Interest rate for CPF Special, Medisave and Retirement accounts increases to 4.08% in Q3 2024
SINGAPORE: The interest rate for Central Provident Fund ( CPF ) Special, MediSave and Retirement accounts will rise to 4.08 per cent in the third quarter of 2024.
It dipped to , 4.05 per share in the previous third, the second increases after three consecutive increases.
The CPF Board and Housing Board ( HDB) stated in a joint news release on Wednesday ( May 29 ) that the higher interest rate is being caused by an increase in the 12 month average yield of 10- year Singapore Government Securities.
These accounts have an interest rate that is based on the produce on average, plus 1 %.
For the third quarter, the Ordinary Account ( OA ) interest rate will remain at 2.5 %.  ,
During the same time frame, the concessionary interest rate for HDB housing loans will remain unchanged at 2.6 %, which is pegged at 0.1 % above the OA interest rate.  ,  ,
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.  ,
Those below 55 years old will earn an extra 1 per cent interest on the first S$ 60, 000 ( US$ 44, 460 ) of their combined balances. This fascination is capped at S$ 20, 000 for the OA.  ,
People aged 55 and above may receive an additional 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.  ,
A person’s Special Account or Retirement Account will receive the additional interest earned on the OA accounts.  ,
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.”  ,
North Korea drops balloons carrying trash and propaganda in South
Authorities in the South’s two border provinces were prompted to issue a warning to its residents to remain indoors after 90 balloons carrying propaganda leaflets and trash were dropped by North Korea.
The North Korean government also issued a warning to the general public on Wednesday against touching the white kites and the cheap bags that come with them because they contain “filthy misuse and trash.”
Appropriate regulators are currently conducting an analysis of the balloons discovered in the provinces of Gyeonggi and Gangwon.
Since the Korean War in the 1950s, both North and South Korea have used kites in their advertising campaigns.
The most recent incident comes days after North Korea declared it would fight against protesters in the South’s border areas ‘ “frequent sprinkling of flyers and other rubbish.”
In a speech to the state media on Sunday, North Korea’s vice-minister of defense Kim Kang Il said,” Hills of wastepaper and trash will soon be scattered over the border regions and the inside of the ROK and how much work will be required to remove them.”
South Korea’s formal name is the Republic of Korea, or ROK, while North Korea is known as DPRK or the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
People in the north of Seoul, the capital of the South, and the border area on Tuesday received text messages from their provincial officials urging them to “refrain from outside activities.”
If they discover an “unidentified object,” they were also requested to report it to the nearest military center or police place.
Photos shared on social media show luggage attached via wire to white translucent balloons carrying toilet paper, black earth, and batteries, among various contents.
Some of these photos feature police and military personnel.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap media company,” some of the fallen bubbles carried what appears to be faeces, judging by its dark color and odour.”
The government of South Korea described the incident as a” apparent violation of international law.”
It “profoundly threatens the health of our persons.” The government firmly advises North Korea to halt this cruel and crude action and holds North Korea liable for all the consequences, according to the military.
In addition to anti- North advertising, activists in South Korea have launched balloons carrying among other things, money, banned media articles, and also Choco Pies- a North Korean snack banned in the North.
A South Korean-based advocate group earlier this month claimed to have sent 20 balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang flyers and USB pieces containing Korean pop music and music video across the border.
In December 2020, the Seoul’s parliament passed a law criminalizing the release of anti-Pyongyang flyers, but worries have been raised about freedom of speech and individual rights.
North Korea has also launched kites southward in an effort to attack Seoul’s officials. In one such start 2016, the bubbles apparently carried toilet paper, cigar bottoms and rubbish. They were referred to as “hazardous chemical substances” by Seoul officers.
Jake Kwon provided extra monitoring in Seoul.
Vietnam inflation rises in May, nears government’s limit
HANOI: Vietnam’s annual inflation rate edged up to 4.44 per share in May, official data showed on Wednesday, nearing the government’s target canopy of 4.5 per cent for the year and a potential problem to efforts to boost credit development to generate action. The Southeast Asian nation, a local businessContinue Reading
MOF’s KMP invests in Malaysian computer vision startup, Evlos
- Unknown investment amount to scale the group and R& D to help growth
- Evlos provides solutions for various industries ‘ AI-based quality assessment needs.
Kumpulan Modal Perdana ( KMP), a tech-focused venture capital owned by the Minister of Finance ( Inc ), announced last week that it had invested in Evlos, a provider of end-to-end computer vision solutions for automated quality inspections. KMP has joined Evlos as its most recent investment, and the money will be used to strengthen its workforce to support its development trajectory.
Evlos, a company founded and developed in Malaysia, has a core goal: to enable companies to fully automate and simplify their excellent control (QC ) inspection process. Through their cutting-edge zero-code computer vision software and automation equipment, the company has a key focus. By lowering labor costs and improving accuracy and reliability, Evas ‘ advanced options can significantly help businesses that still rely on manual labor for QC monitoring of their products and materials.
Shankar Ramanathan, CEO of Evlos, shared, “KMP’s money as well as its experience and extensive system in Malaysia, it serves as a bible to KMP’s faith in our possible, validating our difficult work. We are dedicated to promoting proper business growth and providing high-quality computer vision and robotics technology to help Malaysia’s manufacturing sector improve their quality control. We even look forward to providing more Business with our powerful solutions so they can grow their businesses without sacrificing quality. We are appreciative of KMP’s help, and we hope that additional money will help us advance.
Cedar Technologies Sdn Bhd was established in 2019 as Cedar Technologies Sdn Bhd, and it just received an Evlos Sdn Bhd rebrand in 2022.
Evlos creates its end-to-end solutions in-house, from designing to manufacturing to software using the Evlos Vision software, which is integrated with real-time analytics to investigate precise detection during the production of complex products. Evlos stands out in the market by providing top-of-the-line solutions without sacrificing value, along with its distinctive 24/7 sales support.
KMP is “excited to be supporting such an innovative business  , and to be a part of an organization leading the development of complete solutions for quality assessment technology across fields,” said Yarham Yunus, CEO of KMP. We are the only company in the market to provide a fully integrated in-house remedy for high-quality examination automation at a reasonable price, which is where we think Evlos has the potential to expand. Our goal is to enable the Evlos staff to grow alongside their company in the upcoming times.
With the global fault detection business projected to grow by 6.6 % Rate by 2027, Evlos says businesses are beginning to realize how defect detection can help reduce manufactured goods ‘ defects, resulting in a decrease in both costs and resources.
Evlos provides no-code, AI-powered system vision solutions with a large, comprehensive collection of tools for a variety of use cases appropriate for all industries.
Thaksin to be indicted on lese majeste charge
Thaksin to get called to judge on June 18 to reply claims
PUBLISHED: 29 May 2024 at 10: 03
In a 2015 meeting he gave in South Korea, the Attorney-General does implicate former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on charges of computer crime and lese major.
Attorney- General Amnat Chetcharoenrak made the decision on Monday to indict Thaksin on both charges, as requested by police, according to Prayut Phetcharakhun, spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General ( OAG ).
The choice makes reference to an exam Thaksin conducted in Seoul on February 21, 2015. According to Mr. Prayut, Thaksin is accused of computer crime by entering data into a computer program that he thought posed a threat to national security.
Common lawyers were unable to arraign Thaksin on Wednesday because his attorney had submitted a health certificate stating that he had Covid-19 and needed to rest until next Monday. He pushed for a June 15 reading of the prosecution.
According to Mr. Prayut, the former prime minister on parole was ordered by the prosecution to make an appearance at the OAG on June 18 at 9am for the accusation hearing.
In a pending investigation into an extra investigation report from police, Mr. Amnat delayed the decision to this Wednesday on April 10.
The Technology Crime Suppression Division took the der majore and system crime charges over and approved Thaksin’s temporary release after his release on parole on February 18 and released him on bail.
Following the Attorney- General’s news, Thaksin’s attorney Winyat Chartmontri said his clientele may fight the charges.
” We have to continue in a legal case based on our right,” said Mr. Winyat. ” Thaksin is ready to prove his innocence in the justice system” . ,
In 2015, Thaksin claimed that senior council members supported the revolution that overthrew the government of his younger girl Yingluck Shinawatra and made accusations against the monarchy in remarks made during an exam with South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo paper.
The feedback made during the meeting, according to authorities, were in contravention of both the Computer Crime  Act and Section 112 of the Criminal Code, which are also known as the der guess law.
Thailand to indict former PM Thaksin over royal insult
The tycoon, who was convicted of abuse of power and conflicts of interest, was released on parole in February after six months in confinement.
He made a remarkable comeback in 2023 after 15 years of self-imposed captivity, where he remained a key figure throughout series of political upheavals.
Under the lese-majeste law, which allows for a maximum sentence of 15 years for each perceived affront to the royal household, Thaksin would be the most well-known event among more than 270 indictments in recent years.  ,
The popular antagonism Move Forward Party, the largest in parliament, has found itself in a coma because of its attempt to alter the law. The Constitutional Court will have to decide whether to break the organization, which may result in bans on its leadership.  ,  ,
Since 2001, when three Shinawatra governments were toppled by dictatorships or court rulings, Thaksin, the chairman of the nationalist behemoth Pheu Thai, has won all but one vote.  ,
His profit and the fact that he was only in confinement for a short period of time led to speculation that he had struck a deal with his terrible adversaries in the conservative establishment and the military, who he has long held responsible for trying to stifle pro-Thaksin governments. His supporters have refuted any like agreement.  ,
The current state is led by Pheu Thai, who is also in charge of the party, along with Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s party chief and business alliance Srettha Thavisin, who is also Thaksin’s ally.  ,
Analysts anticipate that Thaksin will attempt to exert important political control from the background, leading to yet another conflict with his strong adversaries in the establishment.  , He insists he has retired from politicians.
Dua Lipa to perform in Singapore in November, presale tickets available from Jun 10
Information regarding the ticket prices may be made public eventually.
On May 3, Dua Lipa released her most recent album, Radical Optimism, which soared to the top of the charts in several nations, including the UK, France, and Spain. Lipa has a number of hits, including New Rules, Levitating, and One Kiss, since bursting onto the field in 2013.
She has also won three Grammy Honors, with her most recent one being best pop vocal record in 2021 for , Potential Nostalgia.
Even performing in Singapore on Nov 6 is R&, B singer- manufacturer Ne- Yo. Pre-sale register for his present as part of his Champagne &, Roses Tour is now available on Sistic. In 2023, he gave his final performance in Singapore.  ,
China’s yuan seeks to challenge the US dollar but traders don’t want to use it
The dollar’s internationalisation catalog, as measured by China’s northern bank, has greatly improved since 2009, but it still lags far behind the dollar and the euro in terms of business arrangement, global payments, international trading and central bank forex reserves. The new study discovered that additional obstacles included obstacles toContinue Reading
Taiwan government to reject contested parliament reforms
Taiwan’s Cabinet will accept and return policy that the opposition approved on Tuesday ( May 28 ) regarding parliamentary reforms that have sparked protests and accusations of Chinese intervention. In light of concerns that China, which views Taiwan as its own country, is trying to influence the region’s politicians andContinue Reading
National Economic and Social Development Council says 1 in 70 people a suicide risk
Mental health issues plague 10 million
PUBLISHED: 29 May 2024 at 08: 09
According to the National Economic and Social Development Council ( NESDC ), almost 11 % of the country’s population is thought to be mentally ill, and almost 10 million of them are in danger of suicide.
However, about 16 % of the community is constantly stressed out, it said.
Danucha Pichayanan, director- standard of NESDC, said on Monday, upon the launch of the company’s second quarter report on Thai society, that emotional health has become a crucial issue.
According to the Department of Mental Health, there are now 2.9 million clinical people in 2023, up from 1.3 million in 2015.
” Despite Thailand officially having 2.9 million patients who received medical treatment]last year], the actual number of those with mental health issues may reach as many as 10 million, as many people do n’t seek treatment”, Mr Danucha said.
This suggests there are a significant quantity of undiagnosed cases and that we have a higher percentage of these patients than the average worldwide.
A significant portion of the population is also at risk of developing mental health issues.
The department discovered that between Oct. 1, 2023, and April 22, 2024, the proportion of people with mental health issues who experienced high stress levels was 15.48 %, the risk of depression was 17.20 %, and the risk of suicide was 10.63 %.
According to Mr. Danucha, these images have declined over the past few years, adding that mental health issues have a significant impact on the economy. According to the World Health Organization, depression and anxiety cause an economic decline of over US$ 1 trillion, or about 12 billion days worldwide.
Almost one in five people with mental health issues are able to take care of themselves, which necessitates home support, he said, leading to significant human resource losses. Additionally, less than a third of medical patients with high levels of risk are properly monitored and cared for.
Additionally, the NESDC discovered that more people experience depression and anxiety as a result of rising economic and social pressure. The top two mental health issues in governmental 2023 were anxiety and depression, surpassing both meth abuse and other substance abuse combined.
According to Mr. Danucha, the murder charge is nearly as high as it was during the Tom Yam Kung crisis in 1997.
” In governmental 2023, the murder charge was 7.94 per 100, 000 people, close to the charge during the Tom Yum Kung turmoil at 8.59 per 100, 000 people”, he said, adding that economic problems also impact mental health.
According to a study in the UK, air pollution increased young people’s levels of depression by 20 %.
Seven out of ten people in Bangkok experience stress at work, according to Mahidol University.