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Minari star first Korean actress to win an Oscar

Lydia Koh
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Minari star first Korean actress to win an Oscar

Los Angeles — South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn was a crowd favourite during the Academy Awards, thanks to her winning speech. The 73-year-old is the first Korean actress to win an Oscar for her outstanding performance in the critically acclaimed film Minari. Back in 1985, Haing S Ngor was the first Asian  to win Best Supporting Actor in The Killing Fields. 

Yuh-Jung Youn was nominated alongside Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Movie Film), Olivia Colman (The Father), Amanda Seyfried (Mank), and Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy).

Before this, Yuh-Jung Youn had won Best Supporting Actress prizes at the BAFTA Film Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, as reported by Hype.my.

It must have been a double win for Yuh-Jung Youn since the presenter was none other than Brad Pitt. “Nice to meet you, Mr Brad Pitt, very honoured to meet you,” the respected thespian was quoted as saying.

“Let me pull myself, together, OK? Thank you to the Academy members who voted for me.” The mother of two went on to thank her Minari family, including “captain and my director” Lee Isaac Chung.

Born on June 19, 1947, Yuh-Jung Youn is a South Korean actress, whose career in film and television spans over five decades. She has starred in many well-known South Korean television series and films, gaining international recognition for her role in Minari (2020). Her critically acclaimed portrayal of Soon-ja in the film made her the first Korean actress to win a Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, Academy Award, as well as a nomination for a Critics’ Choice Movie Award.

By the late 1960s, Youn was a rising star in South Korea. She won several awards for her role in Woman of Fire (1971). She retired from the spotlight for several years before returning to acting in the late 1980s. Besides Woman of Fire and Minari, Youn is known for her work in the South Korean films The Housemaid (2010), The Taste of Money (2012), The Bacchus Lady (2016), and Canola (2016).

She is also known for her matriarch roles in the South Korean family drama series Men of the Bath House (1995), Be Strong Geum Soon (2005), Daughters-in-Law (2007), My Husband Got a Family (2012), and Dear My Friends (2016), all of which are popular across East Asia./TISG

Nee Soon MPs pick up 381kg of trash on Seletar Island, including aircon unit

Anna Maria Romero
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Nee Soon MPs pick up 381kg of trash on Seletar Island, including aircon unit

Singapore— Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and his fellow Members of Parliament from Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) marked SG Clean Day by picking up trash at Seletar Island with a group of volunteers.

Mr Louis Ng, MP, said they ended up collecting “a whopping 381kg of trash”, which even included an air-conditioning unit, on Sunday (Apr 25).

Minister of State for National Development and Home Affairs Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh also lent a hand in the clean-up.

“Today we marked SG Clean Day with a commitment across Nee Soon GRC to personally educate ourselves on the ‘trash issue’ that plagues our shores and beaches,” wrote Ms Tan in a Facebook post.

They took kayaks out to Seletar Island. Ms Tan said it was an “idyllic journey” that turned into “an upsetting scene” due to the amount of trash in the water and along the shoreline.

As expected, the trash included a lot of plastic. But Mr Ng wrote on Facebook that the team also picked up “styrofoam, nets, ropes, toys and YES an air con.”

He added that he saw more trash than he had ever seen before.

Mr Ng also wrote that he will be raising the issue in Parliament in order to ensure that the root of the problem is addressed.

Mr Shanmugam wrote that picking up the 381kg of trash only took the Nee Soon MPs and volunteers one hour.

And yet, it seems that there was still more trash coming, as Ms Tan wrote, “It’s impossible to clean all at once cos more will wash up along the shore again.” 

“It’s terrible what we have done to our environment,” she added, underlining the need for people to “take personal responsibility where dumping practices are concerned.”

Assoc Prof Faishal wrote it was “shocking” to see the amount of trash not only on the beach but also floating on the water. 

   

“Some of the trash that we found on Seletar Island has been there for a very long time. We even found living organisms like mussels stuck to them!” he wrote, adding a call to be “part of the solution and not part of the pollution,” and to see how each individual can do their part.

For Mr Ng, the silver lining seems to be that the volunteers came together for the activity. “It was awful seeing so much trash (more than I’ve ever seen before) but as always beautiful seeing the volunteers putting their heart and soul into picking up the trash,” he wrote in his post.

/TISG

Read also: Netizen posts photos of trash piles at Pasir Ris Mangrove Forest, forwards receipts so litterbugs can be caught

Netizen posts photos of trash piles at Pasir Ris Mangrove Forest, forwards receipts so litterbugs can be caught

Sweeping at open areas and housing estate ground levels to pause for a day to see how much litter there is

The Independent
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Sweeping at open areas and housing estate ground levels to pause for a day to see how much litter there is

Singapore – The SG Clean Day initiative, launched on Sunday (Apr 25), will pause public sweeping at open areas and on the ground levels of housing estates for a day each month by 2022 to see “how much litter there is and what it will be like if there was no one to sweep it all away”.

The Public Hygiene Council (PHC) announced the campaign on Sunday, aiming to study how much litter accumulates in Singapore and what it will be like if no one swept public areas.

All 17 town councils are taking part, said PHC in a media release.

“Residents will then be encouraged to volunteer picking up litter around their neighbourhoods, in small groups of eight,” said the agency.

PHC is also in talks with the town councils to observe SG Clean Days once every quarter in 2021 and once every month by 2022.

Several outreach efforts paused due to Covid-19 restrictions will resume, including Buddy Clean workshops that encourage students to take personal responsibility by cleaning up after themselves in public.

Other activities planned include the largest neighbourhood clean-up event on May 29 called BlockWalk, which will be held ahead of World Environment Day.

According to the PHC website, SG Clean Day encourages the public to take personal responsibility for the cleanliness of common spaces.

Organisations will declare their own SG Clean Day in May at their premises, the post noted.

“On this day, cleaners will be given a rest or reduced workload as recognition and appreciation.”

“Residents, patrons and employees of these organisations will be encouraged to be more vigilant about littering, waste generation and waste disposal. They may also take part in clean-up activities and engage their friends, neighbours and colleagues to keep the environment clean.”

Those who will be conducting small-scale litter-picking activities at estates, recreational beaches or parks are advised to have not more than eight people in a group They are also advised to keep a list of participants’ details and wear masks and gloves.

“I urge everyone in Singapore to keep our beloved public spaces, such as our neighbourhoods, hawker centres and parks, clean,” said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who was the guest of honour during the campaign launch.

“We can do this simply by disposing of our litter properly, returning our trays after meals, flushing the toilets properly after use, and encouraging our families and friends to do the same,” she said./TISG

Read related: Help wanted: More cleaners needed as S’poreans go back to office life

Help wanted: More cleaners needed as S’poreans go back to office life

Calvin Cheng: I have full faith in the PAP, what worries me is our people

The Independent
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Calvin Cheng: I have full faith in the PAP, what worries me is our people

Singapore — Former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng says he has full faith in the leadership of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Government, but he is worried about the people.

A SUNDAY RANT

I have full faith in the leadership of the PAP, and thus our elected Government.

Even though the…

Posted by Calvin Cheng on Sunday, 25 April 2021

In a Facebook post he called “a Sunday rant” on April 26, he wrote: “There is a segment of Singaporeans who have islander psychosis.” They “spew anti-foreigner hate” and are “very similar to MAGA (Make America Great Again) Trump supporters”.

“’America First!’ might be a rallying call, but ‘Singapore First!’ is a suicide call” he added.

“Singapore was founded as an open trading hub, grew rich after 1965 by inviting foreign investment and foreigners to come here, and cannot survive if we close up and shut the world off.

“In fact, the response to Covid is not to close borders but to open up as fast as we can, and to very, very sparingly implement employment travel bans, and only for very short periods of time.”

Covid is forcing other countries to close up, but this is an opportunity for Singapore to step up and be “the new hub for the world”. “We need to open to the world even more, bring in the best digital and medical industry talent, re-invent ourselves and secure our future for another 50 years,” he added.

As for the Government, he said, “Even though the succession isn’t clear, the team as a whole is strong.

“What gives me more optimism is that there are key 3G leaders who are still young and vigorous,” he wrote, mentioning third-generation leaders such as Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam, outgoing Health Minister Gan Kim Yong who will become Minister for Trade and Industry in May, and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. “They are all around 60,” he added, noting: “In the corporate world nowadays, they would be young and have a good 10 – 15 years ahead of them.”

Mr Shanmugam, he said, had been a “rock in the Ministries of Home Affairs and Law”.

Looking outwards, he wrote: “The China vs West wars are going to get worse. This is another opportunity for Singapore. Many China tech companies are moving their global headquarters to Singapore. But we don’t have enough tech talent, and we need to reverse the quotas for tech. That is, these companies need to be allowed to have MORE foreigners than locals. Otherwise, they won’t make their global HQ here.”

He added “I thus get very angry when I see all the closed-minded, myopic comments on social media. Our future will be ruined if these people have their way. And unfortunately, we have one-man-one-vote, and politicians are sometimes afraid of making these people angry.”

Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG

Joe, Nick and Kevin say sorry to Frankie for calling him the ‘Bonus Jonas’

Lydia Koh
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0
Joe, Nick and Kevin say sorry to Frankie for calling him the ‘Bonus Jonas’

 

Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas and Kevin Jonas are finally making up to their younger brother, Frankie Jonas. The siblings and members of Jonas Brothers said sorry to Frankie for calling him the “Bonus Jonas” after he told them how much he hated it. Speaking to Bustle, Joe said, ” I refused to call Frankie ‘Bonus Jonas’ after he opened up to me about how that was hurtful to him.”

“It completely makes sense,” he continued. “And we’ve had lengthy conversations and apologies behind closed doors that showcased my understanding and respect for his wishes.”
“I think to feel like you are second, third, or fourth-best from something is unfair,” Joe added. “We are all equals.”

In an interview with Bustle, Frankie shared about how much he “always hated” being called ‘Bonus Jonas.’ At the age of 12, he joined Twitter to see the mean comments that people were making about him being this “mascot-like” character, reported Buzzfeed.

Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas apologised to Franklin for calling him ‘Bonus Jonas’. Picture: Instagram
“It really became a serious issue for me,” he said. “A lot of that perpetuated the idea that I was just this meme.”
“I was this joke,” Frankie explained. “And my entire identity to people was ‘adjacent,’ which really affected me and the way that I thought about the world and the way I felt about myself.”
“I wanted to run away from everything,” he added.
In the end, Frankie decided that he would do everything he could to get back to normal life.

And getting an apology from his older brothers seemed like a great place to start.

Born on September 28, 2000, Franklin Nathaniel Jonas is an American musician and former child actor known for being the younger brother of the Jonas Brothers and being the voice of Sōsuke in the animated film Ponyo.

In 2009, Jonas lent his voice to  Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film Ponyo, released in American theatres on August 14, 2009. He was the voice of Sōsuke, a character befriended by a juvenile fish named Ponyo (voiced by Noah Cyrus), who wants to be a girl. They also sang the theme song of the movie./TISG

Grace Fu calls for ‘tolerance, compassion,’ for elderly woman after Jurong residents complain about cardboard boxes

Anna Maria Romero
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Grace Fu calls for ‘tolerance, compassion,’ for elderly woman after Jurong residents complain about cardboard boxes

Singapore—Madam Sallemah, a woman in her 80s, has been collecting and selling cardboard boxes for years. 

But after her regular karung guni man stopped showing up earlier this year, the boxes began accumulating outside her unit and her neighbours’, causing residents to express concern about obstructions, potential fire hazards and the unsightliness of the boxes.

A Lianhe Zaobao report last week (Apr 19) said that it had received emails concerning the boxes that were stacked in the corridor of 252 Jurong East Street 24, where Mdm Sallemah was storing them.

The Chinese-language daily added that the boxes had caused a fire last year, but it was quickly put out by the woman’s neighbours.

Ms Grace Fu, the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and MP for Yuhua SMC, posted a link to the Lianhe Zaobao article on her Facebook page last week, and commented on the issue. 

The Minister acknowledged the inconveniences that Mdm Sallemah’s neighbours experienced due to the accumulation of boxes, but added that she hoped that “tolerance and compassion” would be extended in this situation, given the woman’s circumstances.

Mdm Sallemah lives with one of her five children. Ms Fu wrote that the elderly lady collects cardboard and sells it to supplement the family’s income, as they have been “facing financial difficulties”.

She has been getting financial aid and food rations for over a decade, as well as counselling from a social services counsellor, through Government assistance programmes arranged for her by the Jurong-Clementi Town Council (JCTC), wrote Ms Fu.

The minister added that “although the JCTC has cleared the corridor of the cardboard boxes several times, Mdm Sallemah has persisted in accumulating them.”

The JCTC, Ms Fu wrote, will work with Mdm Sallemah towards a “long-term solution to safeguard her welfare and the safety of our community”.

One solution would be to coordinate with JCTC’s waste collection contractor for the boxes to be sorted at the bin centre instead of the corridor.

This, she added, would allow the elderly woman to continue to earn some money from the boxes.

The New Paper (TNP) spoke to Mdm Sallemah, who told them that she collects the boxes to fill her hours, as well as to earn a little money.

“What other job is there for me? I can’t earn anything if I just sit at home,” she is quoted as saying.

One of her relatives told TNP that her habit of collecting boxes was never a problem in the past when she sold them regularly.

The relative added that the family tells Mdm Sallemah that she does not need to collect cardboard, and to stop placing the cardboard she collects in front of her neighbour’s units.

But the older woman is “stubborn,” the relative said, and insists that if she stays home she will just get bored.

But TNP added that the family was happy to receive Ms Fu’s suggestion for Mdm Sallemah to work with the waste collection contractor.

/TISG

Read also: Grace Fu says climate change responsible for Saturday’s downpour, floods

Grace Fu says climate change responsible for Saturday’s downpour, floods

The reason Jennifer Aniston skipped this year’s Oscars

Lydia Koh
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0
The reason Jennifer Aniston skipped this year’s Oscars

 

Former lovers Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston did not have a reunion at the Oscars even though Pitt presented at the Academy Awards. The Friends star was not at the ceremony and had no reason to be as she did not have any nominations this year. During the 2020 Screen Actors Guild Award ceremony, Aniston and Pitt went viral when they got reunited. However, the chances of the former couple rekindling their romance is pretty low despite both being publicly single, as reported by ELLE.

An insider shared with US Weekly in September 2020 that both Aniston and Pitt literally laugh about the public’s hope that they will reconcile.

Fans have been hoping that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston will rekindle their romance. Picture: Instagram

“It used to bug them how everyone pulls for them to get back together, but now they laugh it off,” Us’ source said. “The truth is they have each other’s backs. They constantly bounce ideas off each other and share happy news when they have it. They have such a natural, easy energy together.”

Another insider told People after the SAG reunion in January 2020 that Aniston really has no interest in rekindling romance with Pitt.

Aniston “is not dating Brad”, the insider flat-out said. “They are friends and happy for each other. They want nothing but happiness for each other. She is happy to have Brad back in her life as a friend, but that’s it.”

Career-wise Aniston did recently completed the HBO Max Friends reunion special though, so that’s something the world can get excited over. We will likely see that premiere before the end of 2021.

Born on February 11, 1969, Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, producer, and businesswoman. The daughter of actors John Aniston and Nancy Dow, she began working as an actress at an early age with an uncredited role in the 1988 film Mac and Me; her first major film role came in the 1993 horror comedy Leprechaun. Since her career progressed in the 1990s, Aniston has become one of the world’s highest-paid actresses. Films with Aniston in the leading role have grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide with 12 of those earning at least $100 million at the box office./TISG

Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza see long queues under close watch by safe distancing officers

The Independent
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Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza see long queues under close watch by safe distancing officers

Singapore – Snaking queues were spotted at Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza on Sunday (Apr 25) amid strict implementation of safe distancing measures.

Members of the public stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting in line to enter both malls, which are popular venues for migrant workers in Singapore, reported The Straits Times.

At one point, police officers arrived at Peninsula Plaza and turned away a large group of visitors. Security guards also cordoned off the entrances and advised people to come back an hour later due to congestion in the building.

“It’s usually crowded every weekend, but I want to buy my traditional food, so I have no choice. I would like to come every weekend, but I’ve since cut down because I’m a little worried about the crowds,” said a 37-year-old domestic worker to ST.

Meanwhile, safe distancing ambassadors kept a close eye on the crowds at Lucky Plaza. They could be heard shouting “one line, one metre” repeatedly and calling out those who crossed the one-metre safe distancing mark.

A similar sight was spotted on Apr 11, the day after authorities lifted weekend entry restrictions at both malls.

Photos of massive crowds at Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza were widely shared on social media.

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Atrium Sale on Apr 11

It was reported that armed police officers were deployed to patrol the area.

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Atrium Sale on Apr 11

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) strongly advised visitors to refrain from going to both malls during peak hours.

The agencies added that restrictions might be reimposed if crowd control continued to be a problem.

Before entry restrictions were lifted, people were allowed to enter the malls on odd or even dates based on the last digit of their identification numbers.

However, some shopkeepers have voiced concerns that the latest safety measures were driving away customers.

“I would prefer the previous system of restricting entry with identification numbers because the crowds were easier to manage. Now they may close off the mall whenever the crowds get too big, and people may not want to wait for the mall to reopen,” said a manager of a souvenir shop in Lucky Plaza to ST./TISG

Read related: Crowd of rowdy foreigners spotted gathering outside Lucky Plaza

Crowd of rowdy foreigners spotted gathering outside Lucky Plaza

Another lorry accident along Upper Bukit Timah Rd, 10 taken to hospital

The Independent
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Another lorry accident along Upper Bukit Timah Rd, 10 taken to hospital

Singapore – Ten men were taken to the hospital after a lorry tipped over along Upper Bukit Timah Road on Saturday (Apr 24).

“Driver and passengers injured and sent to hospital after the lorry lost control, crashed and flipped sideways,” said SG Road Vigilante in a post which included a video showing the aftermath of the accident.

A 35-year-old male lorry driver and nine other male passengers aged between 26 and 50 were conveyed to the hospital while conscious.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said all 10 men were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

The police confirmed they were alerted to the incident at 7.19 am.

In the video, SCDF personnel could be seen attending to the affected individuals.

Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante

Another video showed the lorry tipped over, with its canopy occupying the middle lane.

Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante

SCDF ambulances were also spotted nearby.

Photo: YT screengrab/SG Road Vigilante

Police investigations are ongoing.

The incident happened four days after another accident involving a lorry on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).

The lorry carrying migrant workers collided with a stationary tipper truck on Apr 20, resulting in two fatalities and 15 others injured.

The lorry driver involved in the major accident was arrested for careless driving causing death./TISG

Read related: 2nd migrant worker injured in Apr 20 PIE lorry accident dies

2nd migrant worker injured in Apr 20 PIE lorry accident dies

Fire in Bedok flat caused by charging e-bike, 2 rescued from window ledge

The Independent
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Fire in Bedok flat caused by charging e-bike, 2 rescued from window ledge

Singapore – Two people were rescued from a window ledge after a fire broke out in a flat in Bedok. Preliminary investigation showed the fire was caused by electrical charging of a power-assisted bicycle (PAB).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) was alerted to a fire at Blk 557 Bedok North Street 3 on Saturday (Apr 24) at about 10.25 am.

“The fire involved the contents of a bedroom in a seventh-floor unit and the corridor outside the unit”, said the SCDF in a Facebook post.

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Civil Defence Force

Firefighters from Changi Fire Station used a compressed air foam backpack and a hose reel to extinguish the fire.

SCDF crew also rescued two persons from the affected unit, who were trapped on a ledge outside the kitchen.

“They were seen holding on to the metal bars used for hanging clothes.”

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Civil Defence Force

“They were quickly brought in to safety through the kitchen window,” said SCDF.

They were taken to Singapore General Hospital for smoke inhalation. Meanwhile, about 45 residents from the affected block were evacuated by the police as a precautionary measure.

“Preliminary investigation into the cause of the fire indicates that it was of electrical origin from a PAB that was charging at the time of the fire,” said SCDF.

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Civil Defence Force

“SCDF would like to remind the public on the prevention of PAB fires with the following safety tips in the accompanying infographic.”

Photo: FB screengrab/Singapore Civil Defence Force

In an update, SCDF noted that several members of the public attempted to put out the fire with the hose reel before their arrival.

“Their quick-thinking act prevented the fire from escalating.”

SCDF will be in touch with the individuals to commend them on their public-spiritedness./TISG

Read related: Upper Serangoon condo residents losing sleep over 4 fridge-related fires in 2 months 

Upper Serangoon condo residents losing sleep over 4 fridge-related fires in 2 months 

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