SINGAPORE -- To navigate an "increasingly fragmented and turbulent world," Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has proposed three key thrusts to strengthen the city-state's regional and global partnerships.

Speaking at the S Rajaratnam Lecture on Wednesday, Wong said the first thrust is to "contribute actively to the stewardship of the global commons." Singapore, while maintaining its focus on Southeast Asia, will set aside more resources for partners further afield, including those in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the Pacific, and the Caribbean. (Singapore-Foreign Policy)

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TOKYO -- The public approval rating for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's cabinet slipped 4.8 percentage points from the previous month to 23.1 percent in April, the lowest level since the launch of his administration in October last year, a Jiji Press survey showed Thursday.

The disapproval rating for the Ishiba cabinet, meanwhile, climbed 7.1 percentage points to 51.2 percent, exceeding 50 percent for the first time, according to the opinion poll. (Japan-Ishiba-Approval Rate)

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HONG KONG -- The Airport Authority Hong Kong reported on Thursday a surge in passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport during the first quarter of this year, up 15 percent year on year, totaling 14.59 million passengers.

The number of aircraft movements also rose by 11.3 percent, approaching 96,000, while cargo volume grew by 3.2 percent to 1.17 million tons, the report said. (Hong Kong-Data-Airlines)

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CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that he would stand up for national interests in response to U.S. tariffs during the second leaders' debate of the election campaign.

Albanese, leader of the governing Labor Party, and opposition Coalition leader Peter Dutton on Wednesday night went head-to-head for the second time on the campaign for the May 3 election in a debate that mostly focused on domestic affairs. (Australia-PM-U.S.) Enditem

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