‘Won’t specially come here’: S$3 taxi surcharge from Changi Airport not a good enough incentive for taxi drivers
The temporary S$3 hike to the taxi surcharge on rides from Changi Airport has been further extended until Jun 30, 2023.Continue Reading
Marcos Jr shows the way to balance US and China
MANILA – Just weeks before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s maiden visit to China, bilateral tensions in the South China Sea are once on the boil. China is now building up several unoccupied land features in the contested maritime area, according to recent reports citing Western officials, an apparent unprecedented move on territories it didn’t […]Continue Reading
IRAS warns any unjustified price increases using the GST hike as an excuse will be investigated
The Committee Against Profiteering has been set up to address concerns about businesses using the GST increase from 7 per cent to 8 per cent on Jan 1, 2023 as a reason to raise prices.Continue Reading
US, Japan allege North Korea sending arms to Russia
SEOUL – Rumors, allegations and accusations that North Korea is supplying arms to Russian forces for use in the Ukraine war are gathering pace and resonance. On December 22, the White House accused North Korea of sending arms to Russian private military contractor the Wagner Group. Separately, a Japanese newspaper claimed that a shipment of […]Continue Reading
BOJ fires shot across US Treasury market’s bow
The Bank of Japan’s surprise policy tweak sent US government bonds down sharply, but US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen probably hasn’t seen anything yet. As the BOJ allows the yen to appreciate at long last, Yellen’s team may soon find itself short of buyers for US Treasuries in Asia and beyond. As Japanese government bond […]Continue Reading
With CDC vouchers expiring soon, some shops dangle discounts to encourage customers to use them
Beyond incentivising shoppers, merchant associations are hoping those businesses that adopt electronic payments to accept the vouchers can capture a digitally savvy customer base.Continue Reading
Charles ‘The Serpent’ Sobhraj: Serial killer and conman
KATHAMANDU: Notorious French serial killer Charles Sobhraj, the titular “Serpent” of the hit Netflix drama series, was responsible for a string of murders throughout Asia. The charismatic conman, 78, was for nearly two decades serving a life sentence for killing two tourists in Kathmandu in the 1970s, before Nepal’s topContinue Reading
TAT: Tourist arrivals to beat target by 15%
Foreign tourist arrivals to the country are on track to exceed the government’s 2022 target by 15%, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).Continue Reading
Baswedan surge alarms Indonesia’s ruling elite
JAKARTA – Unproven allegations of corruption and election irregularities leveled against recently-retired Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan suggest a gathering tide of concern in Indonesia’s nationalist camp over recent polls showing the Islamist-backed candidate making substantial gains in the 2024 presidential race. A December 1 survey by Indikator Politik, for example, saw him trailing front-runner Ganjar […]Continue Reading
Prayut to join UTN, seek another term as PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha confirmed on Friday that he will join the Ruam Thai Sang Chart (United Thai Nation) Party and expressed his readiness to be a prime ministerial candidate for the party.Continue Reading