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Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Burke to win first Scotland cap in Fiji test
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Saracens flyhalf Fergus Burke will win his first Scotland cap on Saturday after being named in the starting line-up to face Fiji in Suva, while coach Gregor Townsend is also able to welcome back two stalwarts. Matt Fagerson, selected at No. 8, will make his first appearance since April after recovering from an ankle injury while Kyle Steyn is back on the wing for the first time in almost a year after a series of injury setbacks. The team have been given a major overhaul from the side that posted an impressive win over the Maori All Blacks in Whangarei last Saturday. Burke came on as a replacement in that game, but no caps were awarded. The former New Zealand under-20 international qualifies for Scotland through his grandfather. Rory Darge will captain the side for the first time on the tour, with Steyn and Grant Gilchrist named as vice-captains, it was announced on Thursday. In the midfield, Cameron Redpath will play his first game since winning the English Premiership with Bath and forms a new-look centre partnership with Tom Jordan. Jamie Dobie is named at scrumhalf to link up with Burke on debut. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore to launch new grant for companies, expand support for workers amid US tariff uncertainties Singapore Proposed new law protecting Singaporeans' genetic data to be strengthened: Ong Ye Kung Asia Dr Mahathir at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma Singapore HDB flats less attainable in 2024 compared with 2022: Report World 'Do some homework': 6 key exchanges between US Senator Duckworth and S'pore envoy nominee Sinha World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Singapore NDP 2025: Diamond formations, 'multi-axis' fly-past to headline parade's aerial display The test is the second game on Scotland's Pacific tour. Next weekend, they will take on Samoa in Auckland. Scotland are missing eight players who are in Australia with the British & Irish Lions. Team: 15-Kyle Rowe, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Cameron Redpath, 12-Tom Jordan, 11-Kyle Steyn, 10-Fergus Burke, 9-Jamie Dobie, 8-Matt Fagerson, 7-Rory Darge (captain), 6-Jamie Ritchie, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Marshall Sykes, 3-Elliot Millar Mills, 2-Ewan Ashman, 1-Rory Sutherland Replacements: 16-George Turner, 17-Alec Hepburn, 18-Will Hurd, 19-Max Williamson, 20-Josh Bayliss, 21-George Horne, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Ollie Smith. REUTERS
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Wallabies can take pointers from Brumbies' loss to Lions: Larkham
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MELBOURNE - Pick an experienced flyhalf, mind Finn Russell and maybe cut down on contestable kicks. Such is Stephen Larkham's advice for the Wallabies to take down the British & Irish Lions. Larkham's ACT Brumbies fell 36-24 to the Lions in their tour match in Canberra on Wednesday but Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt, watching in the crowd, will have been encouraged by the performance. Though starved of possession and playing without almost all of their Wallabies, the Brumbies produced four quality tries against Andy Farrell's Leinster-heavy team and foiled them repeatedly with breakdown turnovers. "The energy throughout the game from our guys was outstanding," Larkham told reporters. "Hopefully we've shown the Wallabies coaches and players some areas they can potentially target." As a former Wallabies flyhalf and coach, Larkham knows what it takes to beat the Lions. He was part of the Wallabies squad that topped the Lions 2-1 in 2001. Twelve years on, he was assistant coach to Brumbies boss Jake White when they took down Warren Gatland's Lions 14-12. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Asia Dr Mahathir at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma Singapore What's next for PSP following its post-GE leadership shake-up? Singapore 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers Singapore NDP 2025: Diamond formations, 'multi-axis' fly-past to headline parade's aerial display Business New Career Health SG initiative launched to support both S'pore workers and employers Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Singapore Apex court upholds SMC's conviction of doctor who gave patients unapproved hormones On Wednesday, Larkham was full of praise for captain-scrumhalf Ryan Lonergan, who set up tries with hand and foot, and kicked cleverly to defuse the Lions' attack. Larkham's first-choice flyhalf Noah Lolesio was never a chance to play having been drafted into Wallabies camp and the 25-year-old is now out of the Lions series after spinal surgery. That has left Schmidt with a choice of inexperienced flyhalves or calling up an old warrior like James O'Connor or Bernard Foley into his squad. Larkham suggested he would err on the side of experience if it was his decision. "You need a 9-10 combination who don't get fazed when the pressure comes on," he said. "There's options there. I think part of me would like to see development for the future in that space but equally I'd prefer to beat these guys." AREAS TO TARGET Assessing the Lions, Larkham felt the Brumbies had handled their number 10 Russell well enough, even if the Scotland pivot was instrumental in most of the Lions' five tries at Canberra Stadium. Still, he warned Russell would only get more comfortable as the tour went on. "He's a quality player, a class player. He's only going to get better the more he plays against Australian teams in these conditions," he added. Some things had not worked as well as Larkham had hoped, with the Lions sturdy under the high ball -- apart from the first minute when hooker Dan Sheehan was penalised for obstructing a player, opening the door for the Brumbies' first try. A short kick from a goal line drop-out on the cusp of halftime proved especially costly as it was turned over by the Lions who promptly scored a try. "We had a bit of a tactic there putting contestable kicks up and they handled them pretty well. So (Schmidt) might learn a little bit out of that," said Larkham. A slew of untimely injuries and a last-gasp win over Fiji have done little to inspire confidence in the Wallabies' chances against the Lions but Larkham was not buying into the gloom. He said Brumbies and Wallabies loose forward Rob Valetini, who was ruled out of the Fiji test with a calf problem, was a quick healer and would be an important player. While the Lions' scrum has mostly dominated Australia's provincial sides, Larkham said the Wallabies' Mike Cron was among the best scrum doctors going around. "Joe's very smart. The crew he's got with him are very smart and they'll identify some areas they can target." REUTERS
Straits Times
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Japan to raise bar on foreign driver's license conversion test
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Short-term visitors, including tourists, will lose the right to convert their licenses. Japan plans to make foreign driver's license conversion tests more stringent by significantly increasing the number of questions, police said July 10. With more foreign drivers on the road, and the number of accidents involving them also on the rise, the new written test is expected to include 50 questions and require a passing score of 90 per cent. The current test only has 10 questions with a minimum passing score of 70 per cent. The government expects to introduce the new system on Oct 1 after soliciting public opinion. Short-term visitors, including tourists, will lose the right to convert their licenses, according to the National Police Agency. Questions regarding driving under the influence of alcohol and how to respond when involved in accidents, among others, are expected to be added to the written exam. The driving test will be bolstered with the addition of assessments on how drivers negotiate pedestrian and railroad crossings on test courses. With the passing rate in the written portion of the exam standing at 90 per cent, some lawmakers have criticised the current evaluation system as 'too easy.' The passing rate for the driving test is around 30 per cent. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World Trump's ambassador nominee to Singapore Anjani Sinha has a rough day at Senate hearing Asia Dr Mahathir at 100: Still haunted by the Malay Dilemma Singapore What's next for PSP following its post-GE leadership shake-up? Singapore 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers Singapore NDP 2025: Diamond formations, 'multi-axis' fly-past to headline parade's aerial display Business New Career Health SG initiative launched to support both S'pore workers and employers Multimedia 60 objects to mark SG60: Which is your favourite? Singapore Apex court upholds SMC's conviction of doctor who gave patients unapproved hormones To apply for license conversion, individuals will be required to submit a copy of their certificate of residence in Japan, regardless of their nationality. Japanese nationals who wish to convert driver's licenses obtained abroad may submit their certificates of family register instead. With the success of the government's policies to attract more foreign workers and tourists, the number of foreigners who converted their driver's license rose to 68,623 last year, more than double the figure from 10 years ago. Vietnamese were the largest group at 16,681, followed by Chinese and South Koreans, according to the agency. Under the current system, Japan allows drivers from South Korea and more than 20 other nations to convert their licenses without any written or driving test. KYODO NEWS
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
More than 18,000 people in lockdown as wildfire rages in Catalonia
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A helicopter helps to extinguish an ongoing wildfire in Xerta, which is one of the confined villages in the Tarrragona province in Catalonia, Spain, July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce XERTA, Spain - Spanish authorities ordered more than 18,000 residents of the northeastern Tarragona province to remain indoors on Tuesday and several dozen were evacuated as a wildfire raged out of control, consuming almost 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of vegetation. Large parts of Spain are on high alert for wildfires after the country experienced its hottest June on record. Two people died in a wildfire on July 1 in the region of Catalonia where Tarragona is located. The latest fire broke out early on Monday in a remote area near the village of Pauls, where strong winds and rugged terrain have hampered firefighting efforts, authorities said. An emergency military unit was deployed early on Tuesday alongside more than 300 firefighters working in the area. "Since midnight, firefighters have been battling the blaze with gusts of wind reaching up to 90 kilometres per hour (56 miles per hour)," Catalonia's regional firefighting service said, adding that the strong Mistral wind was expected to ease by the afternoon. Overnight, fire engines raced the winding roads of the Pauls Mountains, surrounded by flames, as crews assessed and tried to contain the blaze. In the neighbouring villages of Xerta and Aldover, residents spent a sleepless night as the flames threatened their homes. "(There has been) a lot of fear and a lot of crying because we are already on the edge of the fire. Last night, because of the wind that was blowing the fire and the smoke, we couldn't leave our house. Terrible, this has never been seen before," Rosa Veleda, 76, told Reuters. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Singapore AI cannot supplant learning, it must enable it: Desmond Lee Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Opinion Here's what happened after some US schools started locking up students' phones Authorities said they had prevented the fire from spreading across the Ebro River, which would have worsened the situation. Approximately 30% of the affected area lies within the Ports Natural Park, and officials are investigating the fire's origins. REUTERS
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Acropolis shuts, outdoor work halted as heatwave scorches Greece
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People cool themselves with water while visiting the Acropolis. ATHENS - Greece's top archaeological monument, the Acropolis, was partially shut on July 8 as part of emergency measures to protect visitors and workers around the country during a four-day heatwave. The Greek culture ministry said the world-renowned site would be shut till 5pm (10pm Singapore time) 'for the safety of workers and visitors, owing to high temperatures.' The four-day heatwave confirmed by meteorologists began on July 6 is the second to grip Greece since late June. Temperatures are expected to reach 42 deg C on July 8, with a maximum of 38 deg C in Athens. Similar temperatures are expected on July 9. To protect outdoor workers, the labour ministry has decreed a work stoppage from 12pm to 5pm in various parts of the country, including several islands. The stoppage mainly affects construction work and delivery riders. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10 Singapore NDP 2025: Tank that bumped into traffic light lost steering and braking power due to faulty part Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land Singapore AI cannot supplant learning, it must enable it: Desmond Lee Asia China warns Trump on tariffs, threatens retaliation on supply chain deals Multimedia 'I suspect he's cheating': She finds proof when spouses stray Opinion Here's what happened after some US schools started locking up students' phones 'Days with a heatwave make my job more difficult,' cycle-riding courier Michalis Keskinidis told AFP. 'We drink a lot of water to protect ourselves from the heat, combined with electrolytes, and take breaks whenever possible,' the 43-year-old said. The 2,500-year-old Acropolis, built on a rock overlooking the capital that offers little shade, draws tens of thousands of visitors daily. It recorded some 4.5 million visitors in 2024, an increase of over 15 per cent compared to 2023. Officials had been forced to order similar shutdowns in the past two years in heatwave conditions. Risk of fire, storms The Greek civil protection authority has warned of high fire risk in the greater Athens area, in central Greece and the Peloponnese peninsula. Greece's fire department has been dealing with up to 50 fires daily, the head of the Greek fire service officers' union Constantinos Tsigkas told state TV ERT. Elsewhere, Serbia's hydrometeorological service RMHZ warned that weather conditions could fuel more fires, after 620 fires were recorded July 7. But there are also thunderstorms expected in Serbia's northern Vojvodina region, as well as in western and central areas. RHMZ has also warned of the possibility of hail and hurricane-force gusts of wind. Croatia has already felt the impact of storms since July 7, with several of the country's regions affected. Two people were injured and hospitalised in Vinkovci after a storm knocked down a power line on a family house near the eastern town, police said. The authorities said they had taken dozens of calls over wind-related emergencies including trees blocking roads, damaged roofs and power failures. On July 8, heavy rain and gale-force winds flooded roads, knocked down trees and caused power outages at the Croatian port town of Split, the state-run HRT broadcaster reported. At the town's port, a ferry broke its moorings and hit a catamaran and a tourist excursion boat, sinking the latter. There was similar trouble further north, with storms raging in Hungary and Slovakia. In Budapest, strong winds damaged roofs, felled trees onto roads and downed power lines on July 7, with the national meteorological service HungaroMet measuring winds up to 137kmh locally. Rail traffic was severely disrupted across Hungary with full restoration of services potentially requiring weeks, according to Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar. In Slovakia, gale-force winds caused power outages and blew off the roof of a block of flats in the eastern town of Gelnica and fallen trees disrupted road and railway transport across the region. The country's weather service SHMU has issued a storm warning with heavy rain, wind and hail for July 8, mainly for central and eastern Slovakia. AFP
