The News Cheat Sheet

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We went out to Chinatown to ask people how they would spend Chinese New Year with all the new restrictions, and whether they're still looking forward to the festive period.

Timestamps:

No mood to celebrate - 0:00:38
A Malaysian who understands precautions - 0:04:05
Not planning to invite relatives over - 0:09:11
On booking slots in advance and e-ang pows - 0:13:15
Deciding who's more important/gives more $$$ - 0:15:36
A quieter CNY, but a good thing - 0:19:30
Outro/final thoughts - 0:22:17

How can Joe Biden affect change in the U.S., and its relations with Asia, as he assumes presidency in a tumultuous time? 

Mothership's Managing Editor Martino Tan speaks to Kishore Mahbubani, former Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, to find out.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• Is Joe Biden the right man for the moment? (01:27)
• President Joe Biden's priorities in his first 100 days (03:00)
• Professor Kishore's opinion of Joe Biden (04:30)
• Thoughts on the 2020 U.S. presidential election results (05:58)
• Trump vs Biden: On China (07:16)
• The significance of appointing Kurt Campbell as the National Security Council's Indo-Pacific coordinator (12:28)
• Thoughts on President Biden's Cabinet picks so far (14:38)
• The impact of President Biden's team on our region (16:32)
• Capitol Hill incident and the future of U.S. democracy (18:42)
• Social media companies taking a position against Donald Trump (22:40)
• How concerned should we be about influence operations from China? (24:50)
• Advice for young Singaporeans to navigate the global political landscape (26:30)
• The future of American democracy (27:10)

Why are people so upset that TraceTogether data can be used for police investigations? What is the Criminal Procedure Code? How concerned should you be about your data being used? We spoke to Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner at TSMP Law Corporation, about the recent hullabaloo regarding the usage of TraceTogether data beyond contact-tracing.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• A timeline of TraceTogether usage (01:53)
• Understanding the CPC (Criminal Procedure Code) (04:43)
• What data TraceTogether collects (06:10)
• Other types of data we give up (09:12)
• Can TraceTogether data be used to prove innocence? (11:01)
• Maintaining trust with the public (17:51)
• How this will affect our fight against Covid-19 (24:27)

For most couples in Singapore, having a wedding ceremony and banquet are part and parcel of getting married. Yet Michelle Sng and Eric Yee took a different approach; they decided to forgo a wedding altogether. There wasn't even a proposal at all. 

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

How Michelle first met her husband (00:39)
Challenging the norms in a relationship (02:44)
Agreeing on a relationship timeline with her husband (06:39)
Support from her mother (08:20)
Why weddings didn't make sense to her (11:23)
The big day (13:38)
Is not having a wedding banquet unconventional? (17:58)

We spoke to Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an Infectious Disease Specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, to help us understand how a vaccine works, if the Covid-19 vaccine is safe, and why you should get vaccinated.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:   

• How does a vaccine work? (1:03)
• Will there any immediate side effects to the vulnerable, such as young children and the elderly? (6:53)
• What are the options for those who have an allergic reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine? (10:22)
• Is the Covid-19 vaccine a cure? (11:37)
• Do vaccines have an "expiry date"? (15:14)
• Why do we need to wear masks and social distance even after being vaccinated? (17:04)
• Reacting to online comments: What happens when the virus mutates? (21:03)
• Reacting to online comments: Is the vaccine safe since it was developed at an unprecedented rate? (23:53)

At 31, Alvin lost his sight abruptly an extremely rare blood disorder. Now 54, he brings us through his journey of adapting to a new reality and how he's now finding hope in the form of his trusty guide dog Seretta.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• The first touch with a guide dog (00:35)
• Suffering from an auto-immune disease and the moment he lost his sight (02:23)
• Coping with his new reality (08:52)
• Being paired with Seretta the guide dog and how it impacts his day to day life (16:31)
• The difficulties of handling a guide dog (24:27)
• What's next for Alvin and Seretta (26:45)

We got a real estate agent in the house to answer some of our followers' burning questions about renting, BTOs and how to sell a flat for $1 million.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• Quick fire questions (1:00)
• Her job as a Property Agent (6:14)
• Renting while waiting for BTO? (13:03)
• Things to look out for when buying BTO (28:09)
• Can I sell a flat for $1 million? (32:18)
• BTO vs resale (34:40)

We give out unqualified advice to some of our followers' worries, ranging from school, work and even relationship problems. When stuck, just listen to your mother(ship)!

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• Bad PSLE results (0:50)
• Is going to university worth it? (2:39)
• Should I quit my job? Passion vs money (10:53)
• Finding your career path (20:43)
• How to deal with getting ghosted (24:40)
• Friends with benefits with someone who’s attached (26:32)
• Dating apps (29:42)
• How to break up with someone (36:35)
• Seeing a therapist on a tight budget (41:28)

If you are facing any difficulties, here are some organisations you can turn to.

Helplines

• National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868
• Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
• Singapore Association for Mental Health:1800-283-7019
• Institute of Mental Health's Mobile Crisis Service:6389-2222
• Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800
• Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928
• Tinkle Friend:1800-274-4788
• AWARE Women's Helpline:1800-777-555 (10am - 6pm, Monday to Friday)

Having battled cancer since he was 8 months old, Raphael was a tenacious and brave young boy who was never beaten down by his circumstances. Despite attending only one semester of school each year since he was Primary 2, Raphael scored 220 for his PSLE exams -- which he never got to collect in person.

Timestamps in case you wish to skip to the segments:

• Muscle tissue cancer at 8 months old and his parents' reaction (0:36)
• Cancer recurrence on the eve of Raphael's 8th birthday (3:40)
• Amputating his left arm (5:03)
• Coping with bone cancer at 11 and removing his right collarbone (12:07)
• Discovering lung nodules at 12 years old, indicating that his bone cancer had spread to his lungs (13:45)
• Papa's cancer and the return of Raphael's lung nodules (16:16)
• Raphael's final moments, collecting his PSLE results posthumously (18:01)