圣淘沙游泳后　女生身上惊现神秘手掌印

少女肩膀留下手掌印。

少女到沙滩游泳，回家后竟发现身上出现神秘大小手掌印！

少女母亲的朋友将照片放上本地著名网站Stomp，吸引许多网友纷纷讨论这些大小手印的来历。

据少女母亲的朋友说，少女是在日前跟朋友到圣淘沙西罗索沙滩（Siloso Beach）游泳，回家后才发现身上留下神秘手掌印。

“她是在脱下衣服后，发现背部靠近肩膀的部位，除了有运动内衣被太阳晒到所造成的印痕之外，还出现来历不明的大小手掌印。”

她形容，小手印看来都象是小孩的手掌般大小，而且留着长指甲，另外也有一个较大的手掌在背部，看了不禁让人毛骨悚然。

神明：碰到水鬼

她说，少女的母亲因为担心，于是带女儿到庙里问神，结果问出少女在海边遇上了“水鬼”。

她因此公开这件事，呼吁公众到海边游泳要小心，以免发生悲剧。

‘水鬼掌印’？

少女身上的手掌印是“水鬼掌印”？网友批太夸张，也太迷信了。

一名网友指出，游泳晒太阳后身上出现手掌印，相信是与防晒膏有关。

这名网友解释，其实只须要将涂了防晒膏的手掌，抹在友人的背部，等到晒了一轮的阳光后，便会留下手掌印。

另一名网友这批评，在现今的时代不应该继续鼓吹迷信的心态，应该从科学的角度看待此事。

不过也有网友指出，姑且不论少女的手掌印是否跟“水鬼”有关，到海边玩水就应提高警惕，避免发生意外。

圣淘沙新汽车天桥通车

圣淘沙新的汽车天桥昨早正式通车。

圣淘沙新的汽车天桥昨早正式通车，原有的大桥已暂时关闭两个星期，以进行相关维修和路线更改工作。

从本月23日起，新旧大桥将改为单向交通，车辆日后只能利用新桥入岛，使用旧桥出岛。

圣淘沙集团和圣淘沙名胜世界昨天联合发表文告说，去年初开始兴建的新汽车天桥已大功告成，昨早7时18分迎接首批车辆。

在接下来两个星期，所有要进出圣淘沙岛的车辆需使用新桥登岛和出岛，待旧桥的工程完工后，新桥将改为只让车子入岛。

总长710公尺的新桥与旧桥平行，耗资8000多万元建造，以应付明年初圣淘沙名胜世界启用后预计大量增加的车流量。

在1992年底启用的旧桥暂时关闭，以方便工作人员更改路面上的交通标志和道路路线，以便从本月23日起，改为只让车辆出岛的交通设施。

If it's real, they won't be running so slowly

SOME were indifferent while others did not even give it a second glance.

NO ALARM: Madam Teng Yang Hui said she knew it was just an exercise at VivoCity. TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO

Despite the cordons and presence of police officers at VivoCity, hardly anyone batted an eyelid.

This was day two of Exercise Northstar VII, Singapore's largest anti-terror drill, at the shopping mall yesterday.

Student Catherine Lin, 18, was waiting for a friend near one of the cordoned-off areas when the action unfolded before her.

She told The New Paper she had no idea what was going on as police officers, including those from the Special Operations Command (SOC), ran past her.

Was there an emergency? Or was it an exercise?

A "hostage" being helped out.

It didn't matter to Catherine.

'There's nothing to be worried about,' she said. 'If there's anything, they (the building's security personnel) will evacuate everyone.'

This apathy extended to workers at the shopping mall.

For two promoters stationed at a sales fair just metres away from the cordoned area, it was business as usual.

One of them, who declined to be named, said: 'I just came in to work a while ago and saw the policemen in the area. But, no, we weren't told that anything was going on.'

Star team officers storming the area where the "hostages" were kept. TNP PICTURES: GAVIN FOO

Was she curious or concerned?

'No, I'm just doing my work,' she said, all the while looking at the boxes of kitchen appliances she was arranging.'

Exercise Northstar VII is modelled after last November's Mumbai terror attacks.

In the exercise, which takes place over three days, 15 terrorists hijack a marine vessel at sea and head towards Singapore.

They take over smaller boats along the way and eventually split into six teams, landing at different parts of the island.

VivoCity was one of the 10 locations they targeted.

'Terrorists' in speed boat

In the 'attack' that took place from 10am to noon yesterday, three 'terrorists' arrived in front of the Singapore Cruise Centre in a speed boat.

The gunmen then moved on to the Cable Car Tower and HarbourFront Centre.

At a bridge linking HarbourFront Centre to VivoCity, they fired random shots at the ceiling, startling shoppers, some of whom tried to run down a nearby fire escape staircase.

Ten shoppers were captured in the chaos and held hostage at a stairwell on the first level of the shopping mall.

People who heard gunfire called the police.

When the men in blue arrived, they split themselves into three groups and cordoned off different areas of the shopping mall.

Officers from the SOC also manned the inner cordon and conducted search and containment operations.

Minutes later, the Special Tactics and Rescue (Star) unit officers positioned themselves in the area where the hostages were held.

The elite team from the police crack unit then stormed the stairwell, shooting dead the three terrorists.

All the hostages were rescued. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics rendered first aid to the injured.

Two shoppers who witnessed part of the enactment said they were not aware that there was an exercise. But they were confident that it was not for real.

Said Madam Teng Yang Hui, 79, in Mandarin: 'If it was for real, they (the officers involved) wouldn't be running so slowly.'

Her daughter, housewife Madam Ang Ser Kiang, 52, chipped in: 'The hostages would have been crying too.'

So what would they do if there was a real attack?

'Run and hide,' said Madam Teng.

The first day of the exercise, on Monday, took place at Cafe del Mar on Sentosa's Siloso Beach.

In that attack, terrorists arriving by sea gunned down party-goers at the beachfront bar, leaving 10 'dead' and more than 20 others 'injured'.

Police officers, including those from the SOC, threw a cordon around the area and combed the island's shoreline for further threats.

The second test scenario was enacted at Raffles Place MRT station where two terrorists attacked commuters early yesterday morning.

Next Wednesday will see Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel storming Rasa Sentosa Hotel in a bid to rescue hostages held there.

Exercise Northstar VII involves more than 2,000 participants from 15 agencies including the Home Team, the SAF, the Land Transport Authority and SMRT.

BEACH, (having a) BALL, BABES

987FM's Life's A Beach party draws 10,000 of all ages, including families

FOR many youngsters, this was their first opportunity to take part in a beach party.

A youthful crowd of more than 10,000 attended the 12-hour Life's A Beach party at Sentosa's Siloso Beach yesterday.

It was no ZoukOut - but that may be no bad thing.

There was no sign of any drunken antics, of partygoers so sloshed they're passed out or vomiting.

No alcohol was sold at any of the many booths at the event, which was organised by radio station 987FM and Sentosa, though if they wanted to drink they could go out to one of the nearby restaurants.

Unlike ZoukOut, which has a minimum age limit of 18 and an entrance fee, Life's A Beach was open to all ages and free.

This was clearly a more family and teenager-friendly affair.

AUDIENCE: The crowd goes wild at the concert featuring local bands. TNP PICTURES: NG XI JIE

987FM DJ Daniel Ong, 33, said they had wanted to organise a beach party for a long time, until this opportunity arrived.

They were aiming for people aged 12 to 25 years old.

He said: 'Basically, Singapore lacks a major beach festival for the younger crowd.'

And he felt there was a need for something like that.

The reason for the lack of alcohol was basically to avoid licensing problems.

Trina Lim, 17, who was with her group of 12 friends, gave two thumbs up for more youngster-friendly parties.

She rarely goes to parties as she is underaged.

FAMILY : Adam Goh with his mother, brother Aaron and father Mr Sebastian Goh. TNP PICTURES: NG XI JIE

'It's happening!' she said.

The lack of alcohol was a plus for her, as she said drinkers tend to get violent.

Highlight

Like most of the others interviewed, Trina said the highlight was the concert, which started at 5pm, and featured homegrown bands like Electrico, A Vacant Affair and The Fire Fight.

Other attractions included booths with games (like hoop toss), beach games in the afternoon, and the Siloso Hotbods 2009 contest, which featured participants in their swimwear.

FIERY SHOW: Jonathan Lai, personal trainer, demonstrating a Maori dance involving the twirling of a torch. TNP PICTURES: NG XI JIE

But does sober mean tame?

There was no shortage of babes and hunks in swimwear, and the music was suitably loud.

But for the crowd pressed against the stage with arms aloft, most of the partygoers seemed content to stand around in groups, silently enjoying the music, or sit in groups on the sand.

Mr Claudio Soares, 27, a Brazilian who teaches Brazilian martial arts here, said the event was 'quite cool'.

'But I expect that they would dance more, because if this was in Brazil, everyone would be jumping around,' he said.

Beach party first-timer Adelina Eliza, 17, a student, was screaming her lungs out - but not because she was having fun.

'We're just screaming because no one is moving,' she said.

Her friend, Nur Kamariya, 17, a student, said: 'We'd like better dancing music, like R&B, hip-hop or reggae.'

Another partygoer, Nur Khatijah, 20, a part-time student, complained that there were too many youngsters around.

'It defeats the purpose of a party. I feel there should be an age limit,' she said.

Ms Maria Kassova, 42, who has been to two ZoukOuts, said she loved the beach as a venue for dancing, and she loved Electrico.

But she was disappointed Life's A Beach wasn't as crowded as ZoukOut, which saw about 25,000 participants last year.

'It's a shame because it's a wonderful event,' she said.

Mr Sebastian Goh, 45, an IT manager, was quite glad it had no age limits.

Life's A Beach was a family event for him - he was there with his wife, and his two sons, Adam, 15, and Aaron, 10.

It was Adam who wanted to be there to listen to the music. But why go with his parents?

'Because my father wanted to come,' he said.

Said Mr Goh: 'It's a good day to get the family together, we wanted to do it together.'

Little Aaron was no less enthusiastic.

'I wanted to get autographs from the DJs,' he said.

What did he love most about the event?

'The games!' he replied.

DJ Daniel Ong said he was happy to see parents bringing their children along.

He hoped it will be an annual affair, he added, and said it will certainly happen again next year.

He's planning to bring in bigger acts, even overseas bands, and turn Life's A Beach into a international music festival.

And it will remain free, he promised.

'This is an event that's open for all. Music should be enjoyed by everyone, like how a radio station is enjoyed by everyone,' he said.

Sentosa SummerFest at Palawan Beach

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