A traditional Bharatanatyam arangetram (debut solo performance) typically follows a standardised, centuries-old repertoire of classical songs. But 22-year-old Shruthika Kumar went beyond executing a conventional debut; she transformed her milestone performance into a personal, creatively ambitious love letter to the Tamil language – interweaving ancient Sangam-era literary masterpieces.

During the initial planning stages, Shruthika’s guru (teacher), Abiramy Kalaiselvan, Head of Departments & Art Director of Art and Artist School of Fine Arts (ANASFA), proposed infusing an elevated layer of Tamil...

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Tuesday (Nov 3) discouraged members of the public from rummaging through refuse bins for empty drinks containers,

“Apart from the potential disamenities to the wider community, there are also hygiene and safety concerns for the individuals doing so,” the minister explained in a written reply to MP Yeo Wang Ling (Punggol GRC).

The second-term MP had asked what will guide the authority’s enforcement approach towards those found removing beverage containers from...

India’s gold demand is expected to fall to a six-year low in 2026, as elevated prices weigh on jewellery sales and investment demand moderates, the World Gold Council (WGC) said on Tuesday.

The country, the world’s biggest gold consumer after China, is grappling with rising living costs in the wake of the Iran war, while a weak monsoon could curtail rural demand for jewellery.

Jewellery demand fell in the first nine months of the year, which will drag down total...

Air quality deteriorated sharply in parts of northern India and adjoining Pakistan on Tuesday, with the onset of pre-winter smog making Lahore the world’s most polluted city and authorities in Delhi imposing curbs to fight the toxic haze over the capital.

Air pollution becomes a severe problem for the region around this time of the year when cold, dense air traps emissions from vehicles, construction sites and crop waste burning, pushing pollution levels to the highest in the world and...

Ambassador for International Law Rena Lee, 57, on Tuesday (Nov 3) became the first Singaporean elected to the International Court of Justice after she securing an absolute majority of votes in both the 193-member UN General Assembly and 15-member UN Security Council in the first round of voting.

She received 151 of 191 votes in the General Assembly and 13 of 15 votes in the Security Council.

Thanking the countries that supported her candidature, she said after her election: “I...

A data breach at reservation-technology provider, Amadeus, has affected about 46,000 Singapore Airlines (SIA) booking records

Data illegally accessed by a third party included customers’ names, booking reference numbers, travel itineraries and booking classes, an SIA spokesperson said.

For about 620 booking records, information including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, travel document details, and KrisFlyer membership numbers may have been accessed, the spokesperson added.

However, Amadeus has confirmed that bank account or credit card information has not been exposed, and no...