HOUGANG BY ELECTION

Worker’s Party candidate Png Eng Huat has won the recent by election in the Hougang SMC. This was after former Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong, who was elected to the seat in last year’s general election, was expelled from the party in February after rumors of him having external martial affair with a colleague. Even after the incident made by Mr Yaw from the Worker’s Party, Hougang Voters still trust in the Worker’s Party partially due to Low Thia Khiang presence in the Hougang ward for 20 years after he left Hougang and contested for Aljunied GRC in the last general election
MARCUS ANG

Hougang By Election done by MARCUS ANG

Worker’s Party candidate Png Eng Huat has won the recent by election in the Hougang SMC. This was after former Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong, who was elected to the seat in last year’s general election, was expelled from the party in February after rumors of him having external martial affair with a colleague. Even after the incident made by Mr Yaw from the Worker’s Party, Hougang Voters still trust in the Worker’s Party partially due to Low Thia Khiang  presence in the Hougang ward for 20 years after he left Hougang and contested for Aljunied GRC in the last general election

MARCUS ANG

HDB flat at Bishan Street 11 catches fire, no one injured

A fire broke out in a Housing Board flat on the second level of Block 501 at Bishan Street 11 on Saturday morning.Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers were alerted to the incident and despatched a fire engine, fire bike, 2 red rhinos and a supporting vehicle to the scene.According to the SCDF, the fire was confined to the bedroom but the rest of the unit was affected by heat and smoke. Due to the thick smoke at the corridor, officers also had to conduct a forced entry into the adjacent unit to ensure that no one was trapped.No one was injured. The SCDF is investigating the cause of the fire.This article appeal to me because I had experience the same incident before.The smoke was blew up to my unit and fortunately no one was injured but it has affected 3 household including my unit. The question I have for the writer is that did the fire affected the UOB bank's operation as it is located below the unit and did it also affected the customers in the bank.I think that to avoid any losses causes by the unexpected incidents we should buy an insurance so that if it did affected our unit we would not have to pay a large amount of money for renovation.

By:Ryna(23)

Fast food 'can be life-threatening'

While warnings about eating fast food are common, a study has shown just how much these guilty pleasures can be life threatening to Singaporeans.The study which specifically tracks chinese-singaporeans who eats more than 4 times a week has shown that it can increase their risk of dying by heart disease by 80 per cent and those who frequent fast food restaurants are 30 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.The reason why this article interests me is because it is surprising to think that by eating these foods that makes us feel good we can increase our chances of dying by the various diseases that come with it.Just by this study alone I would advise everyone to avoid eating fast-food and go for more healthier food such as salad that is both delicious and nutritious.
-Ethan

Casino Control Act

Casino Control Act was recently disclosed by a minister in the Prime Minister's Office.The Casino Control act is said to prevent high frequency gamblers who are in financial distress from even entering the casinos in Singapore by running a background check on every person who visits the casinos more than five times per month to see if these people have any financial distress and if they have,their visits to the casinos will be capped.These new article appeal to me because I am very glad that the Government are trying to make efforts to curb the gambling addiction of these gamblers but I feel that it is doing more worse than good.These high frequency gamblers may not be able to enter Singapore's casinos but they can still go on gambling ships such as Leisure World to satisfy their addiction and this definitely does not boost our economy.I sincerely hope that the Government would review this act and try to make the right adjustments to it.

-Ethan

News Article 4

Title: Gardens by the bay gets spruced up for big day

Summary

‘Gardens by the bay’ is a $1 billion superpark which houses over a quarter of a million rare plants. The park comprises of 3 gardens; Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. There will be free daily shuttles from the Marina Bay train station to the Gardens by the bay. The shuttles operate from 9am to 9pm at 10-minute intervals. Most of the attractions will be free. Ticketed areas include the aerial walkway and two cooled conservatories. On a leisurely stroll, you will encounter birds, and bears - in the form of plant sculptures. And there are mini heritage gardens to reflect on Singapore's multi-racial composition with hints of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian influences. If you are tired of walking, you can always hop on a garden cruiser to get around, which will cost between S$3 to S$5.

Why did this article appeal to me?

It was because there had been news about the Gardens of the bay very frequently. Hence I was really interested to know more about it. Apart from it, the pictures that were posted online were so spectacular. Therefore I was attracted to this article by its title.

Question for the writer

The economy is not at its high end now, but why is the government willing to send such a large sum of money building this gardens by the bay?

If I were in charge

I would really reconsider about building the gardens by the bay as the economy is still not very stable now. $1 billion isn’t a small sum of money there must be a thorough plan before everything can be carry out.

By: Koh Yi Xin (11)
 

Real reason behind Singapore’s obsession with tuition

Reports from the departments of statistic reported that Singapore spent $840 million a year on both tuition centres and private tuition and the numbers have increased 5 times over the past decade. Parents send their kids to tuition even though some of them do not need it. This article caught my attention because Singapore's education today is really stressful and being a student myself i understand the feeling of being sent to tutition even though i do not need it. It is good that the parentsa are worried about their kid's school work, however i believe that they should also know their child's strength and weak points so they won't have to sent kids to tuition when they do no need it. If the child's week is filled with school and tuition, when is he suppose to relax and play? Study is important but i believe it is even more important that the child is given a break. (derrick)

US man recovers car 42 years after theft

A United States man whose prized sports car was stolen 42 years ago recovered the vehicle after spotting it on eBay, authorities said on Sunday.Mr Robert Russell told the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that he had never given up searching for the 1967 Austin Healy after it was stolen from his Philadelphia home in 1970.Mr Russell recently spotted what he thought was his car on eBay and checked the vehicle identification number on the website with the one on the car's title certificate, finding they were a match, the department said in a news release.Mr Russell, who now lives in Texas, contacted the department in May, and Detective Carlos Ortega tracked down the car in East Los Angeles.This article appeal to me because it is so amazing that one could still find their lost car after so many years.The question I have for the writer is that if they have tracked down the location of the vehicle did they arrest the thief.

By:Ryna(23)

Former ministry of education jailed for sexual offences with minor

Former Ministry of Education (MOE) scholar Jonathan Wong Wai Keong has been sentenced to five years' jail on Monday for having sex with a minor. He was also guilty of possession of child pornography in Britain. When i saw the article i was really furious and did not know what to say. Not only was he a pass ministry of education, but he was caught outside the country which Brought down singapore reputation. He is not setting a good example for the people  especially when he is an formal ministy of education. He should really be ashamed of himself. and the punishment he got is what he deserved. (Derrick)

Dead body found in Woodlands’ HDB water tank

A dead body of 30-year-old Indonesian maid  was found to be floating in one of the eight water tanks atop  Block 686B at  Woodlands Drive 73. A 27-year-old Bangladeshi maintenance worker has been arrested as he had been suspected of murdering this indonesian maid due to his intimate relationship with her.This news article appeal to me because it is very scary to think that a dead body have been found in a water tank and that residents living in Block 686B might have already used and drank the already contaminated water.The main question to ask is if a dead body can be dropped into the water tank, another case can happen the same way as well so the town council should implement more stricter precautions by maybe installing surveillance cameras at the rooftop to prevent another unauthorised access.
- Ethan

Dinosaur's gas keeps world warmer

A new study suggests that dinosaurs may have helped keep an already heated world warmer with their flatulence and burps 200 million years ago. It is estimated that about 570  million tonnes of methane came from dinosaurs. That is simillar to the total level of methane produced by livestock, farming and industry. climate expert says that the study makes sense , but the warming from dinosaurs back then is dwarfed by the man-made carbon dioxide from today's industry. What appealed to me was how the scientist study and research on the dinosaurs, something that is already gone million of years ago. After looking at this article i really think that we should try our best to preserve this beautiful Earth and place we call home. Dinosaurs are such large creatures and yet us being smaller than them are bringing more harm to the Earth. (derrick)

Apple Plans breakthrough product made from liquidmetal

 Liquidmetal is a new alloy, also known as metallic glass, which  Apple Licensed in 2010. Rumours last month suggested that the next iPhone, expected later this year, would have a Liquidmetal case.Atakan Peker, one of the inventors of the technology, told Business Insider: "I expect Apple to use this technology in a breakthrough product. Such product will likely bring an innovative user interface and industrial design together, and will also be very difficult to copy or duplicate with other material technologies.Liquidmetal has been used by other manufacturers, including Samsung and Nokia, in the past but only for smaller components. Since 2010, Apple has used it only for the iPhone SIM card ejector pin.Mr Peker said: "Liquidmetal is super strong, scratch and corrosion resistant, resilient and can be precision cast into complex shapes.Mr Peker said Liquidmetal was not yet perfected and Apple would need to spend  $300 million to $500 million and three to five years  to mature the technology before it can be used in large scale.He suggest that Apple might not be ready to make an iPhone case out of Liquidmetal.I agree with the writer that Apple need to spend some money and time to research on the Liquidmetal as every Apple product seems to have a glitch.

By:Ryna(23)

PM Lee gets Facebook

PM Lee got a facebook to connect with his people more closely. He says that he wants to be closer to the people. He wants to hear about the people's suggestions and advices. This article appealed to me because PM lee a government, a person who we all find almost impossible to cantact in the past now has a facebook that allow us to connect with him more personally and closely. It is really amazing to know that our PM Lee thinks of his people and wants to connect with them more.    Derrick

New Cable Car System in Sentosa

There will be a new cable car system in Sentosa to help to ease congestion on the island.Travel agents and tour guides said that may even become a tourist attraction on it's own.Sentosa Development Corporation, which manages the island, has not decided if it will charge for rides on the new intra-island transport system to be built by 2015.As Sentosa has become more crowded over the years and sometimes the roads are quite congested.Thus with the new cable car system people might not leave their cars at home and coaches do not need to move around the island.Industry watchers like Ngee Ann Polytechnic senior lecturer in tourism Michael Chiam said the new system will be located at Merlion Plaza, Imbiah Lookout and Siloso Point.I think that it is a good to have the new cable car system as people can spend more of their time to visit the attractions instead of waiting for the queue of the cable car especially those who doesn't have a car.If I was in charge,I would not have charge for the rides as the main purpose of having the new cable car is to ease the congestion on the island.

By:Ryna(23)

Political Scandals

Politics and scandals are everywhere, sometimes on famous well known people such as celebrities and political Figures.  Recently South Korea's President Lee Myung Bak's elder brother Lee Sang Deuk was arrested for the involvement in a Banking Scandal which has caused nearly 90,000 people lose millions in savings. The arrest will affect current President Lee and his New Frontier Party as the campaign to elect a successor later this year continues. Political figures are people who the citizens look up as a trustworthy person to run the country. Many of such incidents do occur worldwide and even in Singapore as this will result in political instability and trust.

Marcus

Hougang by-election

Worker’s Party candidate Png Eng Huat has won the recent by election in the Hougang SMC. This was after former Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong, who was elected to the seat in last year’s general election, was expelled from the party in February after rumors of him having external martial affair with a colleague. Even after the incident made by Mr Yaw from the Worker’s Party, Hougang Voters still trust in the Worker’s Party partially due to Low Thia Khiang  presence in the Hougang ward for 20 years after he left Hougang and contested for Aljunied GRC in the last general election

Marcus

News Article 3




Title: Healthy lifestyle habits to prevent heart disease: study
Summary


This article is a study on the healthy lifestyle habits to prevent heart disease. It is stated that the factors that could have an impact on heart health are the following:


· A diet of vegetables, fruit and soy


· About 2 hours or more of physical activity a week


· A moderate alcohol consumption


· Sleeping 6-8 hours a day


· Maintaining a healthy weight


· No history of smoking


The right balance of healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent heart disease. Based on the results of this study, out of 44,056 Singaporean Chinese men and women who had no history of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, aged 45-74, about 6410 were diagnosed with all the illness mentioned. Research have shown that most of the protective lifestyle factors contributed to about 20% reduction in deaths due to heart disease and not picking up a cigarette reduced this risk by 32%. Hence by leading a healthy lifestyle and not smoking is within our means, why not put it into action to reduce our risk of contracting heart disease.


Why did this article appeal to me?


More and more people are becoming more health conscious hence this study is very beneficial to us. As to why this article appeal is because I do have a history of heart disease. My grandmother had passed away due to heart disease hence the chances of my family contracting it will be increase. Hence looking out for advices to reduce our chances has been our family’s practice.


If I were in charge


I would advertise this study to the public so that more people will be aware of the ways to prevent contracting heart disease. As such more and more people would take precautions and start leading a healthy lifestyle now, leading to longer lifespan.


By: Koh Yi Xin

Going Budget

Budget airlines are cheaper alternative modes of transport for air travel these days so people will want to cut cost and travel cheaper especially for short-haul destination. So recently just this June, SIA group have launched a new budget airline named Scoot. It operates using a bigger Aircraft hence it is able to carry more passengers and travel longer distance and other further places compared to the other budget carriers such as Jetstar, AirAsia and Tiger Airways. This is part of SIA Group diversification plans to competitive especially with the other low frills carriers. So maybe on my next vacation trip, I might consider flying with Scoot

Marcus

News Article 2

Title: Eating berries may slow brain's decline: study

Summary

Women who eat plenty of blueberries and strawberries experience slower mental decline with age than women who consume fewer of the flavonoid-rich fruits, a US study said.

Flavonoid - A large group of water- soluble plant pigments that are beneficial to health.

Based on a survey of more than 16,000 women who filled out regular questionnaires on their health habits from 1976 through 2001, the findings showed that those who ate the most berries delayed cognitive decline by up to 2.5 years.

Cognitive - mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning

Every two years from 1995 to 2001, researchers measured mental function in subjects over age 70, according to the study published.

These findings have significant public health implications as increasing berry intake is a fairly simple dietary modification to test cognition protection in older adults.

It is also of particular importance to the aging population, which is on the rise.

Why did this article appeal to me?

Firstly, it was the title that appealed to me. I find that this was quite an interesting article to share. After reading the article, I was amazed by the fact that by eating berries, it can slow down our brains’ rate of decline. As such, we do not need to relay so much on the health supplements which may cause side effects in the future.

Since the numbers of people who are more health conscious are increasing rapidly, this finding is of great help to them as they can just take more berries instead of spending large sum of money buying supplements.

Question for the writer

Other than berries, are they any other fruits or vegetables that could contribute greatly to our health?

If I were in charge

I would lower the prices of all the fruits and vegetables that are of great help to the human body so that consumers would be able to buy more of it as it is affordable. In this way, people will be able to lead a healthier lifestyle at a low cost of living.

By: Koh Yi Xin (11)

News Article 1


Title: 1 in 2 smokers unaware smoking causes heart diseases


Summary
How many of you smoke or have friends who smoke? It is stated that in a new report that there are significant gaps in public awareness regarding the cardiovascular risks of tobacco use and secondhand smoke. Across a wide range of countries - including India, South Korea and Poland - around half of all smokers and over 70 per cent of all Chinese smokers do not know that smoking causes stroke. Even in countries with well-developed health systems and tobacco control regulation, such as the UK and the US, between a third and a half of smokers do not know that secondhand smoke can damage cardiovascular health. This shows how minimal awareness people have towards smoking.

Why did this article appeal to me?

I was shocked to know that in a country like Singapore which has well-developed health systems and tobacco control regulations, there are still approximately 7 Singaporeans dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases each day and the percentage of adults who are smoking are increasing rapidly.

If I were in charge

I would do the same as the government which is to set up campaigns to increase the awareness of smoking to the smokers. To add on I would also increase the price of cigarettes and tobacco so that smokers would find it too expensive to buy and hence try to quit to save the cost. To end off, I hope you guys will be able to persuade those around you to quit smoking by conveying the information I shared today to them.

By: Koh Yi Xin (11)

Cannibal Attack

Ronald Poppo, a 65-year-old Miami homeless man had his face eaten off by a 31 year old Randy Eugene on may 27 2012 in Miami.Witnesses and police have said Eugene was naked on Saturday when he attacked another naked man on the MacArthur Causeway next to the Miami Herald building, chewing up to 80% of the victim’s face off. A police officer commanded him to stop, and when Eugene didn’t, the officer shot him as many as six times.Randy Eugene was suspected to have taken bath salts that can cause a person to go crazy.This kind of attack is definitely gruesome to me and I hope that Singaporeans do not try to take this bath salts as a mean to escape from their stressful everyday life.
-Ethan

MRT Breakdown

There was a service interruption on SMRT’s Circle Line between one-north and Bishan stations at 7.40am in the morning on 18 Apr 2012(Wed) causing inconvenience to about 18,000 commuters during the morning peak hour which lasted for 2.5 hours. As you know The MRT (mass rapid transit) is a very important mode of transport for most of us as it helps reduce traveling time taken and convenience and have Better connectivity from one place to another. Because of that incident, many commuters were late for school and work. The same fault occurs the second time since its opening of the Circle Line. So is the MRT still reliable?

Marcus