Singapore’s new law to protect platform workers; Employers more optimistic about hiring in Q4: Singapore live news

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn is officially the No.1 female breaker in the world.

Yes, you read that right.

Gunn, who is also known as B-Girl Raygun, sits top of the current rankings published by the governing body for breakdancing, World DanceSport Federation (WDSF).

Raygun received international media coverage – most of it negative – after she scored zero points at the Paris Olympics for a performance which went viral on social media.

The interest around Raygun has reached levels where the recent release of the WDSF rankings led to the body being inundated with requests to explain.

The WDSF clarified their rankings are updated based on each athlete’s top four performances within the past 12 months while points earned remain valid for 52 weeks from the event.

As the WDSF wanted athletes to focus on the Olympics “without the added pressure of additional ranking events” they did not include results from the Olympic Qualifier Series in Shanghai (May 2024), the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest (June 2024) and the Olympic Games in Paris (August 2024) as part of their ranking.

And since Raygun won one of the last non-Olympics events (2023 WDSF Oceania Championships), she is the top ranked female breaker with 1,000 ranking points.

Fans of Uncle Roger turned out in force to support the launch of his first restaurant.

The comedian, whose real name is Nigel Ng, opened the doors of restaurant FUIYOH! It’s Uncle Roger on Wednesday at Malaysian mall Pavilion KL.

Eager diners were waiting to queue up even before the mall had started daily operations.

“I reached here at 9.50am from Bandar Sunway, way before the mall opened its door,” a fan told the Malay Mail.

Uncle Roger is best known for his wickedly funny food reviews, in particular those on egg fried rice, which has earned him over 9.6M followers on YouTube.

But with the opening of his first restaurant, the famed critic, who has ridiculed the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, could now find himself on the receiving end of humorous reviews of his own cooking.

Singapore Airlines was recently named as Asia's Leading Airline 2024 at the 31st World Travel Awards (WTA).

This is the sixth year in a row Singapore’s iconic airlines has won the award and they beat out 13 other airlines for the title.

WTA was established in 1993 to celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry, and their awards cover an extensive list of categories for Asia and other regions around the world.

In this year’s edition, Singapore Airlines also won Asia's Leading Airline - First Class 2024, Asia's Leading Airline Brand 2024 and Asia's Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean 2024, on top of being recognised as the region’s best airline.

Meanwhile, Asia's Leading Airport 2024 category went to Hong Kong International Airport which came out on top against 10 other nominated airports – including Singapore’s Changi Airport.

This was the second year in a row HKIA has won the award while Changi Airport were winners back in 2022.

You can read about WTA's methodology here.

Taylor Swift knows how to make an entrance.

The ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ hitmaker caused a stir with a perfectly timed – and brutally executed – endorsement of Kamala Harris for the US presidential election.

Swift swept in on Instagram, just moments after the presidential debate, with a clear message of support for Harris while signing off her post as “Childless Cat Lady” accompanied by a picture of her holding one of her cats.

The reference was a punch towards comments made by Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance who complained the US was being run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”

In the IG post, Swift explained she was endorsing Harris “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift said.

The sixth storey of the Tong Building in Orchard Road has sold for a record rate, according to a report.

Bloomberg News reported the office floor is being sold for $31.3 million which is $4,562 per square foot based on its 6,867 square feet floor area. The publication understands the office floor is being sold by Nanyang Holdings while the purchaser is private healthcare group Parkway Hospitals Singapore.

The reported figure beats the previous record rate of $4,325 per square foot set last year for a full floor office space at Solitaire On Cecil which is located on Cecil Street in the CBD.

Tong Building is in a prime Orchard Road location next to luxury mall Paragon and the connecting Paragon Medical Centre while Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Medical Centre is also nearby.

Almost half of employers in Singapore plan to hire for the October to December period, according to the latest Employment Outlook Survey from ManpowerGroup.

The workforce solutions company surveyed 525 employers in Singapore and found that 46% plan to hire in Q4 while 17% anticipate a decrease in their staffing levels.

The report said the Net Employment Outlook (NEO) after seasonal adjustment is +29%. This figure grew 9% from last quarter but weakened 7% year-over-year.

According to ManpowerGroup, NEO is calculated by subtracting the percentage of employers who anticipate reductions in staffing levels from those who plan to hire.

The report also found that employers in eight of nine sectors surveyed expect to increase headcount – the most competitive sector was Financials and Real Estate with a NEO of +64% which was a rise from 49% last quarter.

“The growing emphasis on quantum and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within financial institutions is anticipated to fuel job creation in Singapore's Financials and Real Estate sector,” said Linda Teo, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Singapore.

A more detailed look at the Employment Outlook Survey findings can be found here.

Private-hire drivers, taxi drivers and delivery workers who rely on online gig-matching platforms for income will get better labour protection in Singapore from 1 January next year.

Singapore’s Parliament passed a landmark bill on 10 September which will see platform workers grouped under a new category separate from freelancers and employees.

Once the Platform Workers Bill is in effect, companies classified as platform operators must provide greater labour protection for their platform workers in a number of ways.

“Platform workers brave the elements to bring us convenience through their transport and delivery services. I’m glad that platform operators, workers, insurers and consumers agree that we ought to do more for our platform workers,” said Senior Minister of State for Manpower, Koh Poh Koon, who fronted the second reading of the Bill.

The main areas highlighted in the Bill were for platform operators to aid platform workers with their housing and retirement needs through CPF contributions, providing financial compensation for work-related injuries, and the formalisation of the new legal framework Platform Work Associations (PWAs).

“Together, we have crafted a solution that benefits both workers and businesses, ensuring fair treatment while preserving the flexibility that gig work offers,” said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Facebook.

“It’s another meaningful step forward in our ongoing efforts to renew and strengthen our social compact,” PM Wong said.

A more detailed look at the Platform Workers Bill, here.