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Singapore proposes new online safety bill to combat cyber abuse

Singapore proposes new online safety bill to combat cyber abuse

SINGAPORE : The government has proposed new legislation to establish a powerful regulatory body for combating cyberbullying and online abuse. This Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Bill will enable victims to seek relief and legal redress against harmful digital content. The bill provides for the formation of an Online Safety Commission with authority to address complaints about harmful online material. Its powers include issuing directions to remove harmful content, restrict perpetrator accounts, or allow victims to post responses. Takedown orders may target individuals who post harmful content, online administrators, or social media platforms directly. Non-compliance with these directions will constitute a criminal offence under the proposed law. The commission can order access blocks or app removals to stop ongoing online harm when necessary. Initial coverage will include five harm categories by mid-2026: online harassment, doxxing, stalking, image-based child abuse, and non-consensual private photo sharing. Additional categories like online impersonation and deepfakes will be incorporated gradually over time. The commission is scheduled to become operational by June of next year. The legislation establishes a legal framework for holding perpetrators accountable for their online actions. Online platforms may be compelled to disclose the identities of anonymous users who post harmful content. Digital access has become essential to daily life but raises serious concerns about misuse. Malicious actors exploit internet platforms to harass individuals and distribute harmful content like intimate image abuse. A recent ministry survey found over 84% of Singaporean respondents encountered harmful online content. Additionally, 33% reported experiencing harmful online behaviour within the past year. – AFP

MP urges postal voting for Sabah, Sarawak voters in Peninsula

MP urges postal voting for Sabah, Sarawak voters in Peninsula

KUALA LUMPUR : An MP has proposed implementing a postal voting system to facilitate voting for Sabahans and Sarawakians residing in Peninsular Malaysia during elections. Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) said the Election Commission should implement this as part of institutional reform efforts. “Ahead of the Sabah state election, I would like to propose allowing this postal voting to be implemented,“ he said during the Budget 2026 debate in Parliament. Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced the dissolution of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly on October 6 to pave way for the 17th state election. The Election Commission will hold a special meeting tomorrow to discuss important election dates. Meanwhile, Chow Kon Yeow (PH-Batu Kawan) called for immediate implementation of a joint federal-state agreement on tax revenue sharing. The Penang Chief Minister said constitutional amendments would achieve a more relevant revenue sharing model benefiting all Malaysians. Parliament will resume sitting tomorrow. – Bernama

Woman, KAFA pupils injured after roof collapses in Banting during storm

Woman, KAFA pupils injured after roof collapses in Banting during storm

BANTING : A 51-year-old woman was injured after being trapped under the collapsed roof of Dewan Wawasan Kampung Medan in Telok Panglima Garang this afternoon. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said the hall’s roof collapsed following heavy rain and strong winds. The roof of an adjacent premises housing a Kelas Al-Quran dan Fardu Ain surau also collapsed, causing at least seven pupils to sustain minor injuries. The department received a distress call at 4.24pm and deployed a fire engine and Emergency Medical Rescue Services vehicle with seven personnel to the scene. “Upon arrival, we found a victim, a 51-year-old woman, trapped under the debris,“ said Ahmad Mukhlis. He confirmed the woman sustained injuries to her waist and thigh but remained conscious throughout the rescue operation. Firefighters successfully rescued the woman at 5.05pm after she had been trapped for approximately 40 minutes. Both the woman and the injured KAFA pupils were transported to hospital for medical treatment. The incident occurred at a complex that also houses the Sijangkang State Constituency Coordinator’s office. – Bernama

Japan opposition sees policy gaps in bid for united PM candidate

Japan opposition sees policy gaps in bid for united PM candidate

TOKYO : Japan’s top three opposition leaders met on Wednesday to seek a unified candidate for prime minister in their bid to oust the ruling party from power. Yuichiro Tamaki, head of the third-largest Democratic Party for the People, reported that policy differences remained between the opposition groups. “I felt there are gaps,“ Tamaki told a news conference after the Tokyo meeting. He noted that differences existed on key issues such as defence and the use of nuclear energy. The attempted opposition realignment has so far prevented Sanae Takaichi from becoming Japan’s first woman prime minister. Japan fell into political limbo last week after the Komeito party left the ruling coalition after 26 years. The breakup means that the top three opposition parties together now have more legislative votes than the Liberal Democratic Party. The LDP has governed almost non-stop since 1955 but now needs to work with others to build a parliamentary majority. Takaichi was elected as the new LDP president this month after her predecessor Shigeru Ishiba quit. She needs the approval of lawmakers to become premier following the LDP losing its majority in both houses of parliament. The next legislative session is slated for Tuesday when the LDP wants to hold a vote to replace Ishiba as prime minister. Opposition parties are pushing to delay that vote according to Japanese media reports. Yoshihiko Noda, head of the largest opposition group, has called this “a once-in-a-decade chance for a change of government”. Takaichi has extended an olive branch to Tamaki and other opposition groups in a bid to find new partners. She told reporters she had asked Tamaki on Wednesday for his help to become the next prime minister. “Whether that’s diplomacy, security, energy and economy, I believe we share many similarities,“ she said after meeting Tamaki. She added that she wanted to reaffirm her wish to work together in various arenas. – AFP

Lelaki dicekup curi buku perpustakaan agensi kerajaan negeri Kelantan

Lelaki dicekup curi buku perpustakaan agensi kerajaan negeri Kelantan

KOTA BHARU – Kegiatan seorang lelaki menjual buku-buku yang dicuri dari perpustakaan sebuah agensi kerajaan negeri Kelantan dan swasta di Facebook terbongkar apabila suspek dicekup dalam serbuan di sebuah rumah di sini semalam. Suspek yang berusia dalam lingkungan 50-an ditahan kira-kira pukul 12.05 tengah malam turut mengaku melakukan perbuatan mencuri buku di kedua-dua perpustakaan tersebut. ... Read more The post Lelaki dicekup curi buku perpustakaan agensi kerajaan negeri Kelantan appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

Curi buku perpustakaan, sorok dalam baju

Curi buku perpustakaan, sorok dalam baju

KOTA BHARU – Kegiatan seorang lelaki menjual buku-buku yang dicuri dari perpustakaan sebuah agensi kerajaan negeri Kelantan dan swasta di Facebook terbongkar apabila suspek ditahan di sebuah rumah di sini semalam. Suspek berusia dalam lingkungan 50-an yang ditahan kira-kira pukul 12.05 tengah malam turut mengaku melakukan perbuatan mencuri buku di kedua-dua perpustakaan tersebut. Ketua Polis ... Read more The post Curi buku perpustakaan, sorok dalam baju appeared first on Kosmo Digital .

Federal Court dismisses Semantan Estate’s bid for enlarged appeal panel

Federal Court dismisses Semantan Estate’s bid for enlarged appeal panel

PUTRAJAYA : The Federal Court has dismissed Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd’s application for an enlarged panel to hear its leave to appeal application. The case concerns the Court of Appeal’s ruling that the Federal Land Registrar is not required to register the 263.272-acre Duta Enclave land in the company’s name. Federal Court deputy registrar Wan Norazimin Kassim confirmed the dismissal in an October 14 letter sighted by Bernama. The hearing will now proceed before a standard three-judge Federal Court panel on November 6 as previously scheduled. This follows the Court of Appeal’s June 24 ruling that allowed the government’s appeal against Semantan Estate. The appellate court found the company not entitled to the land title but eligible for adequate compensation based on 1956 land values. The compensation sum assessed by the High Court must be reduced by RM1.325 million already paid by the government in 1956. Semantan Estate is also entitled to mesne profits, with the quantum to be assessed by the High Court. Both parties must appoint valuation experts to assess the land value within 90 days from the June 24 judgment. The disputed Duta Enclave land in Jalan Duta hosts several government buildings including the national hockey stadium and MACC Academy. Semantan Estate began legal proceedings in 2003 by suing the government over alleged unlawful land acquisition. The High Court ruled in the company’s favour in 2009, finding the acquisition unlawful, with government appeals subsequently dismissed. In February 2017, Semantan Estate sued the Federal Land Registrar to enforce the 2009 ruling. The High Court ordered the land title transfer in August 2024, but this was overturned by the Court of Appeal. The Federal Court granted Semantan Estate a stay of the Court of Appeal’s decision on August 28 pending its leave to appeal outcome. – Bernama

Netanyahu appears in Tel Aviv court for corruption trial hearing

Netanyahu appears in Tel Aviv court for corruption trial hearing

TEL AVIV : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to a Tel Aviv court for the latest hearing in his long-running corruption trial. The prime minister maintained a smiling demeanour while protesters heckled him and his entourage of conservative Likud party ministers en route to the tribunal. This court appearance follows US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Netanyahu should receive a pardon in his three separate corruption cases. The hearing also comes after hostages taken by Hamas returned as part of Trump’s US-brokered plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. In one case, Netanyahu and his wife Sara face accusations of accepting over $260,000 worth of luxury goods from billionaires in exchange for political favours. The luxury goods allegedly included champagne, cigars, and jewellery from wealthy businessmen seeking favourable treatment. In two other instances, Netanyahu faces charges of attempting to negotiate better press coverage from two Israeli media outlets. The Israeli leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of a political conspiracy. During his current term beginning in late 2022, Netanyahu proposed far-reaching judicial reforms that critics argued would weaken the courts. Those reforms prompted massive nationwide protests that only subsided after the Gaza war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Trump addressed the Israeli parliament on Monday and publicly suggested Netanyahu should receive a pardon in the graft cases. “Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?” Trump joked during his Knesset speech. Trump then directly asked Israeli President Isaac Herzog why he didn’t grant Netanyahu a pardon. The Israeli prime minister also faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for suspected war crimes in Gaza. Netanyahu holds the record for most years served as Israel’s prime minister with 18 years across several terms since 1996. – AFP