India-Pakistan conflict: New Delhi and Islamabad exchange drone and missile attacks
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Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
SAF investigating NSF caught vaping on board bus while in uniform
SINGAPORE: A national serviceman has been pulled in for investigation after a video surfaced online showing him vaping on a public bus while dressed in military uniform. The 58-second clip, originally uploaded by the Instagram account SGFOLLOWSALL, shows the man seated on the bus in a green Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) uniform, exhaling visible puffs of vapour from what appears to be an e-cigarette. He appears dazed and unaware of his surroundings. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) confirmed that the man has been identified and was brought back by the SAF to assist with investigations. He has since been released following initial inquiries. MINDEF stressed that the SAF takes a firm stance against the use or possession of e-cigarettes among servicemen. Under Singapore law, it is illegal to possess, purchase, or use e-cigarettes. Offenders can be fined up to $1,000. If the e-cigarette is found to contain controlled drugs, the consequences could include detention and more serious charges. In addition to disciplinary and enforcement action, MINDEF said it promotes awareness and educates soldiers about the risks and legal implications of vaping. Smoking cessation counselling is available for those seeking help. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has also stepped up its enforcement activities against vaping. The public is encouraged to report suspected e-cigarette offences via an extended hotline, 6684 2036 or 6684 2037, which now operates daily from 9am to 9pm, including on public holidays. Reports can also be submitted online. Investigations are ongoing. () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Peace offering? Trump's Nobel Prize obsession
WASHINGTON: A craving for international prestige, a decade-long rivalry with former US president Barack Obama and perhaps a dash of provocation: A mercurial melange of factors is at play in Donald Trump's obsession with the Nobel Peace Prize. "It's well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Jul 31, prompting reactions of disbelief and sarcasm from the Republican leader's opponents. Since his Jan 20 return to power, the US president "has brokered, on average, one peace deal or ceasefire per month", Leavitt said, citing as examples his mediations between India and Pakistan; Cambodia and Thailand; Egypt and Ethiopia; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); Serbia and Kosovo; and others. His leading spokeswoman also mentioned Iran, where Trump ordered US strikes against Tehran's nuclear facilities, as evidence of decisions Leavitt claims have contributed to world peace. She made no mention of the conflict in Ukraine, which Trump pledged multiple times to end on "day one" of his term, or the war in Gaza, which rumbles on and for which the US supplies Israel with weapons. PAKISTAN, ISRAEL, CAMBODIA For some foreign leaders, mentioning the prestigious award has become a sign of diplomatic goodwill toward an American president who envisions himself as a peacemaker. Pakistan nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, as did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol also said on Friday his country would do the same. During an early July meeting at the White House, a journalist asked the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon whether Trump deserved the award. Basking in the flattering responses from the African leaders, a smiling Trump said: "We could do this all day long." Tens of thousands of people can offer a nomination to the Nobel committee, including lawmakers, ministers, certain university professors, former laureates and members of the committee themselves. Law professor Anat Alon-Beck, who is an Israeli-American, submitted Trump's name to the committee's five members, who were appointed by the Norwegian parliament. The assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law told AFP she did so because of the "extraordinary leadership" and "strategic brilliance" he has shown, in her opinion, in advancing peace and securing the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip. "NEVER" GETTING THE NOBEL For some, the prospect of handing the prize to someone who has upended the international order is untenable. "Nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is like entering a hyena in a dog show," US history and politics researcher Emma Shortis wrote on news site The Conversation. "Of course Trump does not deserve it." The American president disagrees. "I deserve it, but they will never give it to me," Trump told reporters in February as he hosted Netanyahu at the White House, lamenting not ticking the Nobel box in his life. "No, I won't get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be," Trump again griped on his Truth Social platform in June. "But the people know, and that's all that matters to me!" Trump is well-known as someone who is particularly fond of accolades and prizes, Garret Martin, a professor of international relations at American University, told AFP, "so he would welcome this major international recognition". And since the beginning of his presidential ambitions 10 years ago, "he has put himself in opposition to Barack Obama, who famously won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009", Martin added. The prize awarded to the Democratic former president, barely nine months after he took office, sparked heated debate - and continues to do so. "If I were named Obama I would have had the Nobel Prize given to me in 10 seconds," Trump bellyached in October 2024, during the final stretch of the presidential campaign. 338 CANDIDATES Three other US presidents have also been so honoured: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter. The prize was also awarded to Henry Kissinger in 1973 for his efforts to help end the war in Vietnam. The choice of the one-time US secretary of state was heavily criticised. The full list of Nobel Peace Prize nominees is confidential - except for individual announcements by sponsors - but their number is made public. In 2025, there are 338 nominees.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
India will continue to buy Russian oil, government sources say
NEW DELHI: India will continue to purchase oil from Russia, despite US President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. "These are long-term oil contracts," one of the sources said. "It is not so simple to just stop buying overnight." Trump last month indicated in a Truth Social post that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday (Aug 1), Trump told reporters that he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia. The New York Times on Saturday quoted two unnamed senior Indian officials as saying there had been no change in Indian government policy, with one official saying the government had "not given any direction to oil companies" to cut back imports from Russia. Reuters reported this week that Indian state refiners stopped buying Russian oil in the past week after discounts narrowed in July. "TIME-TESTED PARTNERSHIP" WITH RUSSIA "On our energy sourcing requirements ... we look at what is there available in the markets, what is there on offer, and also what is the prevailing global situation or circumstances," India's foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters during a regular briefing on Friday. Jaiswal added that India has a "steady and time-tested partnership" with Russia, and that New Delhi's relations with various countries stand on their own merit and should not be seen from the prism of a third country. The White House in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Indian refiners are pulling back from Russian crude as discounts shrink to their lowest since 2022, when Western sanctions were first imposed on Moscow, due to lower Russian exports and steady demand, sources said earlier this week. The country's state refiners - Indian Oil Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery Petrochemical Ltd - have not sought Russian crude in the past week or so, four sources familiar with the refiners' purchase plans told Reuters. 100% TARIFF THREAT On July 14, Trump threatened 100 per cent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil unless Moscow reaches a major peace deal with Ukraine. Russia is the top supplier to India, responsible for about 35 per cent of India's overall supplies. Russia continued to be the top oil supplier to India during the first six months of 2025, accounting for about 35 per cent of India's overall supplies, followed by Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, received about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil in January-June this year, up 1 per cent from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by sources. Nayara Energy, a major buyer of Russian oil, was recently sanctioned by the European Union as the refinery is majority-owned by Russian entities, including oil major Rosneft. Last month, Reuters reported that Nayara's chief executive had resigned after the imposition of EU sanctions, and company veteran Sergey Denisov had been appointed as CEO.
