A woman, unhappy with her parents for not siding with her in a family dispute, hired movers to clear out the elderly couple's home.

The incident happened at a Bedok flat last Wednesday (Oct 18) at around 5pm.

Mr Lin, 82, told Shin Min Daily News that he and his wife have five children - two sons and three daughters.

His eldest son died on Sept 28 from liver disease and his fourth child, Miss Lin, 56, was upset that the sons of his eldest daughter did not attend their uncle's funeral.

She subsequently called Mr Lin to voice her unhappiness but was told to let the matter rest.

Unsatisfied with Mr Lin's response, Miss Lin hired movers to clear out her parents' home in Bedok last Wednesday.

When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited Mr Lin's flat on Friday (Oct 20), they found the elderly couple seated on chairs in the living room, while Miss Lin busied herself directing the workers to move various furniture out from the unit.

The father and daughter also argued during the reporters' time at the scene.

Said Mr Lin: "My eldest son has just passed away and we're still grieving.

"When she (Miss Lin) called to complain that two of my grandsons didn't come for the funeral, I wasn't in the mood to handle the situation and told her it was a small matter.

"However, she flared up and accused us of favouritism.

"She said she won't be visiting anymore and wanted to take away all the furniture which she had bought for the house."

Mr Lin admitted that his fourth child had a temper which other family members had to put up with.

Mr Lin's eldest daughter told reporters that Miss Lin and her husband had moved several years ago, and asked her parents to store their old furniture in their home.

She said: "Now that they're having an argument, my sister saying that the furniture in the house belongs to her."

As there were too many pieces of furniture, Mr Lin said that his daughter returned on the following day (Oct 19) to continue the move.

He said: "She was scolding us as she continued moving the furniture out from the house. She also threw some items to the ground.

"Fearing for the safety of my wife, maid, and two other daughters, I called the police."

Meanwhile, Miss Lin claimed that the argument arose because her family had sent home the maid she had engaged to care for her parents without her knowledge.

When she visited them on Deepavali (Oct 18), Miss Lin said her family members confronted her while sitting on furniture she had paid for.

Enraged, she decided to move the items.

Miss Lin also said that she was a filial daughter who accompanied her parents to the supermarket almost every week, and ferried them from Bedok to Jurong East to visit her ailing brother.

The woman told reporters: "I really cannot stand the lack of care my siblings show to my parents.

"My husband was also the guarantor for the maid. Although all of us paid for her services when my eldest brother passed away, they suddenly stopped."

She also emphasised that both her nephews had cited 'ridiculous' reasons for their absence at their uncle's funeral.

One of them said he needed to stage a performance that day, while the other said he had an appointment, she said.

"I found it unreasonable and told my father, but he ignored me and even chased me out of the house."

In response to media queries, the police confirmed the incident and said that no further assistance was required.

SINGAPORE - Singapore, one of the world's most expensive places to own a vehicle, will not allow any growth in its car population from February, citing the small city-state's land scarcity and billions of dollars in planned public transport investments.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it was cutting the permissible vehicle growth rate in the city-state to 0 per cent from the current 0.25 per cent per annum for cars and motorcycles. The rate will be reviewed in 2020.

Singapore tightly controls its vehicle population by setting an annual growth rate and through a system of bidding for the right to own and use a vehicle for a limited number of years. It is one of the most densely populated nations on the planet and already has an extensive public transport system.

Currently, 12 per cent of Singapore's total land area is taken up by roads, the LTA said. "In view of land constraints and competing needs, there is limited scope for further expansion of the road network," it said.

Singapore, whose total population has risen nearly 40 per cent since 2000 to about 5.6 million now, counted more than 600,000 private and rental cars on its roads as of last year. These include cars used by drivers that work with ride-hailing services such as Grab and Uber, which are becoming increasingly popular.

Read also

Private-hire cars may be adding to congestion

A mid-range car in Singapore can typically cost four times the price in the United States.

Singapore has expanded its rail network length by 30 per cent and has added new routes and capacity in its bus network. The government will continue to invest S$20 billion in new rail infrastructure, S$4 billion to renew, upgrade and expand rail operating assets, and another S$4 billion in bus contracting subsidies over the next five years, the LTA said.

The LTA will keep the growth rate for goods vehicles and buses at 0.25 per cent until the first quarter of 2021.  

WASHINGTON - Boeing Co on Monday signed a previously announced deal with Singapore Airlines Ltd to sell it 39 aircraft worth $13.8 billion (S$18.8 billion) at list prices during a White House event with Singapore's prime minister.

The airline said last week it would finalize the order during the visit as part of its bid to modernize its fleet over the next decade.

Airlines typically receive discounts on jet orders, and the deal is estimated to be closer to $6.5 billion in value.

A python was seen coiled around a lamp post at Block 419 Bukit Batok West Avenue 2 yesterday (Oct 23) morning.

Pest control and the police were called in to remove the snake.

A video circulating on Facebook shows a man believed to be from a pest control company trying to nudge the python off the lamp post with a pole.

Passers-by looked on as he tried to capture the snake and exclamations were heard when the snake fell to the ground with a thud.

Two police officers came forward to help the man put the snake into a sack.

Acres' deputy chief executive officer, Mr Kalai Vanan told The Straits Times that Acres did not rescue the snake and that the "handling of the snake in the video is incorrect".

He said: "These snakes are part of our native fauna and should be handled properly. I hope the poor python did not suffer any injuries from the fall or from being mishandled."

He added that if anyone sees a snake, they should call Acres' hotline at 9783 7782 instead of pest control.

Watch the video below.

Read also

Giant python attacks Indonesian man before being eaten

A forklift driver who dropped steel bars on a lorry driver's head at CWT Logistics Hub 3 at Tanjong Penjuru was sentenced to 14 months' jail on Oct 23.

Stomp reported on the tragic accident that happened on May 9 this year after photos and videos of the incident circulated online.

The video showed the moment when the steel bars fell down on lorry driver, Amarasingam Subramaniam, 54.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

For his rash act causing death, the 52-year-old forklift driver, Tay Poh Seng was sentenced to 14 months' jail. He pleaded guilty.

The 56-year-old part-time cabby who was involved in an accident with a McLaren sports car along Yishun Avenue 1 described his hallowing experience as a 'brush with death'.

The accident which happened on Sunday morning (Oct 22) saw the McLaren crashing into the taxi, with both vehicles heavily damaged.

Both the cabby, Mr Ye, and the 27-year-old driver of the McLaren were conveyed conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

They did not suffer without any serious injuries.

Mr Ye told Shin Min Daily News that he normally works as a lorry driver, and only drives a cab over the weekends to supplement his income.

On the day of the incident, he had parked his cab in front of a bus stop to count his earnings, intending to call it a day.

He said:

"I saw that there weren't any cars on the road, so I lowered my seat and was intending to take a nap.

"Less than five minutes later, the McLaren crashed into my cab.

"I was sent flying, along with the taxi.

"I was so dizzy, I only realise that I had been in an accident after I was hospitalised."

Mr Ye revealed that it was the first time he had stopped his car by the side of the road, and did not expect such a serious accident to happen.

Read also

2 injured after McLaren and taxi get into accident at Yishun Ave 1

"When I saw photos of the scene and the wreckage left behind, I felt so afraid and thankful.

"It was a brush with death."

He said that he would be more careful after the incident, and will no longer stop his car by the side of the road.

McDonald's Singapore and UberEATS jointly announced today their partnership, which will allow customers to order their McDonald's meals via the UberEATS app.

"The ease of the UberEATS app will complement our existing 24-hour McDelivery platform, and provide our customers greater accessibility to their favourite McDonald's food delivered right to their doorstep," said Kenneth Chan, Managing Director, McDonald's Singapore.

"In today's collaborative economy, we aim to expand McDonald's restaurant footprint with the combined convenience of McDelivery and UberEATS," added Chan.

We are happy to be in bed with UberEATS!

Said Shri Chakravarathy Gopalakrishna, General Manager, Singapore & Malaysia, UberEATS:

"In our efforts to continuously add more variety and choices for our customers, we're excited to expand our reach and deliver what they've been craving."

Currently, nearly 60 outlets are on board the app, and there are plans for more to come on board by the end of the year, in a bid to broaden the delivery capacity of all 133 McDonald's outlets in Singapore.

McDonald's Singapore first launched their delivery service all the way back in 2002 and was the first fast food restaurant to launch a 24/7 delivery service in Singapore in 2005.

At the moment, Chan states that deliveries make up a "significant" part of their business, and the contract between both parties is "indefinite".

Part Of A Larger Global Partnership

This partnership isn't exclusive to Singapore and is actually part of a global partnership between the F&B and logistics giants.

It started earlier in May in the United States and has 3,500 outlets on board.

Currently, the partnership has also expanded to 13 different countries around the world.

According to Gopalakrishna, the partnership had resulted in "10-20 per cent increments […] in countries without any McDelivery services".

Demand has also been "overwhelming (in Singapore)", albeit its very quiet entry into the delivery market here.

No Minimum Orders, Track Deliveries, Contact Delivery Partners

Trials for the delivery service have been underway since August this year, starting at the Springleaf Tower outlet located along Anson Road.

Starting on Oct 24, customers will be able to order their McDonald's meal via the app, with no minimum order.

The prices of the items would also be uniform between both platforms.

Just like all other deliveries made via the UberEATS app, customers will be able to track their deliveries and also contact their delivery partner when the need arises.

The standard UberEATS delivery fee of $3 still applies, and just like their ride-hailing arm, a surge will apply during times of high demand.

When asked if customers could potentially see a drop in delivery times with the partnership and increase in delivery riders, Gopalakrishna mentioned that UberEATS would, on their end, keep using their "backend to ensure [that] delivery times keep going down".

This article was first published on Vulcan Post.

It's official: Singaporeans now hold the most powerful passport in the world.

After sharing the top spot with Germany since early this year, Singapore's passport has taken the lead on Passport Index Global Passport Power Rank 2017 with the highest visa-free score of 159 as of Wednesday (Oct 25).

The Passport Index is the world's reference on passports, developed by leading global advisory for residence and citizenship solutions Arton Capital.

The latest ranking comes after Paraguay removed visa requirements for Singaporeans, thus propelling Singapore's passport to the top.

Read also

Singapore passport top in Asia for visa-free access

The top 10 most powerful passports in the world have historically been reserved for European nations, with Germany at the top for the past two years, according to PRNewswire.

Other Asian passports that made the top 20 are South Korea, Japan and Malaysia.

Managing Director of Arton Capital's Singapore office the Hon. Philippe May said: "For the first time ever an Asian country has the most powerful passport in the world,"

"It is a testament of Singapore's inclusive diplomatic relations and effective foreign policy."

Over the years, the Passport Index has become a popular online tool to display, sort and rank the world's passports and is the only real-time global ranking of passports.

The Index ranks national passports by the cross-border access they bring, assigning a "visa-free score" according to the number of countries a passport holder can visit visa-free or with visa on arrival.

Below is the new top 10 passport power ranking:

1. 159 - Singapore
2. 158 - Germany
3. 157 - Sweden, South Korea
4. 156 - Denmark, Finland, Italy, France, Spain, Norway, Japan, United Kingdom
5. 155 - Luxemburg, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal
6. 154 - Malaysia, Ireland, Canada, United States of America
7. 153 - Austria, Greece, New Zealand
8. 152 - Malta, Czech Republic, Iceland
9. 150 - Hungary
10. 149 - Slovenia, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia

ssandrea@sph.com.sg

It began as a humble stall in the heart of Singapore's Chinatown, but Chan Hon Meng's soy sauce chicken business has skyrocketed since he received a coveted Michelin star from the world's most prestigious food guide last year.

Chan had been selling his plate of soy sauce chicken rice for 2 Singapore dollars (about $1.50) for the last eight years, operating from a stall taking up just 54 square feet.

Since gaining a star for that stall, called Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle, Chan's footprint has grown considerably.

Along with a business partner, he has opened seven new outlets, even venturing out of his home market to Thailand and Taiwan. By the end of this year, he will also have a restaurant in Melbourne, Australia.

Chan dreams of becoming Asia's answer to fast food giant KFC, he said.

"I would like to open a restaurant in every country to let everyone taste my soy sauce chicken," he told CNBC during an interview conducted in Mandarin, adding that he wants people to be able to try authentic Asian Michelin-starred food.

Chan has accomplished the rapid expansion with the help of Hersing Culinary, a Singapore-based company that also owns the rights to Hong Kong's Michelin-starred dimsum eatery, Tim Ho Wan.

The Hong Kong eatery's expansion demonstrates the marketing power of the Michelin rating. It has been enormously successful, expanding to more than 40 stores worldwide. It opened its first outlet in North America to snaking queues in New York City last December.

Chan will be looking to emulate that, and he recounted that several companies had come calling when he received the Michelin star in July last year.

He said he could have asked for several million dollars for his recipe - several Singapore-based eateries have sold their recipes or businesses for millions after achieving some measure of popularity.

He decided, however, to work with Hersing because he wanted a business partner which would keep prices low, and expand his business internationally.

Chan, 52, decided that he had to expand his business after he was awarded the Michelin star, as "the crowds were too large."

"I had to change my business model and operation style so that my customers don't have to wait several hours just to have food," he said, adding that at the peak of its popularity, the original outlet saw customers queueing for between four and five hours.

Also read: Michelin-starred soya sauce chicken at pocket-friendly prices

Chan said Hersing invested S$1 million ($700,000) for the first air-conditioned Chinatown outlet, which is just a stone's throw away from his original stall. Prices in the new restaurant are slightly higher than at the original outlet, with the famous soy sauce chicken rice costing S$3.80 ($2.80).

He told CNBC that he has a 50 per cent stake in the first Chinatown outlet, and a 10 per cent stake in each subsequent new outlet.

Chan said he was enjoying picking up new business skills, as he now has to manage workers and teach staff the roasting and braising techniques.

Read also

Michelin-star eateries 2017: 5 things to know about who made the cut in Singapore

While he said he feels "some pressure" in managing the expansion of the business, he also has to worry about ensuring that the standard of the food remains of Michelin standard. He managed to successfully defend the Michelin star for a second time this year.

"I don't dare to say that I will get the Michelin star every year," he said, but added that in the food business, "it is most important that we give ourselves peace of mind, and give our customers satisfaction."

This article was first published on CNBC.

According to a press release from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) today, findings from the 2016 Graduate Employment Survey (GES) showed its graduates were earning higher starting salaries compared to in 2015, with the median gross monthly salary of permanently employed full-time workers increasing from S$3,055 to S$3,200, as of 2016.

The highest increase in median gross monthly salary, in particular, belonged to infocomm technology and healthcare graduates, reported to range between $3,000 to $4,200.

The joint survey was conducted by SIT with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

The survey also showed that almost nine in 10 SIT graduates within the workforce had found employment within six months of completing their final examinations, similar to findings from the year before.

While the number of SIT graduates in the labour force that found full-time permanent (FTP) work had dropped from 82.9 per cent in 2015 to 77.1 per cent in 2016, graduate employment rates for healthcare and early childhood sectors remain high, with 96.7 per cent of allied health graduates and 92 per cent of early childhood graduates securing full-time permanent employment.

Survey findings also revealed that more SIT graduates, especially those within the field of design and arts, chose to take up freelance work, noting that 2.5 per cent of all SIT graduates in the labour force were engaged in freelance employment.

Commenting on the survey results, SIT associate professor Ivan Lee, vice-president (Industry & Community), said: "SIT will continue to strengthen our degree programme offerings to meet industry needs, scaling up the Integrated Work Study Programme for these degree programmes, so as to groom technically-grounded graduates who are well-prepared to contribute to the professional manpower needs of Singapore."

This article was first published on Human Resources.

A track fault near Bishan MRT station resulted in delays for commuters travelling southbound from Yishun to Toa Payoh during the morning peak period.

The disruption was first announced by SMRT just before the start of train service at 5am, warning commuters of additional 20 minutes travelling time from Yishun to Toa Payoh.

This was later revised to 10 minutes in another tweet at 8.05am.

It was reported by The Straits Times that the fault occurred near Bishan swimming complex. Electrical arcing had caused the rubber insulator between the running rail to melt, resulting in a gap in the track.

In an update on 8.22am, SMRT announced on Facebook that North-South line trains towards the city had been travelling at a reduced speed from Ang Mo Kio to Bishan due to safety reasons since the start of service this morning.

It also said that the speed restriction was imposed over a 150 metre stretch of track between Ang Mo Kio and Bishan MRT stations.

A tweet by Twitter user @wuqinghe shows SMRT personnel on the tracks near what appeared to be a stalled train at Bishan MRT station.

SMRT activated free bridging bus services to serve commuters from Yishun towards Toa Payoh. Free regular bus services were also available.

Citizen journalism website Stomp was at the scene at the bus stop near Braddell MRT, where SMRT staff were seen helping to direct commuters at the affected stations.

Train service resumed later at 10.13am.

This incident comes just after the disruption on the East-West line on Oct 24, which was linked to a 'software fault on the legacy signalling system'.

Singapore - Kima the cheetah lies unconscious on an operating table while blood samples are taken and a monitor beeps in the background, being treated not for the results of a savage attack, but for the ravages of old age.

As with humans, animal populations in developed countries are living longer, putting a strain on healthcare resources, with experts warning animal enclosures in Asia are ill-equipped to handle the burden.

"Few zoos are adequately prepared for this," said Dave Neale, Welfare Director of Animals Asia, adding that the region was well behind the West in addressing the problem.

"If an animal does survive to an old age it is likely to suffer within an unsuitable environment due to the lack of such available skills and knowledge," he explained.

Singapore Zoo is one of the few in Asia to tackle the issue: It has introduced a senior animals' programme, where the elderly get a specialised diet, regular visits from an in-house vet and individually tailored exercise regimes.

The scheme began this year and about 100 animals have been signed up. Participants are required to have reached about 80 per cent of their natural lifespan before they are deemed eligible.

At 18, Kima is well into her twilight years. Cheetahs in captivity usually live to age 10-15, and around six in the wild, according to the Big Cat Rescue charity.

Keepers had reported the creature had problems catching treats thrown to her and an examination confirmed she needed surgery for cataracts.

"In the zoo, there are no predators and there's always food to eat, so they tend to live longer than in the wild," said Luis Carlos, who works for zoo operator Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

"But this also means that they develop health problems you normally wouldn't see in animals outside," he added.

Blind, deaf orangutan

Among the elderly patients is polar bear Inuka who, at 26, is a senior citizen by arctic standards, and suffers from arthritis and impaired hearing.

His days start with an examination by his keeper and a vet, who check on his gait, teeth and response to commands.

Earlier this year, specialists were drafted in to perform cataract surgery on Jojo, a 60-year-old orangutan, who was already blind in one eye and hearing impaired.

But tough choices need to be made when it comes to caring for elderly animals, zookeeper Mohan Ponichamy insisted.

The team recently had to put down a white tiger who was suffering from skin cancer and joint degeneration.

"As a person you feel sad but we have to make the best decision for the animal," Ponichamy added.

Set in a lush nature reserve, Singapore Zoo is home to thousands of animals, from orangutans to flying foxes, and is regarded as one of the region's better run wildlife parks.

The city state is viewed as a leader in caring for elderly animals in Asia though such schemes are common in the West, according to Louis Ng, founder of ACRES, a local animal welfare advocacy group.

In the US, institutions from the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, where keepers communicate with a blind seal through sound and touch, to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago where a caiman was fitted with a prosthetic limb after a tumour was found on its leg, have invested in ageing animal care.

Ng warned: "Asian zoos still have a lot of catching up to do, be it in terms of the set-up, the veterinary expertise (and) the nutritional team."