KAKAMMPI News

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is grappling with a dire humanitarian crisis fuelled by ongoing political instability and armed conflicts, severely impacting the entire food supply, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. The situation is particularly alarming in the east, where malnutrition has taken hold among 4.4 million people, exacerbated by compromised health services, lack of clean water, and an uptick in gender-based violence, highlighted Peter Musoko, WFP Country Director, during a press briefing in Geneva. "In my conversations with those displaced in eastern DRC, I was struck by their strength in the face of adversity. Their challenges, such as the daily struggle to secure enough food and the additional dangers women face when seeking sustenance, are deeply concerning," he said. "It is evident that the assistance we provide, though impactful, must be reinforced to ensure their well-being". Flexible funding has enabled WFP to procu...

YANGON, Myanmar: Authorities in Myanmar have handed over two men suspected of involvement in online scams targeting Chinese citizens to their Beijing counterparts, state media reported on Thursday. Criminal syndicates are accused of kidnapping or luring citizens of China and other countries to lawless enclaves along Myanmar's northern and eastern borders and forcing them to work as online scammers. The scammers typically target their compatriots and groom them for weeks before cajoling them into plowing money into fake investment platforms and other ruses. The two suspects were handed to Chinese authorities at Yangon International Airport on Wednesday, a statement in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said. One of the men was a "pivotal figure in the realm of telecom fraud," it added without giving details. In June, six other suspects implicated in online scam cases were extradited to China, the newspaper said. The latest arrests come after China in...

SEOUL: North Korea said its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit failed on Thursday, three months after the first one crashed into the ocean. Leader Kim Jong Un has made the development of a military eye in the sky a top priority, with his nuclear-armed country claiming it is a necessary counterbalance to growing regional activity by United States forces. The National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA) "conducted the second launch of reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1" on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "The launch failed due to an error in the emergency blasting system during the third-stage flight," the agency said, adding that the problem was "not a big issue" and that it would attempt another launch in October. The South Korean military said it detected the launch of the purported space rocket at about 3:50 a.m. and that it flew over the Yellow Sea. A search-and-retrieval operation for the wrec...

Russian strikes on at least 10 regions in Ukraine have left a path of death and destruction over the past 24 hours, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said on Wednesday. Denise Brown issued a statement deploring this "new wave of massive Russian attacks", and appealed for the violence to end. "Grain storage facilities, vital for the Ukrainian farmers and global food security, have been hit in the Danube area," she said. "A school in the Sumy region was damaged, and teachers were killed and injured." International media reported that a drone fired by Russia hit the school on Wednesday morning, citing Ukraine's interior minister. The incident occurred in the city of Romny, located in the northeast. End 'brutal' attacks Four people - the school director, deputy director, secretary and a librarian – were killed and four residents, who were passing by at the time, were injured. Ms. Brown added that on Tuesday, civilians in the Khers...

KUWAIT: Authorities arrested two Asians who tried to enter Kuwait illegally after undergoing finger surgeries in an attempt to conceal their true identities. The interior ministry said the arrests are part of ongoing efforts to apprehend violators and individuals engaged in criminal activities. The general directorate of criminal investigations’ Maidan Hawally bureau, utilizing the new biometric scanning system, was able to identify and verify the original identities of the two suspects. They were referred to relevant authorities to initiate the necessary legal measures against them.

WAD MADANI, Sudan: Sudan’s army chief General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan was seen outside his headquarters Thursday for the first time since fighting with paramilitaries erupted more than four months ago, army videos showed. Some of the footage filmed before dawn and posted on the army’s Facebook page showed Burhan speaking to soldiers, with the caption indicating that he was at the Wadi Seidna air base north of Khartoum. In separate daytime images posted later, he is seen surrounded by civilians in the capital’s twin-city of Omdurman, where residents also reported fighting on Thursday. AFP could not verify the footage or images but the agency’s fact-checking department was able to determine that they had never been posted online before and therefore could very well have been taken on Thursday. Images of Burhan have rarely been released since fighting erupted on April 15 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Previous im...

By Khaled Al-Abdulhadi KUWAIT: Kuwait is taking significant steps to increase refined oil production at the Al-Zour refinery while simultaneously reducing oil production to maintain a balance. This expansion of oil production is apparent through the planned opening of the refinery in late 2022 and the establishment of the first offshore oil production. Let’s examine how these actions can benefit Kuwait and why increasing refined oil production and decreasing dependency on exporting crude oil are advantageous. The process of refining oil, as described by Jean-Pierre Favennec in a publication by Springer, involves “the separation of crude oil into different fractions, which serve as the basis for manufacturing finished products. This process improves the quality of some cuts, transforms heavy cuts into lighter ones, and prepares finished products through blending.” Refined oil can be converted into various products such as motor gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, fuel oil, lubricants and...

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and Argentina to become full members from Jan 1 JOHANNESBURG: BRICS leaders announced on Thursday the “historic” admission of six new countries from next year as the club seeks to reshape the Western-led global order and expand its geopolitical influence. The BRICS — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — agreed at their annual summit to make Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates full members from January 1. “This membership expansion is historic,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nation is the most powerful in the group of large and populous non-Western economies. “The expansion is also a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. It will bring new vigor to the BRICS cooperation mechanism and further strengthen the force for world peace and development”. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hailed what he called “a great moment” for his country, the second-most populous in Africa. In Iran, ...

BANGKOK - Thailand's new prime minister vowed to bring four years of change to the kingdom as he took office Wednesday at the head of a controversial coalition including pro-military parties linked to former coup-makers. The appointment of former property mogul Srettha Thavisin -- of the Pheu Thai party long associated with billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- ends months of political deadlock following May's general election. The 61-year-old was confirmed by parliamentary vote on Tuesday, just hours after Thaksin returned to the kingdom from 15 years of exile and was immediately jailed on old graft charges. Srettha received King Maha Vajiralongkorn's official written command to form a government in a ceremony at Pheu Thai headquarters at 6:00 p.m.(1100 GMT). "The good of the country is my highest priority. I am confident the next four years will be years of change," Srettha said after accepting the royal endorsement, pledging to work "tirelessly...

BERLIN - The German cabinet on Wednesday signed off plans to help people change their legal gender more easily, but the proposals have stirred criticism from feminists, politicians and even the trans community. Under the plans, Germans will be able to change their name or legal gender by making a simple application to their local registry office. They will not have to give a reason or provide any medical information. In the case of children under 14, parents will be able to submit the application. Minors over 14 may do it themselves, but only with the consent of their parents. The law also includes penalties for anyone who "outs" a trans person without their permission. It will take three months for a gender switch to take effect and no further changes will be allowed for a year. The legislation, which needs to be signed off by parliament, is intended to replace a law known as the Transsexuals Act dating back to 1980. Under that law, anyone who wanted to change their l...

Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear plant has begun the gradual discharge of treated waste water into the Pacific Ocean. The decades-long process has stirred up fears over how it may harm the region’s marine environment. - The World Tonight, ANC, August 24, 2023

TAIPEI — Taiwan announced Thursday it will loosen restrictions on Chinese business and group travellers in a step towards resuming tourism exchanges with China. Beijing suspended individual tourism permits to Taiwan in 2019 in a sign of worsening relations under Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, who refuses to accept China's claim over the self-ruled island. Taiwan reopened its borders to most tourists last October after years of Covid pandemic closures but travellers from mainland China remain barred. The Mainland Affairs Council, the Taiwanese government body in charge of cross-strait relations, announced on Thursday that they will "loosen restrictions" on business travellers from China from Monday. Individual Chinese nationals can also apply to enter Taiwan from another country from September 1, spokesman Jan Jyh-horng said. "We will also allow Chinese tour groups to come to Taiwan, but initially to a maximum of 2,000 people allowed in per day," Jan said...

TOKYO — Japan started discharging treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea Thursday, amid persistent concern among local fishermen and some neighboring countries about the environmental impact. The Japanese government announced earlier in the week it would begin releasing the water used to cool melted nuclear fuel at the plant that has been treated through an advanced liquid processing system capable of removing most radionuclides, except tritium. The water discharge commenced around 1 p.m. local time (12 noon Manila time). The decision came as tanks installed at the Fukushima complex, now containing about 1.34 million tons of treated water, are nearing their capacity and are expected to reach their limit as early as 2024 unless the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO), initiates the release of the water. The water will be diluted with seawater to one-40th of the concentration permitted under Japanes...

CALIFORNIA - Nicholas Weber, 32, the individual who assaulted a Filipino family at a fast-food establishment in North Hollywood in Los Angeles, California in 2022, was sentenced by the Los Angeles District Court to 848 days in prison. The court decided not to pursue the hate crime enhancement charge against Weber but proceeded with both felony and misdemeanor charges. On May 13, 2022, victims Patricia Roque and her mother were purchasing food at a drive-thru restaurant. At that moment, Nicholas Weber, who was driving an SUV, collided with their car from behind. According to Patricia, Weber directed a racial slur at them and threatened them, even mentioning an intent to kill them. Feeling threatened and unsafe, Patricia contacted her father for assistance. When Patricia's father arrived, the situation escalated as Weber's behavior turned violent. Weber physically assaulted Patricia's father, Gabriel, and also attacked her mother. Patricia's father sustained a broken...

NEW YORK - Two more Filipinos have been included in the list of identified bodies recovered from the Maui wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii bringing the number of confirmed Filipino fatalities to six. Maui County has officially confirmed the identities of Salvador Coloma, 77, originally from Ilocos, and Carlo Tobias, 54, among the six names that have been publicly disclosed by authorities. Carlo's daughter, Rachel Tobias, confirmed on her Facebook account that the DNA sample that they provided matched with the body of her father that was recovered from their home. "Hello family and friends, we have finally got the results from Liza’s DNA test to reconfirm our concerns about the remains found at our family home. We are relieved but also broken that now we have to start the grieving process," said Rachel. Salvador Coloma is part of the group of nine families reported missing, a situation first covered by GMA Integrated News last week. Authorities are still searching for eigh...

After years of being an advocate of overseas Filipino workers' (OFW) rights and welfare, Susan "Toots" Ople is now set to become the secretary of the newly-formed Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) under the administration of President-elect Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. She is the founder of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute (Ople Center), a non-profit organization centered on OFW affairs, named after her father, who served as Labor minister during the administration of Marcos Jr.'s late father. With degrees from the University of Santo Tomas and the Harvard Kennedy School, the incoming DMW Secretary was the first Filipino to sit in the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Trust Fund for Victims of Human Trafficking. She ran for senator in 2016 under the Nacionalista Party but failed to win a seat. Years after her political defeat, Ople embarked on a battle with breast cancer, which she said was a factor for not immediately ...

MANILA (UPDATE) — Migrant Workers Secretary Susan "Toots" Ople, a staunch advocate of labor rights for overseas Filipino workers, has passed away, her family and her agency confirmed on Tuesday. "Secretary Toots peacefully joined our Creator at around 1PM today, August 22, 2023 surrounded by her family and loved ones," the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said in a statement. Her family members told ABS-CBN News' Henry Omaga-Diaz she died peacefully earlier this day. Ople went on medical leave immediately after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s second State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month. MARCOS MOURNS OPLE'S DEATH Marcos Jr. on Tuesday mourned the demise of Ople, describing her as a “friend” and an “excellent” public servant. Marcos Jr. gave the statement on the sidelines of an event in Laguna, minutes after the DMW confirmed that their chief has passed away after her bout with cancer. “It’s very, very sad news. I have lost a friend,...

Fifth Fleet says buildup affords Washington ‘more robust forces where needed’ MANAMA: As Iranian seizures threaten oil tankers plying the Gulf, the United States is raising its military presence — a move long demanded by Gulf Arab states who accused Washington of retreating from the region. Three thousand additional US personnel on troop-landing warships have already passed through the Red Sea, and US-led maritime forces are warning ships against approaching Iranian waters. The moves follow a spate of capture and attempted capture of ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the U-shaped gateway to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea that carries a fifth of world oil output. “There is a heightened threat, a heightened risk to regional mariners in terms of seizures” by Iran in the strait, said Commander Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet. “Right now, our focus is on… increasing our presence in and near the Strait of Hormuz to ensure security and stability in a very crit...

BEIRUT: French firm TotalEnergies said Wednesday that a drilling rig had reach Lebanese waters ahead of exploration for offshore gas reserves, months after a landmark accord demarcating the Lebanon-Zionist entity maritime border. “TotalEnergies, the operator of Block 9, announces the arrival of the drilling rig, Transocean Barents, on the block, at around 120 kilometers off the coast of Beirut,” a statement said, adding that a transport helicopter had also reached Beirut airport. Beirut divided its exclusive economic zone at sea into 10 blocks, and Block 9 was part of an area disputed with the Zionist entity. “The arrival of the equipment marks an important step in the preparation of the drilling of the exploration well in Block 9, which will begin towards the end of August,” TotalEnergies added. In October last year, a US-mediated maritime border agreement between Lebanon and the Zionist entity opened up potentially lucrative offshore gas fields for the eastern Mediterranean neighb...

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared on Thursday that Kuwait, in its quest to establish destiny of the prisoners and the missing by DNA tests, has determined identity of one of the martyrs, Hamdan Mohammad Hamdan Al-Mutairi. Ambassador Rabie’ Al-Adsani, the assistant foreign minister for the prisoners and missing affairs, said in a statement to KUNA that the martyr had been detained by troops of the flagrant Iraqi aggression on Kuwait in 1990 and his remains were found recently, indicating that the corpse was quite disfigured and made forensics’ task quite hard. However, relentless efforts by the public department of forensic evidences and its use of state-of-art techniques resulted in determining the corpse identity, the latest to be listed among Kuwait’s martyrs. The ministry, in cooperation with the martyrs’ bureau, informed next of kin after the DNA tests, he said, affirming that informing martyrs’ families is a humanitarian and legal right. Al-Adsani praised the mart...

Event to discuss how trade transformation can fuel growth and ways to improve supply chains Dubai in September will host the third annual edition of the Global Trade and Supply Chain Summit that will gather policymakers and businesses to discuss how transforming trade can fuel economic growth. Discussions at this year's summit, which is being hosted by the Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, will revolve around how to improve supply chain resilience, unleash trade in emerging countries and take action to make trade sustainable, event organiser Economist Impact said. Conference delegates will also explore topics including supply chain diversification from China, managing data in digital trade, bridging the trade-finance gap and supply chain technology, among others. More than 500 people are expected to attend the event in Dubai, where more than 100 speakers are confirmed, including government officials, United Nations representative...

Rehabilitation initiative is inspiring inmates at Dubai Central Jail to pursue careers in the culinary industry once released More than 30 prisoners at Dubai Central Jail have joined cooking classes to learn skills that could help them to rebuild their lives once they are released. A series of workshops is being led by professional chefs, who are passing on their expertise to the inmates. The National paid a visit to the prison to talk to inmates about how the cooking classes could be their ticket to a new life on the outside. One prisoner said the lessons have inspired him to pursue a business opportunity once he leaves prison. “It is an exciting initiative for me,” said MA, whose full name has been withheld at the request of Dubai Police. “I love food and cooking for myself, but I am not on a professional level. “After attending the classes, I have a plan to open a food truck in Dubai selling sandwiches, refreshments and karak tea.” MA said he is learning a lot from the cour...

Kingdom to extend voluntary cut of one million barrels per day Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, will extend the voluntary cut of one million barrels per day that came into effect in July to include September, the cabinet said on Tuesday following its weekly meeting. The kingdom will continue boosting Opec+ precautionary efforts to support the stability of oil markets, the cabinet said. The production cut is in addition to the voluntary reduction announced by the kingdom in April, which will stay in effect until December 2024. The cut, which first took effect in July, is aimed at supporting the stability and balance of oil markets, and could be further “extended and deepened”, the Saudi Energy Ministry said earlier this month. At an Opec seminar last month, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said the group would do “whatever is necessary” to stabilise the oil market. Prince Abdulaziz said the market would not be left “unattended” and the output ...

The 30 to 34-year age bracket saw the highest separation rate More than 350,000 marriages ended in divorce last year, according to the Saudi Women's Report for 2022, issued by the kingdom's General Authority of Statistics. According to the report, the 30 to 34-year age bracket saw the highest separation rate – with more than 54,000 women being divorced. However, according to the kingdom's Ministry of Justice, the total number of marriages in Saudi Arabia reached 150,117 in 2020, increasing by 8.9 per cent compared to 2019. Despite this, the figures represent a huge surge in separations; the total number of divorces recorded in 2020 was 57,595. The statistics also show how the situation for women in the kingdom continues to improve, with unemployment falling by 15.4 per cent in Q4 2022, showing a tangible improvement from previous years. "Women are seeing unprecedented growth and they are contributing majorly to every sector – from finance, health, education to as...

The kingdom is also the world's biggest issuer of sovereign sukuk and its co-operative insurance sector is the fastest growing worldwide Saudi Arabia, the top Arab economy, is the world’s largest Islamic finance market with total assets across sectors exceeding 3.1 trillion Saudi riyals ($826.7 billion), the governor of the Saudi Central Bank (Sama) has said. The kingdom is also the largest global issuer of sovereign sukuk, or Sharia-compliant Islamic bonds, and its co-operative insurance sector is the fastest growing worldwide, approaching 27 per cent growth in 2022, Ayman Al Sayari said in remarks carried by the Saudi Press Agency. “Saudi Arabia has a deep-rooted and historical relationship with Islamic finance [and] it houses the largest Islamic finance market in the world,” Mr Al Sayari said at an Islamic Financial Services Board symposium in Riyadh. “The Islamic banking sector alone accounts for 33 per cent of the global Islamic bank assets." Globally, the Islamic fi...

Sovereign wealth fund governor has declined earlier requests to appear before Senate subcommittee The head of a US congressional committee investigating LIV Golf's proposed merger with the PGA Tour on Wednesday repeated a call for the Governor of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund to testify before the panel. Richard Blumenthal, chairman of the US Senate subcommittee on investigations, said in a letter to Yasir Al Rumayyan, the head of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, that LIV should expect to be under American oversight as an investor in the US. Mr Al Rumayyan has so far declined requests to testify before the Senate panel, with his lawyers telling Mr Blumenthal he was an "inappropriate witness" who should be exempt from testifying, because of his status as a Saudi government minister. Mr Blumenthal said in his letter released on Wednesday that Mr Al Rumayyan must agree to appear at a September 13 hearing or propose other possible dates to appear by ...

Sudan, Yemen and Ukraine were at the top of agenda when the two officials met Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan early on Friday discussed regional crises such as Sudan and Yemen with his US counterpart Antony Blinken, according a statement by the State Department. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke today with the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Riyadh and Washington have in recent years worked together to de-escalate tensions in the region. The two sides have been looking for a solution to the crisis in Sudan that erupted earlier this year and has already displaced several million people. They have offered Sudan's warring sides a chance to hold discussions in Jeddah, although to date the rival generals in Sudan have yet to agree to talks. The war between two forces led by rival generals – Ar...

TOKYO - Illegal practices were uncovered at 7,247 workplaces in Japan that employed foreign trainees last year, the government said recently, apparently substantiating criticism of companies participating in the controversial, decades-old program for their alleged human rights infringements. The most common violations involved breaches of safety rules, with the second most common being unpaid wages, according to data based on the labor ministry's on-site inspections at 9,829 companies alleged to have engaged in misconduct. The data came as the government considers overhauling the trainee program, which was established in 1993. The system was introduced primarily for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors but has been under increased scrutiny following multiple allegations of trainee harassment and abuse. Among the violations uncovered by the inspections, 2,326 cases, or 23.7 percent, were in breach of safety rules such as unsafe use of machines, while 1,666 cases, or 16.9 p...

SEOUL, South Korea -- Travis King defected to North Korea to escape "mistreatment and racial discrimination in the US Army", state media said Wednesday, Pyongyang's first official confirmation they were holding the American soldier. A private second class with a chequered disciplinary record, King was due to fly back to America in July but instead slipped out of South Korea's main airport, joined a tourist trip to the DMZ and ran across the border into the North. The United States has previously said that King crossed the border at the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarised Zone separating the North and the South "willfully and without authorization". Following a North Korean investigation, King "admitted that he illegally intruded", Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency reported. "Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK as he harbored ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination wit...

BEIJING — President Xi Jinping heads to Russia on Monday hoping to deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine as China seeks to position itself as a peacemaker. Freshly reappointed for a third term in power, Xi is pushing a greater role for China on the global stage, and was crucial in mediating a surprise rapprochement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia this month. Rumours that he may soon hold his first call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky since the outbreak of war have raised hopes in Western capitals that Xi may lean on his "old friend" Putin to stop his bloody invasion during the three-day state visit. Announcing the trip Friday, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China would "play a constructive role in promoting peace talks". "Stopping the war is everyone's wish, given Europe stands to lose such a lot and the United States may not be able to support Ukraine for as long as it thinks it can," said Wang Yiwei, direc...

MANILA - AirAsia on Friday announced that it is having another “Piso Sale” with airfares as low as P1. The low cost carrier said among the destinations on offer with the P1 one-way base fare promo are: Kalibo, Puerto Princesa, Cebu, Tagbilaran and several other popular local tourist spots. International destinations like Taipei, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo are also on offer with one-way base fares less than P600. AirAsia said the booking period for these trips is from Aug. 18 to 27, 2023 with travel period starting Feb. 19, 2024 to Jan. 19, 2025. AirAsia earlier said it plans to invest $1 billion to expand its operations in the Philippines. The investment will cover aviation and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul of operations, creation of Air Asia super app, and strengthening logistics operations in the Philippines. Demand for air travel has soared following the pandemic lockdowns and relaxation of travel requirements.

MOSCOW — Russian and Chinese warships are conducting joint maritime patrols in the Pacific Ocean involving rescue training and drills for countering air strikes, Moscow's defense ministry said Friday. Video released by Russian state news agency TASS showed nine large vessels sailing in a diamond formation as crew members stood to attention on deck. The drills also included practising the "replenishment of fuel reserves by ships and the transfer of cargo on the go", the defense ministry said, adding that the joint detachment of ships had covered more than 6,400 nautical miles since the start of the exercises. "A detachment of ships of the Russian Navy and the PLA Navy is currently operating in the waters of the East China Sea," said the ministry, referring to China's People's Liberation Army. "During this period, the sailors of the two countries conducted anti-submarine exercises, repulsed an air strike by a mock enemy, conducted rescue training ...

SINGAPORE - Singapore authorities have seized assets worth nearly US$750 million in sweeping raids against a suspected international money laundering ring, police said Wednesday. During the operation, which targeted locations across the city-state on Tuesday, the police arrested 10 foreign nationals -- from China, Turkey, Cambodia, Cyprus and Vanuatu. Authorities also seized properties, vehicles, and luxury items such as bags and watches in a haul that police said had a total value of Sg$1 billion (US$736 million). Police said they discovered a group that was laundering proceeds from "overseas organized crime activities including scams and online gambling". Also seized were bank accounts with a total estimated balance of more than Sg$110 million, cash amounting to more than Sg$23 million, and documents with information on virtual assets, police said. More than 400 officers took part in the raids, during which the suspects were arrested from luxury homes and high-end cond...

A controversial draft bill on legalizing the recreational use of the drug cannabis was unveiled on Wednesday by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after it was approved by the German Cabinet. Advocates of legal cannabis use in Germany's coalition government aim to legalize the drug this year but they face resistance from conservative lawmakers, some physicians and law enforcement representatives. What did ministers say? Lauterbach called the draft bill a "turning point" following policies on cannabis that had "unfortunately failed." However, he stressed that use of the drug was not without risk. "No one should falsely understand the law. The consumption of cannabis will be legalized, but it remains dangerous," he said in a joint statement from the Health Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry. He said the aim was to curb the black market and drugs-related criminality, the trade with adulterated or toxic substances, and the number of consumers. ...

OTTAWA, Canada - China -- a major source of outbound tourists -- has left Canada off a list of countries now approved for travel by tour groups, its embassy in Ottawa said Wednesday, due to anti-Beijing rattling by Ottawa. Last week Beijing lifted a Covid-era ban on group tours to dozens of countries including the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia, but not Canada. Travel agents turn to the list of approved destinations when promoting and arranging foreign vacations for Chinese nationals. There are currently 138 countries on the list. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said in a statement that the reason behind the snub was "the Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called 'Chinese interference.'" It said "rampant and discriminatory anti-Asian acts and words are rising significantly in Canada" and "the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they c...

The United States on Thursday gave the green light for Israel to sell the Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, the Israel Defense Ministry said. The $3.3 billion (€3.2 billion) sale will be Israel's biggest-ever defense deal, the ministry said. The Arrow 3 system, developed jointly by Israeli and US missile defense agencies, is designed to intercept ballistic missiles above the Earth's atmosphere. Germany has said that it expects to take delivery of Arrow 3 by the fourth quarter of 2025. Berlin is seeking to boost its air defense capabilities as a reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has ignited security fears throughout Europe. What is the Arrow 3 system? The missile defense system consists of a command post, radar devices, launching equipment and guided missiles. The system is the highest level of Israel's multilayer missile defense and can destroy attacking weapons up to an altitude of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles). Its missiles are fit...

KUALA LUMPUR — A light plane crashed into a street in Malaysia's central Selangor state on Thursday, killing eight people on board and two motorists on the ground, the local police chief said. "For now, I can say at least 10 people were killed in the plane crash. Two passing motorists -- one in a car and one on a motorcycle -- also perished together with the eight on board the plane," Mohamad Iqbal Ibrahim told AFP. Malaysia's civil aviation authority said in a statement that six passengers and two flight crew were on board the aircraft when it crashed, though it did not confirm any casualties. It also said that a safety probe would be launched following the incident.

China has recently submitted a draft of the new Patriotic Education Bill to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's rubber-stamp legislature. The legislation aims to instil patriotism and loyalty to the Communist Party among Chinese youths in all aspects of life. It wants to enforce patriotic education in schools, religious communities, businesses, and even families. The draft spells out that parents "shall include love of the motherland in family education." It also lists punishments for offenses such as insulting the national flag to questioning approved histories and deeds of Communist Party heroes, among other activities. The legislation was given its first hearing in June. A move to brainwash Chinese youth? The move shows that the Communist Party leadership views Chinese youths as a threat to the party's hold on power and legitimacy, say observers. Young people have been at the forefront of protests and voicing dissent,...