India — Nick Jonas has revealed that he has inculcated a few important life lessons from Priyanka Chopra. The singer, who married the actor in December 2018, recently opened up about his life with Priyanka and said that she has taught him to about taking things easy.
The Jonas Brothers member made the confession during his podcast called “Time to Walk” on Apple’s Fitness + platform. Nick said, “Sometimes you have to slow down to kick it into high gear again. And, you know, she’s taught me a lot about going with the flow and taking it easy, something I’m still wrestling with every day. But it’s definitely a better way to live life. Of all the lessons I’ve learned so far, I think that’s the most important, is just to take some time out whether it’s a walk or a movie, whatever it is for you. Just take a step back for a minute.”
In the podcast, Nick also revisited the time he and Priyanka were still getting to know each other. The singer remembered his brother, singer Kevin Jonas talking to him about Quantico and praising Priyanka.
Priyanka and Nick connected via Twitter before they began texting each other. After having met in New York City, the two reunited in Los Angeles, where they watched Beauty and the Beast at the Hollywood Bowl. In the podcast, he revealed that on that day he knew she was the one.
“It was so nice when we settled into just life. And life is the simple things. You know, it’s watching a movie at the end of the day, ordering takeout. It’s walking the dogs. We have three now. It’s getting to know each other each day and learning something new. And there’s a simplicity about that that I think is so reassuring and comforting,” he said.
Nick and Priyanka spent the Covid-19 induced lockdown last year in Los Angeles. After the ease of the lockdown, Priyanka headed to Germany to complete her schedule on The Matrix 4 while Nick stayed back to work on his music. It was at that time that Nick worked on his album Spaceman. The singer had previously mentioned that the songs on the album are like love letters to Priyanka.
India — The United States on Tuesday said that it remembers “India’s generosity” in the early days of the pandemic and will hence be delivering raw materials to the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, with an aim to help India tide over the current wave of the coronavirus disease.
In a White House press briefing earlier this day, senior officials of the Biden-Harris administration said that the United States was “diverting” its own order of raw materials to the Serum Institute in light of the current crisis as this was the “most effective and rapid step” that could be taken at this stage to provide support.
“As requested by the Government of India, we will be providing raw materials for the production of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine at the Serum Institute of India,” a senior administration official said, elaborating on the “complexities of the global supply chain” and the exact nature of the assistance that the US is providing to India.
“Given that there is not enough of the supply for the entire global manufacturing effort and in light of the current crisis, we, the United States, are diverting our order to India. So, I want to be clear here that we did not intervene with the manufacturer to make them fill the Serum Institute’s order; we don’t have that power. Instead, what we are doing is diverting our own order of our own supplies to the Serum Institute for their manufacturing,” the official said.
Providing further details, the senior administration official said that the Defense Production Act (DPA) in the US requires American companies to prioritise US government contracts over others. “But what it does not mean is an export ban or a de facto ban or an embargo or any restrictions on sales to any other outside clients or customers anywhere. Companies are able to export however they need,” he said.
Adding that the DPA doesn’t cause any shortages in global supplies, the official pointed out that the US government doesn’t even have the power to intervene with the manufacturing companies’ orders. Hence, it was diverting its own supplies to India in view of the recent surge in Covid-19.
The official further said that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be providing additional technical assistance and materials to strengthen vaccine communications between India and the US and support “vaccine readiness at the national and sub-national levels.”
US experts, however, believe that the Biden administration can do more. The US Chamber of Commerce had earlier last week called on the White House to release millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses from its stockpile, which the US is unlikely to use because Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shots will more than meet its needs. The US has also not authorised the AstraZeneca shot.
Singapore—Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung clarified on Monday (Apr 26) that the ban on travellers from India is not meant to target any nationality, but to counter a risk to public health because of India’s recent surge in infections.
He was speaking at a media briefing for the announcement of the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble.
Mr Ong further explained that if someone from India travelled to another country before coming to Singapore, this would pose a different risk level from someone who came directly from India.
The Straits Times reports that a question had arisen as to whether Indian nationals who arrive from other countries would be exempted from a travel ban on long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who travelled to India within the last two weeks.
Mr Ong explained that people who stay in an area long enough are assumed to have that area’s risk profile, no matter what nationality they have.
“If your policy is to target risk, then for someone from a high-risk country to move to a lower-risk country, stay there for some time, and after that remain non-Covid positive… and then come to Singapore, actually, you have lowered the risk tremendously in that process,” he added.
Answering another question, Mr Ong stated that Singapore mandates that anyone flying into the country must stay for 14 days outside of India.
Last week, on Apr 22 (Thursday), Minister Lawrence Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, announced new measures to bar all long-term pass holders and visitors traveling from India for the sake of public health.
“The situation is very fluid, and even one case may potentially lead to a cluster of infections,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The MOH said on Apr 20 that all travellers from India would be required to serve an additional seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) at their place of residence in addition to the 14-day SHN at dedicated SHN facilities imposed immediately upon arrival. Entry approvals for non-Singapore citizens or permanent residents arriving from India would also be reduced.
Mr Wong added that the SHN was not “100 per cent foolproof” and that workers who had just arrived from India could possibly infect migrant workers living in dorms and cause new clusters even as he acknowledged that the ban would have a major impact on our construction, marine and process sectors.
But the ban would also give the country the leeway to further look into the situation, he added.
Singapore — Yio Chu Kang SMC MP Yip Hon Wen has started a series of tours to help senior citizens redeem their SingapoRediscover vouchers.
They will get to see and “rediscover” Singapore and the tours will be good for local tourism business, said Mr Yip, the People’s Action Party member who was elected to Parliament from the Yio Chu Kang Single-Member Constituency in the 2020 general election.
During my house visits, many seniors shared with me that they have not redeemed their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers…
About the tours, he wrote on Facebook, “During my house visits, many seniors shared with me that they have not redeemed their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRVs). Given that the redemption deadline is 30 June 2021, I have worked with the YCK grassroots to organise tours in rediscovering Singapore for our #yio residents, while supporting local tourism businesses.”
Friendly guides will help the seniors redeem the vouchers and register for the tours at the YCK Community Centre which has a Changi Recommends counter. The counter is located at Level 2 of YCK CC and is open from 10 am to 6 pm from Monday to Friday.
The first tour is set for May 15, led by YCK CC Women’s Executive Committee (WEC). It includes a visit to Gardens by the Bay, followed by a river cruise and sumptuous lunch for all participants. Buses will pick up the tour participants from the YCK CC and bring them back.
Seats are limited for each selected tour and are on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I heard many have already signed up. If there is strong demand, we will consider organising more of such tours to benefit our residents.” Mr Yip shared on Monday (Apr 26).
The SRV vouchers are due to expire on June 30, and many Singaporeans are yet to redeem them. With no confirmed extension of the deadline, the Government is urging Singaporeans to quickly redeem their vouchers.
Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG
Tokyo – Even though Japan has entered its third state of emergency in response to the coronavirus pandemic, life seems almost normal in Tokyo and other prefectures like Saitama.
In Kawagoe, known as Little Edo, near Tokyo, businesses continue, albeit with shortened hours compared with pre-pandemic times.
Photo: Koedo/Taken from unsplash.com
Arcades with their UFO claw machines, izakayas (Japan’s version of a pub), cat cafes, game stores, salons, massage parlours are all open. So are supermarkets and restaurants.
Kawagoe’s outdoor mall called Crea Mall, which resembles the famous Takeshita Street of Shibuya, also has its fair share of foot traffic, even during the odd hour of 3 pm on a Wednesday.
Kawagoe’s Crea MallKawagoe Station
However, there are a few distinct changes you will see when taking a stroll outdoors in Japan. Most, if not all, of the people are wearing masks of all colours, designs and materials. The practice of wearing a mask when one is sick has become the norm for everyone.
Photo: A student performing at the station
Another key difference is how businesses have adjusted to adhere to safety measures. Earlier, a staff member would take your temperature with a thermometer gun and there would be pump bottles for spraying hand sanitiser. Now the process has become automated.
You will see alcohol bottles activated with a sensor or foot pedal and temperature scanners that use facial recognition at every entrance of a business establishment. Some restaurants also give you a disposable plastic sleeve to store your face mask while you dine.
Kawagoe is still quite subdued compared to Tokyo where the Yamanote Line, the city’s most important railway line, has trains running packed with passengers during rush hour.
Shinjuku station platform
If you stand in the wrong lane while walking in Shinjuku station, the world’s busiest railway station, you might get swept away by the wave of salarymen making their way to and from the office.
Rush hour in Tokyo trains
Even so, almost everyone is wearing masks, and all you hear are rushing footsteps amid the intercom announcements.
In terms of vaccination, the country has got flak for its slow rollout. Japan only started vaccinating the elderly population in April, and it may take until winter for the rest of the country to get vaccinated.
Coffeeshops continue to be packed with people resting, working or studying
It was reported that the country had vaccinated only about one per cent of its approximately 126 million population.
Meanwhile, Tokyo reported over 635 new coronavirus cases on Sunday (Apr 25), indicating a week-on-week increase for 25 consecutive days.
“Despite the growing number of coronavirus cases, vaccine rollout has been extremely slow compared to other First World countries. People live with worry, and yet still enter packed trains,” said an engineer working in Tokyo when approached for a comment.
Cities have also begun issuing advisories to their residents regarding the vaccination initiative, which is often free of charge.
A Glimpse Covid-19 in Germany
Let us travel 9,100 km to Germany, where another correspondent of The Independent Singapore is currently located.
In many ways, it’s not that bad.
Yes, museums, theatres and other cultural sites are all closed, as are most shops (except groceries).
But still and all, it’s spring, and the flowers are coming out. The birds are singing, and if you live near nature, you can see ducks, and maybe even swans and the occasional squirrel.
Nature is changing after a long winter—and in a few weeks, everything will be green again.
Speaking of flower, it’s tulip season, and there are fields where you can go and pick bunches of different-coloured ones and then leave some coins in a giant honesty box.
If tulips are not your favourite, you can get daffodils, hyacinths, or a pot of pansies in every imaginable colour.
The nicest thing is not having to wear masks outdoors, except when you’re in crowded areas like open-air markets or city centres. But for a walk in the woods or by the lake, no mask is needed.
And, if the urge to splurge hits you, there’s always the grocery—your friendly neighbourhood Aldi or Lidl, where you can choose from a shocking array of chocolate.
The local bookshop is open as well, which is a nice little bonus when you get cabin fever and don’t want to stay home, or if it’s raining and too wet for a nature walk.
Long story short—if you’re not into big-city life and don’t mind staying home or rambling in nature, it almost doesn’t feel like a lockdown in a small town in Germany.
A Glimpse of Covid-19 in Calgary, Canada
Meanwhile, in Canada, where another correspondent is located, only fully outdoor gatherings are allowed with a maximum of 10 people following social distancing.
Restaurants and bars are open in Calgary, Alberta, but tables are limited to six people from the same household.
There are currently around 1.17 million confirmed cases in Alberta, while vaccine distribution is underway for seniors and persons with conditions. Nearly 1.4 million doses have been administered as of Apr 24.
All stores have “no mask/no entry” signs and offer alcohol, hand sanitiser and sanitising wipes at entrances and exits.
There is a strong air of Covid-fatigue throughout the city, with people cutting corners with restrictions and the like.
A strong sentiment of anti-masking and anti-vaccinating could also be felt in the city. Several encounters with members of the public result in comments such as “I’m not a mask guy” or “I’m not a pandemic guy.”
Now that winter is turning into spring, most Calgarians are turning their attention to camping, mountain biking and other outdoor activities, which are allowed under the current restrictions.
There is an upsurge in Good Samaritan-like behaviour in local community Facebook groups. Several new “free” groups have sprouted, where people post items (from food to furniture and other home items) to give away for free, with a first-come, first-served policy.
Some people have posted pleas for assistance with food, and others have responded quickly with offers of food hampers, even offering to deliver them to those asking for help./TISG
India — The United States on Tuesday said that it will be delivering raw materials to the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine, with an aim to help India tide over the current wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). In a White House briefing, senior officials of the Biden-Harris administration detailed the comprehensive plan for support that involves transporting raw materials, oxygen supplies, ventilators, therapeutics, Remdesivir, testing and protective equipment, and providing public health assistance to India.
Raw materials for vaccine
Firstly, the United States will be REPLACED to the Serum Institute of India for the production of the AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine against Covid-19, senior administration officials said, adding that this was the “most effective and rapid step” that could be taken at this stage to provide support.
“Given that there is not enough of the supply for the entire global manufacturing effort and in light of the current crisis, we, the United States, are diverting our order to India. So, I want to be clear here that we did not intervene with the manufacturer to make them fill the Serum Institute’s order; we don’t have that power. Instead, what we are doing is diverting our own order of our own supplies to the Serum Institute for their manufacturing,” the official said.
Medical oxygen
Regarding oxygen supplies, US officials said that these are the resources that India has “specifically requested” and are situated very high on the priority list.
“There’s a number of different buckets – oxygen transport, oxygen generation, oxygen cylinders, the oxygen supply chain. And, in particular, our Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are pursuing options to provide oxygen generation systems,” the official said.
The administration is also working on oxygen generation systems, including larger-scale as well as smaller-scale units, which have been used in US field hospitals to provide oxygen for 50 to 100 beds, the White House said. “And I’ll stress that some of these elements are in the exploration phase; they’re shorter- and longer-term options that we’re providing in the immediate, and then we plan to continue to be engaged over the longer term,” a press noted cited senior administration officials as saying.
Technical assistance
Moreover, US experts are also engaged in technical discussions with their Indian counterparts to ensure that the supplied equipment, oxygen concentrations, and ventilators, are compatible with the devices in India. “And we’re also going to be providing training associated with all of these requests as needed.”
Providing further details, said that the USAID and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be providing additional technical assistance and materials to strengthen vaccine communications between India and the US and support “vaccine readiness at the national and sub-national levels.”
The US government is also preparing to help with the transportation of these and other supplies to India.
Therapeutics, personal protective equipment, and tests
The United States has identified commercial suppliers of Remdesivir that are immediately available to help relieve the suffering of Covid-19 patients in India. Rapid diagnostic testing supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) have been identified, and will be available to be transferred to India immediately, the White House said. “Finally, we mentioned the antiviral drug Remdesivir and rapid diagnostic tests, but we are also facilitating India’s own access to those supplies through US-based sources,” officials said.
Public health assistance, a ‘strike team’
The US acknowledged that the CDC and India’s Epidemic Intelligence Services (EIS) have a “long, long history of working together closely and helping one another.”
The US CDC, working with the USAID, will urgently deploy a strike team to India, the White House said, which will include public health experts to work in close collaboration with the American embassy, with India’s health ministries and experts, and with India’s EIS staff.
“That strike team will work hand-in-hand with India’s experts in a number of areas, including laboratory services; surveillance and epidemiology; bioinformatics for sequencing and modeling of the disease; infection, prevention, and control; vaccines rollout; and risk communication,” the press note detailed.
Providing further details, senior administration officials said that the ‘strike team’ will also include CDC-EIS officers and laboratory leadership service officers who will work directly with India’s experts in peer engagements for the model for areas to allow support at the state and the local level. Support from the strike team could also support India being able to immediately add residents to epidemiology class sizes to add new training experts in the Field of Epidemiology Training Program frontline cohort, where the two countries are already working together.
The USAID will also work in the public health arena with the CDC to support and fast-track the mobilization of emergency resources available through the Global Fund. India’s base allocation through the Global Funds Covid-19 resource mobilisation round is $75 million, the White House said.
India — If you’re a regular on social media, you probably have seen many videos of cute puppies, playing and doing all kinds of cute activities. Those videos can indeed brighten up one’s day. But have you ever thought that a tired and a bit sleepy puppy can also steal your heart? If no, then let this Instagram video of a puppy do the trick.
Shared by Lee Asher, the video shows a sleepy puppy being carried down a hiking trail by Asher himself. “Just a video of me carrying the cutest most tired pup up a steep trail. I don’t know how I got this lucky but I’m eternally grateful for every minute of it,” reads the caption.
Shared on April 21, the clip has garnered over 1.5 lakh views and tons of reactions. The puppy melted many hearts which was evident from the comments section. People showered their love for the sleepy pup with heart emojis. While many couldn’t stop pointing out how cute the little one looked, others expressed their wish to cuddle a sleepy puppy too.
“Oh… I didn’t know we had to walk back,” wrote an Instagram user while voicing the probable thoughts of the puppy. “She’s so CHONKY. I want to (gently) squeeze her. She is perfect,” commented another.
“Such a little diva. You’re her royal carriage,” joked a third.
Singapore – A video of a GrabFood rider getting scolded by a man for riding recklessly on a footpath and almost hitting him is circulating online.
“Uncle upset with GrabFood PAB (power-assisted bicycle) cyclist riding recklessly on the footpath,” read the caption of a video uploaded by SG Road Vigilante on YouTube on Monday (Apr 26).
The incident is said to have taken place at Marine Parade Central.
The video begins with the camera pointed at an approaching GrabFood rider on an e-bike.
Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante
As the rider goes by, the man holding the camera who can’t be seen in the video says, “Just now, you almost hit me, ah.”
The rider immediately apologises as he continues on his way.
“You almost hit me, you know, just now. So I’m going to report, I’m going to give it to the police station,” says the man.
The rider continues to apologise and has his palms together at one point to prove sincerity.
Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante
Meanwhile, the uncle tells the rider that he will be going to the police station.
“Please, uncle. I earn a living,” says the rider while apologising.
The uncle explains that the rider also crossed the intersection recklessly and tells him to follow while they went to the police station.
As the rider apologises, the uncle can be heard saying, “I don’t care, I don’t care. You ride so fast. So dangerous.”
The rider pushes his e-bike while trying to catch up to the uncle. He apologises again, admitting his fault.
Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante
“I know your people. Very, very rude one, ah,” says the uncle.
The uncle also explains that riders are not supposed to take the footpath, even more so at such speeds.
When they arrive at a stop, the rider asks the uncle to give him another chance and promises not to make the same mistake again.
Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante
After another warning, the uncle appears to let it go and begins to walk away.
According to the Active Mobility Act (AMA), PABs and motorised personal mobility devices (PMDs) are not allowed on footpaths. On the other hand, bicycles, personal mobility aids (PMAs) and non-motorised PMDs, such as manual kick-scooters, can be used on footpaths./TISG
Singapore—After being charged in March this year with four counts of fraud for allegedly raising at least S$1 billion on non-existent commodity trades, a local trader faces fresh charges of forging bank documents.
Ng Yu Zhi, 34, built a fortune on lies to investors, reported Bloomberg earlier this month, which he spent on a lavish lifestyle that included a Pagani Huarya supercar, a three-story villa, and other luxuries.
But Bloomberg reported on Monday (Apr 26) that Ng’s legal woes are far from over.
He has been charged with fraudulently making a false electronic record to show that US$60 million (S$79.5 million) was transferred from the Citibank account of Envy Asset Management Trading to another account in February, according to a new charge sheet seen by Bloomberg News.
The electronic record had been made for the purpose of committing fraud, according to the charge sheet.
In addition to this, Ng has been charged with fraudulently making a false electronic record that showed a combined balance of US$303 million (S$401.6 million) in the company’s Citibank accounts in March this year.
The trader now faces a total of 11 charges.
According to the police, Ng’s alleged criminal activity is one of Singapore’s biggest suspected investment fraud schemes. It is also the latest in a row of financial scandals in the city-state, including that which rocked the oil giant Hin Leong, which filed for bankruptcy.
In March, Ng was charged with two counts of cheating and two of fraudulent trading.
The Commercial Affairs Department of Singapore Police Force seized S$100 million of assets from Ng, including the Pagani Huayra supercar, which is valued at between S$7 million and S$8 million; as well as his Porsche 911 GT3.
Two companies where Ng was a director, Envy Asset Management and Envy Global Trading, have sought to be put under interim judicial management.
Both companies are also being investigated by the police.
Even though there is little known about Ng’s transactions, court proceedings show that he won investors over by claiming average quarterly gains of 15 per cent, which Bloomberg says rivals the performance of the best hedge fund managers around the globe.
At present, Ng is free on a S$1.5 million bail, but is subject to electronic monitoring. His lawyer Davinder Singh, the executive chairman of Davinder Singh Chambers, did not respond to Bloomberg’s queries.
Whether or not the disgraced trader has entered a plea is still unknown.
Singapore—A woman who repeatedly committed acts of violence against her domestic helper will be charged on Wednesday (Apr 28), according to the police.
The police said on Tuesday (Apr 27) that the 42-year-old woman, whose name has not been released, will be charged with two counts of voluntarily causing hurt — one of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means and one of voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
She is said to have assaulted her maid on numerous occasions when the 49-year-old Indonesian domestic helper was in her employ between February and October 2020.
The alleged assaults include pressing a heated iron against the helper’s right forearm and punching and hitting her in the eyes with her fists or using clothes hangers.
The police learned about the alleged assaults on Oct 30, 2020. However, they have not disclosed who filed the reports against the helper’s employer.
TODAY Online quotes the police as saying, “As the domestic worker had returned to Indonesia when the report was received, efforts were taken to facilitate her return to Singapore to assist with investigations.”
If the employer is found guilty of hurting the helper, she could be jailed for three years, fined S$5,000, or both.
If found guilty of causing hurt by dangerous means, she could be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both jailed and fined.
And if found guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt, she could be jailed for 10 years, fined, or both jailed and fined.
However, in cases where the victim is a domestic helper, even heavier punishments are meted out.
CNA quotes the police as saying, ”The Government takes a serious view of the ill-treatment of foreign domestic workers. The police will not hesitate to take action against errant employers and ensure they are dealt with firmly in accordance with the law.”
Nature is changing after a long winter—and in a few weeks, everything will be green again.
