He was on his way to pick up his wife from work yesterday when a mobile crane crashed into his car, trapping his young son in the front passenger seat.
Thankfully, the nine-year-old made it out alive after he was pulled out,…
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Client does not deserve death penalty
Sarawakian Tony Imba was sentenced to life in prison and caning for his role in the murder-robbery of Indian national Shanmuganathan Dillidurai in May 2010.
But following Imba’s sentencing in April last year, the prosecution…
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SkyVille@Dawson among 23 HDB projects to win award
SINGAPORE – SkyVille@Dawson and Waterway Ridges in Punggol are among the public housing projects being recognised by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for “design and construction excellence” at an annual award ceremony this Thursday.
A total of 23…
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Challenge is to stop mosquito breeding in homes: MPs
SINGAPORE – Despite stepping up public education since the Zika outbreak and more stringent enforcement, getting all residents to stem mosquito breeding at home remains a challenge, said Members of Parliament, acknowledging that the message has not sunk in…
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Apex court hears cross appeals for Kallang slashing case
SINGAPORE – If a group carries out a series of assaults, should their individual penalties be distinguished by who dealt the fatal blow? How much weight should be given to the fact that their earlier victims had suffered similar blows but did not die?
These…
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PM Lee visits Vientiane for top regional meetings
VIENTIANE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be in Vientiane today for a three-day visit to attend the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) Summits and Related Summits, the first time regional leaders will be meeting to take stock of regional…
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Elected President must reflect values, ethos of a Singaporean nation: Yaacob
Young Singaporeans feel there is a need for the Elected Presidency to have a mechanism that ensures someone from a minority race is elected from time to time, while minority groups warn that having a presidential election that is restricted to particular races could have adverse effects.
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Two nabbed for alleged pickpocketing at Lucky Plaza
Both suspects are believed to be involved in several other cases of pickpocketing, police said.
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Philippines confirms first case of Zika virus this year
MANILA – The Philippines confirmed on Monday its first case of the Zika virus this year and said it was “highly likely” it had been locally transmitted, and it expected more cases after stepping up surveillance.
A 45-year old woman who lives in Iloilo city in the central Philippines has the virus, Dr Eric Tayag, spokesman at the health ministry, told a media briefing.
The woman is not pregnant, he said, and was recovering at her home. It was considered “highly likely” she had contracted the virus locally as she had no history of travel to any affected country in the past two weeks, Tayag said.
The Philippines reported its first case of Zika in 2012, that of a teenaged boy in Cebu island in the central Philippines. Four subsequent cases were foreigners.
A Zika outbreak is affecting large parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil the hardest hit, but cases have been cropping up in Asia.
The Straits Times, The New Paper
Singapore has reported more than 240 Zika cases since the first locally infected case was detected on Aug. 27 and neighbouring Malaysia has reported one such case.
Zika infections in pregnant women have been shown to cause microcephaly – a severe birth defect in which the head and brain are undersized – as well as other brain abnormalities.
The connection between Zika and microcephaly first came to light last fall in Brazil, which has since confirmed more than 1,800 cases of microcephaly.
In adults, Zika infections have also been linked to a rare neurological syndrome known as Guillain-Barre, as well as other neurological disorders.
There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika, which is a close cousin of dengue and chikungunya and causes mild fever, rash and red eyes.
Reuters, The Straits Times, The New Paper, NEA
Uber introduces upfront pricing in Singapore; some commuters complain of higher fares
SINGAPORE – Uber’s new upfront pricing for its ride-hailing UberX service has come under fire from some commuters who complained that their fares have increased.
Uber, which introduced the upfront pricing on Aug 31, claimed it would ensure “no math and no surprises” for commuters.
“Because we know from UberPool that upfront fares is clearer and simpler for riders…when you book a plane ticket or hotel room you know the price before you buy it,” Uber said on its website. “We see this as the right approach for Uber.”
Ride-sharing service UberPool, which was launched in Singapore on July 1, allows commuters to share an Uber ride so they can save up to 25 per cent off the fare of a conventional UberX ride.
UberPool users get their fares displayed upfront on the app. UberX rides – before upfront pricing kicked in – showed only an estimate.
The move, however, appeared to be less than popular with some commuters who complained about the new policy on Uber Singapore’s Facebook page.
Facebook user Jason Ooi wrote: “Did Uber just revise the ride fare in Singapore? A ride that normally costs me $6 now becomes $8 to $13 (I checked the fares the whole day).
“It used to show notification i.e. price surge or higher price due to demand but not now anymore.”
Another user, Anoop Rachamalla, claimed that the minimum fare for a Uber ride to work in the morning had more than doubled from $12 to $29.
He wrote: “So there is no more surge shown but you charge almost three times the regular fare?”
In the FAQ section of its announcement on upfront pricing, Uber said prices are determined by considering a variety of factors such as traffic, ERP charges, the length of the journey and demand.
“We’re able to use past data to estimate the likely cost of the trip, and can present that price to a rider before they request. With upfront prices you cannot book a car without approving the cost beforehand,” it explained.
Dynamic or surge pricing, however, still exists, Uber clarified.
“Since the rider is given a price up front, the rider actually has more information about the cost. For example saying a trip will cost $10 provides more precise info to the rider than saying the trip fare is surging by 1.5x.”
Based on tests in other cities, commuters request more trips if they are offered an upfront price, said Uber.
It added that upfront fares are generally completely inclusive. It will fall back to time and distance rates only when commuters make “significant changes” to their trip route.
The Straits Times has contacted Uber for comment. Uber has indicated it will respond to queries by Tuesday.
This article was first published on September 5, 2016.
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