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Antony J. Blinken of New York speaks during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, U.S. Jan. 19, 2021. (Pool via REUTERS / File Photo) WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday the United States is concerned about China’s aggressive actions against Taiwan and warned it would be a “serious mistake” for anyone to try to change the status quo in the Western Pacific by force. “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 with NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Beijing on Thursday blamed the United States for tensions after a U.S. warship sailed close to Taiwan. The United States has a longstanding commitment under the Taiwan Relations Act to ensure that Taiwan has the ability to defend itself and to sustain peace and ... » Learn More about Blinken warns of China’s ‘increasingly aggressive actions’ against Taiwan

SINGAPORE - From June 2, pre-schools will start to resume general services for children in stages, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said on Tuesday (May 19). Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children - five- and six-year-olds - will be the first to return from June 2, while Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 children may go back a week later, from June 8. From June 10, the youngest group of children in infant care and playgroups may return. In tandem with circuit breaker measures, pre-schools have been closed  since April 8 to most children except for a small group who need care support. When they reopen, centres will have to adhere to safe management measures such as compulsory mask or shield wearing for all staff and children aged two years and older, having smaller groups of children during activities, as well as staggering drop-off and pick-up timings of children. Speaking at a press conference by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 in Singapore, ... » Learn More about Pre-schools in Singapore to open from June 2 in stages, with K1 and K2 kids returning first

SINGAPORE - Mujir Hayyan Mohammad Taufiq may be anxious about sitting the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, but his parents are even more stressed - it is their first experience with the PSLE as both were educated in madrasahs (religious schools). "As much as we reassure ourselves that it is just like any other year-end exam Hayyan will be sitting, the pressure and stresses do exist," says his mother, Ms Hurul-A'in Mohd Yusoff, 36, principal of a childcare centre. His father Mohammad Taufiq Mohamed Ismail, 40, manages a mosque. They also have a six-year-old daughter studying in a madrasah. "However, we always remind ourselves that this is not our examination, it is Hayyan's," says Ms Hurul-A'in, stressing that her 11 1/2-year-old son's mental health is more important than his grades. Her focus is not misplaced in a year that has seen educational systems across the world shattered by the pandemic, leaving families disoriented and dispirited. Compared with many ... » Learn More about Coronavirus: PSLE survival guide for parents and kids during the pandemic

SINGAPORE - About 10 years ago, Madam Rubiah Hamid was helping to cook meals for needy families as a member of her neighbourhood residents' committee (RC) in Bukit Batok, but on Sunday (April 11), she was the one receiving a helping hand. As Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai presented her with food and vouchers, the 58-year-old teared. Speaking in Malay, the former cook at a childcare centre said it reminded her of the days she spent helping out at the RC, an activity which she misses. Madam Rubiah, a Hokkien Chinese woman raised by a Malay family, had to stop volunteering after she was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years ago. She now uses a wheelchair and lives with her husband, a 59-year-old heart attack survivor who does odd jobs. The couple was among 160 low-income families who received food and vouchers as part of a Ramadan giving event organised by the Bukit Batok Community Club (CC) Malay Activity Executive Committee and the Muhammadiyah Association. Each family ... » Learn More about 160 Bukit Batok families given food, vouchers for Ramadan