Category: Singapore

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Novelist Meira Chand Receives Singapore’s Cultural Medallion

The award, which comes with a SG$80,000 grant for each recipient, is an initiative by late president and then Minister of Culture, Ong Teng Cheong…reports Asian Lite News

Indian-origin novelist Meira Chand has been honoured with the Cultural Medallion, Singapore’s most prestigious arts accolade, in support of her artistic pursuits.

Born to Swiss-Indian parents, Chand, 81, is the first English-language female writer to be awarded the Medallion since Ho Minfong in 1997, The Straits Times reported.

She received the award from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, along with fellow novelist Suchen Christine Lim and Malay dance veteran Osman Abdul Hamid, at a ceremony held at the Istana on December 5.

The award, which comes with a SG$80,000 grant for each recipient, is an initiative by late president and then Minister of Culture, Ong Teng Cheong.

“Each of our three new Cultural Medallion recipients is being recognised for their explorations through life, and for inspiring many others, not least the next generation of artists,” Shanmugaratnam said in a statement.

As an award-winning novelist, Chand is known for their depiction of multicultural societies, and her book, ‘The Painted Cage’, was longlisted for the Booker Prize.

Born in London to a Swiss mother and Indian father, Meira grew up and was educated in the UK.

Her writing career began in India where she lived for five years and described it as “a life changing experience”.

Speaking further of her India experience, Chand writes on her website: “For the first time in my life, I met a half of myself I had never known. There was simply no way I could understand that experience, but through writing”.

Her novels, ‘House of the Sun’, ‘A Far Horizon’, and ‘The Pink White and Blue Universe’, are a reflection of her time in India, and the indelible effect of the country upon her, according to her website.

The Cultural Medallion award has been given to 135 artists since its inception in 1979.

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Inderpal Singh Triumphs as Winner of ‘MasterChef Singapore’ Season 4

Throughout the competition, Singh consistently wowed the judges with his culinary creations, earning praise for the extraordinary flavor profiles in his dishes…reports Asian Lite News

In an electrifying culinary showdown that had audiences on the edge of their seats, Inderpal Singh, a 33-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean, emerged victorious as the winner of ‘MasterChef Singapore’ Season 4. Following weeks of intense competition and mouthwatering creations, Singh’s culinary prowess and unwavering passion for cooking secured him the coveted title, propelling him to culinary stardom in Singapore and beyond.

The climactic finale, which aired on Sunday, witnessed Singh pitted against two other immensely talented chefs, Tina Amin and Mandy Kee. In a heart-pounding finish, Singh clinched victory with an impressive score of 76.6 out of 90, surpassing the runner-up, Tina Amin, by 3.6 points and the second runner-up, Mandy Kee, by 8.1 points. Singh’s win was not just about the title; it was a testament to his dedication and exceptional skills in the kitchen.

Throughout the competition, Singh consistently wowed the judges with his culinary creations, earning praise for the extraordinary flavor profiles in his dishes. His dishes offered delightful surprises, harmonizing flavors and textures that showcased Singh’s innovation and culinary finesse, setting him apart from the competition, reports Khalsa Vox.

In the wake of his triumphant win, Inderpal Singh shared his emotions with the press, stating, “Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel at this moment.” He expressed his gratitude and excitement, saying, “I have dreamt of this moment so many times – and have given myself a reality check that many times, too – but having the trophy in my hands shows that dreams do come true and gives me the validation that I can become a culinary personality.”

Singh’s journey to culinary stardom was not without its challenges. As the owner of a home-based Food and Beverage (F&B) business, he has tirelessly honed his craft and explored the depths of culinary artistry. His unwavering dedication, coupled with the love and support of his family, friends, and newfound culinary connections, fueled his path to success.

For Singh, winning ‘MasterChef Singapore’ Season 4 represents just the beginning of an exciting culinary adventure. Armed with the title, a cash prize of SGD 10,000 (approximately Rs 6.7 lakh), and newfound confidence, he is poised to leave his mark on the world of gastronomy. With dreams as his guiding star and a trophy in hand, Inderpal Singh is set to inspire and tantalize the taste buds of food enthusiasts everywhere, proving that passion and perseverance can indeed transform dreams into reality. Singapore’s culinary landscape has undeniably gained a shining new star in Inderpal Singh, the ‘MasterChef Singapore’ Season 4 champion.

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-Top News Singapore

Singapore, Bangladesh Strengthen Relations with High Commission Upgrade

singapore flag.

Momen had earlier requested the Singaporean Foreign Minister to set up a full-fledged mission in Dhaka that would benefit both countries…reports Asian Lite News

Singapore will elevate its consulate in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka to a high commission from October 1, reflecting the enhanced economic and people-to-people relations between the two countries, a media report said.

The upgrade was shared by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen on September 20 during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Xinhua news agency reported, citing United News of Bangladesh.

Momen had earlier requested the Singaporean Foreign Minister to set up a full-fledged mission in Dhaka that would benefit both countries while calling for more investment from Singapore in Bangladesh’s special economic zones.

ALSO READ-India, Singapore Review Progress in Trade and Defence

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-Top News India News Singapore

India, Singapore Review Progress in Trade and Defence

According to the MEA, both sides also discussed regional, global and multilateral issues of common interest…reports Asian Lite News

Following up on the intense political exchanges which have taken place this year, India and Singapore discussed areas of ongoing collaboration such as trade & investment as well as defence & security at the 17th Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) held in New Delhi on Monday (September 18, 2023).

Coming close on the heels of the visit of Prime Minister of Singapore to India for the G20 Summit, the FOC provided an opportunity to follow up on the Leaders’ discussions and review the robust bilateral relationship, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

During the FOC, the two sides discussed areas of ongoing collaboration such as trade & investment, defence & security, fintech, digitalisation, green energy, skill development and people-to-people ties.

They also exchanged views on the progress achieved on specific growth engines identified under the inaugural meeting of the India-Singapore Ministerial Round-table (ISMR) in September 2022 and looked forward to its next edition, the MEA said.

According to the MEA, both sides also discussed regional, global and multilateral issues of common interest.
Additionally, the Indian side appreciated Singapore for joining the International Solar Alliance earlier in June this year and thanked Singapore for joining the ‘Global Biofuels Alliance’ which was launched at the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The FOC was co-chaired by Secretary (East), MEA Saurabh Kumar and  Permanent Secretary at Singapore’s Ministry of Law Luke Goh, who is concurrently Second Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both sides agreed to hold the next round of FOC in Singapore on a mutually convenient date. While in New Delhi, Goh also met the Indian Law Secretary.

STRONG INDIA-SINGAPORE BILATERAL RELATIONS 

India and Singapore enjoy a very warm bilateral relationship which has manifested itself in recent developments across diverse sectors.

Less than a month ago, India had exempted Singapore from the rice export ban which was imposed recently, citing a “very close strategic partnership” and “food security requirements”. 
 
Providing this information on August 28, 2023, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “India and Singapore enjoy a very close strategic partnership, characterized by shared interests, close economic ties and strong people to people connect”.

In February this year, India and Singapore had linked their respective online payments systems for seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong participated in the virtual launch of real time payment linkage between the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and PayNow of Singapore on February 21, 2023.

With this, Singapore became the first country with which cross border Person to Person (P2P) payment facility was  launched by India.

Im addition to strong trade and economic ties, India and Singapore also have a close defence and security relationship at the bilateral level as well as through the ASEAN. (India News Network)

ALSO READ-Singapore Thanks India For Exempting From Rice Ban

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-Top News Politics Singapore

Tharman Shanmugaratnam Sworn In as Singapore’s Ninth President

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Tharman on winning the presidential election and pledged the full support of the government to the President…reports Asian Lite News

Tharman Shanmugaratnam took the oath as Singapore’s ninth president at Istana, the country’s presidential palace.

In the inauguration speech, Tharman said on Thursday evening that he was honoured and humbled to have been elected and will discharge his duties diligently and faithfully.

The President also stressed building a more inclusive society and deepening Singapore’s partnerships with the international community, Xinhua news agency reported.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Tharman on winning the presidential election and pledged the full support of the government to the President.

Tharman was elected the President after garnering 70.4 per cent of the total votes. He used to be the senior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the city-state.

ALSO READ-Singapore Thanks India For Exempting From Rice Ban

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-Top News India News Singapore

Tharman Pledges To Build ‘Future Of Optimism’

Tharman Shanmugaratnam received a resounding mandate with a whopping 70.4 per cent votes in a three-way contest to elect Singapore’s ninth President.

Registering a landslide victory in Singapore’s presidential election, Tamil-origin economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that his win was a vote of confidence in the city-state’s future and vowed to build a ‘future of optimism’.

Tharman received a resounding mandate with a whopping 70.4 per cent votes in a three-way contest to elect the city-state’s ninth President on Friday.

“I pledge and it will be my duty to use the roles and responsibilities of the president to advance this future of optimism and solidarity among Singaporeans. That is my pledge,” Tharman said in his first remarks to the media after his win.

“Once again, let me just say that I am truly humbled, and I will honour the trust that Singaporeans have placed in me and respect all Singaporeans for the views they have expressed, including those who did not vote for me,” Tharman said, as reported by The Straits Times.

Thrman’s rivals, Ng Kok Song and Tan Kin Lian, received 15.72 and 13.88 per cent of the vote, respectively.

Congratulating Tharman for winning by a ‘decisive margin’, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the former senior minister will carry out his duties as president with distinction, having had a long and distinguished record of public service.

“He must exercise his custodial powers under the Constitution wisely, bringing to bear his experience and independent judgment,” Lee said in a statement, adding that internationally, the president must fly the country’s flag high as Singapore’s representative.

It was for the third time that Singaporeans voted for their President since the elected presidency was introduced in 1991. The first such contested election was in 1993, followed by the second one in 2011.

Before Tharman, Singapore has had two Tamil-origin presidents — Sellapan Ramanathan who became the city-state’s longest-serving president in 2009, and Chengara Veetil Devan Nair, who served from 1981 to 1985.

Tharman joined politics in 2001 and has served in the public sector and ministerial positions with Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) for over two decades.

He formally launched his presidential campaign in July with a pledge to evolve the country’s culture to keep it a “shining spot” in the world.

Incumbent President Halimah Yacob’s term will end on September 13. She is the country’s eighth and first female president.

Modi sends congratulations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Tharman Shanmugaratnam on being elected as Singapore’s President.

PM Modi said he looks forward to working with Shanmugaratnam to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership.

“Hearty congratulations @Tharman_s on your election as the President of Singapore. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi wrote on ‘X’ formerly Twitter on Saturday.

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-Top News Asia News Singapore

Singapore Breaks Two-Decade Streak with Execution of Female Convict

The city’s highest court had dismissed the appeal against Saridewi Djamani’s conviction on October 6 last year….reports Asian Lite News

For the first time in 20 years, Singapore on Friday executed a woman convict who was found guilty of trafficking 30 grams of heroin in 2018.

Singaporean national Saridewi Djamani, 45, is the second drug convict to be executed this week, after fellow Singaporean Mohd Aziz bin Hussain, and the 15th since March 2022, reports the BBC.

Under Singapore’s anti-drug laws, which are some of the world’s toughest,  death penalty is imposed on anyone caught trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis or 15 grams of heroin.

In a statement, Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said that Saridewi, who was sentenced to death on July 6, 2018, was accorded “full due process” under the law.

The city’s highest court had dismissed the appeal against her conviction on October 6 last year.

A petition for presidential pardon was also unsuccessful, according to authorities.

Her execution came just two days after Aziz was hanged on Wednesday, following his conviction of trafficking 50 grams of heroin in 2017.

According to Amnesty International, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are the only four countries to have recently carried out drug-related executions.

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-Top News India News Singapore

EAM hails Singapore’s ratification of Int’l Solar Alliance

Speaking at the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi on Monday, Jaishankar said that it is a big step because when a country like Singapore which is so active and motivational for many, joins ISA fully…reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday hailed Singapore’s ratification of the International Solar Alliance as a “big step.”

Calling it a big step, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday announced that Singapore has ratified the International Solar Alliance, signifying the decision to join collective efforts on climate action. “Singapore has ratified the International Solar Alliance. This is a big step because when a country like Singapore which is so active and motivational for many joins ISA fully, this is something very important,” the EAM said.

Speaking at the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi on Monday, Jaishankar said that it is a big step because when a country like Singapore which is so active and motivational for many, joins ISA fully.

Taking to Twitter, Singapore in India wrote, “Today, Singapore Minister Dr Mohamad Maliki bin Osman deposited Singapore’s @isolaralliance (ISA) Instrument of Ratification with India EAM HE @DrSJaishankar, signifying our decision to join collective efforts on climate action. @PMOIndia #OWOSOG #ISA #Renewables.”

The International Solar Alliance (ISA), also called the International Agency for Solar Policy and Application is a group of 106 signatory countries (86 of which are members), the majority of which are sunshine countries that lie entirely or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.

The alliance’s main goal is to promote efficient solar energy use in order to lessen reliance on fossil fuels. This program was first presented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who co-launched it with French President Emmanuel Macron at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

International Solar Alliance is also the treaty-based agency responsible for implementing One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), which aims to transfer solar power-generated energy to other areas and meet electricity demands.

Meanwhile, speaking at the G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting in Varanasi, the External Affairs Minister said, “We have approved unanimously two outcomes- one is a G20 Action Plan on Accelerating Progress in the Sustainable Development Goals, and the second is G20 High-Level Principles on Lifestyle for Sustainable Development.” (ANI)

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Arab News Saudi Arabia Singapore

Singapore’s Global Schools Foundation opening first school in Saudi

Under the patronage of Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), Singapore’s prestigious Global Schools Foundation is opening its first school campus in the Saudi capital in September 2022…reports Asian Lite News

The One World International School (OWIS) will be the fourth school to be established in Riyadh under the RCRC’s International Schools Attraction Program, an initiative to bring international schools to the Saudi capital in partnership with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Education.

The international schools attracted by the program add diversity to Riyadh’s education system and represent globally recognised curricula, teaching and learning systems, offering experience-based best practices. The International Schools Attraction Program is part of the Kingdom’s Regional Headquarter (RHQ) Program, which incentivizes companies to set up their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia. To date, 44 global companies have received licences to move their regional headquarters to the capital city.

Mazen Tammar, Head of Education Sector at the RCRC, said: “Attracting prestigious global institutions such as the OWIS is a big part of how Riyadh is creating a world-class education ecosystem. This is a significant milestone in improving educational opportunities for all Riyadh residents.

The Global Schools Foundation (GSF) currently operates 26 campuses in eight countries with a strength of over 25,000 students from 70 nationalities. Recognized as the world’s most awarded network of schools by the World Book of Records, London UK & Switzerland in 2021, GSF received 350 international awards in educational excellence, health and safety, social & emotional learning, and organisational excellence from world’s leading award bodies. The school offers comprehensive and holistic educational programs that include arts, sports, music, and languages. OWIS provides personalized teaching for various stages of development based on International Baccalaureate (IB), Primary Years Programme (PYP) and an American curriculum based on Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Atul Temurnikar, Chairman of the GSF, said: “OWIS believes in an all-inclusive education to help the next generation blossom into young adults with a global outlook. The school also adapted its education to meet the needs of the changing times. The Riyadh campus will reflect the OWIS’s inherent philosophy of commitment to quality education. It will also give students the right foundation to propel them to international success in the future.”

OWIS has received recognitions from renowned organizations such as the Asia Pacific Quality Organization for its innovative practices in international curricula. The Foundation has a track record in creating technology-enabled learning environments and providing diverse linguistic and cultural exposure to students in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, India, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia.

The school offers modern, state-of-the-art infrastructure within a digital environment, designed to impart 21st century learning abilities to make students inquisitive explorers, able to apply their education in real world experiences. Through sports and skills-based learning, students will be given the opportunity to hone inherent talents and acquire new proficiencies. The range of programs offered include coding, robotics, design and technology, and STEM-related studies.

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OWIS students in Riyadh will gain exposure to peers, experts, and faculty from the GSF’s global education network through interschool, inter-campus and international activities to support in building strong student portfolios and global mindsets. GSF’s educational offering is underpinned by value-driven programs that builds emotional intelligence, encourages awareness, and equips students with the ability to flourish in culturally diverse environments.

Distinguished as one of the best education systems in the world by the OECD, Singapore’s education system has placed top-five in educational outcomes by both the Program for International Schools Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

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Arab News Singapore UAE News

Abdullah bin Zayed, Singapore FM review global developments

Abdullah bin Zayed, Singapore FM review global developments

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore review global developments…reports Asian Lite News

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, emphasised the privileged relations between the two nations and their determination to strengthen and develop cooperation across various fronts.

This came as the UAE’s top diplomat met with his Singaporean counterpart here and discussed issues of common interest and exchanged views on the latest regional and global developments.

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The two sides also reviewed global efforts being made to accelerate post-COVID recovery at various levels. Dr. Balakrishnan hosted a dinner banquet in honor of Sheikh Abdullah. (WAM)