Singapore remains world’s leading shipping centre for 12th consecutive year
Singapore’s enduring success is attributed to its strategic location, robust international outlook, and a well-established ecosystem of professional maritime services.
Singapore (VNA) – Singapore has been recognised as the world’s leading shipping centre for the 12th consecutive year, achieving a score of 99.50 out of 100, according to the 2025 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Devel𓄧opment Index (ISCDI) Report released on July 11.
This annual report, now in its 12th year, ranks the world’s leading shipping centres based on a comprehensive evaluation of port factors, professional business services, and the general environment.
Singapore’s enduring success is attributed to its strategic location, robust international outlook, and a well-established ecosystem of professional maritime services.
Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, pledged to continue building on this momentum by innovating and investing in digitalisation, green technologies, and workforce development to strengthen Singapore’s position as a trusted and future-ready international maritime centre./.
This is considered the second largest cumulative penalty imposed by MAS for breaches related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.
By the 2030, the Government aims for 80% of households to live within a 10-minute walk of an MRT station, strengthening Singapore’s commitment to sustainable urban mobility.
Under the new regulations, only pedestrians and users of personal mobility aids (PMAs), such as electric wheelchairs, are allowed on pedestrian-only paths, which are marked with the words “pedestrians only.” Cycling paths, by contrast, are painted red.
As an institute, it will now partner international laboratories to develop expertise in reactor simulation and modelling to analyse the safety of reactor designs, said Heng.
Speaking at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Legal Conference, Malaysia’s Minister for Law and Institutional Reform Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said emphasised the vital role of the legal profession in advancing institutional reform, upholding the rule of law, and safeguarding business interests amid global economic uncertainty.
In addition to this study, Dr. Kurniawan has been researching other natural compounds with potential anticancer properties, highlighting the role of local biodiversity in the search for safer, plant-based treatments.
At an event updating SERT’s activities, Singaporean Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng announced Singaporean government’s Business Adaptation Grant which will be capped at 100,000 SGD (78,000 USD) per company and will have a co-funding element.
The public is urged to follow five key precautions, including avoiding close contact with individuals who have skin rashes or blisters, being cautious when engaging in sexual activity with unfamiliar individuals and seeking medical testing if returning from Central or East Africa or the Middle East.
Describing the CRL as Singapore’s next “outer ring” MRT line, Siow emphasised that it will provide commuters with more route options and resilience in case of service disruptions or maintenance.
According to the ASEAN Chairman’s Statement issued after the 15th EAS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the ministers underlined the forum’s role in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in East Asia, in line with the ASEAN Charter and key regional declarations including the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The meeting also urged the NWS to fulfil their obligations in advancing nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Thanavath Phonvichai, President of UTCC, noted that there remains a window of opportunity for Thailand to negotiate a more favourable tariff rate, potentially lowering it to 20%, before the duties are set to take effect on August 1. However, he stressed that a final agreement with the US is far from certain.
Inflationary pressure in the country is currently being influenced by global uncertainties, including US tariff policy developments and rising geopolitical tensions. These risks could heighten volatility in global financial markets and commodity prices.
The minister also stated that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also increasingly recognised as a peaceful region with a strong and growing economy.
Son announced an additional humanitarian aid package worth 350,000 USD for the Palestinian people, which will be channeled through relevant international organisations, aimed at easing hardships faced by the Palestinian people and supporting their reconstruction process.
ASEAN’s stance is to continue pursuing constructive engagement and negotiation with the US, he said, adding member states could hold bilateral negotiations at the same time.
In a letter dated July 7 and addressed to President Prabowo Subianto, US President Donald Trump confirmed the decision to keep the 32% tariff in place, despite ongoing talks.
In the new development phase, the Mekong-Korea Cooperation should focus on innovation as the key driving force, placing people at the centre of development while ensuring water-food-energy security and developing cultural industries, said Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
There are "high odds" that a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could happen, though no specific date or time has been discussed, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Deputy PM and FM Bui Thanh Son reaffirmed ASEAN's stances on the East Sea, Myanmar, the Middle East, and the Korean Peninsula. On the East Sea issue, Vietnam maintains its steadfast position of peacefully resolving disputes based on international law, particularly 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In a post on X, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita who co-chaired the meeting, noted that the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2026-2030 aims to expand cooperation further and give impetus to the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The event was part of activities by the ASEAN Committee in Santiago (ACS), with participation from the embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
