Yang Kaiheng, one of the editors of socio-political blog The Real Singapore (TRS), had an application to Singapore for Australia on Monday (May 4) approved, subject to conditions.
The conditions include an additional bail sum of S$40,000 and the submission of his complete travel itinerary. His permission to leave Singapore is valid from Monday until May 17.
Yang agreed to the conditions and posted bail on Monday afternoon.
In a bail review hearing on Monday morning, District Judge Eddy Tham heard that the 26-year-old’s father recently suffered a stroke in Australia.
Deputy Public Prosecutor G Kannan argued that while the prosecution was sympathetic to Yang’s situation, he remains a flight risk, with the authorities relying on his cooperation to return should he be allowed to leave Singapore’s jurisdiction. DPP Kannan noted that Yang’s cooperation has been found wanting, having not complied with orders requiring information related to the investigations.
The DPP said that a demonstration in good faith of compliance on Yang’s part with regards to the information being sought by the MDA would take this issue out of the flight risk equation.
Yang and Takagi each face seven counts of sedition charges. They allegedly published seditious articles on the website between October 2013 and February this year, including one that falsely claimed that an incident between police and some members of the public during a Thaipusam procession.
The pair were also slapped with an eighth charge under the Penal Code for failing to produce documents to a police officer from the Criminal Investigation Department.
Bail for Yang had previously been set at S$20,000.
The Ministry of National Development’s (MND) application to the courts to appoint independent accountants to safeguard government grants to the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) is not a move as part of a “political dispute”, said its lawyers on Monday (May 4).
Attorney-General’s Chambers Deputy chief counsel for litigation Aurill Kam, who is acting for MND, said that the Workers’ Party-run town council has “mischaracterised” MND’s actions by saying that it is action between the ruling People’s Action Party and the WP.
Speaking at the start of a two-day hearing in the High Court, Ms Kam said that it is action between MND, which has regulatory oversight over the Town Council Act, and AHPETC, which is a statutory body.
“This concerns obligations of a statutory body that is holding funds. The leadership of the town council being WP members is not the point. These are legal questions,” she said.
But she pointed out that Business Assurance – a sole proprietorship that was set up last February – does not appear to have the necessary expertise to advise on or carry out reviews, and does not appear to have a good understanding of town council operations.
“There is no evidence that the town council has sought help from professionals with good track records,” she added.
Earlier, the court heard that AHPETC had enough funds to last until June this year – but this would be premised on them not making transfers to the town council’s sinking fund. Quarterly transfers to the sinking fund are mandatory – and the money is used for long-term estate maintenance.
Before heading into the courtroom on Monday morning, town council chairman Sylvia Lim said she would not be able to comment further as the case was before the courts, but added that the town council would be mounting a “vigorous defence”.
“We are doing this in the interest of our residents, and we believe this court case is wholly unnecessary,” she said.
Firefighters dedicate their lives to the protection of life and property. Sometimes that dedication is in the form of countless hours volunteered over many years, in others it is many selfless years working in the industry. In all cases it risks the ultimate sacrifice of a firefighter’s life.
International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is a time where the world’s community can recognise and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions.
International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on 4th May. On this date you are invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.
By proudly wearing and displaying blue and red ribbons pinned together or by participating in a memorial or recognition event, we can show our gratitude to firefighters everywhere.
The IFFD ribbons are linked to colours symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with – red for fire and blue for water. These colours also are internationally recognised as representing emergency service.
On the first Sunday in May at noon please Sound Off in respect of past firefighters.
A special time to stop and reflect on the sacrifices made by firefighters is held on the first Sunday in May at noon local time each year when fire sirens sound for 30 seconds followed by a minute’s silence in memory of, and respect for, all firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or passed on before us. This is known as the “Sound Off“.
The Republic’s pencak silat athletes have never won more than three gold medals at any SEA Games and competing on home ground will not be much of an advantage when Singapore hosts the biennial event from June 5 to June 16, said Singapore Silat Federation (SSF) chief executive officer Sheik Alau’ddin Yacoob Marican.
Traditional powerhouses Indonesia and Malaysia have always dominated the sport, but with Vietnam fighting the two countries for supremacy since 2005, winning medals, let alone gold, has become difficult, he added.
When the silat competition starts on June 10 at the Singapore Expo, Sheik Alau’ddin is banking his hopes on 2013 Games gold medallist Nur Alfian Juma’en in the Class F event, and 2012 world champion Shakir Juanda in Class H.
Despite the stiff competition, he said there are “dark horses” in his seven-man and six-woman squad capable of springing a surprise or two.
They include Class E fighter Sheik Ferdous, Iqbal Abdul Rahman in the artistic singles event for men and the women artistic team.
“Although I am not expecting more than two golds from Nur Alfian and Shakir, anything can happen when the home crowd get behind our athletes,” said Sheik Alau’ddin.
“Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam will dominate silat here, but emotions run high when friends and families are shouting and cheering on our guys and girls. When this happens, it can push them to perform beyond themselves. So while I am realistic about our chances, I am not writing off the possibility of getting more than two gold medals.”
Keeping focus and following instructions are two areas Nur Alfian needs to strengthen if he is to defend his Games gold medal. These weak spots unravelled in January at Phuket where he failed to get past the Class F quarter-final of the World Pencak Silat Championship.
Said the 18-year-old: “I did not follow the game plan of my coaches because I was too eager to get the points. This allowed my opponent to take me down several times.
“By the time I came to my senses and was able to score points, it was not enough to win the match.”
To help the host team put on a good showing for the competition, the SSF hired two Indonesian coaches, Muhammad Fiqri and Muhammad Hamdi, in April last year to sharpen their techniques.
Fiqri said they have been pushing the athletes to use more of what they have in their armoury when they step onto the mat to do battle.
“For example, although they know how to use the scissors technique to bring down an opponent, many have not been using this as much as they should,” he added.
“They also tend to use the same style and this makes them predictable. So what Hamdi and I have been doing is to get them to train a lot more in other areas so that they will have more weapons to use next month.”
Although Nurul Suhailah has not been mentioned as one of the medal hopefuls, the 19-year-old is hoping to make an impact in her second attempt at the Games after returning home empty-handed from Myanmar two years ago.
“I am going for gold, no matter what,” she said defiantly. “We are competing in Singapore and my family and friends are coming to watch me. Although there is pressure to do well in front of them, this is good pressure because it will push me to win something.”
Two gunmen have been shot dead and a security guard injured at a contest for cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad in a Dallas suburb.
The gunmen were said to have driven up to the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland on Sunday afternoon where the American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI) had been hosting the exhibition and contest.
According to city authorities a guard at the event was shot at before the men who appeared to be driving a red truck were engaged by police.
Authorities immediately locked down the center, evacuating participants in the event and sealing off large areas.
The bomb squad was called in after reports of a possible incendiary device at the scene of the incident.
An officer dressed in Swat gear took to the stage at the Curtis Culwell Center and told attendees, including an Associated Press reporter, that a shooting had occurred. He said one officer and two suspects were shot.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the shooting was related to the event.
However a statement from the City of Garland read:
As today’s Muhammad art exhibit event at the Curtis Culwell Center was coming to an end, two males drove up to the front of the building in a car. Both males were armed and began shooting at a Garland ISD security officer. Garland police officers engaged the gunmen, who were both shot and killed.
Police suspect the vehicle may contain an incendiary device and the bomb squad is on the scene. The surrounding businesses including Academy Sports, Walmart and Sam’s are being evacuated. Event participants are also being evacuated from the Curtis Culwell Center for their safety.
The Dallas Morning News also reported that two men pulled up in a car near the event and shot at a security officer. The men were killed and their bodies were reported to be on the street near to the center.
The security officer involved who had been shot at received injuries that were not life-threatening.
The shootings were also reported by a local NBC reporter near the event.
The AFDI’s contest was attended by Geert Wilders, the Dutch far-right populist politician who gave a speech to the audience.
Wilders, 51, heads the Party for Freedom, and has been accused of inciting racial hatred after pledging in 2014 to ensure there would be “fewer Moroccans” in the Netherlands.
He later tweeted his praise for the efforts of police during the incident.
After an alert was raised at the event in Garland, about 75 attendees at the controversial event were taken to another room.
Later, a group of 48 people were escorted to a school bus. Authorities told attendees they would be taken to a nearby high school. A second group was set to be moved shortly after.
Johnny Roby of Oklahoma City, was attending the conference.
He told Associated Press he was outside the building when he heard about 20 shots that appeared to be coming from the direction of a car passing by. Roby said he then heard two single shots.
He said he heard officers yell that they had the car before he was sent inside the building.
The New York-based AFDI was hosting a contest that would award $10,000 for the best cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad at the venue.
Such drawings are deemed insulting to many followers of Islam and have sparked violence around the world. According to mainstream Islamic tradition any physical depiction of the prophet Muhammad, even a respectful one, is considered blasphemous.
Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders speaks at the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest. Photograph: Mike Stone/Reuters
In January, 12 people were killed by gunmen in an attack against the Paris office of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which had lampooned Islam and other religions and used depictions of the prophet.
Pamela Geller, the president of the AFDI, said she planned the Sunday event to make a stand for free speech in response to the outcries and violence over drawings of the prophet.
After the incident, Geller posted an angry statement on her website: “This is a war. This is war on free speech. What are we going to do? Are we going to surrender to these monsters?
“Two men with rifles and backpacks attacked police outside our event. A cop was shot; his injuries are not life-threatening, thank Gd. Please keep him in your prayers.
“The bomb squad has been called to the event site to investigate a backpack left at the event site.
“The war is here.”
Geller’s group is known for mounting a campaign against the building of an Islamic center blocks from the World Trade Center site and for buying advertising space in cities across the US criticizing Islam.
