SINGAPORE: A trio of Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) fighter jets showed off their precision and coordination in a sneak preview of their aerobatic display at next week’s Singapore Airshow.
To celebrate the RSAF’s 50th birthday, two F-16s and one F-15SG will perform together for the first time, executing 15 manoeuvres with names like vertical split, knife edge pass and golden salute.
The aerobatic display will involve two F-16s and one F-15SG for the first time. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
Some of the manoeuvres will require the pilots to withstand a formidable level of stress on the body, due to what is known as gravitational force or G-force.
In one move called the high-G turn, the F-15SG pilot will pull as much as 9G in a 360-degree right turn, meaning he will endure a force nine times his weight. As the force drains blood supply to the brain, the pilot will have to use breathing and flexing techniques to stay awake.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
While other moves might be less taxing on the body, they still require a high level of skill. This is especially as the jets will fly head on at each other at speeds of over 1,400kmh.
One such high-octane stunt is the aileron roll hit, which involves the F-16s rolling along their longitudinal axes to create a spiralling effect.
In the 3-ship barrel roll, the jets will approach in an arrowhead formation before pulling up vertically and executing a synchronised barrel roll.
“First time they did it, they learnt lessons the hard way and had to better the parameters,” display team lead Major (MAJ) Chang Haw Ning said.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
To that end, MAJ Chang noted that such manoeuvres involving three aircraft flying in formation are generally difficult to manage.
“The differences in aircraft performance – the pitching, rolling and engine thrust – presented some challenges during the initial training, but were overcome through rehearsals,” he said.
He added that it was impossible to say which manoeuvre was most difficult, as all of them brought different challenges.
“We have trained intensively the last three months to put together this show,” MAJ Chang said. “Previously, it has been a single platform or two different platforms performing in integrated manoeuvres.”
The display team comprises six pilots and two weapon systems officers, with two sets of crew for “contingencies and redundancy”, he added.
(Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
The jets will perform two 15-minute displays – one at 11.30am and another at 2.30pm – on Feb 10 and Feb 11, which are the public days at the airshow.
Visitors to the airshow will also get to see RSAF’s assets, including the fighter jets, Apache attack helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles, up close and personal.
“We are really honoured that we are part of the celebrations for our RSAF’s golden jubilee, and we hope you enjoy the show,” MAJ Chang said.
There are signs that American fast food chain Subway may soon be Halal-certified in Singapore.
Local media have reported that the US-based chain has shown interest in obtaining Halal certification for their outlets.
In a tweet on Wednesday (Jan 31) by halalSG – the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore’s (Muis) Twitter handle for Halal food & certification queries – it revealed that there have been a few rounds of discussion with the Singapore headquarters regarding Halal certification.
However, it added that “as of now, we have yet to receive any Halal applications from them. So Q at your own risk hor.”
In a reply to media queries, Subway said that currently, 60 of its branches have stopped selling pork. It has also released the full list of branches that have made the change on its Facebook page.
The branches include those at Bugis Junction, Causeway Point, Punggol Plaza, Downtown East and Jurong Point.
A check with a branch at Toa Payoh Central saw a sign put up, notifying customers that “this restaurant serves non-pork products”.
Among its ingredients, regular bacon has also been replaced with chicken bacon.
However, it is still uncertain if all stores will be affected by the change.
Reactions to the news have been mixed, with some customers bemoaning the loss and threatening to “boycott Subway”, while others hoped that they’ll still be able to get the regular menu in Singapore.
candicec@sph.com.sg
Halal
Not again, Time Out London. After calling xiaolongbao dumplings as ‘exploding pimples’, you’re now saying Singapore is boring.
But good thing we have Singapore Tourism Board (STB), who has come to the nation’s rescue once again.
This time, the board is making a stand against Time Out’s recent survey that singled out Singapore as a “boring” country.
According to the results of the Time Out City Life index, which polled 15,000 people, Singapore was ranked 31 out of 32 of the world’s most exciting cities (FYI, Istanbul is at 32nd place).
Time Out cited common complaints such as lack of kindness and politeness, sleep deprivation and loneliness.
So when the Singapore brand name is being trampled on, what does the tourism board do? It creates a video that hits back at Time Out London for its statements.
In the video that was posted on Facebook on Thursday evening, STB meshed up clips showcasing the opposite of what the survey claims: that Singapore is “boring”, “there is nothing exciting to do”, “there is no art and culture” and “everything is expensive”.
STB then ended the video with: “Could we be anymore boring?” and tagged Time Out London on Facebook.
The video has since garnered over 47,000 views, 657 shares and 101 comments.
According to Marketing Interactive, the tongue-in-cheek video was executed real-time together with agency TBWA.
While the survey ranked Singapore low on the art and culture scene, as well as live music and nightlife scenes, the nation’s dining and drinking offerings ranked highly at 92 per cent. Out of this, 42 per cent believe the food is amazing with unbeatable quality and choice.
People who took the survey also said that Singapore is safe, with 98 per cent saying they felt safe walking around alone at night.
This is not the first time that STB has hit back at publications that diss Singapore.
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In April last year, the board uploaded photos on its Facebook page debunking factual inaccuracies in an episode from CBS’ Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.
And in 2016 when BuzzFeed UK slammed the ice cream sandwich as the “absolute worst sandwiches that have ever happened”, STB bit back to defend Singapore’s most popular street snack.
The agency posted a gif of such sandwiches and wrote: “Hey BuzzFeed UK, what’s good? #VisitSingapore”
Thank you, STB.
klim@sph.com.sg
Singapore STB (Singapore Tourism Board)
How often do we see elderly people eating alone at eateries and hawker centres? And how often do we actually reach out and offer to share our food with them?
Facebook user Catherine Leck was heartened to see a man offer to share his vegetables with an uncle sitting next to him at Old Airport Hawker Centre on Sunday (Jan 28).
The man and his fiancee sat down with chicken rice at the same table as Catherine and an elderly man.
She wrote in a Facebook post:
“After the uncle was done with his meal, he went on some random blabbering; talking into the thin air.
“Now, most people would have ignored him, thinking he must be ‘sot’ or what, but the guy acknowledged him and then asked, ‘Would you like to try some of my vegetables?’
“The uncle then gestured and pointed to his emptied plate, his fingers all stained with the leftover zhup.
“I couldn’t really figure out what he wanted, but the guy followed up with, ‘Oh, would you like me to pour them onto the plate for you? I will be happy to share.’
“He then passed a large portion of his side dish onto the uncle’s plate.”
Catherine managed to take a photo of the act, wanting to share the kind gesture.
“By now, my heart was smiling from within.
“After the uncle had finished, he waved his hands a bit and the guy said, “Oh, was it too hot? I am so sorry for the chilli inside..” (as if it was his fault, but I knew he completely made the uncle’s day, he also made my day, so good to witness such an act!)”
When the uncle left the table, Catherine told the couple how kind she thought they were.
From their short conversation, she found out that they had just moved to Singapore from Melbourne and that the man was looking for work related to diving or videography.
Wanting to pass on the act of kindness she witnessed, Catherine hopes to highlight the man’s kind deed and wants to do something for him in return.
She hopes her post will be shared and that it will reach companies looking for people in the man’s interested fields and created an email for this purpose: thankyouforbeingkindtosg@gmail.com
A BMW driver played the braking game, changed lanes and reversed recklessly, even stopping her car in the middle of a busy traffic junction, causing another female driver to jam on her brakes repeatedly to avoid a collision.
The incident happened on September 9, 2015, as the duo were driving along a stretch of road measuring 21km, including the Pan Island Expressway (PIE), Orange Grove Road, before stopping at Orchard Parade Hotel.
Queeness Keng, 23, was charged with reckless driving, endangering the life of Ms Xu Xiumei, 48, a former businesswoman, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Keng was studying in the United Kingdom at the time of the incident but has already graduated.
The court heard that the entire incident was captured on the dashboard camera on Ms Xu’s car.
From about 11.23pm, while Keng was driving along the PIE, she did not signal as she changed lanes from the second lane to the first.
She then cut into the lane Ms Xu was on, and suddenly stopped her vehicle, causing the latter to slam on her brakes in order to avoid a collision.
At about 11.29pm, Keng was driving along Anderson Road, and changed from the rightmost lane onto the leftmost lane.
During the process, Keng once again drove ahead of Ms Xu and stopped her vehicle.
Ms Xu was forced to jam on her brakes again and swerve right.
About a minute later, Keng repeated the braking game on Orange Grove Road, causing Ms Xu to swerve right again.
Keng followed suit and for a moment hogged two lanes.
Ms Xu had to stop her car as well.
The two cars stopped for about a minute before Ms Xu reversed her vehicle.
Keng also reversed her vehicle.
Despite Ms Xu sounding her horn at her, she continued reversing until the two vehicles reached a U-turn.
At about 11.45pm, Keng moved from the third lane onto the second lane, blocking Ms Xu’s path before stopping her car again.
Ms Xu had to engage her emergency brake.
After that, Keng reversed her vehicle in intervals, causing Ms Xu to reverse as well, even as she sounded her horn at Keng.
Keng finally alighted her BMW while it was stopped in the middle of Orchard Road, despite the busy traffic conditions.
Keng’s mother was also at the scene and witnessed the entire incident.
The entire process lasted for more than 20 minutes.
Ms Xu lodged a police report the following day (Oct 20).
It is estimated that Keng drove recklessly for about 22 minutes, and the stretch of road covered more than 21km.
Time to put away your umbrellas and slap on some sunscreen as Singapore’s weather is about to change this month.
January was an eventful month for Singapore’s weather. The first few weeks saw temperatures go down to a cool 24 degrees Celsius across parts of the island. In the last week, hailstones and a waterspout were observed on the last two days of the month.
But Singapore’s hot, sunny weather is expected to return in February, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).
In the first half of February, daily temperatures are forecast to range between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius, and could reach up to 34 degrees on some days.
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NEA said it is likely to be relatively dry with short-duration thundery showers expected in the afternoon on three to five days.
For the next fortnight, dry, warm and occasionally windy conditions are expected over Singapore as the region enters the dry phase of the northeast monsoon season. During this period, the low level winds are forecast to blow predominantly from the northeast or northwest.
During this period, the low-level winds are forecast to blow predominantly from the northeast or northwest.
For weather updates, visit www.weather.gov.sg.
a1admin@sph.com.sg
weather
SINGAPORE – Several former executives of Keppel Corp have been arrested by Singaporean authorities in a probe related to charges its rig-building unit bribed Brazilian officials, The Straits Times reported on Friday.
Keppel Offshore & Marine in December agreed to pay $422 million to resolve investigations into the matter by authorities in the United States, Brazil and Singapore.
But Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said at the time that investigations regarding the individuals involved were ongoing.
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The Straits Times said more than six people were currently out on bail connected with case.
A CPIB spokesman said he was “unable to comment as investigations against the individuals involved are still ongoing”. The AGC declined to comment.
A spokesman for Keppel Offshore & Marine said: “We are unable to comment on any investigations by the authorities.”
Keppel Offshore & Marine has taken disciplinary action against 17 current and former employees in relation to the bribery charges, court documents showed.
bribe Keppel
Comic actor Jim Carrey has been spared the prospect of a civil trial over the suicide of his girlfriend after the case was dismissed, his representative and court officials said Thursday.
Cathriona White’s estranged husband Mark Burton and mother Brigid Sweetman had filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the star following her overdose in September 2015, accusing him of procuring drugs under a bogus name for her.
They also alleged that the 56-year-old actor — known for a string of hit comedy movies including “The Mask,” “Liar Liar” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” — had given White three sexually-transmitted diseases.
“All I can say is the case was dismissed and I have no further comment,” Carrey’s publicist told AFP.
Documents filed at the Los Angeles Superior Court showed that a request for dismissal of the suit was submitted by the plaintiffs on January 25. A court official confirmed this but was unable to go into further detail.
Eagan Avenatti, the law firm representing the plaintiffs, issued a statement saying it was false to interpret the dismissal as Carrey having been “cleared” or that the case had been “thrown out.”
“There is no evidence of this — it is patently untrue… The terms of the voluntary dismissal and the circumstances surrounding it have not been disclosed,” said Michael Avenatti, co-founder of the firm.
According to the suit filed in September last year, the actor “used his immense wealth and celebrity status” to obtain opioids for her.
Burton alleged that the actor bought the drugs under the fake name “Arthur King” and then “took steps to conceal and obfuscate his involvement and culpability” after White’s death.
The suit also accused Carrey of being obsessed with controlling and manipulating White, who was 30 when she died, and with whom he’d had an on-again, off-again relationship since 2012.
‘Irish flower’
Carrey was able to monitor surveillance cameras at a home in the Los Angeles area where White often stayed, the document added.
News reports at the time of White’s death said she and Carrey had broken up a few days earlier.
White sent a cryptic message on her Twitter account on the day the couple reportedly broke up that read: “Signing off Twitter, I hope I have been a light to my nearest and dearest.”
Carrey served as a pallbearer at White’s burial in her hometown in Ireland and wrote a tribute after her death describing her as a “truly kind and delicate Irish flower.”
According to the coroner’s office, she had taken her own life by overdosing on a lethal amount of prescription drugs including Ambien, Propranolol and Percocet.
The suit alleged that three pill bottles found near the body of the Irish-born makeup artist bore the name “Arthur King.”
Carrey was alleged to have obtained the drugs from a physician who routinely prescribed them to the actor under the false name.
Carrey filed a countersuit, which has been “partially” dismissed, court papers show, claiming the legal action against him was an attempt to exploit a famous actor.
It added that White had extorted him by threatening to go to the press with false allegations that he had given her multiple sexually transmitted diseases.
“Cat decided to end her life,” the countersuit said. “She committed suicide by taking a cocktail of pills, some her own, others secretly taken by her from Jim’s home.”
In the three years before her death, White had previously contemplated suicide, the countersuit alleged, adding: “Many of the suicide notes she wrote over the years had a common theme, ‘I am not for this world.'”
