PARIS, Nov 30, 2023 (AFP) – Zurich and Singapore are the most expensive cities in the world ahead of New York amid the ever-rising cost of living, according to rankings published Thursday by The Economist magazine. The British weekly estimated that prices have increased an average of 7.4 percent over the past year in 173 major cities, a slight slowdown compared to a record 8.1 percent inflation in 2022. “The cost of living crisis is […]
Tag: Singapore
Singapore luxury resort says data of 665,000 customers hacked
A luxury resort operator in Singapore said Tuesday that the personal data of about 665,000 members of its shopping loyalty programme had been hacked. The breach of Marina Bay Sands was the latest in a string of major cybersecurity incidents reported in the city-state. Last week public healthcare institutions had their internet access disrupted by a flood of malicious traffic in a so-called distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Marina Bay Sands, which is owned […]
Australian arrested in Singapore after bomb threat, returned flight: police
SINGAPORE, Oct 12, 2023 (AFP) – An Australian passenger on a Perth-bound flight was arrested in Singapore on Thursday for criminal intimidation, police said, after the plane was escorted back to the city-state by fighter jets due to a bomb threat. Flight TR16, operated by budget carrier Scoot, departed Singapore at 4:11 pm (0811 GMT). But about one hour into the flight, “a precautionary decision was made to turn the aircraft back to Singapore due […]
Singapore death row families urge end to executions
SINGAPORE, Oct 9, 2023 (AFP) – Families of death row convicts urged the Singapore government Monday to impose a moratorium on capital punishment to allow for an independent review of the controversial use of executions in the city-state. Five families called for a meeting with Singapore’s law and home affairs minister “to listen to our stories, to our pain, and confront our humanity”, they said in a statement on the eve of World Day Against […]
Singapore police investigate bomb threats at 18 locations
SINGAPORE, Aug 23, 2023 (AFP) – Singapore police have launched an investigation into bomb threats allegedly made at more than a dozen locations around the city-state, including government buildings and embassies, police said Wednesday. Authorities were alerted to the threats at around 09:10 am local time (0110 GMT) on Wednesday, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement. It added that the threats were reported at “18 locations around Singapore, including government buildings, embassies and […]
Embracing extraordinary times! ASEAN in Focus – Full broadcast – August 23, 2023
Three candidates nominated for Singapore president vote
SINGAPORE, Aug 22, 2023 (AFP) – Three candidates were nominated Tuesday to run next week in Singapore’s first contested presidential vote in more than a decade, officials said. While the role is largely ceremonial, there are stringent requirements for the position, which formally oversees the city’s financial reserves and holds the power to veto certain measures and approve anti-graft probes. Incumbent Halimah Yacob ran unopposed for her six-year term in 2017. Election officials announced the […]
Chinese FM Wang Yi to embark on Southeast Asia tour
BEIJING, Aug 9, 2023 (AFP) – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia this week, Beijing said on Wednesday as it seeks to build ties in the region. Wang, who returned to the post last month after the unexplained disappearance of predecessor Qin Gang, will travel to the three countries from Thursday to Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement. “China hopes to strengthen strategic communication with the three […]
Singapore races to save ‘Garbage of Eden’
By Martin ABBUGAO Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Visitors to the island hosting Singapore’s only landfill might expect foul odors and swarms of flies, but instead they are greeted with stunning views of blue waters, lush greenery and wildlife. Welcome to Pulau Semakau, the land-scarce city’s eco-friendly trash island, where ash from the incinerated garbage of its nearly six million people is dumped. With just over a decade to go until the site is […]
When is an eSport not an eSport? Olympic event puzzles gamers
By Satish Cheney Agence France-Presse SINGAPORE, June 20, 2023 (AFP) — ESports has long been derided as “not a real sport”. But now, an Olympic-organized event is being dismissed by competitive gamers as not real eSports. Many long-time backers of big-money digital contests, which are edging their way towards elite-level recognition, are puzzled by the choice of games at the inaugural Olympics Esports Week that kicks off in Singapore on Thursday. Instead of well-established gaming […]
Myanmar FM to attend informal crisis talks in Bangkok
YANGON, June 17, 2023 (AFP) – Myanmar on Saturday confirmed the country’s foreign minister would attend controversial “informal talks” in Bangkok on the coup-hit country’s political crisis, as Singapore warned that conditions were not yet right for ASEAN to re-engage the military junta at high-level meetings. Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February 2021 military coup that ousted democratically elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi from office. More than 3,600 civilians have been […]
China declines meeting with US defense chief: Pentagon
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2023 (AFP) – Beijing has declined a US invitation for a meeting in Singapore between Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu, the Pentagon said Monday. “Overnight, the PRC informed the US that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week,” Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in a statement, refering to […]





