The video has sparked numerous comments from netizens, who are speculating over what caused the bus driver's actions.
Police investigations are ongoing.
In response to media queries by Stomp, SBS Transit's senior vice-president for corporate communications Tammy Tan said: "Our priority is the well-being of the two injured motorcyclists and a pillion rider.
"We were at the hospital that day following the incident and all three of them received outpatient treatment. We will continue to render assistance to them as best we can.
"We apologise to affected commuters and road users for the inconvenience caused.
"Meanwhile, we are assisting the Police with their investigations."
Commuting in Singapore is not the most pleasant experience that we all have to go through every day.
Yes, we are fortunate enough that our stations and trains are spick and span compared to other countries but the main problem for most is the unwelcome social interactions.
Cringe-worthy public displays of affection, being unable to escape body odour and feeling like your personal space is non-existent are just some of the things we deal with on a daily basis.
These same predicaments were excellently animated into a satirical comedy animation by a university team for a project. Called 'Jalan to the West', the 3-minute short was posted on Facebook on July 23 by Zuhairee Mohd, a member of the team.
Chen Yixi, the son of local artistes Edmund Chen and Xiang Yun, was also involved in the project.
The comedy follows one boy's journey to the far West of Singapore (Joo Koon) from Tampines.
Having to brave the smells, crowds, noise and being squashed, he finally reaches his destination "enlightened" having survived the worst the ride has to offer.
You will definitely relate to the struggles faced riding the MRT in this animation by Edmund Chen's son
The short is a great piece of work and has since garnered over 3,300 reactions and over 4,000 shares thanks to the vast number of Singaporeans who can relate.
What do you and I get when two airlines make a business decision to merge?
Scoot and Tigerair officially completed their merger today (July 25) and under the Scoot brand is a wider network of 60 destinations across 17 countries.
Travellers can look forward to 5 new destinations, including long-haul flights to Honolulu, Hawaii of US.
From tomorrow onwards, Tigerair will be no more. But if you have previously booked flights with Tigerair, not to worry. The flight departure schedules, fare rules and terms of booking will be the same, just that the flights will now be operated by Scoot.
Take note though, that there will be a new designator code "TR" for Scoot and Tigerair flights.
"Building on what Tigerair and the old Scoot had achieved since their respective inceptions, we are stronger than we have ever been before, and consequently in an even better position to offer our guests more choice, connectivity and value," Mr Lee Lik Hsin, CEO of Scoot, said.
So with Scoot's "enhanced" brand, what else is new or renewed at least?
1. Five new destinations
By June 2018, flights to five new destinations would be available.
They are: Harbin (Heilongjiang, China), Honolulu (Hawaii, US), Kuantan (Malaysia), Kuching (Malaysia) and Palembang (South Sumatra, Indonesia).
Services to Kuching and Palembang, which were previously operated by SilkAir, will start Oct 29, 2017 and Nov 23, 2017 respectively.
Details on the operation of the other destinations would be released at a later date.
Scoot and Tigerair officially merge with new uniforms and 5 new destinations
Established in 1887, Raffles Hotel is often known as the 'grand old lady of Singapore'.
Located on Beach Road, the hotel is a sight to behold amongst the skyscrapers that surround it, thanks to its beautiful colonial-era architecture.
Gazetted as a national monument in 1987, a hundred years after its opening, the hotel is often a 'must see' for tourists in Singapore.
While not many get a chance to spend a night in its quarters, those who have wandered around its open areas would have felt like they've been transported back to a time when life was less hectic and more serene.
And that's no surprise, given the rich history that every piece of furniture possesses.
But the hotel is not immune to wear and tear either, and in 1989, closed for a two year long restoration which cost $160 million.
Reopened in September 1991, the hotel was restored to its glory and all guest rooms were converted to luxurious suites.
This year, the hotel celebrates its 130th anniversary - but the celebration is also bittersweet.
By the end of 2017, the hotel will be fully shuttered so that another round of restoration works can be carried out. The hotel would then be reopened during the second half of 2018.
At this moment, the first phase is already underway.
But the announcement also begs a pressing question - what happens to the approximately 350 full-time employees who are part of the Raffles Hotel machinery and what will become of them while restoration works are on-going?
We find out more about Raffles Hotel's unique approach to the situation by speaking to 3 long-time employees of the hotel, and the Director of the Talent and Culture department.
"I Need To Start Looking For A New Job"
In a room that I can safely say is the grandest of all venues that I've conducted interviews in, there was one thing that struck me even more than how beautiful my surroundings were - the love that the employees have for the hotel.
All long-time employees with experience ranging from 13 to 25 years, the trio reminisced about their most memorable encounters with famous guests (Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor), appreciative patrons, and world-class events.
They've all also been successfully seconded to various AccorHotels properties - Toihimah Bte Mohd Amin (Assistant Housekeeper) and Lam Yui Sim (Commis 1) to Swissotel Merchant Court, and Joey Chea (Senior Captain) to Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort and Spa.
But that's not to say that they weren't wrought with uncertainty initially.
'Secondment' isn't a very well-known term among Singaporean workers, many (myself included) assuming that a large shift in operations as such only means a huge loss for employees - most of whom will lose their jobs.
Yui Sim admitted that as much as she trusted that the Talent and Culture department would make the necessary arrangements for them, "A lot of questions came to my mind - like, Oh, I will miss my friends., I will miss this hotel., I think I need to start looking for another job, may be a cashier job."
Toihimah revealed that she was "prepared for the restoration" as she knew that the hotel was due for one. She mentally braced herself to lose her job - especially due to the lack of open positions at other hotels for her.
"I told myself that whatever comes, just take it. No doubt that I'm not young, and it's not easy to get a job, but I believe that if I work hard, I will definitely find something."
As a Branch Union Secretary in the Food Drinks & Allied Workers Union (FDAWU), Joey is the bridge between the management and her colleagues.
After the restoration announcement to colleagues, she worked closely with the Talent and Culture team during the communication process and spoke personally to a number of her union members one-to-one.
She did her best to suss out how her colleagues were feeling and allay any fears they had.
She revealed that it was initially challenging to convince some colleagues, especially mature ones, that proper arrangements were being made for them.
"I was in direct contact with the Talent and Culture team, and I knew that they were making arrangements for our colleagues, and assigning them to other hotels.
"Of course, there were some, especially the older ones, who felt that "Aiyah, nobody will want me." But I told them not to worry, and that the team was doing a lot of things for us."
Even more challenging was getting them to change their mindsets to embrace the disruption.
A last look at the iconic Raffles Hotel before it closes its doors for restoration
"I said, the world is changing, we need to change along with it, or else you'll be stuck."
To aid in secondment, the Talent and Culture team conducted an internal job fair, prepped colleagues with updated CVs and interview skills, and never stopped reaching out to sister hotels to find new spaces for them.
For Toihimah, Director of Talent and Culture Jennifer Tan even went to non-Accor hotels to enquire on spaces for her - before eventually clinching for her a position at sister property, Swissotel Merchant Court.
Similarly for Yui Sim, whose job offer only came a day before the end of the first phase.
"Initially when there was no opportunity for me yet, I told myself, I need to accept it.
"Then Talent and Culture contacted and told me that I got a secondment opportunity! Ms Tan told me that I will be working in a different kitchen, i.e. full cold production work instead of just cold production for breakfast operation, and I told her, It's ok, I can learn.
"I am willing to learn because we need to change ourselves to adapt to our environment."
"I really want to keep myself moving, I want to work."
What Do They Miss At Raffles?
With an average of 17 years of experience at Raffles, missing their old workplace is something the three admit readily to - revealing that they often return to see their colleagues and participate in colleague activities.
Lam Yui Sim
Yui Sim, for example, has returned at least 8 times since being seconded in February!
"I miss our colleague entrance. At my seconded property, I walk a lot at work! But it's ok, I have slimmed down and everyone is praising me! I also miss our colleague dining room, the food, my colleagues…in fact, I miss everything here!"
For Joey, Raffles Hotel is not just her workplace - it's her second home.
"I miss knowing everything about this place…I know how to find everything. I know how to look for people easily too."
"I miss my colleagues from our engineering department! We have worked together for so long hand in hand…so we get things done seamlessly," reminisces Toihimah.
"There Was A Small Number Of Colleagues Who Wished For The Retrenchment Payout"
Jennifer Tan, Director of the Talent and Culture department
HR is often an easily overlooked function, but the case isn't true at Raffles Hotel.
In fact, members of their Talent and Culture team are the unsung heroes in this entire operation, working alongside the Food Drinks & Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) as well as the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) to ensure each and every one of their colleagues were aware of the situation and their options.
Even before the news was communicated through the mass-sharing with colleagues, Talent and Culture made sure that FDAWU was aware of how they would be communicating to the colleagues and was on the same page on how to go about helping them individually.
This shows how much Raffles Hotel values union ties, and the good working relationship between them is one to be emulated.
"We didn't usher our colleagues to a room to tell them what's going to happen as it's impersonal that way. Instead we did one-to-one sessions, which took time, but it was very important that the conversations were done by the respective ExCo with a senior member of our Talent and Culture team because our people are very important to us.
"Each conversation has to be done with care."
Through the one-to-one sessions, Jennifer realised that while the majority of employees wanted to be seconded, there was a small number of colleagues who wished for the retrenchment payout.
"We went beyond legislation, as well as our collective agreement which covers only unionised positions. We wanted to treat everyone alike."
While the collective agreement defined that only those with more than 2 years' service get a payout (one month's pay for each year of continuous service, capped at 25 years), those who did not meet the criteria got a payout too.
Those who stayed until the end of their phase also received an additional 2 weeks' pay - regardless of whether they have been seconded or retrenched.
For colleagues like Toihimah and Yui Sim, both of whom wanted to be seconded, the team then got to work - helping them with their (mostly outdated) resumes, and equipping them with relevant interview skills.
Albeit being seconded to other hotels, the employees remain on Raffles Hotel's letter of appointment, and are invited to hotel-wide events just like all colleagues.
A small number of the employees had to be let go due to the lack of opportunities for their positions.
However, the Talent and Culture team still did not stop trying to help these colleagues.
Raffles Hotel invited e2i to customise a workshop for these colleagues. Colleagues were exposed to a 2-day workshop at e2i to further equip them for their job hunt through one-on-one coaching, resume writing, etc.
"For these colleagues, we linked them with e2i, and I with my personal network within the HR community, assisted to check for possible opportunities. We never stop trying to assist to get a job for them."
"The Success Of This Hotel Is The People"
Throughout the interviews, it was clear that a lot of consideration was taken to ensure that the transition process was made to be as smooth for the employees of Raffles Hotel as possible.
While the love that the employees have for the hotel is apparent, the love that the hotel has for its colleagues was unearthed through the interviews - something that Jennifer explained is only natural because "The success of this hotel comes from our people."
We'd like to thank the colleagues of Raffles Hotel for their time!
Yesterday morning, MRT-taking Singaporeans were once again greeted with the news that 2 lines - North-South and East-West - were hit with power and track circuit faults.
First reported at 7.26am, SMRT announced 4 hours later that it had to shut services between Queenstown and Bugis stations to "remove the loose panel causing power trips on the network".
A few hours ago, Queenstown station was also seen to be packed with commuters.
Of course, track and power circuit faults are something out of our control, but what if there was a way that we could avoid about them even before official reports?
22-year-old Marcus Koh, known as chihao711 on Reddit decided that it was time to use his bot-building skills for the greater good, and has created a Telegram bot so that commuters can know, first-hand, whenever an MRT breakdown happens.
Initially Created For Personal Use
3 days ago, Marcus took to Reddit to publicise his Telegram bot, the very functionally-named SG MRT, which would inform users whenever there was a breakdown/disruption, and also the arrival timing of trains at various stations.
Holding a Computer Engineering diploma and set to go to NUS to study Computer Science soon, Marcus created the bot a few months ago, initially just for personal use "because [he] wasn't sure that the general public wanted it".
Then, it was also only built to tell when the next train was arriving.
However, it was after he realised the increasing frequency of train disruptions that he decided to bring his little project even further - by having it notify him whenever there was a disruption.
"[With it], I could totally avoid taking train that day and just Uber home. I wanted a bot that was proactive, and it should always tell you if there is a MRT disruption."
Currently an NSF, Marcus knows very well the importance of time, and this further spurred him on to create a solution for those like himself.
"Can you imagine if I book out on a Friday and just to find out that the train broke down. It would waste my time travelling."
"Time is precious when you are an NSF!"
With his weekdays burnt with his NSF-ly duties, Marcus only had the weekends to embark on his side project - eventually emerging with the bot after a few weeks.
He Learnt How To Built A Bot From Youtube
SG MRT isn't his first rodeo with bots, however - he has built one to detect the location of users and give them a list of nearby bus stops (SingaporeBus_Bot) and also others like Push2Me.
Pretty impressive for someone who learnt how to build a bot by watching video tutorials.
"I've learnt creating bots from YouTube, and YouTube alone. Initially, I was just fascinated that you could write a short script and let the bot do the job for you."
For now, the bot is only able to pull information for SMRT lines (North-South, East-West, Circle Line), but Marcus is hoping that he can eventually include the Downtown Line and North-East Line to the bot if he manages to get his hands on the data.
When I asked if there were any other that bots that we could look forward to, Marcus reveals that for now, he wants to focus on his MRT bot "so that it becomes great and easy to use".
"But I will definitely have more bots to come in the future."
He's an entrepreneur behind the 3-person team of Deck Head Games, the creators of the Kickstarter game that was funded in 24 hours.
And today's he also the creator behind TILTOFF - a game that snagged him an international accolade for Game of The Year in 2017's The Rookies international competition by software developer Autodesk.
TILTOFF is a game of balance, and playing it can help you achieve a sense of balance in your day-to-day.
A Post-Exam Life That Was Out Of Whack
"I wasn't getting enough exercise, fruits, and water. All this led to extra stress and I couldn't focus on tasks very well," Timothi shares. "So I sought to better my work-life balance."
An unexpected source of relaxation came in the form of TaiChi, and although he didn't start practicing it full-time, Timothi found attempting movements "better than meditative yoga".
He found it interesting that some forms made him feel "as if he was rolling a ball around," and that in turn became the basis for TILTOFF.
Creating the platform on a whim, it took him 3 weeks from conception to publishing.
The original prototype only had players roll a ball around to tilt and balance a platform, but a friend's comment motivated him to add falling objects to make it harder.
"It led to a brain blast," Timothi says.
"Falling objects makes it more interesting and illustrates the concept of balance better as it's not just you causing imbalance, but also the external inputs from life."
Juggling undergrad studies at the USC School of Cinematic Arts (California) and TILTOFF turned out to be not difficult at all, he adds.
"When I create a game, it is a self-defined project, and I always strive to make them fun and relaxing. […] I also get into a focus zone easily and my mind automatically knows what to do without me having to think much. Here, I feel relaxed and satisfied."
"It's that sweet spot between difficulty and skill. In game design, we call that 'flow', or 'cognitive flow', from a psychology standpoint."
A College Business
Photo: Kickstarter/Deck Head Games
Before TILTOFF, Timothi had also launched Deck Head Games with 2 classmates, James Collins and Aimee Zhang.
"It was a final project for a class, and I was grateful for the chance to develop Ducklings with them [but] at the end of it, we weren't too satisfied with the polish of the game. We knew we could do better."
While they promised to work on it together outside of class, the reality of responsibilities was a depressing factor.
The turning point for them was when professors invited them to join a special class.
Its focus? To develop games to market-ready states.
Ducklings is about being parents to 3 ducklings, and having to deal with the ups and downs of shielding them from harm.
"We ran into many problems during development, not knowing if the market was ready to accept an emotion-driven game. People said our game was too emotionally charged and risqué, we should alter it towards humour and cuteness."
This perspective didn't sit well with them, so they enrolled in the school's New Venture Seed Competition where pitching Ducklings helped hone its development.
"The game was headed in the right direction. It just needed more maturity and confidence from us, the developers," he stated.
What began as an assignment has now become a Kickstarter project with almost 300 per cent funding.
Reflecting on the experience, Timothi comments how their share belief of "bridging the gap between parent and child" gave birth to Ducklings.
"That, and the effort we put in to dispel our doubts, helped us pave the road to a successful debut Kickstarter, and the beginnings of Deck Head Games as a college startup."
Future Entrepreneur For Games
With a vested passion in gaming entrepreneurship, Timothi reveals lofty aspirations of owning his own studio/incubator in Singapore in the future.
"I have every intention of working with Pixel Studio (IMDA gaming incubator), but I want to focus on pushing the boundaries of interactive entertainment."
"Using a modified incubator/accelerator model, I envision a programme - 'CombineSG' - that allows for rapid iteration of innovative experiences via play-testing with the public. From here, we can work on improving public perception on gaming as a career."
Photo: Kickstarter/Deck Head Games
The accolade shows him that his passion is recognised, and "is a step forward towards" realising his dream of creating works of entertainment that touch people's hearts and inspire them to create their own successes.
With Gentlebros and Rotten Mage laying foundations and elevating perceptions with their successes, Singapore is almost 'there', he says.
"Every time I return, I feel a yearning to step out from being consumers to become worthy creators who turn ideas into a living."
Our market might be small, but our potential is in leveraging our global connections, he says.
"I dream of a future where Singapore is home to bleeding edge technology, where designers can create interactive pieces that push the boundaries of our understanding of human-computer interaction."
It is quite common to see people on the streets with a tattoo or two nowadays, but the stigma associated with tattooed persons in society still seems to never fade away, especially in Singapore.
While some may appreciate tattoos as an art form and self-expression, others deem it unnecessary and even a form of self-injury.
And that was what Miss Lee Kay Yan, a forum writer, thought - getting a tattoo can be as addictive as taking drugs, as one can "get a high from the pain inflicted by the tattooing needle".
Miss Lee's forum letter, titled "Tattooing may also be sign of pent-up emotions", was published by The Straits Times on Monday (July 24).
Overall, the article criticised the choice of getting a tattoo for a multitude of reasons:
Tattooing is a form of self-injury
Tattooing could be a sign of pent-up emotions
Tattooing is as addictive as taking drugs
Tattooing entails bad consequences in the long run, such as difficulty in getting a job
It is harder to remove a tattoo than getting it
Miss Lee also suggested that tattoo parlours should refuse young customers who are unable to make informed decisions, especially teenagers who want to get tattooed out of peer pressure or without their parents' knowledge.
The forum letter has, however, met with backlash as many netizens found the article to be exaggerated and overgeneralising people with tattoos.
Others chose to attack the writer's worldview and character.
Some agreed with the writer's opinion too.
What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
SINGAPORE - Announced all the way back in 2013, Changi Airport's newest Terminal 4 will soon be open to public later this year.
Although it's half the size of T3, the new terminal promises "a new travel experience with its boutique design and innovative use of technology". But how so?
Other than the usual airport features that we have seen from the previous three terminals, there will be new exciting features that will be a joy to not just flight passengers, but the general public as well.
Let's start with what would be the most obvious to all of us - its appearance.
1. It's small but fun
According to Changi Airport Group (CAG), T4's compact shape is designed with a theme of being fun, vibrant and positively surprising.
Due to its compact size, T4 will have centralised departure and arrival immigration control as well as pre-board security screening for more optimal use of space and deployment of manpower and equipment.
Photo: Changi Airport Group
Many of the design cues will draw inspiration from the symmetrical motif of the orchid petal.
It will be applied in many locations within the terminal, such as on the skylights, marble flooring, carpets, air-con binnacles, dustbins and even the holders for fire extinguishers.
Photo: Changi Airport Group
The terminal will also feature various curated art pieces, innovated kinetic art and many others.
It's 2017, so of course all the technology in T4 has to be state-of-the-art.
From various automated services to the use of facial recognition, CAG promises that the enchanced operational efficiency will be beneficial to the passengers' travel experience and have called it Fast and Seamless Travel (FAST).
Automated check-in kiosksPhoto: Changi Airport Group
Automated bag dropPhoto: Changi Airport Group
T4's Departure Hall will house seven check-in rows. Of these seven, four are designed for FAST, featuring a total of 65 automated check-in kiosks and 50 automated bag drop machines.
Gone were the days when airline and security personnels have to manually carry out identity checks on passengers.
With the new integrated facial recognition technology to authenticate the passenger's identity, each passenger's departure process will be seamless and convenient.
The new FAST system in a nutshell.Photo: Changi Airport Group
If you are concerned that you will not be able to familiarise yourself with FAST, CAG promises that there will be service staff on deck to assist you.
3. Passsengers do not need to remove laptops and devices from hand-carry luggage
Before: We have to take out our electronic devices such as laptops and tablets from our bags or backpacks to be screened separately.
Now: Using advanced 3D screening technology, there is no longer a need for passengers to divest their devices.
This will save them the hassle of unpacking and repacking their hand carry luggage.
Photo: Changi Airport Group
However, the usual liquids, aerosols and gels restriction will still apply.
4. Retail and F&B offerings
So far I have been mentioning features that are mostly applicable to passengers, but what about the general visitors?
Even if you are not planning to fly anywhere, you can still shop and dine at over 80 stores and restaurants at T4.
The 16,000 square metre space will feature both locals and international retail and F&B brands.
Notable names include London Fat Duck.
Photo: The Straits Times
Old Street Bak Kut Teh
Photo: The New Paper
As well as Paris Baguette.
Photo: Lianhe Zaobao
Rest assured that you will not find your time waiting for your flight at T4 a dull one.
5. Indoor greenery
Singapore has always been known as a green city and this applies to the new T4 as well, with more than 340 species of plants planted across the terminal.
The T4 greenwall external facade has over 16,000 plants.Photo: Changi Airport Group
There will be 186 large trees within the terminal, and the tallest one, named Fragrant Chinese Aralia Tree, will have a whooping height of at least 8 metres.
Photo: AsiaOne
The full information on T4 can be found on their website.
So what do you think about the new T4? Let us know in the comments below.
A first look at upcoming Changi Airport Terminal 4
Even though Singapore's workplace safety and health performance has improved in the past year - declining from 42 in the first half of 2016 to 19 in the first half of 2017, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say, warned against being complacent and taking workplace safety and health for granted.
Speaking at the annual Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Awards 2017, Minister Lim cited the recent PIE work site collapse as a wake-up call for all of us.
"The recent collapse of a viaduct section under construction near the PIE is a wake-up call for all of us - to never be complacent and take workplace safety and health for granted."
On the incident which claimed the life of a worker and left 10 others injured, Minister Lim commented: "Chen Yinchuan from China, came to Singapore just 3 months ago to work as a construction worker.
"It was his first time working in Singapore. He wanted to earn and save more for his 3-year old son. But instead, he lost his life here."
Of the 10 other workers who were injured in the same incident, three were from China, six were from Bangladesh, and one was from India.
Minister Lim added that among the six who are still in hospital, Gao Li Qin is fighting for his life, while two are still in the high dependency ward.
Minister Lim said: "The cause of the incident is still being investigated. But one thing for sure is that this is a man-made incident that could have been avoided, if everyone involved in this project had paid enough attention to the design and construction of the viaduct, and the safety of workers."
Emphasising the need to maintain the "heat" to ensure that everyone takes workplace safety and health seriously, Minister Lim added that we also need more companies to not just feel the 'heat' but more importantly, to also see the 'light' - to recognise that investment in workplace safety and health is good for both workers and the business.
Structure on highway under construction collapses near PIE
A good way to ensure accidents will not happen is to study near misses.
"Some companies wait for an accident before taking action. They brush aside near misses as there were no injuries. They fail to realise that near misses are just as important.
"Studying near misses can help companies take pre-emptive action so that accidents will not happen," Minister Lim said.
Reiterating that everyone has a role in WSH, Minister Lim said: "We can only truly succeed in keeping all our workplaces safe and healthy for everyone, if we all play our part.
"Whether you are a business owner, developer, manager or supervisor, no contribution is too small. Everyone has a role to play in making workplaces safer and healthier."
In conclusion, he summarised some best practices from the award winners in three key learning points:
Ownership: Every company and individual has a role to play.
Partnership: Work with your vendors and contractors, to keep every worker in every workplace safe.
Innovation: Go beyond the status quo and find ways to work safer and smarter.
Parts of the bridge appeared to be dislodged, and the excavator was elevated for a brief moment due to the impact of the collision.
In a Facebook post, the LTA said that the accident "had compromised the structural integrity of the bridge".
Hence, the beams of the damaged structure had to be removed for safety reasons.
Two people were arrested in relation to the accident.
Read a Facebook post by published by the police:
"The 57-year-old driver and his 59-year-old employer have been arrested in connection with the accident.
"They have been arrested for causing a heavy motor vehicle to collide with an overhead Bridge under Section 65A(1) of the Road Traffic Act, Chapter 276.
"The driving licence of the driver has also been suspended with immediate effect.
Thirteen people were injured after a Mount Alvernia mini-bus crashed into a bus stop along Braddell Road today (Jul 26) at around 12pm.
Photos and a video of the accident's aftermath posted on The Straits Times show the brown bus on a pavement underneath a shelter against the flow of traffic .
The bus stop was strewn with shattered glass.
The driver's door of the mini-bus was dislodged and it could be seen resting against a nearby fence. A concrete pole had also toppled over as a result of the accident.
The area was cordoned off and there were police officers at the scene.
The Straits Times understands that the mini-bus driver suffered serious injuries and was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).
Said an SCDF spokesman in response to a Stomp query:
"SCDF was alerted to an accident involving a mini-bus along Braddell Road at 12.10pm.
"SCDF dispatched two fire engines, four ambulances and two support vehicles.
"A total of 13 casualties were conveyed, nine to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, two to Raffles Hospital and two to KK Women's and Children Hospital."
A motorcyclist fell off, while his pillion rider was flung forward, after their motorbike collided with a stationary car on Monday (July 24) at around 10.41am along the Seletar Expressway (SLE) towards the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), before Lentor Avenue Exit.
The incident was witnessed by Facebook user Manster Wirman, and captured on the dashboard camera of his car which was passing by.
Stomp reader Achmad later forwarded the video to Stomp.
In the video, a stationary white car was seen on the rightmost lane of the expressway, with its trunk opened.
Suddenly a motorcyclist and his pillion rider on a green motorbike collided into the rear of the vehicle.
The collision sent the pillion rider flying ahead of the car, landing a few meters away, while the motorcyclist crashed into the boot and fell on the road.
The sheer impact of the crash shattered parts of the two vehicles, and debris could be seen flying seconds after the collision.
Said Achmad: “I think the motorcyclist probably thought that the car was moving.
“Maybe they didn’t realise that the car had broken down until it was too late.”
A spokesman for the police has issued an official statement on the incident:
"On July 24, 2017, the police were alerted to an accident involving a car and a motorcycle along SLE towards BKE before Lentor Avenue Exit.
"The 24-year-old male motorcyclist and his 21-year-old male pillion rider were unconscious when conveyed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
SINGAPORE - Amazon.com Inc launched its two-hour delivery service in Singapore on Thursday, marking the e-commerce giant's push into populous Southeast Asia and its first head-on battle with its Chinese rival, Alibaba Group Holding.
While Amazon does deliver to Singapore, higher-end services had not been available, such as Prime services which include access to the company's video-streaming service. The Prime Now Singapore website, which went live on Thursday, promises delivery within two hours.
In Asia, Amazon has largely sidestepped China and focused on India. But its arrival in Singapore, a tiny but wealthy English-speaking city state of just over 5 million people, has been hotly anticipated as a gateway to a Southeast Asian region of 600 million, where currently only a fraction of sales are conducted online.
Industry executives are preparing for a battle of titans.
Alibaba owns Southeast Asia-focused Lazada, and spent an extra $1 billion to boost its stake to 83 per cent last month.
Ahead of Amazon's arrival, it launched subscription-based customer loyalty programme LiveUp in Singapore in April, a venture which includes ride-hailing app Uber, video streaming service Netflix and local online grocer Redmart, which it owns.
"Singapore will be a test bed," said Ajay Sunder, vice president of digital transformation at Frost and Sullivan.
"I would give Amazon another two quarters, they should be rolling out soon in southeast Asia, at least the major cities."
Frost forecasts online product sales in southeast Asia to grow to $71 billion by 2021 from $16 billion in 2016.
Since launching five years ago, Lazada has expanded into six markets in Southeast Asia: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Besides financial support, Alibaba's investment has boosted Lazada's range of merchants and improved its logistics. Lazada and Alibaba could already be ahead, said Xiaofeng Wang, a senior analyst at research firm Forrester, with their longer experience of local customers, and with logistics and vendor systems.
Amazon, though, has deep pockets, technological nous and an inventory of US products, she added.
But while Southeast Asia may be the last big battleground for e-commerce in Asia, it is not easy, with complex regulatory differences, language barriers and logistical barriers like the huge number of islands that make up the Philippines, or Jakarta's paralysing traffic. Internet connections can be slow or non-existent.
Lazada has used third-party providers and developed its own logistics and warehouses.
But the market is also fragmented, with several local players including Indonesia's Tokopedia, in which a source has said Alibaba rival, Chinese e-commerce group JD.com Inc, is considering an investment.
Amazon's Prime Now is Amazon's express delivery service, which launched in New York City in December 2014 and has since expanded to several other major U.S cities, as well as European cities such as London, Berlin, Milan, and Madrid.
"Prime builds loyalty, and same-day delivery adds to convenience factor," Frost's Sunder said, adding Amazon could try the service in the main Southeast Asian cities.
"But Prime Now across Indonesia or across Thailand that will remain a distant reality given the logistical challenges."
Singapore's national sports of shopping and eating are great for when you're an adult just chilling with your homies.
But when you've got kids who are demanding that you entertain them, dragging them to a crowded shopping mall is the worst idea, unless you can find an effective way to stop them from running amok or colliding with other shoppers.
Never fear. Here are five cheap family-family activities that you and your kids can enjoy without having to set foot in a shopping mall.
Check out the stuffed animals and dinosaur bones at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum
There are two things that never fail with kids aged 12 and under-theme parks and animals. But Universal Studio and the zoo cost a bomb to visit as a family.
Luckily, there is a cheaper alternative in the form of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which costs $16 for adults and $9 for kids, students, NSFs and senior citizens.
The highlight is most definitely the three dinosaur fossils, but kids will also find the huge collection of taxidermied animals interesting.
Visit the Science Centre
Okay, so you were more of a humanities-type student, and judging by how much tuition your kid needs in math and science, he's not exactly the next Einstein either.
But a visit to the Science Centre can be fun for both of you nonetheless, because the folks behind this severely underrated attraction have taken pains to ensure exhibits are as interactive and as accessible as possible.
There's an aquarium at the Marine Alcove section, while kids can try to ride a tricycle with square wheels in the Funfair Maths section.
The Water Works section is basically a huge playground where kids can run through fountains and shoot jets of water at various targets.
Oh, it's also free for Singaporeans and PRs during off-peak hours, and entry during peak hours costs only $6 per adult and $4 per child or senior citizen.
Head to an animal shelter
Your kids have been pestering you to take them to the zoo so they can pet the animals at the Kidzworld.
Instead, take them to an animal shelter, such the SPCA or Animal Lovers League. They'll get to interact with animals for free, although we can't guarantee that they won't spend the next three years pestering you for a dog.
Hit up a pasar malam
So your kid wants to sit on a few kiddy rides, perhaps even a roller coaster?
Hit up a pasar malam instead of Universal Studios. Kids are less picky than you think, and even the cheap games and rides at pasar malams can show them a good time.
More importantly, a few goes on the Top Gun ride and a Ramly burger will cost you a lot less than a trip to USS.
Visit the beach at Sentosa
Trying to avoid Sentosa because it's a costly tourist trap?
Well, you might have forgotten that to a kid, a day at the beach is super fun.
Whether they're swimming in the polluted waters off Siloso and Tanjong Beaches, building sandcastles or trying to bury their sleeping parents in the sand, you can rest easy knowing that it costs no more than the entrance fee.
If you want to avoid having to buy expensive food, station yourself near the 7-11 outlets or head for one of the fastfood joints.
You can also pack your own picnic lunch or stock up on food at Harbourfront Centre or Vivocity before taking the monorail over.
SINGAPORE - Canola the manatee, hand-raised by her carers since she was abandoned by her mother at birth, celebrated her third birthday at Singapore's River Safari on Wednesday with a 2-metre (6.6-ft) high "cake" made of cabbages, carrots and sweet potato leaves.
The marine mammal enjoyed the crunchy treat shaped in a letter 'C' with other manatees at the river-themed attraction.
Kindergarten children who attended the celebrations sang "Happy Birthday" to the 300-kg (661-pound) herbivore and watched her receive belly rubs.
Photo: Wildlife Reserves Singapore
After her mother, Eva, abandoned her at birth, Canola was hand-raised by keepers who bottle-fed her every two to three hours during the first three months of her life.
Canola was fed a special milk formula infused with canola oil, which gave her carers the inspiration for her name.
She is now ten times as heavy as when she was born.
Photo: Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Last year, Canola was named a park icon at the River Safari in the small city-state, becoming a wildlife ambassador to encourage the public to keep the world's freshwater habitats pristine.
Commonly known as sea cows due to their diet of sea grass, manatees are currently listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.
Baby manatee abandoned from birth becomes animal icon
Speaking at the fourth joint forum on infrastructure maintenance organised by SMRT on Wednesday (July 26), the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport Khaw Boon Wan said that Singapore's MRT is three times as dependable as in 2015.
The reason? In 2015, MRT trains travelled an average of 133,000km between delays of more than five minutes.
Now? It's 393,000km.
Mr Khaw said these are satisfactory outcomes that have exceeded their target of 300,000 mean km between failure (MKBF).
These numbers exclude the recent delays arising from resignalling tests on the North-South line, as reported in The Straits Times (ST).
"While there will still be delays, if we have done our best to minimise them, I am sure Singaporeans will be understanding and forgiving," he said.
However, given the recent breakdowns in the past weeks, commuters are reacting to his comments on ST's Facebook post.
At the time of writing, the Facebook post has been shared over 300 times, gathered over 200 comments, and garnered over 600 reactions.
Most who commented are understandably bitter and upset but some did notice that the numbers do not reflect the recent situations.
Some ask for a different set of statistics.
Perhaps train services are indeed more reliable statistics wise, but with the wonderful world of social media, comments show that many Singaporeans (or at least those on Facebook) disagree.
