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Hello Jammu News at 7:39:00 PM 0


Singapore, Mar 22 :  Singapore has reported 47 new coronavirus cases, including 39 imported infections, taking the total number to 432 in the country, officials have said.

The city-state reported two deaths related to the COVID-19 infections on Saturday while 89 foreigners were banned for breaching safety measures.

Most of these new cases in Singapore have been imported cases, that is, returning residents and long-term pass holders with travel history to Europe, North America, South-east Asia and other parts of Asia, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

There were 432 cases of the deadly coronavirus in Singapore as of Saturday evening. Fourteen cases are in critical condition in the intensive care unit out of the 290 hospitalised patients. A total of 140 cases have fully recovered from the infection of the deadly virus, the officials said.

Singapore authorities have introduced stricter and safe distancing measures on Friday to reduce the risk of further local transmission and said all events and gatherings with 250 or more participants are to be suspended until June 30, reported local media.

Events with fewer than 250 people and operators of venues accessible to the public, such as restaurants and cinemas, are required to implement measures to ensure separation of at least 1 metres between patrons.

All doctors in public and private hospitals, as well as private specialist clinics, have been advised by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to immediately stop or defer accepting new foreign patients who do not reside in Singapore.

They have also been instructed to encourage their current foreign patients to seek continued care in their home countries, according to a media report.

Noel Yeo, senior vice-president, medical company Parkway Pantai's Singapore operations division, said that non-essential procedures were already mostly postponed after the city-state raised Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) level to orange.

However, "there were still a small number of patients who came to us for critical or essential treatment," he was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.

"Under MOH's new directive, all new cases of such patients who do not reside in Singapore will be asked to defer their appointments or seek medical care elsewhere. We are working with our doctors to ensure that these patients continue to be cared for as adequately as possible," Yeo said.

Meanwhile, 89 foreigners, who are work pass holders, have been permanently banned from working in Singapore, said the Manpower Ministry.

They have had their passes revoked as of Saturday for breaching entry approval and stay-home notice requirements.

The Ministry has also suspended the work pass privileges of the employers for periods ranging from one to three years, as they had failed to discharge their duties to ensure that their employees comply with the Leave of Absence (LOA) or stay-home notice requirements.

Of the 89 work passes revoked, 73 work pass holders with travel history to COVID-19 affected countries and entered Singapore without obtaining entry approval from the ministry.

The remaining 16 work pass holders were caught breaching the LOA or stay-home notice requirements here.

Some work pass holders were caught working at their workplaces, while others were caught leaving their place of residence during the period of their LOA or stay-home notice, even when instructed not to do so, said the ministry.

The ministry reminded employers to seek approval online for work pass holders to enter or return to Singapore, as entry approvals and stay-home notices are now required for work pass holders entering Singapore from anywhere in the world.

Employers should inform their employees not to make travel plans to Singapore until approval has been obtained from the ministry.

The Manpower Ministry stressed that it will continue to take enforcement measures against errant employers or employees who do not comply with the requirements, including the revocation of work passes and suspension of work pass privileges.

More than 21,200 stay-home notices have been issued in Singapore as of Thursday, with the restriction being expanded to apply to all travellers entering Singapore from Saturday.

Those who fail to comply with the notice face prosecution under Section 21A of the Infectious Diseases Act, and may be fined up to SGD10,000, jailed up to six months, or both.

Other penalties include revoking or shortening the validity of a person's permanent residency status, long-term visit pass, dependent's pass, student's pass or work pass.

According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, the death toll from the virus globally has risen to 13,044 with 307,104 cases reported in 171 countries and territories.
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Hello Jammu News at 6:52:00 PM 0


Singapore, Apr 11 :  Olympic silver medallist P V Sindhu advanced to the women's singles quarterfinals of the USD 355,000 Singapore Open with a straight-game win over Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt here Thursday.

Fourth seeded Sindhu took 39 minutes to get the better of world number 22 Mia 21-13 21-19, her second straight win over the Danish girl, who had clinched the Spain Masters this year.

World number 6 Sindhu will next face China's Cai Yanyan, a BWF World Junior Championships bronze medallist.

While Sindhu led throughout the first game after opening up a 3-0 advantage, the Indian was locked in a tight battle with Mia in the second till 8-8 and was trailing 11-15 at one stage.

However, Sindhu managed to claw back 17-17 and then nosed ahead to seal the issue in her favour.

Sindhu had reached the semifinals at the India Open last month.                    [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 5:31:00 PM 0


Singapore, Feb 21 :  Singapore Airlines insisted Thursday that cameras on its planes' entertainment systems had been disabled after an outcry online from worried passengers who spotted the tiny lenses peering at them.

Travellers took to Twitter and other social media to raise the alarm over the cameras at the bottom of seatback screens on a number of the Singapore flag carrier's newer aircraft.

"Just found this interesting sensor looking at me from the seat back on board of Singapore Airlines. Any expert opinion of whether is a camera?" passenger Vitaly Kamluk tweeted.

His tweet was accompanied by photos of the monitor with the embedded camera.

Another passenger urged the airline in a tweet to "notify all your passengers and get their consent, particularly EU residents, that you are doing this, why, what are you doing with the data and how long you keep it".

The airline confirmed that some of its latest inflight entertainment systems did have fixed cameras -- but assured passengers that they had been disabled.

"These cameras have been intended by the manufacturers for future developments. These cameras have been permanently disabled on our aircraft and cannot be activated on board," the airline said in a statement.
 
"We have no plans to enable or develop any features using the cameras.                    [Agencies]
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Hello Jammu News at 11:43:00 AM 0


Singapore, Oct 11 (AFP) The world's longest commercial flight took off from Singapore on Thursday, with excited and apprehensive passengers on board settling in for a marathon 19 hours in the air to New York.


A spokeswoman for Singapore Airlines told AFP that Flight SQ22 departed at approximately 11:35pm (1535 GMT) with 150 passengers and 17 crew on board.

Two pilots, a special "wellness" menu and more than seven weeks' worth of film and television entertainment accompany the travellers on the 16,700-kilometre (10,400-mile) journey to the Big Apple.

The long-range Airbus A350-900ULR is configured to carry up to 161 passengers -- 67 in business class and 94 in premium economy, with no regular economy seats available.

For the flight crew -- which also includes two first officers and a 13-strong cabin contingent -- the workload will be broken up, the airline said, with each pilot having a minimum eight hours' rest during the flight.

But for passengers, the challenge will be what to do with all that down time when they're up in the air.

For those not packing a weighty novel (or two), there will be 1,200 hours of audio-visual entertainment to choose from.

Dining options will include dishes the airline says have been selected to promote well-being in the skies, with organic offerings on the menu.

Passenger Peggy Ang, 52, said before the flight that she felt "apprehensive because I'm not sure what would I do in 18.5 hours" inside the plane.

"Now that you asked me, I'm a little bit worried. I'm thinking of sleeping, watching TV, doing my work," she told reporters after checking in at Changi Airport for the flight.

"I have a lot of notes to read, hopefully I can sleep well," said Ang, a membership director of an IT services firm.

Some of the passengers were flight enthusiasts, like Singaporean engineer Danny Ong, 50, who bought a return ticket.

"I'm coming back on the next flight. I enjoy the passion of flying," he told AFP, adding he would binge on the in-flight entertainment.

Pier Messaggio, 41, an Italian electronics designer based in Singapore, said he is part of a group called "First to Fly" whose members have been on board all of Singapore Airlines' inaugural flights.

He and his group met during the world's first commercial flight of the Airbus A380 double-decker plane operated by the airline in 2007 and discovered that everyone had a passion for flying.

"I fly for fun... I'm an aviation enthusiast," Messaggio told AFP.

Airbus said the A350-900URL plane's cabin has higher-than-normal ceilings, larger windows and lighting designed to reduce jet lag -- all part of an effort to lessen the stresses that can accompany almost a day on a plane.

"Research has shown that hydration and food intake are important factors (to consider), such as avoiding foods that cause gas or bloating as well as excessive alcohol," Rhenu Bhuller, a healthcare expert at consultancy Frost & Sullivan, told AFP.

"The biggest concern is Deep Vein Thrombosis from a combination of sitting for too long and also from dehydration," said Gail Cross, an associate consultant at the National University Hospital in Singapore.

The twin-engine plane uses a modified system that burns 25 percent less fuel than other aircraft of a similar size, Airbus said.

The flight from the city-state to Newark Airport can take up to 18 hours and 45 minutes under normal weather conditions, but the pilots will have something in reserve in an aircraft capable of flying more than 20 hours non-stop.

Singapore Airlines originally flew the route for nine years using the gas-guzzling, four-engine A340-500 before abandoning it in 2013 because high oil prices made the service unprofitable.

But the carrier is hoping that the introduction of more fuel-efficient planes will set cash registers ringing even as crude prices soar above 80.

Thursday's flight will top the current longest direct air link between cities -- Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes.

"It's turning out to be a race between a few airlines eyeing the longest routes inter-continentally," said Shukor Yusof of aviation consultancy Endau Analytics.

"They are hoping to capitalise and exploit a very niche market," he told AFP.

Facing increasingly strong competition in recent years, Singapore Airlines has consolidated its low-fare subsidiaries and is strengthening its premium segment.

"Ultra-long haul services comprise an important component of that strategy," an airline spokesman told AFP.

The company is the first airline in the world to operate the A350-900ULR plane. It received the first aircraft in September. Six more are due for delivery by the end of the year.

"We are optimistic about the demand for non-stop services to the US," the spokesman said.

Analyst Shukor, however, said it remained to be seen whether the airline and other operators of marathon flights can withstand the pressure from rising oil prices. (AFP) PMS

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Hello Jammu News at 2:02:00 PM 0

Singapore, Oct 3: A 35-year-old Indian national, who tried to extort half-a-million Singapore dollars from Standard Chartered Bank here, was charged in court here.

Nagarajan Balajee faces a jail term of between two and five years and caning under a charge of "attempting to commit extortion," The Straits Times reported Wednesday.

According to court documents, Balajee had allegedly threatened to publish a defamatory libel concerning Aalishaan Zaidi, 47, the global head of digital banking at Standard Chartered Bank, unless he paid SGD 500,000.

Zaidi was one of a few bank employees who received the threatening e-mails sent anonymously. He made the police report on the bank's behalf.

Balajee was arrested on September 30 along Kovan Road in suburbun Singapore. Several laptops and mobile phones were seized from him in connection with the case, the police said.

The bank had made a police report last Thursday about how it had been threatened with a leakage of confidential information.

Balajee is believed to have used multiple fictitious e-mail accounts to deliver the threats to the bank anonymously, according to The Straits Times.

Preliminary investigations by the police also found that he might have used overseas registered mobile lines and virtual private network (VPN) services to mask his identity, to evade detection. VPNs allow unauthorised content from overseas to be accessed by users.

Balajee is currently out on SGD 20,000 bail and will be back in court on October 30. (PTI)

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Hello Jammu News at 4:36:00 PM 0

Singapore, Sep 22: Leading musical instrument maker Yamaha will commence production of acoustic guitars and portable keyboards early next year from its factory in Tamil Nadu and expects to export 20-30 per cent from the first year's production, a top company official has said.

According to Yamaha Music India, the company would produce 400,000 acoustic guitars and 300,000 portable keyboards a year in the coming years.

"YMI is leading Japan's Yamaha group in the Singapore dollar 720 million investment for two-phase development of a factory that would eventually produce 400,000 acoustic guitars and 300,000 portable keyboards a year, said YMI managing director Takashi Haga on Friday.

Yamaha investment is proceeding smoothly with a good support from the Tamil Nadu government, said Haga while addressing a seminar on promotion of Global Investors Meet 2019 to be hosted by Tamil Nadu on January 23 and 24, 2019.

The Japanese company has invested Singapore dollar 380 million for the first phase of the factory that is coming up at One Hub Chennai industrial zone in Tamil Nadu.

The development has been given all clearances with Phase I construction that started in July last year. Preparation are underway to commence production from early next year.

Most of the YMI production will be for the Indian market, though Haga expects to initially export about 20-30 per cent from first year production of 100,000 sets.

Exports volume will decrease as Yamaha expects strong demand for its products in the year ahead, said Haga, adding that the market has been surveyed.

"We have started music school which is collaborating with private schools across the country," Haga said. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 6:22:00 PM 0

Singapore, Aug 18: Singapore's foreign minister has condoled the death of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said the former Indian prime minister will always be remembered as a good friend of the country.

Vajpayee, one of India's most charismatic leaders and inspirational orators, died on August 16 at the age of 93 in New Delhi.

"Vajpayee was a selfless and visionary leader who made great contribution India, transforming the economy and elevating the standing in the region and the world," Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan wrote in the condolence book at the Indian High Commission here.

"He oversaw strong growth in the relation between our two countries (Singapore and India) and will always be remembered as a good friend of Singapore," Balakrishnan wrote.

The Indian-origin Singaporean minister expressed deepest condolences to the Government and people of India on Vajpayee's death.

"Our thoughts are with the people of India in this time of sorrow," Balakrishnan wrote. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 4:50:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jul 28: India can attract more foreign firms if it replicates Singapore's model of ease of doing business, a leading industry body here has said.

Currently, around 8,000 Indian companies are registered in Singapore. Though the data on the number of Singapore companies in India is not available, it is estimated to be over 100.

Indian companies are attracted to Singapore for ease of doing business, registering a company and opening a bank account, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) President Dr T Chandroo said while speaking at the launch of 'Aspiring Entrepreneur Network and Women Entrepreneur Network'.

"If this same thing can be replicated there (in India), I think there will be many more Singapore companies going to India," he said.

According to the World Bank, India has jumped 30 places to rank 100th in its 'ease of doing business' ranking.

Singapore ranks second in the 'ease of doing business' list by the World Bank.

Stating that SICCI was aiming to have more Singapore companies for India's industry development, Chandroo said: We want some collaboration where we can partner India's Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and seek an understanding where they can help Singapore companies go to India and help Indian companies come to Singapore.

He informed that a meeting is scheduled for Aug 20, 2018 to work out details of the collaboration.

I would like to see more Singapore small and medium enterprises (SMEs) going to India, Chandroo.
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Hello Jammu News at 5:10:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jul 20: Hackers have stolen health records belonging to 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who was specifically targeted in the "unprecedented" attack, authorities said today.

In the biggest data breach in the city-state's history, a government database was broken into in a "deliberate, targeted and well-planned" strike, the health and information ministries said in a joint statement. (AFP)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:27:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jul 11: Singapore's Surbana Jurong, a major urban, industrial and infrastructure consulting firm, announced it will be providing project management and design services for India's Pimpri Chinchwad Smart City in Maharashtra.

The project was awarded to international consultants KPMG, in partnership with Surbana Jurong, by Pimpri Chinchwad Smart City Limited, a special purpose vehicle set up at the Pimpri Chinchwad city level to implement its smart city mission.

Pimpri Chinchwad, adjoining Pune, is one of the cities selected under India's nation-wide Smart Cities Mission programme.

Surbana Jurong will lead on the area-based development part of the project, which encompasses city improvement (retrofitting) and city renewal (redevelopment).

Surbana Jurong's role includes helping to identify suitable innovations and smart solutions for the city.

It will also design, conceptualise and manage the implementation and deployment of various solutions.

KPMG will take the lead on the pan city development part of the project, in which smart solutions are applied to the existing city-wide infrastructure.

"Surbana Jurong's expertise in project management and design services, coupled with our experience in smart city solutions, will ensure Pimpri Chinchwad's success in enhancing living standards for its residents in a sustainable way," its Group CEO Wong Heang Fine said in a statement yesterday. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 2:40:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jul 9: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today said European design and engineering group, Dassault Systems, is building a "virtual Amaravati" for creating development models for Andhra Pradesh's new capital city.

He said that the Andhra Pradesh Government and the French 3D experience company are working on the "Virtual Amaravati" as the world's first of its kind technology-driven clean and green city.

Naidu, who was speaking at the World Cities Summit currently being held in Singapore, said that the system will create virtual simulation models for the new capital city.

"We are going to position buildings, monitor air quality and wind direction as well as disaster management," Naidu told today, citing examples of the technology-drive planning and design.

"Technology is very inspiring. Real-time solutions and real-time decision making will be used to build Amaravati," he said at a panel discussion the mega summit which is combined with Singapore International Water Week and Clean Enviro Summit.

Emphasising that renewable energy will be used to the maximum at Amaravati, the Chief Minister said: "Solar is a blessing for us. We will use solar and wind energy which I am promoting."

He vouched to make Amravati a clean and green city, benchmarked among the top five cities of the world.

On the progress in building up the capital city, Naidu said that around 30 lakh sq ft of construction work is in progress at the city site while 4,000 houses would be built immediately. Cost-effective financing was being arranged for Amaravati.

Meanwhile, a Singapore start-up is using its interactive hologram technology to engage citizens' inputs on Amaravati master plan.

The project is a partnership with Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) with the support of Amaravati Partnership Office (APO) led by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Enterprise Singapore. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:10:00 PM 0
Singapore, Jun 28 :  An Indian-origin leading intellectual property lawyer of Singapore has been appointed as a judicial commissioner of the country's Supreme Court, according to an official statement.

Dedar Singh Gill, 59, has been appointed by President Halimah Yacob as the apex court's judicial commissioner for a period of two years.

Gill will begin his role on August 1 for a period of two years, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said yesterday.

He will be sworn in on August 3.

A graduate of National University of Singapore (1983), Gill was previously managing director of intellectual property department of the law firm Drew and Napier LLC, where he spent most of his career since graduation.

A lawyer with over 30 years of experience, he is one of Singapore's top intellectual property (IP) litigators, representing corporate clients who are household names.

He is former president of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Singapore Group) and was also appointed as deputy president of the Copyright Tribunal.

With Gill's appointment, the Supreme Court will now have a total of 21 judges - including four judges of appeal and the chief justice - six judicial commissioners, four senior judges and 15 international judges.PTI

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Hello Jammu News at 2:16:00 PM 0
Seoul, Jun 27 : North Korea is carrying out rapid improvements to its nuclear research facility, a monitor said today, despite declaring a commitment to denuclearisation of the peninsula at the Singapore summit.

The nuclear-armed North's leader Kim Jong Un promised to "work toward" the goal at a landmark summit in the city-state earlier this month with US President Donald Trump.

But the Singapore meeting failed to clearly define denuclearisation or produce a specific timeline towards dismantling the North's atomic weapons arsenal.

Trump claimed the process would start quickly, saying last week that "It will be a total denuclearisation, which is already taking place." But recent satellite imagery showed that not only were operations continuing at present at the North's main Yongbyon nuclear site, it was also carrying out infrastructure works, said the respected 38 North website.

"Commercial satellite imagery from June 21 indicates that improvements to the infrastructure at... Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center are continuing at a rapid pace," it said.

It noted "continued operations" at the North's uranium enrichment plant and several new installations at the site -- including an engineering office and a driveway to a building housing a nuclear reactor.

But continued operations at the site "should not be seen as having any relationship with North Korea's pledge to denuclearise", it added.

Nuclear officials could be "expected to proceed with business as usual until specific orders are issued from Pyongyang", it said.

The North last month blew up its aged but only nuclear test site at Punggye-ri -- where it had staged six atomic tests -- in a show of goodwill before the summit.

But Pyongyang has kept its counsel on the denuclearisation issue since the meeting, although state media have dialled down propaganda against the US, long dubbed the "imperialist enemy." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been pushing for more follow-up talks to flesh out details over denuclearisation but no date has been set for when they would take place.    AFP
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Hello Jammu News at 5:47:00 PM 0
Kuala Lumpur, Jun 25 : Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday he wants to renegotiate a "ridiculous" water supply agreement with Singapore, the latest sign of fraying ties between the neighbours since last month's shock election.

The 92-year-old returned for a second time as premier after his opposition alliance scored an unexpected victory at the polls, toppling a long-ruling coalition that Mahathir himself once headed.

During his first stint in charge of the country from 1981-2003, Malaysia had famously stormy ties with Singapore - and Mahathir has wasted no time in taking aim at the tiny city-state again.

In his latest salvo, he said it was "manifestly ridiculous" that Kuala Lumpur sells water for three Malaysian cents (less than one US cent) per thousand gallons to its resource-poor neighbour.

"That was okay way back in the 1990s or 1930s. But now what can you buy with three sen (cents)? Nothing," he told Singapore broadcaster Channel NewsAsia in an interview.

Asked about plans to renegotiate the long-standing water supply agreement, he said: "We are studying the case properly and we'll make a presentation." The Singapore government did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

A large amount of Singapore's water comes from Malaysia's southern state of Johor. Under a 1962 agreement, Singapore can draw up to 250 million gallons of water per day from the Johor River.

The neighbours have had a difficult relationship since Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation in 1965 over ethnic issues after a short-lived, stormy union.

Relations in subsequent decades were punctuated by occasional bickering, on many occasions over the water supply issue, but were largely warm under the last Malaysian government, led by scandal-mired Najib Razak.

However ties already look rocky since Mahathir's return to office.

In just a few weeks, he has put a planned high-speed rail line linking Kuala Lumpur to Singapore on hold, and announced that Malaysia wants to develop an island on rocks at the entrance to the Singapore Strait, an area of great strategic importance to the city-state.  AFP
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Hello Jammu News at 3:32:00 PM 0
Singapore, Jun 22 : A 57-year-old Indian-origin Singaporean woman, accused of being involved in the largest bribery case in the history of the US Navy, may face a jail term of more than three years, a media report said today.

Sharon Rachael Gursharan Kaur, who was a lead contract specialist for the US Navy, was allegedly involved in the USD 35-million 'Fat Leonard' scandal, which resulted in the arrest and conviction of several senior officers of the US Navy, including a rear admiral, The Straits Times reported.

Kaur, was based at the US Navy's Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Centre in Singapore. The court heard yesterday that she received more than SGD 130,000 in bribes from Leonard Glenn Francis, the Malaysian chief executive of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA) -- a subsidiary of Singapore-based Glenn Marine Group -- which provides goods and services for American ships in at least a dozen countries in Asia.

Francis, also known to several US Navy personnel as "Fat Leonard", had allegedly paid Kaur bribes between 2006 and 2011 as a reward for giving him information about the US Navy that was not available to the public. She would disclose procurement-sensitive data and price information of his firm's competitors. As a result, he was able to prepare more competitive bids to secure lucrative contracts with the US Navy.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jiang Ke-Yue told the court that the information she leaked was linked to 16 US Navy contracts. GDMA submitted bids for 14 of them and was awarded 11 contracts worth some USD 48 million in total.

The prosecution made its submissions to the court and asked for Kaur to be handed over a jail term of at least three years and seven months, the paper said.

Kaur had pleaded guilty to three corruption charges and one count of dealing with the benefits of her criminal activities on June 30 last year. She is now out on bail of SGD 50,000 and is expected to be sentenced on July 6.

Defence counsel Suresh Damodara told District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan that Kaur was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and went through total hysterectomy in late 2016.

Pleading for the imposition of minimal sentences, Damodara argued that incarceration could "exacerbate" Kaur's medical condition and lead to a relapse, which would be life-threatening, the Singapore daily reported.

Francis had pleaded guilty to his offences in the US in January 2015 and remain in custody there. He faces a maximum jail term of 25 years and has since agreed to forfeit USD 35 million in personal assets.

DPP Jiang said more than 10 US Navy officials have since pleaded guilty in the US to their roles in the scandal. They include US Navy commander Bobby Pitts, who was in charge of the Fleet Industrial Supply Command in Singapore, and retired Rear Admiral Robert Gilbeau. Both men were sentenced to one-and-a-half years' jail last year. PTI 
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Hello Jammu News at 5:13:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jun 12: Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un signed a "very comprehensive" document after their historic summit today, with the US president saying that the process of denuclearisation on the Korean peninsula will begin "very soon" and the North Korean leader promising to leave the past behind.
The two leaders had a one-on-one meeting, with translators only, followed by an expanded meeting including their top aides and a working lunch at Capella Singapore hotel in Sentosa Island after months of diplomatic twists and turns.
"We're signing a very comprehensive document, and we've had a really great time together, a great relationship," Trump said while signing the document along with Kim in the presence of media at the end of the summit - the first between a sitting US president and North Korea's top leader.
It was unclear what the document was about but Trump said the public will find out soon.
In response to a question about denuclearisation, Trump said, "We're starting that process... very quickly." 
"We have decided to leave the past behind," Kim said through a translator, at the signing table. "The world will see a major change," he added.
Trump said he was very proud of what took place today and the two leaders would "take care of a very dangerous problem for the world." 
The 71-year-old Trump said the summit worked out far better than expected and he's developed a "very special bond" with 34-year-old Kim.
"We'll meet again, we'll meet many times," said Trump when asked whether the two leaders will meet again. 
He said Kim is "a very talented man" who "loves his country very much".
Trump said he "absolutely" will invite Kim to the White House.
As they exited the room, Trump and Kim patted each other on the back. 
Earlier, the summit began with the two leaders meeting at the luxurious hotel. 
They walked towards each other, stood face to face for the first time and shared a 12-second handshake against a backdrop of American and North Korean flags. They then appeared to share a few light-hearted words as they walked down a corridor to the hotel's library.
Trump and Kim are the first leaders of their respective countries to meet, marking the culmination of months of diplomatic wrangling and negotiations.
In brief remarks to the media before the start of their meeting, Trump hoped that the historic summit would be "tremendously successful." 
Kim then said there were a number of "obstacles" to the meeting taking place in Singapore today.
"We overcame all of them and we are here today," he told reporters through a translator. Trump responded, "Thank you very much".
The two leaders held one-on-one meeting for around 45-minutes with just translators present.
According to North Korean media, Kim actually arrived at the venue 7 minutes earlier than Trump to show respect as it's cultural, the young one should arrive earlier than the elder one. The red tie that Trump wears may also show some respect to Kim as well, it's the colour that North Koreans like.
Later, they held delegation-level talks.
Kim was asked at least three times if he would give up his nuclear weapons. In response, he just smiled.
"There will be challenges ahead but we will work with Trump. We overcame all kinds of skepticism and speculations about this summit and I believe that this is good for the peace," Kim said.
After the delegation-level meeting, Trump joined Kim for a working lunch which had a mix of Western and Asian dishes, such as Korean stuffed cucumber and beef short rib confit with some Haagen-Dazs ice cream to top things off.
As the two men entered the room, photographs were taken, with Trump joking about wanting to get a "beautiful picture" in which he looked good.
The two leaders then took a post-lunch stroll in the courtyard of the hotel.
On the eve of the summit at Sentosa, the US had offered "unique" security guarantees to North Korea in return for a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearisation.
Sentosa is a popular tourist island a few hundred metres off the main island of Singapore.
The US insists it will accept nothing less than complete denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 3:02:00 PM 0

Singapore, Jun 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong today agreed to deepen the bilateral economic ties and build on defence cooperation as the two sides signed eight agreements including one on logistics cooperation between their navies.
The two leaders, who held wide-ranging discussions on regional and global issues of mutual interests, also called for a peaceful, open, and friendly maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Modi said that the strategic partnership between India and Singapore has stood the test of time in the real sense.
"We have been able to conclude successfully the second review of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) but we agreed this is not just our target and goal but this only means to an end," Modi said in a joint press statement after the meeting.
"Our officials will soon begin discussions on upgrading and reforming this agreement," he added. 
Since CECA was signed in 2004, India-Singapore bilateral trade more than doubled from SGD12 billion (USD 8.97 billions) to SGD 25 billion (USD 18.69 billion). Singapore was the second largest investor in India in FY-2016.
Modi hailed the close defence cooperation between the two countries and welcomed the completion of the logistics agreement between the two navies.
"In the coming times, dealing with cyber security and extremism and terrorism will be important areas of our cooperation," the prime minister said.
Modi and Lee also exchanged views on the regional and global challenges and reiterated their principled position on maritime security and expressed commitment to 'Rules Based' Order. The two leaders also agreed on the need to maintain an open, stable and fair international trade regime.
"We both have reaffirmed our views on maritime security and have shown our commitment to a 'Rules Based' order...We also agreed for a peaceful, open, and friendly maritime environment in the Indo-Pacific region," Modi said.
China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its manmade islands in the past few years, which it says it has the right to defend.
China claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims. In the East China Sea, Beijing has territorial disputes with Japan.
The South China Sea and the East China Sea are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade.
On his part, Lee said the bilateral defence ties have grown stronger.
"Our defence ties have strengthened, our navies have signed an agreement today on logistics cooperation and will also celebrate 25th anniversary of annual Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) this year," Lee said.
He said India and Singapore are collaborating on technology, smart cities and skills development, both at the national and the state level.
Lee pointed out that two projects, that arose from Prime Minister Modi's 2015 visit to the city-state, have been completed.
"Andhra Pradesh Amaravati city project is progressing well with Singapore Consortium. We also recently launched Maharashtra-Singapore joint committee, to explore economic cooperation including planning and development of airport in Pune," he said.
Lee said India is a significant market for Singapore FinTech companies, while Singapore - as a global FinTech Hub - can be a gateway for India to enter the Southeast Asian market. The two countries have agreed to establish a Joint Working Group on FinTech to support this new effort, he added.
He said Singapore, as the current ASEAN chair, will work with India to continue strengthening the regional architecture, and in particular to conclude the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Modi said Singapore has always been a source of foreign direct investment for India and also investments in foreign countries. It has also been a favourite destination for Indian investments abroad, he added.
"I am happy to note that Indian companies use Singapore as a spring board for not only this country but for the entire ASEAN region. For Singaporean companies, as India develops, opportunities are coming up," he said.
Recalling his meeting with CEOs yesterday, Modi said he was happy to see that top executives of many important companies looking at India with confidence.
Modi said the air traffic between India and Singapore is growing rapidly and both countries will enter into a new 'Air Service Agreement' soon.
He said the international launch of RuPay, BHIM and UPI based remittance app in Singapore yesterday represented Digital India initiative and the renewed partnership between the two sides.
Lee said Indian tourists will be able to use their RuPay cards for electronic payments at Changi airport and selected operators across Singapore.
He said he looked forward to welcoming Modi back to Singapore in November for the East Asia Summit, and "to continue working with him to further deepen our cooperation bilaterally and regionally".
Modi, who arrived here yesterday on the last leg of his three-nation visit, earlier made a courtesy call on President Halimah Yacob after a welcome ceremony at the Istana where he was given a guard of honour.
He earlier visited Indonesia and Malaysia. (PTI)
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Hello Jammu News at 12:23:00 PM 0
Singapore, Jun 1 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral ties.

Modi, who arrived here yesterday on a three-day visit, also called on Singapore President Halimah Yacob. 

After his arrival at the presidential palace Istana, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome.

"Prime Minister Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival at Istana - Presidential Palace of Singapore. Millennia old ties now powered by partnership in innovation and technology," said Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Modi received a 'guard of honour' at the palace. 

During his talks with Singaporean leaders, Modi discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties. 

Modi is in Singapore on the last leg of his three-nation tour. He earlier visited Indonesia and Malaysia.PTI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:42:00 PM 0

SINGAPORE, May 11: Oil prices on Friday dipped away from multi-year highs reached the previous session on hopes that alternative supplies could replace a looming drop in Iranian exports when U.S. sanctions against Tehran are re-imposed.
The United States plans to re-introduce sanctions against Iran, which produces around 4 percent of global oil supplies, after abandoning an agreement reached in late 2015 that limited Tehran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for removing U.S.-Europe sanctions.
The sanctions come amid an oil market that has been tightening due to strong demand, especially in Asia, and as top exporter Saudi Arabia and No.1 producer Russia have led efforts since 2017 to withhold oil supplies to prop up prices.
Brent crude futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at $77.329 per barrel at 0308 GMT, down 19 cents, or 0.2 percent, from their last close. Brent the previous day hit its highest since November 2014 at $78 a barrel.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 11 cents at $71.25 a barrel, but still not far off Thursday's November 2014 high of $71.89 per barrel.
Many analysts expect oil prices to rise to $80-$100 per barrel later this year, once U.S. sanctions start to bite and Iran's exports start sinking.
There are, however, signs that other suppliers from within the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will step up output to counter the Iran disruption.
"The market is now focused on OPEC and other producers' ability to react to this potential supply disruption," ANZ bank said on Friday.
"Investors are increasingly viewing Kuwait and Iraq as the producers with the best ability to raise output quickly in response to any fall in Iranian exports," it added.
Outside OPEC, soaring U.S. crude oil production may also help fill Iran's supply gap, hitting another record last week by climbing to 10.7 million barrels per day (bpd).
That's up 27 percent since mid-2016 and means U.S. output is creeping ever closer to that of top producer Russia, which pumps around 11 million bpd. REUTERS
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Hello Jammu News at 2:38:00 PM 0

SINGAPORE, May 11: Chicago wheat slid for a third consecutive session on Friday with the market set to post its biggest weekly decline in two months after the U.S. government estimated production above expectations.
Soybeans are poised for a second week of decline on pressure from slowing demand in top importer China, while corn is down this week following two weeks of gains.
The most-active wheat contract on the Chicago Board Of Trade slipped 4.3 percent this week, on track for its biggest weekly loss since mid-March.
In the previous session, the contract hit $5.00 a bushel, its lowest since April 27.
Soybeans are down 2 percent this week, and corn slipped 1.3 percent.
"Some investors may have decided that without another crop downgrade the rally in wheat prices has come to end. We agree with that view," said Tobin Gorey, director of agricultural strategy, Commonwealth Bank of Australia. 
"The USDA is also forecasting a hefty rise in spring, durum and other high protein spring wheat production."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture projected the total U.S. wheat crop for the 2018-19 marketing year at 1.821 billion bushels, above the average analyst estimate for 1.777 billion and up 5 percent from the prior year.
Winter wheat grown in the southern U.S. Plains has struggled with months of drought, but the USDA said combined production of spring and durum wheat would increase 34 percent from the previous year. 
The agency expects global wheat stocks to total around 264.33 million tonnes by the end of 2018-19 marketing year, down about 2 percent from its 2017-18 forecast of 270.46 million, an all-time high.
The soybean market is being dragged down by slowing demand in China, which buys more than 60 percent of the oilseed traded worldwide.
China will cut its soybean imports for the first time in 15 years in 2018/19, the agriculture ministry forecast on Thursday, as a trade spat with the United States pushes pig farmers in the world's top buyer to seek cheaper proteins.
The USDA projected 2018-19 soybean ending stocks at 415 million bushels. The figure was below most trade expectations. It forecast global corn ending stocks would drop to 159.15 million tonnes by the end of 2018-19, from 194.85 million in 2017-18 and below a range of trade expectations. REUTERS
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