Stories from Singapore

Children born between January 2, 2020, and January 1, 2021, must participate in the P1 registration exercise. This requirement includes enrollment in special education school programs. The registration is being conducted through the P1 registration program. Alternatively, these children must enroll in a special education school program. The registration process will be conducted online through the P1 registration portal. Parents are required to log in using SINGPASS with two-factor authentication. Information regarding school vacancies will be published before and during each phase of the exercise.

Three Singaporean nationals are candidates to participate in the Amazon Prime reality game show Beast Games. The series was created by American YouTuber MrBeast and is inspired by the Netflix show Squid Game.

Ground handling company SATS apologized following an Instagram video showing a service crew member throwing luggage onto a baggage belt. Analysts have noted concerns regarding the power requirements of energy-intensive operations. SATS issued a statement saying the crew members' behavior does not reflect service standards or expected care. Singapore Airlines (SIA) crew members were involved in an incident at Changi Airport Terminal 2 on April 23. The airline said it has counseled the service crew member involved. SAT has issued an apology regarding the footage. The Ministry of Education (MOE) noted that a separate exercise running until October 30 aims to minimize participation requirements for students born between January 2020 and January 2021. The Singapore Airport Authority (SAD) stated the crew member's behavior does not reflect expected service standards or baggage handling care.

The Association of Banks in Singapore announced that the PayNow nickname feature will be discontinued on 6 June. The association stated that scammers have exploited nicknames by using the names of trusted individuals or established entities to deceive victims into transferring money to fraudulent accounts. The nickname feature has been available since 2017 to allow customers to avoid displaying registered names. Singaporean banks are updating PayNow nickname features to prevent scammers from exploiting the system. The nickname feature was originally introduced in 2017 to address privacy concerns for customers. Users are not required to take any action regarding this change. The update aims to provide real-time visibility into transaction details. The move aims to safeguard user privacy while strengthening defenses against scams.

The third season of the MrBeast game show, Beast Games, is now open to contestants from around the world. Representatives from various countries will be shortlisted, with public voting used to select certain participants.

Visitors from mainland China to Singapore fell by 55.9 percent in March 2026 compared to the previous year. The total number of visitors from mainland China reached 291,600 during that month. This decline follows a year-on-year decrease of 45.3 percent.

The Ministry of Education stated that the upcoming primary one registration on June 30 will not be affected by the ongoing review of the registration framework. The registration will be conducted online through the P1 registration portal. Parents must log in using SINGPASS with two-factor authentication. The Ministry of Education announced that school vacancies will be published before and during each phase of the registration exercise. Finalized data will indicate school vacancy levels after each phase to assist applicants. The Ministry advised parents to consider a range of schools, including those near their homes. The reduction process begins with the current year's exercise. Singapore is reducing the number of Primary One student intakes due to falling cohort sizes. This move is intended to minimize the need for school mergers or relocations.

Australian pop rock band Five Seconds of Summer will perform at the Star Theatre in Singapore on November 16. The performance is part of the band's Everyone's a Star World Tour. The group is returning to Singapore after more than eight years. The group was last in Singapore in 2018. The tour also includes scheduled shows in Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Tokyo.

NFC-based payment fraud increased by 87% during the second half of last year. Scammers are increasingly designing fraudulent schemes around the deep interconnection of mobile phones for daily transactions. The surge includes payments for meals and transportation. The surge occurred over a six-month period. Phishing remains the primary threat in Singapore, accounting for over 32% of all local threats. Scammers are increasingly using mobile-led tactics, including malicious links that redirect users to fake websites, such as fraudulent ticketing sites. The report notes a increase in the speed and believability of these sophisticated scams across the APAC region. The surge is particularly noted in mobile-led scams involving Android-based fraud activity. The increase coincides with the widespread regional use of tap-and-go payment systems for meals and transportation.

Phishing accounts for over 32% of all cyber threats based out of Singapore, according to ESET. Parents of children attending Primary One next year can register them between June 30 and October 30. Children born between January 2, 2020, and January 1, 2021, must participate in the registration exercise or enroll in a special education school program. The registration process will be conducted online via the P1 registration portal using SINGPASS with two-factor authentication. Information regarding school vacancies will be published before the end of the year. The Ministry of Education will release finalized data indicating which schools have vacancies for Primary One students. This data will show available spots for applicants to balance admissions. The Ministry stated parents should consider a range of schools, including those near their homes.