logo
Man leans back to narrowly escape gunman in shooting outside Penang school

Man leans back to narrowly escape gunman in shooting outside Penang school

Straits Timesa day ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Staring down the barrel of the gun, the man quickly reclined his seat before the shooter fired through the dark-tinted window, missing him entirely.
BUTTERWORTH, Malaysia - Quick thinking, a lot of luck and a dark-tinted window saved a man's life outside a school in Penang, Malaysia.
The man was sitting in his 4-wheel-drive vehicle outside Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Nyior around 5.30pm on July 1 when two men on a motorcycle, both wearing full-face masks, approached him.
One of them pulled out a pistol and fired multiple shots at the driver's side window before both assassins fled.
Miraculously, the man managed to come out unscathed despite his vehicle being riddled with bullet holes.
It is learnt that the man noticed the gunman as he approached the vehicle.
Staring down the barrel of the gun, the man quickly reclined his seat before the shooter fired through the dark-tinted window, missing him entirely.
It was all over in a flash as the gunman and his accomplice made their getaway, leaving the man shaken but unhurt.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
World US Senate approves divisive Trump spending Bill
Singapore A second chance to excel: 3,800 private candidates taking O- and A-level exams in 2025
Multimedia Right on track: Meet the new JB-Singapore RTS Link train
Opinion US strikes on Iran: The impact ripples on, from Baghdad to Beijing
Singapore 'He fought till the end': Man who survived acid attack as a baby dies of cancer at 26
Business Binance to keep hundreds of staff in Singapore despite crackdown, sources say
Singapore Judge rejects woman's claim that she owns 99% of Bukit Timah condo mostly paid for by ex-boyfriend
Asia Thai PM's suspension could spell end of Shinawatra clan's era of political dominance
When contacted, North Seberang Perai police chief Anuar Abdul Rahman confirmed the incident and said police have launched an investigation. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

North Korean tech workers infiltrating companies around world, US says
North Korean tech workers infiltrating companies around world, US says

Straits Times

time11 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

North Korean tech workers infiltrating companies around world, US says

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox WASHINGTON - The North Korean government, struggling under the weight of international sanctions , has for years seeded companies in the United States and elsewhere with remote tech workers camouflaged by false and stolen identifies to generate desperately needed revenue, federal prosecutors say. Taking advantage of the global demand for skilled tech employees and the rise in remote employment, the North Korean regime has found a way to work around UN and US sanctions imposed on it for its nuclear weapons program, the prosecutors said in two indictments unsealed in federal district courts in Massachusetts and Georgia. It has also used the access to steal both money and information, they said. 'Thousands of North Korean cyber-operatives have been trained and deployed by the regime to blend into the global digital workforce,' Ms Leah Foley, the chief federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, said in announcing the charges on June 30. She called the threat 'both real and immediate'. On June 30, federal law enforcement authorities took a series of actions across 16 states aimed at shutting down the scheme. Investigators seized dozens of financial accounts and fraudulent websites and searched 'laptop farms' that allowed North Korean operatives to gain access to the computers that companies provide their off-site employees, prosecutors said. In recent years, North Korean attempts to evade sanctions using false identities have increasingly been raising alarm. There is evidence that the operation has expanded geographically, targeting Europe in particular, according to a report from the Google Threat Intelligence Group in April. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Asia US, India push for trade pact after Trump strikes deal with Vietnam: Sources Business Microsoft cutting 9,000 jobs companywide in second major wave of layoffs this year Opinion How Apple gave 'the gift of fire' to Chinese electronics firms Life Sean 'Diddy' Combs to remain jailed ahead of sentencing, judge rules Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Asia Dalai Lama says only his organisation can name his successor; Beijing pushes back World Iran's nuclear programme degraded by up to two years, Pentagon says In 2024, the Justice Department and the FBI launched an initiative to identify people in the US believed to be helping North Koreans advance the plots, some of them without their knowledge. In one of the cases brought by federal prosecutors this week, American, Chinese and Taiwanese citizens were accused of involvement in a plot that compromised about 80 American identities. The falsified identities were used to help North Koreans get remote tech jobs with over 100 companies across dozens of states in a range of industries between 2021 and 2024. Prosecutors say the scheme generated about US$5 million (S$6.36 million) for North Korea, and cost American business some US$3 million in damage and expenses. It also exposed sensitive information, including some related to military technology, they said. The defendants are said to have used online background check services to cull personal information and create personas for the North Koreans so that they appeared authorized to work in the United States. They conducted records checks of hundreds of individuals, including dozens whose identities were stolen, prosecutors said. To bolster the falsified identities, participants in the scheme created fake companies, websites and bank accounts and arranged to receive the company laptops delivered to the remote workers in the United States, prosecutors said. Then, the authorities said, they granted remote access to the laptops to North Korean operatives working abroad. The second case unsealed this week, in the Northern District of Georgia, charges four North Koreans with theft and money laundering involving about US$900,000 in cryptocurrency. The remote workers used false identities from Malaysia to perpetrate the scheme and worked out of the United Arab Emirates, prosecutors say. The defendants sought jobs in the crypto industry, according to the indictment. One was hired as a developer at an Atlanta-based company, and another worked for a Serbian firm. Together they diverted nearly US$1 million in crypto from their employers, and their accused co-conspirators laundered the funds, according to the indictment. The American authorities have been raising alarms about the problem since at least 2022, when the FBI, along with the State and Treasury departments, issued an advisory warning to the international community about infiltration. Operatives working mostly in North Korea, China and Russia were relying on an expansive network abroad to get jobs, targeting Europe and East Asia, the advisory said. After the American warning, North Korean workers increasingly began seeking contracts elsewhere, according to an April report from a lead adviser to the Google Threat Intelligence Group in Europe, Mr James Collier. One North Korean worker ran at least 12 personas across Europe and the United States in late 2024, seeking jobs at defense companies and in governments, using fabricated references , the report says. There is also evidence of operatives and assistants working in Portugal, Germany and Britain. 'In response to heightened awareness of the threat within the United States, they've established a global ecosystem of fraudulent personas to enhance operational agility,' Mr Collier said. That evolution, he said, suggests they will continue being able to run the financing schemes. NYTIMES

Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed
Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Netanyahu vows to uproot Hamas as ceasefire proposals are discussed

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to 'destroy' Hamas 'down to their very foundation'. GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 2 vowed to eradicate Hamas, even as the Palestinian militant group said it was discussing new proposals from mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli leader had yet to comment on US President Donald Trump's claim that Israel had backed a plan for a 60-day truce in its offensive against Hamas in the war-ravaged territory. But a week ahead of talks scheduled with Mr Trump in Washington, he vowed to 'destroy' Hamas 'down to their very foundation'. Hamas said it was 'conducting national consultations to discuss' the proposals submitted in negotiations mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Nearly 21 months of war have created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has recently expanded its military operations. The civil defence agency said that Israeli forces had killed at least 47 people on July 2. Among the dead was Dr Marwan Al-Sultan, director of the Indonesian Hospital, a key clinic in the north of Gaza, Palestinian officials said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade World Trump announces Vietnam trade deal with 20% import tariff Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore Scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty World Sean 'Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts but cleared of more serious charges Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home Mr Trump on July 1 urged Hamas to accept a 60-day ceasefire, saying that Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. Hamas said in a statement that it was studying the latest proposals and aiming 'to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israeli forces from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip'. Mr Netanyahu vowed however: 'We will free all our hostages, and we will eliminate Hamas. It will be no more,' in filmed comments in the city of Ashkelon near Gaza's northern border. Hostage release drive Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar earlier said that he saw 'some positive signs', amid high pressure to bring home the hostages. 'We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire,' he said. 'Our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible.' Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. A Palestinian source familiar with the mediated negotiations told AFP that 'there are no fundamental changes in the new proposal' under discussion compared to previous terms presented by the United States. The source said that the new proposal 'includes a 60-day truce, during which Hamas would release half of the living Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, in exchange for Israel releasing a number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees'. In southern Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on July 2 that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area. Despite being declared a safe zone by Israel in December 2023, Al-Mawasi has been hit by repeated Israeli strikes. AFP footage from the area showed makeshift tents blown apart as Palestinians picked through the wreckage trying to salvage what was left of their belongings. 'They came here thinking it was a safe area and they were killed. What did they do?' said one resident, Mr Maha Abu Rizq, against a backdrop of destruction. AFP footage from nearby Khan Yunis city showed infants covered in blood being rushed into Nasser Hospital. One man carrying a child whose face was smeared with blood screamed: 'Children, children!' Among other fatalities, Bassal later reported five people killed by Israeli army fire near an aid distribution site close to the southern city of Rafah and a further death following Israeli fire near an aid site in the centre of the territory. They were the latest in a string of deadly incidents that have hit people trying to receive food. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers. Evacuation order Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military said it 'is operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' in line with 'international law, and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm'. It said in a statement that a 19-year-old sergeant in its forces 'fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip'. The military late on July 2 issued a fresh evacuation warning to residents for three neighbourhoods of Gaza City, urging them to flee south to the Mawasi area. Israeli forces are 'operating with extreme intensity in the area and will attack any location being used to launch missiles towards the State of Israel', Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a message on Telegram. 'The destruction of terrorist organisations will continue and expand into the city centre, encompassing all neighbourhoods of the city,' Mr Avichay wrote. The military earlier said that its air force had intercepted two 'projectiles' that crossed from northern Gaza into Israeli territory. Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas's Oct 7, 2023 attack which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 57,012 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable. AFP

Teen plotting attacks on women charged in France's first ‘incel' case
Teen plotting attacks on women charged in France's first ‘incel' case

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Teen plotting attacks on women charged in France's first ‘incel' case

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox PARIS - An 18-year-old French man suspected of planning attacks on women has been charged in the country's first case of a terror plot linked to the misogynist 'incel' movement, officials said on July 2. According to a source close to the investigation, the suspect, Timothy G., was arrested on June 27 by the DGSI domestic intelligence agency near a public high school in the south-eastern city of Saint-Etienne. According to sources close to the case, the suspect was arrested with two knives in his bag and identified himself as a member of the 'incel', or involuntary celibate, subculture. The 'incel' movement is an internet subculture rife with misogyny, with men tending to blame women and feminism for their romantic failings. They typically target those who they see as attractive or sexually active women. The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) said that an investigation had been opened on July 1 'against an 18-year-old man claiming to be part of the 'incel' movement'. The man has been charged with terrorist conspiracy with a view to preparing one or more crimes against persons, the PNAT said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade World Trump announces Vietnam trade deal with 20% import tariff Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore Scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty World Sean 'Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts but cleared of more serious charges Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home The involvement of anti-terror prosecutors appears to indicate that French authorities recognise this form of gender-based violence as terrorism. 'Suffering' teenager On July 1 evening, Timothy G. appeared before a judge who remanded him in custody. He looked shy and had an almost hairless face and a slender build, according to an AFP journalist. His lawyer Maria Snitsar described him as 'a teenager who is suffering, not a fighter preparing for action'. According to one of the sources close to the case, the teenager, who wanted to become an engineer, was a fan of misogynist videos on social media, particularly TikTok. Another source close to the case said that this is the first time the PNAT has been called upon to investigate a man who exclusively identifies as part of the 'incel' subculture. The concept had previously appeared only marginally in at least two cases handled by the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. The PNAT announcement was also a sign of changing attitudes in France. A judicial source told AFP in late 2023 that the PNAT had long refused to take up cases linked to the movement, believing that 'these mass killing plans were not for them'. Netflix hit 'Adolescence' has sparked widespread debate about the toxic and misogynistic influences to which young boys are exposed online. The hard-hitting show is to be shown in UK and French schools, officials have said. In 2022, the US Secret Service's National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) highlighted the threat posed by 'misogynistic extremism'. In the United Kingdom, MI5, the domestic intelligence service, has warned of links between 'incels' and other violent conspiracy movements. In 2014, an American man, Elliot Rodger, who had professed frustration over his virginity and women rejecting him, killed six people, including three women, in California before committing suicide. In 2018, Alek Minassian, a man claiming to have been part of the movement, drove a rented van onto a busy Toronto sidewalk, killing 11, mostly women. He was sentenced to life in prison for those murders, but was never charged with terrorism. AFP

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