O+ blood type donors needed: Singapore Red Cross

O+ blood type donors needed: Singapore Red Cross

The Singapore Red Cross is seeking O+ blood type donors to come forward and donate blood this weekend to support the needs of hospitals here.

The national bloodbank's stocks are "at low levels yet on a slow recovery", it said in a statement. Those keen to donate can call 62200183 for enquiries and appointments.

In Singapore, about 400 units of blood are needed each day for blood transfusions. Some 110,000 units are needed annually.

Blood donations here have increased 80 per cent over the last decade, from about 66,000 units in 2001 to more than 118,000 units in 2012, but the demand for blood here is expected to grow by 3 per cent each year, partly due to the ageing population.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Police warn of bail scam

Police warn of bail scam

Police said criminals are coming up with more innovative ways to cheat unsuspecting victims.

They reminded the public to be vigilant against scams.

In a statement, the police said they received reports on the "police bail" phone scam recently.

In this scam, victims received calls purportedly from China, with the "+86" country code.

The caller would claim to be the victim's friend and allege that he had been arrested by police while in China.

The scammer would then ask the victim to transfer a sum of money to pay the bail or fines for his release.

Victims who acceded to the scammer's request would eventually discover that it was a scam after establishing contact with their friends.

So far victims have transferred sums ranging from S$800 to S$16,000 to a bank account in China.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

HSA issues alert for illegal health products

HSA issues alert for illegal health products



The HSA has issued an alert regarding three illegal health products -- "Li Long Mei Guo Mo Bang", "Africa Black Ant" and "Ginseng Tu Chong Wan Lin Heong".

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has issued an alert regarding three illegal products containing potent western medicinal ingredients.

"Li Long Mei Guo Mo Bang" and "Africa Black Ant" are promoted for sexual enhancement. Both contain the undeclared medicinal ingredient sildenafil.

"Ginseng Tu Chong Wan Lin Heong", which is touted for the treatment of arthritis and joint pain, contains the undeclared medicinal ingredient dexamethasone.

HSA said three people have fallen victim to these harmful products.

One of them -- a man in his 40s -- suffered a heart attack and stroke. Another patient, in his 50s, suffered chest pain and shortness of breath.

A female patient, in her 30s, suffered Cushing's syndrome, which is caused by the intake of excessive steroids.

HSA has warned sellers to stop the sales and distribution of these illegal products.

Anyone found convicted of selling these illegal products can be fined up to S$100,000 and/or jailed up to three years.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Affected Fonterra dairy products not imported into S'pore

Affected Fonterra dairy products not imported into Singapore: AVA



The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said the affected Fonterra brand dairy products from New Zealand have not been imported here.

According to AVA, as part of its routine surveillance and inspection programme, imported dairy products are regularly monitored and sampled for food safety and compliance with its standards and requirements.

Food products that do not meet its food safety standards and requirements will not be allowed for sale.

AVA said dairy products available in Singapore are safe for consumption and that it will continue to closely monitor the situation.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Danone Dumex recalls 2 batches of PreciNutri Step 2 formula

Danone Dumex recalls 2 batches of PreciNutri Step 2 formula



Danone Dumex's PreciNutri Step 2 formula

Dairy food company Danone Dumex has initiated a precautionary recall of two batches of its PreciNutri Step 2 Follow-up Formula in Singapore.

The recall is only for batches with numbers FGMG2RG0900TNSG29 06043R1 and FGMG2RG1600TNSG29 06053R1.

This comes after New Zealand's dairy exporter Fonterra informed Danone Dumex that one of its ingredients had a potential quality issue, which means some of Danone Dumex's products packed in Malaysia may have been contaminated.

Earlier on Sunday, Danone Dumex Malaysia had recalled some of its infant formulas.

Dumex said there have been no reports of any illness linked to the consumption of its PreciNutri Step 2 Follow-up Formula product.

It added that none of the products tested and sold in Singapore indicate any contamination, and the recall is a precautionary measure.

The company said those who had bought products with the affected batch numbers (printed at the bottom of the product tins) can call its customer hotline at 1800-2653188 or email careline@dumex.sg for a full refund or exchange.

On Saturday, New Zealand authorities had issued a warning on whey protein concentrate (WPC) products manufactured by Fonterra as they were suspected to be tainted with cancer-causing bacteria that can cause botulism -- a potentially fatal illness which affects muscles and can cause intestinal and respiratory problems.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

S'poreans still falling victim to scratch-and-win scams in Malaysia

Singaporeans still falling victim to scratch-and-win scams in Malaysia

Singaporeans are still falling victim to scratch-and-win scams in Malaysia - despite many warnings and an ongoing crackdown by the authorities across the Causeway.

And although the number of reported cases has fallen, the con artists are making off with more money each time.

The average amount stolen has hit $6,300, Singapore police statistics show, up from $4,000 last year. At least five victims have reportedly lost more than $10,000 each.

The scam works like this: The crooks approach the victims and ask them to try their luck with a scratch card.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Police warn public about lottery scam

Police warn public about lottery scam

Police have issued a warning about a lottery scam involving an email purportedly sent by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) with its logo.

The police said a report was made on Wednesday. The complainant had received an email allegedly sent by an airline company to inform the person that a lottery prize money amounting to over US$100,000 had been won.

The complainant later received another email, purportedly sent by the SPF with its logo displayed, to verify the complainant's "winning" status as the recipient of the airline company's lottery programme.

The police have clarified that this is a scam.

In a statement, the SPF said it does not endorse any private sales promotions or lucky draws, and would like to remind the public to be wary of emails asking for money transfers in exchange for prizes or other rewards.

It added that the police take a serious view of such email scams as it undermines the public's trust in the police force.

Anyone who receives such emails should do the following:

1) Call the police immediately at '999' to report the case;
2) Do not give one's particulars or bank account details over the Internet to unknown persons.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Two cosmetic products found to contain mercury

Two cosmetic products found to contain mercury



The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has advised the public to stop using two cosmetic products which have been found to contain mercury.

The two products are Melati UV - Whitening Vit. E Cream and ESTHER Bleaching Cream (A) and (B).

HSA said these products should be discarded as they may cause harmful effects.

HSA had sampled the two cosmetic products and detected mercury in them.

The use of mercury in cosmetic products is prohibited under the Health Products (Cosmetic Products - ASEAN Cosmetic Directive) Regulations.

Mercury in skin lightening products may cause rashes, skin irritation and blotchiness of the skin. Chronic exposure to high levels of mercury may affect the kidneys and nervous system as it can be absorbed through the skin.

HSA said the two products did not list their ingredients on the packaging or the accompanying product leaflet.

The products were available on online platforms and in retail shops.

HSA has since seized the stock of both products from the wholesalers and their retailers.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

10 fall prey to 'JB Lucky Draw' scam since April

10 fall prey to 'JB Lucky Draw' scam since April

Some 10 Singaporeans have fallen victim to the 'Johor Bahru Lucky Draw' scam since April 2013.

This is more than the total number of people scammed in the first three months of this year.

Most victims fall prey at the bridge linking Woodlands Customs and JB's City Square.

Scammers would approach the victims, telling them that they have won a lucky draw prize.

They would then ask the victims to withdraw money from their bank account to pay for taxes or administrative fees in collect the prize.

Some would offer victims a ride back to their country, where the victim can make the withdrawal.

'Madam Lee', a victim who lost S$12,000, said: "I told him that I had only a few thousand dollars in my savings account. I told him that I couldn't get any cash advance with my credit card.

"They said that they would only take a look at it, scan the card number, and then return the card to me. But they lied. I was told there wouldn't be any interest charged, that when I withdrew the money, they'd put it back immediately."

The police remind the public to be vigilant of "get-rich-quick" offers and lucky draws that come with payment.

Victims are advised to make a report at the nearest police station in the country where the scam took place.

~News curtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Beware of sham "NTUC FairPrice" emails

Beware of sham "NTUC FairPrice" emails

Police have received several reports of emails being sent using the "NTUC FairPrice" name.

Recipients were informed they had been selected for a chance to win shopping vouchers from NTUC and they were to provide their particulars for verification.

NTUC FairPrice has clarified that such emails are not authentic and it is not running any email or phone contests currently.

It added winners of actual contests or lucky draws organised by NTUC FairPrice are notified by post or through advertisements.

Police say scammers have employed a similar ploy in other cases, by claiming they were staff of a well-established courier company, for phishing purposes.

Police remind members of the public to be wary of such emails or phone calls.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Sales of 120 children's products pulled

Sales of 120 children's products pulled

A total of 120 stop-sale notices have been issued over the past two years to companies whose children's products were found to be unsafe, said Spring Singapore yesterday.

Its market-surveillance efforts followed the coming into force of the Consumer Protection (Consumer Goods Safety Requirements) Regulations in April 2011.

It focused on products such as toys, cots, strollers, walkers, children's apparel and children's accessories.

More than 600 children's products from major and small retailers across Singapore have been sent for testing.

This was to ascertain whether they conformed to safety requirements, added Spring in a statement.

Spring, which is an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, oversees the safety of general consumer goods here.

Its group director for quality and standards, Mr Steven Tan, said that Spring started off checking children's products because children are "vulnerable customers who need to be protected".

"These checks have helped us identify potential safety issues and better focus our education and enforcement efforts," Mr Tan said.

He added that Spring will expand its surveillance efforts to include product categories such as furniture and household electrical appliances like hair straighteners and night lights.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

22 victims fall prey to new phone scam

22 victims fall prey to new phone scam

A total of 22 people have fallen prey in the past month to a new phone scam, where a caller would claim to be an officer from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority.

In all, 49 cases were reported to the police.

Inspector Zhahir Hushan, a senior police officer, said: "The scammers would call from a hotline which is similar to ICA, which is 6391-6100. The scammers would then demand the victims to transfer money into their accounts, claiming that they had failed to fill up the disembarkation card or embarkation card properly.

"Noting this, the victims would move forward and transfer the funds. Police advise members of the public, upon receiving such calls, to either ignore the calls, not to transfer any funds or to call 999 immediately."

Police say the cases so far involved $36,811.

One of the victims told Channel NewsAsia he was cheated of $2,700, when he transferred through remittance company Western Union to accounts seemingly based in New Delhi, India.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Green tea may protect against Parkinson's disease

Green tea may protect against Parkinson's disease

Researchers at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine have identified an activation process between a component in green tea and a protein in the human body that can provide cellular protection against Parkinson's disease.

Called EGCG, the green tea component is also found in red wine, and it triggers AMP kinase, a protein in the body, to help prevent brain cells from dying under stress.

The researchers experimented on engineered fruit flies which had developed Parkinson's, a progressive and degenerative neurological disease.

The team found that EGCG-treated flies exhibit much better movement ability and show significant preservation of their brain neurons, compared to untreated flies.

In three to five years' time, the researchers will move from experimenting on fruit flies to experimenting on mice as well as brain cells from patients with Parkinson's disease.

The team hopes to partner with pharmaceutical companies to formulate a drug which can be administered to Parkinson's disease patients.

Associate Professor Lim Kah Leong from the school's Department of Physiology says current treatment for Parkinson's is usually in the form of a drug known as L-DOPA, which only offers symptomatic therapy.

The potential medication would offer neuro-protection.

Associate Professor Lim said: "Whilst they can actually improve the symptom, current medication cannot stop, cannot reverse the degeneration process. Hence it's important to come up with something that can offer real protection to the brain cells from dying.

"There are benefits of drinking green tea but in this case we have something even more potent than drinking green tea. So hopefully medication centred around AMPK activation can provide real and faster benefit to Parkinson's patients than green tea could at that stage."

Associate Professor Lim added that if a drug were to be developed, it would target patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease to protect their brain cells from further damage.

The study is supported by the Singapore Millennium Foundation, National Medical Research Council and A*STAR Biomedical Research Council. About S$200,000 was put into the project.

～News courtesy of Channel Newsasia～

Beware of phone calls offering zoo tickets

Beware of phone calls offering zoo tickets

If you receive a phone call telling you that you have won free admission to the Singapore Zoo, do not celebrate.

It is likely to be a scam to steal personal details like your name and identity-card (IC) number.

A handful of people turned up at the zoo earlier this month only to find out that the tickets they had "won" did not exist.

They also learnt that the person who called them did not work for the zoo.

In a statement issued to my paper, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which runs the zoo, confirmed that it has uncovered a recent spate of phone scams.

The victims were requested to reveal their IC numbers over the phone in exchange for "free zoo tickets", WRS said in the statement.

Ms Isabel Cheng, director of marketing and communications at WRS, advised members of the public to make a police report if they receive such calls.

The scam came to light after the Singapore Zoo received several inquiries, in person and over the phone, about the free tickets.

~News courtesy of Omy~

Caramel colouring is safe, says Coca-Cola

Caramel colouring is safe, says Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Singapore has come forward to "set the record straight", by affirming that the caramel colouring in its beverage is safe.

"The caramel colour in all of our products has been, is and always will be safe," a Coca-Cola Singapore spokesman said in a press statement yesterday.

The spokesman said its caramel manufacturers have been asked to "modify their production process to reduce the amount of 4-MEI in the caramel" and that the changes "will not affect the colour or taste of Coca-Cola".

The statement follows recent reports in the United States that Coca-Cola and Pepsi will reduce the amount of 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI) in the caramel colouring used to produce their beverages.

In doing so, they are complying with an updated requirement set by California's Proposition 65, which aims to protect state residents from "chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals".

By modifying the production process, Coca-Cola and Pepsi will avoid having to put cancer- warning labels on product packages.

"Regulators throughout the world, including Singapore's Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA), have approved the use of the caramel found in our products," said the Coca-Cola Singapore spokesman.

AVA confirmed yesterday that "caramel is a permitted colouring in Singapore".

~News courtesy of Omy~

Parents, don't leave milk bottle with junior overnight

Parents, don't leave milk bottle with junior overnight

When she started going to bed with a bottle filled with milk or fruit juice, three-year-old Kaitlin's (not her real name) parents thought nothing of it.

It was only when the toddler started experiencing severe pain and swelling in the gum area near her front teeth that her parents decided to take her to the National Dental Centre (NDC).

She was diagnosed to be suffering from an aggressive and severe form of tooth decay known as Early Childhood Caries (ECC).

The disease typically affects the teeth of children aged below five. Parents with bad oral hygiene can also infect their kids when they share food with their children.

Dr Tan Wee Kiat, a senior consultant at the NDC's paediatric-dentistry unit, said she and her colleagues are now seeing more than double the number of cases, as compared to a decade ago.

"At that time, there were fewer than 500 cases a year, but now it's about 1,000 cases and more each year," she said.

The cause of the infection is usually prolonged exposure to milk or fruit juice, such as when a child is allowed to sleep while sucking on a bottle or receives on-demand breast-feeding.

These habits increase the chances of tooth decay, due to the acidity of such liquids.

Poor oral hygiene also plays a part, as "some parents do not brush their children's teeth until they are about three years old", said Dr Tan.

~News courtesy of Omy~

CPF Life plans to be simplified

CPF Life plans to be simplified

Singaporeans can look forward to a simpler choice between two plans that will provide them with a stream of retirement income for life.

This is because of major changes to the Central Provident Fund (CPF) system announced in Parliament yesterday.

The four existing plans in the CPF Life scheme, which caters to elderly people, will be collapsed into just two.

Individuals who turn 55 after Jan 1 next year and with at least $40,000 in their Retirement Accounts will get to choose between a new Basic Plan and a Standard Plan.

Under the Standard Plan, people will get higher monthly payouts but bequeath a smaller sum to their beneficiaries when they die. The new plan combines features of the existing Plus and Balanced plans.

The Basic plan, which tweaks aspects of another existing plan, offers slightly lower monthly payouts but a bigger bequest.

The current Income plan, which gives the highest monthly payout but leaves no bequest, will be scrapped, as less than 3per cent of CPF members who opted into CPF Life chose the plan.

Moreover, many members who chose this plan about 30 per cent later changed their minds about leaving no bequest.

Payouts under the two new plans will start only when the individual reaches age 65, in line with the existing plans.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who announced the changes, cited public feedback showing that it took significant effort to understand and choose between the four existing CPF Life plans.

He added that Singaporeans now live much longer and that a growing proportion of retirees will outlive their CPF savings if they stayed on the Minimum Sum Scheme.

The Minimum Sum Scheme gives payouts for a limited period of just over 20 years.

About half of the Singaporeans aged 65 today are expected to live past 85, with one third of them likely to live beyond 90. In the future, those who reach 65 are expected to live even longer.

"CPF Life is therefore both an important and timely evolution of the Minimum Sum Scheme," said Mr Tharman.

He added that the changes will "provide simplicity, but retain the best features of the existing plans" while giving the public a "meaningful choice".

Mr Seng Han Thong, an MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, asked about the popularity of the four existing CPF Life schemes.

Mr Tharman said most people chose the Plus and Balanced plans. About 90 per cent of the 73,000 people who have signed up for CPF Life since its launch in September 2009 chose either of those two plans, he added.

The new Standard Plan will be the default CPF Life scheme for individuals who do not make a selection when they hit 55.

Policyholders of the four existing CPF Life plans can stay with their chosen plans. They have until Dec 31 next year to switch to the new plans if they wish.

Men aged 55 with $40,000 of savings in their Retirement Accounts can get $380 a month for life under the Standard Plan, or $350 under the Basic Plan.

Mr Tharman stressed that the CPF system is "principally aimed at serving" the middle- and lower-income groups.

"It is not the purpose of the CPF to cater fully to the needs of better-off Singaporeans."

~News courtesy of Omy~

Beware dangers of night cycling

Beware dangers of night cycling

Cycling enthusiast Bjorn Wong was cycling at night along a quiet stretch of Seletar Club Road last September.

Visibility was low and he did not see a road bump, which launched his bike into the air. He ended up crashing into metal railings at the side of the road, and suffered an open gash on his left arm and a deep laceration to his upper lip.

Mr Wong, 25, who is the editor of cycling-community website Togoparts.com, was lucky. He was wearing a helmet which protected him from more serious injuries. His bike was also equipped with front and rear lights to warn motorists of his presence on the road.

But cycling groups here say that cycling safety awareness, especially at night, is not commonplace.

Police statistics show that more than 450 cyclists are injured in road accidents annually, and more than 10 die in a year.

Many cycling groups, like Joyriders and Five-O, have observed a rise in membership, with Joyriders noting a 200-member increase and Five-O doubling its membership to 80 cyclists over the last two years.

Five-O founder Chris De Souza, 59, said: "Many newbie cyclists are not familiar with the correct equipment to use and the correct attire."

Cycling groups typically start riding in the mornings around 5am, or at night, after 9pm, where the lack of visibility can be a safety issue, said Mr Than Chen Munn, 36, director of a traffic-consultancy firm.

They choose to do so because of lighter road-traffic conditions and cooler air.

"When cycling at night, cyclists are impeded by the lack of light, which diminishes their senses, making them more vulnerable," he said.

To help educate cyclists on night-cycling safety, four students from Nanyang Technological University are organising Singapore's first night-cycling safety initiative to be held in East Coast Park and Changi Coast Road on Saturday.

The group is partnering the organisers of regional charity ride Firefly Night Race for the 30km event, called See and Be Seen Night Ride. The event aims to promote the importance of the five Cs clear lights, comfortable helmets, colourful clothes, a cautious attitude and constant hydration.

About 270 cyclists have signed up. Mr Marcus Yong, 25, the student-team leader, said: "We hope to spread cycling safety awareness and, next year, we want to expand (the event) to involve more people and have an islandwide park-connector- linked route."

~News courtesy of Omy~

Fraudsters withdraw cash from DBS/POSB accounts

Fraudsters withdraw cash from DBS/POSB accounts

A large-scale fraud operation targeting DBS and POSB account holders is raising concern among Singaporeans, as numerous customers report unauthorised withdrawals from their bank accounts.

Since Wednesday, online forums and social-networking websites like Facebook and Twitter have been abuzz with netizens saying there had been fraudulent withdrawals amounting to hundreds of dollars.

Many also said that they warned their friends and family to check their accounts.

In a statement, DBS said that about 200 bank customers had reported unauthorised withdrawals from their ATM- or debit-card accounts.

The average amount withdrawn was about $1,000 per account, added DBS. The bank's standard ATM- and debit-card withdrawal limit is $2,000 per day.

The withdrawals appeared to have taken place in Kuala Lumpur, even though affected account-holders said that their cards had remained in their possession all along.

Many also added that they had not visited Malaysia recently, and could not understand how the criminals had been able to make the withdrawals.

DBS said that it was treating the matter with "utmost priority".

It added that cards reported as compromised were immediately deactivated, and that affected account-holders would be issued with new cards.

Mr Jeremy Soo, managing director and head of consumer banking group (Singapore) at DBS Bank, said: "We have started to proactively contact all customers whose account transaction history indicates that there has been an ATM transaction made in Malaysia, over the past few days, to double-check and confirm that indeed such an ATM transaction was made.

"If the transaction was not made by them that is, it is fraudulent we will compensate them in full for the unauthorised transaction within 24 hours."

Any customer who believes their ATM or debit cards may have been compromised should contact the bank immediately, on 1800-220 1111, or visit any of the bank's branches.

Police yesterday also confirmed that they had received several reports of the unauthorised withdrawals, and said that investigations were on-going.

Affected card-holders were advised to lodge a police report via the Electronic Police Centre at www.spf.gov.sg/epc or at any neighbourhood police centre.

The report should include the date, amount, location and transaction description for each unauthorised withdrawal, police said.

-News courtesy of Omy-

Smoking can blind you

Smoking can blind you

A new study has shown that nearly six in 10 or 57.5 per cent of smokers in Singapore are blind to the fact that smoking can cause blindness.

The findings, conducted by local doctors and researchers, covered 200 smokers aged between 14 and 83.

Blindness is a disability widely feared by most, yet only about four in 10 smokers here are aware of this risk of lighting up.

In fact, the study showed that the link between smoking and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) - a form of eye disease - is the least recognised, among five other smoking-related diseases.

These include lung cancer and heart attack, which each has more than a 70 per cent awareness rate.

The study though showed that the fear of blindness is the second biggest motivating factor for smokers to quit the habit, after lung cancer.

More than half of the respondents also felt that graphic health warnings were effective in getting them to stub it out.

Medical experts said this showed a need to raise public awareness on blindness as a smoking-related disease.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Amy Khor, who was speaking at the AMD Awareness week said there are now more than 30 million people worldwide suffering from some form of AMD. This figure is likely to triple over the next 25 years.

Dr Khor said this makes the disease a "significant public health concern" as the population ages.

Experts said apart from quitting smoking, preventive steps can be taken, such as having a diet rich in vegetables and vitamins.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~