What happened? In his annual National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sketched out numerous plans for Singapore’s future, including hot-button issues like cost-of-living, healthcare, and housing. On healthcare, Lee announced the new Merdeka package, aimed at covering the healthcare costs of…
THIS IS WHAT HIGHLY PAID MINISTERS LOOK LIKE
What happened? Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong drew heat this past week after comments he made reopened the age-old debate over Singapore’s notoriously high ministerial pay. In response to a suggestion from a resident to cut ministerial pay and provide more financial support…
POPE FRANCIS MOVES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AWAY FROM CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
What happened? In a major shift for Catholics worldwide, Pope Francis has announced that the Catholic Church is now opposed to capital punishment, and will work to abolish it all over the world. This change in the church catechism (which represents the official teachings…
WESTERN-BACKED SAUDIS BOMB MEDICAL FACILITIES IN WARTORN YEMEN
In a week that saw the US and North Korea begin a widely-celebrated peace process, and saw countries put aside their geopolitical interests for the opening of the World Cup, the suffering in conflict-riven Yemen has only intensified. This came after airstrikes destroyed medical…
IN CLEAR LANGUAGE, ST COLUMN RILES UP THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT
What happened? Veteran journalist Han Fook Kwang came under fire from the Singapore government after his column on the Straits Times drew a sharp rebuke from Lim Yuin Chien, Heng Swee Keat’s press secretary. In his column, Han called on government leaders to speak…
ELON MUSK FINDING SINGAPORE HARDER TO CONQUER THAN OUTER SPACE
Elon Musk’s curious twitter outbursts have reached a new target – the government of Singapore. In response to a question from a Singaporean fan, Musk said that Tesla vehicles could not be brought into Singapore because its government was “not supportive” of it. This…
NEW PRIME MINISTERS IN ITALY AND SPAIN AMID POLITICAL TURMOIL
What happened? Political change is in the air after new prime ministers were sworn into office in Italy and Spain. In Italy, the new prime minister is Giuseppe Conte, a jurist with relatively little political experience. This came after the two most popular parties,…
ONG YE KUNG TALKS DISCIPLINE OVER TEACHERS’ PARKING FEES
What happened? Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has defended the imposition of parking fees for teachers nationwide. This came after a widely-shared parliament speech by MP Seah Kian Peng, which criticised the measure for disregarding the small acts of sacrifice made by teachers for…
STRAITS TIMES INVOLVED IN SHAM STORY OVER 1MDB SAGA
The Straits Times is under scrutiny after an award-winning story covering the 1MDB saga was revealed to be fraudulent. The 2015 piece involved an interview with whistleblower Xavier Justo, who had “confessed” that the media publication The Edge Malaysia offered to buy stolen data…
THE SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO HEAR MORE VOICES
Other than the ones in its head. Growing calls have been made at recent parliamentary sessions for a greater diversity of views from Singaporeans. This comes after President Halimah’s opening speech to parliament, where she asked for the nation to come forth with bold…