SINGAPORE – Goodwood Park Hotel’s bakery – famed for its durian pastries – has been suspended from operating, after 76 cases of food poisoning linked the consumption of durian pastries were reported to the authorities.
The hotel, which was found to have…
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Goodwood Park Hotel’s bakery suspended following 76 food poisoning cases
Tainted durian pastries: Goodwood Park Hotel Bakery suspended
A total of 76 food poisoning cases were reported. NEA, the Health Ministry and AVA are conducting joint investigations.
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Indonesia defends use of death penalty for drug trafficking
JAKARTA – Indonesia on Friday defended its use of the death penalty for drug traffickers, just days after its representative was jeered at a U.N. narcotics conference, citing a steep rise in demand and consumption in Southeast Asia’s most populous country.
Indonesia has faced widespread international criticism for its use of capital punishment, most recently for the high-profile executions of foreign drug traffickers, despite repeated pleas for mercy from governments and international activists.
“Indonesia and like-minded countries … face diverse challenges in handling drugs and the death penalty is one of the options based on sovereignty of the law in each country,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Indonesia’s representative at the U.N. conference drew criticism when he defended the use of capital punishment for drug offences, saying it was for individual countries to decide for themselves.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has declared a “drug emergency” in the country of 250 million, calling the rising flow of narcotics as serious a security threat as militancy.
Indonesia’s attorney general announced earlier this month executions would resume this year following a brief hiatus after last year’s executions of 14 mainly foreign drug traffickers.
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Goodwood Park Hotel bakery suspended following several food poisoning cases
They might be famous for their durian pastries but these treats are reportedly the cause of not one, but 76 food poisoning cases at Goodwood Park Hotel’s bakery as of Thursday (Apr 21).
The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Friday (April 22) in a joint statement with the Ministry of Health (MOH), and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) that it has suspended the licence of Goodwood Park Hotel’s bakery.
It also ordered the hotel to cease the production, sale and distribution of all pastries that are prepared by its bakery and to dispose of all pastries prepared there with immediate effect, until further notice.
Investigations into the alleged food poisoning incidents that happened between March 15 and April 16 this year are ongoing.
These incidents traced to the consumption of durian pastries prepared at Goodwood Park Hotel, located at 22 Scotts Road.
The hotel has been selling durian pastries for the past 33 years.
According to a post on Goodwood Park Hotel’s Facebook page, their bakery will not be able to produce desserts for these restaurants: Gordon Grill, L’Espresso, Coffee Lounge and Deli. The hotel added that they have “sourced from reputable establishments for alternatives to replace the affected desserts”.
NEA has also required the hotel to clean and sanitise the bakery, including equipment, utensils, work surfaces and toilets, and review and rectify the lapses in food preparation processes identified during the joint inspections.
MOH had initiated investigations when the first food poisoning incident was notified on March 15. The next day, NEA inspected the bakery’s premises.
After the second incident was reported, MOH stepped up investigations and inspected the bakery’s premises of Goodwood Park Hotel on April 4.
Subsequently on April 13, the three agencies conducted joint investigations at Goodwood Park Hotel when more incidents linked to their durian pastries were reported.
MOH’s investigations found that the consumption of the hotel’s durian pastries was the “only common epidemiological link”.
Some lapses in food handling were also found at the durian pastry kitchen of the hotel’s bakery.
However, the premises was found to be clean with proper housekeeping and refuse management with no signs of pest activity and hygiene lapse, said the government agencies.
AVA has conducted checks at Goodwood Park Hotel’s food ingredients suppliers, including their durian pulp supplier. No food safety lapses have been found at the suppliers’ establishments so far.
There were also no other complaints of food poisoning from other establishments that used the durian pulp from the same supplier as Goodwood Park Hotel’s.
MOH has collected stool samples from those affected and from food handlers, who have been sent for screening. Only those who are certified medically fit will be allowed to resume work after medical clearance by MOH, when the bakery is allowed to resume operations.
All food handlers working in the bakery are also required to re-attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course, before they can resume work as food handlers.
MOH and NEA are monitoring the situation closely, said the statement.
NEA added that it will take the necessary enforcement actions if any hygiene infringements are found.
ssandrea@sph.com.sg
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Friday, April 22, 2016 – 18:11
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China denies reports of massing troops at North Korea border
BEIJING – China’s Defence Ministry on Friday denied reports that Chinese troops were massing on the North Korean border, ahead of a possible fifth North Korean nuclear test, saying its deployments there were normal.
The Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said earlier this week that China had sent 2,000 troops to the border, a story picked up by Russian and Iranian news outlets, among others.
The decision was made ahead of the expected testing of North Korea’s fifth nuclear device, the report said, in violation of U.N. sanctions.
“The relevant report does not accord with the facts,” the Defence Ministry said in a short statement. “The Chinese military maintains normal combat readiness and training on the China-North Korea border.” It did not elaborate.
Reports periodically surface about unusual troops movements on the border, which are hard to verify independently and generally quickly denied by the Chinese government.
North Korea has vowed to conduct further nuclear tests, despite stepped up international sanctions.
Some experts expect North Korea to conduct a fifth nuclear test in the near future, possibly before a ruling party congress in early May, following an embarrassing failure of a test of an intermediate-range missile earlier this month.
China is North Korea’s most important economic and diplomatic backer, but has been infuriated by North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests and has signed on for tough U.N. sanctions.
North Korea and the rich, democratic South are still technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a treaty. China and North Korea fought side-by-side against a U.S.-backed South Korea, which joined forces under the U.N. flag.
The North routinely threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States.
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Blossoming interest in tulips on show at airport
Interest in the tulip display at Changi Airport has been blossoming since it opened on April 4, with travellers flocking to take photos and selfies.
The display is held in conjunction with the Keukenhof Flower Exhibition currently taking place in Lisse, the Netherlands.
Tulips cannot be grown naturally in Singapore because of the heat, so those in the display are put into boxes and flown over.
Lovely tulips of Amsterdam at Changi Airport
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There are three exhibitions, one in the Terminal 2 public area, and one each in the Terminal 1 and 2 transit areas. The latter two can be accessed only by passengers waiting for their flights.
Retiree Teh Kok Tee, 70, who visited the airport specially to see the exhibition, said: “I’m grateful that I can see the flowers without having to go to Holland, even if it’s on a smaller scale in Singapore.”
The visual appeal of these bright flowers comes at a cost – the tulips are grown for 16 weeks in Amsterdam, in a cold room set at 10 deg C to simulate winter conditions.
In Singapore, the terminals’ air-conditioning temperature of around 23 deg C simulates spring.
A total of 16,000 tulips will be displayed in batches of 4,000, as the tulips need to be changed around every 10 days before they wilt.
There are six hybrid tulip species present – one is even named after Singapore because of its resemblance to the national flower, the Singapore orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim.
The tulips will be on display until April 30. In the transit areas, one exhibit is near Terminal 1’s Central Piazza, and the other is in Terminal 2’s Enchanted Garden.
This article was first published on April 22, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
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Friday, April 22, 2016 – 18:01
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Google, Apple top companies Singaporeans want to work for: Survey
National carrier Singapore Airlines, Facebook and Shell round out the top five companies, according to a survey by recruiter JobStreet.com.
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Former private banker charged following Singapore 1MDB probe
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Friday, April 22, 2016 – 17:01
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Former private banker charged with money laundering following S'pore 1MDB probe
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The growing business of MMA in Singapore
There’s no question the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) has grown exponentially in recent years, receiving widespread attention in the public consciousness and mainstream media.
The business aspect of MMA is similarly on an upward path, with ONE Championship (ONE) right at the forefront here in Asia. In fact, on a global scale, the only other significant presence belongs to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) which operates mainly in North America.
However, despite the UFC’s longtime presence since the 90s, it is the relatively young ONE that is making major headway in terms of lucrative partnerships with some of the world’s biggest brands here in Asia. Described as Asia’s largest sports media property, ONE has signed blockbuster regional deals with the likes of corporate powerhouses Marvel and Under Armour.
Under Armour is working with ONE on initiatives across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, while Marvel’s involvement is centred around the premieres of Captain America: Civil War in the Philippines and Singapore.
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE claims a global broadcast reach of over 1 billion homes across more than 70 countries, which would explain how it was able to attract such highly sought brands. Past and present partners for ONE’s events in Singapore include blue chip brands such as LG, Mah Motors, Alienware, Intel, and Canon.
As a longtime partner, Casio G-SHOCK offers some insight.
“We are extremely thrilled to partner ONE in Singapore for the third time running, and for G-SHOCK to be named as the Official Timekeeper this year. Being a globally recognised leader in timepieces, we are excited to work with the largest sports media property in the region, and be at the forefront of driving the growth of MMA in Asia,” said Mr Teppei Takahashi, Assistant General Manager, Timepiece Division, Casio Singapore.
Even though ONE doesn’t reveal any official dollar values or figures with regard to their business, having Marvel and Under Armour on board as partners for the upcoming ONE: ASCENT TO POWER event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on May 6 is a huge acknowledgement of ONE’s standing in the corporate world.
At the head of ONE Championship is Mr Victor Cui, the organisation’s CEO, who was also named the most powerful man in Asian MMA by publications across the region. It is his vision that has brought ONE to the heights it has achieved today.
“ONE Championship has gone from strength to strength here in Asia, and we’re excited at all the progress we’re making in this market,” said Mr Cui. “I truly believe that we’re still at the beginning, and more and more brands will come to see the immense value ONE brings to the table with each one of our blockbuster events that are undoubtedly the most exciting in the world.”
At the rate ONE Championship is expanding, with new partnerships and broadcast deals being struck all the time, the future of MMA is in Asia bright, and may soon challenge the West’s dominance over the sport.
“There is no doubt in my mind that it’s just a matter of years, not decades,” adds Mr Cui.
a1admin@sph.com.sg
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Changi Airport looks to enhance security processes
SINGAPORE – Security checks at Changi Airport could soon be faster and more convenient for passengers, if ongoing trials with new luggage and body scanners prove successful.
The new screening technologies being tested could allow passengers to pass through…
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