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  1. Ingenius

    Just Stop Oil

    Will you support this cause ?
  2. Approaching 60k+ svc soon. Will be trying to get parts myself to save cost Car is 4 yr old 1.6 turbo diesel. Currently using Castrol Edge 5w30 but thinking to change to Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 as offer better protection against high rev/temps esp in hot weather. However not very sure about ACEA grade A5/B5 which is what the Edge is rated at. The SHU is rated at A3B3.. from what i gather it refers to viscosity? Is the SHU compatible with the current engine? From what i gather, ATF wise.. the handbook says it recommends BOT 341 fluid. Not sure what ATF is good.. Using Volvo MPS6. Thanks in advance
  3. Just purchased my mark x not too long ago... was reading online and realise that mark x beside standard oil change need to change rear axle oil... asked ex owner and he say he nv do that before. he also told me that his spark plug not changed since day 1 as can last 100k. Current milage is 115k. No wonder the car is very sluggish... now i thinking he prolly skip many other required maintenance for mark x... Was wondering any fellow X owner here can enlighten me and the estimation for the cost so that wont kana chop carrot. Thanks!
  4. During my last oil change at my regular workshop, I noticed the labour prices have increased 50% from before. So I am thinking of embarking on my own oil changes. With the investment into the proper equipment required, I should be able to cover the costs in 2 or 3 oil changes. There is only one problem, I don't know where to dispose of the old engine oil. If there are any of you who are currently doing your own oil changes, where do you dispose of the old oil?
  5. Ex-Shell officer jailed 29 years after masterminding S$129m gas oil theft from Pulau Bukom refinery https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/29-years-jail-mastermind-fuel-theft-shell-bukom-1860351 Juandi Pungot (left), a former Shell Eastern Petroleum employee, was jailed for his role in the misappropriation of marine gas oil from the firm's biggest regional refinery on Pulau Bukom (right). Published March 31, 2022 Updated March 31, 2022 Juandi Pungot, 45, began a decade-long scheme with other Shell colleagues in 2007 It involved the siphoning of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of marine gas oil with two syndicates of Shell employees They also bribed independent surveyors to turn a blind eye to their crimes Juandi spent most of his ill-gotten gains on items such as luxury watches and vehicles, and properties here and abroad SINGAPORE — A former Shell Eastern Petroleum employee was jailed for 29 years on Thursday (March 31) for his role in the largest misappropriation of marine gas oil from the firm's biggest regional refinery on Pulau Bukom. Juandi Pungot, 45, and two colleagues are said to be the key planners of the scheme that began in 2007. It involved the siphoning of more than 300,000 tonnes of gas oil — a type of fuel used on ships and other vessels — worth at least S$200 million. They then sold the gas oil to foreign vessels at prices lower than the prevailing estimated market value. Juandi pleaded guilty in the High Court last month to 36 charges stemming from the misappropriation of S$127.7 million worth of marine gas oil. The charges include corruption, laundering benefits from criminal conduct, and conspiracy to commit criminal breach of trust as a servant. He reaped at least S$5.6 million from his crimes, spending the majority of it on luxury watches and vehicles, Singapore and foreign properties including a condominium unit in Hougang, foreign exchange trading, gambling and investments. Justice Hoo Sheau Peng, who described his offences as “exceptionally serious”, took into consideration another 49 charges for sentencing purposes. The judge told the court that Juandi’s crimes “hit at the heart of the bunkering and petrochemical industry, which is a key component of Singapore’s economy” and that the “massive scale” of the theft, committed by two syndicates of Shell employees on Pulau Bukom, was “unprecedented”. The police began investigating when a Shell representative filed a report in August 2017, saying that the firm had suffered a loss of fuel worth about S$2.98 million in April that year. Shell operates a refinery on the island, its largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia-Pacific region. Two other former Shell employees have been jailed for their roles in the scheme — Muhammad Ashraf Hamzah, 40, and Sadagopan Premnath, 41. Juandi will begin serving his sentence on May 6 after asking for time with his family and to attend a medical appointment. He remains out on bail of S$550,000. HOW THE SCHEME WORKED Prosecutors previously told the court that the syndicate got away with the crimes for about a decade through various methods. This included timing the thefts with the legitimate loading of gas oil, deliberately distracting the supervisor and tampering with the orientation of closed-circuit television cameras. The members coordinated their activities through chat groups on mobile phones, even though they were not allowed to use their phones while on duty. Juandi and his colleague Abdul Latif Ibrahim allegedly first came up with the scheme in 2007. They then recruited another “key mastermind”, shore loading officer Muzaffar Ali Khan Muhamad Akram shortly afterwards. These shore loading officers would usually be the ones in contact with a ship captain for the sale and purchase of misappropriated gas oil. Juandi also rose to that position, drawing a salary of S$5,000 a month or S$6,000 with overtime. The syndicate called the instances of misappropriation as an “illegal loading”. Its members started doing it with the Anic 1 bunker ship owned by Sentek Marine & Trading, with Juandi and Latif allegedly tampering with the bunker meter to remain undetected. Between 2008 and mid-2013, they then expanded to various other bunker ships and recruited other colleagues including Ashraf. At the time, Juandi received about S$10,000 to S$15,000 for each illegal loading. In 2013, Juandi, Muzaffar, Ashraf and a fourth employee discovered that Latif was holding on to about half of their criminal profits before splitting the remainder with them. This led to a dispute. Latif was the primary point of contact with bunker ships willing to take part in the scheme. The operations then took a pause when he left to join another team in Shell. However, the syndicate resumed its activities in 2014 after finding other willing vessels with Vietnamese and Greek captains, and recruited other employees into the scheme. Juandi and Muzaffar became the team leaders from mid-2014, prosecutors told the court. The pair and another shore loading officer Koh Choon Wei allegedly directed and led the embezzlement. Among other things, the trio negotiated prices, decided how profits should be distributed within the syndicate and recruited their co-conspirators. The vessels that bought their misappropriated gas oil were mainly those belonging to a company called Prime Shipping. Juandi and Muzaffar also purportedly began bribing independent surveyors from Intertek Testing Services and SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore, so the surveyors would turn a blind eye to the siphoning of gas oil. Court documents showed that Juandi conspired to give about S$270,000 in bribes — some deducted from the sale proceeds of the gas oil — to 13 surveyors between 2014 and 2017. Juandi resigned from Shell in November 2017 after hearing rumours from a colleague about police investigations into the matter. But even after that, he continued to collect and distribute proceeds from the scheme. Court documents showed that between June and December 2017, Juandi used his ill-gotten gains to make payments of S$123,000 for a Mercedes Benz GLC250. He also paid S$140,000 for a Toyota Harrier. He, Muzaffar and Farhan then teamed up to set up and run a halal Japanese restaurant, The 3 Amigoes. Shell began observing significant unidentified gas oil loss at Pulau Bukom in early 2015. After discovering the syndicate’s offences, they took various measures to improve its systems and processes, and has incurred about S$6 million in costs as of 2020. Prosecutors sought one month shy of 30 years’ jail for him, while his lawyer Noor Marican asked for 15 years instead. For each charge of criminal breach of trust as a servant, Juandi could have been jailed for up to 15 years and fined. Those convicted of giving gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act can be jailed for up to five years or fined up to S$100,000, or both.
  6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/17/india-russia-oil/ As sanctions over Ukraine war mount, Russia turns to India to buy oil and arms By Gerry Shih Today at 1:07 p.m. EDT Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting in New Delhi on Dec. 6. (Money Sharma/AFP/Getty Images) NEW DELHI — When Russia faced international condemnation and sanctions after President Vladimir Putin launched his Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, India stayed on the diplomatic sidelines. Now, as those economic sanctions begin to bite, Moscow is again turning to India. India, the world’s biggest oil importer behind China and the United States, has agreed to purchase 3 million barrels of Russian oil at a heavy discount, an Indian official said Thursday. The purchase, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is relatively small given Russia’s production and Indian demand. But the volume could increase in the coming months and reinforce a growing perception that India is determined to preserve its extensive trade and military ties with Moscow, even as the United States and its allies urge governments around the world to isolate Russia. Aside from the oil deal, the Indian government is also exploring ways to maintain trade with Russia by reviving a Cold War-era arrangement called the rupee-ruble trade, according to two other Indian officials with knowledge of the matter. The mechanism, which would be akin to a ledger of trade between the two countries, would let Indian and Russian firms do business while bypassing the need to use U.S. dollars — the predominant currency of international trade — and lowering the risk of potential U.S. sanctions. The three Indian officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. “Eighty-five percent of India’s oil comes from imports, so we always look for good options,” one of the officials said. “If that includes a good package coming from the Russian side, and there’s no bar on buying from Russia, then let’s accept that.” The Indian officials characterized the ruble-rupee ledgers, which will probably be set up at Russian and Indian banks that are not exposed to the U.S. financial system, as a solution to help the Indian economy and its exporters rather than a way to evade potential U.S. sanctions. India trades with Iran, another country under U.S. sanctions, using a similar rial-rupee trade arrangement. In recent weeks, India has drawn condemnation from some U.S. lawmakers after it repeatedly abstained from criticizing Russia at the United Nations. But Biden administration officials have often stopped short of criticizing an Asian giant that is seen as a crucial part of its strategy to counter China. On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters she did not believe that Indian purchases of Russian oil would violate existing U.S. sanctions. “But also think about where you want to stand when history books are written about this moment,” Psaki added, without explicitly naming India. “Support for the Russian leadership is support for an invasion that obviously is having a devastating impact.” India’s special relationship with Russia was highlighted this month when the Russian military gave India “special input” about when and to where its stranded citizens should flee the besieged Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, while Russian military officers offered to fly Indians, specifically, out of the war zone. India is not the only country maintaining trade relations with Russia. Many European countries, including U.S. allies in NATO, continue to purchase Russian energy even though the United States and Britain have announced domestic bans. And India’s oil purchases probably would not amount to a game-changer for Putin’s war effort. Russia’s most important customers are Europe and China; India accounted for about 3 percent of Russia’s exports in 2021 and sources most of its oil from the Persian Gulf, according to S&P Global Commodity Insights. But the two countries’ cooperation in the energy sector has deepened in recent years. In 2016, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Putin oversaw a $13 billion deal between Rosneft and a refinery in Modi’s home state of Gujarat that represented India’s largest-ever injection of foreign investment and Russia’s largest-ever outbound deal. Indian energy companies, meanwhile, have invested $16 billion in Siberian oil fields. An oil refinery in Vadinar village in Gujarat, India. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images) As talk about the oil purchase ramped up last weekend, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak called Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to express Russian interest in “further attracting Indian investment to the Russian oil and gas sector and expanding Russian companies’ sales networks in India,” according to a statement issued by the Kremlin. Puri said in the Indian Parliament this week that the Modi administration was working hard to keep gas prices low and that he was in talks with “all levels” of the Russian government about a deal. The Indian Oil Ministry has otherwise not publicly commented about the matter. Many Indian industry executives and observers say it would be unfair for the West to pressure India to quit Russian oil. The European Union said this month it would wean itself off Russian energy “as soon as possible,” but large countries that depend on Russia, such as Germany, have not immediately cut imports. “Has Europe or any other significant taker of Russian oil and gas reduced its consumption yet?” said Subhash Kumar, the former chairman of the Indian state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, the country’s largest crude-oil company. If India, which is not involved in the Ukraine conflict, did not buy discounted Russian oil, there would be other takers on the market, he said. Other prominent commentators have cautioned against proceeding with the purchases, mostly due to its optics. “From a moral standpoint, the decision to buy Russian oil and gas at a discounted rate because of the crisis in Ukraine could be questionable,” Vikram Singh Mehta, the former chief executive of Shell India and former chairman of the Brookings Institution’s India arm, told local media outlets this week. In the coming months, India’s trade with Russia is likely to continue in another crucial realm besides oil: defense. Largely as a legacy of the Cold War — when the Soviet Union gave India everything from help setting up steel plants to blueprints for MiG fighter jets — around 85 percent of Indian weapons today came from the Soviet Union or Russia, according to a 2021 analysis by the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington. Amit Cowshish, a retired Indian defense ministry official who previously oversaw India’s military acquisitions, said the armed forces would be badly crippled within a year if India could not trade with Russia. Advertisement “There’s ammunition, subassemblies, critical licenses, all of which would run out, and it wouldn’t be in the U.S. interest to see an Indo-Pacific partner be crippled or alienated by sanctions,” he said. So far, Biden administration officials have avoided criticizing India’s continued relationship with Russia. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, lawmakers asked Ely Ratner, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs who has argued for a tougher U.S. posture against Beijing, why India was not siding with the West on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We recognize that India has a complicated history and relationship with Russia,” Ratner responded. India is trying to diversify away from Russia, but it will take time, Ratner added. “From the U.S. perspective,” he said, “India is an absolutely essential partner as we think about our strategy in the Indo-Pacific.” Niha Masih and Anant Gupta contributed to this report.
  7. https://mothership.sg/2022/03/fried-banana-seller-death-penang/ A 74-year-old fried banana seller in Penang fainted suddenly while cooking at her hawker stall on Sunday (Mar. 13). As a result, she fell into the wok containing hot oil and suffered severe burns to her face and body, later succumbing to her injuries. Pain was so intense she couldn't speak According to Malaysian Chinese daily Kwong Wah Yit Poh, the incident occurred around 3pm on Mar. 13. The elderly woman — identified as Zhong Bixuan — was frying bananas when she suddenly fainted, falling into the wok of hot oil. Her head and upper body were plunged into wok full of hot oil, resulting in severe burns on her face and body. A resident described the elderly woman as feeling like her body was being stabbed by thousands of hot needles, and added that the pain was so intense that Zhong could not speak. Zhong was then rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, where she passed away later that night. Had been in the business for over 30 years Zhong had been selling fried bananas for more than 30 years, Kwong Wah reported. Her second son, Chen Zhenping, told media that his mother had been working in the hawker stall with his 80-year-old father at the time of the incident. When asked whether he would take over his mother's stall, Chen explained that he is currently managing his own stall in Seremban. Thus, he will temporarily close his mother's stall and then make plans in the future. Top photos via Kwong Wai Yit Poh.
  8. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Markets/Brent-crude-hits-130-a-barrel-Nikkei-plunges?utm_campaign=GL_coronavirus_latest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=10&pub_date=20220307150000&seq_num=11&si=44594 Brent crude hits $130 a barrel; Nikkei plunges U.S., Europe ban on Russian products and delayed Iran nuclear talks spark fears Brent was quoted $12.73 higher at $130.84, while U.S. crude rose $9.92 to $125.60. © Reuters March 7, 2022 09:12 JSTUpdated on March 7, 2022 11:54 JST SYDNEY (Reuters) -- Oil prices soared and shares sank in hectic trading on Monday as the risk of a U.S. and European ban on Russian products and delays in Iranian talks triggered what was shaping up as a major stagflationary shock for world markets. The euro extended its slide, hitting parity against the safe haven Swiss franc, and commodities of all stripes were on the rise as the Russian-Ukraine conflict showed no sign of cooling. Russia calls the campaign it launched on Feb. 24 a "special military operation", saying it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. Having surged more than 10% in wild early action, Brent was last quoted $7.90 higher at $126.01, while U.S. crude rose $6.67 to $122.35. That jump will act as a tax on consumers and the potential blow to global economic growth saw S&P 500 stock futures drop 1.5%, while Nasdaq futures shed 1.9%. U.S. 10-year bond yields also dropped to their lowest since early January. EUROSTOXX 50 futures dived 3% and FTSE futures 2.5%. Japan's Nikkei sank 3.2%, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 1.6%. Chinese blue chips shed 0.8% amid a sea of red across Asian markets. Having climbed 21% last week, Brent crude was further energized by the risk of a ban of Russian oil by the United States and Europe. Read full story "If the West cuts off most of Russia's energy exports it would be a major shock to global markets," said BofA chief economist Ethan Harris. He estimates the loss of Russia's 5 million barrels could see oil prices double to $200 a barrel and lower economic growth globally. And it is not just oil, with commodity prices having their strongest start to any year since 1915, says BofA. Among the many movers last week, nickel rose 19%, aluminium 15%, zinc 12%, and copper 8%, while wheat futures surged 60% and corn 15%. That will only add to the global inflationary pulse with U.S. consumer price data this week expected to show annual growth at a stratospheric 7.9%, and the core measure at 6.4%. All of which complicates the policy picture for the European Central Bank when it meets this week. "Given the potential for stagflation is very real, the ECB is likely to maintain maximum flexibility with its asset purchase program at 20 billion euros through Q2 and potentially beyond, thus effectively pushing out the timing of rate hikes," said Tapas Strickland, an economist at NAB. "Higher CPI forecasts, though, mean rate hikes will be needed on the horizon." The near-term prospect of a more dovish ECB combined with safe-haven flows to drive German 10-year bond yields down a huge 32 basis points last week. U.S. 10-year yields were down at 1.69%, having already dropped 23 basis points last week. Fed fund futures were also gaining as the market priced in a slower pace of rate rises from the Federal Reserve this year, though a March hike is still seen as a done deal. With the outlook for European growth darkening, the single currency took a beating and fell 3% last week to its lowest since mid-2020. It was last down 0.8% at $1.0834 and in danger of testing its 2020 trough around $1.0635. The euro was also tumbling against the Swiss franc to break under 1.0000 for the first time since early 2015. The dollar was broadly firmer, supported in part by a strong payrolls report which only reaffirmed market expectations for a Fed hike this month. The dollar index was last at 99.134 having climbed 2.3% last week. "Events in the Ukraine are increasingly overwhelming the euro," said Richard Franulovich, head of FX strategy a Westpac. "With safe-haven flows likely to continue for some time yet and Fed officials eager to press on with their policy normalization plans, 100+ for (the dollar index) is just a matter of time." Gold benefited from its status as one of the oldest of safe harbors and was last up 1.1% at $1,991 an ounce.
  9. Hi all, wondering if anyone here have tried Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Engine Oil pls? cheers
  10. Hi guys, recently just participated the contest on sgCarMart. The one that have the ipad as the grand prize one. Hope to win something, but in the end no one called yet. So i think i never win lah. Anyway, car is due for servicing and i tot of trying this MPM oil . . . dunno how's the feedback, anyone who won the contest have tried the engine oil? or anyone use this before? I saw there is a very positive review on the 0W-40. Anyone have any take on this engine oil?
  11. Saudi Arabia sells oil at US$6-US$8 discount a barrel to undercut everyone else when prices already falling source: https://mothership.sg/2020/03/saudi-arabia-oil-price-crash/ Saudi Arabia announced a stunning discount in oil prices on Sunday, letting customers in Asia, the United States and Europe snap up supply at US$6 to US$8 discount per barrel. This measure sent oil prices and stock indexes into free-fall, as crude oil traded at US$28 to US$32 per barrel. As recent as 2014, prices went as high as US$115 per barrel. U.S. consumers will get cheaper fuel prices United States consumers are likely to see lower prices at the gas pump. American oil producers, though, could be hurt by the oil price slide, as America leads the world in output. Going against logic Instead of cutting oil production to stem falling prices, Saudi Arabia — the world’s second-largest producer — this weekend said it will actually boost oil production in a dramatic reversal in policy. Days before, Saudi Arabia, the rest of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), and Russia failed to agree on production cuts to combat falling prices stemming from coronavirus epidemic fears that will halt world economic growth. Oil prices had already fallen more than 30 percent in 2020 before Sunday’s further collapse. Saudi strategy to grab market share Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members sought to cut production to shore up oil prices. But the once-powerful cartel can no longer move markets alone without Russia’s participation. Russia, which is not an OPEC member, has recently been coordinating with the organisation. However, Russia did not go with production cuts and the talks ended failed on Friday, March 6. OPEC and its allies announced no new reductions and didn’t even commit to extending current cuts. Saudi Arabia going head-to-head with Russia The logic of cutting oil prices at this stage is due to Saudi Arabia taking on Russia for dominance. If Saudi Arabia cannot move prices upwards, its cutting of prices is to retain market share. In all, Saudi Arabia is cutting the oil price for the U.S. market by S$7 per barrel, to Europe by S$8, and Asia by S$6. Such a strategy is paired with Saudi Arabia’s ability to rapidly increase production and unilaterally cutting crude oil prices for everyone. Low oil prices are bad for Saudi Arabia’s budget though. But because Saudi Arabia’s production costs are the lowest in the world, lower prices can hit other producers harder. Even though Russia is being targeted, American oil and gas producers, including the fracking industry, will also be hurt Despite this unilateral move, Saudi Arabia is not guaranteed to come out on top in a prolonged face-off with Russia. It’s not even clear if there are going to be buyers for that oil. Lower fuel prices can offer some relief to the airline industry, with travel cancellations leading to flight cuts. World markets hit The oil price shocks reverberated throughout financial markets. Dow futures dropped more than 1,000 points. S&P 500 futures hit their limits after tumbling 5 percent. The 10-year Treasury note yield fell below 0.5%, a record low.
  12. Hi, Any idea on what is differential oil and how often it should be changed on a Toyota Corolla Altis? I noticed that this is recommended between 40000 - 100000 KM. Is this the same as ATF?
  13. The Forces That Could Plunge Venezuela Into Chaos https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-01-31/the-forces-that-could-plunge-venezuela-into-chaos From Juan Guaidó and U.S. sanctions to a starving population and protest, the country is rushing toward a breaking point. Events are moving fast in Venezuela, and not in President Nicolás Maduro’s favor. Scattered protests in Caracas the night of his second inauguration, on Jan. 10, quickly grew into organized demonstrations as thousands heeded opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s call to march against the regime. At press time, Maduro remains in office, but he faces a litany of threats: the economy, which has been devastated by low oil prices; powerful international interests, including the U.S., which condemned his 2018 reelection as illegitimate; Guaidó, head of the National Assembly, who’s claimed the title of interim president until new elections can be called; and the military, whose loyalty Maduro needs above all else to hold on to power. The president made a show of courting the armed forces’ support and has sent security forces into areas of unrest. But every day Guaidó roams freely in Caracas, holding rallies and building a government in waiting, Maduro’s grip on power becomes more tenuous. The Military Guaidó supporters first fanned out to military bases and national guard stations around Caracas in the days after he declared himself president on Jan. 23. They carried copies of a law from the National Assembly granting amnesty to any member of the armed forces who defects to the anti-Maduro cause. So far the top brass has stood behind the commander-in-chief, who long ago secured their loyalty with lucrative prizes: the reins of Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), the state-owned oil company; control of the ports; contracts for housing projects; and the rights to valuable mining and oil-services concessions. It would be a surprise if military leaders broke ranks and moved against the authoritarian regime, says historian Tomás Straka of Andres Bello Catholic University in Caracas: “Their economic interests and vision are completely fused with Maduro’s.” Despite the outreach from the Assembly, they’ll be in trouble if he falls. Several high-ranking officers have been sanctioned by the U.S., accused by American prosecutors of graft, drug running, and other crimes. Many in the rank and file also remain behind Maduro, at least publicly. More than a few were photographed burning the amnesty documents. Still, dissent has simmered since before Maduro’s tenure. A military coup deposed his predecessor and mentor, the late Hugo Chávez, for a few days in 2002. The mood among the soldiers has only soured since, as the economy has crumbled, with those down the chain of command struggling along with the rest of the population. They, too, have to deal with desperate shortages of food and medicine, blackouts, and water taps that run dry. There have been reports of desertions. Asked for their reactions to the amnesty offer over the weekend, some men in uniform patrolling the city, rifles slung over their shoulders, gave a wink or a thumbs-up. The World While key allies Russia and China continue to support Maduro, the pro-Guaidó faction swelled in just over a week to more than 20 countries, including Canada, Israel, and the U.K. In Latin America, 11 countries lined up to follow President Trump’s lead in pushing for regime change. Among their motivations: More than 3 million people have fled Venezuela, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, mainly to neighboring lands. “This isn’t merely a question of applying democratic principles, this is a question of countries bearing the brunt of the negative consequences,” says Benjamin Gedan, a former South America director at the White House’s National Security Council. Not all in the region are on board. Mexico and Uruguay have called for de-escalation; Bolivia, Cuba, and Nicaragua have reiterated their support for Maduro. The European Union stopped short of giving Guaidó the nod, though it signaled it would do so if Venezuela didn’t schedule “free, transparent, and credible presidential elections” by the beginning of February. Meanwhile, the U.S. has been assisting Guaidó in a kind of smoke-and-mirrors game of brinkmanship, insinuating that it may be building up a military force in Colombia to invade if necessary. Addressing the UN Security Council, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was blunt. “Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side,” he said. “Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you’re in league with Maduro and his mayhem.” The Money The Trump administration dealt its hardest blow yet to Maduro when it put new sanctions on PDVSA. Once Latin America’s largest producer, Venezuela is pumping less than North Dakota does these days, but oil sales remain its main source of revenue. Sanctions will effectively block the national oil company from exporting crude to the U.S. and crimp the regime’s cash flow. Its U.S. subsidiary, Citgo, will be allowed to continue operating, but all revenue will be held in accounts the Maduro regime can’t access. Guaidó has vowed to appoint his own boards to PDVSA and Citgo—a mostly symbolic gesture for now, but one that nevertheless adds to his aura of authority. Pompeo took another step toward starving out Maduro on Jan. 29, granting Guaidó control over Venezuelan assets and property in U.S.-insured banks, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. (The State Department has declined to say how much money is in the accounts.) American officials also successfully lobbied the Bank of England to deny Maduro access to $1.2 billion in gold the Venezuelan government holds in London, stymieing its efforts to pull in funds from abroad. Maduro’s government owes Russia and China billions of dollars in loan payments, but that’s unlikely to faze the sitting president. Since the Trump administration began slapping sanctions on Caracas in 2017, the government has defaulted on more than $9 billion in debt owed to bondholders, yet both creditors have been staunch so far in their support. The real problem for Maduro is losing the ability to dole out money. The more of the economy Guaidó gains control over, the harder-pressed Maduro will be to keep key allies on his side. The military, for instance, is unlikely to stick around if he loses the power of the purse. The People Hungry, broke, and exhausted, Venezuelans are angrier than ever with Maduro. And after more than a year of silence in the wake of the mass demonstrations of 2017, Guaidó has reignited their passion for protest. Almost two years ago, millions turned out and encountered tear gas and violence at the hands of security forces. Thousands were arrested during months of demonstrations, and hundreds died. This time the protests have been mostly peaceful. Security officers were out when Guaidó supporters again took to the streets of Caracas on Jan. 30, but they largely kept ranks as protesters marched past. Earlier, Maduro launched a series of nighttime raids in the working-class neighborhoods and slums that were once rock-solid Chavista bastions but have begun to shift away from him. There, under the cover of darkness, members of the deadly Special Action Force used tear gas, guns, and even grenades against demonstrators. “Maduro won’t let go of power easily,” says Jesus Gonzalez, a motorcycle taxi driver in the vast Petare slum. “He doesn’t mind pumping anyone who protests against him full of lead.” Through all of this, Guaidó hasn’t been arrested. Although Maduro has prevented him from leaving the country, he’s so far been free to travel locally, meet with foreign leaders, and speak to the press. Social media blackouts have curtailed his reach at times, while Maduro has been touring the country’s military installations trailed by a TV crew filming generals as they swear their allegiance. At press time, Guaidó was still leading marchers and planning further protests for Feb. 2, when the EU’s deadline runs out. Venezuela is ‘disease threat to America’ as measles and diphtheria cases soar in crisis https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1081227/venezuela-news-maduro-crisis-president-guaido-measles-diphtheria The South-American country has plunged into economic ruin and political chaos following almost 20 years of price control and stringent policies launched by socialist leader Hugo Chavez. The meltdown has profoundly affected Venezuela’s health system, whose current state has been compared by experts to the ones of war-stricken countries such as Syria and Yemen. Diseases such as measles and diphtheria, which could be contained with widespread vaccinations, have re-emerged in the country, putting its neighbouring countries at risk of contagion as millions flee to Brazil and Colombia for a better life. A paper in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases said: “The ongoing diphtheria and measles epidemics in Venezuela, and spill over into neighbouring countries, evoke the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases observed in Syria and Yemen and the consequent threat to regional, and potentially global, public health.” Measles, a highly infectious viral illness which can be fatal, and diphtheria were thought to be under control in Venezuela, but its chronic shortage of medicines and vaccines and the general poverty of the country fuelled their return. Moreover, medically trained workers are among the millions who have left the country, according to the paper written by academics led by Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, a Venezuelan infectious diseases pathologist. He said: “The continued mass exodus of around two million persons from Venezuela since 2014, not only to Colombia, but also to Ecuador, and Brazil, represents an ongoing risk that vaccine-preventable diseases will be carried with them.” Venezuela now contributes to nearly seven out of 10 cases of measles in the Americas, just 11 years after the country believed to have stamped it out. Diphtheria, a potentially deadly disease affecting nose, throat and sometimes skin, was first spotted again after 24 years in 2016.
  14. sharing this new EO. Looks good! As there are more of hybrid cars now, Motul has this new EO and it is good for hybrid vehicles....will try it and share the feedback when my next oil change is due. cheers! Hybrid 0W-20 100% Synthetic "Fuel economy" engine oil specially designed for Hybrid Electric Vehicles (H.E.V) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (P.H.E.V) fitted with recent gasoline engines, turbocharged or naturally aspirated, direct or indirect injection, designed to use SAE 0W-20 oil with low friction and very low HTHS. Suitable also for battery electric vehicles (B.E.V) fitted with thermal gasoline engine used as Range Extender. Compatible with catalytic converters. http://www.motulconnect.com/sg/?skippromo=1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MotulSG_Product_Launch&utm_content=MotulSG_Product_Launch+CID_3d4247bd17b2f93f15764257d5484a49&utm_source=campaign%20monitor&utm_term=Find%20out%20more#featured-products/passengercar-everyday
  15. Anyone know where got sell Car lube 5w30 engine oil. Few years back selling at NTUC and Giant. Now where got sell? Please advise
  16. recent oil spill from sunken Iranian tanker Sanchi seems to be getting worse... https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/oil-slick-off-china-coast-trebles-in-size-official-9883238 https://thinkprogress.org/sanchi-oil-disaster-681fe92acfc6/
  17. I reading MY auto forum, they are already saying tyre prices already dropping. SG one no drop?
  18. My bottle of cooking oil states best before date on 3 Sep 2015. As there is no expiry date, I still continue using as there is still half bottle left. How are the consequences?
  19. How Bardahl Asia Pacific do their customer service My friends are using Bardahl Oil for our engine in the past few years and this year we stopped it. Because two engines have break down with this oil, we took some old oil and new oil to do some test. And the result coming out is not good. SN 5W-40 Old oil (We save some oil before we change the oil) Kinematic Viscosity, mm2/s @ 100C : 13.9 CCS @ -30C, cP : 5390 Pour Point, C : -39 TBN, mg KOH/g : 6.94 Phosphorus content % : 0.073 SN 5W-40 New oil (We bought some new oil from store) Kinematic Viscosity, mm2/s @ 100C : 14.36 CCS @ -30C, cP : 6350 Pour Point, C : -36 TBN, mg KOH/g : 9.31 Phosphorus content % : 0.157 With all the API standard, these two oils are in spec. However, we put 4L new oil into my engine and after running 5000km my engine alarm light is on. I go check with the repair shop about it, there are 2L oil left in the engine and the oil is extremely dark and sticky with mud. Few of my friends have this issue also, two of their engine have break down with this oil. We ask the Bardahl office what happen with their oil and they keep pushing all the response away and sent us different report about their oil don’t have any problems. We know that if there is a problem with a single car, we can let it go and try to fix it. However, there are more cars having these problems in these few months. And the Bardahl office accidentally cc me this email below during the conversation. From: seetho [mailto:[email protected]] To: marine yeo Dear Marine, Next time, remember, don’t start the conversation by denying our responsibility out right (and of course can’t admit also) and just push away our responsibility before the actual cause is identified/determined. We have to remain neutral until we know the root cause (which in many cases very difficult to determine). That’s why I said “according to the context”. Tell them that we will test the used oil samples, check our retain sample before we can conclude anything. At the same time, 顺便 tell them other possible causes that may lead to the problem. Thanks, See Tho After received this email, I ask for explanation of their attitude for solving the case and the they just make up a lot of excuses to avoid the oil and the email problems. I just ask all my friends to stop using their oil. This is a very terrible experience for us and for everyone who are using their oil, they sent us a lot of fake report to prove their oil is fine but I don’t believe it. And we are not going to use this oil anymore. Please be careful while choosing your engine oil.
  20. HI Anyone or knows of anyone into the above esp diesel? Just want to ask is it really difficult to find seller of diesel? Knowing here a lot of hidden dragon. Tks
  21. ‘Biggest bribery scandal’: US, UK, Australia launch probe into mass oil industry corruption https://www.rt.com/news/337961-unaoil-corruption-scandal-investigation/ Among the biggest names implicated are Samsung; Hyundai; US weapons corporation Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root; Texas firm National Oilwell Varco; Singapore conglomerate Keppel; Norway’s Aker Kvaerner; Turkish joint venture GATE; and Italian oil giant Eni.
  22. Anyone know where to get supercharger oil in Singapore ? Its for a friend's Mini Cooper S. Seems real hard to find locally. I ordered some from Amazon but shipment is late and it is needed urgently as the supercharger is off the car and re-assembly can't start. Any help appreciated. Thanks !
  23. Singapore Airlines & SilkAir are raising their fuel surcharges again - to between US$4 and US$38 for return flights. This will take effect for tickets issued on or after Tuesday. The last increase took place on Oct 24. http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_181868.html
  24. Hello MCFs, We are located at 25 Kaki Bukit Road 4, Synergy Building, #01-52 S(417800) Currently, we have a whole range of engine oil for your to choose. All our engine oil are API-SN approved. We choose 5W-40 engine oil to cater to Singapore temperature and fuss free change! Emara Engine Oil Change Starting from $88 onwards. Ultralube Engine Oil Change Starting at $88 onwards. Come down now to find out more!
  25. any idea where can i buy a few bottles of Tutela Technyx Gearbox Oil for servicing?
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