Sarah Brightman on her musical theatre comeback with Sunset Boulevard and her iconic duet with Andrea Bocelli

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Fans of acclaimed singer-actress Sarah Brightman will soon get to hear her iconic voice live this February as she steps into the role of Norma Desmond in a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard.

Based on the classic Paramount film about the relationship between a screenwriter and a former silent film star, this adaptation of Sunset Boulevard will have its Asia premiere at Singapore’s Sands Theatre.

CNA Lifestyle recently spoke to Brightman about her preparation for the role as well as her illustrious career.

YOU’RE ONE OF THE BIGGEST STARS IN OPERA AND OPERATIC POP. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO EXPLORE THIS UNIQUE FUSION?

I am actually not a star in opera or operatic pop. I decided when I was young that, although I had been training as a classical singer, I didn’t want to go into the opera field directly.

I felt I was too eclectic in my taste in music and wanted more freedom. In what you call operatic pop, it’s really just a fusion of all the things I was doing and training with my voice classically.

So it was very natural – there was nothing very calculated about it. 

OVER THE YEARS, HOW HAS YOUR APPROACH TO MUSIC AND PERFORMING CHANGED?

I have always taken it all very seriously. I think as I got older, it became more serious and deeper. With experience, you actually understand what you don’t know – so it’s a tougher route as you get older.

YOU’VE PERFORMED MANY MASTERPIECES AT MULTIPLE ICONIC VENUES WORLDWIDE. WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE PERFORMANCE OR LOCATION?

I have been very privileged and lucky to have performed in really beautiful places but the one that jumped out a lot to me – because it was so different – was performing at the Chinese Olympic Games in 2008.

We were performing outside, and we were standing on top of this huge globe which was hovering in the sky. I have not had an experience like that, and I don’t think I will ever have an experience like that again. It was truly magnificent. 

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Retailer to be charged in a first after e-bikes fitted with incompatible batteries catch fire

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SINGAPORE: A retailer will be charged in court on Thursday ( Jan 23 ) over two incidents involving non-compatible e-bike batteries.  

Prince Bryan Tan, the sales and marketing manager of Drive Bikes Singapore, allegedly sold an incompatible power-assisted bicycle ( PAB) battery on Jan 27, 2024, said the Land Transport Authority ( LTA ) on Wednesday.

This caused the e-bike to become improperly modified, rendering it non-compliant, LTA added.

Tan is also accused of selling a non-compliant e-bike on Feb 21, 2024, as it was fitted with an  irreconcilable power.

This is the first time a dealer will be charged in relation to the instances, LTA told CNA.

The e-bike power linked to the initial incident caught blaze on Apr 27, 2024, while the client was riding along Hougang Avenue 5.

In the next event, LTA said the device that came with the PAB had voided its EN15194 documentation.  

The EN15194 qualification is a German safety standard for electronic PABs, according to OneMotoring’s site.

That e-bike eventually caught flames at the company’s home along Bukit Batok Street 32 on Apr 25, 2024, LTA added.

Drive  Bicycle Singapore has a store outlet in Aljunied, while its support and warranty center is located at Syed Alwi Road.

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Batam farm’s escaped crocodiles: 34 caught so far, say Indonesian officials

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SINGAPORE: Indonesian authorities have caught 34 crocodiles believed to have escaped from a Batam farm as of Wednesday ( Jan 22 ), and a local official said the risk of escapees swimming to Singapore was “very low”.

The 34 crocodiles were caught in the waters of Mangkada and Seraya islands, Sepaku Bay, Lokan River and Batu Legong in Batam, said Lieutenant Colonel Mar Bambang Irianto, the head of Maritime Potential Threat of Main Naval Base ( Lantamal ) IV, in a statement.

The largest crocodile caught weighed more than 1,000kg, said Rio Nugraha, brain of knowledge of Lantamal IV, which is leading the Integrated Taskforce for Disaster Management and Crocodile Evacuation.

The turtles have been handed over by the committee to be returned to prison on Bulan area.  

The turtles escaped from a breeding land on the island on Jan 13 after heavy rains caused a border around their water to decline, Indonesian media reported. Bulan beach is about 30km from Singapore’s Sentosa area.  

It is still not known how many turtles escaped, said Rio.

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New GRC, SMC likely in next General Election, contest as early as April: Analysts

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“If you want to keep to the same amount, you need to appoint at least 97 MPs, ” said Asst Prof Ong, indicating an boost of 4 elected MP tickets.

Dr Teo Kay Key, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, noted that the terms of reference called for the council to “keep the proportion of MPs from SMCs, never the number”.

This means that if the total number of MPs to be elected rises, the number of SMCs may even increase by a similar percent, said Dr Teo.

To keep the 15 per cent percentages of MPs from SMCs, 15 single-seat rooms may be required. That leaves 82 votes among the GRCs.

To separate them according to the ordinary of 4. 65 Members per GRC, a total of 18 GRCs may be needed on the political image.

“So the best prediction is at least one more GRC, ” said Asst Prof Ong.

Singapore Management University’s affiliate professor of law, Eugene Tan, agreed with the change in the number of GRCs. “For case, if four new votes are recommended, that you form one four-member GRC. ”

Dr Teo noted that the modifications may take place in political units experiencing “significant changes in voter numbers, ” such as Tengah, which has recently seen the implementation of new Build-to-Order cover projects and the arrival of new residents.

Schedule OF THE Poll

On Wednesday, the Elections Department also announced that the voter rolls would get revised in February, with the practice to be completed by Apr 1.

Authorities told CNA that while the correction will finalise who you vote in the vote, the EBRC does not always have to wait for it to be completed before releasing its last statement.

“Ideally, the electoral register correction may become completed first before the EBRC record is submitted. But the government definitely have a rough idea of the increase in voting population, ” said Assoc Prof Tan.

If the EBRC statement is released by the date, he added, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had probably call the vote as early as Apr 1 itself.

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‘People just watch’: Malaysia PM Anwar says attack on disabled man in Terengganu reflects poorly on society

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“INHUMANE” AND “HEARTBREAKING”, SAY Officials

Several groups and social groups have spoken up since the affair.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Tuesday said the assault was unacceptable and should not have happened.  

In a statement on Tuesday, the Social Welfare Department condemned the incident, calling it an “inhumane ” act that went “far beyond the acceptable standards of social conduct” in Malaysia.  

Youth chief of the United Malays National Organisation ( UMNO ) Muhamad Akmal Saleh has pledged free legal aid for the victim and vowed to pursue justice for him.

“It is heartbreaking to see the sufferer being treated so cruelly. How had they kick him in the face and bring him along the road? ” he said in a picture posted on Instagram on Sunday.  

Bersatu Youth key Aziman Hadi Nazri even criticised the strike, calling it a infraction of spiritual values and legal guidelines.

“We call on the authorities to conduct a transparent investigation and take stern action against those involved under Section 147 of the Penal Code ( for rioting ), ” he said in a statement on Monday.  

UMNO is part of the ruling coalition while Bersatu is in the criticism.

Ahmad’s family Faridah Abdul Karim told the media she would keep studies to the authorities.

“We ( the family ) will not forgive those who assaulted my husband, even though someone has called to meet and resolve the matter, ” she told the New Straits Times on Monday after a visit by Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s political secretary Megat Zulkarnain.

Megat told Bernama that UMNO would supply all necessary assistance to the target, including legal representation and help for the victim’s two children aged 10 and four.

Former senator Ras Adibah Radzi slammed members of the public who just stood by and watched the “heartbreaking ” incident.  

“The prey was on his own and was dragged and kicked by a group of people for an crime we believe was unexpected. But what is even more disconcerting is that those existing at the picture merely stood by and watched without offering any assistance, ” she said in a speech published on Twitter.

Ras Adiba, the leader of disability rights non-governmental company OKU Sentral, even said people with disabilities face different challenges everyday and called the crime towards the target “deeply troubling”.

Could A GOOD SAMARITAN LAW HELP?  

The event has even raised issues on whether a Good Samaritan Law may have prompted spectators to move forward to help.

Malaysia is considering for a law to motivate people to assist in situations without worry of legal implications, such as being sued for unintentional damage caused when offering support. Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed on Dec 14 his government is considering whether to offer the rules.

Places like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia as well as some in Asia have for a legislation and Malaysia did forecast against them, he said.

Speaking to CNA, Ras Adibah said such a law was “unnecessary ” and it was more crucial to promote empathy through more disability awareness campaigns.

“ I think … we just need to have a consciousness; shouting, kicking and hurting other people is a no-go, ” she said.

More reporting by Izzah Aqilah Norman 

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China’s ‘iPhone city’ Zhengzhou braces for uncertainty as Trump returns to office

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Despite speaks that Foxconn may depart Zhengzhou, there have been new indicators that the condition may be improving.

The technology producing large brought in around 50,000 workers in its latest getting rampage in August. It also promised to invest 1 billion yuan ( US$ 137 million ) to build a new business headquarters in the city.

Foxconn did not respond to CNA’s ask for opinions on its Zhengzhou plan.

TRUMP AND Taxes

Trump’s taxes pose a significant risk not only to the town ’s market, but also to the livelihoods of many workers who rely on those sectors. The flutter effects extend to the areas where these staff live, potentially disrupting regional economies and social security.

However, the influence of Trump’s industry plan on China may be felt beyond its technologies sector, said businesses.

For example, Jungle Tiger, a Zhengzhou-based company that sells outdoor experience products such as camping tents, tents, and pan, is worried it may be affected.

The business ’s items are listed on e-commerce programs like Alibaba and exported to overseas buyers.

Its leader Zhang Gaofeng said the company started selling to the US in 2018, and managed to buck the trend in Trump’s first name because it principally targets the high-end business.

The company exports mainly to Europe and America, with the US being its largest industry, accounting for about 40 per cent of its imports.

However, Zhang said he is not putting all his eggs in one basket, especially after Trump’s challenges to hit further tariffs on Foreign items.

“We are now entering areas in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. The Middle East accounts for 20 per cent of our sales, ” he added.

“As US laws evolve, we are diversifying our business target. We are likewise exploring Russia due to its potential and proper relations with China. ”

Authorities said many companies still need to supply components or components from China.

“Redirecting funding to Vietnam, to India, is not as red. The business environment may not be able also to compare with Zhengzhou, ” said Liu Baocheng, director of the Center for International Business Ethics at the University of International Business and Economics.

“The important matter is that China has a pretty strong professional cluster. For some of the little devices or parts, you still need to supply within mainland China. ”

Chinese President Xi Jinping recently reaffirmed China’s devotion to more open up its business and align itself with global trade rules, warning that business wars produce no winners.

But whether that is enough to encourage Trump that China is in for good business remains to be seen, said spectators.

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Trump’s inauguration pledge to expand US territory: What’s at stake as he eyes Greenland, Panama Canal?

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Beyond Greenland, US President Donald Trump has even set his sights on acquiring the Panama Canal on the grounds of national security. He has also refused to act out monetary or military force to this end.

The 80km global canal essentially provides a shipping shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, allowing vessels to minimize the long, hazardous voyage around the southwestern tip of South America.

Trump has accused Panama of charging increased prices to use the Central American passing while also alleging, without foundation, that China is involved in its control and that Chinese military operate the river.

“It’s being operated by China. China! We gave the Panama Canal to Panama, we did n’t give it to China, ” Trump said in a freewheeling press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Jan 7.

Trump doubled down on his claims in his political inauguration speech on Jan 20. “China is operating the Panama Canal, and we did n’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back, ” he said.

A goods send traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama, Sep 2, 2024. ( File photo: AP/Matias Delacroix )

China does not handle or handle the Panama Canal, although a company of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings has huge managed two ships on both ends of the lake.

Panama leaders have pushed up strongly on Trump’s danger to recapture the key international waterway, which the US had built and owned before handing over control in 1999.

China has even weighed in. “China did as always value Panama’s independence over the river and accept the river as a completely natural international waterway, ” said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson in late December.

Trump’s remarks have stirred controversy and hinted at the aggressive foreign policy he is expected to take during his second presidency.  

Analysts say the chances of the Trump 2. 0 administration taking the Panama Canal by force are unlikely.

The US position in Latin America would be severely undermined if Trump were to proceed, cautioned Amalendu Misra, a professor of international politics at Lancaster University.

It would prompt many nations in the region to pull out from the Organisation of American States, which comprises more than 30 countries in the Americas, cautioned Misra in an article published by independent news site The Conversation on Jan 9.

“Worse still, it could also encourage many of the fearful nations to openly seek military alliances with enemies of the US, such as Russia, China and Iran- an outcome that would far from strengthen US security, ” he said.

Either way, Trump’s expansionist rhetoric has already wrought harm to America’s reputation, said Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times.

“Even if Trump never makes good on his threats, he has already done enormous damage to America’s global standing and to its alliance system, ” Rachman said in a Jan 15 commentary on CNA.

“Any sniggering at Trump’s ‘jokes ’ is misplaced. What we are witnessing is a tragedy – not a comedy. ”

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Probation for hacker who cracked 14,000 meconnect accounts to watch HBO for free

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SINGAPORE: A man who wanted to see HBO shows for completely decided to steal into meconnect transactions to get those with membership to the TV channel.

Using email addresses and passwords leaked in data vulnerabilities on various platforms, he improperly accessed more than 14,000 meconnect records before being nabbed.

Sufian Iskandar, 24, was sentenced to 15 months of probation on Monday ( Jan 20 ), which includes 60 hours of community service and a curfew.

He previously pleaded guilty to two claims under the Computer Misuse Act, with two more costs considered in punishment.

Mediacorp, which owns CNA, operates meconnect as the second registration system for the various digital platforms on which it delivers information to people.

On Jan 22 and 23, 2023, more than 10 million password calls to meconnect were made from an Internet address. Mediacorp observed this rise on Jan 25, 2023.

More than 14,000 special names were used to register into meconnect in these problems. All the transactions were found in the data from the information violation of the RedMart food delivery services.

Another wave of attacks between Feb 27 and Feb 28, 2023 involved more than 520,000 registration efforts, of which four succeeded.

Studies showed that Sufian had installed and configured an open-source program to split accounts using users ‘ credentials in a very quick manner.

He searched online and downloaded a list of leaked contact names and passwords apparently from victims of data breaches in Singapore.

He then used the open-source program to create a script to automate the process of logging into meconnect, and deployed it with the leaked qualifications.

Between Jan 17 and Feb 28, 2023, Sufian compromised a total of 14,105 meconnect records in this way.

According to Mediacorp, signup qualifications were never leaked from the program and no transaction data was compromised.

No wary credit cards activity was detected, and there was no evidence that information was exfiltrated, the jury heard on Monday.

Sufian was nabbed through his MyRepublic Internet address, from which the registration attempts were observed to have been made.

The Internet handle was a common one shared by many personal people at a time.

MyRepublic gave the police a list of 70 users who could have accessed meconnect at the time of the crimes. The policeman narrowed this down to six homes and visited each one.

On Mar 9, 2023, they visited Sufian’s house and found spying tools and codes related to the problems on meconnect on his system.

He admitted to the attacks and was arrested that morning.

Sufian even admitted to posting the leaked person certificates he had downloaded on a black online community favoured by thieves.

This was to receive” credits” so he could get another dataset presumably from ShopBack’s data violation.

A “KEEN INTEREST IN HACKING”

Sufian’s parole officer informed the court that his parole strategy involved control by his mother and older sibling, and regular checks on his website actions.

The parole officer said she would even work closely with Sufian’s school to become updated on what he was learning, and ensure he was using his hacking skills in a pro-social manner.

Defence attorney James Ow Yong said his customer had proposed using a professional staff monitoring technology to track his pc use during probation.

This software included 24/7 screen recording and keystroke logging, with alerts to flag suspicious activity in real time.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh objected to probation and sought a short detention order.

She argued that Sufian was an adult offender who had not demonstrated an extremely strong propensity for reform.

She also said the offences were not out of character but a manifestation of his “keen interest in hacking”.

She questioned the feasibility of monitoring Sufian’s online activity through monthly family checks and the proposed software, given his proficiency at hacking.

Mr Ow Yong countered that Sufian had shown a desire to change and was learning about the ethics behind computer security and information technology at school.

The lawyer disagreed that the offences were not out of character. He said that Sufian’s interest was in cybersecurity, and not the illegal elements of his offences.

He also said that Sufian’s older brother, who held a degree in computer science and majored in cybersecurity, was qualified to monitor him, and that the frequency of checks could be increased.

District Judge Lee Lit Cheng said that a period of supervision where Sufian was accountable to his family and the probation officer would “hopefully lead to a better outcome” than a short detention order.

She also noted the probation officer’s findings that Sufian had expressed deep regret for his actions, had dissociated from negative cyber actors, and was willing to engage in ethical hacking.

Addressing Sufian directly, Judge Lee told him he had “more knowledge” of cybersecurity than those who would be supervising him, and that it was ultimately up to him resist the temptation to offend again.

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Q&A with Indranee Rajah on support for young families

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Q. Is cash is the main concern for people to have children, and how has the federal helped?

It’s about the wealth to some extent because the cost of raising a child weighs on a parent’s head. But I think it ( also ) goes way beyond that. We have done quite a bit to increase the help when a family is having a baby, as well as care for the child. We’ve been taking measures to make sure that there is greater mobility to accommodation, because Taiwanese couples are quite rational, they want a house of their own, even before they have a kid. What we hope will be a game change, is the innovative shared parental leave that was announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the National Day Rally next year– that will be 10 weeks of shared familial leave, by default shared equally between mum and dad, but certainly they can change it.

Q. Is the government looking at specific measures that are going to further support parents, and what can parents expect for 2025?

( They can expect ) increased support for infant care, because the feedback we were getting from parents is that it’s actually the first 18 months ( that’s the toughest ). Because that’s when a child is most dependent on the parents but there’s a period when you still need somebody to look after the very young child as you go back to work. If you have parents and grandparents who are willing to help out, that’s great, but some don’t. The Ministry of Social and Family Development is looking into piloting a new model of infant care. There are infant care centres, but the model that they are looking at is that either somebody comes to your home, or you drop off your child at the home of somebody else. So, infant carers. The other thing that we are looking at, which PM Wong touched on as well, is how can we increase support for large families, because we do recognise that if you have more children, obviously your costs increase with every child.

Q. How do you track the effectiveness of policies that are supportive of families?

From the time that the child is conceived, you have subsidies for healthcare. From the time the child is born, you ’ve got the Baby Bonus cash gift – about S$ 11,000 ( US$ 8,000 ). Then you’ve got the Child Development Account, with the First Step Grant, and then the co-matching amounts, and that takes you through the preschool period. Then, once you enter primary school, education is heavily subsidised. So, I think parents should come away knowing that the government is investing very heavily in the child’s education and giving a lot of support for that. So, when you look at all of these … it’s a whole ecosystem. What we are really building is a society that is supportive of families and puts families front and centre.

Q. Let’s talk a bit about balancing economic success with fertility rate concerns in Singapore– is there a trade-off between them?

Well, there is a trade-off. But what we are doing, with the recent measures, is trying to make sure that the trade-off is not win-lose. Making sure that we have shared parental leave, and dividing it between the mother and the father, because this is a signal to employers that the parents need some time to be with their children. You can’t be working all of the time, and expecting to be with your child all of the time. You’re going to have to give up a little bit of time at work, spend that with your child, but then you can come back, because your shared parental leave can be taken in portions and after that spend time back with your career.

Q. Some people in the workplace may not feel as empowered to necessarily speak up and say what they need and that includes young married women and men. What needs to happen there?

I’ve a message for employers– which I’ve been saying repeatedly, which is that if you want to recruit and retain good people, you must enable them to also have a fulfilling family life, in addition to a good career. And the key to this is a really good HR ( human resources department ) that understands the needs of both. Because if you have a purely transactional relationship, which is that you work for me and I command your hours for x number of hours in the day, and you must devote your whole life to the company, at some point people are going to say: ‘ I can’t do that – I have a family and I have needs of my own’, and they will walk.

Q. A phrase we hear a lot with Forward Singapore is redefining what success means – the pursuit of not just a good life but a life that is good enough. Is that where we want to go as a society?

The question is: how do you balance it, so that you earn enough to provide for yourself and for your family in due course, but at the same time, still have enough bandwidth for yourself as an individual, where you don’t feel so wrung out and hung out to dry. Enough time to breathe, enough time to step back and look at the direction your life is going. And at the same time also being careful not to pressure your children so much. You want their journey in school and in life to be a happy one, not one that is fraught with stress, and where waking up to go to school is much more a chore than a joy. You do have to ask: ‘How can I achieve these things? ’ Also, it ’s not one size fits all. There’re some individuals who thrive on stress and some who just don’t. You need to know for yourself which kind of individual (you are ) and what works for (you ). And because obviously it takes place in a work context as well, you need employers who are understanding, open-minded, progressive, and pragmatic.

Q. It sounds like a mindset shift is required – will we take a long time to achieve that?

It’s going to take some time, but it may not take as long as we think. It’s very important that we need to keep talking about it, keep thinking about it and with these policy moves, nudging people and employers in the right direction.

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