Latest news with #Heng
Straits Times
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Pioneer performance artist Amanda Heng to represent Singapore at 2026 Venice Biennale
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Amanda Heng will be the most senior artist to stage a solo at the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. SINGAPORE – Pioneer performance artist Amanda Heng, 73, is Singapore's pick for the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2026, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) announced in a statement on July 14. She will be the most senior artist to stage a solo at the Singapore Pavilion in Venice, and only the second woman artist to do so, after Shubigi Rao in 2022. Heng will collaborate with curator Selene Yap for her presentation at the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, which will take place from May 9 to Nov 22. Dr Eugene Tan, co-chair of the commissioning panel and director of SAM, said of the panel's choice of Heng: 'Her sustained and evolving practice offers compelling ways of engaging the world through the body, performance and lived experience. Her work resonates with the urgencies of our time while being grounded in personal truth and poetic clarity.' Singaporean artist Amanda Heng (right) will collaborate with curator Selene Yap for her presentation at the 2026 Venice Biennale. PHOTO: SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM Heng left her job as an income tax officer in 1986 to pursue art. She co-founded The Artists Village – Singapore's first art colony, in a converted chicken farm – in 1988 and Singapore's first artist-run women collective Women In The Arts in 1999. She was conferred the Cultural Medallion in 2010. She is best known for her long-running performance works dealing with sociopolitical issues through everyday acts such as walking and conversing. In Walking The Stool (1999), Heng took her studio stool for a walk in public as a way of questioning Singapore's decade-long restrictions on performance art. That same year, she performed Let's Walk, leading participants in walking backwards with a high-heeled shoe in their mouth, as a comment on women's progress in society. Her participatory performance Let's Chat (1996) – presented in malls, markets and museums – offered an intimate space for the public to talk while peeling bean sprouts over tea. Another long-running project, Singirl, invited women to submit images of their bare bottoms as a comment on the demure image of the Singapore Girl. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore to train more aviation and maritime officials from around the world Singapore Special edition SG60 Nets card now on sale for $10 Singapore Same person, but different S'porean Chinese names? How have such naming practices evolved? Business Singapore's economy sees surprise expansion in Q2 despite US tariff uncertainty: Advance estimate Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds Sport After Olympic heartbreak, Singaporean swimmer Chantal Liew turns pain into inspiration Business From wellness zone to neurodivergent room: How companies are creating inviting, inclusive offices Singapore Swift action needed to stop vaping's slide from health risk to drug epidemic Performance artist Amanda Heng in a video footage capturing her walking backwards, barefoot, with a high-heeled shoe in her mouth. Let's Walk (1999) was a statement on how women are constrained by having to conform to a certain ideal of how they should look. PHOTO: AMANDA HENG This will be the 12th year Singapore is participating at the prestigious event in Venice which showcases contemporary art from all over the world. The Singapore Pavilion has spotlighted artists such as Robert Zhao Renhui (2024) and Charles Lim (2015). It is commissioned by the National Arts Council and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The 2026 theme is In Minor Keys.
Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore steps up nuclear viability research with new institute and $66m in additional funds
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The new Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute building was launched on July 11. SINGAPORE - The Republic's research initiative on nuclear safety is progressing further with a new institute, additional $66 million in funding, and an expanded research scope that will help Singapore better evaluate nuclear power's viability for the city-state. Such research areas include studying nuclear waste, conducting accident simulations of advanced reactors, expanding on nuclear policy studies and studying the deployment of underground reactors. The Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI) in NUS was officially launched on July 11 by National Research Foundation chairman Heng Swee Keat. The institute's predecessor was the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative. It did not have its own building, and was housed in the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise Tower in NUS. 'As an institute, it will now partner international laboratories to develop expertise in reactor simulation and modelling to analyse the safety of reactor designs,' said Mr Heng. 'This will enable it, over time, to build capabilities to assess aspects of the safety of small modular reactor (SMR) designs and their suitability for domestic deployment,' he added. SMRs are advanced and compact reactors that can be factory-assembled and installed in dense urban areas. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties World Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say World Trump nominates 'alpha male' influencer to be ambassador to Malaysia Opinion Whisper it softly, there's a new Japan rising Business Popiah king Sam Goi makes $123.5 million offer to buy rest of PSC Business Company in talks to buy Esso petrol stations in Singapore, said to be worth $1.28 billion: Sources World The $12.8m bag: Original Birkin smashes records at Paris auction Asia Tariffs overshadow diplomacy as Asean foreign ministers press on with meetings They are also known to be safer than traditional, large reactors, but are now mainly still at a research phase. The initiative was started in 2014 as Singapore's first foray into nuclear research, and had a large focus on nuclear safety and building talent. For example, the initiative had partnered with Ukraine to study organisms and blood samples from one of the most radioactive places on earth – the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Over 30 scholarships have also been awarded for students to pursue postgraduate studies in areas related to nuclear science and engineering. 'In the decade from 2014, we have invested more than $150 million in initiating research, developing talent and setting up this new building that we are in,' said Mr Heng. A government study in 2012 had shown that nuclear technologies of that time were unsuitable for deployment in the city-state. But nuclear technologies have evolved since then to include smaller, safer reactors that could be used in Singapore. Amid growing international interest in tapping carbon-free nuclear energy, the new SNRSI will expand on studying emerging nuclear technologies, nuclear policy and educating the public about atomic power, which tends to incite fear due to a few high-profile meltdowns. The $66 million grant by the NRF will help the institute expand work in five areas. These include safety, nuclear policy, the dispersion of radioactive particles, the impact of radiation on living things, and the rapid detection of elevated levels of radioactivity. The grant amount was given under the NRF's research, innovation and enterprise 2025 plan, and will last 2.5 years from December 2024. On deepening international partnerships, NUS president Tan Eng Chye pointed to how the institute has set up a joint lab with the French Authority for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection on seven joint research projects. SNRSI aims to 'become an authoritative source of information and advice on policies for the governance of nuclear energy,' it said in a statement. Mr Heng added that SNRSI has joined the International Atomic Energy Agency's research programme to study and identify viable options to manage used nuclear fuel and waste from different SMR technologies. 'Waste management will likely be a critical factor for public support for domestic nuclear deployment, if and when pursued,' he noted. Features of the new building Built in the middle of a small, forested area along King George's Park, the new five-storey institute has a curved facade to avoid felling two large trees next to it. The institute is curved because it wanted to protect the two large trees next to it. PHOTO: SNRSI Highly radioactive activities and equipment that release radiation are housed in the basement. Those equipment, called irradiators, are used to send pulses of radiation to zebrafish embryos in biological studies, or test the accuracy of radiation detection meters used in local industries. The screen shows zebrafish embryos exposed to radiation. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO The testing of devices is done by NEA's irradiator at its secondary standards dosimetry laboratory in the building. The lab provides radiation protection services for some 14,000 people islandwide who are exposed to radiation in their jobs. As a precaution, the institute's irradiators are enclosed in 60cm-thick bunker-style concrete walls to block radiation, while air filtration units remove potentially radioactive particles from the fume hood exhaust. NEA's irradiator (background) is shielded by walls 60cm thick. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO And due to the terrain on which the building stands, the irradiators point to the soil under the slope of Kent Ridge, and this further protects people in the building. The door to NEA's secondary standards dosimetry laboratory remains secure. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Singapore has not made a decision to go nuclear. But since it has limited access to renewable energy, nuclear is among various low-carbon sources that the country is looking into while keeping in mind energy security, affordability and carbon footprint. Dr Christelle Chua, SNSRI senior research scientist, showing the X-Ray irradiator which can deliver both high and low dose rates. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had in his Budget speech in February made clear that Singapore will study the potential deployment of nuclear power here. The country's stance on the controversial power source has been shifting since 2022. That year, a report by the Energy Market Authority mentioned that emerging technology, including nuclear and geothermal, could potentially supply around 10 per cent of Singapore's energy needs by 2050. Mr Heng noted that while no Asean countries have an operational nuclear plant, some have announced plans for deployment, such as the Philippines by the early 2030s and Indonesia by 2040. 'Capability building will help us understand the implications of nuclear developments in the region and ensure we are prepared if our neighbours choose to deploy nuclear energy,' he said. NEA said in a statement: '(The national) monitoring system serves as a crucial safeguard against transboundary pollution, particularly significant amid the growing interest in nuclear energy programmes across the region.' The NEA manages a suite of tools to keep track of ambient radiation levels, including around 40 radiation monitoring stations for air and water islandwide. In March, ST reported that Singapore's coastal monitoring network will be upgraded to include sensors that can measure radioactivity in the waters. The agency is also working with other countries in the region to set up a South-east Asian early warning network with sensors deployed across the countries and data shared in the event of an emergency. Research areas One of SNRSI's research pillars, which looks into the dispersion of radioactive particles, will further help with monitoring efforts. The institute has a team that models how radioactive pollutants might disperse through the atmosphere or water, within an urban environment to over 2,000km. A showcase of NEA's network of radiation sensors and quick deployment unit (middle). PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO Some levels of radiation exists all around us, and the amount of natural radiation a person in Singapore is exposed to over 24 hours is 0.0024 millisieverts, according to NEA's website. An airline passenger is exposed to 0.19 millisieverts of radiation on a long flight between Tokyo and New York. A high dose of 1,000 millisieverts will cause radiation poisoning – a life-threatening condition that includes vomiting, nausea and rectal bleeding. SNRSI has also been doing computer modelling to study the safety of advanced technologies such as SMRs. Dr Than Yan Ren, a SNRSI researcher showing a model of a type of SMR called the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO The researchers create computer software to model virtual replicas of existing SMRs, and run accident scenarios to assess their risks and what could happen during a meltdown. In the future, SNRSI is planning to develop a nuclear reactor simulator for research. SNRSI will next study the deployment of SMRs underground to optimise land use here, and reduce the risk of any unlikely radioactive leak. On human health, while the dangers of high levels of radiation are well-known, how the body responds to continuous low-dose radiation is an area that SNRSI wants to contribute to. While studying human cells that are exposed to low doses of cesium – a radioactive substance – over a couple months, the researchers found that some of the cells had damaged DNA, which the cells were able to repair on their own. The cells were exposed to one millisievert of radiation per hour - or about 400 times the background radiation experienced by a person in Singapore in one day. Like an immune boost, those cells were later able to repair their DNA better than unexposed cells when fired with higher doses of radiation. SNRSI will study this further. Mr Heng added that the institute will ramp up research on the effects of low-dose radiation on humans by 'studying the impact on our local population with our unique ethnic and geographical landscape'. Contaminated samples delivered by IAEA over the years. ST PHOTO: SHABANA BEGUM The institute currently has around 50 experts who specialise in nuclear engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, material science, law and policy studies. With talent building close to its heart, SNRSI plans to have 100 nuclear experts in its building by 2030.
New Paper
25-06-2025
- New Paper
Man charged over drink-driving accident in 2022, accused of drink driving again in 2024
A motorist was charged in court on June 19 over two separate drink-driving offences nearly two years apart. Heng Zeng An, 35, is accused of failing to stop at a red light at the junction of Yishun Avenue 3 and Sembawang Road, shortly after midnight on Oct 26, 2022. His car allegedly collided with a power-assisted bicycle and its 32-year-old male rider was hurt in the accident. Heng was allegedly found to have at least 149mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood soon after. The prescribed blood alcohol limit is 80mg/100ml of blood. The Singaporean was also charged with dangerous driving over this incident. Heng also stands accused of drink driving again on July 6, 2024, in Bishan Street 22 shortly before 5am. His breathalyser test result was found to be at least 47mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The prescribed limit is 35mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. Heng's case has been adjourned to July 17. For drink driving, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000, while a repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000.
Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Singapore's Juliet Heng surprises herself with historic silver medal at Asian Fencing C'ships
The silver medal won by Juliet Heng, who is ranked world No. 93, is Singapore's best finish in the competition. PHOTO: BIZZITEAM SINGAPORE – Almost two hours on from clinching a historic silver medal at the Asian Fencing Championships on June 18, Singapore's Juliet Heng was still in disbelief and unable to quite comprehend what she had just achieved while speaking to The Straits Times. Earlier in the day, the 20-year-old had reached the women's sabre final, where she fell 15-7 to Japan's defending champion and world No. 2 Misaki Emura at the Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia. The silver won by Heng, who is the world No. 93, is Singapore's best finish in the continental competition. It surpassed the modest target she had set for herself. The Singapore Sports School student said: 'I had zero expectations. When people asked me (before the competition) , I said I wanted to get third, but deep inside I didn't actually believe I could get third. But then, now I am in second. 'I'm shocked. I'm actually still just trying to process it. I still can't believe I made it all the way... to the podium stage.' A joint-bronze in the women's foil by Amita Berthier in the 2023 edition had been Singapore's best showing till Heng's silver. Singapore had also won a joint-bronze in 2022 in the women's foil team event courtesy of Maxine Wong, Berthier, Denyse Chan and Cheung Kemei, as well as in 2010 via Ruth Ng, Tay Yu Ling, Wang Wenying and Cheryl Wong. Heng said that recent results had left her devoid of confidence in the lead up to the Asian championships, although she wanted to do well to repay the faith that her coach, Kim Seung-jun, had in her. At the Asian Junior & Cadet Fencing Championships in Kuwait in February, she exited in the quarter-finals. Two months later, she bowed out in the round of 64 in the Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships in Wuxi, China. Heng, who won a SEA Games gold medal on her debut at the 2023 edition in Cambodia, said: 'I haven't been fencing great, to be honest. I haven't had the best season since last year. 'I hadn't got any breakthroughs, so I was waiting for something, but I didn't know what it was going to be. And also, I have been having a lot of stress and worry about what if I am not able to do well.' The mantra, Heng said, was to win one match at a time after emerging from the opening pool stage. First, she defeated compatriot and world No. 264 Jermaine Tan 15-7 and edged out 152nd-ranked Tatyana Prikhodko of Kazakhstan 15-13, before overcoming three top-30 fencers. In the round of 16, she beat Japan's world No. 26 Seri Ozaki 15-8, before a pulsating finish saw her pip Uzbekistan's world No. 18 Zaynab Dayibekova 15-14 to make the semi-finals, where she defeated 20th-ranked Kim Jeong-mi of South Korea 15-12. Heng said the feats of Berthier and Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman – both two-time Olympians – had motivated her, as well as the relentless cheers from her teammates during her bouts. 'I think it (the silver) shows me that I can fence with people at the top level,' she said. 'And also, this medal is not just for me. I think more importantly, I always wanted to put Singapore's name on the map. I want to show people that Singapore is able to achieve stuff. And Amita and Kiria started that. 'I'm just glad I was able to continue it and improve it as well.' Up next for Heng is the World Fencing Championships in Georgia from July 22 to 30, before she defends her gold medal at the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand. For now, there are no targets but a renewed confidence in her mental strategy of winning one match at a time. Heng said: 'I'm not going to put any pressure (on myself) by saying, 'Oh, I won this, so I should be doing well there (at the world championships).' I just want to replicate the same mentality and mindset that I had today... and if it is meant to be, it will be.' The fencers will next contest the men's foil and women's epee individual events on June 19 before team events kick off a day later. Raphael Tan, Julian Soh, Jonathan Lim and Chin Chun Wai will represent Singapore in the men's individual foil while Kiria, Elle Koh, Filzah Hidayah Nor Anuar and Esther Tan will fly the flag for the Republic in the women's individual epee. Deepanraj Ganesan is a sports journalist at The Straits Times focusing on football, athletics, combat sports and policy-related news. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
19-06-2025
- Straits Times
Man charged over drink-driving accident in 2022, accused of drink driving again in 2024
The motorist's case has been adjourned to July 17. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Man charged over drink-driving accident in 2022, accused of drink driving again in 2024 SINGAPORE – A motorist was charged in court on June 19 over two separate drink-driving offences nearly two years apart. Heng Zeng An, 35, is accused of failing to stop at a red light at the junction of Yishun Avenue 3 and Sembawang Road, shortly after midnight on Oct 26, 2022. His car allegedly collided with a power-assisted bicycle and its 32-year-old male rider was hurt in the accident. Heng was allegedly found to have at least 149 mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood soon after. The prescribed blood alcohol limit is 80mg/100ml of blood. The Singaporean was also charged with dangerous driving over this incident. Heng also stands accused of drink driving again on July 6, 2024, in Bishan Street 22 shortly before 5am. His breathalyser test result was found to be at least 47 mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath . The prescribed limit is 35mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. Heng's case has been adjourned to July 17. For drink driving, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000, while a repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
