Author: Aseel Iyaad

SINGAPORE – The Chinese embassy in Singapore on March 18 asked its citizens in the Republic to “stay away” from gambling, adding that cross-border gambling violates Chinese laws. The embassy, in a statement on its official WeChat account, “solemnly reminded” Chinese citizens in Singapore to steer clear of gambling, which is strictly prohibited by law in China. “Even if overseas casinos are opened legally, cross-border gambling by Chinese citizens is suspected of violating the laws of our country and face the risk of punitive actions,” said the embassy, warning that embassies may not be able to provide consular protection for…

Johor experiences the strongest property demand by foreigners and momentum is expected to continue, driven by increased interest from Singaporean buyers, according to DataSense real estate intelligence head Dr Lee Nai Jia. Based on its Property Market Outlook Report 2024, Iskandar Puteri in Johor witnessed the highest percentage of foreign demand, mainly from Singaporeans and its permanent residents (PR). He pointed out that the announcement of the Special Economic Zone and the progressive completion of the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link were factors which boosted demand from Singaporeans. He noted that the Singaporean property prices is experiencing a…

The Indian and Vietnamese Armies began an 11-day military exercise in Vietnam on December 11, in sync with the expanding strategic engagement between the two countries against the backdrop of common concerns over China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea. The aim of the exercise is to foster a collaborative partnership and promote interoperability between the two forces, the Indian Army said. “The joint exercise will help in promoting understanding and interoperability between the two contingents and further strengthen the defence cooperation between the friendly Armies,” it said. In reflection of the growing strategic ties, India gifted its…

The United States and the Philippines were conducting joint air and maritime patrols in the South China Sea, which come as the two countries step up cooperation in the face of growingly aggressive Chinese activity in the area. The Philippine Air Force said on Wednesday its aircraft had taken part in joint patrols on Tuesday in the vicinity of Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines, which is only about 200 kilometers from Taiwan, a self-governed island that China claims as its own. The patrols run through Thursday and include both the U.S. and Philippine navies. They come only days…

JOHOR BARU: The Johor Immigration Department arrested 114 foreigners, believed to be working without valid permits, in operations dubbed ‘Ops Belanja’ and ‘Ops Selera’ at a supermarket in Tampoi, here, on Friday (Dec 8). State Immigration director Baharuddin Tahir said that the 11.30am raids, involving 90 enforcement personnel, were carried out as a result of a week’s intelligence, following a public complaint received about the presence of foreigners at the premises. He said that those detained consisted of 51 Myanmar nationals (all men), followed by 42 Indonesians (34 men and eight women), 10 Bangladeshi men, eight Nepalese men and three…

The Philippine foreign ministry on Thursday accused China of intruding into its waters after an incident involving the two countries’ military vessels at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea earlier this week. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Chinese military’s claim that a Philippine military ship “illegally entered” waters near the Scarborough Shoal “has no legal basis and only serves to raise tensions” in the disputed waterway. “It is China that is intruding into Philippine waters,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Philippines and China both lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal but sovereignty has never…

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Civil servants in Johor will receive a two-month bonus soon due to the state’s good performance, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The Mentri Besar said that Johor civil servants and federal civil servants under the state’s payroll are entitled to the bonus, named Special Financial Aid 2023. “The state government just announced a surplus budget for 2024, which shows that we have reached our target. “Other than helping the rakyat, we also want to show appreciation for the civil service to recognise their efforts so we will be giving out the financial assistance in the form of two…

Washington: The US-India relationship is destined to deepen as long as China poses a threat, an eminent Indian-American expert has said. Ashley Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, also said the coming years are also going to see a deepening of ties, not just between the two nations, but between the two societies. “This (India-US) relationship is destined to deepen as long as China remains out there as something that both countries will have to manage,” he said. The US has been placing focus on India, seeking to cement ties with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, as tensions with China remain high. The US and China have one of the world’s most important and complex bilateral relationships. Since 1949, the countries have experienced…

JOHOR BAHRU: Less than 2% of property owners in five municipalities in the state that will see a hike in assessment rates next year have objected to the increases so far, according to Johor executive councillor Jafni Shukor. The state housing committee chairman said this could be construed as property owners accepting the decision for they understood that it was based on the current market value of their houses, which had appreciated over the last 10 years. “In the areas under the Johor Bahru city council (MBJB), Pengerang municipal council and Kluang municipal council, where the objection period has ended,…

PUTRAJAYA: Major task forces have been formed between Malaysia and Thailand to build stronger cooperation in various sectors, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. They will oversee tourism, trade and investments, border security as well as food security matters. Describing Thailand as one of the nation’s key close neighbours, the Malaysian Prime Minister said he was pleased with the pragmatic solutions agreed by both parties to address those issues. “I am pleased that you have given a very pragmatic and business-like decisions, which is rare in our normal bilateral relations between our countries,” said Anwar during a joint press conference with…