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Christy Chung, 50, slams those who say she should not have a child at her age

Lydia Koh
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Christy Chung, 50, slams those who say she should not have a child at her age

Celebrity Christy Chung, 50, really wants to have children with her 38-year-old husband of four years, Chinese actor Shawn Zhang.

She has tried everything from IVF to TCM and also divine intervention. The couple has everything they want, except for a child. Chung has three daughters from two previous relationships and she has been very open about her dream of giving Zhang’s parents their first grandchild. Zhang is their only son.

She has mentioned it so often that netizens called her “a slave to her womb”.

Christy Chung hopes to have a baby with husband Shawn Zhang

Christy shared about her stance on the topic in a recent interview.

“Some people have accused my husband of forcing me to have kids,” she said. “I don’t understand how netizens came to this conclusion, and it’s honestly very scary. Why haven’t they thought of the possibility that I like children? I have three of my own.”

She continued: “Some people have said that I’m unrealistic for wanting to have a child at my age (…) When you love someone, you want to create a person that shares the same blood as the two of you. A woman’s freedom to have children shouldn’t be controlled by anyone but herself.”

She added: “I still have many more years left in me. We as a society should also start accepting the possibility that women (can have children) at a later age.”

Chung’s post has been met with mixed reactions. Some netizens are supportive of her dream and have shared success stories about getting pregnant in their 50s. However, there are also those who point out that there are known risks of having children at a later age.

“I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s been medically proven that the chances of having a miscarriage or a stillborn baby are much higher as you age,” one netizen said. “I can’t imagine how devastated she would be if it ended up like that after she’s been trying for four years.”

Chung’s three daughters from previous relationships are 22-year-old Yasmine Ross, who is her daughter from her marriage to businessman Glen Ross. She also shares Jaden, 12, and Cayla, 10, with her second husband, music producer Jon Yen. /TISG

Goh Chok Tong: Those who enjoy casting online stones could take a leaf from Pritam Singh

Obbana Rajah
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Goh Chok Tong: Those who enjoy casting online stones could take a leaf from Pritam Singh

Singapore — Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has recently had kidney stone issues, requiring him to be admitted to hospital on two occasions.

Mr Goh usually posts about such issues and often receives best wishes and many messages for a speedy recovery. One recent message from a netizen who said he was happy Mr Goh had a kidney stone, however, has prompted him to compare it with the warm wishes from Workers’ Party leader Pritam Singh.

Mr Goh said: “Perhaps those who enjoy casting online stones at others could take a leaf from Pritam Singh.”

In a Facebook post on Sunday (Dec 6), Mr Goh said that he never wishes ill winds on others, “not like someone who posted on my Facebook page that he was happy that I had the kidney stone and not him, ending his comment with ‘Touch Wood’ ”.

On that note, Mr Goh praised Mr Singh for sending him a message on Instagram that wished him well.

Mr Singh had sent this message: “Dear ESM Goh Sir – Good to see you back on your feet! Take care and may the smooth recovery continue. Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes to you and your loved ones.”

Mr Goh said that he had replied: “Thanks, Pritam. I am fine and will be back to normal physical activities early next week. Hope to catch up with you one day. Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes to you too.”

Mr Goh added in his post: “We are on opposing sides in politics but we do not throw stones at one another. We are on the same side for Singapore”.

The 79-year-old shared that, over the years, he has had numerous medical fixes to many parts of his body and several vital organs. He added that he was saved from an asthmatic attack and a near-total blockage of two arteries in the nick of time.

“That is why I am cheerful and look at the bright side of life. Medical problems are inevitable. Some have more, some have less. It is the luck of the draw. But our attitude in response to these health issues makes all the difference,” he said.

Mr Goh was in hospital again over the weekend so doctors could deal with a new issue involving his vocal cords. /TISG

Why Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt did not work out

Lydia Koh
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0
Why Gwyneth Paltrow and Brad Pitt did not work out

Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie were known for being part of Brad Pitt’s romantic life. Recently, Pitt and Aniston sent the internet ablaze with their heartfelt reunion at the SAG Awards and also during their star-studded table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. 

Meanwhile when it comes to Pitt and Jolie, they have been on the cover of magazines since their Mr. and Mrs. Smith days up until their more recent divorce and custody battle. Pitt has also dated other A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow.

The couple dated from 1994 to 1997. Pitt and Paltrow’s relationship started on the set of 1995’s Se7en. E Online reported that the actor thanked Paltrow and called her his “angel” and the “love of [his] life” after winning the Golden Globe for 12 Monkeys. The actor then proposed and the pair were engaged briefly before they split up. Since then, Paltrow has explained the reasons that led to their split, placing most of the blame on herself.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Paltrow opened up about her relationship with Pitt during an interview with Howard Stern. She shared about falling in love with Pitt but that love is not enough.

She stated, “I definitely fell in love with him. He was so gorgeous and sweet. I mean he was Brad Pitt.”

When asked to explain how she figured out it wasn’t meant to be, how “you find you’re not right for each other,” she replied:

“I was such a kid. I was 22 when we met. And, it’s taken me until like 40 to get my head out of my ass. I wasn’t ready, and you know, he was too good for me.”

Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow were engaged for a short while. Picture: YouTube

The duo had a decent age difference, with Pitt being eight years older than Paltrow. Eight years means people are in different life stages when it comes to people in their 20s and 30s. Paltrow said that she had to work some stuff out on a personal level before settling down. Her father was also devastated when his daughter broke up with Pitt.

“My father was so devastated when we broke up. My father loved him like a son,” said Paltrow.

After Pitt, Paltrow dated Ben Affleck. In 2003, she married Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin and they remained married until 2016.  Today, Paltrow is married to Brad Falchuk — a director, writer, and producer who co-created Glee, Pose, and American Horror Story with Ryan Murphy.

 

Nas Daily’s ‘Government is good’ tweet goes viral

Anna Maria Romero
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Nas Daily’s ‘Government is good’ tweet goes viral

Singapore—A tweet from popular Palestinian-Israeli video blogger Nuseir Yassin, wherein he declared that “Government is good,” not only once but twice, has been getting a lot of attention online.

Many people commented on his apparent naïveté and lack of nuance in his tweet, and others asked him to stop meddling in other countries’ affairs.

On Dec 4, the Singapore-based Palestinian-Israeli vlogger tweeted this:

The tweet went viral, being quoted and retweeted almost 7,000 times.

But it did not go over well with many netizens, who felt that his perspective on government was overly simplistic, and who poked holes in the points he made in the tweet.

One netizen took exception at the point he made concerning ‘smart’ versus ‘average.’

Some answered Nas point for point:

Some netizens said they once admired Nas, but are now disillusioned.

Netizens from different countries weighed in, but many of the critics of Nas’ tweet seemed to come from the Philippines, who were not very happy with the interview on his podcast with former world boxing champion turned senator Manny Pacquiao, which came out on the same day, and where he and Mr Pacquiao discussed Philippine politics.

The former boxer was recently said to be mulling over making a bid for the presidency of the Philippines in the 2022 elections.

Mr Pacquiao, an avowedly religious man, has defended the death penalty and made his anti-LGBTQ stance clear, which many have found to be worrisome.

One netizen called Nas out for the lack of nuance in his tweet, to which the vlogger replied, “If you’re looking for nuance, get off twitter!”

Nas also told the netizen that he’s a firm believer in meritocracy, which other netizens found ironic.

At least one netizen asked Naz to “stop meddling in other countries.”

Phoemela Bumarda, @futaccaph wrote, “Stop meddling in other countries politics  @nasdaily. better continue your travel vlogs and hands off our country. You are doing more harm than any good. Your privileged positive vibes mindsent wont save us from our government that kills and steals from its own people.”

—/TISG

Read also: Realizing that “Education is broken!!!!” Nas Daily starts Nas Academy

Realizing that “Education is broken!!!!” Nas Daily starts Nas Academy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indranee Rajah uses her singing talents to raise funds for students with disabilities

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Indranee Rajah uses her singing talents to raise funds for students with disabilities

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah turned to playback singing to raise funds for students with disabilities, as part of the Singapore Association of Women Lawyers (SAWL) Scholarship Fund’s effort to help these students continue schooling.

SAWL assists students with disabilities meet their educational needs by paying for their school fees, transport, books and such. It aims to bring these students a step closer to achieving their dreams and aspirations.

Those who benefited from the SAWL Scholarship Fund last year include students with down syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness and deafness. This year, SAWL saw a 90 per cent increase in the number of applications it received for its Scholarship Fund this year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of its 2020 fundraiser, SAWL roped in a number of prominent friends to participate in a music video. Ruling party polician Indranee Rajah, who is the patron of SAWL, was among those who lent their voices to the project. She also appeared in a music video SAWL produced to raise funds.

Ms Indranee joined prominent personalities like leading Singapore vocalist Rani Singam and activist Lee Ci En and crooned a rendition of Charlie Lim’s “Room at the Table” which was chosen to promote greater graciousness and inclusivity in society.

In a Facebook post published on Wednesday (2 Dec), Ms Indranee shared the music video and said that she was “happy to have been involved in supporting this meaningful event” by SAWL. She also encouraged her followers to support the cause.

Watch SAWL’s “Room at the Table” music video HERE. Donations to the SAWL Scholarship Fund can be made HERE.

Interestingly, Ms Indranee is not the first cabinet minister to have raised funds through her singing talents. Last December, Minister Ong Ye Kung raised a hefty S$100,000 for an elderly care facility in his Sembawang GRC ward by singing three songs at a charity lunch.

Education Minister raises $100,000 for charity through his singing talents

Pounds dives on report Johnson to abandon Brexit talks

The Independent
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Pounds dives on report Johnson to abandon Brexit talks

The pound tumbled more than one percent against the dollar Monday, as Britain’s Sun newspaper said Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to abandon post-Brexit trade talks with the European Union.

The Sun reported on its website that “Johnson is ready to pull out of talks ‘within hours’ over EU demands”.

Sterling slumped 1.2 percent against the dollar and was down 1.0 percent versus the euro.

And after gaining slightly at the open, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 stocks index was down 0.2 percent.

Losses across the eurozone were sharper, with Frankfurt’s DAX 30 index sliding 0.7 percent and the Paris CAC 40 slumping 1.0 percent.

“Sterling-risks to Brexit no-deal endgames were exposed this morning as the chatter was less optimistic than many of us thought it would be,” said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst for Markets.com.

Negotiations remained blocked over fishing rights, rules for fair trade and an enforcement mechanism, European diplomats said.

But talks will continue despite the tight timetable for the European Parliament to ratify an accord before the UK leaves the single market on December 31, with one source stressing that “substance will take precedence over the calendar”.

© Agence France-Presse

Umno killing itself if it seeks DAP’s help to form Perak state government

The Independent
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0
Umno killing itself if it seeks DAP’s help to form Perak state government

COMMENTARY, Dec. 6 — Perak Umno seems to have stepped into political quicksand as a result of the recent “mutiny” and this blunder will have a far-reaching negative impact.

What seems to be a simple move to just “kick out” Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) MentriBesar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and replace him with whoever Umno chooses has now become complicated.

A new state government needs to be formed instead of just replacing a mentri besar. It looks like Umno had probably not thought of this when it first mooted the confidence vote which, of course, is another way of putting a no-confidence vote in motion.

Now that Faizal has accepted his fate and the Perikatan Nasional (PN) state government has collapsed, Umno which does not have enough numbers to form a state government has to change the political equation that will see it working with “enemies” to form a new state government.

The Umno Menteri Besar candidate Datuk Shaarani Mohamad is left with no option but to accept DAP, PKR and Amanah as allies. These are parties which Umno grassroots members have rejected all along.

And this will be the biggest blunder if Umno were to carry out this plan just to form a state government. It may seethe party being shunned by rural Malays and lead to a downfall worse than the 2018 general election.

Umno seems to have lost its original direction in the move to remove Faizal who is, despite being Bersatu deputy president, just a small player at the national level and in Bersatu and PAS political equation.

Now Umno has made Bersatu and PAS its enemy which will cost its chances of returning to power together with the two Malay-based parties, which is the new political equation under Perikatan Nasional (PN) for the next general election.

The success of removing Faizal strained its relationship with PAS in the one-year-old Muafakat Nasional (MN).

With the Gerik by-election next month, the party may not have the support of Bersatu and probably PAS if Umno leaders do not make amends as fast as possible.

Although the party may win the by-election, its majority of some nearly 6,000 votes may see a drastic reduction if the other two Malay parties do not support Umno in the campaign.

Umno’s move to associate itself with DAP, if it happens, will prop up Bersatu as the sole champion of the Malays and the latter’s objective to replace Umno will become a reality without much effort as Umno has “killed” itself.

For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at [email protected]

Copyright 2017 Malay Mail Online

Warning for Causeway Point Food Republic stall owner after diner bites into baby cockroach in rice

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Warning for Causeway Point Food Republic stall owner after diner bites into baby cockroach in rice

Food Republic has issued a strict warning to the You Men Hong Kong Roast stall at its Causeway Point branch after a diner bit into a cockroach that was in the Soya Sauce Chicken Rice dish she ordered from the stall.

The diner told Stomp that she made a takeaway order from the stall around 1pm, last Thursday (26 Nov). She recounted: “As I was on my second bite, I noticed this weird texture in my mouth that felt like cabbage.

“As I’ve eaten from them before, I know that they don’t add cabbage in their chicken rice. I decided to take a look and to my horror, it was a baby cockroach. I had chewed on a baby cockroach.

“I went back to the stall and showed them the evidence. The old uncle took a closer inspection and proceeded to wash the spoon of cockroach down near the pot where they boil noodles.”

The diner said that she was not offered an apology and that she had to request for a refund. Upset, the diner emailed Food Republic and informed the food court chain about the incident.

Revealing that the chain immediately contacted the customer and checked on her wellbeing, a Food Republic spokesman said that it has stepped up hygiene and safety operations at the food court aside from issuing a warning to the stall.

The spokesman said: “Thorough disinfection and sanitisation of this, and all other stalls, have been carried out. Ongoing pest control efforts have also been stepped up. We have also issued a strict warning to the stall owner and staff, and strongly reiterated the importance of food safety and hygiene to all tenants and staff.”

He added: “We will continue to work closely with our tenants to ensure we meet the exacting food safety and hygiene standards that have been set in place, to continue to allow our customers to dine with a peace of mind.”

PSP’s Tan Cheng Bock invites youth to TikTok dance challenge

Anna Maria Romero
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0
PSP’s Tan Cheng Bock invites youth to TikTok dance challenge

Singapore—On Sunday (Dec 6) Progress Singapore Party (PSP) head Dr Tan Cheng Bock invited the young people of Singapore to do a dance challenge via the party’s TikTok.

“Do the dance duet with me,” Dr Tan said.

PSP launched its TikTok channel last Tuesday (Dec 1), with a video of Dr Tan dancing to a sample of Laxed – Siren Beat, a popular song by Jawsh 68 that millions of TikTokers all over the world have danced to.

On Sunday, Dr Tan said in a clip posted to PSP’s Instagram and TikTok pages, “Hi, my young friends. We have launched the PSP TikTok. I did a dance challenge, if you remember. Please follow the PSP’s TikTok. Do the dance duet with me.”

@progresssingaporeparty

#hypebeastahgong #fyp #foryoupage #tiktoksg

♬ original sound – Progress Singapore Party – Progress Singapore Party

PSP has uploaded a dozen clips so far on its TikTok channel, but by far, the most popular one has been Dr Tan’s invitation to the youth to do the dance challenge with him, getting over 120,000 views in one day.

On Instagram, it has been viewed over 9,000 times. In a caption to the clip, he explained the purpose behind the challenge.

“I did a TikTok dance challenge to launch our campaign for Christmas fundraising on 20th December. My young friends told me that they have just started a duet challenge. I would love to see how creative you get. Join me in this challenge and remember to tag me and @progresssingaporeparty in it!”

At the age of 80, Dr Tan has found himself becoming an Internet sensation of sorts, with nearly 75,000 Instagram followers and a podcast quickly gaining a large following as well.

In July, right after the General Election, when he uploaded a cover of Glen Campbell’s Try A little kindness, at the request of a follower, the IGTV video was viewed almost 60,000 times.

PSP announced its upcoming fundraising concert last week. Those who would like to see Dr Tan Cheng Bock sing and dance will have the opportunity to do so at a virtual concert on Sunday, Dec 20.

Joining him will be Francis Yuen, the party’s Assistant Secretary-General, and others. PSP says that Dr Tan and Mr Yuen “are putting on their dancing shoes and strumming their guitars with their soulful beats”.

The event’s aim is twofold — to raise funds and to engage the youth.

The event will be broadcast live on Facebook at 7.30 pm on Dec 20. Dr Tan said about the event: “We need to invest in our youth – they are the future of this country and it is good to engage them in the various digital platforms well ahead of the next General Election. My team has put together an interesting line-up of songs for the 20th of December. We will also be raising funds for our party operations for 2021.”

The concert’s event page on Facebook states that people will have the opportunity to choose two songs from among the five pre-selected by Dr Tan. The “winning” songs will be performed at the concert. Voting can be done via PayNow at a minimum of S$10 per vote.

The concert, which was planned over the last three months, includes an array of talents of all ages from the PSP.

Facebook screengrab: Progress Singapore Party

-/TISG

Read also: PSP fundraiser: Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Francis Yuen to perform in virtual concert

PSP fundraiser: Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Francis Yuen to perform in virtual concert

 

Hong Kong police make national security arrests over campus protest

AFP
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Hong Kong police make national security arrests over campus protest

Hong Kong police arrested three people on Monday for chanting banned slogans at a university campus last month, accusing them of violating a draconian national security law imposed by China.

The arrests illustrate how Beijing’s new law has created a host of new speech crimes as it moves to crush dissent in the international finance hub following months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests last year.

Li Kwai-wah, a senior officer in Hong Kong’s new national security unit, said the three had been arrested for unlawful assembly and “inciting secession”, a crime under the national security law.

“They were spotted waving flags and chanting slogans advocating Hong Kong’s independence,” he told reporters.

Five others were also arrested for unlawful assembly, added Li, who is among a group of senior Hong Kong and Chinese officials who have been sanctioned by the United States.

Beijing imposed its new security law in June, keeping its contents secret until the hour before its enactment.

It targets four crimes: subversion, secession, terrorism and colluding with foreign forces.

Beijing says the law was needed to restore stability.

Critics say its broad wording criminalises dissent and eviscerates the freedoms and autonomy Hong Kong was promised ahead of its return to China by Britain.

Protests have been largely stamped out in Hong Kong this year. Monday’s arrests were linked to a small unofficial graduation rally at the Chinese University of Hong Kong last month.

Masked students waved banners and chanted pro-democracy slogans, including “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of our times” and “Hong Kong independence, the only way out”.

Both chants were common during last year’s rallies, but they have been declared illegal under the new national security law, which can carry up to life in prison.

The students also sang “Glory to Hong Kong”, a protest song that authorities have also outlawed.

© Agence France-Presse

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