Singaporean dies after motorcycle accident in southern Thailand - The Straits Times

He had just crossed the border into Thailand from Malaysia at about 6.30am earlier in the day, with his last Facebook post being at 7.45am.

“We are halfway through the Iron Butt Challenge. Now we have another 800km more to go,” he had said, referring to a long distance ride undertaken by motorcyclists to test their endurance within a set period of time.

According to his website, Mr Reza has completed the challenge twice before, once in December 2014, when he rode from Hua Hin in central Thailand to Singapore, and a second time in September 2017, from Singapore to Hua Hin.

He is survived by his wife and three children.

In a tribute to her late husband on Tuesday morning, Madam Huda Lajam described Mr Reza as “my everything”.

She said on Facebook: “He was a good man, with such a kind, soft heart. He loved his children so much, too much. Family was his everything. His passion was the road... wanderlust... adventure... he died doing the thing he loved, riding on his bike.”

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2023-06-13 03:55:32Z
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27-year-old Aziza Aznizan co-founded NGO Paint the World Malaysia as a teen - Channel NewsAsia

Aziza Aznizan is a model, PhD student and co-founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Paint The World, in Malaysia, all inspired by her passion for wanting to find out how others live, and the stories they tell.  

It was her interest in diversity that drove her curiosity and eventual action. 

Born and raised in Sarawak, Malaysia, Aziza said she was part of the minority in school. She studied in a Chinese-stream private secondary school where most of her schoolmates were Chinese, and after that, attended United World College Atlantic (UWC Atlantic), a boarding school in the United Kingdom, where she was one of the few Muslims.

But far from being intimidated, Aziza said her experience at both schools allowed her to befriend others of various nationalities and ethnicities. 

Referring to her years at UWC Atlantic from 2014 to 2016, Aziza said: “It was so diverse, there were people from so many countries, so many backgrounds, I felt so happy because I could learn so much from these people and improve my knowledge about other cultures and communities.”

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2023-06-12 23:26:18Z
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Death toll in Vietnam shootings climbs to nine - CNA

An earlier report by the MPS said two people being held hostage by the attackers were freed, while another person being held managed to free himself.

The Central Highlands, home to a number of ethnic minorities, is considered a sensitive area for Vietnam's authoritarian government and has long been a hotbed of discontent over issues that include land rights.

Some tribes in the area - collectively known as Montagnards - sided with the US-backed south during Vietnam's decades-long war. Some are calling for more autonomy, while others abroad advocate independence for the region.

Several state media outlets withdrew their reports about the incident on Sunday, before republishing them hours later.

Gun violence is extremely uncommon in Vietnam, where it is illegal for citizens to own firearms and the black market for weapons is limited.

Four people were shot dead at an illegal cockfighting betting ring on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh city in January 2020.

In another rare shooting in 2016, two senior officials in northern Yen Bai province were killed by a colleague at their office before the gunman shot himself.

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2023-06-12 09:38:00Z
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Hearing for Abe murder suspect cancelled over suspicious object - CNA

He had spent three years in the navy following a childhood reportedly marred by his father's suicide and his mother's alleged neglect and devotion to church activities.

Details of his upbringing have stoked anger in Japan against the Unification Church and garnered Yamagami sympathy, with supporters showing support for him through donations and a petition calling for leniency.

The Unification Church was founded in Korea in the 1950s by self-styled messiah Sun Myung Moon.

In a letter published by Japanese media, Yamagami accused Abe of supporting the sect and expressed resentment towards the group.

The church has confirmed his mother's membership but refused to specify the amount of donations she made, which reports said may have totalled around ¥100 million (US$700,000).

Less than a year after Abe's death, in April, a man hurled an explosive device towards Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shortly before he was due to deliver a campaign speech in the city of Wakayama.

The leader escaped unharmed, but the fact that an assailant was able to throw the device at such close range prompted renewed criticism of security arrangements in Japan.

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2023-06-12 07:19:17Z
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Man gets jail, caning for drug offences after friend asked for help to buy cannabis - CNA

SINGAPORE: When his friend from secondary school asked him for help in obtaining cannabis, a man agreed and asked his contact for assistance.

The contact was nabbed by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers after making the transaction with a Malaysian man at a hospital car park.

Singaporean Mohamed Rafi Mohamed Salleh, who agreed to help his friend get the drugs, was sentenced to seven years' jail and seven strokes of the cane in March last year.

However, his application to file an appeal after the deadline was up was granted only in May 2023.

According to a judgment made available on Friday (Jun 9), Rafi, 41, was convicted of two charges: One of conspiring with Amy Ng Gim Hui to traffic in 162.93g of cannabis, and one count of methamphetamine consumption.

The court heard that Rafi was a freelance business consultant and worked at an office building in Raffles Place. 

His secondary school friend, 38-year-old Singaporean Nur Diana Abdul Rashid, also worked at the same building.

On May 21, 2018, Diana called Rafi to ask if he could get 100g of cannabis for her. After negotiating, it was agreed that Diana would buy 500g of cannabis from Rafi for S$3,500 (US$2,603).

The next day, Rafi contacted Ng, a 39-year-old Singaporean woman, to help him obtain the cannabis.

Ng then arranged to collect the cannabis from her supplier, 32-year-old Malaysian Sri Ranjit Kanaseng.

Ng drove to Ng Teng Fong Hospital on May 23, 2018, where she met Ranjit at the car park. Ranjit passed Ng a black bundle and she gave him an envelope containing S$2,150.

After the exchange, Ng drove away but was arrested by CNB officers that same day and the black bundle was seized from her vehicle.

On Jun 2, 2020, CNB officers raided a flat in Bukit Batok and arrested Rafi. Urine samples taken from him were positive for meth.

The prosecution pointed out that Rafi had planned the drug transaction in a way that distanced himself as far as possible from the actual delivery and collection of the cannabis. He also tried to conceal evidence by hiding his SIM card beneath the inner sole of his shoe when arrested.

Rafi's lawyer, Mr Andre Jumabhoy, said his client was remorseful and regretted what was "a stupid act" in a misguided attempt at helping his friend.

The lawyer said Rafi had not benefitted from the transaction, but would be paying a very steep price.

He set out Rafi's good character, such as his active charity work in sponsoring and organising meal distributions for residents and his side beancurd business that employed people with disabilities and ex-offenders.

Mr Jumabhoy also showed that Rafi was a volunteer tutor coaching students from low-income Muslim families and was a representative of the Singapore Business Federation, visiting Iraq and Iran in 2013 to preserve banking relationships between countries.

Rafi is currently serving his jail term but has lodged an appeal against his sentence.

The punishment for abetment of drug trafficking is between five and 20 years' jail, and between five and 15 strokes of the cane.

For drug consumption, the penalties are between a year and 10 years' jail, and a fine of up to S$20,000.

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2023-06-12 02:41:33Z
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Mother of rescued Colombia children survived four days in jungle after plane crash - CNA

It was in part down to the local knowledge of the children and Indigenous adults involved in the search alongside Colombian troops that the youths were ultimately found alive despite the threats of jaguars and snakes, and relentless downpours which may have prevented them from hearing possible calls from search parties.

"The survival of the children is a sign of the knowledge and relationship with the natural environment that is taught starting in the mother's womb," according to the National Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of Colombia.

SEEDS, FRUITS, ROOTS

They also ate seeds, fruits, roots and plants that they identified as edible from their upbringing in the Amazon region, Luis Acosta of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia told AFP.

Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez, who visited them in the hospital with President Gustavo Petro, said they are recovering, but cannot yet eat solid food.

The youngest two children, now five and one, spent their birthdays in the jungle, as Lesly, the oldest at just 13, guided them through the ordeal.

"It is thanks to her, her courage and her leadership, that the three others were able to survive, with her care, her knowledge of the jungle," Velasquez said.

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2023-06-11 23:51:00Z
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Marriages in China slump to historic low - CNA

BEIJING: Marriages in China dropped in 2022 to their lowest since records began, local news outlet Yicai reported on Sunday (Jun 11), continuing a steady decline over the past decade although the matrimonial total may have been affected by stringent COVID-19 lockdowns.

Just 6.83 million couples completed their marriage registrations last year, data published on the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs showed, down about 800,000 from the previous year.

The drop in couples tieing the knot, which follows pandemic restrictions keeping tens of millions locked in their homes or compounds for weeks last year, comes as authorities deal with a declining birth rate and a falling population.

In 2022 China's population fell for the first time in six decades, a decline that is expected to mark the start of a long period of decline in its citizen numbers with profound implications for its economy and the world.

China's birth rate fell last year to 6.77 births per 1,000 people, the lowest on record, from 7.52 in 2021.

Demographers warn China will get old before it gets rich, as its workforce shrinks and indebted local governments spend more on their elderly population.

To encourage marriage and boost the country's flagging birth rate, China said last month it would launch pilot projects in more than 20 cities to create a "new-era" marriage and childbearing culture.

Some provinces are also giving young newlyweds an extension of paid marriage leave.

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2023-06-11 15:10:06Z
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