The_King

One GrabFood driver received an order for food that was keyed to the wrong address, so instead of disposing the food, he decided to give it to a 76-year-old uncle. The deed was uploaded by Nur Mamat on the GrabFood Delivery Rider Singapore’s Facebook group on the wee hours of Saturday morning. He said that the customer who had ordered some food from McDonalds via the GrabFood app keyed in the wrong address and that the customer was about 15 kilometers away from his location. After calling Grab to seek clarification, he was told to dispose of the food. He then met an uncle in the Serangoon Central area who he claims is 76 years old and decided to give the food to the uncle instead. The uncle appeared to be touched by the deed, with him saying: “I don’t dare to buy this expensive food.” “Uncle was so happy… the words he said touches (sic) my heart deep inside,” he said. “Looking at him happily eating just make (sic) my day.” Netizens were quick to praise him for the deed, with Eric Cheong commented on the post with “Good man good heart” and Facebook user Gunner Tyler Euphoria chiming in, saying: “Faith in humanity restored”. Despite getting some criticism for posting his own good deed online, Facebook user Nor Isk backed him up: “Never mind la if you think the guy wants to ‘how lian’ (show off) or what, but bottom line is we should take this as a reminder that we shouldn’t take for granted our daily provisions.” “We should try to help whenever and wherever we can to those who need them, no matter how minimal/small we think our deed is.” https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/instead-disposing-wrong-order-grabfood-driver-donates-food-76-year-old-uncle/

IPOH, March 15 — While there are many versions of chicken rice out there, Singapore-based Liao Fan Hawker Chan’s chicken rice is the only one to ever be awarded a Michelin star. And now Chan Hon Meng, the Ipoh-born chef of that famous Hong Kong soy sauce chicken rice, has brought it to his hometown. “I know there are many chicken rice shops here, but I’m not here to compete. I want the people here to try my version of the dish which has won the award,” he told Malay Mail. Chan, who partnered with Hersing Culinary to set up the Liao Fan Hawker Chan, a casual dine-in restaurant, opened their first Malaysian outpost at Jalan Theater here on February 26. The first Malaysian outpost of the famous Liao Fan Hawker Chan is in Ipoh... the hometown of the chef! Chan received international acclaim in July 2016 when his chicken rice stall became the first of two street food stalls to receive the Michelin star award. “I did not know who or when the officials came to try my food. I only know about the award when I got the invitation from them,” he said. The 53-year-old chef, who is from humble beginnings, said that he went to Singapore in 1988 to look for a job after the hawker stall in Ipoh where he was working closed. “I worked in several hawker stalls and restaurants in Singapore. However, I learned to cook this dish from a Hong Kong chef at a restaurant. That is why the dish is called Hong Kong soy sauce chicken rice,” he said, Chan Hon Meng with his famous Hong Kong soy sauce chicken rice. He started his chicken rice business in 2009 at the Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre-based in Singapore; it became a hit among the locals fairly quickly. Nearly three years after receiving the award, Chan has expanded his business by opening branches in Taiwan, Philippines, Australia and Thailand. “What makes the chicken unique is that instead of dressing it with the soy sauce after cooking as how the normal chicken rice would be, we add the soy sauce in the marinade together with 10 varieties of herbs and braise it. “The chicken does not need any soy sauce dressing when it’s served. We also serve sauteed soy beans together with the dish, which adds more texture to it,” he said. And here are the famous braised chickens used in Liao Fan Hawker Chan’s chicken rice. “Also the reason why we serve the chicken with white rice is because we have a special sauce for it, so the rice does not require any seasoning when cooking,” he explained. Aside from his signature soy sauce chicken, Chan’s restaurant also serves char siu (barbecued pork) and siew yoke (roast pork) which is best eaten with rice or noodles. The self-service restaurant, which offers the cheapest Michelin-star meal in the world at the price of RM6.80, will have a grand opening here tomorrow. https://www.malaymail.com/news/eat-drink/2019/03/15/singapores-michelin-star-soy-sauce-chicken-rice-comes-to-ipoh/1733004

A high school junior appeared remorseful and apologetic after he jumped into a shark tank at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista, Calif., for what he says was a “dare” and a “bet.” The Montgomery High School student was captured on video jumping into a shark tank in exchange for cash and a designer belt. He told Fox 5, “I regret it, I didn’t think of the consequences that were going to happen, and I realize it was very dangerous now that I did it.” While administrators did not immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment, Sweetwater Union High School District officials told Fox 5 that the incident was “unfortunate and regrettable.” They also clarified that supervisors were present during the trip, but not at the exhibit where the student pulled a Henry Winkler and jumped the shark. The Living Coast Discovery Center said in a statement that “we are disappointed and saddened by this unfortunate incident but are thankful that no animals or guests were injured.” The teenager, who remains anonymous, told the outlet that he is looking forward to making it up to the center by performing a required 30 hours of community service. “An apology to the center that I shouldn’t have done that and I’m sorry for doing that and I hope to make it up some way,” he said. “I’m looking forward to helping them out after what I did. I want to apologize to all the chaperones there and all the teachers that were there, making them look bad. I regret it.” video: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/high-schooler-regrets-accepting-dare-jump-shark-tank-california-aquarium-205234626.html

Companies in China are increasingly having difficulty getting paid. The country's slowing economic growth, tighter credit conditions and rising bond defaults are putting pressure on corporate cash flows, according to a survey by French trade insurer Coface. Growth in the world's second-largest economy slowed to 6.6 percent in 2018, the worst showing since 1990. Efforts by authorities to rein in high debt levels by constricting credit were a factor behind record corporate bond defaults, while the trade war with the United States also weighed on businesses and consumer spending. "This context has led to pressure for Chinese companies, who have resorted to using longer payment terms to sustain business," Carlos Casanova, Coface's Hong Kong-based economist for Asia Pacific, said in his firm's China Payment Survey 2019, released Thursday. The longest payment terms were seen in the automotive and broader transportation sector as well as the construction and energy sectors, according to Casanova's report. Coface queried 1,500 Chinese companies and found that 62 percent reported delays in getting paid last year. Many companies have complex supply relationships. Automobile manufacturers, for example, need to procure steel, plastic and electronic components and numerous transactions occur along the supply chain. That dynamic is also at play in other industries, such as construction. A total of 40 percent of respondents said payment delays increased last year, higher than the 29 percent recorded in 2017. Coface said 90 percent of the surveyed companies are privately owned while 10 percent are state owned. Pressure from the slowing economy and the trade war eventually caused authorities to pause last year in their efforts to pare down total debt, estimated at more than three times the size of China's GDP, in order to try and support overall growth. 'Moral hazard' Chinese President Xi Jinping last year publicly responded to private companies' concerns about worsening conditions, assuring them authorities stood ready to help. Coface also found that the percentage of companies reporting "ultra-long payment delays" of more than 180 days rose to 55 percent, up from 47 percent the previous year. "According to Coface's experience, 80 percent of ultra-long payment delays are never paid," Casanova said. "When these constitute more than 2 percent of annual turnover, a company's cash flow may be at risk." Coface also found that 59 percent of respondents saw it as unlikely that economic growth will get better this year, the first time since the survey began in 2003 that a majority of participants voiced such a view. Corporate bond defaults in China surged in 2018, quadrupling in U.S. dollar terms to $16 billion, Coface said, adding that bankruptcies also rose. But defaults have leveled off so far this year, said Bryan Collins, head of Asian fixed income and portfolio manager at Fidelity International, citing easing credit conditions. Collins stressed, however, that the spike in defaults last year was a healthy development for China's economy overall — as it demonstrated an increasing maturity. "What it shows you is that the concept of defaults is now not such a shock. It's not new," he told reporters on Wednesday in Hong Kong. "And I would interpret this as being that the perception of moral hazard has started to break," he said. "That is the number one financial market reform for China and that's associated to the efficient pricing and allocation of capital." https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/chinese-companies-reporting-delays-getting-061331338.html

(Reuters) - Palladium soared to a record high on Friday as news that Russia is considering a temporary ban on the export of precious metals scrap fed into fears of a supply shortfall this year. Gold also bounced back above $1,300 an ounce as the dollar eased and global growth fears ramped up. Palladium jumped to an all-time high of $1,567.50 an ounce, and was last up 0.2 percent at $1,561.70 at 1258 GMT. Russia's trade and industry ministry said it is considering a ban on the export of precious metals scrap and tailings between May 1 and Oct. 31 to promote domestic refining of the materials. "It is just a speculation and some may use this as an excuse to push prices up. We have not seen details yet that palladium supplies from Russia will be curtailed," Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said. The price of the metal, used mainly in emissions-reducing catalysts for vehicles, has risen almost 90 percent from a trough in mid-August last year and is up about 24 percent so far this year. "The supply outlook remains tight... and that is providing enough confidence for the positive momentum to be maintained," Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said, adding that the next key technical level from here is at $1,600 per ounce. Meanwhile, spot gold rose 0.5 percent to $1,302.21 per ounce, having shed 1 percent on Thursday. It held on track for a second consecutive weekly gain. U.S. gold futures rose 0.5 percent to $1,302. The dollar fell against major currencies, and was on track for its biggest weekly loss since early December ahead of a U.S. central bank policy meeting next week. [FRX/] A loosening trend in global monetary policy is helping gold, SP Angel analyst Sergey Raevskiy said. As a non-interest bearing asset, it tends to suffer when rates are rising. The Bank of Japan on Friday cut its assessment on overseas economies, while comments from China's Premier suggested that the world's second biggest economy is facing downward pressure. In the United States, the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week while new home sales fell more than forecast in January. "The U.S. economic news has been mixed and in response the Federal Reserve has been cautious on giving a clear outlook in its monetary policy, so for now it is a relatively healthy environment for gold," Raevskiy said. In other precious metals, silver gained 1 percent to $15.33 an ounce, and platinum jumped 1.4 percent to $830.15.

SINGAPORE - Some letterboxes at a block of Housing Board flats in Sembawang were left open for several hours on Thursday evening (March 14). A SingPost spokesman said that disciplinary action would be taken against the postman involved in the incident. The employee would also be given extra supervision and additional training. The postal service provider said that it was alerted at 9pm, and a staff member was immediately dispatched to Block 128C Canberra Street and the letterboxes were locked by 9.25pm. A resident at Block 128B, Mr Jack Teo, 40, told The Straits Times that his neighbour from Block 128C had found a section of the letterboxes unlocked when she came home from work around 5pm. He told Chinese-language evening daily Shin Min Daily News that he went to check on the letterboxes around 9pm and they were still unlocked. Mr Teo, a civil servant, then notified SingPost. A picture of the unlocked letterboxes showed that 12 units were affected. "We apologise for this incident and seek the public's understanding as we continue to improve on our service issues," said SingPost's spokesman. "Mailbox security is a key area that we are looking into as part of our operational review, and we are exploring measures...to prevent such incidents from happening again." Earlier this year, letterboxes at Block 621 Bedok Reservoir Road were left open for several hours on Feb 8 due to a faulty latch. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/letterboxes-in-sembawang-hdb-block-left-open-for-hours-disciplinary-action-to-be-taken

SINGAPORE - The showers in the past week that offered some respite from warm and dry days are set to return in the last week of March. Still, the warm conditions that Singapore experienced in the first two weeks of March are expected to persist another week, said the Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) in a statement on Friday evening (March 15). "Some relief from the scorching heat can be expected in the last week of the month," said the MSS. This will be due to the monsoon rain band shifting northward to lie over Singapore and the surrounding equatorial region, bringing localised short-duration moderate to heavy thundery showers on most days in the afternoon. On a few days that week, the thundery showers could extend into the evening. Widespread thundery showers with occasional gusty winds from Sumatra squalls can also be expected on one or two mornings in the last week of the month, said the MSS. While more rainfall is expected for the second fortnight of March compared to the first, the total rainfall for March 2019 is still likely to be well below normal. This continues a trend in the past two months of significantly lower than normal rainfall. Despite some relief, the second half of March is still expected to be warm on most days, with daily temperatures ranging between 24 deg C and 34 deg C. On days with little or no rainfall, the daily maximum temperature could rise to around 35 deg C. The first half of March was warm and dry in Singapore, as well as in most of South-east Asia except for areas south of the Equator, according to the MSS. It was drier and warmer than usual here due to a mass of dry air from the Pacific Ocean that extended over the South-east Asia region. On all days during the two weeks, the daily maximum temperature recorded was at least 34 deg C, except for March 6. Temperatures ranged from 21.5 deg C to 35.7 deg C. While there were several days with thundery showers, rainfall in Singapore was well below normal in the first half of March 2019. The highest daily total rainfall of 94.6mm was recorded on March 11, and it is the highest recorded for the year so far, said the MSS. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/showers-expected-to-return-in-last-week-of-march

SINGAPORE: A new property launch touted as Singapore’s largest private residential project opened for preview on Friday (Mar 15), amid signs of a rebound in home-buying activity. Treasure at Tampines, which sits on the sprawling 650,000 sq ft site of former Tampines Court HUDC estate, will offer 2,203 units. This makes it the biggest condominium development here, said developer Sim Lian Group which acquired the collective sale site for S$970 million in 2017. Sales are slated to start later this month for its one to five-bedroom units at approximately S$1,280 per square foot (psf). This follows the launch of another mega project earlier this month – Florence Residences, a 1,410-unit leasehold project in Hougang with an average selling price of nearly S$1,400 psf. Developed by Logan Property, this takes the site of another HUDC estate Florence Regency that was also sold en bloc in 2017. A few more juggernaut projects offering more than 1,000 units are in the pipeline, according to market observers. These include Parc Clematis, Avenue South Residences and the former Normanton Park, said Huttons Asia's research head Lee Sze Teck, though Treasure at Tampines could remain the biggest in terms of units on offer. Echoing that, CBRE’s research head for Singapore and Southeast Asia Desmond Sim said: “Mega developments are not surprising because we’ve already seen some of these major sites being transacted in previous en bloc sales.” For the whole of 2019, some analysts expect about 40 to 60 new launches, totalling as many as 17,000 private housing units, to be announced. “GENUINE” DEMAND? This buffet of new projects hopes to capture “genuine” home buyers that remain in the market despite last year’s cooling measures, lingering worries about rising interest rates and economic uncertainties, analysts said. They cited latest figures from the Urban Redevelopment Authority, which showed 455 private homes sold by developers in February. That marked a year-on-year increase of 18.5 per cent and was 4.4 per cent higher than the previous month – a “pretty encouraging” result, noted Mr Sim. “I wouldn’t say there haven’t been any effect. Some buyers are taking longer to make a decision,” said Hutton's Mr Lee, referring to the property curbs that have raised acquisition costs for buyers and curbed their ability to take out larger loans to purchase private property. Aspiring home buyers with a tight budget, in particular, would have to reconsider given how they may have to fork out S$35,000 to S$50,000 more under the new measures. “Some of these borderline buyers who face a shortfall of cash will need to save up again before they can enter the market," said Mr Lee. Nonetheless, there remains “genuine demand in the market, especially for projects that are well-located and attractively-priced”, said Mr Lee. He brought up Affinity at Serangoon and Riverfront Residences, both of which were February’s top-sellers after receiving a boost from news of the upcoming Cross Island Line. “(They) were already selling but the announcement of the Cross Island Line boosted demand even more. To capture this demand, they have released more units.” And even as the pending supply onslaught could increase competition, mega projects may be able to hold their own when it comes to success rates, said Mr Sim. “Mega developments usually come with a lot more facilities that boutique projects lack. The cost of operation is also shared by a larger pool of residents so the conservancy charges are going to be cheaper too.” Echoing that, Mr Lee noted that some mega projects launched before last year’s property curbs have continued to receive interest from buyers. “Some are still clocking in double-digit sales every month, and are now about 50 per cent sold.” LOCATION AND PRICE For now, while some developers have increased commissions to incentivise their agents, they have stopped short at doling out goodies for buyers given the demand. Still, analysts said that may change as more supply comes on and buyers opt to take their time to pick and choose. “A lot of buyers know they are spoilt for choices so they may want to sit back and wait,” said Mr Sim. “There are buyers, such as the HDB upgraders, but it’s a matter of whether they will be making the decision as quickly so pricing and location will have to be competitive.” Mr Stanley Lin is one home buyer who is keeping his options open. The 38-year-old has been looking around for a new home for the past six months given that his flat has reached its minimum occupation period. Treasure at Tampines was the third condominium project he’s visited with his family. “We stay in Tampines and Treasure happens to be one of the locations we frequent, especially with the market just beside it. So we thought we’ll come and check it out.” Location tops his list of considerations, said Mr Lin, while the heftier duties have not been a major deterrent thus far. “As long as it’s not too much, it's fine.” Speaking to Channel NewsAsia at the Treasure's sales gallery on Friday, OrangeTee & Tie’s managing director Steven Tan said he is “very optimistic” about sales given the new development's “attractive” pricing and other unique selling points. These include its “strategic location” near employment clusters at the Tampines Regional Centre and Changi Business Park. Its size also means "flexible" design for unique facilities, such as a co-working space. “We got feedback that our prices fall within the affordability range of many potential buyers, including HDB upgraders and investors … Because of this attractive pricing and other positive factors, we think the take-up rate will be high.” Being among the first few mega projects to be launched will also help it to “capitalise on the market”, Mr Tan said. Orange Tee and Tie is one of the three marketing agencies for the Treasure at Tampines. Source: CNA/sk(gs)

A local man just proved that watching Japanese anime can actually cause wonders for your health. Sort of. Inspired by a hilarious origin story in the manga-turned-anime series One-Punch Man, Singaporean investor, author, and public speaker Sean Seah thought that he too could train like a superhero. Some context first, if you’re unaware of One-Punch Man. The series follows the epic adventures of Saitama, a man who became a tad too powerful and has grown bored with his ability to end any battle with a single punch to his opponent. In one episode, the secret to his godlike powers was dramatically revealed to be… a training regimen involving 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run daily. Wanting to get fit after a going on a binge during the Chinese New Year holidays, Seah decided to try training like Saitama (without going bald) for a month to see if it works. On Feb 10, he announced that he’ll be embarking on the “One-Punch Man Training”, but starting off slowly at half the intensity: 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 50 squats, and a 5-kilometer run. https://www.facebook.com/seanseahsg/videos/220406515465315/ It’s been 30 days since he started, and the results are in. Sticking to the regimen obviously proved to be a success — Seah lost 5 kilograms, reduced his body fats, and gained a six-pack in the process. The man encouraged everyone to try it out with his recommended degrees of intensity, but we can’t promise if you’ll earn the ability to down gigantic city-leveling monsters with your fist. https://www.facebook.com/seanseahsg/videos/1135433423284133/ Seah wouldn’t be the first to go on the anime-inspired fitness regimen though. Many others have taken on the One-Punch Man workout challenge to varying results and sanity.

No it marvel studio AVEN

A National Environment Agency (NEA) official has raised the possibility that Singapore residents may in future be asked to "pay as you throw", as part of efforts to monitor and limit rubbish dumped by households. This could involve bin chutes that use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to track how much waste any one household produces, he said at a major sustainability conference on Tuesday. "We are working on a trial to track the number of times a household opens a rubbish chute hatch, with each opening accepting only a fixed volume of waste," said Mr Cheang Kok Chung, director of the NEA's department for environmental protection policy and international relations. "(There is a) glaring lack of a 'pay as you throw' element in the (waste disposal) fee," Mr Cheang said, adding that Singapore's ubiquitous rubbish chutes made it very difficult to implement a "pay as you throw" system using prepaid waste bags. He was speaking at a presentation during the 2019 Sustainable Innovation Expo in Nairobi, Kenya. The Expo is being held on the sidelines of the fourth United Nations Environment Assembly meeting. Each HDB household currently pays $8.25 a month for waste regardless of the amount thrown away. With this new scheme, some might end up paying less. Said Mr Cheang: "Hopefully (the trial) works and the next time we can report that we are a bit closer to the 'user-pay principle' tax." If there are monitoring systems like RFID tags, people might be motivated to throw less rubbish indiscriminately, which would mean less rubbish landing up in Semakau, Singapore's only landfill. According to the latest figures, about 200,000 tonnes of solid waste and all incineration ash are sent to the landfill annually. At this rate, Semakau will be filled to the brim by 2035. It was envisaged earlier that the landfill, when it first opened in 1999, would last until 2046. Singapore currently has the technology to use RFID tags on bins. According to reports in 2016, recycling collection crews could scan RFID tags on recycling bins upon collection for recyclables to be tracked in a system. It is not impossible to implement such a project. The "pay as you throw" principle has worked in other countries. In South Korea, for example, households can buy designated bags to dispose of their trash, or take it to centralised RFID food waste and rubbish bins. There, the trash will be weighed and the household billed accordingly. The NEA told The Straits Times yesterday that there are currently no plans to introduce pay-as-you-throw RFID waste disposal systems in Singapore. "Building on lessons from past trials and other countries' experience, the National Environment Agency is constantly exploring ways to incentivise households to reduce the amount of waste disposed of," an NEA spokesman said. "There is no current plan to implement a pay-as-you-throw RFID waste disposal system," the spokesman added. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/pay-as-you-throw-system-to-limit-household-waste

The digital age is bringing about such rapid, unforeseen changes that some once-successful nations are in peril of being left behind. Singapore is determined not to be one of them. Instead, it is using design thinking to become Asia’s first “smart nation.” From a digital national identity for each citizen to paying for parking spaces with an app, Singapore is designing innovative approaches and digital solutions to make life easier for all of its 5.6 million people. But going digital isn’t necessarily a guarantee of success unless those solutions are well designed. “It can take a long time for governments to make real shifts. You can’t look at just what is happening now. You have to telescope into the future and design for that,’’ said Jacqueline Poh, deputy secretary of the Singapore Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group, speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Design conference in Singapore last Wednesday. Poh played a key role in the founding of GovTech, the agency that is spearheading Singapore’s Smart Nation efforts and is driving the public sector’s digital transformation. While it is exciting, visionary work, “it’s not an easy job,” she said. Making that job harder is the fact that Singapore has a large aging population, and many of them, particularly members of the “pioneer generation”—Singaporeans who were young when the country declared independence in 1965—are not comfortable with new technology. “The innovation was how do we reach them,’’ Poh said. No matter how well designed the government websites were, members of the pioneer generation were not going to surf the Internet to enroll in programs that could help them and deliver the benefits to which they were entitled. So the government recruited members of the next generation, gave them Apple iPads and sent them house-to-house to register and sign them up. In implementing the digital national identity program, an issue that cut across all generations was trust. Will personal data be secure? Can the government ensure the information won’t be misused? “Trust is a huge factor when it comes to anything dealing with financial matters or government,” Poh said. But surveys showed that Singaporeans’ trust in their government was fairly high, and many thought it already had all their information and so were puzzled why the government was asking for it. More than 170 government agencies and 120 private sector companies (including banks and insurance companies) are using the digital platform where the information is stored. To maintain trust, the government requires private sector companies to ask customers for permission to access their information from the database. Poh knows that to for Singapore to truly achieve smart nation status, the government must keep looking towards the future and design for it. It is easy to fall behind rapid changes and get stuck in old bureaucratic ways of thinking. To demonstrate that point, she showed a slide with a form the United States government had sent to astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin in 1969 after they returned to Earth from landing on the moon. It was a customs declaration form. http://fortune.com/2019/03/14/smart-design-singapore/

We've all been there. Getting lost in a foreign country where no one speaks the same language you do, it's all part of the adventure. But for one tourist, the language barrier may have taken a toll on her as she vented her frustration at a Singaporean youth because he couldn't speak Mandarin. In a viral Twitter thread posted on Tuesday (March 12), 22-year-old Singaporean Timothy Bon shared his story of being told off by a tourist from China after she approached him for directions. The tourist wanted to go to 海湾舫 (hǎi wān fǎng), which meant Bayfront. Timothy, who was not familiar with the Chinese names of MRT stations, asked her if she meant Harbourfront, Bayfront or Admiralty -- and that's where it all started going downhill. Exasperated by the question, the tourist flared up at him, "华人不会讲话(华)语，你好意思吗? (You are Chinese but you can't speak Mandarin, aren't you embarrassed?)" Upon hearing the comment, Timothy decided to send the tourist on her way to the other end of the island -- Tuas Link. Timothy then explained that he had tried his best to help her despite only achieving a C6 in the Chinese language due to dyslexia. But the tourist's patience wore thin as he took a long time to decipher the location in her question, hence her crude remark. His story seemed to resonate with many on Twitter, gaining thousands of retweets and likes since he first shared it on Tuesday. The tale also reminded one Twitter user of her encounters when she worked in Orchard Road. Unfortunately for Timothy, his experience may just be taken as a classic example of "好心没好报 (those who help often end up being resented by those whom they help)". https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/tourist-snaps-chinese-singaporean-guy-who-cant-speak-mandarin

SINGAPORE — The cooling measures that came “swift” and “unexpected” in July last year have made it difficult for homeowners who want to buy a private property, due to the huge jump in cash outlay that is required of them. In view of this, it is probably time to revise some of these property cooling measures. This was what Mr Ismail Gafoor, the chief executive officer of real estate agency PropNex, said as he was explaining the recent situation of option to purchase (OTP) agreements being “re-issued” more frequently than usual. An OTP is a document which grants the buyer the right to purchase a property in return for a fee, and it is valid for only three weeks, but it can be re-issued or extended by up to eight weeks. What has been happening, Mr Ismail said, is that potential buyers have been asking developers to re-issue their OTPs. This is the main reason why there was a sharp increase in the number of OTPs being re-issued in December last year — a problem that was flagged in a Credit Suisse report released close to a month ago. The report noted that the “curious case” of a high number of returned units is probably due to an “ingenious sales tactic developed by some developers”, where OTPs are constantly being re-issued after it expires, without buyers having to forfeit the booking fee. This means that buyers interested in a property can hold on to it for longer than usual before making a commitment to purchase it, while developers are able to “lock in” buyers early. PROPOSAL TO REVIEW ABSD PropNex is the first real estate agency to respond to the Credit Suisse report. In a white paper released on Thursday (March 14), Mr Ismail called for the revision of some of the property cooling measures, which would help reduce the number of OTPs being re-issued. This is particularly for “genuine upgraders” — homeowners who now live in public housing units and want to get their first private property. He said that the 12 per cent Additional Buyers’ Stamp Duty (ABSD) should not apply to these buyers who have to pay this upfront before it is refunded upon the sale of their public flat. “(They) find it too tough to pay the ABSD, for those genuine upgraders... The request is coming from the buyers. (They would say,) ‘I can’t raise (enough money)’ or ‘Give me more time to dispose of my property so that I need not pay the ABSD’,” Mr Ismail said. For example, a S$1 million private property would require an ABSD of S$120,000 to be paid two weeks after buyers exercised their OTP, assuming that they have not sold their Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat. This is on top of other payments such as the booking fee and deposit, as well as the buyer’s stamp duty. Mr Ismail also recommended that the loan-to-value limit be reverted to 80 per cent for those taking their first housing loan. It is now 75 per cent after the cooling measures. The additional 5 percentage point for this loan-to-value limit has translated to a more than 30 per cent increase in cash outlay for buyers, PropNex research showed. Mr Ismail said that his team tried to find out what could be the reasons behind the increase in re-issued OTPs after the release of the Credit Suisse report. “We are very concerned when the authorities started to call our agents, leaders (asking), ‘Why is this happening? Are you all conducting class to go and do churning?’ We are not,” he added. “Churning” refers to agents pushing people who might have difficulties to commit to buy a property. DAMPENING ‘ASPIRATIONS’ Other property agencies contacted by TODAY said that the reasons put forth by Mr Ismail were similar to their own experience, to some degree. Mr Ken Low, managing partner of property agency SRI, said that the re-issuing of OTPs is a method to help buyers have more time to sell their HDB flat. Most upgraders would have exhausted their cash and Central Provident Fund savings on their first HDB home, and they would need the cash proceeds from its sale to upgrade, he added. Mr Eugene Lim, key executive officer of real estate agency ERA, noted that there are aspirations among homeowners to live in private residence, but the Government has pulled a handbrake on that with the latest cooling measures. “It’s a blanket approach. In so doing, you do dampen the aspirations of those who want to upgrade,” he said. WILLING TO WORK DEALS WITH BUYERS While recognising that there could be genuine cases, industry sources also told TODAY that PropNex’s sales strategy could be a contributing factor to the increase in the higher number of OTPs being re-issued. Several sources said that PropNex agents have been known to encourage couples looking to upgrade to a private property to each buy one unit, after selling their HDB flat. The handling of three transactions — the sale of the HDB flat and the purchase of two private apartments — would require more time, an industry source said, thereby fuelling the need for buyers to have their OTPs re-issued. “With cooling measures, developers are more willing to work with buyers. Before cooling measures, developers don’t care so much. Now, it is, ‘Okay, you’re genuine buyer, you need extension of time, we are prepared to help you’… Willing buyer, willing seller… In a difficult market, these kind of things pick up,” a source said. Another source said that PropNex has been generally encouraging buyers to “put more money on the table”, or simply “telling people to buy more, buy more”. PropNex, being the biggest player in Singapore, seems to be “shouting the loudest” with this, although it would be “proportionate to the size of their agency”, one industry insider said. NOT A NEW PRACTICE When asked about these comments made by industry sources, Mr Ismail said that the practice of getting clients to own multiple properties has existed “more than 10 years ago before any of the cooling measures” came into play. It is not just PropNex agents who are trained in asset progression (or how to grow real estate assets), but also agents from other firms, he added. Mr Ismail also said that the practice of owning multiple properties has no bearing on the re-issuing of OTPs which is happening now. He stressed that the firm’s recommendations in its white paper are aimed at helping Singaporeans better achieve their home upgrading aspirations. https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/propnex-calls-easing-cooling-measures-saying-they-prevent-homeowners-upgrading

SINGAPORE - Audrey Tay May Li, 45, the daughter of the founders of luxury watch retailer Hour Glass, will start her jail sentence for drug abuse next month after her appeal was dismissed by the High Court on Friday (March 15). In October last year, Tay was sentenced to 22 months' jail for repeatedly abusing drugs for two years. On one occasion, she turned up intoxicated for a psychiatric assessment at the Institute of Mental Health. The former public relations consultant, who is divorced, was arrested in August 2015 after she drove into a traffic light pole while under the influence of ketamine. She pleaded guilty to her drug and traffic offences last year. On Friday, Tay's lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam argued for a lighter jail sentence or probation, in lieu of the 22-month jail term. Citing recent amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act which would see "pure drug abusers" channelled to rehabilitation, Mr Thuraisingam said it is clear evidence of a change in the social consensus on how drug offenders should be treated. Under the Act, repeat drug abusers who do not commit other crimes would be channelled to the prison-run Drug Rehabilitation Centre instead of being imprisoned in jail. Given these changes, the paramount sentencing consideration should be rehabilitation instead of deterrence, said Mr Thuraisingam. "Drug users are in a large sense... victims themselves," he said, adding that a rehabilitative approach would be more suitable for Tay, a "pure consumer". However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Terence Chua noted that Tay would not be considered a "pure drug abuser" as she was also convicted of a traffic offence for driving into a traffic light pole. It was also very clear from all her medical reports that Tay was a casual drug user and not an addict, said DPP Chua. "All these are choices... (the case) is not exceptional," he added. Judge of Appeal Tay Yong Kwang, in dismissing the appeal, also noted that the new measured policy towards drug offenders does not apply to her as her crimes were committed in 2015 and 2017. Offences are considered according to the law in force at the time the acts were committed, he said. He further noted that Tay's adjustment disorder and depressive disorder should not be considered mitigating factors. "At best, she could only assert that her adjustment disorder and the events in her life at the material times coloured her judgment in the sense that despite knowing that what she was doing was wrong, she nevertheless decided to carry on," said the judge. Tay is out on bail after requesting for leave to settle the custody of her three children and pets. She shares joint custody of her children with her former husband. She will begin her sentence on April 15. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/daughter-of-hour-glass-founders-loses-appeal-to-start-jail-term-for-drug

SINGAPORE - The personal information of more than 800,000 blood donors in Singapore was accidentally put online by a Health Sciences Authority (HSA) vendor, but access to the database was cut off soon after the discovery. Disclosing this in a statement on Friday (March 15), the HSA said its preliminary findings indicate that there was only one instance of external access - by a cyber security expert who discovered the vulnerability on Tuesday (March 12) and alerted the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) to it a day later. The Commission informed the HSA, which is in charge of the national blood bank. The HSA then contacted the vendor working on the database, Secur Solutions Group, and instructed it to disable access to the information. The database contained registration information about everyone who has ever donated blood in Singapore, or who tried to donate blood and were turned away. This includes their name, NRIC number, gender, number of blood donations and the dates of their last three blood donations. Some donors' blood type, height and weight were also included in the database. "The database contained no other sensitive, medical or contact information," HSA said. The data had been provided to the vendor for updating and testing purposes, it added. It was placed on a server accessible through the Internet on Jan 4 without adequate safeguards to prevent unauthorised access. This was done without HSA's knowledge and approval, and was against the vendor's contractual obligations, HSA said. The cyber security consultant who accessed the data has told the HSA that he does not intend to disclose it and is working with the agency to delete the information, it added. Said HSA chief executive, Dr Mimi Choong: "We sincerely apologise to our blood donors for this lapse by our vendor. We would like to assure donors that HSA's centralised blood bank system is not affected. "HSA will also step up checks and monitoring of our vendors to ensure the safe and proper use of blood donor information," she added. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/personal-information-of-over-800000-blood-donors-exposed-online-hsa

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/grid2-spa-bathurst

Very expensive hoot, at $41.  Found myself a seat and i look the the menus WTF too expensive, a bottle of water is $4.40 the toilet WTF Bamboo bathroom Tissues. really thick and soft tissues the leg and the back rerst is separately adjust did not use the blanket, got those body oil smell YUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK i choose the 2nd row from front, i dont want last row as i feel it like watching TV This is the last row my row, just nice to the screen not too near and not to far

One night last month in the Guangdong city of Heyuan, China, a man with a knife walked towards a woman, who was withdrawing cash from an ATM inside ICBC bank. Here's the surveillance camera footage: The terrified woman, Li, handed over the 2,500 yuan that she just got out but the robber asked for more and demanded to see her balance on the ATM. However, after seeing that she had no more money in her bank account, the robber handed Li back the money with a smile before leaving. Although the robber's gesture seems honorable, his kindness did not save him from the police who later took him into custody.

Boeing 737 MAX 8 pilots reported their planes nosedived and lost altitude in at least two incidents before the current safety scandal that has seen the aircraft grounded across the world. As Boeing deals with the fallout of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes being banned around the world following two deadly crashes, reports of the aircrafts nosediving have been revealed while other reports cite safety concerns. Pilots on at least two US flights reported their aircrafts nosedived and lost altitude quickly when using autopilot mode on the 737 MAX 8 in the last few months, according to pilot reports compiled in the Aviation Safety Reporting System database administered by NASA. The data shows there were 11 reports about the Boeing 737 MAX 8 logged between April 2018 and December 2018, USA Today reports. In one incident, as soon as the captain put the plane on autopilot, the co-pilot said, “Descending,”and a cockpit audio low altitude warning said, “Don’t sink, don’t sink!” The pilots turned off autopilot and the plane stopped descending. “With the concerns with the MAX 8 nose down stuff, we both thought it appropriate to bring it to your attention,” the captain wrote in the report, in reference to the Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October which killed 189. He guessed that the dip could have been caused by airspeed fluctuation due to a weather system overwhelming the plane’s automation. The second incident saw an aircraft tipping downwards at a rate of 1,200 to 1,500 feet (365-460 meters) a minute just seconds after autopilot was engaged. The cockpit’s audio warning system issued a warning and the pilot turned off the autopilot mode. The co-pilot said he could not “think of any reason the aircraft would pitch nose-down so aggressively.” The reports are volunteer safety ones and don’t reveal details of the airlines and pilots involved, or the location of where the incidents took place. The cause of the Lion Air crash is believed to have been related to the automated anti-stall system. The two reports don’t appear to have been related to that. The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 crash last week killed 157 people after it went down minutes after takeoff. The cause of the crash has not been determined, but the pilot reported flight control problems to air traffic controllers before the crash. At least 40 countries including the US, 28 European nations, Canada, China, Australia, and India have banned the aircrafts over safety concerns. https://www.rt.com/news/453809-boeing-737-nosediving-pilots/

SINGAPORE: A traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner was suspended for three years and fined S$5,000 after he administered various treatment that led to a patient having to amputate his leg from the knee down. The TCM Practitioners Board said in a press release on Wednesday (Mar 13) that Lee Miing Chong had tried to shift the blame to the complainant when investigated. Mr Lee, who practised at the Royal Acupuncture Specialist Centre in Toa Payoh, showed a "complete lack of remorse", the investigating committee said, and had lied during the inquiry hearing. The patient, who had a medical history of diabetes and poor sensation in both feet, had lodged a complaint against Mr Lee on Apr 3, 2017, alleging professional misconduct and negligence over two consultations where Mr Lee administered heat lamp treatment, acupuncture and electric pulse treatment. LEG AMPUTATED KNEE DOWN During the first consultation on Jan 3, 2015, Mr Lee had used a heat lamp on the soles of the patient's feet, causing blisters to develop on the soles of his feet. When the patient stepped on the ground and started walking, the blisters burst and fluid flowed out. The patient immediately returned to Mr Lee, who cleaned his wounds, applied medication and bandaged his feet with gauze. But the patient developed a high fever later that night which persisted until the next day, when he returned to Mr Lee for a second consultation. During that consultation, Mr Lee administered acupuncture and electric pulse treatment on the patient, but his condition did not improve. The condition of his feet worsened, resulting in him having to be admitted to hospital for severe burn wounds. But the burn wounds did not heal due to the patient’s diabetes and his other conditions, and the man had to undergo below knee amputation of his left leg as his condition deteriorated. "FABRICATION OF UNTRUTHS" The investigating committee found that although Mr Lee’s heat lamp treatment was appropriate for the patient’s condition, the practitioner did not take “adequate precautions” and placed the lamp too close to the patient’s feet for too long, causing burns. During the first consultation, the man had told the practitioner to be careful when administering the heat treatment because his feet had poor sensation. The committee also said that Mr Lee had failed to inform the patient about risks of the heat lamp treatment or the other available treatment options. It found that Mr Lee had "failed to render appropriate and generally accepted method of TCM treatment" to the patient after he had suffered thermal burn injuries. "Given the seriousness of the complainant’s injuries which was evident from the fluid-filled blisters, Mr Lee should have advised the complainant to seek immediate medical attention," the committee wrote. Mr Lee instead proceeded to administer acupuncture and electric impulse treatment, causing a delay in the patient seeking appropriate treatment for his burn injuries. This amounted to professional misconduct and/or negligence, said the committee. When deciding its recommendations to the TCM Practitioners Board, the committee noted that although Mr Lee was a first time offender, it had to take into consideration the serious nature of Mr Lee’s misconduct and the "severe outcome" suffered by the patient. It also noted Mr Lee’s attempt during the inquiry to shift the blame to the patient, his “complete lack of remorse” and his “fabrication of untruths” during the inquiry hearing. In addition to his S$5,000 fine and three-year suspension, Mr Lee was also issued a censure and ordered to pay all costs and expenses related to the inquiry. The safety of patients is of paramount importance when administering TCM treatments, the board said in their statement. “The board advises TCM practitioners to exercise great care and prudence when prescribing and/or administering heat treatments on patients with diabetes,” it added. Source: CNA/ec(mi)

SINGAPORE (Mar 14): Courts Asia, the regional retailer of furniture and household and IT appliances, is set to be delisted after losing its free float. As at 5pm on Wednesday, offeror Nojima Asia Pacific now owns or have agreed to acquire 90% of Courts Asia. SGX listing rules require listed members to ensure at least 10% of all shares, excluding treasury shares, to be held by the public. In January, Nojima tabled a 20.5 cents cash offer for each Courts share. Th offer remains open until 5.30pm tomorrow. In a regulatory filing by Courts on Wednesday, Nojima says it “does not intend to support any action or take any steps” to maintain the listing status of Courts Asia and intends to delist it after the offer closes. Nojima is the offer vehicle of sole shareholder Nojima Corp, a Tokyo-listed electrical appliance retail chain mainly dealing with the sale of consumer digital appliances, in Japan. It also has presence in Cambodia, where it specialises in digital appliances. In February, Nojima said it did not intend to revise its offer price despite independent financial adviser KPMG Corporate Finance calling it "not fair but reasonable". As at 11.15am, shares in Courts Asia are trading flat at 20 cents. https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/courts-asia-delisted-losing-free-031651908.html