SINGAPORE, April 15 — Lawrence Wong has pledged to give his all to serving the country and its people as he officially assumes the role of Singapore’s fourth Prime Minister on May 15.

JAKARTA, April 15 — Rescuers are ramping up efforts to find two missing individuals in Indonesia's South Sulawesi landslide disaster, which claimed 18 lives on Saturday (April 13), according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

SINGAPORE, April 15 — Singapore has set May 15 as the country’s leadership transition date, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will relinquish his office to pave the way for Lawrence Wong to succeed him.

JAKARTA, April 15 — Indonesia expressed its deep concern over the escalation of the situation in the Middle East and urged Iran and Israel to exercise restraint following the former's missile attack on Israel on Saturday, reported ANTARA News Agency.

TORONTO, April 15 — Apple's smartphone shipments dropped about 10 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, hurt by intensifying competition by Android smartphone makers aiming for the top spot, data from research firm IDC revealed yesterday.

SYDNEY, April 15 — The Australian police have said the attacker who fatally stabbed six people at a busy shopping centre in Sydney's beach suburb of Bondi on Saturday (April 13) may have targeted women, as the country mourned the victims and hundreds of people laid flowers near the scene.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — A strong earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale was detected in New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea at 4.56 this morning.

SINGAPORE, April 14 — Singapore remains deeply concerned about the volatile situation in the Middle East and the continuing danger of the war in Gaza triggering a wider regional conflagration following Iran’s air attacks on Israel.

NEW DELHI, April 14 — India and Pakistan have called for de-escalation in West Asia after Iran hit Israel with drones and missiles in response to the recent Israeli bombing of the Iranian embassy in Damascus.

JERUSALEM, April 14 — Top Iranian commanders warned Israel today that it would face a bigger attack if it retaliates against overnight drone and missile strikes.

SINGAPORE, April 14 — Singapore has advised its citizens to defer all travel to Iran “given the latest security situation”, said its Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) today.

JERUSALEM/DUBAI, April 14 — Iran launched a swarm of explosive drones and fired missiles at Israel late yesterday in its first-ever direct attack on Israeli territory, risking a major escalation as the United States (US) pledged "ironclad" backing for Israel.

SYDNEY, April 14 — Sydney's police have ruled out terror or ideology as a motive after a man killed six people in a random stabbing attack yesterday in one of the city's busiest shopping centres.

ISTANBUL — One person was killed and 10 others injured on Friday in the southern Turkish province of Antalya after a cable car cabin collided with a broken pole, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

ABUJA — Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out the "revolutionary" new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

BEIJING, April 13 — There is a possibility of a substantial rise in energy and food costs in 2024 which could potentially exacerbate inflation in Asia, according to the Boao Forum for Asia: Asian Economic Outlook and Integration Progress Annual Report 2024 released recently.

MEXICO CITY — Mexican public health officials are sounding an alarm after a study discovered the presence of animal tranquilizer Xylazine in opioids in cities on the country's northwest border with the United States.

PARIS, April 12 — Five years after a devastating fire, the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral is nearing completion as the world’s eyes turn to Paris for the Olympic Games.

BEIJING, April 12 — China’s March exports contracted sharply, while imports also unexpectedly shrank, both undershooting market forecasts by big margins, customs data showed on Friday, highlighting the stiff task facing policymakers as they try to bolster a shaky economic recovery.

GENEVA, April 12 — Waterborne diseases are spreading in Gaza due to a lack of clean water and rising temperatures, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Gaza said on Friday.