Teenager gets probabtion for burning uncle’s car

Teenager was placed on 24 months’ probation on Wednesday for burning his uncle’s car at a multi-storey carpark with his accomplice. Louis Hong Hsieh Shuen, 17, had pleaded guilty earlier to committing mischief by fire with Ho Ki Yeow, 17, at the Commonwealth Avenue carpark on Oct 24 last year.

The damage caused to Mr Ernest Tan’s car amounted to $40,500.

Ho has earlier been placed on 21 months’ probation for the offence.

A court heard that Hong bore grudges against Mr Tan’s wife over the inheritance left behind by his late father.

Once while he was cycling around Commonwealth Avenue, he spotted Mr Tan and his wife coming out of the multi-storey carpark in a car.

He then decided to take revenge on the victim’s wife by burning the car.

He roped in Ho. (story)

FairPrice extends holiday saving through Chinese New Year

Singapore’s largest supermarket chain, NTUC FairPrice, starting Thursday, with its new five per cent discount off over 500 house brand items - but only till the end of February. This latest move announced on Wednesday will cost FairPrice $3 million.

The 500-plus discounted products range from rice, bread and cooking oil to household cleaners.

‘As a social enterprise, NTUC FairPrice is mindful of its role in helping to moderate the cost of living in Singapore,’ said the cooperative’s chairman Ng Ser Miang.

For example, Mr Chong Kiang Leong, a taxi driver and the breadwinner of a family of six, has managed to reduce his family’s $160 weekly grocery bill by $25. (story)

20% Singaporeans unsure about retirement plans

More than a third are clueless about how much money they would need for their golden years. And close to a fifth feel they need more than $1 million to retire comfortably.

These findings are from a recent study done by global information and media firm The Nielsen Company. The results were released on Wednesday. The survey, which was conducted in September, involved 550 working adults here.

The study touched on three main issues: their ideal retirement age, what age they can afford to retire, and how much money they need to retire.

Said Ms Connie Nielsen (Singapore)’s associate director for customized research : ‘Given that retirement may not be a widely broached topic, it’s not surprising to find parts of Singaporeans who are uncertain when they can afford to retire and how much they actually need to retire.’ (story)

Singapore aims to be global leader for clinical trials

In its bid to become a regional clinical trials powerhouse, has joined the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), which has 20,000 members in more than 60 countries. Getting the stamp of approval from this United States-based international organisation means that Singapore can tell the world that its clinical trial practices adhere to international ethical standards and patient welfare safeguards.

Also on the cards here is a new national body, the Academic Clinical Research Organisation, which will coordinate the later phases of clinical trials both here and in the region.

These trials test new drugs on humans.

Boosting Singapore’s clinical trials credentials is part of the country’s current biomedical research push to translate scientific discoveries in the laboratory into actual cures for patients. (story)

Festival ends successfully

The Media Development Authority (MDA) - host of the 2007 Asia Media Festival - has clinched a landmark collaboration with an international agency and sealed several regional projects, ending the two-week event on a high note. At the opening ceremony of Festival last month, Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr Lee Boon Yang, had announced a collaboration between MDA and international talent agency, William Morris Agency (WMA).

The aim - to internationalise local capabilities and nurture the next generation of Singapore executives and talents to learn from industry veterans, and facilitate exchanges between Singapore and the Hollywood creative community. (story)

Student tops N-level exams

Selwyn Sim, 16, may be in the Normal (Technical) stream but he worked on assessment books for those in the Express stream. The Pasir Ris Secondary student topped the N-level exams with an aggregate of three points - the best ever results in the 10-year history of the Normal (Technical) stream. The N-level results were released on Tuesday afternoon.

Selwyn Sim scored grades 1 for all his subjects except Chinese, which he scored a grade 4. (story)

High taxi fares blamed for low turnout

Higher taxi fares are keeping some commuters away this festive season. ComfortDelgro, largest taxi operator here with 15,000 taxis, saw a 10 per cent drop in all call bookings on Monday, the first day of the increased fares.

SMRT, the second largest operator with 3,000 taxis, also received 200 fewer calls during Monday’s morning peak hours from 7am to 9am.

A spokesman, however, said that bookings went back to normal for the rest of the day. SMRT’s fall in bookings comes despite them not raising fares till Friday.

One commuter who decided to stay off cabs on Tuesday was Ms Shianna Tan, 28, shipping officer. She normally takes a taxi from her home in Aljunied to her workplace in Changi Industrial Park to work by 8.30am. (story)

Temasek appeals Indonesia’s ruling

Temasek Holdings has filed an appeal against a ruling by Indonesia’s competition watchdog that said the investment company broke anti-trust laws. Temasek’s managing director of corporate affairs, Ms Myrna Thomas, said in a statement: ‘The case against Temasek is baseless and totally without merit. We’re filing an appeal to demonstrate that there is no basis for the decision and to ensure that Temasek’s legal rights under the laws of Indonesia are respected at all times.’

The appeal was filed with the District Court of Central Jakarta on Tuesday with a ruling expected within 30 days.

Last month, Indonesia’s Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) ruled that Temasek had violated anti-monopoly laws and ordered it to sell its shares in one of the two top Indonesian mobile telcos. (story)

Man arrested for indecent bikini exposure

A man who exposed himself by wearing a pink bikini was jailed a day and fined a total of $11,000 for insulting modesty and other offences. Tan Wen Zhong, 21, admitted to five charges, ranging from theft to outrage of modesty, between 2005 and this year.

The court heard that a 20-year-old woman was taking a lift home at about 3.15am on April 13 when Tan entered the lift on the fifth floor, clad in a woman’s bikini.

The victim’s mother later reported to the police. On May 4, police went to Tan’s flat at Bukit Batok and found 46 items of assorted women’s wear including panties, skirts, shorts and bras.

He could not explain how he came to have those items. Police also found five video CDs containing four obscene films. (story)

Student receives maximum fine for accident

A motorist was taking his passengers home late one evening when it skidded, went up a centre road divider and overturned on the opposite side of the road. A rear right passenger died about two months after the June 15, 2006 accident.

On Monday, second-year polytechnic student Shawn Goh Jin Fa, 24, was given the maximum fine of $10,000 and banned from driving for five years for causing the death of Mr Taqdir Buang, 23, through his negligence.

One of the two other passengers was treated as an outpatient while the other was given two weeks’ medical leave. (story)