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Ex-terror convict behind London Bridge attack

LONDON • Police have identified the man who stabbed two people to death and wounded three others in London on Friday as a former terror convict released from prison early. This has prompted the government to vow to look into how sentences are dealt with, and sparked fresh recriminations ahead of the general election. Usman […]

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AHTC votes not to recuse Lim, Low from financial issues

Workers’ Party MPs Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang will not need to recuse themselves from all financial matters, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) said yesterday in a media statement. The decision was made at AHTC’s recent quarterly meeting, where the council voted 17 to one against the recusal. Ms Lim and Mr Low were […]

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Facebook complies with order to publish correction notice

Facebook has complied with a directive under Singapore’s new fake news law to publish a correction notice on a post which the Government says contains false information. Yesterday, Facebook put up a notice at the bottom of a post in the States Times Review page. It read: “Facebook is legally required to tell you that […]

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WP MPs do not need to recuse themselves: AHTC

Workers’ Party MPs Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang will not need to recuse themselves from all financial matters, the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) said. The town council said in a statement yesterday that a decision had been made at its recent quarterly meeting, at which the council voted 17 to one against the recusal. […]

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First Singapore case of cannabis-derived medication allowed

A young girl with a drug-resistant form of epilepsy is believed to be the first and only patient in Singapore who has been given approval to use cannabis-derived medication. Suffering from refractory epilepsy, the girl failed to respond to therapies and had exhausted all currently registered medications for treatment, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) […]

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SEA Games woes set aside at opening ceremony

It took just two hours to wipe away a week’s worth of bad headlines as the Philippines rolled out the welcome mat for South-east Asia’s finest athletes last night. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared the 30th SEA Games open at the 55,000-seat Philippine Arena, which is 30km north of Manila, in a colourful opening ceremony […]

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Passers-by risked their lives to take down attacker

Ordinary Londoners leapt into the fray after a man launched a frenzied knife attack on London Bridge on Friday. Brandishing a fire extinguisher and a narwhal tusk, they chased down the fleeing suspect and wrestled him to the ground. The dramatic confrontation, partially captured in photos and videos by fellow bystanders, drew praise from politicians […]

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Johnson, Corbyn pause election activities after attack

The terror attack on Friday, just 13 days before an election that could decide the fate of Britain’s exit from the European Union, prompted political leaders to pause election activities in the capital for the rest of the day. But campaigning must go on soon after “as a statement against those who wish to attack […]

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‘Serious jihadist’ spent 6 years in jail for terrorism offences

The man responsible for the London Bridge knife attack was released from prison last December after spending six years behind bars for terrorism offences. Usman Khan, 28, was labelled a “serious” jihadist by the sentencing judge but has, for the past year, been out “on licence”, which means he had to meet certain conditions or […]

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Living without lifts on every floor

The Housing Board has completed its $5 billion Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP), which provides direct lift access for flats by installing new lifts, for more than 5,000 blocks. However, around 150 blocks across Singapore remain without lift access on some floors as it is not possible for HDB to install a new lift. Please subscribe […]

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Singapore, South Korea can forge ties in new areas: PM Lee Hsien Loong

Mention Korea, and most Singaporeans will think of kimchi, K-pop and Korean dramas. But even as Singapore and South Korea strengthen ties in traditional areas like culture and tourism, they can forge new ones in such areas as cyber security, smart cities and advanced manufacturing, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a meeting with […]

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New park for cyclists opens at East Coast

Members of the public now have one more reason to visit East Coast Park this school holiday season. A new 5.4ha Cyclist Park opened yesterday on the site of the former Goldkist Chalets. Located along the Round Island Route, and just across the highway from the Mandarin Gardens estate, the Cyclist Park is touted as […]

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Two new polyclinics to open in Kaki Bukit and Tengah by 2025

Two new polyclinics, to be located in Kaki Bukit and Tengah, will open by 2025. They are among 10 new polyclinics that will open in the coming years, in locations such as Bukit Panjang, Eunos, Kallang, Sembawang, Khatib, Tampines North, Serangoon and Yew Tee. The building of Kaki Bukit Polyclinic was announced by Senior Minister […]

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Grab’s cash advance scheme for workers raises eyebrows

Food delivery rider Atikah Ahzamshah will be jetting off to Milan for a well-earned Italian holiday, partly thanks to a new cash advance scheme being run by Grab that is raising some concerns. Ms Atikah, 27, took a cash advance of about $1,380 from Grab last month to buy the return air ticket. Please subscribe […]

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Transforming the SCDF in the race against time

Transforming the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is important as it deals with the needs of an ageing population, said Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs yesterday. She highlighted recent moves such as the tiered response system for Emergency Medical Services. Since April, the SCDF has stopped sending non-emergency […]

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Polio shots for Team Singapore athletes just before SEA Games

With only a week to the SEA Games from Nov 30 to Dec 11 in the Philippines, some 1,000 athletes and officials have had to be vaccinated against polio after receiving a travel advisory from the Team Singapore chief medical officer on Thursday. It advised them to be vaccinated before travelling there. Despite the short […]

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Two Singapore films score at Golden Horse Awards

Two Singaporean films made their mark at the 56th Golden Horse Awards held in Taipei last night, winning three awards from 10 nominations. Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann won Best Leading Actress for her performance in Wet Season, Singaporean film-maker Anthony Chen’s much-anticipated second feature-length film, while Singaporean film-maker Yeo Siew Hua scored a Best […]

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NParks steps in to spruce up Pulau Ubin’s charm

Pulau Ubin’s kampung landscape is being given a boost with moves under way by the National Parks Board (NParks) to restore seven homes and an old coffee shop in its town centre. The project kicked off last month and is addressing problems such as leaking roofs, damaged floorboards and broken windows. Please subscribe or log […]

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New lease of life for favourite Pulau Ubin eating spot run by two sisters

Pulau Ubin’s town centre boasts a second-generation eatery that has become a beloved makan (eating) spot for some of the National Parks Board (NParks) staff attached to the island, as well as cyclists, fishing enthusiasts and other day trippers. The Sin Lam Huat coffee shop’s home-style dishes, served up in generous portions, has made the […]

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Tweaks made to dementia village tender to draw more bidders

Singapore’s plans to set up a high-end dementia village in Gibraltar Crescent, near Sembawang Park, appears to have run into some hiccups. The authorities have now tweaked a couple of requirements and extended the deadline for operators to tender for the project. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Learn more […]

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Malaysians turning sour on squabbling ruling coalition

Malaysia’s confusing political scene turned murkier last week after two dozen MPs in the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and Umno threw their support behind the idea of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad serving the full five-year term, even as members of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition continue to throw bitter accusations at one another. […]

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Noise meters installed at void decks, community spaces in 5 HDB estates

Noise meters have been installed at community spaces such as void decks and basketball courts in five locations across Singapore, in an effort to bring down noise levels in housing estates. The gadgets were placed in Ang Mo Kio, Choa Chu Kang, Clementi, Sembawang and Yishun this month as part of a pilot project by […]

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A festival of lights and delights

As the streets of Little India glowed with lights, families did their last-minute shopping for colourful decorations, traditional wear and festive treats yesterday evening at the many stalls of the Deepavali Festival Village in Campbell Lane. The annual bazaar is held in conjunction with the festival which takes place today. Deepavali is an ancient Hindu […]

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Maids saddled with crippling debts after falling prey to phone scams by fellow maids

Dozens of Filipino maids are being saddled with crippling debts after being lured into a mobile phone racket organised by unscrupulous moneylenders who use other maids to run the scam. The fraud starts with a maid being shown a list of smartphones by a woman standing outside a telco shop. She hands the maid some […]

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Talks on trade war with China making headway, says US

WASHINGTON • Washington and Beijing are making “headway” on key issues in their ongoing trade dispute and discussions will continue, the US Trade Representative’s office (USTR) said following a phone call between senior officials. President Donald Trump heralded a major win in his offensive against China two weeks ago, saying the economic powers were close […]

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Singapore’s first automated bike parking facility to cease operation

The first automated underground bicycle parking system in Singapore will cease operating on Dec 28 due to a low take-up rate. The bicycle parking system, SecureMyBike, can house more than 500 bicycles. However, just three of its spaces were used daily between February last year and last month, and fewer than five monthly passes were […]

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Picture of oil-covered boy draws world’s eyes to Brazil spill

CABO DE SANTO AGOSTINHO (Brazil) • A boy walks ashore in Brazil in filthy waist-high water with a look of exasperation and his body smeared in oil, a photographer takes a shot, and the image goes viral. Last Monday, an AFP stringer at Itapuama beach in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco state, snapped the […]

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E-scooters legalised in France but banned on footpaths

PARIS • France on Friday officially legalised the use of electric scooters and similar devices, but banned them from footpaths, highways and rural roads. The machines have become an increasingly common sight on French streets recently, even though there was no law regulating their use. A decree published on Friday defines them as “motorised personal […]

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Noise top cause of spats in housing estates

In June, a man who worked in information technology quit his job. It was not because he was unhappy with his work. Rather, the Bukit Panjang resident wanted to spend time gathering evidence on what he says is noise disturbance caused by his neighbour from a unit below his flat. Please subscribe or log in […]

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Outside noise could affect home prices

Living close to major transport nodes may appear to be a boon, but flats that face above-ground MRT tracks or expressways could be disadvantaged in the resale market due to the noise. With the help of property agency ERA Realty, The Sunday Times analysed a sample of 39 Housing Board flats in five locations – […]