that another crisis is looming, with rising levels of hunger am...
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G7 calls for peace across Taiwan Strait and backs Tokyo Olympics
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
China, World

G7 calls for peace across Taiwan Strait and backs Tokyo Olympics

Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Sunday called for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and urged China to respect human rights in the Xinjiang region and freedom in Hong Kong, a pronouncement that is certain to anger China. In a communique issued after their three-day summit in Cornwall, southwestern England, the leaders expressed support for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics starting next month in a boost to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who faces a public skeptical about Japan’s hosting of the events amid the coronavirus pandemic. “We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues,” the communique said, making it the first time that the G7 has referred to the Taiwa...
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Returning Singaporeans, PRs will need to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, World

Returning Singaporeans, PRs will need to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours before departure

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans and permanent residents will soon be required to present a valid negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within 72 hours before they depart for Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (May 26). From 11.59pm on May 29, all Singaporeans and permanent residents, except those who have stayed in lower-risk countries and regions in the last 21 days before departure to Singapore, will have to present the negative test result. Only then will they be allowed to board their flight or ferry to Singapore, said MOH. The lower-risk countries and regions are Australia, Brunei, mainland China, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Macau. "All travellers will also be required to present their valid COVID-19 PCR test result at the air, sea and l...
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China’s exports up 28%, imports hit decade-high
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Market, World

China’s exports up 28%, imports hit decade-high

BEIJING: China's exports rose 27.9 per cent in May while imports grew at the fastest pace in more than a decade as the global economy powers back from the COVID-19 crisis, official data showed on Monday (Jun 7). Demand for China's goods has bounced after economically painful lockdowns last year due to the pandemic, and as vaccines are rolled out across much of the world. The figures are also boosted by last year's low base of comparison when the coronavirus was spreading rapidly. Exports from the world's second-largest economy posted strong growth but came in lower than expectations of 32 per cent. "To be honest, that is a cracking number by anybody's standard and shows that global demand remains robust," said OANDA's Jeffrey Halley. In May, import growth hit its highest rate sinc...
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KL LRT collision: Full service resumes as track repairs completed
15Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

KL LRT collision: Full service resumes as track repairs completed

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) line has returned to full service following the conclusion of repair works on the tracks damaged by a head-on collision on Monday (May 24), Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said. "I wish to announce that recovery works have been done up to the Public Land Transport Agency's (AP) strict requirement levels, that I can announce that the train service, which was previously forced to use a single track due to the incident, can resume operations on dual track," he said in a press conference at the KLCC station on Friday (May 28). A head-on collision involving two trains on Monday had left more than 210 passengers injured. Trains were subsequently running on a single track in seven stations in downtown Kuala Lumpur as recovery and re...
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EU to impose new sanctions on Myanmar junta, companies
14Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, World

EU to impose new sanctions on Myanmar junta, companies

JAKARTA: The EU will impose a new round of sanctions on Myanmar's military junta and its economic interests in the coming days, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell told Reuters on Thursday (Jun 3). In an interview in Jakarta after meetings with Southeast Asian diplomats, Borrell said the fresh sanctions from the EU would be the third batch introduced since the military ousted Myanmar's democratically-elected government on Feb 1. "There is a third row of sanctions in preparation that will be approved (in) the coming days (targeting) personnel of the military junta and also the entity that represents the economic interests of the military," he said. Since the coup, EU sanctions have frozen assets or applied travel bans on 21 military and civilian members of Myanmar's junta. Europea...
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Here’s what happens if you default on your student loans
14Jun By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

Here’s what happens if you default on your student loans

Select’s editorial team works independently to review financial products and write articles we think our readers will find useful. We may receive a commission when you click on links for products from our affiliate partners. For many student loan borrowers, the amount they pay toward their debt each month is not insignificant. In fact, the average monthly student loan payment is currently $393, which can be an overwhelming expense if you're struggling to make ends meet. But fall into the habit of missing your student loan payments and you run the risk of your loans eventually going into default, which has major repercussions. The process of going into default on your federal student loans starts as soon as you miss a payment. These are the three steps that lead to defaulting: The first da...
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