Miss America: This Is How Bad the Bullying Got

"The treatment just kept getting worse and I kept thinking to myself, 'Is it my fault?'" That's Miss America Cara Mund talking about the alleged mistreatment she endured at the hands of two top officials at the pageant organization, per the Hollywood Reporter. 

 

Alleged bully number one at Miss America, CEO Regina Hopper: "We were walking down the hall and [Hopper] gave me some kind of compliment," says Mund. "And my response is typically like, 'Oh, that's so nice of you.' And she turned around and she said, 'Oh, I'm not nice.'" Later, responding to a Karl Lagerfield dress Mund wore, Hopper supposedly said, "Yuck. You should burn that. Don't ever wear that again."

 

Opening up about her alleged mistreatment at the organization—which she claims left her silenced, reduced, and marginalized—Mund says chairwoman Gretchen Carlson kept her from public appearances that Miss America normally attends, like the National Press Club luncheon in Washington, DC. "When we go in to get sponsors or attend big events, they should bring Miss America because I'm a product of the organization," she says. "I'm determined, I have an opinion, I am well-spoken and educated." Now Mund has an ally: Former Miss Denver Kayla Kline is breaking ties with her position in solidarity with Mund, the Denver Channel reports. "Miss America deserves a voice," writes Kline on Instagram, "and if you can't hear her, I'll stand and shout with her." (Carlson says Mund's complaints have cost the organization $75,000.)

Ex-Doorman Can Talk About Trump's 'Illegitimate Child'

The former doorman who claimed President Trump had an illegitimate child with a housekeeper is now legally allowed to talk about it, CNN reports. AMI, the National Enquirer's parent company, has relieved Dino Sajudin from a so-called "catch-and-kill" contract that gave him $30,000 but threatened a $1 million fine if he told the story.

After the New Yorker and the AP broke the story in April, CNN reported that the ex-Trump World Tower doorman explained what he's not supposed to reveal: "I can confirm that while working at Trump World Tower I was instructed not to criticize President Trump's former housekeeper due to a prior relationship she had with President Trump which produced a child," Sajudin said.

Now Sajudin's attorney says that after talks with AMI, which is owned by David Pecker, the former doorman no longer needs to abide by the contract. So what does the November 2015 contract say? Read it here, but a key phrase is: "Source shall provide AMI with information regarding Donald

Trump's illegitimate child..." The contract adds that Sajudin will only be paid if the story is published, but an amendment on the third page says he'll get $30,000 regardless. And he can now tell all: "Just recently, AMI released Mr. Sajudin from the terms of his agreement and he is now able to speak about his personal experience with them, as well as his story..." Sajudin's attorney says. "Mr. Sajudin hopes the truth will come out in the very near future."

Selena Gomez On Justin Bieber’s Canadian Mansion – She’s ‘Heartbroken’

Justin Bieber dropped $5 million on a Canadian mansion and HollywoodLife has learned that the purchase has Selena Gomez a bit in her feelings over her ex settling down with Hailey Baldwin. Seeing your ex get engaged to someone else is already hard enough, and watching them buy a mansion together as they start their lives together definitely doesn’t make the situation any easier. After Justin Bieber splurged on a massive property in his home country of Canada to potentially live with Hailey Baldwin, his ex Selena Gomez couldn’t help but get a bit upset.

“Selena is heartbroken at the news that Justin bought a huge new love nest for him and Hailey,” a source close to the “Back To You” singer tells HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY. “It was not long ago that Selena hoped it would be her settling down with Justin in the countryside somewhere, away from the noise of Hollywood. That was her dream too, to raise a family in a big home by a lake with Justin and now that he is doing that with someone else it really stings. Justin’s new house is another clear sign to Selena that Justin is committed to his future with Hailey.”

JB reportedly closed on a mansion with a massive plot of land in Ontario, Canada for about $5 million o Aug. 20. The 9,000 square foot home has 4 bedrooms, 6 baths, 3 fireplaces, a game room, a movie theater, and a three-car garage. It also has a boathouse, which is nice considering the property is located right near the water.

The mansion also reportedly has private lake access, a two-story temperature controlled wine room, a private gym, and heated floors. The 101-acre property also boasts a private equestrian facility with stables and a private 5/8 mile race track. It’s unclear whether this will become Justin and Hailey‘s main place of residence or if they’re just looking to use it as a vacation home. Honestly with all of those amenities though, the FOMO is real. We can’t really blame Sel for being upset about not living there.

US Democrats seek to make Republican scandals an election issue

WASHINGTON: Democrats accused congressional Republicans on Wednesday (Aug 22) of enabling a growing culture of corruption under U.S. President Donald Trump and planned to use the issue to bolster their push to retake control of Congress in November's elections.

The conviction and guilty plea on Tuesday of two former members of Trump's inner circle put a spotlight on the Democratic argument that Republicans have failed to check the excesses of corruption under Trump - but that voters could do it for them.

"Washington Republicans are failing to hold themselves accountable to the people for the corruption that has infected the party and has infected the nation’s capital," said US Representative Cheri Bustos, co-chair of the messaging arm of the House of Representatives' Democrats.Some Democrats pounced on the scandals as a way to organise and raise money for November when they are trying to pick up 23 seats in the House and two seats in the Senate to gain majorities in both chambers and blunt Trump's legislative agenda.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez sent an email asking for donations, saying: "The more Democrats we elect this November, the better we will be able to hold this administration accountable."

At the DNC summer meeting in Chicago on Wednesday, Perez told party members the election of Democrats would install "guard rails" against Republican corruption.Bustos said Democrats were seeking to make corruption a "co-equal" issue with driving down healthcare costs, increasing wages through infrastructure projects and providing new and stable leadership.

The conviction of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on tax and bank fraud charges and the guilty plea of Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen on tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations grew out of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation of potential Russian meddling in the 2016 US election and whether the Trump campaign conspired with Moscow to influence the outcome.

Russia has denied interfering and Trump has said there was no collusion.Cohen said Trump told him to arrange hush money for two women who said they had affairs with Trump - and reimbursed him with campaign cash.White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Wednesday that Cohen's plea deal did not implicate the president in a crime. Trump, who has denied the affairs, has insisted he paid Cohen out of personal funds and that the payments were not intended to benefit his campaign but to resolve a personal matter.

"Corruption is a big issue when I go around the district," said Democrat Janet Garrett, who is challenging US Representative Jim Jordan, a conservative Ohio Republican and Trump ally who has called for the impeachment of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein for his oversight of the Mueller probe.

“He’s definitely an enabler of corruption, because he is willing to sacrifice the truth on the altar of self-interest," Garrett said of Jordan, who is fighting his own scandal. He has denied allegations that he knew about sexual harassment of wrestlers at Ohio State University and did nothing about it.

DEMOCRATS WILL 'OVERREACH'

Republican congressional leaders avoided criticising Trump after the outcome of the Manafort and Cohen cases.John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican, said he expected Democrats would overplay their hand and launch a contentious drive to remove Trump from office.“I have some confidence that our Democratic friends are going to overreach, and this will be all about impeachment," he told reporters in the Capitol.

Republican Senator Mike Rounds, who is not up for re-election this year, told reporters it was tough to get the party's message through to voters over the din of the scandals."We're actually getting our work done in the Senate, and I know that’s not getting a lot of attention, but it will at some point," Rounds said.

The Cohen and Manafort news came amid a spiral of corruption charges against Republicans, including an indictment on Tuesday against U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter for allegedly spending campaign money on personal expenses.Hunter, who is seeking re-election in California, denied the allegations and suggested in a statement on Wednesday that it was politically motivated given the timing of the charges so close to the election.

The Hunter case followed the recent indictment of US Representative Chris Collins, a Republican who was one of Trump's first supporters, on securities fraud charges involving the use of inside information. Collins also denied wrongdoing but dropped out of his race in New York.

Democrats have used the corruption issue successfully before, winning House control in 2006 after financial and sexual scandals involving prominent Republicans. But other issues, such as the unpopularity of Republican President George W. Bush and the Iraq war, were also important that year.

"Democratic candidates already have been running on ethics, public service and independent leadership," said a Democratic strategist who works with candidates in battleground districts. "This just strengthens their case."

Viral CCTV footage of sexual misconduct leads to arrest, Asia News

The Police have arrested a suspect in a sexual harassment case that occurred in Beji, Depok, after the incident was captured on a nearby CCTV camera."The suspect is identified as IH, 29 years old," Depok Police chief of

yana told kompas.com on Tuesday.The incident took place on Jl. Kuningan Datuk in Beji, Depok, on Jan. 11.The victim, a woman in a hijab, was walking alone down a small street in the area when a man on a motorcycle approached her from behind. The man reached out and touched the woman, and then immediately sped up to flee the scene while the shocked woman yelled at him.

The incident was recorded by a nearby CCTV camera that belonged to a Mandiri Bank office. The footage was released on social media shortly after the incident and went viral.Putu said the suspect, a private employee, was arrested around noon on Monday at his residence in Mekarsari, Cimanggis, Depok.

IH was facing charges of Article 281 of the Criminal Code on indecent acts that violate social norms, said Putu.The article carries a maximum punishment of two years and eight months in prison.

Trump's ex-lawyer Cohen pleads guilty to fraud, campaign finance violations

NEW YORK: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's longtime lawyer and fixer, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (Aug 21) to eight counts, including violations of campaign finance rules during the 2016 presidential race - and implicated his former boss in the process.The former lawyer and businessman pleaded guilty to five counts of tax fraud, one of bank fraud and two counts of violating campaign finance laws during the hearing before US District Judge William Pauley in Manhattan.

Questioned by the federal judge, Cohen said he had paid sums of US$130,000 and US$150,000 each to two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump, acting at his boss's request, in a bid to buy their silence "with the purpose of influencing the election."
Cohen did not specify the women's names, but the sums correspond to a payment known to have been made to porn star Stormy Daniels just before the election to silence her claims of a one-night stand with Trump - and another destined for former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

Cohen's explosive assertion - which suggests Trump may have committed a crime - was all the more spectacular coming from a man who once declared he was so loyal he would "take a bullet for the president."

Most of the counts against the 51-year-old Cohen carry maximum prison terms of five years, with the exception of making false statements to a financial institution, which carries up to 30 years.

Guilty pleas are common in the United States when it appears prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a conviction if the case goes to trial.The FBI raided Cohen's home and office on a referral from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into whether Trump sought to obstruct the Russia meddling probe.

The plea deal came comes days after The New York Times reported that Cohen was also under investigation for tax and bank fraud, possibly exceeding US$20 million via loans obtained by the taxi medallion business he owns with his family.

Just minutes earlier, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was found guilty of eight counts, in the first trial resulting from the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
A jury found Manafort guilty of five counts of making false income tax returns, two counts of bank fraud and one of failure to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

Each of the bank fraud counts carries a significant maximum sentence and the 69-year-old Manafort could theoretically live out the remainder of his years in prison - though a legal expert told AFP it would run to under a decade in reality.

Seven Wonders Of The World To Visit Before The Crowds Get There

In 2007, more than 100 million people voted to declare the New Seven Wonders of the World. The following list of seven winners is presented without ranking, and aims to represent global heritage.

Great Wall of China (China)
 
Built between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall of China is a stone-and-earth fortification created to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire from invading Mongols. The Great Wall is actually a succession of multiple walls spanning approximately 4,000 miles, making it the world's longest manmade structure.

Christ the Redeemer Statue (Rio de Janeiro)

The Art Deco-style Christ the Redeemer statue has been looming over the Brazilians from upon Corcovado mountain in an awe-inspiring state of eternal blessing since 1931. The 130-foot reinforced concrete-and-soapstone statue was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and cost approximately $250,000 to build - much of the money was raised through donations. The statue has become an easily recognized icon for Rio and Brazil.

Machu Picchu, an Incan city of sparkling granite precariously perched between 2 towering Andean peaks, is thought by scholars to have been a sacred archaeological center for the nearby Incan capital of Cusco. Built at the peak of the Incan Empire in the mid-1400s, this mountain citadel was later abandoned by the Incas. The site remained unknown except to locals until 1911, when it was rediscovered by archaeologist Hiram Bingham. The site can only be reached by foot, train or helicopter; most visitors visit by train from nearby Cusco.

Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico)

The genius and adaptability of Mayan culture can be seen in the splendid ruins of Chichen Itza. This powerful city, a trading center for cloth, slaves, honey and salt, flourished from approximately 800 to 1200, and acted as the political and economic hub of the Mayan civilization. The most familiar ruin at the site is El Caracol, a sophisticated astronomical observatory.

The Roman Colosseum (Rome)

Rome's, if not Italy's, most enduring icon is undoubtedly its Colosseum. Built between A.D. 70 and 80 A.D., it was in use for some 500 years. The elliptical structure sat nearly 50,000 spectators, who gathered to watch the gladiatorial events as well as other public spectacles, including battle reenactments, animal hunts and executions. Earthquakes and stone-robbers have left the Colosseum in a state of ruin, but portions of the structure remain open to tourists, and its design still influences the construction of modern-day amphitheaters, some 2,000 years later.

A mausoleum commissioned for the wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1648. Considered the most perfect specimen of Muslim art in India, the white marble structure actually represents a number of architectural styles, including Persian, Islamic, Turkish and Indian. The Taj Mahal also encompasses formal gardens of raised pathways, sunken flower beds and a linear reflecting pool.

Petra (Jordan)

Declared a World Heritage Site in 1985, Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire of King Aretas IV, and likely existed in its prime from 9 B.C. to A.D. 40. The members of this civilization proved to be early experts in manipulating water technology, constructing intricate tunnels and water chambers, which helped create an pseudo-oasis. A number of incredible structures carved into stone, a 4,000-seat amphitheater and the El-Deir monastery have also helped the site earn its fame.

S’porean taxi uncle spent morning talking to China’s Foreign Affairs Minister

China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi asked a favour of Singapore media – he wanted his well wishes conveyed to a taxi driver he met while hiking. Wang was here in Singapore for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting from August 1 to 5. He met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong while he was here and both countries reaffirmed their “long-standing and warm” bilateral relations.

A morning of history In a video uploaded by Xinhua Hong Kong — one of the regional headquarters of the Chinese official state-run press — titled “Let Wang Yi tell you a story: Peace doesn’t come by easily, treasure it”, Wang was filmed telling the reporters about an encounter with a Singaporean taxi driver.

In short, he met this driver while hiking by chance. He said that the driver spent some time sharing about the part of Singapore’s history when Japan invaded it, and how the area they were hiking in was bombarded by the Japanese during the war.

Both Singapore and China were invaded by the Japanese during the Second World War — the Empire of Japan occupied the former for around three years and the latter for around eight years.

Here’s the full translated transcript of what he said:

“Let me tell you a short story about what happened while I was hiking yesterday morning.

On the way up during the hike, I ran into a Singaporean man, probably a regular civilian.

For a while, we chatted while hiking up together. We hit it off right away.

He told me a lot about Singapore’s history.

Coincidentally, there were a lot of traces of World War II left on the hill (that they were hiking in).

He took the time to tell me all about it, including how after the Japanese invaded Singapore and bombed the hill, many craters were formed on the hill.

This part of history lets us both appreciate the importance of peace. We should protect the current peace we have together.

At the beginning, he didn’t know who I was.

Later, as we were parting, we ran into many Chinese tourists.

That was when this person realised who I was.

When I turned around to say goodbye to him, he had quietly left.

This encounter has been on my mind ever since. So I want to ask the reporters in Singapore to reach out to him.

I heard from my colleague he is a taxi driver.

Please tell him this: Hey, buddy, I wish you the best of health, and happiness in your life.”......

https://mothership.sg/2018/08/wang-yi-si...xi-driver/

SG 1st Law Min. daughter slams GCT's views on minister pay as offensive & insulting

The daughter of Singapore’s very first Law Minister has weighed in on the heated discussion over ministerial pay that was sparked by comments Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong made recently, calling ESM Goh’s views on the matter offensive and “insulting” to all the founding fathers of the nation.

This, after ESM Goh responded to a 70-year-old Singaporean’s question at a forum last week and shared his views that ministers are not paid enough and that Singapore would pay the price of having “mediocre” leaders if only those who earn half a million dollars thrown their names into the hat for political office.

Responding to the elderly Singaporean’s suggestion that the Government could perhaps consider slashing ministerial salaries by 10 per cent in order to accommodate an elderly pension fund, ESM Goh said in part:

“If you had suggested we up GST by 2 per cent, I would have applauded you. Seriously. Because you’re taxing the whole society to support the older ones. But you did not.

“But you said cut the defence. 1 per cent is enough. On top of that, you said cut ministers’ salaries. That’s very populist. I’m telling you the ministers are not paid enough. And down the road, we’re going to have a problem getting people to join the Government. Because civil servants now earn more than ministers. Are you aware of that?

“And where do we get future office holders from? From the private sector? I tried for the last election. Two of them – one earning $5 million and one earning $10 million a month. To be minister for $1 million?

“So where do you want to get your ministers from? From people who warn only $500,000 a year? You’re going to end up with very mediocre people who can’t even earn a million dollars outside. Is it good for you or is it worse for us?”

The backlash that followed was so swift and so severe that ESM Goh responded to the heated debate on social media and clarified that salaries are not the starting point in minister recruitment and that he does not “mean nor believe that Singaporeans at whatever level of income are mediocre”.
Amid the public uproar over ministerial pay, the son-in-law of one of Singapore’s founding Ministers, E.W. Barker, has shared a message from his wife, criticising the ESM’s views on the topic.

Barker, born Edmund William Barker, is a Eurasian Singaporean was elected a member of the Singapore Legislative Assembly in 1963 to represent the constituency of Tanglin – a ward he served for 25 years or a quarter of a century, until 1988.
One of the old guards of Singapore, Barker served as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 1963-64 and in 1964, he was appointed as the very first Minister for Law – a post he held until 1988.
As Minister for Law, Barker drafted the Proclamation of Singapore of Singapore in 1965, announcing Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. During his 25 years in Parliament, Barker also served as the Minister for National Development (1965–75), Minister for Home Affairs (1972), Minister for the Environment (1975–79), Minister for Science and Technology (1977–81) and Minister for Labour (1983).
Other roles Barker held included being the first President of the Singapore National Olympic Council (1970-1990), President of the South-East Asia Peninsular Games Federation Council (1973), Chairman of the Bukit Turf Club (1989–94), and Chairman of the Singapore Stock Exchange (1989–93).
Barker, fondly known as the People’s Minister, retired from politics in 1988. He passed away in 2001 and is survived by his wife, his four children, their spouses and his grandchildren.
Passing a message from one of Barker’s children, Gillian Barker, Gillian’s husband revealed on Facebook that his father-in-law – a Cambridge-educated lawyer – took a hefty 70-80 per cent pay cut to serve the people when he entered politics.
In a comment on Facebook, Gillian’s husband Hans Olijve wrote that his wife is “deeply offended” by the idea that lower pay will only result in mediocre leaders, like ESM Goh suggested, and asked what happened to the idea of public service:

“My wife is deeply offended by the idea that low pay attracts mediocre people. By saying that you are insulting all the founding fathers who took low pay but put our country on the path to the phenomenal success it has achieved. Their sacrifice, our gain.

“If they need an excuse for high pay, perhaps one that doesn’t insult the people who came before them might be a better alternative. What happened to the concept of public service? If money is what you want then go out into the world and make some. Government should be about the people you serve.”

PM Lee says living in Singapore is affordable, while Singaporeans gripe about not being able to afford raising children

During his National Day speech this year, Prime Minister spoke about costs of living in Singapore and how the Government manages costs of living for its people.Delivering his speech, he said, “Kampung Admiralty is an example of what the Government is doing to transform education, healthcare and housing to improve the lives of Singaporeans”.

Continuing, he added, “When people express concern over the cost of living, these are three significant items they worry about.”On top of those concerns, Singaporeans also seem to worry about rising food costs, and how expensive it is to raise children. Many also expressed that there was hardly sufficient help granted to new parents.

A Facebook post shared on the page All Singaporeans Stuff was from a netizen who found it rather hard to keep up with the costs of milk powder, adding that five tins cost S$283, and these were not even high-end brands.That netizen also brought up the issue of how since the cost of raising a child was already high, that it acted as a deterrent for families wanting to have children.Many others shared similar sentiments with regards to this issue.

According to PM Lee, the Government ensures that “key public services are both of high quality and affordable for all Singaporeans, rich or poor”.

He also said that by focusing on these issues was “how we’ve helped families to manage their cost of living, and given an extra hand to those who need it. For more than five decades, this approach has worked well.”

However, issues such as education, healthcare and housing make up just the tip of the iceberg, with other smaller, but specific areas of help different groups of Singaporeans need help in.
http://theindependent.sg/pm-lee-says-living-in-singapore-is-affordable-while-singaporeans-gripe-about-not-being-able-to-afford-raising-children/

2019 school year to start on Jan 2, end on Nov 15

SINGAPORE: The 2019 school year for all primary and secondary schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE) will start on Wednesday, Jan 2 and end on Friday, Nov 15, the ministry announced on Wednesday (Aug 15).

Students in their first year at junior colleges and at the Millennia Institute will start on Friday, Feb 1, while the rest of the students will start school on Monday, Jan 7.
The four vacation periods next year are as follows:

Singapore-Malaysia talks on high-speed rail to continue in coming weeks: MOT

SINGAPORE — Discussions on the high-speed rail (HSR) project between Singapore and Malaysia will continue “in the coming weeks”, after Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan met Malaysia’s Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali last weekend.

Singapore’s Ministry of Transport (MOT) confirmed the meeting between the two sides took place on Saturday (Aug 11), but did not disclose details of what was discussed.Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Sunday that the meeting was held to resolve issues related to the project. He added that a detailed report will be presented to the Malaysian Cabinet this week.

Saturday’s meeting took place after Singapore repeatedly asked Putrajaya to clarify its position on the rail project.

First proposed by Malaysia in 2013, the HSR is a 350km line that was meant to slash travel time by train between Singapore and Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to 90 minutes.However, its fate has been uncertain since the new Pakatan Harapan government won the Malaysian general election in May, with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and some of his Cabinet ministers vowing to scrap the project in order to trim the country’s RM1 trillion (S$336 billion) debt.

Since then, Putrajaya has sent mixed signals on the issue, saying that it wants to postpone the project instead of cancelling it.Malaysia has also made conflicting remarks on the proposed meeting to discuss the matter with Singapore.Early last week on Aug 6, Mr Azmin told Malaysia’s national news agency Bernama that he had met Singapore authorities a few days before, while he was here visiting Malaysia’s Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Mr Muhyiddin was in a Singapore hospital recuperating from surgery to remove a pancreatic tumour.

Mr Azmin did not reveal who were the Singapore officials he met.A spokesperson from MOT later refuted his claim, saying that no meeting had been scheduled nor had one taken place between Mr Azmin and Singapore officials overseeing the HSR project.The following day, in an apparent U-turn, Mr Azmin denied meeting Singapore officials, but added that a date for talks had been arranged.

Last month, Mr Khaw revealed in Parliament that Singapore had sent a diplomatic note to Malaysia on June 1. This was to get confirmation on its official position regarding the stalled project.

On July 20, the MOT said that it again asked Putrajaya to clarify its official position in writing by July 31 and to indicate, also by that date, if it still wished to hold bilateral talks.It later received a letter from Mr Azmin dated July 23, where he said that the Malaysian government was “studying the details of the HSR project and will commence discussions with Singapore soon”.Mr Azmin then told reporters on July 31 that the deadline of July 31 set by Singapore was a “suggestion”.

“That is Singapore’s suggestion. As I mentioned in my letter last week (to Singapore) we will firm up the date,” he added. “We are quite occupied for Parliament, hopefully we will meet in early August.”

In the meantime, Singapore continues to incur cost on the project, with expenditure expected to hit some S$300 million by year-end, Mr Khaw told Parliament early July, warning that a “significant” amount of the funds spent would be “completely wasted” if the project was called off. AGENCIES

Singapore loses lead over Hong Kong in list of world's most liveable cities

SINGAPORE: Hong Kong has reclaimed its lead over Singapore in an annual global survey of liveable cities, with a marginal difference of 0.1 per cent.Hong Kong - whose ranking on Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) Global Liveability Index fell dramatically in 2015 due to heightened fears of unrest as part of the so-called Umbrella Revolution - was overtaken by Singapore in the rankings for the first time last year.

It has largely recovered and placed 35th in this year's rankings, two spots ahead of Singapore, which ranked 37th, according to an EIU press release.In its own turn, Singapore's score also registered an improvement in the public healthcare category, boasting the highest possible score, the release said.
EIU's liveability rating, part of the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, assigns scores to 140 cities based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.After seven years at the top, Melbourne has been displaced by Vienna as the most liveable city in this year's ranking.

The two metropolises have been neck and neck in the annual survey for years.This year, a downgraded threat of militant attacks in western Europe as well as the city's low crime rate helped nudge Vienna into first place.At the other end of the table, Damascus retained last place, followed by the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, and Lagos in Nigeria. The survey does not include several of the world's most dangerous capitals, such as Baghdad and Kabul.

"While in the past couple of years cities in Europe were affected by the spreading perceived threat of terrorism in the region, which caused heightened security measures, the past year has seen a return to normalcy," the EIU said in a statement about the report published on Tuesday."A long-running contender to the title, Vienna has succeeded in displacing Melbourne from the top spot due to increases in the Austrian capital's stability category ratings," it said, referring to one of the index's five headline components.

Vienna and Melbourne scored maximum points in the healthcare, education and infrastructure categories. But while Melbourne extended its lead in the culture and environment component, that was outweighed by Vienna's improved stability ranking.Osaka, Calgary and Sydney completed the top five in the survey, which the EIU says tends to favour medium-sized cities in wealthy countries, often with relatively low population densities. Much larger and more crowded cities tend to have higher crime rates and more strained infrastructure, it said.London for instance ranks 48th.
Vienna, once the capital of a large empire rather than today's small Alpine republic, has yet to match its pre-World War I population of 2.1 million.

Its many green spaces include lakes with popular beaches and vineyards with sweeping views of the capital. Public transport is cheap and efficient.In addition to the generally improved security outlook for western Europe, Vienna benefited from its low crime rate, the survey's editor Roxana Slavcheva said.

"One of the sub-categories that Vienna does really well in is the prevalence of petty crime ... It's proven to be one of the safest cities in Europe," she said.

PM Lee to deliver National Day Rally speech on Aug 19

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver a 2018 National Independence Day speech on Sunday, August 19 at the Central Institute of Technical Education in Ang Mo Kio.

Mr Lee will speak Malay and Mandarin from 18:45 to 19:30, and in English from 8.15 to 21.30, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in a statement on Tuesday (August 14).
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The National Day Rally will be broadcast live on Mediacorp TV channels and radio stations.

There will be two parts of speech. The first part, which will air first Lee in Malay followed by Mandarin, will be broadcast from 6.45pm to 7.30pm. Part 2 will be broadcast from 8.15 pm to 9.30 pm where Mr. Lee will deliver in English.

Channel NewsAsia will broadcast Mr. Lee's speech in the original language with a summary of the English text. There will be voiceover from his speech when different from the channel or station language.

Liu Ling Ling reveals son's biological father -- and why she kept it a secret for years

Getai celebrity and actress Liu Ling Ling, 54, has finally divulged details regarding the parentage of her son, who is now five years old.The veteran star made headlines in 2013 when she gave birth to Xiang Xiang at the age of 50, after a pregnancy that was kept secret from everyone including her family.

At that time, she declined to divulge Xiang Xiang's surname and the identity of his father.
She also reportedly told Shin Min Daily News: "Whoever you see me with one day, that person will be the child's father," and "I don't know who the father is."Liu became the subject of malicious and hurtful comments, with some netizens claiming that she had bought or adopted her baby.

There were also rumours that she had an estranged marriage with businessman Qiu Jinhai.
In a Lianhe Wanbao interview on Aug 5, Liu finally opened up about Xiang Xiang's parentage and confirmed that Qiu is indeed the child's biological father.Liu previously told Wanbao that her husband had racked up $600,000 in debt after his real estate and insurance business failed.As he could not replay his debts, Qiu left Singapore in 2003 to work abroad.

In 2012, an anonymous person sent messages to those in the entertainment circle, saying that Qiu had returned to Singapore and was living with Liu in a condominium unit in the northeast region.
At that time, Liu strongly denied being in contact with Qiu.

In September the following year, news of Liu giving birth broke, shocking the showbiz industry. Speculation over the identity of Xiang Xiang's father was rife.According to Wanbao, there were three main 'theories' as to who Xiang Xiang's father was -- Liu's husband Qiu, local director Royston Tan and a 40-year-old Chinese businessman who was a friend of Liu's.

Even then, Liu refused to reveal the truth and kept her son out of the spotlight.She also denied that Qiu was Xiang Xiang's father, telling Wanbao: "We have been married for 17 years. If we wanted to have a child, we would have done so long ago!"

However, in Wanbao's Aug 6 report, Liu admitted that she and Qiu had conceived Xiang Xiang through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).Having gone through greats pains to give birth to her son, Liu regarded him as her 'everything' and refused to let any harm come to him.

She also confessed that she was worried about Xiang Xiang's safety and how debtors might harm him.

As such, she decided to hide the truth about his father's identity.
"Even my mother and younger brother were kept in the dark when I was pregnant. I would rather bear the pressure alone," she added.

Female friends allegedly reject visiting hotel with man -- who then punches valet driver

A valet driver was left injured after getting punched by a man who had engaged his services in the wee hours of Sunday (Aug 12), at around 2.45am.The victim, 32-year-old Fairuz, told Stomp that he works full-time for Drive Home Service Singapore, which had posted about the incident on its Facebook page.

Drivers who need help getting home are able to engage the company's services through a mobile app or its hotline. The company would then assign one of its professional valet drivers to the customer.
Fairuz, who was assigned to the job, said he met with the man and his four other friends -- two males and two females -- at Q Pub in Sembawang Road.He then took over the man's BMW, with the man in the front passenger seat while his friends sat in the backseat.

"I was instructed to drive them to Orchard Court condo at 23 Oxley Road, where his friend lived," Fairuz told Stomp."On the way there, I overheard the ladies rejecting the man's suggestion of going to Hotel 81 Lavender Street."When we arrived at Oxley Road, I waited while he was still negotiating with the ladies. After being rejected, the conversation stopped."

However, that was when things took a sour turn.Fairuz recounted: "So I turned to him and asked, 'Sorry sir, where to next?'"Immediately, he swung his left fist directly into my face. The force was so hard till the back of my head banged against the car door window.

"The friend quickly went home, and the ladies too left when I started bleeding from my lips."
Fairuz, who said the attack was unprovoked, added: "I dodged his other blows when I saw him drawing his fist back, and got out of the car."After calling his boss, who advised him on what to do, Fairuz contacted the police.

Two of his colleagues subsequently arrived at the scene and helped to call the ambulance.
"I was shivering in fear and my heart pressure felt high," said Fairuz, who was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and had to undergo an X-ray.He added: "When I left for the hospital, the man and his friends, including the one who had initially left for the condo, were still speaking to the police.
"The man appeared unremorseful and did not apologise. Payment was also never made."
Fairuz said he was in the hospital from around 3.30am to 6am, and is currently on two days of medical leave.

A receipt that he was issued showed that his medical fees amounted to $315.94 before subsidy. The final amount payable was $120."My face, right side of my head and right side of my neck suffered the brunt of the impact. There is also numbness in my teeth," shared Fairuz.In its Facebook post, Drive Home Service Singapore addressed the man, saying: "[Fairuz] or any of us valet drivers don’t owe it to you when your lady friends reject your advances or when you’re in a bad mood!!

"Valet drivers are here to help ensure customers’ safe return home. We are NOT your punching bag!! So Please HAVE A LITTLE RESPECT if not any appreciation."

In response to a Stomp, query, the police confirm that a report was lodged.

157 women and 5 men arrested in raids targeting online vice syndicates

Five men and 157 women, aged between 19 and 48, were arrested for their suspected involvement in vice-related activities following a 23-day police operation that ended on Aug 7.Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and six Police Land Divisions had conducted coordinated raids targeting online vice syndicates at multiple locations islandwide.

These included condominiums, hotels and residential units at Geylang, Jalan Sultan, Cavenagh Road as well as Balestier Road, resulting in the arrest of 162 suspects.

During the operation, items including laptops and mobile phones were seized as case exhibits.
Investigations are ongoing.

In a statement, the police said they will continue to work with members of the public on the information submitted regarding vice activities and take tough enforcement action against those involved in such activities.

Student who swopped $30k Rolex watch with fake $500 replica sentenced to jail

A 21-year-old student who swopped a $30,000 Rolex watch with a $500 fake has been sentenced to jail.On Aug 8, Jim Bradley Misso Wen Ping was sentenced to 14 weeks' jail after pleading guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust and one count of voluntarily causing hurt.

The court heard how Misso, who is currently pursuing a degree at Kaplan, and his friend tried to trick property agent Thomas Tong Guo Xian, reports The Straits Times.In a previous report, Mr Tong had planned to use the money from the sale of the watch to buy a house with his fiancee.

He had listed his watch on online marketplace Carousell which was spotted by Misso's friend Joshua Chua Yong Cheng on Nov 30 last year.Chua, 24, had arranged to view the watch at Mr Tong's home on Jan 13 but could not afford it.That was when he and Misso came up with an elaborate plan to steal it.

Chua purchased a fake replica of Mr Tong's watch on Carousell for about $500 and gave it to Misso who arranged to view Mr Tong's Rolex on Jan 22, at the void deck of Block 3D Upper Boon Keng Road.

On the same day, Chua also contacted Mr Tong and said he wanted to discuss buying the Rolex over dinner.

Mr Tong agreed, and arranged for his fiancee Nicole Chan Hui Shan, 30, to meet Misso instead.
The court heard the couple were unaware that Chua and Misso were acquainted.
Ms Chan met Misso at the void deck at about 5.30pm and handed him the watch so he could inspect it.

Pretending to check the illumination of the genuine Rolex under the table, Misso hid the watch from Ms Chan's view and swopped it with the fake which he gave to Ms Chan before leaving with the real one.Misso later handed the Rolex to Chua who placed it in a paper bag and handed it to his friend Alissa Tay Su Ying, 24, for safekeeping.After returning home from dinner with Chua, Mr Tong checked his watch and noticed a discrepancy in the colour and serial number.Realising it had been swopped with a fake replica, he lodged a police report.Misso and Chua were arrested at Tuas Checkpoint on Jan 30 and the genuine Rolex watch was recovered.

Chua has yet to be dealt with by the court.Misso was also found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt in a separate incident on Aug 19.Misso had punched 19-year-old Kingston Tan Jing Rong outside Zouk at Clarke Quay after an argument, causing injuries including permanent facial scarring.
In sentencing, District Judge Eddy Tham said that while Misso was "not the mastermind" of the watch scam, he "played a critical role".

He also noted that Misso "had no qualms" about helping his friend commit the offence.
For criminal breach of trust, Misso could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined. For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed up to two years and fined $5,000.

Maid who hit elderly stroke patient gets sent away, employer 'pretended not to know about video'

A video showing a maid hitting a wheelchair-bound elderly woman in the head multiple times has sparked outrage online.The 55-second clip was posted online by a Facebook user, who told Stomp that the incident occurred at around 4.42pm on Aug 9, at Block 21 Telok Blangah Crescent.
The Facebook user said her former domestic worker, known as Jenny, had witnessed the incident and filmed the video, adding: "She is now working for a new employer and was with the employer's child at the playground.

"Suddenly, she heard a loud cry and saw the maid slapping the granny."That was when she started filming and sought my help."In the video, the maid is seen hitting the elderly woman in the head three times. At one point, the latter can be heard shouting upon being hit by the maid.
(Story continues below video)

According to Shin Min Daily News, the elderly woman is a stroke patient in her 80s.Employer's accountLianhe Wanbao reporters contacted the employer of the maid in the video, Ms Zhuo, who identified the elderly woman as her mother.She said neighbours had told her how they often heard the maid scolding her mother, even shouting at the elderly woman in the market.

The 63-year-old, who works in advertising, was quoted as saying in Wanbao's Aug 10 report: "I saw the video but pretended not to be aware of it, as I did not want to burn bridges with the maid. I do not want to cause more drama for the time being."Ms Zhuo said she felt that the maid was not suited for the job. While the maid handled housework properly, Ms Zhuo was unhappy with how she treated the elderly and felt that there was no excuse for being rough.Ms Zhuo also revealed having plans to send the maid back to Indonesia and said she would discuss the matter with the latter.

Third party account

When Wanbao reporters visited the scene, they spoke to a 35-year-old Indonesian maid identified as Ani.
Ani said the maid in the video usually treated the elderly woman quite well in front of other people. However, she had also seen the maid scolding the elderly woman in private.Indignant, Ani told the maid that she should not be treating the elderly in such a manner.
First-hand witness accountShin Min interviewed Jenny, the 31-year-old Filipino maid who filmed the video.

Jenny (pictured above) said she had only been working for her new employer for four days when she witnessed the incident."I was downstairs with other domestic workers when I saw the maid hitting the ah ma several times. The ah ma cried out for at least 15 minutes, but the maid showed no sympathy and continued doing it," she added."I couldn't stand it and decided to film a video as evidence, which I sent to my former employer, in hopes that she could help."
According to Jenny, it was not the first time other domestic workers had witnessed something like this. They had apparently tried speaking to the maid, who reportedly replied that she had to hit the elderly woman as she "could not hear"."I am unable to accept such rough treatment of an elderly person who can't take care of herself. It's really too cruel," said Jenny.

Son of elderly woman speaks outWhen Shin Min reporters visited the scene on Aug 11, they saw that the maid in the video had already packed her bags and was getting ready to leave.

The elderly woman's 58-year-old son, an odd job worker, said he has informed the police, the Ministry of Manpower and an intermediary party about the incident.He told Shin Min: "The maid did not cry, plead for forgiveness or make a scene, and even said goodbye to my mother before leaving."As for whether any further action will be taken against the maid, we will leave it to the intermediary party to handle it."

Worried that the maid might act rashly after the video surfaced online, Mr Zhuo said he requested that she leave the door open when helping his mother to shower the previous day, in case something happened.According to Mr Zhuo, neighbours came forward to express their concern and consolation after hearing about the incident. They also revealed how they had witnessed the maid hitting his mother before.

"They said they did not know what to do as they didn't have any evidence. Some even said they saw my mother bleeding from her nose."

Mr Zhuo, who lives with his mother, added that he would take care of her whenever he was home and let the maid rest.

"Often, she only worked half the day. I never thought she would repay us this way."

Crave Nasi Lemak at Plaza Singapura suspended for 2 weeks due to rodent infestation

SINGAPORE - The Crave Nasi Lemak outlet at Plaza Singapura has been suspended for two weeks for rodent infestation, the second such case in four months at the shopping mall.In May, the Plaza Singapura Toast Box outlet was suspended  by the National Environment Agency (NEA) for a rodent and cockroach infestation.

According to a suspension notice on NEA's website, Crave's stall at #B2-43, 68 Orchard Road was suspended from last Friday (Aug 10) for two weeks until Aug 23.Crave's business unit manager, Mr Danny Khoo, said it is working with its pest control partner during the closure to reinforce standard operating procedures and retraining for staff.

He added: "Food safety is our utmost priority and we will continue to strive to serve only the best-quality product and maintain good hygiene practices at all times."Ms June Ang, centre manager for Plaza Singapura, said it is working closely with Crave to improve its hygiene standards, and stepped up checks on other tenants.

"Cleanliness is of paramount importance to our mall and we have instituted tenant guidelines on proper housekeeping and pest control," she added.The Crave outlet accumulated 12 demerit points over the past 12 months and was fined $900, the NEA said in its suspension notice.

Licensees who accumulate 12 or more demerit points during a 12-month period may have their licences suspended for either two or four weeks, or cancelled altogether.All food handlers who work in the suspended premises will also be required to attend and pass the Basic Food Hygiene Course again before they can resume work as food handlers.

The NEA said it takes a serious view of these offences and would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times, and to engage only registered food handlers.

Members of the public who come across poor hygiene practices at food establishments may call the NEA's 24-hour contact centre on 1800-CALL NEA (1800-2255-632) with details for follow-up investigations.

Based on Crave's website, it has 14 outlets across the island.

Jho Low should be held accountable if found guilty of using stolen 1MDB funds: Najib Razak

KUALA LUMPUR: Fugitive Malaysian financier Jho Low should be held accountable if it is proven that he had bought the super yacht Equanimity with money stolen from state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak said on Monday (Aug 13).

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed in its civil forfeiture suit last year that the US$250 million Cayman-registered yacht was owned by 37-year-old Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.

While his whereabouts are unknown, Low has insisted through his lawyers that the seizure of the yacht and the subsequent handover to Malaysia by Indonesian national police were illegal.
Low said that the DOJ has not proven its case that the yacht is linked to 1MDB.

"NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW"


Speaking to the media after attending a parliamentary session on Monday, Najib insisted that he and the previous administration have nothing to do with the 92m super yacht that is currently docked at Boustead Cruise Terminal in Port Klang, 60km west of Kuala Lumpur.“I don’t want to say anything. We are not involved with respect to the yacht," said Najib."I have always maintained that no one is above the law.

"If it is done illegally, if the yacht is obtained in a manner that is illegal in the sense that money that is not due to him has been used as alleged, then he has to be accountable for it.”
The Equanimity was seized under Malaysian maritime law on Aug 7.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has insisted that the yacht belonged to Malaysia and said on Saturday that the government needs to sell it as soon as possible because maintaining the yacht costs about US$500,000 a month.

He also said that the yacht will not be open to public to preserve its shipshape condition.
Low, through his lawyer, on Sunday accused Mahathir's government of hijacking the legal proceedings in both the US and Indonesia, disregarding the rule of law for political gain.

He has asked a US federal court to instruct the US government to explain its role in the turnover of Equanimity to the Malaysian authorities.