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SINGAPORE In 13 days, Singapore will know if there will be a contest for the job of President of Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong issued the Writ of Election yesterday announcing Aug 17 as Nomination Day. If more than one candidate qualifies to run, Singaporeans will go to the polls 10 days later, on Aug 27, to pick the Republics third Elected President in what will be only the second contested election since 1993. Candidates have until 1pm this Saturday to submit their applications for a Certificate of Eligibility. Five people have declared their intention to contest in the Presidential Election. Their candidacies are subject to the approval from the Presidential Elections Committee, which will issue the certificate to successful applicants not later than the eve of Nomination Day. On Nomination Day, candidates are required to present the necessary documents including the Political Donation Certificate to the Returning Officer, as well as pay the S$48,000 election deposit to the Accountant-General.
(The candidates) had the full liberty to speak to people and create their own audiences all this while and, in fact, the first-mover started building his profile in March and declared his interest in the post soon after the General Election (in May).
institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow gillian koh says nine days of campaigning is adequate
We are quite prepared for the campaign, and we will carry out all our plans, such as going around malls and hawker centres to be visible. We will also tap on other means, such as through the media and online, he said. Political commentators, however, felt that nine days are adequate for the Presidential Election campaign. Said Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh: The rules are
aug 3 Writ for Presidential Election issued aug 6 Deadline for submission of application forms for Certificate of Eligibility aug 13 Deadline for submission of application forms for Political Donation Certificate aug 17 Nomination Day (if there is only one qualified candidate, he will be awarded a walkover) aug 27 Polling Day (in the event that there is more than one qualified candidate)
clear on this. Theyve had the full liberty to speak to people and create their own audiences all this while and, in fact, the first-mover started building his profile in March and declared his interest in the post soon after the General Election. The presidential aspirants also took the opportunity to reiterate their independence from the ruling Peoples Action Party. >> Continued on Page 2
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un committee concerned by under-reported violence against women, number of women in govt
Carolyn Quek
carolynquek@mediacorp.com.sg
reCommendations
Singapore Even as it welcomed the progress made to remove discrimination against women in the Republic, a United Nations (UN) committee on womens rights expressed concern at the persistence of domestic and sexual violence against women here which it says remains under-reported. This was among various issues the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) committee brought up in response to a report presented a fortnight ago by Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob at the UN headquarters in New York. Singapore acceded to the international convention in October 1995 and is legally bound to put its provisions into practice. The Republic is also required to submit a national report at least once every four years on the measures it has put in place to comply with the treaty. Delivering the report, Madam Halimah had stressed to the 23-member committee that gender equality was important to Singapores economic growth. Singapore had risen to 10th out of 138 countries on the UN Gender Inequality Index, she added, noting that womens literacy had risen to 93.8 per cent and more than half of students entering universities were female. Stereotypes were disappearing though that was a work in progress, and womens participation in the workforce had increased from below 30 per cent in the 1970s
to 56.5 per cent last year. The CEDAW committees concluding observations dated July 27 were circulated to the media by non-government organisations here. While the committee welcomed progress in the socio-economic situation of women, it called on the country to take proactive measures to increase womens participation in various spheres, among other efforts. For example, while noting the redesignation of the Womens Desk as the Office for Womens Development on July 1, the committee expressed concern about its limited authority, resources and its capacity to ensure that gender equality policies are properly developed and fully implemented. On violence against women, the committee welcomed Penal Code amendments made in 2008 criminalising spousal rape. However, it noted that the amendments are only applicable if the perpetrator and the victim are living apart, in the process of a divorce, and if the victim had applied for a Personal Protection Order. The committee urged Singapore to review the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code so as to criminalise domestic violence and marital rape. It also wants Singapore to raise awareness about the criminal nature of domestic violence and marital rape and destigmatise victims, so that more women will report such incidences. The UN committee was also concerned that women here continue to be underrepresented in decision-making in the Government and other sectors.
on trafficking Ratify Un Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish trafficking in Persons, especially women and children Enact specialised laws against trafficking in persons, including an internationally-recognised definition of human trafficking on employment Provide paid maternity leave for all women regardless of nationality and marital status on foreign domestic workers and foreign wives Review and amend existing labour laws concerning maids and ensure they are entitled to, among other things,a day off. Repeal the law requiring work permit holders,including maids, to be deported on the grounds of pregnancy or contracting sexually transmitted diseases
To this, the UN committee called on Singapore to adopt laws and policies promoting womens equal participation in decision-making in public and political life. The committee also wanted paid maternity leave here to apply to all women employees regardless of nationality and marital status. Mdm Halimah had said there has been much progress in the status of women in Singapore, but recognised there is always more that can be done. The Singapore Government is committed to ensuring the progress of women and to the full and practical realisation of our CEDAW obligations, she added.
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SINGAPORE Two incidents in three days involving Full-time National Servicemen (NSF) one sustained superficial injuries, the other died have cast the spotlight back on training safety in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). As the SAF suspended outfield training in all army units and training schools to conduct a review yesterday, Members of Parliament (MPs) on the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Defence and Foreign Affairs urged the public not to jump to conclusions before the investigations are complete. Nee Soon GRC MP Lim Wee Kiak, who chairs the GPC, reiterated the need for investigators to do their work. Dr Lim also noted that the two incidents were not of the same nature. Adding that one incident is one too many, Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Alvin Yeo said it was premature to conclude if there was any complacency in SAFs training safety regime. Said Mr Yeo: We have to look over a longer period of time and go through all the incidents that occurred ... That the two incidents happened in three days is a very unfortunate coincidence. On Tuesday, Specialist Cadet (SCT) Ee Chun Sheng, 21, was found unconscious during a navigation exercise. Despite
We have to look over a longer period of time and go through all the incidents that occurred ... That the two incidents happened in three days is a very unfortunate coincidence.
chua chu kang grc MP alvin yeo
prompt medical attention and efforts to resuscitate him, Ee was pronounced dead in hospital hours later. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is investigating the incident. Ees death came two days after Specialist Cadet (SCT) Percy Toh Cheng Kai sustained superficial injuries after the propellant of a round in the grenade launcher exploded prematurely in the weapon. It was not clear how long the current outfield training suspension would be in place. SAF has also suspended livetraining with 40mm Automatic Grenade Launchers (AGL) until further notice. Sembawang GRC MP Ellen Lee noted that the victims of the latest incidents were both rather inexperienced national servicemen. We have to find out why this is happening to the newer soldiers. I urge more caution in the field, especially for the new (soldiers).
Mr tan Jee say and his wife with supporters at the elections department yesterday. Photo by Wee teck hiaN
NO REASONABLE ExCuSE FOR NOT PAYING TAxI FARE? FACE S$1,000 FINE PAGE 4
SINGAPORE Presidential hopeful Tan Jee Say put forward his case yesterday on why he should be eligible to stand in the election. Mr Tan, who submitted application forms for a Certificate of Eligibility at the Elections Department, also issued a two-page press statement on why he meets the stringent criteria. Mr Tan pointed out that between Feb 1, 1997, and Feb 9, 2001, he was the chief executive officer with the title of regional managing director of John Govett (Asia) and its successor company AIB Govett (Asia), which was incorporated under the Singapore Companies Act. Said Mr Tan: As the most senior officer in AIB Govett, which was the groups regional head office for the Asia-Pacific region, I was the groups representative in Singapore and the key contact person of the group vis-a-vis the Monetary Authority of Singapore. One of the criterion for the Presidential Election is for the candidate to have served not less than
three years as CEO of a Singaporebased company with paid-up capital of S$100 million. Alternatively, the candidate must have served for not less than three years in any other similar or comparable position of seniority and responsibility in any other organisation or department of equivalent size or complexity in the public or private sector. And Mr Tan reiterated that it is under the latter criterion that he has applied for a Certificate of Eligibility. He also pointed out that there was no stipulation of S$100 million in paid-up capital in this criterion. Had it been Parliaments intention to stipulate this requirement in the alternative criterion, it could easily have done so, he added. Mr Tan said: Rather, there are several alternative measures to paid-up capital as the touchstone to measure the size of a company, and in the case of an asset management company such as AIB Govett, we should look at the scope and extent of responsibility for funds under its management. He added: As for complexity,
I aim to reach out to Singapore. There are also non-Opposition supporters who have been quietly supporting me.
Presidential hopeful tan Jee say
AIB Govett was not only a booking office for assets but also ran a full investment management operation. Several Opposition politicians were at the Elections Department yesterday to lend support to Mr Tan. They included National Solidarity Party members Nicole Seah and Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss, as well as Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) member Michelle Lee. Mr Tan, who resigned from the SDP to put his name forward for the Presidential Election, told Today that he represents more than just the Opposition. He added: I aim to reach out to Singapore. There are also nonOpposition supporters who have been quietly supporting me.
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no reasonable excuse for not paying taxi fare? Face s$1,000 fine
tanya Fong
tanyafong@mediacorp.com.sg
We find ourselves in one of those periods when it is anyones guess which way the economic tides are shifting. The media that you are exposed to is doing little to untangle the confusion. With news of the recent uncertainties from the unrest in the Middle East, Europes debt crisis, a weak US economical recovery are all these signs that we might be heading for a bad second half of 2011? However, in spite of alarming signs of doom and gloom, do you know that there are numerous opportunities out there for you to seize the opportunity and take the rst advantage? There is a saying that in times of uncertainty, we should not only prepare for the worst, but also work for the best. This is because the best time to prepare for the next Financial Boom, whether it comes sooner or later is before it happens. SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?... ACT NOW!
SINGAPORE With the number taxi drivers of being cheated of their fares reportedly on the rise, the spotlight has now turned on what recourse cabbies have when passengers make off without paying. Highlighted by a taxi driver who wrote to the media last week, the issue of enforcement against taxi fare cheating was discussed during a recent dialogue session taxi operators had with the Land Transport Authority, said Premier Taxi managing director Lim Chong Boo. Said Mr Lim: Without strong enforcement of the Public Transport Council (PTC) Act, theres a limit to what can be done to solve the situation. The issue of taxi fare cheating is not new but it is getting more prevalent and blatant as the fare dodgers perceive a loophole in the system that nothing can be done to penalise them. Taxi operators have seen an increase in the number of such cheating cases reported. ComfortDelGro cabbies, for one, have reported an average of 166 fare cheats a month this year compared with 134 a month in 2008. The operator manages 15,000 taxis in Singapore the largest fleet here. Cabbies and passengers can turn to the police for mediation if there is a dispute over the route taken or destination. If mediation is unsuccessful, the taxi driver can file a report with the police and may also lodge a magistrates complaint. A public transport official or police officer may also arrest without warrant any
person believed to have committed an offence such as failing to pay a taxi fare under the PTC Act. The passenger can be detained until his name and address have been ascertained, so that he can be brought to court. A passenger found guilty of failing or refusing to pay the fare as indicated on the meter without reasonable excuse can be fined up to S$1,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to S$2,000 or jailed up to six months, or both. Passengers who feel they have been bullied into paying a fare where the taxi driver took a wrong route, or was taken to the wrong destination, can make a police report, file a magistrates complaint and complain to the taxi company. ComfortDelGro advises its drivers to file a non-payment report with the police. It may also, as a gesture of goodwill, reimburse cabbies for the loss of the fare. SMRT Taxis also requires a police report and taxi receipt for reimbursement. In the meantime, cabbies like Mr Tan Kok Yeow, are going to lengths to ensure they receive payment such as asking the passenger to leave their mobile phone in the taxi when they alight to get the money to pay the fare. Said Mr Tan, 46: If they say they dont have a mobile phone, Ill ask them politely to contact their family or a friend to bring the money to them while they wait in my cab, or Ill park my taxi and follow them to their destination. If they are sincere about paying, it should not be a problem.
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KUALA LUMPUR A private Malaysian television station has axed a series of commercials to mark the Muslim month of Ramadan after angry viewers complained the ads insulted non-Muslim ethnic minorities. A 30-second clip depicted a Chinese girl eating as Muslims watched, while another showed her wearing a sleeveless blouse. In the last one, she is shown shouting at a
Even we were surprised by the enormous diversity of the victim organisations and were taken aback by the audacity of the perpetrators.
Mcafee vice-president of threat research dmitri alperovitch
Mr Jim Lewis, a cyber expert with the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, was briefed on the discovery by McAfee. He said it was very likely that China was behind the campaign because some of the targets had information that would be of particular interest to Beijing. The systems of the IOC and several national Olympic committees were breached in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Games, for example. Everything points to China. It could be the Russians but there is more that points to China than Russia, he said. He added that the US and Britain were capable of pulling off this kind of campaign but we wouldnt spy on ourselves and the Brits wouldnt spy on us. rEutErs
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reuters
into the compound, chanting We love you, Mubarak! until the police charged at them with electrified batons and dispersed them. In other Arab countries, while many are still convulsed by their own upheavals, people watched the court drama with fascination. A Bahraini activist called Online Bahrain addressed other despots across the Arab world: Dear Arab dictator, take a long hard look at Mubarak. He was just as powerful as you were. Your time is up if you dont change. agencies
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CHINAS INfLATIoN MUDDLe
Barring unexpected shocks, price growth should peak soon
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PAGe 12
SINGAPORE An upcoming social-political thriller, which is set against the backdrop of a defining moment in Singapores history and featuring a young Mr Lee Kuan Yew as one of its characters, is not a political film, said its executive producer, Mr Daniel Yun. Neither has the film, 1965, The Beginning, been endorsed or sanctioned by the Government, Mr Lees office or the Lee family, said Mr Yun, who is also the chief executive officer of Homerun Asia. The Singapore company is co-producing the movie with Chinas Zonbo Media under the Co-production Agreement signed between Singapore and China last year. The movie which has generated much interest aims for an August 2012 release. Mr Yun said he is not worried about any possible conflicts. I personally have faith in MDA (Media Development Authority) that they will look at this film as they would any other commercial film, he told Today. ... If there is any interference, it wont be the interference people might think it is. Because were not re-writing history. Were looking at documented facts. And the spine of the film is really about the small moments of the characters and how their lives have changed. So if there might be any interference, it may be other things that in any other movie we would also face. I personally dont think there would be interference in relation to, for example, our portrayal of Mr Lee Kuan Yew,
I personally dont think there would be interference in relation to, for example, our portrayal of Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
1965 executive producer daniel Yun
Mr Yun added. When contacted, the MDA said the film will be classified when it is submitted to them. The movie centres around a multi-threaded plot structure that examines the themes of home and identity through a defining moment in a young nations history 1965 was the year when Singapore became independent following separation from Malaysia. The movie will be shot in Singapore, Malaysia and China with a budget of US$5 million (S$6 million). When I was writing the Lee Kuan Yew character, the only person I had in mind was Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1965s writer-director Lee Thean-jeen told Today. Because as a personality, he has a such a presence all on his own, he said. So, is it true what the grapevine is saying that Hong Kong superstar Tony Leung will be playing the young Lee Kuan Yew? The film-makers are neither confirming nor denying it. I really wouldnt pass up the chance to work with Tony Leung, Mr Lee Thean-jeen said. But at the end of the day, I think well be casting whoever is most suited for the role. Without prejudice to the actor being Singaporean or not, he added.
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Comment&analysis
AT 34, SHE OFFERS PAkISTAN HOPE PAGE 14
yu yongding
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ven as the debt crises in Europe and the United States loom large and the global economic recovery falters, inflation is making a comeback worldwide. Indeed, emergingmarket economies are bracing for a serious bout of it together with the dire political consequences that it will bring. Chinas headline consumer price index (CPI) jumped 6.4 per cent year on year in June, reaching its highest level since July 2008. Against the background of a shaky global recovery, concerns have grown considerably over a possible hard landing for the Chinese economy, caused by monetary tightening aimed at controlling inflation. In China, food prices account for about a third of the CPI basket, with the price of pork bearing a large weight. As a result, the CPI is jokingly called the pork price index. In June, pork prices rose 57 per cent year on year, contributing nearly two percentage points to the overall inflation rate. Unfortunately, macroeconomic policy can do little about the hog cycle and usually should not respond to it. While Chinas inflation problem should not be exaggerated, complacency would be dangerous. Current inflation is more broad-based than it appears, regardless of the controversy surrounding the adequacy of Chinas CPI basket in reflecting the reality of underlying price movements. In fact, annual increases in nonfood prices accelerated to 3 per cent in June, up from 2.9 per cent in May. According to Chinas National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), living expenses increased by 6.1 per cent year on year in May. Many worry that nonfood prices may rise higher. Barring unexpected shocks, I believe that Chinas inflation may peak soon. From a macroeconomic perspective, Chinas current inflation is attributable both to demand-pull and cost-push factors. unEXPECtEdLy PErsistEnt Historically, inflation in China has followed GDP growth with a lag. Todays inflationary pressures are partly the result of the lagged impact of the stimulus package that China adopted in 2009 to fight off the effects of the global financial crisis. But Chinas GDP growth has already started to fall towards its po-
In the second half of 2011, Chinas growth rate could fall further, but there will be no hard landing.
Chinas current macroeconomic situation shares many similarities with the situation that it faced in 2007 and the best part of 2008, when, owing to strong investment and export demand, GDP growth surged significantly beyond its potential. Worried about worsening inflation and a budding real-estate bubble, the Peoples Bank of China (PBC, the central bank) gradually tightened its monetary stance. Yet inflation continued to worsen, peaking at 8.7 per cent in February 2008. The most difficult period for Chinese decision-makers was between February and September 2008, when, despite abundant signs of a softening in domestic demand, overall demand remained strong, as did inflation. To tighten or not to tighten: That was the question. The PBC continued to tighten. But the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008 brought global economic growth to a screeching halt. Chinas GDP growth fell dramatically, owing to the collapse of external demand. To offset the negative shock, the Chinese government enacted a 4-trillion-yuan (S$750 billion) stimulus package, and the PBC shifted its policy stance abruptly. There is no question about the necessity for the turnaround. However, with hindsight, one might ask
Yu Yongding, currently president of the China Society of World Economics, is a former member of the monetary policy committee of the Peoples Bank of China and former director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of World Economics and Politics.
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comment&analysis
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s soon as Ms Hina Rabbani Khar touched down in New Delhi last week to meet Mr S M Krishna, her Indian counterpart, #HRK and #Birkin her initials and the name of her handbag began trending worldwide on Twitter. Across the border, reactions to Ms Khar who, at 34, is Pakistans youngest Foreign Minister were surprising. The Indian media gushed (First they sent bombs, now they send bombshells), while Pakistans was less enamoured (Does this expensively dressed minister represent a country which is under hefty debt?). But Ms Khar Hermes purse, Roberto Cavalli sunglasses and all very much represents Pakistan. And especially Pakistani political culture. The rich-poor disconnect in Pakistan is increasing. A 2010 study estimated that 32 per cent of Pakistans 180 million population subsists below the poverty line. According to the Human Development Index, 60.3 per
Pakistan Foreign Minister hina rabbani Khar (pictured here with India`s high Commissioner to Pakistan sharat sabharwal) flew to new delhi last tuesday to meet her Indian counterpart s M Krishna. aP
reigns supreme. Given the military and Inter-Services Intelligence Directorates long history of involvement in Pakistans foreign policy, many wonder how Ms Khar can make a difference, especially when her predecessor apparently lost his job for resisting diplomatic immunity for a United States Central Intelligence Agency operative Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistanis in January. As part of a government that has had its hands tied by the army, and a nation that is often labelled an army with a country, not a country with an army, Ms Khar and her Prime Minister are not the real decisionmakers. And no Foreign Minister will be, any time soon. Yet she offers hope. Pakistan has countless women like Ms Khar perhaps not in terms of lifestyle, but in how they choose to live their lives, dedicated to public service. From Fatima Jinnah to Benazir Bhutto, from Sherry Rehman to Asma Jahangir, Pakistani women are no shrinking violets. During the draconian years of former President General Muhammad Zia ul Haq, it was women who led the protests. Women artists, entrepreneurs, politicians, authors and professionals have always rejected the corseted roles men have sought to cast them in. Although the Hudood laws continue to cripple the status of women in Pakistan today, the Womens Act, the criminal law amendment against honour killing, the Bill for protection against harassment of women at the workplace, and the acid control and acid crime prevention laws are powerful strides forward. Today, nearly 30 per cent of doctors and
22 per cent of parliamentarians including the National Assembly speaker are women. In 2009, Ms Khar became the first woman to present the federal budget in parliament. Pakistani women are dynamic and unafraid, and this fact is one of the saving graces of our benighted country. Ms Khar has been criticised for being too young and for having a degree in hospitality management. But we are a young country with a young population (the median age is 21), so it is fitting that we have a young representative. While her father has no degree, she has two (the other in economics). What was achieved in Ms Khar and Mr Krishnas first meeting represented a marked change in outlook for the relationship between the two nations. Both sides agreed to boost trade by doubling the number of days the Kashmiri line of control would be open for commerce. Pakistan will give India most-favoured-nation status and India will lower tariff duties. Travel restrictions will be eased. India issued a statement that could be read to mean it was satisfied with Pakistans progress in the 2008 Mumbai attacks case. We still have a long way to go. It is unfair to expect Ms Khar to magically set right a history plagued with distrust. Our relations with India and America are complicated, and will remain so. But by confidently reaching out to India, she represents Pakistan and its peoples aspirations better than any man military or civilian ever could.
the guardIan
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comment&analysis
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america must address the unsustainable growth of its entitlement programmes and reform its tax code
ErsKINE BoWLEs aNd aLaN sIMPsoN
ast month, United States President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders came close to an agreement that could have set our nation on a sound fiscal path, only to see deal after deal, compromise after compromise, collapse. The debt deal that Congress finally approved on Tuesday, however, is a start. It calls for at least US$2.1 trillion (S$2.54 trillion) in deficit reduction, including, starting in the fall, caps on discretionary spending worth around US$900 billion in savings over 10 years, which is not chump change in anyones book. It represents an important first step towards fiscal sanity, and, by taking it we have avoided default and thus a potential financial crisis. We hope to avoid a costly downgrade to our debt as well. The problem with the plan is that it is just a step forward. It is not a solution. It leaves more than half of its work finding at least US$1.2 trillion in savings to avert an automatic set of cuts to a new bipartisan Congressional committee. Even if that committee is successful, more tough work will be necessary to avoid, a few years down the road, another crisis over the deficit. This country needs a plan to reduce our deficits by no less than US$4 trillion in the next decade. It needs a plan to cut more wasteful spending in the defence and nondefence budgets than this deal does. In addition, we must address the unsustainable growth of our entitlement programmes and reform the tax code to make it more competitive and more efficient. The bipartisan committee must take
To avoid drastic changes later, we need to make modest changes now like gradually increasing the retirement age, slowing the growth of benefits for higher earners and asking them to contribute a little more in payroll taxes. These changes can and should be made in a way that actually improves retirement security for the most vulnerable.
the deficit at the same time. To do all this, the new committee must be bipartisan and bold. It must resist the temptation to simply recommend the bare minimum necessary to avert the next crisis instead of truly dealing with our long-term fiscal problem. The leaders of Congress must appoint members who will come to the committee with a willingness to reach a principled compromise that puts national interests ahead of partisan ones. We were co-chairmen of a similar bipartisan group on debt reduction last year, and titled our final report The Moment of Truth. Of all our prescriptions, the most pertinent today is the one alluded to in the title: We must act now. If our government cannot address these terribly tough issues at a time when the publics attention is fully on them, when will we ever be able to? The committee must begin its work immediately. We can reform our budget gradually without disrupting a very fragile economic recovery, but reform it we must.
thE NEW yorK tIMEs
according to the authors, if the us does not reform social security to achieve sustainable solvency, it will place an undue burden on future generations.
on these challenges. It should find savings of far more than US$1.2 trillion to get the deficit on track towards sustainability and to reassure markets, maintain our credibility, keep interest rates down and restore Americans faith in the political system. To do this, it cannot avoid addressing the big ticket items Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security solvency and tax reform. If we cannot find a way to slow the rapid rise of healthcare costs, they will drive this country to bankruptcy. We should ask more of healthcare providers and drug companies through adjustments in payment formulas and increased drug rebates for Medicaid and Medicare, more from beneficiaries through more rational cost-sharing rules that discourage the overutilisation of care, and more from lawyers through tort reform. And we need to cap growth in the long run. If we do not reform Social Security to achieve sustainable solvency, we will not only place an undue burden on future generations,
we will leave all beneficiaries with a 23-percent across-the-board benefit cut in 2036. To avoid drastic changes later, we need to make modest changes now like gradually increasing the retirement age, slowing the growth of benefits for higher earners and asking them to contribute a little more in payroll taxes. These changes can and should be made in a way that actually improves retirement security for the most vulnerable. And we must address the tax code. We need new revenue to finance the increasing costs of our healthcare system and an ageing population but it should come from reducing or eliminating tax breaks, not from higher rates. The tax code is riddled with annual tax breaks amounting to US$1 trillion most of which are just government spending in disguise. By reforming them, we can reduce individual and corporate tax rates in a way that keeps the tax code progressive while promoting economic growth and reducing
Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson were co-chairmen of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
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VOiCeS
T oday
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Voices
Letter from Juliana Chow
Corporate Communications Deputy Director, Energy Market Authority
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What is in a word?
Letter from daniel Chan Wai Piew
I REFER to the incident where Nanyang Technological University graduate Trinetta Chong spurted an expletive on an otherwise grand occasion. An NTU spokesman later said it was an isolated incident. It may be so for NTU, but I bet it was not the first time Ms Chong used such an expletive. Looking at the student population as a whole, this is an alarming, real issue and a wake-up call for our educators. Years ago, expletives, mostly in dialect, were hurled as abusive remarks or muttered casually, probably without the user knowing the meaning. In any case, they were used by uncouth or uneducated people in search of better words to express themselves. Today, we find students of all ages using expletives shamelessly in all languages and in all places, including trains, buses, shopping malls and, yes, schools and universities. What is in a word? Nothing, as it simply highlights the speakers emotion. Plenty, as it conjures images and actions and reflects the upbringing of the speaker. Indeed, how many graduates get the opportunity to go on stage to be a valedictorian? We have situational writing in school. It is time we teach situational talking, too.
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Singapore
S$30 million boost for food r&D
SINGAPORE To address future food demands, the National Research Foundation (NRF) has awarded S$30 million in research grants to three projects under its Competitive Research Programme (CRP) Funding Scheme. The Singapore-based researchers had proposed projects to study a type of seabass that will breed easily and grows twice as fast as the normal variety, disease-resistent rice strains and fish that will be less susceptible to infection. The three proposals were selected after a rigorous competitive process which started in October last year, with the submission of 35 white papers which responded to the NRFs grant call on Meeting Future Food Demands for Singapore. Eleven were picked and their researchers asked to flesh out full proposals, which were sent for international peer reviews. Finally, the NRFs International Evaluation Panel met to choose three. The CRP Funding Scheme offers funding support of up to S$10 million per proposal, over three to five years. CRP grant calls are announced twice a year. The NRF also announced yesterday a research grant to develop advanced membrane technology for large-scale wastewater treatment and seawater desalination.
SINGAPORE When it comes to public sexual health services, a majority of patients would prefer to have specialised clinics for individual groups such as youths and homosexuals, according to the findings of the first study on the subject here. The study also raised concerns about young people below 20 becoming sexually active at a younger age and men-whohave-sex-with-men (MSM), citing the need for sexual health prevention and intervention programmes specifically tailored for them. The Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control (DSC) Clinic which conducted the study two years ago has since set up a Mens Clinic on its premises, seeing between 30 and 40 patients every month. The clinic, meant for MSM, has only male staff to make for a less intimidating environment for the patients. The setting up of the clinic in January is in line with the studys results, which showed that more than 70 per cent of the 130 MSMs respondents felt the need to have a clinic to cater to their needs. As for having other dedicated clinics, 61 per cent of all 1,000 respondents said that it was essential to have a clinic catering to young patients. While setting up these specific services could encourage the targeted groups to come forward for screening and treatment, such moves may also be viewed by some quarters as sending out the wrong signals to society. National University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan noted that some conservative groups would argue that abstinence is the best prevention but the truth of the matter is that there are these
alternative lifestyles in the community. Citing past findings that homosexuals tend to be at a higher risk of contracting Aids, she said: Having a dedicated clinic would reach out to them and promote control to turn a blind eye would, in fact, result in unwanted consequences. While such a service could be beneficial, the challenge lies in getting a positive take-up rate, added Associate Professor Straughan. As for youths, the Singapore Childrens Societys Dr Carol Balhetchet pointed out that information about sex is already widely available. Dr Balhetchet, its director of youth services, said that reaching out to youths would be best left to other youths who have gone through the hard way as adults will be deemed as judgmental. However, she added, a supportive family would strongly encourage youth to stay out of trouble. The DSC Clinic study, Patients Perception of Health Services for Sexually Transmitted Infections in Singapore, was published in the July edition of the Singapore Medical Journal. Led by Dr Gavin Ong from the DSC Clinic, the study collected 1,000 individual responses from patients over a four-week period in May 2009. Dr Ong told Today that the findings were in line with international studies and anecdotal observations, where confidentiality and competency of healthcare workers were key concerns of patients. While the issue of stigma was not highlighted in the study, Dr Ong said this was one of the studys limitations since the respondents were patients of the DSC Clinic. Still, he added, the study, being the first of its kind here, serves as a good reference point on patients needs.
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SINGAPORE A teenaged boy accused of the molestation of four girls and insulting the modesty of four others has been offered bail of S$15,000. His lawyer, Ms Christina Goh, told the court that the parents of the 15-year-old student have already put in place plans to ensure that he is accompanied at all times. The lawyer said the boys father will fetch his son from school as the youngster allegedly had committed the offences while on his way home. She added that he had already missed about a month of school. It is believed that the boy, who cannot be named due to his age, carried out the molestation of the four girls in the lifts of Bukit Batok apartment blocks between April and June this year.
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The lawyer said the boys father will fetch his son from school as the youngster allegedly had committed the offences while on his way home.
SINGAPORE A former sales manager who visited jewellery shops and swapped five genuine diamonds with look-alike crystals was jailed for a year yesterday. Loh Han Kok (picture), 39, targeted five different stores last year and stole more than S$63,000 worth of diamonds. He pleaded guilty to three charges, while four others were taken into consideration during sentencing. Loh used to work in the jewellery industry before he decided to dabble in multi-level marketing. But he did badly and racked up large credit card bills instead. The court heard that Loh stole the most expensive diamond, valued at nearly S$33,000, from a Lee Hwa Jewellery outlet at Causeway Point shopping centre in Woodlands. He visited the store on Dec 2 and asked to view the 1.5-carat gemstone. A customer service executive took it out and placed the diamond on a tray so that Loh could examine it under a scope. Loh then asked if he could take a look at the diamond certificate and the service executive obliged. He left Loh with the gemstone while he retrieved the document. While he was gone, Loh switched the diamond with a fake and pocketed the genuine gemstone. The switch was only discovered 11 days later when another employee re-examined
He stole the most expensive diamond, valued at nearly S$33,000, from a Lee Hwa Jewellery outlet at Causeway Point in Woodlands.
the stores loose diamonds and could not find a laser inscription, usually found on genuine gemstones, on an item she thought was a 1.5-carat diamond. The police were alerted to the offences after a jewellery store in Yishun lodged a report stating that one of its customers had switched a genuine diamond with a fake. Loh was arrested following an investigation which revealed that he had used a similar ruse in other shops islandwide. Deputy Public Prosecutor Amardeep Singh said that, after stealing the diamonds, Loh would sell them to a company known as To Win Enterprises. He received more than S$23,000 for three of them, said the DPP.
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World
Call for release of Internet aCtIvIst
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Chinese rights advocates are calling for the release of an Internet activist who will soon face trial in a case they say highlights the governments fear of increasingly bold public activism. Supporters say Wang lihong, 56, represents a growing breed of Internet-empowered Chinese activists ordinary people who mobilise others to fight problems such as corruption or miscarriages of justice. The charge is linked to Wangs participation in a dem-
onstration outside a court in Fuzhou city last April in support of three bloggers accused of slander after they tried to help an illiterate woman pressure the authorities to reinvestigate her daughters death. Wang, held at a central Beijing detention centre, is expected to be tried in several weeks on the vaguely worded charge of creating a disturbance and will plead not guilty, her lawyer Han Yicun said. If convicted, she faces up to five years in jail. ap
A study claiming that those who use Microsofts Internet Explorer browser have a lower average IQ than those who use Google Chrome or Apples Safari is a hoax, the BBC reported yesterday. The research, which was conducted by bogus firm ApTiquant, claimed to have invited 100,000 Web users to take a free online IQ test and then compared the results to the browsers they used. It was carried by a number
of media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, The Daily Telegraph, Forbes and Today. But questions arose over ApTiquants authenticity after it emerged that its website was set up only last month, with images stolen from a legitimate French research company, Central Test. It was unclear who perpetrated the hoax. No one on ApTiquants contact number was available for comment when contacted by the BBC.
A homeless man was in custody on Tuesday night in the United States capital, Washington, after climbing over the White House fence. The man was apprehended by Secret Service agents, said agency spokesman Ed donovan. The fence-jumper, James dirk
Crudup, 41, had a backpack that was being examined for possible explosive material. He faces charges of unlawful entry and contempt of court for violating an order to stay away from the White House. President Barack obama was believed to be in the White House at
the time of the intrusion. on Sunday night, another intruder made it onto the grounds before she was apprehended: A six-year-old girl who slipped through the bars of the fence. She was returned to her parents outside the fence without any interrogation. agenCIes
Police were yesterday called in to defuse a bomb strapped to an 18-year-old girl at a house in a wealthy suburb of Sydney. New South Wales police said the teenager, reportedly part of one of Sydneys wealthiest families, called them to the house in Mosman. Police then spent the next 10 hours helping extricate 18-year-old Madeleine Pulver.
A police officer initially said the device was believed to be an unusual collar bomb which has never been seen before in Australia. But when the device was finally removed, it was found to be non-explosive. officials had evacuated surrounding homes, closed streets to traffic and medical and fire crews were on standby. agenCIes
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Hosted by
he latest buzzwords in home entertainment systems are smart, HD (high definition) and 3D. What this all means is that home theatre systems can now transport you to an entertainment realm that is more immersive and realistic than ever. With smart TVs and the latest home theatre systems that feature superior 3D sound and, for some, smart Blu-ray functions, you can now have better access to a wider range of 2D and 3D content, such as movies, games, music and sports, as well as the convenience of enhanced connectivity at home.
SMART TV Besides watching television programmes, a smart TV can essentially be used as a computer for Web browsing and for accessing online content such as games and movies. Most smart TVs have app stores bursting with a multitude of applications you can download for your information, entertainment and social media needs. Wireless connectivity is a must, as it allows you to link up to your other (compatible) devices without the hassle of additional and unsightly cables. Not only will you have easy access to the content stored on your digital cameras, mobile phones, tablets and notebooks, you can effortlessly transfer content such as movies, photos and music from them to your TV. You can even connect your mobile phone to some smart TVs and then send and receive SMS messages on the latter. Intuitive interfaces and clever design add another dimension to your entertainment experience. For instance, some smart TVs have sync functions that consolidate all the controls of your entire home theatre system into one remote control for easy navigation. Others have thoughtful functions such as position control a built-in face detection camera and technology determines where you are seated relative to the TV, and automatically adjusts the picture and audio balance for an optimum experience. SMART HOME THEATRE SYSTEM The latest home theatre systems do not just come with HD and 3D playback for standard DVDs, but also smart TV capabilities, which means you have the same options of using a Web browser directly on the TV screen, and accessing online content easily. A full range of apps and wireless connectivity are also part of the package. Some systems also
A wide range of smart TVs and home theatre systems, priced from S$599, are available at Harvey Norman. allow you to download an app that turns your smartphone into a remote control. The beauty of a home theatre system lies in the superior sound quality it offers the latest offerings promise to serve up 3D audio that matches the 3D movies and TV viewing experience. Different manufacturers employ different technology to achieve the desired effects but some features you can look for include vertical sound channels used in tallboy speakers that expand the sound field to the ceiling, dual subwoofers that deliver a room-filling effect, and amplifiers which filter distortion and noise to result in crystal-clear, pure sound. Also, you may want to look for systems that support premium audio formats such as Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. Additional functions that may appeal to individuals include built-in karaoke capability and docking stations for iPods and iPhones. SMART BLU-RAY HOME THEATRE SYSTEMS On top of playback for standard DVDs, some of the most up-to-date home theatre systems have also integrated full HD 1,080p playback for Blu-ray discs. These typically also have the ability to up-convert older, non-HD content to be played at full 1,080p, and there are also machines equipped with powerful video processors that can convert 2D content into 3D.
Tell us what to look out for when shopping for home entertainment systems!
Email your tip, in no more than 50 words, to smartshopper@mediacorp.com.sg by 12pm on Aug 10 with your full name as in NRIC, NRIC number and contact number, and you could be the lucky one to win a $50 shopping voucher from Harvey Norman! The winning tip will be published in the next Smart Shopper feature on Aug 18.
TERMS & CONDITIONS This contest is open to all except employees and immediate family members of Pertama Merchandising Pte Ltd and its companies, and MediaCorp Pte Ltd. Please submit entry with your full name as in NRIC, NRIC No and contact number. By participating in this contest, the participant agrees to be bound by the official rules, regulations and decisions. Judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained. All participants must be above the age of 18. All entries must be submitted via email. Any discrepancies shall disqualify the participant. All winners will be notified by phone. Each participant is only allowed to submit 1 entry (not more than 50 words) for each contest. The management reserves the right to amend any terms and conditions of this contest without prior notice.
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World
Vietnam Parliament aPProVes Cabinet that strengthens Pms Power
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Vietnams Parliament approved a new Cabinet yesterday that is likely to enhance the Prime Ministers power and may streamline policy-making during a rough patch for the economy but points largely to continuity in the coming five years. Analysts see all four deputy Prime Ministers as supporters of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan dung, bolstering his control over
the US$100 billion (S$120.9 billion) economy, which is struggling with high inflation, trade and budget deficits and a volatile currency. As widely expected, Parliament approved as central bank governor Nguyen Van Binh, a former colleague of the Prime Ministers, and also endorsed an audit and accounting expert to be finance minister.
The National Assembly handed Mr Nguyen a second five-year term last week. during his first term the economy overheated and then struggled through the global economic crisis. Some critics said Mr Nguyen reacted too slowly at times and shunned outside advice, and all three major rating agencies lowered Vietnams credit rating last year. reuters
An off-duty police officer is the main suspect in the killing of an 18-year-old Norwegian tourist outside a bar in a Manila suburb where he tried to stop a fight, the chief investigator said yesterday. Police said Mr Mikael Troy Johansen rasay had left the bar with friends early on Sunday when he tried to break up a fight between a man and a woman across the street. Chief Inspector rodelio Marcelo, head of the Quezon Citys Criminal Investigation and detection Unit, said that Mr rasay, who stood 1.9m-tall, knocked the man down in a fist fight.
A second man also fought with Mr rasay but the teenager also knocked him down. Gunfire rang out moments later and witnesses reported seeing another man chasing and shooting Mr rasay, who slumped to the ground after he was hit three times in the back, according to Mr Marcelo. The suspect, a Manila police officer who fled the scene in a car, has been identified by eyewitnesses. Mr rasay, whose father is Filipino, had spent much of his childhood in Norway. A wake was held at the rasay family home in Tanza township, near Manila. aP
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World
ROME An Italian parliamentary commission has approved a draft law banning women from wearing veils that cover their faces in public. The draft passed by the Constitutional Affairs Commission on Tuesday would prohibit women from wearing a burqa, naqib or any other garb that covers the face in such circumstances. It would expand a decades-old law that for security reasons, prohibited people from wearing face-covering items in public places. Women who violate the ban would face fines of between 100 (S$172) and 300, while third parties who force women to cover their faces in public would be fined 30,000 and face up to 12 months in jail.
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Italian panel approves draft law banning veils that cover faces
Italy is the latest European country to act against the burqa. France and Belgium have banned the wearing of burqa-style Islamic dress in public, as has a city in Spain. The Italian law was sponsored by the Moroccan-born member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconis conservative Freedom People party Ms Souad Sbai who said she wanted to help Islamic women better integrate into Italian society. However, Mr Roberto Hamza Piccard, spokesman for the Union of Islamic Communities in Italy, said banning the Islamic veil is unjust and touches individual liberty. He was quoted by the ANSA news agency as saying that such a ban would isolate devout Muslim women, who would not be able to leave their homes. aP
aP
tions tap deeper veins: Corruption, influence peddling and accusations that public officials are answering to murky networks of power far beyond their institutional roles. The most prominent investigation touches on Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti, whose political future was jeopardised when he admitted to paying cash to stay in a Rome apartment owned by a former political adviser and Member of Parliament. We are in a climate of stable instability, said Mr Massimo Franco, the chief political columnist of Italys leading daily, Corriere della Sera. The risk is that this instability will become more dramatic because of the market speculation, he added. agencies
Tanks took over the main orontes square in the besieged Syrian city of Hama and electricity and telephone phone lines were cut yesterday as President Bashar Assads regime showed no signs of halting the intense military assault against an uprising now in its fifth month. All communications have been cut off. The regime is using the media focus on (former Egyptian leader) Hosni Mubarak trial to finish off Hama, one of the residents told Reuters by satellite phone from the city, adding that shelling concentrated on Al Hader district.
He said that tanks were seen thrusting to the centre from the south, accompanied by an array of ultra-loyalist units, including militiamen known as shabbiha, paratroopers and special forces. We are being subjected to shelling, machine gun fire, snipers fire, everything you can think of, said activist omar Al Hamawi. For the past four days, Syrian troops have tightened their siege on Hama, sending residents fleeing for their lives as the death toll reached around 100. The square was a venue for some of the largest demonstrations against Mr Assads rule. agencies
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Brought to you by
Want to know the secret behind the success of The Walt Disney Company? Come find out at the Service Excellence workshops presented by Disney Institute and apply it to your own organisation! Next U Institute of Service Excellence (ISE) is the only provider in Singapore that offers Disney Institute training and consultancy service. Through this unique collaboration with Disney Institute, ISE has created the Service Excellence program to help Singapore companies achieve strong business results. If you want to drive your companys service standards to greater heights and attain optimal outcomes, then check out ISEs popular Disney Institute program: Leading and Sustaining a Culture of Service Excellence. WHAT THE WORKSHOP IS ALL ABOUT Look beyond your traditional industry
and into the world of Disney! In this threeday workshop, discover how Disney ensures that greater customer experiences are offered everywhere from their theme parks and resorts to restaurants and information counters. Be inspired as the expert consultants and trainers, who have built careers in Disney, share anecdotes of their experiences from within the organisation. Plus, get insider knowledge about the Disney culture and how their leaders and operations work to maintain success. LESSONS YOU CAN USE Disneys best practices including Leadership Excellence, Brand Loyalty, People Management, Inspiring Creativity and Quality Service are key to business excellence. Find out how these lessons forge enduring bonds between inspiring leaders, motivated employees and satisfied customers. Workshop series
Through the leadership excellence topic, Ive learnt that Disney is successful because the leaders believe in building a culture through role modeling, participative management and story-telling. Employees are constantly observing the behaviours of the leaders to determine what they value, said Janice Ho, work shop participant. WHAT YOULL LIKE ABOUT IT Set in an intimate and relaxed environment, the workshop offers interactive classroom experiences, videos for case illustration and group learning activities that are enriching and fun. The Disney Institute facilitators will keep you engaged and ensure a dynamic learning experience. World-renowned for its business practices, Disney Institute showcases practical, real-world expertise that you can adapt to your company. With a wide
The personal sharing of incidents on how an individual, regardless of how small his/her role may be, can still impact the life of others by creating a meaningful magical experience for them, said Janice Ho.
range of products and services and with large frontline and back office operations, Disney shares similar business issues to any organisation. The project on effective communication is similar to real business issues we faced. Miscommunication or no communication on requirements will result in unsatisfactory completion of a task, said Ms Ho. NICOLETTE ONG
Check out the other workshops and services provided by ISE and Disney Institute.
Every quarter, Disney Institute presents the Leading and Sustaining a Culture of Service Excellence workshop with ISE. Disney Institute also offers customised one or two day workshops specifically for your organisation in any of the Disney Institute core topics.
Disney Institute and ISE consultants will work with you to design custom solutions that meet your specific needs. The solutions are tailored to industry, organisational goals and objectives, corporate culture and structure as well as your timeline.
The fully-immersive program takes you to Orlando in the USA or Hong Kong to experience both the frontline and back-stage first-hand. It also takes textbook theory into operational reality and allows you to apply your learning through action planning.
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World
libyan embassy in us to reopen under opposition
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The US State department has signed off on papers that will allow the libyan Embassy in Washington to reopen. The embassy will be under the control of the opposition Transitional National Council and give staff access to roughly US$13 million (S$15.7 million) in mission assets that had been
frozen previously. State department officials said on Tuesday that the councils request to reopen the embassy had been reviewed and approved following President Barack obama administrations decision last month to formally recognise the Benghazibased group as libyas legitimate governing authority.
libyas former Ambassador to the United States, Mr Ali Aujali, who resigned to protest against libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafis violent crackdown on opponents, is expected to serve as charge daffaires. The State department had shut down the embassy shortly after it suspended the operations of the US Embassy in Tripoli in February. ap
bloomberg
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us to tackle extremism at local level
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local communities around the country are best suited to take on the challenge of combatting the kind of violent extremism that inspires people to kill, the obama administration concluded in a new national plan, expected to be released yesterday, to fight the threat of Al Qaeda and other violent radicals at home. And although Al Qaeda and like-minded groups pose the most significant and direct threat, the strategy focused on violent extremism of all varieties because violent ideologies change over time and new threats will undoubtedly arise in the future, according to an unclassified draft of the strategy. Communities are best
placed to recognise and confront the threat because violent extremists are targeting their children, families and neighbours, the strategy said, adding that the federal governments job is to act in a support role in bringing people together and sharing information about threats and concerns and community-based solutions. The eight-page plan, more than a year in the making, was short on specifics and staked out no new ground on the thorny issue of home-grown terrorism. It repeated many of President Barack obamas past statements and in parts was similar to a document the George W Bush administration produced five years ago. aP
a new building, called one World trade center, rises in New york on the site of the terrorist attacks of sept 11, 2001. the skyscraper is now 76 floors and will reach 104 floors, just before the 10th anniversary of the attacks next month. aP
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BUSINESS
aFtErNooN latEst
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Gold hit a record for a second straight day on Wednesday, powered by deepening fears over the spread of the euro zone debt crisis. Spot gold was last quoted at US$1,668.06 an ounce, up 0.5 per cent on the day, having hit a record US$1,672.65 earlier. US gold futures were last up 1.6 per cent at US$1,671.00 an ounce.
The current fundamentals in the gold market are supportive of these higher prices. Concerns about sovereign debt burdens, the long-term value of certain reserve currencies and fear of persistent inflation are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, said Mr Tom Holl, co-manager of the BlackRock World Resources Fund. mIllEt ENrIquEz
The franc is like the new gold. Its crazy and its all anyone is talking about, in the morning, at lunch, at dinner parties.
a swiss banker who gave his name as dmitri The cost of fine Swiss-made goods, from watches to precision machinery, has gone from eye-popping to eye-watering, and Swiss companies are warning of peril. This is bad for the Swiss economy, said Mr Thomas Christen, the chief executive of Lucerne-based Reed Electronics, who has started buying cheaper materials to offset his costs. thE NEW york tImEs
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Business
staNdard ChartErEd forECasts EIghth yEar of rECord INCoME
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Asia-focused bank standard Chartered, the united Kingdoms second-largest lender by market value, has forecast an eighth successive year of record net income after reporting a 19-per-cent jump in first-half profit. Weve got income up, profit up, deposits up, lending up, dividend up, CeO Peter sands said yesterday. We have a somewhat different
story to tell to other banks were growing, were hiring, were delivering profit growth. net income climbed 19 per cent from a year earlier to us$2.57 billion (s$3.1 billion) for the six months ended June, the bank said. Pretax profit surged 17 per cent to a record of us$3.64 billion for the period.
standard Chartered, which earns most of its profit in Asia, said it plans to hire 1,000 people this year. Given the markets we are in, and the momentum of our businesses, we expect to deliver doubledigit income growth this year and beyond, Mr sands said. Costs remain tightly managed.
BLooMBErg
BLooMBErg
SINGAPORE Securities turnover on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) fell 3 per cent from a year earlier to S$29.3 billion last month. In its monthly statistical report released yesterday, the SGX said this translated to an average of S$1.4 billion for securities traded daily. The biggest decline in volume trading was seen in the healthcare sector, which fell 72 per cent to 309 million shares valued at S$244 million. Financials and industrials were next, with their share volumes declining 25 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. Yet despite the fall in volumes, the two sectors still led in terms of value, with financials at S$7.8 billion and industrials at S$4.7 billion last month. Oil and gas posted the largest trading gain, rising 52 per cent to 1.5 billion shares valued at S$2.9 billion.
Meanwhile, trading volume for structured warrants increased 84 per cent on-year to 3.4 million units last month. For derivatives, the SGX said trading volume rose by 15 per cent to 5.2 million contracts. On average, about 252,751 contracts were traded daily last month. Nifty futures led the volume gain, increasing by 52 per cent from a year ago with 1.2 million contracts traded. Agricultural commodity futures volume increased 3 per cent on-year to 21,409 contracts following the consolidation of SICOM contracts onto the SGX platform, the report said. More OTC commodity contracts were cleared last month as it inched 5 per cent higher from a year ago to 19,812 contracts. All in, the SGX cleared about S$32 billion worth of OTC Interest Rate Swaps last month, taking the total amount cleared to S$142 billion notional since its launch.
programme in June, and new competitor, United States-based Aircraft Service International Group, who recently received its ground handling licence from the Changi Airport Group. The company said the rebranding of CIAS is geared towards standardising services and providing better care for its customers in the aviation industry. Dnata president Gary Chapman said: The airlines are under a lot of pressure with higher fuel costs, so they are going to put pressure on ground handlers and flight caterers. Supporting industries such as ground handlers will have to respond to such events by being price competitive.
aMaNda fENg
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tuesday Monday Friday thursday 11,866.60 q 12,132.50 q 12,143.20 q 12,240.10 q 2.19% 0.09% 0.79% 0.51%
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WASHINGTON The pace of growth in the United States services sector ticked down unexpectedly in July to the lowest level since February last year and the number of jobs created by the private sector also slowed, reports showed yesterday. Taken alongside disappointing data on the manufacturing sector earlier in the week, the services data showed an economy that was frustrating hopes for a rebound in the second half of the year after a very weak first half. It looks like this confirms that we are in a bit of a soft patch here, said Societe Generale senior economist Rudy Narvas at. It is not pointing to recession, but we still have to see how the data turns out the data is a little bit all over the place these days and the risk is things are not looking as bright as they were in June or prior to that. The Institute for Supply Management said its services sector index fell to 52.7 last month from 53.3 in June. The reading fell shy of economists forecasts for 53.6, according to a Reuters survey, though it was still above the 50 figure that indicates expansion in the sector. The new orders gauge slipped to 51.7 from 53.6, while employment fell to 52.5 from 54.1. The report echoed earlier global data that showed the euro zones service sector grew at its weakest pace in nearly two years, while Chinas sector grew at its slowest in three months. Like the manufacturing report earlier this week, the non-manufacturing ISM shows an economy stuck in first gear, said FTN Financial economist Chris Low. rEutErs
11,896.40 (+0.25%) us
nasdaq 2,693.07 (+0.89%) s&P500 1,260.34 (+0.50%)
us$1 us$1 us$1 us$1 us$1 us$1
ovErnight
us MarKEts losing streak snapped
The S&P 500 index rose, snapping a seven-day losing streak, but worries about the economy kept investors jittery and trading volatile. Trading was the busiest since mid-March. More than 10 billion shares changed hands as the S&P dipped to a new low for 2011 before storming back to finish higher. We are not in a bear market psychology yet, but we are definitely in a solid correction psychology, said portfolio manager James Dailey.
Euro
FtsE100 5,584.51 (-2.34%) daX 6,640.59 (-2.30%) cac40 3,454.94 (-1.93%)
coMModitiEs
oil us$91.93 (-us$1.86)
ForEX
s$1.207 0.609 0.697 77.147 a$0.928 hK$7.800
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We hope that the US government and the Congress will take concrete and responsible policy measures ... to properly deal with its debt issues, so as to ensure smooth operation of the Treasury market and investor safety.
mr Zhou Xiaochuan (picture), head of the Peoples Bank of China
BloomBErg
global economic recovery, Mr Zhou said in a statement posted on the central banks website. We hope that the US government and the Congress will take concrete and responsible policy measures ... to properly deal with its debt issues, so as to ensure smooth operation of the Treasury market and investor safety. Due to the vast size and deep liquidity of the Treasury market, US government bond yields are often the benchmark for the pricing of other financial assets around the world. So a sharp spike in US yields may
roil markets and raise borrowing costs, endangering global economic activity. Investors who hold Treasuries as collateral would be hurt, too. Mr Zhou made the remarks after US President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed into law a measure to cut spending and raise the US debt ceiling, averting a default on government financial obligations. We welcome such progress, Mr Zhou said. We will further study details of the measures and closely monitor how they would be implemented in various stages. rEutErs
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Digital
google blasts Microsoft, apple for patent gang-up
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google, fresh off losing a bid to buy thousands of valuable patents from bankrupt Nortel, accused its biggest rivals yesterday of banding together to block the internet giant in the red-hot smartphone arena. in a rare public outburst, google chief legal officer David Drummond blasted Microsoft, apple, Oracle and other companies for colluding to hamper the increasingly popular android mobile software by buying up patents, effectively imposing a tax on android mobile phones. apart from increasing costs for consumers, snapping up the patents will stifle technological innovation, he said. Microsoft and apple have always been at each others throats, so when they get into bed together you have to start wondering whats going on, Mr Drummond wrote in a blog post, in which he referred to a hostile, organised campaign against android by
Microsoft, Oracle, apple and other companies, waged through bogus patents. an apple spokesman declined to comment. google is forging ahead in the smartphone market but has been hampered by a lack of intellectual property in wireless telephony, which has exposed it to patent-infringement lawsuits from rivals including Oracle. it lost out on the Nortel patents to a consortium grouping apple, Microsoft, Research in Motion and others, which together paid US$4.5 billion (S$5.4 billion). google had bid up to $3.4 billion for those patents before teaming up with intel for a combined US$4-billion bid. google was not previously focused on patents but is now shopping to stock up. it recently acquired more than 1,000 patents from iBM. Mr Drummond said google was looking to further stengthen its patent portfolio. reuters
blackberrys three new smartphones: (from left) the bold 9900, torch 9850 and torch 9810. ap
TORONTO Research In Motion (RIM) is releasing three new versions of its BlackBerry smartphone simultaneously in the first overhaul of the handsets in a year as the company tries to regain ground against Apple. The new Bold 9900, first shown at RIMs BlackBerry World trade show in May, features a larger keyboard and thinner case. The Torch 9810 with slide-out keyboard looks similar to the first edition of the device. The last of the three new phones, the Torch 9850, is RIMs first touch-screen-only phone since the BlackBerry Storm, which was criticized for software glitches. All three are based on RIMs new BlackBerry 7.0 platform. The three devices will be available from 225 carriers, with some operators starting next week, in the biggest launch in the history of BlackBerry, said Mr Patrick Spence, managing director for global sales and regional marketing. RIM is counting on the phones, the first new models since last August, to reverse a revenue slowdown that led to RIMs prediction in June that sales this quarter may drop
for the first time in nine years. All the models include pinch-and-zoom browsing and webpage loading speeds that are 40 per cent faster than the old Torch, Mr Spence said. Were taking it a step further by enhancing the browsing experience, which is something we know we had to work on, he said. With the addition of what RIM calls liquid graphics that render images faster and make zooming smoother, its an industry-leading experience, he said. Competing against the new BlackBerrys will be a slew of new rival models. Apple plans to introduce an iPhone version in the coming months. Motorola will release the Droid Bionic, its latest Android phone, the same month. That means that RIM has to have an early and successful debut ahead of its rivals in the US, which accounted for about 40 per cent of RIM revenue last year, said IDC technology analyst Will Stofega. Its critical they get a jump start now, he said. Theyve definitely narrowed the gap with the competition. Display is definitely crisper and had to be, given what weve seen in terms of its competitors. blooMberg
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Fas president Zainudin nordin (left) has to choose between a historic World Cup qualifying performance or sEa games glory. Photo By ErnEst Chua
But it is the November fixtures, away to Jordan on Nov 11 and a home game against China on Nov 15 that will prove problematic. The SEA Games are scheduled to run from Nov 11-22, and while exact dates for the Games under-23 football tournament are not yet available, it is virtually impossible to have players turn out for both the SEA Games squad and the senior team at the qualifiers. At least four players midfielder Hariss Harun, goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud, defender Safuwan Baharudin and attacker Shahdan Sulaiman are shoo-ins for a starting spot at the SEA Games, and they are also key to national coach Radojko Avramovics plans for the senior team. Izwan earned plaudits against Malaysia,
The first two matches in the qualifiers are critical, and will give us an indicator of where we stand. We will look at how we perform in those two games and decide after that.
Fas president Zainudin nordin
the 21-year-old turning in a steady performance between the Singapore sticks in the absence of the injured Hassan Sunny and Lionel Lewis. He said: Both are big tournaments, and I would love to be able to play in both if possible, but its really up to the coaches to
decide which team we train and play for. His sentiment was echoed by Safuwan, who showed a maturity beyond his 19 years in his two starts against Malaysia. He said: The Courts Young Lions are doing well and I think were moving close to peaking at the SEA Games but I think if the senior team does well in the first two World Cup qualifying matches, well probably stay with the seniors. But thats for the coaches to decide. We may have played in the first XI for the national team, but that doesnt mean that if were not with the SEA Games team then they cant perform there are others who can step in and do the job. I think the SEA Games team will manage just as well without us.
Lam Chih Bing played well on the first day of the World Cup asian qualifiers. aP
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SINGAPORE Five more athletes have been added to the multi-million-dollar Olympic Pathway Programme (OPP), as the Republic seek to improve on the sole silver medal gained at the Beijing Games three years ago. Announced last night by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, which administers the S$6.3 million fund, the five are pistol shooters Nigel Lim Swee Hon and Poh Lip Meng, table-tennis veteran Li Jiawei and shuttlers Shinta Mulia Sari and Yao Lei. Today had reported in early June the inclusion Shinta and Yao the womens doubles champions at last years Li Ning Singapore Open with last nights announcement confirming their places in the elite programme. Both shuttlers, as well as shooters Lim and Poh, are presently in Surrey, England, as part of a three-week pre-Olympic stint. They will then head to the Yonex BWF World Badminton Championships, which starts on Monday, at Londons Wembley Arena. The quintet bring to 11 the number of athletes in the OPP, which provides funding outside of that available to their respective national sports associations (NSAs). Six athletes were named in the first batch in
Since coming back from maternity leave early last year, Jiawei has been training hard and progressing well, and is now our third-highest ranked player in the ITTF list ... More importantly, with her pre-Olympic expenses now covered under the programme, we are able to use our NSA funding towards developing our younger players.
singapore table tennis association president lee Bee Wah
National paddler li Jiawei (left) will now join team-mate sun Beibei (right) in the olympic Pathway Programme. today file Photo
May 2009, namely paddlers Feng Tianwei, Wang Yuegu, Sun Beibei and Yu Mengyu, shooter Jasmine Ser and swimmer Tao Li. According to Singapore Table Tennis Association president Lee Bee Wah, Jiaweis inclusion is affirmation that her comeback from time off to start a family is complete. Since coming back from maternity leave early last year, Jiawei has been training hard and progressing well, and is now our third-highest ranked player in the ITTF list. Her inclusion in the OPP is a real morale booster for our Olympic veteran, said Lee. More importantly, with her pre-
Olympic expenses now covered under the programme, we are able to use our NSA funding towards developing our younger players, she added. For Singapore Shooting Association (SSA) president Chng Seng Mok, the inclusion of Poh and Lim comes as no surprise. Both Nigel and Lip Meng satisfied the criteria for the OPP after winning gold at last years Commonwealth Games, said Chng. My biggest issue right now is to be able to hire a suitable coach to take them through to the Olympics, now that more
funds have been freed up by their inclusion into the programme. With most countries now working on four-year Olympic cycles, the more established ones would have had the funds to engage the most sought-after coaches after the Beijing Games, while we now have the harder task of identifying the best of the rest who can get the job done for us, added Chng. Funded by the Government and the Singapore Totalisator Board, the OPP provides additional logistical, technical and financial support to Olympic-bound athletes earmarked for medal success.
imPress selectors
It is going to be a hectic four days, starting today, for local fencers looking to make the final cut for the November sEA Games, as they battle for honours in the 2011 Fencing singapore International (FsI). Held at the Clementi facility of first-time co-organisers, the singapore Institute of Management, the event will see close to 400 fencers from the world over competing in individual and team categories for foil, epee and sabre. the FsI will serve as a testing ground for both local and regional fencers. Fencing singapore general manager ryan Quek said: this event is critical for those fighting for the third and fourth spots in the team going to the sEA Games, in the womens foil and epee. Womens foil coach, slava Bobok, has already decided on the three women ruth Ng, Cheryl Wong and Wang Wenying who will fly the republics flag at the Games, and is casting a keen eye on two of his proteges, Joan Ang and Liane Wong, looking to take that final slot. Admission to the event is free.
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AKRON The superstar of European golf is heading west. Rory McIlroy, ever surprising and ever his own man, served up a surprise yesterday when he revealed that he intends to join the US PGA Tour and set up a home in Florida. The 22-year-old Northern Irishman, who won the US Open in spectacular style this summer, announced that he wants to play a full schedule in the United States next year, adding that he sees his long-term future centring on the US PGA Tour. I feel as if I play my best golf over here. I am very comfortable in this country and I am going to look at a few houses in Florida after next weeks US PGA Championship, he said, on the eve of the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Im definitely looking at coming back and playing a full schedule here. Ive thought about it and feel my game really suits playing courses over here. I love Quail Hollow, Memorial, Akron and most of my favourite events seem to be on this side of the pond. McIlroys decision represents a startling volte-face. At the end of last year he gave up his US PGA Tour membership after just one year, citing fatigue. It is just not for me, he said at the time. Two of his three professional wins have come in the US at Congressional in June and at Quail Hollow last year, when he shot a final-round 62 to beat one of the best fields of the year. There was little indication of what has caused this change of mind, though it is safe to assume that McIlroys altered personal circumstances may have had something to do with it. Last month it emerged that he had
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split from his long-time girlfriend, who is based in Northern Ireland. He is believed to have told a small circle of colleagues of his intentions during last weeks Irish Open. Like other European Ryder Cup players, he will retain his membership of the European Tour, which requires him to play at least 13 events. It is expected that he will keep his home in Holywood, near Belfast, but given his
plans to play as many as 18 events in a full American schedule, he will inevitably spend less time in Europe. McIlroy said he had spoken to US PGA Tour officials yesterday morning in Akron and informed them of his intentions. Id like to give it a go again and last more than one year and see how it goes, he said. News of the Northern Irishmans decision will come as a boost to the US PGA Tour,
which will be negotiating new television deals in the coming months. In the absence of the former world No1 Tiger Woods, the US Tour is desperately in need of recognisable and charismatic figures to sell to its mainstream domestic audience. By virtue of his youth, his outspokenness and his talent, McIlroy fits such a profile to perfection. He will be welcomed with open arms. thE guardIaN
referee Vladislav Bezborodov showing the red card to rangers steven Whittaker (second from right) after Whittaker threw a ball at the head of a Malmo player. rEutErs
lead and unfortunately never took them. But in terms of the two performances, especially tonight, I think with the vast majority of our players I couldnt be happier to tell you the truth, said the Rangers manager. As disappointed as I am, I think we showed real character and no shortage of talent. Ive been involved at this club for a good number of years and you have to experience the highs and the lows. Tonights a massive, massive low and the
end of the season at Kilmarnock was a massive high. But you wouldnt swap it, its where you want to be. In my opinion you dont want to play for clubs where mediocrity is acceptable, we will certainly not accept that. Also crashing out of the competition at the first hurdle were Ukraines Dynamo Kiev, felled by Rubin Kazan, and Belgiums Standard Liege, who lost at FC Zurich. But FC Twente and Benfica registered away draws to make it to the next round. thE guardIaN
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million dollar drop s george young would lavish his fortune on you
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UNLIKE the huge stack of S$50 notes Ive been casually using as a doorstop this week, theres nothing flashy or fake about up-and-coming star George Young. Hes even got a hole in his Wednesday socks. But my Friday and Sunday socks are in good condition, so you can tell which are the days I wear socks most often, he quipped. The 31-year-old is the host of Million Dollar Money Drop, the grandiose gameshow that airs next week on MediaCorp TV Channel 5. Each week,Young cheerfully gives each teamed-up pair of contestants a million dollars in cash which they put on trap doors that correspond to four possible answers, hoping that theyve put most of it on the correct one because the other three trap doors will open and swallow their dough.Young looks benevolently on as they try to keep as much of it as possible by getting questions right. My stack of S$25,000 is, unfortunately, just some of the fake money that has been used during rehearsals, which we borrowed for our photoshoot (and, yes, we had to pay fake interest). Having never hosted a gameshow before his resume includes acting gigs in BBC productions like Casualty, and even the Bollywood movie Jhootha Hi Sahi Young has been tackling the task with the bushy-tailed enthusiasm of a wide-eyed noob. And while the London-born son of a Malaysian-Chinese father and a Greek mother might also be new to the Singapore entertainment scene, his charisma has earned him several big breaks fast. He has not only landed several modelling gigs, but also hosts the infotainment series ArtBites on MediaCorp TV okto, and will star in the second season of acclaimed Channel 5 legal drama The Pupil (premiering on Aug 18). While Young has a million-dollar smile and looks like a million bucks suited up as a host, in person, he comes across as very much your regular video-game-loving, T-shirt-wearing guy. That is, if regular guys also have great skin and bucketloads of awshucks charm.
house, like a proper mini cinema in my own place. iMax would be great. A brilliant car. Some kind of sports car just something really extravagant. And have it in some silly colour pink. Just something like, You spent so much money on that car and you painted it that colour? Why? Cos I can. Cos Ive got a million dollars. Lest you think him reckless or extravagant, Young has always suffered from a good head on his shoulders. Kinda. Taking the bar to practise law was for the sake of his parents, who wanted him to do the safe option; leaving the profession to become an actor that was his own idea. But he said the immodest proceeds from his very first job modelling for a Pepsi commercial with a superimposed image of David Beckham were put in the bank. Although he admitted that he gradually spent it on computer games and food and drink.
HE SAId I bought her a trip to Paris ... it was a whole week, so that was pretty expensive. I paid for everything, yeah. George Young
All photos: Jason Ho Art direction: Phin Wong Hair and make-up: Kenny Tan (HP: 9877 1376) using Bobbi Brown and MATRIX
But what he would do if he had his own million? Ive thought about this before, he replied. The serious answer would be investing in bricks and mortar, really. If I really loved the property if I thought it could be marketable or just somewhere Id like to live then I would. Maybe Im just at a stage where I am thinking about investing. I want to establish a base somewhere. Im hoping its Singapore. Its a good market ... in terms of a business decision. And the non-serious answer? It would again be something to have within the
Young, however, has absolutely spent money to show a girl a good time. You stick it on a credit card, you worry about it later.Youre thinking about the immediate payoff, he twinkled. His most extravagant date was a birthday present. I bought her a Time Out guide to Paris, the psychology grad recounted. She was like: Oh, I always wanted to go to Paris. And she opened it and there were two tickets to Paris. I paid for the hotel it was a whole week, so that was pretty expensive. I paid for everything, yeah. So can he top that? That would really impress, wouldnt it? Young mused. Maybe hire their favourite singer or entertainer but then I would be out of the picture, wouldnt I? Id be sitting there (clapping) while theyre having a good time. Probably a singer to sing a ballad to them and then Id ruin it by joining in. I think that would probably use up most of the S$1 million, and then maybe the rest on a hotel room? But Young has the vibe of someone to whom money isnt everything. After all, if it were, hed still be a lawyer, wouldnt he? Im into tech and gadgets and stuff like that, so my most extravagant purchase is this kick-ass PC rig that I bought a few years ago that cost me a few grand, Young recalled. Id just started working in a law firm. It was a few thousand pounds. When I first started earning money, I thought: Yeah, Ill spend it on something thats just pure selfish enjoyment. Was it everything it was cracked up to be? Everything! the self-confessed massive gamer breathed reverently. Ah, I miss it. Although when I next saw Young a week later, he announced excitedly that he had just bought himself an xbox 360, with Kinect, no less. Catch Million Dollar Money Drop starting Aug 9, right after the National Day Parade telecast, on MediaCorp TV Channel 5.
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ITS been one busy year for Kit Chan so far. Just after helming the Total Defence music video campaign in February, Chan did a successful two-night stint for the Huayi Festival at the Esplanade, performing in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. She then released an album, Reinterpreting Kit Chan, a collection of her favourite covers, popped in at the Ocean Butterflies gala concert, will do her bit at the upcoming Singapop concert on Aug 20, and thanks to unexpected positive response to her album in Hong Kong, shes compiling a special Hong Kong edition of the album. Oh, and shes also going to hold her first pop concerts, entitled The Music Room, which will be held at the Grand Theater in Marina Bay Sands on Oct 13 and 14. Unlike most Chinese pop concerts, which usually comes along with a lot of spectacular bells and whistles in the form of stage props, lighting and pyrotechnics, Chans shows, organised by MediaCorp Vizpro, will be far simpler. Although she will be singing her familiar Cantonese, Mandarin and English hits (and some songs youve never heard me sing live, she added), and there may be some costume changes and special guests, Chan said its not going to be a glitzy, glam affair. Ive seen so many different types of shows, but I realise that the things that strike a chord with me are the ones that are more musically evocative, she explained about the format of the show. Well, the whole show ... should evoke something in me. Those are the shows that I remember. Of course, sometimes its nice to watch spectacles, she said. So when I do a show like this, Im sure people will be thinking: Why is she doing it like this? Is she digging her own grave?
Ive seen so many different type of shows, but I realise that the things that strike a chord with me are the ones that are more musically evocative. Kit Chan
People want more stuff. But the SCO show which was just me and the orchestra did really well. So you never know. Anyway, Id like to offer an alternative (to whats out there). And no, shes not worried about the turnout. Its become SOP (standard operational procedure) for me, I dont think about turnout. Its something that you have to trust the marketing team to do, and whether one person or 1,000 people turn up, you still have to do the show. In any case, Chan said, the first person the show had to satisfy was herself. In any business, whether you cook food or make clothes, you have to do it for yourself first. Because how can you guess what people want? You cant. Id like to think Im a discerning person, and there is a time or place for (this kind of show). Thats why we picked Marina Bay Sands. Maybe if I did the show at the Indoor Stadium, it would be a bit off. Of course, with all this activity in the music front, is this a sign that Kit Chan is coming back full steam into the music biz? Dont hold your breath just yet, she said. I have been really busy, but that doesnt mean I will go on like that consistently, she said. Ive said it before, that I kind of like the idea of work being seasonal. And this is something that I dont take for granted. But right now, Im in my summer phase, this is my Indian summer (and) Im enjoying the summer of my contentment. After this, I think I need to have my autumn and winter, chill out a bit, and then think about the next cycle, whatever form it might take, Chan added. Its not that I want to keep people guessing; Im just marching to the beat of my own drum. Id like to organically evolve. I think its nice to keep your distance and not let your whole life be dictated (by what others expect). Kit Chans The Music Room will happen on Oct 13 and 14, 8.30pm at the Grand Theater, Marina Bay Sands.Tickets at S$68 to S$168 available from Sistic on Aug 8 onwards.
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Oprah Winfrey, James Earl Jones to receive Oscars
Leonardo DiCaprio named Hollywoods highest earning actor
LeONArDO DiCaprio was hollywoods highest paid actor over the last year as he made an estimated US$77 million (S$93 million). The star displaced Johnny Depp, the previous years biggest earner, according to the annual list by Forbes magazine which assessed income to May 1. DiCaprios two major films Shutter Island and Inception grossed a combined total of US$1.2 billion at the box office. In addition to his fee, the actor received a proportion of the profits from the films. Depp, who has seen his worth rise dramatically through the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies, was the second highest earning star this year making an
Photos: reuters and aP
estimated US$50 million. Adam Sandler, who starred in Grown Ups, was the third highest with US$40 million, ahead of Will Smith on US$36 million and Tom hanks, who made an estimated US$35 million. Movie stars pay deals are often complicated and shrouded in secrecy and Forbes made its estimates after talking to industry insiders including agents and producers. It put Tom Cruise, once hollywoods highest paid star, in 10th place with an estimated US$22 million. A list of hollywoods highest earning actresses released by Forbes last month had Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker in joint top spot.
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
They didnt feature in any movies this year, but Oprah Winfrey, James earl Jones and makeup artist Dick Smith will be getting Oscars. The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences says the three will be honoured with Oscar statuettes at the Governors Awards in November. The academys Board of Governors voted on Tuesday to recognise the entertainment industry veterans. Winfrey will receive the Jean hersholt humanitarian Award, which honours philanthropic and humanitarian contributions. The 57-year-old media mogul, who was nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for 1985s The Color Purple, supports various charitable and educational causes, including her own namesake foundations and Academy for Girls in South Africa. Jones and Smith will receive honorary Oscars for their outstanding careers.
Jones has appeared in more than 50 films. The 80-year-old actor and voice of Darth Vader was nominated for an Academy Award in 1971 for The Great White Hope. his other credits include Field Of Dreams, Patriot Games and The Hunt For Red October. Smith was NBCs first makeup man when he started his career in 1945. he won an Oscar in 1984 for his work on Amadeus and was nominated again in 1989 for Dad. Known as the godfather of makeup, he also worked on The Godfather, The Exorcist and Taxi Driver. Smith also helped train many of todays top movie makeup artists. Smith, Jones and Winfrey will receive their statuettes on Nov 12 at the third annual Governors Awards dinner at the Grand Ballroom at hollywood & highland Center, just above the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards are presented. AP
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Ben Foster takes on Gotti role
ACTOR Ben Foster (picture) has landed the lead role in the upcoming movie about crime boss John Gotti and his son, producers said on Tuesday. But Lindsay Lohans role in Gotti: In The Shadow Of My Father appeared to be in doubt after producers said she had not officially signed onto the movie and they were still in talks with her. Foster, 29, best known for roles in The Messenger and 3:10 To Yuma, will play John Gotti Jr opposite John Travolta, who has already been cast as the late head of New Yorks powerful Gambino family, John Gotti. Lohans casting as Kim Gotti, wife of John Gotti Jr, was announced in May. But Steve Honig, a spokesman for both Fiore Films and Lohan said on Tuesday that the producers of the film and Lindsays representation have not yet worked out an agreement for her to appear in the movie. Lohan, 25, whose career has been derailed by repeated trips to jail and rehab since 2007, has not had a movie role since the low-budget 2010 release Machete. Producers declined to comment on the apparent stumbling block. But it follows a change of director from Nick Cassavetes to Barry Levinson, and a lawsuit last week brought by actor Joe Pesci, who claimed that his part had been
Photo: Bloomberg
changed and his pay cut. Pre-production starts next month and shooting is due to start in January. Levinson described Foster as one of the few young actors who can literary transform himself from role to role, from light comedy to a deadly gunslinger ... I think he can bring something very memorable to the role of Gotti Jr. The senior John Gotti was known as the Teflon Don for his ability to evade conviction before eventually being convicted of murder, racketeering and extortion. He died of cancer in 2002 while serving a life sentence. REUTERS
version of himself helped to make Two And A Half Men the most-watched comedy on American television. Deadline Hollywood said Harper would die and his Malibu beachfront house would be put up for sale, allowing Kutchers character to be introduced as a potential buyer. Sheen was fired in March after insulting Lorre in a bizarre series of interviews that followed months of drug and drink-fuelled partying and repeated spells in rehab. Kutcher, the creator of TV series Punkd and the husband of actress Demi Moore, was hired in May as a new character on the series. Sheen has since signed a deal for a new TV series called Anger Management, but the show has not yet been picked up by any US television network. AGENCIES
Photo: aP
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singles snag the top spot. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) became not only Perrys fifth No 1 off Teenage Dream but her seventh overall, tying her with Lady Gaga for second-most No 1s since the charts inception. Rihanna currently holds the record with eight. REUTERS
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THERE is a house-like structure with transparent Perspex walls squatting in the middle of the gallery, surrounded by large frames tilted at an angle; a handful of paintings and drawings scattered here and there; and hanging upside down from the ceiling is a chair encased in Perspex. By tomorrow, Tang Da Wus Long Po Feng Yi / First Arts Council will be completed as one of two shows opening at Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA), along with the gallerys annual survey show of Singapore artists, this time titled Imagine Malaysia. The highly-anticipated installation which also includes contributions from Jeremy Hiah, Lee Wen, Zai Kuning, and Pan Jia Ding, marks the influential artists first solo show in Singapore in 25 years. And while no one has yet to see the complete work, gallery owner Willie offered up a teaser of what to expect. Drawing on various allusions including the emotional and financial support given to Vincent Van Gogh by his brother, Theo, and sister-in-law Willie reckons its a critical look at the role of cultural institutions and the idea of nurturing artists. Hes been wonderfully cryptic, he said of the multi-disciplinary artist and founder of The Artists Village. Meanwhile, also in the gallerys space, 20 local artists have gazed into their respective crystal balls to Imagine Malaysia. VWFAs third annual Singapore survey show, after The Air-Conditioned Recession and last years Beyond LKY, looks at the relationship between the two countries. It was thematically conceived to tie up with the recent closure of the Tanjong Pagar railway station, where the gallerist had unsuccessfully wanted to set up a counterpoint exhibition of Malaysian artists. The artworks on display reveal a varied dispositions towards the theme, with hints of subtle political commentary in some, poignant reflection in others and even some playful approaches. One of Jason Wees works are different embroidered flags postulating a scenario of adding an additional point in Malaysias 14-point star. Green Zeng will present a sculpture of a time capsule with the words Open After Reunification. Sherman Ong, meanwhile, presents the poignant short dance film I Want To Remember, which features an incarcerated Singaporean interrogated by a naturalised Singaporean
1 Johor-Singapore Causeway by Green Zeng. 2 Tree Of Life by Sean Lee. 3 Petronas (After Humans) by michael Lee. 4 First Arts Council by tang Da Wu.
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Look out for ayumi hamasaki Rock'n'Roll Circus Tour FINAL ~7days Special~ in September. Enjoy 20% off when you purchase tickets to both concert movies. Fan Package: S$32 (One ticket each to ARENA TOUR ~NEXT LEVEL~ & ROCK 'N' ROLL CIRCUS TOUR) Visit www.gv.com.sg for details. VIVOCITY PLAZA SINGAPURA GRAND, GREAT WORLD
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 12.50 3.40 6.35 9.30pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 1.05 3.55 9.45pm RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES* 12.00 2.20 4.50 7.20 9.50pm
ON BIG SCREEN!
woman from Malaysia. The dynamics of the relationship between the two countries are explored in works by Ang Song Nian, who offers two similar-looking photographs that actually include one of Pulau Tekongs terrain mimicking the oil palm plantations in Malaysia; Alan Oeis two portraits of Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohamad; and Zhao Renhuis series of photographs of lions and tigers. Poetic musings are revealed in the family portraits of Alecia Neo and Sean Lee, the former reconstructing portraits of a family with roots in Ipoh, and the latter employing the delicate hands of his own to create unusual shapes and figures. In some ways, like Tangs own installation work utilising structures, a number of works in Imagine Malaysia bring it to the fore, such as Genevieve Chuas intricate postage
stamps of the highly disputed island of Pedra Branca; Michael Lees photographs of dismantled monuments, including the Petronas Towers; and Heman Chongs hilarious (and audacious) text posters publicising the hypothetical construction of a Guggenheim museum in Johor Bahru. Both shows a comeback of sorts by a respected artist, and the intriguing responses by homegrown artists to their neighbour are bound to be a talking point for art enthusiasts this month. But does gallerist Willie think the shows would be controversial like last years Beyond LKY? I dont know. I dont seek to be controversial, he said. Both shows run from Aug 6 to 28 at Valentine Willie Fine Art Singapore, artspace@helutrans, 39 Keppel Road,Tanjong Pagar Distripark, #02-04.Visit www.vwfa.net/sg for details.
MARINA SQUARE
YISHUN
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 10.45am 1.30 3.45 4.15 6.30 7.00 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 9.45pm FIRST AVENGER* 12.50 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 3.50 6.45 9.40pm FIRST AVENGER - 3D* CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 11.00am 1.45 4.30 7.15pm FIRST AVENGER* 12.00 RISE OF THE PLANET OF 3.00 5.45 8.30pm THE APES* 11.30am 1.45
GVmax
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 1.20 4.10 FIRST AVENGER* 12.50 1.45 3.30 4.20 6.10 6.55 10.00pm 8.45 9.30pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3D* FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 12.30 3.30 9.30pm 2.00 4.35 7.10 9.45pm RISE OF THE PLANET OF RISE OF THE PLANET THE APES* 11.30am 2.00 OF THE APES* 11.50am 12.50 2.15 3.05 4.30 5.20 4.30 7.00 9.30pm 6.45 7.35 9.00 9.50pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 1.00 HORRIBLE BOSSES* 1.05 3.10 5.20 7.30 9.40pm 3.15 5.25 7.35 9.45pm
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 2.20 4.10 4.45 6.35 7.10 HORRIBLE BOSSES* 12.10 FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 9.00 9.35pm 2.20 4.40 7.00 9.20pm 10.20am 1.05 4.05 9.50pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 11.15am 12.30 1.25 2.50 RISE OF THE PLANET OF 4.20 5.10 6.40 7.30 9.15 THE APES* 11.30am 1.55 9.50pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 2.40 4.20 5.05 6.45 7.30 TWISTED+ MAND 12.10 FIRST AVENGER 1.15 9.10 9.55pm 2.15 9.15pm 4.00 6.45 9.40pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* TIONG BAHRU PLAZA 11.40am 1.00 1.50 3.10 BISHAN JUNCTION 8 4.10 5.20 6.30 7.30 8.50 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 1.00 3.40 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 9.40pm 6.45 9.30pm FIRST AVENGER* 1.15 4.00 TWISTED+ MAND 12.30 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 6.45 9.30pm 6.30pm FIRST AVENGER - 3D* CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 1.30 4.20 9.45pm FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 10.45am 1.30 7.00pm RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES* 11.30am RISE OF THE PLANET 12.40 1.50 2.55 4.20 5.10 OF THE APES* 11.10am CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE 6.45 7.25 9.00pm 1.35 4.00 4.35 6.45 9.10 FIRST AVENGER 1.00 9.55pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 4.00 7.00 10.00pm 12.40 5.00 7.10 9.20pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 12.40 RISE OF THE PLANET OF + 2.50 5.00 7.10 9.20pm THE APES 11.45am 2.15 TWISTED MAND 1.00 3.05 10.00pm TWISTED+ MAND 9.40pm 7.45 10.30pm HORRIBLE BOSSES 12.30 3.30 6.30 8.50pm
TAMPINES MALL
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 12.50 3.10 3.45 6.40 9.35pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 1.05 4.00 6.55 9.50pm RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES* 11.15am 12.10 1.40 2.35 4.05 5.00 6.30 7.25 8.55 9.50pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 12.20 2.40 5.00 7.20 9.40pm TWISTED+ MAND 11.00am 1.05 9.55pm
JURONG POINT
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER* 11.00am 1.45 4.30 6.40 7.15 10.00pm CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER - 3D* 11.00am 4.20 9.45pm RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES* 12.20 2.00 2.45 4.30 5.10 6.55 7.35 9.10 10.00pm HORRIBLE BOSSES* 11.00am 1.10 3.20 5.30 7.40 9.50pm TWISTED+ MAND 2.10pm
More movie choices and session times are available at all GV cinemas. Please log on to www.gv.com.sg for full listings.
Cinema opens 30 mins before 1st show. All movie rated PG unless otherwise stated, Session times are subject to change, No Free Passes, + English Subtitles, , No refunds for uncollected tickets.
CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER | PG | Action Violence, TWISTED | NC16 |Violence & Horror, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS | PG | Violence, HORRIBLE BOSSES | M18 | Coarse Language & Sexual References, RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES | PG | Violence, THE ASSAULT | M18 | Violence & Religious References
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travel
Dubai is a fantastic constructed dreamscape that must be seen to be believed
travel
entire population. At last count, the resident population of dubai one of seven emirates in the United Arab emirates stands at about 1.93 million, while another 1.07 million enter the city daily for business. the segregation between the locals and the expatriates mirrors the divide between the old and new dubai: the expats hardly meet or converse with a local in their everyday lives. that is not to say that the locals resent dubais breakneck pace of progress or its rulers for masterminding the development. the sycophancy over dubai ruler sheik Mohammed might seem excessive to outsiders with huge banners of him lining the expressway, portraits of him in classrooms and offices and newspapers publishing glowing articles about his achievements almost every day. But the adulation of emiratis of their ruler is well-placed.they enjoy free education, health care and interest-free housing loans. And it is his grand vision fuelling dubais breakneck pace of development that has taken the shape of outlandish architectural feats: the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world; the Palm Islands, an artificial archipelago; and the World, 300 islands constructed in the shape of a world map are some of the completed projects, with several in the pipeline. For the average traveller in dubai, luxury does not always come with an extravagant price tag thanks to keen competition among the hotels, which offer up to 50-per-cent
Getting there: singapore Airlines operates daily flights on weekdays and twice-daily flights on weekends to dubai. travellers to dubai during ramadan should refrain from eating, drinking or smoking in public view during the day. While the majority of eating and drinking establishments are closed during the day, some coffeehouses with screens to allow people to eat away from public view are open. Where to stay: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray the lavish interior of the fivestar hotel is inspired by palaces of the Ottoman period and features hand painted finishings, turkish artworks and murals that conjure up images of the Ottoman empire. the resort boasts the largest spa in the Middle east the 80,000 sqm, two-storey talise Ottoman spa
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg
An oasis of wealth
Photos: iStockphoto, loh Chee Kong
take a trip along the dubai Creek on a wooden dhow and soak in the sights of old dubai.
the everyday lives of the emiratis are a sight that most expatriates do not see.
A desert metropolis awash in oil money, obsessed with skyscrapers, and where opulence is unabashedly celebrated. But scratch beyond the surface and dubais eclectic mix of east-meets-West and oldmeets-new will charm even the cynics. First impressions can deceive: the sight that greets visitors immediately upon leaving the airport is a six-lane expressway flanked by shiny skyscrapers, which almost resemble giant trophies glistening under the desert sun. the construction boom that began in the 1990s and went into an overdrive a decade later means there are few mementoes of dubais distant past. But dubai Creek, a 10km waterway that splits the city into two main sections, provides remnants of old dubai, a common reference used by the tour guides for the area around the creek. Here, workers onboard large, wooden dhows unload their cargo of bulging cardboard boxes directly on to the quays. Nearby, shopkeepers peddle textiles and spices along the narrow streets of the Gold soukh shopping area. to seek a deeper understanding on the Arabic way of life, visit the sheikh Mohammed Centre Of Cultural Understanding. It explains Middle eastern culture and practices such as why the women are covered from head to toe in public and why the men are almost always dressed in white and women in black. the centre is just one way of preserving their proud heritage for the native emiratis, who face a constant struggle as they make up only a fifth of the
discounts during ramadan and dubais summer months (June to August). For instance, rates at the luxury resort Jumeirah Zabeel saray this month start from a relatively affordable s$236 per person per night. If you desire more personalised service, the Armani Hotel dubai provides a personal butler. the hotel was the first to be designed by Italian designer Giorgio Armani, in collaboration with emaar Properties. said Marc dardenne, chief executive officer of emaar Hotels & resorts: the concept of lifestyle managers, who meet every need of the guests, has redefined service standards. dubai is not quite Ibiza, but its nightlife is one of the citys biggest draws for european visitors seeking not just the sun, but also some fun. And most of the clubs offer fun until 3am. the action here usually revolve around hotels as these are the places that have liquor licenses. Unlike many Arab countries, and even in some parts of the UAe such as neighbouring sharjah, where drinking is not allowed, nonMuslims are free to drink in dubai. dubai is also synonymous with luxury shopping. But for those who prefer a more authentic Arabian experience, there are the local souks or markets that can be found around town. From the narrow alleyways selling gold, perfume, spice, electronics to the textile souks in deira and Bur dubai, visitors can pit their bargaining
facilities where guests can try the traditional turkish bath. What to do: Try iFLY Dubai Located in Mirdif City Center, the indoor skydiving center provides visitors the opportunity to experience flying in a vertical wind tunnel. Perfect for the whole family. Where to shop: Dubai Mall the worlds largest shopping mall has about 600 retailers including designer labels and global brands. Dubai Creek area the souks (traditional markets) are one of dubais greatest attractions. they are located on both sides of the creek. the highlight is the colourful spice Market, which abounds with exotic aromas and bustles with locals seeking bargains.
skills against some of the worlds savviest traders. But whats a trip to the Middle east without heading into the desert? dune bashing is a popular activity among visitors who can also enjoy a lavish dinner in the middle of the desert, complete with a belly-dance performance.
It is this triumvirate of culture and luxury in exotic Middle east which makes dubai richly rewarding. This trip was made possible by Singapore Airlines and the Dubai Governments Department Of Tourism And Commerce Marketing.
T12
travel
Kaohsiung
How to spend S$101 (you big spender, you) in a day
So what if Kaohsiung isnt as popular as Taipei? Taiwans second-largest city has been quietly and rapidly transforming itself in the wake of the successful clean-up and subsequent development along the banks of Love River running through it. A hit TV show, Black And White, starring Mark Chao made the southern city cool; while the new Juejiang Shopping district more than rivals Taipeis Ximending. Prices here are cheaper, too which pretty much seals it as the biggest reason to go south.
SERENE LIM
onboard the Hello Kittythemed Ferris wheel (NT150 for adult fare), officially known as Kaohsiung Eye, for a birds eye view of the city and the sea surrounding it. Late lunch at Cijin island: S$21.58 From Gushan Ferry Pier in Koahsiung, take a ferry (NT15) to Cijin Island for a half day trip. Rent a bike (NT100 for a day) from the rental shops at the Cijin Ferry Pier to see historical attractions like the Chi Hou Lighthouse and Tien Hou Temple. Stop at the old seafood street to savour fresh catch prepared the way you want them. Each dish is only about NT100 so order four or so and pig out. Chilling out at The Wall: S$19.42 Spend the rest of the day in Koahsiungs coolest area. The Pier 2 art district has transformed old warehouses along the wharf into modern art galleries. once youre done with that, park yourself at The Wall (www.thewall.com.tw) where indie acts, local and foreign, rock the house. Tickets start from NT400. Spend any remaining dough on drinks.
Breakfast at a local soya bean milk stall: S$10 A traditional brekkie in Taiwan consists of salty soya bean milk, fried fritters, pancakes and dumplings. Hit Guo Mao Lai Lai (Junction of Liuhe Second Road and Zichiang Road) for a satisfying dose of local cuisine. Be prepared to queue. Shopping and rides at Dream Mall: S$50 Hang out at Taiwans biggest mall. The whopping 50,000 square meters space has huge department stores like Hankyu where you can shop your brains out. After that, refresh your spirits on the rooftop theme park by hopping
Total: S$101
Prices and conversion rates accurate as of press time.
The insider
Chan Brothers Monster Travel Fair
Dont miss the one-day Chan Chan Brothers Monster Travel Fair happening this Sunday (Aug 7) at Suntec Singapore Level 4 Exhibition Hall 401. Besides getting a free goody bag and a chance to win cruise vacations and spa vouchers in the instant Click, Spin, Win competition at the fair, you can look forward to great deals like early bird discounts and a free second holiday. Citibank holders can also enjoy additional S$50 off selected packages, and a free luggage when you charge S$2,500 to the card.
Hotels.com is offering prizes of weekend stays and accommodation bargains to travellers as part of its 20th birthday celebrations. Enjoy specials like three nights for the price of two when booking hotels both in Singapore and worldwide. There are also daily draws to win getaways from Sofitel and Hilton when you register.Visit www.hotels.com/ deals/20thanniversary-sg for more information. Promotions end on Aug 20.
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Brought to you by
Easy doEs it
A hearty meal can be made in minutes with FairPrice Chicken Nuggets and Tomato Ketchup
annEttE tan
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Chicken nuggets and childrens party seem to be words that go hand in hand.Yet in a pinch, chicken nuggets can be turned into a hearty dish that your family can enjoy during dinner, with some help from pantry staples like ketchup or chilli sauce. I often have a bag of FairPrice Chicken Nuggets in my freezer for such occasions. I like that they are preservative- and trans fat-free and that they can be toasted in the oven when I dont feel like doing any frying. These come in either regular or spicy variations. I made this classic sweet and sour chicken one day when I had a hankering for it, but was feeling lazy. By using chicken nuggets, you eliminate the steps of marinating the meat, making a batter, coating the meat and frying it and thats before you even start on the sauce. In the sauce, I used FairPrice Tomato Ketchup, which is halal-certified, making it suitable for almost everyone. You can taste the quality ingredients that go into it, which is also an important factor when choosing what goes into your food. If you want to tweak it to make it spicier, you could also add two tablespoons of FairPrice Chilli Sauce. CHEats sWEEt and soUR CHiCKEn (serves 2 to 4) 2 tbsp water 12 FairPrice Chicken nuggets 1 tbsp FairPrice Cooking Oil 6 tbsp FairPrice tomato Ketchup 1 red onion, large dice 3 tbsp FairPrice Fine Sugar 1 yellow pepper, large dice 4 tbsp water 1 red pepper, large dice 1 tsp white vinegar 1 tomato, cut into wedges A pinch of FairPrice Salt tbsp FairPrice Corn Flour 1. Preheat oven to 180C. Place FairPrice Chicken Nuggets on a foillined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and set aside. 2. Place FairPrice Tomato Ketchup, sugar, 4 tablespoons water, white vinegar and salt in to a bowl and stir to mix. Set aside. 3. Mix cornflour with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Set aside. 4. Place oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Fry onion and peppers for 3 minutes, or until they start to colour slightly. 5. Add sauce and stir to mix well. Cook for 4 minutes, or until the sauce comes to a boil. 6. Add corn flour mixture and stir so that the sauce starts to thicken. 7. Add nuggets and tomato. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 8. Remove to a plate and serve immediately.
FairPrice Chicken nuggets 850g (original or Hot & spicy), priced at s$6.45 each; FairPrice tomato Ketchup s$0.90, Chilli sauce s$1.10 and Garlic Chilli sauce s$1.35, all 340g, are available at all FairPrice outlets.
Koh Mui Fong
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*More than 500 items (excludes Pasar and Home Proud). Full payment must be charged to Plus! Visa or NTUC Plus! Visa Credit/ Debit Card (Visa transactions only). Not valid for cash/ NETS payment. Plus! Visa/ NTUC Plus! Visa Card 8% is calculated based on nett price after all promotional discounts and senior citizen discount. Please refer to www.plus.com.sg for full terms and conditions. Plus! U is an initiative provided by Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited for Plus! U.
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things to do
Ze Huang Xiao Zhen and Huang Jie Songwriting Sharing Session With hits like Tahiti and December Night, Ze Huang is well-known for her signature toe-tapping melodies and unpretentious lyrics. Huang Jie is armed with his soothing vocals and insightful lyrics. Meet these two fun and talented indie singer-songwriters and learn more about them and their songwriting styles.
Today, 8pm, CrazyWorld Cafe, 24 Temple Street. Free admission with performance ticket. First come first served. www.esplanade.com/inmusic
guidance is advised.
Today, 7.30pm, Objectifs, 56A Arab Street. Free admission. To register, call 6293 9782 .
Chong Tze Chien. Come witness the official launch of his sophomore collection of plays titled Four Plays.
Today, 6.30pm, Fest!val Club, National Library Building. www.mansingaporetheatrefestival.com
The Visit Presented by the Singapore I-Lien Drama Society, this play is a 1956 classic by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Durrenmatt. It has been adapted for Asian audiences by director Chua Soo Pong and producer Lim Ngian Tiong. The play tells the story of Claire, who returns to her impoverished hometown. Claire offers an extraordinary monetary gift to the mayor and townspeople in return for the death of her former lover. As the drama unfolds, Claire proves that everything, including justice, can be bought.
Today and tomorrow, 8pm, Play Den at The Arts House. Tickets at S$22 from www.bytes.sg
4th ASEAN and Asia Forum: Economy, Energy, Environment The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Asia Forum is an annual regional conference organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. This year the panel focuses on energy, the environment and the economy, as well as panels on business, trade, and the wider outlook for ASEAN nations. Leading keynote speakers expected at the forum include Charles Ormiston, Tony Fernandes and Muhamad Noor Yacob.
Today, 8am to 6pm, Capella Singapore, Grand Ballroom. Tickets at S$800. Registration required. aseanasiaforum.com
Etiquette 2011: Words Be a part of the inaugural Women Out Loud and listen to poetry, prose and dialogue from nine writers.
Readings include that of awardwinning novelist, short-story writer and playwright, Ovidia Yu, ands published author-artist Dana Lam. Listen about their emotional night of first love, supermarket rage, mother-daughter tension and clinical regret.
Today, 7.45pm to 10pm, The Substation Theatre. Entry by donation. www.substation.org
Images of Cambodia This photographic show introduces an exciting and diverse country rich in history and culture a country that curator Nicholas Deroose has developed a deep connection with. Earnings from print sales will go to Tabitha Foundation, a foundation that helps the poor.
Today, 7pm, DYMK Bar and Cafe, 41 Neil Road. www.dymk.sg
International Workshop on Masculinities in Asia This workshop addresses the masculinity and gender in Asia. By engaging scholars of gender studies in Asia from a variety of geographical locations, theoretical perspectives, and disciplinary approaches in a conversation, the workshop identifies shared concerns, challenges and discourses, and transnational and regional patterns and processes.
Today, 9am to 1pm, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 469A Tower Block, Level 10, Bukit Timah Road. Free admission. To register, email Valerie.yeo@nus.edu.sg. www.ari.nus.edu.sg
Artist talk by Sara Roitman Sara Roitman is a Chilean Israeli artist based in Ecuador. Sara will be talking about her latest show at Light Editions Gallery and discussing her photography of the human form and the conceptualisation of her latest work. She will also be sharing her personal journeys, dealing with issues such as human trafficking, history and gender. Contains some nudity, parental
Man Singapore Theatre Festival 2011: Chong Tze Chiens Four Plays Book Launch The festival will feature celebrated local playwright
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Ziyi goes to Sichuan province in China, to search for a worm that resembles a combination of a centipede and a cockroach. and witness his excitement when he discovers a whole forest full of the precious culinary ingredient black truffles.
Join star guide Yvonne lim as she heads to Hainan, China to unearth foodie finds!
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BBC Knowledge (StarHub TV Ch 407), 10pm
Strung out along 5,000km of the equator, between asia and australia, Indonesias 17,000 islands make up the largest and most varied archipelago on earth. From freezing glaciers to coral reefs, orangutans to Komodo dragons, the sheer diversity of landscapes and life defies the imagination. This bluechip series tells the story of one of the worlds most fascinating regions and its magical wildlife.
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doUble exposUre (exclusive tv premiere)
SeT (mio TV 20), 9pm
Double Exposure is a docu-series that goes behind the lens of celebrity photography duo Markus Klinko and Indrani, a former couple, along with high-end-stylist GK Reid, giving viewers a taste of the world of high fashion and celebrity photography.
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