Sunday, June 28, 2015

Indian police arrest six smugglers over $20 million snake venom haul - South Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Indian police arrest six smugglers over $20 million snake venom haul - South Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Indian police arrest six smugglers over $20 million snake venom haul

NEW DELHI (AFP) - Six members of a suspected international smuggling racket were arrested with an estimated US$15 million (S$20.2 million) of snake venom hidden in school bags close to the Bhutan border in eastern India, officials said on Sunday.

The gang were riding two motorbikes and carrying school bags containing three bullet-proof glass containers of the venom when they were arrested by police on Saturday in the Baikunthpur forest area of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal.

"This haul is worth at least 100 crore on (the) international market. There are three different containers with venom in liquid form, white crystals and yellow granule form," Mr P. R. Pradhan, divisional forest officer, Baikunthpur forest division, told AFP.

The glass containers are stamped with "Made in France", Mr Pradhan said, adding that the arrested men said the consignment may have arrived from France before they picked it up from Bangladesh for delivery in Bhutan.

The venom is believed to be from a cobra but chemical tests are being conducted to identify the snake species, he said.

Jalpaiguri's police chief Akash Meghariya said the smugglers are being questioned about their links to an international syndicate.

"They are part of the international racket. The case is being investigated," Mr Meghariya told AFP, adding that they have been arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act, which bans the extraction of venom from protected snake species, including cobras.

Under Indian law the "milking" of many other snake species is allowed.

Wildlife experts say the illegal trade of snake venom and skin is widespread with frequent recoveries reported across the country.

Extracted venom is mostly used as an antidote for snake bites, which according to the World Health Organisation kill an estimated half a million people globally every year. Snake venom is also used in some cosmetics.



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Singaporean injured at Taipei water park blast - More Asia Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singaporean injured at Taipei water park blast - More Asia Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singaporean injured at Taipei water park blast

SINGAPORE - A Singaporean was hurt at a fire at a Taipei water park that has injured more than 500.

A cloud of coloured powder exploded over a crowd during a live event at the water park and erupted into a huge fireball, a New York Times report said.

"One Singaporean who was at the event was injured," said the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei. "We are in touch with the family to render consular assistance."

According to the New Taipei City Health Department, 519 were injured, with 190 sustaining serious injuries. There are 182 people warded in intensive care wards, it said in a release on its website.



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Saturday, June 27, 2015

More than 200 injured in explosion at Taiwan water park - East Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More than 200 injured in explosion at Taiwan water park - East Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More than 200 injured in explosion at Taiwan water park

People carry an injured man at the Formosa Fun Coast amusement park after an explosion in the Pali district of New Taipei City on June 27, 2015. -- PHOTO: AFP

TAIPEI (AFP) - More than 200 people were injured, over 90 of them seriously, in an explosion at a water park outside Taiwan's capital Taipei Saturday after coloured powder being sprayed onto a crowd ignited, officials said.

Footage on the Apple Daily newspaper website showed crowds dancing as music played and clouds of powder being sprayed out which suddenly turned into a ball of fire that tore through the spectators.

Terrified partygoers were then shown running for their lives, screaming, as they were overtaken by flames.

As ambulance crews struggled to reach the site, victims were carried away on rubber rings and inflatable dinghies as friends desperately tried to get them out.

Bystanders poured bottles of water on the scorched skin of the victims still at the scene.

Around 1,000 spectators had been at the Color Play Asia event at the Formosa Fun Coast waterpark, just outside the capital Taipei, according to officials.

One male witness told local news channel CTI: "It started on the left side of the stage. At the beginning I thought it was part of the special effects of the party but then I realised there was something wrong and people started screaming and running."

Authorities said 229 had been hospitalised with 97 seriously hurt.

Media reports said some victims had suffered burns to more than 40 per cent of their bodies.

A doctor treating 41 victims at one hospital in Taipei said 17 of them were "seriously burned".

"They all had respiratory system damage," he said.

"Our initial understanding is this explosion and fire... was caused by the powder spray. It could have been due to the heat of the lights on the stage," said a spokesman for the New Taipei City fire department.

A man responsible for the event had been detained by police for investigation, the spokesman said.

Prosecutors were also looking into the incident, local media reported.

Television images showed the stage on fire and crowds running away, some of them only dressed in swimwear and covered in coloured powder.

Trails of bloody footprints leading away from the stage remained in the aftermath of the inferno, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

The fire was quickly extinguished, according to authorities.

Officials said that ambulances had found it difficult to get near to the site and had to send in emergency workers with stretchers.

"We feel sad and regretful about the accident," said New Taipei Mayor Eric Chu who was reported as saying it was the municipality's worst ever incident of mass injury.

He said that extra doctors had been called in to help treat the victims.

"I've ordered the park to shut down immediately and be placed under a rigorous investigation," Chu added.



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Friday, June 26, 2015

SCDF men may be demoted or sacked for trashing dorm - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SCDF men may be demoted or sacked for trashing dorm - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SCDF men may be demoted or sacked for trashing dorm

THE Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers who were filmed misbehaving and damaging property in a dormitory in April may be demoted or even dismissed.

Investigations into the incident, captured in two videos that went viral on social media, found that 23 officers were involved, said the SCDF in a statement yesterday.

The culprits comprise nine regular and 14 full-time national service (NSF) officers, all of whom are sergeants.

The regulars are facing civil service disciplinary action,

with punishments ranging from a letter of warning to dismissal, depending on the extent of their involvement, said the SCDF.

The NSFs have been charged under the Civil Defence Act and could be fined, put in detention and/or demoted.

Another five regular officers with supervisory roles could be given letters of warning or advice. It is not known what ranks these five officers hold.

The SCDF did not say when punishments will be decided.

Yesterday's development comes almost two months after the SCDF said it will "leave no stone unturned" in investigating the behaviour of its officers.

The clips showed several officers from the 20th Section Commander Course trashing a dorm at the Civil Defence Academy in Jalan Bahar on April 24.

In the first minute-long clip uploaded on April 27, the men were seen in a room with overturned bedframes, mattresses and cupboards. Some of them were smoking in the dorm, which is an offence.

A second video posted the next day showed the men cheering and filming themselves as one of them smeared what is believed to be shoe polish on the floor.

The incident prompted criticism from the public, who urged the SCDF to punish the men involved, saying their actions reflected poorly on the force.

A 30-year-old staff sergeant, a regular who has been with the SCDF for 10 years, said he and his colleagues felt embarrassed when the videos surfaced.

"It tainted our career and reputation. It's just their act of stupidity, it doesn't represent the whole force," he said. "They should be punished as a wake-up call and to prevent this from happening again."

Yesterday, the SCDF said it "deeply regrets" the misconduct of its officers and takes a "very serious view" of it.

"Such behaviour does not reflect the culture and discipline expected of all SCDF officers," it said, adding that all officers are expected to demonstrate exemplary personal and professional conduct.



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France decapitation victim was suspect's boss: Source - Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

France decapitation victim was suspect's boss: Source - Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

France decapitation victim was suspect's boss: Source

SAINT-QUENTIN-FALLAVIER, France (AFP) - The man decapitated in an attack Friday on an industrial gas factory in eastern France was the boss of the suspect now in police custody, legal sources said.

The head of the victim, who ran a delivery service, was found pinned to the gates at the American-owned Air Products factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier

It was surrounded by two Islamist flags.

His body was found inside the factory, the site of what French President Francois Hollande called a terrorist attack.

Yassin Salhi, 35, is suspected of driving one of the delivery service's vehicles into the factory grounds during the attack.

Though access to the facility is restricted because it contains dangerous substances, the delivery company had clearance to enter.



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Tourists describe scenes of panic in Tunisia attack - More World Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tourists describe scenes of panic in Tunisia attack - More World Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tourists describe scenes of panic in Tunisia attack

Tourists console each other following a shooting attack in the resort town of Sousse. -- PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - British holidaymakers told how they fled in panic from Friday's gun massacre on a Tunisian beach resort, screaming and running for cover when they realised they were under attack.

Five Britons were among the 37 dead in the shootings in Port el Kantaoui outside the town of Sousse.

Survivors told how they were caught by bullets while others were in hysterics as their wounded partners were rushed to hospital.

Frightened tourists hid in their hotel rooms and barricaded themselves in, while a pregnant woman went into labour in the confusion.

British tourists caught up in the attack recounted their ordeal to British media.

One man said he was hit by a bullet.

The Briton, who was not named, appeared to be speaking from a hospital.

"Someone firing a gun, and then I looked at my wife and she got up and ran, and as I turned a bullet just hit me in my arm, and I just ran to the sea," he said, in footage on BBC television.

SHOT IN FRONT OF WIFE

Olivia Leathley, 24, heard "loud bangs" and saw from her hotel room people fleeing the beach, as holiday company representatives blew whistles.

Going to the lobby to find out what was happening, she saw a woman whose husband had "been shot in the stomach in front of her".

"She got dragged away by hotel reps trying to get her to safety but she was a complete mess. She was in hysterics.

"All she said was that he'd been shot and that he was there bleeding on the beach and he was just saying, 'I love you, I love you', and then his eyes rolled back into his head."

Leathley said she believed the woman had been taken to hospital to see her injured husband.

"All of a sudden, from the level just below the lobby there was a huge sound of loads of machine gun fire and one of the reps just said 'run'.

"I was crying and we heard the machine gun fire and it was so loud and it seemed like it was just behind us, it seemed so close."

A group of eight people hid in a room with no windows "and just crouched and waited until they said it was OK", she said.

Back in the hotel, she said: "There was a pregnant woman earlier in the lobby who has now gone into labour."

Ellie Makin, from Ripon in northern England, was on the right-hand edge of her hotel's section of beach.

"All I saw was a gun and an umbrella being dropped," she told ITV television.

"Then he started firing to the right hand side of us. If he had fired to the left I don't know what would have happened, but we were very lucky."

She said she ran to her hotel.

"We just saw panic, everyone just got up and fled as soon as we realised it was gunfire.

"A guy ran up into the hotel and started shooting again and everyone fled. He was just below us, if we'd have walked down the stairs we'd have met him halfway.

"I ran to a room upstairs with somebody and their kids and we hid."

'CRYING AND GOING HYSTERICAL'

Product manager Gary Pine said he heard an estimated 20 to 30 shots before tourists ran to their hotels for cover.

"Only when you could start hearing bullets whizzing around your ear do you realise it was something a lot more serious than firecrackers," he told Sky News television.

"There was a mass exodus off the beach.

"You could see quite quickly the panic that was starting to ensue."

His son told him as they fled: "'I just saw someone get shot'.

"I'm now stood in reception with probably 200 other international guests. Do we leave? Do we stay? Where do we go? What do we do?"

Susan Ricketts told Sky News: "Everybody just started running in and screaming. The whole place just cleared."

She said there were "people crying and going hysterical."

Tomas O Riordain, a UK resident from Cork in Ireland, was in a neighbouring hotel.

"It was all over three or four minutes after it started," he told RTE radio, saying he had two daughters at the beach and "just had to wait and see if they came back".

It was the second time he had been caught up in a terror attack, as he was in Liverpool Street in London during the July 7, 2005, bombings almost a decade ago.



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SAF gets its first female general - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SAF gets its first female general - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SAF gets its first female general

Besides paying tribute to her supportive colleagues and bosses, Col Gan said strong family support was "absolutely critical" while she pursued her career. -- PHOTO: NG ENG HEN/ FACEBOOK 

SINGAPORE - Colonel Gan Siow Huang has smashed the "brass ceiling" to become the first female general in the Singapore Armed Forces.

The 40-year-old was among seven who headed the SAF's annual promotion list, receiving their first star on Friday as they moved up to the rank of Brigadier-General or Rear-Admiral.

The other six were: Colonel Lam Sheau Kai and Colonel Kenneth Liow from the Army; the Republic of Singapore Navy's Colonel Lew Chuen Hong and Colonel Frederick Chew; the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Colonel Kelvin Khong; and the Military Security Department's Colonel Paul Chew.

With that, they ascended to the top echelons of SAF, which will now have more than 20 generals or admirals.

Colonel Gan, one of four women who were the first to receive the SAF Merit Scholarship in 1993, said it had been a "tough journey" rising through the ranks in the last 22 years fraught with tough choices between career progression and family.

"I think it's about managing priorities, knowing what you really want...but with each choice, I accept the outcomes," said Col Gan, who served in numerous appointments such as commander of the RSAF's 203 squadron, and Air Surveillance and Control Group. Now the head of SAF's joint manpower department, she will take over as RSAF's head of air intelligence and director (Special Projects) next month.

Besides paying tribute to her supportive colleagues and bosses, Col Gan said strong family support was "absolutely critical" while she pursued her career.

The mother of three girls, aged 3, 8 and 12, said her parents-in-law as well as her husband, who left the the navy for the private sector in 2006, help take care of the children while she is at work.

In all, 413 officers, 74 military experts and 34 warrant officers from all three branches of the military earned promotions. Comprising regulars and operationally-ready national servicmen (NSmen), they were presented with their certificates at a ceremony at the Defence Ministry on Friday.

They will wear their new ranks from SAF Day on Wednesday, when the promotions take effect.



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Thursday, June 25, 2015

IDA warns SingPass users about fraudulent phishing emails - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

IDA warns SingPass users about fraudulent phishing emails - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

IDA warns SingPass users about fraudulent phishing emails

SINGAPORE - The authorities have put up a security advisory online warning unsuspecting SingPass users not to fall prey to a phishing e-mail, which has apparently been making its rounds.

Phishing is a fraudulent process used by hackers to get users to divulge sensitive personal information such as their user identities and passwords.

On its Facebook page, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) posted this morning: "A number of users have received an e-mail titled 'SingPass account security info verification' from SingPass Government [mailto:notification@singpass-services.gov.sg] informing recipients that their SingPass PINs have been suspended and to click on a link to confirm their e-mail address."

IDA continued: "Please be informed that this is a phishing e-mail and IS NOT sent by SingPass. Should you receive this e-mail, do not click on the link, simply delete it."

SingPass grants Singapore residents access to 340 e-government services, and is due to be revamped next month to further tighten security after more than 1,500 SingPass accounts were breached a year ago. Three of the accounts breached were used to make fraudulent applications for work passes.

itham@sph.com.sg



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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Police arrest 3 men for conspiring to commit murder; meat mincer, chainsaw among items seized - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Police arrest 3 men for conspiring to commit murder; meat mincer, chainsaw among items seized - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Police arrest 3 men for conspiring to commit murder; meat mincer, chainsaw among items seized

Items seized by the police. -- PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

SINGAPORE - A report about an assault at Pasir Ris Street 71 on Sunday night has led to the arrest of three men, aged between 32 and 37, for attempted murder.

While nabbing two of the suspects at a Aloha Changi chalet, police officers also seized items such as a meat mincer, a chainsaw, kitchen knives, a gas cooker, a gas cylinder tank, a tool set, trolley bags, plastic sheets, cable ties, a cleaver, aprons, a chopping board and rubber boots.

In a statement released late on Tuesday night, police said the three suspects will appear in court on Wednesday morning.

On Sunday, at about 9.30pm, a 28-year-old man reported to police that he had been assaulted by two unknown men at the multi-storey carpark at Block 747A Pasir Ris Street 71.

He told police that the two men, together with another unknown man, had fled the scene when his cries for help attracted the attention of passers-by.

Officers ambushed and arrested the first suspect - a 37-year-old man - near Balestier Road on Monday at about 1pm.

After further enquiries, officers mounted an operation and arrested two men, both aged 32, at a chalet at Aloha Changi at about 9.50pm on Monday.

That was when they recovered the chainsaw and meat mincer, among other items.

At about 6.40am on Tuesday, police were alerted to an abandoned vehicle at the basement carpark of Changi Airport Terminal 3.

Officers found a white Mitsubishi multi-purpose vehicle at the carpark, and preliminary investigations suggest that it is linked to the case.

The police are also looking for Myanmar national Aung Aung, 29, to assist in investigations. He is believed to have left Singapore on Tuesday morning.

Anyone with information on Aung Aung can contact the police at 1800-255-0000, or submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/CrimeStopper. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

roysim@sph.com.sg



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SNOC keen to push for more flexibility for top-performing athletes with NS requirements - More Sport Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SNOC keen to push for more flexibility for top-performing athletes with NS requirements - More Sport Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

SNOC keen to push for more flexibility for top-performing athletes with NS requirements

THE Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) is keen to help athletes with the potential to perform on sport's biggest stages juggle their national service (NS) and sporting commitments.

SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin, in a blog posted on the council website yesterday, called for a closer working relationship with the Ministry of Defence to explore if more flexible solutions can be worked out for sportsmen on a case-by-case basis.

He said: "We do not need a blanket agreement. But can we work out local solutions with (army) units? And that might be workable, as they have some flexibility there.

"If the commander feels he can accommodate, he can make the call, why not? So try to explore that and work closely with army units and Home Team and see how to make it more accommodating."

But NS cannot be seen as a "non-factor", warned Mr Tan, who is also Minister for Social and Family Development and held the rank of brigadier-general before joining politics in 2011.

Speaking yesterday on the sidelines of a panel discussion run by sociopolitical website Inconvenient Questions at the National University of Singapore, he added that finding a balance between NS and the pursuit of elite sports is an ongoing issue.

"It's not about wishing it away, but how do we work with the system as it is," said Mr Tan.

To "push the boundaries", he had questioned in the blog post if more athletes can defer NS.

Currently, only Joseph Schooling, who won nine golds at the recent SEA Games and whose gold at the Asiad last year was a first in 32 years in Singapore men's swimming, has successfully earned deferment for a longer period.

The 20-year-old was due for enlistment this year, but was granted deferment until August next year to allow him to focus on training for the 2016 Olympics.

It is understood that plans are also afoot to facilitate fellow swimmer Quah Zheng Wen's application for deferment. Quah was the most bemedalled athlete at the SEA Games with 12 medals.

Previously, others such as national long jump record holder Matthew Goh, who in 2011 requested to defer his NS by three months to take part in the Asian and World Junior Athletics Championships, were denied.

Said Mr Tan: "The question now is do we expand that space (for more deferments)... So you adjust your threshold, so that those who are promising - and you have to define what promising means - therefore may have the possibility of deferment?"

He also questioned if greater flexibility can be given to those who do not get deferment, so that NS can be worked around the needs of an athlete's training schedule in the lead-up to major competitions, such as what took place in the lead-up to the SEA Games. Currently, the SAF Sportsmen Scheme allows national athletes to take time off from their duties to train or compete.

"Could they still clock in the hours, and as much as possible, coming closer to (major Games), are there things you could do to afford them more targeted training?" he asked.

The sports fraternity has for years argued that military conscription is an untimely obligation that poses a roadblock to the progress of sportsmen, very often stunting their progress or taking them out of sport altogether.

Countries such as South Korea and Russia face similar issues, but grant long deferments and even waivers to athletes who achieve notable results, such as winning an Olympic medal.

To find a balance, the conversation needs to be ongoing, said Mr Tan, adding: "There are existing programmes and arrangements, and for us, it's to constantly look at those and see how we are able to adjust and improve it if we can."

maychen@sph.com.sg

Part One of the panel discussion will be released on www.inconvenientquestions.sg on Friday.



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Monday, June 22, 2015

Singapore airlines flight from Mumbai made emergency landing at KLIA - Singapore Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore airlines flight from Mumbai made emergency landing at KLIA - Singapore Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore airlines flight from Mumbai made emergency landing at KLIA

KUALA LUMPUR - A Singapore Airlines (SIA) aircraft was diverted to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday afternoon after it received a cargo fire warning message.

The warning came just 20 minutes before the flight -- SQ 425 -- from Mumbai, India, to Singapore was due to land at Changi airport.

A SIA spokesman told The Straits Times: The warning was sounded towards the end of its flight from Mumbai, India, just 20 minutes before descent into Singapore."

The Boeing 777, landed in Kuala Lumpur without incident at 4.01 pm local time.

"Thorough inspections were carried out on the ground, which showed no signs of fire, and the aircraft departed for Singapore at 7.24 pm," he said.

A check on the airlines' flight status page said the flight had landed in Singapore at 8.43pm, about four hours after the scheduled time of arrival.

Earlier Malaysian news agency Bernama reported that the aircraft had departed from Mumbai at 8.44am on Sunday and was expected to arrive in Singapore at 4.44pm. It made an emergency landing at KLIA at 4.05pm, a Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) spokesman told Bernama.

"The plane landed safely and all its passengers and crew were also reported to be safe, with no injury sustained," he was quoted as saying.



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Khoo Teck Puat shooting: Man who snatched officer's revolver faces firearms charge - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Khoo Teck Puat shooting: Man who snatched officer's revolver faces firearms charge - Singapore Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Khoo Teck Puat shooting: Man who snatched officer's revolver faces firearms charge

Shots were fired during a struggle between a police officer and a suspect he had been escorting at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) on Saturday evening. -- PHOTO: ST FILE 

SINGAPORE - The 24-year-old Singaporean had been arrested for motor vehicle theft, but now faces a charge punishable by the death penalty.

Last Saturday, he tried to escape from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) and snatched the revolver of the police officer who tried to stop him.

Three shots were fired in the struggle that ensued and the policeman was wounded in his left thumb and right foot.

The case has been classified as an unlawful discharge of firearms under the Arms Offences Act, which carries the death penalty.

The suspect will appear in court at 2pm today, police said last night.

The man, whose identity has not yet been revealed, had been arrested last Friday - a day before the shooting - and was under remand for further investigation, police revealed.

Last Saturday, he complained of chest pains and was escorted by police officers to KTPH.

He tried to escape from one of the hospital's examination rooms, which are "not accessible to the public", police said.

The 31-year-old police officer whose revolver was snatched was injured in the struggle that followed.

It is believed that the escape attempt took place when the police officer's colleague left the room.

The suspect was subsequently subdued. Two paramedics from Hope Ambulance Service assisted in apprehending the man, The Straits Times has learnt.

The injured police officer was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for immediate hand microsurgery and is now in stable condition.

When asked about the incident on the sidelines of a grassroots event earlier yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said that any illegal use of firearms was a "serious offence".

Former policemen The Straits Times spoke to raised concerns about whether there were enough police officers with the suspect when the escape attempt took place.

They also asked why the suspect was not taken to the hospital in Changi Prison instead.

Retired officer Lionel de Souza, 72, said: "There should always be at least two police escorts. And on no occasion should either leave."

Saturday night's shooting followed a separate incident about three weeks ago, when police fired on a car that crashed through security barriers near the Shangri-La Hotel. The 34-year- old driver died on the spot.

adrianl@sph.com.sg



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Friday, June 19, 2015

Singapore surprised by Malaysian transport agency stating preference to end high-speed rail in Johor - Singapore Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore surprised by Malaysian transport agency stating preference to end high-speed rail in Johor - Singapore Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore surprised by Malaysian transport agency stating preference to end high-speed rail in Johor

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Transport (MOT) has issued a statement saying it is "surprised" by a recent report stating that Malaysia preferred to terminate the high-speed rail at the existing Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex in Johor Baru, Malaysia.

The comments were made by the Land Public Transport Commission's (Spad) chief executive Mohamad Nur Ismal Kamal during an interview with business publication, The Edge Malaysia, which was published on June 15.

MOT in its statement added that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had informed Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak at this year's Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat that the Singapore terminus would be in Jurong East. This location was then announced to the public at the joint press conference by the two Prime Ministers following the Retreat, it added.

It added that the two countries had agreed to build the rail link at the 2013 Leaders' Retreat and since then studies have been carried out by both countries.

"Our understanding is that Malaysia views the commercial premise of the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project, and with which we agree, as being based on a direct connection between the two city centres. Terminating the HSR in Johor Baru will not achieve this objective," added MOT in the statement.

It pointed out that both sides are also in discussion on the project's commercial and operating models.

"Singapore has proposed that the domestic transit HSR services, which will stop at six stations in Malaysia between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and hence primarily serve commuters travelling within Malaysia, be operated separately from the express non-stop HSR services between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. This will give Malaysia autonomy over the domestic transit services to serve Malaysia's domestic needs and benefit Malaysia, while both countries work together on the cross-border HSR services," said the MOT.

The Transport Ministry also clarified recent reports in Malaysian media about the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link. The chairman of Johor's Exco for Public Works, Rural and Regional Development Committee Haji Hasni Haji Mohammad was quoted as saying in the Utusan Malaysia newspaper that the crossing would be a high bridge.

"Both countries can only determine the type and alignment of the crossing after both terminus locations have been confirmed. Singapore informed Malaysia in June 2011 that the terminus in Singapore would be located at the Woodlands North station of the Thomson-East Coast Line. However, we have yet to receive official confirmation of the location of Malaysia's RTS terminus in Johor Baru," said the statement.



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Thursday, June 18, 2015

'Ballet in the sky' by 50 aircraft for NDP - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

'Ballet in the sky' by 50 aircraft for NDP - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

'Ballet in the sky' by 50 aircraft for NDP

RSAF aircraft rehearsing for the flypast segment for this year's National Day Parade. -- SCREENSHOT: FACEBOOK/NG ENG HEN 

Fifty aircraft will dazzle crowds at this year's National Day Parade (NDP) - the biggest fleet to appear at the Aug 9 show in almost 40 years.

More than 10 types of aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force will soar over Marina Bay and the Padang during the golden jubilee parade to perform a four-minute aerial ballet. They will include F-16 and F-15 fighter jets, a C-130 transport plane, Fokker 50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft and S-70B naval helicopters.

The only time there were more than 50 aircraft staging an aerial display was at the 1976 parade.

Also aiming to wow spectators will be ace pilots from the RSAF's aerobatics team, the Black Knights.

Five Black Knights will kick off the NDP show and fly in a "five stars" formation in an aerial salute to Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died aged 91 on March 23.

The formation represents the national ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

The heart-stopping aerobatics will include precision manoeuvres such as 20 F-16 jets forming the number 50 and vertical climbs.

With planes flying over the Padang - the NDP's main venue - in 20- to 30-second intervals, orchestrating the fleet will be made more challenging by the congested airspace over the Central Business District and its skyscrapers.

The parade's air participation chairman Francis Ngooi has been planning the aerial display since April last year.

"What we have come up with is the most impactful and optimal composition (of aircraft) for the crowd to enjoy," he said.

Before their performance, all the planes will hover over the South China Sea or the Southern Islands, stacked up in six layers, reaching a height of up to 14,000 feet above sea level.

"For some planes performing more than two manoeuvres, they will have to circle back and join the queue," Colonel Ngooi said.

Among the pilots who have been perfecting their routines since last month is Major Lee Mei Yi, 30, who will be the first female fighter pilot to perform at the parade.

One of a handful of female fighter pilots in the air force, she said: "It's added significance for myself... There's a growing community of female pilots and female fighter pilots, so I'm not the only one. Hopefully, in the future, we might be able to see more."

Spectators can also catch two fireworks shows at the Padang and Marina Barrage and a convoy of more than 160 war machines.

Col Ngooi said he had been hoping to land this year's organising job before he retires from the air force later this year.

The 49-year-old, who has flown in and coordinated NDP aerial displays in 2005, 2010 and 2012, said: "I'm glad to be selected again... It's momentous and I hope to make it the best."

jermync@sph.com.sg

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LINETTE LAI



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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Civil servants to get $500 one-off payment to celebrate SG50 - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Civil servants to get $500 one-off payment to celebrate SG50 - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Civil servants to get $500 one-off payment to celebrate SG50

SINGAPORE - Civil servants will each get a $500 one-off payment to mark Singapore's 50th birthday this year, the Public Service Division (PSD) said on Wednesday.

They will receive this special payment on top of their mid-year bonus, which will amount to half a month's pay this year - the same amount that all 82,000 civil servants received last year.

The PSD said the mid-year bonus was decided on against a backdrop of slightly better economic growth so far this year.

The economy grew 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year over the previous year, up from 2.1 per cent in the preceding quarter, it said. For the whole year, the Singapore economy is expected to grow between 2 and 4 per cent, amid "marginally better" global economic growth this year compared with last year.

About 2,500 lower-wage Division IV civil servants will also get a wage increase of $30 a month, over and above their annual increment this year, the PSD added.

Division IV officers earn between $1,416 and $1,813 a month.

These payments, which will be made in July, were decided on after "close consultation with the public sector unions", the PSD said.

In response, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said in a media statement that it was "heartened" that the PSD had accepted its call for a special SG50 bonus payment.

The NTUC had urged companies in May to show employees special recognition, whether in cash or kind, to celebrate Singapore's 50 years of independence.

Leaders of civil service unions also welcomed the PSD's various payments.

The Amalgamated Union of Public Employees' general secretary Yeo Chun Fing said his organisation was "pleased that the PSD continues to recognise the good work and dedication of public employees with a fair mid-year payment".

Agreeing, the Amalgamated Union of Public Daily Rated Workers' general secretary G. Muthukumarasamy said: "The bonus and built-in wages will help our lower-wage workers and their families alleviate their daily expenses and help cope with rising cost of living."



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Sunday, June 14, 2015

Two Jurong East flats set on fire

Enriching lives of needy children in Jurong

Never too far from learning

Philae probe riding comet 'wakes up'

Cop who killed black boy (by mistake) 'feared for his life'

Ebola control measures 'no better now'

top of the news, monday, june 15, 2015

Singapore nurse joined fight against Ebola - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore nurse joined fight against Ebola - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Singapore nurse joined fight against Ebola

MOST people may have forgotten about the Ebola epidemic, but at least one Singaporean has been stepping up since last year to help its victims.

During the height of the outbreak in West Africa late last year, nurse Wong Li Wai spent five weeks in November and December in an Ebola management centre in Sierra Leone tending to the patients' needs.

While people across the world were afraid of contracting the virus, she put on a full suit of personal protection equipment twice a day and went into a tent full of Ebola patients, to clean and feed them and give them medicine.

Even after that stint, which was the maximum period people could volunteer at the time with aid agency Doctors Without Borders, she felt her job was not done.

In March this year, the 38-year-old went back to Sierra Leone with the group and spent two months visiting villages to make sure the people knew how to prevent themselves from getting the disease.

A former nurse at the Institute of Mental Health, Ms Wong told The Straits Times that when she returned to Singapore earlier this month, she quit her job as she wanted to do more.

She had not worked with an aid group before, but learnt of Doctors Without Borders' work, and signed up for her first mission in 2012, in Zambia, to work with the local Health Ministry to manage drugs for HIV-positive pregnant women.

The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which started in March last year, is the largest and most complex epidemic of the virus since it was discovered in 1976.

There have been nearly 30,000 suspected and confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths so far in the current outbreak.

Ms Wong said she was not afraid when she went to Sierra Leone last year. She had undergone a mandatory two-day safety training course in Brussels before her stint.

"The safety measures are very clear so you know how not to get the virus. I didn't feel I was doing anything risky," she said.

Still, her sister Cathy, 39, a management support officer at Republic Polytechnic, was initially concerned: "I asked her to think about the decision carefully, even though I would support whatever decision she made. Of course, I was also proud that she wanted to take on this mission."

Their parents work as part-time cleaners and Ms Wong is single.

At the time, the Ebola management centre was handling about 60 patients, and the staff were divided into shifts to manage them.

To prevent themselves from being infected, the staff had to come up with creative ways to track the patients' condition.

The tents where the patients were kept were surrounded by barriers, and items like paper brought within the barriers could not be brought out, and had to be burned, just in case they had been contaminated.

To track the patients' temperatures, the staff wrote the numbers on a piece of paper, left the tent and shouted the figures to another staff member standing on the outside of the barrier.

"Sometimes it can be quite frustrating when they cannot hear you, because the suit muffles you. Your movement is also restricted, and you can find it difficult to breathe, so it becomes exhausting," Ms Wong said.

After she finished her work, she also had to be careful when taking off the protective suit.

"By the time you de-gown you are very tired, but you cannot touch the outside of the suit when you remove each piece of gear because it is probably contaminated already," she said.

Ms Wong said the highs of her stint were when patients who seemed doomed got well: "When you see your patient survive and walk out of the place, those are your proudest moments. All of the staff will dance and cheer."

When she returned to Sierra Leone in March for her second stint, she wanted to try something different. "By then, the Ebola management centre also had only one case, so I felt outreach was the most important task."

For two months, she and a few other staff went house to house in villages to remind people how to protect themselves against the virus. This included not eating bushmeat, which is meat from wild animals such as bats and monkeys, because it could be infected with the virus, and not burying the dead themselves.

While Ms Wong was in Sierra Leone, others have also been helping in the fight against the virus. Professor Peter Horby from Britain's University of Oxford has been leading a drug trial in Sierra Leone to target an Ebola strain responsible for the infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Results are expected by the year end.

He was previously head of the Singapore Infectious Diseases Initiative, set up in 2012 and funded by the Ministry of Health to spur collaborative research in infectious diseases, including preparation for Ebola and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers). It is now led by Adjunct Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang from the National University Health System.

Ms Wong said she plans to take a break now, and then see if she can go on another mission with Doctors Without Borders in September. She also has no regrets about her Ebola stints.

"When I came back, I was happy that I did what I did. Although it was a simple job, they needed us and we did our best. As a nurse, I felt it was my calling. "

zengkun@sph.com.sg



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What's that animal called in Hokkien? - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

What's that animal called in Hokkien? - Singapore More Singapore Stories News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

What's that animal called in Hokkien?

WHAT'S in a name? Plenty, when compiling a list of animals in Hokkien.

What started out as a hobby for two curators at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum has evolved into a labour of love that documents, for the first time, Hokkien animal names as they are used here.

Called Minnan (Hokkien) Animal Names Used In Singapore, the 58-page directory was published as an e-book on the museum's website earlier this month, and can be downloaded for free.

Apart from common translations like kau (dog), the directory of more than 300 animal names, complete with photos, lists some less-heard-of ones, such as hai tur (literally translated as sea pig, which refers to the dolphin) and even mythical creatures like the hong (phoenix).

Its main aim is to document Hokkien animal names and their pronunciations as they are used in Singapore, said Mr Tan Siong Kiat, 41, one of the two men behind the project. The other is Mr Kelvin Lim, 48.

"The translations were compiled from memory, experience, and from Hokkien speakers who are mainly the older members of our families and social circles," said Mr Tan.

The names are not simply direct translations from Mandarin. Rather, they are colloquial names used by ancestors to refer to animals, and both men stressed that the list is "neither comprehensive nor authoritative" .

For example, the tapir, a herbivorous mammal that people seldom encounter, does not appear to have a Hokkien name yet, although the curators admit it is possible that they just "have not met or talked to anybody who knows".

"People have come forward to tell us (animal) names that have been omitted," said Mr Tan, and more names will be added, should there be a second edition of the book.

The directory could be a resource for those keen on learning more about Hokkien, although it is not a guide on how to speak it, the writers said.

Nature lovers and guides who talk to older folk may also find it useful.

"Our grandmothers wouldn't understand us if we tried to talk to them about interesting animals using their English names," noted Mr Tan.

The directory had its beginnings in mid-2013, when a volunteer at the museum, then called Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, wanted to learn more about Hokkien, said Mr Tan.

So Mr Tan and Mr Lim, both native Hokkien speakers, started conversing with her in Hokkien. These conversations sparked the idea to compile a list of Hokkien animal names.

Said Mr Tan: "Singlish now seems to be the lingua franca for young Singaporeans.

"We hope the book will be useful for those of Hokkien descent who are interested in discovering their roots."

Undergraduate Sean Yap, 23, a volunteer guide at the museum as well as with Naked Hermit Crabs, which holds nature tours for the public, believes the directory will help him connect with his audience.

"When guiding, we try to be as conversational and colloquial as possible, and it really helps when you can connect with the people and how they view wildlife," he said.

Businessman Michael Jow, 39, the moderator of the Facebook group, Revival of Non-Mandarin Chinese Vernaculars in Singapore, said that the directory is useful.

Mr Jow, who is also the leader of the Singapore Hokkien Meetup Group, said that the directory gives students a good background, with its list of "colloquial terms used by our ancestors".

The directory is available here.

audreyt@sph.com.sg



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