Hong Kong is also U.S. but Taiwan is China

no mention on singapore's draconian drug laws, a compliant population and highly-remunerated (and therefore highly competent) politicians?

orange site: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40797376

@TracingWoodgrains

also obligatory “disneyland with the death penalty”:

>Singapore is the most boring, sterile place I've ever been. I'd take Tokyo, Taipei, or Hong Kong over it in a heartbeat. The entire country reminds me of a mall. William Gibson's 1993 Wired article "Disneyland with the Death Penalty" (https://www.wired.com/1993/04/gibson-2/) is still as relevant as ever.

>
I saw a fascinating talk that convincingly argued that the Chinese Communist Party has taken its game plan over the last 30 years from Singapore, a de facto one party state led by the People's Action Party. It's interesting to note that this party was founded on socialist principles but is now firmly capitalist.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40799242

Worldo is simple, people see south East Asian with tan they assume it's Philippinos

She of course has a fatish maga bf

https://instagram.com/reel/C8jFF9wxQ9-/

!football

In addition to Singapore football fans, Chinese football fans also held their breath and watched the 2026 World Cup Asian qualifier match between Singapore and Thailand closely on Jun. 11.

This is because, after losing 1-0 to South Korea, the Chinese national football team could only advance to the next round if Singapore did not lose by three or more goals to Thailand. Should Thailand win by three or more goals, they will advance to the next round instead and that would end China's World Cup hopes.

By around 10:30pm, the result was sealed: Singapore lost two goals against Thailand.

Thanked Hassan Sunny for 11 saves

Characterising China's advance to the next round as "a narrow escape from death", Chinese football fans attributed the victory to Singaporean goalkeeper Hassan Sunny.

According to the fans, Hassan made 11 saves during the game, including saving a close shot from Thai player Jaroensak Wonggorn in the 85th minute.

On Chinese sports app Hupu, Hassan was labelled "top-notch goalkeeper" and "the King of Football of the people" with a 10/10 rating.

Translation:

User @HupuJR0552834569:

"I cried. Hassan, the King of Football, you are the saviour of China's national football team."

User @HupuJR0489343637:

"Even at the age of 40, Hassan could make 11 saves. He saved China's spot as Asia's top 18 in World Cup 2026!"

Transferred money to Hassan's stall

In addition to praising Hassan, Chinese football fans also highlighted that he owned a Muslim food stall, called "Dapur Hassan", in Tampines and encouraged those who visit Singapore in the future to support his business.

Soon after, the QR payment code for Hassan's stall began circulating amongst Chinese fans, and some decided to transfer money to the stall to express their appreciation.

One fan from Shanghai told Sina News that he was so overjoyed by the advancement of the Chinese football team that the only way he could express his elation was to transfer money to Hassan's stall:

"At first, I wanted to transfer S$188.88 as it was an auspicious number. However, I realised it would mean transferring more than 1,000 yuan, so I calmed myself down immediately and decided to transfer S$50.

S$50 was around 268.88 yuan, which also sounded quite auspicious, so I just made the transfer right away."

"To pay for my love for the Chinese football team, I think this money was well-spent," added the fan.

Other screenshots of payment transfers shared with Sina News show that the transfer amount ranged between S$1 and S$100.

In response, Hassan said, "Xie Xie (thank you in Mandarin), China!" in a video, as his teammate Ilhan Fandi quipped, "He saved China ah."

Also thanked Singapore embassy

After the match, Chinese fans also flooded the Weibo page of the Singapore Embassy in China, expressing their gratitude to the Singapore national football team.

Besides praising the team's "greatness", many fans also said they would pay a visit to Singapore this year to help boost tourism.

Translation:

User @wojiaoxiashenmelaine:

"My brother: I will come to [Singapore] and spend immediately."

User @Lishiyi_01:

"Tonight, I am a fan of Singapore national football team! I will visit Singapore this summer holiday."

"Tonight, because of your great national football team, I felt a tremendous, unparalleled amount of joy. For a long time from now, my joy would be attributed to Singapore. I am so f**king grateful for Singaporeans. Thank you," wrote one commenter.

SINGAPORE: A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) officer has graduated top of his cohort at the prestigious United States Air Force Academy, making him the first Singaporean to achieve that in nearly 30 years.

The four-year programme at the public university and military service academy combines athletics, character and leadership development, and military training.

Lieutenant (LTA) Jonathan Loh was seen waving the Singapore flag at his graduation event last month, which was graced by US Vice President Kamala Harris.

At the event on May 30, LTA Loh received 10 awards from the academy.

The announcement that he was the valedictorian came as a pleasant surprise to the 25-year-old, who said he did not expect it and felt "overwhelmed".

LTA Loh, who completed his studies at Beatty Secondary School and St Andrew's Junior College, said he has "never been number one in anything" like that before.

"All I was obliged to do was to give my best. I'm not obliged to be the valedictorian. I'm not entitled to it," said LTA Loh during an interview with the media on Friday (Jun 7).

He recalled a quote that the principal of the academy used to say: "If you see a turtle on a fencepost, you know it didn't get there by itself."

"I love that quote because I know that in that moment, I got to be the one to raise the flag but I didn't get there by myself," said LTA Loh.

He added that he was "proud and thankful and honoured and humbled" to wave the Singapore flag.

Being associated with retired Colonel Low Chung Guan - the first Singaporean to top his class at the academy in 1995 - and getting to represent the country was also an honour for LTA Loh.

Still, the achievement does not mark the end but rather another milestone in a career he is "excited to live", added LTA Loh, who is a pilot trainee at the Air Force Training Command.

LTA Loh described the academy as a "highly competitive" institution, which sees thousands of applicants a year. LTA Loh's batch had 974 cadets, out of which 15 were international students.

At the academy, the first seven to eight hours of his day were filled with classes followed by another two hours that were set aside for military activities such as training.

Time management was a big challenge for him as there were many "competing priorities".

"Your work is never-ending. You can always find another book to read more in-depth into, you can always find another paper to study a little bit harder on," he added.

But it is important to draw the line and to remind himself that he has done enough and to move on to focus on his friendships, he noted.

MUM DIDN'T GET TO SEE HIM DO WELL

LTA Loh said that he had not always done well in school. He recalled how his mother would buy him many 10-year series books and sign him up for Chinese tuition when he was in primary school.

He knew she wanted him to do well academically and get a good job in the future but she died in 2011 when LTA Loh was in Primary 6.

Though the tide turned for him when his grades began improving in secondary school, she was not around to bear witness.

"I remember thinking to myself during those years if only my biological mum could just see me start to do well," LTA Loh said.

He shared how he wished she was around to celebrate the other significant milestones in his life, from the Scouts Association Chief Commissioner's Award he won when he was 16 to his performance during Basic Military Training.

"She didn't get to see how I was becoming a better leader and a better person."

After his mother's passing, LTA Loh's father remarried. And what his mother did not get to see, his stepmother did, as both his father and stepmother attended his graduation last week.

As for his biological mother, she has not faded away - both from his memory and his wallet, where he keeps a photo of her.

Behind the photo are three phrases: Be kind and caring; be hardworking; and honour God.

"And those are values I hold on to with my dear life," said LTA Loh.

Singapore belongs to the US

The Singaporeans have no real culture, the Singaporeans have no real native population, all Singaporeans are immigrants replaced by another generation of immigrants, the greatest creations of the Singaporeans can easily be beaten by a second tier US city, the Singaporeans have no global influence, the Singaporeans are too small to be a real country, New York is a better planned and built city than Singapore, New Yorkers are on average richer than Singaporeans, New York has a greater population density than Singapore, Singapore is a poor imitation of American greatness when it comes to Urban construction, Singaporeans are on average a bunch of barbarians in suits, Singaporeans have no real freedoms, Singaporeans have no real competence, Singaporeans have brought nothing useful to human civilization, Singapore is a shitty fly over state so that Poor Chinese can also have jobs somewhere. The US a population of 340 million people is well on its way to cross the GDP per capita of Singapore. Singapore is a badly planned country with a higher debt to GDP ratio than the US. Singapore has already peaked and the only direction it can now go is stagnation just like any other developed economy. Singapore will never be a real country, Singapore will never be a real city. Singapore is just the world's most developed village which is clearly visible in their barbaric laws. Singapore is an Islamic nation with a Gucci Belt. Singapore is a part of China just like Hong Kong that likes to pretend it is independent. Singapore is rightful Chinese property. Singaporeans are rightful Chinese vassals. Singapore is a poor man's paradise. Singapore has no civilization. Singapore's IQ is high only because of the immigrants. Singapore has no culture. Singapore has no competency, one would be better trusting an Afghan with a factory than a Singaporean. Singaporeans are one and all a slave race just like the South Koreans and the Japanese. In the totem pole of East Asian races Singaporeans are below the Filipinos and Indonesians and Myanmar people. The Singaporeans have no real language, they can only speak broken English. The Singaporeans have no cuisine they think raw chicken soup is an actual delicacy. The Singaporeans are bug mutants that are living under the mistaken belief that they are actual humans like white people. Singapore has the second worst fertility rate in the world. Singapore is a population sink where people move to die out. Singapore has no legacy. Singapore has no future. Singapore is the downie of the developed world. Nation states laugh behind its back, entertaining themselves with the idea that Singapore thinks that it's growth is based on it's hard work and talent, meanwhile it only survives off of loose change thrown at it by the world's largest economies. Singapore is a pretender trying to be both Western and Eastern at the same time, applying white makeup all over itself but only looking like a clown at the end of the day with chink eyes. The average South Korean is taller than the average Singaporean they are a malnourished people who still haven't figured out how nutrition works. Incapable of change and incapable of greatness even if they were given an instruction manual. Singapore is the home of people who failed to immigrate to Lithuania and Poland. Singapore is a backwater that has been coasting off of being at the right place in the world and constantly falling behind in an ever growing global world order. The last time a Singaporean worked an honest day's work they made him Supreme leader for life. It's all been downhill since his death. Singapore is a failed state that can only go downhill now. Singapore will be taken over by China in another two decades, if the Singaporeans don't sell themselves out first. Singapore is a lost cause.

@X

This post rests on native land

Native land that belongs to the US

Native land unlike Singaporean land that is the land of people who failed to immigrate to the west.

I hope this hole fails just like the Singaporean economy.

!chuds thoughts? whats made singapore so gay???

It's time again for Hong Lim Park to turn into a sea of pink. Pink Dot SG returns to the park for its 16th edition with the theme of “No One Left Behind”. The event this year shines the spotlight on the ways that the LGBTQ+ community continues to face marginalisation and discrimination despite the historic repeal of Section 377A. Expect powerful rally speeches, community tents, and rousing performances by Singapura Drag Royalty (featuring more than 40 drag queens and kings), Kiki HQ, Jean Seizure, RENE, Marian Carmel, and more. And the most iconic aspect of Pink Dot – the illuminated night formation at 7.30pm.

In the lead-up to Pink Dot, watch three videos highlighting queer experiences in Singapore. In the first, four pairs of strangers share what it was like to grow up as LGBTQ+ individuals in Singapore. Keep your eyes on Pink Dot's socials for two more videos which will dive into love and relationship, and ageing and dreams for the future.

!chuds btfo

SINGAPORE – Science Centre Singapore has cancelled an event organised to discuss the differences between s*x and gender following a backlash from the public.

In a Facebook post on June 2, the centre said the June 14 event, which cost $20 per person and was to have included a buffet dinner, would no longer proceed and apologised for the inconvenience.

Ticket holders to the event, which was supposed to be held at Cineleisure, will get a refund, added the Science Centre.

According to the post, the event, only for those aged 18 and above, aimed to explore the biological, psychological and cultural influences that shape the understanding of gender and s*x.

By the afternoon of June 3, the Facebook post had drawn 145 comments. There were another 352 comments on a Reddit thread.

There were mixed reactions to the issue, with those on Facebook mostly critical of the Science Centre's decision to organise the talk while those on Reddit did not see an issue with the event, given that the target audience was aged 18 and above.

“Thank you to everyone who have provided us with your feedback about this discussion session. The Science Centre team would like to take the opportunity to review our approach to this session,” the Facebook post said.

A Science Centre spokesperson told The Straits Times that the institution had reviewed the event before cancelling it.

“Our Science Cafe session in June was intended to discuss the sociocultural factors that shape society's understanding of s*x and gender,” the spokesperson said.

“Following online publicity of the session, we had received public feedback expressing concern about the content to be discussed in the session, as well as the composition of the speakers.”

According to the Facebook post, the event's speakers comprised National University of Singapore Associate Professor Mie Hiramoto, youth counsellor Alexander Teh and local drag queen Becca D'Bus, whose real name is Eugene Tan.

Dr Hiramoto, whose research interests are gender and sexuality, was to present insights from science and culture in redefining gender and sexuality, while the counsellor was to talk about the differences in s*x and gender.

The counsellor is a gay trans man, according to Oogachaga, a non-profit professional organisation working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals.

The drag queen had planned to discuss popular definitions and misconceptions of drag.

Becca D'Bus said: “The context of the event, an 18+ casual, social time, is a refreshing way to engage in thinking.

“I would have looked at drag across all gender presentations, masculine, feminine, and the vast space in between and outside of it, to consider, perhaps less the misconceptions about drag queens, but perhaps what else we don't talk about or think about enough.”

Oogachaga executive director Leow Yangfa said the group “is very dismayed and disappointed that the Science Centre has cancelled an event that had been planned since late last year”.

Ms Carol Loi, a mother of two children aged 19 and 22, said she had found the event inappropriate, given its speaker line-up.

The educational consultant, 53, said: “The topic is useful for discussion, just that it is not representative of good science. A better mix of panellists would show professionalism and wisdom of the Science Centre I know and respect.”

Others welcomed the talk.

Writer Ng Yi-Sheng, 43, said he would have attended the event if it had not been cancelled. He was intrigued by the event's discussion topics, which he felt were relevant to what society expects of people and what they can expect medically about their bodies.

“For an institution with public trust like the Science Centre to lend its perspectives to the topic, with trans people as part of the discussion, is really important from the perspective of inclusion and equality,” he added.

The Science Centre said it organises ticketed dinner events under its Science Cafe event series. The series, which is for those aged 18 and above, promotes interest in science and curiosity.

Past sessions have examined topics such as the development of mRNA vaccines during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of artificial intelligence on artistic developments.

ST has reached out to Dr Hiramoto for more information.

!transphobes

SINGAPORE – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and Singaporean investors on June 2, as his trip to speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue also doubled as a working visit to Singapore.

During his visit, Singapore and Ukraine also signed an agreement to strengthen air links between both countries.

At Mr Zelensky's meeting with Mr Tharman, both presidents reaffirmed the warm and friendly ties between Singapore and Ukraine.

The leaders also had a wide-ranging discussion on global developments and agreed on the importance of adherence to international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Matters which Mr Zelensky discussed with PM Wong included potential sectors where both countries could deepen bilateral cooperation, such as in trade and economic relations.

Both agreed that the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected, said the MFA.

Following their meeting, PM Wong and Mr Zelensky witnessed the signing of the Ukraine-Singapore Air Services Agreement between Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat and Ukraine's Ambassador to Singapore Kateryna Zelenko.

The agreement allows airlines from both sides to operate unlimited frequencies of passenger and cargo services between Singapore and any point in Ukraine, with no restrictions on capacity, routing and aircraft type, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a separate statement.

This is done by utilising third and fourth freedom air transit rights under the International Civil Aviation Organisation, it added. The third freedom is the right to carry passengers or cargo from one's own country to a foreign country, while the fourth freedom is the right to carry passengers or cargo from a foreign country back to one's own country.

The pact also provides a more conducive regulatory and business framework for airlines to operate air services between the two countries, said CAAS.

Its signing marked an important milestone in bilateral aviation relations and replaces a previous agreement between the two countries from 2011, noted the authority.

Mr Chee said the deal demonstrates Singapore's commitment to enhancing aviation partnerships with like-minded countries around the world.

Besides supporting air connectivity between Singapore and Ukraine, the agreement will “create the conditions for stronger economic, cultural and people-to-people ties between our two countries”, said Mr Chee, who is also Second Minister for Finance.

Mr Zelensky also met a group of Singaporean investors, both institutional and commercial, on June 2. They included the heads of Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and Singapore's investment company Temasek, according to the Ukraine President's official website.

Representatives of Straits Times Index constituents Wilmar International and Singtel, investment firm Blackstone Singapore, the Singapore Business Federation, real estate company Universal Success Enterprises and construction firm Meinhardt Group were also in the mix.

During their meeting, Mr Zelensky thanked the Singapore businesses which continued to operate in Ukraine and maintain employment despite the war, and reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment to creating additional attractive incentives for investors.

He also said there is great potential for the further development of trade cooperation between Singapore and Ukraine, especially in the fields of technology and innovation.

The Ukrainian economy will find ways to develop and grow, adapting to new circumstances even in the difficult conditions of the war, he stressed.

Mr Zelensky also extended an invitation to the Republic's investors to participate in a conference on the restoration, reform and modernisation of the Ukrainian economy to be held in Berlin later in June.

SINGAPORE: One passenger was killed and scores injured, some critically, after a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence.

SQ321, which left London's Heathrow Airport at 10.38pm local time on Monday (May 20), had to make an emergency landing in Bangkok.

A 73-year-old British man died during the incident, likely due to a heart attack, Suvarnabhumi Airport general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn told a press conference.

The plane fell into an air pocket while the cabin crew were serving breakfast before it encountered turbulence.

Seven people were critically injured with head injuries, but people were calm as they were led from the plane, Kittikachorn added.

Eighteen people have been hospitalised and 12 are being treated in hospitals, said SIA. A total of 211 passengers and 18 crew members were on board the Boeing 777-300ER.

An SIA team was also on the way to Bangkok to provide additional assistance.

"Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft," said SIA.

"We are working with the local authorities in Thailand to provide the necessary medical assistance, and sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed."

Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), an arm of the Transport Ministry, is opening an investigation into what happened on SQ321.

It says it has been in contact with its Thai counterparts and will send investigators to Bangkok.

SIA said it was over the Irrawaddy Basin in Myanmar at 37,000 feet that the plane encountered "sudden extreme turbulence". This took place 10 hours after departure from Heathrow.

The pilot then declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane to Bangkok, where it landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 3.45pm local time (4.45pm Singapore time).

A passenger who was on the flight told Reuters that the incident involved the sensation of rising then falling.

"Suddenly the aircraft starts tilting up and there was shaking so I started bracing for what was happening, and very suddenly there was a very dramatic drop so everyone seated and not wearing a seatbelt was launched immediately into the ceiling," Dzafran Azmir, a 28-year-old student on board the flight told Reuters.

"Some people hit their heads on the baggage cabins overhead and dented it, they hit the places where lights and masks are and broke straight through it," he said.

Kittikachorn, the Thai airport official, said most of the passengers he had spoken to had been wearing their seatbelts.

Photographs from the interior of the plane showed large gashes in the overhead cabin panels, gas masks and panels hanging from the ceiling and items of hand luggage strewn around. A passenger said some people's heads had slammed into the lights above the seats and punctured the panels.

"I saw things lying everywhere and many aircrew injured" with bruising, Kittikachorn said after the most critically injured passengers and crew had been evacuated.

Turbulence-related airline accidents are the most common type, according to a 2021 study by the US National Transportation Safety Board.

From 2009 through 2018, the US agency found that turbulence accounted for more than a third of reported airline accidents and most resulted in one or more serious injuries, but no aircraft damage. The NTSB is sending representatives to support Singapore's investigation into the incident, it said.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said it has been in contact with SIA, and the relevant Singapore and Thai authorities to coordinate assistance for the passengers and their families.

Staff from the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok are also at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the hospital to offer consular assistance to affected Singaporeans and their next-of-kin, it added.

"MFA extends our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased passenger and we wish those injured a quick and full recovery."

Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam expressed his condolences to the family and loved ones of the person who died on board SQ321.

"We must hope and pray that the passengers or crew members who were injured are able to recover smoothly," he wrote on Facebook.

Boeing said it was in touch with Singapore Airlines and was ready to provide support. It referred further questions to the airline and local authorities.

"We extend our deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one, and our thoughts are with the passengers and crew," it said.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat also expressed his condolences. He added that the authorities and SIA staff are providing support to the affected passengers and their families.

CNA has reached out to SIA for more information.

!metashit

SINGAPORE: There has been a near doubling of COVID-19 cases in Singapore week-on-week, prompting the Health Ministry to take steps to ensure sufficient capacity at public hospitals.

The estimated number of COVID-19 infections in the week of May 5 to 11 rose to 25,900 – a 90 per cent increase compared with the 13,700 cases in the week before that.

The average daily COVID-19 hospitalisations rose to about 250 from 181 the week before, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Saturday (May 18). It added that the average daily cases in intensive care remained low at three cases compared to two cases in the previous week.

“MOH is closely tracking the trajectory of this wave,” the ministry said.

“To protect hospital bed capacity and as a precaution, public hospitals have been asked to reduce their non-urgent elective surgery cases, and move suitable patients to care facilities like Transitional Care Facilities or at home through Mobile Inpatient Care@Home.”

It also urged people not to seek treatment at a hospital's Emergency Department if their symptoms are mild or if they have no medical vulnerabilities.

The KP.1 and KP.2 strain of the COVID-19 virus currently account for more than two-thirds of cases in Singapore.

The two strains belong to a group of COVID-19 variants scientists have dubbed “FLiRT”, after the technical names of their mutations. They are all descendants of the JN.1 variant, which spread rapidly around the world several months back.

Earlier this month, the World Health Organization classified KP.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring. It is also the dominant strain in the United States and has been detected in countries like China, Thailand, India, Australia and the United Kingdom.

“There are currently no indications, globally or locally, that KP.1 and KP.2 are more transmissible or cause more severe disease than other circulating variants,” MOH said on Saturday.

SMS REMINDERS, EXTENDED HOURS AT VACCINATION CENTRES

Urging people to keep up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations, the Health Ministry said it will send SMSes to people who have not taken any COVID-19 jab in the past 12 months, to remind them to book an appointment.

To date, about 80 per cent of the local population have completed their initial or additional dose but have not received a shot within the last year.

“This indicates that immunity in the population is likely to have waned,” said MOH. Even as we live with COVID-19 as an endemic disease, we cannot afford to lower our guard.”

The updated COVID-19 vaccines are free for all eligible residents.

From May 21 to Jun 29, the five Joint Testing and Vaccination Centres will extend their operating hours on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays – from 9am to 7pm instead of the usual 1pm closing time.

Those who enrolled in the Healthier SG initiative can also get their COVID-19 vaccination at about 250 participating Healthier SG clinics islandwide. More clinics will progressively be added to the list.

To further reach out to residents, especially the seniors, mobile vaccination teams will be deployed to selected heartland locations in the coming weeks.

The ministry stressed that COVID-19 vaccines have consistently been proven to be safe and effective.

“During the peak month of the previous JN.1 wave in December 2023, the incidence rate of COVID-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions among seniors aged 60 years and above was 25 per cent higher in those who had not kept their vaccination updated compared to those who had,” it added.

The public may book their COVID-19 vaccination appointments via the Health Appointment System.