Tag: Singapore

Neutral and stable, Singapore is natural choice for Trump-Kim

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — With one foot in the East and one in the West, ultra-modern and secure — to the point of sometimes being mocked as dull — Singapore was a natural choice for the historic first meeting between the unpredictable leaders of the US and North Korea. The stable and squeaky-clean city-state’s tropical setting will be the backdrop for the June 12 summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un — the first […]

Helicopter taxi apps offer escape from traffic-choked megacities

by Elizabeth Law with Harry Pearl in Jakarta Agence France-Presse Within minutes of using an app to book a ride, Agostino Fernandes was looking down on lush greenery from a helicopter taxi high above Bangalore — one of several Uber-style chopper services taking off to help commuters tackle increasingly congested megacities. In under 30 minutes — a quarter of the time it would have taken from downtown Bangalore by road — Fernandes was strolling through […]

Singapore likely to host Trump-Kim summit in June: report

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un are likely to meet in Singapore next month, reports said Monday, as anticipation builds for unprecedented talks between the mercurial leaders. Trump said at the weekend that the two sides had settled on a date and location for the summit — the first between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader — without providing details. “We’ll be announcing […]

Duterte: Southeast Asian leaders emphasized need to honor “sovereign equality, non-interference” in 32nd ASEAN Summit

(Eagle News)–The leaders of Southeast Asian nations reiterated the need to honor “time-honored principles” of  “sovereign equality” and “non-interference” in internal affairs in the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Singapore. This is according to President Rodrigo Duterte, who spoke upon his arrival in Davao from the summit on Sunday, April 29. He said during the summit, three “key” documents were also adopted to address terrorism and extremist violence, illegal drug trade, and […]

SE Asian leaders to vow to fight protectionism

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Southeast Asian leaders are expected to rally against protectionism at a summit in Singapore this weekend amid fears that tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and China could escalate into a global trade war. A region of around 650 million people, Southeast Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies, thanks largely to the benefits of free and open trade. But officials and analysts have warned that an escalation of trade tensions between […]

President Duterte departs for Singapore to attend 32nd ASEAN meet

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte departed for Singapore on Thursday, April 26, to attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Duterte read from a prepared speech prior to his departure at the Davao International Airport, and cited the issues he would be discussing during the meeting. Earlier, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary  Helen Dela Vega said in a press briefing that ASEAN leaders such as Duterte would talk about ways to address trafficking in persons, illicit […]

DFA: Terrorism, violent extremism among topics to be discussed by Duterte, other Southeast Asian leaders in 32nd ASEAN Summit

(Eagle News) – Leaders who will attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Singapore from April 27 to 28, 2018 are expected to discuss transnational and transboundary issues such as terrorism, violent extremism, among others. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Helen Dela Vega said in a press briefing on Friday, April 20, that apart from these, the leaders, including President Rodrigo Duterte, will talk about ways to address trafficking in persons, illicit drugs and […]

Flight returns to Singapore after alleged bomb threat

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A flight operated by budget airline Scoot was Thursday escorted back to Singapore by fighter jets after a passenger allegedly made a bomb threat, police and the airline said. The flight bound for Hat Yai in Thailand landed safely at the city-state’s Changi Airport at 3:23 pm (0723 GMT), said an airline statement. It had taken off from Singapore about two hours earlier, the city-state’s Straits Times newspaper reported. It was […]

President Duterte to visit China, Hong Kong, Singapore in April

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is slated to go on a trip to China, Hong Kong and Singapore this April, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. According to Roque, the President will visit China from April 9 to 10 to attend the Boao Forum–a yearly gathering of government and business leaders— in Hainan. From April 11 to 12, the President  will be in Hong Kong reportedly to  meet the Filipino community. He will then attend […]

Uber exits SE Asia in new retreat from global markets; Grab takes over

  by Sam Reeves Agence France Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Uber sold its Southeast Asian business to rival Grab on Monday, ending a bruising battle between the ride-hailing behemoths and marking the US firm’s latest retreat from international markets. Singapore-based Grab is taking over the ride-sharing and food delivery operations of Uber in the region, with the California-headquartered company to receive a 27.5 percent stake in the business in return. The sale is Uber’s […]

Facebook, Google warn Singapore against ‘fake news’ law

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Internet giants Facebook and Google on Thursday warned Singapore against introducing new laws to combat “fake news,” saying that existing legislation is adequate to address the problem. Their warnings were made to a parliamentary committee which is examining possible measures, including legislation, to tackle false online information which the government says could threaten national security. Executives from Facebook, Google and Twitter appeared before the committee Thursday, and are among scores of […]

Indonesia police seize over a ton of crystal meth on ship

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Indonesian authorities early Tuesday seized 1.6 tons of crystal methamphetamine hidden on a Singapore-flagged ship in their second major drug bust this month, officials said. Customs inspectors said they spotted the vessel between Indonesia’s Sumatra island and Singapore and reported it to police. A subsequent search of the ship turned up the huge haul of narcotics stuffed into some 81 rice sacks. Four Taiwanese crew were arrested including a 69-year-old man. […]