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Year: 2025

Singapore celebrates success on 60th anniversary but challenges loom ahead

Singapore celebrates success on 60th anniversary but challenges loom ahead

Singapore – As Singapore’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations draw to a close on Saturday night, a huge fireworks display will illuminate the city’s extraordinary skyline. The numerous skyscrapers and futuristic buildings stand as a tribute to the country’s remarkable development after separating from Malaysia in 1965. This tiny Southeast Asian state, with a population of just over six million people, has one of the highest rates of wealth per capita in the world. Its advanced economy also attracts workers from across the globe. The financial hub is famed for its stability, high standard of living, forward-thinking approach and infamous for its centralised style of governance. While Singapore will bask in some success this weekend, once the flags are taken down and the SG60 merchandise is removed from the shelves, the island-nation will get back to work and begin contemplating its future. Plans are already in motion to continue Singapore’s growth, with its most famous landmark – Marina Bay Sands – set to house a new fourth tower of hotel rooms in 2029, while a 15,000-seat indoor arena will also be built at the site. Changi international airport, which was ranked this year as the world’s best for the 13th time, will also gain a fifth terminal by the mid-2030s. Residents of the “Lion City” clearly have plenty to look forward to, but the road ahead may also contain some potholes. Al Jazeera has been taking a look at some of the challenges that Singapore could face in the next 60 years and how they might be tackled. Singapore’s iconic Merlion statue with the business district in the background in 2019 [File: Vincent Thian/AP Photo] Climate change As a low-lying island, sitting just north of the equator, Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the threat of a changing climate. The country’s former prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, once described it as a matter of “life and death”. Advertisement Rising seas and increased rainfall could lead to flooding, with extreme weather events set to be a more common occurrence. While the city-state has so far dodged the kind of weather disruption that plagues many of its neighbours, the government is preparing for the worst. Rising sea levels are of particular concern, with alarming estimates that the waters around Singapore could rise by more than a metre (3.2ft) by 2100. To counter the threat, plans are being considered to build three artificial islands off the country’s east coast. These areas of reclaimed land would be linked by tidal gates and sit higher than the mainland, acting as a barrier. Benjamin Horton, former director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore, said the country could come to a standstill if catastrophic rain were to combine with a high tide. “If it flooded a lot of the infrastructure in Singapore, closing down MRTs [mass rapid transit], shutting down emergency routes, flooding a power station and the electricity went down – Singapore would be crippled,” Horton said. The already-sweltering Southeast Asian financial hub will also have to cope with even hotter conditions. Pedestrians shield from the sun with an umbrella as they walk in front of the parliament building in Singapore in May 2025 [File: Vincent Thian/AP Photo] A 2024 government study found that the daily average temperature could rise by up to 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. Horton, who is now dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong, said this could impact the country’s economic productivity. “Singapore is always developing and is reliant on immigrant labour that works outside during the day. Climate change is going to impact that significantly,” he said. Yet, Singapore, Horton said, has “the potential to be the lead in how you adapt to climate change and to be the leader in coastal protection”. Demographic time bomb Singapore’s population is ageing at a rapid rate. By 2030, it’s estimated that almost one in four citizens will be aged 65 and above. The life expectancy for a Singaporean born today is a little under 84 years, with residents benefitting from a high quality of life and a world-class healthcare system. But this demographic shift is set to challenge the city-state over the next six decades. An ageing population will inevitably require more investment in the medical sector, while the country’s workforce could face shortages of younger workers. Older Singaporean women practice Tai Chi, a Chinese form of meditative exercise, in 2013 [File: Wong Maye-E/AP] “The resulting strain will not only test the resilience of healthcare institutions but also place significant emotional, physical, and financial pressure on family caregivers,” said Chuan De Foo, a research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Advertisement While the authorities are looking to expand and strengthen healthcare facilities, they are also urging citizens to make better lifestyle choices in order to stay healthier for longer. New marketing campaigns encourage regular health check-ups, allowing for early intervention, while new technology is also being utilised. “AI-driven tools are being developed to support mental wellbeing, detect early signs of clinical deterioration and assist in diagnosis and disease management,” Foo told Al Jazeera. Fewer babies Alongside living longer, Singaporeans – like many advanced Asian economies – are also having fewer babies, adding to the country’s demographic woes. The fertility rate, which measures the average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, fell below 1.0 for the first time in 2023 and shows little sign of increasing. That figure is even lower than Japan’s fertility rate of 1.15. This week, Japan reported its 16th consecutive year of population decline, with nearly a million more deaths than births in 2024. Kalpana Vignehsa, a senior research fellow at NUS’s Institute of Policy Studies think tank, said the Singapore government is “swimming against a cultural tide” in its efforts to reverse the decline in births. “Now is the time for expansive action to make parenting less expensive, less stressful, and most

Adidas accused of cultural appropriation by Mexico over new footwear design

Adidas accused of cultural appropriation by Mexico over new footwear design

Mexican officials say sportswear giant took design idea from Indigenous community in country’s southern Oaxaca state. Mexico’s government is seeking compensation from Adidas, accusing the sportswear giant of cultural appropriation for launching a new shoe design strikingly similar to traditional Indigenous footwear known as huaraches. Adidas’s new Oaxaca Slip-On was created by United States fashion designer Willy Chavarria, who has Mexican heritage. But the footwear has drawn strong pushback from officials in Mexico’s southern state of Oaxaca, who say no authorisation was given by the Indigenous community, in the village of Villa de Hidalgo Yalalag, behind the original design. “It’s collective intellectual property. There must be compensation. The heritage law must be complied with,” Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said during her regular news conference on Friday. “Big companies often take products, ideas and designs from Indigenous communities,” Sheinbaum said. “We are looking at the legal part to be able to support them,” she said. The government said that Adidas representatives had agreed to meet with Oaxaca authorities. Mexico’s Undersecretary of Cultural Development Marina Nunez Bespalova, right, alongside President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, at a news conference to condemn Adidas and US designer Willy Chavarria in Mexico City, Mexico, on August 8, 2025 [Handout/Presidency of Mexico via Reuters] In a public letter to Adidas, Oaxaca state governor, Salomon Jara Cruz, criticised the company’s design – which has a sneaker sole topped with the weave of huarache sandals – saying that “creative inspiration” is not a valid justification for using cultural expressions that “provide identity to communities”. Advertisement “Culture isn’t sold, it’s respected,” he said. Mexican news outlet Periodico Supremo said the country’s National Institute of Indigenous Peoples will launch a legal challenge over the Adidas design, and asked followers on social media: “Are you going to buy them?” 🔴 Están “padres”….🩴 Gobierno de #México defiende propiedad intelectual indígena, en contra de la reconocida marca ADIDAS (@adidas) El INPI (@INPImx) reclamará legalmente el uso indebido del diseño tradicional de guaraches originarios de Villa Hidalgo Yalálag, #Oaxaca ¿Vas a… pic.twitter.com/KPtrfZMLGC — PERIÓDICO SupreMo 🔴 (@Diario_Supremo) August 8, 2025 Translation: The government of Mexico defends Indigenous intellectual property, against the well-known brand ADIDAS. The INPI will legally challenge the improper use of the traditional design of huaraches originating from Villa Hidalgo Yalalag, Oaxaca. Are you going to buy them? The controversy is the latest instance of Mexican officials denouncing major clothing brands or designers using unauthorised Indigenous art or designs from the region, with previous complaints raised about fast fashion juggernaut Shein, Spain’s Zara and high-end labels Carolina Herrera and Louis Vuitton. Mexico’s Deputy Culture Minister Marina Nunez confirmed Adidas had contacted Oaxacan officials to discuss “restitution to the people who were plagiarised”. Neither Adidas nor the designer Chavarria, who was born in the US to an Irish-American mother and a Mexican-American father, immediately responded to requests for comment from reporters. Chavarria had previously told Sneaker News that he had intended to celebrate his cultural heritage through his work with Adidas. “I’m very proud to work with a company that really respects and elevates culture in the truest way,” he said. Handicrafts are a crucial economic lifeline in Mexico, providing jobs for about half a million people across the country. The industry accounts for approximately 10 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) of states such as Oaxaca, Jalisco, Michoacan and Guerrero. For Viridiana Jarquin Garcia, a huaraches creator and vendor in Oaxaca’s capital, the Adidas shoes were a “cheap copy” of the kind of work that Mexican artists take time and care to craft. “The artistry is being lost. We’re losing our tradition,” she said in front of her small booth of leather shoes. Sandals known as ‘huaraches’ are displayed for sale at a market in Oaxaca, Mexico, on August 8, 2025 [Luis Alberto Cruz/AP Photo] Adblock test (Why?)

Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from funding Texas Dems who fled to stop GOP redistricting vote

Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from funding Texas Dems who fled to stop GOP redistricting vote

A Texas judge ruled Friday against Beto O’Rourke and his nonprofit in a case brought by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused them of illegally raising funds to support Democratic lawmakers fleeing the state to block GOP redistricting legislation. Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order Friday evening against O’Rourke, a former congressman and Democratic presidential candidate, and his group, Powered by People, over alleged “unlawful fundraising practices” tied to efforts to support Texas Democrats who fled the state — including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines.  “Defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law],” Fahey wrote in her Friday evening ruling. “Consumer have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law.” BETO O’ROURKE ASKED POINT BLANK WHY HE’S HELPING DEMS FLEE TEXAS RATHER THAN HELPING TEXANS Fahey’s order bars O’Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats. The ruling came only hours after Paxton’s office filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against O’Rourke.  Fahey is a Republican, and she was appointed by GOP Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott in 2019. In response to the ruling, O’Rourke put out a statement arguing that Paxton is trying to shut down his nonprofit “because our volunteers fight for voting rights and free elections,” which he called “the kind of work that threatens the hold that Paxton, Trump, and Abbott have on power in Texas.” GEORGE SOROS, BETO O’ROURKE BEHIND FUNDING FOR DEMS FLEEING TEXAS OVER GOP CONGRESSIONAL MAP “They want to make examples out of those who fight so that others won’t,” O’Rourke added. “Now Paxton’s filed a restraining order to try to take us out of the fight. He wants to silence me and stop me from leading this organization. He wants to stop us from fighting Trump’s attempt to steal the five congressional seats he needs to hang on to power. But I’m not going anywhere. I plan on speaking at our rally to stop the power grab in Fort Worth tomorrow afternoon.” “Cry more, lib,” Paxton said in response to O’Rourke’s statement. “You lost in court because you’re breaking the law and deceiving Texans. We absolutely will make an example out of law breakers.” In addition to Powered By People, Paxton also launched an investigation into the Texas Majority PAC, which has also been accused of being a major funder of the fleeing Texas Democrats.  Meanwhile, O’Rourke filed his own lawsuit against Paxton in El Paso district court on Friday, The Texas Tribune reported. O’Rourke has accused Paxton of launching a “fishing expedition” and asked a judge to block Paxton’s investigation into his nonprofit’s practices.