Todays words

Marie Ulven, a.k.a. Girl in Red , stops herself mid-apology — the kind you utter when you think you’re talking too fast or you’re unsure whether the listener gets your drift. “I’m not gonna say sorry,” the 22-year-old musician says firmly, breaking off from a discussion of her new album, If I Could Make It Go Quiet . “I don’t want to be that person who apologizes for everything. I’m not sorry. There you go, Marie. You’re the protagonist.” Even though Ulven is Zooming in from Oslo — with the camera off — her personality crackles across the miles and timezones. Delightfully verbose, snarkily self-deprecating, and “really bad at boundaries” (her words), Ulven has carved out a place for herself in indie rock by appealing to her listeners’ insecurities and yearnings. Her Girl in Red persona — think Billie Eilish’s self-aware bluster, mixed with a healthy splash of early ‘00s college rock — grapples in equal turns with mental health and sometimes unrequited lust. It’s a combination … [Read more...] about Girl in Red’s Supercharged Indie Rock Honesty

SINGAPORE: In face of globalisation and technological challenges, Singapore can maintain its relevance and competitiveness by improving the capabilities of its population, and this can only be done through collaboration between the state and other parts of society. That was Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s response to a question from American political scientist Ian Bremmer on Wednesday (Nov 7) during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. Mr Bremmer had asked how Singapore, a small and open economy that has long thrived on being connected to the world, can respond to external developments. He cited the possibility of US-China trade tensions evolving into an “economic iron curtain” – a risk sounded by former US treasury secretary Henry Paulson earlier during the forum – as well as disruptions from technological advancements. To that, Mr Tharman replied: “You’ll respond to that by focusing on what it is that you can add to the world, what it is that your whole population … [Read more...] about Focus on what ‘you can add to the world’: DPM Tharman on how Singapore can respond to global risks

SINGAPORE: While the fault lines of the last global financial crisis have been mostly addressed, risks remain and have shifted in three ways over the past 10 years, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) managing director Ravi Menon on Wednesday (Nov 7). These can be seen in the build-up of leverage in emerging market economies, the shift of leverage from banks to non-banks and an increase in corporate bond issuances globally, said Mr Menon as he warned of the possibility of another global financial meltdown. “There will be another financial crisis. We have not banished financial crisis, but it’s going to look very different from the last one,” he said at a panel discussion held on day two of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore. Moderated by Bloomberg Opinion columnist Clive Crook, the 40-minute long discussion also included Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and former US Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen giving their takes on monetary … [Read more...] about ‘Look at where debt has gone’: MAS chief warns of 3 shifts in global financial risks

EMMERDALE viewers are in shock after Paul Ashdale threatened Lydia Dingle after Mandy called off their wedding. Mandy proposed to Paul this week after he organised a family cycling trip to HOP for her birthday. Visit our Emmerdale page for the latest gossip Find all Emmerdale spoilers here But in tonight’s episode, Lydia pointed out some home truths about Mandy and Paul’s troubled relationship when Mandy asked her to be her bridesmaid at the wedding. Lydia’s comments got inside Mandy’s head, and she later told Paul they needed to take things more slowly. But when Paul told Mandy he was willing to wait as long as it took, Mandy had another change of heart and excitedly announced her wobble was over - and that she did want to marry Paul as soon as possible. Paul was thrilled but later, when he bumped into Lydia, he decided to have a word. He told her: “Thanks for being there today.” Lydia nervously replied: “Look I had to say something. It’s nothing … [Read more...] about Emmerdale viewers horrified as Paul threatens Lydia after Mandy calls off the wedding

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey has been all anyone could talk about. Since leaving their royal duties last year, the pair - along with their son Archie - leaped across the pond to the actress' motherland which they both now call home. Their famous departure has caused tension and friction with other royals, which Meghan and Harry are gearing up to spill on Sunday night. The interview with the revered television host is expected to lift the lid on Harry and Meghan's short period as working royals together before they stepped down for a life in America. The move is said to have sparked concern within the Palace, who were once again claimed to be oblivious to the couple’s decision. Here, author Judi James examines Meghan's body language after teaser clips of the tell-all interview were released. "If the Palace were hoping that Meghan’s cute enigmatic smile from the first trailer might be signalling a series of giggled denials to … [Read more...] about Meghan Markle ‘speaks facts’ with unusual body language as she slams Palace ‘lies’