SINGAPORE – Catch up on the hottest topics on The Big Story, ST’s weekday talk show.

Singapore registered record dips in its population numbers over the past year as the impact of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and conditions hit home, the Government’s annual Population in Brief report revealed on Tuesday (Sept 28).

Singapore’s total population as of June fell for the second straight year, down to 5.45 million from 5.69 million in 2020. This 4.1 per cent decrease is the largest percentage decline – and only the third instance of negative growth – since 1950, according to data from the Department of Statistics.

Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the School of Business at the Singapore University of Social Sciences weighs in on the data.

Meanwhile, quarantined pupils who wish to take the Primary School Leaving Examination this year will need to inform the school by 12pm on the day they receive a quarantine order.

They will also need to complete a daily antigen rapid test at 6pm on the day before each paper.

Sept 28 marks World News Day and this year’s campaign focuses on climate change and seeks to strengthen fact-based climate journalism throughout the world.

It highlights the critical importance of journalism in providing trustworthy information about our and the planet’s future.

The Straits Times’ climate change editor David Fogarty and science and environment correspondent Audrey Tan tell The Big Story about the biggest challenge facing our generation in taking climate action.

They also share more on ST’s efforts in engaging readers on the topic of climate change.

We also share other news in Singapore, and around the world.