Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Tuesday (June 28) that the next Covid-19 wave has arrived in Singapore. However, he added that he does not believe this new Singapore Covid 19 wave will be worse than the wave of infections that struck in February due to the BA.2 Omicron subvariant.
Mr Ong had said on June 2 at the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) annual Work Plan Seminar that the next wave of Covid-19 infections may arrive in a “matter of months.” More specifically, this could be by July or August.
But it seems that the new Singapore Covid 19 wave arrived earlier than expected, possibly because many people had gone abroad for their holidays, he told Lianhe Zaobao after the 30th annual general meeting of the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC).
On Tuesday, MOH reported 11,504 new Covid-19 infections, the highest daily count since March 22, and double the number of the 5,309 cases reported on Monday.
“I had earlier said that the next wave might take place around July or August, but it’s now here a little earlier, at the end of June – possibly due to the June holidays,” the Health Minister told Lianhe Zaobao.
Last week, the MOH said that the increase in community cases was mainly due to the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, although the majority of the country’s cases are due to the BA.2 subvariant.
On Monday, the ministry noted that around 45 per cent of the cases in the past week are due to the subvariants. The BA.5 subvariant is believed to be responsible for 40 per cent of recent cases.
These variants are also driving an increase in cases in other parts of the world, including Europe and the United States. /TISG
The Great Singapore Sale (GSS) is already underway, and you might be eyeing a few things to add to your cart. Before you press the checkout button, though, take a minute to read about a few amazing ways you can get the most bang for your buck, without using a cashback credit card.
From rewards cards to buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) applications, there are many ways to save while you splurge on this GSS. Here are three ways to maximize your savings while shopping.
1. Keep up with your promotions
Not only does shopping during the sale help you save, but packing promo codes onto your purchases can decrease your spending hugely.
With the sale season already in progress, there are tons of promotion discounts available on popular retailers like Shopee, Lazada, Shein, and more. Local boutiques and physical retailers also have their fair share of discounts going around, so do keep a lookout for them.
However, do beware of the specific rules sites have for stacking coupons. Some e-commerce sites, such as Shopee, have terms and conditions set within their vouchers. One of the most common ones is that the voucher cannot be used with other ongoing promotions. So be sure to read carefully and maximize your savings with coupons.
Keep a lookout for flash deals as well. These can be up to 50% off retail price and are easily one of the best deals this GSS. Deals like these can occur for small ticket items like home organization compartments, but also can take the form of massive electronics like a PRISM monitor or a new phone.
If there is something you have been looking to purchase for a while, or you are the kind of person that enjoys a good bargain, make sure to stay up to date with all the flash deals going on.
2. BNPL (Buy-Now Pay-Later) Apps
Buy-Now Pay-Later apps have been all the rage recently. With over 1.1 million people in Singapore have used this tool, BNPL has become a solution for those who wish to divide their purchases into smaller payments over a period of time.
The massive benefit of these BNPL applications is that you can split payments across a few months while incurring no transaction fees and no interest rates. The table below shows the fees for some of the most popular BNPL apps like Atome, Pace, Hoolah, and more, and most do not have processing fee or interest rates.
Company
Repayment Schedule
Processing Fees
Interest Rate
Rely PayLater
Four payments, every two weeks
0%
0% p.m.
Rely Installment
Once a month for 3 months
0%
0% p.m.
Hoolah
Once a month for 3 months
0%
0% p.m.
LatitudePay
Once a month for 3 months
0%
0% p.m.
Atome
Once a month for 3 months
0%
0% p.m.
Pace
Once a month for 3 months
0%
0% p.m.
Grab PayLater
Once a month for 4 months or pay full amount the month after purchase
0%
0% p.m.
In these GSS times, these can be even more helpful. BNPL apps are super convenient for when you don’t have the funds for something straight away, but cannot pass on a very good deal.
Currently, new users of Atome can enjoy up to S$10 on their first purchase at checkout when using the Atome app. Hoolah also offers new user vouchers as well as referral perks for both the people involved. LatitudePay also offers some great merchant-specific coupons, so check out their page here.
BNPL apps can be a good way for you to make full use of this GSS. However, this is akin to taking a small loan, so do be sure that you can pay back the amount in full during the stipulated time frame.
Apart from cashback cards, there are other credit cards that provide you with great benefits, especially if you’re planning to splurge on this GSS.
There are so many options out there, each suited for a different type of person. From shopping rebates and low exchange fees to payment splits and miles, there is a credit card for everyone.
If you’re planning to spend some time soon, getting a credit card in line with your needs can be a great option. We have listed down a few of the best below for you:
Rewards Credit Cards for Avid Shoppers
Citi Rewards Card
Promotions:
If you’re a spender on fashion or online shopping, this card is the perfect way to maximize your rewards when doing what you love.
Cardholders earn 10 points which are about 4 miles per S$1 on fashion retail such as clothing, bags, shoes & more. You will earn regardless of where you spend, be it online, offline (including department stores), locally or overseas.
What’s more, it comes with significant perks like travel insurance, which many competitors lack.
If you are going to be spending the big bucks on online shopping soon, consider getting a UOB KrisFlyer Card to boot.
In one purchase, make full use of the GSS to shop to your heart’s content, while also gaining 3 miles per S$1 transaction on online fashion shopping by spending at least S$500 with SIA brands within the year.
The annual fee of this card is also waived during the first year, so you don’t have to worry about incurring costs of owning the card anytime in the foreseeable future.
If you are going to make a big purchase that you would like to pay over time, this card is a great option for you. Cardholders earn 4 miles per S$1 on online shopping, and 0.4 miles for local spend.
Furthermore, they can split transactions as low as S$100 into instalments across up to 12 months via DBS’ My Preferred Payment Plan. This has no interest or processing fee that you have to worry about.
If you’re on the way to leading that luxury lifestyle, this card is worth considering. First, the card gives customers a chance to earn 10X UNI$ on your card spend, enabling you to have some savings. Other than that, it also has one extra key feature that makes this unique.
UOB Lady’s LuxePay Plan comes with this card, and you can use this to better manage your month-on-month cash flow and avoid the burden of a lump-sum payment. With this programme, you can put your new luxury purchase (shoes or bags) worth S$500 or more on a 6 or 12-month instalment plan that is absolutely free.
Cards for Overseas Shopping
If you’re saving up for a trip or are looking to buy from Taobao instead of spending locally, there are some great choices for that.
YouTrip MasterCard
The YouTrip MasterCard is great for individuals who spend a lot of money overseas.
This card is linked to a digital wallet that allows you to hold and spend in 150 different currencies. There are also no fees on the foreign exchange, compared to traditional credit cards which can charge a heavy conversion rate. The card also allows you to withdraw cash at a flat fee of $5.
With this card in your pocket, you can freely shop internationally without having to worry about any additional fees.
OCBC 90°N MasterCard
Cardholders earn in Travel$, which can each be redeemed for 1 air mile or S$0.01 cash rebate. In other words, every S$1 spend earns 1.2 miles (or 1.2% cashback) locally and 2.1 miles (2.1% cashback) overseas.
One bonus feature of this card is that users do not have to pay foreign exchange conversion fees, making this card perfect for those of you looking to finally go on holiday this summer. And what’s more, your rewards will never expire.
Shopping using alternative methods to save is a huge benefit. Not only can you get the most for your money, but you also can stack these to receive maximum savings. From credit cards to BNPLs, we believe that these are some of the best ways to shop and save this GSS.
Korean girl group fromis_9 were all set to make a comeback, but their shows had to be cancelled after several members of the group were injured in a car accident.
The group’s agency PLEDIS Entertainment made the announcement on June 26 stating that five of its members Song Hayoung, Park Jiwon, Lee Seoyeon, Lee Chaeyoung and Baek Jiheon were involved in a car accident on June 25.
Luckily the five only suffered minor injuries, but they have been advised by doctors to limit physical activity and keep an eye on their condition after treatment.
Due to this incident, their comeback concert both for the media and fan showcase which was scheduled to take place on June 27 has been cancelled.
However, the group’s mini album from our Memento Box will still be released on schedule on June 27 at 6pm.
The agency also stated it remains uncertain whether the five will be able to dance on stage during the comeback promotions, and there may be further changes to their schedule depending on their recovery.
Fromis_9 comprises nine members: Roh Ji-sun, Song Ha-young, Lee Sae-rom, Lee Chae-young, Lee Na-gyung, Park Ji-won, Lee Seo-yeon, Baek Ji-heon and Jang Gyu-ri.
The group made its debut on January 24, 2018, under Stone Music Entertainment with the release of their first extended play, ‘To. Heart’.
The agency’s full statement is as follows:
Hello.
This is PLEDIS Entertainment.
We would like to provide you with information on the health status of some of the fromis_9 members and their future schedule.
Song Hayoung, Park Jiwon, Lee Seoyeon, Lee Chaeyoung, and Baek Jiheon were in a car accident on Saturday, June 25. Fortunately, the injury of the members and other passengers in the car was not serious, and they were all immediately taken to the emergency room for medical examination and treatment.
These five members got a more thorough examination on Sunday, June 26. They were advised by doctors that they should continue to receive medical treatment for their muscle pain and bruises, although they have been confirmed to have no fractures. Doctors also provided opinions that the members’ physical condition should be attentively monitored and they should refrain from increasing the amount of activities more than necessary for the next few days.
In this regard, we would like to inform you that fromis_9’s 5th Mini Album “from our Memento Box” will be released as scheduled on Monday, June 27. However, for the safety of the fromis_9 members, the media showcase and fan showcase, scheduled on June 27 will not proceed. We ask for your kind understanding from all our fans and members of the press.
Our company has decided to respect and follow the advice from the medical staff to place the members’ speedy recovery as a top priority and adjust the group’s future activities and schedule accordingly. Please kindly note that depending on the recovery status of Song Hayoung, Park Jiwon, Lee Seoyeon, Lee Chaeyoung, and Baek Jiheon, their future schedule will be arranged with plenty of flexibility and they may not be able to perform choreography on stage.
We will continue to provide support for treatment and rapid recovery of these five members of fromis_9.
Got a juicy story to share? Came across a gross injustice that needs to be heard? Want to have your opinion on current events made known? Email us your story with details and proof! Make your voice known! [email protected]
Dear Editor,
I refer to the report, “Government proposes disabling social media access to harmful content, as part of new codes of practices on online safety“. (TODAY, June 20)
As the internet has made pornography easily available and accessible, it is almost impossible to shirk it.
Most researchers say that it is a high tendency that people who surf pornographic websites will get addicted to them and that eventually lead to mental health distress, depression, anger, and anxiety. Hence, if we get hooked on viewing pornography, it will gradually defile our minds and negatively affect our lives in the long run.
The police report revealed that there were 9,200 reports of sexual assault, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, outrage of modesty, and sexual offences involving children and vulnerable victims between 2017 and 2020. Of these, 869 were allegedly committed by family members or relatives.
This continuously growing number of sexual crimes will be one of the worrisome concerns and need special attention from the relevant authorities.
Simultaneously, any individual or any religious group who wilfully instigates religious enmity or hatred online should be strictly curbed and prohibited as these wilful acts or vile deeds will undoubtedly incite social strife, suspicions, and conflicts in our multiracial, multi-religious and multicultural society.
Any person or organisation that advertises, promotes or advocates false and harmful health products and services on any website should be seriously prohibited.
Thus, it is the right time and significant for the Government to collaborate with various social media (such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, etc) and internet service providers (e.g., Google Fiber, SingTel, StarHub, M1, MyRepublic, ViewQuest, etc) to disable or deny access to harmful contents relating to sexual harms, self-harm, public health, public security, and racial or religious disharmony or intolerance.
This right move from the Government will further deter toxic online webs to enhance online safety measures and new codes of practices for cybersecurity.
Teo Kueh Liang
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.
Actor Gal Gadot has reacted to the news of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor expecting their first child. On Monday, Alia took to her Instagram handle and surprised everyone with the news of her first child. She shared a picture of herself during her ultrasound in a hospital and wrote, “Our baby coming soon.” Ranbir could be seen with her with his back to the camera.
Reacting to Alia’s post, Gal Gadot joined several celebrities who dropped congratulatory messages for the couple. Sending her love for the family, the Wonder Woman star dropped red heart emojis in.
Alia and Gal will be collaborating for the first time in the Tom Harper film, Heart Of Stone. It will mark Alia’s official entry into Hollywood. The film also stars Jamie Dornan and will be released on Netflix. Alia was in London for the shooting of the film and sharing updates on social media regularly.
Talking about Heart of Stone, Alia had previously said that her decision to choose a film is based on whether she will enjoy it or not. Referring to the international debut, she told News18, “I just don’t want to do it for the heck of it and to tick it off the box. I want to look at opportunities which should have a good part, an interesting dynamic, and cast, something that is new and relevant.”
Ranbir Kapoor and Alia first started dating when they began working on their forthcoming film Brahmastra in 2017. The two married on April 14, 2022, in an intimate wedding at Ranbir’s Mumbai residence Vastu. Their wedding was attended by a few guests, mostly their family and close friends from the film industry.
Their film Brahmastra will release on September 9. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film also stars Amitabh Bachchan, Mouni Roy and Nagarjuna in key roles.
For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, contact Editor at [email protected] — HT Digital streams Ltd
Got a juicy story to share? Came across a gross injustice that needs to be heard? Want to have your opinion on current events made known? Email us your story with details and proof! Make your voice known! [email protected]
Dear Editor,
I refer to the commentary, “How can Singapore prepare for the risks and opportunities of an increasingly uncertain world?” (TODAY, June 23).
Let us recognise an interesting fact: Risk and opportunity have relatively coexisted.
The Ukraine war has brought three significant messages to Singapore:
Foremost, it exacerbates the global supply chain and rapidly pushes up food prices. In due course, Singapore has to find ways to increase sources of food supply to stabilise and alleviate inflation effects.
Singapore can step up its efforts to develop high-tech urban agriculture and modern engineering solutions for ocean aquaculture. For example, developing urban egg farming, vegetable and goat farming and hybrid fish farms or factory-based indoor fish farms so that we can gradually become a more self-sufficient and sustainable nation.
It expedites the realignment of world order, and Singapore has to unwaveringly affirm its foreign policy of non-alliance.
Global warming leads to climate change, which unavoidably affects the annual temperature of Singapore from 26.9 degrees Celsius to 28.0 degrees Celsius in the period 1980 to 2020. The mean sea level in the Straits of Singapore has also increased at the rate of 1.2 mm to 1.7 mm per year from the period 1975 to 2009.
Nonetheless, Singapore has equipped the economic resources and technical capabilities to develop desalination plants, the technology of biodiversity and speed up its transition to green and geothermal energy.
Although the unexpected occurrence of Covid-19 has already deprived the lives of ten hundred Singaporeans, it also provides ample opportunities for testing Singapore’s nimbleness, readiness, or preparedness in response to any potential risks to public health.
Any potential risks which could undermine our national stability and security to a greater extent depend upon the persistence of Singapore’s domestic political stability, economic prosperity and the foreign friendliness of our neighbouring countries.
In this regard, the ruling party and the opposition should preferably collaborate and work hand-in-hand in many aspects to safeguard Singapore’s long-term political stability, continuous economic prosperity and sound national security.
Teo Kueh Liang
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.
The federal government should institute immediate cost-cutting measures such as freezing all official trips abroad and suspending mega projects to free up funds to address Malaysia’s living cost crisis, said a Pakatan Harapan (PH) committee.
The coalition’s cost of living committee also suggested that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration reduce the number of ministries and lower the salaries of Cabinet members as part of this austerity drive.
It said these measures should have been attempted first before revoking subsidies that would further expose Malaysians, especially the B40 income category, to rising prices they were already struggling to pay.
“We take very seriously the government’s move to revoke the food subsidies. We find the move half-baked, irresponsible and rushed, as it will only further burden the already struggling public.
“We want the government to rethink their strategies and return those subsidies before July 1 as by then the prices of essentials will rise,” the committee said in a statement today.
Aside from the cuts it proposed, it also recommended reducing the allowances of ministers and their deputies, especially those for holidays and travel abroad.
The PM should also terminate the appointment of his special envoys to the Middle East, India, China, and the US, who were each the equivalent of federal ministers and entitled to similar salaries and allowances, the committee said.
It further recommended a review of the salaries and allowances paid to the top executives and directors of government-linked corporations and statutory bodies.
The government should additionally suspend massive infrastructure projects such as the MRT3, ECRL and Bandar Malaysia as these would not immediately benefit the country that was facing a cost of living crisis.
“Apart from that, this committee wants the ceiling prices on chickens and eggs to be maintained as well as the subsidies to breeders to continue so they won’t suffer from supply chain issues.
“The price of RON95 petrol should also be kept at RM2 per litre and the proposal to increase water and electricity tariffs should be abolished for everyone’s benefit,” he added.
On June 21, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the ceiling price control for chicken, chicken eggs and subsidies for palm cooking oil in bottles of two, three and five kilogrammes (kg) will not be continued from July 1.
Ismail Sabri subsequently announced increased Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia payments of between RM50 and RM100 as a response.
When public backlash continued, the PM then said the chicken and egg prices would not be allowed to float after all, but denied this was a U-turn.
For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, contact Editor at [email protected] — Copyright 2017 Malay Mail Online
The 15th General Elections (GE15) is best suited to be held in the first quarter of next year, former Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Rashid AB Rahman has said. He said GE15 should have been held earlier, as the current government is not an elected one and is illegitimate in terms of democracy.
“We should have held a general election. It should have been done a long time ago,” Rashid told The Malaysian Insight during an interview. “They say this is a ‘palace’ government, that’s right, this is not a people’s government, constitutionally right but this is not an elected government,” he added.
In addition, Rashid said the current government is unstable as a result of a combination of infighting within parties and those vying for positions.
“The prime minister always has to play politics between parties mixed in with the country’s current problems, our economy is bad, investors are running away,” he said. As such, Rashid said a GE should be held soon and the best time would be after the Form Five and Form Six students finish their SPM and STPM exams next year.
“Maybe early next year,” he said.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, school exams have been postponed several times and last year’s SPM and STPM students sat for exams in April, May and June this year. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, contact Editor at [email protected] — Copyright 2017 Malay Mail Online
We’ve heard of people breaking into a home to rob, but how often do we hear of people breaking into a home to party? Well, that’s exactly what happened when 200 people broke into an $8 million Florida mansion and decided to party the night away.
The incident came to light when a noise complaint was made early in the morning on June 25 at the Walton County Sheriff’s office. When the police arrived at Blackwater Street in Watercolor, most of the party people had split the scene.
Video clips of the party have been circulating on Snapchat, Instagram and other social media platforms. The biggest highlight of the evening, shockingly enough, was when the foyer of the palatial home was turned into a boxing ring. The social media footage depicts two boys furiously fighting each other with gloves on as the crowd of young people filmed the event, cheering and egging them on.
Police are currently on the lookout for the group of teenagers who were responsible for the break-in. When the police arrived at the night in question most of the teenagers had fled, leaving the police with nothing but social media leads to go on. The house was located near Panama City in northwestern Florida.
Police estimate that at least 150 to 200 teens attended the party. This was according to a statement given by Walton County Sheriff’s Office employee, Corey Dobridnia who spoke to USA Today about the incident.
The sheriff’s office also posted the following statement on Facebook:
“An open house party is against the law. An open house party in a home you break into is a burglary. Apart from the damage caused and the items stolen, it’s a complete violation of someone’s home that you can’t put a price on. The feeling when you know someone went into your closet, tried on your clothes, and used your bathroom doesn’t have a dollar amount attached to it. Especially in a place where you’re supposed to feel safe.”
The police also said that they can subpoena Snapchat if need be.
The sheriff’s office is requesting anyone with any information about the party to come forward.
A love story gone wrong, and the alleged killer’s parents were instrumental in informing the police of the 16-year-old student’s death. The man had known the girl for a year.
According to the police, the unemployed lover was in a romantic relationship with the female student, but the love affair ended tragically after he decided to end the girl’s life.
In an incident that occurred this week in Malaysia, the man, 24, used a pillow to cover his lover’s face, as reported by Kosmo.
The girl was brought to the man’s house by the latter, but an argument ensued, resulting in her death.
After the murderous act, the man sought his parent’s help, but the parents, shocked by what had happened, decided to call the police to inform them of the incident, instead.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by a medical team, while scratches and bruises were found on the victim’s face and neck.
“A post-mortem result showed that she died of asphyxiation, believed to have been caused when she was smothered with a pillow. The pillow has been seized as evidence.”
“The victim was a student at a school in the Klang Valley, while the suspect was jobless,” the police said.
The 24-year-old suspect, who has no criminal record, has been remanded in custody until July 3 to allow for investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
The suspect and the victim, who lived with her uncle in Puchong, had known each other for a year, and their families were aware of their relationship, according to police.
Another love-murder case
A 59-year-old housewife died after her daughter’s boyfriend slit her throat in a Kota Kinabalu, Sarawak, apartment.
According to reports, the victim and her 25-year-old daughter went to an apartment to meet with the 31-year-old suspect about his relationship with her daughter.
According to sources, an argument broke out during the meeting, and the man attacked the woman with a knife, killing her on the spot. This incident occurred on May 30.
