PSI hits new all-time high of 401

SINGAPORE: The haze in Singapore once again reached the hazardous level on Friday morning, with the 3-hour PSI reading hitting a new all-time high of 401 at noon.

The latest reading surpassed the previous high of 371 recorded at 1pm on Thursday afternoon.

Indonesian and Singaporean officials have been holding emergency talks on how to extinguish the fires on farms and plantations on Sumatra island, which are also affecting Malaysia.

General practitioner Philip Koh said he had seen a 20 per cent spike in consultations in the past week, and estimated that about 80 per cent of all his patients are suffering from haze-related ailments.

"My patients are telling me they are worried about how long this is going to last and how much higher this is going to go. It is already high at 400 now, how much higher will it go?" he said.

Role of Singapore's social media in recent haze problem

SINGAPORE: The power of social media was evident when Singapore grappled with the recent haze problem.

It has proven to be both a resource and bane for the authorities as they disseminated information and battled rumours at the same time.

As thick smog blanketed Singapore, rumours were also circulated about how the authorities may have manipulated data.

The allegation was swiftly rebutted by the authorities, who then created the “Emergency 101” website to dispel such rumours.

New media expert Andrew Bleeker said a crisis like the haze is one example where social media is critical for rapid response.

He said: "It's just such a way for a leader to immediately respond either in the defensive way, or an aggressive way, to get a message out in real time, because that's where the conversation is going on."

Slash-and-burn a way of life on Indonesia's Sumatra

PELALAWAN, Indonesia: The ground was still hot and smoke hung in the air when Saparina set out to plant her spinach in the ashen remains of rainforest on Indonesia's Sumatra island, where raging fires triggered Southeast Asia's worst smog crisis in years.

The farmer waded through ankle-deep ash as she laid out her crops in fire-blackened earth among charred tree stumps on land cleared by the illegal method of slash-and-burn.

"I give thanks to God, now I can easily plant vegetables and oil palms," said the 36-year-old, who only gave one name, her feet still dirty after planting the crops in her half-hectare (1.2-acre) plot of land in Riau province.

While the blazes last month cloaked Singapore and Malaysia in toxic haze and provoked howls of outrage from environmental groups, many on Sumatra, from plantation workers to villagers like Saparina, are die-hard supporters of using fires to clear land.

It is the quickest and cheapest method of clearance for cultivation -- far less expensive than using mechanical excavators or bulldozers -- and the ash from fires is also a natural fertiliser.

Tourism in Singapore suffers haze blow

SINGAPORE - The tourism sector has taken a hit from the haze, with the Singapore Flyer and DUCKtours announcing they would suspend operations until conditions improve, after the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reached a record high of 371 at 1pm on Thursday.

Other outdoor attractions saw slight dips in visitor numbers, while tour operators leading inbound groups to Singapore have had to adjust itineraries to carry out more activities indoors, although they have yet to receive cancellations.

Livelihoods of small-time vendors, such as trishaw drivers plying the streets, are also suffering a blow from the poor air quality.

The Singapore Flyer, which was placed into receivership last month, said it was closing to protect its employees, many of whom work outdoors. 

"We will reassess the situation (this) morning and the Flyer will reopen as soon as pollution levels drop to a safe level," said Mr Tim Reid of Ferrier Hodgson, the Flyer's appointed receivers and managers.

Tenants at the Singapore Flyer TODAY spoke to said there has been a dip in their business since the start of this week.

Singapore gripped by Hello Kitty frenzy

SINGAPORE: Tempers flared and police had to be called in Thursday as anxious Singaporeans rushed to McDonald's outlets to buy Hello Kitty plush toys being sold by the fast food chain as a promotion.

Hundreds had begun queueing from Wednesday night to get their hands on a kitten in a skeleton outfit, depicting a character from the German fairy tale "The Singing Bone".

It was the last of a series of six limited-edition Hello Kitty characters dressed in different outfits from popular fairy tales which were being sold by McDonald's this month.

In some outlets, chaos broke out amid rampant queue jumping as supplies of the toys ran out soon after the stores opened for business on Thursday.

One video uploaded on YouTube showed police officers mediating between two customers in front of a McDonald's counter.

Another showed an irate man asking an agitated crowd "Is he Singaporean? Is he educated?", apparently in reference to someone who had gotten a queue ticket ahead of others.

Singapore's inflation up slightly in May

SINGAPORE: Singapore's headline inflation inched up slightly to 1.6 per cent on-year in May from 1.5 per cent in April.

While car prices declined, it was more than offset by higher contributions from all other major categories.

According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), accommodation costs increased 5.1 per cent in May, up from 2.4 per cent in April as the one-off rebates for Housing & Development Board service and conservancy charges was available in April only.

Meanwhile, imputed rentals on owner-occupied accommodation continued to increase, contributing 0.9 percentage point to overall inflation in May.

On the other hand, the cost of private road transport fell for the first time since 2009, declining by 3.7 per cent in May, compared to the 0.5 per cent rise in April.

MAS said this was due to lower Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums in April and price adjustments by car dealers following the implementation of motor vehicle related policy measures.

China company sets up new aviation training centre in Singapore

SINGAPORE: More pilots will learn to take to the skies right here in Singapore. 

China-based aviation company Haite Group is investing S$95.3 million in a new aviation training centre in Changi Business Park. 

This represents the first major investment by a Chinese player in the aviation sector in Singapore. 

At a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, the company said its new 7,000 square metre facility will start with two simulators, with plans to add another four to five more. 

It will cater to pilots and cabin crew flying on Boeing and Airbus planes in China and the Pacific region. 

The Chinese group is banking on soaring regional demand for aviation training services over the next decade. 

According to aviation consultancy services SH&E, some 2,500 aircraft are expected to be delivered to the region, creating demand for 44,000 pilots. 

The Chinese firm is based in Chengdu, and it's also involved in repair and maintenance, inspection, and research and development of aviation electronics. 

New hub to defend against cyber threats

Spyware, malware and other computer viruses on your personal computer could already mean the theft of your credit card details. So can you imagine the severe damage they could do to military networks?

To fight increasingly prevalent cyber attacks, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has beefed up its cyber defence capabilities with the setting up of the Cyber Defence Operations Hub.

Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen announced this when he spoke to the media at the Chevrons on 29 Jun, ahead of SAF Day on 1 Jul.

He noted that cyber attacks are a global concern shared by his counterparts. "All of us recognise that they are increasing in frequency and potency, and can create damage for us simply because our military and civilian networks are highly dependent on these computer systems."

SAF honours its best

A decade of glory. That's what the Commandos celebrated after they were crowned the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) Best Combat Unit for the 10th year running. This marks the elite 1st Commando Battalion's (1 CDO Bn's) 27th win. The competition, which began in 1969, recognises units that are highly combat ready, skilful in operations and good in administration. Commanding Officer (CO) of the unit Major (MAJ) Iain Hoo said of the win: "There's always some pressure being the defending champion. I'd say that the soldiers exert pressure on themselves, because it's something they don't want to give up. It's an honour that they have worked very hard for." For Detachment Commander Lieutenant (LTA) (NS) Anders Eric Aplin, the victory was probably a good gift to mark his Operationally Ready Date (ORD) in late June. He had voluntarily extended his ORD by nine months just to complete a training cycle with his men. "I feel very proud that we could maintain the (winning) tradition. There was a bit of pressure on us, since our predecessors have won it so many times, but there was definitely a belief that we could do it."

Greater responsibility & recognition: SAF promotes over 500 personnel

"The recognition is not just about me, but also very much about the contributions of our people who work silently behind the scenes in military intelligence and C4I."

This was said by Rear-Admiral (RADM) Joseph Leong, who was promoted to RADM (Two Stars). He has spent 23 years in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and currently holds two appointments. He is Director Military Intelligence and Chief Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I).

At a promotion ceremony held at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Auditorium on 27 Jun, RADM Leong received his certificate of promotion from Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen. Also promoted were Chief of Defence Force Major-General (MG) Ng Chee Meng and Chief of Air Force Brigadier-General Hoo Cher Mou, who attained the ranks of Lieutenant-General and Major-General respectively.

They joined the 402 Officers, 75 military experts (ME) and 41 warrant officers from the three Services promoted to the next higher rank this year.

Swimming: Yeo qualifies for FINA World Championship with 100m freestyle record

SINGAPORE: Yeo Kai Quan smashed the men's 100-metre freestyle national record to qualify for the FINA World Championship scheduled to be held in Spain next month.

Yeo, 23,  touched home in a time of 50.31 seconds at the Ninth National Swimming Championships at the Singapore Sports School on Thursday.

His timing beat the old national record of 50.60 seconds, and also qualify him for this year's Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Yeo finished ahead of Darren Lim who clocked 51.25 seconds.

Clement Lim was third with a time of 51.57 seconds.

Singapore Sports Hub to feature sports promenade, community facilities

SINGAPORE - World class events aside, the Sports Hub - set to open in April next year - will be a place for the ordinary man to enjoy too.

It will feature a sports promenade and other community facilities, most of which will be free of charge.

The sports promenade is an open space, and will link all the major facilities in the Hub.

There will also be community facilities like a rock-climbing wall, skate park, beach volleyball and a leisure water ride.

Other amenities like a jogging and cycling track will connect the Sports Hub to East Coast Park and MacRitchie.

The iconic facility also boasts quite a bit of technology, like self-cooling seats, which will be a welcome relief in Singapore's hot weather.

Motorsports community worry for future of sport after Motorsports Hub no-go

SINGAPORE: The no-go for Singapore's Motorsports Hub spells a loss to the motorsports community.

The Singapore Sports Council said on Wednesday it will not proceed with the re-tender for the site in Changi.

The announcement comes at a time when the motorsports community has seen its members grow in recent years.

But they fear the loss of the project would mean less interest in the sport in Singapore.

Currently, there are only go-kart facilities in Singapore, but these cannot accommodate motor racing.

Without a proper motor racing site, racers would have to head overseas.

This could also mean losing the chance to groom local talents.

Paul Lee, team boss and coach at AutoInc Racing, said: "It is a platform for our guys to graduate from karting into the motor-car track and do formula races. Without the Motorsports Hub, I think it'll be a bit difficult for our local guys because they have to go overseas and it's very expensive to do that."