Plan B

Mat Western is a hawker stall run by two unlikely partners: French-born Muslim convert Umar Fabrice, 42, and 30-something Singaporean Hidir Kasim. The two pals are both professional chefs who became hawkers when their plan to open a pizzeria in Johor Bahru got delayed by Covid-19. Undeterred, they set up a stall in a Bedok North coffeeshop as a “test run” selling their gourmet house-made pizzas, pastas and burgers. Read more: https://www.8days.sg/eatanddrink/hawkerfood/mat-western-viral-video-638006

Swimmer Joseph Schooling on Wednesday (May 18) called for a "national dialogue" on national service (NS), highlighting the need to manage the expectations of athletes who are undergoing NS. Read more: https://www.straitstimes.com/multimedia/the-big-story-joseph-schooling-calls-for-national-dialogue-on-expectations-placed-on-athletes-serving-ns

The social media accounts of President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as several political office-holders and government agencies, have been spammed with comments from supporters of Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara, who was denied entry into Singapore on Monday (May 16) due to a history of extremist teachings. Read more: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/social-media-accounts-of-president-halimah-pm-lee-spammed-by-supporters-of-indonesian-preacher-who-was-denied-entry

We talk to an animal rights activist who happens to be a Plan B podcaster.

On May 8, a person in Singapore took to Facebook to express her dissatisfaction, claiming that a 995 call operator allegedly hung up on her. The complaint was attributed to one Pam Kaur, who admitted to snapping at the operator after the latter called back to ask for information. Read more: https://mothership.sg/2022/05/scdf-respond-to-operator-hang-up-claim/

So says a local survey done recently. What is the cause and is this phenomenon here to stay?

A cult leader in Thailand who allegedly asked his followers to eat his waste, including excreta, mucus and dandruff, has been arrested by police in the central province of Chaiyaphum. Thawee Nanra, 75, claimed to be “the father of all religions” and alleged that he could cure illnesses. Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/southeast-asia/thai-cult-leader-thawee-excreta-b2075541.html

A man was sentenced on Wednesday (May 11) to four weeks' jail and fined S$5,000 for trying to bribe a Traffic Police officer and for other traffic offences. Krishna Rao Narisama Naidoo was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for 30 months. Read more: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/drunk-driver-jail-fine-bribe-traffic-police-officer-2678061

Dozens of listings on e-marketplace Carousell offer ghostwriting services for school assignments and even dissertations. Some are even offering to take online timed exams on students’ behalf. Read more: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/some-ghostwriters-see-growing-demand-services-school-assignments-projects-and-even-exams-1896966

Read more: https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/92qryd/grab_prices_are_getting_out_of_hand/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf