Singapore will be establishing a new embassy in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, the city state's third in Africa and first in east Africa, announced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Monday (Nov 24).PM Wong made the announcement at a joint press conference with the country's prime minister Abiy Ahmed Ali after a delegation meeting.He said that there is «clear potential» for the two countries - both hubs in their respective parts of the world - to grow their bilateral cooperation, and to bridge and connect the two regions.Calling it a «tangible demonstration» of Singapore's commitment to its partnership with Ethiopia, PM Wong said it also reflects Singapore's belief in Ethiopia's strategic importance and potential.«Our embassy will also enable Singapore to strengthen our ties with Africa as a whole. Because being here in Addis Ababa will allow us to better engage the African Union, deepen our understanding of Africa, and explore new areas of cooperation,» PM Wong said.

The sudden closure of massage chain Wan Yang Health Product and Foot Reflexology Centre has left customers with at least $29,000 worth of unutilised packages.In a Facebook post on Monday (Nov 24), Melvin Yong, the president of the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), said that there were 15 complaints as of Sunday.“Case has reached out to Wan Yang to seek clarification on how the company would refund consumers the unutilised amounts of their prepaid packages as well as any other remedies,” he said. In a Reddit thread on Sunday, several customers complained that they were caught off guard by the abrupt closure of all five of Wan Yang’s outlets.

Six motorists, aged between 32 and 63, will be charged in court on Tuesday (Nov 25) for speeding offences involving heavy vehicles.In a statement on Nov 24, the police said that the offences were allegedly committed while the motorists were driving heavy vehicles that are required to be fitted with speed limiters.Between July and September, the six motorists allegedly travelled at speeds exceeding their vehicles' imposed limits.Three cases involved drivers of cement mixers who exceeded their vehicles' speed limit of 40kmh.The first driver travelled at 53kmh along the Pan Island Expressway, while the second and third drivers travelled at 54kmh and 55kmh along Sheares Avenue in separate incidents.The three other cases involved a bus travelling along the Bukit Timah Expressway at 74kmh, a tipper truck travelling along Upper Changi Road East at 74kmh, and a prime mover travelling along Adam Road at 65kmh.Buses and tipper trucks have an imposed speed limit of 60kmh, while prime movers have an imposed speed limit of 50kmh. 

A 72-year-old motorcyclist died after colliding with a tipper truck on the Seletar Expressway (SLE) on Saturday (Nov 22). The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne they were alerted to the accident along the SLE towards the Central Expressway near the Woodlands Avenue 12 exit at about 8.55am. The male motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. A 71-year-old male tipper truck driver is assisting with police investigations. In a video uploaded to Facebook on Nov 23, a blue tent and a white sheet can be seen laid on the ground.Another video shows a traffic jam as a result of the accident, with two lanes of the expressway closed and two traffic police cars, a tow truck and an SCDF ambulance at the scene. The tipper truck is stopped on the rightmost lane of the expressway.According to police statistics, the number of road traffic accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities rose by 8.9 per cent to 3,818 in the first half of 2025, up from 3,507 in the first half of 2024, continuing the upward trend observed over the past three years.

More than one million people have visited the SG60 Heart&Soul Experience in nearly three months since it opened in end-August, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo on Monday (Nov 24).The exhibition, marking Singapore's 60th year of independence, uses immersive storytelling and generative artificial intelligence to create a personalised, imaginative experience — offering visitors a peek into what their future in Singapore can look like.Admission to the national exhibition at Level 1 atria of Orchard Central and orchardgateway is free, although tickets are required for the showcase at Orchard Library.Weekend slots for the ticketed showcase are almost always fully booked, with more than 122,000 tickets issued to date.

An elderly man who was tricked into believing that his bank account had been hacked transferred over $100,000 to another account provided by a supposed «Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) staff» for safekeeping.The 67-year-old victim, surnamed Zhang (pseudonym), told Shin Min Daily News on Monday (Nov 24) that the ruse started with a missed call on Oct 21.He dialed the number and was told that his insurance policy was about to expire. When asked if he was keen to renew it, Zhang declined. But he was then told that someone from MAS would soon contact him.Sure enough, he got a call from a supposed «MAS staff», who said his bank account had been compromised.«They showed me their work ID. I didn't actually have an account with the bank, but I didn't suspect anything at the time,» he told the Chinese daily.The «MAS staff» then instructed Zhang to download a cryptocurrency application. The scammer requested to communicate via a WhatsApp video call and asked Zhang to turn on the screen sharing function.

The first inkling that something was wrong came when she noticed that the delivery rider took about seven minutes to arrive at her door after buzzing him in at her condominium.Angela Hoi, the GrabFood customer, later realised to her horror that the deliveryman had improperly handled the food by attempting to pour the spilled contents back into the takeaway container.Hoi recounted in a Facebook post on Saturday (Nov 22) that her lunch of congee arrived two-thirds full in a «dripping and sticky» plastic bag.«I gave him (the) benefit of doubt — maybe he rode too fast or stored it badly,» she wrote.When she passed by the lift lobby a few hours later, she found a note left there by a neighbour, saying that they saw a food delivery rider transferring spilled porridge back into its packaging.«I asked the driver not to provide this food to the client, as it is not safe,» the neighbour wrote.

Lorry owners who do not have speed limiters installed on their vehicles once the statutory deadline to do so kicks in on Jan 1, 2026, may be charged in court, said the Traffic Police (TP) on Monday (Nov 24).The non-compliant lorries will also be prohibited from being driven and their road tax cannot be renewed.The move towards «strict enforcement actions» comes after «extensive measures» to engage engage and remind fleet owners of the requirement through SMSes, emails and letters, said TP.As of Nov 14, some 30 per cent of these vehicles — 765 out of 2,525 lorries — have yet to have speed limiters installed.Just follow law Under the current law, heavy vehicles weighing over 12,000kg must be fitted with a speed limiter device. The law has been in place since 1999.To further enhance road safety, TP announced in 2023 that it would extend this requirement to older lorries weighing between 3,501kg and 12,000kg.

Paroled sex offender Amos Yee has been taken into the custody of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).ICE's detainee locator system, which displays individuals currently in custody, shows that the 27-year-old Singaporean is detained at Dodge Detention Facility.According to a report in The Straits Times on Monday (Nov 24), ICE had served papers to Yee while he was in prison, indicating that he is likely to be deported from the US to Singapore.ICE states on its website that it detains non-citizens who are subject to mandatory detention, or those that the agency determines are a «public safety or flight risk» during the custody determination process.Yee was released on parole from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois on Nov 20. He had been serving a six-year jail term for child pornography and grooming.Yee has been jailed twice in Singapore for hate speech against religious communities. After his release in 2016, he arrived in the US and obtained asylum in 2017.

Despite the significant potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve and transform lives, governments must remain «clear-eyed», look beyond the hype, and address real concerns about jobs and livelihoods, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Sunday (Nov 23).He was speaking about creating a fair and just future for all at the third session of the G-20 summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa.AI is evolving rapidly, with tremendous potential to improve and transform lives, noted PM Wong, pointing out that the world is still in the early stages of the AI journey.It is therefore natural to see excitement and exuberance about what smarter machines can do, which, he said, is reflected in the massive investments flowing into infrastructure such as data centres."But as governments, we should be clear-eyed and look beyond the hype. 

A small fire broke out on a Scoot flight from Hong Kong to Singapore on Saturday (Nov 22) when a passenger’s power bank overheated. The incident was documented by a user on social media platform Xiaohongshu, who posted a video of cabin crew extinguishing the fire. No injuries were reported.The passenger had noticed a «strong burning smell» towards the end of the flight and thought a laptop had caught fire.In the video, cabin crew are seen gathering and putting an item into a large plastic bag near the front of the plane.According to the passenger, the cabin crew took a long time putting out the fire with water and a fire extinguisher.She said passengers were only informed of the fire through an announcement by the pilot after landing, and that passengers were not allowed to to disembark until firefighters checked the cabin.«There was some panic as we were unsure if the situation was fully resolved. The smell of smoke and chemicals added to the discomfort,» she reportedly told The Straits Times.Another passenger also commented on the Xiaohongshu post with a picture of the cabin wall that appeared to be burnt.

The police are investigating after a video of a private-hire car flashing a racist message at its rear window made its rounds online.In the video uploaded to the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on Friday (Nov 21), the offensive remark can be seen repeatedly scrolling on the silver Honda Spada's rear-mounted LED panel.The incident is believed to have occurred on Nov 20 along Woodlands Centre Road.The 53-year-old driver, who wanted to be known only as Maman, told Shin Min Daily News he was unaware of the vulgar message that was displayed.«It was supposed to display the words 'Support Liverpool.' I started work at 7.30pm the day before yesterday and didn't get off until 2am the next day. I didn't notice anything unusual at the time,» the driver reportedly said.He only realised something was amiss after a relative sent him a video of the offensive message that was displayed.

Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim will be making his first working visit to Brunei as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs from Nov 24 to 25. In a statement on Sunday (Nov 23), the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said that Assoc Prof Faishal's visit is intended to strengthen ties and build rapport with Bruneian ministers and religious leaders.When in Brunei, Assoc Prof Faishal will meet with Brunei's Minister of Religious Affairs Badaruddin Othman, Minister of Home Affairs Ahmaddin Rahman and State Mufti Abdul Aziz Juned. The acting minister will also visit religious institutions including the Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, which is used to store artefacts with Islamic heritage. Assoc Prof Faishal will be accompanied by senior officials from Muis on the trip.The acting minister was in Saudi Arabia and Jordan from Nov 6 to 11, also for a working visit. 

SINGAPORE – Over the last 25 years, Madam Amidah Sufaat, 71, has started her day at the crack of dawn, preparing meals for pupils at West View Primary School.“Old students of the school still remember me. I have also catered for some of their weddings because they like my food so much,” she said.Soon, the aroma of her fried chicken will no longer waft through the canteen during recess. The school will be switching to a central kitchen model in 2026, catering from Chang Cheng Mee Wah Food Ind.Instead of queueing up in front of different canteen stalls, pupils will pick up pre-ordered meals from automated meal dispensers.Madam Amidah will be joining the new vendor, not as a cook but helping with the logistics when the food trays arrive at the school every morning.“I will miss serving the teachers and the children my food, but the student numbers have fallen over the years, so it is becoming more challenging,” she said.

The strongest link in Singapore's defence ecosystem is every Singaporean playing a part in defending the nation, said Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing. Speaking during his visit to Navy@Vivo 2025 on Sunday (Nov 23), Chan said that threats have evolved to become more complex and extensive.«The mission sets for the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) have become much more complex. The sea lines of communications, the air lines of communications, that we have to secure have become much more extensive.»The threat challenges have become more complicated,« Chan said.Referring to Singapore's finite manpower and resources, the defence minister said Singapore will have to »constantly look at the future" to find ways to overcome the challenges.An encouraging sign, however, has been members of the public wanting the government to share more on how the threats are evolving and what they can do in their respective areas.

From «furnace» to «red light district» — some Bukit Merah residents in a recently repainted HDB estate have raised complaints about the colour choice for their blocks.One resident who has lived in the area for 20 years told Shin Min Daily News that the bright red colour for Blocks 12 to 14 is «visually uncomfortable».The light reflected from the building's exterior also left his kitchen «awash in red» during the afternoon, he said. The colour reflected by the red paint left his kitchen «awash in red» during the afternoon, said one resident. PHOTO: TikTok/Shin Min Daily News «To put it bluntly, it looked like a red-light district!» exclaimed the 59-year-old photographer, surnamed Wen.Wen stated that after he lodged a complaint to the town council in September, workers had repainted part of the exterior wall outside his kitchen white.

Some 4,634 Singapore drivers have been fined a total of RM1.39 million (S$436,400) for various Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) violations since enforcement began on July 1.In a Facebook post on Saturday (Nov 22), the Malaysia's Road Transport Department (JPJ) said 65,039 Singapore-registered vehicles were checked at various checkpoints since the enforcement started. These include the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI), the Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar (KSAB) checkpoints across from Woodlands and the Second Link, and various locations across JB.The figures were shared by JPJ Deputy Director-General of Planning & Operations, Jazmanie bin Shafawi, at a press conference in JB on Friday (Nov 21) night.Some 159 summonses were also issued between Nov 15 and 20 to vehicles, including privately owned and company-owned ones, that were still under VEP pre-registered status.The summonses were also issued to vehicles that had either not registered for a VEP or had an expired VEP.

JOHANNESBURG - Flexible multilateralism is one way forward as the world works out how to reform the global institutions and rules to address today's challenges, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit on Nov 22.This means that instead of being paralysed by old ways of doing things, smaller groups can start laying the foundations for a refreshed system through plurilateral agreements, with others coming on board later.Countries should also build new partnerships, linking up regions, blocs and like-minded economies in mutually beneficial ways, he added.PM Wong made these points on the opening day of the historic summit in Johannesburg, during a working session attended by leaders of the world's biggest economies.The meeting this year is the first ever to be held in an African country. South Africa, as G-20 president, has focused the attention on issues affecting the world's poorest nations, such as widening economic inequality and debt sustainability for developing countries.

Hong Kong said on Nov 21 that Singapore's Acting Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth, David Neo, has apologised after he was heard calling the Chinese city's football players and fans «idiots» following the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier.The comments were made after Singapore's 2-1 win in Hong Kong on Nov 18, which secured the Lions a place at the 2027 Asian Cup on merit for the first time since they featured as the host nation in 1984.In an Instagram livestream from one of the visiting players' accounts, Neo was seen praising the team's performance. «It was fantastic…you kena pressured by them, all the fans were bloody idiots, end up players also played like idiots [sic]... But you all played like lions,» he said then.

It was a heartwarming exchange which went viral, and not something Station Inspector (SI) Ramdzan had expected. A Malaysian fishing boat had accidentally drifted into Singapore waters on Nov 15, but the friendly interaction with Police Coast Guard SI Ramdzan left such a good impression on one of the anglers that he ended up posting the exchange on social media.In the clip posted on Nov 18, SI Ramdzan had gently assured the anglers with good humour that checks had to be conducted, putting them at ease.The patrol officer shared in a Facebook post by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Friday (Nov 21) that he did not know he was being recorded and was «completely caught off guard» when he found out about the viral video.«I was a bit worried at first because you never know how these things will be perceived.»

A man has been arrested after he was spotted at the Geylang Serai Market taxi stand dancing and interacting with members of the public boarding cabs. In a video shared on SG Road Vigilante Facebook Group on Nov 20, the individual, who donned a red cap, would help passengers open taxi doors and load their items into the vehicle's boot. Once the cars drove off, he would animatedly signal for the next vehicle to come forward by dancing and rolling his arms. He was also seen assisting an elderly person in a wheelchair down the slope and into a taxi. Throughout this, two police officers stood by and watched him. At several points of the clip, the man would gesticulate at the police in a seemingly frustrated manner. «Singapore Police officers looked bewildered while man provide doorman services that rival Narajan Singh at Raffles Hotel,» read the video caption. In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received a call for assistance at 1 Geylang Serai on Nov 19 at about 11.10am. 

Transport operator SBS Transit will take disciplinary action against one of its traffic inspectors seen shouting at an elderly man who had jumped the queue at the Johor Bahru checkpoint bus stop. In a video uploaded onto Facebook page The SG Daily on Friday (Nov 21), the elderly man was seen pointing at the traffic inspector before the SBS Transit staff member raised his voice and appeared to shout an expletive while gesticulating at the older man. As the traffic inspector yelled «go back», a commuter already on the bus pulled the elderly man onto the vehicle. According to the video caption, the incident happened on Nov 20 at around 7.10pm. A witness shared that they were sitting in the front row of the bus when the incident occurred.They recounted that the elderly man had tried to skip the queue, claiming he was sick and needed to get on the bus.He later began arguing with the bus staff member and had allegedly threatened to hit someone. 

SINGAPORE – Lions fans can breathe a sigh of relief as their hero of the hour Ilhan Fandi will not be out for long, despite earlier concerns that he might have suffered a serious injury after his heroics in the 2-1 Asian Cup qualifying win in Hong Kong on Nov 18.Holding a crutch and with his left foot in a protective boot, the 23-year-old arrived at Changi Airport the following day with the rest of the Singapore team and headed straight to the hospital for checks.The doctor told him on Nov 20 that there was no fracture.However, there was some soft tissue injury in his left leg and he is expected to be out for three to four weeks.Ilhan will remain in Singapore for physiotherapy before returning to Thai giants Buriram United, where he is on loan from parent club BG Pathum United, on Nov 27.He told The Straits Times: “At first, I thought it was something bad because I heard a loud crack in my left foot and was very worried. Thank God, it was not as serious as I feared.“I’m thankful for all the concern from the fans. I was just doing my job and these things can happen. The most important thing was that we qualified for the Asian Cup.

The rail reliability task force has made «good progress» in developing measures to improve the performance of Singapore's train network, said the expert panel appointed to advise the group on its findings.Panel member Dr Tony Lee, who was formerly operations and innovation director at Hong Kong's MTR, made the remark on Friday (Nov 21) as he wrapped up his five-day visit here.Representing the other international rail experts on the panel — Patrick Bauchart, Dr Cai Chang Jun, Professor Tsay Huel-Sheng and Kon Shinichiro — Dr Lee told reporters that they have reviewed the preliminary findings and suggestions of the LTA-led task force.«We are genuinely impressed by the remarkable progress made in such a short time,» he said, referring to the formation of the task force in September 2025 following a spate of train disruptions.

A campaign aimed at promoting awareness about drink-driving and responsible behaviour on the roads has returned following a rise in the number of arrests.The annual initiative known as the Anti-Drink Drive Campaign is organised by the traffic police (TP) and typically runs during festive periods with community outreach and enforcement operations.Speaking at the launch of the 2025 campaign at Clarke Quay on Friday (Nov 21), Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Sim Ann said that there were 94 drink-driving accidents from January to August this year —  a 17 per cent dip from 113 during the same period in 2024. But arrests have increased by four per cent to 1,173 from 1,130.«These numbers showed that there are still motorists who continue to take reckless risks with their own lives and that of other road users,» said Sim.The senior minister of state also cited recent cases this year, including a 56-year-old veteran criminal lawyer who was sentenced to eight weeks’ jail on Nov 7 for driving, while drunk, into the central guard railings and then lying to the police that he was not the driver.

A total of 185 people, including 173 students and 12 staff members, across six E-Bridge pre-schools developed gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming food supplied by the same caterer.Gastroenteritis is commonly known as stomach flu or food poisoning.In a joint media statement by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) on Friday (Nov 21), they said they are investigating six incidents of gastroenteritis at the E-Bridge pre-schools in Bukit Panjang, Canberra, Montreal and Woodlands Drive; at Block 471B Yishun Street 42 and Block 504 Yishun Street 51.Among those affected, one student was hospitalised but is now in a stable condition, while others have either sought outpatient treatment, self-medicated or since recovered without treatment.The agencies said that all six pre-schools had their meals supplied by Middleton International School Pte Ltd — located at 2 Tampines Street 92. 

A 73-year-old taxi driver was taken conscious to hospital after an accident in Hougang along Upper Serangoon Road in the early hours of Friday (Nov 21). The crash involved a ComfortDelGro taxi and a Trans-cab taxi. The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to the accident along Upper Serangoon Road towards Sengkang East Drive at about 3.05am. The other driver, a 53-year-old man, is assisting with investigations. A video of the scene shared on TikTok shows a blue ComfortDelGro taxi with the driver's door slightly ajar and its hazard lights on. A red Trans-cab taxi is seen on the other side of the road divider, having stopped against the flow of traffic with debris, skid marks and an oil slick on the road behind it.In a separate video, a passer-by can be heard speaking in Mandarin as he checks on the taxi driver, informing him that an ambulance is on the way.

A 16-year-old was among 250 people who are assisting in investigations for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules, where victims reportedly lost more than $7.74 million.Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions conducted a two-week operation between Nov 7 and 20, said the Singapore Police Force in a statement on Friday (Nov 21).A total of 84 women and 166 men, aged between 16 and 79, are believed to be involved in more than 950 cases of scams, comprising mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams.They are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence. Under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, the offence of cheating carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine. Under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, the offence of money laundering carries an imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. 

One hundred and forty suspected drug offenders were arrested and drugs seized in an islandwide operation from Nov 10 to 21, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said in a statement on Friday (Nov 21). The drugs seized include about 4.3kg of heroin, cannabis, Ice and Ecstasy tablets, among others.Also seized was a small amount of ketamine and numerous vape-related products including 316 e-vaporisers and 1,342 e-vaporiser pods believed to contain etomidate.The drugs seized are estimated to be worth more than $892,000, and the heroin, Ice and cannabis could potentially feed the addiction of 2,873 abusers for a week.The operation was conducted in areas including Bedok, Bugis, Bukit Batok, Geylang, Jurong, Sembawang and Yishun.Over 1,600 e-vaporisers and pods seized in YishunOn Nov 13, a 36-year-old Singaporean man was arrested for suspected drug-related offences at a residential unit near Yishun Ring Road. Cash amounting to about $5,320 and various foreign currencies such as Thai baht and Brunei dollars were seized from the unit. 

Online marketplace Carousell will be implementing enhanced safeguards by Jan 31, 2026, to prevent the misuse of verified accounts for scams, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday (Nov 21).It said that the need for additional safeguards comes amid an increasing number of e-commerce scams perpetrated by scammers using Singpass-verified Carousell accounts.To enhance security, the popular online marketplace has committed to improving authentication processes and suspending accounts detected to have been relinquished to scammers.It will also blacklist Singpass credentials used to verify suspended scam accounts from verifying new accounts.Under the e-commerce code of the Online Criminal Harms Act, Carousell was previously required to conduct enhanced verification on selected high-risk sellers and advertisers between July 1 and Dec 31, 2024, with the pilot subsequently extended to June 30, 2025.The ministry said the total number of reported scams on Carousell decreased by about 36 per cent between April and June 2025 from the same period last year.

A Singaporean man who is suspected to be a member of a Cambodian scam syndicate escaped to Thailand and hid at his wife's house in the northeastern Khon Kaen province, Thai police revealed.Brian Sie Eng Fa, 32, whose wife is Thai, was arrested upon request by the Singapore police, said the Thai police's Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Nov 19).He was arrested at his wife's house, which is in Si Chomphu district of Khon Kaen province, on charges of overstaying in Thailand, said the CIB.Sie and another alleged syndicate member, Singaporean Wayne Soh You Chen, were charged at the State Courts on Nov 17 under the Organised Crime Act, having been deported to Singapore and arrested on arrival a day earlier. Soh was arrested in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.Thai Police Lieutenant Colonel Narongrit Phumphuang told local media that Sie confessed to working as a «finance administrator» for the scam ring, earning about US$4,000 (S$5230) monthly.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Johannesburg in South Africa from Nov 21 to 23 to attend the G20 summit at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. PM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, will then make an official visit to Ethiopia from Nov 23 to 25.This will be PM Wong's first visit to the two countries, which are member states of the African Union, since he became prime minister in May 2024.The African Union Commission, the administrative headquarters of the 55-member African Union (AU) is headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, while the AU's Pan-African Parliament sits in Midrand, South Africa. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Friday (Nov 21) that the summit's theme of «Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability» seeks to address the interlinked global challenges of climate change, inequalitym and geopolitical stability. 

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has upgraded Singapore's economic growth forecast for the year to around 4 per cent on the back of better-than-expected performance in the third quarter of 2025.The revision from a projected 1.5 to 2.5 per cent is due to «global economic conditions turning out to be more resilient than expected», said the ministry in a press release on Friday (Nov 21).Meanwhile, MTI expects Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) growth for 2026 to come in at a slower 1 to 3 per cent.4.2% growth in Q3Singapore's economy grew by 4.2 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2025, extending the 4.7 per cent growth in the previous quarter, said MTI.MTI first upgraded the growth forecast for 2025 in August due to the pause in the US' reciprocal tariffs and an improved outlook for Singapore's external demand due to the de-escalation in trade tensions between the US and several of its trading partners. 

Singapore will impose targeted financial sanctions and entry bans on four Israeli individuals with immediate effect, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Friday (Nov 21). It added that the four individuals — Meir Mordechai Ettinger, Elisha Yered, Ben-Zion Gopstein and Baruch Marzel — have been involved in «egregious acts of extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank». Such actions are considered unlawful and undermine and jeopardise prospects for a two-state solution, said the ministry.«Singapore reiterates its view that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. Their presence and expansion will make it much harder to arrive at a viable two-state solution,» said MFA. As a firm supporter of international law and the two-state solution, Singapore opposes any unilateral attempts to change facts on the ground through acts which are illegal under international law.«We call on the Israeli government to restrain acts of settler violence and to hold the perpetrators accountable,» said MFA.[[nid:724908]]

Singaporean child sex offender Amos Yee is facing deportation from the US to Singapore after being paroled while serving a six-year jail term for child pornography and sexual grooming.Yee, 27, who first rose to notoriety 10 years ago – when he posted an expletive-laden video four days after the death of founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew – was released from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois on Nov 20.A notification from the Victim Information and Notification Everyday, or VINE, service at 7.14am Illinois time (9.14pm Singapore time) said Yee was let out of prison.He was originally supposed to be released on Nov 7, with the service issuing a notification that he had been let out. Not even a minute later, a subsequent notification stated that he was taken into custody again.A post on a blog maintained by his supporters dated some time earlier in the month said his release was delayed as Yee did not have a place to stay that would be located away from children, with the prison needing to find him a halfway house.