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An artist's impression of the three-door double-deck bus. (Image: Land Transport Authority) SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded the tender to acquire 100 three-door double-deck buses to two tenderers, it announced in a news release on Thursday (Apr 25). “The buses will arrive in Singapore in batches and be deployed on the road starting from next year,” LTA said. Alexander Dennis (Singapore) Services Pte Ltd and ST Engineering Land Systems Ltd were awarded contracts for fifty Euro 6 diesel buses each, for a sum of about S$34 million and S$30 million respectively. LTA said both companies are existing bus suppliers, accounting for about 4 per cent and 23 per cent of Singapore’s bus fleet, respectively. They were chosen after all bids were evaluated according to a criteria that included price, tenderer’s experience, track record, technical capabilities and compliance with local regulations. The authority called a tender to procure the three-door double-deck buses in May last year after a trial under Tower Transit yielded “encouraging results”. The trial ran from March to September 2017 on service 143. SMRT Buses also operated a three-door single-deck bus on services 190 and 901 from June 2017 to January 2018. “Commuters generally welcomed the additional door on these buses as it made boarding and alighting smoother and quicker,” said LTA.

File photo of traffic at a land checkpoint. (Photo: TODAY) KUALA LUMPUR: A road transport law that requires all foreign vehicle owners coming into Malaysia to register for a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) will be enforced from October. In a statement on Thursday (Apr 25), the Malaysian Ministry of Transport said that the VEP will be issued by the Road Transport Department and can be applied for online in a "simple three-step action". "Only VEP-registered vehicles are allowed entry into Malaysia once it is put into force," it said. The ministry added that the enforcement of VEP will be implemented in phases. "For phase one, requirement of VEP for all foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia through Bangunan Sultan Iskandar and Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, Johor, will commence from Oct 1 this year," the ministry said. "For the enforcement of VEP phase 1, the VEP-RFID tag can be installed or collected at four designated centres in Johor Bahru, which are Gelang Patah Southbound RR; Plaza Angsana Open Carpark; Pandan RnR and Lima Kedai Toll Plaza." Phase two will involve entry points and land borders between Malaysia and Thailand, while phase three will expand the enforcement of VEP to all entry points and land borders between Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. The enforcement dates for phases two and three will be announced "in due course", the ministry said. All vehicle owners who have yet to register for a permit are being reminded to do so. A VEP for each registered motor vehicle will be valid for five years. VEP AT MALAYSIA-BRUNEI BORDER Road Transport Department director-general Shaharuddin Khalid revealed plans by the department to impose the VEP requirement at four Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complexes along the Malaysia-Brunei border. A proposal paper for the plan will be submitted to Transport Minister Anthony Loke later this year, with the main objective of easing the monitoring of foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia. "We hope the VEP requirement can be implemented at the locations early next year," he said at a press conference. Drivers applying for the VEP will face a one-off registration fee of RM10 to have their permit processed.

spoiler ar? lol...

wrong header my fr..... lol....

ima loving this idea.....

this one really asking for it sia....

oic.... i listen to calm my messed up mind back then......

i got hp i happy liao..... wahhahaha!!!!

this really brings back memories....... i used to dl chopin tchaikovsky and vivaldi to listen in the middle of the nite....... WHY BO 4 SEASONS DE~~~!!!??

99 is call 'the call waiting' music...........

The Samsung Galaxy Fold was supposed to be released on 26 April Samsung has postponed the release of its folding smartphone, days after several early reviewers said the screens on their devices had broken. The company said it had delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold to "fully evaluate the feedback and run further internal tests". In April, several early reviewers found the display on the Galaxy Fold broke after just a few days. Samsung has not said when the £1,800 device will go on sale. A new launch date will be announced in the "coming weeks". In a statement, Samsung said it suspected the damage experienced by some of the reviewers was caused by "impact on the top and bottom exposed areas of the hinge". It also said it found "substances" inside one of the review devices that may have affected its performance. Launch events due to take place in Hong Kong and Shanghai this week have also been postponed. The Galaxy Fold was due to be released in the United States on 26 April, and in the UK on 3 May. The South Korean tech giant has said it is investigating what went wrong with the broken review units. In some cases, reviewers had peeled off a layer of the screen's coating, mistaking it for a disposable screen protector. "We will also enhance the guidance on care and use of the display including the protective layer," Samsung said in a statement. Chinese rivals Huawei and Xiaomi are also developing foldable smartphones, but neither company has announced a release date yet.

u wan him here?

ORHLUA~~~

the rice like no bad sia.....

deh.... they are known for spitting at ppl.... whahahah....

they nv spit at u ar? lol!!

maybe auto pilot.... lol....

wrong header.... lol!!!

woah... free flow for the win sia.....

the fries looks good..............

Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination in northern Thailand A Canadian tourist has fallen more than 100m (330ft) to his death after his zipline cable snapped in northern Thailand, authorities say. Authorities in Chiang Mai say the 25-year-old man was on holiday with his girlfriend and a group of friends. The cable gave way soon after he was released from the start of the zipline course on Saturday, local media report. The attraction, Flight of the Gibbon, has now reportedly been shut while police investigate. Thai authorities are investigating several issues, including whether the weight limit was exceeded and any potential negligence on the part of the operators. A spokesperson for Canada's Department for Global Affairs told BBC News: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends of the Canadian citizen who died in Thailand. Consular services are provided to the family and loved ones of the Canadian." Flight of the Gibbon's zipline course in Mae Kampong village, Chiang Mai, is about 5km long with 33 different platforms, making it one of the longest in Asia. It was temporarily shut in 2016 after three Israeli tourists collided with each other and fell to the ground, suffering non-fatal injuries.

Tepco officials showed images of remote-controlled equipment lifting the fuel rods The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant has begun removing nuclear fuel from a building housing one of the reactors that melted down after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Remotely controlled equipment is lifting fuel rods from a storage pool near reactor number three. The delicate work at the contaminated site is expected to take two years. The next phase of the huge clean-up at reactor three will be to remove molten nuclear fuel that remains deep inside. A spokeswoman for the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said the operation to remove the fuel had been delayed by earthquake debris inside the building as well as other technical issues. Reactor buildings at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant were damaged by hydrogen explosions caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Three reactors melted down. In the latest operation, more than 500 radioactive cylinders in the storage pool have to be placed in container casks which are then lifted from the compartment and transported by lorry to another pool of water for storage. Radioactive gases could be released if the cylinders break or are exposed to air. "We had to proceed carefully and we needed to take measures as dust would waft up and increase radiation readings," spokeswoman Yuka Matsubara told AFP news agency. The removal of molten nuclear fuel from inside the reactor number three building is not expected to begin until 2021 and is considered to be the most difficult part of the clean-up. Tepco says it plans to start removing fuel from the buildings housing reactors one and two, which also melted down, in 2023. In 2014 engineers removed fuel rods from near reactor four, which was offline at the time of the tsunami and, although damaged, did not suffer a meltdown. Fuel will be lifted from the crippled reactor and taken away for storage elsewhere The latest stage of the massive clean-up comes weeks after an evacuation order for one of two towns near the plant was lifted, allowing residents back for the first time since the disaster. About 50 people were allowed to return to areas of Okuma, west of the Daiichi plant, after radiation levels were deemed safe. However, correspondents say radiation remains a major concern for residents and the vast majority of the town's original inhabitants are unlikely to go back. Fuel from the storage pool at reactor four at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant was removed in 2014 The disaster at the nuclear power plant, about 62km (39 miles) south-east of the city of Fukushima, forced more than 470,000 people to be evacuated. Though no-one died as a direct result of the nuclear meltdown, Tepco has paid out compensation to some of those affected. More than 40 patients had to be evacuated from a hospital in the area and later died, while other deaths have been linked to the trauma suffered by those who lost their homes and loved ones. In 2017, three former Tepco executives went on trial charged with professional negligence linked to the hospital evacuation. Nearly 18,500 people were killed or went missing after the 2011 earthquake triggered a massive tsunami.

Jet Airways pilots have not been paid for months The troubled Indian airline Jet Airways has failed to secure emergency funding from its lenders. The company, which last week suspended all international flights, has extended the cancellation period until Thursday. It was India's second-largest airline by market share, until recently. But dozens of its planes have been seized by creditors, leaving the firm with only seven operational aircraft. Chief executive Vinay Dube said Jet's board would meet on Tuesday. Thousands of passengers have been stranded due to the firm's lack of funds. Jet now has debts of more than $1.2bn (£900m). In a letter to staff, Mr Dube said that interim funding had "not been forthcoming thus far". He added: "We will keep you updated on all critical developments." The airline was flying 600 domestic and 380 international routes. Pilots, engineers, and ground staff, who have not been paid since December, have said they will strike if the banks do not inject emergency funds. They had planned to strike from Monday, but postponed the action until after the bankers' meeting. Jet Airways owes money to employees and suppliers and in recent weeks it has grounded aircraft and cancelled thousands of flights as its financial strains worsened. Last month, in an unusual move, the government stepped in and asked public sector banks to rescue the private carrier. India is in the midst of a national election, and the government did not want the airline to be grounded as that would have affected 23,000 jobs. A consortium of investors led by the State Bank of India (SBI) took control of the airline in March. The airline was founded by Naresh Goyal more than 25 years ago and he and his family currently own 52%, although that majority stake is expected to be lost as lenders' restructure the debt. Jet is 24% owned by Etihad Airways, which has expressed an interest in taking more control. Mr Goyal, who stepped down as chairman last month, is also thought to have lodged a bid, as have several private equity groups. Analysis: Sameer Hashmi, India business correspondent The outcome of the marathon meeting, which lasted more than six hours - is a huge setback for Jet Airways. The management was confident of securing interim funding that would keep the airline afloat. According to analysts, the airline needs around $3m every day to sustain its operations. Currently, the airline is operating only six aircraft and is flying on very few routes within India. Given the outcome of this meeting, many fear that the airline might not be able to continue for long and may be forced to shut down over the next couple of days. The only ray of hope for Jet Airways is if the lenders can find an investor who will inject money into the company, which will help revive the airline. According to media reports, the lenders have received initial bids from multiple entities including Etihad Airways, which is a minority shareholder in Jet Airways. But the process of finding a strategic investor is expected to take a few weeks. And many worry that without any interim funding it might become very difficult for any potential investor to resurrect the flagging carrier.

The Yangtze giant softshell turtles thrive in muddy water and can weigh up to 90 kg (200 pounds) One of the world's rarest turtles, a Yangtze giant softshell, has died in China, leaving just three known survivors of the species. The female turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) died in Suzhou zoo in southern China. Experts had tried to artificially inseminate the creature, which was over 90 years old, for a fifth time shortly before she died. The species has suffered from hunting, overfishing and the destruction of its habitat. Several attempts at artificial insemination had taken place in the hope of continuing the species, but they all failed One male, estimated to be more than 100 years old, is left in the Chinese zoo while two other turtles live in the wild in Vietnam. The elusive nature of the turtle means it has been difficult to identify the gender of the pair. Local staff and international experts had attempted to artificially inseminate the female 24 hours before she died on Saturday afternoon. They said there were no complications from the operation and she had been in fine health after the procedure, but deteriorated the next day. The cause of her death is being investigated and the turtle's ovarian tissue was collected for future research. The male Yangtze giant softshell is now the only one of its species left in captivity

Jack Ma is stepping down as Alibaba's executive chairman The Chinese billionaire and co-founder of the online shopping giant Alibaba has continued to argue for a 9am to 9pm working day, and a six-day week. Jack Ma's backing for the so-called "996 system" is being hotly debated in the Chinese media. Last week, Mr Ma wrote that without the system, China's economy was "very likely to lose vitality and impetus". His stance was backed by fellow tech entrepreneur Richard Liu, the boss of ecommerce giant JD.com. On Friday, Mr Ma called the opportunity to work 996 hours a "blessing". Mr Liu said years of rapid economic growth in China had boosted the number of "slackers". The country has enjoyed economic growth averaging 10% for more than 25 years - from the late 1970s to the mid 2000s - but in subsequent years that has slowed to nearer 6%. The entrepreneurs' comments come amid reports this week that JD.com is cutting jobs. Mr Liu, who started the company that would become JD.com in 1998, recently wrote about his attitude to work, saying he used to set his alarm to wake him up every two hours to make sure he could offer his customers a full, 24-hour, service. He wrote: "JD in the last four, five years has not made any eliminations, so the number of staff has expanded rapidly, the number of people giving orders has grown and grown, while the those who are working have fallen. "Instead, the number of slackers has rapidly grown! If this carries on, JD will have no hope! And the company will only be heartlessly kicked out of the market! Slackers are not my brothers!" Mr Ma co-founded Alibaba, sometimes called China's eBay, in 1999 and has seen it become one of the world's biggest internet companies. The company's market value is now approximately $490bn (£374bn), and Mr Ma's personal wealth is estimated at around $40bn. Last year, he announced that he would step down as executive chairman in the near future.