Singapore Cabinet, with 4th generation leaders, to be sworn in today, Politics News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/cabinet-with-4th-generation-leaders-to-be-sworn-in-today?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20151001-[Cabinet%2C+with+4th+generation+leaders%2C+to+be+sworn+in+today]&xts=538291

Singapore Cabinet, with 4th generation leaders, to be sworn in today

SINGAPORE - The fourth generation of government leaders for Singapore, tasked with charting the country's future as it enters a new phase of nation- building after SG50, will be among those taking their oaths on Thursday (Oct 1) evening. In their midst is the successor to the Prime Minister.

PM Lee Hsien Loong said as much on Monday when, in announcing the new Cabinet and other office-holders, he said he wanted a new team ready to take over after the next general election.

Mr Lee made major changes to the Cabinet, thrusting new faces into political office as leadership renewal and succession become more urgent. The line-up is also longer, with 37 office-holders against 33 previously.

One significant change is the introduction of three coordinating ministers: Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Mr Khaw Boon Wan. They will oversee cross-ministry issues and guide younger ministers. The scope of their work covers three primary areas: national security, economic and social policies, and infrastructure.

New MP Amrin Amin, who will be Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs, said the new Cabinet reflects a "system of mentorship" that will impart confidence to the younger office-holders. "There is change but at the same time, there is continuity because it has the firm steady hands of people who are experienced, who were tested, still providing the guidance and support."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his colleagues at their last Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Sept 30, 2015.PHOTO: MCI

''Held a last meeting with the old Cabinet today. We thanked Lui Tuck Yew, Lee Yi Shyan and Hawazi Daipi, who will be stepping down tomorrow, for their many contributions. Tomorrow a new Cabinet will take office. Will continue to work hard with the new team for a better future for Singapore.'' - PM LEE, with members of his previous Cabinet, in a Facebook post yesterday PHOTO: FROM LEE HSIEN LOONG'S FACEBOOK PAGE

The evening's event at the Istana will keep to the practice of involving people from all walks of life. About 700 guests - including representatives from the Singapore Public Service, diplomatic corps, grassroots, unions, business leaders, educators, religious leaders, and students - will attend the ceremony.

It will be broadcast live on national television.

Among the 31 office-holders to be sworn in are newcomers such as former senior civil servants Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat, as well as former chief of defence force Ng Chee Meng.

Mr Ng and Mr Ong will both be Acting Ministers for Education. At the same time, they will be Senior Minister of State in the Transport Ministry and Defence Ministry respectively.

Mr Chee has been appointed Minister of State for Communications and Information as well as for Health.

Grassroots activist John Ng, 47, who volunteers at Kampong Chai Chee ward in East Coast GRC, is interested in the plans in store from the Education Ministers.

"I look forward to seeing what kind of changes they will come out with. I think PM Lee has said we would change the PSLE scoring system. This is an area residents, from their feedback, are interested in, too," he said.

However, Mr Ng, a businessman, is attending the ceremony with "mixed feelings" as the MP overseeing Kampong Chai Chee, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, is stepping down as a senior minister of state. Mr Lee told reporters yesterday he had suffered a mini-stroke this year and wanted a change.

Tonight's ceremony comes nearly three weeks after the Sept 11 polls, which saw the People's Action Party win 69.9 per cent of the vote, a 9.8-percentage point rise from the 2011 General Election.

Several office-holders, however, will be sworn in at a later date.

Two new ministers of state, Dr Janil Puthucheary and Dr Koh Poh Koon, will take their oath later as they will take office on Jan 1.

The Parliamentary Secretaries - Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim, Ms Low Yen Ling, Mr Baey Yam Keng and Mr Amrin - will be sworn in next Monday at the Istana.

Mr Baey said his past stint as chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Culture, Community and Youth will come in handy in his new post at the ministry.

"Now as part of the Government, my role is slightly different in that I have to shape policies and help to explain policies," he said.

SEE EDITORIAL

FORUM

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Singapore's population is 5.54 million as of June, slowest growth in more than a decade, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapores-population-is-554m-as-of-june-slowest-growth-in-more-than-a-decade?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150930-[Singapore%27s+population+is+5.54m+as+of+June%2C+slowest+growth+in+more+than+a+decade]&xts=538291

Singapore's population is 5.54 million as of June, slowest growth in more than a decade

SINGAPORE - Singapore's population stood at 5.54 million as of June 2015, a 1.2 per cent growth from June last year, latest figures show.

The pace of growth was the slowest in more than a decade, mainly due to the continued slowdown in the growth of the foreign workforce, according to a report released by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) on Wednesday (Sept 30).

In the previous year, the rise in population was 1.3 per cent.

The 5.54m population figure comprises:

- 3.38 million citizens

- 530,000 permanent residents (PRs)

- 1.63 million non-residents. They include foreigners on employment passes, S passes, work permits, dependants of citizens, PRs and work pass holders, maids and foreign students.

The growth in non-resident population slowed to 2.1 per cent in 2015, down from 2.9 per cent in 2014. This continues a downward trend seen in the last few years. The number of non-residents was 1.6 million in 2014.

Close to half of the non-residents here were work permit holders in sectors which found it difficult to hire locals, such as construction, said the NPTD report.

The rest were dependants of citizens/PRs/work pass holders (16 per cent); maids (13 per cent); employment pass holders in managerial and executive positions (11 per cent); S Pass holders in sectors like retail, manufacturing and healthcare (11 per cent); and foreign students (4 per cent).

"Businesses will continue to face a tight labour market. The Government will support businesses to shift towards skills- and capital-intensive ways to grow, so that businesses can continue to grow and succeed here, to create quality jobs for Singaporeans," said the report.

More births and marriages, but population continues to age

The citizen population, however, crept up by 1 per cent, thanks to a rise in citizen births which were the highest in the last decade.

There were 33,193 Singaporean babies born in 2014, although the year was not a particularly auspicious one to many Singaporeans for having children. That matched the record in the popular Dragon Year in 2012.

As a result, the total fertility rate for residents rose to 1.25 in 2014 from 1.19 in 2013. The increase was seen across all ethnic groups.

This, however, was still well below the replacement rate of 2.1.

But in an encouraging sign, there were more couples tying the knot.

There were 24,037 marriages involving at least one Singapore citizen in 2014. According to the NPTD report, this is the most number of marriages since 1997.

Hoping to further boost birth rates, the Government recently announced a slew of pro-family measures, including a more generous Baby Bonus package, larger Medisave grants for newborns and an extra week of paternity leave on a voluntary basis.

But until there is a surge in birth rates, Singapore's population continues to age, with Singaporeans living longer and having fewer babies.

Those aged 65 and older formed 13.1 per cent of the citizen population as of June 2015, up from 12.4 per cent in 2014.

"There are more citizens in the older age groups today as the 'post-war baby boomers' enter their silver years," said the report.

That would mean that there are currently 4.9 citizens in the working age band of 20-64 years for each citizen aged 65 years and above. A decade ago, the figure was 7.2.

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Indonesia needs three years to solve haze problem, says President Joko Widodo, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/indonesia-needs-three-years-to-solve-haze-problem-says-president-joko-widodo

Indonesia needs three years to solve haze problem, says President Joko Widodo

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo said he needs time to tackle the forest-burning, and that his citizens were also victims of the haze that is affecting the region.

However, it would take three years for results to be seen from efforts to end the huge annual fires, as it is "not a problem that you can solve quickly", Mr Joko said in an exclusive interview with the BBC.

More than 3,700 soldiers, nearly 8,000 police officers and four water-bombing planes in Indonesia have been deployed to put out the fires.

Singapore has offered assistance, but Indonesia has yet to accept the help. Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein also said he was "more than willing" to help.

Indonesia is building water reserves in the forest and canals to get water to the hotspots, Mr Joko said, following a visit to Central Kalimantan to inspect the damage from raging fires last week.

Laws against forest-burning have also been enforced, he added.

On Tuesday, Indonesia's police chief Badrodin Haiti told Asean ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur that about 210 cases of forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra were being investigated, and 40 were ready to be taken to court soon

Singapore too have begun legal action against five Indonesian firms it believes are among the culprits behind the fires.

"You will see results soon and in three years we will have solved this," Mr Joko said.

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PM Lee Hsien Loong names Cabinet aimed at leadership succession, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pm-names-cabinet-aimed-at-leadership-succession?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20150929-[PM+Lee+Hsien+Loong+names+Cabinet+aimed+at+leadership+succession]&xts=538291

PM Lee Hsien Loong names Cabinet aimed at leadership succession

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (Sept 28) announced a renewed and restructured Cabinet with the aim of readying a team to lead Singapore soon after the next general election.

Mr Lee said he had moved boldly to put fourth-generation leaders in roles of heavy responsibility to test and train them. Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam will act as Coordinating Ministers and mentors.

Mr Teo will oversee national security and strategic planning, while Mr Tharman will oversee economic and social policies. Outgoing National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan will be Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure, as well as Transport Minister. Mr Lee said the appointment of coordinating ministers was made with an eye on a more complex policymaking environment, and the need to coordinate responses to broad challenges that involve multiple ministries.

For example, Mr Khaw's role overseeing infrastructure will let him "tie together closely the different aspects of urban planning and infrastructure provision", Mr Lee said, citing elements such as housing and rail and IT infrastructure.

Two ministries whose scope of work has expanded will have two ministers each: Education, and Trade and Industry. Each will have different responsibilities but work closely together, he said at a press conference at the Istana to announce the 20 Cabinet members and 17 other office-holders.

New MPs, former defence chief Ng Chee Meng and former senior civil servant Ong Ye Kung will both be Acting Ministers for Education. Mr Ng will oversee schools while Mr Ong will oversee higher education and skills training.

Both are seen as key members of the fourth-generation leadership team, and Mr Lee said of the group: "I want people tested, I want people developed, I want people exposed and known to the public, and confidence built up, and the team shaken down, so that within the team, they know who can do what, how they can work together, and who can emerge as a leader of the team."

READYING THE TEAM

I want people tested, I want people developed, I want people exposed and known to the public, and confidence built up, and the team shaken down, so that within the team, they know who can do what, how they can work together, and who can emerge as a leader of the team.

PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG, on putting fourth-generation leaders in roles of heavy responsibility

His successor as Prime Minister would "most likely" come from among the members of this new Cabinet, if not, something has gone "very, very unexpectedly", he said.

Other ministers tipped to form the core of the next leadership team will also take on heavier roles.

Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong will take over National Development, while Education Minister Heng Swee Keat will take over from Mr Tharman as Finance Minister.

The new Cabinet is one of the youngest in recent history, with over half under 55 years of age.

Ms Grace Fu will be Singapore's first female full minister to helm a ministry - Culture, Community and Youth. Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan will become Minister for Foreign Affairs, taking over from Mr K. Shanmugam, who helms Home Affairs and Law.

The presence of seasoned coordinating ministers also gives him the confidence to put newer ministers in tough roles, Mr Lee said.

Both DPMs emphasised mentorship in their roles. Said Mr Teo: "A major responsibility now is to help PM to develop a new team, to help, guide, mentor, share our experiences and to help them to succeed."

Mr Tharman said a five-year runway to prepare a new team is more than what most countries have. "Here we've got five years, shorter than has been the normal practice in Singapore, but I think in time doable, because these are good men and women, and we've got experienced hands still in Cabinet."

SEE TOP OF THE NEWS

4th generation leaders to play key roles

Lawrence Wong to lead National Development

MOE to get two new acting ministers

Bold move to prepare new team for the future

Seasoned trio to take bird's-eye view and oversee complex issue

Grace Fu finds place in history with two firsts

Masagos to take charge of MEWR, help handle Muslim affairs

Role on world stage not new to Vivian

Heng to helm Finance, MTI to have 2 ministers

Janil Puthucheary, Baey Yam Keng promoted from backbench

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Cabinet changes take effect Oct 1; Khaw Boon Wan to be new Transport Minister, Politics News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/cabinet-changes-khaw-boon-wan-to-be-new-transport-minister?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150928-[Cabinet+changes+take+effect+Oct+1%3B+Khaw+Boon+Wan+to+be+new+Transport+minister]&xts=538291

Cabinet changes take effect Oct 1; Khaw Boon Wan to be new Transport Minister

SINGAPORE - Mr Khaw Boon Wan will be the new Transport Minister, in Cabinet changes announced on Monday (Sept 28) that also see members of the fourth-generation leadership being put in positions of heavy responsibility.

Mr Lawrence Wong, the former Culture, Community and Youth minister, will take over Mr Khaw's National Development ministry.

The changes, which will take effect from Oct 1, will also see Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam take on Coordinating Ministers roles.

Mr Teo will oversee national security and Mr Tharman will look after economic and social policies. Mr Khaw will also be a Coordinating Minister, in charge of infrastructure.

Other changes will see Mr Heng Swee Keat moving to be Finance Minister.

New faces Ng Chee Meng and Ong Ye Kung will both be Acting Ministers for Education. Mr Ng will oversee schools while Mr Ong will look after higher education and skills.

Mr Ng will also be Senior Minister of State in the Transport ministry, while Mr Ong will be Senior Minister of State in the Defence ministry.

The changes were announced at a press conference at the Istana chaired by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was flanked by the key members of his Cabinet.

In other changes, Environment and Water Resources minister Vivian Balakrishnan will be Foreign Minister. Mr K. Shanmugam will leave the Foreign ministry. He continues with Law as well as will helm the Home Affairs ministry.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be Environment and Water Resources minister, while Ms Grace Fu will be the minister in charge of Culture, Community and Youth. She will also be the first female Leader of the House.

A new face at the recent General Election, former senior civil servant Chee Hong Tat, will be Minister of State in the Health ministry and Communications and Information ministry.

First-time MP surgeon Koh Poh Koon will also move into government, as Minister of State in the Trade and Industry and National Development ministries. He will start on Jan 1, 2016.

Another doctor, Dr Janil Puthucheary, will also join Mr Lee's team, as Minister of State in Education as well as Communication and Information.

Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng also joins the leadership ranks, as Parliamentary Secretary in the Culture, Community and Youth ministry.

Speaking at the press conference to announce the new Cabinet following the Sept 11 polls in which the ruling People's Action Party won a landslide 69.9 per cent of the vote, PM Lee affirmed that his successor would be from this new Cabinet - if not, "something would have gone unexpectedly".

To make way for leadership renewal and to give mentorship to the fourth generation, his deputies Mr Teo and Mr Tharman will not be helming specific ministries but act as coordinating ministers, he explained.

Both DPMs said that they would prioritise grooming the young ministers and helping them gel as a team. DPM Teo will be acting Prime Minister in Mr Lee's absence.

Mr Khaw, as the third coordinating minister and also Transport Minister, will "tie together different aspects of urban planning", said Mr Lee.

He added: "The task is urgent, we do not have the luxury of time. Therefore I am making a decisive move now, not an incremental one (and) putting many of the younger ones into key ministries so they can broaden their experience, learn the ropes and establish themselves quickly."

In opening remarks, Mr Lee noted that Singapore was entering a new phase of nation building, with complex challenges faced by multiple ministries. There was a need for tighter coordination across ministries for a whole of government response.

He noted that the Education ministry's role has widened, and it must work closely with the Trade and Industry ministry as well as Manpower ministry so that graduates will have skills that can find them jobs.

Mr Lee also said that he was putting many younger leaders in key ministries to broaden their experience. Backbenchers have also been brought in too.

Of the ministers who are changing portfolios, he noted that Dr Balakrishnan had done a good job at Environment and Water Resources and had represented Singapore ably in international forums.

Of Mr Heng's move to Finance, he said Mr Heng had proved himself in Education, "a very demanding portfolio".

"He's familiar with many different ministries and now he will oversee our national finances".

There will be two ministers in Trade and Industry. Mr Lee said that Mr Lim Hng Kiang will oversee trade negotiations, particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership which is in its final stages, and Mr S. Iswaran will focus on economic restructuring.

Mr Lee Yi Shyan, who was Senior Minister of State in Trade and Industry and National Development, had asked to step down and Mr Lee said he had reluctantly agreed.

He said Mr Gan Kim Yong will stay in Health because major projects are underway and he cannot be moved now.

Of Mr Wong's move to National Development, he noted that Mr Wong was already overseeing the master planning for the Jurong Lake District.

There are now 20 full or acting ministers, he noted, of which half are below 55 years old.

Mr Lee also said he would do a mid-term review and make further changes.

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Uganda acid victim will remain blind, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/uganda-acid-victim-will-remain-blind?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20150927-[Uganda+acid+victim+will+remain+blind]&xts=538291

Uganda acid victim will remain blind

When Ms Namale Allen left Uganda for Singapore earlier this month, she nursed a big hope.
 

Face and body horrifyingly disfigured in a brutal acid attack in May last year, the former hairdresser prayed that her sight could be restored by prominent eye surgeon Donald Tan through a highly complex procedure.

More than anything, she wanted to lay eyes on her one-year-old daughter Janat, whom she was carrying in her womb when she was attacked outside her home by a stranger.

Tragically, Ms Allen, 27, will not get to do that.

Professor Tan, who had offered to review her case and treat her pro bono, did not have good news for her. After a series of tests and scans, he told her on Tuesday last week that osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis (OOKP) - her best shot at regaining her sight - was futile.

QUESTIONS REMAIN

I am not angry any more. But I still do not understand why he did what he did.

Ms Namale Allen, 27, on the young man who flung a large amount of acid at her in May last year in Kampala, Uganda

THINKING POSITIVE

It took me two days to accept that it was what it was. I will now shift my attention towards the future.

Ms Allen, after she heard that her sight could not be restored

STILL HOPEFUL

I will not give up hope. I will still pray that, one day, I will be able to see again.

Ms Allen

Also known as "tooth-in-eye" surgery, OOKP is a highly complicated operation which involves reconstructing a new eye by using a tiny plastic lens and one of the patient's own teeth.

Among other problems, her cornea had shrunk too drastically, her eyeballs were too perforated and her optic nerves too damaged for the procedure.

The verdict devastated Ms Allen, whose story appeared in The Straits Times last month.

She was at her home in Kampala - the capital city of Uganda - one evening in May last year when she heard a male voice asking her to go outside. Carrying her elder four-year-old daughter on her hip, she went to check who it was, only to have a large amount of acid flung at her by a young man she did not know. He was never caught.

Her daughter escaped with minor injuries but the attack melted Ms Allen's facial features and blinded her. What were once her eyes are now two pinholes. She needs plugs to breathe through her collapsed nose. Large keloids - looking like patches of melted wax - cover her neck, arms and shoulders, making movement difficult and painful.

Her husband abandoned her, and Ms Allen and her daughters now live with her parents.

Readers and good Samaritans later raised about $80,000 through several online donation drives for her medical expenses and her trip to Singapore. Lawyer-turned-chef Willin Low raised more than $20,000 after setting up GiveAsia.org, while a group of expatriate housewives raised another US$41,000 (S$58,300).

For more than an hour after Prof Tan delivered his crushing verdict, Ms Allen cried and wailed inconsolably at his clinic at the National Eye Centre in Outram.

Humanitarian and social activist Lynsay Lewis, who accompanied Ms Allen to Singapore, told The Sunday Times: "The times in my life when I have heard and felt the heart-rending grief of true despair and loss... I experienced them again that morning."

That whole day, Ms Allen refused food and drink. Her grief wore her out; she slept for 14 hours that night.

The next day at noon, Ms Lewis found her sitting, legs crossed, on her bed silently sobbing.

"She asked why God had let this happen to her, and why he healed other people and not her. I just put my arms around her and held her for a very long time."

Not long after, they were joined by Mr Innocent Rwamwiza, a medical officer from Uganda who has also accompanied Ms Allen on this trip.

Said Ms Lewis: "He told her we were all here for her, that she had family and new friends in Singapore who cared for her, and that we would not abandon her. After that, she calmed down a lot."

Yesterday, in the apartment, provided by The Salvation Army during her stay in Singapore, Ms Allen looked calm and composed.

She has, she said, come to terms with Prof Tan's diagnosis.

"It took me two days to accept that it was what it was," she said through Mr Rwamiza, 34, who is also her interpreter. "I will now shift my attention towards the future."

Ms Allen seems to have got off to a good start. On Friday, for the first time since the attack, she decided to do some of the things she used to do before.

"I braided a friend's hair and I tried to cook some potatoes with vegetables," she let on. "It was not that difficult. I could not see but I could still use my other senses, like touch."

She told The Sunday Times that many people have rallied around her during her stay here. Among those who came to encourage her was Mr Jason Setok, 36.

A former software engineer who lost his sight about 10 years ago because of glaucoma, he told her that acceptance was crucial in her recovery. "He also told me that I can still achieve my dreams," said Ms Allen, who hopes to go back to hairdressing one day. "I have more than 100 ideas of doing hair in my head."

Although she hopes to keep busy and stay positive when she returns to Uganda, she confesses to having some worries.

"I will need support to raise my two daughters," she said, referring to Shifra, now aged five, and Janat. I want them to be educated. I hope one of them will be a doctor, and another one, a surveyor."

Although her sight cannot be restored, she hopes that doctors in Singapore can help her with the other issues plaguing her after the attack. She will stay here until she has received all necessary treatments.

"I hope they can repair my nose and my mouth," said Ms Allen, who has difficulties breathing and eating. "The keloids are restricting my neck movement and they are also painful and itchy."

Dr Choong Ee Cherk, a plastic surgeon from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), has examined her and is currently trying to work out with his team what surgical options are viable. Another plastic surgeon from Singapore General Hospital has also offered to review her case and work with the TTSH team.

Ms Lewis said: "The surgeons are willing to donate their time but we will have to pay for hospital charges and other expenses."

The founder of Upasuaji Africa, a charity promoting surgical education in East Africa, added the donations raised for Ms Allen will go towards her medical expenses, blind training, and education for her two daughters. Excess funds will go towards the setting up of burns units in Uganda.

Meanwhile, Ms Allen refuses to lose hope despite Prof Tan's diagnosis. "I will still pray that, one day, I will be able to see again."

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Post claiming Sept 25 is 'voluntary non-work day' due to haze is fake: Manpower Ministry, Environment News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/post-claiming-sept-25-is-voluntary-non-work-day-due-to-haze-is-fake-manpower?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150925-[Post+claiming+Sept+25+is+%27voluntary+non-work+day%27+due+to+haze+is+fake%3A+Manpower+Ministry]&xts=538291

Post claiming Sept 25 is 'voluntary non-work day' due to haze is fake: Manpower Ministry

SINGAPORE - A post purportedly from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) claiming that Friday (Sept 25) is a "voluntary non-work day" is fake, the ministry has said.

The hoax message claimed that the decision was made because the haze was forecast to be in the very unhealthy range on Friday, and that employers would be encouraged to give their staff a paid day off.

In a Facebook post, the ministry reiterated that there is no national shutdown of workplaces.

"Employers should not compromise the health and safety of their employees as they continue functioning. This is especially so for those involved in outdoor work," it said.

At a press conference on Thursday night, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say said: "There will be no national shutdown of workplaces."

Despite that, companies should take measures to help employees, such as enforcing more frequent breaks and making work less strenuous, he said.

The public should refer to the official MOM website at http://www.mom.gov.sg/ for updates.

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Pupils turn up for school despite closure; sports facilities closed due to worsening haze, Environment News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/pupils-turn-up-for-school-despite-closure-sports-facilities-closed-due-to?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150925-[Pupils+turn+up+for+school+despite+closure%3B+sports+facilities+closed+due+to+worsening+haze]&xts=538291

Pupils turn up for school despite closure; sports facilities closed due to worsening haze

SINGAPORE - Some pupils still turned up for school on Friday (Sept 25) morning despite Thursday's announcement of a school closure due to the worsening haze situation.

As at 5pm, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) was 225-265 which is in the Very Unhealthy range.

At Queenstown Primary School, two pupils arrived in school as they did not receive the notification about the school cancellation but have since returned home.

Air purifiers at Queenstown Primary School

Principal Grace Chua said that 35 pupils have signed up for the school's student care service which will last till 6.30pm on Friday. About 15 pupils have already arrived as at 8am.

Another four pupils are housed in the school library as their parents were unable to make last minute arrangements to look after them.

Mrs Chua said the school has been equipped with air purifiers and there are 23 air-conditioned rooms to house pupils.

Housewife Raquel Mahendran said she did not know about the school closure as she does not have Internet connection at home, but has since picked up her son from school.

She said she is worried about her 13-year-old son's upcoming Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), but will get him to do practice papers in the meantime.

Pupils who turned up at Si Ling Primary School on Friday morning were also housed at the library, supervised by two teachers.

"We told parents, if you need help just send them here," Si Ling Primary School principal, Mr Richard Lim, said.

Students at home today are able to access a school online portal where they can download worksheets or watch educational videos among other things.

Si Ling Primary School pupils in the library due to haze situation

At Kong Hwa School, a parent who sent his child to student care said that the announcement came too late and he did not have time to make arrangements for his child to be taken care of at home.

Branch director of preschool and early development centre Cherie Hearts at Bedok Central, Miss Yong Pueh Teng, said that attendance is only about half on Friday morning.

Teacher Ms Rab'ahtul Adawiyah Mohamed Isa teaching K2 children at Cherie Hearts @ Bedok Central about the haze. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

Miss Yong said that they would usually take the children out to look at the community garden or walk around the shops for exercise.

"But today we are trying to minimise strenuous activities, even indoors," she said.

At Queenstown Lutheran Church Kindergarten, only eight children showed up for the morning session compared to the usual 50, said teacher Mrs Kendes Toh.

Eight out of 50 children turned up for the morning session at Queenstown Lutheran Church Kindergarten. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Outdoor activities for the children have been suspended and the school has also prepared N95 masks for the kids. Mrs Toh said the children are doing more craft and music activities indoors instead of going to the playground.

The children will also have their meals in an air-conditioned room instead of the usual open air canteen, she added.

Other places in Singapore were also affected by the haze.

Signages have been put up at Bedok Swimming Complex notifying the public about temporary pool closure due to bad weather conditions.

Signages put up at Bedok Swimming Complex notifying the public about temporary pool closure due to the haze. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

Around 10 people who were jogging at Bedok Stadium on Friday morning were asked to leave as the stadium closed at about 8am because of the haze.

Retiree Guay Teck Seng, 68, said he usually wakes up for a brisk walk five times a week.

"Old people like me, we need to get out and keep active," he added.

Mr RP Verma, 65, who was brisk walking at the stadium before it closed, had a handkerchief tied around his face.

Mr RP Verma (left) was brisk walking at the stadium before it closed. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

"I heard that the air pollution was quite bad so at least this gives some basic protection," he said.

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EU forces deal to relocate 120,000 migrants past eastern opposition, Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/eu-states-agree-relocation-of-120000-refugees-by-large-majority-officials

EU forces deal to relocate 120,000 migrants past eastern opposition

BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union pushed through a controversial deal to relocate 120,000 refugees on Tuesday, riding roughshod over fierce opposition from eastern states in a major blow to unity within the bloc.

In a move that further sours regional ties as Europe wrestles with its biggest migration crisis since World War II, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia all voted against the plan while Finland abstained.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico insisted he would not accept the "diktat" from Brussels, under which EU countries must take a share of new arrivals from overstretched front line states like Greece and Italy.

Interior ministers briskly voted through the deal on the eve of a crisis summit of EU leaders, but in a rare step, it was by a majority vote instead of unanimity.

Speaking shortly after the decision, French President Francois Hollande said that Europe had "taken on its responsibilities" by agreeing to relocate 120,000 refugees around the bloc.

"We will show that we can do this, and at the same time have rules. That is taking responsibility, that is solidarity," he said on a visit to London.

Luxembourg minister Jean Asselborn, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said the plan was forced through despite opposition because it was an "emergency situation".

"If we had not done this, Europe would have been even more divided," he told a press conference.

'THE EMPEROR IS NAKED'

Europe is under increasing pressure over its handling of a huge influx of hundreds of thousand of migrants this year, many of them fleeing conflict and repression in Syria, Afghanistan and Eritrea.

"We have no choice but to leave," said Abdullah, a 35-year-old father-of-two from war-ravaged Aleppo in Syria who has worked for three years to save up the money to travel to Europe.

The EU's new relocation plans were outlined after pictures of a Syrian refugee toddler lying on a Turkish beach sparked global outrage.

But the proposal has opened fresh rifts in a bloc already reeling from the Greek debt crisis.

The crisis has raised fears the EU's cherished Schengen passport-free zone could collapse as countries close their borders to stem the flow of migrants, many of whom are heading for Germany.

Officials said the relocation deal covered 66,000 refugees who would be moved from Greece and Italy to other EU countries, plus another 54,000 who had previously been earmarked to be relocated from Hungary before it refused to back the plan.

It also involves the creation of "hotspots" - special centres in frontline states for receiving and processing asylum seekers and separating economic migrants from refugees fleeing conflict.

Last week, ministers approved a separate plan dating from May for relocating 40,00 refugees.

Hungary and its eastern partners oppose the plan because they say Brussels has no right to make them take in thousands of people, and to do so amounts to a violation of their national sovereignty.

"Very soon we will find that the emperor is naked. Common sense has lost today!" Czech Interior Minister Milan Chovanec tweeted after the vote.

In Bratislava, Fico said he was prepared to break the EU's rules rather than accept the proposal.

"I would rather go to an infringement than to accept this diktat," he said, quoted by Slovakia's leading SME daily.

However Poland, which had previously opposed the plans, eventually voted in favour.

SYRIANS ARRIVE IN BRITAIN

Britain, which has exercised its right to opt-out of the plan, on Tuesday confirmed the arrival of the first tranche of 20,000 refugees it is taking in from refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

Ireland and Denmark also have a right to opt out but have said they will take some of the relocated refugees.

Earlier, the UN refugee agency had warned it was the "last chance" for Europe to act, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon urging leaders across the bloc to "show leadership and compassion".

Budapest has taken the toughest stance on the crisis, erecting razor-wire barriers along its borders with Serbia and Croatia, and on Monday giving border troops the right to use rubber bullets, tear gas and net guns.

And Croatia has asked Serbia to restart directing migrants towards Hungary and Romania.

Meanwhile, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said it would suspend key services to and from Austria and Hungary until Oct 4.

With the relocation vote out of the way, Wednesday's emergency EU summit will focus on strengthening the bloc's external borders, as well as giving extra funding to Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and UN agencies.

But there may trouble ahead as Greece will likely face pressure to accept outside help in managing its borders – renewing sovereignty concerns in Athens just months after it was forced to accept a huge eurozone bailout.

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Filipino gets four months' jail for inflammatory posts

Dates of Singapore school holidays for 2016 released, Education News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/dates-of-school-holidays-for-2016-released?xtor=EREC-16-2[ST_Newsletter_PM]-20150914-[Dates+of+Singapore+school+holidays+for+2016+released]&xts=538291

Dates of Singapore school holidays for 2016 released

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Education has released the dates for the school vacation periods next year.

For primary and secondary schools, the four vacation periods are: March 12 to 20, May 28 to June 26, Sept 3 to 11, and Nov 19 to Dec 31. For junior colleges and centralised institutes, their last vacation period starts on Nov 26, or for final-year students, after their A-level examinations end.

The other school holidays are July 3 (Youth Day), Aug 10 (day after National Day), Sept 2 (Teachers' Day) and Oct 7 (Children's Day, for primary schools only).

For first-year students in junior colleges and centralised institutes, the school term will start on Jan 29 as O-level examination results are released in mid-January and time is needed to process the students' applications to the schools.

For more information on the school terms and holidays for 2016, go to www.moe.gov.sg/schools/terms-and-holidays/2016/

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