 Local singer Elson Soh was invited to be the only Singapore guest artiste for the filming of top-rated Taiwanese Variety Show 'The Hunger Games' (飢餓遊戲). The variety show, hosted by boyband 5566, was in town for their special 3-year anniversary special episodes filming. Being fan of boyband 5566 since his teenage days, Elson was feeling excited to be working alongside with them. "To be able to be part of the program I would say it is a dream come true for me. Growing up, I have always watched idol dramas and sing songs of 5566 at KTVs etc. So to be able to work with them, is truly an experience I will always cherish for the rest of my life. On top of that, I'm also proud to be the only Singaporean artiste representative. I would like to thank the producers for doing me such a great honour."  During filming, Elson also had the chance to partner with other artistes from Taiwan. He certainly had the honour to be a part of the special 2-part episodes.
So if you want to catch Elson and the rest of the casts in action, remember to stay tune Royal Entertainment Singapore Facebook page for more updates. Royal Entertainment Singapore: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalEntertainmentSG/  NEW YORK: Johnson & Johnson must pay US$8 billion in punitive damages to a man who previously won US$680,000 over his claims that it failed to warn that young men using its antipsychotic drug Risperdal could grow breasts, a Philadelphia jury said on Tuesday (Oct 8).
The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas jury's verdict in favour of Nicholas Murray came in the first case in which a Pennsylvania jury had been able to consider awarding punitive damages in one of thousands of Risperdal cases pending in the state. "This jury, as have other juries in other litigations, once again imposed punitive damages on a corporation that valued profits over safety and profits over patients," Murray's lawyers, Tom Kline and Jason Itkin, said in a joint statement. "Johnson & Johnson and (subsidiary) Janssen chose billions over children." J&J said the award was "grossly disproportionate with the initial compensatory award in this case, and the company is confident it will be overturned". It added that the jury in the case had not been allowed to hear evidence of Risperdal's benefits. Professor Carl Tobias of the University of Richmond School of Law said he expects the punitive damages to be lowered on appeal, citing a US Supreme Court decision which found that "few awards exceeding a single-digit ratio between punitive and compensatory damages, to a significant degree, will satisfy due process". Tobias said the verdict was about sending a message. "A jury, if it's outrageous enough conduct, will award a big number and let the lawyers and judges work it out," he said. Tobias added that the verdict could be a sign that J&J will face more large damages awards in other Risperdal cases. "The kind of evidence in this trial may persuade another jury or judge to do something similar," he said. Murray, like other male plaintiffs in the mass tort litigation over Risperdal, alleges that he developed breasts after being prescribed the medicine when he was a minor. The US Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in late 1993 for treating schizophrenia and episodes of bipolar mania in adults. Plaintiffs claim that J&J failed to warn of the risk of gynecomastia, the development of enlarged breasts in males, associated with Risperdal, which they say the company marketed for unapproved uses with children. In his lawsuit, Murray, now 26, alleged that he developed breasts after his doctors began prescribing him Risperdal off-label in 2003 after a psychologist diagnosed him with autism spectrum disorder. Doctors are allowed to prescribe medicines as they see fit, while companies are only allowed to promote their drugs for approved uses. A jury in 2015 awarded Murray US$1.75 million after finding J&J was negligent in failing to warn of the risk of gynecomastia. A state appeals court upheld the verdict in February 2018 but reduced it to US$680,000. Plaintiffs in the mass tort litigation had been barred from seeking punitive damages since 2014, when a state court judge ruled that the law of New Jersey, which prohibits punitive damages and is J&J's home state, should be applied globally to the cases. But a Pennsylvania Superior Court ruling in 2018 cleared the way for punitive damages awards, holding that the law of each plaintiff's state should instead apply.  SINGAPORE: Former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama will attend events in Singapore in December, according to a media release on Wednesday (Oct 9).
The Obamas will share their experiences with attendees in separate public events as part of a series, business events provider The Growth Faculty announced. Mr Obama will present his first public business event in Singapore, speaking on his time as a US President and his thoughts on leadership in the world, according to The Growth Faculty website. He will speak at the Singapore EXPO on Dec 16, 2019, from 11.30am to 1pm. The event will also feature a panel discussion with "high level Singapore leaders", the release said. Tickets for members of The Growth Faculty range from to S$295 to S$1,195, and non-members can purchase tickets for S$345 to S$1,295. Mrs Obama will share experiences from her personal memoir, Becoming, where she will reflect on private and public moments that have shaped her life, and highlights from her time as the First Lady. Her event will take place at the Singapore EXPO on Dec 14, 2019, from 7.30pm to 9pm. Tickets for members of The Growth Faculty are from S$295 to S$795, and non-members can purchase tickets for S$345 to S$895. The Obamas made their Hollywood movie debut back in August with the documentary American Factory which was the first product of a multi-year collaboration between Netflix and Higher Ground, the couple's production company.  SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old cyclist was taken to hospital after an accident involving a bus on Monday (Oct 7) at Sembawang.
According to the police, the incident took place at the junction of Sembawang Way and Sembawang Drive. A video circulating on social media showed a man lying face down on the road, surrounded by passersby and a man wearing an SMRT vest. The cyclist was conscious when taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, the police said, adding that investigations are ongoing. In a statement on Wednesday, SMRT said its Care Team has reached out to the cyclist at the hospital to "provide support and assistance". "Meanwhile, we are assisting police in their investigations," it added. This is the second accident in a week involving a cyclist. A pedestrian was knocked down by a cyclist at the junction of Sims Avenue and Geylang Lorong 33 on Oct 1. The pedestrian, 53-year-old Chew Fook Yew, was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he had surgery for a severe head injury. He later slipped into a coma and died from his injuries on Sunday. Last month, a 65-year-old cyclist died after an accident with a Personal Mobility Device rider along Block 539 Bedok North Street 3.  Speaking of food, Singaporeans are exceptionally well in finding the best of the best. Be it those with long queues or 'Michelin-rated', they are all well loved by foodies. One such place is located in Bedok North Street 3- G Lucky Coffeeshop. The stalls had been carefully selected and brought over to the new management of G Lucky to preserve the heritage of the Food.  Nurain's Malay Food serves authentic simple dishes yet require skills to prepare them. Our Editor noticed that their customers will start queuing for their comfort food like Lontong and Mee Siam since the opening. Not forgetting their Nasi Lemak- rich coconut aroma and crispy chicken wing with an old school taste. You have to try their Lontong and Mee Siam for yourself. The Vegetarian stall is a hidden gem. Their Wanton noodle may be the Star of their stall as the noodle is still tangy and not overly soft even after leaving for some time. The dish has a unique fragrance which makes it aromatic and appetising.  Another stall selling pancakes, also known as Mian Jian kueh, is also a star on its own. Opening the stall very early, his different types of pancakes sell off before noon. You have to get there early to try your hands on them before they finish. Fancy a bowl of hot dessert? They are available at the drink stall and they will certainly add a sweet note to the food hunt.  G Lucky Coffee Shop
Block 539 Bedok North Street 3 #01-593 Singapore 460539 Operating Hours: 6.00am - 12.00am (Monday to Sunday) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GLuckyCoffeeShop/  BEIRUT: A feared Turkish invasion of northeast Syria could spark a resurgence of the Islamic State group, analysts and Kurdish forces have warned, despite Ankara's pledge to prevent the militants' return.
Ankara has threatened an offensive in Syria against Kurdish militias it considers terrorists and US forces on Monday (Oct 7) pulled back from Turkish border areas, opening the way for an invasion President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said could come at any moment. An open assault would reverse years of successful Kurdish-led operations to defeat IS and allow some of its surviving leaders to come out of hiding, said the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish militia that controls much of northeastern Syria. With little other leverage left in the regional game, Sam Heller of the International Crisis Group think tank, told AFP the SDF has an "interest" in warning of an IS threat if open conflict breaks out with rival Turkey. "But the fact is that ISIS is still a threat, one that seems likely to metastasise if the SDF is forced to divert attention and resources ... to a defensive battle against Turkey," he said, using another acronym for IS. While a Kurdish-led operation earlier this year saw the death of IS's territorial caliphate, the organisation isn't dead and sleeper cells have been active in SDF-held areas and in Syria's vast desert where they continue to hit regime forces with deadly attacks and ambushes. Charles Lister, director of the US-based Middle East Institute, said US President Donald Trump was "granting IS the gift of rebirth". The US military itself has warned that, short of sustained international pressure, IS would soon have the ability to regroup. "The battle against IS is not over," Abdulkarim Omar, the top Kurdish foreign affairs official, told reporters on Monday. "There are hundreds of sleeper cells in recently liberated areas," he said. CAMPS AND DETENTION CENTRES The SDF, with backing from the US-led coalition, has scored major victories against IS near the Turkish border in Kobane and in the militants' former Syria capital of Raqa. This year, they declared the territorial defeat of the group after seizing Baghouz, the final IS bastion in eastern Syria. The SDF is now concerned that militants could replenish their ranks by freeing thousands of fighters and their families who are being held in detention centres and informal settlements in Syria's northeast. The Kurds consistently warned that they would be unable to guard IS fighters if their forces were busy fighting off a Turkish offensive. On Monday, Omar said that detention centres are not heavily fortified. "They are only buildings ... in the event of any security vacuum, these criminals could have an opportunity to break free," he said. The official also said he was concerned about displacement camps, namely Al-Hol, the largest of the settlements, which he described as a "time bomb". Security incidents have been on the rise in the crowded camp, which houses more than 3,000 IS families among its more than 70,000 residents, according to the Kurdish administration in northeast Syria. The thousands of foreign IS brides held in Al-Hol, are "as dangerous as the thousands of IS fighters being held in SDF detention centres", it said this week, noting daily stabbings, killings and attempts to break free. IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has urged followers to free detained militants and family members held at camps in Iraq and Syria, vowing "revenge" in an audio recording released on Sep 16. SDF spokesman Mustefa Bali last month said IS militants "have stepped up their regrouping efforts through women in the camp recently". TURKISH ASSURANCES The Institute for the Study of War last week said IS is bribing prison guards and raising funds to smuggle women out of camps, including Al-Hol. "ISIS is likely preparing more coordinated and sophisticated operations to free its detained members," it said in a report citing incidents in which prisoners and IS brides managed to break free. Turkey, however, assured Monday that it "would not allow IS to return in any shape and form". But analysts argue that Ankara could unintentionally help boost militants. "Turkey will not intentionally target camps and prisons but it could inadvertently strike them in the process of intervention," Syria expert Samuel Ramani told reporters. Heller also said a direct Turkish attack on camps and prisons was unlikely. "What seems more likely is that these facilities, which are already vulnerable to riots and attempted jailbreaks, will be left vulnerable as the SDF redeploys the forces securing them to fight Turkey," he said. "If ISIS cadres escape in the ensuing chaos, they could catalyse ISIS operations locally. Or, if they flee the Syrian battlefield, they could augment militant groups internationally."  SINGAPORE: A security guard was sentenced to three weeks' jail on Tuesday (Oct 8) for molesting a man on a train after showing him a pornographic video.
Marimuthu Jayabal, 67, had pleaded guilty to one charge of using criminal force on the 20-year-old victim to outrage his modesty. A second charge of showing him pornography was taken into consideration. The court heard that the 20-year-old student, whose identity is protected by gag order, boarded the train at about 3.25pm on Jul 4 last year. He took the train from Yio Chu Kang station and was heading home in the direction of Bukit Gombak, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Lim. Marimuthu boarded the train along the way, and sat down before staring at the victim, who looked away and ignored him. However, the victim noticed that Marimuthu kept staring at him and licked his lips. The victim then sat down near the entrance, but the older man kept staring at him and gestured for the victim to sit beside him. The victim shook his head and looked away, and Marimuthu made a gesture around his shirt pocket, indicating an offer of money to him. After some time, Marimuthu went to sit next to the victim and started talking to the young man, who looked straight ahead. Marimuthu then tapped him on his thigh and showed him a homosexual pornographic video playing on his phone, said the prosecutor. Marimuthu then asked the victim if he liked the video, and the latter replied "no" and looked away. The security guard then touched the victim on his thigh and moved his hand along it, at which the student stood up and went towards the door. Marimuthu followed him as the victim exited the train station, tailing him to a traffic light and gesturing at him to slow down. The victim ignored him but decided to go to a police station to lodge a report after seeing that Marimuthu was still following him. The prosecution had asked for at least three weeks' jail, saying the offence had taken place on public transport, and that there was a growing need for the court to deter offenders from molesting people on public transport. The showing of a pornographic film, prolonged staring and other actions suggest premeditation, he added. For using criminal force on the victim to outrage his modesty, Marimuthu could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any such combination of these penalties.  SINGAPORE: A woman facing two charges of embezzling money from a cafe at the National University of Singapore (NUS) failed to show up in court on Tuesday (Oct 8).
A warrant of arrest was issued for Li Liqing, 31, after she jumped bail and did not show up for the hearing on Tuesday morning set for her guilty plea. She faces two charges of criminal breach of trust as a servant, and is accused of embezzling about S$8,000 from Crown Coffee at NUS between July 2018 and March this year. According to charge sheets, she was a crew member at Crown Coffee at 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road when she allegedly took S$5,283 from the company on one occasion in July last year, and S$2,608 between February and March this year. The penalties for criminal breach of trust as a servant are a maximum jail term of 15 years and a fine.  Located at Punggol End Road, The Punggol Settlement is a getaway place from our busy and hectic schedules and to get together with families and friends with good food. Offering a scenic full seafront view, The Punggol Settlement is a gem in the North Eastern part of Singapore which offers outdoor activities and different cuisines. Being one of the entry points into Coney Island, The Punggol Settlement spots a bicycle rental shop for outdoor enthusiasts who like to rent a bicycle for their island exploration.  End your day with some comfortable food from 2 levels of choices- from Thai mookata, western to Chinese seafood. There will be one to suit your taste for any occasions.
If you are still thinking where to head out to this weekend, The Punggol Settlement is definitely a good option to head out for a day's of activities. The Punggol Settlement 3 Punggol Point Road Singapore 828694 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePunggolSettlement/  WASHINGTON: A 79-year-old man murdered at least 50 people, making him the most prolific serial killer in US history, the FBI said Sunday (Oct 7).
Samuel Little confessed to 93 homicides - mostly of women - between 1970 and 2005, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said. Although investigators have only confirmed his involvement in 50 of them, they believe all of Little's confessions are credible. The FBI has set up a website showing his videotaped recollections of unidentified killings, alongside sketches - drawn by Little - of the people he claims to have murdered. "Many of his victims' deaths, however, were originally ruled overdoses or attributed to accidental or undetermined causes. Some bodies were never found," the FBI wrote on the website. He was jailed for life in 2014 after being convicted of three murders. "For many years, Samuel Little believed he would not be caught because he thought no one was accounting for his victims," FBI crime analyst Christie Palazzolo said. "Even though he is already in prison, the FBI believes it is important to seek justice for each victim - to close every case possible." The former boxer, also known as Samuel McDowell, was first arrested in 2012 at a homeless shelter in Kentucky and extradited to California to face drug charges. Once there, DNA evidence linked him to three cold cases, leading to his 2014 conviction for the murder of three women in Los Angeles between 1987 and 1989. All three had been beaten and strangled. |