Babies born throughout the year will be welcomed to the world with a gift box containing a "balance of practical and meaningful items" chosen by the public, according to the scheme's official website. Alongside a baby sling, changing bag and clothes declaring "I'm a Golden Jubilee baby", parents will find a scrapbook to capture memorable moments, and a commemorative medallion. The objects were selected from ideas "lovingly contributed by Singaporeans from all walks of life", the website says, adding that the gift box is meant to symbolise "well-wishes from our generation to the next".

It will be available to all newborn Singapore citizens from 1 January, including those born abroad to a Singapore national, the government says. And it could be a bumper gift year for the 2015 babies, as more presents are being promised by a major bank, the Straits Times website reports. The bank's gifts include mittens, a "selfie stick" and - appropriately - a money box. But while in Singapore the presents mark a national celebration, elsewhere government welcome gifts are the norm. In Finland, expectant mothers have been given starter kits containing baby clothes, nappies and even a mini mattress, since the 1930s.

(BBC News)