CNA

Parents will no longer be able to use CDA funds at optical shops and retail pharmacies from Jan 2026. Ministry audits found that some parents and trustees were encashing CDA funds and making purchases for adults: https://cna.asia/4nQvDKO

A Sri Lankan student, the first to be charged involving a spate of fake SAF bulk order scams, has been sentenced to jail and fined the amount she was paid for selling her bank account details. Some S$30,000 passed through her bank account, including at least S$16,000 paid by the restaurant owner who received an order for 150 packs of biryani: https://cna.asia/4nzY8N2

A South Korean man has been jailed in Singapore for receiving S$1.55 billion in cash to buy around 28 tonnes of gold bars for export. He had shipped more than 22,000 1kg gold bars to Japan and South Korea, declaring them as "air impact wrenches": https://cna.asia/48EbXp2

Exxon Mobil is expected to cut up to 500 workers in Singapore by end-2027. https://cna.asia/46QUYNL

Ultra-luxury hotel group Aman will open its first Singapore property in The Skywaters, set to be the city’s tallest skyscraper and first "supertall" building at 305m and with 63 floors. It'll have a hotel, branded residences and an invite-only private members club: https://cna.asia/4mLWhDr

A court awarded over S$417,000 to the son of a traffic accident victim and criticised NTUC Income for “unreasonable behaviour” in contesting claims. The registrar said Income's "unfounded objections" read like "the sort of casually impersonal stonewalling that some would associate with the worst administrative processes": https://cna.asia/4pMHgnK

The US government has shut down after Congress failed to agree on funding. Some 750,000 workers are at risk of being suspended, which will cost the government US$400 million per day: https://cna.asia/4nRZnqA

Scam alert: There are fake Telegram channels and Instagram accounts inviting you to claim SG60 or CDC vouchers. Victims of these scams give away confidential data and end up losing control of their accounts: https://cna.asia/4gVeA8e

WATCH: This is the moment a hiker plunged to his death at Nama Peak in Sichuan, China, after reportedly unclipping his safety rope to take a selfie. Officials are investigating: https://cna.asia/3IEeqFy

Authorities in the UK are trying to recover more than £16.2 million from a Malaysian fixer at the centre of a massive Bitcoin scam involving 128,000 victims between 2014 and 2017. More than £5 billion worth of crypto has already been seized, believed to be the world's largest haul. Police say the scheme was led by a Chinese businesswoman: https://cna.asia/4nZytgB

A 6.9-magnitude quake in Cebu in central Philippines has killed at least 26 people and injured 147, with even more unaccounted for and trapped beneath collapsed buildings. Authorities are appealing for food, water and medical volunteers to assist: https://cna.asia/46yziHu

A 25-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly smuggling more than 9,200 vape pods in a cargo container. The consignment was declared as "power bank". https://cna.asia/4mKnpCW

Singapore has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan and urges Hamas to accept it, saying this would end the war and allow aid to flow. "Singapore supports an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all remaining hostages, and a surge of humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians." https://cna.asia/3KuhggM

Heads up: From tomorrow, 950,000+ HDB households will receive the October tranche of U-Save and S&CC rebates credited to their accounts directly. See details: https://cna.asia/3VDFbNf

A cabby was stopped by an enforcement officer who caught him using his phone. Instead of cooperating, he wound up his window and drove forward, trapping the officer's arm and fracturing it. He will be jailed and given a driving ban: https://cna.asia/48MiNsu

🍽 From January, 13 schools in Singapore will switch to pre-ordered meals from central kitchens ranging from S$2.20 - S$3. CNA tried chicken rice, pasta and more at one caterer that will serve 5 schools. Our verdict: https://cna.asia/4nVLyYe

💡 Household electricity and gas tariffs will rise from October to December this year. Power bills will go up 0.3% (about +S$0.31/month for a 4-room flat), while gas charges will go up by 0.07 cents/kWh: https://cna.asia/4gKHYh7

Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon, summoned to Australia to answer to local regulators, has apologised for the 2 Optus outages in under 2 weeks, saying it will take time for its CEO to turn the company around. https://cna.asia/46PcUII Why do Optus' troubles matter to Singapore's largest telco? CNA explains: https://cna.asia/46J0W3j

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have reportedly separated after nearly 2 decades of marriage. They have 2 teenage daughters together, apart from 2 children Kidman adopted in her previous marriage to Tom Cruise: https://cna.asia/4ntwz8d

A new peace proposal for Gaza: US President Donald Trump has secured Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s backing for a 20-point plan drawn up by the US. But Hamas has not formally responded to it: https://cna.asia/42TtqWI Here’s what’s in the peace plan: https://cna.asia/4pKw7DW