Singapore’s biggest visual arts event returns on Jan 17, with over 160 programmes and more diverse offerings. The 13th Singapore Art Week will cover themes such as AI, sustainability and mental health. Muhammad Bahajjaj gives us a sneak peek.

Ten more areas across Singapore will see new pedestrian-friendly features next year. These include traffic lights, road humps and barrier-free crossings, to make walking and cycling easier for all. It is part of the Land Transport Authority’s Friendly Streets initiative and adds to five towns under its pilot. Claudia Lim reports.

Inflation is expected to continue easing this year, after dropping consistently last year. Both core and headline inflation are expected to come in between 1.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent in 2025. Professor Sumit Agarwal from the NUS Business School and Barnabas Gan, Acting Group Chief Economist at RHB Bank, speak about whether any segments could continue to see sticky inflation. They also discuss monetary policy and their expectations for the Singdollar this year.

The economic outlook for Singapore this year has darkened after ending 2024 on a strong footing. GDP is expected to grow between 1 per cent and 3 per cent, lower than the 4 per cent growth expected last year. The risks include geopolitical tensions, an anticipated slowdown in China and uncertainty in the US when president-elect Donald Trump takes office. But there are bright spots in the trade-related services and manufacturing sector, driven by strong demand for chips used in PCs, smartphones and artificial intelligence devices.

Also on East Asia Tonight, Philippines asks China to withdraw “monster ship” in South China Sea; South Korea court hearing ends in minutes on Yoon no-show; a look inside China’s Jiangmen underground neutrino observatory; and Kyoto set to raise hotel taxes. 00:00 Headlines 01:19 South Korea’s impeached president's no-show in court 11:25 Philippines calls out China’s “monster ship” 25:04 What is Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote? 42:43 A look inside China’s massive neutrino detector 46:23 Kyoto to double hotel taxes

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore has built a legal and judicial system that is practical, functioning and delivers real justice for all. He says this is the result of up-to-date and well-drafted laws that suit the local context. The country also has capable and incorruptible judges and officers. Mr Lee adds that this is how Singapore's courts and administration of justice earned acceptance, trust and respect within and outside Singapore.

US Special Counsel Jack Smith's report against Donald Trump has been released by the Department of Justice. It concludes that Mr Trump engaged in an "unprecedented criminal effort" to hold onto power, after he lost the 2020 election. The findings also indicate that Mr Trump would have been convicted of illegally trying to overturn the 2020 result if he had not successfully been re-elected in 2024. Caroline Malone reports from Washington DC.

Qatar says it is aiming to finalise details for a plan to pause the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. According to a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson, the ceasefire deal is at the closest point it has been in the past few months and is down to the final details. Sarah Coates reports from Tel Aviv.

Uneasiness is emerging among users of the short video app TikTok, which is facing a ban in the US. Parent company ByteDance must find a non-Chinese buyer for its American operations by Jan 18 to escape the penalty. One name has come up - Elon Musk. A Bloomberg report suggested that Chinese officials are in early talks with the billionaire and Tesla founder over his possibly purchase of TikTok's US operations.

Indonesia is mulling plans to set a minimum age for social media users, in a bid to protect children. The possible ruling follows Australia's decision to ban anyone under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to protect them from the harms of social media. Chandni Vatvani reports from Jakarta.

If you thought funnel-web spiders were huge, wait till you see what scientists have nicknamed "Big Boy". This new species of funnel-web spiders called Atrax christensensi was recently discovered near Sydney, Australia. It is considerably larger than other funnel-web species and has a leg span of up to 9.5cm in length.

Meet "Big Boy", a new species of funnel-web spider called Atrax christensensi that was recently discovered near Sydney, Australia. It is considerably larger than other funnel-web species and has a leg span of up to 9.5cm in length. Scientists also believe it could be more venomous than other funnel-webs. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will make a five-day state visit to India from Jan 14. He will visit New Delhi and Odisha. During the trip, he will be hosted to a state banquet by President Droupadi Murmu. He is also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. CNA's Aslam Shah with more from New Delhi.

Singapore's next General Election must be held by November this year. Although no party has named candidates yet, there has been a buzz over new faces seen on the ground. Here are some who have been spotted recently.

United States President Joe Biden on Monday (Jan 13) made a robust defence of his foreign policies as he marks his final week in the White House. Delivering his last foreign policy speech, Biden framed his presidency as a transformational one, saying his actions bolstered the US at home and abroad in just one term. Dr John Blaxland, director of the Australian National University’s North America Liaison Office, tells CNA’s Asia First that Biden’s legacy is “clearly mixed”. Blaxland, who is also a professor of international security and intelligence studies, also shares what he thinks of Biden’s foreign policy approach. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Touted as the world's largest religious event, the festival of Maha Kumbh Mela is attracting millions of devotees who are flocking to India's Uttar Pradesh to take a holy dip at the confluence of three sacred rivers. One such devotee is Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' wife Laurene Powell Jobs, who was spotted in Prayagraj. More details here: https://cna.asia/3PAl67g Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

Polytechnic graduates with full-time work were paid more last year, even as fewer found jobs. This was revealed in a poll of more than 5,700 recent graduates across Singapore's five polytechnics. Last year, the median gross monthly salary was $2,900. Graduates who earned the most among their peers were those with diplomas in health sciences; humanities and social sciences; and information and digital technologies. Those paid the least were from sciences as well as arts, design and media courses.

In the year ahead, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will embark on a series of global visits — navigating a world marked by instability and tense relations. While domestic affairs have been a key concern since taking office, Mr Wong has kept a keen eye on the international stage. Analysts said defence, trade and investment will remain high on his agenda in 2025. Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the SMU School of Law, and Dr Felix Tan, an independent political observer, shared their views on Mr Wong's foreign policy priorities for 2025.

Parliament will be using plain language for some proceedings from this year, in a bid to make proceedings more accessible to the public. It's among the changes planned by Speaker Seah Kian Peng, who's also cautioning members not to use the House as a place to grandstand ahead of the General Election. Aslam Shah reports, while Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the SMU School of Law and independent political observer Felix Tan were in the studio to discuss more about parliamentary debates and political dynamics.