Singapore Local News, 2011-02-28

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Forbes Travel Guide heads for Singapore Hotels and spas in Singapore will soon be rated by Forbes Travel Guide for the first time......     4 years' jail for serial thief who targeted elderly Shaffiq Alkhatib..... Upgrading works at Ang Mo Kio hawker centre The market-cum-hawker centre at Block 409, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, will be closed for upgrading works from Tuesday...... Breakthrough in skin cancer research An international team of scientists, including those from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) in Singapore, has made a breakthrough in skin cancer research...... Channel NewsAsia recognises outstanding Asian business leaders The inaugural Channel NewsAsia Luminary Awards held on February 25 recognised outstanding Asian business leaders who inspire and motivate......

RP chief to contest in Radin Mas? The now-defunct Anson constituency was the stage for a historic win in 1981 by the late Opposition leader J B Jeyaretnam, allowing him to break the People's Action Party monopoly on Parliamentary seats......     MND revises rates for development charges The Ministry of National Development (MND) has revised the rates for development charges for the period between March 1 and August 31 this year...... SIM University to offer Master of Gerontology From July this year, SIM University will offer a Master of Gerontology, the first of its kind in Singapore...... Visitor arrivals to Singapore hit record International visitor arrivals to Singapore grew 16.2 per cent to reach 1,055,000 in January...... Whistle-blowing policy clarified: DPM Teo The Public Service Division has clarified the processes for officers in the Civil Service to report wrongful practices or behaviour...... Majority of S'poreans support HOTA, says Health Minister As of last December, nearly 2,460 organ transplants from deceased donors were successfully carried out, since the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) was introduced in 1987...... Forbes Travel Guide to rate S'pore's hotels and spas Hotels and spas in Singapore will soon be rated by Forbes Travel Guide for the first time...... Serial thief sentenced to four years jail A serial thief who made off with more than S$330,000 in cash and valuables was sentenced on Monday to four years' jail...... Budget 2011: MPs offer suggestions to help SMEs cope with rising costs Singapore's Parliament has kicked off the debate on the Government's Budget for the financial year 2011-2012...... IDA issues Code of Practice to ensure secure internet infrastructure The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has issued Internet Service Providers (ISP) a Code which seeks to ensure that their infrastructure is secure and resilient...... New breakthrough in skin cancer research An international team of scientists, including those from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) in Singapore, has discovered the reason why a rare skin cancer called multiple self-healing squamous epithelioma (MSSE), heals by itself...... HDB launches three BTO projects in Sengkang, Bukit Panjang The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has launched three Build-To-Order (BTO) projects comprising 1,593 standard flats...... GCE 'A' level results to be released on March 4 The GCE 'A' Level examination results will be released on Friday, March 4......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-27

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PUB pushing households to save water National water agency PUB is making another push to get households to save water, with a water conservation awareness programme......     GE: Kenneth Jeyaretnam eyeing Radin Mas SMC? The Reform Party's secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam said he may contest in a Single Member Constituency (SMC)...... SAF sends aircraft to aid quake-hit Christchurch Two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 military transport aircraft were sent to help airlift humanitarian aid and supplies to victims in quake-hit Christchurch, New Zealand......

Portsdown memory lane... It used to be where Singapore's military vehicles were produced but come September, the building that houses defence company ST Kinetics at Portsdown Road will be demolished to make way for Singapore's new digital media hub - Mediapolis......     French visitor impressed by Singapore's transport system French Secretary of State for Transport Thierry Mariani says he is impressed by Singapore's efficient transportation system...... GE: Is he a new PAP candidate? NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Ong Ye Kung said political work will be complementary to his responsibilities in the labour movement...... Man arrested for loanshark activities Police arrested a 30-year-old man on Saturday evening for suspected involvement in loanshark activities...... GE: Electoral boundary redraw "not critical factor" Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has said the quality of candidates and reputation of the political party are more critical considerations for the General Election than the re-drawing of electoral boundaries......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-26

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Online guide launched for caregivers and patients SINGAPORE -Caregivers and patients requiring long-term care can now turn to a new online guide for information and resources......

Gender or race no obstacle in SMCs? Neither a woman nor a minority race candidate has been fielded in a single seat for the past two decades, and political analysts think the People's Action Party is going to take a big step forward during the coming polls......     More competition for tour operators at NATAS Fair Singapore's largest travel fair, the NATAS Travel Fair, is seeing intense competition amongst tour operators this year...... Up close and personal with the Merlion For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Merlion will spend about two months in a five-star hotel room, starting next month, from March 13 to May 15. It is part of an installation by Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi...... GE: Sembawang MP welcomes boundary changes Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Health, Hawazi Daipi, says the changes in the electoral boundaries for Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) will allow MPs to be more focused in serving residents...... GE: Deputy PM Teo says electoral boundaries redrawn to better serve residents Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean has expressed hope that his Pasir Ris-Punggol residents will have a chance to vote in the next General Election...... CNA Primetime Morning to go 'live' outdoors Primetime Morning, the programme that viewers wake up to on Channel NewsAsia every weekday morning, will broadcast from outdoors for the first time...... Singaporeans safely evacuated from Tripoli, says MFA Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) says all 10 Singaporeans who were in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, have left the city safely......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-25

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Colombian manager molests 11-year-old .....     Three charged with stealing cough mixture, painkillers ..... Former manager charged with CBT and forgery .....

Reform Party looks West With or without an alliance with the Singapore People's Party - which is helmed by veteran Opposition leader Chiam See Tong - the Reform Party (RP) is going ahead with its plans to contest several constituencies in the western part of the island......     Group to track prices of basic food items SINGAPORE : The government has launched a Retail Price Watch Group (RPWG) to keep track of retail prices and address concerns of any alleged profiteering and excessive pricing of daily necessities and food items...... Boustead successfully evacuates non-Libyan staff SINGAPORE : Boustead Singapore has said all its 31 non-Libyan staff have been safely and successfully evacuated out of the North African country...... Singapore's human rights record under UN scrutiny The Singapore government has submitted its on the country's human rights track record to the United Nations, as part of a review of all UN member states...... Golf: Arimura holds lead in Singapore SINGAPORE : Japan's Chie Arimura maintained her clubhouse lead on Friday at the HSBC Women's Golf tournament in Singapore, firing a six-under par 66 to hold a two-stroke advantage over Australia's Karrie Webb...... Singapore Food Trail officially opens at Singapore Flyer SINGAPORE : Singapore's first 1960s-themed food street, Singapore Food Trail, was officially opened on Friday morning...... Long-term care online portal launched SINGAPORE : Caregivers and patients requiring long-term care can now turn to a new online guide for information and resources...... 'Burn minister' man's case dropped The man who was arrested for purportedly inciting violence by posting negative remarks on Facebook against a minister has had his case dropped, police confirmed on Friday...... Two contracts for Downtown Line Stage 3 awarded SINGAPORE : The Land Transport Authority has awarded the first two civil contracts for the Downtown Line Stage 3 (DTL3) projects, totalling S$480.38 million...... Two molesters dealt with in court Two men were dealt with in a district court on Friday for molesting girls in separate incidents...... Former manager charged with CBT, forgery A former administrative manager of a ship design company was charged on Friday with six counts of criminal breach of trust and another two with forgery involving nearly S$720,000 in all...... GE: PM Lee says new electoral map should lower hurdles for contesting parties Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said changes to Singapore's electoral map should lower the hurdles for parties intending to contest the elections...... Ex-SEA Games medalist fined for vice activities Former South East Asian Games taekwondo gold medalist Wong Jing Ching was fined S$29,000 on Friday morning for bringing women into Singapore for prostitution and offering bribes to hotel security officers...... Dr Tony Tan awarded medal in New York NEW YORK: Dr Tony Tan has been awarded the Foreign Policy Association medal...... GE: Electoral Division checks ready Singapore: The Electoral Division of Singapore voters in the upcoming General Election can be checked from Friday......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-24

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Govt accepts Electorial Boundaries Review Committee report The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report was released on Thursday at 3pm......

Man fined for smuggling puppy without licence from Malaysia A scuba-diving instructor was fined the maximum S$10,000 for bringing in a puppy from Malaysia without a licence......     More SCDF rescuers reach Christchurch A second wave of 22 Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers landed in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon to help with search and rescue operations...... GE: Nee Soon GRC a logical change for the area, says Shanmugam Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, a member of the Sembawang GRC, believes that having the new Nee Soon GRC is a logical change...... GE: MP Michael Palmer looking forward to Punggol East SMC contest Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC's Member of Parliament, Michael Palmer, whose division has now been carved out as the Punggol East single member constituency (SMC), is looking forward to contesting it in the next General Election...... S'pore moves up 28 places in gender gap ranking SINGAPORE : Singapore has made significant improvements in closing the gender gap...... Christchurch search and rescue joined by SCDF team The SCDF Operation Lionheart contingent has carried out search and rescue operations at six different areas in Christchurch, after arriving on Wednesday...... Three men arrested for clinic break-in Three men have been arrested for a series of break-ins at clinics in Thomson Road and Ang Mo Kio, to steal cough mixtures and medicines...... More taking part in CDC events More than one million residents participated in Community Development Council (CDC) programmes and events last year, a 23 per cent increase over 874,900 residents in 2009...... GE: Ho Peng Kee feels tinge of sadness SINGAPORE : Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and MP for Nee Soon East, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, has said he feels a tinge of sadness that Nee Soon East will now be part of a larger Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC)...... GE: 11 new constituencies drawn up Singapore: The recommendations of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee which will be implemented at the next General Election, sees more than half of the 12 Single Member Constituencies drawn up being new ones...... GE: How many voters does each GRC get? The Electoral Boundaries Review committee in its report said it has decided to work on a range of 20,000 to 36,000 voters per MP, with a 30 per cent variation as in past practice...... GE: Reform Party to contest 2 GRCs, 3 SMCs Among the first few opposition parties to respond to the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report, is the Reform Party, which has been recently hit by a spate of resignations by some key members of its Central Executive Committee...... GE: SDA to contest Punggol East, Sengkang West SMCs The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) has expressed interest in contesting the Punggol East and Sengkang West single member constituencies (SMCs)...... Alleged gang robbers arrested Police have arrested six Thai nationals, aged between 31 and 47 years old, for their alleged involvement in a gang robbery along Yishun Avenue 6 early Thursday morning...... GE: Amy Khor ready for new SMC MP for Hong Kah Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Amy Khor said she is ready to stand in the newly announced Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency (SMC)...... Man jailed, caned for rioting An unemployed man was on Thursday jailed 30 months and given three strokes of the cane for being part of a brawl that led to the death of 38-year-old cleaner Lim Eng Soon last year...... S'poreans in Christchurch safe: MFA The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said its high commission in Wellington has been in touch with Singaporeans in Christchurch...... GE: Counting down to the General Election The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report was released on Thursday, a clear sign the General Election is around the corner...... GE: Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report accepted The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report was released on Thursday at 3pm...... CEA public registry to display photos of salespersons online Consumers will be able to view photographs of registered salespersons online from March 1...... PUB to expand Changi Water Reclamation Plant National water agency PUB will be expanding the Changi Water Reclamation Plant to treat an additional 60,000 cubic meters per day...... More people commuting to work by MRT There were more people commuting to work by MRT over the past 10 years...... New training programme for maritime careers Aspiring seafarers can now look forward to a new opportunity to up-skill in areas such as navigation, operation of bunker tankers, and passenger vessels......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-23

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Woman faces three counts of maid abuse A self-employed woman has been hauled to court for allegedly burning her Indonesian maid's left arm with a heated metal spoon and scratching her body and hand with a pin......

SCDF rescuers reach Christchurch The first Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team deployed to help with rescue operations in Christchurch arrived in New Zealand at 1335hrs Singapore time......     Woman accused of abusing Indonesian maid SINGAPORE : A 31-year-old woman has been hauled to court for allegedly abusing her Indonesian maid...... Stranded passengers leave S'pore for NZ One-hundred-and-sixty-eight passengers, who were stranded for a day at Changi Airport because of the earthquake in Christchurch, are on their way to the quake-hit city...... SAF assists with rescue operations in Christchurch SINGAPORE : A 116-strong Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) team has begun to assist the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and local authorities with rescue operations and providing humanitarian aid to victims of the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand ..... Honduran President visits S'pore The President of Honduras is in Singapore for a three-day working visit...... Don't buy these 'traditional medicines', says HSA The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has warned the public against taking three health products that are "sold under the disguise of traditional medicines"...... No major tour disruptions following Christchurch quake SINGAPORE : New Zealand tourism officials have said they are advising travellers to avoid any non-essential travel to or from Christchurch over the next seven days...... Budget measures aimed at the future: Tharman SINGAPORE : Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said the latest Budget is one that is fundamentally about the future, with the bulk of the money set aside to raise productivity over the next 10 years...... Two online vice syndicates smashed SINGAPORE : Police have smashed two online vice syndicates operating in private apartments...... COE prices increase across the board The Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices have gone up across the board in the latest bidding exercise, which ended on Wednesday...... Caltex to raise pump prices Prices of petrol in Singapore have gone up again...... Man fined S$10,000 for unlicensed puppy A scuba diving instructor was fined the maximum S$10,000 for bringing in a puppy from Malaysia without a licence...... Contractor fined S$150,000 for train disruption An earthworks contractor has been fined S$150,000 for damaging an electricity cable last August that disrupted electricity supply to Bishan and Ang Mo Kio, and affected MRT train services...... Nine members leave Reform Party Secretary General of The Reform Party, Mr Kenneth Jeyaratnam has confirmed the resignations of at least nine Reform Party members which include five in its central executive committee...... SCDF sends 55-member team to Christchurch A 55-member Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) contingent left Singapore for Christchurch, New Zealand on Wednesday morning to assist in the search and rescue operations there...... Employer charged with maid abuse A 31-year-old woman has been hauled to court for allegedly burning her Indonesian maid's left arm with a heated metal spoon and scratching her body and hand with a pin...... S'pore leaders send condolences to New Zealand Singapore's leaders have sent condolence letters to New Zealand following Tuesday's devastating earthquake, which has killed 75 people, so far...... SIA delays, re-routes flights to Christchurch Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced delays as well as re-routing of its flights in and out of Christchurch, New Zealand......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-22

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Elderly man jailed 3 months for two offences An elderly man was, yesterday, jailed a total of three months for forgery and for allowing a syndicate to use his identity card to file a false notice of marriage......     Free induction cookers for elderly to promote fire safety A pilot project to ensure the safety of the elderly in Toa Payoh will be launched, this Saturday......

High Court rejects former teacher's appeal The High Court has rejected the appeal of a former primary school teacher against his 10-month jail term for asking two 13-year-old boys to allow him to watch them masturbate......     LTA's motorised bike rules effective The new penalties on illegally fitted motorised bicycles introduced by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in January have proven to be effective...... High Court orders SMC to explain complaint dismissal The High Court on Tuesday ordered the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) to give a detailed explanation to a patient's husband for not launching an inquiry into her gynaecologist's conduct...... Alleged insurance cheat charged A 44-year-old man has been charged with giving false information to the police and filing false insurance claims...... Honduran President to visit S'pore Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa will be in Singapore for a three-day working visit starting Wednesday...... S'poreans give positive Budget feedback Government feedback unit REACH said it has received generally positive responses from Singaporeans about Budget 2011...... ASEAN reiterates call for Cambodia,Thailand to find amicable solution ASEAN Foreign Ministers have received an update from Cambodia and Thailand on the situation at their disputed border around the ancient Preah Vihar temple...... Manpower Minister Gan says productivity is important for growth SINGAPORE : Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has defended the latest increase in foreign worker levy announced in the Budget Statement last Friday, pointing out that productivity improvements are an important part of the country's growth strategy...... Registers of Electors certified Over 2.35 million Singaporeans have registered to vote ahead of the next general election due by February 2012. The Elections Department said the registers for all 23 electoral divisions were certified on February 22...... NTU launches virtual job fair The National Technological University (NTU) has launched a virtual career fair, believed to be the region's first, for its students and potential employees...... HDB launches sale of Bendemeer and Tampines condo sites The Housing & Development Board (HDB) will on Wednesday launch two sites at Bendemeer Road/Whampoa East and Tampines Central 7 for sale...... SIA delays flight to Christchurch Singapore Airlines said it is delaying its flight from Singapore to Christchurch on Tuesday evening...... Singapore Navy appoints new chief The Singapore Navy will have a new chief next month...... Free stoves to elderly to promote safe cooking A pilot project to ensure the safety of the elderly in Toa Payoh will be launched Saturday, with 83 under-privileged senior citizens receiving induction heat stoves for cooking...... No reports of Singaporeans affected by New Zealand quake: MFA Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it has not received any reports of Singaporeans affected by the quake, as of 12pm local time on Tuesday...... Seafood company owner faces 223 corruption charges The sole-proprietor of a seafood company has been charged with 223 counts of corruption involving over S$990,000...... NSAs to receive 24% increase in funding in 2011 The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) will disburse S$67.2 million to National Sports Associations (NSA) starting April 2011, a 24 per cent increase compared to last year...... Channel NewsAsia marks anniversary with outdoor show On March 1, Channel NewsAsia will celebrate its 12th anniversary while the Primetime Morning marks its 10th birthday......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-21

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Caltex reduce diesel price Caltex has reduced the price of diesel by S$0.01 a litre......     Bankrupt jailed eight weeks for entering casino despite exclusion order against him. A bankrupt was jailed eight weeks, yesterday, for using his wife's identity card to enter the casino at Resorts World Sentosa on May 29, last year...... National serviceman on 18 months' probation for sex with minor A full-time national serviceman who could have passed a sexually transmitted disease to an underaged girl when they had unprotected sex was given 18 months' probation, yesterday......

Potential GE candidates? One has been doing grassroots work for more than a year; the other has been involved in constituency activities for the past three months. Both appeared side by side yesterday, along with other Members of Parliament in Ang Mo Kio Group Representation.....     Woman jailed for robbery, drug offences A female robber, who used chilli powder to attack her victim, was on Monday jailed a total of 10 years and fined S$30,000 for robbery, drug- and loansharking-related offences...... Foreign Minister George Yeo in Jakarta for informal ASEAN meet Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo will be in Jakarta on Tuesday to attend an informal ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting...... Man jailed for using wife's IC to enter casino SINGAPORE : A 47-year-old man was jailed eight weeks on Monday for using his wife's identity card (IC) to enter the casino at Resorts World Sentosa on May 29 last year...... Snatch thief detained by public-spirited trio A condominium security guard and two members of the public helped detain a 24-year-old male suspect who had snatched an elderly victim's handbag on Sunday afternoon...... NSman on probation for having sex with minor SINGAPORE : A full-time national serviceman who could have passed a sexually transmitted disease to an underage girl when they had unprotected sex was given 18 months' probation on Monday...... Austrian President in S'pore for state visit Visiting Austrian President, Dr Heinz Fischer, who is in Singapore for a three-day state visit, was given a ceremonial welcome at the Istana on Monday morning...... "It's A Great Great World" breaks S$2m box office mark Local film "It's A Great Great World" has broken the S$2 million box office mark...... Pervert teacher's appeal rejected Former primary school teacher Chock Soon Seng, who had been jailed 10 months for trying to get two boys to masturbate in front of him, had his appeal rejected on Monday by the High Court...... Foreign worker levies to increase, says MOM Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is sending a strong signal to businesses to invest in productivity changes and reduce their reliance on low-skilled foreign workers...... Former American footballer sentenced to 16 months' jail A former American footballer was sentenced on Monday to 16 months' jail after receiving cash worth more than S$330,000 in a telephone scam...... Battlestar Galactica reopens The world's tallest duelling roller-coaster the Battlestar Galactica re-opened on Monday after eleven months of being grounded...... Elderly woman jailed for stabbing flatmate An elderly woman was jailed 10 months on Monday for stabbing her flatmate with a carving knife and hitting his head with a hammer...... Cracked windshield forces SIA plane to land A Singapore Airlines plane bound for Melbourne had to turn back to Changi Airport early Monday morning......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-20

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George Yeo to visit India Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo will make a two-day visit to New Delhi, India from 20-21 February to participate in the meeting of the Interim Governing Board (IGB) of Nalanda University......     Minister quizzed at residents' dialogue The issue of overcrowding and increase in new immigrants were the main issues raised at a dialogue on Sunday afternoon, attended by Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew at Tampines Primary School......

Low-wage workers' needs addressed Labour Chief Lim Swee Say said he is happy that the government has responded well to the needs of low-wage workers under the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme......     Budget pro-growth & prudent, says PM Lee Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has described the Singapore Budget as "pro-growth" and "prudent"......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-19

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Building a stronger society Faced with the immediate worry of inflation's impact on Singaporeans, as well as the longer-term challenge of ensuring that real incomes continue to grow and the lower-income are not left behind, the Government on Friday unveiled its heftiest Budget .....

Needy students to get S$4.7m help Needy students got a further leg up from the Government yesterday with a one-off top-up of S$4.7 million, which will be put into the funds of school advisory committees and school management committees......     Raising fertility rate requires change in attitude: SM Goh Getting Singaporeans to have more babies is not just about affordability, but may require a mindset change, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong...... S'pore has made progress in promoting its heritage: Foreign Minister Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said Singapore has made much progress in promoting its heritage over the past 20 years...... MediaCorp hosts beneficiaries from HCA Hospice Singapore's leading media company, MediaCorp, hosted beneficiaries from its adopted charity, HCA Hospice at its premises on Saturday...... Justice Training Centre set up to train lawyers in region Singapore will serve as a base to train lawyers, officials and justice advocates in developing countries in the region, with the aim of equipping them with skills and the know-how to provide legal aid to their citizens...... Online security not major concern for S'pore youths, says survey Singapore youths do not appear to be paying enough attention to online security and privacy, according to a survey by Singapore Polytechnic...... VWOs in long-term care say govt support will reduce deficits Volunteer Welfare Organisations in the long-term care sector said enhanced government support as announced in the Budget Statement, will help reduce their deficits...... Taxi healthcare scheme gets govt support Singapore's National Taxi Association (NTA) said it is delighted that the government is giving full support to its recently-launched "Drive and Save" (DAS) scheme for taxi drivers......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-18

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Expect a wet weekend ahead ... High tides and heavy rain are expected over the weekend......     Kah Motor: 1,900 Hondas affected The official distributor of Honda cars here, Kah Motor, said close to 1,900 vehicles it had sold were affected by the global recall announced on Thursday...... Family Court to get more power NG JING YNG..... High tides up to 3.3m expected, to coincide with heavy rain High tides of at least 3.3 metres are expected from Feb 19 to 21, according to the PUB......

MDA drives 'cyber awareness' bus to schools SINGAPORE - The cyber wellness movement in Singapore has moved down the age chain, with community service providers seeing a surge in primary schools signing up for their programmes to educate their students about the pitfalls of the Internet......     Egypt developments to impact Arab world: Foreign Affairs Minister Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said the developments that have unfolded in Egypt will have a big impact on the Arab and Islamic world...... Budget 2011: Growth dividends for all adult S'poreans One of the measures from this year's Budget includes payment of growth dividends...... Budget 2011: Deficit of S$2.2b expected for FY2011 The Singapore government said it expects a budget deficit of S$2.2 billion for FY2011, or 0.7 per cent of GDP...... Budget 2011: Govt to spend S$10b to upgrade homes The Singapore government said it will spend S$10 billion to upgrade homes and rejuvenate estates over the next 10 years...... Budget 2011: Radio & TV licence fees to be removed SINGAPORE : Radio and television licence fees will be permanently removed with immediate effect...... Budget 2011: More financial help for first-time flat buyers Low-income Singaporean families will receive more financial help to buy their first home from this year's Budget...... Budget 2011: More measures to cater to needs of ageing population The Singapore government will introduce a slew of measures to cater to the needs of Singapore's ageing population...... Budget 2011: Needy S'poreans to get S$500m in aid The government will boost efforts to support needy Singaporeans by injecting an additional S$500 million into the ComCare Fund this year...... Budget 2011: S$90m set aside for children 6 years old & below The government will introduce further measures to help families with children meet their expenses...... Budget 2011: Special bonus for workers on WIS, progressive income tax cut Budget 2011 has introduced initiatives that will reward working Singaporeans, particularly those in the lower and middle income group...... Budget 2011: Lower-, middle-income households to get S$3.2b in aid The 2011 Singapore Budget will provide packages worth some S$6.6 billion...... Budget 2011: Foreign workers to cost employers more Employing lower-skilled foreign workers will soon cost more, with the Singapore government introducing further levy increases for all sectors this year...... Budget 2011: Employer CPF contributions to go up The Singapore government will raise employer CPF contributions and CPF salary ceiling...... Budget 2011: Productivity to get S$1b boost The Singapore government has given a significant boost to schemes announced last year aimed at enhancing productivity among businesses and workers...... Four youths arrested for snatch theft, housebreaking Four youths have been arrested for suspected snatch theft and housebreaking offences in Yishun...... Budget 2011: Incomes to be raised by 30% over 10 years Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has laid out several factors to achieve an inclusive budget to strengthen Singapore's economy and society...... Budget 2011: S'pore to raise defence budget by 5.4% SINGAPORE : Singapore, which has one of Asia's best-equipped militaries, has raised its national defence budget by 5.4 per cent this year, government data showed on Friday...... Budget 2011: Govt to put back S$4b into past reserves SINGAPORE : The government will put back into past reserves the S$4 billion that it had drawn earlier for the Resilience Package...... Family Court to get more power The Family Court will be given more power to deal with societal changes brought about by an increasing mobile society and rising divorce rates here...... Too early to review fertility schemes: DPM Wong Schemes to boost Singapore's fertility rate will be reviewed when the time is right, said Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng...... 1,900 Hondas in S'pore affected by global recall Official distributor of Honda cars in Singapore Kah Motor said close to 1,900 vehicles it sold are affected by the global recall announced on Thursday...... Heavy rain and flash floods warning for the weekend High tides and heavy rain are expected over the weekend...... Japan economic delegation visits S'pore A delegation led by Nippon Keidanren chairman Hiromasa Yonekura called on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong separately on Thursday evening, at the Istana......

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-17

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PUB, Ontario to conduct water research PUB and the Government of Ontario, Canada, have agreed to enter into a strategic alliance to conduct advanced clean water research and development......     Singapore's GDP forecast to grow 4-6% this year: MTI The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced today that the Singapore economy grew by 14.5 per cent in the whole of 2010, reversing the decline of 0.8 per cent in 2009. MTI's growth forecast for 2011 remains at 4.0 to 6.0 per cent...... Ex-lecturer fined for taking money from students SINGAPORE : A former lecturer at a private school in Singapore was fined S$14,000 on Thursday in the Subordinate Courts for receiving money from her students in exchange for examination questions...... Ronald Susilo gets S$388,000 sponsorship from Li-Ning SINGAPORE : Singapore's top male shuttler Ronald Susilo is now hoping to make a mark in coaching. And the 31-year-old got a timely S$388,000 boost from sportswear company Li-Ning at its ION Orchard store on Thursday...... Singapore-Mongolia economic ties growing steadily Economic ties between Singapore and Mongolia are growing, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as he met his Mongolian counterpart who is in Singapore on an official visit...... Youths not concerned about online privacy: survey SINGAPORE : A recent survey has found that online privacy in social networking sites is not a concern for youths, and that a majority have experienced cyber-bullying...... PUB, Ontario collaborate on clean water R&D SINGAPORE : Singapore's national water agency, PUB, and the Government of Ontario, Canada, have agreed to enter into a strategic alliance to conduct advanced clean water research and development...... Singapore fertility rate and CPF to be raised in Parliament MPs have lined up several concerns regarding Singapore's fertility rate and CPF, among others, that will be answered in Parliament on Friday before the Budget Statement...... ArtScience Museum ready to open its doors Singapore's latest iconic structure, the lotus-inspired ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, is ready to open its doors......

Far East Organization appoints Mr Lucas Chow as Executive Director Singapore: Private property developer Far East Organization has appointed Mr Lucas Chow as an Executive Director......     MDA drives cyber wellness to schools A nationwide "Cyber Wellness Campaign" was launched on Thursday by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to educate primary school children and their parents on the risks and pitfalls of the Internet...... American Kamari Charlton pleads guilty to phone scams American Kamari Kenyada Charlton, 37, has pleaded guilty to five cheating charges involving phone scams in Australia...... World's top chefs pay tribute to Spain's Santamaria A gathering of the world's top chefs paid tribute to one of their own on Thursday as they mourned Spain's Michelin-starred Santi Santamaria who died in Singapore...... Growth of 4-6% for 2011 with economic declines reversed Singapore: The Singapore economy grew by 14.5 per cent in 2010, reversing the decline of 0.8 per cent seen the year before...... Number of job advertisments fall in Q4 THE number of job advertisements fell 9 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year as staff movements declined during the festive season.There were 236,191 adverts for professional positions in the three months to Dec 31, down from 259,665 in the th..... Woman obtained bribes to divulge exam questions A FORMER lecturer with a private institute was fined a total of $14,000 and ordered to pay a penalty of $1,350 for corruption on Thursday.Isabelle Krishnan, 38, had pleaded guilty to two counts of getting $450 each from two international students of ..... Former MediaCorp CEO joins Far East Organization FORMER MediaCorp chief executive Lucas Chow is taking the leap into the property sector after being appointed as an executive director at developer Far East Organization.Mr Chow, 57, whose background is in media and technology, announced he was quitt..... Through The Lens: Fire along ECP and world pictures THROUGH The Lens takes a look at the pictures that make the headlines, showcase a lifestyle and even explore the quirky side of life.A van catches fire along the ECP and two trains collide in Argentina. See these and the best news pictures from aroun..... PM declares Online Citizen a political association THE Prime Minister has declared The Online Citizen a political association under the Political Donations Act.The statement, issued on Thursday by the Registry of Political Donations, said the declaration is 'in line with the objective to safeguard th..... Caltex to increase diesel pump prices CALTEX will increase the retail price of diesel by $0.04 a litre on Thursday at 7.00pm.Caltex Diesel with Techron D is now $1.533, up from $1.493 previously...... ST Poll: Inflation most urgent concern for Budget 2011 AN ONLINE poll of roughly 400 readers of The Straits Times shows that inflation is considered the most urgent issue that needs to be addressed in Budget 2011.Over a week and a half, The Straits Times had published the Budget Preview Series, examining..... Do Singaporeans dress and behave inappropriately? WHAT would you wear to an event where the guest-of-honour was Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean?Some Singaporeans were seen wearing singlets, shorts and sundresses at a recent Chinese New Year celebration dinner with the DPM...... Forming an Indian Business Leaders' Roundtable in S'pore CORPORATE bigwigs from the local Indian community are set to give the Singapore Indian Development Association (Sinda) a leg up.The self-help group announced on Thursday that it has formed an Indian Business Leaders' Roundtable (IBR), which would com..... Get ready for the roving 'cyber awareness' bus IS YOUR online game's password strong enough to deter hackers that will strip your character of virtual valuables - and by the way, are you are addicted to online gaming? Find out the answers to both, on a new roving bus fitted with interactive Inter..... Ex-bus driver fined $7,000 for causing death of maid MAID Puji Astutik gave up her life to save her employer's baby daughter. A split-second before a bus hit her at a pedestrian crossing along Choa Chu Kang Street 52 , she threw the one-year-old infant to safety. The Indonesian, 28, died three hours la..... Father gets jail and cane for burning his kids' buttocks A SECURITY officer was given 48 months' jail and eight strokes of the cane on Thursday for burning the buttocks of his two young sons and subjecting them various forms of ill-treatment.The 26-year-old father of three had admitted to nine charges comm..... Father jailed for sexually abusing 4-year-old daughter A MAN who abused his own four-year-old daughter was jailed for 12 months on Thursday.The 38-year-old, who had pleaded guilty to ill-treating the child in a Community Court in 2010, had rubbed her buttocks on his groin and touched her private parts in..... American fined for being drunk on plane AN AMERICAN passenger who became drunk on board a Singapore Airlines flight from Dubai to Singapore was fined $2,000 on Thursday. Events manager Michael David Mitchell, 41, admitted to the offence under the Air Navigation Order at about 3am on Feb 9...... Las Vegas Sands seeking more land to expand MBS SINGAPORE - US CASINO operator Las Vegas Sands is seeking more land to expand its highly profitable Singapore casino, founder and CEO Sheldon Adelson said on Thursday. He told reporters at the official opening of Las Vegas Sands' US$5.5 billion (S$7...... Korean student, 16, faces more molest charges A YOUNG Korean student charged earlier with one count of molestation was accused of six more counts on Thursday. The seven charges against Jung Suk Won, 16, state that he outraged the modesty of the victims aged 15 to 29 in the Dover and Buona Vista ..... Singapore expects inflation of 3-4%, up from 2-3% THE Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has revised its inflation forecast at 3 to 4 per cent, up from its earlier prediction of 2 to 3 per cent.MTI also added that inflation is further expected to rise to five to six per cent in the first few month..... Why Singapore's 2011 trade outlook is optimistic SINGAPORE'S trade outlook for 2011 remained optimistic, with total trade projected to grow between eight and 10 per cent in 2011, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore said on Thursday. This is an increase over the previous forecast of six to eight..... Take our poll: Is this your Budget wishlist too? GIVEN the 14.7 per cent growth that Singapore experienced last year, many Singaporeans are expecting good news from Budget 2011, which will be announced on Friday at 3.30pm.It prompted Mr Joshua Selvakumar to write in to The Straits Times earlier thi..... Budget 2011 expectations THE Government will be unveiling its Budget for fiscal year 2011 on Friday February 18th.Many are expecting a windfall budget, given the 14.7 per cent growth that Singapore experienced last year...... Singapore trade expands 21% in 2010 SINGAPORE'S external trade recovered in 2010, rising by 21 per cent, following a 19 per cent decline in 2009, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore said on Thursday.The level of total trade reached $902 billion in 2010, up from $747 billion in the ..... Singapore growth forecast at 4-6% in 2011 THE Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) announced on Thursday that it expects Singapore's economy to grow between 4 to 6 per cent in 2011, with the continuing recovery of the global economy. But accompanying another year of strong growth, the MTI wa.....

Singapore Local News, 2011-02-16

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High Court dismisses claim against NParks for breach of contract The High Court has dismissed a claim by a cleaning company against the National Parks Board for breach of contract......     CNA announces winners of "Japan Hour" homeviewers contest Japan Hour - Singapore's longest running lifestyle and travel programme - reached some 340 000 affluent viewers last year, some 9,000 more than the year before...... Mongolian PM to visit S'pore The Prime Minister of Mongolia Sukhbaatar Batbold will make an official two-day visit to Singapore from Thursday, at the invitation of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong...... Flu cases exceed epidemic levels The number of flu cases in Singapore has gone higher than the epidemic levels first seen in January...... S'poreans in Bahrain remain vigilant amid protests The situation in Bahrain is tense and Singaporeans working there said they have to remain vigilant...... Woman murdered in Jurong A 50-year-old woman was found dead, lying in a pool of blood on Wednesday morning in a flat at Block 5 Yung Ping Road in the Jurong area...... SDP unveils alternative Budget The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has unveiled an alternative Budget, the first time an opposition party is presenting to the government's financial policy for the year ahead...... Budget: What help will middle-income earners get? The concerns of the middle-income are expected to be addressed in the Budget this Friday, and observers hope it'll include rebates and tax reliefs to help this group cope with the rising cost of living......

Court dismisses cleaning company's claim against NParks A cleaning company hired to manage the public parks here must perform trash removal duties......     Budget Statement to be delivered from 3.30pm on Friday Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam will deliver the Budget Statement for FY2011 at 3.30pm in Parliament on Friday...... More new offices eco-certified Taking the effort to 'green' offices has paid dividends...... CPF keeps 2.5% Ordinary Account interest rate The CPF Board will continue to pay 2.5 per cent annual interest for members' Ordinary Account (OA) savings between April and June this year...... S'pore offers financial aid to Brazil flood victims The Singapore Government will make a monetary contribution of US$50,000 to help those who have been affected by the severe floods last month in the three Brazilian municipalities of Teresopolis, Petrpolis and Nova Friburgo...... Eleven trapped in NEX Mall lift for 45 minutes ELEVEN shoppers were trapped in a lift at NEX mall in Serangoon for 45 minutes with no answer on the intercom when they called for help according to a reader on Stomp, a popular citizen-journalism website.The lights and fan even went off for five min..... Cut defence spending and ministerial salaries: SDP CUT defence spending and ministerial salaries, and spend more on education, healthcare and social benefits.These are among the many proposals in the Singapore Democratic Party's (SDP) shadow budget, released on Wednesday as a counter-proposal to the ..... Jailed 14 months for sex with a 14-year-old girl HELMY Mahamod did not learn his lesson the first time around and on Feb 1, the 28-year-old repeat offender was sentenced to 14 months in jail for having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Eight years ago, he had committed a similar offence with a different..... Jail and fine for solemnising fake marriage HE THOUGHT he was merely doing a favour by standing in and solemnising the marriage of his former colleague but Ainagoundan Kattan broke the law by impersonating a Justice of the Peace. The security guard was jailed a week and fined $2,000 on Wednesd..... Singapore Budget statement out at 3.30pm on Friday SINGAPORE'S Minister for Finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, will deliver the 2011 Budget Statement in Parliament on Friday (Feb 18) at 3.30pm. The Straits Times will be posting live updates of Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam's Budget speech on ..... Austral View en bloc, sale price of $88 million PRIME freehold apartment, Austral View was put up for sale by public tender on Wednesday. Marketing agent, CB Richard Ellis, has set an asking price of $88 million or $1,350 psf per plot ratio...... Japanese upskirt offender in Singapore jailed A JAPANESE national who captured six photographs of a woman's thighs and her underwear with his digital camera was jailed for one week on Wednesday.Nakagoshi Yuta, 25, pleaded guilty to insulting the modesty of the 30-year-old woman at Dhoby Ghaut st..... What the Singapore Census 2010 found THE latest data from Census 2010 on households and housing in Singapore, released on Tuesday, has revealed the following trends.See our graphic breakdown for a quick guide...... Singapore woman found dead in pool of blood THE body of a 50-year-old Singaporean woman was found lying in a pool of blood on Wednesday morning.The victim, Loh Nyuk Moi, was apparently found with four stab wounds...... Singapore to donate US$50k in Brazil flood aid THE Singapore government will donate US$50,000 ($64,000) in humanitarian assistance to help those affected by floods in Brazil, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said.Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had earlier written to Brazilian..... CPF keeps 2.5% Ordinary Account interest rate THE Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board will continue to pay 2.50 per cent interest per annum for members' CPF savings in their Ordinary Account (OA) from Apr 1 2011 to June 30 2011. The computed CPF interest rate derived from the major local banks' i.....