Your wedding day is already meant to awesome. But having Thor drop by your celebrations? That’s icing on the cake.
A newlywed couple “Anneka and Kent” were getting their wedding day portraits taken in Byron Bay, Australia, when the photographer noticed the actor on the beach.
“It was Chris Hemsworth on the beach and he (the best man) was like, ‘Hey, do you think you could get a photo with the bride and groom?’ And he said, ‘No worries,'” Anneka told news.com.au.
Anneka told the news outlet she had no idea who the mega-famous Australian was, and kept asking her new husband what was going on.
“I was wondering, ‘Why we were getting a photo with a random person?’ I was saying, ‘Who is this person?'” she told the news outlet. “[Kent] was getting embarrassed that I kept asking who this person was and he said, ‘Chris Hemsworth.'”
A post shared by Benjamin Lynch (@studiobluetulip) on Mar 5, 2017 at 2:28am PST
Hemsworth lives in the area, of course. He a purchased a home there for A$7 million (US$5.2 million) back in 2014.
He’s been set up there for a while now, while filming Thor: Ragnarok on the Gold Coast nearby. He also seems to be doing a tonne of surfing and generally just chilling out. Wouldn’t you?
Two Malaysian UN employees were allowed to leave North Korea on Thursday, a spokeswoman for the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said, while the Malaysian government negotiated for a travel ban to be lifted on nine citizens still stranded there.
North Korea had barred Malaysians from leaving on Tuesday, sparking tit-for-tat action by Malaysia as diplomatic tensions escalated over an investigation into the murder in Kuala Lumpur of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The nine remaining Malaysians are at the embassy in Pyongyang, unable to leave the country.
Malaysia has begun negotiations with North Korea to lift the travel ban and allow its citizens to return home.
Meanwhile, the two Malaysian WFP employees had reached Beijing. “WFP confirms that two WFP staff of Malaysian nationality have left DPR Korea and arrived in Beijing today,” Frances Kennedy, spokeswoman at the WFP headquarters in Italy, told Reuters in a statement.
The United Nations has called for calm between Malaysia and North Korea and urged them to settle their differences through “established diplomatic practice.”
Kim Jong Nam was killed on Feb. 13 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Malaysian police believe he was assaulted by two women who smeared his face with VX, a chemical classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.
KUALA LUMPUR – Two UN employees who were among 11 Malaysian nationals stranded in North Korea following a travel ban have left the country, a Malaysian government source said on Thursday.
The two people work for the World Food Programme (WFP).
North Korea on Tuesday barred Malaysians from leaving the country, sparking tit-for-tat action by Malaysia, as tensions escalated over police investigations into the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The heir to the Samsung business empire denies all charges in connection with a wide-ranging corruption scandal, his lawyers told a preliminary hearing Thursday.
Lee Jae-Yong, 48, was not present at Seoul Central District court for the hearing, which comes as his giant company – the world’s biggest smartphone maker – struggles to recover from a recall scandal.
Lee, the vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, is being held in custody on accusations of bribery, corruption, perjury and other offences stemming from a scandal that has seen President Park Geun-Hye impeached. Four other Samsung executives have also been charged.
“Everyone denies all the charges,” a defence lawyer told the court at the hearing, which lasted little more than an hour.
The prosecutors’ formal indictment was sketchy, with some of the accusations lacking clear evidence and only circumstantial, the defence said.
The accused allegedly paid nearly $40 million (S$57 million) in bribes to Park’s close friend Choi Soon-Sil to secure policy favours.
The courtroom was about 80 per cent full, with dozens of reporters, students and a handful of middle-aged and elderly citizens.
When one of Lee’s attorneys finished reading his statement, an elderly lady abruptly stood up from her seat and shouted: “Can a member of the public ask a question?” Her request was rejected by the judge.
Lee has effectively been at the helm of Samsung since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.
One of the favours which Lee allegedly sought from Park was state approval for a controversial merger in 2015 of two Samsung units seen as a key step to ensure a smooth transfer of power to him.
The deal was opposed by many shareholders who said it had wilfully undervalued shares of one of the two firms. But it eventually went through after the national pension fund – a major Samsung shareholder – approved it.
Two suspects – including the leader of a Batam terrorist cell – who are accused of planning to fire a rocket at Marina Bay have denied having any part in the foiled attack.
The alleged leader, Gigih Rahmat Dewa, and his accomplice, Hadi Gusti Yanda, were back in court as the trial against them – which started on Feb 1 – resumed yesterday.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Gigih said there was no such plan, while Hadi claimed it was a trumped-up charge. “That is a story made up by Densus,” Hadi said, referring to the Detachment 88 counter-terrorism police unit, known as Densus 88.
The two Indonesians, and three other members of the cell, were arrested in Batam last August in connection with the terror plot targeted at Singapore.
Follow-up raids by Densus 88 at their homes found weapons such as a bow and arrow and an airsoft gun modified to resemble an AK-47 assault rifle – but no rocket.
A sixth member, Leonardus Hutajulu, was arrested in September.
Among his possessions seized were an airsoft replica of an assault rifle, two mobile phones, an Indonesian passport and a travel itinerary with Singapore as the destination.
Gigih and Hadi, as well as Tarmidzi, Eka Saputra and Trio Syafidro, pleaded not guilty when they were charged in court on Jan 24 in connection with the terror plot. They were also charged with harbouring militants and funding terror activities.
The police did not reply to queries regarding Gigih and Hadi’s claims about Densus 88 by press time.
The case drew much attention owing to the audacious nature of the alleged plan and how quickly Densus 88 managed to round up the members of the cell behind it.
The progress of the trial, however, has been slow, noted East Jakarta District Court Judge Tarigan Muda Limbong, who was presiding over the sixth hearing of the case.
He took issue with the prosecution, after only two witnesses – out of 16 who were scheduled to testify – showed up. He also criticised the prosecutors for turning up four hours late for the hearing yesterday.
Counter-terrorism analyst Adhe Bhakti, from the Centre for Radicalism and Deradicalisation Studies, said the hearing must be completed six months from the date the case was presented to the court, which was Jan 24.
“If there is no verdict within that window of time, the defendants, by the law, must be released,” he added.
tkchan@sph.com.sg
wahyudis@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 9, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE: Ride-hailing service provider Grab on Thursday (Mar 9) announced that all of its private-hire cars will soon have child booster seats.
In a press release, Grab said the vehicles will have the portable mifold Grab-and-Go child booster seat, after announcing its exclusive partnership with mifold. The booster seat can be adjusted to fit child passengers from four to seven years old, who weigh between 15kg and 36kg and are under 1.35m in height.
The booster seat can be folded in half and stored when not in use.
Under the Road Traffic Act, it is mandatory for children under 1.35m in height to use a child seat when travelling in private-hire vehicles.
More than 1,000 GrabCar drivers have already received the mifold seat, and the rest will receive it in the next few months.
These GrabCars will join the GrabFamily service, which is S$2 more than the regular GrabCar base fare of S$2.50.
Parents should book a GrabFamily ride by default to ensure drivers are prepared for a ride with a child, Grab said. Those who book a GrabCar ride and do not have a child restraint with them will be charged a S$2 fee for the use of the booster seat.
“GrabFamily is becoming a popular option for families and we want to make it even easier for parents to find a child-friendly point-to-point ride anywhere, anytime,” the company said.
The 1970s pop divas Anita Sarawak and Rahimah Rahim will be the first popular singers inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame (SWHF) later this month.
Two early broadcasters will also be inducted, posthumously, as well in a new category for media created this year.
The virtual SWHF was launched by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) in 2014 to recognise outstanding contributions by women to Singapore.
Three other women will also gain posthumous honours, and the seven will join the ranks of 133 women, ranging from advocates and doctors to adventurers and scientists.
SCWO patron Mary Tan, wife of President Tony Tan Keng Yam, will present the women or their representatives with trophies at the fourth gala dinner on March 24 at Shangri-La Hotel.
Local composer and performer Dick Lee said the inclusion of Anita and Rahimah was important for the music scene in Singapore.
Noting that few recipients of Singapore’s highest arts honour – the Cultural Medallion – are pop music artists, Mr Lee said: “It’s time to accept that popular culture is part of our culture in Singapore.”
Another veteran, musician Jeremy Monteiro, said: “Anita has done Singapore proud, blazing the trail for others, and Rahimah has been a wonderful mentor to me.”
Sixty-one-year-old Rahimah, who will be performing at the award ceremony, said she was “truly honoured” to be selected.
“I’m usually speechless,” she said. “At the ceremony, my speech will be through the songs I choose for the night.”
The Straits Times understands that Anita, who lives in the United States, is unable to attend the ceremony.
Broadcasters Aisha Akbar and Wong-Lee Siok Tin will be posthumously inducted for their work in the media. The former wore many hats – music teacher, songwriter and author – while the latter devoted her life to journalism.
Singapore’s Helen Keller, Ms Theresa Chan, so-called because she lost her hearing and sight as a teen, is also one of the honourees this year. She died last June, aged 72.
The selection panel is chaired by Singapore’s ambassador-at-large, Professor Tommy Koh.
Chairman of SWHF committee Margaret Thomas said the women had all helped to shape Singapore, but it is easy to forget their legacy.
“This is a shame because their stories are so inspiring. They deserve to be remembered and their contributions recorded,” she said.
“Some played more prominent roles, others worked behind the scenes. None should be forgotten.”
Women of substance
SYLVIA KHO, BRIDAL GOWN DESIGNER
Pioneer bridal wear designer Sylvia Kho.Photo: The Straits Times
A pioneer in local bridal gown design, she turned a dressmaking hobby into a home-based enterprise. At one point, she owned four boutiques, which are now closed. She died in 2013, aged 96.
MAJORIE DOGGETT, ANIMAL RIGHTS CHAMPION
The late Majorie Doggett.Photo: Facebook/ACRESasia
She once disguised herself as a laboratory technician to see how animals were used in research.
Mrs Doggett co-founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Singapore. She died in 2010, aged 89.
AISHA AKBAR, BROADCASTER
Mrs Aisha Akbar.Photo: ST file photo
This broadcaster and singer-songwriter also wrote stories and taught music. In the later part of her life, she made jewellery, painted and did volunteer work. She died in 2015, aged 84.
WONG-LEE SIOK TIN, BROADCAST JOURNALIST
Mrs Wong-Lee Siok Tin.Photo: ST file photo
Early in her career, she impressed then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew with her reporting and accompanied him on many official trips.
In 1978, she became the first woman to head the Ministry of Culture’s department of broadcasting. She died in 1993, at 55.
THERESA CHAN, HELEN KELLER OF THE EAST
Cinema still: Be With Me starring Theresa Chan Poh Lin. Photo: Zhao Wei Films
After losing her hearing and sight, she learnt Braille in Singapore, studied in the US and topped her class in mathematics.
She also starred in film-maker Eric Khoo’s movie Be With Me. She died in 2016, aged 72.
ANITA SARAWAK, SINGER AND ENTERTAINER
Anita Sarawak.Photo: ST file photo
Born to an actor-director and an actress, Anita’s first foray into the industry was as an actress – but singing was her forte.
Anita, 64, lives in Las Vegas and has kept a low profile.
RAHIMAH RAHIM, SINGER
Veteran singer Rahimah Rahim.Photo: BH
She would sneak into nightclubs to sing with her father and later won a singing contest in Japan. Now 61, she is a household name and still accepts some singing and acting engagements.
This article was first published on March 9, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Motor industry players and experts reckon the days of diesel vehicles are numbered here.
They were reacting to news of a new Vehicular Emissions Scheme announced by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli yesterday.
The scheme will be far stricter than the current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme.
Besides carbon dioxide emission, it will include four other pollutants, namely hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Mr Neo Nam Heng, chairman of diversified motor and taxi group Prime, said: “This new scheme will have a great impact on car prices. And it will kick out diesel cars.”
Dr Park Byung Joon, a transport expert at UniSIM, said: “We’re doing what several other countries are doing – we don’t want diesel to be around any more.”
He noted that diesel engines are “fundamentally dirtier”, and vehicle manufacturers have had to “do a lot” to make them acceptable.
In the wake of the Volkswagen emission cheating scandal in late 2015, several countries started re-examining their stand on diesel.
But even before this, studies had already shown that cases of respiratory problems such as childhood asthma had been creeping up in some places, including Germany, where the share of diesel cars was as high as 60 per cent.
This share is forecast to plunge to below 40 per cent this year in the wake of the VW scandal.
Cities such as Paris, Mexico City, Madrid and Athens have also vowed to ban diesel vehicles altogether from 2025.
Mr Allan Loi, a research associate at the Energy Studies Institute at the National University of Singapore, said the new scheme “should be able to encourage the adoption of cleaner cars”.
He added that diesel cars – as well as diesel taxis – will “slowly be phased out”.
Under the new scheme, most if not all diesel cars today will attract a tax surcharge of at least $10,000.
Diesel taxis face a penalty of up to $30,000.
Observers said this was why cab operators had started switching to petrol-electric hybrids.
About the new VES
The new Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES) will cover four additional pollutants: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Vehicles will fall into one of five bands – two surcharge bands, two rebate bands and a neutral band – based on their emissions and worst-performing pollutant.
Rebates and surcharges are either $10,000 or $20,000 for cars, and $15,000 or $30,000 for taxis.
This article was first published on March 9, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Parents largely welcomed the tweaks to the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, seen by many as a backdoor to popular schools, to focus on specific talents, instead of general academic ability.
But some believe that parents will still find a way to game the system.
The scheme was introduced in 2004 to recognise pupils’ diverse talents and help them get a place in the secondary schools of their choice even before the Primary School Leaving Examination.
But it has also been criticised for starting a rat race among pupils to get into top schools, especially those offering the Integrated Programme (IP), which allows students to bypass the O levels.
Some parents, for example, engage coaches and send their children to special classes to prepare them for the DSA route.
The tweaks, announced by Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng at his ministry’s budget debate on Tuesday, came after a review of the DSA.
With the changes, pupils whose talents lie beyond book smarts will face a more level playing field in getting into their desired secondary schools.
In particular, schools will discontinue the use of general academic ability tests to assess DSA applicants by next year.
These tests, which assess general reasoning and problem-solving skills, “inadvertently put undue focus on general academic abilities, rather than identifying specific strengths”, Mr Ng said.
Schools will instead focus on identifying pupils with talents in specific domains.
They can use a range of assessment tools, such as interviews and auditions, to admit pupils under the DSA.
Housewife Joanne Ang, 40, who has two children aged nine and 11, is planning for them to enter secondary school under the DSA for sports.
She believes the changes are the right step forward, but parents may now look at getting their kids to specialise in sports, for instance, to raise their DSA chances.
“Parents may be more competitive and force their kids to take up various sports or arts just to get into some good schools,” she added.
“They will still find ways to game the system.”
Mr Eric Tan, who is self-employed, feels that the changes are a good reminder for parents to allow their children to pursue their interests, instead of chasing a place in a top school.
The 39-year-old, who has a son in primary school, said parents will be more encouraged to look beyond academics.
“It is also important to nurture our kids’ interests beyond books,” he added.
Mrs Adeline Wong, who has two primary school-going children, is pleased that the Education Ministry is taking steps to stop parents from “abusing” the DSA.
“Every child is unique and may have talents waiting to be nurtured,” the 41-year-old said.
She added that pupils will also be “more motivated to do well in school” when they are encouraged to chase their passions.
calyang@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 9, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
Is reserving one-fifth of places in affiliated secondary schools for pupils who do not benefit from affiliation priority a fair move?
On Tuesday, Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng announced that the quota will be implemented in 2019 to ensure that there will be open access to schools for all pupils, regardless of their backgrounds or connections.
Most parents whom The Straits Times spoke to, as well as ST readers who gave feedback online, say that the 20 per cent figure is a step in the right direction.
However, some parents of pupils in affiliated primary schools worry that their children will now have to face more competition to secure a place in a secondary school using affiliation priority, even as other parents of those without affiliation see the move as a a way to give all pupils equal opportunities.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that most secondary schools already meet the quota, meaning there would not be significant change for most pupils.
But every year, between six and eight schools have a higher proportion of affiliated students.
Mr Gavin Foo, 40, whose daughter is in Primary 1 at Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS), is worried that this will “throw a spanner in the works” for parents like him, who put in much effort to get their children into a primary school with affiliation priority.
He volunteered for more than 40 hours with SCGS so his daughter could enrol this year via Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration exercise, which is reserved for children whose parents are volunteers and those who have church and clan connections with the school.
Mr Foo, who works in private equity, said that the quota may affect his daughter’s chances of moving up to SCGS’ secondary section.
Currently, the entry scores for affiliated and non-affiliated pupils at some schools can vary by as much as 40 points.
Schools can set the minimum entry standards, subject to MOE approval, for affiliated pupils.
These are usually lower than the standards that non-affiliated pupils have to meet.
A parent with sons in Primary 2 and 6 at Anglo-Chinese School (Primary), who wanted to be known only as Mrs Lim, 47, feared that the new rule could dilute the school’s culture.
The sales director also pointed out that it may prevent pupils from affiliated schools who are academically weaker from joining the school, including those with special needs and disabilities.
Parents like Madam Nazlin Hilal, 39, however, cheered the move, calling it the right step towards giving all pupils equal opportunities.
“I’ve heard of parents who do volunteer work just to get their children into affiliated primary schools and I don’t think it is a healthy trend,” said Madam Nazlin, who is self-employed and has two sons in Primary 1 and 6 attending Tampines Primary School.
Both Madam Nazlin and housewife Josephine Lee, 41, hope that the 20 per cent quota will be gradually increased over time so that affiliated pupils do not enjoy such a generous advantage.
Madam Lee, who has a son in Primary 3 in Angsana Primary School, said: “It’s unfair that those with connections to the school can get in with lower scores.”
National Institute of Education don Jason Tan said that the new policy is a “symbolic move” towards the national ideal of meritocracy, but doubts that affiliation can be completely done away with in the short term, given that the practice has a long history.
How affiliation system works
There are 27 secondary schools here that are affiliated to primary schools with links to religious and clan associations.
Pupils from these primary schools usually face lower academic requirements to get into the affiliated secondary school.
How much lower depends on the school, but this is also subject to the Ministry of Education’s approval.
This system has been criticised on several fronts.
Not only is it unfair to pupils from non-affiliated schools, but it also sees parents chasing places in affiliated primary schools.
In 2013, the cut-off point for pupils from Nanyang Primary entering Nanyang Girls’ High the next year was 251, compared with 261 for pupils from other primary schools.
At Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary, the cut-off score for affiliated pupils was 200, and 229 for those who were not affiliated.
Before 2012, no minimum cut-off score was imposed on pupils from Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary School who wished to join the Express stream in the affiliated secondary school.
Some pupils posted to the stream had T-scores as low as 187.
yuensin@sph.com.sg
tohwenli@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 9, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
