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MOM can and will do more for foreign workers: Tan Chuan-Jin

SINGAPORE: Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has said his ministry can and will do more for foreign workers.

He said this in response to various criticisms about the ministry's management of migrant worker matters.

Mr Tan said the ministry's various systems, including those dealing with employment issues for workers, can be improved, and the ministry will continue to work on them.

He also pointed out that whatever systems are in place, there will always be some employers who are irresponsible and who do not treat workers fairly.

However, most are reasonable employers, and should not be tarred with the same brush.

The same goes for workers.

In a blog post on Tuesday evening to mark International Migrants Day, Mr Tan said the ministry has reviewed its legislation and will continue to do so to ensure protection for workers.

He stressed the ministry is not pro-employer or pro-worker.

Instead, it strives to balance the employer-worker relationship while ensuring vulnerable workers are not disadvantaged.

But Mr Tan added the onus is also on employers -- those who bring in foreign workers must also be responsible for them and treat them fairly.

Employers should not simply look at the bottom-line, without caring for workers' welfare and well-being. Mr Tan added that this applies for local and migrant workers alike.

He said workers are also more productive and committed, if they are taken care of.

Mr Tan stressed it is about doing what is right and time should be taken to recognise the contributions of migrant workers in Singapore.

He pointed out that Singapore's economy and businesses will continue to tap on foreign workers to supplement specific sectors and workers who may not be as familiar with the laws and avenues for help in Singapore are vulnerable.

Mr Tan said their rights should and must be protected.

More than 90 per cent of some 3,000 work pass holders surveyed in 2011 were satisfied with working in Singapore and Mr Tan said things should be kept that way.

- CNA/lp

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Google+ iOS app adds support for Google+ Communities

Apple iOS users can now do even more with Google+ on their mobile devices.

Released yesterday, version 4.1 of Google+ for iOS lets you browse, search for, and join communities. You can find communities devoted to your own interests, read posts from fellow members, and post your own comments.

You can now subscribe to any circle from your iPhone or
iPad and receive notifications of updates and other items. Those of you who stage Google+ events can now indicate how many guests you've invited.

The "Find People" feature has been improved so you can more easily search for topics as well as individuals. And you can now edit your profile via your mobile device.

The Google+ app is optimized for the
iPhone 5 and is compatible with the iPhone, iPad, and
iPod Touch. The app requires iOS 5.0 or higher.

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GRAIL Mission Goes Out With a Bang

Jane J. Lee

On Friday, December 14, NASA sent their latest moon mission into a death spiral. Rocket burns nudged GRAIL probes Ebb and Flow into a new orbit designed to crash them into the side of a mountain near the moon's north pole today at around 2:28 p.m. Pacific standard time. NASA named the crash site after late astronaut Sally Ride, America's first woman in space.

Although the mountain is located on the nearside of the moon, there won't be any pictures because the area will be shadowed, according to a statement from NASA' Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

Originally sent to map the moon's gravity field, Ebb and Flow join a long list of man-made objects that have succumbed to a deadly lunar attraction. Decades of exploration have left a trail of debris intentionally crashed, accidentally hurtled, or deliberately left on the moon's surface. Some notable examples include:

Ranger 4 - Part of NASA's first attempt to snap close-up pictures of the moon, the Ranger program did not start off well. Rangers 1 through 6 all failed, although Ranger 4, launched April 23, 1962, did make it as far as the moon. Sadly, onboard computer failures kept number 4 from sending back any pictures before it crashed. (See a map of all artifacts on the moon.)

Fallen astronaut statue - This 3.5-inch-tall aluminum figure commemorates the 14 astronauts and cosmonauts who had died prior to the Apollo 15 mission. That crew left it behind in 1971, and NASA wasn't aware of what the astronauts had done until a post-flight press conference.

Lunar yard sale - Objects jettisoned by Apollo crews over the years include a television camera, earplugs, two "urine collection assemblies," and tools that include tongs and a hammer. Astronauts left them because they needed to shed weight in order to make it back to Earth on their remaining fuel supply, said archivist Colin Fries of the NASA History Program Office.

Luna 10 - A Soviet satellite that crashed after successfully orbiting the moon, Luna 10 was the first man-made object to orbit a celestial body other than Earth. Its Russian controllers had programmed it to broadcast the Communist anthem "Internationale" live to the Communist Party Congress on April 4, 1966. Worried that the live broadcast could fail, they decided to broadcast a recording of the satellite's test run the night before—a fact they revealed 30 years later.

Radio Astronomy Explorer B - The U.S. launched this enormous instrument, also known as Explorer 49, into a lunar orbit in 1973. At 600 feet (183 meters) across, it's the largest man-made object to enter orbit around the moon. Researchers sent it into its lunar orbit so it could take measurements of the planets, the sun, and the galaxy free from terrestrial radio interference. NASA lost contact with the satellite in 1977, and it's presumed to have crashed into the moon.

(Learn about lunar exploration.)

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Siblings of Sandy Hook Victims Face Survivor's Guilt

Six-year-old Arielle Pozner was in a classroom at Sandy Hook school when Adam Lanza burst into the school with his rifle and handguns. Her twin brother, Noah, was in a classroom down the hall.

Noah Pozner was killed by Lanza, along with 19 other children at the school, and six adults. Arielle and other students' siblings survived.

"That's going to be incredibly difficult to cope with," said Dr. Jamie Howard, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute in New York. "It is not something we expect her to cope with today and be OK with tomorrow."

READ: Two Adult Survivors of Connecticut School Shooting Will be Key Witnesses

As the community of Newtown, Conn., begins to bury the young victims of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting today, the equally young siblings of those killed will only be starting to comprehend what happened to their brothers and sisters.

"Children this young do experience depression in a diagnosable way, they do experience post-traumatic stress disorder. Just because they're young, they don't escape the potential for real suffering," said Rahil Briggs, a child psychologist and professor at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

President Obama on Newtown Shooting: 'We Must Change' Watch Video

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Arielle and other survivor siblings could develop anxiety or other emotional reactions to their siblings' death, including "associative logic," where they associate their own actions with their sibling's death, Howard said.

"This is when two things happen, and (children) infer that one thing caused the other. (Arielle) may be at risk for that type of magical thinking, and that could be where survivor's guilt comes in. She may think she did something, but of course she didn't," Howard said.

CLICK HERE for photos from the shooting scene.

Children in families where one sibling has died sometimes struggle as their parents are overwhelmed by grief, Howard noted. When that death is traumatic, adults and children sometimes choose not to think about the person or the event to avoid pain.

Interested in How to Help Newtown Families?

"With traumatic grief, it's really important to talk about and think about the children that died, not to avoid talking and thinking about them because that interferes with grieving process, want their lives to be celebrated," Howard said.

Children may also have difficulty understanding why their deceased brother or sister is receiving so much, or so little, attention, according Briggs.

"I think one of the most challenging questions we can be faced with as parents is how to 'appropriately' remember a child that is gone. So much that can go wrong with that," Briggs said. "You have the child who is fortunate enough to escape, who thinks 'Why me? Why did my brother go?' But if you don't remember the sibling enough the child says 'it seems like we've forgotten my brother.'"

"They may even find themselves feeling jealous of all the attention the sibling seems to be receiving," Briggs said.

Parents and other adults in the family's support system need to be on alert, watching the child's behavior, she said. Children could show signs of withdrawing, or seeming spacy or in a daze. They could also seem jumpy or have difficulty concentrating in the wake of a traumatic event.

"For kids experiencing symptoms, and interfering with ability to go to school, they may be suffering from acute stress disorder, and there are good treatments," Howard said.

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Megacity China: the ultimate in urban migration

Joanna Carver, reporter

(Image: Wu Hong/EPA/Corbis)

NO, YOU haven't slipped into a dream within a dream within a dream. This megacity, which you'd be forgiven for thinking is the dream-limbo city featured in the movie Inception, is Qingdao. It won the accolade of being China's most liveable city in 2009 and 2011. It is home to 8.7 million people. One of the main criteria for the prize is that the city must have a beautiful environment.

Chinese slang for urban sprawl is tan da bing, which means "spreading pancake". The pancake sure has spread rapidly since the country's economic reforms of the 1970s and 80s. These reforms have caused the middle class in China to steadily grow, and led to much of the rural population migrating to cities. By 2025, it is estimated that a total of 1 billion Chinese will live in urban areas. As of now, the country has at least 160 cities with over 1 million people. The US has nine.

Of course this means more housing, more public transportation and consequently more pollution. It's home to a number of cement and coal factories spewing filth into the atmosphere. (Qing, ironically, translates as "lush" or "green".)

Only 1 per cent of China's urban population is breathing air considered clean by European Union standards. According to the World Bank, about 375,000 people a year die prematurely because of horrendous air quality, with another 60,000 dying early due to unclean drinking water.

China aims to generate 20 per cent of its energy from renewable sources, so in August this year its government committed to spending $290 billion to help achieve that. The country is now the world's largest maker of wind turbines and is increasingly focused on solar and nuclear energy. The goal is to clear the skies over the spreading pancake, not to stop the spread itself.

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New private home sales in November fall to lowest level in 2012

SINGAPORE: The number of new private homes sold in November fell to the lowest level in 2012.

Excluding executive condominiums (ECs), 1,087 units were sold in November -- 44.2 percent less than in October.

It is also the second straight month of decline.

October saw 25.7 percent less homes moved in at 1,948 units.

Analysts attribute the decline to fewer property launches last month.

Savills' research head, Alan Cheong, said: "We had expected originally much higher numbers, believing that perhaps Echelon, Senette Residences may have been launched in November, but they didn't, so they may be pushed to December or next year.

It is always a lull period for the property market at this time of the year as more people are travelling.

Some analysts said the latest cooling measure has kept buyers on the sidelines as they assess the impact of a shorter loan tenure on the property market.

Meanwhile, more homes were sold in the city last month.

Some 209 units were sold in the core central region -- 45 percent more than in October.

But in the city fringes, sales dipped 52.9 percent to 167 units.

Knight Frank's research head, Png Poh Soon, said: "The market had a good run up over time and most people are wondering where it will be, going forward. Of course, buyers are also looking around for bargain buys. And we have observed that the resale volume has increased and prices have gone up from the retail side."

Low interest rates and volatile markets have pushed many investors to seek refuge in property.

2012 would likely be a record year for the number of new private homes sold.

Up till November, 20,879 new units have been sold, breaking the previous record when 16,292 units were sold for the entire 2010.

Looking ahead, most analysts expect the healthy market demand to continue and prices to stay firm.

- CNA/lp

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Dueling analysts differ on Apple's prospects ahead

Apple's recent stock slide has elicited different opinions from two analysts on the near-term prospects for the company.

In an investors note released yesterday, Citi analyst Glen Yeung lowered his rating on Apple stock to Neutral from Buy. Citi initiated coverage of Apple last month, issuing a Buy rating based on an expected recovery from the stock's then "near-term trough."

But with the share price now below $500, Yeung now sees the "likelihood of any near-term rally as diminished." Though he expects the stock to eventually rebound, he thinks it will hover around its current range for the foreseeable future.

To back up the downgraded rating, the analyst cited a cutback in supply chain orders by Apple. Such a cutback does show that supply has caught up with demand. But since Apple would be unlikely to cut orders if demand were great, Yeung sees this as a sign that demand is simply "good not great."

Based on supply chain checks, the analyst also finds that competition from Samsung is rising, weakening some of the appeal of the
iPhone 5.

Finally, Yeung sees healthy demand for the
iPad Mini, but at the expense of the iPad 4. Again based on supply chain checks, he expects iPad Mini production to rise to 12-14 million units in the March quarter. At the same time, production of the 4th-gen iPad is likely to drop to 5-7 million units. And Apple is facing competition from other
tablet vendors.

"More broadly, we view tablet innovation as increasingly difficult, opening room for alternative solutions to iPad and creating risk of further market share loss," Yeung said. "Our survey here shows that tablets under $300 are driving the majority of incremental demand as compared to six months ago."

Apple's longer-term prospects look more promising, as the analyst cited the impact of several potential new products next year, including an iPhone 5S in the second quarter, a Retina Display iPad Mini in the second half, an iPad 5 in the second half (and one designd to compete with ultrabooks), and a large-screen iPhone or an iPad with a phone in the second half.

In rebuttal to Citi's opinion, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty painted a rosier near-term picture for Apple in a report out this morning.

Demand for the iPhone and iPad remain strong, according to Huberty.

Based on a consumer survey, anticipated iPhone sales in the U.S. for the fourth quarter have beaten Morgan Stanley's forecast. And the iPad has retained a stable 50 percent market share despite expectations of a drop next year.

"A greater percentage of consumers plan to purchase the higher priced iPhone 5 as compared to iPhone 4S mix a year ago," the analyst said. "iPad share is expected to remain at 50 percent, better than our forecast of a six-point share drop in 2013 and despite more low-priced offerings from competitors."

As a result, Huberty believes that Apple's current stock price is unjustified in light of the estimated sales and earnings growth in both the near term and long term. She expects the share price to push higher and forecasts a 12-month target price of $714.

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Space Pictures This Week: Frosty Mars, Mini Nile, More

Photograph by Mike Theiss, National Geographic

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, illuminates the Arctic sky in a recent picture by National Geographic photographer Mike Theiss.

A storm chaser by trade, Theiss is in the Arctic Circle on an expedition to photograph auroras, which result from collisions between charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere and gaseous particles in Earth's atmosphere.

After one particularly amazing show, he wrote on YouTube, "The lights were dancing, rolling, and twisting, and at times looked like they were close enough to touch!" (Watch his time-lapse video of the northern lights.)

Published December 14, 2012

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Newtown Victims: 'Hero' Teacher, Principal, 20 Kids

Twenty bright first graders with their entire lives ahead of them were gunned down on Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Along with the students, the lives of six school staffers, including a devoted teacher and a proud principal, were lost. Click through to see the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Noah Pozner and his twin sister celebrated their sixth birthdays on Nov. 20. His sister, Arielle, who was in another class, survived.

Pozner's uncle Alexis Haller told The Associated Press that he was "smart as a whip," gentle but with a rambunctious streak.

Haller told the AP that Pozner called Arielle his best friend.

"They were always playing together, they loved to do things together," Haller said. When his mother, a nurse, would tell him she loved him, he would answer, "Not as much as I love you, Mom."

Funeral services Pozner are planned for Monday.

Emilie Parker, the little girl with the blond hair and bright blue eyes, would have been one of the first to comfort her classmates at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had a gunman's bullets not claimed her life, her father said.

"My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving support to all the victims because that's the kind of kid she is," her father, Robbie Parker said as he fought back tears, telling the world about his "bright, creative and loving" daughter who was one of the 20 young victims in the Newtown, Conn., shooting.

"She always had something kind to say about anybody," her father said. "We find comfort reflecting on the incredible person Emilie was and how many lives she was able to touch."

Emilie was a budding artist who carried her markers and pencils everywhere. Her grandfather recently passed away and Emilie paid tribute to him by slipping a special card she had drawn into his casket, her father said.

WATCH: Emilie's father speaks about his daughter

Jack's funeral is scheduled to take place Monday.
Jack was a fan of New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who paid tribute to the 6-year-old during Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons.

Cruz honored Jack Sunday on his cleats, writing on them the words "Jack Pinto, My Hero."

"I also spoke to an older brother and he was distraught as well. I told him to stay strong and I was going to do whatever I can to honor him," Cruz said after the game. "He was fighting tears and could barely speak to me."
Cruz said he plans to give the gloves he wore during the game to the boy's family, and spend some time with them.

The family released a statement saying, Jack was an "inspiration to all those who knew him."

"Jack loved school, reading, wrestling, skiing and football. Most of all Jack loved to play with his friends and keep up with his big brother," said his family. "He had a wide smile that would simply light up the room and while we are all uncertain as to how we will ever cope without him, we choose to remember and celebrate his life. Not dwelling on the loss but instead on the gift that we were given and will forever cherish in our hearts forever."

Like most first graders, Jesse Lewis was excited for the holiday season. The 6-year-old, who was in Victoria Soto's class, couldn't wait to go to school on Friday because they were making gingerbread houses, and his father had planned to join them.

Victoria Soto, 27, one of the adult victims, loved being a teacher, her cousin, Jim Wiltsie, told ABC News' Chris Cuomo Friday. In fact, her first-grade students' safety was such a high priority that Soto reportedly lost her life protecting them.

"The family was informed that she was trying to shield, get her children into a closet and protect them from harm, and by doing that put herself between the gunman and the children," Wiltsie said. "And that's when she was tragically shot and killed.

"I'm very proud to have known Vicki," Wiltsie added. "Her life dream was to be a teacher. And her instincts kicked in when she saw there was harm coming to her students.

"It brings peace to know that Vicki was doing what she loved, protecting the children," he said. "And in our eyes, she is a hero."

Grace Audrey McDonnell, 7

"We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from so many people. Our daughter Grace was the love and light of our family. Words cannot adequately express our sense of loss."

As with so many, the ABC family has been touched directly by the tragedy in Sandy Hook.

One of the young victims, Catherine Hubbard, is the niece of an ABC News employee.

Here is a statement from the family:
"We are greatly saddened by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Catherine Violet and our thoughts and prayers are with the other families who have been affected by this tragedy.

"We appreciate the overwhelming support from our community that we have received over the past 24 hours.
"We also wish to express our gratitude for all of the emergency responders who responded to this tragic incident as well as the teachers and staff of Sandy Hook School. Our local police and fire departments and the other agencies who are working on this continuing investigation have been incredible.

"We also want to recognize outstanding work of The Connecticut State Police who have been supporting us from the very beginning of this ordeal and continue to provide unwavering support to our family.

"We have no further statement to make at this time and ask that we be afforded the opportunity to grieve with our friends and family.

"We ask that you continue to pray for us and the other families who have experienced loss in this tragedy.

"Jennifer and Matthew Hubbard"

Hochsprung became principal of Sandy Hook in recent years and by all accounts, was devoted to the students and teachers at her school.

"When we had our orientation, you could tell she loved her job," Brenda Lediski, a parent, told ABC News by phone.

Kristin Larson, a former PTA secretary, told the Boston Globe that Hochsprung was "always enthusiastic, always smiling, always game to do anything."

"When I saw her at the beginning of the school year, she was hugging everyone," Larson said.

The terrifying moment Hochsprung came into contact with the gunman were heard over the school intercom and may have saved lives.

It's not clear whether the intercom was turned on purposefully to alert the school's staff to the menace or whether the intercom was on for morning announcements.

Either way, it caught the initial moments of Adam Lanza's lethal fury and gave teachers and others life saving moments to lock their doors and try to hide their children.

Mary Sherlach, School Psychologist

Sherlach had been a school psychologist at Sandy Hook since August of 1994 and had experience working on committees devoted to school safety, according to her website.

Sherlach and her husband, Bill, had been married for 31 years and have two adult daughters.

"I truly enjoy working with the SHS staff, parents and children," she wrote. "And am always ready to assist in problem solving , intervention and prevention."

Her son-in-law, Eric Schwartz, said Sherlach felt she was "doing God's work by helping children."

Lauren Rousseau worked as a substitute teacher before landing a full time position this year at Sandy Hook Elementary School. For the 30-year-old, it was a dream job.

"We will miss her terribly," Lauren's mother, Teresa Rousseau , told the Delaware County Times. "And will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream."

The 6-year-old was just learning the rosary and would lead the family in grace every night before dinner, the New Haven Register reported. Her favorite colors were pink and purple. She leaves behind a 3-year-old brother.

Her family released a statement describing Olivia as "creative" and a fan of craft projects and art class. She was a patient big sister to 3-year old Brayden and would lead Grace each evening at the dinner table, according to her father, Brian.

"Olivia was smart, bubbly, and unbelievably entertaining. Her physical loss will be felt every day by those who loved her most, but her sparkly spirit will live on," the statement read.

D'Avino was a behavioral therapist who had only recently started working at Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to Lissa Lovetere, a friend who is handling her funeral planned for Friday.

D'Avino's boyfriend, Anthony Cerritelli, planned to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve, Lovetere told The Associated Press.

Police told her family that she shielded one of the students during the rampage, Lovetere told the AP.

Jessica's parents, Rich and Krista Rekos, released a statement describing their daughter's love of horses. When she turned 10, they promised, she could have a horse of her own. For Christmas, she asked Santa for new cowgirl boots and hat.

"She devoted her free time to watching horse movies, reading horse books, drawing horses, and writing stories about horses," her family said in the statement.

The family described Jessica as "a creative, beautiful little girl who loved playing with her little brothers, Travis and Shane.

"We cannot imagine our life without her. We are mourning her loss, sharing our beautiful memories we have of her, and trying to help her brother Travis understand why he can't play with his best friend," they said.

The 6-year-old, with her beaming smile, was the daughter of a jazz musician. She sang in a home video with her brother, who was also at Sandy Hook Elementary School during the massacre.

The girl's grandmother, Elba Marquez, told The Associated Press the family moved to Connecticut just two months ago, drawn from Canada, in part, by Sandy Hook's sterling reputation. The grandmother's brother, Jorge Marquez, is mayor of a Puerto Rican town.

Charlotte's parents, Joann and Joel, had lived in Newtown for four or five years, Joann's brother John Hagen, of Nisswa, Minn., told Newsday.

"She was going to go some places in this world," Hagen told the newspaper. "This little girl could light up the room for anyone."

Daniel was the youngest of three children, his family said in a statement. The family described Daniel as "fearless in the pursuit of happiness in life."

"Words really cannot express what a special boy Daniel was. Such a light. Always smiling, unfailingly polite, incredibly affectionate, fair and so thoughtful towards others, imaginative in play, both intelligent and articulate in conversation: in all, a constant source of laughter and joy," the family said.

Josephine's father, Bob, said Sunday that the family will be releasing a statement soon.

"You couldn't think of a better child," neighbor Kevin Grimes told The Associated Press.

Grimes told the AP that he was recently speaking with Chase and the little boy was telling him about winning his first mini-triathlon.

James' mother, Cindy, is a native of Sherrill, N.Y.

"It's a terrible tragedy, and we're a tight community," Mayor William Vineall told the Utica Observer-Dispatch. "Everybody will be there for them, and our thoughts and prayers are there for them," he added.

Victims of Sandy Hook Shooting

As more information and images emerge of the victims from Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in coming days, here are the names of the other students and staffers killed:

Madeleine Hsu, 6

Dylan Hockley, 6

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

Caroline Previdi, 6

Avielle Richman, 6

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

Allison Wyatt, 6

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