Small businesses, big challenges: The reality of China’s post-US Fed cut economy

Additionally, analysts told CNA that the effect on small businesses would probably be generally direct and minimum. According to Mr. Bell,” I do n’t think Fed cuts will have much impact on Chinese consumers,” adding that” small businesses with a domestic focus are less impacted,” while citing low domestic confidence as a limiting factor. &nbsp,

” Frequently, small businesses and individuals are shielded from immediate effect by broader plan adjustments”, said American economic columnist Mr Daryl Guppy, even the CEO and founder of Guppytraders.com.

He noted that US economic policy may have a far greater impact on Chinese usage habits than US tariffs and punishment. &nbsp,

The main effect may be price changes for imported American items.

Next THE FED?

China’s central bank has implemented a number of smaller cuts, including a policy interest rate reduction of 0.2 % and a reduction of banks ‘ reserve requirements by half a percentage point, despite the Fed’s aggressive stance in cutting rates. &nbsp,

However, Mr. Guppy made it clear that the PBOC’s actions did not directly affect the US’s subsequent actions. &nbsp,

According to Mr. Guppy,” PBOC policy decisions are not made in a knee-jerk effect to US policy.” Lower rates often lead to a higher consumer and business confidence because they lower the cost of loans and paying off debt.

Experts believe Beijing’s factual response to the US Fed price cuts could also provide some much-needed information into its possible future actions.

According to Mr Bell, China generally “has had a very distinct economic policy platform than the Fed’s interest-rate focused strategy”.

” For much of the early 2000s, China pursued a dollar nail, and after that, a much more quantity-driven model focused on the quantity of credit rather than their cost”, Mr Bell told CNA. &nbsp,

He also explained that China was “more insulated”, because of its relatively” closed” investment account, at least until 2015, which helped it experience fewer spillovers from international financial situations. Companies and individuals are prohibited from moving money into and out of the country under strict regulations in a sealed capital account.

China focused on a lot of fiscal and credit stimulus when extreme crises struck and threatened to spread through the trade channel.

Some believe that Chinese politicians should concentrate on resolving these internal problems, such as revitalizing the faltering business, which may call for a more subtle approach this time around.

” China’s emotions are tempered by the demands of the local economy and policy information”, he said. ” US Fed rates movements are a factor that may make it easier, or more difficult, ( for China ) to continue with an appropriate domestic policy”, said Mr Guppy.

Although Mr. Bell believes that China” should not be in a location where Fed moves matter little,” he also acknowledges that “any global circumstances,” including Fed rate policy, had have” a more important impact on the Foreign economy.”

” But that is not a given, many more a representation of lacking plan activities in Beijing”, Mr Bell added. &nbsp,

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Competing in a global tournament from behind bars: How chess is changing mindsets in a Singapore prison

Eight representatives from Singapore receive instructions from grandmaster Kevin Goh minutes before their first international chess tournament on Tuesday ( October 8 ).

” Do n’t tense up”, he says, while walking them through the competition format.

One of the party leaves immediately to use the restroom, another does some stretching.

In front of the eight are their own devices, which they will use to compete against regional rivals from all over the place.

But this is no common games competition.

The devices have locked keys, the companies are supervised strongly by soldiers, and they are vying from Changi Prison.

The Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners ( IOCCP ) is about to break out.

AN” INSATIABLE HUNGER”

Last year, the Singapore Prison Service ( SPS), in collaboration with the Singapore Chess Federation, introduced a chess programme for inmates within Changi Prison’s B1 institution, as part of the Chess for Freedom ( CFF ) initiative.

The goal was to use games to promote inmate rehab and stop recidivism.

Integral to CFF’s commencement was Mr Goh, who’s one of just six games overpowers in Singapore. This headline is the highest one a game player you hold.

” Ever since I joined the Singapore Chess Federation, ( I had been thinking ) about how we can improve the awareness of the game and all its healthy benefits”, he told CNA.

We had a couple important ideas in mind, and one of the ideas that came up was this specific program.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim praised the initiative, saying,” It’s fine to give our residents other hobbies or even interests so they can get up and then concentrate on something they eventually grow to including.”

The program was run by 34 prisoners in August of last year. To date, a total of 58 have participated in CFF.

” When people heard that the chess ( grand ) master was coming to teach them how to play chess, they got very interested”, recalled&nbsp, Rehabilitation Officer ( RO ) Lim Wee Siong, who heads the CFF.

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CNA Explains: How Singapore deals with online harms like image-based sexual abuse

How worrying is the circumstance?

An average of 340 cases were reported to the officers each year between 2021 and 2023, according to Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in a composed political comment in August. These included the ownership or distribution of sensual, close, or harsh images.

He continued,” The police do n’t use generative artificial intelligence tools to track the number of cases involving deepfakes or manipulated images or videos.”

However, pornography circumstances in Singapore increased by about 12 % in the first quarter of 2024. Typically, these offenses involve recording or observing people without their consent in a private action.

When it comes to IBSA, it’s not just about numbers, according to Dr. Chew, who conducts cultural research with an emphasis on tech implementation.

“Cybercrimes quite as frauds are more numerous and it affects more Singaporeans”, he said. ” But that does n’t mean that we should not be concerned about ( IBSA ), because when we look at the victims, when we look at the experiences of the survivors, it is definitely more intense than losing S$ 1, 000 to a scammer” .&nbsp,

They “have suicidal thoughts or self-harm,” according to Dr. Chew, “because they worry about their own health when they must connect online or transact.”

Michelle, now 21, said that while she knew she was not at fault for a photo that was n’t even real to begin with, she also felt like she was guilty for” not dressing modestly” or even wearing a tank top. &nbsp,

She had to convince herself that the person who edited the pictures or photographs is ultimately to blame. ” I’m not confident… were there any other copies of it?” Maybe there’s a copy of me being entirely dressed, who knows”?

Post-traumatic stress disorder patient sought medical care, and it took about two times before she made an announcement about the incident.

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No more ‘wasted’ Fridays and Sundays: Johoreans hail new weekend schedule as win-win for families and businesses

Problems OVER FACILITATING FRIDAY PRAYERS&nbsp,

Some parts of Johor nation, however, have urged the government to retain the existing plan. &nbsp,

In a Facebook post, Pasir Gudang Hassan Abdul Karim, a part of the Parliament, claimed that Friday is a “holy time” in Islam that the Arab community is very fond of. In the southern Johor area is Pasir Gudang.

The recent Friday-Saturday weekends, he said, has cultural and historical significance and the looming change” seems to reject Johor’s understanding of its own culture and political background”. &nbsp,

” Johor was part of the Unfederated Malay States … and in these states, the weekend rest days are on Fridays and Saturdays”, said the politician, who is part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s party, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR ). &nbsp,

The five unfederated Asian state were Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis and Terengganu. These states were granted this status before independence because they were independent, American guarded states with distinct organizations from the rest of the nation. &nbsp,

Now, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu observe Friday and Saturday as standard trip relaxation time.

Mr Hassan said that for most of Johor’s past, weekends have been observed on Friday-Saturday. When former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin became the state’s main minister in 1994, the state just switched its vacation to Saturday and Sunday. &nbsp,

Then in 2014, the express shifted to a Friday-Saturday weekends to help Muslims to accomplish their prayer, as decreed by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. In Islam, Friday prayers are required for Muslim people. &nbsp,

In his Oct. 7 announcement, Johor regent Tunku Ismail stated that he has assigned Johor’s emir Yahya Ahmad and deputy secretary Onn Hafiz Ghazi to “discuss and examine every angle and aspect of this matter.”

He continued,” I hope that the government, the private sector, and related parties give Muslim workers enough time and space to practice their Friday prayers accordingly.”

The governor said in a new statement on Thursday night ( October 10 ), that the decision to move the weekend was taken into account by Johoreans ‘ desire to spend more time with their families as well as the state’s economy.

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Inside Felicia Chin and Jeffrey Xu’s 4-room HDB flat, a cosy home for a celebrity couple

A funny popup poster frame, similar to those in movie theaters, gives the space a playful feel. Now featuring Up, one of Felicia’s favourite movies, Jeffrey said it will immediately be swapped for Inside Out, her latest addiction.

Storage in the living space is another useful work. Built-in, floor-to-ceiling cabinets, which came with the house, houses Jeffrey’s set of clothing. He sneeringly admitted that his set has fallen to 100 because he now shares cabinet space with Felicia and was once known to have over 300 sets.

To personalise the room more, they swapped out one of the cabinet windows for a bamboo board, adding a subtle Japanese style. ” The bamboo helps with air for the boots”, Jeffrey explained.

A CREATIVITY ROOM FOR Ideas

The” creativity area” is one of the most unique places in the residence, and the living room connects to it. The couple uses this tranquil setting, which was created with a movable coffee table and a raised tatami mat floor, to recharge and build. ” This is where we do artistic and inspiring points– listening to music, reading, or perhaps colouring”, Felicia shared.

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CNA Explains: Are landlines still relevant?

Mr. Oo cited a situation in 2013 where a fire at a SingTel facility caused essential services to be lost, including for clients of various telcos. &nbsp,

There seemed to be a lack of circumstances in that case, he said, and also so in this year’s disturbance.

For essential services and facilities, there should be reliability, he said, referring to the process of intentionally having copies so a program is more dependable.

” If you have duplication, you should not come down for three days, right? You should be able to quickly move over”, he said. ” Reliability means that you’re constantly on”.

The&nbsp, Infocomm Media Development Authority ( IMDA ) has started investigations into the disruption. It can impose a financial penalty of up to S$ 1 million ( US$ 766, 000 ) or 10 per cent of the annual turnover of Singtel, whichever is higher.

What’s the potential for handsets?

Additionally, Asst. Prof. Purnima cited an IMDA report from June that recommended connections between ISDN facilities and “next generation systems”.

In the event of ISDN disruptions, Internet equipment may act as an automatic backup once it is in place.

CNA has inquired with IMDA when this will start.

On circumstances, the expert said in a statement even sent to other advertising that Singapore’s sites provide communication across words, mobile, broadband, Wi-Fi and messaging through various service companies. ” This variety is a vital part of our system resilience”, a spokeswoman said. &nbsp,

In contrast, StarHub has stated in a part of its site that ISDN and Public Switched Telephone Network services will become disabled in 2025.

CNA has contacted IMDA to get this assurance.

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Lee Hsien Yang and wife have ‘always been free to return to Singapore’: SPF

SINGAPORE: Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Mrs Lee Suet Fern are free to return to Singapore, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) said on Friday ( Oct 11 ).

There is nothing stopping Mr. and Mrs. Lee from returning after they made the decision to abstain from a scheduled officers meeting in 2022.

The authorities confirm that there are no legal constraints on Mr. Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs. Lee Suet Fern’s return to Singapore in response to media inquiries. They are and have always been free to return to Singapore”, SPF said in a speech.

In June 2022, the authorities asked both Mr. and Mrs. Lee to help with investigations by holding interviews. They had first agreed, but ultimately failed to appear for the exam, and they later left Singapore on June 15, 2022, and have not yet returned.

The police said in a clarity statement released in March 2023 that they had requested that Mr. and Mrs. Lee appear at the interview because there might be a charge of fabricating evidence in a criminal proceeding involving Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s will.

As the couple were” cooperative” and agreed to be interviewed, an order requesting their attendance before the police under Section 21 ( 1 ) of the Criminal Procedure Code was not issued, SPF said at the time.

In response to questions from CNA on Wednesday, Mr. Lee had stated that he would not be traveling back to Singapore to enter her death and awake following the passing of his sister, Dr. Lee Wei Ling.

According to Ling,” I am arranging the funeral electronically with the assistance of my brother Huanwu” with his help.

” I will not be returning to Singapore for both”, he added.

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4 people arrested; 257 bottles of contraband liquor, 2 distillery machines seized in Singapore Customs raids

A group of 12 members of the media gathered in two vans with staff from the Singapore Customs at around 9pm on Tuesday ( October 8 ). &nbsp,

We just knew that there had been an police operation on duty-unpaid alcohol and that we had no idea where we were going. &nbsp,

Although these things happen frequently, this was the first moment the internet had been invited to watch one. &nbsp,

CNA noticed a truck had been cordoned off at the loading/unloading bay when it came up under a Housing Board ( HDB) block in the Jurong West neighborhood. &nbsp,

Customs officials flanked the car, inspecting boxes of illicit liquor.

A total of 129 bottles, each containing two gallons of variety, a clear Chinese spirit with a 56 % alcohol content, were discovered in the rear as well as under the front passenger seats of a vehicle used to deliver the contraband goods.

These were one of the 257 containers that Singapore Customs said in a press release on Friday that were seized during police operations at various locations against purveyors and buyers earlier this year. Around 668.5 L of unpaid duty-free alcohol was seized overall.

During the course of the operation, the vehicle and two distillery equipment were likewise seized. &nbsp,

The total estimated duty and GST evaded amounted to about$ 35, 932 ( US$ 27, 521 ), Singapore Customs said.

A 42-year-old Malaysian woman and two adult Chinese nationals were detained for delivering illegal alcohol.

A 45-year-old Taiwanese person was also arrested for collecting duty-unpaid wine in his house, said Singapore Customs, adding that investigations are ongoing.

From January to June this time, there have been 869 duty-unpaid wine criminals, according to statistics provided by the conventions. &nbsp,

During this period, a overall level of 10, 020L of illegal wine were seized. &nbsp,

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New approved designs for electric harbour craft to be released by the end of 2024

TAILOR-MADE FOR SHALLOW WATERS, NAVIGATION NEEDS

There are currently just six electronic warships in Singapore that are operating in spite of these new rules.

To place more weather in these sails, the government’s sea authorities are working with universities, as well as selected local and multinational firms, to come up with a typical set of electronic vehicle designs that meet Singapore’s standards.

It will also produce large manufacturing easier and, in turn, bring down costs.

Harbourcraft include vessels that do n’t cross into Singapore’s waters, such as those that transport people to nearby islands like Pulau Ubin.

These light-weight customer craft are made for short, frequent visits.

Another design factors include bottom conditions, weighty sea traffic, and humid weather that could immediately degrade the hulls of vessels.

Dr Narasimalu Srikanth, who is leading the design initiative, told CNA that harbour create– especially smaller ones – have to be tailor-made to accommodate Singapore’s navigation requirements and deep waters at its ports.

” Secondly, to achieve faster speed and low energy footprint- in order to do that, you have to go for lighter vessels”, said the programme director of renewables and low-carbon generation ( wind and marine ) at Nanyang Technological University’s Energy Research Institute.

” For example, you can see MPA looks at lightweight aluminium bodies or composite bodies”, he added.

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More GPs, polyclinics trained to provide mental health services in national well-being push

EASIER ACCESS TO MENTAL Care

Family doctors Mark Yap claimed that those with mental health issues may feel more motivated to request help by bringing these services close to people’s homes.

Patients may feel more at ease at a clinic, rather than going to the Institute of Mental Health ( IMH), which could prompt fears of being stigmatised, Dr Yap added.

The GP, who works at Cashew Medical and Surgery in Bukit Panjang, said:” By decentralizing it, by getting Satellite as lovers, it may go a long way to support destigmatise emotional health and help more people to get help in a timely manner.”

As early detection and treatment can lead to protection, according to Associate Professor Swapna Verma, it is crucial to establish mental health services in the community.

” Early treatment makes a big difference to recovery”, the president of IMH’s health board told CNA’s Singapore Tonight program.

People may get help first, and that would stop their condition from getting worse, and from requiring hospitalization or specialist care, according to the statement.

Group SUPPORT

Also, individuals who are at risk of developing mental health conditions can seek out support from community outreach teams. &nbsp,

For those presenting mild symptoms, GPs may work with community action teams to supply assessment, mental medical intervention, counselling and medical treatment.

By 2030, the Ministry of Health ( MOH) aims to expand the number of outreach teams and intervention teams to 90 and 50 respectively, including 15 teams each for students.

The Singapore Association for Mental Health ( SAMH) is one of the many social service organizations that are involved in these community initiatives. &nbsp,

The non-profit offers counseling both online and on-site at nine places in Singapore and conducts group education and outreach activities on mental wellbeing.

Art treatment, in which participants express and process their thoughts and emotions through artwork, is one of its innovative medical intervention programs.

A unique piece of artwork from 12 boys about how social and early experiences have shaped their mental well-being is now being displayed at the SAMH Space2Connect center along Maude Road.

The students were given a three-month process of creating art, led by the agency’s senior director Ngo Lee Yian, who was trained in art therapy.

” They try to access their thoughts, how they have gone through their childhood, and they came up with the different art approaches to show themselves”, she said.

Protective MENTAL HEALTH

According to MOH’s most recent mental health review in 2016, at least one in seven people in Singapore has a psychological problem.

The best common mental health issues Singaporeans experience include major depressive disorder, depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and alcohol use disorder.

Assoc Prof Verma said problems have arisen over the rising prevalence of mental disease, particularly following the COVID-19 crisis, and especially among students.

” Maybe, people still view it as a specific weakness, or they believe that people with mental illnesses are dangerous,” they said. That creates a lot of discrimination. She said that the person who has a mental condition waits to seek help because of how society views him or her.

She continued, stating that knowledge is essential to earlier detection.

She added that by promoting mental health education in students and families, they will be more likely to recognize symptoms in their peers or family members and encourage them to get help.

” With understanding comes understanding and usability. We need a society with more mental health literacy, ( which ) then becomes more understanding and inclusive”, said Assoc Prof Verma.

MOH stated that it will continue to work on emotional health initiatives to improve youth resilience, create visible first-stop contact points, and address workplace mental health issues.

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