Victoria barracks

SINGAPORE - China and Victoria in Australia are the latest additions to the list of places that Singapore is unilaterally opening its borders to. This move is part of a slew of measures to reopen Singapore's borders and revive the Changi air hub. These are some of the locations which Singapore has made travel arrangements with. 1. Unilateral opening of borders to travellers from: - Brunei, New Zealand, Vietnam, Australia and mainland China. - This is a standing invitation from Singapore to these countries, which have comprehensive public health surveillance systems and have successfully controlled the spread of Covid-19. 2. Bilateral green lane arrangements: Bilateral green lane arrangements allow for essential travel for business or official purposes between both countries. - Japan (from Sept 18) - China (from June 8) China was the first country to establish a green lane with Singapore. This arrangement presently applies to six provinces: Shanghai, ... » Learn More about S’pore opens borders to China, Australia’s Victoria from Nov 6: What other travel arrangements does S’pore have?

LONDON  - A 121-year-old chocolate bar, from a batch commissioned by Queen Victoria for British troops fighting in South Africa, has been found in its original tin in the attic of an English manor. The chocolate belonged to an English aristocrat who fought in the Second Boer War, Sir Henry Edward Paston-Bedingfield, and was found in his helmet case at his family’s ancestral home, 500-year-old Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, eastern England. “Although ...you wouldn’t want it as your Easter treat, it is still complete and a remarkable find,” said Anna Forrest, Cultural Heritage Curator at the National Trust, a heritage charity that manages Oxburgh Hall. The tin lid has a message in Victoria’s handwriting that says “I wish you a happy New Year” and the inscription “South Africa 1900”, as well as a portrait of the queen. The National Trust said it believed Henry had kept the helmet and the chocolate together as mementoes of his participation in the war. The items were discovered among ... » Learn More about A gift of chocolate from Queen Victoria, intact after 121 years

Need the perfect salve to what has been a dull week? Perhaps the plethora of events happening during the upcoming Singapore Art Week are just what you need to soothe your mind and keep your weekends busy. Every January, art takes over our city with interactive exhibits, light installations and other activities during the annual Singapore Art Week. This year, the 9-day event, held from Jan 22 to 31, will take place in disparate spots all around the island. These places include Gillman Barracks, major museums and other unusual suspects like Telok Kurau and Little India. But that’s not all, this year, art takes over the digital sphere with curated online experiences that you can enjoy from your home. Catch live-streamed events and performances, virtual exhibitions and more. Here, some of the highlights which caught our eye: 1. Light to Night: _____-in-Progress This exhibition has always been a hit with the crowds. But this year, it’s back and better than before. Expect a ... » Learn More about Singapore Art Week: Check out over 100 events from Jan 22 to 31

Around the region there are many countries starting to re-open their borders to allow some business or diplomatic visitors, even tourists, to enter their national borders. The situation is changing frequently and we’d urge you to contact the national embassies in your countries before making any concrete arrangements or paying money for airfares or accommodation before you clarify the situation, specific to your circumstances. Here’s some of the latest information as we whip around the region… THAILAND Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that the new Special Tourist visa will only be available to tourists from countries “deemed to be at low risk from Covid-19”. At this stage Thai officials have not identified who the low-risk countries are, but it has been reported in Thai media that the list will probably include China, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong. The Thai Sports & Tourism minister has also hinted that the government would probably be admitting selected ... » Learn More about UPDATE: Covid-19 visitor entry around the region

BANGKOK: A mass trial began in Thailand on Monday (Mar 15) for activists accused of sedition and insulting the powerful monarchy at a major protest last year, one of a series of mass demonstrations against the country's military-backed establishment. The 22 demonstrators deny charges of committing sedition and a litany of other offences, which includes lese majeste in section 112 of the Thai criminal code, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison for each count. "They can lock me up but they cannot lock up the truth," protest leader Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak shouted as he arrived in a prison truck, defiantly flashing the three-finger "Hunger Games" salute synonymous with the youth movement. READ: Hundreds of Thai protesters rally to demand leaders' release "The truth is always the truth whether in prison, under torture or awaiting execution, the truth is the truth," said Parit, 22, who is among seven defendants held in pre-trial detention accused of sedition and ... » Learn More about Thai protest leaders go on trial for sedition, royal insults

PETALING JAYA: A delayed start in the All-England have brought contrasting fortunes for Malaysia in the mixed doubles department. Independent shuttlers Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying ( pic ) shrugged off rustiness to beat world No. 81 Mathias Thyrri-Mai Surrow of Denmark 21-23,21-15,21-12 in a first round battle that lasted 63 minutes at the Arena Birmingham. Peng Soon-Liu Ying face Thailand’s Nipitphon Phuangphuapet-Benyapa Aimsaard next and if they win, they should set up a last eight clash against recently-crowned Swiss Open champions Thom Gicquel-Delphine Delrue of France. Unlike Peng Soon-Liu Ying, world No. 11 Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie made it a forgettable trip when they went down 19-21,16-21 to world No. 34 Sam Magee-Chloe Magee of Ireland to mark one of their worst defeats. The last time they lost to opponents ranked outside top 30 was against world No. 217 Wang Zekang-Li Yinhui of China at the Australian Open in May 2018. Soon Huat-Shevon, who made the ... » Learn More about Chan-Goh scrape through but it’s all over for men’s doubles

Tycoon Lucio Tan-led conglomerate LT Group Inc. (LTG) booked a net income of P21.02 billion last year, down by 9.1 percent from the previous year amid the challenging economic environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The decline in group-wide earnings, however, was tempered by the higher earnings contributed by the tobacco and alcohol businesses. The tobacco business under PMFTC accounted for P16.9 billion, or 80 percent of the total. It was 9 percent more than its profit in the previous year despite a slowdown in sales volume. The outperformance was attributed to the increase in the share of premium brand Marlboro—with customers shifting from mid-priced Fortune—and the price increases to pass on higher excise taxes. Across the tobacco industry, volume declined by an estimated 12 percent in 2020 due to higher prices and mobility restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. PMFTC reported a 16-percent drop in sales volume last year. Banking arm Philippine National Bank ... » Learn More about Tobacco, alcohol businesses temper drop in LT Group 2020 profit

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Hong Kong officials are not afraid of sanctions and the regional government is confident to recover the economy and handle threats after the Covid-19 epidemic and anti-extradition bill riots. Thursday, October 1, marks the 71st anniversary of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. Lam made the remarks at a ceremony for the National Day on Wednesday. She said, as a Hongkonger, she is proud of the nation’s developments, expressing appreciation for the central government’s help to Hong Kong during the epidemic, including building medical facilities and enacting the national security law for the region. She noted that a safe society is necessary to recover the economy after the riots. She slammed double standard foreign governments making unreasonable accusations of Hong Kong regional government and launched so-called sanctions, but she and related officials will not fear and firmly safeguard national security. Lam also ... » Learn More about ‘HK can grow more, handle threats’

Parit: Repeatedly denied bail Experts are trying to find the rationale behind the apparent shrinking of the anti-government protests in recent weeks; the answer may lie in the convoluting and, at times contradictory, messages the movement has been sending out. For starters, the movement was originally split into groups, apparently led by mostly young activists. At the heart of the anti-government campaign were two main driving forces which arrived on the scene last year: Free Youth and the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration. Both appear to function under the umbrella of the Ratsadon group. The country was introduced to Ratsadon in September last year when it held its first mass rally at Thammasat University and soon after at the adjacent Sanam Luang. Also visible at the mass rally were red-shirt participants whose presence had the authorities concerned that the government's opponents were looking to transcend demographics -- the youthful Ratsadon members combined with ... » Learn More about Protests a ‘rudderless ship’

Lucio Tan’s LT Group Inc. posted a 9.1-percent weaker attributable income of P21.02 billion last year from P23.12 billion in 2019. In a disclosure on Friday, the listed conglomerate said its tobacco business accounted for 80 percent of the total full year attributable earnings. LT Group’s banking segment contributed 7 percent, distillery business at 5 percent, property at 4 percent and beverage arm at 3 percent. Its 30.9-percent stake in Victorias Milling Company Inc. accounted for 1 percent of the unaudited income. The tobacco business recorded a 9-percent higher profit of P16.9 billion in 2020. LT Group said this is on the back of higher share of premium Marlboro as customers shifted from mid-priced Fortune and increased prices to pass on higher excise taxes. The group’s distillery arm, Tanduay Distillers Inc. (TDI), meanwhile, posted a net income of P1.12 billion last year, up 65 percent year-on-year, attributed to increased volume of liquor sales and decreased selling ... » Learn More about 2020 LT Group income slips by 9%