The quake had killed 10 Singaporeans, seven of whom were students from Tanjong Katong Primary School.
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Families slowly healing one year after Sabah quake
Woman who scolded deaf and mute cleaner not part of committee, Nee Soon Central Zone 1 RC says
Nee Soon Central Zone 1 Residents’ Committee has responded to allegations concerning the identity of the woman who was involved in a dispute at a restaurant in Jem recently.
The woman made headlines after apparently verbally abusing a deaf and mute cleaner for mistakenly clearing away her food yesterday (Jun 3).
She was caught on video shouting at the cleaner’s manager and demanding an apology, as well as making several other insulting statements.
Woman loses cool at deaf and mute cleaner at Jem food court
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The video, uploaded online by Facebook by user Euphemia Lee and which several Stompers alerted us to, went viral and garnered numerous comments criticising the woman.
It was later rumoured that the woman was a Grassroots Leader at Nee Soon Central Zone 1 Residents’ Committee. A picture perpetuating the rumour has also been circulating online.
However, the Nee Soon Central Zone 1 Residents’ Committee has since responded to the incident and allegations on its Facebook page.
It said: “We note there is a post on facebook going around that the lady in the picture is a member of our committee.
“We would like to clarify that she is neither a member nor volunteer of our committee.
“We trust the above statement clarifies. Thank you.”
In addition, Stomp is looking for the woman who shouted at a deaf and mute cleaner and his manager at Jem. We would like to hear her side of the story.
If you are the woman or know her personally, please contact us at 9384 3761 or stomp@stomp.com.sg.
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FPDA defence ministers reaffirm commitment to the grouping
In a joint statement, they acknowledged and commended the Five Power Defence Arrangements’ continuous growth in scope and depth, and the significant progress in enhancing inter-operability among their militaries through joint exercises.
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Popeyes Day $5.90 5pcs Chicken 1-Day Promo on 5 Jun 2016
TOMORROW 5 June: Popeyes $5.90 5pcs chicken deal is on! Remind your friends & loved ones – share it with them
Popeyes Day $5.90 5pcs Chicken 1-Day Promo on 5 Jun 2016
For one day only on Sunday 5 June 2016, Popeyes is offering 5 pieces of Bone-in-Chicken for just $5.90
Pink Dot organisers focus on participation, not numbers
After Hong Lim Park was “filled to capacity” last year, a spokesperson for the event said there was no need to report the number of people attending this year.
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Tributes pour in for boxing legend and social icon Muhammad Ali
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Phoenix – Heavyweight boxing legend Muhammad Ali, a 20th Century icon whose fame transcended sport during a remarkable career that spanned three decades, died Friday, his family said.
The 74-year-old sports hero, who had been battling Parkinson’s disease for decades, passed away in a hospital here where he had been admitted earlier this week suffering from respiratory problems.
“After a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74,” spokesman Bob Gunnell said.
“The three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer died this evening.” Funeral arrangements for Ali would be announced on Saturday, he added, with the champion to be buried in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
Ali had been living in the Phoenix area with his fourth wife, Lonnie, whom he married in 1986. He was survived by nine children, seven daughters and two sons.
As the family gathered at his bedside on Friday, concern for Ali had grown.
Boxing legend Muhammad Ali dies
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Upon his death tributes immediately poured in for “The Greatest,” who was known globally not only for his storied ring career but also for his humanitarian activism.
“Muhammad Ali transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit,” said longtime boxing promoter Bob Arum. “His legacy will be part of our history for all time.
A true great has left us. @MuhammadAli transformed this country and impacted the world with his spirit. pic.twitter.com/ByNZYhM2ro
— Bob Arum (@BobArum) June 4, 2016
“He is, without a question in my mind, the most transformative person of our time,” Arum said.
Ali had been hospitalized multiple times in recent years.
In 2014 he was treated for a mild case of pneumonia and again in 2015 for a urinary tract infection.
His Parkinson’s, thought to be linked to the thousands of punches he took during a career studded by bruising battles inside the ropes, had limited his public speaking.
But he continued to make appearances and offer opinions through his family members and spokespeople.
In April, he attended a Celebrity Fight Night Dinner in Phoenix that raised funds for treatment of Parkinson’s.
In December, he issued a statement rebuking US presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.
Ali’s 30-year career, which stretched from 1960 to 1981 and saw him retire with a record of 56-5, included such historic bouts as the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman.
Don King promoted that watershed bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, in 1974, in which Ali used his “Rope a Dope” strategy to best Foreman and become just the second fighter ever to regain the heavyweight world title.
“His spirit will go on forever,” King said of Ali. “He represents what every athlete and sports person tries to do, an attitude of getting it done, success, he was fabulous.
“A great human being, and a champion of the people. The greatest of all times.” Other defining moments of Ali’s career included two knockouts of Sonny Liston and his thrilling rivalry with Joe Frazier – which saw the two men slug it out in the ring and verbally spar out of it.
“Ali, Frazier & Foreman, we were 1 guy. A part of me slipped away – the greatest piece” Foreman wrote on Twitter shortly after Ali’s death was announced.
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson added: “God came for his champion. So long great one. @MuhammadAli #TheGreatest #RIP.”
God came for his champion. So long great one. @MuhammadAli #TheGreatest #RIP pic.twitter.com/jhXyqOuabi
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) June 4, 2016
Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville, Kentucky, dazzled fans with slick moves in the ring, and with his wit and engaging persona outside it.
His refusal to serve in the Vietnam War saw him banned from the sport for years, but the US Supreme Court overturned his conviction for draft dodging in 1971.
He took the name of Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam in 1964, soon after he had stunned the sport by claiming the title with a monumental upset of Liston.
He was vilified in some quarters for that conversion and his outspoken stance on Vietnam and civil rights issues. His refusal to fight in Vietnam saw him prosecuted for draft evasion, and led to him being effectively banned for boxing for three years of his prime.
But he held firm to his beliefs and eventually earned accolades as an activist.
He received the highest US civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2005.
Ali represented the United Nations as a messenger of peace and was chosen to light the Olympic torch in 1996, when he was already weakened by Parkinson’s.
Tributes flooded in from around the world – celebrities, politicians, reporters that covered him, athletes and of course boxers praised Ali for his superb work in and out of the ring.
Floyd Mayweather, who retired from boxing last year with a perfect 49-0 record, recalled the awe he felt in meeting Ali in ’96, when he was a US Olympian.
Today my heart goes out to a pioneer, a true legend, and a hero by all means! Not a day went by… https://t.co/LKl0gI4inf
— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) June 4, 2016
“I didn’t really know what to say. I couldn’t believe it,” Mayweather said. “I didn’t even want to show my true feelings and emotions of how I felt.” Twenty years on, Mayweather was clear on his view of Ali’s legacy – forged inside and outside the ring.
“Never be afraid,” Mayweather said. “Never stop believing. And never settle for less.” Mayweather’s great rival Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines said the world had lost “a giant”.
“Boxing benefitted from Muhammad Ali’s talents, but not as much as mankind benefitted from his humanity,” Pacquiao said.
We lost a giant today. You will always be GOAT. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Ali family. May God bless them. pic.twitter.com/g7s6GETODG
— Manny Pacquiao (@mannypacquiao) June 4, 2016
British Prime Minister David Cameron praised Ali on Twitter as “a champion of civil rights, and a role model for so many people,” while India’s Narendra Modi said he was a “source of inspiration who demonstrated the power of human spirit & determination.”
Muhammad Ali was not just a champion in the ring – he was a champion of civil rights, and a role model for so many people.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) June 4, 2016
RIP Muhammad Ali. You were an exemplary sportsperson & source of inspiration who demonstrated the power of human spirit & determination.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 4, 2016
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Mystery Indian cult 'had its own government, army': Police
New Delhi – A mysterious cult at the centre of deadly clashes in India was running its own pseudo-government, army, court and a prison where torture was the norm, a senior police officer told AFP Saturday.
Some 3,000 followers of the sect clashed with police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh during an eviction operation, leaving 24 people dead, including two senior officers.
The secretive sect had occupied a 270-acre (109-hectare) stretch of parkland since late 2014, with the site almost entirely closed off to the outside world, the top police inspector general of the region said.
“They set up a township of sorts with all kinds of people. Gradually, they started running a self-government,” D.C. Mishra said, after officers seized documents and other evidence from the camp.
“They set up a court which pronounced punishments and jail barracks where inmates were tortured.”
“Children as young as eight years old were being given training in arms.”
Police in the city of Mathura came under fire overnight Thursday from members of the sect, who were armed with automatic weapons and hurled crude explosive devices during the violence.
Mishra said the cult was being run by self-styled Hindu godmen whose aim was to drive followers towards a kind of “religious terrorism”.
“They were also planning to come out with their own currency soon and they did not believe in the Indian constitution,” he said.
The Swadhin Bharat Vidhik Satyagrah sect is led by a man called Ram Vraksha Yadav, whom police say was at the park when the violence broke out but has so far eluded arrest.
In postings on social media, the sect’s followers describe themselves as political and social revolutionaries. Their demands include the abolition of elections and cheaper fuel for everyone.
In several videos posted on YouTube, Yadav can be seen pledging allegiance to Indian independence hero Subhash Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Fouj (Indian National Army), a rebel movement founded by Bose to combat British colonial rule.
“The leaders duped their followers into believing that they will attain nirvana and get to meet an incarnation of Bose,” Mishra said.
Bose disappeared in mysterious circumstances in 1945.
Police have arrested more than 300 people following the bloody raid, although the sect’s four main leaders are still believed to be on the run.
The state’s Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced compensation of two million rupees ($30,000) each for the families of the slain policemen.
The government will ensure speedy prosecution of all those accused in the violence, his office posted on Twitter.
India is home to hundreds of semi-religious sects which are often led by charismatic self-styled “godmen”.
In 2014, hundreds of armed supporters from another sect clashed with police in the northern state of Haryana during a raid to arrest their leader who faced murder allegations. At least six people died in the violence.
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US not seeking Cold War in South China Sea dispute: US Defense Secretary
“We are for an inclusive system, where everyone works together. We are not trying to pull anything apart. That is not our approach,” says Ashton Carter in an exclusive interview with Channel NewsAsia’s Conversation With.
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Thai police probing Tiger Temple's links to wildlife trade
INQUIRIES into illegal wildlife trade continued to try to find a links with international dealers, after tiger parts and ‘pickled’ bodies of stillborn cubs were found in the controversial Tiger Temple. To date, police have charged 22 suspects, including three Buddhist monks, with wildlife trafficking.
Royal Thai Police commissioner Pol Gen Chaktip Chaijinda said yesterday they were now investigating the connection between the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district and international wildlife trading. He had ordered deputy national police commissioner Pol Gen Chalermkiat Srivorakan to oversee this investigation.
“We are tracking on this topic very closely and will check if all wildlife products that were found in the temple are linked to the international wildlife trade or being stored for what purpose. I want to assure that we have a clear plan for investigation and have information about a wildlife smuggling group,” Chakthip said.
He said that Pol Gen Chalermkiat would be responsible for co-operation with international agencies on this task and assured that the conclusion of the investigation would be disclosed promptly, as the issue was not complex and also in the public interest.
The temple’s link to the international wildlife trade was brought to public attention on Thursday after a monk and temple officers were caught trying to sneak away with tiger skins, nine engraved tiger fangs and more than 1,000 tiger-skin amulets. Meanwhile, more than 50 jars with stillborn tiger cubs in them were also found in the temple.
Thai officials continues removal of tigers from controversial temple
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AFP, Reuters, The Nation/ANN
Pol Col Bandit Muangsukham, Sai Yok Police Station superintendent, revealed that as of now there were three monks and two people had been charged with four offences – illegally keeping hornbills, a bear, wild animal remains and illegal timber.
Bandit said police were now investigating the possible crime link with temple abbot Luang Ta Chan.
Phra Lamom Wantiya, a monk at the temple, said the abbot had left the temple last Sunday, but had not returned or made contact with the temple since then. However, Bandit believed the abbot had not fled the country.
Chalermkiat said he had ordered police across the country to be on the lookout for any raising of illegal wild animals. If anyone was found guilty, they would be punished swiftly according to the law.
In regard to the relocation of tigers from the temple, Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) deputy director-general Adisorn Noochdumrong revealed that 119 tigers had been moved, while there were new discoveries of many rare animals. Last year, there were 147 tigers at the temple. But as of yesterday, officials had found 149 tigers for relocation.
“We have found more protected animals in the temple such as Malayan sun bear, hornbill and banteng and have already transfer all of the animals to Bang Lamung breeding centre in Chon Buri,” Adisorn said.
He said the DNP had invited relevant agencies to inspect the temple’s land – around 2,000 rai – on whether it was legally acquired.
The department was also working with an animal forensic science team from Mahidol University to run a test on the bodies of ‘pickled’ tiger cubs found in jars – to find out what caused their death and any genetic link with tigers in the temple. But it would take at least two months to finish those tests.
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Johnny Depp and Amber Heard split: Don't trivialise violence
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in SPLITSVILLE
Can Johnny Depp do no wrong?
That seems to be the case in the court of public opinion on social media.
Countless pro-Depp commentaries have been posted online, in which keyboard warriors seem hellbent on vilifying his estranged wife Amber Heard.
Malicious labels such as “gold-digger”, “talentless w****” and “home-wrecking s***” have come fast and furious, accompanying the ugly divorce proceedings between the US actors.
The couple, who first met on the set of the 2011 movie The Rum Diary playing lovers, married 15 months ago after four years of dating, but drew their battle lines almost immediately after Heard, 30, filed for divorce on May 23.
What started out as a typical Hollywood break-up quickly turned ugly when details of alleged physical domestic abuse surfaced in court papers.
Heard’s accusations were swiftly criticised.
People questioned her motives of washing their dirty laundry straight after her petitions of spousal support were denied.
They even doubted that the bruises were real, and that she was simply playing the victim role. After all, she is an actress, right?
Blame it on bad timing or poor legal advice from Team Amber, but the fact is that no one wants their beloved Depp, 52, to be tarnished.
Frankly, I was initially shocked to read that Hollywood’s adored oddball could be a wife-beater.
Not the man who won’t even hurt a fly even when born with scissors for hands. Not the guy who yearns to bring happiness to kids with chocolates. And certainly not my Captain Jack Sparrow.
Depp has cultivated this cool, quirky and suave image over the past 30-plus years.
He’s the guyliner-wearing rocker who has always operated outside of the Hollywood system – one who is still living it up on tour in Europe with his rock band Hollywood Vampires, while Heard’s reputation is dragged through the mud by his loyal supporters.
Amber Heard files for divorce from Johnny Depp after 15 months of marriage
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CRUCIFY
Let’s crucify Heard, who is bisexual and used to date women, for being the third party who caused Depp to leave his long-time partner and mother of his two children, French actress Vanessa Paradis.
Let’s persecute Heard for being opportunistic, riding on Depp’s coattails, and thus going from the struggling starlet who can’t act to a household name.
Amid all the noise, the crux of the divorce has been overlooked – domestic violence should never be trivialised.
If there really had been all that abuse, is it Heard’s fault that she did not open up about it earlier?
And now that she has spoken, does she deserve to get “hit” all over again?
We may not know yet what went on behind closed doors, but let’s not forget that Depp is not always the saint he is often painted as. He has had a history of substance and alcohol abuse, and is no stranger to violent outbursts.
So even as Paradis wrote glowing words in defence of Depp, his former flames have testified to his terrible temper tantrums. Actress Winona Ryder mentioned in a 2010 interview that Depp used to smash everything.
She was engaged to her Edward Scissorhands co-star for three years from 1990 to 1993.
A year later, Depp was arrested for trashing a hotel room after an argument with then-girlfriend, supermodel Kate Moss.
Police found Depp intoxicated, but Moss was uninjured. The couple broke up in 1997.
So who’s the real Depp? Is he the sweet Edward Scissorhands misfit the world fell in love with more than 25 years ago?
Or has he turned into a cruel, cold Whitey Bulger figure (from his 2015 flick Black Mass)?
Until Heard decides to press charges for abuse, and police investigations start proper, let us not point any fingers.
The Divorce
May 23
Heard files for divorce from Depp three days after his mother, Betty Sue Palmer, died. She cites irreconcilable differences, and asks for spousal support to the tune of USD$50,000 (S$68,780) a month. The couple reportedly do not have a prenuptial agreement.
May 26
Depp’s rep makes a statement on his behalf, emphasising that “hopefully the dissolution of this short marriage will be resolved quickly”. His lawyer asks the judge to deny Heard’s request for spousal support.
May 27
Heard files with photographic evidence for a temporary domestic violence restraining order against Depp. She is pictured leaving the courthouse with a bruise near her eye after being granted the restraining order.
“During the entirety of our relationship, Johnny has been verbally and physically abusive to me,” she says in the documents filed. On the same day, Depp plays a concert in Lisbon, Portugal, with his band, Hollywood Vampires.
His divorce lawyer Laura Wasser states that Heard is “attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse”.
May 29
Depp’s teenage daughter Lily-Rose posts an old picture of herself with her father on Instagram, writing in the caption that he is “the sweetest, most loving person I know”.
Comedian Doug Stanhope, a close friend of Depp’s, writes a piece for TheWrap.com accusing Heard of blackmailing Depp.
“Johnny doesn’t abuse anyone,” he states. “Johnny Depp got used, manipulated, set up and made to look like an a**hole.”
TMZ obtains and publishes a letter written by French actress Vanessa Paradis, Depp’s partner from 1998 to 2012 and mother of his two children. The letter expresses Paradis’ support for Depp, and called Heard’s claims of abuse “outrageous”. May 31 Heard releases a statement explaining why she didn’t report her alleged abuse earlier.
According to her lawyers, she remained silent even after a 911 call resulted in the police coming to her and Depp’s home on May 21 to “protect her privacy and Johnny’s career”, and eventually reported the abuse on May 27 to “set the record straight as to the true facts”.
June 1
A photo of Heard, said to be taken by friends in December 2015, appears on the cover of People magazine’s newest issue. Other photos show Heard with a cut lip and bruised eye.
Entertainment Tonight obtains and publishes a text conversation from 2014 supposedly between Heard and Depp’s assistant, Stephen Deuters, in which Deuters seems to apologise on Depp’s behalf after a purportedly abusive incident.
But Deuters tells TMZ that these text messages are doctored, and says he is willing to testify that he never had a conversation with Heard about the alleged abuse.
June 2
Hollywood Vampires’ rep announces that Depp will continue touring with the group when they begin their US tour on July 1. After their European tour ends on Monday, he will appear in court on June 17 to address the allegations made by Heard.
This article was first published on June 4, 2016.
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