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Former U.S. President George W Bush was filmed accidentally describing the invasion of Iraq as “brutal” and “unjustified” during a speech about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Reuters reported .

The incident occurred while he was speaking at an event in Dallas, Texas, on May 18, with a clip of the moment going viral on Twitter .

What exactly did he say?

Bush had been criticising the political system of Russia, saying that elections in the country are “rigged”.

He further said that “political opponents are imprisoned or otherwise eliminated from participating in the electoral process”.

He then corrected himself, saying:

“The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq. I mean of Ukraine.”

The gaffe drew laughter from the crowd.

Bush could then be heard chuckling slightly adding, “Iraq… anyway” before saying, “I’m 75.”

Speaking in Dallas this afternoon, former President George. W Bush made a significant verbal slip-up while discussing the war in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tw0VNJzKmE

— Michael Williams (@michaeldamianw) May 19, 2022

What were the consequences of the invasion of Iraq?

In 2003, when Bush was still president, the U.S. oversaw an invasion of Iraq on the grounds that it possessed weapons of mass destruction.

These were never found.

It is estimated that at least 200,000 civilians died as a result of the invasion, according to The Washington Post .

During the U.S. presidential election in 2016, former President Donald Trump called the war a “big, fat mistake” on the part of Bush and alleged that the justification for the invasion was a lie.

As for Bush’s brother Jeb, The Washington Post further reported that when asked by a debate moderator in 2015 if the invasion was a mistake, the then-presidential candidate had also acknowledged it was wrong and based on “faulty intelligence”.

Slip of the tongue draws backlash

Bush’s slip of the tongue subsequently drew backlash online from both ends of the political spectrum in the U.S.

A former state senator for Ohio with the Democratic party, Nina Turner, described his speech as “sickening” as he laughed after having “admitted to being a war criminal”.

George W. Bush is a war criminal.

— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) May 19, 2022

George W. Bush just admitted to being a war criminal of the likes of Vladimir Putin, then laughed.

— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) May 19, 2022

Mehdi Hasan, a news host and liberal commentator on MSNBC described Bush’s slip-up as “one of the biggest Freudian slips of all time”, and said that he did not find it funny, given the casualties involved.

“I’m not laughing & I am guessing nor are the families of the 1000s of American troops & the 100s of 1000s of Iraqis who died in that war.” #MSNBCPrime tonight: pic.twitter.com/tijp5QVvWY

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 19, 2022

Meanwhile, Tim Young, a columnist from the conservative media outlet The Washington Times described Bush as “trash” after he allegedly “joked” about the invasion of Iraq, given the number of Americans who were “sent to die by him for a lie”.

George W. Bush joked about invading Iraq tonight… what a trash person.

— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 19, 2022

Prior to his slip-up, Bush likened Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to a 21st century Winston Churchill.

Bush is also known for his verbal faux pas throughout his career. His slip-ups have even resulted in the coining of the term “Bushisms”, which encompass the various malapropisms and Freudian slips that he made publicly.

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Top screenshot via Michael Williams/Twitter

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When it rains, it pours for crypto-mogul Kwon Do Hyeong, more commonly known as Do Kwon.

The beleaguered founder of the TerraUSD (UST) and Luna cryptocurrencies now reportedly finds himself slapped with a massive tax bill in his native of South Korea, the conclusion of an investigation into whether he had evaded tax payments.

According to Hankyung, Kwon, his company Terraform Labs, and other related officials, have been told to pay a levy of over 100 billion won (S$108.5 million) for dodging corporate and income tax.

South Korea’s National Tax Service was first put on alert before Luna’s crash when Kwon made moves to liquidate a domestic corporation and take up residence overseas.

The move was believed to have been sparked by Kwon’s unhappiness with the country’s taxation policy.

The investigation alleged that Terraform Labs had sent cryptocurrencies between its Singapore-registered entities in a bid to avoid paying tax in South Korea.

South Korean tax authorities concluded that despite the transaction occurring overseas, they should be subjected to domestic taxes based on the actual location of Terraform Lab’s management.

Kwon may also be ordered to pay taxes imposed on Bitcoin acquired and sold by Luna Foundation Guard, reported Hankyung.

Luna Foundation Guard was once touted as the second-largest known holder of Bitcoin.

Luna and Terra’s downfall

Luna, UST, and Kwon have all been in the news recently due to the sudden collapse of the cryptocurrencies.

Both Luna and UST were launched in 2018 and are part of the Terra blockchain.

UST, also referred to simply as Terra, was touted as a stablecoin pegged to the United States dollar using an algorithm.

The price of UST and Luna collapsed as a result of a bank run by holders and selling pressure.

Prior to the crash, Luna was on a massive run, up more than 1,000 per cent over six months.

Kwon has also made headlines in Singapore after a police report was lodged against him and his company.

According to The Straits Times , the police are not investigating the accusations made in the report.

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Top image from Terra’s YouTube Channel

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A polytechnic student in Singapore has pleaded guilty to four charges of making explosives without a licence, committing a rash act with a dangerous substance likely to cause hurt or injury to others, and abetting such an act, CNA reported.

Another three charges will also be considered when he is sentenced in June 2022.

He cannot be named as he was under 18 when he committed the offences.

The Children and Young Persons Act bans the identification of such young offenders.

What happened

In April 2019, during the Covid-19 circuit breaker period, the then-17-year-old allegedly detonated two “sparkler bombs” while at the beach area along East Coast Parkway, according to The Straits Times .

After placing one of them on a raised platform, he told his friend to light it up and throw it towards the sea.

His friend obliged, and the teen recorded the explosion, subsequently uploading a video on his Instagram account.

The device is reported to have emitted a series of flashes, and an explosion was also heard in the footage.

Built improvised pipe bombs

Between May and June 2020, he started building improvised pipe bombs and purchased 200 boxes of matchsticks to do so, CNA additionally reported.

On June 7 of the same year, the teen met a friend at East Coast Park and decided to detonate the bombs near the Skate Park. He had with him several sparkler bombs and two pipe bombs.

After his sparkler bombs produced flames but did not explode, the teen picked one of them up and threw it towards a grass patch. It exploded upon impact.

He took a video of another explosion after placing the pipe bombs on a grass patch, lighting it and running away.

One of the pipe bombs emitted sparks and caused a loud explosion. The teen again shared the footage on his Instagram account.

He brought the other pipe bomb that had failed to explode home and threw it away in the rubbish chute.

Police report made days later

On June 19, a police report was lodged online about an Instagram user posting footage of homemade explosives, ST reported.

The teen’s home was raided at 1am on June 20, and items related to the construction of homemade bombs were discovered and seized, CNA reported.

Teenager pleads guilty, says he’s remorseful

Now 19, the teen, who is pursuing a diploma in aerospace engineering, admitted to the charges in court on May 19, according to CNA .

He said he committed the offences because he likes to do “hands-on stuff”, but acknowledged that “there is a right way and wrong to do it”.

The court also heard that he was treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder.

District Judge Kessler Soh remarked, according to CNA : “You might like to tinker with things and experiment, but there is a right way to do it, as you said.”

Soh called for a report to assess if he is suitable for probation, but has not ruled out the possibility of reformative training.

Probation is usually offered to first-time offenders aged between 16 and 21 and does not result in a criminal record. It also allows young offenders to continue with their education or employment while serving their sentences.

Those who commit a rash act with a dangerous substance or combustible matter likely to cause hurt or injury to another person, or abet such an act can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to S$5,000, or both.

Those who manufacture explosives without a licence can be jailed for up to three years and fined up to S$10,000.

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Top image via Google Maps street view.

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People in Singapore have stepped up to help out a food stall owner, who appeared emotional and vulnerable in a video interview, where he said his business was not doing well and he is at risk of falling deeper into debt and getting kicked out of his current location.

The video , put up on Facebook on May 19, was made by Chef Bob , also known as Shahrizal Salleh, who is a celebrity chef and TV personality here, as a way to spread the word around the community to help boost sales for the stall.

The interview featured French-born Muslim convert Umar Fabrice, who opened Mat Western , a Muslim-owned Western stall at a coffee shop at Block 122 Bedok North Street 2.

The stall started business on Oct. 29, 2021.

@hikipedia Let’s support him and spread the word around! credit: @Chef Bob #matwestern #localhalalfood #halalfoodsg #goodvibes ♬ original sound – Hikipedia

Experienced executive chef

Umar is an experienced chef who attended culinary school in France and has worked as an executive chef in both France and Singapore, such as at the now-defunct European restaurant 7Adam.

According to the video, Umar has not been drawing a salary for 1.5 years during the period he was running his own business.

Umar said his business has been in steady decline after the recent Chinese New Year period, and he is behind on his rental for his stall and miscellaneous utilities.

The video caption also said he owes money to the landlord and suppliers.

At one point, Umar appeared emotional and started to cry.

He had also supposedly contemplated borrowing money from unlicensed money lenders just to keep the business afloat.

The video then featured quick cuts of Umar’s fare sold at the stall.

Food sold out

And it appeared help arrived swiftly after one version of the video was shared more than 3,600 times, with other copies making the rounds online.

Within the same day the videos went up, a photo uploaded to the Halal Cafe & Restaurants in Singapore Facebook group with more than 180,000 members showed the aftermath of the community stepping up: Food at Mat Western was sold out for the day as overwhelming support poured in.

As a result of the mass orders, the stall had to close early given that food ran out.

More sustained help needed

However, the one-day boost might not be enough.

According to the video where Umar was interviewed, the caption indicated that he requires about S$1,700 a day in sales for the next 10 days to prevent being evicted.

Quick math suggests Umar would need to make S$17,000 in total in less than two weeks and this is only the start.

Background

It was previously reported when the stall first opened that it sold pizza and Western food that ranged from S$10 to S$15.

Most reviews on its Facebook page had praised Mat Western for its affordable yet good quality Western fare.

The stall was initially opened in February 2021 in a canteen at the Jurong Pier industrial area.

While business was good at the start, the lockdowns and two-pax restrictions reduced footfall to the stall during the pandemic.

In addition, the stall’s distance from residential areas made delivery difficult.

But business initially improved after Mat Western moved from Jurong to Bedok North.

Top photos via Chef Bob video & Mohd Khair

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Employees of KPMG in Singapore will be looking forward to their next pay cheque after the accounting firm committed about S$25 million to salary increments.

As part of the move, starting pay for entry-level professional employees will increase by up to 20 per cent.

In a May 19 press release, KPMG said that the majority of its staff in Singapore would benefit from the salary adjustments.

The firm also announced that it would pay out “market-competitive bonuses” while splashing S$30 million on a “lifelong learning programme” for its 3,200-strong local workforce.

Signalling the importance of staff

Ong Pang Thye, managing partner of KPMG in Singapore, described the raises as the firm’s way of signalling to staff and stakeholders the “critical importance of professional services, auditors and advisers to the continued functioning of the financial markets”.

“We do not take for granted the pivotal role that each employee plays in creating measurable change that betters life for countries, companies and communities,” he said.

In addition, the firm called the pay hike “timely” given the increasing complexity of businesses, citing evolved tax and audit requirements, widening stakeholder expectations, and the need for deeper expertise.

The S$30 million investment into its “lifelong learning programme” will take place over the next five years.

“Training will focus on futurist capabilities, harnessing skillsets such as data and digital literacy as well as valuing and creating measurable impact, alongside environmental, social, and governance topics,” read the press release.

Pay increases in Singapore

The results of a survey published at the start of 2022 found that employers in Singapore were planning to offer employees pay increases in the face of inflation and a talent crunch, reported The Straits Times .

Conducted by advisory firm Willis Towers Watson, bosses surveyed were expected to offer an average increase of 3.8 per cent this year, up from 3.4 per cent in 2021.

Regionally, the financial services industry was projected to experience a 4.85 per cent increase in pay.

KPMG said their Singapore-based pay increases represented continued confidence in the country’s economic outlook.

Globally, the Big Four accounting firm reported annual aggregated global revenues of US$32.13 billion (S$44.29 billion) for the financial year ending in 2021 — a 10 per cent increase from the previous year.

Top image from KPMG website