Yamato

Thursday woke up early toon a bus to Havelock Road The stall Choose your dishes My $8.10 curry rice breakfast Rice with lots of curry sauces Cabbage

paiseh I was leaving Singapore on Friday

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Shinzo-Abe/Japan-to-bar-Putin-from-attending-Shinzo-Abe-state-funeral?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20220723090000&seq_num=8&si=44594 Japan to bar Putin from attending Shinzo Abe state funeral Tokyo to convey schedule to Taiwan and others that sent condolences Russian President Vladimir Putin called former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe an "outstanding statesman" in a condolence message. © Reuters Nikkei staff writersJuly 22, 2022 23:37 JST TOKYO -- The Japanese government is expected to refuse Russian President Vladimir Putin as a guest at the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this fall should he desire to attend, Nikkei has learned. The Russian leader is subject to a de facto entry ban imposed in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Putin sent a condolence message after Abe was killed on July 8, calling him an "outstanding statesman" who "accomplished a lot towards the development of good relations between our countries." It is unclear whether Putin has expressed a desire to attend the state funeral, which is reportedly planned for Sept. 27 at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo. Abe and Putin held multiple summits during the Japanese leader's tenure. Abe had made it a diplomatic priority to try to resolve a decades-old deadlock over northern islands that has stood in the way of a formal World War II peace treaty between the two countries. Separately, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters Friday that Japan will inform Taiwan about the time and location of the event. The schedule will be conveyed to the countries with which Japan has diplomatic ties, as well as international organizations and regions, like Taiwan, that sent condolences. Taiwanese Vice President William Lai traveled to Japan last week to attend a private funeral for Abe. Japan's Foreign Ministry said this was a "personal visit as a private individual."

On Thursday I visited this restaurant in Tiong Bahru for the first time Love this, not available in Thailand Signature prawn dish, I found it to be so-so, nothing special Veggie, this is nice Another signature dish is this chicken, I do enjoy this dish very much Pepper crab (forgot to take photo of the dish), its not bad Finally Hokkien fried noodle, looks good but a bit on the sweet side and there's no lard (what a waste)

Looks like it’s business as usual ow in Singapore’s Changi Airport as all the shops are opened and most crowd is back Lunch at lounge

Finally its about time to go home. Stuck at the airport, flight delay due to a storm at Changi so . . . . . . . .

At Singapore's Ngee Ann City Takashimaya mall basement saw this stall Thought its interesting because it smells so good Really delicious

Living on US$1,750 (S$2,430) a month in Bangkok

This morning went out to have fishball noodle. Took this bus Even though it was 8.30am it wasn't crowded at all The fishball noodle stall My breakfast

Lunch with some friends at Yishun after work. Very good bak kut teh, better than the Song Fa in Bangkok

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailand-reports-first-omicron-ba-2-75-sub-variant-case/ Thailand reports first case of Omicron BA.2.75 sub-variant July 20, 2022 The Centre for Medical Genomics at Ramathibodi Hospital has reported the country’s first case of the COVID-19 Omicron BA.2.75 sub-variant infection, in the southern province of Trang. The case was found among several specimens collected for the Department of Medical Sciences on June 28th. The department conducted genetic sequencing and uploaded the findings to the GISAID database on July 18th. It was identified as the BA.2.75 sub-variant. This sub-variant was first detected in India in early June and has spread to several other countries including the United States. Scientists had decoded the matching genetic makeup in 338 cases by yesterday (Tuesday). According to the centre, the BA.2.75 sub-variant can evade immunity more effectively than other sub-variants and become resistant to vaccines, which were developed from the Wuhan strain of the virus. It is suggested that any synthetic antibody medication to be administered to patients must be tailored to match with their virus strain of infection. It was observed that the BA.2.75 sub-variant, which spread rapidly in India, has now subsided, probably because many people in the country, who had been infected by the BA.2 sub-variant, may have developed some immunity. Two BA.2.75 sub-variant cases have been detected in Singapore, in two passengers arriving from India on July 17th. Asymptomatic, both are now in quarantine. The centre noted that the BA.2 sub-variant did spread widely in Thailand, before the arrival of the BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants. It also said that there is no clear evidence that BA.2.75 is more virulent or severe than the other Omicron sub-variants.

Its a very wet morning today nevertheless took a bus to Tiong Bahru for breakfast First is the famous Tiong Bahru lormee, raining heavily so not many customers My $5.50 lormee Next is this chwee kueh stall My $3 chwee kueh Got my kopi-o from this stall and here's my $9.60 breakfast

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cryptocurrencies/Singapore-set-to-get-tougher-on-crypto-companies?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220719190000&seq_num=8&si=44594 Singapore set to get tougher on crypto companies Monetary Authority puts industry on notice about tightening rules Singapore's central bank on July 19 reported a loss of 4.7 billion Singapore dollars ($3.37 billion) as the strong dollar undermined the value of other currencies in its portfolio. © Reuters DYLAN LOH, Nikkei staff writerJuly 19, 2022 16:24 JST SINGAPORE -- Singapore is set to get tougher on cryptocurrency companies in the coming months, as the central bank plans to start talking with industry players by September or October with a view to drawing up tighter regulations for the emerging sector. The Monetary Authority of Singapore's Managing Director Ravi Menon signaled this on Tuesday with the release of the financial regulator's annual report, saying the process of consultation in the coming months will touch on broadening the scope of its rules to cover more activities in the industry. "So, players who are doing some of these activities but are currently not caught, may well be caught," he told journalists. "When we put out the consult, when we say what are the additional areas that we will regulate, it will capture a wider ambit of players." Menon noted that cryptocurrency companies with a presence in Singapore have been under strain, naming TerraForm Labs and Three Arrows Capital as outfits that are either not licensed or have not come under the city-state's rules applicable to digital token service providers. Led by prominent crypto evangelists, the co-founders of Terra, Do Kwon, and Three Arrows' Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, are high-profile casualties of recent plunges in token prices that have set off a crisis in the industry. Investors and creditors blame them for massive investment losses that appear unrecoverable, with some going as far as to accuse the entrepreneurs of defrauding clients. Singapore regulates the crypto sector primarily for money laundering and terrorism financing risks, but it has taken a largely hands-off approach when it comes to setting rules on crypto assets as investments. The Monetary Authority has, however, asked crypto companies to stop mass marketing activities and warned repeatedly of the pitfalls of digital tokens as financial assets. The central bank is set to go further, planning to draw up rules governing retail participation in crypto activities. "We want to take this targeted approach, and that's why we want to explain our overall approach to the industry," Menon said Tuesday. "It's a targeted effort to contain the risk and overexposure of retail investments in cryptocurrencies." Beyond the crypto sector, Singapore's central bank on Tuesday also reported a loss of 4.7 billion Singapore dollars ($3.37 billion) on its official foreign reserves balance sheet, as the strong dollar undermined the value of other currencies, amid gloomy global conditions that have sparked a rush for safe-haven assets. Ravi Menon, managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, speaks at a news conference in Singapore on July 19. (Photo by Dylan Loh) The Monetary Authority logged the rare loss in its investments for the financial year ended March 31, its first decline in about a decade, with its most recent previous loss of SG$10.1 billion booked in 2012. It held SG$513.8 billion in official foreign reserves (OFR) as of the end of March. The authority said in its report that its investment portfolio is diversified across advanced and emerging market economies, and across different currencies. While interest income, dividends and realized capital gains helped the central bank book a gain of SG$4 billion, it lost money on its currency conversions equal to a decline of SG$8.7 billion, as the Singapore dollar strengthened significantly against the euro, yen and British pound, the authority highlighted in its report. "Negative [currency conversion] effects have no impact on us at all. It's because we report our profits in Singapore dollars, that's where you have a translation effect," Menon said on Tuesday. "There are some years when we have embarrassingly large profits -- more than 20 billion dollars -- and a good part of it is because of positive ... translation gain." The central bank spreads its holdings across a basket of currencies of Singapore's important trading partners, and the net effect of the weakening of a clutch of those currencies, amid a strong dollar, led to the SG$4.7 billion overall loss. "Investment-grade bonds in the advanced economies form the largest allocation in the portfolio," the financial regulator said in its report. "About three-quarters of the OFR are denominated in U.S. dollars, the euro, Japanese yen and pound sterling, with U.S. dollar forming the bulk." Despite the greenback forming the bulk of its portfolio, as investors flocked to it as a safe-haven asset amid uncertain global economic conditions, it was not enough to overcome the losses Singapore logged from its holdings of other weakening currencies, said Song Seng Wun, an economist at the private banking arm of Malaysian lender CIMB. "Central banks around the world will all get similar hits to their reserves, just as the Singapore central bank has, just from translation losses," he told Nikkei Asia, explaining that the recent strengthening of the dollar has only reinforced the devaluation of other currencies. "This is not structural or mismanagement, this is something almost out of our control," Song added. "So that's the problem of all central banks, which have to deal with the strong U.S. dollar."

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Startups/China-startup-makes-large-flexible-solar-panels-in-industry-first?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220719123000&seq_num=2&si=44594 China startup makes large, flexible solar panels in industry first Japanese-developed perovskite technology goes into mass production Pioneered by Tsutomu Miyasaka in 2009, perovskite cells are a bendable, lightweight alternative to conventional silicon solar cells. (Photo by Manami Yamada) YUKI MISUMI, Nikkei staff writerJuly 19, 2022 02:00 JST TOKYO -- A Chinese startup this month became the first in the world to mass-produce large, bendable perovskite solar panels, based on technology initially developed by researchers in Japan. DaZheng (Jiangsu) Micro-Nano Technologies invested 80 million yuan ($11.8 million) to build a production line with an annual capacity of 10 megawatts in Jiangsu Province. The 40 cm by 60 cm panels will be cut into smaller pieces and shipped to smartphone and tablet makers in China. DaZheng will invest 200 million yuan in 2023 to expand its annual production capacity to 100 MW, Chief Technology Officer Li Xin told Nikkei. Perovskite solar cells were pioneered in 2009 by Toin University of Yokohama engineering professor Tsutomu Miyasaka and his team. Although these lightweight cells have a power conversion efficiency of around 10% -- about half that of silicon cells -- they can be incorporated into windows, walls and more. Smaller perovskite cells have been mass-produced before, but DaZheng is the first to do so for large panels. While these cells currently cost three times as much to make as conventional silicon cells, this could potentially be brought down to half at a higher scale. Lightweight and bendable, perovskite cells are expected to have a variety of new applications. (Photo courtesy of DaZheng (Jiangsu) Micro-Nano Technologies) The technology is seen as a candidate to win a Nobel Prize. There is hope that the cells can eventually be applied by a printer, or be painted onto entire cars. The global market for perovskite solar cells is projected to expand to over $2 billion by 2027 with annual growth averaging about 29% starting in 2022, according to Indian research company Astute Analytica. Japanese companies like Kyocera and Sharp were once leading players in solar cells but downsized operations over the years as price competition ate into profits. Chinese and South Korean players now control much of the market. Japanese companies have little capacity to make new investments, allowing China to take the lead in large-scale perovskite panels. DaZheng's Li studied under Miyasaka and continued his research after returning to China. Miyasaka also provided development support.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/Turbulent-Thailand/Thailand-s-Prayuth-Chan-ocha-fights-economy-Thaksin-s-popularity?utm_campaign=GL_asia_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=1&pub_date=20220718190000&seq_num=2&si=44594 Thailand's Prayuth Chan-ocha fights economy, Thaksin's popularity Ruling coalition frays ahead of no-confidence motion and eventual elections Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha walks past an honour guard in Bangkok in May. © Reuters YOHEI MURAMATSU, Nikkei staff writerJuly 18, 2022 12:00 JST BANGKOK -- Eager to keep his job once his term expires in March, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha this month has been trying to quash rumors that he will be replaced due to the country's suffering economy, taking to the internet and visiting his supporters. But his campaign comes with his ruling coalition on the verge of suffering a defection and on the eve of a no-confidence showdown in the lower house. "If I can continue [as the leader,]" the prime minister told supporters in a rural part of northern Thailand, "the projects will proceed faster." It was the first time Prayuth made it clear in public that he intends to remain in office for a second term. Previously statements had expressed an intention to serve a full term. The following day, Prayuth posted a video of himself on his government's website, pledging to rebuild the economy by building infrastructure and promoting the electric vehicle industry. He promised his measures would start showing results within two years, asking the public to keep supporting him so he can complete long-term programs. With a lower house election to take place by next May at the latest, Prayuth's recent remarks seem to indicate a determination to continue heading the government beyond that period. Prayuth has led Thailand since May 2014, when as army chief he pulled a military coup, then remained as junta chief until elections were staged for one house of parliament in March 2019. With the upper house hand-picked by the military and holding great power to put a prime minister in place, Prayuth was able to officially assume the prime ministership under a quasi-civilian government. In a policy speech in July 2019, when the ruling coalition was formed, the pro-military leader vowed to pull Thailand out of its middle-income trap, one many developing countries fall into when they gain a certain amount of economic strength. Then the pandemic struck. In 2021, Thailand's economy grew 1.5%, the worst performance among major Southeast Asian nations. It is expected to plug along at a relatively low 3% or so this year. Prayuth can do little about the biggest drag on Thailand's economy, tourism, which in normal times accounts for more than 10% of the country's gross domestic product. Although Thailand is now allowing international arrivals, a big tourism rebound is unlikely due to the relentlessness of COVID-19 and repercussions, especially those pertaining to energy costs, from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Thailand, whose economic recovery has been slower than those in neighboring countries, has other concerns. "The population has peaked out, and foreign companies' investment appetite has diminished," said Seiya Sukegawa, a visiting professor at the Thai-Nichi Institute of Technology in Bangkok. At the household level, Thais keep having to borrow to make ends meet. According to the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), Thailand's household debt in 2021 reached 91% of GDP, up 10.8 percentage points from 2019, before the pandemic, and much worse than the emerging economy average of 51%. Their harsh economic reality has many Thais yearning for a return of the Shinawatra family. Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who led the country to high economic growth, is now living in self-imposed exile, having been convicted of abuse of power. His sister Yingluck, another former prime minister, is also a fugitive. Thaksin has continued to influence Thai politics from abroad, which shows in an opinion poll conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration in June. In the survey, 25% of respondents favored Thaksin daughter Paetongtarn as the next prime minister. Prayuth came in No. 3 at 12%, outdone even by Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of Move Forward Party, at 13%. Thailand's opposition parties have filed a no-confidence motion against Prayuth, with parliamentary debate beginning Tuesday. The motion comes with the 19-party ruling coalition beginning to fray. The Thai Economic Party, a medium-size coalition member, on Wednesday stated it will vote for the no-confidence motion. Even without the Thai Economic Party, the ruling coalition enjoys about a 15-seat majority in the 484-member lower house. But if more defections follow, they could end the Prayuth era.

Visited the old estate Tanglin Halt Hawker centre This stall selling prawn noodle is really good Delicious soup

Scenes of Singap[ore's Holland Village at about 5pm Dinner at Baden Scenes of Holland Village at about 10pm

Traditional Singapore breakfast

Arrived

My breakfast at the airport - chicken porridge and egg

Suvarnabhumi Airport this morning about 8am

I cooked crispy noodle last night for dinner

I received a traditional Thai gift from a Thai friend, Luk-Chup, a Thai dessert or you can also call it sweets or snacks. Its so beautiful that I don't feel like eating them.

Went to a big Thai pub/restaurant for the first time - Sab Indy is the name The front Inside The drink Salad Steamed egg Fried pork Deep fried fish Sour pork Octopus Dinner location - https://goo.gl/maps/869ZApDWQPts2mzB9

Cooking my breakfast - Mee Sua with minced pork and liver and egg Wholesome breakfast