CNA launches FAST experience for app, website to better serve time-pressed readers

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WITH THE ENGAGE OF GEN AI

With the assistance of relational AI (artificial knowledge ), our reporters and editors have the ability to produce these quick, useful summaries that you see in FAST tickets. Before being published online, any conclusion is reviewed by an editor.

FAST is just one of the many fresh efforts being announced as CNA honors its 25th anniversary. We previously made AI-generated voice available in content for users who prefer to read stories.

” As we mark 25 years of service, we are working on new activities to expand our existing base, match new demands, &nbsp, and reach new audiences”, said&nbsp, Mediacorp Chairman Niam Chiang Meng at a dinner meal on Tuesday to celebrate the anniversary. The integration of AI “promises interesting promise in the newsroom and in terms of increasing productivity and introducing new capabilities.”

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Singaporean influencer KiaraaKitty, who staged egg attack, banned from re-entering Taiwan

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Cheng told Taiwanese news reporters the following day, Feb 10, that she had reported the incident to the police. The Kaohsiung police said on Feb 11 that this was not the case and that Cheng had not filed any reports. 

Police investigations then found that the attacker was Cheng’s 32-year-old Singaporean male assistant, who had worked with Cheng to garner attention with the staged attack, according to Taiwanese media.

Cheng admitted in a livestream on Feb 24 that the video was a prank and apologised for her actions, after Kaohsiung police asked her to issue a public apology as the incident “had impacted negatively on the image of the southern port city”, reported Focus Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Central News Agency, citing the immigration department, said that Cheng and her assistant had left the island and would not be allowed to enter Taiwan for up to five years.

The immigration department stated that foreigners were welcome in Taiwan as tourists but would not be allowed to engage in illegal activities.

“If cases similar to those that undermine social harmony and stability are found to be true after investigation, law enforcement will be implemented and severe punishment will be imposed,” read the statement.

CNA has approached Cheng for comment.

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Singapore congratulates Taiwan’s William Lai on election victory

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On Saturday, Mr Lai won 40.05 per cent of the vote, comfortably ahead of the Kuomintang’s (KMT) Mr Hou Yu-ih with 33.49 per cent and the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) Dr Ko Wen-je with 26.46 per cent, according to the Central Election Commission.

The DPP lost its legislative majority, securing 51 seats out of the 113 available. The KMT took the most seats, with 52, and the TPP won eight seats. Two seats were taken by independent candidates.

Mr Lai, the former mayor of Tainan, is a noted proponent of Taiwan’s independence. His rivals and critics have said his election would endanger Taiwan and threaten peace with China.

In his victory speech, he extended an olive branch to the opposition and to China.

He said: “Under the principles of dignity and parity, we will use exchanges to replace obstructionism, dialogue to replace confrontation, and confidently pursue exchanges and cooperation with China.

“This furthers the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and achieves our objective of peace and common prosperity.”

Shortly after Mr Lai’s win, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said his victory would not change the basic landscape of cross-strait relations.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the results showed the DPP cannot represent mainstream public opinion on the island, according to a statement carried by Xinhua state news agency.

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IN FOCUS: Untangling Singapore-Malaysia food fights – what’s it got to do with identity and pride?

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“THE GREAT STOMACH”

Food rivalries, and the stream of public sentiments and “misconceptions” that accompany each episode, are part of the reason Dr Ong writes about food.

“Unfortunately, most of the people who made the comments, including the politicians, don’t know much about their local food, or the origins,” he said.

“We should all get together and promote our ASEAN dishes and talk about our local variations, similarities and differences.”

Across the Johor strait, Mr Ronald Gan, president of the Melaka Peranakan Association, is in the midst of the Wangkang – an 11-day ceremony recognised by the UN as intangible cultural heritage.

At the end of it, a Wangkang or deity’s barge is consumed by fire, giving deliverance to wandering souls on board the boat.

In his role, Mr Gan works with groups in China’s Xiamen city to preserve the traditions of the ritual. He believes a similarly collaborative approach is necessary for something as culturally significant as food.

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Heading into Johor Bahru? Top tips for crossing the Causeway

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The current fare for a one-way ticket from Woodlands Checkpoint into Johor Bahru is RM17.80 (S$5) while it costs RM5 (S$1.40) to travel back to Singapore from the station in JB Sentral. 

The train, also known as the Tebrau Shuttle, currently makes 31 trips daily – 18 from JB Sentral to Woodlands, and 13 from Woodlands to JB Sentral.

Just remember to arrive early. Gates close at Woodlands 20 minutes before departure while the gantries at JB Sentral shut 10 minutes before the train leaves. 

Had a change in plans? Here’s a tip – you can cancel your ticket online for a partial refund. 

Get a 75 per cent refund for cancellations made more than 72 hours before departure and 50 per cent for cancellations made within the three-day window. 

The quickest way to handle payments is also via the platform’s KTM Wallet, which eliminates the need for multi-step security authentication when you are on the go.

BY BUS

Cross-border bus services are another pocket-friendly option – SBS Transit buses 160, 170 and 170X, as well as SMRT bus service 950.

Bus service 160 plies the route between Jurong Town Hall bus interchange and JB Sentral Bus Terminal.

Service 170 travels between Queen Street Terminal and Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru, while 170X travels between Kranji MRT station and JB Sentral.

SMRT bus service 950 runs between Woodlands Temporary Bus Interchange and JB Sentral terminal. 

More information on operating hours and arrival timings is available on the Land Transport Authority’s MyTransport.SG app or via the bus operators’ websites. 

But if just crossing the Causeway is your main objective, any bus will do, including the bright yellow Causeway Link buses operated by Malaysia. 

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Singapore acts to address cases of frozen remittances in China worth S million

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SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Monday (Dec 18) instructed remittance companies here to use only banking and card channels to transfer funds to China, after Singapore police received hundreds of reports of remittances being frozen overseas. 

From Jan 1 to Mar 31 next year, remittance companies cannot use overseas third-party agents of non-bank and non-card channels.

The measure will be reviewed after three months.

“This is necessary for the immediate protection of consumers, and to stem the number of reported new cases of beneficiaries’ accounts in China being frozen,” MAS and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a joint media release.

They added that as of Dec 15, SPF received more than 670 reports of remittances being frozen, with a total sum amounting to around S$13 million (US$9.8 million). About 430 of the reports were against Samlit Moneychanger.

Remittance companies typically engage a bank or an operator of a card network such as Union Pay International to assist in remitting the funds. 

They could also offer the option of processing remittances through third parties such as overseas licensed agents in order to lower transaction costs or get more favourable exchange rates.

“The cases affected make up a small minority of total remittance transactions through remittance companies,” said MAS and SPF.

“While such non-bank channels were not prohibited, recent actions taken by PRC law enforcement agencies with respect to such channels have made them more risky,” the authorities added, referring to the People’s Republic of China.

FROZEN FUNDS

The issue was first reported by Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao which said about 1,000 Chinese nationals were affected by frozen funds, and that more than 100 people had lodged reports at the Police Cantonment Complex on Nov 19. 

MAS and the police held an outreach session on Monday evening for people whose funds were affected, mostly Chinese nationals working in Singapore.

It was also attended by the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, as well as three remittance companies – Hanshan Money Express, Samlit Moneychanger and Zhongguo Remittance.

“These actions are part of a broader effort by the Singapore government to work with the PRC government and the relevant remittance companies in Singapore to help the remitters understand how they can get their monies and accounts in China unfrozen,” said MAS and SPF.

They noted that the Chinese Embassy had published a notice on Oct 24 advising Chinese nationals in Singapore to use official banking channels to remit funds to China, even though non-banking channels may offer more favourable exchange rates.

MAS said it has been engaging the remittance companies involved and instructed them to provide the necessary assistance to affected customers.

“This includes issuing a confirmation letter to affected remitters upon request, to prove that their monies had been remitted through them into China, with information on the source of funds, such as through employment, to facilitate the unfreezing of the accounts,” said the Singapore authorities.

They noted that the Singapore government has no jurisdiction over the beneficiary bank accounts frozen by Chinese law enforcement agencies.

“Nevertheless, we are in close contact with the PRC government on the information required to facilitate the PRC law enforcement agencies’ decision on unfreezing of the accounts,” said MAS and SPF.

“The Singapore government understands the frustrations faced by the affected remitters and is doing all it can to help.

“We urge the affected remitters to provide all the information necessary to facilitate the unfreezing of their accounts by the PRC law enforcement agencies, and to seek redress within the legal framework of Singapore.”

They added that the police will not hesitate to take enforcement action against anyone who breaks the law in Singapore, including organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit. 

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Singaporean who ran Seoul-based drug trafficking ring jailed in South Korea

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SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man wanted for drug trafficking in the country has been arrested and jailed in South Korea where he was involved in a multinational syndicate selling narcotics on Telegram.

Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Thursday (Dec 14) that the 37-year-old man was arrested in Seoul on Apr 9.

The bureau told CNA that the man was sentenced to seven years in prison, although it did not comment on when his jail term began. 

He will be repatriated to Singapore after completing his sentence in South Korea, said CNB, adding that it will conduct further investigations into the man’s suspected drug offences here.

“The 37-year-old man is suspected to be involved in coordinating and supplying drugs to associates in Singapore for their subsequent trafficking and sale in Singapore using encrypted chat applications,” said CNB in a news release.

According to South Korean media, citing a media release by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday, the 37-year-old man led a multinational drug network based in Seoul that distributed drugs to Singapore and Vietnam via Telegram.

The Chosun Ilbo reported that the man promoted drugs through the chat platform and conspired with associates in Singapore to modify the drugs into other forms such as candy or jellies.

South Korean media said this is the first time that local authorities have uncovered a foreign network based in the country selling drugs overseas using Telegram.

Three of the man’s associates – two Singaporean women and another woman of foreign nationality – were also arrested in South Korea, said CNB.

It added that immigration records showed that the man had left Singapore since Nov 12, 2021. 

In response to queries from CNA on how the two Singaporean women were dealt with, CNB said that it was unable to comment due to ongoing investigations. 

The other woman was sentenced to jail in South Korea. 

CNB said it contacted South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) for joint investigations into the man’s activities after receiving intelligence that he had set up a base in South Korea. 

He was eventually caught as part of South Korea’s crackdown on cyber drug crimes, said local media.

“Drug trafficking is a cross-border issue that affects many countries, and traffickers increasingly use encrypted chat applications to advertise the sale of drugs to new clients and to arrange for the delivery of the drugs,” said Deputy Director of CNB for Operations, SAC Leon Chan. 

“The successful arrest in this case is a testament to the good relationship and close cooperation between CNB, NIS and SMPA in tackling the transnational nature of drug trafficking. For drug syndicate leaders and members who choose to feed their greed by bringing harm to our people in Singapore, CNB will spare no efforts to bring them to face justice in Singapore.”

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China travellers keen to ‘revenge travel’, tour agencies expecting spike in demand with Singapore visa exemption

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Managing director of Oriental Travel Stanley Foo told CNA that the agency has been badly affected by the drop in Chinese visitors. It saw a 50 per cent decrease in bookings from Chinese visitors, compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This group used to make up about 30 to 40 per cent of the tour agency’s bookings, but the figure now stands at less than 10 per cent, he added. 

“I don’t really see them anymore, except for business travellers. The group travellers have really reduced dramatically,” said Mr Foo. 

“Pre-pandemic, tourists from China are the top three visitors coming to Singapore. So it’s definitely affecting the tourism industry in Singapore badly, without them. We need their money.” 

In the hour after the announcement of the visa exemption agreement, online travel booking platform Trip.com saw an 80 per cent increase in the search volume for deals in Singapore, said Ms Ru Yi, the company’s general manager for Singapore. 

Searches for flight tickets and hotels also increased by 90 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, she added, noting that from January to October, 1.13 million Chinese tourists arrived in Singapore, making China the second-largest source of inbound visitors to Singapore. 

Tour agencies and industry experts pointed to several factors as to why visitor numbers have yet to completely rebound. 

Malaysia and Thailand also recently granted Chinese tourists visa-free access, and this new agreement will make Singapore more competitive on this front, said Ngee Ann Polytechnic senior lecturer in tourism Michael Chiam. 

“The rate of recovery for Chinese arrivals depends on many factors, and they include foreign currency exchange rate and the rate of economic recovery of the Chinese market. Visa-free arrangements is just one of them,” he added. 

Mr Foo also pointed to the stiff competition from Singapore’s neighbours, noting that spending a night in Singapore could be equivalent to spending three nights in Malaysia or Thailand. 

“The prices of hotels went up dramatically, and this will affect a certain group of visitors,” he added, noting that the price increase was about 20 per cent across the board. 

The frequency of flights between Singapore and China is currently at about 60 to 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, said Ms Li. 

Singapore Airlines declined to disclose specific figures on demand for flights between Singapore and China due to “commercial sensitivities”. 

China is an important market for the SIA Group, which comprises Singapore Airlines and Scoot, said its spokesperson. 

As of December, the SIA Group serves 23 destinations in China, compared to its 25 destinations before the pandemic, they said. 

There are 150 passenger flights to and from China each week, with Singapore Airlines operating 70 and Scoot operating 80. This is an overall increase from about 132 flights in July, where there two airlines operated 49 and 83 flights respectively.

Research from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on China’s outbound tourism in 2023 showed that the country’s travellers tended towards revenge travel, with a “resilient eagerness” to go overseas, said Associate Professor Deng Xin with the university’s business school. 

The visa exemption agreement will eliminate the hassle of visa applications, she added. “I anticipate that the numbers will eventually reach or surpass pre-pandemic levels, although it might take some time.” 

Southeast Asia is China’s top outbound destination, she added. 

“Chinese travellers rank destination safety, unique scenery and being friendly to the Chinese as the top three destination considerations. They long to travel abroad, yet also want to feel at home when travelling in terms of the language and payment choices. Singapore meets all the criteria.”

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