Temasek announces new investments in AI and sustainability, growing private credit portfolio
Temasek will grow their artificial intelligence-focused (AI) investments in the next five years to 15 per cent of its portfolio. The sectors where the investments will be made will include data centres, semiconductor companies, cloud service providers, AI applications and software infrastructure firms.
The investment company also doubled down on its net-zero emission goal by expanding its sustainable-living portfolio through investments in electrification and renewable energy, though it will not be able to meet its 2030 climate targets.
Temasek’s net portfolio value hit a new high of S$518 billion in the financial year ended March 31, doubling over the last 10 years. The company said it continues to deliver resilient long-term returns, with a 20-year total shareholder return of 6.8 per cent.
Singapore most expensive city for the rich, fourth year running
The Julius Baer Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2026, released on July 7, named Singapore as the most expensive city for the rich for the fourth consecutive year. The Republic also ranks as the most expensive place in the world to buy a car.
The Julius Baer Lifestyle Index tracks the price of a basket of 20 luxury goods and services – ranging from private school fees and healthcare to residential property and cars – across 25 cities globally. The data was gathered in two rounds between November 2025 and March 2026.
Cat A hits record S$129,000 as COE prices rise across the board
Car ownership costs are on the rise as the price of a Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) hit a record high of S$129,000 at the July 8 tender exercise. The rises are not limited to just Category A, which includes smaller, less powerful cars and electric vehicles (EVs).
The price of Category B COEs, used to register larger, more powerful cars and EVs, went up 6 per cent to S$130,889. Commercial vehicle (Category C) COEs climbed 2.1 per cent to S$95,000. The motorcycle (Category D) COE premium increased by 2.1 per cent to S$10,201. The price of an Open category (Category E) COE, used to register any vehicle type except motorcycles, climbed 0.6 per cent to S$129,801.
WP announces top leadership appointments, co-opts MPs Fadli Fawzi and Andrew Low
A week after Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh returned to his position unopposed in internal elections, WP announced the appointments of its top decision-making body, with the sole new addition being senior counsel Harpreet Singh.
Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Fadli Fawzi and Non-Constituency MP Andre Low were brought into the newly elected central executive committee when it met for the first time on July 7.
Eligible SG’eans to receive up to S$850 in GSTV cash and up to S$450 in MediSave top-ups
About 1.5 million eligible adult Singaporeans will receive up to $850 in cash under the GST Voucher scheme, while about 710,000 eligible seniors will receive up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August.
The amount of cash payout will depend on the recipient’s assessable income for the Year of Assessment 2025 and the annual value of their place of residence. Eligible seniors will receive between $150 and $450 in MediSave top-ups, depending on their age and the annual value of their residence. This will be automatically credited to their CPF MediSave accounts.
Healthcare AI model tailored to Singaporean patients being developed
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced a new nationwide initiative called the Singapore Medical Foundation AI Model, which aims to help clinicians better diagnose conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and eye diseases by training on the data of Singaporean patients and medical practices.
This model will address the issue of biased training data, as most AI foundations model used in healthcare today train on solely Western populations, limiting the accuracy and relevance in a Singapore setting.
Eight taken to hospital after fire in Tuas dormitory
Eight people were taken to hospital after a fire broke out at a dormitory in Tuas on July 8, with two sustaining minor burn injuries.
The fire involved items placed at the entrance of a dormitory unit on the second floor at 1 Tuas Avenue 8, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), who was alerted to the fire at 11.40am on July 8. The SCDF extinguished the fire with a hose reel. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
India remains Sentosa’s largest international source market
Sentosa Development Corporation is strengthening its focus on the Indian market as the nation remains Sentosa’s largest international source market, with visitor numbers increasing by 8 per cent between 2025 and 2026.
“India remains a strategically important market for Sentosa, not only because of its scale today, but because of the long-term opportunity it represents. Indian travellers are increasingly discerning, and drawn to destinations that offer genuine depth, variety and the kind of memories worth returning for,” said Ms Addison Goh, divisional director, Business and Experience Development.
Lightning strike in Pasir Ris beach leaves one dead, six taken to hospital
Mr Mikhail Benjamin, 24, died after being struck by lightning while paddleboarding with his family in the waters of Pasir Ris Beach on July 5. The police said that six others, aged between 13 and 54, were taken conscious to the hospital, while Mr Benjamin was taken unconscious and passed away in the hospital.
Four patients taken conscious to Sengkang General Hospital after a lightning-strike incident at Pasir Ris Beach on July 5 have been discharged, the hospital confirmed on July 7.
Action star Jackie Chan visits Pei Chun Public School
The pupils of Pei Chun Public school were graced with the presence of action star Jackie Chan on July 7. “Please work hard. Dreams may not come true but, without dreams, you definitely won’t succeed,” he said.
His visit was part of an event organised by the Lim Family Foundation, held to inspire students and for him to meet the recipients of the Singapore Olympic Foundation-Peter Lim Scholarship, including more than 20 who practise wushu, a martial art that Chan has been practising since he was a child.
