Sex booked on internet
May 9, 2013 by AFP
Filed under News, Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, 9 May 2013: A Swiss ex-banker was sentenced, Wednesday, to more than four months in jail for having sex with an underaged Singaporean prostitute, in a sleaze scandal that sparked uproar in the city-state.
The banker booked sexual services through an escort website in Singapore.
Singapore Judge Eddy Tham denounced Juerg Buergin’s “reckless” act of having intercourse with the 17-year-old woman on two occasions at five star hotels in 2010 and 2011.
Singapore arrests bomb hoaxer
April 22, 2013 by AFP
Filed under News, Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, 22 April 2013: A 34-year-old man has been arrested in Singapore over an online threat to bomb several locations in the city-state in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon attack, police said Saturday.
The man, whose name and nationality were not disclosed, was arrested on Thursday after posting the threat as a comment on a news article about the deadly bombings in Boston, police said in a statement.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect had no intention or means to carry out his threats,” said the statement.
Carbon foot troubles Singapore
SINGAPORE, 6 March 2012: Affluent Singapore had the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific in 2010, conservation group WWF said Monday.
The environmental advocacy group said Singapore’s 2010 per capita gross domestic product of more than US$40,000 — one of the highest in the region — fuelled exorbitant consumption habits.
But the group also fingered the corporate sector and in particular the construction industry for crowning the tiny city-state as the region’s top per capita carbon emitter. Read more
Myanmar gains Singapore know-how
SINGAPORE, 1 February 2012: Myanmar signed an agreement with Singapore, Monday, seeking the financial centre’s help as the country emerges from political and economic isolation after decades of military rule.
President Thein Sein arrived Sunday for a four-day state visit to the city-state accompanied by a top-level delegation which included business leaders and top ministers in charge of economic portfolios.
Thein Sein met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Monday to witness the signing by their foreign ministers of an agreement under which Singapore will provide training for reforms in the legal, banking and financial sectors.
Myanmar taps Singapore investors
SINGAPORE, 30 January 2012: Myanmar President Thein Sein has arrived in Singapore hoping to tap the financial centre’s expertise as the country emerges from political and economic isolation, analysts said.
Thein Sein arrived Sunday for a four-day state visit accompanied by a top-level delegation which included business leaders and top ministers in charge of economic portfolios.
On Monday Thein Sein met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding under which Singapore will provide training for reforms in the legal, banking and financial sectors.
Singapore bans messy birds
SINGAPORE, 13 October 2011 – Businesses along Singapore’s famous Orchard Road shopping street plan to deploy trained hawks to scare off thousands of birds whose droppings rain down on pedestrians’ heads, a report said Wednesday.
The Straits Times said retailers were in talks with Jurong Bird Park, whose attractions include trained birds of prey, to try a natural solution after artificial methods such as high-pitched recordings failed to drive the birds away.
Wildlife groups estimate that around 2,000 to 5,000 starlings and mynahs roost along Orchard Road in the evening, releasing droppings on pavements and parked cars and creating a din that even overpowers traffic noise. Read more
Singapore hosts talk fest
October 3, 2011 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under News
BANGKOK, 3 October 2011 – TravelRave 2011 returns 17 to 23 October offering a week of travel business events that should pack Singapore hotels, reported Singapore Tourism Board area director Thailand and Myanmar, Ashlynn Loo.
“We grouped travel trade events into one week for the first time last year calling it TravelRave festival,” said Ms Loo. “It was a success attracting 8,000 delegates for six events, but this year we have added four more events to the calendar.”
This year the marathon talk fest will include for the first time Asia Pacific Hotel and Tourism Investment Forum Asia, UNWTO High Level Meeting in Asia, Asia for Asia, “Rising Asia: Future of Meeting” and Cornell Hotel Society Asia Pacific Regional Conference. Read more
PATA Singapore Chapter cash challenge
August 17, 2011 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Associations, News, Trade Talk
SINGAPORE, 17 August 2011 – For the second year running, PATA Singapore Chapter, with the sponsorship of Workforce Development Agency (WDA) is offering cash prizes to travel and tourism organisations in Singapore for their most impactful productivity story. Entry submissions opened 15 August.
Companies across Singapore’s travel and tourism industry need to pitch their best productivity success story through a simple 1,500 word essay.
On the back of its inaugural success last year, the latest competition – entitled Our Productivity Story – features more cash prizes – a total of six worth S$36,000. The best two essays from each of the following three categories; hotels, travel agents and others, selected by a panel of judges, will qualify for the next round.
Train rolls one last time
June 30, 2011 by AFP
Filed under News, Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, 30 June 2011 – A historic train service from downtown Singapore to Malaysia faced its final run Thursday as part of a multibillion-dollar territorial settlement between the two neighbours.
The last train to Kuala Lumpur from Tanjong Pagar station in Singapore’s port district left before Malaysia formally cedes ownership of the facility at midnight (1600 GMT), with railway buffs and tourists on board to mark the journey.
The closure resolves a gripe among Singaporeans over Malaysia’s ownership of the station and a swathe of railway land running deep into the city-state’s territory well after the two countries separated in 1965. Read more
Singapore nets casino windfall
January 12, 2011 by AFP
Filed under Hospitality, News, Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE, 12 January 2011 – Singapore’s two casino resorts have netted the government a multimillion-dollar windfall despite thousands of visitors being barred in a bid to fight problem gambling, officials said Tuesday.
Second Minister for Finance Lim Hwee Hua said the Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands casinos had dented the revenues of local gaming industry, which included lotteries and horse and sports betting.
She told parliament that the government earned revenues totalling Sg$420 million (US$324 million) from the two casino-powered so called “integrated resorts (IRs)” from April to November.
