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Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Science
- Straits Times
‘I do what I'm used to doing': Historian Wang Gungwu, 94, keeps interrogating world affairs
Historian Wang Gungwu's new book, Roads To Chinese Modernity, is a compilation of his lectures delivered over the past 15 years. PHOTOS: GIN TAY, WORLD SCIENTIFIC SINGAPORE – At 94, Professor Wang Gungwu's default mode is still that of an indefatigable lecturer. He needs little prodding. The first question – 'Were you the one who selected the lectures included in your book?' – is enough for him to launch into an account of China's turbulent 20th century, lasting 40 minutes without so much as a sip of water. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
1 ticket wins $12.3 million Toto jackpot draw
A queue at the Singapore Pools branch in Lucky Plaza on June 19. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE - A single ticket has won the $12.3 million Toto jackpot on June 19 after the past three draws saw no winners. The winning numbers were 1, 10, 37, 40, 45, 47 . The additional number was 19 . The winning ticket was bought at the NTUC FairPrice at Yew Tee Point under the QuickPick System 7 Entry. It is not known if the ticket belonged to an individual or was shared among several people. Meanwhile, 13 tickets won the Category 2 prize, which had a share amount of $108,637 . Earlier, the Singapore Pools' website showed that the prize money for the Group 1 category had snowballed from almost $1.3 million on June 9 to $2.9 million on June 12. The last draw on June 16, which had a prize money of $5.6 million, had again yielded no winner. The Group 1 prize amount will snowball only up to the fourth draw. Thereafter, the amount will be shared among the winners in Group 2. The last Toto draw that had a prize sum of over $10 million was on April 28, with two winning tickets sharing $12.9 million. In 2024, a single ticket won $13.1 million. The record was set on May 9 that year. The latest draw results are available on the Singapore Pools website. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
300,000 S'poreans from Pioneer Generation to receive up to $1,200 in MediSave top-ups in July
The top-ups will be given on top of the annual GST vouchers for Singaporeans aged 65 and above. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY 300,000 S'poreans from Pioneer Generation to receive up to $1,200 in MediSave top-ups in July SINGAPORE - Around 300,000 Singaporeans from the Pioneer Generation will receive MediSave top-ups ranging from $300 to $1,200 in July. This will amount to over $160 million in total, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in a statement on June 16. This year's top-up amount is higher than the $250 to $900 they received in 2024, following a review of MediShield Life, added the ministry. These top-ups can be used to pay the premiums for MediShield Life, CareShield Life, ElderShield and other MediSave-approved insurance plans, as well as medical expenses such as hospitalisation, day surgeries, and selected outpatient treatments. The top-ups will be given on top of the annual GST vouchers for Singaporeans aged 65 and above. Singaporeans born between 1945 and 1949 will get $300, and those born between 1940 and 1944 will get $500. Those born between 1935 and 1939 will receive $700, and those born in 1934 or earlier will get $1200. Furthermore, older Pioneers born in 1939 and earlier who have serious pre-existing conditions will receive further top-ups of $50 or $200 to help pay their higher MediSave Life premiums. Pioneers who were born earlier can expect larger MediSave top-up amounts as they typically have less savings than younger members of the Pioneer Generation, MOF said, adding that they may need more help with their annual MediShield Life premiums. The top-up will automatically be credited to eligible Pioneers' CPF MediSave Accounts. The Pioneer Generation Package was introduced in 2014 to honour and thank this group of Singaporeans for their contributions during the country's early years. MOF assured that older pioneers aged 91 and above will also continue to see their MediShield Life premiums fully covered, while younger pioneers will have about two-thirds covered. Eligible seniors who have downloaded and set up their Singpass – a digital identity app for Singaporeans – will receive notifications on their top-up amount by . Those without the app but who have registered their mobile numbers with Singpass before June 2 will receive an SMS by June 18 to inform them of the amount they are eligible for. The rest of the seniors will receive letters by the end of June. SOURCE: MOF To guard against scams, the SMS will inform seniors only of their benefits and will not ask for a reply or any information. No messages on the Pioneer Generation benefits will be sent via WhatsApp or other such messaging platforms, said the ministry. More details on the Pioneer Generation Package can be found at this website. Those with inquiries can also call 1800-222-2888 or 1800-650-6060. They can also e-mail contactus@ Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
More telcos in Singapore offering ‘borderless' mobile plans to woo globetrotters
A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus for 'borderless' mobile plans. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – More local telcos are offering 'borderless' mobile plans at record low prices to woo an increasing number of globetrotting consumers. Such plans allow consumers to use a generous bundle of mobile data across borders without paying more, or activating a travel e-SIM or roaming feature. The latest to jump on this trend is M1, whose Maxx plan offers 290GB of data for use in Singapore and Malaysia for a record low of $7.90 a month. The plan also includes 10GB of mobile data for use in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan. This follows the January launch of Simba Telecom's $10 monthly SuperRoam 10 plan that provides 300GB of 5G data that can be used in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. A separate 12GB of roaming mobile data for seven other Asian destinations is included in the same plan. Singapore's virtual telco started the borderless trend here in September 2023, when it let customers use 100GB across eight Asian destinations (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). The monthly plan costs $30 for the first three months, and $37 after that. Mr Fabian Sossa, vice-president of corporate and global marketing at said: 'The plan is designed for mobile professionals, digital nomads, students, tourists and families with cross-border ties... essentially anyone who needs connectivity across multiple countries without friction.' Since then, other telcos have followed suit. While most of these plans today cover connectivity in Malaysia, others also include popular Asian destinations like Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A rise in cross-border travel after the Covid-19 pandemic provided the initial impetus. For instance, the number of daily travellers at the Woodlands Checkpoint stood at 327,000 on average in 2024. This is up 22 per cent from the 269,000 in 2023, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. Likewise, in 2024, Indonesia received 1.4 million visitors from Singapore, while Singapore received 2.49 million visitors from Indonesia. Singapore is one of the top five source countries for visitors to Indonesia, while Indonesia is the second-largest source country for visitors to Singapore. Experts said the setting up of special trade zones in the region and the upcoming launch of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will further boost demand for such mobile data plans. These special economic zones, which include the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, are meant to boost the flow of goods, services and people across borders, and reduce barriers to trade and investment. The RTS Link will connect Malaysia's second-largest city, Johor Bahru, and Woodlands in Singapore over the Strait of Johor. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Mr Peter Liu, an analyst at Gartner specialising in telecoms, said the upcoming special economic zones will significantly increase business travel and create a new category of 'super commuters' comprising skilled professionals working across borders daily or weekly. 'The seamless border, competitive tax incentives and infrastructure investments will normalise cross-border work arrangements, making borderless connectivity services essential rather than optional for this emerging professional class,' he said. Even prior to the setting up of the economic zones, the number of Malaysians and Singaporeans crossing each other's borders already provides a captive market for telcos, said Simba Telecom chief technology officer Benjamin Tan. 'The days of rationing roaming data are behind us. Consumers today want to use their mobile devices as freely outside as they do at home,' he said. Ms Shilpa Aggarwal, vice-president of mobile customer solutions at Singtel, also cited the large number of mobile workers between Singapore and Malaysia as a reason for the telco's generous Malaysia roaming data allowance. Gomo, a sub-brand of Singtel, offers a basic 300GB of local data as well as 6GB of roaming data for use in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia for $15 a month. Mr Soh Wei Sheng, 30, who recently completed his master's degree, subscribes to Simba's 300GB plan as he frequently travels to Malaysia and Indonesia for leisure with his family. 'It is affordable and hassle-free when I travel ,' he said. Ms Cinthia Poh, a 41-year-old civil servant, uses Singtel Gomo so she does not have to purchase travel SIM cards any more when she travels to Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. She usually buys add-ons when the overseas roaming data is insufficient. Analysts said it is unlikely that the regions covered by these borderless mobile plans will expand, as telcos still need to make money, particularly from roaming fees. Ms Kiranjeet Kaur, associate research director at IDC, said: 'Roaming still forms a significant part of a telco's revenue. Incumbent telcos will still try to retain their consumer base with premium offerings rather than joining the race to the bottom in prices.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Jetstar Asia responds to customers' concerns about flight cancellations, refunds
According to a Jetstar Asia spokesman, all customers are entitled to a monetary refund. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY SINGAPORE – As Singapore-based low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia prepares to close, with its final day of operations on July 31, customers have raised concerns about flight cancellations and refunds. The Straits Times posed the most common questions to Jetstar Asia. Here is what its spokesperson said. Q: What will Jetstar Asia's schedule look like in the coming weeks as operations wind down? Jetstar Asia's schedule will progressively reduce over the coming weeks. Our new schedule has been finalised and customers who are impacted by schedule changes will be contacted today (June 12) with their options, which includes alternative flights where possible (including with other airlines) or a full refund. Customers who are not contacted with schedule changes can proceed to the airport as normal, with their flight operating to schedule. Q: When will affected customers be notified about refunds, and how? By today (June 12), all customers will be contacted with details of alternative flight options where possible or offered a full refund. We ask customers to check the e-mail used at the time of booking for details. Q: Why have some requests for refunds been denied? All customers are entitled to a monetary refund, which will be processed to their original form of payment. If a customer originally paid by voucher, the refund will be processed into the form of a voucher, which will be converted to cash (after July 31). Q: Will Jetstar Asia compensate customers for monetary losses as a result of the airline closing shop? Any customers with non-refundable deposits for expenses such as hotels and car rentals should contact us, and we will consider all requests on a case-by-case basis. Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
