For years, fixed mobile plan contracts by Singtel, StarHub, and M1 locked you in for a period of 12- to 24-months with no way to switch telcos or plans without paying a hefty early termination penalty. How did they attract you to sign up with them? The main tactic was to dangle the latest smartphone at an attractive upfront "discount" - provided you sign up or recontract with them, locking you in again for another 24 months. Obviously, it wasn't really a discount - the cost of the smartphone was really just spread out over monthly instalments. But thanks to the entry of new players such as My Republic, Zero, Circles.Life, Zero.1 and TPG, a myriad of flexible smartphone plans at attractive rates are now available with minimum lock-in period. This means consumers are now spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing the most affordable and cost-efficient mobile plans for their needs. This has forced the traditional incumbents - StarHub, M1 and SingTel - to also up their game, and in the … [Read more...] about Best SIM-only plans for light, moderate, and heavy data users
Best mailing list service
Iran is irresistible
Iran is a jewel waiting to be discovered. This mountainous, ethnically diverse country of Southwestern Asia that I recently explored is a kaleidoscope of colors, flavors and spices. It is a dream destination where one will marvel at its immense beauty and culture. Much of Iran consists of a central desert plateau, ringed on all sides by lofty mountain ranges that afford access to the interior through high passes. Iran—after seeing the beauty of the place, the kindness of the people and the sumptuousness of the food in Shiraz, Tehran, Persepolis and Esfah?n—is my new favorite destination. The Huma bird capital at Apadana, Persepolis, Iran is a UNESCO heritage site. At first, because of what I heard and read, I was very nervous to come to this country but later on realized how safe the place and kind the people were. The change of heart happened instantaneously in Shiraz, the former capital of Iran, because the capital city of Fars province mimics … [Read more...] about Iran is irresistible
Trade frictions raise questions about China’s fentanyl promise
WASHINGTON: China has pledged to stem a flood of the synthetic opioid fentanyl onto America's streets, where it kills thousands of people a month, but U.S. security experts are skeptical about whether Beijing is willing, or even able, to follow through.Ten current and former U.S. officials, congressional sources and China and trade experts told Reuters in interviews that China cooperates only when it believes it will get something in return.In this case, several said, Beijing appears to have offered its help so that it could get the best deal possible from Washington in trade negotiations."Will they enforce this, or is this just another gesture to be used to secure something they want?” said Robin Cleveland, vice chair of the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which monitors the national security impact of bilateral trade and economic ties."I think they would hope to leverage it in some meaningful way in the context of trade talks," she said.Those … [Read more...] about Trade frictions raise questions about China’s fentanyl promise
Vico veers away from his parents’ footsteps
They say that acting is in the blood but not in the case of Pasig City Councilor Vico Sotto, the son of Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes, who is running for mayor in a race described as “David vs Goliath.” “I was never interested in showbiz,” admitted Vico in an exclusive STAR interview. “Mama would always ask me but I would always say no. I was painfully shy as a kid.” Recalled mom Coney, “Vico was an active, smart young boy. I don’t remember him taking naps growing up. If he would, that meant he wasn’t feeling well. He was always doing something — reading, writing, biking, playing with his legos and board games, doing jigsaw puzzles. We would have our dates at the mall and people would come up to me for pictures and Vico would quietly go to the side and wait for me to finish. Oh yes, he was painfully shy; he never called attention to himself. “I would read to him every night before he went to sleep, mostly classics and Bible … [Read more...] about Vico veers away from his parents’ footsteps
News Selling Condoms or Pet Food? Inside New York’s Business ‘Bible’
NEW YORK — The first issue of The City Record, on June 24, 1873, listed a procurement notice for a steamboat engine for the New York City Department of Charities and Corrections. A more recent notice, from 2017, listed the purchase of almost $4.4 million worth of condoms and lubrication packets as part of a city public health campaign. In between lies the vast history of the city and of The City Record, a bottomless trove of municipal minutiae and legally required announcements that calls itself the “Official Journal of the City of New York.” While most New Yorkers have never read, or even heard of, this city-published paper, it is indispensable to many city officials and to those seeking city contracts. “This is the bible of doing business with the city of New York,” said Eli Blachman, the paper’s longtime editor. “If you want to bid for a city contract, it’s like the lottery,” he said. “You’ve got to be in it to win … [Read more...] about News Selling Condoms or Pet Food? Inside New York’s Business ‘Bible’