Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's hurried departure from Bangkok on Thursday night (Sept 4) to Singapore, his first destination, did not go to plan, according to reports from Thailand.The private jet carrying the 76-year-old billionaire could not land in Seletar Airport on Friday (Sept 5) because the airport shuts at 10pm.Instead, the plane was diverted to Dubai and landed there around 3am (7am, Singapore time), reports said.«I intended to travel to Singapore to have a health check with the doctor who took care of me while I was abroad,» Thaksin said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.But he claimed that Thai immigration officers delayed him for «almost two hours», adding that he has the same rights as any other Thai when it comes to travel.During the flight, the pilot notified him that the delays caused by the immigration officers meant that he could not land at Seletar Airport.AsiaOne understands that Seletar Airport, which receives private jets, operates between 7am and 10pm.«Since I couldn't land in Singapore, I decided to have the pilot change my plans to Dubai,» he wrote.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung recently addressed heightened Government measures to stop vaping, including placing red vape bins island wide.In an episode of local podcast The Daily Ketchup, which was released on Thursday (Sept 4), Ong was asked about the red-coloured vape disposal bins, which allow abusers to surrender their devices without penalties. The hosts of the podcasts narrowed in on the leniency of this initiative in particular.To this, Ong responded that this approach was his call, as there were «a lot of young people» among vape users, with 30 per cent of users being under 30 years of age.To «throw the book at them» with the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA) would be harmful for their future as the offences would go on their records, he said.The health minister added that he has faith that young people can be convinced to stop vaping, unlike hardcore drug users who are difficult to persuade.[[nid:720627]]Additionally, when asked if there were locations which had a surprising number of vapes disposed, Ong said: «Certain spots, I don't know why (the bins) are full.»

Somalis on Thursday marked the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday with a government-declared public holiday, reviving an old tradition of merriment once banned by extremist militants who reject such public spectacle.

Mogadishu (HOL) — The new commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, pledged continued American support to Somalia’s fight against al-Shabaab and ISIS during a meeting with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu on Wednesday.

Las Anod (HOL) — Police in Somalia’s Northeastern regional state have arrested businessman Mohamed Jabuutawi, a disqualified presidential candidate accused of organizing gunmen who clashed with security forces during last week’s election.

A leaked press statement by individuals calling themselves “Shadow MPs and Councilors” of the Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu movement has exposed what appears to be a calculated scheme to smear and weaken Vice President Dr. Michael Usi ahead of the September 16 elections. The statement, riddled with wild accusations and contradictions, reads less like the […] The post Dirty Plot Unmasked: Shadow MPs Used as Pawns to Bring Down Dr. Usi appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA) has with immediate effect increased maize buying prices to motivate farmers and traders to deliver more maize to the agency. NFRA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) George Macheka said this at a press conference this morning in Lilongwe. Specifically, Macheka says they have raised the prices from 1100 to 1280 kwacha […] The post NFRA rewards farmers with heft maize price increment appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

[allAfrica]

Israel has said that the French president is no longer welcome in the country due to his stance on Palestine Read Full Article at RT.com

Many firms completely disregarded their losses when they left Russia in 2022, President Putin has said Read Full Article at RT.com

Bulgaria is part of the Coalition of the Willing, but will provide minesweepers and other support vessels, as well as aviation and other necessary infrastructure instead of sending troops, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said

Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia views the presence of NATO troops near its borders as a threat

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that talks between the two leaders are not easy, as both firmly defend their national interests

Dmitry Peskov explained that with the past US administration, too much damage was caused to the relations between the two countries and time is needed «to get out of a complete stupor»

The Russian president noted that this year’s EEF brought together participants from more than 70 countries

SINGAPORE — Three new charges were handed to a suspected Kpod peddler on Friday (Sept 5) over allegedly possessing more than 800 Kpods for sale.Jodan Chin Wei Liang, 27, was accused of possessing for sale 804 vape pods which were analysed and found to contain etomidate on July 10 at a carpark in Bishan Street 13.He also allegedly had two more Kpods for the purposes of selling them at a flat in Bishan that day.On Sept 5, a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) prosecutor sought an increase in bail for Chin from $10,000 to $15,000. This was granted by the court.Chin also made an application to leave jurisdiction to Malaysia and Vietnam. But this was rejected by the judge as Chin had indicated he would leave Singapore for an «unlimited» period of time.Chin said: «For my family, I am responsible for grocery runs across the border, so I am not sure of the schedule.»In rejecting the application, District Judge Janet Wang asked Chin to reapply to leave jurisdiction and state his dates of travel.Chin agreed, and added: «I will do my best to co-operate with everything for investigations.»

An enforcement supervisor from a Health and Sciences Authority-contracted company has been charged for attempting to obtain bribes in exchange for information regarding a HSA vape raid.Michael Anthony Pillai, a 34-year-old Singaporean, was charged in court on Friday (Sept 5) under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Pillay had attempted to obtain bribes amounting to $8,000 on multiple occasions in 2024 from Chua Wee Ming in exchange for exclusive information about vape raids conducted by HSA, said a statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).He was working for WSH Experts, a private agency subcontracted to aid HSA's tobacco regulation unit, reported CNA.Chua, a 34-year-old Malaysian man, has been linked to a vape stash worth more than $6 million which was seized by HSA.Chua's methods to do so included getting a 38-year-old man to smuggle vapes into Singapore and enlisting a fellow Malaysian man to conduct surveillance on the warehouse holding the confiscated vapes, reported CNA.

Officers from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) have foiled another attempt to smuggle e-vaporisers and related components through Singapore's borders.In a Facebook post on Thursday (Sept 4), ICA said that auxiliary police officers at Woodlands Checkpoint discovered duty-unpaid cigarettes in the car's boot and directed it for enhanced checks. There, ICA officers uncovered 34 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes and 18 e-vaporisers and related components. In response to AsiaOne’s queries, an ICA spokesperson said that the suspect is a 37-year-old male Singaporean.The case has been referred to the Singapore Customs and the Health Sciences Authority for further investigation.Stepped up checks at Singapore's bordersAs part of whole-of-government efforts against vaping, ICA has stepped up checks at Singapore's air, land and sea borders.Over a five-day period between Aug 18 and 22, ICA intercepted more than 850 vapes.

The pair reportedly met while attending the Venice wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in June, and sources claimed the music mogul has been 'pursuing' her ever since.

Peterborough City Council leader Dennis Jones allegedly sent the message to another councillor and has now been suspended from the party.

A callous carer who stole more than £10k from the wife of a bedridden pensioner she was supposed to be looking after, before blowing the money on KFC, Netflix and sunbeds has been jailed.

A previously unknown portrait of what could have been William Shakespeare's gay lover has been revealed. 

Carter, the best player on the Super Bowl champions' defense, approached the Cowboys QB before the first snap of the game and appeared to spit in his direction.

Le centre Tevaiete, le Pays et le campus des métiers et des qualifications de l’hôtellerie et de la restauration ont mis au point ensemble une formation en cuisine et restauration destinée aux sans domiciles fixes. Elle est réservée cette année aux femmes et aux jeunes de 18 à 22 ans.

For Wong Nan Hui and Cassandra Yu, the beginning of their relationship started with a literal crush.They first met in 2022, when they were colleagues at a local media company. After finding themselves on the same bus to work one fateful day, Nan Hui tried to strike up a conversation with Cassandra just as tragedy struck her AirPods.«As we were alighting, her AirPods slipped out of her hand and got crushed by a bus as it drove past us,» he recalled. While her AirPods did not survive, sparks between them came alive.Their arbitrary chats blossomed into a relationship when they realised that they had many things in common, such as having similar family backgrounds, personal values and plans for their future.Three years later, the couple were ready to move onto the next phase of their relationship and applied for a Build-to-Order (BTO) flat together. They were successful in booking a three-room flat at Kallang View, a Plus BTO flat.

The first Friday of September - Teachers' Day.But this day is more than just a school holiday; it's also about celebrating our teachers, and their hard work and dedication in educating the young.Prime Minister Lawrence Wong did just that in a social media post on Friday (Sept 5), emphasising the important role teachers play, especially in today's technologically advanced world.«They don't just teach lessons in the classroom — they build character, spark curiosity, and guide our children to grow with confidence,» PM Wong wrote.Thanking all teachers and educators for their dedication, patience and care, he said the government will continue to support them in nurturing and inspiring students.«Happy Teachers' Day!» said PM Wong. 

A 28-year-old man has been convicted in court after losing control of his car and causing a car crash that split the vehicle into two, killing his two passengers.Ong Wei Long was sentenced to two years in jail on Sept 4 after pleading guilty on one count of dangerous driving.He will also be disqualified from driving for 10 years following his release from prison.According to court documents, Ong had been driving at a speed of up to 140 kmh at midnight on Aug 11, 2023 when he lost control of his car and collided into a tree along the slip road from the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Seletar West Link.The impact of the collision resulted in the car splitting into two.Tan Bing Quan, a 26-year-old passenger, was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics from multiple injuries.Lim Xin Rong Shannon, also 26, died about a week after the accident in hospital, reported The Straits Times. The cause of death was a cervical spine injury.

SINGAPORE - Keep calm and trust ourselves.That is interim Singapore coach Gavin Lee's message for his charges after his debut as the Lions' tamer ended in a 2-1 loss to Malaysia in an international friendly at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Sept 4.The hosts, whose starting XI comprised mainly foreign-born players, led 2-0 through goals by Stuart Wilkin and Joao Figueiredo, before substitute Ilhan Fandi halved the deficit in the second half.In a broadcast interview right after the match, the 34-year-old Lee said: «We should trust ourselves a little bit more. I thought there were some very good phases from us, both in attack and defence, but it's just about repeating it, and I think that requires a little bit of calmness, a little more trust in what we do.»But it's the first step in our journey, and I'm sure we will continue to improve."He sang a similar tune at the post-match conference when asked for the lessons learnt from the loss.

SINGAPORE — The Italian swimmers who were arrested for shoplifting at Changi Airport have been banned from re-entering Singapore, the Singapore Police Force said on Sept 4.In response to media queries, the police confirmed earlier reports that two female Italian nationals, aged 20 and 22, were arrested on Aug 14 for shoplifting.As part of the standard procedures for cases involving foreigners arrested in Singapore, the police said they had informed the Embassy of Italy in Singapore of the case to provide consular assistance.After considering the facts and circumstances of the case, and in consultation with Singapore's Attorney-General's Chambers, the police said they issued the two women a 12-month conditional warning.In this period, the pair — Benedetta Pilato and Chiara Tarantino — are not to commit any other offences.Both have since left Singapore and will be banned from re-entering, added the police.Italian media had reported on Aug 29 about the alleged offence involving the pair, who were part of the Italian contingent that had competed at the July 11 to Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships here.

After their multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) were impounded by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), numerous travel agencies in Johor Baru have stepped forward to say that they are facing bankruptcy, reported The Star on Aug 24.Some of these MPV owners reportedly said that their vehicles are still stuck in Singapore, even though they have already paid the fines for ferrying passengers from Johor Baru to Singapore without proper permits. The vehicles reportedly cost between RM250,000 ($76,470) and RM500,000. Some Malaysian vehicle owners have also attempted to go to courts in Singapore to reclaim their assets but have not had any success, The Star reported.«After 11 months in court, the judge told us the car is officially seized with no further appeal. No documents were issued, leaving us unable to audit our accounts properly,» tour operator Cheries Chia said.Tour company Muhammad Siddiq Kunyu shared with The Star that three of his MPVs were seized in Singapore this year.He had hired a lawyer in Singapore to pursue the matter, but there has been no updates.

SINGAPORE - Multi-coloured lights flash for several seconds as Singpass scans users' faces before the authentication tool lets them bank or transact online.This feature activates randomly or when cyber intrusion is suspected, drawing on the intelligence gathered by an elusive anti-fraud team at the Government Technology Agency (GovTech).Facial verification protects citizens' online accounts by matching their faces with government records in real time. It deters remote online activities on users' accounts, including malware infections, without their knowledge.The heightened checks have come on the heels of a spate of phishing scams in 2021 and 2022 targeting OCBC customers, who lost a total of about $13.7 million.The incident, and the discovery that scammers had also targeted Singpass accounts, prompted GovTech to set up its anti-fraud team in 2022.

The plan to target pregnant and breastfeeding mothers will be administered through PEPFAR. Critics said it appeared to sidestep LGBTQ+ people.

Former president Joe Biden underwent a procedure that involves cutting away layers of skin until there are no longer signs of cancer, his spokesperson said.

Après une semaine de mouvement, c'est le statu quo. Ce jeudi 4 septembre, une quarantaine de marins de la flottille administrative ont investi le hall de l'Assemblée de Polynésie. De son côté, Maupiti a pris les devants pour éviter le black-out sur son île.

The top diplomat has branded the meeting of Chinese, Russian, Iranian, and North Korean leaders in Tianjin a “direct challenge” Read Full Article at RT.com