Taiwan jails spies ‘seduced by money’ to work for China

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Eight Chinese soldiers were imprisoned in Taipei for allegedly spying on China’s representative in exchange for money.

Retired military officers bribed active duty soldiers with as much as 700, 000 Taiwan dollars ($ 21, 900, £16, 700 ) to join a spy network, the court found.

One of the guys, who was believed to be essential to recruiting troops, got a 13-year word, the longest in the team.

One of the volunteers, a lieutenant-colonel, was handed nine times for planning to defect to China by flying a plane, while another chance an instructional videos about surrendering to China in the event of battle.

Taiwan, which is self-ruled by China as a separatist state that will eventually fall under its purview, has no ruled out the use of force to overthrow it.

Since the close of the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the two parties have been eavesdropping on one another.

Eight people received sentences on Thursday after being convicted for spying on the same day as ten people were indicted for spying next month. The jury acquitted one while another, a retired official, remains at large.

” They were seduced by money”, the prosecutor said.

Their behavior seriously impeded Taiwan’s national surveillance and the well-being of the people of Taiwan by abusing their official duties of being loyal to the country, defending the country, and defending the nation and the people.

The sentencing on Thursday is the most recent in a long line of cases, with Taiwan late highlighting Beijing’s growing spying efforts.

A commander who worked at a navy training facility was charged last month with supposedly leaking to China private defense information.

Taipei’s growing speed of Chinese fighter jets flying around the area has also sparked issue.

On Friday, Taiwan’s President William Lai said the region’s individuals “must unite as one” and “defend national independence and prevent democracy”.

He was speaking at an event to celebrate the 66th celebration of China’s abuse on Taiwan’s Kinmen territories.

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Man, 67, caught with 9.5kg of heroin in Singapore’s largest single haul so far in 2024

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SINGAPORE: An island-wide anti-drug operation that took place over 12 days resulted in the largest single seizure of heroin to date in 2024, said the&nbsp, Central Narcotics Bureau ( CNB) on Friday ( Aug 23 ).

A 67-year-old Malaysian man was caught with 9.5kg of morphine on Aug 14. Officers also found&nbsp, 2.6kg of Ice ( also known as&nbsp, crystal methamphetamine ), 4, 182 Erimin-5 tablets, 171g of methamphetamine pills, 18g of ecstasy, five bottles of methadone and more than S$ 25, 000 in cash.

CNB estimated the drugs to be worth a total of&nbsp, S$ 1.4 million ( US$ 1.1 million ). The drug knock was part of an operation&nbsp, from Aug 12 to Aug 23 that was carried out in places including Bukit Timah, Ghim Moh, Mountbatten and Hougang.

In total, the anti-drug agency arrested 113 suspected medicine criminals and seized several medications worth an estimated S$ 1.54 million, including about 9.8kg of cocaine, 3.3kg of Ice and 620g of cannabis.

The youngest of those arrested was a&nbsp, 15-year-old Taiwanese son, suspected of drug abuse. He&nbsp, was found with a” small amount” of Snow on Aug 19, said CNB. &nbsp,

Follow-up studies led to the arrest of another 15-year-old Taiwanese boy for suspected drug smuggling. Both are individuals, the commission added.

” This is a&nbsp, stark warning to all, that we must not lower our attention on the young drug position. We may continue to educate our students about the dangers that drugs can cause, according to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Saherly Limat, CNB’s director of police.

Kids have a crucial role to play in preventive medicine education, preventing them from receiving details via dubious channels and from sliding down the slippery drug strewn list.

Investigations are ongoing into every suspect who has been arrested.

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A ‘balancing act’ to respect the past but not allow it to constrain Singapore’s future: PM Wong

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SINGAPORE: It is a “balancing act” to respect the past but not allow it to constrain Singapore’s options for the future, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday ( Aug 23 ) – his 100th day in office.  

In his first National Day Rally speech next week, Mr. Wong vowed that his team had respect and honor the past by upholding the principles that had been essential to Singapore. He added, however, that his team must also be adventurous, look for better answers, and decide what will best serve the nation.

Mr. Wong, who gave more details at a press event on Friday, stated that his team wants to preserve diversity, an attitude of self-reliance, and a focus on individuals.

” So if we understand what these are, then we do n’t discard and we retain them, even as we think about making bold changes,” he said.

A” clear picture” of this is how his team thought about employment rewards, he said.  

” It’s something that the authorities, all this and, for some, many years, has had misgivings about. For good grounds, because we have seen how damaging effects unemployment insurance has had on other nations.

However, “it does n’t mean that we ca n’t do something different in Singapore that is appropriate for our circumstances and carefully crafted to minimize the negative effects we’ve seen elsewhere.” ”  

Mr. Wong introduced a novel SkillsFuture Jobseeker Support scheme during his National Day Rally statement. to provide temporary financial support to decrease- and middle-class workers if they lose their jobs. Job seekers will get up to S$ 6,000 ( US$ 4,600 ) over up to six months while they go for training, job matching and career coaching.

“( The scheme ) allows us to find that right balance, doing something different, something new. However, creating ideal conditions also requires individuals to work hard, receive career coaching, receive skills training, and manage their jobs. “

Mr. Wong responded to a reporter’s inquiry about how the funds would be adjusted to account for the extra costs by saying,” We may find the budget… a lot of the activities that we are undertaking under Forward Singapore, which I’ve announced, may require more resources. “

He added that the government had already begun considering increasing cultural investments and aging populations, and that it would need to implement taxes modifications and adjustments to ensure enough profit for the medium term.

” We will make sure that… All of these innovative social activities that require extra funds may be met with enough funds to support them financially. “

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CNA Explains: Mpox has a new, deadlier and more transmissible variant – just how dangerous is it?

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What are the measures, signs and remedies?

One should maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and refrain from touching the skin lesions of those infected to prevent the spread of mpox, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Health ( MOH) on Thursday.

Avoid engaging in high-risk behaviors like having various sexual partners or engaging in casual sex.

Additionally, it is advised to refrain from touching exotic animals or consuming bush meat with the government.

According to health officials, someone who has a mpox risk may find medical advice and stay away from other people until they have been thoroughly tested and evaluated.

Mpox vaccines are available, the WHO said, quite as MVA-BN or LC16, or the ACAM2000 vaccination when the others are not available. &nbsp,

The WHO does not advise large vaccination, but only those who are in danger may be taken into account for the vaccinations.

WHO now advises vaccinations for those who have had close connections with a person who has mpox or who belong to a group at high risk of getting the virus.

Signs of mpox may change. These include a rash that may last for two to four weeks, disease, headaches, muscle pains and swollen lymph nodes.

For blisters, it may appear in the form of pimples or sores on places like the face, hands, soles of the feet, or vaginal areas.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are no particular approved mpox treatments right now for the disease.

Supportive treatment and pain relief may assist infected people who have healthy immune systems and no body conditions in their recovery without the need for health care.

The WHO even noted that a dengue care, tecovirimat, was approved by the European Medicines Agency in January 2022 to address mpox under “exceptional conditions”.

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Filling gaps and a too-short minimum notice: SMEs’ worry over extra weeks of mandated shared parental leave

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Some businesses may not have the time to find the replacement, according to Mr. Ang Yuit, president of the Association of SMEs ( ASME).

” Some businesses would just take the ( dip in ) productivity or performance during that period, and just tide it over, and hope that that person comes back soon, and then they continue to do business as usual,” he said. &nbsp,

Additionally, according to Mr. Ang, firms have noted that the need for at least four weeks of notice is insufficient for the purposes of assessing needs and making arrangements.

” We are hoping that it will be a bit longer, because four weeks does n’t give you too much time first, to understand what are the jobs that need to be taken over, and then finding the right people”, he said. &nbsp,

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Family-friendly practices are ‘key part’ of recruiting and retaining talent: Indranee

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According to Minister Indranee Rajah on Thursday ( Aug 22 ), employers who are concerned about the business impact of their staff taking additional parental leave should be aware that the workplaces and the workforce have changed.

” Given that this is important to young people, having family-friendly techniques is a key element of skill recruitment and retention.

According to CNA’s Singapore Tonight program,” Any company that wants to get away and had a good, solid workplace would need to have democratic workplace practices,” which include all of these points.

Ms Indranee, who oversees the National Population and Talent Division at the Prime Minister’s Office, was speaking on important changes to Singapore’s parental leave preparations that were announced on Sunday.

When a new system is fully implemented on April 1, 2026, parents may receive an additional 10 days of shared leave to care for their children. &nbsp,

The new system will be implemented in stages to minimize the effects on employers and give them time to change their workforce and functional arrangements.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also made the announcement in his National Day Rally conversation that new parents will receive four months of government-paid paternity leave, an increase from the current two days ‘ two-week mandatory leave. &nbsp,

These changes, which are part of the president’s endeavors to provide stronger parenting support for families, will bring the total paid left to 30 weeks or about 7.5 months, away from the latest 20 weeks. &nbsp,

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Gold bars disguised as power tools: Man charged with cheating, money laundering offences

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GOLD BARS ARE INCLUDED IN POWER TOOL Shipping

Kim reportedly used the money to buy gold restaurants in Singapore before concealing them in air impact wrench exports to South Korea and Japan using three shipping companies in Singapore.

There were assurances that the supplies would only contain heat influence wrenches.

Kim is accused of lying to the shipping companies into processing the shipping and Singapore Customs into issuing goods certification permits for these supplies in exchange for doing this. &nbsp,

With tonnes of cargo passing through our air and sea ships, Singapore is a big transhipment center and business hub for the area, according to CAD producer David Chew.

Transnational legal cartels will attempt to use these sizable legitimate moves to conceal the laundering of illicit money, according to the statement” this flow of business is vital to our business.”

Mr. Chew thanked Interpol and CAD’s international counterparts for their help with this matter.

” This case effectively demonstrates the value of international cooperation in confronting people who might be a part of a larger transnational criminal syndicate,” he continued. &nbsp,

Additionally, CAD noted that timely filing of dubious exchange information and money exchange reports for precious stones and precious metals dealers contributed to the situation being discovered.

If found guilty of wealth fraud, Kim could be jailed for up to 10 times, fined not more than S$ 500, 000 or both.

He&nbsp, may be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both for lying.

For failing to completely and accurately proclaim over S$ 20, 000 in dollars or&nbsp, pleasant negotiable instruments – such as traveller’s cheques, money orders and postal orders – he may be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$ 50, 000 or both.

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Spike in voyeurism at sports, swimming complexes as physical crime cases rise 4.1% in first six months

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SINGAPORE: Voyeurism cases at swimming and sports complexes increased by 11 cases from just one last year in the same time period, according to the police on Friday ( Aug 23 ).

This rise in cases was part of a 4.1 per cent increase in natural violence reported from January to June this year, with 10, 106 situations, up from 9, 704.

The crimes of priority included buy fraud, outrage of humility, pornography and robbery in dwelling, said the police, with an increase across all four types.

” Since the increase in physical murder occurred in the first quarter of 2024, the violence situation in Singapore continues to be under command. Notwithstanding our safe environment, it is important not to be complacent”, said Senior Assistant Commissioner Gregory Tan, director of the Singapore Police Force’s ( SPF ) operations department.

INCREASE IN MODESTY CASES Indignation

The most instances of pornography and indignation of modesty were found in residential buildings, shopping complexes, and the public transportation network in the first half of this year.

Pornography cases made up 2.5 percent of natural crime cases, up from 229 in the same time next year.

A full of 708 instances of indignation of modesty were reported, compared with 697 next year, accounting for 7 per cent of total physical violence. In the majority of cases, the perpetrators were known to the patients.

The SPF has been collaborating with public transportation providers and associates, including the Land Transport Authority and the NCPC ( National Crime Prevention Council ), to prominently show crime cautions throughout the public transportation network, according to the police.

By the end of this year, the company added that to raise awareness of molestation on board cars, crime advisories may be placed on the handrails of a few bus services.

Through community outreach initiatives with students and medical professionals, efforts to raise attention will also be made to give them advice on how to protect themselves.

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Singapore core inflation eases to 2.5% in July

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SINGAPORE: Singapore’s core inflation in July dropped to 2.5 per cent year-on-year, driven by lower inflation across all broad core consumer price index ( CPI ) categories.

July’s figure is also a dip from June’s 2.9 per cent, said the&nbsp, Monetary Authority of Singapore ( MAS ) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry ( MTI ) on Friday ( Aug 23 ).

On a month-on-month basis, key inflation- which excludes hospitality and personal transport- fell by 0.1 per cent.

In July, the overall or headline ( CPI-All Items ) inflation rate remained unchanged at 2.4 percent, despite a decline in hotel and core inflation that was partially offset by a rise in private transportation costs. &nbsp,

On a month-on-month schedule, headline inflation fell by 0.3 per share.

Services prices moderated mainly to 2.9 per cent year-on-year in July, from 3.4 per share year-on-year in June, on the backside of a slower rate of increase in holiday bills.

Accommodation prices was significantly lower at 3.1 per share year-on-year in July, from 3.3 per share in June, as&nbsp, housing prices rose at a more reasonable rate. &nbsp,

Food prices edged along to 2.7 per cent year-on-year in July, from 2.8 per share in June, according to smaller&nbsp, rises in the costs of both non-cooked food&nbsp, and meal service.

Financial and other items inflation&nbsp, eased to 0.3 per share year-on-year in July, from 0.5 per cent in June, as the&nbsp, charges of clothes, non-durable household items &nbsp, and personal consequences fell.

Electric and gas inflation&nbsp, controlled to 6.6 per share year-on-year in July, from 6.9 per share in June, on account&nbsp, of a smaller increase in electricity costs.

Personal transport costs picked up to 0.9 per share year-on-year in July, reversing from -0.7 per share year-on-year in June, according to smaller&nbsp, declines in the prices of cars and motorcycles alongside a sharper increase in diesel prices.

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Fast fashion giant Shein finds child labour cases in supply chain

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Shein, a fast-growing Foreign company, claims to have found two instances of child labor in its supply chain last year as it tightens its surveillance of the clothing manufacturers.

The company claims that it briefly sat on orders from the manufacturers involved and did not go back to business with them until they had made stronger efforts to address the problem.

The revelation in Shein’s 2023 sustainability report comes as it is understood to be planning to sell shares on the stock market.

The company’s offer chain’s workers have been criticized for the working conditions there.

According to Shein,” Both circumstances were resolved quickly, with restoration steps including terminating contracts with young employees, ensuring the settlement of any remarkable wages, organizing health checkups, and facilitating relocation to parents/legal guardians as needed.”

” Following appropriate cleanup, the contract companies were permitted to resume company”.

Shein claims its provider plans have now been strengthened. Any child labor or forced labor violations have now become a cause of instant dismissal of contracts under the new regulations.

It occurs as the business prepares for a possible investment business sale.

The BBC understands that Shein filed initial documents for a London listing earlier this year.

In June, Marco Rubio, a top Republican on the US Senate Intelligence Committee, and an ally of Donald Trump, wrote to then-UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warning him about “grave morality concerns” and Shein’s “deep relationships to the People’s Republic of China”.

” Slave workers, sweat shops, and business methods are the dirty tricks behind Shein’s achievement”, Mr Rubio wrote in his letter to Mr Hunt.

A Shein director for the company at the time stated:” Shein has a zero-tolerance scheme for forced labor and we are committed to respecting human right. We require our agreement manufacturers to just cause cotton from approved regions and we take transparency really throughout our entire supply chain.

That was just weeks after a report released by Swiss advocacy group Public Eye said excessive overtime was still common for many workers in Shein’s supply chain.

Shein responded to the report by telling the BBC that it was “working hard” to address the issues that Public Eye raised and that it had made” significant improvement” in improving situations.

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