Singapore cuts growth outlook to near zero

A Singaporean woman was sentenced to 30 years for starving, assaulting and eventually killing her domestic worker. The judge said the case was "among the worst types of culpable homicide."

Giant pumps whir deep underground at a plant in Singapore that helps transform sewage into water so clean it is fit for human consumption.

A panda bred via artificial insemination has been born in Singapore's zoo, the first cub to be born in the city-state. Jia Jia, the zoo's 12-year-old female giant panda, gave birth to the cub after she was artificially inseminated with frozen semen from 13-year-old Kai Kai.

A layer of green foliage blankets a red tower in the heart of Singapore's business district, a feature that helps keeps the building cool as the densely-populated tropical city battles rising temperatures. The Oasia Hotel Downtown, in the heart of Singapore's business district, was designed to stay cool with the help of more than 20 species of creeping plants growing on its bright red aluminum facade. Its facade is 10 to 20 degrees Celsius cooler compared to nearby buildings, according to architecture firm WOHA, which designed the building. The 27-story structure houses over ten times the amount of greenery found on the site before its construction, and its large open terraces allow natural ventilation and lighting and reduce energy use. In an effort to reduce emissions, Singapore aims to green 80 percent of its buildings by 2030. Buildings account for over 20 percent of the city-state's carbon emissions.

Singapore's new wildlife forensics centre aims to help in the fight against smuggling networks by analysing seized body parts from endangered animals to determine where they originated from.

Two fluffy white terriers wearing tartan berets pant quietly as their owner waves a treat and snaps a photo for the dogs' tens of thousands of Instagram followers. They are among a growing number of pet influencers on social media in Singapore, a trend fuelled by a rise in online shopping and pet ownership during the coronavirus pandemic.

Singapore has trialled patrol robots that blast warnings at people engaging in "undesirable social behaviour", adding to an arsenal of surveillance technology in the tightly controlled city-state.

The revision comes as the post-pandemic recovery falters in advanced economies, including the US and Germany. The IMF has kept its growth forecast for 2022 unchanged but has warned of "dangerous" divergent recoveries.

The book about censorship was banned over "offensive images" containing cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Muhammad. The cartoons were the same ones published in the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo in 2015.

The negative economic effects from Russia's invasion of Ukraine will significantly hurt global growth, the IMF has said. Increasing food and fuel prices have raised the prospect of unrest in poorer countries.

For years, Singapore has been considered a skilled practitioner of hedging between the world's superpowers and not taking sides. Now it is one of the few Asian countries to openly condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In Singapore, the fate of two Malaysian men on death row has sparked local mobilisation and attracted international attention. On April 25th, Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was hanged. With an IQ of 69, which is recognized as a disability, his execution could amount to a breach of international law. The next day, 36-year-old Datchinamurthy Kataiah won a last minute reprieve from Singapore's top court, thereby suspending his execution. We talk to journalist and anti-death penalty activist Kirsten Han.