Tag Archives: Straits Times 28 Oct 2014

A giant helium-filled balloon will float above Singapore from early next year to watch over the Republic's skies and shores day and night. Known as an aerostat, the balloon will be tethered to the ground and house a surveillance radar that can spot hostile aerial and sea threats from as far as 200km away. These include straying civilian light aircraft, small boats and even mobile missile launchers.

On Sept 5, 2004, Anwar won his final appeal against the sodomy conviction in a majority 2-1 ruling and was freed. The judge said the essential part of the offence had not been proven by the prosecution as Azizan, being the only source for the date of the offence, showed inconsistency and contradiction when giving evidence and was therefore not a reliable source. The court also overturned the conviction of Sukma.

THIS year has been a tough one for Singapore's economy, for reasons that were summed up in recent remarks made by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Early last month, IMF chief Christine Lagarde warned that the world economy may never revert to the pace of growth it enjoyed before the global financial crisis. She flagged the risk of a "new mediocre", where worldwide growth stays low and uneven for a protracted period - hurting economies that rely on external demand, such as Singapore.

Dennis Wee Realty agent Aaron Lin said he has seen older agents turn to multi-level marketing or driving a taxi. Alternative jobs beckon in the food and beverage as well as spa industries. Agents are also turning to forex trading, holding investment seminars and even setting up economy rice stalls.

SINGAPORE and China will start direct currency trading today, in a move set to lower the cost of doing business. It will also boost the already strong trade links between the two as Beijing pushes to internationalise the yuan. Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli announced the move yesterday at a high-level bilateral meeting in eastern Suzhou that he co-chaired with Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

SIX people, including activist Han Hui Hui and blogger Roy Ngerng Yi Ling, were yesterday charged with committing a public nuisance act at Hong Lim Park last month which disrupted a charity carnival. Han, 23, and Ngerng, 33, were also charged with organising a demonstration without approval.

THE wail of an air raid siren pierces the air as visitors sidestep a bomb prop that has "crashed" through the floor of the National Museum, in a space bathed in dramatic red lighting. This is the scene at the Syonan-To section detailing life in Japanese-occupied Singapore. It is part of a new exhibition called Singapura: 700 Years, which opens today.