US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said that North Korea can look forward to "a future brimming with peace and prosperity" if it agrees to quickly give up its nuclear weapons.&nbsp

"If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on the par with our South Korean friends," Pompeo told a news conference after talks with his South Korean counterpart in Washington.

"If Chairman Kim chooses the right path, there is a future brimming with peace and prosperity for the North Korean people," he said, adding that the United States had a track record of support for the Korean people that was "second to none."&nbsp

Pompeo also said that the process of denuclearisation will take "robust verification," while his South Korean counterpart insisted sanctions against North Korea would not be lifted before a June 12 leaders' summit.

"We are very clear that sanctions remain in place until and unless we see visible, meaningful action taken by North Korea on the denuclearization track," South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a joint news conference with Pompeo before the June meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore.

Pompeo, who returned from Pyongyang this week with three Americans who had been held prisoner by North Korea, said the release of men had helped set conditions for a successful meeting between Trump and Kim in Singapore on June 12.

North Korea`s development of nuclear weapons and missiles capable of reaching the United States brought exchanges of bellicose rhetoric between Trump and Kim last year that raised fears of a new war on the Korean peninsula.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had high hopes of "doing something very meaningful" to curtail North Korea's nuclear ambitions at a summit in Singapore next month, after Pyongyang smoothed the way for talks by freeing three American prisoners.

 
&nbsp

Pompeo also said that the process of denuclearisation will take 'robust verification,' while his South Korean counterpart insisted sanctions against North Korea would not be lifted before a June 12 leaders' summit

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday said that North Korea can look forward to "a future brimming with peace and prosperity" if it agrees to quickly give up its nuclear weapons. "If North Korea takes bold action to quickly denuclearize, the United States is prepared to work with North Korea to achieve prosperity on the par with our South Korean friends," Pompeo told a news conference after talks with his South Korean counterpart in Washington. "If Chairman Kim chooses the right path, there is a future brimming with peace and prosperity for the North Korean people," he said, adding that the United States had a track record of support for the Korean people that was "second to none." Pompeo also said that the process of denuclearisation will take "robust verification," while his South Korean counterpart insisted sanctions against North Korea would not be lifted before a June 12 leaders' summit. "We are very clear that sanctions remain in place until and unless we see visible, meaningful action taken by North Korea on the denuclearization track," South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told a joint news conference with Pompeo before the June meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore. Pompeo, who returned from Pyongyang this week with three Americans who had been held prisoner by North Korea, said the release of men had helped set conditions for a successful meeting between Trump and Kim in Singapore on June 12. North Korea`s development of nuclear weapons and missiles capable of reaching the United States brought exchanges of bellicose rhetoric between Trump and Kim last year that raised fears of a new war on the Korean peninsula. US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had high hopes of "doing something very meaningful" to curtail North Korea's nuclear ambitions at a summit in Singapore next month, after Pyongyang smoothed the way for talks by freeing three American prisoners.

Pompeo promises North Korea future 'brimming with prosperity' if it denuclearises

US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim-Jong Un are most probably going to meet in Singapore for the historic summit in June, reports said on Monday.&nbsp;

The date and location have been settled by the two leaders, Trump had said during the weekend but refrained from giving out any other detail.&nbsp;

Earlier, a senior US official said Singapore was still high on the list of potential sites for the summit after Trump had suggested the Peace House on DMZ where Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae In last week.&nbsp;

"We're looking at various countries, including Singapore. And we are also talking about the possibility of the DMZ Peace House/Freedom House," Trump said.

A similar report on the weekend from South Korea's Yonhap news agency also said Singapore was firming as the favoured location for the summit.

Preparations for the much-anticipated talks between the two leaders are gaining more momentum since the Korea summit last month which saw Pyongyang and Seoul promise to pursue the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula and a formal peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea has offered to close its nuclear test site this month -- and invited US experts to verify the move.

Trump, who has declined to comment on whether he has spoken directly to the North Korean leader, called Kim "very open and very straightforward so far".

"Oh yeah, I think the summit's going to happen," he said. They very much want it. We certainly would like to see it... I will say this: If it's not a success... I will respectfully leave. It's very simple."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z1YgB7GzTyY" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The date and location have been settled by the two leaders, Trump had said during the weekend but refrained from giving out any other detail

US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim-Jong Un are most probably going to meet in Singapore for the historic summit in June, reports said on Monday. The date and location have been settled by the two leaders, Trump had said during the weekend but refrained from giving out any other detail. Earlier, a senior US official said Singapore was still high on the list of potential sites for the summit after Trump had suggested the Peace House on DMZ where Kim met South Korean President Moon Jae In last week. "We're looking at various countries, including Singapore. And we are also talking about the possibility of the DMZ Peace House/Freedom House," Trump said. A similar report on the weekend from South Korea's Yonhap news agency also said Singapore was firming as the favoured location for the summit. Preparations for the much-anticipated talks between the two leaders are gaining more momentum since the Korea summit last month which saw Pyongyang and Seoul promise to pursue the complete denuclearisation of the peninsula and a formal peace treaty to end the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea has offered to close its nuclear test site this month -- and invited US experts to verify the move. Trump, who has declined to comment on whether he has spoken directly to the North Korean leader, called Kim "very open and very straightforward so far". "Oh yeah, I think the summit's going to happen," he said. They very much want it. We certainly would like to see it... I will say this: If it's not a success... I will respectfully leave. It's very simple." ×

Watch: Singapore to be a possible location for historic Trump-Kim meeting

Manika Batra continued her prolific run at Commonwealth Games as she clinched her their gold medal after she battled her way to claim her maiden singles title in Gold Coast.

Batra, who carved herself a piece of history, had a dominating 11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 win over Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final.&nbsp;

With this, she became the first Indian woman to win table tennis gold in women's singles at Commonwealth Games.

Manika seemed to be India's biggest revelation in Gold Coast as she cruised her way into the third table tennis finale today.&nbsp;

She overcame world number four and a three-time Olympic medallist, Tianwei Feng of Singapore 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 13-11 in the semi-final round.&nbsp;

It was her second consecutive win against the top seed after scalping victory in the team event as well.

This was her third medal in Gold Coast with silver being the other which she had claimed alongside Mouma Das in women's doubles on Friday.&nbsp;

Batra's gold feat also made her the first Indian woman to bag two gold medals in table tennis at Commonwealth Games.&nbsp;

Batra defeated Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final

Manika Batra continued her prolific run at Commonwealth Games as she clinched her their gold medal after she battled her way to claim her maiden singles title in Gold Coast. Batra, who carved herself a piece of history, had a dominating 11-7, 11-6, 11-2, 11-7 win over Singapore's Meingyu Yu in women's singles final. With this, she became the first Indian woman to win table tennis gold in women's singles at Commonwealth Games. Manika seemed to be India's biggest revelation in Gold Coast as she cruised her way into the third table tennis finale today. She overcame world number four and a three-time Olympic medallist, Tianwei Feng of Singapore 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 13-11 in the semi-final round. It was her second consecutive win against the top seed after scalping victory in the team event as well. This was her third medal in Gold Coast with silver being the other which she had claimed alongside Mouma Das in women's doubles on Friday. Batra's gold feat also made her the first Indian woman to bag two gold medals in table tennis at Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Games: Manika Batra becomes first Indian woman to win TT single's gold

The UN's top court said Thursday it will hold hearings in June into Malaysia's request to overturn its ruling in a decades-old dispute with Singapore over a tiny but strategic island.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) "will hold public hearings in the case concerning the revision of the judgement of 23 May 2008 in the case concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh."

Four days of audiences will be held starting on June 11 in the imposing tribunal housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, the ICJ added in a statement.

Malaysia lodged its case in February 2017, calling for the court to overturn its 2008 ruling granting its neighbour sovereignty over the disputed rocky outcrop.

Kuala Lumpur maintained new documents had been discovered in British archives backing its territorial claim to the islet.

Malaysia calls the island Pulau Batu Puteh, while Singapore dubs it Pedra Branca (white rock).

The island is in a strategically important position, 7.7 nautical miles (14 kilometres) off Johor on the eastern approach to the Singapore Strait from the South China Sea.

Singapore had operated the Horsburgh Lighthouse on the granite island for more than 130 years without protest from its neighbour.

But in a map of its maritime boundaries drawn up in 1980, Kuala Lumpur staked its claim to the islet.

After years of failed negotiations, the parties turned to ICJ, which in 2008 ruled the island belonged to Singapore.&nbsp

Another rocky outcrop called Middle Rocks was found to belong to Malaysia, while a low-tide bank called South Ledge was deemed to be in overlapping territorial waters.

But in its 2017 filing, Malaysia asked the court to revise that judgement based on the discovery of three documents in the British national archives between August 2016 and late January 2017.

They included internal correspondence from the Singapore colonial authorities in 1958, a British naval incident report from 1958 and a map from the 1960s.

Kuala Lumpur maintained these documents showed that "officials at the highest levels in the British colonial and Singaporean administration appreciated that Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh did not form part of Singapore's sovereign territory," according to the ICJ.

Under the court's rules, states can ask for a judgement to be revised if new facts come to light within 10 years of the first ruling.

In a separate filing, Malaysia has also asked for an interpretation of the 2008 ruling, saying despite having formed a joint committee with Singapore the two countries have failed to delimit their maritime borders in the area.

The ICJ will also hold four days of hearings on this filing between June 18 to 22. 
&nbsp

The International Court of Justice said it would hold hearings in the matter in June

The UN's top court said Thursday it will hold hearings in June into Malaysia's request to overturn its ruling in a decades-old dispute with Singapore over a tiny but strategic island. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) "will hold public hearings in the case concerning the revision of the judgement of 23 May 2008 in the case concerning sovereignty over Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh." Four days of audiences will be held starting on June 11 in the imposing tribunal housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, the ICJ added in a statement. Malaysia lodged its case in February 2017, calling for the court to overturn its 2008 ruling granting its neighbour sovereignty over the disputed rocky outcrop. Kuala Lumpur maintained new documents had been discovered in British archives backing its territorial claim to the islet. Malaysia calls the island Pulau Batu Puteh, while Singapore dubs it Pedra Branca (white rock). The island is in a strategically important position, 7.7 nautical miles (14 kilometres) off Johor on the eastern approach to the Singapore Strait from the South China Sea. Singapore had operated the Horsburgh Lighthouse on the granite island for more than 130 years without protest from its neighbour. But in a map of its maritime boundaries drawn up in 1980, Kuala Lumpur staked its claim to the islet. After years of failed negotiations, the parties turned to ICJ, which in 2008 ruled the island belonged to Singapore. Another rocky outcrop called Middle Rocks was found to belong to Malaysia, while a low-tide bank called South Ledge was deemed to be in overlapping territorial waters. But in its 2017 filing, Malaysia asked the court to revise that judgement based on the discovery of three documents in the British national archives between August 2016 and late January 2017. They included internal correspondence from the Singapore colonial authorities in 1958, a British naval incident report from 1958 and a map from the 1960s. Kuala Lumpur maintained these documents showed that "officials at the highest levels in the British colonial and Singaporean administration appreciated that Pedra Branca/Pulau Batu Puteh did not form part of Singapore's sovereign territory," according to the ICJ. Under the court's rules, states can ask for a judgement to be revised if new facts come to light within 10 years of the first ruling. In a separate filing, Malaysia has also asked for an interpretation of the 2008 ruling, saying despite having formed a joint committee with Singapore the two countries have failed to delimit their maritime borders in the area. The ICJ will also hold four days of hearings on this filing between June 18 to 22.

Malaysia, Singapore to fight over island at UN top court

An Indian yoga instructor has been convicted by a court in Singapore for molesting a woman during class, according to a media report today.

Rakesh Kumar Prasad was sentenced to a nine-month jail term along with a fine of 1,000 Singapore dollar by the court yesterday but granted a bail of 16,000 Singapore dollar pending appeal.

Prasad's lawyer said that he would be appealing against the court decision, the Straits Times reported.

According to the report, Prasad committed the offences against the woman in April 2015 at a yoga studio in Tampines housing estate. The woman was then aged 25.

Following a 12-day trial, which began in 2016, District Judge Luke Tan found Prasad guilty earlier this year on one count each of outraging the woman's modesty and using criminal force on her.

Prasad repeatedly molested her when she was alone, it said.

In his submission, Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew said, "The victim... Did not leave the class or seek help immediately because she was in a state of shock and disbelief. She felt helpless in that environment and did not know what to do."

"She had felt violated and embarrassed by the accused's actions, and was in disbelief that this could happen to her in a yoga class," the report quoting Chew as saying.

Chew urged Judge Tan to sentence Prasad to at least a year's jail with three strokes of the cane.

He said, "The accused had abused his position as a yoga instructor in repeatedly violating the victim in the midst of the yoga class."

Defence lawyer Steven Lam pleaded for a nine-month jail term and stressed that the touches were "fleeting".

He also told the court that Prasad will be appealing against his conviction. Judge Tan offered him bail of 16,000 Singapore dollar.&nbsp;

Rakesh Kumar Prasad was sentenced to a nine-month jail term along with a fine of 1,000 Singapore dollar by the court yesterday but granted a bail

An Indian yoga instructor has been convicted by a court in Singapore for molesting a woman during class, according to a media report today. Rakesh Kumar Prasad was sentenced to a nine-month jail term along with a fine of 1,000 Singapore dollar by the court yesterday but granted a bail of 16,000 Singapore dollar pending appeal. Prasad's lawyer said that he would be appealing against the court decision, the Straits Times reported. According to the report, Prasad committed the offences against the woman in April 2015 at a yoga studio in Tampines housing estate. The woman was then aged 25. Following a 12-day trial, which began in 2016, District Judge Luke Tan found Prasad guilty earlier this year on one count each of outraging the woman's modesty and using criminal force on her. Prasad repeatedly molested her when she was alone, it said. In his submission, Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew said, "The victim... Did not leave the class or seek help immediately because she was in a state of shock and disbelief. She felt helpless in that environment and did not know what to do." "She had felt violated and embarrassed by the accused's actions, and was in disbelief that this could happen to her in a yoga class," the report quoting Chew as saying. Chew urged Judge Tan to sentence Prasad to at least a year's jail with three strokes of the cane. He said, "The accused had abused his position as a yoga instructor in repeatedly violating the victim in the midst of the yoga class." Defence lawyer Steven Lam pleaded for a nine-month jail term and stressed that the touches were "fleeting". He also told the court that Prasad will be appealing against his conviction. Judge Tan offered him bail of 16,000 Singapore dollar.

Indian yoga instructor convicted for molesting woman in Singapore

A Singaporean couple has launched a legal challenge after authorities annulled their marriage because the husband underwent a sex change, a lawyer said Monday.

The city-state voided the marriage last year, saying the operation made their partnership a same-sex union that is illegal under Singapore law.

Singapore is a modern and vibrant society in many ways but attitudes towards homosexuality are still conservative and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said the country is not yet ready for same-sex marriage.

The couple, Faith and Bryce Volta, married as man and woman in 2015, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

Faith, the husband, then underwent sex-change surgery and updated her national identity card to read "female", the paper said.

Six months later the government's Registrar of Marriages met the couple to discuss the sex change and later informed them the marriage would be annulled.&nbsp

The couple has now asked the High Court to review the decision taken by the registrar, confirmed lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, whose law firm is representing them for free.

Authorities previously cited the country's laws which state marriage is a union between a man and a woman as the reason for annulling the union.

Singapore maintains legislation dating back to British colonial rulemaking sex between men a criminal act, although it does not actively enforce the law.

Nevertheless, support for gay rights is growing due to more relaxed views among the younger generation and the large expatriate community.

The city-state voided the marriage last year, saying the operation made their partnership a same-sex union that is illegal under Singapore law

A Singaporean couple has launched a legal challenge after authorities annulled their marriage because the husband underwent a sex change, a lawyer said Monday. The city-state voided the marriage last year, saying the operation made their partnership a same-sex union that is illegal under Singapore law. Singapore is a modern and vibrant society in many ways but attitudes towards homosexuality are still conservative and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said the country is not yet ready for same-sex marriage. The couple, Faith and Bryce Volta, married as man and woman in 2015, the Straits Times newspaper reported. Faith, the husband, then underwent sex-change surgery and updated her national identity card to read "female", the paper said. Six months later the government's Registrar of Marriages met the couple to discuss the sex change and later informed them the marriage would be annulled. The couple has now asked the High Court to review the decision taken by the registrar, confirmed lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam, whose law firm is representing them for free. Authorities previously cited the country's laws which state marriage is a union between a man and a woman as the reason for annulling the union. Singapore maintains legislation dating back to British colonial rulemaking sex between men a criminal act, although it does not actively enforce the law. Nevertheless, support for gay rights is growing due to more relaxed views among the younger generation and the large expatriate community.

Singapore couple challenge annulment of marriage after sex change

An Indian national has been arrested for allegedly fleeing to Malaysia with 470,000 Singapore dollar of his employer, according to a media report on Sunday.

Bahurudeen Kuthpudeen, 43, was charged with one count of criminal breach of trust as servant.

The police had received a report on Tuesday that an employee of a money changer had been missing with 470,000 ($357,907)&nbsp;in cash which was supposed to be couriered to the company's office.&nbsp;

The suspect, an Indian national, had already left Singapore for Malaysia before the report was made, said police.

He was eventually arrested in Malaysia on Wednesday with help from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and was extradited back to Singapore the next day.

About S$24,000 in cash was recovered.

Bahurudeen will be remanded for a week at the Central Police Division. He will be back in court on Friday at 9am.

If convicted, he can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined, the report said.

Bahurudeen Kuthpudeen, 43, took 470,000 Singapore dollars and was charged with one count of criminal breach of trust as servant

An Indian national has been arrested for allegedly fleeing to Malaysia with 470,000 Singapore dollar of his employer, according to a media report on Sunday. Bahurudeen Kuthpudeen, 43, was charged with one count of criminal breach of trust as servant. The police had received a report on Tuesday that an employee of a money changer had been missing with 470,000 ($357,907) in cash which was supposed to be couriered to the company's office. The suspect, an Indian national, had already left Singapore for Malaysia before the report was made, said police. He was eventually arrested in Malaysia on Wednesday with help from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and was extradited back to Singapore the next day. About S$24,000 in cash was recovered. Bahurudeen will be remanded for a week at the Central Police Division. He will be back in court on Friday at 9am. If convicted, he can be jailed for up to 15 years and fined, the report said.

Indian who stole Singapore employer's money arrested in Malaysia

The eye-watering cost of owning a car in space-starved Singapore means the city-state is the world&#39;s most expensive place to live, for the fifth year in a row, a survey said Thursday.

The Asian financial hub - where owning a no-frills sedan can set you back $76,000 - beats global capitals to the dubious title, despite stiff competition from resurgent European cities.

Pricey perennials Tokyo and New York did not even make the top 10 in the annual list by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), beaten out by Paris, Zurich (joint second) Hong Kong (fourth) and Oslo (fifth).

Seoul and Geneva shared sixth place, while Copenhagen, Tel Aviv and Sydney rounded out the rankings

Despite some perks to domestic life in Singapore - home help is cheap - the former British colony &quot;remains the most expensive place in the world to buy and run a car,&quot; EIU said.

Singapore has avoided Asia&#39;s massive traffic jams by controlling vehicle ownership through a quota system under which a buyer must pay for a Certificate of Entitlement - currently nearly Sg$40,000 ($30,500) - on top of the vehicle&#39;s actual price.

That means a basic sedan comes with an Sg$100,000 price tag.

Asian cities tend to be most expensive for grocery shopping, while Europe comes out tops in the household, personal care, recreation and entertainment, the survey said.

Currency fluctuations remain a major cause of the changes in the rankings, with the weaker US dollar keeping American cities out of the top 10.

War-wracked Damascus, the troubled Venezuelan capital Caracas, Lagos in Nigeria and the Pakistani city of Karachi are among the world&#39;s cheapest cities, the survey showed.

&quot;Put simply, cheaper cities also tend to be less liveable,&quot; it said.

The eye-watering cost of owning a car in space-starved Singapore means the city-state is the world's most expensive place to live, for the fifth year in a row, a survey said Thursday

The eye-watering cost of owning a car in space-starved Singapore means the city-state is the world's most expensive place to live, for the fifth year in a row, a survey said Thursday. The Asian financial hub - where owning a no-frills sedan can set you back $76,000 - beats global capitals to the dubious title, despite stiff competition from resurgent European cities. Pricey perennials Tokyo and New York did not even make the top 10 in the annual list by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), beaten out by Paris, Zurich (joint second) Hong Kong (fourth) and Oslo (fifth). Seoul and Geneva shared sixth place, while Copenhagen, Tel Aviv and Sydney rounded out the rankings Despite some perks to domestic life in Singapore - home help is cheap - the former British colony "remains the most expensive place in the world to buy and run a car," EIU said. Singapore has avoided Asia's massive traffic jams by controlling vehicle ownership through a quota system under which a buyer must pay for a Certificate of Entitlement - currently nearly Sg$40,000 ($30,500) - on top of the vehicle's actual price. That means a basic sedan comes with an Sg$100,000 price tag. Asian cities tend to be most expensive for grocery shopping, while Europe comes out tops in the household, personal care, recreation and entertainment, the survey said. Currency fluctuations remain a major cause of the changes in the rankings, with the weaker US dollar keeping American cities out of the top 10. War-wracked Damascus, the troubled Venezuelan capital Caracas, Lagos in Nigeria and the Pakistani city of Karachi are among the world's cheapest cities, the survey showed. "Put simply, cheaper cities also tend to be less liveable," it said.

This is the world's costliest city

Singapore on Wednesday began a public hearing on how to tackle the threat of fake news, with speakers suggesting measures ranging from blocking websites to balancing the interests of national security and free speech.

The wealthy city state is among the countries looking to introduce legislation to rein in fake news, a trend that has stirred concern that such laws could be used to exert government control over media.

A panel set up to consider possible measures, including legislation, drew 164 written responses from the public, a record for reactions to such a committee on any issue.

&quot;Often times, and understandably so, there are worries about how it may stifle the freedom of speech,&quot; Carol Soon, a specialist in communications and new media at the National University of Singapore, said of legislation.

There should be &quot;fine balancing of the interests of protecting national security and public order and the interests of enabling people to speak up and have meaningful discussion pertaining to governance&quot;, she added.

She was among 79 people asked to speak in parliament over the eight days set for the hearing, which would make it the longest in Singapore&#39;s history.

Many of the examples of fake news cited in a Singapore government paper on deliberate online falsehoods published in January came from abroad.

However, the government said Singapore was vulnerable because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population and citizens&#39; widespread internet access.

Singapore, which ranks 151 among 180 countries rated in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, a non-government group that promotes freedom of information.

&quot;Deliberate online falsehoods are a serious global problem,&quot; panel chairman Charles Chong, the deputy speaker of parliament, said at the start of the hearing, adding that they affected Singapore in many different ways.

Other speakers urged the Singapore panel to take firm action against fake news.

Mathew Mathews, a social policy researcher at the National University of Singapore, proposed that the government &quot;stop the access of the local population to media sites which feature deliberate online falsehoods that threaten Singapore&#39;s social harmony&quot;.

Others felt such action would be ineffective.

&quot;It is no longer possible to stop &#39;fake news&#39; simply by blocking websites or publications because social media utilises person-to-person sharing,&quot; said Andre Ahchak, communications director in the office of Singapore&#39;s Roman Catholic archbishop.

Foreign entities, such as the European Values Think-Tank and the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, are due to make presentations later in the week.

The wealthy city state is among the countries looking to introduce legislation to rein in fake news

Singapore on Wednesday began a public hearing on how to tackle the threat of fake news, with speakers suggesting measures ranging from blocking websites to balancing the interests of national security and free speech. The wealthy city state is among the countries looking to introduce legislation to rein in fake news, a trend that has stirred concern that such laws could be used to exert government control over media. A panel set up to consider possible measures, including legislation, drew 164 written responses from the public, a record for reactions to such a committee on any issue. "Often times, and understandably so, there are worries about how it may stifle the freedom of speech," Carol Soon, a specialist in communications and new media at the National University of Singapore, said of legislation. There should be "fine balancing of the interests of protecting national security and public order and the interests of enabling people to speak up and have meaningful discussion pertaining to governance", she added. She was among 79 people asked to speak in parliament over the eight days set for the hearing, which would make it the longest in Singapore's history. Many of the examples of fake news cited in a Singapore government paper on deliberate online falsehoods published in January came from abroad. However, the government said Singapore was vulnerable because of its position as a global financial hub, its mixed ethnic and religious population and citizens' widespread internet access. Singapore, which ranks 151 among 180 countries rated in the World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders, a non-government group that promotes freedom of information. "Deliberate online falsehoods are a serious global problem," panel chairman Charles Chong, the deputy speaker of parliament, said at the start of the hearing, adding that they affected Singapore in many different ways. Other speakers urged the Singapore panel to take firm action against fake news. Mathew Mathews, a social policy researcher at the National University of Singapore, proposed that the government "stop the access of the local population to media sites which feature deliberate online falsehoods that threaten Singapore's social harmony". Others felt such action would be ineffective. "It is no longer possible to stop 'fake news' simply by blocking websites or publications because social media utilises person-to-person sharing," said Andre Ahchak, communications director in the office of Singapore's Roman Catholic archbishop. Foreign entities, such as the European Values Think-Tank and the Ukraine Crisis Media Centre, are due to make presentations later in the week.

Singapore starts landmark public hearing on fake news

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have &quot;completely forgiven&quot; his father Rajiv Gandhi&#39;s killers.

During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father&#39;s killers, said: &quot;We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven).&quot;

&quot;There is a history that when one realises that when these events take place, it&#39;s collision of ideas, forces, confusion. That&#39;s where you get caught. I remember when I saw Mr Prabhakaran on TV lying dead, I got two feelings - one was why they are humiliating this man in this way.

&quot;And second was I felt really bad for him and for his kids and I did that because I understood deeply what it meant to be on the other side of that thing. So to me when I see violence regardless of who it is, I know that there is a human being behind that, there is a family behind that, a kid crying behind that. I have been through a lot of pain to get this and it is something I consider very valuable. I find it difficult to hate people, even my sister does,&quot; he said.

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber of LTTE, the terrorist group in Sri Lanka led by Prabhakaran, on May 21, 1991 at an election rally in Tamil Nadu.

Gandhi, who is on a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries, also said: &quot;We knew that my father was going to die. We knew that my grandmother was going to die. In politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die. That&#39;s pretty clear.&quot;

Asked if he thinks he had a privileged life being the son and grandson of former prime ministers, he said, &quot;It depends which side of the coin you are...Of course there are a number of privileges where I sit, but I would not say that I haven&#39;t been through a rough ride.&quot;

&quot;I was 14 when my grandmother was assassinated. I used to play badminton with those who killed my grandmother. After that my father was killed. So you live in a particular environment...Surrounded by 15 guys from morning noon and night, I don&#39;t think&nbsp;that&#39;s a privilege. I think that&#39;s quite a hard thing to deal with,&quot; he said in a video shared by the Congress party on its Twitter handle.

Rahul said during his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore

Congress President Rahul Gandhi today said that he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi have "completely forgiven" his father Rajiv Gandhi's killers. During his interaction with IIM alumni in Singapore, Gandhi, when asked if he and his sister Priyanka had forgiven his father's killers, said: "We were very upset and hurt and for many years we were quite angry. But, somehow, completely...In fact, completely (forgiven)." "There is a history that when one realises that when these events take place, it's collision of ideas, forces, confusion. That's where you get caught. I remember when I saw Mr Prabhakaran on TV lying dead, I got two feelings - one was why they are humiliating this man in this way. "And second was I felt really bad for him and for his kids and I did that because I understood deeply what it meant to be on the other side of that thing. So to me when I see violence regardless of who it is, I know that there is a human being behind that, there is a family behind that, a kid crying behind that. I have been through a lot of pain to get this and it is something I consider very valuable. I find it difficult to hate people, even my sister does," he said. Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber of LTTE, the terrorist group in Sri Lanka led by Prabhakaran, on May 21, 1991 at an election rally in Tamil Nadu. Gandhi, who is on a five-day trip to the Southeast Asian countries, also said: "We knew that my father was going to die. We knew that my grandmother was going to die. In politics, when you mess with the wrong forces, and if you stand for something, you will die. That's pretty clear." Asked if he thinks he had a privileged life being the son and grandson of former prime ministers, he said, "It depends which side of the coin you are...Of course there are a number of privileges where I sit, but I would not say that I haven't been through a rough ride." "I was 14 when my grandmother was assassinated. I used to play badminton with those who killed my grandmother. After that my father was killed. So you live in a particular environment...Surrounded by 15 guys from morning noon and night, I don't think that's a privilege. I think that's quite a hard thing to deal with," he said in a video shared by the Congress party on its Twitter handle.

Me, my sister have 'completely forgiven' father's killers: Rahul Gandhi

An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India. Singapore-based author Prasenjit K Basu asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi about India&#39;s poor growth rate during Congress rule at a discussion during &#39;India At 70&#39; event at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore.

&quot;Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, India&#39;s per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, India&#39;s per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average,&quot; Basu asked Gandhi.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Asked RaGa: &ldquo;Why is is that, in all the years your family ruled, India&rsquo;s per capita income grew slower than the world average, but since your family relinquished the PMship India&rsquo;s per capita income has grown much faster than the world average?&rdquo; Answer still awaited! Jai Hind!
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971729864293150720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The Congress president questioned Basu&#39;s hypothesis, after which the author delved into history. Basu claimed Rahul Gandhi was stumped and repeatedly failed to answer his question.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Here&rsquo;s the full video of my succinct question to RaGa, and his repeated failure to answer: <a href="https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH">https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH</a>
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971785915218649088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

A video of same event was later uploaded by Congress on its Twitter handle, and the party claimed its president handled the situation maturely. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGinSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGinSingapore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaAt70?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaAt70</a> <a href="https://t.co/OnTJz0kzUx">pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx</a>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/971763292413640704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

However, this did not go well with Basu who threatened to sue Congress for what he claimed was a fake news video.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore&rsquo;s courts!
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971793850892091392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Thanks for posting the full video of the interaction. <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@INCIndia</a> has posted a fake-news video, deleting RaGa&rsquo;s repeated failure to answer the question (instead mixing my question with the next sycophantic question). And clearly the party doesn&rsquo;t understand &ldquo;per capita income&rdquo;!
&mdash; Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu/status/971785475143815168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The conversation divided twitterati.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My respect for <a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrasenjitKBasu</a> just went up 3,000 notches.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGinSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGinSingapore</a> ???????????????? <a href="https://t.co/RRq1WqvPWk">pic.twitter.com/RRq1WqvPWk</a>
&mdash; Anuraag Saxena (@anuraag_saxena) <a href="https://twitter.com/anuraag_saxena/status/971748266361552896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RGInSingapore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RGInSingapore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaAt70?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaAt70</a><a href="https://twitter.com/PrasenjitKBasu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrasenjitKBasu</a> to RaGa : y is is that, in all the yrs ur family ruled, India&rsquo;s per capita income grew slower thn d world average, bt since ur family relinquished the PMship India&rsquo;s per capita income has grown much faster thn d world average?&rdquo; 
 
RaGa: <a href="https://t.co/CQph0st3mb">pic.twitter.com/CQph0st3mb</a>
&mdash; Tejas Barot (@imTejasBarot) <a href="https://twitter.com/imTejasBarot/status/971970286735142914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Singapore became developed country in less than 15 years. While India continue to be developing from 60 years of INC rule
&mdash; Saransh Srivastava (@saransh2334) <a href="https://twitter.com/saransh2334/status/971962258719875074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
The fact that you are a well educated education man, speak-read-write in English, is all because of <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficeOfRG</a> &lsquo;s great grand father. That&rsquo;s the Nehru-Gandhi family&rsquo;s great legacy. Remove the Modi blinkers and then you can see what RG&rsquo;s family has contributed to India.
&mdash; Sadhavi Khosla (@sadhavi) <a href="https://twitter.com/sadhavi/status/971955956543250438?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India.

An innocuous conversation at an event in Singapore has become one of the most talked about in India. Singapore-based author Prasenjit K Basu asked Congress president Rahul Gandhi about India's poor growth rate during Congress rule at a discussion during 'India At 70' event at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. "Why is it that during the years that your family ruled India, India's per capita income was growing less than the world average? And yet, in the years since your family relinquished the prime ministership of India, India's per capita income has grown substantially faster than the world average," Basu asked Gandhi. Asked RaGa: “Why is is that, in all the years your family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower than the world average, but since your family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster than the world average?” Answer still awaited! Jai Hind! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × The Congress president questioned Basu's hypothesis, after which the author delved into history. Basu claimed Rahul Gandhi was stumped and repeatedly failed to answer his question. Here’s the full video of my succinct question to RaGa, and his repeated failure to answer: https://t.co/DVLLUzLbrH — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × A video of same event was later uploaded by Congress on its Twitter handle, and the party claimed its president handled the situation maturely. At the end of the video, Gandhi even invites Basu for a hug. With political discourse hitting new lows everyday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi shows how to gracefully handle detractors and call their bluff. #RGinSingapore #IndiaAt70 pic.twitter.com/OnTJz0kzUx — Congress (@INCIndia) March 8, 2018 × However, this did not go well with Basu who threatened to sue Congress for what he claimed was a fake news video. This is a classic fake-news video. You are using my image to falsely advertise your politician, showing a sequence of events that did not occur. Withdraw this false video, or prepare for prosecution in Singapore’s courts! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × Thanks for posting the full video of the interaction. @INCIndia has posted a fake-news video, deleting RaGa’s repeated failure to answer the question (instead mixing my question with the next sycophantic question). And clearly the party doesn’t understand “per capita income”! — Prasenjit K. Basu (@PrasenjitKBasu) March 8, 2018 × The conversation divided twitterati. My respect for @PrasenjitKBasu just went up 3,000 notches.#RGinSingapore ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/RRq1WqvPWk — Anuraag Saxena (@anuraag_saxena) March 8, 2018 × . #RGInSingapore #IndiaAt70@PrasenjitKBasu to RaGa : y is is that, in all the yrs ur family ruled, India’s per capita income grew slower thn d world average, bt since ur family relinquished the PMship India’s per capita income has grown much faster thn d world average?” RaGa: pic.twitter.com/CQph0st3mb — Tejas Barot (@imTejasBarot) March 9, 2018 × Singapore became developed country in less than 15 years. While India continue to be developing from 60 years of INC rule — Saransh Srivastava (@saransh2334) March 9, 2018 × The fact that you are a well educated education man, speak-read-write in English, is all because of @OfficeOfRG ‘s great grand father. That’s the Nehru-Gandhi family’s great legacy. Remove the Modi blinkers and then you can see what RG’s family has contributed to India. — Sadhavi Khosla (@sadhavi) March 9, 2018 ×

Singapore author questions Rahul Gandhi on 'family rule', Twitter on fire

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his visit to Singapore said that he felt like crying when he visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2014.&nbsp;

He added that bad political decision (after 2014) have changed years of their policy-making

He said &quot;Our Kashmir policy under Dr. Manmohan Singh was about building bridges with people. When UPA came to power in 2004, we were handed a Jammu and Kashmir&nbsp;that was burning. We made a plan and worked on it for nine years. In 2014 when I went to Jammu and Kashmir I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can to do years and years of policy-making&quot;.

He said &quot;You engage with people, you bring people in, you work with people, you trust people. It works. I have seen it for myself&quot;.

He also hit out at the BJP led government saying that &quot;India was facing serious dangers of polarising society&quot;.

Gandhi also said that he does not believe that Indians cannot&nbsp;challenge and compete with China in Manufacturing.&nbsp;

He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I don&#39;t buy the idea that India can&#39;t challenge &amp; compete with China in manufacturing: Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Singapore.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971699987427020800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

On his visit to Singapore, Gandhi discussed a range of issues including jobs, investments and the prevalent economic conditions with the Indian-origin CEOs of companies.

Gandhi is on a three-day foreign trip to meet the Indian diaspora from March 8 to 11.

He will also meet Malaysian PM Najib Razak.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Over the next three days, I look forward to meeting the Indian community, business leaders and members of the Indian Overseas Congress in Singapore and Malaysia. 
 
Also on my schedule are meetings with the Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong and the Malaysian PM, Najib Razak. <a href="https://t.co/CzCqaiZs5p">pic.twitter.com/CzCqaiZs5p</a>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/971648792725540865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his visit to Singapore said that he felt like crying when he visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. He added that bad political decision (after 2014) have changed years of their policy-making He said "Our Kashmir policy under Dr. Manmohan Singh was about building bridges with people. When UPA came to power in 2004, we were handed a Jammu and Kashmir that was burning. We made a plan and worked on it for nine years. In 2014 when I went to Jammu and Kashmir I felt like crying. I saw what a bad political decision can to do years and years of policy-making". He said "You engage with people, you bring people in, you work with people, you trust people. It works. I have seen it for myself". He also hit out at the BJP led government saying that "India was facing serious dangers of polarising society". Gandhi also said that he does not believe that Indians cannot challenge and compete with China in Manufacturing. He said India and China need to have a peaceful and cooperative relationship. I don't buy the idea that India can't challenge & compete with China in manufacturing: Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Singapore. — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × On his visit to Singapore, Gandhi discussed a range of issues including jobs, investments and the prevalent economic conditions with the Indian-origin CEOs of companies. Gandhi is on a three-day foreign trip to meet the Indian diaspora from March 8 to 11. He will also meet Malaysian PM Najib Razak. Over the next three days, I look forward to meeting the Indian community, business leaders and members of the Indian Overseas Congress in Singapore and Malaysia. Also on my schedule are meetings with the Singapore PM, Lee Hsien Loong and the Malaysian PM, Najib Razak. pic.twitter.com/CzCqaiZs5p — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 8, 2018 ×

India can challenge & compete with China in manufacturing: Rahul Gandhi

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Indian-origin CEOs of various companies in Singapore and discussed issues such as jobs, investments, and the prevalent economic condition in India.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hrVZgdS7xhM" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

&quot;We are seeing the biggest migration of rural people in India. We have challenges. Broadly our view is we want a peaceful transition that carries everybody together,&quot; Congress twitter handle quoted Gandhi as saying.

The Congress President will also address Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore, another tweet said.

Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10. 
&nbsp;

Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met Indian-origin CEOs of various companies in Singapore and discussed issues such as jobs, investments, and the prevalent economic condition in India. × "We are seeing the biggest migration of rural people in India. We have challenges. Broadly our view is we want a peaceful transition that carries everybody together," Congress twitter handle quoted Gandhi as saying. The Congress President will also address Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore, another tweet said. Gandhi is on a three-day visit to Singapore and Malaysia from March 8 to 10.

Rahul Gandhi discusses jobs, economy in Singapore

Singapore on Tuesday proposed a new law to deal with terror attacks by preventing people in the area from taking photos or videos of the incident and communicating about police operations.

Ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, Singapore has been stepping up efforts to deter terrorism in recent years.

The proposals, which the city-state&#39;s newspaper said would apply to journalists and carry punishments such as fines or prison, were part of a Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill 2018 introduced in parliament.

The measure would allow police to issue a &quot;communications stop order&quot;, following approval from the home affairs minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

That would &quot;require all persons in the incident area to stop making or communicating films or pictures of the incident area, and stop communicating text or audio messages about the ongoing security operations in the incident area,&quot; it added.

The MHA said information leaks to terrorists could endanger the lives of security officers and people caught up in the attack.

As examples, it cited media coverage of a 2015 attack on a Jewish deli in Paris in which four hostages were killed and a 2008 attack in India&#39;s financial capital of Mumbai in which 100 people were killed.

The terrorist threat facing Southeast Asia is growing as foreign fighters return to the region, regional defence ministers said this month in a joint statement, pledging to boost cooperation to tackle militancy.

Singapore on Tuesday proposed a new law to deal with terror attacks by preventing people in the area from taking photos or videos of the incident and communicating about police operations

Singapore on Tuesday proposed a new law to deal with terror attacks by preventing people in the area from taking photos or videos of the incident and communicating about police operations. Ranked as one of the safest countries in the world, Singapore has been stepping up efforts to deter terrorism in recent years. The proposals, which the city-state's newspaper said would apply to journalists and carry punishments such as fines or prison, were part of a Public Order and Safety (Special Powers) Bill 2018 introduced in parliament. The measure would allow police to issue a "communications stop order", following approval from the home affairs minister, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. That would "require all persons in the incident area to stop making or communicating films or pictures of the incident area, and stop communicating text or audio messages about the ongoing security operations in the incident area," it added. The MHA said information leaks to terrorists could endanger the lives of security officers and people caught up in the attack. As examples, it cited media coverage of a 2015 attack on a Jewish deli in Paris in which four hostages were killed and a 2008 attack in India's financial capital of Mumbai in which 100 people were killed. The terrorist threat facing Southeast Asia is growing as foreign fighters return to the region, regional defence ministers said this month in a joint statement, pledging to boost cooperation to tackle militancy.

Taking photos, videos at terror attack sites may land you in jail, Singapore proposes

The Trump administration and key Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea, a plan that could include deploying U.S. Coast Guard forces to stop and search vessels in Asia-Pacific waters, senior U.S. officials said.

Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown that would go further than ever before in an attempt to squeeze Pyongyang&#39;s use of seagoing trade to feed its nuclear missile program, several officials told Reuters.

While suspect ships have been intercepted before, the emerging strategy would expand the scope of such operations but stop short of imposing a naval blockade on North Korea. Pyongyang has warned it would consider a blockade an act of war.

The strategy calls for closer tracking and possible seizure of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to or from North Korea, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Depending on the scale of the campaign, the United States could consider beefing up the naval and air power of its Pacific Command, they said.

The U.S.-led initiative, which has not been previously reported, shows Washington&#39;s increasing urgency to force North Korea into negotiations over the abandonment of its weapons programs, the officials said.

North Korea may be only a few months away from completing development of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, despite existing international sanctions that, at times, have been sidestepped by smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, according to officials.

&quot;There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un we mean business,&quot; said a senior administration official.

The White House declined official comment.

The effort could target vessels on the high seas or in the territorial waters of countries that choose to cooperate. It was unclear, however, to what extent the campaign might extend beyond Asia.

Washington on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens more companies and vessels linked to North Korean shipping trade and urged the United Nations to blacklist a list of entities, a move it said was aimed at shutting down North Korea&#39;s illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal.

Tighter sanctions plus a more assertive approach at sea could dial up tensions at a time when fragile diplomacy between North and South Korea has gained momentum. It would also stretch U.S. military resources needed elsewhere, possibly incur massive new costs and fuel misgivings among some countries in the region.

BOARDING SHIPS

The initiative, which is still being developed, would be fraught with challenges that could risk triggering North Korean retaliation and dividing the international community.

China and Russia, which have blocked U.S. efforts at the United Nations to win approval for use of force in North Korea interdiction operations, are likely to oppose new actions if they see the United States as overstepping. A Chinese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such steps should only be taken under United Nations auspices.

But Washington is expected to start gradually ratcheting up such operations soon even if discussions with allies have not been completed, according to the senior U.S. official.

U.S. experts are developing legal arguments for doing more to stop sanctions-busting vessels, citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution which they say opened the door by calling on states to inspect suspect ships on the high seas or in their waters.

Washington is also drawing up rules of engagement aimed at avoiding armed confrontation at sea, the officials said.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in Washington on Friday the United States does not rule out boarding ships for inspections.

But U.S. officials said privately that such actions, especially the use of boarding crews, would be decided on a case-by-case and with utmost caution.

Some U.S. officials believe the risk could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters, which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions, are used in certain cases rather than warships.

The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the Asia-Pacific region but acknowledged its ties to countries there. &quot;Future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets,&quot; said spokesman Lieutenant Commander Dave French.

&#39;THE MORE PARTNERS WE HAVE&#39;

A senior South Korean government official said there had been discussions over &quot;intensified maritime interdictions,&quot; including at a foreign ministers&#39; meeting in Vancouver last month where U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed counterparts on the issue.

&quot;We are discussing with various countries including the U.S. and South Korea how to fully implement the sanctions but I have not heard talk of creating a framework or a coalition,&quot; said a Japanese defense ministry official involved in policy planning.

The Trump administration has also sought greater cooperation from Southeast Asian countries, which may have little military capability to assist but are seen as sources of intelligence on ship movements, U.S. officials said.

&quot;The more partners we have, the more resources we have to dedicate to the effort,&quot; said Chris Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation. He declined to talk about discussions with specific countries.

Washington is especially interested in detecting of ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, something North Korea has increasingly resorted to as vessels have faced greater scrutiny of their cargo in Asian ports, the officials said.

Reuters reported in December that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea at sea in a violation of sanctions. Washington also said at the time it had evidence that vessels from several countries, including China, had engaged in shipping oil products and coal. China denied the allegation.

U.S. interception of ships close to Chinese waters is something likely to be avoided, in favor of informing Chinese authorities of banned cargo onboard and asking them do the inspection, one official said.

&quot;It&#39;s probably impossible to stop everything, but you can raise the cost to North Korea,&quot; said David Shear, former deputy secretary of defense for Asia under President Barack Obama.

Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown

The Trump administration and key Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea, a plan that could include deploying U.S. Coast Guard forces to stop and search vessels in Asia-Pacific waters, senior U.S. officials said. Washington has been talking to regional partners, including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore, about coordinating a stepped-up crackdown that would go further than ever before in an attempt to squeeze Pyongyang's use of seagoing trade to feed its nuclear missile program, several officials told Reuters. While suspect ships have been intercepted before, the emerging strategy would expand the scope of such operations but stop short of imposing a naval blockade on North Korea. Pyongyang has warned it would consider a blockade an act of war. The strategy calls for closer tracking and possible seizure of ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components and other prohibited cargo to or from North Korea, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Depending on the scale of the campaign, the United States could consider beefing up the naval and air power of its Pacific Command, they said. The U.S.-led initiative, which has not been previously reported, shows Washington's increasing urgency to force North Korea into negotiations over the abandonment of its weapons programs, the officials said. North Korea may be only a few months away from completing development of a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the U.S. mainland, despite existing international sanctions that, at times, have been sidestepped by smuggling and ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, according to officials. "There is no doubt we all have to do more, short of direct military action, to show (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un we mean business," said a senior administration official. The White House declined official comment. The effort could target vessels on the high seas or in the territorial waters of countries that choose to cooperate. It was unclear, however, to what extent the campaign might extend beyond Asia. Washington on Friday slapped sanctions on dozens more companies and vessels linked to North Korean shipping trade and urged the United Nations to blacklist a list of entities, a move it said was aimed at shutting down North Korea's illicit maritime smuggling activities to obtain oil and sell coal. Tighter sanctions plus a more assertive approach at sea could dial up tensions at a time when fragile diplomacy between North and South Korea has gained momentum. It would also stretch U.S. military resources needed elsewhere, possibly incur massive new costs and fuel misgivings among some countries in the region. BOARDING SHIPS The initiative, which is still being developed, would be fraught with challenges that could risk triggering North Korean retaliation and dividing the international community. China and Russia, which have blocked U.S. efforts at the United Nations to win approval for use of force in North Korea interdiction operations, are likely to oppose new actions if they see the United States as overstepping. A Chinese official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said such steps should only be taken under United Nations auspices. But Washington is expected to start gradually ratcheting up such operations soon even if discussions with allies have not been completed, according to the senior U.S. official. U.S. experts are developing legal arguments for doing more to stop sanctions-busting vessels, citing the last U.N. Security Council resolution which they say opened the door by calling on states to inspect suspect ships on the high seas or in their waters. Washington is also drawing up rules of engagement aimed at avoiding armed confrontation at sea, the officials said. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told reporters in Washington on Friday the United States does not rule out boarding ships for inspections. But U.S. officials said privately that such actions, especially the use of boarding crews, would be decided on a case-by-case and with utmost caution. Some U.S. officials believe the risk could be minimized if Coast Guard cutters, which carry less firepower and technically engage in law-enforcement missions, are used in certain cases rather than warships. The Coast Guard declined to address whether it might deploy ships to the Asia-Pacific region but acknowledged its ties to countries there. "Future ship deployments would depend on U.S. foreign policy objectives and the operational availability of our assets," said spokesman Lieutenant Commander Dave French. 'THE MORE PARTNERS WE HAVE' A senior South Korean government official said there had been discussions over "intensified maritime interdictions," including at a foreign ministers' meeting in Vancouver last month where U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed counterparts on the issue. "We are discussing with various countries including the U.S. and South Korea how to fully implement the sanctions but I have not heard talk of creating a framework or a coalition," said a Japanese defense ministry official involved in policy planning. The Trump administration has also sought greater cooperation from Southeast Asian countries, which may have little military capability to assist but are seen as sources of intelligence on ship movements, U.S. officials said. "The more partners we have, the more resources we have to dedicate to the effort," said Chris Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and nonproliferation. He declined to talk about discussions with specific countries. Washington is especially interested in detecting of ship-to-ship transfers at sea of banned goods, something North Korea has increasingly resorted to as vessels have faced greater scrutiny of their cargo in Asian ports, the officials said. Reuters reported in December that Russian tankers had supplied fuel to North Korea at sea in a violation of sanctions. Washington also said at the time it had evidence that vessels from several countries, including China, had engaged in shipping oil products and coal. China denied the allegation. U.S. interception of ships close to Chinese waters is something likely to be avoided, in favor of informing Chinese authorities of banned cargo onboard and asking them do the inspection, one official said. "It's probably impossible to stop everything, but you can raise the cost to North Korea," said David Shear, former deputy secretary of defense for Asia under President Barack Obama.

US and its allies prepare high-seas crackdown on North Korea sanctions evaders: Sources

Indian agencies, the Zee Group has learnt, are scrutinising at least three companies and their directors in Hong Kong, to try and verify if the companies are genuine overseas importers or part of the network of shell companies that Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam.&nbsp;

Sources told the Zee Group that Nirav Modi&#39;s firms Solar Exports and Diamonds 4 US imported diamonds from a few Hong Kong-based companies. The firms received hundreds of crores of rupees on the basis of Letters of Understanding (LoU) issued by Punjab National Bank. The Hong Kong branches of Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank made the payments to &nbsp;the firms.&nbsp;

The three firms. the sources said, are Aura Gems, Sino Traders, and Sunshine Gems. All three of them are based out of Hong Kong.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pnbs-overzealousness-shut-the-doors-on-ability-to-clear-the-dues-nirav-modi-33415" target="_blank">PNB&#39;s &#39;overzealousness&#39; shut door on ability to clear dues, Nirav Modi said in letter to bank</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/full-text-of-nirav-modis-letter-to-pnb-33448" target="_blank">Full text of Nirav Modi&#39;s letter to PNB</a>

Over the last one year, Nirav Modi had allegedly started transferring his money through multiple layers, while making transactions at inflated prices. Some of those transactions are thought to have been with fictitious companies which are now being scrutinised by the agencies.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The agencies are closely monitoring transactions between India and five countries &mdash;&nbsp;the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and China. 
&nbsp; 
The agencies suspect funds were routed to different cities worldwide.&nbsp;The&nbsp;funds were first transferred from India to Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. They were then transferred to London. &nbsp;And from London, the funds were moved to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and New York before being moving to Modi&#39;s Swiss accounts. 
&nbsp; 
Sometime in December 2017, somebody from PNB &mdash; other than the two&nbsp;main accused &mdash; tipped Nirav Modi off about the meeting held by top PNB officials and that a complaint was to be filed with the CBI.

Indian agencies are trying to verify if the companies are genuine overseas exporters or part of the network of shell companies Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam

Indian agencies, the Zee Group has learnt, are scrutinising at least three companies and their directors in Hong Kong, to try and verify if the companies are genuine overseas importers or part of the network of shell companies that Nirav Modi used to carry out his scam. Sources told the Zee Group that Nirav Modi's firms Solar Exports and Diamonds 4 US imported diamonds from a few Hong Kong-based companies. The firms received hundreds of crores of rupees on the basis of Letters of Understanding (LoU) issued by Punjab National Bank. The Hong Kong branches of Allahabad Bank and Axis Bank made the payments to the firms. The three firms. the sources said, are Aura Gems, Sino Traders, and Sunshine Gems. All three of them are based out of Hong Kong. Also read: PNB's 'overzealousness' shut door on ability to clear dues, Nirav Modi said in letter to bank Also read: Full text of Nirav Modi's letter to PNB Over the last one year, Nirav Modi had allegedly started transferring his money through multiple layers, while making transactions at inflated prices. Some of those transactions are thought to have been with fictitious companies which are now being scrutinised by the agencies. The agencies are closely monitoring transactions between India and five countries — the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and China. The agencies suspect funds were routed to different cities worldwide. The funds were first transferred from India to Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur. They were then transferred to London. And from London, the funds were moved to Hawaii, Las Vegas, and New York before being moving to Modi's Swiss accounts. Sometime in December 2017, somebody from PNB — other than the two main accused — tipped Nirav Modi off about the meeting held by top PNB officials and that a complaint was to be filed with the CBI.

PNB scam: 3 Hong Kong companies under scanner, say sources

Singapore said Monday it would impose a carbon tax from next year to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and make companies more competitive as global agreements on climate change take effect.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said the tax would be levied on all facilities producing 25,000 tonnes or more of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

The tax, to be applied to all sectors, will be Sg$5.0 ($3.8) per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2023, after which the levy will be reviewed and possibly raised to between Sg$10 and Sg$15 per tonne by 2030.

&quot;Singapore produces less carbon emissions per dollar of GDP than most countries,&quot; he said, as he unveiled the measure as part of the city-state`s 2018 budget.

&quot;We intend to further reduce our emissions intensity to make a bigger effort to combat climate change.&quot;

Major economies have been scrambling to cut greenhouse gas emissions amid warnings from scientists about the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.&nbsp;

The most notable step has been the 197-nation Paris Agreement, inked in 2015, which calls for limiting global warming to &quot;well under&quot; 2 degrees Celsius, and &quot;pursuing efforts&quot; to cap warming at 1.5 degrees C.

The levy will affect about 30-40 companies, mainly from the petroleum refining, chemicals and semiconductor sectors, the Straits Times reported.

Singapore ranks 26th out of 142 countries in terms of emissions per capita based on the latest International Energy Agency data largely due to its small size and dense population, according to the government.

Heng said the new carbon tax would encourage businesses to take measures to reduce emissions, making them more competitive as tighter limits are imposed by more countries when international deals come into force.

The government would provide support to companies to help them become energy-efficient, he added.

Singapore expects to collect carbon tax revenues of nearly Sg$1.0 billion in the first five years, but the government is willing to spend more than that to help companies, he said.

The government would provide support to companies to help them become energy-efficient

Singapore said Monday it would impose a carbon tax from next year to cut its greenhouse gas emissions and make companies more competitive as global agreements on climate change take effect. Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said the tax would be levied on all facilities producing 25,000 tonnes or more of greenhouse gas emissions a year. The tax, to be applied to all sectors, will be Sg$5.0 ($3.8) per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 to 2023, after which the levy will be reviewed and possibly raised to between Sg$10 and Sg$15 per tonne by 2030. "Singapore produces less carbon emissions per dollar of GDP than most countries," he said, as he unveiled the measure as part of the city-state`s 2018 budget. "We intend to further reduce our emissions intensity to make a bigger effort to combat climate change." Major economies have been scrambling to cut greenhouse gas emissions amid warnings from scientists about the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. The most notable step has been the 197-nation Paris Agreement, inked in 2015, which calls for limiting global warming to "well under" 2 degrees Celsius, and "pursuing efforts" to cap warming at 1.5 degrees C. The levy will affect about 30-40 companies, mainly from the petroleum refining, chemicals and semiconductor sectors, the Straits Times reported. Singapore ranks 26th out of 142 countries in terms of emissions per capita based on the latest International Energy Agency data largely due to its small size and dense population, according to the government. Heng said the new carbon tax would encourage businesses to take measures to reduce emissions, making them more competitive as tighter limits are imposed by more countries when international deals come into force. The government would provide support to companies to help them become energy-efficient, he added. Singapore expects to collect carbon tax revenues of nearly Sg$1.0 billion in the first five years, but the government is willing to spend more than that to help companies, he said.

Singapore to impose carbon tax from 2019

In a rare case, an Indian-origin Malaysian on death row in Singapore for possessing drugs has been acquitted by the country&#39; apex court.

According to the judgement yesterday, Gopu Jaya Raman successfully proved that he did not know that controlled drugs were hidden in the motorcycle he was riding into Singapore.

On March 24, 2014, Gopu was arrested after he entered Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint on the north with three black bundles of diamorphine hidden in his motorcycle&#39;s fender.

Diamorphine also known as Heroin, is an opioid most commonly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects.

When immigration officers stopped him and found the drugs, he said he did not know the drugs were hidden in the motorcycle.

Gopu, also claimed the motorcycle was not his.

Tay Yong Kwang, the sole dissenting judge in yesterday&#39;s judgement, noted that Gopu had trafficked drugs into Singapore on two other occasions before he was caught on March 24, 2014. He had been trying to repay a 4,000 Malaysian Ringgit loan.

He was not convinced by Gopu&#39;s reasons for entering Singapore or how he came to possess the motorcycle.

He said Gopu&#39;s admission to trafficking drugs into Singapore on the same motorcycle on two other occasions did not bolster his credibility.

After the authorities found the drugs, they got Gopu&#39;s help to try to nab others in the ring who might turn up to collect the drugs, the judgement stated. The operation, however, was called off when no one turned up.

Authorities monitored his conversation with the man who had helped to get him the motorcycle.

After listening to a number of exchanges, officers told Gopu to send a message, indicating that he had no knowledge of the drugs.

In yesterday&#39;s judgement, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash found that Gopu would have missed the drugs when he was checking for them, given the bundles&#39; &quot;size and dark colour&quot;.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

According to the judgment yesterday, Gopu Jaya Raman successfully proved that he did not know that controlled drugs were hidden in the motorcycle he was riding into Singapore

In a rare case, an Indian-origin Malaysian on death row in Singapore for possessing drugs has been acquitted by the country' apex court. According to the judgement yesterday, Gopu Jaya Raman successfully proved that he did not know that controlled drugs were hidden in the motorcycle he was riding into Singapore. On March 24, 2014, Gopu was arrested after he entered Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint on the north with three black bundles of diamorphine hidden in his motorcycle's fender. Diamorphine also known as Heroin, is an opioid most commonly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. When immigration officers stopped him and found the drugs, he said he did not know the drugs were hidden in the motorcycle. Gopu, also claimed the motorcycle was not his. Tay Yong Kwang, the sole dissenting judge in yesterday's judgement, noted that Gopu had trafficked drugs into Singapore on two other occasions before he was caught on March 24, 2014. He had been trying to repay a 4,000 Malaysian Ringgit loan. He was not convinced by Gopu's reasons for entering Singapore or how he came to possess the motorcycle. He said Gopu's admission to trafficking drugs into Singapore on the same motorcycle on two other occasions did not bolster his credibility. After the authorities found the drugs, they got Gopu's help to try to nab others in the ring who might turn up to collect the drugs, the judgement stated. The operation, however, was called off when no one turned up. Authorities monitored his conversation with the man who had helped to get him the motorcycle. After listening to a number of exchanges, officers told Gopu to send a message, indicating that he had no knowledge of the drugs. In yesterday's judgement, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Judge of Appeal Judith Prakash found that Gopu would have missed the drugs when he was checking for them, given the bundles' "size and dark colour".

Indian-origin Malaysian on death row in Singapore wins acquittal

The stage is set in New Delhi, India for two days ASEAN-India commemorative summit, an international meet to commemorate 26 years of&nbsp;India-ASEAN relations and its partnership.

Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January.

Heads of ASEAN member countries, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei would start arriving in the country on January 25.

During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with leaders of ASEAN nations.

The ASEAN heads will be received by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and will be followed by lunch at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The leaders coming from ASEAN member countries will also attend Republic day parade and will make a walk in Mughal garden which would be followed by a formal photo shoot.

During the Summit Tour de Exhibition of 20 paintings of ASEAN-India Artists&rsquo; Camp will also be on display inside Mumtaz Hall.

Several cultural programmes will also be organised in honour of the ASEAN leader.

India and ASEAN have celebrated 25 years of their Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership in 2017.

Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January

The stage is set in New Delhi, India for two days ASEAN-India commemorative summit, an international meet to commemorate 26 years of India-ASEAN relations and its partnership. Heads of all ten ASEAN member countries will be in India to attend the summit two-day summit from 25-26 of January. Heads of ASEAN member countries, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Brunei would start arriving in the country on January 25. During the event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to have a bilateral meeting with leaders of ASEAN nations. The ASEAN heads will be received by the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and will be followed by lunch at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The leaders coming from ASEAN member countries will also attend Republic day parade and will make a walk in Mughal garden which would be followed by a formal photo shoot. During the Summit Tour de Exhibition of 20 paintings of ASEAN-India Artists’ Camp will also be on display inside Mumtaz Hall. Several cultural programmes will also be organised in honour of the ASEAN leader. India and ASEAN have celebrated 25 years of their Dialogue Partnership, 15 years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership in 2017.

Heads of ASEAN countries to participate in two-day summit in Delhi

The Singapore Airshow 2018 is all set to kick off on Tuesday with 1,062 companies&nbsp;participating this year including Airbus, Boeing and Rolls-Royce.&nbsp;

The bi-annual aerospace and defence event will return with the aerobatic displays by local and international teams, which will take place during the trade days (6-9 February) as well as the public days (10-11 February). Although a preview took place on February 4th where people could see them prepare for the big show.&nbsp;

It is Asia&#39;s Largest Aerospace and Defence event where visitors can look forward to a wide range of exciting activities including static aircraft on display and the breathtaking aerobatic flying displays.&nbsp;

The Airshow will also hold conferences and business forums for aerospace industry players as well as a meet-the-pilot session where visitors can take photos and get their autographs.

Reports say that over 13,000 visitors are expected at the event which will be open to the public.&nbsp;

The main attraction of the show will consist of aerobatic performances with pilots from six countries - Singapore, South Korea, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States, taking part this year.

There will also be an indoor exhibition stretched over 3000 sq m, stating the history of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and showcasing its current capabilities.

The 15-minute aerial display by the RSAF, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will feature 15 manoeuvres, six of which are new.

The newly-certified Airbus A350-1000 long-range passenger jet and the latest-generation United States Marine Corp&#39;s F-35B, which can land like a helicopter, are among the new commercial and military planes that will be on display. ELTA Emergency Locator Transmittor and the Orion-D Man Pack drone detection system will also be making their global debut.

Aviation cybersecurity and autonomous vehicle technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles will be the key topics&nbsp;of the business forums this year. There will be four business forums and three conferences in total at Singapore Airshow 2018.

Reports say that over 13,000 visitors are expected at the event which will be open to public

The Singapore Airshow 2018 is all set to kick off on Tuesday with 1,062 companies participating this year including Airbus, Boeing and Rolls-Royce. The bi-annual aerospace and defence event will return with the aerobatic displays by local and international teams, which will take place during the trade days (6-9 February) as well as the public days (10-11 February). Although a preview took place on February 4th where people could see them prepare for the big show. It is Asia's Largest Aerospace and Defence event where visitors can look forward to a wide range of exciting activities including static aircraft on display and the breathtaking aerobatic flying displays. The Airshow will also hold conferences and business forums for aerospace industry players as well as a meet-the-pilot session where visitors can take photos and get their autographs. Reports say that over 13,000 visitors are expected at the event which will be open to the public. The main attraction of the show will consist of aerobatic performances with pilots from six countries - Singapore, South Korea, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the United States, taking part this year. There will also be an indoor exhibition stretched over 3000 sq m, stating the history of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and showcasing its current capabilities. The 15-minute aerial display by the RSAF, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, will feature 15 manoeuvres, six of which are new. The newly-certified Airbus A350-1000 long-range passenger jet and the latest-generation United States Marine Corp's F-35B, which can land like a helicopter, are among the new commercial and military planes that will be on display. ELTA Emergency Locator Transmittor and the Orion-D Man Pack drone detection system will also be making their global debut. Aviation cybersecurity and autonomous vehicle technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles will be the key topics of the business forums this year. There will be four business forums and three conferences in total at Singapore Airshow 2018.

Watch: Singapore Airshow 2018 set to kick off on Tuesday

Indian railways have announced foreign tour for its employees and no this is not the usual tour of senior officials but it will be only for the &quot;non-gazetted&quot;&nbsp;workforce.&nbsp;

In the first-of-its-kind &lsquo;Employees Overseas Camp&rsquo; is going to be a weeklong tour of Singapore and Malaysia from January 28th to February 3rd, at hugely subsidized cost with funds from the Staff Benefit Fund (SBF), allocated by Railway Board for various welfare activities of the non-gazetted employees.&nbsp;

The tour was flagged off on Tuesday from Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad to Shamshabad Airport, Hyderabad in the presence of representatives of Trade Unions and Association.

The 100-strong group of employees comprises of group C&amp;D category employees, with preference given to employees from lower cadres and those nearing retirement.

Allocation of the number of slots for each division, workshop and&nbsp;headquarters was given on the&nbsp;basis of their sanctioned strength.

This subsidized tour entails 25% of expenditure to be borne by the employees and 75% by staff benefit fund.

The itinerary for the tour covers Universal Studios, Sentosa, night safari, etc. in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur City Tour, Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, Genting Highlands&nbsp;in Malaysia.

Stay at hotels of repute with good quality of food, transport arrangements.

Indian Railway's announced foreign tour and no this is not the usual tour of senior officials but it will be only for the non-gazetted workforce

Indian railways have announced foreign tour for its employees and no this is not the usual tour of senior officials but it will be only for the "non-gazetted" workforce. In the first-of-its-kind ‘Employees Overseas Camp’ is going to be a weeklong tour of Singapore and Malaysia from January 28th to February 3rd, at hugely subsidized cost with funds from the Staff Benefit Fund (SBF), allocated by Railway Board for various welfare activities of the non-gazetted employees. The tour was flagged off on Tuesday from Rail Nilayam, Secunderabad to Shamshabad Airport, Hyderabad in the presence of representatives of Trade Unions and Association. The 100-strong group of employees comprises of group C&D category employees, with preference given to employees from lower cadres and those nearing retirement. Allocation of the number of slots for each division, workshop and headquarters was given on the basis of their sanctioned strength. This subsidized tour entails 25% of expenditure to be borne by the employees and 75% by staff benefit fund. The itinerary for the tour covers Universal Studios, Sentosa, night safari, etc. in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur City Tour, Petronas Towers, Batu Caves, Genting Highlands in Malaysia. Stay at hotels of repute with good quality of food, transport arrangements.

Indian railways sends junior workers to Singapore, Malaysia

Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank.

Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today.

Of the 18,667 companies that participated in the census, 17,020 had FDI/overseas direct investment in their balance sheets in March 2017, it said.

&quot;96 per cent of the responding companies were unlisted in March 2017 and most of them had received only inward FDI; unlisted companies had higher share of FDI equity capital vis-?-vis listed companies,&quot; it said.

Further, over 80 per cent of the 15,169 companies that reported inward FDI were subsidiaries of foreign companies (single foreign investor holding over 50 per cent of the total equity).

&quot;Mauritius was the largest source of FDI in India (21.8 per cent share at market value) followed by the USA, the UK, Singapore and Japan whereas Singapore (19.7 per cent) was the major ODI destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the USA,&quot; the census said.

The census yields comprehensive information on the market value of foreign liabilities and assets of Indian companies arising on account of FDI, ODI and other investments.

&quot;It is important to note that changes in outstanding asset/liabilities would be different from flows recorded in the balance of payments (BoP) during a year, as the former would also include valuation changes due to price and exchange rate movements,&quot; the central bank said.

The census data further said non-financial FDI companies had a much higher share in total foreign equity participation vis-a-vis financial FDI firms.

&quot;The ratio of market values of inward to outward direct investment, increased to 4.3 in March 2017 from 3.6 a year ago; equity participation accounted for 94 per cent and 79 per cent shares in inward and outward FDI, respectively,&quot; it said.

The manufacturing sector accounted for nearly half of the total FDI at market prices; information and communication services and financial and insurance activities were the other major sectors that attracted FDI.

Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7 per cent during 2016-17 whereas their purchases, including imports, increased by 20.1 per cent.&nbsp;

Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today

Mauritius was the largest source of foreign investment in India, followed by the US and the UK, according to a census by the Reserve Bank. Singapore and Japan were the next two sources of foreign direct investment (FDI), said the Census on Foreign Liabilities and Assets of Indian Direct Investment Companies 2016-17, released by RBI today. Of the 18,667 companies that participated in the census, 17,020 had FDI/overseas direct investment in their balance sheets in March 2017, it said. "96 per cent of the responding companies were unlisted in March 2017 and most of them had received only inward FDI; unlisted companies had higher share of FDI equity capital vis-?-vis listed companies," it said. Further, over 80 per cent of the 15,169 companies that reported inward FDI were subsidiaries of foreign companies (single foreign investor holding over 50 per cent of the total equity). "Mauritius was the largest source of FDI in India (21.8 per cent share at market value) followed by the USA, the UK, Singapore and Japan whereas Singapore (19.7 per cent) was the major ODI destination, followed by the Netherlands, Mauritius, and the USA," the census said. The census yields comprehensive information on the market value of foreign liabilities and assets of Indian companies arising on account of FDI, ODI and other investments. "It is important to note that changes in outstanding asset/liabilities would be different from flows recorded in the balance of payments (BoP) during a year, as the former would also include valuation changes due to price and exchange rate movements," the central bank said. The census data further said non-financial FDI companies had a much higher share in total foreign equity participation vis-a-vis financial FDI firms. "The ratio of market values of inward to outward direct investment, increased to 4.3 in March 2017 from 3.6 a year ago; equity participation accounted for 94 per cent and 79 per cent shares in inward and outward FDI, respectively," it said. The manufacturing sector accounted for nearly half of the total FDI at market prices; information and communication services and financial and insurance activities were the other major sectors that attracted FDI. Total sales, including exports, of foreign subsidiaries in India increased by 18.7 per cent during 2016-17 whereas their purchases, including imports, increased by 20.1 per cent.

Mauritius largest source of FDI in India, says RBI

MS Dhoni is expanding the reach of cricket around the world. He is teaming up with the men and women&rsquo;s cricket teams of Singapore to open a cricket academy.

The&nbsp;initiative intends&nbsp;to promote cricket at the grassroots level.&nbsp;

The former Indian skipper will be in Singapore on January 20 to officiate the opening ceremony and will also interact with the students who have signed up to the academy.

Dhoni aims to establish up to 12 other academies in Asia. Recently he inaugurated his first cricket academy in UAE.

&quot;Sports should be an essential driver for the development of a child&rsquo;s character. Apart from being fit, you can learn leadership and other important aspects of life via sports. Every kid should play an outdoor sport. MS Dhoni Cricket Academy is not only about producing cricket talent but our academy&rsquo;s vision is to guide a kid to become a champion in life via sports,&quot; said MS Dhoni.

The MS Dhoni Cricket Academy is the second academy outside of India and gives children and adults the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the game.

The academy will follow a structured curriculum developed by Dhoni while Singapore cricket legends, Chetan Suryavanshi, Chaminda Ruwan and Diviya GK, will work with Dhoni to implement his curriculum.

Dhoni has one of the best records as captain of India, having won International Cricket Council (ICC) trophies in all formats of the game: World Cup in 2011, World T20 in 2007 and ICC Champions trophy in 2013.

Josh Ghosh, CEO, Academia7, said, &quot;Cricket as a truly global sport is in its infancy. The popularity of cricket in the Indian subcontinent parallels a religious fervour and it is just starting to gain broader recognition elsewhere. We are very excited to begin this journey and bring cricket development to Singapore and progressively to the rest of Asia.&quot;

&quot;Cricket is not just a sport, it teaches leadership, trust, determination and a lot more. MS has, time and again, demonstrated how cricket can positively shape personal development. The MS Dhoni Cricket Academy in Singapore will bring skill development beyond just the technical aspects of cricket&quot;, said Mihir Diwakar, CEO, Aarka Sports. Diwakar represented India in the U-19 World Cup.

&nbsp;

Dhoni aims to establish up to 12 other academies in Asia to promote cricket at grassroots level

MS Dhoni is expanding the reach of cricket around the world. He is teaming up with the men and women’s cricket teams of Singapore to open a cricket academy. The initiative intends to promote cricket at the grassroots level. The former Indian skipper will be in Singapore on January 20 to officiate the opening ceremony and will also interact with the students who have signed up to the academy. Dhoni aims to establish up to 12 other academies in Asia. Recently he inaugurated his first cricket academy in UAE. "Sports should be an essential driver for the development of a child’s character. Apart from being fit, you can learn leadership and other important aspects of life via sports. Every kid should play an outdoor sport. MS Dhoni Cricket Academy is not only about producing cricket talent but our academy’s vision is to guide a kid to become a champion in life via sports," said MS Dhoni. The MS Dhoni Cricket Academy is the second academy outside of India and gives children and adults the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the game. The academy will follow a structured curriculum developed by Dhoni while Singapore cricket legends, Chetan Suryavanshi, Chaminda Ruwan and Diviya GK, will work with Dhoni to implement his curriculum. Dhoni has one of the best records as captain of India, having won International Cricket Council (ICC) trophies in all formats of the game: World Cup in 2011, World T20 in 2007 and ICC Champions trophy in 2013. Josh Ghosh, CEO, Academia7, said, "Cricket as a truly global sport is in its infancy. The popularity of cricket in the Indian subcontinent parallels a religious fervour and it is just starting to gain broader recognition elsewhere. We are very excited to begin this journey and bring cricket development to Singapore and progressively to the rest of Asia." "Cricket is not just a sport, it teaches leadership, trust, determination and a lot more. MS has, time and again, demonstrated how cricket can positively shape personal development. The MS Dhoni Cricket Academy in Singapore will bring skill development beyond just the technical aspects of cricket", said Mihir Diwakar, CEO, Aarka Sports. Diwakar represented India in the U-19 World Cup.

MS Dhoni to open cricket academy in Singapore

Bitcoin broke through the US&nbsp;$10,000 barrier for the first time today as it continues a stratospheric rise that has delighted investors but sparked fears of a bubble.

The virtual currency hit a high of US&nbsp;$10,379 in Asia, according to Bloomberg News, more than 10 times higher than its value at the start of the year.

The breakthrough is the latest in a spectacular run for the online money dubbed &quot;digital gold&quot; by its advocates, which began life in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software supposedly written by an unknown coder with a Japanese-sounding name.

Bitcoin, which was valued at just a few US cents when it was launched, has no legal exchange rate, no central bank backing it and is traded on specialist platforms.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en">
Bitcoin breaks above the $10,000 mark but analysts warn of bubble <a href="https://t.co/OFbp3dPLE5">pic.twitter.com/OFbp3dPLE5</a>
&mdash; AFP news agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/935827282165489665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

But it quickly gained popularity as an alternative to traditional investments, while it has been used to pay for items from a pint in a London pub to a manicure.

The virtual currency has attracted as much anger as praise, however, with the boss of JP Morgan Chase labelling it a fraud and governments like China and South Korea have expressed concerns.

It got a major boost last month when exchange giant CME Group announced it would launch a futures marketplace for Bitcoin, which has not been listed on a major bourse before.

The announcement sparked a surge in its value -- it has risen 45 per cent in the past two weeks alone.

But the spectacular rate of growth, which has seen it increase in value from a 2017 low of USD 752 in mid-January, has also triggered concerns, and critics note the currency has suffered wild swings in the past.

&quot;This is a bubble and there is a lot of froth. This is going to be the biggest bubble of our lifetimes,&quot; warned hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz at a cryptocurrency conference yesterday in New York, according to Bloomberg News.

Other commentators were more positive about Bitcoin, saying its surging popularity will attract cash from traditional investors, such as hedge funds and asset managers.

&quot;I think the momentum is still very much to the upside,&quot; Kay Van-Petersen, macro and crypto strategist with Saxo Bank in Singapore, told AFP.

He said it could still suffer pullbacks, but predicted it would be worth USD 50,000 to USD 100,000 in the next six to 18 months.

Transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network.

Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and which are maintained by a network of computers.

Hundreds of other digital currencies have been created since its launch, but Bitcoin remains by far the most popular.

Bitcoin has suffered controversies.

In one of the most high-profile, major Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange MtGox collapsed in 2014 after admitting that 850,000 coins -- worth around US&nbsp;$480 million at the time -- had disappeared from its vaults.

Bitcoin&#39;s use on the underground Silk Road website, where users could use it to buy drugs and guns, was also presented as proof it was a bad thing.

While analysts expect the currency to suffer falls, they expect it will prosper in the long term and see the CME launch as the next big test.

&quot;If it survives the CME, there is no reason why it won&#39;t continue to rise higher,&quot; Greg McKenna, from Australia-based AxiTrader, told AFP.

The virtual currency continues its stratospheric rise that has delighted investors but sparked fears of a bubble

Bitcoin broke through the US $10,000 barrier for the first time today as it continues a stratospheric rise that has delighted investors but sparked fears of a bubble. The virtual currency hit a high of US $10,379 in Asia, according to Bloomberg News, more than 10 times higher than its value at the start of the year. The breakthrough is the latest in a spectacular run for the online money dubbed "digital gold" by its advocates, which began life in 2009 as a bit of encrypted software supposedly written by an unknown coder with a Japanese-sounding name. Bitcoin, which was valued at just a few US cents when it was launched, has no legal exchange rate, no central bank backing it and is traded on specialist platforms. Bitcoin breaks above the $10,000 mark but analysts warn of bubble pic.twitter.com/OFbp3dPLE5 — AFP news agency (@AFP) November 29, 2017 × But it quickly gained popularity as an alternative to traditional investments, while it has been used to pay for items from a pint in a London pub to a manicure. The virtual currency has attracted as much anger as praise, however, with the boss of JP Morgan Chase labelling it a fraud and governments like China and South Korea have expressed concerns. It got a major boost last month when exchange giant CME Group announced it would launch a futures marketplace for Bitcoin, which has not been listed on a major bourse before. The announcement sparked a surge in its value -- it has risen 45 per cent in the past two weeks alone. But the spectacular rate of growth, which has seen it increase in value from a 2017 low of USD 752 in mid-January, has also triggered concerns, and critics note the currency has suffered wild swings in the past. "This is a bubble and there is a lot of froth. This is going to be the biggest bubble of our lifetimes," warned hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz at a cryptocurrency conference yesterday in New York, according to Bloomberg News. Other commentators were more positive about Bitcoin, saying its surging popularity will attract cash from traditional investors, such as hedge funds and asset managers. "I think the momentum is still very much to the upside," Kay Van-Petersen, macro and crypto strategist with Saxo Bank in Singapore, told AFP. He said it could still suffer pullbacks, but predicted it would be worth USD 50,000 to USD 100,000 in the next six to 18 months. Transactions happen when heavily encrypted codes are passed across a computer network. Bitcoin and other virtual currencies use blockchain, which records transactions that are updated in real time on an online ledger and which are maintained by a network of computers. Hundreds of other digital currencies have been created since its launch, but Bitcoin remains by far the most popular. Bitcoin has suffered controversies. In one of the most high-profile, major Tokyo-based Bitcoin exchange MtGox collapsed in 2014 after admitting that 850,000 coins -- worth around US $480 million at the time -- had disappeared from its vaults. Bitcoin's use on the underground Silk Road website, where users could use it to buy drugs and guns, was also presented as proof it was a bad thing. While analysts expect the currency to suffer falls, they expect it will prosper in the long term and see the CME launch as the next big test. "If it survives the CME, there is no reason why it won't continue to rise higher," Greg McKenna, from Australia-based AxiTrader, told AFP.

Bubble or brave new world? Bitcoin breaks US $10,000 barrier

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/singapore-opens-new-high-tech-airport-terminal-23222">Singapore</a> has suspended trade relations with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-aircraft-carriers-japanese-navy-conduct-joint-drill-amid-north-korea-tensions-24332">North Korea</a>, the latest of Pyongyang&#39;s major trade partners to cut commercial ties under toughening UN&nbsp;sanctions over its weapons programme, a customs notice obtained on Thursday showed.

The move comes about two months after the United States imposed North Korea-related sanctions on a number of firms and individuals, including two entities based in Singapore.

&quot;Singapore will prohibit all commercially traded goods from, or to, <a href="http://mediaexpress.reuters.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2017%3Anewsml_KBN1DG0P5%3A1">the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea</a> (DPRK),&quot; the city-state&#39;s customs said in the notice sent to traders and declaring agents last Tuesday, referring to the country by its official name.

The suspension would take effect from November&nbsp;8, Fauziah A. Sani, head of trade strategy and security for the director-general of customs, said in the notice.

Repeated breach of the new prohibitions is punishable by a fine of up to $200,000 ($147,340.50) or four times the value of the goods traded, imprisonment of up to three years, or both, it added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/singapore-passport-is-worlds-most-powerful-22873">Singapore</a> is North Korea&#39;s seventh largest trading partner. The Philippines, Pyongyang&#39;s fifth biggest trading partner, suspended trade with North Korea in September to comply with a UN&nbsp;resolution.

Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea&#39;s young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of UN&nbsp;sanctions.

North Korea has tested a series of missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan, and conducted its sixth and biggest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-nuclear-program-hj-bhabhas-dream-remains-unfulfilled-23120">nuclear test</a> in September.

Pyongyang maintains a diplomatic presence in Singapore, with an embassy in its financial district.

In September, Singapore issued a travel advisory urging citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to North Korea, where it does not have diplomatic representation.

In an interview with National Public Radio in May, Singapore&#39;s minister of foreign affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, had said the country was not ready to cut all diplomatic ties with North Korea.

In January last year, Singapore-based Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Ltd was fined S$180,000 for facilitating a shipment of arms to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-defector-in-serious-condition-from-gunshot-wounds-24312">North Korea</a> in violation of UN&nbsp;sanctions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Singapore has suspended trade relations with North Korea, the latest of Pyongyang's major trade partners to cut commercial ties under toughening U.N. sanctions over its weapons programme, a customs notice obtained on Thursday showed

Singapore has suspended trade relations with North Korea, the latest of Pyongyang's major trade partners to cut commercial ties under toughening UN sanctions over its weapons programme, a customs notice obtained on Thursday showed. The move comes about two months after the United States imposed North Korea-related sanctions on a number of firms and individuals, including two entities based in Singapore. "Singapore will prohibit all commercially traded goods from, or to, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)," the city-state's customs said in the notice sent to traders and declaring agents last Tuesday, referring to the country by its official name. The suspension would take effect from November 8, Fauziah A. Sani, head of trade strategy and security for the director-general of customs, said in the notice. Repeated breach of the new prohibitions is punishable by a fine of up to $200,000 ($147,340.50) or four times the value of the goods traded, imprisonment of up to three years, or both, it added. Singapore is North Korea's seventh largest trading partner. The Philippines, Pyongyang's fifth biggest trading partner, suspended trade with North Korea in September to comply with a UN resolution. Tension on the Korean peninsula has escalated as North Korea's young leader, Kim Jong Un, has stepped up the development of weapons in defiance of UN sanctions. North Korea has tested a series of missiles this year, including one that flew over Japan, and conducted its sixth and biggest nuclear test in September. Pyongyang maintains a diplomatic presence in Singapore, with an embassy in its financial district. In September, Singapore issued a travel advisory urging citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to North Korea, where it does not have diplomatic representation. In an interview with National Public Radio in May, Singapore's minister of foreign affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, had said the country was not ready to cut all diplomatic ties with North Korea. In January last year, Singapore-based Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Ltd was fined S$180,000 for facilitating a shipment of arms to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions.

Singapore suspends trade relations with North Korea

&nbsp;A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation&rsquo;s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement.

The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013.

QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement.

Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s board after the settlement of the sale.

The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June.

The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies.

Qatar&rsquo;s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits.

It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany &amp; Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players.

JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to &ldquo;neutral&rdquo; from &ldquo;underweight&rdquo;, saying the fundamentals for large players in were &ldquo;falling in place sooner than expected&rdquo;.

?A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation?s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation’s recent stake sales in foreign companies. An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement. The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel’s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013. QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement. Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel’s board after the settlement of the sale. The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June. The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits. It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany & Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse. Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players. JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to “neutral” from “underweight”, saying the fundamentals for large players in were “falling in place sooner than expected”.

Qatari investor sells $1.5 billion stake in Bharti Airtel

Singapore&#39;s Changi Airport opened a cutting-edge terminal Tuesday with a fully automated check-in system &nbsp;including facial scanning and computerised baggage drop points, but some passengers struggled with the new technology.

Terminal 4, built at a cost of $985 million Singapore dollar&nbsp;(US$723 million), will have an annual capacity of 16 million people and is aimed at coping with an expected increase in passenger numbers through one of Asia&#39;s top travel hubs.

It is packed with new technology, meaning passengers should in theory be able to check in and board without having to talk to airport staff.

On its first day of operations, more than 100 passengers arrived in the morning to take the inaugural service out, a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

But not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead.

&quot;I think it&rsquo;ll take a while for people and systems to get used to it,&quot; Loh K Ling, who tried to use two self-service machines before giving up and going to a manned counter, told AFP.

At the boarding gate, several travellers also had trouble getting used to the facial scanning technology and were redirected to manned counters.

Changi, often voted the world&#39;s best airport, is among hubs worldwide rolling out new technology as the fight intensifies for long-haul travellers.

Along with hubs such as Hong Kong and Dubai, Singapore is scrambling to attract the growing army of travellers -- on trips such as Australia to Europe -- who can choose the routing of their journeys.

A growing number of mainland Chinese are also visiting Southeast Asia, and there is competition between Singapore and other local hubs, such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, to attract the new passengers.

It is packed with new technology, meaning passengers should in theory be able to check in and board without having to talk to airport staff.

Singapore's Changi Airport opened a cutting-edge terminal Tuesday with a fully automated check-in system including facial scanning and computerised baggage drop points, but some passengers struggled with the new technology. Terminal 4, built at a cost of $985 million Singapore dollar (US$723 million), will have an annual capacity of 16 million people and is aimed at coping with an expected increase in passenger numbers through one of Asia's top travel hubs. It is packed with new technology, meaning passengers should in theory be able to check in and board without having to talk to airport staff. On its first day of operations, more than 100 passengers arrived in the morning to take the inaugural service out, a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. But not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead. "I think it’ll take a while for people and systems to get used to it," Loh K Ling, who tried to use two self-service machines before giving up and going to a manned counter, told AFP. At the boarding gate, several travellers also had trouble getting used to the facial scanning technology and were redirected to manned counters. Changi, often voted the world's best airport, is among hubs worldwide rolling out new technology as the fight intensifies for long-haul travellers. Along with hubs such as Hong Kong and Dubai, Singapore is scrambling to attract the growing army of travellers -- on trips such as Australia to Europe -- who can choose the routing of their journeys. A growing number of mainland Chinese are also visiting Southeast Asia, and there is competition between Singapore and other local hubs, such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, to attract the new passengers.

Singapore opens new, high-tech airport terminal

A 50-year-old Indian-origin man has allegedly stabbed to death a woman, believed to be his wife, at a house in Singapore, media reports said on Saturday.

Krishnan Raju has been charged in the State Court with causing the death of 44-year-old Madam Raithena Vaithena Samy on Thursday between 9:00 and 10:48 PM (local time) at a condominium in Jalan Loyang Besar, The Straits Times reported.

If convicted, he faces the death penalty, it said.

The police believe that the woman was the wife of Krishnan who owns a transport company, the report said.

He had entered Malaysia before returning to Singapore, where he surrendered himself to the police at Woodlands Checkpoint, about 10 hours after the incident, the report said.

The woman, said to be found in the bedroom of the apartment unit with a knife beside her, had suffered multiple stab wounds, including one in the chest, it said.

Krishnan, who appeared emotionless as the charge was read out to him, has been remanded at the Central Police Division, with permission to be taken out for investigation, the report said.

He will be back in the court on November 3, it added.

A 50-year-old Indian-origin man has allegedly stabbed to death a woman, believed to be his wife, at a house in Singapore, media reports said on Saturday. Krishnan Raju has been charged in the State Court with causing the death of 44-year-old Madam Raithena Vaithena Samy on Thursday between 9:00 and 10:48 PM (local time) at a condominium in Jalan Loyang Besar, The Straits Times reported. If convicted, he faces the death penalty, it said. The police believe that the woman was the wife of Krishnan who owns a transport company, the report said. He had entered Malaysia before returning to Singapore, where he surrendered himself to the police at Woodlands Checkpoint, about 10 hours after the incident, the report said. The woman, said to be found in the bedroom of the apartment unit with a knife beside her, had suffered multiple stab wounds, including one in the chest, it said. Krishnan, who appeared emotionless as the charge was read out to him, has been remanded at the Central Police Division, with permission to be taken out for investigation, the report said. He will be back in the court on November 3, it added.

Indian-origin businessman kills woman in Singapore: Report

Singapore&#39;s&nbsp;passport&nbsp;has been announced as the most powerful in the&nbsp;world&nbsp;as it secured the top spot in the Passport&nbsp;Index&#39; most powerful ranking with a&nbsp;visa-free&nbsp;score of 159.

This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful&nbsp;passport, according to the Passport&nbsp;Index&nbsp;developed by global financial advisory firm&nbsp;Arton Capital.

The index says that&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;passport&nbsp;holders enjoy&nbsp;visa-free&nbsp;access to 173 countries.

The ranking has come after Paraguay eased its visa requirement for&nbsp;Singaporean&nbsp;passport&nbsp;holders.

Germany&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sweden&nbsp;ranked second and third, with a score of 158 and 157, respectively.

The Passport&nbsp;Index&nbsp;developed by&nbsp;Arton Capital&nbsp;ranks national&nbsp;passports by the cross-border access that they bring by assigning a &quot;visa-free&nbsp;score,&quot; according to the number of countries a&nbsp;passport&nbsp;holder can visit&nbsp;visa-free&nbsp;or with visa on arrival.

The&nbsp;passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories were considered.

Historically, the top 10 most powerful&nbsp;passports in the&nbsp;world&nbsp;tend to be European, with&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;in the lead for the past two years, according to a press release issued on October 25.

Since early 2017, the top position was shared with&nbsp;Singapore, which was steadily moving up the ranks.

Other Asian&nbsp;passports in the top 20 include those of South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

On the other hand, the United States&nbsp;passport&nbsp;has fallen in the ranking since President Donald Trump took office, according to the index.

Turkey and the Central African Republic revoked their&nbsp;visa-free&nbsp;status to the U.S.&nbsp;passport&nbsp;holders, recently.

Singapore&nbsp;was also fourth this year in the Visa Restrictions&nbsp;Index, another ranking of travel freedom, which uses a different method of calculating how &quot;powerful&quot; a&nbsp;passport is.

The list is as follows:

1.&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;(159)

2.&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;(158)

3.&nbsp;Sweden, South Korea (157)

4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, United Kingdom (156)

5. Luxemburg, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal (155)

6. Malaysia, Ireland, Canada, United States of America (154)

7. Austria, Greece, New Zealand (153)

8. Malta, Czech Republic, Iceland (152)

9. Hungary (150)

10. Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia (149

This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful?passport

Singapore's passport has been announced as the most powerful in the world as it secured the top spot in the Passport Index' most powerful ranking with a visa-free score of 159. This is the first time an Asian country has been announced as having the most powerful passport, according to the Passport Index developed by global financial advisory firm Arton Capital. The index says that Singapore passport holders enjoy visa-free access to 173 countries. The ranking has come after Paraguay eased its visa requirement for Singaporean passport holders. Germany and Sweden ranked second and third, with a score of 158 and 157, respectively. The Passport Index developed by Arton Capital ranks national passports by the cross-border access that they bring by assigning a "visa-free score," according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival. The passports of 193 United Nations member countries and six territories were considered. Historically, the top 10 most powerful passports in the world tend to be European, with Germany in the lead for the past two years, according to a press release issued on October 25. Since early 2017, the top position was shared with Singapore, which was steadily moving up the ranks. Other Asian passports in the top 20 include those of South Korea, Japan and Malaysia. On the other hand, the United States passport has fallen in the ranking since President Donald Trump took office, according to the index. Turkey and the Central African Republic revoked their visa-free status to the U.S. passport holders, recently. Singapore was also fourth this year in the Visa Restrictions Index, another ranking of travel freedom, which uses a different method of calculating how "powerful" a passport is. The list is as follows: 1. Singapore (159) 2. Germany (158) 3. Sweden, South Korea (157) 4. Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, United Kingdom (156) 5. Luxemburg, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal (155) 6. Malaysia, Ireland, Canada, United States of America (154) 7. Austria, Greece, New Zealand (153) 8. Malta, Czech Republic, Iceland (152) 9. Hungary (150) 10. Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia (149

Singapore passport is world's 'most powerful'

Attendance at the&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;Grand Prix rose 19 percent in 2017, underscoring the popularity of the race, whose contract was extended last week for four years.

Overall attendance hit 260,400, higher than the event&#39;s 10-year average, event organiserSingapore&nbsp;GP said in a statement on Sunday. The 2016 edition attracted about 219,000 spectators.

The sport&#39;s first night race marked its 10th anniversary this year and has established itself as one of the most popular and glamorous of Formula One&#39;s events. Last week, the sport and race organisers confirmed that the&nbsp;Singapore&nbsp;Grand Prix would stay on the Formula One calendar until 2021.

Sunday&#39;s race, which was won by Lewis Hamilton, would otherwise have been the last in the city-state.

Overall attendance hit 260,400, higher than the event's 10-year average, event organiser Singapore?GP said in a statement on Sunday. The 2016 edition attracted about 219,000 spectators.

Attendance at the Singapore Grand Prix rose 19 percent in 2017, underscoring the popularity of the race, whose contract was extended last week for four years. Overall attendance hit 260,400, higher than the event's 10-year average, event organiserSingapore GP said in a statement on Sunday. The 2016 edition attracted about 219,000 spectators. The sport's first night race marked its 10th anniversary this year and has established itself as one of the most popular and glamorous of Formula One's events. Last week, the sport and race organisers confirmed that the Singapore Grand Prix would stay on the Formula One calendar until 2021. Sunday's race, which was won by Lewis Hamilton, would otherwise have been the last in the city-state.

Singapore Grand Prix attendance rises 19 per cent in 2017

Halimah Yacob, the former speaker of Singapore&#39;s Parliament, is set to become the first woman president of Singapore.&nbsp;

Halimah became eligible to contest the elections after the Singapore&#39;s Presidential Elections Committee gave its approval. This year the ceremonial post had been reserved&nbsp;for the candidates from the Malay minority.&nbsp;

63-year-old Yacob who belongs to the ethnic Malay minority&nbsp;was the only presidential hopeful after Farid Khan, 61, and Salleh Maricane, 67, were informed by the presidential committee that they weren&#39;t&nbsp;qualified to contest the elections,&nbsp;The Straits Times said.&nbsp;

Halimah Yacob entered politics in 2001&nbsp;as an MP for the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC). On 14 January 2013, Halimah Yacob became Speaker of Parliament after being nominated by the Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.&nbsp;

Halimah Yacob is the&nbsp;daughter of an Indian&nbsp;who died when she was 8-years-old.

Halimah&nbsp;is married to Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee and has five children.

She completed her LLM degree from Singapore University of Law.

From the ethnic Malay minority, Halimah Yacob is set to be the first women President of Singapore

Halimah Yacob, the former speaker of Singapore's Parliament, is set to become the first woman president of Singapore. Halimah became eligible to contest the elections after the Singapore's Presidential Elections Committee gave its approval. This year the ceremonial post had been reserved for the candidates from the Malay minority. 63-year-old Yacob who belongs to the ethnic Malay minority was the only presidential hopeful after Farid Khan, 61, and Salleh Maricane, 67, were informed by the presidential committee that they weren't qualified to contest the elections, The Straits Times said. Halimah Yacob entered politics in 2001 as an MP for the Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC). On 14 January 2013, Halimah Yacob became Speaker of Parliament after being nominated by the Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Halimah Yacob is the daughter of an Indian who died when she was 8-years-old. Halimah is married to Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee and has five children. She completed her LLM degree from Singapore University of Law.

Halimah Yacob set to be first woman president of Singapore

singapore

Singapore, News on Singapore, stories on Singapore, articles on Singapore, Singapore stories at Wion, Singapore news, Singapore latest news