Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on May 23, 2026

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Surprise resignation by Koh Poh Koon reflects toll of political life: Observers

The Prime Minister’s Office announced on May 22 that Dr Koh had asked to step down due to family reasons.

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S’pore-China ties based on mutual benefit, with opportunities in AI, ageing: SM Lee

Issues of economic dependence and national identity can be managed, he said.

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Why Singapore wants children to play with sand and swings again

Many playgrounds here may have become too focused on aesthetics at the expense of play value.

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Bloomberg defamation case unprecedented for malice and aggravation: Ministers’ lawyer

Justice Audrey Lim, who heard the closing submissions, reserved her verdict.

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askST: Are 12,700 Covid-19 cases in a week cause for concern?

On average, there was one Covid-19 case each day who was severely ill and required intensive care.

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Police plan to use AI to screen videos from public to nab traffic offenders, issue summonses faster

The Traffic Police receive about 3,000 videos of alleged traffic violations submitted by the public every month.

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Grab extends 90-cent fuel surcharge, higher GrabCab metered fares till July 31

Announced in March, they were supposed to run until May 31.

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Investigations ongoing after illegal cigarettes found among instant noodle packets: S’pore Customs

ICA officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of a consignment declared as instant noodles.

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Singapore’s top swimmer Letitia Sim announces shock retirement

The 23-year-old had a standout campaign at the 2025 SEA Games, winning five golds in Thailand.

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Eat to ‘lift’: Svelte Pursuit Of Jade star Tian Xiwei says her big appetite keeps her strong

The Chinese actress attended the launch of the Generation Gucci collection at Gucci’s MBS store on May 22.

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