Category: Singapore

Business

Singapore–Thailand Ties “In Excellent Shape” as Wong and Anutin Revive Leaders’ Retreat After 11 Years

BANGKOK — Singapore and Thailand are stepping up their strategic partnership after more than a decade without a leaders’ retreat, with Prime Ministers Lawrence Wong and Anutin Charnvirakul agreeing to deepen cooperation in energy, food security, artificial intelligence, digital connectivity, defence and the wider ASEAN agenda. Speaking in Bangkok on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Wong said Singapore–Thailand relations were in “excellent shape,” citing strong trust between the two governments and long-stan

September 2, 2026

Singapore

Geylang Pasar Malam Crash: Man Charged Over Alleged Etomidate-Impaired Driving That Killed Stall Attendant

SINGAPORE — September 2, 2026 — A 41-year-old man has been charged over a fatal Geylang pasar malam crash that killed a stall attendant after a rental car allegedly lost control and smashed into a temporary night-market stall in July 2025. Muhammad Shafiq Razali faces seven charges, including driving under the influence of drugs, dangerous driving causing death as a serious offender, driving without a valid licence, and using a vehicle without insurance coverage. He also faces charges for alleg

September 2, 2026

Business

SIA Keeps Betting on Loss-Making Air India — But a US$1.5 Billion Funding Request Could Test How Long the ‘Long Game’ Can Last

SINGAPORE — Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India is entering perhaps its toughest test yet: the Indian carrier is burning through billions during a massive overhaul, its owners have been approached for another US$1.5 billion in fresh equity, and Tata Sons has warned that a full turnaround could take as long as a decade. Yet SIA is showing no sign that it is ready to abandon the bet. The Singapore carrier holds a 25.1% stake in Air India, with Tata Sons controlling the rest. SIA obtained

September 2, 2026

Singapore

Lev Panfilov Acquitted of Rape and Sexual Assault Charges After Singapore Court of Appeal Finds Reasonable Doubt

SINGAPORE — September 2, 2026 — A major legal reversal has cleared former Wah!Banana scriptwriter-actor and TikToker Lev Panfilov of four sexual-offence convictions after Singapore’s Court of Appeal found that inconsistencies in the complainant’s evidence created reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case. The three-judge Court of Appeal on Wednesday allowed Panfilov’s appeal and acquitted him of all four charges: two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration and one count of o

September 2, 2026

Politics

Singapore, Thailand Revive Leaders’ Retreat After 11 Years as Wong and Anutin Push AI, Energy and ASEAN Cooperation

BANGKOK — Singapore and Thailand are moving to turn six decades of close relations into a more ambitious strategic partnership, with Prime Ministers Lawrence Wong and Anutin Charnvirakul reviving their countries’ Leaders’ Retreat after an 11-year break and setting their sights on artificial intelligence, energy security, food supplies and ASEAN’s next chapter. The leaders met in Bangkok on Wednesday, September 2, for the fifth Singapore-Thailand Leaders’ Retreat — the first since 2015 and the f

September 2, 2026

Business

FairPrice Doubles CHAS Discounts to 6% Until Jan 1 — But One Shopping-Day Rule Could Decide How Much You Save

SINGAPORE — FairPrice is doubling grocery discounts for eligible CHAS Blue and Orange cardholders from 3% to 6%, giving households another way to stretch their budgets as everyday expenses remain firmly in focus. The enhanced discount begins on September 3, 2026 and runs through January 1, 2027, but there is an important condition: CHAS Blue cardholders receive the 6% discount on Thursdays, while CHAS Orange cardholders get it on Fridays. The offer is available across FairPrice supermarkets, F

September 2, 2026

Singapore

SINGAPORE’S “HIDDEN ADULTS” ARE GROWING: Social Workers Are Going Online to Reach People Who Have Disappeared From Everyday Life — But Why Are So Many Pulling Away?

SINGAPORE — A growing number of adults in Singapore are retreating from work, relationships and everyday social life, with some remaining largely confined to their homes or bedrooms for months — and in some cases, years. Social service agencies say they are encountering more people who have become increasingly disconnected from society, prompting social workers to change the way they reach out. Instead of waiting for isolated adults to walk into a service centre, some social workers are now en

September 2, 2026

Singapore

Singapore and Thailand Map Out Bigger ASEAN Agenda as Wong and Anutin Put AI, Food Security and Connectivity at the Centre

Singapore and Thailand are preparing to work more closely on the next phase of ASEAN cooperation, with their leaders agreeing to develop a multi-year agenda linking their consecutive ASEAN chairmanships in 2027 and 2028. Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reached the agreement during their first Singapore-Thailand Leaders’ Retreat in Bangkok on Sept. 2, 2026. The meeting also revived the leaders’ retreat after an 11-year hiatus, with the previous

September 2, 2026

Business

Fei Zhu Lok Lok to Close All Singapore Outlets on Sept 13 as Phyllis Seah Says F&B Industry Is “Really, Really Tough”

Singapore’s lok lok scene is losing one of its better-known homegrown names. Fei Zhu Lok Lok, founded by local influencer and entrepreneur Phyllis Seah and her childhood friend Goh Jue Ying, has announced that it will close its remaining outlets on Sept. 13, 2026. The announcement came on Sept. 1, with the business saying it was making the decision “with a heavy heart” after years of serving Malaysian-style lok lok in Singapore. But Seah's follow-up message revealed the bigger story behind th

September 2, 2026

Singapore

Singapore’s New Childcare Leave Scheme Will Take Months to Roll Out as Employers Brace for Staffing Pressure

SINGAPORE — Singapore parents expecting up to 12 days of childcare leave under the government’s latest family-support push will have to wait a little longer, with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah warning that the expanded scheme will take “at least several months” to implement. The delay is not a reversal of the policy announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally on August 23. Instead, the government must first amend legislation, overhaul administrat

September 2, 2026