Singapore falls 5 spots to 30th in world happiness ranking but still tops Asia for 2nd straight year - CNA

SINGAPORE YOUTH LESS HAPPY

The 2024 report noted that country rankings for the young and the old “are quite different”.

"Countries ranking highest for the old are generally countries with high overall rankings, but include several where the young have recently fared very poorly,” it added.

This year’s report zoomed in on two age groups - the “young” aged 30 and below, and the “old” aged 60 and up.

Among the young, Lithuania, Israel and Serbia took the first, second and third spots respectively. Singapore ranked 54th, a spot below Greece and just ahead of Spain.

Conversely, the elderly in Singapore ranked much higher at 26th, just behind France and ahead of Saudi Arabia. Denmark, Finland and Norway rank number one, two and three.

Previous years’ reports did not give happiness ranking breakdown by age groups.

BENEVOLENCE AMONG THE YOUNG

The Gallup World Poll, which the happiness report draws on, also tracks three types of benevolent behaviour: Giving donations, volunteering and helping strangers.

The report found that there was an increase in such acts in the post-pandemic years.

“For all three acts, the increases in benevolence, whether measured as shares of the population, or percentage increases from pre-pandemic levels, are greatest for millennials and Gen Z,” the report found.

“(This suggests) that millennials are even more likely than their predecessors to increase their benevolent acts when a new need like COVID arises.”

The report does not give a breakdown of benevolent actions by countries.

This article was originally published in TODAY.

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2024-03-21 15:24:22Z
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President Tharman, PM Lee congratulate Prabowo on Indonesia election victory - CNA

SINGAPORE: Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to Mr Prabowo Subianto to congratulate him on his victory in last month's Indonesian presidential election, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (Mar 21).

Mr Prabowo, who is Indonesia's defence minister, won the Feb 14 contest with nearly 60 per cent of the vote, according to the Indonesian election body's official tally released on Wednesday night. His rivals Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo received about 25 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

The official results largely confirmed unofficial results released by independent pollsters last month.

"On behalf of the people of Singapore, I would like to convey my heartfelt congratulations on your election as the eighth president of the Republic of Indonesia," said Mr Tharman in a letter to Mr Prabowo on Wednesday.

"The strong mandate you received demonstrates the confidence and trust that the Indonesian people have in your ability to lead Indonesia towards greater progress."

Mr Tharman noted that Singapore and Indonesia have a "robust relationship underpinned by abiding ties of kinship and friendship".

"I am confident that under your leadership, Indonesia and Singapore will continue to be close friends and partners, as we work together to strengthen bilateral relations for the benefit of our people," he said.

Mr Tharman added that he was happy to have met Mr Prabowo in Singapore in November 2023 when he was conferred the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Distinguished Service Order) in recognition of his "significant contributions towards strengthening the close and long-standing defence relations between Indonesia and Singapore".

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2024-03-21 09:55:00Z
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US submits draft UN resolution calling for 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza: Blinken - CNA

Since blocking an Algerian draft resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza at the end of February, US officials have been negotiating an alternative text focusing on support for diplomatic efforts on the ground for a six-week truce in exchange for the release of hostages.

According to diplomatic sources, this text had little chance of gaining the Council's approval and a new version was circulated to Security Council members on Wednesday.

The amended draft, seen by AFP, stresses "the need for an immediate and durable ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, enable the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, and alleviate suffering ... in conjunction with the release of hostages still held".

No vote has yet been scheduled on this text.

Blinken's tour runs parallel with talks in Qatar, where mediators met for a third day on Wednesday in a renewed effort to secure a ceasefire but with little indication of an imminent agreement.

The plan being discussed in Qatar would temporarily halt the fighting as hostages are exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of relief supplies is stepped up.

"It's getting closer. I think the gaps are narrowing, and I think an agreement is very much possible," Blinken said of the mediation in Doha.

"We worked very hard with Qatar, with Egypt, and with Israel to put a strong proposal on the table ... Hamas wouldn't accept it," he said.

"They came back with other requests, other demands. The negotiators are working on that right now."

The bloodiest-ever Gaza war broke out after Hamas's Oct 7 attack resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Militants also seized about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 who are presumed dead.

Israel's military has waged a retaliatory offensive against Hamas that has killed almost 32,000 people, most of them women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.

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2024-03-21 06:11:27Z
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Blinken begins Middle East tour with strains growing in US-Israel ties amid war in Gaza - CNA

GAZA STRIP: US top diplomat Antony Blinken touched down on Wednesday (Mar 20) in the Middle East to bolster efforts for a truce in the war in Gaza, as Israeli forces pushed on with a raid on the territory's largest hospital.

Global concern has mounted over the military conflict now in its sixth month, in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to a deadly attack by its fighters on Oct 7.

The latest fighting included an Israeli assault on Gaza City's Al-Shifa hospital, a vast complex crowded with patients and people seeking refuge, where Israel says Palestinian militants are holed up.

The Israeli army said "over 300 suspects were apprehended" in the hospital raid that began early Monday, including "dozens of senior terrorists and those with key positions".

Hamas meanwhile condemned Israeli "crimes" at Al-Shifa "for the third day in a row, the executions of dozens of displaced persons, patients and staff".

UN agencies have warned that Gaza's 2.4 million people are on the brink of famine, and UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel may be using "starvation as a method of war".

The dire plight of Palestinians and the fate of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have pushed negotiators back to the table in Qatar to try to thrash out a truce deal, but officials have so far reported little progress.

The United States, long Israel's top ally, has also ratcheted up its diplomatic efforts and increasingly voiced concern over humanitarian issues.

US Secretary of State Blinken, who began his regional tour with meetings in regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia, has warned that Gaza's "entire population" is suffering "severe levels of acute food insecurity".

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2024-03-20 21:34:00Z
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Australia hosts China FM Wang Yi, sees 'stability' in ties - CNA

An Australian foreign ministry official said Wong had warned the reforms would "further erode rights and freedoms", breach international commitments and have "far-reaching impacts, including on individuals in Australia".

The remarks are unlikely to have gone down well with Wong's Chinese guest.

Beijing has described similar criticism from Britain, the United States and the European Union as "slandering and smearing".

As the foreign ministers met, protesters gathered on the lawns of Australia's parliament, drawing attention to alleged human rights abuses within China.

A small group of demonstrators later clashed with police outside the Chinese embassy, brandishing Tibetan flags and shouting "free Tibet" as they rushed towards the building's front gates.

TRADE RESTRICTIONS

Australia's relationship with China began unravelling in 2018, when Canberra excluded telecommunications giant Huawei from its 5G network on security grounds and later passed laws on foreign interference.

Then in 2020, Australia called for an international investigation into the origins of COVID-19 - an action China saw as politically motivated.

In response, Beijing slapped trade restrictions on a slew of Australian exports, including barley, beef and wine, while halting its coal imports.

Most of those barriers have been gradually wound back as relations have been repaired.

Wang said a final decision on ending wine tariffs would be made at the end of the month, signalling restrictions could soon be lifted.

Before the trade restrictions were imposed, China was the largest destination for Australian bottled wine - accounting for 33 per cent of export revenue in 2020, according to Australian government data.

Wong said the talks had also touched on the global nickel market, which has been upended by a surge in exports from Indonesia - enabled by massive Chinese investments and a revolution in refining techniques.

Prices have fallen about 40 per cent in the past year alone, prompting many once-dominant Australian firms to rethink projects or write down the value of their assets.

Wang later told an Australia-China business council that common interests between the two countries far outweigh their differences.

"China is Australia's largest trading partner and the biggest customer for our products like iron ore", said Rio Tinto mining executive and meeting participant Simon Trott, welcoming a "stabilisation" of relations.

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2024-03-20 10:12:00Z
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Hong Kong Faces Battle to Shore Up Its Role as Financial Hub After Security Law - Bloomberg

Hong Kong just passed its local security law at record speed, placating Beijing and antagonizing Western governments. It now has the challenging task of bolstering the city’s position as an international finance center.

The city’s leader John Lee has repeatedly said a pressing need to focus on economic development was one of the reasons behind expediting the legislation. Since coming to power in 2022, Lee has prioritized national security, even at the cost of Hong Kong’s reputation as a freewheeling hub. While his administration has taken steps to boost overseas investment and stimulate spending, the city’s financial markets are in the doldrums and the economy is struggling.

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2024-03-20 03:28:00Z
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No bids as house of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi auctioned - CNA

YANGON: The lakeside mansion where Myanmar's democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi spent years under house arrest went under auction on Wednesday (Mar 20) with a minimum price of US$150 million - but attracted no bids, officials said.

The two-storey house and 1.9 acres of land were put up for sale following a decades-long dispute over the property between the Nobel laureate - who has been detained since the 2021 military coup - and her brother.

Ahead of the auction, a small crowd - mostly of journalists - gathered outside the colonial-era house on leafy University Avenue, a few doors down from the US embassy.

Officials emerged from the locked gates and announced the opening of the auction by striking a small bell three times.

Above the gate, a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi's father, the independence hero Aung San, watched over the proceedings, while a notice advertised the price as 315 billion kyats, or US$150 million based on the official exchange rate.

The auctioneer - wearing a sarong-like longyi - held his hand up for bids, but there was only silence.

"There is no one to bid," he announced, striking the bell again to close the auction.

Plainclothes security officers took photos of journalists covering the event.

For around 15 years, Aung San Suu Kyi was confined within the house's crumbling walls by the military after she shot to fame during huge demonstrations against the then-junta in 1988.

Cut off from her husband and children in England, Aung San Suu Kyi spent time playing the piano, reading detective novels and meditating as her status as a democracy leader grew.

Hundreds gathered regularly on the pavement outside the property to hear her talk about democracy and fighting military rule through non-violence.

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2024-03-20 06:17:10Z
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