SINGAPORE - The glitch that marred the launch of the much-anticipated SingPass Mobile app has been fixed, said GovTech. In a Facebook post at around noon on Tuesday (Oct 23), GovTech wrote: «There have been more than 20,000 successful SingPass Mobile app installations since yesterday's launch.» It said that the issue of error code 121, which many users encountered on Monday when trying to register with the app, has since been resolved.

SINGAPORE - Two chain collisions involving a total of eight cars occurred metres apart on the Tampines Expressway (TPE) on Tuesday (Oct 23), resulting in a build-up of traffic during the morning peak hour. The police said that they were alerted to an accident involving three cars on the TPE, in the direction of the Seletar Expressway (SLE), at about 8.30am. One of the drivers, a 50-year-old woman, and her 35-year-old passenger were injured. Both women were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

How do you check if an avocado is ripe or not? Definitely not by pressing it. At least that's what Sylvia Yong from RedMart's quality assurance team would tell you.

The Duterte administration has won once and lost once in its bid to have Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of its staunchest critics, re-arrested for criminal cases dismissed seven years ago.  

Aakalaing 'The Greatest Showman' ang music video na ginawa ng mga mag-aaral ng Camarines Sur National High School para sa kanilang Math class, na hanep sa editing, choreography at paglatag ng tunog.

The front beach and Puka beach of the world famous Boracay Island resort are safe for swimming, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said Tuesday.  

The visit of the Russian ships to Qingdao will continue until October 25

Crimea's Ministry of Internal Politics, Information and Communication said «such misinformation was intentionally distributed to create panic» during the college shooting in Kerch

Russian Minister of Digital Development Konstantin Noskov said that «it is especially important now to make joint efforts to de-monopolize the global software market»

The Russian-French Fund is supported by the Russian Military Historical Society

The Russian Foreign Ministry delegation has arrived in Pyongyang to hold negotiations with representatives for the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs

I have gone against the grain many times but I think this may take the top spot.

Old students of the KNUST have denied any involvement in a protest that occurred at the school on Monday.

Sam George has accused President Akuffo-Addo of endorsing an illegality following the official launch of the Common Monitoring Platform.

A fund raising event as part of a project aimed at obtaining the requisite financing for the translation of the Bible into all Ghanaian languages by year 2020, has been held in Kumasi.

The Education minister is set to visit the country’s second largest university, KNUST closed down after violent student demonstrations.

Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya has sent a hard-hitting letter to the government and recognized political parties informing them that getting officials to run provincial councils was undemocratic and likened it to an administration of dictatorship.

Archaeologists from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who are in charge of the Rajagala Archaeological Reserve in Ampara have confirmed that it was there that the ashes of Arahat Mahinda were enshrined, Vice Chancellor Sampath Amaratunge informed the media.  

Chinese President Xi Jinping has officially opened the world's longest sea crossing bridge, nine years after construction first began.

India has offered to assist Sri Lanka with its inquiry into match-fixing in cricket and drafting laws to combat cheating in the game, Minister Arjuna Ranatunga said yesterday.

Sri Lanka claimed the top spot in the Lonely Planet’s best travel destinations list of countries to visit in 2019, with Germany and Zimbabwe just behind, while Italy's Piedmont, the Catskills in the USA, and northern Peru topped the list of must-see regions.

Tue, 2018-10-23 02:35 RIYADH: Russia seeks to extend its close economic ties with Saudi Arabia into the world of arts and culture, a leading Russian businessman writes today in Arab News. The arts are “a source for new jobs and sustained economic growth, and private companies realize this trend is an opportunity,” says Kirill Dmitriev. “Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that identified this trend early. Cultural development is an important part of the Vision 2030 program led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman,” he writes. The Russian Direct Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of which Dmitriev is chief executive, “believes that culture not only supports economic growth, but also builds bridges between nations, creating an atmosphere of mutual trust.”  As an example, five paintings by the Russian avant-garde artists Wassily Kandinsky and Pavel Filonov are being exhibited at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh. Such cultural ties “will contribute to the long-term relationship.” Dmitriev writes. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi ArabiaFII2018Culture and Entertainment Saudi crown prince to Putin: ‘Our cooperation is beneficial to the world’KSA to set up first special economic zone in Riyadh

Author: ARAB NEWSID: 1540254767630175100Wed, 2018-10-24 03:32 Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed Al-Saif is the Saudi deputy minister of justice. He was appointed to this position in February 2018 following a royal order. He succeeded Ahmad Al-Humaidan. Previously, he served as a judge at the General Court of Riyadh, and at the Court of Appeal in Al-Jawf. Moreover, he also served as the president of the Court of Civil Affairs in Riyadh. During his tenure there, he resolved pending cases in the court concerning minors, and related to family issues. An orderly system was set up to adjudicate important cases within two days in general or a maximum of 10 working days, in contrast to several months in the past. Al-Saif holds a bachelor’s degree in Islamic law from Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh, and a master’s degree from Riyadh’s Higher Judicial Institute. The Saudi Ministry of Justice signed a memorandum of cooperation with China on Sunday to share and exchange information and experiences in the field of the judiciary. The deputy justice minister signed the memorandum with his Chinese counterpart Chung Chungwa at a ceremony held in Riyadh. The memorandum stated the two sides agreed to establish the basis for cooperation in the area of legislation, legal dissemination and dissemination of legal knowledge, management of notaries, institutional operational management and technical support, and capacity-building for judicial administration officials. Al-Saif said the measure will help strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various fields. Since the establishment of ties, the relations between the two countries have witnessed sustained development. Saudi Arabia considers itself an essential partner in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will have a great economic and social impact on the world. There are hundreds of Saudi students in Chinese universities, and the Kingdom has opened a branch of the King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Beijing to encourage exchanges between scholars, researchers and students in both countries. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi justice ministry FaceOf: Princess Haifa Al-Faisal, founder of the Zahra Breast Cancer AssociationFaceOf: Dr. Awad bin Khazim Al-Asmari, director of Shaqra University in Riyadh

Author: ARAB NEWSID: 1540256937540225400Wed, 2018-10-24 04:07 JEDDAH: Indonesian President Joko Widodo received Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir in Bogor on Monday. The Saudi foreign minister conveyed the greetings of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the Indonesian president and best wishes for him and the people of Indonesia. The two leaders reviewed bilateral ties and ways of enhancing cooperation. They also discussed latest regional and international developments. Saudi Arabia and Indonesia will hold their first joint ministerial commission meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday. Riyadh and Jakarta have endorsed two major agreements this month. As per one of the agreements signed earlier this month, Indonesia will now allow domestic workers to again work in the Kingdom. The cooperation deal, which covers a number of domestic professions, was signed by Ahmad bin Suleiman Al-Rajihi, minister of labor and social development, and Muhammad Hanif Dhakiri, Indonesian minister of manpower and transmigration, in Jakarta on Oct. 11. AN Jeddah This month, Indonesia also ratified a defense cooperation agreement that it had inked with Saudi Arabia earlier. The Kingdom and Indonesia, the two OIC member nations, has had diplomatic ties since 1950. Indonesia seeks more engagement with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As such, Indonesia is currently proposing to have a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the GCC countries. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Trade Report, the volume of trade exchange between Indonesia and GCC last year amounted to $10.3 billion. GCC enjoyed a surplus of $3.3 billion mainly on account of its oil and gas exports. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi ArabiaIndonesia Honoring Indonesia at Janadriyah ‘confirms close ties with Saudi Arabia’Indonesia is ‘guest of honor’ at Janadriyah festival

Author: Tue, 2018-10-23 04:13 JEDDAH: King Salman has reinstated annual bonuses to Saudi Arabia’s government workers, a cabinet members said on Monday. The bonuses will be what they previously were and procedures pertaining to them unchanged, the country’s Civil Service minister Sulaiman Al-Hamdan said. The resumption of the rewards will be at the beginning of 2019 and will apply to all government employees, the minister told Al Arabiya News Channel. “The Ministry of Civil Service has been tasked along with the Ministry of Finance and several other agencies to prepare an integrated study on the annual bonus and its impact.  “A comprehensive study has been prepared and several simulation programs have been developed for many assumptions. These were presented to the Finance Committee under the chairmanship of the crown prince. “I thank the king and the crown prince on behalf of government employees for issuing this royal decree, which reflects their keenness to improve the performance of the government sector,” he said. In April 2017, King Salman had issued a royal decree restoring bonuses and allowances for civil servants and military personnel that had been cut under austerity measures in September 2016.   Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi Arabia King Salman issues his directives not to prejudice high cost of living allowances and bonusesSaudi Arabia’s economic transformation benefiting business, says study

Author: Tue, 2018-10-23 04:32 Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, general supervisor of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) and adviser to the Royal Court, announced on Monday that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will each donate $35 million to pay teachers in Yemen, in cooperation with the United Nations and UNICEF. He said that the contributions reflect the concern of the Saudi-led coalition countries about the situation in the country and their desire to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, who have been suffering economic hardship. Many Yemenis, and teachers in particular have not been paid for some time. The donations, with the assistance of UNICEF, will help provide salaries for 135,000 teachers. Al-Rabeeah added that since 2015, coalition countries have donated $17 billion dollars to help the people of Yemen get through the humanitarian and economic crisis in their country. “The Saudi-led coalition stresses the need for concerted international efforts to support the humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen and avoid further deterioration,” he said. “The coalition countries are expecting the new Yemeni government to prioritize economic and humanitarian matters and activate an action plan facilitating the process. The new government should work on enhancing its performance, in accordance with the international efforts to support the people and their living conditions, in order to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, especially in terms of food security and public health.” Al-Rabeeah said the coalition countries lay the blame for the deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen with the Houthi militias and their coup against the legitimate authorities in the country and their rejection of a political solution, as well as their non-compliance with the international resolutions. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Saudi Arabia KSRelief offers 40 electric wheel chairs to amputees in SanaaKSRelief continues to provide aid to Syrian refugees

The U.S. is serious about pulling out of a landmark nuclear agreement with Russia, but further discussions are planned before formal notice of the decision would be given to Moscow, national-security adviser John Bolton said.

Two U.S. warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait, U.S. and Taiwan defense officials said, a maneuver intended to signal to China that the U.S. could travel in any international waters.

President Trump said he was “not satisfied” with Saudi Arabia’s explanation of the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, days after the kingdom acknowledged that he was killed inside its consulate in Istanbul.

A member of the U.S.-led international military forces in Afghanistan was killed in an apparent insider attack in the western province of Herat, the third such incident in the past two months.

An estimated 5,000 Honduran migrants set out Monday from southern Mexico on a grueling journey toward the U.S. border, as President Trump threatened to end or cut foreign aid to Central American countries for failing to stop the caravan.

ATTARD. On Monday, October 22, at Mater Dei Hospital, JOSEPH S. of Marsa, residing at Birkirkara, aged 86, passed away peacefully after a short illness, comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He leaves to mourn his loss his brothers and sister, Fr Wistin Attard, OFM Cap., Mary, John, Frans and his wife Victoria, David and his wife Rose, nephews and nieces, relatives and friends. The funeral cortège leaves Mater Dei Hospital, today, Tuesday, at 7.45am, for the Holy Trinity parish church, Marsa, where Mass præsente cadavere will be said at 8.30am, followed by interment in the family vault at Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery. No flowers by request but donations to Puttinu Cares, Mater Dei Hospital, would be appreciated. Lord, grant him eternal rest. DEBONO. On October 22, at Mater Dei Hospital, MICHAEL, passed away peacefully comforted by the rites of Holy Church. He leaves to mourn his loss his wife Antoinette, his daughter Natalie and her husband Stefan, his son David and his wife Kristel, his daughter Clare and her husband Ivan and his grandchildren Nicole, Andrew, Emma, Daniel, Hannah, Duncan and Ralph, nephews and nieces, other relatives and friends. Funeral Mass praesente...

All newspapers today give extensive coverage to Monday's presentation of the Budget for 2019. The Times of Malta says there are no new or raised taxes, vacation leave is to be increased by a day and another tax rebate cheque is to be given. The Malta Independent says the Budget is building on the success achieved. In-Nazzjon leads with the press conference given by Opposition leader Adrian Delia during which he said the government could not continue to hide behind the problems it had created. L-Orizzont describes Budget measures as progressive ones which strengthened success.

More than 30 million people worldwide suffer from Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of dementia. Unfortunately, there is no cure, only drugs to ease the symptoms. However, my latest review, suggests a way to treat the disease. I found the strongest evidence yet that the herpes virus is a cause of Alzheimer’s, suggesting that effective and safe antiviral drugs might be able to treat the disease. We might even be able to vaccinate our children against it. The virus implicated in Alzheimer’s disease, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), is better known for causing cold sores. It infects most people in infancy and then remains dormant in the peripheral nervous system (the part of the nervous system that isn’t the brain and the spinal cord). Occasionally, if a person is stressed, the virus becomes activated and, in some people, it causes cold sores. We discovered in 1991 that in many elderly people HSV1 is also present in the brain. And in 1997 we showed that it confers a strong risk of Alzheimer’s disease when present in the brain of people who have a specific gene known as APOE4. The virus can become active in the brain, perhaps repeatedly, and this probably causes...

The tiny, red pomegranate seed may not look like much but it helps explain why Yemen's civil war has brought millions of people to the brink of famine. Pomegranate exports were a key source of income for people in Saada in northwest Yemen, a province under the control of the Houthi movement aligned with Iran. Before the war began in 2015, farmers exported 30,000 tonnes of the fruit. Those exports have fallen by around a third and farmers blame lack of fuel and water for irrigation and the impact of aerial bombing by a coalition of forces led by Saudi Arabia and armed by the United States, France, Britain and other Western countries. Markets and roads have been targeted, making it much more dangerous and, crucially, more expensive to get pomegranates by truck to Yemen's main port in Hodeidah, the farmers say. The coalition is fighting to restore the internationally-recognized government that was ousted from the capital Sanaa by the Houthis. Many bombs have fallen on civilian areas. The coalition denies targeting civilians deliberately. «The pomegranates are dying because of lack of water because of the blockade,» said farmer Rabeea al-Abdy. He was referring to stringent measures...