June school holidays 2025: Take a tech timeout
Find out why excessive screen time is a big issue in Singapore, known as the 'myopia capital of the world'.
SINGAPORE – Check out nine2twelve, our new pilot video series on YouTube for those in the age range, where we present news stories, explainers and reviews of youth-targeted activities in a kid-friendly way. These episodes and activities are by the team behind Little Red Dot, a weekly student publication by The Straits Times.
In Episode 1, The Straits Times explains why excessive screen time is a burning issue.
Too much screen time is one of the reasons Singapore is known as the 'myopia capital of the world', where some 65 per cent of children develop myopia by age 12.
Singapore recently rolled out guidelines on screen-time usage, with the Ministry of Health recommending just two hours of screen time a day for seven- to 12-year-olds.
Here are some ways you can unplug a little.
Watch the video above or go to str.sg/vid-screentime. After that, come back and try these offline activities we've planned for you and your family.
Activity 1
Complete one activity and mark out that square by drawing a cross on it. Keep going until you complete five activities in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Once you have completed a row, take a photo of your completed card and send it to stdot@sph.com.sg to share your accomplishment.
To play this 'offline' bingo card, complete five activities in a row.
ST GRAPHICS: JASTER NGUI
Activity 2
What would you do if you do not have a mobile phone, tablet, television, game console or money for a day? Draw how you would spend a screen-free day. Send your comics to stdot@sph.com.sg. Remember to include your full name, age, level and school.
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Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Ana de Armas interview: Ballerina, John Wick spinoff and screaming for action scenes
Actress Ana de Armas had to scream before she could kill in John Wick movie spin-off Ballerina SINGAPORE – Actress Ana de Armas was making all the right moves when it came to the fight scenes in the movie From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, but something was missing. 'I would do the stunts, but it felt too choreographed. The stunt team said, 'Come on, you have to start getting into character, to feel her rage and passion,'' she tells The Straits Times in a Zoom interview. The team offered a suggestion: screaming. 'They taught me how to scream myself ready. We screamed at one another . It became my way to get in the right mindset. The energy would wake me up in the morning, or at 3am, when we were shooting at night. I would just start jumping up and down and screaming, to get the blood flowing,' says de Armas, 37. Once the crew members heard her screams, they readied the cameras. The vocal exercise worked. Viewers will see the Cuban-Spanish star punching, shooting and throwing grenades in From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina, which opens in Singapore cinemas on June 5. She is no stranger to action movies, having appeared in the Netflix thriller The Gray Man (2022) and the James Bond film No Time To Die (2021). As its full title suggests, Ballerina is set in the assassin-filled fantasy universe made popular through the John Wick films (2014 to 2023). This is the first movie spin- off after four films in the franchise, with a story set in the period between John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023). De Armas plays Eve Macarro, daughter of Javier (David Castaneda), a hitman murdered by a highly secretive cult led by the Chancellor (Gabriel Byrne). Winston (Ian McShane), manager of the Continental Hotel – a haven for hired killers – takes the child (Victoria Comte, who plays the younger version of the character) under his wing. He sends her to the Ruska Roma, a ballet academy run by the Director (Anjelica Huston). The Director's aim: to mould students into adults who are as good at killing as they are in dance. Years later, Eve sets out on a mission of vengeance. Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. PHOTO: MURRAY CLOSE As the lead character in Ballerina, de Armas says there were two duties on her shoulders: to be strong enough to perform the big fight scenes and achieve that strength safely. 'Everything I've done before has been a step towards getting to this place. With each movie, the complexity of the action increased. 'But the challenge in Ballerina had no comparison with anything I've done before. The training was three to four months, every day, many hours a day – combat training, handling weapons. There was a level of commitment and discipline I didn't know before. All of a sudden, I was training like an athlete,' she says. But she had to listen to her body and learn to not push it too far. She would not only be harming herself, but she would also be putting everyone else's job at risk. 'I had to take care of my body – nutrition, diet, self-care, therapy, chiropractors, all kinds of people taking care of my body. Because if I get injured or something happens, the movie stops for a week or two and we can't afford that. I had to be so committed to the project and to what I had to do to be able to provide for the whole crew,' she says. Ana de Armas as Eve and Keanu Reeves as John Wick in Ballerina. PHOTO: LIONSGATE Keanu Reeves, as the gifted titular assassin John Wick, appears in Ballerina in a pivotal role. It is not de Armas' first collaboration with the 60-year-old Canadian actor. Her career began in Spain and Cuba, before she moved to Hollywood in her mid-20s. One of her first English-speaking roles was in the psychosexual thriller Knock Knock (2015), playing one of two stranded women who terrorise Reeves' character in his own home. She was then not yet fluent in English and had memorised the dialogue phonetically. She would, however, be fluent by the time she was cast in films like science-fiction epic Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and mystery thriller Knives Out (2019), and took the title role in the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde (2022), for which she received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. It felt good to be reunited with Reeves on Ballerina 10 years later, de Armas says. This time, however, she was not only more mature, but her grasp of English also helped her to understand him better, allowing him to be more relaxed and natural as an actor, she says. Keanu Reeves and Ana de Armas at the From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina global premiere in London on May 22. PHOTO: REUTERS 'I loved working with Keanu on Ballerina. I have so much respect and admiration for him as a person and actor. I was already a big fan of the John Wick movies. Being back on set with him, I could tell he was more comfortable in Ballerina than he was in Knock Knock. It was a beautiful full circle for both of us to reconnect, because so much has changed in our lives since then,' she says. American actor Norman Reedus, speaking to ST in a separate online interview, talked about his role as Daniel Pine, the estranged son of the Chancellor. Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine in Ballerina. PHOTO: LARRY D. HORRICKS FOR LIONSGATE 'Daniel's child became a target because of who his family is. Now, he's willing to fight everyone – not just his father, but also endless levels of assassins – to protect his child's innocence. 'When Eve arrives, he's suspicious at first. But since she's not shooting, he realises she might be able to help. Eve becomes an angel, an unexpected salvation when he's cornered and desperate to protect his child,' says Reedus, 56. Reedus got his breakthrough playing survivor-protagonist Daryl Dixon on 11 seasons of zombie horror series The Walking Dead (2010 to 2022). He is in two spin-off projects: Ballerina and the series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (2023 to present). Reedus and Reeves are motorcycle enthusiasts who were out riding in Los Angeles when they first met by accident at a traffic light, as Reedus recounted on talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2024, without specifying the year. They quickly bonded over their shared love of two-wheelers, with Reeves eventually appearing as a guest on the sixth season of the Reedus-hosted motorcycle docuseries Ride With Norman Reedus (2016 to present). He calls Reeves an 'honest person and a good hero'. In real life, the Hollywood superstar is just like the type of hero he tends to portray on screen – the one who never calls attention to himself and wins through quiet determination, says Reedus. Reeves is 'just a guy getting through life... he's doing the work and you root for him. I think people naturally root for Keanu in real life because he's that guy', adds Reedus. American director Len Wiseman, who makes his John Wick debut with Ballerina, received some advice about the franchise from Reeves. Ana de Armas as Eve and director Len Wiseman behind the scenes in Ballerina. PHOTO: LARRY D. HORRICKS FOR LIONSGATE The 52-year-old is best known for his work on the Kate Beckinsale-headlined vampire-werewolf action horror film franchise Underworld (2003 to 2016) and the remake of science-fiction thriller Total Recall (2012). Speaking to ST while seated next to de Armas, he remembers asking Reeves a question. 'I was putting together a shot and asked Keanu, 'Would it be weird if you looked down into this lens for a portion of the dialogue?'' says Wiseman. The actor then offered the director the mantra that has kept the John Wick enterprise going since 2014. 'He said, 'If it's cool, it's not weird.'' From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina opens in Singapore cinemas on June 5. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
June school holidays 2025: Take a tech timeout
Find out why excessive screen time is a big issue in Singapore, known as the 'myopia capital of the world'. SINGAPORE – Check out nine2twelve, our new pilot video series on YouTube for those in the age range, where we present news stories, explainers and reviews of youth-targeted activities in a kid-friendly way. These episodes and activities are by the team behind Little Red Dot, a weekly student publication by The Straits Times. In Episode 1, The Straits Times explains why excessive screen time is a burning issue. Too much screen time is one of the reasons Singapore is known as the 'myopia capital of the world', where some 65 per cent of children develop myopia by age 12. Singapore recently rolled out guidelines on screen-time usage, with the Ministry of Health recommending just two hours of screen time a day for seven- to 12-year-olds. Here are some ways you can unplug a little. Watch the video above or go to After that, come back and try these offline activities we've planned for you and your family. Activity 1 Complete one activity and mark out that square by drawing a cross on it. Keep going until you complete five activities in a row, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Once you have completed a row, take a photo of your completed card and send it to stdot@ to share your accomplishment. To play this 'offline' bingo card, complete five activities in a row. ST GRAPHICS: JASTER NGUI Activity 2 What would you do if you do not have a mobile phone, tablet, television, game console or money for a day? Draw how you would spend a screen-free day. Send your comics to stdot@ Remember to include your full name, age, level and school. Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
How to take your pet photos to the next level
Pet photography is an art form that requires patience, creativity and an understanding of animal behaviour. PHOTOS: ASHANTI CHAND WILKE, CARRIE ER, ANDY YONG, MASAYUKI OKI How to take your pet photos to the next level SINGAPORE – Animals make adorable photography subjects. But just like children, they are unpredictable and it can be challenging to capture the fleeting cute moments of your fur kids. Pet photography is an art form that requires patience, creativity and an understanding of animal behaviour. Mr Masayuki Oki, a Japanese photographer, has been taking snapshots of street cats for over a decade with his Canon EOS R1. The 47-year-old, who is based in Tokyo, would spend a week away from home travelling to various 'cat islands' or fishing villages around Japan to observe and photograph cats. 'I realise that, just like humans, each cat has its quirks and personality ,' he tells The Straits Times. Mr Oki's photographs capture the spontaneity of felines, turning each photo into a story. He posts his pictures on Instagram (@okirakuoki), which has amassed 508,000 followers. His works have also been published in books and calendars. On capturing an animal's personality, his advice is to find the moments that 'reveal the cats' feelings'. 'If you try to rush to take the photo, the cat may sense it and choose not to do anything on purpose,' says Mr Oki, who will be one of the judges at the Asia Cat Expo 2025 Photography Competition that will be held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre on June 21 and 22. Into its third year, the annual Asia Cat Expo is the largest feline-exclusive event in Singapore. The two-day expo will see a line-up 120 vendors offering cat essentials, accessories and cat-themed creations. There will also be a cat adoption drive, educational seminars and interactive stage programmes such as a cat grooming competition. Mr Masayuki Oki's photographs capture a raw affection of felines, turning each photo into a story. PHOTO: MASAYUKI OKI He adds: 'If you have the mindset that it's okay to not take good photos on some days, you will be able to take good photos eventually.' He will also be giving a talk, Taking Photos That Tell A Story, at the expo on June 22 at 3pm. Fellow judge Andy Yong, 29, agrees that cat owners have to 'let them do their own thing'. A tip on how to capture the perfect moment is to 'approach it like street photography, predicting and timing the perfect moment instead of posing for it', adds the Singaporean content creator, who has 2.4 million followers on his Instagram account (@andyyongfilms). Mr Yong, who got into photography as a hobby in 2018, creates photography content on how to take better photos – of both humans and animals, as well as everything from food to nature – using mobile phones and professional cameras. His talk, Making Everyday Moments Into Aesthetic Photos, will also take place at Asia Cat Expo 2025 on June 22 at 3pm. Taking photographs of dogs requires different shooting styles, says Mr Yong, adding that he would use Clover, his pet pomsky, as a model. Getting down to the animal's eye level is also another tip for that great picture, says Mr Andy Yong. PHOTO: ANDY YONG 'Dogs are more active, so it is good to tire them out first,' he says . 'Once they are settled in and are comfortable with you, it is quite easy to direct them.' He adds: 'It helps to hold a treat in front of your camera.' Singaporean Carrie Er has been photographing her West Highland terriers Sasha and Piper since 2015. Her dogs have become 'influencers' with more than 25,500 followers on Instagram (@lomodoggies). 'Sasha and Piper are treat-motivated, so once they see a snack in hand, they're instantly alert and camera-ready,' says Ms Er, who is in her 40s. Ms Carrie Er says getting a good photo of her dogs Sasha (left) and Piper is about catching the right angle and lighting. PHOTO: CARRIE ER Ms Er, who works in the food and beverage industry, documents 'everyday things' such as going on walks or playing dress-up with Sasha, 13, and Piper, nine. For the dog lover, getting the perfect shot is all about catching the right angle and lighting. 'I try to shoot when the light's soft, like in the early morning or late afternoon,' says Ms Er, adding that she always follows the dogs' mo vements. She adds: 'Pets have a mind of their own, so you can't force the shot. I let them do their thing and stay ready with my mobile phone. Sometimes, the best photos happen when you least expect it.' Ms Ashanti Chand Wilke manages the social media accounts of her cat Brossy Meowington. The eight-year-old Maine Coon has more than 51,000 followers on Instagram (@brossymeowington). The 32-year-old Singaporean homemaker did not expect Brossy's photos and YouTube videos to have a following, let alone attract sponsorships from pet food and grooming appliances companies. Ms Ashanti Chand Wilke would paste coloured sheets on the wall as backdrops when taking photos of her cat Brossy Meowington. PHOTO: ASHANTI CHAND WILKE Patience is key to a good photo, says Ms Ashanti, adding that she needs to 'time the shoot, and wait for Brossy to be in a good mood and the perfect sunlight'. 'Getting him to pose requires a lot of patience. We don't force him to pose. We just put him in the frame and wait for the cute moments,' she says. 'It's a lot of sitting and waiting with the camera.' As Ms Ashanti takes mostly indoor photos, she makes use of objects she can find around the home that make noise to get her cat's attention. Her sister and mother help with her shoots. 'Sometimes, my entire family would be clapping behind the camera to get Brossy to look at it ,' she adds. She uses the quick shutter mode on her Canon EOS 200D camera to take hundreds of shots, which she sifts through to find that 'perfect cute photo'. To add to the fun, Ms Ashanti uses coloured sheets or wrapping paper as backdrops and has an entire wardrobe full of cute little costumes, bows and hats. Getting down to the animal's eye level is also another tip for that great picture, Mr Yong offers. 'We're so used to taking photos at a height that's comfortable for us, but that angle is always unflattering to our pets,' he says. He adds: 'Simply crouching down or even rotating your phone upside down, so the lens is lower, gives a much nicer angle for pets.' Pet photography is taxing, but also fun , says Mr Yong. 'Nailing that one perfect shot can feel so rewarding.' Book It/Asia Cat Expo 2025 Where: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Halls 404 to 406, 1 Raffles Boulevard When: June 21 and 22, 10am to 8pm Admission: $6 to $15 Info: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
