SINGAPORE – Local defence company ST Kinetics has been awarded a US$121.5 million contract to supply 13 amphibious combat vehicle prototypes, known as Terrex 2, to the United States Marine Corps. Together with US-partner Science Applications International…
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ST Kinetics wins US$121.5 million US Marine Corps contract to deliver amphibious combat vehicle prototypes
N Korea fires more short-range missiles into sea
Seoul – North Korea on Monday fired four short-range rockets or missiles into the sea off its east coast, just days after test-firing two medium-range missiles in defiance of UN sanctions, South Korea’s military said.
An official with the Joint Chiefs of Staff said they were launched from near the eastern city of Hamhung just before 3.20pm and landed in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).
He did not specify the missile type.
Military tensions have been soaring on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test on January 6, followed a month later by a long-range rocket launch that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.
The UN Security Council responded earlier this month by imposing its toughest sanctions on North Korea to date.
In recent weeks, Pyongyang has maintained a daily barrage of nuclear strike threats against both Seoul and Washington, ostensibly over ongoing, large-scale South Korea-US military drills that the North sees as provocative rehearsals for invasion.
Last Friday, the North test-fired two medium range missiles in line with an order from leader Kim Jong-Un to prepare a series of missile launches as well as a nuclear warhead explosion test.
The UN Security Council condemned the launches as “unacceptable” and a clear violation of existing UN resolutions.
A look at North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
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New DBS and POSB ATMs to have Tamil language option
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Budget 2016: Business leaders' wish list
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As a business leader, what would you like to see in the upcoming Budget? -The Business Times
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Monday, March 21, 2016 – 14:48
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Chinese herbs containing berberine allowed for sale, import from April 1: HSA
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Monday, March 21, 2016 – 14:43
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Record $5.89 million raised for Singapore Children's Society in 2015
March 21, 2016 2:37 PM
SINGAPORE – The Singapore Children’s Society (SCS) raised a record $5.89 million in 2015 through two fundraising programmes, it announced on Friday (Mar 18).
Ban to be lifted on Chinese herbs containing berberine
The natural compound was prohibited under the Poisons Act in 1978 due to safety concerns, but the Heath Sciences Authority says there are no major safety risks associated with its use in Chinese herbs.
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Singapore cyber-security provider e-Cop relaunches as Quann
The company says it is expanding its cyber-security offerings and upgrading its Security Operation Centres.
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Feisty on screen, nervous off screen
Chinese actress Sun Li of hit palace drama Legend Of Zhen Huan fame has returned to the palace in her latest period epic, Legend Of Mi Yue.
While her role as concubine Zhen Huan had her manipulating the politics among the concubines in Emperor Yong Zheng’s imperial palace during the Qing dynasty, her new empress dowager character talks politics with government officials in the royal court.
The 33-year-old plays the titular character Mi Yue, China’s first empress dowager, who ruled on behalf of her young son.
Summoning her inner statesman proved to be a challenge for the soft-spoken actress.
She says: “I get nervous when I have to raise my voice in a room full of people. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to emanate a domineering aura in the royal court.
“In Legend Of Zhen Huan, my character was dealing with women. Mi Yue has to talk politics with the male officials. I needed to convince the men I was a capable leader.”
Sun need not have worried as Chinese audiences lapped up Legend Of Mi Yue, prompting television channels Tianjin Satellite Channel and Liaoning Satellite TV to broadcast the series a second time last month, reported Chinese news site Sina.
The actress has been dubbed China’s Queen Of Television and she got her first taste of acting in Singapore. She took part in the 2011 edition of the Channel 8 TV talent show, Star Search. While she did not win the contest, she was talent-spotted and got acting gigs, setting her on the path to stardom.
She went on to star in TV dramas and movies, such as romantic drama Jade Goddess Of Mercy (2003) and contemporary series Hot Mum!(2013).
One of her latest films is the comedy movie Devil And Angel (2015), in which she co-stars with her actor husband Deng Chao. He also directed the film.
The 37-year-old Chinese actor holds his own in Chinese show business. He is the leading man in director Stephen Chow’s latest box-office hit, The Mermaid (2016). He is also one of the regular hosts on the ongoing game show, Hurry Up, Brother, which is based on South Korea’s variety show sensation Running Man.
The couple have a four-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter.
1. How did you prepare for the role of Mi Yue, especially for scenes where you had to have a commanding presence in front of royal officials?
I had to rely on my confidence to put on a convincing act onstage.
There are not many shows to reference Mi Yue, as she mostly appears as a side character. So I asked my husband to act out the court scenes and I recorded them for reference.
He has played many emperor roles. Mi Yue is a female emperor. I took pointers from his acting.
2. Did your husband have to persuade you to star in the comedy Devil And Angel (2015), which he directed?
There was no need for any convincing. I love comedy. I’ve starred in comedies such as Just Another Pandora’s Box (2010). Perhaps some audiences can’t accept a comedic Sun Li, but there are viewers who love me that way. A friend commented that she felt my best performance to date was as a debt collector in Devil And Angel.
3. What is your husband like as a director? Does he hold back on criticising your acting on set?
He is a good director.He started out as an actor, so he understands actors. He’s passionate about directing. Of course, he gives me comments. As an actress, I like to listen to the director’s feedback. In fact, I’d be nervous if the director didn’t give me pointers on the set.
4. As you and your husband are actors, there will be comparisons. What is your take on comments that you are more popular and command a higher fee?
We’re not holding a contest at home. As husband and wife, we wish the best for the other. If he’s doing well, I am happy for him. If I’m doing well, he is happy for me. There’s no issue.
5. On your social media Weibo account, you uploaded a photo of your children drawing on the wall at home. Why did you allow them to do that?
Their scribblings are a memento. Some netizens felt that we were indulging our children, but we want them to grow up in an environment where they are free to express their creativity.
Of course, there are limits. If they cross those boundaries, I will educate them on why it is wrong to do so.
6. Have you ever considered being a stay-home mother?
I get anxious at the thought of having to leave home for long periods. I’ve suggested to Deng Chao that I quit my job to look after the kids, but he encouraged me to continue acting. He said I should have my own life, as children will leave the nest one day. He wants us to travel the world then.
7. You took part in Singapore TV talent show Star Search in 2011. Why did you then choose to pursue your acting career in China?
I’m timid. Till this day, I still get nervous about going overseas for long periods.
I can travel abroad, but I will find it hard to live in a foreign country for a long period.
8. How would you like to be remembered?
I hope audiences will remember the real me.
I don’t want to be too conscious about getting people to remember meas a good actress or a good mum.
Legend Of Mi Yue premieres on Jia Le Channel (Singtel TV Channel 502) Thursday at 10pm. It airs on weekdays at 10pm.
nggwen@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 21, 2016.
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From shunned CCA to trendy crowd-puller
When Mr Mike Chiang, 43, took over as the conductor of Nanyang Polytechnic’s (NYP) Chinese orchestra in 2003, he was surprised to find out that it had just 10 members.
“I turned up and asked the students, ‘So many people aren’t here?’ But they said that that was all of them,” he recalled.
But the tables have turned since then – sign-up lists for the co-curricular activity (CCA) stretch to more than 200 names, with some students choosing to enrol in NYP for this Chinese music group. It now has 160 members, with alumni regularly performing at concerts alongside the rest of the orchestra.
The orchestra shot to fame in 2010 when a YouTube video of it playing a medley of Korean pop songs at Yfest 2010, held during the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, went viral, garnering more than 200,000 hits in two weeks.
It has since become known for its bold approach of using traditional Chinese instruments like the erhu or guzheng to play different music genres, including hits by rock bands like Bon Jovi and AC/DC, and soundtracks from video game series like Final Fantasy and Street Fighters.
PLAYING TO SOLD-OUT CROWDS
Mr Chiang said students were initially sceptical when he first mooted the idea of playing pop music. “But they trusted my intuition,” he said.
Handbag designer Quek Li Hui, who graduated from the polytechnic in 2012, said her friends had a different impression of Chinese music after attending the concerts.
“They thought that it was a very ancient type of thing but they were ‘wowed’ by the fact that even Chinese orchestras can play pop songs and different genres,” said the 23-year-old, who plays the electric bass guitar, on top of percussion instruments, for the orchestra.
For the past five years, the orchestra’s annual concert at the Esplanade has played to sold-out crowds of 1,600 each time. An alumni orchestra was also set up in 2013, with about 50 members focusing on playing traditional music.
The orchestra has won accolades, such as perfect scores from the entire panel of international adjudicators at the Australian International Music Festival in 2007 – the first group to do so since the festival started in 1989.
In 2011, it clinched a gold medal at the Asia Pacific Chinese Music Exchange and Competition in Taiwan.
There are differences in how pop music and traditional Chinese music should be played on their instruments, thus every detail is very important, said Ms Siti Farah Mohd Jaffar, 25, a retail management trainee who graduated from NYP in 2010.
For example, pop songs have more complex rhythms that need to be mastered so that the tune sounds authentic. Different techniques are used for the suona – sometimes called the Chinese trumpet and known for its loud high-pitched sounds – such that the sound it produces is more subtle and mellow.
As all the members are amateurs, they need to put in extra time and effort to make sure they perform the best.
“In the run-up to concerts, we stay back late to practise to make sure that every one gets their part right,” said Ms Siti Farah. “My mother asks me why I’m still going back to school when I’m already working now, but you just need to manage your time well to achieve the things that you want.”
Ms Chloe Quek, 18, who was the orchestra’s vice-president last year, said the work that she does for her CCA gives her a headstart in her business management course at NYP, where she is specialising in events management and human resource management.
“We learn how to plan logistics for events and concerts, and manage people,” she said.
Mr Chiang now thinks his decision to experiment with new genres was the right move.
He said, “Most of the younger generation would not even consider joining a traditional Chinese orchestra nowadays. But they are still keen on joining this orchestra because we are different – it’s a way to keep the tradition alive while trying out new things.”
yuensin@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on March 21, 2016.
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