Australian towns evacuated over Christmas as bushfires rage

As emergency crews work to contain the blaze, people in a bushfire-torn region of Australia were given two days to return home on Tuesday to pick up their possessions before Christmas.

Populations around the Grampians, in Victoria, have been evacuated amid instructions from authorities that problems there in the days back could be the worst since Australia’s most significant fire year on record, the so-called” Black Summer” of 2019-20.

The bushfires have already burnt over 41, 000 hectares ( 101, 000 acres ) of land in the past week, however there have been no deaths or loss of property.

Boxing Day’s anticipated high temperatures have also resulted in a number of fireplace instructions across the nation.

Parts of South Australia and New South Wales could experience bushfire conditions on Thursday into Friday, while temperatures are expected to reach 40C ( 104F ) and be accompanied by strong dry winds throughout Victoria.

” We’re expecting to see extreme fire danger across about the whole state”, Luke Hegarty, a spokesman for Victoria’s State Control Centre, said.

This is the most important fire hazard that the state has experienced since Black Summer, across all the different areas of the state we’re talking about. It’s significant that people understand that Thursday is a day with major potential”, he added.

In Victoria in the upcoming days, four federal fire forces and two event management teams, each with over 100 members, will get to offer a break from the constantly-active crisis crews that are battling the current fires.

The state’s Country Fire Authority ( CFA ) chief officer, Jason Heffernan, made the decision to grant families in the Grampians temporary access to their homes on Tuesday morning to “get Christmas items… presents and the like.”

“]This is ] to ensure if the residents of Halls Gap will be relocated for Christmas, at least they will have what they need”, he told Seven’s Sunrise programme.

As the holidays approach, Mary Ann Brown, a resident on the southern edge of Grampians National Park, told ABC.

It’s going to be a long summer because we are not out of the woods until we get a really good drop of rain, which might not arrive until March or April.

Parts of Australia have been on high alert for bushfire danger this summer, following several quieter seasons compared with the 2019-20 fires which were linked to hundreds of deaths and swept across 24 million hectares of land.

In recent years, the nation has experienced record-breaking floods and extreme heat as a result of climate change.

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Mediacorp announces it will offer contracts to 8 additional finalists from Star Search 2024

In a speech, Doreen Neo, Mediacorp’s general talent agent, said:” Star Search has once again uncovered numerous rising celebrities, and we are thrilled to welcome these nine talents to the Mediacorp home.

” From young actors and visitors to content creators, each of them brings unique strengths, love, and personality to the table, making for a party that reflects the dynamic nature of yesterday’s celebrity image. We are eager to see how far they may advance by providing personalized workshops and special opportunities that are tailored to their aspirations. Keep tuned to see these rising actors make their mark on Mediacorp’s systems and over!”

The great episode of&nbsp, Star Search 2024 took position on Nov 24 and saw Tiffany Ho walking away with&nbsp, a Mediacorp commitment and a BYD Seal electric vehicle.

Watch every episode of Star Search 2024 on Mewatch and the Mediacorp Entertainment YouTube network.

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71-year-old man charged with attacking 2 people with knife in Lavender

SINGAPORE: A 71-year-old man was charged on Tuesday ( Dec 24 ) with attacking two people in Lavender using a knife.

Lim Tee Tee was given two charges of deliberately causing hurt with a 50cm blade at&nbsp, Block 805, King George’s Avenue.

This reportedly happened at the building’s eighth-floor passageway at about 11.30am on Sunday.

Mr. Chua Kin Tong and Mr. Hussin Mohamed were the subjects named in the accusations.

A 69-year-old gentleman was earlier reported to the authorities as being injured in the event and taken unconscious to the clinic, where he later passed away.

According to preliminary studies, Lim and the 69-year-old man allegedly got into a fight and reportedly fought with one another.

Charge bedding did not specify the victim’s demise and the death was not disclosed in court proceedings.

Lim made an appearance from Remand via a movie website. He appeared to have a scar that was dressing-covered above his left eye.

A policeman counsel requested that Lim be held in custody for a week and that he be allowed to leave for work on investigations.

According to the attorney, Lim was required to be in prison to travel to the image of the alleged murder and perform reenactments.

Lim asked the court if his nephew may be made aware of the situation while speaking Mandarin. He was informed that the investigation official did inform his family.

Lim may appear in court again on December 31.

A dangerous weapon that is intentionally used to inflict pain with a prison term of up to seven years, which may include a great, a punishment, or any blend of these penalties.

If found criminal, Lim may be caned as he is above 50.

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Diljit Dosanjh, Bryan Adams: Indians angry at concert facilities

X/diljitdosanjh A picture of artist Diljit Dosanjh wearing a black Indian traditional shirt with a black jacket, sunglasses and a black turban holding the Indian flag and a mic during his concert in Delhi.X/diljitdosanjh

Amrita Kaur was prepared to experience some pain when she made the decision to go to Punjabi music superstar Diljit Dosanjh’s music in India this month.

Ms. Kaur was anticipating the “exhilarating chaos” that accompany massive crowds at big events in India after having previously attended many concerts.

But what lay ahead was far worse than she had anticipated.

Group control was modest and sanitation non-existent. Mobile systems that are overloaded no longer function, causing worries about one’s health. Even using the bathroom felt like a bargain, she said, as it meant having to spend the rest of the functionality queued up in front of “unhygienic, nasty cubicles”.

The venue, a large piece of government-owned land in the northeastern city of Chandigarh, had no common transport connections or parking space, leaving Ms Kaur with no option but to generate her car to a friend’s local- and then get stuck in the obvious, hours-long traffic jam once the concert had ended.

What do you receive if you pay so much for a passport? She describes her experience as having a terrible headache and a possible urinary infections.

This year has been great for India’s burgeoning music business, with big tours by Dua Lipa, Dosanjh and Maroon 5 shipping stadiums and grounds now thrilling audiences. In the upcoming weeks, foreign acts like Green Day, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran will be playing.

In fact, India’s music concerts generated about 8bn rupees ($94.1m; £75.3m) in revenue last year – a figure that is set to increase by 25% by the end of 2025.

Young, well-to-do Indians are not just willing to pay more to see their favourite music stars, but are actively seeking out these events. In 2023, more than 400,000 people in India said they travelled to other Indian cities to attend live events.

But despite the joy, many concertgoers say their expertise has been far from perfect. The controversy made articles earlier this week when a diabetic person with incontinence problems claimed he ended up staining himself at a Bryan Adams music due to the unavailability of the restrooms at the facility.

Dosanjh, who has been on a national journey, shocked his supporters by declaring that he wouldn’t play in India again until the system at concert venues improved. Eventually, the song clarified that he only spoke about one of the venues.

Getty Images Canadian singer Bryan Adams wearing a black leather jacket and black pants is holding a guitar in his hand and in front is a mic stand during his performance at NESCO Centre, Goregaon on December 13, 2024 in Mumbai, India.Getty Images

Since then, social media has been awash with similar complaints from concertgoers. From booking tickets on dodgy scalping websites for astonishingly high prices, to braving hours-long traffic before and after a show, often on a full bladder, fans say they have to pay with more than just money to see their favourite acts.

Those who have the methods are now choosing to go to shows in different nations for a more enjoyable and safer experience. ” At Adele’s music in Munich, the team continuously cleaned the toilet and it was very fresh even after a three-hour concert”, says Ishika Goon, a Bengaluru-based attorney. ” If I have to spend so much money, I might as well go for the whole experience”.

Organisers and sponsors acknowledge the issues, but claim that wider structural issues also cause them.

That’s because India does not have enough facilities dedicated to live music, forcing them to settle for suboptimal areas or merely avoid certain towns entirely, all of which prevents the market from scaling up, says Anmol Kukreja, the co-founder of Skillbox, a live entertainment business that has organised more than 300 concerts.

He claims that events in India must be held in places like malls, sports stadiums, or on public land, all of which have their own limitations and many variables, in contrast to many western nations, where there are numerous concert venues.

A mall might have better restrooms and designated parking areas, but it won’t necessarily be able to handle large crowds the same way a large, barren ground in a far-flung area of a city with poor connectivity might.

Nowadays, many music events are held inside public stadiums to reduce some of the problems, but that also comes with challenges, such as poor sound quality, poor crowd management, and a lot of red tape.

Facebook/Diljit Dosanjh A picture showing an aerial view of thousands of people attending Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Delhi in October 2024Facebook/Diljit Dosanjh

Government-owned venues are more suitable for big events, but the process of booking them can often be a complex “web of permissions and licences, making them less attractive”, Mr Kukreja says.

Tej Brar, founder of Mumbai-based Third Culture and the director of NH7, one of India’s biggest music festivals, says that organizers end up spending thousands of dollars on building temporary infrastructure at venues before each concert to close these gaps.

The live music scene is also impacted by a number of smaller and independent artists being left out because they are not “big enough” to make people want to pay an exorbitant price to watch them, not just business.

” If they can’t pull crowds of more than 10, 000 people or more, they usually won’t get shows because the economics won’t work for the organisers”.

But of late, even major international music festivals with star-studded line-ups and million-dollar budgets have left fans disappointed.

” Everything is fine but why can’t you have clean toilets”? asks Sreoshi Mukherjee, a Delhi-based journalist.

Ms Mukherjee, who attends music concerts around the country, was particularly aghast by the lack of washrooms at Lollapalooza and Backstreet Boys, tickets for which cost anywhere between 5, 000 ($ 59, £47 ) and 10, 000 ($ 118, £94 ) rupees.

There was a point where the restrooms ran out of both water and toilet paper. We had to actually buy water bottles to relieve ourselves”, she says.

Getty Images Spectators watch Indian-born Canadian singer AP Dhillon perform during the Lollapalooza India music festival in Mumbai on January 28, 2023. -Getty Images

There has been growing criticism against inflated ticket prices turning these events into highbrow cultural experiences meant for only a few, but there are also other accessibility issues.

Most locations have little to no accommodations for people with disabilities, such as audio description and wheelchair access. At Dosanjh’s Chandigarh concert, Ms Kaur said they had to carry their wheelchair-using friend into the venue as there was no ramp or accessibility lane.

The BBC has reached out to the organizers of all the events referenced in the story for comment.

Others in the business say there can’t be a one-size-fits all solution for the problems, but they worry about its longer impact on business. Right now, people are still willing to pay. However, persistently unimpressive facilities might influence them.

” Word-of-mouth plays a crucial role in event attendance, and negative feedback can be damaging to an organiser’s reputation”, Mr Brar says.

But the onus to fix that, he adds, needs to be shared. The venue should provide basic amenities while the company takes charge of choosing the location and setting ticket prices. A venue’s standard should include adequate restrooms and devoted cleaning staff.

Fans are hoping for a better experience as the nation prepares to host stars like Sheeran and Green Day.

And for some, seeing their favorite star still comes at a small price due to the large crowds and the risk of an infection.

” There’s a thrill to the mess and chaos”, says Mohammad Sami, a student.

” It’s like you’re stuck on an island with hundreds of strangers, united by their determination to survive the night”.

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No wallet, no phone, no problem: How you could pay with just your palm in future

According to Mr. Arun Kumar, regional director of ManageEngine, algorithmic technology and artificial intelligence could be used to create fake palms.

” Measures, such as liveness monitoring, need to be in place to identify whether there are spoofed or impersonated names”, he said. The term “liveness recognition” refers to methods for determining whether someone is alive and well.

Additionally, businesses must make sure their devices are safe and secure.

” While people can change a stolen credit card, it would be challenging to change one’s finger if their genetic information is stolen”, he said.

Because they use the hand display and the vein pattern, according to Mr. Chua Zong Fu, mind of Ensign InfoSecurity’s managed security services.

However, it is still another collection of personally identifying details. It raises comparable privacy concerns, which could lead to illegal tracking or security if taken advantage of.

IS SINGAPORE READY FOR PALM PAYMENT?

Besides safety issues, another challenge could be the cost of setting up pay-by-palm models in shops, said Mr Chua.

” Palm payment systems calls for new technology to become purchased by retailers. Mobile products are not able to directly conduct pay-by-palm”, he said.

Some stores might even discover that the equipment, which is about the length of a laptop, do take up space on their countertops.

He noted that consumers are beginning to accept contactless payments, even for varieties that require biometric authentication, such as biometric or facial recognition.

However, the added ease of pay-by-palm may be limited because the majority of people carry their wireless devices around and can now use those funds for payments. &nbsp,

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Commentary: NRIC debate reveals a greater problem underscoring how we manage identities in Singapore

SINGAPORE: She loves me. She loves me never. She loves me. She loves me never.

Our beloved National Registration Identity Card ( NRC ) must have recently sounded overwhelming and like a teenager wading through the puddle of raging hormones. &nbsp,

The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA ) misinterpreted it as a green light to unmask the numbers in the roll-out of its new Bizfile portal after receiving an internal circular signaling a broader policy shift to gradually move away from using NRIC numbers as a method of authentication. &nbsp,

A furore started after netizens learned that the Bizfile link’s people search function was also displaying NRIC numbers. ACRA has since removed that function and expressed regret for the uncertainty.

A LEGACY SYSTEM CHANGING TO A DIGITAL Planet

The NRIC was developed during a time when actual identity identification methods were largely absent. For all kinds of activities and transactions, including entering and opening bank accounts, and registering for government service, it was used to verify people’s identities. &nbsp,

Some people thought it was related to the ability to workout or obtain one’s rights and privileges while living in Singapore. Nevertheless, its use immediately expanded over time to include more informal matters, such as announcing the victors of happy bring prizes and providing protection for the rental of luxury bicycles, raising concerns that the NRIC had been” cheapened.” &nbsp,

With the passage of the Personal Data Protection Act, which by its guidelines prohibited the use of NRICs and mandated the masking of NRIC numbers where their use was necessary or necessary, this ( and other ) practices were no longer required by law. The passion had returned.

Now, it has evolved into a multi-purpose identification used across government organizations, private organizations, and digital systems. Its widespread use has made it essential, but this integration also makes it a potential failure point. &nbsp,

There was a time when it appeared as though the NRIC was going to get abandoned and beyond repair in the new Bizfile site riot. However, the government’s claims and theories suggest that it still has a role to play, albeit one that is different from what was previously believed. &nbsp,

The ACRA error shows the weaknesses of such centralized systems. The consequences, if it is compromised, has an impact on both regional security and public confidence. &nbsp,

A critical discussion about the NRIC’s position and security was also sparked by this incident. &nbsp,

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Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi merger to create global car giant

As the two Chinese companies work together to fend off Chinese automakers ‘ competitors, Honda and Nissan have plans to merge.

Joining forces had make one of the world’s biggest vehicle manufacturers alongside Toyota, Volkswagen, General Motors and Ford.

The potential multibillion dollar offer to battle” the rise of Taiwanese power” was a key component of the strategy, according to Honda’s CEO Toshihiro Mibe.

Mr Mibe said a strategy to “fight up” needs to be in position by 2030, or they risk being “beaten” by rivals.

The consolidation, which would include Mitsubishi, of which Nissan is the largest shareholder, would give the three businesses the ability to compete with Tesla and another electric vehicle manufacturers.

Chinese-made electric vehicles, including BYD, have a growing share of the market for electric cars, which has put a risk to some of the best-known auto manufacturers in the world.

At a press conference announcing the merger talks, Mr. Mibe stated to reporters that” there is a surge of Chinese energy and emerging forces, and the construction of the automotive industry is changing.”

Some car manufacturers are finding it difficult to compete because local firms are more flexible and able to price their goods less than foreign competitors, making them much more appealing to buyers.

China has since grown to be the largest manufacturer of electric cars worldwide.

In October, EU officials said the Chinese state was unfairly subsidising its EV makers and announced big taxes on imports of EVs from China to the EU, after the majority of member states backed the plans. The tariffs are set to rise from 10% to 45% for the next five years, but there are concerns it could raise EV prices higher for buyers.

The total sales of Nissan and Honda is more than$ 191bn ( £152bn ), said Nissan’s chief executive, Makoto Uchida.

The two Japanese automakers made a commitment to explore a strategic partnership for electric vehicles ( EVs ) in March.

” The discussions started because we think we must develop skills to combat them, including the current emerging troops, by 2030,” the statement read. Then we will be beaten”, said Mr Mibe.

He added that the agreement was never intended to save Nissan, which has been struggling with declining income.

In November, Nissan said it will cut around 9,000 jobs as it slashes global production to tackle a drop in sales in China and the US. The cuts mean its global production will be reduced by a fifth.

After the imprisonment of longtime chief administrative Carlos Ghosn, Nissan, a once a symbol of Japan’s auto industry, has spent the past few years trying to regain its foundation.

Mr. Ghosn was accused of financial wrongdoing when he fled Japan in 2019 and is currently the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, a request to law enforcement around the world to locate and apprehend a man.

Mr Ghosn, now in Lebanon, told writers in December that Nissan’s consolidation programs were an act of anxiety and anguish.

Mr. Mibe claimed that any consolidation may be reliant on Nissan’s return.

Honda and Nissan made a commitment to work together on capacitors and other technologies in their Automotive firms in March, and in August, they reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate.

But, any agreement is likely to face significant democratic scrutiny in Japan because it could lead to job losses, and Nissan is likely to end its relationship with Renault, a French automaker.

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SingPost sackings: IMDA issues advisory to company to uphold proper governance, processes

SINGAPORE: The Infocomm Media Development Authority ( IMDA ) has issued an advisory to Singapore Post to “uphold proper governance and processes” after the company &nbsp, sacked three top executives&nbsp, over their handling of internal investigations into a whistleblowing report.

In response to CNA’s queries, IMDA said on Monday ( Dec 23 ) that it is monitoring the situation closely.

” SingPost’s committee has assured that postal service businesses in Singapore are no affected”, added the controller.

After the company’s final disciplinary hearings into their do, the group’s chief executive officer Vincent Phang, party chief financial officer Vincent Yik, and chief executive of the company’s global enterprise product Li Yu were fired on Saturday. &nbsp, &nbsp,

This comes after a whistleblowing report about the company’s non-regulated international e-commerce logistics parcel business was released earlier this year. Three other managers who were directly involved in this situation but were not identified by SingPost were fired. &nbsp,

According to the report, SingPost’s international business unit allegedly manually entered a number of delivery status codes. The business had entered into a contract with one of its biggest customers to deliver these for international transhipment packages.

These manual entries allegedly were made without any justification or supporting documentation in an effort to avoid contractual repercussions under the agreement. &nbsp,

The e-commerce shipment data falsification case was reported to the authority and SingPost on Monday, according to IMDA, which announced on Monday that it had been handled by the agency and SingPost in February of this year.

Regulated postal services are still unaffected by this issue, according to IMDA, as it relates to the shipment of international e-commerce packages abroad.

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SingPost shares tumble nearly 11% after sacking 3 senior executives

The most recent development comes as SingPost goes through a proper evaluation that was first conducted in July 2023. Earlier this month, it had announced the sale of its Australian business&nbsp, for a cash consideration of A$ 775.9 million ( US$ 504.1 million ).

A shareholder vote is expected to be held at a major shareholder gathering in the first half of the time, allowing the price to bring in a$ 312.1 million ( US$ 232.1 million ) gain. &nbsp,

According to OCBC’s Investment Research, it is unclear whether the company’s top executives ‘ dismissal “would have any impact on the deal.”

In a study statement released on Monday afternoon, OCBC’s capital research analyst Ada Lim stated that” we maintain our hold” rating while awaiting further clarity on its future growth engine, backed by a stronger balance sheet and greater economic flexibility.” We have been a major growth driver for SingPost in recent years.

Ms. Lim also increased her equity risk premium assumption by 50 basis points to 5.5 % to reflect “more corporate governance challenges and uncertainty” without “further color on the company’s strategic growth route going forwards.” Equity risk premium is used to determine the fund’s risk-reward trade-off.

Mr. Seet said he anticipates the board of the company to good proceed with the plan to review and divest non-core assets, which will help SingPost become more asset-light, boost its cash position, pare down debt, and be able to raise its shareholder returns.

The board’s decision to review and market non-core resources led to the end-game, according to the researcher.

Additionally, Mr. Seet said that the colony that SingPost paid to the impacted customer in this case was “immaterial.”

According to the reporting statement SingPost received, the global business unit of SingPost had manually entered a number of delivery status codes. These were for global shipping packages that the business had agreed to deliver through a deal with one of its biggest clients.

These human entries reportedly were made without any justification or supporting paperwork in an effort to avoid legal repercussions under the agreement. &nbsp,

Following its domestic studies, SingPost said it informed the user about the event. A colony has been reached between the parties, which includes paying a settlement amount.

The firm, in its statement on Sunday, said the lawsuit “is not expected to have a stuff effect” on the company’s online tangible assets or earnings per share for the latest financial year. &nbsp, Moreover, its enterprise with the client “has not been significantly affected and the lease has since been renewed following the arrangement”, it said.

This is very important for owners because it means that the company is unaffected and that this event won’t have any ramifications or negative effects on the company,” said Mr. Seet.

While SingPost stocks will likely experience” some failure” ahead, the Maybank analyst believes that the most recent advancement may only represent a temporary “road knock” as he continues to hold onto his “buy” call for the inventory.

Koh Wan Ting provided further monitoring.

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