In the News....

If you thought there were a lot of news worthy events happening in Singapore, and South East Asia generally, you would be wrong.

Part of my job is to keep current on local news and news for countries that we frequently work with like Malaysia and Indonesia. So I frequently peruse the various national and regional newspapers for anything that we might need to know about when working with clients in the area. I recently started reading the Jakarta Post, which I had been forewarned is a treasure trove of unintentionally hilarious news pieces. Take this one on the front page of today's paper for example:

Headlines:Minister denies sleeping during Cabinet meeting
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto denied Tuesday media reports which said he fell asleep when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono inaugurated the Situation Room at his office on Monday
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/07/13/minister-denies-sleeping-during-cabinet-meeting.html

Must be a lot of big things going on over in Jakarta if this is what the people really want to know. It turns out there was actually an earthquake in Papua- but it got significantly less coverage.

Singapore is a small place, so it is understandable that it doesn't produce a lot of really important news. But this article caught my attention:

Giant monitor lizard causes stir in HDB estate
The highlight of the article is as follows:
The lizard, which was about two metres long, was tied up by residents.

Rescuers from the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) removed the rope and tape. A spokesman from ACRES said the creature appeared to be very tired and upset.
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4212972
 
I would have been upset too if a bunch of tape wielding Singaporeans with stir-fry recipes on the mind attacked me! Don't worry though, the article happily reports that the lizard has been released to a suitable habitat that is approved by the National Parks.
 
Other important news in the Straights Times today:
 
S'poreans love bibimbap!
BIBIMBAP, a Korean dish of mixed rice and vegetables, is popular with Singaporean foodies who adore Korean food. In fact, the dish is so hot that organisers of the second annual Korea Foodstuff Fair created one of the largest bowls of bibimbap in Singapore.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_553314.html
 
As you can see from the link text- this was filed under "Breaking News"....
 
This is a personal favorite- the headline is not that good, but the text is a winner.
Jail term reduced to $1k fine
WAS it intentional or not?

Two years ago, Patrick Loo Shun Wen reached across the mattress where his girlfriend and her friend were sleeping and touched the latter's breast.
The 27-year-old sales executive later pleaded guilty to molest and was sentenced to six months jail.
But on Tuesday, during Loo's appeal hearing, a High Court judge questioned whether he really intended to molest the woman, then 18, at all.
In the end, Justice V. K. Rajah set aside the jail term and fined Loo $1,000 instead, with the judge describing it as a bizarre case.
'Despite the fact that you have pleaded guilty, it's unclear to me what had actually taken place because you were in bed with your girlfriend with whom you wanted to get intimate with,' said Justice Rajah.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_553326.html

Also "Breaking News" but it does reassure me that although the case was prosecuted, the judge admits its totally bizare.


Thats all for today!