The male driver who allegedly collided with a cyclist along Nicoll Highway and killing him in 2023 has now been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Tan Yong Ren, 35, was alleged to have driven against the flow of traffic along Nicoll Highway towards the direction of Guillemard Road at about 5am on Dec 19 of that year when he collided into 45-year-old British national, Rajan Singh Basra.Singh was conveyed unconscious to hospital where he later died of his injuries.The police said in a news release then that traffic police officers arrested Tan within 16 hours of the accident after ground inquiries, with the aid of a witness and video footage from the police and the Land Transport Authority.Previously, Tan was handed seven charges, including dangerous driving causing death; fleeing the scene without rendering assistance; and consuming alcohol before driving. On Monday (Oct 27), the police said in a news release that the charge of dangerous driving causing death will be revised to an offence of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, after a review and with the concurrence of the Attorney-General's Chambers.

A motorcyclist escaping from a traffic police check hit a pedestrian on a sidewalk in Hougang, subsequently abandoning the bike and fleeing on foot.The incident occurred near Block 137 Lorong Ah Soo at about 1.15pm on Oct 21, reported Shin Min Daily News.A resident told the Chinese daily that she saw an overturned motorcycle lying on the pavement connecting the Tai Keng Gardens estate to the Lorong Ah Soo flats.«I saw at least 20 police officers, some of whom were armed. The atmosphere was very tense,» she described.Another resident surnamed Ye said he had to take a detour from his usual jogging route as the area was cordoned off by police.According to Stomp, at least eight police vehicles and an ambulance were seen at the open car park near Block 137 Lorong Ah Soo.The police said in response to media queries that a traffic police officer patrolling along Upper Paya Lebar Road had stopped the motorist for a check.Instead of complying, the motorcyclist sped off, leading to a chase that saw the motorcyclist colliding into a male pedestrian at a footpath along Tai Keng Gardens.

A Singapore-registered container vessel collided with a Chinese-registered vessel off Guangzhou, China, on Saturday (Oct 25).The Chinese vessel sank and two of the 15 crew members are missing.In a statement issued on Sunday (Oct 26), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the collision occurred at around 8 pm, and it involved the Singapore-registered container vessel WAN HAI A17 and the Chinese-registered vessel HAI LI 5.According to Wan Hai Lines, the Singapore-registered vessel remains in stable condition with all 23 crew members safe, and no pollution reported, MPA said.Chinese authorities are conducting search and rescue operation for the missing crew, the authority said. The Singapore-registered vessel is currently being held in port to assist Chinese authorities with investigations.

Lawyer Darren Tan recently visited the site of his first arrest which set him on the arduous road to recovery from drug abuse and a successful careerIn a Facebook video shared by the Central Narcotics Bureau on Monday (Oct 27), the 46-year-old, who is now deputy managing director at Invictus Law Corporation, shared his inspirational story.He said he joined a gang at age 14, and started taking drugs around the same time — something he said gave him self-confidence.The law first caught up with him some 30 years ago during a gang “settlement talk” at a coffee shop in Block 212 Hougang Street 21.«Suddenly we were surrounded by police officers. Weapons and drugs were found in the cars,» said Tan, adding that he later tested positive for drugs.Even before his arrest, his appearance already had the telltale signs of addiction.«I was on drugs 24/7. When I was heavily hooked on meth, my body essentially degenerated,» he said."I was very, very thin because I didn’t have to eat. When I stood up, my eyes were open but I couldn’t see anything.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle 4,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 17. In a Facebook post on Monday (Oct 27), ICA said the cigarettes were hidden in a Malaysia-registered lorry with its consignment of goods declared as knitted garments and perfumes.The cigarettes were discovered after ICA's Integrated Targeting Centre flagged the lorry for enhanced checks. The 28-year-old Malaysian driver has been arrested and the case referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation. Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.

A young man was spotted mopping up spilled tea in the MRT with his T-shirt, earning praise for his civic-mindedness.Julie Tan shared the photo on the Facebook group Singapore MRT System on Oct 26, saying a young man «took his spare T-shirt to mop up spilled drink from an Indian passenger».She added that she was sharing the image to commend his «excellent and exceptional civic consciousness», adding that no one else in the train car had paid attention.Tan told The New Paper that her brother took the photo. By press time, it had received more than 4,400 reactions, 561 comments and 219 shares.Man hailed for quick action after tea spill on trainA Facebook user who claims to have been on the train said the spill happened when the passenger's luggage tipped over, spilling his takeaway tea as he hurried to find a seat.«He didn't react to the mess. However, the man sitting next to him, who was wearing a hat, stepped up and helped clean up the spilled tea,» the user wrote.

Five motorists, aged between 33 and 42, will be charged in court on Tuesday (Oct 28) for speeding offences involving heavy vehicles.In a statement released on Monday (Oct 27), the police said that the offences were allegedly committed while the motorists were driving vehicles required to be fitted with speed limiters.Between May and August, they allegedly travelled at speeds exceeding their vehicles' imposed limits.Two cases involved a 34-year-old and a 37-year-old driving cement mixers along Sheares Avenue towards Central Boulevard on June 8 and June 23, respectively, exceeding their vehicles' speed limits.The first was travelling at 61kmh and the second at 54kmh, both exceeding the 40 kmh speed limit.The other three cases involved buses. For speeding, offenders could be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three months, or both.

SHOALWATER BAY, Australia — In the midst of an ever-changing defence landscape, the Singapore Army faces various challenges while carrying out its operations.To counter these obstacles, it is adopting the use of various unmanned systems — some of which are being trialled at Shoalwater Bay Training Area during Exercise Wallaby 2025.Speaking to the media at the training area on Saturday (Oct 25), the exercise's Operational Field Trials Safety Lead Military Expert (ME) 5 Teo Liang Kai said that with the army increasingly operating in urban terrain, it encounters more blind spots.Instead of risking officers' lives to check such places, the army sends a fleet of drones to map out the area and mark hotspots — which they can avoid or preemptively neutralise, ME5 Teo said.He added that harnessing technology also allows the Army to do things faster and easier while covering bigger areas.«We can...enhance our situational awareness — like using unmanned systems to (support) our army tanks or soldiers on the ground (and) see a bit further so that they can prepare for the threats ahead of them,» said ME5 Teo.

A woman who allegedly attacked two other women with a knife at Upper Serangoon Road on Sunday (Oct 26) has been arrested.In a statement, the police said they had received a call for assistance at about 12.20pm to 756 Upper Serangoon Road.The address appears to be the location of Upper Serangoon Shopping Centre.According to police, the 44-year-old woman was detained by members of the public upon officers' arrival.She was subsequently arrested for voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapon, and she will also be referred for psychiatric assessment.Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had acted alone, said police.They added that the two women, aged 36 and 44, sustained injuries during the attack and were taken conscious to hospital. A knife was seized as case exhibit and investigations are ongoing.candicecai@asiaone.com

Local chef Benny Se Teo posted an apology on Facebook on Friday (Oct 24) following the «strong opinions» he had expressed about the death of four-year-old Megan Khung, who died in 2020.A subsequent Facebook exchange between Se Teo and Megan's father, local content creator Khung Wei Nan, better known as Simonboy, has also touched many hearts.A report on the fatal abuse of Megan by a review panel convened to examine how the case was handled by agencies was released on Thursday (Oct 23).Megan died after sustained abuse at the hands of her mother and her mother's then-boyfriend. A fatal blow inflicted by the latter killed her on Feb 22, 2020.The case has horrified most Singaporeans, many of whom who have shared their opinions in comments and posts online.'Spoke out of emotion'In his post on Friday, Se Teo, 65, stated that he had «spoke out of emotion and without verifying the facts».

A 15-year-old were among 24 persons arrested for their suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam. Another nine are assisting with investigations.This follows an island-wide anti-scam enforcement operation conducted between Oct 23 and 24.The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a press release on Sunday (Oct 26) that those arrested are aged between 15 and 34, while those assisting with investigations are between 16 and 70.SPF's Commercial Affairs Department conducted the operation after a victim lodged a report on Oct 22, claiming he had been tricked by scammers impersonating officers from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).Over $1.1 million in lossesThe victim had received an unsolicited call from someone posing as a staff from M1, claiming he had an existing mobile plan contract.When he denied this, the call was transferred to scammers acting as MAS officers, who allegedly told him that a bank account under his name was frozen and his assets have to be safeguarded for investigations.Between Oct 14 and 22, the victim was deceived into transferring over $1.1 million.

A python was successfully captured by two female NParks personnel, described as 'heroines', in Ang Mo Kio early this week, but the action on the sidelines was what has also garnered attention.The incident, which was recorded and posted on Facebook, occurred at Block 338, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.A Xiaohongshu video taken from a different angle and posted on Oct 20 revealed another commotion which had occurred behind the unfolding action. The clip showed a police officer behind the railing, standing guard to discourage onlookers from getting too close to the operation.The policeman was seen approaching a man in white who had managed to come close to the railing while pointing his phone camera at the women.From the clip, the police officer could be seen placing his hand on the man's forearm as the man then backs away.However, the man could be heard responding agitatedly in Chinese, «Don't push me... I'll fall, don't push me.»He was also heard explaining that he was «just (standing) here», before walking off.

Amid a late-night downpour on Friday (Oct 24) night, a tree collapsed onto the Seletar Expressway (SLE), hitting passing motorcycles and sending two riders to the hospital.The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call at 10.10pm regarding a road traffic accident on the SLE towards the CTE, just before the Lentor Avenue exit.Two people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, according to SCDF.Dashcam footage posted on Facebook shows heavy rain over the expressway as three motorcycles travel along the right-most lane.A tree from the central divider then falls over, crashing onto the lane.One motorcyclist appeared to be hit by the tree, bumping into the central divider, but managed to regain control.Another was hit but lost control and fell onto the road while the bike skidded forward, producing sparks from the friction.

SINGAPORE – SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has penalised two training providers and warned another two that violated its marketing guidelines in 2024 and 2025.Acctrain Academy had its contract with SSG terminated on Sept 30 for not supervising the actions of parties marketing its courses, at least one of which paid cash to learners, said SSG on Oct 21 in response to queries from The Straits Times.The termination means the firm can no longer receive SSG funding.The other company penalised is FirstCom Academy, which was suspended from January to March 2025 for using a referral programme to market its courses.The penalties come ahead of new rules barring SkillsFuture training providers from using third parties to promote their courses from Dec 1, after public complaints about undesirable marketing practices.«Marketing agents from third parties have a higher risk of deploying aggressive marketing practices to drive sales volume and achieve sales targets, instead of prioritising the value of training for learners,» said an SSG spokeswoman.

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 

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and China Premier Li Qiang expressed confidence in the future of bilateral ties between the two countries.The two leaders were speaking at the official dinner hosted by PM Wong for Premier Li at Gardens by the Bay on Saturday evening (Oct 25).The Chinese premier is on a two-day visit to mark 35 years of diplomatic relations, after PM Wong visited China in June.Pointing to the Suzhou Industrial Park, Tianjin Eco-City and Chongqing Connectivity Initiative as examples of longstanding and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries across varied sectors like finance, green development, logistics, transport and sustainability, PM Wong said: «These projects show how our cooperation have evolved with times.»They have built trust and understanding between our two countries and laid the foundations for our 'All-Round, High-Quality, Future-Oriented Partnership'."

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.

Four foreign nationals were arrested for suspected drug offences on Wednesday (Oct 22).The men, aged between 24 and 36, were arrested at a foreign worker residential lodging near Woodlands Avenue 1, said the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Saturday.CNB officers conducted the operation based on information received, and seized a total of 68g of cannabis, 18g of 'Ice', 29 'Yaba' tablets and various drug paraphernalia during a search of the premises.Three of the men, aged 24, 30 and 36, were arrested for suspected drug abuse.The fourth man, a 32-year-old, was arrested for suspected drug trafficking offences.Investigations into the four individuals are ongoing.«CNB regularly engages the community, which includes our migrant worker community, to raise awareness on the harms of drugs and Singapore's zero tolerance stance against drugs,» said Superintendent Royce Chua, commanding officer of CNB Enforcement F and L Divisions, adding that CNB will not hesitate to take tough enforcement action against drug traffickers and offenders.

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.

Five people were taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle collision occurred along Upper Serangoon Road on Friday (Oct 24).In a video posted on Instagram on Friday, the aftermath of the collision shows a white car with its front severely damaged, while a black car nearby appears to have a damaged bumper and hood.A stationary green Go-Ahead bus is also seen along the leftmost lane, with police cars and an ambulance at the scene. Passengers on board the bus were heard being instructed to exit the vehicle slowly, reported The Straits Times.One of the drivers involved in the accident, who declined to be named, told reporters: «I was driving when I suddenly felt someone hit my car from behind. When I got out, I saw at least three other cars and a bus involved as well.»Oil, glass, and debris were seen scattered across three of the five lanes at around 4.30pm.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said that they were alerted to an accident involving a bus, two vans and three cars along Upper Serangoon Road at about 4.35pm.

Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Chinese premier Li Qiang to make 2-day official visit to SingaporeEven as Singapore forges on with economic transformation, the creation of good jobs and effective job matching cannot be left entirely to market forces... » READ MORE2. 'My father found her on the floor': Diner says sister fell ill and fainted after eating fruits at Seletar Mall's Haidilao outlet

The supply of Certificates of Entitlement (COE) for the November 2025 to January 2026 period will go up by 1.5 per cent compared to the previous quarter, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (Oct 24). The total number of COEs will rise to 18,894, up from 18,701 during the period from August to October, which saw a 3 per cent increase. Compared with the last quarter, the quota for Categories A and B will rise slightly by about 1 per cent, while the quota for Categories C and E will increase by around 3 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.The quota for Category D will remain unchanged.LTA added that bidding under the new quota will begin on Nov 3.The COE quota for the bidding period of February to April 2026 will be announced in January.The upcoming COE quota consists of the following components: 

From Monday (Oct 27), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) will roll out two updated Covid-19 vaccines at over 600 GP clinics, 10 polyclinics, and through mobile vaccination teams.In a statement on Friday (Oct 24), the CDA said that the updated LP.8.1 Moderna/Spikevax and LP.8.1 Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccines have been approved by the Health Sciences Authority and will be administered at all vaccination locations.«The updated vaccines provide better protection against current and emerging strains of Covid-19 compared with previous versions, while maintaining similar safety profiles,» the statement read. The Expert Committee on Immunisation also recommended that individuals at increased risk of severe Covid infection should get vaccinated.These include those aged 60 years and above, medically vulnerable individuals aged 6 months and above, and residents of aged care facilities.

Twelve motorcyclists were arrested for riding without valid licences and insurance during a multi-agency enforcement operation at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 14.The one-day operation was carried out by the Traffic Police, National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA), said the police in a statement on Oct 24.Those arrested were aged between 20 and 49, and were among 300 motorcyclists who were stopped for checks.During the operation, NEA issued 83 summonses for offences involving vehicular smoke emissions and excessive noise while LTA issued 67 summonses for the offence of displaying improper licence plates. According to the police, all motorists entering Singapore must comply with Singapore’s traffic laws and vehicle regulations.Breaching Singapore's laws and regulations will result in penalties, and foreign-registered vehicles may even be denied entry into the country.Those convicted of driving without a valid driving will face a maximum fine of $10,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

A woman fainted and was rushed to the hospital for food poisoning, purportedly after she consumed fruits served at hot pot chain Haidilao's Seletar Mall branch on Oct 12.Her older brother, surnamed Wang, told Shin Min Daily News that three other relatives who ate from the same fruit platter also experienced stomach aches and diarrhoea after the meal.The 36-year-old explained that he and 11 family members had gathered for a birthday celebration at Haidilao, where only his father, uncle, young brother and younger sister consumed the fruit platter.After they returned home, the four diners began experiencing diarrhoea, with Wang's sister being the worst-hit.«She felt dizzy after going to the toilet,» he recalled.«Our father was resting in the room when he heard a shout and found her in a faint on the floor. He was shocked and immediately called an ambulance.»According to Wang, his sister was diagnosed with gastroenteritis at the A&E and administered IV fluids.She was reportedly discharged that evening but reportedly continued to suffer from diarrhoea afterwards, fully recovering after three days.

SINGAPORE - They began exchanging letters in 1982, when they were only 12 years old, and kept at it for 43 years.Yet, even as they wrote to each other all those years, they had never met in person. Not until last week, when Ms Michelle Anne Ng, a Singaporean, flew to St John's in Newfoundland, Canada, on Oct 17 to see an old friend, Ms Sonya Clarke Casey.«We realised that visiting each other may no longer be a dream. We can make our sign-off dream 'Hope some day we will meet' come true,» Ms Ng told The Straits Times.«I mean I'm still young. So, if not now, when? Seize the day because, with age catching up with us, travelling long distance may not be as easy as someone who is in her 30s or 40s,» she said.Ms Ng and Ms Casey were paired through the International Youth Service (IYS) in 1983, when Ms Ng was in Primary 6 and Ms Casey was in Grade 5.IYS is a now-defunct Finnish service that matched those aged 10 to 20 as «penpals» or «pen-friends», people who wrote to each other and sent letters across vast distances through postal mail.

SINGAPORE - The bank employee whose role in a forgery case in 2021 contributed to the largest money laundering probe in Singapore was sentenced on Thursday (Oct 23) to two years' jail.Wang Qiming, 28, had pleaded guilty to two counts of forgery, one count of money laundering and one for the obstruction of justice.The Chinese national had forged documents to conceal the source of funds belonging to Cambodian national Su Baolin, who was one of the 10 foreigners arrested in 2023 in the $3 billion money laundering probe.Six other charges, including for forging a document to allow money launderer Vang Shuiming to deposit $1 million into Vang's Citibank account, were taken into consideration for sentencing.Wang's lawyer, Mr Vinit Chhabra from Vinit Chhabra Law Corporation, had argued for seven to 11 months' jail, saying that it was disproportionate for his client's sentence to be longer than that of the convicted money launderers.The 10 foreigners were jailed for between 13 and 17 months in 2024.

From 2026, volunteers from the People’s Association (PA) will go back to 'school' to serve their constituencies better.Partnering institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in Singapore, PA will tap into their expertise to “systemically” train some 1,000 grassroots volunteers, who come from all walks of life, including young working adults and new citizens.The new training programme was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during a dinner for grassroots leaders and advisers at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Thursday (Oct 23).PA said in a media release that the training will start with half-day, in-person sessions co-developed with IHLs and “subject matter experts”.These include scenario-based learning and small group discussions “to provide opportunities for practical application of concepts”.“Advanced level training sessions will be introduced in subsequent phases to support development,” said PA.This year, PA marks 60 years of the Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC), a grassroots body with presence in every constituency in Singapore.

The United States' Department of State has sworn in Dr Anjani Sinha as the US ambassador to Singapore.In a Facebook post on Thursday (Oct 23), the US embassy in Singapore said Dr Sinha will formally assume his duties soon.«Ambassador Sinha looks forward to coming to Singapore soon to present his credentials and formally assume his duties,» said the embassy. According to diplomatic protocol, all foreign ambassadors and high commissioners will present their credentials to the President before assuming their duties in Singapore. Who is Anjani Sinha? The India-born Sinha, who has practised in New York and Florida, is believed to be close to the Trump family. He was named by Trump as his pick via a Truth Social post on March 11.

The hardest part of being prime minister is having to manage people, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in an interview with The Financial Times (FT) on Tuesday (Oct 21).In a 27-minute-long interview, PM Wong fielded questions from FT's editor Roula Khalaf about the changing world order and Singapore's economy, in addition to the biggest challenge he has faced since stepping into the leadership role as prime minister in 2024.While he began his response by stating that «there are many hard things», PM Wong singled out people management and the process of party renewal as the hardest.«I would say the hardest has been really in managing people,» he said, adding that it turned out to be much harder than he expected prior to assuming the position.In particular, he spoke about Singapore's General Election which took place earlier this year in May.As leader of the People's Action Party (PAP), he faced the difficult task of strategising and planning for the party's renewal.He said: «One of the keys to the PAP's success has been a full focus on renewing our team every election. And this is not easy to do at all.»

Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli has apologised over the handling of the fatal abuse of four-year-old Megan Khung.“I would like to say that we are sorry for the outcome and acknowledge that more could have been done when we handled the case,” he said to media on Thursday (Oct 23).“Megan’s death saddens me — and saddens us all. Nothing can bring her back. Not this review. Not our grief. Not our regret,” he added.An independent review panel has identified instances of a “lack of clear understanding and communication” among the authorities involved in the events leading up to Megan’s death, after she endured a year of abuse by her mother, Foo Li Peng, 29, and her then-boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang, 38.@asiaone