SQ006 Taiwan Crash : 10 Years On ( Remembering SQ006 : 10 Years On )

From “surviving to winning” – that’s how former Singapore Airlines (SIA) pilot Cyrano Latiff describes how he’s turned his life around since surviving Singapore’s worst-ever aircraft disaster.
Then a First Officer with Singapore Airlines, Cyrano was one of three pilots in the cockpit of SQ 006, the SQ  Boeing 747-412 jet that crashed on a rainy night at Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-Shek airport on 31 October, 2000.
83 of the 179 passengers on board died after the Singapore flight that was bound for Los Angeles ploughed into a cluster of heavy construction equipment as it tried to take off from a runway in bad, stormy weather. The plane broke into several pieces upon impact as explosions ripped through the aircraft’s entire middle section.
Among the dead were 26 Taiwanese, 24 Americans and 12 Singaporeans and Indians.
Speaking to Yahoo! Singapore in an exclusive interview ahead of the 10th anniversary of the crash this Sunday, Cyrano described the entire experience as “humbling”.
“After going through this, you realise everyone is important to you,” said the 46-year-old Singaporean, who had been flying with SIA for six years before the night of the tragedy.
After having his contract terminated by SIA in 2002, Cyrano joined Lufthansa as an aeronautical consultant for two years. He then ventured into the food and beverage industry before becoming a lecturer for the Diploma in Aviation Management & Services at Temasek Polytechnic’s (TP) Engineering School in 2008

Latiff Cyrano became a lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic, teaching Aviation Management & Services since 2008.

Life for the married father of four since the crash has been anything but smooth.
Recalling that fateful day ten years ago and the immediate scenes of panic and chaos that ensued after the crash, he said, “The fire was like flames of a furnace from the lower deck as I started to call everyone to jump from the upper deck to evacuate the burning plane.”
“So I assessed the situation, and tried to kick the burnt slide. I thought if I jumped on it first, it might ‘untangle’. After I took the plunge, everyone saw it was possible to make it down to the tarmac so we started getting people to jump,” said Cyrano, who was the flight’s co-pilot.
As the remaining passengers made it to safety, Cyrano described what he saw when he glanced sideways.
“I was stunned when I saw the plane lying on its belly without the landing gears. The aircraft had broken up and its skin was burning away. But the most important thing was making sure everyone was evacuated safely,” he said, as he showed the scar he suffered from a deep gash during the jump.

Firefighters putting out the blaze on SQ006 ten years ago.

Cyrano and the other two pilots, Captain Foong Chee Kong and First Officer Ng Kheng Leng, were made to stay in Taiwan as investigations got underway after the crash. They were kept away from the Taiwanese media throughout that period as anger and bitter finger-pointing reached fever-pitch.
Said Cyrano, “We stayed in different locations and moved around, as the Taiwan media were trying to track us down and each day, the tabloids ran big stories of the accident. It came to a point where security personnel were assigned to us.”
The “scary” moment came after 52 days when the pilots were finally allowed to leave Taiwan and return to Singapore.
“We had to slip through Taiwan customs as if we were tourists. I remembered our bodyguards left us after entering the first door of the airport and the three of us went our separate ways to avoid being recognised by the local and international media,” he said.
Describing what happened next at the immigration counter, he said, “As our passports were burned from the accident, I gave a substitute travel document to the Taiwanese immigration officer who looked at it before holding up the letter and loudly proclaiming, ‘Is this your document?’.”
“The next thing I knew, a large group of people came charging forward from behind the pillars, cameras appeared out of nowhere and I thought to myself, ‘How could these guys manage to get into this restricted area?’” said Cyrano, who revealed his sense of helplessness after realising the Taiwanese media were on a witchhunt to find someone to blame for the crash.
He added that the reporters and photographers started surging forward, following him all the way to the boarding area, before he boarded his flight back to Singapore.
Worse was to follow when he returned to Taipei two years later after investigations into the crash concluded.
After being briefed by airport officials on the plane before arriving in Taiwan, he said, “The area was cordoned off for us to leave the plane but you could see the media lunging forward. It came to a point where the media came rushing towards us and I remember our bodyguards signaling us to follow them while the rest came to shield us as we fought our way to the vehicle.”

The final investigation report issued by the Taiwan Aviation Safety Council (ASC) on 24 April 2002, blamed the flight crew for not taking off from the correct runway, despite having all the relevant charts. As a result, the report said the pilots were unaware the aircraft had entered the wrong runway, which then had an area under construction.
However, Singapore officials disputed ACS’ report and said that it failed to present a complete account of the incident, as it appeared to pin full responsibility on the SQ 006 flight crew and played down equally valid contributing factors.
According to reports, the team from Singapore that participated in the investigation felt that the lightings and signages at the airport did not measure up to international standards. It added that critical lights were missing or not working, and no barriers or markings were placed at the start of the closed runway, which would have alerted the flight crew that they were on the wrong runway.
Is he still troubled by what happened ten years ago?
“I don’t think I am, even though I do still think about it. It was an accident. My conscience is clear and I managed to turn things around by positioning things differently,” he said.
“Moving ahead, I am keen to get back into the cockpit, pick things up after ten years and experience commercial flying again.” Read more at  http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/29/remembering-sq006-10-years-on/

I Don't Know What I'm Defending Anymore

Young Singaporeans like Lim Zi Rui are becoming increasingly disillusioned and they’re not afraid to let it show.
The 23-year-old final-year aerospace engineering student was among a 1,000-strong crowd who attended a Ministerial Forum organised on Friday by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Students’ Union.
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong was the guest-of-honour.
During a dialogue session after SM Goh’s main address, Lim stood up and asked if the Minister was aware that many young people no longer felt a sense of ownership in Singapore.
“When I was younger, I was very proud of being a Singaporean,” said Lim as reported in The Straits Times.
“But that was about five, ten years ago. Five years later, with all the changes in policies and the influx of foreign talent, I really don’t know what I’m defending any more.”
He said this was a view that many of the men he served with during National Service also held.
“I feel that there is a dilution of the Singapore spirit in youth… We don’t really feel comfortable in our country any more,” he said.
Mr Goh replied, “‘This is one early sign of danger… If this is happening, it is very serious.” He went on to ask Mr Lim why he felt disconnected.
Mr Lim told SM Goh, ”‘I’m still serving as an officer and I definitely would love to defend Singapore.”
But he said the key difference between him and his foreign friends was, “I tell them, this is my country. I can’t just leave here whenever I want to. You can come and play and work here, but I have to stay here.”
SM Goh responded by defending the government’s policy of welcoming foreigners.
“You want to have a home. Who’s going to build your HDB flat?” said the Minister.
Lim replied that due to the inability to afford the sky-high public housing prices, his brother had to call off his engagement. 
“My brother got engaged, but lost his engagement because he could not afford an HDB flat,” said Lim, who went on to state that his question was not about “integrating foreigners”.
“My question was, how are we going to help the younger generation feel a sense of belonging to Singapore? I don’t think it’s about integrating foreigners,” said Lim.
“This is your country,” SM Goh replied. “What do you want me to do to make you feel you belong?”
“For my part, don’t worry about me,” Mr Lim said. “I will definitely do something, if I can, for Singapore. But I can tell you honestly that the sentiment on the ground is a bit different.”
“If this is happening, it is very serious,” said SM Goh.
“If the majority feel they don’t belong here, then we have a fundamental problem. Then I would ask myself: What am I doing here? Why should I be working for people who don’t feel they belong over here?” asked SM Goh.
Earlier on during the dialogue session, the Minister made the point that the next General Elections, due to be held by February 2012, would be a “watershed” for the future of Singapore from which a “fourth Prime Minister and a core team of younger ministers will emerge”.
SM Goh also challenged the young undergrads in his audience to “make a difference to Singapore” by joining local politics.  Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/30/i-dont-know-what-im-defending-anymore/

Super Walcott Fires Arsenal Through ( Arsenal cruise into League Cup last eight )

LONDON (AFP) - – England winger Theo Walcott scored twice as Arsenal cruised into the quarter-finals of the League Cup on Wednesday with a 4-0 rout of Newcastle at St James Park.
Walcott's brace, an own goal from Newcastle reserve keeper Tim Krul and a Nicklas Bendtner strike settled the tie for Arsene Wenger's men, riding high after last weekend's victory over Manchester City.
Wenger was left purring over the contribution of Walcott, scoring his first goals since returning from injury sustained on England duty last month.
"Walcott is more composed in front of goal this season. His first touch is better. He is an intelligent boy and because of that he will always improve," Wenger told Sky Sports 2.
"He was flying at the start of the season and now he is just coming back from injury. You can see today that he is ready to go to another level."
Both Arsenal and Newcastle made nine changes from the teams which scored impressive away victories in the Premier League last weekend.
Yet Wenger was still able to field a starting XI featuring no fewer than seven internationals -- reflecting the Arsenal manager's stated determination to end the Gunners' five-year trophy drought this year.
Arsenal's hunger was apparent from the outset, the visitors sweeping forward relentlessly in search of an early goal in the opening 10 minutes, with Walcott, Bendtner and Carlos Vela all threatening.
But Newcastle also could have taken the lead in the opening period, Nile Ranger missing a gilt-edged chance before Alan Smith saw a shot tipped onto the bar by Arsenal's understudy keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Arsenal went 1-0 up with a farcical own goal on the stroke of half-time, Krul inadvertently heading a clearance from Ryan Taylor into his own net.
Walcott made the game safe eight minutes into the second half, bursting clear to double Arsenal's lead with a goal that drew protests from Newcastle, who complained that defender Mike Williamson had been fouled by Bendtner.
The goal knocked the stuffing out of Newcastle and Arsenal gradually took control of the second half, Walcott and Bendtner scoring in the final 10 minutes to give the scoreline a lop-sided look.
At Upton Park, West Ham came from behind to defeat Stoke 3-1 in extra time after trailing for most of the match.
Trinidad and Tobago international Kenwyne Jones looked to have headed Stoke into the last eight after only six minutes, giving his team a 1-0 lead.
But Hammers skipper Scott Parker forced extra-time with an 84th-minute equaliser before Manuel da Costa put the home side ahead on 96 minutes. Substitute Victor Obinna completed the scoring two minutes from time.
There was more extra-time drama at Villa Park, where Aston Villa overcame spirited resistance from Championship side Burnley to win 2-1.
Emile Heskey looked to have settled the contest when he put Villa 1-0 up in the 86th minute only for Clarke Carlisle to level three minutes later.
Yet winger Stewart Downing rifled in a 20-yard effort to restore Villa's lead on 96 minutes to break the deadlock.
Villa were forced to endure a nervous finale after Marc Albrighton was sent off for a professional foul but Gerard Houllier's men hung on for victory.
The quarter-final draw takes place on Saturday. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101027/tsp-fbl-eng-lcup-47c0590.html

Singapore's Human Right Record Slammed ( Controversy Grows Over SGX 's Takeover Bid For ASX )

The Singapore Exchange’s S$10.7 billion takeover bid for Australia’s ASX Limited faces a difficult road ahead amid political backlash in Australia and shareholder reservations over the deal.
For the transaction to push through, the Australian parliament, currently controlled by a coalition led by the ruling Labour party, would need to lift the 15 percent ownership cap on the ASX bourse. The Australian Treasury could grant a waiver, but the Business Times reports that this could be stymied if any party demands a vote.
Bob Brown of the Greens Party, a key Labour ally, said he was not supportive of the deal given Singapore’s human rights record and the city-state’s execution of an Australian drug smuggler in 2005.
“This is a state that tramples all over freedom of speech, democracy, the rights of oppositions, the ability for public discourse,” he was quoted in a report by the Associated Press. A few other lawmakers also indicated they were inclined to oppose the takeover.
Aside from regulatory approvals, the merger of the two exchanges will also be subject to shareholders’ approvals. But, already, one SGX shareholder has expressed a negative view over the issue.
Under the deal, SGX will issue new shares and pay ASX shareholders a combination of A$22 or S$28.04 in cash and 3.473 new ordinary SGX shares for each existing ASX ordinary share or equivalent to A$48 per share.
Atsushi Saito, chief executive of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE), was quoted by the Financial Times as saying that the transaction could result in a loss for the Japanese exchange, which is SGX’s second largest shareholder with a 4.9 percent stake. He told the UK paper that if the deal were to push through it would not be “a good story” for Tokyo.
Some analysts said the planned acquisition looked expensive. Gabriel Yap, executive chairman of investment firm GCP Global, said the price of A$48 per share “is too high” as it represents 25 times price-to-earnings ratio while the estimated cost synergies and savings at 20% is higher than that achieved in other mergers and takeovers of other exchanges before.
From the point of view of ASX shareholders, “Christmas has come early,” said Yap.
The SGX-ASX deal aims to create the fifth-largest exchange in the world with a market capitalisation of more than US$12.3 billion and to capitalise on opportunities for growth in Asia-Pacific.The press statement on the proposed merger enumerates other benefits.
What are your thoughts about the deal?  Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/27/controversy-grows-over-sgxs-takeover-bid-for-asx/

PM Announces Cabinet Reshuffle From November 1

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced  a Cabinet re-shuffle to include new promotions for some with effect from 1 November.
Incumbent Home Affairs Minister, Mr Wong Kan Seng, will relinquish his post as Home Affairs Minister and will take over as Co-ordinating Minister for National Security from Professor S Jayakumar.
Professor S Jayakumar will remain as Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and continue to coordinate policies on climate change as well as foreign policy issues which involve legal negotiation or international adjudication.
Mr Wong, who still remains as the Deputy Prime Minister, will also oversee the National Population and Talent Division.
This division will be set up under the Prime Minister’s Office to coordinate Singapore’s population and talent policies across different ministries.
Taking over the position of Home Affairs Minister will be Law Minister K Shanmugam, who will be holding two portfolios.
Mr Lui Tuck Yew, who is the current Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) will also be promoted to full minister.
Other notable promotions include:
Ms Amy Khor: Promoted to Minister of State. She is currently the Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Environment and Water Resources Ministry.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli: Promoted to Minister of State for both Home Affairs and Education ministries.
Dr Maliki Osman: Promoted to Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the National Development Ministry.
Mr Sam Tan: Promoted to Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Trade and Industry Ministry and MICA.
The last Cabinet reshuffle was unveiled in March 2008, which also happened to include Mr. Shanmugam being promoted to the position of Law Minister.
PM Lee explained the reorganisation in a statement.
” This reshuffle is a minor adjustment,” he said.
“For the ministers, it is a natural progression… For the senior parliamentary secretaries and parliamentary secretaries, the promotions are to recognise their abilities and contributions.” Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/27/wong-kang-seng-steps-down-as-home-affairs-min-amid-sweeping-cabinet-changes/

Fifth Of The World 's Animals 'Face Extinction' ( Conservation Hope As Vertebrates Face Extinction )

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) - – One fifth of the world's vertebrates are threatened with extinction but conservation efforts are having an impact in slowing their demise, scientists said in a study published Wednesday.
The study reported that the main reason for the "alarming" decline in the world's mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish was the destruction of their natural habitats.
Tropical Southeast Asia, where rainforests are being destroyed and human populations are booming, is of particular concern, according to the study released by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
"Global patterns of rising extinction risk are most marked in Southeast Asia, where agricultural expansion, logging and hunting are the primary forces behind accelerating extinction rates," a summary of the study said.
The document, by 174 scientists around the world, was described as the first time the rate of decline among vertebrate species had been quantified on a global scale.
It was based on research into 25,000 species on the IUCN's "Red List" of threatened species.
The IUCN released the findings on the sidelines of a United Nations summit being held in the Japanese city of Nagoya to try to map out a plan to save the world's rapidly diminishing biodiversity.
The IUCN said last year the world was experiencing its sixth mass extinction in history, the last one being 65 million years ago when dinosaurs were wiped off the planet.
However, the study said species loss and decline would have been 20 percent worse in the absence of conservation efforts to protect those under threat.
"The critical point from our analysis is the role that conservation plays in slowing species losses," said Andrew Rosenberg, senior vice-president for science and knowledge at Conservation International and an author on the paper.
"That means we can do something about this global problem by taking concerted action at local, national and regional scales."
Some of the conservation strategies the study highlighted as being beneficial were captive breeding programmes, legislation to limit hunting, establishing protected areas and efforts to remove invasive alien species.
The report highlighted dozens of species to have taken steps away from extinction due to conservation efforts, among them the humpback whale, whose numbers have grown thanks to legislation banning commercial whaling.
It also said three species that were extinct in the wild had been returned to nature -- the California Condor and the black-footed ferret in the United States, as well as a horse in Mongolia.
The document said conservation efforts had been particularly successful at combating invasive alien species on islands.
The Magpie-robin in the Seychelles had increased from fewer than 15 birds in 1965 to 180 in 2006 amid efforts to control introduced predators such as rats. Read more at  http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101027/tts-un-environment-biodiversity-extinct-c1b2fc3.html

眼睛

如果你一出生就看不清楚周围的一切，你会怎么办？

Singapore's 'Edison Chen' Arrested

A man dubbed as “Singapore’s Edison Chen” has been arrested for cheating-related offences.
Singapore police have confirmed the arrest of an unemployed 28-year-old Chinese man but he is currently out on bail and is due to be charged in court.
Police said women had come forward and made police reports against the man who has previously identified himself as “Gary Ng”.
They said that they had been cheated of money by this man; however, the cheating accusations are still not clear.
“Gary” shot to internet infamy after uploading a series of explicit home-made videos with various women onto his blog and online forums in September 2008.
According to Shin Min Daily News, he uploaded as many 33 short clips with each video lasting from 10 to 30 seconds.
“Gary” initially claimed that the women — who ranged from beer maids, young executives and university students – were all “willing parties” to be filmed but he later admitted that he secretly filmed those who did not agree.
These postings were removed but he later posted them on another website for his “fans”. To protect the women’s identities as well as his own, the faces on the videos were always blurred.
His exploits earned him the nickname of “Singapore’s Edison Chen“ – a reference to the Hong Kong actor whose nude photos with various stars were stolen from his computer and widely  circulated.
According to The New Paper, he said he filmed the videos as a way of getting back at women. He explained that he had become disillusioned after three straight failed relationships in which his girlfriends cheated on him with other men.
He also told RazorTV last year that his nickname ”Gary” was an acronym for “Girls Always Remember You”. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/27/singapores-edison-chen-arrested/

New Spectacular Species Found In Amazon ( Spectacular Unknown Species )

NAGOYA, Japan (AFP) - – Spectacular species previously unknown to the outside world are being discovered in the Amazon rainforest at a rate of one every three days, environment group WWF said in a report published Tuesday.
An anaconda as long as a limousine, a giant catfish that eats monkeys, a blue fanged spider and poisoned dart frogs are among the 1,220 animals and plants to have been found from 1999 to 2009, according to the study.
The report was released on the sidelines of a United Nations summit in Japan that is being held to try to stem the mass extinction of species around the world, and the WWF said it highlighted why protecting the Amazon was so vital.
"This report clearly shows the incredible, amazing diversity of life in the Amazon," Francisco Ruiz, head of WWF's Living Amazon Initiative, told reporters at the launch.
"(But) this incredible region is under pressure because of the human presence. The landscape is being very quickly transformed."
Logging and clearing for agriculture uses such as cattle farming and palm oil plantations have led to 17 percent of the Amazon -- an area twice the size of Spain -- being destroyed over the past 50 years, according to the WWF.
The WWF compiled the findings reported by scientists over the 10-year period to highlight the extent of biodiversity loss that may be occurring without humans even knowing while the Amazon is being cleared.
"It serves as a reminder of how much we still have to learn about this unique region, and what we could lose if we don't change the way we think about development," Ruiz said.
One of the most amazing discoveries was a four-metre (13-foot) anaconda in the flood plains of Bolivia's Pando province in 2002.
It was the first new anaconda species identified since 1936, and became only the fourth known type of that reptile, according to the WWF.
There were a total of 55 reptile species discovered, with others including two members of Elapidae -- the most venomous snake family in the world that includes cobras and taipans.
A kaleidoscope of different coloured frogs were also found, including 24 of the famed poison dart variety and one that was translucent.
Among the 257 types of fish discovered in the rivers and lakes of the Amazon was a "goliath" catfish.
One of them found in Venezuela measured nearly 1.5 metres long and weighed 32 kilogrammes (over 70 pounds).
Although the "goliath" catfish normally exists on a diet of other fish, some of them have been caught with parts of monkeys in their stomachs, according to the WWF.
Another extraordinary species of catfish that was discovered in the Brazilian state of Rondonia was extremely small, blind and red.
Villagers found the fish when they accidentally trapped them in buckets after hauling up water from a well.
At least 500 spiders were also discovered, including one that was completely brown except for a pair of almost fluorescent blue fangs.
Thirty-nine new mammals were also found, including a pink river dolphin, seven types of monkey and two porcupines.
Among the 637 new plant species discovered were sunflowers, ivy, lilies, a variety of pineapple and a custard apple.
The Amazon is home to at least 40,000 plant species, and the WWF described the scale of diversity in some areas as "mind boggling".
It said 1,000 plant species were documented in one hectare (2.5 acres) of lowland rainforest in Ecuador, while 3,000 were found in a 24-hectare region of the Colombian section of the Amazon.
As part of efforts to save the Amazon, the Brazilian government has worked with the WWF, the World Bank and other groups to establish protected areas of rainforest covering 32 million hectares over the past six years.
The WWF said the protection efforts, in which foreign governments and organisations provide some of the finance to help run the projects, should serve as a model for the world in how to save rainforests. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101026/tts-un-environment-biodiversity-amazon-w-c1b2fc3.html

 

' Rude ' Tattoo Lands Man In Huge Trouble ( Australian Tattooist Charge Over Rude Doodle )

SYDNEY (AFP) - – An Australian man has been charged with assault after reportedly tattooing a 40-centimetre (16-inch) penis on his friend's back after an argument, police said Tuesday.
Queensland police said a 21-year-old was facing two counts of assault -- the first for applying the indelible mark and the second for allegedly punching the victim.
Detective Constable Paul Malcolm said a 25-year-old man had gone to the alleged offender's house and "somehow in the course of the conversation the subject of tattoos came up".
"The victim wasn't interested at first but he was talked into it and he said he wanted a yin and yang symbol with some dragons," Malcolm said, according to Ipswich's Queensland Times.
"The bloke started doing the tattoo and there was another bloke standing there watching saying, 'Mate, it's looking really good'."
The victim was then allegedly punched on his way out, before he could check the ink work, which reportedly also included a misspelled comment about his sexuality.
"When he got home he showed it to the person he lives with and she said: 'I don't think it's the tattoo you were after'," Malcolm said.
The man who allegedly etched the tattoo will also face a public safety charge because he was not a professional tattoo artist and there could be hygiene issues, police said. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101026/tap-australia-crime-tattoo-offbeat-5a1703c.html

Tsunami Hits Indonesian Coast ( Indonesian Tsunami Toll At 112 Dead , 502 Missing )

JAKARTA (AFP) - – The death toll from a tsunami that smashed into a remote Indonesian island chain after a powerful earthquake has reached 112, with more than 500 people still missing, an official said Wednesday.
The 7.7-magnitude quake struck in the Mentawai Islands area west of Sumatra late Monday, generating waves as high as three metres (10 feet) that swept away 10 villages.
"At least 112 people were killed and 502 people have gone missing," West Sumatra disaster management head Harmensyah said.
Officials said the waters swept as far as 600 metres inland on South Pagai island, the hardest hit.
Hendri Dori Satoko, a lawmaker in the Mentawai Islands, told MetroTV: "Our latest data from the crisis centre showed that 108 people have been killed and 502 are still missing."
Disaster Management Agency spokesman Agolo Suparto said: "Ten villages have been swept away by the tsunami."
The missing included a group of nine Australian surfers, though Australian media reports later suggested they had been found safe and well.
Health Ministry Crisis Centre head Mudjiharto said medical personnel had been dispatched to the worst-hit areas in helicopters but rescue efforts had been hampered by disruption to communications in the region.
There are no commercial flights to the island and travelling by ferry from Sumatra can take at least half a day.
"Eighty percent of buildings in Muntei village have been damaged by the waves and many people are missing there," Mudjiharto said.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and the archipelago is frequently struck by powerful earthquakes, including one of 7.6 magnitude in September last year in Padang that killed about 1,100 people.
The 2004 Asian tsunami -- triggered by a 9.3-magnitude quake off Sumatra -- killed at least 168,000 people in Indonesia alone. Chronology: Major tsunamis around the world
Disaster Management Agency aid coordinator Wisnu Wijaya told AFP that rescue teams from capital Jakarta would join forces with local teams to evacuate bodies and deliver food aid, medicines, tents and blankets.
"We'll leave early in the morning from Jakarta," he said, adding that a cargo flight would carry four tonnes of medicines and food.
A group of Australian tourists reported that their boat with 15 people aboard was destroyed by a "wall of white water" crashing into a bay after the undersea quake and said some had to cling to trees to survive.
"We felt a bit of a shake underneath the boat... then within several minutes we heard an almighty roar," said Rick Hallet, an Australian who operates a boat-chartering business in Sumatra.
Hallet recounted his group's ordeal when the quake struck, with some climbing trees to survive.
"The bay we were in was several hundred metres across and the wall of white water was from one side to the other, it was quite scary," he told Fairfax Radio Network.
Another boat was anchored next to them, he said.
"The wave picked that boat up and brought it towards us and ran straight into us and our boat exploded, caught on fire, we had a fireball on the back deck and right through the saloon within seconds.
"I ordered everyone up to the top deck to get as high as possible, then the boat exploded and we had to abandon ship," he told Australia's Nine Network.
The group jumped into the water, some of them being swept 200 metres inland, and took shelter by climbing trees, waiting for 20 minutes to half an hour until the surges passed.
Eventually all the group were accounted for, he said. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101026/tap-indonesia-quake-tsunami-aeccaac.html
Residents reported shaking as far away as the West Sumatran provincial capital of Padang when the main quake struck.
The undersea quake hit at 9:42 pm (1442 GMT) at a depth of 20.6 kilometres (12.8 miles), 280 kilometres south of Padang, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by strong aftershocks.

R.I.P Paul The ' Psyhic' Octopus

Paul the octopus who shot to fame during the 2010 World Cup has reportedly died, said his aquarium in Germany.
The “psychic” octopus captured the imagination of many for famously getting all of his predictions correct during the tournament.
“Management and staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre were devastated to discover that oracle octopus Paul, who achieved global renown during the recent World Cup, had passed away overnight,” the aquarium said in a sombre statement. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/26/r-i-p-paul-the-psychic-octopus/

Mountaineer Feared Missing ( Famed Everest Guide Feared Dead )

KATHMANDU (AFP) - – Rescuers on Monday called off their search for a Nepalese mountaineer who had climbed Mount Everest 19 times, accepting he had died after being swept away by an avalanche in the Himalayas two days ago.
Chhewang Nima Sherpa, 43, was fixing ropes for a climbing group high on the 7,129 metre (23,400 foot) Mount Baruntse on Saturday when the avalanche hit as one of his colleagues looked on.
"We have decided to abort the rescue operation. There is no way we can find him. We have concluded that he is dead," Jeeban Ghimire, managing director of Sherpa Shangri-La Treks, which organised the expedition, told AFP.
"It's impossible to get to him. The area where we believe he was swept into is a rough icy slope that is inaccessible. It's a sad decision and a sad day for us."
Ghimire said that a second sherpa, who was working with Chhewang when the avalanche hit at a height of about 7,045 metres, had reported to base camp that Chhewang was missing.
"Chhewang's brother was one of the rescue team in the search helicopter," Ghimire said. "He is also a climber and he saw the place and decided it was right to end the search. The family believe he is dead."
Ghimire said they had spent six hours in the air looking for the body.
Other members of the expedition included six British climbers and one American.
Chhewang was one ascent away from equalling the world record of reaching the Mount Everest summit 20 times, which is held by Apa Sherpa.
He was due to climb Everest twice in the spring next year to claim Apa's record, which was set in May.
Chhewang, a father of two daughters, climbed Everest twice earlier this year and had also climbed many of the Himalayas' other highest peaks.
Baruntse, in eastern Nepal, was first climbed by a New Zealand expedition in 1954, one year after the 8,848-metre Everest peak was first conquered.
Zimba Zangbu Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, described Chhewang as a "dear and daring" climber.
"He was one of the most accomplished and experienced Sherpa guides," Zimba said. "He was young and energetic, and looking forward to beating the world record of Apa Sherpa."
Last month, an avalanche on Mount Dhaulagiri in the Himalayas killed three Japanese climbers and a sherpa guide. Only the dead body of one Japanese climber has been recovered.  Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101025/tap-nepal-mountaineering-accident-2a5be5e.html     P.S : I apologise for the unclear photo. :)

Mount Merapi Volcanic Eruption 'Imminent' ( Indonesia Warned Farmers To Flee Simmering Volcano )

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) - – Indonesia warned residents living in the shadow of the nation's most active volcano to evacuate on Tuesday or risk being killed by a major eruption.
Authorities put an area 10 kilometres (six miles) around the crater of Mount Merapi on red alert Monday, ordering 19,000 people to flee with the possibility of a large-scale blast looking increasingly likely.
"Merapi has escalated tremendously. We have recorded more than 600 multi-phased volcanic earthquakes since yesterday," government volcanologist Surono warned, adding that fewer than 500 were recorded on Sunday.
"People who live on certain areas around the mountain should evacuate as soon as possible," he said.
But officials said nearly 15,000 people defiantly ignored the order despite several minor eruptions sending lava spewing down Merapi's southern slopes.
Many people sleeping in camps have returned to their homes during the day to work and tend to their cattle. Some men are refusing to leave altogether, confident they will be able to escape in time.
Field coordinator Widi Sutikno, of the Sleman district on the southern slopes of the 2,914-metre (9,616-foot) mountain, said only about 3,700 people out of 11,400 in his area had sought shelter in makeshift refuges.
"We have evacuated many women, pregnant women, sick people, elderly people and children," Sutikno said.
"We let some people return to their fields for their daily activity. But they need to go back to the camps and not their houses," he said.
Sukamto, 50, a farmer, said his family had been evacuated but he still needed to tend his cows.
"It's still fine for me to work, as I can see when the volcano will erupt from here. I work at around eight kilometres from the top of Merapi and I think it's still safe," Sukamto said.
"However, I still have to be really careful here," he said.
The Jakarta Post reported that Merapi had erupted three times on Monday afternoon, spewing lava down its southern and southeastern slopes.
Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country.
Merapi's last fatal eruption was in June 2006, when it killed two people, and volcanologists have warned that it currently has more energy than before that blast.
Its deadliest eruption occurred in 1930 when more than 1,300 people were killed. Heat clouds from another eruption in 1994 killed more than 60 people.
The volcano lies around 25 kilometres north of the city of Yogyakarta on Java island.
In August, the 2,460-metre (8,100 foot) Mount Sinabung on the island of Sumatra erupted for the first time in 400 years, sending thousands of people into temporary shelters and disrupting flights.
Mount Sinabung is near Lake Toba, a 100-kilometre long volcanic crater that some archaeologists believe threatened the survival of the human race when it erupted between 69,000 and 77,000 years ago. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101025/tap-indonesia-volcano-aeccaac.html

Thailand Hit By Flood ( Flood Ravage Thailand , 56 People Dead )

BANGKOK (AFP) - – The worst floods to hit parts of Thailand in decades have left at least 56 people dead, officials said Tuesday.
Bangkok is on standby with thousands of sandbags and pumps as flood water from the north runs downstream and could coincide with high tide, but so far no major flooding has been reported in the capital.
The authorities estimate that about 2.8 million people across the country have been affected, with homes submerged and farmland or cattle destroyed.
On Monday the death toll had stood at 41, according to the Emergency Medical Institute of Thailand, mostly in central and eastern areas of the country.  Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101026/tap-thailand-weather-flood-c8d5519.html

Major Earthquake Strikes Indonesia ( Major 7.7 Quake Strikes Indonesia )

JAKARTA (AFP) - – A major 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of Indonesia on Monday, seismologists said, causing localised waves in the remote area.
A tsunami warning was issued, and while it was later withdrawn and no casualties were confirmed, a group of Australian visitors reported that their boat was destroyed by a "wall of white water" crashing into a bay.
The undersea quake hit Indonesia's Kepulauan Mentawai region at 9:42 pm (1442 GMT) at a shallow depth of 20.6 kilometres (12.8 miles), the US Geological Survey said.
The Mentawai Islands, 240 kilometres west of Bengkulu on Sumatra island and 280 kilometres south of Padang, are popular with tourists.
Rick Hallet, an Australian who operates a boat-chartering business in Sumatra, had 15 people on board his vessel in a bay off the islands when the quake struck.
"We felt a bit of a shake underneath the boat... then within several minutes we heard an almighty roar... I immediately thought of a tsunami and looked out to sea and that's when we saw the wall of white water coming at us," he said.
"The bay we were in was several hundred metres across and the wall of white water was from one side to the other, it was quite scary," he told Fairfax Radio Network.
Another boat was anchored next to them, he said. "The wave picked that boat up and brought it towards us and ran straight into us and our boat exploded, caught on fire, we had a fireball on the back deck and right through the saloon within seconds.
"I ordered everyone up to the top deck to get as high as possible, then the boat exploded and we had to abandon ship," he told Australia's Nine Network.
The group jumped into the water, some of them being swept 200 metres inland, and took shelter by climbing trees, waiting for 20 minutes to half an hour until the surges passed.
Eventually all the group, nine of whom were Australian, were accounted for, he said.
The 7.7 earthquake was followed by powerful magnitude 6.1 and 6.2 aftershocks about five and eight hours later in the same area.
Residents reported shaking as far away as the West Sumatran provincial capital of Padang relating to the earlier quake, but fears of widespread damage eased a few hours later.
"There was shaking that went on for about three seconds or so. Residents panicked and ran to the hills but now they are starting to come down. There's no report of casualties or damage," Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono told AFP.
The Indonesian Geophysics and Meteorology agency lifted an earlier tsunami warning.
The power and shallow depth of the earthquake prompted the US-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a "tsunami watch" bulletin to guide local authorities on how to respond but that was later cancelled.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the archipelago is frequently struck by powerful earthquakes.
A 7.1-magnitude quake off the north coast of Papua in June killed 17 people and left thousands homeless.
The 2004 Asian tsunami -- triggered by a 9.3-magnitude quake off Sumatra -- killed at least 168,000 people in Indonesia alone.A 7.6-magnitude quake killed about 1,000 people in the port of Padang on September 30 last year. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101025/tap-indonesia-quake-tsunami-aeccaac.html

ERP Rates Increase From Next Month ( ERP - Electronic Road Pricing )

  (ERP) charges at four areas will increase by S$1 from November 1 .

The increase is part of the Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) quarterly review of ERP-priced roads and expressways.
Motorists will have to pay S$4 from 8.30am to 9am at the gantries at the East Coast Parkway (ECP) at Fort Road and the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway slip road.
Those travelling westbound on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) near Kallang Bahru from 7.30am to 8am will have to pay S$1.
Charges at the Central Business District and Bugis-Marina Centre cordon on weekdays from 6.30pm to 7pm will be S$3.
At the Orchard cordon, charges for weekdays from 6.30pm to 7pm and Saturdays from 6.30pm to 8pm will increase by S$1 to S$2.
Motorists Yahoo! Singapore spoke to were shocked by the sudden increase.
“I don’t think increasing the ERP charges will help ease congestion on the road. LTA should get feedback from motorists before deciding to raise the rates,” said HR executive Karen Ng, 28.
Added delivery driver Mohd Ismail, 57, “The traffic isn’t very heavy in the morning at the KPE slip road so I am puzzled as to why they increase it to S$4 there.”

According to LTA, the next ERP review will take place next month for the December school holidays. Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/25/erp-rates-increase-from-next-month/

Selina Jen From S.H.E Flown Back To Taiwen For Treatment

From left to right, Ella Chen, Selina Jen and Hebe Tien. (Getty Images).
Selina Jen of popular Taiwanese girlband S.H.E has been rushed to a hospital in Taiwan for treatment after she was severely burnt during a filming accident in Shanghai.
According to The China Post, the 28-year-old singer was admitted into the Linkou branch of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taipei County late on Sunday night. She was accompanied by both her father and 39-year-old fiancée, lawyer Richard Chang.

Last Friday, Jen and her Chinese co-star, Yu Haoming, 22, were badly burned when a series of planned explosions went horribly wrong during the filming of her music drama “I Have a Date with Spring



 It is reported that the pop-singer suffered 40 percent burns, including those on her back, hands and legs. She was previously hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai. Her father said that the singer will require skin transplant surgery and recuperation.
Yu himself is said to have suffered from third-degree burns and is more seriously injured than Jen. The 1.8m-tall singer-actor, who finished sixth in China reality talent show “Superboy” in 2007, has burns on his back, hands and legs as well.

While it is understood that the actors were shooting an explosion scene after several successful trials, this time, the dynamite exploded sooner than expected.

Yu Haoming (right) got even more badly burned when he tried to shield Selina from the accident. (screencap from china.org.cn)

According to China’s Sina website, a technician botched the timing of the explosions near the exit of a disused factory where they were filming. As a result, the actors were caught unprepared as they were leaving the building.
Yu was also hailed by the Chinese press for his heroics as it is believed he shielded his co-star by hugging her when the explosion happened. This saved Selina from sustaining facial injuries.

Meanwhile, the director for the drama, Chen Ming-chang who was criticized by irate fans has since apologized for the accident on his microblog.

He wrote, “I accept all criticism. After all, the accident happened before my eyes. I am responsible. I have let down everybody.”

Jen’s father told the Chinese press on Sunday morning that his daughter is in stable condition and requested for the media to give her some privacy.

However, Jen’s mother was much more emotional.

“My daughter has always been afraid of pain. So for her to go through this, it’s hard. I cant’ eat, I can’t sleep,” she said.

While Jen’s fiancée declined to speak to the media, there is speculation that the wedding – supposed to be held in April next year – may be postponed.

Jen’s fellow band members, Hebe Tien, 27 and, Ella Chen, 29, who appeared at a performance in Jiangsu on Saturday night, were also said to be emotional.

Chen, said, “I hope we can bear some of the burden for Selina.”

Tien added, “We love you (Jen) so much, this really hurts, I wish I could hug you.”

Well-wishes from other celebrities also continue to stream in. Among them was from Taiwanese pop star Jolin Tsai.

She said, “My heart aches for her, (she) will get better. We will all pray for her.”    Read more at http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/25/selina-jen-of-s-h-e-flown-back-to-taiwan-for-treatment/

Alsono Wins In Treacherous Weather ( Alsono Win In Korea , Takes F1 Tiltle Lead

YEONGAM, South Korea – Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took over the Formula One championship lead by winning Sunday's extraordinary Korean Grand Prix while rival team Red Bull had neither driver finish.
Red Bull's Mark Webber led the championship entering the race but spun out soon after racing belatedly began, while teammate Sebastian Vettel led from pole position until 10 laps from the finish when his engine failed.
The incident-strewn race began behind a safety car but was red flagged after only two laps due to persistent rain and standing water on the track. After resuming, the safety car remained out until lap 18 while water was cleared. The race went the distance but finished in darkness at 6 p.m. local time (0900 GMT).
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton finished second to keep his title chances alive and Ferrari's Felipe Massa was third.
With two races remaining in the season, Alonso moved to 231 points, ahead of Webber on 220 and Hamilton on 210. Vettel remained on 206 points and his championship chances look all but over.
"Nothing changes. It was bad luck for Mark and Sebastian but anything can happen in the next two races."
Reigning champion Jenson Button dropped out of title contention after finishing 12th.
Two laps after the cars were finally released from behind the safety car, Webber ran slightly wide at a corner, putting his tires on the slippery ripple strip and slid across the track into a wall. Webber's car drifted back across the track, and Mercedes' Nico Rosberg could not avoid hitting the Red Bull, ending the race for both drivers.
"Totally my mistake. Wasn't my day," Webber told the BBC. "This is my second non-finish of the year. There are still two races to go, I'll do my absolute best."
Mercedes' Michael Schumacher finished fourth to match his best result of the season. Renault's Robert Kubica was fifth in the inaugural Korean GP, while Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi sixth in his season-best finish.
Williams' Rubens Barrichello and Nico Hulkenberg were seventh and tenth respectively, sandwiching the Sauber pair of Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld in eighth and ninth.
Hamilton moved up from fourth to third in the drivers' standings, with renewed hope of snatching the title should Alonso and Webber falter in Brazil or Abu Dhabi.
"Its not impossible," Hamilton said. "We will keep pushing and keep the pressure on and as you saw today, things can happen.
"Ferrari and Fernando are very quick but it's not out of reach."
The start of the race was delayed by 10 minutes in the hope that the rain, which was light but persistent, would clear. It got under way behind the safety car, but it quickly became apparent that conditions were undriveable, with pools of water on the straights.
Alonso said over his radio that "these are the worst conditions I have ever driven in; it's completely impossible."
His words were echoed by McLaren's Jenson Button.
"It's like a lake on the straights," Button told his team. "You can't even see the front tires."
The red flag emerged and cars sat on the grid for 49 minutes while stewards waited for showers to pass and teams and drivers debated whether a restart was possible.
The race eventually resumed at 4.42 p.m. local time behind the safety car which stayed out for 36 minutes until the track was deemed safe for racing.
Button was the first driver to gamble on switching from wet-weather to intermediate tires, but the timing of his pit stop was poor and he emerged behind a train of slower cars and ended up near the tail of the field for the rest of the race.
Alonso had a bad pit stop of his own soon after when he came into the stop at an angle, and his team struggled to remove a wheelnut. That enabled Hamilton to move up to second, but the McLaren driver soon gave the position back by running wide at the first corner.
All the while, Vettel looked untouchable in front of the field until he dramatically slowed on lap 46 of 55, and Alonso went past on the start-finish straight. Smoke began to billow from the back of the Red Bull, and the German's race, and likely his championship hopes, were over. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20101024/tsp-car-f1-korean-gp-8th-ld-writethru-6e81073_1.html

Heavy Rain Lessens Haze ( PSI Remain In ' Good ' Range )

 The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading fell to as low as 13 yesterday evening.
This morning, the three-hour PSI reading rose to 34 at 11 am but PSI levels 50 and below remain in the “good range”.
A National Environment Agency (NEA) spokesman told The Straits Times (ST), heavy rain over Singapore and Sumatra – including parts of the Riau province and the Strait of Malacca – on Saturday, contributed largely to the clearer skies yesterday.
But the haze, caused by forest fires in Indonesia, may persist for the next two days if the burning goes on, said the NEA.
Deputy head of the geography department at the National University of Singapore Matthias Roth suggested that winds blowing from other directions – not just Indonesia – towards Singapore could have helped lessen the haze over the weekend as well.
He told ST, the “hot spot count” may have reduced over the last few days, but added, “this, however, is difficult to verify because forest fires cannot be detected by satellites during cloudy or overcast conditions.”
More than 10,000 people continued to participate in the Nike City 10K run yesterday morning, reported Today. The PSI was below 40 till noon.
Many told the paper they felt the haze had little impact on their performance.
The lowered PSI readings also brought families out on Saturday . Many spent the day outdoors at East Coast Park while Orchard Road was packed with shoppers.
Over at Suntec City, the Canon PhotoMarathon also saw 1,700 people participating, while S-League matches resumed after some games were postponed due to the high PSI level.
However, some businesses continue to be affected by the haze. Owner of My3Wheels Andrew Kung, 39, told The Sunday Times his trikke – a three-wheel cambering vehicle – business was down 80 per cent compared to last weekend. Read more http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/10/24/psi-level-dips-after-heavy-rain/

Gunmen Storm Party , Kill 13 In Mexico Border City

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (AFP) - – Gunmen burst into a party and shot dead 13 young people and wounded 20 others in the Mexican border city of Cuidad Juarez, the third massacre in the city this year, authorities have said.
"The victims were in the back yard of the house having a party when hooded men, in dark uniforms and with rifles, arrived in several vans, broke in and began shooting indiscriminately at those inside," said a police official in this troubled metropolis across the border from the US city of El Paso, Texas.
The young gunmen screamed insults as they opened fired on the crowd, according to witnesses, who told the police the hail of fire went on for five minutes.
At least four women were among the dead, and a seven-year-old girl was wounded, police said.
"The motive remains unknown for this attack on 33 people in the Horizontes del Sur district, in which 13 people were killed and 20 injured," Chihuahua state prosecutor Carlos Manuel Salas told a news conference.
Local media reported that the death toll rose to 15 after three people died of their wounds in hospital, and that five other people were in serious condition. The media reports said five women between the ages of 16 and 24 were killed.
The massacre, which bore the chilling hallmarks of a drug cartel attack, began at 1:40 am Saturday.
Seven vans loaded with armed men pulled up outside a house where a party was under way in a residential district known as Horizontes del Sur.
They barged in and began shooting, while gunmen guarded the approaches to the house in vehicles posted at the two nearest street crossings, witnesses told police.
Local media showed images of bodies strewn among cars parked in the garage of a house.
Puddles of blood and bloodstained walls were visible at the house along with abandoned pocketbooks, shoes and overturned food, bottles and other remnants of the party.
The scale of the bloodshed was such that there weren't enough ambulances to take away the dead and wounded.
Neighbors stepped in and drove victims to the hospital.
Many were too terrified to talk to reporters about what happened.
"Leave, please go away, don't make me vulnerable, I cannot talk," said a woman from her doorway. "If I did, the killers would return. They warned us."
Identification of victims was still under way at midday Saturday.
Several were high school students between the ages of 13 and 17. A 30-year-old woman who owned the house also was among the dead.
It was the third massacre of its kind in the city this year, and the seventh in all of Mexico.
On January 31, 16 youths were killed when gunmen opened fire at a party in the city, and on June 11, 19 people were gunned down in a drug rehabilitation center.
Ciudad Juarez, with a population of 1.2 million people across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, is at the epicenter of a ferocious drug war between two major drug cartels.
In just the past three years, an estimated 6,500 people have been murdered here as the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels battle it out for lucrative drug routes into the United States.
Drug violence has flared all along with northern border, punctuated by gruesome murders and massacres.
On February 1, gunmen shot up a bar in the neighboring state of Coahuila, killing 10 people. The assailants were reported to be prison inmates who were let out for the night to work as guns for hire.
On March 28, bandits killed 10 youths at a roadblock in the state of Durango.
An armed gang killed 18 people at a party in Torreon, Coahuila in an episode reminiscent of the latest attack on July 18. Inmates from the local prison were suspected in that attack as well.
On August 28, the bodies of 72 undocumented immigrants from Central and South America were found on a ranch in the border state of Tamaulipas. A survivor accused the "Zetas" cartel. Read more at http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20101024/twl-mexico-crime-drugs-4bdc673.html