Yee Loon

A body was recovered from the sea near Woodlands Waterfront Jetty on 7 November, after a man reportedly fell into the water earlier that day. A large-scale search-and-rescue operation was launched after he was reported missing. The man had been performing cleanup work near the jetty when the tragedy struck.

Malaysian Communication Minister Fahmi Fadzil assured Parliament on 7 Nov that the government has no plans to block internet messaging services or social media platforms failing to register for new licences after 1 January 2025. While the government claims the licensing framework aims to address cybercrimes, civil society groups warn it could stifle free speech, lack transparency, and grant excessive control to authorities, threatening democracy and public discourse.

At least six Malaysian peacekeepers were injured in a drone strike on 7 November near Saida, Lebanon. The attack also left three Lebanese soldiers wounded and claimed the lives of three civilians. The Lebanese Army has attributed the assault to Israeli forces. One Malaysian peacekeeper sustained a suspected arm fracture and was subsequently transported to Hamood Hospital in Saida for treatment, according to the Malaysian Army.

The High Court of Malaysia has ordered former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to pay RM1.35 million in damages to Lim Guan Eng for defamation. The case stemmed from false claims regarding the revocation of a charity's tax exemption, with the court deeming Muhyiddin's statements baseless and harmful.

A 25-year-old Singaporean student tragically died following a stabbing on Wednesday night in central Brussels. The incident occurred on Sint-Pietersstraat, where two 18-year-old suspects allegedly attacked the student after a confrontation. Police promptly detained the suspects and are conducting an investigation.

Australia's telecom regulator has fined Singtel-owned Optus A$12 million (US$7.98 million) for failing to provide emergency call services during a nationwide outage in November 2023, affecting over 2,100 people who were unable to call triple-zero. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found Optus also neglected critical welfare checks, prompting new regulatory measures for telecom safety standards.

An accident involving an over-height vehicle occurred at the Cairnhill Circle entrance of the CTE tunnel towards Seletar Expressway on 8 November. A yellow lorry was involved in the incident, resulting in significant traffic delays. The driver was arrested for illegal operation of a heavy vehicle.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor to Bangladesh's Interim Government, called on Singapore to assist in recovering billions of dollars laundered from Bangladesh and to work together on reducing migration costs. Singapore's ambassador to Bangladesh pledged cooperation on both fronts.

A Singaporean man was charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking police with an improvised flamethrower at Pasir Ris Park on 8 November. Authorities believe he lured officers to the scene with false information. Heng faces multiple charges and will return to court on 29 November.

Tun Daim Zainuddin, Malaysia’s former finance minister and a key economic strategist, passed away on 13 November at age 86. Daim, who played pivotal roles in two terms as finance minister and recently faced charges, died while receiving hospital care, confirmed by his lawyer.