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​Running out of ideas for family or personal meals while staying indoors? Oddle Eats has put together some exclusive Work From Home (WFH) bundle meals for those staying at home. You can now enjoy quality meals in the comforts of your home at just $50! Including brands such as Pan Pacific, Putien, Marche, Wholefish and more!  

In addition, payments made via the following credit cards will automatically enjoy additional discounts. No promo codes required! Limited redemptions available per week: 

Whether you’re working at home or simply relaxing at home, you’d be hard pressed to find a more comfortable outfit to do it in than a pair of sweats. Soft, stretchy, cozy, it’s truly the pinnacle of loungewear. But nowadays, with the lines blurring between home and office, it’s nice to have some sweats that are not only comfortable, but also something you can actually feel presentable in when you leave the house. Which is exactly where the Fall/Winter 2021 Levi’s® Red Tab™ Sweats Collection comes in.

The Red Tab™ Sweats Collection is pretty much the final word in head-to-toe fleece. Each piece—the Red Tab™ Sweats Crew, Red Tab™ Sweats Hoodie, and Red Tab™ Sweatpant and Sweatshort is made with super soft cotton French terry and comes in a range of garment dyes and patterns. These ultracomfortable sweats can be mixed and matched in a truly mind-bending array of combinations. They have a vintage vibe (think wrestling team warmups) and a relaxed fit. The fabric is a heavier weight and captures that classic aesthetic, but still perfectly modern thanks to the wide range of color, pattern, and style combinations. 

​“We wanted to create a new, effortless and cozy sweat hook-up for everyone. It’s inspired by pieces we found from our archive, with a 90’s look and feel, with more relaxed proportions and style but made for today. They’re comfy and cozy, perfect to wear in and to wear out and about. We captured quality, cool and comfort all in one.”—Karyn Hillman, Chief Product Officer at Levi’s®

Pair them with your favorite socks or fuzzy slippers at home, and then with your favorite pair of sneakers when you leave the house for that coffee run. You can also split them up to maximize their style variety sweatpants with a striped tee and a Levi’s® Trucker Jacket, hoodie with your favorite pair of Levi’s® 501 ‘93s, shorts with a button-down camp shirt and your favorite retro sneakers. Whatever the combination, sky’s the limit. 

​Kipling® is collaborating with Japanese designer, Keiko Ochiai, Head of Design of the Japanese fashion brand, Tricoté to launch a special collection of bags named Kipling By Keiko. The collection brings light to the uniqueness of Japanese fashion, the mixing of knitwear style, and intricate design. Keiko desires to make the warmth of knit as an iconic, everyday fashion trend. Introducing original textile design and knitwear craft is a first for Kipling®, but the Japanese collaboration comes as no surprise as Kipling® is known for fostering creativity, innovation, self-expression, and art.
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It was Kipling’s Global VP of Products & Design, Denielle Wolfe who fell in love with Keiko’s signature, knit products, “I met Keiko in Paris where we spoke of her approach to designing her exquisite knit combinations. The approach is so entirely different from working with wovens. We loved the idea of bringing her creativity and craft in combination with Kipling’s iconic silhouettes, quality, and utility. Together we created something unexpected and beautiful.”

​Kipling By Keiko offers a variety of Japanese-inspired, fashionable feminine bags that are as stylish as they are functional for day-tonight usage. Keiko’s knit designs are composed of a continuous chain of rings representing repeated, daily life. Her designs incorporate plaids and color switching details, as well as lively, eyecatching lines and a classic, pastel color block. The light colors and pocket design offer a high profile, and fashionable aesthetic. Keiko’s designs are crafted with original, jacquard cords and have metal accents for an elevated look and feel.

​Keiko, herself shares with us the best feature of her knit designs; the functional, knitted features sewn within the fabric itself. With features such as internal and external pockets, multiple compartments, zippers, adjustable straps, and never-before-seen silhouettes, these designs are staples of the Fall/Winter season for the feminine, modern women who likes to blend fashion with functionality.

Make sure to shop Kipling By Keiko this season, in all Kipling stores islandwide from 18 October 2021 and concierge shopping service on WhatsApp at 6634 3200.

SINGAPORE - Crowd control measures will be in place at Little India in the lead-up to Deepavali to prevent overcrowding, authorities said on Monday (Oct 18).

The popular pedestrian crossing at the junction of Campbell Lane and Serangoon Road will be switched off between 6pm and 1am from October 29 to 31 and from 6pm to 2am on the eve of Deepavali (Nov 3), said the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).

This is as more visitors are expected in Little India in the lead-up to the Festival of Lights.

"Human traffic will be redirected to two other crossings at Sungei Road and Dunlop Street," it said.

"This will ensure that crowds are spread across the precinct and prevent choke points during peak periods."

STB added that they will be working with businesses in Little India to ensure that they do not extend their wares onto the pedestrian walkways, as this may narrow the lanes and lead to crowding.

​Some businesses will also extend their operating hours to allow shoppers to spread out their visits.

This is the second year that the major Hindu festival is being celebrated in the midst of the pandemic.

While the night bazaar remains suspended this year, those celebrating can enjoy food trails, heritage tours, cooking demonstrations, treasure hunts and competitions such as a TikTok dance challenge for all races.

Deepavali, which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, falls on Nov 4 this year.

Last year, bazaars or festival villages were not allowed, though some stalls were permitted to extend their footprint out to the street so as to accommodate the crowds.

Then, STB had also deployed more enforcement officers and safe distancing ambassadors during the peak periods leading up to Deepavali to aid with crowd management.

Eight people were each issued composition fines of $300 in late October and early November last year for failing to comply with safe management measures while in Little India.

SINGAPORE - The authorities will not hesitate to take action against people who disrupt essential call centre operations or encourage others to do so.

This includes those who call the National Care Hotline and other government phone lines "with the intention of overwhelming and disrupting" such operations.

"The incitement and carrying out of actions that aim to disrupt any essential call centre operations is illegal," said the Ministries of Health and Social and Family Development on Sunday (Oct 17), in response to queries from reporters.

"We take this matter very seriously, and will not hesitate to work with the police and enforcement agencies to take action where necessary."

Last week, several chat groups on messaging app Telegram had called on members to "flood" government phone lines - including both ministries' hotlines - under the guise of giving feedback on the latest measures that bar unvaccinated people from entering malls and other public spaces.

"Get people to demand this gets pushed up to the call centre manager. And ask for them to revert back," the message said. "Otherwise call again tmr (tomorrow) and ask for any feedback."

In their joint statement, the ministries said these hotlines are important channels for Singaporeans in need to seek timely help. They urged everyone to exercise social responsibility and not deny genuine callers the opportunity to seek help.

The Health Ministry saw a surge in calls to its hotline last month, as people on the home recovery programme dialled in to ask for help on their specific circumstances. This resulted in complaints after some people were not able to reach a phone operator.

"With the already high call volumes that are being registered every day, such spamming will lengthen waiting times and frustrate genuine callers and may, in some cases, keep some Singaporeans from receiving critical assistance," the ministries said.

SINGAPORE - In managing the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore did not take a purist "zero-Covid" or "living with Covid" approach, but adopted an eradication strategy when the population was vulnerable before opening up progressively after vaccination had given Singaporeans a protective shield.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said this on Monday morning (Oct 18) in his opening address at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Asia Pacific Conference.

"Some may feel that this middle-of-the-road approach is unclear, and may even appear to be a 'flip-flop'. But it has helped us avert the massive deaths that many countries have suffered from," Mr Ong said.

​"It is the correct approach for Singapore and, day by day, we are moving closer to the light at the end of the tunnel."

Covid-19 infection numbers have shot up in recent weeks and there have been more related deaths. The Health Ministry is hence mobilising more manpower resources, such as from polymerase chain reaction swab operations which the ministry is doing less of. A total of 1,600 trained volunteers have stepped forward to help.

Healthcare protocols have also been simplified and the ministry is also roping in private sector hospitals to help share the burden.

​SINGAPORE - A Singapore permanent resident who arrived at Changi Airport on July 14 allegedly lied on his declaration form for opt-out travellers so that he could serve his stay-home notice (SHN) at home.

Taiwanese Lu Yi Yin, 48, is said to have declared that he would be occupying his home alone or with household members with the same travel history and serving their SHN during the same period.

He was then told to serve his SHN from July 14 to 28.

Enforcement officers conducted a check at his home the following day and found two other household members there who did not share his travel history.

Lu, who appeared in a district court on Friday (Oct 15), was charged with an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act.

Court documents did not disclose from where he had flown as well as details about his home address and household members.

Since Aug 11 last year, all travellers serving their SHN outside of dedicated facilities are required to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout their SHN period.

Among the criteria, the traveller has to occupy his or her place of residence alone, or only with household members who share the same travel history and are serving SHN of the same duration.

In a statement, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority said: "With this enhanced surveillance regime, the Government is able to adopt a more risk-based approach to allow travellers from selected countries or regions who by default have to serve SHN at dedicated facilities."

Lu's bail was set at $5,000 and his case has been adjourned to Jan 7 next year.

For committing the offence under the Act, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.

A repeat offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $20,000.

SINGAPORE - A new initiative to create training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in human resource (HR) services is one example of how employers can promote inclusive hiring, said President Halimah Yacob on Friday (Oct 15).

To be commissioned in the first quarter of next year, the HR Power Bank initiative by Human Capital Singapore (HCS) will support up to 30 training and employment opportunities with partners such as Microsoft Singapore, Alibaba Cloud and SG Enable, she added.

HCS will provide persons with disabilities trained as HR administrators to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), where HR professional services are often below par, said Mr Richard Magnus, chairman of the HCS management board.

In Madam Halimah's opening address at a virtual masterclass on the competitive advantage of disability-inclusive hiring, she noted that employers play a pivotal role in society's ongoing efforts to empower persons with disabilities.

She said: "Inclusive hiring has slowly become a reality, due to the collective effort of many companies like all those present today."

To date, 148 organisations from private, people and public sectors have signed the President's Challenge Enabling Employment Pledge that was launched in March last year, to affirm their commitment to inclusive hiring, she noted.

The pledge calls on organisations to adopt an inclusive mindset, create barrier-free workplace environments and implement supportive policies for employees with disabilities.

Employers who sign the pledge can look forward to building up capabilities and receiving support like Friday's masterclass, in their efforts to hire, train and integrate persons with disabilities, Madam Halimah added.

"Those who are ready can also take the next step of applying for the Enabling Mark - a national accreditation by SG Enable that benchmarks and recognises organisations for their best practices and outcomes in disability inclusive employment," she said.

SG Enable is an agency dedicated to enabling persons with disabilities.

Despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, 88 organisations received the Enabling Mark in August this year, said Madam Halimah.

The UOB Group is an example of organisations which have demonstrated inclusive hiring practices, she added, highlighting its reaching out to SMEs to generate interest in tapping persons with disabilities to meet their workforce needs.

Seoul Garden - a chain of restaurants that is part of UOB's initiative - now has 10 per cent of its employees made up of persons with disabilities.

Noting that there is a strategic advantage to having a diverse and inclusive workforce, Madam Halimah said employing persons with disabilities will help in the overall well-being and organisational culture in businesses.

​"Inclusive hiring is an ongoing journey. I hope that we can continue to empower persons with disabilities to achieve their fullest potential at the workplaces."

More than 29 per cent of people aged 15 to 64 who have disabilities are employed, according to figures released in April this year from the Ministry of Manpower.

SINGAPORE - Singapore's revised carbon tax rate for 2024 will be announced in next year's Budget, which will also indicate what to expect up to 2030.

Speaking at the 35th Singapore Economic Roundtable on Friday (Oct 15), Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said the Republic's carbon price today is too low.

This is why the Government is reviewing the level and trajectory of its carbon tax, so that it reflects the cost of carbon and influences investment decisions effectively, he said.

And as it introduces higher carbon taxes, it will also enhance U-save rebates to help lower- and middle-income households with the transition, Mr Wong added.

Singapore was the first South-east Asian nation to introduce a carbon tax in 2019, but its rate of $5 per tonne is considered to be on the low end of the spectrum.

Mr Wong said the carbon price is a key lever for the green transition of Singapore's economy, and the Government is mindful that businesses will need predictability and time to adjust.

The most promising options today are clean hydrogen and carbon capture, but these technologies are not available for immediate deployment. And that is why Singapore is investing heavily in research and development, he said.

“Importing green electricity can help, but surely we don’t want to import 100 per cent of our electricity. There are limits to importing power - there are technical issues, there are energy security issues as well.”

He added that the sustainable and responsible way to fund recurrent expenditures is to raise tax revenue.

Healthcare in Singapore alone will demand an additional 3 per cent of gross domestic product in spending over the next 10 years, not to mention investments to reduce emissions, provide quality education and maintain security.

"Totalled up, our needs are significant and growing. Some of these can be borne through income taxes. But, with rapid ageing, it will not be sustainable and will make it hard for our working population."

This is key to understanding why the Government is looking to increase the goods and services tax (GST), he said. It is a tax on final consumption and helps to smoothen the burden of taxation across the entire population young and old, and includes tourists and foreigners when they spend money here.

The Government announced plans to raise the GST rate from 7 per cent to 9 per cent in Budget 2018, and said in Budget 2020 that it would also roll out a $6 billion Assurance Package to cushion the impact of the hike on lower- and middle-income households. It also announced in Budget 2021 that the hike will take place between next year and 2025, but sooner rather than later, subject to the economic outlook.

On Friday, Mr Wong said Singapore is not alone in raising GST - the GST or value-added tax (VAT) is now central to tax systems around the world, and most jurisdictions have much higher GST or VAT rates than Singapore.

As the Republic considers different ways to raise more revenue, it must continue to uphold a fair and progressive system tax system, he added.

Some people object to certain tax increases because they are regressive and disproportionately impact the lower-income. But these concerns are not so applicable in Singapore's context, he explained, as it works very hard to mitigate the impact of specific tax components, especially for the vulnerable.

"For example, our GST is tied to a permanent GST Voucher Scheme to defray the tax burden for lower- and middle-income households. When we raise the GST rate, we will also enhance these permanent GST vouchers."

What is more important is not to look at individual tax items, but to consider the taxes and transfers system as a whole, the minister added, noting that Singapore has always maintained a high level of transfers to the lowest income households.

Households in the bottom 20 per cent income bracket receive about $4 in benefits for every dollar of tax paid. For middle-income households, the ratio is around 1:2; whereas for households in the top 20 per cent of income, for every dollar of tax paid, they receive 30 cents in benefits.

"Our taxes and transfers system today is progressive, and we will keep it that way. For the middle-income, we maintain a low tax burden so that they can enjoy the rewards of their hard work and have the freedom of choice in their expenditures."

Mr Wong added that Singapore has kept its public expenditure lean yet effective, and that is why half of its working population do not have to pay personal income taxes, and GST rates are where they are today.

"Going forward, we will need to raise revenue to fund our additional expenditure. But we will move forward carefully, to make sure that overall public spending remains effective, and that taxes remain as low as possible for the middle class."

​Another element of progressivity, he said, is to consider not just a person's income but his wealth, and those who are more affluent should pay their fair share of taxes.

Singapore, he stressed, already taxes wealth in various forms - via property tax and stamp duties on residential properties, and via additional registration fees on motor vehicles.

Singapore has also been able to mitigate some of the divergence in wealth seen in other places through its home ownership policy, he added.

Heavy public housing subsidies have allowed a whole spectrum of home owners, including the lower income, to gain from the appreciation in home prices and equity.

Singapore's policies should continue to promote broad-based wealth accumulation among Singaporeans. But just as it has tempered income inequality over the years,it also needs to guard against rising wealth inequality, he said.

"That is why we continue to study options to expand our system of wealth taxes - in ways that are effective and add to our revenue resilience without undermining our overall competitiveness."

And with an increasingly mobile tax base, deeper international cooperation is needed, said Mr Wong.

"Every country should be free to set its own tax rate. But with mobility of capital and talent, taxes are no longer purely domestic issues," he added.

"This is why there is a need for enhanced international coordination on tax matters and international tax standards... It is important for us to have a seat at the table, and to shape the evolving rules on international taxation."

SINGAPORE - The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is investigating the unauthorised distribution and supply of antigen rapid test (ART) kits manufactured by Singapore-based company SG Diagnostics.

They are meant for professional use in "healthcare settings by healthcare professionals who are trained to administer the test and validate the results", said the authority on Thursday (Oct 14) in response to queries from The Straits Times.

The kits should not be used by untrained lay users, who may derive inaccurate results, the HSA said, adding that this could lead to them not getting timely treatment if they have Covid-19, or failing to take necessary precautions to protect themselves and the people around them.

SG Diagnostics had urged consumers in an advertisement in ST Classifieds on Tuesday to stop using the product.

When ST called the SG Diagnostics hotline listed in the ad, an operator said buyers are advised to return the ART kits to their suppliers and ask for a refund.

Reporters has contacted SG Diagnostics for comment.

Sellers had put up listings on e-commerce platforms like Shopee, Lazada and Carousell, pricing a box of two kits at about $18.

Listings for group orders were also seen on shopping platform WeBuy.

Many of the listings have been taken down.

The kits were also seen to be for sale in physical stores like IT retailer Challenger.

The HSA said regulatory and enforcement actions under the Health Products Act will be taken against any party involved in unauthorised distribution and supply of the kits.

It advised consumers to purchase and use self-administered ART kits approved in Singapore.

The list of kits can be found on the HSA's website.

For inquiries on returning the kits, consumers should call the SG Diagnostics hotline on 8030-5766 or e-mail info@sgdiagnostics.com