SINGAPORE - The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be lowering its training tempo across all services, with the aim of giving commanders and troops the time and space to review its systems and process so as to focus on safety. Chief of Defence Force Melvyn Ong revealed this move at a media briefing on Thursday (Jan 24), as part of measures being taken after Singaporean actor Aloysius Pang's death from injuries suffered during a military exercise in New Zealand. He said he has asked all services to review their training tempo, with a view to lower it to focus on safety for all personnel, including full-time national servicemen (NSFs) and operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen). “What does this mean? This will take the form of lowering the duration, the intensity, the frequency of existing training, take some things out, to do training better at a more sustainable pace, to focus on safety. So all services will review this, lower their training tempo in the weeks ahead." … [Read more...] about Aloysius Pang dies: SAF to lower training tempo to better focus on safety, armywide safety timeout in place
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Despite global uncertainty, Singapore ‘does not need to be pessimistic’: Vivian Balakrishnan
SINGAPORE: Singapore recognises the uncertainty and volatility in the world today, but looking at what it has achieved this year, it does not need to be pessimistic about its outcome, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Monday (Nov 19).Reviewing Singapore’s foreign affairs policy in a ministerial statement in Parliament, Dr Balakrishnan said that Singapore has built up the “very precious asset of trust” with its neighbours and the international community, based on its adherence to international law and a rules-based order. This is so, even in times of “significant geopolitical turbulence”.“They trust us because they know we are straight, honest brokers, we are sticklers for international law and a rules-based world order and free trade, and we believe in the sanctity of agreements and contracts,” he said. “And they also trust our competence, to be able to deliver when times are short and the outcomes are urgent and … [Read more...] about Despite global uncertainty, Singapore ‘does not need to be pessimistic’: Vivian Balakrishnan
Singaporeans need to make sacrifices for migrant worker welfare: On the Record with Dr Goh Wei Leong, HealthServe
SINGAPORE: When he was a child, Dr Goh Wei Leong’s hero was, of all people, his general practitioner.“In those days, in the 60s or 70s, the doctors had little practices at home. It was just a little room and he looked after my family and me. I felt that connection. The very human touch of being a doctor was special for me.”This, in addition to his tendency of being a generalist, meant that when he went to medical school, he was clear in his mind that he would be a GP instead of trying out perhaps more prestigious specialisations.For him, medicine is about community.“I like talking to people. I really can’t see myself peering down someone’s throat and that’s all. Medicine is sometimes more an art than a science. It could just be a matter of giving someone a listening ear and giving them the right advice on rest and diet, not only prescribing medicine. The art part of it is what thrills me.”Today, one could say the bulk of his … [Read more...] about Singaporeans need to make sacrifices for migrant worker welfare: On the Record with Dr Goh Wei Leong, HealthServe
The incredibly complex Italian election is just 2 weeks away — here’s a simplified version of what you need to know
Italy’s 2018 general election is just over two weeks away. The country’s electoral system is notoriously complex, and a coalition government is almost guaranteed. New electoral laws come into force for 2018’s election. The vote is full of intrigue, with the rise of the populist Five Star Movement, and the return of Silvio Berlusconi among major talking points. Business Insider highlights some of the key issues in the election. LONDON – Italy’s general election – to be held on March 4 – is a hugely significant event, not just for the country, but for Europe as a whole. Italy’s politics has always had something of an air of chaos about it. More than 60 different heads of government since the Second World War, a political system where majority government is nigh on impossible, and a ranking as a “flawed democracy” point to the … [Read more...] about The incredibly complex Italian election is just 2 weeks away — here’s a simplified version of what you need to know
Here’s what Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche Bank and more are saying about the global stock market rout
Global stock markets are selling off amid fears about tightening monetary policy from central banks. Goldman Sachs: The data is “fundamentally good.” We’ve rounded up the analyst reaction from big banks and trading houses. LONDON – Stock markets around the world have been tanking over the last 24 hours, following the biggest single-day points drop for the Dow Jones Industrial Average in history. Traders are concerned that US inflation could rise faster than expected and force the Federal Reserve to tighten monetary policy faster than has been forecast. That could mean tougher business conditions for companies who have grown used to cheap and free-flowing money in the year’s since the 2008 financial crisis. Business Insider has rounded up what analysts from big banks and trading houses are saying about the sell-off. There doesn’t seem to be consensus around whether we’ve reached the … [Read more...] about Here’s what Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche Bank and more are saying about the global stock market rout