Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre, in blue) about to break fast at Al-Muttaqin Mosque during the Ramadan on June 6, 2017. The Straits Times Singapore has long been a champion of building and maintaining a harmonious multicultural society, and it’s hard for the world not to take notice. Now, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will even be given the title of 2019 World Statesman, in recognition of his efforts to foster “a society that embraces multiculturalism in which ethnic communities maintain their unique way of life while at the same time living harmoniously”. The award will be handed out in New York by the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an American interfaith group which promotes peace, tolerance and ethnic conflict resolution, at its 54th annual awards dinner on September 23. Announcing the decision in a Facebook post on Tuesday (April 16), the foundation’s founder and president, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, also lauded PM Lee for … [Read more...] about Lee Hsien Loong is being recognised for helping to foster Singapore’s multicultural society – here are 3 things to know about the World Statesman Award
Secondary market annuities 3 things to know
5 things to know about 11.11 or Singles’ Day sales
The annual Singles' Day sales are just around the corner, and shops have started to roll out some incredible deals to attract consumers. Held on Nov 11 every year, more commonly referred to as 11.11, the 24-hour extravaganza was originally a celebration for lonely hearts in China, but has now ballooned into a multibillion-dollar online sales event. Here are five things to know about the Singles' Day sales. 1. Sales exceed Thanksgiving weekend numbers in the US Marking the 10th anniversary of the inaugural shopping event, which was started by Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant has claimed that this year's global shopping festival will be the largest ever in terms of scale and reach, especially since it falls on a Sunday. Last year, The Straits Times reported that Alibaba had smashed its own global sales record from the previous year, hitting 168.3 billion yuan (S$33.4 billion). These numbers exceed those of Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the United States … [Read more...] about 5 things to know about 11.11 or Singles’ Day sales
Phased nationwide roll-out of Open Electricity Market begins: 5 things to know
SINGAPORE: Some 350,000 consumers are now able to switch their electricity providers for the first time, as an initiative to liberalise the local retail power market kicked off a phased launch across Singapore on Thursday (Nov 1).These refer to households and business accounts with postal codes that begin from 58 to 78.Other parts of the island will get their turn over the next six months as the Open Electricity Market is progressively rolled out – an initiative that authorities and industry experts hope to spark competitive pricing and innovative offers. If you’re still in the dark about this, read on: WHAT IT IS ABOUT Simply put, under the Open Electricity Market, buying electricity will be similar to choosing mobile phone plans. Instead of getting power solely from SP Group at the quarterly-reviewed regulated tariff, you will be able to pick and choose from a buffet of price plans offered by a dozen or more approved … [Read more...] about Phased nationwide roll-out of Open Electricity Market begins: 5 things to know
News 5 things to know about Michael Kors
NEW YORK -- Global fashion giant Michael Kors announced Tuesday that it had agreed to buy Versace, signaling an intention to move deeper into the international big league after snapping up shoemaker Jimmy Choo last year. The company, rooted in iconic American fashion, but headquartered in London, will pay $2.1 billion for the Italian luxury giant, a statement said. Here are five things to know about Michael Kors: 1. Mr. Kors The creative vision is Michael Kors, the Long Island born creative director who founded the label in 1981 after dropping out of fashion school. He has flirted with billionaire status and is still supremely wealthy. For 10 years, he was a judge on television show "Project Runway," where his acerbic commentary brought him nationwide fame. From 1997 to 2004, he was women's ready-to-wear designer at French fashion house Celine. 2. New York state of mind The company might be officially headquartered in London, but the label is quintessentially American in design, … [Read more...] about News 5 things to know about Michael Kors
SilkAir to merge with Singapore Airlines: 5 things to know about the regional carrier
Regional carrier SilkAir will be clipping its wings to eventually merge with Singapore Airlines (SIA), with its aircraft cabins to first undergo a $100-million upgrade in 2020. SIA announced on Friday (May 18) that the merger between the two carriers will take place after a sufficient number of SilkAir's aircraft have been fitted with new cabin products, including new lie-flat seats in business class and seat-back in-flight entertainment systems. While this could bring greater benefits for passengers, it will signal the end of the SilkAir name and aircraft livery that has flown the skies for over two decades. Here are five things to know about SilkAir. 1. It began as Tradewinds SilkAir was formed in 1975 as a subsidiary of SIA named Tradewinds, but it was not an airline yet. As SIA's tours and travel arm, it was meant to develop and sell SIA-exclusive holiday packages. On Feb 21, 1989, Tradewinds began airline operations catering to passengers holidaying in then-exotic destinations in … [Read more...] about SilkAir to merge with Singapore Airlines: 5 things to know about the regional carrier