Singapore’s economy is set to expand at a faster clip than the government previously expected as the city state shakes off an uptick in virus cases and looks to reopen more sectors through to the end of the year.The city state revised its forecast for annual economic growth to 6-7 per cent, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Wednesday as it reported final second-quarter data. In its initial second-quarter GDP report last month, the agency had left the annual forecast unchanged at 4-6…
Bill makes subtle changes to judicial review in England and Wales
The UK government has introduced its Judicial Review and Courts Bill in Parliament. In doing so, it has stepped back from radical reforms restricting judicial review, and instead focused on a more subtle reform of remedies, expected to come into force in England and Wales in 2022.
New South Wales to reduce gas exploration land by 77%
Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state government has released its framework of regulation for gas exploration, reducing available land covered by petroleum exploration licences (PELs) by 77%.
In Sydney’s coronavirus lockdown, east-west divide means the vulnerable are hit harder than the wealthy
On the sands of Bondi Beach, one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs, surfers and seaside walkers jostle for space, while joggers clog the nearby promenade and fitness buffs huddle around public exercise equipment.To the west, where Covid-19 infections are greatest, stores sit shuttered on empty streets as some of Australia’s most migrant-heavy neighbourhoods endure heightened lockdowns, enforced by high-visibility policing backed up by the military.About three-quarters of New South Wales state’s…
Coronavirus: Singapore hits 70 per cent vaccination threshold as restrictions ease; Sydney faces tougher lockdown rules
Singapore said 70 per cent of its population has been fully vaccinated, and 79 per cent have received at least one dose, giving the city state one of the best vaccination rates in the world as today it starts to ease social distancing restrictions and restart parts of the economy.In an effort to vaccinate the rest, the island trade hub said citizens and long-term residents will no longer need to make an appointment to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and can instead walk in to any of the more…
‘Comply or explain’ diversity targets proposed for UK listed company boards
UK listed companies would be subject to new targets and reporting requirements around gender and ethnic diversity at board level under plans put forward for consultation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Japan’s local officials have taken to criticising Beijing – and Chinese diplomats aren’t happy about it
Local Japanese officials have in recent weeks called attention to the actions of Chinese diplomats in Japan, accusing them of pressuring city and prefectural governments that adopt resolutions critical of Beijing.Their complaints have surfaced as Tokyo and other allies of the United States increase their public scrutiny of China’s policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and amid escalating tensions in the East China Sea, where Tokyo and Beijing are at odds over a group of Japanese-controlled…
Singapore to adjust foreign worker policies to address job concerns amid pandemic
Singapore will recalibrate its foreign worker policies to balance between being accepting of those from other countries and addressing the economic and social concerns of its citizens, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.The government is aware such anxieties over the foreign worker population have worsened because of uncertainties caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, and authorities are addressing them, Lee said in a televised message on the eve of the country’s 56th National Day.Other tough…
Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts with bursts of lava and ash
Indonesia’s most volatile volcano on Sunday erupted on the densely populated island of Java, spewing smoke and ash high into the air and sending streams of lava and gasses down its slopes. No casualties were reported.Mount Merapi unleashed clouds of hot ash at least seven times since Sunday morning, as well as a series of fast-moving pyroclastic flows, a mixture of rock, debris, lava and gasses, according to Yogyakarta’s Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center. The rumbling sound…
Indonesians baffled by suspicious 2 trillion rupiah ‘donation’
For the past week, the name Akidi Tio and the hashtags #PrankNasional or #NationalPrank have been trending on social media across Indonesia as the country has been gripped by what appears to be a bizarre hoax. It involves a deceased businessman, a now infamous styrofoam board and a suspicious 2 trillion rupiah (US$140 million) donation meant to help with the Covid-19 pandemic response in the city of Palembang, South Sumatra. The strange sequence of events began on July 23, when the South…