Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers foiled an attempt to smuggle almost 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes at Tuas Checkpoint on Oct 9.In a Facebook post on Oct 15, ICA said that the cigarettes were hidden in a Malaysia-registered lorry carrying cargo declared as «oats».The cigarettes were discovered when ICA Search & Examination officers carried out enhanced checks.The 45-year-old male Malaysian driver was arrested.The exhibits and the suspect were referred to Singapore Customs for further investigation.Buying, selling, conveying, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are considered serious offences under the Customs Act and the Goods and Services Tax Act.If convicted, offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty evaded, jailed for up to six years, or both.Vehicles used in these offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid goods are also liable to be forfeited.[[nid:723782]]dana.leong@asiaone.com

SINGAPORE — A former UOB employee was convicted on Oct 14 of multiple charges following the disclosure of information on more than 1,000 customers to a scammer.Cao Wenqing, 30, was convicted of 14 charges under the Computer Misuse Act and 13 charges under the Banking Act.The Chinese national had contested the charges and was represented in court by lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan from Kalidass Law Corp.Court documents showed Cao was a junior officer working in the bank's mortgage department at the time of the offences. She had access to the customer database for her work, which involved selling mortgages to new customers and servicing existing customers with mortgages.The database contained information on customers' names, nationalities, account numbers, addresses, identification numbers and bank balances.In March 2021, two unknown individuals known as «Xiang Ying Dong» and «Captain Lu» contacted Cao, claiming to be police officers from China. Court documents did not specify what they told her.Cao later agreed to act as a person assisting the «Chinese police» on a voluntary basis.

Former Cabinet Minister and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka has waded into the growing debate over the relationship between the Executive and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), warning that any attempt by the President or Cabinet to issue orders to the electoral body would be “unconstitutional and dangerous to democracy.” In a […] The post Mkaka Challenges Executive Overreach: Says MEC Is Not Subject to Presidential Orders appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

As Malawi gears up for the October 29 elections for Speaker of Parliament, two heavyweights have emerged: Sameer Suleman, the DPP-backed first-time MP for Blantyre City Chigumula, and Kondwani Nankhumwa, the veteran Mulanje Central MP and leader of the People’s Development Party. But which of the two is better suited for this critical role in […] The post Nankhumwa vs. Suleman: Who Should Be Malawi’s Next Speaker of Parliament? appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Malawi is seeing more money in circulation than ever before, and experts warn this could push prices even higher. According to the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), the total money supply in the economy—including bank deposits—jumped from 43.4 percent in July to 52.1 percent in August 2025, continuing a six-month trend. This surge is mostly […] The post Too Much Money, Too Few Goods: Malawi Faces Rising Prices appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Mangochi is reeling after police arrested former Mangochi Central MP Victoria Kingstone of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), along with three other party members, over allegations of plotting the murder of Roza Fatch Mbilizi, the newly elected MP for the same constituency. According to Mangochi Police Spokesperson Amina Daudi, the arrests were made following […] The post Shock in Mangochi: Former DPP MP Arrested for Alleged Murder Plot of Newly Elected MP for Same Constituency appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Former Kenyan Prime Minister and long-time opposition leader, Raila Odinga, has passed away at the age of 80. Reports indicate that he died on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Koothattukulam, Kerala, India, after suffering a cardiac arrest during a morning walk at an Ayurvedic hospital. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was […] The post Raila Odinga, Former Kenyan Prime Minister, Dies at 80 appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

Offering Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine has been suggested as a way of pressuring Russia to return to the negotiating table.

As the head of the Gagauz autonomy underlined, it is important to understand that the People’s Assembly is only an interim target

Tariff cuts from Free Trade Agreements won't flood India with foreign alcohol, says Campari Group. Instead, expect steady premiumisation and clearer value. GST reforms indirectly benefit the industry by clarifying upstream service rates and excluding extra neutral alcohol from GST, reducing tax-on-tax issues and improving working capital. This calibrated market access aims for predictable execution and reinvestment in quality.

[New Times] Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory illnesses, are claiming the lives of people in their most productive years -- affecting families and slowing national development, experts have warned.

[RFI] South Africa won the three-horse race on Tuesday night from African qualifying Group C for a place at next year's World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Rwanda as pacesetters Benin lost 4-0 in Nigeria. .

[New Times] The government is set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 53% in 2035 as a new target, The New Times has learnt.

[allAfrica]

The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade noted that his duty is to ensure supplies to Hungary, a task physically unachievable without Russia

Port Vila City Council (PVCC) has announced its support for the Southern Legions Futsal Club as the team prepares for the upcoming OFC Futsal Men's Champions League 2025.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed yesterday between Youth Challenge Vanuatu (YCV) and World Vision Vanuatu (WV) to strengthen support for young people across the country, particularly those often labelled by society as “Joss” and “Josslin.”

Director of Education Services, Nanise Lapi, is appealing to all principals and teachers not to view the proposed change from three school terms to four, starting next year, as a fundraising opportunity for their schools.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MOLNR) has taken a major step toward modernising land administration in Vanuatu through the official rollout of a new digital document management system known as M-Files. Supported by the World Bank, this transformation…

The recent Fruit Festival has been hailed as a major success, not only for its vibrant showcase of local produce but also for its strong support of local farmers across Vanuatu. Event coordinator Milroy Cainton confirmed that over VT1.6 million…

The Supreme Court has permitted activist Sonam Wangchuk to share his detention notes with his wife Gitanjali. Wangchuk is currently held in Rajasthan under the National Security Act following violent protests in Ladakh. His wife had filed a plea challenging his detention and seeking his release. The court's decision offers a small relief to the detained activist.

La 25ème édition du Salon du Livre aura lieu du 16 au 19 octobre à To'ata, sous l'impulsion de l'Association des éditeurs de Tahiti et des Îles. Des nouveautés littéraires seront présentées, et des auteurs étrangers feront le déplacement. Il sera aussi question de numérique et d'IA dans la littérature.

[allAfrica]

The boys, who are only the second known case of conjoined twins born in PNG, are expected to come to Australia for medical treatment.

Discontent brews within Bihar's NDA over seat-sharing for upcoming assembly polls. Allies like Upendra Kushwaha and Jitan Ram Manjhi express dissatisfaction, with HAM even announcing plans to contest against Chirag Paswan's LJP. BJP leaders maintain alliance strength, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan criticizes the BJP's intentions.

Poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor will not contest the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, stating the decision was made for the «greater good» of his Jan Suraaj party. He believes his absence will allow him to focus on organizational work, and remains confident of a significant electoral outcome, either a landslide victory or a substantial defeat.

The BJP-led NDA faces internal friction in Bihar post seat-sharing talks, primarily due to Chirag Paswan's significant allocation of 29 seats. This has irked allies like JD(U), HAM, and RLSP, especially as the BJP matched JD(U)'s 101 seats. Nitish Kumar reportedly objects to constituencies assigned to Paswan and Kushwaha, fueling discontent and a tug-of-war within the alliance.

At 12 years old, Sutay Kameka, a bright and determined 2025 JN Foundation PEP Scholar, has her eyes firmly set on becoming a mathematician. Her love for numbers, combined with discipline and support from her mother, has already set her apart as one...

The recent rains in the Corporate Area have increased the road hazard associated with a number of potholes that had already been creating headaches for road users for several months. Here are just a few of those damaged sections of road in Kingston...

IN UNFLATTERING circumstances Malcus Mosiah Garvey was born in St Ann’s Bay, St Ann on August 17, 1887. Somewhere along the journey Malcus was changed to Marcus. He became a printer’s apprentice, before moving in 1906 to Kingston, where he got...