CNA938 Rewind - The vapes turning our teens into 'zombies'
Several teenagers were recently spotted behaving erratically after allegedly using drug-laced 'KPods' vaporisers outside a mall in Punggol. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman speak to Sean Ang, Nicotine Cessation Counsellor and Pharmacist for Success Alliance Enrichment. They look at how much worse the situation is and how teens are getting their hands on these vapes.
16 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Stock take today: S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record, US debates Big Beautiful Bill
On the daily markets analysis on Open For Business, Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman speak with David Dietze, Chief Investment Strategist of Dietze Wealth Management Group.
11 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Why CEOs are paid so highly — and why it matters
Singtel chief executive officer's pay rose more than 16 per cent in FY2025, on the back of the company's increased profits. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines CEO saw his pay fall by 13.5 per cent even as the flag carrier's earnings reached a record high. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman chats with Professor Mak Yuen Teen, Professor of Practice of Accounting at NUS Business School. They find out what determines a CEO's salary and whether it is reflective of the company's performance.
10 mins
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: How Pranati Bagchi built a lavender spaceship to fuel young girls' confidence
Pranati Bagchi the founder of The Lavender Spaceship Project, an online school that provides a "girl-centric" education in coding and other tech-related skills. Pranati shares how the seeds of her entrepreneurial journey were planted when he daughter had a dispiriting experience at a coding class, how she persevered through the early days of being a one-woman-operation, and how her students are gaining more than just technical skills but the confidence to believe that they too can reach for the stars.
34 mins
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Independent Singapore
18 minutes ago
- Independent Singapore
‘My cousin's old-school parents won't allow her to go to university since she'll just get married and quit work one day'
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user asked for advice about their cousin, who'd like to go to university, but her parents don't want her to. In a post on r/askSingapore on Monday (Jun 30), u/reddituser_0124 asked for advice regarding 'how to change an old-school mindset.' The post author explained that their cousin had received numerous offers from universities in Singapore and other countries, and in the past, her parents had always been 'very eager' to see their daughter go to university. However, now that the prospect is getting real, her parents have said that it would be better if their daughter, an A-level holder, does not pursue a degree but becomes a preschool teacher instead. 'Their reasons are so stupid,' they added. These include thinking that three to four years at university is too long, especially since the daughter took a gap year after secondary school, 'so she technically 'wasted one year.' The parents of their cousin also said that getting a degree from university is no guarantee of securing a good job or pay and that if she gets married and quits her job, it will be a waste. 'Her parents said it's better if they invest in her brothers instead since they will have to support their family one day,' the post author added, saying that this reasoning makes them 'mad beyond words.' 'Reason number 3 is the most hilarious, and I can't stop laughing at it. How sure are her parents that she will get married? Even if she gets married, what if the marriage does not go well? Who will support her then? Singapore is getting expensive. What makes her parents think that just her husband working is enough to sustain the family?' the post author wrote, asking also for help with how their cousin can talk to her parents. Many commenters encouraged the post author's cousin to go to university anyway, saying she could take out a loan to cover her expenses. 'There is no logic here, I would just laugh at them. Go search job boards and see what you can do with an A-level cert, short of becoming insurance agents or sth, the prospects are not great. 'If your cousin can, is she ready to apply for loans and scholarships on her own, and work for her own uni fees? Then she can say it's her own money and won't need to listen to her parents,' advised a commenter. 'She doesn't really need their permission. Take a tuition loan. Get a part-time job to keep herself afloat. I've done this, it's doable,' wrote another. 'Is she relying on her parents to pay for the tuition fee? If not, then you don't need to seek their permission or opinion. Get a tuition loan. 'For her own welfare, she needs to have options. Early Childhood is not for everyone, and the pay really isn't great. Why limit her potential? 'So what if she gets married? In their family, don't married daughters need to give their parents an allowance? I've seen many married daughters still giving allowance, so I don't see how this affects them,' a commenter chimed in. /TISG Read also: Poly grad disheartened after being rejected by every university he applied to, now considers taking a gap year
Independent Singapore
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Over 950,000 eligible Singaporean households to get U-Save, S&CC rebates this July
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China's coffee craze moves to the countryside — but can the buzz last?
As China's coffee culture flows beyond its urban roots, an improbable new boundary is developing — the rural area. According to the latest SCMP report, out-of-town and rural coffee shops are emerging all over the nation, powered by social media trends, economic prospects, and government revival strategies. However, as the demand soars, stiff competition arises, and a set of complications comes to the surface. Coffee and countryside charm For Asa Jin, a freelance service provider from Hangzhou, no two coffee excursions are identical. With camera and latte in hand, she moves from one coffee shop to another, taking delight in picturesque sights and curating social media content, before moving on. 'Most rural cafes are leaning into a fashionable, influencer-driven ambiance, but it's not sustainable,' she says. The uniqueness diminishes after a single visit. However, the fast turnover of interest doesn't stop the outpouring. Countryside coffee shops, usually snuggled in tranquil natural settings, are flourishing due to their 'escape' and visual appeal. As coffee substitutes for tea in more cups all over China, the market is undergoing volatile development. Net coffee imports increased over six times between 2020 and 2024, and the nation's coffee business is now assessed at more than 300 billion yuan (US$42 billion or S$53 billion). With rising demand, out-of-town cafes are thriving in fame, acceptance, and number. More than just a drink: Coffee as a catalyst for rural revival Beyond the caffeine dose and photo ops, these coffee shops are part of a larger plan — countryside revival. The government views them as instruments for reducing the urban-rural gap through job creation, tourism development, and driving local expansion. For example, Deep Blue in Anji County, Zhejiang. Its exceptional 'two investments, three returns' model permits village dwellers to earn from land rent payments, salaries, and dividends. The shops' success has made Anji become a coffee flashpoint. With more than 300 cafes for just 600,000 inhabitants, it even outperforms Shanghai in cafe concentration. Parallel advancement is taking place across the country. More than 40,000 bucolic coffee shops have launched nationwide, many of them backed up by strategies linked to President Xi Jinping's call for 'rural revitalisation in the new era.' Communities like Guozhao in Deping County are renovating roads and infrastructure to entice urban guests, while locals like Zhou Haojie are turning homes into cafes, eager to translate foot traffic into sustainable businesses. Homogenisation and overload The swift upsurge created a jam-packed market, with issues permeating just behind the façade. Specialists caution that the number of cafes has overtaken actual coffee consumption growth, profit boundaries are squeezed, and continuing feasibility is compromised. 'Although demand for coffee will continue to grow, the growth rate of cafes far exceeds that of coffee demand,' says Professor Li Bin of the Central University of Finance and Economics. Many coffee shops are beginning to look and taste the same. A confounding 98% of rural cafes in Zhejiang boast of 'natural settings,' and reviews on platforms like Dianping expose a shared disapproval — 'style over substance.' One well-known cafe, Gelien Coffee, famous for its charming Swiss-style background, is also inundated with grumbles about 'bad-tasting coffee' and 'only good for photos.' This monotony can undermine the very appeal that attracted clients in the first place. Professor Li suggests a shift — 'Homogenised business models and insufficient rural culture are limiting expansion. Differentiated development, rooted in local culture, is key.' As China's rural areas continue to savour the aroma of coffee and the appeal of a curated environment, the future of countryside coffee shops will depend on their capacity to evolve beyond aesthetics. For the time being, they remain a symbol of change, where tradition meets trend, and a mug of coffee serves something larger than itself.
