Free wireless inflight entertainment for SilkAir passengers

Free wireless inflight entertainment for SilkAir passengers

The growing competition in the skies has prompted airlines to raise their service offerings to attract passengers.

In a latest move, SilkAir has started a wireless inflight entertainment system trial on one of its Airbus A-320 aircraft.

The system allows passengers to stream movies, TV programmes and music directly onto their personal devices while on a flight.

They can then access the content through their laptops, tablets and smartphones.

And this service will be free to customers.

SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, has partnered Panasonic Avionics Corporation for the trial.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Marina Bay Singapore Countdown

Marina Bay Singapore Countdown to feature fireworks, film, performances

The Marina Bay Singapore Countdown, which is back for the ninth year, will usher in the new year with an eight-minute fireworks display.

A first for the countdown will be a 40-second LED display on the facade of the Ocean Financial Centre.

The music accompanying the fireworks this year will be familiar to many. It is the work of local music director Iskandar Ismail. The piece was first heard during the 2011 countdown.

Joint organisers of the event Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and the Urban Redevelopment Authority announced this at a media briefing on Friday.

The countdown party will also feature free performances and a specially-commissioned short film by a local director.

The countdown theme this year is “Beautiful Life”, and organisers said the music, fireworks, the film and performances will reflect this.

There will also be a new fringe activity - the Marina Waterfront Bazaar - where revellers can shop for fashion accessories, toys and souvenirs while waiting for the countdown to start.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Changi's Terminal 4 opening in 2017

Changi's Terminal 4 opening in 2017



A centralised double-volume Arrival Hall gives passengers a sense of space in natural light, providing a warm welcome. (PHOTO: CHANGI AIRPORT GROUP)

Changi Airport's Terminal 4 (T4) will come with two new roads, two carparks, a bigger taxi-holding area and a new control tower. The total cost: $985 million.

The job will be undertaken by Japanese firm Takenaka Corporation, which has worked on previous Changi projects as well as other airports in Asia and Africa.

When T4 opens in 2017, its gross floor area of 195,000 sq m will cater for up to 16 million passengers a year, Changi Airport Group said yesterday.

The two carparks - a multi-storey and an open-air space in front of the terminal - will provide 1,500 spaces.

Taxis will wait for arriving passengers at a multi-storey holding area big enough for 250 cabs.

To improve access to T4, a new slip road will be built to provide a direct link to the East Coast Parkway. It will be located after the existing slip road that leads to the Pan-Island Expressway.

The new terminal will provide aircraft stands with aerobridges for 17 small planes and four wide-bodied aircraft.

If greater capacity is required, passengers will be ferried by bus along a new bridge to where more planes are parked.

When T4 opens, it will provide a different travel experience, offering greater automation and more do-it-yourself options for check-in and boarding, as well as other processes.

The construction of the new terminal is among several expansion and improvement works being undertaken by Changi as part of its efforts to raise its ability to compete effectively with other airports for airlines and travellers.

The other key project is Jewel, a $1.47-billion mixed-use building that will open in 2018.

T4 will cater mainly for full-service regional carriers as well as budget airlines.

~News courtesy of Omy~

Merry Christmas

Lau Pa Sat renovations delayed

Lau Pa Sat renovations delayed due to underground repair works

Renovations at popular downtown hawker centre Lau Pa Sat, which were scheduled to be completed in November, have been delayed.

MediaCorp understands the renovations are still in their initial stages, and no completion date has been given.

It is understood that the delay is due to the need for repair works on underground water pipes and drainage systems at Lau Pa Sat, and the actual renovation of the building has yet to commence.

Shop owners MediaCorp spoke to said they have stopped their operations for almost four months already.

They said the latest delay was not clearly communicated to them, and has disrupted business plans.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Airport to introduce self-boarding gates from April 2014

Changi Airport to introduce self-boarding gates from April 2014

Passengers at Changi Airport will soon be able to board their flights faster, with the introduction of self-boarding gates.

The Changi Airport Group (CAG) has been conducting trials of the self-boarding gates at a common gatehold room in Terminal 2 since May.

The trials are being done with German airlines Lufthansa.

With the new gates, passengers only need to scan their boarding passes using barcode readers before they proceed to board their flights.

However, ground staff will still be available to provide assistance to those who may need it.

CAG said the time taken for passengers to board their planes can be reduced by up to 50 per cent.

For example, boarding for a fully-loaded A380 aircraft with a passenger load of 500 can be completed in 15 minutes, from about 30 minutes previously.

The faster boarding time has also reduced gatehold room operations from 80 minutes to about 70 minutes.

These operations also include the required security checks at the gates.

Lufthansa said the time saved in boarding operations has ensured on-time departure of its aircraft.

The self-boarding gates are just one component of a fast and seamless travel (FAST) initiative which CAG will be rolling out across terminals at the airport.

From April 2014, the gates will be progressively introduced in common gatehold rooms in all three terminals.

CAG is also in discussions with various airlines, including Singapore Airlines, to participate in the initiative.

More self-service facilities like self check-ins and self bag drops will also be implemented soon.

These facilities will be a feature in the new T4 when it opens in 2017.

Albert Lim, vice president for Terminal & Ground Operations at CAG, said: "CAG will be working very closely with our airline partners to progressively roll out these FAST self-service initiatives across terminals in Changi Airport. This will also lay the building blocks for us when T4 opens in 2017."

Passengers welcome the improvements.

Margaret Neill said: "Everybody wants just to get settled onto the plane and strapped and off you go. So, if it speeds it up, well and good."

Another passenger, Ghislain Derdeyn, said: "Each time we travel from Singapore to home again, it has changed here (the airport) and this will be an improvement I think."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Traffic arrangements for Celebrate Christmas in S'pore

Traffic arrangements for Celebrate Christmas in S'pore

Some roads in the Orchard area will be closed to vehicular traffic from 1pm on 25 December to 1am on the following day.

This is to facilitate the Celebrate Christmas in Singapore event.

The roads that will be affected are Orchard Road between Scotts Road and Bideford Road, and the carriageway of Mount Elizabeth in the direction of Orchard Road between Nutmeg Road and Orchard Road.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Monsoon surge expected over next few days

Monsoon surge expected to affect region over next few days

According to the Met Service, a steady strengthening of winds over the South China Sea known as a monsoon surge is expected to affect the region over the next few days.

The surge is likely to bring intermittent rain, heavy at times, between December 19 and 22, 2013.

High tides of 3.1m are expected during this period.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Little India alcohol ban to continue for up to 6 months

Little India alcohol ban to continue for up to 6 months

The ban on alcohol consumption in public areas of Little India will continue for up to six months, until the Committee of Inquiry makes its recommendations.

The police announced this at a media conference on Wednesday, adding the ban will be in force every weekend, public holiday and eve of public holiday.

The police said it has good reason to believe that alcohol consumption and intoxication in public areas had contributed to the riot at Little India on December 8.

But shops in the zone holding retail and wholesale licences will be able to sell alcohol, though for shorter hours.

The retail hours are from 6am to 8pm on weekends, eve of public holidays and on public holidays.

The move will affect 134 outlets such as liquor shops and convenience stores.

The police said this will stop customers from having "easy access" to alcohol during peak crowd periods.

Police said one of the considerations was finding an appropriate balance between the various competing interests of businesses and residents at Little India.

As such, feedback from various stakeholders was taken into consideration.

For establishments like restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops holding public house and beer house licences, the ban on sale and consumption of alcohol will be lifted.

But consumption must be within their premises. This will affect about 240 outlets.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Kumar said: "We would encourage as a best practice for the hawkers who are selling alcohol to basically not sell unopened bottles of beer. So you will know it's going to be then consumed there and then."

25 Little India bus services run by private bus operators will resume this Sunday, but at half the number of scheduled buses for a start.

This will reduce the number of people ferried to Little India from 20,000 to 10,000-12,000.

DC Kumar said: "These measures are likely to remain in place for the time being, with adjustments at the margins as we take stock of the situation after this weekend and over the rest of the month.

“Specifically for the alcohol-related measures, we will also refer to findings from the ongoing public consultation on liquor sale and consumption at public places and the COI findings and recommendations.”

The police will continue to maintain a strong presence in Little India.

The Manpower Ministry said it is encouraging the major dormitory operators to provide more recreational activities for its residents.

Some dormitories will be organising movie screenings this weekend.

It is hoped this will provide workers alternative ways to relax and enjoy themselves on their rest days.

The police also said they take a serious view of assault complaints and will investigate thoroughly.

A group of civil society volunteers had earlier called for investigations, after it said workers who were remanded had complained of police assault.

DC Kumar said: "If criminal charges are disclosed, the police will not hesitate to take criminal action against the errant officer concerned. However if the allegations are found to be false, appropriate action, in accordance with our laws, will be taken against any persons who have furnished false information to the police.”

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Madame Tussauds to open in 2014

Madame Tussauds Singapore to open in 2014



Come 2014, you can expect to see some familiar faces in Singapore at Madame Tussauds Singapore.

The wax exhibition will open at Imbiah Lookout on Sentosa.

The company behind the exhibition says the attraction will be tailored to fit the local culture with the combination of historical and contemporary figures from the region, and global celebrities will be revealed soon.

Visitors will also see wax figurines of celebrities like Jay Chou, Katy Perry and Kate Winslet.

Madame Tussauds Singapore is the newest branch of the wax exhibition.

There are currently 15 other Madame Tussauds exhibitions around the world, but Madame Tussauds Singapore will be the first outside of the London flagship to incorporate a ride.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

27 arrested over riot in Little India

27 arrested over riot in Little India



Police have arrested 27 suspects from South Asia in connection with the Little India riot on Sunday.

More arrests are expected in the coming days.

Police say the riot was sparked off by a fatal accident involving a 33-year-old Indian national who was knocked down by a private bus.

The riot involved some 400 people.

Police have classified the case as one of "rioting with dangerous weapons".

This information was released at a news conference which was called in the early hours of Monday morning.

It has been more than 40 years since Singapore witnessed a riot of this extent.

The government has emphasised that this incident, which was not pre-meditated, will be dealt with very seriously.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: "I want to make very clear that the government will not tolerate such lawless behaviour. I have asked the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and deal with all aspects of this incident and all persons involved strictly, firmly and fairly according to our law."

Mr Teo has urged the public to stay calm and not react to various speculations, and also to let the facts be established.

Some 300 police officers were deployed to the site after the trouble broke out. The riot was quelled in under two hours after the first call reporting the incident was received at 9.23pm.

Police Commissioner Ng Joo Hee said rioters threw glass bottles, railings and other projectiles at officers.

Yet police officers exercised restraint and did not fire a single shot throughout the incident.

He said: "Wanton violence, rioting, destruction of property, fighting the police is not the Singapore way and the police will spare no effort. First to identify, and then we will find and then we will arrest and then we will prosecute everyone who was involved in yesterday's violence.

"You can take that as a guarantee from the police and as assurance to all Singaporeans and also residents who live in Little India."

In light of this incident, authorities said extra attention will be paid to Little India, dormitories as well as areas of congregation. This means more patrolling in that vicinity.

Police also said the bus driver, who is in hospital, has not been arrested and will assist in investigations of the traffic accident.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Riot in Singapore's Little India

Riot in Singapore's Little India



Police say the riot in Little India which broke out on Sunday night took place after a fatal accident between a bus and a person at the junction of Race Course Road and Hampshire Road.

The accident took place at 9.23pm on Sunday.

In a statement, police said a riot broke out shortly after the accident, involving a crowd of about 400 people.

Five police vehicles and one ambulance were damaged as a result.

Several other private vehicles were also damaged.

Ten officers were also injured in the riot.

Police say the Special Operations Command and Gurkha Contingent were called to the scene.

Police added that the situation is under control.

Residents in Little India are advised to remain indoors while police operations are ongoing.

The public is advised to stay away from the affected area.

Members of the public are also advised to stay calm and not to speculate on this incident.

In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister, Teo Chee Hean said: "This is a serious incident which has resulted in injuries and damage to public property. The situation is now under control. Police will spare no efforts to apprehend the subjects involved in the riot."

Police say further updates will be given when available.

Members of the public with any information of the riot are advised to call the police at 1800-2550000.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Cab Confusion

~Click on image to enlarge~

River Safari launches boat ride

River Safari launches boat ride, marking completion of wildlife park



The Amazon River Quest boat ride - the last feature of the River Safari - opened to public on Saturday morning.

The launch of the attraction also marks the completion of the river-themed wildlife park.

The ride simulates a voyage down the Amazon River and allows visitors a glimpse of the animals that live on the edges of one of the world's longest rivers.

The slow boat ride with its gentle twists and drops lasts about 12 minutes. The boat meanders through a 483-metre long man-made river.

During the ride, visitors can expect to see monkeys leaping between trees and colourful birds.

Some visitors may also be able to spot Brazilian tapirs or jaguars, South America's biggest wild cats.

There are also some new faces unique to the River Safari, such as the collared peccary and the red howler monkey.

It is hoped that the ride will not just entertain, but educate visitors about freshwater ecosystems.

Claire Chiang, chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "Freshwater is a very, very fragile and vulnerable environment, and to be able to introduce that to our visitors, that in their edutaining experience, they also - with all our interpretives - understand and appreciate the vulnerability of the ecosystem, and they will be responsible about protection and conservation."

Visitors can expect to keep their eyes peeled for more than 30 animal species during the ride.

Tickets to the River Safari will continue to be priced at the discounted rate of S$25 for adults, S$16 for children aged between three and 12, and S$12.50 for senior citizens.

Park admission will eventually be priced at S$35 for adults, S$23 for children aged between three and 12, and S$17.50 for senior citizens.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Orchard Road no longer a dengue hot spot

Orchard Road no longer a dengue hot spot

Orchard Road is no longer a dengue hot spot, after having been classified as a high-risk red zone for more than a month.

The cluster was deemed closed yesterday, as no new cases had been reported in the past two weeks.

To date, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has checked more than 200 residences and 20 buildings in the area in an attempt to stem the spread of dengue.

The source of the epidemic was the Orchard Gateway construction site, where 54 dengue cases were reported.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Marina Bay by the night

Westin hotel reopens in Singapore

Westin hotel reopens in Singapore after more than a decade



The Westin Singapore officially opened its doors to hotel guests on Tuesday after an absence of 12 years. Its entrance also marks the first time that a hotel here is incorporated within an office building.

Located on levels 32 to 46 of Asia Square Tower Two at Marina View, the five-star hotel features 305 guest rooms and suites fitted with glass-to-ceiling windows. Its lobby which is located on the 32nd floor is also the highest hotel lobby in Singapore.

The hotel which is managed by international hotel chain Westin Hotels & Resorts under Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, hopes to attract both business travellers and leisure guests.

Room occupancy is already almost half full for this weekend with locals making up the majority of guests, said the hotel's general manager, Mr Lance Ourednik.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Christmas lights go beyond Orchard Road

Christmas lights go beyond Orchard Road



It is less than six weeks to Christmas, and the festive cheer is extending beyond Orchard Road's famous annual Christmas light-up this year.

From candy cane-like structures illuminating the footpaths along the Singapore River to a Christmas village at Changi Airport, other parts of Singapore will also be adorned for the Yuletide season.

The Singapore River last night launched its inaugural light-up festival called Christmas by the River.

It features market stalls selling Christmas- themed gifts and souvenirs until Dec 15 along the River Promenade, which stretches from the area outside Central shopping mall to Read Bridge.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Singapore Airlines increases baggage allowance by 10kg

Singapore Airlines increases baggage allowance by 10kg



From 15 Novemeber 2013, Singapore Airlines customers will enjoy more free checked-in baggage allowance on all SIA and SilkAir flights.

Checked-in baggage allowances will increase by 10kg for all classes of travel.

Customers will be entitled to free baggage allowances of 50kg in Suites and First Class, 40kg in Business Class and 30kg in Economy class.

“Increasing baggage allowances across all classes of travel is in response to feedback from our customers and reaffirms our commitment to constantly enhancing customer service,” said SIA Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing, Mr Chin Yau Seng.

For flights to and from the United States, where a per-piece allowance applies, customers travelling in Suites, First Class and Business Class will be entitled to check in two pieces of luggage of up to 32kg each, up from 23kg previously.

PPS Club members, KrisFlyer Elite Gold and Star Alliance Gold members will continue to enjoy respective additional allowance entitled.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Winter-wonderland magic in Orchard

Winter-wonderland magic in Orchard



This year's Orchard Road light-up will run from Nov 23 to Jan 5. The street will also be lit half an hour earlier every evening.(ARTIST'S IMPRESSION: ORCHARD ROAD BUSINESS ASSOCIATION)

THIS year, Orchard Road's famous annual Christmas light-up will include a chance for visitors to snap a special photographic memento of the decorations.

Specially designed glittering structures - featuring festive towers, stars and diamonds - have been set up at different points along the shopping belt.

The seven set pieces, intended as photographic backdrops, are part of this year's transformation of the shopping belt into a winter wonderland.

This year's light-up, back for its 30th year, is called Christmas on A Great Street. It will run from Nov 23 to Jan 5.

Also, office workers are being given a better chance of enjoying the spectacular display this year. The light-up, stretching 2.2km from Tanglin Mall to Plaza Singapura, will begin earlier each evening during the six-week period than in previous years.

The street will be lit at 6.30pm instead of the usual 7pm, so office workers can catch a glimpse of the lights before heading home, said Mrs May Sng, chairman of light-up organiser Orchard Road Business Association.

Shoppers in Orchard Road will also be able to navigate their way around the shopping hub with a new digital map that comes with the free @Orchard app.

~News courtesy of The Straits Times~

S'pore's largest outdoor wonderland

S'pore's largest outdoor wonderland



LARGER THAN LIFE: The Westgate Wonderland on level 4 of Westgate in Jurong East will be an outdoor playground with a larger-than-life garden theme. It will feature a garden with gigantic insects, a 10m-tall tree house and oversized replicas of flora and fauna.

INTEGRATED retail and office development Westgate will house Singapore's largest outdoor playground in a mall when it opens at Jurong East around Christmas this year.

Called Westgate Wonderland, the 11,000 sq ft playground will consist of a large garden with gigantic insects, musical flowers, a 10m-tall tree house, an enormous watering can that sprays water, and oversized replicas of flora and fauna. The playground on level 4 of the mall is free.

A supervised play area for children aged four to 12 called Kids Club will be housed on level 5. It will feature a 4,600 sq ft outdoor playground, an indoor clubhouse and a reading corner stocked with books on loan from the National Library Board.

Ms Wee Su Lin, Westgate's general manager, said the concept of the playground could possibly be a first in South-east Asia.

~News courtesy of The Straits Times~

Happy Deepavali~

Far East Hospitality to open 3 hotels

Far East Hospitality to open 3 hotels in next 3 months



A room, and an artist's impression of the Village Hotel Katong; the Amoy's lobby (above). -- PHOTO: FAR EAST HOSPITALITY

Far East Hospitality yesterday revealed it will officially launch three hotels in Singapore in each of the next three months.

The home-grown hotel operator also announced two joint ventures as part of expansion plans to take its portfolio from 18 properties in Singapore to more than 80 across Asia, Oceania and Europe.

The Peranakan-themed Village Hotel Katong will be launched next month at the site of the former Paramount Hotel after refurbishment costing $30 million. The project recovered after a fire broke out during renovations in July last year which saw 11 people taken to hospital.

Far East Hospitality's chief executive Arthur Kiong said the 229-room hotel, located in the heritage-rich Katong area, targets those "looking for a genuine experience and not just the obvious touristy places". Opening promotion rates start from $178.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Singapore Biennale

Singapore Biennale to explore changing face of Southeast Asia this year

The Singapore Biennale is back for its fourth edition and will begin on Saturday until February 16.

This year's theme, "If The World Changed", invites artists to respond to and reconsider the worlds we live in and the worlds we want to live in, against the backdrop of a changing Southeast Asia.

Some 90 per cent of this year's artists hail from the region.

Visitors can expect a visual treat from contemporary art works and the chance to interact with more than 80 artists from 13 countries.

And instead of just one curator, this year there will be a team of 27 curators from the region.

Tan Boon Hui, curator and project director of Singapore Biennale 2013, said: "What this allows us that we could never do before, in a sense, is to tap the richness of knowledge and skills that curators have from the region.

"It also allows us to bring in artists that normally people do not see outside of their country, so the biennale becomes very fresh and it has a creative energy.

“And you don't feel almost as if it's a textbook list of artists, and the works also would be very new, so I think it would be very interesting and provocative for many of our audiences."

Dr Susie Lingham, director of Singapore Art Museum, said: "This time, together with this new platform, with the Singapore Biennale this year, we decided to do something different -- don't just feature international works, do the circuit.

“Instead we actually went into the heartlands of Southeast Asia, worked with different regions, worked with co-curators, so Singapore Art Museum curators work with co-curators, putting together works where a good 90 per cent of them, you've never seen before."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

"Titans of the Past" at Singapore Science Centre

"Titans of the Past" debuts at the Singapore Science Centre



A dinosaur skull on display at the exhibition. (Photo: Singapore Science Centre website)

Two travelling dinosaur exhibitions -- revealing life-size dinosaur skeletons -- will make their Singapore debut on Friday at the Singapore Science Centre.

The highlight of the exhibition, titled "Titans of the Past - Dinosaurs and Ice Age Mammals", is the largest T-rex skull ever discovered by scientists and the first to ever leave the US.

Life-size skeleton casts of dinosaurs like the whopping 36-metre Argentinosaurus -- the heaviest and largest land animal ever to walk the earth -- should also be looked out for.

Museum of the Rockies’ curator of paleontology, Dr Jack Horner, said: "Most dinosaur exhibitions… don’t really have a theme, there’s just a lot of stuff.

“This has a theme that's very different from what anyone's seen because it's brand new science -- it shows that dinosaurs are more like birds and mammals than people have ever thought."

Animatronic dinosaurs flown from Japan will also make an appearance.

A range of land animals from the Ice Age are highlighted in an adjacent exhibition at the Science Centre.

There will also be hands-on workshops on dinosaur forensics for those who have always wondered what it is like to be a paleontologist.

The exhibition also features the latest knowledge in science about how dinosaurs lived and their behaviour, including the latest hypothesis of world-renowned paleontologist Dr Jack Horner and his research team.

They discovered that more than one-third of all dinosaur species classified from the Cretaceous Period may actually be juveniles, not different species as believed for the past century.

The exhibitions will end in February 2014.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Somerset area in Orchard flagged as dengue hot spot

Somerset area in Orchard flagged as dengue hot spot

Bloodsuckers have arrived in the Somerset area near Orchard Road, but they are not eyeing shoppers' wallets.

The dengue mosquito has infected 18 people in the area, prompting the National Environment Agency (NEA) to flag part of Singapore's premier shopping belt as a dengue red zone. An area put on red alert is considered a high-risk area with 10 or more reported dengue cases.

The dengue cluster extends to areas on either side of Somerset Road, ending where the road merges into Grange Road. Hangouts within the area include Scape Skate Park, Triple One Somerset and 313@somerset. Cathay Cineleisure Orchard, Peranakan Place and The CentrePoint fall just outside the area.

NEA said yesterday that it was informed of the cluster on Oct 10 and two mosquito-breeding spots have been found at the Orchard Gateway construction site.

Of the 18 dengue cases, 15 comprised construction workers from the Orchard Gateway project while the remaining three were people working within the cluster area. The first case was reported on Sept 25.

"It cannot be confirmed if the three contracted dengue at their workplaces or at their residences," NEA said.

Another cluster near Orchard Road, in the Eber Road and Oxley Rise area, comprises three cases. NEA was informed of this cluster on Thursday.

The agency said it has observed no link between the two clusters so far, and officers have been deployed to check the area for breeding habitats.

~News courtesy of OMY~

Dead polar bear Sheba lives on in Singapore Zoo as body preserved as exhibit

Dead polar bear Sheba lives on in Singapore Zoo as body preserved as exhibit



In death, as in life, Singapore Zoo's beloved polar bear Sheba will continue to enchant thousands of children each year.

The bear made its first appearance at the zoo yesterday, since its body was preserved by a taxidermist after it died of old age last November.

This Friday and Saturday, visitors can get up close to it as part of the zoo's Children's Day activities. Show-and-tell sessions will be held thrice each day. They are free to the public with admission to the zoo.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Hazy skies but air quality healthy

Hazy skies but air quality healthy

Singapore experienced slightly hazy conditions on Monday.

Its Pollutant Standard Index (PSI), which is a measure of air quality, rose to a three-hour average of 48 at 4pm which is still in the "good range".

The moderate range starts at 51.

Providing an update on his Facebook page, Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan said the hazy condition was due to the southwest winds blowing from hotspots in Riau and local accumulation of particulate matter over Singapore.

He added that the situation should improve as rain is forecast over the next few days which could help put out the fires in Riau.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the 24-hour PSI for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the good range.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Little India's Deepavali light-up

Little India marks 25th anniversary of Deepavali light-up



Guest and officials at the Deepavali lighting up ceremony.

The lights are up for the Deepavali festival.

2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Deepavali light-up at Singapore's "Little India".

Some 22 social welfare organisations took part in the event this year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the guest-of-honour at the lighting-up ceremony.

The light-up will continue till November 7.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~