Can Miss Universe Singapore’s expanded criteria make it a more inclusive pageant?

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But colour me wary. The development of conditions” to preserve the show inclusive”, according to the press release, feels like little more than lip services.

SHOULD WE JUST GET RID OF Contests? &nbsp, &nbsp,

To be clear, I do n’t think the revised version of Miss Universe Singapore will be more than a checkbox exercise because there will be more contestants who may not fit the traditional pageant mold.

Anyone who has felt discriminated against due to visible traits, from disability to ethnicity, knows that diversity does n’t always mean inclusivity. The first ensures that your view is valued and integrated in that area while the latter guarantees that you get exposure to spaces you’re typically excluded from. &nbsp,

In the past, boldly transgender, gay, and bisexual women from other nations have represented the United States, but none have triumphed. Plus, the law that allowed parents, married, or pregnant women to engage had already been instituted by the Miss Universe Organization last month, with Miss Colombia 2023 being the first mom to thrive. &nbsp,

I do n’t think we should expect a truly inclusive idea of beauty on every level, despite Miss Universe Singapore’s new criteria making it possible for more diverse contestants.

Maybe a more extreme option would be to do away with ceremonies completely- the less-than-desirable effects that appearance-based competitions have on younger women, from their self-esteem to mental heath, is well-documented.

Charm AS VIRTUE&nbsp,

That said, there’s no denying that being considered pleasing to the eye does make life much easier. Also, just being part of an acclaimed show, even at a regional level, can be a stepping stone for women to further different ambitions. &nbsp,

For example, popular local actress Rebecca Lim, who placed in the top five of Miss Universe Singapore 2005, credited the pageant for “opening the door to stardom”, the press release stated. &nbsp,

Prior to the appointment of former Nominated Member of Parliament ( NMP ) Eunice Olsen in 2004, she had a significant amount of public support and recognition with her TV hosting and winning Miss Universe Singapore 2000. &nbsp,

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Singapore Aquatics president Mark Chay diagnosed with leukaemia

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Leukaemia-scarred Singapore Aquatics ( SAQ ) president Mark Chay will not seek a second term as the association’s chief. &nbsp,

The 42-year-old confirmed his diagnosis with CNA on Wednesday ( Jul 17 ) evening. &nbsp,

News of Mr Chay’s condition, first&nbsp, reported by the Straits Times, comes as his two-year expression as Protocol key ends in August. &nbsp, According to the review, he will prioritise his health and his household and, thus, will not get re-election for the article he took up in June 2022.

A former federal diver, &nbsp, Mr Chay made his Olympic debut at 18 years old at the 2000 Sydney Games and competed again four years later in Athens. &nbsp, &nbsp,

He was named Singapore’s Sportboy and Sport of the Year in 2001 and 2002 both.

Mr. Chay spoke out on issues relating to sports while serving as a chosen member of parliament from 2021 to 2023. &nbsp,

He serves as the director of growth for the non-profit Global Esports Federation, which has its headquarters in Singapore.

POSSIBLE Leader

Protocol must keep its annual general meeting by Sep 30, which is also when an poll, if needed, for business carriers will be held.

Mr Chay has endorsed&nbsp, SAQ secretary-general Kenneth Goh to be the agency’s next president, according the Strait Times.

A former federal diver himself, Mr Goh, 46, is an intellectual director and associate professor at Singapore Management University. &nbsp,

CNA has reached out to Mr Chay, Mr Goh and SAQ for opinion. &nbsp,

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Billion-dollar money laundering convict expelled by Cambodia after deportation from Singapore

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Zhang was the fifth of 10 accused persons to be dealt with by Singapore’s courts in relation to the S$ 3 billion ( US$ 2.2 billion ) money laundering case. He forfeited around S$ 118 million in property to the state, which&nbsp, amounted to about 90 per cent of the S$ 131 million worth of assets actually seized by the authorities.

The event, which concluded in&nbsp, June, involved 10 immigrants and billions of dollars worth of assets such as painful money, &nbsp, luxury properties, branded items, crypto and alcohol.

About S$ 944 million ( US$ 697 million ) in assets seized in relation to the 10 criminals embroiled in one of Singapore’s largest money-laundering probes was forfeited to the state, while the 10 individuals who were convicted were sentenced to between 13 and 17 months ‘ jail. &nbsp,

17 additional suspects who are n’t currently in Singapore are still being investigated. The remaining$ 3 billion worth of the entire S$ seized is made up of belongings to these suspects.

ZHANG and SIX OTHERS ARE DELTED TO CAMBODIA FOR WHATREAS?

Zhang, one of the seven people who were found guilty in the$ 3 billion income trafficking case, were deported from Singapore to Cambodia. The others are &nbsp, Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Su Wenqiang, Wang Baosen, Chen Qingyuan and Lin Baoying. &nbsp,

Vang Shuiming was deported to Japan, while Wang Dehai was deported to the English and they&nbsp, are all barred from re-entering Singapore. &nbsp, Only&nbsp, Su Jianfeng, a 36-year-old Vanuatu regional with stems in Fujian, China, remains in Singapore. He&nbsp, was sentenced to 17 times ‘ prison next month. &nbsp,

Despite acknowledging&nbsp, that three of the seven deported people do not carry Thai documents, based on publicly available data, &nbsp, Singapore’s Minister of State for Home Affairs and for Social and Family Development&nbsp, Sun Xueling said on Jul 2 the goal was to quickly and effectively arrest the convicted foreigners.

Europeans who have been found guilty of crimes in Singapore and are deported can show which nation they want to go to, she added.

However, it is not the case where the violators respond to a question from Ms. Sylvia Lim ( WP-Aljunied ) in response to” I choose and therefore I will be sent there.” According to her,” there needs to be an evaluation by the government as to whether or not the person may be allowed to the land, based on the travel file that he or she holds.”

” These foreigners may enter any nation to which their card or go record authorizes travel.” Similar to the convicted immigrants in the S$ 3 billion cash trafficking case, this applies.

According to Ms. Sun, the ministry will have to choose the country where convicted foreigners with many passports have the best chance of being admissible, and then conduct an assessment before deporting them.

Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai added:” In the presence of abduction, the place is that after judgment and offering of statement, the criminals will be required to keep Singapore.

We have no control over what happens to them in those nations or their nationalities.

CNA has contacted GDI for more information about where Zhang was deported from Singapore to Cambodia, as well as the immigration status of the six other people who were deported from Singapore to Cambodia. &nbsp,

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Chantalle Ng nominated for best female lead at ContentAsia Awards 2024

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At this year’s ContentAsia Awards, Taiwanese press company Mediacorp received 17 votes, including celebrity Chantalle Ng’s for her part in All That Sparkles. &nbsp,

The Mediacorp actress received a nomination for best female lead in a TV set for her part as&nbsp, Li Zhenyu, the love interest of&nbsp, Desmond Tan ‘s&nbsp, Lin Musen. Chantalle may be competing against stalwarts in the region including Hong Kong actress&nbsp, Charmaine Sheh, &nbsp, Filipino actress-singer Kim Chiu and Chinese actress&nbsp, Zhao Lusi.

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Universities in Singapore revising IT, digital modules to keep up with industry demands

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IMPROVING STUDENTS ‘ Employment

Ensign InfoSecurity, a company of security, has been looking for skill, but its search has been difficult because recent graduates lack certain skills that they are looking for.

The business established its personal ethical hackers boot camp to advance people and identify potential employees to address the issue. &nbsp,

In the context of rapid technological advancements, the company’s vice president of human resources, Serene Yeo, said,” We do n’t just expect our fresh graduates or fresh hires to be able to have all of these skill sets.”

” We need our new hires and fresh graduates to evolve along with it as technology evolves, so skill sets can be learned ( and ) can be picked up.”

The talent sets that the company hires for “are varied and wide-ranging”, Ms Yeo said. &nbsp,

For instance, event responders, who understand how a breach occurs and suggest a fix so that it does not occur again, often have a knack for discovering patterns. &nbsp,

From a ability standpoint,” I think what would be truly desirable for this role” are people who can manage workflows so that we can find and identify issues more swiftly, according to Ms Yeo. &nbsp,

” Typically, the skill sets that come with that would be in AI,” according to the statement, “would allow us to get to the client’s issue’s root more quickly.”

Since 2021, the price of new graduates in IT and digital technology have decreased by 5 percent points. &nbsp,

Institutes of Higher Learning, like the Singapore University of Social Sciences ( SUSS), are attempting to increase their students ‘ chances of finding employment.

The SUSS program’s director of information and communication technology, Associate Professor Zhu Yongqing, stated that, among other initiatives, it is incorporating business certification programs into its current Internet education. &nbsp,

” We work together with the industry partners to offer certification courses in different ICT areas, which include cloud computing, system administration, ( and ) data communication”, she noted.

” So upon completion of these programs, if individuals can complete the certification tests, they will be awarded the highly-recognised business credentials. This will help individuals to enhance their employability”.

In the forthcoming quarter, more AI-focused programs will be included in the course, she added. &nbsp,

Additionally, conceptual Artificial small programs that can be taken by students without a degree in technology are being planned. &nbsp,

She did point out, however, that pupils must establish solid bases before pursuing specialized skills. &nbsp,

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Singapore prepares more land to woo semiconductor giants looking to ride AI wave

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EXPANSION OF Site TO BOOST CAPACITY

GlobalFoundries, the country’s third-largest deal chipmaker, has had a reputation in Singapore since 2010. &nbsp,

It runs one of the biggest chip factories in this area, and it can generate 1.5 million 300mm chips every year.

In response to a surge in demand, the company added 23, 000 square meters, or roughly four football fields, of space next year.

For businesses like automotive, aviation, and defense, the company produces integrated circuits on wafers made for smart mobile products. Qualcomm and other major clients include some of its biggest consumers, including silicon companies.

JTC’s senior vice president, Tan Yew Kong, described the construction of GlobalFoundries ‘ US$ 4 billion expanded fabrication plant as” a very key role” in the company’s “very key role.”

He told CNA that Singapore, which has 55 times of silicon history, was able to give a network to provide supplies and equipment.

” We are certainly here to stay, and looking at the marketplace attitude of regionalisation, friendshoring, all these methods – certainly, having a site like Singapore to support the global footprint is a very important thing”, he added.

Friendshoring refers to the practice of sourcing and manufacturing from nations with comparable political positions.

According to Mr. Tan, the industry is projected to nearly twice from US$ 600 million to US$$ 1 trillion, which means it is “very important” to build a factory in progress.

” We are pacing ourselves so that our toolsets are all turned on and ready for it when the market is it.” The good news is that truly, our tools are around. We just need to fire it up and get it ready”, he added.

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CNA Correspondent Podcast: Futuristic utopia or white elephant? Countdown to Indonesia’s new capital hosting Independence Day

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Here’s an extract from the audio:

Teresa Tang: &nbsp,
One thing I know for sure is that Nusantara is a very far apart. We know it sits on an old timber farm, you know, and I think, Lewa, you mentioned more than 1000km aside from Jakarta. But Saiful, what’s going to happen to Jakarta once Indonesia actually moves its cash, whenever that may be? When social power’s chair and wealth’s center are separated, what does that mean?

Saifulbahri Ismail:
After Nusantara became the nation’s capital, politicians granted unique position to Jakarta before in March this year to provide a legal framework for the state’s place. Then under that platform, Jakarta may be as the country’s economic gateway and a world city. Now the question is, does relocating the region’s capital to East Kalimantan help to solve Jakarta’s some problems… &nbsp,

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‘A dignified way to part ways’: Divorce by mutual agreement may reduce conflict and distress for the couple

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Lim also expressed caution that the shorter divorce method in DMA, with no parting time required, may result in fewer time being given to consider the children’s long-term effects.

According to Lim,” the rapid change in household structure may also be harmful to the children’s emotional stability and security.” Therefore, it is crucial for couples to take into account the well-being of their children when choosing the DMA course.

DMA VS SEPARATION: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT

Due to DMA, a couple’s only another no-fault based marriage option was on the grounds of parting. Does DMA alter the options couples have when declaring their marriage?

It depends on the situation, said the doctors CNA Women spoke to.

Contrary to detachment, DMA does not mandate that the pair go through a parting before declaring their intentions. DMA may be a good option for couples who are already living apart and who do n’t want their marriage to end in harmony, Soh said.

They would still need to acknowledge the attempts made to reconcile the relationship before filing for DMA, James-Civetta continued.

He claimed that going through with separating and then filing for divorce after the three-year period is up would be a preferable choice in situations where the isolated couple has moved on with new partners.

Professionals point out that DMA should not be viewed as an all-inclusive option for people who want to end a relationship immediately.

On the contrary,” the needs of DMA are likely to be strict and the judge still retains choice in whether or not the marriage may be granted”, said James-Civetta.

These needs are in line with the president’s policy regarding the sanctity of marriage. They serve as a reminder that a few “must try to work on their concerns before considering marriage, which has to be the next location,” Soh said.

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As Malaysia faces an ageing population, lack of surgeons in public hospitals a growing cause for concern

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KUALA LUMPUR: At the Sultan Idris Shah Serdang Hospital in Selangor, there are an estimated 1, 000 people waiting in line for serious life-saving heart surgeries.

However, at the Penang General Hospital, the waiting list for the same operation has ballooned to about 850 individuals, while the waiting period at the Kuching General Hospital is more than a year.

” All these people desperately need heart surgery. There are a shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons in the public hospitals, according to honorary secretary of the Malaysian Association for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery ( MATCVS ) Dr. John Chan Kok Meng, who told CNA. Heart conditions are unpredictable, and surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

He added that these doctors are stressed and must take on urgent cases after hours. &nbsp,

In Malaysia’s seven public hospitals, there are only 14 cardiac surgeons now employed. &nbsp,

There is only one physician in each of the three facilities, located in Kota Bharu in Kelantan, Kuantan in Pahang, and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, in the Malay state of Sabah.

Following four graduates of a “parallel road” training program with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh in cardiology surgery, four of them filed a joint judicial evaluation program in the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

They had challenged the Malaysian Medical Council’s ( MMC) decision to reject their applications for the National Specialist Register ( NSR ), a database of qualified medical professionals in the nation, in December of last year. &nbsp,

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh certification, which is recognized by Singapore and Hong Kong among people, was not accepted by the MMC, a statutory system with appointed and elected health professionals from different fields that oversees plan for the health profession in the country. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Healthcare professionals who spoke with CNA claimed that the issue is superficial due to Malaysia’s lack of medical professionals, with some reminder that the issue may get worse as the population ages.

Beyond that, they added that the lack of experts will also have an effect on the standard of care provided by individuals in the open medical system who may not have the funds to visit private institutions. &nbsp,

The Association of Medicine Malaysia ( AMM), a body representing specialists, warned that there is a pressing need to increase the number of specialists in the nation.

Its president Dr Rosmawati Mohamed told CNA that the population-to-specialist ratio in the country is 10, 000 to four, lower than the Organisation for Economic Cooperation Development’s ( OECD ) “ideal ratio” of 10, 000 to 14.3. &nbsp,

The OECD promotes policies that will enhance people’s economic and social well-being by providing a platform where governments can collaborate to exchange experiences and discover solutions to common issues. &nbsp,

There are 8, 397 scientists now serving in public medical facilities in 29 specialist areas, according to Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad. &nbsp,

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health ( MOH) has said that Malaysia needed around 18, 912 and 23, 979 specialists in the year 2025 and 2030, respectively. &nbsp,

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Singapore oil spill beach clean-up progressing ‘faster than expected’

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” Siloso Beach and East Coast Park]Area B] are now in the last stage of clean-up activities. We are asking for all participants to come forth to support our cleaning staff comb and get oil balls out of the shores, she said.

Ms. Fu requested individuals ‘ assistance in what she described as the biggest seaside clean-up exercise in Singapore because the oil balls are scattered across the damaged beaches and it is labor-intensive to get them all up.

” The sooner we can clean these oil balls, the sooner we may enjoy our beautiful shorelines”, she said.

CNA has contacted the&nbsp, National Parks Board and Sentosa for a more thorough timeline on the remaining clean-up activities.

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