Stuart White, Author at The Singapore Post

Singapore tightens screen time rules for children

22Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Singapore tightens screen time rules for children

Singapore has introduced stricter measures to regulate screen use among children in schools and preschools as part of a broader multi-ministry health initiative launched on Tuesday. From February 1, preschools will enforce updated rules banning screen use for children under 18 months and limiting it to teaching and learning purposes for those aged 18 months to six years, according to a joint statement by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Social and Family Development. Educators will also be guided to prioritise "meaningful experiences" over sedentary activities such as prolonged screen time and sitting, Xinhua news agency reported. Primary and secondary schools have implemented similar measures, requiring students to store their phones in ...

22Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

US politicians target Trump donations

A pair of US senators reportedly accused leading technology companies of attempting to win the favour of President-elect Donald Trump by donating millions to his inauguration ceremony, noting many face ongoing government investigations and regulatory actions. Fox News reported Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet wrote to Amazon, Apple, Google, OpenAI, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Uber last week to express concerns. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted their letter on X. In it, the politicians expressed concern the companies and other technology businesses “are using your massive contributions to the inaugural fund to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in an effort to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation and buy favour”. Altman personally contributed $1 mill

Between TrumpTok and TikTok? The banning and unbanning of the app perfectly captures all the issues with American politics.

22Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Between TrumpTok and TikTok? The banning and unbanning of the app perfectly captures all the issues with American politics.

Having done his best to shut down the social media platform, the new president is now being hailed as its saviour. And once again the Democrats have egg on their faces Politics in the US has had its fair share of stupid moments, but the recent banning and (sort of) unbanning of TikTok may rank as one of the stupidest. At the same time, the episode neatly encapsulates the current moment: it’s a perfect example of Donald Trump’s showmanship, the Democrats’ incompetence and the limits of bipartisanship. If I were a TikTok teen I’d come up with some sort of experimental dance to illustrate these themes but I’m old and completely devoid of rhythm, so words are going to have to suffice. Let’s start with Trump, who, with his usual talent for self-promotion, has positioned himself as th

Syria offers the Middle East an opportunity to create a better future for itself.

18Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Syria offers the Middle East an opportunity to create a better future for itself.

The stability of Syria, at the heart of the Middle East, is in the interests of all. It is time for regional actors, not external ones, to lead the change There are decades when nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen. This is the Middle East today. The downfall of Syria’s Assad regime, coupled with forces unleashed after Hamas attacked Israel in 2023, have triggered a regional power vacuum.This crisis of uncertainty presents a historic opportunity for a geopolitical reconfiguration. In recent decades, the Middle East has experienced too many failed resets. It is time to alter course, reverse the cycle and for regional actors – not external players – to lead in shaping change. Syria’s strategic geography gives it enormous leverage. It is a linchpin for regional s

16Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump 2.0 and China-Ukraine Relations

The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Vita Golod – visiting adjunct instructor at Carolina Asia Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, junior fellow at A. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and co-author of the article “Tracing the Path of Sino-Ukrainian Relations: From the Post-Soviet Era to the Russo-Ukrainian War” published in the Journal of Contemporary China – is the 444th in “The Trans-Pacific View Insight Series.” Explain Ukraine’s approach toward China since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. In a few words,

The pro-China position of a new city minister is being questioned.

16Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

The pro-China position of a new city minister is being questioned.

Downing Street has refused to say whether new City Minister Emma Reynolds is able to make decisions about the UK's dealings with China.Reynolds was appointed by Sir Keir Starmer after the resignation of Tulip Siddiq amid growing pressure over an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh.Questions have been raised about whether Reynolds has a conflict of interest, because she was a director of public affairs at a banking trade group involved in lobbying for fewer restrictions on Chinese businesses.The prime minister's official spokesman repeatedly declined to say whether Reynolds' background meant she had to recuse herself, or step back, from decisions about China. He said the new City minister "brings a wealth of experience to the role". But he added: "When it comes to the...

Open communication is agreed upon between China and the US during the US political transition.

7Jan

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Open communication is agreed upon between China and the US during the US political transition.

China and the United States have agreed to maintain communication and manage their differences during the political transition period in the US, in order to continue stabilizing China-US economic relations, they stated during a video talk between Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and the US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday. According to Xinhua News Agency, during the talk China expressed concerns over trade restrictive measures tipped by the United States against China, particularly the recent trade investigations initiated by Washington. He and Yellen, two lead persons in China-US economic and trade affairs, reviewed the history of China-US economic and financial exchanges and cooperation in recent years, and spoke highly of the important role that dialogue mechanisms ha...

After receiving flu treatment, former US President Bill Clinton departs the hospital.

24Dec

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

After receiving flu treatment, former US President Bill Clinton departs the hospital.

Former United States President Bill Clinton has been discharged from hospital after he was treated for the flu, his office said. developing a fever, his office has announced. Clinton, 78, was released from hospital on Tuesday. He had been admitted to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC for testing and observation on Monday afternoon after developing a fever, Angel Urena, Clinton’s deputy chief of staff, said. Urena had earlier said that Clinton was in “good spirits” and was appreciative of the care he was receiving. “He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving,” Urena said in a post on X. Clinton, who served as the 42nd US president from 1993 to 2001 under the Democratic Party banner, has faced a series of health is

Trump is hinting that the US may expand into Canada, Greenland, and Panama.

23Dec

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

Trump is hinting that the US may expand into Canada, Greenland, and Panama.

President-elect Donald Trump appears to be entertaining an American territorial expansion that, if he’s serious, would rival the Louisiana Purchase or the deal that netted Alaska from Russia. In the past week, he’s taunted Canadian officials by suggesting the US could absorb its northern neighbor and make it the 51st state. He threatened to take over the Panama Canal, the US-made waterway controlled for a quarter century by its Central American namesake. And on Sunday, he resurfaced his first-term desire to obtain Greenland, a Danish territory he has long eyed. With Trump, the differences between serious policy proposals and rhetorical flourishes intended to stoke media attention or energize his base are not always clear. At other times, his provocations have appeared to be the open

‘Moron’ is how the Trump campaign aide describes the next UK ambassador to the US.

22Dec

By Stuart WhiteNo Comments

‘Moron’ is how the Trump campaign aide describes the next UK ambassador to the US.

A top campaign adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump has called the incoming UK ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson, "an absolute moron". In a post on social media, Chris LaCivita said Lord Mandelson "should stay home". Mr LaCivita, who was a co-campaign manager for Trump's presidential election bid, criticised the British government's decision saying it was replacing a "professional universally respected ambo [ambassador] with an absolute moron". Lord Mandelson is one of the best-known figures in British politics, having served in multiple ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown before taking up a life peerage in the Lords. He called his appointment as the UK's next ambassador to the US as "a great honour". As first reported in The Times, Lord Mande...