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https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-ranked-most-liveable-city-220000368.html Singapore has maintained its position as the most liveable city in Asia, according to global mobility specialist ECA International in its annual location rating report. "With excellent infrastructure and facilities, low crime rates and little exposure to socio-political tensions, Singapore remains a very attractive location for expatriates," says Mark Harrison, ECA general manager for Asia. "However, other regional locations have improved, and the gap between Singapore and other locations has fallen." ECA's Location Ratings evaluate cities worldwide to assess the overall quality of living for expats in over 500 locations across the globe. The ranking is based on various liveability factors, including availability of health services, housing and utilities, access to a social network, recreational and leisure facilities, infrastructure, climate, personal safety, socio-political tensions and air quality. Hong Kong's overall ranking has fallen in the last five years but remains in the top 10 most liveable Asian cities. Since 2022, Hong Kong's liveability has improved since the final Covid-19 restrictions were removed. In terms of liveability for Asian expatriates, Hong Kong has fallen over the past decade from 17th globally in 2013 to 77th in 2023. "Since political demonstrations in 2014 and protests in 2019, elements of our assessment related to socio-political tensions and freedom of expression have worsened," notes Harrison. "However, Hong Kong still has excellent facilities, infrastructure, recreational options and low crime rates and remains attractive relative to many other locations in the region." Hong Kong is behind Singapore, Japan and Busan in the Korean Republic in ECA's Asian rankings. "The intrinsic risk of disruption caused by typhoons, relatively high levels of pollution and difficulties in obtaining suitable accommodation are factors which count against Hong Kong compared to locations such as Singapore," adds Harrison. Despite facing challenges associated with natural disasters, Tokyo is the second most liveable city for Asian expatriates. Indeed, Tokyo has risen from the 9th spot in 2013 to become the second most liveable city in ECA's latest assessment. Over the past decade, mainland Chinese cities have climbed significantly in the rankings despite losing some of their momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. "The zero-Covid policy and associated restrictions caused many Chinese cities to fall in our rankings for a couple of years," says Harrison. "But when we look at our current assessment compared to five or ten years ago, we can see that Chinese cities have risen notably in the rankings as living conditions have improved." Some aspects of life continue to be challenging for expatriates in mainland China, such as high levels of pollution, censorship, and suboptimal healthcare facilities. However, improvements in areas such as transport infrastructure and international schooling provision are the reason cities like Shenzhen (137th this year compared to 152nd ten years ago), Xi'an (163rd this year compared to 176th), and Wuhan (up from 160th to 145th) have improved in the rankings. Yangon in Myanmar is the location that has fluctuated most in the rankings over the past 10 years. Between 2013 and 2018, there was a significant improvement in its rankings (from 225th to 208th) following the reinstatement of civilian rule and strong economic growth. However, this progress was reversed when the military seized power again in 2021, and Yangon is now back down to 229th position, lower than it was 10 years ago. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, there have been small but significant improvements in transport infrastructure, health services and recreational facilities in several locations. These cities have become more attractive to expats, for instance, Jakarta (which moved up from 213th to 196th spot), Phnom Penh (from 200th to 184th) and Hanoi (up from 160th to 144th). Outside of Asia, cities in New Zealand and Australia are the most liveable for Asian expatriates. Wellington and Adelaide are tied in second place alongside Tokyo. Eindhoven in the Netherlands is the highest-rated European city at 7th place, while Vancouver, Canada, has the highest ranking among cities in North America.

The words 'pork fat' and 'nutritious' don't quite go together, but that may soon change, given a surprising finding by scientists which was first published in 2015 but went viral only recently. According to a BBC report in January, researchers who analysed more than 1,000 raw foods found that lard is among the top 10 foods which provide the best balance of a person's daily nutritional requirements Pork fat was ranked 8th in a list of 100 foods, with a nutritional score of 74 - the higher the number, the more likely it will meet your daily nutritional needs. It is listed as containing "a good source of B vitamins and minerals" as well as being "more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat". Here are the top 10 most nutritious foods and their nutritional scores, according to the study: 1. Almonds, 97 2. Cherimoya (a type of fruit), 96 3. Ocean perch (a deep-water fish), 89 4. Flatfish, 88 5. Chia seeds, 85 6. Pumpkin seeds, 84 7. Swiss chard, 78 8. Pork fat, 73 9. Beet greens, 70 10. Snapper, 69 In addition, pork fat contains oleic acid with 60% monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated oleic acid has been found to be good for the heart, arteries and skin, and also helps to regulate hormones. As a comparison, butter contains 45% monounsaturated fat But as with many things, moderation is key. Excessive consumption of fat can lead to obesity, according to a Singapore-based nutritionist interviewed by the Chinese daily. "As long as it's pure and unprocessed, it can be beneficial for the body," said the nutritionist. But she recommends not consuming more than six spoonfuls a day, and stresses the importance of a balanced diet: "For example, meat is a better source of Vitamin B than fat, and essential omega-3 fatty acids are obtained from other foods." Still, it's good news for the rest of us who can tuck into our favourite roast pork or kou rou bao (pork belly bun) with just a little less guilt.

https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/the-most-and-least-expensive-cars-to-maintain-by-maddy-martin

Another ownself praise ownself article https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-ranked-best-country-for-children-to-grow-up-in?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&xtor=CS1-10#link_time=1527832332

Malaysia ranked safest among 19 nations Posted on 26 June 2012 - 06:39pm Last updated on 26 June 2012 - 07:47pm JOHOR BAHARU (June 26, 2012): Malaysia is ranked the safest of 19 upper-middle income nations in the world, according to the World Justice Project's Rule of Law Index 2011 report. Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Rahim Mohd Radzi said Malaysia was also deemed the 12th safest country, faring better than the United States and Britain. "The GTP (Government Transformation Programme) and Crime Reduction NKRA (National Key Result Areas) have received international recognition, for example. "The Global Peace Index has placed Malaysia as the safest and peaceful country in South-East Asia, and fourth in the Asia Pacific," he said in a speech when closing a current safety issues briefing here today. His speech text was read by the ministry's (registration and immigration division) deputy secretary-general Datuk Wan Ali Besar. He said a study carried out by the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) found that the public were less fearful when caught in a crime situation last year, due to measures undertaken by the government, as compared to 2010. "Many may wonder what effect this has on the country. An example would be that Malaysia's foreign direct investment standing was recorded at 10th position last year, as compared to 21st in 2010. "This is proof of confidence among foreign investors over our country's political climate, safety and stability," he said, adding that it indicated the ministry's plans to reduce crime was successful. – Bernama http://www.thesundaily.my/news/417537

The supposedly most ignorant places in the world have been named based on a survey of people's knowledge about their own country. The 2016 Index of Ignorance, produced by Ipsos MORI, includes information from 27,250 interviews of people aged 16 to 64 carried out between September and November 2016. Read more: http://goodyfeed.com/sporeans-ranked-one-ignorant-people-world/ Read even more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-most-ignorant-countries-index-ipsos-mori-poll-survey-a7481196.html?cmpid=facebook-post

I don't know what to say

From Yahoo!News Are Singaporeans a happy lot? Not quite, if the latest Happy Planet Index (HPI) is anything to go by. The index measures how governments from around the world provide long, happy and sustainable lives for their people, based on three factors: life expectancy, happiness and environmental sustainability. The results from the 2012 study, which was released on Thursday, ranked Singapore a lowly 90th out of 151 countries. Coming in top for the second year running is Costa Rica, while the highest-ranked Asian country is Vietnam (second). Hong Kong, in 102th position, is the only Asian nation that is ranked lower than Singapore. Singapore scored well in life expectancy and well-being, but did poorly in environmental sustainability. Overall, it scored 39.8. The Lion City performed better in the same study done in 2009, where it was ranked 49 out of 143 countries, with a score of 48.2. But its showing this year is an improvement from 2006, where it came in at 131st position, out of 178 countries, with a score of just 36.1. For more information on how the Happy Planet Index is calculated, go to http://www.happyplanetindex.org/about/

Guess what? Managed to chance upon this site http://www.capitalpunishmentuk.org/femhanged.html. 49 women from Iran, 11 from Singapore & 9 from Jordan... Amazing....

Bros, look at this: Singapore is for the Rich Nothing to be proud of. Properties are high but middle and low income pple will suffer

Why is this report not out before GE??!! SINGAPORE - When it comes to getting around the island, Singaporeans apparently have a worse journey experience than do commuters in New Delhi or Kuala Lumpur. The Republic ranked 18th in a survey of 23 cities on public and private transport journey experiences. Copenhagen, Seattle and Sydney had the most satisfied commuters, according to the inaugural Journey Experience Index by business research and consulting firm Frost and Sullivan. Singapore scored 54.5 points, below the global benchmark of 61. Those travelling on public transport indicated a higher level of discontent: Out of 740 public transport commuters and 674 private transport commuters polled here, 77.5 per cent and 57 per cent respectively were dissatisfied with their journey experience. A comparative breakdown for the other cities was not immediately available. However, one reason Singapore did not do better in the index could be the relatively high percentage of journeys made on public transport, as cities with higher car usage tended to record greater satisfaction in the overall journey experience, said Mr Vivek Vaidya, Frost's Asia-Pacific vice-president of its automotive and transportation practice. The index gave equal weightage to four areas: Timeliness in reaching one's destination, value-for-money, convenience and overall journey experience. Mr Vaidya said the main frustrations of public transport commuters were overcrowding, switching between different modes of transport as well as getting to and from their homes and train stations. Car owners said their journey times were predictable, but groused about the lack of value-for-money, with charges such as Electronic Road Pricing, he said. Transport analyst Lee Der Horng of the National University of Singapore was surprised that Singapore ranked below cities such as Beijing and Kuala Lumpur. But the findings suggest room for improvement in bus services here, he said. A significant percentage of commuters get to train stations by bus, and "now that we have more MRT lines, transfer between (different) modes becomes more and more common", he said. Train services are relatively predictable whereas buses, which are subject to road and traffic conditions, are less so, he added. "So, how to eliminate those uncertainties in bus services - that's what the operators and regulators should pay extra attention to," he said. Frost's findings vary from a customer satisfaction survey commissioned by the Land Transport Authority, the results of which were released earlier this year. Of 3,100 public transport commuters polled last October, 92.2 per cent were satisfied with service, according to the latter. Respondents gave an average service rating of 7.3 out of 10. Commuters were asked to rate satisfaction levels in eight areas including comfort, waiting time and reliability. Associate Professor Lee noted that the two surveys' methodologies were different and should not be compared. In reply to queries, the LTA told MediaCorp it was doing its best to increase the transport system capacity and will spend S$60 billion over the next 10 years to expand the rail network. Since last June, when LTA began quarterly reviews to improve heavily utilised bus services, 51 services have been improved through higher frequency and deployment of higher-capacity buses. "The LTA will also continue to build new road infrastructure to cater to travel demands," a spokesperson said. -TODAY/rt

This should make our Jazziegirl happy... Tokyo, January 9, 2003 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd., today announced that its small car model, the Fit, achieved cumulative unit sales of 250,790 units in Japan in 2002, according to statistics from the Japan Automobile Dealers' Association. Thus, Fit became the top-selling vehicle in Japan, the first time that a Honda model has reached the No.1 spot in yearly cumulative sales. Since its launch in June 2001, the Fit has proved popular with a wide-range of customers for its trend-setting styling, good fuel economy and excellent user- friendly features. Its cumulative sales now total 355,088 units in about a year and a half since its launch. The Fit was first exported to Europe in November 2001, and is currently sold to high acclaim in about 60 countries worldwide, as of the end of December 2002. Including exports, cumulative production of the Fit, which is manufactured at the Suzuka Factory, has exceeded 400,000 units.