Money laundering syndicate crippled in joint Hong Kong, Singapore and Interpol operation; 8 arrested
Digital SUPPORT SCAMS ,
Between January and July, 185 information related to technical support schemes were made, with costs amounting to at least S$ 17.9 million, said SPF.  ,
Victims of this kind of fraud would often get screen pop-ups claiming their laptops or desktops had been hacked by malware on their computers.  ,
The pop-ups would also provide phone numbers for the sufferers to phone in addition to telling them to call Microsoft or Apple technical support right away.  ,
Scammers who pretend to be Microsoft or Apple tech support personnel would then make the claim that the patients ‘ devices had been hacked by “hackers” and used for illegal purposes when they received the call.
The scammers would therefore advise patients to download software and/or access websites that would give them remote access to their devices.
After this, the patients may be instructed to log into their i-Bank balances under the excuse of helping to catch the “hackers.”  ,
This, however, was to help the scammers to get the victim’s online bank ID and password.  ,
From there, they could use the victim’s bank account’s distant access feature to carry out illegal deals.
In some situations, victims were instructed to create bitcoin accounts or deliver one-time passwords to e-wallet transactions.  ,
They would only become aware of their own being defrauded when they discovered illegal payments or conclusions from their bank balances.
Jokowi signals continuity in Indonesia’s 2025 budget, touts achievements in final State of the Nation speech
ANOTHER APOLOGY
For his State of the Nation address, Mr. Widodo bide goodnight and apologised to the people for the next day this quarter while wearing a black dress from the Betawi people, a group local to Jakarta.
He said during a 20-minute statement at the Women’s Consultative Assembly meet, a yearly custom before the Independence Day celebrations on August 17, that he understood that his accomplishments could hardly please everyone.
” I and ( Vice President ) Ma’ruf Amin apologise. I repent to every soul that may be disappointed, for every desire that may not have been realised, for every dream that may not have been achieved”, said Mr Widodo.
His past explanation,  , during a congregational meditation celebration on Aug 1, was labelled by detractors as a strategy to gain sympathy.
Mr. Widodo claimed he had no power to choose the political and vice-presidential applicants for the presidency and that he had put emphasis on stability of policies at next year’s State of the Nation address.  ,
Nevertheless, he introduced a number of programs that observers said favored the eventual winners of the national election, including evil president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka and defence minister Prabowo Subianto.
His actions were criticized as an effort to bolster his own social kingdom, particularly given that Mr. Gibran had been permitted to run through a contentious constitutional court decision.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani made obscene remarks before Mr. Widodo on Friday while speaking with him.
She claimed that the people who voted in this manner could not be held accountable.
” Was the poll completely, honest and fair? I leave it to you to solution… Were citizens capable to choose openly, honestly, quite, without force, control and fear”? she asked.
ActiveSG users unhappy over switch to new booking platform, say it is confusing and more troublesome
CHILD COULD NOT ENTER WITHOUT PARENT ,
One of his students had to depend on his family to show employees the passage go before he could enter the lake on Thursday, according to swim instructor Mr. Yao, who constantly teaches at Sengkang Swimming Complex.  ,
The child used to be able to provide using his EZ-Link id, or what , ActiveSG calls the School Smart Card.
” So now without EZ-Link card, the younger ones ( who ) do n’t have phones with them… have issues, because then the parents have to come”, said Mr Yao, 42.
” Usually the mother will just drop ( my student off ) then he uses the bus card, the EZ-Link card. The family had to travel and apply her phone to show the complete without the EZ-Link cards from yesterday, and then she could leave.
The child’s absence from college with his or her Smart Card is a mystery.
According to ActiveSG’s FAQ, pictures of the move will not be accepted.
However, to verify that parents have purchased a pass for them, babies who are unaccompanied by parents simply need to go to the gate and ask for their parents ‘ mobile number or NRIC range. They must take along their School Smart Card for confirmation.
Mr. Yao noted that users will now have to purchase an access pass using a PayNow or credit card, making the process more challenging, particularly given that the move is only valid for one day.  ,
” So you cannot use it if you buy on the day and then immediately there is heavy weather.”
CNA has contacted SportSG for opinion.  ,
ActiveSG cited a couple factors in its FAQ in its move to a web-based system, including how this makes it possible to reach more people because it eliminates the need to download and install an application for various websites.  ,
Updates are automatically made available with a net app, and customers will always have the most recent features and bug fixes without the need to download something, the FAQ stated.  ,
It claimed that a user can access a web application more conveniently when they use a website hyperlink or saved shortcut.  ,
Cordlife loses accreditation with international blood bank body
S$ 12.35 Billion LOSS
In a separate filing, Cordlife posted a loss of S$ 12.35 million ( US$ 9.4 million ) for the first half of the year, compared , to a net profit of S$ 2.2 million in the same period a year ago.
The drop includes about S$ 9.7 million for the , cancellation of successive charges for clients who had stored cord blood in its high-risk tanks, as well as deal liabilities , related to upcoming store obligations of affected clients.
Seven of Cordlife’s 22 storage tank  , were found to have been exposed to temperatures above appropriate restrictions in November 2023.  ,
Around 2, 200 thread body units belonging to nearly 2, 150 clients were damaged, with about another 5, 300 thread body units stored in a subsequent tank and a clean shipper deemed “non-viable” by MOH.
Cordlife’s profit for the first half of the year was  , S$ 9.2 million, a sharp decline from S$ 28.3 million in the same period a year ago.  ,
The reduction in income for 1H2024 is mainly due to the expulsion of the Cordlife Group’s Singapore functions, the organization said.
The bank’s Singapore businesses, which had been the company’s largest income source, is expected to continue to be affected by the continuous suspension and examinations, said Cordlife.
” Cordlife will continue to work closely with the MOH to look into and correct the deficiencies in its Singapore activities.
The business reported that during the evaluation phase, it “upped its correction efforts.”
It said that an , oversight committee was created in May 2024 that , comprises , specific executives and managing and will help solve Cordlife’s current issues, including the nomination of a new assessment agency.
In order to provide guidance and insights to its teams, Cordlife added that it established a medical and technical advisory board in June 2024.
Cordlife stated that it has been working with Shandong Qilu Stemcell Engineering since July to assist its Singapore team during the rectification period.  ,
Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store, which owns 20.3 % of Cordlife, is a subsidiary of Shandong Qilu Stemcell Engineering. It has around 1 million cord blood units in its cord blood bank and is located in Shandong province, China.  ,
Additionally, it is thought that Cordlife’s Philippines operation will offer a variety of diagnostics tests and routine prenatal screenings.
” Despite the extremely difficult first half, we have continued to strengthen our processes, update our stakeholders, and fix our operations with the aim of returning our operations to full strength as soon as possible,” said Cordlife group CEO Ivan Yu.
To lessen the impact of our Singapore operations, he continued,” We are also looking into new business opportunities in other markets.”
Cambodian PM congratulates Paetongtarn
Several neighboring nations are now both dominated by kids of previous nominees.
Described: 16 Aug 2024 at 18: 21
Paetongtarn Shinawatra has received a message of congratulations from Thai Prime Minister Hun Manet on her election as Thailand’s new prime minister.
In the treatment released by his company, Hun Manet wrote,” This stands as a testament to the trust and confidence the Thai citizens have in your leadership.”  ,  ,
Cambodia and Thailand appreciate longstanding diplomatic relations and near assistance, which have had a long history of cultural relationships and mutual respect, and have benefited our peoples. I strongly believe that, under your leadership, we may continue to increase our corporate partnership”.
The neighboring nations then share one more thing in common: prime ministers who are the offspring of previous leaders.
Hun Manet, 46, assumed the prime ministership after his parents, Hun Sen, stepped down in August 2023 following primaries in which his Vietnamese People’s Party ran almost uncontested.
Paetongtarn, 37, the youngest child of former top and Pheu Thai father Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected as Thailand’s 31st prime minister on Friday, two weeks after the court-ordered expulsion of Srettha Thavisin. She becomes the youngest excellent minister in the country’s history.
Hun Sen, 72, and Thaksin, 75, have long been great friends. Thaksin also briefly served as an economical adviser to the Vietnamese leader during his self-imposed banishment from Thailand.
After being released on parole in February of this year, Hun Sen was one of the first people to make a first appearance at Thaksin’s Bangkok house.
‘Very strong’ Typhoon Ampil buffets Japan’s Pacific coast
Tokyo, August 16: A “very powerful” typhoon slammed Japan’s Pacific coast with strong winds and heavy rainfall, causing the withdrawal of lots of flights and railways in the Tokyo region and causing over 2, 000 homes to be without power.
Located about 170km south of Tokyo, Typhoon Ampil was packing winds of up to 216kmh as it headed north, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Instead of making ashore, the typhoon’s eye traveled northeast along the Honshu coast, passing through the Tokyo region, which has a population of about 40 million, before returning to the Pacific on Saturday.
The climate system was described as “very strong,” one notch below what it referred to as as a “violent typhoon,” with peak wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour.
The company warned people to be “on high alert for violent winds, coastal waves, floods, flooding in low-lying lands, and valley storms”.
According to a statement, the risk of severe rain-related disasters may raise through Friday evening in the Kanto region close to Tokyo and through Saturday day in the northern Tohoku region.
By 3am Saturday ( 1800 GMT Friday ), the US military’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center off the coast of the east of the capital’s coastal Chiba region, was able to forecast maximum sustained winds of 195 kilometers per hour.
More than 18, 000 people were given instructions to leave Chiba district south of Tokyo, according to a speech from the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Some 2, 000 communities in Tokyo’s neighbouring counties, generally Chiba, were without electricity as of Friday afternoon due to the storms, according to the energy controller.
Phayao on alert for more floods
After the main path was flooded, the liquid recedes, but some reservoirs are nearly overflowing.
Discussed: 16 Aug 2024 at 17: 32
Authorities in Phayao issued a warning that more reservoirs does flow and cause problems as residents cleaned up on Friday after heavy rain and flooding.
A pond was breached due to ongoing weighty rain on Thursday night, flooding a major road in the northern state.
After flooding flooded the path between Chiang Rai state and Chun area, which temporarily slowed the flow of traffic between Chun and the Ban Si Chom Chaeng group in tambon Hong Hin, some land was damaged.
On Friday, the street was restored to normal and the water started to recede. However, workers were rushing to fix the dam to stop flooding from returning.
A little tank containing 95, 000 cubic meters of water was the broken Huai Kha San tank.
Since two other pools in the area were reportedly nearly complete, people were alerted to plan for subsequent storms.
On Friday, liquid floods into the Ban Si Chom Chaeng area in the Chun region of Phayao’s Chun area. ( Photo Fm 95.25 MHz Facebook page )
Singapore shuttler Yeo Jia Min on her Paris Olympics experience
Q. What did you eat initially when you arrived in Singapore?
Bird rice at the airports.
I feel very happy to be back home and spending time with my family.
I’ve taken a week off, then I’ve started training afterwards, because my next competition is in less than two months. I’m trying my best. I first need to get over the virus.
Q. You had just entered the second Olympics. Did you think your album performed better than you did?
Overall, the whole Olympic knowledge was quite different, as my first Games was during the COVID-19 crisis. This time, straight from the first day, it was so crowded. There was so much more help. My home, my kids were there, and every fit I could see them.
Preparing was also quite different. Going into the competition this time, I was healthy, not ( affected ) by injuries, so physically and mentally, I was definitely more prepared.
Q. What was most crucial in your Olympic planning?
There were months of preparation. Leading up ( to the Games ), it was definitely to make sure I did n’t fall sick or get any new injuries. Sometimes I experience these small jitters to make sure I’m in the best condition possible. Only mentally staying grounded, believing in myself, a lot of good self-talk, and excitement.
Q. In Paris, you’ll have the opportunity to fulfill world leaders. What did you take away from them?
For us, getting to know these racquetball people is like happening every other week. But at the Olympics, there are so many athletes from various activities, and they all have their own story to tell. It’s so exciting how we are all different, but there’s a little bit of similarity in terms of what we have experienced.
It’s generally that spirit of the confidence to come back, to believe in themselves once more, and to challenge one’s limitations. And often, at the end of the day, they surpass their limitations. The motivation of these sports inspires me.
Q. At the Olympic Village, did you experience any sense of community?
When I went to the gym it, I felt like, well, there was so much noise going on and people from all sorts of activities, and they were so laser focused. There were so many countries, some that I ca n’t even pronounce. It felt incredibly strange to be a part of our individual wealthy elite.
Q. Do you feel pressured to play basketball at an elite level?
I put myself under some pressure to stay where I’m at and gradually get close to where I want to get. More than the ranks, I focus on how I perform.
I’m trying my best to think of what I may do different and improve upon as I come back from this Olympics, and I hope to continue to rise up the ranks.
Backlash after Filipino MP says husbands have ‘sexual rights’
After he asked in congress whether men have” physical privileges” to their wives, a senator from the Philippines has received online criticism.
Former artist Robin Padilla was given the opportunity to speak at a reading on sexual abuse in the entertainment industry.
He also inquires about what men should do if their wives are n’t in the feelings, to which Lorna Kapunan, the attorney, replies that they can “watch Netflix.”
Mr Padilla, one of the country’s most famous artists, ran for office in 2022 where he emerged as the country’s best votes member.
In a reading on Thursday, Mr. Padilla made the remarks while leading a Senate investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and harrassment in the internet business.
He inquires to Ms. Kapunan if a spouse may ask his wife for sexual if she is “in the mood” but never his wife.
What if your wife does n’t want to? Is there no other means for men? If you look to different people, you might get sued”, Mr Padilla said in Tagalog.
Ms Kapunan said in such conditions, men should instead” get counselling, pray or enjoy Netflix”.
He then goes on to say that some wives feel like their wives are there to” serve” them, to which Ms. Kapunan replies that it is” not the wife’s obligation to serve her husband.”
Mr Padilla’s comments sparked a storm of virtual responses, with one calling him “disgusting”.
One post on X said:” So does that make ladies their father’s individual sexual workers”?
” Husbands do not have’ physical right’ over their brides. Equal freedom and free would are available to women. No means no. Respect is everything, according to renowned animal rights attorney Jose Manuel Diokno in a blog on X.
Another X users claimed that Mr. Padilla’s comments are an explanation to eventually legalize divorce in the nation.
Eight in 10 of the Philippines ‘ 110 million individuals are Catholic, which greatly influences views on marriage and family. It is the only country in the world, aside from the Vatican, where divorce is illegal.
Mr Padilla is one of the country’s most famous artists. Before becoming an artist, he rose to fame in the 1990s with his comedian roles in Robinhood.
He was later found guilty of possessing illegal weapon, and he received an eight-year prison sentence before receiving a pardon. He then resumed his film and television occupation and gained a lot of praise for turning his life around.
His family Mariel Padilla, a Filipino-born American, is also an artist and type in the Philippines.
With 26 million seats, Mr. Padilla won the 2022 congressional election, giving him a program to get higher business. In 2022, he made the decision to run for public office.
‘Stain on legal community’: Malaysian Bar president warns errant members after police flag criminal cases against lawyers
The leader of the Malaysian Bar has issued a strong statement against some accidental professionals ‘ behavior for the second time in two weeks, warning that it will take legal action against those who have “breached the faith bestowed upon them by the public.”  ,
In a statement released on Friday ( Aug 16 ), Mr. Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab said,” We condemn such actions in the strongest and most unequivocal terms.” He made reference to the Malaysian Bar’s position against some of its members ‘ dishonest and fraudulent behavior.
The Malaysian Bar is a professional figure charged with overseeing the legal system in Malaysia.  ,
A total of 33 criminal breach of trust ( CBT ) cases involving attorneys were reported nationwide last year, according to Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID ) director Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, who made the statement on August 13.  ,
These cases resulted in costs of over RM33 million ( US$ 7.4 million ).
Additionally, Mr. Ramli warned that there are likely to be more legal cases involving these offences, with losses totaling over RM20 million recorded so far this year.  ,
In 2022, 29 Psychotherapy cases involving attorneys were recorded equivalent to loss of RM13 million, Bernama reported.  ,
But, Mr. Ezri claimed in his speech from Friday that there appears to be an “alarming craze” that has unfairly diminished the importance of doctors in culture.  ,
The focus is now more on the misbehavior of a few, which, he said, “unfortunately casts a shadow on the whole profession,” rather than the major contributions that lawyers make to society.  ,
Mr. Ezri warned that lawyers across Malaysia are facing unprecedented challenges due to the current economic environment and the growing political pressures on the job.
” In addition, the rising need for savings and the weakening of legal services only add to the challenges that lawyers are currently facing.  ,
This pattern threatens the conservation of constitutional practices, especially smaller firms and only practitioners, and undermines the worth of the important job we do. Legitimate companies are not a product that can be bargained, they are important services that require specialised awareness, knowledge, and a commitment to fairness, “he said.  ,
According to records, Mr. Ezri noted that there were 33 cases that the police investigated last year, including 14 cases involving individuals who were n’t members of the Malaysian Bar, as well as eight cases in which the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board ( ASDB) had issued orders to its members.  ,
According to its site, the ASDB handles complaints of specialized misconduct filed by an advocate, attorney, student, or unusual attorney licensed under Section 40J of the Legal Profession Act of 1976.  ,
Mr. Ezri added that the Bar Council, which oversees the interests of the Malaysian Bar and performs its duties, has filed six police reports against those who use fake documents or defraude to carry out dishonest and deceptive business since 2023.
He also urged the general public to complain to the ASDB if they thought the lawyer and activist had engaged in misconduct.
Unscrupulous lawyers stow a shack in the legal system, and their inaction undermines the integrity of the many honorable and attentive members who uphold the highest standards of our profession, asserted Mr. Ezri.  ,
The Malaysian Bar has made a number of claims over the years expressing its concern for users ‘ dishonesty or fraudulent behavior.  ,
Two lawyers claimed they were being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ( MACC ) in their capacity as lawyers for a building’s management committee in a strata management case, according to a report released by news website Free Malaysia Today in June.
Mr. Ezri had previously stated that while they were strong against unscrupulous practices and doctors ‘ dishonest behavior, he had also cautioned all enforcement systems, including the MACC, to regard lawful professional privilege and the right to legal representation.  ,
Mr. Ezri also disclosed to FMT that the Malaysian Bar had introduced Elevate, a fresh risk management tool, to address the issue of law firms stealing money from trust accounts.
The CCID producer, Mr. Ramli, was quoted by Bernama as saying in May that the government had received 22 studies of scenarios involving law firms, with losses totaling RM19 million.
After failing to move the property rights to the new consumer, authorities in Selangor had also arrested a prosecutor who had received RM2.7 million for the purchase of a plot of land in the city in November.