SINGAPORE: ASEAN and the Commonwealth have much in common, and there is much that both can do together, in order to create a better world “for ourselves and future generations”, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

In an article written for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Report, Mr Lee said that both ASEAN and the Commonwealth share core values such as tolerance, respect and understanding. 

The report accompanies the biennial meeting, which will see leaders of 53 countries gather for a week-long summit in London to discuss global and regional issues of concern. This year’s CHOGM will be held from Monday (Apr 16) to Friday (Apr 20), and is themed “Towards a Common Future”.

“Both organisations seek to uplift the lives of their citizens through promoting good governance and sustainable practices,” wrote Mr Lee. “Both uphold an open, rules-based multilateral system which allows every country to prosper.”

Mr Lee noted that as ASEAN chair this year, Singapore is working with its ASEAN colleagues and external partners on multiple initiatives under its Chairmanship themes of “resilience” and “innovation”.

This includes projects to strengthen collective resilience against common threats like terrorism, cybercrime and climate change, as well as schemes to help ASEAN economies innovate and use technology to make ASEAN a vibrant and sustainable place to live and work.

“These aspirations are in line with CHOGM 2018’s themes of security, prosperity, fairness and sustainability,” he said.

In the article, Mr Lee wrote that Singapore has benefited from the Commonwealth community, and is happy that it can now pay it forward, and share its developmental experiences “to create a common future that is prosperous, secure, fair and sustainable.”

Singapore, he said, had joined the Commonwealth just a few months after gaining independence. “The odds were against our survival, but we pulled through,” he said. “We were deeply grateful to the friends who came to our help in times of need, many of whom were in the Commonwealth.”

Singapore is sharing its sustainable development approaches and expertise with the Commonwealth countries through technical assistance programmes, he added. Over the years, Singapore has conducted capacity building courses for many Commonwealth officials in areas like disaster management, enhancing infrastructure for national development and public sector management.

“We hope this sharing of experiences and exchange of ideas will continue to benefit future generations in the Commonwealth,” he said.

Mr Lee also wrote that Singapore will continue to do its part to contribute towards a common future of a resilient, innovative and sustainable Commonwealth. “I look forward to participating in the Commonwealth summit in London under the UK’s Chairmanship,” he said.

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SINGAPORE: He may be in town for proper Avengers business, but Benedict Cumberbatch sure found time to do a little exploring.

Check out this little clip from our exclusive sit-down interview with the actor, where he tells CNA Lifestyle about cramming in a little art and culture.

He also mentions how he got a chance to try some local food, “as much as a vegan can”.

We Googled “Singapore local hawker food vegan” and felt a little bad for the man who plays Doctor Strange. “Thunder tea rice” sounds like something that’s more up Thor’s alley.

Watch out for our full Avengers: Infinity War interviews, coming real soon.

Avengers: Infinity War opens in Singapore on Apr 25.

SINGAPORE: In a wide-ranging speech in Malaysia on Monday (Apr 16), Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to “step up” to the challenges in the region.

“It is to our intimate interest to do so,” Dr Ng said in his speech, which addressed political trends and security concerns in Asia, at the 5th Putrajaya Forum.

The minister said political trends that are gaining strength across the globe will have an impact on Asia in the next decade at the economic and strategic levels.

Highlighting the United States’ trade policies, he said: “The global commons of trade and finance lack champions, and indeed even the US, that spearheaded many of the previous initiatives for common markets and rules is now pursuing an ‘America First’ policy.

“It is likely that other countries will follow suit, to gain greater benefits for their own local economies.”

Underscoring the impact of the US-China rivalry on Asia, Dr Ng said other major powers like Japan, India and some in Europe will also want to assert their influence in this region.

“That jostling for pole positions may impact small countries like Singapore and Malaysia that will be put into the uncomfortable position to choose sides.”

He said existing fora, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), require more time to address the “structural weakness” in the regional security architecture.

“The ADMM-Plus in particular is the most important defence and security platform for this region and we must redouble efforts to build its resilience and enhance its relevance,” Dr Ng added.

Dr Ng also highlighted the need for continued security cooperation among ASEAN countries in order to ensure the region’s stability and progress amid increasing dangers in Asia, such as terrorism and the instability on the Korean Peninsula.

Citing Singapore’s efforts to tackle the security challenges as 2018 Chair of the ADMM, Dr Ng outlined three focus areas: Enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation through leveraging militaries’ niche capabilities, strengthening regional capability against chemical, biological, and radiological threats and establishing practical confidence building measures and code for unplanned encounters at sea and in the air.

Dr Ng said the strategies have received unanimous support from ASEAN defence ministers and reiterated the need for members to work together to “avoid the perils” in order to enjoy stability and progress.

SINGAPORE: An elderly e-scooter rider was taken to hospital after an accident along Yishun Avenue 9 on Monday morning (Apr 16). 

Photos sent to Channel NewsAsia show an e-scooter trapped under SBS Transit bus 811 and paramedics attending to an injured person.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it responded to the incident at about 11.30am and the man was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, which had been on standby to receive him.

In response to Channel NewsAsia’s queries, SBS Transit’s senior vice-president of corporate communications Tammy Tan said: “We are very sorry that this has happened and our immediate priority is the well-being of the injured e-scooter rider. 

“Our team is now at the hospital with his family to render assistance as best we can. Meanwhile, we are assisting the police in their investigations.”

SINGAPORE: An elderly man was taken to hospital after he was involved in an accident along Yishun Avenue 9 on Monday (Apr 16). 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it responded to the incident at about 11.30am and the man was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, which had been on standby to receive him.

Photos sent to Channel NewsAsia showed what appeared to be an e-bike trapped under SBS Transit bus 811 and paramedics attending to the injured nearby. 

SINGAPORE: Robert Downey Jr, who was in Singapore to plug the new Avengers: Infinity War movie, helped swear in 37 young “honorary Avengers” on Sunday (Apr 15).

The children, all of whom are battling critical illnesses, are beneficiaries of the Make-A-Wish Singapore foundation. 

The organisation gave them plenty to Marvel about that morning – they got to experience the “Avengers Academy” at Marina Bay Sands, where they were given tactical weapons and challenged to complete five different missions with their mental and physical might.

As a reward for showing their mettle, the children met none other than Iron Man himself, fresh off a press conference for the latest Avengers movie. 

The actor, who described the swearing-in as the highlight of any press tour, led the group in reciting the Avengers oath. “You’re all Avengers now, so you’re going to have to help me,” he said, thanking them. 

His appearance thrilled 12-year-old Sage Tan, who has maple syrup urine disease – a condition which saw him go through two liver transplants before the age of four. 

“I felt happy because this is the first time meeting Tony Stark (Downey’s character in Iron Man/Avengers films),” said Sage. “He is my favourite Avenger. I’m very happy to help him on his mission.”

Alex Sivarajan, 16, a former beneficiary who has been chipping in as a volunteer, said Make-A-Wish helped give him confidence as he recovered from cancer. 

“I want to feel the same satisfaction of helping someone. So today, seeing the kids smiling and being really happy – it made me feel really good and really proud of myself for helping other people,” he said. 

This special treat came ahead of World Wish Day, which falls on Apr 29. This year will be the 38th since the first wish that inspired the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

Said Dr Keith Goh, board chairman of Make-A-Wish Singapore: “Iron Man actually has a heart problem. When he overcame that illness and designed the suit of armour, he became a strong man, he became a hero.”

“This is what Make-A-Wish and World Wish Day is all about,” Dr Goh added. “Today is all about the wish experience, the anticipation, the excitement, the happiness, the inspiration. On this note we want to remind everyone that there is an impact for wishes.

“There is a hero in all of us and we need to tell the world about being heroes to all the other kids out there.”

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SINGAPORE: “Logistically, without question, I think, the most complicated movie in history to put together”.

That is what director Joe Russo unequivocally thinks about his film Avengers: Infinity War.

“I think we shut down Hollywood for a year because we had every actor working in the business scheduled somewhere in the movie,” he said at the Asian press conference for the film.

Three of the film’s stars – Robert Downey Jr, Benedict Cumberbatch and Karen Gillan – as well as producer Trinh Tran were also in attendance at Marina Bay Sands.

Infinity war – the third Avengers movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary – brings together all the characters the audience has been introduced to since the first Iron Man movie.

That list of reportedly 80 characters includes Downey Jr’s Iron Man, Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Gillan’s Nebula, as well as Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Black Panther, Vision, Spider-man, Star-Lord, Groot…

Wait, a minute – has anyone seen Hawkeye?

WHERE’S RENNER?

Jeremy Renner, the actor behind the super-archer, has been noticeably missing from the posters and trailers of what is most definitely going to be one of the biggest superhero movies ever.

“It’s crazy! There are so many characters we’re dealing with, and we were literally halfway through when Robert said: ‘Hey, where’s Renner?’” said Russo, joking. “And I went ‘Oh my god!’”

“He’s Macaulay Culkin!” quipped Downey Jr.

To put to rest online grumbling from fans that Hawkeye might have inevitably been left “home alone”, Russo reminded us that there are two movies being made: Avengers 3 (Infinity War) and Avengers 4.

“Look, we did not forget the twice-Oscar-nominated Jeremy Renner from Infinity War!” he said, laughing. “There is a lot of story real estate…. I think last week we released 22 character posters! There are only so many people you can put in one film, and we have a really interesting story clipped out for Hawkeye. All I can say is that patience is a virtue – and it’s a long play not a short play.”

“We did not forget Hawk eye!”

UPPING THE ANTE

Expectations are high for Infinity War, with the previous two official Avengers instalments doing massive business and earning mostly critical praise. Still, Downey Jr – brimming with his trademark effortless charm and humour – said fans will not be disappointed.

“We might be making the movies, but we are also fans and critics of our own work. And always want to try and make it better,” said the 53-year-old actor. “I think this time we might have nailed it!”

Downey Jr continued: “Without giving anything away, I think the challenge this time was how do you top, or better, or expand something without repeating something that has already been executed so well before?”

“I call it the anti-process,” he said, laughing. “Usually, if something works well, you’re just going to keep doing that. But not here!”

Downey Jr’s Iron Man was the first film to kick off the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, back in 2008. And even though the release of these Marvel movies is considered a sure-thing at the box office today, it wasn’t the case 10 years ago.

“It was a time for DC!” said Downey Jr, referring to films featuring DC characters like Batman and Superman. “Even from my perspective, it was like, we’ll do ours and give them some counter-programming for the DC movies which were supposedly the cool ones, you know?”

Looking back, he said he doesn’t consider signing on for the project to be so much of a risk as it was a gift.

“I needed a job, bad!” he quipped.

“It’s always weird to be part of anything even mildly historical because you lose perspective on it,” continued Downey Jr. “But it has been amazing to just get caught up in it.”

Avengers: Infinity War opens in Singapore on Apr 25.

SINGAPORE: It was a Math Olympiad puzzle for 14-year-olds here that went viral in 2015: The question about “Cheryl’s birthday”, which stumped grown-ups and made headlines round the world. 

Aarushi Maheshwari solved it at the age of nine.

“I got really excited because it was a perfect mix of logic and maths,” said Aarushi, now 11.

That flush of excitement over such problems, however, comes only occasionally to her – the downside of being a maths marvel. She added matter-of-factly: “In maths, I find myself often bored.”

This, noted her mother Sulata, is “always a challenge” to deal with, for any school.

When Aarushi was two and a half years old, she could “fluently” go through Oxford Reading Tree books for four- to five-year-olds, Mrs Maheshwari told the programme On The Red Dot in its series on Wonder Kids. (Watch the episode here.)

At four or five, Aarushi started showing interest in maths, testing two grades higher than children her age in preschool. Since then, she has been on a constant search for one challenge after another.

It’s like I’m an explorer in a dark house. I’m slowly illuminating the candles, and everything is slowly coming to light.

“There are endless rooms in this house, and I can just keep on going and figuring out tons of new things. And I can never stop,” she said.

The child in her said: “When I found out that I was a lot better than other kids my age, I was partly surprised and partly feeling, ‘Oh, this is pretty cool.’”

She is not stopping at maths either. At the age of seven, she became a chess champion. And she is now testing herself by playing blindfold chess.

A GOLD MEDALLIST AT 8

While her mother “didn’t think too much” of her early reading ability, thinking instead that it was “normal”, the family took notice of her academic giftedness after she was drawn to maths.

Her father Shyam said: “She started commenting on topics which were much higher-level than what she should have been able to comprehend.”

Her older brother Arunav, who at 13 is also gifted in mathematics and logic, recognised that she was able to “grasp concepts” quickly. “She started contributing to conversations, listening and giving new ideas and insights,” he said.

Her parents did not want her to skip grades, however. Said Mrs Maheshwari: “We wanted her to have a normal childhood with children her age.”

So to push her limits, Aarushi decided herself to “take up the challenge of the Math Olympiad”. The Singapore and Asian Schools Math Olympiad is one of Asia’s largest maths contests, with more than 20,000 participants from 19 countries.

It was in this competition that she came across the puzzle about when “Cheryl’s birthday” was. In 2015, she won an Olympiad gold award and was ranked second in Singapore among her peers.

When she was 10 years old, she took the American Mathematics Contest for grade eight students (13-year-olds).

Her parents are happy to see her holding her own in such events, though her mother stressed that gold medals and trophies are far from their minds when it comes to their children.

Mrs Maheshwari said: “Our primary objective was: Will they receive more of a challenge, and how do they think they can fare in a competition that is beyond their own school?”

Aarushi can also count on her brother to set her challenges.

Take, for example, the question of how to traverse all the bridges connecting Marina East, the Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay and the National Stadium, crossing each bridge only once, with the same starting and ending point.

This is like the Konigsberg bridge problem, which is usually taught at university and which mathematician Leonhard Euler resolved in 1736, laying the foundation for graph theory.

“The fact that my sister was able to solve a problem very similar to this one is quite incredible,” said Arunav.

SIBLING ACT, INDIVIDUAL IDENTITIES

Both siblings show and profess an admiration for each other, while also stressing their individual identity. Said Arunav: “Certainly we’re wired differently, in terms of thinking about things around us and how we think about them in numbers.”

For her part, Aarushi is inspired by “the way he thinks”, and usually joins his chess training sessions, especially close to competitions, to develop her play. But she does not like to compare herself to him, she said.

I just want to be the best mathematician and the best chess player that I can be.

Having two gifted children, their father said the challenge was “to keep them motivated” despite the limitations on their parental ability to help.

Nonetheless, the couple are no slouches themselves. Mrs Maheshwari said: “My husband and I graduated from one of the top schools in India, the Indian Institute of Management. Probably that says there’s some genetic influence on what their outcomes are.”

Still, both parents agree on the importance of nurture, if their children are to achieve their full potential.

Said Mr Maheshwari: “Without encouragement, they won’t realise what they’re good at. For children, the gift will take them only this far, unless they have that ability to work hard and on a continual basis.”

So, for example, knowing that his children are impressed by the way World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen can play chess blindfolded, he challenged them to do the same.

In blindfold chess, players cannot see or touch the pieces, forcing them to keep a mental image of their positions – the kind of challenge Aarushi likes. She said: “Because I’ve to remember where the pieces are, it stretches my mind.”

Four years ago, she was already a champion when she won the Hong Kong Inter-School Team Chess Championship in the seven-to-eight age category for girls.

A year later, at the annual National Day Celebrations Chess Challenge of the Chess Academy (Singapore), she was the overall champion among boys and girls.

She compares chess to a “mathematical poem”: “The pieces resemble shapes, and they show their beauty through the geometry of the chessboard and the logic of the rules of play.”

CHERYL’S BIRTHDAY PROBLEM PART 2

In February, she took part in the Hong Bao Rapid Chess Tournament, and the lead-up to that competition showcased two sides of her: A player striving to get better and better – and the child who wants to break free sometimes.

The day before was her birthday, which she spent with family and friends. “The mind wanted me to move on to chess, but the heart wanted me to have fun and just relax for a bit,” she said.

“I felt a tiny bit guilty in the back of my mind, like did I practise enough?”

At the tournament, Aarushi won third place in her category, for which she was “grateful” and “surprised”. “But I think that I definitely could’ve done better,” she said. 

And it showed as she tried to muster a smile during the award ceremony, and afterwards.

While peer pressure does not affect her daughter, said Mrs Maheshwari, the girl does “set standards for herself” and tries to meet them. Aarushi also shared: “

Sometimes it’s a bit annoying, where everyone’s like, ‘Oh, how come Aarushi didn’t get this?’ As if they’re expecting something of me, and I’ve to live up to that reputation.

As she was feeling downcast after the chess competition, her mother got her to meet mathematics educator Joseph Yeo, who helps to set the Math Olympiad questions and who has been Aarushi’s hero since the puzzle about “Cheryl’s birthday”.

This time, he challenged her to solve part two of the problem: Finding out Cheryl’s age. She said: “The problem had a tremendous amount of logic and a modest amount of mathematics for 16-year-olds.”

And when he praised her for solving this, she replied softly, “thank you”, with a slightly shy smile. His message to her – follow her passion for maths – is one she takes to heart.

Citing the pioneering Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, who died last year, Aarushi said: “Maths is like that eureka moment when you solve a problem; it’s like when you climb a hill and have a clear view of everything.

“But the hike you took to get there is the most important part. There are many obstacles on the way; there’s no path in sight, there’s no trail, no directions. You’re just free to go wherever you want … The possibilities are endless.”

On The Red Dot profiles four gifted children, exploring the sacrifices they and their families make and the challenge of pursuing their potential without losing their childhood. Watch the series here. 

Read about the 8-year-old computer prodigy who was moved to Melbourne and the 10-year-old gymnast sacrificing for her Olympic dream.

SINGAPORE: A 45-year-old taxi driver was arrested on Saturday (Apr 14) for causing death by negligent act, said police. 

Authorities told Channel NewsAsia on Sunday that they were alerted to an accident involving a taxi and a pedestrian along Boon Keng Road towards Towner Road at about 9.30pm. 

The pedestrian, a 53-year-old man, was found lying motionless and pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene. 

Police investigations are ongoing.