CNA938 Rewind - No foul play found in community cat deaths, but concerns remain
In 'Culture Club', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Singaporean singer-songwriter-producer Syaz Smooth about his new mini album 'Bersamamu', which means "With You" in the Malay language. Syaz will explain how 'Bersamamu' is a tribute to his late brother and fellow singer-songwriter Shahfiq who died in a traffic accident in 2024 at the tender age of 27. Syaz will talk about the themes he addresses in the EP - grief, love, healing, and remembrance.
Discover more Singaporean music and musicians – like Syaz Smooth – at Hear65.com, an initiative by the National Arts Council, produced by independent music media company Bandwagon.
32 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Presenting: Georgina Dobson - Mediacorp's 987 STAR 2025
In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with Georgina Dobson, winner of Mediacorp's 987 STAR 2025 competition. The final-year psychology student from Temasek Polytechnic will talk about the competition's adrenaline-fuelled journey which started in early April. Dobson will also talk about what she learnt from the current 987 jocks and will detail other rollercoaster experiences she shared with the other finalists.
32 mins
CNA938 Rewind - La Dolce Vita! Enjoying what the Italian Film Festival 2025 has to offer
In 'Destination Anywhere', Melanie Oliveiro finds out where film fans can go to enjoy the rich selection of movies to be screened at the Italian Film Festival 2025. His Excellency Dante Brandi, the Ambassador of Italy to Singapore, will highlight some of the films – from the opener 'Diamonds' by Ferzan Özpetek hailed as Italy's love letter to women, to the closing film 'Arsa' an experimental audiovisual experience by the artist duo MASBEDO. The Italian Film Festival 2025 will run from 7 to 22 June at The Projector Cineleisure.
17 mins
CNA938 Rewind - No foul play found in community cat deaths, but concerns remain
NParks has concluded that recent cat deaths in Nee Soon and Punggol were the result of accidents, with no evidence of cruelty. But some animal lovers remain unconvinced, pointing to unusual injuries and repeated cases in the same areas. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman speak with Cat Welfare Society President Thenuga Vijakumar on why the community is still seeking answers.
15 mins
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Two TCM companies under investigation over skin cream containing potent steroid, antifungal
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CNA
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Indonesian military's new pharma role sparks fears of expanded powers
JAKARTA: Indonesia's military will begin manufacturing medicines for public distribution under a new agreement, officials said on Tuesday (Jul 22), in the latest expansion of the armed forces' role in civilian affairs since President Prabowo Subianto took office. The president, a former defence minister and special forces commander, has expanded the powerful military's role in civic affairs since taking office last year - including running much of his flagship project to serve free school meals. In March, Indonesia's parliament - which is dominated by Prabowo's coalition - also passed a revision to military law that allows more civilian posts to be occupied by soldiers, sparking protests by student and activist groups. The moves have dismantled some of the safeguards put in place after authoritarian leader Suharto was overthrown in 1998 and raised fears of a return to an era when the armed forces were allowed to crush dissent and dominate public life. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin late on Tuesday signed an agreement with the food and drug agency for laboratories operated by the army, navy, and air force, which previously supplied medicines for soldiers, to begin manufacturing drugs for public use. "We are thinking of ways to lower the price even more so we could provide free medicines," Sjafrie told reporters. Mass production will begin in October and the medicines will be distributed to villages across Indonesia at 50 per cent below the retail price, Sjafrie said. Military involvement is expected to curb the flow of illegal medicines and fight the "mafia" in the medical industry, said the drug agency's head Taruna Ikrar. But rights groups have said that the agreement was unlawful as it brought serving military officials into civilian business positions - prohibited under military law. "This is a symptom of how the government has shifted into authoritarianism," said Usman Hamid from Amnesty International Indonesia. The military and Prabowo's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The medicines will be distributed by 80,000 state-backed cooperatives launched by Prabowo on Monday, Sjafrie said. Prabowo's cooperatives were set up to boost economic activity and cut out middlemen by providing services directly to the general public including giving loans and selling medicines and staple foods. The defence minister has also signed another agreement with the health ministry to build hospitals staffed by military doctors and nurses in conflict areas, including Papua province, where a low-level insurgency has battled for independence for decades.
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Foreigner new to Singapore wonders if spending S$2k on food each month is normal
SINGAPORE: A newcomer to the city-state recently took to Reddit to ask locals how much they typically spend on food each month, and whether his current expenses are unusually high. In his post on the r/askSingapore subreddit, the man shared that he had recently relocated to Singapore with his wife and was trying to get a better sense of the city's cost of living. 'As of right now, I have budgeted S$2,000 a month on food (for two people),' he wrote, explaining that the figure was based on about S$10 per meal per person, three times a day, which adds up to around S$60 a day. He noted that he rounded the amount slightly for budgeting purposes. He pointed out that this was nearly double what he used to spend back in his home country in Northern Europe. However, he also said that, unlike back home, he and his wife have been eating out for almost every meal, mainly at hawker centres. 'I suppose it's expensive, but as far as I know, cooking meals at home would cost more?' he said. 'My other foreign coworkers have told me that all food sold at hawker centres is being driven in from Malaysia daily, thus making it cheaper, and that supermarkets generally take a 'larger' premium on groceries. It also seemed reasonable to me, considering hawker food is quite cheap. It just adds up quite quickly when you're two people,' he added later in the thread. Keen to find out if his food expenses were the norm, he asked, 'Just how much are people spending on food here?' 'There's no harm in cooking some meals to save money.' In the comments, many locals agreed that while eating out can be convenient, cooking at home is definitely the more affordable and sustainable option in the long run. One individual commented, 'If you cook at home in Singapore, it is most probably cheaper than the S$2,000 budget. You should do your food shopping either in the mass market supermarkets (e.g., Sheng Shiong, NTUC, Giant) or the local wet market.' See also Mandopop star Stefanie Sun doubts her parenting skills Another suggested trying a short experiment: 'Do you have an NTUC near you? You can try cooking at home for two to three months and then compare after that. If you'll be here for a longer period of time.' A third wrote, 'Do explore the food around your new address first. Find out if there is cheap food or just restaurants around you. Look for the supermarkets as well; there's no harm in cooking some meals to save money.' Tips to reduce spending It's easy to fall into the habit of eating out, especially when tasty and affordable meals are just a short walk away. After all, who wants to spend time grocery shopping, prepping ingredients, and cooking after a long day? But if you're serious about budgeting and keeping track of your expenses, you'll realise that even hawker centre or food court meals, which usually cost between S$3 and S$6, can add up quickly. See also Samsung shares rise as Huawei struggles To cut costs, MSIG Singapore recommends having breakfast and dinner at home, buying lunch from hawker centres or food courts, and limiting restaurant meals to just once or twice a month. MSIG Singapore says that couples who follow this strategy could keep their monthly food spending to around S$1,000. Read also: 'What are you busy with?': Employee 'irked' after boss mocks her for not doing work during annual leave Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
