China grants visa-free entry to citizens of 75 countries
China has significantly relaxed its entry restrictions, with establishing unilateral visa-free access and mutual visa exemption arrangements with 75 c...
Singaporean property tycoon Ong Beng Seng pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge of obstructing justice in a high-profile corruption case that last year led to the imprisonment of former transport minister Subramaniam Iswaran last year.
Both the prosecution and defence requested judicial mercy due to Ong’s chronic illness, asking the court to impose a fine instead of a jail sentence.
He will be sentenced on 15 August.
A second charge of abetting an offence was taken into consideration.
Judicial mercy in Singapore allows courts to issue more lenient sentences under exceptional circumstances, such as terminal illness or when imprisonment may endanger a person's life.
The defence said Ong suffers from multiple myeloma, a type of incurable blood cancer that leaves him immunocompromised.
The case has gripped the city-state, which is known for paying its ministers more than S$1 million ($775,000) annually to deter corruption and for its reputation for clean governance.
According to prosecutors, Ong had informed Iswaran that his associates were questioned and that a private flight manifest bearing Iswaran’s name for a Singapore-to-Doha trip had been seized by anti-graft investigators.
This prompted Iswaran to ask Ong to issue an invoice through Singapore GP, the promoter of the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, to bill him for the trip – a move prosecutors say Iswaran believed would reduce the likelihood of an investigation.
Iswaran, who was jailed for 12 months in October 2024 for obstructing justice and receiving more than $300,000 in gifts, became the first former cabinet minister in Singapore to be imprisoned.
He was placed under house arrest in February to serve the remainder of his sentence.
Ong had also provided Iswaran with tickets to English Premier League matches, the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a private jet ride, among other favours.
Iswaran served as an adviser to the Singapore Grand Prix’s steering committee, while Ong, 78, holds the rights to the race.
The billionaire stepped down as managing director of Singapore-listed Hotel Properties in April.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
Swiss luxury watch stocks fell sharply on Monday after the U.S. imposed a 39% import tariff, raising fears of a sharp sales decline in their biggest market.
U.S. President Donald Trump has revealed that his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, may travel to Russia this coming week, potentially on Wednesday or Thursday as Trump warned that if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a deal by 8 August, Washington will impose new economic sanctions.
A Ukrainian drone attack has damaged a power line and sparked a fire at a railway station building in Russia's southern region of Volgograd overnight, the regional administration said on Monday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 4th of August, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to China in early September. The two leaders are expected to participate in events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people's victory over Japanese aggression.
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