Leader of the Opposition and Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying under oath. The case relates to his testimony to a Parliament Committee of Privileges, which was tasked with looking into a lie told by former WP MP Raeesah Khan. Singh asked for a four-week adjournment so he has time to engage a lawyer. His next appearance in court is for a pre-trial conference on Apr 17. Singh said he will continue all Parliamentary duties despite the charges. The People's Action Party said its MPs will not seek his suspension while his case is before the courts. While the offences are punishable with a maximum fine of S$7,000 and/or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, the Attorney-General's Chambers said the prosecution will ask the court to impose a fine for each of Pritam Singh's charges if he is convicted. Rebecca Metteo, Alif Amsyar, Richa Mathew and Claudia Lim report.

It is the end of an era in Japanese monetary policy. The last holdout for negative interest rates has finally abandoned the policy as the Bank of Japan takes steps to unwind its massive monetary support to the economy. CNA's Michiyo Ishida shares what prompted the BOJ to go ahead with this policy shift. 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

More commercial and industrial properties are likely to come up at property auctions this year amid a challenging business climate. This comes as owners and investors look to dispose of their underperforming assets, said market watchers. CNA’s Rebecca Metteo reports. 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

BREAKING: WP chief Pritam Singh arrives at court on Tuesday (Mar 19), where he was charged with two offences under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. He is accused of falsely testifying at the Committee of Privileges hearings involving former Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan. He has pleaded not guilty. LIVE COVERAGE: https://cna.asia/49Wkam9 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

BREAKING: WP chief Pritam Singh arrives at court for a case believed to be related to the perjury investigation arising from the 2021 privileges committee hearing.

European Union foreign ministers have called Russia holding elections in captured Ukrainian territory illegitimate. They’ve also proposed imposing new sanctions on Russian officials allegedly involved in late opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s death. Leaders from the 27-nation bloc also discussed the Israel-Hamas War. CNA's Ishan Garg wraps up developments from the day-long Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.

One tool that every shareholder or investor should have in their arsenal is the ability to read and assess a company’s financial statements. But not everyone is equipped to cut through the jargon. David Gerald, founder, president and CEO of Securities Investors Association (Singapore) shows Andrea Heng what to look out for.   0:00 Intro 0:49 CPF interest rates drop, Taylor Swiftonomics 3:38 What financial statements can tell you 7:27 Transparency is important to an investor 9:34 Cash flow is king 16:28 What you can’t find in a financial statement

For Felix Nai, indigo dyeing is not just a profession, it is a journey into the secrets of nature and a way to promote a more sustainable future in the fashion industry. Read more: https://cna.asia/3IDWLdd #artisans #singapore 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

There could be a nature-based solution to Southeast Asia’s plastic waste problem. Scientists at Nanyang Technological University believe re-creating the gut bacteria of plastic-eating worms could one day help degrade plastic on an industrial scale and help reduce pollution in Asia's marine ecosystems. Dr Sakcham Bairoliya, a research fellow at NTU's School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, shared how these 'superworms', or Zophobas atratus, can help digest plastic.

The National University of Singapore is investing S$20 million to turn deep-tech research into tangible solutions. S$10 million will go towards helping NUS faculty and researchers to pursue and commercialise their work. Another S$10 million is for an existing venture creation programme to help aspiring entrepreneurs. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said deep tech is critical to solving many of today's global challenges, such as climate change and food security. Nikhil Khattar reports.

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean has lauded the close collaboration between Singapore and Chinese companies in emerging sectors, such as artificial intelligence and biotechnology. On the first day of his week-long visit to China, he affirmed Singapore's strong ties with the southwest Sichuan province. Bilateral trade between Singapore and Sichuan hit an all-time high of US$2.7 billion in 2022. Mr Teo will also meet senior Chinese leaders later this week. Low Minmin reports.

A delegation led by Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will travel into the Palestinian Territories and Israel in the coming days. Dr Balakrishnan will depart from Jordan, where he oversaw the handover of S$6 million in donations raised by Singaporeans that will go towards health, relief and shelter efforts in Gaza. This is on top of S$2 million previously given. The S$8.1 million is the most ever raised by the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation for a humanitarian effort. Sherlyn Seah reports from the cheque handover ceremony in Amman.

Singapore's key exports declined 0.1% on-year in February. Enterprise Singapore said this was mainly due to a drop in the non-electronics sector. This also marked a reversal of January's 16.7% gain. Non-electronics shrank 1.5% on-year, after a 21.1% expansion in January. Electronic products, however, maintained their growth trend, up 5.2%. As a whole, exports to the top markets went up last month, mainly to Hong Kong, the US and Indonesia. But shipments to Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan dipped.

This month marks 10 years since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Russia has continued to build up its military presence in the region, paving the way for the ongoing war. Hundreds of thousands of people who opposed Russian rule fled the Black Sea peninsula -- among them the indigenous Crimean Tatars. Since its annexation, human rights groups said Moscow has been working to silence pro-Ukrainian voices. Megumi Lim reports from Kyiv.

Countries across the world are ramping up efforts to get humanitarian aid into Gaza by using the King Abdullah II base in Jordan to launch airdrops into the besieged enclave. According to the UN, around 500,000 people are on the verge of famine in Gaza. Alex Cadier reports.

India's Adani Group is launching a data collection drive of up to one million residents in Asia's largest slum, Dharavi. The area was made famous by the Oscar-winning 2008 film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Adani aims to redevelop the area with the help of the local government. It will be one of the world's biggest urban redevelopment projects. This is part of a broader plan to make Mumbai slum-free. Officials will scan documents and allocate each home with an identification number. Only residents who have lived in the slum before 2000 will be eligible for free homes. Rebecca Bundhun reports.

Israel's military has called on Gazans to evacuate the enclave's largest hospital, Al-Shifa, as it launches another raid on the medical facility. Hundreds of Palestinians are seeking shelter there. But this latest raid is forcing them to head south in search of safer ground. Israel had targeted the compound last November, claiming that Hamas is using the hospital as a command centre. However, Hamas and hospital officials have denied the allegations. Sarah Coates reports from Tel Aviv.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula rising once again, after the North fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea for the first time in two months. Deterrence is high on the agenda, as dozens of delegates -- including America's top diplomat Antony Blinken -- convene in Seoul for the Summit for Democracy. The three-day forum -- now in its third iteration -- is one of US President Joe Biden's key campaign pledges, aimed at preserving global democracy and preventing the erosion of rights and freedoms worldwide.

The Malaysian government and central bank are ramping up efforts to give the economy a much needed boost, after the country missed growth targets by a whisker last year. In February, the ringgit had dropped to levels not seen since the depths of the Asian financial crisis more than a quarter of a century ago. The currency has since shown signs of stabilising, and Malaysia’s economy is expected to improve this year. CNA’s Melissa Goh reports. 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