On the taste trail: Chicken rice with a chef’s touch after an urban hike in Choa Chu Kang

The dish of the day, which changes frequently, was bouncing off the supporting cast of side dishes. I was given a Szechuan vegetable soup that was brimming with vegetable, potatoes, onion, tomato, and full garlic cloves on my visit. The corn gave a soup boosted by collagen-rich meat feet a boost, while the salty, fermented groove of the ketchup greens paired well with the beauty of the carrot and onion.

On other times, you might be served black beans or flowers root dish, but on Sundays, ABC sauce is their standard. It’s a straightforward dish of comfort made with onions, carrots, tomatoes, and onions.

Although the chicken rice is on the list, it also includes clam sauce vegetables, recipe chicken noodles, and chicken cutlet rice, making it possible to return. A clean, pleasant meals at Ah Boy Chicken Rice makes every further action feel right, despite its remote location.

The address V6 Food Court, 678A Choa Chu Kang Crescent, Singapore, 681678, is Ah Boy Chicken Corn. It’s closed on Fridays and is open from 9 am to 8 pm ( or until sold out ).

Catch Makan Kakis with Denise Tan on MediaCorp GOLD 905 every Thursday starting at 11am.

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Chadchart wants B9m for seismographs

Medical personnel at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok helped patients evacuate their building after a strong earthquake hit Myanmar, with tremors felt across Thailand, including Bangkok, on March 28. Chanat Katanyu
After a powerful disaster hit Myanmar, with spasms felt across Thailand, including Bangkok, on March 28, medical staff at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok helped people leave their tower. Chanat Katanyu

A 9 million baht finances may be proposed by Bangkok government Chadchart Sittipunt for the purchase of earthquake measurement equipment for eight high-rise hospitals.

The Bangkok City Council rejected a similar plan in September 2023, according to Mr. Chadchart, following the rejection of the effort. He stated that the plan would be submitted again because it was possible rejected earlier because there was no sense of urgency.

” Some may not have been aware of the significance of the job at the time. It’s understandable because the place hasn’t experienced significant earthquakes in a while. Ideas may have changed with current events, he said. He claimed that the request may be funded by the central government or be included in the fiscal resources for 2026.

The project intends to install earthquake-monitoring equipment in high-rises at eight Bangkok hospitals, including the 37-storey Thani Nopparat Building at City Hall in Din Daeng, as well as other structures like the 72nd Anniversary Building at Charoenkrung Pracharak Hospital ( 24 storeys ) and the 17-storey Somdet Chao Phraya Taksin Maharat Building at Taksin Hospital ( 17 storeys ).

Given the importance of the information the devices do give, he said, the total price would be nine million ringgit, which is a reasonable amount given the cost.

Mr. Chadchart expressed wish that the number of installations may be increased if needed beyond the clinics that were originally proposed.

” This technology can now be used for research at a lower price. He predicted that increasing data reliability and public confidence may be improved by installing these tools in both government and private institutions.

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Live: Trump deepens trade war with sweeping new global tariffs

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday ( Mar 2 ) that he would impose a 10 % base tariff on all US imports and higher duties on dozens of other nations, including some of Washington’s biggest trading partners.

On top of the 20 % levy he previously imposed on the nation, China imports will be hit with a 34 % tariff. Close US friends, including the European Union, which is subject to a 20 % price, were spared.

Buying lovers are expected to take their own countermeasures in response. The most recent analysis and reactions can be found on our life blog. &nbsp,

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How aid becomes a weapon in Myanmar’s war zone

three days before
Gavin Butler

BBC News

Reporting fromSingapore
Getty Images Two women take shelter in a makeshift tent campGetty Images

There is a 72-hour “golden screen” during which those trapped beneath dust are most likely to succeed in the immediate fallout of an earthquake.

However, several support and human rights organizations told the BBC that military officials blocked rescue and relief staff seeking entry to some of the worst-hit areas in the 72 hours after a 7.7 scale earthquake struck Myanmar on Friday.

This was despite a unique appeal for worldwide humanitarian aid by junta key Min Aung Hlaing.

In a statement a few days after the catastrophe, he claimed he had “opened all avenues for international help” and that he had “invited any country, any organization, or anyone in Myanmar to come and help.”

Items moved less easily on the ground.

” I’ve talked to a few people today that were part of the recovery efforts in both Sagaing and Mandalay, and they said that]the defense ] imposed a curfew … the roads were blocked, the gates were really long, and there was a great viewing of goods and services going in and a lot of questioning”, John Quinley, chairman of international human rights group Fortify Rights, told the BBC.

” It could have just been much simpler to let those persons in,” he continued. ” Of course, the Myanmar junta said it was for health reasons, but I don’t think that’s entirely legitimate.”

However, the gold windows closed.

More than 2, 886 individuals have been confirmed dead in Myanmar as a result of the disaster, as of the time of writing.

Getty Images A rescue worker stands in a destroyed building and looks out over the rubble in the foregroundGetty Images

An attack on an aid fleet on Tuesday evening heightened concerns even more.

At 21: 21, a convoy of nine Chinese Red Cross Society vehicles carrying earthquake relief supplies was attacked by the military, according toTa’ang National Liberation Army ( TNLA ), a resistance group in Shan State.

The fleet was heading toward Mandalay when it was shot at by troops with device guns, forcing it to move around, according to the TNLA in a Telegram post later on Tuesday.

Eventually, a coup spokesperson confirmed that men had shot at the fleet while they were unaware that it was passing through and had fired warning shots at it after it failed to stop.

But this is not the first moment the junta has attacked support staff, Mr Quinley said.

He said that they can select when aid you arrive, and that they may restrict it if they can’t control it or use it however they want. ” They positively also, on top of that, deliberately target philanthropic workers.”

The junta, which began fighting a civil war with opposition forces in Myanmar after it seized control of the country in 2021, has a record of weaponising aid and humanitarian help: funnelling it towards places that are under its control and restricting it in places that are not.

The BBC assessed the power balance in more than 14,000 village groups as of mid-November last year, and found the military only has full control of 21% of Myanmar’s territory, nearly four years on from the start of the conflict.

Getty Images A young man in combat fatigues kneels with an assault rifle in scrubGetty Images

The military hampered relief efforts in resistance-held areas by refusing to release supplies from customs, authorise travel for aid workers, or relax restrictions on lifesaving assistance in previous natural disasters, such as Cyclone Mocha in 2023 and Typhoon Yagi in 2024, which left hundreds of people dead.

” It’s a worrying trend that happens in times of crisis, like the earthquake”, Mr Quinley said. The junta says it is “blocking any aid to what they perceive as groups that are connected to the wider resistance.”

Further, James Rodehaver, the High Commissioner for Human Rights for Myanmar, suggested that the junta deprives Myanmar’s population of aid as a form of punishment.

” They do that because the local population, by and large, does not support them, so by depriving them of humanitarian aid, they are both punishing them but also cutting off their ability to support themselves and be resilient”, he told the BBC.

In Sagaing, there are already indications that the junta may be using this tactic.

Although central Myanmar, which includes the cities of Sagaing and Mandalay, is formally run by the junta and where aid can only be distributed through their cooperation, is considered a stronghold for resistance in the regions of Sagaing and Mandalay.

The likelihood that the junta might tactically deprive these areas of aid has prompted outcry from hundreds of human rights and civil society organisations, who have urged the international community to ensure relief efforts get to where they’re most needed, and aren’t channelled through the military government.

One such statement, signed by 265 civil society organizations and made public on Sunday, states that the majority of the worst-hit areas are under the effective control and administration of pro-democracy resistance groups.

The military junta’s history “provides stark warnings about the dangers of channeling aid through Myanmar,” it reads.

Getty Images Buddhist monks used poles and shovels to clear rubble in the street, with yellow building facades in the background Getty Images

In Sagaing, the impact of aid shortfalls can already be seen in troubling ways, according to relief agencies.

They mention food, water, and fuel shortages, and aid trucks stranded at military checkpoints throughout the city. Hundreds of residents are sleeping on the street outside, suddenly homeless. Rescue volunteers who were forced to dig through the rubble with their bare hands have run out of body bags for those they couldn’t save.

Other community members who want to help with the earthquake are being made to submit lists of volunteers and donated items, according to local media reports.

The junta regularly employs this tactic, which involves bombarding respondents with lengthy bureaucratic checklists and procedures, to stifle the activities of international aid organizations in Myanmar, according to humanitarian sources who spoke to the BBC.

According to a registration law imposed in 2023, such organisations must attain a registration certificate, and often sign a memorandum of understanding with relevant government ministries, to legally operate inside the country.

According to a source who spoke to the BBC on the condition of anonymity, aid organizations are frequently required to remove specific activities, towns or townships from their proposals, leaving little room for negotiation. The majority of the time, they continued, are the areas where the junta has no control over the aid work.

Aid agencies have found ways to navigate the junta’s restriction, however: a lot of humanitarian assistance in Myanmar happens underground, via local groups that can bypass checkpoints and distribute aid without attracting the attention of the authorities.

A source told the BBC that many financial transactions in humanitarian aid take place outside of Myanmar’s banking system, preventing actors from being subject to scrutiny and potential inquiries from the country’s central bank. In some cases, humanitarian organizations open bank accounts in Thailand so they can receive aid money from abroad and then transfer the funds in cash across the border to Myanmar.

Such covert methods take time, however, and could lead to potentially fatal delays of days or weeks.

BBC Burmese A house destroyed by the quake in MandalayBBC Burmese

Some aid workers are optimistic that it will be simpler to overcome obstacles and distribute aid more effectively given the magnitude of Friday’s earthquake and the international appeal for assistance by Min Aung Hlaing.

” In the past we have faced some challenges”, said Louise Gorton, an emergency specialist based in Unicef’s East Asia and Pacific Regional Office.

The severity of this emergency, however, is significantly higher. I believe there will be pressure on the government to grant unrestricted and unimpeded humanitarian access, and we’ll continue to repeat the same need and look for ways to provide aid, sometimes in subdued ways.

While it’s too early to say whether the junta will truly “open all ways for foreign aid,” Cara Bragg, country manager for the Catholic Relief Services ( CRS ) team in Myanmar, said her team is prepared to navigate the complex humanitarian situation.

” It’s certainly a concern that they]the military ] may direct the aid in specific places, and not based on need”, said Ms Bragg, who is based in Yangon.

However, CRS operates under a humanitarian mandate and will be very focused on getting aid to the places it needs to go, the hardest-hit areas, regardless of who controls them.

Despite Min Aung Hlaing’s plea to the international community, it seems unlikely that the troubled junta leader will prioritize the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid.

Shortly after the earthquake, military jets launched a series of airstrikes on affected areas, killing more than 50 civilians, according to the National Unity Consultative Council ( NUCC).

Then, on Tuesday, resistance groups ‘ proposals for ceasefires were rejected by Min Aung Hlaing in an effort to facilitate aid. According to him, military operations would continue as “necessary protective measures.”

The junta changed its mind a day later, agreeing to a 20-day ceasefire to help relief efforts. However, whether the hostilities will end will remain to be seen. The military emphasized that it would “respond accordingly” if rebels launched attacks.

For many onlookers, this seeming contradiction- of asking for aid with one hand while conducting military strikes with the other- chimes with Min Aung Hlaing’s history of duplicity.

The junta leader has “lied on numerous occasions,” according to John Quinley of Fortify Rights, and he suggested that the most recent appeal for foreign aid would be more likely to be an appeal for international recognition.

In light of this, Mr. Quinley added, it is crucial to ensure that earthquake relief is delivered where it is most needed.

” I think as a human rights group we need to monitor: OK ,]Min Aung Hlaing ] allows aid in- but is it actually reaching people in need? Or is he using the aid as a weapon? Is he preventing aid from reaching communities in need? he said.

” I’m not optimistic when it comes to taking Min Aung Hlaing’s advice without any hint of truth.”

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Big spending on furniture at collapsed SAO tower sparks outrage

A crane is deployed at the site of the collapsed State Audit Office in Chatuchak district, Bangkok, on Wednesday. Pattarapong Chatpattarasill
On Wednesday, a hoist is deployed at the site of the crumbling State Audit Office in Bangkok’s Chatuchak area. Chatpattarasill Pattarapong Chatpattarasill

A list of expensive furniture that was created for a new State Audit Office ( SAO ) building construction that collapsed on Friday caused a furious backlash on social media.

Information of the property’s expenses, including the cost of fixtures and fittings, were published on Wednesday on the STRONG Anti-Corruption Thailand Facebook website, which has over 180, 000 fans.

The SAO’s operational agencies ‘ higher prices were among the most enthralling disclosures, according to the party, which is known for posting studies that expose possible corruption, misuse of public funds, and problems in government tasks.

Importantly, a conference chair for the meeting area was purchased for 2.7 million baht, making 28 chairs for two rooms available for 97, 900 baht apiece. These chairs, which are made of oak wood and have an European leather upholstery, were made for the boardroom on the 11th ground and the royal meeting room on the third floor. Additionally, a set of luxurious handwoven polyester rugs retailed for 165, 000 baht each, while a set of luxurious leather-upholstered chairs retailed for 157, 000 baht.

A set of rugs for the president’s office, which was the most expensive item ever revealed, cost 110, 000 ringgit each. According to the political party, the total cost of various luxury fittings totaled millions of baht, including 98 faucets that cost 8,250 baht each, 98 soap dispensers that cost 1, 668 ringgit each, and other bath accessories.

These revelations received widespread outcry, with many people complaining about what appeared to be a misuse of taxpayers ‘ money.

Social media users wrote,” This is the firm that audits government spending, but they need to audit themselves first, and I only paid my fees last month, and I now see where my hard-earned money is going.”

Many people are now asking whether such extravagant charges are appropriate, particularly given the president’s continued efforts to lower costs in other sectors, as a result of the increased calls for greater accountability and accountability in the SAO’s investing.

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Singapore Badminton Association appoints new CEO

Former public servant Woo Kaiwei has been appointed as the new CEO of the Singapore Badminton Association ( SBA ).

According to SBA in a press release, the 40-year-old has held positions at the Ministry of Defence ( MINDEF), the Public Service Division at the Prime Minister’s Office, and Singapore Press Holdings.

Mr. Woo was originally at So Drama! the head of strategic planning and business development. MINDEF-related organization, Entertainment.

He will take over on Thursday ( April 3 ) in his new role, succeeding Mr. Alan Ow, who left SBA in December of last year. &nbsp,

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Commentary: Why China’s marriage crisis matters

When China started its one-child legislation in 1980, it not only made marriage easier, but it also raised the bar for relationship. This made the problems even worse. The divorce rate soared from 0.3 per 1, 000 persons in 1980 to 3.4 in 2019.

In response, China adopted a novel civil code in 2021 that mandated a 30-day cooling-off time for marriage, following the example of the UK and France. However, despite this lowering of the divorce rate to two per 1,000 people, it has since risen to 2.66 by 2023, much higher than Japan’s ( 1. 5 ).

FIRST BIRTH AT OLDER Years

Chinese men and women have a very small biological window. By the age of 30, a person usually has 12 % of her hens left, and only 3 % by the age of 40.

The risk of miscarriage increases from 10 % for women under 30 to 20 % at 35, between 33 % and 40 % at 40, and between 57 % and 80 % at 45. With the family’s period, the chances of having a child with Down syndrome rise from one in two thousand at 20 to one in 350 at 35, and off to one in 30 at 45.

Curiosity in raising children decreases as the wedding time is increased.

That’s why about two-thirds of all births are delivered by people under the age of 30 worldwide. In the United States, Mexico, and India, parents were just 21 when they were first born.

In contrast, Taiwanese women’s average age at first birth has increased rapidly over the past few years, from 25 in 2000 to 28 in 2020. In Shanghai, it increased from 30 in 2019 to 32 in 2024.

Worse, China’s overall rate of infertility has increased from 1 % to 2 % in the 1970s to 8 % in 2020. More and more people are having their second child or becoming pregnant after marriage.

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From dog-walking to donations: Myanmar community in Singapore rallies after devastating earthquake

In Singapore, the Myanmar area is one of the many ways that the country’s citizens are assisting with sending aid home in the wake of a dangerous 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

In the strongest earthquake to struck Southeast Asia in over a millennium, over 2,700 people have been confirmed dead. According to Myanmar’s defense head Min Aung Hlaing, hundreds more have been injured, and the dying toll is expected to exceed 3, 000.

The country’s aid organizations have been warned that serious needs call for food, water, and shelter, and that the time for save efforts is rapidly closing. &nbsp,

Pills FOR WATER PURIFICATION,

Pastors Daniel Kyaw and Yamin Thiri, who are husband and wife, quickly emailed their people in Myanmar to make sure they were safe when they learned of the disaster. &nbsp,

The couple was “broken and unhappy” for those who were severely hit, according to Yangon native Pastor Yamin, despite the fact that their family members were not. It’s a lifestyle that has been destroyed and broken. So that’s truly heartbreaking,” she said.

They immediately switched to motion rather than acting solely out of emotion. The pair began mapping out the hardest-hit areas and identifying important supply needs in cooperation with local temples and ministers on the ground, along with the Myanmar community of Cornerstone Community Church in Singapore.

Along with their community, which includes a large number of local workers, they began sourcing and making relief supplies like tents, grain, oil, and waters purification tablets, some of which are more readily available in Singapore than in Myanmar.

” We will take anything from Singapore that they can’t find in Myanmar,” said Pastor Yamin. We are attempting to identify the gaps that we can pack as a group.

Logistics for travel are currently being worked out to transport the supplies from Yangon to more seriously affected places like Mandalay. The religion continues to offer emotional support to people whose families were affected, many of whom are able to return home as a result of ongoing social instability.

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Ex-offender warns influencers are trivialising incarceration, seeks to fill gap in rehab support

His deeds had also impacted the rest of his family. His mother, the Centre for Psychotherapy’s medical chairman, Nisha Rani, was shocked. Satish Kumar, his son, was devastated.

Kumar says,” I was absolutely broken,” his voice squeaking. When I think about those times, I’m also emotional.

Anand Mahey, Gopal’s brother, was tormented by grief because he had been sucked into his mental sanity by conviction. He continues to wonder,” Something would have happened if I’d just asked ( Gopal ), maybe if I’d asked my parents, maybe maybe I asked someone, or whatever.

Gopal has been a high-functioning addiction since 2010. But it wasn’t until he joined his family in working as a prison counselor a few years after that his double life began to weigh him.

What am I doing, I keep asking myself in my head at the back of my head? What kind of crazy is this, exactly? he recalls.

” There were many times ( when ) I’d ( be ) telling myself I needed to do something to stop,” he said. But I was really ensnared in that cycle because of the psychological power of addiction.

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Commentary: Batam struggles to up the ante as Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone rises

BATAM’S Fall

Only in 1990 did the island start to take off as part of the Singapore-Johor-Riau ( SIJORI ) campaign along with its sister island Bintan. By utilizing its territories ‘ comparative advantages and good connection, this tripartite initiative courted foreign investment. &nbsp,

Beyond worldwide campaign, the reform of limiting laws, especially those relating to equity thresholds and the ownership of business estates by secret sector operators, was the catalyst for investment in Batam. A number of electrical and electronics companies with offices in Singapore were established in the form of sponsors based in Singapore.

As politicians struggled to contain the effects of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, the SIJORI battle lost steam. However, the majority of the manufacturing activities that occurred in the 1990s continued to exist in the different SIJORI regions, demonstrating the financial potential of these cross-border systems.

Batam and Bintan’s economic fortunes were boosted even more in 2002 when the US-Singapore free trade agreement’s Integrated Sourcing Initiative made it possible for items purchased from the territories to be included in Singapore’s customs place for sale to the US. In 2009, all of Batam and a portion of Bintan became free trade zones (FTZ), allowing duty-free industry and goods.

In the following 20 years, Batam concentrated on its market as an export-focused gateway of production, much like Johor in the north. But, as major business relations crises hit the island, its appeal began to wane.

Many of the region’s electrical and electronics manufacturers emigrated as a result. Increased expense in the shipping and repair sectors was able to mitigate the impact. According to Batam’s FTZ standing, this wave, in turn, subsided according to overcapacity and selling heheuristics on the local market.

Batam’s economy is recovering after COVID-19 caused a decline in commerce. The island’s economy experienced a 2.5 % growth in 2020, but it returned to 4.8 % in 2021 and oscillated between 6.5 % and 7 % between 2022 and 2024. Thermal board, power generation, and silicon producers have all made investments in Batam. Apple’s commitment to spend US$ 1 billion to create AirTags on the island is its most notable accomplishment.

Its market has been further diversified by budding service industries like film and animation as well as data centers. SEZs that focus on the online market, health, and aerospace maintenance, repair, and procedure sectors should ideally help these green shoots and another target sectors. The Johor-Singapore SEZ also has a reputation for some of these businesses.

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