Mediacorp to air nearly 4,000 hours of Olympic Games coverage, with 17 dedicated mewatch channels

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Ahead of the game, from Jun 26, Mediacorp will also be presenting Road To Paris 2024, a series of films spotlighting selected Team Singapore sports and rio- sportsmen on mewatch, Mediacorp Entertainment’s YouTube network, CNA and Channel 5.

The line will then be broadcast on Channel 8, Channel U, Suria, and Vasantham starting on July 10.

Following the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, Mediacorp will support the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games from Aug 29 to Sep 9 across its programs. At a later time, more information may be revealed.

In a press release, Angeline Poh, Mediacorp’s Chief Customer &amp, Corporate Development Officer, said:” With exposure to Mediacorp’s giving of the widest coverage directly of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024, Singaporeans will be able to observe the sports scene and clap on Team Singapore as they pursue new levels at the game” .&nbsp,

Watch the most extensive protection of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Mewatch. Come to mewatch for more details.

Continue Reading

Durian supply down by 20% due to rainy weather, but prices stable for now

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

DURIAN LOVERS MUST HAVE A LIST OF MUSANG KING’S TOP LIST

The Malaysian citrus season runs from May to August, usually during the peak season. &nbsp,
 
However, Indonesian exporters have noticed a delay in the edible harvest this year, many attributed it to the erratic weather. They expressed concern that the fruit’s quantity and quality may be impacted by the weather’s varying climate conditions. &nbsp,
 
There are times during which dealers get a large supply of durians, according to the owner of the 227 Katong Durian business, who just wanted to be known as Ah Loon. &nbsp,
 
” Then out of a sudden, like today, ( there is ) 60 per cent less in supply”, he added. “( It goes ) high and low, high and low for this year”.
 
When CNA visited a number of edible stores along Geylang Road, they were all buzzing with activity. &nbsp,
 
According to the dealers that, they sell about 100 boxes of durians on a daily basis. They are happy with the profits so far, despite the fact that the amount is still lower than last year. &nbsp,
 
The Musang King has remained in the top 10 for edible fans this season. &nbsp,
 
This citrus selection costs between US$ 27 and US$ 38, which is roughly the same as it did last year.
 
” The Musang King is really more flavourful. Everyone enjoys the sweetness and bitterness of the citrus, according to Mr. Charlie Phua, company development director at dealer Durian Supply. &nbsp,
 
Clients are also purchasing more dark shrimp, black hawthorn, and golden phoen varieties. &nbsp,
 
” During edible season, there’s more folks eating, because every kind of edible is nice”, said Mr Kang Tian Pao, income aide at Great Durian. &nbsp,
 
” If it’s not in time, no one wants to eat”.

Continue Reading

She moved to London to become British museum Tate’s first Singaporean curator of photography

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Toh served as senior curator at the National Gallery Singapore ( NGS ) before moving to the UK, where she co-curated major photography exhibitions like Chua Soo Bin: Truths and Legends ( 2019 ) and Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast Asia ( 2022 ). The first paid tribute to the 92-year-old social medal winner and fine-art photographer.

In 2023, she even published a book, Imagining Singapore: Pictorial Photography from the 1950s to the 1970s.

She was chosen for her session at Tate because of her expertise in South Asian art. Despite the university’s great age – it was established in 1897– it just started to build its pictures collection around 15 years ago, and is now expanding the collection quickly.

The biggest difference between working at Tate and NGS, said Toh, is the range. The amount of drawings I have access to and the amount of programs and events I may clergyman has greatly increased, which is why I took the job.

Curation, if nothing else, is storytelling. And Toh felt the need to tell a bigger tale after weaving numerous tales of Singapore and Southeast Asia up residence. This particular international collection allows me to” challenge the history of photography and the history of art,” I thought, which I could n’t do in Singapore.

So, Tate’s decision was a “very normal step.”

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

Toh’s second training in this regard, Global Pictorialism, is gradually taking shape. From around the 1880s to the 1940s, a global movement of pictures and aesthetics was well-liked in Europe and North America. Henry Peach Robinson, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Steichen were a few of the most notable portrait photography.

Pictorialists focused on creating ambient images to elicit emotions by using a variety of techniques rather than the cameras to record truth. Photographs in this style were typically printed in brown or blues rather than dramatic black and white, with soft focus and artistic effects.

In the West, pictorialism gradually gave way to a newer tone: Modernist images. Toh contends that the art form has been around much longer than American lore. ” In Singapore, for instance, the level of pictorialism was the 1950s. What I’m trying to do in this show is take all that up into the narrative”, she said.

Continue Reading

CNA Correspondent Podcast: Bhutan’s reputation as a utopia doesn’t reflect its gritty reality

By:
On:
In: Asia

Here’s an extract from the radio: &nbsp,

Teresa Tang: &nbsp,

One of the things you asked ( the Prime Minister of Bhutan ) Saksith, was how Bhutan navigates its relationship between its two massive neighbours, China and India. What aspect of what he said surprised you the most? &nbsp,

Saksith Saiyasombut:

This was a topic that was n’t the easiest to approach. You could tell from everyone we spoke to about their great neighbors, in my opinion, because the narrative usually suggests that it’s a little level of country nestled between giants. So I believe they were moving very cautiously, no swaying one way or the other. You know, to put it into context, Bhutan, diplomatically speaking, does n’t have the biggest leverage. Only a few hundred countries in the world have diplomatic relations with it. India is the oldest pal of Bhutan, out of the other a select few nations that have embassy there as well. They had the most extended- standing political relationship going numerous, many, many decades. In many ways, it is being believed that because they are the biggest financial trading partner, India is a little like the great nephew of Bhutan. In the beginning of the political connections, India was offer, unquote, guiding Bhutan in its international plan. &nbsp,

But finally compare that to the northeast, to China. There are no formal diplomatic relations either. However, there have been conflicts and disagreements regarding the frontier dividing line between Bhutan, China, and India, particularly in the western region of the nation, where there was a two-month conflict between Chinese and Indian soldiers. Although it was resolved largely happily, there are still border discussions between China and Bhutan. They have been continued, and they still keep continuing. This is also what makes India a tiny pessimistic about whether or not China is encroaching on Bhutan in some way or another. But much from me, come learn about what the Prime Minister had to suggest, what he’s thinking about Bhutan’s place in the world:

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay:

” Bhutan is a small, landlocked nation sandwiched between companies all around us, not only China and India. Bangladesh and Nepal, greatly populated countries, densely populated countries, and we, if anything, perhaps are underpopulated. We have a very modest people. So we have our own element, and we understand our own path”.

Saksith Saiyasombut:

So in that sense, it’s kind of interesting when you think about it- what has n’t been said there, what they did n’t tell us. I think that’s the more important issue. Even though, despite all of that, this Prime Minister has a very close relation with Modi, this development is continued with Bhutan between India and China. &nbsp,
 

Continue Reading

CNA Explains: Why must travellers declare S,000 cash when entering or leaving Singapore?

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Ten people were recently nabbed&nbsp, at Changi Airport for failing to declare that they were bringing in over S$ 20, 000 ( US$ 14, 720 ) in cash into Singapore.

Since May, all guests have had to&nbsp, make for statements online&nbsp, and within 72 hrs of arriving at or departing Singapore’s gates.

Why is it necessary to consider massive amounts of cash?

One analyst pointed to the “anonymity” offered by money and the “obvious attractiveness” for those engaged in illegal actions.

The Center for Banking and Finance Law’s director, Associate Professor Sandra Booysen, said,” The larger the sum of money involved, the properly the more cautious it is.

” We have more effective and secure way of keeping money and making payments today.”

The Singapore University of Social Sciences ‘ head of the public safety and security program, Associate Professor Razwana Begum Abdul Rahim, told CNA that declarations aid in the monitoring of suspicious money flows and ensure that the funds are n’t being used for illegal purposes.

These include wealth fraud, violence financing, scams and tax avoidance.

Mr Rajan Supramaniam, top criminal lawyer at Regent Law, gave an example of a situation he handled some years ago, where a feminine buyer had received over S$ 100, 000 as part of substance purchases.

The funds had been moved to her in Singapore from a Kuala Lumpur bill. She decided to leave the money and travel to Johor Bahru to take it that with her.

She was later imprisoned and charged with money fraud.

Continue Reading

Indonesia president-elect Prabowo’s leg surgery renews concern about his health, but could help him perform duties better: Analysts

By:
On:
In: Asia

He also underwent a medical test by the General Election Commission (KPU) in October 2023 before he could officially qualify as a presidential candidate. The medical report declared him fit to run for the election. 

Dr Cecep Hidayat, a political observer from the University of Indonesia, said the test was to ascertain whether the presidential and vice-presidential candidates were physically and mentally fit.

“This is one of the requirements that must be fulfilled before being declared qualified to participate in the election. All six candidates passed the test,” Dr Cecep told CNA, referring to the three pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 election.

FITTER FOR THE TOP JOB AFTER SURGERY?

After Mr Prabowo is sworn in as president in October, his health will continue to be monitored by the presidential medical team, added Dr Cecep.  

Should he be unable to discharge his duties, the Indonesian constitution states that the vice-president will take over, said Dr Cecep.

If this happens, Mr Gibran will have the discretion to appoint his father as a key advisor, Mr Dedi Dinarto, lead Indonesia analyst at strategic advisory firm Global Counsel, told the South China Morning Post.

“If Gibran becomes president, Joko Widodo will likely serve as a key adviser to his administration, taking on whatever role his eldest son assigns to him,” Mr Dedi said.

BRIN’s Mr Wasisto said it would depend on Mr Widodo’s political moves after he steps down as president. 

“But, at least indirectly, Jokowi’s influence on Gibran certainly exists because of the relationship between father and son,” Mr Wasisto said, using Mr Widodo’s moniker.

Dr Ujang Komarudin, a political expert from the University of Al Azhar Indonesia, believes Mr Prabowo’s decision to undergo surgery will put him in a better position to do his job, and called on the public not to engage in negative speculation. 

“Going for surgery is a natural thing as everyone must be sick (at some point) and no one has never been sick,” Dr Ujang told CNA. 

Continue Reading

As problem gamblers get younger, counsellors call for families to intervene sooner

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

PROBLEM GAMBLERS GETTING YOUNGER

Counsellors CNA spoke to said that like Peter, those seeking help with a gambling addiction are getting increasingly younger.

They said these tech-savvy addicts are finding it easier to access illegal online gambling sites, and are lured by the promise of quick and easy money.

They mainly bet on sports like football and basketball, and play casino games on illegal gambling websites.

Singapore Pools is the only gambling service provider licensed to offer legal online gambling services in Singapore.

At Arise2Care, which specialises in helping problem gamblers, those the organisation helps can be as young as in their 20s to 30s, said its chairwoman Jolene Ong. They are also starting their gambling activities earlier, she said.

“One of the contributing factors is peer influence. The other one is that all these online platforms give them the convenience to gamble,” she said.

Illegal online gambling sites provide credits so that users do not need to come up with upfront cash, she noted.

Ms Yvonne Yuen from addiction recovery centre WE CARE Community Services – which is also increasingly seeing younger problem gamblers – said that the anonymity the platforms provide is appealing to addicts.

“That gives them even more freedom, or perceived freedom that they could indulge in it (gambling),” she said.

Both counsellors also pointed to easy access via smartphones. Temptations also come in the form of unsolicited text messages offering illegal gambling services, as well as advertisements on gaming and video streaming sites.

This is even as the Gambling Regulatory Authority has blocked more than 3,400 illegal gambling websites

NEED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, FAMILY INVOLVEMENT

With problem gamblers getting younger, Ms Yuen called for public education efforts to continue and for schools to play a bigger role in raising awareness about the issue.

People should learn from young that “there’s no such thing as free lunches”, she said.

“They always think of getting free money, quick money, quick bucks, and that’s where the attraction lies.”

Families should also learn to spot the problem early and intervene in the right way, said Ms Ong.

By the time young problem gamblers tell their families of their addiction, they would have typically racked up several debts, she said.

In most instances, the families would jump in to settle the debts, she added. However, given that the addiction has not been resolved, the debts would start to build up again.

“The family members need to be equipped so that they can intervene effectively and sooner, before hell breaks loose,” said Ms Ong.

She said in her organisation’s support group for young addicts, parents are also involved.

In one addict’s case, his parents took away his smartphone and laptop so that he would not be able to gamble online when he is alone in his room, when he would be most tempted.

The counsellors added that making counselling more accessible will also help to better address the issue of problem gambling.

For Paul (not his real name), who started gambling online at the age of 18, an injury escalated his habit.

“I fractured my wrist. I didn’t have the money to seek medical treatment. So that time when I actually first won in online gambling, about S$100 to S$200, I really felt like it was a gift to me. So I started to get addicted.”

Paul racked up huge debts by taking out cash advances on his credit cards, and also borrowed from family and friends to feed his addiction.

Paul eventually took his brother’s advice and sought counselling at Arise2Care, where he got help with a debt repayment plan. He has since recovered from his addiction.

“If I can really go back in time, I won’t even want to touch gambling, and just lead a normal, decent life,” he said.

“At least during the night time, I can sleep peacefully, I don’t have to worry about the debts, and about who will come and harass (me).”

Continue Reading

Revolut’s revenue nearly doubles, net profit soars in 2023 as customer base grows

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: Global fintech firm Revolut reported a record profit of US$ 545 million ( S$ 739 million ), with revenue almost doubling to US$ 2.2 billion in 2023, the company announced on Tuesday ( Jul 2 ).

Net income for last year soared to US$ 428 million, a hefty 6, 000 per cent increase from the US$ 7 million it made in 2022. &nbsp,

Revolut operates a mega- money e- budget for bills and payments. Users may even trade stocks, swap- traded money, commodities and crypto.

Victor Stinga, the company’s chief financial officer, told CNA in an interview on Monday that the company’s top three drivers of profits were sturdy product performance, strong consumer growth, and improved interest earnings.

In terms of revenue, gross margin – the percentage of a bank’s income that remains after strong expenses are subtracted – increased from 70 per cent to 76 per share.

” We usually exercise what we call a zero- base budget beliefs, so we need to support every one expense”, said Mr Stinga.

Excluding the cost of advertising and marketing, bills increased simply by 29 per cent last season– compared with a 95 per cent increase in revenue, he said. &nbsp,

We think that the efficiency of this business can grow quickly without reducing your cost base is what we mean, he continued.

The boost in travel after the COVID- 19 pandemic increased demand for Revolut’s services in Singapore, said Mr Matt Baxby, the company’s Asia- Pacific CEO.

” Following the pandemic, 2023 saw a strong rebound in travel worldwide. Revolut’s cross- border transaction data shows that Singaporeans not only travelled frequently in 2023, but also to many different destinations”, he said.

According to the International Air Transport Association, air traffic last year reached 94.1 per cent of pre- pandemic levels.

Last year, another multi- currency e- wallet operator, YouTrip, said travel propelled its growth after the pandemic.

GROWING NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS

Revolut had 45 million customers globally as of June, the company announced. Of these, 7 million started using its products this year.

For the full year of 2023, Revolut added 12 million customers.

In a press release, the company stated that it is on track to reach 50 million customers by the year’s end.

From 2022 onward, there will be a rise in monthly active users, with a nearly 77 % increase in the number of Revolut customers in Singapore. &nbsp,

More than half of Singapore’s users are between the ages of 18 and 34. The biggest growth in users is among 18- to 24- year- olds.

Revolut said it has “more than hundreds of thousands of users” in Singapore, but it would not disclose the exact number of customers it had.

YouTrip claimed to have more than a million users in Singapore and that it saw a 68 % increase in users between 2023 and 2024.

Wise, another multi- currency e- wallet operator, said its local customer base grew 30 per cent year- on- year.

Continue Reading

Creativity in students? Easier for non-academic activities than schoolwork, Singapore teachers say

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

CAN’T ALWAYS Get Innovative IN EXAMS

Instructors CNA spoke to applauded the elimination of some exams, such as the mid-year documents for primary and secondary school levels, which has allowed students to be more creative with alternative examination techniques like job function. &nbsp,

But on MOE’s drive to promote creativity in training, &nbsp, instructors said they have to balance this with providing” construction” for kids. &nbsp,

For instance, most teachers concentrate on making sure that individuals ‘ solutions correspond to the way tests are graded so that they perform well on the test. &nbsp,

” The syllabus requires them to answer some questions in a certain way,” according to the statement.” We also teach the kids that they have to follow the kids step by step, because you ca n’t just write anyhow. That really discourages them from attempting to think outside the box, according to Claire. &nbsp,

For Chinese language exams, more imaginative students might combine multiple points into a single sentence to sum up a long answer. However, they might need to include specific keywords in their answers to receive full scars. &nbsp,

” Basically, the meaning behind it is roughly the same. The issue is, however, that we still did adhere to the marking procedure. So it’s a bit like you’re forcing them not to be creative” .&nbsp, &nbsp,

A family of a 15- yr- older boy said that for subjects like mathematics, there is typically just one way to solve the question. &nbsp,

” It’s very hard for kids to look at the question and say, let’s find another way of doing this”, said Mr Aaron Koh. ” You apply this solution, these are the steps, and then you get the truth. There’s no reason for you to even try another way” .&nbsp,

Lily, who teaches English and writing in a secondary school, said she tells her students that there are no straight answers, but there are incorrect answers. &nbsp,

” I tell them that you can own creativity in your view, but what you need is solid justification for your interpretation”, she said, adding that it is easier to motivate artistic expression in writing sessions. &nbsp,

However, the markings for English essays are clearly set at 10 for information and 10 for speech use, and she assures her pupils that as long as they stay on point, it is simple to get a good score. &nbsp,

” My care with children is that they’re creative to the point of writing out of place”, she added. &nbsp,

According to Paulina, who also used to teach English and writing in a secondary school up until recently, the view educators can take even depends on the status of the pupils. &nbsp,

While she had some “geniuses” among her kids, she still had to respond to the lot. &nbsp,

” I believe that the best way to help the majority of the kids is to say,” This is the interview, this is what you should write to cater to the examination,”” I think.” So it was very uninspiring teaching” .&nbsp,

Paulina initially believed that student-initiated learning, in which children pursue their own interests and discover outside the education, was a wise idea.

While this is a government program, each school conducts this separately.

At Paulina’s class, the tasks students took on had situations and outcomes to accomplish. For instance, they had to add to society in some way. &nbsp,

The needs made the tasks a chore for kids and” fully ruined” their inspiration, she said.

According to NIE’s Associate Professor Heng, more recent curricula give students the chance to develop their imaginations and make connections to the real world.

However, it’s difficult to say whether these results have been based on actual experience because it’s “very many debatable” whether standard test results translate to creativity results. &nbsp,

Results in” Big C” creativity also need a wider ecosystem to support it, and factors outside of” Little C” parameters, said Assoc Prof Heng. &nbsp,

” Further, Singaporeans ‘ risk aversion and preference to maintain harmony may stifle their creativity along the” Big C “domain or in other types of creativity, including artistic creativity” .&nbsp,

Continue Reading