Singapore

The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said Friday (February 7) that former transport minister S Iswaran has been placed on home detention, reported Channel News Asia. In a statement to the outlet, the SPS said Iswaran will be serving his remaining sentence at his residence under “specified conditions”. The former minister’s 12-month jail term began on October 7 last year. “Like all inmates emplaced on the Home Detention Scheme, S Iswaran will serve his remaining sentence at his residence under specified conditions, which include curfew monitoring using an electronic monitoring tag, being gainfully occupied either in work, study or training, and reporting to SPS for counselling,” the prison service said. What is Singapore’s home detention scheme?Under the country’s Prisons Act, in

Subhas Nair, a Singaporean rapper known for his outspoken views on racism, began his six-week prison sentence on February 5 after being convicted of inciting ill will between different racial and religious groups. The 32-year-old, who has openly criticised Chinese privilege and racial discrimination against minorities, was found guilty of multiple charges stemming from social media posts and public statements. His supporters argue that Nair’s punishment is disproportionate, alleging that he is facing repercussions for challenging systemic inequality in Singapore. They point to his past warnings from authorities as evidence of an ongoing effort to silence his activism. The charges and the case against Nair Nair’s legal troubles began in 2020 when he received a two-year conditio

Startup firms Mistral and Zoltix have won the U.S.-Singapore joint challenge on maritime and unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, defense innovation. The event was the first collaboration between the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit and Singapore’s Ministry of Defence under a memorandum of understanding for defense innovation. Challenge WinnersThe first prize challenge involved identifying and scaling dual-use technologies to help ships stationed near the shore continuously detect, track, identify and disrupt unauthorized drones. Mistral won $80,000 for its counter-UAS Victus C2 Gateway offering. The system features radio frequency sensors and kinetic and non-kinetic effects in a single package that meets the challenge’s operational requirements. The Minstral technology is capab

Singapore has introduced stricter measures to regulate screen use among children in schools and preschools as part of a broader multi-ministry health initiative launched on Tuesday. From February 1, preschools will enforce updated rules banning screen use for children under 18 months and limiting it to teaching and learning purposes for those aged 18 months to six years, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Educators will also be guided to prioritise "meaningful experiences" over sedentary activities such as prolonged screen time and sitting, Xinhua news agency reported. Primary and secondary schools have implemented similar measures, requiring students to store their phones in ...

Singapore’s currency weakness against the US dollar is likely to endure amid expectations that its central bank pivots to easing and US tariffs ripple through the global economy. The Singapore dollar is already near a two-year low against the US dollar and options data show trading of bearish wagers is dominating the market in anticipation of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) adjusting its stance. Investors wager that may take place on Jan 24, though a move later this year is also possible, which would allow more time to see how Donald Trump retaking the US presidency plays out. Singapore is one “of the most vulnerable economies to US tariff hikes in the Asean region”, said Singapore MUFG Bank currency strategist Lloyd Chan. He predicts the MAS will ease policy in

Singapore awarded the Honorary Citizen Award to Tarun Das, former CII Director General, for his pivotal role in enhancing Singapore-India relations. His contributions include initiating economic collaborations, the India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, and fostering youth exchanges. Singapore has awarded its highest honor for non-citizens, the Honorary Citizen Award, to Tarun Das, former Director General of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in recognition of his significant contributions to strengthening Singapore-India relations. A Legacy of Strengthening Bilateral TiesTarun Das has been instrumental in fostering robust economic and people-to-people connections between Singapore and India over several decades. In 1993, he led a delegation of Indian industrialists to Sin...

In 2024, Singapore's political landscape saw significant changes as after two decades as prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong handed power to Lawrence Wong. While this transition brought positive change, the year was marked by controversy. S Iswaran's corruption conviction, Cabinet ministers suing Bloomberg over property reporting and the ongoing Lee family feud dominated headlines. Although Wong has tried to establish a semblance of independence, he faces challenges in consolidating his leadership while Lee remains in Cabinet as Senior Minister. For Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) government, the best news of 2024 came in May, when then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong (72) handed the premiership to his handpicked successor, Lawrence Wong (then 51). Lee’s succession plans had