Mum's friend arrested, boy dies after beating

A Three-year-old boy was so badly battered that he died from his injuries five days later in hospital.

A friend of the toddler's 22-year-old mother, Muhammad Raffiq Jaffah, was arrested after causing grievous hurt to the boy on Dec 15.

On Monday, the boy, Danish Iman Abdullah, succumbed to his injuries at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital. The charge against Muhammad, 23, was then changed to one of murder, and he now faces the death sentence if convicted. He is in remand and will return to court next Tuesday.

He is alleged to have hit the boy in a Geylang Road shophouse between 5.30pm and 6.15pm on Dec 15 by using his hand to slap the toddler's face, causing him to knock against the wall.

The boy was taken to the intensive care unit of the hospital.

This article came as a shock to me as I was appalled that a supposedly matured adult could resort to such despicable acts on a young and innocent child. I could not believe one would murder his/her friend's child.

I would like to find out from the writer what the reason was for the convicted to assault the child as it was not really stated in the article.

If I were in charge of the situation, I would surely not have done such a grave crime. Hurting a young and innocent three-year-old, who could hardly defend himself, is such a ridiculous situation I could even imagine before this tragic incident occurred.

(Sorry Dr. Chia I was on holiday for the past week and could only access the blog today, thus the late post.)

Chinese online stores offering cat and dog skin products

One of china’s largest online stores, Taobao, is seen to offer products made from skins of cats and dogs had caused a ruckus among animal lovers. Taobao’s search results and sales records showed that the most popular items are trousers and hats made from dog fur, said to ward off the cold.

"sjz2ys", one of the sellers on Taobao claimed that all the cat skin products sold on his online store are all authentic, although he only sold one waistcoat in the past month. A spokesperson for Taobao had explained saying the site’s word search function are imperfect where the search results for “cat skin” would show up related products. "There are such products on Taobao but there are a hundred of them at most. We have noticed the report and are contacting the seller to take them off shelves," the spokeswoman told AFP.

However, it seemed that the search results for “dog fur” showed thousands of results. A quick scan of the products seemed to be authentic animal-based product.

Animal rights activists said sellers usually targets stray animals, selling their skins to fur traders in the east and animal meat to restaurants in the south. Despite volunteers volunteering to protect the animals, these efforts are not enough as the government’s supervision is inadequate.

One of the animal lover commented on popular social networking site, Douban, "Would those sleeping on a mattress made at the cost of lives feel really happy and comfortable? Isn't that cruel?" on a picture if mattress made from cat fur.

Even though Taobao had already banned the sale of cat/dog meat, furs and fur products, with the sale of products made from the parts of endangered species, it seemed that these enforcement rules are lacking.

An operator of Taobao said that the numbers of sellers publishing such product details are more overwhelming than deleting irregular information.

This article appealed to me because I am an animal lover, I love dogs and had previously own a dog.

If I was in charge of the situation, I would try to set up a place for stray animals to live in. this would be the best solution to protect these animals to prevent them from being hunted. However, this idea is not feasible as there is a lack of resources. Otherwise, I would set up a team of animal protectors to catch animal hunters. Those animal hunters will be jailed or caned to show the rest of animal hunters their consequences.

NUDE man in Queenstown

On 12 December 2010, Sunday morning at around 4 am, a NUDE man was spotted at Ridout Tea Garden along Queensway, causally strolling into McDonalds.  The man wanted to buy coffee at McDonalds but was turned away by the staff at the counter.  Unhappy with the reception he received, he went out of McDonalds to make a phone call, “complaining that he was not being served”. One of the patrons of McDonalds said the man lingered around for 10 minutes before leaving.

A police spokesman said they received a phone call and arrested the man on Sunday. The man has been sent to institute of mental health for psychiatric evaluation.

The article appealed to me as I had heard about the news from my friend. And this incident is also quite unique and interesting.

If I was in charge of the situation, I would do the same thing and refer him to a psychiatrist and hopefully cure him. However, there seem to be a rise in the number of people “going nude” around the streets. By 15 December 2010, there are 105 of such cases in the first six months.

Hence, there is a need to stop the cases from happening again. As such, I would fine, cane or jail these people. To warn the public that such actions are not to be taken lightly.

Man jailed for sexual abuse

On Friday, a 42 year old man was sentenced to 44 months jail and 12 strokes of cane for sexually abusing his step daughter. He was found guilty of 7 charges after a five day trial.

2007, was when the man first molested his daughter by touching her chest. The girl was only 12 years old.  The acts of sexual abuse escalated in 2009: making the girl performed a sexual act on him without her consent.

During mitigation, the man claimed to be untiring in his efforts to raise the children in the family. His lawyer, S K Kumar added on, saying that the man was a good man who fully devotes himself to his loved ones. After the man was sentenced, Mr Kumar told the court the man would be appealing against his conviction and sentence.

The writer has no point of view, but I would like to say that I do not agree with what the lawyer’s point of view. Although the man is “untiring in his efforts to raise the children in the family”, the lawyer had said that the man is a “good man who had given himself fully to his loved ones.” I do not however agree because if he was to love his family, he would not have done such as thing.

This article appealed to me because recently there had been a lot of such cases, fathers sexually abusing their daughters and therefore, I want to report about these kinds of case.

I would like to ask the writer to talk more about the girl’s birth mother. Because there is not much information regarding the mother, how she reacted against this incident, what did she do when she found out about this

If I am in charge, I would not let him appeal against his conviction, sexually abuse-er should spend his time to reflect on his action in jail, one should be responsible for his own actions. I would also put up advertisements to raise awareness of sexual abuse. To let those children know that “being touched” by ‘opposite sex’ is deemed to be being sexually abused. Otherwise, the children would not know that they are sexually abused.

Bank Of America say NO to Wikileads - By Clement Tay

Bank of America on Saturday halted all transactions for WikiLeaks, joining other institutions that refuse to process payments for the website that has exposed a trove of US government cables.

"Bank of America joins in the actions previously announced by MasterCard, PayPal, Visa Europe and others and will not process transactions of any type that we have reason to believe are intended for WikiLeaks," the largest US bank said in a statement.

"This decision is based upon our reasonable belief that WikiLeaks may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments."
The action is the latest blow against the website, which has been exposing classified US diplomatic cables that reveal embarrassing assessments of world leaders and provide a rare glimpse into the work of scores of US embassies.

The United States has angrily criticized the release of the documents, saying it endangers national security, and the US Attorney General has launched a criminal investigation into the site.But Assange has won the support of a collection of anonymous "hacktivists" -- computer hackers who in the name of free speech have targeted institutions that refuse to deal with the website.

I might be too young or navie to comment on such a global issue but i will try my best to express my views on the wikileaks matter . I won't condemn it but in the same time I wouldn't fully approve it as well . Why I won't say wikileaks is bad ? Well , i feel that some behind the scene events should be known to the public as we are afterall , citizens of the state . Shouldn't we know what is happending ? However on the otherhand , Wikileaks releaved really hurtful stuff that harms ties between the countries , as in the Singapore - Malaysia diplomats case . So what is my stand ? Honestly , i don't think i have a stand . But on the Bank of America
case , if i were in control , i wouldn't not have cut ties with wikileaks as it is inviting trouble from hackers .

Snow decimates Premier League games - By Clement Tay

The weekend's Premier League fixtures have been decimated by severe weather, with most games over the weekend fell foul due to the snow.

The top-of-the-table clash between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday has also fallen, with a statement on the Blues' website saying: "Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge has been postponed following consultation with the Police and the local authority."

A cold snap that has swept through the UK over the past couple of days has destroyed the football programmes in England and Scotland.Under-soil heating at the Premier League grounds means that all of the top-flight pitches were playable, but concerns about the safety of supporters have generally been to blame for the cancellations.

As a rabid English Premier League fan , I'm utterly disappointed with the cancelled games , espeically the Chelsea Vs Manchester United Match as I waited for a whole week leading up to the match . However , knowing that the safety of fans are upheld , I praise the authorities for their actions as this freaky weather conditions no doubt poses a threat on safety .If i were the authorities , I would do the same thing as nothing should compromised the safety of fans and players alike . 

Don't do homework ? I will burn your face with electric iron - By Clement Tay

In China , a Chinese kindergarten teacher has been arrested after several children returned home with burn marks on their faces.Seven six-year-old kindergarten students of the kindergarten in Jiangsu province were injured.

According to Yangtze Evening News, another teacher - who walked past the classroom - heard the children's cries and went to check.The teacher then grabbed the hot iron from Yi during Tuesday's incident.Parents said their injured children would be sent to Shanghai for further treatment.

It is shocking really what teachers do thesedays . Thankfully I have not encountered these " teachers from hell  " in my education . As such , i feel that being teachers or lectures are no easy jobs . They must be understanding all the time . Therefore , hotheads like me are not cut out to be a teacher of any kind . Hats off to you , kind and understanding teachers all over the world. 

Bus fare refund begins - By Clement Tay

Saturday is the first day commuters can start getting their refunds if they had been overcharged due to distance errors between bus stops.As at 3pm, a total of S$3,000 was refunded to some 9,600 cards.

Commuters were overcharged some S$300,000 since distance-based fares were introduced in July.Commuters can get their refunds at any TransitLink Add Value Machine, by placing their CEPAS card on the card reader and selecting the "Bus Stop Distance Refund" icon on the screen.

Commuters can also approach the TransitLink Ticket Officer to check and credit the total eligible refund amount into their CEPAS cards. Commuters can check for refund eligibility via telephone hotlines (1800 2255 663 and 1800 2255 582) or the public transport website. Refunds are available till 17 June 2011.

As a commuter i would like to express my delight at getting my refund however i would like to comment why would  the bus services change the old system ? Through feedback from my friends , none have benfitted from this pay - by - distance system  . So if i were in control , i would introduce a system that have no giltches and will benefit commuters .

Prices Surges In COE Premiums - By Clement Tay

Prices for both new and used cars have gone up, following the surge in COE premiums to 10-year high recently.Prices of new cars rose 10 percent while second-hand cars are S$3,000-S$8,000 more expensive than before the results of the latest round of COE bidding were announced on 8 December.

COE premiums skyrocketed in the latest round of bidding, with a staggering jump of S$14,612 for cars over 1,600cc. This brings the total premium for that category to S$62,502.Prices for the Open Category was up S$15,010 to S$64,900. For smaller cars 1,600cc and below, the COE price rose S$8,604 to S$47,604.

These latest COE prices are the highest since 2000.Following the COE price surge, dealers of new cars see less business over the last few days.They say the price of big cars is now up by about S$15,000, while small cars are costing some S$9,000 more.

Dealers say the sudden surge in prices has had a huge impact on customers but they believe business will bounce back.Meanwhile, business at second-hand car showrooms is looking good. Motorists may save S$20,000 to S$30,000 if they opt for a used car.

In my opinon , anybody looking to buy a car would be detered by the high prices . However that is the whole aim of the COE isn't it as government seek to reduce the number of cars on the road to prevent more traffic jams and possible pollutions . Neverthless , the sudden high prices is quite alarming . Let say you are looking for a new Renault Megane which cost $65,000 last year and now it is nearly $100,000 ! You are looking at forking out an extra $35000 , and it all goes to the government ! I don't know about you , but it sure scares the hell out of me and if i were in control as a consumer , i would just wait for the prices to drop again.

Hotels shelter flood victims

Summary

In Venezuela, Caracas, more than 100,000 people had taken refuge at 19 hotels throughout Venezuela’s capital due to flooding and mudslides following weeks of torrential rains, and that had killed at least 34 people and left more than 5,000 Venezuelan homwless. The occupation of hotel owners appeared to be a show of force as criticism of President Hugo Chavez' handling of the disaster had grown.

Article appealing

I hardly ever hear about sheltering hotels for the refugees. It is like an exclusive refuge for the homeless when they encountered a disaster like flooding and mudslides in this case, and I would like to know more about the article.

Agree/Disagree

I agree with the solution provided by accommodating the homeless people in a hotel. It shows that the government actually cares about their people by expressing their immense concern whenever they have difficulties. People from that city would feel protected and being taken care, then leads to good governance, which means that good relationship between the government and their people.

Question

I would like to ask that is it a bit like waste of resources input like electricity and place that had taken up for refugee? It is because hotel is served as a high-level accommodation. What if the disaster comes during the tourism season? Would the hotels are still available? These questions query me.

If I were in control

I would still offer a place for refugees but it is necessary to separate the homeless and the tourists as the mood of having fun and shopping will be affected and may lead to a decline of possible high expenditure. Hence, doing charity work is important but the real profit perhaps is the most concerned.