kueytoc

Mission Accomplished ! YES WE CAN'T...help U catch ya rascal belle... ...BUTT... We can help justify ya 'MEDAL OF HONOR' with Mr President Alfred E.Neuman !

Honeymooner 'strangled over purse' 10 hours 45 mins ago By Press Assoc Murdered honeymooner Michaela McAreavey was strangled over a purse containing a small amount of cash, it has been claimed. As the body of the 27-year-old newly-wed began its journey home to Northern Ireland, detectives on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius said the burglars-turned-killers she interrupted in her room at the luxury Legends Hotel were rummaging for a purse. The price over which the teacher lost her life emerged after police said that one of the three hotel workers charged in connection with the murder had confessed. It is understood that room attendant Avinash Treebhoowoon, 29, admitted the crime after one of his co-accused and fellow room attendant Raj Theekoy, 33, made a statement implicating him and the third accused, floor supervisor Sandip Moneea, 41. Treebhoowoon and Moneea, who are alleged to have carried out the killing, face murder charges. Police sources believe they returned to rob the room after spotting the purse in the couple's room while cleaning the day before. Theekoy, who is charged with conspiracy, is alleged to have passed along the corridor outside the room in the hotel while the struggle was taking place but, despite hearing screams, did nothing to stop it. A spokesman for the Maritius Police Force said: "Avinash Treebhoowoon has confessed. Further investigations will continue." Mrs McAreavey, who married husband John just 10 days before her death, was the daughter of one of Ireland's most celebrated sports figures, Tyrone gaelic football team manager Mickey Harte. A flight carrying the body of the Irish language teacher was due to leave the island on Thursday en route to London. Her remains are expected to be back in the Harte family home near Ballygawley, Co Tyrone by Friday lunchtime. It is expected her funeral will take place on Monday at St Malachy's chapel near the home - the same church where she was married only weeks ago.

S’pore’s population trends follow economic changes By Alicia Wong – January 13th, 2011 Singapore’s population trends follows economic trends, with non-residents being the most responsive to change, the Census of Population 2010 has found. These population shifts may reassure Singaporeans who worry about the influx of foreigners, reported The Straits Times (ST). When the economy does well, non-resident numbers grew quickly. When the economy faltered, the flow of non-residents — those who are neither citizens nor permanent residents — also slowed. For example, during a boom period from June 2007 to June 2008, non-residents contributed 4.2 percentage points to the 5.5 per cent population growth. But between June 2001 to June 2002, when the economy plunged after the Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States, there was an outflow of non-residents. The Census also shows a steady rise in the number of PRs over the last 10 years, reported ST. There was a sharp spike from June 2008 to June 2009, but numbers fell just as sharply from June 2009 to June 2010 after the start of the global economic crisis. The Census found the influx of PRs helped boost Singapore’s ageing population. They help make up for the dip in citizens of working age, and also tend to be better-educated than citizens. However, PRs also have fewer babies than citizens across all age groups. PRs aged 30 to 39 has an average of 1.38 children last year, while a citizen’s average was 1.55. This could mean they may add to the country’s ageing woes in the long run, noted ST. Researcher Gillian Koh said the low birth rate among PRs is not surprising, since many possess the professional, highly educated profile that Singapore wants to attract. They would then have the same views toward family life typically associated with such people. She added, being of high talent and high net worth, they should be able to provide for themselves when old. Overall, Singapore’s population grew by 26 per cent over the last decade, reaching 5.08 million as of June 2010. Citizens grew by 8 per cent to 3.2 million, and PRs grew by 88 per cent to 541,000. Non-residents increased by 73 per cent to 1.3 million. And as the population grows, Singapore has also become a more diverse society. The proportion of residents born outside Singapore has grown. Among these, those born in Malaysia, India and Sri Lanka show a significant increase. The Census released on Wednesday is the first of a series. It gave figures on education, language, religion and demographic characteristics. The next two releases will cover households and housings, and geographic distribution and transport.

Why not MOI-MOI ??? Single S’poreans increase among younger age groups By Kai Fong – January 13th, 2011 More Singaporeans are striking marriage off their checklists, over the past decade at least. The proportion of singles has risen significantly especially amongst the younger age groups in the last ten years, the Census of Population 2010 revealed. In the first of a series of statistical releases by the Singapore Department of Statistics (DOS), the report shows an increase from 33 to 43 per cent for males, and from 22 to 31 per cent for females among citizens aged 30 to 34 years. This translates to a 10 per cent and 9 per cent increase respectively. While singlehood was prevalent among males with secondary qualifications and below, graduate females did not seem keen on getting hitched either. According to a Channel NewsAsia report, 24 per cent of citizen males aged 40-44 with below secondary qualifications were single in 2010, compared to 13 per cent of university graduates. For citizen females, 23 per cent of graduates aged 40-44 years old were single in 2010, compared to 11 per cent among females with below secondary qualifications. Things do not reflect well on the family front either. The proportion of childless families has seen an increase of 6 per cent – from 14 per cent in 2000 to 20 per cent in 2010, said The Straits Times. This took place among resident females between 30 to 39 years of age. Similarly, the age group of 40 to 49 years saw an increase from 6.4 per cent to 9.3 per cent during the same period. An increasing trend of one-child families was also noted. Among ever-married females aged 40-49, who were likely to have completed child-bearing, the proportion went up from 15 per cent in 2000 to 19 per cent in 2010. Nevertheless, DOS said families with two children continued to be the norm, with the proportion unchanged at 42 per cent from 2000. Even so, the DOS said the average number of children born to those aged 40-49 years had declined to 2.02 in 2010, as compared to 2.21 in 2000. Education could have played a role in this phenomenon. The higher educated females had fewer children compared to their lower educated counterparts. University graduates had the fewest children by the end of their child-bearing years, with an average of 1.74 children among those ever-married and aged 40-49 in 2010. Quite the reverse, ever-married females with below secondary qualification had an average of 2.21 children by the age of 40-49 years.

Excess Ca$h for Shipment days ??? Government set to post S$6 billion in budget surplus By Faris – January 13th, 2011 A whopping S$6 billion in budget surplus; that is the amount the government is set to gain after a buoyant economy boosted tax collections last year. This comes after private economists say that the country could post record revenues hitting as high as S$50 billion, an increase from S$38 billion in 2009. They attribute this to factors such as solid wage growth, strong corporate profits and a sizzling property market. A surplus is the left over amount from state revenues after taking into account all government spending. A deficit is where there is a shortfall. Speaking to The Straits Times on Tuesday, Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Chua Hak Bin and DBS economist Irvin Seah expect the budget surplus to hit a bumper $6 billion. This is a dramatic reversal from an official government estimate of a S$3 billion deficit, made in February last year. “The booming economy bumped up corporate and personal income taxes, which saw much higher collections compared with the government’s estimates,” said Dr Chua. Gaming taxes and duties from the integrated resorts are expected to add S$1.1 billion to government coffers, he added. Mr Seah weighed in that the strong property market has also contributed to higher revenues. They also said that this year, the government could have a considerable war chest for helping people. Especially in assisting the lower-income earners cope with the effects of rising consumer prices. Other economists, such as OCBC’s Selena Ling and Citigroup’s Kit Wei Zheng, expect government revenues to significantly beat official estimates of S$40.7 billion. “This pattern of budget conservatism versus actual fiscal outperformance has been a recurrent theme in the past five years,” noted Mr Kit. If the economy does post an estimated S$6 billion surplus, it would be the second-highest in the last decade and is just short of the S$7.6 billion surplus recorded in 2007. On the other hand, Dr Chua anticipates that the next general election will be called soon after the Budget – due some time next month – making the next announcement a notable one. This is because, under the constitution, the government is required to balance the budget books for its entire term, which began in 2007. Savings and surpluses over the term of government will be locked up as past reserves at term-end. In contrast, any deficits incurred overall will be considered a drawdown on past reserves which can be done only with the president’s consent. The net position over the past four years could be an overall surplus of S$9 billion to S$12 billion, depending on the final fiscal figures released, said Mr Kit. “The government can draw down on this term’s past surpluses to announce a generous Budget this time, if it wants to,” he said. But what is certain is that the money will go towards tackling the income gap and the higher inflation that is expected this year. Dr Chua also expects that in the Budget, the government will hand out one-off goodies, such as Central Provident Fund (CPF) top-ups and utility and property tax rebates. But he doubts that the government will give permanent cuts to income and corporate taxes saying this will impact the fiscal positions in the years ahead. However, economists such as Mr Seah and Ms Ling said the government may want to return the S$4.9 billion it drew down from past reserves in 2009 to pay for the Jobs Credit Scheme. Due to the effects of the global financial crisis, the government scheme paid for a portion of a local worker’s salary in order to save jobs. “They don’t have to as it is not a loan. But even if they do, there will be plenty of money left,” said Ms Ling.

Any pics mate ?

Hah Hah...CMO Mikey, so wat is the 'Nite-Snack' menu for tonite ? Ooops !...& dun forget to sanitize ya rhythmic 'lubricated' hands before serving !

Global economy to slow in 2011: World Bank AFP - Thursday, January 13 WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The World Bank Wednesday forecast that the global economy will slow in 2011, and warned that rising commodity prices could spur a return to the sky-high inflation of 2008. The Washington-based development lender estimated the world economy will grow 3.3 percent this year compared with 3.9 percent in 2010, a year of rebound from the 2009 recession. Emerging and developing countries were expected to expand 6.0 percent, more than double the 2.4 percent annual rate of high-income countries, the bank said in its latest Global Economic Prospects report. Overall, the pace of growth is too weak to give the recovery solid traction, it said. "Unfortunately these growth rates are unlikely to be fast enough to eliminate unemployment and slack in the hardest-hit economies and economic sectors." In addition, "serious tensions and pitfalls persist in the global economy, which in the short run could derail the recovery to differing degrees," it warned. The World Bank expressed particular concern about rising commodity prices, including food and fuel, driven by loose monetary policies in the developed countries and solid demand in the emerging economies. "Although real food prices in most developing countries have not increased as much as those measured in US dollars, they have risen sharply in some poor countries," it said. "And if international prices continue to rise, affordability issues and poverty impacts could intensify." "We are very concerned about the rise in the food prices... we see some similarities with the situation in 2008, just before the financial crisis," Hans Timmer, the bank's director of development prospects, said at a news conference at the bank's Washington headquarters.

Spurs seek to end dire record against United Reuters - Thursday, January 13 By Mitch Phillips LONDON - When Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes trudged off the pitch after a 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane in 2001 they would hardly have imagined they would still be playing for Manchester United 10 years later. They would have been even more surprised to learn that Spurs would be unable to find a way to beat them again in 19 attempts spanning the next decade. That, though, is the London side's pitiful record against the team they face at home on Sunday and something they really need to turn round if they are to be considered top four material, let alone potential champions. United lead the way with 44 points from 20 games, two points ahead of Manchester City from two fewer games. Arsenal are third on 40, Spurs fourth on 36 and champions Chelsea fifth on 35, all from 21 games. An emotional appearance against his old club by David Beckham, who missed the 2001 fixture, will not now happen as the former England captain's loan deal with Spurs looks ever-more likely to be more of an extended training session. Scholes has an outside chance of featuring as he recovers from a groin problem that has sidelined him since November but Giggs is likely to play. Also back should be Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic, the latter bringing some much-needed solidity to what has looked a slightly shaky central defence in recent weeks. Rooney scored his first club goal in open play since March 2010 when the 24-year-old England striker broke his nine-month drought on New Years' Day but picked up an ankle injury and missed the next two games. Spurs will be hoping this season's formlines are a better indicator than the last 10 years. They have lost at home only once, to Wigan Athletic, while United have drawn seven and won only two of their away games. MERSEYSIDE DERBY That is a record Liverpool would love to have as their 2-1 reverse at Blackpool on Wednesday left them with a sorry record of eight defeats, two draws and a solitary win from 11 away games. The Kenny Dalglish effect has yet to kick in but after he began with an FA Cup loss at Old Trafford but he could not have scripted a better first home game in charge than to be facing city rivals Everton. Dalglish was the scourge of the blue side of the city as a player and manager and will be desperate to bring back those memories on Sunday. Liverpool, who sacked Roy Hodgson last Saturday, are now 13th in the standings with 25 points four above the relegation zone. Everton are one place above them on goal difference - a sorry state of affairs for two clubs who shared so much silverware in Dalglish's days in the city. Liverpool will be without Steven Gerrard, banned after his red card against United. Everton miss their key player too as Tim Cahill, who scored in their 2-0 derby win at Goodison Park in October, is on international duty with Australia. Right on time though Louis Saha has finally found his shooting boots with two goals in two games, including the opener in last week's 5-1 Cup thrashing of Scunthorpe. Chelsea will also hope that a big cup win kickstarts their season as, after thrashing Ipswich Town 7-0, they host Blackburn Rovers on Saturday. Two goals and an impressive display by Daniel Sturridge might have been enough to keep him in the side with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka struggling for form. Arsenal, beaten 1-0 by Ipswich in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday, are also in action on Saturday, away to West Ham United.

Blackpool pile on agony for Liverpool in Premier League AFP - Thursday, January 13 BLACKPOOL (AFP) – Goals from Gary Taylor-Fletcher and DJ Campbell helped Blackpool to another sensational 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Bloomfield Road here on Wednesday. Blackpool came from a goal down after Fernando Torres's early finish to prove their win by the same scoreline at Anfield in October was no fluke as they pulled off one of the most unexpected 'doubles' in the history of the Premier League - their first over Liverpool for 47 years. The Tangerines are now ninth in the table, four places above Liverpool -- something that would have been regarded as all but inconceivable at the start of the season. This was Kenny Dalglish's first league game in charge of Liverpool for almost 19 years, having seen the Reds lose 1-0 to arch-rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup last weekend, after replacing Roy Hodgson on an interim basis until the end of the season. "We'll work away and try to get the confidence we need to produce more positive results," Dalglish told Sky Sports. "A lot of teams are going to come here and get a really tough game, they've done that already. "It's a great credit to Ian Holloway they've got a team as good as that." Holloway, the Blackpool manager, added: "It was a fantastic result, a fantastic game and I thought we more played than our part in it. "It looked like the Kenny Dalglish effect was going to sweep us away but my boys just keep going." Dalglish is looking to salvage something from a Liverpool season that has lurched from disaster to disaster. One of those low points was the loss to Blackpool at Anfield as the 18-times English champions were humbled by the Premier League newboys. In the period between that fixture and this, Liverpool have gained new owners but lost a manager in Hodgson and it is former Scotland striker Dalglish's responsibility to bring an element of calm to a club that has stagnated in recent times. Despite being without Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole -- the former through suspension, the latter through injury -- Liverpool started as the better side and took the lead in the third minute through Torres. Good interplay between Dirk Kuyt and Martin Kelly allowed the right-back to slot the ball through to Torres who charged in on Richard Kingson's goal and thrashed the ball into the roof of the net. But Liverpool's early optimism was extinguished when Blackpool capitalised on some poor defending to equalise nine minutes later. A Raul Meireles misjudgement and a poor piece of defending from Daniel Agger gave Taylor-Fletcher the space to sneak through Liverpool's back line and comfortably slide the ball past Pepe Reina. That should have been the ignition for a thrilling opening encounter but Taylor-Fletcher's goal was the last real chance on goal during the first half. Campbell should have nodded Blackpool in front from four yards but somehow missed the target while Liverpool offered very little at the other end in an opening period full of running but precious little quality. After the interval, Reina had to make two quickfire saves from Charlie Adam and David Vaughan as Blackpool went on the attack while Torres also fired over at the other end. And with the game firmly in the balance, Blackpool then took the lead in the 69th minute as Campbell made up for his earlier miss with a brilliant header. A deep Neal Eardley cross was headed back across goal by Ian Evatt and Campbell did the rest to complete the turnaround. The fraught finish, ensured the final whistle was greeted with sheer joy by the home fans and as Liverpool's supporters trudged away, they must have realised their club's current problems are far too large for Dalglish to solve on his own and overnight.

I certainly hope ya seamless covert 'squeezings' doesn't lead to uncontrollable sphincter spasms.

Chilly weather in China aggravates blood shortage AFP - Thursday, January 6 BEIJING (AFP) - – Zhao Libao sits in a nearly empty room at a Red Cross centre in Beijing, waiting to donate blood as he does every month. He is one of the few to heed government calls for more rolled-up sleeves. Despite repeated official pleas for donations, cold weather across China has triggered a shortage of blood in the capital and other major cities as fewer people are willing to brave the chilly temperatures. Along with the big chill, an increasing demand for surgical procedures has been blamed for the shortfall, which at one point forced hospitals across the country to postpone at least 50 percent of operations for the short term. "People are very selfish and they feel their blood is very precious and they don't need to help other people," Zhao, 36, told AFP. They think "if there is no benefit for me then I won't donate," he said. Blood donation to strangers has not yet caught on in China, where only 84 out of every 10,000 people give blood -- a fraction of the 454 who do so in developed countries, the health ministry says on its website. In a bid to boost supplies, Health Minister Chen Zhu recently rolled up his own sleeve to donate along with hundreds of other government officials -- a publicity stunt aimed at encouraging citizens to contribute to blood banks. State media also joined the nationwide campaign, publishing stories urging people to brave the cold weather and go to their nearest blood centre to help replenish dwindling supplies. While Liu Jiang, director of the Red Cross centre, insists the shortage has been resolved -- at least in the capital -- the centre continued to issue calls for more donors via the state-run media throughout December. "I dare not guarantee that there won't be a shortage in the future because blood collection is easily affected by seasonal factors," Liu told AFP. On cold, windy days, "the number of people on the street drops sharply and the amount of blood collected falls significantly," he said. Haunted by the memory of a blood-selling scandal in central Henan province in the 1990s, when entire villages were devastated by HIV/AIDS after donors received tainted blood, many Chinese are still afraid to give, reports say. But Liu said the main reasons for the shortage were severe traffic congestion in the capital as well as the cold weather and a lack of mobile donation centres around the city. "Convenience is really important for blood donation. It is impossible to ask donors to take a day off work just to go to blood collecting centres," he said. Beijing has just 27 mobile donation centres, which collect 90 percent of the city's blood, for a population of 19 million. A middle-aged man waiting at the Red Cross centre to donate blood told AFP he had been sent by the restaurant where he worked as a chef. He said he was making his 30th donation -- something he considered to be his civic duty. "I donate blood for free as a gesture of my love (for society)," said the man surnamed Ren as he puffed on a cigarette. "I donated for the victims of the Sichuan and Yushu earthquakes ... wherever it is needed." As blood stocks plunged in recent months, people with relatives in hospital waiting for operations were reportedly donating their own blood so their loved ones could have surgery. According to Chinese law, each person can donate a maximum of 400 millilitres of blood every six months. If a patient requires more than that, relatives would have to ask friends to donate on their behalf or pay so-called "blood agents" to find strangers to donate for them, the Global Times said. During the latest shortage, the black market price for 400 millilitres of blood doubled to 3,000 yuan (450 dollars), it said. More than half of the country's donors are university students and migrant workers, according to Xinhua. For people like Zhao, donating blood is not a way to earn money but a more secure way to help other people. "I don't want to give money. Society is very complicated and I don't know if the money will reach the people who need it," he said.

When will MOI-MOI enjoys moi hard-earned RETIREMENT $$$ ??? :FIREdevil: MPs debate over CPF drawdown age By Faris – January 12th, 2011 Workers should be allowed to draw down their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings at the age of 60. That was the stand of the Workers’ Party (WP) who said that the CPF drawdown age should not also be linked to the retirement age. On Tuesday, the two MPs from the WP, Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang) and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim raised concerns about workers who are not re-employed after turning 62 years old, yet cannot draw on their CPF savings until they turn 65. According to The Straits Times, while the drawdown age is currently set at 62, the government had earlier announced that it would be raised to 63 next year, 64 in 2015 and 65 in 2018. In addition, the government will give incentives to those who voluntarily defer their CPF drawdowns. Speaking during the debate on the Retirement and Re-Employment Act in parliament, Mr Low criticised the new law as “half-cooked”. He argued that Singaporeans could be left “hanging in the air” – without a job at the age of 62, yet unable to tap their CPF savings. Ms Lim weighed in, charging that the new law will subject older workers to a “stressful re-employment process” at 62. She highlighted that the new law applies to those who are already employed when they turn 62, and does not assist those who are unemployed to seek a job at that age. If the government wants to delay CPF drawdowns till 65, Ms Lim said that “it should at least correspondingly provide for a more seamless transition of employment from 62 to 65”. Under the new legislation, employers are required to offer re-employment to workers who turn 62. If they are unable to do so, the worker needs to be compensated with an Employment Assistance Payment to tide him over as he seeks another job. However, People’s Action Party MP Heng Chee How (Jalan Besar GRC), rebutted the WP’s call to allow drawdowns at the age of 60, calling it unhelpful. “It would be like saying, you have a bank account. I have no idea how you are going to add money there, but I know you have to spend, so don’t listen to these guys when they tell you how to add more money into your account; just listen to me and go and draw whatever you have and start spending.” Mr Heng, who is also the deputy secretary-general in the labour movement added that as Singaporeans have longer life spans, there would be a need to provide them with more resources. Ms Lim later asked Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong on the possibility to allow drawdowns to start earlier so long as payments could be stretched out over a longer period. In his response, Mr Gan said it would mean that people would have less to survive on every month. “The better solution is to continue to add on to their savings,” he said. “That is why Workfare has a CPF component to help to top up. If the worker continues to work, he will be able to accumulate more savings. If he starts his drawdown later, his savings will allow him to last longer.” Mr Gan also pointed out that the unemployment rate for older resident workers – those 50 and above – remains very low. It was 3.3 per cent in June last year. Rather than redesign the CPF scheme to cater to this minority, Mr Gan said that it would be better to deal with them on a case-by-case basis and encourage them to look for work. He added that if they face difficulties coping, they could still be supported by programmes such as the ComCare Fund.

Work till You DROP...??? Manpower Minister addresses concerns over re-employment law By Alicia Wong – January 12th, 2011 How will the re-employment law be enforced? This was the concern raised by 14 Members of Parliament who supported the re-employment law, reported The Straits Times (ST). From Jan 1 next year, employers must offer eligible staff who reach the statutory retirement age of 62 re-employment for three years, until they are 65. Employees must be medically fit and have satisfactory performance. Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC), Mr Ang Mong Seng (Hong Kah GRC) and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim asked how medical fitness would be determined. Minister for Manpower Gan Kim Yong replied, the employer has to prove that a worker is unfit for rehiring past age 62. A medically-fit employee is one whose health would not affect his job performance, he said. Madam Halimah, Ms Lim and Mr Hri Kumar Nair (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) also asked how job performance would be assessed. Defining ‘satisfactory’ as the minimum level of performance an employee is expected to maintain in discharging his duties, Mr Gan said the assessment could be based on more than one year’s performance. He said, his ministry would continue to encourage employers to have proper appraisal systems. Employees who feel the assessment was unfair can approach the ministry for help. Employers who cannot rehire older workers must pay an Employment Assistance Payment. Some MPs were worried employers would use that as a way out to rehiring older workers. Mr Gan said, the payment should be used as a last resort. He noted, most employers are “responsible” and most older workers who want to work have been able to do so, reported ST. Responding to concerns that employers may hire contract workers, so they do not need to offer them re-employment, Mr Gan said, only workers whose contracts are tied to a specific project are excluded from the law. Workers on fixed-term contracts would be covered by the re-employment law so long as their contract is for more than two years, including renewals. And could employers force workers to turn down a re-employment offer by having unreasonable employment terms? Mr Gan said, employees in such situations can approach the ministry. If their complaint is justified, the minister could order the employer to offer re-employment or pay compensation. Mr Gan also stressed, any wage adjustment should be based on reasonable factors, such as performance. For the small and medium-sized enterprises, which may have difficulty implementing the new law, Mr Gan cited the Advantage Scheme that allows employers to secure a grant of up to S$400,000 to redesign jobs and improve their human resource practices.

Parents queue overnight to get kids on school’s waiting list By Kai Fong – January 11th, 2011 Armed with picnic mats and umbrellas — some even with maids and babies in tow, enthusiastic parents were seen queuing outside one of the most sought-after kindergartens in Singapore, with the hope of securing a place for their children. The exercise was not even to guarantee them a spot for their tots in Nanyang Kindergarten’s pre-nursery programme for three-year-olds, but only to be put on its waiting list which now has more than 100 names, according to the school’s principal Magdalene Ang. The queue began forming as early as 9pm on Sunday, a day before registration opened for a place in the popular Bukit Timah pre-school in 2013, reported The Straits Times (ST). By the time registration started on Monday at 7.30am, more than 70 eager parents were filing past the school gates to pay a S$100 non-refundable administration fee. Priority will be given to children who have siblings currently studying in the school or have siblings or parents as former pupils, before remaining parents on the list are considered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the children are admitted into its pre-nursery programme, entry to kindergarten is guaranteed when they turn five. Its yearly intake for pre-nursery is about 96 pupils. Nanyang Kindergarten, which is not affiliated to Nanyang Primary School, is well-known for being the alma mater of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his children. Past pupils also include prominent lawyers, scientists and architects. Its emphasis on the teaching of the Chinese language is another plus point that seems appealing to many parents today –- the 74-year-old kindergarten conducts its pre-nursery and nursery lessons purely in Mandarin. Both English and Mandarin are used later in K1 and K2. That is a big draw for parents such as 41-year-old retail firm director, Mr McCallum, who was first in the queue. Having camped overnight in front of the school on Sunday, Mr McCallum told ST that he and his Chinese-Singaporean wife want to give their one-year-old son the best education in Mandarin as “the ability to read and write in Chinese will be a great asset in the global economy”. Parents do not seem bothered by the spike in school fees following the opening of Nanyang’s S$5.5 million new extension in 2009 — while nursery and kindergarten fees used to be S$780 for a 10-week term and S$840 for pre-nursery, they have doubled to between S$1,669.20 and S$1,776.20 in mid-2009. Ms Ang said that new facilities such as computers and air-conditioned classrooms allow the school to incorporate special activities like computer learning, and speech and drama into the normal curriculum. Indeed, financial executive Jason Teng, 46, who started queuing at 5am, believes that Nanyang Kindergarten has a more rigorous curriculum than other private pre-schools. That will prevent his children from “a culture shock upon entering primary school”, he said. Although his six-year-old elder son is already in Nanyang Kindergarten, which puts his one-year-old second son in the priority queue, the father is not taking any chances. “Call us kiasu (afraid to lose out), but I don’t want to lose out. This concerns my child’s future.”

S$760,000 scam uncovered from fake payslips By Kai Fong – January 12th, 2011 A fake payslip submitted by a credit card applicant turned out be the tip of an iceberg for a S$760,000 scam, all thanks to a check by a sharp-eyed bank officer. The applicant’s annual salary was discovered to have been inflated to meet the S$60,000 needed to get a Standard Chartered Bank (Stanchart) card, and it was not a sole case. On Monday, a direct sales agent at telemarketing firm Touch & Tech and an applicant, both Filipinos, were jailed after pleading guilty to conspiring to use fake payslips and employment letters, reported The Straits Times (ST). The whole team at Touch & Tech is said to have forged payslips and employment contracts to qualify applicants for cards and loans, a move that would earn extra commission and bank bonuses for the marketing firm. As the firm’s direct sales agent, Charon Legaspi Dimpas, 26, would make cold calls to prospective applicants, but many failed to meet the bank’s criteria. Her team manager Abdul Karim Baba, a Singaporean, is alleged to have then encouraged her to inflate the monthly income of applicants. In total, Dimpas submitted fake documents for 96 applicants from June to November last year, earning S$8,474 in commission. The agent also submitted false letters for extension of employment because applicants needed a minimum of one year remaining on their employment passes. The second to be jailed is a 39-year-old applicant, Maria Theresa Arena Garcia, who was an administrative operations executive with an employment agency in 2009. Besides inflating her payslip from its original S$2,600 to S$5,180, she also used fake documents to apply for a loan. Another Filipino applicant, Mark Robert Fajilan Landicho, is alleged to have referred applicants to Dimpas after getting his own successful application by posting an advertisement on a Filipino website www.pinoysg.com. He promised readers that he could help them get Stanchart loans and credit cards even if they were “low wage earners”. Most of the applicants worked as hospital or clinic staff, or in the administrative or accounting sectors. The court heard that Stanchart, who engaged Touch & Tech to market its credit cards, had lent nearly S$760,000 to the 96 applicants. Dimpas has been sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment while Garcia was jailed for six months. For providing false documents to the bank, both women could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to S$10,000. Cases involving seven accomplices who had been charged will be heard at a later date.

Main problem is ya neglected hot-babe BELLUS is 'jealous' of ya Acan Gems especially ya 'Pinkie Panty' that has been ya much focus of attention. Ignoring her 'advances' & forgetting her needful pamperings, so revenge she seeks to end her untold 'sufferings'. 2 solutions U padawan must take to quick-fix the problem: (1) Introduce a virile Male Bellus stud to spice up her bored life or (2) Transfer all ya modesty-intact 'Lingerie Acans' to moi tanky for harmless safe-keeping. Words of Wisdom from Jedi Knight GENICANTHUS

Michael Jackson fans mostly mum at doctor's hearing Reuters - Tuesday, January 11 By Alex Dobuzinskis LOS ANGELES - A plane flying a banner with a photo of Michael Jackson on Monday soared above the court where his ex-doctor stands accused of involuntary manslaughter, and the message with the picture was blunt: "Change charges to murder." In the case against Dr. Conrad Murray, the plane and its banner were a rare instance of anything close to the spectacle of Jackson's 2005 trial and acquittal on child molestation charges. Back then, hundreds of Jackson fans from all over the world gathered daily near the courthouse and even saw their hero dance for them atop a vehicle one day after a hearing. The lack of a swarming and adoring crowd has prompted the question of whether the "Thriller" singer's star has faded in the roughly 18 months since his death. But pop culture watchers say, probably not. Murray's preliminary hearing, they say, has failed to generate excitement in the same way as other celebrity-related cases because Murray is not a star himself and the allegations against him were revealed months ago in court papers. "It's not that Michael Jackson's fans don't still love him, they just don't feel compelled to take a stand and make a statement by showing up over this, because they've already made their minds up," said Cooper Lawrence, the author of "The Cult of Celebrity." The preliminary hearings began last week into whether Murray should stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 25, 2009, death at age 50 from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and the sedative lorazepam. Murray was caring for the singer at the time, and prosecutors claim he is responsible for giving the singer too many drugs. Murray has pleaded not guilty. After the hearing, a judge will decide if enough evidence exists for a full trial. A couple dozen Jackson fans have shown up every day outside the Los Angeles courtroom, waiting in a hallway and hoping to get a seat in the hearing. But aside from Monday's fly-over paid for by Jackson fans, there have been few incidents to grab the media's attention outside the court. RED ARM BANDS Bus operator Dana Brenklin, 34, is one of those die-hard Jackson supporters attending this month's hearings and wearing red arm bands to show their allegiance to the singer. "I don't know why they are not here. It's strange," Brenklin said. "I thought we would be filling up this whole hallway." Few if any of the Jackson fans have traveled to Los Angeles from other parts of the world, as they did back in 2005. Jackson's family members, including his mother Katherine, his father Joe and his sister La Toya, have attended the hearings, and fans have cheered them on during their walks down the courthouse hallway. They have given the same praise to the prosecutors. One fan exclaimed, "Those are our attorneys." But Brenklin remembers an entirely different scene at the 2005 child molestation trial in Santa Maria, California, northwest of Los Angeles. Back then, she traveled to the arraignment with a bus full of Jackson supporters from a church. Once there, she saw vendors selling memorabilia and so many people milling around that she could barely even see Jackson walking in. "It was ridiculous, it was like it was going to be a concert or something," Brenklin said. Robert Thompson, professor at Syracuse University and an expert on pop culture, said he is "surprised" the hearings have been so low-key. "If this were Michael Jackson on trial, it would be huge," he said. "How do I know that? It was huge when Michael Jackson was on trial." But he said that if the judge holds the case for trial, as is expected, the next phase could draw more attention.

Are Ye Ready to ROCK ??? Janet Jackson bringing tour to U.S. and Canada Reuters - Tuesday, January 11 By Monica Herrera NEW YORK - Janet Jackson is bringing her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal tour to the U.S. and Canada this spring, the star announced Monday. The trek kicks off March 7-8 with a two-night stand in Las Vegas and wraps with another pair of shows April 22-23 in Las Vegas. The setlist will be culled exclusively from the hits that grace Jackson's 2009 compilation, "Number Ones." "These concerts will be different from anything I have ever done. I will be as up close and personal as possible," Jackson said in a statement. "These concerts are not about special effects. This is a love affair between me and those of you who have supported me and my work for all these years. I'll be singing and dancing from my heart. The music will all be songs that you've made number ones for me. Let's go! Jackson is also slated to release "True You," a book reflecting on her experience with diet and exercise, on February 8.

No-SEX zone threatened after Philippines scandal AFP - Thursday, January 6 MANILA (AFP) - – Philippine authorities may ban sex on the world-famous beaches of Boracay island after a television crew filmed two naked couples making out in public on New Year's Day, the local mayor said Thursday. The clip showed one pair apparently having sex on the beach and the other locked in a passionate kiss in the water, with the woman's bare breasts clearly shown above the waterline. The ABS-CBN television network said it filmed the apparently Western couples at 2:00 am on New Year's Day following a large beachside party on Boracay to usher in 2011. "We're thinking of a 'no sex on the beach' (rule) so the other tourists would not be scandalised," John Yap, mayor of Malay town that has jurisdiction over Boracay, told ABS-CBN in an interview posted on its website this week. Yap said authorities were aware of the sensitivities of the devoutly Roman Catholic nation. "It's an isolated case and quite difficult to control but, if police had seen them, they would have been arrested for public scandal," he said. In a brief phone call with AFP on Thursday, Yap confirmed the quotes. Filipina film star and talk show television host Ruffa Gutierrez, who said she was vacationing with her two young children at Boracay over the New Year, expressed disgust at the holiday makers' over-exuberance. "I don't want my children to be doing those things (public sex acts) one day," she told ABS-CBN. "For me, it's just not right." Boracay draws about 650,000 tourists every year, or about 22 percent of the country's total visitor traffic, according to tourist ministry data.

Premier League - Owen: Liverpool woes no shock Mon, 10 Jan 08:39:00 2011 Former Liverpool star Michael Owen has said that the Merseyside club's fall from grace has come as no surprise to him. Now at Manchester United, who knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup 1-0 on Sunday, Owen added that the Anfield club are over-reliant on their big-name players. Owen scored 158 goals in 297 competitive games in a prolific career for the Reds and won the FA Cup, two League Cups and the UEFA Cup before leaving for Real Madrid in 2004. Liverpool have endured a torrid time on the field in the last 18 months with two managerial departures and a change of ownership. "I am not particularly surprised," he told United Review, his present club's matchday programme. "I would say their position reflects where they are right now. "They are in the middle of a transitional period and off the pitch they have had a change of ownership. "They are also very reliant on a couple of star players and if they are out injured, they have tended to struggle." In a separate interview in the build-up to the Cup clash, Owen said that the club today was almost unrecognisable from the one he played for. "I don't think they (his former team-mates) would ever forgive me if I said what they had told me," he said. "Throughout all those successful years Liverpool built their foundation on passing and moving. "But, from when I was there, everything has changed, barring two players. They even got rid of the doctors and the medical staff. "Maybe there have not been enough Liverpool players over the last 10 years. "If there was just one reason, then it would have been fixed. But there have been so many." Eurosport

From cruise to crisis for 'King Kenny' Mon Jan 10 09:00AM After 32 seconds of 'King' Kenny Dalglish's hotly-anticipated Liverpool return, the club legend had presided over what proved to be the death of another piece of potential silverware. Dalglish left a seat at the bar quaffing champagne on a cruise ship to take the helm at Liverpool, and the 'Return of the King' could hardly have begun in more inauspicious fashion as the old platitudes were rolled out like a red carpet in front of his eyes. "The enormity of his challenge is dawning on him now!" screamed Clive Tyldesley after Daniel Agger stood pretty close to Dimitar Berbatov inside the Liverpool box - but Dalglish is not one to sport the rose-tinted spectacles and was probably thinking referee Howard Webb should invest in a pair himself. Ryan Giggs dispatched the penalty with aplomb and 'Kenny Mania' was effectively extinguished inside Old Trafford in what was the Scot's first match in charge of the Reds since a 4-4 FA Cup replay draw with Everton in February 1991. The FA Cup has its critics and is treated with thinly veiled contempt by some - Ian Holloway fielded his youth team to unsurprisingly shoddy effect against Southampton on Saturday - but the ability of English football's premier cup competition to keep a big club's floundering campaign afloat is undoubted. Roy Hodgson is a gentleman in the truest sense: not the type of man who would have been asking his chauffeur the score with a smirk at his local Rolls Royce dealership on Sunday afternoon. But there must have been a tinge of £7 million pay-out assisted relief on Uncle Woy's part as he can now claim responsibility for only two of the three competitions Liverpool have seen their hopes extinguished in already this season. Webb celebrated his newly-acquired New Year MBE by awarding a match-deciding penalty, and the referee has since had to endure a torrent of abuse. King Kenny's misery was compounded tenfold when Steven Gerrard mistook Michael Carrick's ankle for an invasive balloon hurled on to the pitch from the Stretford End which required urgent popping with both sets of studs. New in the job, Dalglish's immediate instinct to study a touchline TV replay of the incident and play the role of forthright pundit was understandable. "You've got to question the ref's positioning there!" he appeared to inform the fourth official earnestly. Dalglish is not a man to stand on ceremony, and promptly hauled off the now consistently ineffectual Fernando Torres in the 78th minute. The only slight snag to this brave and uncompromising signal of intent was that the nimble-footed replacement was David N'Gog - a forward who makes kicking a football while in motion appear fraught with impending danger. Equally, the exciting introduction of the effervescent bench-warmer Jonjo Shelvey looked set to provide an injection of effort and unbridled passion - only all that followed were two niggly fouls and a hapless crowd-warmer shot which wasted a 35-yard free-kick. Does Kenny fancy a long-term stay at Anfield this time around? After branding the penalty 'a joke' and admitting that he 'cannot see that as a red card either', the Scot did not provide a clear indication, but should he be allowed to spend significant money in this transfer window if a new man is set to take over in the summer? QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I would not have insulted the club by saying no. I have to say the cruise ship people were fantastic: they got us off at Bahrain and got us on to a plane and I was home last night." Dalglish provides a less than convincing claim to wanting the Liverpool job long term then reveals how his appointment ruined a five-star holiday for an entire ship-load of punters.

Premier League - Dalglish appoints Clarke at Reds Mon, 10 Jan 09:37:00 2011 Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has appointed Steve Clarke as first-team coach. Clarke was assistant to Jose Mourinho among other managers at Chelsea and has also had spells as number two at Newcastle United, Chelsea and West Ham United. Sammy Lee will remain as assistant manager of the Reds. Dalglish said: "Steve is a great addition to our backroom team and I'm delighted we've been able to bring him into the club. "I am looking forward to working with Steve alongside Sammy and our other technical staff." Clark, who left West Ham in the summer soon after manager Gianfranco Zola, said he could not refuse the challenge at Anfield. "I was sat at home doing nothing and now I've got the chance of working with a football great in Kenny Dalglish and also working for one of the world's leading football clubs," he said. "This was something I couldn't turn down. I am grateful for everybody who has given me such a warm welcome, especially all those here at Melwood. "I am really looking forward to working with Kenny and the rest of the staff to help bring good times back to the club." Clarke, who played over 500 senior games for St Mirren and Chelsea, is the first addition to new manager Dalglish's backroom staff following the departure of Roy Hodgson on Saturday. The Reds are struggling in 12th spot in the Premier League table, level on points with city rivals Everton and 19 behind North West rivals and leaders Manchester United, who dumped them out of the FA Cup on Sunday. Eurosport

Mourinho puts himself among Portuguese greats Mon, 10 Jan 21:44:00 2011 Jose Mourinho put himself on the same pedestal as revered Portuguese compatriots Eusebio, Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo after becoming the first winner of the Coach of the Year award on Monday. But Mourinho was not entirely satisfied with the evening, saying that the Inter Milan team he coached to a treble last season should have been represented among the three candidates for the Player of the Year award won by Lionel Messi. "Obviously for me, the most important are the collective titles, not the individual ones... but it's an historic trophy, historic for me, historic for Portuguese football as well and obviously I feel great pride," he told reporters. "I'm proudly Portuguese, the Portuguese don't have so many of these proud moments, and this is certainly good for Portuguese ego. "After Eusebio, Figo, and Cristiano (Ronaldo), we are now four golden balls." Mourinho's award was the result of a poll conducted jointly by FIFA and France Football magazine, who also joined forces to produce the first FIFA Ballon D'Or Player of the Year award. Figo and Ronaldo each won both the old FIFA and France Football awards while Eusebio, who played long before the FIFA award existed, also won the latter. Mourinho, now with Real Madrid, won a Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble with Inter last season. That success only went on to enhance his reputation further as he was already one of the world's most sought after coaches having won the Serie A title with Inter in 2008/9, two Premier League and one FA Cup titles with Chelsea and Champions League, UEFA Cup and two league titles with Porto. Barcelona trio Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi were contenders for the player's award but Mourinho said there should have been room for at least one member of his Inter team. "Inter were a little hard done by in my opinion, European champions, world champions, champions of everything, to have not had anyone among the players sitting in these three chairs," he said. "For me it was something of an injustice. It had special meaning that their trainer had won an historic trophy." Mourinho was close to tears during the ceremony when Inter player Wesley Sneijder thanked him from the stage after being picked in the world XI. "The most important is to hear words like the ones from Sneijder which affect you more than the trophies you can win," said Mourinho.