Singapore records first population contraction since 2003
Singapore’s population has shrunk for the first time since 2003 as travel curbs and job losses brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed foreign workers from the global business hub.
Hanoi (VNA) – Singapore’spopulation has shrunk for the first time since 2003 as travel curbs and joblosses brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed foreign workers fromthe global business hub.
According to an annual population report, theoverall population of this country dropped by about 18,000 people, or 0.3percent, to 5.69 million.
A sharp drop in the number of foreigners, down 2percent to 1.64 million, as well as a marginal fall in permanent residents,outweighed a modest rise in citizens, some of whom returned from overseas asthe pandemic spread globally.
The report attributed these trends largely toCOVID-19 related challenges, caused by weak demand and travel restrictions,citing job losses in services – a sector heavily reliant on foreign labourers.
As the economy faces the deepest recession inits history – an economic decline officially estimated between 5-7 percent forthe year, the government has been raising barriers for foreign hiring topreserve jobs for locals.
Singapore's non-resident population has morethan doubled over the last 20 years, powering population growth in a city-statewith one of the world's lowest birth rates./.
Singapore and Brunei have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation in areas such as defence technology at the recent Singapore-Brunei Defence Policy Dialogue.
Singaporean Permanent Secretary for Defence Chan Heng Kee and US Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Anderson co-chaired the 11th Singapore-US Strategic Security Policy Dialogue (SSPD) at Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on September 16.
A robot carrying out nasal swabbing to diagnose Covid-19 has been developed by Singaporean clinicians, who say the automated procedure is safe, faster and more comfortable compared with manual swab tests.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
In Singapore (Photo: eastasiaforum) 
