ROCKHAMPTON, Australia — Integrating training between the Singapore Army and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) could be of «great value», said the Air Director of Exercise Wallaby 2025 Colonel Woo Sin Boon.Speaking to the media at Warriors Camp in Rockhampton, Australia on Friday (Oct 24), COL Woo explained that RSAF and the Singapore Army have traditionally been using «very rudimentary» methods of communication. «(This) is because a lot of our systems were developed individually,» he said. «There's a great value to make sure that both the Army and Air Force can operate seamlessly, exactly like (what is expected) in real combat.»COL Woo added that integration between the two would be done through digital means and will «greatly facilitate» the success of any joint missions they conduct.Exercise Wallaby, SAF's largest overseas unilateral exercise, is being held from Sept 7 to Nov 2 in Shoalwater Bay Training Area. The training area is approximately five times the size of Singapore.

SINGAPORE - Singapore and China have agreed to work together to decarbonise and digitalise shipping routes between the two countries, with the establishment of a national green and digital shipping corridor.This memorandum of understanding (MOU) is one of eight agreements exchanged on Saturday (Oct 25) during an official visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, as Singapore and China pledged to deepen co-operation and bilateral ties.Mr Li, who is visiting Singapore for the first time at the invitation of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, was welcomed by a guard-of-honour at Parliament House.In his opening remarks during a meeting between the two delegations, PM Wong said: «We would like to see how we can deepen our co-operation further, and also how we can work together to uphold the key principles of free trade and the rules-based multilateral order.»Mr Li said he looks forward to further deepening China-Singapore relations during his visit here - the first by a Chinese Premier in seven years.

A 10-year-old boy has been reported missing since Wednesday (Oct 22).In a news release on Saturday (Oct 25), the police said Zulfi Amzi Bin Abdullah was last seen near Block 48 Lower Delta Road at around 6.45pm on Oct 22. Earlier this month, the boy was also reported missing and found on the same evening after police put out an appeal for information. Anyone with information can contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information would be kept strictly confidential, said the police.[[nid:723907]]editor@asiaone.com 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will attend the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to 28. The summit is the second of two meetings hosted by Malaysia as this year's Asean chair. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Saturday (Oct 25) that the theme of «Inclusivity and Sustainability» — at a time of geopolitical and economical challenges — encapsulates the region's efforts to build a forward-looking, cohesive and resilient Asean.The leaders will reaffirm their commitment to Asean's community building efforts and discuss ways to promote «an open, inclusive, and stable regional architecture» among the soon-to-be 11-member bloc and with its external partners, PMO added.

SINGAPORE - Just as the bank was about to close for the day, a woman in her 70s rushed in, frantically asking for help to withdraw $40,000 in cash from her savings account.Seeing this was almost all of her life savings, Ms Karen Teo, a bank officer at DBS' South Bridge Road branch, asked the woman what it was for.On Oct 16, Ms Teo said: «The customer claimed the money was for her son's renovation. She kept telling me, 'Quickly get the money. Someone is waiting for me.'»Seeing how frazzled she was, Ms Teo offered to call her son to confirm that the money would be used for renovating his home.That was when the woman's story kept changing, which told Ms Teo that she was dealing with a scam victim.First, the woman said her son was overseas and would not answer the phone.Then, she said it was actually her godson she was helping.A while later, she claimed that it was a boy at a temple who needed the money.

SINGAPORE - In a collage of photos, former deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat, 64, paid a surprise tribute to his wife, Madam Chang Hwee Nee, for standing by him when he was recovering from stroke.He was speaking at the Stroke Support Station's (S3) 10th Anniversary Gala - A Decade of Stroke Care, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore on Thursday (Oct 23).Mr Heng suffered a stroke caused by an aneurysm on May 12, 2016, and collapsed during a weekly Cabinet meeting.He underwent neurosurgery to relieve pressure in his brain due to the bleeding and the aneurysm was successfully closed. He was hospitalised for more than six weeks.Madam Chang was his primary caregiver.Mr Heng, who retired from office in May, has since fully recovered.In the tribute to his 62-year-old wife, who is the chairman of S3, Mr Heng said Madam Chang was the rock who made the call for doctors to «carry out the procedures to save my life».«Without her approval, I would not be here today,» he told dinner attendees.He said it was harrowing for her as she did not know if he would fully recover, be able to speak, walk, eat or even write.