Lions lose 2-1 to Malaysia at Bukit Jalil; cost of living and jobs to feature in Parliament opening, say experts: Singapore live news

Singapore's national men's football team was defeated 2-1 by the Malaysians in a friendly at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Thursday (4 September) evening.

It was interim head coach Gavin Lee's first game in charge of the team. Lee was appointed to the temporary position following Tsutomu Ogura's resignation as head coach in late June. The Football Association of Singapore is shortlisting candidates for the post.

The match is the first of two friendlies ahead of two games against India in next month's Asian Cup third-round qualifiers.

Thailand's parliament has chosen business tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul as the country's prime minister — the third in two years.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who belongs to Thailand's most powerful political dynasty, was removed by the constitutional court last week for ethical violations over her handling of the border dispute with Cambodia.

Anutin's Bhumjaithai party broke from the coalition led by the Shinawatras' Pheu Thai, and secured enough support in parliament to win the premiership.

Read more about Thailand's new PM Anutin.

Hawker food lovers, take note: Berseh Food Centre in Jalan Besar will be closing for repairs and redecoration works for three months from 29 September to 28 December 2025.

A highlight at the hawker centre is the formerly named Aunty Sham Ayam Penyet, now renamed Aunty Syam Ayam Penyet. Another must-try stall is Kelantan Kway Chap, which has made it to the MICHELIN Bib Gourmand list since 2022.

Reported missing since 7 June, British teenager David Balisong has been found safe on Thursday (4 September) by Malaysian police at a hotel along Jalan Pudu, following a tip-off. Police investigations revealed that a British teenager left home in the United Kingdom following a disagreement with his family before travelling to Malaysia in early June.

Read more about how he was found and what happened.

There's a new vape in town and experts are warning against it. Online peddlers of e-vaporisers are now pushing “vitamin diffusers” as a healthy alternative to e-vaporisers, a Straits Times report said. However, experts warn that the actual chemical content is unknown and potentially dangerous.

The new trend has emerged in Britain, Australia and the United States, and is being popularised by social media influencers.

Regardless, Singapore’s ban on e-vaporisers covers e-cigarettes and any electronic device that vaporises a liquid solution to be inhaled.

Find out more about these so-called "wellness vapes".

Thailand’s influential former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew out of the country on Thursday (5 September), a day before a parliamentary vote for the next prime minister and ahead of a court ruling that could see him jailed.

His plane took off after authorities confirmed that he did not have any court order prohibiting him from leaving the country, Thai police said in a statement.

As Thaksin left, social media flooded with speculation on his destination.

Eventually, Thaksin responded, saying he had intended to travel to Singapore for a medical check-up. “Thai immigration delayed me for nearly two hours,” he said. The delay prevented him from landing at Singapore’s Seletar Airport, which is used for private jets, as the airport only operates until 10pm, he said.

“Since I couldn’t land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai. I have long-time orthopedic and pulmonary doctors in Dubai, and I also had the opportunity to visit friends in Dubai whom I hadn’t seen in over two years,” Thaksin wrote.

South East Asians have been showing their support to Indonesia's protesters through delivery apps. Some in neighbouring Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand are using the popular Grab and Gojek apps to order food in Indonesia for delivery riders, a key group taking part in the protests.

At least 10 people have died in the demonstrations over the cost of living and social inequality, which have taken place in several cities across Indonesia. The protests escalated following the killing of a delivery rider and led to public anger boiling over as protesters clashed with police and set fire to government buildings.

In recent days, the hashtag #SEAblings has gone viral on social media as some in neighbouring countries rally to support Indonesian protesters and delivery riders.

Why are the overseas supporters doing this? Find out more.

There are no reports of Singaporeans in Afghanistan affected by the earthquake, the city-state's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (4 September). The two earthquakes, which struck Afghanistan last week, killed at least 2,200 people and injured over 3,300.

In its statement, MFA said Singaporeans are advised to defer travelling to Afghanistan, as per an existing travel advisory.

The ministry said that Singapore conveys its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the earthquake.

The Singapore Parliament will open on Friday (5 September) for its 15th term. What's on the cards? Analysts expect that the government and Members of Parliament (MPs) to address bread-and-butter issues and the country’s future beyond SG60.

Following tradition, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will deliver a speech drafted by the government to set out its priorities over the next five-year term. The Straits Times reported that political observers expect his speech to cover issues aired during the May general election, including the cost of living, jobs, housing and rising global geopolitical instability.

Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh said he expects the speech to highlight the need for deeper economic reforms, rather than immediate measures like vouchers.

Read on to find out what else might be in store.

Click here to read article