Woman fined for refusing to wear mask during COVID-19 pandemic

Clariel Griffin is the wife of British national Clive Ainsley Griffin, who was also fined for refusing to wear a mask at
Marina Bay Sands during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clariel Griffin outside the State Courts on Jun 24, 2024.
(Photo: CNA/Syamil Sapari)

Renee Kuek

24 Jun 2024

SINGAPORE: A woman was fined S$9,200 (US$6,800) on Monday (Jun 24) for failing to wear a mask and using criminal force on a safe-distancing ambassador during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clariel Griffin, a 49-year-old Singaporean, violated COVID-19 regulations in September 2021 at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), along with her husband, British national Clive Ainsley Griffin.

Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024 list: 81 eateries in Singapore make the cut

This year, 11 establishments have newly joined the list including a casual Italian restaurant and a prawn noodles stall that has been operating for over 70 years.

Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee (left) and MP Thai (Vision Exchange) (right) are two of the entrants in the 2024 edition of 
Michelin Bib Gourmand. (Photos: Brand Cellar)

Hazeeq Sukri

18 Jun 2024


Planning to eat out soon? Perhaps you and your dining companions can visit one of the 81 eateries that were recently recognised with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. There were 79 eateries on the list in 2023. 

On Tuesday (Jun 18), Michelin Guide announced its 2024 Bib Gourmand Selection for Singapore which includes several iconic hawker stalls and up-and-coming restaurants.

This is Singapore. This is what I Identify with.

 A twenty minute interview with two Naturalised Citizens.

One was born in Shanghai China, came to Singapore in 1997, then applied for Citizenship in mid-2000 (2004 or 2005). 

The other was born in Malaysia, grew up in Malaysia, studied there, but completed his education in the UK, worked there for a while before being sent to this part of the world, and worked from Singapore for some time and became a citizen in 2011.

40yo NUS alumnus says “Singapore Dream” is a ‘nightmare’ because ‘he has no wife, no house, no children, no car, no nothing

ByAnna Maria Romero 

MAY 22, 2024

SINGAPORE: A graduate of one of Singapore’s top universities had advice for everyone, writing in a social media post that the Singapore Dream can turn out to be a nightmare, depending on one’s choices.

Singapore must not let other countries dictate what it does, says Shanmugam

No matter how big or friendly other countries are, Singapore’s policies are for Singaporeans to decide, says the Law and Home Affairs Minister in a speech.

A view of Singapore's central business district and the Merlion on Nov 16, 2022. (File photo: CNA/Hanidah Amin)

Lee Chong Ming

05 Feb 2023 

SINGAPORE: Amid a global situation more uncertain and challenging than any period since its independence, Singapore continues to believe in the need for many major countries to participate in the region, to achieve a balance of power, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Sunday (Feb 5).

But as a small nation, Singapore must also put its interests first and not let other countries - big or small, no matter how friendly - dictate what it does, he added.

ASEAN, China and the trust deficit

RAHMAN YAACOB

The gap between rhetoric and action is Beijing’s biggest
problem – and the region showed it isn’t afraid to call this out.

China’s Premier Li Qiang waves amid the assembled ASEAN leaders following the ASEAN-China Summit,
6 September 2023 (Willy Kurniawan, Mast Irham via AFP/Getty Images)

12 Sep 2023

Trust (or the lack of it) seems to be the central theme in describing relations between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China. Several ASEAN leaders emphasised this point during the leaders’ summit last week in Jakarta.

Will the Indian economy ever surpass that of China?

Alicia García-Herrero

Apr 30, 2024 

India’s growth rate is clearly higher than that of China, especially since 2022, and there is no expectation this trend will
change any time soon. Photo: Bloomberg

Had I asked this question ten years ago, the answer would have been clear cut: Impossible. But things are changing. The Chinese economy is five to six times bigger than that of India, but India’s growth rate is clearly higher than that of China, especially since 2022, and there is no expectation this trend will change any time soon. This means that, unless a major shock hits the Indian economy, it will continue to converge in size with that of China for at least 30 years until India completes its urbanization process. Whether this will make the Indian economy bigger than that of China is hard to tell since it will depend on how fast China will decelerate but also how long India will continue to benefit from its current long-hanging fruits to create growth, from urbanization, a growing population and a very favourable external environment as the most obvious hedge for the West against the rise of China.