Writing effective references

From time to time, organisations are asked to give references for current or former employees, or they request references from others to find out more about prospective employees.

Singapore’s majority-Chinese population should do more to address racism: minister

Singapore’s majority-Chinese population should do more to address racism-related grievances aired by members of ethnic minority groups, a minister has said in the government’s first major response to the country’s ongoing debate on racism, adding that the authorities are ready to update policies to strengthen social harmony.The comments by finance minister Lawrence Wong, seen as a potential successor to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, follow weeks of debate – mostly online – over recent…

Benigno Aquino’s lost liberal ‘yellow’ legacy in the Philippines

The public response to the death of former Philippine president Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III on Thursday has so far been decidedly mixed. While some social media influencers continued bashing him, other supportive posts showed yellow ribbons hung in largely high-end neighbourhoods. This popular music-inspired symbol (“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”) refers to the welcome planned by supporters for his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jnr, the leading opponent of the dictatorship of…

US approves possible sale of fighter jets and missiles to Philippines, says Pentagon

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of F-16 fighter jets, as well as Sidewinder and Harpoon missiles, to the Philippines in three separate deals with a combined value of more than US$2.5 billion, the Pentagon said on Thursday.The Philippines is looking for a new multi-role fighter jet and is evaluating the F-16 and the SAAB Abs Gripen.The US announcement comes as the United States seeks to renew an agreement with Manila governing the US troop presence in the country, which…

Singapore preparing to live with endemic Covid-19 as residents grow ‘battle weary’ of pandemic, ministers say

Singapore is drawing up a blueprint for Covid-19 becoming endemic in a plan that may include “multi-year” vaccine booster shots such as those given for the flu virus, a shift away from monitoring daily cases and a return of mass gatherings like the country’s annual National Day Parade, officials said on Thursday.In an op-ed for the The Straits Times, the three ministers who co-head the government’s coronavirus task force said they were sketching out the plan as residents increasingly became …

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino dies aged 61

Former Philippine President Benigno Aquino, the son of two of the Southeast Asian country’s democracy icons, died on Thursday.The 61-year-old was president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, overseeing the fastest period of growth since the 1970s and challenging China’s expansive territorial claims before a United Nations-backed tribunalHe was rushed to a hospital in Quezon City where he died of heart failure, The Manila Bulletin reported, citing his family.“It is with profound sadness that…

Subcontracting

This guide outlines what subcontracting in construction contracts involves, and the main issues to consider.