Christian Myhrhagen Sindre

A Norwegian man who grabbed a cabby by the neck, shoved him across a hotel lobby and hurled him into a lift, was jailed for six weeks yesterday.

According to a report in The Straits Times, Christian Myhrhagen Sindre, a ship charterer who earns $10,500 a month, had initially refused to pay the cabby a $4 midnight surcharge.

The 27-year-old was also ordered to pay compensation of $1,699 to part-time cabby Lee Chin Chye, 49, for his medical expenses and loss of earnings.

Ferrari

An Indian businessman, Mohammed Nisham, who let his nine-year-old son cruise around in his Ferrari has been arrested after posting footage of the youngster at the wheel on YouTube, police said on Monday.

Huang Jiefu

Australian academics are calling for a Chinese surgeon accused of harvesting organs from prisoners to be stripped of a University of Sydney honorary professorship.

Huang Jiefu, who was trained in Sydney and until recently China's vice-minister for health, today oversees Beijing's organ transplant committee.

Lee Song Teck

The Consumers Association of Singapore said he has been uncontactable since January this year. The New Paper also tried to contact him, but could not reach him. His disappearance left clients - some of whom invested more than $1 million in gold - stranded.

Eurozone Confidence

Confidence in the 17-state eurozone fell sharply in April, data showed on Monday, adding pressure to the European Central Bank to make moves to boost the economy when it meets later this week.

Property in London

Property in London is being snapped more quickly than at any time since October 2007 when the market hit its peak before the financial crisis, according to figures from real estate data firm Hometrack.

Anthony Foxx

President Barack Obama on Monday plans to nominate Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor Anthony Foxx to be his next transportation secretary, a White House official said on Sunday.

The Huffington Post

News website The Huffington Post will launch a German edition this year, the US-based company and its media partner Tomorrow Focus, part of the Burda publishing group, said Monday.

A newsroom staffed with German journalists will be set up in the southern city of Munich in the coming months, and the site for Germany, Austria and Switzerland is set to go live later this year, both companies said.

Good Heart

"If you're honest, with a good heart, people are gonna use you to get what they want....but that makes THEM assholes, not YOU! Don't change who you are because someone couldn't appreciate you :)" ~ Holly Monk

Denmark

Nothing is certain in life except death and taxes. And the place you're most likely to pay big taxes is northern Europe.

In its 2011 tax report released on Monday, Europe's statistics agency identified Denmark as having the highest tax burden in the European Union, with income equivalent to 47.7 per cent of the country's annual output.

North-South Line

SMRT said a track fault had occurred on the north-bound track between Somerset and Orchard MRT stations. Trains travelled slower over the affected track as a safety precaution.

Capital Flows to Asia

The International Monetary Fund said on Monday it is "carefully" monitoring massive capital flows into Asia and urged the region's policymakers to guard against risks of overheating.

Explosion in Prague

A powerful blast ripped through a multi-storey building in Prague's historic centre on Monday, injuring about 40 people, rescuers said, adding that some people may be buried in the rubble.

Flood in Bedok

Were you caught in the flash floods at the junction of Chai Chee Road and New Upper Changi Road yesterday?

Nicole Huang Mei En

Are you following her on Twitter?
Are you reading her blog?

She is the daughter of Huang Wenyong.

Pesticides

A key committee of EU experts was meeting on Monday to mull a two-year ban on pesticides blamed for a sharp and worrying decline in bee populations.

Taka Jewellery AMK Hub

Roadshow until 12 May 2013
11am to 9:30pm

MP Lee Li Lian

Punggol East MP Lee Li Lian has become the third Workers' Party MP after Chen Show Mao and Sylvia Lim to quit their jobs to work as full-time MPs.

She confirmed that she has resigned from her job as a financial trainer. PAP MPs Tin Pei Ling, Foo Mee Har and Baey Yam Keng are also full-time MPs.

Unit 37

Why did that woman spray strong-smelling insecticide at 12:45am and 5:30pm?
Why did she make so much noise at 4:30am?

It's a Sunday today.
If she can't sleep, must she wake up the whole neighbourhood?!

Candyholic

As we progress through the game's levels, we are treated to different challenges that would seem implausible until we see some dratted friend of ours surpass the level-with an unbelievable high score to boot.

There are levels where we are given only a certain number of moves, and we are required to clear blocks of "jelly," while other levels include diabolical roadblocks, like blobs of chocolate that multiply to eat up our moves.

To make things worse, we are afforded only five lives per turn, after which the evil game makes us wait 30 long minutes for the next life.

The marshmallow test has nothing on the wait Candy Crush makes us endure until we can play again.

Michelle Chia NUS Medical Student

The National University of Singapore (NUS) medical student who tweeted about a patient's medical history has been suspended from clinical postings until investigations are over.

The final-year student has also been warned and counselled, and will face disciplinary action pending the outcome of the ongoing probe, said the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Jason Cheong

25-year-old driving instructor Jason Cheong was with learner driver Marliana Sumarno, 34, when tree landed on vehicle after being uprooted by strong wind.

Harlem Shake

What is Harlem Shake?
Will it be more popular than the Gangnam Style?

The Mansion

It is a new supper club on the second storey of Pacific Plaza in Scotts Road.
Have you been there?

OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013

SMRT bus service 106 will be temporarily diverted on April 28 from 4am to 10am due to road closures along Bayfront Avenue and Central Boulevard for the OCBC Cycle Singapore 2013.

Greece

Greece on Friday announced plans to auction some of the country's state buildings online, as part of a privatisation drive required for the release of EU-IMF bailout loans.

End of Bull Run for Gold

It may seem a lifetime ago but it has only been two weeks since we saw the sudden and dramatic sell-off in gold and silver. The sell off resulted in many observers espousing it to be the end of the 12-year bull run for gold.

Taka Jewellery Century Square

Roadshow until 02 May 2013
11am to 9:30pm

Procter & Gamble

US consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble reported on Wednesday quarterly earnings that topped market forecasts and raised its profit forecast for the full year.

Dr Pepper Snapple

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Wednesday, helped by the launch of its 10-calorie sodas.

Volvo

World number two truck maker Volvo posted a surprise rise in orders intake on Thursday amid signs key markets were pulling out of a deep slump that pushed its earnings to a deeper-than-expected fall in the first quarter.

Shiseido

Shiseido Co Ltd said on Wednesday it would write down its US$1.9 billion acquisition of US cosmetics firm Bare Escentuals due to disappointing sales, pushing the Japanese cosmetics giant to its first net loss in eight years.

Hershey

Chocolate maker Hershey Co reported a 6 per cent increase in quarterly revenue, helped by volume growth at its core brands.

Colgate

Colgate-Palmolive Co posted lower quarterly profit on Thursday as sales grew but the recent devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar led to a hefty charge.

Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson Inc reported a sharply higher profit on Thursday, in line with expectations, and kept its full-year shipment forecast unchanged.

Huang Meien

Are you following her on twitter?

Are you reading her blog?

She is Huang Wenyong's daughter.

Transparency

The person who kneels down before God
can stand facing before anyone and everyone.

There is nothing to hide.

Truth and transparency prevail in the person's life.

Relationship

20 things to do to enrich your life:

Free yourself from negative people
Let go of those who are already gone
Give people you don't know a fair chance
Show everyone kindness and respect
Accept people just the way they are
Encourage others and cheer for them
Be your imperfectly perfect self
Forgive people and move forward
Do little things everyday for others
Always be loyal
Stay in better touch with people who matter to you
Keep your promises and tell the truth
Give what you want to receive
Say what you mean and mean what you say
Allow others to make their own decisions
Talk a little less and listen more
Leave petty arguments alone
Pay attention to your relationship with yourself
Pay attention to who your real friends are
Ignore constructive, hurtful commentary

Soie So

She is a designer from Hong Kong.

Spain

Spain's unemployment rate soared to a new record of 27.16 per cent of the workforce in the first quarter of 2013 as the number of those without jobs surpassed six million, official data showed Thursday. 

Britain

Britain avoided falling into a third recession since the 2008 global financial crisis after its economy grew by a better-than-expected 0.3 percent in the first quarter compared with the final three months of last year, official data showed Thursday. 

H&M Singapore

H&M is expanding its reach in Singapore, with three new stores slated to open within the next few months. The Swedish fashion chain already two stores in the Orchard Road area.

The first opening will be on May 29 at the newly built shopping centre Jurong East Mall (JEM), followed by another opening in one of Singapore’s largest shopping centre, VivoCity on June 20. The third store at Suntec City will also be opening in June.

Gerbera Bouquet

Three gerberas = $25
Five gerberas = $40
Six gerberas = $45

Controversial

Everything else being equal, would you be more comfortable in the presence of a person from another race or a person from another academic background?

Violence in Malaysian Election

Hundreds of cases of Malaysian election violence including a bomb explosion have been reported since campaigning for tightly contested May 5 polls got under way.

Lynn Xiong

A teary Lynn Xiong confirmed her split with Aaron Kwok last week, but the model denied talk that she had kept pushing the actor to marry her.

Irene Ong Ai Siam

Hundreds of people paid their final respects Wednesday to social activist Irene Ong Ai Siam, who was stabbed to death by two motorcylists in Bukit Gasing on Saturday.

Ong, 53, was tragically killed Saturday evening, stabbed to death by two motorcyclists believed to be snatch thieves, after she had finished jogging at Bukit Gasing.

24 April 2013 COE

April 24

• 
  CAT A $62,497
• 
  CAT B $62,000
• 
  CAT C $58,502
• 
  CAT D $1,791
• 
  CAT E $62,000

Emergency Landing for SIA Plane

The A330 aircraft will be flown back to Singapore once checks are completed and Thai authorities give the green light for it to depart Bangkok.

Leslie Chew

Singaporean cartoonist Leslie Chew, 37, was arrested last Friday by the police after a complaint was filed against him about one of his cartoons, his lawyer said yesterday.

Laura Patricia

A Singapore girl's story of her uphill battle to lose weight, and then ironically, a battle to gain weight as she became anorexic has gone viral and struck a chord with thousands of Singaporean netizens.

The Facebook post that started it all has garnered 26,929 likes at the time of this publication. In the post, former Pioneer Junior College student Laura Patricia shocked netizens with the dramatic proof of her weight loss when she uploaded a picture of her 2010 prom photo along with her 2012 prom photo.

Purple Light

Two Nanyang Technological University undergrads majoring in broadcast forked out close to $10,000 each to fund their $26,000 final-year project.

On top of $1,600 worth of grants from the school, Miss Cecilia Ang and Miss Charlene Yiu had to work and joined video competitions to fund their 24-minute film Purple Light.

Sukki Singapora

Who is Sukki Singapora?

She is UK-born, holds UK citizenship, speaks with a British accent and hasn't lived in Singapore in her life.

Yet, Miss Sukki Menon - whose stage name is Sukki Singapora - claims she is our nation's first professional burlesque dancer.

City Harvest Facebook Page

A City Harvest Church (CHC) member has set up a Facebook page, ‘COC Must Not Remove the 8 Leaders of CHC‘, urging others to voice their objections to the move by the Commissioner of Charities (COC) to remove the 8 church leaders from CHC.

It was set up by 35-year-old Madeline Chua, an executive member of the church and a cell group leader. As at 11pm on 23 Apr, the page has 1,587 ‘likes’.

SingTel

The high speed network now covers 95 per cent of the island, including over 800 outdoor locations on street level and over 500 indoor locations such as shopping malls.

Unit 37

Is she insane?

She opened her door at that very instant as someone walked past it. Then she slammed it shut loudly. This had happened repeatedly over the past few years.

Is she abnormal?

Tulipmania

Visitors to Gardens by the Bay are in for a treat this 29 April to 20 May as the flower field within the "Flower Dome" cooled conservatory transforms into the largest tulip display in Singapore. The celebration of tulips at the Gardens will see an impressive 40,000 tulip bulbs flown in from the Netherlands to Singapore, courtesy of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the official sponsor for Tulipmania.

Retail Banks

Banks have made little progress in improving customer service over the past year, with around a half of their retail customers considering switching to a rival, according to a survey published on Tuesday.

Switzerland

Switzerland is prepared to discuss the automatic exchange of banking information in the fight against tax evasion, but only once a global standard for doing so is created, the Swiss finance ministry said on Tuesday.

Eight Types of Intelligence

Here are the eight types of intelligence by Howard Gardner,
Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard University:

1) Verbal linguistics are sensitive to words and language. They are skilled in one or more of the areas of writing, speaking, listening and reading.

2) Logical mathematical dominant people rely on logic and numbers in their thinking.

3) Interpersonal intelligence refers to the ability to sense other people's feelings and know how to relate to others.

4) Intrapersonal intelligent people have a good understanding of themselves. They are more reflective and are comfortable and happy when they are alone.

5) Kinesthetic intelligent people are good at expressing themselves through bodily movements. They tend to excel in sports and learn physical activities more easily.

6) Musical intelligence can be exhibited in music appreciation, playing of musical instruments, singing or writing music.

7) Visual spatial refers to having good spatial awareness and orientation. It also encompasses the skills in visualising, space planning and drawing.

8) Naturalist abilities include understanding and working with animals, plants and ecosystems.

Vlada Vitaly

A Russian passenger was charged in court Monday after allegedly threatening to "blast" the Singapore-bound plane he was on if he was not served water.

Vlada Vitaly, 26, was on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from Moscow to Singapore last Tuesday when he asked a flight steward for water and then told him:

Aung Phone Naing

A teenage boy suffered second-degree burns on his right thigh after sitting on what could have been acid at a bus stop in Bukit Batok.

When School of Science and Technology student Aung Phone Naing finally went to hospital, he was told he may have also suffered nerve damage. But tests failed to reveal what he sat on.

Tourism in Singapore

The number of tourists arriving in Singapore is estimated to grow by only 3 to 4 per cent each year for the next decade, about half the rate it did for the past ten years.

Lufthansa

Deutsche Lufthansa AG said air traffic would be back to normal on Tuesday after a one-day strike grounded almost all of the airline's flights on Monday.

Kathy Chow

Kathy Chow has been in half-retirement in recent years, but this does not mean that the 46-year-old Manchurian beauty has plans for marriage. According to reports, she has rejected several proposals from her boyfriend of 10 years. 

Zynga

Chinese search engine firm Baidu Inc rejected as fake a press release issued on Monday that said it was to buy US social gaming company Zynga Inc .

Earthquake in Mexico

A strong earthquake of 6.2 magnitude struck off the coast of Mexico on Sunday, the US Geological Survey said.

Residence in Greece

Greece will be offering residence to non-EU investors purchasing or renting property over 250,000 euros (US$326,000), in a bid to revive its moribund real estate industry, officials said on Monday.

Bird Flu in German Turkeys

Germany has reported new cases of a low pathogenic bird flu virus at two turkey farms in the northwestern part of the country, the World Animal Health Organisation (OIE) said on Monday.

The H5N1 virus, last found in Germany in late March, differs from the H7N9 type which has killed 20 people and infected 105 in China this month, the Paris-based OIE said on its website.

Ian Ling

He is only into his second year studying business at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, but Mr Ian Ling, 19, already runs a thriving on-campus business with more than a dozen employees.

His American-themed hot dog stand sells between 120 and 150 sandwiches a day, ringing in about $8,000 a month in sales since opening in November last year.

Alaskan King Crab

A restaurant patron was shocked when she received a bill of $600 for an Alaskan king crab.

She was apparently told the crab would cost $24 per 100g, but didn’t expect it to be so heavy, her friend claimed.

SUVival Winners

Last year's champions, Muhammad Suhaimi and Desmond Lee, took home the first prize again this year, beating out 119 other teams.

Mr Suhaimi said that their most daunting task was picking up fishballs, with each of them holding only one chopstick each, at the Yong Peng checkpoint in Johor.

They will be sharing their prizes of $3,000, a set of Yokohama tyres, a Canon PowerShot G15, a Selphy CP 900 printer and a Garnier skincare hamper worth $350.

Higher Hawker Food Prices

The heartland was abuzz the past week about a survey showing that hawker food prices seem to have increased.

The survey by the Consumers Association of Singapore released a few days ago shows that more hawker stalls and coffee shops are charging higher prices for popular local fare.

Medical Student of NUS

A medical student could be in trouble after mocking a young patient for apparently getting pregnant five times and undergoing three abortions.

The 22-year-old woman, who describes herself on her Facebook profile as a final-year student in the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS), broke the doctor’s code of confidentiality when she tweeted about the patient’s medical history on April 7.

Badminton Asia Championships

Badminton powerhouse China clinched three golds in the Badminton Asia Championships Sunday but they fell short of earlier expectations after losing to South Korea in the mixed doubles.

The three golds - in the women's singles and doubles and men's singles - compared with five they swept in the 2011 Asian tournament and four in the 2012 event.

Audi

Audi will speed up launches of high-performance cars such as the 107,900-euro (S$174,478) RS6 Avant estate to boost profit as the German brand tries to narrow the gap with luxury-market leader BMW.

London Marathon 2013

Undaunted by the Boston Marathon bombings, big crowds lined the route of London's mass road race on Sunday to cheer on around 36,000 runners, many of whom wore black ribbons to remember the dead and wounded.

Fine Dining at McDonald's

In a world first, a McDonald's franchise in Australia is offering full table service for its dine-in customers, complete with china plates, glassware and metal utensils in place of the more usual paper boxes and plastic.

Meals are also brought to the table by waiters and waitresses, and diners can daintily dab their lips with cloth napkins after eating.

"It's very popular," store manager Michelle Steain told Reuters of the five-week trial service. "Everyone seems to be loving it."

Glenn and Katia Dwarte, owners of the franchise in Warilla, some 100 km (62 miles) south of Sydney, sought permission for the idea after their habit of serving Mr Dwarte's parents with cutlery and plates caught the attention of other diners.

The dine-in offer is open to customers who purchase premium meals between 5pm and 8pm each day.

Kym Ng

Is Kym Ng 45 years old? That’s what a news report said late last month.

But the MediaCorp actress-host said: “They got my age wrong! It’s a long way off and older by too much!”

And she was also not willing to correct the “mistake”.

Namie Amuro Concert

He had no intention for the show to be cancelled. And ticket sales should not be a concern.

So said Mr Steven Woodward, director of Midas Promotions, the Singapore promoter of the Namie Amuro concert that had just been cancelled.

Earthquake in Russia

A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia early Sunday, according to the US Geological Survey, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck 60 miles (98 kilometers) southeast of the city of Severo- Kurilsk near the sparsely populated Russian-administered Kuril Islands, at a depth of 20.2 kilometers (12.5 miles) according to the US-based seismologists.

Be Positive

Be a positive, optimistic and kind person. Whether we are a happy or unhappy person depends largely on ourselves. Negative and pessimistic people are generally unhappy people. Be kind to others. Kindness begets kindness. Try to do a good deed every day. We will find that by brightening the lives of others, we will brighten our own lives.

Earthquake in Sichuan

A strong 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit a remote, mostly rural and mountainous area of southwestern China's Sichuan province on Saturday. The quake was felt by residents in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital of Chengdu, causing many people to rush out of buildings.

Boston Bombers

Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, suspected of bombing the Boston marathon, appear to hail from Russia's war-torn Chechnya but had been in the United States for several years.

The North Caucasus region of Chechnya has been ravaged by two back-to-back wars since 1994 between Russia's army and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels, and the mountainous region still sees occasional fighting.

A US law enforcement official would only say on condition of anonymity that the two brothers were Russian, but online profiles with pictures strongly resembling their wanted posters describe them as Muslim refugees.

NBC News reported that they hail from Chechnya, but they appear to have left during the wars and spent time in Central Asia.

Pasir Ris MRT Station

Only one platform will be in operation this weekend.
Repair works will be carried out during normal operating hours.
Service is per normal at all stations.

Body Glove

You may get this Australian brand from Les Enterprise at Pasir Ris and Tampines bus interchanges.

Haze

Is the haze being blown over from Sumatra?
Nothing is reported by the media yet.

Even the heavy downpour didn't prevent it from being blown over.

Property Prices

The Government is determined to lower the prices of homes relative to incomes but does not want to cause a crash in the short term. 

Carolina Herrera

Luxury lifestyle brand Carolina Herrera celebrated the opening of their first stand alone boutique in SE Asia with celebrities, former beauty queens and socialites. 

Paul Kevin Curtis

Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges on Thursday against a Mississippi man, who worked as an Elvis impersonator, for threatening to harm President Barack Obama by sending him a letter that initially tested positive for the deadly poison ricin.

Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was believed to have sent three letters, all with identical wording and type-written on yellow paper, to Obama, US Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi and Justice Court Judge Sadie Holland of Lee County, Mississippi.

Waco, Texas

A massive explosion at a Texas fertiliser plant killed as many as 15 people and injured more than 160, shaking the ground with the strength of a small earthquake and levelling homes and businesses for blocks in every direction. Rescuers were searching through the rubble for survivors early yesterday.

Shooting in MIT

 A gunman shot and seriously wounded a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in an eruption of gunfire at the prestigious university late Thursday, Boston television stations reported.

World Book Day

Popular Book Stores
19 April to 05 May 2013
Buy 2 or more English books at 30% off

Samsung Galaxy S4

The eagerly-anticipated Galaxy S4 with LTE will retail for $998 without contract from 27 April 2013.

Carrefour

Carrefour, Europe's biggest retailer, sees little sign of economic improvement in the austerity-stricken continent after falling demand in Spain and Italy and weakening trade in its core French market held back first-quarter sales.

Timothy Doner

A 17-year-old teenager from New York, Timothy Doner, has attracted worldwide attention after posting videos of himself conversing in 23 different languages.

A YouTube video of the youth has attracted over a million views since it was first posted up and shows Doner speaking in 20 languages consecutively.

According to an article in DNA India, experts have classified him as a "hyperpolyglot", making him a part of an exclusive group of individuals who can master languages in a short period of time.

Earthquake in Kuril Island

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 struck off northern Japan on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The USGS recorded the quake at 0305 GMT. It later put the depth of the quake at a relatively shallow 10 km (6 miles).

The epicentre of the quake was located 275 km (170 miles) northeast of Kuril'sk in the Kuril Islands, the USGS said. There was no tsunami warning issued immediately after the quake.

SunEdison

Toshiba Corp and SunEdison, a unit of U.S.-based MEMC Electronic Materials Inc, have agreed to build solar power plants in Japan, the Nikkei said.

Maserati

Italian carmaker Fiat has told unions it will add a second shift from April 29 at the Turin factory where it builds the Maserati, a source close to the company said on Thursday.

Laduree

Fans of famed 151-year-old French patisserie Laduree and its dainty macarons, do not fret as the brand's signature tearoom is likely to open here within the next year or two.

Twitter Music

Twitter on Thursday launched a music service that recommends tunes based on what people are 'tweeting' about and lets people sample songs they might like.

"We're releasing Twitter #music, a new service that will change the way people find music, based on Twitter," the San Francisco-based firm said in a release.

Jazreel Tan

Singapore bowler Jazreel Tan is the US' Collegiate Bowler of the Year for the third year running. She bagged the women's award, which is given annually by the International Bowling Media Association in the United States.

Politiz

You need not visit Australia to buy this clothing brand. You may get them at discounted price from Les Enterprise in Pasir Ris and Tampines bus interchanges.

MoMA

Japan's cheap chic clothing chain Uniqlo said Thursday it has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with the Museum of Modern Art in New York amid an aggressive international expansion push.

Under the agreement the firm will sponsor a free admission programme from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm every Friday from May 3.

The deal comes as the brand, operated by Fast Retailing, is aiming for a greater share of foreign markets after having enjoyed spectacular success at home.

Lu Lingzi

Three Chinese friends from Boston University went to sample American life at the city's ill-fated marathon. Lu Lingzi was killed, Zhou Danling was badly hurt and the third wonders how she survived unscathed.

The whole campus has been scarred by the death of Lu, a brilliant rising mathematician, who only arrived at Boston in September, but had immediately launched into life at the prestigious institution.

Job Vacancies

Many sectors are expected to be hiring during this quarter of the year, including health care, education, oil and gas, food and beverage, hospitality and technology.

Explosion in Waco, Texas

A fiery explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas, on Wednesday night and damaged or destroyed numerous buildings including a school and nursing home, and hundreds of people were likely injured in the blast, authorities said.

Some 60 to 70 people were killed by an explosion at a fertilizer plant outside Waco, Texas, KWTX news reported, citing the local emergency manager.

The report could not be immediately verified by AFP, but KWTX cited West EMS director George Smith as confirming the death toll. 

Fresh Worries

Fresh worries of slowing growth and potential turbulence from a global flood of liquidity will be in focus when the world's central bankers and finance ministers gather beginning Thursday for the spring meetings of the IMF, World Bank and G20.

Burger King

Any 2 for just $5 until 22 May 2013

Whopper Jr
BK B.O.M.B
BK Spicy Dynamite

Facebook Home

Facebook said Tuesday that features from its new Home software for Android-powered smartphones will begin spreading this week to Apple's popular iPhones.

Samsung Galaxy S 4

US carriers have started nailing down the release dates and prices of Samsung's new flagship phone, the Galaxy S 4.

AT&T Inc has started taking pre-orders, and says phones will be shipped starting April 30. It's charging US$200 for the base model, with 16 gigabytes of memory, under a two-year contract.

Piazza Italia

You may buy this clothing brand at discounted price from Third Republic outlets in IMM, Tampines and Bugis.

Bossini

Free foldable trolley bag with $150 spent at Lucky plaza, Takashimaya and Centrepoin.
Today and tomorrow.

Sophia Road

Sophia Road has been closed today after a metal sheeting on an overhead bridge was found torn away from its secured position, reported STOMP citizen website.

Apparently, it became loose after a heavy storm on Tuesday night. The overhead bridge links Peace Centre and Wilkie Edge.

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Co said on Tuesday it is selling some territory held by its company-owned bottling system to five independent bottlers.

The five bottlers are Coca-Cola Bottling Co Consolidated, Coca-Cola Bottling Co United Inc, Swire Coca-Cola USA, Coca-Cola Bottling Co High Country and Corinth Coca-Cola Bottling Works Inc.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton sales in Europe have been hit by a drop in demand, particularly from Asian tourists, while China has been sluggish with no sign of improvement, its parent LVMH said on Tuesday.

Lehman Brothers

A US judge on Tuesday approved a set of settlements among Lehman Brothers entities that will allow the company's defunct brokerage to pay back about US$15 billion in customer claims.

Boston Marathon

Boston Marathon organizers said Tuesday that next year's race would go ahead as planned and that they are co-operating with law enforcement officials to find those responsible for the deadly blasts.

G2000 Sale

Pick a discount of up to 50% at our sure-win lucky dip! G2K members get additional 5% off final bill. Hurry, now till 28 April 2013. 

Papua New Guinea

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 was recorded off the remote northern coast of Papua New Guinea at a depth of about 8 km (5 miles) on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.

North Korea

US President Barack Obama said in an interview aired Tuesday that he did not believe North Korea could yet arm a missile with a nuclear warhead, but predicted new provocations from Pyongyang.

Iran Earthquake

A powerful earthquake in Iran on Tuesday damaged more than 1,000 mud homes in Pakistan, killing six people and wounding dozens in a remote community close to the desert border, Pakistani state TV said.

Gwiyomi

Is this the next dance fad?

Cloud Computing

Microsoft Corp is cutting prices for hosting and processing customers' online data in an aggressive challenge to Amazon.com Inc's lead in the growing business of 'cloud' computing.

NUS Student Feedback

Now the student feedback for the modules this semester includes a phrase in brackets "(please provide your comments in English)" for any of the textbox fields.


Isn't this so hilarious?

Florinda Ho

Macau casino heiress Florinda Ho posted photos of her luxurious shopping trips in London after the reported breakup from Hong Kong actor Joel Chan. He allegedly asked for a $1.6 million 'breakup fee' from her. 

Fake Followers

Celebrity Twitter accounts with millions of fake followers exposed

What do some celebrities have in common? Socialbakers, a social media analytics website scrutinised the twitter accounts of various celebrities, and discovered something shocking.

They have fake followers on Twitter.

Les Enterprise

Are you looking for extra plus sizes clothes? You may find them in this shop in Pasir Ris and Tampines bus interchanges. The price range is very reasonable; about $10 per piece.

Bobby Tonelli

DJ-actor Bobby Tonelli has decided to break his silence on his break-up with local actress Joanne Peh.

The 37-year-old DJ-actor wants to gain closure and move on after being hounded repeatedly to give his side of the story.

He said yesterday that he would release a statement on his Facebook page this morning, hoping it would be sufficient to explain everything.

His good friend, local actor Andie Chen, spoke to The New Paper yesterday Tonelli had not cheated on Peh and that he was distraught over the break-up.

Gay Groups

The global growth of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities has not left Singapore untouched and this is a new challenge the country must face, said former chief justice Chan Sek Keong. He added that whatever the outcome of the challenge to the anti-gay law by activists in court, the needs and interests of this community must be addressed. 

Nichology

A local blogger who recently posted about how his colleague had used the term "Singapore Class" to describe him has sparked much debate online.

On Sunday, Mr Nicholas Tan, 21, reproduced a conversation between himself and the colleague, known only as DC, on his blog called Nichology.

Mr Tan wrote that DC had labelled him as someone of the "Singapore Class", which he took to be a "rude, snide remark".

Boston Marathon Blasts

US investigators led by the FBI are poring over video and photographs from the marathon for clues to determine who is responsible for two bombs that exploded near the finish line.

Worst Pollution

Hong Kong residents breathed in the worst air of 2013 on Monday, joining citizens in mainland China who have been choking on dangerously high pollution levels, and further undermining the city's role as an Asian financial centre.

London Marathon

Race organisers said the London Marathon would go ahead on Sunday despite the death of at least two people in explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, but police said they would review security plans.

Singapore Class

A local blogger who recently posted about how his colleague had used the term "Singapore Class" to describe him has sparked much debate online.

On Sunday, Mr Nicholas Tan, 21, reproduced a conversation between himself and the colleague, known only as DC, on his blog called Nichology.

Mr Tan wrote that DC had labelled him as someone of the "Singapore Class", which he took to be a "rude, snide remark".

Letter on Bobby Tonelli's Facebook Page

I want to thank everyone for all the support over the past month. Your messages, emails, words on the street have meant a lot to me. 

These have been trying times, but I would like to say the past four years were some of the best years of my life. 

When I met Joanne she was the first Asian girl I ever dated. I didn't know much about her culture and although we were from two different worlds, we somehow connected. The beauty of her soul and her sense of wonder at the possibilities we could achieve together were qualities I was always searching for in a life partner.

We had many firsts in our relationship and those moments I will always cherish. As the years passed, we started to lose the communication that is the foundation for every strong partnership. On hindsight, we could have worked a little harder at developing our understanding for each other.

Change is very much a part of life. While saddened by the outcome, I hope others can experience the quality of love we shared because it has made me a better person.

I want nothing but the best for Joanne and trust she will find the inner happiness she so deserves.

Sincerely,

Bobby

Free MRT Travel

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will embark on a one-year trial from June 24, 2013 to provide free travel on the rail network for commuters who end their journey before 7.45am on weekdays at 16 designated MRT stations in the city area. In addition, commuters who exit at these stations between 7.45am and 8am will be given a discount of up to 50 cents off their train fare. The Government will be funding this one-year trial.

The 16 designated stations are Bugis, Chinatown, City Hall, Clarke Quay, Dhoby Ghaut, Lavender, Orchard, Outram Park, Raffles Place, Somerset, Tanjong Pagar, Bayfront, Bras Basah, Esplanade, Marina Bay and Promenade.

Acecomm

It is a very unique shop in Pasir Ris bus interchange. It is manned by a lady who goes on a monthly shopping trip to Bangkok, Hong Kong and China to hunt for the special items to be sold in her shop. You may find clothes, bags, shoes and accessories.

Aravind

He taught her to act. Then he acted on her innocence to seduce her into sex at his home after school.

Aravind, a freelance writer, taught drama class part-time at the school twice a week.

Joel Chan

Online reports said Joel Chan supposedly asked the 24-year-old Macau tycoon socialite dumped him after his repeated demands for money. After she initiated the breakup, he allegedly asked for a $1.6 million 'breakup fee' from her.

Lala

Lala attained her claim to fame by posing for pictures in her high school uniform, one of Taipei's privately-owned high schools, the Taipei St. Bonaventure Girls' High School. 

Jonn Tan

An alleged civil servant who went by the name of 'Jonn Tan' on Facebook was said to have insulted Singaporeans on a grassroots organisation's Facebook page.

My Collection

The name is so grand. The shop is quite modest. It is located along the walkway to Tampines Bus Interchange.

Benedict Ang Yong Chuean

A Singaporean naval officer on trial in Australia for committing indecent acts has been found guilty of forcing a woman fellow cadet to kiss him.

Beatle Paul McCartney

Former Beatle Paul McCartney's 680-million-pound ($1.29 billion) fortune put him at the top of a list ranking the UK and Ireland's richest musicians that also highlighted Adele as the wealthiest young music millionaire.

McCartney was followed closely by music and stage impresario Andrew Lloyd-Webber at 620 million pounds, Irish rock band U2 and singer Elton John in the Sunday Times Rich List 2013 to be published on April 21, an emailed statement from the paper said.

World Guinness Records Astro Kasih

A new record has been officially set in the World Guinness Records Astro Kasih's longest underwater cleanup in Sabah's Tungku Abdul Rahman marine park which ran for 168 consecutive hours that ended at 8.30am March 13.

Gentleman

South Korean pop star Psy unveiled Saturday the hip-swinging dance and music video for his new song, aimed at replicating the global success of "Gangnam Style" and its famed horse-riding dance.

The singer showed off the much-anticipated dance moves - a simple swaying, grinding hip movement - at a promotional concert in Seoul, held at a time of heightened military tensions with North Korea.

The long-awaited video, released a day after the new single "Gentleman" hit online stores worldwide, was posted on YouTube shortly after the concert which was streamed live on the video-sharing site.

C & B

Yes, this is the name of the clothes shop chain that is found in the bus interchanges of Bedok, Pasir Ris, Clementi and Yishun. Most probably the PRC lady owner does not know the foul meaning behind this acronym in the local context :D

Shanghai Fashion Week

Domestic fashion brands and designers are in the spotlight for the first time at the twice-a-year Shanghai Fashion Week, although it has claimed to be a stage for "designed in China" since its establishment in 2003.

Lion Air Accident

Passenger jet operated by budget airline Lion Air was partially submerged in water with a large crack in the fuselage towards the rear of the aircraft clearly visible. Everybody on board survived.

Earthquake in Wakayama

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit western Japan early on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued, the nation's meteorological agency reported. It had its epicentre 24 miles (38 km) northwest of Wakayama in western Honshu island, and occurred at a depth of 3.3 miles (5 km).

Hurricane Sandy

The destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy has prompted the World Meteorological Organisation to remove the name from a rotating list of storm titles, the UN agency said Friday.

"Sandy" will be replaced by "Sara" after meteorologists decided that the future use of the name could be upsetting.

Sandy tore through the Caribbean before slamming into the east coast of the United States in late October, killing nearly 300 people in the region and resulted in economic losses of more than $75 billion in the United States alone.

Bobby Tonelli

"I went into the relationship with Joanne Peh with dignity and I will leave with the same," he said. "I don't see the need to draw media attention to this."

Third Republic

It is also known as Song & Song. It is a major clothes shop chain that sells international factory overruns. The outlets at Tampines, Bugis and IMM carry the latest design.

Be patient, walk through the crowded aisles. You will find some treasured items on sale.

Just look at the yuppies inside Third Republic. Even they knew of the bargains from the international brands.

mWallet

The virtual card is a feature in an app called mWallet, available on Google Play for all Android smartphones by Singtel. The iPhone version will be available in a few weeks. It is a new way to store cash in smartphones.

Nadiah M. Din

Suria actress Nadiah M. Din was taken aback when she found out that she has been named as the third party in the Peh-Tonelli relationship.

Tim Ho Wan Plaza Singapura

The world's cheapest Michelin restaurant opened in Singapore yesterday to much fanfare, with long queues forming outside for its coveted dim sum well before its doors opened.

Tim Ho Wan

#01-29A/#01-52

The Atrium @ Orchard

Plaza Singapura
68 Orchard Road Singapore 238839
Open: 10am to 10pm
Tel: 6251 2000

If it is your first time, focus on the 4 Heavenly Kings, which are their four recommended dishes: Baked bun with BBQ pork, steamed egg cake, vermicelli roll with pig's liver and pan-fried carrot cake. 

Public Holidays 2014

How to double number of long weekends
Click on thumbnail to view (Photos: My Paper)

Go On

“You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

~ David Harkins

Edward Whistler Goh Ngian Meng

Have you read him?
Does he blog?

Malaysian Election

It has been set for 05 May 2013.

The official campaign period will start on 20 April 2013.

iPhone Fatigue

Apple Inc's iconic iPhone is losing some of its lustre among Asia's well-heeled consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong, a victim of changing mobile habits and its own runaway success.

Driven by a combination of iPhone fatigue, a desire to be different and a plethora of competing devices, users are turning to other brands, notably those from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd , eating into Apple's market share.

Do you prefer iPhone or Samsung?

Singdollar

The way the Singdollar is going, there might be no better time to go on that dream holiday to Japan or Europe.

The Singdollar is trading at new multi-year highs against the Japanese yen, the euro and the British pound.

Analysts expect the currency to continue strengthening against its major trading partners as the central bank remains focused on managing inflation for the rest of the year.

Lebanese Referee

District judge Kamala Ponnampalam agreed with state prosecutors that there was a risk referee Ali Sabbagh and his fellow Lebanese assistants Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb would flee the country if granted provisional liberty.

COE 10 April 2013

April 10

• 
  CAT A $61,029
• 
  CAT B $67,010
• 
  CAT C $56,011
• 
  CAT D $1,812
• 
  CAT E $66,989

Italy

The purchasing power of Italian families dropped by 4.8 per cent in 2012 as inflation and declining incomes squeezed consumers, data from statistics agency ISTAT showed on Tuesday.