SLCA earnings call for the period ending December 31, 2020.
With the successor to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong now out of the picture, the race to become the country’s next leader is suddenly wide open. Here's a shortlist of the front-runners to succeed Lee
Chinese officials who let a convicted murderer walk free just months into a 15-year sentence have been exposed in a web of corruption dating back decades. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region judicial authority in China said a years-long investigation had found 84 officials were involved in the scandal that saw the killer serve just three months of his sentence almost three decades ago in 1992. Of those 84 – which included eight top-level officials – the region’s Political and Justice Committee said 54 received harsh disciplinary measures while 20 were given lighter sentences and 10 were under police investigation. Another 10 officials had died before the authority concluded the investigation.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. During the investigation, authorities found that the prisoner, Batu Menghe, then 18, had been released from prison on parole to seek medical treatment in September 1993. He had served three months of his 15-year sentence for the stabbing murder of Bai Yongchun in the Mongolian village of Chenbaerhu Banner, where they both lived. Batu had turned himself in to authorities after the killing. The sentence saw him also stripped him of his political rights for two years which prevented him from holding public office at that time. The investigation found that after Batu’s temporary release from prison to seek medical treatment, he never returned, instead moving to Bayankuren Town for 14 years, according to the statement. Batu’s mother Tong Laga, a health official at the time, and his uncle, Chao Lumen, an education official, were instrumental in the cover-up, asking two senior local hospital officials to issue a certificate with a fake diagnosis, authorities said. With further help from three prison officials, two judicial authorities and the Vice Party Secretary of Chenbaerhu Banner, a fraudulent medical certificate was issued by the authority’s Public Security Bureau director, Chu Gulan. China shocked after 13-year-old allegedly murders 6-year-old In 2007, his official release date, Batu was issued with a certificate of release from the prison director, showing his full sentence had been served. The document made no mention of the ban on his political rights for two years. After his official release, Batu became a Party member in 2010 after the Party secretary Tao Dao instructed two lower-ranking party members to put in an application to join the party on his behalf. The application left out his conviction, clearing the path for his inauguration into the party. With the help of Tao, Batu was elected as a deputy of the People’s Congress in the small region of Xiwuzhuersumu. In 2012, Batu was then elected as a People’s Congress delegate in the more powerful Chenbaerhu Banner region and was illegally elected as a village chief in 2009, 2012 and 2015, the statement said. Authorities decided to investigate after repeated whistle-blowing by the dead boy’s mother, Han Jie, 74, who never gave up seeking justice for her son. In 2017, Batu was arrested and returned to jail after authorities found he had embezzled 290,000 yuan (US$44, 267) while serving as village chief. In 2018, a court in Chenbaerhu Banner sentenced Batu to jail for three years and fined him 200,000 yuan (US$30, 529) for embezzlement. However, the court ruled that due to his illegal escape from jail 15 years previously, he would finally serve his sentence in full. “I have been reporting to the authorities over the past three decades. The punishment decision has finally come,” Han told news portal Red Start News. “My son was killed by Batu Menghe when he was younger than 20. Who could imagine that this murderer could be a village chief and a People’s Congress deputy?” she said.More from South China Morning Post:China takes aim at corrupt cadres and officials in expanded Inner Mongolia campaignChinese man given 12 years in prison for raping 10-year-old girlPolice chief lashes out at ‘attempts to use Xinjiang to contain China’Baidu defeats US shareholder lawsuit over China internet law complianceOnce China’s richest man, Gome founder Huang Guangyu hopes e-commerce can revive floundering electronics empireThis article China shocked by mass cover up that saw convicted murderer, freed after three months, go on to become a high ranking official first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
Chile has provided a real-time demonstration of the effectiveness of Chinese firm Sinovac’s Covid-19 vaccine, with its vaccination drive results showing it to be 56.5 per cent effective two weeks after the second dose. The findings were in line with Phase 3 trial results of the vaccine in Brazil, which found an efficacy rate of around 50 per cent. But the study by the University of Chile also found that one dose of the Sinovac jab was only 3 per cent effective against infection, underscoring the need to get fully vaccinated. Efficacy rises to 27.7 per cent within two weeks after the second jab, reaching 56.5 per cent a fortnight later, according to the university. Chile has vaccinated 7.2 million people to date, with 4.3 million having received their second dose. More than 93 per cent of those who have had both jabs received the Sinovac vaccine. The South American country has also approved the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines and, on Wednesday, Chinese company CanSino’s single-dose vaccine was added to the emergency list.Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. On Thursday, Chile reported 8,195 new Covid-19 cases – its highest daily count since the outbreak, and the third time more than 8,000 new cases were recorded in a single day. In the same 24-hour period, 183 deaths were recorded, bringing the country’s fatalities from the disease to 23,979. How China took an unlikely lead in the global supply of Covid-19 vaccines Deputy health minister Paul Daza described the situation in Chile as “very complex”, with more than 80 per cent of the population in quarantine and its borders closed. There has also been a radical change in the age groups being most affected by the disease, with patients aged under 39 years now outnumbering the over-70s. The researchers estimated the Sinovac vaccine’s efficacy in real-life settings at around 54 per cent, after taking into account the 6 per cent of fully-vaccinated Chileans who received the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. According to the World Health Organization, the minimal efficacy threshold is 50 per cent. “Getting vaccinated very significantly decreases the possibility of infection. It does not eliminate it, but it decreases it a lot, therefore you have to get vaccinated,” University of Chile rector Ennio Vivaldi said. The study also made clear that a first dose “does not have any relevant effect after four weeks,” meaning that people who only got one jab were just as vulnerable to infection as the non-vaccinated group. Professor Jin Dong-yan, a molecular virologist at the University of Hong Kong, said the Chilean findings were within expectations and highlighted the importance of getting fully vaccinated, in line with the vaccine makers’ recommendations. But, Jin said, Sinovac’s low efficacy rate did put it in a less favourable position when compared to other vaccines. He pointed to Hong Kong as an example, where the BioNTech and Sinovac vaccines are available. “Even if one is fully vaccinated with Sinovac, the protection is much weaker than one dose of BioNTech. It might be better if our government can purchase more BioNTech and Novavax vaccines,” Jin said. “The right thing to do with Sinovac is to donate them to resource-limited countries before they expire and are wasted. I don’t think Hongkongers can use up what is already bought or arrived.”More from South China Morning Post:Hong Kong coronavirus: herd immunity could take more than a year to reach, experts warn, after vaccinations drop 35 per centWith Malaysia, UAE soon to make Chinese vaccines, does Beijing have an edge in vaccine diplomacy?Covid-19 vaccines made by China’s Sinopharm, CanSino release efficacy dataChina-made Sinovac jab a shot in the arm for Malaysia’s coronavirus vaccination programme, minister saysWhy Israel’s Covid-19 vaccination programme provides first link in vital data chainThis article Chile Covid-19 vaccination drive adds to Sinovac efficacy data first appeared on South China Morning PostFor the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2021.
With Heng Swee Keat stepping aside, who do you want as next leader of Singapore's 4G ministers?
Here are five REITs with strong sponsors that can assist in their growth over the long term. The post 5 REITs That are Backed by Strong Sponsors appeared first on The Smart Investor.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed 32 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore as of noon on Saturday (10 April), taking the country's total case count to 60,633.
After viewing a video of a female colleague partially naked, a man spiked her drink with a muscle relaxant in an attempt to molest her if she were to become dizzy.
Real Madrid climbed to the top of La Liga on Saturday after Karim Benzema's flicked finish helped them claim a thrilling 2-1 victory over Barcelona in a wild Clasico at Valdebebas.
Chinese regulators hit e-commerce giant Alibaba with a record 18.2 billion yuan ($2.78 billion) fine on Saturday over practices deemed to be an abuse of the company's dominant market position.
The State Department said Friday it will make it easier for US officials to meet Taiwanese representatives, defying pressure from China at a time of high tensions.
Hideki Matsuyama unleashed an incredible back-nine shotmaking display to seize a four-stroke lead after Saturday's third round of the Masters, putting the Japanese star on the brink of a historic triumph at Augusta National.
NASA has delayed by at least several days the first flight of its mini-helicopter on Mars after a possible tech issue emerged while testing its rotors, the US space agency said Saturday.
Iran announced Saturday it has started up advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges in a breach of its undertakings under a troubled 2015 nuclear deal, days after the start of talks on rescuing the accord.
Hundreds of Pakistani Hazara women are learning how to deliver side kicks and elbow blows as martial arts booms within the marginalised community.
With a strategic alliance, 24-hour production and a bit of luck, Pfizer and BioNTech were able to roll out their Covid vaccine at a brisk pace and relatively free of controversy.
The El Clasico is a unique opportunity for the promising youngsters of Real Madrid and Barcelona to showcase their talents.
Archaeologists Saturday showed off their finds at what they say is the "largest" ancient city ever found in Egypt, dating to a golden age of the pharaohs 3,000 years ago.
Iran plans to verify whether the US is actually lifting sanctions through oil exports and via international banking transactions, a member of Tehran's negotiating team said in an interview published Friday.
Myanmar's own ambassador to the United Nations pressed Friday for a no-fly zone and sanctions as international pressure grew on the military junta to end a deadly crackdown and restore democracy.
The White House will hold a virtual summit with leading CEOs on Monday to discuss the global semiconductor shortage that has crimped automakers and electronics companies, officials announced Friday.Executives from General Motors, Intel, Northrup Grumman and Alphabet/Google will attend, according to a White House pool report that listed 19 big companies.
