Labor Day visits to Istana

Some 11,500 people visited the Istana on Saturday to celebrate Labour Day.

The grounds was opened from 8.30am till 6pm.

Visitors were treated to performances by bands from Singapore Chinese Girls' School, Pasir Ris Secondary School and Pioneer Junior College.

There was also a performance put up by the PA Talents Hip Hop Group.

President S R Nathan and his wife also mingled with the visitors.

Mr Nathan also hosted a short tea reception for participants of the inaugural Masters in Public Administration and Management programme at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Why Am I Here? Prataman's latest Book

It's a decision he's taken after much persuasion. President SR Nathan's has launched his first book on his early life as a labour relations officer for a Seafarers' Union.

The title of President Nathan's inaugural book is a question one would constantly ask in life, said the author.

He said: "The cover of the book is very revealing, grey and gloomy. It is into that uncertain world that I went in to, do the job I did.

“So I decided to recall my experiences and write it down and kept it until I spoke to Professor Bernard Tan from the Centre for Maritime Studies. I said I didn't think it was something interesting which would merit publication, but I asked him to read it.

“But after reading, he insisted I should publish and I left it to him to do so. It has taken some time. I wasn't persuaded that it should be published, but he kept insisting I should agree and finally last I agreed and now you have the product.

“I went into an area where nobody had been before. I had no brief and I had to create my own brief.

“Mostly, the seafarers were Malays, some Chinese, and some Bangladeshis, each one had his own characteristics.

“And at that time, civil servants hardly kept notes of what they did, so much depended on memory.”

Mr Nathan recalls that many of the seamen he worked with had little education, but a strong sense of camaraderie.

He said: “The seamen of that generation were mostly with little or no education. They were rough and sometimes very crude with their manners but they had a very strong sense of camaradarie, of concern.

"Sometimes the seamen would die at sea and usually when they sign on a ship, they would make an allotment for their family, a part of the salary will be paid to the family while they are sailing.

“And I know of instances where fellow seamen, who had never known the family, never known the wife or children would make an allotment for an unknown family just because they have been working together. They have a very strong bond. I call them rough diamonds.”

“Some of the gangsters I met are still around, I met them. I went to one restaurant one day and I found him. He knows who I am, I know who he is, but he is now married and he has children, so life has taken him into a new life."

Mr Nathan believes the younger generation can gain from reading his book.

He added: "If they read it they will get to know many lessons of how human tragedy can disrupt a family, how some human problems are formidable and states of helplessness can come and how important it is for us to show a sense of compassion and concern for others.

“I'm sure in daily life there are many such happenings. We come across them directly and indirectly. It is for them to understand and if possible give them a helping hand to uplift them."

President SR Nathan's contributions to Singapore span many areas from his role in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministry, serving as envoy to Washington and Kuala Lumpur and now as the President of Singapore.

But for his next book, Mr Nathan said he wants to focus on his work in the National Trades Union Congress and he hopes the book can come out next year to time with the 50th anniversary of the NTUC.

Next year is also when the Presidential Elections are due, and so will Mr Nathan contest again?

He said: "Next year must come before I can tell you that. When I was asked to be President I had to decide whether I should accept it or not. I wasn’t sure whether I was equipped for it and I wasn’t sure whether anybody was qualified for taking on.”

At the launching ceremony of the book on Tuesday, it was announced that President Nathan waived all fees and royalties due to him from the book.

President Nathan started working on the first manuscript in 2006 and took about a year to complete it.

3,000 copies of the book have been printed and some copies will soon be available at NUS libraries as well as libraries under the National Library Board.

Limited copies of the book will be on sale at the NUS Co-Op at a retail price of S$29.90 from Wednesday.

Thank you for buying His book.

Istana Open House on May 1 to celebrate Labour Day

The Istana grounds will be open to the public this Saturday, from 8.30am to 6.00pm, to celebrate Labour Day.

There will be performances by the PA Talents Hip Hop Group and bands from the Singapore Chinese Girls' School, Pasir Ris Secondary School and Pioneer Junior College.

Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents. Others visitors are required to pay an entrance fee of S$1 per person.

Members of the public can also tour selected function rooms in the Istana building to view a display of gifts presented to the President and the Prime Minister by foreign dignitaries by paying an entrance fee of S$2.

Istana souvenirs will be sold during the Open House, with the proceeds from the sale and all entrance fees collected being donated to the Community Chest.

Singapore President Nathan visits Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala

Singapore President Sellapan Rama Nathan, whose is of Indian descent, visited the Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala

On his arrival at the Renigunta Airport on Thursday, he was received by Singapore Consulate General, Mohammed Noor Bin Yusuf, District Collector V Seshadri, Superintendent of Police (Admin) Ammi Reddy and other officials.
Nathan was accompanied by his wife and close friends.

"I have been to India before, summer vacations. I had to pay our respects at this pilgrimage centre so ...and we have come again with the family and some very close friends to pray at the temple and receive blessings," he said.

The temple of Tirupati Balaji in south India is one of the most revered and sacred shrines in the country.

President Nathan launches Scouts Job Week at Istana

If scouts come knocking on your door in search of work, do your bit for charity and find something for them to do.

Get them to clean your flat, dust your office or feed the pets, and make a donation that will go to charity.

It's part of Job Week, which was officially launched at the Istana by President S.R. Nathan, who's also the Chief Scout of Singapore.

During Job Week, some 10,000 Scouts will fan out across the island, knock on the doors of offices and houses to find work.

The target is to raise about $600,000 - similar to the amount collected last year.

Prataman congratulates Johor Sultan

Singapore leaders have sent congratulatory messages to the Sultan of Johor on his ascension as Sultan.

In his letter to Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, President S R Nathan said he has full confidence that relations between Singapore and Johor, and that between their people, will continue to deepen and flourish under his guidance and leadership.

"My wife joins me in extending our warmest wishes to Your Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness Raja Zarith Sofiah, and for Johor Darul Ta’zim’s continued success and prosperity," President Nathan said.

In his letter, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he looks forward to working closely with the Sultan to strengthen the co—operation between Singapore and Johor, as well as deepen the personal ties between Singapore leaders and the Johor Palace.

"My warmest wishes for Your Royal Highness’ good health, and for Johor Darul Ta’zim’s continued success and prosperity," Mr Lee said.

Indian Housemate Charged Over Death of 3 year Old Boy

Luckily it is not another racial thing - Thank God! None the less, we are sad by his death.

An Indian man charged over the death of a 3-year-old boy in Melbourne will appear in court tomorrow, police said.

Gursewak Dhillon, 23, was charged with one count of manslaughter by criminal negligence in the death of Gurshan Singh Channa, according to a statement on the Victoria Police Web site.
Dhillon, who was refused bail, will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, the statement said.

An autopsy last week failed to reveal the cause of Gurshan’s death, the Australian newspaper said.

The boy’s mother reported him missing on the afternoon of March 4; his body was found that evening.

3 year old Indian boy murdered in Oz

A missing Indian toddler has been found dead on the side of the road in Melbourne's north. The body hasn't yet been formally identified, but it matches the description of a missing three year old, who was visiting Australia from India with his family. Police aren't calling it murder yet but say they suspect the worst.

At a time when Australia has promised to do all that it can to stop attacks on Indian nationals, comes this news... All Hell may break lose...

Egyptian Pharaohs need Prataman

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Dr Tarek Kamel and Minister of Investment Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin met Singapore leaders at the Istana on Thursday.
They jointly called on President S R Nathan, followed by a call on Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Nathan noted the warm and longstanding ties between both countries, and hoped that relations would be deepened further.

Later in their meeting with Mr Goh, the ministers noted the progress in the negotiation of a joint economic cooperation agreement, and briefed him on steps to grow Egypt's economy.
In turn, Mr Goh said the two countries could learn from each other's developmental experience.
The ministers are in Singapore to attend a conference.

Transformational Budget - Too much Transformers?

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has said this year’s Budget may be seen as "unexciting" to some Singaporeans, but it is nonetheless strategically important because it is a "transformational" Budget.

He said the aim of the Budget was to bring the economy to a higher level.

Mr Goh was speaking at a dialogue at his Marine Parade constituency on Monday.

Addressing an audience of grassroots leaders and residents, he said for incomes to go up, productivity needs to follow suit, including that of foreign workers.

Mr Goh said the government decided against giving out too many goodies as no recession is expected this year.

Furthermore, households will continue to get benefits from last year’s policies.

Mr Goh said: "When I read comments that the Budget has got nothing for me as a person, rather than a few of the allowances and so on, they are wrong. This Budget is for you. It is about how we can increase our productivity as a whole — you as a worker, the company as a production institution, the management as the people—in—charge.

"If we can transform the economy through the measures introduced in the Budget, the income we have today can continue to increase."

The dialogue saw Mr Goh and his panel, comprising MPs Lim Biow Chuan and Dr Fatimah Lateef, addressing a range of issues including tax incentives and more relief for those supporting the elderly or disabled family members.

Mr Goh was also asked how confident the government was in achieving its stated aim of annual productivity growth of 2 to 3 percent.

"At this stage I can’t say with full confidence that we can achieve 3 percent growth per year, but it’s a target which we want to aim at. If we don’t achieve it, well it’s bad but let’s say we double it from 1 to 2 percent. That’s an improvement. It means your income goes up, but much less than what we hope would be the case," he said.

Mr Goh said one Budget statement cannot tackle all issues at one time, and this year’s plan deals with the long—term.

But many of the issues are on the government’s radar screen, and details of initiatives will be released in Parliament.

Prataman sad about Chile's quake

President S R Nathan wrote to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet to convey their sympathies to the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday morning.

PRESIDENT NATHAN'S LETTER

27 February 2010

HE Michelle BacheletPresidentRepublic of Chile

Your Excellency

I am deeply saddened by the news of the 8.8 Richter scale earthquake that struck your country on Saturday morning, and the terrible devastation that has followed as a consequence.

On behalf of the people of Singapore, I extend my deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and wish those injured a speedy recovery from their trauma.

I am confident that under your able leadership, Chile and its people will be able to surmount this difficult period.

Yours sincerely,

S R NATHAN

Chingay is also for Gays?

It's party time at the F1 Pit Building, where the Chingay Parade is in full swing.

The second night of the parade kicked off on Saturday evening with special greetings from President SR Nathan and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Some 7,000 performers turned the streets into party land.

The street parade will be followed by Singapore's biggest street dance party.

Organised by the People's Association Youth Movement, it's a time for party lovers to take to the dance floor which stretches across 360 metres in front of the Pit Building.

Chingay 2010 was the first time the general public were allowed to march in the parade. Members of Singapore's LGBT community, Kim and Roy, formed the first gay contingent ever to participate in the Chingay procession.

They took part on the first day of the two-day event held at the Formula One grandstand and Singapore Flyer vicinity, on Friday, 19 Feb 10 at 8 pm.

This video shows the contingent members dressed entirely in pink and waving a rainbow flag while marching and dancing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBnuWzcRLJU

Plus... I have to endure that horrorible song...

Treasury of the World

TREASURY OF THE WORLD: JEWELLED ARTS OF INDIA IN THE AGE OF THE MUGHALS’, 11 FEBRUARY 2010, AT THE ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM

It is a major milestone in a long standing relationship between Kuwait and Singapore. Cross-cultural interactions have long been a part of Asia’s history. Merchants from Arabia, Persia and other parts of the Middle East came to Asia to trade spices, porcelain and silk. In fact, Kuwaitis were among the earliest from the Gulf region to travel to Southeast Asia and Singapore. During the 1880s – not long after the time of the Mughals – Kuwaiti traders set sail to Southeast Asia, and some eventually settled in Singapore and have lived here for many generations.

Today, our exchange is in ideas, business, innovation and, of course, culture. This exhibition of Treasury of the World would not have been possible without the generosity of Sheikh Nasser Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and his wife Sheikha Hussah Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah from the Kuwaiti royal family. In this exhibition, you will see not just magnificent artefacts, but the enthusiasm and personal involvement of the owners of these Mughal treasures.

Indian Billionaires Mukesh Ambani & Subrata Roy Target Liverpool Takeover

Ah neh LiverpoolFC!

The seventh richest man in the world, Mukesh Ambani, has been tipped to be in contension alongside another tycoon from the Indian sub-continent for a takeover of Liverpool, according to The Times.

It is claimed that Ambani's Reliance Industries and Sahara Group chairman Subrata Roy have each tabled bids to wipe out the club's debt of £237 million in exchange for a 51 per cent stake in the club, despite the club's chief executive Christian Purslow denying any knowledge of an impending takeover.

Ambani, 52, who owns Reliance Industries, had his personal wealth valued by Forbes in November 2009 at $32 billion [£20.5bn], which would dwarf the combined wealth of both Chelsea sponsor Roman Abramovich and Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour.

The more serious bid, though, is believed to be from Roy, who failed in an attempt to sponsor Manchester United's shirts last year.

Despite the alleged interest, Reliance have issued a statement denying the reports concerning pointing toward a an investment in the Merseyside club.

"There is no truth to the report. We deny it completely," said Reliance spokeswoman Sudeep Purkayastha.

Meanwhile, the Sahara group neither confirmed nor denied lodging a bid to prise the Kop club away from its American owners.

A spokesperson for Sahara, Abhijit Sarkar, said: "We are presently not in a position to comment."

Prataman meets Sophia Pang

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, announces that Sophia Pang, the Singaporean member of the Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition and Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab, were received by the President of Singapore, His Excellency S.R. Nathan.

The Banquet Hall of the Presidential residence played host to Sophia Pang and the management team of Kaspersky Lab in recognition of Sophia´s accomplishment of becoming the first Singaporean woman to ski to the South Pole.

The President of Singapore, His Excellency S.R. Nathan hosted the reception, also attended by Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, Mrs Lim Hwee Hwa, Minister in the Prime Minister´s Office and Second Minister for Finance and Transport, who is also the Singapore Team Patron for the Kaspersky Lab Commonwealth Antarctic Expedition. Mrs Lim spoke about the significance of Sophia´s achievement and why all of Singapore was proud of her.

In addition to Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab was also represented at the reception by Harry Cheung, Managing Director for APAC, and Gun Suk Ling, Managing Director for South East Asia. It´s worth mentioning that Eugene and Harry travelled to the Antarctic to meet Sophia and her team when they arrived at the South Pole.

Commenting on the success of the expedition, Eugene Kaspersky said his company felt like it was part of the team, helping to support the women through each and every step of their trip.

˝When we first heard about Sophia and her team´s quest to ski to the South Pole, I knew that it was something Kaspersky Lab wanted to support. They were just months away from their start date but they had yet to secure the funding they needed to ensure the expedition could go ahead. And it was Sophia who approached Kaspersky Lab and helped secure our support – not just for her – but for the whole team,˝ Eugene Kaspersky said.

While Sophia was honored by the Presidential reception, she took time to thank her sponsors and the people who made the expedition possible.

˝We would never have made it to the South Pole without the support of Kaspersky Lab. When I first approached them, I was hoping Kaspersky Lab would support my ambition to be the first Singaporean woman to ski to the South Pole. When Kaspersky Lab agreed to sponsor the entire team, I simply jumped for joy,˝ Ms Pang said.

At the conclusion of the reception President Nathan presented Sophia with a RISIS Plate in recognition of the honour she had brought to Singapore.

3 Teenagers Charged becos of racist Facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=279828277914&ref=mf

Ah Pu Neh Neh... is racist!

POLICE have arrested three Chinese youths for posting racist remarks on popular social networking site Facebook.

The trio, aged between 17 and 18, are believed to be active members of a Facebook group which is named after a derogatory term to describe Indians.

Following a report lodged last Saturday, police conducted extensive inquiries and established the identity of the suspects.

All three suspects were arrested on 31 Jan 2010 and have since been released on bail. Investigations into the case are on-going.

Under the Sedition Act, anyone found guilty of promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore shall be liable, on conviction for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both.

Commander of Bedok Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police, Teo Chun Ching said; "Police take a very stern view of acts that could threaten the social harmony in Singapore. The Internet may be a convenient medium to express one's views but members of the public should bear in mind that they are no less accountable for their actions online."

Ah Neh Rojak stall food poisoning cases due to Shit

MOH verified!

An Indian rojak stall that was linked to a food poisoning outbreak last year was poorly maintained.

This is according to a Senior Public Health Officer from the Ministry of Health (MOH), Abdul Rahman Osman, who inspected the Rojak Geylang Serai stall on April 4 last year.

In a coroner's inquiry on Tuesday, the court heard how the stall was dirty with food stains and showed signs of cockroach infestation.

The ministry also found bacteria - indicative of poor sanitary conditions - on a chopping board used to cut food items in the stall.

One of the bacteria - staphylococcus aureus - is commonly found on human skin, while the other - faecal coliform - indicates faecal cross contamination.

However, the licensee of the stall, Sheik Alauddin Mohideen, said that his outlet was cleaned with soap and water every day after closing time. He added that his staff wear gloves when they handle cooked food.

Two women died after eating rojak bought from the outlet last year - 57-year-old Aminah Samijo, who died on April 6; and 59-year-old Norani Kassim, who died on April 8.

Do we continues to eat hand made Roti Prata? what if the indian guy didn't wash his hands after shitting?!

Ah Neh FT push Cabby but its an Accident

THE death of a cabby from a severe head injury two days after he was pushed and hit his head on the ground accident.

State Coroner Victor Yeo on Monday recorded a verdict of misadventure at an inquest into the death of relief Trans Cab driver Chew Peng Choon, 62, in September 2008.

The man who had pushed him was tried and acquitted of causing his death by doing a negligent act last November. But former financial controller Arun Rajan, 30, was back in the coroner's court as a potential defendant. He elected to remain silent.

Mr Arun, who was tipsy, had vomited inside Mr Chew's cab as he was the way way home to Tampines sometime past 1.30am on Sept 27, 2008.

Mr Chew then demanded an extra $50 to clean up the mess but Mr Rajan refused to pay, sparking an argument. Mr Rajan later withdrew $50 from a convenience store at a petrol kiosk along Tampines Avenue 9.

After paying $30 for his cab fare, Mr Chew continued to ask for the cleaning charges and also tried to punch Mr Arun.

While Mr Arun was walking away, Mr Chew took an object from his tax and confronted Mr Arun, who grabbed his fist and pushed him, causing the cabby to fall backwards He died two days later in hospital of a broken skull.

Enjoy Thaipusam 2010

The annual Thaipusam festival drew some 9,500 devotees this year - about 400 more than last year. And they all fulfilled their vows to the Hindu deity Lord Muruga.

Devotees walked the four-kilometre stretch from the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road.

Organisers said more people took part this year because it was held over the weekend.
Most of the devotees carried pots filled with milk, called the paal kudam. Others shouldered kaavadis - tower-shaped spiked structures - as a form of thanksgiving or family tradition.

One devotee said: "My daughter-in-law wanted to carry the paal kudam. She made a vow and we followed her."

Another commented: "In our family, we usually come to the temple during Thaipusam when we have a newborn..."

The colourful festival is also a draw for tourists.

It is also common to see Singaporeans of other races taking part in the festival, a point also highlighted by the guest of honour who was at both temples to witness the procession.

Lim Hwee Hua, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, and Second Minister for Finance and Transport, said: "They have grown up together amidst diversity, (and have the) opportunity to experience each other's culture and that is really natural and that is really good.

"But what we would like to build into them is that elsewhere outside of Singapore, some of these differences can become a source of tension. We just want them to be aware of it.

"Celebrate the differences, but at the same time, respect that we are all born differently and we are all born of different backgrounds, different religious beliefs. So I believe that we should continue to build that consciousness, but allow the natural assimilation to continue in a very good way."

The Thaipusam procession, which began at midnight, continues for a 24-hour period.

Shamu: Don't jump to conclusion... errrr...

If my knowledge thru CSI and many crime related books didn't help improve my analytical skills - I'm a dam-fool.

IT IS not right or appropriate for the Singapore Government to determine guilt in the ongoing investigations related to a hit-and-run accident involving a Romanian embassy car, said Law Minister K. Shanmugam yesterday.

But it is right for the Government to investigate the facts, put them forward and take the appropriate steps, he told reporters after a dialogue with Yew Tee residents.

"There is no question of us not going through the facts carefully or trying to shield anyone, or not following due processes," he said, stressing the need for fairness.

Mr Shanmugam was replying to a question a resident had posed on the Government's apparent silence on the accident.

Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said that due process must be allowed to take its course for the case.

The accident occurred last month in Bukit Panjang. It left one man dead and two men injured. Mr Shanmugam said that the police would "investigate without fear or favour" and that, in the next step, the Attorney-General would "proceed only if he believes that a case can be made in court with witnesses beyond reasonable doubt".

ST Kinetics bids for US$3b India defence contracts

ST Kinetics, an arm of Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering, said it has bid for five Indian defence contracts worth US$3 billion. 'If all five defence tenders we have bid for come through, we will have a revenue of $3 billion over five years,' Patrick Choy, chief marketing officer of ST Kinetics, told reporters.

ST Kinetics also said it will begin India trials of its 155MM Howitzer Towed guns for the army in a month. 'There are two programmes, towed guns and light guns,' Mr Choy told reporters. ST Engineering is the world's largest aircraft repair firm.

India is upgrading its largely Soviet-era arsenal to counter potential threats from Pakistan and China with a series of acquisitions.

The Indian army needs new weapons urgently as the Bofors howitzers were its last major acquisition, made back in 1986. India is now seeking heavy-lift helicopters, submarines, ships and artillery for its army, valued at millions of dollars, a KPMG report said this week.

Prataman Sympathies Haiti

The Singapore government said on Thursday that it will make a contribution of 50,000 U.S. dollars in support of the international community's humanitarian relief efforts for earthquake-hit Haiti.

According to Singapore's Minsitry of Foreign Affairs, the donation will be made through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Singapore President S R Nathan on Thursday also wrote to Haitian President Rene Preval to convey his sympathies to the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday.

"I am deeply saddened to learn of the earthquake which struck Haiti causing widespread destruction and the loss of many lives. On behalf of the people of Singapore, I would like to convey my sympathy to all victims of the earthquake, especially to those who have suffered the tragic loss of their loved ones." Nathan said.

Indian Human Spaceflight in 2013

India would be launching its first manned spacecraft by sending two astronauts into orbit in a Russian spaceship in 2013. This mission will be the precursor to Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) maiden human spaceflight planned to be launched in 2015. Government has already sanctioned Rs 95 crore to study all aspects of the manned space mission under which ISRO plans to send a two-member crew on a week-long sojourn in space.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be buying the Russian Soyuz spaceship launch its cosmonauts into orbit. Besides paying for the spacecraft India will also finance the training of the Russian cosmonaut who is to head the team of Indian cosmonauts, Vitaly Davydov, Deputy Head of Roskosmos, the governmental organization responsible for managing the Russian space program, is quoted as saying.

Indian wants 'vyomanauts' for Indian spaceflight

Not so long ago, people in space were either astronauts or cosmonauts. Then the Chinese gave us
taikonauts. Now, another billion-strong nation with an ambitious space programme – India – is seeking a new breed of spacefarers: vyomanauts, according to Indian media.

The tongue-twisting term comes from the Sanskrit for sky or space (vyoma, pronounced veeohma). The closest Sanskrit word to astronaut would have been vyomagami, for something that passes in the sky. The other word for an Indian spacefarer that had been bandied about was gaganaut (gagan is also Sanskrit for sky). But "vyoma is very good", says Choudury Upender Rao, a professor of Sanskrit studies at the

Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. "It's an appropriate choice."
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now in the process of choosing four vyomanauts from a pool of 200 fighter pilots, P. Madhusoodanan of the Indian Air Force told DNA, a daily newspaper, this week.

India's first crewed space mission is scheduled for 2015, designs for which were unveiled last year by Madhavan Nair, former chairman of ISRO. The three-person vehicle will initially carry two vyomanauts into 275-kilometre low-Earth orbit. Before this flight, ISRO will launch its second moon mission in 2013.

Just For Laughes - Local version

Details Of Telecast

Title: Just For Laughs Gags Asia Channel: Mediacorp Channel 5 & HD5

Date: Starts 12 Jan 2010.

Episode 1 (Premiere Time): 9.00PM – 9.30PM

Description: Tune in to the world premiere of Just For Laughs Gags Asia – Made In Singapore on Channel 5! Get set to laugh out loud with bone tickling gags and priceless reaction from your fellow Singaporeans.

Happy Laughing!!

No more Ang Mohs but Ah Nehs, Mats and Cinas.

India lets work together for the better

India is hosting its global Diaspora in a three-day meet. More than 1000 participants, including a delegation from Singapore, are in the country to discuss ways to enhance trade opportunities and cultural relations.

More than 200,000 Indian expatriates living in Singapore are making their presence felt in business and cultural life of the country.

According to Singapore's Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, the Indian Diaspora has played an important role in enhancing bilateral relations.
A fourth generation Indian, Minister Balakrishnan feels the Diaspora can act as a soft power to project India's growing economic strength.

He said: "We want to remind the Indian government as well as Indian businesses that we continue to be a viable, focal point for Indians who want to do business in Asia Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia.

So it is really about opportunities both for Singapore companies in India and Indian companies in Singapore."
More than 4,000 Indian companies are operational in Singapore. Bilateral trade has been growing at over 30 per cent annually.

And with the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement that came into effect from January 1, the trade is set to grow even more.

The FTA agreement, considered the world's largest, will slash tariffs for over 4,000 product lines over a staggered period, by 2016 making imports from ASEAN countries, including Singapore much easier.

Vijay Iyengar, chairman, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "We are looking at opportunities in India. Every state of the country is here and more and more states are coming to make their presentations at the Global Diaspora meet. This itself shows that the states are seeing the importance of this event and for us to interact with different businessmen of each state is a very important thing."

The Indian government is also encouraging the expatriates to invest in the country.
India is one of the world's biggest recipients of expatriate remittances.
Their savings totalled nearly US$50 billion last year.

But the Prime Minister has asked the Diaspora to turn their savings into investment through Foreign Direct Investment into the country.

The government has opened an "Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre" to promote two-way interaction between the overseas Indian community and Indian businessmen.

India is growing rapidly and the Diaspora is a part of the larger network that can amplify the country's success and create more opportunities for the Indian companies as well as Indian entrepreneurs.

The Global Diaspora meet has provided a platform for overseas Indians to exchange ideas and support India's development.

Peacok meets Dragon

Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is expected to visit China from January 6 to hold dialogue with the Chinese military leadership to discuss the long-pending border issue, steps to improve coordination along the Line of Actual Control and increasing bilateral military cooperation.

In the first-ever visit by an Indian Defence Secretary to Beijing, Kumar is likely to be accompanied by senior Army officials from Eastern Command which looks after the Chinese border in the northeast, Defence Ministry sources said.

During the visit, which comes in the backdrop of recent military incursions by the Chinese PLA along the LAC, Kumar is expected to hold meetings with the top Chinese military leadership and is likely to discuss some new confidence building measures, the long-pending boundary dispute and the steps to improve coordination along the LAC, they added.

If these two country sneeze, the whole world catches cold.

Prataman's Advisor

President S R Nathan has appointed Bobby Chin Yoke Choong as a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers for a term of six years.

Mr Chin sits on the board of several companies and is currently the chairman of the Tote Board.
Temasek Holdings Chairman S Dhanabalan has also been reappointed as Council member for a term of four years.

Singapore Exchange Limited Chairman J Y Pillay remains as head of the Council.

The Council advises the President in the exercise of his custodial and discretionary powers. For example, the President consults the Council before he considers the budget of the Government and key government-linked bodies.

Council of Presidential AdvisersAddress: Istana Orchard Road Singapore (238823)
Tel: 68355332Fax: 67353135
Email Address: istana_cpa@istana.gov.sg

To discharge its constitutional duties to the President to safeguard Singapore's past reserves and uphold the integrity of the public service.

Personnel
The present Chairman of the CPA is Mr J Y Pillay, Chairman of the Singapore Exchange Limited. The other members are Mr Po’ad Bin Shaik Abu Bakar Mattar, Mr Yong Pung How, Mr S Dhanabalan, Mr Goh Joon Seng and Mr Bobby Chin Yoke Choong. The two alternate members are Mr Lim Chee Onn and Mr Stephen Lee Ching Yen. > Mrs TEE Teow Lee (Asst Secretary (Admin) )