| name | news-snapshot |
| description | Retrieve and summarize current international and Singapore news stories with headlines, brief context, and source links in a professional executive format. Use when you need a quick daily news briefing with verified sources. |
News Snapshot Skill
Retrieve top international and Singapore news stories for quick daily briefings.
Overview
This skill provides a concise, scannable news summary with:
- 2 international news stories with headline, 1-sentence context, and source link
- 2 Singapore-specific news stories with headline, 1-sentence context, and source link
- Professional format optimized for executive reading
When to Use
Use this skill when you need:
- A quick daily news briefing
- Current events context
- International and regional perspective
- A structured news snapshot for morning briefs or status updates
Workflow
Step 1: Search for Current News
Use web_search to find recent stories:
- International headlines: Search for top news from major sources (Reuters, AP, BBC, Bloomberg)
- Singapore headlines: Search for top Singapore news from CNA, Straits Times, TODAY
Suggested search queries:
"international news today" or "world news latest""Singapore news today" or "latest Singapore headlines"
Step 2: Extract and Verify Information
For each story, gather these elements:
- Headline: Clear, concise story title (keep under 12 words)
- Context: 1-2 sentences maximum explaining the story's significance and why it matters
- Source: News organization name
- URL: Direct link to the full article
Selection criteria:
- Published within the last 24 hours (or most recent available)
- High-credibility sources (established news organizations)
- Stories with meaningful relevance or impact
- Mix of different topics for variety
Step 3: Format as Executive Summary
Produce output in this professional format:
# News Snapshot
*Generated: [Day, Month Date, Year at Time]*
## 🌍 International News
### 1. [Headline]
[1-2 sentence context explaining the story's significance.]
*Source: [Organization](URL)*
### 2. [Headline]
[1-2 sentence context explaining the story's significance.]
*Source: [Organization](URL)*
## 🇸🇬 Singapore News
### 1. [Headline]
[1-2 sentence context explaining the story's significance.]
*Source: [Organization](URL)*
### 2. [Headline]
[1-2 sentence context explaining the story's significance.]
*Source: [Organization](URL)*
Best Practices
- Keep context concise: Maximum 1-2 sentences; focus on why the story matters, not every detail
- Include direct links: Always provide clickable source URLs for easy reference
- Prioritize recency: Prefer stories from today or yesterday; fall back to recent trending stories if nothing fresh available
- Verify credibility: Use established, reputable news sources only (avoid blogs, opinion pieces, or unknown sources)
- Stick to facts: Report what happened; avoid commentary or speculation
- Balance coverage: Include mix of business, politics, technology, and human interest stories
- Use consistent formatting: Maintain the structure above for easy scanning
Automated Integration
The scripts/fetch_news.py script provides a template structure for integrating real news APIs. To activate:
- Subscribe to a news API (NewsAPI.org, mediastack, Ezoic, etc.)
- Update the
fetch_international_news() and fetch_singapore_news() functions with actual API calls
- Parse JSON responses to extract headlines, context, and URLs
- Execute the script on a schedule (cron job, Lambda function, etc.)
Tips for Quality Output
- If recent news is limited, include 1-2 day old stories rather than forcing outdated content
- Always verify URLs work before including them
- For Singapore news, prioritize CNA, Straits Times, and TODAY as primary sources
- For international news, Reuters, AP, and Bloomberg are most authoritative
