Me & My Money: Ex-finance professional makes it her business to help children thrive
When you build something purpose-driven with the right foundation, the returns will follow, not just financially but also in lasting impact, says Ms Janice Tay, founder and clinical director of Bridging The Gap.
SINGAPORE – Ms Janice Tay did not expect to become a business owner. She was happy working in private insurance, and starting a business was far from her mind.
But then came the diagnosis. She left the corporate world to focus on her son after he was diagnosed with global developmental delay and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Meta faces backlash in South Korea over mysterious account bans
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SEOUL - A growing number of South Korean users are demanding answers from Meta after their Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended without clear reason. Some were even flagged for violating policies related to sexual exploitation of minors, allegations users say are not only false but deeply damaging to their personal reputations. Meta Korea has acknowledged a technical error, but frustration continues to grow. Accounts remain locked, and users say there's no direct way to appeal or receive help. 'I never uploaded anything illegal,' said one user during a recent closed-door session with lawmakers. 'But now people around me are suspicious. It's humiliating.' In response, Representative Choi Min-hee, head of the South Korean National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee organised a private meeting last week with affected users, legal experts, and regulators. 'We need real solutions, not vague apologies,' she said, urging Meta to take responsibility and act swiftly. Mr Heo Ouk, Meta Korea's director of public policy who attended the meeting, apologised for the 'frustration' and pledged to 'escalate the cases to headquarters for urgent review'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Singapore Why the vape scourge in Singapore concerns everyone Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons Singapore Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Asia Why China's high-end hotels are setting up food stalls outside their doors Singapore Geothermal energy present in S'pore, but greater study on costs, stability needed, say experts The session included testimony from users whose accounts were banned after seemingly routine activity. A college student had their account suspended after uploading an illustration for a class project. Another user, who runs a wildlife-themed page, said they were banned without explanation. One user reactivated their account after a study break, only to be locked out immediately. Attorney Kim Si-eun, representing several of the victims, said Meta must comply with South Korea's Telecommunications Business Act, which requires companies to prove that any service suspension is justified. 'If they can't show cause,' she said, 'they must restore the accounts immediately.' She also called on Meta to speed up the launch of its promised South Korea-based customer service center, which is currently scheduled for February 2026. Mr Shin Seung-han, director of market surveillance at the Korea Communications Commission, confirmed that the agency has submitted a formal request to Meta for written clarification. He warned that if Meta is found to have violated the law, 'we will take legal measures under existing regulations'. Ms Choi emphasised that the situation reflects a broader problem. 'There's no local customer support. Users are left in the dark,' she said. She plans to compile user testimonies and follow up with another meeting once Meta responds. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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Gyokeres to face disciplinary action after training absence, says Sporting president
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Sporting President Frederico Varandas has warned that striker Viktor Gyokeres will be fined and asked to apologise to his squad after failing to turn up for pre-season training on time, amid reports of a move away from the Portuguese club. The 27-year-old Sweden international was due to report for Sporting's training camp in Portugal's southern Algarve region on July 12 after being granted an extended break, according to media reports. Gyokeres, who scored 54 goals last season, has three years left on his Sporting contract and has been linked with a move to Premier League club Arsenal. "We're calm. Everything will be resolved with the closing of the market, a heavy fine, and an apology to the group," Varandas told the Lusa news agency on Saturday. "If they (interested clubs) don't want to pay fair market value for Viktor, we are very comfortable with that for the next three years. "If the geniuses who are devising this strategy think that this puts pressure on me to facilitate the exit, they are not only completely wrong but are also making the player's exit even more complicated. "No one is above the club's interests, whoever they may be." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Government looking at enhancing laws around vaping to tackle issue of drug-laced vapes in Singapore Singapore Why the vape scourge in Singapore concerns everyone Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons Singapore Organised crime groups pushing drug-laced vapes in Asia including Singapore: UN Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Asia Why China's high-end hotels are setting up food stalls outside their doors Singapore Geothermal energy present in S'pore, but greater study on costs, stability needed, say experts Gyokeres has bagged 97 goals in 102 matches for Sporting since his 2023 move from English second-tier club Coventry City, winning the Primeira Liga title in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. Sporting play Scottish champions Celtic in a friendly match at the Estadio Algarve on Wednesday. REUTERS
Straits Times
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How AI is transforming wedding planning
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox AI is transforming the wedding planning process by providing couples and event planners with many useful tools. By the time Ms Emily Strand and Mr Will Christiansen exchange vows this fall, most of the tasks on their wedding to-do list will have been created, organised and completed thanks to artificial intelligence. These include everything from a seating chart to a personalised 70-word crossword puzzle for their Oct 11 wedding at the Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada. AI is helping them manage their budget and found their officiant and cake maker, too. Ms Strand's secret for getting it all done? Specificity. 'I asked ChatGPT to list, as a bride, common and uncommon things I needed to do to plan a DIY, 120-person, outdoor ceremony in Las Vegas in October 2025,' said Ms Strand, 31, a public defender for Clark County, Nevada. Within seconds ChatGPT spit out an Excel document listing 200 suggestions, including ideas from blog posts, Reddit and Google Crowdsource. 'Once it suggested vendors,' Ms Strand said, 'I had AI write my query letters to them.' She also asked for advice on improving her wedding website. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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AI is transforming the process by providing couples and event planners with many useful tools. Among them: real-time cost analyses and budget tracking; virtual styling assistants; algorithms for seating; automated RSVP reminders; and augmented reality, or AR, which can allow couples to tour venues remotely. Ms Anne Chang, 32, a freelance DJ from New York City, said she wanted to 'simplify and optimise' the planning for her five-day bachelorette party in Ibiza, Spain, and turned to an AI tool on Bridesmaid for Hire, a wedding service platform. Seconds after plugging in some basic information, a six-page itinerary was produced that 'factored in that the night we're going to a club, our following morning would be a late rise and breakfast, and a chill beach day,' Ms Chang said. She paid US$35 (S$45 ) for the assistance. The itinerary offered recommendations and featured a 'fun meter' for each activity. Other unexpected touches included group photo shoot suggestions and locations, a packing checklist, emergency precautions and names of the nearest hospitals. Ms Julia Lynch, 31, and Mr Alex Eckstein, 30, of New York City, used the same site but a different tool to create a seating chart for their 300 guests, who are attending their wedding on Aug 23 at the Hillrock Estate Distillery in Ancram, New York, where Mr Eckstein is a partner. 'The complexities of who to seat people next to is overwhelming,' said Ms Lynch, a personal brand strategist. After inputting the names and details about their guests, the program created two seating charts, for two meals that will be served on different nights, taking into account guests' commonalities and family dynamics. 'The tool gave me suggestions for designs, layouts and types of tables within the parameters of our tent,' said Ms Lynch, who chose round tables for easier conversation. She described the experience as fun and, at US$9, inexpensive. Though her wedding planner is full service, she said she wanted to optimise his time. 'This took seconds and eliminated the need for him to do the work,' she said. In 2024 , Ms Jen Glantz, a professional vows writer who started Bridesmaid for Hire in 2014, added an AI speechwriting component to her human-driven offerings. Since introducing the tool, around 1,300 people opted for a US$35 AI speech, versus 20 people who each hired Ms Glantz to write them for US$375. Now 10 different AI tools, including a 24-hour hotline that people call for advice, are available, and account for 70 per cent of her business. 'The hotline gives users actionable advice and steps they can take, with a bit of sympathy in my trained voice and expertise,' she said. 'For my customers, AI is making this industry more personalised, affordable, faster, and efficient.' Popular wedding platforms like the Knot, Minted and Canva are also incorporating AI into their sites. Zola, the wedding website, added two AI programs in 2024 : Split the Decisions, which helps couples divide wedding planning responsibilities, and a thank-you note generator tool available as a mobile app. It is also planning to add a wedding vendor budget assistant in August. Other AI platforms have been recently built out of firsthand wedding experiences, like Guestlist and When Ms Michelle Nemirovsky, 35, and Mr Federico Polacov, 34, of Austin, Texas, were married in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec 17, 2023, the couple wished they had a better way to track RSVPs and connect instantly with guests. 'People have a wedding website, but no one looks at it, and it doesn't give updates in real time,' said Ms Nemirovsky, who, with Mr Polacov, started Guestlist in 2024. Ms Nemirovsky described the site as a social network that organizes RSVPs and offers real-time updates. More than 7,300 people have downloaded the app since its launch, and a 24-hour AI chatbot component is in the works for later this year. Some services are free, and others require a US$10 monthly subscription that gives unlimited photo and video uploads, and texting to guests. Though most professionals and couples agreed AI is a tool, rather than a replacement for people, many said AI was doing the job of numerous people, all at once. 'Not all brides will need a full-service planner if they can do a lot of legwork themselves with AI,' Ms Strand said. 'We only needed 'a day-of coordinator'.' Ms Nemirovsky, though, was glad to have her planner by her side. 'The night before our wedding, a huge storm hit,' she said. 'Everything we planned was outside and needed to be inside. ChatGPT could not have replaced our wedding planner who consoled me while I was crying, or coordinated our vendors while making sure our Plan B looked like plan A.' NYTIMES
