SINGAPORE - President Tony Tan Keng Yam paid his respects to Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej yesterday in the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Dr Tan, who was accompanied by his wife Mary, as well as officials from Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry, laid a wreath by the late monarch's royal urn and signed a condolence book.

His visit came three days after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong travelled to Bangkok to do the same.

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PM Lee pays last respects to late Thai King in Bangkok

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King Bhumibol died on Oct 13 at the age of 88 in Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital after a long illness. The revered monarch, who reigned for 70 years, is a unifying figure in a country of 68 million.

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A look back at Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej's life

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In a Facebook post yesterday, Dr Tan said the late monarch was "well-loved by the Thai people because of his compassion and concern for his people".

"King Bhumibol was also a close friend of many countries, including Singapore. Under his long reign, the bilateral relations between Singapore and Thailand strengthened significantly," he wrote.

tanhy@sph.com.sg

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The children of a couple found dead in Novena Suites last Saturday evening are now in the care of their maternal uncle and aunt.

Tow truck driver Ng Jun Jie, 37, told The Straits Times he and his elder sister are helping to take care of their nephew, seven, and niece, 13.

Meanwhile, neighbours at the couple's matrimonial home in Lorong 2, Toa Payoh, said that they were shocked by the incident.

Mr Wang Chan Foo, 46, a stock investor, was found on a ledge above the ground floor of a block in the condominium in Moulmein Road, in an incident reported to the police at about 6.55pm.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said he had been standing on a balcony parapet and fell while its officers were deploying an inflatable life pack.

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Couple found dead at Novena Suites

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His wife Ng Soo San, 44, a part- time accountant, was found a few hours later in a 13th-floor unit in the same block with stab wounds to her torso. The couple were said to be separated for at least two years.

Ms Ng's family members were at the mortuary yesterday to identify her body, but declined comment.

Her brother told Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News that his nephew did not know what had happened to his parents and had been crying for his mother, while his niece had been calm.

They were found in the Novena Suites premises by officers that night.

A good friend of Ms Ng told Shin Min the couple argued over small things and Ms Ng had once applied for a protection order against her husband.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said Ms Ng lived in the Toa Payoh home with the children.

While her family appeared to have rented out the flat previously, she moved back about three years ago without her husband, he said.

The neighbour said Mr Wang would turn up at the flat about once a week to take the children out. No one was in the couple's home when The Straits Times visited yesterday.

The Samaritans of Singapore said it has offered its services to the extended family of the couple.

This article was first published on October 25, 2016.
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A Singaporean in his 60s thought he was protecting his family's savings when he co-operated with "police officers" from China who accused him last month of being involved in money laundering.

He ended up losing close to $270,000 from five POSB accounts linked to his name over eight consecutive days last month. This was money that he needed for his family's expenses and children's education.

The case took place as scams involving the impersonation of China officials rose from 179 cases in the first half of the year to 249 in the July to September period.

Victims lost at least $21 million from January to September, with one losing $2.38 million, said the police.

There were 74 impersonation scams from January to last month, where scammers pretended to be from local agencies such as the police force or Ministry of Manpower.

In the man's case, it all started one morning when a caller claiming to be a policeman told him that a female "bank employee" who previously contacted him had been arrested abroad.

He was told that his accounts, which had been implicated in her crimes, would be frozen unless he called Chinese police officers and followed instructions for them to help.

The man provided his details and applied for an Internet banking token - a gadget he had never used before.

He then called a Chinese number, speaking to a man named Liew for up to an hour every day. About seven times a day, he was asked to read out codes on the token after pushing a button.

It was not until almost two weeks later that he realised that five of his family's bank accounts, which were linked to his name, had been cleaned out.

Money from his children's and sister's joint accounts with him had been transferred to one of his own before being siphoned out in sums of between $417 and $2,029.

This was done multiple times in a row, mostly recorded as a transaction to a merchant under D2Pay - a direct debit payment system. Other inter-bank fund transfers were also made.

"It was as though I had been hypnotised, I believed everything they said," said the victim, who declined to be named.

"They told me not to update my bank book, or they would tell the Monetary Authority of Singapore to hold my accounts."

When his two children, both in tertiary institutions, realised that money had vanished from their bank accounts, they asked him about it.

He had only recently transferred money that he received from their insurance policies into their accounts.

"I told them that I took the money out for investments," he said.

He has since come clean with them and reported the case to the police.

He said he asked the bank why it failed to alert him when multiple transactions were made and was told only that the case is under police investigation. The bank also told him to close his accounts.

"I don't know what is going to happen. My life savings... are all gone just like that," he said.

In response to queries, a DBS spokesman said the bank is unable to comment on this specific case as it is under police investigation. POSB is a part of DBS Group.

When asked about D2Pay transactions, the spokesman said: "We inform our customers via SMS of transactions done on their accounts. The same protocol is used for D2Pay transactions."

He said the bank has "a robust due diligence process in place" for those who become merchants on D2Pay, as "they first need to become our corporate customers to obtain a corporate account".

Instead of allowing customers the option of receiving one-time passwords via SMS, DBS switched to only token authentication last year for better security, he said.

Other banks said they have security measures such as fraud-monitoring systems to detect irregular activity, as well as two-factor authentication (2FA).

United Overseas Bank said that once an irregularity is flagged, investigations will take place immediately and it will call the customer to verify the transaction.

Mr Patrick Chew, head of operational risk management at OCBC Bank, said customers need 2FA for online transactions.

While its number of unauthorised transactions has been low, "in such an instance, it is often a case of the individual having inadvertently divulged his security information".

A spokesman for Maybank said it introduced an eight-digit code last week for customers who access their accounts online.

Users receive this code on their registered phones and key it into a token to generate a one-time password to complete the transaction. In the past, users needed only the one-time password on their tokens.

Guard personal data, be wary of cold calls: Experts 

While banks have improved their security, consumers should be careful not to give out their personal data and to beware of cold calls in particular, experts have warned.

Mr David Freer, vice-president of Intel Security's Asia-Pacific consumer division, said consumers should read the terms and conditions carefully when giving personal information in return for something such as a gift or free trial.

He added: "If possible, opt out of allowing companies to use the data for other purposes, such as cross promotions."

Mr Alan Lee, a spokesman for security firm Norton, said that in the last year or so, there have been phone scams involving conmen who pass themselves off as staff of courier company DHL and claim that victims' details were used to send parcels containing fake passports or weapons.

"Traditionally, banking has been an area where there is a lot to be compromised or taken advantage of," he added.

An emerging trend is the attacking of the two-factor authentication that banks have adopted, Mr Lee said, noting that this could be done on Android phones using a trojan - malicious software that can steal information, including SMS messages.

Fraud detection systems may detect certain unusual activity, he said, but there could also be " lower accuracy patterns" that they fail to spot.

A DBS Bank spokesman said customers should be careful when they get unsolicited calls from unknown parties. They could take down the caller's name and department before calling the supposed company back on its official number.

Customers should not give out information such as log-in details or one-time passwords over the telephone or e-mail, the spokesman added.

He also gave the following tips:

•  Be open to family members and banks so they can help - staff can take protective measures if given enough information in time.
•  Joint-alternate accounts require only one account holder to effect a transaction. As an added safeguard, customers may sign up for a joint-all account, which would require both account holders' approval to withdraw funds.
•  Do not provide personal or bank information or remit money on the advice of unsolicited callers.

This article was first published on October 25, 2016.
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In four months this year, he exposed himself to at least seven women and girls.

The 31-year-old also brushed his crotch against a woman in a crowded MRT train.

Yesterday, Budiman Shah Mohd Noorel Azman was jailed nine months after pleading guilty to four charges of committing an obscene act in public and one charge of molestation.

Three other charges of committing an obscene act in public and one of insulting the modesty of a woman were taken into consideration in sentencing.

Budiman, who was working as an assistant chef or a cleaner at the time, was on court bail when he committed two of the offences.

The court heard that Budiman, who had a string of similar offences dating back to 2007, had exposed himself to at least seven female victims, some of them as young as 12 to 15 years old.

The first incident happened on May 4 when a girl, 15, and her friend were at a bus stop at Yishun Ring Road at 6.50am.

Court papers said the girl noticed Budiman standing beside her and when she turned to look at him, she saw that his shorts were down.

He was not wearing underwear and exposed himself to her.

The two girls ran towards their school nearby and made a police report two days later.

On June 11 at 2.45pm, a 20-year-old woman, accompanied by her maid, was at a bus stop at Yishun Avenue 2 when she saw Budiman approaching her.

She did a double take when she noticed the front of his shorts had been pulled down to his knees, exposing his private parts.

She took photos of him with her mobile phone.

When Budiman saw this, he walked away and the woman reported the incident to the police that day.

He later confessed to the police that he had committed the offence because he had an urge to expose himself and it had helped him relieve stress.

On July 6, Budiman exposed himself to a 12-year-old girl who was cycling with her younger brother at Woodlands Ring Road.

She saw Budiman standing near a lamp post with his pants unzipped, exposing himself.

The siblings left immediately when Budiman made eye contact and started walking towards her.

A police report was made later that day after the girl told her mother about the incident.

A week later, at about 4.30pm on July 13, a 15-year-old saw him touching his private parts at a bus stop near Block 701, Woodlands Drive 40.

On the morning of May 17, Budiman molested a 32-year-old woman while on board a crowded train.

The woman said she had felt something knocking against her several times and initially thought it was because of the jerking motion of the train.

As the sensation became more frequent, she looked at her right forearm and saw Budiman standing beside her. She also noticed a bulge in his crotch area.

She was outraged and took photos of him, but Budiman moved towards the train doors and alighted.

She later made a police report.

Court documents said Budiman had admitted to molesting the woman on the train.

AROUSED

He said he felt aroused when his crotch area accidentally touched the woman's forearm the first time and decided to take advantage of the situation by brushing himself against her.

He added that he wanted the "good feeling" and to feel "shiok" (Singlish for enjoyable).

According to two reports from the Institute of Mental Health, Budiman suffers from exhibitionistic disorder and substance use disorder.

He was not of unsound mind when he committed the offences, and he also has a high risk of re-offending.

In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Michael Quilindo asked for a global sentence of nine to 10 months.

He told the court that aggravating factors include Budiman's repeated obscene acts and the fact that he had targeted young victims.

In his mitigation, Budiman, who did not have a lawyer, said he has since reflected on and realised his mistakes.

Through a translator, he told the court in Malay: "I'm really remorseful. I had a long talk with my mother and I realised I should change so that I don't disappoint her, and I should change for myself as well."

He also asked for leniency as this would be his 10th time going to jail.

For committing an obscene act in public, Budiman could have been jailed up to three months' jail and fined on each charge.

For making a gesture to insult the modesty of a woman, he could have been jailed up to a year and fined, and for using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a person, he could have been jailed up to two years, fined and/or caned.

This article was first published on Oct 25, 2016.
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A freak accident on set scared the entire cast and crew except for one plucky actress.

Local actress Jeanette Aw was filming a scene for the second season of long-running local TV drama 118 on Sunday night when the glass panel of a door shattered.

The 37-year-old, who has been acting for about 15 years, posted about the accident on her Instagram, calling it "the most epic yet".

She walked away with abrasions on her arms and knees, telling The New Paper she was thankful she was wearing a long-sleeved top instead of her usual sleeveless shirt.

After the glass pieces fell over Aw, her co-stars and crew, who were in shock, rushed over and quickly brushed the shards off her clothes.

Bryan Wong, who plays a goody two-shoes real estate agent, even helped comb her hair to remove the shards before Aw was rushed to Mount Alvernia Hospital for a check-up.

"While I was at the hospital, I told the doctor my scalp was a little painful," Aw told TNP.

"After she checked through my head, she found a glass shard on my scalp."

Aw said she had no time to be shocked and was quite calm when the accident happened.

"I placed my hand over my head and bent over to shield myself.

"I get injured on set quite often so I was quite calm when it happened.

I think the crew were more anxious than me."

Aw admitted that while her body is still aching from the impact, she was thankful to have just suffered minor injuries.

She is on medical leave for two days.

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Jeanette Aw's "most epic" accident

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Instagram / Jeanette Aw

WUSHU

A new addition to 118, Aw picked up wushu for her role as a triad member skilled in martial arts.

The latest season of the drama, which revolves around those running Yao Yao Fa coffee shop, will have 218 episodes.

Returning cast members include Chew Chor Meng and Pan Ling Ling.

The season premieres on Nov 29 at 7.30pm on Channel 8.

The accident happened while Aw was filming a scene with actor Jeremy Chan.

She said: "Jeremy was hiding behind the door, and I was supposed to push open the door forcefully in order to get him out.

"We did a couple of rehearsals and all went well.

"But when it came to the actual filming of the scene, the push might have been a bit too strong and the glass shattered."

Aw said Chan became quiet after that.

She told TNP about how a previous on-set accident nearly left her disfigured.

While filming Destiny In My Hands some years back, she had a scene where she was involved in a catfight with an actress.

She said: "That actress had long manicured nails and she accidentally scratched my face.

My face swelled up immediately.

But thankfully, it did not leave any scar on my face."

Actress Jeanette Aw releases pictorial book

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The New Paper, The Straits Times, Artistes Network

This article was first published on Oct 25, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - The world economy is struggling, but Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is confident that Singapore, in the long term, will do well.

He said the country has every reason to be optimistic: It is highly connected, and has a reputation as an outstanding place to do business.

Also, it is also creating many new jobs, and continues to invest in its "hard-working and talented" people through education.

"If any city in the world is in a position to do well in the new world economy, Singapore should be that place," he said.

"We are feeling the pains of restructuring, but not yet seeing the dividends of our hard work. But we are pursuing all the right strategies, and I am confident that given time, they will work," he added.

But how well the country does, and the society it will be in the next 30 years, depends on the next generation, Mr Lee said in a speech to 500 students and faculty members at the Singapore Institute of Technology on Monday (Oct 24) that sought to assure them the future was theirs to shape and determine.

"As young Singaporeans, the world is your oyster. You have many opportunities, many more than your parents had," he said.

"But you have to seize them, make the most of them, and create further opportunities for yourself."

Singapore's future will also depend on whether today's young are resilient in the face of uncertainty and change, and whether their generation works together as one united people, Mr Lee added.

The Government, he said, was opening up educational opportunities for students to not only earn a good certificate, but acquire the know-how to find good jobs and achieve their aspirations.

He added that creation of job opportunities for Singaporeans and companies here is almost always on the agenda when he travels, citing recent visits to China, Japan, India and Australia.

To make use of these opportunities, Singaporeans must be be able to adapt to new conditions when they arise, he said.

"We're not the strawberry generation. These are durians - very tough," he quipped, to laughter from the crowd.

He cited how taxi companies are worried about competition from Uber and Grab, when driverless cars are on the way, as an example of how quickly technology is progressing.

One way to cope with the changes is to make use of SkillsFuture schemes, he said: "You must have the resolve and spirit to take up the schemes , to switch jobs or move to a different industry if the economy shifts - to learn, unlearn and relearn things all your life."

But Singapore's real strength lies in the unity of its people, which he said accounts for why Singapore has the best workforce in the world, and urged the students not to take it for granted.

"Our unions, management and goverment trust one another, we adopt a win-win mindset," he said.

This article was first published on October 24, 2016.
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SINGAPORE, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A subdued growth outlook for Singapore's trade-reliant economy is expected to keep inflationary pressures modest, the central bank said on Tuesday, highlighting a bumpy road ahead for the city state amid lingering weakness in global demand.

Singapore's economy is likely to have a small negative output gap in 2016, and the gap could widen slightly next year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said in its half-yearly macroeconomic review.

"Amid a subdued outlook for GDP growth, emerging slack in the labour market, and contained imported inflation, the medium-term outlook for MAS core inflation is for it to trend gradually towards the historical average of 2 percent."

There could be downside risks to the inflation outlook if weakness in global demand persists, it added. "Cross-border spillovers of disinflationary pressures may pose some downside risks to Singapore's inflation outlook, taking into account the possibility that weak global demand could persist for an extended period of time," the MAS said.

Earlier this month, the central bank held its exchange-rate based monetary policy steady despite a surprisingly sharp economic contraction in the third quarter.

The MAS said a neutral policy stance will be needed for an"extended period", underscoring a dim outlook for the economy with a growing number of analysts saying the risk of a recession meant the central bank could be forced into an off-cycle easing.

Over the past two years, Singapore's economy has been hobbled by a slowdown in China, weak global demand and falls in global oil prices.

The MAS said the cumulative effects of its policy easings since January 2015 will continue to provide support to economic growth and help ensure medium-term price stability.

The MAS reiterated that core inflation is expected to average around 1 percent this year and rise to 1-2 percent in 2017.

Energy-related components will begin to contribute positively to inflation, the central bank said.

Global oil prices have risen nearly 38 percent so far this year, but are still down more than 55 percent from their mid-2014 peak above $115 a barrel.

The all-items consumer price index is likely to turn positive in the fourth quarter of this year, the MAS said. It kept its forecast for headline inflation to rise to 0.5-1.5 percent in 2017 from around -0.5 percent this year.

All-items CPI has declined from a year earlier for a record 23 straight months, weighed down by falls in oil prices, lower housing costs and falls in the prices of car permits.

The central bank said its analysis suggests that "nearly three-fifths of the effects from MAS' past policy easing moves since January 2015 have yet to be transmitted through to the economy."

More than 70 students sat for the wrong GCE O-level mathematics paper last Thursday.

The 73 Secondary 5 students who were affected were from Woodgrove Secondary School and Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (AISS).

They had taken the O-level mathematics (Syllabus 4048) Paper 1.

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) told The New Paper yesterday that the students were supposed to take the GCE O-Level mathematics (Syllabus 4016), and were registered by their respective schools.

SEAB revealed that 24 of the affected students were from AISS, while the remaining 49 came from Woodgrove Secondary.

The board, which collaborates with the Ministry of Education (MOE) on all national examinations, said the mistake came about after the respective schools "indicated the wrong syllabus code during the registration process".

TNP understands that both schools became aware of the error after the exam was taken.

In a statement, SEAB said: "They immediately notified us and worked closely with us to ensure that the candidates sat for the correct syllabus for Maths Paper 2 on Oct 21 (last Friday)."

SEAB also confirmed that no other schools were affected.

REALISATION

Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday that "one of the students" from AISS "went home after the exam, looked through his 10-year series" and realised the different syllabus codes.

The student, who declined to be named, said: "We told our teacher about the inaccurate subject code that night and when we went back to take the second paper, we were given the paper with the correct subject code and syllabus."

When asked how different the two papers were, SEAB said: "The GCE O-Level mathematics (Syllabus 4048) is a revised version of the mathematics (Syllabus 4016) and is being examined for the first time this year.

"While the affected candidates have sat for the revised Syllabus 4048, the topics examined are largely comparable with the Syllabus 4016."

Principal of AISS, Ms Chew Ing Lim, told TNP in a statement yesterday evening that since the incident, the "school has reached out to the parents of these students to convey that SEAB is working with Cambridge International Examinations to provide a fair assessment for the students".

She said she had "also met with the students the next day after Paper 2 to provide assurance and ascertain if further support was needed".

"Our immediate focus is to provide the necessary support to the students who are still in the midst of taking the national examinations.

The students have been encouraged to stay focused."

SEAB confirmed that the students will not have to re-sit the exam.

Instead, they "will take into consideration the circumstances of the incident, the candidates' performance in the school preliminary examination, their performance in the other mathematics paper and the cohort's performance in providing a fair assessment to the candidates for the mathematics subject".

This article was first published on Oct 25, 2016.
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SINGAPORE - StarHub issued a statement on Tuesday (Oct 25) night to confirm that its broadband disruption on Saturday and Monday were due to "malicious distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on our Domain Name Servers (DNS)".

The Cyber Security Agency and the Infocomm Media Development Authority had earlier said that the two incidents happened on the heels of Friday's attack against the United Stated-based Domain Name System (DNS) service provider, Dyn.

"We cannot rule out the possibility that this was a DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack," said both agencies in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 25) evening. "What is important now is for StarHub to determine the root cause of the problem and prevent a recurrence."

DDoS attacks work by having thousands of infected computers accessing and overwhelming a targeted site, causing a huge spike in traffic.

Following an initial investigation, StarHub said earlier today that a spike in traffic to its DNS jammed the servers leading to Internet disruption for some home broadband customers for about two hours on both Monday (Oct 24) night and Saturday night (Oct 22).

It is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the root cause.

A DNS is a database that translates web addresses, such as www.nameofwebsite.com, into machine readable sets of digits - also known as IP addresses - for customers to view websites on their computers. When a DNS is not operating optimally, customers may not be able to access websites.

To arrest the issue, the telco said it started to filter any unwanted traffic and added capacity to its DNS to manage the increased load. The telco also said that the disruption was only "intermittent" and not widespread. Mobile, enterprise and home voice services were not affected, and "the security of our customers' information was not compromised", it maintained.

Singtel and M1 said that they have not seen anything unusual on their networks but they are on high alert.

Here is StarHub's press statement on the disruptions.

STARHUB CONFIRMS CAUSE OF HOME BROADBAND INCIDENTS ON 22 OCTOBER AND 24 OCTOBER 2016

Singapore, 25 October 2016, 10:20pm - We have completed inspecting and analysing network logs from the home broadband incidents on 22 October and 24 October and we are now able to confirm that we had experienced intentional and likely malicious distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on our Domain Name Servers (DNS). These caused temporary web connection issue for some of our home broadband customers.

On both occasions, we mitigated the attacks by filtering unwanted traffic and increasing our DNS capacity, and restored service within two hours. No impact was observed on the rest of our services, and the security of our customers' information was not compromised. We kept customers informed on these matters via our hotline and social media.

We continue to stay vigilant against possible follow-up DDoS attempts. In addition, we are working closely with the authorities to determine intent and source of these two DDoS attacks.

These two recent attacks that we experienced were unprecedented in scale, nature and complexity. We would like to thank our customers for their patience as we took time to fully understand these unique situations and to mitigate them effectively.

Notes:

1. DNS is a database that converts web addresses like www.nameofwebsite.com into machine readable sets of digits, for customers to view websites on their computers. When a DNS is not operating normally, customers may face difficulty in accessing the internet.

2. DDoS happens when a IT equipment such as a computer, router or server is flooded with a sudden and enormous volume of traffic from multiple sources, in an attempt to cause congestion or to shut it down.

This article was first published on Oct 26, 2016.
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After a brief hiatus, the Car-Free Sunday SG initiative will be back this weekend for another six months, with more roads to be closed for use by cyclists, joggers and pedestrians.

The monthly programme, which was piloted from February to July this year, will be expanded from the Central Business District (CBD) and Civic District areas into the Telok Ayer conservation area.

The second instalment of Car-Free Sunday will be stretched to 5.5km from 4.7km previously, with additional road closures in the Telok Ayer area. The affected roads are McCallum Street, Amoy Street, Boon Tat Street, Telok Ayer Street and Stanley Street.

Announcing the news yesterday in a blog post, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said the pilot had drawn "tens of thousands" of Singaporeans, and a lot of positive feedback.

He said many people had asked for the initiative to continue, and for the car-free route to be expanded.

"Car-Free Sunday SG is a step towards our broader vision of a car-lite and people-friendly society," said Mr Wong.

Under Car-Free Sunday, some roads are fully closed, and others partially, to provide spaces for the public to walk, jog, cycle and take part in recreational activities, such as mass workouts.

It is typically held on the last Sunday of every month.

Besides the expansion to Telok Ayer, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said more roads will be fully closed, such as the five-lane Robinson Road and four-lane Cecil Street, to create more cycling and jogging lanes.

Buses plying these roads will be diverted to Shenton Way. Roads will be closed between 8am and 11am.

For the upcoming Car-Free Sunday on Oct 30, the public can enjoy free guided tours of the Thian Hock Keng Temple at Telok Ayer Street.

There will also be an educational trail along Ann Siang Hill and Telok Ayer Green.

Cafes along Telok Ayer Street will open from 8am, in conjunction with the initiative.

Cindy Leong, managing director of juice shop The Cold Pressed Station, said: "Our target customers are usually CBD workers but now we can also reach out to families who are coming to the area."

The second instalment of Car-Free Sunday will run until April next year on the following dates: Oct 30, Nov 27, Jan 22, Feb 26, March 26 and April 30.

The URA did not say if it will be extended after April but noted the initiative "will run for at least six editions".

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It started casually with her colleague offering to take her home after work.

As the rides became regular, Madam Serene Goh grew close to Mr Dexmon Chua and they confided in each other about their marital problems.

Despite being married, they took their intimacy to another level and started having sex.

Their trysts carried on for about a year.

Her husband, Chia Kee Chen, later found out about the affair.

CCK carpark murder: His final hours

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, Lianhe Zaobao

A year later, Mr Dexmon was found dead with severe head injuries.

Chia is now on trial for murdering Mr Dexmon, 37, who worked as a materials analyst at food packaging and processing company Tetra Pak.

Chia is accused of - with the help of Indonesian Febri Irwansyah Djatmiko - forcing Mr Dexmon into a van and assaulting him until he died.

Another accomplice, Chua Leong Aik, drove them to Lim Chu Kang, near the area where Mr Dexmon's badly decomposed body was found.

Yesterday, Chia, 56, pleaded not guilty and said: "I did not do it. I did not murder him."

His 51-year-old wife, the mother of their two girls, took the stand for about 10 minutes. Her statement to the police was read out to the court.

The court heard that Madam Goh was a sales executive at Tetra Pak from 1995 till September 2013, when she was retrenched.

She had known Mr Dexmon since 2003 as they took the company transportation to and from work from their Choa Chu Kang homes.

In July 2011, he contacted her on the company's instant messaging system and offered her a lift home after work.

She turned him down but accepted when he offered a second time.

From then on, they grew closer and she would regularly hitch a ride home from him.

They also started texting, calling and communicating via the office instant messaging system.

It was also around then that Madam Goh received an overseas call from a woman who claimed she was Chia's wife in Indonesia, where he owns a fish farm.

Madam Goh told the authorities this was not the first time she had received such a call.

When she confronted her husband, he denied having an Indonesian wife.

While she claimed she trusted Chia, she began confiding in Mr Dexmon, knowing he was married to a Thai woman.

He did the same, sharing his marital problems with her.

In August 2011, Mr Dexmon suggested to Madam Goh that they become intimate, and she agreed.

They would meet after work and have sex in his car, at his home, and once at a hotel.

Read also:
- Revenge attack so savage it left bloodstains on van's ceiling
- Choa Chu Kang murder: Victim electrocuted, dumped near army camp

'GUILTY'

Madam Goh said in her statement that she felt "guilty" during the affair with Mr Dexmon.

But they both could not bring themselves to stop the affair.

In June 2012, with her permission, he recorded themselves having sex, twice, for "sentimental purposes".

They stopped having sex soon after and began quarrelling often, but still communicated over the phone.

Later that year, Chia found Mr Dexmon's text messages on his wife's phone and confronted her when their two daughters were asleep. She admitted to the affair.

She also said there were videos and pictures of her having sex with Mr Dexmon, which she feared he would spread.

Enraged, Chia called Mr Dexmon using her mobile phone and scolded him in Hokkien, telling him to end the relationship.

Mr Dexmon allegedly told Chia that he had deleted the racy videos and photographs.

Madam Goh said she stopped her relationship with Mr Dexmon after that.

In early 2013, Mr Dexmon mistakenly sent Madam Goh a Chinese New Year greeting through Whatsapp.

Chia found out and became agitated, but Madam Goh assured him their affair was over. That was the last time they spoke about Mr Dexmon.

After his wife's testimony as a prosecution witness, it was the defence's turn to cross-examine her.

But Chia told his lawyer Peter Fernando not to do so.

In the early hours of Dec 29, 2013, Madam Goh was awakened by a call from her husband, who asked for the phone number of her brother Goh Beng Guat.

Prosecutors said Chia went on to ask Mr Goh for help to carry Mr Chua's body, but he said no.

That afternoon, Chia, Madam Goh and their two daughters left for a family trip to Johor Baru.

On Dec 31, 2013, they returned and were stopped by the authorities at Woodlands Checkpoint.

Chia was arrested that day and later charged with murder.

The trial continues today.

About the case

Chia Kee Chen is accused of killing Mr Dexmon Chua between 9.44pm on Dec 28, 2013, and 3.17pm on Dec 29, 2013.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Lee said in the prosecution's opening statement that Chia allegedly enlisted the help of Indonesian Febri Irwansyah Djatmiko, 33, who operated Chia's fish farm in Malaysia, to carry out the murder.

In return, Chia allegedly promised to set up a fish farm for him in Indonesia.

He also roped in a third man, Chua Leong Aik, 66, a cleaning supervisor.

On Dec 28, 2013, at about 10pm to 11pm, the three men lay in wait for Mr Dexmon at the multi-storey carpark near his Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 home, said DPP Lee.

Febri and Chia approached Mr Dexmon after he had parked and alighted from his car, and allegedly assaulted him.

They were said to have forced Mr Dexmon into a van that Chia had borrowed, before tying up his arms and feet. Mr Dexmon was then allegedly assaulted some more by Chia and Febri until he died.

Chua was instructed by Chia to drive to Lim Chu Kang and told the authorities he heard banging sounds from the back of the van and smelled blood en route.

He later stopped and got out of the van as he was frightened and Chia allegedly took over the wheel.

Chia allegedly drove to the military live firing area in Lim Chu Kang and disposed of Mr Dexmon's body.

They went to a Lim Chu Kang fish farm where they spent an hour washing the van.

Chia and his family, joined by Febri, then took a trip to Malaysia.

Febri, who is still at large, is said to have returned to Indonesia by ferry from Malaysia.

Chia was arrested as he returned to Singapore.

In January, Chua was jailed for five years for abduction and voluntarily causing grievous hurt to Mr Dexmon.

Yesterday, DPP Lee said Mr Dexmon suffered extensive injuries to his face and head.

The prosecution will call over 80 witnesses during the two-week trial to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Chia murdered Mr Dexmon.

If convicted, Chia faces the death penalty or life imprisonment.

This article was first published on October 26, 2016.
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Feng Tianwei is Singapore's most bemedalled Olympian and had finished a creditable third in the International Table Tennis Federation Women's World Cup just two weeks ago.

Little wonder that news of her being dropped from the national team was greeted with shock by members of the local sports fraternity. Officials and athletes The Straits Times spoke to were surprised that the Singapore Table Tennis Association (STTA) would drop the world No. 6, a decision it announced in a press statement yesterday.

Former national swimmer Mark Chay, who was the Singapore Hockey Federation's chief executive from 2011 to 2012, said: "I was shocked that they would let their best player go. I hope they had a dialogue with Feng before making this decision.

"I don't think her age should be that big a concern. Wasn't there a player in her 50s at the Olympics?"

Luxembourg's Ni Xialian, 53, gave Feng a scare at the Rio Olympics. In the end, the Singaporean needed six games to see off her opponent.

Many felt that the STTA's decision was bizarre, given that Feng still has much to offer, despite being plagued by a chronic knee injury.

Former Singapore men's head coach Yang Chuanning said: "I have no doubts that Feng Tianwei will continue to be a top player.

"If she continues to train, she will definitely still be one of the world's best in 2020."

Malaysia's Ng Sock Khim, the singles silver medallist at last year's SEA Games, said: "Tianwei might not have won many tournaments recently, but she is still one of the best in the world. I think maybe the competition is getting stronger compared with before, and Feng is adapting to the new playing field.

"That said, Singapore still has many good players like Yu Mengyu and Zhou Yihan."

The Straits Times understands that Feng has had numerous run-ins with the STTA management, and this played a part in her exclusion.

Last October, Feng and teammate Yu were involved in a coaching bust-up, which eventually saw former women's head coach Jing Junhong redeployed as chief coach in youth development.

Interestingly, 34-year-old Gao Ning, Singapore's top-ranked male player at No. 41, was asked to take on a player-assistant coach role.

Former coach Yang, who was himself sacked by the STTA 1½ years before his contract was up, called on the authorities to step in. He said: "It is okay for people like me, because I can just go back to China. The impact is far greater for Tianwei. She is now a Singaporean.

Highlights from Olympics 2016

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

AFP, Reuters, The Straits Times

"Higher authorities like Sport Singapore (SportSG) need to step in. Otherwise, the STTA would have complete say."

SportSG's Toh Boon Yi, who heads the Singapore Sports Institute, said: "We will discuss with Feng Tianwei, STTA and the Singapore National Olympic Council on the option of supporting her under the Sports Excellence (Spex) Scholarship scheme, and the performance targets and milestones expected of her."

The Straits Times understands that Feng's Spex scholarship, which runs out at the end of the year, will not be revoked.

Added Yang: "Tianwei has contributed so much. Won't other athletes watch and wonder if they will suffer a similar plight in future?"

Another former Singapore coach, Liu Guodong, who led the women's team to a silver at the 2008 Olympics, said the exclusion could actually be a blessing in disguise for Feng.

Now coaching the Hong Kong team, Liu, who also left the STTA fold under acrimonious terms, said in a phone interview from Beijing: "It is not necessarily a bad thing. She can now make decisions independently.

"When people write you off, that is your chance to prove them wrong. As athletes, it is always our results that speak the loudest."

maychen@sph.com.sg
siangyee@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on October 26, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

The new version of The New Paper - the product of a merger between TNP and My Paper - will see the best of both worlds.

Better still, it will be free.

From Dec 1, you can pick up the new TNP from Monday to Saturday at various distribution points, including MRT stations.

The new TNP will continue to be available online, with a new look and more interactive content for readers.

Yesterday, trade partners and advertisers got a first-hand glimpse at TNP's new look at a trade launch.

Unveiling the revamped product, which features a new masthead, TNP news editor Eugene Wee said: "If you notice, the word 'new' is highlighted. That's what it's all about: We put the 'new' in TNP.

"What we mean by this is that we always try new things in terms of storytelling, in terms of how we gauge our readers and how we partner with our advertisers to come up with good content for our readers.

"So we need to be new again and this new product represents the very spirit of our masthead," added Mr Wee, who will become the new editor of the revamped TNP.

TNP was launched in 1988 to engage a wider segment of the English language readership beyond those reading The Straits Times.

Over the years, it established a reputation for its creativity in its storytelling, graphics and design.

It has also tried to keep things new for the readers, said Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of English/Malay/Tamil Media group.

At the trade launch at yesterday, he said: "We decided that this reputation, this fresh news and being new became part of the hallmark of TNP, part of its DNA.

"It developed a very loyal following. This brand loyalty is something we should keep.

"But we also recognise that while we want to continue to serve this loyal group of readers, the market is changing very rapidly all around us.

"The readership we were seeking to serve way back in the 80s has become more educated, more affluent, more savvy and more sophisticated, and read content from a whole range of sources.

"So we have to change, we have to adapt to serve this readership in a new way."

Now targeting the PMEB (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen) readers, the paper will have content attuned to their interests and needs.

This includes news on the economy, property market, jobs, personal finance and health in a format that is easily digestible.

Advertisers can also look forward to special integrated packages including full-print ad, digital ads on tnp.sg and mobile in-app animated ads.

Elements that regular TNP readers have come to know the paper for - such as compelling human interest stories told with stunning visuals, and our sports and entertainment coverage - will stick, said Mr Wee.

So will familiar faces like Biker Boy Zaihan Mohamed Yusof, and food columnists Yeoh Wee Teck and Hedy Khoo, he added.

Ms Elsie Chua, chief marketing officer, said the new integrated marketing division, which saw the merger of the print, digital, radio and outdoor advertising sales teams, will be able to offer more powerful media solutions to meet clients' marketing needs.

Mr Ignatius Low, the head of media solutions in the new division, explained the significance of the merger of TNP and My Paper.

"The problem with My Paper is, of course, if you're an English reader, it's only half a paper. The other half is in Chinese," he said.

"The New Paper is nothing to be sneezed at. In today's day and age where people can get their news free on their mobile phones, and TNP is actually priced close to The Straits Times, which as you know is a far heftier product, there are 369,000 readers of TNP that fork out money to buy TNP at a time when really they could be getting their news free.

"I think that is a huge testament to the quality of TNP and when we bring the two titles together, really, what we are getting is the My Paper crowd who got it free is now getting a full paper instead of half a paper. And the TNP crowd who is so loyal and so engaged to TNP is now getting it free."

Advertisers at the trade launch yesterday told TNP that they were looking forward to the revamp.

That Marketing Guy's Will Lee said: "It's really interesting to see that deviation... I'm very excited to see how people will take to this brand. I'm just keeping my mind very open right now."

He added that TNP's way of crystallising news into bite-sized information will come in handy.

KEEN

"I think my fellow advertisers will be very keen to keep an eye on what's going to happen," said Mr Lee.

"It's interesting how everything is going to be repackaged, reorganised and how it's going to be targeted at the PMEBs, whom a lot of advertisers are targeting.

"Well, all I can say is that it's really smart."

Mr Simon Leong, senior vice-president of Singapore Turf Club's (STC)corporate services, said: "I think TNP has always been more local, more social.

"The new TNP looks like it's going in the same direction, but with the PMEBs as the target audience. I've seen the mock-up. It looks okay.

"We are definitely looking forward to the response.

"I suppose it will be good. Let's see how it unfolds."

Mr Leong added that TNP is not new to STC, which presented this year's Miss Universe Singapore.

"It's not new to us, working with TNP. Definitely, we can look at other new events to explore," he said.

TNP's current editor Dominic Nathan will be joining The Straits Times as an associate editor.

From intern to editor

He stepped into The New Paper newsroom in 1996 as an intern.

But come Dec 1, Mr Eugene Wee, 42, will be doing so as the newspaper's new editor.

"If you count my time working here as an intern, this year would be my 20th year with the paper," said Mr Wee.

"I grew up in the TNP newsroom and my colleagues have become my extended family."

He will leave his role as TNP's news editor, in which he oversees the coverage of local news for the paper, to take up his new appointment.

Mr Wee, a Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) scholar, graduated with first-class honours in communication studies from Nanyang Technological University in 1999, and recently earned an Executive Master in Business Administration (MBA) from top graduate business school Insead.

He joined TNP full-time as a rookie reporter in 1999, and has been with the paper ever since, except for a 1½-year stint with Project Eyeball, an SPH newspaper that was published from 2000 to 2001.

During his time in TNP, he has covered a gamut of beats, including crime, entertainment, technology, defence and politics.

He was also a foreign correspondent for the paper for about five years, reporting out of Saint Louis, Missouri, in the US.

Mr Wee said his biggest challenge will be to reach out to an audience that now prefers to get news from online sources rather than traditional print media.

CHALLENGE

"This is both a challenge and a great opportunity for our little newspaper," he said.

"And with our revamped website, which will also launch on Dec 1, we hope to reach out to the online audience with videos, interactive content and bite-sized news stories that can be easily consumed and shared with others."

Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of SPH's English/Malay/Tamil Media group, said Mr Wee has what it takes to ensure the success of the revamped TNP.

"He's been with TNP for some years," Mr Fernandez said at TNP's trade launch.

"He knows the team, the team knows him. They trust him, have confidence in him, and he's got fresh ideas on what to do with the product."

FAQ

How will the new The New Paper be different?

It will have a new design and a refreshed content mix targeted at PMEB (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen) readers.

This includes news on the economy, property market, jobs, personal finance and health in a format that is easily digestible.

From Dec 1, the paper will be distributed from Monday to Saturday. There will no longer be a Sunday edition.

Where can I get a copy of the new TNP?

Up to 300,000 copies of the free paper will be distributed at MRT stations, selected malls and other locations such as cafes, medical centres, country clubs, car service centres, premium buses, airline lounges and serviced apartments. It will also be sampled for limited periods at selected households.

The new TNP will continue to be available online, with a new design featuring more videos and interactive content for readers.

Can I have TNP delivered to my home?

TNP will have a paid home delivery option for readers who wish to have it delivered.

Existing subscribers of other SPH publications need to pay a nominal administrative fee of $4 a month. Others have to pay a delivery fee of $3 for HDB, $4 for condominiums or apartments, and $5 for landed houses.

TNP subscribers will be receiving a letter soon with more information about their subscription options.

This article was first published on October 26, 2016.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

The practice of blackface, or using makeup to impersonate a dark-skinned character, has long been frowned upon as offensive due to its historical usage in caricatures and negative portrayals of black people.

Yet, that's exactly what online video streaming service Toggle did on an episode of Chinese-language series "I Want To Be A Star".

The episode saw actor Shane Pow dressing up as a black actor by putting on black makeup on his face and an afro wig.

Unsurprisingly, reactions online have been overwhelmingly negative, with many netizens expressing disbelief and criticising the use of blackface as racist and offensive.

On Twitter, user peachy keen (@bxbyqueen) suggested that a reason for the struggles of local television series is "blatant discrimination masked as jokes".

Meanwhile on Facebook, South China Morning Post's Asia correspondent Bhavan Jaipragas described the scene as "unacceptable", and called on MediaCorp, which runs Toggle, to provide an explanation.

News website Coconuts Singapore also questioned how the episode managed to get approval.

Following the outcry, Toggle has removed the episode from its website, and also posted an apology on its Twitter page.

"The scene has been perceived as being racially insensitive by some viewers, although that was never our intention in the production. We appreciate the feedback and truly apologise to viewers who have been affected by this portrayal," Toggle said in its statement.

However, the apology still did not assuage many netizens' anger. "No, it wasn't 'perceived as being racially insensitive by some viewers'. It IS racially insensitive," wrote user Ila S. (@danceinthedarth).

A number of users also shared a link to a 2014 article on blackface by American website Vox. According to the article, the practice was common in the 19th century when white actors would use black grease paint on their faces to depict slaves or free black people.

"To be clear, these weren't flattering representations. At all. Taking place against the backdrop of a society that systematically mistreated and dehumanised black people, they were mocking portrayals that reinforced the idea that African-Americans were inferior in every way," Vox explained.

Toggle had also previously come under fire for another controvesy earlier this year, which saw social media personality Saffron Sharpe critiquing the fashion choices of members of the public. Netizens found the video to be distasteful and mean-spirited.

Read also: Detergent ad in China draws ire for turning black man into Asian after spin in washer

seanyap@sph.com.sg

The two schools in an O-level exam mix-up have admitted they could have done more to ensure their students took the correct mathematics paper.

They also urged the affected students to refocus on their remaining exam papers.

Still, some parents whose kids were affected by the mix-up last week are unhappy that their children's preliminary exam results will now be considered as part of the assessment.

They said such papers, taken before national exams like the O levels, are typically tougher, and students may not be as well prepared for them.

Last Thursday, 73 Secondary 5 students - 24 from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School and 49 from Woodgrove Secondary School - took the wrong O-level mathematics paper after a mix-up in the subject codes during registration.

They took the maths Paper 1 from the revised syllabus with subject code 4048, when they should have been given the paper from the old syllabus with the code 4016.

One parent, who declined to be named, said his son had a stressful weekend as a result of the mix-up.

"It is not easy for our kids to just forget, and focus on other papers." Other parents, however, believe their children will be given a fair grade.

Pastry chef Sabariah Yacob, 50, whose daughter Mira Shafiqah, 17, was one of the Woodgrove students affected,said: "The mistake has been made. There is no use worrying... Instead, we should give our kids the support for their next few papers."

After the schools learnt of the error last Thursday, they immediately notified the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) to ensure the students took the maths Paper 2 the next day under the correct syllabus.

Students will not have to re-sit the paper, confirmed SEAB, which said they will be "fairly assessed".

Besides the students' performance in the school preliminary exam, SEAB will consider factors such as the circumstances of the incident, their performance in the other maths paper and the cohort's performance.

The exam board told The Straits Times that "the use of schools' preliminary examination results is part of the existing processes for candidates who are affected by unforeseen circumstances".

A Woodgrove Secondary spokesman said yesterday: "The school regrets our oversight in checking the exam codes and will take measures to review the registration processes for future exams."

An Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary spokesman said the school has reached out to the students and their parents to understand their concerns.

"We acknowledge that such an error could have been avoided if the exam codes were checked more thoroughly and will work with MOE to review the registration process for future exams."

This article was first published on October 26, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - The world's largest floating solar photovoltaic cell test-bed measuring 1ha and containing 10 different solar photovoltaic systems was launched on Tuesday (Oct 25) by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli.

The $11-million test-bed - the size of about 100 five-room Housing Board flats located at Tengeh Reservoir in Tuas - will, over the next six months, be used to study the performance and cost-effectiveness of the various systems.

Speaking at the Asia Clean Energy Summit held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Mr Masagos said that being sustainable should not be considered as an alternative or a trade-off to economic development.

"Rather, the pursuit of clean and renewable energy development is a venture into greater opportunities and growth, and also a necessary step into the green era," he said.

Each solar photovoltaic system has a capacity of 1 kilowatt peak and will be studied with some 100 sensors and the results pitted against one another.

The floating system will also be compared against a 20 kilowatt peak roof-top system that has been constructed in the vicinity of Tengeh Reservoir.

Eventually, the two best-performing floating solar photovoltaic systems will be chosen and placed on a larger trial of 2 megawatt peak capacity.

The test-bed is an initiative by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and national water agency PUB.

The scientific evaluation of the various solar photovoltaic systems will be conducted by the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (Seris).

Examples of systems being tested include one that uses bi-facial solar cells which allow sunlight to enter from both sides, and another that has an "active cooling" feature where water is pumped onto the solar cells to cool them down to improve their performance.

PUB will also study the environmental impact on the reservoir. This includes the impact on water quality and biodiversity of the reservoir as a result of the photovoltaic installations.

Floating solar photovoltaic cells are becoming an increasingly attractive way for Singapore to harness sunlight due to limitations in roof space, and also for their higher performance.

Previous research suggests that they can be up to 20 per cent more efficient than roof-top systems in tropical countries, and 5 per cent more efficient in temperate countries.

This is brought on by cooling effects provided by the water body the solar panels are floating on.

"As a highly dense city state with limited space for solar deployment, Singapore is placing emphasis on building up urban solar capabilities which include floating solar as a key focus area. Singapore is also positioned as a living lab for companies to test and commercialise innovative urban solutions," said Mr Goh Chee Kiong, executive director for cleantech at EDB.

"We are confident that the floating photovoltaic test-bed will serve as an important reference for local and international companies to scale up their solar technologies for global markets," he said.

EDB has also recently secured five new investments across the fields of solar, microgrids, smart grids and energy management in Singapore worth a total of $50 million in cumulative business expenditure over the next five years.

This article was first published on October 26, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

SINGAPORE - The Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCERT ) has published an advisory on Wednesday (Oct26) following the first major attack to hit Singapore's telco infrastructure on Monday (Oct 24).

Besides checking for software updates regularly and installing them, businesses and individuals were advised to turn off remote access to Internet-connect devices like cameras and printers.

Default passwords was also a vulnerability that could be exploited, SingCERT said.

Telco operator Starhub confirmed on Tuesday (Oct 25) that its network was overwhelmed by a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that caused two outages.

Read also: StarHub confirms cyber attacks on servers caused broadband disruptions on Saturday and Monday

The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will be working closely with Starhub following the attacks on its broadband service.

"DDoS attacks on Domain Name Services (DNS), as seen in the Starhub's case are generally rare, although the latest Dyn incident in US has shown that it is surfacing as an emerging trend," CSA and IMDA noted in their joint statement.

DNS is a database that converts web addresses like www.nameofwebsite.com into machine readable sets of digits, for customers to view websites on their computers. When a DNS is not operating normally, customers may face difficulty in accessing the internet.

'123456' and 'password' top list as worst passwords again

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Shutterstock, Reuters

"In DDoS attacks, attackers usually scan for vulnerable internet-connected devices and employ a list of techniques (e.g. password cracking) to gain access to the devices," the two agencies added.

"Any Internet-connected device, from wifi- routers to printers to cctvs, can inadvertently be part of a network of "bots" that can be activated to attack other systems.

"Given the increasing connectedness of digital systems, there is no fool-proof solution."

Starhub confirmed on Wednesday evening (Oct 26) that the infected devices that brought down its network were from its own customers.

Read also: Amazon, Spotify, Twitter suffer service disruptions due to attack on infrastructure provider

Monday's attacks on Starhub's networks "were unprecedented in scale, nature and complexity", the telco said in an earlier statement.

In response to the infection, Starhub will be deploying its "HubTroopers" technical team top help troubleshoot their customers' compromised machines, Channel NewsAsia reported.

The Heartbleed Hit List: The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Reuters, Internet screengrabs

It is still not clear if Starhub's outages were isolated, or linked to the US-based Dyn DNS attacks, the report added.

Echoing StarHub's Chief Technology Officer Mock Pak Lum advice for everybody to play a role in cybersecurity, CSA and IMDA wrote: "Owners of internet-connected devices should adopt good cyber hygiene practices to secure their devices."

grongloh@sph.com.sg

Read also: Cyber attack likely mitigated, US Homeland Security says

Nude photos of stars leaked in apparent Hollywood hack attack

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

Various sources

SINGAPORE - A young guzheng student who plays pop music on her instrument; a ukulele and vocal student who aspires to be a world-famous gamer; an aspiring ballet dancer who enjoys showing her humorous side to entertain. These are some of the young talents who will get to live their dreams at Singapore's major annual children's charity concert, ChildAid, come November.

Aptly themed "Living Dreams", ChildAid 2016 will see 11-year old guzheng student Sylvia Tan whose "biggest dream is to travel around the world and to perform at different concerts" fulfil part of her dream on 18 and 19 Nov at Resorts World Sentosa. Sylvia will perform with 20 members of local harp ensemble, the Rave Harpers, for her showcase. Similarly, Megan Lau, 15, who religiously trains daily and hopes to do Singapore proud on the international dance stage, will also have an opportunity to display her emceeing skills aside from dancing in one of the song segments.

The concert, into its 12th edition, is organised by The Straits Times and The Business Times, in support of two children's charities. The charities are The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STSPMF) and The Business Times Budding Artists Fund (BT BAF).

For 2016, the 90-minute show will feature song, dance and music performances by about 170 talents aged 19 and below, who were selected from auditions held earlier this year.

The concert will also present some unique collaborative pieces by young musicians. Said Mr Jeremiah Choy, ChildAid's creative director, on the concert's artistic direction: "We facilitated the performers' imagination and experimented with different combinations to showcase the best of our performers. Many of them proposed interesting ideas to translate their dreams into pieces which they could perform onstage. For instance, when we paired vocalists Nandini, who is rather shy, and Zhe Ee, who is an outgoing ukulele player and avid gamer, they each suggested their favourite songs and discussed how they could collaborate. Eventually, they came up with a creative mashed-up version of Maroon 5's Daylight and Imagine Dragons' Radioactive."

In line with its theme of "Living Dreams", this year's concert will also see a special segment that documents the achievements of the beneficiaries of both the charities.

Mr Alvin Tay, ChildAid's co-organising Chairman and Editor of The Business Times, said: "Living Dreams is a portrayal of the hopes and aspirations of the young performers and the beneficiaries of STSPMF and BT BAF, whom ChildAid supports. 2016 has been a spectacular year with breaking news of many young Singaporeans 'living their dreams' such as Joseph Schooling and ex-ChildAid alumnus, Nathan Hartono. We hope to celebrate the dreams of those who have persevered on a road less taken and achieved success in spite of their odds, especially those who were less privileged. This year's concert will feature stories of the many who have benefited through the two children's funds and have blossomed through the years of support."

Last year, the concert raised nearly $2million for STSPMF and BT BAF. STSPMF gives financial assistance to children from low-income families to help them through school, and BT BAF provides fully-sponsored arts training for young people from financially-disadvantaged backgrounds. This year's ChildAid is produced by arts and cultural non-profit organisation, The RICE Company Limited. Resorts World Sentosa is the official venue partner.

Tickets will be available at all SISTIC outlets from 28 October onwards.

The public can also support the two child charities by donating to http://bit.do/ChildAid2016.

SINGAPORE - Fibre network company NetLink Trust (NLT) has been slapped with a $500,000 fine for not meeting residential and non-residential service standards, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Thursday (Oct 27).

During the assessment period between last year Jan to June this year, NLT completed 87.15 per cent to 93.19 per cent of residential service orders within three business days or by the Request for Activation (RFA) Date in each month.

However, this was not enough to meet the service standard of 98 per cent required by IMDA.

NLT also failed to meet the 100 per cent expectation for residential service orders during the additional four business days from the RFA date.

For this, NLT was fined $200,000.

The company has also not fully complied with IMDA's non-residential service standards during the assessment period of Jan to Dec last year.

NLT said in a media statement that they had to cope with rising fibre broadband demand and an increase in the number of end-users switching between service providers. This took up additional time and network resources, which delayed connection services. 

NLT said that it will work with the Retail Service Providers to mitigate this issue.  

The company finished 29.28 per cent to 82.68 per cent of non-residential service orders within four calendar weeks of the date of the service order.

NLT has thus failed to meet the minimum monthly standard of 80 per cent except for Dec 2015, where NLT has performed above the standard.

It also failed to meet the service standard of 100 per cent within four calendar weeks of the RFA date.

IMDA has since imposed a financial penalty of $300,000 on NLT for not meeting the non-residential service standards, bringing the total fine to $500,000.

In response, NLT said that securing access to buildings for installation and maintenance work is a challenging process with building management policies in place. To combat this, NLT has pre-installed fibres in buildings with anticipated demand. 

IMDA also noted that a number of delayed residential service orders were churn orders or second fibre orders. Churn orders refer to end-users who have completed their 24-month contract and are seeking to switch broadband service providers, while second fibre orders are used when end-users switch service providers, or when they have contracted two or more broadband service providers.

These necessitated the use of a second optical fibre, or handing over of fibre between service providers.

IMDA stated that it expects NLT to ensure that there is sufficient spare fibre in residential buildings to cater to all residential orders, and continue to improve its processes and ensure it fully meets all service standards.

NLT CEO Mr Tong Yew Heng has pledged his committment to improve the company's service standards. 

He said: "We are investing about $150 million to install more fibre across the country and to upgrade the operational and business IT systems in order to deliver a robust fibre broadband network."

Meanwhile, the authority said it will continue to monitor NLT's performance. 

debwong@sph.com.sg

Every time 20-month-old Tran Nguyen Khang sees his doctors waving at him from the door of his ward at the National University Hospital (NUH), he bursts into tears, anticipating yet another round of injections and blood tests.

It is a scene his mother, Mrs Dam Thi Hai Hoan, 34, witnesses regularly. "He's very traumatised," she said in Vietnamese. "There are times when he just starts crying and shouting, 'Stop taking blood! No injection!'"

Khang was recently diagnosed with Hyper IgM syndrome, a rare genetic disease which results in his immune system not working.

As patients with Hyper IgM syndrome are prone to recurrent and life-threatening infections as well as other complications, his parents are racing against the clock to raise funds for a bone marrow transplant that will hopefully save his life.

A crowdfunding appeal Mrs Hoan put out at the suggestion of his doctor has raised some $95,000, about half of what he will need.

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Family racing against time to save toddler with rare genetic disease

Source:

Dam Thi Hai Van

GiveAsia/Little Khangs Transplant

Khang's condition was not immediately noticeable. For the first 16 months of his life, he was a lively, energetic boy like any other. When he first developed a light fever four months ago at the family's home in Thai Nguyen province, Vietnam, Mrs Hoan was not concerned.

"I thought it was just a minor illness, like a sore throat or virus children catch," said the mother of two, who works as a bank teller in Vietnam. She took him to a local family doctor, who prescribed antibiotics.

After three unsuccessful courses, Mrs Hoan knew something was wrong. She took him from hospital to hospital, but his fever gradually worsened. She became anxious and impatient.

"Everyone was telling me that it is very strange and abnormal that after a very high dose of antibiotics, his condition didn't improve," she said.

Desperate for answers, she and her family pooled their remaining resources, packed their bags and travelled to Singapore's NUH along with her husband, 36, who works for a company that provides mobile communication networks, to seek help.

After several trips back and forth between the two countries, Khang was diagnosed with hyper IgM syndrome.

"I couldn't comprehend the problem at the time," Mrs Hoan recalled, "When I learnt what it was, my whole body felt weak."

The family was devastated to learn that the only cure was an expensive bone marrow transplant to replace Khang's faulty immune system with the donor's working one.

Anxious to raise the estimated $200,000 needed and encouraged by the success of similar campaigns, Mrs Hoan launched a campaign on crowdfunding site, GIVEasia.

Donations trickled in slowly at first but the campaign gained momentum after Khang's story appeared in the Chinese evening newspaper, Lianhe Wanbao.

Dr Alison Lee, associate consultant, Division of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at NUH, told The Straits Times that doctors are currently starting the matching process to find a suitable donor for Khang. Doctors believe that his seven-year-old sister, Tran Huyen Thu, is most likely to be a match.

Mrs Hoan said she is very grateful - not just for the donations, but also for the kind words of encouragement she has received from donors and other concerned people.

"All of them lighten both the emotional and financial burden that we are bearing,"she said.

"I feel like I have the strength to continue fighting this illness with little Khang."

This article was first published on Oct 28, 2016.
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