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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...t/2589654.html


Singapore is world’s most expensive city for third year in a row, says EIU report
TODAY reports: Singapore, according to the EIU, is consistently expensive in terms of buying and running a car, and transport costs in Singapore are 2.7 times higher than New York.

Posted 10 Mar 2016 13:57 Updated 10 Mar 2016 14:00

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A general view of high-rise buildings in Singapore's financial district. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)

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SINGAPORE: For the third year running, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city in the world, though Zurich and Hong Kong are a very close joint second, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Singapore has a score of 116, just ahead of Zurich and Hong Kong’s 114, in the EIU’s latest Worldwide Cost of Living report, a twice-yearly survey that compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services.

These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs.

This survey allows human resource line managers and expatriate executives to compare the cost of living in different countries around the world. This, in turn, will allow hiring companies to calculate a fair remuneration package for relocating employees.

Singapore, according to the EIU, is consistently expensive in terms of buying and running a car. Transport costs in Singapore are 2.7 times higher than New York. It is also an expensive place to buy clothes and pay for utilities.

However, in terms of basic groceries, Singapore offers the same value as New York, unlike Seoul, which is 33 per cent more expensive.

Read the original TODAY report here.

-TODAY/mz


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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/su...nmar-president


Suu Kyi's former driver nominated for Myanmar president

Htin Kyaw stands next to Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence on the day of her release from house arrest in Yangon on November 13, 2010.

Photo: AFP

Naypyidaw, Myanmar - Aung San Suu Kyi's party Thursday nominated her former driver and close aide to be Myanmar's next president, as the Nobel laureate looks to rule her former junta-run homeland through a trusted proxy.

Suu Kyi has vowed to rule "above" the president, despite being barred from top office by the army-scripted constitution, as she strives to fulfil the huge mandate delivered by millions of Myanmar voters in her National League for Democracy's landslide election victory in November.

"I would like to propose U Htin Kyaw, from the NLD," said Khin San Hlaing, a lower house MP for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which will also nominate another candidate from the upper house.

The selection of Htin Kyaw, a genial 69-year-old who went to school with Suu Kyi and now helps run her charitable foundation, comes after months of fevered speculation.

Even her own MPs were kept in the dark about the deliberations, with the party fearful of upsetting a delicate political transition in a nation where the military still casts a long shadow.

But the process of picking a leader to replace outgoing President Thein Sein later this month is not yet over.

Lawmakers from the lower and upper houses of parliament will elect one candidate each, while the military also puts forward their own nominee.

Unelected soldiers still make up a quarter of Myanmar's legislature, but the NLD enjoys a comfortable parliamentary majority thanks to the historic November polls, the freest in generations.


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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:




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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Its Sunday, 29th March 2015 and the hour is reaching 8pm at Mandai. The last stage of Old Man's (God bless him) journey commences. The final batch of pall bearers are made up of his loyal bodyguards. Within hours of his body turning to dust, Operation Overlord commences. A series of early stage aspirational thoughts and plans are to be examined, reviewed and to be fleshed out in detail.

Within 5 days of the cremation, key senior captains of Temasek are called in and told of her desire to take a sabbatical. Lee Theng Kiat, one the firms's President will cover day to day duties. No substantive reasons are given except to act on some long outstanding things. Not mention is made if its personal or otherwise. She does say that she will return in 3 months and is not planing to leave any time soon. She would retain Board room duties and continue make stewardship decisions. Speculations within Temasek ranges from possible illness to the toll of looking after the family from her father-in-laws illness and demise.

The following week, on 15th April the media is sent an official release on her Sabbatical and it becomes public - 2 weeks after the funeral. No details are given for the sabbatical except that it will be 3 months long with she returning in July. She gets queries from fans and others and she responds in Facebook that it is to "spend sometime" on "long standing things". She also throws in the following - catchup on sleep and do long walks. (note the lack of any details).

A month late in mid May, green light is given to convene the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. It will be chaired by the PM's secretary who is concurrently the Cabinet secretary. Report is completed and sighted by the PM on 21st July. He authorises its release for Friday 24th July to Parliament and President. On Saturday, 25th July, Temasek announces on its website that Ho Ching will extend her sabbatical for a further 3 months.

Exactly a month later, on 25th August, President dissolves parliament. 1st September will be nomination day with Singaporeans going to the polls on 11th Sept. On Sunday night, 6 September and 3 days before the mandatory cooling off day, she release a carefully crafted and concise view of why Singapore succeeded. No mention of PAP or PM is mentioned. Except for hubris and mundane things about nature, health and travel her Facebook has never ever carried a single note or mention of politics or the health of the country. This post becomes a raging fire for the next 3 days including its spillover on cooling off day. If anyone sat on the fence, this post would have tipped them over to the side of the PAP. It was a masterstroke but more importantly it was the desire to lay claim on who ran the PAP strategy and campaign. It was also the first clear indication to an astute few who suspected that she had a much deeper involvement than originally thought. The outcome was not generally unexpected but its magnitude stunning. The demonising and the character assassination of opposition candidates especially the credible ones will be a key plank as proven by the relentless attack on AHTC and the results delivered. Though other areas were addressed diligently and were also instrumental in the swing of the pendulum.

Having tasted success, it was never going to end as planned. 3 weeks later on 1 October 2015, Lee Theng Kiat is named CEO to the surprise of staff and will continue to run Temasek and all staff will report into his management line. Only the CFO will have dual reporting lines - to him and Ho Ching. In late October, she returns to Temasek still in charge with only one staff reporting to her. She will not be accountable for day to day matter for as she has new role outside Temasek and which is expected to set the stage for the country's future.

Lesson learnt - how to eliminate a potential power vacuum and consolidate power without a single voting member of a democratic country being wise to it.


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://englishrussia.com/2013/02/03/...sian-handguns/


Not far from Moscow there was held an exhibition of handguns that was devoted to the 70th anniversary of the Soviet victory in the battle for Stalingrad. Those who came there could see well-known handguns, rifles and machine guns from the times of WWII and modern ones.You are invited to the exhibition, too.


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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...t/2589654.html


Singapore is world’s most expensive city for third year in a row, says EIU report
TODAY reports: Singapore, according to the EIU, is consistently expensive in terms of buying and running a car, and transport costs in Singapore are 2.7 times higher than New York.

Posted 10 Mar 2016 13:57 Updated 10 Mar 2016 14:00

PHOTOS

A general view of high-rise buildings in Singapore's financial district. (Photo: AFP/Roslan Rahman)

Enlarge
Caption

Email More

A A

SINGAPORE: For the third year running, Singapore is the world’s most expensive city in the world, though Zurich and Hong Kong are a very close joint second, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Singapore has a score of 116, just ahead of Zurich and Hong Kong’s 114, in the EIU’s latest Worldwide Cost of Living report, a twice-yearly survey that compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services.

These include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs.

This survey allows human resource line managers and expatriate executives to compare the cost of living in different countries around the world. This, in turn, will allow hiring companies to calculate a fair remuneration package for relocating employees.

Singapore, according to the EIU, is consistently expensive in terms of buying and running a car. Transport costs in Singapore are 2.7 times higher than New York. It is also an expensive place to buy clothes and pay for utilities.

However, in terms of basic groceries, Singapore offers the same value as New York, unlike Seoul, which is 33 per cent more expensive.

Read the original TODAY report here.

-TODAY/mz


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/su...nmar-president


Suu Kyi's former driver nominated for Myanmar president

Htin Kyaw stands next to Aung San Suu Kyi at her residence on the day of her release from house arrest in Yangon on November 13, 2010.

Photo: AFP

Naypyidaw, Myanmar - Aung San Suu Kyi's party Thursday nominated her former driver and close aide to be Myanmar's next president, as the Nobel laureate looks to rule her former junta-run homeland through a trusted proxy.

Suu Kyi has vowed to rule "above" the president, despite being barred from top office by the army-scripted constitution, as she strives to fulfil the huge mandate delivered by millions of Myanmar voters in her National League for Democracy's landslide election victory in November.

"I would like to propose U Htin Kyaw, from the NLD," said Khin San Hlaing, a lower house MP for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which will also nominate another candidate from the upper house.

The selection of Htin Kyaw, a genial 69-year-old who went to school with Suu Kyi and now helps run her charitable foundation, comes after months of fevered speculation.

Even her own MPs were kept in the dark about the deliberations, with the party fearful of upsetting a delicate political transition in a nation where the military still casts a long shadow.

But the process of picking a leader to replace outgoing President Thein Sein later this month is not yet over.

Lawmakers from the lower and upper houses of parliament will elect one candidate each, while the military also puts forward their own nominee.

Unelected soldiers still make up a quarter of Myanmar's legislature, but the NLD enjoys a comfortable parliamentary majority thanks to the historic November polls, the freest in generations.


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:




Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Its Sunday, 29th March 2015 and the hour is reaching 8pm at Mandai. The last stage of Old Man's (God bless him) journey commences. The final batch of pall bearers are made up of his loyal bodyguards. Within hours of his body turning to dust, Operation Overlord commences. A series of early stage aspirational thoughts and plans are to be examined, reviewed and to be fleshed out in detail.

Within 5 days of the cremation, key senior captains of Temasek are called in and told of her desire to take a sabbatical. Lee Theng Kiat, one the firms's President will cover day to day duties. No substantive reasons are given except to act on some long outstanding things. Not mention is made if its personal or otherwise. She does say that she will return in 3 months and is not planing to leave any time soon. She would retain Board room duties and continue make stewardship decisions. Speculations within Temasek ranges from possible illness to the toll of looking after the family from her father-in-laws illness and demise.

The following week, on 15th April the media is sent an official release on her Sabbatical and it becomes public - 2 weeks after the funeral. No details are given for the sabbatical except that it will be 3 months long with she returning in July. She gets queries from fans and others and she responds in Facebook that it is to "spend sometime" on "long standing things". She also throws in the following - catchup on sleep and do long walks. (note the lack of any details).

A month late in mid May, green light is given to convene the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee. It will be chaired by the PM's secretary who is concurrently the Cabinet secretary. Report is completed and sighted by the PM on 21st July. He authorises its release for Friday 24th July to Parliament and President. On Saturday, 25th July, Temasek announces on its website that Ho Ching will extend her sabbatical for a further 3 months.

Exactly a month later, on 25th August, President dissolves parliament. 1st September will be nomination day with Singaporeans going to the polls on 11th Sept. On Sunday night, 6 September and 3 days before the mandatory cooling off day, she release a carefully crafted and concise view of why Singapore succeeded. No mention of PAP or PM is mentioned. Except for hubris and mundane things about nature, health and travel her Facebook has never ever carried a single note or mention of politics or the health of the country. This post becomes a raging fire for the next 3 days including its spillover on cooling off day. If anyone sat on the fence, this post would have tipped them over to the side of the PAP. It was a masterstroke but more importantly it was the desire to lay claim on who ran the PAP strategy and campaign. It was also the first clear indication to an astute few who suspected that she had a much deeper involvement than originally thought. The outcome was not generally unexpected but its magnitude stunning. The demonising and the character assassination of opposition candidates especially the credible ones will be a key plank as proven by the relentless attack on AHTC and the results delivered. Though other areas were addressed diligently and were also instrumental in the swing of the pendulum.

Having tasted success, it was never going to end as planned. 3 weeks later on 1 October 2015, Lee Theng Kiat is named CEO to the surprise of staff and will continue to run Temasek and all staff will report into his management line. Only the CFO will have dual reporting lines - to him and Ho Ching. In late October, she returns to Temasek still in charge with only one staff reporting to her. She will not be accountable for day to day matter for as she has new role outside Temasek and which is expected to set the stage for the country's future.

Lesson learnt - how to eliminate a potential power vacuum and consolidate power without a single voting member of a democratic country being wise to it.


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Father pens letter to son before he enlists in NS

ASIAONE
Thursday, Mar 10, 2016

The developments in the court case of Private Dominique Sarron Lee who died in 2012 while he was serving National Service (NS) troubled one Singaporean parent enough for him to pen his thoughts in a letter to his son who is due to enlist in National Service (NS) soon.

Mr Philip Wu, who wrote the online letter on Monday (March 7) to his son, Jonathan, on Medium.com said he was "pretty troubled" by the case and described his own in NS experience when he enlisted in 1987.

Recalling his two-and-a-half years as an "enthusiastic" recruit on Pulau Tekong at Kilo company, he said he fought hard to get into the Officer Cadet School and was eventually selected for conversion to become a Guardsman and ended up a platoon commander.

Mr Wu talked about the risks of his training and cited the death of a fellow officer cadet trainee during a night-time live firing exercise.

He wrote: "I was barely 200m away and heard him shout 'I'm shot'. I was selected to be part of his honour guard at the funeral, and tears streamed freely as we sent off an excellent friend and soldier."

In the letter, he also posed a few questions to Jon like whether he has been doing the "right thing" and whether he has been "teaching him wrong".

Despite the "Singapore system" not been "entirely good to his son", Mr Wu said he still wants him to serve NS with a positive attitude.

He wrote: "Because only then will you be able to make the most of these 2 years. I also want you to learn to look after yourself, and not just depend on the system to protect you.

"And if you ever get into a position of authority, contribute to the system to continue to protect and love the soldiers who are training to defend our country."

While Mr Wu did say that the Singapore Armed Forces seems "impersonal, cold and uncaring", he also made it a point to tell him that this does not reflect reality.

He went on to explain that his peers who trained along with him are "people of integrity and character".

On the need to defend Singapore, Mr Wu briefly spoke about MacDonald House bombing in 1965, World War II and the future threats posed by the Islamic State.

"It is our duty, Jon, as Singaporeans to know the threats facing our country and it is actually quite meaningful to be part of a force of arms equipped and disciplined to defend a country," he wrote.

Despite the difficulties he forsees his son facing, Mr Wu hoped that he will teach Jon right in learning from the past and applying it to the future.

He added: "Train Hard, Be Strong, Be Safe."



[email protected]


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

1) Revenge Queen - 5 kaypoh chi act as Charlie angel to kaypoh on people relationship problem.

2) Mata Mata S3 - rekindle the centre point kids days

Anyone support ?


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An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Father pens letter to son before he enlists in NS

ASIAONE
Thursday, Mar 10, 2016

The developments in the court case of Private Dominique Sarron Lee who died in 2012 while he was serving National Service (NS) troubled one Singaporean parent enough for him to pen his thoughts in a letter to his son who is due to enlist in National Service (NS) soon.

Mr Philip Wu, who wrote the online letter on Monday (March 7) to his son, Jonathan, on Medium.com said he was "pretty troubled" by the case and described his own in NS experience when he enlisted in 1987.

Recalling his two-and-a-half years as an "enthusiastic" recruit on Pulau Tekong at Kilo company, he said he fought hard to get into the Officer Cadet School and was eventually selected for conversion to become a Guardsman and ended up a platoon commander.

Mr Wu talked about the risks of his training and cited the death of a fellow officer cadet trainee during a night-time live firing exercise.

He wrote: "I was barely 200m away and heard him shout 'I'm shot'. I was selected to be part of his honour guard at the funeral, and tears streamed freely as we sent off an excellent friend and soldier."

In the letter, he also posed a few questions to Jon like whether he has been doing the "right thing" and whether he has been "teaching him wrong".

Despite the "Singapore system" not been "entirely good to his son", Mr Wu said he still wants him to serve NS with a positive attitude.

He wrote: "Because only then will you be able to make the most of these 2 years. I also want you to learn to look after yourself, and not just depend on the system to protect you.

"And if you ever get into a position of authority, contribute to the system to continue to protect and love the soldiers who are training to defend our country."

While Mr Wu did say that the Singapore Armed Forces seems "impersonal, cold and uncaring", he also made it a point to tell him that this does not reflect reality.

He went on to explain that his peers who trained along with him are "people of integrity and character".

On the need to defend Singapore, Mr Wu briefly spoke about MacDonald House bombing in 1965, World War II and the future threats posed by the Islamic State.

"It is our duty, Jon, as Singaporeans to know the threats facing our country and it is actually quite meaningful to be part of a force of arms equipped and disciplined to defend a country," he wrote.

Despite the difficulties he forsees his son facing, Mr Wu hoped that he will teach Jon right in learning from the past and applying it to the future.

He added: "Train Hard, Be Strong, Be Safe."



[email protected]


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

1) Revenge Queen - 5 kaypoh chi act as Charlie angel to kaypoh on people relationship problem.

2) Mata Mata S3 - rekindle the centre point kids days

Anyone support ?


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

1) Revenge Queen - 5 kaypoh chi act as Charlie angel to kaypoh on people relationship problem.

2) Mata Mata S3 - rekindle the centre point kids days

Anyone support ?


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.

[Sammyboy RSS Feed]

An honorable member of the Coffee Shop Has Just Posted the Following:

Father pens letter to son before he enlists in NS

ASIAONE
Thursday, Mar 10, 2016

The developments in the court case of Private Dominique Sarron Lee who died in 2012 while he was serving National Service (NS) troubled one Singaporean parent enough for him to pen his thoughts in a letter to his son who is due to enlist in National Service (NS) soon.

Mr Philip Wu, who wrote the online letter on Monday (March 7) to his son, Jonathan, on Medium.com said he was "pretty troubled" by the case and described his own in NS experience when he enlisted in 1987.

Recalling his two-and-a-half years as an "enthusiastic" recruit on Pulau Tekong at Kilo company, he said he fought hard to get into the Officer Cadet School and was eventually selected for conversion to become a Guardsman and ended up a platoon commander.

Mr Wu talked about the risks of his training and cited the death of a fellow officer cadet trainee during a night-time live firing exercise.

He wrote: "I was barely 200m away and heard him shout 'I'm shot'. I was selected to be part of his honour guard at the funeral, and tears streamed freely as we sent off an excellent friend and soldier."

In the letter, he also posed a few questions to Jon like whether he has been doing the "right thing" and whether he has been "teaching him wrong".

Despite the "Singapore system" not been "entirely good to his son", Mr Wu said he still wants him to serve NS with a positive attitude.

He wrote: "Because only then will you be able to make the most of these 2 years. I also want you to learn to look after yourself, and not just depend on the system to protect you.

"And if you ever get into a position of authority, contribute to the system to continue to protect and love the soldiers who are training to defend our country."

While Mr Wu did say that the Singapore Armed Forces seems "impersonal, cold and uncaring", he also made it a point to tell him that this does not reflect reality.

He went on to explain that his peers who trained along with him are "people of integrity and character".

On the need to defend Singapore, Mr Wu briefly spoke about MacDonald House bombing in 1965, World War II and the future threats posed by the Islamic State.

"It is our duty, Jon, as Singaporeans to know the threats facing our country and it is actually quite meaningful to be part of a force of arms equipped and disciplined to defend a country," he wrote.

Despite the difficulties he forsees his son facing, Mr Wu hoped that he will teach Jon right in learning from the past and applying it to the future.

He added: "Train Hard, Be Strong, Be Safe."



[email protected]


Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com.