Brazilian twins Rafael and Fabio could leave Manchester United this summer

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http://sg.sports.yahoo.com/news/rafael-fabio-could-leave-manchester-united-summer-claims-170500806.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Rafael and Fabio could both leave Manchester United in the summer, according to their agent.

The Brazilian twins, 23, joined United in 2008 but only Rafael has managed to earn himself a regular place in the starting line-up, although his season under David Moyes has been disrupted by injuries.

Fabio was sent out on loan to QPR last season and has been linked with a move to Cardiff City in January, but while the defenders' agent has dismissed those rumours he has claimed that things will change at the end of the season.

"At the moment I can say that they will remain in Manchester until the end of the season, but in summer it is very likely that they can go," said their agent Cassiano Pereira.

LionsXII considering hosting one match at the new Sports Hub

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http://www.todayonline.com/sports/football/lionsxii-match-sports-hub?singlepage=true

LionsXII's 2014 team kit

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) is exploring the possibility of hosting one of the LionsXII’s Malaysian Super League (MSL) home matches at the Sports Hub’s 55,000-seater National Stadium this season.

FAS President Zainudin Nordin said such a move could only happen if crowd support for the LionsXII this year was encouraging.

The old 60,000-capacity National Stadium would regularly be completely filled when Singapore competed in the Malaysian League and Malaysia Cup in the 1970s to 1994, the year the side won the League and Cup double before pulling out of the tournaments.

Since Singapore returned to Malaysian competitions in 2012, attendances at the 7,500-seater JBS have been encouraging.

According to the FAS, the LionsXII’s average attendance for their 11 home matches last season was 7,200, with matches against Selangor, Johor Darul Takzim (now known as Johor Darul Takzim I), Kelantan and Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) sold out.

Likewise, the LionsXII’s three Malaysia Cup group-stage matches and their quarter-final first-leg clash with ATM were also sold-out affairs.

Local observers told TODAY that while the LionsXII will not fill up the National Stadium, the move can help increase their fan base.

The LionsXII begin their title-defence against Pahang in Kuantan on Friday.

The FAS also announced yesterday that the LionsXII will play their first two home matches — the FA Cup tie against KL DRB Hicome on Jan 21 and the MSL clash against Selangor four days later — at Bishan Stadium, as the JBS is undergoing returfing works that will be completed in February.

LionsXII home matches this season (all matches at Jalan Besar unless indicated):
Jan 25 - Selangor (Bishan Stadium)
Feb 8 - Terengganu
Mar 8 - Kelantan
Mat 22 - PKNS
Mar 29 - T-Team
Apr 12 - Sime Darby
Apr 15 - Pahang
May 10 - Johor Darul Takzim I
May 24 - ATM
June 14 - Sarawak
June 21 - Perak

TV info:
All LionsXII matches will be shown ‘live’ on StarHub’s free sports channel SuperSports Arena (StarHub TV Channels 112 and 201, and 76.25Mhz) starting with the Charity Shield match between Pahang and LionsXII on Jan 17 (8.30pm)

Honda Fit gets trimmer on the outside, bigger inside

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http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/honda-fit-gets-trimmer-outside-bigger-inside-144852097.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Even as newer B-segment cars hit the scene, the older Honda Fit continued to shine, and for good reason, boasting a spacious cabin for a diminutive hatch. Utilitarian to the core, it also had surprisingly playful dynamics that made it a guilt-free joy in the bends.

Knowing it had a winning formula, Honda didn’t mess with success with the third-generation Fit. It’s still a packaging marvel, trimming 1.5 inches from the length while still getting five additional inches of rear legroom (although losing a couple cubic inches of cargo space in the process).

The ancient 117 hp powerplant finally gets a direct-injected upgrade, bumping up the output to 130 hp while still getting a respectable 33 city/41 highway mpg.

Thankfully, it also trims the fat off the body in the process, and is 57 pounds lighter. And yes, for the Fit fanatics there are still the Magic Seats to the rear that can fold up--or down flat.

Less impressive is the visual evolution, and Honda has continued the trend of overwrought styling, inside and out. There are modest improvements to the cabin with a smattering of soft-touch materials of the dash, but I overall preferred the simpler, cleaner look of its predecessor.

While the Fit is no looker, it’ll likely enjoy solid sales stateside—and prove that big successes can still come in a small package.

12-year-old boy armed with shotgun opens fire at school in the US

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http://www.todayonline.com/world/americas/two-children-hurt-new-mexico-school-shooting?singlepage=true

Would these people still feel this way if
their own children were the victims?

A 12-year-old boy armed with a shotgun opened fire at a middle school in New Mexico yesterday (Jan 14), seriously wounding two students before a staff member persuaded him to put down the firearm, authorities said.

The shooting at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell took place in a gym where students had gathered to stay warm from the frigid weather outside before the start of class, Governor Susana Martinez told reporters.

"The shooter was quickly stopped by one staff member who walked right up to him and asked him to set down the firearm, which he did," Ms Martinez said.

The wounded students were taken to a local hospital, where they were stabilised. They were then flown by helicopter to University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, about 150 miles east of Roswell, because that facility has a Level 1 trauma center, said hospital spokesman Eric Finley.

The wounded children were an 11-year-old boy in critical condition and a 12-year-old girl in serious condition, and both underwent surgery for gunshot wounds, Mr Finley said. Earlier reports had placed the boy as older, aged 12 or 14.

The shooting was the second to take place at a United States middle school in three months, after a 12-year-old boy opened fire at his middle school in Sparks, Nevada, in October, killing a teacher and wounding two students before killing himself.

A state police lieutenant who had been dropping off his own child at the New Mexico school helped in detaining the shooter, but by then the boy had already put down the gun, officials said. The boy's motive remains unclear, police said.

Retired police officer shoots man in theater over texting

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http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/man-fatally-shot-fla-theater-over-texting-102124281.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Chad Oulson was described by friends as a man who loved dirt bikes and his baby daughter. Curtis Reeves was a retired Tampa police officer with numerous commendations who liked riding his motorcycle with his wife.

The men's lives collided in a movie theater altercation that left Oulson dead and Reeves in jail.

During Reeves' first court appearance Tuesday, Judge Lynn Tepper ordered the 71-year-old held without bond on a second-degree murder charge pending a bond hearing.

Reeves initially asked Oulson to stop texting at the theater in Wesley Chapel, a suburb about a half-hour north of downtown Tampa. He then got up and informed management.

When Reeves returned to his seat "additional words were exchanged" and Oulson threw a bag of popcorn at Reeves. Oulson then struck him in the face with an unknown object, and that's when Reeves removed a .380 caliber gun from his pants pocket and fired it, striking Oulson once in the chest.

Reeves then briefly struggled with an off-duty deputy but released the weapon. The gun was jammed and unable to fire again.

Reeves faces life in prison if convicted.

Water supply cut off for entire block at Choa Chu Kang

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/water-supply-cut-entire-block-choa-chu-kang

The water supply for an entire block of flats at Choa Chu Kang was disrupted for more than an hour yesterday evening (Jan 14), with some residents saying they had to take water from a public tap at the playground.

Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC Alex Yam said there was a “mechanical fault within the outflow pipe” of the water tank. “It is not exactly uncommon for the outflow pipe to sometimes have a slight disruption, but not to the level we have encountered (last night),” he said.

He also said there was a choke in the relay pipe between the PUB pump room and main inflow pipe to the water tank, which caused a delay in restoring water supply. The affected block was block 641 at Choa Chu Kang Street 64.

The town council has ratified the problem, and will further investigate the disruption by today, said Mr Yam, who spoke with residents and was at the scene to monitor the situation. During the outage, Residents’ Committee members opened up the general supply pipes on the ground floor to allow residents to draw water.

Added Mr Yam: “We will need to make sure it doesn’t happen again, and to ensure that we do all the necessary checks for all the similar blocks within the cluster.”

Singapore to buy upgrade for its F-16 fighter jets: US

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http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/breaking-news/singapore/singapore-buy-upgrade-its-f-16-fighter-jets-us-20140115

Singapore is ready to invest US$2.43 billion to modernise its F-16 fighter jets in an arms deal with the United States, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

The Defense Department informed Congress of the planned sale that would involve new radar, navigation systems, missiles and other advanced equipment for Singapore's aging fleet of F-16s.

The deal would provide new systems that project a display onto a pilot's helmet visor, allowing the F-16 pilot to aim sensors and weapons where he or she is looking.

The deal also would deliver a number of different precision-guided bombs for testing, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees foreign arms sales.

Two security officers found dead in Marina Bay Suites fire

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/marina-bay-suites-fire-victims-were-security-officers-1-male-and-1fema

A fire broke out at Marina Bay Suites condominium late Monday night, forcing residents to be evacuated from their apartments.

The fire broke out just after 10pm on Monday at the 65th floor of the 221-unit condominium, which is still mostly unoccupied.

Firemen had to break into the lift lobby on the 65th floor; only to find that it was engulfed in flames. The fire was put out using three water jets. They subsequently found two bodies at about 2am inside the service lift opening.

The two victims were Mr Sim Lai Huat, 58, a Singaporean, and Ms Sooria Kala Kanaseon, 34, a Malaysian, both security officers at the condominium.

Residents were evacuated earlier but most returned to their units at about 2am on Tuesday.

An SCDF spokesman said the fire involved renovation materials, such as paint, at the service lift lobby area. The fire was confined to the area.

Woman blocks Lot One carpark entrance for one hour over free parking issue

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http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/woman-blocks-carpark-lot-one-close-one-hour-over-free-parking-problem-

A woman got so upset when she encountered problems getting complimentary parking at the Lot One Shoppers' Mall that she refused to move when the barrier at the carpark was lifted, holding back other shoppers for close to one hour.

Drivers who were stuck behind her car honked at her, some even got off their cars to take photos and videos of her, threatening to post the footage on social media to shame her. But the woman apparently sat alone in her car with the engine switched off and insisted for the technical glitch to be fixed on the spot.

The incident at the Choa Chu Kang mall happened on Sunday night. A spokesman for Lot One told The Straits Times that the mall's security staff were alerted at about 9.10pm that the barrier did not lift for the shopper who was entitled to complimentary parking.

The spokesman said it was because "the driver's particulars had not been updated in our system". "The driver then called for help and was attended to by our security staff and mall colleagues who quickly lifted the barrier for her, while promising to look into her complimentary parking privilege. The situation was resolved at 9.50 pm," said the spokesman.

Art director Melvin Ho, 33, who witnessed the saga, said: "It was only when the police arrived and said that they would have to arrest her if she refused to leave, that she finally drove off."

Alcohol consumption not allowed in Little India for Thaipusam

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/no-alcohol-consumption-at/954156.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Thaipusam falls on Friday, January 17, a day before the no-alcohol weekend.

Police said the ban against public consumption of alcohol will take effect from 6pm on Thursday, January 16 to 6am on Monday, January 20.

As large crowds are expected at Little India where a procession will pass through, the Public Order (Preservation) Act (POPA) proclamation will be in effect in the area, said the police.

The police will strictly enforce the rule and will seize alcohol being consumed within the proclaimed area.

In addition, shops holding retail and wholesale licences can only sell alcohol from 6am to 8pm daily during the stipulated period.

Shops holding public house and beer house licences can continue to sell the various types of alcohol as permitted by their respective licences during this period, but consumption must be within their premises.

The police will continue with their enforcement checks to ensure that the outlets comply with the restrictions.

The annual Thaipusam procession will begin on Thursday 11pm through Friday 11.59pm.

The procession will begin at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple at Serangoon Road and end at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple at Tank Road.

Singapore raps New York Times over editorial on Little India riot

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-raps-new-york-times-over-editorial-little-india-riot

The Government has hit out at The New York Times over an editorial the newspaper carried on the Little India riot last month, taking issue with its decision to not publish a letter by Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States responding to the piece.

The editorial, published on Dec 28 and reprinted in the international edition on Dec 30, stated that tensions caused by the frustration of migrant workers over their wages and living conditions had “boiled over”, leading to the riot.

Singapore’s Ambassador to the United States Ashok Mirpuri had responded to the newspaper a few days later to “set out the facts”.

“Instead of publishing the letter, the Times prevaricated and raised fresh objections each time its previous objections were met,” the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) said.

The MCI stated that the newspaper had objected to Mr Mirpuri saying it had been mistaken in its facts, claiming that it would render the letter a “correction”, which would have to be cleared by a senior editor and would not be publishable in the letter pages.

16-year-old boy dies during PE class

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http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/16-year-old-boy-dies-during-pe-class#scpshrtu

RANDOM IMAGE

Police are investigating the death of a 16-year-old boy on Monday in his school.

The secondary four student of Tanglin Secondary School had fainted on Monday while jogging during a physical education (PE) class.

The school's principal, Madam Aini Maarof, told Channel NewsAsia the boy was attended to immediately by the staff.

He was unconscious when he was sent to the National University Hospital, and was later pronounced dead.

Police have classified the case as "unnatural death".

Singapore not facing credit bubble: MAS

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http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/spore-is-not-facing-a-credit-bubble-mas#scpshrtu

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Tuesday said Singapore is not facing a credit bubble that puts the country or its banking system at any risk of crisis.

This was in response to a Forbes article dated January 13 titled "Why Singapore's Economy Is Heading For An Iceland-Style Meltdown" written by a contributor who claims to be an economic analyst.

The article cited several risks including:
1) Singapore's ratio of household debt to GDP
2) Rising property prices
3) Potential crisis in the banking system should non-performing loans increase when interest rates start to normalise

On the unusually low global interest rates, the MAS said it is clear that they have stimulated credit growth and an increase in property prices in recent years. However, decisive steps have been taken to cool property demand and prevent excessive leverage.

The central bank also highlighted three facts which it said 'stand out clearly'.

1) The property market is now stabilising and new housing loans have also been declining

Private home prices in Singapore rose by one per cent in 2013, with a 0.8 per cent decline in the fourth quarter. This is after a three per cent price increase in 2012 and annual increases averaging 12 per cent per year during 2010-2011.

The MAS added that new housing loans fell by 35 per cent on year in Q3 2013.

2) Household balance sheets are on the whole strong and property asset values are significantly higher than the debts incurred

The MAS explained that "the average loan-to-value ratio of outstanding housing loans stands at a healthy 47 per cent as of Q3 2013, implying a large buffer in asset values”.

3) The MAS said Singapore's financial system is robust

It cited a recent assessment program by the International Monetary Fund that showed Singapore's financial system would remain sound even under severe stress scenarios which include a sharp increase in interest rates - together - with a steep decline in property prices.

The MAS said Singapore's banks are resilient, with strong financial and capital positions.

The MAS said Singapore's triple-A rating from all the major rating agencies is not an aberration and that it attests to the country's economic and financial strength, including its sizeable foreign reserves.