Blinken says China helping fuel Russian threat to Ukraine

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Antony BlinkenBBC/Wang Xiqing
By Laura Bicker, China journalist, &amp, Flora Drury
In Beijing and London

If China does n’t stop providing Russia with goods used in its assault on Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned Washington will take action.

The US’s best minister told the BBC in Beijing that he had made it clear to his peers that they were “helping energy the biggest danger” to Western security since the Cold War.

He did not specify what steps the US was prepared to take.

However, Mr. Blinken was even eager to point out that some improvements had been made.

He praised Beijing for making efforts to stop fentanyl’s supply reaching the US.

The US continues to have the primary cause of fentanyl in China, which the White House claims is causing a national health issue.

Mr. Blinken added that he thought Beijing could play a” creative” role in the Middle East, pointing out that China could use its relationship with Iran to “inspire” Israel against a further increase in its conflict with Israel.

The visit by Mr. Blinken, who made the second one in ten months, is a major improvement in politics and speech between these two rival countries as they try to keep things on a level playing field after a year of intense unrest.

China’s promises to Taiwan and the South China Sea and US export restrictions on superior technology have strained bilateral relations between Washington and Beijing. A column over a detective bubble in February caused them additional damage.

A recent US law was passed that, according to Mr. Blinken, had never discussed this during his meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, would require the highly-anticipated video app to be sold or been banned in America.

Mr Xi- who met Mr Blinken on Friday evening in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People- agreed the two edges had “made some good development” since he met his US rival, Joe Biden, in November.

He added the countries may “be lovers, not adversaries”, saying that if the US took” a good perspective of China’s development”, relationships was” really stabilise, getting better and move forward”.

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Four men arrested after fight involving weapons along Prinsep Street

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Following a fight involving weapons along Prinsep Street, four men in their 20s were detained in Singapore on Thursday ( April 25 ). &nbsp,

At 12.40am, police were called to the affair, and when they arrived at the scene, they spotted two wounded men. &nbsp,

The Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) stated in a news release on Friday that preliminary investigations revealed that the two men, 23 and 24, were allegedly attacked by another group of men after a fight. &nbsp,

One of the attackers reportedly used a karambit knife to attack the victims. &nbsp,

Those responsible were detained the following morning after being identified by police officers through ground searches and police camera footage.

Both patients were awake when they were admitted to the hospital. &nbsp,

Three of the men, aged between 21 and 23, will get charged in court on Saturday&nbsp, with deliberately causing hurt by dangerous weapons.

If convicted, they face prison of up to seven years, or with a great, or with punishment, or with any mixture of such consequences. &nbsp,

Studies against the remaining 23- yr- older are continuing. &nbsp,

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Bank of Singapore uncovers misuse of medical benefits; fires some employees

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According to sources, The Bank of Singapore ( BOS ) has conducted a thorough investigation into the misuse of medical benefits by staff who claimed for ineligible items like bird’s nest.

Three OCBC Group employees who spoke to CNA on Thursday ( Apr 25 ) claimed that” seven” of its employees were involved in the investigation, which ultimately resulted in the dismissal of some employees.

According to the sources, BOS, the private bank shoulder of OCBC Group, conducted an investigation last year into employee health claims involving one of its business panel clinics. &nbsp,

Those involved were found to possess submitted promises for bird’s nest, beauty products, pills and toothpaste – products that are excluded under the company’s health benefits.

They were instructed to reimburse them for these statements.

The “more major cases” likewise had disciplinary results that impacted people’s bonuses. They also&nbsp, did not receive a one- off expense- of- living aid of S$ 1, 000 ( US$ 735 ) for young workers across OCBC Group, CNA was told.

CNA has contacted BOS with inquiries regarding the anomalies in staff skilled claims, the first of which was revealed on Wednesday by the financial services careers business eFinancialCareers.

The post by&nbsp, eFinancialCareers said that BOS had&nbsp, sacked up to 40 people last week after an inspection of previous health claims. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that figure to CNA and that the&nbsp, rejections took place over two times last month.

CNA was told that OCBC is likewise conducting its own research, and has contacted the lender with individual issues.

” AS SECRET AS BANK Deceiving”

According to those who spoke with CNA, the issue had been raging within BOS for some time, with those responsible being summoned to” a few months” of administrative hearings.

One individual, who was not involved in the investigation, said employees were told by managers that the affair was” as critical as defrauding the banks” and goes against the company’s essential value of integrity.

The claims were made under the company’s health insurance plan, which allows people to say up to S$ 10, 500 for medical and dental costs.

The list of claimable items, which CNA has seen, includes outpatient consultation and medication issued by a general practitioner or specialist, non- aesthetic dental services, vaccinations, X- rays and blood tests.

Expenses that are not allowed to be claimed largely cover those that are not medically needed, such as cosmetic surgery, items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as care devices like wheelchairs.

CNA is aware that BOS does not require itemized receipts for medical claims under S$ 200.

Although it is not known what led to the investigations, sources claim that BOS had inquired about its records from one of its company panel clinics over the previous two years.

The clinic is understood by CNA to be Drs. Thompson &amp, Thomson, which is located in Raffles Place, and has reached out for comment on Friday.

According to those who spoke with CNA, the clinic has been removed from the panel doctors ‘ list on OCBC and BOS since November.

OCBC and BOS staff were informed in an email dated November 10, 2023 that human resources would no longer reimburse invoices from Drs. Thompson &amp, Thomson dated from that same day.

The prohibition on Drs. reimbursing claims. Thompson &amp, Thomson applies to all employees and their dependants of OCBC Bank Limited, OCBC Management Services Private Limited, e2Power Private Limited, OCBC Securities Private Limited, OCBC Property Services Private Limited, Bank of Singapore Limited, BOS Trustee Limited and OCBC Overseas Investments Private Limited”, the email stated.

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Diamond giant De Beers to close Singapore office

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De Beers ‘ rely on streamlining its functions and improving the performance of its activities, as well as promoting the development of the diamond industry in Botswana, the company told CNA. &nbsp,

The De Beers Singapore office may be shut down as a result of the move, according to the statement. De Beers is currently in the process of speaking with employees whose positions are likely to be impacted by the transfer.

De Beers did not respond to a question regarding how many people would be impacted by the walk.

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67 arrested during drug raids in Singapore, including 16-year-old girl

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A 16-year-old was one of 67 suspected drug offenders detained following recent raids by the Central Narcotics Bureau ( CNB). &nbsp,

The girl was the youngest shot following the procedure from Apr 21 to Apr 26, covering areas like as&nbsp, Aljunied, Beach Road, Bukit Batok, Bukit Merah and Corporation Drive. &nbsp,

The Singaporean woman is the subject of an investigation into suspected drug use, and other suspects are still being looked into. &nbsp,

The government confiscated a total of about 572g of hemp, 222g of cocaine, 55g of Ice, 0.5g of morphine, 19 Erimin- 5 pills, five joy tablets, three bottles of wet suspected to have GHB ( beta- hydroxybutyrate ) and a jug of morphine.

The drugs seized have an estimated street value of about S$ 62, 000 ( US$ 45, 600 ). &nbsp,

Full CANNABIS LEAF SEIZED

CNB officers raided a house near Bukit Batok West Avenue 4 on Apr 21&nbsp, where they arrested a 50- yr- older person for suspected medicine trafficking. &nbsp,

They recovered about&nbsp, 133g of cannabis, 10 Erimin- 5 tablets, three joy tablets, a small amount of Glacier, several drug paraphernalia and S$ 9, 081 in money after searching the unit. &nbsp,

The Taiwanese male was then escorted to his rented vehicle near where the authorities found&nbsp, about&nbsp, 33g of cocaine and two Ecstasy tablets.

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PM Lee to meet Indonesia President Jokowi in Bogor for leaders’ retreat on Apr 29

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In the wake of leadership renewals in both nations, Mr. Lee and President Widodo may hold their sixth and last meeting.

On May 15, Mr. Lee may hands over the league to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Singapore.

After the latter won the country’s national election on February 14 with a flood victory, President Widodo will take over the reins in October.

With the exception of 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID- 19 pandemic, the leaders of the two Southeast Asian neighbors meet periodically to foster diplomatic relations.

Singapore has been Indonesia’s top foreign investor since 2014, with foreign direct investment from Singapore into Indonesia hitting US$ 15.4 billion ( S$ 20.9 billion ) in 2023.

The same year, diplomatic trade amounted to US$ 69 billion.

Singapore and Indonesia are also one of the best destinations for user visitors. In 2023, Singapore welcomed 2.3 million visitors from Indonesia, while Indonesia welcomed 1.4 million tourists from Singapore.

Eight Cabinet members will accompany Mr. Lee on the future vacation.

They are: Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean, Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing, Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng.

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Xi meets Blinken as China warns US against crossing 'red lines' - BBC News

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Thank you for watching as we bring you live changes from the conference between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The appointment is taking place at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. Only shortly before the event began at 16 :00 local time ( 9:00 BST ), Beijing and Washington officials publicly confirmed it.

Blinken has only been in China for a next time in less than a month. Following a season of intense hostility, his journey is widely seen as an effort to stabilize connections. During his visit to the Great Hall of the People in June of last year, Xi and Blinken also spoke about their plans.

Earlier today, Blinken met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, where Wang cautioned the US against stepping on China’s “red ranges”.

Mr Blinken is expected to handle writers in less than two days, at 18: 00 native time.

Keep tuned as we provide the newest.

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Deep Dive Podcast: What are some misconceptions with flexible work arrangements and does it boil down to trust?

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Come December 1, all businesses in Singapore must include a proper process in place when their employees request flexible work arrangements. This has grown to be a hot button because it focuses on balancing individual needs and business challenges.

With Aslam Sardar, CEO of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, Tan Wan Ting, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Weave Asia, and Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Manpower and Education, Steven Chia and Crispina Robert cut through the grasses.

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Tiny hotels eye expansion amid high demand, growing eco-tourism market

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A HUGE PLUS POINT OF Flexibility

At Lazarus Island, another businessman is seeing ownership rates of between 80 and 90 per share for its five little houses, each measuring between 150 square feet and 170 square metres.

The business began working on the project in the middle of the crisis, which ended in May of last year.

” During the pandemic, global borders were closed. Since we were never allowed to travel abroad, we wanted Singaporeans to practice our little houses as another opportunity for staycations”, said Mr Jeff Yeo, inc- founder of Big Tiny.

The business launched its little houses business in Australia in 2017. It has since brought the idea to eight different areas, including Malaysia, Taiwan, New Zealand and Italy.

According to Mr. Yeo, flexibility is one of the biggest benefits of these rooms. Unlike normal hotels, the cabins– which come with wheels – can quickly move to fresh locations.

These compact properties are a more affordable option for short-term housing because they can be completed by three builders in roughly three hours.

” This allows us the freedom of moving to another location, so it gives our friends new experience. They can be ( cast up ) in the middle of a berry garden, a garden, or a farm”, said Mr Yeo.

This may encourage city dwellers to get away from the hustle and bustle and interact with nature while also preserving the creature comforts we have come to expect.

Industry experts concur that the option to relocate to another exclusive locations every few months can be a big plus for both new and existing customers.

” If you build a conventional resort, it’s a large capital investment. You ca n’t move it from one place to another overnight”, said Mr Joshua Loh, Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s course chair of Tourism and Resort Management.

” But it’s a different story for these hotel ideas. They can be at the city border, opened- heat car parks, or onshore islands. They offer a great alternative to the variety of hotels in places.

GOING BIG ON SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

These small hotels are even large on conservation, and attractiveness to the market of eco- mindful tourists.

Big Tiny uses recycled supplies while Tiny Pod uses shipping containers to create its components. By 2030, the latter is also looking into ways to go online low.

” The figure lotion, shampoo, and also dishwashing wet provided are completely healthy and free from toxins. Additionally, we installed solar panel on top of our little homes, according to Mr. Yeo.

Both companies have a sizable native clientele because Singaporeans are a fan of stayscations with unique ideas. They did point out that visitors are slowly becoming aware of these accommodations, and there has been a steady rise in bookings from foreigners.

The Singapore Tourism Board said it welcomes these impressive hospitality concepts, adding that such hostel experiences will enhance Singapore’s vitality and elegance.

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