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If the neighbors, landlord or social workers have that little bit of kaypoh-ness, the boy might not have died. I will get curious and ask around if I didn't see a particular person for sometime, who knows I might save a live and avoided a tragedy. May the boy and his father rest in peace. Two-year-old boy in England found starved to death, curled up next to his dead father Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/two-year-old-boy-in-england-found-starved-to-death-curled-up-next-to-his-dead-father A two-year-old boy in a town in England died of starvation and was found in his pyjamas curled up next to his dead father, who had suffered a heart attack days earlier. A social worker found Bronson Battersby dead on Jan 9, alongside his 60-year-old father Kenneth Battersby, at their home in Skegness, Lincolnshire, two weeks after the two were last seen by a neighbour on Boxing Day, Dec 26. Ms Heather Sandy, executive director of the council’s children services, told the BBC a social worker met Mr Battersby on Dec 27, and a home visit was arranged for Jan 2. “The social worker went to Bronson and Kenneth’s home and had no response to the knock at the door. So, she looked at other addresses to try and locate Bronson, and when she failed to do that, she spoke to her manager and she contacted police,” said Ms Sandy. The social worker went back on Jan 4, but again did not get a response. She returned on Jan 9. When no one answered the door, she alerted the landlady and gained entry to the property. Bronson’s mother, Ms Sarah Piesse, 43, told The Guardian she last saw her son before Christmas. She had been living apart from Mr Battersby and had got in a fight with him when she last saw him. Mr Battersby was believed to have died of a heart attack no earlier than Dec 29. He was unemployed and had a pre-existing heart condition that caused him to become severely jaundiced in the months leading up to his death. Ms Piesse told The Guardian that the post-mortem examination found that her son had died of dehydration and starvation. “Bronson starved to death because his dad died,” she said. “I couldn’t pick him up because his body was too fragile,” she said. “I could only touch him. He had been left there too long.” A neighbour, who claimed she knew the family, described Bronson as a “gorgeous, happy little boy”. The boy loved watching cartoons on the YouTube channel Cocomelon, nursery rhymes, and playing with his drum kit, she said. Ms Maria Clifton-Plaice, Mr Battersby’s landlady, told the BBC that finding the two bodies was one of the “worst (days) of my life”. She said she did not know Bronson well, but remarked: “I know he’d come and started staying with Kenny recently, and he was just probably the light of his dad’s eye. He was, I think, Kenny’s chance to be a good dad.” Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman described what happened as a tragedy. “It does appear that social services made repeated contact. They tried to get hold (of), and the system did not seem to understand, the potential gravity of the situation. That’s what we’ve got to try and understand,” he said.

Look like scene from Tunnel (Korean movie). Make me wonder how safe is our MRT tunnel, CTE, KPE, MCE and such. Are we well prepared for the worst case scenario, even if the chance of occurrence is 1 in 100 or even 1000 years? Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/south-korea-floods-yoon-suk-yeol-failure-disaster-response-rules-death-toll-missing-3633441 SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday (Jul 17) blamed authorities' failure to follow disaster response rules as the death toll from days of torrential rain grew to 39, including a dozen people found dead in a submerged underpass. The rains have pummelled the country's central and southern regions since Thursday as the rainy season that started in late June reaches its peak. The interior ministry has also reported nine people missing and 34 injured across the nation. Twelve deaths, including three bodies retrieved overnight, occurred in a tunnel in the central city of Cheongju, where 16 vehicles, including a bus, were swamped by a flash flood on Saturday after a river levee collapsed. Nine others were hurt. The incident fuelled questions over South Korea's efforts to prevent and respond to flood damage. Some drivers who use the road regularly blamed the government for failing to ban access to the underpass even though floods were widely forecast. According to Yonhap, South Korean police said they would launch an investigation into the fatal flooding of the underpass in Cheongju. Floods have claimed dozens of lives during recent rainy seasons as weather patterns have become more extreme. Yoon, just back from an overseas trip, on Monday convened an intra-agency meeting on disaster response and said the situation was made worse because of poor management of vulnerable areas. Ahead of a visit to flood-hit North Gyeongsang province on Monday, Yoon said: "This kind of extreme weather event will become commonplace - we must accept climate change is happening, and deal with it." The idea that extreme weather linked to climate change "is an anomaly and can't be helped needs to be completely overhauled", he said, calling for "extraordinary determination" to improve the country's preparedness and response. South Korea will "mobilise all available resources" including the military and police to help with rescue efforts, he said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/singer-tina-turner-dies-aged-83-2023-05-24/ 'Queen of rock 'n' roll' Tina Turner dies at 83 May 24 (Reuters) - Tina Turner, the American-born singer who left a hardscrabble farming community and abusive relationship to become one of the top recording artists of all time, died on Wednesday at the age of 83. She died peacefully after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland, her representative said. Turner began her career in the 1950s during the early years of rock and roll and evolved into an MTV phenomenon. In the video for her chart-topping song "What's Love Got to Do with It," in which she called love a "second-hand emotion," Turner epitomized 1980s style as she strutted through New York City streets with her spiky blond hair, wearing a cropped jean jacket, mini skirt, and stiletto heels. With her taste for musical experimentation and bluntly-worded ballads, Turner gelled perfectly with a 1980s pop landscape in which music fans valued electronically-produced sounds and scorned hippie-era idealism. Sometimes nicknamed the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," Turner won six of her eight Grammy Awards in the 1980s. The decade saw her land a dozen songs on the Top 40, including "Typical Male," "The Best," "Private Dancer" and "Better Be Good to Me." Her 1988 show in Rio de Janeiro drew 180,000 people, which remains one of the largest concert audiences for any single performer. By then, Turner had been free from her marriage to guitarist Ike Turner for a decade. The superstar was forthcoming about the abuse she suffered from her former husband during their marital and musical partnership in the 1960s and 1970s. She described bruised eyes, busted lips, a broken jaw and other injuries that repeatedly sent her to the emergency room. "Tina's story is not one of victimhood but one of incredible triumph," singer Janet Jackson wrote about Turner, in a Rolling Stone issue that placed Turner at No. 63 on a list of the top 100 artists of all time. "She's transformed herself into an international sensation - an elegant powerhouse," Jackson said. In 1985, Turner gave a fictional turn to her reputation as a survivor. She played the ruthless leader of an outpost in a nuclear wasteland, acting opposite Mel Gibson in the third installment in the Mad Max franchise, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome." Most of Turner's hit songs were written by others, but she enlivened them with a voice that New York Times music critic Jon Pareles called "one of the more peculiar instruments in pop." "It's three-tiered, with a nasal low register, a yowling, cutting middle range and a high register so startlingly clear it sounds like a falsetto," Pareles wrote in a 1987 concert review. Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones said he was saddened by Turner's death, calling her "enormously talented." "She was inspiring, warm, funny and generous," Jagger wrote on Twitter. "She helped me so much when I was young and I will never forget her." Canadian singer Bryan Adams, who paired with Turner on the 1985 single "It's Only Love," said "the world just lost one hell of a powerhouse of a woman." "Thank you for being the inspiration to millions of people around the world, for speaking your truth and giving us the gift of your voice," Adams said on Twitter. At the White House, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre called Turner's death "a massive loss to the communities that loved her and certainly the music industry. Her music will continue to live on." 'ONE-HORSE TOWN' Turner was born Anna Mae Bullock on November 26, 1939, in the rural Tennessee community of Nutbush, which she described in her 1973 song "Nutbush City Limits" as a "quiet little old community, a one-horse town." Her father worked as an overseer on a farm and her mother left the family when the singer was 11 years old, according to the singer's 2018 memoir "My Love Story." As a teenager, she moved to St. Louis to rejoin her mom. Ike Turner, whose 1951 song "Rocket 88" has often been called the first rock and roll record, discovered her at age 17 when she grabbed the mic to sing at his club show in St. Louis in 1957. The band leader later recorded a hit song, "A Fool In Love," with his protégé and gave her the stage name Tina Turner, before the two married in Tijuana, Mexico. Tina employed her strong voice and strenuously rehearsed dance routines as lead vocalist in an ensemble called the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. She collaborated with members of rock royalty, including The Who and Phil Spector, in the 1960s and 1970s and appeared on the cover of issue two of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967. Ike and Tina Turner bounced between record labels, owing much of their commercial success to a relentless touring schedule. Their biggest hit was a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary." Turner left her husband one night in 1976 on a tour stop in Dallas, after he pummeled her during a car ride and she struck back, according to her memoir. Their divorce was finalized in 1978. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Ike and Tina Turner in 1991, calling them "one of the most formidable live acts in history." Ike Turner died in 2007. EUROPE BOUND After leaving her husband, Turner spent years struggling to regain the limelight, releasing solo albums and singles that flopped and gigging at corporate conferences. In 1980, she met new manager Roger Davies, an Australian music executive who went on to manage her for three decades. That led to a solo no.1 - "What's Love Got to Do With It" - and then in 1984 her album "Private Dancer" landed her at the top of the charts. "Private Dancer" went on to become Turner's biggest album, the capstone of a career that saw her sell more than 200 million records in total. In 1985 Turner met German music executive Erwin Bach, who became her long-term partner, and in 1988 she moved to London, beginning a decades-long residency in Europe. She released two studio albums in the 1990s that sold well, especially in Europe, recorded the theme song for 1995 Bond movie "GoldenEye," and staged a successful world tour in 2008 and 2009. After that, she retired from show business. She married Bach, relinquishing her U.S. citizenship and becoming a citizen of Switzerland. She battled a number of health problems after retiring and in 2018 she faced a family tragedy, when her oldest son, Craig, took his life at age 59 in Los Angeles. Her younger son Ronnie died in December 2022. Her name continues to draw audiences years after her retirement. Musical stage show "TINA: The Tina Turner Musical," with Adrienne Warren initially acting and singing the star's life story, was a hit first in London's West End in 2018, and later on Broadway, and is still running. And in 2021 HBO released a documentary about her life, "Tina." She is survived by Bach and two sons of Ike's that she adopted. Reporting by Mike Davidson, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien

TL;DR - Garbage truck loses control and crashes into traffic light while almost taking out a pedestrian This is exactly why you should never use your phone while crossing the road! Watch this 60-second clip to see how vigilant the pedestrian was (phew, thankfully) What happened? On April 16, a Sembcorp garbage truck lost control and caused an accident along Ganges Ave. One pedestrian narrowly avoided the collision. SGRV’s Facebook page received dashcam video of the incident, which showed a white garbage truck veering suddenly at a traffic light. The truck slammed into both the traffic light and the divider. A woman crossing the intersection managed to see the approaching truck and quickly sprinted back to the side of the road for safety. Online Chat Can’t imagine if she was distracted by her phone and whatnot… Gosh. Many netizens were commending the pedestrian, not just for her fast reflexes but also how vigilant she was. While the rest were bashing the truck driver. Of course. Is this Terminator in action? Perhaps Sembcorp should terminate him lah… Takeaway Always ensure that vehicles are stopped at the stop line and look out for traffic before crossing the road. You'll never know what goes on behind the wheels. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/saving-private-ryan-actor-tom-sizemore-dies-after-suffering-brain-aneurysm-349831 RIP I didn't think much of him as a person, but he was in some of my favorite movies, and in particular, Saving Private Ryan and Heat The scene in Ryan where he gathers sand into a tobacco tin, always gets me. So much is said without a single word..

Breaking News : Soccer star Pele, Brazilian legend of the beautiful game, dies at 82 Andrew Downie and Gabriel Araujo Fri, 30 December 2022 at 3:08 am SGT By Andrew Downie and Gabriel Araujo SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Pele, the legendary Brazilian soccer player who rose from barefoot poverty to become one of the greatest and best-known athletes in modern history, died on Thursday at the age of 82. Sao Paulo's Albert Einstein hospital, where Pele was undergoing treatment, said he died at 3:27 p.m. "due to multiple organ failures resulting from the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous medical condition." The death of the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player was confirmed on his Instagram account. "Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today," it read, adding he had "enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love." Tributes poured in from across the worlds of sport, politics and popular culture for a figure who epitomized Brazil's dominance of the beautiful game. The government of President Jair Bolsonaro, who leaves office on Sunday, declared three days of mourning, and said in a statement that Pele was "a great citizen and patriot, raising the name of Brazil wherever he went." Bolsonaro's successor, President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, wrote on Twitter that "few Brazilians carried the name of our country as far as he did." French President Emmanuel Macron said Pele's legacy would live forever. "The game. The king. Eternity," Macron tweeted. Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, joined Santos in 1956 and turned the small coastal club into one of the most famous names in football. In addition to a host of regional and national titles, Pele won two Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the Champions League, and two Intercontinental Cups, the annual tournament held between the best teams in Europe and South America. He took home three World Cup winner's medals, the first time as a 17-year-old in Sweden in 1958, the second in Chile four years later - even though he missed most of the tournament through injury - and the third in Mexico in 1970, when he led what is considered to be one of the greatest sides ever to play the game. He retired from Santos in 1974 but a year later made a surprise comeback by signing a lucrative deal to join the New York Cosmos in the then nascent North American Soccer League. R.I.P ⚽⚽⚽⚽🙏🙏🙏

One death too many, 45th this year. This time a 31 years old Singaporean. Wonder what kind of machine. RIP. Rifle Range workplace death: Victim’s family wants more to be done to prevent such accidents https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/rifle-range-workplace-death-victim-s-family-says-too-many-such-accidents-authorities-must-do-more

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korea-reports-first-death-from-brain-eating-amoeba SEOUL - South Korea reported its first case of infection from Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as “brain-eating amoeba”, health authorities said on Monday. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed that a Korean national in his 50s had died after returning from Thailand. The man came back to South Korea on Dec 10 after a four-month stint there. He was admitted to a hospital the next day and died Wednesday last week. The KDCA said it had conducted genetic tests on three types of pathogens causing Naegleria fowleri to confirm the cause of his death. The testing confirmed the gene in the man’s body was 99.6 per cent similar to that found in a meningitis patient reported abroad. This is the first known infection from the disease in South Korea. The first case was reported in Virginia in 1937. Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba, or a single-celled living organism, that lives in soil and warm freshwater, such as hot springs, lakes and rivers, across the globe. The amoeba enters the body by inhalation through the nose and travels to the brain. The initial symptoms might include headache, fever, nausea or vomiting, and later symptoms can lead to severe headaches, fever, vomiting and a stiff neck, according to the KDCA. The incubation period for Naegleria fowleri is usually from two to three days and up to 15 days at most. Although human-to-human transmission of Naegleria fowleri is impossible, the KDCA asked residents to refrain from swimming in regions and neighbourhoods where the disease broke out. It added that the risk of infection was not high, but most cases start through swimming. “To prevent the infection of Naegleria fowleri, we recommend avoiding swimming and leisure-related activities and using clean water when travelling to areas where cases have been reported,” said Dr Jee Young-mee, who heads the KDCA, via a press release. The KDCA said clean water refers to any type of water that has not been contaminated, but people cannot be infected with Naegleria fowleri by drinking contaminated water. It added that the highest risk is when the water temperature rises during the summer. A total of 381 cases of Naegleria fowleri have been reported around the globe as of 2018, including in India, Thailand, the United States, China and Japan. The US alone reported 154 infections from 1962 through 2021. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, only four people survived, with a death rate of over 97 per cent. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that lives in soil and warm freshwater across the globe. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC)/YOUTUBE

Men don't have sex, be careful Expert warning : Double the risk of death

Condolences to the family. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/scdf-firefighter-nsf-dies-unconscious-henderson-road-3131506

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/dozens-injured-in-stampede-during-halloween-festivities-in-south-koreas-capital-seoul-12733277

Sad news: https://www.straitstimes.com/life/motoring/fast-lane-veteran-singapore-racer-william-lyou-dies-teslas-model-y-suv-starts-delivery-in-august He used to sell Nissans, and I even took a drive with him. Nice man... RIP https://topgear.com.sg/features/remembering-the-late-william-lyou-20th-july-1948-13th-july-2022-by-leslie-chang William is known for speaking slowly, but thinking (and driving!) very quickly. His ability to observe and react to any given situations faster than others made him a natural leader. He also had the ability to think outside the box which often caught his peers by surprise. I am certain William was aware of our spying motives, for we also spent countless hours trying to emulate whatever we had observed. Thankfully, he was unfazed and we remained very good friends. By 1984, I was able to compete on par with William. In fact, we became the top contenders for car park races till the early 90’s. So before the start of each event, William would call me by my Chinese name and we would perform the gentleman’s handshake, “Yeow, wish you a good race. If you don’t win, I will.”"

Radio Free Asia reported that one student who bought a copy of the drive has since received a life sentence, while six others who watched the show have been sentenced to five years hard labor. Some teachers will also be fired etc etc

SINGAPORE - A 90-year-old man who was fully vaccinated but had a history of chronic kidney disease and hypertension died from Covid-19 complications on Tuesday (Aug 17), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said. He is the first fully vaccinated person to die from issues linked to Covid-19 in Singapore. The man developed symptoms on July 29 and tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 1 as part of community surveillance testing. On Aug 2, he developed shortness of breath and giddiness and was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he was admitted directly to the intensive care unit for septic shock from Covid-19 pneumonia. He had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but was advanced in age and had a history of chronic kidney disease and hypertension, said MOH in its daily update. In total, 45 people have died from complications due to the Covid-19 infection. No new clusters were announced on Tuesday. The cluster linked to a dormitory located at 43 Sungei Kadut Loop grew to 14, with one new case added to its tally. There were a total of 56 new infections reported on Tuesday and, of these, 52 were locally transmitted. Of the local cases, 35 were linked to previous cases and already quarantined and another three linked cases were not in quarantine when they tested positive. A total of 14 cases remain unlinked. Four imported cases were detected and isolated upon arrival in Singapore. MOH also said six clusters have been closed. With that, there are now 93 active clusters, ranging between three and 1,155 infections. MOH also said the number of new cases in the community has fallen from 481 the week before to 322 in the past week. The number of unlinked cases has decreased from 135 to 91 in the same period. Currently, 404 patients are in hospital. Most are well and under observation, said MOH. Of them, 30 require oxygen supplementation, while six are in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Of the seriously ill, 31 are seniors aged above 60, and of them, 25 are completely unvaccinated or partially vaccinated. MOH said there is continuing evidence that almost all fully vaccinated individuals do not suffer serious disease when infected, unless they have underlying medical conditions that make them more susceptible. Over the past 28 days, the percentage of unvaccinated people who became severely ill or died was 9.6 per cent, while that for the fully vaccinated was 1.4 per cent, the ministry added. On the country's vaccination progress, MOH said 76 per cent of Singapore's population were fully vaccinated as at Monday, while 82 per cent had received at least one dose. A total of 8,464,972 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered under the national vaccination programme, covering 4,440,268 people, with 4,155,680 people having completed the full vaccination regimen. In addition, 151,089 doses of other vaccines recognised in the World Health Organisation's Emergency Use Listing have been administered, covering 83,968 people. =============== It's sad to hear this after putting in so much effort to persuade our elderly population to take the vaccine 😞 Condolences to the family.

thanks for all the laughs you have given me through the years 😢 https://www.google.com.sg/amp/s/www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20210227-1127338%3famp

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/acsi-boy-dies-after-incident-on-high-element-activity Poor boy and his parents Carabina not fastened? No belaying?

Saw this on facebook. Wonder what happen. I think near the Yang chicken rice restaurant

https://www.mycarforum.com/topic/2712580-ns-related-deaths/?p=6520443 So some trials are still ongoing but seems like my previous expectation was wrong. The main perp (person who pushed Yuen Chin) was sentenced to only 1 year+ in prison. Reckon the other guys are going to get away with slap on the wrists. IMO, this should have been classified as manslaughter. Sad.

heard 10 died in 9 days, seem like climbing the Mount Everest is not difficult after all. At least seven other climbers have died on other 8,000-metre Himalayan peaks this season, while two are missing.

new low here ... Son and mother charged with faking death to obtain CPF, insurance claims SINGAPORE: A man and his mother were charged on Friday (Apr 12) with faking her death to obtain Central Provident Fund (CPF) and insurance claims, the police said. Abraham Rock, 35, and his mother Talat Farman, 53, are accused of making more than S$3.7 million in false claims. Insurance firm AXA lodged a police report on Nov 13, 2018, after it found several irregularities in the documents relating to Farman’s purported death in Pakistan. By then, S$49,000 had already been paid out from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) under the Dependants' Protection Scheme while S$80,331.23 was paid out from her CPF account. Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department arrested Rock on Nov 21, 2018. Farman was also subsequently arrested. Rock faces a total of 11 charges, including charges of engaging in a conspiracy to commit cheating, giving false information, making a false statutory declaration and providing false evidence. His mother faces five charges of engaging in a conspiracy to cheat. If found guilty of cheating, the pair faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine for each charge. For making a false statutory declaration or providing false evidence, they face up to seven years in jail and a fine for each charge. If found guilty of giving false information, they face up to one year in jail and a fine of up to S$5,000 for each charge. Both are out on bail of S$15,000 each and will return to court on May 10. The police said that they worked closely with the insurers during the investigation. “In our continuous effort to combat fraud, it is vital for all insurers to be proactive in detecting and reporting suspicious cases to the authorities,” the police said.

mobile phones again .... Six-year-old girl dies after near-drowning in pool with lifeguards, swimming instructor distracted The state coroner criticised two lifeguards and a swimming instructor after a six-year-old girl, who did not know how to float or swim independently without support, died following a near-drowning at Kallang Basin Swimming Complex. On Dec 20, 2017, little Sherlyn Ler was left to fend for herself for at least four minutes as she swam using a swimming board. Her instructor, Mr Yeo Chwee Chuan, had led her to the pool's mid-point during her 7pm lesson before allowing the girl to swim to the edge. But he then turned away to focus on his other students, aged six to eight years old. Of the two lifeguards near the teaching pool, one was busy on his mobile phone while the other spent time arranging chairs. In an inquiry into her death on Tuesday (April 2), State Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam said: "The lifeguard should not be distracted by the use of his personal devices or idle chit-chat. "He should never leave his post unguarded. Drowning is known to occur quickly and quietly between 20 and 60 seconds." She also noted several lapses in Mr Yeo's management of his lesson, saying his class formation was "poor". "At several points in time, more than one student was out of his line of sight... Ideally, the child, especially one who is not an independent swimmer, should be within arm's reach," added the state coroner, who found Sherlyn's death a tragic misadventure. Although the girl's mother was seated on a nearby platform to keep an eye on her daughter, she too became distracted by her phone and when she turned to speak to other people. Moments after Mr Yeo turned his back, the 1.11m tall Sherlyn went under in a pool where the water's depth was between 0.8m and 1m. She died in hospital on Jan 9 last year from a lack of oxygen and blood flowing to the brain following the near-drowning. The Straits Times understands that Mr Yeo's coaching licence has been suspended by Sport SG and Mr Firdaus Rajatmarican and Mr Law Kum Wah, who left the pool unattended for at least four minutes, are no longer lifeguards. It emerged at the hearing that at 7.05pm, Mr Firdaus, who had been watching over the training pool, asked Mr Law to take over his duty as he needed to use the washroom. The state coroner said that closed-circuit television footage showed Mr Firdaus looking at his phone while Mr Law was arranging some chairs in the area. At about 7.15pm, two girls in the pool noticed Sherlyn floating face up and alerted Mr Law. Mr Law and Mr Yeo swam towards the girl and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed on her. Paramedics arrived at the swimming complex at around 7.30pm and she was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, before being transferred to KK Women's and Children's Hospital the next day. State Coroner Kamala said that according to Mr Garett Lim, who is a trainer of the Swimsafer programme at Sport SG, Sherlyn should not have been left to swim alone. She was about 10m from her coach when the incident happened. Mr Lim also said the swimming board is a poor flotation device which is not stable and may float away, leaving the child unaided. The state coroner added: "Children, in particular, need constant supervision around water which cannot be done if the coach is not able to see them." Sherlyn's family members were in court on Tuesday but they declined to comment.

Luke Perry, a talented actor and a generation-crossing heartthrob, died Monday. And as these things usually go, there is a great outpouring of grief across the media -- especially social media. Here, the reaction to his death is tinged with a particular kind of discomfort. Perry was just 52, not much older than those fans who watched his '90s breakout show, "Beverly Hills, 90210," in their teens and early 20s. Despite his bad boy persona, Perry didn't die from driving too fast or overdosing on drugs or living too hard. He just -- died, as so many humans do, from a seemingly indiscriminate failure of the body. A massive stroke, his publicist said. For Perry's older fans, his death is a reminder of a youth that is receding in the rearview mirror, even as mortality is approaching way too fast. Those same girls (and a few boys) who stormed malls in the early '90s (some even getting injured in the rush), are now nearing 50 themselves. Given that the average American woman lives to be 81 and the average man 76, Perry's death comes, culturally and statistically, far too soon -- and closer to the current ages of his then-teenage fans than to the national average. Perhaps that's part of what is so jarring. If only the good die young, and many of the young die from the wildness of youth, we at least want to believe that those who die in the in-between of middle age did something to speed it all along. When someone vibrant, prosperous and beautiful dies simply because of a corporeal malfunction, it becomes painfully clear that while we can and should take care of ourselves, much of how we exit this life is beyond our control. It is also a reminder that many of us are tipping into the middle of -- or second half of -- life's ledger. Luke Perry was a flesh-and-blood human whose passing forces us to face that we are now at an age where our teen idols' bodies give out -- which is, inconveniently, also an age where our bodies could do the same. There is no positive spin on death, nothing that is made better by the passing of a talented, charismatic, and by all accounts thoroughly decent man. And these middle-aged celebrity deaths, arms-length as they are, may shock and sadden us, but they do not utterly level us or fundamentally change our lives like the deaths of close loved ones. They do offer unique moments for sincere reflection on our own choices, and our own paths. We may not end up walking as far as we would like. Are we happy with the trail we have left behind us? (abbreviated from CNN) https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/04/opinions/luke-perry-death-filipovic/index.html

Fashion icon and Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld dies aged 85 https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/chanel-designer-karl-lagerfeld-dies-aged-85-reports-11259042 Legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85, his fashion label Chanel confirmed on Tuesday (Feb 19). The announcement came just weeks after the icon of the global fashion industry failed to turn up at shows during Paris Haute Couture week for Chanel, which he has led since 1983. He had reportedly been in ill health. "An extraordinary creative individual, Karl Lagerfeld reinvented the brand’s codes created by Gabrielle Chanel: The Chanel jacket and suit, the little black dress, the precious tweeds, the two-tone shoes, the quilted handbags, the pearls and costume jewellery," said Chanel in a statement after the announcement of his death. The CEO of Chanel, Alain Wertheimer, added that Lagerfeld was "ahead of his time". “Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House Of Chanel’s success throughout the world," he said. "Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand.” The House Of Chanel offered his family, relatives and friends its deepest condolences. Friends have always said that the prolific creator would die with a pencil in his hand, and just last week his own fashion line Karl Lagerfeld was still announcing new design collaborations. The veteran German designer died on Tuesday morning after being rushed to a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine just outside Paris the night before, reported French celebrity online magazine Purepeople. Lagerfeld, who simultaneously churned out collections for Fendi and his eponymous label – an unheard of feat in fashion – was almost a brand in his own right. Sporting dark suits, white, pony-tailed hair and tinted sunglasses in his later years that made him instantly recognisable, an irreverent wit was also part of a carefully crafted persona. "I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," runs one legendary quote attributed to him, and often recycled to convey the person he liked to play. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long." 'KAISER KARL' Dubbed "Kaiser Karl" and "Fashion Meister" among a whole host of media monikers – Lagerfeld was born in 1933 in Hamburg to a German mother and a Swedish father who imported condensed milk. He spent early childhood tucked away from war in the 1,200-acre family estate in Bavaria and had a French tutor. The big breakthrough came shortly after a move to Paris when, in 1954, he drew a wool coat that won a prize and landed him an apprenticeship with designer Pierre Balmain. Lagerfeld first found real success in the mid-1960s with Chloe, the fashion label now owned by Switzerland's Richemont. But it was Chanel that propelled him to rock-star status, as he sexed up the brand and lifted its profile with grandiose runway shows. In the past year these have featured a full-scale beach and an enormous replica ship. LAGERFELD WAS A 'CREATIVE GENIUS': BERNARD ARNAULT Bernard Arnault, owner of the luxury giant LVMH - the most powerful man in fashion - said he was "infinitely saddened" by the loss of a "very dear friend" and a "creative genius". "Fashion and culture have lost a major inspiration. He contributed to making Paris the fashion capital of the world and Fendi one of the most innovative of Italian brands," the billionaire said. News of his death led to an outpouring of emotion in the industry, and tributes began flowing in from politicians and fans. "It's a privilege to be able to say that you've worked with him, that you've listened to him speak, that you've talked with him, that you've been dressed by him," said the French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis on Instagram. "Karl Lagerfeld is an immense personality, someone out of the ordinary," French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told RTL radio. Virginie Viard, deputy artistic director of Chanel, will become chief designer of the fashion house following the death of haute couture icon Karl Lagerfeld, a source at Chanel said on Tuesday.

CB motorcyclist... The Cambodian authorities are seeking the owner of a Singapore-registered motorcycle allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed an elderly man. The incident happened on Feb 7 in Cambodia's capital city of Phnom Penh, in the Khan Por Senchey area along the National Highway 4. According to local media reports, the victim was an 81-year-old man from the Por Senchey district who was crossing the road on his bicycle at about 12.50pm Cambodian time (1.50pm Singapore time). Cambodian news site Cambodia News English (CNE) reported on Feb 7 that the victim had his hands up in the air while crossing, signalling for traffic to slow down. A "high-powered motorcycle" then slammed into him at high speed, killing him instantly. There have been conflicting reports about whether the motorcycle, which was later identified as a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, had toppled or slowed down after the crash. SINGAPORE Biker linked to hit-and-run was in Cambodia for charity Feb 21, 2019 Related Stories Overall crime rate up in Singapore Carousell launching new review system and tech to tackle fraudsters Two arrested for trying to enter Singapore illegally on sampan But it was consistently reported that it had sped away and that the rider, who eyewitnesses said was dressed in yellow, did not stop to render assistance. However, a piece of debris from the motorcycle with the BMW logo was found at the scene. Photos of the aftermath showed the piece of debris next to the body of the victim covered by a cloth on the ground and distraught family members crying. The bicycle he was on also lay twisted on the ground with its front wheel missing. FOUNDIn an update yesterday, CNE reported that the motorcycle was found parked outside a boutique hotel near the Phnom Penh Central Market area. The motorbike was also missing a piece from its front, and it is believed that the piece of debris found at the scene was from the same motorbike. Pictures of the motorbike showed that it bore stickers with the flags of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Laos. The BMW motorcycle model has a capacity of 1,170cc, with a maximum speed of over 200kmh. It has a weight of about 260kg and a 30-litre aluminium fuel tank and is described on the BMW website as a motorbike able to "overcome every type of terrain". It costs more than $50,000 here inclusive of the certificate of entitlement. CNE told The New Paper yesterday that it received a tip-off from an anonymous source on Facebook that the owner of the motorcycle had allegedly returned to Singapore to seek treatment for an injured wrist, leaving the motorbike behind. The news has riled both Singaporean and Cambodian netizens, many of whom have demanded she return to Cambodia to assist in investigations. Netizens have also identified a woman who lives in Singapore as the alleged owner. Checks by TNP on her Facebook page showed the mother of two in several photos with the same motorbike found outside the hotel in Phnom Penh. She was also affiliated with local rider groups and appeared to frequently travel by motorbike to Malaysia and Thailand. Attempts by TNP to contact her have been unsuccessful, and her Facebook page was deactivated yesterday evening. A close friend of the woman who did not want to be identified told TNP he was surprised to hear of the allegations. "This is news to me... she is a close friend," he said. "I've never known her to run away from responsibilities." The man added that she has also not responded to any of his messages since. Another acquaintance of the woman told TNP he was unsure if she was Singaporean but confirmed that she lives in Singapore. Singapore does not currently have an extradition treaty with Cambodia. TNP understands that while the Cambodian authorities are still looking for the woman, they have yet to contact their counterparts in Singapore.