Insider travel tips from German expats living in Singapore - CNA

I’ve always enjoyed two events in Frankfurt. The Museumsufer Fest (Museum Embankment Festival) usually takes place in the third week of August and involves over 20 museums around the Main River embankment. There’re pop-up eateries, themed programmes, fireworks and light-ups along the river. The 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled because of COVID-19, but when you finally get to visit, go on foot to access the district. Don’t miss out on the newest Deutsches Romantik Museum too, a first of its kind dedicated to the Romantic era.
 
Germany’s culinary scene is so much more than heavy dishes such as pork knuckle and potatoes. Regional areas in Germany have found an incredible way to redefine dining at the highest level as well as being sustainable. In Frankfurt, you’ve to try the delicious cuisine at one-Michelin-starred Restaurant Francais and the Grill & Health restaurant at Villa Rotschild just outside the city.
 
For a quick and brief lunch in the city, walk through the Fressgasse (near Frankfurt Opera House and loosely translated to mean “street to eat more than you can take”), followed by a shopping trip to Goethestrasse. Look out for masses of bankers as it is the best sign of great lunch specials and tasty treats.

TANIA JOSLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GRIMAUD COMMUNICATIONS

It is always a pleasure to relax and recharge whilst exploring the lakes and mountains of the incredibly beautiful Bavarian countryside. I recommend renting an SUV at the Munich Airport and driving to the idyllic Tegernsee (Lake Tegern) in just under an hour. Then stay at the charming and intimate Leeberghof or Seehotel Uberfahrt to enjoy gorgeous lake views and be pampered in style.

For simple but good Bavarian fare such as Weisswurst (sausage), visit the Braeustueberl Tegernsee or Schlossbrennerei Tegernsee.  For more elevated dining experiences, book a table at Freihaus Brenner, Maier zum Kirschner or Faehrhuette 14. Rent an electric boat for a cruise across the lake and take a picnic and bottle of wine along (in winter a ferry will be available instead).

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2021-10-09 22:29:00Z
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11 Singaporeans, including a 56-year-old, die of Covid-19 complications; death toll reaches 153 - TODAYonline

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1. 11 Singaporeans, including a 56-year-old, die of Covid-19 complications; death toll reaches 153  TODAYonline
2. No quarantine orders for close contacts of COVID-19 cases as MOH urges personal responsibility  CNA
3. Covid-19 quarantine orders scrapped, simpler rules to be rolled out in Singapore from Oct 11  The Straits Times
4. COVID in Singapore: 3 protocols to take note from 11 Oct  Yahoo Singapore News
5. Covid-19: 3703 new cases in Singapore; drop in number of infected seniors who need oxygen support  TODAYonline
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2021-10-09 15:45:41Z
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China's Xi vows 'reunification' with Taiwan, but holds off threatening force - CNA

China's air force mounted four straight days of incursions into Taiwan's air defence identification zone from Oct 1, involving close to 150 aircraft, though those missions have since ended. Xi made no mention of those flights.

Taiwan officially calls itself the Republic of China, the name of the country established in 1912 after the fall of the Qing dynasty.

That government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with the Communists, who set up today's People's Republic.

Taiwan marks Oct 10, when the anti-imperial revolution began in China, as its national day, and President Tsai Ing-wen will give a keynote address in Taipei on Sunday.

Tsai, speaking at a pre-national day reception at an air base in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu on Saturday night, thanked the armed forces for protecting Taiwan, though did not mention the tensions with China.

"We will continue to work hard to hold fast the front lines of democracy and freedom," she said.

China commemorates the revolution by harking back to republican leader Sun Yat-sen's calls for patriotism, national rejuvenation and good governance.

Xi used the speech to underscore the need for "a strong force to lead the country, and this strong force is the Chinese Communist Party".

"Without the Chinese Communist Party, there would not be a New China, and therefore no rejuvenation of the Chinese people," he said.

Xi has tightened party control in all aspects of life and is almost certain to break protocol and stay on as Communist Party boss for a third term late next year, when a congress will elect a new leadership for the following five years.

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2021-10-09 07:07:00Z
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Singaporeans flock to SIA service centre at Ion after news of easing of Covid-19 travel curbs - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - When Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Saturday (Oct 9) that travel curbs would be further eased, Ryon Chan, 17, rushed down to the Singapore Airlines (SIA) service centre in Orchard Road.

His parents had entrusted him with a special task - to reserve four tickets to the United States so that they can attend his eldest brother's convocation at the University of California, Berkeley on Dec 18.

His brother, 24, is also celebrating his birthday the same day he is graduating with a business degree.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Ryon, a Year 5 Anglo-Chinese School (International) student, said: "We 'die die' must go. We came down today just to reserve tickets; you can do it only at the counter or via the hotline."

Ryon also visited the SIA website but did not expect that it would be hit by technical difficulties following PM Lee's announcement.

Travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will, in the coming weeks, be able to visit 11 countries without quarantine and with fewer swab tests, under the Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme.

These countries, whose Covid-19 situations are stable, are Brunei, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea, Spain, Britain and the US.

From Oct 19, vaccinated travellers from Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Britain and the US will also be able to enter Singapore without quarantine.

When ST visited the Ion service centre at 6pm on Saturday, a few people were seen waiting outside but left after being told by SIA staff that there were already 40 to 50 people inside.

ST understands that there was an expected waiting time of three hours.

People outside the Singapore Airlines service centre at Ion Orchard on Oct 9, 2021. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO

Others such as Mr Kumar, 50, decided to book tickets online instead.

Mr Kumar, who declined to give his full name, was trying to buy a ticket for his 19-year-old son, a first-year mathematics and computer science student at the University of Chicago, to fly home.

He said: "Now that there is no more quarantine, he can come back during his winter break. His friends and family are all waiting for him here and he misses our labradoodle."

Pent-up demand for travel has shot through the roof, with families prepared to pay as much as $5,000 for a business-class ticket to London.

This was originally the plan for freelance writer Eileen Chua, 50, and her family of four. But they decided to go to Paris instead because fares were slightly lower.

The last time the family went on a holiday was two years ago, when they visited Australia.

They will take a train or flight to Britain so that Ms Chua's 12-year-old son can watch his favourite football team Tottenham Hotspur play in matches.

Ms Chua said: "Dad and son will probably watch football while my daughter and I may watch a few plays."

When asked why she is willing to pay so much to travel, Ms Chua said it was also because she wanted to support Singapore's national carrier, which has exhausted the $8.8 billion in gross proceeds raised from its rights issue in June last year.

Ms Chua said: "I want to support SIA now. As a Singaporean, we need to have that loyalty to our country."

With the Republic set to open borders further, Ms Chua is unfazed by the rising number of Covid-19 cases in Singapore and around the world.

She said: "Basically we have to live with it, because no one is going to be spared. When kids get the virus, it's not really a big deal because they are mostly asymptomatic. Moreover, my husband and I will be getting booster jabs soon."

Singapore Airlines has exhausted the $8.8 billion in gross proceeds raised from its rights issue in June last year. PHOTO: ST FILE

In response to queries from ST, SIA on Saturday said: "Singapore Airlines has seen very high demand today for our Vaccinated Travel Lane flights.

"While we had anticipated this and added more resources at our customer servicing points, our agents may take longer than usual to respond to queries or attend to customers due to the high demand."

Customers are advised to check flight schedules, book flights and manage their bookings via the Singapore Airlines website or mobile app.

• Additional Reporting by Toh Ting Wei

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2021-10-09 13:37:26Z
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Covid-19 protocols streamlined: ART to be primary mode of testing, no more quarantine orders and exit swabs from Oct 11 - TODAYonline

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1. Covid-19 protocols streamlined: ART to be primary mode of testing, no more quarantine orders and exit swabs from Oct 11  TODAYonline
2. No quarantine orders for close contacts of COVID-19 cases as MOH urges personal responsibility  CNA
3. Covid-19 quarantine orders scrapped, simpler rules to be rolled out in Singapore from Oct 11  The Straits Times
4. COVID in Singapore: 3 protocols to take note from 11 Oct  Yahoo Singapore News
5. Portugal:Fully-jabbed Britons no longer need Covid test to enter after major travel change  Express
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2021-10-09 05:10:21Z
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Xi says peaceful Taiwan reunification is in country’s best interests - South China Morning Post

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1. Xi says peaceful Taiwan reunification is in country’s best interests  South China Morning Post
2. China reiterates calls for US to cut military ties with Taiwan  CNA
3. China's Xi vows 'reunification' with Taiwan, but holds off threatening use of force  The Straits Times
4. Opinion | What if, instead of confronting China's rise, we must manage its decline?  The Washington Post
5. Taiwan does not seek military confrontation, says president  AsiaOne
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2021-10-09 04:05:08Z
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Is China the ‘Country X’ Singapore’s foreign meddling law dare not name? - South China Morning Post

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1. Is China the ‘Country X’ Singapore’s foreign meddling law dare not name?  South China Morning Post
2. Law against foreign interference: Who checks the checkers?  The Straits Times
3. View Full coverage on Google News

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2021-10-09 00:00:22Z
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