Australia's new visa rules unlikely to deter Singapore students from considering further education there: Observers

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“I think it really comes down to populist fear. Certainly, if we look at what’s really happening here, certainly we have an artificially high net overseas migration figure. But that’s because during COVID, we saw an enormous exodus of people,” said Dr Allen.

“So what we’re seeing here in the numbers of net overseas migration will be short-lived, and it’s only artificially high because of COVID,” she noted.  

“But it sent panic through (political) circles and certainly, the government is trying to look tough on something that they’d have little control over. And more importantly, the figures were going to go back to normal anyway, just after we get over this artificial blip.”

On sectors that are heavily reliant on migrant labour, Dr Allen said the Australian government needs to find the right balance. 

“They need to get the messaging right, so as to not upset local Australians. But the reality is that when it comes to things like building homes, the healthcare industry, and also in new and emerging innovative industries, we require the help of overseas friends,” she added. 

“I think most importantly, if you ask people who come to Australia, and risk a lot to move to a new location and to establish themselves, I reckon that they’re pretty fed up at seeing these constant changes in the visa rules, and the kind of changing goalposts that are needed to get say, for example, permanency and so on. 

“So I think there will be some pushback from people seeking to come to Australia just as much as perhaps there’s concern within Australia about people coming to the country.”

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Pakistan: 23 soldiers killed in attack on army base

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Pakistani police vehicle pictured in Karachi in 2016Getty Images
By James Gregory
BBC News

At least 23 soldiers have been killed and dozens injured in Pakistan after militants attacked a police compound.

The attack took place in the early hours when a vehicle containing explosives rammed into the building in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border.

A militant group affiliated to the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s attack.

The compound was being used as a base camp for the Pakistani army.

Ahead of the vehicle ramming, several militants attempted to enter the compound in the Dera Ismail Khan district but failed, the army said in a statement.

The group then used an explosive-laden truck to ram into the compound’s boundary wall, which was followed by a suicide bomb attack which caused the building to collapse, the statement added.

There are concerns that the ammunition stored inside the compound in the Dera Ismail Khan district might have also exploded. An official said many people were killed while they were sleeping.

Six attackers were killed, the military said. It added that a total of 27 militants were killed following military operations in the area overnight.

Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar and caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti condemned the attack.

The Tahreek-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), which emerged earlier this year, said its members carried out Tuesday’s attack.

Attacks by militant groups in Pakistan have been on the rise, particularly in its border regions with Afghanistan, after the hard-line Islamist militant group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) withdrew from a ceasefire last year.

Experts say the TTP have been emboldened by the Afghan Taliban, following the group’s return to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021.

Islamabad has claimed that insurgents operate from areas across the border. The Taliban in Afghanistan has repeatedly denied this.

The TTP, or Pakistan Taliban group, has been fighting the country’s armed forces and police for years. The group shares the same hard-line ideology as the Afghan Taliban but is separate from it.

The group wants to impose its interpretation of Sharia law in Pakistan’s north-west.

At least 100 people were killed in a bomb blast at a mosque in the city of Peshawar in January. At the time, the TTP denied it carried out the attack, instead blaming it on a commander of a breakaway faction.

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Singapore will not claim from climate loss and damage fund despite facing rising sea levels: Grace Fu

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Last month, it announced a plan to reclaim around 800ha of land – the size of over 1,000 football fields – on its east coast, as part of coastal protection measures.

As to whether Singapore will instead contribute to the loss and damage fund, Ms Fu said the country sees its role more as one that galvanises financing for nations at risk.

“There are countries that have sounded out their willingness to contribute to the fund. We very much welcome that, from the perspective of helping our fellow island states,” she said.

“But there are countries also that have (other) resources, such as in Singapore, I think our resources will be really in activating finance, activating technology, and bringing solutions to cities. So each one of us, if we are able to find our own way to contribute to climate action, I think that’s to be welcomed.”

PHASE DOWN OR PHASE OUT?

Ms Fu also addressed a major flashpoint in the COP28 climate talks, where the choice of language over whether to “phase down” or “phase out” fossil fuels remains under furious debate.

“We will have to work through the languages to find possible landing zones. We are trying to now find languages that can actually meet the needs of most parties, and this is a very democratic process,” she said.

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Myanmar overtakes Afghanistan as opium producer

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A man working at an illegal poppy field in Hopong, Myanmar. File photoGetty Images

Myanmar is now the world’s largest producer of opium, overtaking Afghanistan, a UN report says.

It estimates that this year Myanmar will have increased production by 36% to 1,080 tonnes of opium – the key ingredient for the hard drug heroin.

The main factors are domestic instability and a 95% drop in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan after a drug ban by the ruling Taliban last year.

Afghanistan is estimated to have produced 330 tonnes of opium this year.

The report by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says Myanmar’s economy has been badly affected by conflict and instability since the military seized power in 2021.

“Limited availability of legitimate economic opportunities, constrained access to markets and state infrastructure, and a worsening economic climate brought on by inflation and monetary depreciation can make opium, as well as other illicit commodities, an attractive alternative or for subsistence livelihoods.

“In Myanmar, this appears to have played a significant role in farmers’ decisions in late 2022 to cultivate more poppy,” the report says.

The average prices at harvest time of fresh and dry opium have risen to $317 and $356 per kilogram.

In 2023, the document adds, the area under poppy cultivation in Myanmar (also known as Burma) is estimated to be 47,000 ha (116,140 acres) – an 18% rise compared with last year.

The region where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet – the so-called Golden Triangle – has historically been a major source of opium and heroin production.

Myanmar and Afghanistan are the source of most of the heroin sold around the world.

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What are your chances of developing deep vein thrombosis like actress Rui En did?

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Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is often thought of as the condition associated with air travel. You sit too long in a fixed position on the plane and a blood clot occurs in a vein deep in your leg.

But since actress Rui En revealed she developed a DVT in a vein behind her clavicle or collarbone last week, causing her right arm to swell and bruise, all bets are off that these clots are only confined to your lower extremities. Here’s a look at what DVT is and whether it can happen to you.

WHERE ELSE CAN THE BLOOD CLOTS OCCUR?

These rogue obstructions are most likely to occur in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, where the veins are injured, although some clots can happen in the arm, brain, intestines, liver or kidney, according to Cleveland Clinic.

For Rui En, a DVT had developed in a vein behind her clavicle or collarbone, causing the blood supply to her right arm to be cut off. The initial signs of the emergency, as shared by the actress on Instagram, were swelling, bruising and mottling on her arm.

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Companies say hybrid work arrangements are helpful amid spike in COVID-19 cases

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REMOTE WORK

Human resources technology company Wantedly only requires its employees in Singapore to work in the office twice a week and has kept the split team schedule introduced during the pandemic. For example, the sales team comes into the office on a different day from the marketing team.

“We decided to retain our arrangements since the pandemic because we are a knowledge-based technology company and believe in ‘getting things done’ wherever you are in terms of working location,” noted country manager Andrew Tan.

He added that it is important for the company to retain this flexibility as part of its employer branding to attract young talents such as fresh graduates.

UOB said it has a permanent flexible work policy where staff can work remotely for up to two days a week.

“We continue to provide hybrid working arrangements to eligible employees as part of creating a progressive and engaging work environment,” said the bank’s head of group human resources Dean Tong.

Prudential said the company has had a flexible working culture even before COVID-19, and recommends that employees spend one day in office with their teams and a second day in office for meetings. 

“We also conduct regular cleaning and disinfecting of common spaces and equipment in our offices to ensure that it remains clean and hygienic for our employees,” said Ms Nair.

MEDICAL LEAVE, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 

Wantedly has also been “fortunate” to not have any positive COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks, said Mr Tan.

But if employees test positive for COVID-19, they can observe the full medical certificate (MC) period of about three days, the country manager said, adding that there is “no rush to return to work” if they feel unwell. 

On whether the company provides antigen rapid test (ART) kits to employees when they work in the office, Mr Tan said that the firm does not provide fresh testing supplies but has unexpired kits from the previous year. 

MOH on Monday said that retailers and pharmacies in Singapore have sufficient supplies of ART kits, amid a rise in demand.

The ministry also advised the public to purchase kits in quantities that are sufficient only for their immediate needs and to not hoard supplies. 

Ms Nair said Prudential provides ART kits in the office for employees who require testing.

“If any employee is unwell, they are advised to seek medical attention immediately and to remain home until their health status is confirmed,” she said, adding that employees are reminded to be socially responsible and take the necessary precautions.

Mr Tong said UOB employees who feel unwell are encouraged to stay home and rest, and can apply for medical leave without the need to provide an MC.

Those working in Singapore are also entitled to one complimentary flu vaccination each year, he said, adding that the bank also takes guidance from the government for pandemic-related measures such as mask-wearing. 

“Apart from the rising number of COVID-19 infections, November to January is also typically a peak flu season due to increased social interactions and overseas travel during the year-end festivities. 

“In view of this, UOB encourages our employees to continue practising social responsibility and to take the necessary precautions to stay safe and well during this period, “ said Mr Tong. 

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