A manpower crunch is one major reason why some caterers are struggling with food safety lapses in Singapore. Experts say volatile staffing is increasing the odds of human error at a time when demand has surged to new peaks since the COVID-19 pandemic. It comes amid food poisoning cases over the past months. Rebecca Metteo reports.

The accounting profession is targeting fresh graduates to join its ranks amid declining interest in the field. A study by the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants noted that enrolment dipped by more than 10 per cent from 2018 to 2023. Universities will use a new industry playbook to raise awareness of accountancy and its appeal as a dynamic and viable career.

Singapore's central bank has laid out the next steps in its efforts to help Asia transition away from coal plants. It released its latest interim report on transition credits to help such plants shift towards more climate-friendly sources of energy. This is with the help of a new financial instrument called the Transition Credits Coalition. Claudia Lim with more from COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The BRP Sierra Madre has played a prominent role in the Philippines' determination to hold strong to its boundaries. The crumbling World War II-era former US navy vessel stands defiantly on one of the world's most contested sites.

China's coast guard has conducted new patrols around the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. The activity comes a day after Beijing carried out joint air and sea drills in the same area as tensions with the Philippines show no signs of easing. Buena Bernal reports.

US President-elect Donald Trump has made several controversial appointments for key positions in his second-term cabinet. They’re seen as loyalists but lacking in experience. Here's a look at some potential prominent figures who’ll be in Trump’s inner circle. https://cna.asia/3Z3sJZz 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

You hired your friend but now his unprofessional conduct is disrupting the team. Management has decided to part ways with him, but the friendship is in jeopardy. How can you handle this sensitive situation professionally? Have a work-related question to ask a career counsellor? Email us at cnapodcasts@mediacorp.com.sg Listen to the Work It podcast: CNA: https://cna.asia/4hYy3F8 Apple Podcasts: https://cna.asia/3Oce2wQ Spotify: https://cna.asia/3YMOtHF 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

Your colleague, who’s also a friend, is underperforming and unprofessional at work. Is it possible to part ways professionally while staying friends? Listen to the Work It podcast: CNA: https://cna.asia/4hYy3F8 Apple Podcasts: https://cna.asia/3Oce2wQ Spotify: https://cna.asia/3YMOtHF

United States President-elect Donald Trump chose loyalists with little experience for several key Cabinet positions on Wednesday (Nov 13), drawing surprise over some of his picks. He has proven that he is not afraid to “move fast and break things”, says Ylan Mui, managing director of stakeholder solutions firm Penta Group which also provides insights and analysis. She tells CNA’s Asia First that the reality is that regardless of these roles, it will be Mr Trump setting the agenda and calling the shots. She adds that during his first term in office between 2017 and 2021, at times, Mr Trump overrode his officials’ policy initiatives after they were announced publicly. 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's parliament voted on Wednesday (Nov 13) in favour of an amended Progress Singapore Party (PSP) motion to continue the government's support for hawkers and to grow the hawker culture. In his closing speech, PSP's Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai talked about the challenges that hawkers face, as well as how there can be a “more level playing field for our individual hawkers to thrive and flourish”. “The current plight of our hawkers is at least partly due to the policies laid down by the government,” he said. “The onus is now on the government to consider our suggestions to provide better support for hawkers in the future.” More details: https://cna.asia/3OdwzZH 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

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has warned that the developing world will need at least $7 trillion in financing by 2030 to address the escalating challenges posed by climate change. For Islamabad, these pressures are already hitting hard. From catastrophic floods to extreme weather events, the country is grappling with a climate crisis that has left millions of people vulnerable. CNA's Hira Mustafa explores how Pakistan is responding to these urgent environmental threats.

Regenerative farming has been described as the future of farming. It increases crop yield and promotes biodiversity, while also fighting climate change by locking carbon in the soil. But observers say the practice has yet to take root on a large enough scale because it has so far not been seen as a commercially attractive option for farmers. As CNA's Ishan Garg finds out, one start-up from India may have found a way to change that.

US President Joe Biden welcomed President-elect Donald Trump back to the White House on Wednesday (Nov 13). The two shook hands in the Oval Office, with Biden restoring a tradition that Trump broke when he refused to recognise his 2020 defeat by Biden. https://cna.asia/3O8WIZI 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

The global climate talks are happening in Baku, Azerbaijan. Jack Board tells Liling Tan all that’s happened so far from the focus on finances to spicy speeches and an incoming US president who’s hijacked the summit without even being there. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Non-profit organisations will get their own category of recognition next year in the President's Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards. Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong announced this as he handed out 13 awards to individuals and organisations. He said the awardees showed that everyone can give back in a diversity of ways. CNA spoke to Foreword Coffee, a business recognised as an Organisation of Good. 80% of its staff are differently abled or have mental health needs.

US President Joe Biden is set to host his successor Donald Trump at the White House to ensure a smooth transition between administrations. It will be the first meeting between the two men since they squared off in a presidential debate in June. The invitation is a traditional courtesy extended by outgoing presidents -- one Mr Trump himself did not offer to Mr Biden in 2020 when he won the election. Simon Marks reports from Washington DC.

Small island nations have called for stronger climate action at the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, amid signs that the world has yet to honour its pledge to move away from fossil fuels. Preliminary research has shown that carbon dioxide emissions from oil, gas and coal have risen to a new high this year, placing the 1.5°C threshold further out of reach. Meanwhile, a fresh draft of a UN climate deal suggests most developing nations are in favour of an annual commitment of at least $1.3 trillion from wealthy countries. Jack Board reports from Baku.

The Philippines has summoned the Chinese ambassador to protest Beijing's drawing of baselines around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. China sent naval and air forces to the area today to bolster its claims. Meanwhile, Manila is beefing up its coast guard fleet, with reports suggesting that some 50 new ships coming from France and Japan from 2027 would more than double its capacity. Buena Bernal reports from Manila.

Also on East Asia Tonight (Nov 13), Taiwan ally Palau says Chinese boats are entering its waters "uninvited"; Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto vows stronger US ties and non-aligned policy; and how does China's new J-35A stealth fighter match up to America's F-35?

Elon Musk will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), president-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday (Nov 12). Trump claimed DOGE will dismantle" government bureaucracy and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government”. 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