Singapore Local News, 2012-05-31

---

Sundaresh Menon to be Judge of Appeal Singapore's Attorney-General Sundaresh Menon will be a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court from Aug 1. High Court Judge Steven Chong Horng Siong will be the new Attorney-General from June 25 for a period of two years......     New system to boost productivity in child care centres A new system to monitor temperature, height, weight and even attendance at child care centres has proven to boost productivity. Called Vitals and Attendance Monitoring System (VAMS), the machine has helped teachers free up up to 45........ NTU ranked 16th among top 100 of world's major young universities Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been placed 16th among the top 100 of the world's major young universities - those below 50 years old - in the ranking by Times Higher Education. Earlier this week, NTU was ranked 4th in........ HPB rolls out health engagement programme with ITE The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has rolled out a health engagement programme with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to get youths to embrace health habits and a smoke-free lifestyle. Under the programme, HPB will form a........ Govt will call S$1.2b of infocomm tenders this FY: IDA The Government plans to call S$1.2 billion worth of new infocomm tenders in financial year 2012 - a shade over what was awarded in the last financial year, when the Government awarded 638 infocomm contracts worth more than S$1.12 billion...... MOE launches new model to help teachers develop holistically The Teacher Growth Model (TGM), which aims to develop teachers holistically, was launched by the Ministry of Education (MOE) this morning. The professional development model encourages teachers to engage in continual learning and........

Volunteers run donation drive for National Day From donating S$5 to charity to have a customised Lego figurine be part of a scale model of the National Day Parade (NDP), to submitting videos of themselves singing the National Anthem, Singaporeans can expect more "engaging" National Day........     Abuse of the process of court for Hougang hearing to go on: AGC The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) maintained that it would be an abuse of the court process for the hearing on the Hougang by-election petition to go on, now that the by-election has been called and concluded...... Football: Edgar Davids picks Holland to win Euro 2012 Former Dutch international, Edgar Davids, thinks his native country Holland stands a strong chance of lifting the title at the upcoming European Football Championships...... Football: Charges amended for two M'sians accused of match-fixing Two Malaysian men who have been charged with their involvement in fixing a match between Lions XII and Sarawak on May 22, had their charges amended on Thursday...... Steven Chong to be Singapore's new Attorney-General Justice Steven Chong Horng Siong, who will be Singapore's new Attorney-General (AG) from 25 June, said he is now moving on to a new chapter in his career in law as the country's AG after spending more than 25 years in private practice before joining ..... Five suspects arrested for loansharking activities SINGAPORE : Police have arrested five suspects for loansharking harassment in three separate cases. In the first case, three suspects were caught at about 6pm on May 30 at Serangoon Avenue 2...... NTUC Foodfare extends S$1.99 meals to more heartlanders SINGAPORE : NTUC Foodfare is extending its S$1.99 meals to more heartlanders, as part of its Rice Garden social project to provide affordable local fare...... READ! Singapore 2012 aims to get more children to love reading The National Library Board (NLB) wants to reach out to more children in this year's READ! Singapore initiative...... Sundaresh Menon to be Judge of Appeal Singapore's Attorney-General Sundaresh Menon will be a Judge of Appeal of the Supreme Court from 1 August...... MPA tests emergency operational readiness in waters The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday held an exercise in the waters off the new Marina Bay Cruise Centre and Marina South Wharves to test its operational readiness in an emergency...... Doctor and 3 patients charged over selling cough mixture illegally A doctor and three of his patients have been charged with illegally selling cough mixture containing the pain-relieving drug, codeine...... S'pore govt to spend S$1.2b on infocomm contracts in 2012 The Singapore government plans to offer S$1.2 billion worth of new infocomm contracts in the 2012 financial year, up from S$1.12 billion in the previous year...... New temperature monitoring system for childcare sector A new system that can take the temperature and attendance of children at a fraction of the time usually needed was made available for the childcare sector in Singapore on Thursday...... Toa Payoh food centre to undergo upgrading The food centre at Block 75 Toa Payoh Lorong 5 will be upgraded under the National Environment Agency's (NEA) Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme (HUP)...... MOE launches new Teacher Growth Model SINGAPORE : The Education Ministry has launched a framework to help teachers develop holistically and become student-centric professionals...... HPB rolls out health engagement programme with ITE The Health Promotion Board (HPB) on Thursday rolled out a health engagement programme with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to get youths to embrace healthy habits and a smoke-free lifestyle...... Fatal accident along PIE A motorcyclist died in an accident along the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) on Thursday...... Singapore appoints new diplomats to Indonesia and Brunei The Singapore government on Thursday appointed Mr Anil Kumar Nayar as Singapore's next ambassador to Indonesia and Mr Jaya Ratnam as the country's next High Commissioner to Brunei......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-30

---

Overseas votes for Hougang by-election evenly split Of the 27 of 43 registered overseas voters who cast their votes in the Hougang by-election, 13 went to the Workers' Party's Png Eng Huat, and 13 went to the People's Action Party's Desmond Choo. One vote was rejected......     S$400,000 fine for SingTel Mobile for service disruption last year SingTel Mobile (STM) has been slapped with a S$400,000 fine for the disruption of its 3G mobile services in September last year. In a statement issued today, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said its........ Step out of comfort zone and contribute to society: Halimah Yacob Young people should take a collective step forward to contribute to society, said Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob. Speaking at a convention for student leaders at Hwa Chong Institution........ More COEs available from August to ease transition to lower vehicle growth The vehicle growth rate will be cut to 1 per cent per annum from this August instead of the planned 0.5 per cent, to ease the transition to lower vehicle growth, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) announced today. This will make........ Salesman charged with Bukit Merah murder A 38-year-old motorcycle salesman has been charged with murder. Phua Kok Khoon allegedly caused the death of 25-year-old Firman Hamik Abdul Halem at an industrial park in Bukit Merah Lane 2 at about 6pm on Monday. Mr........ Lexus driver in Rochor crash charged The driver of a Lexus involved in an accident with two other cars at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street was charged in court today. Kelvin Seah Koon Yong, 30, faced two charges of drink-driving and dangerous........ Yale-NUS College president named The search for the Yale-NUS College president has finally concluded: Professor Pericles Lewis of Yale University's English and Comparative Literature departments will formally take the helm of the college from July. The first........ CPF Minimum Sum to be raised to S$139,000 Central Provident Fund (CPF) members who turn 55 between July this year and Jun 30 next year have to set aside a Minimum Sum (MS) of S$139,000, higher than the S$131,000 last year. The CPF Board and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said........ Celebrate National Day by giving to charity Singaporeans can mark this year's National Day celebrations with a selfless gesture - by giving to charity through the "Building A LovingSG" project. A 12-by-9m scale model of the National Day Parade (NDP) celebrations at The Float........

Jobs, economy top concerns of youths Unemployment as well as a potential economic recession are the top concerns of youths in Singapore, going by a survey at this year's pre-university seminar. On the first day of the seminar yesterday, about 53 per cent of more than........     HDB launches six BTO projects The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has launched six Build-To-Order (BTO) projects, offering 4,627 new flats...... Fire in Ang Mo Kio flat A fire broke out at about 5pm on Wednesday in a flat at Blk 612 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4...... 3 arrested for loansharking activities Police have arrested three men suspected of being involved in loansharking activities...... Limited edition stamps to mark United Nations IYC 2012 Singapore will mark the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) 2012 with the launch of five legal tender, limited edition stamps on June 9...... Stricter rules to bring in Indonesian maids Maid agencies in Singapore will now have to apply for employment contracts for Indonesian foreign domestic workers online with the country's embassy...... S Iswaran to attend World Economic Forum Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, Mr S Iswaran, will attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia (WEF-EA) in Bangkok, Thailand on May 31...... MOE develops apps for Humanities curriculum Education Minister Heng Swee Keat has urged teachers to adopt teaching methods that better engage students. One way to do so is to introduce interactive elements into the curriculum...... Overseas votes for Hougang by-election evenly split Twenty-seven of 43 registered overseas voters cast their votes in the Hougang by-election...... A Selverajah is new Singapore ambassador to Denmark The government has appointed Mr A Selverajah as Singapore's next Ambassador to Denmark...... S'pore, Nanjing reaffirm bilateral ties Singapore and the Chinese city of Nanjing have reaffirmed their excellent cooperation in trade, education, technology and tourism...... Cuts in vehicle growth rate to be gradual The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is slowing down its planned cut in the vehicle growth rate in Singapore...... Youth urged to come forward & contribute to society Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Halimah Yacob, has urged young people to take a collective step forward to contribute to society...... DSI and Hitachi to work on compressing genome data Leading Japanese global electronics company Hitachi and Singapore's Data Storage Institute (DSI) are working on an innovative method to compress genome data to meet the massive growth of such data in the healthcare and biomedical industries...... Yale professor to head new Yale-NUS liberal arts college Yale-NUS College has appointed Professor Pericles Lewis of Yale University as its first President...... More Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licences to be issued in H2 More Qualifying Foreign Law Practice licences will be issued in the second half of this year...... Salesman charged with Bt Merah murder A 38-year-old motorcycle salesman has been charged with murder...... Lexus driver in Rochor crash charged The driver of a Lexus car involved in an accident with two other cars at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street was charged in court on Wednesday...... Rediscover & express love for nation during National Day celebrations A series of initiatives will be rolled out to drum up interest on the National Day Celebrations...... CPF & Medisave Minimum Sum to be raised CPF members who turn 55 between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013 have to set aside a Minimum Sum (MS) of S$139,000, higher than the S131,000 for 2011......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-29

---

Jail for maid who spiked employer's coffee with menstrual blood The Indonesia maid who served her former employer coffee spiked with menstrual blood has been sentenced to a month's jail. Jumiah, who goes by one name, admitted to spiking her then-employer's coffee with her discharge on August 31,........     Navy regular suspended following alleged indecent acts A regular in the Singapore Navy has been suspended following charges of alleged acts of indecency, committed in Australia. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said 21-year-old Lieutenant Benedict Ang Yong Chuean was training at the........ No hazardous substances on SBS bus: Police & SCDF Tests on the public bus that was stopped along Bishan Street 23 Monday night have registered negative for hazardous substances. In a joint statement, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the tests were........ Youths rank unemployment as their top concern for S'pore Youths in Singapore have ranked unemployment and a potential economic recession as their top concern for Singapore. About 53 per cent of more than 500 students attending this year's pre-university seminar reflected this in a poll........ Restaurant owners fined for falsely declaring information to MOM Two partners of a restaurant have been fined S$5,000 each for declaring false information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a work pass application. They also conspired to employ another foreigner to work in their restaurant as........ More programmes in pipeline for Malay language teachers The Malay Language Centre of Singapore is working with the Language and Literature Agency in Malaysia to create opportunities and enrich programmes for teachers. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi........ Teen arrested for robbery The police have arrested a 17-year-old youth for robbing another 17-year-old at the void deck of Block 269 Bukit Batok East Ave 4. The police said a 17-year-old boy had reported that he had been assaulted and his bag containing his........ Man to be charged with murder A man will be charged in court tomorrow with the murder of a 25-year-old man at Bukit Merah Lane 2. The police said they received a call yesterday evening about a fight at Bukit Merah where the 25-year-old man was found injured...... S'pore zoo welcomes 4 new additions to marsupial family The Singapore Zoo welcomed the arrival of four new additions to its marsupial family recently. They are two Eastern grey kangaroos and two Agile wallabies. The Wildlife Reserves Singapore, the parent company of the........

NAC CEO diagnosed with cancer The Esplanade and National Arts Council (NAC) yesterday announced that their chief executive Benson Puah has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He was diagnosed with the condition, a type of cancer that begins in immune system cells, on May 24......     Maid who spiked coffee with menstrual blood jailed The Indonesia maid who served her former employer coffee spiked with menstrual blood has been sentenced to a month's jail...... Dr Maliki Osman to attend APEC meeting in Russia Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development and Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, will attend the 2nd Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Food Security in Russia from Wednesday...... SMRT bus involved in accident with motorcycle Police have confirmed an accident between a SMRT bus plying service route 985 and a motorcycle along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) that happened on Monday evening...... Navy regular suspended following alleged indecent acts A regular in the Singapore Navy has been suspended following charges of alleged acts of indecency, committed in Australia...... More programmes in pipeline for Malay language teachers Malay Language Centre of Singapore is working with the Language and Literature Agency in Malaysia to create opportunities and enrich programmes for teachers...... Youths rank unemployment as their top concern for S'pore Singapore youths have ranked unemployment and a potential economic recession as their top concern for Singapore...... No hazardous substances on SBS bus: Police & SCDF No hazardous substances were found on the public bus in which a suspicious object was left unattended on Monday evening...... Two fined for falsely declaring info in work pass application Forty-four-year-old Singaporean Jackson Tan and 31-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident Canares Lualhati Sikat were fined S$5,000 each for falsely declaring information to the Manpower Ministry in a work pass application...... 19 arrested for loansharking activities Officers from the Clementi Police Division have arrested 19 people for suspected involvement in loansharking activities...... Son charged with killing mother The son of the 56-year-old woman murdered in her Bukit Batok flat has been charged in court...... Scientists develop bird flu test kit Scientists have developed a H5N1 bird flu test kit that can now rapidly detect all existing strains of the H5N1 viruses in a single test with almost 100 per cent accuracy, within a few hours...... Teen arrested for robbery Police have arrested a 17-year-old youth for robbing another 17-year-old at the void deck of Blk 269 Bukit Batok East Ave 4...... Heavy rain warning Moderate to heavy thundery showers are expected over many areas of Singapore between 11.00am and midday on Tuesday...... Man to be charged with murder A man will be charged in court on Wednesday with the murder of a 25-year-old man at Bukit Merah Lane 2...... Football: Third man charged in match-fixing scandal A project manager was charged on Tuesday and is the third man to be taken to task in relation to the football corruption scandal that broke last week...... S'pore zoo welcomes 4 new additions to marsupial family The Singapore Zoo welcomed the arrival of four new additions to its marsupial family recently......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-28

---

Singapore scientists lead discovery of liver cancer causing mechanism The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) today announced that its scientists, working together with others from around the world, had unravelled the mechanism that causes liver cancer. The institute said its scientists worked with........     Esplanade and NAC's Benson Puah diagnosed with cancer Esplanade and National Arts Council (NAS) chief executive officer Benson Puah has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He was diagnosed last Thursday and starts treatment for this condition today for the next 16 weeks. He will continue........ S$5 million to help Singapore's aviation industry Singapore's aviation industry is receiving a boost, with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announcing a new S$5 million kitty for Singapore-registered companies, organisations and industry associations to expand........ No common featured set-up box in the works, for now Multiple set-top boxes will remain a feature in homes, for now. The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and the Media Development Authority (MDA) had put out a request for proposal (RFP) in Sept 2010 for a Next Generation........ Man fined for pretending to be licensed estate agent An unregistered property agent has been fined S$40,000 for pretending to be a licensed estate agent. Raymond Sim Soon Leong, who was sentenced on May 25, will have to serve eight weeks in jail if he cannot pay the fine...... ERP charges and times on Saturday changed for Orchard and Bugis-Marina Following a review of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) scheme on Saturdays for the Orchard and Bugis-Marina Centre ERP cordons, the Land Transport Authority has decided to implement shorter ERP operating hours for Orchard cordon, and lower........ New chief for AWARE Human resource practitioner Winifred Loh will lead Singapore's women's rights group, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE). She was elected AWARE's president on May 26. She takes over from corporate........ Woman found murdered in Bukit Batok flat A 51-year-old woman was found murdered in a flat in Bukit Batok this morning. Police said a 31-year-old male has been arrested in connection with the case. The suspect is believed to be her son. The incident........

'Let kids tinker with stuff' As a child, Mr Derek Low, 21, would spend numerous hours at the Singapore Science Centre. "My parents were membership holders, so we used to come every other weekend to take in shows at the IMAX theatre, or look at the........     PA organises Singapore's largest kite display to promote bonding The People's Association on Monday announced it would attempt to produce the largest kite display in Singapore as part of efforts to encourage inter-generational bonding...... Government rejects all proposals for standardised set-top box Consumers will not be having a standardised television set-top box in their homes any time soon, after the government on Monday rejected all bids for the project...... Portugal, Singapore sign 3 bilateral agreements Portugal and Singapore signed three bilateral agreements on Monday...... Esplanade, NAC CEO Benson Puah diagnosed with cancer The Esplanade and National Arts Council (NAC) in a joint statement on Monday announced that their CEO, Mr Benson Puah, was diagnosed with lymphoma...... Man arrested in connection with woman's murder Police have arrested a 31-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 56-year-old woman in Bukit Batok on early Monday morning...... Three children chosen to be "journalists" at London Olympics Three young Singaporeans have been chosen to be "journalists" for the London 2012 Olympics as part of McDonald's "Champions of Play" programme...... New medical school creates more opportunities: Heng Swee Keat The new Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine would further diversify Singapore's higher education landscape and create more opportunities for Singaporeans locally, Minister for Education Heng Swee Keat said on Monday...... Singapore scientists lead discovery of liver cancer causing mechanism The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) on Monday announced that its scientists, working together with others from around the world, had unravelled the mechanism that causes liver cancer...... Man fined for pretending to be licensed estate agent An unregistered property agent has been fined S$40,000 for pretending to be a licensed estate agent...... Changes to Saturday ERP for Orchard & Bugis-Marina The operating hours for electronic road pricing (ERP) on Saturdays for the Orchard cordon will be reduced from June 2...... New chief for AWARE Human resource practitioner Winifred Loh will lead Singapore's women's rights group, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)...... Woman found murdered in Bukit Batok flat A 56-year-old woman was found murdered in a flat in Bukit Batok on Monday morning......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-27

---

Dead woman found near Raffles City A woman was found dead near Raffles City along Stamford Road early this morning. Police received a call for assistance at about 4am. When officers arrived, they found a woman in her mid-twenties lying motionless on the........     I'll support projects that are in residents' best interests: PAP's Desmond Choo Hougang's grassroots adviser Desmond Choo said he would do his best to support projects that are sound, practicable and in the best interests of residents in the single member constituency. Mr Choo was speaking to reporters before........ MP-elect Png Eng Huat thanks Hougang residents Hougang came to a standstill this morning as the Worker's Party went on their victory lap. Armed with flags and umbrellas, supporters thronged parts of Hougang as MP-elect Png Eng Huat took to the streets to thank his........ Focus on working with the PAP: WP's Low Thia Khiang Workers' Party (WP) Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang said he wanted to put the issues of the by-election behind the party. Speaking to the media before the start of his party's victory parade in Hougang, Mr Low said moving forward,........

'We will win back Hougang in a future election': PM Lee "I called a by-election in Hougang constituency because the Workers' Party (WP) expelled the previous Member of Parliament, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, from the party, causing the seat to fall vacant. The People's Action Party (PAP) fielded Mr Desmond........     Portugal's president on state visit to Singapore Portugal's President Anibal Cavaco Silva will make a two-day state visit to Singapore from May 27 at the invitation of President Tony Tan Keng Yam...... China's foreign minister on first official visit to Singapore China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi will visit Singapore from 28 to 29 May at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K. Shanmugam...... I'll support projects that are in residents' best interests: Desmond Choo Hougang's grassroots adviser Desmond Choo said he would do his best to support projects that are sound and in the best interests of residents in the single member constituency...... Woman found dead near Raffles City A woman was found dead near Raffles City along Stamford Road early Sunday morning...... Focus now on working with the PAP: WP's Low Thia Khiang Workers' Party (WP) Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang said he wanted to put the issues of the by-election behind the party......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-26

---

Another taxi hit by speeding car at Rochor junction

SP signs curriculum memo with M'sian universities A company wants to cut cost by using a cheaper alternative but the engineer knows it is not suitable and not the safest option. How should the engineer respond? For engineering students at Singapore Polytechnic (SP), dealing with........     Singapore, China sign programme on cultural cooperation Cultural relations between Singapore and China took another step forward on Saturday...... Army holds first open house in the city Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen on Saturday officiated at the opening ceremony of the Army Open House being held at the F1 Pit Building...... Central CDC needy residents to get aid boost The Central Singapore Community Development Council (CDC) will set aside S$1 million over the next three years to help needy residents...... 'Ferrari crash site' sees another accident A traffic accident involving two cars and a taxi occurred at the junction of Rochor Road and Victoria Street early Saturday morning...... 83% cast their votes as of 5pm, says Elections Department Residents in Hougang turned up early on Saturday to cast their votes for the by-election...... Singaporeans cast votes in Beijing BEIJING, China: Some Singaporeans in Beijing have cast their votes on Saturday morning for the Hougang by-election...... New International Cruise Terminal welcomes first ship Singapore's new International Cruise Terminal on Saturday welcomed its first ship...... Spanish as third language from 2014 From 2014, secondary school students would be able to take Spanish as a third language while junior college students can do so from 2018...... Mischief by fire suspects nabbed Police have arrested seven male youths, aged 13 to 15 years, for suspected involvement in five cases of mischief by fire...... Man arrested in connection with murder investigation A 43-year-old woman has died after an incident at Block 206B, Compassvale Lane...... Voting kicks off for Hougang by-election Voting has started for the Hougang by-election......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-25

---

No permits issued for assembly centres Police have said there will be no gathering of supporters and members of the public at the two designated assembly centres tomorrow as no permits were issued. Hougang Stadium and Serangoon Junior College were identified earlier as........     Glass panel shatters on train, no one injured A glass panel shattered on board a train today. Train operator SMRT said no one was injured in the incident. An SMRT spokesperson said a passenger on board the North-South Line train alerted staff to the incident by........ National Family Celebrations 2012 kicks off The National Family Celebrations 2012 was kicked off this afternoon by Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam. This year's month-long celebration is focused on reaching out to youths. To encourage youths to build........ Singapore's manufacturing output contracts in April Singapore's manufacturing output contracted unexpectedly for the second consecutive month in April, dragged down by a drop in production from the biomedical and electronics sectors. Economists had expected April's manufacturing........ Student leaders, teachers attend third Temasek Dialogue Some 300 student leaders and teachers took part in the third Temasek Dialogue held at the Suntec City Convention and Exhibition Centre today. The theme for this year's dialogue was "Defending Singapore: It's My Turn"...... Doctor gets jail, driving ban for causing cyclist's death A doctor who caused the death of a cyclist and seriously injured another was today jailed four weeks and banned from driving for five years. 64-year-old Teo Tiong Kiat admitted to causing the death of 35-year-old Mok Chee Kong........ Singapore's CAAS, UK's NATS signs Memorandum of Cooperation The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and United Kingdom's leading air navigation service provider, NATS, will be working together to address air traffic management challenges. Both sides signed a Memorandum of Cooperation today........ Hearing into December SMRT disruptions ends The Committee of Inquiry hearing into the cause of last December's two major MRT disruptions wrapped up today, after six weeks of deliberations. In his closing remarks, committee chairman District Judge Tan Siong Thye said the........ kidsREAD programme to be expanded The National Library Board announced today that the kidsREAD programme would be expanded to help young children from low-income families cultivate a love for reading and improve their language skills. Children aged 4 to 8 will stay........

WP leaders defend Png's character With his integrity questioned by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in the last few days, Workers' Party (WP) candidate Png Eng Huat and his party comrades yesterday put up a robust defence of his character, as they criticised the People's........     Evolution of Singapore's media landscape - the move to transmedia storytelling Transmedia storytelling is where a story interweaves through various media so that more information is shared about the content...... Glass panel shatters on SMRT train, no one injured A glass panel shattered on board a train on Friday. Train operator SMRT said no one was injured in the incident...... ASEAN to enhance cooperation in arts and culture SINGAPORE : Arts and culture ministers from ASEAN have agreed to enhance cooperation in three areas...... Hougang by-election: no permits issued for assembly centres on Saturday Police have said there will be no gathering of supporters and members of the public at the two designated assembly centres on Saturday as no permits were issued...... China releases detained Singapore banker SHANGHAI: A Singaporean banker held for almost three months by China after a client allegedly fled the country with millions of dollars has been released, according to her fiance and mother...... Student leaders, teachers attend third Temasek Dialogue Some 300 student leaders and teachers took part in the third Temasek Dialogue held at the Suntec City Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday...... Doctor gets jail, driving ban for causing cyclist's death A doctor who caused the death of a cyclist and seriously injured another was on Friday jailed four weeks and banned from driving for five years...... kidsREAD programme to be expanded The National Library Board announced on Friday that the kidsREAD programme would be expanded to help young children from low-income families cultivate a love for reading and improve their language skills...... Court hearing into SMRT's train disruptions concludes The Committee of Inquiry (COI) hearing into SMRT's two major train disruptions last December, has wrapped up after six weeks......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-24

---

Sesame Street ride to open at Universal Studios S'pore It will be a trip down memory lane for many Singaporeans when the Sesame Street Theme Park Ride opens at Universal Studios Singapore, later this year. It is the first Sesame Street ride in Southeast Asia, and only one of three in........     PM Lee comments on Png Eng Huat NCMP controversy In his first comments on the controversy surrounding Workers' Party (WP) candidate for Hougang Png Eng Huat, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said it was for Hougang voters to reflect on what happened and decide which candidate is better for........ Singapore named best sports city in Asia Singapore has been named the best sports city in Asia at this year's Sport Accord International Convention in Quebec. CEO of Singapore Sports Council Lim Teck Ying said, "We are pleased to be named the best sports city in Asia and........ Enough has been said about the NCMP issue: PAP's Desmond Choo SINAGPORE - Enough has been said about the NCMP issue, said Mr Desmond Choo today. The PAP Hougang by-election candidate told reporters during an afternoon press conference that he will not be focusing on this issue at his rally tonight...... National Youth Council to invest S$3.5 million in youth sector The National Youth Council today announced it would commit S$3.5 million to further develop the youth sector and young leaders. Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports and Chairman of the NYC Chan Chun Sing made........ S'pore scientists invent revolutionary chipset for high-speed wireless data transfer Singapore - The Nanyang Technological University and A*STAR's Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R) has developed a microchip which can transmit large volumes of data at high speed of two Gigabits per second. The chipset employs wireless........

19,640 HFMD cases so far this year The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases has reached another record high, despite checks being extended to primary schools to curb its spread. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Health (MOH), there were 1,687......     First army open house in city set to draw record visitors The army is set to have its first open house in the city...... Police advice to Hougang voters on Polling Day Police have advised Hougang voters to take public transport or walk to their polling stations where possible on Saturday...... S'pore & Suzhou to promote sharing of culture, history Singapore's National Library Board and a Suzhou library have launched a project to promote the sharing of cultural and historical knowledge between the two cities...... Casino watchdog to invest in staff training, tech development The Casino Regulatory Authority will continue to invest in staff training and technology development to stay ahead in the ever changing gaming industry...... SMRT to install new system to check for wheel flats Damage on some train wheels might have gone undetected during the manual checks conducted by train operator SMRT...... NTUC FairPrice to raise wages of non-executive staff A day after the National Wages Council released its wage guidelines, the labour movement announced on Thursday that it will raise the wages of its non-executive staff at supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice from July...... Sesame Street ride to open at Universal Studios S'pore It will be a trip down memory lane for many Singaporeans when the Sesame Street Theme Park Ride opens at Universal Studios Singapore later this year...... Great Singapore Sale kicks off Friday The annual Great Singapore Sale kicks off on Friday...... PM Lee calls on Hougang voters to make a fresh start Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged Hougang voters to make a fresh start by voting for People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Desmond Choo, who will work with the government to improve their lives...... Candidates into last day of Hougang campaigning People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Desmond Choo and Workers' Party (WP) candidate Png Eng Huat are on Thursday into the last day of campaigning for the Hougang by-election...... Singapore named best sports city in Asia Singapore has been named the best sports city in Asia at this year's Sport Accord International Convention in Quebec...... National Youth Council to invest S$3.5m in youth sector The National Youth Council (NYC) on Thursday announced it would commit S$3.5 million to further develop the youth sector and young leaders...... Football: Malaysians charged in court over match fixing Two Malaysians were charged in court on Thursday with conspiring to fix the result of a Malaysian Super League match on May 22......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-23

---

NWC recommends minimum S$50 built-in wage increase for low-wage earners Amid an uncertain business outlook and inflationary pressures, the National Wages Council (NWC) has recommended that low-wage workers be given a built-in wage increase of at least S$50 - the first time it is recommending a minimum increase........     COE prices fall across the board Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices fell across the board after the latest bidding exercise today. The biggest drop was in the big car category, where premiums fell S$6,834 to S$85,216. The premiums for small cars........ 7 in 10 employees in Asia thinking of switching jobs: report Seven in 10 employees in Asia are considering switching jobs this year to boost their salaries, according to recruitment firm Hudson. In its latest report on salary expectations and employment, Hudson found that eight in 10 Asian........ 3 injured in fire at Changi Road Three men suffered minor injuries after a fire at a commercial building this morning along Changi Road. SCDF received a call at 9.42am about a fire at 168 Changi Road. The fire was confined to the uninterrupted power........ Png Eng Huat "not truthful" when explaining why the WP did not select him as an NCMP, says Teo Chee Hean The "key question" over why Workers' Party candidate Png Eng Huat was not chosen as a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) by his party remained "unanswered" after its two-and-a-haIf-hour rally last night, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo........ South West CDC launches two employment assistance programmes The South West Community Development Council (CDC) today launched two programmes to provide employment assistance for mature workers and women who want to return to work. The Train-and-Place Programme equips local women with the........ SMRT to enhance staff capability as part of company "re-engineering" Rail operator SMRT said today it would introduce more measures to ensure its staff are well trained to drive improvements for a more reliable train network. SMRT interim CEO Tan Ek Kia said the company was "re-engineering itself"........ Singapore's inflation rises to 5.4% in April The inflation rate in Singapore accelerated to 5.4 per cent year-on-year last month, up from 5.2 per cent in March, according to figures from the Department of Statistics. Higher accommodation costs were the major contributor to the........ Researchers in S'pore develop new plastic with less glare Researchers in Singapore have developed a new plastic which could see TV viewers having wider viewing angles with less glare. The researchers from A*STAR's Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) and their commercial........ Singapore to host ASEAN culture and arts ministerial meet Arts and culture ministers from ASEAN will be gathering in Singapore tomorrow for the fifth Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and the Arts. Singapore will be hosting the ministerial meet for the first time and will........ Singapore to host 23rd International Biology Olympiad Singapore will be hosting the prestigious International Biology Olympiad for the first time from July 8 to 15. Over 260 of the world's most promising pre-university biology students and 182 officials from 65 countries are expected........ Regaining confidence in SMRT will take time: Minister Lui It will take time for rail operator SMRT to regain the confidence of the commuters. This was acknowledged by Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew as he toured Bishan depot this morning. Speaking to reporters after the visit, Mr Lui........

Campaign going 'according to plan': Choo With campaigning for the Hougang by-election now past its midpoint, People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Desmond Choo yesterday gave an optimistic assessment of his election campaign thus far. "I think things have gone according........     WP, PAP rallies on Thursday The Workers' Party (WP) and People's Action Party (PAP) will hold rallies on Thursday for the Hougang by-election...... Give low-wage workers built-in pay rise of at least $50: NWC The National Wages Council (NWC) has recommended that companies grant low-wage workers a built-in wage increase in the form of a dollar quantum and a percentage wage increase for 2012/13...... SAF gets new unmanned aerial vehicle The Singapore Armed Forces is replacing the existing Searcher unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) which have been in use since 1994, with the new and improved Heron-1...... Pay review for bus drivers was to help SMRT "stay competitive" SMRT's Interim CEO Tan Ek Kia said the recent pay review for its bus drivers was done to help the company stay competitive...... Road users urged to be vigilant at all times SINGAPORE : The Singapore Road Safety Council has advised all road users to be on their highest alert at all times...... COE prices fall across the board Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices for vehicles fell across the board in the latest bidding exercise on Wednesday...... SMRT has been more proactive in minimising faults: Lui Tuck Yew Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew said on Wednesday that rail operator SMRT has been more proactive in its approach to minimise faults in the train network...... Png Eng Huat's integrity still in question: DPM Teo Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the revelations by the Workers' Party in the last two days have raised a new and serious question - the integrity of its candidate for Hougang, Mr Png Eng Huat...... 7 in 10 employees in Asia thinking of switching jobs: report Seven in 10 employees in Asia are considering switching jobs this year to boost their salaries, according to recruitment firm Hudson...... 3 injured in fire at Changi Road Three men suffered minor injuries in a fire at a commercial building along Changi Road on Wednesday morning...... South West CDC launches two employment assistance programmes The South West Community Development Council (CDC) on Wednesday launched two programmes to provide employment assistance for mature workers and women who want to return to work...... SMRT to enhance staff capability as part of company "re-engineering" Rail operator SMRT said on Wednesday it would introduce more measures to ensure its staff are well trained to drive improvements for a more reliable train network...... Shooter Jasmine Ser picked to represent S'pore at London Olympics Singapore shooter Jasmine Ser is set to make her mark at the London 2012 Olympics...... Made-in-S'pore anti-reflective plastic to be commercialised Scientists from Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and their commercial partners have developed a plastic that reflects less light...... Singapore to host ASEAN culture and arts ministerial meet Arts and culture ministers from ASEAN will be gathering in Singapore on Thursday for the fifth Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and the Arts (AMCA)...... Singapore to host 23rd International Biology Olympiad Singapore will be hosting the prestigious International Biology Olympiad for the first time from July 8 to 15......

Singapore Local News, 2012-05-22

---

MCYS to offer grant for wheelchair accessible taxi fleet When the licenses of the 15 London Cabs expire next March, wheelchair commuters can expect to ride in a new fleet of wheelchair accessible taxis. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) will be awarding grants........     Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore to create some 3,000 jobs Singapore's second cruise terminal, the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, is expected to generate some 3,000 jobs in the tourism sector when it is fully operational. Costing about S$500 million, the 28,000 square metres facility........ New Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital to open in July The new Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital complex is on course for its July opening in Singapore. The S$2-billion hospital complex recently received its temporary occupation permit from the Building and Construction Authority...... Survey shows Singaporean men happier than women at the workplace A survey on what makes Singaporeans happy and unhappy has shown that men are happier than women at the workplace and baby boomers are the country's happiest people. The study by Grey Singapore, an integrated marketing........ S'pore is Asia's top convention city for 10th straight year The Republic has maintained its pole position as Asia's top convention city for the 10th consecutive year, according to the latest global rankings by the International Congress and Convention Association. Singapore also retained its........ Rents for hawker and market stalls fall in latest tender exercises Successful bids for hawker and market stalls have come in priced lower in the latest tender exercises. A statement from the National Environment Agency (NEA) said 50 hawkers obtained their stalls successfully in the exercises for........ Png clarifies comment after source reveals he was considered for NCMP post A day after a source claimed that Workers' Party (WP) candidate Png Eng Huat had never asked to be be off the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) ballot, Mr Png today explained it was part of the procedure for every candidate to be........

Why I was not considered for NCMP post: Png The Workers' Party did not by-pass him in putting up his East Coast GRC team-mate Gerald Giam for the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) post. WP Hougang by-election candidate Png Eng Huat had, in fact, taken himself out........     Two arrested, S$650k worth of drugs seized Drugs worth some S$650,000 were seized by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau in two separate operations on 21 May...... Maid charged for stirring menstrual blood into employer's coffee An Indonesian domestic worker was charged on Tuesday for adding her menstrual blood into her employer's coffee cup...... Govt to help defray cost of new wheelchair-accessible taxis Wheelchair users can look forward to a new fleet of wheelchair-accessible taxis from 2013. The government is giving grants to taxi operators to defray part of the cost of operating cabs that can accommodate larger and high-back motorised wheelchairs...... Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore to create some 3,000 jobs Singapore's second cruise terminal, the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore, is expected to generate some 3,000 jobs in the tourism sector when it's fully operational...... Survey shows Singaporean men happier than women at the workplace A survey on what makes Singaporeans happy and unhappy has shown that men are happier than women at the workplace and baby boomers are the country's happiest people...... New Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital to open in July The new Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital complex is on course for its July opening in Singapore...... Terrace housing development gets BCA Green Mark Platinum award A terrace housing development in Serangoon Gardens has become the first landed residential estate to achieve the Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) top-tier Green Mark Platinum award...... S'pore is Asia's top convention city for 10th straight year Singapore has maintained its pole position as Asia's top convention city for the 10th consecutive year, according to the latest global rankings by the International Congress and Convention Association...... Rents for hawker and market stalls fall in latest tender exercises Successful bids for hawker and market stalls have come in priced lower in the latest tender exercises...... Png Eng Huat clarifies involvement in NCMP ballot process The Workers' Party candidate for the Hougang by-election, Mr Png Eng Huat, has clarified that he went through the ballot process for the Non-Constituency MP post last May......