Singaporeans scramble to secure travel itineraries, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper

Snaking queues were observed at the Singapore Airlines (SIA) service centre, and travel agencies were inundated with inquiries as Singaporeans rushed to make travel plans yesterday.

It was announced on Saturday that those who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can fly to Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States from Oct 19.

They may also fly to South Korea from Nov 15.

But even as Singaporeans scrambled to secure travel itineraries, travel agents said many have also asked for more information about safe management practices in European countries.

Mr Jeremiah Wong, a spokesman for Chan Brothers Travel, said: "They've asked if there are any destinations that have handled the pandemic better and if there are any that might be safer for travelling.

"Some have also asked about the safe travel protocols that Chan Brothers Travel has put in place."

Ms Alicia Seah, a spokesman for Dynasty Travel, said it expects travel to pick up significantly by the first half of next year and added that some people may be waiting for the initial price surge in flights to pass before firming up their travel plans.

The agencies said itineraries to South Korea appear to be in high demand.

Checks on the SIA site showed that while a return trip on economy class to Seoul would usually cost as little as $679, prices in November have surged on some days to more than $1,500.

Return trips to Italy, Netherlands and Spain were about $960 for economy seats.

But while demand is expected to increase in the coming weeks, the travel agencies appear to be waiting to see if that demand is sustained enough to justify increasing manpower.

Ms Kay Swee Pin, chief executive officer of SA Tours, said it has recalled only a small team of 10 staff so far.

Mr Wong said Chan Brothers Travel welcomes the positive outlook, but will have to see how the situation develops.

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2021-10-10 22:00:00Z
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'Long 100 days': Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19 - CNA

New South Wales lifted lockdown rules after hitting its 70 per cent target of full vaccination for its adult population, with virus-free states watching what living with COVID-19 is going to look like.

With the vaccine rollout gaining momentum, Australia is planning a staggered return to normal, letting fully vaccinated residents enter and leave the country freely from November, although New South Wales plans to bring forward those dates.

Australia shut its international borders in March 2020, helping keep its coronavirus numbers relatively low, with about 127,500 cases and 1,440 deaths. New South Wales on Monday reported 496 new locally acquired cases, the majority in Sydney, up from 477 on Sunday.

"Very few countries have taken as stringent or extreme an approach to managing COVID-19 as Australia," Tim Soutphommasane, an academic and former Australian race discrimination commissioner, told AFP.

There are fears that reopening will inevitably bring a rash of new infections. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) this week criticised Perrottet when he appeared to shift the focus away from health and onto the economic recovery.

"The AMA supports gradual opening up of the economy and the loosening of restrictions, but it is critical to observe the impact of each step on transmission and case numbers," the association said.

"Otherwise New South Wales may still see hospitals become completely overwhelmed despite high vaccination rates."

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2021-10-10 23:52:00Z
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S'poreans seek travel agencies' recommendations on safer destinations as Covid-19 border curbs eased - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Snaking queues were observed at the Singapore Airlines (SIA) service centre, and travel agencies were inundated with enquiries as Singaporeans rushed to make travel plans on Sunday (Oct 10).

The surge comes a day after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that travel curbs would be further eased.

It was announced on Saturday that those who are vaccinated against Covid-19 can fly to Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the United States from Oct 19.

They may also fly to South Korea from Nov 15.

But even as Singaporeans scrambled to secure travel itineraries, travel agents said many have also asked for more information about safe management practices in European countries - a reflection of the anxiety some still have about how safe it is to go abroad during a pandemic.

Mr Jeremiah Wong, a spokesman for Chan Brothers Travel, said: "They've asked if there are any destinations that have handled the pandemic better and if there are any that might be safer for travelling. Some have also asked about the safe travel protocols that Chan Brothers Travel have put in place."

Ms Alicia Seah, a spokesman for Dynasty Travel, said it expects travel to pick up significantly by the first half of next year.

She added that some people may also be waiting for the initial price surge in flights to pass before firming up their travel plans.

The agencies said itineraries to South Korea appear to be in high demand, likely because of interest generated by the media there.

Checks on the SIA site showed that while a return trip on economy class to Seoul would usually cost as little as $679, prices in November have surged on some days to more than $1,500.

Return trips to Italy, Netherlands and Spain were about $960 for economy seats.

But while demand is expected to increase in the coming weeks, the travel agencies appear to be waiting to see if that demand is sustained enough to justify increasing manpower.

Ms Kay Swee Pin, chief executive officer of SA Tours, said it has recalled only a small team of 10 staff so far.

Mr Wong said Chan Brothers Travel welcomes the positive outlook, but will have to see how the situation develops.

"As leisure tourism recovers cautiously, it is in our organisation's plan to monitor and adjust our manpower resources to better support the business moving forward," he said.

"We believe that travel professionals, who are more often than not passionate travellers themselves, are welcoming the positive outlook that we are observing and will be looking forward to being back doing what they are passionate about."

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2021-10-10 12:17:02Z
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Hundreds detained in Indian Kashmir after teachers shot dead - CNA

SRINAGAR: Hundreds of people in restive Indian-administered Kashmir have been detained by police investigating a spate of targeted killings by suspected rebels, officials told AFP on Sunday (Oct 10).

Tensions have been heightened in the Muslim-majority region - which is contested by nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan - after New Delhi revoked Kashmir's semi-autonomy in August 2019 and brought it under direct rule.

Seven civilians were shot dead in six days last week, sparking public outrage in Kashmir and across the country. Politicians from all sides condemned the killings.

Nearly 500 residents suspected to have links with banned religious and militant groups were detained across the disputed territory following the shootings, a senior police officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

"No stone will be left unturned to find the killers," the officer added.

A top anti-terrorism intelligence officer was sent by New Delhi to the region to head up the investigation.

India's counter-terrorism task force, the National Investigation Agency, summoned 40 schoolteachers in the main city of Srinagar for questioning on Sunday, officials said.

Authorities say at least 29 civilians - including workers from pro-India political parties - have been shot dead in Kashmir so far this year.

Twenty-two of them were Muslims, officials added.

The latest deaths were two teachers from the minority Sikh and Hindu communities, who were shot by gunmen at a government-run school in Srinagar on Thursday.

Another man was shot dead by security forces on Thursday when his car did not stop at a checkpoint.

Their deaths came two days after three civilians were killed in separate street shootings within 90 minutes.

A relatively new militant group The Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for the latest deaths and accused those killed of working for "occupier mercenary forces and occupier stooges".

The statements, issued only in English, were circulated in numerous WhatsApp groups. They could not be independently verified by AFP.

The killings have instilled fear among Kashmir's minorities, with local media reporting that many were fleeing the region.

On Saturday, Human Rights Watch called for the alleged perpetrators as well as Indian security forces accused of abuses including harassment, torture and extrajudicial killings to be held accountable for their actions.

"Kashmiris are caught in unending violence from attacks by militants and abuses by government authorities and security forces," HRW's South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly said in a statement.

Rebel groups have been fighting Indian soldiers for over three decades, demanding independence for Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.

The conflict has left tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels dead.

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2021-10-10 14:05:27Z
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'Purpose, perseverance, support, money and sexual orientation': Study maps out what makes a person in Singapore happy - TODAYonline

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'Purpose, perseverance, support, money and sexual orientation': Study maps out what makes a person in Singapore happy  TODAYonline
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2021-10-10 09:06:07Z
CBMigAFodHRwczovL3d3dy50b2RheW9ubGluZS5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlL3B1cnBvc2UtcGVyc2V2ZXJhbmNlLXN1cHBvcnQtbW9uZXktYW5kLXNleHVhbC1vcmllbnRhdGlvbi1zdHVkeS1tYXBzLW91dC13aGF0LW1ha2VzLXBlcnNvbtIBAA

Taiwan must ‘resist annexation’, Tsai Ing-wen says - South China Morning Post

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1. Taiwan must ‘resist annexation’, Tsai Ing-wen says  South China Morning Post
2. Taiwan won't be forced to bow to China, says President Tsai Ing-wen  CNA
3. China's Xi calls for 'peaceful' reunification with Taiwan  Yahoo Singapore News
4. The Observer view on Xi Jinping’s increasing threats to Taiwan  The Guardian
5. Opinion | What if, instead of confronting China's rise, we must manage its decline?  The Washington Post
6. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-10-10 04:46:52Z
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Taiwan won't be forced to bow to China, says President Tsai Ing-wen - CNA

"But there should be absolutely no illusions that the Taiwanese people will bow to pressure," she said in the speech outside the presidential office in central Taipei.

"We will continue to bolster our national defence and demonstrate our determination to defend ourselves in order to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us," Tsai added.

"This is because the path that China has laid out offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people."

China has offered a "one country, two systems" model of autonomy to Taiwan, much like it uses with Hong Kong, but all major Taiwanese parties have rejected that, especially after China's security crackdown in the former British colony.

Tsai repeated an offer to talk to China on the basis of parity, though there was no immediate response from Beijing to her speech.

Beijing has refused to deal with her, calling her a separatist who refuses to acknowledge Taiwan is part of "one China", and does not recognise Taiwan's government.

"COMPLETE REUNIFICATION"

Xi has made taking Taiwan a key goal of his leadership. On Saturday, he declared in a speech that "the complete reunification of our country will be and can be realised".

He said he favoured "peaceful reunification" but Xi's words come after months of increased military threats, including the recent surge in air incursions.

Last year, there were a record 380 sorties. There have already been more than 600 this year.

Taiwan's air defence identification zone is not the same as Taiwan's territorial airspace. It includes a far greater area that overlaps with part of China's own air defence identification zone and includes some of the mainland.

Tsai has made no move to declare formal independence, something Beijing has long warned would be a "red line" that would trigger an invasion.

But she warned what happens to Taiwan would have major regional and global implications.

"Every step we take will influence our world's future direction, and our world's future direction will likewise affect the future of Taiwan itself," she said.

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2021-10-10 03:13:00Z
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