CAIRO – LEGIONS of tourists, foreign expatriates and worried Egyptians descended on Cairo airport on Sunday, desperate to get on a flight and escape the uncertainty of violent anti-government unrest. Those who could press through the traffic jam on the approach roads found a themselves in a near biblical scene of weary families, screaming children …
SINGAPORE : Singapore authorities simulated a terror attack on Tuesday evening to test the emergency preparedness of the Home Team and the security teams from Resorts World Sentosa, one of the Singapore’s newest tourist attractions. It was the first time that one of the two Integrated Resorts was participating in such a large-scale exercise. It …
SEOUL – SOUTH KOREA on Wednesday proposed holding working-level military talks with North Korea next month, in what would be their first dialogue since the North’s deadly bombardment last November. The defence ministry said it sent a message to the North suggesting a meeting on February 11 at the border truce village of Panmunjom. The …
THE following is an excerpt from the 32 hours of interviews Straits Times journalists held with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for the book Hard Truths, available in bookstores now. Q: Does your food go through a tester before you eat it? A: (long chuckle) ‘What do I need that for? Who’s going to poison …
SEOUL – NORTH Korea this month publicly executed two of its citizens for handling propaganda leaflets floated across the border by South Korean groups, one of the activists said on Monday. An army officer who pocketed dollar bills enclosed with the leaflets was shot along with a 45-year-old woman who concealed one of the flyers, …
Guidelines made public last Friday that restrict devotees to singing – no music or drums to be played – have drawn varied reactions. The Hindu Endowments Board (HEB), which announced the guidelines, said it has received a “handful” of queries from devotees seeking clarification. A Facebook page, Bring The Thaipusam Beat Back, was set up …
THE founding leader of the People’s Action Party (PAP) who led it for 38 years as secretary-general has predicted its loss of power in government. Mr Lee Kuan Yew said in a new book to be launched today that the day would come when voters ‘get tired of a stable government and say let’s try …
THE fertility rate for Singapore Chinese – already the lowest among all races here – slid to 1.02 last year from 1.08 in 2009, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew disclosed on Tuesday night. Singapore thus needs to remain open to new immigrants, and groups like the clan associations have an important role to play in …
SENIOR Minister Goh Chok Tong on Saturday identified two additional challenges that Singapore now faces, on top of its perennial efforts to ensure inter-racial harmony. These are: the widening income gap and the need to welcome foreigners. Speaking to 300 students and parents at an Edusave award ceremony in his Marine Parade ward, SM Goh …
Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed that bus commuters have claimed S$46,000 in refunds on overcharged fees. Mr Lim was responding in parliament to Dr Lim Wee Kiak’s – MP for Sembawang GRC – question on the number of claims that had been made for the overcharged bus fares. After the distance-based fares took effect last …