Singapore morning news for January 21

Dengue cases surge, with 455 in two weeks
Dengue cases have increased over the past four weeks, with 455 seen in the first two weeks of this month.
— The Straits Times

Security, social needs, economic restructuring key focus of upcoming Budget, says Finance Minister Heng
This year’s Budget will focus on Singapore’s security and social needs, especially in healthcare and education. Efforts to transform the economy will also continue, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat said on Sunday (Jan 20).
— Today Online

Singapore, Malaysia making headway on disputes: Ng Eng Hen
Singapore and Malaysia are “making headway” and communicating over the ongoing maritime and airspace disputes.
— The Straits Times

Singapore’s war on sugar: Informed public is best weapon against diabetes
Malnutrition is a problem often perceived to be linked to food shortages, but many people do not realise that it can also be caused by excessive consumption of empty calories, such as from sugar.
— The Straits Times

Singaporean couple convicted for hitting their maid and forcing her to pour hot water on herself
Singapore – A maid was forced to do things against her will while employed to a Singaporean couple for 9 months in 2016.
— The Independent

Singapore government updates copyright laws to crack down on illicit streaming devices
TV boxes that allow access to content from unauthorised services also known as Illicit streaming devices, are among the focus areas of a suite of amendments to the Copyright Act announced by the Singapore government.
— Mumbrella Asia

Claims that CPF ‘retirement payout age’ shifted to 70 not true: CPF Board
Social media posts and messages claiming that the Government has shifted the payout age for the Retirement Sum Scheme (RSS) to 70 are not true, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board clarified in a Facebook post on Saturday (Jan 19).You may have recently come across social media …
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

F-35 purchases won’t cause defence spending surge in this year’s Budget: Ng Eng Hen
There will not be a large spike in defence spending for this year’s Budget, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Sunday (Jan 20), following his ministry’s announcement on Friday that it would buy a small number of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to replace its ageing F-16s.
— Today Online

New moves to boost financial literacy
New initiatives were recently implemented under the national financial education programme, MoneySense, to equip Singaporeans with the skills to manage their finances more effectively.
— The Straits Times

Police hunt for wanted NSF who fled checks at Woodlands
The authorities are searching for a full-time national serviceman (NSF) who fled from police yesterday morning while bleeding from his left thigh.
— The Straits Times

Heated argument between Singaporean Oxford student and Dr. Mahathir regarding ongoing maritime disputes
Formed in 1823, the Oxford Union is one of Oxford University’s oldest societies and debate group. Recently, a not-so-friendly exchange of views occurred at the Oxford Union between Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir and Darrion Mohan, a student of the university.
— The Independent

Blocked website Singapore Herald changes URL name to Singapore Hereld, accessible in S’pore again
Overcoming the blocking of the site by Singapore authorities.
— Mothership

Sheng Siong Group Ltd’s Shares Beat The Singapore Market By 27%: Is It A Good Business?
A look at the quality of Sheng Siong Group Ltd’s (SGX: OV8) business from the perspective of return on invested capital.
— The Motley Fool

The Big Read in short: Tech disruption in Singapore’s legal sector
Last year, a man-versus-machine showdown took place in the United States: Twenty top corporate lawyers from across the country were pitted against an artificial intelligence (AI) software developed by legal technology firm LawGeex, where they reviewed and approved everyday contracts over a period of two months.
— Today Online

Enjoy ‘auspicious’ rides this Chinese New Year
To celebrate the Year of the Pig, selected MRT trains and public buses have been decorated with Chinese zodiac motifs, and other auspicious Chinese New Year icons, such as gold ingots and cherry blossoms.
— The Straits Times

OSKVI invests in Singapore waste management solutions company
OSK Ventures International Bhd (OSKVI), announced its investment into Blue Planet Environmental Solutions (Blue Planet), a regional waste management company headquartered in Singapore focusing on technology-driven end-to-end waste solutions.
— DNA

Vet fees too high? She spent $30,000 to treat her dog
Statistics from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore show that 141 pets were abandoned here last year. While AVA does not have a breakdown of the reasons why they were cast aside, medical cost is often one factor.
— The Straits Times

Here are the reasons why O-level scripts are marked in Cambridge & not S’pore
Partly because allocating resources for marking scripts is draining.
— Mothership

Property agents’ records go online: What to look for when searching for one
The Council For Estate Agencies’ (CEA) website is something homeowners click over to when they want to verify their property agent’s licence. Starting in January, you can still do that – in addition to also checking your property agent’s record of HDB resales as well. WHAT SORT OF INFORMATION …
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Spreading festive cheer
More than 450 low-income households in Sembawang received red festive bags yesterday containing groceries, such as coffee powder, oatmeal and biscuits, as part of an annual charity effort led by the North West Community Development Council. T
— The Straits Times

Actor Aloysius Pang suffers serious injury during SAF training in New Zealand
Singaporean actor Aloysius Pang suffered a serious injury while participating in Exercise Thunder Warrior in New Zealand on Saturday (Jan 19).
— Today Online

Charities advised to set up endowment funds
Charities and other organisations in the social service sector can set up endowment funds for businesses and individuals to channel their donations.
— The Straits Times

PUB investigating black discharge in Potong Pasir canal
SINGAPORE: National water agency PUB on Sunday (Jan 20) said it is investigating black discharge which was seen in a canal at Potong Pasir.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Walking the talk to boost consumer financial know-how
Mr Kang Beng Hui believes in the importance of consumer financial literacy and he walks the talk.
— The Straits Times

Budget airline Scoot adds 3 more cities to network
Scoot, the low-cost arm of the Singapore Airlines Group, has announced plans to add three cities – Coimbatore, Thiruvananthapuram and Visakhapatnam – into its service network.
— The Hindu BusinessLine (very annoying popups)

Arctic events will have big impact on Singapore: Sam Tan
Whatever happens in the Arctic – whether melting ice or the possibility of a new trade route – will have a significant impact on Singapore despite how far away it is, said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
— The Straits Times

Tech firm WWT looks to Asia-Pacific for expansion
US-BASED systems integrator World Wide Technology (WWT) has set its sights on the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region, and is looking to ramp up its digital hires in Singapore this year.
— The Business Times

Why Singapore students consistently ace IB exam
If the A-level exam is a sprint, the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme is a marathon.
— The Straits Times

Chinatown Complex uncle’s towel stall sold out in just 2 days, thanks to supportive S’poreans
A small act of kindness can make a huge impact in one’s life.
— Mothership

About 1,000 volunteers come together to spring clean homes of needy Tampines residents
A thousand volunteers spent their Sunday (Jan 20) spring cleaning – not their own homes, but the homes of 95 families in Tampines.
— The Straits Times

1 Reason Why Warren Buffett Is Able To Capitalise On A Market Crash
Warren Buffett’s patient approach to investing could provide him with an advantage.
— The Motley Fool

NUS’ promotion and tenure policies ‘robust and competitive’
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has defended its promotion and tenure policies, describing them as robust, in response to a debate on tenure and the need to build a Singaporean academic core.
— The Straits Times

EarthFest shows that it’s easy being green
EarthFest Singapore, a sustainability festival to encourage visitors to adopt responsible living habits such as minimalism, plant-based diets and living a zero-waste lifestyle, was held at Marina Barrage yesterday.
— The Straits Times

Tan Cheng Bock and Shanmugam all smiles as political challenge looms
Dr Tan Cheng Bock posted a picture of him taken with Home Affairs and Law Minister, K Shanmugam, at the Chong Pang Hawker Centre in Yishun Ave 5, today. T
— The Independent

Thavil player all ready for Thaipusam
With a barrel-shaped thavil drum strapped around his shoulder, Mr Jathishweran Naidu is all geared up for Thaipusam.
— The Straits Times

Singaporean scientist/engineer devises waterless car wash solution
Like every engineer, Dr Joseph Sun saw a problem and started devising a solution to solve it. In this case, the 52-year-old materials scientist noticed that the car washing industry is plagued by the issue of excessive water wastage.
— Today Online

Move to stop child abduction by a parent
The authorities have put in place a measure to prevent children from being spirited away from Singapore when their parents’ relationship turns sour.
— The Straits Times

Chinese insurance firm eyes regional growth, wealth management
The significant market in Singapore for savings, retirement and protection products that is being driven by increasing wealth in the region has prompted China Taiping Insurance Singapore to start a life insurance unit here.
— The Straits Times

Feature photo CDAC

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo acknowledges International Day of Education, January 24.

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Singapore morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Singapore news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Singapore morning news for January 21 added by John Le Fevre on January 21, 2019
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John Le Fevre

Thailand editor at AEC News Today

John is an Australian national with more than 40 years experience as a journalist, photographer, videographer, and copy editor.

He has spent extensive periods of time working in Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, with stints in the Middle East, the USA, and England.

He has covered major world events including Operation Desert Shield/ Storm, the 1991 pillage in Zaire, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 1999 East Timor independence unrest, the 2004 Asian tsunami, and the 2009, 2010, and 2014 Bangkok political protests.

In 1995 he was a Walkley Award finalist, the highest awards in Australian journalism, for his coverage of the 1995 Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Ebola outbreak.

Prior to AEC News Today he was the deputy editor and Thailand and Greater Mekong Sub-region editor for The Establishment Post, predecessor of Asean Today.

In the mid-80s and early 90s he owned JLF Promotions, the largest above and below the line marketing and PR firm servicing the high-technology industry in Australia. It was sold in 1995.