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The Singapore economy grew at an unexpected pace in the first quarter of the year, led by gains in the manufacturing sector, reversing three quarters of contraction. Growth may continue to surprise for another quarter, partly helped by low base-year effects, and challenge the higher limit of the official forecast for this year.

A woman who slapped her maid so hard that she suffered a temporary loss of hearing was sentenced to seven months' jail yesterday. Former prison counsellor Gayathri Iyer, 51, (right) was convicted in February following a trial of two counts of abusing her maid, Myanmar national Thang Khaw Lam, 30.

China's effort to expand its growing influence represents one of the largest threats to the United States, said a major annual intelligence report, which also warned of the broad national security challenges posed by Moscow and Beijing. The assessment highlights the opportunities and challenges for the Biden administration.

Between 2015 and last year, an average of 3,920 transnational couples a year applied to undergo a pre-marriage assessment that looks at the likelihood of the foreigner qualifying for a long-term visit pass after tying the knot with the Singaporean. The assessment was introduced in January 2015.

Ride-hailing firm Grab has bought a stake in Indonesian conglomerate Emtek, a signal that their digital payment firms - Ovo and Dana - may be merged. Grab is said to have bought a stake of around 4 per cent, valued at more than 4 trillion rupiah (S$366 million), in a recent private placement sale of Emtek shares.

This will not be the year for a juggernaut - a movie that sweeps the categories - at the Oscars. Instead, the major prizes will be split among a handful of films that celebrate the working class, black history and the immigrant experience - such as Best Picture nominees Nomadland and Judas And The Black Messiah.