Quick News: Thursday, January 06, 2011

Singaporeans love taking wedding photos overseas

THERE'S been a 60-70 per cent increase in the number of couples who opt for an overseas wedding photography package, according to bridal boutiques at the Wedding and Travel Fair held over the new year weekend at Suntec City. More than 700 couples turned up for the fair where 15 local and overseas bridal boutiques offered their latest overseas wedding photography packages. Financial planners Alvin Ng and Thong Wei Ting booked a wedding photography package for Taiwan because they believe its natural scenery cannot be found in Singapore. Plus, they can take the opportunity to travel. Creative director of local boutique Signoria Nuziale, M.S. Cheah said that while many Singaporeans are interested in an overseas shoot, some might balk at the cost. A check with three bridal boutiques showed that an overseas wedding photo shoot package can cost anywhere upwards of $2,000 for popular Indonesian city Bali, for example. A package to Europe, on the other hand, can cost up to a staggering $20,000.

Stars to attend World Volunteer Conference

JET Li and Michelle Yeoh will be in town in late January to attend a world conference on volunteerism Singapore is hosting for the first time.
Scheduled to run from Jan 24 to 27, the International Association of Volunteer Effort (IAVE) World Volunteer Conference will be held at Resorts World Sentosa. The conference will draw more than 150 speakers from over 50 countries, including China, France and the US. Over more than 70 sessions, participants will discuss global trends in volunteerism and operational issues in organising volunteer programmes. Jet Li, the founder of the Jet Li One Foundation Project, and Michelle Yeoh, the global ambassador for the Make Roads Safe campaign, will be flying in for the event. The conference comes at a time when volunteering and philanthropy are gaining prominence in Singapore, with the national volunteerism rate at an all-time high of 23.3 per cent. 'While we are delighted that more people are volunteering and serving the community, we still have a long way to go in terms of volunteer management,' said Mr Laurence Lien, Chief Executive Officer of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre, which is co-organising the conference with IAVE.

Thaipusam set to turn down volume

THIS year's Thaipusam celebrations will be a quieter affair if guidelines made public for the first time on Thursday by the Hindu Endowments Board (HEB) are enforced. Those participating in the procession on Jan 19 and 20 are barred from playing recorded music or sounding gongs or drums. Traditionally, the music - often played at a deafening volume - is seen as encouragement for those who pierce their bodies as an act of faith. Now, only the singing of hymns will be permitted. Other rules include no shouting, and no paint or makeup to be used on either the devotees' faces or bodies. Those who flout the rules may be barred from future processions - or face a fine of up to $5,000 under the Public Order Act. And for the first time, spike or chariot kavadi bearers are required to nominate a representative who will be responsible for their conduct. The HEB said the rules mirrored guidelines set by the police for permits to hold Thaipusam celebrations. But they were put together for the first time this year for the public to address long-standing issues of crowd and noise control, officials from the two temples organising the procession said.

Cabby took upskirt clips of passengers

SHE had seen a similar device on http://www.alibaba.com/, the Chinese e-commerce website, and suspected it was a camera pen. So when the cabby placed it on the arm rest, pointing at her legs, the 21-year-old undergraduate knew Albert Lim Meng Hie was up to no good. On Thursday, the 54-year-old man pleaded guilty to insulting her modesty and that of two other women in April and June 2009 by filming their undergarments. He will be sentenced next Friday. Two more charges of filming two other victims will be taken into consideration by the judge. The court heard that the undergraduate did not confront Lim during the journey in his taxi on the morning of June 30, 2009. Instead, she secretly took pictures of the camera pen with her phone's camera and showed them to police officers, who later that day found the device in Lim's apartment in a Pasir Ris condominium.

Restaurants' ban on kids: ST readers offer alternatives

COMMENTS and suggestions flew in from readers of The Straits Times when we asked if banning children from casual eateries is justifiable. The Straits Times had reported on Thursday that some casual eateries are adopting the ban on kids practised by upscale restaurants, in order to avoid the type of rowdy behaviour that disturbs other guests. Readers on straitstimes.com, Facebook and Twitter were polarised in their views, with supporters casting it as a business decision and detractors offering what they saw as viable alternative solutions. Andy Pollard wrote: 'To me it seems extreme. A proactive policy of removing hooligans when they start to cause problems may prove more effective and less isolationist (than an outright ban).' Cindy Low, who felt that restaurants could set aside special areas for families, wrote: 'These restaurants can always have children corners.' Khunying wrote: 'How about upon entering a restaurant, a staff member can remind them to ensure their kids are quiet - which is more palatable than a stern 'No Kids Allowed'. Khunying felt that it is the parents, not restaurants, who need a lesson - in managing their children in public. 'Most parents only start to shout at their kids when they are already misbehaving - which is too late,' wrote Khunying. Mkan39 wrote: 'It is the parents' responsibility to ensure that their children behave and not cause a nuisance in public places like restaurants. 'Unfortunately many parents simply 'ignore' their children when they are in restaurants and let their kids run wild. Don't blame the restaurant for arriving at this decision.' What constitutes a 'child' and where to draw the line was another concern some readers expressed. Sidhanth Melvani wrote: 'I'm 15. Am I considered a child?' Others felt that while it was the call of the eateries, they should be prepared for the consequences. Explaining another impact that the ban may have on business, Smiling-Guy wrote: 'People dining with children finish their food quickly and leave, rather than loiter around and 'chope-ing' (reserving) seats.'

Graft probe 'won't delay Motorsports Hub project'

ONE of the leading figures behind the construction of the Changi Motorsports Hub insists the timescale for the project will not be affected and that it will be completed by the end of the year. This, despite news that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is probing those involved in the tender process, the latest blow to the $380 million project which has faced delays and other troubles since it was first announced in 2007.