UK sanctions Russian individuals, research institute under chemical weapons sanctions regime
LONDON - Britain on Monday targeted two Russian individuals and one Russian entity as part of its chemical weapons sanctions regime, in its latest effort to punish Moscow for the war in Ukraine.
It imposed asset freezes and travel bans on Aleksey Viktorovich Rtishchev and Andrei Marchenko, the head and deputy head of Russia's radiological chemical and biological defence troops, for their role in the transfer and use of chemical weapons in Ukraine, the British government said.
It said the Joint Stock Company Federal Scientific and Production Centre Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry was sanctioned for supplying RG-Vo riot control agent grenades to the Russian military.
The grenades have been used as a method of warfare against Ukraine in contravention of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the British government said. REUTERS
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Straits Times
23 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Prison school to NUS: At 36, former drug abuser finds it's never too late to get a degree
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Behind every academic result is a young person quietly chasing their dreams, beating the odds and hoping to make something of themselves. In this monthly series, More than Grades, we tell the stories of young people who are making waves in school and beyond. NUS graduate Mason Lim had once dropped out of school to build a lucrative poker community. SINGAPORE – In mid-2017, Mr Mason Lim woke up disoriented to find himself strapped down in the psychiatric ward of Changi Prison, subdued in a three-way restraint where only one hand was free to move. He was then 28 years old, going through drug withdrawal symptoms, and facing the start of his four years and four months' prison stay and 10 strokes of the cane for drug-related charges. For nearly three weeks, he lay confined on a plastic bed, never imagining how his life would eventually turn out. On July 13, Mr Lim, now 36, graduates from the National University of Singapore, with an honours degree in communications and new media, a feat paved from a winding road that saw him quitting school twice. In 2006, he joined Victoria Junior College but dropped out after just three months. 'The textbooks were super thick, and back then I didn't like to read much,' he said. Upset that he was not allowed to join its football team because he had entered the school through its Direct School Admission scheme for hockey, he impulsively decided to leave. That year, he enrolled in Temasek Polytechnic's hospitality and tourism management course. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US slaps 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico; EU warns of countermeasures Singapore S'pore shows what's possible when digital innovation is matched with purpose: UK foreign secretary Singapore Casual racism should be tackled by getting more people to understand it is not acceptable: David Neo Asia Fuel was cut off during take-off: Preliminary report on Air India crash Singapore Pulling back the curtain: A backstage look at the 2025 NDP show segment Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore Body of 62-year-old man recovered from waters off East Coast Park Asia Aerobridge hits Qantas plane at Sydney Airport, damaging engine, delaying flight Everything was on track until some schoolmates invited him to their poker games. That was when he realised how much more money he could make if he hosted the games himself. He moved out of his parents' home in Tampines and decided to rent an apartment with a friend to host poker games together. Hosting five sessions a week, he pocketed at least $10,000 a month. 'At that age, seeing that kind of money, school was like secondary,' said Mr Lim, who has an older brother. He was almost at the finish line of his diploma programme, but left in his fourth year following changes the school made to tutorial attendance requirements. 'I used to be able to not go to school, and then at the end of the whole semester, just take the supplementary papers, pass, and then progress to the next semester,' he said. His luck ran out at the end of his third year, when the school mandated at least 85 per cent attendance for tutorials in order to pass. Mr Mason Lim lived the high life earning big bucks when he was hosting poker games in his residence. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASON LIM By the time he dropped out of polytechnic in 2009, Mr Lim had built up a lucrative poker community, and moved to a rented terraced house with his poker business partner. His mother, Madam Maureen Chua, 67, told The Sunday Times that she was disappointed in his choices and felt devastated as he was a bright child. 'I could only advise him, but my advice fell on deaf ears. Plus, I wasn't aware of what he was doing, so it came as a shock to me,' said the homemaker. Mr Lim's father has since retired as an in-flight supervisor. Mr Mason Lim's mother, Madam Maureen Chua, said she was devastated by his decision to quit JC and Poly. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASON LIM The next year, another friend told him he could earn a lot more as a football bookie with his established network of gamblers. 'Within six months, I built my network to the point where I was making about $30,000 to $60,000 a month,' he said. As a 21-year-old then with access to so much cash, Mr Lim said he could not understand the proper value of money. When his relationship with a friend went sour after his friend failed to return a $180,000 loan, Mr Lim moved to Thailand in 2011 for 2½ years. He thought moving away would be an escape from his fast-paced life. Initially, he had enough savings to rent a condominium unit, get a car and pay for his living expenses in Bangkok. He would fly to Macau once a month to play poker to earn some money. Still, he felt empty inside. In Thailand, he looked for relief by searching online for illegal drugs. His poison of choice was tramadol, an opioid used for pain management. The first time he tried it, he popped all 10 at one go. After three weeks of consuming at least 10 tramadol tablets every day, Mr Lim decided to stop, fearing that he would slip into addiction. He realised the tablets contained opiates, after doing some research. 'It's mini heroin, so to speak. The one class of drug I told myself I would never ever touch, because I know just how deadly opiates can be. I had accidentally become a heroin addict.' However, with easy access to tramadol then, he gave in to temptation. What followed was a nearly two-year routine of consuming up to 30 tablets a day. In 2013, Thailand tightened controls on tramadol due to growing abuse concerns. With supply drying up, Mr Lim decided to return to Singapore. Back here, he resumed hosting poker games, but felt the toll of his three-year tramadol addiction on his mind and body. 'It wasn't just a mental thing. I realised I couldn't even climb the stairs at 24 years old to go to the toilet on the second floor at home.' His downward spiral culminated in his first arrest on drug-related charges in February 2014. Over the next few years, he was arrested four more times before being sentenced in mid-2017 to more than five years in prison and 10 strokes of the cane. Behind bars, he turned to the Catholic faith and decided to complete his A levels. 'What else is there to do in prison? That's the most productive thing I could do inside,' he said. In an environment free from distractions, Mr Lim aced the examinations, becoming the Prison School's top student with five As and one B. Mr Mason Lim aced his A-level examinations in prison school as he was free from distractions. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MASON LIM Upon his early release in July 2021, he was accepted into NUS' Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and received the Yellow Ribbon Fund Star (Skills Training Assistance to Restart) Bursary, which fully covered his university tuition fees. 'I was happy to be given a second chance, where they look beyond my past and see my results,' he said. He chose to study communications and new media, drawn by the course description that it would be 'dynamic' and 'fun'. 'I guess business will come naturally. I don't need to study business to do business,' he said, adding that strong communication skills would be valuable for future ventures. One of his NUS lecturers, Dr Jinna Tay, said she never would have guessed his turbulent past – he looked like any other undergraduate and blended in with his cohort. Mr Mason Lim with his lecturer Dr Jinna Tay, a senior lecturer in communications and new media at NUS, at University Town on July 4. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Dr Tay said Mr Lim was not in a rush to share his views all the time, unlike his peers. But when he did speak up, they were well thought out and showed his level of maturity. While studying at NUS, Mr Lim sold high-end vacuum cleaners and earned between $12,000 and $15,000 a month, as he did not want to burden his parents financially. He also managed an external football team, and volunteered at Meet-the-People Sessions and elderly home visits in the Cheng San neighbourhood. This time, he was more determined to finish school. 'I don't want to quit any more,' said Mr Lim, who is looking forward to a career in real estate. He is currently living with his girlfriend, a marketing director, in her condominium unit. On whether he thinks public stereotypes of former offenders may make it difficult for him to move on, he said the court of public opinion never bothered him. 'When people say this can't be done, I cannot relate. Because if you really want something, then you go out and get it.'
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Why the vape scourge in Singapore concerns everyone
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Vaping is a global crisis that is getting more youth hooked on drugs. On Father's Day, my family and I were at a dim sum restaurant in Jalan Besar when a couple in their late 20s next to our table left. Sitting on the steps outside, on the pavement, they nonchalantly took out devices cupped in their hands and vaped. Maybe they thought the chances of them getting caught were slim, as Health Sciences Authority (HSA) officers cannot be everywhere, especially on a Sunday. Or perhaps they were of the view that since more people were vaping in Singapore, no one would snitch on them. But I wondered if they knew that instead of getting a high, they were actually inhaling the breath of death. Vaping is a global crisis that is getting more youth hooked on drugs, as crime syndicates pack potent and addictive substances into small devices that look like pens or lighters. The numbers are worrying enough for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to warn in a 2025 report that vapes, or e-vaporisers, now don't just contain nicotine, but also cannabinoids and other synthetic substances. By now, you would have seen reports and videos of people in Singapore behaving incoherently, apparently from vaping, and the painful and expensive lung-washing procedures some have undergone due to their addictions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US slaps 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico; EU warns of countermeasures Singapore S'pore shows what's possible when digital innovation is matched with purpose: UK foreign secretary Singapore Casual racism should be tackled by getting more people to understand it is not acceptable: David Neo Asia Fuel was cut off during take-off: Preliminary report on Air India crash Singapore Pulling back the curtain: A backstage look at the 2025 NDP show segment Singapore $3 cashback for hawker centre meals and shopping at heartland stores with DBS PayLah initiative Singapore Body of 62-year-old man recovered from waters off East Coast Park Asia Aerobridge hits Qantas plane at Sydney Airport, damaging engine, delaying flight You probably know of friends and family members whose studies and relationships have been affected by vaping. Vaping: The Invisible Crisis That's why The Straits Times is launching our anti-vaping campaign, Vaping: The Invisible Crisis, today. It is similar to our Stop Scams campaign , where we publish reports on various types of scams and how they work. Why are we doing this? We believe there needs to be more conversations about the vaping scourge that has already crept into our homes, schools and workplaces. Some parents told ST about how vaping has torn their families apart. Others have reported their children to the authorities . The evidence shows a vaping culture has already established itself here. On Feb 26, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a written parliamentary reply that there were 2,000 cases of students including those from institutes of higher learning (IHLs) reported for possessing or using e-vaporisers in 2024. This is up from 800 cases in 2022, and 900 cases in 2023. In October 2023, then Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman, told Parliament that although schools and IHLs have increased checks, it is likely there is under-detection . And on March 3, Minister of State for Health Rahayu Mahzam replied to a parliamentary question about the number of parents who reported their children for vaping. One such case was referred to the HSA, and the child was fined $300. Ms Rahayu advised parents who suspect their child of vaping to call the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) QuitLine on 1800-438-2000. It is part of HPB's I Quit programme, which was launched in 2014 to help participants quit smoking and accepts those who want to stop vaping. They will not be fined or prosecuted, unless they are caught using or in possession of vapes . More on this topic Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN Worsening numbers In the first nine months of 2024, about 9,680 people were caught using or possessing vapes. This is more than the 7,838 people caught in the whole of 2023. In 2019, HSA raids and investigations resulted in $95,460 worth of seizures across the year. Based on previous reports, HSA had seized $41 million worth of vapes from January 2024 to March 2025. That is nearly fivefold the reported value seized from 2019 to end-2023, according to numbers compiled by ST. This despite vaping being banned in Singapore since 2018. Peer-reviewed journal Emerald Insight said in 2024 that the number of vape users was around 82 million worldwide in 2021, with 14.3 million in South-east Asia . The global vape market was valued at US$22.8 billion (S$29.2 billion) in 2022. Like scams, vaping is a lucrative trade for criminal syndicates, and they are targeting our children as customers. Mature readers will remember the glue-sniffing scourge in the 1980s, when 23 people died during an eight-year period. Parents had to lock their children up for fear of them going to bicycle shops to get their fix of glue in a can. Some addicts drowned in reservoirs, and more than 1,112 abusers were arrested in 1987. If not tackled aggressively, vaping will become the glue-sniffing crisis of our current generation. Instead of a can of glue, the threat now appears as Kpods, a vape juice laced with the powerful anaesthetic drug etomidate . Etomidate is a medicinal ingredient used in clinical practice as an anaesthetic agent and is classified as a poison under the Poisons Act. This means a licence is required for its importation or sale. Creating awareness How will ST be highlighting this social threat? We will be reporting regularly on the impact of vaping, not just in Singapore but also around the world. We will focus on how vaping has impacted your lives and those of your loved ones. And we hope that by publishing these reports, it will educate the public on how deadly vaping can be to your health and mental well-being. More needs to be done to tackle this issue because, for now, it seems there is no dedicated 24-hour helpline or app for the public to report vaping offences and the sale of vaping devices to the authorities. Currently, you can contact only HSA's Tobacco Regulation Branch on 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 5.30pm on weekdays. To tackle scams, the authorities have the ScamShield helpline on 1799. The ScamShield app is also equipped with artificial intelligence, and can identify and alert users to potential scam threats on WhatsApp, Telegram and web links. A similar app to report vaping offences would help the authorities prevent vapes from reaching customers and identify vape users quicker. The vaping issue is clearly being addressed by schools here. Some schools have even issued vape advisories on Parents Gateway, an app that connects parents and schools on key administrative matters. But this messaging should also be communicated to the public to show a whole-of-government approach to tackle the issue, as even primary school children have been caught . Under the law, anyone caught buying, possessing or using vapes can be fined up to $2,000. Those caught importing, selling and distributing vapes face up to six months' jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. All these mean nothing to the addict determined to get his or her vape fix. They must know there is no favourable outcome when they put a vaping device into their mouth. And that each time they suck in those toxins, all they are doing is blowing their lives away.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Delfard Tay's daughter died of multiple injuries after falling from a height in September 2024. SINGAPORE – The last image Mr Delfard Tay has of his 19-year-old daughter Shermaine is a video of her stumbling out of their three-room flat in Tanjong Pagar. She looks unsteady in the footage, as she tries to get up from the sofa she slept on in the living room. It was a familiar sight – and Mr Tay knew she had used Kpod, a type of vape pod containing liquid laced with the powerful anaesthetic drug etomidate. For months in 2024, he had argued with his only child, urging her to quit using Kpods. He knew how destructive substance addiction could be – after all, he had criminal convictions for drug trafficking and other offences. Mr Tay, 43, said his daughter had been under drug supervision for using methamphetamine or Ice, which she had consumed at her boyfriend's home some time between 2023 and 2024. It was her first brush with the law, and she did not abuse drugs after that, he added. She then tried to convince him that Kpods were safe, but her addiction to them ended her life. Mr Tay said with a sigh: 'I wanted to lead by example and tell her to stay away from drugs and Kpods... But it was a bit too late.' The timestamp on the minute-long video, captured by a security camera he had installed in his flat to monitor his grandmother, reads '2.30am, Sept 22, 2024'. At the time, Mr Tay, who is divorced, was at his girlfriend's home. About 90 minutes after his daughter left the flat, Mr Tay received a call from the police. She had been found at the foot of their HDB block. Her mobile phone was recovered from the 18th floor. There was no message or final call, said Mr Tay. A pathology report stated that the teenager died of multiple injuries after falling from a height. 'My mind went blank for 30 minutes when I was told how she died,' recalled Mr Tay. 'I went home to identify her body, still in a singlet and shorts. But when I saw the last video, I knew (her death) had something to do with Kpods.' Mr Tay, who handed the video to the police, declined to share it with The Straits Times. He also has two other videos of his daughter behaving erratically in 2024 while using a vape. Mr Tay said he does not want his daughter – whom he affectionately called Ah B, short for 'baby' – to be remembered as a user of Kpods. Instead, he showed videos of her on TikTok having fun and behaving like a typical teenager. Checks by ST showed she also posted numerous videos of herself using vaporisers , which have been banned in Singapore since 2018. In a May report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said that Kpods sold in Singapore have been found to contain either etomidate or ketamine, a Class A controlled drug. An absentee father's regret Mr Tay, a manager at a logistics company, said his daughter told him in January 2024 that she was using Kpods. 'I asked her, 'Why are you doing all this?'' he said. 'I told her that after reading health warnings that vaping is unhealthy – why even try Kpods?' She showed him the device, saying: 'When you smoke it, you'll feel high.' 'She knew I was against (substance addiction),' Mr Tay told ST, adding that he did not want her to go down the wrong path like him. When told not to vape, she retorted that he did not understand young people and that he did not trust her. About four months later, the teen was caught on the home's surveillance camera in a semi-conscious state, convulsing. That was the first time they fought bitterly. 'I shared with her my experience with drugs and I told her that after coming out of prison (in 2022), I was never going to do drugs or participate in any vice... I wanted to be a good example for her,' Mr Tay said. 'But she wouldn't listen.' After that, her demeanour changed. She became quieter and seldom confided in him. Looking back on her life, Mr Tay said she lacked family love as he was an 'absentee father'. 'She wasn't looking up to me, but I really didn't know how to care for her as a single parent,' he said. 'My grandma and auntie took care of her.' When his daughter was about 10 months old, Mr Tay was imprisoned for drug trafficking. When she turned 14, he went back to prison. He spent a total of 10 years behind bars – over eight stints – for drug and gang-related offences from the age of 16. 'I'm not proud of it... I know I neglected her a lot of times,' he said. The teenager dropped out of school after Secondary 3 and promoted some products on social media. Troubling behaviour of Kpod abuse Mr Tay's story mirrors that of the mother of a 27-year-old man who became hooked on Kpods from October 2024. In an interview with Shin Min Daily News in June , the 56-year-old woman said she had to physically restrain her son after he came down from a vape-fuelled high and tried to jump out of the living room window. In an interview with Shin Min Daily News in June, a woman said she had to physically restrain her son after he came down from a vape-fuelled high and tried to jump out of the living room window. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER Security cameras installed in her home captured the distressing scene. During the violent struggle, her son scratched her neck. The woman, who was not identified, shared her story to remind other parents to pay more attention to their children and seek help if something is not right. In the past two months, netizens have posted numerous videos online showing young people shaking uncontrollably, purportedly after using Kpods. When ST showed Mr Tay a video clip from the internet of three intoxicated youths walking like zombies in Punggol, Mr Tay singled out one of them. He said that whenever his daughter used Kpods, she walked in the same unsteady way, as if her joints were 'jammed'. In the days leading up to her death, she was quiet as usual and Mr Tay did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Although she suffered from an anxiety attack in 2019, there was no indication that she was depressed, according to Mr Tay. Lessons from loss Since his daughter's death, Mr Tay has been kept awake on some nights. 'Sometimes I can't sleep. I find myself thinking of her,' he said. 'I will busy myself with TikTok or playing computer games. When I close my eyes, I ask myself, 'Why didn't I do this or that (to help her)?'' Mr Tay will donate some of his daughter's clothes, but will keep her treasured make-up kit, scrapbook, letters and photos. Her birthday gift to him – a luxury-brand pouch and a set of Lilo & Stitch toys – are displayed in his office. Despite his jail time, Mr Tay has fond memories of his daughter growing up – from short breaks in Kuala Lumpur and a trip to Disneyland in Hong Kong after her PSLE. Photos show her smiling widely and, as her father recalled, she was always dancing with glee. In February , Mr Tay added a tattoo to the back of his left hand – an image of Crayon Shin-chan, a popular Japanese cartoon. His daughter often watched the show dubbed in Mandarin when she was a primary school pupil, while waiting for him to return from work. Mr Delfard Tay's Crayon Shin-chan tattoo. His daughter often watched the Japanese cartoon dubbed in Mandarin when she was a primary school pupil, while waiting for him to return from work. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY During the interview, Mr Tay sometimes turned silent, with his gaze fixed on the floor. 'I can't understand why she wanted to use this thing (Kpod),' he said. 'But when I think back... it was because of curiosity.' He recalled her saying that her urine would not test positive for any drug content. On Telegram , a post touted a 'convenient' way to get high, falsely claiming that drugs cannot be detected in urine tests. Some sellers claimed they also sold vape liquid with ketamine. A check by ST found that Kpods cost between $50 and $100. Mr Tay said police investigators told him that no drug content was found in his daughter during a post-mortem, but he did not receive any official document on this. At her three-day wake, many of her friends from church and elsewhere turned up. 'Everyone was asking what happened, but I didn't have answers for them,' said Mr Tay. 'I was angry at first, but I don't blame any of Shermaine's friends for her death.' At the wake, he learnt that one of her friends had died from abusing Kpods in the same week. Mr Tay decided to share her story – and his regrets – so that other parents will know what to look out for. 'Teenagers from age 12 to 15 have access to mobile phones, and they have Telegram chats,' he said. 'Parents need to look into their (children's) mobile phones, know what kind of people they are mixing with, and that's quite important.' Mr Tay also wants young people to learn from Shermaine's death. 'I know you're curious about all these things (like Kpods),' he said. 'But do not try it. Once you cannot stop, you'll be in bondage to it for a long time, and it will not only affect you, but also your family members.' If you have a story to share about vapes, e-mail us at stnewsdesk@
