Singapore's resident total fertility rate (TFR) reached a new low of 0.87 in 2025, revealed Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 26).Speaking at the committee of supply debate for the Prime Minister's Office, DPM Gan said that low birth rates and population will «profoundly» affect Singapore.«Low birth rates and population will profoundly shape our nation, our society and our economy in the years ahead of us. Even with immigration, the growth of our citizen population has slowed over the decade.» Singapore's birth rates fell from 0.9 per cent per annum between 2015 and 2019, to 0.8 per cent between 2020 and 2024, and falling further to 0.7 per cent in 2025.DPM Gan also cautioned that Singapore's citizen population will start to shrink by the early part of the 2040s if no new measures are taken.Echoing what PM Lawrence Wong said during the earlier Budget debate wrap-up, DPM Gan said that Singapore «cannot give up» on improving its birth rates.

Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers called the bluff on the driver of a Malaysia-registered lorry during checks at Tuas Checkpoint on Feb 13.In a post on its Facebook on Thursday (Feb 26), ICA said the lorry, driven by a 38-year-old Malaysian man, declared its consignment of goods as machine and mechanical appliances.The lorry was directed for further checks where search and examination officers uncovered more than 2,400 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes.The driver was arrested and the case referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act. Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both. Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods may also be forfeited. [[nid:730465]]editor@asiaone.com

Ni-Vanuatu rapper Mantis (Ethan-Xavier Hakwa) has arrived in Australia this week ahead of his performance at WOMADelaide, the country’s largest international music, arts, and dance festival.

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for rape on Tanna in 2020.

Vanuatu secured limited but important discussions at the Pacific Agenda Investment, Security and Shared Prosperity Summit in Hawaii this week, with two priority projects formally placed on the table. Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister of Finance Johnny Koanapo said…

The Court of Appeal (COA) has set aside the Supreme Court's VT500,000 damage award to the former General Manager (GM) of the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF), and instead increased it to VT1.5 million.

Two days before the deadline, only 147 of over 1,000 leaders had filed their annual returns, with up to 900 yet to comply.

Zimbabwe’s Mines Ministry has announced a ban on raw mineral shipments, citing widespread malpractice and export leakages in the sector Read Full Article at RT.com

North Korea will continue the build-up of its nuclear capability, leader Kim Jong-un has said at a ruling party congress Read Full Article at RT.com

Senior Canadian officials have reportedly spoken of progress in security talks with India Read Full Article at RT.com

Singapore experienced better-than-expected growth in the past year, but Singaporeans are still facing cost of living pressures, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said rounding up the three-day debate on his Budget 2026 statement in Parliament on Thursday (Feb 26).He said that Singapore's economy saw growth exceeding 5 per cent last year, which was more than what was projected.«The data may show improvement, but lived experience and realities do matter,» he said.«So the question is this, what more must we do to ease cost pressures and ensure every Singaporean can continue to progress?»He explained that the first step is understanding why affordability and cost concerns have surfaced, which is something not unique to Singapore.Citing the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, PM Wong said that inflation has moderated since, but price levels remain higher.To deal with this, the Government has provided more than $10 billion through the Assurance Package, he said.Budget 2026 also features CDC vouchers, cash support, rebates, Child LifeSG credits and CPF top ups for seniors.

SINGAPORE — The website of the People's Power Party (PPP), peoplespowerparty.sg, has been taken over by an unaffiliated entity.The site had previously been registered to the political party and was under maintenance from May 2025, less than a month after the 2025 general election on May 3.A party spokesperson said then that it was in the process of revamping the website.However, checks by The Straits Times showed that the site changed owners on Jan 21, 2026, and is now registered under Targa Ltd, which is not based in Singapore.It is unclear where the foreign entity is based or if it is directly involved in the management of the site.ST's checks showed that it had registered Singapore websites mimicking defunct Singaporean eateries, between December 2025 and January 2026. These sites link to foreign websites that list food recipes.The revamped PPP site continues to be about the party, publishing information on the party's history and leadership.The page now carries a disclaimer that it is not the official website of the party, and that it is meant to document the background of the PPP for «educational purposes».

The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause notice to the NCERT director, calling the inclusion of a chapter on judicial corruption in a Class 8 textbook a «deep-rooted conspiracy.» The court ordered the seizure of all copies of the textbook in circulation, emphasizing the need for a deeper probe to prevent erosion of public faith in the judiciary.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a four-day visit to India, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agenda includes discussions on trade, investment, energy, critical minerals, and people-to-people connections, seeking to inject fresh momentum after a diplomatic row.

Narendra Modi has said defense and security are “important pillars” India’s relationship with Israel Read Full Article at RT.com

[allAfrica]

[New Times] A new cultural documentary by Zion Films Company is set to present a fresh perspective on Rwanda's post-1994 recovery by examining Umuganda as a long-standing philosophy that continues to shape the country's social fabric.

[UN News] Fresh from holding the most extensive elections in its history, the Central African Republic (CAR) is entering what the UN's top envoy in the country describes as a «decisive period» in consolidating fragile peace gains, even as security challenges persist and disarmament efforts continue.

[HRW] Six Years after Kizito Mihigo's Death, Free Speech Crackdown Continues

SINGAPORE — The mother of a 13-year-old boy who went missing around Kallang River on Feb 25 said her son had no fishing experience and should not have joined his friends.Madam Siti, who is from Surabaya, Indonesia, said in Bahasa Indonesia that her son, Daniel, is not a strong swimmer.«Someone called me at 5pm on Feb 25 to say my son had slipped into Kallang River while fishing and was missing. Why would he go? He has no experience fishing.»I was told his teacher also warned him not to go fishing during the fasting month (of Ramadan)," the mother of three told The Straits Times.Madam Siti has been keeping a vigil at the river, near Block 8B, Upper Boon Keng Road, since her son went missing. She was there on Feb 26 with her two other sons, who are 14 and 11.Madam Siti said she has little support at home and had to take her children with her. Her husband, a Singaporean, is in prison and her in-laws are unwell.She added that she was at work as a food stall operator when she found out her son was missing, and immediately rushed over.

The National Water Commission (NWC) says it has suffered a $3-billion loss in revenue following the passage of Hurricane Melissa and another $3.7 billion in estimated damage to infrastructure. Acting Vice-President of the NWC, Herman Fagan, told members of Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) yesterday that service has been restored to 95 per cent of the commission’s customers. He gave the assurance that by the end of March, all customers impacted by Hurricane Melissa should receive water.

An uncle of Matthew Lee, one of the three men killed during a police operation in 2013, testified that he had no knowledge of repeated warnings allegedly given by the young man’s father about his association with men from Grants Pen in St Andrew. “I couldn't answer that part. I don't know — he never said it to me,” the electrical engineer responded when defence counsel Hugh Wildman asked whether Lee’s father had consistently cautioned him about the company the deceased was keeping in the Grants Pen community.

Some judges appear to be misinterpreting the Child Diversion Act by compelling minors to plead guilty to criminal charges before steering them to intervention programmes, Justice Minister Delroy Chuck has said. The Child Diversion Programme, which is grounded in the Child Diversion Act 2018, seeks to steer children between ages 12 and 17 years old away from the formal criminal justice system in circumstances where they are charged with specific crimes, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

In a clear signal of renewed diplomatic focus, the United States has pledged to “reinvigorate” ties with CARICOM countries, framing the region’s economic stability and security as “intricately tied” to its own national interests. In an address to CARICOM heads of governments yesterday, and on the heels of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and a partially lifted oil blockade on Cuba, United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration is aiming to make the region a magnet for inbound investment.

Even as Washington, DC in the United States (US) has reportedly eased conditions allowing individuals to apply for licences to supply Cuba with Venezuelan oil, one of the Caribbean’s leaders has been condemned to the “dustbin of history” for her perceived role in the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, Cuba’s oil lifeline.

[allAfrica]

Among the most notorious cases was Victoria Climbié, tortured to death by relatives believing she was possessed - while Mardoche Yembi is among survivors speaking out.

All were of Cuban descent and were approaching the country as part of a terrorist plot, Cuba's government claimed in a statement on Wednesday night.

Nadiya Hussain was axed by the BBC because her star had 'waned', her recipes became 'tired' and she became 'increasingly hard to work with', insiders have told the Daily Mail.