‘I feel very safe here’: Chinese nationals in Thailand debunk online claims fanning scam trafficking fears

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According to Thai vacation officials and authorities, thousands of planes and hotel reservations were canceled as a result of Wang’s struggle. &nbsp,

Atsawin Yangkiratiwon, chief executive of low-cost carrier Thai Lion Air, revealed that 40 certified flights, from numerous Chinese cities like Ningbo, Hefei and Jinan, had been cancelled back of Chinese New Year- one of the most profitable travel periods- resulting in a 20 per cent drop. &nbsp,

Eason Chan, a singer from Hong Kong, also canceled a one-night even music that had been scheduled for February 22 in Bangkok. ” The protection of audience members is of greatest importance”, music organisers said, citing safety issues among Chinese tourists.

Online and on social media, consumers posted accounts and warnings about the state of the situation in Thailand, urging people to remain vigilant at all times. &nbsp,

” I ( don’t ) recommend going there right now because the abduction rate has increased”, said a user on Xiaohongshu in a comment which garnered over 4, 600 likes and 2, 000 comments.

A person of the video-sharing game Douyin shared a video with the title” Guidelines to staying alive in 2025.”

The movie cautioned possible tourists against visiting many Southeast Asian nations, including Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, accompanied by ominous-sounding music. ” Choose don’t go, whether for business retreats, group outings or private travel. Consider that”, the Douyin customer said. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Chu Cancan, also known as Professor You Can, urged Chinese immigrants living and working in Thailand to” talk out” in a film that was widely shared on Xiaohongshu and Twitter. &nbsp,

Chu, 47, who runs an event scanning and public relations firm in Beijing, has resided in Phuket with his home for about a year. &nbsp,

” A group of ill-intentioned Chinese abducted a stupid people and took him to a scam center in Myanmar, built by Chinese themselves”, he said in the three-and-a-half-minute popular movie, which has been shared over 3, 700 times on Snapchat.

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‘Very labour intensive process’: Hoarding cases can be challenging for social service agencies, say observers

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A ROBUST SUPPORT SYSTEM IS CREATED.

The Ministry of National Development and the Ministry of Social and Family Development both reported on Wednesday ( Jan 22 ) that the initiative combines the public, private, and people sectors to address hoarding issues “in a more holistic and sustainable way.” &nbsp,

Beautiful comprises 28 users from government agencies, social service agencies, society groups and private companies.

The people include businesses with extensive expertise assisting gluttons and identifying at-risk individuals. Trade and industry associations, including the Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL ) and the Waste Management &amp, Recycling Association of Singapore, are also active. &nbsp,

SCAL can use its more than 3, 000 construction companies and allied firms to support upkeep projects at damaged homes, according to Mr. Roy Khoo, manager and co-chair of corporate social responsibility, according to CNA’s Singapore Tonight. &nbsp,

” Most of these cottages are very ill maintained”, he added. They “probably will have new paint, upgrades to surgical wares or leaky pipes, and, in some cases, electronic wiring,” he said.

” Often, more extensive work is required including the successor of doors and windows, and even floor.”

Top Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua co-chair the party. &nbsp,

Desmond Lee, the group’s assistant, is the minister for national development and the minister in charge of social services connectivity.

According to Mr. Lee, NEAT will use its members ‘ collective expertise to join people who have been affected by hoarding. &nbsp,

The action comes as a result of an increase in lively accumulating situations, which organizations worry will result in consequences if not handled.

In extreme cases of hoarding, products can seep into the corridors, posing substantial health and flames risks and also obstructing rescue efforts.

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Living with your ex-husband after divorce: Why some couples choose this unconventional arrangement

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Cheers to her successful enterprise, she managed to buy a house big enough for them all – her father lived in one area of the house. This meant her kids saw their parents constantly and their lifestyles were not upended.

The family ’s living arrangement continued throughout the kids ’ primary school years. When they were in secondary class, Carolyn helped her father set up his own organization and ultimately, he moved out.

“I’m blessed that my company provided me the methods to have this life arrangement. I wanted my kids to have access to their parents.

“We are better off as companions, but not as husband and wife. Whatever problems we had, were adults ’ problem and not the kids’. Their marriage with him should never change because of our marriage. ”

SHARING ROOMS WITH THE EX And ON Christmas

Priscilla ( not her real name ), who is in her late sixties, divorced her husband in 2012, when their child was three.

“Looking back, I was focused on our newborn and did n’t give him the attention he needed as his partner, ” the general manager said.

Her father moved out when their child was a few months old therefore returned a few months afterward to try and make things work. But issues fell off in a year.

She continued to live with him in the same home although they had individual rooms. By next, she was a single family to their one-year-old boy.  

“ He was not around when it mattered. When our son was tired with a high temperature, instead of staying around to support, he bailed to go on a date, ” she said.

When a big fight turned real and she injured her hands, they realised that battle was futile – and he moved out completely. “We saw it was essential for us both to recognize that our marriage was over. That everything we were doing if benefit our brother, ” she said.

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Screen use guidelines in schools are a start, but parents play a crucial role: Experts

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Kids MUST LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Professionals also stressed that parents may reduce their own display time to set a good example.

Adj Assoc Prof Chong said studies have shown that excessive display usage by parents usually leads to similar habits in children.  

“Parents if type fine screen behavior themselves, and reflect on whether they have tried to spend time with children without letting windows replace other actions, ” she said.

She acknowledged the problems of balancing panel apply for work and leisure in today’s digital age but emphasised the importance of physical exercise.

“We can explain to children that the online use is for work (or ) for example, schoolwork, and the guidelines are trying to separate the use of windows for work versus leisure. However, all monitor time is inactive time, ” she said.

“There is no easy solution because we are a modern society. Maybe this framework allows all of us, as parents, to even reveal on whether our dependence and power of screens are overwhelming. ” 

IMH’s Dr Ong suggested that families plan structured home actions, such as reading, exercising, table games and family vacations, to prevent children from relying on electronic devices to pass the time.  

“Even little changes, such as reducing time spent scrolling on telephones or prioritising face-to-face contact, can significantly impact children’s behaviour towards camera usage, ” he said.  

Kids REACT TO GUIDELINES

Under the new rules, institutions are prohibited from exposing kids up to 18 weeks to windows.   For toddlers aged 18 weeks to six years, monitors can only be used for teaching and learning objectives, with use outside of class limited to an hours a day.

Parents of young children who CNA spoke to had mingled actions.

Mr Muhammad Noor Danial, who has a two-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, called the rules a “good goal”, but said more help is needed for people.  

He pointed out that reducing screen time often requires activities outside the home, which can be costly. Family-friendly places in Singapore are also often crowded, he said.

“Sometimes, the traffic just to get there and the experience for a parent can be quite tiresome. As parents of young kids, there will be strollers involved, logistics to prepare, such as the milk and all that,” he added.

“So ( to limit screen time ) to one hour a day, I see it as a good reference point for parents, but it’s also subjected to the parents ’ own capacity and access to support systems outside of their own home. ”

Ms Lydia Yong said she and her husband do not turn the TV on when their 10-month-old daughter is with them. She plans to allow limited screen time after her daughter turns 18 months old, but limit this to 30 minutes a day.

“After 18 months, it ’s probably necessary because there are educational videos that are interactive and that ’s also the age when they start to learn things, ” said the 31-year-old.

“Some parents might also not be able to teach pronunciation too, so I think it ’s okay to watch videos for this. ”

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Malaysia’s bid to rally ASEAN in taking on Big Tech – good shot or ‘insurmountable challenge’?

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Big Tech is also likely to avoid negotiating for regulations with ASEAN as a union, given their “divide and conquer” process to preserving income and the income they have put into complying with rules in specific jurisdictions, the analysts said.

At a seminar on Malaysia’s efforts to make the internet safer last Friday ( Jan 17 ), Malaysia’s Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said a “key agenda ” for her country ’s ASEAN chairmanship is to engage the bloc and “unify ” member states ’ legal frameworks on internet regulation.

“And of training, we use it to really deal with the software provider. We believe that that can be more powerful, ” she said at the seminar held at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies ( RSIS ) in Singapore.  

While Teo noted Malaysia’s efforts to make systems more responsible for on-line safety through its licensing requirement for all social media and internet communication websites with at least eight million registered users in the country, she believes “many more difficulties ” lie ahead.

“We are just a 34 million people, and it will be difficult for smaller countries to really engage with the software giant, ” she added.

“ But if ASEAN is able to work as a alliance, then we believe that our bargaining power will be much, much larger. ”

Her remarks came just a few days after Malaysia actually assumed the ASEAN chair on Jan 1.  

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.  

Last August, in an appointment with Malay news agency Bernama, Teo had urged ASEAN countries to join in an effort to improve their negotiating power with social media giants and effectively combat the growing issue of online crime in the region.

While Teo had then hoped this issue would be on the “main agenda ” at last year’s ASEAN Summit under the chairmanship of Laos, the chairman ’s statement released on Oct 9 touched on online job scams and cybercrime but made no mention of social media platforms.

In recent months, Malaysia has embarked on a growing push to regulate Big Tech, starting with its class licensing requirement that kicked in on Jan 1.

It has also passed harsher penalties and wider powers in amending its Communications and Multimedia Act, attracting backlash from civil society groups, and is mulling the introduction of an Online Safety Act that critics fear could further empower the suppression of online content.

HOW MIGHT MALAYSIA GO ABOUT DOING IT?

Malaysia’s renewed effort to unite ASEAN members ’ legal frameworks against Big Tech is “very ambitious, although not impossible”, said Shafizan Mohamed, an associate professor of communications at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

“ I think as the ASEAN chair, it’s a good opportunity for Malaysia to take this lead, to create a momentum for a regional approach against Big Tech, ” she told CNA.

Benjamin Loh, a senior lecturer in media and communication at Taylor’s University, said Malaysia has a “good shot ” at succeeding in its efforts.

“ While ASEAN often struggles to find common ground due to differences in governing styles and ideologies, there appears to be growing authoritarianism across the region which sees social media as a common threat, ” he told CNA.

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Police investigating Singapore relocation firm Moovaz after it fails to deliver customers’ belongings

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According to business release Tech in Asia, Moovaz has raised US$ 8 million in funding from investors including Quest Ventures, SG Innovate and Hustle Fund – its most recent money square was in 2021.

The report also said Moovaz has faced legal challenges, including a petition from its largest seller over paid service exceeding S$ 50,000. By August 2023, the judge ordered Moovaz to spend more than S$ 73,000, covering the company’s state and a wrongful termination event brought by a former staff, Tech in Asia said.

COMPANY STILL OPERATIONAL, CEO SAYS

When contacted, Moovaz CEO  Vishnu Vasudeven said the business remains administrative but was” greatly hit” by escalating Red Sea conflicts and rising transport costs.

” We are in the midst of arranging funds to pay the sellers… I believe everything will be sorted by mid-next fortnight,” he said.  

” I know what’s happening because every day I get a lot of threats ( from the ) police, debt collectors and news or social media. ”  

He told CNA that consumers whose things had already been shipped would get their possessions within the next two days. For those whose products are still in Singapore, Moovaz is arranging for them to pull up their goods next year, he added.  

But buyers say they still have not heard from the business.

Mr Noreen Caringal, who engaged Moovaz to travel her mother’s belongings to New Zealand, said the first phase of her shift in 2023 went easily.

With her subsequent delivery in September 2024, the  Moovaz employees who packed her issues told her she would get her things in eight to 12 days. But communication from the business ceased wholly by mid-December.

“ I was actually devastated because those are our family ’s things. Some of my kids ’ things, my wedding album is there, ” the 50-year-old said.  

“ I was so stressed about it, because ( it was ) a company that I trusted. Then abruptly they’re no longer replying or communicating about where my points are. ”

Ms Caringal received a visit from a Moovaz team member on Monday, who told her that the business was closing its inventory and she could arrange to gather her things.

He was never sure if she would find a compensation, but said she might have to make an additional payment to send her goods, she told CNA.  

Ms Chen, who moved to Hong Kong with her father in July, waited for weeks for their delivery to reach. Since they did n’t include many things, they were told their possessions would have to be consolidated with different supplies.  

The deal stated an eight to 12-week timeframe, meaning their goods, packed in end-June, may have shipped by October.

By the end of October, Ms Chen requested a full payment from Moovaz but did not find a reply. To check if the business was still operating, her father posed as a consumer and received a rapid response from the sales staff, Ms Chen said.    

In December, they received an email from  a transfer company based in Hong Kong. Despite the couple having paid S$ 2,500 to Moovaz  as full payment, the Hong Kong company said it has not been paid and wants US$ 1,160 to release their sale.  

” 20 YEARS OF MY LIFE IN THAT CONTAINER”

Another customer, Ms Hong, who paid Moovaz S$ 9,400 to transport her belongings to Seattle, said another relocation firm  contacted her immediately about unpaid receipts from Moovaz.

To find her things, she would have to spend Family Relocation over S$ 15,000 – the sum Moovaz owes them for handling her package.  

“So Moovaz has been doing something crazy, right? They were setting significantly lower rates to their clients, and then probably because of that, a lot of people will join them for their supplies, but their actual expense was much higher, ” she said, adding that she has also filed a police statement.  

CNA spoke to Family Relocation, who said it is owed about S$ 70,000 for eight affected customers. The company ’s business operations manager, Ronnie Heng, said they have since escalated the matter to the courts.

Moovaz has been ordered to pay them the amount owed, according to court documents from Jan 10, seen by CNA.  

“Financially, you can imagine the kind of stress we’re under. Our agents, our partners are coming to us for payment … and I have to explain to them what’s happening, ” he said.  

If Moovaz pays them what they’re owed, Family Relocation will reimburse customers who made additional payments, he added.  

Adrian, who moved to England, was similarly contacted by a freight forwarding company demanding US$ 13,750 – the amount owed by Moovaz – as well as daily storage fees of £70 to  £150 ( US$ 86 to US$ 185 ).  

He and his wife had already paid S$ 23,000 to Moovaz, but the company has not responded to their emails since December.   The family has made a police report.  

“If I did take them to court, I’d have to be in Singapore in person. They probably know that people who are moving internationally, they’re not going to come back to Singapore to do this, and they’ll just end up paying, ” he said.  

“This is 20 years of my life in that container, with my wife’s and my four kids ’ belongings and furniture. In our house in the UK, we’re just living out of a suitcase right now. ” 

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West of Singapore expected to see electoral boundary changes due to rise in voters from housing developments: Analysts

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3. Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and Punggol West SMC

Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC is nearing the upper control for five-MP units – 190,000 voters  –  with 180,319 votes now.

“This location is likely to see some rewriting of restrictions given the demographic shifts, ” said Dr Teo.

There is a chance of one or two SMCs being created in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, but the district will remain mostly unchanged nevertheless, said political spectator and former PAP MP Inderjit Singh.

The district was redrawn in the last vote, when the novel Punggol West SMC and part of the new four-member Sengkang GRC were carved out from it.

Punggol West SMC now has 26,769 citizens, which Dr Teo noted “is well within the vote amount limit”.

“So one chance would be to see some rewriting of edges here for the SMC to be expanded, ” she said of the clinic, which is currently represented by Minister of State for Home Affairs and for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling.

Another would be the development of a distinct GRC in that area immediately, spectators said.

One problem whenever fresh GRCs are created, is the need for events to find appropriate group leaders, or outlet officials in the case of the ruling party, said Dr Tan.

4. Yuhua SMC and Jurong GRC

Among the individual votes, Yuhua SMC is the smallest with 20,362 citizens, just above the lower restriction of 20,000.

“With regards to Yuhua SMC, it might be absorbed into the Jurong GRC, ” said Dr Tan.

The clinic, which has been held by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu since 2011, is generally bounded by Jurong GRC.

Now, Yuhua SMC, Bukit Batok SMC and Jurong GRC are all managed under the Jurong-Clementi Town Council.

Dr Tan added that there might even be some alterations seen in the district lines for Bukit Batok SMC.

“However, I don’t believe that the EBRC might want to create great and big modifications when deliberating on redrawing the political lines, unless there is a genuine need to do so, ” he said.

“The EBRC may even not want their selections to end up affecting eligible citizens across Singapore. ”

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Grab users report issues with app

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SINGAPORE: Grab users were reportedly facing issues with the app on Thursday ( Jan 23 ) evening, with many saying that they had been logged out of their accounts and were unable to log back into them. Outage tracking page Downdetector. web received close to 1,400 failure information regarding GrabContinue Reading

Sarah Brightman on her musical theatre comeback with Sunset Boulevard and her iconic duet with Andrea Bocelli

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Fans of acclaimed singer-actress Sarah Brightman will soon get to hear her iconic voice live this February as she steps into the role of Norma Desmond in a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.

Based on the classic Paramount film about the relationship between a screenwriter and a former silent film star, this adaptation of Sunset Boulevard will have its Asia premiere at Singapore’s Sands Theatre.

CNA Lifestyle recently spoke to Brightman about her preparation for the role as well as her illustrious career.

YOU’RE ONE OF THE BIGGEST STARS IN OPERA AND OPERATIC POP. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE FUSION?

I am actually not a star in opera or operatic pop. I decided when I was young that, although I had been training as a classical singer, I didn’t want to go into the opera field directly.

I felt I was too eclectic in my taste in music and wanted more freedom. In what you call operatic pop, it’s really just a fusion of all the things I was doing and training with my voice classically.

So it was very natural – there was nothing very calculated about it. 

OVER THE YEARS, HOW HAS YOUR APPROACH TO MUSIC AND PERFORMING CHANGED?

I have always taken it all very seriously. I think as I got older, it became more serious and deeper. With experience, you actually understand what you don’t know – so it’s a tougher route as you get older.

YOU’VE PERFORMED MANY MASTERPIECES AT MULTIPLE ICONIC VENUES WORLDWIDE. WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE OR LOCATION?

I have been very privileged and lucky to have performed in really beautiful places but the one that jumped out a lot to me – because it was so different – was performing at the Chinese Olympic Games in 2008.

We were performing outside, and we were standing on top of this huge globe which was hovering in the sky. I have not had an experience like that, and I don’t think I will ever have an experience like that again. It was truly magnificent. 

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Retailer to be charged in a first after e-bikes fitted with incompatible batteries catch fire

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SINGAPORE: A retailer will be charged in court on Thursday ( Jan 23 ) over two incidents involving non-compatible e-bike batteries.  

Prince Bryan Tan, the sales and marketing manager of Drive Bikes Singapore, allegedly sold an incompatible power-assisted bicycle ( PAB) battery on Jan 27, 2024, said the Land Transport Authority ( LTA ) on Wednesday.

This caused the e-bike to become improperly modified, rendering it non-compliant, LTA added.

Tan is also accused of selling a non-compliant e-bike on Feb 21, 2024, as it was fitted with an  irreconcilable power.

This is the first time a dealer will be charged in relation to the instances, LTA told CNA.

The e-bike power linked to the initial incident caught blaze on Apr 27, 2024, while the client was riding along Hougang Avenue 5.

In the next event, LTA said the device that came with the PAB had voided its EN15194 documentation.  

The EN15194 qualification is a German safety standard for electronic PABs, according to OneMotoring’s site.

That e-bike eventually caught flames at the company’s home along Bukit Batok Street 32 on Apr 25, 2024, LTA added.

Drive  Bicycle Singapore has a store outlet in Aljunied, while its support and warranty center is located at Syed Alwi Road.

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