Air India Cancels Mumbai-Singapore Flight; 260 Passengers Stranded

The Mumbai-Singapore flight AI342 with 260 passengers on board was canceled due to non-availability of commander.

The flight, which was scheduled to take-off at 5 am on Jan. 2, is now expected to depart for its destination tonight.

Air India has provided hotel and other facilities to the stranded passengers. Some of the passengers have been booked on other flights.

The airline is facing acute shortage of pilots, particularly commanders, as a good number of them have quit the carrier for better prospects.

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Pope Posts His First Tweet; Gets Over 1 Million Followers

Pope Benedict XVI posted his first tweet on social networking site Twitter today (Dec. 12) under his confirmed handle @Pontifex, as he hit the 1 million Twitter follower mark.

The 85-year-old inaugural tweet read: Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.

The Vatican had opened eight Twitter accounts in the pope's name, in eight languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Italian, French and Arabic.

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Krispy Kreme to Open Stores in Singapore

Doughnut lovers in Singapore will soon no longer have to bring home boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts whenever they return from overseas.

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Corporation has signed an agreement with Star360 Group to bring its doughnut shops to Singapore.

Under the agreement, 15 Krispy Kreme franchise locations will be set up in Singapore over the next five years.

And Star360 Group, which represents a collection of brands in Asia, will be its licensed franchisee in Singapore.

Krispy Kreme has a total of over 700 locations selling its doughnuts in 21 countries.

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iPhone 5 Hits Stores

The most anticipated phone of the year, the Apple iPhone 5 finally went on sale around the world on Sept. 21, 2012. From London to New York to Tokyo, fans camped outside Apple stores to get their hand on Apples’s latest baby.

The phone is already a best-seller, with over two million pre-orders around the world in just 24 hours. The smartphone is being launched in Australia, US, UK, Canada, France, Germany Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan. It will go on sale in 22 more countries a week later.

According to sources, Apple will be shipping as many as 10 million iPhones 5 by the end of September. The iPhone 5 is thinner, lighter, has a taller screen, faster processor, updated software.

For Indian customers, they have to wait till December.

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Singapore Airlines to Start Daily Myanmar Flights From Oct. 28

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch daily flight services to Yangon from Oct 28 in a bid to fulfill the growing passenger demand in Myanmar.

Using 323-seat Boeing 700-200 aircraft, SIA will operate the daily flights.

SIA is the latest among international carriers that stretches wings to Yangon.

Meanwhile, seven airlines—Korean Air, Dragon Air, EVA Air, All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, Condor Airlines and Trans Asia Airways—are prepared to commence flights to Yangon in October.

In addition to the 64-year-old state-operated domestic Myanma Airways (MA), there are also five other private-run domestic airlines in Myanmar, namely Air Mandalay, Yangon Airways, Air Bagan, Asian Wings and Air Kanbawza.

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Singapore Food Festival in Mumbai Till Aug. 31

Singapore, the gastronomic haven for food lovers, is known for its Singaporean-Chinese delicacies. Presenting the local favorites to you will be Chef Joo Kiang NG of Emperor’s Court at the Singapore Food Festival right here in Mumbai at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel.

Choose your favorites from an array of dishes such as Chicken rice—Singapore style, Mee Goreng (Noodle preparation), Otak Otak (Fish cake) or the Noodle station with Fish and Prawns. There will also be a buffet with delicious items like Chilli Crab, Prawns Sambal, Pork Chops (Singapore style), Braised Chicken with Dried Chili, Braised Lohan Vegetable, Pineapple Fried Rice, Nasi Goreng and Lamb Curry Potatoes. Do try the Ice Kachang (Singapore style Gola), Teh Tarik (Singapore Chai) and Nyonya Kuih (Singapore dessert). Come to Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel to relish the delicacies of Singaporean-Chinese cuisine.

Menu & Price:

Meal package with soft beverages: Rs 1499+
Alcohol inclusive meal package (IMFL brands): Rs 2000+
Premium alcohol inclusive meal package: Rs 2500+

For reservations, contact: 022/66927561.

Date & Time:

Upto Aug. 31, 2012; 7–11.45 pm

Venue:

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, 2/3 B Near Chinmayanand Ashram, Powai, Mumbai

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Tiger Airways to Start Hyderabad-Singapore Flights From Sept. 28

Singapore based low-cost carrier, Tiger Airways will start a five times a week service between Hyderabad and Singapore from September 28, 2012.

This is the sixth new destination for Tiger Airways. It already flies to Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchi.

The Hyderabad-Singapore flight (TR 2625) will be on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Departing from Hyderabad at 1.40 am, the flight arrives in Singapore at 8.50 am. The Singapore-Hyderabad flight, on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, will depart at 10.30 pm and arrive at 12.40 am.

As a promotional, the airline is offering fares from $165 one-way (Hyderabad-Singapore) all inclusive and $ Singapore 190 one way, all inclusive. The Hyderabad-Singapore fare is in US dollars and return in Singapore dollars. They will be available for sale till July 13 for travel between September 28 and October 31.

Mr Steward Adams, Managing Director, Tiger Airways Singapore, said the airline would offer value fares, with friendly, on-time service.

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IIFA Awards 2012 in Singapore From June 7–9; Ranbir, Bipasha, Shahid to Perform

The forthcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards night will be held in Singapore From June 7–9, 2012. The father-son duo of Rishi and Ranbir Kapoor might share the stage together for the first time.

The awards night will also see performances by Sonakshi Sinha, Bipasha Basu, Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra.

Ranbir says he will enthrall his fans in Singapore by performing on hits like "Sadda haq" and "Tai tai phish," as well as "one surprise."

The flamboyant actor rarely performs at award functions, but the fact that ace dancer Prabhu Deva was choreographing his IIFA act drew him.

"It is not that I don't perform. I did not have the confidence to come on stage and perform. This time Prabhu Deva is choreographing and I love his choreography.

"So I wanted to perform. Prabhu is a dancing star not only of India, but of the world. He is better than Michael Jackson," Ranbir said.

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Singapore to Invest More in Myanmar's Tourism Sector

Businessmen from Singapore are keen to invest in the hotel and tourism sector in Myanmar. A 15-member delegation of the International Enterprise Singapore Business Department Trip to Myanmar, led by Tan Soon Kin, group director of the Southeast Asia Group, has held discussions with officials of Myanmar's ministry of hotels and tourism.

Singapore is the biggest foreign investor in Myanmar's hotel and tourism industry, running the Sedona Hotel and Park Royal Hotel in Yangon and the Sedona Hotel in Mandalay.

Other major foreign investors come from Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Britain.

According to the report, the US was also keen to invest in Myanmar's tourism sector.

At present, Myanmar has 22 foreign-invested hotels, nine government-owned hotels and 678 private hotels.

To create more job opportunities for the locals, the Myanmar government is expected to launch more than 50 hotels across the country over the next two years.

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Shahid Kapoor to Host IIFA Awards 2012

Bollywood actors Riteish Deshmukh and Boman Irani have been entertaining viewers their wit and coming timing as the hosts of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards for the past four years. But this year, Shahid Kapoor might be taking the mantle away from them.

According to a source, Shahid is being roped in to anchor the 13th edition of IIFA, to be held in Singapore from June 7–9, 2012.

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan are also likely to host certain segments of the ceremony. Both actors are in the run for the best actor in a leading role award for their performances in "Don 2: The King Is Back" and "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara," respectively.

The three-day cine event, organized by Wizcraft International Entertainment, will see a host of Indian celebrities. It will feature fashion shows and a musical extravaganza, with all celebrations culminating into a glittering awards presentation ceremony.

"Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" is leading the nomination pack as it features in 14 categories.

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American Band Dream Theater to Perform in Singapore on May 2

American progressive metal band Dream Theater will play at Kallang Theater in Singapore on May 2, 2012 in support of their 2011 studio album ‘A Dramatic Turn Of Events.’ This will be their fourth visit to Singapore, having played there before in 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Last year, the band received their first ever Grammy nomination for their single ‘On The Backs Of Angels’ in the category for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. Since the band inception in 1985, the band has gone through many lineup changes. So the lineup coming to Singapore is James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (lead guitarist), John Myung (bassist), Jordan Ruddess (keyboards) and Mike Mangini (drummer).

Tickets are available online and priced at $168, $148, $128, and $98 ($3 booking fee applies). For more ticket details, go to http://www.lamcproductions.com/dreamtheater12 .

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CommunicAsia's 23rd Edition to Begin in Singapore From June 19-22

CommunicAsia, an annual information and technology exhibition held in Singapore, will begin its 23rd edition from June 19-22, 2012.

Over 1,300 exhibitors from across the world, including India, are projected to participate in the event.

"India participation is doing very well. Last year 86 companies participated from here compared to 77 in 2010. We expect to see a similar growth this year," said Senior Product Manager (Communications Events) at Singapore Exhibition Services, which organizes CommunicAsia.

The Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC), set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Ministry of Communications and IT, to promote export of telecom equipment and services, will participate in the event for the third time.

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Singapore Arts Festival From May 18–June 2; Tickets on Sale

Singapore Arts Festival — scheduled to be held from May 18 to June 2, 2012 — will celebrate its 35th year. Over 500 local and international artists are expected to take part during the 16-day arts festival.

Singapore Arts Festival will present 14 ticketed and 66 non-ticketed productions. The city will come alive with an infusion of performances of theater, dance, film and multidisciplinary works at the Festival's hub — the Festival Village at Esplanade Park and other key venues.

The Festival will showcase local and international acts, collaborations and projects that take audiences into exciting new venues, pushing the boundaries of traditional performance. This year's festival completes a trilogy with the theme "Our Lost Poems," which began two years ago with "Between You and Me" in 2010 and "I Want to Remember" in 2011.

The Festival Village at Esplanade Park is a key emphasis of the festival this year. It will feature eight performance spaces and play host to more than 300 free performances. Audiences will enjoy free performances from a wide range of artists and arts groups, ranging from the T'ang Quartet and Budak Pantai, to special showcases by professional traditional arts groups as well as children.

Highlights such as Bridge Cafe Project by Japanese artist, Kim Itoh, and Dream Country by Marion d'Cruz will bring a strong local community participation component to its program, which audiences will enjoy.

The village will open daily during the festival from 4 pm to midnight on weekdays and till 1 am on weekends.

Tickets go on sale from March 15.

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New Apple iPad to Go on Sale on March 16

Apple’s third-generation iPad will arrive at Apple's retail stores and its online store on Friday, March 16, 2012 in the United States and nine additional countries and regions.

According to the company, the new iPad will hit the store on March 16 at 8 am in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Britain, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Customers who buy a new iPad at an Apple retail store will be offered free personal setup service. Customers in the US could shop and buy the device anywhere they are and pick up their purchase at any Apple retail store.

In the US, the new iPad will also be available at Best Buy, Radio Shack, Sam's Club, Target and Walmart.

Starting March 23, the new device will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

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HTC to Launch 3 Android Smartphones in Singapore on March 30

Taiwanese handset manufacturer HTC is set to launch three new Android Ice Cream Sandwich based smartphones One X, One V and One S in Singapore on March 30, 2012. These smartphones will make their way to India within a week after the official launch. HTC has showcased these smartphones during Mobile World Congress 2012.

HTC is also in talks with Airtel to bundle data plans with the One series smartphones. HTC One smartphones will feature Android 4.0 and HTC's new Sense 4 user interface along with a new suite of camera and imaging features known as HTC Image Sense.

With Image Sense, HTC claims that the One series will rival traditional digital cameras with improvements in every part of the camera including the lens, sensor, software, and even a new integrated custom HTC image chip. Some noted improvements include the camera being ready in just 0.7 seconds; the 0.2 seconds autofocus; and enhancements in image capture quality even in adverse conditions such as low light, no light or with bright backlighting.

A new feature called Video Pic will enable users to capture a photo and shoot video at the same time. So, while you're shooting HD video with your HTC One smartphone, all you have to do is tap the shutter button and it snaps a high resolution still photo while the video continues to shoot.

HTC has also integrated Dropbox with HTC Sense, and offers 25 GB of cloud storage for two years. Normally a user only gets 2.5 GB of storage from Dropbox.

On the sound front, HTC now has access to Beats Audio technology, which it acquired recently and is using in its smartphones to improve its dwindling market share. Beats Audio will offer better bass and richer detail.

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Kerala's Federal Bank to Open Singapore, Middle East Offices

Kerala-based Federal Bank, which currently has just one representative office outside the country in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is working to open two more offices abroad.

VR Madhavakumar, additional zonal head of Federal Bank, said they are working to open two more branches. "One is being planned in the Middle East and another one in Singapore. At the moment, we have one representative office in Abu Dhabi, which has 25 of our employees, who currently operate in the Middle East market," said Madhavakumar.

Federal bank is currently one of the top banks in India in terms of capital base and boasts a capital adequacy ratio of 15.90 per cent.

"Our net worth is now Rs 5,600 crore, the highest among all banks in the state and is higher than that of the State Bank of Travancore," said Madhavakumar.

The total deposits of the bank grew by 26.63 percent, from Rs 36,913 crore as on December 2010 to touch Rs 46,742 crore as on December 2011.

With regard to non-resident Indian deposits, it grew by 35.41 percent to touch Rs 10,546 crore during the same period.

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Singapore to Host Joint Judicial Conference on March 3

Singapore will be hosting the second Joint Judicial Conference among the judiciaries of Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore.

The event to be held on Saturday, March 3, 2012 aims to strengthen ties between the Singapore judiciary and its regional judicial counterparts.

It also allows the exchange of views on recent developments in specific areas of the law.

Key members of the judiciaries will speak on the topics "Recent Trends in Judicial Review" and "The Court's Role in the Arbitral Process."

The conference will be attended by more than 70 judges and judicial officers from the three countries.

The inaugural conference was held in 2011 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Singapore to Develop 150-km Leisure Tour

Singapore will develop a 150-km leisure tour around the island, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean announced on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012.

The route will be "a continuous coastal recreational corridor around Singapore," according to the National Parks Board. It could traverse numerous residential estates and benefit some three million people, it said.

The tour will have three segments: eco-discovery trail, coastal adventure trail and the city and heritage trail.

The route was proposed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2008.

The government has said it will turn Singapore into a "City in the Garden."

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Maroon 5 Concert at Singapore GP 2012 on Sept. 22

Multiple Grammy winning American rock band, Maroon 5 will be performing live at the Padang stage in Zone 4 during Singapore Grand Prix 2012 on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012 at Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Singapore Grand Prix 2012 is scheduled to be held from Sept. 21–23, 2012. Entry to the concert is free with any purchase of the three-day event ticket.

Two thousand early-bird ticket holders can register online to get wristbands for access to the Saturday Fan Zone area. They can also register to stand a chance to win a pair of exclusive passes to Maroon 5's Meet and Greet session.

Singapore GP will be announcing additional artistes in the coming months.

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Singapore to Invest $595 Million on Drainage System

Singapore will invest 750 million Singapore dollars (US $595 mn) over the next five years to improve its drainage system.

Singapore's national water agency — Public Utilities Board (PUB) — announced on Jan. 30, 2012 that it is committing at least 750 million Singapore dollars over the next five years to increase the capacity of the city state's drains by up to 45 percent.

The announcement came after repeated flash floods in downtown areas hit malls over the past two years, prompting a review of the drainage system in place.

PUB announced its comprehensive measures to deal with increasingly intense rainfall, in response to earlier recommendations by an expert panel. Nearly half the money will be spent on expanding the capacity of six major canals.

The agency is also studying ways to better manage storm water upstream and is developing a model to predict floods with greater accuracy.

The agency also said that as Singapore becomes more urbanized, its approach to flood management needs to go beyond just improving drainage capacity.

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