ASEAN’s Proposed Resilience Measures Must Go Into ‘Full Gear’, but Domestic Priorities a Stumbling Block
At the 48th ASEAN Summit, leaders agreed to accelerate regional resilience measures amid Middle‑East supply shocks, including a proposed fuel stockpile and a standby food‑security arrangement. The ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA) was highlighted as a framework for collective oil assistance, but ratification remains incomplete. ASEAN also discussed expanding the ASEAN Plus‑Three Emergency Rice Reserve to cover fertilisers and advancing a fully integrated Southeast Asian power grid. Domestic priorities and differing national interests are cited as the main obstacles to swift regional implementation.
Commentary: What the Trump-Xi Meeting in Beijing Means for Asia
President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing, aiming to extend the one‑year US‑China trade truce agreed at the Busan summit last October. The talks occur amid the worst global energy shock in decades, driven...
Reduced Speeds, Fewer Promotions: How the Singapore Cruise Industry Is Staying Afloat as Marine Fuel Prices Surge
Marine fuel prices have more than doubled, pushing Singapore‑based cruise operators to cut speeds, reroute ships and add modest surcharges. Despite these cost pressures, international cruise arrivals at Singapore rose 10 percent year‑on‑year in March, with strong demand from Indonesia, mainland...
Singaporean Designer Grace Ling Makes Met Gala Debut with Custom Charles & Keith Heels and 3D-Printed Piece
Grace Ling, a Singapore‑born designer and 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, made a striking Met Gala debut on May 4, 2026. She wore a 3‑D‑printed aero‑aluminium bodice inspired by Salvador Dali, produced in just three weeks, paired with custom Charles & Keith heels....
Age Well Neighbourhood Initiative to Be Rolled Out to Three More Areas as Singapore Hits Super-Aged Status
Singapore, now classified as super‑aged with over 21% of citizens 65+, is expanding its Age Well Neighbourhood programme to three additional towns—Bedok, Bukit Panjang and Tiong Bahru‑Redhill. The rollout adds senior‑friendly infrastructure, enhanced community health posts, and home personal care that will...
4 Types of Drugs that May Increase Your Dementia Risk
A recent analysis highlights four medication classes—anticholinergic antihistamines, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and proton‑pump inhibitors (PPIs)—that may elevate dementia risk, especially with chronic use. Observational studies suggest antihistamines could increase risk by roughly 50%, while antipsychotics and benzodiazepines show mixed but concerning...
New Workgroup to Tackle Singapore’s Falling Fertility Rate to Release Full Report in Early 2027
Singapore’s total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 0.87, prompting the government to form the Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup. Chaired by Minister Indranee Rajah, the group will study marriage, childcare costs, housing, preschool and workplace support, and will...
Corruption Cases Fall to 68 in 2025, Lowest on Record: CPIB Report
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau reported that Singapore recorded only 68 new corruption cases in 2025, the lowest figure ever. The bureau received 160 corruption‑related reports, 56 of them anonymous, and prosecuted 90 individuals, 84 from the private sector. A...
Singapore Must Use Technology for Law Enforcement Judiciously, Given Privacy Concerns: Ong Ye Kung
Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung told reporters in Hangzhou that Singapore must deploy law‑enforcement technology judiciously, balancing security gains with privacy safeguards. He cited the installation of cameras in public areas of HDB blocks, which helped curb...
How Might the ‘Major’ US-Indonesia Defence Partnership Impact Southeast Asia?
The United States and Indonesia announced a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) covering military modernisation, training, and joint exercises. The pact marks an upward trajectory in bilateral ties after years of cautious engagement and signals Jakarta’s intent to boost its...
Commentary: Will Cuba Be the US’ Next Misadventure?
President Donald Trump has floated the idea of a rapid U.S. military intervention in Cuba once the Iran campaign ends, citing the island’s crumbling economy and a perceived opportunity for a quick political win. Cuba’s 11‑million‑person economy is in free‑fall,...
Story Idea, Article Elements, Wording 'Designed to Stick the Knife’ Into Shanmugam, Tan See Leng: Lawyer
Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng sued Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei for a December 2024 article that they claim defamed them by suggesting their Good Class Bungalow (GCB) purchases were secretive, premium‑paying deals. The article cited...
Former Raffles United Holdings Managing Director Fined S$430,000 for Manipulating Market to Inflate Share Price
Former Raffles United Holdings managing director Gilbert Teo was fined S$430,000 (about $318,000) after a court found he manipulated share trading to prop up the company’s price between June 2017 and April 2018. He used a brother‑owned trading account and directed an employee...
Patek Philippe’s 50th Anniversary Nautilus Collection and Other New Releases at Watches and Wonders 2026
Patek Philippe celebrated the Nautilus line’s 50th anniversary at Watches and Wonders 2026 by unveiling four limited‑edition Nautilus models, ranging from 38 mm platinum to 41 mm white‑gold cases, each capped at 1,000‑2,000 pieces. The brand also introduced a desk‑watch version of the...
Super Junior’s Leeteuk and Heechul Form New Sub-Unit, Bringing Fan-Con Tour to Singapore on Oct 16
Super Junior’s veteran members Leeteuk and Heechul are forming a new sub‑unit called Super Junior‑83z, slated to debut in July 2026. The duo will launch a “fan‑con” tour that blends concert performance with interactive fan‑meeting elements, beginning in Seoul and...