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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The men confined his two children naked in the toilet for nearly 10 months, from October 2016 to Aug 11, 2017. SINGAPORE - A man who is serving a 35-year jail term for abusing his two children, resulting in the death of his five-year-old daughter, had his sentence increased to life imprisonment on July 11, after his appeal for a reduced term failed. The 45-year-old man had appealed for a sentence of between 25½ and 30 years' jail. Instead, the Court of Appeal exercised its discretion to enhance the individual sentence for the man's most serious charge, one of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, from the original 15 years to life imprisonment. The man cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect the identity of his son, who survived the abuse. While the prosecution did not file an appeal against the man's original sentence, the court had asked parties to prepare submissions on whether this case was 'one of the worst type of cases of culpable homicide' which warranted life imprisonment. The man's lawyer, Mr Mervyn Cheong, argued that a life term was not warranted. He noted that neither the prosecution nor the defence appealed against the individual sentence for the culpable homicide charge, and that 35 years was a lengthy sentence. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column Life Anti-smoking advisory in new plaque for controversial samsui woman mural World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Business CEO salaries: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop? Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Deputy Public Prosecutor James Chew said life imprisonment would not be disproportionate to the man's culpability and the gravity of the offence, which warrants a sentence at the high end of the sentencing range. The prosecutor noted that the court has the discretion to enhance an offender's sentence in the absence of an appeal by the prosecution if the interests of justice call for such an increase. The three-judge court, led by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, dismissed the man's appeal, rejecting his arguments that he has shown remorse and that he should be given a sentencing discount for pleading guilty. Chief Justice Menon said the court will issue detailed grounds to explain its decision in due course. The judges, who also included Justice Steven Chong and Justice Judith Prakash, also imposed 12 strokes of the cane, which was part of the original sentence. However, the man will not be caned as he was medically certified in 2024 to be permanently unfit for caning, on account of his degenerative disc disease and a disc compression. The High Court had allowed the name of his daughter, Ayeesha, to be published. Ayeesha was five years old when she died from a head injury after her father rained blows to her face. Her brother was then four. The man had Ayeeseha and her brother from his previous marriage. He has three other children with his second wife, whom he married in 2015. The man, who had martial arts training, started abusing Ayeesha and her brother in 2015 . He hit the two children and left them malnourished. From February to October 2016, the couple confined the children in a 'naughty corner', which was barricaded with a bookshelf and a wardrobe to keep them there. The children were let out only for meals and baths. The man also installed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera to monitor the children. The children were confined naked in the toilet for nearly 10 months, from October 2016 to Aug 11, 2017. On the night of Aug 10, 2017, after his wife complained to him about Ayeesha, the man smacked the girl 15 to 20 times on her face. Later that night, he punched the children on their backs, kicked and stamped on Ayeesha, and slapped her face. That evening, the man's wife realised that Ayeesha was unresponsive. In the early hours of Aug 12, 2017, he threw away evidence, including the CCTV camera, into different rubbish bins at nearby blocks. He then took his son and Ayeesha's body in a pram to Singapore General Hospital. After Ayeesha was pronounced dead by the doctors, the man lied to the police that she had hit her head on a slide at a playground. It was only when he was confronted with footage from police surveillance cameras that he admitted to these lies. The man was originally charged with murder, and went on trial in the High Court in July 2023. In the midst of the trial, he accepted the prosecution's offer to amend the charge. In April 2024, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide for Ayeesha's death, four charges of child abuse, and a charge of disposing of evidence. Another 20 charges, for abusing the two children and for lying to the police, were taken into consideration. He was sentenced to 34½ years' jail and 12 strokes of the cane. In July 2024, after he was found unfit for caning, the High Court added six months to the jail term in lieu of caning. The case is pending against the man's wife, who has been charged with abusing her two stepchildren . The 34-year-old woman was handed multiple charges on Jan 7, 2025, including four counts of ill-treating a child.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
What is ‘aura farming'? This Indonesian tween will show you
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The video of Dika dancing on the boat has gone viral, with many recreating the dance on social media. In the past few weeks, Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old boy who lives in Indonesia and, according to his local government, goes by Dika, has been hard to miss on social media, even if you have never heard of his name. A video of him dancing on the front of a boat has become an internet sensation and is the reason 'aura farming' has become a popular phrase. The video has been overlaid with various songs, imitated by countless creators, commented on by celebrities and, most recently, led to Dika being named a tourism ambassador for Riau, the province in Indonesia where he lives. While many of the videos featuring Dika have amassed millions of views around the world, his popularity in the United States – and the explosion in use of the phrase 'aura farming' – has come despite relatively little information being available about him or the race he competes in. What is aura farming? According to the website Know Your Meme, the expression was popularised in 2024 largely in reference to anime characters and various celebrities. It generally refers to someone who does something repetitive to look cool and build, as Gen Alpha would say, aura. Dika, who seems strangely calm on the bow of a thin boat, dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, uses a series of repetitive movements in his dance, making him a perfect fit for the term. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column Life Anti-smoking advisory in new plaque for controversial samsui woman mural World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Business CEO pay: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop? Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Why is he dancing on the front of a boat? In the original video, which was posted on TikTok in January 2025 by a user named Lensa Rams, Dika is participating in an event in Riau called Pacu Jalur, which roughly translates to 'boat race'. It is part of an annual festival that dates back hundreds of years, and each of the long canoe-like boats in the race has, as part of its large crew, a Tukang Tari who dances and provides inspiration for the rowers. Dika, who has participated in the races since he was 9, has become the face of the tradition, but each boat has its own Tukang Tari, and each brings a different vibe to the race. How has this spread so quickly? The video has been around for months – Pacu Jalur is held in August – but it has exploded in popularity in the last few weeks, at least partly because the dance is easy to imitate. In addition to the various creators on Instagram and TikTok who have tried their hand at Dika's dance, it has been posted about by Travis Kelce, the NFL star and boyfriend of Taylor Swift, who compared his own moves to Dika's in a video with more than 13 million views. The dance was recreated on a baseball field by the Party Animals, a rowdier cousin of the Savannah Bananas, with a TikTok of their rendition receiving more than 5 million views. It was even used as a goal celebration by Diego Luna of the United States men's national soccer team in a win over Guatemala last week. Is the kid getting anything for all this attention? On July 8 , the government in Riau, citing the impact of the video and the fact that he had been 'inspiring local kids to embrace and preserve their traditions,' named Dika as a tourism ambassador for the province. The Riau governor, Mr Abdul Wahid, awarded him a scholarship for 20 million rupiah (S$1579) for his education. Dika also performed a rendition of his dance along with Mr Wahid and other officials. 'Wow, I'm so happy,' Dika said in Indonesian in a notice from the government about the scholarship. 'I never imagined I'd meet the governor.' He can most likely expect quite a bit more attention when Pacu Jalur returns in August . NYTIMES
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
A century of tests is a privilege, says Australia's Starc
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mitchell Starc is not keen on the attention he is receiving ahead of his 100th test but the Australia fast bowler says it has been a privilege to pull on the 'baggy green cap' so many times. Starc will become just the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath to play 100 tests in the third and final match against West Indies in Kingston on Sunday, with a series sweep on the line in the day-night contest. Much of the build-up has focused on the looming milestone but the 35-year-old just wants the match to start. "No, I don't like it. Get on with the cricket," a smiling Starc told reporters. "Same as every other week, I guess. No, a chance to win another test match away from home, which is never easy to do." The left-arm quick made his test debut against New Zealand in late 2011 and went on to establish himself as a key cog in Australia's pace attack. "Growing up, I was always wanting to pull on the baggy green. I didn't think I'd play one game, but to have 99 chances to do that has been a real privilege," he said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Business CEO pay: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and who saw a drop? Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Singapore Youth who performed lewd act on cat ordered to undergo probation Life Singer Jacky Cheung adds 3 more encore concerts in Singapore, bringing total to 6 shows Starc took time to find his feet in test cricket but appeared to hit his stride after 2015, with batters in the longest format struggling against his swing and bounce. "I was either in and out or not good enough or injured. So it's a pretty stop-start to the first portion of test cricket," Starc said. "I had a bit of success along the way in white-ball cricket and got a bit more comfortable how things were going bowling-wise and started to put the pieces together with a few tools in red ball cricket and then had a bit of an extended run there." Starc is five test wickets away from becoming the fourth Australian player to take 400. McGrath is the country's most successful fast bowler with 563 wickets in 124 tests. "I've always been lucky enough to have a bit of air speed, so it was kind of harnessing the rest around that," he said. "I guess early doors, I had the ability to swing the new ball and bowl fast, but didn't have a lot through the period where the ball didn't do anything. "Then to be able to bowl in different facets of the game, different conditions around the world - it's probably helped me get as far down the track as I have." REUTERS
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
James Carter Cathcart, voice behind memorable Pokémon characters, dies at 71
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr James Carter Cathcart, a voice actor who portrayed some of the most indelible characters in the Pokémon franchise and became a familiar presence in several other popular animated series, died July 8 . He was 71. His wife Martha Jacobi confirmed in a social media post that he died at Calvary Hospital in New York City. His ex-wife Jeanne Gari said in an interview that the cause of his death was throat cancer. For more than two decades, Mr Cathcart was the voice of several popular characters in the Pokémon series and movies, including the genial Professor Oak, his grandson Gary, the antagonising James and the wisecracking feline creature Meowth, one of the few Pokémon who could speak. Mr Cathcart joined the cast of Pokémon in 1998, just as the franchise exploded into a global craze. While many of the characters cycled in and out through the series' more than 1,000 episodes, his voice remained a steady presence. Mr Cathcart also had roles in an array of other anime series, video games and animated shows, including Yu-Gi-Oh!, One Piece and Shadow the Hedgehog. He retired from voice acting in 2023 after he was diagnosed with cancer. Mr Cathcart appeared in more than 100 roles, according to the entertainment database IMDb, but his work in Pokémon is his best known. The voice actors who also had roles in the Pokémon universe acknowledged his death on social media. Ms Erica Schroeder, who played Nurse Joy and the creature Wobbuffet, said: 'The community will miss you. The world will miss you.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Business CEO pay: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and who saw a drop? Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Singapore Youth who performed lewd act on cat ordered to undergo probation Life Singer Jacky Cheung adds 3 more encore concerts in Singapore, bringing total to 6 shows Mr Cathcart was born Jan 4, 1954, in West Long Branch, New Jersey, and graduated from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He is survived by Ms Jacobi; his daughters Nicole Zoppi, 41, and Mackenzie, 30; and his son Carter, 31. Mr Cathcart said in an interview in 2017 that he was grateful the Pokémon franchise had continued to thrive and that he wanted to keep voicing the characters for as long as he could. 'Who could imagine 20 years ago that we would still be doing the show and it would be doing so well, but there's a new generation of kids that loves the Pokémon?' Mr Cathcart said.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Bosnia commemorates Srebrenica genocide 30 years on
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The remains of seven victims of the massacre will be laid to rest during July 11's commemorations. SREBRENICA - Thousands of people are expected to gather in Srebrenica on July 11 to commemorate the genocide committed 30 years ago by Bosnian Serb forces, one of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. The remains of seven victims of the massacre will be laid to rest during July 11's commemorations, marking the bloodiest episode of Bosnia's inter-ethnic war in the 1990s. The war broke out after Bosnia declared independence, a move supported by the country's Muslims and Croats but rejected by Serbs. On July 11, 1995, after a siege of more than three months, Bosnian Serb forces captured the eastern town – a UN-protected enclave at the time. They killed 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the following days and buried them in mass graves. Around 100 women were killed in the massacre, 80 of whom remain missing. So far about 7,000 victims have been identified and buried while about 1,000 are still missing. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties World Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Opinion Whisper it softly, there's a new Japan rising Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Business Company in talks to buy Esso petrol stations in Singapore, said to be worth $1.28 billion: Sources World The $12.8m bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction Asia Tariffs overshadow diplomacy as Asean foreign ministers press on with meetings In a bid to cover up the crime, the Bosnian Serb authorities had the remains removed to secondary mass graves, causing many of the bodies to be shredded by heavy machinery, according to experts. Thirty years of pain 'For 30 years we have carried the pain in our souls,' said Ms Munira Subasic, president of the association Mothers of Srebrenica. Her husband Hilmo and 17-year-old son Nermin were killed in the massacre. 'Our children were killed, innocent, in the UN protected zone. Europe and the world watched in silence as our children were killed.' The seven victims to be buried on July 11 at the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Centre include a 19-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman. 'Unfortunately, the remains of most of these victims are incomplete. In some cases there are only one or two bones,' said Ms Emza Fazlic, spokeswoman for Bosnia's Institute for Missing People. The families waited for years to bury their loved ones, hoping that more remains would be found. But Ms Mevlida Omerovic decided not to wait any longer to bury her husband Hasib. He was killed at the age of 33, probably in Petkovci, around 60km north of Srebrenica. Around a thousand people were transported there and locked up in a school before being executed. It is one of five mass execution sites of the massacre, the only atrocity of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war that was qualified as genocide by international justice institutions. 'Thirty years have passed and I have nothing to wait for anymore,' said Ms Omerovic, 55. She wants to be able to visit the grave of her husband, even though only his jawbone will be in the coffin. Serb denial Bosnian Serb wartime political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were sentenced to life imprisonment by an international tribunal, notably for the Srebrenica genocide. But Serbia and Bosnian Serb leaders continue to deny that the massacre was a genocide. 'The Serbs did not commit genocide in Srebrenica... it did not happen', Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik said in July. In 2024, an international day of remembrance was established by the United Nations to mark the Srebrenica genocide, despite protests from Belgrade and Bosnian Serbs. 'July 11 is a day of great sadness and pain,' Ms Ramiza Gurdic, whose husband Junuz and sons Mehrudin and Mustafa were killed in the massacre, told AFP. 'But for me, every day is July 11, every night, every morning, when I get up and realise that they are not here.' AFP
