Man charged with creating shell companies, applying for work passes in exchange for money

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A 30-year-old man was charged on Thursday ( Jan 9 ) with violating the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act’s ( EFMA ) by bringing charges against him for illegally importing labor, making false employment declarations, and other illegal employment.

According to the Ministry of Manpower ( MOM), Singaporean Qin Xiaoxi is facing 23 charges overall. &nbsp,

In exchange for money, Qin reportedly obtained work permits for 20 immigrants from Xpress Manufacture and Express Manufacture from both firms from May 2022 to September 2022. &nbsp,

” The two organizations were, in truth, non-operational, did not require the work of foreigners and failed to use them after their appearance in Singapore”, said MOM.

Qin supposedly worked for Xpress Cleaning &amp, Service, of which he was the only user, for two foreigners without appropriate work permits between June 2022 and December 2022.

Both foreigners had obtained the labor permits from Xpress Cleaning & Service because Xpress Cleaning &amp, Service lacked the necessary limit to get more foreigners, according to MOM.

Qin reportedly stated that another foreigner may work for Xpress Manufacture despite the fact that she had no intention of doing so,” the ministry continued.

The immigrants involved in the feared crimes are still being investigated.

Under the EFMA, those found guilty of obtaining work permits for foreign employees for a business that does not exist, that is not in operation, or that does not require the employment of such a foreign employee, can be imprisoned for up to two years and fined up to S$ 6, 000 ( US$ 4, 400 ) per charge.

If convicted of six or more costs, they may also be liable for punishment.

Companies who are convicted of employing foreigners without a valid work pass face a fine of between S$ 5, 000 and S$ 30, 000, imprisonment for up to 12 months, or both. &nbsp,

Upon faith, MOM will likewise bar them from employing foreign employees.

Europeans convicted of working in Singapore without a true work go can be fined up to$ 20, 000, jailed for up to two years, or both, and if found guilty, the Manpower Ministry&nbsp, did bar them from working in Singapore.

Report the situation to this address for those who are aware of such shady work practices. All information provided may be kept strictly private. &nbsp,

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H-1B: Visa row fuels anxiety for Indians eyeing American dream

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AFP President-elect Donald Trump (L) and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk watch a fight during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 16, 2024.AFP

Ashish Chauhan describes his purpose as being” stamped in his mind” as wanting to study for an MBA at an American universities next time.

The 29-year-old finance professional from India (whose name has been changed on request) hopes to eventually work in the US, but says he now feels conflicted amid an immigration row sparked by President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters over a long-standing US visa programme.

H-1B card, which brings highly qualified foreign employees to the US, is criticized for undermining American workers but is praised for attracting international ability. The president-elect, after a writer, now supports the 34-year-old project, while it tycoon Elon Musk defends it as vital to securing best engineering talent.

Indian nationals like Mr Chauhan dominate the programme, receiving 72 % of H-1B visas, followed by 12 % for Chinese citizens. The majority of H-1B visa holders worked in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with 65 % in computer-related jobs, in 2023. Their median annual salary was$ 118, 000 ( £94, 000 ).

H-1B permits are incontrovertible in terms of broader immigration conversations.

A Pew Research report shows that US immigration rose by 1.6 million in 2023, the largest increase in more than 20 years. Immigrants now comprise over 14% of the population – the highest since 1910. Indians are the second-largest immigrant group – after Mexicans – in the US. Many Americans fear this surge in immigration could harm job prospects or hinder assimilation.

India has also surpassed China as the leading source of international students, with a record 331,602 Indian students in the US in 2023-2024, according to the latest Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Most rely on loans, and any visa freeze could potentially devastate family finances.

” My worry is that this]resistance to H-1B visas ] could also spark animosity towards the Indians living there. However, because it’s been this for years, I didn’t garden my passions, put my life on keep, and wait for the volatility to subside,” says Mr. Chauhan.

Efforts to restrict the H-1B program peaked under Trump’s first word, when he signed a 2017 get increasing program attention and fraud monitoring. Rejection rates soared to 24 % in 2018, compared to 5-8 % under President Barack Obama and 2-4 % under President Joe Biden. Under Biden, there were still about half as many H-1B candidates as there were during Trump’s first word.

” The first Trump administration made H-1B visas more difficult for people to obtain in time by lowering rejection rates and stifling processing times. It is questionable whether that may happen again in the following Trump supervision”, Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration professor at Cornell Law School, told the BBC.

Elon Musk and other figures in the new leadership want to halt all immigration, including H-1Bs, while others want to keep the H-1B visa. It is too early to predict which side did win.

Indians and the H-1B card have a long marriage. According to the authors of The Other One Percent, a research on Indians in America, the program is also the cause of the “rise of Indian-Americans into the highest educated and highest earning party, expat or indigenous in the US.”

Sanjoy Chakravorty, Devesh Kapur, and Nirvikar Singh, experts from the US, noted that fresh Indian immigrants had different cultures and lived in different locations than previous immigrants. Indian-American areas shifted from New York and Michigan to larger regions in California and New Jersey as the number of Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu speakers increased. The experienced visa programme helped make a “new image of Indian-Americans”.

Atal Agarwal

According to Mr. Chauhan, the biggest benefit of H-1B visas is the ability to earn substantially higher salaries. The US offers higher pay, and for someone who is the first in their home to obtain professional credentials, earning that little can be life-changing. He claims that the interest in H-1Bs is immediately related to the salary difference between India and the US for the same executive positions.

But not everybody is delighted with the project. Some people look to the H-1B program for a path toward becoming permanent residents or earning a US green card. H-1B is a temporary work visa, but it also allows buyers of visas to reside and work in the US for up to six times. During this time, some H-1B buyers apply for a green card through employment-based immigration groups, usually sponsored by their companies. This takes time.

More than a million Indians, including dependents, are currently waiting in employment-based green card categories. Atal Agarwal, the owner of a business in India that uses AI to assist people seeking visas for education and employment, says,” Getting a green card means signing up for an endless wait for 20 to 30 years.”

After graduating in 2017, Mr. Agarwal relocated to the US and spent some time working for a software company. He says getting the H-1B visa was fairly straightforward, but then it seemed he had “reached a dead end”. He returned to India.

” It’s an unstable situation. You are essentially tied to your employer because they must sponsor you and the green card process is so lengthy. You only have 60 days to find a new job if you lose it. Every applicant for merit admission to the US should have a pathway to a green card in the next three to five years.

This might be one explanation for how immigration has become entangled in the visa program. “H-1B is a high-skilled, worker mobility visa. It is not a visa for immigration. However, immigration and illegal immigration cause it to become a sensitive issue, according to Shivendra Singh, vice president of global trade development at Nasscom, the trade group for the Indian technology industry.

A BBC graphic that shows five countries with most H-1B visa approvals

Many in the US believe the H-1B visa programme is flawed. They cite widespread fraud and abuse, especially by major Indian IT firms which are top recipients of these visas. In October, a US court found Cognizant guilty of discriminating against over 2,000 non-Indian employees between 2013 and 2022, though the company plans to appeal. Last week, Farah Stockman of The New York Times wrote that “for more than a decade, Americans working in the tech industry have been systematically laid off and replaced by cheaper H-1B visa holders”.

According to Mr. Chowdhury of Nasscom, H-1B visa workers are not underpaid, with median wages that are more than twice the US median. For these pricey visas, companies also invest tens of thousands of dollars in legal and government costs.

Also, it has not been a one-way traffic: Indian tech giants have hired and supported nearly 600, 000 American workers and spent over a billion dollars on upskilling nearly three million students across 130 US colleges, according to Mr Singh. The Indian tech sector has given the hiring of US workers a priority, he said, and only applies to employees who are unable to locate locals with the skills they need.

As Trump prepares to take office later this month, India is working to make sure the H-1B visa program is secure. The mobility of skilled professionals is a key component of our countries ‘ economic and technological partnership, according to India’s foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, who spoke to journalists last week.

What should American students who want to work in the US do then? It will take time to implement any immigration changes in the US. Students should pick the best college possible for them. With good immigration counsel, they will be able to figure out what to do”, says Mr Yale-Loehr.

For the time being, despite the political unrest in the US, students are determined to pursue the American dream, and Indian interest in H-1B visas is still strong.

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Singapore food operators with revoked licences to be banned from reapplying for up to three years

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A first-time perpetrator may experience a peak fine of S$ 25, 000, a prison term of up to 24 months, or both.

The Bill will also set out crimes and their related maximum penalties based on the degree of the offense, the level of complicity, and the breach’s circumstances.

The law may also change regarding the import of food for personal consumption in the wake of the Bill, which aims to streamline and rationalize Singapore’s food-related legislation and improve Singapore’s resilience. &nbsp,

A full of not more than 15 kg of different food groups, including a brake of up to 30 eggs, will be permitted for each individual. &nbsp,

This is away from the existing control of 5kg of meats and shellfish each and a” little, reasonable” variety of fruits and vegetables, SFA said earlier during the introduction of the Bill.

” Given for food is meant for use by the individual and family, and not for wider transmission, the food security risk to the public is considerably lower”, Ms Fu said.

The exception, however, excludes food of higher regulation problem, such as sport foods or animal body products.

Foods SAFETY FIRST

The Bill comes in the wake of a number of well-known, mass-produced cases of food poisoning that affected schools and businesses in 2024.

In December, 24 babies at a Little Seeds Preschool tree at Calvary Baptist Church fell ill with hepatitis signs, with seven killed. &nbsp,

In July, a large food poisoning affair at ByteDance‘s Singapore company saw more than 160 people reporting hepatitis signs.

Koh Poh Koon, the senior minister of state for sustainability and the environment, noted in a speech before the parliament that 43 % of foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks were the result of poor food safety practices by food workers.

” The food industry is accountable for making sure their food is safe. It is not practical nor possible for SFA to verify and test all food items before consumption”, Dr Koh highlighted.

Members of Parliament backed the Bill, but some questioned its impact on business costs and other measures to prevent food safety violations.

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Skills atrophy, obsolescence likely behind decline in literacy proficiency among older adults in Singapore: Chan Chun Sing

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Several Members of Parliament had questioned the conclusions of the PIAAC study, asking if the Ministry of Education ( MOE ) has policies in place to help people in Singapore maintain their literacy levels as they get older and whether the decline in literacy will have an impact on the employability of people over 35.

On Wednesday, Mr. Chan stated that there is growing research interest in how technology has altered how people consume and process information, with some people switching from lengthy, complicated writing to shorter social media posts and movies.

There is also a chance of serious thinking and reflection being eroded as mental freelancing becomes more widespread with AI, he said.

UPSKILLING BEYOND FIRST 15 YEARS OF FORMAL EDUCATION

Mr. Chan responded to questions about what the benefits ‘ impact on the workforce’s competitiveness meant for local workers ‘ employment.

Different factors will need to be taken into account, such as whether employees have job-specific abilities that are essential to their attractiveness.

Mr. Chan added that other factors are used to evaluate a country’s competitiveness or workplace, such as the employment rate, the number of companies continuing to invest in Singapore’s great jobs, and whether employees are still earning good wages.

” However, to mitigate the degeneration and failure results, it is necessary for us to continually train and reskill throughout existence, beyond the first 15 years of formal education”, he added. &nbsp,

” I always emphasize that while we have done well for the first 15 years of our students ‘ academic performance in school, we must also concentrate on the next 50 years of their lives after graduation.”

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Jail for money mule who had almost S.8 million suspected to be from US phishing scam

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SINGAPORE: A money mule who had almost S$ 4.8 million ( US$ 3.5 million ) in her company’s bank account, which were suspected to be proceeds from a phishing scam in the United States, was jailed for 14 months on Wednesday ( Jan 8 ).

Sakinah Waheeda Abdul Manan, 34, admitted guilt to three counts of failing to carefully release her duties as a business director, including possessing suspected criminal benefits, giving another person illegal entry to a bank accounts, and giving another individual illegal access to a bank account.

Another four charges were considered in sentencing.

When Sakinah first learned about someone by the name of” Alan” on Telegram, she was informed that she had just been released from prison and was in need of money.

Alan told her that if she gave him her SingPass account to register companies, she could make up to S$ 60, 000 annually.

He added that she would have no need to do anything because she would be the registered locally residing director of the companies, but that foreign directors would run the businesses.

This raised Sakinah’s suspicions, as she was being offered a lot of money without having to do anything. But she agreed, and gave her SingPass credentials to Alan.

Alan registered two companies&nbsp, – Froxify and Frox Designz&nbsp, – using Sakinah’s SingPass account, and opened a CIMB bank account in Froxify’s name in July 2021.

To open the account, Sakinah had to attend an in-person interview at CIMB. Alan gave her information about Froxify’s supposed business so she could answer the bank’s questions.

The bank requested that Sakinah provide documentary proof of the identity of Froxify’s clients and suppliers, which she did.

The US received an alert from the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force on October 5, 2021 that money had been transferred from a fraud victim to a Singapore bank account.

The email system of the fraud victim, Home Legend LLC, was compromised in a phishing scam.

More than US$ 3.5 million was transferred out of Home Legend’s bank account over three days in September 2021, and deposited in Froxify’s CIMB account.

Froxify’s account hence received more than S$ 1.2 million each day on Sep 20 and Sep 22, 2021, and more than S$ 2.3 million on Sep 23, 2021.

Within a day or two, the money was gone. When the police seized Froxify’s account on Oct 7, 2021, a balance of about S$ 8, 600 remained.

As director of Froxify between Jul 26, 2021 and Nov 19, 2021, Sakinah relinquished control of the company to Alan, allowing it to receive criminal benefits, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li said.

Sakinah was the only signatory to the firm’s CIMB account, but she did not know what company Froxify was involved in, where its office was, or where it was headed.

Sakinah S. also agreed to pay$ 1,500 if she opened a local bank account and gave him control of it. She opened an account with UOB on August 21, 2021, gave it its credentials, and Alan received a linked debit card, and she did it on August 21, 2021.

Two days later, S$ 8, 000 was deposited into the UOB account and transferred almost immediately to other bank accounts.

A victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam in Singapore deposited the money after filing a police report.

Sakinah was previously jailed in 2016 for theft and drug consumption, and in 2018 for consumption and possession of drugs.

The prosecutor asked for about 15 to 18 months ‘ imprisonment.

Mr. Li claimed that a sizable amount of money was squandered, that Sakinah did not try to prove her innocence by giving Alan access to her SingPass account, and that she was not a passive participant.

Sakinah was” a mere pawn used by the scam syndicate,” according to Azeera Ali of the Public Defender’s Office, who represented her in court because of her financial vulnerability and aspirations at the time.
 

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TM and Perodua partner to advance Malaysia’s automotive sector

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  • coincides with the 2030 New Industrial Master Plan objectives.
  • The partnership aims to promote digital technology and EV growth.

TM and Perodua partner to advance Malaysia’s automotive sector

TM and Perodua have announced a strategic partnership to advance electric vehicle ( EV ) development, digital innovation, and sustainable growth in Malaysia’s automotive sector. The engagement focuses on four key areas: Hyperconnected Network, Advancing Digital Technology, Enriching Customer Experience, and Environmental Sustainability.

Partnership Facts

TM, through its business and government industry solutions arm TM One, may offer Perodua with upgraded equipment, including fixed and wireless connectivity, SD-WAN solutions for dealer networks, and private 5G for automotive applications. Additionally, the relationship intends to use cutting-edge manufacturing techniques to enhance Perodua’s functional capabilities.

TM One can utilize its expertise in Cloud, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and AI to support efforts in smart production, GPU as a Service, and EV and intelligent driving systems.

Collaborative Work

Through co-creating materials and creative marketing tactics, the two businesses intend to expand their market share. This includes developing customized entertainment systems, bright tracking options, and shared digital marketing campaigns.

The partnership’s main goals are also focused on environmental conservation, with plans to work together on fresh strength solutions for EV charging facilities and waste reduction efforts.

Continue checking at oursustainabilitymatters.com for the whole content as DNA is transitioning our conservation policy to a solo information site.

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Johor-Singapore SEZ: ‘Build-as-they-invest’ model prudent but businesses raise concerns over infrastructure delays, red tape

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Teh Kee Sin, the consultant to the Small and Medium Enterprise Association of South Johor, shares these views. &nbsp,

The company president noted that the market-response approach is “more reasonable” as it manages risks cautiously, especially given the Indonesian government’s fixed resources. &nbsp,

” But on the other hand, would foreign investors come if they see that there is no assurance on basic infrastructures like Wi-Fi (or ) electricity.” Every entrepreneur would only go in if these are all fundamental (amenities ), Teh said, “because nobody is going to spend if there is no set infrastructure.” &nbsp,

He added that there have been cases in Johor where businesses have relocated to industrial facilities only to discover that the power they have is not sufficient for their businesses. &nbsp,

Organizations must use resources to throw their own wires. International businesses may not be able to accomplish this, and they will evaluate the situation differently ( in terms of whether to spend ), he said. &nbsp,

However, scholar Anthony Dass, who is the senior director of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, was more optimistic about the fresh design, pointing out how it adapts system to the specific needs of investors. &nbsp,

The project “avoids the hazards of oversupply seen in earlier projects like Iskandar Malaysia,” Dass said,” thereby reducing useless spending on underused assets, improving efficiency and reducing economic chance.” &nbsp,

But he, too, acknowledged that the unit could lead to delays especially if traders adopt a wait-and-see method. &nbsp,

” The SEZ’s progress may advance haphazardly, which could hinder its general impact”, added Dass. &nbsp,

SPLIT FUNDING ‘ FAIR’, LEVERAGES ON Analytical Rewards: ANALYSTS&nbsp,

Rafizi even made a point about how the money for the SEZ will be split, with Singapore granting funding for business expansion and investment facilitation while Malaysia will provide for the financial zone’s infrastructure. &nbsp,

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MOM urges contractors, construction workers to stay alert in busy lead-up to Chinese New Year after worksite death

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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower ( MOM) said on Tuesday ( Jan 7 ) there must be” no compromises” on safety in the lead-up to the Chinese New Year period, following the death of a construction worker last week.

The 29-year-old Indian national was at the Plantation Edge I &amp, II Build-to-Order ( BTO ) project construction site in Tengah at around 8.40pm on January 2 when he was struck in the chest by the hose of a concrete pump truck.

One of the four outriggers in the truck pierced the practical, causing the hose to hit the man and the machine to bend.

The victim was performing casting repairs, according to both MOM and the Housing and Development Board ( HDB).

The employer was taken to Gleneagles Hospital, where he died. He was employed by Keong Hong Construction, who was awarded&nbsp, the S$ 293.7 million ( US$ 215.6 million ) tender for main contract works at&nbsp, Tengah Plantation in January 2024. &nbsp,

The task is expected to be finished in 2027.

With the Chinese New Year quickly approaching, MOM urged contractors and employees to keep call, noting that the time period “typically sees companies facing period pressures to finish projects.”

” During this time, MOM may proceed with our increased police work. There must never be any compromises on the health of the work.

The event is being investigated, it said.

Employers and contractors must make sure that the outriggers of technology are fully extended and sleep on steady, level foundations or basic plates with sufficient strength to maintain stability during operations, the ministry continued.

HDB, which is the job designer, told CNA on Tuesday that it also takes a serious perspective of the dangerous affair, and will provide support and assistance to the murderer’s family.

The tower contractor’s investigation into the union’s death is of utmost importance, the statement read.

” We may continue to collaborate with our business colleagues to improve workplace safety at our workplaces.”

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Nippon Steel and US Steel: One last chance, Mr Trump – Asia Times

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Team Biden is doing so many strange things on its way out the door that nobody should have been surprised that President&nbsp, Joe Biden&nbsp, ( or whoever calls the shots ) &nbsp, rejected&nbsp, Nippon Steel’s bid to buy&nbsp, US Steel. &nbsp,

The White House stated that the agreement threatened regional stability. However, most of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, known as the CFIUS assessment committee that considered the national safety perspective, didn’t see it that way.

President Biden needs to state in detail what concerns are if there are concerns about national protection with this package. &nbsp,

The pieces of American Pennsylvania and Indiana that will suffer the most from this determination must then be compelled to testify in public before union rooms and local chambers of commerce.

Does they? No.

In south Pennsylvania, both Senator John Fetterman and Governor Josh Shapiro must even appear. They, too, may discuss why this was a good choice.

Does they? No.

Screenshot of the US Steel website’s landing page (screenshot October 7, 2024 ).

Shaking the alliance&nbsp,

This decision didn’t send down the&nbsp, US-Japan ally. But it hurts. &nbsp,

Japan is frequently touted as America’s key ally. The “most significant diplomatic marriage, club none,” as former adviser Mike Mansfield put it.

Immediately, we’ll have Japan to engage in more military action than it has ever done, or even more than it wants to do.

Telling Japan,” We want you to combat China with us but we don’t want you to private US Metal” won’t be well received in Tokyo. &nbsp,

Japan and its businesses have previously been treated this way, starting in the 1980s when it was portrayed as the monetary composite who would put US businesses out of business. Japan, in contrast, exhibited some compassion by jolting the US economy, especially Detroit automakers, into getting its act collectively.

In the&nbsp, Nippon Steel&nbsp, situation, the business bent over backward – or, better said, bent over forward in an nearly humiliating style – to show its great faith. It also offered to give the US government a&nbsp, reject &nbsp, over any potential business decisions regarding US Steel production.

A vital allied world’s company should not have to do this.

As for the&nbsp, regional security&nbsp, explanation?

Tokyo may find it irksome that it is included in the socialist Chinese. And don’t assume they haven’t noticed that the Biden administration supports the planned&nbsp, CCP-tied Gotion&nbsp, power factory in Michigan. A US defense foundation is even close by that location. The citizens don’t want it, but Team Biden does. &nbsp,

However, Nippon Steel poses a greater threat to national security than the US companies whose equipment and technology were officially used in the Chinese spy balloon the Biden management allowed to fly over the country in 2023.

Heartless? A deception? Or both?

Without Nippon Steel’s funding and technology, US Steel did fish and just may collapse. That would endanger people, families, and full towns.

US Steel control, people, and local folks support the deal. Yet the neighborhood organizations do. Top&nbsp, United Steelworkers&nbsp, ( USW) leadership, as is often the case with union bosses, don’t seem to care or listen to what rank-and-file members want.

Spend an hour watching this&nbsp, Hudson Institute&nbsp, discussion&nbsp, with US Steel staff and union exercises, as well as a native president.

You’ll get informed ー and moved.

One final possibility is Trump

Generally, business announcements are drab, lifeless jargon. &nbsp,

Not this one. &nbsp,

US Steel President David B Burritt gets it&nbsp, best.

January 3, 2025– President Biden’s activity today is terrible and dishonest. He gave a political retribution to a union boss out of reach with his associates while harming our company’s potential, our employees, and our national security. He insulted Japan, a crucial alliance for both economic and regional security, and threatened the United States ‘ profitability. Dancers from the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing are taking to the streets. And Biden did it all by refusing to even ask to talk to us about the specifics.

Better is what our staff and societies deserve. We needed a leader who is knowledgeable about how to negotiate the best package for America and work tirelessly to make it happen. Make no mistake: this purchase is what guarantees a great potential for US Steel, our employees, our communities, and our nation. We intend to fight President Biden’s social problem. &nbsp,

Hopefully, after January 20th, CEO Burritt won’t be able to insert” Trump” for” Biden” and re-issue the statement. &nbsp,

Yet, both President-elect&nbsp, Donald Trump&nbsp, and Vice President-elect&nbsp, JD Vance&nbsp, opposed the deal before the vote.

US Steel workers, and regional union representatives, and additional autoworkers supported Trump anyway. Obviously, they thought that he understood them and only needed to get through the vote.

They stuck their heads up and kept their confidence. &nbsp,

Mr. Trump must backward this pronouncement, or he will leave along with the Vice President and make an apology. If that’s even probable.

You simply get one chance in this region of America when people put their trust in you.

RELATED:

Grant Newsham is a former US minister and former US Marine agent. He is the author of the book” When China Attacks: A Warning To America“.

This article was originally published by JAPAN Forward. It is republished with permission.

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Singapore passes law that gives police powers to freeze bank accounts of scam victims

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Non-constituency MP Hazel Poa suggested introducing an opt-out delivery for people, subject to protection.

For instance, the limitations order’s opt-out could only be implemented after 30 days, and people would have to do so in person following a mandated counseling session, according to the Secretary-General of Progress Singapore. &nbsp,

A restriction buy perhaps risk pushing “emotionally invested” patients to despair, said Ms Poa. &nbsp,

Scam victims may receive mental health support and counseling from a social worker, she added. These societal workers may advise the police on whether a restriction order would benefit the target. &nbsp,

Ms. Poa even inquired about whether the limitations purchases may be extended to mutual records, which might cause issues for account holders who are not subject to the restrictions.

There are two types of joint accounts, according to Ms. Sun’s response: a joint-all account where all account holders must provide instructions for banking transactions and a joint-alternate account where transactions can be completed without the other account holder’s consent.

Although banks informed MHA that this was “operationally challenging,” it “would prefer to take a risk-calibrated approach” by imposing restriction orders on only joint-alternate accounts. &nbsp,

For a start, we have therefore decided to impose restriction orders on both types of joint accounts, according to Ms. Sun.

She noted that the authorities have decided to proceed with this action to “provide victims with the necessary protection,” even though it is” not ideal.”

MHA will work with the banks to explore putting technical solutions in place” to facilitate such exemptions” in the future, she added. &nbsp,

Ms. Sun also reiterates that the restriction order is a “last resort” measure in response to the suggestion to provide an option to opt out. &nbsp,

She noted that the restriction order will only be temporarily for a maximum of 30 days and will be extended up to five times if necessary. &nbsp,

MPs, such as Mr Gerald Giam ( WP-Aljunied ), Ms Ng Ling Ling ( PAP-Ang Mo Kio ) and Mr Sharael Taha ( PAP-Pasir Ris-Punggol ), asked if the legislation is enough to address scam tactics that are evolving and being conducted at high speeds.

Ms. Ng also made note of the danger of scams occurring on non-banking platforms and asked if the restrictions orders could be expanded to include organizations like remittance and cryptocurrency exchanges.

Ms. Sun responded that MHA recognized the danger that other platforms act as “intermediaries in the scam chain.” It will continue to monitor the scam situation in conjunction with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and” consider, if necessary, expanding the scope of the restriction order.”

Ms. Sun added that the police anticipate issuing five to ten restriction orders each month, although the actual number will depend on the types of cases that are brought to the police’s attention and the severity of each case’s evaluation.

Mr Giam noted that this will come up to about 60 to 120 restriction orders being issued a year, which is “negligible” compared to the 50, 000 scam cases reported annually. He inquired if this implies that the Bill will only have a limited impact on preventing scams.

Ms. Sun reaffirmed that the Bill alone” will not significantly decrease the total number of scams,” and that it is only one of the many strategies being used to combat scams.

Despite this, it is focused on scams that involve social engineering and can result in “quite a lot of losses” over time.

” So, while the number of scams that could be deterred through this Bill … is ( expected ) to be between five to 10 cases a month, I think we should not neglect the fact that the absolute amounts ( in terms of ) losses could be substantial”, said Ms Sun.

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