Singapore Local News, 2012-09-30

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Fandi shines as S'pore Veterans beat Selangor Veterans in Sultan of Selangor Cup The Singapore Veterans avenged their loss to their Selangor counterparts this year after defeating them 2-1 in the Sultan of Selangor Cup. The match was played at the Shah Alam Stadium, which saw a crowd of 60,000......     RSS Intrepid to begin 2nd leg of counter-piracy operations The Republic of Singapore Navy frigate, RSS Intrepid, will begin the second leg of counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. The warship, with 145 Singapore Armed Forces personnel on board, is currently docked at the........ One Connect programme launched in Marine Parade Cluster Private estate residents in the Marine Parade cluster, which includes Marine Parade GRC, Mountbatten SMC and Potong Pasir SMC, will now have a one-stop hotline to help deal with municipal issues such as drainage and cleanliness......

"One Connect" launched for private estate residents in Marine Parade A one-stop helpline - "One Connect" - was launched on Sunday to help 98,000 private estate residents in Marine Parade with municipal issues......     Shanmugam addresses world leaders at UN General Assembly NEW YORK: Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam has addressed world leaders at the 67th United Nations General Assembly in New York...... RSS Intrepid to begin 2nd leg of counter-piracy operations The Republic of Singapore Navy frigate, RSS Intrepid, will begin the second leg of counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden on Monday...... HPB launches Healthier Hawker Centre in Marine Parade Marine Parade now has its own Healthier Hawker Centre, launched on Sunday morning by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-29

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S$3m North West fund to benefit 70,000 seniors Seniors living in the North West district can expect more programmes to help them lead healthy and active lifestyles, with a $$3 million North West Silver Care Fund that aims to benefit 70,000 seniors in the district over three years......     More centres, courses for seniors to pick up ICT skills There will be more infocomm training locations and computer facilities dedicated to seniors, in the drive to help Singapore's older citizens adopt new technology. This year, the 13th and 14th Silver Infocomm Junctions (SIJ) at........ Garden City Fund gets donation boost for coral reef survey The National Parks Board's Garden City Fund (GCF) will get a boost from a corporate donation for an upcoming survey of coral reefs. The Air Liquide Group will donate more than S$50,000 to the fund. Chairman of GCF, Professor Leo........

Population at 5.31 million The Republic's population has increased, due to growth of both the resident and non-resident populations. The number of Singapore citizens grew by 0.9 per cent, comparable to the last couple of years, while the number of Permanent........     S$3m North West Silver Care Fund to benefit 70,000 seniors Seniors living in the North West district can expect more programmes to help them lead healthy and active lifestyles - with $$3 million North West Silver Care Fund that aims to benefit 70,000 seniors in the district over three years...... IDA to increase infocomm training locations, computer facilities for seniors The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) will be increasing the number of infocomm training locations and computer facilities for seniors to help senior citizens adopt infocomm and use it to enhance their lives...... Applications for pharmacy specialist accreditation start 1 Oct From 1 October, the Pharmacy Specialist Accreditation Board (PSAB), will begin accepting applications for specialist accreditation...... Toolkit to help SMEs better attract & retain talents launched Companies now have an additional resource - Enhanced HR Capability Toolkit - to help them manage their human resources (HR) and to better attract and retain talents...... Shanmugam holds bilateral meetings in New York Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, who is in New York for the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), has held several bilateral meetings on the sidelines...... Garden City Fund gets donation boost for coral reef survey The National Parks Board's Garden City Fund (GCF) will get a boost from a corporate donation for an upcoming survey of coral reefs......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-28

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S'pore Red Cross calls for more youths to donate blood The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority hope to increase the number of youth donors to 35 per cent by 2014. Youths aged 16 to 25 currently make up about 30 per cent of the donor population. The........     Govt to build 10 new nursing homes by 2016 To meet the demand for nursing home services, the Government will be building 10 new nursing homes from now till 2016. With the new homes, an estimated 3,300 beds will be added to the existing nursing home capacity of 9,000...... 1,627 COEs up for bidding in next exercise The next Certificates of Entitlement (COE) bidding exercise will have a total quota of 1,627 up for grabs. Tender will open on Monday at 12 noon and close on Wednesday at 4pm. Under Category A for cars below 1,600 cc,........ Tax arrears at record low: IRAS The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has said more taxpayers are filing and paying taxes on time. Releasing its Annual Report for Financial Year 2011/12, the IRAS said tax arrears are at a record low of 0.94 per cent for........ Man jailed 9 weeks for having sex with underage prostitute Wilson Oei, 26, has been sentenced to nine weeks' jail for having sex with an underage prostitute. He is the eighth man to be convicted in a high profile online vice ring case that has implicated 51 men. Oei paid the........ New flexible staff deployment scheme for hospitality industry The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced a new initiative that allows hotel and hostel employees to be deployed across different job functions. In a joint statement, MOM and STB say the pilot........ 10,000 PMEs to join labour movement by 2013 The labour movement is getting a boost in its membership from among professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) through a new tie-up. It will see 10,000 PMEs from the group joining the labour movement by next year under the U........ Health risk from new virus remains low: MOH The Ministry of Health (MOH) said the health risk from the new coronavirus reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Sunday is low. It said as of Tuesday, the WHO has not received any reports of additional probable or........ S'pore population up at 5.31 million, 82% residents stay in HDB flats The Republic's population has increased, due to growth of both the resident and non-resident populations. The Department of Statistics (DOS), in its Population Trends 2012 report released today, said the country's total population........ Electricity tariff to drop by 2.9% Electricity tariff for Singapore households will go down by 2.9 per cent from Oct 1 this year. The rate will drop from 28.08 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 27.27 cents per kWh. For families living in four-room HDB........ Department of Statistics releases population trends for 2012 The Singapore Department of Statistics has released its report on population trends for this year. Singapore's total population was 5.31 million as at end June 2012. That is an increase of 2.5 per cent compared to a year........

Ex-CNB chief 'broke my heart', says Cecilia Sue The graft trial of former CNB director Ng Boon Gay continues today with Senior counsel Tan Chee Meng reading out two paragraphs of a 10th CPIB statement, provided by the Prosecution to the defence yesterday evening. The CPIB........     Dr Yaacob to convey PM Lee's letter to Saudi Crown Prince Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, will call on Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Saturday...... 1,627 COEs up for bidding in next exercise The next Certificates of Entitlement (COE) bidding exercise will have a total quota of 1,627 up for grabs...... S'pore, Indonesia showcase Fiesta Muzik in Jakarta For the second year running, MediaCorp and Televisi Republik Indonesia (TVRI) will collaborate on a co-production that promises pomp and dynamism called Fiesta Muzik 2012...... More taxpayers filing and paying taxes on time: IRAS SINGAPORE : The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has said more taxpayers are filing and paying taxes on time...... Call for more youths to donate blood Singapore Red Cross (SRC) and the Health Sciences Authority hope to increase the number of youth donors to 35 per cent by 2014...... 6 new members appointed in Singapore Sports Council The Singapore Sports Council is getting six new members from 1st October 2012...... New flexible staff deployment scheme for hospitality industry The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have announced a new initiative that allows hotel and hostel employees to be deployed across different job functions...... Electricity tariff to drop by 2.9% Electricity tariff for Singapore households will go down by 2.9 per cent from 1 October 2012...... Health risk from new virus remains low: MOH Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) said the health risk from the new coronavirus reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 23 September is low...... More discrepancies revealed in sex-for-contracts trial More discrepancies were disclosed in court on Friday morning at the trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay...... Indonesian businessman jailed for having sex with underage prostitute Wilson Oei, 26, has been sentenced to nine weeks' jail for having sex with an underage prostitute...... Benches to remember former National Stadium Singaporeans now have a unique opportunity to remember the former National Stadium by submitting designs to create benches made from the stadium's seating planks...... S'pore population up at 5.31 million, 82% residents live in HDB flats Singapore's population has increased, due to growth of both the resident and non-resident populations...... 10,000 PMEs to join labour movement by 2013 Singapore's labour movement is getting a boost in its membership from among professionals, managers and executives (PMEs) through a new tie-up......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-27

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Australia approves livestock exports to S'pore for Korban Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has given the go-ahead for livestock to be exported to Singapore for the upcoming Korban. In a statement, the Department's Acting Secretary Paul Morris said Australia is........     Civilian soldier dies after being hit by falling tree A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Operationally-Ready National Serviceman, Lance-Corporal (LCP)(NS) Tan Tai Seng, 23, died today after being hit by a falling tree. LCP(NS) Tan, a transport operator from 63 Combat Service Support........ Stand up against online personal attacks: Lawrence Wong Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts Lawrence Wong has urged Singaporeans to make a stand against personal attacks on those who have different views or political affiliations. In his........ MOM & CPF Board to boost enforcement inspections by 10-fold The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board will increase their joint enforcement inspections on employers by ten-fold from this November. The increase from 500 to 5,000 inspections a year is meant to........ Economic growth vital to non-material pursuits too: Iswaran Whether Singaporeans choose to pursue their careers or place more priority on parenthood going forward, a healthy economy is key, said Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran a day after his ministry released an occasional paper on........ Cecilia Sue breaks down in court, insists she is telling 'the truth' The woman at the centre of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) Director Ng Boon Gay's high profile corruption case was grilled this morning on whether she had an intimate relationship with Ng. Ms Cecilia Sue, 36, was asked by........ HDB adds 2,000 more units to BTO flat supply The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is increasing its new flat supply for this year by 2,000 units. This boosts the number of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats for the year to 27,000 - up from the originally planned 25,000......

Indonesia urged to ratify haze agreement soon ASEAN environment ministers meeting in Bangkok have urged Indonesia to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution as soon as possible. A statement issued by the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR)........     New Zealander in Suntec City brawl case appears in court A New Zealand man, who jumped bail last year following charges of assault, made a brief appearance in court on Thursday...... Companies urged to involve youth in community life programmes Singapore companies have been urged to play their role in enhancing community life in Singapore and involving youth to share their ideas in this area...... Australia approves livestock exports to S'pore for Korban Australia's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has given the go-ahead for livestock to be exported to Singapore for the upcoming Korban...... 2014 National Games to act as test event for 2015 SEA Games The 2014 National Games will be used as a test event for the 2015 SEA Games as part of the organisers' plan to attract a larger community involvement...... SAF operationally-ready NSman dies during in-camp training An SAF operationally-ready national serviceman (NSman) died in hospital on Thursday after he was hit by a falling tree outside the Ama Keng training area at Lim Chu Kang...... ICA seizes 11kg of 'Ice' worth some S$1.7m Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoint Authority has seized over 11 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as 'Ice', with a street value of nearly S$1.7 million...... Stand up against online personal attacks: Lawrence Wong Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts Lawrence Wong has urged Singaporeans to make a stand against personal attacks on those who have different views or political affiliations...... K. Shanmugam holds bilateral meetings at UN General Assembly NEW YORK: Minister for Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam has held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from nine countries, and hosted a reception for Singaporeans on the sides of the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York...... Cecilia Sue breaks down in court, insists she is telling "the truth" SINGAPORE - The woman at the centre of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) Director Ng Boon Gay's high profile corruption case was grilled on Thursday morning on whether she had an intimate relationship with Ng...... MOM & CPF Board to boost enforcement inspections The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board will increase their joint enforcement inspections on employers by ten-fold from this November...... HDB adds 2,000 more units to BTO flat supply The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is increasing its new flat supply for 2012 by 2,000 units, boosting the number of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats for the year to 27,000 -- up from the originally planned 25,000...... Suspect who robbed man of car & motorcycle charged A 25-year-old man has been charged with robbing a 40-year-old man of a car, a motorcycle, a smartphone and S$500 in cash...... Cecilia Sue back on stand in former CNB chief's trial Thursday marked the third day of the trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief Ng Boon Gay, with the woman who accused Ng of forcing her to perform oral sex on him back on the stand......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-26

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Community Chest raises record S$52 million Beyond making corporate donations, companies are encouraging their staff to be more involved in supporting the Community Chest. The Community Chest's SHARE programme - a monthly workplace giving programme where companies each........     CPF extends 4% interest rate till Dec 2013 The Central Provident Fund Board (CPF) is extending its minimum four per cent annual interest rate for Special, Medisave and Retirement Account (SMRA) holders for another year because of the clouded economic outlook. "In view of the........ Teacher pleads guilty to string of upskirt video offences A secondary school teacher pleaded guilty today to a string of offences that involved him using his mobile phone to take upskirt videos. Seow Swee Hong, 39, who taught at a school in the eastern part of Singapore, was picked up by........ Cecilia Sue takes stand in trial of former CNB chief Cecilia Sue Siew Nang was called to the stand today in the continuing trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief Ng Boon Gay. Ng, 46, faces four counts of corruption. He allegedly obtained oral sex from Ms Sue........ S'pore photojournalist produces picture book on Gurkhas SINGAPORE: - For the first time, stories of the Gurkha community are recorded into a book. The picture book by local photojournalist Zakaria Zainal aims to provide recognition for the Gurkhas' contribution to Singapore. The book........ Ong Ye Kung to step down from NTUC Even as he leaves the labour movement formally on Nov 25, National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Deputy Secretary-General Ong Ye Kung said he will continue to volunteer his services and work for the labour movement and grassroots community...... Singapore's industrial output falls 2.2% on-year in August Singapore's industrial production fell 2.2 per cent on-year last month, faring worse than economists' expectation of 1.1 per cent increase. On a month-on-month seasonally adjusted basis, industrial production declined 2.3 per cent........ IT executive "encouraged to establish contact" with heads of agencies As a sales manager with Oracle Singapore, the woman at the centre of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) Director Ng Boon Gay's high profile corruption case - Ms Cecilia Sue - was "encouraged to establish high contact" with IT teams as well........ HDB, URA release 3 new sites for residential units The Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) have released three sites for new homes. The three sites will yield some 1,375 residential units. Two of the land parcels are executive........ New food court in city promises hearty, affordable meals Downtown Singapore now has a new food court promising hearty local fare at affordable prices. The outlet is located at Tower 3 of the Marina Bay Financial Centre and serves those working in the area. Prices start from........ S'pore, UNDP to set up centre for Public Service Excellence Singapore and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to set up a Global Centre for Public Service Excellence. UNDP administrator Helen Clark and Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister........ SMRT buses diverted for Mass Lantern Walk 2012 SMRT bus services 190, 851, 961 and 970 will be temporarily diverted from 5pm to 11pm on Sept 29. This is due to road closures along New Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street for Mass Lantern Walk 2012. Commuters may contact SMRT........

MTI warns of slow growth without inflow of foreigners If Singapore does not continue to allow for a "calibrated" inflow of immigrants and foreign workers, Singaporeans have to be prepared for little economic growth, limited real increases in wages, and insufficient manpower in the........     More Police NSmen to be deployed to frontline More Police National Servicemen (NSmen) will be deployed to the frontline to take on larger and more challenging roles...... S'pore officials to visit Laos to boost agricultural cooperation Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development and Defence, Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, will visit Vientiane in Laos from Wednesday to Friday...... CPF extends 4% interest rate till Dec 2013 The Central Provident Fund Board (CPF) is extending its minimum four per cent annual interest rate for Special, Medisave and Retirement Account (SMRA) holders for another year because of the clouded economic outlook...... President's Star Charity 2012 to help 55 beneficiaries Fifty-five beneficiaries, almost double the number last year, will benefit from this year's President's Star Charity...... Teacher pleads guilty to string of upskirt video offences A secondary school teacher pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a string of offences that involved him using his mobile phone to take upskirt videos...... Swimming: SSA appoints Turner as new technical director Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) has appointed Ian Turner as their new technical director...... Companies urge employees to do more for charities More companies are encouraging their staff to do their part for charities...... Cecilia Sue takes stand in trial of former CNB chief Cecilia Sue Siew Nang was called to the stand on Wednesday in the continuing trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief Ng Boon Gay...... NTUC deputy chief Ong Ye Kung steps down The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on Wednesday announced that its deputy secretary-general Ong Ye Kung will be stepping down in two months' time...... S'pore photojournalist produces picture book on Gurkhas For the first time, stories of the Gurkha community are recorded into a book...... NTUC Foodfare's first dining outlet outside heartlands Social enterprise NTUC Foodfare has opened its first dining outlet outside the heartlands...... HDB & URA release 3 new sites for residential units The Housing and Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority have launched three new residential sites...... S'pore & UNDP to set up Global Centre for Public Service Excellence Singapore and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement to set up a Global Centre for Public Service Excellence......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-25

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Korban may not be held at S'pore mosques this year The Singapore Mosques Korban Committee said there is a likelihood that the korban may not be held at mosques this year. The korban ritual where livestock is sacrificed is held on Hari Raya Haji, which falls on Oct 26......     Hotel room prices up, but some luxury room rates fall: report While hotel room prices in Asia grew by 4 per cent overall in the first half of this year, compared to the same period last year, several popular Asian cities saw significant price falls in luxury hotel room rates, according to leading online........ Local music to get exposure on free-to-air TV and radio Local musicians who have been waiting for national exposure now have their chance: The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and MediaCorp have announced an invitation for local music companies and artistes to submit their ideas for........ Hospitals informed of new virus to ensure vigilance: MOH Following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) global alert on an unknown virus related to the deadly SARS infection, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has said it is monitoring the situation closely. It has informed all hospitals of........ Accept nursing home & eldercare facilities in show of solidarity: Khor Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor has urged younger and able-bodied Singaporeans to accept the presence of nursing home and eldercare facilities in their neighbourhoods as an "expression of solidarity" with the seniors in their........ Some confusion as Budget Terminal hands over operations There was slight confusion as Singapore's Budget Terminal closed early this morning and handed over operations to Changi Airport's Terminal 2. Some passengers were wrongly informed that their flight would depart from Terminal 2,........ MTI releases Occasional Paper on population and economy In the face of a lower economic growth trajectory and an ageing and shrinking workforce, Singapore will have to address these shifts by raising the productivity of businesses, encouraging more residents to enter and stay in the workforce, and........ New radiotherapy technique reduces breast cancer treatment duration A new treatment for breast cancer patients undergoing surgery will cut the time needed for radiotherapy. With intra-operative radiotherapy, the six-week conventional treatment will be reduced to a single session which lasts an........ Three arrested for allegedly committing theft at Sentosa Police have arrested three Mongolian men for theft, misuse of credit or debit cards and fraudulent possession. The three men are aged between 24 and 34. Police said they several reports of theft committed between July........ Trial for NUS lecturer in sex-for-grades scandal pushed back The trial date for National University Singapore lecturer Tey Tsun Hang, who is at the centre of a sex-for-grades scandal has been pushed back by at least two months. This follows a criminal motion filed by Tey's lawyers who asked........ Anonymity order in former CNB chief's trial rejected The first day of sex-for-contracts trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay, which started in the Subordinate Court this morning, has resumed. Trial was adjourned earlier following Deputy Chief Prosecutor (DCP) Tan........ In S'pore for the race, Thaksin dishes out advice to sister Yingluck Former Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra said his sister's government will avoid conflicts like those that led to his ouster in a 2006 coup, even as it presses ahead with efforts to curb the power of the courts. Prime Minister........

No apology for M Ravi affair Singapore Law Society members called on its president Wong Meng Meng yesterday to apologise for the society's handling of the recent clash with lawyer M Ravi, as well as for Mr Wong to recuse himself from chairing the Extraordinary........     New training pathway for workers in food manufacturing industry SINGAPORE : Workers in the food manufacturing industry now have a new specialised training pathway...... S'pore, Russia discuss expanding ties in social infrastructure Singapore and Russia are taking their cooperation to a new level by expanding it into more areas and deepening the scope of cooperation...... DPM Tharman to visit New Delhi, Mumbai SINGAPORE : Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam will be visiting the Indian cities of New Delhi and Mumbai from Wednesday till Thursday...... Three youths arrested for robbery SINGAPORE : Three youths, aged between 17 and 19, have been arrested for robbery with hurt...... Korban may not be held at S'pore mosques this year The Singapore Mosques Korban Committee said there is a likelihood that the korban may not be held at mosques this year...... Hospitals informed of new virus to ensure vigilance: MOH The Ministry of Health (MOH) is monitoring the situation closely after the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a global alert on an unknown virus related to the deadly SARS infection...... Budget airlines' first day at Terminal 2 proceeds smoothly Budget airlines operating at Singapore's Changi Airport Terminal 2 saw smooth operations on the first day, after the Budget Terminal closed its doors on Tuesday morning...... Accept nursing home & eldercare facilities in show of solidarity: Khor Minister of State for Health Dr Amy Khor has urged younger and able-bodied Singaporeans to accept the presence of nursing home and eldercare facilities in their neighbourhoods - as an "expression of solidarity" with the seniors in their com..... Strong case for S'pore to continue with calibrated immigration policy The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has made a strong case for Singapore to continue with its calibrated immigration policy as the country faces the prospect of an ageing population...... Sex-for-grades scandal trial date pushed back The trial date for Tey Tsun Hang, who is at the centre of a sex-for-grades scandal, has been pushed back by at least two months...... Shanmugam meets counterparts from Rwanda, UAE, Zimbabwe Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K Shanmugam, who is in New York for the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, met his counterparts from Rwanda, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Zimbabwe on Tuesday...... 3 arrested for theft at Sentosa Police have arrested three Mongolian men for theft, misuse of credit or debit cards and fraudulent possession...... New radiotherapy technique reduces breast cancer treatment duration A new treatment for breast cancer patients undergoing surgery will cut the time needed for radiotherapy...... Ex-CNB chief in court for sex-for-contracts trial The court on Tuesday rejected a request for a gag order on naming the woman in the centre of the sex-for-contracts case involving former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief Ng Boon Gay...... Confusion as Budget Terminal hands over operations There was slight confusion as Singapore's Budget Terminal closed early Tuesday morning and handed over operations to Changi Airport's Terminal 2......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-24

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Student to be charged with using fake IC to enter nightspot A student will be charged in court tomorrow with using a fake identity card to enter an entertainment outlet along Sentosa Gateway. Police said today that the 17-year-old male student was caught at about 11.30pm on May 12......     Deluxe executive condo Heron Bay more than 4.2 times oversubscribed Heron Bay, Singapore's first deluxe executive condominium in Upper Serangoon View, is more than 4.2 times oversubscribed, having received 1,664 applications for its 394 units, said developer Serangoon EC today. This record number of........ Last Downtown East attacker gets 39 months' jail, 3 strokes of cane The last of the 12 youths involved in a gang clash in 2010 at Downtown East that left a polytechnic student dead was today sentenced to three years and three months' jail, as well as three strokes of the cane. Ng Wei Lun, 20, was........ Opposition politician Chee raises S$30,000 to clear bankruptcy Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan has managed to raise the S$30,000 needed to annul his bankruptcy. The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) said on its website today that the Discharge CSJ Fund raised the money in a "record 10........ SIA flight delayed by 18 hours A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight, SQ11, departing from Los Angeles for Narita was delayed by 18 hours yesterday due to the late arrival of an incoming flight, SQ12, from Narita to Los Angeles. SQ12 had experienced a technical........ Singapore inflation up at slower pace in August Singapore's consumer prices rose at a slower pace last month, as costs of accommodation and services moderated. The consumer price index (CPI) rose 3.9 per cent from a year earlier, after rising 4 per cent in July. The........ Businessman jailed for paid sex with underage girl A seventh man has been sentenced to jail for having paid sex with an underage girl in the high-profile online vice ring case. Twenty-eight-year-old businessman Raziuddin Mohamed Naseem received 12 weeks' jail today. He........ 2 new flyovers along PIE slip roads in Bt Batok & Clementi Two flyovers will be built between Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 and Clementi Avenue 6 to improve traffic flow along a stretch of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE). The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said today that they will be completed........ Don't let politics polarise: Lawrence Wong While politics is important, Senior Minister of State (MOE and MICA) Lawrence Wong has cautioned against a "situation where every activity or conversation in this country becomes politicised, where our people are polarized by political........ MOM fines 31 worksite operators for poor crane safety practices The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has fined 31 companies and individuals for poor safety practices in lifting operations at worksites involving cranes. The fines ranged between S$200 and S$6,200, and five companies were also ordered to........

Stress 'a deterrent to parenthood' Pressure from an early age - beginning in schools and through to the workplace - is a key deterrent to parenthood and bigger families here, said participants at the Mandarin edition of A Conversation with PM Lee televised last........     Budget Terminal closes, low-cost carriers operate from Terminal 2 Singapore's Budget Terminal entered its final full day of operations on Monday, serving the last few batches of cost-conscious passengers around the region...... Russia-S'pore dialogue to promote broad-based cooperation The High-Level Russia-Singapore Inter-Governmental Commission (IGC) will meet in Singapore on Tuesday...... Student to be charged with using fake IC to enter nightspot A student will be charged in court on Tuesday with using a fake identity card to enter an entertainment outlet along Sentosa Gateway...... Dr Balakrishnan to attend Bangkok & New York meetings on environment & climate change Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will review the haze and fire occurrences over the past year and identify measures needed to strengthen the region's response to the situation...... Singapore and Cape Verde sign Open Skies Agreement Singapore has concluded a new Open Skies Agreement (OSA) with the island country of Cape Verde, which lies off the west coast of Africa...... Opposition politician Chee raises S$30,000 to clear bankruptcy Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan has managed to raise the S$30,000 needed to annul his bankruptcy...... Last Downtown East attacker gets 39 months' jail, 3 strokes of cane The last of the 12 youths involved in a gang clash in 2010 at Downtown East that left a polytechnic student dead was sentenced to three years and three months' jail, as well as three strokes of the cane...... Punggol East LRT to get more train trips Commuters who use the Punggol East LRT can expect shorter waiting times and less crowded trains during the evening peak hours...... Businessman jailed for paid sex with underage girl A seventh man has been sentenced to jail for having paid sex with an underage girl in the high-profile online vice ring case...... 2 new flyovers along PIE slip roads in Bt Batok & Clementi Two flyovers will be built between Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 and Clementi Avenue 6 to improve traffic flow along a stretch of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE)...... 31 companies & individuals caught for poor crane safety practices 31 companies and individuals have been fined due to poor safety practices in lifting operations at worksites involving cranes...... Orchard Rd Business Association wins global merit award Singapore's Orchard Road Business Association has won a global merit award for its work in Christmas on "A Great Street 2011"...... Marine Life Park to open to public ahead of RWS official opening Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said it targets to bring in 16 million visitors next year...... Importance of Malacca & S'pore straits to soar with Asia's rise The importance of the straits of Malacca and Singapore to the international community will grow exponentially with the rise of Asia in the global economy, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-23

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Haj flights rescheduled, packages adjusted due to smaller quota Muslim Singaporeans performing their Haj pilgrimage to Mecca this year will have their flights re-scheduled and packages adjusted. This is due to the fewer number of places granted by the Saudi government. The Association of Muslim........     Fire breaks out at Toa Payoh Blk 5 A fire broke out at Toa Payoh Block 5, Lorong 7 this morning. The blaze involved discarded items located along the common corridor of a staircase landing on the 10th floor. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it........ Singaporeans 'accepting of foreigners': Participants of forum with PM Lee Singaporeans are accepting of foreigners, say participants at a Mandarin TV forum on Singapore's future with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Thirty Singaporeans took part in the forum. Among them are educators, young parents,........ MOH to build nursing home at Bishan Street 13 The Ministry of Health (MOH) will proceed with building a nursing home, the Lions Home for the Elders, at Bishan Street 13. Channel NewsAsia understands that residents were informed about this through a letter from the chairman of........ ACE scheme to help start-ups with funding, mentorships More funding and mentorships are available for start-ups, with the Action Community for Entrepreneurs (ACE) scheme. ACE is a public-private sector collaboration driven by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to create a more........ Singaporeans must accept F1 race as necessary event: MTI The Trade and Industry Ministry says the community must accept the Singapore Formula One race as a necessary event in Singapore. This is because the race has reaped benefits such as enhancing Singapore's image and bringing in more........

Standard of Mandarin, healthcare costs main worry of dialogue participants Singaporeans have expressed concerns about the standard of Mandarin and its declining use at the National Day Mandarin Dialogue yesterday. Some 170 people took part in the dialogue, where participants also raised their concerns........     Caregivers of dementia patients get resource pack from HPB The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has launched a caregivers' resource pack and an e-learning course as part of a Dementia Public Education Plan to help caregivers care for themselves and access available sources of support. With the........ Myanmar parliamentary speaker in S'pore for four-day visit Speaker of the Lower House of Myanmar's Parliament, Thura U Shwe Mann, is in Singapore for a four-day visit, from September 23 to September 26...... Haj flights rescheduled, packages adjusted due to smaller quota Muslim Singaporeans performing their Haj pilgrimage to Mecca this year will have their flights re-scheduled and packages adjusted. This is due to the fewer number of places granted by the Saudi government...... Sam Tan on 5-day visit to Slovakia & Czech Republic Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Community Development, Youth and Sports, Sam Tan, is on a five-day visit to Slovakia and the Czech Republic...... Tan Chuan-Jin urges S'poreans to keep "open mind" Singapore's Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has urged Singaporeans to keep an open mind as the country engages in a national conversation about its future...... MOH to develop continuing education framework for TCM practitioners The Health Ministry said it plans to develop a continuing education framework for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners here...... HPB launches self-help tools for dementia caregivers The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has launched a set of self-help solutions for caregivers to cope with the emotional and social stress of caring for the elderly with dementia...... Fire breaks out at Toa Payoh Blk 5 A fire broke out at Toa Payoh Block 5, Lorong 7 on Sunday morning......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-22

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Singapore could accommodate six million people in future Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore could accommodate six million people in time to come. The country's total population stood at 5.26 million as of December last year. Mr Lee was speaking to Singaporeans at a........     REACH poll shows good support for national conversation A telephone poll conducted by Singapore's government feedback agency REACH has found that most Singaporeans agree with the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's call for the Singapore of tomorrow to have a bigger heart. Releasing the........ S'pore to allow sale of chinese medicine containing berberine From Jan 1 next year, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will allow the sale of Chinese proprietary medicines (CPM) containing berberine in Singapore. This was announced today by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at a forum on........

11 prosecution witnesses to testify at ex-SCDF chief's trial Eleven prosecution witnesses will be produced in court when an eight-day trial involving former Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) chief Peter Lim Sin Pang begins in January. They include SCDF officers and one of the three women........     Promote entrepreneurship by developing risk-taking culture: Teo Ser Luck To promote entrepreneurship, it is important to develop a culture of taking risks and accepting failure...... Motor Racing: Singapore extends grand prix contract to 2017 Singapore has agreed on a deal with Formula One to extend the country's grand prix contract for another five years until 2017, the government said on Saturday...... Singapore could accommodate six million people in future Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore could accommodate six million people in time to come...... Queenstown kicks off 60th birthday celebrations Singapore's first satellite estate, Queenstown, has kicked off a series of year-long celebrations to commemorate its 60th birthday next year...... ACE scheme to help start-ups with funding, mentorships More funding and mentorships are available for start-ups, with the Action Community for Entrepreneurs (ACE) scheme...... REACH poll shows good support for national conversation A telephone poll conducted by Singapore's government feedback agency REACH has found that most Singaporeans agree with the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's call for the Singapore of tomorrow to have a bigger heart...... S'pore to allow sale of Chinese medicine containing berberine From January 1, 2013, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) will allow the sale of Chinese proprietary medicines (CPM) containing berberine in Singapore......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-21

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Ex-tuition teacher jailed 15 years for sexually abusing students A former tuition teacher was sentenced to 15 years' jail today for sexually abusing seven male students, two of whom were brothers. In his defence, the 51-year-old man claimed that he was instructed by "a ghost of a boy to perform........     SingTel fined S$380,000 for Mio TV, Mio Voice service disruptions SingTel has been fined a total of S$380,000 for the disruption of its Mio TV and Mio Voice service on Oct 28 and 29 and Nov 4 last year. The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) imposed a S$300,000 fine on SingTel for........ Men involved in million-dollar robbery face more charges The five men accused of committing a million-dollar gang robbery in Dunlop Street on Sept 10 now face additional charges. Last week, the five men were charged with robbing Indian national businessman Antony Savarimuthu of S$300,000........ 11 prosecution witnesses to testify in trial involving ex-SCDF chief Eleven prosecution witnesses will be produced in court when an eight-day trial involving former Singapore Civil Defence Force chief Peter Lim Sin Pang begins in January. They include SCDF officers and one of three women at the........ MHA's "unwarranted allegations" forced us to show reply to Archbishop: Function 8 The Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) "unwarranted allegations" have "forced" Function 8 to show details of its letter to Archbishop Nicholas Chia "in order to clear the allegations against us", said the social activist group today...... First to get their hands on the iPhone 5 ... SingTel today launched Apple's latest smartphone, the iPhone 5, at a launch event held at the Marina Bay Sands' Exhibition Hall D. The launch event, which started at 8am this morning, will be held over three days, and........

Demographics, governance key Demographics and governance are the two factors that will shape the future of countries in Asia, and of Asia as a whole, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean. Speaking at the Singapore Global Dialogue organised by the S........     Muslims urged to correct anti-Islam video by portraying true teachings Friday sermons in mosques across Singapore addressed the aftermath of the anti-Islamic video that has led to protests around the world...... Shanmugam to attend 67th United Nations General Assembly Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law Mr K Shanmugam will be in New York from September 23 to October 2 to attend the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)...... Archbishop will not release exchange of letters with Function 8 The exchange of words continues between Singapore's Archbishop Nicholas Chia and activist group Function 8...... MDA fines SingNet for Mio TV service disruptions in 2011 The Media Development Authority (MDA) has fined SingNet S$80,000 for Mio TV disruptions which occurred in October and November 2011...... Trade, travel links between Singapore and Cape Verde set to grow Trade and travel links between Singapore and the island country of Cape Verde are set to grow, with the signing of two agreements. One is an air services agreement, while another is a Memorandum of Understanding to promote investments...... IDA fines SingTel for mio Voice service disruptions in 2011 The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has fined SingTel for mio Voice service disruptions last year which affected over 500 users...... Ex-tuition teacher jailed 15 years for sexually abusing students A former tuition teacher was sentenced to 15 years' jail on Friday for sexually abusing seven male students, two of whom were brothers...... Technology tracking spread of toxic gases wins Defence Technology award Four teams and an individual have been awarded the Defence Technology Prize to recognise their contributions to Singapore's defence capabilities...... Health Minister to attend WHO Western Pacific meeting Health Minister Gan Kim Yong will attend the 63rd session of the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Committee Meeting (RCM) and related meetings in Hanoi, Vietnam from 24 to 25 September...... 11 prosecution witnesses to testify in trial involving ex-SCDF chief Eleven prosecution witnesses will be produced in court when an eight-day trial involving former Singapore Civil Defence Force chief Peter Lim Sin Pang begins in January...... Men involved in million-dollar Dunlop Street robbery face more charges The five men accused of committing a million-dollar gang robbery in Dunlop Street on 10 September now face additional charges......

Singapore Local News, 2012-09-20

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Committee leading national conversation holds first meeting Instead of papers and presentations, the "Our Singapore" committee started its first meeting with scissors, magazine tear-outs and colour pencils. Using the materials given, the 26-member committee chaired by Education Minister........     Are the intellectually disabled lesser citizens? In Singapore, people with intellectual disability are treated as citizens of a lesser order. It is encouraging that some government ministers have called for more help for disadvantaged children and equal opportunity starting from early as........ Function 8 calls on Archbishop to publish letters Function 8, one of the organisers of the rally against the Internal Security Act, has issued a press statement in response to Archbishop Nicholas Chia's comments on a blog post written by Mr Alex Au. Mr Au, in his post published on Tuesday, had sugge..... Civil society has been "vilified" in Archbishop's remarks: MARUAH MARUAH, one of the organisers of the rally against the Internal Security Act, has issued a statement in response to Archbishop Nicholas Chia's comments on a blog post written by Mr Alex Au. Mr Au, in his post published on Tuesday, had suggested that ..... Actions by organisers and blogger are "disrespectful" of Archbishop: MHA The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a statement in response to media queries on Archbishop Nicholas Chia's comments on a blog post written by Mr Alex Au. Mr Au, in his post published on Tuesday, had suggested that the Archbishop was pressur..... New GPC for Culture, Community & Youth from Nov 1 From Nov 1, there will be a new Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Culture, Community and Youth. It will be helmed by Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, who is currently the deputy chair of the GPC for Information,........ MediaCorp presents Mandarin forum "A Conversation with PM Lee" MediaCorp is presenting a Mandarin forum on Singapore's future, "A Conversation with PM Lee". Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be joined by Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing, Minister of........ 68,000 customers register with SingTel to buy iPhone 5 A record 68,000 customers have registered their interest to purchase the new iPhone 5 over six days, said SingTel today. A spokesman from the telco added that there was an overwhelming response to its appointment booking website,........ Passenger traffic at Changi Airport up 11% in Aug Changi Airport handled 4.28 million passengers last month, an increase of nearly 11 per cent compared to a year ago. In a statement, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) said air traffic movements for the month also grew by 6.5 per cent........ Two years jail for 22-year-old who made 14-year-old pregnant A national serviceman who made his 14-year-old girlfriend pregnant was sentenced to two years' jail for underage sex. 22-year-old Shanurfahmi Shariman was found guilty of three counts of underage sex. Three other similar counts were........ Controversial YouTube video now 'not available' in Singapore A YouTube video clip of a film that has sparked violent protests in many parts of the world, including several countries in the region, can no longer be accessed from Singapore. Although the video still appears in the search results........ Bukit Timah Canal expansion to begin in October The upstream section of the Bukit Timah Canal will have its capacity increased by 30 per cent as part of National Water Agency PUB's plans to increase protection in flood-prone areas of Singapore. The drainage improvement project........

Understanding rage, and its antidote Just days ago, I was asked over a dinner conversation with several interfaith practitioners: "Why are Muslims such an angry people?" The riots over the film Innocence of Muslims was certainly on their minds. It took me a while to respond......     Prime Minister of Cape Verde to visit S'pore The Prime Minister of the Republic of Cape Verde, Jose Maria Pereira Neves will make an official visit to Singapore from September 21 to 24...... Feedback sought on changes to Stamp Duties Act The Singapore government is inviting public feedback on its draft amendments to the Stamp Duties Bill...... Google blocks Singapore access to anti-Islam film Google on Thursday blocked YouTube users in Singapore from viewing clips of an anti-Islamic film that has incited violent protests across the Muslim world, acting on a request by city authorities...... New GPC for Culture, Community & Youth from Nov 1 From 1 November, there will be a new Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Culture, Community and Youth...... Passenger traffic at Changi Airport up 11% in August Singapore Changi Airport handled 4.28 million passengers in August, an increase of nearly 11 per cent compared to a year ago...... 68,000 customers register with SingTel to buy iPhone 5 SingTel said it received a record 68,000 customers who registered their interest over six days to purchase the new iPhone 5...... Two years jail for 22-year-old who made 14-year-old pregnant A national serviceman who made his 14-year-old girlfriend pregnant was sentenced to two years' jail for underage sex...... PUB to enhance flood protection at Bukit Timah Canal National water agency Public Utilities Board (PUB) has announced it will be enhancing flood protection for the upstream section of the Bukit Timah Canal......