It was reported by the media yesterday (14 Nov) that Singtel posted its first quarterly loss of S$668 million in its 2Q result ending 30 Sep (‘Singtel posts first quarterly loss of S$668m on Airtel provision‘). This was primarily due to provision made for huge losses incurred by Bharti Airtel, the Indian telco which Singtel invested in. Excluding Airtel, net …

Last Tues (5 Nov), Reuters reported that France will soon start to implement tough policies to control immigration. For the first time, France will set quotas for the number of immigrant workers from outside the EU it allows into the country, French Labour Minister Muriel Penicaud said last week. Speaking on French TV, the minister said these quotas would be …

In an interview with CNA on Monday (11 Nov), Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said that it’s critical for Singapore to send a “positive signal” to the world in the next GE. A “strong, stable coherent political system” is needed to inspire confidence in the economy, he said. It would also allow Singapore to attract “strong economic …

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat wrote on his Facebook page saying that he visited SPH yesterday (11 Nov). “It’s my first look at SPH since they completed their renovations this year,” Heng said. “Saw the newly-built SPH studios and got a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how the various newsrooms operate.” Heng said that although the media landscape has changed, the …

Last Saturday (9 Nov), Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said that the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) does not grant Indian nationals unconditional access into Singapore or immigration privileges. The news was picked up by the Straits Times (ST) and reported the following day (‘Free Trade Agreements have created more jobs for Singaporeans: Chan Chun Sing‘, 10 …

At the People’s Action Party (PAP) convention held yesterday (10 Nov), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said PAP must not allow the disconnect between the masses and the elite seen in other countries to take root in Singapore. “The PAP must always remain the party of the people,” he told his party members. “Every party member – you may be …

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Saturday (9 Nov) that the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) does not grant Indian nationals unconditional access into Singapore or immigration privileges (‘CECA does not grant Indian nationals unconditional access, immigration privileges: Chan Chun Sing‘). Claims that the bilateral agreement has cost job opportunities for Singaporeans aim to stoke fears …

It was reported in the media today that Ministry of Manpower and Immigration and Checkpoint Authority, have both found nothing wrong with the education documents, Erramalli Ramesh had submitted for his citizenship application (‘Authorities checked educational qualifications of $1.5 million condo man and found nothing amiss‘, 9 Nov). In a joint reply to the media, both government agencies said that …

At the ASEAN summit in Bangkok on Monday (4 Nov), India announced that it will opt out of the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) Agreement. Indian PM Narendra Modi said that India was dropping out of the agreement, citing its negative effects on India. “The present form of the RCEP Agreement does not fully reflect the basic spirit and the …

In an opinion piece on Yahoo yesterday (‘COMMENT: Heng Swee Keat needs to raise his game against Workers’ Party‘, 6 Nov), Yahoo’s Assistant News Editor Nicholas Yong observed that Heng had scored his own goal at the latest sitting of Parliament on Tuesday (5 Nov). “Fumbled. Dropped the ball. Whichever sporting analogy you prefer, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat …