Tweeting teen now boasts about illegal driving
A READER of popular citizen journalism portal Stomp named followerontwitter has expressed anger at another tweet by the teenager who caused an uproar when he tweeted a photograph of his exam papers in November 2010. Sixteen-year-old Xavier Ong tweeted recently that he was 'driving the company car home tonight'. Stomp reader follower on twitter elaborated that he was on Twitter when Xavier had boasted about driving a car back home. Xavier claimed that his mother even told him: 'Next time...want car...just ask for key.' It has also been alleged that it is not the first time that Xavier has driven a car. The Stomp reader said: 'I want to question the authorities and the company why he (Xavier) is allowed to drive a car without a licence. 'What if he got into an accident or worse still, got someone killed? Who is going to answer for it - the company or the authorities?' said followerontwitter. Xavier himself has replied to followerontwitter comments by denying his boasting posts. He defended himself saying: 'It is totally untrue that I drove. I was next to a friend and he was the one driving.' Xavier then added he was 'fooling around as usual' with 'nothing better to do' and does not 'even dare sit in the driver's seat'.
Shanghai overtakes S'pore as world's busiest port
SHANGHAI said it overtook Singapore for the first time in 2010 to become the world's busiest container port, as the global economic recovery boosted cargo traffic through China's business centre. Shanghai's port handled 29.05 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs more than Singapore, the Shanghai government said in a statement. Officials credited the economic recovery and Shanghai's six-month long World Expo with boosting the container and cargo traffic travelling through the port, the statement said. Shanghai's cargo throughput rose to about 650 million tonnes in 2010, remaining the world's largest, up from 590 million tonnes in 2009, the statement said. Shanghai will continue, and possibly expand, an export-tax refund pilot project and press on with expanding infrastructure, the statement said. The city has charged ahead through the financial crisis with work to more than double its port capacity. China's cabinet has declared it wants Shanghai to move up the value chain and become a full-service world-class shipping centre by 2020, with shipping financing, reinsurance and arbitration services.
Jail, caning for car-burning loan shark runner
A MAN could not repay $3,000 owed to a loan shark and was afraid that the latter would harass his father. Low Chick Kim, 30, then decided to work for the illegal moneylender and harass other debtors. District Judge Jasbendar Kaur noted that his was 'one of the worst cases of harassment' to come before the courts. She said: 'You went on to inflict the same torture on others that you did not want to endure.' Low was on Friday sentenced to five years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane. He had committed 21 offences between Aug 4 and Oct 21 last year in various places from Ang Mo Kio to Pasir Ris.
Jump in hospital bills over past four years
THE average bill for a subsidised C-class patient in a public hospital has gone up by between a third on the low end and almost double on the high end, in the four years since 2006. The Ministry of Health (MOH) puts this down to multiple factors - including a greater number of more ill and older patients, and patients asking for non-subsidised drugs and implants.
Landed home crunch set to worsen
LANDED homes are a rare commodity, and the crunch is expected to get worse in the coming years, going by the limited stock available. In the past 10 years, the number of landed homes has gone up by just 6 per cent, while the number of apartments has risen by 47 per cent. Out of a total of 256,513 private homes, 69,701 were landed, as of the third quarter of last year, data compiled by Credo Real Estate showed. The shortage is likely to mean that developers would look towards intensifying their land use, possibly offering more strata-titled landed homes instead. These homes, also known as cluster homes, combine the posh appeal of conventional landed homes with shared condo-style facilities like pools and security. But they come with strata titles, so owners cannot renovate or rebuild their homes like in conventional landed homes.
MPs to raise low-wage workers issue
THE widening income gap and the challenges that low-wage Singaporeans face will take centre stage when Parliament sits next week. At least nine MPs will speak on these issues during a debate on inclusive growth, proposed by labour MPs Josephine Teo and Zainudin Nordin, both of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC. Mrs Teo said her primary interest is whether low-wage workers have benefited from Singapore's sparkling growth, which hit 14.7 per cent last year. She hopes the debate will lead to greater clarity on how the Government can promote inclusive growth and a consensus among MPs on this issue. Among the MPs who will join in the debate is Ms Irene Ng of Tampines GRC. She will call for a larger portion of the Workfare Income Supplement to be paid out in cash. 'The cash portion is too small to make an impact on the low-wage worker's standard of living and ability to cope with the rising cost of living, especially if he has children to support,' she said.
Aljunied GRC to get more 'connected'
RESIDENTS in Aljunied GRC can look forward to a seamless network of park and estate connectors next year linking them to MRT stations and amenities across the constituency. The One Link@Aljunied will improve accessibility to three new MRT stations on the eastern Downtown Line - Kaki Bukit, Bedok Town Park and Bedok Reservoir - which will be open by 2017. The $3 million One Link project, expected to be completed in the last quarter of next year, will also offer residents easy access to malls and community spaces. Part of the connectors will incorporate a cycling track, the Aljunied Town Council disclosed yesterday at a media preview of its next five-year plan for the GRC. Connections of another sort are also on the cards: Internet-savvy residents used to high-speed surfing at home will be able to enjoy doing so outdoors too. The six community clubs in the constituency, as well as some fast-food outlets, restaurants and sports facilities, have already been fitted to become wireless 'hot spots'. But the GRC is looking to add markets and hawker centres to the list. The masterplan will be unveiled to residents on Saturday at an exhibition at the open space next to the Hougang MRT station.
Alleged rape victim 'too drunk to defend herself'
A YOUNG woman who was allegedly raped by a man she met at Zouk two years ago, was so drunk that she was incapable of giving her consent or fighting back against her assailant. Senior consultant forensic pathologist Wee Keng Poh gave his opinion when he testified on Day 5 of Ong Mingwee's trial. Dr Wee said the woman's blood alcohol level at the time of the alleged rape could be 255mg ethanol per 100ml of blood - above the toxic level but below the 350mg/100ml lethal level. Dr Wee, the last witness for the prosecution, said in the case of the alleged victim, the alcohol she had taken would have reduced her ability to protect herself and impaired her judgment, perception of others and ability to resist both physically and verbally. District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim called upon Ong, 28, to enter his defence. After conferring briefly with his lawyer Goh Siok Leng, he said he would give evidence in the witness stand. He will do so when the hearing continues on Feb 14. Ong, who runs a provision shop in Toa Payoh North, is alleged to have raped the then 22-year-old woman at a unit above the shop in the early hours of Feb 12, 2009.
Taxi ends up on Parklane pavement
A TAXI ploughed through bushes and hit a bicycle and a man before ending up on the walkway outside Parklane Shopping Mall just after 10am on Friday. The man, a cleaner from Purechem Veolia, was picking rubbish from the bushes when the incident happened. He escaped with minimal injuries. The taxi driver, Tan Geok Lin, in his 50s, was sent conscious to hospital. 'It happened very fast. I flew and was on the pavement. I was so panicky,' said Mr Ripin Sulong, a Malaysian. The 44-year-old said that he was lucky that he landed on his side. He said that his left arm, wrist and foot were hurting when The Straits Times spoke to him at the scene. A manager from the environmental company said that they would send him to a company doctor for a thorough check-up. He added that he had been told that the taxi driver had been low on glucose, and had lost control of his vehicle. Investigations are ongoing.
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