Singapore says Lawrence Wong will take over as prime minister on May 15 | Politics News

Singapore says Lawrence Wong will take over as prime minister on May 15 | Politics News

Wong, currently deputy prime minister, will replace Lee Hsien Loong who has led the city-state since 2004. Singapore has announced that Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will take over as the country’s next leader on May 15. Wong, 51, will succeed Lee Hsien Loong who has held the top job…

Singapore’s economy misses forecasts with 2.7 percent growth | Business and Economy

Singapore’s economy misses forecasts with 2.7 percent growth | Business and Economy

City-state’s performance is closely watched as a barometer of global economic conditions. Singapore’s economy grew slower than expected in the first quarter, as a struggling manufacturing sector weighed on tourism spending from events including Taylor Swift’s concerts. The city-state’s economic performance is often seen as a barometer of the global…

Singapore ‘tightens screws’ on Myanmar generals with arms trade crackdown | Conflict News

Singapore ‘tightens screws’ on Myanmar generals with arms trade crackdown | Conflict News

Bangkok, Thailand – Singapore has responded to United Nations pressure by cracking down on sales of weapons through its territory to Myanmar, delivering a serious blow to the embattled generals, who seized power in a coup more than three years ago. Thomas Andrews, the UN special rapporteur on the human…

Singapore’s ex-transport minister hit with 8 new charges in corruption case | Corruption News

Singapore’s ex-transport minister hit with 8 new charges in corruption case | Corruption News

S Iswaran accused of receiving gifts worth $14,000 from individual who had business dealings with Transport Ministry. Singapore’s former Transport Minister S Iswaran has been slapped with eight new charges in a rare corruption case involving the city-state’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). The charges relate to allegations that Iswaran…

‘Insane’: Xi’s call for ethnic Chinese to tell Beijing’s story stirs anger | Politics News

‘Insane’: Xi’s call for ethnic Chinese to tell Beijing’s story stirs anger | Politics News

In late February, 59-year-old Phillip Chan Man Ping became the first person in Singapore to be officially designated a “politically significant person”. The city-state’s authorities had already announced that Chan had “shown susceptibility to being influenced by foreign actors, and willingness to advance their interests” and that Chan’s activities “were…

Record number of people executed for drug offences in 2023 | Death Penalty News

Record number of people executed for drug offences in 2023 | Death Penalty News

In its annual report, Harm Reduction International says at least 467 drug-related executions took place last year. At least 467 people were executed for drug offences in 2023, a new record, according to Harm Reduction International (HRI), an NGO that has been tracking the use of the death penalty for…

South Korea to China: Why is East Asia producing so few babies? | Demographics News

South Korea to China: Why is East Asia producing so few babies? | Demographics News

South Korea’s low birthrate has been declared a national emergency despite its government’s efforts to incentivise people into parenthood by paying 2 million won ($1,510) on the birth of each child as well as providing a host of other benefits to parents. The country is one of several in East…

Singapore’s PM defends Taylor Swift exclusivity deal amid regional grumbles | Entertainment News

Singapore’s PM defends Taylor Swift exclusivity deal amid regional grumbles | Entertainment News

Lee Hsien Loong says deal to lure pop star not ‘unfriendly’ to other countries in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s prime minister has defended striking a deal with Taylor Swift to ensure she did not perform in any other Southeast Asian country following complaints from regional neighbours. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong…

After decades touting openness, Singapore sees foreign meddling threat | Politics

After decades touting openness, Singapore sees foreign meddling threat | Politics

Singapore – For decades, Singapore marketed itself as one of the world’s most open and globalised economies to compensate for its diminutive territory and lack of natural resources. Now the Southeast Asian city-state is confronting a new challenge: retaining the magic ingredients of its success while guarding against foreign interference that…

China’s C919 jetliner showcased at Singapore Airshow | Aviation

China’s C919 jetliner showcased at Singapore Airshow | Aviation

Biennial air show opens to the public for the first time since the onset of the COVID-pandemic in 2020. China’s C919 jetliner is being showcased at Asia’s biggest airshow, as its Beijing-backed manufacturer seeks buyers for the country’s first homegrown passenger jet. Chinese state-run aerospace firm COMAC has touted the…