To increase local food production, crowded Singapore grows up

A new super-efficient vertical farming system in Singapore is producing greens for the 5 million residents of the crowded city-state.

The system is helping increase Singapore’s food security, while also helping cut down on the climate impact of food production.

Every night around midnight hundreds of trucks enter Singapore from Malaysia and beyond to unload their cargoes of imported fruit and vegetables at the sprawling Pasir Panjang wholesale center. Buyers pick through bins of bok choy, chives and eggplant, then load their goods onto smaller trucks, and fan out before sunrise across this crowded city-state of more than five million people.

It’s a window into the complex daily supply chain of fresh food in a country that grows only seven percent of its produce. It’s also a window into the future. A recent report by the Potsdam Institute projects that over half of the world’s population could rely on food imports by 2050, a trend driven by more and...

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Similar to Japan, Singapore imports most of its food. An innovative individual has designed vertical gardens in order to grow more plants in a limited space.

Should employers play the role of matchmakers?

A recent study on marriage and parenthood showed that one of the ways singles are most comfortable meeting members of the opposite sex is through their colleagues.

With Singaporeans clocking long hours at work, some experts said it makes sense for employers to play a more active role in pairing up single employees.

But just how far should the boss play matchmaker?

Public Relations agency Asia PR Werkz counts the Social and Family Development Ministry as one of its clients so it is naturally attuned to creating social opportunities for its single employees.

About 70 per cent of their employees are not married.

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An interesting trend is occurring in Singapore. Some companies are helping employees find people to date. Why do you think this trend is arising? What advantages and disadvantages do you see?

2012 opened new possibilities for stray animals to find homes

Pilot programmes were launched to gauge if they were suitable for HDB living.

Since the launch of a nationwide project in April to re-home medium-size stray dogs in HDB estates, animal activists are hopeful that such animals will find a loving home.

The project is spearheaded by the Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD) and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

"This project has been quite a big breakthrough for us because now it allows some of these dogs to be taken off the streets, to at least find other avenues for homes," said Ricky Yeo, president at ASD.

In Chong Pang, steps have also been taken in...

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People living in public housing in Singapore are now allowed to have pets. This new system aims at decreasing the number of stray dogs and cats that live in the streets. Local animal lovers seem happy with this plan.

Social pressure can help deal with littering habits: PM Lee

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said putting social pressure on litterbugs is one way to deal with the problem.

Mr Lee though did not rule out the possibility of adjusting the penalties for littering.

He was speaking to reporters at the launch of the Clean and Green campaign at Ang Mo Kio constituency on Sunday morning.

Statistics from the National Environment Agency (NEA) showed there are about 3,500 complaints about littering in public places every year.

Since August, surveillance cameras have been installed to catch high-rise litterbugs.

PM Lee said it's not easy to nab people who litter. And, he hopes the public can pitch in, to promote good social habits.

He said: "Members of the public will look at you and...

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Foreign varsities still a big draw for students

More students from Singapore have been heading to universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia in recent years, despite the growing plaudits for the Republic's education system and changes made to jazz up the tertiary sector here.

From 2008 to last year, the number of students from Singapore studying in the UK has grown by between 10 and 18 per cent each year.

This could be due to rising affluence coupled with smaller family sizes, the high quality of education of other countries, the strong Singapore dollar and students growing up in a globalised world, observers say.

The number of students who applied to study at a university in the US rose to 4,316 last year, from 3,039 in 2006.

Students TODAY spoke to said they chose to study abroad as they...

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The number of Singaporean students who study abroad is increasing. In Japan, the tendency is the opposite: fewer students are going abroad. What do you think might cause the difference between students in the two countries?

More companies get nosey with employee use of social media

More companies are starting to monitor and restrict what employees post online including forums and social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Social media is a double-edged sword. When used correctly, companies can generate valuable publicity and even sales.

But when used inappropriately, it could damage the reputation of companies, or even leak classified information.

According to recruitment agencies like JobsCentral, larger corporations usually issue a detailed social media policy on what employees should not share on social media and...

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Do companies have the right to monitor what employees say online? It is happening more and more often.

I love Singapore because …

National Day is here again! While we couldn't get 47 artistes to celebrate Singapore's 47th birthday with us, channelnewsasia.com did manage to speak with seven Singapore celebrities to find out what they loved most about the Lion City, and what sort of country they hoped Singapore will become.

Which celebrity loves Singapore because it is a safe home? Who hopes Singapore will become a fully air-conditioned island? Read on to find out!

… it is a safe home

Many Singaporeans may take the safety they enjoy here for granted, but not Singapore actress Joanne Peh.

"I love Singapore for the fact that we strive to be a...

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Singapore reach women's table tennis team semi-finals

Rivalries between the women paddlers of Singapore and Japan will be renewed at the London Olympics.

On Saturday night (Sunday morning, Singapore time), Singapore overcame North Korea 3-0 at London's ExCel Arena to set up a semi-final clash with the Japanese on Sunday (Monday morning, Singapore time) in the women's team event of the London Games' table tennis competition.

Singapore had denied the Japanese a bronze medal in the women's singles earlier this week after Feng defeated Kasumi Ishikawa in the third-place play-off, although the left-handed Japanese world No 6 had eliminated Wang from the women's singles.

Japan, the competition's second seeds, beat...

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26,000 attend National Day Parade preview

Some 26,000 spectators got a sneak peak on Saturday evening of the festivities planned for Singapore's 47th National Day Parade (NDP) at the Marina Bay Floating Platform.

The NDP preview show was definitely a success, with participants pulling off their routines perfectly. It is testimony to the months of hard work and practice they have put in.

That dedication was certainly appreciated by the spectators, who were cheering throughout the two-and-a-half hour parade.

Rounding off the parade is the spectacular...

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