Singapore's central bank unexpectedly tightened its monetary policy settings on Monday (July 27), citing inflation concerns.The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it would slightly increase the prevailing rate of appreciation of its exchange rate-based policy band, which is known as the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER).It said there was no change to the width of the policy band or the level at which it is centred.Of the 16 analysts polled by Reuters ahead of the review, 12 had expected the MAS to hold policy settings steady and four had forecast a tightening.«Core inflation is projected to step up from July and remain elevated but should moderate discernibly from around mid-2027,» the MAS said.The MAS had tightened monetary policy at its previous meeting in April. MAS said the extent of this increase in the rate of S$NEER appreciation is smaller than in April.The annual core inflation rate was 1.6 per cent y/y in June, lower than expectations.Preliminary data showed the economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 5.7 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier.[[nid:741000]]

A 76-year-old man was found dead at the foot of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block in Outram on Sunday (July 26) morning.The incident happened at about 10.20am at Block 3 Everton Park, located in the vicinity of the Police Cantonment Complex and Singapore General Hospital.An eyewitness told AsiaOne that the man landed outside a nursing resource centre at the ground floor of the block.A police cordon was extended around an open area next to a community pavilion.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said that the man was found lying motionless at the foot of the said block and was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic.They added that no foul play is suspected based on their preliminary investigations.Police investigations are ongoing.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's central bank tightened its monetary policy settings unexpectedly on Monday (July 27), with inflation projected to step up in the months ahead.Singapore's central bank has a unique method of managing monetary policy, tweaking the exchange rate of its currency instead of changing domestic interest rates like many economies.The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) sets the path of what it calls the policy band of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER), thus strengthening or weakening the local currency against those of its main trading partners.Why does Singapore use this method?Singapore is a small and trade-reliant economy. Gross exports and imports of goods and services are more than three times its gross domestic product (GDP). Almost 40 cents of every Singapore dollar spent domestically is on imports.That means the exchange rate has a much bigger influence on inflation than domestic interest rates.

Singapore condemns the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, including on energy infrastructure and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Sunday (July 27).The ministry added that it is imperative that navigational rights and freedoms are respected and upheld in accordance with international law as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and that the safety of seafarers and ships is ensured in accordance with the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).«We urge all parties to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions,» MFA said.The ministry's comments came a day after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations at two Red Sea ports and Saudi-backed forces ‌bombed the Houthis on Saturday, extending the war in the Gulf to a second front.

A mother's post has sparked debate about parenting children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).In Facebook forum Complaint Singapore, a woman — who posted anonymously on Friday (July 24) under the nickname QuickLlama9346 — shared she had recently visited bakery Yamazaki by Four Leaves in VivoCity with her two children and a helper.She said her kids had each picked up a donut from the display shelf and took a bite before paying for them. She added that it had happened too fast for her to react.«I immediately apologised to the staff and assured them that I would pay for both donuts without hesitation,» she recalled.Feeling «embarrassed but trying to remain composed,» she continued browsing while her helper stayed outside the bakery with her children.A few moments later, she purportedly heard an elderly woman behind the packing counter remark «very loudly in Chinese»: «We cannot blame the children. We can only blame the parents for their poor upbringing.»The words hit her harder than she could have imagined, said the mother, who also shared a censored photo of the staff member.

A fight between two women at People's Park Complex on Friday (July 24) resulted in a trip to the hospital for one of them.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Police Force said they received a call for assistance at the mall at about 4.35pm.A 53-year-old woman was conveyed conscious to the hospital and is assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt.According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force, who told AsiaOne they were alerted at about the same time as the police, the woman was sent to the Singapore General Hospital.Police investigations are ongoing.In an article published on July 25, Shin Min Daily News reported that one of the women involved is said to be the owner of a massage parlour.An employee from a nearby store told the Chinese daily the two women had a long-standing feud. On Friday, one of them slapped the other, leading to a physical fight.This is the third brawl to have happened at People's Park Complex in a month.

SINGAPORE - Writer Don Shiau, 45, and his then wife waited nearly three years before filing for divorce - holding out for a new legal option for them to part ways without blaming each other.They used divorce by mutual agreement, which kicked in on July 1, 2024, as it did not feel truthful or fair to cite unreasonable behaviour as the reason for their marriage ending.«It was not the kind of divorce (where you think) 'You are so unreasonable that I cannot live with you anymore',» said Shiau.«We felt we conducted ourselves well in the marriage. So to go on record to say (there was) unreasonable behaviour, it didn't feel emotionally right.»The childless couple separated amicably.There was no major deal breaker like adultery or abuse, said Shiau, who obtained his former wife's blessing for this interview.He added that their marriage counsellor had said their main issue was the way they handled conflict.«We had very different approaches to resolving conflict, and it ended up taking a toll on both of us,» he said.«We ended up feeling unhappy and resentful, and it felt (like the marriage) couldn't work anymore.»

Singaporean Oh Jiang Fong is reportedly missing in Ho Chi Minh City and his family is currently appealing for information on his whereabouts.In a Facebook post by his sister Oh Hwee Ngor on Thursday (July 23), she wrote: «Some of you may have already seen the post by his friend. My brother Oh Jiang Fong has been missing, and our family is extremely worried.»He left Singapore on Thursday (July 16) and was supposed to return on Saturday (July 18). Since then, we have been unable to contact him despite all our efforts.«According to the Singapore Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City, there is a record of him entering on July 17. However, as of July 20, there is no record of him leaving the country.» 

National carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Saturday (July 25) announced the cancellation of its flights operating to and from Shenzhen, and from Hong Kong, due to weather conditions caused by Typhoon Noul.At least three flights scheduled over the weekend have been affected:SQ856 from Singapore to Shenzhen on July 25SQ855 from Shenzhen to Singapore on July 26SQ899 from Hong Kong to Singapore on July 26SIA will be contacting all affected customers to inform them about the changes to the flight schedules.The airline also advised customers to visit its flight status page for the latest information as the situation remains fluid and other flights may be affected. 

SYDNEY – Australia has imposed a dramatic 25 per cent hike on international student visa fees but exempted students from South-east Asia from the increase as it seeks to boost ties with its regional neighbours.The federal government on July 3 raised the non-refundable fee for students applying for visas in Australia from A$2,000 (S$1,810) to A$2,500.But, for the first time, students from Asean countries were excluded from the hike and were subject only to an inflation-adjusted increase of A$50, bringing the fee to A$2,050.Australia’s international student visa fees are the highest in the world.Fees in the United States and Britain, for instance, are US$535 (S$690) and £558 (S$959) respectively.The fee hike comes as the government attempts to address a surge in migration since the Covid-19 pandemic. The fee increased from A$710 to A$1,600 in July 2024 and to A$2,000 in July 2025.Australia’s assistant minister for international education, Julian Hill, told The Straits Times that the government had exempted Asean students as part of its efforts to deepen Australia’s engagement with South-east Asia.

Nine people, aged between 17 and 55, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in creating shell companies and handing over control of associated corporate bank accounts to an illegal online gambling syndicate.The police said on Saturday (July 25) that the seven men and two women were arrested following a three-day gambling suppression operation conducted between July 22 and 24.The operation, involving officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Woodlands Police Division and Tanglin Police Division, saw raids conducted at multiple locations islandwide, including Upper Jurong Road, Jurong West, Punggol, Geylang, Lengkok Bahru and Toa Payoh.Six people were arrested for their alleged roles in setting up business entities and corporate bank accounts which were believed to have been used by the syndicate to facilitate monetary transactions linked to illegal online gambling activities.Another three individuals were believed to have acted as runners and were arrested for assisting the syndicate in obtaining these business entities and corporate bank accounts.

A total of 60 people, aged between 17 and 79, have either been arrested or placed under investigation for their alleged involvement in illegal online gambling activities and/or misuse of bank accounts.Days before the World Cup started on June 11, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development said in a joint statement that enforcement efforts against illegal gambling will be intensified.On the same evening, the police revealed that they had conducted a gambling suppression operation between June 4 and 11, resulting in a total of 11 people being investigated for offences relating to illegal online gambling and misuse of bank accounts.Providing an update, police said on Saturday (July 25) that such operations were conducted between May 1 and July 20.They added that the efforts were intended to address the elevated risk of illegal betting in the period leading up to, and during the World Cup 2026 season.

We are just about two weeks away from the nation's 61st birthday bash, but rehearsals have been well underway with the first preview show done and dusted on Saturday (July 25) evening.Over the past rehearsals, the hyperactive and bubbly mascots have stolen the hearts of both show audiences and netizens.

Construction company Nishimatsu Construction has been fined $84,000, four years after worksite lapses led to a sinkhole forming on the slip road leading from Holland Road to Farrer Road. The incident closed the road to traffic for about a week in November 2022, and it was only fully reopened in March 2023.A representative from the Japanese company pleaded guilty to three charges under the Building Control Act on Friday (July 24), with another three similar charges taken into consideration during sentencing, reported The Straits Times.The company was also charged with deviating from the approved plans and failing to carry out the required probe drilling and grouting from the ground surface at the appropriate stage. These lapses led to an 8m-long, 4m-wide and 3m-deep sinkhole. 

Living independently is a dream for many young Singaporean singles and unmarried couples who are increasingly valuing their freedom and privacy.But navigating this rite of passage can be difficult, with factors including finances and emotional aspects to consider.To support Singaporean youths looking to venture out of the family nest, two private co-living operators have joined hands with the Government to offer discounted rental rates at selected properties.It is one of the 24 initiatives under the SG Youth Plan, a five-year national roadmap that seeks to empower young people and foster connections in today's fast-changing world.Coliwoo and Eco-Energy will collectively offer more than 100 fully furnished twin and queen rooms at cheaper prices to Singaporeans aged 21 to 35.Monthly rental rates at Eco-Energy's 1925 Quarters in Little India will begin at $1,800. Coliwoo's Boon Lay location starts at $1,950, and its Lutheran units are going for $2,000 and up.