American actor-singer Jared Leto spotted at rock climbing gym in Singapore

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Leto is known as a devoted man and has already climbed the Red Rocks and the Empire State Building in the US. In an interview with vacation Magazine Sidetracked, Leto revealed that he “always wanted to get into climbing” but only had to chance to pursue it as a hobby lately.

” Five years ago, I made the decision to make a film called Great Wide Open, and I thought it had trick me into getting up into nature and climbing more, and that’s exactly what it did.”

He and his nephew Shannon are scheduled to rouse audiences at the Padang Stage on Sep 22 and the Wharf Stage on Sep 20.

Continue Reading

Hezbollah pager blasts: Taiwan says device parts not made on island

By:
On:
In: Asia

The Chinese government has confirmed that no parts of the island were used in the hundreds of pagers used by the armed party Lebanon that exploded in Lebanon earlier this week.

The comments come after Chinese firm Gold Apollo claimed to not produce the tools used in the assault.

The Lebanese government says 12 folks, including two children, were killed and almost 3, 000 injured in the blasts on Tuesday.

The event, along with another invasion involving exploding walkie-talkies, was blamed on Israel and set off a political storm in the Middle East.

” The parts for Hezbollah’s pagers were not produced by us”, Taiwan’s business secretary Kuo Jyh-huei told reporters on Friday.

He added that a legal research is already being conducted.

” I want to reveal the truth, because Taiwan has previously exported this particular voicemail model”, Taiwan international secretary, Lin Chia-lung said.

Hsu Ching-Kuang, the company’s CEO, earlier this month, denied that his company had any involvement in the attacks.

He claimed that he gave a firm in Hungary, called BAC Consulting, permission to use the brand” Gold Apollo” on their own websites.

The BBC’s attempts to contact BAC have so far been fruitless. CEO of it, Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono, told NBC in the US that she had no knowledge of the pagers and that her business had not produced the pages.

According to the Hungarian government, BAC has no “factory or functional site” there.

However, an article in the New York Times claimed that Israeli intelligence officials were employed by BAC as a barrel business.

In another round of storms on Wednesday, exploding walkie-talkies killed 20 people and injured at least 450, Lebanon’s health department said.

Icom, a Chinese company of handheld radios, has distanced itself from the walkie-talkies with its logo, claiming to have stopped producing the devices ten years ago.

Iran-backed Hezbollah has blamed Israel for what it called” this criminal aggression” and vowed that it would get” just retribution”.

The Israeli army has not commented on the situation.

Since the Gaza fight broke out in October, the two parties have engaged in cross-border fighting.

The difficulty in identifying the makers of the devices has highlighted how complicated the global electronics supply chain has become.

Continue Reading

Singaporean deported from Thailand charged with drug trafficking, faces death penalty

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

After being deported from Thailand to Singapore on Friday ( Sep 20 ), a Singaporean man who was wanted for alleged links to two drug trafficking cases was given the death penalty.

Benny Kee Quickly Chuan, 31, is accused of conspiring with&nbsp, Low En Quan Justin to customers in methamphetamine somewhere in first December 2020, when Low was not in Singapore.

A package that entered Singapore with 12 boxes of at least 2 kg of heroin for delivery to a” Senthil Kumar” at an Orchard Towers store was the subject of the alleged crime.

On December 2, 2020, Kee is accused of ordering Low to pick up the package at the store between 3.40pm and 6.40pm.

Low, 21, was eventually handed a capital cost. He admitted guilt on the cost of trying to customers at least 249.99g of meth after the amendment was later changed. He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half decades ‘ prison and 15 stroke of the wood for his engagement.

According to a statement released on Thursday, the Central Narcotics Bureau ( CNB) claimed in a statement that Kee was allegedly linked to another drug trafficking case from November 2022.

A 29-year-old man who was linked to this event was given seven cane-strengthening sentences to eight years in prison.

But, Kee remained at big for several years. Immigration data indicate that he has been evading Singapore since April 2016, according to CNB.

The ministry finally inquired about where he was after getting in touch with its foreign counterparts.

Kee was detained in Singapore on September 17 and placed in CNB’s captivity on September 19.

Thai media reported that Kee was tracked down to a house in Samut Prakan state, north of Bangkok, where he was “living in luxury”.

The head of Thailand’s drug police company was named as the Thai government had acted following a tip-off from CNB, according to the press outlets.

Kee reportedly sent medications like ice, ketamine, and joy from Thailand to Singapore and Australia via international message from Thailand.

Assets worth 15 million baht ( US$ 453, 000 ) were also seized from the man, who is believed to have entered Thailand on a Vanuatu passport, according to The Bangkok Post.

Rolex watches, golden chains, jewelry, amulets and money in several currencies were among the products seized, as seen in pictures of the arrest. &nbsp,

A Singapore judge ordered Kee to be remanded on Friday, with authority to be taken out for studies.

On September 26, he’ll go back to judge.

Kee may receive the death penalty if found guilty of conspiring to customers in a Class A controlled substance.

Continue Reading

Singaporean, 22, jailed for marriage of convenience to 35-year-old foreigner who paid him S,000

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

A 22-year-old person coerced his friend into a marriage that he had met at a club that arranged ease marriages before making the decision to wed a foreigner to pay off his gambling debts.

In marrying 35-year-old Vietnamese national Bui Thi Huong so she could stay in Singapore for work, he received S$ 8, 000 ( US$ 6, 200 ).

Noel Teo Junwei received a nine-month, 10-week prison sentence on Thursday ( Sep 19 ), along with a S$$ 12, 000 fine.

He pleaded guilty to two immigration-related offenses under the Immigration Act, with three additional offenses being considered.

THE Event

The prosecutor was informed that Teo and Ang Kun Teng Javier, 26, made friends at a team called ICON2.

He learned that Ang arranged for another ‘ convenience relationships and that the Singaporean people who engaged in fake relationships were compensated for it.

Teo gave another colleague, Lim Meng Yang Ryan, the idea of a marriage of convenience, saying he could make money off of it and giving him Ang’s range.

Teo intended to receive a portion of Lim’s fake wedding because he wanted to get paid.

Teo and Ang made a deal on how much money they would receive on January 27, 2023, and when Lim was unsure about going through with it, Teo assured Ang that he would” settle” the situation.

Teo, who was Lim’s relationship witness, took photos of Lim and his new woman to take them to Ang the moment Lim’s sham wedding was solemnized on February 20, 2023.

After the meeting, Ang gave Teo S$ 3, 000 to S$ 4, 000 in money, when Lim was not around.

Teo kept an eye on Lim after the wedding because he was aware that Lim’s woman may receive additional payments once her long-term explore pass software was approved.

Teo was to get S$ 200 from the transaction.

TEO’S OWN Wedding

Teo started considering entering into a marriage of convenience in the second quarter of 2023 because he needed money to pay off his playing debt.

He was aware that he would have to wed a Taiwanese woman, serve as her native sponsor, and apply for visitor visas to allow her to work in Singapore.

In return, he would be paid: S$ 5, 000 on the day of the solemnisation, S$ 5, 000 on the day she successfully obtained a long-term visit pass under his sponsorship, and S$ 1, 000 per month until her pass expired.

After deciding to deal with the sham wedding, Teo received data from Ang about his wife-to-be, 35-year-old Asian Bui Thi Huong.

In situation the officials questioned their marriage, he flew to Vietnam to join her for the first time in January of this year. They spent a few days getting to know one another.

With Huong sponsoring the journey and jewels, they purchased their wedding bands in Vietnam.

On Ang’s request, the pair traveled up to Singapore up on January 21.

Teo filled out the Huong arrival card from Singapore, adding that despite the fact that she had previously resided there, he had her own address.

On February 1, the couple solemnized their union in a hotel room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Singapore. Ang was Teo’s wedding see.

After the meeting, Huong gave Teo S$ 5, 000 in funds as part of the planned reward, and the trio went their separate ways.

While Huong stayed in an Orchard Plaza apartment, Teo and his relatives lived in Sengkang. Yet though she did not reside there, her fresh “husband” recognized her as a resident of the Sengkang apartment.

Teo requested a loan later that month from Huong, claiming that this amount may be taken from any future obligations he would owe him. Huong agreed.

She was able to obtain a long-term visitor go in March thanks to Teo’s support.

In total, Teo received S$ 8, 000 from Huong for the wedding, comprising the S$ 5, 000 first payment and three monthly payments of S$ 1, 000 from March 2024.

After conducting background checks on the marriage of convenience, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority ( ICA ) officers detained Teo in his Sengkang flat in June.

Teo is one of six Asian women and seven Malaysian men who were taken to court by ICA in June for allegedly relating to sham marriages.

Ang is facing a number of fees, with the prosecution still pending. Lim’s situation is at the pre-trial meeting stage.

In a speech to CNA on Thursday, ICA stated that it is concerned about “individuals trying to avoid our system by engaging in or arranging/assisting to arrange relationships of ease in order to get immigration infrastructure in Singapore.”

” We will continue to vigorously enforce our laws against accidental people and middlemen,” said ICA.

The penalties for couples of pleasure is a prison term of up to 10 times, a fine of up to S$ 10, 000, or both.

For making false statements to get immigration services, an offender may remain jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$ 4, 000, or both.

ICA encouraged the people to report any suspected situations or immigration-related crimes to the expert.

Continue Reading

Singapore Red Cross expands Typhoon Yagi, monsoon aid efforts to Myanmar with S,000 contribution

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Red Cross ( SRC ) is expanding its aid efforts for communities affected by&nbsp, Typhoon Yagi and the southwest monsoon to include Myanmar.

In a media release released on Friday ( Sep 20 ), it stated that” this comes as part of a larger, region-wide effort to assist communities severely impacted across Southeast Asia.”

At least &nbsp, 293 people in Myanmar have been killed by Typhoon Yagi, with state advertising reporting that nearly 270, 000ha of rice paddies and other vegetation had been destroyed by storms.

Additionally, the UN has issued a warning that as many as 630, 000 persons in Myanmar may be in need of support as a result of the typhoon. The harm led the junta to issue a&nbsp, unique appeal for international aid&nbsp, previous weekend.

Almost 6 million children have been impacted by the floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi, according to the UN on September 18.

The SRC will contribute S$ 50, 000 ( US$ 38, 750 ) to support&nbsp, disaster relief efforts in Myanmar, working closely with the Myanmar Red Cross Society.

” This will finance the distribution of food, clean water, health products, and other vital items to the areas hardest hit by the new emergencies”, it said.

SRC will also be sending liquid frames in the upcoming days because it is urgently necessary for safe drinking water.

Following SRC’s earlier pledges of S$ 50, 000 each for humanitarian assistance for Laos and Vietnam, Myanmar receives this help.

The SRC said that its people fundraising appeal will then help relief and recovery work in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Continue Reading

Singapore-based independent book publisher Epigram Books to close physical store in January 2025

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

For text fans in Singapore, it will soon be the end of an era. &nbsp, Singapore-based independent book publisher Epigram Books announced on Thursday ( Sep 19 ) that it will be shutting down its only brick-and-mortar store, Epigram Coffee Bookshop on&nbsp, Jan 26, 2025.

According to a statement from Epigram, the decision was made” after years of battling low guest numbers and limited accessibility,” citing small foot traffic and sales as the cause of the shutdown.

Edmund Wee, a publication at Epigram Books, added:” We tried all to make this work… Over the past three years, we’ve frequently asked ourselves, how many people actually knew our store existed here, let alone visited”?

Continue Reading

CNA documentary The Exiles nominated for an International Emmy

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

The Exiles, a 2023 video by Singapore-based news network CNA, has been nominated for an International Emmy Award.

The two-part collection, which was directed by American director Tom St John Gray, examines the required deportation of Eastern men from the post-war United Kingdom and Australia and its effects on their ancestors.

Peter Foo, a British resident, was one of the respondents who discovered that his parents had been deported after growing up believing that he was his father had left their community.

The Exiles is nominated in the best video type, alongside Brazil’s Transo, France’s The Billionaire, The Butler And The Boyfriend, and the UK’s Otto Baxter: No A F**king Horror Story.

Sharkdog Season 3 by Malaysian studio One Animation is another Taiwanese production that has received an Emmy nomination for 2024.

The International Academy’s president and CEO, Bruce L. Paisner, stated in a statement that:” Every year the global television community competes to be recognized on the much-coveted international stage.

We congratulate the contenders for their excellent programs and performances, which once again demonstrate the general appeal of great story across all styles, cultures, and nations. ”

Continue Reading

Mother and son charged with lying to IRAS over 99-to-1 property purchase in first such prosecution

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

THE Event

The Taiwanese couple accused of conspiring to give misleading information to IRAS received five claims each under the Stamp Duties Act on Friday.

On September 24, 2021, Tan sold a portion of the private estate he owned to his mother.

In 2023, IRAS began conducting an investigation into the relevant deals and emailed Tan for details.

When questioned why he did not initially plan to buy the house with his mother, Tan reportedly claimed that he had made the decision to do so with the understanding that his family would provide for him financially.

He is also accused of lying about the fact that his family was unable to do so and that he had to include his family as a mutual owner in the loan application process.

Tan is even accused of giving IRAS false information in the form of shoddy WhatsApp information.

Tan and his family have not stated how they would admit. They may return to court in October.

Tan and Ng was receive sentences of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to S$ 10,000, or both if found guilty of providing false and misleading data to IRAS.

If it discovers tax evasion, IRAS said it will pay the correct amount of stamp duty to customers. There is no statute-imposed time limit for stamp duty reviews, and there is a fee of 50 % of the additional work payable.

The taxpayer advised purchasers to deliberately inform IRAS of their arrangements when they entered a two-step 99-to-1 property purchase agreement. &nbsp,

” Depending on the circumstances, IRAS is prepared to consider such circumstances more favourably”, the organization added.

In May, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced that IRAS had reviewed 187 of these 99-to-1 cases, finding that about S$ 60 million in ABSD and fees would be recovered.

Continue Reading

Interest rate for CPF Special, Medisave and Retirement accounts increases to 4.14% in Q4

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: The interest rate for Central Provident Fund ( CPF ) Special, MediSave and Retirement accounts will increase to 4.14 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, up from 4.08 per cent in the previous quarter.

Savings in these accounts will increase by 4.14 percent from October to December, according to the CPF Board and Housing Board ( HDB) in a joint news release released on Friday ( Sep 20 ).

The government has even extended the 4 % interest rate floor for all Specific, Medisave, and Retirement records for the following year, starting January 1 through December 31, 2025.

In spite of the volatile interest rate environment, the CPF Board and HDB said,” This modification of the ground level may continue to provide CPF people with clarity on the results of their CPF benefits.” &nbsp,

These accounts have an interest rate equal to the yield on 10-year Singapore Government Securities, which is increased by 1 %.

Since the OA pegged rate is still below the floor rate of 2.5 percent, the interest rate on the Ordinary Account ( OA ) will remain unchanged for the fourth quarter.

The concessionary interest level for HDB cover money, which is pegged at 0.1 percent above the Op interest rate, will likewise remain constant for the same time frame at 2.6 %.

Members may continue to receive more attention on their CPF savings in accordance with the administration’s efforts to increase pension savings for CPF members. &nbsp,

Those below 55 years old will earn an extra 1 per cent interest on the first S$ 60, 000 ( US$ 46, 500 ) of their combined balances. This fascination is capped at S$ 20, 000 for the OA. &nbsp,

People aged 55 and over will get an extra 2 per cent interest on the first S$ 30, 000 of their combined accounts, capped at S$ 20, 000 for the OA, and an additional 1 per share on the next S$ 30, 000. &nbsp,

A person’s Special Account or Retirement Account will receive the additional interest earned on the OA accounts. &nbsp,

The CPF Board and HDB stated that “if a member is over 55 years old and joins CPF LIFE, the additional interest will be earned on their combined Pension accounts, which includes the saving used for CPF LIFE.” &nbsp,

Continue Reading

Kylie Minogue announces new album and biggest tour in a decade

By:
On:
In: Asia

Kylie Minogue has announced her biggest planet visit in more than a decade and a follow-up to her return record Tension.

Tension II’s 13 tracks will be available on October 18 with the start of her worldwide tour in her native Australia in February, before moving on to Asia and the UK.

In a statement, the pop image said she is “beyond excited” to become “celebrating the Tension age and more” with enthusiasts.

” There will be a whole lot of Padaming”, she said, a guide to her popular, Grammy-winning 2023 one Padam Padam.

Twenty times have been announced so far, but Minogue claimed more are coming.

The 56-year-old is in the middle of a job enlightenment, off the back of Tension and Padam Padam.

In February she picked up her second Grammy – 20 years after her first – and the following month received the Brits’ Global Icon Award.

Since debuting on Mates in 1986 as the shrewd auto mechanic Charlene, she has racked up tens of hit songs and a prize collection full of awards.

She’s even performed at the Sydney Olympics, been made an OBE, and starred in several movies.

Continue Reading