SINGAPORE
Oil spill closes beach
Beaches on the resort island Sentosa, which also houses luxury waterfront homes, were shuttered yesterday due to an oil spill at a nearby port, maritime authorities said. The spill resulted from an accident on Friday at the Pasir Panjang terminal between a Netherlands-flagged dredger and a stationary Singapore-flagged bunker vessel, the Maritime and Port Authority said. Waters of three popular beaches on the island “are currently closed for beach cleanup works due to instances of oil spillage observed in the sea waters,” the island said in a notice on its Web site. Black residue from the oil slick was visible on the beaches, a photographer on the scene said.
AUSTRALIA
Chinese premier arrives
Chinese Premier Li Qiang (李強) yesterday arrived in Adelaide, saying that relations were “back on track” as he started the first visit by a Chinese premier to the major trading partner in seven years. Australia is “uniquely positioned to connect the West and the East” and stands as “an important force of economic globalization and world multipolarity,” the Chinese embassy quoted Li as saying at Adelaide Airport. Bilateral relations are “back on track after a period of twists and turns,” he said.
UNITED STATES
Alex Jones faces liquidation
A bankruptcy judge on Friday ordered a court-supervised liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ personal assets, but he dismissed the bankruptcy of Jones’ company Free Speech Systems without ordering it to be liquidated. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez appointed a Chapter 7 trustee to sell Jones’ assets, including his ownership stake in Free Speech Systems, the parent company of his Infowars Web site. The proceeds would go to pay Jones’ creditors, relatives of 20 students and six staff members killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Lopez declined to force Infowars itself into a separate liquidation, instead saying at a court hearing in Houston, Texas, that Jones could continue to run the company until the trustee sells his ownership stake. Jones filed bankruptcy protection 17 months ago, but he was unable to reach a settlement that would reduce the US$1.5 billion he owes to the Sandy Hook families after courts in Connecticut and Texas ruled that he defamed them with repeated false statements about the massacre.
UNITED STATES
FAA probes metal in planes
Air regulators are investigating possible safety risks after titanium with counterfeit authentication wound up on commercial jets, officials said on Friday. Jets delivered to airlines by Airbus and Boeing contain the titanium, which appears to be sourced from a Chinese company where an employee forged details on certificates, a New York Times report said. Industry officials said that based on testing, they do not believe the issue poses an immediate safety risk on planes in service. The issue comes amid heightened scrutiny of the aerospace industry following recent manufacturing and safety issues at Boeing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is “investigating the scope and impact of the issue through our Continued Operational Safety process,” an agency spokesman said. The titanium in question ended up on Boeing 737 and 787 Dreamliner jets and the Airbus A220, which were built between 2019 and last year, the Times said, adding that it not clear how many planes are affected or who owns them.
Seven people sustained mostly minor injuries in an airplane fire in South Korea, authorities said yesterday, with local media suggesting the blaze might have been caused by a portable battery stored in the overhead bin. The Air Busan plane, an Airbus A321, was set to fly to Hong Kong from Gimhae International Airport in southeastern Busan, but caught fire in the rear section on Tuesday night, the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said. A total of 169 passengers and seven flight attendants and staff were evacuated down inflatable slides, it said. Authorities initially reported three injuries, but revised the number
‘BALD-FACED LIE’: The woman is accused of administering non-prescribed drugs to the one-year-old and filmed the toddler’s distress to solicit donations online A social media influencer accused of filming the torture of her baby to gain money allegedly manufactured symptoms causing the toddler to have brain surgery, a magistrate has heard. The 34-year-old Queensland woman is charged with torturing an infant and posting videos of the little girl online to build a social media following and solicit donations. A decision on her bail application in a Brisbane court was yesterday postponed after the magistrate opted to take more time before making a decision in an effort “not to be overwhelmed” by the nature of allegations “so offensive to right-thinking people.” The Sunshine Coast woman —
BORDER SERVICES: With the US-funded International Rescue Committee telling clinics to shut by tomorrow, Burmese refugees face sudden discharge from Thai hospitals Healthcare centers serving tens of thousands of refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border have been ordered shut after US President Donald Trump froze most foreign aid last week, forcing Thai officials to transport the sickest patients to other facilities. The International Rescue Committee (IRC), which funds the clinics with US support, told the facilities to shut by tomorrow, a local official and two camp committee members said. The IRC did not respond to a request for comment. Trump last week paused development assistance from the US Agency for International Development for 90 days to assess compatibility with his “America First” policy. The freeze has thrown
PINEAPPLE DEBATE: While the owners of the pizzeria dislike pineapple on pizza, a survey last year showed that over 50% of Britons either love or like the topping A trendy pizzeria in the English city of Norwich has declared war on pineapples, charging an eye-watering ￡100 (US$124) for a Hawaiian in a bid to put customers off the disputed topping. Lupa Pizza recently added pizza topped with ham and pineapple to its account on a food delivery app, writing in the description: “Yeah, for ￡100 you can have it. Order the champagne too! Go on, you monster!” “[We] vehemently dislike pineapple on pizza,” Lupa co-owner Francis Wolf said. “We feel like it doesn’t suit pizza at all,” he said. The other co-owner, head chef Quin Jianoran, said they kept tinned pineapple
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