Today's Singapore News

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

-Singapore visitor arrivals down for 7th straight month: Singapore's visitor arrivals in December 2008 fell 6.9 percent from a year earlier as the global economic downturn took a toll on the tourism sector.
-Put off by new AXS stations: Irate bank card customers have been shut out of using snazzy new AXS stations around the country because they have the wrong plastic.
-SPRING Singapore pumps $100m: Over the next three years, SPRING Singapore and other tripartite agencies will dish out $100 million for service staff to pick up extra management skills
-Smuggled medicines up 470% last year: Smuggling cases of controlled drugs rose a staggering 470 per cent last year. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said it detected 1,820 such cases in 2008, up from 320 cases a year ago.
-Budget could have been bolder: The government could have come up with a bolder Budget this year, to help companies and households cut costs in the face of this extraordinarily severe economic downturn.
-The needy still lack awareness of help schemes: Of the S$6.25m budgeted for the CCC-ComCare Fund, only S$1.57m was disbursed to the needy and low-income families in the first nine months of the current fiscal year.
-Singapore GP to be fine-tuned to boost overtaking: Following the huge success of last year’s inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, organisers have announced that the layout of the Marina Bay circuit will be improved further ahead of the 2009 event.
-Singapore GP to hike corporate ticket prices: The Singapore Grand Prix plans to increase prices for trackside corporate suites during this year's Formula One event despite a worsening global economic crisis, a newspaper reported Monday.
-Singapore data protection enforcement needs bite: As it puts together its data protection framework, Singapore can learn from economies such as Hong Kong, such as appointing an official or agency for enforcement, according to a Singapore-based consultant.
-Jobs credit plan has limits: The Jobs Credit scheme, which is aimed at helping companies retain workers, has limitations. While it helps to keep companies afloat, it does not target firms most likely to lay off workers.
-Top triathletes banned after caught alone together: Singapore's top male and top female triathletes have been slapped with a competition ban for being caught alone together in a hotel room at the Asian Beach Games in Bali last October.