More than 2,700 people have been caught and fined for e-vaporiser related offences since enhanced penalties took effect on Sept 1. From Sept 1 to Nov 30, the authorities caught and fined a total of 2,710 culprits — 2,453 of whom were penalised for general vape offences while the remaining 257 were found with vapes containing etomidate, also known as Kpods. Of the 257 Kpod offenders, 162 have been placed on rehabilitation programmes at the Institute of Mental Health and Social Service Agencies, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in a joint statement on Friday (Dec 19). Meanwhile, a further six culprits are foreigners who have been repatriated or are pending repatriation, 18 culprits are in jail for crimes unrelated to vapes, and one culprit has been issued with a conditional warning. Investigations are ongoing into the remaining 70 Kpod suspects.

The rise of generative AI has presented a global challenge to copyright law regarding authorship and human creativity. This has implications for the ability of creators to control and monetise their work, in addition to incentives to use innovative technologies. Currently, the EU lacks specific rules on the copyrightability of AI-generated works, but existing case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and developments at Member State level demonstrate a strong need for human creativity. The European Parliament has also advocated a human-centric approach while calling for further analysis of how intellectual property rights are applied to content created with the use of AI tools. Most countries, including the United States, maintain a human-centric approach, limiting copyright to works with significant human involvement in the creative process. However, not all the international approaches and practices are aligned, and this briefing gives examples from a selection of different jurisdictions. Certain common-law countries, including the United Kingdom, grant copyright to 'computer-generated' works without a human author while, in a slightly contradictory manner, assigning authorship to the person responsible for the arrangements for the creation of the work. Chinese courts show mixed rulings, sometimes granting copyright based on sufficient human effort in selecting and editing prompts. Cases like the artwork called 'Suryast', produced with the help of AI, reveal conflicting copyright decisions across the world, with AI being recognised as a co-author in some countries. Uniquely, Ukraine has adopted a 'sui generis' right to provide alternative protection for AI-generated images, distinct from traditional copyright. As a result, there may be a need for greater coordination globally to reduce legal uncertainty and to determine the level of human involvement needed for copyright protection. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Bangladesh slid back into turmoil after the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent youth leader of last year’s July Uprising, triggered violent protests. The 32-year-old was shot by masked gunmen in central Dhaka while launching his election campaign and later died in hospital. His death has reignited political instability ahead of crucial national elections, with protests, arson and competing narratives deepening uncertainty at a critical moment for the country and its relations with New Delhi.

NIA arrested Yasir Ahmad Dar, the ninth accused in the Delhi car blast case, for pledging allegiance to 'jihad' via a voice note to a co-accused. Recruited in 2023, Yasir was later connected to the bomber, Dr. Umar Nabi, who radicalized him with anti-Palestinian narratives to execute fidayeen attacks across India.

Parliament's Winter Session concluded Friday with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned sine die. Despite disruptions over the VB-G RAM G Bill, both Houses saw significant legislative work, with Lok Sabha achieving 111% productivity. Key bills were passed, and leaders met to mark the session's end, though opposition protests continued.

Erika Kirk told a Turning Point USA conference that she would work to elect JD Vance president in 2028, at an event in which MAGA divisions were on full display.

[RFI] Kenya has pledged to crack down on overseas recruitment networks after hundreds of its citizens were lured to Russia with promises of work, only to be sent to military camps and, in some cases, the front line in Ukraine.

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Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh and national broadcaster Mediacorp were given warnings for the offence of contempt of court on Friday (Dec 19) over Singh's comments during an interview aired on CNA series The Assembly. The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said in a statement that it decided to issue the warnings after considering all the circumstances of the case, including the apologies made by Singh and Mediacorp on Dec 13.During the interview which was broadcast on Nov 5, Singh, who is also secretary-general of the Workers' Party, was asked about the court case relating to former MP Raeesah Khan. He said then that «the court of public opinion can be a bigger court than any court in the world». Singh had been found guilty in February of two counts of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee and was awaiting an appeal against conviction when the interview was filmed in July. 

Stiffer penalties for speeding will take effect from Jan 1, 2026, as drivers face higher demerit points and fines under measures announced by the authorities.The move comes amid a rising number of speeding violations in the first half of 2025. Ministry of Home Affairs in its media release on Friday (Dec 19) said that there were 120,000 speeding violations during the said period - an increase of about 45 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.«Motorists who speed will get slapped with more demerit points and higher composition sums,» said MHA.Previously, speeding violations reached a 10-year-high of around 201,400 in the whole of 2024, a 72.9 per cent increase from 2023. After the revised demerit points and compositions come into effect on Jan 1, the demerit points awarded for speeding offences will start from two points - up from four, while the composition fine will start from $250 - up from $200.

In the true spirit of giving and community upliftment, the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew hosted a Christmas Health and Wellness Fair at Laura’s Basic School, providing much-needed health services, education, and festive cheer to children and...

As communities across Clarendon continue to recover from Hurricane Melissa, Winsome Wishes for KIDS (WWKIDS) is helping children, families and teachers rebuild their daily lives, and their sense of stability and hope. Morgan’s Pass, a community in...

The Jamaica Accountability Meter Portal (JAMP) has awarded €37,908 ($7 million) in European Union-funded grants to two civil-society organisations to strengthen citizen engagement in public financial management and government oversight. The Lesma...

The creative community in Jamaica has been shaken by the violent murder of Kenya-born Jamaican fusion sculptor Mazola wa Mwashighadi, a death wholly at odds with the man they knew. He had made Jamaica his home since 1997, settling in Treasure Beach...

The Government of the Republic of Korea has provided US$300,000 (J$48 million) in humanitarian assistance to Jamaica as the island rebuilds after the catastrophic passage of Hurricane Melissa. In addition to the cash grant, JTS, a Korean non-...

The jury found Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan guilty of a felony, obstructing an official proceeding, but acquitted her of a misdemeanor.

The announcement follows reporting by The Washington Post that detailed plans to downgrade the definition of such symbols to “potentially divisive.”

Dans un quartier de Papeete, le projet de résidence Naia, un immeuble de six étages avec 49 logements et 86 places de parking, provoque la colère des riverains. Face aux 4 000 m³ de déblais prévus, le collectif Puea se mobilise pour tenter de bloquer ce chantier.

Le Centre hospitalier de la Polynésie française (CHPF) a annoncé ce jeudi la nomination de sa directrice générale, Hani Teriipaia Ott, au rang de Chevalier et en qualité de membre du Conseil de l’Ordre de Tahiti Nui.

Opposition parties staged an overnight dharna in Parliament protesting the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill, which replaces MGNREGA. MPs accused the government of rushing the legislation without debate, calling it an insult to the poor and a murder of democracy. The government defended the new law, citing its necessity for rural development and employment.

The Supreme Court will speak with the parents of Harish Rana, who has been in a vegetative state for 13 years, before deciding on his passive euthanasia plea. A secondary AIIMS medical report confirmed a negligible chance of recovery, prompting the court to seek personal interaction with the family.

North India is grappling with a red alert for dense fog, severely impacting visibility and travel. Simultaneously, Delhi and surrounding regions are experiencing 'very poor' to 'severe' air quality, with authorities urging residents to limit outdoor exposure. Flights are facing delays due to the challenging weather conditions.

«The Act will enable the DoW [Department of War] to carry out my Peace Through Strength agenda, protect the homeland from domestic and foreign threats, and strengthen the defense industrial base,» the US leader said

Four of the victims are currently in critical condition

«The member states have agreed to finance Ukraine through an EU borrowing on the capital markets for an amount of 90 billion euro for the next two years,» Ursula von der Leyen said

As a result, five people were killed

The European Council agrees to provide a loan to Ukraine of EUR 90 billion for the years 2026-2027 based on EU borrowing on the capital markets backed by the EU budget headroom

A Singaporean motorist driving in heavy rain allegedly lost control of his car and veered into a row of terrace houses in Johor Bahru.The incident occurred in the Taman Century neighbourhood close to the popular KSL City Mall on the morning of Nov 24, confirmed JB South district police chief Raub Selamat on Thursday (Dec 18).He said in a statement that the Audi skidded into four homes along Jalan Harimau after the 32-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle while navigating the wet weather conditions.The front gate, wall and awnings of the houses were damaged in the accident.Photos uploaded by Facebook page SGRV Front Man on Wednesday show the overturned white Audi through a gaping hole in a wall.Other pictures show the wrecked car on the road, before being towed away.One of the affected homeowners told Shin Min Daily News on Dec 18 she had heard a 'thunderclap' at the time of the crash. When she got up to check, she found that part of her awning had broken off.

A total of 239 people are assisting with police investigations over their suspected involvement in scams where victims reportedly lost around $5 million.In a statement on Thursday (Dec 18), the police said this was after officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven land divisions conducted a two-week operation between December 5 and 18.Those under investigation — 160 men and 79 women aged between 16 and 78 — are for allegedly being scammers or money mules in more than 600 scam cases.The cases are e-commence scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams.The police said that the people under probe are for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.Offenders caught for cheating can be fined and jailed for up to 10 years.Money laundering carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.Anyone found to be providing any type of payment service without a licence can be jailed up to three years, fined up to $125,000, or both.

A car crashed into a shophouse along Geylang Road on Thursday afternoon (Dec 18) after the driver allegedly lost control following a collision with another vehicle.In a post shared on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante, a silver Honda can be seen lodged head-on into a home furnishings store, with its front badly damaged. The incident occurred after the two vehicles collided, causing one of them to lose control and crash into the shophouse, reported 8world.It is believed that the grey car veered into the building after it reportedly lost control.In response to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that they were alerted to a road traffic accident along Geylang Road at around 12.05pm.SCDF's assistance was not required. A 39-year-old male driver is reportedly assisting with police investigation. [[nid:726602]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com