Singapore morning news for July 15

Singapore morning news for July 15
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Singapore morning newsOne in five NUS medical students gets financial help
The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) medical degree course is the most competitive course to get into. It is also the most expensive – charging almost $29,000 in tuition fees a year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Centre keeps critical buildings safe from threats
The Centre for Protective Security (CPS) has been engaging building owners since the introduction of a new law in December last year that makes it mandatory for some buildings to have enhanced security measures.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

‘Just a matter of when’: the $20bn plan to power Singapore with Australian solar
The desert outside Tennant Creek, deep in the Northern Territory, is not the most obvious place to build and transmit Singapore’s future electricity supply.
— The Guardian

SDP proposes interest-free student loans for S’poreans
Policy paper open to public scrutiny and debate as SDP flexes its policy-writing chops.
— Mothership

Poly students in S’pore can graduate from university 1 year earlier: New scheme starting 2020
The scheme is the first of such programmes in Singapore.
— Mothership

DPM Heng Swee Keat: S’pore not expecting a full-year recession yet
Government is monitoring the situation closely.
— Mothership

Time to prepare for a wider downturn
It might be prudent for the Government to start preparing a stimulus package blueprint while in wait and watch mode, says Vikram Khanna.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Retail sales fall 2.1% in May, sliding for 4th straight month
Takings at the till dropped for the fourth consecutive month in May as wary consumers kept a tight rein on their purse strings.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Construction, services down; manufacturing decline persists
As Singapore’s manufacturing slowdown continued in the second quarter this year, its key sectors of construction and services took a hit as well, surprising economists, who warned of further spillovers.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore economic growth slows to 0.1% in Q2, lowest in a decade
Singapore’s economy grew by a meagre 0.1 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, the lowest in a decade and widely missing economists’ forecasts, according to official estimates released on Friday.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore retail sales down 2.1% in May
Retail sales in Singapore decreased 2.1 per cent in May 2019 as compared to a year ago, according to figures released by the Department of Statistics (Singstat) on Friday (Jul 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

E-wallet operators set sights on digital banking space
E-WALLET operators in Singapore are eyeing a future as a digital bank as opportunities in the business-to-business space come to the fore.
— The Business Times

Firms should do more to get fathers to go on paternity leave: President
Singapore lags behind when it comes to new fathers taking paternity leave, with only about half doing so, compared with 70 to 80 per cent of dads in Nordic countries.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

US diplomat doesn’t want S’pore to choose sides, but to decide what’s best for itself
The U.S. is asking its friends and allies what kind of world order they want to live in.
— Mothership

SDP calls for scrapping of PSLE, nationalising pre-schools in alternative education policy
The Singapore Democratic Party on Saturday (Jul 13) called for smaller class sizes, the nationalisation of pre-schools and the scrapping of Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and school rankings in its alternative education policy.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

How low can GDP numbers go? DPM Heng rebuffs recession fears
SINGAPORE’S economy may have ground to a halt in the second quarter, with gross domestic product (GDP) growth almost nil in flash data.
— The Business Times

Rolls-Royce, A*Star pump extra S$8m into joint lab
ROLLS-ROYCE and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) announced on Friday that they are investing a further S$8 million into their joint lab with Singapore Aero Engine Services (SAESL).
— The Business Times

15 years’ jail, 24 strokes for sexually abusing stepdaughter
For close to 1½ years, a man sexually assaulted his stepdaughter regularly, even while his wife lay asleep on the same bed.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Traders shrug off weak GDP estimates
Local investors shrugged off yesterday’s disappointing advance estimates for second-quarter GDP to send the market higher.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Help for workers, firms to adjust to changing global economy
Government pledges to help workers and firms adjust to the changing global economy took on more resonance yesterday with data showing that second-quarter growth fell to its slowest in a decade.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Q2 growth slumps; full-year recession not expected, says Heng Swee Keat
Singapore’s economic growth in the second quarter slumped to its worst showing in a decade, far below what analysts had anticipated.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Handling of economy a key issue in next election: Shanmugam
Singaporeans will be asking who they can trust to steer the city-state through economic uncertainties when they go to the ballot boxes, according to one of the country’s most senior ministers.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singaporeans advised to avoid travelling to Myanmar’s Rakhine State amid violence
Singaporeans have been advised to avoid travelling to several areas in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State and Chin State due to violent clashes there.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Positive moves to tackle shortage of Singapore MNCs
GETTING local companies to venture overseas to build the external wing of the Singapore economy is nothing new. But ever since internationalisation was proposed as an economic strategy back in 1993, just how many globally competitive companies have made a name for themselves worldwide, if we exclude government-linked corporations?
— The Business Times

Fight for your patients, NUS valedictorian tells fellow medical grads
Coming from a single-parent household where finances were tight has taught Dr Arturo Neo, 24, to work hard for what he wants.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

S’porean quits high-flying job at EDB to create on-demand medical service for the home-bound
Julian Koo wants to empower people in need to take charge of their own healthcare needs, and also save money and time.
— Mothership

35-year-old man dies from fall in Ngee Ann City
A man died after falling from a height at Ngee Ann City on Sunday afternoon (Jul 14), leaving bloodstains in front of a store on the Basement 2 level.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

WP Chief Pritam Singh asks about impact of SMRT resignations on staff morale & rail reliability
Khaw responded with confidence in SMRT’s team, adding that ‘sometimes some attrition is useful’.
— Mothership

oBike’s owner buys 8,600 ofo bikes in $430,000 deal
The Costa Rican investment firm that owns oBike has bought around 8,600 brand new bicycles belonging to failed bike-sharing firm ofo, in a $430,000 deal.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore’s laws apply equally to local and foreign offenders: MHA
The Singapore Government has dismissed as baseless allegations that Malaysian prisoners had been targeted for capital punishment, saying that the country’s laws apply equally to both local and foreign offenders.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Varsities, religious groups raising the most donations
Universities and religious groups top the list in the amount of donations collected by the largest charities here.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

‘Crocodile’ tycoon donates $38m to help elderly, children at risk and needy students
Populating the list compiled by The Sunday Times of the top 10 charities by donations were the usual suspects of universities and megachurches.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Temasek on poor performance of Bayer’s shares: We’re confident of its future prospects
The Fifth Person, an independent investment website which won the SGX Orb Awards last year, sent a person to attend the recent media event of Temasek Holdings which presented its fund’s performance over the last FY ended on 31 March 2019.
— The Online Citizen

Singapore opens first seed bank to protect regional plant diversity against climate change
Singapore’s first seed bank was officially launched on Saturday (Jul 13), as part of efforts to protect local and regional plant diversity against threats like climate change and habitat loss.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

The new tech driving traffic on Singapore’s roads
Ever find yourself cruising through multiple green lights down an empty stretch of road?
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Warren Buffett’s electric cars are here
THE car market continues to see a surge in electric power, as a new dealer flips the switch here on BYD, the Shenzhen-based manufacturer backed by legendary investor Warren Buffett.
— The Business Times

PR guilty of sharing info promoting child-sex acts
A senior bank executive formerly with Deutsche Bank met four other men in Singapore and shared with them information to promote child sex activities in the Philippines.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Most Singaporeans not so wild about wildlife neighbours
While free-roaming otters, wild chickens and hornbills are Instagram darlings in Singapore, this is not the case for other animals such as monkeys, snakes or wasps, a new study has found.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

SPH’s Q3 net profit falls 44% to $26.2m
Media and property group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) reported a 44 per cent drop in third-quarter net profit to $26.2 million from $46.9 million a year earlier amid challenging times for the media division.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Doctor in HIV data leak claims he gave prostate massages not illegal drug injections
The doctor at the heart of the HIV data leak conducted his own defence in an ongoing drug-related trial on Friday (Jul 12), claiming that he had given prostate massages and not illegal drug injections.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Husband and wife get jail, S$1m in penalties for tax evasion
Two company directors received jail terms and total penalties of more than S$1 million for claiming private expenses in company tax returns, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) said on Friday (Jul 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

MPH’s two remaining bookstores in Singapore to close by September
The two remaining MPH bookstores in Singapore are slated to close in July and September.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

German man found guilty of promoting child sex tours to undercover Singapore cops
A German businessman who marketed sex tours to undercover policemen in Singapore was found guilty on Friday (Jul 12) of promoting commercial sex with minors in the Philippines.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Father and son among 109 drug offenders arrested in islandwide raids
A total of 109 suspected drug offenders were arrested during islandwide raids conducted by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) that ended on Friday (Jul 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man’s jail term for illegal money transfers reduced as charges “wrong in law”: Apex court rules in criminal reference
A person who laundered the proceeds not of his own crime but of others’ (hereafter known as a “secondary offender”), cannot be charged as a primary offender for “dealing with property representing his benefits from criminal conduct”, an offence under section 47(1) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Cap 65A, 2000 Rev Ed) (“CDSA”).
— The Online Citizen

‘High-rise’ schools in the city?
GUOCOLAND Singapore has been trying to push the envelope on what an integrated development here could look like.
— The Business Times

Ex-combat medic lands spot in NUS medicine on third try
Coming from Pioneer Junior College and with a grade C marring his otherwise perfect A-level results, Mr Tan Ying Li did not think he would make it to the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Scheme to track blood pressure at home helps patients
A pilot scheme allowing hypertension patients to monitor their condition at home has shown promising results in its first six months.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Diploma course offers accreditation for security consultants
With almost two decades of experience in the security industry, Ms Kelley Teo is confident when advising clients of the security systems and workflows they can implement to protect their premises and assets.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Kellogg’s pushing for healthier snacks
Singaporeans are increasingly taking the healthy option when they have a snack attack these days, which is just peachy for consumer goods giant Kellogg’s.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

S’pore guy serving NS says parents called him ‘gu niang’ for becoming logistics quartermaster
He was such an embarrassment, apparently, that they told him to lie about his vocation at family gatherings.
— Mothership

Singaporean fined S$820 for not showing passport at Johor customs
A Singaporean manager was fined for not showing his passport when exiting Malaysia and was among four others who were charged for committing different immigration offences.
— The Independent

‘They ask us if we can make it stop raining or make it rain’: Life as a weather forecaster in Singapore
Nestled in a corner of Changi Airport, sheltered from the hubbub of one of the world’s busiest airports, is the Meteorological Service’s Central Forecast Office.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Young male smokers are biggest high-rise litterbugs
Seven in 10 offenders aged from 21 to 30 caught on NEA surveillance cameras are male.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Singapore seed bank to protect plant species
Much has been said about endangered animal species, but Singapore is now also doing its part for threatened plant species in South-east Asia with the opening of the country’s first seed bank.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Managing your tax bill
If you filed your tax returns by April 18, you are among the 96 per cent of taxpayers who met the deadline this year.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

ActiveSG gym for elderly opens in Ang Mo Kio, 4 more to open in mature estates
To help seniors age well, five ActiveSG gyms designed with the elderly and disabled in mind will open by the end of this year.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Police searching for man suspected of trying to rob Bedok pawn shop with kitchen chopper
The police are searching for a man suspected of attempting to rob a pawn shop in Bedok with a kitchen chopper.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

A lowdown on the top-funded agritech startups in Singapore
Southeast Asia provides exciting opportunities for agritech startups. Investors are definitely not ignoring this In Southeast Asia, the agricultural industry has contributed greatly to tackling some of the greatest challenges the region has faced.
— e27

BreadTalk Group Limited’s Share Price is Down 42%. Is it Really Cheap Now?
BreadtTalk Group Limited’s (SGX: S08) share price is near a 52-week low. Is it a good time now for investors to consider buying?
— The Motley Fool

Timing is everything to team coordinating aircraft for NDP
Ensuring that the aircraft involved in the National Day Parade (NDP) Red Lions military free fall, aerial display manoeuvres and state flag flypast can arrive precisely on time is the responsibility of the air force’s engineers and air traffic controllers.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Five ways to build a high trust city
Public housing estates in Singapore are built with green and open spaces, so everyone has access to them. Community amenities are also located close to homes, so that people from different backgrounds can interact with one another, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Myanmar armed group denies getting funds from S’pore-based association
The political wing of Myanmar’s Arakan Army (AA) insurgent group has denied receiving funds from the Arakan Association (Singapore) or AAS.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

55 schools oversubscribed in P1 Phase 2C every year
Over the past 13 years, 55 primary schools have been oversubscribed in Phase 2C every year since 2006.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Local bankers advised not to exploit turmoil in HK: Sources
Singapore has cautioned wealth managers against aggressively marketing their services or making other efforts to woo clients by capitalising on rival Hong Kong’s political turmoil, sources have said.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Thomson Medical prices $225m 3-year notes at 4.8%
Thomson Medical Group has priced its $225 million senior notes due in 2022 at 4.8 per cent.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

Chinese national arrested for possession of 24 cartons and nine packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes
A 49-year-old work permit holder, Wang Maozhou, was arrested for possessing 24 cartons and nine packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes following a raid at a poultry processing factory in Senoko Crescent on 5 July 2019.
— The Online Citizen

Chart of the Week: Singtel Shares Back in Favour
Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SGX: Z74) has seen its share price rally in the past month. What’s driving this and should investors revisit it as a dividend stock?
— The Motley Fool

Police dismiss claims of racism following incident at Bishan MRT Station, netizens on the fence over who was in the wrong
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (10 July), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) dismissed the allegations that police officers conducting checks at MRT stations target Malays, saying that the claims are “untrue, baseless, irresponsible, and may stir up racial tensions”.
— The Online Citizen

Braving curbs, Chinese buyers lead foreign revival in Singapore’s luxury homes
Foreigners are once again pouring money into Singapore’s high-end property market despite hefty levies introduced last year.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore rapper collaborates with migrant workers for a different kind of National Day song
As part of a new CNA documentary, Subhas Nair wrote Utopia together with Migrants Band Singapore, whose members work in construction, plumbing and security.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Haulio wins PITCH, becoming the first Singapore startup to achieve champion title
Singapore-based logistics startup Haulio announced that it has come up as champion of PITCH at this year’s RISE tech conference in Hong Kong, held from July 8-11.
— e27

3 Interesting Insights From Boustead Singapore Limited’s Latest Annual Report
Here are three interesting tidbits from Boustead Singapore Limited’s (SGX: F9D) recently released FY 2019 annual report that investors should know about.
— The Motley Fool

Singapore-based cybersecurity outfit Group-IB was recognised by Gartner for its solution against online fraud
Group-IB, an international company specialised in preventing cyber-attacks, online fraud, and investigating high-tech crimes, is proud to announce that it was recognised in Gartner’s 2019 Market Guide for Online Fraud Detection for its Secure Bank/Secure Portal solution.
— The Online Citizen

Providing Safe House for safe-haven assets
Leveraging his financial and software development experience and with $130,000 of savings, Mr Gregor Gregersen set up Silver Bullion in 2009.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

SG Cares mural honours pioneers in social services sector
When the Hotel New World collapsed in 1986, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) had yet to train its volunteers in disaster management.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

The Peak marks its 35th year with special edition featuring young pioneers
PLANTS and artificial intelligence do not make the most obvious bedfellows – unless you are Zac Toh, the founder of urban greenery specialist GWS Living Art, which provides indoor-greening solutions to high-profile destinations such as Jewel Changi Airport.
— The Business Times

5 months’ jail for private-hire car driver who assaulted man
A private-hire car driver punched a man who had refused to cancel his booking, causing the victim to lose two teeth.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

IPS report urges better end-of-life planning
July 13, 2019 5:00 AMWhen it comes to talking about death and dying, Singaporeans uncharacteristically leave things to the last minute.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

MOH, CPF Board correct misleading info
The Health Ministry (MOH) and the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board have issued a statement to correct what they described as misleading information that had been put out after a couple went public with their difficulties in paying for cancer treatment.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

13-year-old arrested for allegedly stealing cash amounting to S$1000 from residential unit in Tampines
A 13-year-old teenager was arrested for allegedly stealing cash amounting to S$1000, which was missing from a residential unit along Tampines Street 24.
— The Online Citizen

Eight women and one man arrested during series of enforcement operations against massage establishments and public entertainment outlets
Eight women and one man, aged between 29 and 56, were arrested during a series of enforcement operations against massage establishments and public entertainment outlets along Jalan Besar, Petain Road, Serangoon Road, Beach Road, Jalan Sultan and Prinsep Street on 10 and 11 July 2019.
— The Online Citizen

Baby Hoai An, who fought for her life in Singapore hospital, dies in Vietnam
SINGAPORE: Baby Trieu Hoai An, who was brought to Singapore for treatment after being abandoned at a coffee plantation in Vietnam, has died.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Man gets jail for caning girlfriend 40 times and making her kneel on lighters
A man who subjected his girlfriend to abuse over four days, whipping her 40 times with a cane and making her kneel on lighters, was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Friday (Jul 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

 

Feature photo WorldSkills Thailand

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo acknowledges World Youth Skills Day, July 15.

 

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.

 

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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.

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