Singapore Morning News For December 28

Ex-Keppel lawyer cooperated with US in bribery probe: Documents
A former lawyer at Keppel Corp’s oil rig building business secretly pleaded guilty and cooperated with US authorities before the Singapore-based company agreed to pay US$422 million to settle charges it bribed Brazilian officials, according to court documents.
— Channel NewsAsia

Proposal for ‘Asean community carrier’ with no ownership restrictions
Domestic laws and agreements among regional countries on ownership and control of airlines should be liberalised in order to bring in more foreign investments and meet growing demand from trade and tourism, an aviation law professor at the National University of Singapore has proposed.
— Today Online

Singapore’s journey in innovation
“When it comes to innovation, there is no such thing as status quo — you either improve or decline relative to everyone else and sitting in a comfort zone for too long could prove costly.” That is the philosophy of Steve Leonard, the founding chief executive of SGInnovate. SGInnovate is a leading government enterprise that consolidates entrepreneurs’ innovation efforts in Singapore.
— Asean Today

Singapore court rejects bid by gay man to adopt child he fathered through surrogacy
A gay Singaporean man travelled to the United States and paid US$200,000 to father a boy through surrogacy arrangements. A district judge has rejected his bid to adopt the child – now four years old – whom he brought back with him to Singapore.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

HDB to implement tailgating detection system in car parks next year
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Wednesday (Dec 27) announced that it will be implementing a Tailgating Detection System (TDS) in its car parks from next year.
— Channel NewsAsia

Towards Smart Nation Singapore – Developments in 2017 (Part 3 of 3)
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport, which spearheads land transport developments in Singapore. It is the agency responsible for planning, designing, building and maintaining Singapore’s land transport infrastructure and systems.
— Open Gov Asia

Singapore’s first cryptocurrency cafe launches but regulators sound warnings
Just a street away from Singapore’s central bank, a cryptocurrency firm has set up what it claims is the first cafe in the city-state to be owned and operated by a business promoting its own digital coin.
— The Independent

Hackers could guess your smartphone PIN with sensor data: NTU researchers
The data collected from the sensors on your smartphone could be used to hack into your device, researchers at the Nanyang Technological University announced on Tuesday (Dec 26). This, they said, highlights a “significant flaw” in smartphone security.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)

SMEs in Singapore more upbeat about prospects in 2018
Smaller firms here are increasingly optimistic about their business prospects, with expectations that improvements in the wider economy will filter through to them next year.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Police arrest man for causing trouble with scissors at Bedok Mall; no injuries reported
An 18-year-old man wielding a pair of scissors was arrested on Wednesday (Dec 27) for public nuisance after he entered various shops at Bedok Mall and damaged their property.
— Channel NewsAsia

NetLink Trust fined S$150,000 for not meeting service standards
Fibre network operator NetLink Trust has been fined S$150,000 for failing to activate services for homes and businesses in time.
— Today Online

Delhi to take cue from Singapore to strengthen PUC centres
The Delhi government is all set to take a cue from Singapore to strengthen its Pollution Under Control (PUC) testing norms for which it has come under the scanner, as the city witnessed toxic levels of pollution with vehicular emissions being one of the major factors.
— DNA India

3 Factors to Consider When Investing in REITs
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) have been performing well in the last five years, beating the broader stock market index by around five percentage points. However, not all REITs have performed equally well.
— The Motley Fool

Brighter year ahead for SMEs, stronger sales and profits expected for next 6 months
Singapore’s small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) are expecting stronger sales and profits for January to June next year, as they anticipate better business conditions amid an improved economy, said a survey.
— Today Online

Online donations gaining popularity in Singapore
More money is pouring online into Singapore’s national charity portal Giving.sg, with donations doubling in the past two years to cross the $100 million mark.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Police imposter who robbed masseuse gets jail time, caning
A man who posed as a police officer and robbed a masseuse with the aid of his two friends pleaded guilty to the crime on Wednesday (Dec 27).
— Today Online

Feature photo Dickson Phua

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Singapore morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Singapore news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Singapore Morning News For December 28 added by Leakhena Khat on December 28, 2017
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Leakhena Khat

Leakhena is a junior journalist at AEC News Today who is also currently studying International Relations, which she finds adds perspective to her work reporting on the Asean Community.

“I love what I am doing so much as it gives me a lot of great experience and provides challenges to my mind.