Singapore: Latest News

If you’re a regular online shopper — especially if you’re under the age of 30 or so — you’ve probably seen the name Shein, and might have bought an outfit or two from the retailer.

Manatū Hauora – the Ministry of Health is today publishing the Aotearoa New Zealand Strategic Framework for Managing COVID-19 which sets out how the Government will continue to protect New Zealanders from the impacts of the virus.

New Delhi: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will represent India in the 76th World Health Assembly at Geneva, Switzerland to be held from May 21-30, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. In resonance with India’s commitment to a healthier world, the Union health minister will deliver keynote address at side events for ‘Heal in India and Heal by India’, as well as ‘Together we fight against TB’ reiterating India’s contribution in the field of Medical Value Travel and India’s resolve to eliminate Tuberculosis from India by 2025.

​Sukoon Health, India's leading integrated Mental Healthcare provider, inducts senior psychiatrists to strengthen its focus on comprehensive inpatient care. Dr Mathew Varghese, faculty at the Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore, and Dr Alok Sarin, Honorary Consultant to the Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science & Research in New Delhi have joined Sukoon’s Clinical Advisory Board.

Image: Steakholder Foods Two international food tech companies have worked to bring a new dish to the table – ready-to-cook fish that came from a 3D printer.The 3D-printed fish is the latest innovation in the cultivated meat industry, which is making strides to reduce the environmental impact and create longer-lasting food security. The 3D-printed fish came from Israel’s Steakholder Foods, which is a deep tech food company, and Umami Meats, a Singapore-based sustainable seafood company that provided the fish cells. And the fish in question that came out of the printer? Grouper. Two international food tech companies have worked to bring a new dish to the table – ready-to-cook grouper fish that comes from a 3D printer.

Red Velvet member Joy will step back from all scheduled activities due to health concerns.Today (April 26), Joy’s label SM Entertainment announced in a statement that the K-pop idol would not be participating in any planned activities for the time being due to the “poor condition” of her health.“Joy recently visited a hospital due to her poor health condition, and after consultation and examination, the medical staff advised that she needs treatment and rest,” SM Entertainment said per Edaily, as translated by Soompi. However, the label did not give specific about Joy’s condition.“Joy will not participate in any schedules for the time being and will instead take a break to recover her health,” it added, adding that “this decision was made following thorough discussions with Joy, looking out for her health”.Red Velvet are currently on the Asia leg of their ‘R to V’ world tour, and are set to play the Pia Arena MM in Yokohama, Japan on May 3 next.

Five people in the UK have died after catching the new Arcturus strain of Covid-19, according to UK health officials.

A new Covid variant is on the rise after the latest strain has been linked to 50 cases in the UK.

A new Covid variant that could be 'more infectious' than previous strains has been identified in the UK.

₹3,500-4,000 crore, two people familiar with the development said. Manipal intends to buy the stake held by True North, which invested $200 million in KIMS Group in March 2017. Discussions are in advanced stages, and an announcement is expected soon, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.

ALSO READ: Temasek unit takes control of Manipal "Since our investment in 2015, we have witnessed Manipal’s transformational journey of becoming one of the largest, best-managed and patient-centric healthcare networks in India. By re-investing through our new Asia fund – TPG Asia VIII, we look forward to continuing to support Manipal’s mission of bridging the quality healthcare infrastructure gap in the country," TPG Capital Asia Co-Managing Partner Puneet Bhatia said.

The 2,200-passenger Island Princess will visit 51 destinations, sailing to the Mediterranean, Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. (Credit: Princess Cruise) Princess Cruises opened sales for its longest voyage yet- a 116 day cruise, touring six continents and starting at $19,999 per person. The full cruise starts at $19,999 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.The 2,200-passenger Island Princess will visit 51 destinations, sailing to the Mediterranean, Central America, Africa, Asia and Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.In total, passengers will experience 26 countries and cover 33,500 nautical miles.ROYAL CARIBBEAN CEO 'OPTIMISTIC' ABOUT FUTURE OF SAILING DESPITE GROWING RECESSION TALKWorld travelers will be given the option to depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Jan.

—Kaustubh Check the travel insurance policy terms and conditions. Some policies have a general exclusion for pandemics, which means that they may not cover any losses or expenses incurred due to covid-19.

An Australian company has lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct mammoth. (Credit: Aico Lind www.studioaico.nl)Throw another mammoth on the barbie?An Australian company on Tuesday lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct pachyderm, saying it was meant to fire up public debate about the hi-tech treat.The launch in an Amsterdam science museum came just days before April 1 so there was an elephant in the room: Is this for real?"This is not an April Fools joke," said Tim Noakesmith, founder of Australian startup Vow.

A sign stands outside of a McDonald's restaurant February 9, 2009 in San Francisco, California. Fast food chain restaurant McDonald's reported a 7.1 percent increase in same store sales for January as people look towards cheaper food alternatives in CHICAGO - The McDonald’s McFlurry has been a popular, sweet staple among fast-food fans for decades.

WASHINGTON - The CEO of TikTok made a rare public appearance Thursday before a U.S. Congressional committee, where he faced a grilling on data security and user safety while he makes his own case for why the hugely popular video-sharing app shouldn't be banned.Shou Zi Chew's testimony comes at a crucial time for the company, which has acquired 150 million American users but is under increasing pressure from U.S.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that due to the public sector engaging in business activities, the money that was available for the construction of 100 projects similar to the Mahaweli during the past decades, was destroyed.He noted that in the future, the public sector will stop engaging in business and open it to the private sector to create a free and productive economy.President Wickremesinghe mentioned this at the 71st commemoration ceremony of the late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake at Independence Square on Wednesday (22).Recalling that D.S.

#Arcturus variant has now been detected in at least 12 countries. Highest cases in India followed by the US, Brunei, Singapore and the UK. In India, there is a 281% increase in cases 17% increase in deaths over the past 14 days.

Waze said the new EV charging station feature would be available starting this week and rolling out globally "over the coming weeks." (Credit: Provided / Waze) SAN FRANCISCO - Waze, the Google-owned navigation app, is hoping to make it easier for drivers of electric vehicles to find a charging station.The company announced in a blog post on Tuesday that users will now be able to enter their electric vehicle (EV) and plug type into the Waze app to find relevant charging stations along their route. "Charging station information is often inconsistent, outdated or unreliable, creating a major pain point for EV drivers who may navigate to a charging station only to discover they can’t find it or use it," the company said in a statement. "By adding up-to-date EV charging information to the Waze map, it’s even easier to charge your car and get help finding where or when you’ll come across the next station."Waze said the EV data will be reviewed and updated in real-time by its community map editors to ensure accuracy. Waze said the feature was available starting this week and roling out globally "over the coming weeks."But a report published on Wednesday by Electrek noted how the EV Charger finding feature was still showing nearby gas stations instead of chargers for one user.

Covid variants stated that India reported the highest number of XBB 1.16 variant cases, currently, the tally stands at 48. Singapore and the US detected 14 and 15 cases respectively, according to a report by The Times of India.  “Thee India states--Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra--are having a high prevalence of XBB 1.16 Covid variant," a top genome expert said.  Speaking to TOI, Dr Vipin M Vashishtha, a member of WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net who has been tracking new Covid variants, said the previous XBB.1 descendant, XBB.1.5, had become dominant across the globe but not in India.  “There is some worry about XBB.1.16 globally because it has certain mutations in the non-spike region of the virus: two ORF9b mutations.

TORONTO - Canada is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it might be a first step to further action.The European Union’s executive branch said last week it has temporarily banned TikTok from phones used by employees as a cybersecurity measure. The EU’s action follows similar moves in the U.S., where more than half of the states and Congress have banned TikTok from official government devices.TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company that moved its headquarters to Singapore. It has been targeted by critics who say the Chinese government could access user data, such as browsing history and location.

₹1.4 crore. A 28-year-old Bangladeshi man's death in 2021 was probably brought on by the vaccine, Singapore said. The revelation comes after reports of its first fatality associated with the Covid-19 vaccine as the Ministry of Health (MOH) spoke about the death of the young man.

Under the Covid vaccination drive, more than 220.56 crore vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 1,60,769 vaccine doses were administered New Delhi India has reported 128 new Covid cases in the last 24 hours, according to the union health ministry data. The total number of Covid cases reached 4.47 crore, with 530,745 Covid-related deaths since the onset of the Covid pandemic.

COLOMBO (News 1st) –  The aft section of the X-Press Pearl wreck was successfully raised from the sea floor and is aboard the semi-submersible FAN ZHOU 10. This was confirmed to News 1st by X-Press Feeders, former operators of the container ship 'X-Press Pearl'.The wreck section will now be transported to a certified decommissioning facility for dismantling, recycling, and disposal.The Shanghai Salvage Companies' onsite team is now focusing on the remaining fore section of the wreck with tandem lifting barges ZR122 and ZR123, planning to raise the last section in the near future, depending on prevailing weather conditions.The alvage works on the wreck have re-commenced after the end of the southwest monsoon season commenced in late November 2022. The focus was cutting the hull into two sections for lifting.Incident Overview:On May 20, 2021, the Singapore -flagged Containership, 'X-Press Pearl' reported smoke from the cargo hold while at Colombo anchorage, Sri Lanka.Emergency procedures were initiated, and Co2 released in the cargo hold.

Given the fresh surge in infections some countries, RT-PCR tests have been made mandatory for flyers coming from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand from 1 January NEW DELHI: India reported 170 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the Union health ministry said in an update on Monday. The country’s active caseload has declined to 2,371, with total reported cases since the pandemic hit in 2020 stands at 4,46,80,094 and death toll at 530,721. Active cases comprise 0.01% of the total infections, and the recovery rate has risen to 98.80%, according to the health ministry.

On Friday, Covid guidelines were revised by the Centre for passengers arriving on international flights. Negative RT-PCR tests will be mandatory from January 1 to enter India from countries that are seeing massive COVID surge currently. These countries include China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

The civil aviation ministry has asked the airlines to modify check-in systems ahead of new Covid norms for travellers from China, 5 other countries The civil aviation ministry on Friday asked airlines to modify their check-in systems for international passengers coming into India as part of the revised Covid guidelines, which makes a negative Covid test report a must for travellers coming from China and five other countries from Sunday. The ministry's direction comes a day after the health ministry decided to make RT-PCR negative test reports compulsory for passengers coming on all international flights from six high-risk countries --China, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Japan.

While the Central government has started random sampling and testing of 2% of foreign travellers at Delhi airport, in the last two days, more than 6,000 international travellers have been scanned, out of which 39 passengers have tested covid-19 positive. New Delhi: Government officials warned that the next 40 days would be crucial in determining the possibility of a resurgence of covid-19 cases in India as they urged people to follow safety protocols and complete their vaccination doses.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Government of China has donated 10.6 Million liters of Diesel to Sri Lanka for farmers and fisheries in Sri Lanka.The "Super Eastern" vessel carrying diesel is scheduled to arrive in the country form Singapore to the Port of Colombo tomorrow (26).The embassy earlier tweeted that China will donate 10.6 million liters of diesel to farmers and fishermen in remote areas of Sri Lanka, to upgrade livelihood in the most affected sectors of agriculture & fishery. The shipments are scheduled between November and December, and will be distributed to the needed asap.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Sri Lankan Government’s intention was to resume the negotiations on free trade agreements said Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake.It is the vision of the President that Sri Lanka will integrate with the global value chains and with the largest economies in South Asia and East Asia and then expand to the east region linking to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).Further, the Secretary to the President invited private sector stakeholders to creatively engage in this development initiative as they are the ultimate beneficiaries.He made these observations during an awareness session on the resumption of negotiations of free trade agreements held for Trade Chambers and Industry Advisory Committees at the Finance Ministry on November (16).Secretary to the Treasury, Secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industries, and the members of the National Trade Negotiation Committee also participated.The contours of Global trade have been significantly changed in recent years by bringing regional and global production networks as driving factors of international trade where Sri Lanka has not yet been engaged to tap the potential.

Annual growth of USD 3 billion from new export from 2023 to 2032. Foreign Direct Investment of more than 3 billion USD in the next ten years. Creating an internationally competitive workforce with high skills in the next ten years.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The government is collaborating with the Californian university system to obtain assistance to modernize agriculture in Sri Lanka and to set up a new agro-technology university, said Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe.He was addressing the 70th anniversary of the United States-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission Program in Colombo on Wednesday (16).He said that the government discussed with a group of Singaporean investors on Tuesday (15) the supply of food for island nations and Middle East countries which lack their food resources. He said that this was only the start and he issued instructions to find the land for it and modernize agriculture. He said that Fulbright alumni such as Prof Pradeepa Bandaranaike are vital assets in modernizing agriculture. He added that the new agro-technology university will be combined with the Tea Research Institute (TRI), among others, to work with some of the American institutions on how to upgrade research in Sri Lanka.President Ranil Wickremesinghe also said that the government is focusing on improving English language education within the next ten years.

Coronaviruses recombine fast and much time has passed since the time it might have originated It is common knowledge that SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 jumped from bats but what still remains a mystery is the origin of the virus and how it jumped to humans.  A new study has revealed that chances of finding the direct ancestor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are very bleak. It also states that COVID virus probably shared an ancestor with the coronaviruses found in bats more recently than was thought.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it continues to monitor the progress of the passengers of Sri Lankan origin who were rescued and bought to the Port of Vung Tau in Viet Nam on 08 November 2022.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Sri Lanka Navy that they had received information about a vessel carrying approximately 303 persons believed to be Sri Lankans which was in distress in the waters between the Philippines and Viet Nam on 07 November 2022.  Sri Lanka Navy having contacted the vessel, informed that the crew had abandoned the vessel with the passengers onboard. On the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in coordination with the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Missions in the Philippines, Singapore and Viet Nam together with the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers (MRCC) based in Singapore, the rescue efforts were coordinated, said the Foreign Ministry.Subsequently, the Japanese-flagged vessel, “Helios Leader”, having been contacted by the Singapore MRCC, rescued the passengers from the distressed vessel. The passengers were handed over to Viet Nam authorities at Vung Tau Port in South Viet Nam.The screening of the passengers will be done by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in coordination with the Viet Nam authorities and the Sri Lanka Embassy in Viet Nam.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Vietnamese rescue ship had docked alongside a Japanese ship to bring more than 300 Sri Lankans in distress ashore on Tuesday (8).According to reports from Vietnam, the Vietnamese Coast Guard vessel SAR 413 of the Center for Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Area 3 approached the fishing boat LADY R3311.According to a border guard commander of Ba Ria – Vung Tau province, at 6 pm on November 6th, when the fishing boat arrived in the Truong Sa archipelago, it broke water and drifted into the sea, the ship sent a distress signal.On November 7th, the Japanese cargo ship Helios Leader en-route from Japan to Singapore approached the distressed vessel and brought all 305 Sri Lankan citizens and sailors on board and proceeded to Vung Tau where it was met by the Vietnamese Coast Guard.The Vietnamese functional forces boarded the Herios Leader Vessel, a vehicle carrier, anchored off the coast of Vung Tau to receive the more than 300 Sri Lankans.It is reported that the Sri Lankans were saved by the crew aboard the Herios Leader Vessel.Accompanying the delegation on board the ship SAR 413 were representatives of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Vietnam.

(COLOMBO, Sri Lanka) – Sri Lanka’s navy said Monday that about 300 suspected migrants have been rescued by Singapore authorities after their boat started sinking.Navy spokesperson Indika de Silva said a Sri Lankan citizen on the boat contacted the navy Monday and said they were in distress, and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Colombo sought help from Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines.Singapore authorities later notified Sri Lanka that the people on board the boat had been rescued and were heading to Vietnam.De Silva said the navy is only officially aware of the presence of one Sri Lankan on board the vessel, and the identities of the others will be ascertained after they land in Vietnam.Sri Lankans in the past sometimes undertook hazardous and illegal boat journeys to escape a long civil war.

The best way to deal with the new COVID variant is to keep the immunity quotient high throughout the year Even after nearly 3 years, COVID remains a threat to us mostly because the virus is still mutating. The latest variant of Omicron continues to be a threat to us as it is said to spreading faster than its predecessors and has immune escape properties. So even if you are vaccinated and also boosted, you still need to be careful.

Health officials have warned about two mutant strains of coronavirus that have emerged in the UK.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Two  ships of the Royal Australian Navy, namely; HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac which are engaged in Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022 arrived at the Port of Colombo this morning (25th October 2022). On their arrival, the visiting ships were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tradition.Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE) began in 2017 as an activity coordinated by the Australian Defence Force to strengthen Australia’s engagement and partnerships with regional security forces. Thus, this year’s IPE will return to Southeast and South Asia, consolidating partnerships with 14 countries such as Timor-Leste, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Maldives and India.Commodore Mal Wise of Royal Australian Navy is the Commander Joint Task Force for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2022.The visiting ship HMAS Adelaide which is a 230m-long Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) is commanded by Captain SJ Watters.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – Hindus across the World Celebrate the Deepavali Festival today (24).Diwali (also called Divali or Deepavali) is a “festival of lights” that celebrates the triumph of light over dark and good over evil, and the blessings of victory, freedom, and enlightenment. The name comes from Sanksrit dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” On the night of Diwali, celebrants light dozens of candles and clay lamps (called diyas), placing them throughout their homes and in the streets to light up the dark night. In most of India, Diwali consists of a five-day celebration that peaks on the third day with the main celebration of Diwali. In other places where Diwali occurs, usually only the main day is celebrated.Diwali is primarily celebrated by followers of the Hindu, Sikh, and Jain faiths.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Offshore Patrol Vessel P 627 of Sri Lanka Navy, which set sail for her home-bound journey from Seattle, United States on 03rd September 2022, called at the Port of Changi in Singapore on 22nd October 2022. The High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present on this occasion to welcome the ship.After having called at the Port of Manila in the Philippines, P 627 began her home-bound journey from there on 16th October. Having covered a passage of about 1393 nautical miles (2580 km) she arrived in Singapore on 22nd October 2022 for replenishment and services.When the ship arrived at the Port of Changi, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Singapore, Sashikala Premawardhane was also present to welcome the ship.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – A Chinese vessel has reached Sri Lankan shores to assist in the salvage operations of the X-Press Pearl vessel that sand in Sri Lankan waters.The X-Press Pearl burnt and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka in May 2021, reportedly after two ports had refused to off-load a container leaking nitric acid – typically used in fertilizers and explosives – because they lacked the expertise and facilities to tend to the leak. This produced an ecological catastrophe.Sri Lanka's Marine Environment Protection Authority told News 1st that the Chinese salvage team will cut the vessel in half, and move the two parts of the vessel away from Sri Lanka.This operation will commence once favourable weather conditions prevail, and salvage operation will also include the removal of debris from the Sri Lankan ocean floor in an area of one square kilometer around the shipwreck.Incident Overview:On May 20, 2021, the Singapore -flagged Containership, ‘X-Press Pearl’ reported smoke from the cargo hold while at Colombo anchorage, Sri Lanka.On May 21, the vessel reported fire on deck.

A rapidly spreading Covid strain has been dubbed the Nightmare Variant after it was found to double infections in a matter of days.

Overall COVID-19 cases declined again last week, down 6% compared to the week before, but some Western Asian nations such as Singapore are experiencing a steady surge in cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest update on the pandemic.

Covid-19 cases between 10 -16 October compared to the previous week. XXB was discovered in Singapore in August. It is a hybrid of Omicron's BA.2.75 and BJ.1 sub-variants.

Covid-19 cases in the second week of October. The Department's Surveillance Officer Dr Pradeep Awate had earlier said that the state has reported the XBB variant, which is a new variant having a "growth advantage" over BA.2.75 and immune evasive property. The city civic body asked citizens to get vaccinated against the viral infection, if not done so till now and also get booster dose, and wear face masks in crowded places and follow other COVID-19 protocols.

Singapore is transparent about the adverse reactions due to the vaccination and its Health Science Authority publishes all reported adverse reactions every three months. He also warned about the evolving nature of the Covid-19 virus which may turn up into any other variant and increase the level of threat. "Come December, we don't know what kind of variant will come up or what kind of variant will arrive in Singapore.

COLOMBO (News 1st) – The Ministry of Trade says that steps have been taken to speedily re-implement around 35 trade agreements signed with various countries, which currently remain inactive.Ministry Secretary S.T. Kodikara stated that the International Trade Office, Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Commerce Department of the Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs will implement this program in collaboration.The Secretary stated that many discussions regarding some trade agreements have collapsed due to various reasons.The Secretary of the Ministry of Trade stated that these agreements are being implemented with the aim of promoting trade among the countries which have exempted existing tax bases.Under this initiative, it is expected to improve the free trade agreement with Singapore.Apart from the FTA, the trade agreements signed with India, Thailand and China, which are currently inactive, are also due to be implemented again soon.