Singapore Archives - Page 24 of 27

What is China’s military aspiration for Gwadar?

11Sep

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

What is China’s military aspiration for Gwadar?

For a long time, Pakistan’s Gwadar port has long been touted as the site for a Chinese base suitable for People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operations, however, it is not inevitable that Gwadar will become a PLAN base.The Chinese Communist Party pursues a “strategic strongpoint” concept whereby strategically sited foreign ports containing terminals and commercial zones operated by Chinese firms can be used by its military.These “strongpoints” offer the potential for China to form a network of supply, logistics and intelligence hubs, and there is a nascent network along the perimeter of the Indian Ocean.Gwadar is important to Beijing for two reasons. First is establishing direct transport links to the Indian Ocean via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). For this reason, China doe

Over 10.98 lakh stranded Indians repatriated so far: Ministry of Civil Aviation

9Sep

By Yusara AskariNo Comments

Over 10.98 lakh stranded Indians repatriated so far: Ministry of Civil Aviation

Under the Vande Bharat Mission, over 10, 98,000 Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus pandemic have been repatriated so far, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation said."Over 10, 98,000 stranded Indians have been repatriated under Mission Vande Bharat since 6th May. This would not have been possible without the continued support of all stakeholders. Thank you!" the Civil Aviation said in a tweet.Earlier, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that India is negotiating with 13 countries including Australia, Italy and Japan to establish bilateral air bubble arrangements for flight operations.The air bubbles arrangement between the two countries helps airlines to operate international flights with certain restrictions. India has so far established air bubbles arrangements with the U

China has no one to blame but itself for the stall-out of tech company Huawei

6Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China has no one to blame but itself for the stall-out of tech company Huawei

With its belligerent disregard for the rest of the world, China’s ruling regime has overplayed its hand in several ways. Among the most telling examples is the abrupt change in fortunes of China’s Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Huawei was once poised to help reinvent how the world communicates, with its technological lead in next-generation 5G networking, which is about 100 times more powerful in speed and functionality than the current 4G technology. But today, Huawei is radioactive. In many of the world’s biggest markets, it has become politically difficult or impossible for telecom operators to buy Huawei gear for 5G networks. And so, Huawei’s growth prospects suddenly appear constrained, effectively limited to Huawei’s home market of China. The likely prospect of stunted growth at t

Three new cases returnees from Singapore, India

6Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Three new cases returnees from Singapore, India

Three new cases returnees from Singapore, India Students are advised on how to wear face masks properly when full-scale school teaching resumes at Intarumphun School in Samut Prakan province on Thursday. Meanwhile, the government reported three new Covid-19 cases among returnees from India and Singapore. (Photo by Somchai Poomlard) The government on Thursday reported three new cases of coronavirus disease, quarantined returnees from Singapore and India, raising the total to 3,359. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration reported that the returnee from Singapore was a construction worker aged 53. He arrived on Friday and was quarantined in Chon Buri province. He tested positive on Tuesday but was asymptomatic. The two other new cases from India are masseuses aged 30. They arriv...

Siam Cement leads SE Asian firms eyeing Oct IPOs

5Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Siam Cement leads SE Asian firms eyeing Oct IPOs

Siam Cement leads SE Asian firms eyeing Oct IPOs SINGAPORE/HONG KONG: Siam Cement Group Packaging's initial public offering (IPO) is looking to raise 50% more than a previously targeted $1 billion, boosted by higher valuations, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The firm joins other companies in Malaysia and Philippines preparing to list next month, signalling a revival in investor interest in Southeast Asia's underperforming markets. The sources said cash-rich funds and investors were keen to allocate money to sectors viewed as long-term beneficiaries in pandemic-hit markets. They said Siam Cement Group Packaging was looking to line up cornerstone investors for its IPO, which is now likely to raise $1.5 billion, up from an estimated $1 billion when the company announced plans ...

3Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Come see visions of a utopia

Prominent painter Kitti Narod is inviting all to visit his own utopia at the solo exhibition, "Joy Land", curated by Guo Weiwei, at Tang Contemporary Art Bangkok. Reading by Kitti Narod. Kitti, who graduated from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Rajamonkong Institute of Technology, is renowned for his sense of joy and optimism through illustrations of daily life and human connections. His works have gained international recognition and have been exhibited in many countries including Singapore, UK, Canada and Australia. His latest exhibition "Joy Land" presents his ideal vision of a utopia where "everyone has equal opportunities". As a member of the LGBTI community, Kitti also reveals this part of his identity in the content of his paintings. Moreover, his partner Gwyn Faemol als...

Japan stocks fall after economy contracts, other markets up

2Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Japan stocks fall after economy contracts, other markets up

BEIJING - Japanese stocks sank while other global markets and U.S. futures gained Monday after Japan reported a record economic contraction amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo fell 0.8% to 23,096.75 after data showed the world’s third-largest economy shrank 27.8% from a year earlier in the three months ending in June. That was bigger than the deepest decline during 2008-09 financial crisis. “The road ahead looks choppy as a resurgence in Covid cases will weigh on domestic and overseas spending,” said Stefan Angrick of Oxford Economics in a report. In early trading, the FTSE 100 in London gained 0.1% to 6,097.97. The DAX in Frankfurt was up 0.1% at 12,913.62 and France’s CAC 40 added less than 0.1% to 4,964.88. On Wall Street, futures for the benchmark S&P 500 Index a

2Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

DES: Facebook won’t take legal action

DES: Facebook won't take legal action Minister of Digital Economy and Society Buddhipongse Punnakanta speaking at a press conference on Wednesday about illicit content of Facebook. (Photo by Varuth Hirunyatheb) Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DES) Buddhipongse Punnakanta on Wednesday said he does not believe Facebook will take legal action against the government and the DES Ministry in relation to past legal requests since the platform has cooperated well with previous requests. Mr Buddhipongse was speaking at a press conference at the DES Ministry to counter Facebook's legal threat to sue the government for blocking access to accounts deemed defamatory to the monarchy. The minister referred to the Royalist Marketplace page on Facebook operated by Pavin Chachavalpongpun that c...

Harnessing the potential of diversity for business

2Sep

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Harnessing the potential of diversity for business

It is hard to think of a time in history when businesses globally have had to adapt and restructure as rapidly as they have during the current pandemic. The closest comparable period may be post-World War II, when thousands of soldiers and civilians living with long term injuries were trying, and failing, to access work. At that time, many countries introduced quota systems which required businesses to employ a certain proportion of people with disabilities. Now we once again stand at a crossroads in terms of building a more diverse workforce. How will countries reinvent themselves to ensure nobody is excluded from accessing work? Could businesses take up the mantle, when they are already facilitating huge changes? How can they introduce a more inclusive approach to employment? If we a...

FB told to apologise for ‘mistranslation’

30Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

FB told to apologise for ‘mistranslation’

FB told to apologise for 'mistranslation' Buddhipongse: Little cooperation The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry has sent an urgent letter to Facebook in Singapore and Thailand, demanding the social media giant take responsibility over a mistranslated headline from English into Thai about the live broadcasting ceremony to celebrate the King's birthday seen on several media Facebook pages on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) has started the process of collecting evidence for an investigation into the matter following a complaint made by Thai PBS TV station on Wednesday. Thai PBS came under fire from viewers who spotted the mistranslated message on its Facebook page. The mistranslation which offended the monarchy was from the English: "[Live] ...