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other country detected first, as usual the useless SFA is late   https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/danone-says-it-blocked-batch-infant-formula-request-singapore-regulator-2026-01-21 https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/infant-nutrition-recall-efsa-cereulide-ara.html https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/precautionary-global-recall-infant-nutrition-products-following-detection-bacillus-cereus    

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has ordered a recall of two more infant formula products after tests found cereulide toxin, according to a media release dated Jan 30. The move follows two additional cases of infants who fell mildly ill after consuming the affected products, bringing the total to three cases so far. All have since recovered.   The recalled products are Dumex Dulac Stage 1 (800g, batch 101575737) and Dumex Dulac Stage 2 (800g, batch 101570779). Both batches expire on September 5, 2027 and were made in Thailand. The products may have used the same raw ingredient source linked to earlier recalls. Photo: SFA Dumex Dulac Stage 1 & 2 recall @ Cold Storage As a precaution, the SFA directed retailers to remove the products from sale. It said these are the last two batches requiring recall after testing all infant formula sold at major retail outlets. “To date, SFA has completed the testing of all infant formula products being sold at major retail outlets in Singapore currently, and these are the last two batches of infant formula products to be recalled,” the agency said.   Cereulide is a toxin that can cause vomiting, nausea, and stomach cramps. There is currently no lab test that can confirm cereulide poisoning. The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) is working with SFA and doctors to monitor for possible cases. Parents are advised not to feed their children the affected products. Those whose infants feel unwell should seek medical advice quickly. SFA said the nine recalled batches make up about 5 per cent of Singapore’s imported infant formula supply. The agency stressed that the affected products represent only a small share of what is available on the market. Nestle NAN HA1 SupremePro – 800 g, batch 52340017C3, expires 31/08/27 (Switzerland) – directive issued 17 Jan 2026. Dumex Dulac Stage 1 – 800 g, batch 101570778C, expires 03/09/27 (Thailand) – directive issued 17 Jan 2026. NAN HA 3 SupremePro – 800 g, batch 53030017C1, expires 31/10/27 (Switzerland) – directive issued 8 Jan 2026. NAN HA 2 SupremePro – 800 g, batch 51420017C4, expires 31/05/27 (Switzerland) – directive issued 8 Jan 2026. NAN HA 1 SupremePro – 800 g, batch 51460017C2, expires 31/05/27 (Switzerland) – directive issued 8 Jan 2026. NAN HA 1 SupremePro – 800 g, batch 51470017C1, expires 31/05/27 (Switzerland) – directive issued 8 Jan 2026. NAN HA 3 SupremePro – 32 g, batch 53030017B1, expires 31/10/26 (Switzerland) – directive issued 8 Jan 2026. Dumex Dulac Stage 1 – 800 g, batch 101575737, expires 05/09/27 (Thailand) – directive issued 30 Jan 2026. Dumex Dulac Stage 2 – 800 g, batch 101570779, expires 05/09/27 (Thailand) – directive issued 30 Jan 2026. See also  Doctor accused of molestation says patient’s boyfriend wanted ‘compensation’ For parents, the recall highlights how food safety checks work in practice. Problems are detected, traced, and removed before they cause wider harm. The rapid action taken and public updates aim to limit risk while maintaining transparency in the supply chain. Consumers can contact their point of purchase for product enquiries, SFA said.

A delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC), led by Executive Deputy Secretary of the Central and State Organs Working Committee of the CPC Central Committee, Guo Wenqi, arrived in Singapore on 31st January 2026 for a three-day visit at the invitation of the People’s Action Party (PAP).  The CPC delegation met with members from the PAP Policy Forum (PPF) today, led by Party Assistant Treasurer and PPF Chairperson, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat and Vice-chairpersons Sun Xueling and Murali Pillai. Insights on party building and policy innovation were exchanged during the dialogue. The CPC delegation also met with Assistant Secretary-General and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing.   CPC delegation meeting with PAP Policy Forum (PPF) members (L-R) Dong Weihua, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee & Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee; Cao Zhongming, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore; Guo Wenqi, Executive Deputy Secretary of the Central and State Organs Working Committee of the CPC Central Committee; Chee Hong Tat, Party Assistant Treasurer and PPF Chairperson and Minister for National Development; Sun Xueling, PPF Vice-chairperson; Murali Pillai, PPF Vice-chairperson; Charlene Chen, PPF member On the last day of their visit, the CPC delegation will meet with Party Chairman, Minister for Education Desmond Lee, and other party leaders.   This visit by the CPC to Singapore further advances the commitment made by PAP and CPC in 2024 to conduct regular party-to-party exchanges.         https://www.pap.org.sg/featured/pap-hosts-a-delegation-from-communist-party-of-china/

With Prime Minister Lawrence Wong scheduled to deliver the Budget 2026 statement on Feb 12, Singaporeans are eager to hear about the government's priorities and vision for the year, including the announcements of new measures. 2025 was a year marked by uncertainty, amid global geopolitical tensions and trade issues which disrupted the global rules-based multilateral system that was considered the norm.  Despite ongoing challenges, Singapore managed to deliver a stronger-than-expected growth of 4.8 per cent for the full year, against earlier expectations that slashed forecasts to 0 to 2 per cent at the height of the US-China tariff war in April 2025. "Unemployment and inflation remained low, and real incomes have risen across the board," said PM Wong during his New Year message, while remaining cautious that sustaining the same pace of growth in the upcoming year will be difficult. Ahead of Budget 2026, AsiaOne spoke to some Singaporeans about their wish list and their main concerns going into the new year. Cost of living issues Li, 25, a freelance content creator, took over the responsibility for her household's utility bills last year and hopes that Budget 2026 will continue supporting Singaporeans with inflation and the rising cost of living. Speaking to AsiaOne, she said that the quarterly disbursements of U-Save and S&CC rebates last year provided the necessary help when budgeting and had a "real impact" on her finances. In addition to financial help with utilities, Li hopes that the Government will continue providing Singaporeans with more CDC vouchers or cash payouts to help with daily expenses. "I typically split my monthly income into savings, bills, and household needs, leaving me with a small amount for leisure. Because of this, I often find myself having to over-justify every expense that falls outside of necessities," she said. With CDC vouchers, Li reckons she'll be more willing to spend on "more indulgent" expenses such as eating out or wellness treatments.  At the same time, the CDC scheme had also helped her find a variety of new local businesses to patronise, like many other young adults who hunt for local cafes and stores to spend their vouchers at. In a survey conducted by AsiaOne in December 2025, which polled 2,128 Singaporeans on their attitudes towards the cost of living, some 88 per cent said they were at least somewhat concerned about the cost-of-living situation in Singapore for the next six months. Cost of food (73 per cent) were their topmost concern, followed by the cost of healthcare (68 per cent). Their most common coping strategies include cutting back on non-essential spending (65 per cent) and dining out less frequently (55 per cent).  Made with Flourish • Create a chart For Budget 2026, respondents expect CDC vouchers to be announced followed by extensions of the Assurance Package cash payouts, MediSave top-ups and S&CC rebates. High COE prices Other individuals AsiaOne spoke to cited higher public transport fares and an overall rising cost of living. High Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices were also a universal concern raised by the individuals that AsiaOne spoke to, including Jessica Ng, a mother of two.  "Many parents already hold valid driving licences but are unable to own a car due to the high cost of COE," she said. Made with Flourish • Create a chart Ng, who is in her thirties and works in the healthcare sector, said that bringing her young children out is often difficult considering the amount of cumbersome things she has to carry along, and that a car would "significantly ease daily caregiving needs". Michael Lim, a retiree in his 60s, echoed similar sentiments and hopes that the Budget can provide some targeted support for individuals and young families who compete with car rental companies to secure COEs. Job security While national data has shown that Singapore's labour market has "remained resilient" and that unemployment rates remain low in 2025, some graduating students continue to feel palpable anxiety surrounding employment. Julian Lo, a 25-year-old philosophy student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), told AsiaOne that his biggest concern is landing a job when he graduates in a few months. Rather than cash vouchers that help with day-to-day expenses, he will be looking forward to "more strategic, long-term, and experimental solutions" — such as the current Graduate Industry Traineeships (GRIT) and GRIT@Gov programmes — in Budget 2026 to support young jobseekers.  Lo also hopes that students will be provided with more effective career counselling services, and that there will be greater efforts towards job matching and the creation of more diverse career paths. Separately, Li told AsiaOne that she hopes for more targeted training support and that SkillsFuture courses can be redeveloped. "Though citizens were given $500 worth of credits to upskill themselves, a large part of the population left their grants untouched," she said, citing reasons such as the lack of time and suitable courses. "I'd like to see more targeted training support before people lose their jobs as well as assistance for workers looking at mid-career field switches," Li said. Support for local businesses On the local business front, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and PwC Singapore compiled a list of recommendations on Jan 12 and said that strengthening trade resilience and addressing skills scarcity should be key priorities for Budget 2026. They highlighted challenges to employment amid an ageing population and a tighter labour supply, and proposed various initiatives such as job matching and sector-specific employment packages to complement Singapore's plan to progressively raise retirement and re-employment ages. The organisations also suggested supporting smaller businesses with grants or rebates to cover higher health and insurance costs of older workers. Improved access to foreign manpower in sectors such as civil engineering, manufacturing and logistics was also proposed, to account for the lack of Singaporeans willing to take up such jobs. The Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) also released a Budget 2026 wish list on Dec 19, with similar themes as SBF and PwC in terms of driving AI adoption and strengthening the workforce. It suggested a government-funded rebate to help SMEs offset rental costs amid escalating operational expenditures and the current inflationary environment. SMF also emphasised the need for talent development, and proposed developing frameworks to better leverage the existing workforce and create pathways for mid-career professionals into enhanced roles. SBF and PwC also recommended maintaining the corporate income tax rebate at 50 per cent, but increasing the cap, to support local SMEs while they weather the current economic uncertainty. 'We have heard your aspirations' Ahead of the upcoming Budget, PM Wong shared a video on Tuesday (Jan 27) saying that he and his team have engaged Singaporeans from all walks of life about the upcoming Budget. "We have heard your aspirations and also your concerns about the uncertain external environment, the impact of technology and AI on jobs and also on cost pressures that you face," he said. Budget 2026 will be the first Budget since GE2025 concluded in May and Cabinet changes were made last year. PM Wong will be delivering the Budget 2026 statement in Parliament on Feb 12 at 3.30pm.