Chokehold of Hormuz: Shipping Industry Calls for Rules Amid Iran War
Shipping executives gathered in Athens urged an immediate return to normal operations in the Strait of Hormuz and called for explicit rules governing vessel movements amid the ongoing Iran‑Israel war. Daily traffic has collapsed from the pre‑conflict average of at least 125 ships to a fraction, with Iranian state media reporting only 15 vessels—including four tankers—cleared in the past 24 hours. CEOs highlighted stranded ships, such as a cargo vessel loaded at Ras Tanura that has been stuck for three months. Pankaj Khanna, CEO of Heidmar Maritime, stressed the need for a transparent framework, while Greek Shipping Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned that denying free passage endangers global trade. U.S. President Donald Trump faces mounting pressure to reopen the strait before the November elections as fuel prices climb. If the bottleneck persists, oil and gas prices will remain elevated, supply chains will suffer, and geopolitical tensions will intensify, compelling policymakers to negotiate safe‑passage agreements that could reshape energy markets and election dynamics.
Labour Law and Doing More for Singapore Workers
Singapore is confronting a fresh wave of layoffs that has exposed weaknesses in its labour‑protection framework. The Ministry of Manpower requires firms to notify it within five working days of a retrenchment, yet last year 20 % of notifications were filed...
Chan Chun Sing on Themes Discussed with ASEAN Defence Ministers During Shangri-La Dialogue Day 2
Singapore’s Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing highlighted the inaugural ASEAN Defence Ministers’ breakfast held on the sidelines of the Shangri‑La Dialogue. The informal gathering brought together all ten ASEAN defence chiefs for an open, organic dialogue on regional security, geopolitics...
Global Crisis? How Singapore Brings Prices Down by Adjusting Its Currency (and Not Interest Rates)
The video explains how Singapore, a tiny but highly trade‑dependent economy, combats rising global prices not with interest‑rate hikes but by managing its currency. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) ties the sing dollar to a secret basket of its...
Ebola Patients Flee in Attacks on Congo Health Facilities
Doctors fighting Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo now face armed attacks on treatment centers and a wave of fleeing patients as the virus spreads rapidly. The health system, already strained by shortages of personal protective equipment and laboratory...
WHO Declares Global Health Emergency over Ebola Outbreak
The World Health Organization on Sunday elevated the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, marking the first time the Bundibugyo strain has triggered such a designation. Health officials...
University Graduates Boo Commencement Speaker for Calling AI ‘Next Industrial Revolution’
The video captures a university commencement where the keynote speaker declared artificial intelligence the "next industrial revolution," prompting an immediate and vocal booing from the graduating class. The speaker attempted to frame AI as a transformative force now in everyone’s...
Singapore, the MRT and Mobility Reimagined | In Perspective
The Straits Times In Perspective roundtable examined how Singapore’s MRT and broader transport network will evolve as smart technologies become central to mobility. Panelists from the Land Transport Authority, SMRT, NUS and SUTD discussed moving beyond physical infrastructure toward data‑driven,...
7 Years of POFMA
The video marks the seventh anniversary of Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), a law introduced in 2019 to curb fake news and misinformation online. Since its launch, the Ministry of Communications and Information has issued 207 correction...
ASEAN in a Much Better Position to Manage Any Disruptions and Shocks Together: PM Wong
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong highlighted ASEAN’s enhanced capacity to weather geopolitical and economic turbulence, emphasizing that the bloc is now better equipped to handle disruptions collectively. He framed the current global landscape as one where power supersedes rules, security...
Cues India Can Take From China to Fix Its Foul Air and Water | Asian Insider Podcast
The Asian Insider podcast features Chandran Nair, founder of the Global Institute for Tomorrow, examining India’s dire air and water crisis and asking whether China’s development playbook can be adapted. Nair draws on his decades‑long experience consulting in China, describing...
WP MPs Clash with Syed Harun, Chee Hong Tat over Legality of Fees Collected by MND’s Agencies
The debate centers on Part Four of a bill that would retroactively validate fees collected over years by four statutory boards—BCA, HDB, NP Parks and URA—under the Ministry of Development. MPs question the legality of those charges and the government’s decision...
Parliament Passes Bill for a New Agency Merging SkillsFuture Singapore, Workforce Singapore
Parliament approved a bill merging SkillsFuture Singapore and Workforce Singapore into the SkillsFuture and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA). The move consolidates two statutory boards that have operated separately since 2016, aiming to create a single, end‑to‑end system that links skills...
Labour Chief Ng Chee Meng Opens Parliamentary Motion on AI Transition with No Jobless Growth
Singapore’s Labour Minister Ng Chee Meng opened a parliamentary motion outlining the nation’s AI transition strategy, emphasizing growth without jobless unemployment. He framed the discussion around workers’ questions on participation and fair opportunity in the AI era. The minister presented four...
'Do It Now': Les Miserables Star Nathania Ong on Chasing Your Dreams
In a candid interview, Les Miserables alumna Nathania Ong discusses the pressure Asian families place on artistic ambitions and the challenge of turning a musical‑theatre degree into a sustainable career. Ong recounts how relatives in Singapore questioned the practicality of her UK...