@TracingWoodgrains @kaamrev

SINGAPORE -- The car driver involved in a six-vehicle crash in Tampines that killed two people has been handed four charges.

Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 42, was charged on April 25 with dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing hurt and dangerous driving. He was also charged with failing to stop after an accident.

The prosecution said additional charges may be tendered against Syafie, and sought an adjournment for investigations to be completed and for a medical report to be ready.

Syafie was offered bail of $30,000. As part of his bail conditions, he must not have contact with any of the prosecution witnesses and must report to the investigation officer when required. He must also be electronically tagged.

The prosecution said he should be monitored with an electronic tag because of the serious charges he is facing, and noted that he could be a flight risk.

In response, Syafie said: "I don't think it is necessary to put an e-tag on me as all my documents, my passport, have been seized by the police. I am on bail, and am already present today and will be present for all the court matters.

"But it is up to the court to make the decision."

Syafie arrived at the State Courts at around 8.30am with his arm in a sling. He was escorted by the police and Aetos officers.

His case began at around 10am. He was expressionless as he stood before the judge.

When the judge asked him if he wished to say anything, Syafie said he would be engaging a lawyer.

The Straits Times understands that Syafie was driving a black Saab, which was seen in dashcam footage posted on social media.

According to charge sheets, Syafie allegedly failed to stop at the red traffic light, which resulted in his car colliding with two cars before surging forward to crash into another car.

Meanwhile, the first car Syafie crashed into spun before overturning, and this caused it to collide with a van. The van then collided with a minibus.

The impacts allegedly caused the deaths of Madam Norzihan Juwahib, 57, and Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, 17.

Charge sheets also stated that Syafie's driving allegedly injured Ms Lee Yau Meng, 42; Mr Weng Haifeng, 42; Mr Chia Tong Chai, 64; and Mr Mohammad Azman Mohd Enjah, 39.

Two 11-year-old boys were also injured in the accident.

Those convicted of dangerous driving causing death can be jailed between two and eight years, and be disqualified from driving.

The offence of dangerous driving causing hurt carries a penalty of up to two years' jail, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

On Syafie's dangerous-driving charge, court documents stated that he drove his car recklessly by making an abrupt lane change from lane two to lane one of a two-lane road to overtake another car.

He also filtered back “acutely” into lane two in front of the other car, resulting in a side-swipe collision, causing the car to veer to the left and its left tyres to graze the kerb.

He then allegedly failed to stop after this, despite being required to do so after an accident.

A pre-trial conference will take place on June 7.

He was arrested on April 24 after being discharged from hospital. His driving licence was suspended with immediate effect.

The police said investigations are ongoing for other potential offences.

The crash involving four cars, a van and a minibus occurred on April 22 at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4.

Madam Norzihan and Afifah, who died after the accident, were both buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery on April 23.

Madam Norzihan was a passenger in the van, on her way to work, when the accident occurred. The right side of the vehicle was badly dented. She was a senior technician at pest control firm First Choice Pest Specialist and had worked there for about 10 years.

Afifah, a first-year student at Temasek Junior College, was a passenger in a car, on the way to take part in her school's annual cross-country event.

Her father, Mr Muhammad Azril, a Police Coast Guard officer, was driving their car when the impact from the collision caused it to turn turtle with its doors flung open.

He was taken to hospital with kidney- and spine-related injuries.

Five other people, including the two 11-year-old boys, were also taken to hospital.

The offence of dangerous driving carries a jail term of up to a year, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

For failing to stop after an accident, an offender can be fined up to $1,000, jailed up to three months, or both.

A 36-year-old man was arrested by the Singapore Police Force on Apr. 22 after he allegedly approached a woman with a request to draw a smiley face on her feet using a marker "as part of a dare".

He also supposedly asked to take photos of his drawing on her afterwards, said the police in an Apr. 24 news release.

When the victim lodged a police report on Apr. 18 at around 4:20pm, she also alleged that the man "had touched her feet while taking photos of her feet".

No further details were provided about the interaction that allegedly occurred.

Man to be charged with outrage of modesty

Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Ang Mo Kio police division established the identity of the man and arrested him along Mayflower Road.

A marker, a mobile phone, and two storage devices were seized as case exhibits.

The man will be charged in court on Apr. 24 with the offence of outrage of modesty.

If convicted, the accused could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or receive any combination of the punishments above.

Report matter to police immediately

The police also urged members of the public to remain vigilant towards sexual offenders.

Should they witness an incident of molestation or are aware of someone being a victim of molestation, they are encouraged to report the matter to the police immediately.

"The police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the safety of the community and will spare no effort in ensuring that offenders are swiftly apprehended and dealt with sternly in accordance with the law," added the police.

PoV: You just got visited by the Patron Saint of Neoliberalism

Economy? Liberalized.
Drug dealers? Executed.
Immigrants? Assimilated.

Fertility? ...Crashed. pic.twitter.com/mdwtsgf8eK

— browncel (Octavian ka Parivar) (@hindookissinger) April 23, 2024

• Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over the premiership to his deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15, 2024

• The announcement was made by the Prime Minister's Office on April 15

• Mr Lee urged all Singaporeans to lend their support to Mr Wong and the fourth-generation team in Government

• Mr Wong will be sworn in at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana

SINGAPORE --- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will hand over the premiership to his deputy Lawrence Wong on May 15, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on Monday (April 15).

The announcement came two years after Cabinet ministers picked Mr Wong to be the leader of the fourth-generation (4G) team of political leaders from the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP), and seven months ahead of the party's 70th anniversary coming up in November.

"Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will relinquish his office on 15 May 2024," the PMO statement said on Monday, adding that Mr Lee will formally advise President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to appoint Mr Wong as prime minister.

"DPM Wong has the unanimous support of the PAP Members of Parliament."

Mr Wong will be sworn in as prime minister at 8pm on May 15 at the Istana, the PMO added.

Mr Lee, who led the country for about 20 years, said last November that he would pass the leadership role to Mr Wong before the PAP's 70th birthday "if all goes well".

The upcoming handover will mark the third time a Singapore prime minister hands over the reins of the country's leadership.

Mr Lee first took office in August 2004 at age 52 from his predecessor Goh Chok Tong, who handed him the baton after leading the nation for around 14 years.

Mr Goh took over at age 49 from founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1990. The late Mr Lee led Singapore for 31 years as prime minister, and was 67 when Mr Goh took office.

Mr Wong will be 51 when he takes over as the next prime minister in May, a year younger than Mr Lee when the latter took office.

Writing on his Facebook page on Monday, Mr Lee said that a leadership transition is a "significant" moment for any country and urged all Singaporeans to give Mr Wong and the 4G team their "full support".

He noted how Mr Wong and the team of 4G leaders have worked hard to gain the people's trust, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Through the Forward Singapore exercise, they have worked with many Singaporeans to refresh our social compact and develop the national agenda for a new generation," Mr Lee said.

"The 4G team are committed to keeping Singapore working well and moving ahead. These will always be top priorities for the Government."

In a video posted on his social media accounts, Mr Wong said he accepts the premiership with "humility and a deep sense of duty" and pledged to give his all in this undertaking.

"Every ounce of my energy shall be devoted to the service of our country and our people," he said.

"Your dreams will inspire my actions. Your concerns will guide my decisions," he added.

"Work with me and my team. Together, we can build a future that shines brightly for all Singaporeans."

PAP'S SUCCESSION PLANS

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Lee had said that he hoped to step down before his 70th birthday, which was in February 2022.

The pandemic disrupted these succession plans.

During the 2020 General Elections, Mr Lee --- who was then 68 --- pledged to see Singapore through the pandemic and hand over the country "intact and in good working order to the next team". Whether or not he could step down by 70 would depend on how the pandemic unfolded, he later said.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who was previously picked by the party's 4G leaders as their "primus inter pares" --- first among equals --- later took himself out of the running for the premiership.

Mr Heng said that he would have too short of a runway since he would be near his mid-60s when he takes over as prime minister after the Covid-19 crisis is over.

Following this development, the 4G leaders asked for more time to pick their leader, saying there was a need to arrive at a consensus and to deal with the ongoing pandemic.

In 2022, two years after Mr Heng bowed out of contention for the job, the Cabinet named Mr Wong, who is the finance minister, as the next-in-line to take over Mr Lee.

Mr Wong was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister in June that year and was later appointed to a newly created role of deputy secretary-general of PAP during its annual party convention in November 2022.

SINGAPORE – Singapore is committed to protecting all minority communities living in the country and they include the Muslim and Jewish communities, said Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam on April 11.

He noted that sentiments against Israel arising from the Gaza conflict could affect the perception of Jewish communities around the world, but pledged that the Government would insulate and protect Singapore's Jewish community from such impact as much as possible.

Speaking at an event organised by the Jewish Welfare Board to celebrate the advent of Passover, he said: “We have made a clear commitment to protect all our minorities which, in Singapore's context, include Muslim and Jewish communities, and we take a firm view against any expression of violence, and obviously any actual violence.”

“There is a reason why a Cabinet minister is here, speaking with you – to send a message to everyone that every community in Singapore is equal and will be protected,” he added.

Passover, the most widely observed Jewish festival around the world, begins at sundown on April 22.

Around the world, instances of Islamophobia and anti-semitism have been on the rise, ever since Hamas' Oct 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis, and Israel's retaliation in the days since that has killed some 33,000 Palestinians.

In Singapore, the situation has so far looked quite different, noted Mr Shanmugam at the event held at the Jacob Ballas Centre in Waterloo Street.

Singapore is one of few places in the region where Jews can openly profess their faith, he added, noting that the community has had a long history here and played a vital role in building up the country through the years.

While Singapore too has felt some impact from the ongoing war in Gaza, despite trying hard not to import the tensions, conflicts and arguments, the level of friction here is much less than it is elsewhere, he added.

He cited Singapore's framework of laws, firmness in making clear that laws will be enforced equally, and the efforts made through the years to increase understanding between various communities, as reasons for this.

On the conflict in the Middle East, Mr Shanmugam said both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, have dehumanised each other, and this was bad news for peace, regardless of who is right or wrong.

He added that in the 1960s and 1970s, Israel was seen as the underdog struggling for survival in the Middle East, eliciting natural sympathy from around the world, but this has eroded somewhat due to the policies of different Israeli governments towards the Palestinians.

He added that Singapore's relations with Israel have been very strong since independence, but “it will not preclude us from taking a principled view on the actions of the different actors in the Middle East, at any point in time”.

Recent actions by Israel have been a cause for concern not just for Singapore but also for many in the international community, including the United States, he said.

“It is sad to see that a country like Israel, whose people have suffered so much during the Holocaust and centuries before that, should be accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice.”

This could affect Jewish communities around the world, he added.

This was why a strong stance had to be taken against a recent Facebook post by the Israeli Embassy, he said. The post made on March 24 compared the number of times Israel and Palestine were mentioned in the Quran.

The embassy had taken down the post that same day after intervention by the Government, and later said it had punished a staff member for putting it up without authorisation

Mr Shanmugam said the post risked inflaming tensions and could put the Jewish community here at risk and also undermine peace and harmony, if the anger spilt over into the physical realm.

Chief Rabbi Mordechai Abergel, speaking at the event, said the main theme of Passover is freedom – the festival commemorates the liberation of Jews from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago.

He added that Jews had found the freedom to practise their faith in Singapore more than 200 years ago, which allowed the community to thrive and make its contribution to the “unique oasis of respect and peaceful coexistence”.

His sentiment was echoed by Ms Leeran Gold, 33, who is a permanent resident here and a member of the Jewish Welfare Board.

The psychologist, who is married to a Singaporean and has lived here for 10 years, said: “I feel very, very safe here, and I think that's a very special thing to have.”

More than 50 members of the Jewish community attended the event together with their guests, including leaders of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) from the Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Zoroastrian communities, among others.

Among them was IRO honorary secretary Ameerali Abdeali. Speaking at the sidelines of the event, he said that while personal opinions and feelings about the war in Gaza are allowed, it should not spill over into the physical space.

“Whatever is happening in other parts of the world, we in Singapore have, over the decades, built our friendship... with the Singapore Jewish community, and we want to remain together and to help and protect each other,” he added.

“But at the same time, we are all praying for peace, not only amongst us in Singapore, but over there in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, where there is untold suffering, and we are all affected by it. So we really hope that peace will remain and we will come to a new normal.”

Seethe: https://old.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/10m6yue/the_reason_why_singapore_is_beautiful/?sort=controversial

reasons why i’m single pic.twitter.com/eVrzolDlkv

— Dan (@rarecray) March 29, 2024

Oopsie!

Also it has been so fricking hot recently Jesus Christ

BALTIMORE, Maryland (Reuters) -- A 948-foot container ship smashed into a four-lane bridge in the U.S. port of Baltimore in darkness early on Tuesday, causing it to collapse and sending cars and people plunging into the river below.

Rescuers pulled out two survivors, one in very serious condition, and were searching for more in the Patapsco River after huge spans of the 1.6-mile (2.57 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge crumpled into the water.

Baltimore officials said at least seven people were believed to have been thrown into the water but could not give an exact figure hours after the collision, which closed one of the busiest ports in the United States.

The U.S. Coast Guard reported the collapse at 1:27 a.m. and crews were deployed for an active search and rescue mission after the Singapore-flagged container ship forced the trellis-like bridge up into a mangled mass of metal.

President Joe Biden was being briefed on the collision and there was no indication of nefarious intent, the White House said.

Work crews had been on the bridge at the time of the collapse and sonar detected vehicles under the water, which was about 50 feet deep at that point, said Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland secretary of transportation.

Jayme Krause was in the midst of another night shift at her workplace on shore when the cart of packages in front of her shook violently at around 2 a.m. A coworker told her the bridge had collapsed and she ran out to look.

"I went over there, and sure as anything, it was gone, the whole bridge was just like, there was nothing there," she told Reuters in an interview. "It was a shocking sight to see."

The ship "lost propulsion" as it was leaving port, and crew on board notified Maryland officials they had lost control of the vessel, ABC News reported, citing an unclassified U.S. intelligence report.

Traffic was suspended at the Port of Baltimore until further notice, Maryland transportation authorities said. It is the busiest U.S. port for car shipments, handling more than 750,000 vehicles in 2022, according to port data.

The closure of one of the U.S. East Coast's major ports threatens to disrupt supplies of goods from cars, to coal and other commodities like sugar. It could create bottlenecks and increase delays and costs on the Northeastern seaboard, experts say. The port handles the most car imports and is among the largest for coal exports.

The ship was identified as the Dali, owned by Grace Ocean Pte Ltd and managed by Synergy Marine Corp. Synergy said the Dali collided with one of the pillars of the bridge and that all its crew members, including the two pilots, had been accounted for and there were no reports of any injuries.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott described a scene of twisted metal shooting into the sky. "It was something out of an action movie. It was something you never thought you'd see," he said.

Kevin Cartwright, the spokesperson for Baltimore City Fire Department, earlier told Reuters that as many as 20 people could be in the river along with cars and possibly a tractor-trailer.

"This is a mass-casualty, multi-agency event," he said. "This operation is going to extend for many days."

A live video posted on YouTube showed the ship ploughing into the bridge in darkness. The headlights of vehicles could be seen on the bridge as it crashed into the water and the ship caught fire.

Tuesday's disaster may be the worst U.S. bridge collapse since 2007 when the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River, killing 13.

It was the first major collapse of a bridge from a ship impact in about 40 or 50 years, David Knight, a specialist at the Institution of Civil Engineers, told Reuters.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency to quickly deploy federal resources to deal with the emergency. The FBI in Baltimore said on X its personnel were on the scene.

It was not immediately clear if any other vessels had been damaged or whether operations had halted to and from the port, shipping and insurance sources said.

The Dali was chartered by shipping company Maersk at the time of the incident, the Danish company said in a statement.

"We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected," Maersk said.

Baltimore port's private and public terminals handled 847,158 autos and light trucks in 2023, the most of any U.S. port. The port also handles farm and construction machinery, sugar, gypsum and coal, according to a Maryland government website.

The port handles imports and exports for major automakers including Nissan, Toyota, General Motors, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover and the Volkswagen group -- including luxury models for Audi, Lamborghini and Bentley.

More than 40 ships remained inside Baltimore port including small cargo ships, tug boats and pleasure craft, data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic showed. At least 30 other ships had signaled their destination was Baltimore, the data showed.

The bridge, named after Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner, opened in 1977.

SINGAPORE --- Calling the result "unacceptable", China's captain Zhang Linpeng has decided to quit his international football career after his team's "humiliating" 2-2 draw with the Lions in a qualifier for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Zhang told reporters on Thursday (March 21) during a post-match interview that conceding a late draw against Singapore --- a side almost 70 places beneath China in the men's world rankings --- led to his decision to hang up his boots at the international stage.

"I thought about it for a long while. I think it's time to end my national team career. We could not even beat the Singapore team. I think it's unacceptable, and I find it humiliating," the 34-year-old said, as reported by Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post.

China's hopes of reaching the World Cup for only the second time are in the balance after the draw, AFP news agency reported.

China is ranked 88th in the world, while Singapore is 156th.

Xinhua News Agency, China's state-run media outfit, reported that Zhang's wife posted on social media an account of a text exchange they had after the game, where he sounded despondent.

In his message to his wife, Zhang said that he spoke to the team and told them he would take responsibility for the result.

He added: "I really feel like I cannot do any better than this anymore. Every day I am really putting in 100 per cent to 200 per cent effort but this result, I really cannot accept it, so let's just end it here."

Dubbed "Zhang-mos" by his fans in reference to Spanish defender Sergio Ramos, Zhang plays as a right full back and as a central defender.

Thursday's match saw Singapore fighting back from being two goals down to secure a draw, in head coach Tsutomu Ogura's opening game since he took the reins in February.

China, too, had a new coach Branko Ivankovic, who took over from Aleksandar Jankovic after their Asian Cup first-round exit last month.

The first two goals in the latest match were scored by China's forward Wu Lei, which looked to have dashed any hopes of a positive result for Singapore, before substitute Faris Ramli scored after the restart and Jacob Mahler smashed home a goal to level in front of a 28,000-strong crowd at Singapore's National Stadium.

The two sides will meet again in the return leg at the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium in China on March 26.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong congratulated Ogura and the team on Friday for their "fighting spirit and grit" against one of Asia's traditional football powerhouses.

Mr Lee wrote on Facebook: "Well done to the team and coach Tsutomu Ogura! Every effort counts, so keep working hard and continue flying the flag high. All the best for your upcoming match with China again in Tianjin on Tuesday."

China's coach Ivankovic said after the match: "I told my players at half-time that 2-0 is dangerous. Sadly, we did not do well in the second half.

"We should improve the efficiency to goal in the coming game and have a lot to correct. The team needs to make all efforts to win the next game."

Thursday's match was part of the 2026 Fifa World Cup and 2027 AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia qualifier.

Singapore --- in Group C with China, South Korea and Thailand --- now sit at the bottom of the group with one point.

China are in third place with four points, Thailand in second with four points and South Korea top the group with seven points.

The top two of the group will advance to the 18-team third stage of the Asian qualifying tournament.

!football

>karens

>main character syndrome

maybe if I utter the correct incantations the baizuos would see me as one of their own

SINGAPORE: Minutes after his side's sensational comeback against China, Singapore head coach Tsutomu Ogura asked if he could take a swig of water before a post-match press conference.

Nobody could begrudge him a sip, or even a whole bottle, after a performance which was as much his players' as was his.

The Lions showed heart, grit, and immense fighting spirit in the opening game of his tenure as they came back from two goals down to hold China to a 2-2 draw at the National Stadium on Thursday (Mar 21).

A Wu Lei first-half double seemed to have dashed any hopes of Singapore picking up any points in the third match of their World Cup qualifying campaign.

But substitute Faris Ramli gave the Lions a route back into the game before Jacob Mahler also came off the bench to smash home a late equaliser.

And despite a remarkable draw, there is more work to be done, said Ogura.

He told reporters after the game that he was not satisfied with the result and that Singapore could have won.

“Please don't say congratulations,” he added.

Singapore had lost their first two matches in their qualifying group last November, with a 3-1 loss to Thailand and a 5-0 drubbing by South Korea.

But this was a much tighter affair.

And it was a different team, thanks to Ogura. While he said that he was no “magician”, he has clearly worked some wizardry.

Close to 70 places higher in the world rankings at 88, China dominated proceedings from the off.

And with just 10 minutes played, striker Wu Lei capitalised on a pocket of space in the box to head home.

Ogura's men pressed hard but their opponents appeared unfazed as they played their way out from the back on a number of occasions.

Singapore had Hassan Sunny to thank midway through the first 45 as he saved a weak penalty from Wu Lei after Nazrul Nazari was adjudged to have handled in the box.

The save seemed to give the Lions a boost as they launched a number of attacks after that, with midfielder Shah Shahiran coming agonisingly close with a half-volley.

But just as the Lions were about go into the break a goal behind, Wu Lei struck again in the dying seconds of the first half, after Hassan parried a fierce shot into his path.

The last time Singapore beat China in a competitive match was at the 1983 Merlion Cup, with the Lions winning 1-0 in the semi-final, according to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS).

But Ogura's side showed no signs of being overawed. The Japanese coach's message to his team at half-time was simple: Don't be scared, go out there and play your game.

And the Lions heeded his call.

The hosts got their breakthrough in the 53rd minute, after a long ball from Lionel Tan found Faris and the nippy forward squeezed the ball past China's Yan Junling.

The away side were not going anywhere with more than 40 minutes left on the clock, as Fernandinho continued to be a thorn down Singapore's left.

Then it was time for another substitute to get in on the act as Jacob Mahler rifled home in the 81st minute to the delight of the home crowd.

On the opposite end of the stadium, a large swathe of China fans were stunned.

And rather than shut up shop, the Lions went for the win, but were denied a famous result. They could have won a penalty too, as Safuwan Baharudin looked to have been impeded in the box late on.

Despite the draw, Singapore stay rooted to the bottom of their group.

Next week, at Tianjin, the Lions will attempt to do one better against their fancied opponents.

For now, they have a point.

But more than a point, the result represents hope. Hope that Singapore now has a football team which can mix it with the best and hold their own.

Since the cessation of nightlife operators at Orchard Towers last August, there has been an increase in the number of massage parlours at Parklane Shopping Mall.

These are not regular health spas, but the kind of massage parlours that have skimpily-dressed women soliciting business from male passers-by.

The mall's management told Lianhe Zaobao that there used to be about 10-15 seedy businesses in the building but at least 10 more have set up business there since last November.

"The police would conduct regular raids and such businesses would get suspended but they often reopened for business the following day, as if nothing happened.

“The committee has issued notices to property owners suspected of engaging in such illegal activities, but they denied involvement."

Lianhe Zaobao reported that it spotted at least 10 "massage" or "health" outlets with no name or price list on the storefront. However, the glass panes were covered with advertising posters that made it difficult to see what was inside the shops.

The Chinese daily's reporter was approached by two women offering services for a fee of between $50 and $200.

A 52-year-old health spa business owner at Parklane Shopping Mall told Lianhe Zaobao: "There used to legitimate stores here, such as music shops and studios. But since the emergence of these seedy businesses, the legitimate business have moved away, which is regrettable."

hope you're alright @X

Over four-fifths of his life was spent overseas, but this man still returned to serve his nation.

Li Ruizhang (transliteration) moved overseas when he was three years old but returned to Singapore for National Service (NS) 16 years later, Shin Min Daily News reported on Saturday (March 9).

Speaking with Shin Min, Li explained that he had been taught that "a good man should be a soldier" since young and his parents had also prepared him to return home for NS when he was of age.

The 20-year-old had moved to Canada as a child before staying in New Zealand for the past seven years.

Recalling the previous time he had returned to Singapore, he told the Chinese publication that it was to attend his sister's wedding.

His mother had used the in-flight entertainment system to play Ah Boys to Men for Li to watch, even buying an apartment in 2015 in preparation for his move back to Singapore after he enlisted.

Once he did, his mother also flew back to Singapore to stay with him for half a year to help him adapt to his new environment, Li shared.

Not only would she cook food, Li's mother also lent an ear to his troubles and encouraged him along the way.

Li's father also took time away from his busy work-life in New Zealand to fly back to Singapore periodically and visit Li.

More than just a soldier

On Saturday, 211 cadets were commissioned as officers of the Singapore Armed Forces at the SAFTI Military Institute, according to a news release by the Ministry of Defence that day.

There were 124 from the Singapore Army, 23 from the Republic of Singapore Navy and 64 from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.

Li was awarded the rank of second lieutenant and also received the Sword of Merit - which only the top 10 per cent of cadets can get - at this graduation ceremony.

"When I learned about this, I was surprised... my colleagues are also very capable.

"I see it as a source of motivation and a high standard that I must uphold during my NS and in any future careers," he said.

Aside from learning to be a soldier, Li also trained in soft skills such as being able to accept criticism and maintaining mental fortitude.

After he completes NS, he intends to return to New Zealand for studies at the University of Otago's School of Medicine. However, he hasn't ruled out returning to Singapore for a job just yet.

Speaking at the graduation parade on Saturday, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu emphasised the importance of a "strong and capable SAF" to give people the "peace of mind" needed to go about their daily lives.

She added, addressing the officers: "As you carry out your duties as commissioned officers of the SAF, you will be assigned responsibilities that will test your ability to lead.

"You will face situations that will require you to overcome your fears, your hesitations, and your limitations. You will have to learn to inspire others. You will have to take care of your men, so that they can complete the mission."

As the U.S. Presidential Election winds down, people on the internet are learning more about the next President-elect, Joe Biden.

Here's another throwback

During a state visit to Singapore in Jul. 2013, Joe Biden and his spouse Jill were presented with an orchid hybrid named “Dendrobium Joe and Jill Biden”.

According to Straits Times (ST), the couple was presented with the birth certificate of the orchid hybrid with purple flowers at the National Orchid Garden by the National Parks Board (NParks).

This orchid hybrid is "vigorous, free-flowering and long-lasting", NParks described.

The flowering sprays are about 30 to 50 cm long, bearing as many as 20 flowers each.

All floral parts are violet-blue for this hybrid.

Biden, who was then the vice president of the United States, was on a two-day state visit to discuss maritime issues and trade in Asia with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Singapore officials, reported ST.

PM Lee unveils orchid named after President Obama and his wife at White House state dinner

_{The Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama is a cross between two hybrids: the Hawaiian Dendrobium Pink Lips and Singapore's Dendrobium Sunplaza Park. PHOTO: MCI}

WASHINGTON - United States President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle now have a Singapore-grown orchid named after them.

The Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama was unveiled by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the White House state dinner in their honour on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning, Singapore time).

"To mark the 50th anniversary of our relations, Singapore has named an orchid hybrid in honour of President and Mrs Obama," PM Lee said.

The toast to the presidential couple came with a quip about the conspiracy theories in the US that claim President Obama was actually born in Kenya.

"This is a hybrid of breeds native to Singapore and Hawaii, where the President was born, most of us believe," said PM Lee to laughter from the dinner guests, who included prominent US politicians and members of the Singapore delegation.

Dendrobium Barack and Michelle Obama is a cross between two hybrids: the Hawaiian Dendrobium Pink Lips and Singapore's Dendrobium Sunplaza Park. Each spray bears just over a dozen yellow blooms with purple lips.

The National Parks Board described the new hybrid as a "vigorous and free flowering" bloom.