Life

JJ Lin’s ‘drip bag’ offered for sale

NANJING • There have been reports of chopsticks and wet wipes supposedly used by celebrities that were later put up for sale. Now, even a drip bag – said to be used by Singapore singer JJ Lin – has been offered for sale online. Lin, 38, who was in Zhenjiang city in China’s Jiangsu province […]

Life

Great epics, contemporary twists

1 MARABU – THE FIRST RIPPLE Dance and theatre come together in Marabu – The First Ripple, the first part of a trilogy by Bhaskar’s Arts Academy. The production is set during the height of the Srivijayan empire and traces the passage of the Indian community from India to the Malay peninsula. Veteran artist Santha […]

Life

A superhero story about slavery

FICTION THE WATER DANCER By Ta-Nehisi Coates One World/Paperback/406 pages/ $29.96/Books Kinokuniya 4 stars There has been a lot of debate of late over whether Marvel movies count as cinema. Now, American writer Ta-Nehisi Coates has produced a novel that combines the slave narrative with the superhero genre – and the result is unquestionably spectacular […]

Life

Malaysia’s ‘Stephen King’ is scared of poodles

He has conjured demons and dark fates in his creepy tales, but Malaysian horror writer Tunku Halim is scared of dogs. “I’m not talking just about big dogs which might bite, but cute little poodles too,” says the self-avowed cynophobe in an e-mail interview. The 55-year-old, who has been described as “the Stephen King of […]

Life

Pushing boundaries in a world run by children

FICTION SUPERNOVA ERA By Liu Cixin Translated by Joel Martinsen Tor Books/ Paperback/ 348 pages/$29.95/ Books Kinokuniya 3.5 stars In a flash of blinding light, a supernova showers the planet with radiation that deals irreversible damage to all human beings. Only children, whose chromosomes still retain the ability to repair themselves, will survive the event. […]

Life

Turning trash into literary gold

When Chinese science-fiction writer Stanley Chen Qiufan was growing up in Guangdong province, there was a town near where he lived that existed solely on trash. The town of Guiyu was the world’s dumping ground for electronic waste. An army of workers, mostly poor migrants from other parts of China, stripped computers, circuit boards and […]

Life

Trace a dancer’s personal journey through a Family Reunion

There is a party going on in the rehearsal studio of the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT). Dancers are grooving to the strains of 1950s jazz singer Dinah Washington’s Such A Night, taking turns in the centre as if in a dance-off at a club. “Make it wild,” calls Australian choreographer Lucas Jervies as they fling […]

Life

Thrilled by horror films that make one think

I’m not a big fan of horror movies. I admit I’m a bit of a wimp – you won’t find me riding on a roller coaster or going bungee jumping either. Blood and chainsaws turn me off and I can’t bring myself to sit through South-east Asian tales of vengeful spirits and pontianak – vampiric […]

Life

Bridging space for reconciliation

Loneliness is as wide as space and as small and close as the human heart in The Far Side Of The Moon. The dream-like play by Canadian auteur Robert Lepage makes its Singapore premiere on Friday at the Esplanade Theatre. Amid its many technical marvels – a moving mirror as wide as the stage, a […]

Life

Frozen fun, art and science

Disney’s highly anticipated animated film Frozen II will be released only on Nov 22. But fans can get a sneak peek at its concept art and animation drawings at Disney: Magic Of Animation. Some 15 never-before-seen works are among more than 500 archival artefacts on display here at the ArtScience Museum till March 29 next […]

world

Bogota, Colombia Elects First Woman And Lesbian Mayor

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world

Report: Baghdadi’s Top Aide Was Key To His Capture

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EU Leaders Grant UK Brexit Extension Until Jan. 31

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What ISIS Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s Death Means

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Lebanon Protesters Form Human Chain Amid Economic Crisis

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Malaysians turning sour on squabbling ruling coalition

Malaysia’s confusing political scene turned murkier last week after two dozen MPs in the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) and Umno threw their support behind the idea of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad serving the full five-year term, even as members of the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition continue to throw bitter accusations at one another. […]

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Outside noise could affect home prices

Living close to major transport nodes may appear to be a boon, but flats that face above-ground MRT tracks or expressways could be disadvantaged in the resale market due to the noise. With the help of property agency ERA Realty, The Sunday Times analysed a sample of 39 Housing Board flats in five locations – […]

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Noise top cause of spats in housing estates

In June, a man who worked in information technology quit his job. It was not because he was unhappy with his work. Rather, the Bukit Panjang resident wanted to spend time gathering evidence on what he says is noise disturbance caused by his neighbour from a unit below his flat. Please subscribe or log in […]

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E-scooters legalised in France but banned on footpaths

PARIS • France on Friday officially legalised the use of electric scooters and similar devices, but banned them from footpaths, highways and rural roads. The machines have become an increasingly common sight on French streets recently, even though there was no law regulating their use. A decree published on Friday defines them as “motorised personal […]

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Picture of oil-covered boy draws world’s eyes to Brazil spill

CABO DE SANTO AGOSTINHO (Brazil) • A boy walks ashore in Brazil in filthy waist-high water with a look of exasperation and his body smeared in oil, a photographer takes a shot, and the image goes viral. Last Monday, an AFP stringer at Itapuama beach in Cabo de Santo Agostinho, in Pernambuco state, snapped the […]

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Singapore’s first automated bike parking facility to cease operation

The first automated underground bicycle parking system in Singapore will cease operating on Dec 28 due to a low take-up rate. The bicycle parking system, SecureMyBike, can house more than 500 bicycles. However, just three of its spaces were used daily between February last year and last month, and fewer than five monthly passes were […]

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Talks on trade war with China making headway, says US

WASHINGTON • Washington and Beijing are making “headway” on key issues in their ongoing trade dispute and discussions will continue, the US Trade Representative’s office (USTR) said following a phone call between senior officials. President Donald Trump heralded a major win in his offensive against China two weeks ago, saying the economic powers were close […]