Australia’s greyhound racing industry battles new claims of abuse

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12 days ago

By Hannah Ritchie, BBC News, Sydney

Getty Images A greyhound mid-raceGetty Images

In 2015 Australia’s multi-billion-dollar greyhound racing business vowed it would clear up its act.

A scathing investigation at the time had discovered the preventable deaths of up to 17, 000 young dogs annually. These revelations were so surprising that the government of the time rushed to put in place an finally temporary ban.

About a decade after, Greyhound Racing New South Wales ( GRNSW)- the centre of the game in the country- is back in the limelight for alleged misuse, due to the work of one whistleblower.

In an explosive record made public by lawmakers, the organisation’s former captain dermatologist has described the economy as a hub of “exploitation and suffering”, claiming that dogs are being raced at “barbaric” rates, euthanised without cause, or left to rot in metal cages when they can no longer thrive.

Executive faces are rolling, and an investigation, which GRNSW says it “welcomes”, has been announced to check the charges, as calls from critics to include greyhound racing outlawed increase louder.

But despite evidence of slipping public support, the state’s premier has said he wo n’t shut down the sport, prompting a standoff with those calling for that to happen.

The beagle driving economy cannot exist without widespread animal abuse, according to NSW Animal Justice MP Emma Hurst.

” It will be shut down – it’s just a matter of when”.

Getty Images A greyhound prepares to race in SydneyGetty Images

With about 60 tracks in procedure, Australia has been hailed as the world’s largest industrial greyhound racing country. New Zealand, the US, the UK and Ireland are also home to businesses, but nothing operate at the same speed.

Thanks to online betting, Australia’s industry has seen rising profits in recent years, turning over A$ 8.3 bn ($ 5.6bn, £4.3bn ) in 2023- with 75 % of the money coming from Victoria and New South Wales ( NSW), according to the greyhound protection organisation GREY2K.

A “handover” text from GRNSW’s Chief Veterinary Officer Alex Brittan to his coming alternative was the fire that caused the current outcry over the club’s techniques. By his own admission, he had almost broken him.

The 54-page file contains a plethora of allegations, including those that GRNSW had worked with “unaccepting of modern treatments” vets who were known to cause dogs to be put to death and that company leadership was directing staff to handle animal welfare organizations” as the enemy.”

The CEO of GRNSW, Rob Macaulay, had resigned just hours after Mr. Brittan’s email was made public, and the rest of the bank’s board is then battling for their success.

GRNSW has been swift to support Mr. Brittan’s claims as the state’s entertainment and sporting secretary, David Harris, made the announcement that an inquiry into the industry’s regulator would be led by the company’s regulator.

In a speech, its operating Director, Wayne Billett, stated,” We welcome the opportunity for an external assessment of our operations and record.” GRNSW’s spokesperson also stated to the BBC that the organization takes concerns about animal welfare “very significantly.”

Getty Images Greyhound racingGetty Images

But Mr Brittan’s profile varies.

He wrote in his letter that he had seen “extreme distress” cases where competing dogs had “recent pools of blood” surrounding them after” clawing” at their caged doors while” clawing” at their cages.

He also criticized the “preventable” on-track incidents that resulted from terriers crashing into beams with” no padding on them,” as well as the figures GRNSW had suggested regarding the number of retired dogs that had found homes, a practice that gives the sport its social standing.

Mr Brittan says that of the almost 4, 200 puppies entering the market each year, just 1, 600 were making it out and finding users, with the remainder living out their times in “industrial kennels”.

He also claimed that there was a troubling lack of oversight in a company program that had been set up to export retired greyhounds to the US so that they could find homes there.

He used Carey as an example of a dog who died at Sydney Airport after he confused its traveling box with a racer’s starter box and crashed into a fence at full speed when the door opened.

NSW’s premier Chris Minns stated that he would review all of the allegations made by Mr. Brittan, but quickly rejected a state-wide ban on greyhound racing.

” We’re not going to shut down the industry, but we do take this report seriously”, he told reporters last week.

After the new investigation was complete, Mr. Harris reiterated that the government would ensure the industry was held to” the highest standards of animal welfare and integrity.”

However, given that GRNSW has endured a number of crises, including a government-backed investigation in 2016 that found evidence of” systemic animal cruelty” and mass killings, supporters are skeptical that a subsequent inquiry will produce any results.

Eight years ago, the greyhound racing industry had a chance to clean up its act, and it has utterly failed, Ms Hurst told the BBC.

Getty Images Greyhound racing protest in Sydney Getty Images

Mr. Brittan has also questioned the impartiality of the current investigation, arguing that it should be conducted by an outsider as opposed to the industry’s own regulator.

And he questioned why a complete ban had already been removed from the table.

According to the Guardian, the premier and gaming minister have stated that the outcome of the inquiry is a foregone conclusion and that, regardless of any findings, all bets are on and the gambling will continue.

Around the world, the prominence and popularity of dog-racing for sport has been in decline.

For instance, in the US, which was once one of the sport’s largest industries, betting on greyhounds has been outlawed in all but a few states, and only two active tracks are still active, both in West Virginia.

Advocates like Ms Hurst contend that gambling profits are what keeps going in Australia rather than community fanfare.

Over 80 % of respondents to the nation’s national broadcaster’s poll said they wanted the industry to be shut down as of the last time it was in the spotlight in 2016.

Additionally, it has been outlawed in the Australian Capital Territory in recent years, and petitions for the passage of time have reached several state legislatures.

GRNSW says it has no plans to go anywhere- and that racing, which first came to the nation’s shores in the late 1800s, can be done” sustainably”.

But Ms Hurst, and others calling for an end to the sport, say that the latest spate of allegations present a unique “opportunity” to “listen to the community and ban this cruel industry”.

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‘A dignified way to part ways’: Divorce by mutual agreement may reduce conflict and distress for the couple

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Lim also expressed caution that the shorter divorce method in DMA, with no parting time required, may result in fewer time being given to consider the children’s long-term effects.

According to Lim,” the rapid change in household structure may also be harmful to the children’s emotional stability and security.” Therefore, it is crucial for couples to take into account the well-being of their children when choosing the DMA course.

DMA VS SEPARATION: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT

Due to DMA, a couple’s only another no-fault based marriage option was on the grounds of parting. Does DMA alter the options couples have when declaring their marriage?

It depends on the situation, said the doctors CNA Women spoke to.

Contrary to detachment, DMA does not mandate that the pair go through a parting before declaring their intentions. DMA may be a good option for couples who are already living apart and who do n’t want their marriage to end in harmony, Soh said.

They would still need to acknowledge the attempts made to reconcile the relationship before filing for DMA, James-Civetta continued.

He claimed that going through with separating and then filing for divorce after the three-year period is up would be a preferable choice in situations where the isolated couple has moved on with new partners.

Professionals point out that DMA should not be viewed as an all-inclusive option for people who want to end a relationship immediately.

On the contrary,” the needs of DMA are likely to be strict and the judge still retains choice in whether or not the marriage may be granted”, said James-Civetta.

These needs are in line with the president’s policy regarding the sanctity of marriage. They serve as a reminder that a few “must try to work on their concerns before considering marriage, which has to be the next location,” Soh said.

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Nato moving into Indo-Pacific?

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At the most current Nato conference in Washington, Some Indo-Pacific nations took part, indicating that the transatlantic military alliance is looking to grow if not in terms of membership but also in terms of power and control to other areas of the world.

Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea are the only nations that these four nations discuss with the NATO members about China’s safety concerns.

And as in past summits, the meeting addressed questions about how to best deal with the growing strain in the Indo-Pacific and how to deal with it. However, given its recent success in Eastern Europe, the expansion of the US-led Nato will most likely lead to rather than de-escalate the tension in the Indo-Pacific, despite every nation having a right to choose its supporters to protect themselves.

Nato’s growth is inviting difficulty, the last thing the place needs today. Indonesia may make a powerful statement opposing Nato’s program to work its influence and power in any way in this region of the world, either on its own or through Asean. Indonesia may use all of its political means to stop the Indo-Pacific from becoming a theater of war as a middle-class nation that has adhered to its non-alignment theory in the face of growing conflict between the US and China.

Ironically, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese decided at the last minute to skip the summit, properly demoting its importance to Canberra. In a media interview, Albanese saw Australia’s cooperation as useless, saying,” as an observer state, we’re no it. When that occurs, we’re not in the area with the Nato users.

The American defense secretary is there in Albanese’s place, while leaders from Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea also attended the conference. While the four Indo-Pacific states may not be users, they have an identity as” IP-4″ in Nato files. With Albanese’s lack, make that” IP-3.5″.

As it stands, there are already too many defense relationships and contracts muddying Indo-Pacific lakes. Nearly all of them aim to prevent China’s growing power and influence in the area and beyond, with Beijing posing as the biggest danger to their safety and interests in several nations both inside and outside the region. These include the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue ( Quad ) involving Australia, India, Japan and the US, the Aukus security partnership involving Australia, the United Kingdom and US, the recent Japan-Philippines-US trilateral summit as well as a plethora of old and new bilateral pacts, the latest one signed last week between Japan and the Philippines.

Many nations have developed their own Indo-Pacific plan, including those like the 27 European Union members who do not border the region’s two oceans, which include the South China Sea, the region’s most contentious region.

This region wo n’t be any safer with the addition of Nato. Allies should be made aware that Ukraine’s protracted conflict will result in its development. Nato’s rapid rise into Eastern Europe sparked Russia’s invasion of its massive southerly neighbor in 2022. A big power like Russia ca n’t stop it from envading a sovereign nation when it feels threatened, but who can stop it from doing so?

More than two years later, the conflict is also raging with devastating effects on many other nations around the world in terms of financial disturbance, influx of refugees, and budget paying for Nato people. Who can prevent China, a bigger strength than Russia, from acting in response to any real or perceived dangers that threaten its security interests?

There are already so many potential hot conflict zones in the Indo-Pacific, including the tensions in the Taiwan Strait and Beijing’s tense relations with some of the nations that border Southeast Asia. Nato’s entry into the area wo n’t be beneficial. Its expansion simply makes matters worse for the situation, and it only makes matters worse for its members on both sides of the Atlantic, who will gladly support any Indo-Pacific nation in stress in a war with China, simply as they will assist Ukraine in helping Russia battle its war with Russia.

China and Russia conducted a joint naval guard in the Philippine Sea this week in the latest twist in the South China Sea, an area where Beijing and Manila have recently been engaged in more territorially sensitive disputes. There are still many options if the goal is to contain or deter China, if the game’s title is China’s containment or deterrent.

The political lessons is not yet complete, but it will help to lessen the tension. Indonesia may step in at this point. However, there is not much we can hope from Asean to achieve in developing a united front, as some users are aligning with the US and people with China in the fierce energy conflict.

Non-aligned Indonesia also enjoys the advantages of being a middle strength, including the control of crucial sea-lanes of conversation in the South China Sea. Indonesia has a better chance of defusing the pressure by acting independently than through Asean, which may include rejecting Nato’s growth into this region of the world. — The Jakarta Post/ANN

Endy Bayuni is The Jakarta Post’s top editor.

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Southeast Asia has its reasons for pivoting to BRICS – Asia Times

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The sudden reversal of Southeast Asia toward the BRICS countries is a major game-changer that some in Washington anticipated.

In recent days, Malaysia extensive its interests to visit Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Thailand and Vietnam are even interested in joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which is a group of nations.

In Indonesia, there’s growing recognition that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and another” International South” countries have a place in vying to join this burgeoning international business.

Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister, made the declaration in an interview with Chinese media prior to Li Qiang’s attend to Malaysia, announcing his intention to re-join the union, which has grown by a whopping 2 % in the last year. That dynamic is luring the Global South countries, primarily because it provides access to funding and a political movement that is unconstrained by Washington’s influence. &nbsp,

Joe Biden, the US senator, might find the South Asian stumbling block particularly troubling. Since the Biden time, a provincial shield has been built to counteract China’s growing influence and attempts to replace the US dollars in trade and finance.

Relationships between the US and some ASEAN people are clearly deteriorating. This, at a time when&nbsp, Saudi Arabia&nbsp, is looking to step out the “petrodollar”. As China, Russia, and Iran square off against old partnerships, Riyadh is intensifying de-dollarization work.

” A gradual reform of the international financial environment may be afoot, giving way to a planet in which more local economies can be used for international purchases“, says analyst&nbsp, Hung Tran at the Atlantic Council’s Geoeconomics Center. The money would continue to be important but without its enormous influence, which would be complemented by currencies like the Taiwanese renminbi, the euros, and the Chinese yen in a way that’s proportionate to the global footprint of their economies.

Tran points out that “in this environment, how Saudi Arabia approaches the consists continues to be a significant predictor of the economic coming.”

Malaysia’s excursion tells the story. Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister, made a world impact by supporting Western finance. That was in the late 1990s, when Anwar’s liberal tendencies clashed with Mahathir Mohamad’s stances.

Mahathir shut Anwar down. The door was opened to Deputy Premier Anwar, who was afterwards imprisoned. Anwar’s efforts to improve competition and establish equal using fields were even reversed. Capital controls were imposed by Mahathir and Malaysia Inc. were circling the vehicles.

Then it’s Anwar who’s turning away from the Adam Smith- encouraged guidelines he once championed — and toward the&nbsp, BRICS.

” We have made our plan apparent and we have made our choice”, Anwar tells Chinese internet outlet&nbsp, Guancha. The proper process will begin immediately, according to the statement. As far as the Global South is concerned, we are totally supportive”.

Anwar gave a shoutout to Argentine President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is determined to end the economy’s dominance.

” Last month, Malaysia had the highest expenditure ever, but the money was also attacked”, Anwar explains. ” Well, it has eased in the past few months. But it does n’t make sense, it goes against basic economic principles”.

Anwar documents that the question is: Why? He claims that” a coin that is completely outside the two nations ‘ business structure and useless in terms of economic activities in the country has become prominent merely because it is used as an international money.”

Among the many reasons for Anwar’s ideological reversal is China’s emergence on the global scene, providing a regional growth engine. Another: the” Western narrative” surrounding events like Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

After their meeting in Beijing on March 31, 2023, Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim addressed Chinese President Xi Jinping in positive terms. Image: Facebook / Anwar Ibrahim

” People keep talking about October 7, which annoys me”, Anwar says. Do you want to obliterate 70 years of history by repeating one event? This is the Western narrative. You see, this is the problem with the West. They want to control the conversation, but because they are no longer a colonial power and independent nations should be free to express themselves, we can no longer accept it.

In late May, Thailand announced it’s applying for&nbsp, BRICS&nbsp, inclusion in part to boost its presence on the world stage. If approved, Bangkok would likely become the first ASEAN economy added.

According to Nikorndej Balankura, a spokesman for the foreign ministry,” Thailand believes that BRICS has an important role to play in strengthening the multilateral system and economic cooperation between countries in the Global South, which aligns with our national interests.” ” As for economic and political benefits, joining BRICS would reinforce Thailand’s role on the global stage, and strengthen its international cooperation with emerging economies, especially in trade, investment and food and energy security”.

Thailand’s bid, according to Soumya Bhowmick, an associate fellow at the Observer Research Foundation think tank, supports Beijing’s wider strategic objectives of boosting its economic influence in Southeast Asia.

” For China”, Bhowmick notes,” Thailand’s membership represents an extension of its regional influence, complementing its Belt and Road Initiative. This is in line with China’s strategic goals of fostering stronger economic ties and the creation of new infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

The first BRIC grouping was created in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill. The members formally joined forces in 2009; A year later, they added the” S” when South Africa joined. In 2023, the BRICS doubled in size by luring more&nbsp, Global South&nbsp, nations.

Today, BRICS nations account for half the world’s population and two- fifths of trade, including top energy producers and importers. &nbsp, BRICS nations also account for 38 % of global petroleum imports, led by China and India. &nbsp,

The grouping could give the Global South a greater voice in international affairs and challenge the domination of existing institutions, according to Daniel Azevedo, an analyst at Boston Consulting Group.

BRICS , Azevedo adds,” creates a forum that, at minimum, gives&nbsp, emerging markets&nbsp, the opportunity to align on global topics and new opportunities to promote mutual&nbsp, economic development &nbsp, and growth. And it’s evolving steadily”.

Azevedo notes that as the BRICS build political and&nbsp, financial institutions&nbsp, and a payment mechanism for executing transactions,” there are important potential implications for the future of&nbsp, energy&nbsp, trade, international finance, global supply chains, monetary policy and technological research”.

Global companies will need to take these new geopolitical and economic realities into their investment strategies, according to Azevedo. They ought to also improve their ability to take advantage of opportunities and reduce risk.

The BRICS have n’t always demonstrated their viability as a bloc. Five core nations are present, with nothing else in common besides some economists ‘ imagination. The BRICS frequently seem to be focused solely on improving access to China’s rapidly expanding economy and doing little else.

Paul McNamara, investment director at GAM&nbsp, Investments, speaks for many when he observes that the&nbsp, BRICS&nbsp, is still an acronym in search of cohesive economic argument. Would most current global elites care about the BRICS without China at the core, asks McNamara?

As such, says Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, the “impotence of&nbsp, BRICS”&nbsp, makes joining the group” a low- stakes gambit with some potential upside. It may help Thailand, which is its biggest trading partner and most worrying military threat, win over China. But, if not, what has Bangkok really lost”?

Vietnam traveled to Russia earlier this month to take part in the BRICS summit. According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Hang, Hanoi is eager to collaborate with like-minded developing nations.

At a time when political dysfunction is at its worst, and all this is happening amid deteriorating American finances. As the national debt approaches US$ 35 trillion – on the way to&nbsp, US$ 50 trillion&nbsp, – Biden’s Democrats and Donald Trump’s Republicans are barely on speaking terms.

This is not appropriate for either investing in government funding in the short run or making necessary upgrades to promote innovation and productivity over the long run. Additionally, it implies the threat of a second Capitol Hill insurrection similar to the one that occurred on January 6, 2021.

That event played a direct role in the August 2023 move by Fitch Ratings to revoke Washington’s AAA credit grade. Extreme polarization, explains Fitch analyst Richard Francis, “was something that we highlighted because it just is a reflection of the deterioration in governance, it’s one of many”.

The key is now how Moody’s Investors Service, which still assigns Washington AAA, responds to the chaos caused by Trump’s campaign promises to win back control. And as Biden attempts to overthrow Trump, Biden uses new trade sanctions.

This puts US Treasury securities in a high degree of risk. Japan and China alone have US government debt totaling$ 2 trillion. Any sudden run on the dollar could trigger a fire sale, sending US yields skyrocketing.

The Federal Reserve’s reluctance to lower interest rates as was widely anticipated increases the chance of a policy error in this regard. One of the most well-known Fed errors in history was missing the subprime crisis ‘ level of distress in credit markets in 2007.

As Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s team prolongs the “higher for longer” era for yields, developing economies are increasingly in harm’s way. That’s especially so as the dollar’s surge hoovers up global capital.

These worries fall under the umbrella of the broader BRICS’s plan to pool more than US$ 100 billion in foreign currency to absorb financial shocks. Members can use the funds in emergencies, preventing them from visiting the International Monetary Fund. Since 2015, the bank that the BRICS created has approved tens of billions of dollars of loans for infrastructure, transportation and water.

The&nbsp, BRICS currency &nbsp, project has been gaining traction since mid- 2022, when the 14th BRICS Summit was held in Beijing. Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated there that the BRICS were developing a “new global reserve currency” and were willing to expand its use.

Brazil’s Lula&nbsp, also has thrown his support behind a BRICS monetary unit. Why ca n’t a bank like the BRICS bank use a currency to finance trade between Brazil and China, as well as Brazil and all other BRICS nations? he asks. Who made the decision to use the dollar as the reserve currency following the end of gold parity?

President of Brazil, Lula da Silva. Photo: Editora Brasil 247

Fernando Haddad, Lula’s finance minister, has been making a point about the more prevalent use of local currencies in bilateral trade instruments like credit receipts. The focus, he says, must be phasing out the use of a third currency.

The benefit is that trade transactions are resolved in the currency of a non-membership-based nation, he claims.

Economist Vikram Rai of TD Bank points out that” there is great potential for regionally dominant currencies and a multipolar international regime to emerge,” with the roles being “filled now by the dollar shared with the euro, a more open yuan, future central bank digital currencies, and possibly other options we have yet to see” within the next ten or two.

Analysts at Moody’s warn that the Americans going overboard on tariffs, concerns about default and weakening institutions are threatening the dollar ‘s&nbsp, reserve currency status.

” The greatest near- term danger to the dollar’s position stems from the risk of confidence- sapping policy mistakes by the US authorities themselves, like a US default on its debt for example”, Moody’s argues. The dollar’s global role is threatened by weak institutions and a political pivot toward protectionism.

It’s difficult to believe that America could lose much more than just the economic plot as Southeast Asia increasingly leans toward the BRICS.

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Man on trial for false religious teachings allowing gambling and ‘spiritual marriage’ for Muslims

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A man who has never been recognized as a Muslim or Quranic teacher was charged on Monday ( Jun 24 ) with abusing the incorrect doctrine that made it illegal for Muslims to gamble and “marry in the spirit of the religion.”

Mohd Razif Radi, a 66-year-old Singaporean, is contesting a charge under the Administration of Muslim Law Act for exchanging a belief that is incompatible with Muslim rules.

He is accused of doing so from 2004 to 2020 by delivering three fake teachings: That playing can be made acceptable, that a man and a woman can be lawfully married by way of a religious marriage, and that he was able to conjure the spirit of” Mbah”.

” Mbah” is apparently the “last messiah” or from the pope’s lineage.

In accordance with a declaration of information that the prosecution and the defense agreed, Razif and a girl named Marlinah Ahmad established Lina’s Cafe at 7 Jalan Pisang in 2017.

In the cafe, Razif reportedly ran an unlicensed theological school, according to earlier reports.

THE GAG ORDER APPLICATIONS

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hidayat Amir filed two requests before the trial began on Monday: second, for three trial testimony to give evidence in private and not in common view, and second, for all prosecution witnesses to be protected by a gag purchase.

According to Mr. Hidayat, the prosecution’s witnesses had “feelings of stress” when they testified in public because their statements “went beyond issues of religion and culture which are already vulnerable to begin with.”

This includes the discussion of moral unions and their descendants.

” They are innocents”, said Mr Hidayat. ” Their evidence, if heard in public, will cause re- traumatisation ( and ) embarrassment”.

Razif’s solicitor, Mr Simon Tan from Attorneys Inc, asked for a related gag order to be extended to the defence witnesses.

He said these are “very, very delicate matters” which did “invariably effect on their position in the Arab society”.

Mr. Tan added that the majority of the witnesses are women, and that if their evidence is “openly bandied in court,” including in front of their former spouses, they might experience a” sense of trepidation and fear.”

According to Mr. Tan, the Muslim community has treated the defense witnesses with resentment.

The defense witnesses ‘ gag orders were objected to by the prosecution.

The judge first granted the prosecution’s twin requests for gag orders for its witnesses and the recording of some of the evidence.

He informed the defense that the defense could file the appropriate applications at the appropriate time to avoid the gag order for defense witnesses.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore ( MUIS ) reported Razif on August 24, 2021, and the police said in a previous statement that they had begun looking into the matter.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan continues the trial.

If convicted of teaching a doctrine that is contrary to Muslim law, Razif could be jailed for up to 12 months, fined up to S$ 2, 000, or both.

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The Big Read: ‘Ah Longs’ go digital with new tactics and the trouble it spells

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Mr Louis Chua, a Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Sengkang GRC, suggested that “ethical lending practices” should be encouraged, apart from raising awareness of the dangers of illicit borrowing. Stringent regulations on all types of financing, perhaps from licensed moneylenders and banks, to avoid “exorbitant attention rates” andContinue Reading

Jail for man who stole S0,000 from jeweller on Singapore Airlines flight

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SINGAPORE: A man who stole the equivalent of about S$ 120, 000 ( US$ 88, 700 ) from a jeweller on a Singapore Airlines flight was sentenced to two- and- a- half years ‘ jail on Friday ( Jun 21 ).

Peng Hui, a 54- year- ancient China nationwide, had first told the court when he was charged that he did not admit guilt, but ultimately pleaded innocent to four charges.

These are for fraud, including attempting to submit some of the stolen funds to China by bringing income over S$ 20, 000 into Singapore without declaring it, converting some of the stolen funds into game chips, and attempting to transact some of it with China.

Another four expenses were considered in punishment.

THE Robbery

According to the jury, Peng was traveling on SQ899, which left Hong Kong for Singapore on March 5.

Another passenger was also on the aircraft: a Taiwanese jeweler who had traveled to trade fairs in Bangkok and Hong Kong and was returning home.

The prey had more than 1, 000 records of different faiths in his suitcase, including US$ 131, 000 in hundred- money bills and HKD$ 122, 000 in five hundred- money bills.

The goldsmith left his case in the overhead compartment, somewhat positioned behind his chair, during the trip.

The bag’s room with the money was never zipped up, and the jeweler occasionally dozed off or went to the restroom.

Peng had the idea to take from the target, taking advantage of the fact that he was carrying a significant sum of money.

While the plane was in journey, Peng stealthily removed US$ 80, 000 and another HKD$ 70, 000 from the victim’s handbag.

When the survivor arrived, he passed through the emigration convoy and declared the amount of money he was carrying.

Nevertheless, he quickly reported the case when he realized a sizable amount of cash was missing about three hours after takeoff.

WHAT PENG DID

Peng even alighted at Changi Airport. He had on him money of several churches, including the stolen volumes, totalling S$ 124, 473.

He realized that the hotel’s owner would immediately look for the money as soon as he checked in and counted the money.

He made the decision to convert the dollar to Singapore dollars because he was aware from prior experience that casinos may convert foreign currencies into blackjack chips.

Peng gambled some of the$ 30, 000 that he had purchased at the casino in Marina Bay Sands.

He eventually cashed out about S$ 42, 400 worth of chips.

Peng also made a trip to a People’s Park Complex payment station where he placed two orders to send money to his family in China for a total of around S$ 19, 900. &nbsp,

Due to his lack of a work permit, the company refused to accept more requests from him, but he went to another store and attempted to remit about S$ 9,500 to his brother in China.

However, the policeman prevented them from going through with the payments.

After extensive police investigations that involved trawling through security camera footage and an invasion activity, Peng was arrested the early hours of the following day.

They recovered about S$ 37, 900 from the payment firms that Peng had attempted to line to China, S$ 66, 761 in money from him and HKD$ 69, 000.

Another smaller amounts of Peng were also recovered. He was charged and remanded.

SENTENCING

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tung Shou Pin requested 32 to 37 months in prison for Peng on Friday, claiming he was a stranger who had targeted a Singaporean on a Taiwanese plane.

He said for foreigners are” a plague” as they affect Singapore’s status as a offense- completely country.

It’s challenging to find out about such crimes on airplanes because passengers frequently ca n’t look over their belongings and learn about the theft sooner.

According to Mr. Tung, the number that Peng stole makes it one of the worst cases of flight fraud.

In prevention, Peng said via a Mandarin speaker that he would like to suggest guilty to the jeweller.

” I have caused him economic decline, even though it’s not much”, he said. But it did change him intellectually, too.

He likewise pleaded for mercy, saying he had” caused harm to the safety status of Singapore”.

He said he was over 50 years old, had insulin and only one liver.

I worry that I wo n’t be able to endure it if I spend too much time in jail. And finally, my family is over 80 years old. I am the only baby. I want to look after her, but I would have to go to prison. I want to take her on her final quest, but I hope your honor will lessen the sentence and let me know when I’m wrong,” he said.

The sufferer did not suffer “much loss,” according to Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu, as a result of the diligent work of the prosecutors who stopped Peng’s plot to dissipate his legal wealth.

The judge praised the fact that Mr. Peng acknowledged that the sufferer may have experienced a certain degree of mental stress as a result of discovering the theft of his funds.

She suggested that Peng should inform the prison regulators about his health requirements.

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Baltimore bridge: Some crew of crashed ship cleared to head home

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According to the goods ship’s management business, some of the team members on the ship that struck a main bridge in Baltimore are scheduled to return home after almost three times on board.

A plea that would have prevented the team members from leaving so that they could be interrogated was dropped by Baltimore officials earlier this year.

The 21 seafarers, predominantly from India, have been stranded on the MV Dali since it crashed into Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key bridge on 26 March, causing it to collapse.

Six construction workers who were on the bridge were killed in the incident, which remains the focus of two investigations from the FBI and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The collision sent the mile- much gate, a local travel artery, into Maryland’s Patapsco River and across the vessel’s deck, blocking the port of Baltimore.

The sailors have resided on the ship since the accident took place. Because they were viewed as witnesses and did n’t have valid visas or shore access to enter the US, they were unable to leave the ship.

According to local media accounts, a deal reached between the city of Baltimore, the ship’s masters, and its management firm will then let some sailors to keep the vehicle.

However, they will still need to be notified after leaving the US for subpoenas.

Initial team members leaving and their time of exit are unknown.

According to Synergy Marine, the ship’s management company, spokesperson Darrel Wilson, some of the crew may be to help with the investigation while speaking to the BBC.

He added that the team is “doing well.”

Andrew Middleton, the director of Apostleship of Sea, a program that provides transportation to boats passing through Baltimore, claimed there were “mixed feelings” on board the ship when he met the sailors on Thursday.

” The ones that get to go house are happy, thrilled”, he said. However, the ones who are staying are unsure of when they will return home as well. That’s added to the intellectual strain”.

He added that he thinks some team members might depart in a few days.

According to Mr. Middleton, it is still unclear when the existing sailors may be given beach passes to leave the ship, or what that will “look like” when they are.

Some, he said, may finally be housed in hotels while the investigations development, an experience he said could be “isolating” without their own team members.

In May, two sailors ‘ unions claimed that “unfounded fear of personal criminal liability” and emotional distress had “diminished” the ship’s morale.

Owner of the ship Grace Ocean Private Ltd, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Lawyers for Baltimore claimed in court documents that they were informed at the last minute that eight of the seafarers planned to leave the country as early as Wednesday.

Additionally, Mr. Middleton added that he thinks that eight sailors are scheduled to depart.

Initial requests for a judge’s opinion were made by the city to stop that from occurring.

A deal reached late Wednesday, however, includes a guarantee that the “vessel interests will produce the witness in question for deposition during the discovery phase” of legal proceedings, court documents show.

Baltimore officials are currently looking into potential compensation for the incident and have fought against Dali’s owner’s attempts to limit damages to$ 43 million ( £33. 3 ) in favor of a cap.

The Dali’s crew has already been interviewed by the US Justice Department as part of its own investigation, and it has no plans to have them leave.

The 948ft ( 289m ) ship was towed away last month and is now at a nearby container terminal after months of being stranded beneath the metal and steel remnants of the Key Bridge.

Replacement sailors will be brought in while the ship remains at the terminal, according to CBS, the BBC’s news partner.

After 11 weeks of being closed, the shipping channel outside of Baltimore that had been blocked by the crash was re-opened last week.

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Singapore struggling to clean up oil spill coating beaches

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Authorities in Singapore are working to clear up a significant oil spill that has ruined the southern coastline of the city-state days after a freight accident.

A Dutch-flagged dredging boat slammed into a Taiwanese basement moored in the delivery islands off the island on Friday.

According to authorities, the dredger’s lack of engine power caused it to slam into the Malaysian vessel, puncturing its petrol tank.

At least half the fuel in its container, about 400 kilograms, spilled out, with big volumes washed ashore.

According to a joint statement from Singapore’s sea and setting companies,” the allision caused a fracture of one of the Marine Honour’s oil goods tanks, and its contents of low-sulphur energy oil were released to the sea.”

Three days after the incident, visitors to some of the Sentosa island beach clubs reported that the water was still oil, gloomy, and had a smell.

Sentosa currently forbids swimming and other marine pursuits, while many beaches are temporarily closed nationwide.

Wildlife is at risk, according to reports of sea snails and other animals being covered in crude from rescuers.

However, first biodiversity studies have come up with no significant damage reported.

Although oil was found on the roots of some mangrove vegetation in the area, Dr. Karenne Tun from the National Parks Board told the state’s Straits Times paper,” No major impact to sea biodiversity had been observed.”

But, the clean-up individuals claim it may still be too early to determine.

” It is a good sign that we did n’t see any wildlife in distress today, but we will have to keep an eye on the situation.” It may take some time before the oil spill’s correct effects become known,” Kua Kay Yaw told the paper.

According to the Malaysian authorities, about 1,500 people have volunteered to assist with the clean-up.

However, contracted workers are responsible for the majority of the work, with some seen on Sentosa beaches on Sunday digging through filthy piles and picking through the oil search.

A staff member at a beachfront club a few meters away from the holiday beach claimed the water was” also dark” on Monday morning.

” The beach is open but you just ca n’t go into the water, it’s still not clean”, Siobhan Chan told the BBC.

According to the authorities, East Coast Park, West Coast Park, and Labrador Nature Reserve have deployed about 1.5 kilometers of oil-absorbing pot boom close to the beaches and off the coast of public parks.

The spill was also the result of the water’s cleaning operation, which involved spraying solvent chemicals to “break down the area oil into droplets to strengthen biodegration,” according to a joint statement from authorities.

However, for treated crude suspended in water may still be” carried by coastal tides to coastlines”.

Government claimed that the waters surrounding Sisters ‘ Islands Marine Park, which is closed to the public to protect coral reefs and marine life, even had “oil sheen” detected.

Singapore is a key port and energy bunkering gateway, and hundreds of ships line the southern coast of the city.

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China’s war games near Taiwan threaten peace – Asia Times

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With the January election of President Lai Ching-Te, who was elected president in Taiwan, the country recently experienced still another quiet change of power.

Lai urged China to stop its harassment and” choose discourse over fight” in his inaugural speech.

Taiwan was simulated to be blocked by China in response. The People’s Liberation Army released images that purport to be” strong abuse” for dropping rockets on one of the world’s most densely populated nations.

Politics under threat

Beijing’s typical response to the 24 million people who have the right to vote democratically is to “break heads and let blood flow” Taiwan, a renegade province in China, needs to “return to the hug of the country,” despite the fact that China has no power over Taiwan.

China has been attempting to update background and validate its claim to be sovereign over Taiwan in recent years using its political clout and impact at the UN.

China is a techno-authoritarian state that has regressed even further under the leadership of Xi Jinping, despite Taiwan’s position being top in the Human Freedom Index ( just one spot ahead of Canada ).

Tibetans are forced to” Sinicize” and lose their cultural and religious heritage, while millions of Uyghur Muslims are still living in re-education and forced labor camps.

Reaching beyond territories

Social rebels, journalists and international citizens are not immune from harassment or prison.

The Taiwanese government goals and threatens Chinese citizens and critics of China wherever they are in what has been termed international oppression, assisted by Chinese’police stations operating with violence elsewhere.

Some governments, including Canada’s, precaution against go to China and Hong Kong due to the “risk of random protection” of laws prohibiting actions or talk critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

China’s repression, surveillance and arbitrary detention are common, and quite tactics and technologies are dangerously being exported worldwide.

While the Taiwanese government denounces TikTok’s forced withdrawal, the game, like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Google, is restricted within China’s great network.

War sports

China engaged in comparable battle game when Nancy Pelosi, a former US House speaker, visited Taiwan in 2022.

The speed of Taiwanese warship and fighter incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defence Identification Zone is increasing. In contrast, short of mounting an war, China is extremely testing the waters by deploying its maritime militia to cluster territories under Taiwan’s power.

Known as “grey- area” strategies, they fall little of the use of power, which is prohibited under international law. Also referred to as” salami slicing,” grey-zone tactics that are not completely problems make it difficult for others to react without triggering an eventual escalation of a conflict.

However, resisting threats of power or military coercion could lead to normalizing such aggressive behavior and provoking China to more disturb international peace and stability.

These acts of abuse and threats may occur both on Earth and in cyberspace and space, all of which have potential serious effects on human life and infrastructure.

Pattern of foolish behavior

China has never concealed its desire to alter the world order despite strongly allying with Russia and earnestly providing weapons to support its conflict in Ukraine.

Taiwan is also affected by China’s increasingly brutal maritime and flying military operations. States presumably enjoying freedom of navigation have also been repeatedly harassed on foreign waters by Canadian and American plane enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea.

China is also continuing to fight India over its territorial claims and militarizing territories in the contested lakes of the South China Sea.

China has also been attributed with deliberately enticing tracking and emergency stress signals in the Asia-Pacific, which threatens international aviation safety.

Why Taiwan things

Tech professionals from all over the world just spoke about the potential of cutting-edge technologies and AI. The Taiwanese-born NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang described his country as” the unsung hero, a staunch pillar of the world” because of its leadership in computing technology and chip production.

Taiwan is also at the forefront of a China that is becoming more assertive and intense. Taiwan experiences the highest level of attacks in the world every day that target government services and infect cultural hostility.

Taiwan can learn a lot about how to increase voter engagement in the modern era, combat international control, and dispel misinformation and propaganda that undermine trust in democratic processes and institutions.

The most recent war games involving Taiwan serve as yet another illustration of how China attempts to undermine democratic governments and global security. It might be a simulated harm today. However, it must be done that the earth may unite to stop it from ever being a reality.

At McGill University, Kuan-Wei Chen is a scientist in air and space rules.

This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.

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