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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Seoul's summer too hot to handle, even for mosquitoes
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The mosquito populations may rise in the fall however as temperatures drop. The number of mosquitoes in Seoul has more than halved over the past decade, with experts pointing to extreme heat and a shortened monsoon season as key factors behind the sharp decline in mosquito activity. According to statistics provided by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, up to 62,351 mosquitoes were collected through monitoring in June. The city government noted that this was a 56 per cent decrease compared to its data from 2015, as the city saw up to 139,928 mosquitoes in the same month. The recent figure is also lower than the mosquito count observed at the same time in 2024, which saw 68,462 mosquitoes. Between June 17 and 19 — when high temperatures hovered near 37 deg C in the capital city — mosquito monitoring devices set up at 55 sites collected 6,233 mosquitoes, roughly averaging 2,000 mosquitoes per day. According to the city government, this is a 20 per cent decrease compared to the same three-day period last year, which saw a daily average of up to 2,590. The decrease in mosquito numbers has been attributed to cutting-edge pest control technology. 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 Life Pioneer performance artist Amanda Heng to represent Singapore at 2026 Venice Biennale Singapore Jail for woman who opened bank accounts that received over $640.7m, including scam proceeds Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang Sport After Olympic heartbreak, Singaporean swimmer Chantal Liew turns pain into inspiration For example, in districts such as Gangnam-gu in southern Seoul and Nowon-gu in northern Seoul, drones have been used to spray insecticide in areas inaccessible to vehicles, such as parks. LED traps that attract insects, mosquito traps, as well as automatic repellent dispensers, have also been installed across Seoul to manage the summer pests. Besides advanced pest control strategies, experts say the biggest factor behind the decline is the sweltering heat. Seoul has consistently reported record-high summer temperatures in recent years, with each year surpassing temperature records set in the previous year. 'With high temperatures during the day hovering close to 37 deg C and tropical nights being consistently observed in Seoul, mosquitoes are finding it difficult to survive,' Professor Park Hyeon-cheol from Pusan National University's Department of Life Science and Environmental Biochemistry told The Korea Herald. 'Mosquitoes are normally active in temperatures ranging between 25 deg C to 28 deg C, and once such temperatures exceed 32 deg C, their survival becomes unlikely.' Prof Park added that fewer mosquitoes may be observed during this summer in particular, as the monsoon season was noted to be particularly 'dry.' The monsoon season has not been officially declared over in Seoul. However, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, on Jeju Island and in the southern parts of the country, it lasted just 15 days and 13 days, respectively. This is less than half the duration recorded a decade ago, when monsoon seasons lasted for 30 days on Jeju Island and 36 days in the south. 'The lack of steady rainfall limits the formation of puddles, which are breeding grounds for mosquitoes,' said Prof Park. 'And even when it does rain, Korea also often sees sudden, intense downpours, which wash away mosquito eggs and larvae before they have a chance to hatch and develop.' While the number of mosquitoes may decline during the summer season, higher mosquito numbers could be seen in the fall. 'A decline in mosquito numbers may be observed in the summer due to high temperatures,' Prof Park explained. 'However, as temperatures get relatively cooler, mosquito populations may rise from beginning to mid-September, with some continuing to be active into early winter.' THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE - A 31-year-old woman who was suffering from persecutory delusions became frightened that her adoptive father would kick her out of the family's Sengkang flat after her adoptive mother died from cancer. After he rejected her demand to be added as an owner of the flat, she killed him at home with a chopper. On July 14, Tan Qiu Yan was sentenced to 18 years' jail after she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder for the killing in November 2022. She was originally charged with murder, but was found to be suffering from a delusional disorder that diminished her mental responsibility for her actions. Tan was adopted by Mr Tan Ah Bang and Madam Koh Li Hua in 1992 when she was a baby. After Madam Koh was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, she promised her daughter her share of the flat. However, the flat was owned by Tan's parents as joint tenants, which meant that when Madam Koh died, her share automatically passed to Mr Tan. 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 Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang 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 Madam Koh died on Aug 29, 2022. During the wake, father and daughter quarrelled several times over the flat and other assets. Mr Tan , 67, told his daughter in a fit of anger to move out, but later relented and promised to transfer the whole property to her. Fearing that she would be homeless if he did not keep his promise, she bought the biggest knife she could find at a supermarket. Between late October and early November , Tan panicked after she realised that her father had become the sole owner of the flat. On Nov 2, 2022, she asked him to add her as an owner of the flat. A heated quarrel ensued, during which Mr Tan told her he would donate the flat instead of leaving it to her. The next afternoon, while he was scrubbing her work uniforms, she asked if he was willing to share the flat equally with her, but he told her not to bring up the matter any more. That was when she made up her mind to kill him. While Mr Tan was taking a shower after dinner, she took off her spectacles, retrieved the chopper from her room, and waited for him to emerge. When the toilet door opened, she repeatedly hacked at him, aiming for his neck, even though she could not tell if the chopper was meeting its mark as he was grasping her hair and pulling her hair down. When Mr Tan finally released his grip on her hair, she looked up to see that he was motionless on the floor. She sat down and continued to hack at him, stopping only when she became tired. Deputy Public Prosecutor Gladys Lim told the court that Tan estimated that her attack had lasted about 10 minutes. After the attack, Tan washed the toilet, cleaned herself up and threw her bloodstained clothes down the rubbish chute. She then passed time by watching anime, listening to music, and looking through old family photos before she called the police at 5.30am. A report from the Institute of Mental Health stated that Tan's delusions distorted her sense of reality and 'adversely affected her judgment and impulse control in the context of the perceived risk to her personal safety and survival'. In sentencing, High Court judge Mavis Chionh said the photos of the victim that were tendered in court attested vividly to the ferocity of Tan's attack. 'This was a shocking and brutal act of violence by the accused against her adoptive father,' said Justice Chionh, adding that Tan had inflicted horrific and ultimately fatal injuries on a man who had cared for her for many years. However, the judge rejected the prosecution's submission for Tan to be given life imprisonment. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim had argued that Tan was a person of 'unstable character' who is likely to reoffend, and that the consequences would be dire if she did not adhere to treatment. 'An unmedicated accused would pose a catastrophic risk to the community at large,' the prosecutor said. Justice Chionh said life imprisonment was not justified as there was no evidence that Tan had shown a history of unstable and violent behaviour. The judge said Tan's grief from the death of her mother was a major factor in her mental state at the time of the killing. Justice Chionh added that while Tan initially refused treatment while she was remanded in prison , she has since started taking medication in July 2024. Tan's lawyer, Mr Daniel Koh, assigned under the Legal Assistance Scheme for Capital Offences, had sought a prison term of five to seven years. He relied on IMH reports which showed Tan's progress after she agreed to receive treatment. Justice Chionh said this was not appropriate as the killing was premeditated and brutal.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Magnitude 6.7 quake hits offshore eastern Indonesia: USGS
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox JAKARTA - A 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia on July 14, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, but a monitor said there was no tsunami threat. The quake struck at 12:49pm Western Indonesia time (1.49pm Singapore time) and its epicentre was at a depth of 66km around 177km west of the city of Tual in the eastern Maluku province, USGS said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said there was no tsunami threat, and Indonesia's geophysics agency said in a social media post the quake 'did not have the potential to cause a tsunami'. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The vast archipelago nation experiences frequent earthquakes due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of intense seismic activity where tectonic plates collide, stretching from Japan through South-east Asia and across the Pacific basin. A magnitude-6.2 quake that shook Sulawesi in January 2021 killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless. In 2018, a magnitude-7.5 quake and subsequent tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi killed more than 2,200 people. 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 Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang 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
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Ex-cop charged after he allegedly went on MHA portal and unlawfully shared information with man
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – A police investigation officer allegedly accessed a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) computer platform without authority to obtain information on two people on separate occasions in 2023 and 2024. Patrick Lim Kei Hao is then said to have shared the information with one Yong Yuheng, 32, who currently faces multiple pending charges for offences including those linked to the benefits of criminal activities . On July 14, Lim, 45, who is no longer working as a police officer, was handed two charges under the Official Secrets Act and four counts of misusing a computer system. In a statement, the Singapore Police Force said that he was earlier removed from frontline duties after an investigation was launched into his case. He resigned from the force in June 2024. Court documents stated that from around December 2023 to February 2024, a woman identified as Jenny Pham Thi Hue, 39, allegedly solicited Lim to directly communicate to Yong information linked to two mobile phone numbers. Currently, Pham also faces multiple pending charges for offences including misusing a computer system. Lim is accused of going on an MHA computer portal on Dec 21, 2023 and conducting a search with one of the phone numbers to access a man's information. H e then allegedly shared the man's name, identity card number and address with Yong. 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 Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang 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 On Feb 22, 2024, Lim purportedly committed similar offences involving the other phone number, which was linked to a second person. Separately, Lim is also accused of accessing the MHA portal without authority on 19 other occasions between October 2022 and April 2024. Court documents did not disclose why he allegedly did so, and his pre-trial conference will be held on Aug 20.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
Man, 40, charged for collecting $150k in cash and jewellery on behalf of scammers
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Tan Ming Chuan was arrested one day after the police received a report of a scam involving a fake official from MAS on July 11. SINGAPORE - A man who allegedly collected cash and jewellery from a government official impersonation scam victim and passed the loot to the scammers has been hauled to court. On July 14, Tan Ming Chuan, 40, was handed one charge of assisting another person to retain their benefits from criminal conduct. Tan was arrested one day after the police received a report of a scam involving a fake official from the Monetary Authority of Singapore on July 11. The victim left about $150,000 worth of cash and jewellery at a designated location for Tan, who acted as a cash mule for the scammer, the police said. After conducting extensive ground inquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested the man on July 12. According to preliminary investigations, Tan was purportedly involved in other government official impersonation scams. He had allegedly been instructed to collect cash from scam victims and hand it over to an unknown person. Tan is currently remanded at the Central Police Division. His case will be mentioned again on July 21. 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 Singapore Driver assisting with police probe after e-bike rider injured in hit-and-run accident in Hougang 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 If convicted, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000. Government official impersonation scams have been one of the top ruses in recent years, with victims losing $151.3 million in 2024 and $92.5 million in 2023. In June alone, victims of government official impersonation scams lost at least $6.7 million, the police had said earlier. At least 80 cases were reported that month. Victims would receive unsolicited calls from scammers impersonating officials from banks such as DBS Bank and Maybank, financial institutions such as Income Insurance and UnionPay, or government agencies such as the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, said the police. When victims denied being involved, they would be transferred to another scammer claiming to be a government official such as from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, either local or China police, or the Ministry of Law. Scammers would then accuse victims of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering, and ask them to withdraw money, purchase gold bars, or declare valuables they owned to be handed over to unknown individuals for 'investigation'. In some cases, victims were instructed to place these items in discreet locations for collection instead. Victims would realise that they had been scammed only when the scammers became uncontactable or when they sought verification with the police. In a news release regarding Tan's arrest, police reminded people 'never to transfer monies, hand monies or other valuables to any unknown persons or persons whose identity you did not verify'.
