The Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment No. 3) Bill, if passed, will enable the President to perform such roles when the Cabinet advises that it is in the national interest to accept and hold that role. Also, for the President to take up such roles, they must not be prohibitedContinue Reading
PUBLISHED : 21 Nov 2023 at 18:13
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Srettha Thavisin plans to visit the three southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala next week as part of the government’s efforts to resolve the conflict in the strife-torn region, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somsak Thepsutin.
The prime minister’s visit to the region, including a tour of the far southern border provinces on Nov 27 and a plan to deepen cooperation with Malaysia, demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing the problems residents face, he said.
Mr Somsak, who oversees a panel considering the security laws in the deep South, on Tuesday expressed support for the continuation of peace-oriented dialogue.
He said if the process proved successful there would be no need to debate whether the emergency decree imposed over much of the far South should be maintained.
The emergency decree is being imposed across most parts of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla to help security authorities deal with insurgent violence.
However, rights groups have been calling for the government to lift the special security laws in the region out of concern for abuse and rights violations.
Mr Somsak said that even though they do not bear direct responsibility for security, he and the other deputy prime ministers can work together effectively to address problems in the restive region.
He was referring to an observation made by an ad-hoc House committee studying the peace promotion process in the deep South which noted there is currently no deputy prime minister with a clearly defined duty to oversee national security affairs.
The deputy prime minister said he plans to promote jobs and economic activities in the region to improve people’s livelihood through various state agencies he supervises, including the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC).
Mr Somsak said he discussed way of boosting economic development in the region with the special committee chaired by Pheu Thai Party MP Chaturon Chaisang at a recent meeting.
According to Mr Somsak, among the issues raised at the meeting were reforms of budget allocation to address the problems in the far South and a proposal to revive the advisory council on management and development for the region.
PUBLISHED : 21 Nov 2023 at 18:07
Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr, a former deputy permanent secretary for defence who played a role in the 2006 coup that toppled the Thaksin government, died on Tuesday morning. He was 75.
It was reported that the general died of lung cancer. The funeral rites are to be held at Wat Phra Sri Maha That in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district.
Born on July 8, 1948 in the northern province of Lampang, Gen Saprang’s army career began in 1969 after graduating from the Royal Chulachomklao Military Academy, Class 7.
He held several key posts including being the Third Army commander and deputy permanent secretary for defence before his mandatory retirement in 2008.
Gen Saprang entered the public spotlight when he served as the Third Army commander, holding the rank of lieutenant general. He vowed to defend the institution of the monarchy and campaign against corruption.
The outspoken officer was also known for expressing views that were highly critical of the Thaksin administration and his media interviews were seen as a signal that the army was ready to intervene if the country was in a crisis.
After the 2006 coup staged by then army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin, Gen Saprang was named assistant to the secretary-general of the Administrative Reform Council (ARC) and later appointed a member of the Council for National Security (CNS).
Gen Saprang was a candidate for the army’s top post, but the job was given to Gen Anupong Paojinda. Instead, he was made a deputy permanent secretary for defence.
He disappeared from public view after his retirement in 2008 and was said to have spent his time with his family in Lampang, his home province, and in Chiang Mai.
SINGAPORE: A cleaner who worked at Heartbeat@Bedok community centre came to know about a drug trafficking “opportunity” from his supervisor.
The pair began collecting an assortment of drugs and stashing them in their cleaners’ storeroom as it was a secure location for them.
Their crimes unravelled when the authorities arrested a man who was to pass heroin and methamphetamine to the pair.
Officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau replaced the drugs with mock drugs before arranging for their collection, nabbing the cleaner and his supervisor when they came to pick the illicit substances up.
The cleaner, 25-year-old Malaysian Devendran Shanugam, was sentenced to 10 years’ jail and 10 strokes of the cane on Monday (Nov 20).
He pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted possession of drugs with common intention for the purpose of trafficking.
The court heard that Devendran got to know his accomplice, 29-year-old Malaysian Tiben Raj Anbalagan, when they worked together in a cleaning company.
Devendran was transferred to work under Tiben Raj at Heartbeat@Bedok in August 2021 and they became close.
Tiben Raj owed money to an unidentified person he called “Boss”, and in order to earn the cash to repay Boss, Tiben Ray agreed to traffic drugs for him – diamorphine, cannabis and methamphetamine.
When Devendran came to know about this, he told Tiben Raj that he had previously delivered drugs and offered to do the deliveries for payment.
Under the arrangement, Tiben Raj would liaise with Boss on the location and timing for drug collection, and Devendran would personally pick the drugs up.
Around Jan 23 last year, Tiben Raj rented a motorcycle so he could ferry Devendran for deliveries or allow Devendran to ride the motorcycle to “work swiftly”, the court heard.
Devendran knew the drugs he was collecting and delivering were illegal. He would identify the type of drug from the packaging – cannabis would be shaped like a book, while diamorphine would be wrapped in a black bundle.
From January to mid-February 2022, the pair received instructions from Boss to collect bundles of drugs from lorries. Initially, Devendran would deliver the entire shipment to another location.
From mid-February 2022 onwards, the pair collected bundles of drugs and stored them in the cleaners’ storeroom at Heartbeat@Bedok, as it was a secure location accessed by them.
They would verify the weight and type of drugs based on details provided to Tiben Raj by Boss, as they had to compensate Boss for any shortfall. They were paid according to the weight of the drugs collected.
From mid-February 2022 to the time of their arrest, they offered “personal delivery” services by splitting the larger bundles of drugs into smaller ones for Devendran to deliver.
He would also deposit the smaller bundles in the rear seats or bonnets of unattended cars. On one occasion, he cut up a block of cannabis into two smaller ones according to a customer’s request.
In total, Devendran collected and delivered drugs including diamorphine, meth and cannabis, or mixtures of these drugs, on 16 occasions between January and May 2022.
In particular, he collected 25 bundles of diamorphine on three occasions and 1kg in gross weight of cannabis on one occasion.
He was paid S$500 to S$2,000 for each delivery.
On the night of May 18, 2022, authorities arrested a 29-year-old Malaysian man named Muhammad Amsyar Solihin Adnan at Woodlands Checkpoint.
Four bags found in his car contained 38 bundles of heroin weighing about 17.4kg and two packets of meth weighing about 250g.
Amsyar was supposed to contact an unidentified person called “Marku Kari” after entering Singapore, to get the delivery location.
CNB officers replaced the drugs with around 16.2kg of mock drugs in several bags.
Arrangement was made with Marku Kari for the collection of the mock drugs, and the bags were placed beside a big green dustbin and potted plants at Block 217, Bedok North Street 1.
Meanwhile, Tiben Raj had been informed by Boss that a shipment of drugs would reach Singapore by midnight.
Boss told Tiben Raj to collect the drugs at the address in Bedok, and Tiben Raj waited nearby with Devendran.
At around 1.30am on May 19, 2022, Devendran picked up the mock drugs and walked towards the front of the block to meet Tiben Raj.
He was then arrested by CNB. Tiben Raj rode away on his motorcycle, but was later arrested.
The two men had intended to collect the drugs so they could split them up and deliver smaller consignments to other buyers.
Amsyar faces drug charges and his case is pending in the High Court. Tiben Raj’s case is also pending.
Did Chow Yun Fat just outdo himself again? On Sunday (Nov 19), the 68-year-old Hong Kong film legend, affectionately known as Fat Gor (Cantonese for Big Brother Fat), participated in his first ever half marathon at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
Guess how long Chow, who as usual turned up in his signature all-black sports attire, took to finish the 21km run?
Only 2hrs 27mins and 56secs. For your reference, the average half marathon finish time is 1hr 50 mins for men but the star is already pushing 70, mind you.
Some netizens also managed to get a glimpse of the actor crossing the finishing line, looking suave as ever and not panting at all.
He even raised his hand to wave at the crowd while everyone cheered for him. What a champ, right?
After the run, Chow also told the media that he was happy with his performance. His timing met the goal set by the organisers and he will be joining the run again next year.
This half marathon is just one of the many sporting milestones Chow has achieved recently.
In February this year, Fat Gor took part in the 10km run at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, and finished it in 1hr 3mins and 57secs.
Last December, he participated in the Hong Kong Athletics Cross Country Championships, which he completed in 56mins and 39secs.
At that time, he was asked if he would want to try running a half marathon. His reply? “Maybe a few years later.”
Guess he couldn’t wait to check that off his to do list.
This story was originally published in 8Days.
Quantum advantage is the milestone the field of quantum computing is fervently working toward, where a quantum computer can solve problems that are beyond the reach of the most powerful non-quantum, or classical, computers.
Quantum refers to the scale of atoms and molecules where the laws of physics as we experience them break down and a different, counterintuitive set of laws apply. Quantum computers take advantage of these strange behaviors to solve problems.
There are some types of problems that are impractical for classical computers to solve, such as cracking state-of-the-art encryption algorithms. Research in recent decades has shown that quantum computers have the potential to solve some of these problems.
If a quantum computer can be built that actually does solve one of these problems, it will have demonstrated quantum advantage.
This frontier of scientific and technological innovation not only promises groundbreaking advances in computation but also represents a broader surge in quantum technology, including significant advancements in quantum cryptography and quantum sensing.
Central to quantum computing is the quantum bit, or qubit. Unlike classical bits, which can only be in states of 0 or 1, a qubit can be in any state that is some combination of 0 and 1. This state of neither just 1 or just 0 is known as a quantum superposition. With every additional qubit, the number of states that can be represented by the qubits doubles.
This property is often mistaken for the source of the power of quantum computing. Instead, it comes down to an intricate interplay of superposition, interference and entanglement.
Interference involves manipulating qubits so that their states combine constructively during computations to amplify correct solutions and destructively to suppress the wrong answers. Constructive interference is what happens when the peaks of two waves – like sound waves or ocean waves – combine to create a higher peak.
Destructive interference is what happens when a wave peak and a wave trough combine and cancel each other out. Quantum algorithms, which are few and difficult to devise, set up a sequence of interference patterns that yield the correct answer to a problem.
Entanglement establishes a uniquely quantum correlation between qubits: The state of one cannot be described independently of the others, no matter how far apart the qubits are. This is what Albert Einstein famously dismissed as “spooky action at a distance.”
Entanglement’s collective behavior, orchestrated through a quantum computer, enables computational speed-ups that are beyond the reach of classical computers.
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Quantum computing has a range of potential uses where it can outperform classical computers. In cryptography, quantum computers pose both an opportunity and a challenge. Most famously, they have the potential to decipher current encryption algorithms, such as the widely used RSA scheme.
One consequence of this is that today’s encryption protocols need to be re-engineered to be resistant to future quantum attacks. This recognition has led to the burgeoning field of post-quantum cryptography.
After a long process, the National Institute of Standards and Technology recently selected four quantum-resistant algorithms and has begun the process of readying them so that organizations around the world can use them in their encryption technology.
In addition, quantum computing can dramatically speed up quantum simulation: the ability to predict the outcome of experiments operating in the quantum realm. Famed physicist Richard Feynman envisioned this possibility more than 40 years ago.
Quantum simulation offers the potential for considerable advancements in chemistry and materials science, aiding in areas such as the intricate modeling of molecular structures for drug discovery and enabling the discovery or creation of materials with novel properties.
Another use of quantum information technology is quantum sensing: detecting and measuring physical properties like electromagnetic energy, gravity, pressure and temperature with greater sensitivity and precision than non-quantum instruments. Quantum sensing has myriad applications in fields such as environmental monitoring, geological exploration, medical imaging and surveillance.
Initiatives such as the development of a quantum internet that interconnects quantum computers are crucial steps toward bridging the quantum and classical computing worlds. This network could be secured using quantum cryptographic protocols such as quantum key distribution, which enables ultra-secure communication channels that are protected against computational attacks – including those using quantum computers.
Despite a growing application suite for quantum computing, developing new algorithms that make full use of the quantum advantage – in particular in machine learning – remains a critical area of ongoing research.
The quantum computing field faces significant hurdles in hardware and software development. Quantum computers are highly sensitive to any unintentional interactions with their environments. This leads to the phenomenon of decoherence, where qubits rapidly degrade to the 0 or 1 states of classical bits.
Building large-scale quantum computing systems capable of delivering on the promise of quantum speed-ups requires overcoming decoherence. The key is developing effective methods of suppressing and correcting quantum errors, an area my own research is focused on.
In navigating these challenges, numerous quantum hardware and software startups have emerged alongside well-established technology industry players like Google and IBM. This industry interest, combined with significant investment from governments worldwide, underscores a collective recognition of quantum technology’s transformative potential.
These initiatives foster a rich ecosystem where academia and industry collaborate, accelerating progress in the field.
Quantum computing may one day be as disruptive as the arrival of generative AI. Currently, the development of quantum computing technology is at a crucial juncture. On the one hand, the field has already shown early signs of having achieved a narrowly specialized quantum advantage.
Researchers at Google and later a team of researchers in China demonstrated quantum advantage for generating a list of random numbers with certain properties. My research team demonstrated a quantum speed-up for a random number guessing game.
On the other hand, there is a tangible risk of entering a “quantum winter,” a period of reduced investment if practical results fail to materialize in the near term.
While the technology industry is working to deliver quantum advantage in products and services in the near term, academic research remains focused on investigating the fundamental principles underpinning this new science and technology.
This ongoing basic research, fueled by enthusiastic cadres of new and bright students of the type I encounter almost every day, ensures that the field will continue to progress.
Daniel Lidar, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, and Physics & Astronomy, University of Southern California
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Pannun’s Sikhs for Justice group did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent to an email address listed on its website. Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment. India banned the SFJ as an “unlawful association” in 2019 and listed Pannun as an “individualContinue Reading
PUBLISHED : 21 Nov 2023 at 16:32
Wildlife officials have caught 163 free-roaming green iguanas nationwide in a drive to control their population, while 260 people in 61 provinces report having a total of 3,667 of the exotic reptiles as pets, according to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
Director-general Athapol Charoenchansa said on Tuesday that of the 163 captured iguanas, 134 were found on Khao Phraya Doen Dong mountain in Lop Buri province and six in the Kham Chanod forest of Udon Thani. Only one was caught in Bangkok.
Efforts to catch free-roaming iguanas, large arboreal lizards native to tropical America, started on Thursday last week after sightings of many free-roaming iguanas in Lop Buri province and reports of them raiding farm crops. There was also concern about their ecological impact.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Patcharawat Wongsuwan ordered the department to act quickly to resolve the problem.
The captured iguanas would be kept at local wildlife sanctuaries, Mr Athapol said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has banned their importation and people who have them as pets were asked to report their possession to officials surveying the iguana population.
Smugglers were liable to up to 10 years imprisonment and/or fine of one million baht, Mr Athapol said.
So far, he said, 260 people had reported having 3,667 American iguanas in 61 provinces.
Chon Buri province had the most iguanas, 982 with 14 owners, followed by Khon Kaen with 446 iguanas with 10 owners and Bangkok with 287 iguanas and 45 owners.
The common iguana – a herbivore that can weigh up to 4 kilogrammes and grow to more than 40 centimetres in length. (Photo: Wikispecies)
MANILA: Joint maritime and air patrols in the South China Sea between the Philippines and the United States military were launched on Tuesday (Nov 21), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, describing it as a “significant initiative”. The Philippine leader’s announcement comes amid a rapid strengthening of ties this yearContinue Reading
MANILA: Joint maritime and air patrols in the South China Sea between the Philippines and the United States military were launched on Tuesday (Nov 21), Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said, describing it as a “significant initiative”. The Philippine leader’s announcement comes amid a rapid strengthening of ties this yearContinue Reading