Singapore
Currently, I'm the Wall Street Journal's Senior Video Journalist covering international news, breaking stories, and features from the Journal's Singapore bureau.
Previously with BBC News, also in Singapore, where I worked for five years, with experience across multiple desks. I have produced and reported from the gallery and in the field, including a stint in Kyiv and Odesa covering the Ukraine war. I have produced daily bulletins as well as long-form programs. I have also worked on the BBC's digital desk, writing stories for the website where I reported on international relations, politics, and general news stories from Asia.
I have experience in print, broadcast, and digital. My previous works have appeared on The Associated Press, China Global TV Network (CGTN), Tech in Asia, and Mashable. I was also formerly an associate news producer and reporter with NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation.
I'm adept at writing short and clean text and can shoot and edit video stories. I cover everything from business to general news in Asia. I enjoy features reporting and have a special interest in covering international relations, the economy, and especially so when there's a degree of pop-culture influence.
I have a Master's Degree in International Relations from S.Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Contact: [email protected]
Nvidia’s H100 chips are crucial to technology, from their use in smartphones to training complex AI chatbots. But Nvidia outsources their production to one company in Taiwan: the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC. With China threatening to use force to take Taiwan if necessary, the U.S. is worried about a devastating impact on TSMC, which is at the heart of the AI revolution.
WSJ
BBC
As bear attacks rise in Japan's sparsely populated villages, robot wolves have become a solution.
Scientists have backed Japan's treated waste water release, but Beijing's protest remains loud.
Home to some of the world's poorest people, Asia has seen devastating heatwaves this year.
In a rare public announcement, the Pakistan army says the officers failed to protect military assets.
"Is it that I can't be here or that I'm not allowed to be here?" Jobu-Joy asks in the hit film Everything Everywhere All at Once. The wry, subversive question from the film's antagonist - who is hellbent on ending the world in which she feels unwelcome - sums up actress Michelle Yeoh's Hollywood journey.
Washington's efforts to limit China's access to crucial cutting-edge technology continue.
Singapore, which is less than half the size of London, has a population of nearly 6 million people, but that number is rising by more than 3 percent every year. There’s a big push to develop more housing, and quickly. But one major consequence of converting forests into residential highrises is that it has pushed the wildlife out of their natural habitat. That's a tricky balancing act that Singapore is grappling with.
In Singapore, the recent repeal of a colonial -era law, which criminalises sex between gay men, has been welcomed by many in the LGBTQ community. But at the same time, the government has legally defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, a move it says reflects the conservative social values in the city state. Two generations of gay men tell the BBC about their mixed feelings, and how they plan to continue to push for marriage equality.
Deepavali celebrations are in full swing for Hindu communities around the world. In Singapore, they mainly shop and prepare for the festival in Little India, a web of streets made up of many small businesses, some going back to the 1960s. And they’re the backbone of the community in the country.
Remote work has become more common in Singapore post-Covid. It's high on the list for many young job applicants. But the great work-from-home experiment is still in its try-out period. Will it be permanent? Will we go back to the office? Will it be a combination of both? That uncertainty is a unique challenge for urban planners in the small city-state who are tasked to look decades ahead.
Soaring fuel prices coupled with a more environmentally conscious population has made electric cars more attractive in Singapore. But it's very expensive to buy a car in the country, even more for an electric one. EV infrastructure in the city is also lacking, and it may take a while for it to iron out, especially with the global supply chain still clogged up.
Rachel Chong loves chicken rice so much she eats it three times a week. "It is number one on my list. It's comfort food [and] it's easily accessible," she says. A standard order at Ah Keat Chicken Rice, a stall where she eats, costs S$4 ($2.90; £2.30).
By Monica Miller & Derek Cai BBC News, Singapore Jia Ruiying moved to Singapore more than two years ago to set up a business. Then the Covid pandemic hit. Now - as the owner of the country's only Russian supermarket - she is facing a whole other set of challenges.
One sector that has battled to keep the show on the road during the pandemic has been the theatre industry, partly because it's hard to translate the drama of stage plays to an online platform. However, one production company in Singapore has found an innovative way to put itself back in the spotlight.
I spoke to leaders from five industries most impacted by the pandemic, and asked what it was like for them to run their companies last year, and what 2022 would be like for them.
Yeo Zheng Ye grew up in Singapore knowing he would have to go to jail. A member of the Jehovah's Witnesses church, his beliefs prevent him from bearing weapons and from joining any organisations intended for war. So at age 20, he refused to attend mandatory military service, and was sent to prison for being a conscientious objector.
Akiko Naka is the boss of Wantedly, a recruiter in Japan which aims to match jobseekers with companies based on their passions and values, with less emphasis on top salaries. She says Japan's centuries-old rigid work and hiring culture is finally changing, driven by younger workers who want something different.
After time spent in Silicon Valley, Gillian Tee founded her first company in New York at the tender age of 28. She eventually returned home to Singapore and started Homage, a business to match healthcare workers with seniors and their families who need help.
Just over 60 years ago, the first Paralympics took place, with a mission to be an inclusive sporting event for those with disabilities. And with the Games underway in Tokyo, they are on track to become even more inclusive, with at least 28 openly LGBTQ athletes competing - a record number.
Pet influencers are on the rise thanks to a surge in animal adoptions during the pandemic. In the US, pets who endorse everything from e-commerce to clothing brands, are part of a $100bn market, but Asia could very well be the next big destination for these furry influencers.
Three former Olympic athletes from Asia tell us what are some of the biggest challenges they think competitors may face at the Tokyo 2020 Games, taking place during a global pandemic.
Three female leaders in Asia tell us what it takes to be leaders in their industries.
Sneakers – you can wear them, but for certain shoes, you might be better off selling them. Asia is just one area where there’s growing interest in the casual shoes trading business – so much so that at least one teenager has managed to turn it into a profitable business venture.
The annual Golden Week holiday is dubbed "the world's largest human migration" as it usually sees millions of Chinese tourists travelling internationally. China accounts for almost one-fifth of the world's international tourism according the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. But this year, the pandemic has made international travel nearly impossible.
For the past century, American companies have led the way in the technology landscape. But China is quickly catching up. How does that play into the bigger context of the US-China relationship, and how will that impact our lives?
The coronavirus has impacted a lot of businesses in the entertainment industry. Cinemas have to close. Clubs can't stay open. And live concerts can't take pl...
One young woman used popular game Animal Crossing for her family tradition of Bai San.
20 years ago, Riusuke Fukahori had left art college and was feeling restless and uninspired. Sat in his room at Nagoya, he contemplated giving up his artistic career. But suddenly a revelation came to him from the unlikeliest of sources: his goldfish.
If you've ever been to a street fair, you know it's all about the atmosphere. In Singapore, a street festival -- modelled after Taiwan's famous night market, is going virtual this year. But what are the challenges of recreating the hustle and bustle of an outdoor night market online?
The Associated Press (AP)
At the film's premiere in Singapore, "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu says he's "ecstatic" about the reponse to his movie, which is at No. 1 at the U.S. box office, and adds he's
SINGAPORE (AP) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Tuesday defended her government's actions in Rakhine state, where about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from a brutal counterinsurgency campaign to neighboring Bangladesh. She said terrorism, not social discrimination or inequality, triggered the crisis.
SINGAPORE (AP) - The craze for "Crazy Rich Asians" is hitting Asia, with a premiere in Singapore followed by openings in several neighboring countries later this week. Much of the over-the-top romantic comedy was set in this wealthy city-state.
China Global TV Network (CGTN)
When news broke that a leak of HIV patient data in Singapore had occurred, Laurindo Garcia sprang into action almost immediately. He reached out to Action for Aids (AFA), an NGO that serves the local community most affected by HIV, and offered help.
Kurien Kalarickal came to Singapore 19 years ago for school and has been living here ever since. He is now a permanent resident.
Self-checkout counters, interactive directory screens, robots and ongoing integration between the offline and online shopping experience. The retail scene across the globe is getting a facelift.
Lined up in rows alongside each other, Asian producers from China, Thailand, and Japan vie for business from Western buyers.
Singapore Environment Protection: Group tries to cool down city-state without using electricity
Substantial progress in negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has been made, with seven chapters out of the 18 concluded, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Wednesday.
NHK World News
What's the story behind the world's first (and cheapest) Michelin-starred street food stall and how did it come to represent Singapore on the world stage?
The first spa with an authentic Japanese-style public bath has just opened in Singapore. Tourists from other parts of Asia have been flocking to Japan in recent years, and Singaporeans are especially frequent visitors. The new spa lets them soak up Japanese culture without getting on a plane.
Singapore is renowned as a major Southeast Asian financial hub. But there's a flourishing art scene as well, and an exhibition of works by a charismatic ceramist is underway in the country. The National Gallery Singapore, one of Southeast Asia's largest museums, is showcasing the exhibition as part of government efforts to promote local art.
Singapore is enjoying steady economic growth, but that has come with a snowballing garbage crisis. A local venture sees the mountain of waste as a business opportunity -- and the key player is a worm.
As one of Asia's largest financial centers, Singapore is attracting many fintech companies. It may not be a household term, but "fintech" could make a big difference in your life. It's short for financial technology, and it's changing how many do business. A recent business fair served as a showcase for fintech devices.
Traditionally in Singapore, grandparents and other relatives have looked after newborn babies and their mothers. But with couples increasingly living away from home, news businesses are springing up to help fill this role and meet the needs of new families.
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the man who was allegedly killed in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week has been identified as Kim Jong Nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Hamidi made the announcement at a news conference on Thursday.
Ri Jong Chol, a North Korean suspect in the killing of Kim Jong Nam, has been released from custody and is set to be deported for being in Malaysia illegally. There was a media frenzy as Ri left the police station on Friday morning.
The North Korean ambassador has left his country's embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
Tech in Asia
Growsari from the Philippines hopes to double the income of sari-sari store owners. In the Philippines, over a million family-run convenience stores - also known as sari-sari stores - could soon get a boost from a local startup called Growsari. A play on the word "grocery," the business uses technology to boost earnings for mom-and-pop stores.
A team from Google's Area 120 startup incubator announced on Thursday that it has been working quietly behind the scenes on a new app. Called Kormo, the app helps people in Bangladesh find jobs. "The team is now ready to come out of stealth mode," said Bickey Russell, who formerly headed a team in Google's marketing solutions department.
Electrify, a Singapore-based startup that uses a blockchain to let businesses buy electricity from energy retailers and other businesses, has raised US$30 million in under 10 days via a token sale, the company said in a press release on Wednesday.
Calvin Goh was working as a business consultant in Europe when he started seeing a pattern: clients were turning to him for remittance advice. Back then, existing cross-border money transfer solutions were wanting. And so the seeds were sown for a business idea that would eventually connect him with Jason Zeng, co-founder of Chinese internet titan Tencent.
In January, Kraken, one of the biggest centralized exchanges (CEX) for Bitcoin, told its users that the platform would be shut down for two to three hours for maintenance work. It ended up taking 40 hours instead, and the prolonged lull triggered a halt to all trading. "I'm seriously considering suing Kraken.
Two years ago, a headhunter contacted Wang Yung Hsing, a Taiwanese engineer, about a role with a Japanese firm. At that time, he had just left a failing Singapore-based startup. "[The call] came at a good time.
Miscellaneous
I sang and starred in a parody music video of Frozen's "Do you want to build a snowman?" Produced at the first media company I worked for when I returned to Singapore from Japan.
As the veterinary assistant holds down a year-old black tabby named Miso, she strokes his chin, and he purrs with delight. Dr. Yeumee Song takes the cue and inserts a thin needle on top of Miso's head. The purring amplifies, and Miso's eyes scrunch into blissful slits.