SHANGHAI – Air China will increase its flights between Beijing and the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, from early May, after it cancelled some flights this month because of what it said was weak demand.
China’s national airline said on April 14 some flights would be temporarily cut “based on the situation of ticket sales”, but it denied a report by state broadcaster CCTV that its flights to Pyongyang would be suspended indefinitely.
The CCTV report stirred speculation the scaling back of flights was in response to tension between North Korea and the United States over North Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile development.
China is North Korea’s sole major ally but disapproves of the North’s weapons programmes and has supported UN sanctions against it.
Searches on Air China’s website on Tuesday (April 25) showed the carrier will have one flight a week, on Fridays, for the first two weeks of May, and after that, two flights a week, on Monday and Friday.
Searches showed no flight scheduled for Friday this week.
Reuters could not immediately reach Air China for comment.
The United States has urged China to do more to press North Korea to stop what the United States sees as belligerent defiance of UN resolutions.
Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb 26, cutting off its most important export. Chinese media have raised the possibility of cutting oil shipments to North Korea, if it were to conduct another nuclear test.
Air China flights to Pyongyang, which have traditionally operated on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, began in 2008, but have frequently been cancelled because of unspecified problems, state media has said.
SINGAPORE – The National Environment Agency (NEA) has identified a new Zika cluster at Highland Road/Jansen Close on Tuesday (April 25).
The agency said on its website that two new cases were reported in the last two weeks.
(Image: NEA; click to enlarge)
Highland Road is adjacent to Flower Road, where previous Zika cases had been reported.
However, the cluster at Flower Road/Hendry Close has since been closed and is under surveillance, the NEA reported on its website.
The clusters at Glasgow Road and Poh Huat Road West/Poh Huat Terrace/Terrasse Lane though, are still active.
NEA has urged all residents and stakeholders to maintain vigilance and take immediate steps to eliminate mosquito breeding habitats by practising the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout.
Most people infected with the Zika virus do not develop symptoms, which heightens the risk of a Zika resurgence as it may take some time before a reintroduced Zika virus is detected.
Members of the public are advised to seek medical attention if they are unwell, especially with symptoms such as fever and rash. They should also inform their doctors of the location of their residence and workplace.
SINGAPORE: Five Indian nationals involved in a scheme to make false goods and services tax (GST) claims under the electronic Tourist Refund Scheme (eTRS) were sentenced to jail on Monday (Apr 24).
In all, more than 1,300 charges were brought against Karunanidhi Rajesh, 32, Waithiyalingam Karunanidhi, 61, Kothandaraman Gnanam, 29, Ramaiyan Karthikeyan, 43, and Karunanithi Saravanan, 36.
Each man faced more than 200 charges of claiming fraudulent tax refunds. Because they took the cash from the refunds out of Singapore, they also faced a total of 127 money laundering charges.
The five men made fraudulent claims of approximately S$167,253 in GST refunds since 2015 through a scheme involving jewellery they did not buy, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), Singapore Customs and Singapore Police Force said in a joint release on Monday.
As part of their scheme, they bought invoices and jewellery tags from locals who purchased the items but are not entitled to eTRS refunds.
A graphic illustration of a GST refund claim fraud by 5 men. (Source: IRAS)
The men then used their passports to obtain eTRS tickets from the jewellery shops.
They would match the invoices, jewellery tags and eTRS tickets to the jewellery they already owned, because these had to be presented to officers for inspection.
The men then claimed GST cash refunds at the airport using the eTRS ticket, invoice, jewellery and jewellery tag before leaving Singapore.
For their part in the scheme, Karunanidhi, Waithiyalingam, Kothandaraman, and Ramaiyan were each jailed 39 months and Karunanithi was jailed 38 months.
Each of them was also fined between S$14,000 and S$70,000 and ordered to pay a penalty of $51,952.71, triple the amount of fraudulent refund, which totalled S$17,317.57.
In their joint media release, the authorities said they take a serious view on such fraudulent GST claims and money laundering activities.
They added that, to deter GST fraud and to facilitate IRAS’ efforts in fraud detection, retailers that operate under the eTRS scheme are required to install a CCTV surveillance system on their premises to record the eTRS tickets issuance and sale process.
These retailers must also indicate prominently on each sale invoice whether or not an eTRS ticket was issued at the point of sale.
SINGAPORE: Due to finish his National Service this year, 23-year-old Goh Yu Hui was worried about finding a job.
He had heard stories about the challenges of securing a position – some of his relatives, fresh school leavers like him, have been struggling to secure interviews, much less a job offer.
Two months ago, the Singaporean began scouring through online jobs portals but none had what he was looking for.
“Nearly all the job positions wanted degree holders or people with at least two to three years of experience,” said the accounting diploma holder. “Many of the ads are also posted by agencies and had very little information about the company or job scope. If you want to know more about the company, you have to research on your own.”
He chanced upon Glints – a career development portal which was partnering his alma mater, Singapore Polytechnic – and gave it a shot by creating a profile.
Within days, he received an SMS notifying him of a suitable position. Two weeks later, he accepted the job as an accounts executive at a local business advisory firm.
In a labour market where out-of-work locals are taking longer to find jobs, some job seekers like Mr Goh are casting their net wider by jumping on board alternative recruitment portals and apps developed by tech start-ups.
One such platform is Glints, a homegrown start-up which focuses on matching young adults aged between 18 and 30 years old to internship and permanent employment opportunities. Apart from having a job board where members can apply for interested positions, Glints also makes customised recommendations based on a member’s interests, education background and work experiences.
Currently, it is working with more than 7,000 companies, ranging from Singapore-based start-ups such as Paktor to global multinational corporations like Puma, to place its 60,000 members.
However, Glints wants to be more than just a job matching site, according to its three founders.
“One thing we see within the job market is that the skills requirements are changing very quickly and it is more important now for people to constantly upgrade their skills set. Looking for a job is just the first step on our platform,” said co-founder Oswald Yeo, who added that the platform’s algorithm scans through members’ profiles to identify skills gaps and suggests relevant training.
For instance, it offers to draw up personalised training plans for its members based on current SkillsFuture courses. Each Glints user is also assigned a staff who can render one-on-one help.
“The media may be reporting about higher unemployment rates and slower economic growth but on the individual level, we just want to provide you with the tools and resources to get hired,” co-founder Looi Qin En told Channel NewsAsia. “Stop worrying about the big picture and focus on your own path.”
(Left to right) Seah Ying Cong, Looi Qin En and Oswald Yeo gave up their scholarships in top US universities to start Glints in 2013. “We want to help young people discover their own career paths, just like we did.” (Photo: Tang See Kit)
MORE THAN JUST A JOBS MARKETPLACE
Another new entrant, MyWork Global, similarly offers training suggestions for its users.
Started initially by lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Rebecca Chiu as a solution for the manpower crunch at her food and beverage (F&B) venture Soi 55, the mobile app aims to match on-demand workers with businesses looking for someone to fill a role at short notice.
Workers can customise search results based on their preferences, including location and wage expectations. When Channel NewsAsia last used the app, it showed a variety of ad hoc jobs primarily in sectors such as F&B and retail. At the end of each job, workers will receive a rating from their employers, which will then be published on their profile pages.
Workers who have a less-than-ideal score can choose to undergo training to improve their ratings and hence, their employability. For this, MyWork is partnering with the Social Enterprise Network Singapore (Sense) – the subsidiary training arm of Malay self-help group Mendaki – to offer heavily-subsidised courses.
Apart from businesses, the new app wants to offer a “win-win” platform for the burgeoning group of gig workers in Singapore, as well as freelancers who are on the lookout for ad hoc jobs to earn extra cash, Ms Chiu said.
Since its soft launch last September, MyWork has amassed 35,000 users, with nearly half of them aged between 18 and 25 years old.
One such user is 21-year-old Jeremy Teo, who has since completed various stints as a service crew and event helper for F&B companies such as 49 Seats. “Allowing me to work around my own schedule, it provides me with flexibility and at the same time, stability of income. It is a great way for me to gain new experience and try out different job roles,” said Mr Teo.
Newly unveiled mobile app MyWork matches on-demand workers with businesses looking to fill a temporary role at short notice. (Photo: MyWork Global)
Meanwhile, Tokyo-headquartered Wantedly, which officially launched in Singapore two months ago, prides itself on connecting people to jobs based on passion. The biggest social recruiting platform in Japan with over 1.2 million active monthly visitors and 20,000 clients, offers some unique features that hope to make the job hunting process a little easier.
Available both as a website and an app, Wantedly allows users to ask questions or even schedule a visit to the company they are interested in before sending out their job applications. On these visits, participants will get to meet the firm’s representatives and catch a glimpse of the work environment.
Job postings that appear on its platform are also often creatively written, with detailed descriptions of the job role and the company.
Mr Tan Weiting, the country manager for Wantedly Singapore, explained: “The issue with current job platforms is there’s not much transparency. They put up a short post and how is that going to help you understand the job or even company culture?”
He added: “Apart from a weak job market, there is also a mismatch where people are not clear about what’s out there so we want to fill that gap by being transparent. Before you walk through the company’s door, we want you to know what the company stands for and whether it fits you.”
Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Rebecca Chiu founded MyWork Global in 2016. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
“THEY ARE THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER AND WE ARE A SPEEDBOAT”
To be sure, these new platforms and apps still have a long way to go when it comes to upending the local recruitment market that has long been dominated by heavyweight incumbents, both offline and online.
Among the job seekers whom Channel NewsAsia spoke to, a majority of them named established recruitment portals such as jobsDB, JobsCentral and the National Jobs Bank, as their first choice when it comes to job hunting.
Ms Jenn Tan, a graduating student from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) science faculty, signed up with these job boards three months ago. While she is open to giving less well-known platforms a shot, Ms Tan pointed out that many of them still lag behind in terms of the variety and number of job listings.
“When searching for a job, it’s always good to look at more platforms but what I would consider before even signing up is the number of job listings on a website. It’s about having more choices on one platform.”
While start-ups like Glints acknowledge that there remains some catching up to do, they do not think that size is necessarily a hindrance.
Referring to massive job portals such as the National Jobs Bank, Mr Looi said: “They are the aircraft carrier and we are a speedboat. I don’t think there’s competition.”
“As a private platform, we are focused on offering diverse opportunities and we can do that at a much faster pace. For the past one year, our site has gone through radical changes both on the front-end and back-end technology,” added co-founder Seah Ying Cong.
For Mr Goh, he admits that he is the lucky few among his peers to have found work.
Moving forward, he will also be studying an Advanced Diploma in Accountancy – an 18-month work-study programme offered under the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) – which Glints has helped to coordinate.
“Some of my friends have never heard of Glints but for me, it has been useful… It will be tiring to study and work at the same time but I’m getting prepared now by studying during my free time,” he said. “I think it will benefit me in future.” Source link
A forest ranger was forced to jump off a roof to avoid being attacked by a leopard in India last week.
According to India Express, a leopard wandered into the Kuruli village in the Kantabanji forest area of Odisha, terrifying and attacking villagers in the process.
At one point the big cat ended up inside of a building and forest department rangers were attempting to trap the animal when it emerged onto the building’s roof.
The leopard then charged a ranger on the roof, forcing the man to jump off to avoid the attack.
After 12 hours, the leopard was eventually captured, but it managed to injure three people, including the ranger, in the ordeal.
Thankfully, none of the injuries were life-threatening, and the animal is reportedly being relocated to the Nandankanan Zoo in Bhubaneswar.
SINGAPORE – A woman who identified herself as the daughter of the elderly man caught in a dispute with a couple at a hawker centre has spoken out about the incident, expressing her outrage and ‘disgust’ at how her father was treated.
The argument, which occurred on April 21 over a ‘reserved’ seat at a hawker centre at Toa Payoh Lorong 8, saw the woman spewing expletives at the elderly man, while her male companion shoved him from behind, almost causing the man to fall.
A video recorded by a witness and shared on Facebook sparked an online witch-hunt for the pair.
In her post on Tuesday morning, Ms Caroline Ng, said she had just seen the online posts and watched the video of the altercation between her father and the young couple.
“Today, no words can express my outrage and disgust to learn of an incident that happened to my dad,” she wrote.
She added that she found it unbelievable how her father did not mention a word of the incident to his family, as he thought it was pointless to pursue the matter.
“What I find unbelievable is for the entire 2 days, my dad never for (sic) once mentioned a word of it.”
“In his own words, he tells me he didn’t think anything will come out of it, will the police even act on it? ..does it make sense to pursue it?.. Furthermore, will anyone even going to (sic) believe him? It will be just his words …So what can he do?”
She said: “Bottom line is (doesn’t matter who is there first), my dad only wanted to share the table, there were only 2 of them (the couple) and their food wasn’t even ready…will it kill them just to share the seats??!”
“No matter who is in the right or wrong, nobody should be treated in this manner, let alone to an old folk.”
Ms Ng said the incident made her realise that many elderly may have fell victim to similar “unruly beviour” but does “not think they have a voice” or a cause for appropriate action to be taken.
She thanked the people who have shown support for her father, and also apologised to a student, Ms Cherry Tan, who had been wrongly identified by a netizen as the woman in the video.
ST_20.04.2017_1711054891 chew seng kim CPIB investigates FAS.
The link between football and jackpot machines goes back to the days before professional football started in Singapore in the 1990s, but it is under serious scrutiny now following reports of Tiong Bahru Football Club’s (TBFC) $36.8 million annual takings last year from its 29 jackpot machines, which is more than the budget of the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) in the same period.
Yesterday, members of one of the two teams competing for the top posts in the FAS admitted it has little hold on the clubs, outside of the competitions, and cannot require a club to contribute a fixed amount of its jackpot operations towards football.
There is a misconception about the amount of control the FAS has over the clubs, said former FAS vice-president Bernard Tan, who is running for the position of deputy president on one team, but Saturday’s elections could provide the opportunity to correct this.
Former TBFC general manager Richard Woon told The Straits Times yesterday how the club grew to be a jackpot powerhouse while its amateur football team plays in the second-tier National Football League.”I believe we are the first club to have jackpot machines. We applied for the licence around 1990. We had five machines when we started, but it was to raise funds for the club. We wanted enough to run the club,” he said.
TBFC’s model worked and was subsequently copied by more clubs when the professional S-League was launched in 1996.
These days, jackpot revenues cover around a third of an S-League club’s operating costs. Sponsorships and subsidies from the FAS take care of the rest.
Balestier Khalsa chairman S. Thavaneson, whose club has eight machines, said: “Most S-League clubs started getting them from around 1998, but it was purely to cover operating costs. We are not in the business of running jackpot machines and building surpluses.
“The focus must be on football. Anyway, we don’t have time to concentrate on jackpot operations. We already spend about 90 per cent of our time on football activities.”
But S-League clubs are not the only football teams with jackpot rooms. Clubs that have not played in the S-League for years are still profiting from jackpot machines.
Tanjong Pagar United and Gombak United, for instance, still run jackpot operations, although they have not played in the S-League after the 2014 and 2012 seasons, respectively.
They reported gross incomes of $490,000 and $9.2 million for the year 2015, respectively.
Woodlands Wellington, which sat out from 2014, also run a clubhouse with an income of $11.3 million. The club, Hougang United and TBFC were raided by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) last week. The raids came after a police report was filed against TBFC over suspected misuse of funds and purported attempts by a TBFC official to obstruct ongoing audits by the FAS.
The chairman of Hougang and TBFC is Mr Bill Ng, who is leading the other team in the FAS election.
He is assisting the CAD with investigations, along with his wife Bonnie Wong, former FAS president Zainudin Nordin and FAS general secretary Winston Lee.
Responding to ST’s queries, an FAS spokesman said the clubs sat out the S-League to “strengthen their financial position”, but they are encouraged to offer football activities for the community at large.
“The sit-out clubs are required to submit monthly management accounts and annual audit reports.”
Another club that also runs jackpot operations is Sinchi FC, which last played in the S-League in 2005.
Their clubhouse, which has six machines, is at Sultan Plaza. The FAS said Sinchi is not its affiliate.
It was last reported in 2012 that Sinchi’s jackpot revenue was being used to pay off debts, but little is known of its footballing activities.
Mr Woon, who is with Tanjong Pagar now, coaches several youth teams. The club also runs a women’s football team and hopes to rejoin the S-League one day.
To that end, the FAS said: “They may apply to return to the S-League when they are financially stable. However, their application will be subject to meeting stringent criteria, and is at the discretion of the FAS and S-League.”
It will be left to the new FAS council, after Saturday’s election, to decide on whether the sit-out clubs can return.
• Additional reporting by Winnie Tan
Key questions on jackpot rooms
Q Is a permit required to run a jackpot room?
A Yes, under the Private Lotteries Act, a private lottery permit from the Police Licensing and Regulatory Department is needed to operate a fruit machine. Permits cost $195 per year.
Q What kind of club or society is allowed to run a jackpot room?
A Societies – which can include clubs – must be registered with the Registry of Societies or another relevant authority, and must have at least 500 voting members at all times.
These societies must not have been established for purposes connected with gaming, wagering or lotteries.
The Constitution of the society or club also must not prohibit gambling or private lotteries.
Registered charities cannot run jackpot rooms.
Q Are there regulations surrounding how jackpot rooms can operate?
A Police regulations state that at least two other recreational facilities need to be in operation at the clubhouse during the operating hours of the jackpot room.
The interior of the jackpot room and the machines also cannot be in the public’s view.
Q Who is allowed to play in these rooms?
A Only members and their guests, both of whom have to be at least 18 years old, are allowed in the jackpot rooms. Each member is allowed to take along a maximum of two guests.
Q Can food be served in jackpot rooms?
A Yes, club operators can provide food and drinks to members, but they cannot advertise their operation of jackpot machines.
Q How many jackpot rooms are there?
A The police declined to reveal the number of private lottery permits they have issued to such societies. But media reports in the last few years have stated that there are over 90 such jackpot clubs in Singapore.
Q How much can these clubhouses earn?
A Checks by The Straits Times on the latest annual returns filed by clubs with the Registry of Societies show that gross incomes can vary widely – these can range from $36.8 million (Tiong Bahru Football Club) to $475,185 (Albirex Niigata Football Club).
Q Are these takings taxed?
A Yes, these societies have to pay a private lotteries duty to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore.
This amount is 9.5 per cent of the “turnover”, or the total amount wagered by players on jackpot machines.
This article was first published on April 25, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
An overview of a national meeting at the People's Palace of Culture in Pyongyang on April 24, 2017 in celebration of the 85th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in this handout photo by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made available on April 25, 2017. KCNA/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Seoul – Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a conventional firing drill, reports said, as the South announced joint naval exercises with a US aircraft carrier in the flashpoint region.
Speculation had mounted that Pyongyang could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding of its army.
But no such event – which usually happens in the morning – had taken place by noon, and Seoul’s defence ministry said “no unusual development had been detected”.
Instead the South’s Yonhap news agency cited an unnamed government source saying Pyongyang marked the anniversary with its “largest ever firing drill”, carried out in the eastern port city of Wonsan and presumed to have been overseen by leader Kim Jong-Un.
North Korea has ambitions to build a missile capable of reaching the US mainland and tensions have soared in recent months as it carried out a string of missile tests that sparked tit-for-tat sabre-rattling between it and Washington.
Pyongyang’s rhetoric always intensifies in the spring, when Seoul and Washington hold joint military drills it sees as rehearsals for an invasion.
The North’s Rodong Sinmun – the official mouthpiece of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea – warned Tuesday of dire consequences in the event of a US-led pre-emptive strike.
It promised “the most brutal punishment… in the sky and land as well as at sea and from underwater without any warning or prior notice”.
North Korea launched two missile tests this month while US President Donald Trump and his senior aides have warned that “all options are on the table” against Pyongyang, including military action.
Trump on Monday urged the UN Security Council to consider stronger sanctions against Pyongyang, and US senators will be briefed on North Korea at the White House on Wednesday.
Washington has sent the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to arrive – after a derision-provoking delay – later this week.
The vessel will take part in joint naval drills with the South’s forces to “demonstrate Seoul and Washington’s strong determination to punish North Korean provocations”, the South Korean Navy said in a statement.
They will take place in the East Sea, the South’s name for the Sea of Japan, it said, and the two allies will also begin joint naval exercises in the West Sea on Tuesday “in relation to the current security situation”.
The nuclear-powered US submarine USS Michigan also made a port call to the South’s Busan on Tuesday in another show of force.
Trump has said the US was sending an “armada” to the Korean peninsula, including submarines.
The USS Michigan is built to carry submarine-launched ballistic missiles and Tomahawk cruise missiles capable of making precision strikes against the North’s nuclear facilities, Yonhap said.
But the South Korean Navy called the vessel’s visit “routine”, adding it would not take part in any joint exercises.
American actor and rapper Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, is looking to a fresh career as a K-pop singer.
“I will be dropping a K pop single in the next 4 months,” Jaden tweeted to his 6.28 million followers on April 21.
The Hollywood star’s son showed his eagerness to be a K-pop star, posting a series of tweets in December which said, “I’m serious I actually wanna be a K pop star” and “I just wanna be a K pop star.”
In 2013, the Smiths visited Korea to promote sci-fi film “After Earth,” which starred the father-son duo together.
During the promotional tour, Will said, “If this movie is successful in Korea, I’m gonna do a song with Psy. … So we’re gonna get huge music and so, if we have success, we’re gonna come back and we’re gonna go to YG Entertainment.”
The Smiths visited the agency’s headquarters in Seoul, meeting YG Entertainment artists such as G-Dragon, CL, T.O.P, Taeyang and Teddy.
Jaden, 18, met Big Bang leader G-Dragon again in Paris during a Chanel fashion show in 2016.
The teenage artist said G-Dragon was his inspiration via social media. G-Dragon replied, “It is always good seeing Jaden, we should ‘do something,'” hinting the two artists could collaborate.
Jaden made his film debut in the 2006 biographical drama film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which landed him the award for best breakthrough performance at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards.
Jaden Smith, who rapped alongside Canadian singer Justin Bieber in “Never Say Never,” released his first mixtape, “The Cool Cafe,” in October 2012.
Ariana Grande, Duran Duran, and OneRepublic are some of the headline acts that will perform at Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix this September, race organiser Singapore GP revealed on Tuesday (April 25).
The 10th edition of the night race, which will be held from Sept 15 to 17, will also include performances by George the Poet, Lianne La Havas, Seal, and The Chainsmokers.
Table: Singapore GP
The three-day Zone 1 ticket (from $448) includes access to all the headline concerts, while the three-day race ticket ($248) will include access to all the concerts in Zone 4.
Early-bird tickets are on sale until May 8 and offer savings of up to 28 per cent off regular ticket prices.
Tickets are available at www.singaporegp.sg, via the ticketing hotline +65 6738 6738, and all authorised ticketing agents.
(Left to right) Seah Ying Cong, Looi Qin En and Oswald Yeo gave up their scholarships in top US universities to start Glints in 2013. “We want to help young people discover their own career paths, just like we did.” (Photo: Tang See Kit)
Newly unveiled mobile app MyWork matches on-demand workers with businesses looking to fill a temporary role at short notice. (Photo: MyWork Global)
Lawyer-turned-entrepreneur Rebecca Chiu founded MyWork Global in 2016. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
