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Singapore Is Most Liveabe City In Asia For Expatriates

Singapore remains the most liveable city in Asia and the world for expatriates while Hong Kong slips to the 33rd place from 17th in the global ranking of expatriate living conditions published by ECA International.

In Asia, Kuala Lumpur and George Town both ranked 16th in Asia and 118th in the world, while Johor Baharu 21st in Asia and 126th in the world.

In 2014, Kuala Lumpur was 16th, George Town (17th) and Johor Baharu (21st) in Asia.

ECA International regional director – Asia Lee Quane said: “Good air quality, solid infrastructure, decent medical facilities, low crime and health risks have contributed to Singapore maintaining its position at the top of the global ranking for quality of living for Asian assignees.

“The fact that Singapore comes out top time and time again does make it a very attractive proposition for companies looking to set up in offices the region, particularly when conditions in Hong Kong (Singapore’s archival for the past few years) have deteriorated a little.”

Updated annually, ECA assesses 450 locations worldwide on the quality of living based on climate; availability of health services; housing and utilities; isolation; access to a social network and leisure facilities; infrastructure; personal safety; political tensions, and air quality.

Singapore is followed by Sydney and Adelaide in the ranking for Asian assignees.

In mainland China, Shanghai, ranked 110th globally, is China’s most liveable city followed by Beijing (122nd).

Scores have remained steady across most Chinese locations but Chongqing and Shenzhen saw the highest improvement over the year.

In India, Bangalore, ranked 171st globally scores most favourably followed by Mumbai and Chennai. New Delhi (204th) is the least liveable.

Along with Beijing, Delhi has the worst score for air quality not just in Asia but globally.

In Thailand, the declaration of martial law has led to a worsening in socio-political scores for locations there, plummeting Bangkok and Chang Mai both to the 112th spot, down from last year’s 108th.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

January 23, 2015
200 Complaints Lodged With Regard To The English-Speaking Competency Of Bus Captains

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has received around 200 complaints regarding the language abilities of bus captains, most of which were on their ability to converse in English.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew revealed this in a written reply to MP for Aljunied GRC Muhamad Faisal’s parliamentary question on the number of public feedback received with regard to the language abilities of bus captains.

Mr Lui added that all bus captains are required to have a basic competency in conversational English before being deployed. Once LTA has received legitimate feedback, they will then inform the relevant public transport operators, who will send the bus captain for a refresher course.

The bus captain will only be redeployed once he has passed a language test.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

January 23, 2015
King Abdullah Of Saudi Arabia Has Passed Away

RIYADH (AFP, REUTERS) – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, 90, died on Friday and Crown Prince Salman was named king, the royal court said in a statement on Friday.

The late monarch’s half brother Moqren was named crown prince, according to the statement.

Saudi television cut to Quranic verses early on Friday, which often signifies death of a senior royal.

King Abdullah had been in hospital since December because of pneumonia.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

January 23, 2015
Blogger Alex Au Wai Pang Guilty Of Contempt Of Court

Blogger Alex Au Wai Pang was on Thursday (Jan 22) found guilty of scandalising contempt over a blogpost in which he discussed challenges of the constitutionality of Section 377A.

However, High Court judge Belinda Ang found that a second post by Au was not in contempt of court.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) took action against Au, 61, over two articles on his Yawning Bread blog in October 2013, arguing that the articles were not fair criticism and risked undermining public confidence in judiciary. The AGC also charged that the articles were baseless attacks against the authority of court and crossed the legal line.

Justice Ang found that Au’s first article, 377 Wheels Come Off Supreme Court’s Best Laid Plans, had imputed judicial partiality and impropriety on the part of the Chief Justice, and risked undermining public confidence in the administration of justice in Singapore.

However, she ruled that the AGC failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt the charge of scandalising contempt on the second post titled Church Sacks Employee and Sues Government – on one ground right, on another ground wrong.

In this post, Au wrote that he did not have high hopes that former Robinson & Co employee Lawrence Wee’s application for a court declaration that Article 12 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, “mostly because my confidence in the Singapore judiciary is as limp as a flag on a windless day”.

Justice Ang disagreed with the prosecution that Au’s graphic description of his lack of confidence in the judiciary “stems from the judiciary’s inadequacies, incompetence and/or partiality against cases which relate to issues of sexual orientation”.

Sentencing for Au’s conviction in relation to the first article will proceed at a later date.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

January 23, 2015
Saudi Arabia Plans To Delay Public Flogging Of Saudi Rights Activist

DUBAI – Saudi Arabia plans to delay the public flogging of a rights activist on medical grounds, Amnesty International said on Thursday, raising the possibility that Riyadh may be trying to quietly drop the punishment that has drawn international rebuke.

Badawi, a blogger and founder of the “Free Saudi Liberals” website, was sentenced last year to 10 years in jail, a fine of 1 million riyals ($267,000) and 1,000 lashes.

He was arrested in June 2012 for offences which included of insulting Islam, cyber crime and disobeying his father – a crime in Saudi Arabia.

Badawi was subjected to the first 50 lashes two weeks ago but a second round of flogging, scheduled to be held last Friday after Friday prayers was postponed, ostensibly on medical grounds.

Amnesty International, in a statement sent to Reuters on Thursday, said Badawi’s planned flogging on Friday will be suspended again after a medical committee assessed that he should not undergo a second round of lashes on health grounds.

“The committee, comprised of around eight doctors, carried out a series of tests on Raif Badawi at the King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah yesterday (Wednesday) and recommended that the flogging should not be carried out,” the statement said.

Political stakes over Badawi’s case, which included a charge of insulting Islam, have been heightened by this month’s attack on Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris and its subsequent publication of more cartoons lampooning Islam’s Prophet Mohammad.

The United States had called on Riyadh to cancel the sentence of 1,000 lashes.

Amnesty said Badawi was still at risk of flogging despite the medical report, and called on authorities to “publicly announce an end to his flogging”.

“There is no way of knowing whether the Saudi Arabian authorities will disregard the medical advice and allow the flogging to go ahead.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

January 23, 2015