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Happy New Year to all of my Bros & Sis here! Good Health and Huat Ah*!!! * is Huat ah only use for CNY?

SINGAPORE - From Dec 30, 2022, consumers will be able to easily check the nutrition value of pre-packaged drinks and those sold from automatic beverage dispensers, as new labelling regulations aimed at reducing Singaporeans' sugar intake kick in. Soft drinks, fruit juices and juice drinks, milk and yogurt drinks, and instant powdered beverages are among the products that will receive a "Nutri-Grade" rating, with grades ranging from A to D, with D being the unhealthiest, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Thursday (Dec 30). The drinks will be required to carry a nutrition label specifying the energy value and amounts of protein, carbohydrate, fat, total sugar and saturated fat. Retailers will also be largely banned from advertising D-grade drinks on all media platforms. These drinks can be advertised at points of sale, such as inside stores, but nowhere else. Drinks graded C or D will also be required to carry the Nutri-Grade mark on the front of the packaging, or in a prominent manner if sold online, in a vending machine or from a dispenser. MOH said the changes are intended to help consumers identify beverages that are higher in sugar and saturated fat, and make more informed, healthier choices; reduce the influence of advertising on consumer preferences; and spur industry reformulation. The move to introduce the new requirements was first announced by the MOH in October 2019. In making the decision, the ministry said it had considered feedback from the public, industry and expert stakeholders, and reviewed existing overseas and local evidence. The MOH said high sugar intake is linked to increased risk of obesity and diabetes and there is no nutritional need for any sugar in a person's diet, according to the World Health Organisation. The ministry also noted that Singaporeans consume on average 60g or 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. More than half of this sugar comes from beverages, of which 64 per cent are pre-packaged, it added. The regulations were published in the Government Gazette on Thursday and will come into force 12 months later. The MOH said this will give the drinks industry more time to comply with the requirements and reformulate their products to increase the range and variety of healthier choices for Singaporeans. Non-compliance with the new provisions will constitute an offence punishable with a fine not exceeding $1,000, once they come into effect. In the case of a second or subsequent conviction, the fine may go up to $2,000.

SINGAPORE: The Government will have to start moving on the planned hike in Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Budget 2022, given that the economy is emerging from COVID-19, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his New Year message on Friday (Dec 31). The Government must have reliable and adequate revenues to carry out its social programmes, said Mr Lee, adding that additional revenues are needed to fund the expansion of the healthcare system and support schemes for older Singaporeans. “Those who are better off should contribute a larger share, but everyone needs to shoulder at least a small part of the burden,” he said. “This is the rationale for raising a broad-based tax like the GST, coupled with a comprehensive scheme of offsets to cushion the impact on lower-income households. “The GST forms one important component of our system of taxes and transfers that also includes income and wealth taxes. Overall, our system will remain progressive and fair,” he added. “We have seen this need coming for some years. Now that our economy is emerging from COVID-19, we have to start moving on this. Budget 2022 will therefore lay the basis for sound and sustainable government finances for the next stage of Singapore’s development.” The plan to raise the GST by two percentage points, from 7 per cent to 9 per cent, was first announced in 2018 during then-Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s Budget speech. He said the increase would be necessary to strengthen Singapore’s revenues, given recurrent increases in healthcare, security and other social spending. “The responsible way to pay for them is through taxation so that every generation pays its share. We should not borrow for recurrent spending, because that will put the burden of recurrent spending on future generations,” Mr Heng said in 2018. “This GST increase is necessary because even after exploring various options to manage our future expenditures through prudent spending, saving and borrowing for infrastructure, there is still a gap,” he added. “Increasing GST by two percentage points will provide us with revenue of almost 0.7 per cent of GDP per year.” Mr Heng said then that the hike would take place sometime from 2021 to 2025 – earlier rather than later in the period - with the exact timing to be decided based on factors such as the state of the economy. Given the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, Mr Heng said last year that the increase would not take place in 2021. He reiterated, however, that the hike would be implemented “sooner rather than later”, between 2022 and 2025. “Without the GST rate increase, we will not be able to meet our rising recurrent needs, in particular healthcare spending,” Mr Heng said in his 2021 Budget speech. Mr Heng, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, previously announced that GST on publicly subsidised education and healthcare will continue to be fully absorbed. Lower- and middle-income households can also get support from the permanent GST Voucher scheme, which will be enhanced when the new GST rate takes effect. Singapore’s Budget 2022 will be unveiled by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Feb 18. Source: CNA/gs

Some say cash is king but the antics of one Philippine mayor with a custom-made gold "money gun" has raised a few eyebrows. In a viral Facebook video posted on Tuesday (Dec 28), Narvacan mayor Luis "Chavit" Singson could be seen firing 100-peso (S$2.65) and 500-peso bills at his constituents who jostled and screamed in excitement. More from AsiaOneRead the condensed version of this story, and other top stories with NewsLite. The 43-second video — with the caption "Narvacan residents, are you ready?" — has garnered over three million views and almost 7,000 comments. Singson, 80, said it was not a publicity stunt for an election campaign as he is not seeking to stand in the May 2022 elections, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. He added his move was not new as he had done so in the past and not just during the holidays. "It was meant only to make people happy, especially since it's Christmas. If people are happy, I am, too," Singson said in Tagalog. Residents of Ilocos Sur said the mayor has always been "generous" since he joined politics in 1972. Though a large number of people appreciated the generous gesture during Christmas, some found it demeaning and even likened it to the popular Netflix series Squid Game. PHOTO: Screengrab/Facebook On Dec 17, Philippine government officials said that close to four million people were pushed into poverty in the first half of the year due to pandemic-induced lockdown measures that dried up jobs and reduced domestic demand.

Scary that car thieves might be tracking the car if they worked together with car workshop.

https://sg.style.yahoo.com/stock-up-your-alcohol-cabinet-with-these-deals-further-price-drop-072103662.html

STOCKHOLM: IKEA will hike its prices by an average of 9 per cent next year due to ongoing supply and transportation disruptions, the company that operates most of the Swedish furniture giant's stores said on Thursday (Dec 30). The announcement comes as pandemic-fuelled shortages and shipping challenges ramp up inflation and pinch economies globally, with consumers increasingly feeling the bite. "Like many other industries, IKEA continues to face significant transport and raw material constraints driving up costs, with no anticipated break in the foreseeable future," said Ingka Group, the holding company that owns 90 per cent of IKEA's stores. These higher costs - which are mostly being felt in North America and Europe - will now have to be passed on to customers, it added in its statement. "The average of the increase in Ingka Group is around 9 per cent globally, with variations across Ingka Group countries and the range, reflecting localised inflationary pressures, including commodity and supply chain issues," Ingka Group said. According to the company, IKEA franchisor Inter IKEA Group absorbed costs amounting to €250 million (US$283 million) across 2021 due to these logistical tensions, which were exacerbated by the rebound in demand after the first phase of the pandemic. Last month, Inter IKEA Group reported a 17 per cent drop in annual profits, attributing the dent to a steep increase in transport and raw material prices. Container transport prices are at record levels following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted maritime logistics. At the same time, the franchisor behind the world's largest furniture seller reported higher sales for the year at €25.6 billion, up 8 per cent. But a global spike in energy prices, supply chain snags and surging demand has prompted runaway inflation. In the euro zone, inflation reached 4.9 per cent over one year in November, a record high since the introduction of the single currency in 1999. In the United States, prices rose by 6.8 per cent last month compared to November 2020, its highest level in 39 years. IMPACT IN SINGAPORE The IKEA stores in Singapore are owned and operated by a different franchisee, Ikano Retail, which also runs stores in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Mexico. In response to a CNA query, IKEA Singapore selling manager Tariq Oumarkatar said that the price hikes will vary from country to country, with Singapore's average price increase about a third of the global average among Ingka Group stores. "The world continues to face unprecedented challenges in the face of COVID and, like many other industries today, IKEA is facing steep increases in costs across its value chain - from raw materials and production to transportation and labour," he said. "Since the start of the pandemic, the IKEA company that supplies products to retailers like us (IKEA Supply AG) has managed to absorb the rising costs while keeping wholesale prices on the range stable for franchisees. But the time has come for IKEA retailers around the world to share the burden. "It is really important to note that price increases differ country by country, depending where an item is manufactured, what materials it uses, and how it gets there." IKEA Singapore will, however, absorb "as much of the wholesale price increase as possible" to soften the impact on its customers and keep its prices competitive and affordable. "We analysed product-by-product what steps we must take and implemented only the increases needed to protect the health of our business in the long run," Mr Oumarkatar said. "Looking at the 8,000-plus home furnishings in our range, the average of all our price increases in Singapore is 3 per cent." The price increases are "not forever", Mr Oumarkatar added, saying that they "are a reflection of today’s economic reality". "As the situation improves, IKEA Singapore will pass on savings to our customers wherever we can." Source: AFP/CNA/aj/kg

already say 2022 or after GE 2025 i am right hahahahahaha

Heng I don't need hawker, cause I eat 1 meal per day

Been a hawker is never a simple relaxing job. I did experienced it when i helped out in my father's western food stall when i was in poly.

Tis guy oso like puipuipui...

Might ba a eurasian. Quite common name for eurasian.

When you fork out thousands for a luxury brand item, the least you can expect is for it to last. Unfortunately, that was not the case for Stomper Joel and his partner, who had splashed out $4,400 on a pair of rings from Italian luxury brand Bulgari to celebrate their fifth anniversary. The couple had purchased the rings, costing $2,200 each, from the BVLGARI store at Marina Bay Sands in October 2021. Just two months later, however, one of the rings broke apart into three pieces after falling off a table and hitting the ground. Joel said: "Have you seen an authentic Bulgari ring break into pieces? Unfortunately that’s what my partner and I experienced on December 7. "Costing more $4,000 in total, we expected the rings to last after getting them for our milestone anniversary. Imagine our great horror when we saw one ring break into three pieces after it fell off our dressing table one morning. "We had been under the impression that each ring was one whole solid piece. Not once were we told that this ring was assembled from three components. "That aside, we were simply very disappointed by how fragile this ring was. Looking at the broken pieces made us shudder; the broken pieces do not look like anything expensive at all! "Given how much Bulgari charges for their rings, one would have never thought that they would come apart at just one drop on the floor. Even a ring costing a couple of hundred dollars would not have shattered into pieces. "This pair of rings was meant for our fifth anniversary and having a broken ring right at this point in time is really distasteful. "To make matters even less pleasant, Bulgari’s response and follow-up was not what you would call 'going beyond the extra mile', "When we asked Bulgari what they would do for the ring, their staff requested for the accessory to be sent for their assessment for a few days. "The assessment took about a week but we were not given any insights on why the ring would fall apart. The verdict was simply put across as 'no intentional damage by the customers'. We didn’t even know if the ring was originally defective or not." According to Joel, he was then offered three options: 1) to get the original ring repaired, 2) to get a brand new replacement or 3) to get a refund only for the broken ring. The Stomper added: "Having a repaired ring sounded ridiculous to us. Why would anyone want a broken ring back? "Getting a new replacement was to be expected, since the ring was under warranty. However, knowing that we will never be 100% confident of not dropping the ring again for the rest of our lives, this option sounded downright improbable to us. And we know what will happen if it drops again. "So while we are inclined to ask for a refund, Bulgari declined to provide a refund for both rings as the other ring was not damaged and some customisation had been done. "However, we don’t quite understand what’s the point of having one ring left when it’s supposed to be a PAIR of anniversary rings." Left without much of a choice, Joel said he eventually accepted the refund of $2,200 for one ring while being "made to keep" the other. He told Stomp: "Every couple’s anniversary milestone means something special and worthy of commemoration. We had chosen Bulgari’s rings to mark our milestone since it’s a prestigious brand. "However, with just one ring left now, it has made our milestone memorable for the wrong reasons. "The brand being Bulgari, we had expected them to show exemplary sincerity and customer service for such a situation, but I guess our expectations were misplaced. "Throughout the purchase, the sales staff did not reveal to us that the ring was made up of three pieces. From the pictures, you can see that the broken parts look cheap! "If you are thinking of getting a Bulgari ring for your anniversary or wedding, make sure you select a model that's not assembled from parts. "Imagine if a nervous bride or groom accidentally drops the wedding ring during their exchange of vows. If they had chosen our ring, we cannot imagine how much embarrassment and awkwardness there would be in front of family and guests. "Think carefully when thinking of what rings to buy!" Stomp has contacted Bulgari for more info.

Quite like the way this video is trying to convey. My thoughts is some of these entities feed/attract on negetive thoughts/energy which one's projected out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPqa0rQrbDo Cannot embed, have to click through

Ish true. Also 毒龙钻

Picture please

as usual, ordering my cny kueh lapis batam via my shipping agent friend. and then waiting for giant to sell 30 cans of coke for sgd12. wahahahahhahahah