Seven Rescued in Overnight House Fire, Five Hospitalised

A pre-dawn fire at a three-storey semi-detached house off Whitley Road sent five people to hospital on Wednesday morning. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the blaze at 9 Tan Sim Boh Road at about 3.30am.

When firefighters arrived, the first and second floors of the house were engulfed in flames, with the third floor also affected. Firefighters entered the smoke-filled home and rescued two people from the first floor, while five others were brought down from the second-floor balcony using a rescue ladder. Five of the seven rescued were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation, while the other two declined hospital transport.

The fire was extinguished using four water jets, and SCDF said firefighters were carrying out damping-down work to prevent rekindling. The landed enclave is located next to Thomson Medical Centre. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Two Singaporeans Issued ISA Orders Over Gaza-War Radicalisation

The Internal Security Department (ISD) announced on Wednesday that two Singaporean men have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act for radicalisation triggered by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A 30-year-old customer service officer, Tarmizi bin Mohd Taha, has been detained after he admitted he was willing to carry out attacks in Singapore if instructed by Hamas. Investigations revealed that Tarmizi began consuming pro-Hamas online content after the group’s 2023 attacks on Israel and gradually came to view Hamas as defenders of Palestinians. He contacted someone claiming to be a Hamas member to discuss travelling to Palestine to join the group, and after watching a video of Palestinians being killed in 2025, he renewed his intention to fight overseas. ISD said Tarmizi planned to meet Hamas operatives and pledge allegiance, and was even willing to carry out armed operations in Singapore if ordered. He also intended to use skills acquired during national service to support such operations. Authorities assessed that Tarmizi poses an urgent security threat warranting detention.

A 19-year-old student, Cyrus Dzulqarnain Al-Shahriar, was issued a restriction order instead. Cyrus began joining online religious groups in 2022 to learn more about Islam but was gradually exposed to anti-Western and anti-LGBTQ content, eventually posting online inciting violence against the LGBTQ community. Following the Hamas attacks in 2023, he encountered pro-Hamas narratives and supported the killing of civilians, viewing it as a form of jihad. He later joined an extremist group that advocated violent accelerationism and swore allegiance in 2025. Cyrus also engaged in so-called “digital jihad,” harassing users deemed “anti-Islam,” spreading misinformation, and glorifying terrorist attacks including 9/11 and the 2002 Bali bombings. He also consumed “involuntary celibate” (incel) ideology and expressed hostility toward women, making violent remarks.

ISD said the two cases are unrelated, but both men’s radicalisation was triggered by the ongoing conflict. They are the seventh and eighth Singaporeans dealt with under the ISA whose radicalisation was linked to that conflict. In Cyrus’s case, ISD noted it reflects what it called “composite violent extremism,” where individuals subscribe to multiple, sometimes conflicting, extremist beliefs. He is the second person dealt with under the ISA for this form of radicalisation.

Lazada Cuts 5% of Southeast Asian Workforce

E-commerce giant Lazada announced on Wednesday that it will retrench 5 per cent of its Southeast Asian workforce, including in Singapore, as the company pivots toward a leaner operational model. A Lazada spokesperson confirmed on June 23 that the company is “reviewing selected roles across South-east Asia,” adding that affected staff will be engaged with “care, respect and dignity”.

Affected employees, based largely at the Lazada One office on Bras Basah Road, were notified directly by the human resources team. The move signals a broader cooling period for the region’s digital economy, following a string of cuts by rivals including Shopee’s global developer layoffs earlier this month and Amazon’s shift in Singapore from local grocery fulfilment to international shipping.

In a notable shift from its January 2024 retrenchments — when the company bypassed the union entirely, a move the FDAWU then branded “unacceptable” — Lazada coordinated this exercise with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU). FDAWU General Secretary Sankaradass S. Chami praised the advance notification as a sign of a “positive labour-management relationship,” with affected union members to receive one year of membership and training grant support.

The restructuring is being monitored by the Taskforce for Responsible Retrenchment and Employment Facilitation, with a spokesperson confirming that Lazada’s packages align with the Tripartite Advisory on Managing Excess Manpower and Responsible Retrenchment.

Derrick Teo, CEO of manpower consultancy Elitez Group, noted that the era of “growth at all costs” and heavy subsidies has ended. “Platforms are now expected to process more transactions while controlling costs and improving profitability,” Teo said. He added that the integration of AI is allowing companies to scale without the massive headcount growth seen during the pandemic. Founded in 2012 and acquired by Alibaba Group in 2016, Lazada remains the second-largest e-commerce player in Singapore, though its regional market share dipped in 2025.

Chinatown Complex Hawkers Get Temporary Exhaust Relief

Hawkers at Chinatown Complex Food Centre who endured sweltering conditions for a week due to a faulty exhaust system finally saw some relief on Wednesday, as electricians installed temporary exhaust systems at two of the at least seven affected stalls. The exhaust system, which funnels heat out of the cooking area, stopped working on June 17.

Mr Melvin Chew, hawker at Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck and Kway Chap, described the conditions: “The moment you enter the shop, you would begin sweating after a few seconds”. Mr Tham Hin Kwok, 68, who owns Hao Dong Kitchen two stalls down, said he had no choice but to endure the heat. “It was just so hot, but business had to go on”.

The stallowners had initially feared a lengthy wait, as Jalan Besar Town Council staff told them repairs could take about two months due to a lack of spare parts. The temporary fix was installed on Wednesday as an interim measure. But some hawkers remain sceptical. “Who’s going to do quality checks on this temporary system? If it spoils or isn’t good enough, we will have to wait again,” said Mr Chew. Exhausted after working in the punishing heat, he will be closing his stall until Saturday to rest.

Others are more optimistic. Ms Tong Yi Qin, owner of Tai Hwa Traditional Coffee, said: “As long as the temporary exhaust works, I’m okay. If not, the heat would be concentrated in one corner of the shop, and it can get really hot”. A soon-to-be hawker known only as Mr Chia, who plans to open next week selling nasi lemak and bee hoon, said delaying opening was not an option. “If we delay the opening, the rent will still run,” he said.

Core Inflation Holds at 1.4% in May, But Price Pressures Loom

Singapore’s core inflation held steady at 1.4 per cent in May, unchanged from April, according to a joint release by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on June 23. Overall inflation was 1.8 per cent in May, also unchanged from April, as higher private transport and accommodation inflation together with firmer food and retail prices were largely offset by lower services inflation. Economists polled by Bloomberg had forecast that core inflation would rise to 1.6 per cent.

However, the authorities warned that global energy costs, which remain higher than in 2025, are not yet fully reflected in local prices. “As higher energy costs pass through global supply chains with a lag, they are expected to raise production and transport costs for a wider range of Singapore’s imported goods and services over time,” they said. MAS and MTI maintained their forecasts that overall and core inflation will average at 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent in 2026.

DBS Provides $210 Million for Energy Transition Fund

DBS announced on Wednesday a $210 million senior financing facility to ETAFCo, the investment vehicle supporting the Energy Transition Acceleration Finance partnership (ETAF) under Singapore’s Financing Asia’s Transition Partnership (FAST-P) initiative. Managed by Clifford Capital, ETAF mobilises concessional and private capital to accelerate the deployment of clean energy and energy transition projects across Asia. The financing marks the first loan extended to ETAFCo, with DBS as the fund’s inaugural senior debt financier.

Han Kwee Juan, group head of institutional banking at DBS, said: “We believe that sustainability is not a parallel agenda but a core driver of long-term value. When approached pragmatically, it strengthens economic competitiveness, improves lives and builds resilience for the future”. With the transaction, DBS becomes the only commercial bank to support two partnerships within the FAST-P initiative.

Lily Choh, group head of asset management at Clifford Capital, which manages ETAF, said: “We are pleased to partner DBS as they come onboard as the senior debt financier for ETAF. Its participation strengthens ETAF’s ability to mobilise capital for energy transition infrastructure and reflects the important role of blended finance in bringing together public and private capital at scale”.

Shilpa Gulrajani, head of sustainable finance at DBS, noted: “Asia’s energy transition requires pragmatic and scalable financing solutions that can accelerate the deployment of cleaner energy infrastructure today while creating the conditions for deeper decarbonisation over time”. The loan will support eligible energy transition infrastructure debt investments, including renewable energy, grid modernisation, energy storage and other clean energy solutions that reduce reliance on coal-fired power generation.

Singtel Raises S$1 Billion in Stake Sale

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd raised about S$1 billion by selling a 2.8 per cent stake in Gulf Development, Thailand’s largest energy company. The private placement to institutional investors is expected to deliver about S$140 million in gains, while Singtel will still own a 4.95 per cent stake in Gulf worth S$1.8 billion after the deal. Since 2024, the company has raised S$6.8 billion under its asset-recycling programme, bringing it closer to its S$9 billion medium-term target.

Group Chief Financial Officer Arthur Lang said the sale gives Singtel meaningful capacity to fund and sustain its value realisation dividend, share buyback, and digital infrastructure investments. Singtel has already deployed about 34 per cent of its planned S$2 billion buyback programme, spending roughly S$681 million to repurchase and cancel shares. The company also recently proposed an annual dividend of 18.5 Singapore cents per share, which would be its highest on record.

Civil Servants to Receive 0.45-Month Mid-Year Bonus

All civil servants will receive a 0.45-month mid-year bonus, with junior officers receiving an additional one-time payment of up to S$400, the Public Service Division said on Tuesday. Civil servants in grades equivalent to MX13(I) and MX14 will receive an additional one-time payment of S$250, while those in grades equivalent to MX15 and MX16, as well as those in the operators support scheme, will get S$400. The PSD noted that downside risks to Singapore’s economic outlook remain significant.

Semiconductor Firms Ramp Up US Presence

Singapore semiconductor firms are ramping up their presence in the United States to capitalise on the artificial intelligence boom. Companies like Ecsal Technologies and Visiontec are adding facilities and boosting manpower in the US, according to The Straits Times. The news comes amid a global tech-led sell-off that saw semiconductor shares tumble, renewing concerns that the AI-driven equity rally may have run too far. Asian stocks rose in early trading on Wednesday after Tuesday’s bruising Wall Street tech rout that sent South Korea’s Kospi Index down 10 per cent and triggered a circuit breaker.

Former Diplomat Criticises Singaporeans for ‘Aping’ Western Commentators

Former diplomat Bilahari Kausikan took exception to a New York Times analysis that said the war in Iran had brought about relatively little change. In a Facebook post, Mr Bilahari pointed out that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are now further out of reach given how much the war has affected its economy, and that other Gulf states have hardened toward Iran. He also publicly criticised some Singaporeans for what he described as “aping anti-Trump Western commentators instead of exercising independent judgments”, calling for a return to independent thinking and critical analysis.