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Marshall)http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE69P0QN20101026

Singapore's population hits 5.18 million as at end-June Published on Sep 28, 2011 Purchase this article for republication Buy SPH photos Singapore's total population stood at 5.18 million as at end-June 2011. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANGBy Janice Heng Singapore's population has reached 5.18 million, up 2.1 per cent from 5.08 million last year. The growth was due to increases in the number of citizens and non-residents. There are now 3.26 million citizens, up 0.8 per cent from 3.23 in 2010. The number of non-residents - foreigners who are working, studying or living here but not granted permanent resident status - rose 6.9 per cent to 1.39 million this year, from 1.31 million in 2010. In contrast, the number of permanent residents fell by 1.7 per cent, to 532,000 from 541,000 in 2010. The updated population figures, released on Wednesday by the Department of Statistics, are of Singapore's population as at the end of June in 2011. ----------------------- At this rate of 100K per year, 6.5 million will be hit in 14 years. Congrats to the government for bringing in more working ants! HUAT AH PAP!

The recent Typhoon Hato in Hong Kong and Macau was a disaster. This video captures a man trying to save his lorry from topping over, but get killed when it falls over him. (Warning Gross) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcOjpvQSatE

AS MANY as one in three men in Singapore could be suffering from premature ejaculation (PE), according to a study. PE, a devastating condition for a man, is defined as a lack of control on a man's part during intercourse, resulting in ejaculation prior to or within one minute of penetration, said Associate Professor George Lee Eng Geap from the University of Malaya and Monash University. Although the poll did not include Singapore, Prof Lee, who is part of the study's steering committee, said: "We believe the results to be applicable to Singapore, because a similar study done in Europe in 2007 also showed a similar result. PE is a problem that cuts across ethnicity and age groups." The Asia-Pacific Premature Ejaculation Prevalence And Attitude Study surveyed nearly 5,000 men, aged 18 to 65, from 10 Asia-Pacific countries, including China, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia. The causes of the problem are complex, ranging from the psychological to the physiological, said Prof Lee. A person who secretly had intercourse at home, and was anxious of being found out by his parents, for instance, could develop PE later in life, he said. The problem could also be genetic in nature, he added. There may be a solution: American company Janssen-Cilag has recently submitted its medication, Dapoxetine, to the health authorities here for review. The pill is the only known medication that can treat the condition and is currently available in seven European Union countries, including Sweden, Austria and Italy. Outside of Europe, the medicine is available only in New Zealand and South Korea. Dapoxetine is supposed to boost the ejaculation-delaying hormone serotonin, by preventing or delaying the breakdown of serotonin in the body. In effect, this would help maintain higher levels of the hormone in the body, which would in turn help to delay ejaculation. Other treatments for PE include behavioural therapy like counselling, or topical treatments like sprays, numbing gels or condoms. However, there are drawbacks to some of these treatments. For example, numbing gel or sprays can desensitise the penis, causing a loss of sexual enjoyment, said Prof Lee. The condition can seriously injure a man's relationship with his partner. "PE can have a devastating impact on the relationship between men and their partners," said Prof Lee. "The impact extends not just to a man's self-esteem, but also to a woman's fulfillment and, ultimately, to the entire relationship." Source http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Stor...215-185879.html

Price of wedding tables hits new high http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/price-of-wedding-tables-hits-new-high Wooohooooo! Most Expensive City rocks! I'm really worried for our future generations.

Explosions have hit three churches and three hotels in and around the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, police said Sunday. The blasts hit several high-end hotels and one church in the capital, while two additional churches were targeted outside Colombo, police said. There were initial reports of at least 80 people injured in the capital. "Eighty people have already been admitted, and more are still coming in," an official at the Colombo National Hospital told AFP on condition of anonymity. The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear. "A bomb attack to our church, please come and help if your family members are there," read a post in English on the Facebook page of the St Sebastian's Church at Katuwapitiya in Negombo. Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/blasts-hit-two-sri-lanka-churches-during-easter-mass-at-least-80-11464816 To think I was just considering to book next vacay at Sri Lanka after watching a YouTube video...HOPE no one is badly injured n no deaths. Story is developinh

SINGAPORE - An electric scooter rider, 17, has been arrested for a negligent act causing hurt after he rode into a six-year-old boy. The collision occurred near Block 889A Woodlands Drive 50. The police received a report of the incident on Tuesday (Oct 24) at 9.22pm. The boy was hurt in the collision and was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. After follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from the Jurong Police Division identified the suspect and arrested him the next day. An electric scooter was seized as a case exhibit. Investigations are ongoing. The teenager faces a jail term of up to three months and/or a fine of up to $1,500. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/17-year-old-who-rode-e-scooter-into-boy-in-woodlands-arrested

SINGAPORE: An SBS Transit bus hit two taxis at a cab stand in Commonwealth Avenue, near Commonwealth MRT Station on Thursday morning. The driver of Service 100, who's in his 60s, was sent to the National University Hospital for suspected cardiac arrest. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it was alerted about the accident at 10:50am. SBS Transit said in a statement that no one else was injured. It said its top priority is to ensure the well-being of the bus captain, affected passengers and road users. Link

Nearly 100 rescued after Batam-Singapore ferry hits floating object All 97 passengers on board, including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew members, are safe and accounted for, according to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. POSTED: 30 Nov 2015 01:39 UPDATED: 30 Nov 2015 06:51 File photo of passengers boarding the ferry along the Harbour Front in Singapore before heading to Indonesia's nearby Batam island. (AFP Photo/Roslan Rahman) SINGAPORE: Nearly 100 people were rescued after their ferry heading to Singapore from the Indonesian island of Batam hit a floating object on Sunday night (Nov 29). The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it received a report at about 9.45pm that an Indonesia-registered ferry “Sea Prince” had hit a floating object after leaving the Nongsapura ferry terminal in Batam. It said at the time of the incident, the ferry was in Indonesian waters and heading towards Singapore with 97 passengers, including 51 Singaporeans and seven crew. The ferry operator, Batamfast, immediately activated two ferries to transfer all the passengers to the Nongsapura ferry terminal. All the passengers are accounted for and the ferry is in a stable condition, MPA said. One of the passengers, Ms Chella Ho, who was travelling with two other friends, told Channel NewsAsia that the ferry sank slowly in deep waters halfway between Batam and Singapore. She said the ferry operator launched two inflatable boats from the ferry for the passengers, but both inflatable boats also sank due to the overload. All the passengers wore life-saving jackets. Ms Ho said some nearby vessels immediately came to their rescue and all passengers were saved. She said all passengers later arrived at Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal safely. - CNA/de http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nearly-100-rescued-after/2304342.html?cx_tag=undefined&cid=tg:recos:undefined:standard#cxrecs_s

This is no accident, more like murder in broad daylight. A car drives at high speed and knocks over two persons, in broad daylight. One person falls on the hood in front of the car, and the car rolls over him. That is not all. The driver gets out, and starts KICKING the fallen! Kicks one, then runs over the kick the other. All this in broad daylight, in front of at least two other people who just stand by and watch the drama unfold!

Sharing for a good laugh, watch the clip, it's hilarious! :) http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/this-urban-jungle/stagehand-accidentally-hits-getai-singer-with-pole-with-hilarious-results Stagehand accidentally hits getai singer with pole -- with hilarious results Posted on 07 September 2014 | 18,728 views | 8 comments A getai singer had an embarrassing moment after a stagehand accidentally hit her with a pole. A video of the incident went viral on facebook recently. The stagehand was dismantling a pole on stage, while the singer was performing in front of her. However, as she tilted the pole sideways, it slid between the legs of the singer. As the stagehand raised the pole, it ended up hitting the singer in the pelvic area. This caused her to hit some really awkward high notes, leading to hilarity. Both she and the stagehand took the incident in a light-hearted manner, thankfully. It is unclear where the incident took place in.

Quote from The Business Times: "For the first time in nearly a decade, the median cash-over-valuation (COV) for resale public flats hit zero-ground last month as resale and rental volumes weakened, flash estimates show." right timing, am going to buy resale this year. Question: will the COV be -ve, i mean the flat selling at valuation minus?

Happen to saw this poll on torque's FB. haha. no ppl comment there leh. So i "port" over and see our side here active anot! See where is the hot spot!

A young tree with dried out branches and leaves seen at the entrance of Nicoll Highway MRT Station. The dry spell in Singapore over the past few weeks has prompted national water agency PUB to ramp up the supply of NEWater and desalinated water to maintain water levels in the reservoirs. For the past two weeks, 20 to 25 million gallons per day (mgd) of NEWater have been pumped into reservoirs to top up water levels, a PUB spokesperson said in response to TODAY’s queries. Over the past 19 days, only 0.2mm of rainfall — which fell in Jurong on Sunday — was recorded across the island, the National Environment Agency said. Skies were overcast yesterday afternoon, but no rain fell. Last month, only 75.4mm of rainfall and five “rain days” — defined as having a minimum rainfall of 0.2mm — were recorded at the Meteorological Services Singapore’s Changi climate station. In comparison, the long-term average rainfall for January is 242.4mm and there are, on average, 15 rain days in the month. The NEA said the Republic is in the dry phase of the Northeast Monsoon season, which is characterised by generally windy conditions, cooler temperatures and drier weather. The phase set in earlier this year, and is expected to last till the end of this month or early next month, the NEA said. For the next two weeks, “generally fair and occasionally windy conditions” can be expected on most days while some passing showers can be expected on a few days towards the end of next week, the NEA said. The rainfall for this month is expected to be below average, it added. The NEA said Singapore last experienced similar dry periods between Jan 26 and Feb 10 in 2009, and between Feb 3 and 18 in 2011. NEWater and desalinated water are two of Singapore’s four national water sources, meeting up to 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, of the country’s water needs. The other sources are imported water and water from local catchment areas. During dry months, the PUB works closely with the NEA to monitor weather conditions and the implications on reservoir levels, the PUB spokesperson said. She noted that, as with previous years, water usage increased slightly — by about 10 to 15 mgd — two weeks before Chinese New Year due to activities such as the traditional spring cleaning. After the festivities, it returns to the usual level. Nevertheless, the spokesperson called on the community and industries to “play their part to save and conserve our precious water resource”. Meanwhile, due to dry weather conditions in the region, fires and hot spots were detected yesterday in central Sumatra, the NEA said. A total of 108 hot spots with “a few isolated plumes” of smoke were visible over northern and central Sumatra, it added. Nevertheless, the NEA said that Singapore is not likely to be affected by the smoke from the fires in Sumatra due to prevailing winds blowing from the north-east. It will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary, the agency added. Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/water-supplies-ramped-dry-spell-hits-spore

FALLING temperatures across the Asian region are chafing farmers and threatening to upset the supply of farm produce, even as the cold snap killed more than 60 people in Thailand. On Malaysia's Cameron Highlands, famed for its strawberries, tea leaves and vegetables, farmers are frustrated as crops are taking a longer time to harvest. "When the minimum temperature was 18 deg C, we harvested cabbages in three months," Mr Chai Kok Leong, 45, who owns a vegetable farming business in the Brinchang township, was quoted as saying by The Star. "Now that the temperature has declined to 12 deg C, we are forced to wait an extra half a month before we can sell them." Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/se-asia/story/farms-languish-cold-snap-hits-south-east-asia-20140124

The driver of a white lorry, Mr Ramli Akbar, was arrested after his vehicle swerved across four lanes on Sembawang Road before hitting a tree, tipping over and crashing into an Audi sedan on Monday night. A pill found on the driver has been sent to the Central Narcotics Bureau for testing. A lorry driver who had been taking shipyard workers home was arrested after losing control of his vehicle and swerving across four lanes into a tree. The lorry, with three Indian workers in the back and three locals in the front, ran into the kerb at a junction before careering across Sembawang Road into the tree and tipping over onto its side. It skidded for about 3m before crashing into a white Audi sedan parked in front of a seafood restaurant. One Indian worker, Mr Chala Kannan, in his 30s, was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. He later regained consciousness and was being treated for a broken finger yesterday. The other workers escaped with superficial injuries. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...s-tree-20130814

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singap...-at/655740.html

dear all, i might get flamed for this but just want to know. yest my car's side mirror hit another car's but no major damage seen. both of us never got out of our car as its raining. but the lady did shout that she will take down my number and go home and check any damages. what's my next course of action? my mirror and all looks ok. hers too (from what I see) btw i was going to turn right and she was going straight..

Quite a few good ones of late....yes, i listen to them...98.7 this vid damn sart

From the positions of the displaced cars, the impactt must had been rather great Luckily no passerbys were hurt. Still the owners of these parked cars sibei suay, precious rides bo dai bo chi kena whacked .... From STOMP: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...big_impact.html Posted on 02 Dec 2012 Small car, big impact: Suzuki Swift driver hits not 1 but 3 parked cars STOMPers sent in pictures of a Suzuki Swift that had rammed into a row of parked cars at the carpark behind West Coast Plaza. A STOMPer wrote: "It happened at the carpark behind West Coast Plaza. "A Suzuki swift hit the 3 parked cars around 3pm and no one was hurt." STOMPer Halo wrote: "What a Sunday."

Sad accident. http://www.tnp.sg/content/mercedes-hits-maid-carrying-baby Gets to me when this involved a baby.

Link

Full Story Here STOMPers AkuNameless, andrew and Rachel all sent in pictures and reports about the accident. AkuNameless was alerted of the accident when the bus he was travelling in was forced to stop. He wrote: "I spotted this motorbike and taxi accident. "I was was taking bus 66 on the way home after having dinner and I noticed the bus was not moving. "I was wondering what had happened. The driver let all the passengers alight to walk as the whole road had been blocked by the SCDF and Traffic Police. "While I was walking home I saw a huge crowd crowded at an area looking at the accident. "I saw one bike that was reduced to just scrap metal and a taxi that had its door dented. "To all drivers and riders. Please be extra careful while riding and driving. "More and more accidents are happening nowadays. "Be extra careful." STOMPer andrew notes the time of the incident: "There was a fatal accident at Bedok Reservoir Road at around 10 plus pm.

which wise guy said that poorer families are not as badly impacted by inflation as the rich? [sINGAPORE] Inflation is still not coming down and appears to have hit poorest households hardest in the first half of this year. Policymakers expect inflation to moderate in the second half of the year after June's rebound to 5.3 per cent, but high inflation makes any loosening of monetary policy dicey, even as slowing growth raises the need to. The government now expects inflation in 2012 to come in at the upper half of its 3.5 to 4.5 per cent forecast range. June's consumer price index (CPI) was unchanged from a month ago, but the latest year-on-year jump brings inflation for the first half of 2012 to 5.1 per cent. Inflation's impact on households varies across different income groups, a separate report released by the Department of Statistics (DoS) yesterday shows. Worst hit were the bottom 20 per cent of households, for whom inflation rose from 5.4 per cent in the July to December period last year, to 6.3 per cent in the first half of this year. Inflation for the middle 60 per cent income group slipped from 5.4 per cent to 5.2 per cent, while for the richest fifth of households, inflation eased from 5.7 per cent to 4.6 per cent. DoS emphasised that overall inflation numbers are due to higher imputed rentals on houses occupied by their owners. This does not have an impact on cash expenditures of those who own their homes. Excluding these imputed rentals, inflation was comparable across income groups. But the poorest 20 per cent of households still saw inflation rising most, from 2.6 per cent in H2 2011 to 4.1 per cent for H1 2012. The middle income group's inflation slipped from 4 per cent to 3.9 per cent, while inflation slowed for the top 20 per cent, from 5 per cent to 4 per cent. UniSIM senior lecturer Tan Khay Boon noted that lower oil and commodity prices may help lower income households, which tend to spend a larger portion of income on food. However, the lowest income group also faced higher healthcare cost inflation of 4.3 per cent, compared with the middle and high income households' 4 and 3.9 per cent. "Healthcare cost may increasingly be a burden to the low income group and more assistance in this area may be needed," he said. Housing and transport costs were the main culprits driving up the CPI by a faster-than-expected 5.3 per cent in June from a year ago. This came after inflation had slowed to 5 per cent in May from April's 5.4 per cent. This choppy trend is partly because rebates for service and conservancy charges (S&CC) were disbursed to HDB households in April and June last year but not this year, exacerbating cost hikes this April and June. Still, accommodation cost inflation has been stronger than the authorities expected. "Leasing contracts continue to be renewed at significantly higher rental rates, especially in the HDB segments," the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said in joint comments yesterday. Accommodation costs sped up to rise 10.8 per cent year-on-year in June contributing 2.2 percentage points of June's inflation, up from 1.8 percentage points in May. Car prices surged from a year ago but lower petrol prices and ERP charges helped slow the rise in private transport cost, from May's 10.3 per cent to 9.7 per cent in June. Excluding accommodation and private road transport (which formed two thirds of June's inflation), MAS's core inflation measure held steady at 2.7 per cent for a third straight month. Sharper spikes in clothing and footwear prices were offset by slower price gains in other segments of the CPI basket. Services inflation slid from 2.9 per cent in May to 2.8 per cent in June, while food inflation slowed from 2.5 per cent in May to 2.3 per cent in June. "The pass-through of wages and other business costs to consumer prices will continue, but at a more moderate pace," MAS and MTI said. They also expect earlier weakness in global commodity prices to dampen pressures on oil and food items in the near term. But UOB economist Alvin Liew thinks the recent surge in soft commodity prices, due to parched weather conditions in key farming regions, may lead to higher food prices in the second half of this year. Barclays economist Leong Wai Ho thinks so too, noting that corn, wheat and soybeans prices are at least 30 per cent higher than what they were at the start of the year. Food weighs 22 per cent in the CPI basket of goods, compared with accommodation's 20 per cent and private road transport's 11.6 per cent. Stubborn inflation implies a "tougher balancing act" for the MAS, Mr Leong says. Already, Singapore's growth has slowed, sparking talk of a technical recession and raising the odds that MAS may ease monetary policy in October. While most economists still expect the MAS to keep policy tight to stem inflation pressures, Mr Leong thinks growth concerns are likely to overshadow inflation, unless coordinated easing by global central banks turns the global economic outlook rosy. Citi economists Kit Wei Zheng and Brian Tan said in a note yesterday that expected near-term inflation of 4 per cent sets the hurdle high but is "not an insurmountable obstacle for monetary easing", given that weaker growth could set the stage for disinflation next year.