Support of trusted regional partners key to securing energy needs: PM Wong
Singapore will do its part to shore up regional resilience amid the ongoing fuel crisis, but it cannot secure its energy needs without the help of trusted partners in the region, such as Australia, Japan, and ASEAN member states, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Singapore, as an oil trading and refinery export hub, will do what it can to secure alternative “upstream feedstock” like pre-processed crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, so that the sector can continue to supply refined fuel products to markets around the world, he added.
Caning, suspension among standard disciplinary measures in all schools to combat bullying
By 2027, all schools in Singapore must implement standardised disciplinary measures in managing student misconduct. These include up to three days of detention or suspension, or both, for students who commit serious offences for the first time.
Serious offences include bullying, cheating, gambling, vaping and other offences that are a breach of law, while very serious offences include arson, drug abuse, fighting, vaping with etomidate and other illegal or criminal offences that result in grievous hurt.
Refreshed NS medical classification system (MCS) to take effect from October 2027
Under the refreshed system, full-time national servicemen (NSFs) enlisting from October next year will no longer be given a Physical Employment Standard (PES) status after their medical screening. Instead, they will be told of specific medical exemptions, if any, based on their medical conditions and in line with their functional abilities.
Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing said the refreshed MCS aims to let servicemen best fulfil their potential, while ensuring that the safety of NSFs and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) is never compromised.
Bloomberg journalist omitted info from own source about GCB transactions: Ministers’ lawyer
Bloomberg journalist Low De Wei had left out information given to him by a real estate analyst so he could paint a “false picture” that some buyers of good class bungalows (GCBs) were paying premiums for off-the-radar deals.
Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, who is representing two ministers in the defamation suit against Bloomberg and Mr Low, said the reporter did this despite being told by the analyst in an e-mail that there was no difference between the pricing of caveated and non-caveated transactions.
Energy shock from Iran war to hit S’pore sectors like property and F&B; bunkering already affected
The bunkering industry, which underpins Singapore as the world’s biggest refuelling port, is already feeling the impact of the Iran war, according to the Republic’s central bank on April 14. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) tightened its monetary policy stance for the first time since 2022 to allow for a stronger currency in the face of soaring oil and natural gas prices.
Businesses in construction, real estate and food & beverage (F&B) are among those also likely to face higher costs, on top of transport operators. The labour market may also suffer in terms of slower hiring and pay growth, along with the wider risks of higher inflation and weaker growth, according to MAS.
AI literacy mandatory for all NTU students as school rolls out free Google AI tools
From August, the AI literacy lessons, currently taught only to computing students, will be mandatory for all NTU students. The initiative aims to democratise AI across all disciplines, ensuring that even beginners can experiment with the technology.
Students will also receive free access to a suite of premium Google AI tools, including Gemini Enterprise for workplace automation, AI Studio for rapid app prototyping, and Vertex AI for managing large-scale AI systems.
US microbiologist wins Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for work to measure risk of drinking water
American scientist Joan Bray Rose, 72, was named the winner on April 16, as a key pioneer of an approach that safeguards the quality of water reuse systems like NEWater, and shaped water management here and beyond. She gained prominence from the late 1980s, when she led a team to investigate a microscopic parasite responsible for a spate of waterborne disease outbreaks.
Her accolade, which honours outstanding contributions to solving global water challenges, was announced by national water agency PUB’s chief executive Ong Tze-Ch’in at a press conference.
Woman allegedly raped twice by two different men in Rochor; one attacker given jail sentence
The 32-year-old victim, a Filipina, who was allegedly raped by a tourist at an open field beside Rochor MRT station, saw Harvin Velanggany after the initial assault and told him about the attack. Instead of helping, the Malaysian overpowered and raped her.
He then rummaged through her bag and stole RM369 ($120) from her. On April 13, Harvin, an odd-job labourer in Singapore, was sentenced by the High Court to eight years’ jail and six strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to raping the domestic helper.
S’pore firms urged to shore up cybersecurity after Anthropic tests latest AI model
Organisations in Singapore are being urged to strengthen their cybersecurity measures, days after artificial intelligence company Anthropic began testing a frontier model that is reportedly able to compromise existing software.
While there are no indications that such capabilities are being misused currently, the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore advised organisations to plan ahead and implement immediate mitigation measures to guard against such risks.
New chip by NTU researchers can use genetic markers to speed up disease detection
Using extremely small amounts of tiny genetic markers, a new device developed by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) could cut the detection time for a range of diseases from hours to just 20 minutes.
The device combines a specially designed nanophotonic chip with artificial intelligence-automated image analysis. A single drop of blood or saliva loaded onto the chip allows it to rapidly detect multiple microRNA biomarkers, which are analysed using the integrated AI imaging.
