SINGAPORE: A condominium touted as Singapore's first retirement village was sold out on its first day of sale.
Despite concerns about The Hillford's shorter 60-year lease, buyers - both young and old - snapped up all 281 apartments.By 9am on Friday, The Hillford showflat at Upper Bukit Timah was already crowded with some 1,000 prospective buyers. Within the first one-and-a-half hours, more than 80 units were already sold. That is 30 per cent of what is available.

The young dentist was uncuffed and led to his seat in the courtroom. A few rows back, his mother watched motionlessly, her hands gently clasped together as if in prayer. Jeon Seong Jin is being punished for a crime that is not a crime at all in most of the world. A Jehovah’s Witness, he has refused to become a soldier in South Korea, where all able-bodied male citizens are required to serve about 21 months in the army.

The government and Temasek should take this opportunity to review this model of ownership where a public service company is listed on the stock exchange. It is also ironic that many who can only depend on public transport, cannot afford equities that are listed to provide them this essential service. No doubt, public transport companies should be profit making, but should they be publicly listed?

A businessman who injured four people near Chong Pang Market when his car crashed into them was fined $7,000 on Wednesday. Lim Swee Huat, 66, was also banned from driving for two years over the Aug 6, 2012 accident in Yishun, reports The Straits Times.He pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt to Madam Thangaraj Mahalakshmi, 52, a production operator, and Mr Toh Eng Lay, 55, by a negligent act that had put lives at risk. He also admitted to causing hurt to Mr Ng Yeo Hock, 69, a newspaper vendor, and Madam Seah Peck Hong, 63.

Interest groups form precisely because people have common interests. But it would be a mistake to assume that all interest groups are inevitably anti-government. Politics may actuate some, but most are apolitical. This is evident in groups interested in the environment, culture, heritage, the arts, crafts, hobbies, sports and so forth. Foreigners who live and work in Singapore will also form their own formal and informal support groups. The friction will not always be between that great brooding omnipresence known as THE GOVERNMENT (as some people see it) and helpless citizens. Civil society groups will present competing interests too.