Saturday, December 31, 2016

Forget New Year resolutions - check out this pragmatic Singapore to-do list for 2017, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Forget New Year resolutions - check out this pragmatic Singapore to-do list for 2017, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Forget New Year resolutions - check out this pragmatic Singapore to-do list for 2017

Some things to do in 2017 (clockwise from top left): Buy new parking coupons, throw away your paper road tax disc (or file it for posterity), replace 2G-only mobile phones and get fit with free ActiveSG $100 credits.
Some things to do in 2017 (clockwise from top left): Buy new parking coupons, throw away your paper road tax disc (or file it for posterity), replace 2G-only mobile phones and get fit with free ActiveSG $100 credits.PHOTOS: ST FILE / SPORT SINGAPORE

SINGAPORE - With just one more day of 2016 left, have you given thought to what resolutions to make in the coming new year?

It might be a good time to tackle some doable items instead of whipping up the same old weight-loss or money-saving resolutions.

In true pragmatic Singapore fashion, here are 10 things to check off your to-do list in 2017.

1. Buy new parking coupons

Stock up on new parking coupons as the old ones are no longer valid. PHOTO: ST FILE

Stop by a petrol station, Cheers or 7-Eleven convenience store or the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Centre to stock up on parking coupons for the new year.

The coupons are also sold at Housing Board Branches or Service Centres, except the Tampines branch.

Public parking charges were raised from Dec 1 and motorists have to display new parking coupons that reflect this increase.

Short-term parking rates have gone from 50 cents to 60 cents per half hour and from $1 to $1.20 per half hour in restricted zones and designated areas.

Motorists who continue using old coupons will be issued an advisory notice. Those caught again will receive a parking offence notice.

2. Get fit with free ActiveSG $100 credits

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu (front row, second from right) joining in for the GetActive! Singapore workout on Aug 7, 2016. PHOTO: SPORT SINGAPORE

If weight loss or healthy living is high on your list of personal resolutions for the new year, why not join what has been called the country's "biggest sports club" - ActiveSG?

The nationwide sport campaign offers registered Singaporeans and permanent residents who are at least 12 years old admission to sporting facilities like swimming pools and gyms, as well as other programmes and activities.

Successfully registered members get $100 worth of credits for a limited time.

To sign up for the lifetime membership, download the "ActiveSG" smartphone app and click on members.myactivesg.com to complete the verification process.

The complimentary ActiveSG $100 will be credited to your eWallet, which can be topped up and requires a six-digit PIN to set up.

You can also register in person at any ActiveSG sports centre or swimming complex with your student pass, NRIC or birth certificate.

Redeem the credits on the app, online or at sports centres using personal identification such as your NRIC or driving licence.

Those who have signed up previously and whose credits expire on Dec 31 can apply for an extension of the deadline on the ActiveSg website or through the app.

3. Use less electricity

The electricity tariff for January to March will be 20.20 cents per kwh, up from 19.13 cents now. PHOTO: ST FILE

It may be a good time to cut back on household electricity usage as tariffs for the first quarter of 2017 will go up by 5.6 per cent.

SP services announced on Dec 30 that the electricity tariff from January to March will be 20.20 cents per kwh, up from 19.13 cents now - the highest charge in more than a year.

With the increase, the average monthly electricity bill for families living in a four-room Housing Board flat is expected to rise by $4.30, from $76.88 to $81.18.

"The tariff increase is due to the higher cost of natural gas for electricity generation, which increased by 10.6 per cent, compared with the previous quarter," said SP Services.

Tariffs are reviewed on a quarterly basis by SP Services, based on guidelines set by the Energy Market Authority.

4. Sign up for SingPass 2FA before Jan 15

After Jan 15, 2017, there will no longer be a grace period for the SingPass' two-factor authentication. PHOTO: ST FILE

Signing up for SingPass' two-factor authentication (2FA) was made compulsory in July this year, with users given a 30-day grace period to complete their set-up upon their first login to SingPass.

But not everyone has signed up.

After Jan 15, there will no longer be a grace period for the set-up.

A majority of SingPass users - 2.3 million of 3.3 million - have signed up for the extra security step.

SingPass users without their 2FA will not be able to perform transactions involving sensitive data when logging in after Jan 15. Instead, they will be prompted to immediately register for 2FA before they can access such e-government services.

Local users will then have to wait for up to seven working days to receive a PIN mailer to activate this service, while overseas users will have to wait up to 10 days.

5. Throw away your paper road tax disc, or file it for posterity

The LTA will stop issuing paper road tax discs from Feb 15, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

From Feb 15, 2017, motorists will no longer have to display a road tax disc on their vehicles.

The Land Transport Authority said in August that it will stop issuing the paper discs from Feb 15.

After this, motorists will receive only a road tax payment notice when they renew their road tax.

From September 2016, road tax could be paid at AXS stations on top of existing payment channels.

6. Apply for a new NRIC if you turn 55 in 2017 and have had the same one for more than 10 years

PHOTO: ST FILE

From 2017, Singapore citizens and PRs must apply for a new NRIC when they turn 55, if they have not updated the card in the last 10 years.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in November that this measure is to improve identification of older NRIC holders.

ICA will mail letters to those who are eligible a month before they turn 55.

There are three ways to register: Via the ICA website, submit the application form mailed to you, or apply in person at the ICA building beside Lavender MRT station.

The re-registration is compulsory and will cost $10 for citizens and $50 for PRs.

A word of warning: Those who do not re-register can be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to five years, or both, under the National Registration Act.

7. Replace 2G-only mobile phones

2G networks will be retired by April 1, 2017. PHOTO: ST FILE

If you hold one of the 160,000 mobile lines in Singapore still based on the older 2G services, you can upgrade your device with no additional subscription costs by April next year.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in early December said sales of 2G-only mobile devices for use in Singapore will be banned from Jan 1.

They can be sold for export or overseas use.

2G networks will be retired by April 1.

Approach your telco for more information on how to upgrade your device.

8. Take advantage of NTUC FairPrice's Pioneer Generation discount scheme

From Jan 1, shoppers have two days a week - Monday and Thursday - to enjoy Pioneer Generation discounts. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR

Those belonging to the Pioneer Generation will get to enjoy their 3 per cent discount at FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest outlets and FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets for another year.

The discount, which currently applies only on Mondays, will be expanded to include Thursdays on Jan 1 and extended to Dec 31, 2017.

The Pioneer Generation comprises the 450,000 Singaporeans aged 65 or older in 2014 who were citizens on Dec 31, 1986.

This is the third year that FairPrice has extended the initiative.

To get the discounts, present your Pioneer Generation cards at cashier counters.

9. Consider refinancing your mortgage while interest rates are low

Home owners with the capacity to refinance their mortgages can consider reviewing their housing loan options while interest rates are low. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG

Home owners with the capacity to refinance their mortgages can consider reviewing their housing loan options while interest rates are low, as the rates seem to be rising on the back of the United States Federal Reserve's December rate hike.

US rate hikes affect bank rates, bank savings accounts, mortgages, credit cards and vehicle loans in many countries including Singapore.

At a free askST talk on refinancing home loans at library@orchard, The Straits Times' deputy business editor Dennis Chan's advice was to refinance now as banks are fighting hard for market share and rates are very competitive in this initial period after the Fed decision.

Ms Grace Cheng, co-founder and editor-in-chief of personal finance website Get.com, said that she expects to see local benchmark interest rates Sibor (Singapore interbank offered rate) and SOR (swap offer rate) continue to rise correspondingly in the near to medium term.

The Sibor is typically used to price some home loans.

There are several factors to consider carefully before you refinance your mortgage.

Read more here.

10. Make sure your TV set is a digital one - no more analogue broadcasting by end-2017

Consumers should look out for an MDA label that indicates whether a TV set or set-top box is compliant with Singapore's digital format. PHOTOS: MDA

Singapore will pull the plug on analogue broadcasting by the end of next year.

This means those with analogue TV sets without the right equipment to receive digital TV will not be able to watch free-to-air TV channels.

Singtel and StarHub pay-TV subscribers, whose platforms are already digital, need not do anything to prepare for the switch to digital broadcasting.

Pay-TV subscribers form about 60 per cent of households here.

To continue watching free-to-air television channels after end-2017, viewers will need to buy and connect a digital set-top box and an indoor antenna to their existing TV sets. The equipment retails in shops for about $130.

If you are buying a new TV, look out for a label issued by the Media Development Authority (MDA) that indicates whether the TV set, or set-top box, is compliant with Singapore's digital format.

MDA in 2014 rolled out a help scheme for low-income families to switch to digital TV.

For more information and to find out if your TV is digital-ready, go to www.imda.gov.sg/digitaltv.



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Datuk's wife charged with trying to kill maid, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Datuk's wife charged with trying to kill maid, SE Asia News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Datuk's wife charged with trying to kill maid

Ms Suyanti Sutrinso had serious injuries all over her body. She claims that her employer beat her every day.
Ms Suyanti Sutrinso had serious injuries all over her body. She claims that her employer beat her every day.PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

PETALING JAYA • A Malaysian woman was charged yesterday with attempting to murder her Indonesian maid.

Rozita Mohamad Ali is accused of trying to kill Suyanti Sutrinso using a kitchen knife, a clothes hanger, a steel mop and an umbrella, subjecting the woman to a five-hour ordeal on Dec 21 at her home in the suburb of Mutiara Damansara, reported news site The Star Online.

Rozita, 43, who is unemployed and said to suffer from asthma, pleaded not guilty to the charge. If found guilty, she faces either life imprisonment or a 20-year jail term.

She was released after paying RM20,000 (S$6,400) bail and surrendering her passport. She was ordered to report to the nearest police station once a month and barred from approaching Ms Suyanti during the course of the trial. The court has set Feb 7 to fix the trial date.

The case first came to light when a security guard found Ms Suyanti slumped unconscious by a drain in the neighbourhood, with serious injuries all over her body.

DAILY ABUSE

I was slapped and punched every day while being called an animal. I feared for my life.

MS SUYANTI SUTRINSO

According to earlier reports in The Star, Ms Suyanti said that she had climbed a ladder near the fence of her employer's house on Dec 21, jumped over, and run as fast as she could to escape Rozita's alleged physical and mental abuse.

"I was slapped and punched every day while being called an animal. I feared for my life," she said. At the time, she had been working for Rozita for only two weeks.

Ms Suyanti, who is from Medan, said she was not allowed to bathe and was permitted to eat only once a day. "I was hoping that my employer would change her ways someday. However, I reached my breaking point."

Rozita, a datuk's wife, surrendered to the police on the day of Ms Suyanti's escape after news of her condition went viral on social media.

Ms Suyanti has been staying at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur since she was discharged from hospital.

This is the most recent in a number of maid abuse incidents in the country. In October last year, a couple from Penang were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of starving and abusing their Cambodian maid Mey Sichan, 24, for seven months in 2012. Ms Mey weighed only 26kg when she was rescued; she later died from her injuries.

In 2009, Indonesia stopped sending maids to Malaysia after incidents of mistreatment. This ban was lifted two years later, after both countries agreed on better protection measures.



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Happy New Year2

Friday, December 30, 2016

More news on Karoshi (death to overwork) in Japan

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Rise of Muslim hardliners

Notable events3

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Notable events2

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Notable events1

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Islamic teachers have until March 31 to get endorsement

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Endangered in Sumatra

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Asia's wildlife not spared in 'mass extinction'

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Beautiful Science

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Your liver doesn't know it's they holidays

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How social isolation is killing us

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Trump and the Singapore economy

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Israeli settlements in occupied territories

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Let students deal wit setbacks on their own, says Ng Chee Meng

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Monday, December 26, 2016

Goodbye to PSLE T-score

Chinese warships in S. China Sea exercise

S'pore to tackle to bacterial resistance to antibiotics

US envoy to Japan in hit video on YouTube

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Amos Yee may have to wait years in US asylum bid

Reading Fake News, Pakistani Minister Directs Nuclear Threat at Israel - NYTimes.com

Reading Fake News, Pakistani Minister Directs Nuclear Threat at Israel - NYTimes.com

Reading Fake News, Pakistani Minister Directs Nuclear Threat at Israel

A fake news article led to gunfire at a Washington pizzeria three weeks ago. Now it seems that another fake news story has prompted the defense minister of Pakistan to threaten to go nuclear.

The defense minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, wrote a saber-rattling Twitter post directed at Israel on Friday after a false report — which the minister apparently believed — that Israel had threatened Pakistan with nuclear weapons. Both countries have nuclear arsenals.

"Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming pak role in Syria against Daesh," the minister wrote on his official Twitter account, using an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State. "Israel forgets Pakistan is a Nuclear state too."

Israeli def min threatens nuclear retaliation presuming pak role in Syria against Daesh.Israel forgets Pakistan is a Nuclear state too AH

— ()

Mr. Asif appeared to be reacting to a fake news article published on awdnews.com.

That story, with the typo-laden headline "Israeli Defense Minister: If Pakistan send ground troops to Syria on any pretext, we will destroy this country with a nuclear attack," appeared on the website on Dec. 20, alongside articles with headlines like "Clinton is staging a military coup against Trump."

The fake story about Israel even misidentified the country's defense minister, attributing quotations to a former minister, Moshe Yaalon. Israel's current minister of defense is Avigdor Lieberman.

The Israeli Defense Ministry responded on Twitter to say the report was fictitious.

"The statement attributed to fmr Def Min Yaalon re Pakistan was never said," the ministry wrote in Twitter post directed at Mr. Asif. The Israeli ministry added in a second post: "Reports referred to by the Pakistani Def Min are entirely false."

@KhawajaMAsif reports referred to by the Pakistani Def Min are entirely false

— ()

Mr. Asif did not respond to the Israelis on Twitter, and as of Saturday his message had been reposted nearly 400 times. Many of the people reacting to Mr. Asif on Twitter mocked him for his mistake.

The proliferation of fake news stories — spread on social networks and produced by a variety of sources including pranksters, foreign governments and enterprising individuals who hope to receive advertising revenue by driving traffic to their websites — has become an increasingly serious problem.

A North Carolina man was arrested on Dec. 4 after firing a gun at a Washington pizza parlor, because investigators said he was investigating claims in fake news articles that the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex slave ring linked to Hillary Clinton.



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Paya Lebar banyan trees lives on

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A season to spread message of love and hope

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Muar

Driver could have been speeding...

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Muar bus crash victims buried side by side at Choa Chu Kang cemetery on Sunday afternoon, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Muar bus crash victims buried side by side at Choa Chu Kang cemetery on Sunday afternoon, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Muar bus crash victims buried side by side at Choa Chu Kang cemetery on Sunday afternoon

SINGAPORE - More than 100 relatives of three Singaporean women who died in Saturday morning's bus crash at the North-South Expressway near Muar in Johor gathered at the Choa Chu Kang Muslim cemetery to bid them a final farewell.

Madam Faridah Tamron, 63, and her daughter, Nur Hazimah Mustafa, 21, were laid to rest side by side on Sunday (Dec 25), having been brought back from Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar in the early hours of the morning.

About 70 of their relatives, including Madam Faridah's son and another daughter, gathered under a scorching sun at around 1pm as final prayers were performed.

Missing from the sombre joint funeral were Madam Faridah's husband Mustafa Yasin, 63, and Ms Nur Hazimah's husband Muhammad Fitri, 23. Both injured in the crash, they are understood to be in hospital in Singapore, having also been transferred from Sultanah Fatimah hospital earlier in the morning.

Shortly after the funerals at about 1.45pm, some 50 relatives of Madam Hamimah Mammu, another Singaporean who perished in the Christmas eve accident arrived at the cemetery.

Madam Hamimah was laid to rest beside Madam Faridah and Ms Nur Hazimah.

Among those present were two of Madam Hamimah's sons, age 21 and 23, who had not been on the bus.

The two had been at the Sultanah Fatimah hospital's mortuary the previous evening.

Madam Hamimah's husband Mohamed Syed, son Muhammad Hilmi, 16, and daughter Alifah, 13, were all injured in the crash. They are also understood to be in hospital here.

The crash cost the lives of 14 people, while 16 were injured. A fourth victim from Singapore who died in the crash is permanent resident Au Poi Kiew, who hailed from Seremban.

The coach bus they were in had departed from JB Sentral in Johor Baru and had been en route to Kuala Lumpur's Bandar Tasik Selatan Integrated Bus Terminal when it fell off the North- South Expressway at Kampung Jayo, Jalan Kangkar-Senangar, Pagoh, near Muar, at about 4am.

The bus driver and his baby daughter died, while his wife was injured.



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Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS

Pokemon Go, Joseph Schooling and the Hallyu wave were among the most tweeted topics in Singapore for 2016.
Pokemon Go, Joseph Schooling and the Hallyu wave were among the most tweeted topics in Singapore for 2016.PHOTO: REUTERS, AFP, KBS WORLD

SINGAPORE - Singapore's golden boy Joseph Schooling may have won gold at Rio, but in the Twittersphere, he had to concede the Golden Tweet to an adorable kitty.

Said kitty was awarded the Golden Tweet as the most retweeted tweet from Singapore this year after a short video of the kitty being stroked went viral with 106,000 retweets.

So cute, it hurts.

— human error. (@blxcknicotine)

Schooling, however, did earn the Golden Moment honour as the country erupted into 380,000 tweets in three hours after he scored a stunning victory with Singapore's first Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 games,

#SchoolingWinsGold went viral after the 21-year-old beat his childhood idol, decorated United States swimmer Michael Phelps, in the 100m butterfly.

Joseph Schooling beats Michael Phelps in 100m butterfly and wins Singapore's first Olympic . Congratulations!

— 9GAG (@9GAG)

Twitter Singapore, which compiled its #YOT2016, also released data on the top hashtags in Singapore this year. Not surprisingly, the augmented reality game PokemonGO which swept the world this year topped Singapore's list.

Here are the top 10 hashtag trends in more detail.

1. #PokemonGO

When a SWARM of people start running around you and you think "oh must be for a train"... no, it's for

— Cazondra Stark (@areyouwithcaz)

Monsters invaded Singapore shores in late July and Singaporeans went wild. Players of Nintendo's augmented-reality game Pokemon Go swarmed the streets and exchanged tips and tricks on Twitter with the hashtag.

As in other parts of the world where Pokemon Go fever had struck, the Singapore Police Force had to post an advisory, urging the public to take care of their personal safety and the National Parks requested the removal of Pokestops from nature reserves to minimise damage to sensitive areas.

2. #Rio2016  

Congrats to @YipPinXiu for her 2nd gold at ! You have made us all proud. – LHL

— Lee Hsien Loong (@leehsienloong)

The Rio Olympics made waves, not just for Schooling's gold, but also for Paralympians Yip Pin Xiu (@yippinxiu), who won two gold medals for the women's 50m and 100m backstroke, and Theresa Goh, who bagged bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke.

Yip also received a Twitter shout-out from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who said she "made us all proud".

3. #ElectionNight

The 2016 US elections took on a life of its own on social media with plenty of memes and jokes. But things got personal when President-Elect Donald Trump (@realdonaldtrump) singled out Singaporeans for stealing jobs from Americans. That earned the ire and ridicule of Singaporeans who took to Twitter to express their disbelief.

4. #MUFC  

Queueing for the pub on Derby day. Like old times.

— Lee Nugent (@LeeNugent) · Central Region, Singapore

Many Singaporeans are devoted Red Devils, apparently, as Manchester United (@manutd) fans followed the beleaguered team this year. The coach saga gripped fans as famously hot-tempered Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as team manager. Fans here were also excited by a new football-themed cafe to be set up in Singapore by former Manchester United stars, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

5. #DescendantsOfTheSun

태양의 후예 Descendants of the Sun Bridal Behind The Scenes http://tiffanyyong.com/2016/05/29/descendants-of-the-sun-bridal-behind-the-scenes/ 

— Tiffany Yong (@tiffanyyongwt)

The latest hot K-drama to sweep Singaporeans off their feet was the epic Korean television series Descendants Of The Sun. The love story between special forces captain Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki) and doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) will now be remembered as "DOTS" and for inspiring viral copycat wedding photo shoots which mimicked scenes from the show.

6. #Euro2016  

When your flight timings ruin
You watch it at airport instead..

— Deepak George (@CherianVakkayil)

Singaporeans really love the beautiful game, which makes its second entry to the list for the 2016 UEFA European Championship . Underdogs Iceland made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the 15th edition of this tournament, with a stunning upset over England along the way, while Portugal took home the Championship title.

7. #BTS

EXCUSE MEEEE. SINGAPORE ARMYs ARE READY 🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬@bts_twt @bts_bighit

— 🌚방탄소년단🌚 (@CherBANGTan)

Seven-member boy band BTS (@bts_twt) , also known as Bangtan Boys, marks the second Hallyu wave entry on this list. Singapore fans have been begging this Big Hit Entertainment band, the first K-pop band to have its own Twitter emoji, to come here with their The Wings Tour.

8. #RIPChristina

Honored to have seen you performed in Singapore. All of us misses you. @TheRealGrimmie

— Daniel:))) (@danz_x99)

The shocking murder of YouTube singer Christina Grimmie (@therealgrimmie) in June shook her fan demographic on Twitter. She was shot dead by a stranger while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando, Florida. The US star had held a concert in Singapore in 2015, and many fans here mourned her passing, tweeting tributes to her and her music.

9. #PrayforMadinah  

You don't have to be a Muslim to feel this. You just have to be a human.

— roserosland ॐ (@roserosland)

Singaporeans took to Twitter to express their outrage at a deadly suicide bombing at Islam's second-holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina in July. They stood in solidarity with Twitter users around the world using the #PrayForMadinah hashtag, after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad, killing himself and four security staff members.

10. #MannequinChallenge

Doubling up on the with the timeless Singapore Girl. 😉

— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir)

In October, it became cool to stand still. The #MannequinChallenge, believed to have been started by students in Florida on Oct 12, has spread worldwide and to Singapore. It features people remaining frozen like mannequins while a video is recorded. Even Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines (@singaporeair), jumped on the bandwagon with a #MannequinChallenge entry.



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Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS, Singapore News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Tops on Singapore's Twitterfeed 2016: Schooling, Pokemon Go and DOTS

Pokemon Go, Joseph Schooling and the Hallyu wave were among the most tweeted topics in Singapore for 2016.
Pokemon Go, Joseph Schooling and the Hallyu wave were among the most tweeted topics in Singapore for 2016.PHOTO: REUTERS, AFP, KBS WORLD

SINGAPORE - Singapore's golden boy Joseph Schooling may have won gold at Rio, but in the Twittersphere, he had to concede the Golden Tweet to an adorable kitty.

Said kitty was awarded the Golden Tweet as the most retweeted tweet from Singapore this year after a short video of the kitty being stroked went viral with 106,000 retweets.

So cute, it hurts.

— human error. (@blxcknicotine)

Schooling, however, did earn the Golden Moment honour as the country erupted into 380,000 tweets in three hours after he scored a stunning victory with Singapore's first Olympic gold medal at the Rio 2016 games,

#SchoolingWinsGold went viral after the 21-year-old beat his childhood idol, decorated United States swimmer Michael Phelps, in the 100m butterfly.

Joseph Schooling beats Michael Phelps in 100m butterfly and wins Singapore's first Olympic . Congratulations!

— 9GAG (@9GAG)

Twitter Singapore, which compiled its #YOT2016, also released data on the top hashtags in Singapore this year. Not surprisingly, the augmented reality game PokemonGO which swept the world this year topped Singapore's list.

Here are the top 10 hashtag trends in more detail.

1. #PokemonGO

When a SWARM of people start running around you and you think "oh must be for a train"... no, it's for

— Cazondra Stark (@areyouwithcaz)

Monsters invaded Singapore shores in late July and Singaporeans went wild. Players of Nintendo's augmented-reality game Pokemon Go swarmed the streets and exchanged tips and tricks on Twitter with the hashtag.

As in other parts of the world where Pokemon Go fever had struck, the Singapore Police Force had to post an advisory, urging the public to take care of their personal safety and the National Parks requested the removal of Pokestops from nature reserves to minimise damage to sensitive areas.

2. #Rio2016  

Congrats to @YipPinXiu for her 2nd gold at ! You have made us all proud. – LHL

— Lee Hsien Loong (@leehsienloong)

The Rio Olympics made waves, not just for Schooling's gold, but also for Paralympians Yip Pin Xiu (@yippinxiu), who won two gold medals for the women's 50m and 100m backstroke, and Theresa Goh, who bagged bronze in the women's 100m breaststroke.

Yip also received a Twitter shout-out from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who said she "made us all proud".

3. #ElectionNight

The 2016 US elections took on a life of its own on social media with plenty of memes and jokes. But things got personal when President-Elect Donald Trump (@realdonaldtrump) singled out Singaporeans for stealing jobs from Americans. That earned the ire and ridicule of Singaporeans who took to Twitter to express their disbelief.

4. #MUFC  

Queueing for the pub on Derby day. Like old times.

— Lee Nugent (@LeeNugent) · Central Region, Singapore

Many Singaporeans are devoted Red Devils, apparently, as Manchester United (@manutd) fans followed the beleaguered team this year. The coach saga gripped fans as famously hot-tempered Jose Mourinho replaced Louis van Gaal as team manager. Fans here were also excited by a new football-themed cafe to be set up in Singapore by former Manchester United stars, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville.

5. #DescendantsOfTheSun

태양의 후예 Descendants of the Sun Bridal Behind The Scenes http://tiffanyyong.com/2016/05/29/descendants-of-the-sun-bridal-behind-the-scenes/ 

— Tiffany Yong (@tiffanyyongwt)

The latest hot K-drama to sweep Singaporeans off their feet was the epic Korean television series Descendants Of The Sun. The love story between special forces captain Yoo Shi Jin (Song Joong Ki) and doctor Kang Mo Yeon (Song Hye Kyo) will now be remembered as "DOTS" and for inspiring viral copycat wedding photo shoots which mimicked scenes from the show.

6. #Euro2016  

When your flight timings ruin
You watch it at airport instead..

— Deepak George (@CherianVakkayil)

Singaporeans really love the beautiful game, which makes its second entry to the list for the 2016 UEFA European Championship . Underdogs Iceland made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the 15th edition of this tournament, with a stunning upset over England along the way, while Portugal took home the Championship title.

7. #BTS

EXCUSE MEEEE. SINGAPORE ARMYs ARE READY 🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬@bts_twt @bts_bighit

— 🌚방탄소년단🌚 (@CherBANGTan)

Seven-member boy band BTS (@bts_twt) , also known as Bangtan Boys, marks the second Hallyu wave entry on this list. Singapore fans have been begging this Big Hit Entertainment band, the first K-pop band to have its own Twitter emoji, to come here with their The Wings Tour.

8. #RIPChristina

Honored to have seen you performed in Singapore. All of us misses you. @TheRealGrimmie

— Daniel:))) (@danz_x99)

The shocking murder of YouTube singer Christina Grimmie (@therealgrimmie) in June shook her fan demographic on Twitter. She was shot dead by a stranger while signing autographs after a concert in Orlando, Florida. The US star had held a concert in Singapore in 2015, and many fans here mourned her passing, tweeting tributes to her and her music.

9. #PrayforMadinah  

You don't have to be a Muslim to feel this. You just have to be a human.

— roserosland ॐ (@roserosland)

Singaporeans took to Twitter to express their outrage at a deadly suicide bombing at Islam's second-holiest site in the Saudi city of Medina in July. They stood in solidarity with Twitter users around the world using the #PrayForMadinah hashtag, after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, the burial place of the Prophet Muhammad, killing himself and four security staff members.

10. #MannequinChallenge

Doubling up on the with the timeless Singapore Girl. 😉

— Singapore Airlines (@SingaporeAir)

In October, it became cool to stand still. The #MannequinChallenge, believed to have been started by students in Florida on Oct 12, has spread worldwide and to Singapore. It features people remaining frozen like mannequins while a video is recorded. Even Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines (@singaporeair), jumped on the bandwagon with a #MannequinChallenge entry.



Sent from my iPad(Air)