Article
She once left the country to look for a better life in a foreign land. The 37-year-old former domestic helper, Jourgina Dagoplo, found what she was searching for right at home.
She worked as a maid in Singapore for 13 years, but with her employer's help, she managed to obtain an ITE (Institute of Technical Education) skills certificate.
Eighteen years after leaving the Philippines to work in Singapore, Dagoplo is back in her homeland to finish studies in information technology-her long-time dream to earn an education that she says is worth much more than overseas money.
"I realized that it's hard to live without an education. It is an investment in yourself and something that nobody can take away from you," Dagoplo told the Inquirer in Filipino.
"No matter how much money you earn, that will be gone. But education, your knowledge, it belongs to you until you die," she said.
"My employers were very, very kind. If I couldn't do my work because of school, Ate would do it so I could go to school," Dagoplo said, adding she had grown very close to her employers' family.
She landed a job at IBM when the firm's bosses learned about her story from the Straits Times. She was hired by IBM as a technician earning $1,050 a month - double what she got as a maid. And even when she could no longer work as a house help for her employers, she was welcome to stay at their home as a guest.
Despite the setback, Dagoplo is determined to finish what she has started.
"The reason I'm studying now is not because I want to go back to Singapore. If I get an opportunity here, why not grab it?" she said.

My Views
Singapore is a good place to nurture but not everyone will be able to excel. Dream comes true through diligence. I believe that her employers are not only kind but understanding and always in full support to ensure that their maid could achieve better. At the same time, the maid herself knows to treasure every opportunity that arises and given. I think this is a very important story that must be told and heard by everyone, especially those students who like to play truant and discontinue schooling just simply because they do not like to study. They should be grateful that they have the chance to earn an education.

KOAY YI JING - 105421G

KOTA BAHARU, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Shocking, but true. Some teenage drug addicts are offering their girlfriends, including schoolgirls, to drug peddlers for a night of passion, in exchange for ''pil kuda'' (psychotropic pills).
This ''business transaction'' has been cited as a reason for the hike in sexual crimes in Kelantan.
State police deputy chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Mazlan Lazim said investigations revealed that teenagers hooked on ''pil kuda'', offered their girlfriends to drug peddlers for a night of sex.
In return, the teenagers would be given their supply of the pills, he said.
Mazlan said: "Such alarming activity also involved schoolboys aged between 14 and 16, who already had sex with their girlfriends," he told reporters here today.
He said, between January and Dec 12, this year, 296 rape cases were reported to the police, including the ''exchange'' of girlfriends for a supply of ''pil kuda''.
He called on parents to monitor their daughters'' activities to prevent them from getting involved with drug addicts.
-- BERNAMA

MNR MRA NHA GR

Nicholas Chan
Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - A 17-year-old Malaysian boy reportedly became the sex slave of his tuition teacher for four years, reported Malaysia's Chinese daily, China Press.
The teenager from Johor Baru was sexually abused by the teacher, who taught Mathematics and Science from his home.
The newspaper reported that the teacher would play pornographic movies during tuition classes. Apparently, the teacher would also force the student to have oral sex and sodomised him repeatedly.
The boy decided to reveal his ordeal after his SPM (equivalent to the O-Level) examination ended.
He told his father about it and the teacher has been arrested at his home following a police report.

Nicholas Chan:
An unemployed man armed with a kitchen knife went on a rampage on two packed
buses Friday in Japan leaving 14 people wounded, mostly teenage school children,
before passengers overpowered him.
Police said they had arrested 27-year-old Yuta Saito on charges of attempted
murder after the morning rush hour attacks outside Toride railway station, about
40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Tokyo.
"The suspect got onto the buses and wielded a knife and slashed passengers,"
said a local police spokesman after the bloody attack with what media reports
said was a 25-centimetre (10-inch) kitchen knife.
Passengers subdued the attacker, who also sustained some injuries.
"I wanted to end my life," he was later quoted as saying by broadcaster
NHK.
The knife attack in a country where violent crime is rare evoked memories of
a far bloodier stabbing spree in 2008 when a man killed seven people in Tokyo,
running over three with a truck and stabbing four to death.
Friday morning's attacks left 14 people wounded, none with life-threatening
injuries. Among the victims were eight high school students, four junior high
school students and two women aged 49 and 59, reports said.
The man slashed at least five of his victims, a local fire department
official said, while the rest were hurt when he punched them or as they
stampeded to flee the attack.
"People screamed: 'Run. A man with a knife is getting in.' I was scared, so
scared," said one woman, speaking on television.
Another woman said: "There was an uproar. High school students were running
out and I saw a schoolboy bleeding from his forehead."
The driver of the first bus that was attacked told NHK: "There were some 50
passengers on the bus when the man entered.
"First, I thought it was a fight among students. But then I heard a scream
and I thought this isn't normal. I saw the man wielding a knife, and I quickly
opened the door to let the students flee. That's all I could do."
The attacks stunned the local community in Ibaraki prefecture.
"It's an unforgivable act," said Kenji Takezawa, deputy principal of Edogawa
Gakuen school, some of whose students were among the victims.
"We gathered our students in our hall and told them to stay calm," he said,
adding that all afternoon classes were cancelled.
The National Police Agency said this week that the number of criminal cases
detected by police in 2010 looks set to total below 1.6 million for the first
time in 23 years, Kyodo News reported.
Murders, attempted murders and conspiracy to murder are on track to hit a new
post-war low this year, with 988 cases reported by the end of November, down 2.8
percent from last year, the report said.

Nicholas Chan
Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - A videoclip showing two children believed to be
related to each other having sex has has created a stir in Malaysia.
The boy is believed to be about 11 or 12 while the girl is about 13 to 14
years old, reported Malaysian newspaper, Harian Metro.
The video clip was taken by a third person in a hotel room in Butterworth,
Penang, and is being spread via mobile phones.
A person who obtained the clip from a friend said: "I can only shake my head
in disgust. How will their parents react when they find out?" he asked.
He said the clip was a sign of moral decay and hoped the authorities will
take action.
I think that yes the authorities should take action because, sex videos are at large and people who are involve in it are getting younger. So there should be a stop to all these nonsense

Singapore’s Raj is the Biggest Loser

A mere one kilogram was the difference between winning and losing.
24-year-old Singaporean, Viveganandam Deveraj (Raj) shed a whopping 67 kilograms to win Season 2 of the popular weight-loss reality show, The Biggest Loser Asia.
The Ngee Ann polytechnic graduate and 3D modeler pipped his closest rival Atikom Laksanapanai (Nai) of Thailand by a mere one kilogram in the show’s dramatic final episode taped in front of a live studio audience at MediaCorp Studios on Tuesday.
In so doing, Raj took home US$100,000 in prize money. Genghis Khan Enrique of the Philippines finished third.
Speaking after his moment of victory, Raj told Yahoo! Singapore he drew motivation to work out even harder after nasty comments criticised his gamesmanship during the 13-episode competition.
And despite beating a total of 15 other contestants on the show to claim the top prize, Raj said this was just the start: keeping the weight off, accumulated from years of bad eating habits, was going to be the real challenge.
“Yes, this is a life-changing experience, but it will not be the defining point in my life,” said a startlingly fitter and trimmer Raj.
“The defining point will be the same time next year, at the end of season 3 of The Biggest Loser Asia, when the highlight will be on me once again. Will I still remain trim and fit, or will I put back all the weight I lost?”
“Winning the prize money is definitely a very big cherry on top of this life-changing experience, but it’s not about who wins the Biggest Loser Asia 2 — it’s about taking control of your life. In this case, every other contestant’s a winner as well,” the avid gamer added.
In the showdown finale, Raj weighed in at a trim 77 kilos – a massive 67kg drop from his original 144kg when he started the competition.
Needing to lose at least 64 kilograms to beat Raj’s weight loss percentage, the popular Nai of Thailand could only manage a 63 kilogram loss at the final weigh-in, thereby handing the title to Raj.
“At that moment, I already made peace with myself and if I had lost to Nai, it would mean that he deserved it more than me,” said Raj.
Third-placed contestant, Filipino  Internet cafe owner Enrique, hopes that his experience on the show will inspire others to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
“I have so many excuses not to exercise. I have diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, back problems and knee problems. I’m a ticking time bomb. But look at me now, I have all the excuses in the world not to take this step, so if I can do it, so can anybody else,” said the man, who himself lost 53 kilos throughout the entire show.
So what does Raj intend to do with his winner’s cheque of US$100,000?
“I want to use some of the money to set up a charity, to help people like me who need help in turning their lives around.”

My View

Raj have come a long way from who he use to be. He put in a lot of effort to lose those extra pounds. I am sure it was not easy but it is not impossible either. He must have gone through a lot to be the size he is now. He has proved that staying healthy is a choice you make and not something that is not possible to achieve. I admire him for his will power to come this far. It must have boost his confidence tremendously. I am sure he will be an inspiration to all those people who want to lose those extra pounds. Staying healthy is the most valuable asset we can have. There is no point if you are the richest person on earth and your bedridden will ill health you cannot enjoy the finer things in life without good health. We should also eat healthy, exercise and lead a happy life in order to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Good health not only will make us confident but we can contribute back to the society more if we are in good health. Most Singaporeans are health conscious but they are also people who are obese and lead a sedentary lifestyle. Everyone should realise how important is a fit body and good health.

Banu Priya Bathumalai 104515L

Woman's eyes glued shut thanks to pharmacy blunder

SINGAPORE - An elderly woman unwittingly "glued her eyelids shut" after she applied the medication that had been dispensed to her by a pharmacy at a local hospital. Although the doctor had prescribed her Solcoseryl 20% Eye Gel, the hospital pharmacy had given her Solcoseryl Dental Adhesive Paste instead. Dental adhesive paste or eye gel? (Photos: STOMP) According to online pharmacy websites, both Solcoseryl Dental Adhesive Paste and Solcoseryl Eye Gel contain proteins derived from calf blood that aid in wound healing.

Her son, Austin, wrote in to STOMP with pictures of the wrong product:
"As shown in the pictures attached, my mother was prescribed Solcoseryl 20% Eye Gel but whoever was behind the counter gave her Solcoseryl DENTAL ADHESIVE PASTE instead.
"My mother does not understand English, and her eyesight is too poor to make out the words even if she did.
"I came home to find her complaining that it was difficult to open her eyelids and discovered to my horror that she had applied this paste to her eyes."
In a phone conversation with STOMP, Austin verified that his mother's eyelids were glued shut because she had applied the dental adhesive paste.
He added:
"She had to have her eyes rinsed repeatedly. As it is, there is no telling if there is going to be any permanent damage from this mistake and she may very well had gone blind if nobody was home tonight.
"Please urge your readers to check and double-check anything that they are given by hospital pharmacies, especially if they have elderly parents."
According to Austin, his mother was brought to the hospital's A&E department where she was given an eye irrigation treatment.
The family is still waiting for a response from the unnamed hospital on the matter.

My View

Pharmacy should never make such blunders as the woman is old and sick she will not be able to make out the words with poor eyesight. This is a serious matter that the pharmacy should look into. People who usually come the pharmacy are sick and some of them might not be aware what medication is dispense to them and they usually just take their medication as directed by the doctor. If the pharmacist dispense the wrong medication this could cause a lot problem to the patient. However patients should also be responsible and check the medication before they leave the counter. After the mistake is made it is hard to reverse however if all of us are alert it is easy to avoid this from happening.

Banu Priya Bathumalai- 104515L

Naked man arrested at McDonald’s outlet

A man was refused service by the McDonald’s crew in Queensway after he walked in stark naked and tried to order breakfast in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The incident occurred at the Rideout Tea Garden McDonald’s outlet along Queensway around 4am.
A witness, media coordinator Aslan Asat, 26, who was sitting in the alfresco area of the restaurant with three of his friends, told The New Paper they were shocked to see the man grinning as he casually walked into the restaurant totally nude.
“The naked guy was holding on to a laptop case, but he did not attempt to cover his private parts with it,” he added. The naked man also did not appear to be intoxicated.
It is understood that the Chinese man, who looked to be in his mid-twenties to early thirties, tried to order a cup of coffee over the counter but was refused service by the McDonald’s crew.
Mr Aslan said, “The McDonald’s staff asked him to leave, but he loitered around in the restaurant for at least 10 minutes before walking out.”
There were six other customers in the fast-food restaurant at the time, and they had the same reaction towards the naked man.
“Everyone was gawking at him initially and started to giggle after a while,” he said.
However, the naked man continued to loiter outside the restaurant even after being asked to leave.
“He took out a phone from the laptop case and started to make a call. I overheard him complaining about the refusal of service by McDonald’s staff in English,” said Mr Aslan.
“He left only after lighting up a cigarette.”
A McDonald’s spokesman confirmed the incident and said the restaurant had to turn the customer away due to the objectionable nature of his behaviour.
“The fast-food restaurant has referred the case to the police and investigations are under way.”
Police said they received a call at 4.35am on Sunday regarding a man appearing naked at a McDonald’s outlet. They arrested the man and referred him to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) for psychiatric assessment.
Lawyer, Foo Cheow Ming, told the paper that appearing naked in public and exposing one’s private parts is regarded as an “obscene” act by Singapore courts.
If found guilty, the man faces a maximum sentence up to three months in jail and a fine of $2,000.

My view

People are becoming more open for the wrong reasons nowadays. In recent days there are many news above indecent exposure like couples caught having public display of affection (PDA) and now this guy walking around naked in public. We living in a conservative society we should be aware that such acts will cause others to feel uncomfortable. We should be sensitive to people around us and respect them by behaving in a socially accepted manner. Such acts should be punished by the authority.

Banu Priya Bathumalai- 104515L

More than 600,000 people killed by secondhand smoke

Article
A new study analyzing data from 2004 in 192 countries says second-hand smoke kills more than 600,000 people every year.The first ever look at the global impact of passive smoking was published Friday in the British medical journal The Lancet.Researchers found that 40 percent of children, and more than 30 percent of non-smoking men and women were exposed to second-hand smoke.Scientists estimate that about 60 percent of the deaths were caused by heart disease and 30 percent by lower respiratory disease, followed by asthma and lung cancer.Altogether, passive smoking accounted for about one percent of the world's deaths.Scientists say passing and enforcing smoke-free laws for public spaces could significantly reduce mortality and health care costs from passive smoking.But researchers also noted that children's exposure to second-hand smoke happens most likely at home. They say that "the mix of infectious diseases and tobacco seems to be a deadly combination."

My Views
Smoking in your home damages the health of every other person who shares that home, especially children whose lungs are not fully developed. Smoking in public places damages the health of everyone who shares that space. Therefore, I hope that smokers can be more considerate and responsible. The non-smokers should have the right to breathe smoke-free air. It is important to have restrictions on where people are allowed to smoke and in particular to keep the work place as a smoke-free environment. Everybody should make an effort to quit for the sake of the people they love.

Koay Yi Jing-105421G