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Singapore’s hawker culture gets UNESCO recognition

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The United Nations’ cultural agency announced it had added Singapore’s tradition of communal dining at hawker centres, open air food courts, to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore’s hawker centres were set up to house former street vendors, or “hawkers” in an effort to clean up the island in the 1970s and serve a variety of cheap, no-frills dishes to locals as well as providing a social setting. The successful nomination means Singapore now has its first item on the intangible cultural heritage list, which currently has 463 entries including yoga in India and Belgian beer. It is also the country’s second entry to any Unesco list. The first came in 2015 when the Singapore Botanic Gardens was designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site. “These centres serve as ‘community dining rooms’ where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner ,” UNESCO said. Celebrity chefs have effus...
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Mass suicide in Japan

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  Covid-19 is not the only one emergency in Japan: the land of the Rising Sun is now plagued by a mental health crisis. The National Police Agency said suicides surged to 2,153 in October alone, with more than 17,000 people taking their own lives  this year to date. Experts have warned that the pandemic could lead to a mental health crisis. Mass unemployment, social isolation, and anxiety are taking their toll on people globally.In Japan,  government statistics  show suicide claimed more lives in October than Covid-19 has over the entire year to date.The monthly number of Japanese suicides rose to 2,153 in October, according to Japan's National Police Agency.As of Friday, Japan 's total Covid-19 toll was 2,087, the health ministry said. Experts say the pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues due to prolonged lockdowns, isolation from family members, unemployment and other financial concerns, and a lack of school structure.  Japanese authorities increase...
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Angelina Jolie "lost herself" during separation from Brad Pitt

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Angelina Jolie is opening up about one of the most difficult times in her life, the high-profile divorce with ex-husband Brad Pitt The 44-year-old actress called her split from the actor “a complicated moment,” telling French magazine Madame Figaro, “I didn’t recognize myself anymore.” The Hollywood star went on to reveal how much their 2016 breakup took a toll on her. “I felt a deep and genuine sadness, I was hurt,” she said. "I think it was at the end of my relationship with Brad and then when we separated. It was complicated, I didn’t recognize myself anymore, and I’d become, how do I say this, smaller, insignificant, even if I didn’t show it." “On the other hand, it was interesting to reconnect with this humility and even this insignificance I was feeling. Maybe this is what being human is in the end…” The actress also said, "I do not know about destiny, but I’m certain that I’m in transition, and this is a homecoming, I’m coming back ...
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Mitakuemi Hisashi, new sumo sensation

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The biggest talking point of the week in sports is the performance by 26-years-old sumo champion Mitakeumi Hisashi. The 176kg colossus drove his opponent over the straw to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in front of a sellout crowd at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall. The 26-year old Nagano-native, who was born to a Japanese father and a Filipino mother, used a combination of strength and technique to overpower and outmaneuver Takakeisho and secure the title-clinching victory. It was his second time to take home the prestigious Emperor's Cup, with his first coming back in July of 2018 . Currently ranked as sekiwake, the Dewanoumi Stable product now has his sights set on reaching the rank of ozeki, the sport's second-highest rank.  Mitakuemui is a pusher thruster-type wrestler. A former amateur champion at Toyo University, he made his professional debut in March 2015, reaching the top  makuuchi  division in Novemb...
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Taylor Swift is back to “The Voice”

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NBC announced on Monday that Taylor Swift will serve as “The Voice” Mega Mentor on the upcoming 17th season Swift will offer advice to each team of artists as they prepare for the knockout rounds in the show. Coaches John Legend and Blake Shelton took to Instagram to share a promotional video with the news. In it, the singers act as if they have no clue who the pop-star mentor will be. “I heard we have a mega mentor? I heard it’s supposed to be one of the most successful people in music,” Legend says before Swift nonchalantly walks out of the trailer behind them as her latest chart-topping single “Me!” featuring Brenden Urie begins playing. When the Knockout Rounds begin, each artist will be paired with a teammate and select their own songs to sing and Swift will help all four coaches and their teams by providing feedback and suggestions. The Grammy-winning artist is no stranger to “The Voice” stage: she previously served as the mega mentor during Season 7, in addition to ...
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Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik split

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Seconde divorce in sight for Zooey Deschanel. The actress and husband Jacob Pechenik have decided to separate after four years of marriage . “After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners,” the couple said in a joint statement to Page Six. “We remain committed to our business, our values and most of all our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time.” Deschanel, 39, and Pechenik, 47, began dating in mid-2014 and tied the knot in a secret ceremony in 2015 around the same time they welcomed their first child, daughter Elsie Otter. They are also parents to 2-year-old Charlie Wolf. Deschanel, who is also a co-founder of popular website HelloGiggles.com, last starred in FOX's " New Girl ," which ended its seven-season run in 2018.Deschanel and Pechenik run two food-centric companies together, Lettuce Grow and The Farm Proj...
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