Residents 'swing' in the new year with PM Lee
'Let's work together, climb new heights and break new ground, and make Singapore even better in 2011,' said PM Lee (centre). -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING
PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong ushered in the new year amid dazzling fireworks together with more than 20,000 residents in Serangoon last Friday night.
He was at a countdown party organised by the Serangoon Citizens Consultative Committee.
Dubbed 'Serangoon Swing 2011', it got off to a rousing start at 6pm with line dancing, bouncing castles and a foam party booth.
The Serangoon Gardens Circus was filled to full capacity as thousands thronged the specially built stage to watch local media artists such as Rui En and Jeanette Aw perform.
As midnight drew close, Mr Lee joined the artists and celebrities on stage to ring in the new year, adding his own well wishes for Singapore.
'We have had a very good 2010,' he said. 'Let's work together, climb new heights and break new ground, and make Singapore even better in 2011.'
Read the full report in this week's edition of The Sunday Times.
TAIPEI - TAIWAN is expected to lift its decades-old ban on visits by individual Chinese tourists from April in yet another sign of the island's fast-warming ties with China, officials and local media said on Sunday.
Currently Chinese are only allowed to travel to the island in groups as Taiwan's authorities are concerned they might otherwise over-stay their visas and work illegally.
'We're ready for the further opening measures,' an official at Taiwan's China policy decision-making body Mainland Affairs Council said on condition of anonymity. She would not provide details, but the Taipei-based China Times said that up to 500 residents from Shanghai and Beijing would be permitted to travel to the island each day on a trial basis.
'The two sides have reached a consensus on the long-anticipated policy, with the measures starting around the Tomb Sweeping Day' which falls on April 5, the Times said, without identifying its source.
Solo Chinese tourists would be allowed to stay in Taiwan for up to 15 days, it said. When asked to comment on the report, Chen Chiung-wen, an official at Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, said she expected the new measures to be realised soon 'as they meet the targets of the two sides'.
She said 'tourists from China for the first time will be given the chance of making in-depth tours of Taiwan,' adding that further discussion would be needed. -- AFP

The agriculture ministry confirmed seven cases of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and pig farms at five cities across the country, bringing the total number of cases to 74 since November 29.
'We're waiting for lab results for three more suspected cases... the situation is quite hectic at the moment,' a ministry official at the emergency task force centre told AFP.
More than 660,000 cattle, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals have been or will be soon slaughtered in the country's worst outbreak of the disease, with related losses estimated at more than 400 billion won (S$452.6 million).
'The number of animals (affected by the outbreak) constantly keeps rising... it's hard for us to keep up,' the ministry spokesman said. About 160,000 animals were killed during the previous worst outbreak in 2002.
In a desperate attempt to contain the spread of the disease, the government since December 25 has vaccinated some 450,000 cattle - risking a longer export ban by overseas buyers. It takes longer for a country that uses vaccinations to regain disease-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health than when the disease is curbed solely by culling. -- AFP

SINGAPORE'S transport successes are well known, but its transport system could be greener, with easier access for the old and infirm.
A new study of urban transport in 15 cities, conducted by consulting firm Accenture, came to that conclusion about Singapore and what it terms as fellow 'laboratory' cities, such as Seoul in South Korea.
Such cities already use effective solutions, such as congestion charges and car-pooling incentives, but they can go even further, said Accenture managing partner Lee Won Joon.
He oversaw the Asian segment of the study, which looked at a wide range of cities picked for their different sizes, stages of development and locations.
The study will be used for Accenture projects on urbanisation and intelligent cities - urban centres which use technology to cut energy consumption, become more sustainable and respond faster to residents' needs.
Mr Lee pointed out Singapore's successes in using congestion charges and cutting down the car population with quota schemes, and acknowledged its attempts to beef up its public transport network.
Read the full report in this week's edition of The Sunday Times.

HIS hawker stall reopened on Saturday after a nine-month-long renovation, but mee rebus seller Chew Keok Lye is taking things slow.
'I have to get used to the layout of the new stall,' said the 60-year-old, demonstrating how his cooking speed depends on his familiarity with where his chopsticks, ladles and tools are.
But he says the newly refurbished food centre and market at Block 538, Bedok North Street 3, is brighter and breezier than before.
The popular market and hawker centre was bustling on Saturday as residents descended on the food stalls after waiting nearly one year while the National Environment Agency (NEA) spruced it up to a tune of $4 million.
During the renovation works, the market and hawker stalls moved to a temporary facility steps away.
Business was so good yesterday that Mr Chew's one 'practice' pot of mee rebus sold out by early afternoon, while long queues formed at fish soup and noodle stalls.
Read the full report in this week's edition of The Sunday Times.

TWO women and a man, aged between 24 to 32 years of age, have been arrested for snatch theft. The trio preyed on residents in the Yishun housing estate.
On the morning of Dec 22, a 60-year-old woman had her wallet snatched by an unknown suspect at Blk 603 Yishun St 61.
In another incident at Blk 655 Yishun Ave 4 on Dec 27, two women inside a lift threw chilli powder in the face of a 58-year-old woman. They then made off with her gold chain.
The three suspects disposed of the stolen items together.
Investigations by the police led to the arrest of two suspects - a 24-year-old man and a 30 year-old woman, along King George Avenue, on Friday. The last suspect - a 32-year-old woman - was arrested on Saturday at Blk 917 Hougang Avenue 9.
The three will be charged in court on Sunday.
Currently Chinese are only allowed to travel to the island in groups as Taiwan's authorities are concerned they might otherwise over-stay their visas and work illegally.
'We're ready for the further opening measures,' an official at Taiwan's China policy decision-making body Mainland Affairs Council said on condition of anonymity. She would not provide details, but the Taipei-based China Times said that up to 500 residents from Shanghai and Beijing would be permitted to travel to the island each day on a trial basis.
'The two sides have reached a consensus on the long-anticipated policy, with the measures starting around the Tomb Sweeping Day' which falls on April 5, the Times said, without identifying its source.
Solo Chinese tourists would be allowed to stay in Taiwan for up to 15 days, it said. When asked to comment on the report, Chen Chiung-wen, an official at Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, said she expected the new measures to be realised soon 'as they meet the targets of the two sides'.
She said 'tourists from China for the first time will be given the chance of making in-depth tours of Taiwan,' adding that further discussion would be needed. -- AFP

S.Korea battles spread of foot-and-mouth, bird flu
SEOUL - SOUTH KOREA on Sunday reported seven new cases of foot-and-mouth disease as the country battles its worst outbreak of the highly contagious virus and its first avian influenza outbreak in more than two years.The agriculture ministry confirmed seven cases of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and pig farms at five cities across the country, bringing the total number of cases to 74 since November 29.
'We're waiting for lab results for three more suspected cases... the situation is quite hectic at the moment,' a ministry official at the emergency task force centre told AFP.
More than 660,000 cattle, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals have been or will be soon slaughtered in the country's worst outbreak of the disease, with related losses estimated at more than 400 billion won (S$452.6 million).
'The number of animals (affected by the outbreak) constantly keeps rising... it's hard for us to keep up,' the ministry spokesman said. About 160,000 animals were killed during the previous worst outbreak in 2002.
In a desperate attempt to contain the spread of the disease, the government since December 25 has vaccinated some 450,000 cattle - risking a longer export ban by overseas buyers. It takes longer for a country that uses vaccinations to regain disease-free status from the World Organisation for Animal Health than when the disease is curbed solely by culling. -- AFP
Transit towards a greener, more accessible system

SINGAPORE'S transport successes are well known, but its transport system could be greener, with easier access for the old and infirm.
A new study of urban transport in 15 cities, conducted by consulting firm Accenture, came to that conclusion about Singapore and what it terms as fellow 'laboratory' cities, such as Seoul in South Korea.
Such cities already use effective solutions, such as congestion charges and car-pooling incentives, but they can go even further, said Accenture managing partner Lee Won Joon.
He oversaw the Asian segment of the study, which looked at a wide range of cities picked for their different sizes, stages of development and locations.
The study will be used for Accenture projects on urbanisation and intelligent cities - urban centres which use technology to cut energy consumption, become more sustainable and respond faster to residents' needs.
Mr Lee pointed out Singapore's successes in using congestion charges and cutting down the car population with quota schemes, and acknowledged its attempts to beef up its public transport network.
Read the full report in this week's edition of The Sunday Times.
Brighter, breezier, better food centre

HIS hawker stall reopened on Saturday after a nine-month-long renovation, but mee rebus seller Chew Keok Lye is taking things slow.
'I have to get used to the layout of the new stall,' said the 60-year-old, demonstrating how his cooking speed depends on his familiarity with where his chopsticks, ladles and tools are.
But he says the newly refurbished food centre and market at Block 538, Bedok North Street 3, is brighter and breezier than before.
The popular market and hawker centre was bustling on Saturday as residents descended on the food stalls after waiting nearly one year while the National Environment Agency (NEA) spruced it up to a tune of $4 million.
During the renovation works, the market and hawker stalls moved to a temporary facility steps away.
Business was so good yesterday that Mr Chew's one 'practice' pot of mee rebus sold out by early afternoon, while long queues formed at fish soup and noodle stalls.
Read the full report in this week's edition of The Sunday Times.
3 Yishun snatch thieves caught over the new year

TWO women and a man, aged between 24 to 32 years of age, have been arrested for snatch theft. The trio preyed on residents in the Yishun housing estate.
On the morning of Dec 22, a 60-year-old woman had her wallet snatched by an unknown suspect at Blk 603 Yishun St 61.
In another incident at Blk 655 Yishun Ave 4 on Dec 27, two women inside a lift threw chilli powder in the face of a 58-year-old woman. They then made off with her gold chain.
The three suspects disposed of the stolen items together.
Investigations by the police led to the arrest of two suspects - a 24-year-old man and a 30 year-old woman, along King George Avenue, on Friday. The last suspect - a 32-year-old woman - was arrested on Saturday at Blk 917 Hougang Avenue 9.
The three will be charged in court on Sunday.
Barely out of their teens and running a business

THEY are young and restless, and direct their energy towards making money while still hitting their textbooks.
Some of these budding entrepreneurs were barely 20 years old when they started out. Their business interests range from cafe start-ups to travel agencies.
Read the full story in The Sunday Times today.
Would you notice if your bonus payment was wrong?

BONUS season is here again: that special time of the year when workers across the island enjoy a small windfall for their efforts throughout the year.
But while that bonus payment is something everyone looks forward to, many people - it turns out - do not actually know where the money is coming from.
PRICES of public housing resale flats are still going up despite the falling cash premiums demanded by sellers.
Fresh data obtained by The Straits Times from three major property agencies showed overall median prices climbing across almost all flat types in November, compared to HDB's latest third quarter statistics.
This is despite measures introduced by the Government on Aug 30 to cool Singapore's red-hot public housing market, which tightened financing and restricted home ownership.
When contacted, the Housing Board (HDB) said that it was unable to comment further on the resale prices ahead of the release of the flash estimates on Jan 3.
'However, we do see falling COV, resale volume, and a gradual slowing down of price growth,' it said.
It added: 'We are unable to speculate how HDB resale flat prices will move in the next quarter as other than demand and supply, they are also affected by various factors such as economic conditions and market sentiments.'
Some of these budding entrepreneurs were barely 20 years old when they started out. Their business interests range from cafe start-ups to travel agencies.
Read the full story in The Sunday Times today.
Would you notice if your bonus payment was wrong?

BONUS season is here again: that special time of the year when workers across the island enjoy a small windfall for their efforts throughout the year.
But while that bonus payment is something everyone looks forward to, many people - it turns out - do not actually know where the money is coming from.
Prices of HDB resale flats still going up
Fresh data obtained by The Straits Times from three major property agencies showed overall median prices climbing across almost all flat types in November, compared to HDB's latest third quarter statistics.
This is despite measures introduced by the Government on Aug 30 to cool Singapore's red-hot public housing market, which tightened financing and restricted home ownership.
When contacted, the Housing Board (HDB) said that it was unable to comment further on the resale prices ahead of the release of the flash estimates on Jan 3.
'However, we do see falling COV, resale volume, and a gradual slowing down of price growth,' it said.
It added: 'We are unable to speculate how HDB resale flat prices will move in the next quarter as other than demand and supply, they are also affected by various factors such as economic conditions and market sentiments.'
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