Police investigating after reports of unauthorised transactions linked to Koufu app

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Koufu, one of Singapore’s largest food court providers, has notified the authorities after receiving reports of “unauthorised purchases” linked to its software.

In response to CNA’s queries, the company responded to reports on Tuesday ( Dec 31 ) that” we received a few reports regarding unauthorised transactions on payments in our Koufu Eat app.” &nbsp,

Additionally, it stated that the authorities are currently looking into the circumstances and that it had reported them to them. &nbsp,

A dozen reviews on the Google Play Store have been reporting that Koufu Eat software users have made fraudulent purchases on their credit or debit cards since late October. &nbsp,

A critic reported on October 26 that they had tried entering their card information into the game, but nothing did. The card was being added to Google Pay, and they then received an call.

Another evaluation from December 3 read,” Getting false transactions after adding my DBS credit cards to the app.”

One critic who posted on December 21 claimed that the game couldn’t add or link their PayLah account. A few weeks afterwards, they claimed their card was being used for illegal purchases. &nbsp,

At least six reviews of the matter had been made as of December 31. &nbsp,

Celine, who wanted to be known only by her first title, &nbsp, told CNA about a similar position when she tried to use the software to get supper. &nbsp,

She and her husband, who are both married, visited a Koufu food judge in Tengah on December 11 and the app was the first time she had saved it.

After she attempted to employ her father’s card to make a payment on the game, there were problems. They repeatedly asked to enter a One-Time Password ( OTP ) despite doing so.

” For some reason or another … the deal, the attempt, didn’t get through”, she said. &nbsp,

” We tried a few times and we kept encountering the same error” .&nbsp,

On Dec 21, her husband was notified that&nbsp, €500 ( S$ 709 ) had been charged to his card by someone with a “weird” name, she said.

According to Koufu, the software does not keep consumers ‘ credit card details as&nbsp, its pay gate is via eNETS. &nbsp,

” Upon checking out on ( the ) Koufu Eat app, customers will be redirected to eNETS payment gateway to process the payment”, it said. &nbsp,

CNA has contacted the&nbsp, Personal Data Protection Commission and the authorities for more information.

Continue Reading

MSF to delay expansion of rehabilitative support for older youth offenders

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development ( MSF ) on Monday ( Dec 30 ) said it would postpone the implementation of legal amendments to expand rehabilitative support for older youth offenders, from Jan 1, 2025 to later in the year.

The amendments are in line with the Children and Young Persons Act ( CYPA ), and they were passed in 2019 to make it easier for offenders between the ages of 16 and under 18 to have their cases heard in the Youth Courts as opposed to being tried in the State Courts.

Situations involving older students who are repeat offenders or who commit severe acts should still be transferred to the State Courts or High Courts in order to preserve public health and deter crime.

These major crimes include critical sexual offences, unregistered moneylending and drug smuggling.

However, MSF and the Ministry of Home Affairs “assessed that the parliamentary rules governing the transfer of situations from the Youth Courts do not thoroughly achieve this meant policy,” according to MSF in a discharge.

The amendments, it continued, “do not supply the State and High Courts enough freedom to impose tougher sentences on older children offenders where stronger punishment is required.”

In response to queries from CNA, MSF elaborated that under the 2019 amendments, the courts ‘ powers to implement firmer punishment- quite as corrective training, imprisonment and caning- “are more constrained than intended”.

In an illogical situation, for instance, a 17-year-old sexually assaults a minor under the age of 16 and is found innocent by the High Court but is not destructive or unruly.

Therefore, according to MSF, he never been ordered to supervision or a juvenile rehabilitation facility like Boys ‘ House, which is significant to the severity of the murder. He can only be ordered to probation or a juvenile treatment facility.

The Singapore Prison Service oversees corrective education and places an emphasis on structure and discipline. Youth criminals are able to continue their education or group work through parole orders.

Thus, more legislative changes are necessary to ensure that the State Courts and High Court can continue to implement firmer words in more severe cases and provide complete effect to the 2019 CYPA modifications, according to a spokeswoman from MSF.

These will be made after in 2025,” content to several factors including the schedules of parliament proceedings”, said the government.

Continue Reading

One man in the away stand: In a sea of Vietnamese support, a Singaporean stood rooting for the Lions

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

A SENSE OF PRIDE

A marketing professional, Mr Ong prides himself in creating information. He shoots and edits videos across different categories, but sporting is his “niche”, he explained.

” I know that the Lions had a two-nil gap, but I’m wondering if there is any mystery of Viet Tri”, he told CNA before the game.

” I’m glad that I’m here, although it feels a little uncomfortable”.

He has been a part of the Lions ‘ away games, including the World Cup qualifier against South Korea and, more recently, the group stages game against Timor Leste and Malaysia.

” I was really happy at the Bukit Jalil Stadium when we were able to advance to the semi-finals. It really made me feel very excited”, he recalled.

There were other supporters dispersed throughout the earth, not just Mr. Ong, who was among the Singaporeans clapping on the Lions.

However, his reputation in the absent part of the stadium stood out in stark contrast to the hordes of house fans who were roiling to the right.

” They are very passionate”, said Mr Ong. ” I really like the Asian followers, they are very enthusiastic”.

Continue Reading

JJ Lin’s Singapore concert: A visual spectacle spanning almost 40 songs and three hours

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

I am admittedly uncomfortable with JJ Lin’s arsenal. Yes, I have a couple of his tunes on my Mandopop Spotify music, but none of them have lyrics that are so deeply ingrained in my remembrance that I would snab the device while karaoke.

Believe me, I am also aware I’m missing out. A musician companion, whose style I trust, informed me that he had attended the show as an Ed supporter and left as a Terry fan when the 43-year-old Singaporean performer surprised audiences with a surprise efficiency at Ed Sheeran’s concert at the National Stadium in February of this year. &nbsp,

Even though Lin’s lyrics wouldn’t fall off my tongue at the JJ20 Final Lap World Tour concert on Saturday night ( Dec. 28 ) at the National Stadium, I knew I was in for a treat. &nbsp,

Turns out, I didn’t have much to care about. The lyrics for each of the 38 songs (yes, 38 ) were flashed on screen throughout an almost three-hour concert (yes, three hours ) that marked his first show of the tour. &nbsp,

After another present ok on Sunday, the trip will next head to places such as Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Paris, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Beijing and Seoul. &nbsp,

The JJ20 Final Lap World Tour follows on the heels of Lin’s JJ20 World Tour, a two-year music journey that spanned near to 80 times in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia and ended in November this year. In November 2022, he had even opened that trip by playing two displays in Singapore. &nbsp,

Obviously, Lin is a person who hates to relax. In other words, he is still as Taiwanese as they come.

Continue Reading

Difficult but not impossible: Lions keep faith as they face Vietnam in second leg of ASEAN Championship semis

By:
On:
In: Asia

Three days later, Vietnam won thanks to a contentious charges from Nguyen Tien Linh in the 101st second and a hit from naturalized Brazilian Rafaelson, then known as Nguyen Xuan Son.

The later sentence was awarded after the defense’s Shakir Hamzah handled the penalty box, but it appeared as though Nguyen Xuan Son had pushed Shakir.

” The referee’s choices were not in our power. Then that game is over, we look forward to the’ next quarter’ of the game”, said playmaker Hami Syahin.

It’s difficult to lose a functionality that we think we did well in, but we know we have a job to do there and the kids think we can do it.

Hassan Sunny, a former Lions keeper, told CNA that Singapore had performed well the majority of the way through the suit.

After the first goal, the sucker punch came straight toward the end of the game, which caused some of us to become a little demoralized, said Hassan, who made the announcement to leave international soccer earlier this year. &nbsp,

BEING MENTALLY STRONG

The Tigers need to be mentally strong because the group is behind their opponents and the first foot result against them, said captain Hariss Harun.

And the group’s shows throughout the game have shown how to combine it with the best, Hami said.

” We know that we may execute, we know that we can upset groups. It’s a matter of taking our prospects in this kind of opposition”, he explained.

Echoing similar views, experienced steward Hassan pointed out that the semi-final is far from over.

” It’s not over yet. There are still 90 more days to go. I’m sure the boys may spin back”, he said.

” The idea they had is not for 90 minutes. Football is a game of surprise ( s ), and we’ll hope to see some surprises in the next one, according to the belief they had for 180 minutes.

Continue Reading

Singaporeans in Norway bus crash sustained ‘minor injuries’: MFA

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

OSLO: &nbsp, A vehicle carrying many foreign visitors, including Singaporeans, &nbsp, went off the road and ended up half submerged in a river near the Raftsundet sea that separates the Lofoten island from the Scandinavian island.

The accident killed&nbsp, three people, local police said on Thursday ( Dec 26 ), &nbsp, adding that 58 people were impacted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ( MFA ) did not name any Singaporeans among the dead, but the Honorary Consul-General in Oslo informed CNA on Saturday that the country had been providing consular assistance and support to the Singaporeans who had” suffered minor injuries” via the Honorary Consul-General.

MFA did not give CNA with the number of afflicted Singaporeans but said that the consul-general&nbsp, has been in contact with local officials.

At least one Singaporean was reportedly only somewhat hurt in the incident, according to reports from Norway advertising.

The Scandinavian ambassador in Singapore responded to inquiries from CNA by stating that the city’s crisis response staff had been activated.

Additionally, they make sure that all hospital-bound customers are treated and have access to a resource for information on the incident.

Passengers from seven states were on board, including China, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway and South Sudan.

Continue Reading

Police to use drones to monitor crowd numbers in real-time at Marina Bay countdown

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) drones will be used to monitor crowd numbers at the Marina Bay Singapore Countdown 2025 in real-time. &nbsp,

Held from Dec 31 to the early days of Jan 1, 2025, the clock is portion of a series of events celebrating Singapore’s 60 years of independence. People of the Marina Bay neighborhood will be able to taking part in a variety of programs at 17 homeland websites besides the clock.

The Marina Bay area typically saw about 500, 000 people at past countdown celebrations, a spokesperson from the Urban Redevelopment Authority ( URA ) said in response to CNA’s queries. &nbsp,

” With another events this year, we expect the amount in Marina Bay to reduce”, URA added.

However, the police anticipate large masses to attend the holidays in the Marina Bay region.

SPF said on Saturday ( Dec 28 ) that they will be using drones&nbsp, equipped with spotlights, blinkers and speakers to enhance visibility and allow them to broadcast public safety messages. &nbsp,

The Home Team Science and Technology Agency ( HTX ) collaborated with the police to install a video analytics tool called the Q-Crowd Counter, which uses computer vision and artificial intelligence ( AI ) to quickly calculate crowd numbers.

Continue Reading

Sea nomads in Thailand who survived the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 are slowly losing their identity

By:
On:
In: Asia

Usually, they lived on boats with fish as a main source of food and money, just staying on property during the rain season.

As more people move to permanent accommodation on land and function in bigger cities, there has been a continuous change in the Moken way of life over the past few decades.

PEOPLE OF THE Water

Fang Klathale, a part of the&nbsp, Moken group, has called the sea her house for most of her existence.

But today, at 96 years older, Fang is staying in island Thailand in order to be better to health services.

She is concerned that younger people, many of whom have moved to cities to operate, are losing contact with their lifestyle despite the fact that her age and medical requirements have compelled her to proceed.

” The children these days don’t talk the Moken speech. They don’t realize it again. They’re all speaking Thai today”, she told CNA.

Fang’s traditional house is on Koh Phra Thong, one of the thousands of islands in the Andaman Sea, about an hour’s boat ride apart from mainland Thailand.

Just about 800 individuals live on the island. Some tourists travel to the island, and islanders lead a peaceful life, compared to nearby Phuket.

The beach used to house three universities but now, just one remains.

Continue Reading

A new WeChat feature will allow users to send gifts. Will it be well-received?

By:
On:
In: Asia

RESHAPING THE GIFT-GIVING CULTURE

China’s e-commerce industry is the largest in the world, surpassing the United States in terms of revenue and generating billion in billion. &nbsp,

WeChat introduced electronic red packets linked to its electronic payment service in 2014, which is a significant component of Chinese tradition.

People who received large sums of money in the form of transactions quickly and conveniently through their apps were a fan of the digital dark packets, which digitalized a deeply ingrained Chinese custom in the lead up to the new season. &nbsp,

According to industry experts, it also gave Tencent a leg up over Alibaba’s Alipay program in the online payment market. &nbsp,

In 2017 only, WeChat users exchanged around 46 billion online red packets over the new year span in January. &nbsp,

Just as Twitter changed the way individuals gave out classic red packets, does it do the same with its fresh “gift-giving” feature? &nbsp,

” Gifting is something deeply rooted in Chinese culture, just like red boxes are,” said Li Jianggan, CEO of Singapore-based walk strong Momentum Works. He added that younger Chinese had significantly different spending habits and donating behavior from mothers. &nbsp,

The new feature was described as” a strategic move” on Tencent’s part by analyst Dave Xie from the Oliver Wyman global management consulting firm. &nbsp,

According to Xie,” China’s e-commerce scenery has undergone major alterations in recent years, driven by emerging systems, changing consumer habits, and strategic adaptations by proven players.”

WeChat’s “extensive” customer base and established social contacts may provide a special benefit in driving e-commerce proposal, he added. &nbsp,

WeChat has “none of the Foreign e-commerce systems have,” Li said, a sizable customer community and a trustworthy cultural image, and it has more than 1.3 billion active monthly clients.
 
There is a good chance that the e-commerce competitive environment ( in China ) may be reshaped as WeChat gradually expands into social trading and life business.

However, it is still “hard to predict” whether the new gift-giving feature will be as well-liked and widely used as digital red packets, Li said, adding that it was” safe to assume” it would have a smaller use as compared to payment. &nbsp,

” That said, we think that donating is just one of the numerous attempts to successfully integrate social business into the Twitter ecosystem.”

Continue Reading

Guidelines on parental caregiving practices designed for child protection professionals: MSF

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s ( MSF ) guidelines on parental caregiving practices are intended for professionals in the child protection system. According to MSF, the professionals are those who work directly with at-risk families, which include children who have experienced or are putting themselves in dangerContinue Reading