If you’ve left your Valentine’s Day plans to the last minute, or are looking for fun activities over the Chinese New Year period, the SG Culture Pass might just be your saving grace. 

Forget the overdone coffee-and-dinner-date routine. This Valentine’s Day, popular dating app Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) hopes to bring some spice and intention to your dates as it partners with SG Culture Pass for a year-long collaboration. The theme is “Date with intention: Culture brings us closer”, which reframes cultural activities as meaningful, low-pressure date ideas that go beyond the usual dinner or cafe meet-ups. Think: puzzle hunts in quirky neighbourhoods, pottery, perfume-making and cat-filled art jams.

They've rolled out their first batch of 11 promotions, but today, we arm you with the ultimate last-minute guide on SG Culture Pass-friendly date ideas with your Valentine (or Galentine!), or just fun ways to enrich the Chinese New Year period.

FRAMED: MURDER MYSTERY AT NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE

You’ve been accused of a crime you didn’t commit. Your mission? Clear your name by exploring the National Gallery in a high-stakes hunt through one of Singapore’s most beautiful historic buildings. Powered by WhatsApp, this self-guided escape game uses artworks to solve puzzles, reveal secrets and challenge your perception of identity. It’s also a great way to test the waters with your date in a time of crisis and if they really are a beauty with brains.

The first 15 CMB couples get priority access for the 4pm sessions until Feb 15 (5 couples per day), redeemable with SG Culture Pass credits. Slots for Feb 14 are still available. 

More details on the website.

ACRYLIC PAINTING WORKSHOP

Unwind in a beautifully designed studio with a free-and-easy painting session. Whether you are a beginner or a pro, instructors are there for you with tips, techniques, and colour ideas. It’s a low-pressure way to get to know someone while creating something tangible. You will be given a canvas to work on with all painting materials and tools provided.

On this date, you won’t even have to worry about flowers, because the first 10 CMB couples to book get priority access for the Feb 15 workshop using SG Culture Pass credits, plus a limited-edition flower bouquet. Slots for Feb 14 are still available. 

More details on the website.

RANSACK PUZZLE HUNT: THE FEAST OF FURY

Think you know Chinatown? Think again. This immersive outdoor game takes you through various landmarks to solve location-based puzzles. It’s the perfect flexible, self-paced adventure during the festive season as you re-explore this iconic heritage area with your company.

CMB couples? You get a 20 per cent discount on ticket purchases, redeemable with SG Culture Pass credits. Slots for Feb 14 are still available.

More details on the website.

MONOPOLY: HIDDEN SINGAPORE – LOVE, LOST & FOUND

This isn't your average board game. Inspired by the classic Monopoly, this "in-world" adventure turns the city into a living game board. The first story in the series, Love, Lost & Found, weaves a heartwarming love story into a search for Singapore’s hidden treasures. Maybe your own will blossom, too.

The first 10 CMB couples to book receive a 10 per cent discount on tickets. Slots for Feb 14 are still available.

More details on the website.

MONOPOLY: HIDDEN SINGAPORE – A REAL-LIFE NEIGHBOURHOOD DISCOVERY GAME (JOO CHIAT)

Another one of Monopoly’s “in-world” adventures, this one takes you through the culture-packed neighbourhood of Joo Chiat where boredom can never strike. Hit the streets with Mr. Monopoly and his companion, Void Deck Cat. Begin your journey by passing Go! at Kim Choo Kueh Chang. Collect your Utility Bag with M$200 Monopoly Money to spend at curated local spots, and a limited-edition Chance Card souvenir that unlocks exclusive perks when revealed.

The first 10 CMB couples to book receive a 10 per cent discount on ticket purchases. Slots for Feb 14 are still available.

More details on the website.

ART JAMMING WITH CATS

Nestled in Enabling Village, Wildflower Studio offers a 2.5-hour semi-guided art jamming session where your jam buddies are actual cats. As part of a fostering program, these cats are socialised through art sessions, making this the "purr-fect" date for animal lovers. 

Your session will include an introduction to all cats and feeding of treats during cat circle time, and a lunch service for cats for all 10am sessions. While not available on Feb 14 and 15, limited slots remain on Feb 16 and 18 for a de-stress session.

More details on the website.

PERSONALISED PERFUME WORKSHOP BY ZUBYR PARFUMS

Bring home an aromatic keepsake from your date or spoil yourself with a scent that is uniquely yours. This two-hour immersive experience guides you through a library of over 200 ingredients, exploring the heritage of perfumery in Singapore and Middle Eastern fragrance traditions.

You will learn how natural scents (flowers, woods, resins, spices) are extracted, build your custom fragrance with guidance from the perfumer and take home 30ml of your personalised perfume that you will create. Slots are only available Feb 15 onwards.

More details on the website.

POTTERS ON THE WHEEL POTTERY EXPERIENCE CLASS

Get your hands dirty with a two-hour pottery workshop. You will make two pottery pieces, like simple bowls or cups, on a spinning pottery wheel using authentic potter's tools. Perfect for beginners, you will learn the basics with experienced teachers for a relaxing session. Or get your creative juices flowing with some clay and craft any experimental ceramic art pieces. Slots are only available Feb 15 onwards.

More details on the website.

PERFUMED BY SMOKE: AN INCENSE APPRECIATION JOURNEY

Delve into the ancient art of incense burning with perfumer Johari Kazura. This workshop explores how scents like oud, frankincense, and buhoor shaped the Kampong Gelam community in the 70s and 80s.

Enjoy live demonstrations and engage the senses by touching, smelling, and exploring raw incense materials in their natural form. Slots for Feb 14 are still available.

More details on the website.

BATIK PAINTING WORKSHOP

Create your own batik artwork in a 2-hour batik painting workshop. You’ll learn the meditative wax-resist technique to create your own batik handkerchief, a craft recognised by UNESCO. All materials will be provided for a relaxing crafts session rooted in culture. Slots for Feb 14 are still available. 

More details on the website.

SINGAPORE: A new workgroup set up to strengthen Singapore's growth capital markets will seek to close the gap between private funding and public listings, said Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) deputy chairman Chee Hong Tat on Friday (Feb 13).

Companies can borrow from banks or raise capital through public markets, and stronger private markets would be a "useful complement", said Mr Chee, who will chair the Growth Capital Workgroup.

Different components of the ecosystem will reinforce one another, and the network effect will allow Singapore to increase the range of services and options for companies and investors, he said.

The workgroup was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during his Budget 2026 speech, and will recommend measures to support the financing needs of companies in Singapore and the region across various growth stages.

It will look into areas such as venture capital, private equity and private credit, as well as the ways to improve deal origination, facilitate capital raising and enable effective capital recycling.

High net worth individuals and family offices are potential contributors to Singapore's private markets, said Mr Chee.

"While bank loans have traditionally been the main mode of financing in Asian economies, more diverse sources of capital will benefit companies and economies in this region," MAS and Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a joint statement.

Mr Chee, who is also the Minister for National Development, said companies in Asia are expanding and growing, while investors are interested in opportunities in the region.

"The supply of capital and the demand for capital presents an opportunity for us as a trusted financial hub to see how we can benefit from this growth," he said.

Private markets can provide capital to companies that are not yet ready for a public listing, he said, adding that infrastructure is an area with potential because there is a lot of development going on in Asia, and that requires long-term capital.

Foreign companies that may not be able to raise capital in their home countries could do so in Singapore instead.

Mr Chee highlighted existing gaps in the system that the workgroup will aim to close, including high-tech startups that may not be connected with investors who can fully appreciate the work that they do and the financing needs that they have.

"We still can further develop some of the resources and capabilities in our ecosystem to do this better," he said, adding that it will boost Singapore's financial services industry, create jobs and support entrepreneurship.

Executive director and CEO of Temasek Holdings Dilhan Pillay and DBS CEO Tan Su Shan will be part of the workgroup, along with other representatives including MAS managing director Chia Der Jiun and senior parliamentary secretary for finance Shawn Huang.

The group aims to complete its review by the end of 2027, and will provide interim updates on its recommendations along the way.

SINGAPORE: An SBS Transit bus caught fire along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) on Friday (Feb 13) morning.

In response to a query from CNA, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was alerted to a fire involving a bus along the PIE in the direction of Tuas before the Clementi Road exit at around 11.45am and that it extinguished the fire using two water jets.

"There were no reported injuries," said SCDF, adding that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu told CNA that the bus involved in the fire was an off-service bus.

"There were no passengers on board and the bus captain was unhurt in the incident," she said, adding that SBS Transit is also investigating the cause of the fire.

In a post on social media platform X at 12.15pm, the Land Transport Authority said that an accident had occurred on the PIE towards Tuas after the Bukit Timah Expressway exit. 

The authority said that congestion had built up to Adam Road and advised motorists to avoid the second to fourth lanes of the expressway in the area.

In footage of the incident sent to CNA by a reader, the bus is seen engulfed in flames on the shoulder of the expressway.

A photo taken by another CNA reader subsequently shows the burnt-out wreckage of the bus.

SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old man was charged on Friday (Feb 13) with the attempted murder of a woman.

Panneer Selvam Ayyappan, an Indian national, is accused of slashing Ms Fajar Nur Aini, an Indonesian national who is also 30, on the head, neck and arms with an axe in the vicinity of 11 Sims View at around 7am on Wednesday.

He allegedly had the intention of causing the death of the woman in circumstances that, if she had died, he would be guilty of murder, his charge sheet read.

The police said in an earlier statement that they were alerted to a case of assault at a residential unit along Sims View at about 7.05am on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigations pointed to the man allegedly attacking the woman with an axe.

The woman sustained injuries and was taken to hospital, where she received treatment.

The police said the pair knew each other.

Panneer will return to court on Feb 20.

If convicted of attempted murder, he could either be jailed for life and caned, or jailed for up to 20 years and fined or caned, or both.

SINGAPORE: The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is rolling out a new initiative to ready workers for artificial intelligence, including training pathways paired with a subsidy for AI tools.

NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng announced the launch of the AI-Ready SG initiative at the NTUC Career Festival on Friday (Feb 13).

More than 5,000 job opportunities by over 70 employers are available at the two-day career fair at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

"We're launching the NTUC AI-Ready SG initiative as a commitment to walk alongside our workers, support them through the change, and ensure a fair and just transition for them in the AI-powered future," said Mr Ng.

He described the initiative as a "one-stop shop" that aims to equip workers with AI skills, support companies in business transformation and job redesign, and improve job matching.

The labour chief acknowledged the challenges that both workers and businesses face when it comes to AI.

Job security was the top concern for one in five workers in NTUC's survey of about 2,000 workers conducted in late 2025.

This job insecurity stemmed from economic uncertainties, AI automation and the fear of skills obsolescence, according to NTUC.

Professionals, managers and executives were also more worried about the impact of AI on their jobs.

At the same time, many businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, say they want to adopt AI but face cost pressures and capability constraints, said Mr Ng.

"That's exactly why NTUC must step up and step in to ensure that Singapore's transition into an AI-enabled economy is fair, inclusive and sustainable for all," he said.

The labour chief was speaking one day after the delivery of the government's Budget 2026 statement, which includes a focus on AI.

Mr Ng said NTUC was "wholeheartedly behind the government's thrust to ensure that Singapore is AI-enabled, AI-ready, both for the businesses and for the workers".

Budget 2026 includes initiatives like "AI missions" to drive AI-led sectoral economic transformation and free premium AI tools for Singaporeans taking selected training courses.

TRAINING, AI TOOLS AND MENTORSHIP

A key effort under AI-Ready SG is to strengthen workers' long-term employability by enabling the learning and application of AI skills in their daily work, NTUC said in a press release.

To achieve this, NTUC LearningHub will launch curated AI training pathways for all workers. This will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2026.

The pathways are tailored to workers' skill level, job and sector, and developed based on skills gaps identified through ground engagements with business and industry.

For example, workers who are starting on their AI skills journey will have a foundational curriculum to build essential AI and digital literacy.

Workers in jobs that are the most impacted by AI will have a job-specific and sector-based curriculum to integrate AI into their workflows more effectively.

Technology professionals and AI practitioners will get a hands-on and technically rigorous curriculum to facilitate business transformation.

The aim is to provide workers with a clear starting point and direction to build their AI skills, said NTUC.

NTUC will also subsidise up to 50 per cent of the subscription costs of eligible AI tools for its members for an initial period of two years. This will be rolled out by the first half of 2026.

The subsidy is meant to give NTUC members greater access to AI tools that enhance productivity and support tasks like content creation and writing.

A new NTUC LearningHub Career Mentorship programme will also connect professionals, managers and executives with certified and experienced mentors.

This will be done through an AI-enabled match-scoring system pairing mentees with mentors aligned to their career goals.

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION

On Friday, NTUC also launched Sectoral AI Playbooks for workers and businesses in the sectors that face the most disruption from AI.

These offer practical insight and resources for workers to start their AI skills journey, and for companies to embark on business transformation and job redesign.

The first three playbooks were released on Friday, focusing on the electronics, marine and engineering sector, the hospitality and consumer business sector and the essential domestic services sector.

NTUC's company training committees and the related grant will continue to anchor its support for better jobs through business transformation and job redesign, said the union.

Company training committees bring union leaders and management together to develop company-level business transformation plans that enhance productivity.

According to NTUC, more than 13,000 workers are expected to benefit from the company training committees grant, in the form of wage increases, skills allowances and structured career pathways.

NTUC pointed out that the number of AI-related projects under the grant that companies embarked on in 2025 more than doubled from 2024.

On Friday, NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) also signed a memorandum of understanding with the National University of Singapore and Singapore Institute of Technology to enhance career readiness and employability support for fresh graduates.

This will be done through joint job matching activities, industry engagements, knowledge exchange and other targeted initiatives, said NTUC.

Paris Baguette outlets in Singapore are now officially MUIS halal-certified, announced the South Korean bakery-cafe chain on Friday (Feb 13). The news comes about five years after Paris Baguette adopted a "no pork, no lard" policy in its outlets here.

A check by CNA Lifestyle on MUIS' halal directory on Friday shows that every Paris Baguette store in Singapore is reflected as halal-certified.

With this, Muslim customers in Singapore can now indulge in Paris Baguette's iconic treats, including its Best Ever Garlic Bread, Fresh Yogurt Cream Cakes and meat sandwiches.

To mark this milestone, Paris Baguette will also be introducing the new K-Lava Tteokbokki Pastry Tart on Feb 19. The item features smoky cheese, white cheddar, chewy rice cake, Gochujang mayo and buttery pastry crumble.

In a statement, Hana Lee, CEO of Paris Baguette for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said: “We’re proud to launch our halal-certified offerings in Singapore, a meaningful milestone for Paris Baguette.

“Singapore is a vibrant multicultural society and going halal underscores our brand’s core commitment to inclusivity and connection within our communities. This allows even more people – families, friends and communities – to come together and enjoy the same quality, taste, and joy that Paris Baguette is known for. We’re truly excited to share this moment with everyone who has supported us."

Launched in South Korea in 1988, Paris Baguette has since grown into a global powerhouse with more than 4,000 outlets worldwide. The chain made its Singapore debut in 2012 at Wisma Atria and has expanded to over 20 locations across the island, including VivoCity and Jewel Changi Airport.

Paris Baguette also revealed during Friday's announcement that it will continue expanding its halal-certified footprint across Southeast Asia and plans to explore new opportunities in the Middle East.

SINGAPORE: Over the past year, artificial intelligence (AI) has been everywhere – in policy speeches, boardrooms, university seminars and dinner conversations.

At some point, repetition creates fatigue. Not because AI is unimportant, but because the conversation can start to feel generic. When everything is about AI, nothing feels concrete.

That is why the announcements in Budget 2026 are more significant than they appear to be.

The decision to establish a National AI Council chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, together with selected “AI missions” in advanced manufacturing, connectivity, finance and healthcare, marks a shift from aspiration to execution.

This is not simply about declaring AI a national priority. It is about choosing where Singapore intends to compete and organising the system to deliver.
 

DEFINING A DIRECTION

The selection of the four sectors is deliberate.

Advanced manufacturing reflects our strengths in precision engineering and high-value production. Connectivity reinforces Singapore’s position as an air and sea hub, where reliability matters as much as innovation. Finance builds on a globally-connected financial centre where regulatory credibility is itself a competitive asset. Healthcare responds to demographic reality, while leveraging our strengths in clinical excellence and systems management.

By naming sectors and framing missions, the government is signalling that AI will not be pursued as a diffuse overlay across everything. It will be deployed deliberately where productivity gains and exportable capabilities can be meaningful.

The more interesting question is what the new AI Council must actually do.

Chaired at the highest level, the council recognises that AI is not a narrow technology issue. It cuts across issues ranging from manpower to education, regulation, data governance, cybersecurity, procurement and public trust.

Without coordination, agencies optimise locally and pilots fail to scale. The value of the council will not lie in producing another strategy document. Instead, it will lie in removing bottlenecks and aligning incentives.

INTEGRATION IS KEY

When it comes to AI, the hard part is not experimentation. It is integration.

That means addressing less glamorous constraints – fragmented data systems, limited interoperability, unclear procurement pathways and uncertainty around governance. Common architecture is what will turn AI from a collection of promising pilots into systemic innovation.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong acknowledged that end-to-end AI transformation demands shared foundations, not piecemeal initiatives. That logic is central to proposals such as the Networks for Humanity Research Institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), which seeks to establish open standards so financial institutions can modernise collectively, rather than in costly and incompatible silos.

In finance, in particular, the integration challenge is becoming structural. As AI evolves from analytics tools into autonomous agents allocating capital, executing compliance and interacting with markets, the underlying infrastructure must adapt. In this case, programmable, quantum-secure and interoperable systems will be prerequisites for stability in AI-driven markets.

TURNING AI ACCESS INTO PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH

The Budget also includes measures to spur adoption, including six months of free access to premium AI tools for Singaporeans who take up selected courses, alongside productivity support for firms.

These are sensible entry points that reduce friction and encourage experimentation, but access to tools does not automatically translate into productivity. The real gains come when organisations rethink workflows, redesign processes and integrate AI into core operations.

Many firms discover that the binding constraint is not access to a model. It is data quality, system integration and organisational readiness. Without addressing these, AI will remain an interesting add-on, rather than a transformative capability.

At the individual level, the same principle applies. Prompting skills are useful but durable advantage comes from combining domain expertise with AI fluency. The worker who understands both the workflow and the tool will outperform the one who simply knows how to operate the interface.

In line with this logic, discussions are underway for a new master’s programme at the NUS Business School. With a focus on AI in business, this will give professionals a structured way to build strategic capabilities to work with and alongside the technology.

This is why the deeper strategic question is whether Singapore can convert early AI adoption into sustained productivity growth – a necessity for a mature economy facing demographic constraints.

If deployed effectively in manufacturing, AI can raise output without proportionate increases in labour. In finance, it can strengthen risk management and compliance, while improving customer experience.

AI can help manage rising demand in healthcare without overwhelming human capacity, while in connectivity, it can reinforce our role as a trusted node in global networks.

With a prime minister-chaired council showing priority and sector missions signalling focus, the next thing to watch will be measurable outcomes. Are turnaround times falling? Are error rates declining? Are new AI-enabled products being exported? Are workers being redeployed into higher-value roles rather than displaced into uncertainty?

If Singapore can combine coordination, institutional capacity and speed, this may well be remembered not as another AI headline, but the moment when ambition became advantage.

Sumit Agarwal is the Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance, Economics and Real Estate at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, and the managing director of the Sustainable and Green Finance Institute at NUS. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not represent the views and opinions of NUS.