All you have to do is identify as being Burmese and you become one. Everything is fluid in this day and age.
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Dubious distinctions for Singapore
- Thread starter LITTLEREDDOT
- Start date
All you have to do is identify as being Burmese and you become one. Everything is fluid in this day and age.
US raises Covid-19 travel alert for Singapore to highest risk level
The notice asked US residents to "avoid travel to Singapore".PHOTO: AFP
OCT 19, 2021
SINGAPORE - The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has added Singapore to its list of "very high" risk travel destinations.
Under its Travel Notices, the CDC raised Singapore to Level 4, its highest risk category, from Level 3 previously.
The notice cited: "Level 4: Very High Level of Covid-19 in Singapore."
The notice asked US residents to "avoid travel to Singapore".
"If you must travel to Singapore, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.
"Because of the current situation in Singapore, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid-19 variants," the CDC said.
It asked travellers to "follow recommendations or requirements in Singapore, including wearing a mask and staying six feet (1.83m) apart from others".
The CDC announcement followed a statement on Monday (Oct 18) by the US State Department urging against travel to Singapore due to Covid-19 cases.
Singapore on Monday reported 2,553 new Covid-19 infections, comprising 2,008 new cases in the community, 544 in migrant worker dormitories and one imported case.
Singapore recently announced the expansion of a quarantine-free travel scheme for travellers vaccinated against Covid-19.
The first flight under the expanded Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) will touch down in Singapore on Wednesday, in the next step of the reopening of Singapore’s borders.
SQ329 operated by Singapore Airlines (SIA) is expected to land at Changi Airport at 5.55am on Wednesday. It was to depart from Amsterdam in the Netherlands at 11.15am local time (5.15pm Singapore time) on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the VTL flight from the United States, SQ23, is expected to depart from New York on Tuesday evening local time, and land in Singapore at 5.20am on Thursday.
The Netherlands and the US are among eight of the latest countries the Republic has opened up VTLs with. The other countries are Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain and Britain.
Singapore had earlier opened up VTLs with Germany and Brunei on Sept 8. It will jointly launch VTLs with South Korea on Nov 15.
world's most powerful passport ki lan la... does not exempt you from quarantines and PCR tests.
Germany to classify S'pore as 'high-risk' area, vaccinated travellers still allowed to skip quarantine
Most fully vaccinated travellers will still be allowed to enter Germany without needing to quarantine, but a digital registration will now be mandatory.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Oct 23, 2021
SINGAPORE - Germany will begin classifying Singapore as among its list of "high-risk" Covid-19 areas on Sunday (Oct 24), its government health agency Robert Koch Institute announced.
Singapore and four other countries - Bulgaria, Cameroon, Croatia and the Republic of Congo - will be added to the list, according to the agency, citing a joint report from Germany's Ministry of Health, its Foreign Office and the Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community published on Friday.
Most fully vaccinated travellers will still be allowed to enter Germany without needing to quarantine, according to the German Embassy in Singapore, but a digital registration on einreiseanmeldung.de before arriving in Germany will now be mandatory.
The digital registration will require incoming travellers to provide proof of vaccination, a negative result from a Covid-19 test or recovery from the virus.
But the embassy added that unvaccinated children below the age of 12 will have to quarantine for five days upon arrival.
Germany is one of 11 countries to have established a Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme with Singapore, where travellers returning to the Republic from any of those countries will be exempt from quarantine should they test negative for Covid-19 upon arrival and in a pre-departure test.
The joint ministry report said that Germany classifies high-risk areas as regions with an "especially high" number of new cases, notably if the area's average seven-day Covid-19 infection incidence rate per 100,000 people is more than 100.
According to travel site Schengen Visa Info, data published by the World Health Organisation shows that the incidence rate of newly reported cases in the last seven days per 100,000 people for Singapore was 396.42, well over Germany's preferred threshold and its own incidence rate of 90.26.
S'pore removed from list of countries for which EU member states should lift travel curbs
Toh Ting Wei
Nov 9, 2021
SINGAPORE - Thinking of heading to Europe for a year-end vacation? Singaporeans could now face stricter border restrictions after the Republic was removed from a list of countries for which travel curbs should be lifted.
The Council of the European Union (EU) announced the decision to take out Singapore and Ukraine from the list on Tuesday (Nov 9).
Singapore had remained on the list - which is reviewed every two weeks - when the previous assessment was conducted late last month.
On the factors considered when deciding whether to recommend travel restrictions for a particular country, the EU said: "They cover the epidemiological situation and overall response to Covid-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources.
"Reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case by case basis."
The council's recommendation is not a legally binding instrument.
"The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation," the council added.
Its announcement on Tuesday could pave the way for the 27 countries in the EU to reimpose border restrictions on travellers from Singapore, although the immediate impact remains unclear.
In the last two months, Singapore had announced Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with 10 countries in Europe - Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Britain.
These 10 countries had unilaterally opened up to Singapore prior to the Republic's announcement of the VTLs, thus allowing for two-way quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers.
All the countries, except Britain and Switzerland, are member states of the EU.
When Germany raised its Covid-19 risk alert for Singapore and classified the Republic as a "high-risk area" last month, those flying over from the Republic were required to complete an additional digital entry registration.
It also meant that children who were not inoculated against Covid-19 will have to quarantine for five days upon arrival there.
What does this 'powerful' mean?
Will holders of the SG passport be immune from being sentenced to hanging, caning like holders of the US passport?
Will holders of the SG passport rest assured the special forces will go into any country to rescue them, like the Americans?
Chicken shit powerful passport this is.
Will holders of the SG passport be immune from being sentenced to hanging, caning like holders of the US passport?
Will holders of the SG passport rest assured the special forces will go into any country to rescue them, like the Americans?
Chicken shit powerful passport this is.
The VTLs are in danger of being made useless because MTF failed to control the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore.
Travellers from Singapore will now have to serve a 10-day self-isolation period upon arrival in Denmark.PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Toh Ting Wei
Nov 11, 2021
SINGAPORE - Singapore residents will no longer be able to enjoy two-way quarantine-free travel with Denmark, after the country reclassified Singapore as a country with a high risk of Covid-19 infections.
Owing to the reclassification, travellers from Singapore will have to serve a 10-day self-isolation period upon arrival in Denmark, the Embassy of Denmark said on Thursday (Nov 11) in a Facebook post.
This isolation period can be shortened should a traveller have a negative result from a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test that can be taken from the fourth day after his entry.
Singapore had set up vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) in Europe in the last two months for Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Britain.
The VTLs with these countries are unilateral moves by Singapore. They let travellers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 enter Singapore without having to serve a stay-home notice.
These 10 countries had unilaterally opened up to Singapore prior to the Republic's announcement of the VTLs, thus allowing for two-way quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers.
Denmark's move to impose quarantine requirements on travellers from Singapore comes after the Council of the European Union removed Singapore from a list of countries for which travel curbs should be lifted.
The council's recommendations on border restrictions, which were updated on Tuesday, are not legally binding. But its 27 EU member states reference the recommendations when deciding on their border restrictions.
All the European VTL countries, except Britain and Switzerland, are member states of the EU.
Other than Denmark, the Netherlands has also increased its risk assessment for Singapore.
The Embassy of the Netherlands in Singapore said on Wednesday that Singapore is now deemed to be a "very high-risk" area in terms of Covid-19 infections.
Therefore, travellers from Singapore arriving in the Netherlands on or after this Saturday will need to show a negative Covid-19 test result. This applies to all travellers aged 12 or above, regardless of their vaccination or recovery status.
The embassy also said that there will be an EU travel ban for non-vaccinated travellers from high-risk countries from Thursday.
A travel expert based in Britain told The Straits Times that more border restrictions are likely to be imposed on travellers from Singapore following the EU Council's move.
Mr Ralph Hollister, a travel and tourism analyst at analytics firm GlobalData, said the firm's data showed that not one EU destination featured in Singapore's top 10 outbound travel list for the last year.
He said this point may be factored into the decision-making processes of EU countries when deciding on whether to place restrictions upon Singapore, as they may be confident in receiving solid visitation numbers from more established markets.
"If EU countries were to impose restrictions on Singapore, they may revert to imposing set quarantine periods upon arrival, which may vary from country to country," he said.
"Additional testing may be put in place for even fully vaccinated travellers, along with the filling out of additional registration forms for tracking purposes," he added.
S'pore travellers to Denmark have to serve quarantine; more curbs by European nations likely, says expert
Travellers from Singapore will now have to serve a 10-day self-isolation period upon arrival in Denmark.PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Toh Ting Wei
Nov 11, 2021
SINGAPORE - Singapore residents will no longer be able to enjoy two-way quarantine-free travel with Denmark, after the country reclassified Singapore as a country with a high risk of Covid-19 infections.
Owing to the reclassification, travellers from Singapore will have to serve a 10-day self-isolation period upon arrival in Denmark, the Embassy of Denmark said on Thursday (Nov 11) in a Facebook post.
This isolation period can be shortened should a traveller have a negative result from a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction test that can be taken from the fourth day after his entry.
Singapore had set up vaccinated travel lanes (VTLs) in Europe in the last two months for Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Britain.
The VTLs with these countries are unilateral moves by Singapore. They let travellers who are vaccinated against Covid-19 enter Singapore without having to serve a stay-home notice.
These 10 countries had unilaterally opened up to Singapore prior to the Republic's announcement of the VTLs, thus allowing for two-way quarantine-free travel for fully vaccinated travellers.
Denmark's move to impose quarantine requirements on travellers from Singapore comes after the Council of the European Union removed Singapore from a list of countries for which travel curbs should be lifted.
The council's recommendations on border restrictions, which were updated on Tuesday, are not legally binding. But its 27 EU member states reference the recommendations when deciding on their border restrictions.
All the European VTL countries, except Britain and Switzerland, are member states of the EU.
Other than Denmark, the Netherlands has also increased its risk assessment for Singapore.
The Embassy of the Netherlands in Singapore said on Wednesday that Singapore is now deemed to be a "very high-risk" area in terms of Covid-19 infections.
Therefore, travellers from Singapore arriving in the Netherlands on or after this Saturday will need to show a negative Covid-19 test result. This applies to all travellers aged 12 or above, regardless of their vaccination or recovery status.
The embassy also said that there will be an EU travel ban for non-vaccinated travellers from high-risk countries from Thursday.
A travel expert based in Britain told The Straits Times that more border restrictions are likely to be imposed on travellers from Singapore following the EU Council's move.
Mr Ralph Hollister, a travel and tourism analyst at analytics firm GlobalData, said the firm's data showed that not one EU destination featured in Singapore's top 10 outbound travel list for the last year.
He said this point may be factored into the decision-making processes of EU countries when deciding on whether to place restrictions upon Singapore, as they may be confident in receiving solid visitation numbers from more established markets.
"If EU countries were to impose restrictions on Singapore, they may revert to imposing set quarantine periods upon arrival, which may vary from country to country," he said.
"Additional testing may be put in place for even fully vaccinated travellers, along with the filling out of additional registration forms for tracking purposes," he added.
Tel Aviv world's most expensive city, Singapore ties for second place with Paris: Survey
Tel Aviv climbed five rungs to score top place for the first time in the ranking.PHOTO: AFP
Dec 1, 2021
LONDON (AFP) - Israeli city Tel Aviv is the world's most expensive place to live in as soaring inflation has pushed up living costs globally, according to an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) survey published on Wednesday (Dec 1).
Paris and Singapore came joint second followed by Zurich and Hong Kong. Singapore was fourth in the same survey released in November last year.
New York was in sixth this year, with Geneva in seventh.
Rounding off the top 10 were Copenhagen in eighth, Los Angeles in ninth and Osaka, Japan, in 10th.
Last year, the survey put Paris, Zurich and Hong Kong in joint first place.
Tel Aviv climbed five rungs to score top place for the first time in the ranking.
The Worldwide Cost of Living Index is compiled by comparing prices in US dollars for goods and services in 173 cities.
The Israeli city climbed the rankings partly due to the strength of the national currency, the shekel, against the dollar, as well as increases in prices for transport and groceries.
This year's data was collected in August and September as prices for freight and commodities rose and shows that on average, prices rose 3.5 per cent in local currency terms - the fastest inflation rate recorded over the past five years.
Social restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic "have disrupted the supply of goods, leading to shortages and higher prices", said Ms Upasana Dutt, head of worldwide cost of living at the EIU.
"We can clearly see the impact in this year's index, with the rise in petrol prices particularly stark," she said, while central banks are expected to raise interest rates cautiously, reducing inflation.
The average inflation figure does not include four cities with exceptionally high rates: Caracas, Damascus, Buenos Aires and Teheran.
The Iranian capital rose from 79th to 29th place in the ranking as US sanctions have pushed up prices and caused shortages.
Damascus was ranked the world's cheapest city to live in.
Singapore now Asia's priciest city as inflation adds to Omicron fears
The new report puts Singapore up two places to joint second with Paris.PHOTO: ST FILE
Kang Wan Chern
Assistant Business Editor
Dec 1, 2021
SINGAPORE - Singapore is the most expensive Asian city to live in, with supply chain disruptions and rising fuel costs driving inflation to its highest level in years, noted a report on Wednesday (Dec 1).
The new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) puts Singapore up two places in its index to joint second with Paris. The top spot is now occupied by Tel Aviv, which dislodged Hong Kong to become the most expensive city in the world.
"Supply chain problems, as well as exchange-rate shifts and changing consumer demand, have led to rising prices for commodities and other goods. The most rapid increases in the index were for transport, with the price of a litre of petrol up by 21 per cent on average," the report said.
Ms Upasana Dutt from the EIU said the rise in petrol prices has been "particularly stark" across the 173 cities covered by the index.
Some other analysts say the emergence of Omicron could change these dynamics, even though the new variant's economic implications have yet to be fully understood.
On the one hand, "the risk of a lethal Omicron virus could tame inflation pressure from commodity prices" if demand falls and growth is impacted, said Dr Chua Hak Bin, a senior economist at Maybank Kim Eng.
On the other hand, it may worsen component shortages and supply chain bottlenecks, driving prices higher in Singapore.
Dr Chua reckons "inflation will likely remain a risk unless Omicron turns out to be far more lethal than Delta and forces governments to reintroduce strict lockdowns".
The inflation rate of the prices tracked across cities in the EIU's Worldwide Cost of Living index was the highest recorded over the past five years, at 3.5 per cent.
Singapore reported a jump in overall inflation to 3.2 per cent in October on a year-on-year basis, up from 2.5 per cent in September. It was the highest level since March 2013, with stronger private transport and rental costs, in addition to pricier services and food.
Mr Ben Luk, a senior multi-asset strategist at State Street Global Markets, said the investment management firm is "increasingly concerned over persistent inflation, as eight out of the 10 factors that we track indicate prices trending higher on the back of seasonality trends, supply side pressure, media intensity and, last but not least, wage pressures".
Mr Salman Ahmed, global head of macro and strategic asset allocation at fund manager Fidelity International, warned that "the new virus variant appears to be a serious concern given its association with higher transmissibility and immunity neutralisation".
He pointed out that Omicron could be a "game changer" for the market, adding that more stringent domestic and international mobility restrictions could be on the cards at a time when risks to a global recovery are rising from a slowing Chinese economy and global energy crunch.
With inflation likely to stay sticky at elevated levels, and further supply chain disruptions potentially pushing it even higher, Mr Ahmed said central banks will face more challenges in implementing appropriate monetary policy to stabilise prices.
DBS Group Research's senior currency strategist, Mr Philip Wee, is expecting another round of monetary policy tightening by the Monetary Authority of Singapore next year.
Markets are already expecting the United States Federal Reserve to raise rates next year, after chairman Jerome Powell told a congressional hearing on Tuesday that the tapering of the Fed's asset purchase programme would be brought forward to stabilise prices.
"The (US) economy is very strong and inflationary pressures are high," he said. "It is therefore appropriate in my view to consider wrapping up the taper of our asset purchases... perhaps a few months sooner."
Ms Dutt from the EIU said that while wages and the cost of living in many cities are expected to rise over the coming year, "we are also expecting central banks to raise interest rates, cautiously, to stem inflation. So the price increases should start to moderate from this year's level".
New species of bacteria named after Singapore
The discovery was published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology on Oct 26, 2021.
PHOTO: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Clara Chong
PUBLISHED
DEC 14, 2021
SINGAPORE - An unexpected discovery by a team of doctors analysing skin and wound samples has led to a new species of bacteria being identified and named after Singapore.
Staphylococcus singaporensis sp.nov (S. singaporensis) is part of the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) complex, which commonly causes conditions from mild skin and wound infections to surgical and more serious bloodstream infections that may be fatal.
The discovery was published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology on Oct 26.
This complex is a group of four different species, including S. singaporensis, that have a similar genetic make-up.
Associate Professor Raymond Lin, director of the National Public Health Laboratory at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), said on Tuesday (Dec 14) that everyone will likely be infected by S. aureus at some point in their lives.
To isolate and identify the Singapore bacteria, research groups from the National University Hospital (NUH), NCID and Singapore General Hospital had studied bacteria isolates, which appeared related to S. aureus, between April 2019 and July 2019.
Isolates are bacteria grown in a laboratory.
Whole genome sequencing of the isolates was then performed and comparative genome analysis found that six out of the 43 of these isolates were quite different from other members of the S. aureus complex.
These six isolates were confirmed to be a new species - the Singapore bacteria.
"This new species probably existed all along and nobody noticed it earlier," Prof Lin, who is also the head and senior consultant in microbiology at the Department of Laboratory Medicine in NUH, said.
Based on what is known so far, the new species is susceptible to commonly used antibiotics, unlike some S. aureus species that have developed multi-drug resistance.
S. singaporensis also lacks many of the toxin genes frequently found in S. aureus.
However, more data needs to be collected over time, both locally and globally, to fully understand the impact of the new species.
Identifying a new species enables scientists to analyse and predict more precisely the outcomes of infections due to various species, Prof Lin added.
Dr Chew Ka Lip, a consultant in microbiology at NUH's Department of Laboratory Medicine, added: "There remains much to be done to understand the differences, if any, between these organisms in terms of clinical infections and prognosis.
"This could potentially lead to more tailored clinical care management of our patients to optimise outcomes.
All six isolates have also been deposited in international strain repositories.
Forum: Naming bacteria species after Singapore not prudent
PUBLISHED DEC 17, 2021It was with much consternation that I learnt about the naming of the S. singaporensis bacteria (New bacteria species named after S'pore upon local discovery, Dec 15).
Having a bacteria species named after our country, especially one that may cause fatal infections, is not something to celebrate.
Take, for example, how from the beginning of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation has been fastidious in ensuring that generic non-geographical names are given to the coronavirus and its variants, so as to prevent stigmatisation of any specific region or country.
Our local scientists should be lauded for the work they have done in discovering this new bacteria species.
Naming it after our country, however, may not be prudent.
Tan Hao Yang
Singapore is 13th most expensive city for expats while Hong Kong stays top: Survey
Singapore's ranking remained unchanged in 2022 despite significant price rises in the past 12 months. PHOTO: ST FILE
Chor Khieng Yuit
Senior Correspondent
June 8, 2022
SINGAPORE - Singapore stayed the 13th most expensive city globally for expatriates to live in despite rising inflation, while Hong Kong was the world's most costly for the second year in a row.
These were some of the findings of the latest cost of living research published by ECA International.
The firm carries out two main surveys, in March and September, covering 207 cities in 120 countries and territories.
The data provides companies with information to decide on how much allowance to offer employees who are sent on international assignments.
Singapore's ranking remained unchanged in 2022 despite significant price rises in the past 12 months, with housing rents, utilities and petrol prices seeing particular growth, according to the latest survey.
Mr Lee Quane, regional director for Asia at ECA International, said Singapore did not move up in the rankings because the Singapore dollar has weakened against other regional currencies like the Chinese renminbi and the US dollar, despite "higher than average" inflation here of 5 per cent.
The weaker Singdollar was due to a sharp slowdown in manufacturing and exports during the latter part of the survey period, he added.
Singapore's overall inflation hit 5.4 per cent year on year in April, while core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport costs, accelerated to a 10-year high of 3.3 per cent.
This prompted the Monetary Authority of Singapore in April to tighten monetary policy for the third time in six months. The moves were aimed at bolstering the Singapore dollar in the face of import-led inflation.
In Hong Kong's case, rising global inflation has not been as big a challenge as in other regional and global locations.
ECA International said prices in the territory rose 3 per cent year on year, as measured by ECA's basket of goods and services.
"While the rise is higher than what is typically seen in Hong Kong, it is lower than rates in similar cities within the region and globally," said Mr Quane.
Still, the city is the world's most expensive mainly because of the strength of the Hong Kong dollar due to its peg to the US currency, he added. Hong Kong pegs its currency to the US dollar in a narrow trading band, between HK$7.75 and HK$7.76.
Many mainland Chinese cities continued to rise in the rankings, with four cities now included in the 15 most expensive.
China's financial capital, Shanghai, is the third most expensive location in Asia after Hong Kong and Tokyo, and eighth most expensive globally.
Mr Quane said the main reason for its rise was the continued strength of the renminbi against other major currencies, because of China's relatively strong economic performance during the survey period.
Inflation rates in the majority of the mainland Chinese cities are high, but still relatively lower than elsewhere in Asia, he added.
The survey also found that New York is the second most expensive city in the world after Hong Kong, moving up from fourth last year.
London is fourth, up from fifth in 2021, while Tokyo dropped to fifth place as the yen weakened against major currencies.
ECA International's cost of living surveys compare a basket of like-for-like consumer goods and services commonly purchased by expat staff in over 490 locations worldwide.
They also include accommodation data, comparing rental costs in areas typically inhabited by expat staff in over 410 locations.
Yup, right up there with SG having
- the highest-paid ministers in the world
- the highest-paid president in the world
- a leading fraud/scam/money-laundering hub
Singapore's passport ties for second place with South Korea's, allowing trouble-free entry to 192 countries. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jul 20, 2022
SINGAPORE - The Singapore passport remains one of the most powerful in the world, tying for second place with South Korea's, in allowing trouble-free entry to 192 countries.
Japan's passport takes the top place, with easy entry into 193 countries at a time when global travel is picking up at pace after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest update of a worldwide index compiled by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners.
At the other end of the spectrum, Russian passport holders are increasingly cut off from the rest of the world as sanctions, travel bans and airspace closures limit their access to all but a few destinations in Asia and the Middle East.
The Russian passport currently sits at 50th place on the index, giving easy access to 119 nations. China is placed 69th with access to 80 countries, while India's passport is ranked 87th.
The index has also shown a strong correlation between a nation's passport power and its peacefulness.
Nations in the top 10 of the Henley Passport Index can also be found in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index, a report produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Likewise, for the bottom-ranking nations.
Mr Stephen Klimczuk-Massion, a fellow at Oxford University's Said Business School and a member of Swiss non-profit Andan Foundation's advisory committee, said: "It is an understatement to say that we are living through a particularly turbulent time worldwide, with the pandemic still casting a long shadow and newer developments, such as war, inflation, political instability and incidents of violence, increasingly dominating the headlines...
"Now more than ever, it's a mistake to think of a passport as merely a travel document that allows you to get from A to B.
"The relative strength or weakness of a particular national passport directly affects the quality of life for the passport holder and may even be a matter of life and death in some circumstances."
The index, which uses 17 years of data, helps governments assess the value of citizenships around the world based on which passports offer the widest visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
Still, with global travel yet to fully recover from Covid-19 restrictions, the index offers only a notional snapshot of the best documents to hold as the world emerges from the pandemic.
- the highest-paid ministers in the world
- the highest-paid president in the world
- a leading fraud/scam/money-laundering hub
S'pore passport remains one of world's most powerful, allowing entry to 192 countries
Singapore's passport ties for second place with South Korea's, allowing trouble-free entry to 192 countries. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jul 20, 2022
SINGAPORE - The Singapore passport remains one of the most powerful in the world, tying for second place with South Korea's, in allowing trouble-free entry to 192 countries.
Japan's passport takes the top place, with easy entry into 193 countries at a time when global travel is picking up at pace after more than two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest update of a worldwide index compiled by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners.
At the other end of the spectrum, Russian passport holders are increasingly cut off from the rest of the world as sanctions, travel bans and airspace closures limit their access to all but a few destinations in Asia and the Middle East.
The Russian passport currently sits at 50th place on the index, giving easy access to 119 nations. China is placed 69th with access to 80 countries, while India's passport is ranked 87th.
The index has also shown a strong correlation between a nation's passport power and its peacefulness.
Nations in the top 10 of the Henley Passport Index can also be found in the top 10 of the Global Peace Index, a report produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. Likewise, for the bottom-ranking nations.
Mr Stephen Klimczuk-Massion, a fellow at Oxford University's Said Business School and a member of Swiss non-profit Andan Foundation's advisory committee, said: "It is an understatement to say that we are living through a particularly turbulent time worldwide, with the pandemic still casting a long shadow and newer developments, such as war, inflation, political instability and incidents of violence, increasingly dominating the headlines...
"Now more than ever, it's a mistake to think of a passport as merely a travel document that allows you to get from A to B.
"The relative strength or weakness of a particular national passport directly affects the quality of life for the passport holder and may even be a matter of life and death in some circumstances."
The index, which uses 17 years of data, helps governments assess the value of citizenships around the world based on which passports offer the widest visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.
Still, with global travel yet to fully recover from Covid-19 restrictions, the index offers only a notional snapshot of the best documents to hold as the world emerges from the pandemic.
Singapore, New York top ‘world’s costliest city’ survey
Singapore and New York have displaced the previous No. 1, Tel Aviv, in the Worldwide Cost of Living index. PHOTOS: ST FILE, REUTERS
DEC 4, 2022,
LONDON – Singapore and New York are jointly the world’s most expensive cities after inflation soared in 2022, an annual survey showed on Thursday.
The pair displaced the previous No. 1, Tel Aviv, which fell to third place in the Worldwide Cost of Living index from the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), reported AFP.
The survey revealed “the soaring cost of living in the world’s biggest cities as the war in Ukraine and continuing pandemic restrictions disrupt supply chains, particularly for energy and food”.
New York hit the top spot for the first time. Los Angeles and San Francisco also moved into the top 10, while Damascus and Tripoli remained the cheapest cities.
Prices rocketed by an average of 8.1 per cent in the 172 major cities covered by the EIU survey, conducted between August and September.
Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said the EIU report comes at a time when many countries around the world are facing strong inflationary pressures. But the survey, designed to help human resource managers gauge the cost-of-living allowances for expatriates and business travellers, “does not reflect the cost of living for Singaporeans”, a MTI spokesman said.
The EIU survey’s consumption basket, which includes items like Burberry-type raincoats and foreign daily newspapers, “does not reflect what Singaporeans usually consume”, the spokesman added.
The index also showed “the impact of the strong US dollar” on the city rankings, AFP reported. A total of 50,000 worldwide prices were converted into dollars to facilitate comparisons. The US currency has jumped in 2022 as the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates by large amounts to try to tame decades-high inflation.
Singapore’s MTI spokesman said due to the currency conversion, Singapore’s strong exchange rate contributed to its high ranking in the index.
“However, a stronger currency does not raise the cost of living of Singaporeans who earn their income in Singapore dollars. On the contrary, a stronger Singapore dollar helps to dampen imported inflation in Singapore by lowering the prices of our imports (in Singapore dollars) and subsequently, consumer prices,” the MTI spokesman added.
The biggest upward movers in the EIU survey were Moscow and St Petersburg, “which shot up by 88 and 70 places respectively as prices soared amid Western sanctions and buoyant energy markets supported the rouble”.
Ms Upasana Dutt, who headed the research, said “the war in Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russia and China’s zero-Covid-19 policies have caused supply chain problems that, combined with rising interest rates and exchange rate shifts, have resulted in a cost-of-living crisis across the world”.
“We can clearly see the impact in this year’s index, with the average price rise across the 172 cities in our survey being the strongest we have seen in the 20 years for which we have digital data,” she said.
World’s most expensive cities to live in
1. Singapore/New York3. Tel Aviv
4. Hong Kong/Los Angeles
6. Zurich
7. Geneva
8. San Francisco
9. Paris
10. Copenhagen
Is it good to have such a "powerful" passport?
All the COVID-19 carrying Chinese tourists are flocking to SG for leisure and medical treatment, taking up all the precious hospital beds and crowding out the Sinkies.
The Singapore passport allows visa-free entry to 192 destinations. PHOTO: ST FILE
Yong Li Xuan
Jan 11, 2023
SINGAPORE - The Singapore passport remains the second-most powerful in the world – along with South Korea’s – in allowing visa-free entry to 192 destinations.
The Japanese passport continues to rank first for enabling holders visa-free entry to 193 destinations, according to the latest update on Tuesday of a worldwide index compiled by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners.
In October 2021, Singapore and Japan shared the top spot for enabling passport holders to travel without a pre-approved visa to 192 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, based on data from the International Air Transport Authority.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan’s passport remains at the bottom of the index, giving easy access to only 27 destinations – 166 fewer than Japan’s – which represents the widest global mobility gap in the index’s 18-year history, Henley and Partners said in a release on Tuesday.
The latest ranking comes as more countries in the Asia-Pacific region open up after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global travel is now at around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, the firm said.
Citizens are more likely to make use of that travel freedom again after years of pent-up travel demand.
Since Sunday, China has opened its borders and relaxed entry requirements by scrapping quarantine measures for overseas arrivals after nearly three years of strict pandemic border restrictions. Travellers only need a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken 48 hours pre-flight to enter China.
Previously, travellers were required to quarantine at a hotel or other facility for at least the first five days after arrival, before serving a three-day stay-home notice.
Travel to and from China is poised to restart as curbs ease, and at least four business missions between Singapore and China will take place over the next three months.
All the COVID-19 carrying Chinese tourists are flocking to SG for leisure and medical treatment, taking up all the precious hospital beds and crowding out the Sinkies.
Singapore passport remains second-most powerful in the world
The Singapore passport allows visa-free entry to 192 destinations. PHOTO: ST FILE
Yong Li Xuan
Jan 11, 2023
SINGAPORE - The Singapore passport remains the second-most powerful in the world – along with South Korea’s – in allowing visa-free entry to 192 destinations.
The Japanese passport continues to rank first for enabling holders visa-free entry to 193 destinations, according to the latest update on Tuesday of a worldwide index compiled by global citizenship and residence advisory firm Henley and Partners.
In October 2021, Singapore and Japan shared the top spot for enabling passport holders to travel without a pre-approved visa to 192 destinations.
The Henley Passport Index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, based on data from the International Air Transport Authority.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Afghanistan’s passport remains at the bottom of the index, giving easy access to only 27 destinations – 166 fewer than Japan’s – which represents the widest global mobility gap in the index’s 18-year history, Henley and Partners said in a release on Tuesday.
The latest ranking comes as more countries in the Asia-Pacific region open up after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Global travel is now at around 75 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, the firm said.
Citizens are more likely to make use of that travel freedom again after years of pent-up travel demand.
Since Sunday, China has opened its borders and relaxed entry requirements by scrapping quarantine measures for overseas arrivals after nearly three years of strict pandemic border restrictions. Travellers only need a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken 48 hours pre-flight to enter China.
Previously, travellers were required to quarantine at a hotel or other facility for at least the first five days after arrival, before serving a three-day stay-home notice.
Travel to and from China is poised to restart as curbs ease, and at least four business missions between Singapore and China will take place over the next three months.
Singapore ranks 8th in survey of cities where super rich own a home
While Singapore is among the top 10, US cities dominate the list. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Mar 8, 2023
HONG KONG - New York is the world’s most popular place for the super rich to own a property, while tiny Singapore ranks eighth, according to a new report by data firm Altrata.
A total of 21,714 ultra-high net worth (UHNW) individuals – those worth more than US$30 million (S$40.6 million) – own either a primary or secondary residence in New York, the study found.
Next up in the popularity stakes are London and Hong Kong, where 15,907 and 15,175 of the world’s richest people own homes.
Los Angeles and Miami round out the top five, while a propensity for the wealthy to snap up second homes in Beijing puts the Chinese capital one spot ahead of Singapore, which has 7,471 UHNW residents.
Those living in Monaco are the most likely to have very rich neighbors. One in every 39 UHNW individuals is either a primary resident of the city-state or the owner of a second home there.
In the United States, the highest concentration of super-rich residents is in Aspen, where the figure is one in 67 – giving the Colorado mountain resort a UHNW population density almost 15 times greater than New York.
American cities dominate the list of the most popular places for the very rich to own a home, taking a total of 14 of 20 spots. According to the report, that reflects the size of the country’s wealth market and its geographic and business diversity.
“These qualities offer considerable scope for wealthy individuals in search of a secondary home to stay in the country rather than look abroad,” the report said, and “mirrors a broader US trend over recent years of migration to smaller cities”. BLOOMBERG
Trust in SG government is lower than that in a communist country (China (89 per cent)) and two Arab countries (the United Arab Emirates (86 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (83 per cent).)
Trust in the Government increased to a record high 76 per cent, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jean Iau
MAR 15, 2023
SINGAPORE - A survey of 1,135 people in Singapore has found that trust in the Government rose slightly last year, and it remains the most trusted institution here.
According to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer report released on Wednesday, trust in the Government increased by two percentage points to a record high of 76 per cent, while trust in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses declined by three percentage points and two percentage points, respectively, from the previous year.
The survey is conducted annually.
This suggested confidence in the current leadership to lead the country through global economic headwinds, global public relations firm Edelman said in a media statement on Wednesday.
Trust in the Singapore Government was the fourth-highest among the 28 countries surveyed, behind China (89 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (86 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (83 per cent).
Trust here in NGOs, at 65 per cent, was higher than that in Sweden (44 per cent), Germany (41 per cent) and Japan (38 per cent) – the three countries that were least trusting of NGOs.
Trust in businesses, at 62 per cent, was higher than that in Spain (49 per cent), Japan (47 per cent) and South Korea (38 per cent) – the three countries least trusting of businesses.
More than half, or 59 per cent, of those surveyed here trusted the media, the survey also found. This was higher than that in Britain (37 per cent), Japan (34 per cent) and South Korea (27 per cent), the three countries that were least trusting of the media.
Some countries that had higher trust levels in the media than Singapore included China (79 per cent), Indonesia (72 per cent) and Thailand (67 per cent).
The report comes after more than 32,000 people across 28 countries were polled by Edelman. Fieldwork for this year’s edition consisted of 30-minute online interviews conducted between Nov 1 and Nov 28, 2022.
Globally, those with a high income were found to be more trusting of the four main societal institutions – government, NGOs, business and media – than low-income respondents.
High-income earners’ average trust in institutions jumped from 50 to 62 points since 2012, while that of low-income earners rose from 44 to 48 over the same period.
Singapore also registered an income-based trust gap of 18 points between high and low income earners, the seventh-largest gap among all countries surveyed – behind countries such as Thailand and the United States, which had a trust gap of 37 and 23 points, respectively.
Globally, nearly two-thirds of respondents observed an unprecedented lack of civility and mutual respect in society.
In Singapore, 44 per cent believed that the lack of civility and mutual respect today is “the worst they have ever seen”, according to the survey.
But only a third of Singapore respondents believe that their country is more divided today than in the past, compared with 53 per cent of respondents globally.
Respondents were also surveyed on their attitudes towards polarising views.
Among those who feel strongly about an issue, 26 per cent of respondents in Singapore said they would help someone who strongly disagrees with their point of view; 22 per cent said they would live in the same neighbourhood as such a person; and 20 per cent said they would work with such a person.
Economic optimism has fallen globally, with almost half of the countries surveyed showing a year-on-year double-digit decline in the belief that their families will be better off in five years’ time.
Across the region, the survey observed that developing countries such as Indonesia (73 per cent) and India (73 per cent) show more optimism than developed countries such as Japan (9 per cent), South Korea (28 per cent), and Singapore (36 per cent).
This represents a seven percentage point decline for Singapore and an all-time low in optimism here, said the survey.
Chief executive of Edelman Singapore Julia Wei said: “Across a wide range of societal issues, such as climate change, discrimination, immigration, employee treatment and income inequality, people believe that government and business working in partnership will achieve the best results – on average, four times more than if business were to work alone.”
Fifty-five per cent of people surveyed also believed that business can address contentious societal issues without being politicised, she noted, adding: “The mandate for business to act is clear.”
Ms Wei said: “By an overwhelming margin, respondents want more societal involvement by businesses on issues such as healthcare access, climate change and improving economic inequality.”
Trust in Govt up, but slight fall in trust in NGOs and businesses: Survey
Trust in the Government increased to a record high 76 per cent, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer. PHOTO: ST FILE
Jean Iau
MAR 15, 2023
SINGAPORE - A survey of 1,135 people in Singapore has found that trust in the Government rose slightly last year, and it remains the most trusted institution here.
According to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer report released on Wednesday, trust in the Government increased by two percentage points to a record high of 76 per cent, while trust in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses declined by three percentage points and two percentage points, respectively, from the previous year.
The survey is conducted annually.
This suggested confidence in the current leadership to lead the country through global economic headwinds, global public relations firm Edelman said in a media statement on Wednesday.
Trust in the Singapore Government was the fourth-highest among the 28 countries surveyed, behind China (89 per cent), the United Arab Emirates (86 per cent) and Saudi Arabia (83 per cent).
Trust here in NGOs, at 65 per cent, was higher than that in Sweden (44 per cent), Germany (41 per cent) and Japan (38 per cent) – the three countries that were least trusting of NGOs.
Trust in businesses, at 62 per cent, was higher than that in Spain (49 per cent), Japan (47 per cent) and South Korea (38 per cent) – the three countries least trusting of businesses.
More than half, or 59 per cent, of those surveyed here trusted the media, the survey also found. This was higher than that in Britain (37 per cent), Japan (34 per cent) and South Korea (27 per cent), the three countries that were least trusting of the media.
Some countries that had higher trust levels in the media than Singapore included China (79 per cent), Indonesia (72 per cent) and Thailand (67 per cent).
The report comes after more than 32,000 people across 28 countries were polled by Edelman. Fieldwork for this year’s edition consisted of 30-minute online interviews conducted between Nov 1 and Nov 28, 2022.
Globally, those with a high income were found to be more trusting of the four main societal institutions – government, NGOs, business and media – than low-income respondents.
High-income earners’ average trust in institutions jumped from 50 to 62 points since 2012, while that of low-income earners rose from 44 to 48 over the same period.
Singapore also registered an income-based trust gap of 18 points between high and low income earners, the seventh-largest gap among all countries surveyed – behind countries such as Thailand and the United States, which had a trust gap of 37 and 23 points, respectively.
Globally, nearly two-thirds of respondents observed an unprecedented lack of civility and mutual respect in society.
In Singapore, 44 per cent believed that the lack of civility and mutual respect today is “the worst they have ever seen”, according to the survey.
But only a third of Singapore respondents believe that their country is more divided today than in the past, compared with 53 per cent of respondents globally.
Respondents were also surveyed on their attitudes towards polarising views.
Among those who feel strongly about an issue, 26 per cent of respondents in Singapore said they would help someone who strongly disagrees with their point of view; 22 per cent said they would live in the same neighbourhood as such a person; and 20 per cent said they would work with such a person.
Economic optimism has fallen globally, with almost half of the countries surveyed showing a year-on-year double-digit decline in the belief that their families will be better off in five years’ time.
Across the region, the survey observed that developing countries such as Indonesia (73 per cent) and India (73 per cent) show more optimism than developed countries such as Japan (9 per cent), South Korea (28 per cent), and Singapore (36 per cent).
This represents a seven percentage point decline for Singapore and an all-time low in optimism here, said the survey.
Chief executive of Edelman Singapore Julia Wei said: “Across a wide range of societal issues, such as climate change, discrimination, immigration, employee treatment and income inequality, people believe that government and business working in partnership will achieve the best results – on average, four times more than if business were to work alone.”
Fifty-five per cent of people surveyed also believed that business can address contentious societal issues without being politicised, she noted, adding: “The mandate for business to act is clear.”
Ms Wei said: “By an overwhelming margin, respondents want more societal involvement by businesses on issues such as healthcare access, climate change and improving economic inequality.”
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