Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Monday (May 25) met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the second day of his five-day visit to East Asian countries, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea.Both have been in their respective roles for over a decade. Wang was first appointed to the role in 2013, while Dr Balakrishnan became foreign minister in 2015.In a social media post on Monday, Dr Balakrishnan shared a video showing the two leaders making their opening remarks, in which Wang said Singapore and China should continue to strengthen the strategic relationship and communication.«Singapore and China might differ in size, yet we remain steady in our resolve to confront turbulence and volatility of the prevailing international landscape.»

Household egg brand Seng Choon is among five farms that will be affected by land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang.The other farms are Bollywood Farms, Gan Aquarium, Gallop Kranji Farm Resort and Malaysian Feedmill Farms, CNA reported.The land-use changes were announced in a joint statement by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), the Ministry of Defence, the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Singapore Land Authority on Monday (May 25).«These changes arise from ongoing reviews of land use to meet Singapore's evolving needs,» the statement read.Land north of Lim Chu Kang, currently designated for defence, will be reallocated for agricultural developments in the future.Meanwhile, land south of Lim Chu Kang will be repurposed for defence uses.The statement explained that «careful planning» of Singapore's limited land is necessary to meet national needs, such as housing, defence, jobs, infrastructure and food production.Strategic land use changes are necessary to optimise scarce land resources to meet evolving national needs and ensure Singapore's continued growth and development, the statement said.

The Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) on Monday (May 25) launched its Beijing Representative Office in a ceremony officiated by Minister for Law Edwin Tong.This marks the SIAC's second representative office in China, as the first — in Shanghai — celebrates its 10th year in China.In his speech at the office's opening, Tong, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, said the opening of SIAC's second representative office in China signifies a deepening connection with and in China.He noted that since the establishment of the Shanghai office, Chinese parties are now among the SIAC's most important users, while Chinese arbitrators and practitioners have become an «increasingly integral part» of the SIAC community.SIAC's value propositionAgainst the backdrop of China's rapidly expanding trade footprint, significant outward investments — reaching US$174 billion (S$222 billion) in 2025 — and its role in global infrastructure and engineering projects — reaching US$289 billion in 2025 — dispute resolution mechanisms become necessary.

Like other dog lovers, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined residents and their pets at a community event in Choa Chu Kang on Saturday (May 23), where dogs took centre stage.In a Facebook post on Sunday, PM Wong shared highlights from the event themed «Woof Woof Day Out» which took place at Stagmont Park as the usual venue at Limbang Park is currently undergoing upgrading.«The good news (is that) the refreshed park will include a new dog run when works are completed later this year!» said PM Wong who is also MP for the Limbang division of Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC.A video shared on the prime minister's social media also showed him interacting with dogs and residents and joking with a resident whose pet was well behaved, prompting the owner to reply that it was «in front of you» that the dog was behaving.

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh made an appearance at a Team Eunos grocery event, even joining in a birthday celebration for a team member.Photos of the event shared in a Facebook post on Saturday (May 23) showed Singh interacting with and packing groceries for residents. Singh shared that Team Eunos held one of their $10 grocery truck initiatives, targeting Blue CHAS card holders, at Blk 142 Bedok Reservoir Road in the Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC earlier that day. He added that they also celebrated a birthday with a cake from a neighbourhood bakery.  Despite the «hot and humid» weather, he thanked the team for putting in the hard work and effort. Singh is MP for the Eunos ward of Aljunied GRC.

SINGAPORE — More people in Singapore are using Singlish more frequently in everyday life, including at work, with 80 per cent of those who are younger saying they speak the colloquial language well.An increasing number also identify most with English or Singlish, while the proportion of people who identify most with their mother tongue or parents’ dialects has dropped, according to a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).In another finding, mother tongue proficiency has remained stable over the years based on self-reported figures, but ethnic Chinese respondents were more likely to perceive a drop in general mother tongue standards in Singapore.The increased identification with Singlish represents an attempt to describe a sense of national identity, said Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the IPS Social Lab and lead researcher of the study published on May 25.The Language Identity and Management in Singapore study draws from findings of the latest IPS survey on Race, Religion and Language, which surveyed 4,000 Singapore residents in 2024, for comparison with its 2013 and 2018 iterations.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), celebrating its Pearl Jubilee this year, on Monday (May 25) launched a travelling exhibition to commemorate 30 years of maritime heritage and to reimagine the nation's maritime future.Launched officially by Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow, the exhibition was unveiled at Lot One's Shoppers' Mall in Choa Chu Kang. «Singapore's raison d'etre as a trading port dates back centuries, long before the establishment of our modern port. »By bringing this exhibition to community spaces, we hope Singaporeans will gain a deeper appreciation of our historical and ongoing contributions to global supply chains, and more importantly, our commitment to strengthening Singapore as a trusted and efficient global maritime hub," the acting minister said.Themed Voyage Beyond: Reimagining Maritime Singapore, the immersive showcase will bring visitors through Singapore's maritime evolution — from historical trade routes to its current status as a leading port and international maritime centre.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 1.4 per cent in April from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday (May 25), below economists' expectations.The core inflation rate, which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs, was lower than the median forecast of 1.7 per cent in a Reuters poll. Headline inflation was 1.8 per cent in annual terms in April, also lower than the two per cent seen in the poll.In April, the central bank tightened monetary policy and raised its 2026 forecasts for both core inflation and headline inflation to a range of 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent, up from one per cent to two per cent previously.[[nid:736577]]

SINGAPORE — Singapore's central bank is working with the country's private banking industry group to shorten the time needed for wealthy individuals to open bank accounts, the bank's chief said on Monday (May 25).The Monetary Authority of Singapore issued a circular on Monday guiding financial institutions to establish a client's source of wealth in a «risk-proportionate» way in order to cut application times, said managing director Chia Der Jiun.The central bank has imposed stringent anti-money laundering controls in the wealth management sector, compelling banks to do extensive due diligence into account applicants.The guidelines are expected to cut the median time needed to open an account to within one month, from the current six weeks or longer for more complex cases, Chia said.Chia was speaking at the UBS Asian Investment Conference (AIC) Singapore Wealth Edition.«It provides further guidance for applying the principles of materiality and relevance, so that financial institutions can avoid unnecessary and excessive steps in the process and be more targeted,» he added.

SINGAPORE/HONG KONG — War in Iran, strained US commitments in Asia and rising tensions over Taiwan will likely dominate the agenda at this week's annual Shangri-La Dialogue, the region's premier defence forum.The free-wheeling informal gathering, running from May 29 to 31, draws an eclectic mix of ministers, generals, intelligence chiefs, diplomats, analysts and weapons makers for carefully worded speeches and frank exchanges behind polished hotel doors.While Vietnam's President To Lam will deliver Friday (May 29) night's keynote, the spotlight will fall squarely on US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth when the Pentagon chief takes the floor against the backdrop of halting efforts to end the war in Iran.US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had told his representatives not to rush into any deal with Iran, as his administration played down hopes of an imminent breakthrough in the three-month-old conflict.The US blockade on Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz would «remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed», Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

Six expressway locations will see Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates come down by $1 from June 2, while two other expressway locations will see ERP charges go up by $1 from June 29, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced on Monday (May 25).These six locations are at five expressways — Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Central Expressway (CTE), and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) towards East Coast Parkway (ECP), and the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) said LTA.The authority said these locations and time slots were identified in anticipation of lower traffic demand over the upcoming June school holidays. Rates will revert to the prevailing charges from June 29.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's economy grew six per cent in the first quarter of 2026 from a year earlier, government data showed on Monday (May 25), higher than an official advance estimate of 4.6 per cent.On a quarter-on-quarter, seasonally adjusted basis, gross domestic product expanded by one per cent in the January-March period, compared with an advance estimate of a 0.3 per cent contraction.The trade ministry maintained its growth forecast for this year at two per cent to four per cent, but added that the Middle East conflict has significantly raised downside risks.The conflict has upended global growth and inflation trajectories, throwing interest rate expectations into disarray. As a small trade-dependent hub, Singapore is especially vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and volatile energy prices.Inflation data for April will be released on Monday afternoon. In March, core inflation rose 1.7 per cent from a year earlier, and economists expect a similar reading for April.Last month, the central bank tightened monetary policy due to the risk of the Iran war fuelling inflation. 

A coffee shop in Queenstown was reportedly hit with three blackouts in five days, two of which occurred on the same day on Tuesday (May 19). This took place at 777 Coffeeshop at Block 55 Lengkok Bahru near Redhill MRT station, reported 8world on May 21.The owner of the coffee shop, Daniel Tan, appealed for assistance in a Facebook video on Tuesday.«The electrical [sic] keeps jumping,» Tan said. «None of us can do anything now... Our tenants are very angry, nobody can sell, all the food is wasted, please help.»He also added that the residents were also upset over the situation.'Out of business'The coffee shop also looked dark and empty in the video, with tenants seated on the chairs of the tables as it appeared that they were unable to do anything.Speaking to 8world, Tan said that the blackout happened at about 10am on Tuesday, and had immediately contacted multiple organisations over the matter. However, Tan claims that help only came at about three to four hours later.This comes after another blackout which had occurred last Sunday, he alleged.