Singapore morning news for December 17

Singapore morning news for December 17
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Singapore morning newsScale of theft at Shell’s Singapore refinery much greater, court documents show
Around $150 millions’ worth of oil was stolen from Shell’s biggest global refinery over several years, Singapore court documents reviewed by Reuters show, far more than reported when police first revealed the heist earlier this year.
— Reuters

IMDA blocks Singapore Herald website for not removing articles on Singapore-Malaysia maritime dispute
Access to the Singapore Herald socio-political website has been blocked after its editors failed to take down objectionable articles, the Infocomm and Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Sunday (Dec 16).The website published eight articles between Dec 6 and Dec 12 that …
— Channel News Asia

Maritime dispute: Singapore ‘disappointed’ at Malaysia’s position but welcomes de-escalation
Singapore is disappointed that Malaysia has refused to return to the status quo before it extended the Johor Bahru port limits but welcomed its neighbour’s pledge to de-escalate the situation on the ground, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Monday (Dec 10) in response to …
— Channel News Asia

Function 8 asks State Court explain why Leong rejected as bailor resulting in longer lock-up for TOC Editor
Civic group Function 8 issued a public statement on its Facebook page yesterday (15 Dec) asking the State Court to explain why Mr Leong Sze Hian was rejected as a bailor for Mr Terry Xu, the TOC Editor who is currently being prosecuted by the State for criminal defamation. In Sep, TOC published an article …
— The Online Citizen

Social enterprise accused of failing to pay freelancers, others
A local startup calling itself a social enterprise stands accused of owing some S$20,000 for months to freelancers and a boutique public relations firm, bringing into focus the risks that gig workers and small firms face in chasing fees from fledging companies that have no clear business model.
— The Business Times

22 arrested over scams, commercial crimes
Police have arrested 22 people over 45 scam and commercial crime-related offences involving more than $200,000.
— Straits Times

Tangled tale of deceit and despair: Filipino women lured to Singapore for sex work on the rise
It did not take long for Aida to realise she would be doing more than waiting at tables.
— Straits Times

Noble Group restructuring gets green light in Bermuda court
Embattled commodity trader Noble Group is on track to complete its mammoth restructuring deal after a Bermuda court approved an officer to carry out the plan, using a local kind of insolvency process.
— The Edge

SGD bond market may see more retail, infrastructure deals in 2019
Fixed income bankers may not be popping much champagne this Christmas given 2018’s depressed volumes, but they can still toast some of the year’s highlights such as Temasek’s first retail bond and ultra-long deals from the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
— The Business Times

SIA Engineering Company divests 100% stake in Aircraft Maintenance Services Australia for $4.5 mil
SIA Engineering Company, the provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, is divesting its 100% stake in wholly-owned subsidiary, Aircraft Maintenance Services Australia (AMSA). AMSA is based in Australia and is in the business of providing line maintenance services in major Australian airports.
— The Edge

Tender for Pasir Ris Central white site draws just three bids
A 3.8 hectare white site at Pasir Ris Central drew fairly subdued interest from developers with a lower-than-expected three bids at the close of the tender on Friday.
— The Business Times (paywall)

Singapore leads region in collaborative tech use but gaps still remain
Singapore workers lead the region in the use of technologies to improve collaboration (77 per cent), transfer knowledge (74 per cent), increase productivity (70 per cent) and enhance innovation and new idea generation (56 per cent).
— Channel News Asia

Genting to launch world’s biggest cruise liners in Singapore from 2020
A new fleet of 10 cruise ships will be launched over the next few years, with the first of the batch to berth in Singapore in 2020, said Lim Kok Thay, chairman and chief executive officer at Genting.
— The Business Times (paywall)

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SGAPY)’s Shares Are Making Moves
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (OTCMKTS:SGAPY) has been getting interest from investors after the stock price touched $22.32 at the conclusion of the most recent trade. The stock is traded on OTC in the Utilities sector and Diversified Communication Services industry.
— The Coin Guild

From courtroom to kitchen, taking the career path less travelled
One-time lawyer Lynette Zheng has made one of the more dramatic career changes, with her leap from the cloistered halls of jurisprudence to the steamy confines of a restaurant kitchen.
— Straits Times

Financial dispute resolution centre sees surge in cases
Life insurers received the most flak from consumers in a year that saw a significant jump in the number of complaints filed with the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (Fidrec).
— Straits Times

Property sales dropped 12.5% to $31.4b in 2018
Property investment sales sales fell 12.5% YoY to $31.4b in 2018, CBRE revealed. Their findings point out that preliminary property sales in Q4 crashed 59% QoQ to $13.7b.
— Singapore Business Review

Some stallholders tapping tech to draw customers
Freshly made yong tau foo, the day’s catch and meat butchered to order are among the draws of shopping at wet markets.
— Straits Times

More workers in distress helped by Migrant Workers’ Centre this year
More foreign workers received help this year from the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), with more than $500,000 in financial assistance given out.
— Straits Times

Hunger and ambition fuelled China’s rise, say Singaporeans
Despite having been in China for more than 30 years and visited 100 cities, hotelier Harry Tan still remembers vividly his first stint as front office manager of the Lhasa Holiday Inn.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Commentary: Confidence to face an AI-dominated future requires preparing Singaporeans for jobs not yet created
Filling jobs of the future requires a fundamental paradigm shift in education, training and reskilling, says one observer.
— Channel News Asia

Singapore economy: 7 factors to watch in 2019
Barring surprises, the main forces that could affect the Singapore economy next year have already been dominating headlines in 2018.
— The Business Times

Creative Capital: The Singaporean brothers who built a Japanese fashion brand
The young creative entrepreneurs behind Biro work with some of the best factories and fabric millers in the world. If only more Singaporeans would pay S$95 for a T-shirt.
— Channel News Asia

Mandarin Orchard food poisoning: ‘Strong evidence of severe contamination’, say authorities
Authorities on Friday (Dec 14) said there was strong evidence of severe contamination of the Grand Ballroom at the Mandarin Orchard Hotel, where a food poisoning outbreak occurred earlier this month.
— Channel News Asia

All together now: The growing co-living scene in Singapore
There used to be a time when conventional wisdom warned against getting into a car with a stranger. But in an age where the likes of Grab and WeWork have transformed social norms, living with strangers is a concept that’s started to gain traction too. Of course, co-living isn’t new to Singapore, nor is it an entirely new proposition.
— The Business Times

Selfies fans lose a statue backdrop
It must be all those selfie photo shooters wearing down the Sir Stamford Raffles Statue as workers responded last week by hoarding up the city’s founder for maintenance work.
— TTR Weekly

New poly entry scheme for working adults starts today
Adults can now apply to polytechnics for full-time studies under a new scheme that gives more weight to their work experience, with the application period for admissions next year starting today and ending on Friday.
— Straits Times

Commentary: Students aren’t learning enough – a brewing crisis in higher education
Society expects education to help students hone their skills to contribute to the economy, but higher education isn’t meeting this need, two observers say.
— Channel News Asia

‘An amazing improvement’: How audio description helps the vision-impaired enjoy live theatre
Next year, the Singapore Repertory Theatre will be the first theatre in Singapore to have audio description in their shows – a service that will allow blind or vision-impaired audience members to fully enjoy the experience of a live theatre performance.
— Channel News Asia

Botanist who created Lee Kuan Yew orchid dies
Veteran botanist David Lim – Uncle David to his many admirers – who brought life to many new orchid hybrids here, has died.
— Straits Times

 

Feature photo ASEAN Secretariat

This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo acknowledges International Human Solidarity Day, December 20.

 

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

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.

 

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With a decade of experience as an editor and journalist, Roy has edited mastheads across Australia and Southeast Asia, from the remote island communities of the Torres Strait to Cambodia’s only award-winning newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post.

A a professional photographer since the days of film, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photomedia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.

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