Current Affairs

TOC recently interviewed Dr Paul Ananth Tambyah, chairperson of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) to get his opinion on the proposed “Protection against Online Falsehoods and Manipulation” bill, its impact on freedom of speech, whistle-blowing, and the need for the bill in the first place. Dr Paul’s viewpoint on the fake news legislation is that it is detrimental for several …

The Australian authorities have launched an investigation after intercepting 585kg of Ice, worth A$440 million (S$426 million), inside refrigerators coming from a Singapore consignment. The container, which was originally declared to have electric overs, were stopped by border officials in Sydney on 30 March. However, after being checked by police at Sydney’s Container Examination Facilities, 11 commercial refrigerators were found …

Reuters reported today (10 Apr) that an F-35 stealth fighter belonging to Japan had crashed into the Pacific Ocean and its wreckage had been found. The pilot, however, remains missing. The aircraft, less than one-year-old, was only in the air for 28 minutes yesterday before it crashed. “We recovered the wreckage and determined it was from the F-35,” a spokesman …

By the end of the year, life will be much easier for people travelling constantly between Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore’s local travel card issuer EZ-Link and Malaysia’s Touch N’ Go have partnered up to introduce a dual-currency Combi Card in the fourth quarter of 2019 which will allow users to pay for toll and parking in both Singapore dollars and …

Straits Times (ST) published a news report on Monday (‘Photos of PM Lee Hsien Loong enjoying an evening with family at Botanic Gardens go viral‘, 8 Apr) highlighting that photos of PM Lee seen relaxing at Botanic Gardens had gone “viral”. PM Lee and his family were at a public concert performed by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra in Botanic Gardens …

The debate around the new fake news bill continues, this time with Senior Lecturer and Professor of Practice at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Donald Low chiming in to discuss how POFMA might complicate discussions of fact and opinions in the field of science. Prof Low said in a Facebook post that one of the unintended consequences …

A media statement was released by Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) yesterday (9 April) on their website regarding the allegations made by marathoner Soh Rui Yong towards SNOC’s nomination of one of Singapore’s representatives in the SEA Games 2015 marathon event, Ashley Liew, for the Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy. SNOC recounted the events that happened, leading up …

An instrument approach based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) is in the wings for Seletar Airport as the civil aviation authorities of Singapore and Malaysia collaborate to develop the new system in replacement of the controversial Instrument Landing System (ILS). Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced on Mon (8 Apr) at a joint press conference with his Malaysian …

Following an article that TOC published on Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) conducting a public outreach programme to “educate” people on fake news, lawyer and People’s Voice Party Chief, Lim Tean took to his Facebook to comment on this event and the worrying moves that the government is taking to clamp freedom of speech and expression in the country. In …

National long-distance runner, Soh Rui Yong, was asked via legal letter by the Singapore National Olympic Council to withdraw his account of the 2015 SEA Games Marathon and issue an apology by 5pm today (9 April). The article in question, titled “2015 SEA Games Marathon – In My Words” was published on 22 June 2015 (updated in 2018) on Mr …