Singapore still subject to 10% baseline tariff, DPM Gan to visit US next month for talks
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
33 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
'Can we have a date?': 'Task force man' Gan Kim Yong invites Punggol North residents to dinner, Singapore News
Do you live in Punggol and are looking to meet new people? Well, we have just the right candidate for you, albeit an unexpected one. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and MP for Punggol North (Punggol GRC) recently posted an invitation on his Instagram on July 10 which read: "Can we have a date?" The 66-year-old wrote: "I would like to get to know more about residents in Punggol North. So I thought of inviting you and your family to join me for dinner." He also said that he hopes to do so one family at a time so he can "really really" get to know the residents. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gan Kim Yong (@gankimyong) As there are a total of nine precincts, the first session, which is on July 19, will be for residents of Parc Terraces. The venue will be at either Leong Ji Kitchen (non-halal) from 6.30pm to 8pm, or at House of White Bee Hoon (halal). Those keen on joining DPM Gan for a meal will need to register themselves for the event by scanning a QR code on the Instagram post. This dinner is the first of a nine-part series of Can We Have A Date - where a randomly selected family of four from Punggol North will get a chance to dine with DPM Mr Gan, according to a Facebook post by the Punggol Parc Terraces Residents Network. In the comments, some netizens expressed interest in the initiation, including some non-Punggol residents. One said they hoped this initiative would extend to other parts of Punggol and Singapore. Another who lives in Pasir Ris asked if she could still register for the event despite not staying in Punggol North. "We are neighbours," she rationalised. 'Task Force Man' During the recent General Elections, DPM Gan and his PAP team won the freshly minted Punggol GRC with 55.17 per cent of the votes over a Workers' Party team. The four-member team for Punggol GRC also includes Dr Janil Puthucheary, Sun Xueling and Yeo Wan Ling. Punggol GRC was created after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee recommended carving out the Punggol estates in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, to merge with Punggol West SMC in their March report. DPM Gan was given the nickname Task Force Man during the General Elections after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong spoke highly of him chairing Singapore's task force. DPM Gan is reportedly planning a US visit to discuss tariffs, business opportunities for Singapore in July. [[nid:718005]] melissateo@
AsiaOne
33 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Britain's foreign minister meets Chinese counterpart at Asean, World News
PUBLISHED ON July 12, 2025 3:25 AM British foreign minister David Lammy said on Friday (July 11) that he met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at the Southeast Asian block Asean's summit in Malaysia. They discussed bilateral issues and areas where there is disagreement which including the ongoing detention of jailed Hong Kong activist and former media tycoon Jimmy Lai, according to a post on Lammy's X account. [[nid:719289]] ASEANBritainchinaminister
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
Rubio says no 'drama or division' in US relations with Japan, World News
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (July 11) played down concerns about relations with key US ally Japan, saying there is no "drama or division," despite the Japanese prime minister speaking of the need for Tokyo to wean itself off US dependence. In remarks to reporters, Rubio also disputed reports of US pressure on Japan to significantly increase its defence spending, saying that while Washington was "encouraging" Tokyo to invest in certain capabilities, this did not amount to a "demand." "It's less to do with the amount of money and more to do about certain things they can do," he said after attending a regional meeting in Malaysia. Japanese media reported last month that the Trump administration was demanding that Japan and other Asian allies boost defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP in line with demands on Nato members. A Financial Times report last month said Japan cancelled an annual defence and foreign ministers meeting with the US after it called on Tokyo to boost defence spending beyond what it requested earlier. President Donald Trump further upset Japan this week by announcing a 25 per cent tariff on Japanese imports starting Aug 1 as part of his global tariff strategy. On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Japan needed to wean itself from US dependence in security, food, and energy. Asked about Ishiba's remarks, Rubio said the United States has "a very strong and very good relationship with Japan, and that's not going to change." "Anyone who's looking for, like, drama or division there ... shouldn't be doing it because the truth of the matter is our relationship with Japan is very solid." He said Ishiba's comment should not be viewed negatively. [[nid:720006]] "The idea that Japan's military would become more capable is not something we would be offended by; it's something we would actually be encouraged by," he said. Christopher Johnstone, a former Biden White House official now with the Asia Group consultancy, said trade frictions, pressure on defence spending, and uncertainty about US defence commitments meant US-Japan tensions were probably at their worst in a generation, but reducing Tokyo's reliance on the US was easier said than done. "If the two countries reach a trade agreement by Aug 1, it could fade," he said. "But Ishiba's comments reflect sentiment that is real and widespread."
