The boat has been towed to a South Korean military port for investigation.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the wooden boat was first spotted about 5.5 kilometers above the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border, at around 10:15 p.m. on Saturday. It started moving down in a straight line to cross the NLL at 11:21 p.m.

The South Korean Navy, which was keeping watch, immediately deployed a high-speed boat, a rigid-hulled inflatable boat and a patrol frigate to the scene.

“The North Korean crew said they lost their way and crossed the border by mistake,” a JCS official explained.

When South Korean Navy officers checked the boat and asked the three crew members whether they had come with the purpose of defecting, they reportedly denied the notion.

The three North Koreans were taken to a naval port in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, for investigation. The 10-meter wooden boat was also towed.

The JCS said there was an abundance of fishing gear on the boat, with squid in the storage cabin. A white towel was tied to the mast.

Not all North Korean fishing boats are brought to the South for investigation. But the fishing boat on Saturday was towed as there were some peculiar points that need to be clarified, the JCS official explained.

While the North Korean crew said they crossed into South Korean seas by mistake, they entered in a straight line, the JCS said. The tag on the boat also showed the boat to be operated by the North Korean military, though further investigation is needed to confirm whether the fishermen are from the North Korean military.

The boat was the only vessel spotted around the NLL area at the time.

The South Korean military appears to have taken swift action on the North Korean boat, as it came under fire for letting a fishing boat from the North reach a South Korean port city undetected in June.

At the time, the North Korean boat carrying four sailed through the East Sea and reached Samcheok Port in Gangwon Province. Two crew members even came up on land to speak with South Korean civilians.

In the joint government investigation, two expressed their desire to stay in the South, and the other two were returned to North Korea.

About 380 North Korean fishing boats were expelled for illegally fishing below the NLL from May 31 to July 14, according to the Defense Ministry. The number appears to have surged from last year’s 40, as shoals of squid have increased around the border line this year.

The main topics at the AMM in Bangkok will continue to be driving and responding to new challenges, which are related to the launch of a satellite warehouse in Chai Nat, Thailand, and the opening of the ASEAN Center of Military Medicine in Thailand, all capable of supporting countries outside the region coping with natural disasters.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting, the ASEAN-China, Japan and the Republic of Korea foreign ministers’ meeting, foreign ministers’ meeting of East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum foreign ministers’ meeting, all to be held in Bangkok from July 30 to August 3.

The police revealed this figure on Sunday (July 28) in a fresh advisory against such scams, ahead of several events and concerts planned in the next few months.

It said that in the cases reported from January to May, the victims either did not receive their tickets or got invalid tickets after making payment.

The advisory comes as Singapore gets ready for its 54th National Day Parade on Aug 9, followed by the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix 2019 from Sept 20 to Sept 22.

Popular international acts such as Westlife, Shawn Mendes, U2 and Backstreet Boys are also due to play here this year.

In the advisory, the police reminded members of the public to take crime prevention measures to avoid being scammedwhile purchasing tickets for these events.

– Be wary of online advertisements selling concert or show tickets at cheap prices that sound too good to be true, and avoid buying them on impulse without reading the reviews of the seller.

– Do not fall for scammers who may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC or driver’s licence to give the impression that they are genuine.

– Avoid making payments or deposits in advance. Instead, use shopping platforms or arrangements that release the payment to the seller only upon receiving the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller and pay only after collecting the tickets.

There could also be a possibility that the tickets may not be valid for entry as they were duplicated. It is advisable to buy them only from authorised sellers.

Han will challenge incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is generally considered more anti-China, and likely other, as yet undeclared, independent candidates.

In a speech after the formal nomination, Han vowed to improve the economy and create peaceful cross-strait relations. He became mayor of Kaohsiung — a bastion of DPP support for 20 years — in a November 2018 election, setting in motion what has been dubbed a “Han wave” across the country.

“The election is a choice between a peaceful Taiwan Strait or a Taiwan Strait filled with crisis.” Han said as he characterized the the upcoming election as a battle to protect the Republic of China (ROC), hinting that the DPP intends to destroy the ROC and create an independent Taiwan.

“The election is about the life and death of the Republic of China and Taiwan’s next generation,” he contented.

Han said he will lead the country on a journey to revive the economy and improve the life of the common people as he has experienced much struggle in life and fully understands the hardships and needs of people at the grassroots level.

“We are going to create an economic miracle, in which Taiwan will be safe and its people will be rich. Let’s work hard for our next generation.” Han said.

The KMT held its 20th National Congress at Banqiao Stadium in New Taipei Sunday, attended by former party Chairpersons Lien Chan (連戰), Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄), Eric Chu (朱立倫) and Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱).

Most of the KMT presidential hopefuls who competed against Han in the party primary also appeared on stage to express party unity, with the notable exception of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Chairman Terry Gou (郭台銘).

The KMT, which lost power in 2016 in a three-way battle between Tsai of the DPP, Chu of the KMT, and James Soong (宋楚瑜) of the People First Party, aim to win back the presidency in 2020 with a slogan of reform and unity.

Han, who won the KMT presidential primary on July 15 with 44.805 percent in public opinion polls, could face a difficult campaign in the event Gou chooses to run as an independent as some commentators have speculated and in the face of opposition to his China-leaning politics by younger voters.

Claiming he will be president of those wanting to help Taiwan “get rich” (發大財) by befriending China, Han won the support of many grassroot KMT supporters who are mostly middle-age and above and want to see calmer cross-strait relations.

Han visited the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong during a three-day economic tour of Hong Kong, Macao and Shenzhen in March.

The office is an agency tasked by Beijing with the implementation of its “one country, two systems” framework in Hong Kong and Macao. Han’s visit triggered accusations by DPP supporters that he would “sell” Taiwan’s sovereignty to Beijing should he win.

State Commercial CID chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the 63-year-old victim also activated his online banking at the instruction of the suspect.

He added that the victim, who was a retiree from a telecommunications company, was contacted by the suspect at 10am last Friday (July 26), claiming his telephone number would be blocked for having RM4,000 in arrears.

“The victim was then told to speak to an alleged policeman with the rank of sergeant who demanded the numbers of his two bank accounts and automatic withdrawal card numbers for alleged account suspension purpose.

“The alleged sergeant also instructed the victim, through WhatsApp, to activate the online banking of one of his accounts,” he told reporters here Sunday (July 28).

The victim only realised that he had been cheated after going to the bank for verification, and upon checking one of his bank accounts, found that 12 money transfer transactions had been made online.

He claimed that he did not know the owner of the account and a check at another of his account found that his savings had also been withdrawn, without his knowledge.

The victim lodged a report at the Temerloh district police headquarters and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

In a report by the International Water Association, a country with inland surface water output of less than 4,000 cubic metres per head per annum can be considered as lacking water.

Vietnam has an average surface water volume of about 830 billion cubic metres per year, but two thirds of that figure comes from other countries.

With a population of over 90 million, each Vietnamese citizen receives only 3,370 cubic metres of water per year.

Highlighting the importance of water resources and the role of civil societies in water resource management at a forum held on Friday, experts raised concerns on issues related to water resource reduction, water pollution, misuse and mismanagement.

Dao Trong Tu, vice-chairman of Vietnam Irrigation and Drainage Association and head of Vietnam Rivers Network, said that the construction of hydropower plants along rivers was blocking the flow, causing water shortages for people living downstream.

On the 100km long Ma River, there were five hydropower plants, Dao said.

In Hanoi alone, at least six rivers are polluted, he said, adding that untreated waste water from households, industrial zones or trade villages was flooding into the rivers and impacting people’s health.

“Vietnamese people usually used groundwater for drinking, but now, the groundwater resources are polluted and exhausted because of improper management,” he said, adding that efforts were needed to tackle the problem.

“Vietnam has a relatively good legal framework on water resources, but the enforcement is not as good as it should be.”

He added that the impacts of climate change and extreme weather were also affecting the country’s water resources.

The woman kicked up a fuss when she was told that she did not obtain a ticket issued by the Huawei staff earlier, which would allow her to buy a Huawei Y6 Pro 2019 phone at the promotional price of S$54 (RM162), the police said yesterday.

Under Huawei’s National Day promotion, the price of the phone was slashed from S$198 (RM595) to S$54 for Singaporeans and permanent residents above age 50.

Police said the woman refused to leave the premises despite requests by the store manager.

The police were alerted to the incident at 10.25am on Friday.

When they arrived, the woman refused to comply with police instructions to leave and was arrested for criminal trespass.

Thousands of people queued up at 27 stores across Singapore on Friday for Huawei’s National Day promotion, only to be told that the phones were out of stock.

The police had to be called in to manage the crowds of disappointed customers at various locations.

In a media statement responding to queries from The Straits Times, Huawei said: “We are truly sorry to have disappointed those who have shown your support from early morning… Y6 Pro 2019 handsets have been sold out island-wide and have recorded an unprecedented surge in demand.” — /Asia News Network

The three companies – independent oil trader Trafigura Group, agribusiness giant Wilmar International and electronics manufacturer Flextronics Manufacturing – made last year’s list as well.

The Fortune Global 500, which is published annually, ranks companies based on operating revenue.

Trafigura, which was founded in 1993 and shifted its headquarters to Singapore in 2015, earned US$180.7 billion (S$247.5 billion) in revenue and made US$849.2 million in profit over the last fiscal year.

The company, which has more than 4,300 employees, jumped 10 places to rank 22 in this year’s list on the back of a 32.5 per cent increase in revenue and a 0.2 per cent growth in profits.

Trafigura trades in commodities such as crude oil, gasoline, liquefied natural gas and metals, and more than 50 per cent of its employees here are Singaporeans or Singapore permanent residents.

Food giant Wilmar, which has made the Global 500 list for 11 years, earned US$44.5 billion in revenue and US$1.1 billion in profits last year.

Although its profits were the highest among the Singaporean firms which made the list, it was a 7.5 per cent fall from the previous year as Wilmar slid 10 places to 258 in the list, which was released on Monday (July 22).

One of the world’s largest palm oil processors, Wilmar came out tops among Singapore companies in a ranking for human rights disclosure announced earlier this year.

Mr Ho Kiam Kong, Wilmar’s chief financial officer, was among the winners at the Singapore Corporate Awards 2019, which honours companies and individuals for their excellence in corporate governance and shareholder communication.

Flextronics, which has around 200,000 employees, fell eight places to rank 474 in this year’s ranking.

It made US$26.2 billion in revenue and US$93.4 million in profits for its last fiscal year. Its profits fell 78.2 per cent from the previous year, despite a 3 per cent increase in revenue.

The manufacturing company has made the Global 500 list for 19 years.

According to Nikkei Asian Review’s report in 2018, Flextronics is best known for manufacturing Apple computers and Microsoft gaming consoles.

A record 129 companies based in China and Taiwan made this year’s Global 500 list, exceeding the number of US-based firms for the first time.

Among the new entrants were Xiaomi Corporation and Gree Electric Appliances.

A total of 121 companies based in the US were listed in this year’s rankings, led by retail giant Walmart, which claimed the top spot for the sixth consecutive year.

The companies on this year’s list generated a total of US$32.7 trillion in revenue, up 9 per cent from the previous year.

The Itbayat hospital, which was damaged, has no facilities to store the dead, some of the families of the dead agreed to proceed with a mass funeral at about 5 p.m., according to Josefa Ponce, secretary of the Itbayat Municipal Council.

Genward Mina, who was crushed by a boulder while protecting his girlfriend, was laid to rest.

Also buried were Fiona Valiente, a 10-day-old baby; Tito Asa, 88; Teresita Gulaga, 76; Eva Valiente, 19; and Edwin Ponce, 32, who was initially reported to be missing.

Earlier, it was reported that all nine fatalities were buried, but three fatalities were not buried — 73-year-old Fausta Caan; her granddaughter, 5-day-old baby Haisly Cheffe Naquita; and 13-year old Mary Rose Valiente.

Their relatives had not allowed their burial as of this writing.

Valiente’s mother is at the Basco hospital where her other child is being treated as of this writing.

Most Itbayat residents have opted to stay in tents outside their houses, fearing aftershocks, some of which were stronger than the 5.4 tremor that rocked the town at 4:16 a.m.

Just hours apart

Two strong earthquakes struck just hours apart, killing at least nine people, injuring about 60 and damaging ancestral houses famous among tourists.

The quakes collapsed homes of stone and wood and roused residents from sleep, said Roldan Esdicul, who heads the Batanes provincial disaster-response office. Footage showed people clearing boulder-size stone bricks to pull out one body from the rubble.

“Our bed and everything were swaying from side to side like a hammock,” Esdicul told The Associated Press by cellphone from Basco town, the provincial capital. “We all ran out to safety.”

On hard-hit Itbayat island, school teacher Agnes Salengua-Nico said she and her husband woke up horrified with the ground shaking and a cabinet crashing to the floor. Their house withstood the shaking but others in the neighborhood crumbled, pinning residents inside, she said.

“We’re out now in the farm with our three pigs because we’re very, very scared of the aftershocks,” she told AP by phone, her voice trembling shortly after the ground shook again.

More than 2,000 residents of Itbayat — nearly all of the island’s population of mostly fishermen — were advised not to return to their homes and stay in the town plaza as successive aftershocks shook the region, Esdicul said.

Army troops and additional doctors later flew in after Itbayat’s airport runway was declared safe.

The quakes measured 5.4 and 5.9 at relatively shallow depths, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

A third quake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck at sea west of Batanes later Saturday, it said.

‘Can’t stand or walk’

Esdicul said he was already in his office with the provincial governor when the second and more powerful quake struck about three hours after the first shock.

“We have to hold on because you can’t stand or walk. It was that strong,” he said.

The initial quake severely cracked the bell tower of the island’s old limestone church, the 19th-century Santa Maria de Mayan, a popular tourist attraction. The tower crumbled down when the second temblor hit the island, he said.

A one-story hospital was damaged, prompting patients to be evacuated and brought out in the open with dozens of injured quake victims. Some were later crammed into a basketball court with a roof due to heavy rains, Esdicul said.

Seven of those injured who sustained serious fractures were airlifted out of Itbayat to a bigger provincial hospital, he said.

Itbayat, part of the country’s northernmost Batanes Islands, has a population of about 2,800 people and lies in the Luzon Strait that separates the Philippines and Taiwan. The islands are famous for their tiny ancestral stone houses with coral walls and cogon grass roofs and are often lashed by seasonal typhoons.

As Metro Manila was having quake drill

As the quake jolted Batanes, thousands of residents were holding a pre-dawn earthquake drill about 250 kilometers (155 miles) to the south in Metro Manila, which was not affected by the quake.

Some journalists asked why the drills needed to be held so early in the morning, said Renato Solidum, a prominent seismologist and disaster-response expert who helped lead the drills.

When the earthquake hit Batanes shortly after, it helped officials underscore the fact that disaster can strike anytime, Solidum said.

One of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, the Philippines has frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because it lies on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active arc of volcanos and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

A magnitude 7.7 quake killed nearly 2,000 people in Luzon in 1990.

Of the responding franchisees, 7,039 stores, or 48.3 percent, said that they want to consider adopting shorter hours. Within this group, 73.3 percent wanted to reduce hours every day, while 26.3 percent sought shorter hours one day a week.

On their reasons for seeking shorter hours, 47.6 percent cited a need to improve profitability of their late-night operations, while 46.4 percent pointed to labor shortages.

Meanwhile, 7,106 stores, or 48.8 percent of all respondents, said they do not want to shorten their operating hours, with a possible sales drop cited as a reason.

The number of stores seeking shorter hours was “larger than expected,” President Takashi Sawada told a news conference. “We’ll build a system to ensure profits at franchisees.”

FamilyMart will increase the number of stores experimenting with shorter hours from the current 24 to about 700 from October.

Based on these trials, the company will review its around-the-clock store hour policy in or after December.

In the experiments, which began in June, some outlets made labor cuts while others enjoyed sales growth. The company will conduct further analysis because the impact of shorter hours varies depending on regional and other factors.

The survey was conducted from June 7 to 21. Responses came from 98.1 percent of all stores contacted.