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PM Wong announces major reset in family support

He also outlines bold long-term plans, like merging of outer islands, to keep S’pore relevant, resilient.

Every Singaporean child will get nearly $70,000 in direct financial help, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally.

More childcare leave, BTO income ceiling raised: 10 highlights from PM Wong’s National Day Rally speech

Recap: PM Wong’s National Day Rally 2026 speech

Five key changes S’pore families need to know at a glance

What will my family get from the new SG Child Support Package?

Every Singaporean child will receive almost $70,000 in direct financial support from birth to the age of 17, regardless of their birth order.

News analysis

Why the key shift in Singapore’s baby policy: From incentivising births to supporting parenthood

By providing more support in areas parents say they need, raising children may be seen as less daunting.

Higher BTO, resale flat demand expected after income ceiling raised, but supply can keep up: Analysts

In his National Day Rally speech on Aug 23, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the income ceiling for BTO flats will be increased to $16,000 for families and $8,000 for singles.

S’pore to merge several outer islands to form new Western island

(Clockwise from left) Pulau Sudong, Pulau Bukom and Pulau Semakau are among islands that could be merged to form a new Western island.
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S’pore will not allow itself to be used as a conduit for illegal trade practices: PM Wong

S’pore takes US allegations seriously, but can’t trace every product passing through: PM

The tariffs imposed by the US are but a symptom of larger global uncertainties and tensions, said PM Lawrence Wong.

S’poreans to remain majority; Govt to continue managing size of foreign workforce: PM Wong

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S’pore to strengthen S-E Asian unity as ASEAN chair in 2027, build resilience to face crisis

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Singapore won’t leave workers to fend for themselves when embracing new tech

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Govt prepared to raise minimum age beyond 13 for social media platforms with weak safeguards

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SM Lee to visit Central Asia from Aug 24 to 31

1,000 people in Japan help tow 400-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep closer to original position

Iran says it has discovered more than 200 billion cubic m of gas

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S’pore to increase childcare leave for working parents | NDR 2026

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NDR 2026: Housing Updates

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NDR 2026: 5 things to know

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S’porean children to get nearly $70,000 in direct financial support til they’re 17 | NDR 2026

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Household income ceilings for BTO flats, ECs to be increased | NDR 2026

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Will more money and leave encourage Singaporeans to have babies? | NDR 2026

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Was that a 6-7 reference in PM's speech?

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S’pore to lower Govt-supported pre-school fees for Singaporean children | NDR 2026

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Social media platforms must enforce stronger safeguards for young users | NDR 2026DIA

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Singapore

Cap on screenings of dialect films will be lifted if they have Mandarin-dubbed versions

Details for pay television will be announced soon, said PM Lawrence Wong.

The announcement by PM Lawrence Wong comes after the China film Dear You sparked lively discussions in Singapore recently.

S’pore to showcase Chinese heritage with new gallery and exhibition

Each S’porean child to get almost $70,000 from birth to age 17

Working parents to get 8 to 12 days of childcare leave a year, for kids aged 12 and below

Asia
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SM Lee to visit Central Asia from Aug 24 to 31

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Indonesia ramps up fight against Kalimantan fires as Prabowo visits affected areas

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Where AI is creating jobs for humans – for a while

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‘War criminals shrine’: China’s replacement name for Yasukuni sharpens rhetoric against Japan

Opinion

The magic of a bedtime story isn’t in the book. It’s in the reading

Vanessa Paige Chelvan

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Why elderly parents may want to live apart from their adult children

Wee Shiou Liang

I came to ease their loneliness but found my own heart filled

Yap Swi Neo

Run, Lions, run: The effort’s been great. Now, keep on grinding

Rohit Brijnath

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Visual stories

El Nino’s wrath: Brace yourself for impact

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Chrome, craft, character: Inside Singapore’s world of classic cars

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Rumbling trucks, busy border crossing: How China feeds Vietnam’s factory boom

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Mapping the 7.7-magnitude quake in Indonesia

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Mapping the Colombia quake

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‘I study them, then strike’: This ex-soldier now wages war on pests

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Singapore sketched: An illustrated tour of the sunny island

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Marks of a nation: 61 years of design in Singapore

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Thailand school shooting: What we know so far

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Fake news spreads like an epidemic. Here’s how to stop it

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Podcasts
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The Usual Place Podcast

Watch: Does the way the Government engages and consults the public need to change?
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In Your Opinion Podcast

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Headstart On Record Podcast

Pay transparency: What to do after finding out a colleague’s salary is higher than yours
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Asian Insider Podcast

China’s economy has a big problem: Who will keep buying?
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Pay transparency: What to do after finding out a colleague’s salary is higher than yours

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My second crib: They own homes in Singapore. So why are they renting abroad?

Me & My Money

He saved $8k as a teen, but lost it in bad investments. Now he champions Islamic finance

‘A pinch-me moment happens every day’: S’porean woman on 10-month campervan adventure in Australia

askST Jobs: My colleague and I are up for the same promotion. Can we still work well together?

The key is to compete for the opportunity, not against the person, said Tan Weixi, managing partner at Workplace Asia.

‘They don’t simply open doors and earn five figures’: How much do property agents really earn?

Property agents Mervyn Ong from PropNex (left) and Semantha Soon from ERA like the entrepreneurial side of property sales, among other things.

How Singapore investors are using brokerage AI tools to analyse portfolios, gain insights

Brokerage firms such as Moomoo, Tiger Brokers (pictured) and Longbridge are offering AI-powered features to help investors digest news and headlines, analyse earnings data and gain insights into their portfolios.

‘I study them, then strike’: This ex-soldier now wages war on pests

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MDDI (P) 046/10/2025. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No.202120748H. Copyright © 2026 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.