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SINGAPORE – Ms Julia Chan had always envisioned a life where she could balance family and career. But reality took a different turn when her elder son was diagnosed with autism at four, and her younger son began showing signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at nine. When her older son Jedi, now 12, was first diagnosed, Ms Chan’s mind swirled with self-blame. She questioned everything from her pregnancy to potential external causes. “Could I have done anything to prevent it or did I do something to cause his development to be this way?” she remembers asking. She watched Jedi struggle to speak and respond, fearing he might never fully communicate or live independently. “At that point in time, he was parroting. If you said something to him, he would repeat it back to you. But if you asked him, ‘What do you want to eat?’, he wouldn’t answer because he didn’t know how to pull that response from the back of his mind,” says the 40-year-old, whose husband, 42, works as an executive in facilities management. Their younger son, Javian, is now 10. They are waiting to hear from the Ministry of Education on a possible ADHD diagnosis for him. Her experiences as a caregiver dealing with stress led her to write The Healing Journal: A Caregiver’s Path To Self-Care, a 200-page book published by CaringSG. The non-profit supports caregivers of persons with special needs, estimating that there are more than 350,000 informal or family caregivers in Singapore. The book is one of several initiatives supporting caregivers and seeking to give them respite from their responsibilities. Jedi was diagnosed with autism in 2016. Ms Chan, who was handling social media for a company, felt the cumulative weight of his medical appointments, therapies and caregiving. Although her employer offered flexible hours, the anxiety of potentially losing her job pushed her to work tirelessly to prove her worth. The pressure took a toll and she started having tension headaches, sleepless nights and stress-induced breathing difficulties. At times, relationships with some family members became strained. She felt her husband was not meeting her expectations in household and caregiving responsibilities. “In hindsight, I realised I had unrealistic expectations. I became a nagging wife who was hard to be around. It’s not fun coming home to someone who’s constantly pointing out what wasn’t done,” she says. She realised that while she could not change her circumstances, she could change how she approached them. One of her first steps was listing out every caregiving task she and her husband handled. From driving to errands, she noted down everything, big or small. She circled the duties she disliked most, then talked with her husband about an “exchange” arrangement. He would handle tasks she found unbearable, like catching cockroaches, while she managed chores he loathed, such as laundry. This mutual understanding eased the tension in their marriage. In 2018, Ms Chan came across and joined a WhatsApp group chat for caregivers. “I witnessed the impact made by caregivers, who even in the midst of their own difficulties, generously shared their advice, resources, networks and even financial support to other caregivers in need,” she says. She started compiling the resources she had gathered over the years and created an informal database. The resources included books on parenting children with special needs, strategies for communicating with them effectively and self-care tips for caregivers. “Some people ask me for (the database), so I send them the link or e-mail it to them. Then I realised, if one day I’m not around, where will people look for these resources? There are an estimated 350,000 caregivers in Singapore and I wanted to share these resources with as many of them as possible,” says Ms Chan. This inspired her to write her book, which provides guidance, encouragement and practical toolkits to help caregivers navigate challenges, find balance and heal emotionally, mentally and physically. The activity she did with her husband on exchanging unpleasant tasks to mitigate the strain of caregiving is also detailed in her book. She includes exercises that guide caregivers to identify their own needs before addressing others. “Caregivers are often the invisible help. This journal is a reminder that we need to care for ourselves first,” she adds. In November, the book was distributed to a few caregivers and donors of CaringSG as part of a soft launch. It will be officially launched at the CAREforward event by CaringSG at Punggol Regional Library on Dec 1. Ms Susan Chia, whose 16-year-old son has ADHD, says the book has been a “great help”. She says caring for him can sometimes be stressful, and she often questions why this happened to her son. At times, she also feels depressed, but makes a conscious effort to maintain a positive mindset. “The book guides me on writing notes on self-love and self-care, and when I look at them during low moments, they help me feel better. It gives me a boost,” says the 42-year-old, who is married and works as a supervisor in a restaurant. The healing activities in the book have also benefited her. “When I’m stressed or struggling with low self-esteem, it can be difficult to think of activities that help relax the mind. The book offers reminders of therapeutic options like bonding with loved ones over games, watching comedies and going for a massage. These are simple yet effective ways to lift our spirits and improve mental well-being,” says Ms Chia. In June, Ms Chan quit her job and joined CaringSG. She currently contributes to community events, social media marketing and membership. Ms Teo Hui Fang, who is the head of programmes at CaringSG, says its caregiver volunteer training programme has trained 66 caregivers as CAREbuddies or CAREchampions since 2021. CAREbuddies provide emotional support and a listening ear to fellow caregivers, while CAREchampions support a fellow caregiver as a peer in group settings at community events. To widen the programme’s reach, CaringSG is in talks with social service agencies, such as the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children Centre, and special education schools to train their parent volunteers to support fellow caregivers, says Ms Teo. CaringSG aims to engage at least five social service agencies to implement this programme, aiming to train 160 caregiver volunteers by March 2026, she adds. The programme, offered free of charge, runs for 24 hours over a three-month period. Participants learn various skills such as effective communication strategies and problem-solving skills to help caregivers manage challenges. It is open to Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 to 65, who are caregivers of individuals with special needs. The course is delivered through e-learning modules and live sessions on Zoom. Piano teacher Vanecia Er, who has a 12-year-old son with autism, became a CAREbuddy in 2022, after she found out about the programme on CaringSG’s website. After undergoing training, she was assigned to a fellow caregiver who has a child with special needs. To stay connected, Ms Er uses methods such as Zoom sessions, face-to-face meetups and texting. “My aim is to remind them that they are not alone and to encourage them to share their challenges. We are all in this together, offering mutual support and understanding,” says Ms Er, who is married and has an eight-year-old daughter. Ms Er has found the experience mutually rewarding. “Before becoming a CAREbuddy, I rarely talked to others and struggled to find someone to share my thoughts and experiences with. Through this programme, I met other parent caregivers who, like me, mostly needed a listening ear and someone who understood their journey,” she adds. Supporting caregivers is crucial, as they often bear a heavy emotional, physical and financial burden while caring for loved ones with special needs or mental health challenges. Caregivers Alliance Limited (CAL) chief executive Tim Lee says, according to programme managers who have been training mental health caregivers since CAL’s inception in 2011, caregivers frequently face challenges like limited flexible work arrangements, a lack of respite, insufficient emotional support and financial difficulties. To address the need for respite, CAL launched a pilot Respite & Resilience Retreat. The first retreat took place in May, followed by a second one in October, supporting around 30 mental health and dementia caregivers. These caregivers, overwhelmed by burnout, isolation and the constant demands of caregiving, were provided with the space to recharge, reset and build resilience, says Mr Lee. The retreats, which required a $50 registration fee, were held at Montfort Centre in Upper Bukit Timah Road. The majority of the participants were females aged 40 to 60, and were caregivers to children and parents with conditions such as depression, dementia and schizophrenia. In October, Ms Janet Yeo joined the retreat, seeking respite from her caregiving duties. The partner in an interior architecture firm is a caregiver to her 86-year-old mother with dementia as well as her own husband, who is in his 70s and recovering from cancer. The period from July to September was particularly challenging for Ms Yeo. Her husband had surgery and was undergoing treatment, and her mother was taken to a hospital’s accident and emergency department for urinary issues. “I didn’t know I was on the brink of burnout until I attended the retreat,” says Ms Yeo, who is in her 50s and has a 19-year-old daughter. The retreat made her realise that she needed to take care of herself too. “I took steps to change that by setting aside time to exercise and ensuring I got enough sleep,” she says. The two-day, one-night retreat was a home away from home for caregivers, says Mr Lee. “They learnt to be intentional about self-care, experienced the benefits of stepping away from their caregiving tasks, reconnected with themselves and, importantly, found social support through the new friends they made,” he adds. The retreat has a waiting list, and CAL is in discussions with a corporate partner to fund its third run. The retreat is open to all mental health caregivers in need of a break. Mr Lee says it takes a village to support people with mental health conditions and their caregivers. He hopes that more employers in both public and private organisations will recognise that their employees are, or may become, caregivers. As such, they need compassionate and flexible work arrangements and support to thrive in the workplace while continuing to be dedicated caregivers to their loved ones at home. “As Singapore continues to strengthen its mental health ecosystem, we hope more companies will step forward to collaborate with us. For example, allocating a budget to send their employees, who are also caregivers, on such company-funded retreats could serve as an additional measure to support mental well-being in the workplace,” says Mr Lee.Haynes' 18 help George Mason defeat Mount St. Mary's 64-56
MALAGA, Spain (AP) — No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner won matches in singles and doubles to lead defending champion Italy to a 2-1 comeback victory over Argentina on Thursday, earning a return trip to the Davis Cup semifinals. “I’m here trying to do the best I can in the singles,” Sinner said. “If they put me on the court in doubles, I’ll also try my best.” On Saturday, Italy will face Australia in a rematch of last year's final, but this time it will only be for a chance to play for the championship. Australia eliminated the U.S. 2-1 earlier Thursday to reach the final four at the team competition for the third consecutive year. The other semifinal, to be contested Friday, is the Netherlands against Germany. The Dutch got past Rafael Nadal and Spain in the quarterfinals earlier in the week, sending the 22-time Grand Slam champion into retirement. Italy fell behind 1-0 in the quarterfinals when Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo defeated Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-1 on an indoor hard court at the Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martina Carpena in southern Spain. But then in stepped Sinner, whose season already includes two Grand Slam trophies — at the Australian Open and U.S. Open — plus the title at the ATP Finals last weekend in Turin, Italy. First he overwhelmed Sebastián Báez 6-2, 6-1. Then Sinner teamed with 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini in the deciding doubles match to win 6-4, 7-5 against Andres Molteni and Maximo Gonzalez. “He carried me today,” Sinner said about Berrettini. After arriving late to Malaga from Turin, Sinner did not get a chance to practice on the Davis Cup competition court before taking on Báez and stretching his streak to 22 sets won in a row. “In three minutes, he was perfectly comfortable on court,” Italy captain Filippo Volandri said. “He’s a special one.” Volandri swapped out his original doubles team, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, for Sinner and Berrettini, and the change paid dividends. Australia, the Davis Cup runner-up the last two years, advanced when Matt Ebden and Jordan Thompson beat the surprise, last-minute American pairing of Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in that quarterfinal's deciding doubles match. The Shelton-Paul substitution for Paris Olympics silver medalists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram was announced about 15 minutes before the doubles match began. Ebden and John Peers beat Krajicek and Ram in the Summer Games final in August. The Australians broke once in each set of the doubles. In the second, they stole one of Shelton’s service games on the fourth break opportunity when Ebden’s overhead smash made it 5-4. Thompson then served out the victory, closing it with a service winner before chest-bumping Ebden. The 21st-ranked Shelton made his Davis Cup debut earlier Thursday in singles against 77th-ranked Thanasi Kokkinakis, who emerged from a tight-as-can-be tiebreaker by saving four match points and eventually converting his seventh to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (14). No. 4 Taylor Fritz , the U.S. Open runner-up, then pulled the Americans even with a far more straightforward victory over No. 9 Alex de Minaur , 6-3, 6-4. When their match finally ended, on a backhand by Shelton that landed long, Kokkinakis dropped onto his back and pounded his chest. After he rose, he threw a ball into the stands, then walked over to Australia’s sideline, spiked his racket and yelled, before hugging captain Lleyton Hewitt. “I don’t know if I’ve been that pumped up in my life. I wanted that for my team,” said Kokkinakis, who won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title with Nick Kyrgios. “It could have gone either way, but I kept my nerve.” AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennisTrending News Today Live Updates: In today's fast-paced world, staying informed about the latest developments is more important than ever. Trending News Today brings you the most current and impactful stories from across the globe, covering a wide range of topics including politics, technology, entertainment, sports, and social issues. Whether it's a significant political event, a groundbreaking technological innovation, or the latest in pop culture, we provide you with up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis. Our goal is to ensure that you're always in the loop, aware of the trends that are shaping the world around us. Stay tuned for the latest news that matters. Trends News Today Live: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Christmas decision: Why they opted for a quiet celebration in California
Trump has promised again to release the last JFK files. But experts say don’t expect big revelations DALLAS (AP) — The nation is set to mark 61 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed through downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. Even after over six decades, conspiracy theories about what happened that day still swirl and the desire to follow every thread of information hasn’t waned. President-elect Donald Trump made promises over the summer that if reelected he would declassify the remaining records. At this point, only a few thousand of millions of pages of governmental records related to the assassination have yet to be fully released. And those who have studied what's been released so far say that the public shouldn’t anticipate any earth-shattering revelations even if the remaining files are declassified. Bitcoin is at the doorstep of $100,000 as post-election rally rolls on NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, rising above $98,000 for the first time Thursday. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. NFL issues security alert to teams and the players' union following recent burglaries The NFL has issued a security alert to teams and the players’ union following recent burglaries involving the homes of Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the league says homes of professional athletes across multiple sports have become “increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups.” Law enforcement officials noted these groups target the homes on days the athletes have games. Players were told to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted. Some of the burglary groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets. Penn State wins trademark case over retailer's use of vintage logos, images PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer’s use of its vintage logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages earlier this week over products made and sold by the firms Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc. Penn State accused them of selling “counterfeit” clothing and accessories. The defendants said their website makes clear they are not affiliated with Penn State. At least a dozen other schools have sued the defendants on similar grounds, but the Pennsylvania case was the first to go to trial. Has a waltz written by composer Frederic Chopin been discovered in an NYC museum? NEW YORK (AP) — A previously unknown musical work written by composer Frederic Chopin appears to have been found in a library in New York City. The Morgan Library & Museum says the untitled and unsigned piece is the first new manuscript of the Romantic era virtuoso to be discovered in nearly a century. Robinson McClellan, the museum’s curator, says he stumbled across the work in May while going through a collection brought to the Manhattan museum years earlier. He worked with outside experts to verify the document's authenticity. But there’s debate whether the waltz is an original Chopin work or merely one written in his hand. Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year GRINDAVIK, Iceland (AP) — A volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland is spewing lava from a fissure in its seventh eruption since December. Iceland's seismic monitors said the eruption started with little warning late Wednesday and created a long fissure but looked to be smaller than eruptions in August and May. Around 50 houses were evacuated after the Civil Protection agency issued the alert, along with guests at the famous Blue Lagoon resort, according to the national broadcaster. The repeated eruptions over the past year have caused damage to the town of Grindavík and forced people to relocate. Australian teen and British woman who drank tainted alcohol in Laos have died, bringing toll to 5 VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — An Australian teenager and a British woman have died after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos in what Australia’s prime minister said was every parent’s nightmare. Officials earlier said an American and two Danish tourists also had died following reports that multiple people had been sickened in town popular with backpackers. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament that 19-year-old Bianca Jones had died after being evacuated from Vang Vieng, Laos, for treatment in a Thai hospital. Her friend, also 19, remains hospitalized in Thailand. Later Thursday, Britain said a British woman also died and the media in the U.K. identified her as 28-year-old Simone White. US ahead in AI innovation, easily surpassing China in Stanford's new ranking The U.S. leads the world in developing artificial intelligence technology, surpassing China in research and other important measures of AI innovation, according to a newly released Stanford University index. There’s no surefire way to rank global AI leadership but Stanford researchers have made an attempt by measuring the “vibrancy” of the AI industry across a variety of dimensions, from how much research and investment is happening to how responsibly the technology is being pursued to prevent harm. Following the U.S. and China were the United Kingdom, India and the United Arab Emirates. Pop star Ed Sheeran helps favorite soccer team sign player before getting on stage with Taylor Swift It turns out British pop star Ed Sheeran is also good at recruiting soccer players. Sheeran is a minority shareholder at English soccer team Ipswich Town and it needed his help over the summer to get a player to join the club. Ipswich CEO Mark Ashton tells a Soccerex industry event in Miami: “Ed jumped on a Zoom call with him at the training ground, just before he stepped on stage with Taylor Swift. Hopefully that was a key part in getting the player across the line.” Ashton didn’t disclose the player in question, saying only: “He’s certainly scoring a few goals.” Chris Stapleton wins 4 CMA Awards, but Morgan Wallen gets entertainer of the year It was mostly Chris Stapleton’s night at the Country Music Association Awards. Stapleton won four times and took the stage to perform three times Wednesday night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. But an absent Morgan Wallen won the biggest award, entertainer of the year. Stapleton's wins included single of the year and song of the year for “White Horse,” and his eighth trophy as male vocalist of the year. Best female vocalist of the year went to Laney Johnson. An all-star ensemble including both Stapleton and Johnson performed in tribute to George Strait, who won the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.Ruto's strategy to regain Mt Kenya backing
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