Singapore Hotel Staycation Promotions During Phase 3

Yahoo News Singapore
People in Singapore can choose Pfizer or Moderna shots at vaccination centres: report
People in Singapore who are eligible to get COVID-19 vaccination can choose from the list of centres administering either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots, according to a report by The Straits Times.
5 hours ago
South China Morning Post
Former Hong Kong lawmakers facing prosecution under national security law hit with fresh charges of contempt of Legislative Council
Two former opposition lawmakers currently facing prosecution under Hong Kong’s national security law were slapped with more charges on Tuesday, as prosecutors accused them of contempt of the legislature over an incident that took place when they were still members last year. Andrew Wan Siu-kin and Helena Wong Pik-wan were not required to enter pleas at their first appearance over the new case at Eastern Court on Tuesday, with the defence requesting an adjournment pending the Court of Final Appeal’s ruling on the constitutionality of a similar prosecution. The two Democratic Party members, who are among the 47 opposition politicians and activists charged with subversion over an unofficial primary election last summer, are now facing a combined total of three counts of contempt under Section 17(c) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance, which penalises interruptions of Legco sessions.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Wong, 62, was technically charged in two separate cases, the first for allegedly creating or joining “a disturbance which interrupted or was likely to interrupt” a Legco committee hearing on October 15 last year. She was said to have committed the offence together with fugitive ex-lawmaker Ted Hui Chi-fung, who is now in Australia. In the second case, Wong was charged alongside Wan, 51, with creating another disturbance in a separate committee meeting the next day. The legality of prosecuting lawmakers by invoking a provision designed to protect their rights has been the subject of debate in a separate case involving former legislator “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, who was charged with the same offence for snatching a folder from a government official during a Legco sitting in 2016. The 64-year-old has applied to overturn an appellate court’s ruling that upheld the constitutionality of his prosecution. The full hearing before the top court is slated for August 31. Judiciary reveals bail decision reasons in several security law cases In Tuesday’s hearing, Principal Magistrate Peter Law Tak-chuen granted defence lawyers’ request to postpone the case to October 4, pending the determination of Leung’s appeal. He released Wan and Wong on HK$1,000 (US$129) cash bail, though Wan will remain behind bars as he was previously remanded in custody in the security law case. Wong had been granted bail in the earlier proceedings. Contempt of the Legislative Council is punishable by one year imprisonment and a fine for a first offence.This article Former Hong Kong lawmakers facing prosecution under national security law hit with fresh charges of contempt of Legislative Council first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
8 hours ago
AFP News
UN fears Myanmar could be heading towards 'full-blown' conflict
The UN rights chief warned Tuesday Myanmar could be spiralling towards a "full-blown" Syrian-style conflict, after a two-month crackdown that a local monitoring group says has already claimed more than 700 lives.
9 hours ago
AFP News
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The first men's major of 2021 dominates AFP Sport's golf talking points this week:
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Teething problems: Bidens' dog Major goes back to school
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Yahoo News Singapore
Singapore public servant, another woman to be charged over COVID-19 data leak
A female civil servant and another woman, both 36, will be charged on Wednesday (14 April) over alleged leaks of the daily updates of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Singapore prior to their official release, the police said on Tuesday (13 April).
3 hours ago
South China Morning Post
Man forced to work at illegal factory for a decade reunited with family after chance encounter at shopping centre
For a woman surnamed Wu, a mundane trip to a shopping centre resulted in her helping a man who had been tricked into forced labour ten years ago reunite with his long-lost family. Wu, who was from the same village in Guizhou in southern China, found the man, who was homeless at the time, at a local shopping centre in Kaili City, according to the Guizhou Metropolis News. “We were very young and we only heard the adults saying the man lost touch with his family after leaving home to work and they couldn’t find him anywhere,” said Wu. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The man, who shares the same surname and is named Wu Fangwen, had been tricked into forced labour by an illegal brickmaking factory when he left home a decade ago. He said the organisation took away his mobile phone and ID card, making it impossible to escape. Wu Fangwen was forced to make bricks for a decade and was treated terribly, eventually losing his memory because of ill health. Finally, a moment presented itself, and the man was able to run away in February. With no identification and in ill health, he was left to wander about until aid workers at the regional civil affairs office found him and guided him from Maoming, in Guangdong, to Kaili City, about 850km away. Unfortunately, the ordeal was not finished, as the man still could not get home from Kaili City for ten days until he randomly bumped into Wu, the woman who helped him get home. Wu, for her part, was doubtful that such a once-in-a-billion coincidence could exist, but she decided to take a chance: “I called his name in my home dialect and he immediately cried. I knew then I’d found him,” she said. The woman then began to ask Wu Fangwen where he had been, telling him his family had searched everywhere for the man, who now looked very thin and had a hunched back. “Your mother was always crying when she lost touch and she became ill,” she told him. The woman then contacted Wu Fangwen’s family, who cried upon hearing their long-lost family member had been discovered. “He cried after I told him that I would take him home. I am emotional too. I feel so distressed looking at him,” the woman said. Many on social media expressed their sympathy for the man and applauded the woman for her kindness. Pakistani victim of forced labour in Hong Kong loses Court of Final Appeal bid to create new human trafficking offence “What kind of life he must have been through for the past ten years… It’s very lucky that he met this kind woman,” one user on the Twitter-like platform Weibo said. “This woman was really clever to use the home dialect first to confirm. Her kindness should be rewarded,” another added. Incidents of captured labour in China are rare but not unprecedented. A court in Fangcheng county in Henan, a province in central China, sentenced four men to between seven and nine months in jail for forcing more than 20 mentally challenged people to work at a factory that makes kilns for about a year between 2006 and 2007, according to People’s Court Daily. The workers were trafficked from cities in Henan, beaten, locked in the factory and forced to work long hours before being reported and released in 2007.This article Man forced to work at illegal factory for a decade reunited with family after chance encounter at shopping centre first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
South China Morning Post
EU says it won’t pay off Montenegro’s billion-dollar highway debt to China
The European Union says it will not pay off Montenegro’s near-US$1 billion debts to China, rejecting the tiny Balkan nation’s repeated pleas for help. A spokesman for the EU told the South China Morning Post that it “does not repay loans of partners which they took from third parties”, although he did express concern “over the socioeconomic and financial effects of some of China’s investments in Montenegro”. He continued that Brussels was willing to work with the country, a candidate for EU membership, to put its debts on a sustainable footing.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Montenegro’s finance minister Milojko Spajic on Sunday became the latest cabinet member to ask Brussels for help in repaying a dollar-denominated loan signed with the Export-Import Bank of China in 2014 to build the first section of a highway linking the country with neighbouring Serbia. “This is a small but easy win for them. It’s low-hanging fruit,” Spajic told the Financial Times in an interview published on Sunday. The loan was agreed under the previous government, with Spaijic making it clear that the new administration, which took over in December, wanted closer ties with Brussels than Beijing. “For infrastructure we’re currently relying on China … The situation is dramatic from a geopolitical standpoint,” he told the FT. Debt-trap diplomacy? Report finds China can cancel loans if displeased The unfinished highway project has often been cited as an example of the “debt-trap diplomacy” China is accused of deploying as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure drive to connect the global East and West. Beijing has rejected the accusations saying its loans to developing countries have no strings attached. The FT reported that with an estimated cost of US$23.8 million per kilometre, the highway is thought to be among the most expensive strips of road in the world, with the first repayments due in July. It has helped increase the public debt rate in Montenegro – which is seeking to join the EU – from 65.9 per cent to an estimated 80 per cent of gross domestic product once the loan is repaid, according to figures cited by the European Parliament. To absorb the costs, Podgorica has had to raise cash elsewhere, such as a 21 per cent value-added tax on non-tourism activities. In an address to the European Parliament’s committee on foreign affairs in March, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic asked members to “help us replace the credit with [a loan from] some European banks”, adding that it would help stymie Chinese influence in the country. Peter Stano, the EU’s spokesman for foreign affairs and security issues, told the Post that the bloc is already the biggest provider of financial help to Montenegro, as well as its biggest investor and trading partner. China pins hopes on Balkans as gateway to Europe but faces growing scepticism “The EU will continue to support Montenegro on its path towards EU membership, and in this context work with the country to find financial solutions for its investment projects and to ensure the sustainability of its public debt,” Stano said. “But while every country is free to establish its investment objectives, the EU has concerns over the socioeconomic and financial effects some of China’s investments in Montenegro can have, which risk macroeconomic imbalances and debt-dependency,” he added. Concerns have been rising in Brussels about China’s growing influence in the Western Balkans, where it has strong ties with regional powerhouse Serbia. It is not clear whether Montenegro will be able to gain support from other sources and major European public funding outfits had previously turned their noses up at the first section of the Bar-Boljare motorway, which will run from the Adriatic Sea to the border with Serbia. A report by the Dutch Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said last year that two feasibility studies had been conducted in 2006 and 2012 respectively, with both the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development and the European Investment Bank expressing “no interest” in the project. Coronavirus runs roughshod over debt-laden belt and road projects “Montenegro sees China as a rising global power that brings new economic and financing opportunities. Local institutions and actors in Montenegro are positively disposed and keen to develop and deepen bilateral relations,” the report read. “Expectations continue to prevail over critical attitudes because of a perceived imperative to address the country’s development needs.”This article EU says it won’t pay off Montenegro’s billion-dollar highway debt to China first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
South China Morning Post
Taiwan ready to welcome former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Taiwan is making arrangements for former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to visit the island later this year -a move that is likely to anger Beijing. Pompeo, known for his strong support of the island during his time as the US secretary of state, had expressed his interest in visiting the island soon after he stepped down in January. On Monday deputy foreign minister Tien Chung-kwang said “we’re working hard on this” in response to questions in the legislature.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. When further asked whether Pompeo would be able to visit Taiwan this year, Tien said: “Yes.” Taiwan to stage live-fire drills as fears of possible PLA attack grow The announcement comes at a time of escalating tensions between Taiwan and the mainland, which has stepped up military intimidation against the island by staging war games nearby and sending warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone. This month the aerial incursions have taken place on a daily basis, with more than 20 planes taking part in some sorties, and the Liberty Times in Taipei estimates they have happened on at least 86 days this year. On Monday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the mainland had sent a record 25 warplanes into the island’s defence zone. During an interview with Taiwan’s semi-official Central News Agency last month, Pompeo said he was looking forward to visiting the island. “It would be wonderful to get the chance to travel there someday. I would truly enjoy that. It would be a real treat,” he said. In a sign of his staunch support for Taiwan, on Monday Pompeo tweeted a photo of him sitting in front of a chessboard and having a bite of dried pineapple given to him by Taiwan’s de facto envoy to Washington Hsiao Bi-khim. “As a proponent of freedom, enjoying some Taiwanese dried pineapple. Checkmate,” he tweeted. In response, Hsiao tweeted: “Glad that @mikepompeo likes Taiwanese dried pineapples which I have been sharing around town.” Beijing suspended the import of Taiwan’s pineapples at the start of March on the grounds that they had pest problem, but the move was seen by the island as a new move to ramp up pressure on Taipei and to force the island’s president Tsai Ing-wen, from the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, to accept the “one China principle”. As a proponent of freedom, enjoying some Taiwanese dried pineapple. Checkmate. pic.twitter.com/Y0wD2E3GDt — Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) April 11, 2021 Pompeo won support from the Taiwanese public but angered Beijing by supporting the island while in office, and has condemned the mainland for suppressing the island after he stepped down. Chinese state media has responded by describing Pompeo as the worst secretary of state. Pompeo, who saw Beijing as a threat to the US and the world, lifted decades-old US administrative restrictions on official exchanges with Taiwan in January, just days before he left office. Meetings with Taiwanese officials are now encouraged in federal buildings and can also take place at Taiwan’s representative office – activities strictly prohibited in the past. US navy sends China the message: ‘we’re watching you’ “We started staring at them [the rules] and realised it was just crazy. We had this completely separate set of rules that made no sense,” he told Central News Agency. “It made sense for us to have more conversations, not fewer. To have more open conversations, not more clandestine conversations.” Beijing, which claims sovereignty over Taiwan and vows to retake the island by force if necessary, has strongly protested against Washington having official contacts with and supplying defensive arms to the island. It has demanded that the US – which switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taipei in 1979 – abide by the “one-China” policy. But relations between Taiwan and the US under the Trump administration warmed significantly with Washington sending government ministers, including the health secretary Alex Azar, to visit last year.More from South China Morning Post:Taiwan says PLA flies 25 warplanes into its airspace, the largest incursion yetUS-China relations: military tensions continue to rise over TaiwanThis article Taiwan ready to welcome former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
South China Morning Post
South China Sea: Can PLA learn from US Navy tactics with mini-carrier strike group?
As the world’s two biggest naval fleets engage in the Indo-Pacific region, China’s People’s Liberation Army can observe and learn from the United States Navy in adapting future tactical combined operations, according to defence analysts. They said the operators of China’s Type 075 amphibious assault vessels could examine the US deployment of an amphibious-ready group (ARG) to the South China Sea which was led by the USS Makin Island landing helicopter dock (LHD) and joined the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group on April 9 for exercises. The USS Makin Island is a 40,000-tonne Wasp-class amphibious assault ship able to carry a detachment of Marine F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters. The LHD and two San Antonio-class landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious transport ships – the USS Somerset and USS San Diego – as well as several helicopter and assault craft units form the Makin Island ARG.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. “The displacement size and functions of the Wasp-class LHD are similar to the PLA’s Type 075 LHD, while the San Antonio-class transport docks are similar to China’s Type 071 landing platform docks (LPD),” Hong Kong-based military commentator Song Zhongping said. Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie said the PLA would learn from the experiences of its American counterpart in turning its LHD and LPD into mini-aircraft carrier strike groups, an effective cost-saving measure. “The US has studied how to operate their ARG in a more feasible and efficient way,” Li said. “For China, the key mission of their Type 075 and Type 071 will be defending the country’s territorial sovereignty in the East and South China seas, as well as overseas interests, meaning the ARG combination is a better option than aircraft carrier strike groups.” Macau-based military observer Antony Wong Tong said deploying both LHDs and LPDs indicated the US Navy’s capacity for tactical manoeuvres and joint cooperation on the high seas. “The combination of LHD and LPD is an integrated expeditionary strike group, which is worth the PLA learning from if they are going to better deploy their Type 075 and Type 071 amphibious warships,” Wong said. Philippines, US to start two-week joint military drills amid South China Sea tensions Beijing plans to own at least six aircraft carrier strike groups by 2035, but so far it just launched two. The third is expected to be completed later this year. China has launched three Type 075 LHDs, which were designed to each carry up to 30 attack helicopters and armoured vehicles, and eight smaller Type 071 LPDs with the displacement of 25,000 tonnes. The Type 075 is the world’s third largest amphibious assault vessel behind the USS Wasp and America classes. It is bigger than Japan’s Izumo class and France’s Mistral class. However, Song said that in addition to the amphibious ships, the most powerful weapon of the Makin Island ARG were the F-35B squadrons and detachments of multi-role helicopters suited to different types of sea warfare missions. “The most challenging problem of the PLA is a lack of new-generation fixed-wing carrier-based aircraft like the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jets,” Song said. “The F-35B helps the USS Marines grab air supremacy in both ARG operations, making its function like that of the mini-carrier strike groups … that means the US Navy owns nearly 20 carrier strike groups around the world.” To solve the current shortcomings, Song suggested the PLA install a catapult on the deck of the Type 075 LHD to upgrade the platform and allow it to operate the country’s carrier-based J-15 fighter jet. The US navy was reported to have tested the idea of smaller carriers, which would reduce the range, speed and capacity of its US$13 billion nuclear-powered supercarriers known as CVNs, but cost half as much or even less, Forbes reported in December. The ARG operation could be seen as testing a mini-carrier option, an exercise China could learn from, Song and Li said. More from South China Morning Post:China’s military tracks US warship traversing Taiwan StraitChinese Type 055 destroyer joins aircraft carrier group for first timeChinese military: fourth aircraft carrier likely to be nuclear powered, sources sayUS navy warns China ‘we’re watching you’ as destroyer shadows Liaoning carrier groupChina-Philippines Whitsun Reef dispute could get worse as US chips inThis article South China Sea: Can PLA learn from US Navy tactics with mini-carrier strike group? first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
South China Morning Post
Chinese influencer Guo Meiling among 75 arrested for selling diet pills containing banned substances
Guo Meiling, a Chinese influencer better known as Guo Meimei, was among 75 people arrested by Shanghai police for selling diet food that contains banned substances, news portal The Paper reported on Monday. The Pudong district police in Shanghai issued a notice in March on Guo’s detention and later confirmed the arrest. There have been 74 other people arrested across the country in relation to the case, which involves more than 50 million yuan (US$7.6 million), according to the The Paper report. The police received a tip in December that some people were advertising “special dietary foods” online, but the products had added sibutramine, an appetite suppressant that is banned in China, which has health side effects, the report said. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Police hold celebrity Guo Meimei on World Cup gambling charges The police had tracked the chain in several provinces and arrested 75 suspects, including Guo, The Paper said. They also shut down three production headquarters and 24 sales headquarters, obtaining more than 65,000 pills, 34 kilograms of raw material, three pieces of machinery and more than 20,000 pieces of packaging material. Born in 1991 in Hunan province, Guo was one of the first generation of socialites and viral celebrities, but is best known for her scandals. In 2011, she posted a series of pictures of her extravagant lifestyle on Weibo, in which she either sported high jewellery or limited-edition Hermès purses or was seen driving pricey supercars. She had also claimed to be the general manager of a firm called Red Cross Commerce, which caused public anger and attracted the attention of officials. The scandal badly tarnished the state-backed Red Cross’ reputation in China, as the Chinese public raised doubts about the misuse of donations. The organisation denied any links with Guo, who became a poster girl for the worst excesses of China’s wealthy elite. She also confessed in a live broadcast on CCTV that her lifestyle was financed by her wealthy “sugar daddy” lovers and she had sexual relationships with a number of men for money, as well as her casino operation. “I like to show off ... I have the vain mindset of a little girl,” she said. “There are many men who want to sleep with me no matter how much it costs.” In 2014, Guo was detained on suspicion of running gambling sessions, engaging in prostitution and posting fraudulent information online during the World Cup. In 2015, Guo was sentenced to five years in prison for operating illegal casinos. She was released in July 2019. More from South China Morning Post:Easy as pie? Chinese police find suspect in iPhone apple milk caseChinese police detain 80 for selling fake Covid-19 vaccinesChina jails citizen journalist Zhang Zhan for four years over Wuhan coronavirus reportsChinese woman says malicious gossip forced her out of jobChinese steel production powers ahead despite curbs in industry’s heartlandThis article Chinese influencer Guo Meiling among 75 arrested for selling diet pills containing banned substances first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
Bloomberg
Hong Kong wants only vaccinated travellers for Singapore bubble
As part of a push to get more of its population vaccinated, Hong Kong is planning to only allow those who’ve had COVID-19 shots to fly from the city to Singapore once both governments finalise a travel bubble.
7 hours ago
South China Morning Post
Xinjiang court to hear defamation case against German researcher Adrian Zenz over forced labour claims
A court in Xinjiang will hear a defamation case against a German researcher who has accused Beijing of large-scale human rights abuses against Muslims in the far-western region. A court in Kashgar, the biggest city in southern Xinjiang, accepted the civil case filed by Shache Xiongying Textile Limited on April 2, according to a Friday post by ts.cn, a news outlet affiliated with the Xinjiang government. A spokesman said the company had suffered from heavy economic losses due to Zenz’s “distorted” studies. The lawsuit asks the court to order Zenz to stop his research, pay compensation and apologise to the company.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. The US-based researcher is banned from entering China or doing business there and it is not clear how such an order could be enforced if the court rules against him. US-based researcher hits back at Chinese academic over Xinjiang Zenz said on Monday he has never been contacted directly about the lawsuit. “It’s all claims, unverified claims. They might be gradually trying to use this for propaganda purposes,” he said. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of actions against the researcher, who has published reports that say the mainly Uygur Muslims in the region have been subjected to mass detention, forced sterilisation and forced labour. Some Western governments, including the United States, have now described Beijing’s actions as “genocide”. Some international textile and fashion companies are currently seeking to make sure their supply chains exclude products or materials from the region over concerns about forced labour. Zenz was one of the individuals placed on a sanctions list last month in retaliation for sanctions from the European Union – the bloc’s first against China since the 1989 Tiananmen killings – by banning European government bodies, politicians, academics and a think thank from visiting or doing business with China. Beijing has also exchanged similar sanctions with the United States, Canada and Britain over Xinjiang. “The sanctions and the lawsuit against me just shows that Beijing is getting quite desperate,” said Zenz, calling them “ridiculous”. Beijing has mobilised its state apparatus to respond to international pressure over its Xinjiang policies, which include calls to boycott cotton from the region or the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Early last month a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing supported the suit, adding that Zenz will one day “face the condemnation of conscience and judgment of justice”. The case highlights the increased significance Beijing attaches to legal instruments. The ‘better initiative’ that was buried in China’s cotton controversy Last month, a local Chinese court issued an injunction in a dispute between smartphone giant Xiaomi and the US firm InterDigital. In January, China’s Ministry of Commerce unveiled new rules that would punish global companies for complying with tightening US restrictions against Chinese businesses.More from South China Morning Post:Human rights in China: Beijing endorses legal action against German scholar over Xinjiang abuse claimsXinjiang cotton row puts Burberry, Nike and other Western brands in a quandary – and pushes Hong Kong’s patriots to walk the talkChina blames ‘aggressive US wars’ for humanitarian disasters around the world as it hits back at criticism of human rights recordChina ‘offered Middle East appealing alternative to US’ amid Xinjiang scrutinyChinese branch of Better Cotton Initiative challenges headquarters and says it has found no evidence of Xinjiang forced labourThis article Xinjiang court to hear defamation case against German researcher Adrian Zenz over forced labour claims first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
a day ago
South China Morning Post
Taiwan says PLA flies 25 warplanes into its airspace, the largest incursion yet
China’s People Liberation Army flew 25 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday, its largest incursion yet as tension in the Taiwan Strait continues to escalate. According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the PLA warplanes – 14 Jian-16 fighter jets, four Jian-10s, four H-6K bombers, two Y-8 anti-submarine warfare planes and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft – entered the island’s southwest zone on Monday. “[Taiwan’s] air force sent its air patrol force to shadow them, issued radio warnings and deployed missiles to monitor their movements,” the ministry said in a statement late Monday night. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. It marked the largest incursion by PLA warplanes since Taiwan’s ministry made public last year the movements of PLA aircraft which flew into the AIDZ or across the maiden line that separates the narrow Taiwan Strait in training missions either off the island or over the disputed South China Sea. The latest flights came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Beijing against invading Taiwan, a self-ruled island of 24 million that the Chinese government regards as a breakaway province that must eventually be reunited with the mainland - by force if necessary. US-China military tensions build over Taiwan This month the aerial incursions have taken place on a daily basis, and the Liberty Times in Taipei estimated that they have occurred on at least 86 days this year; Monday was the 102nd day of 2021 so far. “What we’ve seen, and what is of real concern to us, is increasingly aggressive actions by the government in Beijing directed at Taiwan, raising tensions in the straits,” Blinken said in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press”. Blinken stressed that Washington has a long-standing commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure that the island “has the ability to defend itself” and to assure that the US sustains peace and security in the Western Pacific. “We stand behind those commitments,” he added. Blinken’s comments came as tensions escalated between Taiwan and the mainland, which has stepped up its military presence near the island, staging war games in addition to warplane flights into the ADIZ. PLA warplanes made a record 380 incursions into Taiwan airspace in 2020 On March 26, 20 PLA warplanes flew into the zone shortly after Taipei and Washington signed their first agreement under the administration of new president Joe Biden for coastguard cooperation. That followed Beijing’s enactment of a new law permitting its coastguard to fire on foreign ships. Beijing has repeatedly warned the US – which does not have formal ties with Taipei – against having official contacts with or supplying arms to the island. More from South China Morning Post:Taiwan says Chinese warplanes, US aircraft entered its air defence zoneTaiwan reports largest ever incursion by Chinese air forceThis article Taiwan says PLA flies 25 warplanes into its airspace, the largest incursion yet first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
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Top 5 Mistakes when Building Your Credit in Singapore
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Demetrious Johnson Opens Up About World Title Loss: Moraes Had ‘A Great Performance’
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Singapore #Fitspo of the Week: Courtney Gleason
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South China Morning Post
HSBC, Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou settle Hong Kong case seeking documents as she fights extradition
HSBC reached a settlement on Monday over documents that Huawei Technologies Co. chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is seeking from the bank related to her extradition case as she tries to avoid a criminal trial in the United States. Meng, who is also known as Sabrina, was detained by Canadian authorities in December 2018 at the request of the US Justice Department. The daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, she is facing bank fraud charges that she misled HSBC about the Chinese telecommunications giant’s business deals in Iran during a 2013 meeting. She has said she is innocent and her lawyers have been seeking documents from HSBC that they claim show HSBC officials previously knew about Huawei’s dealings in Iran and she did not mislead the bank, negating the US’s extradition request. A court in the United Kingdom previously rejected a similar request for documents from the bank.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. “An agreement has been reached with HSBC in relation to the Hong Kong legal proceedings for document production and an order has been approved by the court,” a Huawei spokeswoman said on Monday. A HSBC spokeswoman separately confirmed on Monday that an agreement had been reached to resolve the document request. At a hearing that lasted less than five minutes on Monday, High Court Justice Linda Chan Ching-fan approved an “accord” between the parties that included an agreement on redacting portions of some documents and adding Huawei as a party to the request. The scope of the agreement in Hong Kong is unclear, as no written order was made public on Monday and much of the Hong Kong case remains under seal. The settlement itself is expected to remain confidential. The HSBC documents sought by Meng include internal bank papers about its compliance evaluation relating to Huawei and Skycom Tech, the unit used by the Chinese telecommunications company in its business dealings with Iran from December 2012 to April 2015. In the Canadian extradition proceedings, Meng’s lawyers have argued in part that the US has no jurisdiction to bring the case and former US President Donald Trump improperly meddled in the matter by attempting to use her arrest as leverage during trade negotiations. The more-than-two-year extradition battle is coming to a close as the final weeks of hearings in her case are expected to conclude in May, with a decision to follow later. More from South China Morning Post:Meng Wanzhou’s extradition judge should not decide on US jurisdiction, Canadian government lawyer saysCanada had to arrest Meng Wanzhou and it was not arbitrary, but detention is now unlawful, her lawyer saysExtradition judge is told she, not minister, must decide if US has jurisdiction over Meng Wanzhou’s actions in Hong KongHSBC suffered no risk from Meng Wanzhou’s alleged deceptions, court hears, as extradition fight enters crucial stageHong Kong court hears Meng Wanzhou’s application to access HSBC documents to undergird her bid to quash extradition to USThis article HSBC, Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou settle Hong Kong case seeking documents as she fights extradition first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
2 days ago
South China Morning Post
China warns of action over Japan’s decision to dump radioactive Fukushima water into the sea
Beijing warned that it might take action in response to Tokyo’s decision to dump radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, adding to already strained ties between the two East Asian neighbours, while also urging Washington to be “impartial” on the issue. China’s foreign ministry on Tuesday blasted the Japanese government for being “extremely irresponsible” in its decision to release 1 million tonnes of waste water into the Pacific Ocean in two years, a decision that has prompted fierce opposition from the local fishing industry as well as neighbouring countries, including South Korea, and environmental groups. However, the United States said the approach was acceptable. “The US side has always paid a lot of attention to environmental issues. We hope the US side can be impartial in its treatment towards environmental issues of real concern,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the decision, long delayed by public opposition and safety concerns, was the “most realistic option”. This comes a decade after the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami that ripped through northeastern Japan in 2011. Suga said the Japanese government would “take every measure to absolutely guarantee the safety of the treated water and address misinformation”. He said his cabinet would meet again within a week to work out the details of the plan. The plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc, and government officials say tritium, a radioactive material that poses little risk to human health in low concentrations, cannot be removed from the water. Other more radioactive materials, including strontium and caesium, can be eliminated from the water before its release. In a separate statement on Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said safety concerns remained and that China had not been properly consulted by Tokyo over the decision. “The Japanese side has yet to exhaust all safe avenues, disregarded domestic and external opposition, has decided to unilaterally release the Fukushima plant’s nuclear waste water without full consultation with its neighbouring countries and the international community,” the statement said. “This action is extremely irresponsible and will pose serious harm to the health and safety of the people in neighbouring countries and the international community.” China called on Tokyo to reverse the decision, adding that it would continue to monitor the development and “reserve the right to respond further”. Shaun Burnie, a senior nuclear specialist with Greenpeace Japan, said the East China Sea had already been polluted by caesium leaked from Fukushima since 2011, citing a 2018 model study by Nanjing University of Science and Technology in China. He said that although the level of radioactive material from Fukushima in the East China Sea would not be significant in the future compared with that on the coast of Japan, there was no reason to allow it to pollute any marine environment. The variety of radionuclides that would be discharged into the sea might damage the DNA of humans and other organisms, Burnie said. Explainer | How dangerous is Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant 10 years after meltdowns? Greenpeace Japan said the discharge disregarded the human rights and interests of the people in Fukushima, wider Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. “Rather than using the best available technology to minimise radiation hazards by storing and processing the water over the long term, they have opted for the cheapest option – dumping the water into the Pacific Ocean,” said Kazue Suzuki, climate and energy campaigner at Greenpeace Japan, adding that the Japanese Cabinet’s decision failed to protect the environment and neglected the large-scale opposition and concerns of the local Fukushima residents, as well as neighbouring citizens around Japan. Also on Tuesday, South Korea declared “strong regret” over Japan’s decision. “The government expresses strong regret over the Japanese government’s decision to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean,” said Koo Yoon-cheol, head of South Korea’s Office for Government Policy Coordination. Koo presided over an emergency vice-ministerial meeting to discuss Seoul’s actions following Japan’s announcement before addressing a press conference. He said the government would “take every necessary measure” to keep the South Korean people safe from contaminated water from the Fukushima plant. More than a dozen South Korean civic activists staged a protest outside the Japanese Embassy in Seoul on Tuesday condemning Japan’s proposed discharge of radioactive waters into the sea as a “nuclear terrorist act”. Taiwan’s Atomic Energy Council on Tuesday expressed opposition to and regret over Tokyo’s planned action. Tokyo, meanwhile, said it had been in close coordination with, and had the backing of, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The decision also appears to have been backed by its ally, the United States. Fukushima, 10 years on: Researcher says the ‘suffering is far from over’ “In this unique and challenging situation, Japan has weighed the options and effects, has been transparent about its decision and appears to have adopted an approach in accordance with globally accepted nuclear safety standards,” said Ned Price, State Department spokesman in a statement on Monday. Relations between China and Japan have been strained in recent months with Tokyo being forced to postpone its Olympics because of Covid-19, which was first reported in China. Tokyo has also said it is concerned about alleged human rights violations in Hong Kong and Xinjiang, and China’s passage of a law allowing its coastguard to fire on foreign vessels. Liu Weidong, a scholar in US-China relations at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the issue of discharging Fukushima water was highly politicised amid a period of heightened concerns. “This issue has gone from a scientific question to a political problem. Each side is presenting their own views and there is no consensus. It is better to let a third-party international organisation provide an independent opinion and conclusion on the matter.” Additional reporting by Park Chan-kyong and Amber Wang More from South China Morning Post:Japan announces it will release treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into seaChina raises ‘deep concerns’ over Japan’s plan to release Fukushima plant water into oceanFukushima, 10 years on: Hong Kong researcher says the ‘suffering is far from over’ for residents of areas devastated by nuclear disasterChina recommits to nuclear energy, 10 years after Fukushima‘Crazy’ US-China cooperation on nuclear energy key to tackling climate change, forum hears on Fukushima anniversaryThis article China warns of action over Japan’s decision to dump radioactive Fukushima water into the sea first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
12 hours ago
AFP News
Iran, Russia show united front against West on nuclear deal
Russia put on a united front with Iran against the United States and Europe Tuesday amid talks in Vienna on bringing Washington back into a troubled 2015 nuclear deal.
9 hours ago

Hotel	Rate	Book by	Stay by	Includes
Hotel NuVe	$80++	Not stated	Not stated	– Check-in: 11am – Check-out: 2pm
lyf Funan	$93.60	30 June 2021	30 June 2021	– Check-in: Not stated – Check-out: 6pm
Royal Plaza on Scotts	$168++	Not stated	From 16 March to 30 June 2021	– $50 F&B credit – Breakfast included
Courtyard Singapore Novena	From $238++	17 September 2021	17 September 2021	– Breakfast included – $50 F&B credit – Free cocktails and bar snack
Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel	From $305++	30 June 2021	30 June 2021	– 24h use of room – Breakfast included – $50 dining credit per room per stay – Free parking
Pan Pacific Singapore	From $270++	31 December 2022	31 December 2022	– Breakfast included – Free parking
Shangri-La Singapore	From $345++ (Couples Retreat Package)	20 Apr 2021	20 Apr 2021	– Breakfast included – $50 F&B credit – 50% off massage – Free cocktails – Free parking
Intercontinental Bugis	From $338++	30 June 2021	30 June 2021	– Breakfast included – $50 F&B credit – Free parking
Fullerton Bay Hotel	$480++	30 December 2021	30 December 2021	– Breakfast included – $80 F&B credit – Free parking – Complimentary one-way departure transfer (suites only) – Complimentary premium in-room amenities including hand sanitiser, sanitising wipes and individually packed face masks for Suite guests

Hotel	Location	Hotel	Location
Amara Sanctuary Resort	Sentosa	K Hotel	Geylang
Amoy Hotel	Raffles Place	Kim Tian Hotel	Geylang
Aqueen Hotel Lavender	Lavender	lyf Funan Singapore	City Hall
Ascott Orchard Singapore	Orchard	M Social Hotel	Robertson Quay
Ascott Raffles Place	Raffles Place	Malacca Hotel	Joo Chiat
Beach Villas	Sentosa	Mandarin Orchard	Orchard
Capella Hotel	Sentosa	Mandarin Oriental	Esplanade
Champion Hotel City	Clarke Quay	Marina Bay Sands	Marina Bay
Changi Cove	Changi	Min Wah Hotel	Geylang
Classique Hotel	Farrer Park	Nostalgia Hotel	Tiong Bahru
Crockfords Tower	Sentosa	Oakwood Premier AMTD	Tanjong Pagar
Darlene Hotel	Geylang	Oasia Hotel Downtown	Tanjong Pagar
Equarius Hotel	Sentosa	ONE15 Marina Club	Sentosa
Fairmont Singapore	City Hall	One Farrer Hotel	Farrer Park
five/6 Hotel Splendour	Geylang	Orchard Hotel Singapore	Orchard
Goodwood Park Hotel	Orchard	Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road	Bugis
Grand Hyatt Singapore	Orchard	PARKROYAL On Beach Road	Bugis
Hotel 81 Balestier	Balestier	Raffles Hotel Singapore	City Hall
Hotel 81 Dickson	Little India	Ramada Zhongshan Park	Balestier
Hotel 81 Elegance	Lavender	Rest Bugis Hotel	Bugis
Hotel 81 Joy	Geylang	Shangri-La Hotel	Orchard
Hotel 81 Kovan	Kovan	Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel	Orchard
Hotel 81 Orchid	Geylang	Sofitel SingaporeCity Centre	Raffles Place
Hotel 81 Osaka	Tiong Bahru	Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa	Sentosa
Hotel 81 Princess	Geylang	Strand Hotel	Bugis
Hotel 81 Sakura	Joo Chiat	The Barracks Hotel Sentosa	Sentosa
Hotel 81 Star	Geylang	The Capitol Kempinski	City Hall
Hotel 81 Tristar	Joo Chiat	The Fullerton Bay Hotel Singapore	Collyer Quay
Hotel Bencoolen	Bencoolen	The Fullerton Hotel Singapore	Collyer Quay
Hotel Clover 5 HK Street	Clarke Quay	The Quay Hotel	Clarke Quay
Hotel Clover 7 HK Street	Clarke Quay	The Ritz-Carlton Millennia	Esplanade
Hotel Clover 769 N Bridge	Bugis	The St Regis Singapore	Tanglin
Hotel Clover The Arts	Clarke Quay	The Warehouse Hotel	Robertson Quay
Hotel Michael	Sentosa	Value Hotel Nice	Balestier
Hotel NuVE	Bugis	Value Hotel Thomson	Balestier
Hotel Royal	Novena	Venue Hotel	Joo Chiat
Hotel Soloha	Tanjong Pagar	Village Hotel Bugis	Bugis
Hotel YAN	Kampong Glam	W Singapore Sentosa Cove	Sentosa
Hup Hoe Hotel	Geylang	YOTEL Changi Airport	Changi
JH Hotel	Geylang	YOTEL Orchard Road	Orchard

Singapore Hotel Staycation Promotions During Phase 3

International travel may still be out of the question for most Singaporeans, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stuck at home.

What are the available staycation promotions?

A few things to note about the rates above:

Which hotels are approved for staycations?

What will the staycation experience be like?

Conclusion

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