Indian and Pakistani military officials attend Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore
India's Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan says his country has politically drawn red lines on terrorism and warns Pakistan there are limits to its 'tolerance'. Pakistani General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, who heads his nation's Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, cautions that future conflicts could breach conventional limits despite assurances that nuclear options are not on the table.
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CNA
37 minutes ago
- CNA
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong faces second charge under national security law
HONG KONG: Hong Kong authorities once again arrested prominent activist Joshua Wong on Friday (Jun 6) and charged him with conspiracy to collude with a foreign country under a Beijing-imposed national security law. Wong, 28, was originally set to be released in January 2027 from a 56-month jail sentence he is serving under the same law for conspiracy to commit subversion after he participated in an unofficial primary election. Taken to the West Kowloon magistrates' courts, Wong faced a new charge of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security. The former student pro-democracy activist, who wore a blue shirt and appeared noticeably thinner than before, replied, "Understand", when the clerk read out the charge and details of the offence. Wong did not apply for bail, and the case was adjourned to Aug 8. Before returning to custody, he waved, shrugged, and shook his head in the direction of the public gallery. In a statement, Hong Kong's national security police said they had arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of the offence, as well as for "dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence". A charge sheet seen by Reuters accuses Wong of having conspired with exiled activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organisations, or individuals outside China to impose sanctions or blockades. Such actions against Hong Kong or China, along with other hostile activities targeting them, took place in 2020, between Jul 1 and Nov 23, it added. The National Security Law, which punishes offences such as acts of subversion, collusion with foreign forces, and terrorism, with terms of up to life in jail, was imposed by Beijing on the former British colony in 2020. The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say the law is necessary to restore stability following anti-government protests in 2019.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Former Transport Minister S Iswaran no longer under prison custody
SINGAPORE: Former Transport Minister S Iswaran is no longer under the custody of the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), the agency told CNA. It said on Friday (Jun 6) that Mr Iswaran had completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme. SPS did not specify when Mr Iswaran completed his emplacement or when he will conclude his 12-month sentence. Factoring in a remission period, which is available to inmates who have served two-thirds of their sentence, Mr Iswaran could have been released on remission from Friday. Mr Iswaran was placed on home detention on Feb 7 this year to serve the remainder of his sentence at his residence under specific conditions. He pleaded guilty on Sep 24, 2024, to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids all public servants from obtaining any valuable thing from someone involved with them in an official capacity. These were for obtaining valuables from Singapore GP majority shareholder Ong Beng Seng and construction boss Lum Kok Seng while he held portfolios that had official dealings with the two men. Iswaran also pleaded guilty to one charge of obstructing justice by belatedly repaying the cost of a flight to Doha. Another 30 charges under Section 165 were taken into consideration for his sentencing. He was sentenced to 12 months' jail on Oct 3, 2024, and he began serving his sentence on Oct 7, 2024. Ong's case is still pending before the courts.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Chinese parents, students shift overseas education focus away from US amid geopolitical tensions
SHANGHAI: As six-year-old Sunny Zhao devours his lunch of fried rice, he watches an educational cartoon about cats in English. His mother Yoyo Zhang is right beside him, eager to help her child to master the language. "Be it Europe, the Americas, Japan, Southeast Asia, you can use English as a form of communication,' said the Chinese national, who works as a nurse. 'English is a widely used language so I hope he can learn English well. Be it for future work, travelling, or other activities, English will always be very important,' she told CNA. Only a small fraction of citizens in China can speak English fluently, despite students having to study it as a compulsory school subject. This means those proficient in the language will have a competitive advantage over their peers. Hence, parents like Ms Zhang have long sought out Western English-speaking countries – especially the United States – when looking to send their children overseas for education. But with geopolitical tensions and diplomatic upheavals in recent years, a subtle shift seems to be occurring – parents are more open to exploring options in other continents, such as Asia, for school. FALLING ENROLMENT IN US SCHOOLS According to a 2024 paper released this year by an agency under China's education ministry, the proportion of Chinese citizens returning with overseas university degrees from Asia between 2020 and 2023 rose from 21.61 per cent to 31.35 per cent. During that same period, the proportion of those returning from North America dropped from 25.62 per cent to 18.73 per cent. Chinese students have also been the target of US President Donald Trump since he returned to the White House in January, prompting many to rethink their higher education plans in America. Official data showed that nearly 280,000 students from China made up a quarter of all international enrolments in the US last year. Last month, the Trump administration moved to block Harvard University from enrolling international students and issued new measures targeting Chinese nationals, who made up a fifth of Harvard's foreign student intake in 2024. On Wednesday (Jun 4), Trump escalated his dispute with the Ivy League school by signing a proclamation to suspend international visas for new foreign students for an initial six months. A court has temporarily blocked the ban. As Sino-US ties worsen, concerns over safety have also emerged both in America and elsewhere in the West. Chinese student Rika Li, who speaks fluent English, had completed a year of undergraduate studies in the Canadian city of Montreal when she was assaulted in broad daylight about seven years ago. 'After that, I just didn't feel safe anymore living alone there. It left me with a kind of mental trauma,' she said. The 24-year-old, who became more proficient in English when she moved to Toronto for high school, then relocated to Japan to continue her university studies despite barely knowing how to speak Japanese. Ms Zhang also selected an Asian country for her son Sunny Zhao. Despite the boy's interest in ice hockey, she decided against sending him to North America where the sport is most popular. He is now enrolled in an international school in Singapore. 'We learned about Singapore from friends, and we also have relatives and friends living there,' said Ms Zhang on her decision. 'The living environment in Singapore is very suitable. It's beautiful; it's a garden city. And the educational environment there is also excellent.' INSPIRATION FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION CENTRES In fact, Singapore's system inspired some foreign education outfits in China to seize the business opportunity and attract students through its classes. For example, Shanghai-based One Academy teaches science and mathematics in English, based on Singapore's curriculum. Many of its students are enrolled there due to what their parents see as a way to stay ahead of the academic rat race in China. One Academy's co-founder Chow Chin Wei noted that last year, only about 1.5 per cent of Chinese students – or about 240,000 students – who took the notoriously tough gaokao (college entrance) examinations got into the top universities in China. 'The other 40 per cent go to the normal universities in China. So basically, you are looking at about 60 per cent that go … on the vocational route for these people. So, it's actually very competitive,' said Chow, a Singaporean who has lived in China for 14 years. His fellow co-founder Algene Tan added that many parents also worry about their children's job prospects. Currently, about three in 20 youths in China aged between 16 and 24 are unemployed. '(Parents) want the best for their child … Some of them might even, in their words, want to change the stars for their child,' Tan said. 'So a lot of them, from the get-go, they will start to tell us I'm sending my kid overseas.' To prepare her son for an English curriculum in Singapore, Ms Zhang enrolled her son into a mathematics enrichment class at One Academy. She said she sees vast benefits in studying abroad and becoming more fluent in English. 'Even in supermarkets, many product descriptions are in English,' she pointed out.
