Expect a wet CNY weekend
REMEMBER to take along an umbrella when you make your Chinese New Year rounds later this week.
Wet weather over the weekend is expected to continue into the week, with "short-duration showers" forecast in the afternoons from tomorrow to Friday, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) yesterday.
Heavy rain last Saturday caused flooding in several parts of Singapore, including Tampines, Punggol and Changi Village, said national water agency PUB.
The rain also caused the temporary closure of some roads. Two of four lanes of Airport Boulevard Road, leading to the airport, were closed for less than two hours, police said.
As traffic was light at the time of the road closure, vehicle movement was largely unaffected, said a police spokesman.
Other roads affected by the flood included the slip road leading to Tampines Expressway (TPE) near Tampines Avenue 12, as well as Punggol Road near the Punggol exit along the TPE.
Elsewhere, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and Airport Boulevard Road were also flooded for between 10 minutes and an hour, said PUB.
Explaining the cause of the floods, PUB officers told my paper that the heavy rain had swept fallen leaves, among other things, into the grating of drain inlets by the roads. This prevents the rainwater from flowing into the drains.
-News courtesy of Omy-
Monday 31 January 2011
Sunday 30 January 2011
Take a stroll to Sentosa island
Take a stroll to Sentosa island
Sentosa is now just a stroll away from VivoCity, with the opening of the Sentosa boardwalk.
And travelling to the island on foot could now be a more fun experience.
This S$70 million boardwalk is lined with themed gardens, shops and eateries.
It is convenient for the elderly and handicapped too.
There are travellators and a covered walkway for rainy days.
To encourage more people to walk to Sentosa, the entrance fee to the island for those who enter on foot will only be S$1.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was on site to launch the new walkway.
"The boardwalk is a wonderful way of connecting Singapore together with the main island. It allows both Singaporeans and tourists an additional way of getting onto Sentosa to enjoy its delights. But it's also a place where Singaporeans and tourists can come to enjoy the view, the many facilities here at the boardwalk," he said.
So far, the boardwalk has been a hit with visitors.
"I think it's good, another experience, very nice, and it's sheltered," said a visitor.
"I like it, very beautiful. The first time I'm here," said another.
"It's a lot healthier to actually walk on foot. And I think it also helps to alleviate some of the traffic conditions. As you can see it can get crowded sometimes during the rush hours over here," said a third visitor.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Sentosa is now just a stroll away from VivoCity, with the opening of the Sentosa boardwalk.
And travelling to the island on foot could now be a more fun experience.
This S$70 million boardwalk is lined with themed gardens, shops and eateries.
It is convenient for the elderly and handicapped too.
There are travellators and a covered walkway for rainy days.
To encourage more people to walk to Sentosa, the entrance fee to the island for those who enter on foot will only be S$1.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was on site to launch the new walkway.
"The boardwalk is a wonderful way of connecting Singapore together with the main island. It allows both Singaporeans and tourists an additional way of getting onto Sentosa to enjoy its delights. But it's also a place where Singaporeans and tourists can come to enjoy the view, the many facilities here at the boardwalk," he said.
So far, the boardwalk has been a hit with visitors.
"I think it's good, another experience, very nice, and it's sheltered," said a visitor.
"I like it, very beautiful. The first time I'm here," said another.
"It's a lot healthier to actually walk on foot. And I think it also helps to alleviate some of the traffic conditions. As you can see it can get crowded sometimes during the rush hours over here," said a third visitor.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Saturday 29 January 2011
Heavy traffic expected at land checkpoints
Heavy traffic expected at land checkpoints during Lunar New Year
Heavy traffic is expected to flow through the land checkpoints at Woodlands and Tuas next week given the approaching Lunar New Year holidays, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
For vehicles departing from Singapore, the traffic build-up is expected to start from February 1 and continue throughout the festive period.
For vehicles arriving into Singapore, traffic is expected to be particularly heavy on February 5 and last till February 6.
ICA said travellers using the land checkpoints during these periods can expect delays.
To avoid the surge of people and vehicles seeking clearance at the land checkpoints, travellers are advised to adjust their travel plans and avoid the peak periods altogether
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Heavy traffic is expected to flow through the land checkpoints at Woodlands and Tuas next week given the approaching Lunar New Year holidays, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
For vehicles departing from Singapore, the traffic build-up is expected to start from February 1 and continue throughout the festive period.
For vehicles arriving into Singapore, traffic is expected to be particularly heavy on February 5 and last till February 6.
ICA said travellers using the land checkpoints during these periods can expect delays.
To avoid the surge of people and vehicles seeking clearance at the land checkpoints, travellers are advised to adjust their travel plans and avoid the peak periods altogether
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Merlion to be temporary hotel
Merlion to be temporary hotel
Singapore's tourism destination landmark The Merlion at Merlion Park will undergo a transformation starting February 7 to become a temporary hotel suite.
The Merlion Hotel is just one of the many artwork installation projects presented as part of this year's Singapore Biennale organised by the Singapore Art Museum.
The temporary hotel will be unveiled on March 11 and opened for public viewing for a two-month period from March 13.
Key information on The Merlion Hotel, including how visitors may stay a night at the suite, will be announced shortly by the museum.
It will revert to being a tourist landmark on June 6.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Singapore's tourism destination landmark The Merlion at Merlion Park will undergo a transformation starting February 7 to become a temporary hotel suite.
The Merlion Hotel is just one of the many artwork installation projects presented as part of this year's Singapore Biennale organised by the Singapore Art Museum.
The temporary hotel will be unveiled on March 11 and opened for public viewing for a two-month period from March 13.
Key information on The Merlion Hotel, including how visitors may stay a night at the suite, will be announced shortly by the museum.
It will revert to being a tourist landmark on June 6.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
More Bali flights scrapped due to volcano
More Bali flights scrapped due to volcano
A total of 16 international flights to and from the resort island of Bali were cancelled Friday, as dangerous ash continued to belch out from an Indonesian volcano, airlines said.
Thousands of foreign tourists, mostly from Australia, remain stranded on the island after a cloud of ash from Java's Mount Bromo drifted into airspace over Bali on Thursday.
The latest cancellations mean about 30 services have been scrapped in the past 24 hours due to volcanic ash.
Australian budget airline Jetstar said on Friday it had cancelled all seven of its return services from Australia and Singapore to Bali.
"We have to take a safety-first approach," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway told Australian radio. "The complexity is that while visibility can come and go, there is volcanic ash in the vicinity of Denpasar airport."
A spokeswoman for the company said 1,600 of its passengers had been stranded in Bali by the cancellations, the Australian Associated Press reported.
Virgin Blue, also a budget airline from Australia, said it had cancelled five morning flights to and from Bali. Almost 900 of its travellers were stuck on the island, AAP said.
Cathay Pacific also scrapped two flights.
But a spokeswoman for Bali's Denpasar Airport, Sherly Yunita, said domestic and some international airlines were continuing to arrive and depart from the airport.
"It depends on the airline's decision," she said.
Singapore Airlines and China Airlines, which had cancelled some flights on Thursday, had resumed services, she added.
Mount Bromo began rumbling in November and the government had raised the eruption threat warning to the maximum red alert before lowering it last month.
The head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre, Surono, said Mount Bromo was "belching ash about 1,000 metres from the crater".
"It's actually the strong wind that caused the ash to go in certain directions. If airlines prefer to be cautious then it's up to them."
The Australian Government issued a travel notice on Friday, advising its citizens that the disruptions "could continue in Bali and could also occur in other parts of Indonesia".
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
A total of 16 international flights to and from the resort island of Bali were cancelled Friday, as dangerous ash continued to belch out from an Indonesian volcano, airlines said.
Thousands of foreign tourists, mostly from Australia, remain stranded on the island after a cloud of ash from Java's Mount Bromo drifted into airspace over Bali on Thursday.
The latest cancellations mean about 30 services have been scrapped in the past 24 hours due to volcanic ash.
Australian budget airline Jetstar said on Friday it had cancelled all seven of its return services from Australia and Singapore to Bali.
"We have to take a safety-first approach," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway told Australian radio. "The complexity is that while visibility can come and go, there is volcanic ash in the vicinity of Denpasar airport."
A spokeswoman for the company said 1,600 of its passengers had been stranded in Bali by the cancellations, the Australian Associated Press reported.
Virgin Blue, also a budget airline from Australia, said it had cancelled five morning flights to and from Bali. Almost 900 of its travellers were stuck on the island, AAP said.
Cathay Pacific also scrapped two flights.
But a spokeswoman for Bali's Denpasar Airport, Sherly Yunita, said domestic and some international airlines were continuing to arrive and depart from the airport.
"It depends on the airline's decision," she said.
Singapore Airlines and China Airlines, which had cancelled some flights on Thursday, had resumed services, she added.
Mount Bromo began rumbling in November and the government had raised the eruption threat warning to the maximum red alert before lowering it last month.
The head of Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Centre, Surono, said Mount Bromo was "belching ash about 1,000 metres from the crater".
"It's actually the strong wind that caused the ash to go in certain directions. If airlines prefer to be cautious then it's up to them."
The Australian Government issued a travel notice on Friday, advising its citizens that the disruptions "could continue in Bali and could also occur in other parts of Indonesia".
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Friday 28 January 2011
New waterfront park in the north
New waterfront park in the north
RESIDENTS in the north can now enjoy a panoramic view of the Straits of Johor while jogging, cycling or fishing at the Woodlands Waterfront, a newly completed coastal park.
The 9ha park also has a refurbished 400m-long jetty and a playground that caters to both the young and old, with exercise equipment and two-storey-high Sky Bridges.
Yesterday marked the official completion of the park, including the final instalment of the project 6ha of undulating terrain furnished with rest shelters, as well as jogging and cycling tracks. About 3,000 residents turned up for the celebrations, which included a brisk walk and carnival organised by Sembawang GRC.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, was the guest of honour at the ceremony.
Said Mr Khaw: "This waterfront project is a beautiful addition to our neighbourhood... We are one of the few constituencies with a very long waterfront." He hopes that residents will use the park often for exercise and leisure with their family and friends.
He said the investment in the project was "money well spent", noting that the park was "very well used".
The $19-million project is part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Parks and Waterbodies Plan to enhance Singapore's green spaces and water bodies.
The Woodlands Waterfront is also linked to the nearby Admiralty Park via the 25km-long Northern Explorer Park Connector Network launched last November.
-News courtesy of Omy-
RESIDENTS in the north can now enjoy a panoramic view of the Straits of Johor while jogging, cycling or fishing at the Woodlands Waterfront, a newly completed coastal park.
The 9ha park also has a refurbished 400m-long jetty and a playground that caters to both the young and old, with exercise equipment and two-storey-high Sky Bridges.
Yesterday marked the official completion of the park, including the final instalment of the project 6ha of undulating terrain furnished with rest shelters, as well as jogging and cycling tracks. About 3,000 residents turned up for the celebrations, which included a brisk walk and carnival organised by Sembawang GRC.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and a Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, was the guest of honour at the ceremony.
Said Mr Khaw: "This waterfront project is a beautiful addition to our neighbourhood... We are one of the few constituencies with a very long waterfront." He hopes that residents will use the park often for exercise and leisure with their family and friends.
He said the investment in the project was "money well spent", noting that the park was "very well used".
The $19-million project is part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Parks and Waterbodies Plan to enhance Singapore's green spaces and water bodies.
The Woodlands Waterfront is also linked to the nearby Admiralty Park via the 25km-long Northern Explorer Park Connector Network launched last November.
-News courtesy of Omy-
Friday 21 January 2011
Record-breaking 2010 for Changi Airport
Record-breaking 2010 for Changi Airport
Changi Airport Group (CAG) said more than 42 million passengers passed through Changi Airport last year, which surpassed the previous annual record of 37.7 million passenger movements recorded in 2008.
It represented a 13 per cent increase over passenger movement in 2009.
CAG said besides the full year record, the monthly and daily traffic records were also broken in December 2010.
Passenger traffic for the month was 4.06 million, up 6 per cent from a year before.
CAG said the airport's strong performance last year was underpinned by robust traffic growth to and from Southeast and Northeast Asia which increased 18 per cent, buoyed by the rapid expansion of low cost carriers.
Strong growth was also registered in 2010 for airfreight handled, which rose 11 per cent to 1.8 million tonnes, and aircraft movements, which gained 9.7 per cent to 264,000 flights.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Changi Airport Group (CAG) said more than 42 million passengers passed through Changi Airport last year, which surpassed the previous annual record of 37.7 million passenger movements recorded in 2008.
It represented a 13 per cent increase over passenger movement in 2009.
CAG said besides the full year record, the monthly and daily traffic records were also broken in December 2010.
Passenger traffic for the month was 4.06 million, up 6 per cent from a year before.
CAG said the airport's strong performance last year was underpinned by robust traffic growth to and from Southeast and Northeast Asia which increased 18 per cent, buoyed by the rapid expansion of low cost carriers.
Strong growth was also registered in 2010 for airfreight handled, which rose 11 per cent to 1.8 million tonnes, and aircraft movements, which gained 9.7 per cent to 264,000 flights.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Windsurfing set to get bigger in S'pore
Windsurfing set to get bigger in S'pore
Two new windsurfing events were organised back-to-back in the past few days in Singapore, with one staged in the heart of the city at Marina Bay.
Two new race classes -- the RS:One and the RS:X Evolution -- were introduced, and sailors said the Bay posed its own challenge.
Masters Men's Finals (RS: One Class) champion Oka Sulaksana said while there were no big waves or swells here, he had to use different techniques, while sailing at the Bay.
"The winds were very shifty," he said.
But Mr Sulasana added that it was a new experience, sailing with the Singapore skyline as a backdrop.
Despite the challenging conditions, Singapore's Audrey Yong, a bronze medallist at the recent Youth Olympic Games, won the under-17 Girls category for the RS:One class.
Some of the windsurfers also competed in the Asian Windsurfing Championship which ended last Sunday.
The four-day event was held at National Service Resort and Country Club at Tanah Merah and saw top-class windsurfers taking part.
Some 150 participants from eight countries including host Singapore contested in three classes, the RS: X, Techno and Mistral.
The RS:X men's category was clinched by Cheng Kwok Fai (Sail No HKG 18), the 2006 world champ in the Mistral category.
Second was Lee Tae Hoon of Korea ( Sail No KOR 71) while in third spot, Thailand's Ek Boonsawad ( Sail No THA 8).)
Singapore will be hosting the event for the next three years till 2014 and looks set to host more world-class competitions, what with more Asians making a mark in the sport.
RS:X manufacturer Neil Pryde said: "We probably recognise the potential that lies here in Asia.
"We have great conditions for our sport. Let's face it, that in most of Asia, you can sail all year round -- we don't have the severe winters of Europe or North America; we have great water, wind in most cases and we have a rising standard of living that people can now afford these boards.
One way to popularise the sport to the masses includes providing cheaper equipment, like the RS:One board.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Two new windsurfing events were organised back-to-back in the past few days in Singapore, with one staged in the heart of the city at Marina Bay.
Two new race classes -- the RS:One and the RS:X Evolution -- were introduced, and sailors said the Bay posed its own challenge.
Masters Men's Finals (RS: One Class) champion Oka Sulaksana said while there were no big waves or swells here, he had to use different techniques, while sailing at the Bay.
"The winds were very shifty," he said.
But Mr Sulasana added that it was a new experience, sailing with the Singapore skyline as a backdrop.
Despite the challenging conditions, Singapore's Audrey Yong, a bronze medallist at the recent Youth Olympic Games, won the under-17 Girls category for the RS:One class.
Some of the windsurfers also competed in the Asian Windsurfing Championship which ended last Sunday.
The four-day event was held at National Service Resort and Country Club at Tanah Merah and saw top-class windsurfers taking part.
Some 150 participants from eight countries including host Singapore contested in three classes, the RS: X, Techno and Mistral.
The RS:X men's category was clinched by Cheng Kwok Fai (Sail No HKG 18), the 2006 world champ in the Mistral category.
Second was Lee Tae Hoon of Korea ( Sail No KOR 71) while in third spot, Thailand's Ek Boonsawad ( Sail No THA 8).)
Singapore will be hosting the event for the next three years till 2014 and looks set to host more world-class competitions, what with more Asians making a mark in the sport.
RS:X manufacturer Neil Pryde said: "We probably recognise the potential that lies here in Asia.
"We have great conditions for our sport. Let's face it, that in most of Asia, you can sail all year round -- we don't have the severe winters of Europe or North America; we have great water, wind in most cases and we have a rising standard of living that people can now afford these boards.
One way to popularise the sport to the masses includes providing cheaper equipment, like the RS:One board.
-News courtesy of Channel Newsasia-
Saturday 1 January 2011
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