logo
Singapore's ruling party wins another landslide in general elections extending its 66-year rule

Singapore's ruling party wins another landslide in general elections extending its 66-year rule

Euronews04-05-2025

ADVERTISEMENT
Singapore's long-ruling People's Action Party extended its 66-year unbroken rule with yet another landslide victory in Saturday's general elections after the Election Department declared it the winner of the key polls.
After the completion of vote counting, the Election Department announced that the PAP had won 82 parliamentary seats. The party had earlier secured five seats without opposition, bringing its total number of MPs to 87. The count also showed the opposition Workers Party maintaining 10 seats.
Before the announcement, supporters of the PAP, which had ruled Singapore since 1959, gathered at a stadium waving flags and cheering in an early celebration.
The result is expected to bolster the leadership of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who took office a year ago.
'The results will put Singapore in a better position to face this turbulent world,' Wong said.
Wong added that he was humbled and grateful for the solid mandate for the PAP. He, however, acknowledged voters' desire to have more alternative voices in government but said a strong PAP team was needed to tackle challenges ahead.
Singapore Election Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's, from People's Action Party (PAP), second from right, thanks his supporters and voters at an assembly area for People's Acti
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
The 52-year-old prime minister succeeded Lee Hsien Loong to become the city-state's fourth leader. Lee stepped down in May 2024 after two decades as prime minister but remained in the cabinet as senior minister.
Lee's retirement ends a family dynasty that was started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, who was Singapore's first leader and built the former colonial backwater into one of the world's richest countries.
Wong, a US-trained economist who is also the finance minister, has a resounding mandate to guide trade-reliant Singapore through the economic uncertainty brought about by US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes.
The US administration's announcement on tariffs has led the Singaporean government to lower its trade forecast and warn of a possible recession.
PAP maintains its hold on power
The PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity, but tight government control and the rising cost of living in one of the world's most expensive cities have also led to growing unhappiness, especially among younger voters.
Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding, and restrictions on free speech have relatively weakened its previously ironclad support.
Its share of the popular vote slipped to a near-record low of 61% in the 2020 elections, down from nearly 70% in 2015.
Related
Singapore dissolves parliament, paving the way for 3 May election
The opposition says that a greater presence in parliament would allow for a more balanced political system and greater accountability, but has often been hamstrung by a lack of resources and fragmented support.
Wong has sought to revive support for the PAP by bringing in 32 new faces as several veterans of the party withdrew. He has attempted to engage younger voters through social media and promised to strive for a more balanced and inclusive Singapore.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kyiv's UNESCO site St Sophia Cathedral damaged in Russian attack
Kyiv's UNESCO site St Sophia Cathedral damaged in Russian attack

Euronews

time2 hours ago

  • Euronews

Kyiv's UNESCO site St Sophia Cathedral damaged in Russian attack

A Russian overnight attack on Ukraine's capital has damaged Saint Sophia Cathedral, one of the most famous and cherished monuments in Ukraine and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Officials reported that a blast wave destroyed the cornice on the central apse of the cathedral, damaging the monument that embodies the country's spiritual and cultural heritage. "Last night, the enemy struck at the very heart of our identity again," Ukraine's culture minister Mykola Tochytskyi said after the attack. Tochytskyi said St Sophia Cathedral was "a holy place that has survived through centuries and symbolises the birth of our nationhood." 'The 11th-century cathedral is the soul of all Ukraine. Russia is raging its war not only against our cities, it is waging a war against our culture, memory and future," he emphasised. The management of St Sophia Cathedral has informed UNESCO about the damage caused to the historic site by a recent Russian airstrike, according to Nelia Kukovalska, General Director of the National Reserve "Sophia of Kyiv". Located in Kyiv's historic city centre, St Sophia was initially designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. UNESCO describes it as "a unique monument of architecture and monumental art of the early 11th century, having the biggest preserved collection of mosaics and frescoes of that period." Following Russia's full-scale invasion in early 2022, UNESCO has put St Sophia Cathedral and other historic sites in Ukraine on the UN danger list, saying, "faced with the risk of direct attack, these sites are also vulnerable to the shockwaves caused by the bombing." Iran has executed nine members of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group who were detained after a deadly clash in 2018 with the country's Revolutionary Guard, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the judiciary-run Mizan news agency, the death sentences had been upheld by Iran's Supreme Court and carried out by hanging. The men were reportedly apprehended following clashes in western Iran, in which three members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and several IS fighters were killed. Iranian authorities said they had recovered a substantial cache of weapons from the militants' hideout, including a machine gun and 50 grenades. IS, which once held vast swathes of Iraq and Syria under a self-styled caliphate it declared in 2014, has since lost most of its territory following a campaign by US-led coalition forces. However, it has remained active, launching attacks across the region. The group has also claimed responsibility for several attacks inside Iran, including a high-profile assault in June 2017 on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which left at least 18 dead and over 50 injured. The 2018 clash with the Revolutionary Guard marked a spike in tensions between Iran and IS. More recently, in 2024, IS claimed two suicide bombings targeting a memorial event for Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed by a US drone strike in 2020. That attack by the militant group resulted in the deaths of at least 94 people. Analysts say IS could take advantage of the security vacuum in Syria, following the fall last year of Bashar al-Assad, to stage a comeback while its new leaders are still consolidating their control over the country and forming a national army.

Iran says it executed nine members of so-called Islamic State group
Iran says it executed nine members of so-called Islamic State group

Euronews

time7 hours ago

  • Euronews

Iran says it executed nine members of so-called Islamic State group

Iran has executed nine members of the so-called Islamic State (IS) group who were detained after a deadly clash in 2018 with the country's Revolutionary Guard, state media reported on Tuesday. According to the judiciary-run Mizan news agency, the death sentences had been upheld by Iran's Supreme Court and carried out by hanging. The men were reportedly apprehended following clashes in western Iran, in which three members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and several IS fighters were killed. Iranian authorities said they had recovered a substantial cache of weapons from the militants' hideout, including a machine gun and 50 grenades. IS, which once held vast swathes of Iraq and Syria under a self-styled caliphate it declared in 2014, has since lost most of its territory following a campaign by US-led coalition forces. However, it has remained active, launching attacks across the region. The group has also claimed responsibility for several attacks inside Iran, including a high-profile assault in June 2017 on the Iranian parliament and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which left at least 18 dead and over 50 injured. The 2018 clash with the Revolutionary Guard marked a spike in tensions between Iran and IS. More recently, in 2024, IS claimed two suicide bombings targeting a memorial event for Qassem Soleimani, the Iranian general killed by a US drone strike in 2020. That attack by the militant group resulted in the deaths of at least 94 people. Analysts say IS could take advantage of the security vacuum in Syria, following the fall last year of Bashar al-Assad, to stage a comeback while its new leaders are still consolidating their control over the country and forming a national army. The Czech Republic swore in a new justice minister on Tuesday following the resignation of the previous minister amid a bitcoin-related government scandal. Czech President Petr Pavel appointed Eva Decroix to the role after her predecessor, Pavel Blažek, resigned on 30 May. Blažek had been at the centre of a political crisis because his ministry had accepted a donation of bitcoin from a man convicted of running an online drug market and other crimes, before selling them for about €40 million earlier this year. Blažek said he was not aware of any wrongdoing, but that he did not want the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be hurt by the scandal. Fiala said he appreciated his resignation and that he believed Blažek had acted in good faith. The former justice minister was a close ally of Fiala and a key player in the prime minister's conservative Civic Democratic Party. Decroix is from the same party. Decroix said she will order an independent investigation into the ministry's activities in the case. Fiala had previously called for a probe, including by Czech secret services. The scandal has been investigated by the national police's organised crime unit. Pavel said the "public trust in the institutions and the state is at stake" over the scandal. The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because the origin of the donated bitcoins is unclear. Opposition parties are demanding the resignation of the entire government and planning to call a parliamentary no-confidence vote, which could take place later this month. The government holds 104 of the 200 seats in the lower house, meaning it would be likely to survive such a vote. Parliamentary elections are set to take place in the Czech Republic in early October. The main opposition ANO (YES) party led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is predicted to win the vote, according to latest opinion polls.

UK unemployment rises to a four-year high as firms cut back on hires
UK unemployment rises to a four-year high as firms cut back on hires

Euronews

time10 hours ago

  • Euronews

UK unemployment rises to a four-year high as firms cut back on hires

The unemployment rate in the UK rose to 4.6% in the period from February to April 2025, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Tuesday. That represents a 0.1 percentage point increase compared to the previous period, and it marks the highest rate seen since summer 2021. The number of staff on payroll, meanwhile, fell by 109,000 month-on-month in May, the largest drop seen since May 2020. Annual pay growth excluding bonuses eased to 5.2% in the period from February to April, the slowest pace seen in seven months. The number of available jobs fell by 63,000 to 736,000 between March and May, the 35th consecutive quarterly decline. The data suggests the UK's labour market is cooling as firms are hesitant to hire, a trend attributed to rising employer costs. In April of this year, businesses saw their payroll taxes (National Insurance) rise to 15% on salaries above £5,000, instead of 13.8% on salaries above £9,100. The government also increased the minimum wage and the living wage, the latter received by workers over 21, in April. 'Indeed, with increased national insurance contributions on businesses now bedded in, the employment picture is deteriorating as companies look to scale back hiring, and in some cases cut their UK workforce significantly,' said Richard Carter, head of fixed interest research at Quilter Cheviot. "This is all underpinning what is a difficult task for the Bank of England,' he added. 'With wage growth slowing but inflation rising, it will not want to pull the trigger on rate cuts too soon and put extra sails into the inflation charge. This perhaps explains Andrew Bailey's recent tone that rate cuts will be slow and cautious, as despite what is an obviously slowing economy, many risks remain present in the world.' UK inflation for April was reported at 3.5%, although the ONS later pointed to a data error, noting that the figure should have been 3.4% The Bank of England will meet next week for their monetary policy meeting. 'There's no doubt that US trade policies have contributed to business uncertainty and there will be companies who have put off investment whilst they figure out exactly what new trade deals might mean for them,' added Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis. She added: 'Whilst the smart money is still on no cut at the Bank of England's meeting next week, the softening in the labour market and cooling wage increases have added to expectations that the MPC will deliver another cut later in the summer.' Asian shares were marginally higher on Tuesday as investors kept an eye on US-China trade talks that might help stave off a recession. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 gained 0.9% to 38,445.68, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 0.3% to 2,865.12. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged 0.3% higher, to 24,261.26 and the Shanghai Composite index was up 0.1% at 3,403.52. In Taiwan, the Taiex surged 2.1% to 22.253,46. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 advanced just less than 0.9% to 8.588,10. On Monday, the S&P 500 edged up just 0.1% and at 6,005.88 is within 2.3% of its record set in February. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped by 1 point, which is well below 0.1%, to 42,761.76. The Nasdaq composite added 0.3% to 19,591.24. A second day of talks between the US and China was planned after the two global powers met in London for negotiations. The hope is that they can eventually reach a deal to reduce painfully high tariffs against each other. Most of the tariff hikes imposed since US President Donald Trump escalated his trade war have been paused to allow trade in everything from tiny tech gadgets to enormous machinery. Hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs after reaching trade deals with countries around the world have helped the S&P 500 win back gains after it dropped roughly 20% from its record two months ago. The index is back above where it was when Trump shocked financial markets in April with his wide-ranging tariff announcement on so-called 'Liberation Day'. Some of the market's biggest moves came from the announcement of big buyout deals. Qualcomm rallied 4.1% after saying it agreed to buy Alphawave Semi in a deal valued at $2.4bn (€2.1bn). IonQ, meanwhile, rose 2.7% after the quantum computing and networking company said it agreed to purchase Oxford Ionics for nearly $1.08bn (€947.1mn). On the losing side of Wall Street was Warner Bros. Discovery, which flipped from a big early gain to a loss of 3% after saying it would split into two companies. One will get Warner Bros. Television, HBO Max and other studio brands, while the other will hold onto CNN, TNT Sports and other entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world, along with some digital products. Tesla recovered some of its sharp, recent drop. The electric vehicle company tumbled last week as Elon Musk's relationship with Trump broke apart, and it rose 4.6% on Monday after flipping between gains and losses earlier in the day. The frayed relationship could end up damaging Musk's other companies that get contracts from the US government, such as SpaceX. Rocket Lab, a space company that could pick up business at SpaceX's expense, rose 2.5%. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury eased to 4.48% from 4.51% late Friday. It fell after a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that consumers' expectations for coming inflation eased slightly in May. Economists expect a report due on Wednesday to show that inflation across the country accelerated last month to 2.5% from 2.3%. The Federal Reserve has been keeping its main interest rate steady as it waits to assess the inflationary effects of Trump's tariffs. A persistent increase in inflation expectations among US households could drive behaviour that creates a vicious cycle that only worsens inflation. In other dealings early on Tuesday, US benchmark crude oil picked up 31 cents to $65.45 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, also gained 31 cents, to $67.35. The dollar rose to 144.93 Japanese yen from 144.61 yen. The euro slipped to $1.1399 from $1.1421.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store