Connect with us

Published

on

LABUAN BAJO – Asean countries cooperated well during the Covid-19 pandemic and the grouping must stay cohesive and united at the highest levels given the troubled global outlook, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday.

Addressing fellow South-east Asian leaders on the first day of the 42nd Asean Summit, PM Lee called on them to continue providing opportunities for the regions people to prosper and engage external partners.

Leaders of the regional grouping are in Labuan Bajo, a town on the western tip of Indonesias Flores island, for the two-day summit chaired by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Said PM Lee: The world has come through the Covid-19 pandemic, but the global environment is increasingly troubled. Against this backdrop, Asean must press on with our regional integration efforts.

One way for the bloc to do so is to deepen its economic collaboration and expand into new growth areas, such as the digital and green economies.

PM Lee stressed that economic integration must always remain Aseans priority.

Underscoring how effective regional integration underpins Asean centrality, he said the grouping needs to upgrade its core agreements, such as the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement, to keep them relevant to evolving business practices.

PM Lee also said Singapore strongly supports Indonesias efforts to develop the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, and welcomes the proposed Leaders Statement to develop the agreement, which is targeted to be issued later this year. We can reap tremendous economic gains by improving the digital connectivity and literacy of our peoples, he said.

Turning to the green economy, he said Singapore supports the strengthening of energy interconnectivity under Indonesias chairmanship of Asean. PM Lee held up the success of the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, and said it shows that multilateral power trading in the region is feasible.

The intergovernmental project was set up in 2014 to study the feasibility of cross-border power trade, and Singapore began importing renewable energy from Laos via Thailand and Malaysia in 2022.

We should build on this and work towards an Asean Power Grid, which will strengthen member states energy security and resilience, and advance regional decarbonisation, said PM Lee.

On Aseans external partners, PM Lee noted that negotiations on the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement Establishing the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) were recently concluded, and negotiations on a second upgrade of the Asean-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) have begun.

Both upgrades include new areas such as the digital economy, green economy and supply chain connectivity, he said. More On This Topic Asean leaders want immediate end to violence in Myanmar, urge inclusive talks Asean to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation and international position at summit Beyond the economic sphere, Asean should also step up cooperation on transnational issues. PM Lee said this includes protecting the regions people from increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.

Singapore supports Indonesias initiative for a Declaration on Combating Trafficking in Persons Caused by the Abuse of Technology, he said. Indonesia had earlier announced that human trafficking will be one of the main issues discussed at this weeks summit, amid growing concern over the rising number of cases in the region.

Asean also should enhance cyber security cooperation, said PM Lee, who added he was happy that good progress has been made on the Asean Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert) proposal. This team will strengthen regional cyber cooperation and incident response capabilities against sophisticated cyber threats, he added.

Deepening cooperation in Asean requires strong political support, said PM Lee as he called on the leaders to stay united and embrace a shared vision for Aseans future.

He welcomed statements from the leaders on the development of the future Asean community as well as strengthening the blocs capacity for institutional effectiveness. The statements, which are planned to be adopted at the summit, affirm the blocs shared commitment to the proposed core elements of the Post-2025 Vision submitted to Asean last year, said PM Lee.

He added that among other things, this vision calls on the Asean community to remain open, transparent, inclusive and rules-based, with deeper external engagements, as well as to pursue new areas of cooperation.

The vision also seeks to strengthen Asean as an institution, and PM Lee said that Singapore welcomes efforts to review the groupings capacity and institutional effectiveness. We should streamline and optimise Asean processes, and strengthen the Asean Secretariat and the role of the Asean secretary-general to enable them to more effectively implement our key priorities, he said.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak attended this weeks Asean Summit for the first time as an observer. This comes after the grouping decided at its previous summit in Cambodia to admit the island-nation in principle as its 11th member.

PM Lee said Asean looks forward to welcoming Timor-Leste into the grouping, adding that the bloc took a significant step on Wednesday by adopting the road map to its membership. Timor-Leste Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak attended this weeks Asean Summit for the first time as an observer. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO This plan sets out the obligations and commitments of membership which Timor-Leste needs to fulfil. PM Lee said the road map is robust and comprehensive, and has been extensively discussed and carefully designed.

He noted that the road map also has Aseans full support, and Singapore looks forward to working with Timor-Leste to complete all the requirements, including negotiations to accede to Aseans extensive set of treaties and agreements, so that Timor-Leste can join the grouping soon.

Singapore will continue to support Timor-Leste to build its capacity as it prepares to join Asean. I am sure fellow member states and our external partners will do so too, he said. More On This Topic Asean faces a big test at its summit: Will it rise to the challenges? Indonesias Jokowi urges dialogue for Myanmar crisis ahead of Asean Summit

Continue Reading

Business

A pub a day to close this year, industry body warns as it calls for cut to tax burden

Published

on

By

A pub a day to close this year, industry body warns as it calls for cut to tax burden

An industry body has warned that the equivalent of more than one pub a day is set to close across Great Britain this year.

According to the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), an estimated 378 venues will shut down across England, Wales and Scotland.

This would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses, the industry body warns. It has called for a reduction in the cumulative tax and regulatory burden for the hospitality sector – including cutting business rates and beer duty.

The body – representing members that brew 90% of British beer and own more than 20,000 pubs – said such measures would slow the rate at which bars are closing.

BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin said that while pubs are trading well, “most of the money that goes into the till goes straight back out in bills and taxes”.

“For many, it’s impossible to make a profit, which all too often leads to pubs turning off the lights for the last time,” she said.

“When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul, and hurts the local economy.”

She urged the government to “proceed with meaningful business rates reform, mitigate these eye-watering new employment and EPR (extended producer responsibility) costs, and cut beer duty”.

“We’re not asking for special treatment, we just want the sector’s rich potential unleashed,” she added.

Read more:
What is a wealth tax and how would it work in the UK?

Is a comeback on for the British pub?
Horner: Red Bull sacking came as a ‘shock’

The government has said it plans to reform the current business rates system, saying in March that an interim report on the measure would be published this summer.

From April, relief on property tax – that came in following the COVID-19 pandemic – was cut from 75% to 40%, leading to higher bills for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.

The rate of employer National Insurance Contributions also rose from 13.8% to 15% that month, and the wage threshold was lowered from £9,100 to £5,000, under measures announced by Rachel Reeves in the October budget.

Continue Reading

US

Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says senior Israeli official

Published

on

By

Gaza permanent ceasefire 'questionable', says senior Israeli official

A senior Israeli official has issued a less-than-optimistic assessment of the permanency of any ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity, the senior official said that a 60-day ceasefire “might” be possible within “a week, two weeks – not a day”.

But on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the official said: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement.

“But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to conclude a four-day visit to Washington later today.

There had been hope that a ceasefire could be announced during the trip. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that it’s close.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Netanyahu arrives in US for ceasefire talks

Speaking at a briefing for a number of reporters, the Israeli official would not be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

Read more: What is the possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal?

Israeli military vehicles stand near the Israel-Gaza border, in Israel.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

The official repeated Israel’s central stated war aims of getting the hostages back and eliminating Hamas. But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, the official was clear that no permanent ceasefire would be possible without the complete removal of Hamas.

“We will offer them a permanent ceasefire,” he told Sky News. “If they agree. Fine. It’s over.

“They lay down their arms, and we proceed [with the ceasefire]. If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war].”

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, the official said: “We would want IDF in every square meter of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone…”

He added: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas…”

Smoke rises in Gaza after an explosion, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
Pic: Reuters

The official said the Israeli government had “no territorial designs for Gaza”.

“But [we] don’t want Hamas there,” he continued. “You have to finish the job… victory over Hamas. You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, the official ruled out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

“They are not going to have a state in the foreseeable future as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state. It doesn’t make a difference if they are the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, it’s just a difference of tactics.”

Read more:
UN Special Rapporteur criticises Israel
Why Netanyahu only wants a 60-day ceasefire
Trump applying ‘heavy pressure’ on Netanyahu

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the official predicted that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave”.

But he claimed that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated, adding: “It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction.”

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary,” is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.

Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”

Continue Reading

UK

‘A constant game of cat and mouse’: Inside the police crackdown on illegal moped delivery drivers

Published

on

By

'A constant game of cat and mouse': Inside the police crackdown on illegal moped delivery drivers

The first thing you notice when immigration officers stop a possible illegal moped delivery driver is the speed in which the suspect quickly taps on their mobile.

“We’re in their WhatsApp groups – they’ll be telling thousands now that we’re here… so our cover is blown,” the lead immigration officer tells me.

“It’s like a constant game of cat and mouse.”

Twelve Immigration Enforcement officers, part of the Home Office, are joining colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police in a crackdown on road offences and migrants working illegally.

Police chase suspected illegal immigrant working as a delivery drivers

The West of England and Wales has seen the highest number of arrests over the last year for illegal workers outside of London.

“It is a problem… we’re tackling it,” Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says. He covers all the devolved nations.

“This is just one of the operations going on around the country, every day of the week, every month of the year.”

Murad Mohammed from Immigration Enforcement
Image:
Murad Mohammed, from Immigration Enforcement, says his team are attempting to tackle the issue

Just outside the Cabot Circus shopping complex, we stop a young Albanian man who arrived in the UK on the back of a truck.

He’s on an expensive and fast-looking e-bike, with a new-looking Just Eat delivery bag.

He says he just uses it for “groceries” – but the officer isn’t buying it. He’s arrested, but then bailed instantly.

A man inspects the Just Eat food delivery bag of a suspected illegal immigrant working as a delivery driver

We don’t know the specifics of his case, but one officer tells me this suspected offence won’t count against his asylum claim.

Such is the scale of the problem – the backlog, loopholes and the complexity of cases – that trying to keep on top of it feels impossible.

This is one of many raids happening across the UK as part of what the government says is a “blitz” targeting illegal working hotspots.

Angela Eagle, the border security and asylum minister, joins the team for an hour at one of Bristol’s retail parks, scattered with fast food chains and, therefore, delivery bikes.

Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum
Image:
Border security and asylum minister, Angela Eagle, speaks to Sky News

She says arrests for illegal working are up over the last year by 51% from the year before, to more than 7,000.

“If we find you working, you can lose access to the hotel or the support you have [been] given under false pretences,” she said.

“We are cracking down on that abuse, and we intend to keep doing so.”

A suspected illegal immigrant working as a delivery driver being arrested

There are reports that asylum seekers can rent legitimate delivery-driver accounts within hours of arriving in the country – skipping employment legality checks.

Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat all told Sky News they’re continuing to strengthen the technology they use to remove anyone working illegally.

But a new Border Security Bill, working its way through Parliament, could see companies fined £60,000 for each illegal worker discovered, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

“I had them all in to see me last week and I told them in no uncertain terms that we take a very tough line on this kind of abuse and they’ve got to change their systems so they can drive it out and off their platforms,” the minister tells me.

Read more:
Welfare bill passes final Commons stage after another concession
Ex-Tory chairman defects to Reform
Wealth tax could be coming to the UK – what is it?

The gig economy – so prevalent in every city – creates another incentive for those wanting to risk their lives coming to the UK illegally.

More than 20,000 migrants have crossed the English Channel to the UK in 2025 – a record number at this point of the year.

A suspected illegal immigrant working as a delivery driver holds his helmet

For some of those who arrive, a bike and a phone provide a way to repay debts to gang masters.

There were eight arrests today in Bristol, one or two taken into custody, but it was 12 hours of hard work by a dozen immigration officers and the support of the police.

As two mopeds are pushed onto a low-loader, you can’t help but feel, despite the best intentions, that at the moment, this is a losing battle.

Continue Reading

Trending