UN Security Council demands Fiji peacekeepers' release

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/un-security-council/1345158.html?cid=TWTCNA&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

The UN Security Council on Wednesday (Sep 3) demanded the release of 45 Fijian peacekeepers held in the Golan Heights by Syrian Al-Nusra Front rebels.

The 15 members of the council unanimously approved a declaration condemning "in the strongest terms" the detention of the Fijians who were captured almost a week ago, when the rebels stormed a Golan Heights crossing.

The council "reiterated their call for the peacekeepers' immediate and unconditional release," adding in its statement that "there can never be any justification for attacks on or the detention of UN peacekeepers."

The government of Fiji also has called for their release, stressing that the neutral peacekeepers do not take sides in any conflict. A team of UN negotiators on the ground in Golan is trying to secure the Fijians' freedom.

The Fijians are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) established in 1974 to maintain the ceasefire between Syria and Israel forces in the Golan, and oversee the implementation of a disengagement agreement.

In addition to calling for their release, the Security Council "demanded that all groups other than UNDOF must abandon all UNDOF positions," and also called on the rebel to return vehicles, weapons, and other equipment confiscated from the peacekeepers.

Officials in Fiji said that the Al-Nusra rebels have also made several demands, including the delivery of humanitarian aid to a small town outside Damascus which is an Al-Nusra Front stronghold. They are also demanding to be removed from a UN terror blacklist, officials in the Pacific nation said.

Four key changes in HDB's Lease Buyback Scheme

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-flexibility-for/1343254.html

Four key changes were announced for the Lease Buyback scheme on Wednesday (Sep 3).

Firstly, the scheme will be extended to four-room flats. This means that 75 per cent of elderly households will be covered - up from 35 per cent currently. Four-room households will also get a S$10,000 cash bonus when they participate.

Secondly, the income ceiling for those participating in the scheme will be raised from S$3,000 to S$10,000. Authorities said this will allow seniors who are still working or living with their family to qualify for the scheme.

Thirdly, the CPF top-up requirement for households with two or more owners will be relaxed. Households with two or more owners will no longer be required to top up their CPF Retirement Accounts to their full age-adjusted prevailing Minimum Sum. Instead, they only need to top up to half of the Minimum Sum, and have the option to withdraw more cash upfront.

Lastly, seniors can choose the length of lease to retain. Currently, elderly owners who qualify for the scheme can sell part of their flat’s 99-year lease back to the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in return for monthly payouts, keeping only a 30-year lease.

When the change kicks in, those aged 70 to 74 will have the option of a 25-year lease, while those aged 75 to 79 will have the option of a 20-year lease. Those aged 80 and above will have the option of a 15-year lease. Seniors can choose to retain up to a maximum of 35 years of lease.

58 SBS Transit bus services affected due to F1 Singapore Grand Prix

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/58-sbs-transit-bus/1343180.html

With the Formula One (F1) Singapore Grand Prix taking place from Sep 19 to 21, SBS Transit on Wednesday (Sep 3) said a total of 58 of its bus services will have their routes revised as a result of road closures for the upcoming race.

From Sep 14 to 22, routes for 27 bus services will be diverted, and they will skip bus stops "particularly in the Marina Centre area", said SBST. The affected SBST bus services are:

In addition, SBST said 25 Premium Bus Services will skip selected bus stops along Cecil Street, Fullerton Road and Robinson Road from Sep 17 to 22. The bus stops are Fullerton Square (03011), Opposite AIA Tower (03031), and Prudential Tower (03021). The affected bus services will terminate at the bus stop opposite the PWC Building (03041) along Cross Street, SBST added.

Another six Nite Owl Services will also skip bus stops along Raffles Avenue on Sep 19 and 20, from 12 to 2am, said the transport company. Instead, 1N, 2N, 3N, 4N, 5N, and 6N will start their bus routes from the bus stop in front of St. Andrew's Cathedral (04167) along North Bridge Road.

Due to arrangements for the F1 race, SBST said routes for two bus services will be temporarily revised. Service 195 will operate from the New Bridge Road Terminal instead of the previous Marina Centre Terminal.

As a result, it will temporarily call at 10 stops along Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road, and skip seven bus stops on its regular route along North Boat Quay, North Bridge Road, Parliament Place, Raffles Avenue, and Raffles Boulevard.

The transport company added that Service 97E will terminate at the Marina Bay Financial Centre bus stop (03391) along Marina Boulevard instead of the bus stop in front of Pan Pacific Hotel (02089) along Raffles Boulevard from 6.30 to 8.30am.

The service will also start after Marina Station Road (03539) along Central Boulevard instead of the bus stop before Temasek Avenue (02101) along Raffles Avenue from 5 to 7pm. It will skip eight bus stops along Raffles Avenue, Temasek Boulevard, Temasek Avenue and Bayfront Avenue.

As a result of the bus routes revision, SBST said information for the 58 affected bus services will unavailable on its mobile app iris NextBus and website during this period.

NTUC FairPrice introduces new online shopping service called Click&Collect

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-online-shopping/1343732.html

Buying groceries and household appliances could now be easier for customers of NTUC FairPrice, with a new service introduced on Wednesday (Sep 3) that allows shoppers to buy items online and then collect them at the stores.

Using Click&Collect - the first of such services here in Singapore - customers can collect their online purchases any time of the day for S$3 from seven outlets.

For Fairprice Stores, you can choose from the following:

1. Kang Kar Mall (100 , Hougang Ave 10 , #01-01 & #02-01, Kang Kar Mall , S538767) Open 24 hours

2. Toa Payoh A (Blk 192 , Toa Payoh Lorong 4 , #01-670/672, S310192) Open Daily from 8am to 11pm

3. Zhongshan Park (20 , Ah Hood Road , #02-01, Zhong Shan Park , S329984) Open Daily from 8am to 11pm

4. Bedok North A (Blk 212 Bedok North Street 1 #01-147, S460212) Open 24 hours

5. Clementi A (Blk 451 Clementi Avenue 3 #01-307 S120451) Open 24 hours

For Esso Stores, you can choose from the following:

1. EMAC (110/114 Macpherson Road ,S348501) Open 24 hours

2. EECO (239/255 East Coast Road, S428932) Open 24 hours

By next year, FairPrice hopes to expand the service to 20 more stores.

NTUC FairPrice has also revamped its online shopping portal, integrating its What’s Up at FairPrice micro site and even including customisable shopping lists for its customers.

Merlion statues to be cleaned from Friday

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/merlion-statues-to-be/1343698.html

If you are planning to take pictures with the Merlion statues at Merlion Park this weekend, you might want to take note - the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said both statues will undergo cleaning from Sep 5 to 10.

In an advisory sent on Wednesday (Sep 3), the STB said the main Merlion statue will be hoarded up and unavailable for photo-taking while the cleaning is in progress. The water feature of both statues will also be switched off.

"We seek the public's understanding as the works and barricades may cause some inconvenience during this period," STB said.

Instant karma for 'badass' cabby who repeatedly drove into path of motorcyclist

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/caught-on-camera-driving/1344896.html

SMRT has terminated the contract of a relief driver who was behind the wheel of a taxi, seen swerving into the lane of a motorcyclist.

It posted a note on the matter on Facebook a day after the video was filmed from the dashboard of a nearby car.

Mr Alan Kong had posted the video on his Facebook page on Tuesday (Sep 2), and wrote that he witnessed "road rage involving a taxi and a bike".

The video is 23 seconds long, but Mr Kong said the incident happened for "a good five minutes", with the cabbie "trying to make the biker hit him".

"As an ex-biker, I feel that we cannot tolerate this kind of behavior on the road," Mr Kong wrote. The video has been shared nearly 2,000 times as of Wednesday night.

SMRT said it investigated the case immediately after netizens had highlighted it to them. While it has fired the relief driver of the Prius taxi with license plate SHC4090C, the transport operator said the main driver renting the taxi, should not be penalised.

RSAF B-Boy shows off smooth moves on runway

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-b-boy-shows-off/1344690.html

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has described a viral video of one of its servicemen breakdancing on the runway as “creative marshalling".

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Sep 3), RSAF explained that the video was “not done on a whim".

The RSAF identified the serviceman as ME1 Tan Wen Kai and said he was dancing to guide one of its F-15SG fighter jets as part of a planned segment for its recent Exercise Pitch Black held in Darwin, Australia,

“Creative marshalling is a tradition for many fighter squadrons and is deliberately scheduled into long exercises and during competitions to boost the morale of both the air and ground crew,” the RSAF wrote.

“Due planning and supervision are given to ensure that the creative marshalling is operationally safe,” it added.

ME1 Tan first posted the 15-second video on his Facebook page on Monday and in the comments, revealed that his performance got the thumbs-up from one of the pilots, who said: "Wow, good job. Nice show man!"

As of 8pm on Wednesday, the video had chalked up more than 2,400 likes and shares combined.

Singapore, Switzerland and US top economic rankings

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https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/switzerland-singapore-us-top-economic-220301126--finance.html

The United States' competitiveness among global economies has risen to the No. 3 spot behind Switzerland and Singapore in rankings published annually by the World Economic Forum.

In its latest survey, released early Wednesday, the Forum said the U.S. — the world's largest economy — moved up two spots from fifth position last year, thanks to improvements in its financial markets and public institutions.

Six European countries dominated the top 10: Switzerland, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Aside from the U.S., the remaining three slots were Asian: Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

The results are based on data from the United Nations and other international organizations as well as the Forum's surveys of business executives.

The survey found that countries in southern Europe, such as Spain, Portugal and Greece, have made significant improvement in their markets, while France and Italy were lagging in that area.

All COMPLETED deadline deals from across the Premier League

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http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/news/news/2014-15/sep/transfer-deadline-day-latest-010914.html

As the clock ticks down on the final day of the transfer window, here is where all the officially confirmed incoming deals made by clubs in the Barclays Premier League will appear. For the complete list of ins and outs this summer, click here >>>

11.55pm Mane is a Saint
Southampton are not finished. Sadio Mane joins from Red Bull Salzburg. The 22-year-old Senegalese winger signs for an undisclosed fee on a four-year deal. Ronald Koeman, the Southampton manager explains to saintsfc.co.uk on why he signed him: "He can play in different positions in the attack – he can play on the left or right side and also as a No 9. It is incredible how many goals he has scored from his position, and I hope that he will do the same for us."

11.47pm Negredo returns to Spain
Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo returns to Spain on loan to Valencia. The Spain striker is out of action with a broken foot but moves to Valencia on a season-long deal after he had enjoyed a storming start to the Barclays Premier League in the previous campaign. He scored nine goals in 21 league matches last season and 14 in other competitions for City.

11.40pm Koeman delight at Alderweireld signing
Southampton manager Ronald Koeman expresses his delight at the loan deal that brings in Toby Alderweireld to the club. Koeman knows of the Belgian when he played for Ajax before moving to Atletico Madrid. "He played in the top league in Spain and against top teams in Europe, so he has a lot of confidence and experience, and he has a big future because he is still young," Koeman told saintsfc.co.uk.

Alderweireld, for his part, said Koeman's confidence in him played a key part in his move. "The trainer likes how I play and really wanted me to come here, which is what convinced me to come," Alderweireld said. "I really wanted a trainer that believes in me, because that’s important."

11.30pm Alderweireld joins Southampton and Doyle at Palace
Shortly after announcing the exit of Hooiveld, Southampton bring in Toby Alderweireld, the Belgium defender from Atletico Madrid, on a season-long loan. Meanwhile Crystal Palace add to their attacking options with the loan of Kevin Doyle, who played in the Barclays Premier League with Reading, from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Doyle joins in a deal until January, while Glenn Murray goes in the opposite direction for a similar length of time.

11.20pm Amalfitano is a Hammer
Morgan Amalfitano is back in the Barclays Premier League, signing a one-year deal with West Ham United from Marseille. The 29-year-old French midfielder starred on loan at West Bromwich Albion last season and has joined for an undisclosed fee. "I enjoyed my first year in English football and for that reason I have come back and hopefully I can improve again," he tells whufc.com.

11.15pm Kranjcar back at Loftus Road
Southampton loan out central defender Jos Hooiveld to Norwich City in a season-long deal. Meanwhile Harry Redknapp signs Niko Kranjcar for a fourth time, the Croat joining on a season-long loan from Dynamo Kiev after helping QPR earn promotion last season.

10.35pm Assaidi returns to Stoke
Oussama Assaidi, who had a successful loan at Stoke City last season, including a sensational winning goal against Chelsea, is back at the Britannia Stadium, agreeing another season-long loan from Liverpool.

10.33pm Ramirez joins Hull
Steve Bruce's recruitment at Hull City continues. Several hours after Mohamed Diame is announced as a new signing Southampton and Uruguay playmaker Gaston Ramirez moves to the KC Stadium on a season-long loan. "Gaston significantly improves our attacking options," says Bruce.

10.20pm Two defenders head to Serie A
Manchester City confirm that defender Micah Richards has joined Fiorentina on a season-long loan, while another Barclays Premier League defender moving to Serie A on loan is Newcastle United's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, who has gone to Roma.

10.15pm QPR sign Sandro
QPR manager Harry Redknapp has signed Sandro for a second time, bringing in the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder for an undisclosed fee. Sandro, 25, has signed a three-year deal at Loftus Road. "I will give everything on the pitch and fight for every minute," Sandro says. "I’m ready and raring to go."

9.50pm McArthur returns to Barclays Premier League with Palace
Crystal Palace make their second signing of deadline day by buying Scotland midfielder James McArthur from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee. The 26-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Palace and returns to the Barclays Premier League, where he played 83 matches, scoring seven goals, for Wigan.

9.20pm Arsenal let two youngsters exit
Arsenal defender Ignasi Miquel leaves to join Norwich City for an undisclosed fee. The 21-year-old central defender has agreed a three-year deal at Carrow Road with an option for a further 12 months after playing five Barclays Premier League matches for Arsenal since joining in 2008. Another on his way out of Emirates Stadium is Japan winger, Ryo Miyaichi, 21, who is joining Dutch side Twente on a season-long loan.

8.45pm Fryers at Palace
Crystal Palace sign Spurs left-back Zeki Fryers on a three-year deal. It is Neil Warnock's second signing since returning as manager after Wilfried Zaha.

8.34pm Blind joins Manchester United
Ajax and Netherlands defender Daley Blind joins Manchester United in a £14 million deal. Blind, 24, who can also play in midfielder joins on a four-year contract with the option to extend for another year. "Louis van Gaal is a tremendously talented coach, I have worked with him at Ajax and also for the Netherlands national team and I cannot wait to work with him at the biggest club in the world," Blind tells manutd.com. Read more >>

8.30pm El Ahmadi leaves Villa
Aston Villa confirm that Karim El Ahmadi has returned to Feyenoord on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. The midfielder scored three goals in 51 league appearances for Villa over two seasons

7.17pm Alvarez makes it nine for Sunderland
Attacking midfielder Ricardo Alvarez is Sunderland's ninth signing of the summer with his arrival at the Stadium of Light. The 26-year-old, who joins from Serie A side Inter Milan, has agreed a season-long loan move. The other deals are: Jordi Gomez (Wigan Athletic), Billy Jones (West Bromwich Albion), Costel Pantilimon (Manchester City), Patrick van Aanholt (Chelsea), Jack Rodwell (Manchester City), Santiago Vergini (Estudiantes), Will Buckley (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Coates (Liverpool).

"I’m very happy to be here," Alvarez tells safc.com. "It's a great opportunity, a great club and I'm looking forward to playing in England and playing my part for Sunderland." Since moving to Serie A he scored 14 goals from 90 appearances.

7pm Diame swaps the Hammers for Hull City
Hull City's busy transfer deadline day continues with the capture of midfielder Mohamed Diame from West Ham United for an undisclosed fee. The 27-year-old, who spent two seasons at the Boleyn Ground, is Hull's third signing of the day and has signed a three-year deal.

6.30pm Coates loaned to Sunderland
Liverpool defender Sebastian Coates joins Sunderland on a season's loan. The Uruguayan, 23, who was at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, has made only 13 Barclays Premier League appearances since moving to Anfield three years ago, mainly due to injury, but his one goal was a spectacular overhead kick against Queens Park Rangers. As one defender moves to the Stadium of Light, another leaves as Sunderland say Valentin Roberge, who was signed last summer, has gone to Reims, in France, on loan for the season.

6.10pm Canas returns to Spain
Swansea City announce that midfielder Jose Canas, 27, who joined the club a year ago from Real Betis, has returned to La Liga, joining Espanyol after his contract was terminated.

5.30pm Spurs bring in Stambouli
Tottenham Hotspur announce the signing of midfielder Benjamin Stambouli, 24, from French side Montpellier. Spurs also reveal that Lewis Holtby, whom they signed from Schalke, has returned to Germany, joining Hamburg on a season's loan, with a view to a permanent transfer. Holtby played 25 league matches for Spurs, scoring once, against Fulham, whom he joined on loan last season. Here is a video of him on enjoying life in London. Another player leaving White Hart Lane is Under-21 forward, Jonathan Obika, who has signed a permanent deal with Swindon Town.

5.02pm Marco van Ginkel joins AC Milan on loan
Chelsea loan out a second young midfielder today. Marco van Ginkel, 21, is joining AC Milan on a season-long loan. The Netherlands midfielder was signed last summer but suffered a knee injury that restricted him to two Barclays Premier League appearances.

4.12pm Hull City break club transfer record
Uruguay striker Abel Hernandez moves to Hull City for a club record fee after signing a three-year contract. The 24-year-old, who played for his country in this year's FIFA World Cup in Brazil, is described as a fantastic signing by manager Steve Bruce. Read more >>

3.50pm: Chalobah moves to Turf Moor
Burnley make their second signing of transfer deadline day with the capture of England Under-21 midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea. The 19-year-old, who spent most of last season on loan at Nottingham Forest, has joined Burnley on loan until January.

2pm: Southampton terminate Taider loan
Southampton cancel the season-long loan of Inter Milan midfielder Saphir Taider. The Algeria international scored in his only competitive appearance for the club as they drew 1-1 with Fulham in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.

12.30pm: Hernandez makes Old Trafford exit
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez joins La Liga side Real Madrid on a season-long loan. The UEFA Champions League winners have first option to buy Hernandez, who has won two Barclays Premier League titles and scored 37 top flight goals during his Old Trafford career.

12.15pm: Swansea complete Barrow signing
Modou Barrow becomes Swansea City's 10th signing of the summer after joining from Swedish side Ostersunds FK for an undisclosed fee. The 21-year-old immediately links up with Swansea's Under-21 side and arrives at the Liberty Stadium on a performance-related contract.

12pm: Boyd lands at Burnley
Burnley complete their eighth signing of the summer after luring George Boyd to Turf Moor for an undisclosed fee. The 28-year-old, who made 30 Barclays Premier League appearances for Hull following their promotion from the Championship in the 2012-13 season, has signed a three-year deal with the Clarets. Read more >>

9.12am: Hull City sign Lenihan
Hull City sign Cork City defender Brian Lenihan for an undisclosed fee. "Brian is a young player who has had a wonderful season in Ireland," manager Steve Bruce told www.hullcitytigers.com. "It’s going to be a big step up for him coming here but he’s a player we’ll try to develop."

Man dies in cement mixer accident at Changi Airport

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/man-dies-in-cement-mixer/1340250.html

A Chinese man in his 50s died on Monday (Sep 1) following an accident at the carpark basement of Changi Airport (Terminal 3) involving a cement mixer.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to the accident at 3.07pm. 

They sent two fire engines, two fire bikes, one ambulance and one support vehicle to the scene. 

SCDF officers subsequently found the truck driver trapped in his seat when they arrived. 

They used rescue tools to extricate him from the vehicle, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Channel NewsAsia understands the driver may have driven into the height barrier, which states that only vehicles 2.1m or shorter can pass.

Man arrested for fighting tries to bribe police with cigarettes

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/man-arrested-for-fighting/1340796.html

Police arrested two men for fighting near Kim Chuan Road, at about 4:40pm on Sunday (Aug 31). The suspects are aged 40 and 44.

They were spotted by Voluntary Special Constable (VSC) Corporal Jeremy Koh and Special Constable (SC) Sergeant Allan Tay, who proceeded to question them.

A news release from the Singapore Police Force on Monday said during the interview, the 44-year-old man attempted to bribe the officers by offering them two unopened packets of cigarettes, but that this bribe was "flatly rejected".

Both suspects will be charged in court on Tuesday and could be fined up to one year, and fined S$5,000 for fighting. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) will also be investigating the 44-year-old suspect for attempting to bribe the police officers.

Retirement issues top concerns on PM’s first radio call-in

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/retirement-issues-top-listener-concerns-pms-first-radio-call?singlepage=true

Making his first appearance on “live” radio, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was inundated with calls as listeners dialled in to Chinese-language station Capital 95.8FM.

Over the course of the programme, more than 100 questions were received by the MediaCorp station through calls to its hotline, SMS and Facebook.

Retirement adequacy appeared to be the issue that weighed most heavily on listeners’ minds, with questions on the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme and housing dominating the hour-long special last night.

On fears of being unable to attain the CPF Minimum Sum, Mr Lee said that “on the whole, most Singapore elderly should have no problems with daily expenses” upon retirement, with monthly payments from their CPF accounts.

The elderly also have options for monetising their homes, such as by downgrading to a smaller place, renting out spare rooms or tapping the Government’s Lease Buyback Scheme for their Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats.

Details on the expansion of the Lease Buyback Scheme are expected this week. In March, the Government said it was studying reverse mortgages as a means to help elderly Singaporeans retire comfortably.

There were also questions over Mr Lee’s call for a cultural shift away from the paper chase.

Acknowledging that the dominant mindset is that a university degree is a must, Mr Lee said: “It doesn’t mean once you get a degree, employers will immediately regard you as more valuable... You may have bought a university degree, but that does not mean you get better treatment.”

With a General Election due to be held by January 2017, one listener asked if the Government could consider increasing the number of Single Member Constituencies (SMCs), so citizens can vote for individual candidates.

Responding, Mr Lee said the Electoral Boundaries report has not been done yet, but said both SMCs and Group Representation Constituencies have their purpose.

Asked whether he felt public satisfaction has improved over the past two years, Mr Lee said: “I believe people feel that the things that have caused them frustration in the past have reduced. Of course, I hope people are much happier than before.”

‘Kill Stray Cats’ flyer sparks unnecessary controversy

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/arts-groups-kill-cats-flyer-night-fest-sparks-controversy?singlepage=true

The message of a flyer urging people to “kill stray cats”, which earned the ire of animal welfare groups and online readers at the weekend, was taken out of context, said an arts collective, which had used the flyer in a performance.

Vertical Submarine clarified late on Sunday night on its Facebook page that the flyers had been part of a satirical performance-exhibition on acts of evil, which was commissioned by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), for the recently-concluded Singapore Night Festival. It was one of several that depicted other similarly “evil” actions as part of the piece, called Eville.

Images of the flyer were shared by animal welfare groups such as the Cat Welfare Society (CWS), the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Singapore and Voices For Animals on their respective Facebook pages, sparking dismay among the public.

The CWS and the SPCA have since apologised for presenting the flyer without the context of the exhibition and said they would like to work with the organisations and groups involved in the exhibition to highlight the issue of community cats to a wider public.

CWS chief executive Joanne Ng suggested that additional information on the flyer— such as a footnote stating that it was part of a satirical performance — would have been useful.

Rivals swoop in on flight gap left by SIA in the US

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http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/regional-rivals-swoop-us-flight-gap-left-sia-20140902

Almost a year after Singapore Airlines (SIA) axed non-stop flights to the United States, rival carriers like Cathay Pacific and Korean Air have been boosting services and growing market share.

This has given other airports in the region an edge over Changi when it comes to Asia-US air links, said analysts.

"With the reduction in flights, there has been some impact on Changi as other airlines in other airports have added services to the US," said Mr Shukor Yusof of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.

From 1.09 million one-way seats from Singapore to the US last year, SIA will offer an estimated 935,489 seats this year, based on data compiled by British aviation consultancy firm OAG.

Liverpool ease past Tottenham, Arsenal held by Leicester

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/football-liverpool-ease/1339044.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Liverpool reasserted their Premier League title credentials with a breezy 3-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday (Aug 31), but Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw at Leicester City.

Raheem Sterling, Steven Gerrard and Alberto Moreno scored the goals for Liverpool at White Hart Lane to give Brendan Rodgers victory in his 100th game as manager and end Tottenham's 100 percent record.

Mario Balotelli made his Liverpool debut after his £16 million move from AC Milan on Monday and he produced an enterprising display before being withdrawn in the 61st minute.

The result saw Liverpool bounce back from a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City in their previous outing and means that they have now scored 12 unanswered goals in their last three encounters with Spurs.

After former City striker Balotelli had tested Hugo Lloris with an early header, Liverpool went ahead in the eighth minute. Daniel Sturridge released Jordan Henderson with a ball down the right flank and the England midfielder played a low cross across the box that Sterling tucked away at the far post.

Gerrard doubled the visitors' lead from the penalty spot in the 49th minute after Eric Dier had held back Joe Allen and Moreno sealed victory on the hour with a memorable first Liverpool goal.

The Spanish left-back, a close-season arrival from Sevilla, dispossessed Spurs substitute Andros Townsend on halfway and surged into the box before drilling a shot into the bottom-right corner.

>>>

With Olivier Giroud sidelined by a broken tibia, Yaya Sanogo started up front for Arsenal at promoted Leicester and he played a central role in the visitors' 20th-minute opener.

The French striker could not find a way past Kasper Schmeichel from Santi Cazorla's dinked pass, but Alexis Sanchez followed up to slam home his first league goal since signing from Barcelona.

Arsenal's lead was to last only two minutes, however, as Jeff Schlupp motored down the left wing before delivering an inviting cross that Leonardo Ulloa powered past Wojciech Szczesny with a firm header.

Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny hurt himself in a clash of heads with Schlupp when the score was still 0-0 and he made way for Calum Chambers shortly after Ulloa's goal.

Leicester came closest to scoring a winner, but Ulloa clipped an effort into the side-netting after cutting inside Chambers and Szczesny produced a diving save to thwart substitute Jamie Vardy.

The result left Arsene Wenger's side four points below leaders Chelsea in seventh place in the table, while Leicester moved up to 15th.

>>>

In the day's other game, Aston Villa won 2-1 at home to Hull City to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign and climb to third place in the early-season standings.

Gabriel Agbonlahor and Andreas Weimann put the hosts two up at half-time at Villa Park, with Nikica Jelavic replying for previously unbeaten Hull in the 74th minute.

Chelsea will go into the international break above Swansea City on goal difference at the top of the table after an engrossing 6-3 win at Everton on Saturday, in which new striker Diego Costa scored twice.

Mame Biram Diouf claimed the only goal as Stoke City pulled off a surprise 1-0 win at Manchester City, while Angel di Maria made his debut for Manchester United in a 0-0 draw at Burnley.

46,000 people at Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/longer-races-more-popular/1338928.html

About 46,000 people were at the Marina Bay on Sunday (Aug 31) for the SAFRA Singapore Bay Run and Army Half Marathon. And this year, the longer races seemed to be the most popular.

21,800 people participated in the 21-kilometre Army Half Marathon. A majority of the runners were Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regulars and national servicemen.

There was also a 10-kilometre race, a five-kilometre "fun run" and a father-and-child event. Youngsters also tried their hand at a special version of what is known in the Army as the Standard Obstacle Course.

Now into its 23rd edition, the aim of the event is to promote bonding and fitness as a lifestyle among SAF servicemen and their families. It is jointly organised by SAFRA and the Army.

Three charged in Pandan Loop murder case

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/two-more-charged-in/1337690.html

Two more men were charged on Saturday (Aug 30) in connection with the murder of a 26-year-old foreign worker.

Karthikeyan Prabakaran and Chellappan Sankar allegedly committed murder by causing the death of Murugaiya Suresh Kumar on Aug 23 at Pandan Loop. 

Another accused, Thiruppathi Veerapperumal, was charged earlier on Wednesday.

According to TODAY newspaper, the victim was found with injuries to his head and neck and had deformities on his left hand.

The pair have been remanded for further investigations.

Man arrested for car rental scam

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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/man-arrested-for-car/1337752.html

Police have nabbed a 19-year-old man who is believed to be involved in several cases of car rental scams during the Hari Raya period.

Police said it has been receiving reports about such scams since 26 July.

In all these cases, the victims had responded to online advertisements posted on a mobile phone application for car rental services. It is believed that these ads were posted by the suspect under various pseudonyms.

The suspect would send photos of the cars, purportedly owned by him, to the victims. After the victims have decided on which car to rent, they were told to transfer money to a bank account as payment for rental charges.

The suspect would then make arrangements to meet and deliver the cars to them. However, that did not happen and the suspect became uncontactable subsequently.

The suspect will be charged in court on Monday (Sep 1). If convicted, he could be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

3 self-help groups to get increase in Government grants

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http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/3-self-help-groups-get-increase-govt-grants

Three self-help groups will receive an increase in matching grants from the Government.

This follows announcements by the groups that they would be raising the monthly contribution rates of working Singaporeans from next year.

The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) will get a one-off grant of S$10 million, which will be disbursed over five years until Financial Year 2018.

The council, which does not get annual grants, last received a one-off grant of S$10 million when it was first set up in 1992.

The Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) will have its matching grant cap doubled to S$3.4 million a year, while that of the Eurasian Association will be doubled to S$400,000 a year.

The increase follows announcements by the three groups on Saturday that they would be raising monthly contribution rates from Jan 1.

Only Malay self-help group Yayasan Mendaki will maintain its contribution rates — which range from S$2 to S$16 a month — as it last raised rates in 2009.

The matching grants for Mendaki, the Association of Muslim Professionals and the other Malay-Muslim organisations were earlier increased from S$4 million to S$5 million from this financial year.

All four self-help groups ran deficits in the last financial year. The contribution rate increases for CDAC, SINDA and the Eurasian Association will be tiered according to income, with higher-income earners giving more.

Stoke stun Man City, Burnley hold Man United

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Stoke City condemned defending champions Manchester City to their first defeat of the Premier League season with a shock 1-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday (Aug 30).

Senegalese striker Mame Biram Diouf scored a memorable solo goal in the 58th minute to give Stoke manager Mark Hughes victory over his former club. It was only the second time City had failed to score at home in 71 league matches and only their second home defeat since May 2013.

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Earlier, British-record signing Angel di Maria was unable to inspire Manchester United to victory on his debut as they drew 0-0 at promoted Burnley.

A £59.7 million (US$98 million, 75 million euros, S$122.3 million) acquisition from Real Madrid, Di Maria started the game, but despite some probing passes and darting runs, he could not illuminate United's path to goal against Sean Dyche's side.

Having seen his team beaten by Swansea City and held by Sunderland before being humiliated 4-0 by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup, new United manager Louis van Gaal has now gone four competitive games without recording a win.

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City's slip-up against Stoke allowed Swansea to provisionally move three points clear at the top of the standings by beating West Bromwich Albion 3-0 at the Liberty Stadium.

Nathan Dyer rounded Ben Foster to open the scoring in the second minute and made the game safe with a second goal 19 minutes from time after Wayne Routledge had made it 2-0 mid-way through the first half.

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Neil Warnock's second stint as Crystal Palace manager began in thrilling fashion after Wilfried Zaha marked his return to the club by scoring a 95th-minute equaliser to earn a 3-3 draw at Newcastle United.

Newcastle twice fell behind, but they looked to have secured victory in the 88th minute when Mike Williamson scored from close range, only for Zaha - back at Palace on loan from Manchester United - to drill home deep into injury time.

Dwight Gayle had put Palace ahead after only 31 seconds, with Daryl Janmaat equalising, and after Jason Puncheon restored the visitors' lead early in the second half, Newcastle substitute Rolando Aarons equalised in the 73rd minute.

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Elsewhere, a 45th-minute Charlie Austin goal saw Queens Park Rangers claim their first victory of the season in a 1-0 win over Sunderland, while Morgan Schneiderlin scored twice as Southampton came from behind to win 3-1 at West Ham United.

Costa scores double as Chelsea wins nine-goal thriller
Man of the moment Diego Costa scored twice as Chelsea beat Everton 6-3 in an amazing Premier League game at Goodison Park.

The Spain striker's brace - his third and fourth goals in his first three games - had to vie for the headlines said much about a game that will go down as one of the most remarkable seen in the Premier League in recent times, as Chelsea maintained its 100 per cent start to the season.

Costa and Branislav Ivanovic hit the host with a quick-fire double inside the opening three minutes to leave the Goodison Park crowd stunned.

But that was only act one in a dramatic script that also included a late goal for Everton new boy Samuel Eto'o against his former club.

Sylvain Distin was denied by the assistant referee's flag and at the other end Tim Howard looked fortunate to escape a red card for handball in a frantic opening, before Kevin Mirallas reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time.

A second-half Seamus Coleman own goal was quickly followed by Steven Naismith's third strike of the season, before Nemanja Matic then made it 4-2 to Chelsea.

Eto'o, introduced from the bench for the final 20 minutes, got in on the act to give Everton hope, but Ramires and then Costa with his second meant that Chelsea had the final say to leave Everton winless this season.

Jose Mourinho's league leader, on the other hand, continues to justify its tag as title favourite on a day when champion Manchester City suffered a shock home loss to Stoke City.

It had been feared that Costa would miss the match, with Chelsea announcing during the week that the former Atletico Madrid talisman had suffered a "minor muscular problem".

And Everton would likely have wished that his name was not on the team sheet when the 25-year-old collected Cesc Fabregas's pass and sprung the offside trap before sliding the ball between the legs of a woefully exposed Howard after just 35 seconds.

Things went from bad to worse for Roberto Martinez's side when Ramires forced the ball through a disorganised home defence to pick out Ivanovic, who in turn found the back of the net - although he looked to have strayed beyond the last defender.

Amazingly, the early drama continued as Howard raced out to collect Eden Hazard's searching long ball and handled outside his area, but the American goalkeeper escaped punishment.

The host thought it had pulled a goal back in the 15th minute after former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku's header struck the crossbar and was turned in by Distin, but the defender was offside.

Distin was then relieved to see a Fabregas strike flash just wide after the Frenchman had got a toe-end on the ball in the 29th minute.

Everton responded, and Mirallas brought it back into the game with an excellent header from Coleman's cross in first-half stoppage time.

Phil Jagielka's careless pass inside his own half almost sent Everton back to square one within seven minutes of the restart, but Costa was thwarted by Howard after racing through on goal.

Chelsea's third did arrive in the 68th minute when Hazard's attempted cutback was turned into his own net by Coleman, only for Naismith to hit back inside 60 seconds with a cool side-footed finish after getting in behind a static visiting defence.

Matic's measured strike from distance kept Chelsea on top, though their lead was narrowed when Eto'o seized his moment to keep the pressure on with a close-range finish.

Remarkably, that was not the end of the scoring, as Ramires found the bottom corner with 13 minutes left and then substitute Muhamed Besic's poor first touch handed Costa his second, completing a memorable Chelsea victory.