SINGAPORE – The deaths of a woman and her daughter after a silver Mercedes-Benz they were in plunged into the Alexandra Canal was a “truly tragic misadventure”, and there is no reason to suspect foul play, ruled State Coroner Marvin Bay on Monday (July…
Source link
Mother-daughter deaths in Alexandra Canal accident a tragic misadventure: State Coroner
New Bill to provide clarity on what constitutes contempt of court
The Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill will ensure court orders are obeyed, individuals have the right to a fair trial and high levels of trust in Singapore’s legal system are preserved. It also sets out a framework for punishment of contempt.
Source link
Brexit uncertainties to persist for a few years: Tharman
SINGAPORE – The economic and political uncertainties resulting from Britain’s vote to exit the European Union (EU) may weigh on the global economy for a few years and are likely to dampen growth, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in…
Source link
Floods kill 22 people in India, 170,000 homeless
NEW DELHI – Flash floods triggered by torrential rain have killed at least 22 people in India and forced more than 170,000 from their homes, officials said on Monday, as forecasters predicted more downpours in coming days.
India’s monsoon rains, though vital for agriculture, regularly bring death and destruction. The rain was 35 percent above average in the week that ended on July 6, the weather office said.
Twenty people were killed in the central state of Madhya Pradesh where 70,000 people were left homeless as water rose to dangerous levels along parts of the Narmada river.
Firemen waded through thigh-deep water to rescue women and children in flooded villages while rescue teams used inflatable boats to reach people stranded in urban areas.
“Thousands of people will be evacuated today. We are working on a war footing mode to set up relief camps,” additional home secretary Basant Singh said in Bhopal, the state capital.
“The health department is distributing medicines to prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases.”
Stormy weather also ravaged parts of the remote northeast.
Heavy rain pounded the tea-growing, oil-rich state of Assam killing at least two people. About 100,000 people were forced to take shelter on higher ground, officials there said.
The rain has also swelled the Brahmaputra river, which flows into Bangladesh, to dangerous levels.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered officials to distribute food, clothing and medicines to people who could not return to their homes.
Image:
Publication Date:
Monday, July 11, 2016 – 16:13
Send to mobile app:
Source:
Hermes ID:
2 433 620
Hermes ID String:
11072016_FLOOD
Story Type:
Others
New bill spells out contempt of court conduct, proposes framework of penalties
SINGAPORE – With high-profile cases before the courts often drawing significant public discussion – which are increasingly amplified by social media – the Ministry of Law is introducing a bill to set out the types of conduct that will be considered contempt…
Source link
Rare bank robbery highlights complacency in safe Singapore
SINGAPORE – A rare bank robbery in Singapore has sparked a social media debate on whether the country’s low crime rates made authorities and the population too complacent, questioned bank security and criticised police for not providing details of the incident.
A man stole S$30,000 from a Standard Chartered branch last Thursday, having slipped the teller a note saying he was armed, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
The teller pressed a silent alarm button and police arrived within minutes, but it was too late, said the source, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Standard Chartered said the bank has taken”immediate actions to further enhance” security. It declined to comment on the details of the robbery as investigations were ongoing.
“While there was no security guard present, our staff acted in accordance to protocols and in the best interests of our customers and our colleagues,” a bank spokeswoman said.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore urged banks to “learn from the recent incident and assess whether their security measures need to be enhanced”.
Local newspaper Straits Times said the last bank robbery in Singapore – by a man with a fruit knife – occurred in 2004.
Bank robbery at Holland Village Standard Chartered Bank
Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source:
The Straits Times, Twitter
Singapore police often appeal to the public for information, but did not release any CCTV footage of the latest bank robbery and did not answer Reuters requests for details on the robbery.
The police “didn’t even have the decency to issue a statement or conduct a briefing about the robbery … stage fright???”, said Facebook user Erik Seeto.
Twitter user @Thefinnigans, summed up Thursday’s robbery with a meme depicting a polite dialogue between a smiling teller and an elderly man.
After the man says he wants to rob the bank, the teller asks whether he would like a transfer into his account, then they settle for notes.
The man says: “I will definitely rob here again.” The teller responds: “We welcome you to rob us anytime!”
Police have launched a major manhunt for the bank robber. The last high-profile manhunt in Singapore was in 2008, when Mas Selamat Kastari, the suspected leader of a radical Islamist group linked to the 2002 Bali bombings, shot to fame after escaping from the toilet of a detention centre.
Image:
Publication Date:
Monday, July 11, 2016 – 15:59
Keywords:
Send to mobile app:
Source:
Rotator Image:
Hermes ID:
2 433 516
Hermes ID String:
11072016_BANK
Story Type:
Others
Less than 10% of complaints on workplace discrimination relate to race or religion: MOM
Between 2011 and 2015, MOM and TAFEP received about 400 complaints per year of alleged discriminatory workplace practices.
Source link
The world’s most expensive dining experience launches in Singapore
For a cool US$2 million, a couple will get a helicopter ride, an 18 course dinner with vintage wines and a 2.08 carat diamond ring.
Source link
Islamic State publishes Malay-language newsletter to attract more supporters in SEA
IN a bid to sway more supporters to its cause in the Southeast Asian region, the Islamic State (IS) is now distributing its newsletter in the Malay language.
Called Al Fatihin (“The Conqueror”), the newsletter is meant for “Malay-speaking foreigners in the Islamic State” and appears to be a Malay translation of the militant group’s Arabic-language newsletter, Al Naba’.
#ISIS choice of #Malay for its propaganda has a strategic goal to appeal broader support base in #SoutheastAsia. https://t.co/vFrhrWpMaU
— Bam (@T_Klumklomchit) June 28, 2016
Published by IS media affiliate Furat Media, the first edition, which came out in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, carries news and propaganda involving the group’s activities all around the world.
The publication, which seems to only be available online, is peppered with misspellings and uses a mix of Malaysian and Indonesian terms.
There also appears to be an online website sharing the same name, though it states it is in Indonesian language.
SEE ALSO: Flyers threatening bomb attacks targeting Singaporeans and Malaysians surface in Indonesia
Of late, IS has ramped up its attempts to recruit militants in Southeast Asia and has claimed responsibility for a recent spate of violent incidents in several countries in the region, threatening further attacks.
Last week, flyers warning of bomb attacks surfaced in the Riau archipelago of Indonesia, claiming to target travelers from Malaysia and Singapore.
Prior to that, a hand grenade which blew up at a nightclub near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur was confirmed to have links to the terrorist group, while a suicide bombing attack at a police headquarters in the Javanese city of Solo, Indonesia was said to have been carried out by an IS sympathizer.
The post Islamic State publishes Malay-language newsletter to attract more supporters in SEA appeared first on Asian Correspondent.
Average monthly lift breakdown rate has fallen: Lawrence Wong
SINGAPORE – There were about 20 lift breakdowns per 1,000 lifts every month last year and in the first half of this year, lower than the average breakdown rate of 30 per 1,000 lifts per month registered in 2013 and 2014, said Minister for National Development…
Source link
