Your face could soon be your passport at Singapore's checkpoints

SINGAPORE - Instead of being screened by immigration personnel, travellers at Singapore's checkpoints could be cleared in future by a facial recognition biometric system - which will allow entry into the country at record time.

Called the Flexi Immigration Clearance System, the project is the first of its kind in Singapore and will allow the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to toggle between automated and manned immigration counters.

It will particularly benefit checkpoints that experience a high traffic, and the ICA plans to implement the technology at the coming International Cruise Terminal.

This is one of a number of infocomm projects the public sector is embarking on and the Government gave a preview yesterday of an estimated S$1.1 billion worth of tenders it will award to the industry this year.

The ultimate aim is to make infocomm technology a part of Singaporeans' everyday life - at home, at work and during travel.

For instance, centralised remote building technology will be called for to monitor the lighting, lifts and water pumps in public housing blocks.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Police Force plans to acquire systems to enhance road-safety enforcement such as a Digital Traffic Red-Light System and Digital Speed Enforcement Camera System.

The Home Affairs Ministry, Housing & Development Board and National Environment Agency (NEA) were just some of the agencies that presented their coming projects at the industry briefing organised by the Infocomm Development Authority.

Several projects look set to improve public engagement.

The NEA's use of real-time sensors in its Smart Environment System, which is estimated to cost between S$3 million and S$10 million, will leverage on crowd sourcing technologies so the public can submit environmental information, such as the weather, at their location. The NEA hopes to react and deal with environmental challenges as they occur.

The Ministry of Defence, it wants to offer better healthcare services to Mindef and Singapore Armed Forces personnel by streamlining business processes and integrating military healthcare records with national healthcare systems.

IDA chief executive Ronnie Tay said the overall outlook for the infocomm industry remains positive, with increased spending in IT and demand for infocomm services.

"The Singapore Government continues to invest in infocomm to drive productivity and innovation within the public sector," he said.

"This is a strong testament to the Government's commitment to continually improve the delivery of services and information to citizens and businesses, and the important role of infocomm in fostering economic growth in Singapore."

Last year, the Government awarded 647 infocomm contracts worth more than S$1.12 billion, excluding a one-off S$850 million invested in the Schools Standard ICT Operating Environment programme. Two-thirds of the contracts went to local companies.

Obama outlines U.S. policies on Mideast

BEIJING, May 20 (Xinhuanet) -- US president Barack Obama has addressed the nation with his first comprehensive comments on the unrest sweeping many countries in the Arab world. He pledges the US support for reforms in the Middle East and North Africa.
Obama has also presented his most detailed vision yet on the path to elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace.
He says any agreement creating a Palestinian state must be based on borders that existed before the 1967 Mideast war, but "with mutually agreed swaps" of land.
President Barack Obama, in his much-anticipated speech, hailed popular unrest sweeping the Middle East as a "historic opportunity" and said promoting reform is his administration's top priority for a region caught up in unprecedented upheaval.
Obama voiced the wish to reset relations with the Middle East. He unveiled new economic aid packages to bolster political AND economic transitions in the region. They included relieving up to 1- billion-U.S.- dollar debt and guaranteeing another 1 billion dollars in loan for Egypt.
Barack Obama, US president, said, "We have asked the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to present a plan at next week's G-8 summit for what needs to be done to stabilise and modernise the economies of Tunisia and Egypt. Together, we must help them recover from the disruptions of their democratic upheaval, and support the governments that will be elected later this year."
On the recent tension between the Israelis and Palestinians, Obama said that the drive for a lasting peace that ends the conflict and resolves all disputes is "more urgent than ever."
Obama also called on both sides to negotiate a two-state solution. He endorsed the Palestinian demand that the borders of its future state be based on the 1967 lines and prodded Israel to accept that it can never have a truly peaceful nation that is based on "permanent occupation."
The US president also cautioned that the recent power-sharing agreement between the mainstream Palestinian Fatah faction led by Mahmoud Abbas and the Hamas movement, which rules Gaza, "raises profound and legitimate" security questions for Israel.
Obama also rejected a push by the Palestinians for U.N. recognition of a state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem late this year. He warned symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the UN in September won't create an independent state."

China plays down severity of South China Sea issues

Issues revolving around South China Sea may have taken four ASEAN countries — Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines and Vietnam — into a standoff with Asian giant China.

The South China Sea issues have also caused tension between China and a world power, the US, as navy vessels from both sides attacked each other last year in the territory, putting Southeast Asian security at risk.

The two powers even traded barbs during an Asian Regional Forum in Hanoi last year. The forum is created to openly talk about security issues in the Asian region.

But Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Liang Guang Lie exchanged laughs and smiles after their approximate two-hour-long bilateral meeting here on Thursday at the ASEAN defense ministers' meeting at the Defense Ministry.

Liang, who refused an interview, rushed to his car after the meeting.

Purnomo said the meeting went "fine", that there was no problems discussing South China Sea issues with his Chinese counterpart and there was no negative response from China to an ASEAN defense ministers' joint statement earlier on in the day on South China Sea.

In the joint statement, the ASEAN defense ministers said they wanted South China Sea to be stable and peaceful, without detailing whether a bilateral or multilateral approach was best. "If he were upset with the joint statement, he would have exited [the meeting room] in anger," Purnomo told reporters after the bilateral meeting.

"But the fact is he was not angry. He was smiling, even chuckling. He may not have read [the statement] anyway. But from what I know there was no problem."

He made the same response when asked on how the Chinese minister reacted to his earlier statement saying that as current chair
of ASEAN, Indonesia wanted South China Sea disputes to be solved multilaterally.

"[China] had no problem [with my earlier statement]. What are the issues that developed outside after all?" Purnomo said.

After being told that China wants to settle territorial disputes in the South China Sea bilaterally and discreetly with other claimants, he said "[China] indeed has a big voice".

Indonesian Defense Ministry secretary-general Eris Herryanto said both China and Indonesia shared the same interest in wanting to see a secure and peaceful region in South China Sea for vessels to navigate without disruption.

China, the four ASEAN countries and Taiwan had laid overlapping claims to the Spratly and Paracel Islands in South China Sea.

It is estimated that oil and natural gas reserves in the Spratly region amount to 17.7 billion tons, making it the world's fourth-largest reserve bed.

China and ASEAN are still negotiating the guidelines for the implementation of the declaration of conduct [DOC] on South China Sea before moving further to upgrade the DOC to a code of conduct, which is more legally binding.

Ex-IMF chief indicted, granted bail

NEW YORK, May 19 (APP) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn was granted bail by a New York judge on Thursday afternoon, and the former IMF chief has vowed to fight charges that he tried to rape a hotel maid in New York City.Over the objections of prosecution, New York State Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus said that Strauss-Kahn, 62, can be released on $1 million cash bail, and placed under 24-hour home detention with electronic monitoring—conditions that had been proposed by his lawyers.

The judge also said Strauss-Kahn must have an armed guard at all times at his own expense and have a $5 million insurance bond. 

The former head of the International Monetary Fund arrived in a Manhattan appeared in the courtroom Thursday afternoon wearing a gray suit and an open blue shirt. He turned to give a quick smile to supporters in the gallery that included a daughter and his wife, the television journalist Anne Sinclair.
The 62-year-old banker and diplomat had been being held at city's notorious Rikers Island jail complex. He's been behind bars since his arrest Saturday.
A prosecutor began the hearing by announcing that a grand jury had found enough evidence for an indictment, a procedural step that elevates the seriousness of the charge. 
"The proof against him is substantial. It is continuing to grow every day as the investigation continues," said Assistant District Attorney John He will be arraigned on June 6.
An attorney for Strauss-Kahn, William Taylor, said that Ms. Sinclair had rented an apartment in the city where her husband could be confined and watched by an armed monitor, although he suggested few precautions were necessary. 
"In our view, no bail is required to confirm Mr. Strauss-Kahn's appearance. He is an honourable man ... and he has only one interest at this time, and that is to clear his name," Taylor said.
Strauss-Kahn resigned as managing director of the International Monetary Fund late Wednesday, saying he needed to focus on clearing his name.
His lawyers have promised that, if released, he won't flee to France. 
They have asked that Strauss-Kahn be placed under house arrest in New York, and wear an electronic device to monitor his movements.
The defence team made a similar request Monday that was denied, but was making additional arguments before a new judge, Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus, who oversees all criminal courts in Manhattan.
The judge called a brief recess during the hearing to ponder written materials.
Scores of reporters lined up outside the courtroom door before the hearing, with still more journalists and cameras poised outside the building. 
Prosecutors have opposed Strauss-Kahn's release, saying his wealth and international connections would make it easy for him to flee.
Strauss-Kahn is charged with attacking a 32-year-old housecleaner Saturday afternoon at his Manhattan hotel suite. The 32-year-old immigrant from the West African nation of Guinea told police that he chased her down a hallway,and tried to sexually assault her.
In his resignation letter, released by the IMF executive board, Strauss-Kahn denied the allegations against him, but said he would quit to protect the institution.

 

Singapore stocks face policy risks

An upgrade to Singapore's growth outlook spells positive news for the broader economy, but analysts caution the short-term outlook for equities may not be as bright.
In the wash-up of first-quarter reporting season, and with a new cabinet named following recent elections, some analysts have adjusted their market strategy.
Singapore's Straits Times Index XX:$STI -0.27% has gained 2.8% over the past three months, according to data from FactSet, and is 1.5% stronger this month.
This performance has outpaced most other markets in the region, with Japan's Nikkei Stock Average JP:NI225 +0.12% down by nearly 11%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng IndexHK:HANGSENG +0.10% off 1.8%, and Australia's S&P/ASX 200 AU:XJO -0.44% lower by 4.4% over the same period.

New-look government
On May 8, Singapore's incumbent People's Action's Party (PAP) retained power after one of the most fiercely fought election battles in the nation's post-independence history.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled his new cabinet line-up this week, with the moves expected to see policy shifts that could affect the stock market's future path.
While retaining his current portfolio, Finance Minister Shanmugaratnam Tharman also became deputy prime minister and manpower minister. Other portfolio restructures will affect the national development, health and transport portfolios, and several retirements were announced.
"The People's Action's Party will continue to focus on policies to foster growth. However, the focus, we believe, will likely be on the quality of growth rather than on the pace of growth," analysts at Nomura said.
"To the extent that the cabinet changes will mean a review of existing policies and approaches, investors will have to adjust their preconceptions about the Singapore stock market and sectors, such as property, health-care, transport and gaming, which were areas of voter dissatisfaction during the recent general elections," the analysts said.
Sectors to watch
Normura said that "policy risks will continue to undermine the performance of developers in Singapore," while concerns about foreign workers — a key election issue — may also have an impact on companies in the country.
"While the government had started to curtail foreign workers prior to the elections, it would likely continue with its policy of weaning employers from over-dependence on foreign workers," the analysts said.
"Companies who depend heavily on foreign workers will need to improve productivity, but they may in the near term see higher personnel costs and therefore eroding margins," Nomura said.
The gaming sector may also see changes under the new government.
"The government recently levied fines on Genting Singapore PLC SG:G13 -2.90% GIGNF -7.39% for flouting the rules. One policy risk is that the government may further tighten rules to mitigate the social ills generated by the integrated [gambling] resorts on Singaporeans," Nomura said.
In Singapore trading on Friday, shares in Genting fell 1%.
Growth forecasts lifted
Better-than-expected first-quarter gross domestic product data prompted the Singapore government to ramp up its annual growth estimates earlier this week.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) revised its growth outlook for 2011 to between 5% and 7%, from the 4%-6% range previously forecast.