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This dog is not just a therapy dog, it's also a cancer survivor

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SINGAPORE - “Your dog might only be part of your life, but to him, you are everything.” Dogs are man’s best friend. To 58-year-old Evelyn Chiang, her dog Benji, is more than that. He gave her the strength to live.

In 2009, Evelyn felt as though her entire world came crashing down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recalled, “It was one of the worst periods of my life.” Evelyn fought through six cycles of chemotherapy and one month of radiotherapy before she was on her way to recovery.

All this would not have been possible without her special friend and family member, Benji.

Benji is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that came into Evelyn’s life when he was just two months old.

Whenever Evelyn cries, Benji will always be there to lick her tears dry. “Benji will stare at me whenever I feel sad, it seems as though he is trying to comfort me and telling me that everything will be alright using his own methods.”

Unfortunately, three years later, cancer found its way back into Evelyn’s life. But this time, it targeted poor Benji. The veterinarian found a tumour near his stomach. Having undergone chemotherapy herself, Evelyn is fully aware of the distress caused. Even with chemotherapy, there is no guarantee of recovery. Seeing Benji running around happily, Evelyn chose not to put Benji through the sufferings of treatment and let nature take its course.

Benji survived, 5 years and counting.

Today, Benji’s tiny figure is well-known across hospitals, orphanages and even old folks’ homes. Clad in a mini fedora and a bright blue scarf, Benji visits people of all ages and keep them company, showering them with the care and support they need.

Benji is a certified therapy dog.

It all happened when Evelyn came across Pet-Assisted Therapy (PAT) two years ago and made the decision to share the same support Benji gave her with the socially disadvantaged.

To qualify as a certified therapy dog, Benji has to undergo a series of tests focusing on the dog’s temperament and ability to follow instructions.

As a therapy dog, it is Benji’s duty is to provide people with physical, social and emotional needs, whichever deemed necessary.

For the past two years, Benji has been going around and lighting up faces.

The Dream

At 14 years old, Benji is well past his prime. In recent years, his health has been deteriorating with age. Despite beating the odds that dogs of his breed- that have a lifespan of less than 10 years- inevitably, Benji’s life will have to come to an end eventually.

Evelyn’s dream is to adopt a potential therapy dog to accompany Benji for his remaining days, and also to inherit Benji's legacy.

Evelyn realizes how Pet-Assisted Therapy can make a difference in others’ lives, and she hopes that through PAT, she can do her part and contribute to society.

The Challenge

A therapy dog is born, not made. One can teach a dog to behave, but it is almost impossible to completely alter a dog’s inherent temperament. Hence, finding a dog with outstanding temperament that matches the requirements to become a therapy dog poses a challenge.

Most dogs end up in shelters because of abuse, abandonment or negligence, which means that many of them suffer from psychological trauma and this affects how they can be trained in future. This makes Evelyn’s already stringent quest in finding a potential therapy dog even more exhausting.

Benji met a total of four friends from the shelter. Who can pass the therapy dog test and become Benji’s companion? Watch the video to find out.

For more stories on “Live Your Dream”, please visit:  www.zaobao.com/zvideos/live-your-dream

on SPH Brightcove

About "Live Your Dream"

"Live Your Dream"(完成一个梦) is one of 10 SPH-produced short-form digital video series as part of a pilot Public Service Broadcast initiative. In this 13 episode series, host Ken Low Yong Kian (Digital Content Producer, Chinese Media Group Digital) will try his best to fulfil people's dreams no matter how challenging it may be. All episodes come with English subtitles.

This series is also available on zaobao.sg website, as well as the mobile app.

Saturday, July 29, 2017 - 08:00
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Driver of Mercedes knocks down pedestrian at North Buona Vista Road

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A Mercedes driver, with licence plate number SJF6519G, was caught on camera knocking down a female pedestrian who was crossing the road while the traffic light was in her favour.

The incident occurred along North Buona Vista Road on July 28, at around 11.50am.

A video of the incident was recorded by a witness, Corden Fu, and posted on Facebook by Beh Chia Lor - Singapore Road.

In the clip, the driver can be seen running over the girl while she was crossing the road.

Driver of Mercedes knocks down pedestrian crossing at green light

Fortunately, she managed to get up, walk and pick up her belongings, while a man in a green shirt rushed over to her aid.

It is unclear what happened after the video, though Corden said in the video caption that a police report has been made.

on Facebook

"Witnessed an accident in the morning around 11.50am at North Buona Vista Road on 28th July 2017. A police report has...

Posted by Beh Chia Lor - Singapore Road on Friday, 28 July 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017 - 19:20

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Pedestrian knocked down by Merc driver was not using phone, police investigating

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Police are investigating an incident where a female pedestrian was knocked down by a Mercedes-Benz while she was crossing the road at a traffic junction.

A video of the incident, which occurred along North Buona Vista Road on July 28 at around 11.50am, was posted on Facebook pages Beh Chia Lor - Singapore Road and ROADS.sg.

The footage had been captured by a witness known as Corden Fu.

The woman can be seen crossing the road after the lights turn green in her favour, when the accident occurred.

Driver of Mercedes knocks down pedestrian crossing at green light

She later managed to get up, walk and collect her belongings from the road while a man, presumably the witness who had recorded the video, rushed over to help.

To clarify doubts about what exactly happened, ROADS.sg also said in an update: "Lady was not using her mobile phone but was drinking her coffee from a cup.

"The proof is in the beginning of [the] video as she approaches the traffic light with [a] drink in hand. The later part of the slow-mo where the cup of coffee was seen spilled onto the left windscreen of the Mercedez."

In response to media queries, the police said they were alerted to an accident involving a pedestrian and car at the junction of Holland Road and North Buona Vista Road.

Investigations are ongoing.

on Facebook

"Witnessed an accident in the morning around 11.50am at North Buona Vista Road on 28th July 2017. A police report has...

Posted by Beh Chia Lor - Singapore Road on Friday, 28 July 2017
Sunday, July 30, 2017 - 20:41

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Man's foot pierced by one of many screws deliberately placed on road in Toa Payoh

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Stomp contributor Nick's foot was pierced by a screw that had been inserted into a lemon peel and placed at a service road in front of Block 113 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 at around 1pm yesterday (Jul 31).

In a telephone interview, he said that he then saw around 10 similar objects scattered around when he surveyed the area.

Nick told Stomp that he was walking his dogs in the HDB estate when he felt that he stepped on something sharp.

Upon investigation, he found that a 5cm screw had gone through his sandal and pierced his left foot, leaving him bleeding.

Thereafter, two men staying at a ground floor HDB unit came to render assistance.

Nick recounted what happened:

"Upon closer inspection, we found that the screw was deliberately inserted into a lemon peel and there were more scattered nearby on the road and some in the grass.

"Altogether we found about 10 of them.

"These have obviously been placed in such a way to puncture car tyres, but it is also extremely dangerous as people can step on them!

"There are a lot of families in the area and lots of children walk by as well.

"There is a playground just 10 metres or so away for crying out loud!

"Just to let everyone know that there are all kinds of sick people in this world, so take care of yourself and your kids and watch where you step.

"I'm in considerable pain, but otherwise fine for now."

"I encourage anyone who lives or is in the area to be vigilant and make a police report if you see anything similar."

CaptionPhoto: Credits

The Stomp contributor has seen a doctor to treat his wounds. He has received a Tetanus shot, some antibiotics and pain killers.

Nick has also lodged a police report over what happened.

Monday, July 31, 2017 - 11:39
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Singapore Coffee Festival 2017: 6 places to hit up at the festival venue

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SINGAPORE - About 90 exhibitors, including coffee purveyors, equipment distributors and cafes, are gearing up for the Singapore Coffee Festival 2017, which kicks off at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre this Thursday (aug 3).

The first day has been set aside for trade and media, while Aug 4 to 6 will be open to the public.

Vendors and festival activities will be spread over two levels in coffee-themed zones, such as Brew, Americano and Cappuccino.

Expect lots to drink and eat, as well as listen to and watch in the form of workshops, talks and live entertainment, spread over 11,500sqm.

Here, a guide to six places at the festival venue that shouldn't be missed.

ST LOUNGE

The venue for a series of casual chats called Coffee with the Boss, where ST editors and correspondents will pick the brains of entrepreneurs, cafe owners, social enterprise founders and corporate leaders.

ST Life editor and veteran food critic Tan Hsueh Yun will host Posh Nosh by Hsueh: An Omakase Experience, at the lounge, where diners get to feast on an eight-course menu curated by her.

Straits Times food critic Wong Ah Yoke and ST deputy managing editor Fiona Chan in an askST session at the Singapore Coffee Festival 2016.Photo: The Straits Times

Also, take part in an interactive quiz and you could win the furniture at the lounge, provided by online furniture store Castlery.

LIVE KIND BY DBS

Bettr Barista Coffee Academy was one of the social enterprises that began as a customer of the DBS' Social Enterprise Package.The company provides jobs opportunities for disadvantaged women and youth. Photo: DBS

Presenter DBS Bank's lounge will house The Good Market, presented by Asia for Good by DBS Foundation, where eight social enterprises will showcase a range of organic coffee, sustainably sourced chocolate, healthy snacks and all-natural skincare products.

Some of these social enterprises will be conducting free workshops at The Social Ground, also part of the lounge. Be rewarded too when you bring your used plastic bottles to the recycling station at the lounge.

Festivalgoers can register for the Live Kind passport online and complete four fun and easy socially conscious tasks to redeem rewards such as free coffee and an eco-friendly reusable coffee tumbler.

ZONE ESPRESSO

While most of the festivities take place on Level 1, don't miss Level 2, where coffee vendors such as cold brew master Lorgan & Sons and cold drip specialist Boyle's Coffee have booths.

It will also be the venue for morning yoga sessions on Aug 5 (Sat) and 6 (Sun); non-coffee related workshops on flatlay photography, fragrance making and more; the ST Wine booth, which will showcase wines from established wine merchants; and Barter Market on Sat (Aug 5), where you have to barter for a service from poets, artists and other craftsmen in exchange for anything but money.

SUNSET WHARF

Singer-songwriter Jonathan Chan, whose stage name is Jawn, writes songs inspired by people in his life. Photo: The Straits Times

Head to this cool spot for an al fresco barbeque with a view of the Singapore skyline; where you can chill out to live music from homegrown singers Inch Chua, Tim De Cotta, indie rock group StopGap, Ffion, Jawn Chan and Lewis Loh; and where you can enjoy a fireworks display on Friday and Saturday nights at 8.45pm.

LOCAL KOPI CORNER

A cup of local kopi-o or black coffee without milk sold at Wang Cafe at Bukit Merah Central. Photo: The Straits Times

This creative space has been designed to be a modern take on the local kopitiam. Enjoy kaya toast, kopi-o and more from heritage brand Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

SHISEIDO PARLOUR

Japanese beauty brand Shiseido presents a unique cafe concept, where you can enjoy tea items flown in from the flagship parlour in Ginza, while getting pampered with the beauty brands luxurious treatments and products.

Monday, July 31, 2017 - 15:54
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As young as primary school, these S'poreans are coding the future of our country

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Today, I came face to face with some of the youngest coders in Singapore. Small in size, these children proved however, that they were big in dreams.

Held at the Suntec today was the 11th edition of Code XtremeApps, and it brought both primary school kids and working adults in a coding crackdown under the theme "My Smart City, Connecting Our Senses".

Up Close With The Coders

The first thing that occurred to me was - some of the exhibitors were really young.

Team Kick Your Ass consists of 2 young sisters - Anjali and Sophia - who had devised a way to aid the rehabilitation of people with fractured limbs.

Photo: Vulcan Post

Patients crawl across a cardboard pavement which hides rows of sensors underneath that would activate upon pressure.

Through this, patients can work towards recovery by training themselves to around the 'activated' panels. Time taken to complete the course would then measure their gradual recovery.

Another Junior team that impressed the crowd was Team Pro Hackers, who put together a Lego smart bus stop.

Photo: Vulcan Post

Humidity and heat sensors activate an extension panel of the roof that would create more shade for people. Once either level falls back down, the extension panel would slide back in.

In addition, ceiling fans would activate when the temperatures are high.

They even had future plans in place - smart lights that would dim when there are lesser people around so as to save electricity, as well as amenities for the disabled.

There were also high school teams with robotic vehicles that they hoped one day, would become automated mall cleaners.

Photo: Vulcan Post

An enhanced capability of their design was that even though it would have programmed routes, it would not stop upon hitting obstacles, but instead pivot and move on.

Team #dkdc (don't know don't care) developed a money transfer system that substituted micro:bits for smartphones. The amount to be transferred would be indicated by the pattern of lights on the device.

Photo: Vulcan Post

Other secondary school teams saw students developing Software as a Solution (SaaS).

Team XCVI had developed a Smart Management solution that they sough to implement in offices.

Their dashboard would be able to optimise resources, e.g. usage of meeting booths. Resources can also be prioritised, such as pre-booking resting pods for bosses who need them more than employees.

Team R3D3 developed the SmartBank platform that would rank and prioritise daily tasks. This, they shared, would help people focus on more important tasks and enable more efficient workflow.

Prize Giving Ceremony

The prize giving ceremony saw 9 teams from take the stage, including Team Pro Hackers and Team Kick Your Ass, with prizes ranging from Asus laptops, Fitbits and $3,000 cash being given out.

Photo: Vulcan Post
Photo: Vulcan Post
Photo: Vulcan Post

Coding Can Be Rewarding

"By starting young, we want to get children excited about technology."

"Through this competition, we have seen coding can really be a fun thing [and] it has been a phenomenal 11 years," said Red Hat's Harish Pillay, also the creator of Code Xtreme Apps.

"We hope to see these solutions developed further for future implementation," emphasised Angeline Poh, Assistant Chief Executive of the IMDA (Industry Development).

"Raising the profile of tech is very important, and for us to know what goes into the creation and maintenance of the tech we all love. As a pioneer in hackathons, we hopes Code Xtreme continues to grow raise the profile of coding in Singapore."

Monday, July 31, 2017 - 16:14

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SPH raises over $213,000 for President's Challenge 2017

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Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has raised $213,888 for President's Challenge 2017 (总统挑战2017) this year. 

The amount, raised through donations from public donors and SPH staff, will benefit the 52 appointed charity organisations under President's Challenge 2017.

SPH Chairman Dr Lee Boon Yang presented the cheque to Guest of Honour President Tony Tan Keng Yam at a charity event “Embrace Volunteerism, Serve With a Heart” (爱心付出,参与善举) organised by SPH’s Chinese Media Group (CMG) today.

The charity event, held at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre(SCCC - 新加坡华族文化中心), comprised a Volunteerism Showcase and a Lunch Time Concert.

The Volunteerism Showcase at the Concourse of SCCC was set up to promote greater awareness of volunteerism. A total of 19 partners and Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) supporting President's Challenge 2017 participated in the showcase, including SPH, which promoted its volunteerism and corporate social responsibility efforts.
 
This year's President's Challenge also highlighted the Silver Volunteer Fund, launched by President Tony Tan in 2015 to promote senior volunteerism. VWOs such as Council for Third Age (C3A), RSVP Singapore - The Organisation of Senior Volunteers, and National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) shared their initiatives to promote active aging at the Volunteerism Showcase.
 
Sponsors, donors, volunteers, beneficiaries and representatives from the VWOs who participated in the Volunteerism Showcase were invited to a Lunch-Time Concert performed by Ding Yi Music Company (鼎艺团). The Chinese orchestra performed a string of popular classics, Xinyao songs and ethnic folk songs for the audiences at the Auditorium.

Major donors and sponsors were invited on stage to receive tokens of appreciation from President Tony Tan after the concert. 

Launched in 2000, President's Challenge is a series of charity events to rally Singaporeans from all walks of life to help raise funds for the social service sector.

SPH has been a supporter of President’s Challenge through the years. Since 2002, SPH’s CMG has organised various community events to raise funds for the Challenge. Some of the past fund-raising events organised by CMG included charity auction, charity fun walk, Shin Min/ Wanbao Getai Awards and a colouring event at Gardens by the Bay.

SPH, as a Group, has also supported President's Challenge as a media sponsor through the years with sponsorship of advertisement space in major newspapers, including The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao.

The donors for President's Challenge 2017 "Embrace Volunteerism, Serve with a Heart" are Dato' Sri Prof Dr Tahir (拿督斯里 翁俊民 博士), Hi-P International Ltd (赫比国际有限公司), Mr Wu Hsioh Kwang (吴学光先生), Mr Zhong Sheng Jian (钟声坚先生), Mr Chan Kok Hua (曾国和先生), Ho Bee Foundation (和美基金), Mr Ng Cheow Chye (黄昭才先生) and Mr Patrick Lee Kwok Kie (李国基先生). 
 
“Embrace Volunteerism, Serve With a Heart” is sponsored by SPH ( 新加坡报业控股) and SPH Foundation (新加坡报业控股基金), PICO Art International (笔克国际), Neo Group Limited (梁苑集团) and Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre. 

Monday, July 31, 2017 - 15:44
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