The_King

Singapore’s CapitaLand said Monday it has agreed to buy two real estate holding firms in a S$11 billion (US$8.1 billion) deal that will create Asia’s biggest property group with assets in dozens of countries.

Under the agreement, CapitaLand will acquire two units from a subsidiary of state investment firm Temasek.

If approved, the new entity will have assets under management of more than S$116 billion, including businesses, industrial parks, hotels, commercial, retail and residential properties in over 30 countries.

The agreement is subject to approval by CapitaLand’s independent shareholders at a meeting in the first half of this year, the group said in a statement.

The company is buying the real estate units from Temasek subsidiary Ascendas-Singbridge Group, which develops towns, industrial parks, offices, hotels and warehouses across the world.

The deal comes as new CapitaLand president and group chief executive Lee Chee Koon, who took over in September, seeks to steer the company deeper into new markets.

“Geographically, the deal strengthens CapitaLand’s presence in our core markets of Singapore and China, while adding meaningful scale in India, US, and Europe,” he said.

Payment to Temasek will be in cash and stocks.

Founded in 1974, Temasek is one of Singapore’s two main investment vehicles. It had a global portfolio worth S$308 billion as of March 31, 2018.

 

https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/singapores-capitaland-8-bn-deal-creating-asia-property-giant/

 

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has fired an employee who was arrested last week by Polish authorities on allegations of spying, though that appears unlikely to make the company’s troubles go away.

On Thursday, news broke that the employee, Wang Weijing, had been arrested along with a Polish man, reported to be a former employee of Poland’s security services who now works for mobile provider Orange Polska. The pair are suspected of having “worked for Chinese services and to the detriment of Poland.” They could be initially detained for three months and face 10 years in prison if found guilty.

Huawei has quickly tried to distance itself from Wang, claiming that his alleged actions “have no relation to the company.” A spokesman from Poland’s security services has also told Reutersthat the allegations are related to individual actions, not directly related to Huawei.

However, the case certainly hasn’t done much to help Huawei’s global image. Already, a number of countries see the company as a national security threat because of its alleged close connections to Beijing. Arguing that Huawei technology could be used to spy on its citizens, New Zealand, Australia, and the US have allbanned the companyfrom providing equipment for their national 5G networks. UK telecoms company BT has said that it will not work with Huawei in creating its own next-gen wireless network. Norway is reported to be mulling doing the same.

However, not everyone in the West has been scared away from working with Huawei. For instance, last year, Huawei helped Orange Polska with rolling out its next-generation 5G mobile networks in Poland.

Worried about facing Beijing’s full brunt alone, following the arrests, Poland’s Internal Affairs Minister, Joachim Brudzinski, has called for the European Union and NATO to work on a joint position over whether or not Huawei should be excluded from their markets.

“There are concerns about Huawei within NATO as well. It would make the most sense to have a joint stance, among EU member states and NATO members,” Brudzinski said. “We want relations with China that are good, intensive, and attractive for both sides.”

It’s not yet clear what this case will mean for Poland-China ties. Recently, relations between China and Canada have become extremely strained following the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of authorities in the US where she faces charges of violating Iran sanctions.

Meng’s arrest infuriated China which warned that Canada will face “serious consequences” if she was not quickly released. One week later,two Canadian nationals were detained in China on suspicion of “engaging in activities harming China’s national security,” igniting considerable anxiety among the Canadian and American business and NGO community in China.

Now, it has become Polish expats’ turn to worry.

The Polish embassy’s Weibo account has been bombarded with angry comments with netizens warning Poland to “learn from what happened to Canada” and mocking the country’s “inflated sense of self-importance.” Meanwhile, the nationalistic Global Times tabloid has published an editorial accusing Poland of “becoming a US accomplice” and declaring that Warsaw “must pay for the offense.”

 

http://shanghaiist.com/2019/01/14/huawei-fires-employee-arrested-in-poland-on-allegations-of-spying/

Source: CNA/sk

 

 

SINGAPORE - The food and beverage company behind popular restaurant chain Penang Culture has been fined $94,500 for making false salary declarations in work pass applications, the Ministry of Manpower said on Monday (Jan 14).

GD Group was convicted on Dec 27 last year of seven charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, with another 13 taken into consideration during sentencing.

The ministry has also barred the company from hiring foreign employees, it said in a statement.

According to its website, GD Group owns Penang Culture, which is touted as the first Penang-themed halal restaurant chain in Singapore. It also has a catering arm that offers live food stations at events.

Investigations found that GD Group had circumvented foreign worker quota rules by hiring foreigners on employment passes, but paying them less than the salaries declared in the work pass applications.

Between February 2013 and July 2015, the company falsely declared salary amounts of between $4,000 and $4,800 for 20 foreign employees to meet the salary requirement for employment passes.

However, the foreign employees were paid salaries of between $1,500 and $2,200.

In the statement, MOM's foreign manpower management division director of employment inspectorate Kandhavel Periyasamy said that GD Group had "gained an unfair advantage in hiring foreigners at the expense of other firms".

He said that MOM has a duty to protect the interest of law-abiding employers.

The ministry will continue to take stern action against errant employers to uphold the integrity of work pass controls, he added.

MOM said in the statement that all employers should make accurate, complete and truthful declarations in their work pass applications.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, those convicted of making false declarations may be fined up to $20,000 per charge, jailed for up to two years or both.

These offenders will also be barred from employing new foreign workers and renewing their permits of their existing foreign workers.

MOM also urged members of the public who are aware of anyone who has contravened the Act to report the matter via the MOM website or call 6438-5122.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, the ministry said.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a GD Group spokesman said that the company deeply regrets the mistake that was made, and said that they would ensure that the incident will not recur.

"There is no excuse for us making false salary declarations and we take full ownership and responsibility for it," the spokesman said. "GD Group is committed to being a responsible and law-abiding organisation."

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/manpower/fb-company-behind-penang-culture-restaurants-fined-94500-for-false-salary

A recent spike in the price of fish that is likely to continue with Chinese New Year just weeks away was partly the result of recent bad weather, which caused some shortages among Singapore's regular suppliers, fish sellers told The Straits Times.

Mr Lim Choon Yau, who represents wholesaler Song Fish Dealer, said fishermen in countries like Indonesia and Thailand have reported poor catches and unpredictable weather preventing them from fishing in recent weeks.

He said: "The price of Chinese pomfret has risen from about $30 to as much as $50 per kg. If the weather continues to be bad, who knows how high the price could rise?"

Mr Tay Peng Kiat, owner of Chip Hong (Pin Sin) Fishery, said stocks of other popular fishes like red grouper and threadfin have also been affected, and buyers can expect to be paying even more in the coming weeks.

Late last month, a tsunami in Indonesia's Sunda Strait killed hundreds of people and destroyed fishing boats. Last week, Tropical storm Pabuk caused floods in southern Thailand and killed at least one fisherman in Koh Samui.

Also contributing to the price increase is a bump in demand throughout the region. Because of higher domestic demand, the Malaysian authorities last month banned exports of seafood such as kembong (Indian mackerel), pelaling (short-bodied mackerel), selar (horse mackerel), salayang (sardines), bawal putih (silver pomfret), shrimp and prawn, until Feb 28.

Supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice said varieties of fish that are more popular during Chinese New Year, like red grouper, snapper, threadfin and pomfret, cost 10 to 15 per cent more now compared with last month.

A spokesman said: "Prices of popular products typically increase leading up to the festive period, as they are affected by market demand and external weather conditions."

FairPrice noted that prices of other food items like poultry and vegetables have remained stable.

 

Fishmonger Jeffrey Tan, who runs DishTheFish outlets at West Coast Plaza and Beo Crescent Market with his wife Angeline Ong, said on Friday that prices have risen about 35 per cent over what they were two weeks ago and are changing daily.

On Friday, Chinese pomfret at DishTheFish, sourced from Indonesia, was being sold for $38 to $45 a kilogram, depending on the size of the fish.

Indonesia is Singapore's largest supplier of fish, providing 23 per cent of all fish imports to the Republic in 2017, according to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

Red grouper at DishTheFish was going for $40 to $50 per kg.

Rabbitfish was being sold for around $15 to $25 per kg, but Mr Tan said he expected the price to double or triple in the two weeks leading up to Chinese New Year, which coincide with the fish's spawning season.

For a few days a year close to Chinese New Year, rabbitfish carry creamy roe or milt - the eggs and sperm of the fish - that are believed to bring good fortune.

Mr Tan said: "Two years ago, rabbitfish roe and milt hit $150 per kg on the first day of Chinese New Year."

Higher prices do not deter shoppers like Madam Catherine Chua, who often hosts reunion dinner for her extended family, and is used to paying more for fish during the Chinese New Year, she said.

The 70-year-old business owner said she plans to buy Chinese pomfret as usual despite the price.

"You know the Chinese saying, nian nian you yu," said Madam Chua, referring to a greeting that means "to have abundance each year". The Chinese word for abundance sounds like the word for fish.

"Reunion dinner is just once a year. Having fish is simply a must," she said.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/spike-in-fish-prices-likely-to-continue-in-run-up-to-cny

Homeowners at Golden Mile Complex believe the development would not be the same even if the iconic building is kept, reported Today Online.

One of Singapore’s first mixed-use developments, Golden Mile Complex was completed in 1973 and features 418 retail, 227 office and 68 residential units.

The 46-year-old building is currently on sale for $800 million after over 80 percent of its owners agreed to sell it.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) planning advice indicated that developers can build an integrated development on the site with a gross floor area of about 86,000 sq m, which includes retaining the iconic building and constructing a new one beside it.

However, owners and staff at the development believe the building will only be a shell of its former self once the deal is signed.

“They keep the building but they won’t keep these people here. Maybe the exterior is the same but the interior will not be the same. No way to replicate this place any more. Once it’s gone, it’s just memories,” said residential unit owner Mr Lai.

Aside from its iconic architecture, the mixed-use development is also a haven for the Thai community in Singapore.

In fact, its unique Thai identity is also celebrated by one of the building’s three main architects, Tay Kheng Soon.

“It is one of the most popular and most successful Thai food centres, which satisfies the original idea that you can have upper class (of residents) above and you can have the working class below,” said the 77-year-old.

The Thai community began settling in the development in the early 1980s and 1990s during the construction boom.

“Every day we see groups of 20, 30 Thai construction workers. They carry pots and pans, rice, pillows… everything,” recalled Mr Lai.

But as the construction workforce started to rely less on Thais and more on workers from India and Bangladesh, the crowds at Golden Mile gradually thinned.

Despite that, shop owners and residents noted that the Thai culture at the development remained strong.

The building continues to be very crowded during Thai festivals like Song Kran in April, said Ponno Kalastree, who owns a residential unit and two office spaces at Golden Mile Complex.

Robert Yao, who owns a muay thai boxing gym, said being situated within the development is a way of spreading Thai culture to his students who are mostly non-Thai nationals.

“If it’s here, it shows you are spreading Thai culture in food, in clothes,” he said. “You can’t create another “Little Thailand”. It must come from the people’s culture. And you can’t recreate that. It’s built over time.”

Even for residents such as Mr Kalastree and Ms Chang who agreed to the collective sale, they said their decision was out of necessity considering that the old building is now riddled with various maintenance issues.

“If no water problems, I won’t think about moving out for sure,” said Ms Chang.

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/golden-mile-complex-not-same-042753654.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/32-answer-scripts-gce-o-level-math-lost-train-ride-uk-091759797.html

Thirty-two answer scripts for the 2018 GCE O-Level Additional Mathematics examination were lost in the UK after a Cambridge examiner’s bag containing them was mistakenly taken by a fellow train passenger in November last year.

The search for the 32 missing Additional Mathematics Paper 2 scripts is ongoing while Cambridge Assessment investigates the incident, said the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) Cambridge on Monday (14 January).

The Cambridge examiner was travelling by train from London to the north of England with the scripts – 20 from Nan Hua High School and 12 from Hong Kah Secondary School – on 21 November when the incident occurred.

SEAB chief executive Tan Lay Choo said that the board was “upset and disappointed” with the news as the incident happened close to a similar incident in the previous year. In November 2017, a parcel containing 238 A-Level H2 Chemistry scripts was stolen when it was in transit from Cambridge Assement to the examiner in the UK.

Students from four junior colleges – Anderson JC (58 scripts), Anglo-Chinese JC (60 scripts), Hwa Chong Institution (60 scripts) and Nanyang JC (60 scripts) – were affected then.

The priority now is to ensure that “the affected candidates are not disadvantaged by the incident, and that they are given a valid and fair assessment”, Choo added.

The affected candidates will be offered the option of a re-examination of the Additional Mathematics Paper 2 on 15 February, with the results released by end of the same month.

Details of the registration for the re-examination have been provided by the SEAB to the affected candidates on Monday, after they had received their result slips.

The re-examination of the paper will be based on the same curriculum that the candidates had been taught in schools and pegged at the same standard as the 2018 Additional Mathematics Paper 2. The examination format will also remain unchanged.

Paper 2 is a two-and-a-half hour paper with 100 marks and 56 per cent weighting while Paper 1 is a two-hour paper with 80 marks and 44 per cent weighting.

For candidates who did not choose to sit for the re-examination, their awarded grade will be recorded as the final grade in their GCE O-Level result slip and certificate. Cambridge Assessment and the SEAB have an established procedure to derive and award a grade for the subject.

For candidates who choose the option of re-examination, Cambridge Assessment and the SEAB will count the better of the two grades and recorded it as the final grade in their GCE O-Level result slip and certificate.

Cambridge Assessment and the SEAB took into consideration the 32 candidates’ performance in the other Additional Mathematics paper (Paper 1), which makes up 44 per cent of the final grade, relative to the entire cohort’s overall performance in the subject.

To check for consistency in the affected candidates’ overall performance in Additional Mathematics, Cambridge Assessment and the SEAB also considered the candidates’ school preliminary examination results.

About 91 per cent of the affected candidates obtained at least a Pass grade, with about 63 per cent attaining distinctions.

Almost all the affected candidates had been awarded better or the same grades for the O-Level Additional Mathematics, compared with their school preliminary examinations.

The Ministry of Education and the SEAB will work with the various institutions to consider the candidates’ re-examination results for off-cycle posting.

O-Level results

Almost 85 per cent of 26,750 school candidates who took the 2018 GCE O-Level examinations obtained five or more passes, said the MOE on Monday.

More

Result slips of private candidates will also be mailed to addresses provided during the registration period.

Those eligible for SingPass can also use their SingPass account to obtain their results online via the internet Examination Results Release System (iERRS) on the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website from 2pm on Monday.

Students who wish to apply for admission to junior colleges, Millennia Institute, polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education may do so via the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) using their GCE O-Level examination results.

 

Massive TVs with razor-thin frames, brilliant image quality, and streaming services built-in are more affordable than ever thanks to companies like Vizio and TCL.

If you want a 65-inch 4K smart TV with HDR capability, one can be purchased for below $500 — a surprisingly low price for such a massive piece of technology, nonetheless one that's likely to live in your home for years before you upgrade.

But that low price comes with a caveat most people don't realize: Some manufacturers collect data about users, then sell that data to third-parties. That data can include what type of shows you watch, which ads you watch, your approximate location, and more.

 

 

 

A recent interview on The Verge's podcast with Vizio CTO Bill Baxter did a great job illuminating exactly how this works.

"This is a cutthroat industry. It's a 6% margin industry," Baxter said. "The greater strategy is I really don't need to make money off of the TV. I need to cover my cost."

More specifically, companies like Vizio don't need to make money from every TV they sell.

Smart TVs can be sold at or near cost to consumers — which is great for consumers — because Vizio is able to monetize those TVs through data collection, advertising, and selling direct-to-consumer entertainment (movies, etc.) — which is less great for consumers.

Or, as Baxter put it: "It's not just about data collection. It's about post-purchase monetization of the TV."

And there are a few different ways to monetize those TVs post-purchase.

 

 

 

"You sell some movies, you sell some TV shows, you sell some ads, you know. It's not really that different than The Verge website," he said.

It's those additional forms of revenue that helps make the large, beautiful smart TVs from companies like Vizio and TCL so affordable.

Without that revenue stream, Baxter said, consumers would be paying more upfront cost. "We'd collect a little bit more margin at retail to offset it."

 

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/smart-tv-data-collection-advertising-2019-1

 

 

 

A group of 60 motorcyclists getting ready to begin their ride from a carpark at Orto, a leisure park near Sembawang, to the Wicked Wallop IV bike show in Kranji. The convoy consists largely of older motorcycles registered before July 1, 2003, which are deemed to be more pollutive and are slated to be taken off Singapore's roads under the National Environment Agency's cash-for-deregistration scheme. The organiser of the ride told The Sunday Times the purpose of the gathering was to bring the affected bikers together and enjoy whatever time they have left with their machines. An online petition in support of these two-wheelers, called Save Singapore's pre-July 2003 motorcycles, has garnered about 8,000 signatures as of last night.

 

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/bikers-gather-to-show-love-for-old-motorcycles

 

 

The 19-year-old has been attached to the club for a trial this week and impressed the coaches enough to be offered a two-year deal. The club confirmed the news on their official website on Sunday morning.

Raufoss will play in Division 1 this year after winning promotion from Division 2 in 2018. The first team is coached by Espen Haug.

Ikhsan played in the friendly match against Mjondalen IF over the weekend and will now continue his career in Norway.

 

 

Widely considered as Singapore’s best striker of his generation, Ikhsan has steadily moved up the ranks in the last two years and was a key member of Singapore’s AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 campaign.

This will be Fandi Ahmad’s second eldest son’s third overseas stint as a footballer, having spent time with Spanish side Hercules CF and Chilean teams A.C. Barnechea and Universidad Catolica.

His brother Irfan Fandi will also be plying his trade abroad this year, after joining Bangkok Glass in Thai League 2.

 

 

https://www.foxsportsasia.com/football/asian-football/1017953/singapore-striker-ikhsan-fandi-signs-two-year-deal-with-norwegian-club-raufoss/

It is a similar motivation for the makers of Callery’s – a local ice cream brand that prides itself for tasting “as good as the real deal” despite cutting calories and sugar levels by about two-thirds.

“I’ve seen how hard it is to find good-tasting food that is safe for diabetics,” said Mr Ow Yau Png, co-founder of Hoow Foods, while referring to the frustration some of his family members have had. 

“It is even harder if you are a sweet tooth and it’s sad to see your loved ones being deprived of things they have always enjoyed. But it doesn’t have to be this way and that is the market gap we want to fill.”

For one and a half years, the team experimented with the replacement of sugar and fats with novel ingredients approved by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). This includes erythritol, a zero-calorie natural sweetener found in fruits and vegetables.

The research and development process took longer than expected as it was difficult to source for these ingredients and not compromise on taste.

But its efforts paid off as almost 4,000 tubs of the guilt-free ice cream range have been sold since its launch four months ago, said Mr Ow.

“For a brand that’s new to the market, we think this is a good number and it shows how consumers crave for a low-sugar, low-calorie product that has a taste they are used to.”

Moving forward, the home-grown start-up is looking to come up with more ice cream flavours and reformulate other indulgent food. Using the proprietary tech platform that it has already built up, it believes it can do so in a faster and cheaper manner.

 

BREWING APPETITE

Alchemy Foodtech and Hoow Foods make up a new breed of start-ups in Singapore’s food tech industry, which unlike the delivery start-ups that have long dominated the local scene, focus on bringing innovation to food on the table.

This mirrors a trend that has been brewing in other markets, such as the United States and Israel, with the rise of start-ups like US plant-based meat maker Impossible Foods, noted Sirius Venture Capital’s founder and managing director Eugene Wong.

“The easiest pain point to solve was delivery and that took off. Those in the industry are now looking at other areas that hold similar disruption potential, and that’s food itself given the growing awareness about the issues of obesity and illnesses, environment degradation and sustainability.

“Now that there’s smarter tech like big data and artificial intelligence, can there be a better way to eat?”

In Singapore, apart from making healthier or cleaner food, some entrepreneurs here have also set their sights on tackling the problem of food wastage.

SinFooTech, for instance, has come up with a way to turn soy whey – excess water generated from the production of tofu which is often discarded – into an alcoholic beverage.

Touted as a first in the world, the unexpected creation came about when co-founder Chua Jian Yong noticed large amounts of soy whey being discarded by tofu makers around the world. In Singapore alone, SinFooTech estimates that nearly 3 tonnes of the by-product is thrown away on a daily basis.

 

Given that soy whey contains high levels of calcium and soya nutrients, the PhD student from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) food science and technology department thought it was a waste and began mulling how the liquid can be “upcycled”.

The end result is Sachi – a light yellow-coloured beverage with an alcohol content of seven per cent and a tinge of fruity flavour. SinFooTech, which decided to spin off from NUS last year, is applying for relevant licenses so that it can conduct experiments at bigger volumes, and hopefully launch the product by the end of the year.

It is also looking to develop other soy whey-based beverages now that its proprietary fermentation technology has “upcycled the by-product into a base ingredient” and yields zero waste, said co-founder Jonathan Ng. “If we use 10 litres of soy whey, we can create 10 litres of Sachi.”

With that, it believes that its technology can help to tackle the issue of wastage during food production.

“We want to focus on extracting value from these food processing by-products that are usually discarded,” said Mr Ng. “In doing so, we can produce more from the same resources, reduce environmental footprint and in the longer run, improve food security.”

 

VCS SAY BON APPETIT, BUT WILL CONSUMERS BITE?

With more start-ups jumping on the food tech bandwagon, the industry is seeing “encouraging” growth signs.

“I think this growth spurt is only starting. We are only seeing local start-ups for now but what can happen in the next few years is the entry of foreign entrepreneurs. If we can see that, the growth in the ecosystem and exchange of ideas can help to produce real game-changing innovation.” said Mr Wong from Sirius Venture Capital.

Temasek-backed Impossible Foods announced on Wednesday (Jan 9) that it is eyeing global expansion, with plans to launch its new recipe here within several months.

Mr Wong added that private investors are also starting to take notice of Singapore. 

“One of the challenges thus far has been the lack of capital but I think this will change,” he told Channel NewsAsia, noting that a couple of overseas investors are looking to set up offices here.

Combined together with funds from the public sector, Mr Wong reckons that the amount of investments into the local food tech scene could grow by “10 times over the next two to three years”.

Start-ups are also receiving training and support from home-grown businesses. SinFooTech, for one, is among the six start-ups that have joined Innovate360 – Singapore’s first food incubator set up by sugar manufacturing and trading firm Cheng Yew Heng Candy Factory.

For Alchemy Foodtech, it received a “major confidence boost” last September when it secured a seven-digit investment in a pre-series A round led by Heritas Capital Management and Seeds Capital, the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore.

“The problem we had all along was to convince people that food tech was a thing, and that our product is considered deep tech,” recalled Ms Goh. “But with the rise of food tech, we do see more funds taking an interest in start-ups like us.”

The investment will allow Alchemy Foodtech to finally have its own lab and equipment. Prior to this, it was working out of Ms Goh’s alma mater, NUS, and partnered a firm in Europe when it comes to research equipment and manufacturing work.

Channel NewsAsia understands that another home-grown start-up Life3 Biotech, which develops plant-based protein, is also close to concluding its first funding round.

 

Nevertheless, start-ups and observers stress that the local food tech scene remains in the infancy stage, with remaining challenges such as the lack of talent.

Said Mr Ow: “We definitely need more food scientists here who are driven to change food and nutrition.”

Players in the industry will also need to strategise how to get their innovation out of the labs and onto dining tables, observers said.

The founders of Alchemy Foodtech said they are already in talks with several established food manufacturers to do so, and are hopeful that consumers will bite.

“Food manufacturers have their own research teams but they may be more focused on developing new flavours or textures. With our specialisation in lowering GI, we are in a good position to help manufacturers come up with healthier alternatives faster,” said Ms Goh.

“Feedback that we got from our studies show that people don’t find a taste difference when our product is added. Taste is crucial in getting acceptance and we think consumers who want the health benefits will accept our product.”

Source: CNA/sk

How is it compare to SG version?

 

 

Saw it at chinatown, Not bad but malaysia the rice is a bit sweeter which i like it more

 

 

Pros:

rice not every sweet which is great for to those worried about health (if worried, should not even eat this)

soft and QQ rice

fried nicely 

 

Cons:

Prefer rice to be sweeter a bit

 

 

7 hours ago, Yamato said:

 

May I know what is the meaning of 5XL?

5XL is the size or XXXXXL

 

their XXXXXL is SG XXL

 

 

“Best Friday ever!” we can only assume the herd of locals bellowed as they rushed to grab as many free beers as humanly possible after a Leo truck accidentally dumped its load in Phuket city today.

Early this morning, a truck carrying the popular Thai beer brand nearly overturned in front of a 7-Eleven in Mueang Phuket district, causing thousands of beers to go spilling into the street, reported Workpoint.

 

 

 

 

Though police were notified at about 6am, they were reportedly late arriving to the scene as there were no traffic police on duty at that time.

By the time they got there, scores of locals were already scrambling to collect as many free beers as they or their vehicles could carry, though a few especially noble citizens were apparently genuinely helping to clean the road.

The driver of the truck did not sustain any injuries nor was the truck damaged, reported Phuket News.  

A video capturing the aftermath of the incident, posted on Facebook by Newshawk Phuket, has already received over 45,000 views in the past five hours.

 

 

 

In the video, locals can be seen helping themselves to the thousands of loose beer cans scattered all over the street.

Some citizens were even equipped with large garbage and oversize “rainbow bags.”

 

 

 

 

A male voice can be heard telling people that this is illegal and could get them arrested, but the well-intended warning fell on deaf ears as unfazed locals continue their spree.

“The cause of the accident is not yet clear but from early investigations, it seems that the load dropped off the truck because it was not secured properly,” Phuket City Traffic police Capt Chatree Wetrangsri told The Phuket News.

“Taking assets that belong to others is an act of theft. It is for the owner to decide if they want to file a claim,” he added.

“The police can work on bringing charges to those involved.”

Well, someone had to be the party pooper, we guess.

 

 

 

 

 

https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/phuket-locals-rush-score-free-beer-leo-truck-nearly-overturns-video/

 

A seller on Facebook Marketplace was dragged into an extremely long and unnecessary argument with a finicky buyer who — get this — demanded that her purchase of red envelopes be delivered in bubble wrap.

If that’s not an irrational insistence, then we don’t know what is, chief.

Alvina Lee recounted the hilarious experience with the difficult customer on the SG Online Shopping Facebook group today, where hundreds of folks were befittingly amused and confused by the odd request. After all, why would a pack of paper envelopes require the extra layer of protection that’s actually meant for fragile items?

One can’t imagine the frustration felt by Lee, who had to engage in a long, needless conversation with the buyer about the merits of recycling used bubble wrap to protect every single item delivered. To make things even more bonkers, the buyer was demanding the extra care for her red packets even though they cost a dollar each.

Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook

Just as soon as Lee thought her ordeal was over when she delivered the items, the buyer returned for yet another long argument. Apparently, one of her red packets was damaged, and for this, she demanded a refund. Pictured below was the “damage”.

Photo: Alvina Lee / Facebook

Hilarious right? Not so for Lee, who had to withstand accusations of being careless, irresponsible and slow in the brain. The buyer even boasted about being a titan of the industry, having sold over 1,000 items that netted her bounteous profit of $100. We are not worthy, people.

Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook

The conversation then took a turn into the divine, in which the buyer blamed Lee’s (righteous) difference in opinion on her being a “non-believer”. Which denomination? Unclear, but all signs point to the Cult of Sealed Air.

Photos: Alvina Lee / Facebook

Amidst expressions of utter disbelief, some netizens brought up that the buyer has quite a reputation for being a super-finicky nut job who loves to get into unnecessary arguments with sellers.

Facebook screengrab Facebook screengrab

One of Lee’s customers even tried to troll the person, who turned out to be a bit of a hypocrite when she refused to provide bubble wrap and free delivery.

 

 

 

DESCRIPTION

A Story About My Uncle is provided via Steam Key. For key redemption, a free Steam account is required to play.
 

Summary

A Story About My Uncle is a first person platforming adventure game about a boy who searches for his lost uncle, and ends up in a world he couldn’t imagine existed. Take help of your uncle’s mysterious inventions that let you jump incredibly high and far through beautiful scenery, uncover clues to your uncle’s whereabouts, and meet fantastical creatures that will help you on your journey.

The movement in A Story About My Uncle is a crucial part of its core gameplay – focusing on swinging through the world with a grappling hook that gives the player a wonderful sense of speed and freedom. Soar through a game world with a unique art style and a mysterious story that unravels before you.

Key Features:

Grappling hook: An empowering mechanic that gives you a sensation of speed, flow and vertigo like you’ve never experienced before. 

Explore the world: Visit a wonderful and exciting world - from paradisal caves, to lost civilizations and harsh, mystical landscapes. 

Emphasis on story: While searching for your uncle you will meet creatures with stories and fates of their own. Take your time to explore the world to dig deeper into the narrative. 

Non-violent: A Story About My Uncle is a First Person game, but it is driven by non-violent gameplay and a heavy emphasis on story and atmosphere.

 

 

https://www.humblebundle.com/store/a-story-about-my-uncle

 

 

 

 

Blast Zone! Tournament is the fast-paced game where fun meets explosive combat! Take on challenges in the fully-loaded single-player campaign to level up and prepare to compete in numerous multiplayer arenas. Team up with friends and blast opponents as you go head-to-head to see who will be the last bomber standing! It’s time to ignite your fuse and blast your way to the top of the leaderboards!

KEY FEATURES
 

Story-driven single-player campaign provides 240 unique challenges

32- player cross-platform multiplayer either local, online, or combined. Multiplayer matches each have unranked and ranked options to cater to both casual players and hardcore fans

10 solo and team-based multiplayer modes including Free-For-All, Team Deathmatch, Bomb Blast, Treasure Mode, King Mode, Zombie Mode and more!

283 multiplayer levels, with tweakable options including handicaps, lives, starting items, bomber stats, overall match settings, and more

Create individual characters with over 10 billion unlockable cosmetic and gear item combinations

Robust set of social features from friends lists to partying, news, mail, and more to help foster a healthy community and lay the foundations for esports tournaments

Pulsating party soundtrack

 

 

 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/649190/Blast_Zone_Tournament/

 

 

 

When it debuted with a 24/7 outlet at Orchard Central in 2017, followed by another at 100AM in Tanjong Pagar last year, Japanese grocery and housewares chain Don Don Donki is now claiming a big chunk of the basement level in City Square Mall for its third and largest store in Singapore.

Just as it did with the first two outlets, this new shop is likely to cause quite a splash on our shores. Officially opening to the public today, the store houses a bigger perishables and delicatessen section, an entire food court, and a bargain section (we do love a good buy).

 

 

 

Rival to the already-existing food court on the top floor of the mall, Don Don Donki’s version is, naturally, Japanese, with vendors like donburi store Bonta Bonta, Hokkaido ice cream makers Naganuma Ice Co, fried chicken joint Rang Mang Shokudo, ramen restaurant Santouka, and barbecue stall Yakiniku Heijoen. If you reckon these names sound familiar, that’s because they’ve all set up shop elsewhere in Singapore as well.

 

For a quick grab-and-go, head to the delicatessen for one-pack meals or swing by the takeaway food counter for more grub. The more extensive selection of Japanese cuisine includes dishes like croquettes, omu soba and, of course, sweet potato.

 

 

 

And, if you’re up for a rummage through the bargain corner, the trinkets in these boxes start from the lower-than-Daiso price of $1. Most of ’em probably won’t be on a need-to-buy basis, but you never know what gems you may surface from the pile.

 

FIND IT:
Don Don Donki is at B2, City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Rd.
Daily 9am-midnight.
MRT: Farrer Park

 

 

https://sg.style.yahoo.com/don-don-donki-largest-store-025906297.html

 

 

Harry Siskind is a photographer-turned-entrepreneur who made a lot of promises about his weight-loss company, Body Solutions — including that it could help you lose weight as you slept.

Maybe he made too many promises. Countless radio ads and more than $100 million later, the Texas high roller caught the eye of some feds who tore his diet empire down. We talk about his amazing life and why it should be a movie in the latest episode of the “Shoot This Now” podcast, which you can listen to on Apple or Spotify or right here.

Every week on “Shoot This Now,” we talk about lively characters whose stories should be made into TV shows or movies. We’re kind of surprised no one’s gotten their hands on Siskind’s story of flash, image, and fat. (One of his other business ideas was a diet cookie called the “Texas Delight.”)

In a 2002 news release, the Federal Trade Commission said his product — “Body Solutions Evening Weight Loss Formula (Evening Formula)” — relied on “both English and Spanish language testimonial endorsements from popular radio disk jockeys on more than 650 radio stations in 110 cities nationwide.”

Among them, according to the FTC:

“It helped me lose 36 pounds and it helps me maintain through the holidays. I mean, I ate so much over Thanksgiving, I still have turkey burps. But thanks to Body Solutions, I keep the weight off and now I’m ready for Christmas.” “Look, I’ve lost 25 pounds. . . . This is the program where you eat what you want. And thank you Body Solutions. I have another full room in my house. The bench that I used for all my weights, that’s gone. . . . I’ve replaced it all with a bottle that fits nicely in the corner of my refrigerator.” “Body Solutions … quite definitely not a diet . . . . And you do it while you sleep, while eating what you want to eat all day. . . .”

The FTC said the sleep-loss potion wouldn’t really help you lose weight as Siskind indicated.

Unfortunately.

The Body Solutions saga came to an end at a San Antonio courthouse where Siskind at first offered a tearful apology.

But when he found out he would be sentenced to more than three years behind bars for lying to hide assets, he changed his approach.

The rest of the story is on the podcast. We hope you like it. We reached out to Siskind’s lawyer to see if he’d like to talk to us, and you’ll be the first to know if he decides he does.

Read original story Meet the Man Who Made Millions Telling People They Could Lose Weight in Their Sleep (Podcast) At TheWrap

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/meet-man-made-millions-telling-005004517.html

 

Police have advised the public to be aware of scams involving takeover of WhatsApp accounts, in a media statement released on Friday (11 January).

Since the start of this month, the police have received at least 10 reports of such scams. Victims would receive a WhatsApp message from a “friend” (whose WhatsApp account has been compromised) requesting to send over their WhatsApp account verification codes.

The victims subsequently would lose access to their WhatsApp accounts after providing the scammers their WhatsApp account verification codes.

Scammers have been known to use the compromised accounts to trick unsuspecting victims into performing monetary transfers or sending over Money Online (MOL) points.

They have also used the accounts to buy gift cards and send over the passwords for the cards. The scammers would then sell the gift cards online.

Preventive measures to stop Whatsapp scams

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

• Beware of unusual requests received over WhatsApp, even if they were sent by WhatsApp contacts.
• Always call the friend to verify the authenticity of the request.
• Protect the WhatsApp account by enabling the “Two-step Verification” feature, which is available under “account” in the “settings” tab of the WhatsApp application. This will prevent others from compromising the WhatsApp account.

Any members of the public who wish to provide any information related to such scams can call the police hotline at 1800-2550000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. If you require urgent police assistance, please dial 999.

To seek scam-related advice, the public may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-7226688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. They can also join the “Let’s Fight Scams” campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with family and friends.

 

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/police-warn-scams-involving-takeover-whatsapp-accounts-082137405.html