Singapore in 2 Mins for the Week of Jan 23

SIA is top-ranked airline, at 24th overall on Fortune’s list of world’s most admired companies

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has once again secured the top spot as an airline and is ranked 24th overall on Fortune magazine’s list of the world’s most admired companies. Singapore’s national carrier has moved up four spots from the 28th spot in 2025.

SIA’s overall rank makes the airline the second-highest ranked Asian company, with Toyota Motors a spot behind. The airline also outranks major multinational corporations and brands such as Nike, Starbucks, BMW, Accenture, Visa, Samsung, Mastercard, and UPS. SIA is also the only Singapore-based company to feature in the top 50.

Jail for adult couple over rape of 13-year-old girl

A full-time national serviceman with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) met an underage girl online and had sex with her despite knowing that she was only 13 years old at the time. Lim, 24, who is a Singaporean, was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape.

His girlfriend pleaded guilty to a rape charge after she instigated him to have sex with the victim and took at least six videos of the act. The victim has since died, but court documents did not disclose details about her death.

Circles.Life to increase platform fee from 30 cents to 70 cents from Feb 1

Customers of local telco Circles.Life will need to pay almost double in platform fees from Feb 1, with the move drawing criticism from some quarters online. The fee increase to 70 cents directly goes towards funding improvements and new services, the operator said in an e-mail to its customers on Jan 16.

In a media reply, Circles.Life on Jan 21 said it is the only telecoms operator that is “running a self-developed and locally built digital platform”, and invests continuously “to bring customers smarter and more rewarding services”.

LO office to remain vacant till WP is ready to nominate someone to take on the responsibility: PMO

The office of the Leader of the Opposition (LO) will remain vacant until the Workers’ Party is ready to nominate someone to take on the responsibility, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

In a statement on Jan 21, PMO said the Government has accepted the WP’s decision not to nominate another elected MP to the post. The opposition party had said in a statement posted on the party website on Jan 21 that it takes the view that the leader of the largest opposition party in Parliament is the leader of the Opposition.

Singapore users are flocking to Elon Musk’s Grok despite deepfake controversy

Singapore users continue to embrace Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok despite controversy over sexually explicit AI deepfakes that can be created via the platform. Since late December 2025, Grok’s app has climbed the Google Play and Apple App Store charts in Singapore, even as outrage grows over non-consensual image generation.

X implemented restrictions on Grok’s ability to edit real people’s photos on its platform, but such features remain on the standalone app and website. High-profile backlash includes a lawsuit against xAI and bans in Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore’s IMDA is engaging X on curbing harmful content.

Pilot project guided group of S’poreans and foreigners to find common ground on integration

Singaporeans and foreigners came together to talk about various national issues in a pilot project conducted by researchers from the Institute of Policy Studies to find common ground for integration between the two groups.

The group of 24, comprising 16 Singaporeans, five foreigners, and three permanent residents, generated 67 statements about these issues and achieved unanimous consensus on 23 of them.

US approves S$3 billion sale of aircraft, torpedoes to Singapore

The United States on Jan 20 announced the approval of a US$2.3 billion (S$3 billion) sale of P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, torpedoes, and related equipment to Singapore.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has provided the required notification to Congress, which still needs to sign off on the transaction. In September 2025, Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing said the Republic will acquire four Boeing P-8A maritime patrol aircraft in the first phase of the Singapore Armed Forces’ refresh of the country’s maritime security capabilities.

70 travellers caught for evading taxes, duties in week-long operation at S’pore checkpoints

Seventy people were caught for failing to declare and pay taxes for goods at Singapore’s checkpoints during a week-long multi-agency enforcement operation, the authorities said on Jan 22. During the operation – conducted by the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Singapore Customs – S$3,398 in duties, and goods and services tax was found to have been evaded for items such as cigarettes and tobacco products, liquor exceeding duty-free concession and goods exceeding GST import relief. A total of S$21,990 in composition sums was imposed.

Singapore proposes ASEAN-first mechanism to trace scam calls across borders

Singapore has mooted the region’s first mechanism that allows countries in the 11-member ASEAN to trace the origin of a scam call or SMS. Such a framework will help Southeast Asian countries better tackle scams at the point they originate, said Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo.

She added that Singapore will be keen to share information if a scam text or call originates from the Republic, and hopes its regional counterparts can reciprocate.

Paya Lebar redevelopment: Nature Society proposes keeping a third of space as green areas

The Nature Society Singapore (NSS) is proposing that almost a third of the vegetation in and around Paya Lebar Air Base be retained as green spaces, ahead of redevelopment of the area set to begin in the 2030s.

The society submitted a report to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) detailing its proposal to retain 389ha of land in the area, which comprises forest, parkland, and water bodies. URA said it will assess the NSS’s proposal.