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SNG Daily: Taylor Swiftโ€™s Eras Tour To Lift Singaporeโ€™s GDP; Sweden Officially Joins NATO

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Hong Kongโ€™s New National Security Law Bill Comes With Tougher Jail Terms

Hong Kongโ€™s Legislative Council is deliberating over a new national security bill that comes with tougher jail terms and broader definitions of sedition and state secrets. In a statement to Reuters, the European Union expressed โ€œgrave concernsโ€ emphasizing its unease about the far-reaching provisions in the bill regarding โ€œexternal interferenceโ€ and the lawโ€™s global applicability. Hong Kong is trying to fast track the passage of the bill.

Sweden Officially Joins NATO As 32nd Nation

Two years after Russiaโ€™s invasion of Ukraine forced a rethink of national security in Finland and Sweden. Sweden is now officially the 32nd member of NATO after Finland joined last year. The Swedish PM handed over the final documentation to Washington. Sweden and Finland share a 1,340 km border with Russia and their joining NATO is seen as a blow to Putin

Strong Words For Trump, Republicans And Israel In Bidenโ€™s State Of The Union Speech


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Facing questions regarding his age in an election year, Joe Biden made an energetic pitch during his over-an-hour long โ€˜State of the Unionโ€™ speech. He used the podium to target Trump without taking his name and ribbed the Republicans for enjoying and taking credit for his policies that they voted against. He also had some strong words for Israelโ€™s leadership, warning it not to use humanitarian aid as a bargaining chip. The US will build a temporary pier in the Mediterranean sea to deliver aid to the people of Gaza.

Netanyahu Continues Tough Talk On Gaza, Pushes For Offensive In Rafah

Israelโ€™s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will continue with Israelโ€™s offensive against Hamas, including in Rafah, where an estimated 1.5 million people are crammed. Despite international condemnation and criticism of Israel bombs killing thousands of civilians in Gaza, Netanyahu said it was time to close ranks and stand together against attempts to stop the war. As per Reuters, Netanyahu also said, โ€œWhoever tells us not to act in Rafah is telling us to lose the war and that will not happen.โ€

Taylor Swiftโ€™s Eras Tour Will Bump Up Singaporeโ€™s GDP

Economists revised Singaporeโ€™s first-quarter growth outlook upward, crediting part of the gains to the impact of Taylor Swiftโ€™s Eras Tour concerts. Taylor Swift performed six exclusive concerts in Singapore as a part of her Eras Tour. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey suggests that the gross domestic product likely grew at the fastest pace in six quarters, expanding by 2.9% in the three months ending March 31.