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AsiaOne
an hour ago
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Daily roundup: Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 — and other top stories today, World News
Stay in the know with a recap of our top stories today. 1. Odette remains Singapore's only restaurant in World's 50 Best Restaurants list for 2025 The results of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 are out and once again, only one establishment from Singapore made the list... » READ MORE 2. Elderly man left bloodied after concrete from toilet ceiling collapses on him in Yishun home An elderly man was struck by falling spalling concrete from the ceiling of his toilet in his Yishun HDB flat... » READ MORE 3. No joke: Tableware used by Dylan Wang in China noodle shop framed up by owner Chinese heartthrob Dylan Wang has been capturing the hearts of fans worldwide, but now he has captured their appetite as well... » READ MORE 4. Malaysian dad in tears after 11 children pool together to buy him new SUV A Malaysian father was moved to tears after his 11 children surprised him with a brand new car... » READ MORE editor@
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
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'Arts must have the space to explore uncomfortable realities': Wild Rice responds to ban on play by IMDA and MHA , Singapore News
Theatre company Wild Rice said that they "categorically reject the characterisation" that one of their plays "glamorises drug abuse", after it was banned by local authorities for undermining anti-drug policy. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), in a joint statement on Friday (June 20), said that the dramatised reading of Homepar has been disallowed in its current form. This comes just a day before its staging. The revised script submitted on June 5 had substantially changed from the version submitted on April 21, they noted, pointing out that the new material glamorises drug abuse and portrays an undercover Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer shielding abusers from detection. "It undermines Singapore's anti-drug policy, our drug rehabilitation regime, and public confidence in the CNB," said the joint statement. "Performances that undermine Singapore's national interest are not permitted under the AECC (Arts Entertainment Classification Code)." Wild Rice responds Wild Rice, in their statement posted on IG and Facebook on Friday (June 20), pointed out that the play is a "reductive reading of a nuanced and empathetic work that is, at its core, about healing and recovery". "The central character's journey is one of struggle, resilience, and the power of community in overcoming addiction and stigma," said the company, adding that Homepar does not condone or glorify substance use. "It seeks to ask why people — real people, in our society — turn to drugs, often as a response to trauma, discrimination, and marginalisation," said Wild Rice. "The characters portrayed express a spectrum of attitudes, including rejection and ambivalence, and the play ends with a celebration of community that is explicitly and intentionally drug-free." The theatre company added that the play, written by Mitchell Fang, was a "work in development" and that it was "never intended as a full production" but a process to collect "feedback and revision". "We also believe that the arts must have the space to explore complex, often uncomfortable realities," Wild Rice said. They also said that they "remain committed to responsible storytelling" and "working constructively with regulators" to ensure that Homepar "can be seen, understood, and appreciated for what it truly is." According to a synopsis on Wild Rice's website, Homepar — a reference to house parties in the gay party scene — is about a man who hosts one such party to "power through a tough break-up and celebrate their evolving gender identity". However, the host and his guests subsequently received a knock on the door at 4am. April 21 script could be staged: IMDA IMDA said it had previously informed Wild Rice that their prior April 21 script could be staged as it met the requirements. The theatre company, however, has chosen not to revert their script to their initial version. IMDA added that Singapore's firm stance against drugs remains unchanged, and that they will continue to uphold the AECC to protect national interest. [[nid:719172]]
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
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Rebel Wilson wants more action comedy roles after starring in Bride Hard, Entertainment News
Rebel Wilson wants more action comedy roles after starring in Bride Hard. The 45-year-old actress reunites with her Pitch Perfect co-star Anna Camp in the new flick that centres on a chaotic wedding day and hopes to land similar roles in the future, even though she acknowledges that she is not going to be in the John Wick franchise. Rebel told The Hollywood Reporter at the movie's Los Angeles premiere on Wednesday (June 18): "Obviously I'm not a serious action person, I'm not going to be in the John Wick franchise, but I feel like action comedy maybe there's a few roles coming up in that space which would be really fun." The Australian star plays secret agent Sam in the movie which sees her childhood best friend Betsy's (Camp) wedding crashed by armed mercenaries and says that she had been looking to work with her pal once again on a new project. Rebel said: "I love Anna, I think she's one of the world's best actresses — she can do anything, if you've seen her recently in You or Hysteria!, she's so multitalented. "This movie required a girl squad, so I was like, 'Yeah, bring in Anna Camp.' She could play any role; she decided she wanted to be the bride and so we play besties yet again." The film is directed by Simon West and he says it was a straightforward decision to cast Anna because of her existing bond with Wilson. The director explained: "It was just easy because they're friends. There's so much else going on in the film and putting a film together, you go, 'How can we make that relationship work the best?' And getting somebody like Anna Camp who is already her best friend and has already worked with her and they know each other's timing, it just makes the whole thing so obvious." Meanwhile, Rebel revealed that she went into "beast mode" when it came to her physical preparation for the movie. The Bridesmaids star told People: "I was pretty strong during this movie. I trained for a full five weeks and did conditioning for it, and then I had to be really kind of in beast mode, but I really enjoyed it, getting paid to almost be fit, which is really good." However, the actress explained that she was almost left "permanently disfigured" by a "freak accident" on set. She told Access Hollywood: "In a fight scene, a gun accidentally got whacked across my face. "It was just a freak accident, and my nose got split open, so I left set. It was my last night of shooting. I was like, 'How unlucky can I be?' "I was freaking out. They take an ambulance and they have to call a plastic surgeon, because if they didn't, I would have been permanently disfigured. So we got the plastic surgeon, they did all the stitches, and you can't tell now." [[nid:719218]]
AsiaOne
3 hours ago
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Elderly man left bloodied after concrete from toilet ceiling collapses on him in Yishun home, Singapore News
An elderly man was struck by falling spalling concrete from the ceiling of his toilet in his Yishun HDB flat, according to a Facebook post by user Siti Nurhashikin on Thursday (June 19) morning. In her post, she shared that her 65-year-old father was in the toilet at around 4.30am getting ready for morning prayers. As he was seated on the toilet, spalling concrete "suddenly collapsed" on him, causing him to suffer head, shoulder and knee injuries. Siti's aunt, Ross Arsad, as well as Siti's uncle, immediately rushed to the victim's home in Yishun to assist, also calling the ambulance. In images shared with AsiaOne by Ross, 60, cuts can be seen on the man's leg and scalp, with dried blood visible on his face. The spalling concrete which fell to the floor afterwards also had blood droplets on it. Spalling concrete refers to concrete that has broken away from a surface which may occur due to numerous factors such as moisture build-up or corrosion of metal reinforcement within concrete. The man was sent to hospital, where he received over 10 stitches, Siti said, adding that her father is now in hospital for observation as he is also on blood-thinning medication. According to her, the flat had gone through a home improvement programme (HIP) in 2018 and no recent renovation had been conducted by him or neighbours above. "This has been very traumatic for my dad — and worrying for all of us," Siti said. "We've reported to HDB and the police, and we are waiting for follow-up. "I'm sharing this so that other families with elderly parents living in older flats will be aware — please check on their house condition. We never thought something like this could happen." Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged. We will assist: Shanmugam Nee Soon GRC MP K Shanmugam also visited the home, according to a Facebook post on Friday (June 20), stating that he spoke with Siti's mother during the visit. "Told her that we will assist them, including on payment for the repair works," said Shanmugam, who is also the Home Affairs Minister. "My volunteers are linking with HDB and Town Council on the matter." AsiaOne has reached out to HDB, Ross and Siti for more information. [[nid:677756]] khooyihang@
AsiaOne
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
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Coldplay to reissue 9 of their albums on records made from recycled plastic bottles, Entertainment News
Coldplay are set to reissue nine of their albums on records made from recycled plastic bottles. The Viva la Vida band are continuing their environmental crusade by reissuing their material on EcoRecord LPs — which are claimed to reduce carbon emissions during the manufacturing process by 85 per cent when compared to traditional vinyl production. Jen Ivory, managing director of Coldplay's record label Parlophone, said: "We are incredibly proud to partner with artists such as Coldplay who share our commitment to a more sustainable future for music. "The shift to EcoRecord LP for their releases is a testament to what's possible when innovation meets intention. "It's not just about a new product, it's about pioneering manufacturing that significantly reduces environmental impact, providing fans with the same high-quality audio experience while setting a new standard for physical music production." The band are re-issuing their debut album Parachutes (2000), A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), X+Y (2005), Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), Mylo Xyloto (2011), Ghost Stories (2014), A Head Full of Dreams (2015), Everyday Life (2019) and Music of the Spheres (2021) in an eco-friendly manner. The LPs are made up of around nine recycled bottles, which are cleaned and processed into small pellets before being moulded into records. Coldplay's most recent album — 2024's Moon Music — has already been released on an EcoRecord LP. The Clocks band are attempting to tour in an environmentally friendly way, but frontman Chris Martin previously admitted there is still "quite a long way to go" to find a fully eco-friendly way to perform around the world. The 48-year-old singer told BBC Radio 2 in 2021: "We've been working with some amazing brands to see how we can cut down as much of the environmental impact as possible. "We still have quite a long way to go. But we've already come quite a long way." Coldplay teamed up with direct air capture pioneers Climeworks to ensure that their Music of the Spheres World Tour has a net-zero carbon footprint. They said in a statement: "Playing live and finding connections with people is ultimately why we exist as a band. We've been planning this tour for years, and we're super excited to play songs from across our whole time together. "At the same time, we're very conscious that the planet is facing a climate crisis. "So, we've spent the last two years consulting with environmental experts to make this tour as sustainable as possible, and, just as importantly, to harness the tour's potential to push things forward. "We won't get everything right, but we're committed to doing everything we can and sharing what we learn. It's a work in progress and we're really grateful for the help we've had so far." [[nid:682421]]
