Hanoi (VNA)𓃲 – Singapore has become the world’s latest “blue zone” which is defined as a place where people live longer andhealthier lives.
The term “blue zone” wascoined by Dan Buettner. The five original blue zones are: Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa(Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Sardinia (Italy) and Loma Linda (United States)but Singapore is on Buettner’s new list, dubbed “blue zone 2.0.” While the original blue zones came about by naturalcircumstances, blue zones 2.0 are man-made. According to Buettner, Singaporehas the highest health-adjusted life expectancy in the world. So whateverSingapore did, it worked at producing the longest, healthiest life on theplanet. He said the old blue zonesare disappearing as mechanization isreplacing physical activity and technology is disconnecting people fromface-to-face interactions.” Buettnerspecifically mentioned factors that promote Singaporean people’s health together with the country's policies. For example, Singaporeans often walk because their mobility mainly relies on public transport and owning a car in thisisland nation is very costly. Singapore also encourages children tolive with or near parents and relatives through a policy offering incentives of housing costs, instead of sending the elderly to nursing homes. So thehealth of the elderly is also better as they receive thorough care.
Additionally, Singapore is at theforefront of popularising healthy foods. The country has created programmes thatencourage food establishments to offer healthier options.
𝄹 The country has promoted programmes to curbsmoking suchas imposing high tobacco taxes. Moreover, Singaporeans enjoyuniversal health care which means residents have access to quality medicalcare, including health services such as prevention, treatment, rehabilitationand palliative care. The government has worked to create policies thatsubsidize health-care costs./.
Singaporean Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng announced on March 4 that the country’s retirement and re-employment age will be raised to 64 and 69, respectively, on July 1, 2026.
About 50,000 Singaporean public servants are being appointed as election officials and will receive training in April in preparation for the upcoming election in the country to be held no later than November 2025.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on March 25 met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and some other leaders of Singapore, during which they discussed ways to further the strategic bilateral ties, and the situation in the Indo-Pacific and West Asia regions.
Singapore was the largest foreign investor in Vietnam in the year to March 20 with over 2.55 billion USD, making up 41.3% of the total foreign direct investment (FDI) registered in the country, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Illustrative image (Photo: Getty Images) 
