Immigration continues to be a hot-button problem for some Singaporeans, as it has become over the years. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the political events organizing the May 3 General Election are offering a variety of coverage options. CNA examines the key ideas made by the fiveContinue Reading
SINGAPORE: A former director at the Singapore Zoo, who accepted bribes in a scheme spanning more than a decade and involving at least eight companies, was sentenced to six years’ jail.
He was also ordered to pay a penalty of more than S$2.4 million (US$1.8 million).
Barry Chong Peng Wee, also known as Danial Chong, 58, had pleaded guilty to 19 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and a charge of buying property using his criminal proceeds in February.
Another 88 charges of a similar nature were taken into consideration for sentencing.
If Chong does not pay the penalty, he will have to serve 55 months and 743 days in jail, which is roughly around six years and seven months.
On Friday (Apr 25), Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Chong sought a sentence of between 68 and 78 months’ jail and a penalty order of more than S$2.4 million, arguing that Chong was a “central orchestrator of the offences”.
To this, defence lawyer Mervyn Tan said that the term imposed would be “arduous” on the 58-year-old due to his advanced age and health. He urged the court to consider a lighter sentence of 50 months’ jail.
He also urged the court to consider factors for the period that Chong was out on bail, adding that Chong has served as a caregiver for his family while his wife is the sole breadwinner.
“He is paying a heavy price for his 11 years of folly,” the lawyer said, adding that two of Chong’s children “suffer heavily” from autism.
Delivering the sentence, Principal District Judge Toh Han Li said he had considered that the accused was the “focal point” of the scheme and the main receiver of bribes.
He also noted that the duration of offending was long and that significant benefit had been conferred on the accused.
Court documents showed that the corrupt scheme lasted from July 2005 to October 2016, stopping only when the Corrupt Practices Investigations Bureau started investigations.
By then, Chong had obtained no less than S$2,437,862 in gratification. He spent the sum on family cars, stereo systems, food expenses, a coffee machine and shopping for luxury items.
The defence said that it intends to file an appeal against the sentence.
The corrupt scheme started around 2005. At the time of the offences, Chong was the director of facilities management at the Singapore Zoological Gardens, a subsidiary of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which was renamed Mandai Wildlife Group in 2021.
He managed the upkeep of the zoo premises and procurement requests for rectification works, among other duties.
Chong had the power to approve the awarding of WRS jobs to contractors until 2013, when the job was handed over to a procurement team set up for the same purpose. The procurement team relied heavily on Chong’s recommendations.
Sometime before 2005, Chong and two other people – Toh Siang Bee and Too Say Kiong – entered into an arrangement in which WRS’ jobs would be awarded to Shin Yong Construction in exchange for money.
Under this arrangement, Toh would give money to Chong through Too to ensure that WRS’ jobs were awarded to Shin Yong Construction. Too passed the monies to Chong in envelopes containing cash.
Toh Siang Bee was the founder of Shin Yong Construction, but has since died. His sons Toh Say Yong, 68, and Too, 57, were director and foreman at the company respectively.
After Toh Siang Bee died, Toh Say Yong and Too continued the corrupt arrangement. Chong would send the specifications of each job or project to Too and tell him to bid for a specific price.
Toh Say Yong or Too would ask other contractors to put in bids that were slightly higher to ensure that WRS would award the job to Shin Yong Construction.
After the project or job was awarded to Shin Yong Construction, Chong would put together a handwritten list of jobs for his commission. Toh Say Yong would hand the commission amounts to Too, who then delivered the money to Chong.
The delivery of the money by Chong would occur on a weekly basis.
Sometime late 2013 or early 2014, Chong and Too agreed to look for other contractors to take part in the corrupt scheme.
They roped in two sole proprietors of the companies Katana Engineering and Thiam Lee Tradings Construction, who also began handing money to Chong in envelopes.
The scheme was eventually continued by Toh Say Yong’s son Toh Yong Soon, who began working in Shin Yong Construction between 2010 and 2011.
The son, a project manager, took over Too’s role in operations after Too was removed from Shin Yong Construction due to a dispute.
Toh Yong Soon later roped in various companies Geoscapes, KKS Engineering, Ultron Construction, Hong Power Engineering and KK Iron Engineering, which also paid commission to Chong.
Under this arrangement, Chong would call Toh Yong Soon regularly to inform him of upcoming projects or jobs at WRS for which the five companies and Shin Yong Construction would bid, as well as the specific prices they should bid to be awarded the projects or jobs.
Toh Yong Soon would convey this information to the other five companies.
Chong also met Toh Yong Soon at least once a month for lunch, where he would provide a list of jobs awarded to the companies and indicate the amount of commission he required.
Acting as the middleman, Toh Yong Soon would consolidate the cash from the companies to give to Chong at least once a month.
For their roles in the scheme, Toh Say Yong was sentenced to a year and 10 months’ jail, Toh Yong Soon to three years and three months’ jail and Too to two years and two months’ jail.
On Saturday night, Yim may take the stage to share his personal travel tales and tips, as well as food comments and perspectives into his hometown of Busan.
South Korean singer Punch is also present at the fair, having previously made waves with the song Stay With Me, the signature song from the hit 2016 drama Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (aka Goblin ), starring Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook.
During the opening ceremony of Korea Travel Fair 2025, Punch may be performing tracks from K-dramas.
Did you know that Radin Mas SMC has 1, 097 lamp posts? Independent member Darryl Lo and his team of 12 individuals have been planning which ones to put his banners on using technical tools.
The 28-year-old added that he can use technology to manage Meet-the-People sessions and handle emails from residents more effectively.” If given the chance to serve in Radin Mas, I’ll bring in a lot of tech solutions,” said the 28-year-old on Friday ( Apr 25 ).
The law graduate from Singapore Management University is running in a , three-way race against People’s Action Party former Melvin Yong and Person’s Alliance for Reform prospect Kumar Appavoo in the hospital.  ,
When asked how Mr. Lo and his little team would run the town, he said that if elected, he would want to find more volunteers. I hope to turn those seats into genuine supporters on the ground and also to open up space for individuals in Singapore.
Mr. Lo added that he wants to “have a lot of nice folks on our side” in order to establish a local community. The program includes donation payment drives, and money raised from the drives may be donated to three groupings in Radin Mas: elders, students, and the less fortunate.  ,
He approached board after stand at coffee stores at Blocks 109 and 112 Bukit Purmei Road on Friday around midday. He greeted typically older people who were dining out or manning the local stores with fliers and spoke English, Mandarin, and yet Cantonese.
He said to them,” I want to represent Radin Mas.” Some paused to hear him as he explained his decision to run for the single-seat ward, while others merely nodded or wished him well.
One resident who stopped for a conversation said she was aware that someone from Bukit Purmei would be running for president and knew which stop. ” That’s me”! Mr. Lo responded.  ,
Another resident remarked to journalists after watching Mr. Lo move the ground solo that “he should get some people to help him.” It’s difficult to do this alone.
Mr. Lo announced his candidacy on Wednesday, telling reporters that he was overseeing everything as a “one-man team,” including managing his own plan, brochures, and banners.
While Mr. Lo turned down funds from some of his supporters, his plan has attracted interest from all over Singapore. He said therefore,” I made the promise that I’m not receiving any one payment from anyone.”  ,
” I voted to run as an independent because I definitely wanted to do it on my own and with the best of my abilities.”
He claimed to writers on Nomination Day that it was first challenging to find supporters and supporters for him. He even acknowledged that finding speakers or organizing a march on his own may be difficult. He intends to host an online protest on his Instagram page otherwise.
By the end of the year, Apple Inc. intends to buy the majority of the iPhones it sells in the US from India, accelerating a move away from China to lessen the impact of tariffs and political conflicts.
According to people with knowledge of the situation, Apple will need to almost double its iPhone production in India while not being identified when discussing domestic plans. In the US, Apple sells more than 60 million handsets annually.
The strategy is the most recent indication that Apple and its suppliers are moving quickly to India from China, a process it started when terrible Covid lockdowns severely reduced output at its largest plant. Trump’s introduction of tariffs and Beijing-Washington tensions are causing Apple to bolster that work.
Apple in India didn’t listen to a request for comment right away. Apple’s strategy for sourcing all of its US-sold smartphones from India by 2026 was previously reported by The Financial Times. Apple’s strategy to significantly prioritize handsets from the India supply chain for its US consumers was previously covered by Bloomberg News.
In India, the Cupertino, California-based business produced US$ 22 billion ( RM$ 96.35 billion ) worth of iPhones in the 12 months that ended in March, increasing production by nearly 60 % over the prior year, according to a report released this month from Bloomberg. In South Asia, Apple currently produces one in five of its iPhones, while China continues to be its biggest producer by much.
The manufacturer in southern India where Foxconn Technology Group manufactures the majority of its smartphones is located. A key supplier is also TATA Group’s devices manufacturing division, which acquired Wistron Corp.’s local business and manages Pegatron Corp.’s operations in India.
Apple exported 1.5 trillion rupees ( RM 76.68 billion or US$ 17.5 billion ) of iPhones from the region in the fiscal year through March 2025, according to the country’s technology minister on April 8.
After Trump announced his plans for the so-called “reciprocal” levies in February, iPhone sales from India to the US grew faster. Regular India output and exports increased by Apple all through the fiscal year to March.
Electronics products, including phones and computers, were exempt from the Trump administration’s mutual taxes earlier this month. Although the break doesn’t seem to expand to Trump’s separate 20 % duty on China, which was used to force Beijing to crack down on fentanyl, that’s good news for businesses like Apple.
This also means that Indian-made smartphones didn’t currently be subject to duties. Trump’s combined taxes on China continue at 145 %, excluding the exceptions made on April 11, and this will likely force businesses like Apple to shift their supply chain.
Apple then manufactures all of its iPhone models in India, including the more pricey metal Pro models. The country’s most popular nation’s manufacturing achievement is also aided by state subsidies tied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to make the country a hub for manufacturing.   – Bloomberg
SINGAPORE: On April 27 and April 29, five political parties may take part in two life boards hosted by Mediacorp. They will be broadcast in distinct Mandarin and English programs. The five functions that accepted the invitation are: Women’s Action Party Staff ‘ Group Red Dot United Women’s Alliance forContinue Reading
BBC News
Getty ImagesIn the midst of rising trade tensions, Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has pledged to invest A$ 1.2 billion ( £580 million ) in a strategic reserve for crucial minerals.
The news came after China imposed trade restrictions on seven rare earth elements, which are essential to the development of cutting-edge solutions like computers, fighter jets, and electric cars.
China’s restrictions apply to all nations, but they were commonly accepted as retribution for US President Donald Trump’s taxes.
Albanese stated that Australia had give priority to vitamins that are essential to both its safety and that of its companions, including rare earths. But had his strategy concern China’s dominance?
A group of 17 components is known as “rare” when they are extremely challenging to harvest and enhance.
Rare earths, such as samarium and terbium, are crucial to the development of cutting-edge technology that will shape the world in the upcoming years, such as electric vehicles and highly developed weapons systems.
Rare planets as well as other crucial minerals, of which Australia is a leading producer, like potassium and chrome, are included in Albanese’s proposed stockpile.
Rare universe resources exist in both China and Australia. However, China has a significant amount of control over source, making 90 % of rare earth processing, which makes them useful in technology.
And European institutions have been spooked by this.
Beijing asserted that its restrictions on unique earths were in response to Trump’s extensive taxes, which are currently 14 % on Chinese exports to the US.
However, according to analysts, Washington’s inability to stable the supply of rare earths has grown to be one of the Trump administration’s main worries, especially as Beijing’s political tensions have gotten worse.
According to the US Geological Survey, between 2019 and 2022, about 75 % of US imports of rare earths came from China.
The US and EU “dropped the game,” according to Philip Kirchlechner, chairman of Iron Ore Research in Perth, Western Australia, as China quickly gained a monopoly over elegance.
He continued,” China has its base on the body vein of the US and European defense methods.”
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, claimed this week that China’s decision to stop exporting rare earths used in innovative magnets was having an impact on the company’s ability to create humanoid robots, an early example of the problems Beijing has the power to impose on US businesses.
Getty ImagesAccording to Albanese’s proposal, minerals in the reserve may be accessible to both “domestic business and international partners,” with a good research to allies like the US and EU.
However, Kirchlechner continued, saying that the proposal is” never going to solve the problem,” despite praising the move as “long overdue.”
The basic problem is that China will continue to be generally in charge of the refining process of rare earths, yet if Australia stocks more crucial materials.
An excellent example of sodium is certainly a rare world, but it is a crucial metal in the production of solar panels and batteries for electric vehicles. Only a small portion of the country’s sodium is refined and exported, accounting for 33 % of it. The International Energy Agency claims that China refines 57 % of the world’s lithium while mining only 23 % of it.
As part of its Potential Made in Australia initiative, Australia has been making an investment in rare earths to use the nation’s vast mineral deposits to promote the development of a green economy.
The second mixed plant and plant for rare planets in the world was founded last year by Arafura Rare Earths, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia, with funding from A$ 840 million coming in last year. Australia’s second rare earths processing facility, owned by Lynas Rare Earths, opened in Western Australia in November.
However, the nation is anticipated to rely on China for refining until at least 2026, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which has its headquarters in Washington.
Getty ImagesChina has been attempting to capitalize on Trump’s uncertainty.
China’s adviser to Canberra criticized Washington’s strategy to global trade in a number of articles in American newspapers, which Albanese swiftly rejected.
In its discussions with Trump, Australia has praised its reference sector. He imposed a 10 % tax on the importation of the majority of Australia’s items on some crucial vitamins.
However, according to analysts, Albanese’s proposal is primarily intended to shield Australia and its companions from corporate adversaries like China.
Natixis ‘ chief economist for Asia-Pacific, Alicia Garca-Herrero, told the BBC that Albanese’s plan was “more advanced” than previous ideas because it allowed for the sale of Australia’s resources in times of economic pressure.
She added that Australia might start selling more of its nutrient reserves to support lower prices on world markets and release China’s influence over setting prices.
She did point out that Australia is still unable to fully remove China.
There are areas where China could have a strong foothold, and refining is the most crucial step if Australia’s goal is to serve the West, becoming more critical to the West, particularly the US.
The difference between the ruling party’s Nomination Day swap of key Cabinet ministers across constituencies and Chee Soon Juan’s departure from Bukit Batok, according to People’s Action Party ( PAP ) organizing secretary Alex Yam, lies in the promise he made to voters before, Yam said.
Mr. Yam claimed on Friday ( Apr. 25 ) that the ruling party had “valid reasons” to support its decisions and that they were” not willy nilly” and that the PAP had been able to explain why they had done them.
The difference is that Dr. Chee made a common vow to stay in Bukit Batok and then made the switch-off decision days later. That is the central point, he claimed of the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party’s ( SDP ) plan to run for the Sembawang West seat.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who leads the PAP team in Sembawang GRC, addressed Dr Chee’s determination in his rally speech the night before, calling it a” determined social shift” that was made after a generation of not being interested in the northern area.
After a Yew Tee walkabout with Lawrence Wong, the outlet secretary of the PAP’s Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC staff, on Friday night, Mr. Yam spoke to investigators.
At Yew Tee Square and Yew Tee Point stores, as well as the hard court in front of Yew Tee MRT place, the trio spent about two days shaking hands, taking pictures, and handing out flyers. Additionally, they made a trip to the nearby Sparkle Care senior care facility.
According to Mr. Yam, who has served in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC since its founding in 2015, each political party has the right to choose which candidates to use” as they deem best in the interests of voters and in the interest of the representation.”
He reiterated Mr. Wong’s earlier assertion that the new Punggol GRC needed Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong so that” the east of Singapore has a good heavyweight minister who would be able to carry the ground there.”
According to Mr. Yam, the late deployments of Mr. Gan and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng were done for the sake of democracy, not” for exigency sake,” but were purposefully planned to give voters the best chance to make a choice.
He referred to Dr. Chee’s move to a different constituency for the May 3 elections as” but here you have an individual who made a promise, who made a public pledge to do so, but who then changed his mind right away.”
In the former Bukit Batok single-seat ward in the 2020 General Election and the 2016 by-election, the SDP leader ran and lost. Prior to that, he had failed to lead the SDP team for the 2015 hustings in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.
In accordance with the most recent revision of the nation’s electoral map, the Bukit Batok seat was renamed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC.
Prices of non-landmarked properties increased by 0.8 % in the Core Central Region in the first quarter of 2025, up from the 2.6 % increase in the previous quarter.
Pricing increased by 1.7 per share in Q1 2025 for the Rest of Central Region, compared to the 3.0 per cent increase in the previous quarter.
Prices in the Outside Central Region increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of this year, up from the previous quarter’s 3.3 % increase.
The performance in Q1 2025″ suggests that demand in the secret resale segment continues to be resilient despite economic headwinds,” says Mr. Sandrasegeran.
The figures, in general, “underline a continued recuperation and interest in the resale market, especially from buyers looking for move-in available homes in the face of limited fresh launch supply.”
In terms of the public housing market, HDB reported that the number of uses for renting out apartments increased by 12.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, increasing from 8, 603 situations in the previous quarter to 9, 662.
This represents a 2.8 % increase compared to the same period last year, according to HDB. A total of 59, 567 HDB flats were rented out as of the end of Q1 2025, up 0.9 % from 59, 043 products in the fourth quarter of that year.
According to URA, rent of private home qualities increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 after remaining intact in the previous quarter.  ,
Rentals of landed properties increased by 0.3 % in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the 1.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.
Rent for non-landed qualities increased by 0.5 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.2 % boost in Q4 2024.
In light of the questionable economic outlook, which may have an impact on the personal rental market, Ms. Christine Sun, chief scientist and planner at OrangeTee Group, claimed that some businesses may slow down their getting of foreigners.
” The declining supply of finished homes, along with the lowering of interest levels, which helps reduce business financing expenses, does mitigate a substantial rental price correction,” she said.  ,
Rentals of non-landed properties  increased by 0.4 % in the Core Central Region in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.9 % increase in the prior quarter.
Rentals in the Rest of Central Region increased by 0.4 % in Q1 2025 from the previous quarter, when they were 0.3 % higher.
Rentals for properties located outside the Central Region increased by 0.7 % in Q1 2025, compared to the 0.8 % decrease in the previous quarter.
Mr. Hutton claimed that these financial risks have improved the standing of Singapore as a safe shelter.
” Ultra-high-net-worth individuals may choose to travel to Singapore and hire out luxurious houses in the Core Central Region,” he said.
” The Core Central Region may experience a very small supply of finished homes in the next two years.” In the upcoming times, he added, tenants may see better rent growth.
An astrologer has been detained in Myanmar after he predicted a fresh disaster in a popular TikTok video, causing panic.
Only two days after a scale 7.7 earthquake that killed 3, 500 people and destroyed centuries-old churches in the South East Asian country, John Moe The made his forecast on April 9.
He was detained on Tuesday for making “false remarks with the intention of causing public panic,” according to Myanmar’s data government.
An earthquake had “hit every town in Myanmar,” according to John Moe The, on April 21. However, researchers claim that due to the complexity of the causes of disasters, they are unable to be predicted.
John Moe The urged citizens to “take important items with you and move away from structures during the shaking” in his film, which received more than three million sights.
The caption read,” People shouldn’t be in high buildings during the day.”
A citizen of Yangon claimed that many of her neighbors were believers in the forecast. They stayed in their homes and set up camp when John Moe The predicted the earthquake may occur.
His now-defunct TikTok bill, which has over 300,000 fans, promises to make astrological and palmistry-based projections.
In Sagaing, core Myanmar, a raid on his house led to his arrest.
The quake, which prompted a rare demand from the Myanmar junta for foreign aid, hit the locations of Mandalay and Sagaing particularly hard by the quake.
In Bangkok, a tower collapsed at a building site, killing lots, after the 28 March earthquake, which felt 1, 000 kilometers away, was felt.
