These include four new psychoactive substances that were temporarily listed, as well as a substance commonly known as U-47700.
File photo of pills. (AFP/Philippe Huguen)
(Updated: )
SINGAPORE: The Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) has listed five new psychoactive substances as Class A controlled drugs, meaning it would be an offence to traffic, manufacture, import, export, possess or consume them.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are those which produce the same or similar effects as controlled drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine and heroin.
Four of the substances were reclassified as Class A after they were on the temporary list, while another substance commonly known as U-47700 was added to the Class A category, announced CNB on Friday (Apr 28).
NPS can remain on the temporary list for up to 12 months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension, to allow CNB to seize the drugs listed and restrict their circulation. The authority then conducts research and industry consultations before the substance is classified as a controlled drug.
Those found guilty of trafficking Class A controlled drugs face a minimum of five years’ imprisonment and five strokes of the cane. There are stiffer penalties for those who re-offend or sell to young or vulnerable people.
CNB will also be empowered to subject NPS abusers to supervision, commit them to a drug rehabilitation centre for treatment and rehabilitation or charge them in court, the authority stated.
According to CNB, there has been a rapid increase in the number, type and availability of NPS across the globe.
It added that many of these substances have been reported to have no legitimate medical use, and their abuse has been linked to adverse physical and psychological reactions such as paranoia, seizures, hallucinations and even death.
“I had read the piece in full, but didn’t give your comments sufficient attention in my post. I apologise for that,” says the Associate Dean at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
File photo of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Associate Dean Donald Low. (Photo: NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health/ Facebook)
SINGAPORE: Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Associate Dean Donald Low has apologised to Law Minister K Shanmugam for a Facebook post, apparently criticising the minister’s comments that penalties for crime must reflect public opinion.
In a Facebook post on Friday afternoon (Apr 28), Mr Low reproduced an email he sent to Mr Shanmugam in which he apologised for causing any trouble or offence.
He said that his previous post was “mostly a reaction” to the headline of the TODAY article which he thought did not represent Mr Shanmugam’s position accurately. “I had read the piece in full, but didn’t give your comments sufficient attention in my post. I apologise for that,” wrote Mr Low.
In an exclusive interview with TODAY on Monday, Mr Shanmugam said that the Government must pay heed to how society feels about the punishment meted out in criminal cases. “But it doesn’t mean automatically you agree with it. You must assess it, whether it is also fair. So there are two parts to it — one, whether it is fair; two, what does the public believe is right,” he said.
Mr Low shared the TODAY article on his Facebook page that same day, stating that “making laws on the basis of public opinion is populism by another name”.
On Friday, Mr Low said his original post was not targeted at Mr Shanmugam, but rather his own take on what was wrong with a criminal justice system based on public opinion. “I was trying to point out that public opinion, even if it’s a factor in criminal punishment, is highly contingent, often irrational and subject to sudden changes,” he wrote.
“I accept that my post, in the context of the TODAY article carrying your comments, might be viewed as a criticism of you or your comments. That wasn’t my intention at all,” he added.
Her short but smashing performance put fans on a high at ION Orchard last year.
They clamoured for more but G.E.M, the diva of Chinese pop could not oblige as she was scheduled to perform only three songs for a special event in connection with the Singapore Grand Prix.
But the crowd was not totally disappointed – they know the Hong Kong’s singing dynamo would always be back.
Indeed. Come August 12, the singer (aka Gloria Tang) will set the Singapore Indoor Stadium on fire, with a new show, ‘Queen of Hearts’, which has already dazzled fans in China cities.
After she burst into the scene at 16, her popularity soared with multiple gold and platinum-selling albums. Her vocal acrobatics and chameleon versatility have impressed critics as she switched genres from pop and R&B to rock and rap in the same show.
Singing in Mandarin, Cantonese as well as English, G.E.M has built a formidable following throughout the world.
Explaining the theme of her new show, she said in a press statement that she wants to promote the message of love and conquering one’s inner demons. Whatever it is, fans will lap it up.
Tickets for the August concert will go on sale from 10am on May 5. Priced from $128 to $248, tickets can be booked by phone at 3158 7888 or online at www.sportshubtix.sg
They will also be sold at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Box Office and at SingPost outlets. More details on www.unusual.com.sg
SINGAPORE – Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rate along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) after North Buona Vista Road towards Tuas will double from $1 to $2 from May 8.
The changes in ERP rate was announced by the Land Transport Authority on Friday in its quarterly review of traffic condition across the island.
The revised rate of $2 along the AYE (towards Tus) will be charged during the 6pm – 6.30pm time slot.
A new gantry along the Kallang-Payer Lebar Expressway (KPE) will also be activated from May 8 to managed morning peak hour traffic, said the LTA.
The gantry is located at the KPE southbound after Defu Flyover.
The ERP rate from 7pm to 9.30pm is $2.
The next ERP rate review will take place in May for the June school holidays.
SINGAPORE: The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) will elect a new president and other office holders on Saturday (Apr 29), amid mudslinging between the potential candidates and police investigations that resulted in raids on the FAS and three football clubs – Tiong Bahru, Woodlands Wellington and Hougang United.
This is also the first time that the FAS presidency is up for a vote following a request by world football governing body FIFA, with the previous presidents appointed by the Singapore Government.
Given the stakes at hand, here are some of the key things you need to know ahead of the elections.
1. WHO’S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT?
Mr Bill Ng:
Mr Bill Ng, chairman of the Tiong Bahru and Hougang United football clubs. (Photo: Hougang United website)
As leader of the nine-man Team Game Changers, Mr Ng is a businessman specialising in mergers and acquisitions.
Founder of private equity firm Financial Frontiers, the 57-year-old is also a director of six companies. He is involved in football in his capacity as chairman of S.League club Hougang United, and with amateur club Tiong Bahru FC, which plays in the National Football League.
His business achievements include listing Cambodian casino company NagaCorp on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2006 – which has been mentioned frequently as demonstrating his capabilities to turn difficult projects into profitable ventures.
The Team Game Changers slate includes Rajah and Tann lawyer Lau Kok Keng, who is standing for deputy president, and former Singapore Hockey Federation president Annabel Pennefather and Tampines Rovers chairman Krishna Ramachandra, who are running for vice president positions.
Mr Lim Kia Tong:
A criminal litigation lawyer for 30 years, Team LKT’s presidential hopeful has been on the FAS committee since 1999, first as a council member before becoming FAS vice president in 2007. He is currently the interim president for the provisional council overseeing the sports association ahead of the elections.
The 64-year-old also sat on the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) legal committee from 2003 to 2006. He has been the AFC Disciplinary Committee’s chairman since March 2011 and will continue until July 2019.
He also became the first Singaporean to assume a leadership role on a FIFA committee, when he was elected as its disciplinary committee’s deputy chairman in May 2013.
Notable names on Team LKT’s slate are former FAS vice presidents Edwin Tong and Bernard Tan, Balestier Khalsa chairman S Thavaneson, and former Tampines Rovers boss Teo Hock Seng.
2. VISION FOR THE GAME
Team LKT has a 10-point manifesto that includes plans to improve administration, create more facilities, enlarging the pool of coaches, referees, administrators and volunteers, and reviewing the S.League and expanding competitions at all levels to meet national objectives.
Team Game Changers’ plans, meanwhile, fall into seven key areas including administration, facilities, talent scouting and player care.
Plans also include reviving the Singapore Business Houses Football League, and gradually raising salaries to encourage more young footballers to play in the S.League. The league, in turn, would eventually expand to between 12 and 14 teams from its current nine-club format.
3. WHAT’S AT STAKE
The way football is run in Singapore has been widely criticised by many observers. Last October, Singapore’s world ranking sank to an all-time low of 171. Presently, its FIFA global ranking is 164.
Singapore’s recent performances in Southeast Asia across all age groups have been disappointing. Despite winning the ASEAN Football Federation Championships four times, Singapore failed to make it past the group stage in 2014 and 2016.
The Under-23 squad, too, flopped in the Southeast Asian Games in 2015 which was held on home soil, with the team crashing out in the group stage.
Professional club football has been in a rut for many years. On a good day, close to 1,000 fans can be seen at an S.League match, but some games would see only a few hundred.
Attempts to generate interest in the S.League by bringing in foreign teams have had limited success, and the perception remains among many football fans that the local game isn’t worth following.
4. ROILING CONTROVERSIES
Investigators loading boxes after raiding Tiong Bahru FC clubhouse at People’s Park. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
What began as a manifesto unveiling for Team Game Changers earlier this month started a chain of events that has culminated in the arrests of a number of senior figures in the local football scene.
During the media conference, Mr Ng said that he had donated S$500,000 to the FAS back in 2014, with the money meant for local football. Later, FAS general secretary Winston Lee claimed the money actually went to the ASEAN Football Federation for its Football Management System.
This quickly turned into a spat between both parties over the use of the abovementioned donation.
Things came to a head on Apr 20 when SportSG filed a police report over the suspected misuse of funds at Mr Ng’s Tiong Bahru FC, and a “purported attempt” by a senior official of the club to “delay and/or obstruct the completion of audits into the S.League sit-out clubs”.
Shortly afterwards, raids were carried out by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) on the clubhouses of Tiong Bahru, Hougang United and Woodlands Wellington – all of which are establishments owned by Mr Ng – as well as the FAS office at Jalan Besar Stadium.
Former FAS chairman and ex-PAP MP Zainudin Nordin, Lee, Ng and his wife Bonnie Wong were reported to have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigations. It is believed that they are currently out on police bail.
5. WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON ELECTION DAY?
Saturday (Apr 29) will see the first-ever election for the FAS Council, and the result will determine its leadership slate for the next four years.
The elections will take place at the Black Box Auditorium at the Singapore Sports Hub, and the various candidates have between 9am to 10.30am to register.
Voting will start at 11am.
FAS’ 44 affiliates, 23 of which are NFL clubs, will cast their votes to decide who should lead the organisation. Vote counting will commence as soon as all affiliates have cast their ballot, with the results expected at 4pm. Source link
#SupportLocalLah The Noose is back on the big stage after their successful run in 2016! The Noose & Kakis: My PSLE Is Better Than Yours tackles one of the most hard-hitting issues in Singapore – education, through humour and jokes. Together with four of Singapore’s best stand-up comedians, you’ll be sure to have a roaring good time with the whole family. Get your tickets now at https://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cnoose0517
After their successful run in 2016, The Noose is crossing over from TV to stage for the second time with more madcap sketches and sidesplitting jokes, as our crazy band of Noose reporters and their stand-up comedian friends tackle the bastion of Singapore’s meritocratic society – EDUCATION. With eve…
ST27042017_1711673070 // Feline Lim No Signboard Seafood restaurant launches a retail concept that has vending machine that serves its chilli crabs and ramen, and pharmacy and snacks counter
SINGAPORE – The mamak shop – a convenience store found in the void deck of many Housing Board flats – has gone high tech.
A cluster of vending machines called The Ma2 Shop has replaced a mamak shop in Block 143 Tampines Street 12. The 150 sq ft space opened on Thursday (April 27).
It houses six vending machines that sell ready-to-eat meals including canned Japanese oden, snacks, medical supplies, drinks, household provisions and knick-knacks such as hair accessories and powerbanks. It operates round the clock.
However, the machine which dishes out hot meals such as chicken rice and chilli crab spaghetti will start operating only on May 27.
All the machines accept cashless payment methods such as using credit cards, EZ-link cards and e-wallet services such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
The Ma2 Shop is by the No Signboard Seafood restaurant chain. Five other outlets will be opened by May 27, all located in void decks of HDB flats. An outlet in Block 8 Holland Drive will open on May 5, while another outlet in Block 7 Lorong Lew Lian in Serangoon will start on May 15.
The other locations are Block 21 St George’s Road and Block 693 Hougang Street 61.
Mr Sam Lim, 40, chairman of No Signboard Seafood, says the vending machine business is “more scalable” than operating restaurants.
He says: “The vending machines occupy spaces with stable rent and can run without manpower. The cost prices of the products are more stable than ingredients used in restaurants. We also plan to export the vending machines to countries such as Japan.”
No Signboard Seafood operates four restaurants including in Geylang Road and Vivo City. It is known for its chilli crab dish.
Mr Lim’s partner in the venture, Mr Lam Zhi Loong, 33, approached him to set up The Ma2 Shop last year, after seeing the popularity of vending machine shops in Tokyo, where he frequently travels to. “Like Tokyo, Singapore is also facing increasing property prices and it is difficult to find workers in the food sector,” he says. “Besides, Singaporeans are interested in trying out new types of Japanese food.”
They invested about $1 million to set up the six outlets and plan to add machines that dispense ramen, onsen eggs and fruit jellies.
Also coming up is the Asian Food Box by No Signboard Seafood that dispenses five halal-certified meals including fried Hokkien mee and rice or spaghetti served with the restaurant’s popular chilli crabs that have been de-shelled. Customers can also purchase frozen pre-cooked food packs and heat them up in a microwave oven. Prices range from $5.80 to $11.90.
Mr Lim says it took six months for the restaurant to tweak its chilli crab recipe so that its taste can be retained after being blast-frozen and re-heated for about two minutes in the machine’s in-built microwave oven.
Vending machine clusters in void decks are not a new concept here.
Last August, catering company JR Food Group opened VendCafe in Sengkang, which serves hot dishes such as seafood hor fun and curry chicken rice, drinks and snacks. It will open two more outlets in Ang Mo Kio and Lakeside MRT stations early next month, and two outlets in Pasir Ris and Rivervale estates in June.
But The Ma2 Shop also stocks about 40 pharmacy products such as antiseptic cream, plasters and Panadol, and household items such as rice and cooking oil.
Mr Lim points out: “These machines are convenient after the pharmacies and most supermarkets have closed for the day.”
Most residents near The Ma2 Shop whom The Straits Times spoke to gave the thumbs up for the convenience though some say they will miss the personal touch of chatting with a shop owner.
Tuition teacher Jayne Leong, 28, says: “It is a good start to modernise the mamak shop, but this is a mature estate and the elderly may find it difficult to use these vending machines. I am sceptical about the freshness of the ready-to-eat meals as I am not sure how often they are replenished.”
Retired sales manager Joe Lim, 60, says: “I prefer this to a mamak shop as I can still get a hot meal when the coffee shops have closed and can buy medical supplies if I need them urgently.
This article was first published on April 28, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
A coffee-scented postage stamp was released by minister Nirmala Sitharaman (right, in white) along with minister of state for communications Manoj Sinha (in yellow) on April 23.
The stamps, which cost Rs100 (S$2.20) and are a collector’s version, were released by Bengaluru’s India Post department. According to a report in The Hindu, nearly one lakh stamps are ready for sale.
They will be available at the Philatelic Bureau at Bangalore General Post Office and various other head post offices.
While most K-pop stars are known for their on stage talents, some like to throw on an apron and prove that they know how to work a kitchen.
Here is a list of K-pop stars who have outstanding cooking skills, almost called “master chefs,” lending charm to their already attractive image.
1. SHINee’s Key
Key of SHINee has been proving himself as an experienced chef on several cooking variety shows.
He once appeared on SBS’ cooking show “Baek Jong-won’s Three Great Kings” in February, boasting his professional knowledge in cooking and demonstrating how to cook fried rice in his own way in the studio.
Key also said he makes a lunch box for himself every day and that he enjoys cooking Roman pasta called “Cacio e pepe.”
Read also: Minzy ranks No. 2 on Billboard world chart
2. Super Junior M’s Henry
Henry of Super Junior M was an apprentice under a renowned Korean chef. Photo: The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Henry of Super Junior M was an apprentice under a renowned Korean chef. (MBC’s ‘I Live Alone’ via The Korea Herald/File)
Henry of Super Junior M was an apprentice under a renowned Korean chef.
He showed his cooking skills on the Lunar New Year episode of MBC’s “I Live Alone” in February. While making Chinese food, he also showed a little trick with a frying pan, saying his fine cooking skills are the result of months of practice in the kitchen.
He had also successfully impressed Yewon, his virtual wife while filming MBC’s dating variety show “We Got Married” in 2015, with the dishes he made for her.
3. BTS’s Jin
The idol calls himself “Eat-Jin”. Photo: The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
The idol calls himself “Eat-Jin”.(MBC’s ‘Idol Chef King’ via The Korea Herald/File)
The idol calls himself “Eat-Jin” and posts food-related content on his social media account, an implication of how much he enjoys food.
Jin showcased his top-notch skills on the Korean Thanks Giving Day episode of MBC’s “Idol Chef King” while cooking egg dishes.
His bandmate reportedly call Jin “The mother of BTS” for his cooking ability.
4. Red Velvet’s Wendy
Wendy, left, and BoA. Wendy is a huge fan of baking. Photo: The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Wendy, left, and BoA. Wendy is a huge fan of baking.(BoA’s Instagram via The Korea Herald/File)
Wendy is a huge fan of baking. She said she learnt to love baking from her mother who is also a keen baker.
Wendy also said she enjoys baking for her friends and staff members and even made a big walnut pie for fellow artist BoA’s concert.
5. Seventeen’s Mingyu
Mingyu is also known as the best cook among the 13-member boy group. Photo: The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Mingyu is also known as the best cook among the 13-member boy group. (SBS’ ‘Baek Jong-won’s Three Great Kings’ via The Korea Herald/File)
Mingyu is also known as the best cook among the 13-member boy group.
The singer recently appeared on “Baek Jong-won’s Three Great Kings” where he cooked spicy noodles that was praised by the staff and other guests from the programme.
He also holds a nickname “Ming Housewife” within the group because he usually makes dishes that are large enough to feed the whole group.
Singapore – She grabbed the attention of the nation when she was born in 1991, due to her marked difference in appearance. Doctors had not expected her to live past her teenage years, but here’s Ng Poh Peng, alive and well at 26 years old.
Miss Ng suffers from congenital ichthyosis, an incurable and rare hereditary skin disorder that causes her skin to flake off, leaving her skin underneath pink and wrinkled.
She hardly leaves the house due to her sensitivity to sunlight, but when she does, it’s hard not to attract stares and double takes from passers-by. She used to be hurt by the gawking, but now she says, “My parents love me, that’s enough.”
About “The Newsmaker”:
“The Newsmaker” （封面人物） is one of 10 SPH-produced short form digital video series as part of a pilot Public Service Broadcast initiative. In this 13-part series, people who have made news headlines in the past share with the host Fred Lai (Content Producer, Chinese Media Group Digital) how the news events changed their lives and how they have been coping since then. All episodes come with English subtitles.
This series is also available on the zaobao.sg website and mobile app.
File photo of pills. (AFP/Philippe Huguen)
File photo of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Associate Dean Donald Low. (Photo: NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health/ Facebook)
