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Couple plans to leave money to charity after their death in new campaign to promote legacy giving

SINGAPORE - It was their son's degenerative eye disease that set ophthalmologist Dr Audrey Looi and her neurosurgeon husband Dr Ang Beng Ti on the path of philanthropy. The couple was devastated around a decade ago to find out that James, now 19, suffers from Stargardt's disease, which causes progressive vision loss, when he was in primary school. To make matters worse, there was a serious lack of programmes then to support children with low vision in their educational and other needs, Dr Ang, 51, said. In 2011, the couple set up the charity iC2 PrepHouse, which teaches children with low vision the skills to cope with daily life and supports them to remain in mainstream schools. They now plan to leave $200,000 or more in their will to set up an endowment fund to support the iC2 PrepHouse's work and to fund scholarships for needy undergraduates of the Singapore Management University (SMU). James is now a business undergraduate at the SMU. The Angs have two other children, aged 13 and 21. Dr Looi, 50, said: "So instead of giving it (our wealth) all to our children, we have started thinking about putting aside a part of it for charity. I think we have to be a little less self-focused ...

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New scheme to help retiring hawkers pass on stall and skills to safeguard hawker culture

SINGAPORE - Non-subsidised hawker stallholders who wish to retire will now be able to pass on their stalls to non-relatives, in a new hawker succession scheme proposed by a workgroup set up to safeguard hawker culture in Singapore. It is the first such scheme directly aimed at pairing new entrants with older ones for "succession", the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Tuesday (Nov 24), directly tackling a problem that the industry has long been facing. The national median age for hawkers is currently 59 years old, with old hawkers finding it hard to attract new entrants due to, among other reasons, strict rules that previously mandated some of them could only pass on their stalls to relatives and family members. Under the new scheme to be piloted in the first quarter of next year, the NEA, with the advice of an independent panel, will match these retiring hawkers with new entrants so that their recipes and culinary skills can be passed on, while allowing them to mentor new hawkers on how to best manage their stalls. The plan for now is for the succession scheme to help those who have at least 15 years of experience operating their hawker businesses in hawker centres. There ...

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ICA officer accused of receiving sexual services, cash as bribes; 3 others also charged with corruption

SINGAPORE - An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) officer allegedly received bribes and sexual services from two foreign women, in exchange for helping them remain in Singapore legally. Teo Hwee Peng, 47, and the women - Chinese nationals Liang Qinglan, 37, and Cheng Wenjuan, 32 - were charged in court on Tuesday (Nov 24) for corruption. Teo, a checkpoints inspector, faces 12 charges, while Liang and Cheng face nine and 18 charges respectively. Cheng is also linked to a similar matter involving another Singaporean, 42-year-old Kelvin Lim Chee Wee. He is facing 14 charges for corruptly receiving bribes and sexual services from Cheng. Court documents state that Liang and Cheng allegedly provided the sexual services and bribes to Teo, in return for the officer’s help in getting Special Passes issued to them. A Special Pass, which legalises a foreigner's stay in Singapore, is issued for specific purposes such as assistance in investigations, court attendance and for stateless persons residing here. Those holding Special Passes are not allowed to work without a valid work pass. Between 2018 and last year, Liang purportedly provided Teo sexual services, at least $2,...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 24

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Nov 24. No Covid-19 cases in community and dorms for 13 days in S'pore, but complacency must not set in: Experts Experts cautioned that local, undetected cases may still be lurking. READ MORE HERE Biden to get his delayed presidential transition aid: Trump This is Trump's closest statement yet to finally conceding he lost the US election. READ MORE HERE Long-time Joe Biden adviser Antony Blinken set to be US secretary of state Biden's choices signal a return to professionalism and experience, analysts said. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Singapore consumers express concern over 'complicated' tourism voucher redemption process The SingapoRediscovers Vouchers can be redeemed online through five authorised booking partners. READ MORE HERE $100 tourism vouchers: More choices with multiple redemption platforms, say observers A single platform to redeem the vouchers would be ideal, but having options has its draws too, they say. READ MORE HERE Woman sues PUB for $5 million after falling into manhole, says accident caused schizophrenia Madam Chan Hui Peng, a ch...

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Third vaccine emerges as contender

A vaccine developed by Oxford University and biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has been found to be up to 90 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19, according to preliminary results. It joins two other vaccine front runners.

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Piano teacher with autism who molested student given 3 years’ probation, banned from accessing porn

SINGAPORE - A piano teacher with autism who molested his five-year-old student was sentenced to three years' probation on Monday (Nov 23). In sentencing, the High Court judge said he had considered the fact that the man, now 22, would suffer disproportionately in prison because of his autism spectrum disorder, among other factors such as his suitability for probation, and the progress he has made to reform. However, Justice Pang Khang Chau further noted that this does not mean that all offenders with autism spectrum disorder should not be jailed, or that the prison service is incapable of taking care of persons with the disorder. Justice Pang said he was simply recognising the "undeniable fact" that a jail term, as the prosecution had originally sought, would have a different impact on the man as compared to other persons of his age. Despite having no causal link to the offence, the man's autism spectrum disorder is not irrelevant to sentencing, and the court is entitled to take this into account, he added. He agreed with the defence's argument that rehabilitation should be the primary sentencing consideration in this case, as the man was a young offender who had committed the offe...

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Public more vigilant in reporting possible family violence as Govt steps up awareness efforts

SINGAPORE - More people are reporting possible incidents of family violence as the Government ramps up efforts to raise awareness and detection of the issue, including training pharmacy staff to detect signs of abuse in customers. The Ministry of Social and Family Development's Adult and Child Protective services saw a 25 per cent increase in the monthly average number of enquiries post-circuit breaker, in the months of June to September, compared to April and May. Explaining the reason for the increase, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Social and Family Development as well as Education, on Monday (Nov 23) said that the public is more vigilant. But she noted that the number of incidents investigated remains at a monthly average of 118 from January to September this year. Speaking at the National Family Violence Networking System Conference held online, Ms Sun also announced that MSF is partnering Unity pharmacies to detect signs and symptoms of family violence. It will train 46 staff of the NTUC FairPrice-owned chain, which has more than 60 stores around Singapore. On Tuesday, Unity pharmacists will be trained to better identify possible victims of family violence. "This can h...

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Joint decision to defer S’pore-HK air travel bubble was based on clear parameters: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE - The joint decision by Singapore and Hong Kong to defer the air travel bubble was based on "clear parameters" that had been set out in the agreement between the two cities, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Nov 23). The travel bubble had been slated to start on Sunday, but its delay was announced a day earlier in light of a recent spike of coronavirus cases in Hong Kong. Addressing questions on the travel bubble during a press conference where Singapore's economic figures for the third quarter were released, Mr Chan said that the terms had been laid out during earlier discussions between Singapore and Hong Kong. Both sides made "a very fast agreement that when the conditions are changed, when the conditions have evolved, we will take the decisions accordingly", he added. Under the agreement, the travel bubble would be suspended with a two-day notice if the seven-day moving average for unlinked cases in either city exceeds five. Mr Chan said both cities' authorities present the other with daily updates on their Covid-19 numbers. A joint decision is made when the threshold is breached, he said, adding: "As and when there are new information availab...

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Activist Jolovan Wham facing 2 more charges under the Public Order Act

SINGAPORE - Civil rights activist Jolovan Wham Kwok Han was charged in a district court on Monday (Nov 23) with two offences under the Public Order Act. The 40-year-old Singaporean, who is the former executive director of migrant worker advocacy group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), had allegedly taken part in an assembly at the steps to the main entrance of the former State Courts building in Havelock Square at around 9am in Dec 13, 2018. He is said to have demonstrated support for the action of the editor of sociopolitical website The Online Citizen (TOC) Xu Yuanchen, better known as Terry Xu, 38, and its contributor Daniel De Costa Augustin, 37, by holding up a piece of paper with the words - "Drop the charges against Terry Xu and Daniel De Costa". According to court documents, Wham had a photograph taken of himself demonstrating at around the same time the pair were to be charged in court that day. Xu and De Costa were both charged on Dec 13, 2018 with criminal defamation for allegedly defaming members of the Singapore Cabinet in a letter published on the TOC website. Their cases are still pending. In the other charge, Wham is accused of taking part in...

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S’poreans can redeem $100 SingapoRediscovers Vouchers from Dec 1 via booking platforms, counters

SINGAPORE - Singaporeans aged 18 and above will be able to redeem their $100 SingapoRediscovers Vouchers and check their balance online starting Dec 1. Physical counters will be set up across the island to help those in need of assistance. From Dec 1 to June next year, eligible users can browse and book staycations, attraction tickets and local tours through five online booking platforms: Changi Recommends, GlobalTix, Traveloka, Trip.com and Klook, in partnership with UOB Travel Planners. The vouchers can be spent on approved hotels, attractions and tours, but cannot be redeemed for retail shop purchases or food and beverage. Vouchers can only be redeemed for cruises as part of a bundled package. A bicycle tour of the Pulau Ubin rainforest and Chek Jawa Wetlands and hotel stays bundled with attraction tickets are among the products that will be available for booking, STB said. Eligible products will be marked with the SingapoRediscovers Vouchers icon, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Monday (Nov 23) in providing details on the redemption process. After selecting a product, users will have the option of using the vouchers - which come in denominations of $10 - at the checko...

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Local brain bank receives first donations of brains for research

SINGAPORE - The one-year-old Brain Bank Singapore (BBS) welcomed its first two "deposits" this year, with the first of two brains donated on Sept 10. Retrieving the brain is no mean feat. The body's powerhouse, which weighs 1.2kg on average, has to be carefully - and very respectfully - removed from the back or the top of the head of the dead person. This needs to be done within 24 to 48 hours to preserve the quality of the brain tissues, and the process takes around an hour. The person's skull is replaced before the scalp is stitched up. This allows for an open casket funeral to be conducted. Having a brain bank in Singapore is critical, Dr Joan Sim, manager at Brain Bank Singapore told The Straits Times. "The genetic background of brain tissues supplied by European and American tissue collections is not the same as the Asian genetics, and this will impact the research discoveries and also potentially the new drugs that are developed," Dr Sim said. "Having our own local brain bank will allow us to study our own patient cohorts to help understand how the Asian genetic background and the environment interacts to determine the characteristics of brain diseases amongst Singaporeans." ...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 22

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Nov 22. Passengers disappointed, frustrated over deferment of S'pore-HK air travel bubble Some say it may be tough to secure a seat again when the bubble begins. READ MORE HERE G-20 summit: PM Lee calls for fair access to Covid-19 vaccine, stronger disease surveillance He said the group is well-placed to drive the global response required to tackle the crisis. READ MORE HERE Would you take virus test to go clubbing? Sunday Times poll finds out Most polled won’t patronise karaoke outlets and nightclubs in pilot if they have to take a test. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Mark Lee misses out on Best Leading Actor trophy but local film Number 1 still wins at Golden Horse Local musical comedy Number 1 won the award for Best Makeup and Costume Design. READ MORE HERE Cabbies, private-hire drivers find the going tough even with easing of Covid-19 restrictions Demand for rides weak with little nightlife, many working from home and no tourists. READ MORE HERE Staying in, burning out: Covid-19 casts spotlight on mental health at work The blurring of lines between th...

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Cabbie hit by plunge in income pushes for pay-as-you-use rental

SINGAPORE - Cabbie Peter Quek used to make 150 trips a week before the pandemic struck. That has fallen by a third to just more than 100 now. The 44-year-old's monthly take-home income is down by half, from $3,000 to $1,500. Thankfully, he qualified for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme launched in March, which disburses $1,000 per month for nine months. Explaining why his income has fallen by half even though the number of trips has not, the cabbie of 5 1/2 years, who drives 60 hours a week, said: "Pandemic or not, whatever I make in the first few hours of driving goes to covering operating costs. "It's only after about seven hours that I break even for the day, and then begin to earn my income, so the fall in income is disproportionate to the decrease in passengers." Mr Quek, who tracks his expenses and earnings using Excel spreadsheets, said his daily operating costs work out to about $180, after rental relief from the taxi operator and the Government. "This includes 'hidden costs' that others might not consider, like Medisave contributions and income tax deductions," said the single father of two daughters aged 14 and 16. His parents live with him. "Many drivers mig...

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S’pore cabbies, private-hire drivers find the going tough even with easing of Covid-19 restrictions

SINGAPORE - Five months after Singapore moved into phase two of reopening its economy in June, taxi and private-hire drivers continue to spend more time roaming the streets without passengers, with some earning just enough to cover costs. Demand for rides remains more lacklustre than last year due to the lack of tourists, shut entertainment venues like nightclubs, the ban on the sale of alcohol after 10.30pm, and many still working from home. There are also fewer instances of surge pricing for private-hire drivers, meaning they have to make more trips to match their pre-Covid-19 earnings. In response to queries from The Sunday Times, the Land Transport Authority said ridership in the first week of this month was at 75 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels. This figure is on the higher end of estimates by drivers and taxi companies, who said ridership is slightly above 66 per cent of pre-outbreak levels. Taxi driver Shaik Ismail, 39, said he used to make 13 to 14 trips daily in the past two years, when he drove from 7am to 3pm. Now, he struggles to get 10 trips despite driving an extra two hours, stretching his work day to 5pm. He earns $120 a day now, down from $200 last year. Taxi queue...

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Travel bubble between HK and S’pore suspended

The launch of the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble will be deferred for two weeks, and the new launch date will be announced later, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said yesterday. The postponement came hours after the authorities in the two cities had said earlier in the day that the inaugural flights today would go ahead despite a spike in the number of Covid-19 infections in Hong Kong. In a Facebook post at around 5pm, Mr Ong said that he and Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau agreed that it would be better to defer the launch, given the evolving situation in Hong Kong. "We will review within two weeks on the new launch date and update again," he wrote. The Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble - the Republic's first since border restrictions were imposed amid the Covid-19 pandemic - was supposed to take off with one flight into each city with a maximum capacity of 200 passengers on every flight. "I can fully understand the disappointment and frustration of travellers who have planned their trips. But we think it is better to defer from a public health standpoint," Mr Ong said. "This is a sober reminder that the Covid-19 virus is still with u...

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Tours of SIA’s training centre take off; new economy class meals for short-haul flights launched

SINGAPORE - For Isabelle Chan, eight, and her six year-old sister, Natalya, the highlight of their Inside Singapore Airlines (SIA) tour was when they got to serve food and drinks to their mother while dressed in SIA's iconic sarong kebaya. The two girls were among 500 participants who secured a slot for the first tour session, which was held on Saturday (Nov 21). Their mother, Mrs Rowena Chan, said: "I thought it'd be good for them to have a chance to experience it behind the scenes. "I don't think this is normally open to the public, and since there was an opportunity, I decided to go ahead and book this experience for them," added the 44-year-old executive assistant. The girls donned the sarong kebaya and learnt customer service skills from SIA stewardesses as part of the junior cabin crew experience, one of the add-on options of the tour programme, which provides visitors with a look around SIA's training centre in Changi. A basic tour ticket to the centre, which is normally closed to the public, costs $30 for those aged 12 and above, and $15 for children three to 12 years old, excluding GST. The junior cabin crew experience costs $88, excluding GST, and includes the SIA sarong ...

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Engineers needed to solve Singapore’s future challenges

SINGAPORE - In the next 10 years, many new jobs will be created in the agri-food sector and engineers will be needed, including people with expertise in process control, automation and robotics. Speaking on Saturday (Nov 21) at the National Engineers Day celebration, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the future in sustainability and climate mitigation and adaptation requires engineering solutions. "From building flood protection structures, more efficient solar PV (photovoltaic) systems, charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, harnessing value from waste to high-yield agri-tech system, we look to engineering... for solutions to our current and future challenges," she added. The annual event for the young to discover engineering, held online this year, had kicked off on Nov 12. The winners of this year's Engineering Innovation Challenge were announced on Saturday. For the competition, 101 teams of students competed to find engineering solutions for real-world problems. Winning projects included a system to improve crop quality, yield, and rate of growth in an urban farming setup, as well as a bacteria-killing ultraviolet light tunnel for sushi conv...

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Activist Jolovan Wham will be charged on Monday

SINGAPORE - Civil rights activist Jolovan Wham, 40, will be charged in court on Monday (Nov 23) with two offences under the Public Order Act. Wham, who is the former executive director of migrant worker advocacy group Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), had staged a protest on the steps of the former State Courts building on Dec 13, 2018. That location is within a prohibited area delineated in the Public Order (Prohibited Areas) Order 2009. Wham had also allegedly staged a protest on March 28 this year in the vicinity of Toa Payoh Central Community Club and Toa Payoh Neighbourhood Police Centre. No permit was granted for the protest. If found guilty of either offence, he can be fined up to $5,000, the police said in a statement on Saturday. Organising or taking part in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is illegal and constitutes an offence under the Public Order Act, the police stressed. "The Speakers' Corner is the proper avenue for Singaporeans to express their views on issues that concern them, and to allow Singaporeans to conduct assemblies without the need for a permit, subject to certain conditions being met," the police statement sa...

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Air travel bubble will go on, Hong Kong visitors to take Covid-19 test on arrival in Singapore: CAAS

SINGAPORE - The first few flights under a travel arrangement between Hong Kong and Singapore will proceed as planned on Sunday (Nov 22) but travellers from Hong Kong will have to go for a Covid-19 test upon arriving in Singapore. The additional requirement, which will take effect on Sunday, comes after a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in Hong Kong in recent days. Visitors from Hong Kong were previously required to take the test only prior to departure for Singapore. Revealing the change on Saturday (Nov 21), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said visitors will need to take the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at Changi Airport as "a precautionary measure". "More cases are expected in Hong Kong over the next few days due to the emergence of new clusters," said the CAAS in a statement. Hong Kong reported 26 cases on Friday (Nov 20), with its Health Secretary, Professor Sophia Chan, describing the situation as "severe". "The Singapore and Hong Kong health authorities are in close contact and monitoring the situation," the CAAS added. Speaking to reporters after a tour of Singapore Airlines training centre in Changi on Saturday, Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung s...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 21

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Saturday, Nov 21. Apec leaders agree on need for free, fair environment for trade and investment to drive economic recovery They say more has to be done to foster an enabling environment for trade and investment in the region. READ MORE HERE Lee Suet Fern focused on what husband wanted done, did not consider Lee Kuan Yew's interests: Court Not having due regard for Mr Lee Kuan Yew's interests was a "grave failure" on her part, the court said. READ MORE HERE Hong Kong to tighten Covid-19 measures as travel bubble with Singapore hangs in the balance ST understands that the travel bubble could be scuppered, depending on Saturday's Covid-19 cases. READ MORE HERE The Great Reset: Can US and China revive relations? Asia is gearing up for the new US team led by Biden. ST bureaus take the pulse in Asian capitals as the Trump era retreats. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Lesson for Singapore from US election If this is American democracy there should be social distancing rules to keep it away from the rest of the world. READ MORE HERE Donald Trump Jr tests positive for cor...