Chicago - A Singaporean teenager who became notorious for profanity-laced attacks on the city's late leader Lee Kuan Yew was granted asylum by a US immigration court, his attorney announced Tuesday.

Amos Yee, 18, a filmmaker turned activist who served two jail terms in Singapore for his controversial videos, was detained by US authorities when he arrived at a Chicago airport in mid-December.

An immigration appeals court in Chicago last Thursday agreed with a lower court judge's earlier decision to grant asylum, finding that Yee had a "well-founded fear of future persecution" if returned to Singapore.

"We agree with the immigration judge that the cumulative harm in this case rose to the level of persecution," the Board of Immigration Appeals said in its ruling.

Yee's attorney Sandra Grossman expected him to be released from a jail near Chicago on Tuesday. She was critical of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for keeping the teen imprisoned.

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"We decry ICE's decision to detain Mr Yee, especially after his asylum case was granted and after DHS made no arguments, nor presented evidence, that Yee is a threat," Grossman said in a statement.

Yee posted an expletive-laden video in March 2015 attacking Lee amid an outpouring of grief over the founding prime minister's death that same week.

In the eight-minute video, Yee compared Lee to Jesus, saying "they are both power-hungry and malicious but deceive others into thinking they are compassionate and kind."

He was jailed for four weeks for hurting the religious feelings of Christians and for posting an obscene drawing of Lee and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

He served 55 days, including penalties for violating bail conditions.

In September 2016, Yee was jailed for six weeks for insulting Muslims and Christians in a series of videos posted online.

The videos were watched hundreds of thousands of times before they were taken down from Yee's YouTube page.

We lose our things all the time, but how often is it that a total stranger, albeit someone in the service line, spares no effort in helping you find it?

One such shining example was highlighted by a Gary Leung, who took to Facebook to share how a Singapore Airlines chief steward "went waaaaaay above and beyond" to help Leung when he lost his SIM card on board a business class flight.

In his over 1,000-word post, Leung recounted how events unfolded on his SQ860 flight three months ago in June, when he dropped the tiny nano SIM card into the gap between the storage compartment and the side of the seat as the flight reached cruising altitude.

This led to chief steward Foo Wen Huee spending almost the entire journey trying to retrieve the item, and rejecting Leung's offer to do it himself.

After Foo's first attempt at retrieval using an ingenious makeshift tool failed, Leung wrote: "That was the start of what was many, many minutes of chief steward turned part treasure hunter, part fisherman, 100 per cent awesome. Not once. Not twice. But multiple sessions. And in his full uniform, suit jacket and all."

"Mr Foo was so determined to help me, he spent what felt like more than half the flight time trying to resolve the issue – and even broke into a sweat!" wrote Leung.

But Foo went even further; after all else failed and the journey was reaching its end, he contacted ground staff to come into the plane after it landed just so that the seat could be dismantled. Alas, the elusive piece of tech was never found.

"I seriously don't know how else to thank Mr Foo, the flight crew, and the ground staff. I know my story is a trivial one and is probably dwarfed by many positive experiences of other grateful, satisfied customers. Please let everyone know how appreciative I am of them. And please reward Mr. Foo for his unnecessarily - almost ridiculously - high level of professionalism, service, and dedication."

He also left Singapore's flagship carrier a glowing review.

"Even without Mr Foo's commitment, I would still choose Singapore Airlines in heartbeat. I've flown Singapore Airlines for many years, even before I was old enough to join KrisFlyer. To Mr Foo and all the other employees, it was just another day on their jobs. To me, it was a lifelong memory that reaffirms my loyalty to this airline."

SIA has since replied to the post, saying that it is "heartened" by his compliments, thanking Leung for his continued loyalty and support.

The post has been shared almost 750 times with more than 270 comments since it was first posted on Tuesday (Sept 26).

Many praised Foo for his exemplary actions, as well as Singapore Airlines.

However, not everyone was convinced that Leung would have received the same level of service if he had been seated in economy class.

But others came to the airline's defence.

As for those curious about why he wrote about the incident only three months later? Better late than never, Leung said.

When it comes to credit given for a job well done, it sure is.

candicec@sph.com.sg

The sharing economy has seen a rapid rise in Singapore.

Besides the four bicycle-sharing players - ofo, obike, Mobike, and SG Bike which entered the market last month - in Singapore, there are also scooter-sharing startups that have emerged in the scene.

With so many players in Singapore, one might think that the market is very saturated for tiny Singapore.

But financial technologies solution firm FinTechSG thinks otherwise, and has rolled out a bicycle-sharing initiative here called GBikes.

It has been very quiet about its entry, though it has been operational for about five months now.

Since its inception in May, GBikes aims to launch 3,000 of its bicycles throughout Singapore by end-September.

Right off the bat, I don't see anything unique about its bicycles though it claims to boast many safety features.

For instance, its bikes are equipped with front and rear lights that run on kinetic energy, reducing the need for environmentally-unfriendly lithium batteries.

In terms of usage, GBikes operate on the same mechanism as the rest of the existing shared bicycles here.

After downloading the app, users can locate the nearest bike and scan its QR code to unlock it. But users first have to pay a security deposit of $49, which they can withdraw after 3 months.

Once users are done riding, they can simply park the GBike at the designated parking yellow box, lock it, and confirm end trip via mobile.

Every half an hour usage is charged at $1, which is comparable to its competitors.

USE, NOT ABUSE BIKES

But although these shared bikes have helped us bridge the 'last mile' problem, it has also caused a lot of inconvenience.

There has been a spate of cases in which these bikes block pedestrian pathways as well as the exits of private condominiums.

Besides irresponsible parking, these bicycles have also been abused and damaged by users, with videos circulating on social media depicting them being thrown into canals and even from high-rise HDB flats.

"I can't say that (such incidents) will not happen with GBikes," said Mr Joe Chia, chief financial officer for both FinTechSG and GBikes. But he added that the firm's bikes have features aimed at preventing such misuse.

For example, an alarm sounds should they be moved after they are locked. It is also working to implement geofencing technology to prevent irresponsible parking.

GBikes also have a rewards system in place whereby users can earn rewards points through good conduct behaviour. Essentially, Reward Points encourage safe riding, proper parking and user awareness concerning sharing a road with other road users and also can be use to redeem rewards.

As it expands, GBikes will have to abide by new guidelines governing the use of shared bicycles.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it is working together with bike-sharing firms here - as well as the National Parks Board and all 16 town councils - on guidelines for the use of shared bicycles in public spaces here.

"As part of this agreement, the operators will be expected to abide by a common set of operating conditions and educate their riders to park in designated zones," said an LTA spokesman.

"They will also be expected to implement measures, such as geo-fencing technology and public education initiatives to incentivise and inform their riders on safe riding and responsible parking."

E-BIKES NEXT?

GBikes have raised $20 million in its initial round of funding and it hopes to work with companies in Europe and the United States to introduce its bicycles as well as other technology - such as electronic payment methods - to bike-sharing providers there.

Locally, it is looking to expand its business here by introducing electric bicycles.

Mr Chia describes Singapore as a "very good starting ground" for bike-sharing services, pointing to cycling infrastructure such as the park connector network.

In line with the Government's car-lite vision, the cycling network is expected to expand to more than 700km across the island by 2030. In addition, more facilities such as bicycle crossings and bike parking spaces are being introduced.

While it's clear that Singapore is working hard towards laying the groundwork to become a cycling nation, it still has a long way to go.

In China, where bike-sharing is booming, some cities have dedicated bicycle lanes almost as wide as car lanes.

SCAPE youth organisation in Orchard Road has taken down a scary life-sized Halloween doll hung from a tree after it was slammed as being "distasteful".

A post on Facebook group Singaporeans Defending Marriage and Family criticised the display of the long-haired mannequin in a 'blood-soaked' gown as "extremely disturbing and done in very bad taste and traumatising to children".

Netizens also chastised SCAPE for putting up the display, which they felt promoted the idea of suicide - and it's untimely too, coinciding with the Suicide Awareness Month in Singapore.

Said netizen Nur Bazilah Joha: "There are people who have very soft hearts and get scared easily. There are kids who will get traumatized easily and get nightmares for days. There are pregnant ladies who could be shocked by the sight and pregnancy could be affected too. It's funny for some people but it could be traumatizing for others."

Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), which launched its awareness campaign recently, had told SCAPE that it was an inappropriate depiction of suicide which may traumatise the young and vulnerable people.

The mannequin could also act as a trigger for those with past experience related to suicide, Ms Christine Wong, executive director of suicide prevention centre of SOS said in a Channel NewsAsia report.

SCAPE said that the mannequin was put up as part of its publicity drive to promote its Halloween attraction, the Museum of Horrors.

"We have received feedback about the mannequin, and after reviewing internally, we informed the vendor to have it removed from the open public area. We hope that the youths will still have an enjoyable Halloween experience at the Museum of Horrors," it said.

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We have all heard about dangerous acts involving people recklessly climbing up onto ledges at high floors, but this man took things to a whole new level (pun intended).

He had placed his belongings on the 12th-storey ledge of Riversound Residence, a condominium building in Sengkang East, and was rummaging for his items there.

Stomp contributor Hoon came across the sighting on Wednesday morning (Sept 27) at around 7.40am.

A video that she filmed shows the resident squatting down on the ledge, where he appeared to have placed multiple items.

In a phone interview, Hoon told Stomp that she had noticed the items on the ledge for months, but it was the first time she actually saw the man there.

She added: "First, there was the case of teens sitting on the ledge at Riversound Residence.

"Now, it's a man who finding something from his personal storage area on the ledge,"

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Previously, Stomp contributor Wilson reported seeing five teenagers sitting on the ledge of Riversound Residence Block 9 on Aug 21.

The management of the condo issued an official statement in response to Wilson's video and also told Stomp that it issued Advisory Notices to all residents to promote better safety awareness.

Stomp has reached out to Riversound Residence's management regarding Hoon's video.

Many Singaporean property owners think of en bloc sales as 4D or Toto, but with better odds.

But the reality is a little different, if you understand how en bloc sales work. Basically, you are getting paid to vacate your property. That means that, unless you have somewhere else to live, you will have to use that cash to buy another home.

Aside from the fact that you're basically being forced to leave your home, your nest where you've made so many memories over the years, you'll also have to use your precious en bloc proceeds to buy a new place.

So what do you actually stand to gain when your property goes en bloc?

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENS WHEN YOUR PROPERTY IS ACQUIRED IN AN EN BLOC SALE?

To understand how much you can profit from an en bloc sale, you must first know how the en bloc system works.

An en bloc sale happens when a developer wants to buy up the land on which your property stands. These developers think they can make more money out of the land than what they're paying for it.

So if you're living in an old condo where each block is only five storeys high, you've got a good chance of going en bloc, as developers can demolish existing blocks, build 25-storey towers in their place and make more money.

But to do that, they will need most of the residents (80 per cent of residents to be precise, or 10 per cent if the property is under 10 years old) to agree to sell their homes to them in an en bloc sale.

Obviously, residents aren't going to want to sell their homes for peanuts. So the kinds of sums developers offer in en bloc sales tend to be very attractive.

Now, what if there is no eager developer on the horizon waiting to swoop down and buy your property, but your neighbours are all dying to push through an en bloc sale?

Well, en bloc sales can be initiated by residents if they manage to get the requisite number of signatures. They will then try to find a developer who's willing to pay a price that most of the residents are happy with.

WILL YOU GET A GOOD PRICE?

En bloc sales tend to happen to pretty old buildings, so there's a higher chance that owners have been living there a long time and bought the property when it was worth a lot less.

But that doesn't necessarily mean you'll become an overnight millionaire, especially considering you'll have to buy a new home. While developers usually offer a pretty good price, it is the owners' responsibility to benchmark that price against what they can get for their units on the market.

Also, remember that en bloc sales take time to be completed. A committee has to be formed, and the sales committee then has to try to convince people to sign the Collective Sale Agreement. Most en bloc sales take more than a year to be finalised.

In all that time, the market can change significantly. Right now, private property prices are terribly depressed, but should the market suddenly start to recover, that might make some en bloc offers turn unattractive.

In addition, there are some unlucky situations in which you might enjoy little to no capital gains, such as if you only bought the unit recently.

EFFECTING THE SALE

From the day the en bloc sale is proposed to the day you get your money, you're looking at at least 1.5 years.

Once the wheels are set in motion, a committee has to be set up comprised of owners in the development. If you really, really want the sale to go through and think you have good powers of persuasion, you might want to nominate yourself as a committee member.

The committee will then aim to get the signatures of enough owners to be able to effect the sale.

While you have quite a bit of time before you'll actually have to move house, you should start looking around for a new home as soon as possible.

This applies even if you don't actually want to go through with the en bloc sale-because unfortunately, if you're outnumbered, it's going to happen whether you like it or not.

BUYING A NEW HOME

When HDB flats get sold under the SERS programme, the government rehomes occupants by giving them shiny new flats. There is no such thing for private property owners, however. So get ready to source for and buy your new home on your own.

Take heart-private property prices have been on the decline for a long time now, and the housing market is still in a slump. That means that you could potentially purchase a new home at a very attractive price.

When deciding whether or not you should support an en bloc sale, always compare how much you can earn with how much you would need to spend on a new home.

Property prices can fluctuate quite a bit over the next year or two, and you don't want to find yourself in the position where you're unable to get a new home at a good price.

Have you ever sold your property in an en bloc sale? Tell us about it in the comments!

Rwanda - land of mountain gorillas, rugged scenery and... Singaporeans? BTWeekend finds out how the compact African country has more in common with the Little Red Dot than we think, while being awestruck by this magical natural habitat of man and majestic mammal.

On home ground, the humble food centre concept evolves into hipster dining clusters that are popping up in the city, offering both food and social activities. Also in the magazine, new ideas for the home with highlights from the recent Maison&Objet fair in Paris.

What if your sensory wires were crossed, and you could hear colour, or words would literally leave a bad taste in your mouth? We peek into the intriguing world of synaesthesia, a neurological condition that affects some 4 per cent of people, in our Brunch feature in the main paper.

Why do people settle in jobs that they are miserable in? Cubicle Files tries to crack the code to sustained motivation and asks if motivational talks work.

Meanwhile, Cult Status celebrates the joys of Lego, that childhood classic that's as satisfying for grown-ups as it is for young ones.

With its supple flanks and lean figure, the Audi A4 cabriolet is a thing of beauty indeed, as The Steering Column discovers.

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