Daily roundup: Cat A COE premiums remain above $100k despite slight dip in second bidding for May 2025 — and other top stories today, Singapore News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today.
1. Cat A COE premiums remain above $100k despite slight dip in second bidding for May 2025
Category A Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums remained above the $100,000 mark despite a slight dip in the second bidding exercise for May 2025.... » READ MORE
2. 'We apologise for the operational lapse': NUS responds to backlash over disposal of Yale-NUS books
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has issued an apology on Wednesday (May 21) after it received backlash for disposing hundreds of Yale-NUS books... » READ MORE
3. Lady Gaga visits Maxwell Food Centre, signs fan's vinyl record
Mother Monster is in town, and she didn't miss a chance to indulge in some local cuisine. On Tuesday (May 20), Lady Gaga was seen at Maxwell Food Centre... » READ MORE
4. New theme park to open in Japan's Okinawa this July offering scenic treks, hot air balloon rides and more
Japan is one of the top travel destinations for Singaporeans — with a record of more than 690,000 travelling to the country from Singapore in 2024... » READ MORE
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AsiaOne
7 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Revealing 4th cancer diagnosis, Law Kar Ying says he's at peace with death, Entertainment News
Hong Kong veteran singer-actor Law Kar Ying revealed he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The 78-year-old was in China to promote his stage play Mr Donkey recently, when he revealed his condition in a video interview published on May 27. He said: "I am diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time. I asked the doctor, for prostate cancer, how long more do I have to live? If I undergo treatment with injections and medication, he said I have about eight years left. "Now that I know that I have about eight to nine years left, to be able to live till 90, that's a long life. Why do I need to live even longer? I am not afraid [of death] at all." Kar Ying, who is married to Hong Kong singer-actress Liza Wang, was diagnosed with stage-three liver cancer in 2004 and underwent surgery in 2005. In 2013, he was found to have a two-centimetre tumour in his liver and went for surgery again. He was found to have cancerous cells in his prostate in 2019 and underwent surgery in the same year. He said in his latest interview: "I am not going to go through chemotherapy or electrotherapy. I am just going to say goodbye to everybody comfortably." The interviewer asked him to share his "secret" to his vigour at this age, to which he said it's because he's "not afraid of death". Kar Ying added that when he was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004, he recited the Heart Sutra every day. He said: "I had too many thoughts on my mind, so I stopped thinking about them and recited the Heart Sutra. I came to a realisation - 'emptiness'. Life is empty, we come with nothing and leave with nothing. So if there is no concern, [there is no fear]. I think that's what life is all about." Before turning to movies, Kar Ying was a Cantonese opera singer in the 1970s. He is widely known for playing the monk Tang Sanzang in Stephen Chow's A Chinese Odyssey movies (1995). In recent years, Kar Ying continues to perform opera, including his collaboration with the Hong Kong Cantonese Opera Artists Club to perform at the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre in Singapore in 2023. [[nid:718398]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
MHA to conduct social experiments in June to test public's response to terror threats
MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH MHA to conduct social experiments in June to test public's response to terror threats SINGAPORE – Several social experiments will be conducted in the heartland from early to mid-June to test how the public responds to terror incidents. These planned scenarios will involve actors and realistic props, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 29. Declining to publicise details about the experiments, it said precautions will be taken to ensure that they cause minimal disruption to the public. MHA said the authorities will be around to ensure public safety. Reactions from members of the public will be recorded, and the footage will be used to create an educational web series to raise awareness about key SGSecure advisories, such as 'Run, Hide, Tell' and 'Press, Tie, Tell'. The first episode will premiere on July 30. SGSecure is a national movement launched in 2016 to prepare Singaporeans to deal with terrorist attacks and equip them with skills to handle a crisis. Run, Hide, Tell involves moving away from danger, staying out of sight, and informing the authorities. When dealing with casualties during emergency situations, members of the public can stop a victim from bleeding by applying pressure to the wound (press), securing it with a strip of cloth (tie), and calling 995 for help (tell). In its statement, MHA advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities. During an SGSecure roadshow at Suntec City in July 2024, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam had said: 'We have kept Singapore safe and secure so far. So as a result, people don't think that there will be a terror attack. 'It's not in people's minds. But that doesn't mean an attack won't happen here.' In 2024, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said in its annual report that terrorism threats here have increased since the Gaza war began. Said ISD: 'While there is no indication of an imminent attack, the terrorism threat to Singapore remains high. Global developments and conflicts have generated emotive responses worldwide, including acts of violence, and terrorist elements have leveraged such conflicts to call for attacks. These developments have impacted Singapore's internal security.' A 2023 report by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) found that lone wolves were the main terror threat to Singapore. In October 2024, a 17-year-old boy was arrested before he could carry out an attack on non-Muslims in Tampines during the September school holidays. Lone wolves have also been responsible for violent incidents abroad, using everyday objects as weapons. On May 23, a German woman was arrested after stabbing 18 people at a train station in Hamburg. In October 2023, a 14-year-old boy with a handgun opened fire at Siam Paragon in Bangkok, killing a Chinese tourist and a Myanmar national. Five others were injured. And in the latest incident involving a public security threat on May 26, a 53-year-old British man drove his vehicle into a crowd of Liverpool fans during a parade celebrating the football club's Premier League title, injuring around 50 people. Claudia Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times covering the crime and court beat. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Singapore Idol's Leandra Lane to perform with son at Special Olympics Singapore National Games
About two decades after she first made her name as a teen contestant on the first season of Singapore Idol in 2004, home-grown artiste Leandra Lane is still actively singing. On May 30, the 38-year-old - who went by the name Leandra Veronica Rasiah and came in fifth in the hit local reality singing competition - will perform at the opening ceremony of the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games. The ceremony, which is set to take place at Bishan Stadium, will feature VIP guest President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The 2025 edition of Special Olympics Singapore will see 543 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in various sports at venues within the National University of Singapore until June 2. Lane and her 13-year-old son Alexander will perform their rendition of Reach, the 1996 hit by Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan that was also one of the official songs of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Lane also mentors and trains young singers, including children with special needs, and runs Motown Kids, a music programme for those up to the age of 14. She says she got the upcoming gig via a friend who works with Special Olympics Singapore, and it will mark the first time mother and son perform together at a major public event. She says: "It is an extreme honour. This is also one of the most meaningful performances as Alexander and I get to share the message of working hard and giving all you've got." Alexander - her only child from a previous marriage to an Austrian engineer - started singing songs by veteran American singers Kenny Rogers and Bing Crosby since he was three. He has done several school performances and is currently a grade-eight student at Overseas Family School, an international school in Pasir Ris. Music and show business run in the family. Lane's African-American father, Rick Lane, was a member of the 1950s American soul group The Drifters, while her Eurasian mother, Lucia Rasiah, was a Miss Singapore in the 1970s. Like his mother, Alexander takes vocal lessons from Lane's sister and manager, Leynette. Leandra Lane and her 13-year-old son will sing together at the opening ceremony of the 10th Special Olympics Singapore National Games. PHOTO: LEANDRA LANE The former Singapore Idol alumnus - who joined when she was 18 - still keeps in touch with fellow contestants like singer and Kiss92 DJ Daphne Khoo. "Being on the show taught me early on about the entertainment industry and how unique we all are. I was one of the youngest contestants going in and was naive about it all. Being able to sing is one thing, and identifying healthy competition is another. This was what I learnt from my time there." After Singapore Idol, she took vocal lessons in a performing arts school in Sydney, Australia, and studied dance at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles. The singer ended up fifth place on Singapore Idol. PHOTO: MEDIACORP She organises regular concerts at venues like the Esplanade and performs at events such as the St Patrick's Day Street Festival at Boat Quay in March. She also spent several years based in Europe and the United States, and sang in Los Angeles music venues such as The Viper Room and Whisky A Go Go. She has been based permanently in Singapore since 2019. While music takes up most of her time, she is also a property agent, having obtained her licence in October 2024. She is also writing and recording songs for an upcoming EP that is slated to be released in 2026. In January, a close brush with death after a gig at an orphanage in India strengthened her resolve to dedicate her life to music. She was sleeping in an Airbnb apartment in Mumbai when the air-con unit caught fire. She and her friend woke up just in time to escape the apartment before the whole place went up in flames. "It was such a scary experience that taught me the meaning of life and to live life to the fullest. I want to sing as much as I can, and love the people whom I love with all my heart and soul."
