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14/11/2024

Unseen landscapes & history of China

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13/11/2024

Trekking & Camping Núi Đại Bình Bảo Lộc

Making coffee Trung Nguyen
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12/11/2024

Singapore-China Bilateral Projects

Singapore and China sign 25 agreements at annual top-level bilateral meeting to boost cooperation
A sculpture presentation ceremony during the 20th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting between Singapore and China on 11 Nov 2024

Singapore and China have signed 25 agreements at their annual apex meeting, boosting cooperation in areas like trade, finance and maritime as they strengthen ties amid a troubled geopolitical climate. The slew of memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and agreements - up from 24 last year and the most in recent years - was unveiled on Monday (Nov 11) at the 20th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore.

Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and visiting Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang co-chaired the meeting, which is the highest-level annual forum between China and Singapore. Held alternately between the two countries, it reviews the substantive collaboration between them and charts the direction of cooperation. “From our exchanges, it is clear that the upgrade of our relations last year … has given our bilateral agenda a renewed focus, one that is more ambitious and forward-looking,” said Mr Gan.

Singapore and China elevated bilateral ties last year to an “All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership”, following a meeting between Singapore's then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Similarly, Mr Ding acknowledged the bilateral progress made over the years. “China is willing to work with Singapore to further implement the important consensus reached by our leaders, focusing on comprehensive, high-quality, and forward-looking cooperation,” he said.


Singapore and China step up cooperation, refresh ties
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong (right) said he had a “fruitful and substantive” discussion with his Chinese Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang

Singapore and China took steps to refresh their relationship and deepen collaboration in areas such as trade and finance at the apex bilateral cooperation meeting between the two countries on Nov 11. At the first Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting held since Mr Lawrence Wong took the helm in Singapore as prime minister in May, progress and continuity were stressed amid the leadership transition.

“With every new generation of leaders, you need to refresh the relationship, continue to strengthen mutual understanding, so that you can build trust and confidence with one another,” Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who took over from PM Wong as JCBC co-chair in 2024, told the Singapore media after a series of meetings held under the umbrella of JCBC on Nov 11. Leaders from both sides agreed to continue to collaborate and tap opportunities in emerging areas to deliver high-quality outcomes that will benefit both countries and contribute to regional prosperity, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Mr Gan said he had a “fruitful and substantive” discussion with his Chinese counterpart, Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang, who had taken over from then Vice-Premier Han Zheng in 2023 after the Chinese government started a new five-year term under President Xi Jinping. Leadership transition notwithstanding, Singapore continues to nurture ties with China, while adapting to new challenges and opportunities.


Singapore-China bilateral projects can go beyond local and regional levels

Countries need to “build bridges and not walls” in order to navigate the many shared challenges in a highly interconnected world, Minister-in-charge of the Public Service Chan Chun Sing said during his four-day visit to China, which ends on Wednesday (Sep 13). He called for closer international cooperation and urged nations to play their roles in upholding and shaping the global rules in order to collectively progress ahead. “We must work towards developing a multi-dimensional global cooperation system,” Mr Chan said on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the Singapore-China Forum on Leadership in Beijing.

“(This is a) system that is anchored by the rules-based multilateral system, where all countries, big and small, play by the rules, have an interest to upkeep the rules and continuously refresh the rules for the new and emerging challenges.” Mr Chan, who is also Singapore’s Education Minister, added that the system needs to be backed by new structures and greater cross-border cooperation to strengthen the speed and effectiveness of global action to address transboundary challenges, including disease outbreaks and climate change. On the economic front, he said that resilience is best achieved through diversification and interdependence, urging a push for global integration through the strengthening of multilateralism and the upholding of an international rules-based order.

Projects between Singapore’s and China’s governments can be “refreshed” to spearhead new growth, evolving beyond local and regional levels to include international partnerships, Mr Chan said during the bilateral leadership forum. He said projects such as the Suzhou Industrial Park, the Tianjin Eco-city and the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, have enabled both countries to support each other’s development through cooperation and knowledge exchange. “Looking ahead, these government-to-government projects can be refreshed to trail blaze new development models of high-quality growth and experiment innovative approaches of governance,” he said.


Singapore to keep finding ways to add value to China, says DPM Lawrence Wong
(From left) National Development Minister Desmond Lee, DPM Lawrence Wong and Acting Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat speaking to media in Beijing on Dec 8. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Singapore has to constantly find ways to provide value to its relationship with China, whether it is in sharing its experience in grappling with an ageing population or linking China with the wider region.

At the same time, the world’s second-largest economy, with its considerable strengths today, also offers lessons for Singapore.

More than three decades since establishing bilateral relations, the relationship is now one of mutual learning and collaboration, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Speaking to Singapore media as he wrapped up a four-day visit to China, DPM Wong, flanked by his Cabinet colleagues Desmond Lee and Chee Hong Tat, said that Singapore, in its role as a reliable and trusted partner, can also connect China to the wider region.


Singapore-China project in Guangzhou to speed up expansion
PM Lee touring Yongqingfang, a cultural conservation area of historical buildings, in Guangzhou on Tuesday. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Singapore companies are raring to plunge back into the Chinese market following its post-Covid-19 reopening, prompting a joint Singapore-China development project in Guangzhou to speed up its expansion by four months.

The second phase of the China-Singapore Smart Park, which focuses on tech innovation and smart cities, will be completed in June ahead of its October timeline. It is sited within the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, where Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made his first stop on Tuesday, on the second day of his official visit to China.

The 232 sq km township, about an hour north of Guangzhou’s city centre, was started in 2010 as a private sector-led endeavour to grow high-tech industries integrated with residential, commercial and recreational developments. There, PM Lee visited the China-Singapore International Joint Research Institute, which was jointly set up by Nanyang Technological University and South China University of Technology, and focuses on research areas such as artificial intelligence, new energy, green buildings and pollution control. He also spoke to some companies at the International LaunchPad, a one-stop service platform within the smart park for companies wanting to enter the China market.


S'pore, China to continue cooperation in bilateral projects; 10 MOUs, agreements signed
The memoranda of understanding and agreements were signed at the 16th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation on Dec 8, 2020. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

The Prime Minister's Office provided on Tuesday (Dec 8) updates to three bilateral projects between Singapore and China, namely the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City and China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity (CCI).

The statement noted that both countries will "strengthen cooperation in new areas such as healthcare and biomedical services, and modern services" in Suzhou, while tapping the China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone to test out innovations. Suzhou is a city in Jiangsu province in eastern China. Both countries also agreed to continue deepening efforts to promote the success of Tianjin Eco-City to other cities in China and countries along China's Belt and Road initiative, given that the eco-city in northern China is at the forefront of sustainable development.

Leaders noted that good progress had also been made on the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, in areas such as financial services, aviation, transport and logistics, and information and communications technology. "In particular, the CCI-New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has played a useful role in promoting trade and connectivity, and ensuring the resilience of supply chains between South-east Asia and Western China through the mutual hubs of Singapore and Chongqing amidst the pandemic," the PMO said.


Singapore, China sign nine cooperation agreements, MoUs
Singapore and China have signed nine agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in various fields such as customs clearance, intellectual property management, education, innovation and communications, and smart city development

Singapore and China have signed nine agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in various fields such as customs clearance, intellectual property management, education, innovation and communications, and smart city development.

Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and China’s Vice Premier Han Zheng witnessed the signing of these deals after the conclusion of the Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JSBC) meeting in Chongqing on October 15. The two government officials also reviewed the bilateral cooperation as well as economic transformation and trade liberalisation, financial cooperation, and state-level bilateral cooperation projects. Heng said that collaboration between Singapore and China must progress with time, as both countries have embarked on a new phase of development.

He also highlighted common challenges facing Singapore and China, including environmental protection, food security and an aging population. The two officials reaffirmed the commitment to free and open trade and announced the start of the Singapore-China Free Trade Agreement Upgrade Protocol.


Third Singapore-China project to be based in Chongqing: Xi
SINGAPORE SOUVENIR: (from left) Madam Peng Liyuan, President Xi Jinping, President Tony Tan, Mrs Mary Tan and Pathlight School student Glenn Phua at the Istana on Friday. Glenn's painting of the Singapore Botanic Gardens was presented to the Chinese president

THE third Singapore-China government-led project will be based in Chongqing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at a state banquet at the Istana on Friday night.

"During my visit, the two sides will officially launch the third project based in Chongqing," he said. The bilateral project will be on the theme of "modern connectivity and modern services", and could help lower the cost of doing business in China's western region.

Singapore and China will sign an agreement on Saturday to kick-start the project, which is a highlight of Mr Xi's two-day state visit to Singapore. The other two cities in contention for the project in western China were Chengdu and Xi'an.


Singapore-China ties: 7 things to know about 25 years of diplomatic relations
Then Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (centre), his wife Kwa Geok Choo (second from left) and Chinese Premier Hua Kuo-feng (left) waving during Mr Lee's visit to China in May 1976. PHOTO: ST FILE

Singapore and China mark 25 years of diplomatic relations this year.

On Friday (Nov 6), President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan will make their first state visit to Singapore. In many ways, the ties between Singapore, a city-state of 5.5 million, and China, a behemoth with 1.4 billion people, have been unique.

Here are seven things about the two countries' relationship:
  • 1. Handshake seals the deal - Singapore and China established diplomatic relations on Oct 3, 1990 at the United Nations complex in New York.
  • 2. Why did it take so long? - The ceremony took place 14 years after former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's first visit to China in 1976.
  • 3. Back in the 1970s - Way before 1990, the friendship between the late Mr Lee and China patriarch Deng Xiaoping set the tone for Singapore-China ties.
  • 4. Sending ambassadors - A year after ties were formalised, Singapore sent its first ambassador to China. Mr Cheng Tong Fatt was in China for seven years. Before becoming a diplomat, he was permanent secretary of the Ministry of Culture.
  • 5. We mean business - China is now Singapore's largest trade partner, with two-way trade reaching S$121.5 billion last year. In January 2014, Singapore became China's largest foreign investor for the first time with US$7.3 billion worth of investments in 2013.
  • 6. Joint projects - Economic ties between Singapore have always been governed by pragmatism. Trade between Singapore and China did not stop even at the height of the Cold War.
  • 7. Panda diplomacy - Pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia created a stir when they arrived in Singapore in 2012. They are on a 10-year loan from China. The loan, announced in 2009, was to mark 20 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations.


Singapore Foreign Policy: People's Republic of China

Singapore enjoys longstanding and substantive relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC), anchored by frequent high-level exchanges, multifaceted cooperation, growing people-to-people exchanges, and robust economic ties.  In 2015, Singapore and China celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and released a Joint Statement that characterised bilateral relations as an “All-Round Cooperative Partnership Progressing with the Times”. Singapore and China are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations in 2020.

Since 2013, China has been Singapore’s largest trading partner, and Singapore has been China’s largest foreign investor.  Following PRC President Xi Jinping’s State Visit to Singapore in 2015, both sides agreed to launch negotiations to upgrade the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) which had entered into force on 1 January 2009.  The upgrade of the CSFTA was concluded in November 2018 and the signing of the CSFTA Upgrade Protocol was witnessed by PM Lee Hsien Loong and Premier Li Keqiang during the latter’s Official Visit to Singapore in conjunction with the 33rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits.  It comprised a meaningful and substantive package in terms of market access for Singapore’s export of goods and services into China and provided greater transparency and predictability for business activities between the companies from Singapore and China.

Singapore and China have established three Government-to-Government projects, namely (a) the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park; (b) the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City; and (c) the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity. We have also established a state-level bilateral level cooperation project, the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City and several private sector-led, government-supported projects such as the Singapore-Sichuan Hi-Tech Innovation Park, the Nanjing Eco High-Tech Island, and the Jilin Food Zone. In addition, we also launched the Singapore-China (Shenzhen) Smart City Initiative. At the provincial level, we have eight provincial business and economic councils with Sichuan, Shandong, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Shanghai. Since the mid-1990s, more than 50,000 Chinese officials have come to Singapore for various study visits and training programmes. Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, both sides have maintained close bilateral cooperation. Singapore and China launched a fast lane in early June 2020 to allow for essential business and official travel with six Chinese provinces/municipalities. This fast lane was Singapore’s first with another partner, and China’s first with a Southeast Asian country.


Suzhou Industrial Park: 30 years on
The industrial park was established on 26 February 1994

The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) project was launched in 1994 to develop a model industrial township within the city of Suzhou in China’s Jiangsu province. The first flagship joint project between the two governments, a key feature of the SIP involves the transfer of Singapore’s “software” – industrial development model and public-administration experience – to China. At the time, China was keen to study Singapore’s development model, while Singapore saw China as an important market for the country’s regionalisation drive. Both governments believed that the SIP, developed and managed based on Singapore’s approach, would be attractive for foreign direct investments. Profitable since 2001, the Singapore–China cooperation zone currently spans an area of 80 sq km.5 Besides industrial developments, the integrated township also encompasses residential areas, commercial and recreational facilities, as well as educational institutions.

The origin of the SIP project can be traced to former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, who mentioned during his tour of southern China in February 1992 that the country could learn from Singapore in the areas of economic and social development. In Singapore, then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew saw China’s interest in the city-state as an opportunity that could benefit both countries. During a visit to China between September and October 1992, Lee expressed intent for a bilateral project through which Singapore would share its experience.7 On 18 December 1992, an agreement to confirm the mutual interest to develop an industry township in Suzhou was signed between the Singapore Labour Foundation (SLF) International and the Suzhou government.8 Thereafter, Lee sent a proposal for cooperation to China’s then vice-premier Zhu Rongji, which entailed a government-to-government transfer of Singapore’s knowhow in the development of an industrial township in Suzhou.9 Specifically, a 70-square-kilometre parcel of land in the east of Suzhou was selected for the proposed project.

On 26 February 1994, Lee and then Chinese vice-premier Li Lanqing signed the government-to-government agreement on software transfer and joint development of a special economic zone in Suzhou to better attract foreign investors. Also inked on the same day was the commercial agreement on the formation of the joint venture, with 65 percent of its shares owned by SSTD and 35 percent by a Chinese consortium, the Suzhou United Development Company (SUDC). The joint-venture entity known as the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Company (CSSD) – comprising SSTD and SUDC – was responsible for the development, management and commercial viability of the SIP.16 The two countries also established a joint steering council – first co-chaired by Li Lanqing and Singapore’s then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – to review and tackle any key issues on the township project. A ground-breaking ceremony for the SIP was held on 12 May 1994.


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11/11/2024

Singapore: The Little Red Dot

The Reason Why Singapore Is Called the Little Red Dot

The nickname “Little Red Dot”, a reference to how Singapore is represented in the world map, was first coined by late President of Indonesia Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on August 4th, 1998.

The region was then suffering from the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and late President Habibie was discontented with the lack of support from Singapore. In the article, he mentioned: “It’s OK with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia].” He continued, “Look at that map. All the green is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore. Look at that.”

Many have viewed the comment as a dismissal of Singapore which late President Habibie denied, stressing that he had meant to highlight Singapore’s ability to survive and thrive in spite of its small size and lack of natural resources. Singaporeans have also come to embrace the term with a sense of achievement. In fact, it has become a badge of pride and was the inspiration behind the simple yet symbolic “SG50” red dot logo.


Former Indonesian president was first to call S'pore a 'Red Dot' in 1998
Habibie: “It’s O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia and that red dot is Singapore,”

These days, Singapore is very frequently and affectionately referred to as the "Little Red Dot", by both Singaporeans and foreigners alike. This clear-cut description is a reference to how Singapore is often depicted as a tiny red dot on many world maps, due to its relatively small size.

However, for the uninitiated or those who are too young, the term did not begin as a positive one. In fact, it was originally used to belittle Singapore's size and influence. In 1997, the Asian Financial Crisis dealt a huge blow to Indonesia's economy. The rupiah plummeted in value and Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank by 15 percent. There were riots throughout the country, mainly targeting Chinese Indonesians, who bore the brunt of what has been likened to a pogrom.

On the other hand, Singapore did not suffer as much from the crisis, though there was a downturn due to the loss of demand and confidence in the region. The severe economic crisis forced then Indonesian President Muhammad Suharto to resign. But his successor, B.J. Habibie, felt that the Singapore government did not welcome his accession. The late Lee Kuan Yew even remarked at that time that markets would react negatively and the rupiah would crash if Habibie became vice-president. Singapore's apparent reluctance to support Habibie led him to criticise Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on Aug. 4, 1998. The Indonesian president then pointed at the map and said: "It's O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore."


Former Indonesian president who coined the term ‘Red dot Singapore’ is still in hospital

Former Indonesian President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie who is well-known among Singaporean politicians for his remarks on Singapore being ‘the red dot’, is still recuperating in hospital. Better known as BJ Habibie, he was in intensive care at the Gatot Soebroto Army Central Hospital where he is still recuperating.

Many personalities in Indonesia are conveying messages of convalescence to the ex-President known in Indonesia for his role in the post-Suharto era.  During Habibie’s short reign as President, the term “little red dot” gained popularity in Singapore. Habibie’s comments, “It’s O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore,” will remain a historic remark.

It caused an outcry in Singapore as it was seen as a dismissal of the country, but Habibie denied that that was his intention. The term was quickly adopted by both Singaporean politicians and ordinary citizens. Some say people used the term to showcase the nation’s success despite its limitations. Whether it is related to Habibie’s statement or not, in 2015, Singapore celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence with the term “SG50” depicted inside a red dot.


Former Indonesian president Habibie, who described Singapore as a 'little red dot', dies aged 83
Indonesia's third president B. J. Habibie died at an army hospital in Jakarta on Sept 11, 2019

Former Indonesian President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, who allowed democratic reforms and an independence referendum for East Timor following the ouster of the dictator Suharto, has died. He was 83. His unpopular presidency was the shortest in modern Indonesia's history but was transformative.

Mr Habibie's son, Mr Thareq Kemal Habibie, said Indonesia's third president died on Wednesday (Sept 11) at Jakarta's Gatot Subroto army hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for heart problems since Sept 1.

In 1998, Mr Habibie described Singapore as being no more than a "little red dot". Singaporeans have since embraced that nickname, using it to underline how the island nation has transcended size to take its place on the world stage.


Little red dot

"Little red dot", also known as "The Red Dot", is a nickname often used in the media and in casual conversation to refer to Singapore. It refers to how the nation is depicted on many maps of Asia and the world as a red dot. The sovereign country and city-state, comprising the main island and all its islets, has a total land area of approximately 750 square kilometres (290 sq mi; 190,000 acres) and is much smaller than its Southeast Asian neighbours.

Initially used as a pejorative by other countries to refer to Singapore, the term was quickly adopted and reappropriated by Singaporean politicians and citizens with pride as a sense of the nation's prosperity and success despite its physical limitations. In 2015, Singapore celebrated its Golden Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of its independence, with the term "SG50" depicted inside a red dot.

The term "little red dot" gained currency after the third Indonesian president, B. J. Habibie, was regarded as having criticized Singapore in an article published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on 4 August 1998. It was reported that Habibie had remarked that he did not feel that Singapore was a friend and had pointed to a map, saying: "It's O.K. with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. Look at that map. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore. Look at that." The remark was seen as a dismissal of Singapore, having referred to the country in a disparaging manner.

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10/11/2024

Difference Between Baking Powder & Baking Soda

Baking Soda Vs Baking Powder

Neme's Kitchen 5 November at 21:46

In this post, I'll be discussing Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda. I’ll break down what each one is, how they work, their roles in baking, and the best way to store them.

Baking isn’t just about throwing ingredients together and hoping for the best. It’s a science, and getting the right texture, rise, and flavor in your baked goods depends on understanding how ingredients interact with each other. Baking soda and baking powder are two of the most common leavening agents in baking. Knowing the difference between them can be the secret to your baking success:
  • Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) - Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a base that needs an acid to get it going. When you combine baking soda with something acidic—like lemon juice, yogurt, or vinegar—a chemical reaction kicks off, releasing carbon dioxide gas. This is what makes your dough or batter rise. The catch? This reaction happens fast, so you have to bake right away.
  • Baking powder is a blend of baking soda, an acid (usually cream of tartar), and a starch to keep it from clumping. There are two kinds: single-acting and double-acting. Single-acting baking powder releases gas as soon as it’s mixed with a liquid. Double-acting, which is more common, releases gas twice: first when it’s mixed with wet ingredients and again when it’s heated. This gives your batter a second chance to rise, which is super handy if you need a bit more time before baking. Baking powder works well in recipes that don’t have acidic components. It’s your go-to for cakes, muffins, and biscuits when you want a consistent, gentle rise.


Baking Powder & Baking Soda

Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening agents, which are substances used to help baked goods rise. Experienced and amateur bakers alike often confuse them due to their similar names and appearances. This article explains the differences between baking soda and baking powder and how interchanging one for the other may affect your baked goods.

What is baking soda:
  • Baking soda is a leavening agent used in baked goods like cakes, muffins, and cookies.
  • Formally known as sodium bicarbonate, it’s a white crystalline powder that is naturally alkaline, or basic.
  • Baking soda becomes activated when it’s combined with both an acidic ingredient and a liquid. Upon activation, carbon dioxide is produced, which allows baked goods to rise and become light and fluffy.
  • This is why recipes that include baking soda will also list an acidic ingredient, such as lemon juice or buttermilk.
What is baking powder:
  • Unlike baking soda, baking powder is a complete leavening agent, meaning it contains both the base (sodium bicarbonate) and acid needed for the product to rise.
  • Cornstarch is also typically found in baking powder. It’s added as a buffer to prevent the acid and base from activating during storage.
  • Similarly to how baking soda reacts with water and an acidic ingredient, the acid in baking powder reacts with sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide once it’s combined with a liquid.
  • Single and double-acting baking powders are available, though single-acting varieties are typically only used by food manufacturers and not usually available for household use.
  • When a recipe calls for baking powder, it’s most likely referring to the double-acting kind.
  • This means the powder creates two separate reactions: initially, when combined with liquid at room temperature, and secondly, once the mixture is heated.
  • For many recipes, an extended reaction is favorable, so the leavening, or rising, doesn’t happen all at once.

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at

09/11/2024

You can be overweight & still be active & healthy


If you are physically active but overweight, don’t worry: Research suggests that physical activity may actually help combat some of the negative effects of excess weight. Physical activity leads to physical fitness which in turn is likely to make you metabolically healthy and fit – this means no high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar.

 Researchers at the Cooper Institute, a non-profit organisation in Dallas in the United States, found in a study that fit men in all weight categories – normal weight, overweight, obese – had significantly lower death rates from cancer than unfit men.

 Another study published in the European Heart Journal found that individuals who were overweight or obese, but metabolically healthy and fit, did not have a greater risk of developing or dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer than normal weight individuals. Researcher Francisco Ortega, one of the authors of the study said, “… getting more exercise broadly and positively influences major body systems and organs and consequently contributes to make someone metabolically healthier, including obese people”.

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at

08/11/2024

Changi Airport to increase airport fees from April 2025

Changi Airport to raise passenger and airline fees over six years to fund $3b improvement plans
Departing passengers who start their trips at Changi Airport will see their fees go up in stages from April 2027, reaching $79.20 in April 2030

Passengers and airlines at Changi Airport will pay higher fees and levies over the next six years, as the airport looks to finance a new $3 billion improvement plan across its four terminals and cover rising operating costs in areas such as energy and labour. Departing passengers who start their trips at Changi Airport will continue to pay a total of $65.20 in fees for the next two years. But this will go up in stages from April 2027, reaching $79.20 in April 2030 – a 21 per cent rise. For travellers transiting through the airport, the total fees levied on them will more than double, from $9 now to $21 in April 2030.

Meanwhile, airlines will need to pay about 40 per cent more to land and park their planes at Changi come 2030. For narrow-body jets such as the Airbus A320, the landing, parking and aerobridge fee at the airport will rise every year from April 2025, starting from $1,200 per landing now to about $1,725 per landing in April 2030. For wide-body planes such as the Airbus A350, the fee will also climb each year, from $3,600 today to $5,040 six years later. Announcing the fee hikes and the multibillion-dollar investment on Nov 7, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and airport operator Changi Airport Group (CAG) said the money will be used to improve existing services and infrastructure, such as baggage handling systems and the Skytrain, which connects Terminals 1, 2 and 3.  There are also plans to refurbish the 16-year-old Terminal 3, though this is still at the planning stage.

Justifying the latest increase in airport charges, which will kick in from April 2025, senior executives at CAG said the airport needs to add more capacity in the short term to meet an expected increase in demand. With the opening of a third runway in the latter half of this decade, more flights will take off from and land at the airport, and more passengers will pass through it. Hence, CAG expects the four existing terminals at Changi to be operating close to their maximum handling capacity of 90 million passengers per year by the end of the decade. This is before the future Terminal 5, which can handle 50 million passengers a year, opens in the mid-2030s to relieve some of the pressure.



Changi Airport to increase charges, levy for passengers and airlines
Revenue from the fees will be used for new investments in the airport’s infrastructure to the tune of S$3 billion

Changi Airport will progressively increase its charges for passengers and arriving flights over the next six years.  Fees payable by passengers departing from Changi Airport will rise from the current S$46.40 to S$58.40 (US$35 to US$44) by April 2030.

Transfer and transit fees, which are now S$6 per passenger, will triple to S$18. Airlines will also have to pay higher landing, parking and aerobridge charges from April next year, but they get a 50 per cent rebate on the increases for the first six months. The move will help offset investments in the airport’s infrastructure, which will cost S$3 billion, said Changi Airport Group and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Thursday (Nov 7). These investments include the addition of new Skytrain cars and the refurbishment of Terminal 3.

It will also cater to higher operating costs, including for manpower and energy. “In particular, wages for airport workers have increased over the past few years and are expected to continue growing in line with national initiatives such as the progressive wage model,” said the airport and CAAS in a press release. They added that the changes will also take into consideration earlier investments made during the COVID-19 pandemic when charges were held constant from 1 Apr 2020 to Nov 1, 2022. This was because planned increases were suspended to help airlines tide over the crisis.


Passenger fee hikes: How Changi Airport’s charges compare with those of other airports
From April 2027, fees levied on departing passengers at Changi Airport will go up in stages, reaching a total of $79.20 in April 2030 – a 21 per cent jump

An increase in the fees and levies that passengers will need to pay when departing from Changi Airport puts Singapore high on the list of the most expensive air hubs, said aviation analysts. While the increase in fees is necessary to fund infrastructural projects and offset rising costs, it may lead to a reduction in budget flights to smaller cities, where demand is more sensitive to price hikes. The higher fees may also put Changi Airport at a disadvantage against other regional hubs with lower costs, analysts told The Straits Times.

Already, the $65.20 in fees and taxes that travellers pay when booking a flight from the airport today is more than double those of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. From April 2027, fees levied on departing passengers at Changi will go up in stages, reaching a total of $79.20 in April 2030 – a 21 per cent jump. Assistant Professor Awad Khireldin, who teaches air transport management at the Singapore Institute of Technology, said Singapore’s aviation charges remain competitive when compared with major air hubs in Europe and the US. But the latest fee hike may deter budget-conscious travellers and impact route planning and pricing for airlines, as Changi would appear to be costlier than regional hubs such as Bangkok and Hong Kong, he added.

ST looks at how the departure fees for passengers here stack up against those of other major airports:
  • Singapore (Total: $65.20 before fee hike)
  • Hong Kong (Total: $45 to $60 before hike)
  • Manila (Total: $12 before hike)
  • Amsterdam (Total: $100 before hike)
  • Bangkok (Total: $30)
  • Seoul (Total: $24)
  • Dubai (Total: $45)


Changi Airport to raise fees to fund S$3 billion investment to improve services 
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) director-general Han Kok Juan said on Thursday (Nov 7) that although travel has largely recovered, the airport has not been spared from increasing cost pressures

FEES at Singapore’s Changi Airport will be raised from 2025 to fund a S$3 billion investment to improve airport services, as well as to cover higher operating costs and investments made during the Covid-19 pandemic. Passenger fees are estimated to go up by 1 per cent or less for an economy-class ticket on most flights departing from or connecting through Singapore.

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) director-general Han Kok Juan told the media on Thursday (Nov 7) that while travel has largely recovered, the airport has not been spared from increasing cost pressures. The investment, made over six years, will enable Changi Airport to stay competitive and meet increasing travel demand ahead of the opening of Terminal 5 in the mid-2030s, he added.

From Apr 1, 2027, the passenger service and security fee (PSSF) paid by passengers departing from Changi will go up by S$3 each year, for four years. The fee is now at S$46.40, up from S$35.40 in 2022 when hikes were last announced. The aviation levy, also payable by passengers and funds CAAS operations, will undergo a one-time increase of S$2 to S$10 on Apr 1, 2027. From Apr 1, 2025, the PSSF for transit passengers at Changi will rise S$3 each year, for three years. From Apr 1, 2028, it will go up by another S$1 a year for another three years. The fee has remained at S$6 since 2015, and was last reviewed in 2018. Airlines operating at Changi Airport will pay higher landing, parking and aerobridge (LPA) charges.


Changi Airport to increase charges for passengers & airlines from 2025 to fund upgrading works
It aims to fund a S$3 billion investment for enhancement works in Terminals 1 to 4 over next six years

Changi Airport will increase its airport charges progressively between 2025 to 2030 to fund upgrading works over the next six years. Changi Airport Group (CAG) said the increase is aimed at passengers departing from or transiting through Singapore, and airlines operating at the airport, according to a press release on Nov. 7.

The move aims to fund the group's investment of S$3 billion for enhancement works in terminals 1 to 4. CAG said the investment will be used to "improve services", such as baggage handling, check-in, immigration and Skytrain connections between terminals, and replace end-of-life systems. "The investments will help Changi Airport stay competitive and meet rising demand for air travel before Terminal 5 is operational in the mid-2030s," CAG added. The increase will also accommodate other operating costs, such as manpower, and cover other significant investments made during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some enhancement works include:
  • The expansion of Terminal 1, 2 and check-in counter capacity in Terminal 3
  • Skytrain subsystems will be replaced, including signalling and communications, which started operations in 2008 and are nearing end-of-life. New cars will also be added to provide additional capacity
  • Upgrading of baggage handling systems at Terminal 1 to 3
  • Additional check-in rows at Terminal 4 departure level
  • A new rooftop Inter-Terminal Baggage Conveyance System connecting Terminal 1 to 3, creating a second pathway for passenger baggage to be transferred between the two terminals


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