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Man arrested for drug, traffic offences after high-speed chase

aseanpr 1 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 21-year-old man has been arrested by the Traffic Police for traffic and suspected drug-related offences after he tried to evade their checks in a high-speed chase. The incident happened on Tuesday (March 30) at about 10.30pm. Land Transport Authority (LTA) enforcement officers were conducting routine checks along Farrer Road towards Queensway and had signalled for a motorcycle to stop, police said on Thursday. The rider allegedly did not comply and sped off towards Queensway. The LTA officers followed the motorcycle, which later hit a roadside kerb and came to a stop along Dover Rise, about 4.5km away. The rider then allegedly fled on foot but was detained by the officers along Dover Crescent. They later asked for police assistance. Police investigations are ongoing. Data analyst George Bryden, 25, was crossing the road to Dover Rise on his way home when he heard the sound of a siren and a screeching noise. He then saw the rear wheel of the motorcycle in the air and the motorcycle flip over with the rider falling off. "For a few seconds, the rider tried to fight the officer. The rider was pinned to the ground at one point but managed to escape. "He picked up his helme...

Public electric vehicle charging point tender draws 19 bids; 600 points to be up as early as end-August

aseanpr 1 4 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A public tender for the installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging points at some 200 public carparks across Singapore has drawn 19 bidders, reflecting a growing interest among businesses to cash in on the government's EV push. Among those which submitted bids for the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) tender, which closed on March 31, were familiar names such as transport group ComfortDelGro, oil giant Shell, utility group SP Mobility and government-linked ST Engineering, according to tender documents. The tender called for bidders to build, operate and maintain more than 600 charging points for 12 years, starting as early as Aug 31 this year. The successful bidder will also have to carry out enforcement actions against non-EVs parked in the designated charging lots, as well as EVs which occupy the lots but are not charging. The network - which will be part of 60,000 points the government has committed to by 2030 - is likely to consist of 7kW chargers in Housing Board carparks, and at least 22kW chargers in other public carparks operated by agencies such as the URA, National Parks Board and JTC. Tender prices were based on concession fee per kW of energy payable t...

950,000 HDB households to get additional GST rebate in April as part of Budget support package

aseanpr 1 4 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - About 950,000 households living in Housing Board flats will be receiving their regular goods and services tax (GST) rebates this month, and additional rebates to support them during this period of uncertainty. The additional rebates will amount to 50 per cent of their regular GST rebates over this financial year, as part of the Household Support Package announced at Singapore's 2021 Budget. These rebates will be disbursed through the GST Voucher (GSTV) U-Save and U-Save Special Payment initiatives, and will be credited in offsets to household utility bills. There will be four rounds of GSTV – U-Save rebates this financial year - in April, July, October and January 2022. The U-Save Special Payment will be given this month and again in July. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Kiat said in a Facebook post on Thursday (April 1): "At #SGBudget2021, I announced that households will receive 50 per cent more rebate this year to provide additional support for households during this period of economic uncertainty." "The additional amounts will be paid out in April and July. So effectively, households will receive double their regular amount in these two quar...

27,000 employers hired 2 locals each on average in first 3 months of Jobs Growth Incentive scheme

aseanpr 31 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Some 27,000 employers hired an average of two locals each between September and November last year, with support from the Jobs Growth Incentive (JGI). This is higher than the median of one local hire by the same employers in the same period in 2019, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo during the 20th edition of her jobs situation report on Wednesday (March 31). In all, the JGI supported the hiring of about 130,000 locals between September and November last year, in the first three months of the scheme, said Mrs Teo during a visit to local company Pacific Logistics Group. Nearly all, or 99 per cent, of the employers were small and medium-sized enterprises. About six in 10 of them hired one to two local workers each. The remaining four hired more. The $1 billion wage subsidy scheme was launched last August to spur the hiring of locals. Eligible employers receive up to 12 months of wage support of 25 per cent for each local hire. Last month, the Government announced a seven-month extension of the scheme until September this year, with an additional $5.2 billion allocated. The JGI was also enhanced from March 1 for employers who hire mature workers, people with disabilitie...

Economic growth and investment in education critical to reducing inequality: Yale-NUS panel

aseanpr 31 3 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Covid-19 pandemic has exacted a disproportionate toll on women, who risk dropping out of school and the workforce because of additional household responsibilities. But while policies such as flexible work arrangements are helpful, what is critical in the long run is sustained economic growth and investments in education. These in turn create good jobs for the middle class and reduce inequality for all, not just women. This was the conclusion drawn by experts on Tuesday (March 30) at the virtual Yale-NUS Global Affairs Lecture moderated by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy dean, Professor Danny Quah. Speaking on addressing global inequality, former World Bank chief economist and Yale University economics professor Pinelopi Goldberg said that during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from 2014 to 2016, more girls than boys dropped out of school and were less likely to return after the epidemic ended - something which could also happen with Covid-19. Due to widespread lockdowns and shuttered businesses, many women - who are overrepresented in services sectors hardest hit by Covid-19 such as food and beverage, retail and entertainment - found themselves out of work. T...

1,200 new jobs in Jurong Innovation District over next 18 months

aseanpr 31 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Jurong Innovation District will create some 1,200 new jobs in industries such as advanced manufacturing, urban mobility and urban solutions over the next 18 months. With another 3,300 jobs that are “relocated” when factories move their operations into the area, the district will account for a total of 4,500 jobs in that time period. Urban and infrastructure consulting firm Surbana Jurong and manufacturing plant Shimano are among the companies that are moving into the Jurong Innovation District. Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng gave these details to the media on Wednesday morning (March 31), on the sidelines of a visit to Sodick Singapore Techno Centre located in the district. The first phase of the 600ha Jurong Innovation District is expected to be completed around 2022. When it is fully developed, the advanced manufacturing hub will create over 95,000 new jobs. During his visit, Dr Tan also launched a set of new industry guidelines for the safe set-up, operations and maintenance of additive manufacturing facilities. The guidelines are laid out in technical reference 87 on “Safety of Additive Manufacturing Facilities”. One area it covers is how su...

Singapore’s million-dollar HDB flats: Where are the 6 most expensive units ever sold located?

aseanpr 31 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - In spite of the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 82 Housing Board flats were sold for at least $1 million last year, compared with 64 in 2019. The first two months of this year saw 36 such transactions, compared with just eight in the same period last year. HDB flats that crossed the $1 million mark have been a fairly recent phenomenon. The first such sale was recorded in July 2012 for a 150 sq m executive apartment in Block 149 Mei Ling Street in Queenstown. Three months later, in October 2012, a 163 sq m executive maisonette in Block 194 Bishan Street 13 was sold for $1.01 million. The appetite for such flats has grown over the years. Up till last month, there have been 338 such transactions, according to data provided by real estate portal SRX. The most expensive unit so far is a five-room flat in Block 1B at The Pinnacle @ Duxton that sold for $1.258 million in September last year. Analysts, however, were quick to point out that million-dollar HDB transactions were few and far between. They made up just 0.3 per cent of total resale transactions in the first eight months of last year. Here's a look at the six most expensive flats sold in Singapore: Why are people willin...

Singapore aims to contribute $27.7m to help low-income countries hit by Covid-19

aseanpr 31 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore aims to contribute US$20.57 million (S$27.69 million) towards international efforts to help low-income countries deal with the economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. This will be done through the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - subject to Parliament's approval on April 5 - the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Wednesday (March 31). Singapore is looking to support three initiatives. These are the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, the Covid-19 Crisis Capacity Development Initiative and the Trust for Special Poverty Reduction and Growth Operations for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries. MAS said: "Singapore has a strong interest in supporting the global economic recovery from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Alongside other member countries' contributions, Singapore's grant contributions in response to the IMF's request also demonstrates our support for collective global action to help the most vulnerable countries." The Republic's contributions to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust and the Covid-19 Crisis Capacity Development Initiative will stand at US$17.6 million and US$2 million respectively, and will come from MA...

Man who sent sexually explicit videos to young female subordinate fined $5,500

aseanpr 30 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The general manager of an eyecare product firm sent two sexually explicit videos to a female subordinate who was 40 years younger than him. The Singaporean divorcee was 65 years old at the time, while the woman was just 25, younger than his two adult children. The man, now 68, was fined $5,500 on Tuesday (March 30) after he admitted to two counts of transmitting an obscene video via electronic means. He cannot be named owing to a gag order to protect the identity of the woman who is no longer working with him. In sentencing him, District Judge Jill Tan noted the man is much older than the victim and he was also her boss at the time of the offences. On Tuesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw told the court that the victim sent the man a WhatsApp message at around 10.30am on June 7, 2018, stating that she would not be going to work that day. The man did not acknowledge her message but sent her a video of two people having sex about an hour later. The DPP said: "The victim felt uncomfortable about receiving the video and did not reply to the accused." The court heard that the man sent his subordinate another sexually explicit video three days later "without any prompt...

First public buses with solar panels hit the road in 6-month trial by Go-Ahead Singapore

aseanpr 30 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The first public buses in Singapore fitted with solar panels started plying the roads on Tuesday (March 30) in a six-month proof-of-concept trial by bus operator Go-Ahead Singapore. Solar panels that are 1.6mm-thick, flexible and shatterproof, have been installed on the roof of two Man A22 Euro 6 diesel-powered buses. The two buses will be used on service 15, which starts and ends at Pasir Ris Bus Interchange, in a trial that will run until September. Weighing less than 20kg, the panels can generate a total of 1,000 watts of energy. They will be used to charge the battery on the buses, which would otherwise have to rely on the vehicle's alternator. This will in turn reduce the load on the bus engine. The bus battery is typically used for ignition and to provide power to the bus when the engine is turned off. The panels are expected to help Go-Ahead Singapore save 1,400 litres of diesel per bus per year. This is about 3 to 4 per cent of the fuel that is typically consumed by the Man A22 buses and translates to a reduction of 3.7 tonnes of carbon emissions per bus per year. These figures are based on data from a similar trial that Go-Ahead has been conducting since 2019 i...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 30

aseanpr 30 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, March 30. Traffic in Suez Canal resumes after stranded ship refloated Tugboats hauled the giant vessel away from the side of the waterway, where it had been lodged since March 23. READ MORE HERE Suez Canal jam may further strain Singapore manufacturers amid shipping container shortage Manufacturers are already facing higher shipping container costs amid disruptions due to the pandemic. READ MORE HERE NTU team develops new Covid-19 rapid test kit that can detect variants It produces results within 30 minutes and can be used directly on patient samples. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Covid-19 shows importance of resilience in healthcare system: DPM Heng at SGH 200th anniversary celebrations "We must learn from Covid-19 to better prepare for Disease X," he said. READ MORE HERE New S'pore-North America subsea cable system to be completed in 2024 It will help boost digital connectivity and offer network diversity between the regions. READ MORE HERE Former oil tycoon and Hin Leong founder Lim Oon Kuin facing 23 more forgery-related charges The new charges are ...

Having pulled through mental health struggles, young people team up to spread stories of hope

aseanpr 30 3 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - Having struggled with mental health issues themselves, six young people have teamed up to create a community resource that they hope will support youth in need. Mentored by Minister of State for Education and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, they are gathering stories and quotes from various segments of the youth population, such as those in universities, polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education as well as young working adults. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

RSAF starts taking delivery of improved H225M helicopter to replace Super Pumas

aseanpr 29 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has started taking delivery of the improved H225M medium-lift helicopters in Singapore, meant to progressively replace the Super Puma workhorses that have been in service since 1983. In a Facebook post on Monday (March 29), the RSAF said it will be conducting flight tests and training on the H225M helicopters, which are manufactured by European planemaker Airbus. "When operationalised, the H225M helicopters will take over the roles of the Super Pumas," the RSAF added. A Mindef spokesman told The Straits Times earlier this month in response to queries that the RSAF will start taking delivery of three helicopters in the coming months. The H225M has about 20 per cent longer range capability than the AS332M Super Pumas, and will complement the CH-47 helicopters to meet the Singapore Armed Forces' lift requirements for a wide spectrum of operations, said the RSAF. This includes aeromedical evacuations, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and maritime security operations. In a statement on Monday, Airbus Helicopters chief executive Bruno Even said the delivery was "exceptionally significant", as Airbus and ...

Jail, caning for man who raped unconscious woman at chalet after friends egged him on

aseanpr 29 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A night club manager, who raped an unconscious woman at a chalet after being egged on by his friends, was sentenced to 12 years and three months' jail and 10 strokes of the cane on Monday (March 29). Yap Chun Chieh, 41, had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of rape and one charge of outrage of modesty. He was among a group of men who had taken the victim, then 24 years old, to a chalet at D'Resort @ Downtown East on the morning of Sept 17, 2018. The victim, who was severely intoxicated, was raped by Yap and sexually assaulted by Tay Boon Huat, 29, while Gan Soon Chai, 35, furtively filmed the attack on his phone. Tay had earlier been sentenced to 10 years and three months' jail and five strokes of the cane, while Gan was sentenced to 15 months' jail and a fine of $20,800. In sentencing Yap on Monday, Justice See Kee Oon noted that his offence was "opportunistic". Yap was emboldened by the knowledge that the victim was so intoxicated that she was in no position to resist his advances, the judge added. He rejected as a mitigating factor that Yap was easily influenced by his peers. The defence had argued that Yap had a mild neurocognitive disorder due to a bout of menin...

Six F&B outlets ordered shut for breaches of Covid-19 measures, three fined

aseanpr 29 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Six food and beverage (F&B) outlets were ordered to close and three were fined for breaching safe management measures, said the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) on Monday (March 29). Club Mao by Barcode in Oriental Plaza was ordered to close for the second time, after it failed to minimise physical interactions by allowing staff to host groups of customers at different tables on March 19. The Thai restaurant will remain closed for 30 days from March 20 to April 18. Three customers were also fined after they allegedly intermingled with diners from another group and did not maintain 1m distance from one another. Further investigations of the safe management measures said to be breached at the restaurant are ongoing, said MSE. Club Bubbery, also located in Oriental Plaza, was told to shut its doors for 10 days between March 20 and 29. The club, which was operating as a karaoke outlet, also failed to minimise physical interactions between staff and customers by allowing staff to host groups of customers across different tables. Four other outlets were also ordered to close for 10 days from March 21 to 30, after they allowed customers to consume alcohol a...

Man was on remission order when he allegedly dragged cop along with moving car

aseanpr 29 3 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man who allegedly drove off during a traffic police check and dragged an officer along the Central Expressway (CTE) last Saturday (March 27) was on remission order after his early release from prison last year. Singaporean Heng Yong Qin, now 31, was charged on Monday with causing grievous hurt to the officer by committing a rash act. Police said in a statement on Saturday evening that the policeman suffered multiple injuries and his condition was stable. They did not disclose details of his injuries. Heng had been released from prison last July after serving his sentence for offences that were not stated in court documents. The remission order involving his early release required him to stay out of trouble from July 11 last year to May 9 this year and to observe a daily curfew. Despite this, Heng is accused of breaching the curfew by failing to remain indoors in an Ang Mo Kio flat between Sept 27 and Oct 22 last year. Last Saturday, he was said to be driving a car along the CTE towards the Ayer Rajah Expressway at around 7.30am when the 36-year-old traffic police officer stopped him for suspected traffic violations. In their statement, the police said that Heng sudden...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on March 29

aseanpr 29 3 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Monday, March 29. Private doctors question 'highly exclusive' IP insurer panels which exclude many specialists They say private specialists account for only 21 per cent of all doctors on the panels of many IP insurers. READ MORE HERE Signalling fault disrupts morning commute on North South Line Commuters were told to add 45 minutes of travelling time between Raffles Place and Bishan stations. READ MORE HERE Million-dollar HDB flats: Who's buying them? Such million-dollar sales make up just 0.3% of total resale transactions in the first eight months of 2020. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Covid-19 mRNA vaccines best at protecting against variant strains Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were found to work well against the British and Brazilian strains. READ MORE HERE ‘We’ve always lived here, yet we don’t belong,’ say Thailand's sea gypsies This is the fourth instalment of the nine-part Invisible Asia series. READ MORE HERE Two dead, 19 wounded in suspected suicide blast outside Indonesian church One of the bombers was linked to local terrorist group Jemaah Ansharut Dau...

NEL train service disruption: 5 other power-related faults over the years

aseanpr 28 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Train service between Punggol and Serangoon stations on the North East Line (NEL) came to a halt for about three hours on Sunday (March 28) morning due to a fault in the overhead catenary system. The system supplies power to the trains and is installed on the ceiling of train tunnels. Here is a list of other power-related faults that affected the NEL over the years. 1. Feb 27, 2020 A six-hour-long disruption affected peak hour traffic along three stations on the NEL - Punggol, Sengkang and Buangkok. Initial investigations showed the delay was due to a broken contact wire that affected power supply to trains launching from the Sengkang depot, said SBS Transit in a statement then. 2. Oct 26, 2015 The two-hour disruption affecting the entire line happened after a new train undergoing testing damaged the overhead catenary system. It was returning to the depot from the mainline. Investigations revealed that the train was being manually driven when the driver saw sparks from above the train and stopped the train immediately. The train stopped at a stretch where the mainline and depot catenary system wires overlap, resulting in arcing between the two wire sections. Arcing occu...

15km nature trail across East Coast Park to open in 10 years, from Gardens by the Bay East to Changi

aseanpr 28 3 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Nature lovers in Singapore, as well as anyone who enjoys a good hike, can look forward to having a 15km nature trail running the entire length of East Coast Park in about 10 years. It will extend from Gardens by the Bay East towards Changi. The planned trail will bring residents and visitors closer to nature as they walk its length, which will link up therapeutic gardens, nature playgardens, and forest patches in the park, the National Parks Board announced on Sunday (March 28). It will also connect areas of the park that have been redeveloped in the last few years, including the recently revamped Big Splash site, as well as the former Goldkist Chalets, which was redeveloped into a new bicycle park in 2019. "What we intend to do is to, over time, in areas where it is possible, create new trails for people to be closer to nature," said Mr Tan Jun Chao, director of parks for NParks, at a virtual media briefing on Sunday. He noted that East Coast Park - Singapore's largest and most popular park with 7.5 million visits annually - is still considered an urban park compared with other nature parks and nature reserves in Singapore. "It will not be the same as what we have at o...

New dialysis centre at Toa Payoh West CC; NKF steps up community outreach

aseanpr 28 3 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Residents in Toa Payoh West requiring kidney dialysis will now be able to conveniently go for treatment closer to their homes. The new Seck Hong Choon-National Kidney Foundation (NKF) dialysis centre, located on the third storey of Toa Payoh West Community Club (CC), was officially opened by Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport Chee Hong Tat on Sunday (March 28). It is the first NKF dialysis centre to be located in a community club and is a collaboration between NKF, Toa Payoh West CC and Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, which donated $1.4 million to the project to cover renovation and equipment costs. There are now 39 NKF dialysis centres islandwide, mostly located at Housing Board (HDB) void decks. NKF chairman Arthur Lang said the new centre at Toa Payoh West, with 20 dialysis stations, can serve up to 120 patients. Mr Lang said: "With our ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, it is important that Singaporeans continue to have access to affordable and sustainable healthcare in the community." Mr Azman Hamzah, 60, an NKF haemodialysis patient at the new Toa Payoh West dialysis centre, said that the location is ver...

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