Singapore live news: Protect 'our unity' as world becomes more dangerous, says Lawrence Wong in CNY message; government responds to NYT video

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People walk past a greeting display for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake at the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall in Singapore January 27, 2025. (PHOTO: AFP)
People walk past a greeting display for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year of the Snake at the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall in Singapore January 27, 2025. (PHOTO: AFP)

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Hello to all our readers, Yahoo Singapore will be bringing you live news updates today. The editorial team will be curating the latest must-know local and international news.

First up, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong calls for "unity" amid "diversity" in his first Chinese New Year message since becoming Prime Minister. Singapore's "unity is a precious asset that we must continue to protect and nurture" even as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place, he said on Tuesday (28 January). Find out more below.

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Singapore ambassador to the United States Lui Tuck Yew has responded, in a letter dated 26 January, to the New York Times (NYT) opinion video featuring Harvard economist Li Shengwu. Lui said that the NYT video "is essentially a commentary on the current state of US politics", "but you draw in Singapore via the misleading analogies provided by Mr Li Shengwu, masquerading as a persecuted dissident".

Read more in our live blog below, including the latest local and international news and updates:

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER7 updates
  • Featured

    Singapore PM Lawrence Wong calls for 'unity' amid diversity in Chinese New Year message

    Singapore's prime minister Lawrence Wong inspects the guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at Government House in Bangkok on 28 November 2024. (PHOTO: Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
    Singapore's prime minister Lawrence Wong inspects the guard of honor during a welcoming ceremony at Government House in Bangkok on 28 November 2024. (PHOTO: Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Singapore's "unity is a precious asset that we must continue to protect and nurture" even as the world becomes an increasingly dangerous place, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (28 January) in his first Chinese New Year message since becoming prime minister.

    Noting that the festive season is an opportunity to celebrate diversity in our community, Wong said that "we cannot let our differences pull us apart" despite the fact that "we may have different views on issues that matter deeply to us". "We should make an extra effort to engage and reach out to fellow Singaporeans of different races and religions. Our diversity is a source of strength, and we must continually seek ways to deepen our mutual understanding and expand our common space," he added.

    He also drew attention to the spate of terror incidents across various countries recently, such as in the Middle East. "Earlier this month, we announced the detention of three self-radicalised Singaporeans under the Internal Security Act," Wong said. "We will remain vigilant against any security threats. But we must also be mentally prepared for the possibility that an attack can occur here."

    If an attack were to happen, the country must be able to stand together as one united people, "resolute and undivided". "Such challenges should not weaken the fabric of our society, but instead strengthen our resolve to protect our harmony and way of life," Wong said.

    Last Wednesday (22 January), Wong said that he has convened a committee to review the city-state's electoral boundaries, in a sign that the government may call for an early national vote. Singapore must hold a vote by November in what will be Wong's first electoral test since taking over from Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong in May last year.

  • Singapore food court operator Koufu has stopped credit card services on its app amid ongoing police investigations

    Koufu has stopped credit card services on its app. (PHOTO: Getty)
    Koufu has stopped credit card services on its app. (PHOTO: Getty)

    Do you use the app by food court operator Koufu?

    It has stopped credit card services on its app while police investigate a series of unauthorised transactions that customers said were linked to the app.

    Local media reported on 1 January that Koufu had notified the authorities after multiple reports by customers of fraudulent transactions linked to its Koufu Eat app.

    The Koufu Eat app allows users to browse food options at various Koufu food courts and pay for their meals with a selected credit or debit card, or through PayLah.

    App reviews on Google Play Store showed customers highlighting unauthorised payments as far back as October 2024.

    Find out more about what's happening with the Koufu app.

  • Chinese consumers can't get enough of durian. Find out why

    China’s imports of durian have more than doubled in the past five years. (PHOTO: Getty)
    China’s imports of durian have more than doubled in the past five years. (PHOTO: Getty)

    Are you a fan of durian?

    Southeast Asians have a love-hate relationship with durians, sometimes called the "king of fruits". It's mainly due to the fruit's pungent smell, which causes it to be often banned on public transport, and in hotels and airports.

    Yet Chinese consumers can’t get enough of it. China’s imports of the fruit have more than doubled in the past five years.

    Outlets in China are starting to serve all kinds of durian goods—durian burgers, durian chicken hot pot, and durian barbecue are just a few. And durian content is racking up billions of views on Douyin, ByteDance’s version of TikTok for the Chinese market, reports the South China Morning Post.

    Read on to find out more about the durian obsession.

  • Singaporean influencer, who claimed she was nearly kidnapped, charged in JB court for filing a false police report

    A Singaporean woman, who claimed she was almost abducted at a shopping mall in Johor Baru (JB), Malaysia, last week, has been charged in court. (PHOTO: Getty)
    A Singaporean woman, who claimed she was almost abducted at a shopping mall in Johor Baru (JB), Malaysia, last week, has been charged in court. (PHOTO: Getty)

    A Singaporean woman, who claimed she was almost abducted at a shopping mall in Johor Baru (JB), Malaysia, last week, has been charged in the Magistrate's Court in JB on Tuesday (28 January) morning for filing a false police report.

    Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar reportedly said that the 45-year-old woman, who is also a social media influencer and content creator, is under state police custody.

    The state's top police officer was commenting on a report that was filed on 22 January by the woman, alleging that she was "nearly abducted and kidnapped" after a tea sampling at the KSL shopping mall.

    Read on for more details on the alleged abduction and kidnapping.

  • How to search for the 1,115 general practitioner (GP) clinics open during CNY public holidays

    A doctor sitting with a patient. (PHOTO: Getty)
    A doctor sitting with a patient. (PHOTO: Getty)

    During the Chinese New Year public holidays on Wednesday and Thursday (29-30 January), some 1,115 general practitioner (GP) clinics will be open at various times, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement.

    "Those who require medical care during the holidays can visit the Ministry of Health's (MOH) GPGoWhere website (go.gov.sg/gpgowhere), which lists nearby clinics and their respective opening hours based on the address or postal code keyed in," MOH said.

    "We advise the public to make an appointment or call the clinic before heading down."

    Members of the public should seek medical treatment at a hospital's Accident & Emergency department only for serious or life-threatening emergencies, such as chest pain, breathlessness, and uncontrollable bleeding".

    The ministry also wished everyone a "happy Chinese New Year and a healthy year ahead". "We would also like to take this opportunity to remind the public to eat in moderation and continue exercising regularly to stay healthy over the holiday period."

  • Think Chinese New Year traditions are all the same? Learn how different dialect groups celebrate CNY

    Chinese Year of the Snake. (PHOTO: Getty)
    Chinese Year of the Snake. (PHOTO: Getty)

    On Wednesday (29 January), people of Chinese ancestry all around the world will usher in the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal in the zodiac, as they celebrate the Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year.

    This festival is one of the most significant in Chinese culture, symbolising family unity, renewal, and prosperity; and this is reflected in the most important custom – the Reunion Dinner, held on the eve of the actual day.

    But not all Chinese dialect groups and communities celebrate the new year in the same way as they may have their own unique practices. For instance, Day 5 is important to the Cantonese and Day 9 for the Hokkiens. Find out why and more.

  • Singapore responds to New York Times video featuring Li Shengwu, nephew of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong

    Li Shengwu is seen in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the US on 12 August 2017. (PHOTO: REUTERS/Tim McLaughlin)
    Li Shengwu is seen in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the US on 12 August 2017. (PHOTO: REUTERS/Tim McLaughlin)

    Singapore's ambassador to the United States Lui Tuck Yew has objected to what he said was a "false portrayal of Singapore" in a recent opinion video by the New York Times (NYT). The video featured Singaporean economist Li Shengwu, who is the son of Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and the grandson of Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.

    In a letter to the NYT editor dated 26 January, Lui said that the NYT video "is essentially a commentary on the current state of US politics", "but you draw in Singapore via the misleading analogies provided by Mr Li Shengwu, masquerading as a persecuted dissident".

    Featuring three others – from Hungary, Nicaragua and Russia – the video titled "How Tyranny Begins" was published on 22 January. In it, these four individuals shared how they had been on the receiving end of political repression in their countries.

    Li, an economics professor at Harvard University spoke about how he was criminally prosecuted over a private Facebook post and had fled Singapore.

    Lui added, "Mr Li has never been exiled from Singapore, jailed or stripped of his possessions, as might some of the others in your feature. He remains a Singapore citizen and continues to travel freely on a Singapore passport."

    Further, Lui wrote, "He was indeed charged for contempt of court in 2020. He has already paid the fine of S$15,000 (US$11,000) imposed by the Court. He has not been under investigation for anything else since, and there are no outstanding charges against him. He is free to return to Singapore any time he wishes."