Latest news with #JonathanNg
Courier-Mail
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Courier-Mail
Revealed: How Australia's cities rank for electric vehicle readiness
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News. Shocking new data has painted a grim picture for Australia's electric vehicle future, revealing that our major cities are among the least EV-friendly in the entire world. A comprehensive global analysis by Compare the Market, which assessed 106 cities, found that some of Australia's major cities consistently landed in the bottom 10 across five crucial factors for EV readiness, including incentives and charging station availability. Each city was ranked based on the following factors: chargers per capita, national average electricity cost, incentives score, EV sales relative to the city's population, and the number of EVs per capita. While some cities are better equipped for electric vehicles than others, it doesn't look good for Australia. Canberra emerged as Australia's top performer, securing the 33rd spot globally with a score of 2.94 out of 10. X SUBSCRIBER ONLY Sydney placed 74th in the rankings. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Monique Harmer MORE: Major brand's unthinkable act in EV war Hobart ranked 89th, trailing behind the Gold Coast, which secured the 88th position. Perth performed a little better, achieving 66th place in the rankings. Brisbane also outperformed Hobart, landing in 85th position. And in a closely contested comparison, Melbourne was ranked 73rd, just ahead of Sydney, which came in at 74th. The most EV-friendly cities in the world Ranking City Chargers per capita # of EVs by city population INDEX SCORE 1 The Hague (Netherlands) 744.92 26,526.39 5.14 2 Rotterdam (Netherlands) 467.13 33,456.32 5.10 3 Amsterdam (Netherlands) 664.22 41,478.52 5.00 4 Paris (France) 8.97 142,820.30 4.86 5 Oslo (Norway) 120.00 78,956.70 4.71 6 Utrecht (Netherlands) 606.05 16,248.82 4.45 7 Montreal (Canada) 55.28 124,384.59 4.31 8 Trondheim (Norway) 77.47 20,030.36 3.95 9 Bergen (Norway) 52.43 29,075.80 3.94 10 Lisbon (Portugal) 163.76 10,448.34 3.86 While electric cars have gradually made their way into the Australian market, they haven't achieved mainstream appeal, and most states and territories have limited incentives for EV owners. While Queensland and New South Wales have previously offered rebates and subsidies for EV purchases, they initiatives have since ended, with EV owners getting at least one incentive: discounts on car registration fees every year. Canberra emerged as Australia's's best city when it comes to EV friendliness. Picture: Jonathan Ng MORE: Jet pilot tech to change Aussie cars Canberra stood out as an exception, receiving full marks for its comprehensive incentives, which included registration discounts, rebates on the purchase of an electric car, and grants for installing charging stations, helping it achieve a higher ranking than other Australian cities. Another significant challenge affecting the adoption of electric vehicles in Australia is the national average electricity cost, which is notably higher than the global average. In addition to this, Australians encounter further obstacles in embracing EV technology, such as range anxiety and high initial purchase costs, which are often associated with soft resale values. Photo of roadside EV charging MORE: What is the best car of the 21st century? Dutch cities claimed the top three positions in the ranking: The Hague (5.14/10), Rotterdam (5.10), and Amsterdam (5.00). The report highlighted that these cities had the highest number of charging stations per capita, a key factor in the ranking system that allowed them to surpass other EV-friendly cities. Originally published as Aussie cities ranked among the least friendly for EVs
CNA
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
On The Red Dot: Finding Lost Recipes
In every home, there are dishes tied not just to flavour, but to memory — lovingly made by someone who may no longer be around. But when that person is gone, can their signature dish ever be brought back? In this series, we follow Masterchef alumnus Jonathan Ng as he helps four individuals on deeply personal quests to rediscover dishes that meant the world to them. For actress Hong Ling, it's the emotional taste of her late mother's Thai-style laksa — a dish that no one else in the family knows how to make. For Belinda, it's a race against time. Her mother Katherine, who once made a unique Nyonya chang (dumpling) every festive season, is slowly losing her memory to dementia. Can the flavours — and the stories that come with them — be recovered before they fade completely? For Kim, who lost her husband Joseph unexpectedly, it's isn't just about the dish. It's about honouring the man who made Hakka Yong Tau Foo not just a meal, but a way of bringing people together — and understanding how he added his own twist to the dish he loved. And for Claresta, it's chasing a taste she can't quite describe — the elusive magic behind her late husband Chef Stefan Liau's Cashew and Banana creation. Even with the original recipe in hand, something is missing. Can Jonathan decode the secret behind the flavour — and the man?
CNA
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Actress Hong Ling learns how to recreate late mum's Thai laksa: 'It's a memory of her'
In February this year, Mediacorp actress Hong Ling announced that her Thai mother,Kaewsoda Kesorn, died at the age of 52. The 30-year-old actress' mum, who was from Nong Khai in northeast Thailand, was diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer in May 2024. It's been four months since her passing, and Hong is hoping to recreate her mother's lost Thai Laksa in memory of her. So in a recent episode of CNA's On The Red Dot: Finding Lost Recipes, she received help from MasterChef Singapore alumnus Jonathan Ng to bring her mother's speciality back to life. "I really miss her a lot. My mum actually cooked a lot for the family, and one of my favourite dishes is this Thai laksa. Even in her last days, she cooked this dish for me as well, so it's a memory of her," recalled the actress. This is why Hong would visit any Thai restaurant she sees these days, hoping to find the dish similar to what her mum made. Unfortunately, none of their Thai laksas tasted quite the same. The actress also didn't learn to cook the dish as her mother always prepared it for them. "I took it for granted," she said, adding that her mum didn't leave behind any recipes as she wasn't the type who would "cook by reading the recipe". "My future children won't get the chance to meet her. So I'd like to preserve this recipe for my future children," she added. The actress has been married to Mediacorp actor Nick Teo since December 2023. She unfortunately suffered a miscarriage 11 weeks into her pregnancy in February this year. After having a taste test at a restaurant and speaking to a chef from Chiang Mai, Ng and Hong finally learnt that the Thai laksa she had been eating is actually a dish called Kanom Jeen Nam Ya, a spicy fish curry served over rice noodles. The two visited Hong's maiden home, where her mother's kitchen was still left intact. Looking at photos of her mother, the actress confessed that she "feels very different" in her old house. "When I used to come back home, it was very noisy. My mum would be in the kitchen cooking for us and we would talk. Normally I'd smell Thai food around the house because it's very strong. But now, it just feels like [an empty] house," she elaborated. Despite her illness, Hong's mother continued to cook for the family every single day until she could no longer do so in January this year. One of the last few dishes she made was the Kanom Jeen Nam Ya. The duo also took this time to speak to Hong's father, Hong Yishu, to get more clues about her dish. Recalling their love story, he revealed that he had met his late wife in the Sai Yok camp when he went to Bangkok, Thailand, for reservist training for three weeks in 1990. Madam Kaewsoda was working as a dishwasher in a tze char stall in the military camp at that time, and he fell in love at first sight. "Just to take a photo with her, I had to wait at the back for her to throw out the rubbish so that I could see her. They were quite strict about not meeting boys in private," he reminisced. After getting to know Madam Kaewsoda, who was still living in a village at that time, the elder Hong then asked her dad for permission to bring her to Singapore, where they eventually got married. He also shared that his wife was a great cook and was able to recreate any dish as long as she had tasted it. Going back to the Thai laksa, he said that his wife had cooked that dish for a really long time and had made a few tweaks to the recipe ever since. After more intel from Hong's father and a relative, as well as a few attempts at making the dish, chef Ng was finally able to recreate a dish highly similar to what Hong's mother made. After trying it, Hong's father was overcome with emotion, and gushed that "the smell is the same" and that it tastes similar to what his late wife used to make. She agreed as well. The elder Hong then confessed: "I miss her very much" before smiling and nodding at Ng in appreciation. Meanwhile, the actress acknowledged that the noodles "wouldn't be 100 per cent the same, for sure" but being able to create something similar was "good enough". "I'm very happy and touched about it. Thank you so much," she said. At the end, Ng also gifted the father-and-daughter duo with a recipe for the Kanom Jeen Nam Ya they had that day, so that they could recreate it in the future.
Straits Times
23-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Singapore, Asia markets fall as oil surges after US airstrikes on Iran, raising fears of a supply shock
SINGAPORE - Stock markets in Asia slid and oil prices soared on June 23 after US airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities raised the threat of further military escalation in a region that accounts for a third of global crude output. Singapore's Straits Times Index dropped 0.55 per cent as at 10.34am. The global oil benchmark Brent traded at US$76.75 a barrel, up 1.68 per cent, after surging 5.7 per cent to US$81.40 earlier in the morning. The United States on June 22 sent military jets to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites in a mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer. Analysts warned that if Iran chooses to target in retaliation one of the several US military bases across the region, it could invite counter strikes by the US and its regional allies, and send Brent to highs around US$139 a barrel seen during the onset of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Economic consequences of a move to block and cut supplies of crude and liquified natural gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow waterway on the shores of Iran that links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and, ultimately, to the Indian Ocean and the rest of the world - could be even more disastrous. The International Monetary Fund estimates that a 10 per cent rise in oil prices lowers global gross domestic product (GDP) growth by 0.1 to 0.2 percentage points. The World Bank estimates suggest that a 10 per cent increase in oil prices raises headline or all-items inflation by 0.4 percentage points in a median economy. An oil price shock is transmitted rather quickly to prices of household essentials as they tend to push electricity tariffs and transport costs higher. Everything from imported food items to bus and train fares will become more expensive if oil prices maintain the surge from US$60 a barrel in early May 2025 to current levels. Ms Madhur Jha, Standard Chartered Bank's global economist and head of thematic research, said: ''A move above US$90 per barrel would constitute an oil price shock,'' adding oil price shocks are reflected in headline inflation within a quarter. StanChart placed Singapore 6th in global ranking of economies sensitive to rising oil prices. The Republic's net oil imports account for 4.5 per cent of GDP and transport costs constitute 13.1 per cent of its all-items inflation basket, the bank estimates. Mr Jonathan Ng, OCBC's Asean economist, said that given the fragile market risk sentiment a wider escalation could send Brent crude prices to as high as US$120 per barrel. This would be a 73 per cent spike on Brent's closing price of US$69.36 on June 12, the day before Israel launched its first attack on Iran. ''Under this circumstance, further sanctions on Iran and blockages of trade routes in the Strait of Hormuz cannot be ruled out, as this is a critical transit route for oil from the Middle East to the rest of the global oil market,'' he said. According to the International Energy Agency, an average of 20 million barrels per day of oil, or about 30 per cent of global seaborne oil trade, passed through the route between January-October 2023. However, so far Iran has not attacked any US assets in the region and has not made any moves to curtail flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian parliament has endorsed closing the strait, but experts believe the parliament has no effective authority to do so. Still the cost of hiring a ship to carry crude from the Middle East to China has jumped close to 90 per cent since before the June 13 Israeli attacks on Iran began. Earnings for vessels carrying fuels like gasoline and jet fuel have also leaped, as have insurance premiums paid shippers. There are also some mitigating factors when considering the closure of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - world's top oil exporters - have the capacity to divert a meaningful portion of their current Gulf exports through pipelines, which would partially alleviate the adverse effects of any closure or major shipping disruptions. The alternate ports are however in the Red Sea and thus vulnerable if Yemen decides to join the fray. The US halted its bombing campaign against Yemen's Houthis last month after the Iran-aligned group agreed to stop targeting shipping in the Red Sea. The closure of Hormuz is always flagged as a risk whenever tension arises in the Middle East. But so far, despite Iran's repeated threats to do so, it has yet to follow through, due to the adverse consequences for its own oil outlet, let alone the potential response from the international community. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New Paper
11-05-2025
- General
- New Paper
Bishan East is latest neighbourhood to get community litter-picking facility
More community litter-picking facilities will be rolled out across the island to nurture collective responsibility in public cleanliness, said the Public Hygiene Council (PHC). The latest housing estate to get the community shed, known as a CleanPod, is Bishan Cresta. Located next to the estate at Bishan Street 13 and along the park connector, the CleanPod launched on May 11 will help residents take the initiative in clearing litter in the community by providing equipment such as tongs and buckets. The launch capped off a month-long Keep Singapore Clean 2025 campaign, which saw over 13,000 participants take part in some 250 cleanup activities across residential areas, parks, and community spaces. The expansion of CleanPods - Bishan Cresta's is the 23rd one - is part of the CleanHood initiative launched in April to deepen collective responsibility for public cleanliness by equipping the community with resources to keep their common spaces hygienic. Following the launch event, more than 50 residents and volunteers were joined by newly-elected Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Elysa Chen to pick up litter in the vicinity using equipment from the shed. Among them was Mr Jonathan Ng, who is chairman of the Bishan Youth Network and who has been volunteering in Bishan for 10 years. The 28-year-old public servant said that while there are estate cleanup initiatives from time to time, the equipment would have to be brought over from Bishan Community Club. The new CleanPod eases the logistics and makes it more convenient for the volunteers, he added. The shed also serves as a reminder for everyone to keep the park clean, he said. He noted that while the estate is generally clean, the litter found in the residential areas include food wrappers and flyers, while plastic bags and cups can be found near the park connector. PHC chairman Andrew Khng said at the launch that keeping Singapore clean is a shared mission, and reflects the community's shared values of responsibility, respect, and collective ownership of one's home. The first CleanPod was launched in July 2019, and while initially placed at parks and beaches, they were later expanded into residential neighbourhoods from October 2021. There are now CleanPods in housing estates in Beach Road, Pek Kio and Yuhua, as well as in Coney Island Park and Gardens by the Bay. When asked about the utilisation rate of the existing CleanPods, Mr Khng said "usage has grown steadily". He added the council is identifying more strategic locations to roll out CleanPods, making it easier for residents and organisations to take part in spontaneous clean-ups or to plan community activities as part of everyday life. PHC has also officially launched the Cleanhood @School initiative for primary and secondary schools, and that students will also have access to CleanPods within their estates to support their learning and activities, he added. The new CleanPod in Bishan is located next to Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary and Secondary School. Mr Khng said that as part of the Cleanhood @School initiative, primary schools students will go through the Buddy Clean Workshop, where they will learn about Singapore's cleanliness journey, develop appreciation for cleaners, and gain hands-on experience through proper use of cleaning tools and cleaning their schools. Ms Chen, who was elected on May 3, told reporters at the event that she had spoken to students from Ai Tong School about their clean-up initiatives, and that she was very proud of their community spirit. Newly-elected Bishan-Toa Payoh MP Elysa Chen (second from right) handing out tools and equipment to volunteers on May 11. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO The executive director of CampusImpact, a charity which helps disadvantaged youth, also said she was touched by her residents' warmth since the election, and that some early priorities include introducing mental health initiatives for the community. "I don't have a concrete plan worked out right now, (but) I just know that this is a big need in our community," she said. "There's also a lot of interest from our young people who want to come along and help me with it, so it really has to be a ground-up thing. So there's going to be a process of consultation, working with the grassroots, and seeing what that actual plan looks like."
