Monday, 03 December 2012 11:34
Endorsement deals roll in for Stefanie Sun’s son
Local songstress Stefanie Sun’s son may have just turned one month old, but little Nadim (nicknamed after her husband Nadim van der Ros) has eight different baby product companies vying for endorsement deals with his mum. These deals are reportedly worth S$6.38 million in total, making him the “highest earning” baby this year.
Under the precious care of the whole family, little Nadim’s weight has crossed a healthy 5 kg mark and he will remain cloaked in anonymity for the time being, according to Stefanie’s spokesperson. “Actually the baby’s name has already been decided, but Stefanie does not wish to announce it yet and she hopes to be given a little more space.”
That aside, having turned a month old recently, Stefanie’s bundle of joy has received blessings from local and overseas friends alike. As part of the baby’s full-month celebration, the first-time mummy distributed cakes to friends in Singapore and Taiwan; the 34-year-old got her Taiwanese manager to order 20 boxes of cakes to be distributed to her friends there.
Ever since Stefanie gave birth on October 30, the only news fans had of the local songbird was a heartwarming picture of her and her baby’s hands, inviting many requests for her to share more images.
However, as Stefanie is said to have caught a flu and fever due to exhaustion, she is unable to grant her fans’ wishes. Her family has hired a confinement helper to assist in looking after both mother and baby.
- wong chee tat :)
Monday, December 3, 2012
6 weeks' jail for SMRT bus driver involved in strike
6 weeks' jail for SMRT bus driver involved in strike
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 03 December 2012 1226 hrs
SINGAPORE: A SMRT bus driver from China has been sentenced to six weeks' jail for taking part in an illegal strike.
Bao Feng Shan, 38, admitted that he committed the offence on 26 November.
He appeared grim in court on Monday, as the charge was read out to him in Mandarin, accusing him of "commencing" the strike between 6am and 7am on 26 November at Woodlands Dormitory.
Bao, who did not engage a lawyer, acknowledged the "adverse effects" of the strike.
Speaking through a court interpreter, he said he was "deeply remorseful and apologetic".
Bao, who teared several times, also apologised to the government of Singapore, SMRT and his family.
He said a jail sentence would have adverse effects on his eight-year-old daughter.
Bao was deployed to Kranji Depot to drive Service 106 at the time of the offence.
The tall and bespectacled man had been working for SMRT since 2008.
Some time between 6am and 7am on 26 November, he joined many drivers in refusing to go to work.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Peggy Pao told the court that Bao was not happy that he was not entitled to the same year-end bonuses and increments as his Malaysian counterparts.
He did not give notice of his intention to strike on 26 and 27 November.
The court heard that Bao did not start the strike, but took on a participatory role.
But DPP Pao pointed out that although Bao was not charged as an instigator, he was "far from a mere passive participant".
She acknowledged that there may have been "a genuine sense of frustration" but stressed that there was no justification to resort to a strike.
The DPP had pushed for a deterrent sentence of six weeks' jail, on the grounds of the "considerable public disquiet" caused by the strike.
She said a lenient approach may encourage others to think that they can commit similar offences and "conveniently express remorse to escape custodial sentence".
She stressed that the illegal strike was not a case of a few workers refraining from work but was a large-scale organised effort to use illegal means to coerce the management of SMRT into giving in to the workers' demands.
During sentencing, Senior District Judge See Kee Oon highlighted an aggravating factor - that the act was calculated to cause obstruction and inconvenience to transport services.
He noted that Bao did not return to work the next day, even though he was advised to do so by SMRT and the Ministry of Manpower.
He also made a number of threatening comments, warning of further strikes if the demands were not met.
The judge acknowledged Bao's plea of leniency, saying he showed remorse by pleading guilty right after he was charged.
But he agreed with the prosecution that deterrence must be a primary consideration and that a jail sentence was warranted.
He said while Bao may have been motivated by a sense of grievance, he went against the law.
Bao is the first of five SMRT drivers who have been charged to plead guilty.
Four other drivers were charged last Thursday with instigating the drivers to take part in the strike.
They are He Jun Ling (32), Gao Yue Qiang (32), Liu Xiangying (33), Wang Xianjie, (33).
One of them, He, faces an additional charge of making an online post about the strike.
The four are currently remanded at the Central Police Station.
SMRT said 171 bus drivers did not report for work on 26 November and 88 of them continued to stay away from work on 27 November.
Twenty-nine of them were sent back to China on Sunday.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 03 December 2012 1226 hrs
SINGAPORE: A SMRT bus driver from China has been sentenced to six weeks' jail for taking part in an illegal strike.
Bao Feng Shan, 38, admitted that he committed the offence on 26 November.
He appeared grim in court on Monday, as the charge was read out to him in Mandarin, accusing him of "commencing" the strike between 6am and 7am on 26 November at Woodlands Dormitory.
Bao, who did not engage a lawyer, acknowledged the "adverse effects" of the strike.
Speaking through a court interpreter, he said he was "deeply remorseful and apologetic".
Bao, who teared several times, also apologised to the government of Singapore, SMRT and his family.
He said a jail sentence would have adverse effects on his eight-year-old daughter.
Bao was deployed to Kranji Depot to drive Service 106 at the time of the offence.
The tall and bespectacled man had been working for SMRT since 2008.
Some time between 6am and 7am on 26 November, he joined many drivers in refusing to go to work.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Peggy Pao told the court that Bao was not happy that he was not entitled to the same year-end bonuses and increments as his Malaysian counterparts.
He did not give notice of his intention to strike on 26 and 27 November.
The court heard that Bao did not start the strike, but took on a participatory role.
But DPP Pao pointed out that although Bao was not charged as an instigator, he was "far from a mere passive participant".
She acknowledged that there may have been "a genuine sense of frustration" but stressed that there was no justification to resort to a strike.
The DPP had pushed for a deterrent sentence of six weeks' jail, on the grounds of the "considerable public disquiet" caused by the strike.
She said a lenient approach may encourage others to think that they can commit similar offences and "conveniently express remorse to escape custodial sentence".
She stressed that the illegal strike was not a case of a few workers refraining from work but was a large-scale organised effort to use illegal means to coerce the management of SMRT into giving in to the workers' demands.
During sentencing, Senior District Judge See Kee Oon highlighted an aggravating factor - that the act was calculated to cause obstruction and inconvenience to transport services.
He noted that Bao did not return to work the next day, even though he was advised to do so by SMRT and the Ministry of Manpower.
He also made a number of threatening comments, warning of further strikes if the demands were not met.
The judge acknowledged Bao's plea of leniency, saying he showed remorse by pleading guilty right after he was charged.
But he agreed with the prosecution that deterrence must be a primary consideration and that a jail sentence was warranted.
He said while Bao may have been motivated by a sense of grievance, he went against the law.
Bao is the first of five SMRT drivers who have been charged to plead guilty.
Four other drivers were charged last Thursday with instigating the drivers to take part in the strike.
They are He Jun Ling (32), Gao Yue Qiang (32), Liu Xiangying (33), Wang Xianjie, (33).
One of them, He, faces an additional charge of making an online post about the strike.
The four are currently remanded at the Central Police Station.
SMRT said 171 bus drivers did not report for work on 26 November and 88 of them continued to stay away from work on 27 November.
Twenty-nine of them were sent back to China on Sunday.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Is This the World’s Most Beautiful Woman?
Is This the World’s Most Beautiful Woman?
Science suggests 18-year-old Florence Colgate just might be.
The ratio of the distance between her ears to the distance between her pupils is nearly 2:1 — the scientific ideal. Furthermore, the distance between her eyes to her mouth is just under a third of the distance from her hairline to her chin — another measure of perfect pulchritude.
The Deal, Kent native and her nearly symmetrical mug were recently named winners of "Lorraine: Naked" — a "natural beauty" contest organized by ITV's lifestyle program Lorraine. To win, some 8,000 entrants had to rely on their God-given good looks: No make-up or cosmic enhancements of any kind were allowed.
In addition to being crowned "Britain's most beautiful face," the Dover Grammar School senior and part-time chip shop employee will be featured in a nationwide ad campaign for beauty and health retailer Superdrug.
"Florence has all the classic signs of beauty," said Carmen Lefèvre of the Perception Lab at the University of St Andrews' School of Psychology. "She has large eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and a fair complexion. Symmetry appears to be a very important cue to attractiveness."
[photo via Facebook]
- wong chee tat :)
The ratio of the distance between her ears to the distance between her pupils is nearly 2:1 — the scientific ideal. Furthermore, the distance between her eyes to her mouth is just under a third of the distance from her hairline to her chin — another measure of perfect pulchritude.
The Deal, Kent native and her nearly symmetrical mug were recently named winners of "Lorraine: Naked" — a "natural beauty" contest organized by ITV's lifestyle program Lorraine. To win, some 8,000 entrants had to rely on their God-given good looks: No make-up or cosmic enhancements of any kind were allowed.
In addition to being crowned "Britain's most beautiful face," the Dover Grammar School senior and part-time chip shop employee will be featured in a nationwide ad campaign for beauty and health retailer Superdrug.
"Florence has all the classic signs of beauty," said Carmen Lefèvre of the Perception Lab at the University of St Andrews' School of Psychology. "She has large eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and a fair complexion. Symmetry appears to be a very important cue to attractiveness."
[photo via Facebook]
- wong chee tat :)
29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in illegal strike sent back to China
29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in illegal strike sent back to China
Posted: 02 December 2012 1739 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in an illegal strike over pay and living conditions on 26 and 27 November have been sent back to China.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said they were placed on flights between 12:15am and 4:35pm on Sunday.
MHA said they were cooperative and that the process took place without incident.
Officials from the Chinese embassy, as well as SMRT staff, assisted in the repatriation exercise.
The 29 drivers, who were rounded up on Saturday morning, were absent from work on one or both days of the illegal strike.
Their work permits were revoked.
Although some of them had medical certificates, the authorities said these drivers were recalcitrant and participated actively in the strike.
On Thursday, four other SMRT drivers from China were charged with instigating the strike.
A fifth driver will be charged in court on Monday.
Over 150 other drivers will be let off, with police warning letters.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 02 December 2012 1739 hrs
SINGAPORE: All 29 ex-SMRT bus drivers involved in an illegal strike over pay and living conditions on 26 and 27 November have been sent back to China.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said they were placed on flights between 12:15am and 4:35pm on Sunday.
MHA said they were cooperative and that the process took place without incident.
Officials from the Chinese embassy, as well as SMRT staff, assisted in the repatriation exercise.
The 29 drivers, who were rounded up on Saturday morning, were absent from work on one or both days of the illegal strike.
Their work permits were revoked.
Although some of them had medical certificates, the authorities said these drivers were recalcitrant and participated actively in the strike.
On Thursday, four other SMRT drivers from China were charged with instigating the strike.
A fifth driver will be charged in court on Monday.
Over 150 other drivers will be let off, with police warning letters.
- CNA/ck
- wong chee tat :)
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