The Central Provident Fund (CPF) has announced the lowering of the Daily Withdrawal Limit (DWL) for online CPF withdrawals by CPF members aged 55 and above. With effect from 25 September 2024, the maximum DWL for online CPF withdrawals will be set at $50,000 to strengthen safeguards against scams, CPF said in a statement.
The Nutri-Grade label, used for pre-packed and freshly made beverages in Singapore, will be extended to salt, sauces, instant noodles and cooking oil. Why? Read on to find out.
And what will green energy look like in Singapore in the future? Well, we are already looking to Australia's deserts and Malaysia's rainforests for clean power. This week, Australia announced a massive solar farm that it hopes will eventually offer two gigawatts (GW) of power to Singapore via undersea cable.
Finally, if you're looking for new makan places to explore this weekend, consider the revamped Tampines 1, now open after a $38 million renovation.
Highlights include Hawkers' Street, which boasts 12 stalls offering a diverse range of culinary delights. Vendors include Michelin Bib Gourmand awardees such as Tai Wah Pork Noodle and Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice.
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Esther Au Yong
Singapore starts precautionary screenings for mpox virus at border checkpoints
A test tube labelled "Mpox virus positive" is held in this illustration. (PHOTO: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
Temperature and visual screening starts Friday at Changi and Seletar airports, as well as sea checkpoints, for inbound travellers and crew arriving from places where there’s risk of mpox outbreaks, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. Travellers who have fever, rash or symptoms compatible with mpox will be referred for medical assessment, it said.
Nutri-Grade label to be extended to salt, sauces, instant noodles, cooking oil
Soy sauce and beans. (PHOTO: Getty)
The Nutri-Grade label, used for pre-packed and freshly made beverages in Singapore, will be extended to salt, sauces, instant noodles and cooking oil.
This is aimed at reducing sodium and saturated fat intake among Singapore residents, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) in a joint statement.
"We will likely retain the key features of the existing Nutri-Grade measures, and will be conducting further consultations with the industry over the coming months. The consultations will focus on the implementation details, including the nutrient thresholds underpinning the Nutri-Grade measures, to ensure that the measures are practicable and feasible. More details will be announced when ready," they said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the MOH's National Population Health Survey (NPHS) 2023 has shown that Singapore residents are healthier. Key findings from the survey highlight that there was significant increase in Singaporeans’ total physical activity, reduced prevalence of smoking, improvements in the state of mental health, as well as increased vaccination rates.
10 must-eat places at the revamped Tampines 1 mall
Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice.
This weekend, if you're looking for new makan places to explore, consider the revamped Tampines 1, now open after a $38 million renovation.
Highlights include Hawkers' Street, which boasts 12 stalls offering a diverse range of culinary delights. Vendors include Michelin Bib Gourmand awardees such as Tai Wah Pork Noodle and Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice.
And located in the basement, San.wich is brought to you by the folks behind the famous local bakery Swee Heng. San.wich prides itself on using freshly baked bread daily, with creative and healthy bases like beetroot, sweet potato leaf, and even tomato.
Read on to find out what other foodie offerings are in store at the revamped Tampines 1.
Esther Au Yong
Airlines, like SIA, increase flights over Afghanistan as Middle East riskier: Report
A Singapore Airlines aircraft flies past the Frankfurt Arena on June 17, 2024. (PHOTO: Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
This photograph taken on January 22, 2021 shows a worker pulling a cable along a floating solar power farm at sea off Singapore's northern coast just across from the Malaysian state of Johor.
What will green energy look like in Singapore in the future? Well, we are already looking to Australia's deserts and Malaysia's rainforests for clean power.
Demand is set to rise, particularly from data centres. Singapore's Energy Market Authority has already granted conditional approvals to import 1GW from Cambodia, 2GW from Indonesia and 1.2GW from Vietnam.
Read more on the challenges and opportunities facing Singapore when it comes to clean energy.
Esther Au Yong
Singapore July core inflation lowest in more than two years
Urban skyline and skyscrapers in Marina Bay Singapore. (PHOTO: Getty)
Singapore's key consumer price gauge rose 2.5 per cent in July from a year earlier, the smallest increase since February 2022.
Official data showed that the core inflation rate – which excludes private road transport and accommodation costs – was lower than the 2.9 per cent seen in June.
China's 'throwing eggs' card game gets official censure. But what is it?
This photo taken on August 15, 2024 shows people playing Guandan or the "throwing eggs" card game at a clubhouse in Hangzhou. (PHOTO: JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)
In China, officials have warned that "throwing eggs" is an addictive waste of time and a drain on productivity.
Well, it's not throwing eggs per se; rather, it's a card game that's been played since the 1960s in the eastern provinces of Anhui and Jiangsu. The popularity of Guandan, the game, has skyrocketed in recent years, becoming a national sensation.
Local media estimated that over 140 million people are hooked on its combination of strategic acumen and social fun.
The relatively simple game pits two teams of two against each other in a race to shed their cards by throwing various combinations referred to as "bombs" on the table.
"In the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs," Harris said, accusing Trump of cozying up to dictators.
CPF daily withdrawal limit to be capped at $50,000 from 25 September
The CPF (Central Provident Fund) Maxwell Service Centre in Club Street Singapore. (PHOTO: Getty)
Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) has announced the lowering of the Daily Withdrawal Limit (DWL) for online CPF withdrawals by CPF members aged 55 and above. With effect from 25 September 2024, the maximum DWL for online CPF withdrawals will be lowered from $200,000 to $50,000 to strengthen safeguards against scams, CPF said in a statement.
Lowering the DWL will not inconvenience the majority of members currently making withdrawals, CPF added. "Since the implementation of the default DWL of $2,000 in November 2023, vast majority of CPF members have maintained a DWL of $50,000 or less. For the very small group of members who have set their DWL above $50,000, they will be notified in advance that their DWL will be automatically lowered to $50,000 on 25 September 2024."
A huge network of dams along China’s longest river has the potential to generate enough hydropower for a quarter of the country’s output—but not without logistical challenges and geological risks.
A stunning rain microburst rolled over El Nido beach in Palawan, Philippines, on September 9, as tourists and docked boats were hit by the powerful storm. The storm moved swiftly toward the shore, creating a hazy wall of wind and rain. This weather phenomenon comes as Southeast Asia enters its annual monsoon season, often causing flash floods across the region.
Mega El Niños could have intensified the world’s most devastating mass extinction, which ended the Permian Period 252 million years ago, a new study found.
A new Javan rhino calf has been spotted in an Indonesian national park, the facility's head said Friday, further boosting hopes for one of the world's most endangered mammals after two other sightings this year.He said two more calves were spotted earlier this year at the park, which is the only habitat left for the critically endangered animal.
STORY: :: Floods in Myanmar triggered by heavy rains leave many dead and thousands displaced:: Aired September 13, 2024:: Naypyidaw, MyanmarSchools in flood-affected areas in the capital Naypyidaw are closed, and residents have been warned of rising floodwater levels, reported junta-controlled broadcaster MRTV.About 24 sq miles of area around the city was flooded on Thursday, according to satellite imagery analysis by the U.N.-backed Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU). Another 141 sq miles around Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, also appeared to be under water, according to the analysis. About a third of Myanmar's 55 million people require humanitarian assistance but many aid agencies, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, cannot operate in many areas because of access restrictions and security risks. An armed rebellion, comprising of new resistance groups and established ethnic minority armies, is challenging the well-armed military, amid a crippling economic crisis that could be exacerbated by the floods. Adverse weather brought on by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed more than 230 people in Vietnam and Thailand, and flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.
Hundreds of villagers in Myanmar waded or swam through chin-high waters, fleeing severe floods around the remote capital Naypyidaw on Friday, while Vietnam began clearing up after deadly Typhoon Yagi.People in parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar have been battling floods and landslides in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which dumped a colossal deluge of rain when it hit the region last weekend.
The weather change arrived following a hot start to September in the region. Scientists recorded Earth's hottest summer on record, breaking a record set just one year ago.
A spectacled bear was born in a rescue center built by a Peruvian farming community that has protected these animals for more than two decades. The bear cub, which does not yet have a name, was discovered after park rangers in the community of Santa Catalina de Chongoyape, in northern Peru, noticed that a female bear named Lola did not leave her den. “They heard different noises and only these days the little bear has begun to come out with its mother,” said Edivar Carrasco, the president of the community.
Scientists have observed land surrounding a "unique" volcano in Tanzania bulging, a sign that a massive reservoir of magma is puffing up the surrounding areas like a balloon — and possibly an impending eruption. As detailed in a paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, an international team of scientists detected "periods of […]
Central European nations braced on Friday for severe flooding forecast to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary over the weekend. Czech authorities erected metal barriers or protective walls from sandbags, while water was released from dams to make space in reservoirs. “We have to be ready for the worst case scenarios,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after a meeting of his government’s central crisis committee.
The Municipality of Jasper says that the air quality of the town is safe for residents, but some homeowners are worried that contaminants like heavy metals may have seeped into their homes during the wildfire.Patricia Urie returned to her Jasper home on the first day residents could return, but didn't stay long. "We went in with masks on … I did take it off for a minute, and it smelled a bit smoky and [metallic]," said Urie. "My husband and I got headaches and we didn't stay there for very long.
