If Singapore has to pick a side, it will choose principles: Chan Chun Sing
Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing says the country will not take sides amid rising geopolitical tensions and rivalries. Instead, the island-state will stand by principles that uphold a rules-based global order and safeguard its national interests. Aslam Shah has more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
18 minutes ago
- CNA
Body of missing Briton found in lift shaft in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police confirmed on Thursday (Jun 5) that the body of a man found a day earlier in a Kuala Lumpur lift shaft was that of a British backpacker who was missing for more than a week. Jordan Johnson-Doyle, 25, was last seen on May 27 at a bar in an upmarket suburb in the capital, sparking a police probe and a frenzied search by his parents. Police on Wednesday afternoon "received information that a man was found lying on his back in the lift (shaft) on the ground floor of a (building) construction site," Kuala Lumpur police chief Rusdi Mohd Isa said in a statement. Fire and rescue services recovered the body, which was sent for a post mortem, he added. "The results found that the cause of death was a chest injury sustained from a fall from height," Rusdi said. "No criminal elements were found at the scene and the case has been classified as a sudden death report," he said, adding the body was identified by the victim's uncle based on a tattoo. Brickfields district police chief Ku Mashariman Ku Mahmood confirmed to AFP that Johnson-Doyle was identified as the victim. Johnson-Doyle, a software engineer, was last seen on May 27 in the bustling Bangsar district, known for its nightlife, trendy bars and cafes. Johnson-Doyle's mother Leanne Burnett, 44, told the Free Malaysia Today news website that her husband had travelled to Kuala Lumpur to look for their son, adding that the family was "distraught" over his disappearance.
CNA
24 minutes ago
- CNA
Jail for man who punched taxi driver for overtaking him
SINGAPORE: Angry after a taxi driver overtook him, a man alighted from his car to confront the driver at a traffic junction. During the argument, Silas Yu Ming'En reached through the 66-year-old taxi driver's window to unbuckle his seatbelt, tried to force open the door, and threw punches at him. The 41-year-old Singaporean was jailed for five days on Thursday (Jun 5). He was also fined S$2,500 (US$1,900) for another incident in which he got into a dispute with a man who told him not to be rude. He pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntarily causing hurt, with one count of using threatening behaviour taken into consideration for his sentencing. On Apr 9, 2024, the taxi driver was driving along Choa Chu Kang North 5 when he came to a stop behind Yu at a traffic junction. After the traffic light turned green, the taxi driver overtook Yu as he found Yu to be slow. When the cars came to another halt, this time at the traffic junction of Choa Chu Kang North 5 and Choa Chu Kang Street 53, Yu alighted from his car to approach the taxi driver. The taxi driver lowered his window after Yu knocked on it, and a heated verbal argument ensued. He then demanded that the taxi driver get out of his vehicle. When the latter refused, Yu tried to force open the door. Yu then reached through the open window in an attempt to unfasten the victim's seat belt, and threw punches at the victim, who bled from his right arm as a result. The victim was examined at a polyclinic later that day and was found to have a superficial abrasion on his right arm. SECOND INCIDENT Separately, on Dec 29, 2024, Yu was at a food court in Bukit Panjang Plaza when he brushed past a 30-year-old man while saying "excuse me". Perceiving his behaviour to be rude and inappropriate, the victim tapped Yu on the shoulder and said: "Can you don't be so rude?' He then left. But Yu confronted the victim and pushed him twice on the chest, causing the victim to hit his lower back against a pillar. Although the man tried to put some distance between Yu and himself, Yu continued to pursue him. The victim pushed Yu back before members of the public intervened. The victim sustained a bruise on his lower back from the incident. Yu offered to pay restitution to both victims, but the taxi driver was unable to quantify his medical expenses. Meanwhile, Yu compensated the other victim about S$160. Reading from a letter in court, Yu, who did not have a lawyer, apologised for his behaviour and said he took full responsibility. "I deeply regret any harm caused," Yu said, adding that he would learn from the experience and would not repeat such behaviour.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Hong Kong appoints New Zealand judge to top court
HONG KONG: A New Zealand judge has been appointed as a justice of Hong Kong's top court, after a years-long exodus of overseas jurists following Beijing's imposition of a sweeping security law on the finance hub. Hong Kong's lawmakers on Wednesday (Jun 4) approved the appointment of William Young, 73, to join five other overseas non-permanent justices from the UK and Australia. Hong Kong is a common law jurisdiction separate from mainland China and invites overseas judges to hear cases at its Court of Final Appeal. Their presence has been seen as a bellwether for the rule of law since the former British colony was handed back to China in 1997. Beijing passed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, following huge and often violent pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city the year before. Since then, several overseas judges have quit the Court of Final Appeal without finishing their terms, while others have not renewed their appointments. The lineup of overseas judges has gone from 15 at its peak down to five, not including Young. The newly appointed justice, who retired from his role as a New Zealand Supreme Court judge in April 2022, is expected to start in Hong Kong this month. Hong Kong leader John Lee accepted a recommendation to appoint Young in May and praised him as "a judge of eminent standing and reputation". Cases at the top court in Hong Kong are typically heard by a panel of four local judges and a fifth ad hoc member, who may be a foreign judge. In January, Hong Kong's chief justice said recruiting suitable overseas judges "may be less straightforward than it once was", given geopolitical headwinds. The government has defended the security law as necessary to restore order after the 2019 protests and said the city remains a well-respected legal hub.
