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Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Israel sends tanks into Gaza's Deir Al-Balah, raising concerns among hostages' families
Find out what's new on ST website and app. At least three Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in tank shelling that hit eight houses and three mosques in Deir Al-Balah. CAIRO - Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern areas of the Gazan city of Deir Al-Balah for the first time on July 21, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes some of the remaining hostages may be being held. Gaza medics said at least three Palestinians were killed and several were wounded in tank shelling that hit eight houses and three mosques in the area, and which came a day after the military ordered residents to leave , saying it planned to fight Hamas militants. The raid and bombardment pushed dozens of families who had remained to flee and head west towards the coastal area of Deir Al-Balah and nearby Khan Younis. In Khan Younis, earlier on July 21, an Israeli airstrike killed at least five people, including a man, his wife, and their two children, in a tent, medics said. There was no immediate Israeli comment on the Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis incidents. Israel's military said it had not entered the districts of Deir Al-Balah subject to the evacuation order during the current conflict and that it was continuing "to operate with great force to destroy the enemy's capabilities and terrorist infrastructure in the area." Israeli sources have said the reason the army has so far stayed out is that they suspect Hamas might be holding hostages there. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Asia Japan PM Ishiba vows to take responsibility for election loss, to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Singapore Medallions with Singapore Botanic Gardens' iconic landmarks launched to mark milestone-filled year Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition At least 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in captivity in Gaza are believed to be still alive. Families of the hostages expressed their concern for their relatives and demanded an explanation from the army of how it would protect them. The military escalation comes as Gaza health officials warned of potential "mass deaths" in the coming days due to mounting hunger, which has killed at least 19 people since July 19, according to the territory's health ministry. Health officials said hospitals were running out of fuel, food aid, and medicine, risking a halt to vital operations. Health ministry spokesman, Mr Khalil Al-Deqran, said medical staff have been depending on one meal a day, and that hundreds of people flock to hospitals every day, suffering from fatigue and exhaustion because of hunger. At least 67 people were killed by Israeli fire on July 20 as they waited for UN aid trucks to enter Gaza. Israel's military said its troops had fired warning shots towards a crowd of thousands of people in northern Gaza to remove what it said was "an immediate threat." It said initial findings suggested reported casualty figures were inflated, and it "certainly does not intentionally target humanitarian aid trucks." The new raid and escalating number of fatalities appeared to be complicating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, with US backing. A Hamas official told Reuters on July 20 that the militant group was angered over the mounting deaths and the hunger crisis in the enclave, and that this could badly affect ceasefire talks underway in Qatar. Israel and Hamas are engaged in indirect talks in Doha aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and hostage deal, although there has been no sign of breakthrough. UNRWA, the UN refugee agency dedicated to Palestinians, said in a post on X on July 21, it was receiving desperate messages from Gaza warning of starvation, including from its own staff as food prices have increased 40-fold. "Meanwhile, just outside Gaza, stockpiled in warehouses UNRWA has enough food for the entire population for over three months. Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale," it said. Israel's military said on July 20 that it "views the transfer of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as a matter of utmost importance, and works to enable and facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community." The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to health officials, displaced almost the entire population and plunged the enclave into a humanitarian crisis. REUTERS
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Australia unveils $11.7 million in funding to fight algal bloom crisis
Find out what's new on ST website and app. A dead ornate cowfish seen along the shore at Victor Harbour in South Australia. Australia's government has unveiled an assistance package of at least A$14 million (S$11.7 million) to help tackle a growing algal bloom crisis off the southern coast that is killing marine life and damaging regional fisheries. Environment Minister Murray Watt announced the funding package in the southern city of Adelaide on July 21 after inspecting the damage. He described the unfolding natural disaster as 'a very serious event'. The outbreak of the algal bloom in South Australia state was sparked by the Karenia mikimotoi plankton and was first detected in mid-March. Since then, it has spread across thousands of square kilometres into waterways near Adelaide. It has now developed into an event of 'unprecedented scale, duration and impact', the state government said. 'Nothing can be done to dilute or dissipate the bloom.' Mr Watt said the federal funding was intended to help clear dead wildlife and provide assistance for tourism and fisheries, as well as longer-term prevention measures. 'There's clearly a need to invest more in science and research about this event,' he said. Since the start of 2025, a citizen scientist website cataloguing marine wildlife deaths along the South Australian coast has received more than 13,000 reports of dead wildlife. In the fiscal year ending June 2024, South Australia's seafood industry brought in more than A$478 million for the state, including the rock lobster industry that had only just received approval to resume exports to China. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Asia Japan PM Ishiba vows to take responsibility for election loss, to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Life Travel Journal: Safari tourism with a side of moral crisis Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition There are three potential causes of the algal bloom, according to the state government, including a marine heatwave that began in September 2024 and pushed temperatures about 2.5 deg C higher than usual. Experts have warned that climate change is increasing the risk of dangerous algal blooms around the world by warming oceans and changing weather patterns. The natural disaster could undermine Australia's pitch to host the 2026 United Nations climate summit in Adelaide . The federal government has been touting South Australia's high renewable energy penetration as it competes with Turkey for the event, but the bloom is drawing attention to gaps in how the state manages environmental crises. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
India keen to strike trade deal with US, but wary about crossing red lines on agriculture, dairy
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Around 60 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people are engaged directly or indirectly in agriculture. – In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, soya bean farmer Harnam Singh Lodhi lamented that he has enough difficulties without having to worry about competition from American farmers. 'This year, non-stop rains after sowing have hurt the crop,' said Mr Lodhi, who fears 70 per cent of his soya bean crop was washed out and ruined. 'I am also worried about getting good rates when the crop is harvested in October,' added the farmer, who has an 8.1ha farm in the biggest soya bean producing state in India, on which he also cultivates wheat. 'So how can I, on top of all that, compete with American soya bean farmers?' Soy farmers like Mr Lodhi are contending with a market glut due to a good November harvest, which has pushed average prices down by about 10 per cent since 2024 to around 4,000 rupees (S$59.60) for 100kg. Prices could fall further if the United States gets its way. Soy – along with dairy, wheat, rice and apples – is among the American produce Washington wants India to ease import restrictions on. The US is the world's second-largest producer of soya beans, while India is ranked the fifth. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Asia Japan PM Ishiba apologises to his party for election loss, vows to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Life Travel Journal: Safari tourism with a side of moral crisis Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition The South Asian country is looking to reduce a 26 per cent 'reciprocal' tariff imposed by the Trump administration. But resistance from Indian farmers to the US push for greater market access in agriculture and dairy has been a major sticking point in the government's tariff negotiations. India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a July 1 interview with The Financial Express that these sectors 'have been among the very big red lines, where a high degree of caution has been exercised'. Around 60 per cent of India's 1.4 billion people are engaged directly or indirectly in agriculture, a sector that accounts for about 18 per cent of the annual economic output of the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. Collectively, farmers wield enormous political clout. Pressure from farmer groups was one key reason behind India's 2019 decision not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, a free trade agreement involving 15 Asia-Pacific countries. In 2021, following 11 months of massive farmer protests, the government was forced to repeal three farm laws which farmers believed to favour large companies. More on this topic India proposes retaliatory duties at WTO against US tariffs on vehicles Pushback to pressure Currently, US agricultural exports to India include nuts such as almonds and pistachios, pulses such as chick peas, and some fresh fruit. US President Donald Trump has said that 'India basically is working along that same line' of the deal struck with Indonesia, which has agreed to buy US$4.5 billion in US produce, among other measures, in exchange for a tariff rate of 19 per cent, down from the original 32 per cent. Agriculture accounts for about 18 per cent of the annual economic output of the world's fourth-largest economy by nominal GDP. PHOTO: AFP Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on July 15 that the two countries are moving quickly to reach a 'win-win' agreement. But farmers' associations in India are against any tariff reduction deal giving American agricultural products unfettered access to the Indian market. They are also against the entry of genetically modified crops, such as corn from the US, which is among the key sticking points in the negotiations. India allows cultivation of genetically modified cotton but does not allow cultivation of any other genetically modified crops domestically. The Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements (ICCFM), a network of farmers' organisations, has urged the government 'to protect the interests of Indian farmers, ensuring our food sovereignty and security' in the India-US trade deal. The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) – a farmers' organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – has made a similar call. 'We are not on a level playing field when it comes to American farmers. The landholding is smaller in India. How will we compete?' asked Mr Mohini Mohan Mishra, BKS All-India general secretary. 'It will be better to keep discussions on agriculture and dairy out of this deal,' he added. Small Indian farms cannot match the scale and efficiency of US farms, which average 188.5ha and often benefit from large-scale operations, advanced mechanisation, subsidies and better infrastructure. In comparison, India's farms are small, fragmented and hardly mechanised. Some 86 per cent of farmers operate from less than 2ha of land. The agriculture sector also struggles with low productivity, rising costs of items like fertilisers and seeds, poor irrigation infrastructure and an over-dependence on rain for water. While the government supports farmers with guarantees that it will buy certain agricultural products at pre-determined rates, farmers continue to struggle to make ends meet. A single crop failure or a drop in prices for produce could send Indian farmers, who are typically already weighed down by loans, spiralling into financial crisis. Cereals such as rice, wheat, maize and millet account for more than half of India's total agricultural production and two-thirds of agricultural crop area. Indian farmers fear that an influx of these cheaper produce from the US will further erode their earnings amid already difficult circumstances. 'There is no way, because of food security and livelihood issues, that we can expose our farmers to face competition from large agri businesses,' said Dr Biswajit Dhar, a trade expert at the Council for Social Development, a think-tank focusing on justice and equality in development. Dairy sensitivities India is the world's largest producer of milk, but it only has a 0.25 per cent share of global dairy trade due to high domestic consumption. This makes India an attractive market for US dairy. But if US milk were allowed into India, prices are likely to fall by about 15 per cent – spelling a potential annual loss of 103 billion rupees to dairy farmers, a State Bank of India report forecasts. There is also cultural and religious resistance to importing US dairy, due to the American practice of feeding cattle with animal by-products. Recent trade agreements that India inked with Australia and the United Kingdom could offer some ideas on resolving the impasse with the US. The India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement signed in 2022 exempted duties on Australian barley, oats and lobsters – but dairy and chickpeas were excluded. In the free-trade agreement with UK, India refused tariff reductions on UK dairy, apples, poultry and sugar to protect farmers. 'What could be done is that India could increase market access for the US in some areas like nuts and processed foods,' Dr Dhar said. 'The government will be worried about facing farmers' wrath. I don't think the government will test them.' BKS' Mr Mishra warned that if the government goes ahead with agriculture and dairy in the deal, 'we will also decide how to go ahead'. 'The government will have to think – there are so many elections coming one after the other,' he said, referring to state-level elections. He added: 'If they don't work for the welfare of farmers, farmers will also not cooperate.'
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Actress Kimberly Chia hospitalised due to back pain after brushing her teeth
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Kimberly Chia has been discharged from hospital after one night of observation. SINGAPORE - Home-grown actress Kimberly Chia has revealed the 'embarrassing' reason for her recent hospitalisation. She also clarified that her condition was probably caused by a muscle pull or strain and not a slip disc. 'I was already having back pains. An achy back pain that was bearable which I ignored,' the 29-year-old wrote on Instagram on July 18, sharing a video of herself on a stretcher and being sent to hospital. 'Then came Thursday morning, when I was preparing for work and brushing my teeth. I had a gag reflex while brushing my tongue and bent forwards in a jerk.' Chia, who is married to 37-year-old businessman Vincent Yeo and has a three-year-old son, said that was when she felt something 'snap'. 'It was a sharp pain that made me see stars. Blacked out but still conscious,' she wrote. 'I shouted for my husband and he brought me to lie down. I was crying and I couldn't move. Tried to get up but it hurt so badly. So we decided to call the ambulance.' The NoonTalk Media artiste said she was admitted to hospital and got an X-ray. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Asia Japan PM Ishiba apologises to his party for election loss, vows to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Life Travel Journal: Safari tourism with a side of moral crisis Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition 'All was normal but it still hurts. I was given some pretty heavy painkillers but my pain score didn't drop,' Chia wrote. 'Couldn't move, couldn't sit up. So I had to stay one night for observation. It's still painful now but I feel better and can move about, albeit slowly.' 'Reluctant to share the real reason because so embarrassing?! Haha', she added. Chia, who rose to fame after starring in the crime drama On The Fringe (2011), recently made a cameo in horror-comedy film The Chosen One (2024). She told Lianhe Zaobao in an interview that was published online on July 21 she was discharged from the hospital that she is feeling better. Chia said she will undergo physical therapy and arrange for an orthopedic examination. The actress, who exercises regularly, said she did not have any previous back injuries. 'I can walk now, but I can't bend over or make big movements, and I have to turn around slowly,' she told the Chinese-language newspaper. 'I can't drive either, because stepping on the accelerator and brake will affect my back. Everything else is okay.'
Straits Times
21-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: Fitness coach Aaron Kusasira guides elderly women as they take part in community-led fitness drills session that combines yoga, aerobics, and cricket drills to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), on a playing field in Kivubuka village, in Jinja District, Eastern Uganda, July 12, 2025. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa/File Photo JINJA, Uganda - Wearing floor-length dresses and wrap-around skirts, the group of elderly women giggle and tease each other as they jog in pairs, hand in hand, across a playing field in Kivubuka, a village in eastern Uganda. The exercise class is part of a project aimed at reducing increasing rates of noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease and has attracted more than 1,000 people since it began five years ago. While famine and malnutrition remain major concerns in several African countries, obesity is increasingly on the march, especially among Ugandan women. Jane Anonyaalaba, a grandmother, is one of those looking to buck the trend. She used to struggle with high blood pressure, persistent aches and occasional paralysis in her limbs. "I would breathe with difficulty. Climbing a hill was almost impossible," the 70-year-old said. Now, she bends over double to whack three tennis balls with a cricket bat before running between a set of blue plastic wickets. A quarter of a century ago, just 4% of Ugandan women were obese, but that figure had more than doubled to 10.4% by 2019, according to the latest available dataset provided by the Global Nutrition Report, which tracks global nutrition. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 workers stranded on gondola dangling outside Raffles City Tower rescued by SCDF Asia Japan PM Ishiba apologises to his party for election loss, vows to stay in office to deal with US tariff talks Business $1.1 billion allocated to three fund managers to boost Singapore stock market: MAS Singapore Proof & Company Spirits closes Singapore distribution business Life Travel Journal: Safari tourism with a side of moral crisis Singapore Mandai Wildlife Group group CEO Mike Barclay to retire; Bennett Neo named as successor Singapore Jail, caning for man who held metal rod to cashier's neck in failed robbery attempt Singapore Fresh charge for woman who harassed nurse during pandemic, created ruckus at lion dance competition By comparison, male obesity had risen to just 2.3%. Weekly fitness clubs like Kivubuka may be a model for a local, low-cost approach to supporting aging communities across Africa, where 17% of adult women and 6.8% of men are obese. As people lead more urban, sedentary lifestyles, and eat cheaper ultra-processed foods, the continent is becoming more obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity has brought a corollary rise in deaths: around one-third of Ugandans died from NCDs in 2016, almost double the number in 2000. "I want to think and believe that there (has been) a change in their lives," said Isaac Imaka, who organises the club on behalf of the Gabula Royal Foundation, a charity established by a Ugandan traditional leader. "This... is a place where you can come and find a new friend, and just have something to talk about." REUTERS
