Today's Singapore News

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

-Undergraduates' puff woes: Last week, some Management Development Institute of Singapore students protested over the implementation of a dress code. This week, two institutions are coming down hard on students who smoke.
-Middle Class Wish List for Budget: Many whom 938LIVE spoke with are hopeful that the government will not stinge on its handouts to households, especially for middle income families.
-Help lift gloom for the less fortunate: Now entering its 21st year — which has proved challenging with the hit it has taken from the financial crisis — the Boys’ Brigade Sharity Gift Box involves three new initiatives to better serve the project’s beneficiaries.
-AVA allows some China-made milk products to be back on sale: The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has given the go-ahead for some China milk products to be put back on sale with immediate effect. These include butter, ghee and non-dairy creamer.
-Singapore's Goh expects worse next year from global financial crisis: Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said Tuesday that the real economy had slowed down everywhere amid the current global financial crisis and next year could be worse.
-Building of Jurong General Hospital brought forward: Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan has said construction plans for the new Jurong General Hospital have been brought forward to take advantage of softening construction costs.
-Consumer confidence dips: Singapore consumer confidence for the next few months has dropped to below market's historical level, in line with regional sentiments.
-Town councils to look beyond price when sub-contracting conservancy jobs: Price will no longer be the most important factor when town councils award tenders for conservancy projects. Instead, they will be moving towards a performance-based system when both price and work quality will be equally evaluated.
-Singapore government will not bail out Las Vegas Sands: The Singapore government said Wednesday it will not bail out the troubled US gaming firm Las Vegas Sands should it fail to fund the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort.
-Completing Singapore casino number one priority: Completion of a casino project in Singapore remains the top priority of troubled US gaming giant Las Vegas Sands, the firm's chairman said Tuesday while announcing a halt to some developments in Macau.