Singapore, Australia will deepen cooperation in defence and energy, among others
Singapore and Australia will deepen their cooperation in many areas from defence to trade, as they further elevate bilateral ties. Both sides on Oct 8 laid out what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called a “very full and ambitious agenda” of 20 agreements under an upgraded Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The agreements include strengthening cooperation in defence, supply chain resilience, green and digital economies, food security, renewable energy and innovation, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and space.
2 bodies, believed to be father and daughter, found in Sengkang flat
The bodies of a man and a 47-year-old woman – believed to be a father and his daughter – were found on Oct 6 in a Sengkang flat. The man’s body, which was in a highly decomposed state, was found in a bedroom, while the woman’s body was found near the main door in the living room.
The bodies were discovered at 1.35pm on Oct 6 in a flat in Sengkang East Way and were pronounced dead at the scene, the police said on Oct 7. The police are appealing for the next of kin of Ms Xu Na, the woman who died, to come forward.
Petronas CEO apologises after criticism about F1 podium celebration at Singapore GP
Malaysian energy company Petronas’ president and group chief executive officer Tengku Muhammad Taufik has apologised for participating in the Formula One podium celebration where champagne was sprayed during the recent Singapore Grand Prix.
“While I can categorically state I did not consume any alcohol, as a Muslim, I should have been more aware of the sensitivities associated with taking part in such celebrations. “I want to apologise for any unintended offence caused and take full responsibility for my actions,” he said in a statement on Oct 7.
Prison officer jailed for accepting bribes and helping inmate smuggle contraband
A prison officer will go from managing inmates to becoming one, after he was jailed for helping an inmate smuggle prohibited items such as medication and lewd pictures into Changi Prison Complex. On Oct 9, Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim, 39, was sentenced to 10 months’ jail.
The inmate he helped, Mohamad Yusof Kasim, 50, was also jailed for 10 months. They had pleaded guilty on Sept 5 to multiple charges involving acts of corruption, which took place over almost a year, from August 2021 to June 2022. Asri, who has since been suspended from duty, was also ordered to pay a penalty of S$3,700.
41 schools, including two JCs, to get new principals in 2026
New principals will be appointed at 41 schools at the start of the school year in 2026, as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) annual reshuffle exercise. Of these appointments, more than half – 25 principals – will be taking on the role for the first time.
The process of appointing and rotating principals allows schools to benefit from new perspectives and enables experienced principals to share best practices across schools, the ministry said. The principals will be appointed at MOE’s annual appointment and appreciation ceremony for principals on Dec 30.
SkillsFuture training providers barred from using third-party promoters from Dec 1
Training providers under SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will be prohibited from using third parties to promote, advertise or market their courses to learners from Dec 1.
The prohibition covers approaching individuals or companies and promoting courses to them through face-to-face interactions, phone calls, messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and on social media platforms.
