Lianhe Zaobao News,On December 7th, the Singapore Prime Minister's Office issued a statement stating that it will implement a 30 day visa free agreement with China. At present, the two countries are discussing detailed rules and plan to introduce relevant policies in early 2024. According to Ctrip data, from January to September 2023, the number of Chinese tourists entering Singapore reached 1 million, returning to 35% of the same period in 2019. China has also returned to second place on the list of inbound tourists to Singapore. On July 26, 2023, China announced the resumption of its unilateral visa free entry policy towards Singapore. Singaporean citizens holding ordinary passports who come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit can stay in China for 15 days without a visa.

According to research and analysis by relevant experts, the arrival of the visa free policy between China and Singapore will be another important benefit for the inbound and outbound travel market. After the official implementation of visa free policies for Chinese citizens in Singapore, it will connect with Malaysia and Thailand to form a golden route for visa free travel in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This route is also a traditional popular route for Chinese residents to travel abroad. It is expected toIn 2024, Chinese citizens traveling to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand will further heat up. Apart from Singapore, since 2023, countries such as Georgia, Thailand, Tunisia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka have also announced visa exemption for Chinese tourists.

Bangkok News: Recently, the National Anti Corruption Commission of Thailand issued a statement stating that three women and one man, who serve as tax officials in North Lam Province, have more thanA deposit of 2 billion Thai baht was deposited, with a man holding 1.1 billion Thai baht in seven accounts and a woman holding over 500 million Thai baht in five accounts. These four individuals are exceptionally wealthy, their assets do not match the income of civil servants, and they cannot explain the source of funds. The authorities have dismissed them. At present, the committee has transferred the case to the General Prosecutor's Office for processing and requested the Anti Corruption Criminal Court to participate in the investigation.

It is understood that the starting salary for Thai tax officials is approximatelyone point fiveTen thousand Thai baht, Thai civil servants and law enforcement officers are occasionally exposed for embezzlement and bribery, including illegal "making extra money". In January of this year, a Chinese female tourist posted a video claiming that she paid in Pattaya, Thailand for a service of three police officers to pick up the plane with police cars and clear the entire route. Not only did she clear customs without queuing, but on the way to the hotel, there were also police officers riding electric bicycles and pulling sirens to clear the way. Currently, the police officers involved in the case have been investigated and dealt with.

military affairs

01US grounded Osprey transport aircraft

Washington, D.C. - On December 6th, the US military announced that it will ground the V-22 Osprey transport plane, which crashed in Japan last week, resulting in the death of eight American soldiers on board. According to data from the Flight Safety Foundation, at least 50 people have died in crashes while operating or testing an Osprey aircraft. In August of this year, an Osprey aircraft crashed off the coast of northern Australia, with three US Marines killed in service; Last year, an Osprey plane crashed while participating in NATO exercises in a remote area of northern Norway, resulting in the death of four US Marines.

The US Air Force Special Operations Command has issued a statement stating that grounding the Osprey aircraft is aimed at reducing risks while investigating the crash. Preliminary investigation shows that the accident may have been caused by a material malfunction, but the root cause of the malfunction is currently unclear. The grounded Osprey fleet will provide sufficient time and space for a thorough investigation to determine the cause and provide recommendations to ensure that the fleet can safely resume flight.

It is understood that the Osprey transport aircraft was jointly developed by Bell Helicopters and Boeing in the United States. It can take off and land vertically like a helicopter or fly at high speed like a fixed wing aircraft. Boeing has delivered at least one Osprey aircraft to date400 aircraft, mainly distributed in the US Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, are deployed on the US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in Japan. The main function of these transport planes is to transport personnel and supplies.

01Vietnam's rice export volume reaches a new high

According to Vietnamese news agency, as of the end of November, Vietnamese riceExport volumeReaching nearly 7.8 million tons,Export volume4.4 billion US dollars. This is the unprecedented performance of the Vietnamese rice industry since 1989, and it is expected to continue to increase by the end of 2023. At the beginning of 2023, Vietnam's rice export target was 7 million tons, but it has already exceeded the target. Analysts believe that Vietnam's annual rice export performance will reach a historic milestone of 8 million tons, with an export value of at least 4.6 billion US dollars.

Industry insiders believe that there are two main reasons for the increase in Vietnamese rice exports. Firstly, before the Indian general election in April next year, restrictions on Indian rice exports will not be relaxed. Secondly, Vietnamese rice products will be exported immediately after harvest, with good quality, high freshness, long shelf life, and the ability to meet the requirementsMarket requirements.

According to Feilong.com, recently,Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission AnnouncementNowRegarding the plan to prevent Binance from operating in the Philippines, the public is warned not to use the cryptocurrency exchange. The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission stated that it will require the National Telecommunications Commission and the Ministry of Information and Communications to block access to Binance, as Binance has no authority to sell or issue securities. In addition, Philippine authorities have also requested Google andMeta prohibits displaying Binance's online advertisements to Filipino users.

The authorities stated thatThe operator of the Binance platform has not yet been registered as a company in the Philippines and does not have the necessary licenses or authorizations to sell or provide licensesCouponsas well asThere is no license to engage in the buying and selling of securities, or to act as a broker or dealer in transactions, nor is there a license to create or operate an exchange for buying and selling securities.Except for the staff of Binance itself,Those who participate in selling or persuading Binance Investment, even through online means, may still face challenges5 millionpesoFines and21 years of imprisonment.

In response, Binance stated that,The company acknowledges and respects the statement of the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission, andCommitted to complying with applicable local regulations,Positive measures have been taken to address the concerns of the Securities and Exchange Commission.