Singapore

Southeast Asian nations urge halt to violence in Myanmar
Asia, Singapore, World

Southeast Asian nations urge halt to violence in Myanmar

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Southeast Asian foreign ministers urged a halt to violence and the start of talks on a peaceful solution in Myanmar, where the military seized power from an elected government and is escalating its use of mass arrests and deadly force against peaceful protesters. Myanmar’s top diplomat briefed other foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations during a video conference Tuesday, according to the meeting’s agenda. It was the first meeting of foreign ministers of the 10-member ASEAN since the Feb. 1 coup, when Myanmar’s military detained Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders. Brunei, which heads ASEAN this year, had proposed that a joint statement be issued after the meeting. But the ministers apparently failed to agree on a declaration, and Brunei is
Covid-19: China’s plan to show off its vaccine backfires
China, Singapore

Covid-19: China’s plan to show off its vaccine backfires

China wanted to showcase its scientific prowess and deliver a geopolitical win with its coronavirus vaccine. However, that plan is facing severe backlash in some places.Officials in Brazil and Turkey have complained that Chinese companies have been slow to ship the doses and ingredients.A few reports also suggest that China’s vaccines, while considered effective, cannot stop the virus as well as those developed by Pfizer and Moderna, the American drugmakers.In the Philippines, some lawmakers have criticized the government’s decision to buy a vaccine made by a Chinese company, Sinovac.Officials in Malaysia and Singapore, which ordered doses from Sinovac, have had to reassure their citizens that they would approve a vaccine only if it had been proved safe and effective.“Right now, I would no
Know why Bangladeshi intellectual hate Pakistan to the core?
Singapore, World

Know why Bangladeshi intellectual hate Pakistan to the core?

As Bangladesh remembered those who were brutally killed and tortured by Pakistani forces in 1971, several human rights foundations and activists of the country came forward in protest demanding an apology from Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and severe punishment for those involved in the 1971 genocide. On December 14, Bangladesh observed the Martyred Intellectuals Day to mark the day of brutality when Pakistani forces, with the help of their local collaborators named Razakar, Al-Badr and Al-Shams, killed hundreds of intellectuals in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh in 1971. Rallies, protests and human chains were organized all across the country in the memory of the intellectuals who were tortured and killed by Pakistani forces. Muktijuddho Manch (Liberation War Fo...
Bangladeshi Muslims form human chain, protest to show solidarity with Uyghurs
Asia, China, Singapore

Bangladeshi Muslims form human chain, protest to show solidarity with Uyghurs

A protest rally and human chain was held on 12.11.20 at Dhaka National Press Club by Islamic scholars and Ulemas under the banner of ‘Uyghur Muslim Rights Council’ (Uyghur Musalmaner Odhikar Parishad) demanding political and religious rights for the persecuted Uyghur minority Muslims in Xinjaing Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. The Uyghur Muslims are persecuted by the Chinese government and they are not allowed to practice their Islamic faith by the Communist government of China. The demonstration was part of Bangladeshi Muslims showing solidarity with their fellow Uyghur Muslims. Colorful placards depicting atrocities perpetrated by the Chinese, demolition of ancient Mosques to construct public toilets, weeping Uyghur women being paraded to detention centers, enforced birth control
TraceTogether check-in at venues is better, (cyber) safer
Business, Singapore, World

TraceTogether check-in at venues is better, (cyber) safer

SINGAPORE - By the end of the year, Singapore will be switching to a new Covid-19 management tool: TraceTogether-only SafeEntry. This system is more effective for contact tracing and provides better cyber hygiene, making the switchover a no-brainer. TraceTogether-only SafeEntry combines what are now two separate systems: TraceTogether, to identify those in close contact with Covid-19 patients; and SafeEntry - which digitally checks in visitors at most venues - to determine which premises have been visited by those infected with the coronavirus. Once the integrated TraceTogether-only SafeEntry system is fully rolled out, no one will be able to use their phone cameras or the SingPass mobile app to scan the SafeEntry QR code to enter cinemas, restaurants, workplaces, schools and shopping m...
Shoplus: Thailand leads in Q2 social growth
Asia, Singapore, World

Shoplus: Thailand leads in Q2 social growth

Shoplus: Thailand leads in Q2 social growth Thailand saw the biggest second-quarter growth in social commerce across Asean, while strong social media engagement has played a monumental role in boosting live commerce in the country, says Shoplus, an artificial intelligence-powered social selling service by Taiwan-based iKala. "Thais spend an average of 4-5 hours a day on social media, the highest in the world. People tend to share information and engage with others online, which plays a part in driving live social selling to grow rapidly. This is a huge change in how people are shopping," said Kimmy Chen, general manager of Shoplus. Shoplus provides a one-stop service solution, including AI-live selling, AI-based chatbots and AI-messenger plug-ins for commerce merchants across multi-devi...
Hard hit by virus, airlines push for tests over quarantines
Business, China, Singapore, World

Hard hit by virus, airlines push for tests over quarantines

FRANKFURT - What will it take to get people flying again? International air traffic is down 92 per cent this year as travellers worry about catching COVID-19 and government travel bans and quarantine rules make planning difficult. One thing airlines believe could help is to have rapid virus tests of all passengers before departure. Scattered experiments on improving safety are under way around the world, and a UN organization is leading talks to set guidelines. There is a lot at stake. With no end in sight to the pandemic, the near total halt to international travel will hinder economies as they try to bounce back from recession and return to normal levels of business activity. Millions of jobs - at airlines, airports and travel related businesses such as hotels and restaurants - are affe...
Is China on ‘Backfoot’?
Asia, China, Singapore, World

Is China on ‘Backfoot’?

China seems to have put into action one of the dictums propounded by Sun Tzu in the Art of War, viz. ‘Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak’. China’s weakness came to the fore when it failed to effectively handle the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan in its initial stages and was caught on the backfoot with the US, Australia and other countries blaming it and seeking an investigation. So then, what did China do? Rather than adopting a remorseful demeanor, China portrayed itself as ‘strong’ by displaying an aggressive attitude. Not only did the Chinese diplomats turn into ‘wolf warriors’, taking on all those who questioned Beijing, but the Chinese Communist Party regime also came harsh on Hong Kong, displayed belligerence in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea and
Second Covid-19 trial paused within 24 hours over safety concerns
Singapore, World

Second Covid-19 trial paused within 24 hours over safety concerns

Second Covid-19 trial paused within 24 hours over safety concerns A transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient, captured and coloured. WASHINGTON: Two late-stage Covid-19 medical trials have been paused in the space of 24 hours over potential safety concerns, the latest setbacks to scientists in the long fight against the pandemic. US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly on Tuesday suspended its Phase 3 trial of its lab-produced antibody treatment in hospitalized patients over an unspecified incident. A day earlier, the American pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson temporarily halted its Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial due to an unexplained illness in a study participant. J&J's research head Mathai Mammen told investors Tuesday it was a "...
S’pore cyber-security capabilities to be enhanced: Janil Puthucheary
Singapore, World

S’pore cyber-security capabilities to be enhanced: Janil Puthucheary

SINGAPORE - Singapore is ramping up research and innovation efforts to strengthen its cyber-security capabilities, with Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Janil Puthucheary announcing an upcoming collaboration between the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and Israel's Tel Aviv University on Thursday (Oct 8). The joint grant call, which comes under the National Cybersecurity R&D (NCR) programme, is the second with Tel Aviv University. It will see Singapore's researchers work with their Israeli counterparts in challenging areas, such as the security for smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT), from later this year. The grant call is open to all researchers from local institutes of higher learning and research institutes. The CSA is also taking over t...