Tag: Singapore

US VP Harris begins Asia trip amid Afghan debacle

Vice President Kamala Harris began a trip to Asia Sunday where she will offer reassurances of Washington’s commitment to the region after the chaotic US pullout from Afghanistan and Taliban takeover. The hardline Islamists’ swift return to power a week ago, and desperate scenes of thousands trying to flee, have cast another shadow over the United States’ status as a global superpower. But on her visit, which includes stops in Singapore and Vietnam, Harris will seek to […]

Singapore lifts GDP forecast as export markets get vaccine boost

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore on Wednesday upgraded its growth forecast for this year as the trade-reliant economy’s key export markets pick up strength thanks to rapid coronavirus vaccine rollouts. The prosperous city-state, one of the world’s most open economies, suffered its worst ever recession last year as it was hammered by the pandemic. But stronger overseas demand is helping to power a rebound, which is being closely watched as Singapore is seen as a […]

Resource-starved Singapore turns sewage into ultra-clean water

by Martin Abbugao Agence France Presse SINGAPORE (AFP) — Giant pumps whir deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption while reducing ocean pollution. The tiny island nation has little in the way of natural water sources and has long had to rely principally on supplies from neighbouring Malaysia. To boost self-sufficiency, the government has developed an advanced system for treating sewage […]

Singapore PM warns US against hard line toward China

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday warned the United States against aggressively challenging China, saying Washington’s increasingly hard-line views could be “very dangerous.” He said the United States had moved from an approach of healthy competition with China to the view that America “must win, one way or another.” “There is (US) bipartisan consensus today on one thing, which is relations with China,” he told the Aspen Security […]

Hun Sen declares oil extraction a ‘failure’ for Cambodia

Premier Hun Sen declared Cambodia’s attempt at oil extraction a “failure” on Sunday, just eight months after the kingdom achieved its long-awaited milestone of producing its first drop of crude. In late December the nation announced it had extracted oil from its waters in the Gulf of Thailand which experts believe boasts significant deposits. But the operation, led by Singapore’s KrisEnergy, was endangered after the company was unable to pay its debts and filed for […]

Watch: ASEAN in Focus

NCR shifts to ECQ Aug. 6-20 Travel ban on India, 9 other nations extended to Aug. 15 Duterte, Austin renew PH-US alliance US Defense Secretary Austin says US security commitment to Philippines ‘ironclad’ Bangladesh evacuates 10,000 Rohingya from landslide-hit camps Thai hospitals short of beds as Covid cases due to Delta variant soar Cambodia imposes virus curbs along Thailand border over Delta fears Hero’s welcome for Philippines’ first Olympic gold medalist Pres. Duterte awards Hidilyn […]

Singapore unveils one of world’s biggest floating solar farms

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore Wednesday unveiled one of the world’s biggest floating solar power farms, covering an area the size of 45 football pitches, as part of the city-state’s push to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The project is the country’s most ambitious yet, comprising 122,000 panels on Tengeh Reservoir that will produce enough electricity to run its five water treatment plants. Singapore is among the biggest per capita carbon dioxide emitters in Asia and […]

Covid case cuts short Singapore ‘cruise to nowhere’

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — An ocean liner on a “cruise to nowhere” was forced to make an earlier-than-scheduled return to Singapore Wednesday after a coronavirus case was detected on board, reports said. The cruises — starting and ending in Singapore, with no stops — were launched last year as part of the travel industry’s attempt to bounce back from a pandemic-induced crunch. They have proved popular among those seeking an escape from the tiny city-state, […]

Sri Lanka faces marine disaster as ship fire extinguished after 13 days

by Amal JAYASINGHE COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — A fire aboard a ship that triggered Sri Lanka’s worst-ever marine ecological disaster was finally extinguished Tuesday after a 13-day international operation, the navy said. The near two-week inferno prompted a mammoth clean-up operation as huge volumes of microplastic granules from the Singapore-registered ship’s containers inundated 80 kilometers (50 miles) of beach. The unprecedented pollution forced a fishing ban and saw thousands of troops deployed to scoop […]

Singapore to vaccinate schoolchildren against Covid

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore will start vaccinating schoolchildren against the coronavirus soon, the prime minister said Monday, after officials warned that new strains were affecting youngsters more. The city-state recently tightened curbs following a slight uptick in cases, after months of reporting barely any local transmissions. This included closing schools amid signs that new variants, such as the one first detected in India, were affecting children in greater numbers. In a televised speech, Prime […]

Singapore Airlines says rerouting flights to avoid Belarus

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore Airlines said Tuesday it was rerouting flights to avoid Belarus after Minsk forced a jet to land to arrest a dissident. “We are currently rerouting our flights that are bound for Europe to avoid the Belarusian airspace, and we will continue to closely monitor the situation,” a spokesperson told AFP. © Agence France-Presse

Singapore approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for teens

SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore authorized the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to teenagers aged 12 to 15, officials said on Tuesday, in a first for Asia. The city-state’s Health Sciences Authority extended the use of the vaccine — currently only approved for individuals aged 16 and above — after reviewing clinical data submitted by the manufacturer. Singaporean authorities “assessed that the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine demonstrated high safety and efficacy for this age group […]