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Online poll: Netizens ask for Ong Ye Kung’s performance at the Covid-19 Multi-Ministry Taskforce to be rated

Singapore — Not since the 2003 SARS outbreak has the post of Health Minister been on such a hot seat.

So the current holder, Mr Ong Ye Kung, has become the made-for-social media target of naysayers. With new Covid-19 infections topping 5,000 recently,  a poll was launched on Umbrage Singapore, a Facebook page, seeking ratings on the performance of the minister.

Read more here. 


People who believe in COVID-19 conspiracy theories more likely to catch it — new study

A new study published by Cambridge University Press shows that people who believe in Covid-19 conspiracy theories are at a higher risk of catching the virus, even though they are less likely to get tested for it.

Moreover, they are also more likely to face social isolation, get fired from their jobs, have reduced income, face social rejection, break Covid rules, as well as have a lower level of overall well-being, according to a Business Insider report.

The Dutch study, led by first author and social psychologist Jan-Willem van Prooijen, is from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. 

Read more here. 


The Raeesah Khan issue—who stands to lose the most?

Singapore — The bombshell that Workers Party MP Raeesah Khan dropped in Parliament on Monday has unleashed a barrage of criticism, sparked calls for to resign and ignited a firestorm of speculation about the impact on the party’s future.

It all began when Ms Khan, 27, who represents Sengkang GRC, admitted that she lied when she told the House on Aug 3 that she had accompanied a victim of sexual assault to the police station, and accused the police of making inappropriate remarks. It happened during a debate on empowering women.

Read more here.


Non-mRNA vaccine from Novavax, said to be better than Pfizer & Moderna, gets first approval in Indonesia

A Covid-19 vaccine from Novavax received its first emergency use authorization (EUA) from Indonesia, the company’s CEO, Stanley Erck, said on Monday (Nov 1).

Approval for use is also expected within “weeks” in India, the Philippines and other countries, Novavax CEO Stanley Erck told Reuters. 

More than five months ago, Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had said that Singapore had put in an advance order for the vaccine, which is  formulated differently from  the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines already in use in Singapore.

Read more here. 


A*Star scientist caught flashing at women and performing sex act in backyard of condo gets 10 weeks’ jail, $1600 fine

Singapore — Xie Danpeng, a scientist with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), was given a 10-week jail sentence and fined $1,600 on Monday (Nov 1).

The 31-year-old Chinese national exposed his naked body to a total of three women in a condominium. The third incident where he appeared naked to a woman came after he was banned from entering the premises.

Read more here.