CNA is Singapore's most trusted news brand for 5th year running: Reuters Institute report

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On the other hand, findings also showed that trust in news across global markets fell to 40 per cent from 42 per cent, reversing the gains made in many countries at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finland remains the country with the highest levels of overall trust with 69 per cent, while Greece has the lowest at 19 per cent following arguments about press freedom and the independence of the media, the report showed.

MOST USED ONLINE NEWS SOURCE

Alternative news site Mothership became the most used online news source for the first time, although the Reuters report noted that it “still lags” in brand trust with a score of 52 per cent.

CNA’s website came in second in terms of weekly use, followed by The Straits Times online.

Online and social media continue to be the most common ways of accessing news in Singapore, while both TV and print have declined significantly over the last few years.

On social media apps, the report said: “Facebook continues to face a decline (36 per cent), while YouTube (30 per cent), Instagram (19 per cent) and TikTok (12 per cent) were able to grow as platforms for news. WhatsApp remains the most used social app for news (38 per cent).”

Associate Professor Edson Tandoc Jr and Matthew Chew from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University, who wrote Singapore’s portion of the digital news report, noted TikTok’s growing popularity in the country and elsewhere.

“It reaches 49 per cent of 18 to 24 (year olds) every week, and 22 per cent for news according to our survey,” they said, adding though that this is not without controversy.

“Public officials have been reminded they are not permitted to install the app on official devices, and it has been added to the list of social media companies that are required to have formal processes and systems for dealing with misinformation, under the country’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

“This includes transparency over political advertising.”

The Singapore government announced in March that public officers are allowed to use TikTok on government-issued devices only on a “need-to basis” under existing policy, such as for communication officers.

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Will George Goh qualify to run for President? It's a matter of discretion, say lawyers

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S$500 MILLION: A “HARD RULE?” Mr Ben Chester Cheong, a law lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, similarly said it was “not immediately clear” whether Mr Goh meets the shareholders’ equity requirement. He pointed out that in the past three financial years, Ossia International made profit after tax,Continue Reading

Jocelyn Chia: US comedian calls Malaysia's reaction to MH370 joke 'ridiculous'

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Jocelyn ChiaGetty Images
By Kelly Ng
BBC News, Singapore

A US comedian who offended Malaysian authorities with a joke about missing flight MH370 says the reaction from officials has been “overblown”.

Jocelyn Chia told the BBC she was “not making fun of tragedy” and victims, but was trying to find humour in tragedy.

Malaysian police said they would ask Interpol to locate Ms Chia, as they investigate her for incitement and offensive online content.

Ms Chia – who grew up in Singapore – called involving Interpol “ridiculous”.

Interpol has not responded to questions from the BBC on whether it would act on the request for assistance from Malaysian police.

Ms Chia had joked in a viral video that Malaysian jets “cannot fly”, referring to the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in 2014 – a sensitive topic in the country.

She said her joke had been “taken out of context when consumed on social media”.

“I have [performed this routine] hundreds of times and even did a shorter version of it in Singapore. It always cracks the audience up. I wouldn’t have used it again if it didn’t work,” she said.

Ms Chia said “roasting” or poking fun at the audience is part of comedy club culture in New York, where she is now based. She said American comics have in the past used the September 11 terror attacks as fodder for their jokes.

“Americans can appreciate humour that is harsher, edgier and more in-your-face, as compared to in Asia where the stand-up comedy scene is still in its early days. You won’t find a lot of edgy comedy in Asia,” she said.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777, mysteriously fell off the radar in March 2014 as it was on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur. A four-year search over the Indian Ocean yielded some debris, but not the main fuselage. All 239 on board are presumed dead.

Ms Chia mentioned MH370 in the context of the long-running rivalry between Singapore and Malaysia. The two former British colonies were part of one country until a bitter break-up in 1965.

“Malaysian Airlines going missing not funny huh? Some jokes don’t land. This joke kills in Singapore,” she said in a 90-second viral clip that was taken from her performance at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar on 7 April.

The video stirred uproar in Malaysia and was removed by TikTok, which cited a violation of its hate speech guidelines. Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said Ms Chia’s joke was “horrendous”.

Some internet users, including Ms Chia’s fellow comedians, criticised her for being insensitive. Others thought it was acceptable as satire.

Interpol’s main function is to share information about fugitives and bring them back to the country where they committed a crime.

“I just wish I could have seen the face of the Interpol officer who received this request,” Ms Chia said.

“Honestly, if Interpol does do something about this request and things escalate, can you imagine how famous it is going to make me?”

The reaction from Malaysia to Ms Chia’s act comes as comedians in some parts of Asia endure closer scrutiny from authorities.

In July 2022, Malaysia arrested comedian Rizal van Geyzel for posting videos that touch on racial and religious sensitivities.

Last month, Chinese stand-up comic Li Haoshi was detained and his comedy group fined for a joke perceived as a “serious insult” to the “people’s army”.

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Cross Island Line to get 44 new MRT trains

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Each car on the new train will have five doors on each side, similar to the trains for the Thomson-East Coast Line.

To improve commuters’ accessibility within the train, the gangway – the flexible connector between each train car – will be wider at 1.6m, up from 1.4m on other train lines.

The new trains will be “powered by a 1500V D.C. Overheard Conductor Rail (OCR) system, which will increase energy efficiency compared to a typical 750V D.C. third rail system,” LTA said.

The trains will also be equipped with condition monitoring and diagnostic systems to detect potential equipment faults early. Some trains will include an Automated Track Inspection system that monitors the running rail and OCR’s condition in real time.

“CRRC Sifang has an established track record internationally, having supplied trains to Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Chicago and Sao Paulo,” said LTA.

LTA has also previously procured trains from the Qingdao-based railway company for the North-South-East-West Line and Thomson-East Coast Line, through a consortium formed with Kawasaki Railcar Manufacturing.

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Some school canteen stalls closing due to falling revenues, as home-based learning keep students away

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LESS OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE STUDENTS 

Outside some schools, posters calling out to potential canteen stall owners can be found. Many such requests are also posted online. 

A check by CNA found about 60 advertisements on MOE’s website.

Canteen vendor My NoNNa’s, for instance, was losing 20 per cent of revenue each month.

From operating three stalls during the pandemic, it now only has one.

“So, while COVID was difficult, it was more the post-COVID situation that actually was very much more difficult to manage,” said Ms Geraldine Tan, chief executive officer of My NoNNa’s. 

“There are still a lot of e-learning days in schools. So you will find that e-learning days are basically zero revenue days for us. And the costs kept going up still.”

Ms Tan said it was a difficult decision to close some school outlets.

“We refuse to compromise on the quality of the food, the size, the portions. So for us, while the costs keep going up, the yield will keep going down. And that’s not a tenable situation,” she added. 

Ms Tan has since moved on to new ventures such as cultivating edible greens and helping persons with special needs.

Five previous schools have asked Ms Tan to return since the start of the year, but she is unlikely to go back.

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Biparjoy: India, Pakistan evacuate thousands ahead of cyclone

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Rising tide at Dwarka Gomti Ghat in GujaratBBC/Tejas Vaidya

Tens of thousands have been evacuated in India and Pakistan as parts of the countries brace for an extremely severe cyclone to hit on Thursday evening.

Biparjoy – a cyclone over the Arabian Sea – is forecast to make landfall in Kutch in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

In Pakistan, the storm is expected to hit the coast of Sindh province and affect parts of Karachi city.

Seven people have died in India amid heavy rains.

The Gujarat government said it has evacuated nearly 38,000 people to safety from its coastal districts. The weather office has warned people of blackouts and floods.

Trains in the region have been suspended while the ports of Kandla and Mundra – two of the largest in the country – have stopped operations, authorities said.

The Indian Coast Guard said it evacuated 50 workers from an oil rig off the Gujarat coast on Tuesday.

People have been told to avoid visiting beaches and fishermen have been asked to not venture into the sea.

The Indian Coast Guard preps

Indian Coast Guard

Three people were killed in Kutch and Rajkot districts as heavy rains and strong winds hit Gujarat’s coastal areas, uprooting trees and resulting in a wall collapse, authorities said.

Several parts of the neighbouring Maharashtra state have also witnessed heavy rains and high tidal waves.

Four boys, who went missing after venturing into the Arabian Sea off Mumbai’s Juhu area, were found dead on Monday evening, police said.

In Pakistan, the national disaster management authority said it will evacuate nearly 100,000 people by Wednesday morning, moving them to temporary shelters and relief camps.

Residents evacuate from a coastal area of Keti Bandar before the due onset of cyclone Biparjoy, in Thatta district of Pakistan's Sindh province on June 13, 2023.

Getty Images

The country’s weather office forecast heavy rains and squally winds for the Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Allayar, Shaheed Benazirabad, and Sanghar districts.

Pakistan is still reeling from the aftermath of the devastating 2022 floods which submerged large parts of the country and killed almost 1,700 people.

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Gifu: Two soldiers dead in Japan military facility shooting

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Soldiers seen around the shooting range after a teenage member of Japan's army was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a shooting incident in GifuKYODO
By Derek Cai and Shaimaa Khalil
in Singapore and Tokyo

Two Japanese soldiers were killed and another injured after a fellow recruit opened fire at a military training range in central Japan, the army says.

An 18-year-old trainee was detained on the spot and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police said.

They allege the male shooter fired his rifle at colleagues during a shooting drill in Gifu on Wednesday.

A 25-year-old man was among those killed, authorities said.

Details about the other victims, in their 20s and 50s, are not yet known.

No civilians were involved, Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force said.

They said the shooting had occurred during a live-fire training for new members and potential candidates.

They did not reveal further information about the suspect- who is believed to be a new recruit.

Gun violence remains extremely rare in Japan, but there have been some notable incidents since last July, when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was gunned down at a political rally by a protester.

Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister and his death profoundly shocked the country.

Japan was again rattled in April when Prime Minister Fumio Kishida escaped unharmed after having a smoke bomb thrown at his campaign event.

And in May, a Japanese man killed four people, including two police officers, in an hours-long knife and shooting rampage in the Nagano region.

On Wednesday, pictures on Japanese media showed police and emergency vehicles blocking off roads around the training facility in Gifu city.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu said he was aware of the shooting, and said the incident was still under investigation.

Japan has strict gun ownership rules, and only allows civilians to own hunting rifles and airguns. People have to undergo a strict exam and mental health tests in order to buy a gun in Japan.

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Commentary: Too early to assume Presidential Election will be contested

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SHOWING COMPARABLE EXPERIENCE AND ABILITY

Before Mr Goh continues further on the campaign trail, it would be helpful if he could put out all relevant facts and also explain to voters how he intends to make his case, to enable the PEC to exercise its discretion to issue the much-coveted Certificate of Eligibility to him.

Thus far, Mr Goh has indicated that he will rely on this track record based on the number of companies he founded or incorporated, or of which he is a shareholder or original subscriber.

The Constitution places a premium on a prospective candidate’s “experience and ability” in running a large company. Acquiring and founding several much smaller companies, while reflecting a keen business acumen and also a function of wealth, is quite different from having the competence and expertise in running a profitable company of a significant size for at least three years.

It is for Mr Goh to show that his ownership of a stable of companies and being on numerous boards of directors is comparable to that of running a profitable company with S$500 million shareholder equity.

Parliament had accepted the recommendation of the Constitutional Commission of 2016, which was headed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, to use shareholder equity instead of the previous market capitalisation criteria (understood as the total value of all shares of a company) as the assessment metric.

Simply put, shareholder equity refers to a company’s assets minus its liabilities and indicates the net profit that would remain if the company was sold or liquidated at fair value. It is considered a more accurate estimate of a company’s net worth, as it does not fluctuate day to day based on the stock price, unlike market capitalisation.

In other words, shareholder equity is a better indicator of a company’s size and complexity.

DON’T RAISE FALSE HOPES

While there is hope yet for a spirited and contested Presidential Election, it might be too early to assume that every presidential hopeful is eligible to contest.

The stringent criteria, as explained in my earlier CNA commentary, ensure the president has, minimally, a track record demonstrating technical competence and expertise to discharge the functions and exercise the powers of the presidency appropriately and effectively.

This pre-qualification approach was established since 1991 to ensure that voters choose from a slate of qualified and suitable candidates. The act of casting a ballot is significant for a citizen’s expression of democratic choice and the electoral process enables candidates to gain a fair hearing from voters.

The PEC cannot be expected to bend the rules just so that there is a contest. Given the role and functions of the presidency, any presidential poll must have suitably qualified candidates. This ensures that the non-partisan head of state has exacting standards of ability, experience and integrity.

And though presidential hopefuls put themselves forward with the best intentions of serving Singapore and Singaporeans, they also have a moral responsibility not to raise false hopes among voters.

Eugene K B Tan is associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University and a former Nominated Member of Parliament.

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Rare footage of ‘ferocious’ platypus fight in wild

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Two male platypuses have been caught on camera fighting for territory in Tasmania, Australia. Esme Atkinson, who filmed the video, said the animals were “ferocious” and showed no signs of stopping after 20 minutes. One expert told the BBC the male platypuses, which have venomous spurs, can become territorial ahead of the breeding season.

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