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Fighters, radar, marine patrols top Asia's military wish-list (Reuters) - Singapore hosted military brass from across Asia this week at the region's biggest arms and aerospace bazaar, almost 70 years to the day since it fell to Japanese forces sweeping across Southeast Asia during World War Two. Japan has since become allied with most other Asian nations. It is now China which is the behemoth others are eyeing with unease. And bigger defense budgets, means sales of fighters, weapons and other tools of death and destruction are higher than ever before. At the Singapore Airshow, salesmen in business suits escorted...

HONOLULU: Canada, Mexico and at least two other countries have expressed interest in joining US-led talks for a pan-Pacific trade pact, a US Republican lawmaker said on Friday after Japan asked to take part. “There’s a good deal of momentum for the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership),” Representative Kevin Brady said after meetings with members of President Barack Obama’s administration at the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. That momentum was evidenced by Japan’s announcement earlier on Friday that it was interested in joining the talks “and what seem to be very solid inquiries from Canada, Mexico and a few others,” Brady...

Jon Huntsman was endorsed by Columbia, S.C.'s The State newspaper on Sunday. The endorsement comes less than a week before the South Carolina primary and comes as Huntsman quickly tries to gain traction in the Palmetto state. The State's endorsement is actually similar to what happened just before the New Hampshire primary: Mitt Romney's hometown paper, The Boston Globe, backed Huntsman in a long editorial in which it compared Romney with the former Utah governor. Like the Globe endorsement, The State praised both Romney and Huntsman but said Huntsman was the better candidate. "There are actually two sensible, experienced grownups," The...

U.S. Navy Expects to Base Ships in Singapore By SHAUN TANDON, Agence France-Presse Published: 17 Dec 2011 13:04 WASHINGTON - The United States, facing a rising China but a tighter budget, expects to station several combat ships in Singapore and may step up deployments to the Philippines and Thailand, a naval officer said. The United States has been increasingly vocal about defending freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, where tensions over territorial disputes between Beijing and Southeast Asian nations have been on the rise. Related Topics In an academic article forecasting the shape of the U.S. Navy in...

“I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 (Super) Hornet” an Aussie exchange pilot says December 5, 2011 “I’d rather go to war in a Typhoon than in a F-18 Hornet”. This alleged Australian exchange pilot’s statement is one of the most interesting outcomes (and marketing slogans) of BERSAMA LIMA 11 an exercise marking the 40th Anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA) the only multilateral defence agreement in South East Asia with an operational element commitment undertaken by five nations (UK, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia) to consult in the event of an...

Tiny Singapore to spend $23 bln on defence by 2015-Jane's SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Tiny Singapore, with a population of 5.2 million and a land area half the size of Greater London, is likely to spend $23 billion on purchases of patrol aircraft, helicopters and other military equipment by 2015, according to a new report by IHS Jane's. The Southeast Asian city-state, flanked by Indonesia and Malaysia, sits on one of the busiest sea lanes in the world and lists piracy as one of the main security threats in the region. IHS Jane's said while ties with China were cordial and...

US offered F-16s ‘to anticipate rising China’ Mustaqim Adamrah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The United States has reportedly asked for Indonesia’s help to counter the increasing influence of China, particularly in the South China Sea, which some foreign policy analysts say reflects the US’ strategy of “proxy by war”. An Indonesian source, who closely followed the contacts between the two countries, recently told The Jakarta Post that the US had asked Indonesia to receive 24 used F-16 fighter jets from the US, rather than purchasing new ones that would come in a fourth number of the granted units. The Indonesian...

Somebody forgot to tell Panama about the eurozone crisis. While the rest of the world is slowing, its economy is set to expand by 10 per cent this year and 7.5 per cent next. And those are real figures, as Finance Minister Frank de Lima told beyondbrics. In the nominal terms most people use, those numbers hit the teens. Few countries, perhaps none, can match that. The canal is responsible for most of this growth. Indeed, since the country took it over in 1999, Panama’s economy has tripled in size. That remarkable performance is because Panama runs the canal more...

forum.internet-haganah.com/showthread.php?272 "Sign that the goods are meant for the IRGC?" (October 27, 2011) SNIPPET: "The modules in question are radio transmitters used in IED's that killed and wounded American service members in Iraq. They were purchased from a US firm through intermediaries in Singapore. Final destination? Tehran." SNIPPET: "Mahan Air is no ordinary airline. Rather it appears to be the official air transport arm of the IRGC's Qods Force."

A Singaporean soldier who was pictured with a maid carrying his backpack has identified himself to his commander and undergone counselling, officials say. The soldier was "remorseful", defence official Col Desmond Tan said in a letter published in the Straits Times. The recruit was undergoing physical training prior to basic training. The image, which was first published on social media sites, has led to debate in Singapore on whether conscripts and their training are tough enough....

RSS Archer submarine arrives in Singapore RSS Archer, the most advanced submarine in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), arrived here for the first time on Wednesday morning. Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Ng Chee Peng and other senior naval officers were at Changi Naval Base to witness its arrival from Karlskrona, Sweden. The Archer-class boat is one of two former Royal Swedish Navy Vaastergotland-class submarines acquired second-hand by the RSN in 2005. It was launched in Karlskrona for sea trials two years ago, after undergoing upgrading to operate in tropical water conditions. Submarine crew members from the RSN have been...

Southeast Asia’s underwater bazaar Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto, Singapore A scan of recent naval procurement by Southeast Asian navies points to the fact that submarines top their shopping lists. Thailand and the Philippines have been talking the talk to add submarines to their fleets. Thailand plans to buy six ex-German Navy Type-206 submarines. Despite facing domestic criticisms against the plan, Bangkok believes the US$257 million purchase will be money well-spent. The Thai Navy argues that the underwater warships are needed to patrol the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand and catch up with neighboring navies’ modernization. The Philippines, too, has recently...

A recent article in the Jakarta Globe states that some backpacker hostels in Singapore are going upmarket, to cater to a rising number of backpackers with bigger budgets.   Well, this isn't entirely true.   It isn't just backpackers looking for reasonably priced place to stay but businessmen and tourists as well who have been looking for a decent place to stay without having to pay an arm and a leg. If you are looking for a hotel room in Singapore expect to pay anywhere from S$200 (US$165) to S$600 (US$493) a night.  On the high end, Singapore has some of...

A WAR hero's medals have revealed the untold story of a Scottish soldier who survived three years of suffering building the notorious Burma Railway. Kenneth McLeod, who has died aged 92, was captured by the Japanese in the Second World War and was one of the last surviving veterans who worked on the bridge over the River Kwai. Now his daughter and son are donating his war medals, Glengarry bonnet and sporran to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders museum at Stirling Castle, where he was based more than 70 years ago. Mr McLeod, of Bridge of Weir, Renfrewshire, was...

The sex barrier is coming down in clinics that fix frown lines, zap away wrinkles and fill out facial furrows. Singaporean men, now a common sight in mani-pedi spas and in the skin-care product sections of stores, are invading the clinics and going under the laser, knife or needle to look younger and fitter. T.F. Tan, an investment banker in his 40s, started Botox treatments at the Calvin Chan Aesthetic & Laser Clinic three years ago and has been going back every six months to get refresher jabs. The injections around his forehead fix a pet peeve of his: three...

The over abundance of My Kingdom comes from the riches of your intimacy with Me(JESUS) in Glory , for I AM The Kingdom , The Glory and the Power and your Godhead ! So "BE" within My breath for My fullness to pour out of you and as you abide in "This" Holy Place I "shall" do the exceeding and manifest where you stand for I shall " BE " . For You can not practice what is "TRUE" , "ETERNAL" and "FLOWING" ! Matthew 6:13 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil...

THERE are now even more jobs chasing jobseekers, according to the latest labour report by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). In the first three months of the year, there were 139 openings for every 100 job seekers - a figure not seen since the pre-recession highs of December 2007, MOM revealed yesterday. This is an increase from the previous quarter, where there were 104 job openings for every 100 jobseekers. Employment creation in the first quarter of the year was found to be stronger than what MOM had previously estimated, although it has eased from the robust gains during the...

Attention All Singapore FReepers: I'm in Singapore for the 4th of July - would be a wonderful time to meet other FReepers living and working here to celebrate our nation's independence day! Anything planned here FRiends?

Goldman Sachs plans major job cuts in the United States while planning a major hiring spree in Singapore. With profits coming under major pressure in the U.S., Goldman appears to be launching possibly the most aggressive effort among big banks to expand overseas where the business climate is more favorable. A major source of trouble for banks and investment firms is the new regulatory environment. Those regulations, found primarily in the Dodd/Frank financial reform bill sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd and his counterpart in the House, Congressman Barney Frank, have forced banks to hold higher capital reserves and also forced...

There’s a currency I think of as the “anti-dollar” that continues to appreciate against the US dollar. Unlike gold, the “anti dollar” can be used to maximize other investments. I’ll reveal this currency in a moment. But first, why would you want an “anti-dollar” in the first place? The US has a multi-decade history of borrow and spend. Worse than that, it’s more extreme today than ever before. The government has to borrow about half of what it spends. And policy makers are printing money like crazy to “stimulate” the economy (even if they do give it fancy names like...

Does anyone use Singapore Math? I have a 4th grader (I am tutoring) who is floundering in school. He seems to be solid in all his math basics, but cannot grasp the SM. I am ordering the books so I can help him; should I order the Teachers' Books too? Do people like SM? WHY???

Asia's New Arms Race As China grows wealthier and builds up its military, other nations in the region are taking note—and amassing weapons of their own. At Mazagon Dock near the southern tip of Mumbai, hidden behind high concrete walls, hundreds of Indian workers are putting the finishing touches on the hulls of two 217-foot Scorpène-class attack submarines, the first of six slated to be built over the next few years. Nearby, workers are adding to India's fleet of stealth frigates and guided-missile destroyers. One big reason India is beefing up its arsenal: China. "It goes without saying that India...

Lee Kuan Yew ranks as one of the most successful statesmen of the 20th century, having led Singapore to independence, and built a thriving prosperous mini-state with a world class economy, out of an ethnically diverse population. He retired as the world's longest serving prime minister, and at 87 years of age, has little to lose in speaking his mind. Thus, his candor in discussing the assimilation of Muslims is perhaps understandable, but stil startling in a world of political correctness and compulsory sensitivity to Muslims, who are never expected to reciprocate. Singapore has a substantial Muslim minority, mostly...

Singapore has shown an interest in possibly acquiring several of the US Navy's surplus P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, according to the type's former manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. "They have issued a letter of request to look at P-3s," says Mark Jarvis, Lockheed's director, design and production for P-3 programmes. Singapore's interest could be for around four or five aircraft, he believes, with these to perhaps draw on the configuration of the 12 secondhand Orions due to be delivered to Taiwan from 2012. Singapore - which currently operates five Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft - could potentially acquire surplus Orions as...

Singapore Airlines says it is canceling flights to and from Indonesia's capital following the eruption of the country's most volatile volcano. The carrier made the announcement on its website Saturday. Indonesia's most volatile mountain — around 280 miles (450 kilometers) west of Jakarta — unleashed its most powerful eruption in a century Friday. Towering plumes of ash continued to rise from the mountain Saturday, dusting windshields, rooftops and leaves on trees hundreds of miles (kilometers) away. It was not immediately clear when Singapore Airlines would resume flights.

The airline says the Airbus A380 aircraft, with 433 passengers and 26 crew aboard, made an emergency landing and all on board are safe and well. -- snip -- Christopher Lee told ABC Radio's PM program that there was an explosion about 15 minutes after take-off. "After leaving Singapore there was an explosion, there was a loud bang followed by another one, and then a rattling of the cabin," he said. "Some of the passengers then alerted cabin staff to the fact that there was an explosion, there was smoke or something to that effect. "At that [point] we were...

Qantas grounded its Airbus A380 fleet after one of the superjumbo jets blew out an engine Thursday, shooting flames and raining large metal chunks before making a safe emergency landing in Singapore with 459 people aboard.

SINGAPORE (AP) -- A former Florida State University football player may become the first American in 16 years to be caned in Singapore after he overstayed his visa, his lawyer said Thursday. Kamari Charlton, who was a reserve tight end for Florida State from 1992 to 1996, was arrested Sept. 1 when he attempted to leave the city-state 169 days after his 90-day social visit pass expired, attorney M. Ravi said. Charlton, who was born in the Bahamas and owns a construction company there, was in Singapore while his wife received medical care for pregnancy complications, Ravi said. It was...

NOTE The following text is a quote: Singapore Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization Aided Tamil Tiger Terrorists in the Attempted Purchase of Grenade Launchers, Sniper Rifles, Machine Guns and other State of the Art Firearms BALTIMORE—A federal jury today convicted Balraj Naidu, 48, a citizen of the Republic of Singapore, of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, the Justice Department announced. According to evidence presented at his five day trial, beginning in February 2006, Naidu and his co-conspirators attempted to purchase state of the art weaponry from China,...

Singapore Suffers Shocking Worst-Ever GDP Contraction Vincent Fernando, CFA Oct. 15, 2010, 1:42 AM Singapore's economy shrank by a jaw-dropping 19.8% quarter-on-quarter during Q3, according to data released by the Monetary Authority of Singapore yesterday. While GDP was still 10.3% higher than the same quarter last year, the quarter-to-quarter contraction was the worst ever, and is a reminder of how volatile Singapore's economic output can be: Singapore Business Review (SBR): According to DBS Bank, this is a record sequential contraction and one that is worse than the supposedly “free-fall” in GDP experienced in the recent US financial crisis, the slump...

US Dollar Drops, Gold Jumps After Singapore By Kevin Plumberg Wed Oct 13, 2010 10:50pm EDT * Singapore lets currency appreciate more, knocks U.S. dollar * Aussie close to U.S. dollar parity, yen at 15-year high * Stocks, commodities gain as dollar index hits 10-month low * Resource-related stocks lead gaining sectors in Asia HONG KONG, Oct 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar tumbled to a 10-month low on Thursday after Singapore unexpectedly tightened policy to let its currency rise, lifting Asian stocks and copper to two-year peaks and gold to a record high. The dollar's decline against a basket...

Germany enjoyed an unexpectedly strong second quarter as the economy grew at the fastest pace in 23 years.Gross domestic product in Europe's largest economy increased by 2.2pc compared with the first quarter, far exceeding forecasts of a 1.3pc gain. The sharp rise was driven predominantly by growth in exports. "Such a quarter-on-quarter growth has never been recorded before in reunified Germany," said the German statistics office. "The recovery of the German economy, which lost momentum at the turn of 2009/2010s, is really back on track."

This is an advert from Singaporean television. I thought some of you might find it interesting. Enjoy. LINK: Click here to watch.

Singapore is on pace to be among the world’s fastest-growing economies this year, after a spurt in the first half prompted the government on Wednesday to project an expansion of as much as 15 percent for 2010. That would be four times the pace at which the United States economy is expected to grow. snip Singapore is one of the Asia-Pacific region’s most open economies, serving as a major financial center and as an important production and research hub for pharmaceuticals and electronics. snip The main driver was the manufacturing sector, which expanded 46 percent, thanks to gains in biomedical...

The Sands SkyPark is an awe-inspiring engineering wonder. This unique structural masterpiece, designed by visionary architect Moshe Safdie, floats atop the three soaring Marina Bay Sands hotel towers 200m in the sky. Stretching longer than the Eiffel tower laid down or four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets, with an impressive 12,400 square meters of space, the Sands SkyPark can host up to 3900 people. The gravity-defying cantilever is one of the largest of its kind in the world. From this privileged observation deck, hundreds of visitors at a time can feast their eyes on the unforgettable panorama view.

Pirates in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia have captured a Singapore-flagged cargo ship with 19 Chinese crew on board, maritime authorities said. The Golden Blessing cargo ship is a petroleum and chemical tanker. It was travelling to India from Saudi Arabia when it was hijacked. All 19 crew are reported to be safe. Rescue efforts had begun according to the China Marine Rescue Centre. Singapore maritime authorities said the ship had been chartered to Shanghai Dingheng Shipping Co Ltd, adding that they were closely monitoring the situation. An employee of Golden Pacific International Holdings, which owns...

SINGAPORE : Swiss national Oliver Fricker has been sentenced to five months jail and three strokes of the cane. The 32-year-old IT consultant pleaded guilty to trespassing into the SMRT Changi Depot and spray-painting two train carriages. A third vandalism charge for cutting the depot's fence was taken into consideration. Fricker committed the offences between May 16 and 17 with an alleged accomplice, identified as Dane Alexander Lloyd, a Briton who has since left Singapore. The court was told Lloyd allegedly masterminded the plan, and had corresponded with a spray paint supplier before his arrival in Singapore on May 15....

The scariest pool in the world, 55 stories above ground The "Sands Skypark" in Singapore is a pool, greenway and casino with an usual location. The whole thing sits atop not one, but three skyscrapers that make up the Marina Bay Sands hotel. The infinity pool itself is nearly 500 feet in length and features no discernible edge. So what would happen if you swam over? Don't worry, you wouldn't just plummet to the streets below. Instead, you'd fall where the rest of the water does: a basin that also acts as a filter for the water and sends it...

A Singaporean court sentenced a Swiss man to five months' jail and three strokes of a cane Friday for breaking into a metro depot and spray-painting a train, a punishment that could scar him for life. Oliver Fricker, a 32-year-old expatriate winding up a posting in Singapore as a software consultant, had pleaded guilty to trespass and vandalism, which are considered serious offences in the city-state. Fricker was sent immediately to jail but his lawyer Derek Kang said he intended to appeal the sentence, which comprises consecutive terms of three months for vandalism and two months for trespass.

Boeing bites into Asian pie By Ghim-Lay Yeo Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) expects a sizable chunk of its international business growth over the next five years to come from Asia, as the company continues to seek opportunities abroad in the face of a shrinking US defence budget. Non-US business made up 16% of BDS's total business last year, worth $34 billion in all, says chief executive Dennis Muilenburg. The company expects this to increase to 20-25% five years from now, and business from Asia, which takes up half of that international business segment, is expected to see strong...

SINGAPORE: This country, where painting graffiti can get you caned and drug smugglers are hanged, is trying a new tactic against the city-state's litterbugs: embarrassing them in front of their neighbours. After studying the causes of littering for a year, the government yesterday boosted police patrols of "littering hot spots", added more and larger public rubbish bins and warned that two or more littering violations could lead to sentences of picking up litter in busy public areas while wearing a bright orange vest. "We will continue to take a tough stance towards litterbugs and improve the bin infrastructure," said Andrew...

Rarely are currency exchange rates as good for the American dollar as that of Asian countries. In Asia, the American dollar carries a lot of clout and with the recent devaluation of the USD; it is a good thing that these countries offer an excellent trip for so little cost to Americans.

Rarely are currency exchange rates as good for the American dollar as that of Asian countries. In Asia, the American dollar carries a lot of clout and with the recent devaluation of the USD; it is a good thing that these countries offer an excellent trip for so little cost to Americans.

Singapore has revalued its currency to head off inflation after year-on-year economic growth surged 13.1 per cent in the first quarter. The move by the Monetary Authority of Singapore on Wednesday helped to push up most currencies in developing Asia as traders speculated that regional economic expansion was accelerating, increasing the likelihood of a fresh round of interest rate rises. Official data are expected to show on Thursday that the Chinese economy grew at an annual rate of 12 per cent in the three months to March, its fastest rate in three years. China’s robust recovery from the global crisis...

The doughty Government Investment Corporation of Singapore is not often a hotbed of heretical thought. Recently, however, a debate has been bubbling at the GIC that has fascinating implications for investors round the world. The issue at stake revolves around the so-called Harvard or Yale investment model. During most of its recent history, the GIC – like many other sovereign wealth funds round the world – has looked at these huge university endowment funds with envy and admiration. For the Harvard or Yale model seemed to offer an exciting vision for any long-term investment group that wanted to do more...

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean officiated at the inauguration ceremony of 149 Squadron, the Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF's) first local F-15SG Squadron, at Paya Lebar Air Base this afternoon. The F-15SG Squadron will join the fighter group under the Air Combat Command, which plans, controls and executes air warfare operations. This marks a significant milestone in the 3rd Generation RSAF's development of its advanced fighter capabilities. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Teo highlighted the crucial role that the F-15SG squadron will play in enhancing the Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF's) ability to deal...

Singapore is reported to be acquiring Israel's new Iron Dome anti-missile air-defense system under a once-secret military cooperation pact with the Jewish state that dates to the 1960s. Indeed, according to the Paris Intelligence Online Web site, Singapore helped finance the development of the system by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It says that Iron Dome was always intended for the island, a key Asian shipping hub and one of the richest per capita states in the world, because of its strategic location as a trading center. The Israeli air force, which runs the Jewish state's air defense network, completed test-firings...

Last Saturday, we did something that was only a small step up from mindless, unskilled labor. I’m glad we did it. We recommend it to everyone else. An enthusiastic lady came to our Rotary meeting a week before. She was a teacher, acting as a volunteer for her church. She asked us to join with people from another half dozen other Rotary Clubs to pack 100,000 meals for starving people in Haiti. We decided it was a good cause, and we went. There were two shifts requested at the National Guard Armory in the County Seat of Franklin, North Carolina....

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* MARCH 4, 2010, 8:57 A.M. ET Singapore Warns of Strait Attack By WAYNE MA SINGAPORE--Terrorists may be planning attacks on oil tankers and other large ships in the Malacca Strait, the Singapore Shipping Association said Thursday, citing an advisory from the Singapore Navy. The warning, if accurate, may signal a tactical shift for terrorist groups operating in the region that would include sea-based targets. The navy's Information Fusion Centre "received an indication that a terrorist group is planning attacks on oil tankers in the Malacca Straits," it said in the advisory, which was reviewed by Dow Jones Newswires. "This...