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News analysis

‘Pandas are cute but US needs rare earth magnets’: Trump-Xi meet so far leaves analysts wanting more

One analyst noted that when the objective is to stabilise ties under pressure, the optics do matter.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping looking at an image of an autopen signing former US president Joe Biden’s signature in the Colonnade of the White House on Sept 24.

Trump-Xi summit has a clear deliverable, says Singapore’s former US ambassador Chan Heng Chee

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No BYD or Luckin: The curious absence of China brands in Washington and at White House state dinner

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Govt reviewing property purchases made between 2007 and 2011 by officers involved in rail planning 

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Shanti Pereira earns 100m final spot at the Asian Games, posts quickest semi-final time

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HDB reviewing jumbo flat scheme after Telok Blangah unit listed for sale at $2.18m

Najib cannot afford $15.7 million house arrest fine due to frozen accounts: Lawyer

ST Live: S’pore population rises to 6.21m, ‘jumbo’ flat scheme review, Najib seeks jail term halt

Trending

US-China ties

Asian Games

Semiconductors

Agriculture/farming

AI/artificial intelligence

Shorts
What is the White House press pool and why are they at odds with Donald Trump?

1:58

Poland’s foreign minister tells Russia to stop Ukraine war before it destroys Russia’s future

1:49

Humanoid robots repeatedly miss their punches during sparring demo in Zhejiang, China

0:45

Netanyahu references 2024 pager attack on Hezbollah in UN General Assembly speech

0:46

Trump shows Xi photo of Biden’s autopen ‘portrait’

0:21

Trump says Xi ‘loves good granite’ after giving him tour of the White House’s new helipad

0:28

'Friendship forged in blood and fire will surely live on': Xi on China-US history

1:52

Trump gifts Xi bald eagle statue during state dinner at White House

0:28

Trump: US Marines’ use of ‘gung-ho’ comes from US-Chinese cooperation during World War II

1:04

Singapore

S’pore and Japan deepen ties on environment issues, including coastal protection and climate science

New areas of collaboration include managing emerging contaminants and removing pollution.

Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu (left) and Japan’s Minister of the Environment Hiroyoshi Sasagawa signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on Environment Matters on Sept 24.

S’pore parents spending more on tuition and enrichment; peer pressure cited as a reason: Survey

askST

What is a jumbo flat and the HDB conversion scheme?

Jail for driver who ran red light, collided with pregnant woman along Upper Changi Road

Asia
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Najib cannot afford $15.7 million house arrest fine due to frozen accounts: Lawyer

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Australia steps up response to AI after OpenAI bot breaches health system database

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The social media app forcing Japan to take digital privacy more seriously

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‘Semiconductor sector poised to take off in India’: More Singapore firms show interest

Opinion

Greenland deal a boost for US naval strategy

Jonathan Eyal

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Fake AI ads are ruining the online shopping experience

Nicole Chan

How tech firms hope to beat the backlash against ‘pervert glasses’

The Economist

I spent years in prison. Rehabilitation doesn’t end with counselling

Gopal Mahey

Visual stories

Rodeo shows, a ‘$2.5 trillion photo’ and gaffes: A history of Chinese leaders’ visits to the US

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Nepal’s towns in ruins: What it will take to rebuild after massive flood

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Keys to the past: National Museum’s revamped Singapore History Gallery reopening on Oct 10

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Indonesia needs to grow more rice, corn and sugar. Can its forests survive?

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The haze is back in Singapore. How does it compare with previous years?

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The sound of an identity: What makes the Singaporean accent unique?

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The future of play: How new guidelines are transforming Singapore’s playgrounds

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Anak Krakatau eruption: Where flights are being disrupted

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Mapping the 5.0-magnitude quake in China

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Nepal flood: What we know so far

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Podcasts
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Headstart On Record Podcast Recap

The trouble of friend group holidays and is the US still the best investment destination?
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Asian Insider Podcast

Will Najib’s house arrest derail or help UMNO-PAS unity plans?
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The Usual Place Podcast

Watch: Does AI pose an existential threat to humanity?
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In Your Opinion Podcast

Can money buy love for reading? Gwee Li Sui on our results-oriented culture
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Headstart
Latest
Money Mentor
Work Bestie
Life Guide
About Headstart

askST Jobs: How to tell if you’re being micromanaged or closely supervised. What’s the difference?

Micromanagement can limit autonomy, but employees may be able to regain it by building trust.

There is a difference between a boss who checks in on employees and one who constantly hovers like a “helicopter parent” over them.

Headstart On Record Podcast

High anxiety, spiking cortisol: it’s tough making friends as an adult, is it worth the trouble?

Unpopular advice for fresh grads rejected for jobs: What if it’s not them, but you?

Me & My Money

She built wealth through property, then chose to fund a social enterprise

More young Singaporeans seeking recovery treatment at longevity-related wellness centres and clinics

The red light therapy room at House Longevity studio on Sept 2. House Longevity is among at least eight longevity-centred wellness centres and clinics that have opened here in recent years.

Will cutting down on drinking make me uncool?

ST’s assistant Life editor Clara Lock has reduced her alcohol consumption drastically since April.

Young & Savvy

Why paying $40 a day for silence was my best investment this year

Without the haste that comes with being socially and digitally connected, the writer felt like she had more than 24 hours in a day.

OCBC’s blue-chip plan gains traction with young investors, with 1 in 4 customers now under 35

OCBC head of treasury products and equities Germaine Tan says the growing attention on the STI and Singapore being seen as a safe haven have contributed to the growth of its BCIP.
Most popular

1

Companies in S’pore with over 200 employees must have certified HR professional from July 2028

2

Police investigating video of man allegedly trailing female students while wearing smart glasses

3

Finance manager who lent then boyfriend nearly $359,000 wins lawsuit for repayment

4

Veteran Chinese actor You Benchang, best known for his role as legendary monk Ji Gong, dies at 93

5

HDB reviewing jumbo flat scheme after Telok Blangah unit listed for sale at $2.18m

6

Man jailed for abandoning 71 cats in Bukit Panjang flat for two years; nine of them found dead

7

Air Canada to axe S’pore’s only non-stop flight to Canada in January 2027

8

Area in MacRitchie Reservoir Park cordoned off after large hole appears in ground; PUB investigating

9

Jail for man who had firm opened in his name; its bank account got over $372k in scam proceeds

10

Prata chain Srisun Express faces charges over unpaid CPF contributions

Branded content
200 years of law: How the legal system has helped shape Singapore
Skills, workflows and governance: What your company needs to make AI work
Yawning, food cravings, mood changes: These could be warning signs of a migraine
Recurring headaches may be a symptom of migraine, a neurological condition that often goes undiagnosed.
Art friends: How seniors find connection through coffee and crafts
seniors at kopitiam
You don't have to enter a museum to see a Salvador Dali – just look up on your commute
nac public art trails
Bad breath, bleeding gums? Your brushing routine could be behind these dental problems
Systema Smart Ex Power Rechargeable Toothbrush, toothbrushing, gum health

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.