There are currently no reports of Singaporeans affected by the shooting that took place in Orlando on Sunday (June 12), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.
Most Singaporeans registered in Orlando said they are safe after the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC got in contact with them.
In a statement released on Monday, MFA advises Singaporeans in Orlando to exercise vigilance and follow the instructions of the US authorities. Those who require consular assistance may contact the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC or the 24-hour MFA Duty Office at:
– Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Washington DC, tel: +1 (202) 537 3100, email: singemb_was@mfa.sg
A large-scale war among yakuza gangs in Japan not seen in decades is brewing following the killing of a key member of a newly formed alliance that has been in revolt since August against Yamaguchi, the biggest syndicate in the country’s underworld, the Japanese media warned.
“It looks like the bloodshed would spread throughout the whole country,” the Nikkan Gendai magazine warned in its latest edition, following the killing of a 55-year-old executive of a group called Ikeda on May 31.
Tadashi Takagi, from the group affiliated to the breakaway alliance – which is called Kobe Yamaguchi so as to differentiate itself from the long-established Yamaguchi – was gunned down in a car park in Okayama city, some 700km south-west of Tokyo.
The killer, aged 32, has been confirmed to be linked to Kodakai, an openly violent and criminal arm of Yamaguchi, the original base of Yamaguchi’s current top boss Shinobu Tsukasa, reported the Tokyo Reporter tabloid.
Yamaguchi held an urgent meeting last week in Kobe, where it is headquartered and located some 150km east of Okayama, to discuss the killing, said Nikkan Gendia.
Kobe Yamaguchi, also based in Kobe, is also in high tension, preparing for a possible showdown, according to reporter Kazuo Kashima.
“Both sides are reining in their younger members for fear they would behave rashly, which might cause them to be marked by police or to leak vital information,” said Mr Kashima.
“They are even prohibited to use Line, Twitter and other social-networking sites,” he added.
Mr Kashima cited the recent clash in Hokkaido between the Ikeda group and Yamaguchi – which has about 40,000 members across the country – as what could happen soon elsewhere.
“People on out-of-town assignments should reduce outings at night to avoid being caught in the line of fire,” he warned.
In August last year, 13 gangs based in Kobe and other surrounding areas were ordered purged from Yamaguchi by Tsukasa – which means severing of ties or excommunication, reported the Japan Times.
That was apparently due to their revolt against over-domination by Yamaguchi, which had placed unprecedented pressure on them to contribute money and staff.
According to records, at least four bystanders were killed in past yakuza wars.
In the bloodiest yakuza clash to date, which took place in the 1980s, at least 29 members were killed.
Although yakuza are largely active in south-western Japan, there are now 73 groups operating in Tokyo, 50 of which are affiliates of Yamaguchi, said Mr Kashima.
Have you been recently harrassed by scammers calling to request for you to remit money for a suspicious parcel? You’re not alone.
Fed up with these scams, one netizen decided to prank one supposed scammer.
The man, who goes by the moniker Benedict Mrmarksman, posted on Facebook a recording of his phone conversation with the scammer on Wednesday (June 8).
Speaking in Mandarin, the recording starts off with an ongoing phone conversation between the scammer and Mrmarksman. The netizen then tells the scammer that he is “Willy Chen” and he is known as “Wei”.
After a minute or so of clarifying his name, the scammer asks him to hold while he confirms Mrmarksman’s telephone number.
The scammer comes back on the line and says that on May 25, the netizen posted a parcel containing clothes via courier service DHL. The scammer then asks Mrmarksman to verify this information.
At this point, Mrmarksman pretends that he can’t hear the scammer and tells him to repeat himself.
The scammer does so but sounds impatient as the conversation goes along. Mrmarksman tells him that the information about the DHL parcel is correct.
The scammer said that the parcel was supposedly checked by the Shanghai authorities and found to contain dangerous articles, and asks Mrmarksman for an explanation.
The netizen denies this and says that he posted the parcel to Zhejiang, China. The scammer then asks for the recipient’s address and name.
Top 7 scams in Singapore and more
Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source:
www.scamalert.sg
Mrmarksman replies that he sent the parcel to “Wei Jun Ru” but the scammer tells him that the information is incorrect.
Unexpectedly, after Mrmarksman appears confused, the scammer says: “Do you still want to play?”
Ending the conversation, Mrmarksman then tells him: “Oh you know. Goodbye then.”
On Monday (June 6), Ms Cynthia Tay-Lek did not fall prey to a similar scam but also posted on Facebook an account of her phone conversation with the scammer.
Ms Tay-Lek played along with the scammer and said: “I’m sorry I can’t (send money) now cos I’m halfway killing someone.”
The conversation ended when the scammer could not get her to remit money to him.
stephluo@sph.com.sg
Scam victims from China who allegedly lost $1.6b look for clues in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Overall unemployment in Singapore remained unchanged 1.9 per cent in the first quarter of the year, said the Manpower Research and Statistics Department (MRSD) in a report released on Monday (June 13). The report said that unemployment declined…
SINGAPORE – Almost 8 tonnes of seized elephant ivory, estimated to be worth about S$13 million, was crushed by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) on Monday (June 13). The ivory was seized over a period starting from January 2014. The seized…
MEXICO CITY – Any move by Congress to amend a massive Pacific trade pact – the centrepiece of US President Barack Obama’s rebalancing to Asia – would risk the deal collapsing, according to the Singapore Government. “It’s in the interests of all 12 parties…
Rising star Christina Grimmie, 22, was shot and killed by a 27-year-old man while signing autographs at a concert hall in Orlando, Florida, on Friday (June 10).
Authorities say they are trying to determine if the killer knew the singer or was a deranged fan. Kevin James Loibl opened fire on Grimmie, and then shot himself.
The shooting was reminiscent of other similarly shocking attacks on celebrities over the years. Here’s a look at some of these cases.
1. MAYU TOMITA
The 20-year-old Japanese pop star was left fighting for her life after being stabbed dozens of times in the neck and chest by 27-year-old Tomohiro Iwazaki at a small concert venue in Tokyo on May 21 this year.
Thankfully, Iwazaki had missed all her vital organs. Sources said Tomita regained consciousness last Friday (June 10).
Tomita had reportedly complained to police that her attacker was posting obsessive online comments about her before the attack, with Iwazaki telling police he became angry at the star when she returned a gift he sent her.
2. GIANNI VERSACE
The famed Italian designer, who founded his eponymous luxury fashion company in 1978, was killed on the steps of his Florida home on July 15, 1997, at the age of 50.
Versace had been returning from a morning walk when 27-year-old college drop-out Andrew Cunanan shot him twice with a pistol.
The reason for the killing was never uncovered after Cunanan committed suicide.
3. SELENA QUINTANILLA-PEREZ
The 23-year-old Mexican-American singer best known as Selena was gunned down by the founder of her fan club in a Texas motel room on March 31, 1995.
Yolanda Saldívar, now 55, was reportedly Selena’s biggest fan but their relationship soured when it was discovered that she had been embezzling money as manager of the singer’s clothing boutique.
She was sentenced to life in prison.
4. MONICA SELES
Seles, then the world’s top-ranked female tennis player, was stabbed between her shoulder blades by Gunter Parche, who had ran on-court during her quarterfinal match in Hamburg on April 30, 1993.
Parche, said to be a rabid fan of Seles’ tennis rival Steffi Graf, was found to be mentally disturbed and sentenced to two years’ probation.
It took Seles, who was born in Yugoslavia (now Serbia) – she is now a US citizen – two years to return to competitive action after the incident.
5. REBECCA SHAEFFER
The American model and actress was gunned down by stalker Robert Bardo at the door of her Los Angeles apartment on July 18, 1989. Schaeffer was only 21.
Bardo, then 19, had allegedly stalked Schaeffer for three years. He wrote letters to her and also attempted to meet with her on the set of a sitcom she was filming. He was sentenced to life in prison for his crime.
Schaeffer’s death also reportedly triggered tougher anti-stalking laws.
6. JOHN LENNON
The former Beatle, 40, was shot multiple times outside his New York apartment by troubled fan John David Chapman on Dec 8, 1980. Lennon was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries.
Chapman, who was then 25 and a security guard from Hawaii, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Reports said he has been denied parole eight times and is currently held in New York’s Wende Correctional Facility.
This article was first published on June 12, 2016. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE – As of Monday (June 13), there are no reports of Singaporeans affected by the Orlando club shooting, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement. Early on Sunday morning (US time), a gunman opened fire at a packed gay nightclub in…
BANGKOK – Thailand’s 88-year-old king, the world’s longest reigning monarch, has shown signs of improvement following surgery for narrowing of the arteries, the palace said in a statement on Sunday.
King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-reigning monarch, has been treated for various ailments during a year-long hospitalisation in the Thai capital.
He was last seen in public on Jan. 11, when he spent several hours visiting his Bangkok palace.
The king’s heartbeat, breathing and blood pressure were normal, the palace said, adding that an electrocardiogram showed an increased supply of blood to the heart.
The king, who celebrated 70 years of his reign on Thursday, is seen as a unifying figure in a country that has faced decades of often deadly political upheaval.
On a few occasions the monarch has intervened when events threatened to plunge the country into crisis.
In a June 7 statement, the palace said the king had received treatment for narrowing of the heart arteries with “satisfactory results”.
News about the royal family is tightly controlled in Thailand. Laws protecting the royals from insult make it a crime to defame, insult or threaten the king, queen, heir to the throne or regent.
