logo
Man who made bomb threat while on plane bound for Abu Dhabi to be charged

Man who made bomb threat while on plane bound for Abu Dhabi to be charged

The Star04-06-2025
An aircraft was recalled to Changi Airport Terminal 2 after a bomb threat was made by a man on board the plane on Feb 14, 2025. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old man who was arrested in February for allegedly making a bomb threat on an Abu Dhabi-bound flight is slated to be charged on Thursday (June 5).
The police said they were alerted on Feb 14 at 7.20pm to a social media post containing a threat to blow up an aircraft.
Through follow-up investigations, the police identified the man within an hour of the post and confirmed that he was on board a flight bound for Abu Dhabi.
The aircraft, which was already taxiing on the runway and about to take off, was recalled to Changi Airport Terminal 2, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (June 4).
The man was later arrested and investigations revealed that he allegedly posted 'No one here knows I'm going to blow the plane up' on his social media account, after he had boarded the aircraft.
It was later discovered that the man did not have any means to carry out his threat, as no threat items were discovered in his possession, the police said.
If found guilty, he may be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$50,000, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading in Singapore
CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading in Singapore

The Star

time2 hours ago

  • The Star

CEO of sports car distributor accused of offences including multiple counts of false trading in Singapore

Singaporean Goh Kim San was also handed 14 more charges under the Securities and Futures Act. - Photo: ST SINGAPORE: The chief executive of sports car distributor EuroSports Global was on Tuesday (Aug 5) charged with five counts of false trading. Singaporean Goh Kim San, 68, who is also the executive chairman of the company listed on the Singapore Exchange's Catalist board, was also handed 14 more charges under the Securities and Futures Act. In a statement, the police said that he is accused of six counts of engaging in deceptive practices and eight counts of failing to disclose interest in EuroSports' shares. Between May 2015 and November 2020, Goh allegedly conducted trades in EuroSports shares, knowing that these trades would likely create a false or misleading appearance of active trading in the company's shares. He is also accused of instigating two other individuals to procure three nominee trading accounts to conduct these allegedly manipulative trades in EuroSports shares, without the trading firms' authorisation. A police spokesperson said: '(Goh is said to have) intentionally failed to give written notice to EuroSports of changes in his ownership of (its) shares arising from trades conducted in the three nominee trading accounts.' His case will be mentioned again in court on Aug 7. If convicted of false trading and engaging in deceptive practices, he can be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to $250,000 or both for each charge. If convicted of failing to disclose interest in EuroSports' shares, he can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $250,000 or both for each charge. - The Straits Times/ANN

Thaksin's niece files complaint over false claims of being a "Cambodian spy"
Thaksin's niece files complaint over false claims of being a "Cambodian spy"

The Star

time11 hours ago

  • The Star

Thaksin's niece files complaint over false claims of being a "Cambodian spy"

BANGKOK: Chayika Wongnapachant (pic), advisor to the Foreign Minister and niece of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, filed a police complaint on Monday (Aug 4) after being falsely accused on social media of being a 'Cambodian spy'. She posted an image of the police report, stating that someone had shared a photo of her along with a false caption, spreading the claim that she was working for Cambodia. The post had been widely circulated on Facebook and Twitter (X). Chayika clarified that she has never had any ties to Cambodia, stating, 'I have never had any connections with Cambodian nationals'. She also explained that she has been a single mother for five years and has never been married to a Cambodian national. While one of her cousins had previously been married to a Cambodian, they divorced over five years ago. She further emphasised that no one in her family has any ongoing connection to Cambodia, despite the false accusations. She went on to say, 'I am exercising my legal rights as a citizen to file a complaint with the police and have the matter investigated. This complaint extends not only to those who posted the defamatory image and message but also to those who shared or commented on it, as it has caused harm to me and my family.' Chayika concluded by stressing that both she and her family are Thai nationals who love and respect their country, religion, and monarchy, and that national love should not be restricted to any one group. She called for fairness from society, asserting, 'I ask for justice from the public.' Chayika is the daughter of Yaowares Shinawatra and Weerachai Wongnapachant, making her the niece of Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra. - The Nation/ANN

South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks, leaving schools, companies without funding for them
South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks, leaving schools, companies without funding for them

The Star

timea day ago

  • The Star

South Korea pulls plug on AI textbooks, leaving schools, companies without funding for them

AI-powered textbooks are now not official South Korean textbooks, removing the legal and financial grounds for using them in schools. -- ST PHOTO: CHANG MAY CHOON SEOUL (The Korea Herald/ANN): South Korea's National Assembly passed a Bill on Monday (Aug 4) stripping artificial intelligence-powered digital textbooks of their legal status as official teaching materials, dealing a heavy blow to the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration's flagship education reform project. The amendment narrows the legal definition of textbooks to printed books and e-books, excluding 'learning support software using intelligent information technology'. This reclassifies AI-powered textbooks as just another type of educational material, not official textbooks. The new classification takes effect immediately upon promulgation, effectively removing the legal and financial foundations for using AI digital textbooks in schools. The amendment, drafted and passed unilaterally by the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, is an updated version of the same legislation passed by the Assembly in 2024, which was ultimately scrapped after it was vetoed by then-deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok, who was the country's acting president at the time. Initially launched as a flagship initiative of the Yoon administration, AI textbooks aimed to provide personalised learning experiences for students using advanced AI algorithms. At least 533.3 billion won (S$496 million) was allocated to the project in 2024 alone. The textbooks were piloted in the first semester of 2025 for English and mathematics classes in Grade 3 and Grade 4 of elementary school, and for English, mathematics, and computer science classes in middle and high schools. Despite the ambitious roll-out, the initiative faced widespread backlash from educators and parents, many of whom criticised the South Korean government for pushing the policy through without sufficient groundwork. In response, the South Korean Ministry of Education shifted to a school-by-school voluntary adoption model, after initially planning a nationwide mandate. Currently, the adoption rate of AI textbooks across schools hovers at around 30 per cent. The Bill's passage now leaves these schools without financial support for AI textbook subscriptions. A high school computer science teacher told The Korea Herald that although some schools secured subscription budgets for the second semester, future use is uncertain. 'Unless the textbooks retain their legal status, we won't be able to receive the necessary funding. It's now almost impossible to use them in class,' the teacher said. The publishing industry is also facing a looming crisis. Companies that invested heavily in AI textbook development, expecting the government to mandate their use, now say they are on the verge of collapse. Several companies filed an administrative lawsuit against the South Korean Education Ministry in April, citing losses due to low adoption rates and policy flip-flopping. Industry representatives warn that without the legal textbook designation, usage rates could drop further, jeopardising the estimated 800 billion won in total investments made into AI textbooks. Layoffs and restructuring are now expected across the sector. A worker in her 30s from a major textbook publisher said her department may soon disappear. 'Many companies hired researchers and engineers to develop AI textbooks. Now, with education policy changing depending on who holds political power, we risk not only losing our jobs but also degrading the quality of education itself,' she said. Publishers have been staging a last-ditch push to reverse public sentiment and policy. Fourteen publishing companies have taken turns holding solo protests outside the National Assembly, while others have visited the Democratic Party of Korea's headquarters demanding reconsideration of the Bill. The South Korean Education Ministry has yet to present a concrete roadmap for winding down the AI textbook programme. A spokesperson said the ministry would suspend the current textbook review process, prepare guidance for schools to prevent disruption in the autumn semester, and consult with regional education offices to minimise confusion. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store