Monday, October 9, 2017 – 13:48
Import of instant hotpot products containing meat not approved by AVA
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Janet Hsieh,George Young can’t wait for overdue baby to come out and play
Janet Hsieh, George Young can't wait for overdue baby to come out and play
At 41 weeks along, she looks ready to pop anytime.
And Taiwanese host Janet Hsieh and her hubby George Young can’t wait to welcome their baby, who is past its due date of Oct 2.
So, the anxious parents are trying out natural ways of inducing birth such as bouncing on a yoga ball, eating spicy food, and dancing among other cheeky tips in a video clip they posted on Facebook.
Being heavily pregnant has not stopped the active mum-to-be from doing a host of other things either.
Just last month, Hsieh surprised commuters at the busy Taipei main station by joining 20 other expectant mums in a flash mob dance.
Challenging the notion that pregnant women can’t dance, they gyrated to the beat of a music track while showing off their baby bumps in midriff-baring shirts.
In a Facebook post, the 37-year-old wrote that staying active during pregnancy had helped her to prepare her body to “deal with discomforts like backaches, a sore waist, and morning sickness.”
Of course, this can only be done after getting the OK from the doctors, she said.
And like many first-time mums, Hsieh wrote that she had many doubts during her pregnancy, but that changed when she realised that “there’s a lot more that pregnant women can do than what they can’t do.”
To document the pregnancy, the couple came up with a series of fun challenges.
These included finding who has gained more weight (Young is still heavier, by the way) and how to properly wrap a baby carrier around the body, among others.
The daddy-in-training could also be seen brushing up on his baby swaddling skills in another video clip as the due date approached.
Of course, there was the ubiquitous nude photoshoot and an underwater maternity shoot to commemorate this very special phase in Janet’s life.
While the baby’s gender is yet to be revealed, the couple is already taking bets on when he or she will arrive.
Let’s hope Janet and George will get to meet their little one real soon.
Also read: Taiwanese travel host Janet Hsieh marries actor-host George Young
minlee@sph.com.sg
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 13:35
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Heavily pregnant Janet Hsieh surprises Taipei commuters with flash mob dance
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Nokia 3310 3G to go on sale in Singapore for S$99
SINGAPORE: The Nokia 3310 3G will be available in Singapore for S$99, HMD Global announced on Monday (Oct 9).
The Finnish manufacturer said in a media alert that the refreshed classic will be sold from Oct 14 in two of the four colours manufactured – charcoal and warm red – with a matte finish and silver keypads.
What the iconic Snake game looks like on the new Nokia 3310.
Customers can purchase the phone from 3Mobile, selected A-Mobile outlets, Challenger, Courts, Gain City, Handphoneshop, Harvey Norman, Mustafa and Sprint Cass, the company added.
The new Nokia 3310 retains its predecessor’s popular Snake game, an improved version of the retro user interface that allows customers to change icon colours and positions, an ergonomical design and more spacing between the buttons.
It also has a 2mp camera with LED flash, up to six hours of talk time and up to 27 days of standby time with a single SIM card.
Law sought for distracted walking in Philippines city
DAGUPAN CITY – Pedestrians looking at their smartphones or tablets while crossing a street, beware.
They would be fined if caught reading or sending messages if an ordinance proposed by a councilor here is adopted.
Councilor Maybelyn Rose Fernandez wants an “antidistracted walking ordinance” now that motorists have been barred from driving while using their mobile phones and other devices.
Fernandez said texting and reading messages while crossing the street could be as dangerous as using a telephone while driving.
When using mobile devices, “pedestrians take their eyes off their surroundings and are therefore less able to react, and would more likely ignore, traffic,” she said.
“While so much attention has been paid to distracted driving, distracted walking has not received the same effective intervention,” she noted.
A version of the proposal obtained by the Inquirer did not spell out any penalties, but Fernandez said it would exempt pedestrians listening to music or conversing through their mobile phones, “provided [they are] not looking down at the device while doing so.”
Her proposal would exempt “emergency responders viewing a cell phone while in the performance and scope of [their] official duties.”
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 11:07
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Chiang Mai's Maiiam wins the Oscar of museums
The Maiiam Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai has become the first Thai art museum to win the Best New Museum of Asia Pacific award at the prestigious Leading Cultural Destinations Awards, dubbed the “Oscars” for museums.
Announced by LCD Awards founder Florian Wupperfeld in London, the cutting-edge Maiiam pipped Shanghai’s Fosun Foundation by leading architect David Foster & Partners and Heatherwick Studio, as well as Nanjing’s Jiangsu Art Museum, designed by German architect studio KSP Jurgen Engel Architekten.
Judged by nine established cultural gurus from around the world, the prestigious awards honour the world’s most visionary art institutions and emerging cultural hotspots.
“We are so honoured and excited. The award is to be shared with the architects, contractors, curatorial teams, artists, members of the press and especially the people of Chiang Mai, who have welcomed us with open arms,” co-founder Eric Bunnag Booth told The Nation.
There were 16 categories in total, with nominations from around the world. London’s Design Museum was the overall winner of the “The Leading Culture Destination 2017” award.
Thailand’s Maiiam is a private museum founded by Eric Bunnag Booth of the Jim Thompson silk firm and his stepfather Jean Michel Beurdeley. The 3,000-square-metre museum showcases more than 600 works that they and Eric’s late mother Patsri Bunnag have amassed over the last 25 years.
It is located in the town of Baan Ton Pao, a 15-minute drive from the city centre. The dramatic architecture of the ultra-modern two-storey structure is an amazing story of transformation of an abandoned warehouse over the course of 18 months.
The firm all(zone), led by Rachaporn Choochuey, conceived the design, which includes a dazzling array of mirrored tiles on the exterior facade.
The mirror mosaic, found in a Lanna temple, adds to the museum’s modern appearance but also lends a traditional touch.
Other major award winners were:
- Museum Architecture of the Year: Lisbon’s Museum of Art, Architecture, and Technology
- Box office exhibition of the Year: Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at Hirshhorn Museum in Washington DC
The organisation also introduced the new Climate Smart Awards, which was given for climate control, to Manchester Museum in Manchester, England, while the award for Best Museum Late-Night Experience went to New York’s Rubin Museum of Art.
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 10:56
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[Seizing opportunities in cyber security]
In the course of his career, Mr Wahab Yusoff has seen cybersecurity grow from just an afterthought to becoming an imperative.
The 55-year-old vice-president and general manager (Southeast Asia) of Palo Alto Networks – who emphasises that “age is no barrier in this field” – started as an integrated circuit design engineer after graduating from the National University of Singapore in 1987 with a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering).
He spent the next dozen years at several technology companies in the United States before joining cybersecurity company McAfee. At McAfee, Mr Wahab predicted that cybersecurity would go through rapid growth in the late 2000s.
“I’ve spent the last decade in cybersecurity,” he said. “It wasn’t so sexy when I started, but due to the rapidly changing threat landscape and the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks, the potential is huge.”
VULNERABILITIES DESPITE ADVANCEMENTS
Mr Wahab (picture) joined Palo Alto Networks in 2015, having been won over by its approach, which he sums up as “prevention is better than cure”. Today, he is responsible for growing Palo Alto Networks’ business in ASEAN.
“I felt a great sense of responsibility and purpose to protect ASEAN, given the state of exposure and vulnerability it was in,” he said.
There are several reasons why cybersecurity remains a weakness for ASEAN countries, explained Mr Wahab. The first lies in the increasing sophistication and complexity of cybercrime, such as ransomware and advanced persistent threats. Secondly, there are greatly differing levels of cybersecurity across ASEAN countries.
“The third reason is the dearth of personnel available to address and mitigate cyber threats. The fourth – a major exacerbating factor – is digital transformation, such as e-payment and the ubiquity of mobile devices,” he said.
“Cybercriminals are always on the hunt to exploit vulnerabilities in a digitally connected ecosystem.”
THE NEED FOR TALENT
Like the rest of the world, Singapore suffers from a shortage of cybersecurity talent. Mr Wahab believes education is the key, even for those already working in the sector.
Said Mr Wahab: “Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professionals or anyone who has an interest in upskilling themselves in cybersecurity solutions and knowledge can take up courses such as the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). The cybersecurity and solutions field is a fast-moving one, and there is a need to continuously keep yourself updated on the latest cyber threats and solutions available. We need to adopt a prevention-based stance and be equipped with the skills to deal with the evolving cyber challenges out there before they even hit you.”
CAREER SHIFT INTO CYBERSECURITY
This is a sentiment Mr Umasuthan Rengasamy (picture) readily identifies with. The 31-year-old took a less-than-direct path to his position as a senior consultant in Deloitte Singapore’s Risk Advisory team.
The holder of Bachelors in Business and Commerce from Monash University discovered an interest in IT through an elective module. In 2014, he graduated from a post-graduate Diploma in Systems Analysis at the National University of Singapore.
Not yet satisfied with his learning, he graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic this year with a Specialist Diploma in Information Security, having received his Master of Business Administration from Murdoch University (Kaplan Singapore) the year before.
It was in his first full-time job in the IT operations department of a Japanese multi-national corporation that Mr Umasuthan found the missing piece of his career puzzle: Cybersecurity. His responsibilities required him to be knowledgeable of IT security concepts, and his former bosses played a key role in shaping his career at the time. In addition to offering career guidance, they shared their extensive knowledge of IT and network security.
ON THE SECURITY FRONTIER
Mr Umasuthan landed at Deloitte in July this year, drawn by the opportunity to make the switch to IT security through the latter’s Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) service line. He had learnt about Deloitte’s CTI service line while searching for a new job and knew he wanted to be a part of it.
Mr Umasuthan said: “CTI is a niche area in IT security and I believe it has great potential for growth in the near future. Many firms have a strong foothold in security operations and vulnerability assessments, but very few have strong competencies in CTI at present. Judging from the current trends shaping the IT security frontier, I believe that CTI would be a key area to build expertise in.”
Besides his specialist diploma, Mr Umasuthan has studied for and received his Certified Ethical Hacker and Certified Information Systems Auditor certifications.
He also enrolled in the six-month-long TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA)’s Cyber Security for Associates and Technologists Programme (CSAT). The CSAT, a joint initiative by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), collaborates with industrial partners like Deloitte to provide on-the-job training in specialist areas such as Threat Intelligence and Digital Forensics.
Mr Umasuthan found that the CSAT programme helped equip him with relevant skills for his role at Deloitte. Firstly, he got to work with the part of the team that researches and builds CTI frameworks, processes and procedures. This is a key role as it sets guidelines for the firm’s analysts to follow. This also helped him gain invaluable project management experience, better preparing him for his current role at the firm.
“I highly recommend the CSAT programme, especially to IT practitioners from other spaces in IT with knowledge of IT security concepts. They can use the CSAT to gain formal on-the-job training with participating firms and expand their knowledge and skills.”
A BOOST FOR TECH SKILLS
TeSA is a Skillsfuture initiative driven by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in partnership with strategic partners; Workforce Singapore (WSG) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) as well as in collaboration with industry partners and hiring employers.
It offers programmes to support current Infocomm Media (ICM) professionals and non-ICM professionals to upgrade and acquire new skills and domain knowledge that are in demand. It also helps them stay competitive and meet the challenges of a fast-moving digital landscape. For more information, visit imtalent.sg/tesa.
Created by Mediacorp Brand Studio Productions
Cop kills man who beheaded wife in Cebu
CEBU CITY – A police officer shot dead a man who had beheaded his common-law wife in Consolacion town, northern Cebu on Sunday morning.
Dominic Pahugot, 27, cut off the head of Lovely Jane Quinio at their home at Sitio Libo, Barangay Tayud past 7 a.m. following a heated argument.
He reportedly tried to attack the police officers who went to their house after a barangay tanod, Rogelio Quinaging, reported the crime.
One of the officers shot Pahugot, according to PO2 Jorge Navales of the Consolacion Municipal Police Station.
Navales said Pahugot was in their list of drug users in the village.
Last month, Pahugot was arrested after neighbours complained that he had gone berserk.
He was committed to the psychiatric ward of a hospital but was released since he was able to answer the questions well.
Pahugot and Quinio had a fight on Saturday night that went on until Sunday morning.
The couple’s children, aged two and four, were placed under the temporary custody of a neighbour.
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 10:51
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Faye Wong's daughter Dou Jingtong talks about her music and life
Singer-songwriter Dou Jingtong talks about her latest album and music that runs deep in her family. Chen Nan reports.
Dou Jingtong wears her hair down. Her slim figure barely fills out an oversized jacket. As the lights dim on a recent evening, she edges toward the microphone and slowly begins to sing. Dou’s voice fills the air, mesmerizing her audience. She is in her element.
Eighteen months after releasing her debut album, Stone Cafe, the singer-songwriter is rolling out her second one, Kids Only.
“I finished more than half of the songs of the second album when I released the first album. I am really excited about this one and I cannot wait to release it,” Dou says to her fans, before she performs five new songs at a live-house venue in Beijing.
At 20, Dou has lived most of her life so far under media spotlight.
The daughter of pop diva Faye Wong and rock veteran Dou Wei, she is familiar with the questions posed to her and she is not too bothered about them.
Her mother, a Beijing-born singer who rose to fame after moving to Hong Kong in the late 1980s, is one of the country’s best-selling female artists. Her father, the former lead vocalist of Beijing rock band Black Panther, is considered to be a musical genius by Chinese rock fans. The couple divorced in 1999 and both later moved away from the public life.
Dou Jingtong’s grandparents and aunt, singer Dou Ying, also showed up for her recent performance. Dou Ying’s husband, keyboardist and bassist Bei Bei, plays in Dou Jingtong’s band.
Photo: China Daily/Asia News Network
“I’m not annoyed or offended that I’m always introduced in the context of my family. But it’s nice. It’s refreshing to be introduced through my music, rather than something that’s irrelevant to my music,” Dou Jingtong said in an interview last year while touring the United Kingdom as a supporting act for the indie pop band Bastille.
A day before her latest performance in Beijing, Dou Jingtong showed up in a five-star hotel downtown, diving into a conversation about her new album.
“While making this new album, I started to think about a question – what is Chinese music? Maybe it’s the instrument I use, the lyrics I sing or it’s just in my DNA to make music, which is from China,” says Dou Jingtong, adding that she gave an erhu (two-stringed fiddle) to the band Bastille. She also toured the United States early this year.
“People came to my shows not because of who I am. They may not know me (in the US) but they came to listen to the music. It felt great.”
Dou Jingtong’s new album, released in digital form by Tencent Music Entertainment Group, took her one year to complete. She says the process of her songwriting usually begins “with a feeling”.
Like her first album, she wrote all the 11 new songs in the latest offering, most of them in English.
The title song of the new album, Kids Only, was inspired by a BBC documentary, in which people of various ages were asked the question: “Do you want to swim with sharks?”
“The children reply unanimously with ‘yes’, while the adults answered ‘it’s crazy,'” says Dou Jingtong.
“Children are open to the world with their curiosity. I want to create a club, called Kids Only, to those who dare to dream and are willing to try everything.”
One of her new songs is called Wu, which is her first one performed in Chinese. She had planned to make it into an instrumental work but during the recording, she felt right to sing in Chinese to the music. She wrote the lyrics in the recording room impromptu, she says.
Dou Jingtong also tried performing a small part of the classic Peking Opera piece, The Legend of the Red Lantern, which she learned from her grandmother, a huge fan of Peking Opera.
“I felt much more relaxed when I made the second album,” says Dou Jingtong.
The cover of the album is a photo of her cousin, an 11-year-old boy.
“He looks serious, arrogant and rebellious in the photo. I asked for his permission and edited the photo myself. I guess he thinks that I am weird,” she says, laughing.
It is difficult to ignore the impact of Dou’s family on her career. Her talent was already obvious when she released her first guitar-driven song, With You, online in 2012. Her performance attracted millions of views. In 2015, Dou Jingtong gave her debut show in Tokyo and her stage persona reminded her fans of her parents’ legacy.
Dou Jingtong also opens up to a variety of musical styles, which, as she puts it, remains a form of education for her. A recent favourite album is From Left to Right, released in 1971 by the late US jazz pianist and composer Bill Evans.
“When I was a child, I learned to play the piano but gave up later. I also learned the guzheng (Chinese zither), but I was very energetic and couldn’t sit still to learn it properly. However, I am now often surprised to find out how beautiful and versatile these instruments are and I want to learn them again.”
Dou Jingtong finds it difficult to tackle questions about her current life. She pauses, searching for the words to express her thoughts, even as she looks at the cars on the streets during an interview.
“I really cannot describe it in words so I say it with music,” she says. “What I am trying to do now is to be honest with myself, which is not easy.”
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 10:33
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Indian woman raped by armed men at gunpoint – right in front of husband and baby
A woman was gang-raped by four men at gunpoint – right in front of her husband and their three-month-old baby.
The incident happened on Saturday (Oct 7) in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India, reports The Straits Times.
The victim, 30, lodged a police report, telling officers that she had been raped in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, while her husband was bound and beaten by the perpetrators.
She, her husband and their baby, were riding home on a motorcycle after a visit to a pediatrician on Friday (Oct 6).
They were suddenly intercepted by four armed men in a car.
The men then waylaid the family off the road.
The victim recalled the traumatising event that transpired after:
“Four men dragged me to a sugar cane farm and raped me.”
The perpetrators also threatened to kill her and her family if she disclosed the incident to anyone, the victim added.
“They constantly threatened to kill my child and roughed up my husband.”
After the ordeal, the victim and her husband screamed for help.
Fortunately, they were overheard by a few local residents from a village nearby, who took them to a police station to make a report.
A police official said:
“The accused persons, according to the victim, took turns to rape her and held the child hostage, besides threatening to kill the child.”
So far, the accused have not been identified by the Police.
Monday, October 9, 2017 – 09:59
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