Blue Bottle Coffee opening cafe in Lumine Singapore at Raffles City in early 2025

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Since Blue Bottle first expanded internationally to Japan almost a decade ago, we have shared a perspective to introduce its expertly crafted coffee experiences to new audiences. This is especially important in Singapore, where there is a lively shop tradition and a growing respect for specialty coffee, said Teruyuki Omote, president and CEO of Lumine Co.

In Oakland, California, Blue Bottle Coffee was founded in 2002 as a little coffee vehicle, and over the past 20 years, the company has grown its appearance in the US, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China. &nbsp,

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Kranji warehouse fire: Air quality in the west remained within normal range during four-day blaze

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SINGAPORE: Throughout the four-day fire at a Kranji warehouse in February, air quality in the west of Singapore remained within the permitted range, according to Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor on Thursday ( Mar 6 ).

Waste substances were the subject of the fire that broke out on February 19 at 11 Kranji Crescent and was put out on February 23. Wah &amp, Hua, a recycling and waste management company, occupies the location.

That was the warehouse’s third blaze in seven years. The past fires at the hospital were in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

The service has permission to sort industrial and commercial spare before putting it to recycling and disposal. According to Dr. Khor, it contained substances like e-waste, plastics, glasses, scrap metal, wood, and paper. &nbsp,

Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Hazel Poa ( PSP) posed a question in response to which of the questions had been answered: what kinds of materials were stored in the warehouse, and whether nearby residents had been exposed to toxic substances as a result of the fireplace.

Dr. Khor responded, stating that the inventory is about 2 kilometers from the closest homes. She continued, adding that it is prohibited to keep toxic industrial waste or dangerous substances. &nbsp,

” Assessments by NEA and SCDF are ongoing to determine whether the service complied with the appropriate licensing and fire safety specifications.”

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Seven injured after South Korea fighter jet accidentally drops bombs

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After a warrior flight accidentally dropped eight weapons in a human district during a live-fire military exercise, seven people in South Korea were hurt, four of them really.

The Air Force KF-16 incident occurred in the city of Pocheon, close to the border with North Korea, at around 10: 04 local time ( 0: 04 GMT ).

One weapon is believed to possess exploded. A team tasked with removing the bombs is attempting to safely remove the other seven old bombs, Pocheon regulators told the BBC. They claimed that people who live close to the region have been evicted.

Although shells from exist firing occasionally land close to civil homes, they hardly ever injure people.

Two people reported having neck and shoulder injuries, according to regional media reports.

” Our KF-16 ( jet fighter ) abnormally dropped 8 shells of MK-82 bombs. It landed outside of the air’s protection, according to Korea’s Air Force in a speech to the BBC.

It further stated that it was looking into the event and expressed regret for the injury, and that it would compensate those who were impacted.

One temple tower and two homes suffered damage as a result of the event.

A broken roof of the cathedral and a broken windows of a building are depicted in images published on local media.

The defense ministry claimed that the Thursday education was related to a joint exercise with US troops.

The US and South Korea will conduct combined maneuvers starting on March 10 until March 20; this is the first training since Donald Trump’s White House visit. The two nations are becoming more watchful of the growing empire between North Korea and Russia as a result.

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Man charged with importing 154 replica guns into Singapore without permit

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A 44-year-old man was charged in the state courts on Thursday ( Mar. 6 ) with entering Singapore without a permit and importing 154 replica guns. &nbsp,

Singaporean Ng Jie Sheng is accused of importing 84 sets of toys rifles, 70 sets of toys pistols, 10 sets of toys shot launchers, and four boxes of plastic bullets and accessories between March 14 and May 11, 2023, according to his command plate. &nbsp,

The situation was made public by the police after they learned about the sale of imitation firearms on May 11, 2023, on an online marketplace.

The police raided a mansion along Race Course Lane on May 26 that year and seize the replica firearms and related accessories after determining the seller’s identity through follow-up searches. &nbsp,

Underrepresented and disadvantaged, Ng said he intended to confess criminal but would seek counsel when he appeared in court on Thursday. His case will be heard once more on March 27.

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Highly anticipated Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie coming to Singapore theatres in August

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Fans of the future Infinity Castle film in Singapore won’t have to wait long to watch the film. The first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy’s global release dates were announced on Thursday ( Mar 6 ) by Crunchyroll, Crunchyroll, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

One of the final circles in the Demon Slayer comics is the subject of the movie. It will take its inspiration straight from the anime’s prior year, which saw Muzan Kibutsuji, the series ‘ villain, transport the Demon Slayers to his home, The Infinity Castle.

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South Korea military jet misdrops 8 bombs during training exercise, injuring 15

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According to the Yonhap news agency, South Korea and the United States were conducting live-fire maneuvers in Pocheon on Thursday.

The weapons were “presummed to have fallen on a community during a South Korea-US combined exercising,” according to South Korea’s National Fire Agency.

Two really hurt people were among the 15 people who were injured, according to a speech from the Gyeonggi-do Bukbu Fire Services.

According to the National Fire Agency, one temple tower and portions of two homes also suffered damage.

” Like A Thunderclap,”

One local citizen, who just gave his surname as Park, claimed to have been watching television while watching Yonhap at home.

” The entire house shook as I immediately heard an enormous blast, similar to a thunderclap.” When I went beyond, everything was in total chaos,” Park claimed.

Perhaps a senior center a kilometer away, the crash was felt.

The tower was shaken by a sudden explosion. One of our teachers was hurt and taken to the hospital because of the broken windows, the center’s chairman, who is surnamed Yu, reported on Yonhap.

” Fortunately, none of the elders were hurt, but we sent them all home,” they continued.

One of the largest monthly joint exercises between security allies, joint South Korea-US” Freedom Shield” martial exercises, is scheduled to start later this month.

Since the 1950 to 1953 turmoil ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, the two Koreas have essentially been at war.

In piece to defend Seoul from Pyongyang, the US stationes tens of thousands of men in the South.

A short-range ballistic missile from South Korea, the Hyunmu-2, was shot in response to a North Korean missile launch, and unintentionally hit a military golfing lessons in Gangwon province in South Korea in 2022.

No one was hurt in the event because the missile didn’t blow.

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Burger & Lobster closing sole Singapore outlet at Jewel Changi Airport, offering 1-for-1 lobster rolls

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Burger &amp, Lobster Singapore responded to supporters on its Instagram page by stating that the ring was leaving Singapore and that the closing is continuous. In the past, Burger & Lobster had shut down its Raffles Hotel location in the late 2024.

Following an incident in May 2022 where over 130 diners reported experiencing gastroenteritis at the Jewel Changi Airport outlet, Burger &amp, Lobster Singapore was fined S$ 3, 000 ( US$ 2, 250 ) in April 2024.

CNA Lifestyle has contacted Burger & Lobster Singapore for opinions.

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Leave your laptop charger at home: 7 unconventional productivity hacks to overcome laziness

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I’ll admit it: I’m not very good at things like persistence and skill, though I’m not trying to try, trying, trying, failing, and trying again. &nbsp,

But I’m pretty good at being successful when I’m in the corridor.

Leaving aside this statement, I’ve properly used my productivity for the majority of my life to conceal my total lack of consistency and discipline. ( A strengths-based approach, if you will. ) Now, what’s all the hatred, no? &nbsp,

The problem is that typical production guidance typically revolves around creating a routine, which necessitates consistency and control. Or it reverts to conventional methods to combat a lack of willpower.

However, I need more than your typical Pomodoro-wielding, time-blocking strategies that optimisation experts claim may make you live more content if you practice them diligently.

I tend to work best in surges of bipolar performance, and I frequently just want a quick and dirty way to get out of a psychological fall. &nbsp,

Below are seven innovative, tried-and-true strategies to overcoming gravity if that sounds familiar to you. at least for the duration.

1. Use figure doubling

Body tripling is an astonishingly easy act when trying to concentrate or launch a task. any undertaking.

I’d used system doubling my entire life without realizing it until the crisis made it painfully obvious when I worked from home. Yet if we didn’t talk, whenever I had a friend video phone in the background all evening, my productivity increased sharply. &nbsp,

Your brain single shouldn’t need to be acting in the same way or act like you know. They simply must be present, either physically or in people. &nbsp,

Which probably accounts for why I use Focusmate, a virtual collaborative platform that matches customers looking for a body dual for 25 or 50 minutes of work, to complete tasks at least three times as well.

My brain twice in the past, even YouTube video of people studying. Just watch out for the potentially disruptive advertising cuts.

Productivity report: 9/10&nbsp,

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Not just another sustainable brand: How Singapore womenswear label Rock Daisy stands out in a sea of basics

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Her sense of purpose grew as her abilities grew. She began studying pattern making, draping, and garment construction, going through YouTube tutorials, ripping off failed projects to save fabric, and improving methods that would eventually define Rock Daisy’s visual.

By the time she relocated up to Singapore in 2022, she was certain that it would be the case. ” I had financial organization skills before I had the specialized skills. I had to start if I wanted to do this and make something real.

THE ORIGIN OF” LOW-IMPACT” FASHION

From the beginning, Liou’s goal for Rock Daisy was simple: low-impact, small-scale, and made of natural elements. However, how does a small, independent product truly uphold these values in an economy where sustainability is frequently more about marketing than actions?

For Liou, the process begins with procurement. When I attempted to ask cotton suppliers where their cloth was from, they weren’t also provide me with an answer, she said. When a large supplier orders a lot of units, transparency is the only thing you can get.

Tencel, a model of lyocell material made from wood pulp, was ultimately chosen by the designer. She explained that “it has provenance throughout the entire supply chain.” You are completely knowledgeable about the processes and substances used in the production of trees, and I can have by that.

Beyond the material decisions, Rock Daisy items are built to last. Just a few of the unknown details that elevate each element are bias-bound interiors, flat-felled and European seams, and building techniques that double labor time but increase the lifespan of garments.

” It would be simple to cut sides,” Liou said. ” Tencel charges almost ten times more than nylon. Due to the methods I insist on using, sewing a single item takes half a day. However, that’s the price of producing appropriately.”

Competing in Singapore’s price-sensitive market is challenging because Rock Daisy’s pieces range from S$ 75 to S$ 185 ( US$ 56 to US$ 139 ). People may speak about conservation all morning, but sometimes they just want to know how to type it, she said. ” And that’s fine. That’s a win if they love it and ending up purchasing things better for their attire without even realizing it.

Despite this, Liou’s openness about informed intake is refreshing. As a fashion designer, it’s a little disingenuous to say that purchasing morally and sustainably produced items isn’t going to solve the climate crisis we’re currently in. Making more conscious payments is a good place to start, but real change also requires changing our behavior.

STRENGTH VS SOFTNESS

Rock Daisy, a paradox of contrasts based on a tenacious daisy Liou encountered in the Alps, is named after the tenacious wildflower Liou, which represents femininity and strength. Every layout incorporates this perfect balancing of masculine and feminine, as well as between the two.

Liou remarked,” I adore oversized shapes. There is strength in garments that suggest more than show. It’s about masculine shapes and romantic details being balanced with strength and softness.

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Trump tariffs: China is a manufacturing powerhouse- can tariffs change that?

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14 days before
Joel Guinto

BBC News

Reporting fromSingapore
Getty Images This photo taken on February 22, 2018 shows a woman working at a textile factory in Haian in China's eastern Jiangsu province.Getty Images

US President Donald Trump has hit China with a second tariff in as many months, which means imports from there now face a levy of at least 20%.

His most recent attack on Beijing is that country already faces steep US tariffs, which range from 100 % on Chinese-made electric vehicles to 15 % on clothes and shoes.

Trump’s tariffs target the brain of China’s production boom, a network of companies, assembly lines, and provide chains that produce and deliver a wide range of products, including everything from fast clothing and toys to solar panels and electric vehicles.

China’s trade surplus with the world reached a record$ 1 trillion ($ 788 billion ) in 2024 thanks to strong exports ($ 3.5 billion ), which overshadowed its import ($ 2.5 billion ) growth.

China has long been the largest manufacturer in the world, and it has grown ever since it first opened its doors to international trade in the late 1970s thanks to cheap labor and express investment in infrastructure.

How much could Trump’s trade conflict affect China’s ability to succeed in developing?

How do levies operate and what are they?

Taxes are taxes levied on imports from other nations.

The buyer is typically the one who pays the taxes, which are typically set at a fraction of the value of the goods.

A product imported to the US from China would therefore be subject to an additional$ 0.40 charge if it were to be subject to a 10 % tariff.

Getty Images Workers weld parts at a factory which produces cabs for excavators in Qingzhou, in China's eastern Shandong province on October 31, 2024Getty Images

In order to encourage consumers to purchase less expensive home goods, companies should increase the price of imported goods, helping to promote their own economy’s growth.

Trump sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue. But economic studies of the impact of tariffs which Trump imposed during his first term in office, suggest the measures ultimately raised prices for US consumers.

Trump has stated that his most recent tariffs are intended to pressure China into more to prevent the US from receiving the narcotic.

He also imposed 25 % tariffs on Mexico and Canada, claiming that the country’s leaders were not doing enough to stop the flow of illegal drugs across borders.

Does Trump’s tariffs wounded Chinese factories?

Well, experts assert.

Exports have been China’s” saving kindness,” according to Harry Murphy Cruise, an analyst at Moody’s analysis, and if the income continue, exports to the US may drop by a third to a second.

Due to China’s imports, which account for a fifth of the country’s earnings, the sheer volume of which means a 20 % tax could undermine international demand and reduce the trade deficit.

The tariffs may harm China, according to Alicia Garcia-Herrero, general analyst for Asia-Pacific at Natixis in Hong Kong, to the BBC. They must perform a lot more, they say. They must “boost local need,” as Xi Jinping has already said.

That is a tall task in an economy where the property market is slumping and disillusioned youth are struggling to find high-paying jobs.

Chinese people have not been spending enough to recharge the economy – and Beijing has just announced a slew of stimulus measures to boost consumption.

According to analysts, tariffs may slow down or change Chinese manufacturing, but they can’t do so quickly.

Getty Images UBTECH's swarm-intelligent humanoid robots conduct practical training at Zeekr's 5G Intelligent Factory on March 1, 2025 in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of ChinaGetty Images

” Not only is China the largest producer, it can also be the single supplier like solar panel. You can only get thermal panel in China, according to Ms Garcia-Herrero.

Before Trump became president, China had already started transitioning from making clothes and shoes to advanced tech like robotics and artificial intelligence ( AI ). And that has given China an “early movers” benefits, as well as the size of creation in the second-largest sector of the world.

According to Shuang Ding, general China analyst at Standard Chartered, Chinese factories may produce high-end technology in large quantities at a low cost.

” It’s truly difficult to find a replacement,” he said.” China’s position as a market leader is quite difficult to overtake.”

How is China reacting to Trump’s levies?

China has responded with counter tariffs of 10-15% on US agricultural goods, coal, liquefied natural gas, pick-up trucks, and some sports cars.

Additionally, it has announced an anti-monopoly analysis against Google and issued export restrictions to US companies in the fields of aircraft, defense, and technology.

From Trump’s second word, China has also had to spend years adapting to taxes. For example, some Taiwanese manufacturers have relocated their businesses away from the country. And because exporting from there without paying taxes, supply stores are increasingly dependent on Vietnam and Mexico.

However, according to Ms Garcia-Herrero, Trump’s new tariffs on Mexico won’t hurt China too much because Vietnam is a bigger loophole for Chinese products.

Vietnam is the answer, they say. I believe it will be very difficult if taxes are imposed on Vietnam, he said.

Getty Images This photo illustration shows the DeepSeek app on a mobile phone in Beijing on January 28, 2025.Getty Images

Experts believe that US limits on advanced chips predominate over China’s concerns.

These restrictions have caused China to face significant opposition from the two nations, but they have also fueled its desire to invest in separate, domestic technology.

It’s why Chinese AI firm DeepSeek shocked Silicon Valley and unnerved Washington when it released a chatbot that rivals OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The firm had reportedly stockpiled Nvidia chips before the US began cutting off China’s access to the most advanced ones.

Although this might have an impact on China’s profitability, I don’t believe that would have an impact on China’s position as a fabrication power, according to Mr. Ding of Standard Chartered.

On the other hand, any surface China can gain from innovative technology manufacturing will raise its high-value exports.

How did China grow to be a top producer?

According to experts, it occurred as a result of state aid, an unparalleled supply chain, and cheap labor.

The Economist Intelligence Unit analyst Chim Lee told the BBC,” The combination of globalization, as well as China’s pro-business policies and marketplace potential, helped to get the first wave of international investors.

The government then doubled down, investing heavily in creating a enlarging system of docks and bridges to import raw elements and export Chinese-made products to the earth. A robust exchange rate between the US dollars and the Chinese yuan also helped.

According to experts, a change in recent years toward advanced technology has made sure that it will continue to be related and forward of its competitors.

Getty Images This aerial photograph taken on April 16, 2024 shows electric cars for export stacked at the international container terminal of Taicang Port in Suzhou, in China's eastern Jiangsu Province. Getty Images

China currently has a lot of financial clout as a leader in the manufacturing sector. However, Trump’s tariffs also present a political option because they upend America’s relationship with other countries.

China must stand out as a strong international pressure and a proponent of free business, according to Mr. Cruise of Moody’s.

But that is not easy, given Beijing has been accused of flouting international trade norms, such as imposing a tariff of more than 200% on imports of Australian wine in 2020.

China must look beyond the US, which is still the main export place, according to researchers. After Canada and Mexico, the US export industry is the third-largest.

China’s business with Latin America, South East Asia, and Europe has been expanding, but it’s difficult to believe that the two biggest economies in the world you stop relying on one another.

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