SINGAPORE: On April 27 and April 29, five political parties may take part in two life boards hosted by Mediacorp. They will be broadcast in distinct Mandarin and English programs. The five functions that accepted the invitation are: Women’s Action Party Staff ‘ Group Red Dot United Women’s Alliance forContinue Reading
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Getty ImagesIn the midst of rising trade tensions, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has pledged to invest A$ 1.2 billion ( £580 million ) in a strategic reserve for crucial minerals.
The news came after China imposed trade restrictions on seven rare earth elements, which are essential to the development of cutting-edge solutions like computers, fighter jets, and electric cars.
China’s restrictions apply to all nations, but they were commonly accepted as retribution for US President Donald Trump’s taxes.
Albanese stated that Australia had give priority to vitamins that are essential to both its safety and that of its companions, including rare earths. But had his strategy concern China’s dominance?
A group of 17 components is known as “rare” when they are extremely challenging to harvest and enhance.
Rare earths, such as samarium and terbium, are crucial to the development of cutting-edge technology that will shape the world in the upcoming years, such as electric vehicles and highly developed weapons systems.
Rare planets as well as other crucial minerals, of which Australia is a leading producer, like potassium and chrome, are included in Albanese’s proposed stockpile.
Rare universe resources exist in both China and Australia. However, China has a significant amount of control over source, making 90 % of rare earth processing, which makes them useful in technology.
And European institutions have been spooked by this.
Beijing asserted that its restrictions on unique earths were in response to Trump’s extensive taxes, which are currently 14 % on Chinese exports to the US.
However, according to analysts, Washington’s inability to stable the supply of rare earths has grown to be one of the Trump administration’s main worries, especially as Beijing’s political tensions have gotten worse.
According to the US Geological Survey, between 2019 and 2022, about 75 % of US imports of rare earths came from China.
The US and EU “dropped the game,” according to Philip Kirchlechner, chairman of Iron Ore Research in Perth, Western Australia, as China quickly gained a monopoly over elegance.
He continued,” China has its base on the body vein of the US and European defense methods.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, claimed this week that China’s decision to stop exporting rare earths used in innovative magnets was having an impact on the company’s ability to create humanoid robots, an early example of the problems Beijing has the power to impose on US businesses.
Getty ImagesAccording to Albanese’s proposal, minerals in the reserve may be accessible to both “domestic business and international partners,” with a good research to allies like the US and EU.
However, Kirchlechner continued, saying that the proposal is” never going to solve the problem,” despite praising the move as “long overdue.”
The basic problem is that China will continue to be generally in charge of the refining process of rare earths, yet if Australia stocks more crucial materials.
An excellent example of sodium is certainly a rare world, but it is a crucial metal in the production of solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles. Only a small portion of the country’s sodium is refined and exported, accounting for 33 % of it. The International Energy Agency claims that China refines 57 % of the world’s lithium while mining only 23 % of it.
As part of its Potential Made in Australia initiative, Australia has been making an investment in rare earths to use the nation’s vast mineral deposits to promote the development of a green economy.
The second mixed plant and plant for rare planets in the world was founded last year by Arafura Rare Earths, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, with funding from A$ 840 million coming in last year. Australia’s second rare earths processing facility, owned by Lynas Rare Earths, opened in Western Australia in November.
However, the nation is anticipated to rely on China for refining until at least 2026, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which has its headquarters in Washington.
Getty ImagesChina has been attempting to capitalize on Trump’s uncertainty.
China’s adviser to Canberra criticized Washington’s strategy to global trade in a number of articles in American newspapers, which Albanese swiftly rejected.
In its discussions with Trump, Australia has praised its reference sector. He imposed a 10 % tax on the importation of the majority of Australia’s items on some crucial vitamins.
However, according to analysts, Albanese’s proposal is primarily intended to shield Australia and its companions from corporate adversaries like China.
Natixis ‘ chief economist for Asia-Pacific, Alicia Garca-Herrero, told the BBC that Albanese’s plan was “more advanced” than previous ideas because it allowed for the sale of Australia’s resources in times of economic pressure.
She added that Australia might start selling more of its nutrient reserves to support lower prices on world markets and release China’s influence over setting prices.
She did point out that Australia is still unable to fully remove China.
There are areas where China could have a strong foothold, and refining is the most crucial step if Australia’s goal is to serve the West, becoming more critical to the West, particularly the US.
The difference between the ruling party’s Nomination Day swap of key Cabinet ministers across constituencies and Chee Soon Juan’s departure from Bukit Batok, according to People’s Action Party ( PAP ) organizing secretary Alex Yam, lies in the promise he made to voters before, Yam said.
Mr. Yam claimed on Friday ( Apr. 25 ) that the ruling party had “valid reasons” to support its decisions and that they were” not willy nilly” and that the PAP had been able to explain why they had done them.
The difference is that Dr. Chee made a common vow to stay in Bukit Batok and then made the switch-off decision days later. That is the central point, he claimed of the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party’s ( SDP ) plan to run for the Sembawang West seat.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who leads the PAP team in Sembawang GRC, addressed Dr Chee’s determination in his rally speech the night before, calling it a” determined social shift” that was made after a generation of not being interested in the northern area.
After a Yew Tee walkabout with Lawrence Wong, the outlet secretary of the PAP’s Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC staff, on Friday night, Mr. Yam spoke to investigators.
At Yew Tee Square and Yew Tee Point stores, as well as the hard court in front of Yew Tee MRT place, the trio spent about two days shaking hands, taking pictures, and handing out flyers. Additionally, they made a trip to the nearby Sparkle Care senior care facility.
According to Mr. Yam, who has served in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC since its founding in 2015, each political party has the right to choose which candidates to use” as they deem best in the interests of voters and in the interest of the representation.”
He reiterated Mr. Wong’s earlier assertion that the new Punggol GRC needed Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong so that” the east of Singapore has a good heavyweight minister who would be able to carry the ground there.”
According to Mr. Yam, the late deployments of Mr. Gan and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng were done for the sake of democracy, not” for exigency sake,” but were purposefully planned to give voters the best chance to make a choice.
He referred to Dr. Chee’s move to a different constituency for the May 3 elections as” but here you have an individual who made a promise, who made a public pledge to do so, but who then changed his mind right away.”
In the former Bukit Batok single-seat ward in the 2020 General Election and the 2016 by-election, the SDP leader ran and lost. Prior to that, he had failed to lead the SDP team for the 2015 hustings in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
In accordance with the most recent revision of the nation’s electoral map, the Bukit Batok seat was renamed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
Prices of non-landmarked properties increased by 0.8 % in the Core Central Region in the first quarter of 2025, up from the 2.6 % increase in the previous quarter.
Pricing increased by 1.7 per share in Q1 2025 for the Rest of Central Region, compared to the 3.0 per cent increase in the previous quarter.
Prices in the Outside Central Region increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of this year, up from the previous quarter’s 3.3 % increase.
The performance in Q1 2025″ suggests that demand in the secret resale segment continues to be resilient despite economic headwinds,” says Mr. Sandrasegeran.
The figures, in general, “underline a continued recuperation and interest in the resale market, especially from buyers looking for move-in available homes in the face of limited fresh launch supply.”
In terms of the public housing market, HDB reported that the number of uses for renting out apartments increased by 12.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, increasing from 8, 603 situations in the previous quarter to 9, 662.
This represents a 2.8 % increase compared to the same period last year, according to HDB. A total of 59, 567 HDB flats were rented out as of the end of Q1 2025, up 0.9 % from 59, 043 products in the fourth quarter of that year.
According to URA, rent of private home qualities increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 after remaining intact in the previous quarter.  ,
Rentals of landed properties increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the 1.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.
Rent for non-landed qualities increased by 0.5 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.2 % boost in Q4 2024.
In light of the questionable economic outlook, which may have an impact on the personal rental market, Ms. Christine Sun, chief scientist and planner at OrangeTee Group, claimed that some businesses may slow down their getting of foreigners.
” The declining supply of finished homes, along with the lowering of interest levels, which helps reduce business financing expenses, does mitigate a substantial rental price correction,” she said.  ,
Rentals of non-landed properties  increased by 0.4 % in the Core Central Region in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.9 % increase in the prior quarter.
Rentals in the Rest of Central Region increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 from the previous quarter, when they were 0.3 % higher.
Rentals for properties located outside the Central Region increased by 0.7 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.
Mr. Hutton claimed that these financial risks have improved the standing of Singapore as a safe shelter.
” Ultra-high-net-worth individuals may choose to travel to Singapore and hire out luxurious houses in the Core Central Region,” he said.
” The Core Central Region may experience a very small supply of finished homes in the next two years.” In the upcoming times, he added, tenants may see better rent growth.
An astrologer has been detained in Myanmar after he predicted a fresh disaster in a popular TikTok video, causing panic.
Only two days after a scale 7.7 earthquake that killed 3, 500 people and destroyed centuries-old churches in the South East Asian country, John Moe The made his forecast on April 9.
He was detained on Tuesday for making “false remarks with the intention of causing public panic,” according to Myanmar’s data government.
An earthquake had “hit every town in Myanmar,” according to John Moe The, on April 21. However, researchers claim that due to the complexity of the causes of disasters, they are unable to be predicted.
John Moe The urged citizens to “take important items with you and move away from structures during the shaking” in his film, which received more than three million sights.
The caption read,” People shouldn’t be in high buildings during the day.”
A citizen of Yangon claimed that many of her neighbors were believers in the forecast. They stayed in their homes and set up camp when John Moe The predicted the earthquake may occur.
His now-defunct TikTok bill, which has over 300,000 fans, promises to make astrological and palmistry-based projections.
In Sagaing, core Myanmar, a raid on his house led to his arrest.
The quake, which prompted a rare demand from the Myanmar junta for foreign aid, hit the locations of Mandalay and Sagaing particularly hard by the quake.
In Bangkok, a tower collapsed at a building site, killing lots, after the 28 March earthquake, which felt 1, 000 kilometers away, was felt.
On Friday morning ( Apr 25 ), Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is retiring from politics and won’t contest this General Election, made an unanticipated appearance in Workers ‘ Party stronghold Aljunied GRC.
Mr. Teo spoke with the Aljunied candidates for the People’s Action Party ( PAP ) in a media interview and described them as a “young strong team.”
Chan Hui Yuh, 48, Jagathishwaran Rajo, 37, Daniel Liu, 40, Adrian Ang, 41, and Faisal Abdul Aziz, 37, the head of the Serangoon tree, are on the PAP stone.
Mr. Teo emphasized that the five each have a unique background and skill set.
They want to speak for you in congress. They are prepared to make creative suggestions, not only ones to resist, he said.
When asked if he would accompany the PAP Aljunied group or if he would travel to other districts, he responded,” They invited me through and I’m very happy to support them, because I know them, and they are great people, and they will work rough for the people.”
The 60-year-old asked whether his judgment and pending charges would have an impact on his chances of winning this election, saying,” Not at all.”
He claimed to be a “very top attorney” who has handled some of the region’s “most famous, most prominent cases” in the last five years. He brought up his position in the defamation cases involving then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that Leong Sze Hian, a journalist and economic adviser, and The Online Citizen Terry Xu, the director of alternative news site.
He continued, adding that he had also defended” a significant number of clients” in disputes involving constitutional and administrative law, including those involving corrections orders issued by government agencies under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act ( POFMA ).
Mr. Lim said,” I do not want to overcome my own disc, but I am a famous lawyer,” adding that he would not continue to “hide my hearth under the pounds any more.”
He added that, in contrast to the lawyers who were MPs before the parliament was disbanded, as well as those who were in the past, he claimed he had handled” a lot more important” cases in Singapore without naming them.
Mr. Lim stated that Line is “fully into the election strategy” and has programs to keep three demonstrations, with the first allegedly scheduled for Saturday in Jalan Besar.  ,
In the Group Representation Constituency ( GRC ), a four-member PAR team includes private tutor Mr. Chiu Shin Kong, businessman Mr. Mohamad Hamim Aliyas, nurse Ms. Sarina Abu Hassan, nurse Ms. Vigneswari V. Ramachandran, and preschool educator Ms.
They square off against Josephine Teo, the minister of modern development and information, on the PAP slate.
Vendors said this week at the world’s largest auto show that China’s bright vehicles with powerful in-car entertainment, from great video screens to superior stereo, are sure-fire hits in Russia. Drivers and passengers are increasingly adopting online technology, according to vendors.
After American companies stopped selling and marketing their cars in Russia as a result of Russia’s three-year defense invasion of Ukraine, big Chinese carmakers like Chery Automobile, Great Wall Motor, and Geely Auto are the scions and biggest winners. The country of 145 million individuals, which accounts for the majority of China’s exports, is playing catch-up with other Chinese brands by providing them with modern cockpits that are their liking.
At the 2025 Car Shanghai trade show on Thursday, Zhou Tian, a mature business development manager with Moscow-based Google Car, stated that “digital characteristics give Chinese cars an enormous benefits in markets like Russia and Southeast Asia.” Russian car buyers want to purchase vehicles that can integrate [online ] services that their smartphones use daily.
Russia, which was founded in 2016, is looking to work with Taiwanese automakers. Foreign car manufacturers with their places on Russia, Zhou said, received favorable responses from Yandex during the event.
According to him, vehicles that use Google software can offer a wide range of online services in Russia, including mapping, entertainment, meals delivery, and e-commerce.
The majority of Taiwanese vehicles, whether electric or petroleum-powered, are available because their equipment, from the speakers to the screens, are sufficient for the inclusion of our software, Zhou said. They are well-liked by Russian shoppers, they claim.
According to a survey conducted by the Russian polling company Romir last year, about 47 % of car buyers were thinking about including Chinese in their next purchase. More than two-thirds of Russian users said they wanted to learn more about Chinese automobiles, especially their technical features and service features, according to the study.
According to the China Passenger Car Association, exports of Taiwanese vehicles to Russia increased by 27 % to 1.16 million products in the last year from 2023. Mexico came in second place next year, with Chinese companies shipping 445, 000 vehicles.
Russian passenger vehicle sales in 2024 increased by 48 % year over year to 1.57 million units, thanks to the Mainland Chinese carmakers ‘ dominance.
Foreign plug-in hybrid vehicles that combine a diesel engine and an electric motors are particularly welcomed in Russia because they give drivers the opportunity to generate a green vehicle without having to deal with range anxiety, Zhou said.
Russia, which reported that 97 % of Russian Internet users have used its video services, can also help, he said, increase the charm of Chinese cars in additional Russian-speaking regions of central Asia.
China-made vehicles could cost 50 % more in Russia, according to a sales manager at Voyah, a state-owned company that manufactures electric vehicles for Dongfeng Motor. This puts them in the premium category that encourages more Chinese manufacturers to set up stores and sales networks there.
Despite the global price war sweeping the automotive industry, international firm AlixPartners predicted in a research report this week that Russia may continue to be a stabilizing supply of desire for Chinese-made vehicles this time.
Complementary intelligent-driving capabilities are emerging as a crucial competitive tool, further separating China-brand products from those from globally, according to Yvette Zhang, partner of the consultancy. South China Morning Post
Catherine Ng, Lee’s woman, expressed congratulations on his victory in a blog on her Instagram page, writing,” This honor belongs to you and to every companion who poured their heart and soul into this work.”
She continued,” Special thanks to all the production crew people… This job and his accomplishments were made possible by your expertise, determination, and passion.
Additionally, Mr. Singh was questioned about the GRC in Tampines, where the WP has a group led by gathering vice-chair Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, who was formerly an MP in Aljunied GRC.  ,
In a unique four-cornered fight, it will face an incumbent PAP team led by Minister for Social and Family Development, Masagos Zulkifli, as well as the opposition, National Solidarity Party, and Women’s Power Party.
A writer inquired as to whether Malay voters ‘ preferences may determine the Group Representation Constituency.
” I have some information for you about our Asian voters. They also have a lot of advanced citizens. Not just a race-related issue, asserted Mr. Singh.
What other problems is the WP bring to the table, in addition to national problems. And I think that many of our citizens are aware that a strong opposition existence must exist in Singapore. Moreover, the Workers ‘ Party has a particular political philosophy. And I believe that the Malay voters are aware of the impact that view has.
In light of Mr. Faisal’s relocation to the Tampines, Mr. Singh was also questioned as to why the WP did no relocate any party officials to the East Coast GRC.
He claimed that Mr. Yee was a heavy in his own right and that Joo Chiat SMC degenerated after Mr. Yee lost the GE2011 poll there by just 388 seats.
” The team has a lot of practice to lead,” says the leader. Mr. Singh praised Mr. Yee, who went on to win the Marine Parade GRC in the 2015 and 2020 elections.” I have someone who has a very great heart.
The Joo Chiat hospital was moved from Marine Parade GRC to East Coast GRC after the redrawing of electoral boundaries next month.  ,
Mr. Yee claimed that East Coast’s WP had a” great stone of applicants.”
” We’re pretty convinced that if we are elected below, we will run this land well. We will do everything in our power.
When asked about his possibilities against two political politicians, Mr. Yee responded,” We know that every time you come against the PAP, it’s often quite challenging.”
In the end, it’s the voters who make the decision, and we’ll value their decision, he said,” I mean, you look at me, I’ve been through this three days before, every day, whether you feel comfortable or not, I’ve been through this three periods.”
However, we really want to make an appeal to the residents; therefore, give this group a chance.
