So so only 

Sadly reminding me of past insecurities     

Singapore births fall to lowest since independence | The Straits Times https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/community/babies-born-in-2025-fall-below-30000-for-the-first-time-since-singapores-independence?ref=latest-headlines&_nei=1ee1c63c-880f-4dcb-99f5-658ed6850751   Full Report: Babies born in 2025 fall below 30,000 for the first time since Singapore’s independence   Source: The Straits Times, based on the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2025 released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on 27 July 2026 Author: Theresa Tan (Senior Social Affairs Correspondent)       🔢 Key Birth Statistics   - Total births in 2025: 29,864 — 11.4% fewer than the 33,703 recorded in 2024 - Significance: First year since independence (1965, when 55,725 babies were born) that annual births dropped below 30,000 - Historical trend: 40,000–50,000+ births annually from the 1970s to 1990s; below 40,000 in most years over the past two decades - Citizen parentage: 87% (26,071) of newborns had at least one Singaporean parent - Fertility rate: Resident Total Fertility Rate (TFR) hit a new low of 0.87 in 2025 — well below the 2.1 replacement level    🤰 Demographic Profile of Mothers   - Median age of first-time mothers: Rose to 32.1 years in 2025, up from 31.3 in 2021 — later childbearing reduces fertility chances - Educational attainment: - ~2 in 3 hold a university degree - ~1 in 5 have A-levels, diploma, ITE or equivalent - Only ~1 in 10 have O-level or lower qualifications   📉 Positive Trends   - Teenage births: 140 cases — 43% down from 244 in 2024 - Single-parent registrations: 258 (births registered without the father’s name) — 22% fewer than 330 in 2024; only 17% of these were to teens aged 19 and under   ⚰️ Death Statistics   - Total deaths in 2025: 26,499 — a slight 0.2% rise from 26,442 in 2024 - Causes: Cancer, and heart & hypertensive diseases accounted for just over half of all deaths; “unnatural deaths” (accidents, suicides, external causes) made up only 2% - Age profile: 87% of deaths were among people aged 60+; median age at death rose to 78.2 years from 76.1 in 2016   ⚠️ Policy Context & Government Response   - Warning: Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong stated in February 2026 that without intervention, Singapore’s citizen population could start shrinking by the early 2040s; low birth rates and ageing are termed an “existential challenge”  - Strategies: 1. Support families as top priority 2. Carefully managed immigration to offset low birth rates 3. Marriage and Parenthood Reset Workgroup: Formed in early 2026, chaired by Minister Indranee Rajah , to review financial costs, work-life balance, housing, healthcare and mindsets; full report due early 2027  - Expert views: Decline is driven by more people staying single, and married couples having fewer or no children        

3 Singaporean teenagers, who were self-radicalised by violent extremist ideologies and planned to carry out separate attacks here, have been detained under the Internal Security Act. One of them was a 14-year-old student who made plans to carry out a mass stabbing at his secondary school during the June holidays. https://str.sg/ttLn   Full Details: 3 Self-Radicalised Singapore Teens Detained Under ISA (July 27, 2026)   Three Singaporean teenagers aged 14, 15 and 19 — all self-radicalised online — were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for plotting separate violent extremist attacks inspired by ISIS, mass shooters and far-right ideologies, the Internal Security Department (ISD) announced on July 27, 2026 .       🔴 Case 1: 14-Year-Old Secondary 2 Student – School Mass Stabbing Plot   Arrested: May 2026, one month before intended attack Target: His own secondary school; non-Muslim teachers and students Planned date: June 2026 school holidays (fewer staff on campus for CCA sessions)   Radicalisation Path   - Began at age 12 via Roblox games featuring recreations of the 1999 Columbine shooting; later consumed gore, mass shooting footage, and ISIS propaganda recommended by algorithms . - Identified with mass shooters as victims of bullying; idolised Omar Mateen (2016 Orlando nightclub attacker) for his high death toll and shared experience of being bullied . - Adopted ISIS ideology, viewed killing LGBTQ people as “justifiable”, and wanted to travel to Syria to join ISIS but lacked funds . - Blamed bullying and academic stress for his grievances; saw violence as retaliation and “jihad” .   Attack Plan & Materials   - Wrote a 21-page manifesto titled A Call to Action, decorated with neo-Nazi/far-right symbols, glorifying shooters, and urging other bullied youth to use violence . - First considered firearms (abandoned due to Singapore’s strict laws), then homemade bombs (dropped for cost/lack of space), finally chose kitchen knife and penknife from home . - Planned to livestream the stabbing, release the manifesto beforehand, then kill himself to “die a martyr” . - Shared ISIS videos with classmates; none were radicalised. A school staff member alerted authorities, preventing the attack .       🟠 Case 2: 19-Year-Old Tertiary Student Tan Jun Jie – Attacks on SAF & LGBTQ Students   Arrested: April 2026; detained in May 2026 Targets: SAF personnel at Sembawang Air Base entrance; LGBTQ students at his tertiary institution; Muslim organisation websites    Radicalisation Path   - Converted to Islam in 2022 via social media; exposed to rigid, fundamentalist teachings and pro-ISIS content online . - By Jan 2026, considered himself an ISIS member, took an oath of allegiance, and said he would obey any ISIS order to attack in Singapore .   Planned Actions   - Saw SAF personnel as “enemy combatants” serving a “non-believer government”; targeted LGBTQ students as “un-Islamic” . - Attempted DDoS cyberattacks on websites of Muslim groups he deemed “deviant” . - Reported by acquaintances who became alarmed by his extremist views .       🟡 Case 3: 15-Year-Old Secondary 4 Student – Pressure-Cooker Bomb Plot   Ideology: Supported ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis; aimed to establish an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia through violence .   Plans & Preparation   - Actively researched how to build pressure-cooker bombs; visualised a large-scale attack in a crowded urban area with mass civilian casualties . - Had not set a specific date, location or target yet, but was determined to carry out violence to advance ISIS’ cause . - Family and friends knew of his extremist views but did not report him to authorities .       ⚠️ Broader Findings & Official Responses   Youth Radicalisation Trends   - Over half of the 23 youths dealt with under the ISA in the past decade planned attacks inside Singapore; radicalised youth are getting younger . - All three shared extremist content with peers/family; weapons chosen were easily accessible (knives, household items) .   Measures Taken   - MHA issued orders to block/remove terrorism-linked content: 1 disabling direction for an online service, 2 access-blocking directions for ISPs, targeting material that glorifies ISIS, shooters and violence — directly linked to past radicalisation cases . - Senior Minister Shanmugam: “ISD must get it right every single time; the attacker only needs to succeed once. We cannot block everything online — parents, schools and the public must stay vigilant.”  - Education Minister Desmond Lee: Prevention, education and community alertness are key to keeping schools and Singapore safe .   How to Help   If you spot signs of radicalisation, contact ISD at 1800-2626-473.

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