Both sides pledged to promote the upcoming meeting of China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation to yield positive results and to promote talks on upgrading the bilateral Free Trade Agreement . Hailing the sound development of bilateral ties since Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Singapore in 2015, Han said the two countries have worked together to implement consensus reached by both leaders and actively promoted cooperation under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

The blackout affected residents of Boon Lay, Clementi, Jurong, Aljunied, Geylang, Mountbatten, Kembangan, Bedok, East Coast, Ang Mo Kio, Bishan, Thomson, Admiralty, Sembawang and Woodlands, among other estates. SINGAPORE: The Energy Market Authority of Singapore is investigating the blackout that hit multiple estates across Singapore early on Tuesday .

SINGAPORE: The Government has moved to debunk what it described as "falsehoods" about ministerial salaries that have been circulating recently. The Factually website, which is managed by the Public Communications Division of the Ministry of Communications and Information, said several websites and social media pages have "jumped on the issue" of ministerial salaries in recent weeks.

SINGAPORE: Parti Keadilan Rakyat president-elect Anwar Ibrahim stressed that there are "no problems" between Singapore and Malaysia and pledged to visit the city-state first when he becomes prime minister. Mr Anwar was responding to a question on Singapore-Malaysia relations by former Singapore Member of Parliament Zainul Abidin Mohamed Rasheed at a forum during the Singapore Summit on Saturday .

A cybersecurity centre opened in Thailand on Friday to train personnel from Asean countries to help combat cyber threats in the attack-prone region. The idea of the Asean-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre came from a meeting between Asean and Japan's ministers in Cambodia last year.

In recent days, Malaysia attained international notoriety for caning two women after their being convicted in a religious court of attempting to have sex in a car. In striking contrast, on September 6, the Indian Supreme Court held that section 377 of their penal code, which criminalised consensual acts between adults of the same sex, was unconstitutional.

HANOI: China warned Wednesday that protectionism threatens global growth and cautioned "individual countries" against isolationism, in a veiled reference to the deepening trade spat between Washington and Beijing that is being closely watched across Asia. The comments from China's vice premier come as the world's top two economic powers edged closer to an all-out trade war after imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars of imports.

Chinese vice-premier Hu Chunhua has called for a rejection of protectionism and said unilateral trade policies by some countries posed a "most serious hazard" to the world economy. His comments in Vietnam on Wednesday come at a time of a worsening trade dispute between China and the United States, which has been pursuing measures widely regarded as protectionist under President Donald Trump.

HANOI: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is in a "good position" to take advantage of the technological revolution, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday . Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Hanoi, Mr Lee said the world is facing a "fourth industrial revolution" which is changing the way people and businesses function.

SINGAPORE: Candidates who contest a General Election will pay less for an election deposit compared to the current S$14,500 , and will have the option to pay for it using electronic funds transfer, according to changes to the Parliamentary Elections Act tabled by Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday . The Elections Department said in a factsheet on Monday that the proposed amendment simplifies the formula to compute the election deposit to it being based on an elected Member of Parliament's fixed monthly allowance, rounded to the nearest S$500.

SINGAPORE: The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to create more places for pre-school children over the next five years. Speaking at the PAP Community Foundation's annual Family Day at Gardens by the Bay on Sunday , Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - who was Guest of Honour - noted that in the last three years, PCF Sparkletots has created close to 10,000 places across its childcare and infant care centres.

An imagined Housing Redevelopment Board may have more schemes to provide more options for home owners to monetise their old flats but the housing announcements at the National Day Rally provides a heartening start, say two observers from the NUS Institute of Real Estate Studies. SINGAPORE: "We will continue to transform our city a and in 30 to 40 years' time, we will rebuild our existing towns," said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at this year's National Day Rally .

SINGAPORE: Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong's authorised biography will be released in November, according to his Facebook post on Thursday . In his post, Mr Goh said he met former Hong Kong Chief Executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying on his visit to Hong Kong and posted photos of him with them.

From left: Lianhe Zaobao Editor Goh Sin Teck, Deputy CEO Anthony Tan, Chairman Lee Boon Yang, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, CEO Ng Yat Chung, Head of Chinese Media Group Lee Huay Leng and NewsHub Editor Han Yong May. SINGAPORE: Singapore's Chinese culture is "multifaceted and constantly evolving", Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday . Speaking in Mandarin at Lianhe Zaobao's 95th anniversary gala dinner, Mr Lee said that culture is dynamic, and is an accumulation of tradition and heritage, as well as development in response to new circumstances and challenges.

Muscat: Sheraton Oman Hotel is hosting a Singaporean Food Festival full of flavour and authenticity, supported by the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in Oman. The week will offer guests the chance to travel all of Southeast Asia with a culinary journey of the senses at Sheraton's beautiful courtyard from September 7 to 12, 2018.

The letter was signed by Kirsten Han , Jolovan Wham and Thum Ping Tjin . SINGAPORE: Three activists who were criticised by MP Seah Kian Peng and Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam over their meeting with Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad have sent a letter of complaint to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his capacity as secretary-general of the People's Action Party .

The 15th ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference concluded on September 3 in Singapore. Nine ASEAN Member States' Air Chiefs and the Deputy Chief of the Air Force Department, Lao People's Army attended the conference which started August 31. "I am glad that we are taking similar steps to strengthen collaboration in combating terrorism, and to develop confidence-building measures and promote open sharing to enhance aviation safety," Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force Major General Mervyn Tan said.