Thursday #sgroundup: Facebook website returns to service after crash

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Facebook website returns to service after crash A Facebook error message is seen in this illustration photo of a computer screen in Singapore June 19, 2014. REUTERS/Thomas …
Facebook Inc.'s FB.O website crashed briefly on Thursday, temporarily preventing computer and mobile phone users from reaching the site around the globe.

During the outage, Facebook users ranging from Australia to South Korea to India and Britain were greeted with a message saying "Sorry, something went wrong".
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/facebook-website-crashes-082700007--sector.html

Tanjong Pagar Town Council posts photos of woman who urinated in lift at Pinnacle@Duxton
 A photo of a poster indicating two images of a woman urinating in a lift in a block at the Pinnacle@Duxton HDB …
Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Town Council posted pictures of a woman urinating in a Housing Board flat building lift in posters around the Pinnacle@Duxton estate.

On Sunday, the administrator for the Pinnacle@Duxton Facebook page put up a picture of the poster, which included two images of the ponytailed woman. In them, she appeared to be squatting on the floor in the first, and in the second, her standing with a puddle of liquid behind her where the floor had previously been dry.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/tanjong-pagar-town-council-posts-photos-of-woman-who-urinated-in-lift-at-pinnacle-duxton-084102937.html

PM Lee drops in at World Cup screening
 Singapore: Blogger Raises Funding to Fight PM Lee Hsien Loong's Lawsuit
Football fans gathered to watch the 'Live' telecast of a World Cup match at Cheng San Community Centre (CC) on Wednesday night, were treated to a surprise guest.

PM Lee who had attended a Meet-the-People session at his Teck Ghee constituency earlier that night, made his way to the CC to catch the game between Australia and Netherlands, he revealed on his official Facebook page.
https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/pm-lee-drops-world-cup-screening-025100419.html

SingPost slams SGX queries on unusual share price movement
  
A volley of queries had been shot at SingPost after the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited submitted questions regarding the unusual price and volume movement of SingPost's shares.

SGX's main query was whether or not SingPost is aware of any information not previously announced concerning the company or its subsidiaries which, if known, might explain the unusual trading.
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singpost-slams-sgx-queries-unusual-023700391.html

Commando acquitted of Altantuya murder arrested for close proximity, say police
 File photo of ex-policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar (heads covered). The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya …
One of two former police commandos previously charged with the grisly murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu was arrested on Thursday for allegedly being in close proximity with a female policewoman.

Malaysia's Sepang police chief Supt Mohd Yusoff confirmed the arrest made early this morning, adding that the case is now with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/commando-acquitted-altantuya-murder-arrested-close-proximity-police-091100162.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/thursday--sgroundup--facebook-website-returns-to-service-after-crash-100725392.html

Wednesday #sgroundup: Overloaded boat sinks off Malaysia, 34 Indonesians missing, three dead

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Overloaded boat sinks off Malaysia, 34 Indonesians missing, three dead
 Malaysian Search and rescue personnel on a speed boat search for passengers of a sunken boat in outskirt of Banting, …
An overloaded boat carrying suspected illegal Indonesian immigrants sank as it left Malaysia's west coast early on Wednesday, and at least three passengers drowned and 34 were missing.

The boat, whose passengers included women and children, sank at the mouth of a river shortly after midnight as it left Malaysia's Carey Island, likely bound for Indonesia's Sumatra island, officials and witnesses said.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/boat-sinks-off-western-malaysia-61-feared-drowned-015820551.html

Police looking into reports against author of xenophobic blog post
 BERLIN, GERMANY - DECEMBER 27: A participant looks at lines of code on a laptop on the first day of the 28th Chaos …
Police have confirmed that they are investigating multiple reports made against a xenophobic blog post that expressed hatred toward Filipinos in Singapore, after the Philippine embassy requested action to be taken by Singapore's government against its author.

In the post, published in May this year, the blogger listed five ways for xenophobic Singaporeans to express their displeasure at the presence of Filipinos in Singapore, one of which was refusing to be served by Filipino waitresses at restaurants.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/police-looking-into-reports-against-author-of-xenophobic-blog-post-053726179.html

COE prices decline across all categories
 Yahoo Newsroom/yahoo! photo - Certificate of Entitlement (COE) prices in the latest round decreased on Wednesd …
Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums decreased across all categories in the second bidding for June, the latest bidding results released on Wednesday showed.

The biggest decrease was in the motorcycles category as the COE price there went down to $3,890 from $4,089 in the previous bidding results released on 4 June.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/coe-prices-decline-across-all-categories-101450455.html

No military solution to Iraq problems - U.S. Treasury Secretary
 Volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical …
The United States is not looking for a military solution in Iraq, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a forum in Jerusalem, Lew said the United States was concerned about the "grave situation" in Iraq.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/no-military-solution-iraq-problems-u-treasury-secretary-090407154.html

Japan robot firm showcases thought-controlled suits
 An official of Kawasaki City demonstrates a new powered exoskeleton to assist movement of an arm developed by Japan's …
A Japanese robot-maker on Wednesday showed off suits that the wearer can control just by thinking, as it said it was linking up with an industrial city promoting innovation.

Cyberdyne founder Yoshiyuki Sankai said he was allying with Kawasaki, a city south of Tokyo, to explore ways to expand real-life applications for his robo-suits, which are often used for physical therapy.
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/japan-robot-firm-showcases-thought-080156789.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/wednesday--sgroundup--overloaded-boat-sinks-off-malaysia--34-indonesians-missing--three-dead-105323086.html

Police looking into reports against author of xenophobic blog post

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

Police have confirmed that they are investigating multiple reports made against a xenophobic blog post that expressed hatred toward Filipinos in Singapore, after the Philippine embassy requested action to be taken by Singapore's government against its author.

The blog, called "Blood Stained Singapore", was written by an unnamed author. The person put up a profile photograph of a person with cube-shaped cuts on his right cheek.

In the post, published in May this year, the blogger listed five ways for xenophobic Singaporeans to express their displeasure at the presence of Filipinos in Singapore, one of which was refusing to be served by Filipino waitresses at restaurants.

Many who read the post shared it on social media, expressing their anger at the sentiments expressed in it.

On Tuesday, the Philippine embassy here posted a statement in Filipino on its website that urged Filipinos here to exercise restraint in posting public responses to the blogger. The embassy shared that it has expressed its concerns over the post to the Singapore government and called for action to be taken in accordance with the law here.

"The Embassy of the Philippines in Singapore believes that the opinions expressed by the blogger are his personal views and do not reflect the views of all Singaporeans," it said, while encouraging Filipinos to ignore the author instead of stooping to the same level.

"In this instance, it is better to ignore the blogger responsible for this post because it is clear that his goal is to create strife and misunderstanding," the statement added. "We also encourage Filipinos to be careful and to co-operate with authorities in Singapore if there are any threats to their personal safety and security."

A screengrab of the xenophobic blog entitled Blood Stained Singapore, which was by Wednesday morning taken down …

A check by Yahoo Singapore showed that the blog was removed by Blogger, its host, by Wednesday morning, even though it was still accessible earlier in the week. As part of Blogger's regulations, "material that promotes hatred toward groups based on race or ethnic origin" is not permitted.

Singapore police said that reports were lodged with regard to the blog post and investigations are ongoing.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/police-looking-into-reports-against-author-of-xenophobic-blog-post-053726179.html

Tuesday #sgroundup: Sprinklers trigger ‘rain’ in JEM mall

By Nurul Azliah Aripin | What's buzzing? – 

Here are today's top trending stories in case you missed them.

Sprinklers trigger 'rain' in JEM mall
 Some visitors and tenants of JEM shopping mall got a big surprise at noon Tuesday when it started "raining" …
Some visitors and tenants of JEM shopping mall got a big surprise at noon Tuesday when it started "raining" in parts of the mall.

According to a statement on JEM's Facebook page, at 12:15pm, "the atrium side water sprinklers on level 3 in the mall were triggered, affecting a small section of the mall's common areas on Levels B1, 1 and 2 and some tenancies in those areas".
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/sprinklers-trigger--rain--in-jem-mall-105819970.html

Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng files defence in defamation suit initiated by PM Lee
 Roy Ngerng, a blogger, speaks at speakers corner during a rally to demand reforms in the country's pension …
Singapore blogger Roy Ngerng on Tuesday filed his defence in court through his lawyer M Ravi, saying that there is no basis for an award of aggravated damages to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is suing him for defamation.

In defence papers published on his blog, The Heart Truths, and also shared with the media, Ngerng's papers said he "never intended to accuse (PM Lee) of criminal misappropriation of CPF funds", and that "to pursue a claim against (Ngerng) for damages (including aggravated damages) and legal costs, is unnecessary and unwarranted".
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogger-roy-ngerng-takes-down-post-after-pm-lee-letter-084001258.html

Singapore workers are an unhappy bunch
 Almost half of employees in Singapore do not think they have the perfect job, with three-quarters viewing their …
Singapore is synonymous with a first-rate quality of life with its low crime rates, superior infrastructure and impeccable cleanliness - but employees in Southeast Asia's wealthy island nation are among the region's least satisfied.

Almost half of employees in Singapore do not think they have the perfect job, with three-quarters viewing their job only as a way to make a living and nothing more, according to a survey by global recruitment firm Randstad Workmonitor published on Tuesday.
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-workers-unhappy-bunch-060351733.html

'Smart Nation' Singapore will be watching you
 LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 15: A general view of a CCTV camera. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Smokers and drivers, beware: In the not-so-distant future, the government won't need officers to catch you smoking in prohibited places or parking illegally — cameras will do the job.

Local electronics giants ST Electronics and NCS are piloting systems that will automatically detect people who are found either smoking or parking in prohibited zones within the Jurong Lake District — where a total of 15 different types of functional technology will be run between next month and the end of next year. 
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/-smart-nation--singapore-will-be-watching-you-105712193.html

More deadly riots flare in Sri Lanka resort
 A Sri Lankan policeman walks past a pool of blood and discarded shoes following clashes between Muslims and an …
More deadly violence flared in a Sri Lankan coastal resort where Buddhist hardliners set shops and homes alight for a second night running in defiance of a curfew, police and residents said Tuesday.

Amid mounting international concern over the unrest, residents of a town which has borne the brunt said a security guard was killed in an attack outside a Muslim-owned farm, raising the overall toll to four.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-deadly-riots-flare-sri-lanka-resort-041231691.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/tuesday--sgroundup--sprinklers-trigger--rain--in-jem-mall-112049967.html

Monday #sgroundup: Singapore match-fixers planned to rig World Cup, says new book

By Jeanette Tan | What's buzzing? – 

Here are the top trending stories of today in case you missed them:

Singapore match-fixers planned to rig World Cup, says new book

The FIFA World Cup trophy exhibited in France on March 9, 2014, Singapore authorities uncovered plans to rig the …

Singapore authorities last year placed leaders of a global match-fixing ring operating from the city-state in indefinite detention after uncovering plans to rig the World Cup, claims a new book released Monday.

Written by Zaihan Mohamed Yusof, a Singaporean investigative journalist who has reported extensively on football match-fixing, the book details how he learnt of the now-crippled gang's plans from senior government officials and a prominent sports corruption investigator.

https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/singapore-match-fixers-planned-rig-world-cup-says-043503611--spt.html

CPF Cheongsam lady video: Stop the cyber-bullying, Singaporeans!

Screengrabs from a video uploaded to Facebook shows a woman in a cheongsam responding negatively to a forum participant …

Barely six months after the infamous online attacks against Anton Casey and the Honda Civic road bully in which their personal details were leaked, another cyber-bullying case has surfaced, this time targeting a woman labelled as the Cheongsam Lady.

The same strategy was employed for this case. Like its predecessors, the Cheongsam Lady's personal information such as her workplace, office and mobile numbers were divulged freely on a particular socio-political site in Singapore.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/cpf-cheongsam-lady-video-stop-053055947.html

Schumacher out of coma, has left Grenoble hospital: spokeswoman

Mercedes Formula One driver Michael Schumacher of Germany smiles at the back of the pits ahead of this weekend's …

Formula One champion Michael Schumacher is out of a coma and has left the French hospital treating him since a devastating ski accident in December, his spokeswoman said Monday.

"Michael has left the CHU Grenoble (hospital) to continue his long phase of rehabilitation. He is not in a coma anymore," Sabine Kehm said in a statement.

https://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/schumacher-coma-left-grenoble-hospital-spokeswoman-100125473.html

'Connectivity issue' disrupts DBS POSB ATM and iBanking services

People make transactions at DBS bank ATM machines in Singapore on March 17, 2014

Some DBS and POSB automated teller machines and online banking services were disrupted for several hours on Monday.

In a statement to Yahoo Singapore, a DBS spokesperson said, "A small number of DBS/POSB ATMs and selected banking services were intermittently impacted by a connectivity issue." 

"Immediate steps" were taken to resolve the issue, after which, all services were fully restored at about 3pm, according to the statement.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/-connectivity-issue--disrupts-dbs--post-atm-and-ibanking-services-105602819.html

NEA looks into using mosquitoes to fight dengue

FILE - In this undated file photo provided byt he USDA, an aedes aegypti mosquito is shown on human skin. Guyana …

After seeing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases in recent weeks, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) is looking into fighting fire with fire — in this case, using the male Aedes mosquito to curb the growth of dengue-spreading females.
 
The agency hopes to do this by having Wolbachia bacterium-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with females. The authorities said studies have shown that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that receive Wolbachia lay eggs that do not hatch.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nea-looks-into-using-mosquitoes-to-fight-dengue-061257690.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/monday--sgroundup--singapore-match-fixers-planned-to-rig-world-cup--says-new-book-105738919.html

NEA looks into using mosquitoes to fight dengue

By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – 

After seeing a sharp rise in dengue fever cases in recent weeks, Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) is looking into fighting fire with fire — in this case, using the male Aedes mosquito to curb the growth of dengue-spreading females.
 
The agency hopes to do this by having Wolbachia bacterium-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with females. The authorities said studies have shown that female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that receive Wolbachia lay eggs that do not hatch.
 
Wolbachia — found in more than 60 per cent of insects that include butterflies, dragonflies, fruit flies and certain mosquito species — does not exist in the dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito.
 
"This can help reduce the population of Aedes mosquitoes over time by suppressing their reproduction," the NEA said in a statement on Monday.
 
At the same time, the agency stressed that the bacterium has not been shown to infect humans or other mammals, even when carried by insects that bite.
 
It also noted that taking steps to ensure that mosquitoes have no opportunity to breed in the house remains the key to preventing mosquito breeding in Singapore.

Australia has also said it has completed trials of releasing these mosquitoes on a small-scale in communities in the northern part of the country, and hopes to start a city-wide effort in Townsville, Queensland, by the end of the year.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nea-looks-into-using-mosquitoes-to-fight-dengue-061257690.html

PM Lee queues 30 minutes for chicken wings at Redhill

By Jeanette Tan | What's buzzing? – 

When you're someone like the Prime Minister, even queuing for food can cause a stir online — and that's exactly what happened when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Redhill Hawker Centre on Thursday night.

A photograph of him lining up at a fried chicken wing and economic bee hoon stall moved quickly online after it was posted on Facebook. The uploader, in the caption accompanying the photo, said the PM looked like any ordinary 50- or 60-something-year-old "uncle".

He was "swarmed with guards", though, "lots of (them)", the uploader added, when a screengrab of his photo and caption ended up on a HardwareZone forum thread.

The uploader added that PM Lee stood in queue for a good half-hour before getting his food. Users online found themselves doing double-takes at the sight of the image, commenting in wonderment that he would queue for his own food, and at a hawker centre, just like anyone else.

If any of the diners who saw PM Lee there harboured doubt in their minds that it was indeed him they saw, he himself confirmed the visit in a Facebook post on Friday morning, where he shared a picture of a popular dessert stall bearing a "招财猫" (wealth-bringing kitten) and a sign about gaining and losing wealth.

"Judging by the popularity of the stall's delicious desserts, the cat and the reminders are working," he wrote, also thanking a passing diner who passed him a bowl of green bean soup from the stall.

According to Chinese-language daily Lianhe Wanbao, the hawker centre that the prime minister was at is in Block 85 Redhill Lane, and the stall he was queuing at is known as "Yan" in Mandarin, bearing the stall number #01-19. Bee hoon from there costs 60 cents, with a chicken wing costing $1.20, the report said.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/pm-lee-queues-30-minutes-for-chicken-wings-at-redhill-141221151.html