Interfaith dialogue ‘needs to go beyond sharing of meals’

MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected, Transport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/smrt-maintenance-staff-bonuses-will-be-affected-following-lapse-which-led-to-oct

MRT tunnel flooding: SMRT maintenance staff bonuses will be affected

SINGAPORE - The SMRT maintenance team, which failed to properly maintain a flood-prevention system at Bishan MRT station, will have their bonuses cut, SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming said on Monday (Oct 16).

Mr Seah said that it was a maintenance lapse which led to a flood in the tunnel between Bishan and Braddell MRT stations, rendering services along a stretch of the North-South Line inoperable for 20 hours.

SMRT has already removed and redeployed senior executive, Mr Ng Tek Poo, who was in charge of maintenance and systems as a result of the incident.

In a press conference to address the disruption on Oct 7 and Oct 8, SMRT group chief executive Desmond Kuek said Mr Ng was removed so that an investigation into the team's entire workflow, processes and culture could be done in a more open and transparent way.

"It may not end up as one person. There will be a whole process of disciplinary proceedings and investigations that we will have to allow to take its proper course," Mr Kuek added.

Apologising to commuters for the disruption, Mr Kuek said that since the massive MRT breakdowns in December 2011, SMRT has "gone into overdrive" to address maintenance issues arising from age-related serviceability issues.

This included beefing up the SMRT Trains team by increasing staff strength from 3,500 to 5,300 currently. The number of engineers has tripled to nearly 500 now, Mr Kuek added. Performance incentives were also tied to a basket of measures, of which safety and reliability was given the "greatest weight", he said.

Mr Kuek said that there has been much criticism about the rail operator's work culture.

"Indeed, many of our major disruptions in the past have been attributed in some part, or all, to human error or failure. We regret that this is so," he said.

While much progress has been made to inculcate a positive work culture in SMRT, there remain some "deep-seated cultural issues" within the company that has needed more time than anticipated to root-out, he added.

But Mr Kuek said that it would be wrong to paint everyone in SMRT with the "same brush".

"Nine in 10 of our people are incredibly committed, professional and commuter-focused. They are Singaporeans too, with family members and friends who commute, and work hard under challenging conditions to deliver the best possible public transport service for all our commuters," Mr Kuek said.

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Deaf in one ear, part-time piano teacher aims to get a diploma in 2018 | TODAYonline

http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/deaf-one-ear-part-time-piano-teacher-aims-get-diploma-2018

Deaf in one ear, part-time piano teacher aims to get a diploma in 2018

SINGAPORE — For almost 20 years, she could not hear properly. And the first time she saw someone playing the piano at five years old, she could only "feel" the melody through the vibrations in the air.

Against all odds, Ms Parvinderjeet Kaur pursued her love for music, so much so that next February, she is expected to attain her diploma in piano teaching with the London-based Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

Now a part-time piano teacher, Ms Kaur, 27, earns about S$300 a month. She enrolled in the diploma course after receiving S$3,000 from the TODAY Enable Fund, which covers half her course fees.

Upon graduation, one of her goals is to teach children with special needs how to play the piano.

"They should not take their disability as an excuse or as a weakness," she said, adding that it could be "a strength" to help them strive to do better in life.

Ms Kaur's own childhood was a frustrating one. She was bullied by her classmates who called her "stupid" in her first year in secondary school.

She was born completely deaf in her right ear, with partial hearing loss in her left ear. When her mother was carrying her during pregnancy, she contracted Rubella, or "German measles", and the baby (Ms Kaur) had a high risk of being born with deformities.

When Ms Kaur was three years old, doctors told her parents of her hearing impairments, but they did not immediately get her hearing aids because her father could not accept the diagnosis. He held out that her hearing would be normal by the time she was seven.

When Ms Kaur turned six, her mother insisted that a hearing aid be fitted in her left ear. That was the first time the girl learnt how to speak.

Two years later, she told her parents that she wanted to learn to play the piano.

Ms Kaur said that she was inspired by Soka Gakkai International president Daisaku Ikeda, who had moved her with his piano-playing when he visited her kindergarten in 1995.

"I practised very hard to make up for my hearing impairment. I did not realise then, but that was the turning point in my life," she said.

She never missed a lesson, despite the stresses from her mainstream education which led to frequent asthma attacks; her move to Melbourne, Australia, to complete her high school education; and that she could only hear in one ear.

She was hoping to get a degree in music, but she did not get any offer despite her applications to multiple universities in Melbourne.

Determined "not to let this handicap affect my studies", Ms Kaur went for a S$14,000 cochlear implant surgery in her right ear in 2009.

Earlier this month, she sat for the Grade 8 piano theory examination — her third attempt.

Her never-say-die attitude and willpower have kept her going, to make a career out of teaching music.

Since late last year, Ms Kaur has been guiding children with autism, by sitting in at piano classes at Very Special Arts Singapore, a charity that supports people with disabilities through the arts.

Previously, she taught English, mathematics and the syllabus on moral and character values at Canossa Convent Canossian School for the Hearing Impaired for a year.

Of the students she has met, she said: "I don't see their disability. I see their potential. I hope more of them can fulfil their dreams, create value in their lives, and make full use of their talent to contribute to society."

* Support the TODAY Enable Fund for the special needs community. Find out more via www.todayonline.com/enable.

* If you know of more stories of people with disabilities, email us at today@mediacorp.com.sg

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Major Wi-Fi security flaws affect billions worldwide, including almost every Internet user in Singapore, Tech News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/tech/major-wi-fi-security-flaw-affects-billions-worldwide-including-almost-every-internet-user-in?xtor=CS3-17

Major Wi-Fi security flaws affect billions worldwide, including almost every Internet user in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Major security flaws just discovered have put billions of Wi-Fi devices at risk worldwide, including almost every Internet user in Singapore.

Issuing the alert on Tuesday afternoon (Oct 17), the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCert) said: "These vulnerabilities may affect the data confidentiality of users' Wi-Fi connectivity in homes and offices."

The flaws affect nearly every device that uses Wi-Fi, said SingCert.

These include routers, smartphones, computers and surveillance cameras. And there are more than 11 million homes, offices, cafes and public locations here using or providing Wi-Fi connections, according to official figures.

"The attacker can exploit the vulnerabilities to monitor, inject and manipulate users' network traffic," the agency noted, responding to queries from The Straits Times.

SingCert is a unit of Singapore's Cyber Security Agency, which coordinates the nation's response to cyber threats and attacks.

The alert follows Monday's confirmation of the flaws by the United States Homeland Security's cyber-emergency unit US-Cert.

The US authority had quietly warned vendors of the problem two months ago so that vendors would have time to roll out patches before the problem was made public, according to online reports. Though many have since issued patches, billions of devices remain unpatched.

An exploit dubbed Krack (Key Reinstallation Attack) exposes what is said to be the first critical vulnerabilities in WPA2, a common authentication method. The 14-year-old WPA2 protocol secures the Wi-Fi connection between a router and a computer or Internet device.

Mr Mathy Vanhoef, a researcher at Belgium's University of Leuven who discovered the flaw, said in a research paper published online this week that a hacker could hijack unencrypted conversations and exchanges over the Wi-Fi connection.

• Ways to stay safe:

• 1. Patch your Windows machines now. Microsoft released a patch for the Wi-Fi flaw in its Oct 10 Windows update. The current beta versions of Apple's iOS, tvOS, watchOS and macOS operating systems also come with the security fix.

  2. Surf only encrypted (https) Web pages. Similarly, website owners should also encrypt their webpages. An attacker might inject malware into unencrypted websites.

  3. Do not send confidential details over public Wi-Fi networks.

  4. Use virtual private network (VPN) services, available online or from Internet service providers, to add an extra layer of security.

  5. Do not visit or install software from unknown websites.

  6. Unplug any unpatched Wi-Fi device, such as Webcams, if the Wi-Fi signal of your router extends into the public space. An attacker within the Wi-Fi range can carry out nefarious exploits.

"The weaknesses are in the Wi-Fi standard itself, and not in individual products or implementations," he wrote in the paper. "To prevent the attack, users must update affected products as soon as security updates become available."

There have been no reports of these flaws being exploited so far. An attacker must also be within the Wi-Fi range to carry out nefarious exploits.

Microsoft released a software fix for the Wi-Fi flaw in its Oct 10 Windows update. The current beta versions of Apple's iOS, tvOS, watchOS and macOS operating systems also come with the security fix. Other vendors, such as Google, are still creating security patches for their devices, and are expected to release them only in the coming weeks.

SingCert has advised users to check with their vendors on the availability of security patches and apply them as soon as possible.

Dr Gary McGraw, vice-president of security technology at US-based software engineering firm Synopsys, said design flaws are harder to fix than a software bug, which is more common. "That's (also) why Krack is so pervasive across chips and platforms, affecting many manufacturers worldwide."

Some security experts said that using a patched device provides enough protection - even if the Wi-Fi router is not patched.

As security software patches for routers, webcams and TVs are harder to apply, Mr Jason Kong, co-founder of Singapore-based network security firm Toffs Technologies, said Internet service providers (ISPs) should set up help desks and provide software update packages for customers. "For peace of mind, users should also subscribe to virtual private network services, available online or from ISPs."

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Infant, 3 others injured in Bukit Batok fire caused by e-bike charging overnight - Channel NewsAsia

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/infant-3-others-injured-in-bukit-batok-fire-caused-by-e-bike-9304756

Infant, 3 others injured in Bukit Batok fire caused by e-bike charging overnight

12 Oct 2017 06:16PM

Singapore

The fire in Bukit Batok, which involved contents of a living room and corridor, was extinguished by SCDF with a water jet. (Photo: Facebook / SCDF)

(Updated: 12 Oct 2017 08:24PM)

SINGAPORE: Four people, including an infant, were injured after a fire broke out in their Bukit Batok flat early on Thursday (Oct 12) morning. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident on the second floor of Block 231, Bukit Batok East Avenue 5 at about 3.50am. 

The fire was put out with a water jet, said SCDF, adding that preliminary investigations showed that the blaze was caused by the overnight charging of an electric bicycle.

A photo shared by SCDF showed that the fire had engulfed the living room and corridor.

The four people suffered minor injuries and were taken to the National University Hospital.

Users of personal mobility devices, such as electric bicycles, should take steps not to overcharge the battery and avoid charging them overnight, said SCDF in a Facebook post. 

It added that the batteries should not be placed near combustible materials while charging.

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More than 20 dead, over 100 injured in Las Vegas shooting: Police sheriff, United States News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

http://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/reports-of-active-shooter-near-las-vegas-casino?xtor=CS3-18

More than 20 dead, over 100 injured in Las Vegas shooting: Police sheriff

Oct 1, 2017 at 10:56pm PDT

LAS VEGAS (NYTIMES, REUTERS) -  At least 20 people were dead and more than 100 were injured when a gunman went on a shooting spree at a concert on the famous Las Vegas Strip late Sunday, police and US media reports said. 

Police said the shooter was taken "down" after officers swarmed over the famous boulevard in response to multiple shots being fired from the Mandalay Bay casino resort towards thousands of fans at a country music concert. 

"We have in excess of 100-plus injured and excess of 20-plus that have died at this point," Las Vegas Metro Police Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told a press conference.  The gunman, who was a local man, was killed after police "engaged the suspect," Lombardo told reporters. 

The suspect was a local Las Vegas man who acted alone, Lombardo said. But authorities were seeking an Asian female who police described as a companion of the suspect, he said.  They said that rumours of other shootings in the area were false. Off-duty police were believe to be among the victims. 

Witnesses on social media said the shooting broke out on the last night of the three-day Route 91 Harvest festival, a sold-out event attended by thousands and featuring top acts such as Eric Church, Sam Hunt and Jason Aldean. 

US media, including Fox News, reported that Aldean was performing around 10:45 p.m. local time on Sunday when the rampage began but that he had been bundled safely off stage at the event outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in the Nevada gambling mecca. CNN reported all the artists were safe.

Video posted online showed a musician performing outside the Mandalay Bay at Route 91 Harvest when the sound of automatic gunfire rang out. The music stopped, and concertgoers ducked for cover. "Get down," one shouted. "Stay down," screamed another.

Several Swat teams were sent to the hotel, and officers reported being pinned down by gunfire, according to emergency radio traffic. The police also descended on the Ali Baba Restaurant, about a 10-minute drive from the Mandalay Bay, and they were also investigating reports of a shooting at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino.

The police reported clearing out the Mandalay Bay's 29th floor and working their way up to the 32nd floor. A Twitter post from the Las Vegas Police Department described reports of an "active shooter" near or around the Mandalay Bay casino.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said on Twitter: "Confirming that one suspect is down. This is an active investigation. Again, please do not head down to the Strip at this time."

The police later tweeted that they did not believe other shooters were involved in the incident. "At this time we do not believe there are any more shooters," the police department said.

​It was not immediately clear whether the suspect was killed or injured. Officers were due to give more information shortly.

One officer reported that civilians were "trying to take patrol cars" but it was unclear why.

The police reported closing off about a mile of Las Vegas Boulevard and asked the public to steer clear of the area.

The Daily Express reported that there was a bomb threat after the shooting attack, with the Luxor Hotel on lockdown. Multiple flights were diverted away from Los Angeles' McCarran Airport due to the shooting. 

The spokeswoman for the University Medical Centre hospital said 14 of the wounded were in a critical condition. All had suffered gunshot wounds, she said.

One Twitter user posted that the Mandalay Bay Casino hotel was on lockdown, while another, citing police scanners, posted there were two shooters on the 32nd floor of the hotel who had shot at a bodyguard and police. Authorities could not be reached to confirm those details.

Hospital sources said that 14 of the wounded were in critical condition. 

Witnesses heard numerous gunshots at the casino hotel, where police tactical teams were searching for the attacker, according to reports on CNN and in the New York Times.

Another Twitter user, @mmmullen, wrote: "Active shooter outside my window Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas. Firing at outdoor concert. Long bursts of fully auto weapons."

This story is developing.

We're investigating reports of an active shooter near/around Mandalay Bay Casino. Asking everyone to please avoid the area. #LVMPDnews

— LVMPD (@LVMPD) October 2, 2017

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