The government will give a one-off property tax rebate of up to 20 per cent for owner-occupied residential properties in 2025, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) on Friday (Nov 29). Owners of HDB flats will receive a 20 per cent rebate, while owners of private residential properties will get a 15 per cent rebate capped at $1,000.  In addition to the rebate, the Annual Value (AV) bands of owner-occupied properties will be raised come Jan 1, 2025 — a move announced during Budget 2024.  The AV is the estimated rent a property can fetch in a year if rented out, and is also used to calculate property tax. Owner-occupied properties have lower tax rates.  The lowest AV band threshold will be raised from $8,000 to $12,000, while the highest threshold will see an increase from over $100,000 to over $140,000. Corresponding adjustments will be made to bands in between. With these measures, all owner-occupied HDB flats and 90 per cent of owner-occupied private residential properties will pay less property tax in 2025. 

SINGAPORE — The prosecution described the case as a «deeply troubling and reprehensible act of exploitation». On Oct 10, 2023, an elderly man approached a woman who has Down syndrome and molested her after offering the victim $2 to lure her away from the public eye. Deputy Public Prosecutor Adelle Tai said that the 24-year-old woman was an «acutely vulnerable» victim who has an IQ of 40. According to the Institute of Mental Health website, an IQ of 70 or below is indicative of intellectual disability. On Nov 28, District Judge John Ng said that the case involved a «vulnerable person who preyed on a vulnerable victim» and sentenced wheelchair user Omar Aziz, 70, to 18 months' jail. He had earlier pleaded guilty to a molestation charge. Details about the victim and where she lived at the time of the offence cannot be disclosed due to a gag order to protect her identity. The DPP said that the woman was walking to an MRT station in the northern part of Singapore at around 4pm when Omar, who was then on a personal mobility device, approached her. He offered the victim $2 and asked her to follow him to a secluded corner.

An elderly resident in Yishun has been ordered to clear the multitude of items he had placed in the common areas of his block, following a complaint over public safety. The man, surnamed Yang, lined the common corridor on the ground floor of a block at Yishun Street 81 with potted plants, boxes and water bottles. According to Shin Min Daily News, there were over 100 potted plants as well as boxes and pails placed around the block.  Yang, 73, told the Chinese evening daily that all the items belong to him, and his neighbours have no objections about the placement of his belongings.  He lives on a higher floor in the same block.  The resident said that he took care to adhere to the fire safety guidelines, which requires a 1.2m-wide escape passage along the common corridor.  The boxes at the back of the block are used to collect rainwater to water his plants, he explained. To prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the water, he covers the pails and rears fish in those that are uncovered.  Regarding his plants, Yang said he's been growing java apples for the past four years. 

A 66-year-old man has been arrested for the alleged murder of a 67-year-old woman. In a press release, the police said they had received a call for assistance at a residential unit along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 at about 1.25am on Friday (Nov 29). Officers found the woman lying motionless inside the flat, and she was pronounced dead at scene. The man was subsequently arrested at the unit. Preliminary investigations revealed that both parties are known to each other, the police added. The man will be charged with murder in court on Saturday. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty. Police investigations are ongoing. A resident of the block told Lianhe Zaobao that they had heard sounds of a quarrel on Thursday evening. Shortly after the commotion died down, many police officers visited the unit. lim.kewei@asiaone.com

Some patrons of a coffee shop in Yishun got upset over an employee dusting the ceiling while they were eating. A man surnamed Zhu told Shin Min Daily News that he was dining last Saturday (Nov 23) at the coffee shop at Block 504 Yishun Street 51 when he noticed an employee sweeping the ceiling with a broom. «I was about to start eating my noodles when they began cleaning,» said the 61-year-old taxi driver  «I felt it was unhygienic and went to alert the coffee shop's manager. They only cordoned off the area and continued to clean the ceiling.» As he was eating, however, dust particles began to fall from the ceiling. Zhu said he approached the coffee shop's manager once more, but his concerns were dismissed. He subsequently reported the incident to the authorities. Speaking with Shin Min, the coffee shop's manager surnamed Wu said that the ceiling is cleaned once a month and the area is usually cordoned off with tape. «Since there aren't many patrons in the afternoon, cleaning works are carried out,» Wu, said.

In a blistering critique of President Lazarus Chakwera’s leadership, UTM Party president Dalitso Kabambe has accused the president of being out of touch with the reality facing Malawians, particularly the soaring poverty levels driven by a faltering economy. Kabambe, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi and seasoned economist, did not mince his […] The post Kabambe takes a swipe at Chakwera, says “Chakwera-nomics has never worked for Malawians” appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

A dark cloud of corruption seems to be hanging over the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Malawi’s premier institution tasked with tackling corruption, as the Office of the Ombudsman has been called in to investigate alleged irregularities in the recruitment process for the next Director General of the bureau. The investigation follows a bombshell complaint that accuses […] The post Smoke of corruption smells at ACB as Ombudsman moves to investigates alleged irregularities in Director recruitment appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

[allAfrica]

The Princess of Wales announced in September she would be making a slow and measured return to royal duties following a course of preventative chemotherapy,

It is reported that the organization’s premises were decontaminated and sanitized

La Première Dame, Zita Oligui Nguema, a une fois de plus témoigné de sa solidarité envers ses compatriotes les plus vulnérables. Ce 28 novembre 2024, elle a fait don d'un fauteuil roulant motorisé à Mathieu Élisé Morgan Moukala Moukala, un jeune garçon de 11 ans, élève en classe de 6e au C.E.S Raymond Boukat de Mindoubé. Cette initiative découle d'une vidéo bouleversante qui a circulé massivement sur les réseaux sociaux, mettant en lumière la situation de Mathieu. Le jeune garçon, vivant (...) - SOCIAL / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

In a bold declaration during a Thursday night interview on Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), United Democratic Front (UDF) leader Atupele Muluzi—with a blend of optimism and conviction—declared himself as “ripe, equipped, and ready to govern,” drawing from years of international exposure and leadership experience. “I will be on the ballot, and Malawians will vote for […] The post Atupele Muluzi makes a bold political statement: “I am ripe, equipped and ready to govern. Change is coming.”  appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

In a bid to stabilize Malawi’s fuel supply, the government has unveiled a new government-to-government (G2G) arrangement for importing fuel, which experts say promises to offer more favorable terms than the current open tendering system. The new system, set to be fully operational by March 2025, will see the National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) […] The post Analysis: Why Chakwera’s Govt-to-Govt fuel import arrangement is a game changer for Malawi appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

According to the report, the government forces have already liberated the town of El Bakoum

On April 18, the Chadian authorities sent a letter to the United States, in which they notified Washington about their intent to sever the military agreement

«In the next two years, we plan to create a working prototype with processing speed of over 10 to the power of 19 operations per second, which significantly exceeds the current global level,» Alexander Sergeyev said

Several people were apprehended

Mogadishu (HOL) — The defending champions of the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Somalia, will face a challenging path in the CECAFA qualifiers as they prepare to take on regional rivals Kenya, South Sudan, and Sudan in Group B.

'I was quite shocked,' psychiatrist says of Somali-Canadian's death after arrest

Following PM Sheikh Hasina's ouster in August, minority Hindu community in Bangladesh faces increasing violence, triggering concern in New Delhi. Monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari's arrest for alleged sedition heightens tensions, with Iskcon's Bangladesh chapter facing potential ban amid protests and bilateral diplomatic strain.

Maharashtra's caretaker chief minister Eknath Shinde states that the Mahayuti alliance will decide on the next chief minister in an upcoming meeting in Mumbai. Shinde confirms no issues with the chief minister’s position and agrees with the Prime Minister's decision. BJP and Shiv Sena leaders emphasize unity and collective decision-making.

Indian consular officials in Canada have been subjected to audio and video surveillance, with their private communications intercepted. India lodged a strong protest with Canada, citing violation of diplomatic provisions. Tensions between India and Canada escalated following diplomat expulsions and accusations related to the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw dismissed reports of delays in Vande Bharat sleeper train production due to design issues, clarifying the real cause was the Russian firm's limited experience with larger trains. Vaishnaw assured that the Indian Railways' needs for 16 to 24-coach trains were clearly communicated and production will commence soon.

From Jan 1, 2025, manufacturers and suppliers dealing with industrial machinery as well as combustible dust will have to comply with enhanced workplace safety and health (WSH) measures, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Friday (Nov 29). This follows recommendations put forward by the inquiry committee probing the Tuas explosion which killed three workers and injured seven others in February 2021. According to the committee's findings, the unsafe use of a mixer machine had caused it to explode, igniting the combustible potato starch powder used in the workshop and leading to subsequent flash fires. To prevent similar incidents, the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST) will introduce enhanced control measures to ensure the safe use of combustible dust — materials which can disperse in the air and ignite when in contact with a heat source. Manufacturers and suppliers must label associated hazards on packages or containers of combustible dust and communicate to workers on safe use.

While a majority of the MPs to publicly declare their position have come out in favour, the outcome still remains shrouded in uncertainty.

Her engagement comes just two days before the one year anniversary of her release from captivity in Gaza.

The TV presenter, 47, who is mourning the death of his father Christopher, is said to have reacted to an anesthetic he had earlier in the day while having his meal.

He pledged to unleash his hypersonic Oreshnik missiles on the capital as his forces conducted another devastating attack on Ukraine 's energy infrastructure.

The 25-year-old pillion passenger was thrown off the bike by a dark coloured 4x4 in Batley Lane, Peasley, in Derbyshire at about 8pm on Tuesday.

Wallace, 60, was warned in 2018 about his behaviour on Impossible Celebrities by a BBC executive after the women claimed he boasted to them about being a good lover.

Ms Haigh gave police a list of items she thought had been snatched while she was 'mugged' during a night out in 2013, including her work mobile, which she later discovered had not been taken.

SINGAPORE — A man was sentenced to 21 weeks' jail on Nov 28 after he forged Grab receipts on more than 460 occasions and work-related timesheets in eight instances, to dupe his then employer into disbursing more than $24,000 to him. Muhammad Fariz Shaik Sha Marican, 33, also made false medical certificates and an electronic letter purportedly from the Singapore Armed Forces, causing the Ministry of Health (MOH), where he worked as a temporary staff member, to excuse him from reporting for work. On Nov 12, he pleaded guilty to two forgery charges, and two other similar charges were considered during sentencing. Recruitment firm Persolkelly (PSK), which worked with MOH to provide employees, had hired Fariz, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelly Ng in earlier proceedings.  In November 2021, PSK deployed him to work at MOH to support its Covid-19 operations. The ministry later checked Fariz's annual leave balance in April 2023, as it wanted to convert him to a staff member.