We may see our neighbours every day when we leave home for work - in the lifts, or at bus stops - but how many of us have actually stopped to find out their names.

In celebration of Singapore's 52nd National Day, local retailer myCK and Nanyang Polytechnic (NP) partnered up to find out how well people in Singapore knew their neighbours.

As part of NP's Mass Media Management course curriculum, 55 students formed groups of four or five to compete against each other in creative ways.

The winning team produced a video titled "#KnowYourNeighbours", which interviewed 23 people aged between 13 and 84. Interview participants comprise of students, working adults, retirees and foreign nationals.

Survey findings revealed that even though 100 per cent of its participants have spoken to their neighbours before, 60.9 per cent of them do not know their neighbours' names.

Common reasons raised include being busy with work or school, distanced relationships after time, lack of opportunities for interaction and individual personalities of shyness.

On the brighter side, 91.3 per cent of the respondents are interested to know their neighbours better, and are open to initiatives that would help them do so.

The partnership with NP is myCK's first collaboration with a school, and the company is looking into more creative ways to engage youths in examining topics that influence the ecosystem of the heartlands.

"myCK's culture is one that takes pride in building relationships between people," said Ms Ang Wei Xia, Director of C K Department Store.

"Operating mainly in heartland areas, we see the importance of our role in the neighbourhoods to kickstart the movement of bridging neighbours together," she added. 

ongymm@sph.com.sg

Factors to consider include how long you intend to work (not always your decision) and your monthly expenditure.

The answer to this question is never easy or straightforward. No one can really tell you a magic number that you need to have or save towards so that you ensure a comfortable retirement when you are older. The reason for this is simple - everyone lives in their own unique situation.

Each and every one of us face varying degrees of challenges trying to save up for our retirement. Some of us may be caring for aged parents, paying for our children's overseas education or even nursing a health condition.

There are also those who may have tried to start their retirement planning only to be overwhelmed be the amount we need to save to be able to retire comfortably.

Even more daunting is that we don't actually know what will happen in the future.

These are easy excuses to kick the can further down the road whenever we think about our retirement needs.

However, doing nothing about it is the worst thing you can do. Here's what you can start doing to understand how much you really need to retire in Singapore.

Estimate Your Monthly Expenses

The first thing you can do is estimate your monthly expenses. Of course, this will never be an exact science no matter how thorough you are but it nevertheless offers some insights into your spending habits.

For a start, you should not be spending more than your monthly income. Doing this will also expose many of the unnecessary expenses you are incurring on a monthly basis. Besides letting you know what you should be cutting back on, you will be forced to question the kinds of expenses you want to take on in your retirement years.

For those who are extremely unsure or unwilling to do the math, one lazy way to estimate this number is to use about 70 per cent of your current income. Many experts tend to use this figure, but you should try to avoid using it as it may be overly simplistic and too generic.

Your monthly expenses today may be quite different to that when you retire. You may have paid down some expenses such as your home, student or personal loans, education and pocket money for your children as well as certain insurance plans. However, you should not bank on your monthly expenditure to vastly decrease.

This is mainly because of your propensity to spend that amount each month. Expenses in other areas such as leisure, travel or healthcare may also rise during retirement.

Add Up Your Retirement Savings

This sub-point reads retirement savings and not just any savings. This means that if you have savings set aside for your children's education or are halfway through saving for your dream European holiday fund, it does not count.

You should calculate how much you have saved up for your retirement already, as well as how much you can continue to save each month. This part should be simpler once you've figured out your expenses.

The reason you're doing this is so that you can estimate how much you'll have at 65. This isn't only about adding up all the money you'll be stashing away over the years, it also includes the investment returns you'll get by compounding your returns over the years.

If you're daunted by figures you commonly hear financial advisers and insurance agents calculate with regards to a retirement nest egg, you can rest easier knowing that you don't have to actually save all of it. A good investment plan will be able to help you along the way.

We've done some of the calculations for you in the following article link. In it, we crunched the numbers to show you how much you would have in your retirement nest egg if you saved $5,000 every year from 30 years-old.

You Also Have CPF Life

CPF Life is an annuity scheme that provides a monthly payout for Singaporeans. If you have the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS), of $83,000, in your Retirement Account by age 65, you will receive a monthly payout between $700 and $750.

You can also receive larger payouts, between $1,280 and $1,380, if you have the Full Retirement Sum (SRS) of $166,000 and, between $1,860 and $2,000, if you have the Enhanced Retirement Sum (ERS) of $249,000.

You may also be able to receive a bonus payout if you meet certain additional criteria.

This will supplement your monthly requirement when you retire and you should aim to achieve the BRS at the minimum. You can also factor this into your calculations for how much you will need to save toward your retirement.

How Long Will You Be Working?

Even when you are 65, you may want to continue working. There's a difference between being forced to collect cardboard boxes and doing it to continue being active and supplementing your income.

With Singapore's re-employment age increased to 67 recently, we should expect further increases in the time between now and when we turn 65. This will also mean that people may choose to continue working and earning even past their retirement age.

This will no doubt enhance your retirement nest egg. You can choose to use less of your retirement savings if you're still working or even continue saving towards a time when you stop working entirely.

You should not rely on this method to prolong and supplement your retirement income as you may face health conditions, be made redundant in your industry.

Sometimes, just being willing to work doesn't mean you would have a suitable job waiting for you, especially if your health condition does not permit you to work.

You may even choose to have more leisure time during your retirement years.

Live Within Your Means

By doing these calculations, you will be able to paint a more complete picture for your retirement. You will understand that you can make certain lifestyle decisions today to contribute more or less towards your retirement savings.

In the same token, you will understand that your lifestyle in your retirement may not be the same as it is today.

The importance of having a good investment plan is also vital. By earning returns on the money set aside for your retirement, you will be able to reach your goal faster and retire earlier or beat your goal and have more for discretionary spending every month in your retirement.

If you are willing and able to work past your retirement age, that's an additional benefit to supplement your retirement income as well.

One other area you can look at is your home. You can choose to downgrade to a smaller house in your retirement years if your children have moved out and it is only you and your spouse.

Lastly, you will also be able to know if you are likely to fall short of adequate savings in your retirement. You can make adjustments for this starting today so you do not have to live in stress when the time comes for you to retire.

SINGAPORE - Did you know? Turtle soup was served here at Raffles Hotel Singapore during the Silver Jubilee dinner of King George V in 1935.

But it's not the Chinese herbal turtle soup that we are familiar with. Instead, the "clear turtle soup" served then was an expensive Western soup that became so popular in the 1750s, that it was snapped, - or rather, slurped up - by the British royalty. 

And on display at the Raffles Hotel starting today are the menus from the hotel from 1900 to 1941 - a romantic era for the iconic hotel that stands along Beach Road. 

The menus are just part of an exhibition within the hotel that is part of a guided tour held from Aug 1 to 12, were visitors can trace the footsteps of many VIPs that have entered the doors of hotel that once faced the sea. 

During the 1-hour tour, which will be conducted by a volunteer guide from the National Heritage Board, guests and members of the public can get a glimpse into the wooden walkways and presidential suites of the grande dame before it closes for restoration on Aug 13.

The 130-year-old landmark is slated for phase two of its restoration, where its main lobby and a portion of hotel suites will undergo renovation. Raffles Hotel will close at the end of this year, before reopening in third quarter of 2018.

The tour "A Last, Lingering Look at an Icon" will run daily and costs $12 per person. Each visitor will also receive a jar of traditional blend kaya from Raffles Hotel.  

Besides learning about the history of Raffles Hotel through the crockery and food served during the early 1900s, guests will also hear about the rumours of hotel staff burying silverware at the hotel grounds when the Japanese soldiers took over the hotel during World War II, renaming it to Syonan Ryokan. It was said that they then dug it up after 1945.

One of the famous personalities who stayed there, among a long list of other interesting people, is author and Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling. He stayed at the hotel in 1889 for about a week when he was 24 years old, while he was making his way to Japan. 

Guests will also get to walk through the Sarkies Suite, where they can take one last look at the presidential suite that has played host to many celebrities, such as Michael Jackson in 1993 and most recently the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton during her visit in 2012.

This is the spot where visitors will step on handwoven Persian rugs for the last time and appreciate the antique furniture used here,  which will no longer be present after the restoration.

Raffles Hotel is one of the few remaining 19th century hotels in the world that is still functioning today. In fact, it was the only hotel in the Straits Settlement with electricity and ceiling fans, which were installed in 1903. 

According to director of sales and marketing at Raffles Hotel Ms Cheryl Ong, Raffles Hotel has long been an "internationally well-loved icon of Singapore". 

Read also

A last look at the iconic Raffles Hotel before it closes its doors for restoration

"Aside from admiring its architectural beauty, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore spaces which are rarely opened to the public, before the building enters a new chapter in its history," said Madam Wee.

AsiaOne was told that all tours have been booked out at the moment due to overwhelming response and the hotel is looking to open more slots soon.

For more information on tour timings and bookings, click here.

After a Scoot flight to Shenyang, China, was delayed, followed by a change of aircraft which led to insufficient seats, 12 passengers were left stranded at Changi Airport for more than four hours.

The incident happened on Sunday (July 30) at around 2am, at Changi Airport Terminal 2, reports Shin Min Daily News via Lianhe Zaobao.

The son of an affected passenger told reporters that his 65-year-old father who had been in Singapore for the last two years, was intending to head back to Shenyang to seek medical treatment and visit relatives.

However, his father, among 11 others, were told that their flight would be delayed till 3 days later.

Read also

Chinese woman slaps airport staff, smashes computer over cancelled flight

Said the man: "The flight was scheduled to fly at 5.30am, and we arrived at around 2.30am so we would not be late, taking into account the check-in procedures."

When the father and son went to the check-in counter they were told that the aircraft has been changed to a smaller model, and that the seats were already filled.

As such, he was unable to board the flight.

The frustrated man continued: "The employee told us that the next flight will be in three days and that another 11 passengers were also affected.

"The affected passengers asked for compensation in light of the change, but the employee was rude and chided us for blocking the way.

"She then called the police."

The police were alerted and officers arrived to mediate the situation, with both parties calming down.

However an hour later, a female passenger attempted to take a video of the situation, but was told by an employee to stop and delete the video on the spot.

He added that the employee's 'hardball attitude' and 'unwillingness to co-operate' prompted the passengers to call the police as well.

After a four-hour-long negotiation, the passengers were finally told at 6am that they would be compensated S$350 each, as well as one night of accommodation.

A 30-year-old female passenger revealed that according to the terms of agreement, the passengers were offered either to fly to Tianjin, China on the day itself and be offered S$250 in compensation, or wait three days in Singapore for a flight to Shenyang, and be offered S$350, along with a night of accommodation.

Said the passenger: "I chose to stay in Singapore for three days.

"Some kind passengers were worried that the S$350 compensation wouldn't be enough for the other two days of hotel accommodation and collectively donate another S$200 to me.

"I'm very grateful to them."

In response to media queries, a spokesman for Scoot said that the incident had arisen from the onset of Typhoon Nesat, and flight TR166 to Shenyang had departed at 5.48am.

Due to a smaller aircraft used for the replacement flight, only a smaller number of passengers could be accommodated.

The affected passengers were informed by SMS messages.

Scoot apologised for the inconvenience caused and offered the affected passengers a substitute flight as well as accommodation arrangements.

After a couple were spotted on closed-circuit television (CCTV) sweeping items off racks into their bags at a Bishan shop, the owner pasted photos of the two at the shopfront -- but was criticised by members of the public for not respecting the couple's privacy.

The incident happened at a shop at Bishan Street 13 on July 13 at around 8pm.

It was earlier reported by Stomp after being alerted by Stomp contributor Karen, who also sent in the CCTV footage.

According to the footage supplied, the duo placed several stacks of items into bags, only stopping when a customer appeared.

As soon as the customer left, the two started rearranging the items in the bags, before leaving the shop.

All these happened within five minutes.

When reporters visited the shop on Friday (July 28), they saw portraits of the two pasted at the front of the shop.

A store employee also told them that a man in his forties had scolded them for not respecting the privacy of the two, even threatening to call the police on them.

Shin Min Daily News interviewed a lawyer later and confirmed as long as the affected party had irrefutable evidence, he or she has the legal right to display the photos of the suspects.

He added that displaying the photos of suspects involved and getting the public to identify them is perfectly legal.

He also encouraged the action, saying that this not only shames the perpetrators, but also serve as deterrence.

See what happened in the video below.

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a Taiwanese woman last Sunday (July 30) for her suspected involvement in several cases of money mule scams.

A 23-year-old Singaporean woman made a police report on July 29, stating that she had received a call from an unknown person who claimed to be a police officer. The victim was told she was being investigated by the police in China for money laundering offences and was told to provide her banking details.

After giving her details, she later discovered $100,000 being credit into her bank account from an unknown source. She was then told to withdraw the money and deliver it to the suspect.

After establishing the identity of the suspect, preliminary investigations revealed that she is believed to be involved in at least three other similar cases amounting to more than $180,000.

A money mule is a person who transfers ill-gotten money illegally on behalf of others and fraudsters are known to use money mule scams to get vulnerable individuals to transfer acquired funds.

For more information on money mule scams, members of the public can call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722- 6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

a1admin@sph.com.sg

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a Singaporean man, 48, for his suspected involvement in an armed robbery incident at a petrol station along Upper Bukit Timah.

According to a police report made yesterday (July 31) at 12.50pm, a staff of the petrol station said that the station had been robbed.

The suspect was armed with a knife and ordered the staff to place cash from the cash register into a plastic bag. He then fled on a motor scooter. More than $1,100 was stolen.

The identity of the suspect was established and he was arrested on the same day at 4.50pm along Jurong East Street 21. Cash amounting to $499, bank receipts and a motor scooter were seized as evidence.

If found guilty, he faces imprisonment of two to 10 years, and also a maximum of 12 strokes of the cane. 

a1admin@sph.com.sg

A Western Union bank outlet at Block 301 Ubi Avenue was robbed of over $2,000 at 10.50am earlier today (Aug 1).

According to the police, the suspect was armed with a knife and had forced an employee to hand over more than $2,000, before fleeing on foot.

The staff was not injured and no other person was inside the branch at the time of the incident.

The suspect, who is still at large, was wearing a white helmet, black jacket and dark-coloured long pants.

Stomp reader Roger contributed photos of the scene and said he saw four police patrol cars there.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Anyone with information is requested to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

All information will be kept strictly confidential.

SINGAPORE - Self-heating Sichuan spiced hotpots might be numbingly delicious but the use of plastic containers to cook the meal has been questioned by some people.

Is it safe to eat food from a plastic container-like pot that has been exposed to heat for more than 15 minutes?

The latest craze for the instant hotpot sees the use of a heat pack that produces enough heat in a plastic box when water is added to it.

Then, another plastic box of the ingredients is placed over the first box and covered with a plastic lid to allow the hot steam to cook the ingredients for 15 to 20 minutes.

And, you'd probably need another 15 minutes to enjoy the food from the plastic container, which is still hot, having absorbed the heat while sitting on top of the first container like a double-boiler.

Unlike instant noodles which only require a few minutes to cook in containers now mostly made of paper instead of plastic, the instant hotpots are giving some apprehension to health-conscious consumers.

Studies done in recent years have found that exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals in plastic products can lead to lower IQ, adult obesity and male infertility, among other health issues, according to a Straits Times report.

In 2015, researchers made the following conclusions on their harmful effects following their study:

OBESITY: Prenatal exposure to Bisphenol A chemical, or BPA - an endocrine disruptor - had a 20 to 69 per cent probability of causing 42,400 new cases of childhood obesity annually.

IQ LOSS: A 70 to 100 per cent likelihood that IQ loss is linked to exposure to organophosphate - which is commonly used to increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material.

INFERTILITY: Male infertility was also linked to phthalate - a group of chemicals used in plastics with 40 to 69 per cent probability of causing 618,000 additional assisted reproductive technology procedures annually in Europe.

So be aware of these potential risks when you're thinking of heating or cooking food in a plastic container, whether it's the instant hotpot or a takeaway curry puff in a plastic bag.

Read also

Stringing up facts about plastic

SINGAPORE: Three British men went on trial in Singapore Tuesday accused of gang-raping a 23-year-old woman while visiting the city-state for a stag party.

Khong Tam Thanh, 22, Le Michael, 24, and Vu Thai Son, 24, face up to 20 years in jail and a caning if found guilty of assaulting the Malaysian woman while she was drunk and unconscious at the end of the night out.

All three, British citizens of Vietnamese descent, deny the allegations.

In an opening statement, prosecutors said the defendants were in Singapore in September as part of a group of nine for a bachelor party, and attended an electronic music festival called Ultra Singapore.

The groom, the brother of Khong, was also on the trip.

They met the woman in a popular nightspot in the city-state, where she had been partying with a friend.

After she had agreed to have sex with one of their friends, a British citizen of Vietnamese origin identified as Richard Ahn, he took her to his hotel room.

After the pair had sex, Khong, Le and Vu took turns to enter the room and raped the woman as she lay drunk and unconscious, the court heard.

”Having consented to having sexual intercourse with one individual, she was then raped by three other men,” Deputy Public Prosector G. Kannan told the Singapore High Court.

”Intoxicated and asleep, she was unaware of what was going on around her. She was taken advantage of and raped in quick succession by the three.”

The men took care to make as little noise as possible but the victim woke up as Le assaulted her, the court heard.

They all face one count each of raping the alleged victim in the early hours of September 10 last year. Khong and Vu, who work as beauticians in Britain, face additional charges of sexual assault by digital penetration. Le is unemployed.

Ahn, 24, absconded while under investigation. The alleged victim lives in Johor Bahru, the southern Malaysian city bordering Singapore. She cannot be named because of a court order protecting her identity.

Rape is punishable by up to 20 years in jail and caning, a punishment which dates back to British colonial rule.

A 25-year-old man and 20-year-old woman have been arrested for a series of cheating cases where they would rent cameras and accessories from others, then put them for sale online.

Victims of the scams had made police reports between July 1 and 22, 2017, as they were unable to contact the 'customers' who had rented the equipment from them. 

After follow-up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested the pair on July 26 along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8, said a statement from the Singapore Police Force.

Read also

Teen arrested for scams on online marketplace Carousell

Camera equipment and accessories were recovered and seized. They were also found in possession of stun guns, a retractable baton as well as identity cards and a passport belonging to other individuals.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects would use false identities to rent the cameras from the victims. The duo would then put up the cameras and accessories for sale on online shopping platforms.

Read also

Taiwanese woman in Singapore arrested for suspected money mule scam

If found guilty of the offence of Cheating by Personation, they may face a jail term of up to five years, or with a fine, or with both.

Police investigations are ongoing.

candicec@sph.com.sg

The government is getting its panties in a twist over the recent survey results which showed that 60 per cent of single Singaporeans aged 21 to 45 are not dating seriously-dating seriously being defined as dating with a view to marriage. Die la, like that how to meet their birth rate KPI?

So what's the solution? To force everyone to go for SDN matchmaking events? To continue spamming unmarried people's mailboxes with that horrible Duets publication?

"Dating experts" have suggested that online dating is to blame for Singaporeans not wanting to settle down with a mate when there's a sea of fish out there, but we think it's not quite so simple.

While there are many people who are happily single and enjoying life, there are just as many who do want to be dating or even married, sometimes desperately so, but just can't find a partner.

Here are the two biggest things the government can do to help Singaporeans who want to date find a mate.

Place a cap on the amount of hours employers can make their employees work

Check out the number of people still stuck at your typical Raffles Place office at 10pm on a weekday, and it's easy to see why many single people are too busy to mingle.

With some of the world's longest working hours, it's not surprising that Singaporeans also have one of the world's lowest birth rates.

Meeting someone, building a relationship and nurturing it takes time. You can't just turn up at some SDN event, choose a random person who looks like they'd be willing to ballot for a BTO flat, and be set for life.

Any rules forbidding employers from overworking their employees would probably help singles in the dating department. Sure, you might think that this is a ridiculous stretch, but it's not as a far-fetched a solution as you might think.

Right now, the Employment Act only protects workmen and non-executive, non-manager employees earning $2,500 or less. Employers are generally not allowed to make them work more than 44 hours a week. But for Singapore millennials, 48 hours a week is actually the average.

This could mean putting a cap on the number of hours worked per day, and requiring that employers offset hours worked over this maximum by offering days off. That way, workers can put in extra hours during crunch time and then take more time off during lull periods.

More free time means you no longer have to live a life that consists of nothing but work, MRT rides and sleep. And anyone who's ever come home exhausted from work and fallen asleep with their lights on knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Work on making Singapore not just family-friendly, but single-friendly, too

Other than the lack of work-life balance, Singapore does try to be a family-friendly face. Expats often comment that it's a great place for families with kids due to the safety, abundance of playgrounds, library facilities and so on.

Hit up a shopping mall on a weekend and you'll often find roadshows targeted at screaming kids.

On the other hand, the Republic's rather sterile image, high alcohol taxes, high rents and housing policies which disadvantage singles make it a less than ideal for young Singaporeans who want to go out, have fun, meet people and take their first steps towards independence.

It might sound counter-intuitive to make Singapore single-friendly when all the government really cares about is that singles combine to become family-units ASAP. But again, you can't have the latter without first enabling young people to meet, mingle and have fun.

One common complaint of Singaporeans who remain single by choice is that dating is expensive. If young people have the perception that the only affordable way to spend the weekend is to play video games in their childhood bedroom, good luck trying to get them coupled up.

Some have also suggested that affordable, single-friendly housing be provided. Living with parents, especially in tiny flats, can be restrictive, especially if said parents are on the old-fashioned side.

Believe it or not, I have friends who at the age of thirty are still expected to be home by a certain time and aren't allowed to sleep at a friend's home. Some singles living at home spend a lot of time attending to family commitments, such as ferrying their parents around or baby sitting siblings' children, to the point where they don't have much time for themselves.

Ultimately, the government needs to consider whether their vision of a nuclear family-centric society, where family members have a strong obligation to financially support and live with each other is, ironically enough, making it harder for singles to build lives of their own.

You want to invest but don't know how? Here's help, and, hopefully, you're still early in the game.

Whether you're a millennial, Generation X-er or Baby Boomer, this weekend's Invest Fair will offer investment tips from experts for various age groups.

Organised by ShareInvestor, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) at Suntec Singapore on Aug 5 -6, the annual fair, which began in 2007,  will expound the theme of "Investing at Every Stage of Your Life".

With over 20 new exhibitors among the 54 participants, the event will focus on stocks, unit trusts, funds and insurance products as well as six listed companies.

Apart from the educational talks and workshops, one highlight the visitor mustn't miss is investment whiz Tom Gardner, the founder of The Motley Fool, a renowned American company that provides investment advice. Expect him to touch on trends and strategies in his keynote speech at 1.45pm on Saturday.

His Motley Fool Singapore team will share stock selection strategies and recommendations in their presentation at the Invest Conference this Friday, from 9am to 2.30pm.

Specially designed for millennials is 'Expert in 30s', a series of talks covering the basics of investing in four different financial products. Young investors like them who are just starting out can also learn how to leverage on technology and new tools to enhance their investment.

Local investment bloggers will discuss how their strategies can vary according to the different stages of their life.

The event will also showcase the achievements of Singapore's major stock market index, the Straits Times Index (STI) as it marks its 50th anniversary. Mr Patrick Daniel, Deputy CEO of SPH and Chairman of ShareInvestor, will speak on the STI on Saturday at 11.15am

Admission to the fair is free, from 10am to 7pm daily. It will be held at Suntec Exhibition Halls 401 and 402 on Level 4.

For details on registration and schedules of seminars, visit: http://sg2017.invest-fair.com/

chenj@sph.com.sg