Daily round-up, Sep 2: Landslide at Clementi BTO construction site; former Sri Lankan president to return home; Singapore’s giant pandas to extend stay

Let’s get you up to speed with the day’s stories.

A man sustained minor injuries after a landslide occurred at a construction site for Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in Clementi. No other injuries were reported.

Affected sections of the park connector have been cordoned off by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and will be closed to the public to facilitate restoring water flow in the Ulu Pandan canal.

Residents say they were unaware of the incident and did not hear any loud sounds during the time of the incident, which happened at around 2am. Some expressed concerns about their safety as they live on high floors. 

The area’s Member of Parliament Sim Ann said the damage is “fairly extensive” but unlikely to delay the collection of keys for buyers of the new flats.

Bankrupt Sri Lanka’s deposed former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa is expected to end his self-imposed exile in Thailand and return home imminently. The 73-year-old fled the island under military escort in July after unarmed crowds stormed his official residence.

Police deployed plainclothes officers and armed guards outside a government residence allocated to Rajapaksa in Colombo on Friday. Security at his private home was also stepped up.

Rights activists said they “welcome his decision to return” and would press for Rajapaksa’s arrest over a series of crimes, including his alleged role in the 2009 assassination of prominent newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.

Myanmar’s deposed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been found guilty of electoral fraud, a source says. She was sentenced to three years in jail with hard labour, the source said. The source added it was unclear what hard labour would entail.

She was judged to have committed fraud in a November 2020 general election that her National League for Democracy (NLD) won with an overwhelming legislative majority. Co-defendant Win Myint, the deposed president, received the same sentence.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained since a coup early last year and has already been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. She denies all the allegations against her.

Giant pandas Jia Jia and Kai Kai’s stay in Singapore has been extended for five more years under an agreement signed by the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and Mandai Wildlife Group (MWG).

Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrived in Singapore from China in 2012 under a 10-year agreement. They were due to return this year. Their first panda cub Le Le was born on Aug 14 last year and is set to return to China when it reaches independence at two years old. 

Major (NS) Robin Chew, 43, is not your average operationally-ready national serviceman (NSman).

While many NSmen chalk up around 14 days of in-camp training (ICT) a year, MAJ (NS) Chew completes close to 40 days of in-camp training a year and does it in the air – in an F-15SG fighter jet to be exact.

MAJ (NS) Chew was speaking to reporters on Thursday (Sep 1) on the sidelines of Exercise Pitch Black in Darwin, his third voluntary stint at the multi-nation air combat exercise. He said he chose to participate in the exercise for the “better” training opportunities and the chance to test himself against foreign air forces.

He shares his experience with CNA and why it is “not that rare” to come across NSmen pilots or air crew.