And now turning to international news...

Singapore's parliament has been dissolved, paving the way for general
elections.

The long-ruling People's Action Party will seek to strengthen its dominance
in the upcoming elections, under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The date of that election will be May 3rd.

Victory is all but certain for the PAP, which has led Singapore unilaterally
since its founding in 1965.

But Wong, who was sworn in as Singapore's fourth leader in May, is hoping to
clinch a stronger win after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls amidst
rising discontent with the government.

The PAP maintained its supermajority, but the opposition gained 10
parliamentary seats, the highest jump ever.

The PAP's share of popular support also slipped to a near-record low of 61%.
.

As Wong heads into his first general election as PAP chief, he has sought to
reach out to disgruntled younger voters.