Haze, dengue, floods are issues of future environmental challenges

SINGAPORE: This year's record high PSI levels during the haze, the dengue epidemic and more intense rains are "amber lights", or early warning signs, of the need to be better prepared for future environmental challenges.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, said this in an interview with Channel NewsAsia.

Experts say time may be ripe for more changes in education policy

SINGAPORE: Observers said education policy changes announced this year -- from the introduction of MOE kindergartens to broader grades for PSLE -- could make a good pre-school and primary education, as well as good results, more accessible to students.

But some said the excessive stress and competition that plague the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will not go away, so the time could be ripe for more daring changes.

Little India riot is a good reminder for Singaporeans: PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that the riot in Little India is a good reminder to Singaporeans that even in a stable society, such an incident can happen.

What is important, he added, is to have a Home Team that can deal with the situation in a calibrated, thoughtful and decisive way.

Mr Lee was speaking to reporters after having breakfast at Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre with about 40 officers, who were among the first responders at the scene of the riot and had a chance to tell him what they went through that night.

Proportion of PRs buying HDB resale flats drops

SINGAPORE: The proportion of Permanent Residents (PRs) buying Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flats has gone down in the last few months.

This comes after new rules to stabilise the HDB resale market were announced in August.

PRs now have to wait three years after obtaining their Singapore PR status before they are allowed to buy an HDB resale flat.

According to HDB, in the three months after the new rules were announced, PRs made up 12 per cent of all HDB resale transactions, with 528 units sold to them.

SEA Games: Team Singapore athletes breaking new ground, says Dr Tony Tan

SINGAPORE: Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam said that he was delighted that Team Singapore athletes are breaking new ground at the SEA Games, currently on in Myanmar.

Writing on his Facebook page, Dr Tan noted that Mok Ying Ren made history in winning Singapore's first-ever gold medal in the marathon, while Chan Jing Ru won the first archery gold in 30 years.

SEA Games: S’pore paddlers qualify for men’s and women’s team semi-finals

SINGAPORE: Singapore's female paddlers are a step closer to winning a team gold at the SEA Games in Myanmar.

They brushed aside Malaysia in their second group stage match 3-1 to qualify for the semi-finals unbeaten.

Yu Mengyu, Isabelle Li and Zhou Yihan all won their singles match-ups, with the only hiccup coming in the doubles, involving Yu and Zhou.

SEA Games: More medals for S’pore in canoeing, shooting

SINGAPORE: It has been a productive day for Team Singapore at the SEA Games in Myanmar.

Stephenie Chen and Suzanne Seah once again struck gold for Team Singapore at the Games on Friday.

It is one of three medals that the Republic's kayakers won on the final day of the canoeing competition.

Celebrating 20 years of partnership

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) marked an important milestone as it celebrated the 20th anniversary of its longest-running overseas training detachment - the Peace Carvin (PC) II F16C/D detachment in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, on 11 Dec.
In a parade held at Luke Air Force Base, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen witnessed the unveiling of commemorative tail flashes of two F-16C/Ds by Singapore's Chief of Air Force Major-General (MG) Hoo Cher Mou, and Commander of US Pacific Air Forces General (GEN) Herbert Carlisle.

Integrated strike exercise adds thinking enemy

High above a vast desert, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-15SG and F-16C/D fighter aircraft fought a tough aerial battle against physical "enemy" fighter jets. At the same time, they had to integrate a strike on static and moving enemy targets with the Army's High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

This was the scenario played out at Exercise Forging Sabre 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, and witnessed by Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen during his visit on 10 Dec.

Riot in Singapore's Little India

SINGAPORE: Police say the riot in Little India which broke out on Sunday night took place after a fatal accident between a bus and a person at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road.

The accident took place at 9.23pm on Sunday.

In a statement, police said a riot broke out shortly after the accident, involving a crowd of about 400 people.

Five police vehicles and one ambulance were damaged as a result.

Several other private vehicles were also damaged.

Ten officers were also injured in the riot.

Police say the Special Operations Command and Gurkha Contingent were called to the scene.

Police added that the situation is under control.

Residents in Little India are advised to remain indoors while police operations are ongoing.

The public is advised to stay away from the affected area.

Members of the public are also advised to stay calm and not to speculate on this incident.

In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Teo Chee Hean said: "This is a serious incident which has resulted in injuries and damage to public property. The situation is now under control. Police will spare no efforts to apprehend the subjects involved in the riot."

Police say further updates will be given when available.

Singapore and Malaysia to form joint work group on high-speed rail link

SINGAPORE: Singapore and Malaysia are to form a joint work group to discuss and jointly recommend requirements for the proposed high-speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

On completing its task, the work group will submit its recommendations on the next phase of the project to the governments of the two countries.

The work group will be formed under the purview of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM).

COE prices mostly down in latest bidding exercise

SINGAPORE: Prices for Certificates of Entitlement (COE) for all vehicle types, except motorcycles, ended lower at the close of Wednesday's bidding exercise.

The premium for small cars or Category A dropped $1,831 to $73,160.

Closing at almost the same price was the premium for big cars. It saw the biggest drop of nearly eight per cent, or S$6,290, to end at S$73,010.

MINDEF to get two new submarines

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Defence is acquiring two new Type 218SG submarines from Thyssenkrupp Marine System GmBH.

In a statement on Monday, the ministry said the two submarines are scheduled for delivery from 2020.

Singapore does not comment on intelligence matters: Shanmugam

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam has said the Republic does not come out "to confirm or deny" any reports on intelligence matters.

He also said Indonesia and Malaysia know that Singapore would not do anything to harm their interests.

His comments are the first by a Singapore leader on allegations that the Republic was helping Western nations spy on its neighbours.

Mr Shanmugam was speaking on Friday at the Global Outlook Forum organised by the Straits Times. 

Employment of S'pore residents hit record high in 2013

SINGAPORE: Singapore's tight labour market has seen more Singapore residents aged between 25 and 64 being employed in 2013.

The Singapore Workforce Report said 79 per cent of Singapore residents in that age group are currently employed, slightly more than 78.8 per cent in 2012 and 71.8 per cent in 2003.

Lower income workers or those in the 20th percentile also saw improvements in their wages.

Two groups of workers contributed to an improved employment situation -- women and older residents joining the labour force.

Women in the workforce went up from 50.9 per cent in 2003 to 58.1 per cent in 2013.

Singapore to restrict remote gambling activities

SINGAPORE: Singapore authorities are moving to restrict remote gambling activities.

Remote gambling refers to gambling via the Internet or any communication device, such as a smart phone.

When in place, the proposed measures could be one of the most comprehensive undertaken by any jurisdiction.

Remote gambling sites are accessible anytime, anywhere, with some clearly targeting the Singapore market with proclamations of no levies. Singapore citizens have to pay a S$100 levy to enter the country's two casinos.

There are currently no specific laws to deal with remote gambling here, and there are concerns over its social impact.

Associate Professor Hannah Lim from Nanyang Business School’s Division of Business Law, said: "A lot of the Internet gambling websites that are unregulated, they have odds that are just practically fraudulent and we have to protect our own community."

Lower property tax for 95% of owner-occupied homes in 2014

SINGAPORE: 2014 will usher in lower property tax for 95 per cent of the 975,200 owner-occupied homes in Singapore.

Making the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) said the reduction is a result of the progressive property tax rates announced in Budget 2013.

Taking into account homes that are not occupied by their owners, that means lower taxes will be collected for 80 per cent of all residential properties in Singapore.

With the new property tax structure, the Annual Value (AV) exemption threshold for which no tax applies has been raised from S$6,000 to S$8,000.

This means that owners who live in their properties will not have to pay property tax on the first S$8,000 instead of the first S$6,000 of the AVs of their properties.

Singapore ranks 2nd on INSEAD's Global Talent Competitiveness Index

SINGAPORE: Singapore has been ranked second on INSEAD's Global Talent Competitiveness Index, which was launched on Tuesday.

It is the only Asian country to feature in the Top 20 of the index.

The index measures a nation's competitiveness based on the quality of talent it can produce, attract and retain.

INSEAD placed Switzerland at the top, followed by Singapore and Denmark in second and third.

European nations dominated the ranking.

Only two of the Top 10 spots were occupied by non-European countries, with Singapore in second place and the US in the ninth position.

Singapore's inflation edges higher in October

SINGAPORE: Singapore's inflation edged higher in October, in line with market expectation.

The consumer price index went up 2 per cent on-year in October, compared to 1.6 per cent in September, largely driven by higher private road transport costs.

And looking ahead, economists expect inflation to continue rising due to rising labour costs.

A pick up in COE premiums pushed private road transport costs higher in October.

The latest data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) showed private road transport costs rising 2.7 per cent on-year, following the 2 per cent decline in COE premiums the previous month.

This has, in turn, caused overall consumer price index (CPI) for the month to end higher as well.

Renewable energy can meet 10% of power demand without govt subsidies: SEAS

SINGAPORE: Renewable energy sources can generate up to 10 per cent of Singapore's power demand by 2020, compared to less than 1 per cent today.

According to a white paper released by the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), this potential can be achieved without government subsidies but requires an estimated S$4 billion investment from the private sector over the next 12 years.

The association currently has more than 160 members and represents the interests of companies in the sustainable energy industry and other related stakeholders.

Solar energy, biomass and biogas are key renewable energy sources identified as sustainable alternatives to Singapore's growing energy needs.

MTI raises S'pore 2013 growth forecast to 3.5%-4%

SINGAPORE: Singapore has upgraded its economic growth forecast for the year, boosted by growth in the services and manufacturing sectors.

The economy is now expected to grow between 3.5 and 4 per cent, up from an earlier forecast of 2.5 to 3.5 per cent.

Singapore's economic growth picked up pace between July and September.

Third quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 5.8 per cent on-year. This is compared to the 4.4 per cent growth in the previous quarter, and higher than advance estimates of a 5.1 per cent growth.

Defence minister visits SAF troops at military exercise in Australia

SINGAPORE: For the first time, a new bilateral component codenamed Exercise Trident has been introduced at Exercise Wallaby, currently ongoing at the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Queensland, Australia.

Singapore's Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen and Australia's Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert visited Singapore Armed Forces troops participating in the exercise on Tuesday.

The delegation included Member of Parliament and the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs Alex Yam.

This year's Exercise Wallaby is conducted from 3 Oct to 30 November 2013.

S'pore Army considers expanding pool of career soldiers by 15%

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Army is looking into expanding its pool of career soldiers by 15 per cent to allow such regular servicemen to play a bigger role in the training of conscript soldiers.

A high-level committee tasked to recommend measures to strengthen National Service has suggested this could enhance the effectiveness of such training, and allow more full-time National Servicemen to take on operational roles.

Members of the committee also suggested that tertiary institutes team up with the uniformed services to help students transition more smoothly into national service.

The Singapore Army currently employs both career and conscripted soldiers as instructors.

On A Run: Themed Runs Gain Popularity In Singapore

Singaporeans may be known to be all work and seriousness, but a shift in taste for sports seems to prove otherwise. Although normal marathons, triathlons, and even ultra-marathons have long been all the rage with the fitness-obsessed crowd here, a recent spate of unconventional ‘fun runs’ are becoming talk of the town.

One run that has made a comeback this year after a successful debut in 2012 is Brooks Run Happy. The night run saw thousands of participants don coloured lightsticks and pounding the pavement along Marina Bay Sands on 16 November. The run was to provide a welcoming environment for people of different ages and running abilities to interact - and of course, experience a happy run. 

“The run was amazing… lots of people, good music,” said a giggly Katie Hasson who completed the run with her husband Mark Hasson. 

Singapore Sports Council Launches SPEX Education And Career Schemes

With two new schemes launched on the 12 of November, Team Singapore athletes will have a comprehensive support system as they pursue excellence in their respective sporting fields.

The Sporting Excellence Education Scheme and Sporting Excellence Career Scheme, launched by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), is starting off with more than 1,000 athletes being involved.

Both schemes will help them handle both competitive sport and either their careers or studies.

Singapore Sees New Tennis Stars At Singapore ITF Junior Open 2013

Usually, when we think about tennis, the first players that run through our heads will be the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and the great Roger Federer. In the little island of Singapore however, a storm is rising as a new era of tennis players are beginning to emerge from the Republic.

Boosted by the emergence of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) bringing down one of their marquee events annually in Singapore starting from next year, Singapore has seen a new wave of youth players opting to spend more time playing tennis, training full time and taking up online schooling to further pursue their passion.

Learning Against All Odds

Sometimes the hardest of journeys exists in the mind. Feelings of self-doubt and despair often creep in at the last moment, eroding resolve.

Not for Military Expert (ME) 3-1 Rajendran s/o Ramachandran, who stepped back into the same school 16 years after he left in 1994. 

He had dropped out because of family issues and joined the Republic of Singapore Navy as a junior naval engineer. Starting on the Missile Corvette RSS Victory, he climbed to a supervisory role on another corvette. He now works on submarine maintenance in the Force Generation Squadron.

On his first day at Singapore Polytechnic, his classmates thought he was the lecturer. "After that first lesson, I was devastated. I had understood nothing," said ME3-1 Rajendran. Instead of giving up, he hunkered down and set his goals; to do as well as possible in his journey to earn a Diploma in Marine Engineering.  

He graduated with a Grade Point Average of 3.9 (the highest possible score is 4). Along the way, he won several academic awards, including one at an institutional level.

The 'Tay', Singapore's Very Own Gymnastics Move

For the first time in history, a Singaporean has been accredited by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Men’s Technical Committee (MTC) to have a skill named after him. 

Terry Tay Wei An, 19, performed the move on the rings at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships on 30 September, which was thereafter given the name “Tay” by the committee. In the FIG Code of Points, it is categorised as an “E” - or Execution - value skill. 

SAF to deploy fifth counter-piracy task group to Gulf of Aden

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be deploying another Task Group to the Gulf of Aden from March to June next year.

Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen announced this at the Goh Keng Swee Command and Staff College (GKS CSC) Combined 44th Command and Staff Course (CSC), 14th CSC (National Service) and 2nd CSC (Executive) Graduation Ceremony held at the Istana on 24 Oct.

Comprising a frigate and a naval helicopter, the deployment will be the fifth since 2009. The SAF has been actively involved in counter-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden, under the ambit of the multi-national Combined Task Force 151.

Singapore maintains 5th position in Global Power City Index

Singapore has maintained its fifth position in the latest Global Power City Index, a ranking of the world's cities by a Tokyo-based think tank.

The Index evaluates and ranks the major cities of the world according to their ability to attract creative people and businesses from around the world.

This is the sixth time the Global Power City Index is being announced by the Institute for Urban Strategies at The Mori Memorial Foundation.

Overall, London came in first for the second year in a row, followed by New York, Paris and Tokyo.

Local maid agencies turn to Myanmar, Cambodia after Philippines ban

Maid recruitment agencies in Singapore have started turning to new sources of domestic workers like Myanmar and Cambodia.

This follows the decision of the Manila-based Association of Licensed Recruitment Agencies to Singapore (ALRAS) to stop deploying Filipino domestic workers to Singapore from September 2 this year.

Maid agencies in Singapore said the Philippine authorities expect employers and not the maids to fork out the placement fees.

The placement fees are for the processing of documents needed before the domestic worker can be sent to Singapore.

However, the agencies said not all employers are willing to pay the fees, resulting in a shortage of maids from the Philippines.

HDB builds more flats, records higher net deficit

More Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats were being built in the last financial year compared to the previous year.

This is according to HDB's annual report released on Wednesday.

A total of 72,737 flats were being constructed in the last financial year (FY2012/ 2013), up from 56,938 units in the year before (FY2011/2012) -- a close to 30 per cent jump.

HDB's net deficit before taking into account the government grant in the last financial year, also increased close to 80 per cent.

S'pore and Japan enhance ADMM-Plus military medicine cooperation

If a large-scale natural disaster were to happen, a multinational team, comprising military forces from 18 countries, can now be deployed swiftly and seamlessly to provide medical support.

This has been made possible after three years of preparation and training led by Singapore and Japan, the co-chairs of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Experts' Working Group on Military Medicine (EWG-MM).

HDB acts to rein in speculation in commercial, industrial properties

Commercial and industrial tenants in Housing and Development Board (HDB) properties will no longer be allowed to assign their premises to another party.

The HDB announced this on Monday, in a move to weed out unhealthy speculation and rising assignment fees.

Assignment fee is the amount agreed upon between the proposed tenant and existing tenant for the transfer of the property.

The HDB has about 8,000 commercial and 10,700 industrial tenants.

Currently, they are allowed to assign their premises to another party, a move meant to facilitate the exit of marginal tenants and minimise disruption of services.

Singapore's GDP up 5.1% in Q3, expansion into 2014 expected

Singapore's economy grew 5.1 per cent on-year in the third quarter of 2013, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in advance estimates released on Monday, faster than the second quarter's revised 4.2% growth.

The market was expecting a 3.8 per cent growth.

OCBC's head of Treasury Research & Strategy, Selena Ling, said: "This was really unexpected, because if you look at August data for industrial production and NODX, actually they were pretty poor...So I suppose either there's expectation that the September data...is going to show a much better pick-up, or that going into fourth quarter, we could see a further acceleration in terms of momentum."

Free real-time lightning service launched

The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) has launched a new free real-time lightning service on multiple platforms.

It will be available as a mobile app called Lightning@SG, on the MSS website, and through the weather information hotline number.

With the app, smart phone users will be able to customise up to three locations of interest and receive push alerts when lightning is detected within a pre-defined distance of either six kilometres or eight kilometres from their location of interest.

Users will also be able to choose the type of lightning (cloud-to-cloud and/ or cloud-to-ground) and thundery showers forecast that they wish to receive a push alert on.

Organisers Target $50 Million In Sponsorship For 28th SEA Games

Singapore’s Organising Committee for the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games have set their sights on attracting some $50 million in cash and value-in-kind sponsorships, with a look towards building partnerships with corporates beyond the games as a priority.

Speaking at a media event at the Experience Centre of the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday, Mr Richard Seow, Chairman of the 28th SEA Games Sponsorship and Marketing Advisory Sub-Committee, said: “We are pleased by the interest we are seeing in preliminary discussions with potential sponsors across industries from MNCs to SMEs.”

66 Athletes Land SpEx Scholarship

Sixty-six athletes across 15 sports, chosen by the High Performance Sports (HPS) Steering Committee, will receive the Sports Excellence Scholarship (SpExScholarship) after displaying immense potential for international sporting achievements in their individual fields. 

In addition to these 66 scholarship recipients, the HPS Steering Committee has bookmarked 26 other athletes from nine sports who have shown potential to grow to the level of a SpExScholar, and will also provide them with support. 

NTU, NUS move up in world university rankings

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has improved its ranking - moving up 10 places to 76th worldwide in the latest 2013-2014 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

This is NTU's third straight year of progressing up the rankings. Since 2010, NTU has moved up 98 positions.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has also improved its ranking - from 29th last year to 26th this year.

HDB's BTO flats for singles continue to see strong demand

SINGAPORE: Demand from singles for the Housing and Development Board's two-room flats continues to climb ahead of the close of the latest sales launch at midnight on Wednesday.

There are about 60 two-room Build-To-Order flats set aside for singles in Punggol.

As of 5pm Monday, there were about 21 singles applying for each available unit.

There are also 1,137 balance two-room flats from previous BTO exercises on offer in various estates. About a third of them are set aside for singles.

As of 5pm, the most heavily subscribed units are in Hougang, where there are more than 100 singles applying for each unit on offer.

Private resale home prices up 0.1% in August: SRPI

SINGAPORE: Prices of private resale homes rose just 0.1 per cent in August from July -- this is according to the latest Singapore Residential Price Index (SRPI), which tracks prices of completed private apartments and condominiums.

The SRPI data is published by the Institute of Real Estate Studies at National University of Singapore (NUS).

Resale prices of private homes in the central area saw the biggest decline, down 1.1 per cent last month.

However, prices of units in the non-central region went up by 1.0 per cent. The index covering small units of 506 square feet and below also increased 1.0 per cent.

Trust in public service crucial to success of govt policies: PM Lee

SINGAPORE: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emphasised that a major determinant of success in implementing government policies that improve the lives of people is trust in the government, and in particular, the public service.

He said it is important that Singaporeans trust that the government understands their needs, is committed to the people, and will remain a steward of the public good.

One way the public service can strengthen this trust is to work together as one, with Singaporeans at the centre, and upholding the highest standards of integrity.

He said: "Ultimately, integrity is not about systems and processes but values. The government must have a culture that doesn't tolerate any wrongdoing or dishonesty and the public officers must have the right values -- service, integrity, excellence -- and each officer and the service as a whole must take pride in being clean, incorrupt.

Govt to conduct major review of CET Masterplan

SINGAPORE: Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said the government will embark on a major review of its Continuing Education and Training (CET) Masterplan.

This is to ensure workers are better equipped to handle future challenges.

Mr Tan said further consultations will be carried out in the coming months and more details can be expected towards the end of next year.

The overall aim of the current CET Masterplan - launched in 2008 - was to encourage workers to embrace lifelong learning, stay relevant and seize opportunities in new growth sectors.

However, as the world changes, Singapore must adapt and a review of Singapore's CET plans is needed.

Singapore ready to assist other countries, Shanmugam tells UN

SINGAPORE: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam has told the United Nations General Assembly that Singapore is ready and able to help other countries. 

He shared Singapore's development experience, saying its journey over the last 50 years had put it in a strong position to assist other countries.

However, he insisted any development had to be sustainable.

Measures to boost safety regime in SAF

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces has enforced a compulsory temperature-taking regime for soldiers.

Introduced from June 2012, the measure's aimed at stemming heat injuries, by keeping those with body temperatures above 37.5 degrees celsius out of training. It added to a suite of measures to keep soldiers fighting-fit.

"Safety" was formally added to military's list of core values in April 2013.

Singapore's citizen-soldiers often push their limits during National Service -- when the mercury rises, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke may result.

To prevent such heat injuries, a safety regime requires troopers' body temperatures to be measured and recorded before they tackle high-intensity activities like fitness tests or obstacle courses.

Additionally, temperatures are also taken at the start of the day and before it ends.

Singapore signs Open Skies Agreements with 3 countries

MONTREAL: Singapore has signed Open Skies Agreements with Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Tanzania.

The signing took place on the sidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organisation Assembly in Montreal, Canada.

The agreements were signed by Tranport Minister Lui Tuck Yew and his counterparts.

A statement from the Transport Ministry said under each of the agreements, designated airlines will be able to fly between Singapore and the other country, as well as via and beyond to any third country, without restrictions in capacity, frequency or aircraft type.

S'pore water polo ladies eye SEA games 2015

A beast in the water the captain of Team Singapore’s Women Water Polo team, Neo Ser Han, immediately flusters when asked to recount an embarrassing incident in the course of being an athlete.

It turns out that the embarrassing incident she recalls with much mortification is that one time she went on a training trip with the rest of the team, where the punishment for mistakes made was to wear a handmade cap cut out of a polo ball.

“I had to wear it around for the whole day,” she recalls with agony. It is anecdotes like these that serve as a reminder that Ser Han, although actively representing Singapore in the water polo arena, is but a young woman.

The responsibility of leading a group of youths to shine for Singapore rests on her shoulders. Gesturing to the pool at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex where the team just faced off with India’s women water polo team in the first day of the 3rd Asian Youth Water Polo Championship, Ser Han says of the 'rough and quite violent game': “Like just now, when we weren't playing that well, my role is to help to bring up the morale and spirit of the team.”

Singapore divers set sights on SEA games 2013

As the Singapore diving team gears up for the upcoming SEA games, the 5th AASF Asian Diving Cup served as a platform for them to gauge their standard against tough regional competitors.

Held at the Toa Payoh Swimming Complex from 13-15 September, the professional diving event is held for the first time in Singapore. Apart from our local divers, regional participation included divers from Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong, China. The competition featured a total of eight categories, such as the Synchronized 10m Platform, Synchronized 3m Platform, Individual 10m Platform and Individual 10m Platform for both men’s and women’s.

Adding to Medal Tally

The Singapore diving team sent a total of six divers to take part in the event, including twin brothers Mark and Timothy Lee, Kimberly Chan, Arizir Fong, Myra Lee, Jonathan Chan and Fong Kay Yian. Sharing a combined haul of three bronze and three silver medals at the 1st SEA Swimming Championships 2012, these student athletes were looking to add to their tally.

RSAF's F-15SG declared fully operational

The eagle is finally ready to dominate the skies.

Joining the ranks of the F-16s and other advanced Republic of Singapore Airforce (RSAF) systems like the G550 airborne early warning aircraft, the F-15SG multi-role fighter aircraft has attained Full Operational Capability (FOC) after three and a half years.

Marking this significant milestone, a ceremony was held at Paya Lebar Airbase on 18 Sep. At the ceremony, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen emphasised the importance of having a strong RSAF.

S'pore, Indonesian navies provide socio-civic help in Labuan Bajo

About 250 personnel from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) worked with their counterparts from the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) to provide social assistance, primary health and dental care to residents of Labuan Bajo, Flores, Indonesia from 10 to 14 Sep.

Commonly known as Surya Bhaskara Jaya (SBJ), the socio-civic programme saw surgeries being performed on board the RSN's Landing Ship Tank, RSS Endeavour, as well as the TNI-AL's hospital ship, KRI Dr Suharso.

"It was an enriching experience, because in Singapore, we do not often have a scenario where people lack the basic necessities for healthcare. We also do not carry out such work on a ship often, so I benefitted a lot from this experience," said medic Corporal First Class (CFC) Jeremy Karfar.

Sports 101: Intro to compression wear

The fitness scene has take taken over Singapore by storm. Singapore has been taking up an active role in hosting all kinds of international marathons and sporting events for the fitness enthusiasts to indulge in. 2012 saw Singapore hold 61 marathons and this year sees 67 marathons. 

How does one prepare him or herself to participate in these running events? With new technologies comes a new form of attire. Compression wear is all the rage this season.

Compression material allows your muscles to keep breathing and helps to maximise performance levels. This technology focuses the muscles’ energy to generate maximum explosive acceleration and long-term endurance. This material dispels the sweat to prevent rashes and chafing.

Innovations in MINDEF, SAF save more than $200million

A whopping $222.9 million. That is how much the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) saved through innovations and work improvement ideas from its people. An all-time record high, this achievement is a 36% increase from the previous year.

Speaking at the MINDEF PRIDE (PRoductivity and Innovation in Daily Efforts) Day 2013 awards presentation ceremony held at SAFRA Toa Payoh on 5 Sep, Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen highlighted the importance of continuous innovation in MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). He said: "As Singapore progressively develops and our organisations mature, the next phase of improvements, generally, must come from innovation-led productivity."

Dr Ng also reaffirmed the importance of the individual’s commitment to the PRIDE movement, as "to improve further, we will need (the individual's) creative ideas and new approaches…to sharpen our processes because there are always possibilities, there are always avenues to achieve our goals in better ways".

Singapore moves up world rankings after tri-nations

The Asian Tri-Nations Tournament came to a rousing close at Yio Chu Kang Stadium on Saturday as Team Singapore clinched a 30-19 victory over Chinese Taipei. A hat trick by Reiner Leong and a try each by Gabriel Lee and Peter McFeely helped the Reds to go up two spots to number 56 in the rugby world ranking.

The tournament opened about a week ago with Team Singapore losing 35-25 to the champions of the tournament, Hong Kong. It was a close game as Singapore was leading till the 75th minute where Hong Kong capitalized on the one man down advantage and scored two tries within five minutes.

New measures to cool HDB resale market

SINGAPORE - With immediate effect, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has shortened its maximum loan tenure to 25 years and the mortgage servicing ratio (MSR) limit has also been cut to 30 per cent of the borrower's gross monthly salary.

Previously, the maximum HDB loan tenure was at 30 years and the MSR limit was at 35 per cent of the borrower's gross monthly salary.

From August 28, financial institutions will in tandem reduce the maximum tenure of new housing loans and re-financing facilities from 35 years to 30 years.

With immediate effect as well, Permanent Residents (PR) who want to buy resale flats will have to wait three years after receiving their PR status. Prior to this change, they could buy a flat as soon as they received PR status.

LG (Ret) Choo: SAF military traditions must be passed on

"Traditions are the transmission of culture and beliefs from one generation to another... We emphasise our traditions in times of peace because the memory of traditions can inspire us to carry out our missions with courage and pride in times of crisis and war."

This was the point that Lieutenant-General (LG) (Ret) Winston Choo made during his keynote address at the 3rd SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) Leadership Dining-In held at Pasir Laba Camp on 26 Aug.

In his speech, LG (Ret) Choo, who served as the SAF's first Chief of Defence Force (CDF), highlighted that two key principles of the military profession have remained the same even as the SAF has transformed into a 3rd Generation fighting force.

Singaporeans want 'compassionate meritocracy'

SINGAPORE: Despite divergent views expressed in the Our Singapore Conversation survey done by the Institute of Policy Studies, there was broad consensus that Singaporeans want a more compassionate society that is less stressful, with more family time.

One of the survey researchers called it a "compassionate meritocracy".

The door-to-door survey of 4,000 Singaporeans found that most respondents want a less competitive, more holistic education system, and one that is more inclusive, where students learn with others of different abilities and backgrounds.

And despite some high-profile cases of resistance from residents, the survey showed that an overwhelming majority supported the siting of eldercare facilities in their neighbourhoods for greater convenience.

Respondents also indicated strong preference for the preservation of green spaces and heritage spaces over infrastructure development.