Singapore universities have performed well overall in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2027, released on Thursday (June 18).The QS rankings, now in its 23nd edition, features over 1,500 universities across 106 countries and territories, assessing institutions based on several indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, and employment outcomes.A total of 8,808 institutions globally were assessed. Four universities — the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) — were featured in the latest rankings. Amongst them, SUTD was the most improved university here, climbing 253 places to 266th. Meanwhile, SMU climbed 100 places to 411th. Two other autonomous universities — the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) — were not featured in the rankings.

Support will be provided to media professionals to create digital content with the newly launched Digital Content and Capability Development (DCCD) programme, said Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in a press release on Thursday (June 18).The four-year $48 million programe aims to help Singapore's media professionals and companies stay competitive in an increasingly digital-led media landscape.This initiative was announced by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How during the launch event on June 18.According to the release, local audience behaviour continues to shift towards various digital platforms, devices and formats. Some 87 per cent of people aged 15 and above are accessing top social media video sites such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook on a weekly basis.Singapore 'no shortage of compelling stories'To add on, short-form videos, micro-dramas, AI-assisted production workflows and AI-generated content are also gaining traction, including a new generation of digitally native content creators reshaping how content is produced, distributed and consumed.

If you are a frequent user of the Upper Serangoon Road exit on Central Expressway (CTE), note that it will be temporarily closed on seven days in June and July.In order to facilitate bridge launching work for the new pedestrian-cum-cycling link across the Pan Island Expressway (PIE), Exit 8B on the city-bound CTE will be temporarily closed to traffic from 12am to 5am on the following dates:June 24 (Wednesday)June 26 (Friday)July 5 (Sunday)July 15 (Wednesday)July 17 (Friday)July 22 (Wednesday)July 24 (Friday)The closure will not affect the slip road from CTE (City-bound) Exit 8B to PIE (Changi-bound).

Choosing artificial intelligence (AI) technology based on what it can do rather than where it comes from is critical for nations navigating AI sovereignty, Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo said at the Asia Economic Summit on Wednesday (June 17). 

Gwenda Fong, previously deputy secretary for digital society and development at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), will be appointed chief executive of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and Commissioner of Cybersecurity effective July 1, MDDI announced on Wednesday (June 17).Fong, 48, has been the chief executive-designate at CSA since April 1.She takes over the helm from 61-year-old David Koh, who was appointed to the role on April 1, 2015, and concurrently as Commissioner of Cybersecurity since 2018.The incoming chief executive has over 20 years of public sector experience in technology, security and social policy roles. She oversaw Singapore's development of an inclusive and safe digital society in her previous appointment at the ministry.She also led the review and development of the digital society strategy, which the ministry said is a foundational piece of work in support of Smart Nation 2.0.

While the amount of waste generated by each person in Singapore has reduced over the past decade, and nearly 4 in 5 households now recycle, recycling rates have decreased substantially.Singapore's domestic recycling rate was just 11 per cent last year, while the non-domestic recycling rate was 67 per cent.Meanwhile, the overall recycling rate was just 52 per cent last year, lower than the 59 per cent registered in 2019 when the Zero Waste Masterplan was launched — targeting a 70 per cent overall recycling rate by 2030.The overall recycling rate in 2015 was 61 per cent. It rose to 62 per cent in 2018, before falling to 59 per cent in 2019, and 52 per cent in 2020.The overall recycling rate then rose to 55 per cent in 2021, and 57 per cent in 2022, before falling back to 52 per cent in 2023, and just 50 per cent in 2024.In a media release on Wednesday (June 17), the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it will review the Zero Waste Masterplan and its «strategies to encourage reduce, reuse and recycle, so as to extend the lifespan of Semakau Landfill» — Singapore's only remaining landfill.

A man has been living and eating on a staircase landing in a Pasir Ris HDB block, with residents saying that bags of rotting food and trash have accumulated in the area.Resident Nathaniel, who declined to give his real name, told AsiaOne earlier this month that he first noticed the situation in 2020.According to Nathaniel, the man — believed to be in his 50s — has been spending significant time outside his unit and using the common staircase area as part of his living space.The block is located at Pasir Ris Street 71.Nathaniel said the man «used to keep his green plastic bags of rotting food in the HDB risers, causing a clash with my other neighbour (who stays) at the corner unit».«I've encountered him scolding the cleaners and he demands they pay him back money for throwing his food away, and he claims the items are worth $10,000 or more, even though it's just rotten or partially eaten food,» he added.Tending to his plantsNathaniel told AsiaOne that officers from Pasir Ris–Changi Town Council went down one day in early June to remove the items, but the man was not around.

Fuel prices in Singapore fell for two consecutive days as most major fuel companies here — Caltex, Esso, Shell and SPC — posted reductions between Tuesday (June 16) and Wednesday.Shell kicked off the new round of pump price adjustments on Tuesday, announcing in a price board update at 4.30pm that it had reduced its diesel price by 10 cents to $4.22.The move was mirrored by Caltex and, later, Esso posting a similar 10-cent reduction to their respective diesel prices.SPC's reduction of its diesel price by 15 cents is the most aggressive among fuel companies which posted adjustments. All four companies however held their petrol prices steady.Following the latest round of changes, the price of diesel now ranges from $2.71 at Smart Energy to $4.17 at SPC, with Caltex, Esso and Shell all posting their respective diesel prices at $4.22 per litre.

A woman has raised privacy concerns after alleging that a man was livestreaming on an MRT train with his phone camera pointed in her direction.Speaking to AsiaOne, the 24-year-old account executive, who wished to be known only as Xu, said the incident occurred on Monday (June 15) at around 8.27pm.«I had just entered Singapore from Johor Bahru and boarded the MRT train at Tuas Link station, and only started noticing the man when the train was approaching Gul Circle station,» she said. While Xu could not be certain she was the intended subject of the livestream, she said the experience left her feeling uncomfortable.«I can't fully say he's filming me, but the feeling of being in the view of a stranger's camera was really uncomfortable.» Sharing her experience in an Instagram post on Tuesday, Xu said she had recorded the incident, which showed a man wearing a headset holding up his phone.

Motoring communities on social media and chat groups have been abuzz since Tuesday (June 16) evening after motorists spotted a mobile speed camera deployed along a stretch of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands Checkpoint.Checks by AsiaOne indicate that the camera's location is at the chevron markings where traffic from Turf Club Avenue merges into BKE. Map showing where the mobile speed camera along BKE is deployed at. GRAPHIC: AsiaOne (Map and street view from Google Maps) The location of the camera was first reported after 4pm on June 16, with motorcyclists reporting its position through navigation app Waze.Over the next few hours, motoring communities shared dashcam footage of the camera, with some saying they witnessed flashes from it.

One person was taken to hospital after an accident along Kallang Bahru, in front of Bendemeer MRT Station Exit B, involving a ComfortDelGro taxi and a red car on Wednesday (June 17).Footage of the incident posted on social media shows the aftermath of the crash, with three Fast Response Cars seen stopped on the opposite side of the road at the time.The clip, believed to have been taken by a passer-by, captures the taxi and the red car with severe front-end damage. The two vehicles are believed to have collided before the red car crashed into the green fences along the road divider.Parts of the green fences were strewn across the road, with debris from the vehicles' bumpers scattered around the area. The taxi's doors were also left open.When AsiaOne visited the scene at about 11.50am, a tow truck was present, while a Traffic Police (TP) officer could be seen sweeping debris off the road. Engine oil could also be seen leaking from the red car.Several police officers were seen at the back of the red car, seemingly inspecting the vehicle.

A 13-year-old girl was apprehended after being rescued from the aircon ledge at an HDB unit in Punggol.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance on Tuesday (June 16) at around 6.50pm from Block 312B Sumang Link.Eyewitnesses said that the girl had been sitting on the aircon ledge when SCDF personnel arrived, reported Lianhe Zaobao.The rescue lasted around five minutes.The teen was apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act, said the policeShe was subsequently taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital by SCDF.

Two days after his family reported him missing, a private-hire driver was found dead in his car along Bedok Reservoir Road on Monday (June 15), Shin Min Daily News reported on Tuesday.The 60-year-old man, reportedly a Gojek driver, was found in a white saloon car parked behind Block 632 Bedok Reservoir Road.Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police said they were alerted to a case of unnatural death at around 12.40pm on Monday.The man was found motionless and pronounced dead on the spot.Officers had covered the car in white sheets by the time a Shin Min reporter arrived.The deceased's family arrived soon after and the wife broke down in tears while family members comforted her, according to the Chinese daily.Speaking with media, the niece shared that the deceased was last seen at about 11pm on Thursday when he left for work.«Normally, my uncle would return home to rest at around 9am,» the 21-year-old reportedly said. «However, he did not come home on Friday or Saturday.»Sensing something amiss, the family on Sunday contacted the police and the man's car rental company.

The benefit of youth may be to take blows and get right back on your feet — but a car accident?A young cyclist was sent flying after being struck by a car in Punggol but he was able to stand up and appeared to apologise to the driver, according to a video uploaded to Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Tuesday (June 16).In the footage of the incident, which took place just before midnight on Tuesday, a teenager dressed in a black T-shirt and black shorts can be seen riding his bicycle across a pedestrian crossing just after the lights turn green in favour of traffic.A black saloon car on the leftmost lane accelerates and collides with the boy, who is sent flying onto the grass kerb.His bicycle rolls off screen, while an object, believed to be the car's license plate, shoots up into the air before landing on the right lane.Despite the apparent severity of the accident, the boy immediately gets to his feet after orientating himself and jogs towards the car.The driver steps out and the boy speaks with the latter, appearing to apologise for his mistake by raising both his hands and also bowing to the driver.

Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rose by 38.4 per cent in May compared to a year earlier, extending the 24.4 per cent growth recorded in April, Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) announced on Wednesday (June 17).The growth was led by electronic NODX, which grew by 94.8 per cent, up from the 66.7 per cent increase in April.According to EnterpriseSG, the increase was supported by "robust artificial intelligence-related demand“ such as integrated circuits — which rose by 80.9 per cent or $1.6 billion, and disk media products — which grew by 227.8 per cent, or $1.1 billion.Meanwhile, pharmaceuticals recorded an increase of 102.6 per cent, or $1 billion.Non-electronic exports also grew, rising 17.7 per cent in May, up from the 10.9 per cent increase recorded last month.Of the top 10 markets for NODX goods, Taiwan was Singapore's top market, followed by the US and China. Non-oil re-exports (NORX) also extended its 29.6 per cent expansion in April, rising by 33.6 per cent. The rise was primarily driven by electronics NORX which rose by 47.5 per cent compared to a year earlier, Enterprise SG said. 

Supermarket chain Sheng Siong and delivery platform Foodpanda are rolling out a new service from June 22, offering households access to more than 12,000 grocery items and essentials that can be delivered in an hour. The on-demand delivery service will be available from 43 Sheng Siong outlets, with plans to expand to other outlets, the two companies said in a statement on Tuesday (June 16). To celebrate their partnership, the two companies are rolling out a campaign with a total of $280,000 in cash prizes to be won.From June 22 to July 19, customers who order from Sheng Siong on Foodpanda stand a chance to win $10,000 in cash awarded to one winner daily.Shoppers can also enjoy exclusive launch discounts on Foodpanda, including up to 40 per cent off selected Sheng Siong products, and additional rewards and promotions during the campaign period.In their joint statement, Sheng Siong and Foodpanda said their partnership comes as demand for quick-commerce continues to grow in Singapore.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has revealed that he is a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter.In an Instagram video on Monday (June 15), PM Wong can be seen chatting about football and the Fifa World Cup with a man clad in a red jersey at a hawker centre.They even grabbed each other's hands after discovering their shared loyalty to a football team in the English Premier League (EPL), though PM Wong admitted being a Spurs fan is not easy as «they're a very difficult team to support».He was referring to the ups and downs of the football club, which he had supported from very young, and when «they almost got relegated» to a lower division.He added: «They try, try, try but very little success.»Recalling some of Spurs' stars from his younger days, PM Wong named Garth Crooks, Glenn Hoddle and Osvaldo (Ossie) Ardiles.When the other man suggested Spurs could fare better in the coming EPL season, PM Wong laughed it off and said: «You're very optimistic.»The prime minister also shared that he had not watched the World Cup match between the United States and Paraguay last Friday, which the Americans won 4-1.