Green leader apologises for sharing post that said officers were ‘repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head’ and says he had did so ‘in haste’

Keir Starmer has condemned Zack Polanski as “disgraceful” and unfit to head a political party after the Greens’ leader shared a social media post critical of the way police tackled the suspect in the Golders Green stabbings.

The prime minister said any criticism of the police involved in the arrest was unfair on officers having to make split-second decisions in a moment of potentially grave danger.

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean has revealed online that she is contemplating switching jobs after falling in love with her boss despite being married and having children herself, seeking advice on what she should do.

In a candid confession submitted to the SGWhispers platform, the woman described working under her supervisor for more than five years, during which she came to regard him as an exemplary mentor. She wrote that when she first joined the company, he provided her with numerous opportunities, supported her through mistakes, and was consistently willing to help.

“He was what every subordinate would ask for,” she said, noting that he never refused when she needed assistance and often guided her through both major responsibilities and smaller tasks.

Over time, their professional relationship included occasional lunches, with her boss frequently picking up the bill and even remembering her usual drink order. She also became someone he would confide in regarding work-related frustrations. At times, the pair would drive out together for meals during working hours.

She recalled small moments that stood out to her, including one instance when he placed his hand on her seat while reversing the car, which she said made her “heart flutter a lil.”

The woman also highlighted an incident during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. While participating in a department activity, her boss advised her not to attend because she was pregnant. She chose to proceed, believing the setting was manageable, but the situation changed when a participant was later identified as a close contact and asked to leave midway. She said her boss reacted with concern and reprimanded her decision.

Despite colleagues often describing her as his “favourite,” she attributed this perception to her willingness to take on assigned work, including handling multiple projects at once.

As her career progressed, however, her reporting line shifted, and she began working more closely with another senior manager. This led to fewer interactions with her former boss. More recently, she said she noticed him spending significant time mentoring new hires, which left her feeling “a tad jealous.”

The woman added that the two recently spent nearly two hours catching up over lunch and coincidentally travelled to work together on the same train. However, she felt disappointed when he appeared not to remember parts of their previous conversation.

She emphasised that their relationship had remained strictly professional, with “no flirting, nothing sexual, nothing inappropriate,” and limited to interactions during working hours. The only physical contact she described was a moment when she grabbed his arm while they were crossing the road and realised traffic was moving against them.

Reflecting on her feelings, she acknowledged finding her own situation “ridiculous,” adding that she may have developed feelings for him without realising it. “It’s just a feeling that can’t be shared with anyone, and I just need a space to get it out,” she wrote.

Seeking advice on what might be the best course of action, she added, “I think I might be a little crazy to harbour such feelings. I’m having thoughts of leaving the company…I guess I should, right?”

Netizens advised her to bury her feelings and warned her that things would not end well if she pursued her boss. Many asked her to prioritise the well-being of her children.

One commenter noted that her feelings seemed one-sided and said she may not need to quit her job if she can manage her feelings better. The commenter wrote, “I’m pretty sure your boss only interact with you because of work, to help the company, which in return lower his workload. He sounds like a guy that focuses on work.

“I remember working and feel like my boss is closer to another colleague, and I got jealous too; it’s perfectly normal. As long as you don’t went out of your way to do something impulsive and just do the work that is task to you, I think it’s fine to stay in the company.”

Another commenter urged the woman to seek professional help, saying, “Sounds pretty one-sided to me. Put in effort at home and go for counselling, it is probably more feasible than giving up your job if you still enjoy the work.”

One netizen advised, “We will all fall in love or have crushes even after we are married. The important thing is to honour your vows and don’t do anything more don’t even think and luxuriate in your day dreams.”

Others, however, felt entertaining such thoughts was already akin to cheating. One commenter wrote, “Even if you never acted on them, simply holding those thoughts and feelings still counts as infidelity.”

Quite a few commenters warned that if she chooses to act on her feelings, it will be her children who will bear the brunt of her decision and asked if she was prepared to live with such a choice.

One netizen advised, “We are all humans. It’s natural to have feelings for the other while spending time together for a period of time. The problem is what you do with these feelings that matter. It could only be a crush, so acting out could proof fatal to him and to you. So I suggest to keep it to yourself instead. Don’t act out due to impulse.”

“Every words spoken and every actions taken will have its consequences. Are you ready to bear the full responsibilities of the fallout, not only for you, your family, his feelings and his family?” he questioned.

This article (Married Singaporean woman considers leaving job after developing feelings for boss) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

Company accepts it failed to prevent bribery in connection with contracts in Algeria and Oman sought through agents

The British defence company Ultra Electronics has accepted responsibility for a failure to prevent bribery and agreed to pay £15m after an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

The penalties are part of a deferred prosecution approved by the high court on Friday, after an investigation opened in 2018 when the company referred itself to the UK law enforcement agency a month after corruption allegations were published by Algerian media.

Following up on the trend of rural experience-based retail, I spotted these Valentine’s Day offerings from my local women’s boutique, The Daisy Village. I’m seeing more and more use of the term “Bar” to refer to any assemble-your-own type experience. Think like a salad bar, where you pick just the parts you want, but for anything from western hats to charm bracelets. The fun of picking your…

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Apology comes after head of Met police said Green party leader risked undermining public confidence in his officers

Zack Polanski has apologised for sharing a social media post critical of police following the Golders Green stabbings after the head of the Metropolitan police said the Green leader risked undermining public confidence in his officers.

Polanski, who leads the Greens in England and Wales, said he was sorry for having shared someone else’s post “in haste”.

Cross-party group says closure of humanitarian unit will undermine monitoring of legal violations and arms exports

MPs have expressed alarm at the closure of the Foreign Office’s international humanitarian law unit, warning it “will impair the UK’s ability to anticipate, assess and respond to serious violations of international law across multiple contexts”.

News of the closure, revealed by the Guardian, was raised with Keir Starmer at prime minister’s questions this week by the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, Iqbal Mohamed. Starmer said the work would be undertaken by another team as part of a restructuring.

Green party leader shares statement after open letter from Met police chief Mark Rowley

• Zack Polanski apologises for sharing tweet criticising police at Golders Green stabbings

As the May elections creep closer, the leadership speculation at Westminster grows more intense. Is Keir Starmer safe and, if so, for how long?

In her analysis piece below, the Guardian’s political editor Pippa Crerar explores the state of prime minister’s leadership, why discontent is building within Labour and who the most likely challengers could be.

KOTA BHARU, May 1 — A woman’s body with 61 stab wounds was found in a paddy field in Kampung Simah, Ketereh, early this morning.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said police received a call from the public regarding the discovery of the body at about 12.30 am.

He said the case has been classified as murder and is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“An initial examination by the police forensic team found a total of 61 stab wounds on the victim’s body, from the face down to the legs.

“Most of the injuries were concentrated on the right side of the victim’s body. Preliminary investigations suggest that the victim was believed to have been killed at another location before the body was dumped in the area,” he said in a statement today.

Mohd Yusoff said the crime scene was in a dark paddy field with no street lighting, located about 47 metres from the nearest residence.

Following the discovery, the K9 Unit was deployed to conduct detection operations within a radius of about 30 metres around the area.

Commenting on the victim’s condition, he said no identification documents were found.

However, the victim was wearing a necklace bearing the inscription ‘SYAA’, along with a bracelet on the left wrist and a ring on the middle finger of the right hand.

He said the victim was clad in a black long-sleeved top and black trousers. Several other items were also found at the scene, including a pair of glasses and a light purple shawl.

“The victim’s body was taken to the Forensic Department of Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital for a post-mortem.

“However, the victim’s identity was later established through fingerprint verification conducted by the National Registration Department,” he said, urging those with information on the incident to contact investigating officer ASP Ganesan at 012-5691204. — Bernama

GEORGE TOWN, May 1 — The Penang State Government has extended the appeal period for cases arising from the implementation of the new quit rent (land tax) review until May 31, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

Chow said the decision was made through the State Executive Council (MMK) meeting dated April 29, which agreed to extend the appeal period for cases arising from the implementation of the new land tax review until May 31.

“I once again call on landowners to submit all appeals and feedback through official channels, namely to the nearest District Offices or Land and Mines Office for any concerns including confirmation of the use of current land titles for further review.

“In the meantime, MMK has also agreed to provide an exemption from late fees to all landowners who pay taxes after May 31 and the exemption will involve late fees for land tax, parcel tax and temporary block tax,” he said in a statement today.

He said the state government hoped that with the exemption from land tax, parcel tax and temporary block tax after May 31, it would give all landowners the opportunity to pay their land tax as soon as possible and avoid arrears on their tax accounts by 2027.

Chow said the approach was to help all landowners adapt to the new land tax rate changes after more than 30 years of not being reviewed and also to reduce the financial burden on landowners during this transition period.

He said that as of April 30, a total of 10,344 responses or appeals had been received. through official forms covering various aspects received by all district offices throughout the state and of that total, 4,015 cases have been resolved while 6,329 cases are still being processed by all District and Land Offices and the Penang State Land and Mines Director’s Office. — Bernama