logo
Sheila Sim uses SkillsFuture credits for hair-cutting course after giving daughter ‘awful' haircut

Sheila Sim uses SkillsFuture credits for hair-cutting course after giving daughter ‘awful' haircut

Straits Times11-07-2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Sheila Sim said the course was 'sponsored by the Government' as she had used her SkillsFuture credits.
SINGAPORE – Local actress-model Sheila Sim posted on Instagram that she attended a four-day hair-cutting course following an unsatisfactory trim she gave her daughter.
In the video posted by Sim on July 10, she appears focused as she trims a mannequin's hair, under the guidance of a professional in a black top and jeans. Sim said the course was 'sponsored by the Government' as she had used her SkillsFuture credits.
The model wrote in her caption: 'I've always been cutting my daughters' hair since they were babies. But as they grow, their hair length and texture have become increasingly difficult to manage.
'With no formal experience, I attempted to trim about 5cm off Layla's hair... which ended up being more like 10cm.'
She said that when her daughter first looked in the mirror after the cut, the child said: 'I hate my hair.'
While Layla eventually reassured her three days later that the hair was 'starting to look like hers again', the 41-year-old mother wrote that the haircut was 'awful' and 'really bad'.
This incident spurred Sim to search online for hair-cutting lessons, which led her to sign up for a four-day course at Kimage Hairdressing School.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore S'pore boosts nuclear viability, safety research with new institute and $66m in additional funding
Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops
Singapore Over 12,000 lower-income households to receive $60 in transport vouchers by end-July
Singapore NDP 2025: Leopard tank transmission fault identified, vehicle to resume role in mobile column
Life Anti-smoking advisory in new plaque for controversial samsui woman mural
World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia
Business CEO salaries: At Singapore's top companies, whose pay went up and whose saw a drop?
Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC
On the same day, the My Friends From Afar (2017) actress also posted a series of Instagram Stories, sharing an update of her hair-cutting skills after attending the course.
In one of the Stories, she filmed a 360-degree video of a mannequin, and wrote: 'Excuse the face... but I think I did quite a good job with the hair! Whee.'
Fellow local star Desmond Tan, known for his work in The Journey: A Voyage (2015) and When Duty Calls (2018), commented, 'Next week, any available slots?', complete with a winking emoji.
Other colleagues complimented her, with veteran Lin Meijiao saying: 'You are looking so pro.'
Back in November 2024, Sim had
undergone a two-day hair transplant procedure after receiving feedback that her hair was thinning.
In June the same year, she turned 40, and
had a polka dot-themed party attended by actors Elvin Ng, Romeo Tan, Chen Hanwei and Jade Seah.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Firm in India shipped explosives to Russia despite US warnings
Firm in India shipped explosives to Russia despite US warnings

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Firm in India shipped explosives to Russia despite US warnings

Find out what's new on ST website and app. A woman carrying her pet dogs as she flees her home, following a Russian bomb attack on an apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on July 24. WASHINGTON/KYIV/NEW DELHI - An Indian company shipped US$1.4 million (S$1.7 million) worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December, according to Indian customs data seen by Reuters, despite US threats to impose sanctions on any entity supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. One of the Russian companies listed as receiving the compound - known as HMX or octogen - is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez, which an official at Ukraine's SBU security service said has ties to the country's military. The official said that Ukraine launched a drone attack in April against a Promsintez-owned factory. According to the Pentagon's Defence Technical Information Centre and related defence research programmes, HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems. The US government has identified HMX as 'critical for Russia's war effort' and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow. The HMX sale to Russian firms has not been previously reported. Russian defence manufacturers have been working around the clock for the past several years to sustain President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, which intensified with Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour in 2022. India, which has recently forged closer ties with the United States in an effort to counterbalance China's growing influence, has not abandoned its longstanding military and economic ties with Moscow. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into a billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71 Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B India's trade with Russia - especially its purchases of Russian oil - has remained robust, even as Western nations have tried to cripple Russia's war economy with sanctions. US President Donald Trump threatened earlier in July to hit nations with a 100 per cent tariff if they continued purchasing Russian crude. The US Treasury Department has the authority to sanction those who sell HMX and similar substances to Russia, according to three sanctions lawyers. HMX is known as a 'high explosive', meaning it detonates rapidly and is designed for maximum destruction. Reuters has no indication that the HMX shipments violated Indian government policy. One Indian official with knowledge of the shipments said that the compound has some limited civilian applications, in addition to its better-known military uses. India's foreign ministry said in a statement: 'India has been carrying out exports of dual-use items taking into account its international obligations on non-proliferation, and based on its robust legal and regulatory framework that includes a holistic assessment of relevant criteria on such exports.' The US State Department did not comment on the specific shipments identified by Reuters but said it had repeatedly communicated to India that companies doing military-related business are at risk of sanctions. 'India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in full and frank dialogue, including on India's relationship with Russia,' a spokesperson said. 'We have repeatedly made clear to all our partners, including India, that any foreign company or financial institution that does business with Russia's military industrial base are at risk of US sanctions.' Russia's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. 'While India has not typically been among the primary jurisdictions used for circumventing sanctions, we are aware that isolated cases can occur,' Ukrainian presidential adviser Vladyslav Vlasiuk told Reuters. 'We can confirm that the Russian company Promsintez has appeared on our radar in the past, including in connection with cooperation involving Indian counterparts,' added Mr Vlasiuk, President Volodymyr Zelensky's top sanctions official. Washington woos New Delhi Reuters identified two HMX shipments sent in December by Indian firm Ideal Detonators Private Limited, both of which were unloaded in St Petersburg, according to the Indian customs data. An Indian government official with direct knowledge of the shipments confirmed them. One shipment, worth US$405,200, was purchased by a Russian company called High Technology Initiation Systems, the data show. The other shipment, worth more than US$1 million was purchased by Promsintez. Both purchasers are based in Samara Oblast, near the border of Kazakhstan in southern Russia, according to the data. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Andrei Belousov meeting Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Moscow, in December 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS Ideal Detonators Private Limited, based in the Indian state of Telangana, did not respond to a request for comment. Promsintez and High Technology Initiation Systems also did not respond to requests for comment. While several Indian entities were sanctioned during the administration of former US president Joe Biden for supporting Russia's war effort, sanctions were applied sparingly due to geopolitical considerations, according to two US officials who worked on sanctions under Mr Biden. Under Mr Trump, Russia-related sanctions work has slowed to a trickle, and it is not clear if the United States will take further action against Indian companies doing business with Russia's defence industry. Washington has long sought closer relations with India to pull the South Asian country away from China. Mr Jason Prince, a partner at Washington-based law firm Akin, said the US government often prefers to communicate its concerns privately to allies and only take punitive actions as a last resort. REUTERS

IMF plans August mission to Senegal on hidden debt, new programme
IMF plans August mission to Senegal on hidden debt, new programme

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

IMF plans August mission to Senegal on hidden debt, new programme

Find out what's new on ST website and app. A street food vendor pushes her cart near Kermel Market in downtown Dakar, Senegal, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo LONDON/NEW YORK - The International Monetary Fund plans a mission to Senegal in August to address hidden debt and start talks on the "contours" of a new loan programme, it said on Thursday. Senegal is grappling with billions in debts hidden by the previous administration, which have prompted the IMF to freeze its loan programme. "The purpose of the mission is going to be to discuss the steps needed to bring the misreporting case to our executive board," IMF communications director Julie Kozack said in a media briefing in Washington. "The team will also use the opportunity to initiate discussions on the contours of a new IMF-supported program for Senegal." Separately, another Fund spokesperson said via email that it needs more data before it can firm up its assessment on Senegal's debt situation and also needs an agreement on key remedial measures. The IMF's executive board must either approve a misreporting waiver - many investors' base case - or order Senegal to pay back previous programme disbursements. With a waiver, Senegal could negotiate a new programme. "Once we have reached agreement on the key corrective measures, the IMF Board will be in a position to consider the Senegal misreporting case and take a decision," a spokesperson for the Fund said in response to emailed questions from Reuters. An agreement on these measures could be reached "hopefully within the coming weeks," that spokesperson added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Asia Singapore urges all parties in Thailand-Cambodia border dispute to exercise restraint Asia Deadly Thai-Cambodian dispute puts Asean's relevance on the line Life Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71: US media Singapore Avoid water activities around Tuas Second Link, Raffles Marina after chemical tank accident: NEA Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore Mindef to set up new volunteer management unit to grow volunteer pool Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Bonds jumped on the news. The euro-denominated 2028 bond gained more than 3 cents to bid at 82.88 cents on the euro, and the 2033 dollar-denominated bond gained nearly 3 cents to bid at 70.64 cents on the dollar. DEBT ICEBERG The IMF estimates - based on latest data from Senegalese authorities - that hidden debt stood at $11.3 billion by end-2023, the spokesperson added. This included a portion for state-owned enterprises of about 7.4% of GDP. There have been a range of estimates. S&P pegged the total hidden debt discovered since October 2024 at roughly $13 billion. The size of the hidden debt has escalated since September 2024, when the then newly elected government said an audit of government finances first flagged the issue. The scale dwarfs Mozambique's infamous "tuna bond" scandal -the most recent hidden debt case, which involved roughly $3 billion. The spokesperson said that the IMF, which has come under fire for not catching the off-the-books lending, will present information to the board on how it went undetected. "The IMF is conducting an internal assessment and diagnostic as part of the misreporting process," the spokesperson added. REUTERS

Reports: LAFC chasing Tottenham star Heung-Min Son
Reports: LAFC chasing Tottenham star Heung-Min Son

Straits Times

time3 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Reports: LAFC chasing Tottenham star Heung-Min Son

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Los Angeles FC are pursuing Tottenham Hotspur star forward Heung-Min Son, multiple outlets are reporting. The Spurs are considering an offer of 15 million pounds ($20.3 million USD) from the MLS club, according to The Sun, based in the United Kingdom. Son, 33, has been at Tottenham since 2015 and is under contract with the Premier League side through 2026. The South Korean international recorded 11 goals and 12 assists in 46 matches last season for the Europa League champions. Son has contributed 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 matches with Tottenham since arriving from Germany's Bayer Leverkusen in 2015. --Field Level Media REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store