This handout photo released by the Sri Lanka Customs Office on September 25, 2017 shows a Sri Lankan customs official displaying gold that had been found stuffed in a man's rectum at the country's main international airport in Colombo. Sri Lanka customs arrested an India-bound passenger attempting to smuggle out nearly a kilo (2.2 pounds) of gold biscuits and jewellery stuffed in his rectum, a spokesman said September 25. Officials were alerted when the 45-year-old Sri Lankan man behaved "suspiciously" at the departure lounge of the country's main international airport on September 24, spokesman Sunil Jayaratne said. / AFP PHOTO / SRI LANKA CUSTOMS OFFICE / Handout / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Sri Lanka Customs Office"- NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
New Delhi – Gold smugglers are resorting to increasingly desperate measures to get the metal past customs, Indian officials say, after nearly a dozen people were caught with bullion stashed in their rectums.
India is the world’s second-largest consumer of gold and smuggling has been increasing since duties were raised on the precious metal, an essential part of religious festivals and weddings.
Customs officials acting on a tip-off Sunday detained a group of crafty gold mules as their plane from Sri Lanka touched down in the southern city of Madurai.
“Eleven passengers had concealed some 32 to 50 grams (1.1 to 1.8 ounces) each in their rectums. Another 17 had hidden gold in their luggage,” a senior Directorate of Revenue Intelligence official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The value of the haul was more than 30 million rupees ($500,000), he added.
Demand for gold peaks in the final months of the year as the wedding season gets going and preparations are made for the major Hindu festivals of Diwali and Dussehra.
There has been a rise in smuggling since duties on gold were raised in 2013. But secreting the valuable metal inside a body cavity has really only caught on recently, officials say.
“It seems to be a new trend that has caught up in the last 7-8 months. Since the amounts of gold are not huge, it is easier for them to escape detection,” the customs official said.
The bars are usually wrapped in plastic and shaped like a battery to ease insertion and removal, he said.
“They stuff it in on boarding, and then take it out so it is not uncomfortable during the flight. Just before disembarking the plane, they put it back there again,” he said.
“All this is done meticulously so as not to cause any bruise or injury.” The World Gold Council estimates smuggling networks imported up to 120 tonnes of gold into India in 2016.
Bangladesh has emerged as a major route for smuggled bullion into neighbouring India, with authorities seizing a record 1.5 tonnes at airports in the past three years and arresting more than 100 people.
Smugglers have become more creative as their schemes have been uncovered, with authorities discovering gold bars sewn in clothes or hidden inside traffickers’ bodies and some using wheelchairs to conceal their illicit cargo.
SINGAPORE: Checking in at the newly established Yotel Singapore along Orchard Road is a do-it-yourself (DIY) process.
Instead of lining up at the front desk, guests can register and collect their room keys via the self-service kiosks located at the lobby. For those checking out, the same can be done at these kiosks equipped with touchscreens and magnetic stripe card readers.
This is just one of the many technology-driven offerings available at Yotel – a London-based micro hotel chain known for the creative use of technology within its properties. It opened its first hotel in Singapore, as well as Asia, earlier this month, touting an “innovative style of hospitality”.
Apart from DIY check-in and check-out kiosks, rooms in Yotel come with “technowalls” that have adjustable mood lighting and smart TVs. Each room also has a “smartbed” that reclines and transforms into a couch by pressing a button.
With a standard Yotel room being about 14 square metres, this helps to maximise space, according to the hotel’s Singapore general manager Brendan Daly. Automation in the check-in and check-out processes also reduces the time guests spend at the front desk, he added.
Given its emphasis on technology and compact room designs, the hospitality brand sees itself as a disruptor of sorts.
“Our cabins are compact but we offer facilities at a quality location that aren’t going to cost an arm and a leg,” said Mr Daly, referring to how rates for its 610 guest rooms start from S$164. “It’s about providing everything that people need but not making them pay for things that they don’t need, such as space.”
And despite its compact designs allowing it to squeeze more rooms into a given space, Yotel currently employs just 140 staff. It plans to increase headcount to 180 over the next three months but Mr Daly said the use of technology has helped Yotel to maintain a leaner workforce than traditional hotels.
A traditional hotel with the same number of rooms requires twice or triple that number of staff.
“The efficiencies are garnered at the front desk. Other automation include bringing in robotics to help support our guest services,” he told Channel NewsAsia.
“We are a technology-led brand and technology will always be something that we focus on.”
A customer tries out the self check-in kiosk at Yotel Singapore. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
THE RISE OF THE HIGH-TECH HOTEL?
Elsewhere, other hotels in Singapore are embracing technology as they attempt to court younger travellers amid the rise of Airbnb, as well as counter manpower challenges and other costs.
Singapore’s status as a key travel hub and the presence of a developed IT industry also attracted many players to test-bed their new initiatives here, helping the local market to stay “ahead of the curve”, said Mr Rudolf Hever, director of hotels at Savills Singapore.
Given the speed of technological advancements, many of these initiatives have leaned towards software, instead of hardware infrastructure that may risk becoming obsolete quickly. Hence, apart from faster Internet access, a paperless check-in process is something that many hotels have rolled out.
At the Hilton Singapore and the Conrad Centennial Singapore, guests have been able to use the Hilton Honours app to check in and select their rooms before arrival. The introduction of a Digital Key function within the app three years ago allows guests to also use their smartphones as room keys.
Regional general manager Peter Webster said: “How it works is it sends signals via Bluetooth so when a guest walks down the corridor, a big green button that says ‘Open Door’ appears on the phone, After pressing that, there will be a click in the door and it will open.”
“With a smartphone becoming a consumer’s remote control for many things, being able to use it as a door key is perhaps the next thing they’ll expect to have.”
Singapore was the first market outside the US to roll out the Digital Key. At the moment, it is used by about 15 per cent of guests at both hotels. While there have not been any visible manpower or cost savings, Mr Webster thinks it will eventually help to make queues at front desks a thing of the past.
“People are able to go straight to their rooms and avoid lining up at the front desk. There will also be less instances of people having their keys fail … All these will allow us more time with other guests.”
The “Digital Key” function allows guests to use their smartphones as room keys. (Photo: Hilton)
Over at AccorHotels, guests are allowed to check in online two days before their arrival. For check-out, guests can drop their room keys in the express box and opt for their bills to be emailed to them. At the Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, this fast check-out service is available on the IPTV sets in the guest rooms.
Mr Adi Satria, vice president of sales marketing & distribution for Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, said the online registration procedure, which allows for room keys to be prepared in advance, has reduced check-in time by an average of 3 to 5 minutes for each guest. Meanwhile, the fast check-out process helped to lower printing and paper cost by about S$100 to S$150 per month.
Robots are also in the works, specifically at the newly opened Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
The 223-room luxury hotel, part of AccorHotels, will have its own droid butler “Sophie” by the end of the month. The robot, whose primary function is to deliver items, will be able to take lifts using a special Wi-Fi sensor and navigate its way to a guest’s room.
Savills’ Mr Hever said this is in line with the trend of hotels cutting down on manpower, especially at lobbies in roles such as receptionists, and leaning towards increased automation. Moving forward, hotels may tap on other technologies, including facial recognition, to know more about customer preferences even before check-in.
For Yotel, while its iconic baggage carrier Yobot would not be making an appearance in Singapore, the Orchard Road property will be getting its own room service robot.
“It’s about providing amenities to our guests in a fun way so innovation in Singapore will involve our guest service robots delivering items, such as water, towels, coat hangers or umbrellas,” said Mr Daly. “Their function is really on the customer service side but we’ve worked in some personality so these robots are going to be interactive.”
Yotel Singapore’s general manager Brendan Daly. (Photo: Tang See Kit)
Similar technology offerings will also be available at Yotel’s upcoming property at Changi Airport’s new Jewel development. YotelAir, which offers sleeping pods in airports such as Amsterdam, London and Paris, is scheduled to be ready in early 2019.
While Mr Daly declined to reveal occupancy rates at Yotel’s Orchard Road property, he said that demand has exceeded his expectations, with majority of its guests coming from other parts of Southeast Asia and between the age of 25 and 45 years old.
Despite stiff competition, Yotel is confident of its business model and ability to garner a slice of the local hospitality market.
“Singapore is the gateway market to Asia so to have a presence here means a lot. There’s a lot of confidence in the market, in terms of visitor arrivals, so Singapore is an easy choice,” Mr Daly said.
SINGAPORE: Six thousand cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized at Woodlands checkpoint on Tuesday (Oct 10), said the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday.
The Malaysia-registered lorry, driven by a 47-year-old Malaysian man, was stopped for further checks at around 6am.
Its consignment was declared to contain assorted vegetables, but ICA officers found the cartons of cigarettes concealed among it.
The total duty and goods and services tax evaded amounted to about S$498,192 and S$36,744 respectively.
A total of 6,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were seized. (Photo: ICA)
“Our borders are our first line of defence in safeguarding Singapore’s security. The security checks are critical to our nation’s security,” the ICA said in a statement.
“The ICA will continue to conduct security checks on passengers and vehicles at the checkpoints to prevent attempts to smuggle in undesirable persons, drugs, weapons, explosives and other contraband. The same methods of concealment used by contraband smugglers may be used by terrorists to smuggle arms and explosives to carry out attacks in Singapore.”
Mr Matsuo was more than just a hairdresser. The philanthropist will always be remembered for his signature Makeover Magic Shows, an annual event he held since 2013 in Singapore and Japan, where he gave makeovers to older women and women who have gone through the ordeal of cancer.
The late Mr Matsuo was trained in hairdressing in Japan. In 1996, the celebrity hair stylist established an eponymous salon in Singapore.
Mr Matsuo passed away in his hometown of Kobe after battling with pancreatic cancer at the age of 67. There are currently 10 Shunji Matsuo salons in total including an outlet in Ion Orchard, Ngee Ann City and 313@ Somerset.
This hairstyling icon needs no introduction. He has dressed the tresses of local celebrities like Zoe Tay and Fann Wong and Hollywood superstars like Zhang Ziyi. This Malaysian-born hair maestro started from humble beginnings.
In 1982, Gan set up his first salon, Passion, in Lucky Plaza. He was soon able to build up a clientele base. Within two years, the candid hairstylist was able to expand his salon, occupying a larger floor space in Lucky Plaza.
In 2001, Passion moved to its current location at Palais Renaissance. Aside from his larger than life personality, he is also known for his distinct fashion sense. He boasts more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
KIM ROBINSON
Photo: Facebook/Kim Robinson
If you want to get your hair cut by Kim Robinson, you should be prepared to fork out no less than $2,000. Celebrity hairstylist Kim Robinson reopened his budget-brand salon, kr+ in Singapore last year after a six-year hiatus.
The salon that was open from 2006 to 2009 at Millenia Walk pulled down its shutters during the financial crisis.
When he is not busy coiffing the curls of the rich and famous in Asia, he devotes himself to grooming top hairstyling students from the Institute of Technical Education in Singapore for the workplace.
ADDY LEE
Photo: Facebook/Addy Lee
Addy Lee is a firm believer of taking chances in life. He left his hometown in Penang at the age of 19 to pursue his dream of being a hairdresser.
For the next three years, Addy acquired experience and hair styling expertise from working in various hair styling establishments.
His hard work certainly paid off. Today, he is the proud owner of the salon chain, Monsoon Group.
JERIC SEE
Photo: Facebook/Jeric See
Jeric See is the founder of Red Salon. Always ahead of his time, he was only 16 when he completed his studies at Vidal Sassoon in London.
With encouragement from his parents, Jeric decided to start his own salon and as they say, the rest is history. The iconic hairdresser has come a long way.
He learned the foundations of cutting hair from his aunt who was a hairdresser. In the mid-seventies, hairdressing was a primarily female dominated industry, it was unusual to see male hairdressers.
Jeric revealed that it was so rare to see a male hairstylist back then that a crowd would form outside the salon just to watch him cut hair.
In a Facebook post last week, Miss Park shared screenshots of a WhatsApp conversation she had with the colleague, where she confronted him for making sexist remarks about her.
Miss Park alleged that the man had told her: “I cannot be a presenter because I have no boobs” and “girls shouldn’t be too smart for their own good and I should act dumb”.
He then responded by saying, “I’m so sorry if it hurt you” and “it was meant to be a joke”. However, he also added that “it’s how the industry works”, implying that a woman either has to be “super pretty” or “have boobs” in order to succeed.
The post, titled “Sexism in 2017” is no longer publicly accessible.
The post, titled “Sexism in 2017” is no longer publicly accessible.Photo: Facebook/Park Juwon
Miss Park, who previously interned at Bloomberg, Associated Press and Google, said in a subsequent post that this was not a one-off incident in her one and a half year stint at Mediacorp.
However, she said that her concerns were always brushed off by both male and female colleagues who called her “unlucky”.
In response to the incident, a Mediacorp spokesman said: “We have concluded that the allegations are valid and have taken the necessary disciplinary action against the staff who had made the inappropriate remarks.”
The New Paper reported that following Miss Park’s posts, other producers in Mediacorp have also come forward to its management to share similar experiences.
The spokesman added: “Further to Juwon’s complaints, other colleagues have since brought forth allegations of inappropriate conduct by the staff in question and by two freelancers who work in the same unit as him.
“We are investigating the allegations against the freelancers and will not hesitate to take appropriate action.
“We embrace the diversity of our workforce and will fight any form of discrimination or harassment that threatens our core values.
“Our code of business conduct and ethics states that we do not condone any form of harassment and that employees who know of or witness inappropriate behaviours should report them.
“All employees of Mediacorp sign a renewed commitment to this code every year.”
According to TNP, Miss Park, who had already been serving notice last week, has been released from her two-month notice period and that she has given back her media pass and work pass to Mediacorp.
She wrote in a public Facebook post on Tuesday (Oct 10) that “it has been the most difficult week in my life.”
Besides bearing the brunt of “very graphic and disgusting” comments on online forums, Miss Park said she was also shunned by even her closest colleagues, while some blamed her for being unable to “take jokes”.
Describing it as a “painful” experience, she added: “I don’t regret that I spoke up– although it probably left some mud in my reputation and future job prospect. I spoke up because I cannot justify my job if I cannot even speak up for myself.”
After the initial furore surrounding Halimah Yaacob being, err, elected as president, Singaporeans have predictably decided it wasn’t worth the fuss and gone back to their daily lives.
Despite the initial outrage, most people have no clue how having Halimah Yaccob as president can have an effect on our lives. After all, the word “figurehead” is commonly bandied about in relation to the presidential post.
Well, guess what, it’s not a given that our new president will necessarily have zero impact on our daily lives.
One of the president’s roles is safeguarding Singapore’s reserves.
The government’s reserves are basically their assets and savings, which they can draw upon to fund local schools, pay out Baby Bonuses, subsidise childcare centres, provide healthcare subsidies, upgrade HDB flats, dole out GST vouchers and so on.
The president can choose to exercise certain powers pertaining to the government’s reserves, such as the following.
APPROVING THE ANNUAL BUDGET
Lots of Singaporeans pay attention whenever the budget is announced each year. People want to know where all that money they pay in the form of income tax, GST, COE, vice tax and so on will be going.
That’s where the president comes in. She has the power to reject the budget… but only if it proposes to draw upon past reserves.
Think of the government’s reserves as a savings account where the cash saved up over the years has been stashed. If the government is making enough money that year, through taxation, COE and so on, to fund its entire budget, there will be no need to draw upon past reserves.
It is when expenditure exceeds revenue and the government needs to dig into its past reserves that the president can veto the budget.
To be fair, the Singapore government has traditionally been very careful about spending its reserves. The first time the government ever had to dip into its reserves was 2009.
But given the rapidly aging population and tough economic times ahead, it’s likely that the government will have to start dipping into its reserves more and more, which is when the president will get to use her powers, if she wants to.
APPROVING THE APPOINTMENT AND REMOVAL OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BOARD MEMBER OF STAT BOARDS AND GOVERNMENT COMPANIES, AND KEY PUBLIC OFFICERS
You don’t need me to tell you that the people who govern Singapore and those who sit at the top of stat boards and government companies such as the MAS, the CPF Board, GIC and Temasek have a great deal of power.
That’s why it is important to have some safeguards over the appointment and removal of these very important people.
The president has the power to veto the appointment and removal of these people, as well as other major public officers including the Chief Valuer, the Accountant-General and the Auditor-General.
INFLUENCING HOW INVESTMENT RETURNS FROM PAST RESERVES ARE TO BE USED FOR THE ANNUAL BUDGET
Not only does the president have to approve the government’s annual budget in the event that it requires dipping into the government’s reserves, her approval also has to be sought regarding the way in which the reserves are used.
Simply put, there are some rules governing how investment returns are used, based on the expected rate of return of the government’s investments (after deducting for inflation and liabilities).
They’re only permitted to spend a maximum of 50 per cent of the expected real returns.
But of course, what an “expected rate of return” is can vary greatly depending on whom you ask. That’s why the president has the power to veto this estimation if she disagrees with it, in which case the government will be required to use the 20-year historical average rate of return when determining how much they’re allowed to spend.
As you can see, the president does have some powers, especially in years where we’re looking at a budget deficit, which while very rare in the past (so far we’ve only had a deficit in 2009 and 2015) could well happen more often from now on thanks to our demographic woes and economic uncertainty.
Of course, only time will tell whether the president chooses to exercise her powers or remain compliant to the government.
What are your views on the election of Singapore’s new president? Tell us in the comments!
We may have existed for over two decades – which is ancient in internet years – but it’s nice to know that we’re still cool enough for Singapore millennials.
Others in the top three were Lazada at second and Amex in third spot.
YouGov had asked consumers aged between 18 and 34 if they heard anything positive about the brand in the past two weeks and were then subsequently ranked on word-of-mouth scores, based on whether they had talked about a brand with their friends and family in the past two weeks.
AsiaOne, which was established as a news portal in 1995, underwent a major rebranding campaign in May. Since then, it has transformed into a content site that focuses on trending topics within Singapore and the region.
It carries articles from content partners around Asia to bring to readers a diverse range of stories.
In May 2017, the same month AsiaOne unveiled its brand new look, the website won the award of excellence – the highest honour possible – at the 23rd Annual Communicator Awards.
Said AsiaOne’s editor Karen Lim: “With our recent revamp in May where we have shifted our focus to trending news, it’s encouraging that our efforts have paid off with the results of this survey. It’s great to know that our team – who are also made up of millennials – have their ears to the ground and are giving our readers what they want.”
“Millennials, those were born between 1980 and 1999, are one of the largest and most technology savvy generations ever. Marketing to this demographic is a priority for established and emerging brands alike. Leveraging BrandIndex and its different measurement metrics, we can see which brands are the most popular in the eyes of this generation,” said Ervin Ha, head of data products at YouGov Asia Pacific.
Among best-perceived brands, McDonald’s, Carousell and Taobao Southeast Asia were ranked tops.
Featuring prominently in the list were e-commerce and m-commerce brands, as well as brands from the food and beverage sector, providing some insight on what’s popular among millennials.
These include Uniqlo (67.3), Starbucks (65.4), Singapore Airlines (65.2), Singtel (64.7) and KFC (62.1).
And yes, a big thank you goes out to all of you, our dear readers. Keep on reading!
At long last, there will be a Banyan Tree resort in Singapore and it will offer one-of-a-kind experience in Mandai’s new integrated nature and wildlife park.
Opening in 2023, the eco-friendly 400-room resort will offer guests an interesting range of tropical stays – from lowrise accommodation for families to exclusive elevated cabins and stylish treehouses sprawled over 4.6 ha of land in the eastern section of the park.
Expect comfort and sophisticated hotel services while you enjoy the rich biodiversity and forest-fresh air in your midst. The resort might come under a new brand of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, which now offers four brands catering to different market segments and lifestyle needs.
Banyan Tree to open its first Singapore resort in Mandai
Besides getting easy access to five wildlife parks, guests can also enjoy a nature-themed indoor attraction in the resort. Also planned are guided nature walks, wildlife spotting tours, recycling workshops and educational movie screenings, said a statement issued by Mandai Park Holdings (MPH) today (Oct 11).
After achieving continuously glowing success with its premium resorts around the world for more than two decades, the award-winning homegrown Banyan Tree group is finally going to run one in Singapore.
Mr Ho Kwon Ping, executive chairman of Banyan Tree, said: “After establishing 43 resorts in 25 countries over the past 23 years, we are excited to partner MPH to plant Banyan Tree’s first flag in Singapore.
“With MPH’s mission and expertise in wildlife conservation and education, this partnership is in line with Banyan Tree’s ethos and experience in developing sustainable resorts that fit into the natural settings – to create an original and authentic accommodation experience like none other.”
Will Banyan Tree in Mandai look like Banyan Tree Seychelles, which is set in a tropical forest? Photo: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
Owned by MPH, the resort, which will be sensitively built around existing vegetation, will be jointly created and named by both parties, said the statement.
Mr Mike Barclay, group CEO of MPH, said: “This stayover experience forms an integral part of our overall vision for the Mandai nature and wildlife precinct – to inspire guests to value and conserve biodiversity through memorable experiences.”
Banyan Tree has had immense experience in developing and managing resorts that are tactfully located and sustainably operated. It has also run many environmental conservation and community programmes, noted Mr Barclay.
So in this regard, Banyan Tree and MPH are “deeply aligned”, he said.
The Mandai area now features the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Safari. It will be expanded to include the Bird Park (to be relocated from Jurong) and a new Rainforest Park, both of which will open in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
chenj@sph.com.sg
Banyan Tree Seychelles could provide design ideas for Banyan Tree’s property in Mandai. Photo: Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
Channel NewsAsia understands that the clubs affected were Zouk and Get Juiced, both at Clarke Quay
Zouk at Clarke Quay. (File photo: Winnie Goh)
(Updated: )
SINGAPORE: Ten teenagers aged 17 to 19 are being investigated for trying to enter clubs using forged stamps to avoid paying the entry fee, the police said on Wednesday (Oct 11).
The police said in a news release that between August and September, it received three separate reports about people trying to enter the clubs using forged entry stamps.
In one instance, the suspects allegedly forged the entry stamps of a public entertainment outlet, which Channel NewsAsia understands to be Zouk, and sold and used the stamps.
In two other cases, the suspects are believed to have duplicated genuine entry stamps for Zouk and another Clarke Quay club, Get Juiced, by transferring them among themselves through skin contact.
Some of the suspects do not meet the legal age requirement – 18 years – to enter the clubs, the police said, adding that investigations are ongoing.
“Members of the public are advised to pay for the entry fee and obtain the official entry stamp only from the public entertainment outlets. Individuals who do not fulfil the minimum age requirement should not attempt to enter the such outlets,” the authorities said in the news release.
Anyone found guilty of forgery for the purpose of cheating may be punished with up to 10 years in jail and a fine. The same punishment applies to anyone convicted of intentionally aiding or abetting such an offence.
