Singapore's cruise landscape set to grow

Singapore's cruise landscape set to grow: STB

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said the cruise landscape is set to grow in 2012 to 2013, with major cruise lines either increasing their presence in Southeast Asia or deploying new vessels to Singapore.

Adding credence to the growth potential is Costa Cruises.

Europe's number one cruise company is the first to enter the Asian market. Tapping on the region's growth potential, it now offers cruise itineraries out of Singapore to Malaysia and Thailand.

It is also working with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) to develop Singapore as a cruise hub in Asia, expanding into new markets which include Hong Kong, Japan, India and China.

STB said its vision is supported by Singapore's investment in cruise centres -- such as Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore and Singapore Cruise Centre -- and Changi Airport's strong connectivity to over 200 cities worldwide.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Airport passenger traffic up 11% in August

Passenger traffic at Changi Airport up 11% in August

Singapore Changi Airport handled 4.28 million passengers in August, an increase of nearly 11 per cent compared to a year ago.

In a statement, Changi Airport Group (CAG) said air traffic movements for the month also grew by 6.5 per cent to 27,400 flights.

CAG added that demand for air travel to and from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Southwest Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas was strong, with double-digit growth registered for each of those regions.

Meanwhile, airfreight movements fell by 4.4 per cent on-year, with 146,400 tonnes of cargo passing through Changi Airport in August.

For the first eight months of 2012, CAG said Changi Airport registered 33.6 million passenger movements, up 10.5 per cent on-year, while flight movements rose by 9 per cent to 214,000.

As at 1 September 2012, more than 100 airlines operate at Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to over 230 cities, with over 6,200 weekly scheduled flights.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

LEGO replica of F1 Ferrari car to go on display

LEGO replica of F1 Ferrari car to go on display around S'pore

The LEGO replica of a Formula One Ferrari car on display in Singapore.

More than 200,000 LEGO bricks were used to build a replica of an F1 Ferrari car. Unveiled ahead of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, the Lion City is the second Asian stop for the big toy car after Hong Kong.

A team of 16 people at LEGO Productions in the Czech Republic built the 1:1 replica.

The car took over six months to design and plan, and 10 days to assemble.

LEGO bricks were individually assembled and glued on a steel frame.

Sporting real Pirelli race tyres, a race seat belt and a steering wheel, it is able to accommodate an adult in the cockpit.

Measuring 5.4 metres in length, it will be mounted on the back of a commercial vehicle and will tour the island from September 22 to October 1.

Among the planned stops are Raffles Place and Jurong Point Shopping Centre.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Dazzling light show to mark Merlion's 40th birthday

Dazzling light show to mark Merlion's 40th birthday



Singapore's famous icon, the Merlion, is celebrating its 40th birthday with a dazzling light show.

This comes as the statue at the Merlion Park in Marina Bay was reopened to the public after a two-month makeover. show)

Bursts of light and colour were captured on a giant screen. The seven-minute show, titled "Merlion and I: An Inspiring Journey", traces how the much-loved icon has evolved over the past 40 years.

The show production, from music composition to dance choreography, is helmed by a creative team of local artistes, while the designs of the light projections on the Merlion are created by Mr Andrew Gardner, who has worked extensively in South East Asia.

The show will run till Sunday.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

National Museum marks 67th year of end of Japanese rule

National Museum marks 67th year of end of Japanese rule with new permanent exhibits

The National Museum is marking the 67th anniversary of the end of Japanese rule in Singapore on Wednesday.

And as part of the occasion, four permanent exhibits have been added to its World War Two display in the Singapore History Gallery.

These were the victims of the infamous Sook Ching massacre in which patriots were rounded up and killed for suspected anti-Japanese activities.

Among them was Mr Teo Beng Wan, the grandfather of Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

His is just one of many individual stories of people who braved the Japanese occupation.

Other exhibits tell of stories of heroism and bravery.

Volunteer truck driver, Mr Teo Tian Soo, braved the notorious Yunnan-Burma highway to send supplies to allied troops in China.

These never before shown portraits, documents, and accounts from living relatives give visitors a rare look into this dark period of Singapore's history.

National Museum of Singapore's assistant curator Lynn Lee, said: "The current exhibits are actually belongings of the victims excavated in the sixties. What we are showing now - the new additions to the current - rotation, are actually portraits of the victims.

"These portraits actually provide a face and a picture to the victims. We are trying to portray a personal story, a personal side to these events so that people can actually see for themselves the victims of the Sook Ching incident."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Singapore's air quality in "good" range

Singapore's air quality in "good" range

Singapore's three-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) at 11am on Saturday stood at 39, which was in the "good" range.

The PSI held within the "good" range throughout the morning, fluctuating between a reading of 35 and 41.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) on Friday introduced hourly updates on Singapore's air quality from 7am to 7pm daily to keep the public informed of the haze situation.

According to the NEA, for the past one week, an increase in hotspot activities was observed over Sumatra.

The prevailing winds blowing from the southwest or south have transported the haze from fires in southern Sumatra towards Singapore.

The winds are expected to be maintained over the weekend and bring an improvement to the hazy conditions.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

China pandas enroute to Singapore

China pandas enroute to Singapore

Giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia are enroute to Singapore from China.

The pair are on a 10-year loan from the Chinese government, marking more than two decades of strong ties between the two countries.

The plane carrying the two pandas took off for Singapore at 4am. It is expected to land at approximately 8.20am.

At nearly 3am on Thursday, the pair were at the Chengdu Airport Tarmac waiting to board their flight.

Inside the crates where they are housed individually for the journey, five-year old Kai Kai was fast asleep.

His four-year-old companion Jia Jia was, however, wide awake and chewing on her comfort food - bamboo.

After one month in quarantine, the furry pair are in good shape for their journey. On Wednesday, a farewell ceremony was held for them at the Chengdu Bifengxia Panda base.

They were moved into crates and then sent to the Chengdu airport in a refrigerated truck.

Since it was their first time away from home, extra care was taken to minimize stress on the creatures.

The truck drove at a maximum speed of 60 kilometres per hour, slowing down to just 20km per hour around bends.

Ninety kilogrammes of bamboo have also been prepared for the journey. A panda eats an average of 20-kg of bamboo a day.

Bamboos will also be placed in their crates, in case the pandas want supper during the flight.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore has also brought along bamboo imported from Guangzhou, in case the pandas need time to adjust to the taste of bamboo grown in Singapore.

The pandas will be transported in a 747 cargo plane. With the main deck as big as a basketball court, the crates will be placed in the middle, which is the most stable part of the plane to minimize turbulence.

On board, there are five passenger seats mainly for a vet from Wildlife Reserves Singapore and four zoo keepers, two each from Singapore and China, who will be taking turns to take care of the pandas. The vet will be monitoring the pandas' health during the six-hour flight.

Head vet at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Serena Jocelyn Oh, said: "In the cargo hold, it will be dark so it makes them more comfortable and then there are food and water provided. We brought along some anaesthetic drugs as well as emergency drugs."

Sponsor of the pandas in Singapore, CapitaLand would not reveal figures but previous examples of panda loans from China cost about one million dollars each year.

Chief operating officer at CapitaLand Limited, Lim Ming Yan, said: "We are happy that we can be part of the activities to promote Singapore-China bilateral cultural exchange."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Space to romp for pandas at River Safari

Space to romp for pandas at River Safari

NATURALISTIC: The Giant Panda Forest will be home to two pandas arriving here next month. ( PHOTOS:STRAITS TIMES) Credit : Chan Choong Han

Giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia will be housed in a giant forested enclosure when they arrive in Singapore next month from Chengdu in China.

Called the Giant Panda Forest, the $8.6-million enclosure at the upcoming River Safari is 1,500 sq m in size, or about that of 20 Housing Board three- room flats.

This is much bigger than the enclosure for pandas An An and Xin Xing, which were on display for 100 days at the Singapore zoo in 1990, said Mr Melvin Tan, director of horticulture at Wildlife Reserves Singapore.

The Giant Panda Forest will be kept at a cool 18-22 deg C.

It is designed to simulate the pandas' natural habitat, with features - such as bamboo and waterfalls - to allow the pandas to explore, climb and swim.

Space has also been set aside for a nursery, should the two pandas mate and produce offspring in the future. Kai Kai and Jia Jia are four and three years old, respectively, and will be in Singapore for 10 years.

Visitors will be able to have close, unobstructed views of the pandas from an elevated boardwalk running through the exhibit.

While pandas tend to prefer cooler environments, they will be able to roam in two outdoor sections of the enclosure, which the public will also be able to view.

Kai Kai and Jia Jia are scheduled to arrive here on Thursday, but visitors will have to wait until December to catch a glimpse of them.

~News courtesy of Omy~