Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India for Hindus. It is also home to a mosque which is the focus of a series of lawsuits between local Hindus and Muslims. CNA's Ishan Garg travels down to this city on the sacred Ganges River to speak to those in the middle of this fight over the Gyanvapi Mosque. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

This year's presidential election in Russia might be a non-starter. Vladimir Putin’s main rivals are all out of the running -- or dead -- and he could potentially hold on to power for another decade. What do ordinary Russians make of the man who rules with an iron fist? CNA's Teresa Tang talks to former Moscow correspondent Julia Chapman to find out. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Just 13, table tennis sensation Loy Ming Ying is aiming to represent Singapore in the 2025 SEA Games after making history as the youngest-ever player to win a match at the WTT Singapore Smash. Her rapid rise came after the Singapore Table Tennis Association let her train with the senior national team and gain experience through overseas training camps. Jeraldine Yap sits down with the teenager to find out more about her journey so far.

The National Heritage Board's first-ever survey on the impact of volunteering outlines what volunteers are getting out of giving back. It reveals how interacting with museum visitors and gaining new skills and confidence can benefit volunteers' well-being. Rachel Teng reports.

Singaporeans have trust issues about how innovation is being managed. One in four feels that innovation is poorly managed in Singapore, despite high levels of trust in key institutions. Associate Professor Feida Zhu, Associate Dean of Partnerships & Engagement at the SMU School of Computing and Information Systems, says transparency is key, as he weighs in on the issue with Jill Neubronner and Loke Wei Sue.

Energy industry players are combining efforts to train their workers. They have developed a centralised simulator to train employees in solving unique problems in power plants. It is also the first time all six power generation companies in Singapore are collaborating on a common set of training courses. Nadirah Zaidi finds out more.

The canopy structures over the train platforms of the former Tanjong Pagar railway station are expected to be fully reassembled by next year. They were previously cut up and put aside to make way for MRT works. The Land Transport Authority said that to date, about 70 per cent of the reinstatement works have been completed. It comes as the new Cantonment MRT station, built under the site, is on track to open in 2026. Richa Mathew with more.

Travellers crossing in and out of Singapore by car can clear immigration with QR codes instead of their passports starting from Mar 19. Travellers must generate their QR codes via an immigration mobile app before arriving at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints. Alif Amsyar reports.

Former Singapore president Tony Tan has launched a new autobiography about his career in politics. The book also gives an inside look into national policy changes. Among them is how Dr Tan faced the challenging task of cutting the CPF contribution rate in the mid-1980s. Sabrina Ng reports.

Trust in the promise of innovation appears to be in peril. The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer has revealed that more than one in four people in Singapore said innovation is poorly managed. This is despite a high level of trust in the country's key institutions. Lauren Ong and Marcus Tan report.

Following its peak in 2021, China has seen an epic US$7 trillion stock crash. Are we seeing a bottom nearing? What benefits can be reaped from buying cheaper Chinese stocks? Andrea Heng speaks to John Lin, Chief Investment Officer of China Equities at AllianceBernstein. 0:00 Intro 00:51 Climate vouchers, Tesla price war 10:22 Impact of COVID-19 on China’s economy 14:00 Know the market before investing 17:20 Is China still investible? 23:23 Do you fit the profile to invest in China?

Seoul-based artist Kim Hyun-Joo is inspired by elements of nature and her Korean heritage to create things that look and feel like art. Read more: https://cna.asia/492VVBT #artisans #seoul Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

There will be more resources to help workers plot their careers and develop relevant skills. Workforce Singapore is moving away from giving support when workers face a crisis, like losing their jobs. Instead, it will help the workforce prepare early before changes take place in their industries. Under a new partnership with WSG, the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) will take over the role of employment assistance. e2i will oversee 12 WSG centres from next month. Richa Mathew reports.

Singapore's Transport Ministry announced measures last week to reduce operating costs in a bid to retain and attract taxi drivers. However, taxi operators and drivers said the cost savings may not help to attract more to join the sector, and allowing taxis to remain on the road for 10 years may lead to more maintenance downtime. They are also asking for more regulation over private hire platforms to better protect drivers' interests. Claudia Lim reports.

National Development Minister Desmond Lee said buildings with heritage value must be carefully studied before any redevelopment plans are put in place. He added that there is a need to balance the needs of the property owners, as well as public interest. In an exclusive interview with CNA's Rebecca Metteo, Mr Lee also touched on a wide range of issues -- including moves to ensure housing remains affordable, keeping the property market stable, as well as new measures to help young couples own a home earlier.

Britain's Princess Catherine has apologised for the confusion she caused after releasing an edited image of herself with her three children to celebrate Mother's Day in the UK. It was the first photo of the Princess of Wales distributed by Kensington Palace since she underwent abdominal surgery in January. The princess said the image was the result of an experiment with editing. The British royal has not been seen in public since Christmas, and the picture has raised questions on her health. Julia Chapman reports from London.

China's legislature has wrapped up its annual 'two sessions' against a backdrop of growing challenges on the domestic and international front. Officials have laid out broad plans on how to tackle them through the week-long meetings. Dr Dylan Loh, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Global Affairs at Nanyang Technological University, shared more about China's economic growth target and its stimulus measures.

Some social service agencies in Singapore have seen a jump of over 50 per cent in the number of financial abuse cases over the past three years. Such incidents are getting tougher to detect and even harder to recover from, as the definition of financial abuse differs from case to case, they told CNA. Financial abuse generally refers to cases where one party withholds and controls the financial resources and cash flow in the household. CNA’s Eugene Chow reports. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Subscribe to our news service for must-read stories: Telegram - https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp - https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us: CNA: https://cna.asia CNA Lifestyle: http://www.cnalifestyle.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/channelnewsasia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia

The first photo of the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton since her surgery nearly two months ago has been released. However, it was then retracted by some news agencies because it appears to be manipulated.