aseanpr

More gardening plots, therapeutic gardens in West Coast by 2030: NParks

aseanpr 4 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The heavily industrialised West Coast of Singapore will by 2030 get an infusion of greenery that will include almost 40 new nature-based amenities, such as community gardening plots and therapeutic gardens. Two nature-themed inclusive play areas for children are also on the cards in West Coast and Telok Blangah Hill parks, while industrial estates in the area will also be planted up with 150,000 trees - helping these urban heat hot spots cool down and making the environment there more comfortable for workers. These were among the greening plans for the West Coast area announced by the National Parks Board (NParks) on Saturday (Sept 4) morning, during the opening of the first section of Pasir Panjang Park. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, who is also an MP for West Coast GRC, officiated the opening of the 450m-stretch of the park. Plans for Pasir Panjang Park were first announced in January last year. This first stretch to be opened runs from Pasir Panjang MRT station to the Jalan Pelepah residential estate. The entire park is expected to be completed by 2026. "(These) initiatives... are integral to our efforts to transform Singapore into a City in Nature,"...

askST: Will I be considered ‘unvaccinated’ if I do not take booster shots?

aseanpr 4 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - With the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccine booster shots expected to start this month, The Straits Times tackles key questions about the programme, including whether someone will be considered "unvaccinated" if they do not get the booster shots. Q: Why is there a need for booster shots? A: Booster shots will increase vaccine effectiveness and help in maintaining a high level of protection against more severe infections, said Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong in a press conference on Friday (Sept 3). The strength of vaccine protection will come down as antibodies wane several months after the vaccination, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. Despite this, vaccines continue to be very effective in protecting against severe illnesses and deaths, should one be infected. Internationally and in Singapore, more breakthrough infections - where fully vaccinated individuals are infected with the Delta variant - have been observed, he said. Israel, among the countries in the world with the highest vaccination rates, began offering those aged 60 and above a third vaccine dose in late July. They are eligible five months after their second dose. Other countries such as the United Stat...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Sept 4

aseanpr 4 9 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Saturday, Sept 4. New Covid-19 cluster at Changi General Hospital with 14 cases The latest CGH cluster is separate from an earlier active cluster with 4 cases. READ MORE HERE Bugis Junction Covid-19 cluster may have started with infected member of public who visited mall: Kenneth Mak The spread of the virus among mall employees could be due to a lack of compliance with Covid-19 measures, said Prof Kenneth Mak. READ MORE HERE Covid-19 vaccines are 40% effective against infection in S'pore, 'very effective' against severe illness There has been a sevenfold reduction in the rate of severe infections or death among those vaccinated. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news SingPost Centre death: Signs with emergency number put up on walls of stairwell The signs were not there on Thursday when ST checked. READ MORE HERE Can racial harmony in Singapore be fostered by law? The new law will go beyond punishment to incorporate "softer and gentler touches" that focus on persuasion and rehabilitation. READ MORE HERE Needle-free DNA vaccine may be key in India’s Covid-19 fight However...

Beyond ‘Chinese privilege’, S’pore’s fight against racial discrimination continues

aseanpr 4 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - Whenever an apologetic Madam Susan Wong asks for help filling up forms at job interviews, she gets this incredulous response: "You don't know English?" The 59-year-old Singaporean, who studied up to primary six in a Chinese-language school, has worked odd jobs all her life while raising three daughters in a one-room flat. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Business at Bugis Junction falls by up to 90%, with 246 Covid-19 cases in cluster linked to it

aseanpr 3 9 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Businesses at Bugis Junction are reeling from the drastic drop in footfall since a cluster of Covid-19 cases emerged at the mall on Aug 24. Infections there ballooned to 246 on Thursday (Sept 2), from 20 cases initially. Business owners and employees at units ranging from clothing stores to restaurants said footfall had plummeted by about 90 per cent in the past week, despite measures such as deep cleaning and quarantining. Some shops have closed temporarily as it was not worth operating at present, or because employees had been infected with the virus. The manager of a clothing store, who gave his name only as Mr Eric, said this had been the worst drop in customers that he has seen this year. Ms Cheng Wei Li, 35, an employee at a gadget shop, also said footfall had been low. "Maybe it will get better after one or two weeks," she said in Mandarin. Mr Jaryl Foo, 22, who works at anime merchandise shop Otaku House, said he has seen close to zero sales in the past week. "People want to avoid this place now," he said. "At first I was very concerned about the cases as I am working here, but at least I am vaccinated." An employee who works at a food stall in the basement said...

Merlion statue cleaning postponed due to ‘manpower issues’: STB

aseanpr 3 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - The Merlion will have to wait longer for its regular bath. The iconic statue was supposed to have its quarterly cleaning from last Thursday (Aug 26) to Saturday, but this has been postponed to next week, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a statement on Friday (Sept 3). "The cleaning works were postponed due to manpower issues faced by the appointed cleaning company," an STB spokesman told The Straits Times. The STB did not elaborate on the issues or name the cleaning company. The Merlion will now be cleaned overnight from 11.30pm to 7am between Sept 6 and Sept 8. The statue will be hoarded up during that period and not available for public viewing, the STB said. More on this topic Related Story Interactive: If Singapore’s Merlion were real Related Story Ultraman meets Merlion in new Singapore Tourism Board campaign for Japan

No evidence yet of Covid-19 clusters at bus interchanges spreading virus to commuters: Iswaran

aseanpr 3 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - There is currently no evidence that Covid-19 clusters in bus interchanges have resulted in spreading the virus to commuters, said Transport Minister S. Iswaran on Friday (Sept 3). "The experts have said that there is no evidence of any spread to commuters but we will continue to make sure we observe all the safeguards that have been put in place," said Mr Iswaran. "If there is a need to do more, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will work with public transport operators to do so." Mr Iswaran was speaking to the media on the sidelines of Land Transport Industry Day at the LTA office in Bedok. He said the priority now is to ensure that both transport workers and commuters are safe, and that the public transport system continues to function. As at Wednesday, 314 cases - including 284 bus drivers and service staff at bus interchanges - have been reported. The rest are their household contacts and members of the public. The bus depot clusters grew to 341 cases on Thursday. On how the drivers could have been infected, Mr Iswaran said medical experts are still studying the issue. "It's plausible that they may have contracted (the virus) from the community, but at the same tim...

620 electric vehicle chargers to be installed at public carparks in the next 12 months

aseanpr 3 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - More than 600 electric vehicle (EV) chargers will be installed at some 200 public carparks in HDB estates, industrial estates and the Central Business District over the next 12 months. The first of these chargers are expected to be installed by the end of this year. By the third quarter of next year, there will be 210 charging points in the central region, 50 in the north, 100 in the north-east, 120 in the east and 140 in the west. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Friday (Sept 3) that a consortium comprising ComfortDelGro Engineering and Engie South East Asia has been awarded a tender to set up EV charging points in selected carparks in the central, east and west regions. Another consortium comprising Primech A&P, Charge+, Sunseap Group and Oyika has been awarded a tender to install the charging infrastructure in carparks in the north and north-east regions. The tenders, which form a pilot tender put out in November last year, are the first steps towards a national target of 40,000 charging points in public carparks by 2030. URA and LTA said they wanted to ensure that the pilot tender for the charging points was awar...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Sept 3

aseanpr 3 9 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Friday, Sept 3. SingPost Centre death: How the elderly man could have got into the stairwell Soh Eng Thong's body was found three days after he was reported missing. READ MORE HERE 341 Covid-19 cases now linked to bus interchanges, with 21 new cases The 191 new infections on Thursday is the highest number of cases since Aug 10, 2020. READ MORE HERE Commuters may see longer waits for buses if Covid-19 clusters at bus interchanges worsen These plans were worked out before the pandemic, for cases of severe manpower disruption. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news LWWs: Can efforts to help lower-wage workers be sustained? One big question in Singaporeans’ minds: Who pays for higher wages of LWWs? READ MORE HERE MAS orders crypto exchange platform Binance.com to stop services in Singapore MAS also warn consumers that Binance is not regulated or licensed in Singapore to provide any payment services. READ MORE HERE From Normal stream straggler to ITE lecturer, he now picks up President's Award for Teachers Struggling through secondary school in the Normal stream, Mr Jeff Koh ...

Police investigating 27-year-old woman for racially offensive tweets

aseanpr 2 9 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - The police are investigating a 27-year-old Singaporean woman for promoting enmity between different racial groups. The Twitter user "Matilda Lee" had allegedly posted content against the Malay community, the police said in a statement on Thursday (Sept 2). A police report was made on Sunday and the police established the identity of the Malay woman on the same day. Police investigations are ongoing. The offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of race carries a jail term of up to three years, or a fine, or both. More on this topic Related Story New law to deal with racial offences, promote harmony through softer approach Related Story Recent incidents do not mean S'pore has become racist; race policies may need updating: Edwin Tong

NUS climbs to 21st place and NTU moves to 46th spot in latest global rankings

aseanpr 2 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The National University of Singapore (NUS) climbed four places to become the world's 21st top university - its highest position - in the latest Times Higher Education rankings. It rose by four places from 25th place last year, and remains Asia's third-best university. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) edged up one place to rank 46th globally this year. In June, it was ranked first by Times Higher Education in a list of universities set up less than 50 years ago. This is the first time both NUS and NTU moved up to their best positions after Times Higher Education put in place a new methodology in 2016. A record 1,662 universities from 99 countries and regions were ranked this year, based on 13 indicators to measure performance in teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook. Britain's Oxford University retained its top spot for the sixth straight year. It was followed by three universities in the United States. The California Institute of Technology and Harvard University tied for second place, followed by Stanford University in fourth. Cambridge University in Britain and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States took fifth place...

Tighter measures at bus interchanges needed after Covid-19 clusters

aseanpr 2 9 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - The growing Covid-19 clusters at bus interchanges suggest that workplace practices across different interchanges could be causing the virus to spread, said an infectious disease expert. This warrants closer investigation, said Dr Leong Hoe Nam from the Rophi Clinic, as he called for measures at these places to be tightened. There were 314 Covid-19 cases at eight bus interchanges as at Wednesday (Sept 1). "It could be the rest areas, the way they hand over and talk. There might also be a need to look at toilets, where they take out their masks, wash their faces - the toilet may turn out to be the most contaminated place," he said. "The really essential workers, who cannot afford to fall sick, should wear proper surgical masks instead of cloth masks. I still see some people using last year's National Day Parade masks - those are not good." There are about 9,500 bus drivers here, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has said that 99 per cent of front-line public transport workers have completed their first dose of a vaccine. More than 95 per cent are fully inoculated, and in the light of recent developments, workers have been told to take their meals and smoke breaks alo...

Joseph Schooling’s former spokesman charged with 21 counts of cheating

aseanpr 2 9 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Former sports agent Mohamed Hafidz Ja'afar, who previously served as Olympic champion Joseph Schooling's spokesman and managed his swim school, has been charged with cheating several people, allegedly duping them into paying for fake football match and music concert tickets, investments and sports apparel. Last Friday (Aug 27), the 38-year-old was charged with 21 counts of cheating for the alleged offences, which occurred from Nov 2017 to July 2019. The sum of the money allegedly cheated amounts to about $87,300. Thirteen of the charges involve the allegation that Hafidz took money from several people to purchase tickets for the International Champions Cup (ICC) - an exhibition football tourament - in Singapore in 2019, but never delivered them. The 2019 edition of the ICC in Singapore featured European teams Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Inter Milan. Hafidz was also accused of cheating others into paying for U2 concert tickets in 2019, investments and sports wear, which included triathlon apparel and shoes. He is expected to be back in court on Oct 8. For cheating, an offender can be jailed up to 10 years and fined. Hafidz had previously assisted t...

Older adults resilient in the face of Covid-19 but social support needed: SMU report

aseanpr 2 9 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Older adults have adapted to the challenges of the pandemic in novel ways, such as by starting online businesses to generate new sources of income or developing new exercise routines as working from home became the norm. But social support that extends beyond what is offered by family members, involving friends and neighbours, remains key to their well-being. These were among the key findings in a report released on Thursday (Sept 2) by Singapore Management University's Centre for Research on Successful Ageing (Rosa). The report compiled research that Rosa had conducted in the past year on the well-being of older adults, and included new findings from seven focus groups with 35 participants aged 56 to 75. The aim of the focus groups was to learn more about how older adults coped during the Covid-19 pandemic as well as provide context for trends that were identified in previous research. For example, previous research had found that while the coronavirus outbreak disrupted the provision of chronic care to older adults suffering from chronic ailments, respondents' satisfaction with health remained constant. The focus groups suggested that the increase in work-life balance...

High Court awards PM Lee $370,000 in damages in defamation suits against TOC editor Terry Xu and article author

aseanpr 1 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The High Court has awarded Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a total of $370,000 in damages for two defamation suits he filed over an article published on The Online Citizen (TOC) website. He had separately sued TOC chief editor Terry Xu and Ms Rubaashini Shunmuganathan, the Malaysian author of the article that was published on Aug 15, 2019. The article, titled "PM Lee's wife Ho Ching weirdly shares article on cutting ties with family members", had quoted a Facebook post by PM Lee's sister, Dr Lee Wei Ling, saying their father, founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, had been misled by PM Lee into believing the family house at 38 Oxley Road had been gazetted by the Government. Ms Rubaashini did not enter an appearance to defend the suit against her and judgment in default was granted in favour of PM Lee. In a 64-page judgment released on Wednesday (Sept 1), Justice Audrey Lim said she was unable to accept Mr Xu's inference that PM Lee had, with an ulterior motive, misled Mr Lee Kuan Yew into believing that the house had been gazetted. "On the contrary, the evidence shows that (PM Lee) had supported (Mr Lee Kuan Yew's) wishes to demolish the house as he wanted to respect his ...

Briton allegedly linked to Wirecard case charged in Singapore with abetting to falsify document

aseanpr 1 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A man allegedly linked to a case involving German payments company Wirecard has been charged with one count of abetting to falsify a document. James Henry O'Sullivan, 46, appeared in a Singapore district court via video-link on Wednesday (Sept 1). In March 2017, the Briton allegedly instigated then director of local accounting firm Citadelle Corporate Services R Shanmugaratnam to falsify a document. According to court documents, O'Sullivan, who was arrested on Monday, purportedly instructed the Singaporean to issue a letter from Citadelle to a Wirecard subsidiary known as Cardsystems Middle East FZ. The letter is said to have stated that Citadelle held a balance of about 86.4 million euros (S$137 million) in an escrow account as of Dec 30, 2016 - when, in fact, Citadelle did not maintain such an account. Escrow is an essential service in capital markets that supports transactions such as mergers and acquisitions. O'Sullivan's lawyer Tito Isaac on Wednesday asked for his client to be allowed bail, stressing that the Briton had assisted the authorities with investigations. Mr Isaac said O'Sullivan's ties to Singapore are strong, adding that he and his wife are working her...

Researchers identify possible predictor of early heart disease in the elderly: NHCS

aseanpr 1 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Researchers here have found a potential predictor of heart disease among the elderly, after discovering a link between the weakening of skeletal muscle function and heart size. The skeletal muscle is attached to bones around the body and helps with muscle movement. The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function is known as sarcopenia, and it affects 10 per cent of older healthy adults. While such skeletal muscle degeneration is known, the impact of sarcopenia on the ageing heart had not been identified. This was what the study led by the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) sought to address. The longitudinal study, known as the Cardiac Ageing Study, began in 2014 and involved more than 300 healthy adults between 40 and 80 years old. It aimed to study the characteristics of how the heart ages - in both structure and function - within the local population. Based on detailed scans and various assessments such as skeletal muscle mass measurements and hand grip strength tests, the researchers found significant associations between skeletal muscle mass, function and heart structure. Over 20 per cent of older adults with sarcopenia had a distinct pattern of struc...

Changi Airport T1 and T3 reopen to public 3 months after Covid-19 cluster found

aseanpr 1 9 月

3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Staff of several stores and eateries returned to Changi Airport's Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 for the first time in more than three months on Wednesday (Sept 1). Traffic at the two terminals was light on Wednesday morning as they reopened to the public, but retail staff working there were hopeful of crowds returning on the weekend. Ms Izzul Faqihah, who works at the Ichikokudo Ramen, said she was excited to take on her new role as store manager. "I am excited to be back… it's quieter than usual today, but I think customers will know that there are no more cases and they will feel safe coming here," she said. "I went to Jewel Changi Airport last week and it was quite crowded, so hopefully some of them will come here." She expects crowds to also return with the start of the September school holidays next week. She said the store had received reservations for the weekend. When The Straits Times visited Terminal 3's basement two on Wednesday morning, a few stores were still closed and most of the people around were airport workers. A clothing shop employee, who wanted to be known only as Ms Yang, said the airport was quieter than usual on a weekday morning, but she hoped it w...

Youth praised by PM Lee for helping the homeless slept on the streets when she was a teenager

aseanpr 1 9 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - When undergraduate Roslina Toh read about Malaysians working in Singapore who were stranded after the Malaysian border was closed to stem the spread of Covid-19 in March last year, she decided to help at once. She led a a team of about 200 volunteers from various churches and for more than a month, they spent almost every night looking for people who were sleeping rough and wanted a refuge. The Home Away from Home initiative brought those who wanted a temporary roof over their heads to Transit Point, a shelter for the homeless run by New Hope Community Services, and offered food and sleeping bags to those who prefer to rough it out on the streets. Ms Toh, who is studying social work at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said: "I was homeless before and people helped me. So I want to give back and to do something for them." Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong mentioned Ms Toh in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday night (Aug 29) when he thanked her and others in the frontline for serving during the pandemic. "It was an honour," Ms Toh said when she was asked how she felt to be singled out by PM Lee. At 24, she has come a long way from her troubled childhood. Her...

Covid-19 booster jabs: Some may not get same vaccine from earlier shots

aseanpr 31 8 月

8 minutes

SINGAPORE - When Covid-19 booster shots are rolled out in Singapore, some may be given the same vaccine they took earlier while others may be administered a different one. "Both approaches are being considered, with pros and cons to both strategies," Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, director of the High Level Isolation Unit at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, told The Straits Times. "We have to look at which is more effective in protecting against the current and future virus strains circulating. We have to look at safety issues and different segments of the population. "What might be good for older adults might have more side-effects in younger persons, so it may not be a one-size-fits-all recommendation. Those kinds of data just take time to be collected, analysed and reported," said Prof Lim, who is also a member of the Expert Committee on Covid-19 vaccination. Those who got inactivated Covid-19 vaccines such as Sinovac may benefit from receiving an mRNA booster jab, some experts said. mRNA vaccines include the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are part of Singapore's national vaccination drive. Professor Ooi Eng Eong from Duke-NUS Medical School's Programme in Eme...

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