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HONG KONG, China (AFP) — The “travel bubble” agreed between Hong Kong and Singapore will be opened on November 22, their governments said Wednesday, in a rare piece of good news for the pandemic-battered tourism industry. A quota of 200 residents from each city will be able to travel on one daily flight to the other, Hong Kong’s commerce minister Edward Yau told a press conference. Only those who have been in Hong Kong or […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore’s coronavirus-hit economy shrank at a slower pace in the third quarter as restrictions were eased, official data showed Wednesday, but the trade-reliant city-state still faces a long road to recovery. The financial hub plunged into its first recession since the 2008 global financial crisis in the second quarter when the government closed businesses as part of drastic measures to contain infections. One of the world’s most open economies, Singapore is […]
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Singapore’s leader criticized “malicious and baseless” claims in an article linking him to a corruption scandal, as he testified on Tuesday at the start of his defamation suit against a blogger. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is suing Leong Sze Hian after the blogger shared an article on Facebook linking the premier to the money-laundering scandal at state fund 1MDB in neighbouring Malaysia. Leaders in the tightly controlled city-state have frequently […]
by Martin Abbugao SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — On the rooftop of a Singapore shopping mall, a sprawling patch of eggplants, rosemary, bananas and papayas stand in colourful contrast to the grey skyscrapers of the city-state’s business district. The 10,000 square-foot (930 square-meter) site is among a growing number of rooftop farms in the space-starved country, part of a drive to produce more food locally and reduce heavy reliance on imports. The government has championed the […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore began destroying nine tonnes of seized ivory Tuesday, the largest such action globally in recent years, including contraband tusks that came from more than 300 African elephants. The destruction by an industrial rock crusher was held on the eve of World Elephant Day, and aims to prevent the items from re-entering the market and disrupt the global supply chain of illegally traded ivory, Singapore’s National Parks Board said. A spokeswoman […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Twin red-ruffed lemurs have been born at Singapore zoo, officials said Thursday, a rare double delivery that is a boost for the endangered saucer-eyed primates. It was the first birth at the zoo of the endangered creatures, which are native to Madagascar, in over a decade, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said. The arrival of the yet-to-be-named twins was “particularly special” because the creatures breed only once a year, it said. The fluffy […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore plunged into recession in the second quarter as growth fell 41.2 percent quarter-on-quarter with the trade-dependent economy hammered by the coronavirus, preliminary data showed Tuesday. Year-on-year, the economy shrank 12.6 percent between April and June, according to the data from the trade ministry, as strict curbs were imposed to fight the virus. It marks the second consecutive quarter of contraction, meaning that the city state — which has one of the […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — The Singapore prime minister’s estranged brother said Wednesday he has joined an opposition party ahead of elections next month, presenting a new challenge to the country’s long-ruling government. The city-state’s parliament was dissolved Tuesday for a general election on July 10, even as the country struggles to recover from a major coronavirus outbreak that has swept through migrant worker dormitories. Lee Hsien Yang is locked in a long-running row with his […]
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Shops and cafes reopened in Singapore on Friday as coronavirus measures were relaxed — but the city-state’s leader warned people “not to go overboard celebrating”. More than two months after a partial lockdown was imposed, massage parlours and spas also resumed operations while beaches were no longer off limits and sports and other facilities opened again. “I feel happy because I can come out… a few restrictions still apply but I’m […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore has approved the use of the anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients, authorities said Wednesday, becoming the latest country to do so. The US authorised the emergency use of remdesivir in hospitals at the start of May, followed by Japan and South Korea, while Europe has been considering following suit. It has been granted conditional approval in Singapore for treatment of some adult virus patients, such as […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Pupils wearing face masks returned to school in Singapore on Tuesday and some workplaces re-opened as coronavirus restrictions were eased in the hard-hit city-state. Singapore initially kept infections low through a strict regime of testing and contact-tracing, only for major outbreaks to emerge from crowded dormitories housing low-paid foreign workers. The country has recorded over 35,000 cases — the highest official tally in Southeast Asia — with the vast majority among […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore’s embattled economy could shrink by as much as seven percent this year, which would be the worst reading since independence, with the government saying Tuesday the coronavirus pandemic had throttled the key export sector. The city-state is seen as a bellwether of the global economy and the historic contraction highlights the extreme pain being wrought on countries by the killer disease. The warning also came hours before Singapore’s deputy prime […]
