Major aftershocks rock Philippines after magnitude 7.6 quake - The Straits Times

MANILA - A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the southern Philippines on Dec 1, the US Geological Survey said, triggering fears of a possible tsunami as big aftershocks rumbled in the area.

The initial quake struck at a depth of 32km at 10.37pm local time (10.37pm Singapore time) about 21km north-east of Hinatuan municipality on Mindanao island, the USGS said.

Several hours later, early on Dec 3, two powerful aftershocks of magnitude 6.4 and magnitude 6.2 shook the region following the first quake, USGS said.

The initial quake triggered tsunami warnings and orders for coastal residents to flee to higher ground.

“Destructive tsunami is expected with life threatening wave heights,” the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii also issued an alert but later posted that the danger had lifted.

“There is no longer a tsunami threat from this earthquake,” it said in a 1645 GMT (12.45am on Dec 3, Singapore time) message.

The Philippines seismology institute maintained its tsunami warning into early on Dec 3.

It said waves of more than 1m above the normal tides were expected to hit the coast and advised people in Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental provinces to “immediately evacuate” to higher ground or further inland.

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2023-12-02 15:45:00Z
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Israel bombards southern Gaza as humanitarian crisis reaches 'breaking point' - CNA

The southern part of Gaza was taking a pounding on Saturday. Residents said houses and open areas had been hit and three mosques destroyed in Khan Younis. Columns of smoke rose into the sky.

In Deir Al-Balah city in central Gaza, nine Palestinians, including children, were killed in an air strike, health officials said.

Displaced Gazans have been sheltering in Khan Younis and Rafah because of fighting in the north of the densely populated enclave, but residents said they feared Israeli troops were preparing to move on the south.

"This is the same tactic they used before entering Gaza and the north," said Yamen, who gave only his first name.

Yamen fled to Deir Al-Balah from the north after Israel destroyed several districts there.

"Where to after Deir Al-Balah, after Khan Younis? I don't know where I would take my wife and six children," he said.

On Saturday morning, Israeli warplanes attacked areas close to the Khan Younis Nasser Hospital six times, according to medics and witnesses.

The hospital is filled with thousands of displaced and hundreds of wounded, including many of those who had been evacuated from north Gaza hospitals.

"A night of horror," said Samira, a mother of four. "It was one of the worst night we spent in Khan Younis in the past six weeks since we arrived here," she said. "We are too afraid they will enter Khan Younis."

The Israeli military said that in the last 24 hours combined attacks by its ground, air and naval forces had hit 400 militant targets and killed an unspecified number of Hamas fighters.

The conflict broke out on Oct 7 when Hamas militants crossed into southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in a rampage against kibbutzim and other communities. More than 200 hostages were taken back into Gaza.

Israel responded with a bombing campaign and a ground offensive which has destroyed large areas of Gaza in what has become the bloodiest episode of the wider Israel-Palestinian conflict.

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2023-12-02 13:22:51Z
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From December 1, foreigners visiting Malaysia must fill up digital arrival card; autogate available for 10 countries - Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Foreigners who enter Malaysia will have to fill up the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online three days before they arrive, with citizens of 10 countries having the added benefit of using autogates for immigration clearance at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) if they meet conditions such as submitting the MDAC, the Immigration Department of Malaysia has said.

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In announcements posted yesterday on its official Facebook page, the department said this requirement for foreign nationals to complete the MDAC before arriving in Malaysia takes effect as of December 1.

On its website for the online registration of MDAC, the department said the requirement to submit MDAC before arriving in Malaysia applies to all travellers, except for three categories.

The three categories of travellers who do not have to submit the MDAC are those transiting or transferring through Singapore without seeking immigration clearance; Malaysian permanent residents; and Malaysian Automated Clearance System (MACS) Holder.

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To register and submit MDAC, travellers would have to use the Immigration Department's website.

The MDAC registration form requires details such as name, nationality, passport number and expiry date, email address and mobile phone number,

In the MDAC form, travellers are told that their trip to Malaysia must be within three days (including the date of submission of MDAC), and are required to fill up their date of arrival, date of departure, mode of transport (air, land or sea), and last port of embarkation.

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According to the requirements for entry into Malaysia, visitors must show both their passports and the complete MDAC to the immigration officer on duty upon arrival.

Based on an infographic at the Immigration Department's MDAC website, visitors from 10 countries (Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, US and the UK will be eligible to use autogates when arriving and leaving KLIA's Terminal 1 or Terminal 2.

To use the autogates at KLIA for immigration clearance, these visitors must have passports with a validity period of six months or more. They must have submitted their MDAC three days before arrival (except for permanent residents and long-term pass holders).

But they would also not be able to use the autogate if they are visiting Malaysia for the first time, as their first trip would require them to submit the MDAC three days before arriving and to then enroll and verify their passport at the manual counter manned by Immigration personnel.

These visitors can use the autogates upon arrival and departure only for subsequent visits (where MDAC would still have to be submitted three days before every visit to Malaysia) and only after they have successfully enrolled to use the autogate for immigration clearance.

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2023-12-02 02:52:07Z
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Scandal-plagued Republican lawmaker George Santos expelled from US Congress - CNA

FABRICATED BIOGRAPHY

Santos has been mired in controversy since his November 2022 election. He has admitted fabricating much of his biography, and federal prosecutors accuse him of laundering campaign funds and defrauding donors. Santos has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

He survived a previous expulsion attempt in early November, when 182 of his fellow Republicans and 31 Democrats voted against removing him on the grounds that his criminal case should be resolved first.

But a subsequent, scathing House Ethics Committee report on Santos' behaviour eroded what support he had. Only 112 of 222 House Republicans voted to keep him in office this time around. Two Democrats voted against expulsion.

"George Santos' lies were designed to defraud and deceive the voters in order for him to be elected, unlike other public corruption cases," Representative Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat and former federal prosecutor, told reporters shortly before the vote.

A bipartisan congressional investigation last month found that Santos charged almost US$4,000 for spa treatments, including Botox, to his congressional campaign account. He also spent more than US$4,000 of campaign money at luxury retailer Hermes and made "smaller purchases" from OnlyFans, an online platform known for sexual content, according to the Ethics Committee.

Following the Ethics Committee report, he said he would not run for reelection next year.

The last expulsion was in 2002: Democrat James Traficant of Ohio in 2002, following his criminal corruption conviction.

Santos' troubles began shortly after his November 2022 election, when media outlets reported he had not actually attended New York University or worked at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, as he had claimed during his campaign.

He also falsely claimed Jewish heritage and told voters his grandparents had fled the Nazis during World War II.

Reports of the falsehoods made Santos a pariah in the House and the butt of late-night TV comedians even before federal prosecutors charged him with an array of fraud and campaign-finance crimes.

In a 23-count indictment, they accuse him of inflating his fundraising totals in order to draw more support from the Republican Party, laundering funds to pay for personal expenses, and charging donors' credits cards without permission.

Two former campaign aides have pleaded guilty to related fraud charges.

Santos denies wrongdoing, and his trial is scheduled to begin on Sep 9, 2024, shortly before the November elections that will determine control of the White House and both chambers of Congress.

Before Santos' win in 2022, the district was represented by Democrat Tom Suozzi, who unsuccessfully ran for governor. Suozzi and 19 other candidates, including eight Republicans, have filed to run for Santos' seat.

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2023-12-01 16:41:00Z
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The Big Read: As S'poreans flock across the Causeway to seek respite from rising costs, are they inflicting the same on Johor Bahru? - TODAY

A financial consultant, who wished to be known only as Mr Hiew YZ, told TODAY that he believes that the political changes in the last three years have a significant part to play in the depreciating ringgit. 

Before Mr Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister following the 2022 general election, Malaysia had had three prime ministers in as many years. 

“Our Prime Minister (Mr Anwar) has just held the position for a year. There’s still a lot of time until the next election, so hopefully, things will be better by then,” Mr Hiew said.

Retiree Chin AB, 76, said Malaysians should not “blame” Singaporeans for soaring prices because inflation is happening worldwide, not just in the country. 

“Perhaps, yes, there will be some impact, but ultimately, Singaporeans coming over makes JB a livelier place,” he said. 

WHAT DO BUSINESS OWNERS THINK? 

TODAY’s interviews with several entrepreneurs found that while they had mixed views on Singapore’s impact on inflation in Johor, some did not think that the influx of Singaporeans is a significant reason behind rising prices. 

Contrary to residents’ beliefs, some of these businesses were more concerned about domestic and external factors, such as the weakening ringgit, which has led to a spike in the cost of raw materials. 

Triple K Cafe shop owner Keoh Teik Hoe, who serves beef noodles, said he gets his beef supply from Australia and New Zealand, and the suppliers trade in United States dollars. 

Amid the continuing weakening of the ringgit this year, he told TODAY that beef prices had increased by 20 per cent this year. In October, the ringgit fell to a 25-year low against the US dollar.

Singaporeans make up 30 per cent of Mr Keoh’s customer base, while the rest are primarily locals and regular patrons. 

“I cannot simply increase my prices. For now, I will still absorb the cost because I can still get by even with profits going down by 30 per cent.” 

Mr Keoh was adamant in his belief that “it is not right” for business owners to adjust their prices “just because” Singaporeans can afford the higher prices. 

“Then what about the locals? Yes, Singaporeans have higher spending power, but they are only here on weekends. The locals here can visit your business several times a week because they live here,” he said. 

Third-generation owner of Hiap Joo Bakery, Mr Lim Toh Huei, 35, said the prices of bananas had shot up after the MCO, so the bakery had to change its banana bread prices from RM10 to RM12 last year. 

“You can get 1kg of bananas for RM2.50 previously, but now it costs RM4.50 to RM5. The prices fluctuate, but since the last review, we don’t plan to change our pricing again for now. We can still bear the costs first,” he said. 

Mr Lim, whose business is largely patronised by Singaporeans on weekends, said Johor Bahru is “definitely impacted” by Singaporeans pouring into the city. 

“For businesses like mine, it’s good. But for the rest of us, it means we need to continue working hard to put food on the table. 

“Now that times are tougher, I think it’s important for everyone, especially young adults, to come out and work to earn their keep because there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world,” he said.  

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2023-12-01 13:54:00Z
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Singapore leaders send condolence letters to wife of late former US diplomat Henry Kissinger - CNA

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan have sent letters of condolences to Mrs Nancy Kissinger, wife of former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press statement on Friday (Dec 1).

Dr Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday, according to a statement from his geopolitical consulting firm, Kissinger Associates Inc. 

It said he would be interred at a private family service, to be followed at a later date by a public memorial service in New York City.

In his letter to Mrs Kissinger on Thursday, Mr Lee said he and his wife, Mdm Ho Ching, were "deeply saddened" by the death of Dr Kissinger.

He said Dr Kissinger will be "remembered warmly" by many around the world.

"He was a peerless diplomat, true statesman, and visionary of his time," Mr Lee said. "As a leader, he served with conviction and pragmatism."

Mr Lee cited Dr Kissinger's involvement in US president Richard Nixon's rapprochement with China in 1972 as a "watershed moment" that led to an extended period of stable US-China relations. It resulted in steady global growth and deepening globalisation lasting decades, greatly benefitting the US and many other countries. 

He also said that from Singapore's perspective, another of Dr Kissinger's major accomplishments was the extraction of the US from the Vietnam War. 

"He felt deeply the need to protect US credibility and its global influence, and refused to simply abandon America’s South Vietnamese ally," said Mr Lee.

"Though he was bitterly criticised for his actions, his strategy bought the non-Communist countries of Southeast Asia precious time. We were able to build up our political, economic, and military strength, and to organise ourselves into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

"By the time South Vietnam fell in 1975, and the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1978, the Asean members were much better able to deal with the security threats."

Mr Lee added that Dr Kissinger travelled to Singapore in March 2015 for the state funeral of his father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He also recalled the "moving eulogy" by Dr Kissinger at a private memorial service for the late Mr Lee in New York later that year.

Mr Lee also said he had the privilege of knowing Dr Kissinger personally and benefitted greatly from his "counsel, wisdom, and curiosity about the world".

He added that he last met Dr Kissinger during a visit to New York in April 2022, and they spoke for more than an hour. 

"Dr Kissinger touched many hearts throughout his long life. His legacy will remain with us for a long time to come," said Mr Lee.

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2023-12-01 05:53:30Z
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Dozens killed as war resumes in Gaza after truce collapses - The Straits Times

The other two newly released hostages were a brother and sister, Mr Belal and Ms Aisha al-Ziadna, aged 18 and 17 respectively, according to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office. They are Bedouin Arab citizens of Israel and among four members of their family taken hostage while they were milking cows on a farm.

One of Qatar’s lead negotiators, career diplomat Abdullah Al Sulaiti, who helped broker the truce through marathon shuttle negotiations, acknowledged in a recent Reuters interview the uncertain odds of keeping the guns silent.

“At the beginning, I thought achieving an agreement would be the most difficult step,” he said in an article that detailed the behind-the-scenes efforts for the first time.

“I’ve discovered that sustaining the agreement itself is equally challenging.”

The truce had allowed more fuel and 56 trucks of humanitarian supplies to enter Gaza on Nov 30, Israel’s Defence Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said.

But deliveries of food, water, medical supplies and fuel remain far below what is needed, aid workers say.

At an emergency meeting in Amman, Jordan’s King Abdullah on Nov 30 urged UN officials and international groups to pressure Israel to allow more aid into the beleaguered enclave, according to delegates.

When the ceasefire first came into effect a week ago, Israel was preparing to turn the focus of its operation to southern Gaza after its seven-week assault to the north.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met Israeli and Palestinian officials on Nov 30 on his third trip to the region since the war began, declined to comment on the collapse of the truce to reporters travelling on his plane.

The day before, Mr Blinken called on Israel to do more to protect civilians once fighting resumes. He praised the truce and said Washington hoped it would be extended.

“We discussed the details of Israel’s ongoing planning and I underscored the imperative for the United States that the massive loss of civilian life and displacement of the scale that we saw in northern Gaza not be repeated in the south,” he told reporters in Tel Aviv, adding the Israeli government had agreed. REUTERS

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2023-12-01 10:45:11Z
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