SINGAPORE – Private sector economists have trimmed the economic growth forecast for the Republic for this year as a better performance from the manufacturing sector is offset by a moderated performance in the finance & insurance and wholesale & retail…
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Private sector economists trim 2016 GDP to 1.8%: MAS survey
Analysts expect Singapore's economy to grow 1.8% in 2016: MAS survey
Economists polled in the quarterly survey say they also expect the unemployment rate to be 2.1 per cent at year-end.
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EU launches Business Avenues in Southeast Asia programme
The new programme aims to strengthen the presence of European Union (EU) companies in regional key markets.
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MDA seeks proposals for two FM frequencies
SINGAPORE – The Media Development Authority (MDA) has launched a public tender to seek proposals to operate commercial or non-profit radio stations on two FM frequencies – FM 89.3 and FM 96.3.
According to a press statement by MDA, the FM 89.3 spectrum is vacant while FM 96.3, currently occupied by Expat Radio 96.3 XFM, will be vacated by September this year upon expiry of its operating licence.
MDA also said that all proposals will be evaluated based on the strength of programming characteristics and quality, as well as the financial standing of the tenderers and their business plans.
The agency welcomes new concepts and will not limit proposals to any particular genre or programming format.
In addition, those looking to operate commercial radio stations on the two frequencies will be required to submit a monetary bid.
Tenderers submitting non-profit proposals will not need to do so but will instead be evaluated on the social impact of their programming concepts.
The tender opens today (June 15) and will close on Sept 14. Results will be announced by the first quarter of 2017.
Interested parties can download the tender document from www.gebiz.gov.sg.
There are currently three local radio broadcasters – Mediacorp Pte Ltd, Singapore Armed Forces Reservists’ Association (SAFRA) Radio, and SPH Radio.
A total of 18 radio stations, including One FM 91.3, Kiss 92FM and Class 95, are offered in Singapore.
stephluo@sph.com.sg

Private apartment rents edge down in May; HDB rents remain flat: Property index
Rental rates for private apartments fell by 0.6 per cent compared to May while rents for HDB flats stayed the same compared to previous month, according to flash estimates by SRX Property.
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Standard Chartered Singapore
From now till 30 November 2016, enjoy a waiver of your booking fees on selected events when you book SISTIC tickets with your Standard Chartered MasterCard® Card. Terms and conditions apply.
2 S'poreans' Visit To Sarawak Will Make You Think Twice Before Watching The Conjuring 2
Horror enthusiasts everywhere are spoiled rotten this year as multiple movies within the paranormal genre have been released or are set to be by the end of the year. One of the movies that is on every spooky fan’s to-watch list is the highly anticipated sequel to the 2013 hit movie, The Conjuring.

Directed by Malaysian-born James Wan, The Conjuring 2 sees the return of paranormal investigators and authors, Ed and Lorraine Warren. The couple venture off to the United Kingdom to assist the Hodgson family, who are experiencing poltergeist activity at their Enfield council house in 1977. Once again, the plot is based on a ‘real-life’ story known as the ‘The Enfield Poltergeist’.
So like most horror movie fans, Singaporean Damian Ng Yih Leong and his girlfriend decided to watch this movie during their recent trip to Miri, Sarawak and they were left with much more than they bargained for.
Horror Beyond Their Expectations
As the couple returned to their room in the Imperial Hotel at about 2.30am, they were too drained to do anything much so they decided to have a quick nap. 15 minutes later, Damian’s girlfriend woke up to brush her teeth before fully falling into a deep sleep.
It wasn’t until she came out of the bathroom that the suspense began to build. Without thinking much about it at first, she asked Damian why he felt the need to prank her by drawing a cross on the bathroom mirror at this late hour. Puzzled, Damian could only assume she was the one who was pulling his leg as he hadn’t moved an inch from the bed since they had entered the room.
When realisation hit that no games were being played that moment, they cautiously went to the bathroom to investigate properly and what they saw sent terrified chills down their spine.

Clear and still fresh was a cross seen vividly drawn on the mirror with droplets of water still creeping down on one side of the cross as though it was just shaped moments ago. With the stain looking so newly drawn, Damian told his girlfriend that it was near to impossible to say he was the one to draw it when she had been in front of the mirror the whole time and that she would have seen him clearly if he did.
Feeling the shivers of paranoia crawl through their skin, they quickly requested from the management to have a change of room and despite the late hour, the staff were kind enough to comply. By 3am, the couple found themselves settled in a different room where they were able to rest with a more comfortable state of mind.
The next morning came by and when they went back to their original room, they realised that the cross drawn on the mirror was no longer seen, making the overall scenario far creepier than it already was. Should any brave soul wish to know, the room they were placed in at first is room 6115 in the new wing.
Putting the supernatural event aside, Damian goes on to commend the staff at Imperial Hotel for being understanding of their wishes and accommodating to their late-night request. “After our room change, we did not encounter anymore weird incidents. This is my first first hand encounter with paranormal activity and it was certainly hair raising for us,” said Damian in his Facebook post that went viral instantly as others shared their sentiments on the chilling experience.
Seriously Supernatural

The couple’s experience shows that The Conjuring 2 is not your typical ghost story and is taking the paranormal scene to a new level. In fact, the cast themselves have spoken up about strange incidents occurring whilst filming this movie and director James Wan himself has admitted to some suspicious activity happening behind the scenes. When asked on his thoughts on the supernatural and the existence of the afterlife, he comments on how he keeps an open mind about things he might not be able to see.
“Being raised religious means that I take certain things with a touch of faith, in terms of my beliefs. I do believe in stuff like this, that’s why I think I’m somewhat attracted to this world,” said James.
Have you watched The Conjuring 2 yet? If you have, did you experience any paranormal activity afterwards? Share them with us in the comments. And you can read the full story of their experience in the Facebook post below.
Vulcan Post is all about living life with a digital edge, up and coming startups, and people who inspire conversations.
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Steady growth in Singapore’s gardening movement: NParks
This year’s Community in Bloom (CIB) Awards saw 436 community gardens take part, the highest number of participating gardens in its 12-year history.
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Pizza Hut 1-for-1 Lunch Deals on Weekdays from 15 Jun – 2 Aug 2016
JUST IN: Pizza Hut 1-for-1 lunch deals, valid from 11am to 5pm on weekdays
Pizza Hut 1-for-1 Lunch Deals on Weekdays from 15 Jun – 2 Aug 2016
Enjoy two of your favourites for the price of one with Pizza Hut’s 1-for-1 Weekday Lunch promotion. Promotion valid from Mondays to Fridays, 11am to 5pm, in Pizza Hut restaurants for dine-in only.
Holding hands ok, but China's college students frown on French kissing, stroking in public
More than 60 per cent of 1,302 college students interviewed in a recent survey say they accept student couples’ public displays of affection (PDA), according to a new report on China Youth Daily on Monday (June 13).
The PDAs that won “best tolerance” included sweet talks, holding hands, hugging and quick kisses, while French kisses and physical strokes received cold shoulders from both students and their parents.
Holding hands had the highest acceptance rate, with more than 96 per cent of interviewed students and parents giving it the thumbs up.
Compared with students, parents have lower acceptance on almost each form of students’ PDA, except hand holding.
Only about 38 per cent of interviewed parents thought hugging between student couples in public was okay, while about 80 per cent of students accepted the behaviour.
A fifth of parents believe quick kisses in public is tolerable, but more than 63 per cent of students think it’s fine.
According to the report, it is common among college students to display affection in public.
One of the college students interviewed, who wouldn’t reveal her name, said she felt like holding her boyfriend’s hand forever, because she is love struck.
Another student, who just graduated from college, said PDAs were not a performance but a natural emotional gesture.
“I have a long-distance relationship so it’s precious time for me to spend time with him,” she said. “When we part at the bus station, we can’t help kissing.”
Luo Xuelei, an instructor in a Fujian province college, believes it’s normal to see affection displayed in public, but it has to be limited.
Many parents show low tolerance for PDAs among student couples. They think holding hands is enough, arguing kissing and hugging are too much to see and hard to accept.
Diao Yuquan, a lecturer from Zhejiang Sci-tech University, said private actions like PDAs were not from Chinese traditional culture, but imported from foreign countries.
Yuan Xin, a psychological professor in Nankai University said PDAs suggest society is now quite open.
Yuan said students lacked education to know what the expected boundaries were in private life and public actions.
“It’s important to know what behaviours are suitable for the right situations. It’s called respect for others and the society,” Yuan said.






