Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words - BBC News

The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words - BBC News

Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words

Protesters in Hong Kong Getty Images

Hong Kong has been rocked by anti-government protests for months and the situation shows no sign of dying down.

To bring you up to date, here's all the background you need to know in 100 or 500 words - you can read each individually or in turn.

The story in 100 words

The Hong Kong protests started in June against proposals to allow extradition to mainland China.

Critics said this would undermine the city's judicial independence and could put dissidents at risk.

A former British colony, Hong Kong has some autonomy and more rights than the mainland under a "one country, two systems" deal.

Despite city leader Carrie Lam agreeing to indefinitely delay the bill, demonstrations continued and developed to include demands for full democracy and an inquiry into police actions.

Clashes between police and activists have been become increasingly violent with police using tear gas and activists storming the parliament building.

The story in 500 words

The extradition bill which triggered the first protest was introduced in April. It would have allowed for criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China, under certain circumstances.

Opponents said this risked exposing Hong Kongers to unfair trials and violent treatment. They also argued the bill would give China more greater influence over Hong Kong and could be used to target activists and journalists.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. After weeks of protests, leader Carrie Lam eventually said the bill would be suspended indefinitely until it expired.

How did the protests escalate?

Protesters feared the bill could be revived, so demonstrations continued, calling for it to be withdrawn completely.

Protester throwing a tear gas can back at the police AFP
The protests have often escalated into violent clashes

Over the weeks, clashes between police and protesters have become more frequent and more violent, with injuries on both sides and scores of people arrested.

Police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets while some activists have thrown bricks, firebombs and other objects.

In July, groups of protesters stormed the parliament building defacing parts of it. Also in July, a masked mob armed with sticks attacked people returning home from a protest inside Yuen Long station, far from the city centre.

In August, one protester was injured in the eye, leading to demonstrators wearing red-coloured eye patches to show their solidarity.

Protest action at Hong Kong international airport in August also saw renewed clashes and led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

What do the protesters want?

The protesters' demands have changed throughout the weeks of demonstrations and they are now calling for:

  • Complete withdrawal of the extradition bill
  • Withdrawal of the "riot" description used about the protests
  • Amnesty for all arrested protesters
  • An independent inquiry into alleged police brutality
  • Universal suffrage for the elections of the Chief Executive and Legislative Council, Hong Kong's parliament.

Some also want the resignation of Carrie Lam, who they view as a puppet of Beijing.

After initially staying quiet on the unrest, China has condemned the Hong Kong protests as "behaviour that is close to terrorism" - a sign its rhetoric is hardening.

Protesters in Hong Kong Airport AFP

There have also been reports of Chinese police and military massing across the border in Shenzhen, in a clear show of force.

Protests supporting the Hong Kong movement have spread across the globe, with rallies taking place in the UK, France, US, Canada and Australia.

In many cases, people supporting the Hong Kong demonstrators were confronted by pro-Beijing rallies.

What is Hong Kong's status?

Hong Kong is a former British colony but was handed back to China in 1997.

It is run under a "one country, two systems" agreement that guarantees it a level of autonomy.

It has its own judiciary and a separate legal system from mainland China. Those rights including freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are protected.

But those freedoms - the Basic Law - expire in 2047 and it is not clear what Hong Kong's status will then be.

Want to know more?

Read this:

Watch this:

The BBC's Helier Cheung on why people are taking to the streets in Hong Kong
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Protesters describe their ransacking of Hong Kong's Legislative Council one month on


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The Hong Kong protests explained in 100 and 500 words - BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49317695


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Saturday, August 24, 2019

Toddler dies after standing mirror falls on her in fashion store at Jewel Changi Airport, Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Toddler dies after standing mirror falls on her in fashion store at Jewel Changi Airport, Courts & Crime News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

Toddler dies after standing mirror falls on her in fashion store at Jewel Changi Airport

SINGAPORE - An 18-month-old toddler died at Changi General Hospital on Friday (Aug 23) after a standing mirror fell on her inside a fashion store at Jewel Changi Airport.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said they responded to a medical incident at 78 Airport Boulevard at 12.33pm on Friday.

The police said they received a call for assistance at 78 Airport Boulevard where a mirror had fallen on an 18-month-old girl.

The child was unconscious when she was taken to the hospital, where she was subsequently pronounced dead.

Police are investigating the unnatural death.

The Straits Times understands that the accident occurred at the Urban Revivo fashion store at Jewel Changi Airport. According to Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Wanbao, the mirror that fell was a full-length one.

The child's family, believed to be tourists from China, collected her body from the morgue on Saturday morning, accompanied by Jewel staff, reported Wanbao.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the child's family, believed to be tourists from China, collected her body from the morgue on Aug 24, accompanied by Jewel staff. PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

Pictures taken after the accident show the store was cordoned off and a sign was put up to inform customers it was "closed for stock take".

Shin Min Daily News reported that witnesses at the mall saw staff from the store asking nearby shops for ice to apply first aid for the toddler after the accident.

According to its website, Urban Revivo is a Chinese fashion clothing store founded in 2006, with 200 stores in China and across the world, including Europe, North America and Japan.

The store has three outlets in Singapore, including Jewel Changi Airport, Plaza Singapura and Raffles City.

Pictures taken after the accident show the store was cordoned off and a sign was put up to inform customers it was "closed for stock take". PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

Several incidents have been reported at Jewel Changi Airport since it opened its doors in April.

On May 11, a five-year-old boy suffered a minor cut on his toe after his slipper was caught in an escalator. He was assessed by a doctor on the site after the incident. 

Three cases of injury were reported in June.

On June 14, a woman injured her hand after tripping while walking on the sky nets attraction at Canopy Park.

A 14-year-old girl required nine stitches on her face after she suffered a cut while playing at the Mirror Maze attraction at Canopy Park on June 19.

A boy was taken to hospital on June 24 after getting his foot stuck in an escalator. Rescue tools were used to free the boy's foot before he was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

ST has contacted Jewel Changi Airport for more information.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019

More support for caregivers to seniors, Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More support for caregivers to seniors, Health News & Top Stories - The Straits Times

More support for caregivers to seniors

More help is on the way for residents in the South West District who are caregivers to elderly family members.

South West District Mayor Low Yen Ling yesterday announced three new initiatives by the South West Community Development Council (CDC) to better support caregivers, especially in an ageing society with smaller families.

One key initiative is the South West Caregiver Support Fund. Caregivers can receive interim financial assistance of $500 to help them pay for expenses like medical equipment and training in caregiving. It is meant to supplement national schemes that provide more long-term assistance.

For a start, a total of $150,000 will be set aside for 300 caregivers in the next three years.

They will also benefit from a reference guide, produced with the Agency for Integrated Care, which offers information and tips to help caregivers look after their loved ones and take care of their own emotional health.

The Care Guide booklet will be available at community clubs and social service organisations from the first quarter of next year.

OPEN UP TO OTHERS

It can be quite stressful, and I have to be home most of the time. Sometimes I feel sad, but I also learn to have patience, compassion and confidence that I can continue to take care of him. Most people are reluctant to talk about a family member with dementia, but I hope they can open up so they know they're not alone.

MR RICHARD ASHWORTH, who stopped work as an office manager 18 years ago to take care of his 85-year-old father, who has had various health problems and now has severe dementia.

The third initiative is a workplace advisory that the South West CDC produced together with the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices and Workforce Singapore. It serves as a guide for employers to make workplaces more friendly for caregivers, through ideas like flexi-work arrangements.

In a speech yesterday, Ms Low said: "Besides finances, we are mindful of how the well-being of caregivers themselves can be affected by the load of caregiving."

She cited a study by Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Institute of Geriatrics and Active Ageing that found that 40 per cent to 60 per cent of caregivers of people with dementia suffer from significant stress.

She also said workplaces can be flexible and understanding, especially towards caregivers who have to juggle work demands and the need to accompany family members to doctors' appointments or therapy sessions.

"As our population ages, more of us will become caregivers, and many will need to continue to work to support the family and caregiving expenses," she said.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who attended yesterday's event, said caregivers play a vital role in supporting seniors, even as the Government ramps up community care services. He added that the Ministry of Health has started a review to strengthen support for senior caregiving.

By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be 65 years old and above, up from one in seven currently.

Encouraging more local efforts like those of the South West CDC, Mr Gan said: "All of us can lend a helping hand to the elderly and their caregivers. Every little action goes a long way."

At the age of 71, Madam Teo Ino Neo keeps herself busy and active by exercising and meeting friends, on top of taking care of her 90-year-old aunt with dementia and working part-time as an office cleaner.

Madam Teo, who was also a caregiver to her late mother and husband, said she hopes to learn new exercises to keep fit.

Another caregiver, Mr Richard Ashworth, stopped work as an office manager 18 years ago to take care of his father, who has had a host of health problems, from colon and skin cancer to high blood pressure. His 85-year-old father now has severe dementia.

"It can be quite stressful, and I have to be home most of the time," said the 64-year-old National Parks Board volunteer. He spends about $1,000 a month on consumables like diapers and medicine for his father.

"Sometimes I feel sad, but I also learn to have patience, compassion and confidence that I can continue to take care of him," said Mr Ashworth, who is unmarried.

"Most people are reluctant to talk about a family member with dementia, but I hope they can open up so they know they're not alone."

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Saturday, August 3, 2019

NDP 2019: What it takes to operate a 6m tall, 1,000 kg lion puppet - CNA

NDP 2019: What it takes to operate a 6m tall, 1,000 kg lion puppet - CNA

NDP 2019: What it takes to operate a 6m tall, 1,000 kg lion puppet

As it turns out, it takes a lot of training, strength, and watching lion documentaries.

Singapore
NDP lion puppet 2019
The six-metre tall metallic lion puppet which weighs about 1,000kg, will feature in this year's National Day Parade. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)
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SINGAPORE: My first glimpse of the lion puppet for this year's National Day Parade (NDP) is through the window of a Grab vehicle.

It peeks out from behind the stands as I passed, a giant glimmering creature looking like it was cobbled together from thousands of reflective strips of a Corrective Work Order vest.

Up close, it looks deceptively light. Although it's six metres tall, eight metres wide and weighs 1,000 kg, I can't help but see it as nothing but a blown-up piece of origami.

It was only when members of the NDP organising committee pulled me aside to give me a safety briefing when I realised that I might have underestimated the prop.

You need boots, they told me, after looking at my well-worn Converse sneakers. You don't want the edge of the structure to run over your foot - and crush it, was the implicit meaning.

Once appropriately suited up, I was introduced to Jensen Lim, the 20-year-old crew member who will be my guide for the day. Although he was nervous to be on camera, he spoke with a confidence from having practised with the prop for months on end.

"We'll do a demonstration first," he says, signalling the other eight crew members into position - one for each leg, one to operate the head, and four others to push the entire structure up the Padang stage.

NDP lion puppet
Performer Jensen Lim teaches me how to operate the leg. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)

As part of my task, I had to move the left leg in rhythm with the right leg. One goes up while the other comes back down, Jensen explained, with another crew member demonstrating.

Then it's my turn to try.

I gripped the twin handles and pushed. I can feel all my muscles straining as I struggled to even lift the upper half of the leg, much less coordinate the lower part of the leg to make the prop look like it's walking.

I can feel the amusement of the nine crew members as they watched me flail helplessly.

I am only given a few more tries before it's time for us to walk the puppet. Several uncoordinated leg movements in, my arms gave up.

READ: NDP show to feature six-metre tall lion puppet in laser spectacle

READ: What it's like to ride in the Mobile Column at NDP

THE TRAINING

Unlike me, Jensen and the eight other crew members worked with each other in smooth coordination like seasoned puppeteers. Although they're missing one sick member, each movement was confident and purposeful.

This comes from training three times a week for the past few months.

"I will take about half an hour for the legs to warm up (during each training). They will get to coordinate with each other, see how they can improve from last week, how it can make more real.

"After that, we will practice the pushing. So the pushing must be on time… After that, all together we will do both movements together to ensure there is no gaps," says Jensen as he explained the training process.

NDP lion puppet (1)
Nine performers - sans one sick crew member - work the giant lion prop. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)

But the practice does not stop at the Padang stage. According to Jensen, the crew also watched lion documentaries separately, to better mimic a real lion's movements.

While they may seem natural on stage now, Jensen said it took plenty of effort to get where they're at now.

"The first week we tried… I would say we failed two out of three practices. Because one, we couldn't coordinate between the legs and the movement, because the lion rocks as you control the legs.

"So there are points where the lion's legs touch the floor (and) scrape the bottom of the metal frame," he said.

READ: NDP 2019 declared an 'enhanced security special event': Police

READ: From Sungei Gedong to Nicoll Highway, prepping armoured vehicles for the NDP stage

In fact, the first time the crew tried to push the lion up the slope to the stage, they got stuck halfway due to a lack of momentum and had to carefully roll it back down.

In addition, performing is something new to Jensen. Originally part of the NDP show support, he ended up working with the lion after he volunteered to help out with the big props.

"It's a different experience altogether. I think me and my guys, we have never tried anything similar to this. So I think it was a new experience that we could try altogether as a team," he said.

"I feel like it's one of the learning experiences, and I think my guys really enjoy having a bit of spotlight in a way, and participate in NDP, all in all. We don't participate in NDP every year."

THE PERFORMANCES

Jensen and his crew have already put in seven performances in front of a crowd: three combined rehearsals, three National Education shows, and one preview show.

But he still feels nervous each time, he said.

NDP lion puppet 2019
A six-metre tall metallic lion puppet at the Padang stage. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)

With just one preview left to go, the spectre of the performing on National Day itself looms large. While nervous, Jensen seemed ready for it.

"I think you can say we are both nervous and excited. Nervous is that… are we going to avoid the same mistakes, are we going to get the right timing, are the legs going to be proper on the actual day.

"But… the excitement is every week because – the guys, we are just generally very happy when we get to see the smiles on the audiences' face. Like when we come out and everybody (has) all the 'oohs' and 'ahhs'," he said.

So far, each audience they performed seemed very satisfied with the crew's performance and the lion puppet itself.

"Everyone is just shocked at the sheer size of the lion… The image of the lion – the shimmering image of the lion (looks) very futuristic. From what I hear, everyone is very amazed that it looks a bit like a projector image instead of a real puppet," he said.

READ: NDP 2019: Fireworks to be set off at Singapore River for the first time

READ: NDP 2019 theme song combines familiar tunes We Will Get There, Our Singapore

STRENGTHENED FRIENDSHIPS

At the end of our interview, I asked Jensen if he had any pointers after watching me struggle with the lion.

Just practice, is all he said.

"When we first started out, we were probably the same as when you first started out… Everyone was messy, there was no coordination between the legs – it looked like it was hopping on one knee.

"But as time goes by, when the guys get more practice... everything just seems to work better."

NDP lion puppet 2019 (2)
The metallic lion will be on the main stage at the Padang for its grand entrance in this year's National Day Parade. (Photo: Hanidah Amin)

He adds that the high morale between the team was what kept them going, despite the blazing hot sun during their afternoon rehearsals.

"The most rewarding part will be the friendship strengthened within my ten guys," he says. "(It's already) an honourable experience altogether, but the plus point would be the ten of us – we got much closer because of the time spent together."

And it is time well-spent. Even as I let the Padang, tired from my brief stint as a lion puppeteer, I can still see the crew rolling back the lion, ready for another round of rehearsals in anticipation of National Day itself.



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