Huat Zai

A 54-year-old man has been handed the longest sentence imposed here for sexual offences, after sexually abusing multiple children. The man offered to tutor the victims, some of whom have learning and physical disabilities, and lied to their parents that he was a qualified educational therapist, The Straits Times reported. He sexually abused eight children. Two of the female victims were only five years old when he raped them. Another female victim was eight years old. The man also recorded videos of the abuse, which lasted for up to 17 minutes. Caught in 2018 According to ST, the man was caught when he sold his laptop in 2018, and a buyer found obscene images on it. The buyer then called the police. In court, the man pleaded guilty to six charges of aggravated rape committed against three of the victims from 2002 to 2018. He was sentenced to 45 years' jail. If he is given the typical one-third remission for good behaviour, the man will be 80 when he is released from prison. The man cannot be identified due to a gag order, as he was in a relationship with one of the victim's mothers. ST reported the man saying in court in Mandarin that he is "very remorseful" for the wrong he has done, and that his actions will "haunt [him] for [his] entire life". He also apologised to the people he has hurt and asked for forgiveness. According to ST, High Court judge Ang Cheng Hock said: "The exceptionally sickening sexual abuse perpetrated by the accused against multiple children of such a young age warrants a harsh sentence." Justice Ang added that the lengthy sentence is a strong message to other offenders, and to reflect society's condemnation of the man's depraved acts against children, who trusted him as a tutor and father figure. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/man-sexually-abuse-8-children-disabilities/

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that a one-and-a-half year-old male Singaporean who had Covid-19 infection passed away on June 27, 2022. The cause of death was Encephalitis (brain inflammation) due to Covid-19, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Enterovirus infections. RSV is a common respiratory virus but the infection can be severe for infants and seniors. Enteroviruses are a group of viruses that which are usually mild, but certain groups of people such as newborns or those with underlying health conditions may develop more severe disease. This is Singapore’s first death caused by Covid-19 in a patient aged below 12 years old, MOH said in a press release on June 27. The ministry added that the patient had no other past medical history and was previously well. He presented at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) Children’s Emergency Department on the night of June 21, 2022. He had high fever and recurrent seizures, with a subsequent drop in consciousness. Admitted to Children's Intensive Care Unit He was admitted to the Children’s Intensive Care Unit in critical condition on Jun. 22, 2022, and was diagnosed with severe Meningoencephalitis. The polymerase chain reaction test for the patient was positive for Covid-19 as well as two other viruses -- Rhinovirus/Enterovirus and RSV. MOH added that Covid-19 can result in severe disease, even in children and those without pre-existing medical conditions. Vaccination substantially reduces the likelihood of severe disease when one is infected. MOH added: "All children aged five to 11 years old are recommended to be vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine, especially children with underlying chronic medical conditions. MOH, the Health Sciences Authority and the Expert Committee on Covid-19 Vaccination will study the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines that have been formulated for young children under the age of five once the dossier is submitted to us for evaluation by the manufacturers." KKH is in contact with the family to provide the necessary support. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/singaporean-boy-dies-covid/

AMK SERS, 9% GST, inflation, can still go " first-timers who applied for these flats stood a good chance of being invited to book a flat" Whoever listen is the real KGK

Listen to your government, save our hawker culture, make big money

Oops, posted in wrong thread

File size isn't everything, your equipment, your player, your internet connection, the file compression losses, etc etc makes a huge diff.

Attempting to flee the scene of an accident she'd caused, an elderly driver in Malaysia inadvertently travelled about 400m with a motorcyclist's body on her roof. According to China Press, the 67-year-old woman was turning at an intersection in Selangor at about 9:50am on Jun. 23 when she collided with an oncoming motorcyclist. The force of the impact purportedly killed the motorcyclist and threw his body on top of the woman's Proton sedan. In a panic, the woman drove off from the intersection, unaware of where the body had ended up. She was eventually stopped by members of the public, reported China Press. Image via social media Woman had failed to stop at the intersection The 26-year-old motorcyclist had been travelling to go sightseeing at Indah Island in Klang. His body was taken to a local hospitall for an autopsy; the woman suffered minor injuries to her lower back. A police superintendent was quoted by China Press as saying that the woman had failed to stop before turning at the intersection, causing the motorcyclist to slam into the side of her car. Harian Metro reported that the elderly woman is beset with health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney ailments. Investigations into the fatal accident are ongoing. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/malaysian-hit-and-run-body-on-roof/

Was never that great to begin with, wonder how I can pay someone to give me a michelin star too.

Ukraine reports 'massive' attack from Belarus KYIV: Ukraine said it came under "massive bombardment" on Saturday (Jun 25) from neighbouring Belarus, a Russian ally not officially involved in the conflict, the day after announcing a retreat from the strategic city of Severodonetsk. Twenty rockets targeted the village of Desna in the northern Chernigiv region, Ukraine's northern military command said in a statement, adding that infrastructure was hit, but no casualties had yet been reported. Belarus has provided logistic support to Moscow since the Feb 24 invasion, particularly in the first few weeks, and like Russia has been targeted by Western sanctions - but is officially not involved in the conflict. "Today's strike is directly linked to Kremlin efforts to pull Belarus as a co-belligerent into the war in Ukraine," the Ukrainian intelligence service said. The strikes came ahead of a planned meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and meets his Belarussian counterpart and close ally Alexander Lukashenko in Saint Petersburg on Saturday. Russia's foreign ministry on Friday condemned the decision by Brussels to grant Ukraine official EU candidate status as a move to "contain Russia" geopolitically. The decision "confirms that a geopolitical monopolisation of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) space is continuing actively in order to contain Russia," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. Ukraine's Western allies meanwhile will gather on Sunday at a summit of G7 leaders in Germany, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to speak. US President Joe Biden will be attending the G7 and a summit of the NATO military alliance in Madrid next week. "SLOW WAR" In the face-to-face talks, the Western allies will take stock of the effectiveness of sanctions imposed so far against Moscow, consider possible new aid for Ukraine, and begin turning their eye to longer-term reconstruction plans. The European Union (EU) offered a strong statement of support on Thursday when it granted Ukraine candidate status, although the path to membership is long. Moscow dismissed the EU decision as a move to "contain Russia" geopolitically. Related: Donbas battles reach 'fearsome climax' as Ukraine becomes EU membership candidate Ukraine forces ordered to withdraw from key battleground city After four months, the conflict remains focused on the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where Kyiv's forces have finally given up a key hold-out, the industrial city of Severodonetsk. Sergiy Gaiday, governor of the Lugansk region that includes the city, said on Friday that the military had received the order to withdraw. "Remaining in positions that have been relentlessly shelled for months just doesn't make sense," he said on Telegram, adding that 90 per cent of the city had been damaged. Severodonetsk has been the scene of weeks of street battles as outgunned Ukrainians put up a stubborn defence. Capturing the city and its twin across the river, Lysychansk, would effectively give the Russians control of Lugansk, and allow them to push further into the wider Donbas. But Ukraine's retreat from Severodonetsk will not change the course of the war, said Ivan Klyszcz, an international relations researcher at Estonia's University of Tartu. "The big picture - of a slow war of entrenched positions - has hardly changed. We cannot expect a massive Russian breakthrough," he told AFP. Separately, Russia said on Saturday its troops had killed up to 80 Polish fighters in "precision strikes" on a factory in Konstantinovka" in the Donetsk region. The claim could not be independently verified. LYSYCHANSK UNDER FIRE Gaiday said Russians were now advancing on Lysychansk, which has been facing increasingly heavy bombardments. The situation for those that remain in the city is bleak. Liliya Nesterenko, who was cycling toward a friend's house to feed her pets, said her home had no gas, water or electricity, forcing her and her mother to cook on a campfire. But the 39-year-old was upbeat about the city's defences: "I believe in our Ukrainian army, they should (be able to) cope." Andrei Marochko, a spokesman for the Moscow-backed army of Lugansk, said on Friday that all the villages in the neighbouring areas of Zolote and Hirske were now under the control of Russian or pro-Russian forces. In a video on Marochko's Telegram channel, a man in military clothing could be seen replacing a Ukrainian flag featuring a Zolote coat of arms with a red hammer-and-sickle flag. Russia's defence ministry said on Friday that up to 2,000 people were "completely blocked" near Zolote and Hirske, and that around half of Zolote was under Russian control. Related: Commentary: Growing fears Russia could drag Belarus into Ukraine war HUMAN REMAINS Russia has also intensified its offensive in the northern city of Kharkiv in recent days. An AFP team on Saturday saw a 10-storey administrative building in the city-centre hit by missiles overnight, causing a fire but no casualties. It had already been bombed, prompting one soldier on the scene to note: "The Russians are finishing what they started." On Friday, the same reporters found a stray dog eating human remains in the town of Chuguiv, southeast of Kharkiv, where an attack earlier this week left six dead. In the southern Kherson region, a Moscow-appointed official was killed by an explosive device planted in his car, Russian news agencies reported. Moscow's deputy head of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, said the regional head of the department of family, youth and sports had died "as a result of a terrorist act". It was the first confirmed death of a pro-Russian official during a string of attacks on pro-Kremlin officials in Ukrainian regions under Russian control. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/ukraine-reports-massive-bombardment-belarus-russian-ally-2770756

@chamfer

You can actually see space phenomena from your HDB window, as evidenced by this image sent in by 16-year-old Mothership reader Charmaine Lee. Using an iPhone 13, Lee managed to capture Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and the moon in an arrangement that is actually part of a larger alignment also involving Mercury and Saturn. Major planetary alignments visible to the human eye such as this event, are very, very rare, and have only occurred a few times since 2005. Lee, who is from Junyuan Secondary School, told Mothership that the shot was taken at 6:33am today (June 25). "It took me about 45 minutes to capture this image as I was waiting for the clouds to make way to get a good view of the planets." She added that she has been interested in astronomy ever since she was 12. "I love to look at the stars, planets and checking out rare events like this," she said. Astronomy has also been a grounding influence on Lee. "I recall an incident when I had a panic attack and I was hyperventilating. My gut told me to look up at the night sky and I saw a shiny star in the night sky which made me miraculously feel better instantly. I stopped hyperventilating and I wasn’t panicking anymore after that incident." "I love astronomy as I believe that the sky is my lucky star that will guide me in accomplishing my goals. I feel motivated by the sky to work hard and succeed for my O Levels this year," she added. Now, if you are keen to witness this alignment for yourself, you can also do so from 6am- 6.20am tomorrow (June 26). Check out this post by Stargazing Singapore for more information: https://mothership.sg/2022/06/planetary-alignment-from-hdb-window/

A sitting Nigerian senator and his wife have been charged with plotting to transport a boy into the United Kingdom to harvest his organs. According to the BBC, Ike Ekweremadu, 60, and his 55-year-old wife Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu were arrested and remanded in custody on Jun. 23 after police were alerted to possible modern-day slavery offences. The 15-year-old alleged victim has been taken into care. The Guardian reported that the victim was homeless. A west London court heard that most of the alleged offences took place in the UK. They will appear again in the same court on Jul. 7, reported the BBC. Organ harvesting typically involves removing an individual's body parts against their will for commercial gain Former deputy senate president While the Ekweremadus live in Nigeria, magistrates were told that they have family in London. CNN reported that Ike is an opposition senator in the southern Nigerian state of Enugu. He had previously served as a deputy senate president. Furthermore, according to BCC, Ike was recently made a visiting professor at the University of Lincoln. "Visiting professors are often, as is in this case, non-resident at the university, unpaid and advisory," a university spokesperson said. "We are deeply concerned about the nature of these allegations but as this is an active police investigation, we cannot comment further at this stage." According to The Guardian, the Ekweremadus denied the allegations of human trafficking in their statements. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/nigerian-senator-harvest-organs/

Two people have been killed in a mass shooting that took place in Oslo, Norway, early on Saturday (Jun. 25). 21 others were injured in the attack which authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism, reported the BBC. The shooting took place in the city's nightlife district at about 1am local time (7am Singapore time). According to the BBC, there was gunfire at three locations — popular LGBTQ+ venue London Pub, Herr Nilsen Jazz club, and a takeaway eatery. A 42-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder, attempted murder, and terrorist acts. The Guardian reported that police do not believe that any other individuals are involved. While a motive was not immediately ascertained, Oslo had been gearing up for an annual Pride parade. "Police are in contact with the organisers of the Pride event this Saturday," said police spokesman Tore Barstad according to The Guardian. "There will be a continuous assessment of what measures police should take to protect that event and whether this incident has a connection to Pride at all." Organisers of the Pride parade released a statement via the event's website announcing that the event had been cancelled on the advice of the police. "We will soon be proud and visible again, but today, we will share our Pride celebrations from home," said the organisers. "I have never been that scared" On Facebook, the London Pub called the shooting "absolutely horrific and pure evil". "Our thoughts go to the dead, injured and relatives. All employees in London are safe and physically unharmed." Facebook user Bili Blum-Jansen shared online that he'd been at the London Pub at the time of the shooting. "I first thought it was glasses falling on the floor," he wrote, describing the moment he heard the gunfire. "Suddenly a wave of people were running and screaming 'someone is shooting'." Fleeing to the venue's basement, Blum-Jansen said that when he realised that it didn't have an exit from the building, he feared the worst. "I will never forget that feeling. Never! I have never been that scared. We were in the basement for a while without knowing if someone was going to break in…. until the police came in and allowed us out after a long waiting." His post was accompanied by images of the people sheltering in a cramped basement space. Image from Bili Blum-Jansen's Facebook An individual can be seen with blood pouring down his face — he had fallen while running into the basement. "We are in shock, sad, devastated… but luckily we are alive," said Blum-Jansen. https://mothership.sg/2022/06/oslo-norway-mass-shooting/

A 14-year-old girl and her 84-year-old grandfather were found dead at two separate locations in Bukit Batok on Thursday (Jun. 23) evening. Both resided together in the same unit. According to The Straits Times (ST), the teenager was found lying motionless at the foot of Block 115 Bukit Batok West Avenue 6. She was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics and no foul play was suspected. About 2km away at Block 363 Bukit Batok Street 31, her grandfather was found motionless with chest wounds; he too was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics. Police told ST that they were alerted to the girl's body at 5:50pm and the grandfather's at 5:55pm. They are investigating if the two cases are linked. A neighbour told Lianhe Zaobao that she did not suspect anything to be amiss until hearing the sounds of emergency services arriving in the area. She described the grandfather as friendly. Though he walked with the aid of crutches after an operation, the man would go to a nearby coffeeshop daily. Helplines: If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear: SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767 Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children) https://mothership.sg/2022/06/teenage-girl-grandfather-found-dead-bukit-batok/