Latest news with #SingaporeGeneralElection
Time Out
15-05-2025
- General
- Time Out
Happy City Index 2025: Singapore ranks as the third happiest city in the world, first in Asia
If there's one thing we know about our fellow Singaporeans, it's that we don't hold back when it comes to voicing our displeasure – and the recent Singapore General Election period just further proved that. Many everyday folk have spoken out about issues like housing and cost of living – all very valid concerns – and talked about the future with a certain sense of resignation. But polling season or otherwise, one might consider Singapore a rather unhappy nation just based on the sort of commentary circulating on social media on a day-to-day basis. A new Happy City Index for 2025 seems to suggest otherwise, though. Created by the Institute for Quality of Life, this list scores a total of 200 cities across the world against six benchmarks: Citizens, based on education, inclusivity, and quality of life; Governance, for urban management and citizen participation in decision-making; Environment, with regards to sustainability practices; Economy, based on GDP and growth; Health, in terms of living conditions and physical and mental wellness; and Mobility, which is related to public transport infrastructure. Based on the total scores for the above, Singapore ranks third globally as one of the 30 'Gold' happiest cities in the world, just behind Copenhagen (#1) and Zurich (#2). This is a marked improvement from last year's ranking in the same Happy City Index, where our Little Red Dot scored 34th globally. Unsurprisingly, plenty of European cities – especially Nordic ones – populate the top few spots. The only other Asian cities on the Gold list are Seoul (#6), and Taipei (#8), which thus also means that Singapore is the happiest city in Asia. Well, allegedly. While factors like a strong economy, good healthcare, and advanced infrastructure do undeniably improve a country's standard of living, this may not necessarily equate to actual happiness levels – especially for the sandwich class, or the low-income who are struggling to make ends meet. Plus, a high standard of living and a wide income divide aren't mutually exclusive. To our island city's credit, however, we do have plenty of scenic nature spots, amazing restaurants as well as hawker centres, places of attraction like museums and two of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Our high levels of safety and well-connected public transport system are not to be taken for granted either. On many counts, we're definitely blessed to live in a country as beautiful, clean and developed as Singapore. But what do you think – are Singaporeans truly happy? We can't answer that on behalf of everyone, but we'd like to think that there's always happiness to be found in the little things when the big things feel tough. It could even be something as simple as a free date idea, which can trump the fancy gestures if done right. In the meantime, here's a look at how we fare in this happiness index against others, with those in Asia marked in bold. Gold Happiest Cities in 2025: Copenhagen, Denmark Zurich, Switzerland Singapore Aarhus, Denmark Antwerp, Belgium Seoul, South Korea Stockholm, Sweden Taipei, Taiwan Rotterdam, Netherlands Vancouver, Canada Vienna, Austria Paris, France Helsinki, Finland Aalborg, Denmark Berlin, Germany New York, United States of America Dresden, Germany Brussels, Belgium Geneva, Switzerland Porto, Portugal Barcelona, Spain Oslo, Norway Dublin, Ireland Milan, Italy Roskilde, Denmark Reykjavik, Iceland Auckland, New Zealand Adelaide, Australia Minneapolis, United States of America London, United Kingdom Check out the full list of cities ranked in this year's Happy City Index, including Silver and Bronze cities.
United News of India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
PM Modi congratulates Singapore PM Lawrence Wong on victory in general elections
New Delhi, May 4 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today congratulated Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on his party winning the general elections, and said he looks forward to continue working with him to further advance the bilateral ties. In a post on X, the PM said: 'Heartiest congratulations @LawrenceWongST on your resounding victory in the general elections. 'India and Singapore share a strong and multifaceted partnership, underpinned by close people-to-people ties. 'I look forward to continue working closely with you to further advance our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.' Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's People's Action Party (PAP) won the Singapore General Election Saturday by a landslide, securing 87 of the 97 parliamentary seats, continuing their six-decade-long run of being in power. The People's Action Party (PAP) won its 14th successive election on Saturday. The PAP has ruled in the country even before its independence in 1965. UNI RN
Barnama
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Singapore GE2025: PAP Retains Supermajority, PM Wong Humbled & Grateful For Mandate
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (second from right) with fellow candidates who successfully defended their seats in the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during the 2025 Singapore General Election (GE2025), celebrating with supporters at Yio Chu Kang Stadium today. — fotoBERNAMA (2025) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (second from right) with fellow candidates who successfully defended their seats in the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during the 2025 Singapore General Election (GE2025), celebrating with supporters at Yio Chu Kang Stadium today. — fotoBERNAMA (2025) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, May 4 (Bernama) -- Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) has successfully retained its supermajority in the 2025 General Election (GE2025), winning 87 out of 97 parliamentary seats. The results for each electoral division were announced live on television by Returning Officer Han Kok Juan and simultaneously published on the Elections Department (ELD) website. bootstrap slideshow The PAP secured a commanding win with 65.57 per cent of the national vote - marking an improvement of more than four percentage points compared to its 2020 performance. It secured five seats uncontested in the Marine Parade–Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC) on nomination day. The resounding victory signals a strong mandate for caretaker Prime Minister and PAP secretary-general Lawrence Wong, who led the party into a general election for the first time. Speaking at a press conference following the victory, Wong said he was humbled and grateful for the results, pledging to serve all Singaporeans — regardless of how they voted — with humility and a strong sense of responsibility. Expressing satisfaction with the outcome, he noted that the results would place Singapore in a stronger position to navigate an increasingly uncertain world, especially with all key members of his team successfully elected. 'It is a clear signal of trust, stability, and confidence in your government. My immediate task is to form my cabinet. I will announce the cabinet lineup when ready,' he added.
NDTV
03-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Lawrence Wong's Party Secures Landslide Victory In Singapore General Election
Singapore: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's People's Action Party (PAP) won the Singapore General Election Saturday by a landslide, securing 87 of the 97 parliamentary seats, local media reported. Mr Wong and the PAP had sought a new mandate from the general election in the midst of uncertainties to the global economy caused by the US trade tariffs. The PAP, Singapore's oldest and largest political party, has ruled the city-state ever since independence in 1965. About 2.6 million Singaporeans were eligible to vote on Saturday for 92 contested seats as the PAP's Group Representation Constituency for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights had a walkover on nomination day on April 23. This was Mr Wong's first election as prime minister of the global-business focused Singapore which now faces navigating through strong headwinds caused by tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. Speaking after the result for Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) was announced, Wong said the election was his first and a 'humbling experience'. He pledged to work hard for the voters. 'We are grateful for your strong mandate and… will honour the trust that you have given to us by working even harder for all of you,' said the 52-year-old premier. The Elections Department (ELD) said Singaporeans cast their votes for 92 out of 97 parliamentary seats at 1,240 polling stations island-wide to decide the future politics of Singapore. This was Singapore's 19th election since the first general election in 1948 and 14th since its Independence in 1965. Mr Wong, 52, was sworn-in last May as the new prime minister in 20 years after Lee Hsien Loong stepped down after almost two decades. There was vociferous campaigning by opposition political parties, raising issues related to high cost of living and housing as well as increasing presence of foreigners in almost all sectors of the economy in the manpower-short Singapore. Top PAP leaders were seen balancing their election schedules during the last nine days of campaigning since nominations closed on April 23 along with negotiating tariffs imposed by Singapore's largest trading partner US. Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong had been negotiating with his US counterparts on a 10 per cent tariff imposed on imports from Singapore. The PAP fielded candidates in all 92 constituencies, while its main rival, the Workers' Party (WP), contested 26 seats in eight constituencies. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) fielded 13 candidates across six constituencies. Other parties in the fray included the Singapore People's Party (SPP), Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), People's Power Party (PPP), People's Alliance for Reform (PAR), Red Dot United (RDU), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore United Party (SUP), and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA). Prime Minister Wong had urged Singaporeans to vote responsibly as the global economies are going through unprecedented challenges and led to uncertainties. The finance-trade-export focused city state sits in the middle of US-China trade war, having historical bilateral economic and diplomatic relations with both the giant markets, diplomatic sources said. Manufacturing activity in Singapore fell into recession territory in April 2025 as tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump triggered a wave of export-order deferments and cancellations. The purchasing managers' index (PMI), a barometer of the manufacturing sector's health, fell to 49.6 points in April, down one point from 50.6 in March; readings above 50 indicate growth while those below point to contraction. 'The contraction in Singapore's factory activity snaps 19 straight months of expansion,' reported The Straits Times, citing a Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM) report on Friday. Meanwhile, the PAP had a walkover in one constituency of five members of parliament at the close of nomination day on April 23. The PAP's share of the popular vote slipped to a near-record low of 61 per cent in 2020 elections, down from nearly 70 per cent in 2015 and although it kept 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, the opposition gained ground with a record 10 seats. PTI GS OZ SCY NPK GSP GSP
Barnama
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Singapore GE2025: PAP Retains Supermajority
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (second from right) with fellow candidates who successfully defended their seats in the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during the 2025 Singapore General Election (GE2025), celebrating with supporters at Yio Chu Kang Stadium today. — fotoBERNAMA (2025) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (second from right) with fellow candidates who successfully defended their seats in the Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC) during the 2025 Singapore General Election (GE2025), celebrating with supporters at Yio Chu Kang Stadium today. — fotoBERNAMA (2025) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz SINGAPORE, May 4 (Bernama) -- Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) has successfully retained its supermajority in the 2025 General Election (GE2025), winning 87 out of 97 parliamentary seats. The PAP secured a commanding win with 65.57 per cent of the national vote, marking an improvement of more than four percentage points over its 2020 election result. bootstrap slideshow The PAP secured five seats uncontested in the Marine Parade–Braddell Heights Group Representation Constituency (GRC) on nomination day. The resounding victory signals a strong mandate for caretaker Prime Minister and PAP secretary-general Lawrence Wong, who led the party into a general election for the first time. The party fielded candidates in all 33 electoral divisions – 15 Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) and 18 GRCs. In the 2020 General Election, the PAP won 83 of the 93 seats, securing 61.2 per cent of the vote share. This is Singapore's 19th General Election and the 14th since its independence in 1965. The PAP has held power continuously since 1959, prior to independence. Wong's team at Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC successfully defended their seats with 73.46 per cent of the vote, an improvement over the 63.18 per cent they received in the previous election.
