logo
Forum: Participate fully in collective celebration of nation's birthday at NDP

Forum: Participate fully in collective celebration of nation's birthday at NDP

Straits Timesa day ago
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
We thank Mr David Lim Yeow Chuan for his support of the National Day Parade (NDP), and for taking the time to share his observations (
Parade-goers should show greater appreciation for NDP , July 2).
Together from start to finish, the segments of each NDP weave together the story of Singapore's journey and our shared aspirations as a nation. In this year's celebration of Singapore's 60th year of independence, NDP 2025 will unfold across an expanded canvas of celebration encompassing both the Padang and the surrounding Bay area.
Each NDP features various interactive segments where audience members become active contributors to the experience. These engaging moments build towards the nationwide Majulah Moment, where all Singaporeans, whether at the parade or elsewhere, are invited to recite our Pledge and sing our National Anthem together.
The NDP is the result of the dedication of many volunteer participants and performers, whose stories of commitment and contribution have been shared with Singaporeans through various media platforms. They remind us of the collective spirit that makes this celebration possible.
We encourage all ticket-holders – whether for the NDP or its preview and National Education shows – to arrive early, enjoy the event in its entirety, and participate fully in every segment.
Beyond enjoying the experience and affirming the participants' effort, they will find deeper meaning in being part of this collective celebration of our nation's birthday and renewal of our commitment to Singapore.
Majulah Singapura.
Chong Shi Hao (Colonel)
Chairman
NDP 2025 Executive Committee
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Singer Akon's $7.7 billion ‘Wakanda' futuristic city dream crumbles in Senegal
Singer Akon's $7.7 billion ‘Wakanda' futuristic city dream crumbles in Senegal

Straits Times

time29 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Singer Akon's $7.7 billion ‘Wakanda' futuristic city dream crumbles in Senegal

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox R&B singer Akon' failed to deliver on his dream of a real-life Wakanda in the debt-stricken country. Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire – Senegal scrapped R&B singer Akon's plans for a US$6 billion (S$7.7 billion) futuristic city on the country's Atlantic Coast, and opted for a scaled-back project in the debt-stricken country that will rely on private funding. Announced in 2018 as a tech-driven, eco-friendly utopia for the global Black community with its own cryptocurrency, initial designs for Akon City, with its boldly curvaceous skyscrapers, were compared by commentators to the awe-inspiring fictional city of Wakanda in Marvel's Black Panther films and comic books. But after five years of setbacks, the 800-hectare site in Mbodiene - about 100km south of the capital, Dakar - remains mostly empty. The only structure is an incomplete reception building. There are no roads, no housing, no power grid, the BBC reported. That project 'no longer exists,' Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Sapco-Senegal, the state-owned entity that develops coastal and tourism areas, told L'Agence de presse sénégalaise. In 2024, Sapco gave Akon two weeks to begin work on the development or risk forfeiting the land. Most of it was reclaimed after Akon missed payments to Sapco. Meanwhile the star's Akoin cryptocurrency has struggled to repay its investors over the years, with Akon, Senegalese-American, conceding: 'It wasn't being managed properly - I take full responsibility for that.' Sapco now plans to spend 665 billion CFA francs (S$1.5 billion) turning the area into a tourism hub with hotels, apartments, a marina and promenade connecting the area to a nearby lagoon. The project is being developed as Senegal deals with a debt crisis that emerged after a state audit found that former President Macky Sall's administration accumulated US$7 billion (S$9 billion) of previously unreported loans. The so-called hidden liabilities restricted the West African nation's access to global credit markets and led the International Monetary Fund to freeze US$1.8 billion of funding. The government expects its plan will deliver on part of the original promise, with about 15,000 jobs expected in the first phase, according to Sapco. The new plan may finally offer opportunity for local investment, jobs and a reason for young people to stay, said Jean Wally Sene, a school teacher and resident of Mbodiène. 'For a very long time, people, including Akon, have been coming here trying to sell us dreams and illusions,' Ms Sene said. 'Finally, there's a dream for Mbodiène that we dare to believe in.' BLOOMBERG

Chanel shows haute couture in private salon setting at Grand Palais
Chanel shows haute couture in private salon setting at Grand Palais

Straits Times

time15 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Chanel shows haute couture in private salon setting at Grand Palais

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox PARIS - Chanel showed its latest collection of haute couture in an all-beige salon set at the Grand Palais in Paris on Tuesday, its last runway presentation by the design studio before the debut of new creative director Matthieu Blazy expected in September. Models emerged from an ornate entrance, parading long- skirted dresses in soft toned tweeds, with touches of sparkles and tufts of feathers. They wore tight buns and tall boots, which left u-shaped heel indentations in the plush carpet. Colors were muted, mostly ivory, beige and brown, but one silky dress came in a pale silvery blue, worn under a short, yellow-toned bomber jacket with a prominent, feathery collar. The show was held in the Salon d'Honneur, a smaller space of the freshly-restored Grand Palais, marking a contrast with the soaring, central exhibition hall usually favored by the label. Facing a prolonged slump, many labels in the high end fashion industry are renewing their design approach, with Kering-owned Gucci and Balenciaga, and LVMH's Dior among labels that have recently named new designers. After the show, guests lingered, making their way slowly down grand staircases, stopping for photos of the building's elaborate ironwork and gilded wall decorations. The Paris fall-winter haute couture fashion shows run through Thursday, featuring runway outings from labels Schiaparelli, Iris van Herpen and Imane Ayissi, as well as Giorgio Armani Prive, Maison Margiela and Balenciaga. REUTERS

Kit Chan, Taufik Batisah and more to perform at free National Day concert at Gardens by the Bay
Kit Chan, Taufik Batisah and more to perform at free National Day concert at Gardens by the Bay

Straits Times

time15 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Kit Chan, Taufik Batisah and more to perform at free National Day concert at Gardens by the Bay

Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (Clockwise from top left) Singer Kit Chan, first Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah, singer Tay Kewei and rapper Yung Raja will be some of the acts at the concert. SINGAPORE - The SG60 edition of the annual Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert (NDC) will feature performances by a line-up of home-grown acts including Mandopop star Kit Chan, first Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah, rapper Yung Raja and singer-songwriter Charlie Lim. The seventh edition of the free gig will take place at The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay on Aug 3 from 4.30pm. Hosted by local personalities Gurmit Singh, Nithiya Rao, Yasminne Cheng and Zhin Sadali, the show will also feature second Singapore Idol winner Hady Mirza, who composed and is set to sing the concert's theme song, Ties That Bloom. Sisters Tay Kewei and Tay Kexin will perform together for the first time, and other on-stage family affairs will include Cultural Medallion recipient Rahimah Rahim, her sister Rozie Rahim and granddaughter Aly; singer JJ Neo and her mother, host Lucy Chow, as well as married couple Annetha Ayyavoo and Mark Sara. Other music acts include Love 972 DJ Chua Lee Lian, jazz chanteuse Alemay Fernandez, pop singer Shazza and The Purple Symphony, an orchestra comprising musicians with and without disabilities. Chan will serenade the crowd with the National Day Parade (NDP) classic Home, as well as Here We Are, her 2025 NDP theme song with Lim. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the event's guest of honour, and his wife Jane Ittogi will lead the audience in reciting the National Pledge. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's second offer lapses Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray He says in a statement: 'This concert reflects what Singapore is about - people of all backgrounds coming together, each with something to give, something to learn, and each being uplifted. As we mark 60 years of independence, it's a reminder of how we grow stronger as a nation as we respect every contribution, blend our talents, and keep renewing the bonds that make this home.' Attendees can also enjoy local dishes such as laksa and popiah at a food street, play classic games like eraser battles and pick-up sticks, as well take part in activities such as satay keychain workshops. The concert will air on mewatch, Channel 5 and Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube on Aug 16 at 7.30pm. Book it/ Gardens by the Bay and Mediacorp National Day Concert 2025

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