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    entertainment
    Aaron Taylor-Johnson said to have been handed a formal offer to play James Bond
    March 19, 2024 8:53 AM

    Aaron Taylor-Johnson is said to have been handed a "formal offer" to play James Bond.

    Aaron recently admitted it is "charming" that he has been heavily linked to the iconic movie role.

    In August, Aaron insisted he was not focusing on speculation he could be the next Bond.

    When asked what he thought of taking on the Bond role, he said: "I just focus on the things I can have in my hands right now.

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    singapore
    PAP says it will not seek Pritam Singh's suspension as MP while legal proceedings are ongoing
    March 19, 2024 8:45 AM

    The People's Action Party (PAP) has said it will not seek to suspend Pritam Singh as a Member of Parliament (MP) while legal proceedings are ongoing.

    On Tuesday (March 19) morning, the Workers' Party (WP) chief pleaded not guilty to two charges of making false statements before a parliamentary committee that was looking into the conduct of former WP MP Raeesah Khan, who lied in the House in 2021.

    "The PAP MPs will not be seeking Mr Singh's suspension as an MP while legal proceedings are pending," she said, adding that this is in line with Parliament's resolution to defer any sanctions until after the conclusion of the investigations and criminal proceedings, if any, against Singh.

    A pre-trial conference hearing into Singh's case been scheduled for April 17, 9am.

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    asia
    Philippines sees up to $8b of investments in casino sector in next 5 years
    March 19, 2024 8:44 AM

    MANILA — Foreign and domestic firms are expected to invest much as US$6 billion (S$8 billion) in the Philippines' casino sector in the next five years, the head of its gaming regulator said, bolstering its status among Asia's top gambling destinations as competition increases.

    Tengco said the Philippines would likely hit its target of 450 billion to 500 billion pesos (S$10.7-12.0 billion) in total gross gaming revenue (GGR) by 2027, a year earlier than expected.

    In 2023, the Philippines posted a record 285 billion pesos in total GGR, a key industry metric representing the amount players wager minus their winnings, government data showed.

    The Philippines' freewheeling gaming industry is bracing for regional competition from Japan, which has approved its first casino, and Thailand, which is again considering legalising casinos.

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    asia
    Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows
    March 19, 2024 8:25 AM

    Average concentrations of PM2.5 — small airborne particles that damage the lungs — reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre in Bangladesh in 2023, and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan.

    In 2022, Bangladesh was ranked as having the fifth-worst air quality, and India was eighth.

    Chad, the world's most polluted country in 2022, was excluded from the 2023 listings because of data issues.

    Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute, said 39 per cent of countries have no public air quality monitoring.

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    singapore
    'Tears and laughter': Fish merchants reflect on 27 years of memories after moving from Senoko to Jurong Fishery Port
    March 19, 2024 8:22 AM

    After 27 years of calling Senoko Fishery Port their home, some 21 merchants have begun moving to new market lots in Jurong on Monday (March 18) night.

    The fond memories of "growing up" at Senoko port is something that 44-year-old Daniel Pe has brought with him to Jurong.

    Pe, chairman of the Punggol Fish Merchants Association and a second-generation fish merchant, said: "It's a place of its own… we work 364 days there, so everybody knows everybody.

    Meanwhile, one fish merchant is choosing not to be too nostalgic with the impending closure of the Senoko port.

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    asia
    Indonesia fishing village grapples with piles of trash brought in by tides
    March 19, 2024 8:14 AM

    TELUK, Indonesia — Solikah, an Indonesian housewife living in the fishing village of Teluk, was in tears as she pointed to piles of trash strewn on a beach close to her home of 40 years.

    Fikri Jufri, who leads a community focus on cleaning beaches in Teluk, said the rain had led to the pile-up of trash.

    Indonesia is one of the world's biggest contributors of plastic waste that ends up in the sea.

    A video of a group of young environmentalists raking up tons of trash in Teluk last year went viral on social media app TikTok.

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    china
    Many hospitals in China stop newborn delivery services as birth rate drops
    March 19, 2024 8:04 AM

    HONG KONG — Many hospitals in China have stopped offering newborn delivery services in 2024, state-backed news outlet Daily Economic News reported, with industry experts warning of an "obstetric winter" due to declining demand amid a record drop in new births.

    The Fifth People's Hospital of Ganzhou City in Jiangxi said on its official WeChat account that obstetric services would be suspended from March 11.

    Zhejiang's Jiangshan Hospital of Traditional Medicine announced on its WeChat page that its obstetrics business would stop from Feb 1.

    "The 'obstetric winter' seems to be coming quietly," the newspaper reported on March 15.

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    entertainment
    'Why is she nominated?' Netizens bewildered Matilda Tao in running for Star Awards' Most Popular Artiste
    March 19, 2024 7:49 AM

    The nominations for this year's Star Awards popularity categories are out and it appears the list has taken many by surprise.

    Most glaring of all, as pointed out by several netizens, is the inclusion of Taiwanese host Matilda Tao in the popularity contest.

    Similar to the controversy over the overwhelming number of radio DJs nominated last year, this year's Most Popular award nominees also includes a sizeable number of jockeys, reported Shin Min Daily News.

    Fans can take heart, however, that the 30-year-old is still in the running for the Most Popular Rising Star award this year, and yes, our bets are on him to win it (again).

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    singapore
    More Malaysians are seeking jobs in Singapore, here's why
    March 19, 2024 6:55 AM

    The number of job applications from Malaysians has doubled following the rise of the Singapore dollar, a recruitment agency in Singapore noted.

    The recruitment firm typically receives more applications from Malaysians seeking employment in the retail, food and beverage, and administration sectors, Teo noted.

    They cited findings from a study conducted in 2022, which found that two-thirds of Malaysians living and working in Singapore are making a gross monthly salary between $1,500 and $3,599.

    About one in five Malaysian workers living in Singapore are earning between $3,600 and $9,999 a month.

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    entertainment
    Theo James fears playing James Bond would be 'terrifying' and insists there are 'better people for that job'
    March 19, 2024 6:43 AM

    Theo James fears playing James Bond would be "terrifying" and insisted there are "better people for that job".

    He told the Guardian newspaper: "Everyone's interested in that [playing Bond] because it's a big part of British cultural identity, but that probably wouldn't be me.

    You have got to be willing to live a very different life and have a different life for your family.

    Theo previously admitted he's not particularly "comfortable" with fame and can't see himself "just being an actor" when he's older.

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