Today's Singapore News

The following are stories that are making the headlines over at Topix Singapore News today, edited by yours truly.

-Christmas switch-on to lighten up the gloom: This year’s Orchard Road Christmas light-up will be themed “A Sweet Christmas in Singapore” and feature environmentally-friendly light emitting diodes which will cut energy consumption by 70 per cent.
-Fresh Blood for the PAP Central Executive Committee?: A new PAP Central Executive Committee or CEC is due to be elected this Sunday in what could prove significant given the possibility of a General Election.
-'Banker refugees' seek a safe haven in Singapore: Enquiries from jittery overseas-based bank executives who wish to relocate to Singapore have reached record highs, according to checks with a dozen recruiters here.
-More flights operating out of Changi Airport despite economic slowdown: The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said from November 1, Changi has seen a record number of weekly scheduled flights of 4,466.
-50 private clinics get lipo thumbs-up: 50 private liposuction clinics have been approved by a five-member accreditation committee after meeting standards set out by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in July.
-Foreigners not excluded in proposed amendments to HOTA: The Ministry of Health said that while the the proposed amendments to the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) does not exclude foreigners from being compensated, the focus will be on Singaporeans and permanent residents.
-Tigers kill Singapore zoo cleaner: A cleaner at Singapore Zoo has died after being mauled by three tigers. He was attacked by the white Bengal tigers after crossing a moat surrounding their enclosure. He was reportedly acting erratically.
-Students competing with retrenched for part-time jobs: As the economy enters a recession and companies retrench staff, students too, are feeling the pinch. More of them are finding it difficult to secure part-time jobs during their year-end school holidays.
-A social service hub at Tiong Bahru: A new social service hub would be launched at Tiong Bahru Central Plaza next year. It will house seven Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO) which will share the facilities and tap on each other’s expertise to better meet clients’ needs.
-Bigger HDB flats lose lustre: The higher end of the public housing market is showing its first signs of cooling, with the Housing Board's latest condo-style flats receiving a lacklustre response.
-Former S'pore lawyer Gopalan Nair let off with warning: Gopalan Nair will not be jailed for contempt of court, but has been given a telling-off and warning against making attacks against the Singapore Judiciary in future.