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The Big Story: S'pore's core inflation rose to 3.3% in April, fuelled by hikes in electricity and gas tariffs


Catch the latest news reports on The Big Story, The Straits Times’ weekday online news programme.

Singapore’s core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport costs, continued to peak in April, fuelled by higher inflation for electricity and gas, as well as food and retail.

The core inflation rate, which is the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) preferred measure, rose to 3.3 per cent year on year in April, up from the decade-high of 2.9 per cent in March.

MAS and the Ministry of Trade and Industry said core inflation is forecast to pick up further in the coming months, before moderating towards the end of the year as some of the external inflationary pressures recede.

UOB economist Barnabas Gan joins the show to shares his thoughts on this development.

Separately, Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara had been on Singapore authorities’ radar for some time, for having influenced and radicalised some people here.

Among them was a 17-year-old who subscribed to his teachings, believed in suicide bombing as an act of martyrdom, and was detained under the Internal Security Act in January 2020, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Monday (May 23).

The teenager had watched Somad’s YouTube lectures, and began to believe that fighting for the militant group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and dying as a suicide bomber would lead to rewards in heaven.

In other news, Malaysian low-cost carrier Firefly will resume flights between Singapore and Malaysia from Seletar Airport from June 13, after two years of pandemic-induced suspension.

It will operate two flights out of Seletar Airport to Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport every day, down from six a day in 2019. Each flight on its ATR72-500 aircraft will be able to carry 72 passengers.

In sports, the 31st SEA Games in Hanoi concludes on Monday with host nation, Vietnam, taking the top spot on the medal table.

Singapore is in fifth place, with 47 gold, 46 silver, and 73 bronze medals.

This is the Republic’s third-best showing at an away SEA Games, behind Kuala Lumpur in 2017 and Manila in 2019 – both of which featured a significantly larger contingent of athletes.

Sports correspondent Sazali Abdul Aziz discusses what these achievements mean for Singapore sport.

And don’t miss this week’s Asian Insider segment with Australia correspondent Jonathan Pearlman. He discusses Australia’s new prime minister Anthony Albanese’s top priorities when he assumes office.



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