Latest news with #NgYuZhi
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Straits Times
Students shelter in libraries as heatwave hits eastern China
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The heatwave has piled pressure onto China's power grid. BEIJING - Universities in eastern China scrambled to upgrade their dorms with air conditioning, and one let students sleep in cooler libraries, after near record temperatures raised concerns about the health of students and staff. One student at Qingdao University in Shandong suffered from heat stroke, and the school would upgrade its student accommodation over the summer break, Jimu News, an arm of state-run Hubei Daily, reported. One member of staff there died on the morning of July 5 after showing signs of 'physical distress', the university added without saying whether that was linked to the heatwave. The staff member was a dormitory supervisor, Jimu News said. A total of 28 locations across central Henan and eastern Shandong provinces issued their most severe alerts for extreme heat on July 7. Parts of the coastal city of Qingdao saw temperatures soar to 40.5 deg C over the weekend, just 0.5 deg C below the highest recorded there since records began in 1961, according to the official Qingdao Daily. Qingdao University, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters, was one of at least six colleges to announce plans to upgrade student accommodation in recent days. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach Singapore Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded one bullet and accidentally discharged revolver Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence Yantai Nanshan University, also in Shandong, said on July 7 it would let students stay overnight in libraries as it prepared to work on the student halls. Video footage posted by Jimu News showed scores of students sitting on the floor in air-conditioned supermarkets to escape the heat. The heatwave has piled pressure onto China's power grid. The national electricity load surged to a record 1.47 billion kilowatts on July 4 as demand for air conditioning spiked, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The announcements will fuel concerns over Chinese institutions' preparedness for extreme weather events, which scientists say are exacerbated by global warming. In 2022, China was hit by the worst heatwaves since 1961, with many parts enduring a 79-day hot spell from mid-June to late August. According a 2023 report published in the medical journal The Lancet, there were about 50,900 heatwave-related deaths in China that year. No official death toll was disclosed at the time. China does not provide regular tallies of heat-related deaths. REUTERS
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Contract to supply LTA with 660 electric buses draws 21 bids
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox To achieve its 2030 goal, the authority committed in 2024 to buy more than 2,000 electric buses over the next five years. SINGAPORE - A tender by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to buy 660 electric buses has drawn 21 bids, the highest number of bidders yet as the agency aims to have half of the public bus fleet run on batteries by 2030. Among the hopefuls are familiar names like Alexander Dennis from Britain, Volvo from Sweden and BYD and Yutong from China, all of which already have buses plying public routes in Singapore. Also in the mix are international brands such as Northern Irish manufacturer Wrightbus and Finnish electric bus maker Jeti Industries, as well as a number of local suppliers and distributors, including Cycle & Carriage Automotive, ST Engineering, Eurokars and Alpine Motors. The LTA tender, which was called in March and closed on June 26, is for 360 three-door single-deck buses and 300 three-door double-deckers that will be delivered progressively by the end of 2027. This will bring the total number of electric public buses here to 1,140. To achieve its 2030 goal, the authority committed in 2024 to buy more than 2,000 electric buses over the next five years. As at March 31, there were 5,871 public buses registered in Singapore, mainly running on diesel or hybrid engines. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Fewer marriages in Singapore in 2024; greater marital stability for recent unions Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore Shell heist: Second mastermind gets more than 25 years' jail for siphoning $100m of fuel Asia 72-year-old man on diving trip to Pulau Tioman in Malaysia found dead on the beach Singapore Jail for ex-auxiliary police officer who loaded one bullet and accidentally discharged revolver Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence LTA brought in Singapore's first 60 electric public buses in 2018 for about $50 million to evaluate the technology. These vehicles were supplied by Yutong, BYD and ST Engineering, which tied up with Finnish bus maker Linkker. A bigger push to adopt the technology came in 2023, when LTA bought 360 new electric single-deck buses for $166.4 million in a tender that was contested by 18 bidders. Contracts were eventually awarded to BYD and Cycle & Carriage, which partnered with another Chinese manufacturer, Zhongtong. LTA later exercised an option to buy another 60 more electric buses from BYD, taking the total purchase to 420 buses. These new electric buses are being progressively deployed for service, replacing older diesel buses reaching the end of their 17-year lifespans. All 420 vehicles are expected to be on the road by the end of 2025. The move to overhaul the public bus fleet is part of a broader goal by the Government to cut land transport emissions by 80 per cent, from a peak of 7.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2016 to 1.54 million tonnes around 2050. This is in line with Singapore's aim of net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Hiker in Alpine crevasse rescued... by a chihuahua
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A man had been hiking on the glacier with his Chihuahua, when he suddenly plunged into an 8m-deep crevasse, leaving the tiny dog alone on the edge. – When it comes to mountain rescues, St Bernards may have met their match, with a chihuahua being praised for helping save a man who fell into a glacier crevasse in Switzerland. The 'extraordinary' rescue took place on July 4 on the Fee Glacier above Saas-Fee in the southern Swiss Alps, the Air Zermatt rescue service said in a statement over the weekend. A man had been hiking on the glacier with his Chihuahua early in the afternoon, when he suddenly plunged into an 8m-deep crevasse, leaving the tiny dog alone on the edge. The man was carrying an amateur walkie-talkie and managed to call for help, but rescue workers struggled to locate the site of the accident. 'On site, the search for the collapse site proved difficult. The glacier surface was wide, and the hole was barely visible,' Air Zermatt, a regional rescue service in Wallis canton, said. But then one of the rescuers spotted a small movement on a rock: the chihuahua had not budged from the edge of the crevasse. 'Thanks to the dog's behaviour, the crew was able to locate the exact site of the accident,' Air Zermatt said, adding that 'rescuers abseiled down to the casualty and were able to save him'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Fewer marriages and births in Singapore in 2024; greater stability for later cohorts Singapore Paternity leave take-up in S'pore rises to 56% in 2023; experts hope for further boost after extension Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence Asia Bali flights nixed after huge Indonesia volcano eruption Life How to cope with the heat when travelling: 5 expert-backed tips 'It is fair to say that his behaviour contributed significantly to the successful rescue.' AFP
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Australian airlines cancel several flights between Australia and Bali after volcanic eruption
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am on July 7. JAKARTA - Australian airlines including Qantas, its low-cost carrier Jetstar, and Virgin Australia said on July 7 that they have cancelled several flights between Australia and the Indonesian island of Bali following a volcanic eruption. Jetstar said several flights were cancelled 'due to volcanic ash caused by an eruption of Mount Lewotobi'. On July 7, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 11.05am, spewing an ash cloud that reached as high as 18km . Thick grey and black clouds from the volcano, which is located in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province, were moving northwards, north-eastwards and north-westwards from the crater, causing flight disruptions. It forced the cancellation of 24 flights at Bali's international airport, said general manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab. 'Several airlines serving the routes to Labuan Bajo (on Flores), Australia, Singapore and South Korea have confirmed cancellations and delays,' he said in a statement. He said the airlines included Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways and AirAsia Indonesia. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Fewer marriages and births in Singapore in 2024; greater stability for later cohorts Singapore Paternity leave take-up in S'pore rises to 56% in 2023; experts hope for further boost after extension Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence Asia Bali flights nixed after huge Indonesia volcano eruption Life How to cope with the heat when travelling: 5 expert-backed tips Despite some carriers cancelling flights, the airport manager said 'the spread of volcanic ash has not affected Bali airspace'. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times in November 2024, killing nine people and forcing thousands to evacuate, as well as the cancellation of scores of international flights to Bali. In June , dozens of flights to and from Bali were cancelled after the volcano erupted . Volcanic ash rained down on several communities around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village. REUTERS, AFP
Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Straits Times
Five ways to beat the summer heat when travelling
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People walking through artificial mist to cool down on a hot day in Tokyo. SINGAPORE – Heatwaves are no longer seasonal spikes. They are fast becoming a defining feature of summer travel. In 2025 so far , countries such as France, Italy and Spain have reported fatalities linked to the heat, while thousands more suffer from heat-related illnesses. Closer to home, popular holiday spots such as Japan, China and South Korea are also battling sweltering conditions, with record temperatures making headlines. According to a June report by the World Meteorological Organisation, Asia is warming at a rate nearly twice the global average, driven by its vast land mass and rapid urbanisation. With global heat records shattered in 2023, 2024 and now 2025, the heat is no longer just a travel nuisance – it is also a health hazard. Experts caution that travelling in high temperatures, especially in crowded cities or with a packed itinerary, can take a toll on the body. They dole out five tips to beat the heat while on vacation in summer. 1. Check humidity levels Instead of just checking the local temperature, Dr Heng Kiang Soon, a nutrition scientist and senior lecturer at Republic Polytechnic, suggests referencing the temperature-humidity index to better prepare for the heat. The index is a measure that combines air temperature and relative humidity to assess how hot it feels. For instance, if the temperature is 32 deg C and the humidity is at 70 per cent, it might feel like it is 41 deg C. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Eligible S'poreans to get up to $850 in GSTV cash, up to $450 in MediSave top-ups in August Singapore Four golf courses to close by 2035, leaving Singapore with 12 courses Singapore Fewer marriages and births in Singapore in 2024; greater stability for later cohorts Singapore Paternity leave take-up in S'pore rises to 56% in 2023; experts hope for further boost after extension Singapore Construction starts on Cross Island Line Phase 2; 6 MRT stations in S'pore's west ready by 2032 Singapore $1.46b nickel scam: Ng Yu Zhi opts to remain silent after judge calls for his defence Singapore More nurses to anchor care in community settings as Singapore's population ages Dr Heng says that when humidity is high, it is harder for perspiration – a means for the body to remove heat – to evaporate. As a result, the body cannot cool down efficiently as sweat clings to the skin, creating a higher risk of heat stroke. Weather apps often provide temperature and humidity readings. Apps like AccuWeather and Weather Underground come with additional features like radar maps and customised alerts. Both are available on the Android and Apple app stores. 2. Optimise your travel healthcare Make appointments for vaccinations early, ahead of peak travel seasons. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Dr Ammar Angullia, family physician and managing director of travel health services provider ST&T International, advises travellers to get appropriate travel health insurance coverage and the necessary vaccinations for their trips. Those who suffer from cardiovascular issues or asthma, for instance, should look into travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions. 'It is costly, but having insurance gives you the assurance that you have access to healthcare in a foreign place , if needed ,' he says. He adds that one of the first things travellers should do when planning a trip is to note the emergency medical services hotlines in their travel destination. Common vaccines , such as those for seasonal influenza and Hepatitis A or B, may not directly prevent dehydration or heat-related illness. However, getting vaccinated helps reduce your risk of falling sick while abroad, says Dr Ammar . 'When your body is already coping with extreme heat and the risk of dehydration, the last thing you want is to be fighting off another infection at the same time. Vaccinations reduce the risk of infection during travel . This is especially important when your body is already coping with stressors like extreme heat or long, tiring journeys ,' he says. 'You want to fortify your health before going overseas so you can enjoy your trip as much as possible.' 3. Pace yourself If you are going from an air-conditioned office in Singapore to a heatwave in Rome, your body will need time to catch up. When travelling between different climates, give your body time to adjust to new temperatures. PHOTO: AFP Dr Heng advises travellers to take it slow in the first few days of their trip. That means avoiding overly ambitious itineraries and planning strenuous activities, like hiking or long walking tours, during cooler hours, such as early mornings or evenings. 'When we participate in physically demanding activities, we metabolise energy and that internal process also generates heat,' he says. 'If the external temperature is already high, your body will struggle to cool itself down.' W hen heading outdoors, w ear light, breathable fabrics like linen, or sweat-wicking materials such as nylon or bamboo fabric. Protect yourself with a hat and sunglasses, and take along a refillable water bottle. Dr Ammar says travellers typically try to adhere closely to their itineraries – even when it is jam-packed – because tickets may already have been booked. 'Sometimes, travellers brush off small symptoms of heat-related issues, like dizziness or nausea, as side effects of jet lag or discomfort caused by new foods they've eaten, and try to power through,' he says. 'If necessary, don't hesitate to adjust or cancel some plans, and seek medical attention if you're feeling unwell. 'The attractions you want to visit will likely still be there, but if you don't listen to your body, it might lead to more serious health consequences.' 4. Hydrate before leaving your accommodation Dr Heng recommends drinking at least a full glass ( 250ml ) of water 30 minutes before leaving your accommodation, especially when transitioning from cool, air-conditioned spaces to sweltering outdoor heat, which can sometimes differ in temperature by more than 10 deg C. Take along a refillable bottle and top it up at hotels, restaurants or public water fountains. PHOTO: AFP While it is tempting to rely on convenience stores or cafes to grab water on the go, plan ahead. Carry a refillable water bottle and top it up at safe sources, such as drinking water dispensers located at hotels, airport terminals or restaurants. Set alerts on your phone to remind you to drink water every one to two hours, even if you are not thirsty. Boost hydration with foods that are high in water content, such as watermelons, oranges, grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes and clear soups. Adding electrolyte tablets or powders to drinking water can also help replenish lost minerals. And while coffee is a mild diuretic, which promotes urination, Dr Heng notes it is not necessarily harmful in the heat – as long as you drink more water to compensate for fluid loss. 5. Keep a small towel handy Heat stroke can creep up quickly, especially when your body temperature rises above 37 deg C – essentially mimicking a fever. Common warning signs include light-headedness, headaches and nausea. If you experience any of these, stop, find shade, hydrate and cool your body down immediately, says Dr Ammar. A small towel is a simple but effective tool. It can be used to wipe off accumulated sweat, which allows your body's natural cooling system – perspiration – to work more efficiently. For an extra cooling boost, dampen the towel with water and place it on your neck or wrists to bring your core temperature down.
