High Court reserves judgment on second 377A case
A judge in Singapore’s High Court on Wednesday reserved judgment on a second case brought before the court questioning the constitutionality of a controversial law criminalising gay sex.
The application, filed by 49-year-old Tan Eng Hong through his lawyer M Ravi, challenged the validity of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which provides that consensual intimacy between men is against the law.
Tan was initially charged under the section in question when he was arrested in 2010 for engaging in fellatio with another man in a toilet cubicle in a mall. After Ravi questioned its constitutionality, prosecutors amended their charges to that of committing an obscene act in public, for which Tan and his partner were fined $3,000 each.
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Church council receives complaint over Adam Lambert's Singapore gig
A judge in Singapore’s High Court on Wednesday reserved judgment on a second case brought before the court questioning the constitutionality of a controversial law criminalising gay sex.
The application, filed by 49-year-old Tan Eng Hong through his lawyer M Ravi, challenged the validity of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which provides that consensual intimacy between men is against the law.
Tan was initially charged under the section in question when he was arrested in 2010 for engaging in fellatio with another man in a toilet cubicle in a mall. After Ravi questioned its constitutionality, prosecutors amended their charges to that of committing an obscene act in public, for which Tan and his partner were fined $3,000 each.
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Church council receives complaint over Adam Lambert's Singapore gig
Adam Lambert performs at VH1 Divas on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. A church council in Singapore has received complaints over his upcoming Singapore concert. (AP photo)
A complaint has reportedly been filed regarding a venue – owned by a church’s business unit – hosting a performance by openly gay singer Adam Lambert.
Lambert is set to perform Friday night at The Star Performing Arts Centre (The Star PAC) situated at the new Buena Vista mall, Star Vista, as part of his world tour promoting his latest EP, Trespassing.
Known for his flamboyant fashion sense and soaring vocals, Lambert came out as openly gay after finishing runner-up in the eighth season of American Idol.
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Resale flat in Tiong Bahru fetches S$945,000
A view of block 23 (block on the left) at Jalan Membina, near Tiong Bahru MRT station. A five-room flat there was sold for close to S$1 million (Photo: inSing)
A 10-year-old flat at block 23, Jalan Membina – near Tiong Bahru MRT station – was sold for S$945,000.
Channel NewsAsia reported that the 1,184-sqf, five-room flat is one of a growing number of resale flats in matured estates such as Redhill, Queenstown, Toa Payoh and Marine Parade that have been selling for more than S$900,000.
The Housing Board (HDB) said that in January and February 2013, 10 resale flats were sold above the S$900,000 mark, the news channel reported.
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Singaporeans should not be traumatised over $1m flat price :Khaw
Speaking at dialogue with Sembawang grassroots leaders yesterday, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan urged Singaporeans not to be traumatised over rumours of a flat being sold for $1 million.
Minister Khaw said that there will always be ideal units with fantastic views that will fetch high prices, as in the case of the executive maisonette in Queenstown.
Its sale is still in the works with the price rumoured to hit $1 million including a cash-over-valuation (COV) of $195,000.
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FAS has no respect for local coaches: Terry Pathmanathan
After Fandi Ahmad strongly criticised the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), yet another of Singapore’s favourite football sons has come out to lambast the organisation for treating local coaches with “disrespect”.
Mr Terry Pathmanathan, AKA Captain Marvel, was feted by Singapore fans when he starred for the country during the 1980s and early 90s. In an exclusive two-page interview today with TNP, the soccer star said that the FAS had not yet offered him a contract, even though his contract ended in December last year.
“The FAS has no respect for local coaches. After all I have done for my country as a player and as a coach, this is what I get?”
He added: “I am done with the FAS. Even if there is an offer from it in the future, I will not return as a coach.” Full story
Related:
- Two foreigners are front runners to replace outgoing Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic
- Another foreigner linked to vacant Singapore national team head coach post
- FAS president cum PAP MP Zainudin Nordin: No rush to find Raddy successor, Sundramoothy to cover duties until foreign coach arrive.
Star skipper slams the FAS – second this year after Fandi
After Fandi Ahmad strongly criticised the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), yet another of Singapore’s favourite football sons has come out to lambast the organisation for treating local coaches with “disrespect”.
Mr Terry Pathmanathan, AKA Captain Marvel, was feted by Singapore fans when he starred for the country during the 1980s and early 90s. In an exclusive two-page interview today with TNP, the soccer star said that the FAS had not yet offered him a contract, even though his contract ended in December last year.
“The FAS has no respect for local coaches. After all I have done for my country as a player and as a coach, this is what I get?”
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Becoming a Cabby is a Viable Career Choice?
Mr. Christopher Tan, a senior correspondent on transport matters, wrote a concise and factual report of a "surge in numbers seeking to drive taxis" in the front page of today's "The Straits Times".
In summary, he says that because of an improvement in taxi drivers nett earning of 3.5k to 4k per month, work flexibility, independence, use of the taxi like a personal car, "boss-status" and other positive factors, more people are flocking to get a taxi licence. In the last decade, it was about 7,880 yearly, today, it's 9,100 yearly - an increase of 16%. The pool of taxi licence holders has increased to about 96,000, verses fewer than 90,000 before 2007, though only half are active drivers. Many get the licence as a backup in case of unemployment or drive part-time. (Ex-SIA pilots should consider this option)
Younger people and more women are joining the industry as they find the flexible working hours blends in well with their household chores, like picking kids and running errands. More time are also available for the family. In essence, the value of a taxi licence had increased tremendously and becoming a taxi driver in Singapore is a viable career choice.
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THE SUFFERINGS FACED BY S’POREAN TOUR GUIDES THESE DAYS
Being a Fellow Tourist Guide, I do sympathise with her (‘PRC tourists assault local tour guide at airport‘). We guides are treated very unfairly very often. The travel agencies are always either protecting the interest of the tourist or the tour managers. Just because we are in this freelance industry, we are often made use of and then dumped for another guide regardless of our quality n services rendered.
Many Agencies here are set up and run by so called “FT’’s who only believe in profit margins over Quality. They always tend to maximize profits by using cheap restaurants for food and using coach operators who have drivers from PRC who don’t speak a word of English. By right LTA vocation licence is for them to only ferry workers but they often end up doing tours so the the travel agency can earn more profit. Complains to LTA over the years have been made but yet to hear from them. I doubt we ever will.
Tourist guides in SG have been fighting a futile battle with STB for years. For example, as long a tour group reaches the Malaysian border, the buses will not leave without a Malaysian Registered tourist guide but here in SG, everyday, dozens of buses led by Malaysian guides enter Singapore with Malaysian and Thai Tourists, traveling around without a Singapore registered guide. When we complain to STB, we were told that they will have to wait for amendments to the legislation which was last put in paper in the 70’s to be changed before action can be taken against them!
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Productivity, Maid Salary and International Wages
If you believe the PAP will implement changes for a better Singapore with equality and social justice, you are as optimistic as Professor Ng Yew Kwang. Will the PAP change and remake Singapore? It is ‘so far not so good’
My
Indonesian maid is returning home after two years of service and her salary is
$350 per month including day-off allowance. My new maid is from Myanmar and her
salary is $485 per month including day-off allowance.
In terms of percentage, this is a big jump in pay, especially when you compare it with our low income workers who have no real income increase for more than 10 years. So, it is fair to say that “Even maids have better bargaining power than low wage workers in Singapore.” http://pijitailai.blogspot.sg/2012/04/even-maids-have-better-bargaining-power.html
In terms of percentage, this is a big jump in pay, especially when you compare it with our low income workers who have no real income increase for more than 10 years. So, it is fair to say that “Even maids have better bargaining power than low wage workers in Singapore.” http://pijitailai.blogspot.sg/2012/04/even-maids-have-better-bargaining-power.html
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Infant dies hours after being born outside RWS casino
A NIGHT at the casino ended in childbirth and heartbreak for a woman last Wednesday.
The woman, who is believed to be Vietnamese and a permanent resident here, gave birth to a baby boy just outside the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) casino, but the infant died hours later.
An RWS spokesman told The Straits Times that the woman approached a female guest service ambassador inside the casino to seek medical assistance that day.
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An alternative news report
The girlfriend decided that she had enough of the abuse and told her pastor, then a family member. They went to her employer and the police got involved. That was the end of it…for her.
She is 31, married, a teacher. He’s 13, and her student.
The moral of the story is: Boys cannot handle sex with an older woman, who shouldn’t be having sex with a boy anyway. (The case of the teacher who pleaded guilty to underaged sex was reported in all the papers today)
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Military exposes Singapore drill plans
The military made public a Singaporean force's upcoming drill plan in Taiwan, a serious mistake that could jeopardize bilateral ties, a local newspaper said yesterday.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily reported yesterday that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) accidentally exposed a military exercise plan scheduled for today in a southern military drill ground featuring Singaporean soldiers currently being trained in Taiwan.
According to an announcement regarding the exercise obtained by the newspaper, Singaporean soldiers will conduct a live-fire exercise at the drill grounds in Pingtung County today.
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62-year-old Singapore man missing after being swept out to sea by strong wave in Hawaii
Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5 Mar 2013
Authorities say they’ll continue searching for a Singaporean man swept off the rocks on Kauai’s north shore.
The Kauai Fire Department says the search will continue Wednesday after there was no sign of 62-year-old Phua Chuan Chin today. The fire department says Chin and three other people were walking along a rocky shoreline when a large wave hit.
Chin and another male were swept into the water. The other man swam to the rocks and was treated for minor injuries at a hospital.
Honolulu Star Advertiser, 5 Mar 2013
Authorities say they’ll continue searching for a Singaporean man swept off the rocks on Kauai’s north shore.
The Kauai Fire Department says the search will continue Wednesday after there was no sign of 62-year-old Phua Chuan Chin today. The fire department says Chin and three other people were walking along a rocky shoreline when a large wave hit.
Chin and another male were swept into the water. The other man swam to the rocks and was treated for minor injuries at a hospital.
The Coast Guard is searching with a helicopter and a life boat. Firefighters and lifeguards are using jet skis. The search is focused on Kalihiwai Bay.
The fire department says Monday’s incident occurred in a remote location when a high surf advisory was in effect. Link
Related: Singapore man missing in Kauai waters - KITV.com
Bangalore - The Air India Express flight from Singapore touched Tiruchirappalli Airport on Friday and Sreenesh Thaikkodathil Sreedharan, wanted in a murder case, thought freedom was a walk out of the airport.
He chucked his passport (G2803624) in a toilet bin aboard the aircraft so that there wouldn’t be a whiff of his identity. However, he hadn’t bargained for a wily Bangalore police lying in wait for him. Wanted for the cold-blooded murder of a cosmetics trader on May 4, 2012, 30-year-old Sreedharan had fled to Malaysia before settling down in Singapore.
However, he soon ran into trouble for overstaying on a tourist visa. But, he produced a work permit and sought the court’s permission to stay on. The court asked him to go back to India and return on the work visa. Bangalore police, meanwhile, managed to track down his girlfriend, a call centre employee. Full story
Related:
- OPINION: Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin should be ashamed of his lazy ministry
- MOM staff, getting too comfy in their Herman Miller chairs, took more than one full year to investigate and resolve a simple wage dispute
- Sreenesh Thaikkodathil Sreedharan, wanted for the murder of a trader, flew to Tiruchy airport from Singapore to escape notice. - Bangalore Mirror
