New Mediacorp Screen Awards will honour behind-the-scenes talent in Singapore’s entertainment industry

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The inaugural  does give those who have worked hard behind the scenes in Singapore productions a chance to be in the spotlight this August; Mediacorp Screen Awards

The Mediacorp Screen Awards did honor creative individuals from the manufacturing industries of China, Malaysia, and India on August 29 in a meeting held behind closed doors.  

Prior to being presented at Mediacorp’s award ceremonies, the new  honors Star Awards, Pesta Perdana, and Pradhana Vizha, both 24 prizes will be presented across  during the party. For each of the three creation areas listed above, there are 88 categories:

  • Best Direction ( Drama )
  • Best Direction ( Entertainment )
  • Best Cinematography ( Drama )
  • Best Cinematography ( Entertainment )
  • Best Screenplay ( Drama )
  • Best Research Paper ( Entertainment )
  • Best Play Editing
  • Best Editing ( Entertainment )

The nominees for the Mediacorp Screen Awards 2025 may be available until April 3. On this site, you can find the rules and regulations of passage. In June, a panel of industry veterans may decide the final nominations, and the judges will be chosen from a pool of experts.

The main customer and business development officer of Mediacorp released a statement. According to Angeleline Poh,” At the heart of every powerful program is a shared goal among creative minds to captivate and encourage through storytelling.”

The Mediacorp Screen Awards are the most recent example of our commitment to highlight these hidden talent and create a lively, inclusive ecosystem that embodies Singapore’s best artistic excellence with all of its cultural diversity. ”

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NRIC unmasking saga: Deal fairly with public officers involved, ‘don’t go in with a big bazooka’, says Teo Chee Hean

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LEARNINGS” Need Get LEARN AND INTERNALISED”

Mr. Teo recapped the event and the steps taken by the government in his governmental speech, and he also reiterated why the government felt the need to stop using limited NRIC numbers.

He noted that he concurred with the assessment committee’s conclusions and that the incident demonstrated the need for close coordination and meticulous planning when updating policies and procedures.

” Sometimes it is just one issue, but there are other times it can be a convergence of factors that can cause these situations,” said Mr. Teo.

He also emphasized the need for accountability, even among those in charge of ACRA and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information ( MDDI). &nbsp,

They are in charge of the organizations under their control from the beginning to the end, regardless of whether they were directly or indirectly liable for the errors they caused.

He said that both Ministers Indranee Rajah and Josephine Teo have formally accepted this total responsibility and expressed regret for what had occurred.

He added that the prime minister may consider this circumstance when he evaluates the officials.

Additionally, the chief executive of ACRA and the permanent secretaries of the former Smart Nation and Digital Government Office ( SNDGO ) and MDDI are in charge.

Mr. Teo claimed that any administrative action would be taken in accordance with appropriate laws and procedures in the relevant people authorities.

He added that any financial sanctions imposed on ACRA may be ineffective because they “ultimately have to be borne by the common bag.” &nbsp,

The Public Service Division, MDDI, and ACRA have reviewed the tasks, duties, and behavior of the appropriate officials involved in light of the results of the review panel.

According to the top minister, the organizations have determined that there are “inadequacies” in the commanders ‘ judgment and behavior, and “appropriate steps are being taken against them.”

These steps range from retraining to counseling, to performance level reductions, which will result in monetary losses, such as a drop in their performance-based payments.

Mr. Teo argued that the instructions from the affair “must be learned and internalized, not only by the officials involved or their companies, but also by the public services as a whole, so that they are not repeated.”

He stressed the importance of maintaining confidence in the public services, saying that Singaporeans can be told where we are wrong when things go wrong.

We conduct complete examinations and make improvements to our systems and procedures to better serve Singaporeans while remaining sensible to our officers.

” This new incident, while unfortunate, demonstrates the government’s commitment to constant improvement,” he said.” Singaporeans have placed a lot of trust in the government and the public service.

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New national semiconductor R&D facility in Tampines to open in 2027

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In JTC nanoSpace@ Tampines, a new$ 500 million ( US$ 374 million ) semiconductor fabrication research and development facility will start operating in 2027.

Singapore must invest in research and development to spur innovation in the sector, according to deputy prime minister and trade and industry minister Gan Kim Yong on Thursday ( Mar 6 ).

The national facility will be built to support advanced semiconductor research and innovation, according to the Agency for Science Technology and Research ( A*STAR ). It is a component of the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre ( NSTIC ) program’s subsequent phase, which was first announced last year.

Mr. Gan outlined the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s ( MTI ) spending plans for the year by stating that semiconductor manufacturing facilities typically require significant upfront investments.

” Businesses, especially the smaller ones, may have trouble gaining access to silicon experience and facilities during their R&amp, D and captain manufacturing,” he said. &nbsp,

A*STAR may expand NSTIC to include more semiconductor technology and expand its scope.

The R&amp, D construction facility, which was first announced at Budget 2025, &nbsp, did first concentrate on superior packaging technologies, which combine various semiconductor components into a single unit to produce chips more quickly, more potent, and more effectively.

It will serve as a shared resource and will contain 12-inch ( 300mm ) industry-grade tools that can speed up production and reduce costs.

Both the government and the private sector may have access to cutting-edge tools, fabrication facilities, and tools. To reduce pollution by airborne particles, cleaner rooms are remarkably controlled environments used in transistor advancement. &nbsp,

This will be especially advantageous for SMEs and start-ups because it will give them access to crucial silicon facilities, which would otherwise necessitate significant honest investments, A*STAR said.

Mr. Gan further stated that the hospital might encourage new partnerships.

The organization cited the R&amp, D Fab as a means of bridging the “lab-to-fab” difference between semiconductors and smaller-scale manufacturing facilities.

Companies can collaborate with another ecosystem players or collaborate with higher education institutions to develop experienced professionals.

Through this R&amp, D Fab, there may also be opportunities for Singapore startups and small and medium-sized enterprises ( SMEs ) to be integrated into the supply chain for advanced semiconductor technologies, according to A*STAR.

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North Korea halts tourism just weeks after reopening

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Only months after the first American tourists to visit the country for the first time in five years, North Korea has stopped travellers from traveling.

North Korea sealed itself off at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, and started to scale back restrictions in the middle of 2023.

It was accessible to Russian guests in 2024, but only recently were guests from the far-off, eastern city Rason permitted.

However, some tour companies now claim that travel to the secluded nation has been postponed. The immediate end is not being explained by Pyongyang.

We really learned from our Asian companions that Rason is closed to all, according to the news. We will keep you informed,” the Northeast Korean-focused company KTG Tours, China, said on Wednesday on Facebook.

Different organizations that made the announcement of the expulsion included Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours.

Those organizing tours in April and May may hold off on ordering planes “until we have more info,” according to Young Pioneer Tours in a Twitter post.

The first American visitors to Rason, a city designated as a special economic zone by the North, arrived on February 20 to test new economic policies.

Tour operators claimed that visitors had fewer options to wander the streets and communicate to locals, and that their movements were even more limited than on pre-pandemic trips.

In the monk position, internet access and phone signals were also unavailable.

One tour guide claimed that he believes Rason was chosen because the place is comparatively underdeveloped and under control.

For the first time in five years, Koryo Tours announced earlier this week that it was accepting foreign uses for the Pyongyang Marathon. Although the date for the occasion is scheduled for 6 April, it’s not clear if these will still be processed.

According to media studies, North Korea welcomed 350, 000 international visitors in 2019, of which 90 % were Chinese.

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New Zealand fires UK envoy Phil Goff over Trump comments

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New Zealand has fired its most top minister to the UK after making comments that questioned US President Donald Trump’s understanding of history.

High Commissioner to the UK Phil Goff compared efforts to end the Russian-Ukraine War to the 1938 Munich Agreement, which gave Adolf Hitler the right to annex Czechoslovakia, at an event in London on Tuesday.

Goff recalled Sir Winston Churchill’s criticism of the deal and finally remarked about the US head,” President Trump has restored the statue of Churchill to the Oval Office.” But do you believe that he actually comprehends story?

Winston Peters, the foreign minister of New Zealand, called Goff’s comments “deeply upsetting” and “untenable” and called for “deeply disappointing.”

Goff’s comments came after Trump paused military aid to Kyiv following a heated exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last week.

Trump and Churchill squared off against the Munich Agreement because they both saw it as a retreat to Nazi Germany’s risks, despite being separated from the American government.

Goff cited Churchill’s statement criticizing then-UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain as saying,” You had the choice between conflict and dishonor. You went to war, but you chose dishonor.

Goff’s opinions, according to Peters, did not reflect those of the New Zealand authorities.

When you are in that position, you represent the government and the laws of the day, according to local media reports Peters saying.” You are the experience of New Zealand,” you say.

” It’s not the way you act diplomatically as the front face of a state,” he said.

Since January 2023, Goff has served as great director. Prior to that, he held various supervisory positions, including those in fairness, foreign affairs, and defense.

Helen Clark, the ex-prime minister, claimed Goff’s dismissal was supported by a “very slender reason.”

She wrote in a blog on X that” I recently attended the Munich Security Conference, where some draw comparisons between US deeds of 1938 and the present.”

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2 men charged with fraud over alleged movement of Nvidia chips get additional charge, to be remanded further

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On Thursday ( Mar 6 ) in court, two men charged with fraud over the movement of Nvidia chips were each given a new charge. &nbsp,

Aaron Woon Guo Jie, 41, and Alan Wei Zhaolun, 49, both from Singapore, showed up in court together wearing dark polo T-shirts via videolink. Wei was represented by attorney Shashi Nathan, while Woon was represented by prosecutor Cheryl Chong.

Woon and Wei are currently facing two counts of being involved in a legal conspiracy to defraud two machines manufacturers, Dell and Super Micro. &nbsp,

According to allegations, they allegedly made misleading representations in 2024 that the products would not be transferred to anyone other than the “authorised final shipper of end users.”

Due to the complex nature of the case, Deputy Public Prosecution Ng Yi Wen and Kang Jia Hui requested that both been remanded for an additional eight weeks. &nbsp,

Mr. Ng claimed that the trial had been successful in uncovereding more proof that led to Thursday’s new charges. &nbsp,

According to Mr. Ng,” This investigation has particularly allowed the Commercial Affairs Department to identify the two servers suppliers that the accused persons had conspired to supply, specifically Dell and Super Micro.”

Mr. Ng also kept the courtroom informed about studies. He claimed that CAD has seized 42 items, including devices, devices, and laptops, that it is still meticulously examining. &nbsp,

To track down and track money, it has also requested banks statements from several financial institutions. &nbsp,

On the basis of fresh documents, investigators were likewise keeping records of statements from “new persons of attention” and former witnesses. &nbsp,

Mr. Ng continued, “CAD will also be looking for help from international law enforcement counterparts,” without naming the nations at issue. It&nbsp may fight the two accused with fresh information and report additional comments.

According to Mr. Ng, “given the steps that CAD intends to take, it is likely that more data will be obtained by ordering a farther trial of eight days,” the jury should decide to give the application. &nbsp,

The software was not opposed by either of the defense attorneys. The attorneys noted that CAD may allow them to meet on March 12 but that they had not had direct contact with their customers. On March 13, both people’s cases will be fixed for a second notice.

Woon and Wei were detained the day before their initial initial charge was filed on February 27. Li Ming, a 51-year-old Foreign nationwide, was charged as well. His situation was put to rest in the day after being originally scheduled for discuss on Thursday morning. &nbsp,

After press reviews claimed brokers in the nation were involved in the illegal activity of Nvidia cards to China, bypassing US export controls, the three were among nine people taken into custody during assaults by the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Customs in February. &nbsp,

US officials are looking into whether Chinese AI experience DeepSeek had evaded restrictions through third parties in nations like Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. Nvidia’s artificial intelligence bits are subject to US import regulations.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam stated on Monday that Singapore’s independent investigation into the three men was initiated after an anonymous tip-off was received by the US or any other nation.

He claimed that Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips that were sent to Malaysia may have been contained the servers linked to the fraud case. &nbsp,

The question is whether Malaysia was the country’s final destination or whether it left Malaysia for somewhere else, which we do not know for certain at this time, he told reporters.

However, we determined that the final destination of the servers may have contained false information.

Singapore has contacted the US and Malaysian authorities for pertinent information to aid in investigations.

According to Mr. Shanmugam, businesses operating in Singapore are expected to consider unilateral export controls in their international business practices and conduct their operations transparently.

By enforcing their domestic laws within their respective jurisdictions, countries in the trade and supply chain must work together to ensure that everything is done properly, he added. &nbsp,

A maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine, or both are possible penalties for the crime of false representation.

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Blue Bottle Coffee opening cafe in Lumine Singapore at Raffles City in early 2025

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Since Blue Bottle first expanded internationally to Japan almost a decade ago, we have shared a perspective to introduce its expertly crafted coffee experiences to new audiences. This is especially important in Singapore, where there is a lively shop tradition and a growing respect for specialty coffee, said Teruyuki Omote, president and CEO of Lumine Co.

In Oakland, California, Blue Bottle Coffee was founded in 2002 as a little coffee vehicle, and over the past 20 years, the company has grown its appearance in the US, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and China. &nbsp,

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Kranji warehouse fire: Air quality in the west remained within normal range during four-day blaze

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SINGAPORE: Throughout the four-day fire at a Kranji warehouse in February, air quality in the west of Singapore remained within the permitted range, according to Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor on Thursday ( Mar 6 ).

Waste substances were the subject of the fire that broke out on February 19 at 11 Kranji Crescent and was put out on February 23. Wah &amp, Hua, a recycling and waste management company, occupies the location.

That was the warehouse’s third blaze in seven years. The past fires at the hospital were in 2018, 2023 and 2024.

The service has permission to sort industrial and commercial spare before putting it to recycling and disposal. According to Dr. Khor, it contained substances like e-waste, plastics, glasses, scrap metal, wood, and paper. &nbsp,

Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Hazel Poa ( PSP) posed a question in response to which of the questions had been answered: what kinds of materials were stored in the warehouse, and whether nearby residents had been exposed to toxic substances as a result of the fireplace.

Dr. Khor responded, stating that the inventory is about 2 kilometers from the closest homes. She continued, adding that it is prohibited to keep toxic industrial waste or dangerous substances. &nbsp,

” Assessments by NEA and SCDF are ongoing to determine whether the service complied with the appropriate licensing and fire safety specifications.”

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Seven injured after South Korea fighter jet accidentally drops bombs

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After a warrior flight accidentally dropped eight weapons in a human district during a live-fire military exercise, seven people in South Korea were hurt, four of them really.

The Air Force KF-16 incident occurred in the city of Pocheon, close to the border with North Korea, at around 10: 04 local time ( 0: 04 GMT ).

One weapon is believed to possess exploded. A team tasked with removing the bombs is attempting to safely remove the other seven old bombs, Pocheon regulators told the BBC. They claimed that people who live close to the region have been evicted.

Although shells from exist firing occasionally land close to civil homes, they hardly ever injure people.

Two people reported having neck and shoulder injuries, according to regional media reports.

” Our KF-16 ( jet fighter ) abnormally dropped 8 shells of MK-82 bombs. It landed outside of the air’s protection, according to Korea’s Air Force in a speech to the BBC.

It further stated that it was looking into the event and expressed regret for the injury, and that it would compensate those who were impacted.

One temple tower and two homes suffered damage as a result of the event.

A broken roof of the cathedral and a broken windows of a building are depicted in images published on local media.

The defense ministry claimed that the Thursday education was related to a joint exercise with US troops.

The US and South Korea will conduct combined maneuvers starting on March 10 until March 20; this is the first training since Donald Trump’s White House visit. The two nations are becoming more watchful of the growing empire between North Korea and Russia as a result.

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