A senior Singapore government official has described prolonged anti-government protests in Hong Kong as worrying, but insisted that the republic does not stand to gain from the ongoing unrest.Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam said that at the most basic level, Hong Kong must deal with the law and order situation that has arisen as protesters have broken into the city’s legislature, defaced flags, held sit-ins at the airport, surrounded police stations and disrupted public transport,…
Singapore’s foreign domestic workers turning to sport to battle weight gain
Before Aye Aung made her first trip out of Myanmar to Singapore as a foreign domestic worker, the 25-year-old weighed slightly more than 40kg. But after working in Singapore for just over a year, she has put on some 15kg.“I was very skinny since I was young and people used to call me names. But now I eat much better here. My family will be very surprised and happy to see me getting fatter when I return,” she said.There are some 250,000 foreign domestic workers in the island nation, which relies…
China’s solution to Trump’s trade tantrums? Treat him like a natural disaster
After fighting a trade war with the United States for more than a year, Chinese officials have long realised that the best precaution against Donald Trump’s presidency of wilful unpredictability is to liken it to a natural disaster. While it is hard to predict when or how a disaster strikes, one should think of all possible ways to prepare for the worst and mitigate risks in case it happens.As a result, few would have been surprised when Trump once again ramped up trade tensions with China and…
Malaysia rides on Japanese technology to roll out next national car
Just two years after Malaysia sold China a 49.9 per cent stake in its national car, Proton, the government on Friday announced a third national car project, with observers raising questions about the benefits of the new plan.International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking told the media that the first model of the new vehicle would be launched by March 2021.The project, led by local anchor firm DreamEDGE, will be developed with advanced technology support from Japanese motor company…
Borneo forest emerges as front runner to replace Jakarta as Indonesia’s capital
A national forest on the island of Borneo has emerged as the front runner to be the location of Indonesia’s new capital, as the government eyes billions of dollars in potential savings over land acquisition costs.With 68,000 hectares of government land readily available, Bukit Soeharto in East Kalimantan is now a favourite on President Joko Widodo’s shortlist of sites, according to governor Isran Noor.It has easy access to two international airports and also meets the main criteria for the new…
Fugitive ex-Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra given Serbian citizenship
Fugitive former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was sentenced in Thailand to five years in prison on corruption-related charges, has received Serbian citizenship.Local magazine Nedeljnik published an image of a government document dated June 27 that said Yingluck had “obtained Serbian citizenship”. It appeared to be signed by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.State news agency Tanjug reported on Thursday that the Serbian government made the decision “because it could be in the…
South Korea buys helicopters worth US$800 million after Trump seeks contribution for US presence
The US government has approved the sale of US$800 million worth of helicopters to South Korea, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday, hours after US President Donald Trump said Seoul had agreed to pay more for the US military presence in the country.The Pentagon’s defence Security Cooperation Agency said the State Department had approved the sale of 12 MH-60R Multi-Mission Seahawk Helicopters and extensive associated radar, communications and weaponry equipment.The helicopters bolster anti…
Malaysian divers scour river in hunt for missing Franco-Irish teen Nora Quoirin
Malaysian divers scoured a river on Wednesday, joining a large team hunting for a Franco-Irish teenager with learning difficulties who vanished from a rainforest resort.Nora Quoirin went missing on Sunday morning after checking in with her family to the Dusun Resort, in southern Negeri Sembilan state. Family members said they found the window of her room open in the morning without any trace of her.Malaysian student killed herself over racist bullying. Now her family is suing US universityThe…
Huawei ban: China warns India of ‘reverse sanctions’ if telecoms giant gets blocked from 5G bidding, sources say
China has told India not to block its Huawei Technologies from doing business in the country, warning there could be consequences for Indian firms operating in China, sources with knowledge of the matter said.India is due to hold trials for installing a next-generation 5G cellular network in the next few months, but has not yet taken a call on whether it would invite the Chinese telecoms equipment maker to take part, telecoms minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.Huawei, the world’s biggest…
8chan: Philippines-based owner of extremist website lashes out as scrutiny intensifies over link to El Paso mass shooting
The owner of the extremist message board 8chan broke his silence in a defensive video statement that attempted to deflect blame for the role the platform plays in disseminating hate speech and inciting violence by lashing out at service providers, journalists and Instagram.Jim Watkins, a US military veteran who lives in the Philippines, defended the website amid growing outcry over reports that the alleged El Paso gunman, as well as several other mass shooting suspects, used the site to publish…