Tech billionaire Elon Musk will lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said Donald Trump. The US President-elect announced the appointment on Tuesday (Nov 12), claiming that the department will "dismantle" government bureaucracy and “provide advice and guidance from outside of government”. https://cna.asia/3YKWkFF 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 second tranche of Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh's trial concluded on Nov 8, after three days of cross-examination by the prosecution. The verdict for the case has been fixed for Feb 17, 2025. Read more: https://cna.asia/48CF1LL 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

Singtel-owned Australian telecom carrier Optus will continue to have momentum for the second half of its financial year, says Singtel’s group chief financial officer Arthur Lang. This is despite Optus being taken to court by Australia’s competition watchdog over allegations of engaging in misconduct in selling mobile phones and plans, particularly to vulnerable customers. Mr Lang tells CNA’s Elizabeth Neo that his firm’s 27 per cent growth in EBIT - earnings before interest and tax - excluding associate contributions, was driven partly by Optus. He says that the allegations are “localised” in a few shops, and that Singtel is in the process of remediating with customers 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 ERP 2.0 system, which aims to better regulate traffic, makes it possible to have more vehicles on Singapore's roads, says our guest on the Deep Dive podcast. Up to 20,000 more Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) will be injected into the market over the next few years. How will this affect Singapore's car population and prices? Listen to the Deep Dive podcast: CNA: https://cna.asia/3UIZFUG Apple Podcasts: https://cna.asia/4hHVT7R Spotify: https://cna.asia/4frVhSq

A 62-year-old man in Zhuhai, China, rammed his vehicle into a crowd of people, killing 35 and injuring 43 others on Monday (Nov 11). Preliminary investigations suggested that his attack had been "triggered by (his) dissatisfaction with the division of property following his divorce", said local police. #chinanews #china Read more: https://cna.asia/3CxYUaA 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

A 62-year-old man in Zhuhai, China, rammed his vehicle into a crowd of people, killing 35 and injuring 43 others on Monday (Nov 11). Preliminary investigations suggested that his attack had been "triggered by (his) dissatisfaction with the division of property following his divorce", said local police. #chinanews #china Read more: https://cna.asia/3CxYUaA

US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to levy tariffs on all imports going into America, a move that could spark a trade war and imperil export-dependent economies  in Asia such as Malaysia. The US was the country's third-largest trading partner in 2023, and Malaysia hosts foreign companies that play important roles in global supply chains. Arnold Gay speaks to CNA’s Malaysia correspondent Melissa Goh to find out how the ASEAN member is preparing for Mr Trump’s ‘America First’ policy. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Troops participating in Exercise Trident in Queensland, Australia have a new pair of eyes watching over them. The Republic of Singapore Air Force's Heron-1 unmanned aerial vehicle is taking part for the first time. It will be performing an airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission at the bilateral training event. The Heron-1 is capable of staying in the air for more than 24 hours, which is perfect for keeping an eye in the sky over key areas. A dedicated team is on hand to coordinate the aircraft's movements according to the mission objectives. Nicolas Ng reports.

Singapore has pledged to match every dollar up to US$500 million (S$670 million) for green and transition projects in Asia, as part of the nation’s commitment to provide climate financing solutions in the region. Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu made the announcement on Tuesday (Nov 12) at the United Nations (UN) Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku. The Economic Development Board (EDB) launched a new grant that will give Singapore-based carbon project developers greater access to funding and support. 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

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said there is scope to consider further increases to the COE supply, as more tools are made available to regulate traffic. He was responding to questions from some MPs on the recent plan to add 20,000 Certificates of Entitlement over the next few years. Mr Chee also maintained that carving out a separate COE category for private-hire cars may not bring down COE prices. He revealed that, as of October this year, only 10% of all COEs went to private-hire cars -- compared with 24% last year and 26% in 2022. Alexandra Anand reports.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong said new laws on community disputes are not meant to be overly prescriptive, but are aimed at enhancing social cohesion. He was speaking after a five-hour parliament debate, where 20 MPs shared their concerns over the Community Disputes Resolution Bill. Under new laws, the new Community Relations Unit will investigate severe cases of neighbour disputes. Several MPs raised concerns about extreme cases, where flats of recalcitrant residents could be seized by authorities.

A proposed law aims to protect workers in Singapore against discrimination in the workplace. Under the proposed laws, firms cannot discriminate against workers on five types of characteristics, including age, nationality and sex. Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Social Lab and principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, shared how effective the proposed law would be in tackling discrimination, and how an ideal grievance handling mechanism within a company would look like.

Singapore could impose harsher penalties on those who commit offences involving unsafe food that make people sick or injure them. This includes those who knowingly do so, as well as repeat offenders. If passed, the Food Safety and Security Bill will also give authorities greater powers to disqualify those whose licences have been revoked. Prof William Chen, who is director of the food science and technology programme at NTU Singapore and also director of the Singapore Agri-Food Innovation Lab, shared why Singapore is toughening its stance on food safety.

Companies in Singapore could soon be penalised for severe discrimination at workplaces, as part of new legislation tabled in Parliament. The Workplace Legislation Bill was first mooted in 2021 and will cover all employment decisions, from hiring to dismissals. Under the proposed laws, firms cannot discriminate against workers on five types of characteristics, including age, nationality and sex. Authorities said these make up more than 95% of complaints today. A second bill will also be introduced next year, which will cover the rights and processes for private claims. The Workplace Fairness Legislation will be implemented by 2026 or 2027.

Shell has won an appeal against a landmark 2021 ruling in the Dutch courts that had directed the energy giant to significantly reduce its carbon emissions earlier than originally planned. The court in 2021 also found the firm to be legally obliged to align its policies with the 2015 Paris climate accords. It marked the first such verdict against a company in the world. The appeals court in The Hague has now dismissed that ruling. It said Shell was already meeting its climate goals, and it was not clear if the initial judgement would be effective in fighting climate change. Olly Barratt reports from London.

From budget constraints to moving timelines and working with contractors – renovating your home can be a mentally and financially draining process. In this week’s Money Talks, Qanvast co-founder Daniel Lim shares tips on how to navigate the renovation journey without breaking the bank. 0:00 Intro 1:42 How to budget for reno 3:20 Should I go all out on my reno? 6:15 ID or contractor? 8:56 Budgeting for surprises? 11:28 Renovating in stages: Pros and cons 15:45 What to know about payment terms Listen to the Money Talks podcast: CNA: https://cna.asia/4fmdgcR Apple Podcasts: https://cna.asia/3Cpd2TB Spotify: https://cna.asia/48HvAL3 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 police are investigating deepfake nude photos of Singapore Sports School students that were created and shared by their schoolmates. The father of a victim told CNA that the perpetrators worked in two groups — one would generate the photos, while the other circulated them. #sgnews #singapore More details: https://cna.asia/3O5vvHC

The recent spike in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices is likely due to strong demand from local individual buyers, and not foreigners or car leasing companies, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat told parliament on Tuesday (Nov 12). He added that Singaporean residents account for the large majority of successful COE bids, while foreigners make up a minority of such bids. 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 recent spike in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices is likely due to strong demand from local individual buyers, and not foreigners or car leasing companies, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat told parliament on Tuesday (Nov 12). He added that having a separate COE category for private-hire cars is "not a straightforward exercise" as illustrated by the decrease in bids won by car leasing companies in the past few years. https://cna.asia/4hCbTbo 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