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New specialised hospital opens in Mandai to treat Singapore’s wildlife
Junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan feeding a common palm civet inside one of the dens at the new Mandai Wildlife Centre on July 2. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE – As day turns to dusk, junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan patiently feeds three energetic baby common palm civets abandoned by their mother. The 22-year-old is part of a pioneering four-member team at the Mandai Wildlife Centre, a dedicated hospital for rescued native wildlife officially opened on July 22 by Mandai Nature, the non-profit conservation arm of Mandai Wildlife Group. Despite the kittens’ indefatigable determination to leap off the table, Nadhrah shows no sign of fatigue. Their meal of fruit and milk replicates what they would eat in the wild, an essential step towards helping them eventually survive in Singapore’s urban landscape. “No words can truly capture the joy of knowing you helped give an animal a second chance at life. Every small improvement is a milestone worth celebrating,” Nadhrah told The Straits Times. Unlike the Mandai Wildlife Group’s two other veterinary hospitals that serve zoo animals, the new centre will aim for the full rehabilitation and release of its animals into the wild. Simultaneously, the hospital will act as a living observatory, gathering data on the wild fauna in Singapore.
亚洲文化交响乐团10周年音乐会 本地作曲家四新作致敬狮城无名英雄
亚洲文化交响乐团致力于演奏亚洲及新加坡作曲家的管弦乐作品，探索具有本土多元文化特色的声音。 （乐团提供） 从三水红头巾、建国先驱，到护士、消防员、教师与家庭帮佣，亚洲文化交响乐团（ACSO）将以四部本地委约新作，向参与建设新加坡的“无名英雄”致敬。 亚洲文化交响乐团10周年音乐会“Musical Mosaics: Singapore Unsung”（音乐马赛克：无闻的新加坡）8月1日将在维多利亚音乐厅举行，由联席音乐总监郑逸杰与黄德励共同执棒。 音乐会分为“坚毅的故事”“日常生活的建设者”“文化的守护者”和“英雄”四个篇章，整场曲目均为本地作曲家的作品。其中四部委约新作分别是纱菲齐亚（Syafiqah’Adha Sallehin）描绘护士、消防员与教师的《平凡守护者：三幅服务肖像》（Everyday Guardians: Three Portraits of Service），吴郡敏向外籍家庭帮佣致敬的《坚强支柱》（Pillars of Strength），林健雄为钢琴、合唱与乐团创作的《天地之间》（Between Heaven and Earth），以及林泓椿的《新加坡织锦》（Singapura Tapestries）。 聚焦本地献礼国庆日 四个篇章由两名音乐总监共同构思，从本地人物、生活、文化、历史和故事出发。黄德励说，乐团2025年的国庆音乐会以东南亚为视角，融合多国传统乐器和当代创作。2026年适逢成立10周年，乐团决定把焦点重新放回本土，把音乐会作为献给国庆日的一份心意。 郑逸杰指出，四部委约创作以人物和故事为起点，邀请创作兴趣与主题相契合的作曲家，并向他们提供档案照片、口述历史等资料，再经过多轮讨论与修改，将故事转化为交响作品。 音乐会将呈献王辰威的《三水红头巾》，以及黄飞扬为萨克斯与乐团创作的《坚毅》（Fortitude），由萨克斯演奏家陈昱榤担任独奏，以及本地爵士乐泰斗蒙特罗（Jeremy Monteiro）为交响乐改编、致敬建国总理李光耀的另一首同名乐曲。林健雄创办的“新加坡之声”旗下女声合唱团也将参与演出。压轴曲《新加坡织锦》交织“Bunga Sayang”与“Singai Naadu”的旋律，并邀请观众共同演唱。 成立于2016年的ACSO，长期委约和演奏亚洲及新加坡作曲家的管弦乐作品。郑逸杰说，乐团10年来最重要的成绩，是让本地作品逐渐获得观众和演奏者的认同。 他曾看到观众被本地作品打动落泪，也有青年演奏家告诉他，第一次演奏新加坡作曲家的作品，改变了对古典音乐以及自身艺术定位的理解。郑逸杰说：“我们不只是在策划音乐会，也在建立一种让观众觉得属于自己的音乐。” ▲Musical Mosaics: Singapore Unsung 8月1日（星期六）下午4时30分 维多利亚音乐厅 票价：38元（可用文化通行证购票） 购票：shorturl.at/252Gm
481 firms lauded for doing good in 2026; businesses donated nearly $384 million over past 3 years
NCS CEO Sam Liew (left) and Go! Mama CEO Vivian Lee at the Company Of Good Conference and Conferment on July 20. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG SINGAPORE – More than 480 companies here have been lauded for doing good and creating a positive impact in Singapore through activities like volunteering or donating so far in 2026. Collectively, a total of 1,046 businesses have been recognised as Companies of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) over the past three years. Together, they have given nearly $384 million in donations, more than $85 million in donations in kind, and contributed more than 1.1 million volunteer hours. Small and medium-sized enterprises formed the majority of companies in the 2026 cohort, numbering 376, up from 363 in 2025. The Company of Good movement, which recognises businesses that contribute meaningfully to society, marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. The 2026 numbers were published in an impact report by NVPC on July 20, released at the Company of Good Conference and Conferment at Fairmont Singapore, where close to 700 business leaders gathered. In a speech at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said that in a volatile world, expectations of companies are changing, and people are increasingly looking not only at what organisations achieve, but also at how they achieve it. The Company of Good movement has evolved from encouraging corporate giving to a broader movement of organisations committed to creating positive impact, he added. This includes how they hire, how they treat workers, how they operate and how they give back, he said.
New specialised hospital opens in Mandai to treat Singapore’s wildlife
Junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan feeding a common palm civet inside one of the dens at the new Mandai Wildlife Centre on July 2. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI SINGAPORE – As day turns to dusk, junior veterinary nurse Nadhrah Hassan patiently feeds three energetic baby common palm civets abandoned by their mother. The 22-year-old is part of a pioneering four-member team at the Mandai Wildlife Centre, a dedicated hospital for rescued native wildlife officially opened on July 22 by Mandai Nature, the non-profit conservation arm of Mandai Wildlife Group. Despite the kittens’ indefatigable determination to leap off the table, Nadhrah shows no sign of fatigue. Their meal of fruit and milk replicates what they would eat in the wild, an essential step towards helping them eventually survive in Singapore’s urban landscape. “No words can truly capture the joy of knowing you helped give an animal a second chance at life. Every small improvement is a milestone worth celebrating,” Nadhrah told The Straits Times. Unlike the Mandai Wildlife Group’s two other veterinary hospitals that serve zoo animals, the new centre will aim for the full rehabilitation and release of its animals into the wild. Simultaneously, the hospital will act as a living observatory, gathering data on the wild fauna in Singapore.
亚洲文化交响乐团10周年音乐会 本地作曲家四新作致敬狮城无名英雄
亚洲文化交响乐团致力于演奏亚洲及新加坡作曲家的管弦乐作品，探索具有本土多元文化特色的声音。 （乐团提供） 从三水红头巾、建国先驱，到护士、消防员、教师与家庭帮佣，亚洲文化交响乐团（ACSO）将以四部本地委约新作，向参与建设新加坡的“无名英雄”致敬。 亚洲文化交响乐团10周年音乐会“Musical Mosaics: Singapore Unsung”（音乐马赛克：无闻的新加坡）8月1日将在维多利亚音乐厅举行，由联席音乐总监郑逸杰与黄德励共同执棒。 音乐会分为“坚毅的故事”“日常生活的建设者”“文化的守护者”和“英雄”四个篇章，整场曲目均为本地作曲家的作品。其中四部委约新作分别是纱菲齐亚（Syafiqah’Adha Sallehin）描绘护士、消防员与教师的《平凡守护者：三幅服务肖像》（Everyday Guardians: Three Portraits of Service），吴郡敏向外籍家庭帮佣致敬的《坚强支柱》（Pillars of Strength），林健雄为钢琴、合唱与乐团创作的《天地之间》（Between Heaven and Earth），以及林泓椿的《新加坡织锦》（Singapura Tapestries）。 聚焦本地献礼国庆日 四个篇章由两名音乐总监共同构思，从本地人物、生活、文化、历史和故事出发。黄德励说，乐团2025年的国庆音乐会以东南亚为视角，融合多国传统乐器和当代创作。2026年适逢成立10周年，乐团决定把焦点重新放回本土，把音乐会作为献给国庆日的一份心意。 郑逸杰指出，四部委约创作以人物和故事为起点，邀请创作兴趣与主题相契合的作曲家，并向他们提供档案照片、口述历史等资料，再经过多轮讨论与修改，将故事转化为交响作品。 音乐会将呈献王辰威的《三水红头巾》，以及黄飞扬为萨克斯与乐团创作的《坚毅》（Fortitude），由萨克斯演奏家陈昱榤担任独奏，以及本地爵士乐泰斗蒙特罗（Jeremy Monteiro）为交响乐改编、致敬建国总理李光耀的另一首同名乐曲。林健雄创办的“新加坡之声”旗下女声合唱团也将参与演出。压轴曲《新加坡织锦》交织“Bunga Sayang”与“Singai Naadu”的旋律，并邀请观众共同演唱。 成立于2016年的ACSO，长期委约和演奏亚洲及新加坡作曲家的管弦乐作品。郑逸杰说，乐团10年来最重要的成绩，是让本地作品逐渐获得观众和演奏者的认同。 他曾看到观众被本地作品打动落泪，也有青年演奏家告诉他，第一次演奏新加坡作曲家的作品，改变了对古典音乐以及自身艺术定位的理解。郑逸杰说：“我们不只是在策划音乐会，也在建立一种让观众觉得属于自己的音乐。” ▲Musical Mosaics: Singapore Unsung 8月1日（星期六）下午4时30分 维多利亚音乐厅 票价：38元（可用文化通行证购票） 购票：shorturl.at/252Gm
481 firms lauded for doing good in 2026; businesses donated nearly $384 million over past 3 years
NCS CEO Sam Liew (left) and Go! Mama CEO Vivian Lee at the Company Of Good Conference and Conferment on July 20. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG SINGAPORE – More than 480 companies here have been lauded for doing good and creating a positive impact in Singapore through activities like volunteering or donating so far in 2026. Collectively, a total of 1,046 businesses have been recognised as Companies of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) over the past three years. Together, they have given nearly $384 million in donations, more than $85 million in donations in kind, and contributed more than 1.1 million volunteer hours. Small and medium-sized enterprises formed the majority of companies in the 2026 cohort, numbering 376, up from 363 in 2025. The Company of Good movement, which recognises businesses that contribute meaningfully to society, marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. The 2026 numbers were published in an impact report by NVPC on July 20, released at the Company of Good Conference and Conferment at Fairmont Singapore, where close to 700 business leaders gathered. In a speech at the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong said that in a volatile world, expectations of companies are changing, and people are increasingly looking not only at what organisations achieve, but also at how they achieve it. The Company of Good movement has evolved from encouraging corporate giving to a broader movement of organisations committed to creating positive impact, he added. This includes how they hire, how they treat workers, how they operate and how they give back, he said.
