While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 22, 2025
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PM Lawrence Wong said HDB will continue to price new flats in relation to income and not the resale market, to make sure public housing remains affordable.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
‘We will always keep public housing affordable for Singaporeans’
Public housing will always be kept affordable for Singaporeans, both now and in the future, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
He gave this assurance during a dialogue on Jan 21 with close to 900 student participants across various education institutions at the University Cultural Centre in NUS.
The Housing Board will continue to price new flats in relation to income and not the resale market, to make sure public housing remains affordable, PM Wong said.
“We are able, through heavy government subsidies, through what we do on the HDB side, to provide assurance to all of you, both now and in the future, that we will always keep public housing affordable for Singaporeans,” he said.
Zelensky talks peacekeepers, European defence at WEF
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is seeking a meeting with US President Donald Trump, said on Jan 21 that at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal.
The Ukrainian leader, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland a day after Mr Trump returned to power following months of promises to end the war in Ukraine quickly, also urged European leaders to do more to defend the continent.
The prospect of a rapid settlement has focused minds in Kyiv and Europe on the urgent need for security guarantees to prevent any future Russian attack, with the idea of peacekeeping force circulating.
Rare snowstorm blankets Houston and New Orleans
A rare winter storm churned across the US Gulf Coast on Jan 21, bringing heavy snow, ice and wind gusts to a region where flurries are unusual, while much of the United States remained in a dangerous deep freeze.
As the storm moved east, crews near Houston ploughed highways, while downtown streets, covered in white, were virtually deserted during the morning rush.
In the centre of Houston, few people ventured out into the snow as some restaurants and bars remained closed. The Houston metro rail was running but passengers were scarce. Schools were closed on Jan 21 and 22 as the city expected about 10cm of snow to fall.
Trump’s UN pick blasts ‘anti-Semitic rot’ in world body
Donald Trump’s nominee to represent Washington at the United Nations railed against “anti-Semitic rot” in the global organisation as she was grilled by senators at her confirmation hearing on Jan 21.
New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik noted that America contributes more to the UN than any other country and called for reform to ensure its tax dollars were not “propping up entities that are counter to American interests, anti-Semitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism.”
A right-wing firebrand who was considered a moderate before the Trump era, Ms Stefanik is seen as one of the most vocal supporters in Congress of both Israel and US Jewish causes.
Haaland ‘confident’ over outcome of Man City charges
AFP
Erling Haaland said on Jan 21 he needed no reassurances from Manchester City over the outcome of a major disciplinary case hanging over the club before signing a new record deal to stay at the Etihad Stadium until 2034.
“No I haven’t thought of that or anything. I am confident that the club know what they are doing and I really don’t think I should speak too much about this,” Haaland said, at a press conference in Paris ahead of City’s vital Jan 22 Champions League clash between City and Paris Saint-Germain.
The Premier League champions are awaiting the verdict following a hearing related to 115 alleged breaches of financial rules.
