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.
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.
"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.
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.
Over hundreds of eager participants took part in 7th installment of the RunNUS on 25 August to raise funds for social cause. The race not only aims to promote healthy lifestyle through marathon running, but also gives students an opportunity to give back to their community and help out their fellow students who are in need.
Set in motion by the NUS Student Sports Club in 2007, the RunNUS is an annual running event that is popular among NUS students and the general public. Since 2010, RunNUS adopted a social cause and have been partnering the NUS Annual Giving Campaign to help raise funds for financially needy students in the campus.
“I think that this is a really great idea to help raise money. It is a chance for us students to help contribute in any way we can. It not only benefits those who need it, but also benefits us in one way or another,” said Rosan Rongen, a student from NUS.
SINGAPORE: Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has assured Singaporeans that the premium increases for MediShield Life will be affordable.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Healthcare Management Congress 2013 on Monday, Mr Gan said the public consultation for MediShield Life will be conducted over the next few months to give the government a better idea of how to implement the scheme.
Changes to the MediShield scheme signal a major shift in Singapore's healthcare financing policy. Coverage will no longer stop at 90 years of age and will include those with pre-existing illnesses. As a result of these enhancements, premiums will go up.
The health minister said the amount of increase will depend on the feedback from the public.
SINGAPORE: An international team of researchers, led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) and the Duke University School of Medicine, has suggested that increased caffeine intake may reduce fatty liver in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Using cell culture and mouse models, the team - headed by Associate Professor Paul Yen and Dr Rohit Sinha - observed that caffeine stimulates the metabolisation of lipids stored in liver cells and decreases the fatty liver of mice that were fed a high fat diet.
A news release issued by Duke-NUS on Friday said that the findings suggest that a caffeine intake of about four cups of coffee or tea a day may help prevent and protect against the progression of NAFLD in humans.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's first driverless electric vehicle will soon hit the roads, plying a two-kilometre route between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and JTC Corporation's CleanTech Park.
NTU's Energy Research Institute, in conjunction with JTC and vehicle manufacturer Induct, and supported by EDB, are running trials on the electric vehicle, which can seat eight passengers and have a maximum speed of 20 kilometres per hour.
The electric vehicle is already in use in USA and Europe, but NTU is developing and testing new technologies to reduce its charging time and improve performance.
The two-year test project is the first of its kind in the region, and could be used to replace shuttle buses.
SINGAPORE: Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said much work needs to be done for the ASEAN Economic Community 2015.
Mr Shanmugam, who was speaking at the ASEAN Day reception on Thursday evening, also said the Masterplan on ASEAN connectivity needs a lot of attention.
He added that even as political-security and economic community blueprints are being rolled out, there is a need to build a stronger sense of common identity among the people of ASEAN.
He said ASEAN will continue to be a player in the region's geopolitical future as long as it stays relevant.
While the nature of warfare has evolved and will continue to transform in the future, the sources of the conflict will not.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Chan Chun Sing made this point during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 15th Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO) held at The Sentosa Resort & Spa on 6 Aug.
In his speech, Mr Chan highlighted that three main sources of conflict - contest for resources, conflict over race and religion and contest over rights - will "continue to be with us for a very long time to come".
Contesting for resources has always been an evergreen challenge for societies throughout history, and had been one of the major contributing factors to the start of World War II, he said. "This is particularly challenging when countries are growing rapidly because they need tremendous resources to sustain their growth trajectory and momentum. Hence, the security of their sources of resources will be of utmost importance."
SINGAPORE: Shuttler Derek Wong has claimed a major scalp at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships in Guangzhou after posting a 24-22, 21-16 first round victory over Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who is seeded tenth for the men's singles.
Both players had only met once at the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold in 2011, with world No 10 Sony - a bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games - claiming victory, 21-18, 21-18, two years ago.
But a first round match-up at the world championships saw a lower-ranked Wong (No 52) upsetting the form books on Monday evening to claim a hard-fought 2-0 win over the three-time Asian champion (2002, 2003, 2005).
At age 49, Major (MAJ) (NS) Ng Hwee Khoon made a decision to volunteer for a counter-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden (GoA). A director of two shipping companies who travels often to the GoA as a merchant ship captain, he has had a few near encounters with pirates.
This has made the father of two children, aged 12 and 13, realise the importance of the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) efforts to aid in international counter-piracy efforts.
"I've seen first-hand what our forces do and how they operate. It was enlightening to see how they worked with counterparts from various nations. It was a privilege to volunteer and an honour to be selected," said MAJ (NS) Ng. He served as Future Plans Officer in the command team of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 and helped to develop contingency and response plans.
SINGAPORE: Malaysia has finalised its full report on the proposed high speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Mohd Nur Ismal Mohamed Kamal, CEO of the Malaysia Land Public Transport Commission, said the two sides will meet after the Aidil Fitri celebrations at the end of the month.
He said: "The base line alignment and all that is done. But of course, minor changes can still happen. We are just starting the process of engagement and discussion with the Singapore side, with the joint ministerial committee meeting up after Hari Raya."
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