Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Cyber attack sweeps globe, researchers see ‘WannaCry’ ransomware link, Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Cyber attack sweeps globe, researchers see 'WannaCry' ransomware link, Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Cyber attack sweeps globe, researchers see 'WannaCry' ransomware link

MOSCOW/KIEV/WASHINGTON (REUTERS) – A major global cyber attack on Tuesday (June 27)  disrupted computers at Russia's biggest oil company, Ukrainian banks and multinational firms with a virus similar to the ransomware that last month infected more than 300,000 computers.

The rapidly spreading cyber extortion campaign underscored growing concerns that businesses have failed to secure their networks from increasingly aggressive hackers, who have shown they are capable of shutting down critical infrastructure and crippling corporate and government networks.

It included code known as "Eternal Blue," which cyber security experts widely believe was stolen from the US National Security Agency (NSA) and was also used in last month's ransomware attack, named "WannaCry."

"Cyber attacks can simply destroy us," said Kevin Johnson, chief executive of cyber security firm Secure Ideas. "Companies are just not doing what they are supposed to do to fix the problem." 

The ransomware virus crippled computers running Microsoft Corp's Windows by encrypting hard drives and overwriting files, then demanded US$300 (S$400) in bitcoin payments to restore access. More than 30 victims paid into the bitcoin account associated with the attack, according to a public ledger of transactions listed on blockchain.info.

Microsoft said the virus could spread through a flaw that was patched in a security update in March. "We are continuing to investigate and will take appropriate action to protect customers," a spokesman for the company said, adding that Microsoft antivirus software detects and removes it.

Russia and Ukraine were most affected by the thousands of attacks, according to security software maker Kaspersky Lab, with other victims spread across countries including Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United States. The total number of attacks was unknown.

Security experts said they expected the impact to be smaller than WannaCry since many computers had been patched with Windows updates in the wake of WannaCry last month to protect them against attacks using Eternal Blue code.

Still, the attack could be more dangerous than traditional strains of ransomware because it makes computers unresponsive and unable to reboot, Juniper Networks said in a blog post analysing the attack.

Researchers said the attack may have borrowed malware code used in earlier ransomware campaigns known as "Petya" and"GoldenEye." Following last month's attack, governments, security firms and industrial groups aggressively advised businesses and consumers to make sure all their computers were updated with Microsoft patches to defend against the threat.

The US Department of Homeland Security said it was monitoring the attacks and coordinating with other countries. It advised victims not to pay the extortion, saying that doing so does not guarantee access will be restored.

In a statement, the White House National Security Council said there was currently no risk to public safety. The United States was investigating the attack and determined to hold those responsible accountable, it said.

The NSA did not respond to a request for comment. The spy agency has not publicly said whether it built Eternal Blue and other hacking tools leaked online by an entity known as Shadow Brokers.

Several private security experts have said they believe Shadow Brokers is tied to the Russian government, and that the North Korean government was behind WannaCry. Both countries'governments deny charges they are involved in hacking.

'DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME'

The first attacks were reported from Russia and Ukraine.

Russia's Rosneft, one of the world's biggest crude producers by volume, said its systems had suffered "serious consequences," but added oil production had not been affected because it switched over to backup systems.

Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Pavlo Rozenko said the government's computer network went down and the central bank reported disruption to operations at banks and firms including the state power distributor.

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk said it was among the victims, reporting outages at facilities including its Los Angeles terminal.

WPP, the world's largest advertising agency, said it was also infected. A WPP employee who asked not to be named said that workers were told to shut down their computers: "The building has come to a standstill."

A Ukrainian media company said its computers were blocked and it was asked to pay US$300 in the crypto-currency bitcoin to regain access. "Perhaps you are busy looking for a way to recover your files, but don't waste your time. Nobody can recover your files without our decryption service," the message said, according to a screenshot posted on Ukraine's Channel 24.

Russia's central bank said there were isolated cases of lenders' IT systems being infected. One consumer lender, Home Credit, had to suspend client operations.

Other companies that identified themselves as victims included French construction materials firm Saint Gobain , US  drugmaker Merck & Co and Mars Inc's Royal Canin pet food business.

Western Pennsylvania's Heritage Valley Health System's entire network was shut down by a cyber attack on Tuesday, according to local media reports.

Last's month's fast-spreading WannaCry ransomware attack was crippled after a 22-year-old British security researcher Marcus Hutchins created a so-called "kill switch" that experts hailed as the decisive step in slowing the attack.

Security experts said they did not believe that the ransomware released on Tuesday had a kill switch, meaning that it might be harder to stop.

Ukraine's cyber police said on Twitter that a vulnerability in software used by MEDoc, a Ukrainian accounting firm, may have been an initial source of the virus, which researchers including cyber intelligence firm Flashpoint said could have infected victims via an illegitimate software update.

In a Facebook post, MEDoc confirmed it had been hacked but denied responsibility for originating the attack.

An adviser to Ukraine's interior minister said earlier in the day that the virus got into computer systems via "phishing"emails written in Russian and Ukrainian designed to lure employees into opening them.

According to the state security agency, the emails contained infected Word documents or PDF files as attachments. 



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Saturday, June 24, 2017

Most adults overeat, many gain weight after starting work, Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Most adults overeat, many gain weight after starting work, Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Most adults overeat, many gain weight after starting work

The average Singaporean today is heavier, more likely to overeat and - unsurprisingly - tends to put on weight once he enters the workforce.

This is especially so among men, who typically put on 4kg within the first decade of starting work, new data from the Health Promotion Board (HPB) shows.

The data was part of an HPB study of more than 60,000 people gathered over nearly 30 years to learn more about obesity trends here.

Between 2011 and last year, researchers found that obesity rates generally stayed between 10 and 15 per cent for both genders during the school years - that is, for children aged between five and 18.

However, the proportion of overweight people in each age bracket began to grow starting from age 21, when many people start full-time work.

Last year, 42 per cent of men aged between 30 and 39 were obese, as were 28 per cent of women.

Overall, the average Singaporean is 3kg heavier than his counterpart from 15 years ago, said Dr Annie Ling, who is director of HPB's policy, research and surveillance division.

And while people have become slightly more active in recent years, they are consuming more calories.

Worse still, the proportion of those who exceed their recommended daily calorie intake has grown - from 34 per cent in 1998 to 59 per cent in 2010.

Dr Melvin Look, a general surgeon from Mount Elizabeth Hospital, said: "A 3kg increase in average weight over the last 15 years may not seem much, but it is a worrisome trend."

Dr Look, who specialises in gastrointestinal and advanced laparoscopic surgery, added: "It is enough to push a large number of people from normal weight to overweight and, more significantly, put many overweight people in the obese range."

According to a recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, obesity is estimated to have cost Singapore up to $2.77 billion last year in terms of healthcare cost and lost productivity.

People who are obese have a higher risk of developing health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. These can, in turn, lead to complications such as stroke and organ failure.

Said Dr Ling: "Adult obesity is extremely difficult to reverse - I think that has been well documented in the (medical) literature.

"I think we should really intervene as early as possible... we probably even need to go into the pre-school setting."

Civil servant Jonathan Lim, 29, said it has been hard to stick to a regular exercise schedule since he started work four years ago.

He estimates he has put on about 5kg in the last two years.

"I work 12 to 13 hours daily, and I'm often too tired to exercise after work," he said.



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Thursday, June 22, 2017

Why Australian Muslim couple turned their backs on Islam | Daily Mail Online

Why Australian Muslim couple turned their backs on Islam | Daily Mail Online

'The Quran states that a woman is half a man': Why an Australian Muslim couple turned their backs on Islam because it is a 'religion of war' riddled with 'venomous misogyny'

  • Couple Sami Shah and Ishma Alvi both grew up as Muslims but since left Islam 
  • Melbourne-based couple have told why they both turned their backs on religion 
  • They cited extremism, sexism and misogyny as key reasons for their decisions 
  • Mr Shah, an author, has written a new book, The Islamic Republic of Australia 

A couple who both grew up as Muslims in Pakistan have told why they turned their backs on Islam. 

Sami Shah and Ishma Alvi, who became Australian citizens in January and live in Melbourne, said extremism, sexism and misogyny were key reasons why they opted out of the religion.

The couple also explained the reasons for their transition by citing passages from the Quran, which Mr Shah has described as 'maddening as a text'.

An edited extract from Mr Shah's latest book, The Islamic Republic of Australia, which details the move from Muslim to non-Muslim was published in The Weekend Australian magazine on Saturday. 

The book also 'is an entertaining and fascinating snapshot of Islam down under today' and 'takes us behind the stereotypes and generalisations to find out who Australian Muslims are', an overview of the title says.

Ishma Alvi andĀ Sami Shah (pictured) have told why they left Islam behind despite both growing up as Muslims
Ishma Alvi and Sami Shah (pictured) have told why they left Islam behind despite both growing up as Muslims
Mr Shah (pictured) grew up as a Muslim in Pakistan but started turning his back on Islam following a series of violent attacks by extremists in the name of religionĀ 
Mr Shah (pictured) grew up as a Muslim in Pakistan but started turning his back on Islam following a series of violent attacks by extremists in the name of religion 

Ex-muslim talks about eating bacon for the first time

In the piece published in The Weekend Australian, Mr Shah said for Muslims to turn their backs on Islam, the controversial move can be punishable by death but he was happy to now be living openly as an atheist.

While he grew up in Pakistan, a Muslim country, he found himself gradually turning away from Islam over time, angered by violent attacks committed by extremists in the name of religion.   

'What stood out for me wasn't just the mass murder and carnage initiated by the extremists but also their religious justification for it,' Mr Shah said in the piece published in The Weekend Australian. 

'The religion I had been told my entire life was a religion of peace - an argument I myself had propagated when ­confronted with Islam's critics while studying in America - was ­comfortably being used as a ­religion of war.' 

Mr Shah said he was happy to now be living in Australia where he did not have his daily life heavily influenced by Islam.

Ms Alvi, a psychologist, said she believed Islam was not female-positive, a notion she first came to when she was aged 17.

Mr Shah said the religion he had been told was one of peace wasĀ Ā­'comfortably being used as a religion of war'
Mr Shah said the religion he had been told was one of peace was ­'comfortably being used as a religion of war'
Mr Shah this week spoke on Channel Ten's The Project where he also spoke candidly about his transition from a devout Muslim to an atheistĀ 
Mr Shah this week spoke on Channel Ten's The Project where he also spoke candidly about his transition from a devout Muslim to an atheist 

'I started seeing Islam as swinging between benevolent sexism [if there is such a thing] and venomous misogyny,' she said. 

She said while she started drifting away from the religion as a teenager she came back to Islam on two occasions, once by necessity when she was at university to avoid being attacked on public transport and the other through a friend. 

But she said she was left feeling angry and tired at the expectations Islam have of women and her believe females were considered to be half a man, using a passage from Quran 2:282 to explain her reasoning.   

Mr Shah, who is an author and comedian, this week also revealed his life changed the first time he tried bacon after ditching his religion and becoming an atheist.

He appeared on Network Ten's The Project to promote his new book, and told Islamic host Waleed Aly about the joys of eating pig - which is banned in Muslim culture.

'I thought I can't do this... and then I took one bite and thought, ''I'm never going back'',' Mr Shah told Aly.

'I open my day with bacon now. My fridge right now is an entire pig dissected.' 

Mr Shah spoke candidly about his transition from a devout Muslim to an atheist on The Project.

'For me it was just a matter of skepticism and once I started becoming skeptical about religion I thought I couldn't call myself a believer anymore,' he admitted. 



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Two auxiliary police officers arrested for terrorism-related offences, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Two auxiliary police officers arrested for terrorism-related offences, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Two auxiliary police officers arrested for terrorism-related offences

SINGAPORE - Two Singaporean auxiliary police officers have been arrested for terrorism-related offences under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The duo were fellow AETOS officers at Woodlands Checkpoint when they were nabbed last month, said the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday (June 20).

Muhammad Khairul Mohamed, 24, has since been detained for planning to travel to Syria to fight against the Syrian government, while Mohamad Rizal Wahid, 36, is placed on a Restriction Order for supporting his plan, the ministry added in its statement.

News of their arrests come one week after the ministry said last Monday that a 22-year-old has become the first Singaporean woman to be detained for radicalism under the ISA.

Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, an infant care assistant, was planning to travel to Syria with her child to become a "martyr's widow", fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Auxiliary police officers are private contractors hired to do police duties such as carrying out security checks at buildings and crowd control.

The uniformed officers have powers similar to that of police officers while on duty. These include carrying out a search and making an arrest.

Some are armed with revolvers.

The ministry, however, said Khairul's duties did not require him to be armed.

He was working as an outrider at the checkpoint, performing traffic enforcement duties when he was arrested.

The ministry said he became radicalised in 2012 after he went online to gather information about the conflict in Syria.

"He developed the view that the conflict in Syria was a sectarian struggle between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam, and being a Sunni Muslim, he wanted to fight against the Shi'ites in Syria by joining the Free Syrian Army (FSA)," the ministry said.

  • MHA answers two key questions

  • Q: What are MHA's checks or safeguards against police officers with radical leanings? In light of the arrest of auxiliary police officers Khairul and Rizal, is MHA taking any additional steps to mitigate the risk of any radicalised police officers?

    A: Police officers must meet a set of stringent selection criteria.
    Before recruiting anyone to work in the Police Force, the SPF conducts a series of recruitment vetting procedures on all shortlisted applicants to determine an applicant's suitability for policing work. In addition to meeting the minimum educational, physical and medical requirements, security and background checks are also carried out as part of the selection assessment. 
    Based on operational requirements, officers deployed to certain positions are required to go through regular security screening.
    The nature of policing is team-based with proper command structure. Officers are deployed
    in teams and supervisors and co-colleagues are regularly reminded to be alert to signs of
    radicalisation among their officers and peers. Officers are also sensitised to the evolving
    terrorist threats and security climate, including the threat of self-radicalisation.
     The detection of warning indicators of radicalisation should not be confined to the workplace. Relatives, friends and the community are best placed to notice tell-tale signs or behavioural changes. 
    Early reporting can help the individual receive proper guidance and counselling.

  • Q: Have both APOs been fired from AETOS, and when did this happen?

    A: Khairul and Rizal are no longer with AETOS. Their last day of service was June 1, 2017.

     

It noted that the FSA is formed by Syrian Armed Forces defectors who are fighting the Syrian government.

"Khairul perceived the Syrian conflict to be a "holy war" in which he was prepared to die in battle as a "martyr" and receive divine rewards," the MHA added.

In 2014, he tried to contact a foreign militant and FSA supporters on Facebook.

"At the point of his arrest, Khairul was still interested to join FSA or any other militant groups operating in Syria and engage in armed violence there," the ministry said. "His readiness and proclivity to resort to violence in pursuit of a religious cause makes him a security threat to Singapore."

His colleague Rizal was working as an armed officer conducting general security duties at the checkpoint when he was arrested.

He knew about his colleague's plan to travel to Syria to fight, the ministry said, but he "not only failed to bring the matter to the attention of the authorities or the AETOS management, he even suggested to Khairul various ways to get to Syria and die there as a 'martyr'".

While he did not share the same desire to take part in armed violence, "as an auxiliary police officer, he should have been aware of the prevailing terrorism threat and his failure to dissuade Khairul and report him to his superior officer was a serious lapse of judgement", the ministry said.

He was placed on a restriction order that curtails his movements and activities.

Their arrests reflect Singapore's strict position on radicalism.

"The Government takes a serious view of anyone who supports, promotes, undertakes or makes preparations to undertake armed violence, regardless of how they rationalise such violence ideologically, or where the violence takes place.

"This is particularly so if the person involved is a public servant, and especially if he or she is a uniformed officer," the ministry said.

It also stressed again the need for families and friends to report those whom they suspect to have been radicalised. "In the case of Khairul, several relatives and friends knew of his intention to fight in Syria, but none of them came forward," the ministry said.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told reporters after a closed-door media briefing on Tuesday that Khairul was vetted by the authorities when he joined AETOS in 2015.

But the vetting process would not have picked up the intentions, said Mr Shanmugam.

"There were no obvious signs and it would have been difficult to have picked it up," he added.

Mr Shanmugam urged employers not to single out Malay employees for closer scrutiny.

"It would be very wrong to suggest that employers start vetting Muslim candidates in a different way. That will have the very opposite effect of what (they) want."

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, commenting on the arrests in a Facebook post, said: "The new cases underscore once again the important role of parents, religious teachers, and the community at large to look out for each other, and to immediately refer any signs of radicalisation to Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) or the police. This is the best and only way to help a loved one before it is too late."

He noted that Khairul's parents and relatives had known about his intentions, but "did not take them seriously".

"We cannot take the threat of radicalisation lightly, and merely hope that someone can grow out of it," said Dr Yaacob, who is Minister of Information and Communications. 

He added that the two men's beliefs in armed violence are drawn from a misguided hatred of others.
"This is not the Islam that we know and love. We strongly condemn the ideology espoused by extremists who abuse Islam to justify violence and terror, even during Ramadan," he said.



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Thursday, June 15, 2017

Dispute with PM Lee would not have been publicised if it were merely a 'family affair': Lee Wei Ling, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Dispute with PM Lee would not have been publicised if it were merely a 'family affair': Lee Wei Ling, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Dispute with PM Lee would not have been publicised if it were merely a 'family affair': Lee Wei Ling

SINGAPORE - Dr Lee Wei Ling on Thursday (June 15) said she and Mr Lee Hsien Yang would not have issued a public statement if the dispute with their brother, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, over their late father's house "were merely a family affair".

In a Facebook post, Dr Lee said the main message of their six-page statement released on Wednesday was not that the siblings feared what PM Lee would do to them.

Rather, she alleged that PM Lee's "misuse (of) his official power" against his siblings in relation to the house at 38, Oxley Road suggests he could do the same to ordinary citizens. She added that their lawyer edited this message out of the statement.

In the statement, the two siblings said they had lost confidence in PM Lee, adding that they feared the use of state organs against them.

Replying in a statement, PM Lee denied the allegations levelled by his siblings and said he was disappointed and saddened by their public airing of private family matters.

In her Facebook post on Thursday, Dr Lee said she is in Scotland on holiday.

Commenting on media coverage of the dispute, she wrote: "The article that appeared in the Singapore press gave PM's version of the story. Our letter was carefully vetted by our lawyers and obviously not in my own voice."

She also reiterated that the decision on the fate of the Oxley Road house lies with her parents.

"My Father had told us, his children, repeatedly, that being family property, there is no need to donate to charity if Oxley were sold," she said.

In their statement on Wednesday, the two siblings had revealed that the house was bequeathed to PM Lee after the late Mr Lee died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91. PM Lee later sold the house to Mr Lee Hsien Yang.

A joint statement issued by all three siblings in December 2015 announced that PM Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang each agreed to donate half the value of the Oxley Road house to eight charities, in honour of their father.

Dr Lee claimed in her Facebook post that PM Lee had stipulated the donation as a condition for selling the house to Mr Lee Hsien Yang.

In an earlier post on Thursday morning, she responded to a statement by Cabinet Secretary Tan Kee Yong which said PM Lee has not been involved in Cabinet's discussions concerning a ministerial committee set up to consider options for the Oxley Road house.

Disputing it, she said there is "no way" the ministerial committee was set up without PM Lee's "tacit consent and approval".



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PM Lee Hsien Loong's son Li Hongyi says he is not interested in politics, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong's son Li Hongyi says he is not interested in politics, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong's son Li Hongyi says he is not interested in politics

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's son Li Hongyi has said he is not interested in politics, a day after the Prime Minister's siblings publicly accused him and his wife Ho Ching of harbouring political ambitions for their son.

In a brief Facebook post on Thursday (June 15), he said: "For what it is worth, I really have no interest in politics."

PM Lee had on Wednesday refuted the allegations that he wanted his son in politics, saying that it was an "absurd" claim.

He added: "I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son."

While he did not name Hongyi, his younger siblings, Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling, had done so in a six-page statement they issued. The statement centred around a long-running dispute over the home of the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew at 38 Oxley Road.

Mr Li Hongyi, 30, who is in the public service, is deputy director of the Government Digital Services Data Science Division of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore, a statutory board under the Prime Minister's Office.

He studied at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Raffles Junior College.

In 2006, he won the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science and received a Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship, a top government scholarship, to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States.

After graduating from MIT, he worked in Google for two years from 2011 to 2013, before returning to serve a six-year bond, according to his LinkedIn profile.

PM Lee has a daughter, Li Xiuqi, and a son, Li Yipeng, from his first marriage. He married Ms Ho in 1985 and they have two sons, Mr Li Hongyi and Mr Li Haoyi.

He had previously said in interviews that his children were not keen on entering politics.

Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had alleged that the Prime Minister and his wife were using the late Mr Lee's legacy for their own political purposes - and that included harbouring political ambitions for their son.

The two siblings said PM Lee had obstructed them in carrying out their father's wish - as stated in his will - of having his house at 38 Oxley Road demolished after his passing.

All three siblings had issued a joint statement in December 2015 saying that they hoped the late Mr Lee's wish would be honoured.

But Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who are joint trustees and executors of the late Mr Lee's estate, alleged in their statement that PM Lee had not kept to his word.

In response to his siblings statement, he had said he was saddened and disappointed that they had chosen to publicise a private family matter.

He also said: "I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular, that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society."



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At least 7 dead and more than 50 injured after blast rocks kindergarten in east China, East Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

At least 7 dead and more than 50 injured after blast rocks kindergarten in east China, East Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

At least 7 dead and more than 50 injured after blast rocks kindergarten in east China

BEIJING (REUTERS, AFP) - An explosion rocked a kindergarten in eastern China on Thursday (June 15) killing at least seven people, including children, Chinese media reports said. 

Two people died on the spot and five more died of their injuries, while 59 people were injured. Nine of those wounded were being treated for severe injuries, Xinhua reported.

The blast occurred at 4.50pm local time at the gate of the kindergarten as children were leaving the school in the afternoon, Xinhua said, citing the emergency office of Xuzhou city.  

A photo posted by Chinese media online shows several women and children sitting or lying on the ground, some bleeding. One woman is clutching her child, who is in tears.  

The images circulating online showed more than a dozen people outside a building, many lying on the concrete and some appearing to be unconscious, including a small child.  

An official at the police station in Fengxian county in Jiangsu province told AFP that the cause of the explosion was under investigation. "There were some children injured," the official said.  

The force of the blast tore the clothes off some people.  

Online commentators said it could have been a gas canister explosion. 

Police from Xuzhou city urged social media commentators to share only information from official channels after some users posted videos of an April explosion, saying they depicted Thursday's incident.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

It is the latest tragedy to strike a kindergarten in China in recent weeks.  

A school bus packed with kindergarten pupils erupted in flames inside a tunnel in eastern Shandong province on May 9, killing 11 children, a teacher and the driver.  

Officials later said the fire was intentionally set by the driver, who was angry at losing overtime wages.

Blasts and other accidents are common in China, because of patchy enforcement of safety rules, although the government has pledged to improve checks to stamp out such incidents.



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Wednesday, June 14, 2017

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his disappointment and sadness over a statement issued by his siblings "publicising private family matters".

"I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son," said Mr Lee, in response to a six-page public statement issued by his siblings on Wednesday (June 14).

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said in their statement that they had lost confidence in their brother, PM Lee.

Titled "What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?", their statement centres around the long-running dispute over the demolition of their father's house at 38 Oxley Road.

In response, PM Lee said: "While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father's passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents."

He said his siblings' statement "has hurt our father's legacy".

In their statement, which they publicised on their Facebook pages around 2am, the two siblings said they felt closely monitored and fear the use of organs of state against them and Mr Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Suet Fern.

They also said the situation is such that Mr Lee Hsien Yang felt compelled to leave Singapore "for the foreseeable future".

The two siblings allege, among others, that since their father Lee Kuan Yew's death on March 23, 2015, there have been changes in Singapore that do not reflect what the late Mr Lee stood for.

The two siblings are joint executors and trustees of the estate of the late Mr Lee.

In their statement, they reiterated their father's wish that the house be demolished upon his passing, and said PM Lee and his wife Ho Ching had opposed this wish as "the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital".

The two siblings alleged that preserving the house would allow their brother "and his family to inherit a tangible monument to Lee Kuan Yew's authority".

The two siblings also alleged that "based on our interactions", PM Lee and his wife harbour political ambitions for their son, Hongyi.

PM Lee called this an "absurd claim" and denied that he had any such ambitions for his son.

He added: "I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamental value of our society."

The statement from the siblings came 1½ years after Dr Lee, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and PM Lee issued a joint statement in December 2015 saying the brothers had each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to charities named in their father's obituary notice.

Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said they would like to honour their father's wish for the house to be demolished after Dr Lee ceases to live in it.

PM Lee had said he had recused himself from all government decisions involving the house and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured.

This morning, he ended his response by saying: "As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend."



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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

At least 30 injured in London apartment block fire , Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

At least 30 injured in London apartment block fire , Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

At least 30 injured in London apartment block fire

LONDON – At least 30 people were taken to hospital on Wednesday (June 14) after a massive fire engulfed a 27-storey block of flats in west London, trapping some residents while 200 fire fighters battled the blaze. 

The fire brigade said 40 fire engines and 200 fire fighters had been called to the blaze in Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, which has 120 flats.

"We can confirm that we have taken 30 patients to five hospitals," London Ambulance Service said, according to Reuters. 

A "hazardous area response team" were also at the scene.

Residents related how they woke up to the smell of burning and rushed to escape through smoke-filled corridors. 

Four hours after the alarm was raised, flames could still be seen on several floors of the blackened residential building, which was shrouded in a cloud of thick black smoke.

Witnesses could hear screaming from the upper floors as the flames rose and one desperate resident could be seen waving a white cloth, AFP reported. There were also reports of panicked residents jumping from their windows. 

Frantic families at the scene attempted to call their loved ones stuck inside and were being directed by police to a nearby restaurant where some of the injured were being treated.

Large pieces of debris could be seen falling from the tower, a 1970s block in the working-class north Kensington area – a short distance from chic Notting Hill.

The ambulance service said it had sent more than 20 ambulance crews to the scene.

"Fire is from 2nd to top floor of 27 storey building," the fire service said on Twitter.

Fire fighters at the scene said they had managed to evacuate residents up to the 11th floor. Some residents were evacuated in their pyjamas.

Police were also clearing out nearby buildings because of the fears about falling debris and had shut down a section of the A40 highway – a normally busy thoroughfare into London. 

A London Underground line passing the area near Latimer Road station was also shut down.

"Fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus are working extremely hard in very difficult conditions to tackle this fire," London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Dan Daly said.

"This is a large and very serious incident and we have deployed numerous resources and specialist appliances," he said.

London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted: "Major incident declared at Grenfell Tower".

The Daily Mail news website said desperate residents trapped in the higher floors were using sheets as ropes to escape from the blaze.

Eyewitness Fabio Bebber said on Twitter that trapped residents were heard screaming for their lives. "People screaming for their lives. Horrible," he wrote. 

Another eyewitness Victoria Goldsmith told Sky News she saw two people trapped at the top. "They had mobile phones and they had the lights trying to flash them and signal people... They couldn't get to them ... (the) fire kept going and the lights went out."

Guardian reporter Alice Ross said one man was seen waving a blanket from his window as fire fighters sprayed water through the window. Residents from the neighbouring estates who had gathered at the scene called out to the man to put his head out the window while others asked him to shout out his unit numbers so they could guide the fire fighters to him. 

Actor and writer Tim Downie, who lives nearby, said: "It's horrendous. The whole building is engulfed in flames. It's gone. It's just a matter of time before this building collapses".

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage, the Fire Brigade said. 

The apartment block was built in 1974. 

Local residents had warned a year ago about a potential fire risk caused by rubbish being allowed to accumulate during improvement works.  

"This matter is of particular concern as there is only one entry and exit to Grenfell Tower during the improvement works," read a blog post by the Grenfell Action Group.

"The potential for a fire to break out in the communal area on the walkway does not bear thinking about as residents would be trapped in the building with no way out," it said.

40 fire engines & 200 firefighters have been called to the Lancaster West Estate tower block fire http://bit.ly/28UY4qA 

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire)

Raging fire in Grenfell Tower near Latimer Road. Whole block of 24 floors up in flames. People still trapped inside. Horrendous.

— Tim Downie (@TimDownie1)

the fire in West London is burning fast

— AdriĆ”n Genesir (@AGenesir)

This is why you don't cut @LondonFire 40 engines 200 fire fighters half or more of London's brigade there @BorisJohnson @SadiqKhan

— Aron Kennedy (@AkstyleLondon) · Camden Town, London

Grenfell Tower on fire in latimer road west london

— Boogaerys Jawngaryen (@AlvinsSake)



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PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his disappointment and sadness over a statement issued by his siblings "publicising private family matters".

"I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son," said Mr Lee, in response to a six-page public statement issued by his siblings on Wednesday (June 14).

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said in their statement that they had lost confidence in their brother, PM Lee.

Titled 'What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?', their statement centres around the long-running dispute over the demolition of their father's house at 38 Oxley Road.

In response, PM Lee said: "While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father's passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents."

He said his siblings' statement "has hurt our father's legacy".

In their statement, which they publicised on their Facebook pages around 2am, the two siblings said they felt closely monitored and fear the use of organs of state against them and Mr Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Suet Fern.

They also said the situation is such that Mr Lee Hsien Yang felt compelled to leave Singapore "for the foreseeable future".

The two siblings allege, among others, that since their father Lee Kuan Yew's death on March 23, 2015, there have been changes in Singapore that do not reflect what the late Mr Lee stood for.

The two siblings are joint executors and trustees of the estate of the late Mr Lee.

In their statement, they reiterated their father's wish that the house be demolished upon his passing, and said PM Lee and his wife Ho Ching had opposed this wish as "the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital".

The two siblings alleged that preserving the house would allow their brother "and his family to inherit a tangible monument to Lee Kuan Yew's authority".

The two siblings also alleged that "based on our interactions", PM Lee and his wife harbour political ambitions for their son, Hongyi.

PM Lee called this an "absurd claim" and denied that he had any such ambitions for his son.

He added: "I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamentalvalue of our society."

The statement from the siblings came 1 1/2 years after Dr Lee, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and PM Lee issued a joint statement in Dec 2015 saying the brothers had each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to charities named in their father's obituary notice.

Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said they would like to honour their father's wish for the house to be demolished after Dr Lee ceases to live in it.

PM Lee had said he had recused himself from all government decisions involving the house and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured.

This morning, he ended his response by saying: "As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend."



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PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

PM Lee Hsien Loong 'saddened' by statement from siblings Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has expressed his disappointment and sadness over a statement issued by his siblings "publicising private family matters".

"I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate allegations that they have made. Ho Ching and I deny these allegations, especially the absurd claim that I have political ambitions for my son," said Mr Lee, in response to a six-page public statement issued by his siblings on Wednesday (June 14).

Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said in their statement that they had lost confidence in their brother, PM Lee.

Titled 'What has happened to Lee Kuan Yew's values?', their statement centres around the long-running dispute over the demolition of their father's house at 38 Oxley Road.

In response, PM Lee said: "While siblings may have differences, I believe that any such differences should stay in the family. Since my father's passing in March 2015, as the eldest son I have tried my best to resolve the issues among us within the family, out of respect for our parents."

He said his siblings' statement "has hurt our father's legacy".

In their statement, which they publicised on their Facebook pages around 2am, the two siblings said they felt closely monitored and fear the use of organs of state against them and Mr Lee Hsien Yang's wife, Suet Fern.

They also said the situation is such that Mr Lee Hsien Yang felt compelled to leave Singapore "for the foreseeable future".

The two siblings allege, among others, that since their father Lee Kuan Yew's death on March 23, 2015, there have been changes in Singapore that do not reflect what the late Mr Lee stood for.

The two siblings are joint executors and trustees of the estate of the late Mr Lee.

In their statement, they reiterated their father's wish that the house be demolished upon his passing, and said PM Lee and his wife Ho Ching had opposed this wish as "the preservation of the house would enhance his political capital".

The two siblings alleged that preserving the house would allow their brother "and his family to inherit a tangible monument to Lee Kuan Yew's authority".

The two siblings also alleged that "based on our interactions", PM Lee and his wife harbour political ambitions for their son, Hongyi.

PM Lee called this an "absurd claim" and denied that he had any such ambitions for his son.

He added: "I will do my utmost to continue to do right by my parents. At the same time, I will continue serving Singaporeans honestly and to the best of my ability. In particular that means upholding meritocracy, which is a fundamentalvalue of our society."

The statement from the siblings came 1 1/2 years after Dr Lee, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, and PM Lee issued a joint statement in Dec 2015 saying the brothers had each agreed to donate half the value of 38 Oxley Road to charities named in their father's obituary notice.

Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang had said they would like to honour their father's wish for the house to be demolished after Dr Lee ceases to live in it.

PM Lee had said he had recused himself from all government decisions involving the house and, in his personal capacity, would also like to see this wish honoured.

This morning, he ended his response by saying: "As my siblings know, I am presently overseas on leave with my family. I will consider this matter further after I return this weekend."



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More close-up action, tribute to NS50 at this year's NDP, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More close-up action, tribute to NS50 at this year's NDP, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More close-up action, tribute to NS50 at this year's NDP

SINGAPORE - Spectators at this year's National Day Parade (NDP) will get a closer look at the nation's security forces, as parts of the dynamic defence display will include performers simulating a counter-terrorist routine in the midst of the crowd.

They will also get to enjoy double the action, as the defence display will be divided into two segments for the first time. The NDP parade and ceremony will be sandwiched in between the two parts.

The parade, which celebrates Singapore's 52nd year of independence, will be held at the Marina Bay Floating Platform. Not only will the event see the return of the dynamic defence display after a two-year absence, it will also include high-intensity pyrotechnics, a new cyber-security performance and a counter-terrorism display.

More than 50 assets - the biggest number to date - from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) will be on show, joined by over 500 participants.

They include seven types of vehicles appearing for the first time in the parade, such as the SAF's Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle, the SPF's Tactical Response Motorcycle and the SCDF's Fire-Medical Vehicle.

The first segment focuses on the role of the SAF as the guarantor of Singapore's independence, and features the high-tech assets from the army, air force and navy.

The second segment will feature Singapore's whole-of-government and community response to a terrorism threat. It will show how cyber-security agencies deal with cyber attacks, followed by how the SAF and Home Team respond to terrorist threats here.

And for the first time, several display performers will fire blanks in the seating gallery, adding to the realism of the show.

"Prior to the performance, we will be flashing warning messages to let the audience know to expect very loud noises and pyrotechnics as part of the display. We will also be singling out the areas where we expect the performance to get extremely loud and exciting so that the audience will know in advance," said COL Tan Tiong Keat, chairman for the dynamic defence display.

The traditional parade and ceremony will take place in between both segments. Audience can expect traditional celebratory elements such as the 21-gun salute on a M3G military raft, and the state flag flypast flown by a Chinook helicopter with two Apache escorts.

There are about 2,000 participants from 31 marching contingents at the parade, including those from SAF and Home Team, as well as youth groups and the public sector.

For the first time, the signature bomb burst will be performed by five F-15SG fighter planes, two of which are flown by NSmen. The other pilots are regulars from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

The parade will also feature the largest military tattoo performance to date, with 170 performers. Bagpipers from the SPF Women Police Pipes and Drums will join the tattoo for the first time.

A key theme of this year's parade is the tribute to 50 years of National Service. To mark this milestone, a NS50 tribute video will be screened and the parade's marching contingent will also do a salute.

COL Koh Eee Wen, chairman of the NDP 2017 parade and ceremony committee, said: "Besides recognising NSmen, we are also recognising their families. We know that when NSmen have to come to camp to report for duty, it's really the family helming the home front."

In a nod to the contributions of NSmen, the parade will be led by NSman LTC (NS) Lim Wee Tee, 45, who is the director for sales and channels at data analytics firm DataSpark.

"I run through the parade sequence in my mind every morning when I wake up, to go through the mental preparation and sequence," said LTC (NS) Lim. "I'll have the previews to practice, so I'm quite confident I'll be prepared during the actual parade."



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