Latest news with #Ying
West Australian
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Singapore Oceanarium tickets on sale ahead of July 24 public opening
Flip your fins over to the booking portal for the new Singapore Oceanarium to snap up the first wave of tickets, ahead of the grand opening on July 24. The hotly anticipated mega aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa has offered marine enthusiasts the chance to be among the first to float through its 22 immersive zones by pre-purchasing their passes. Admission starts at SGD49 ($59) for adults, SGD35 ($42) for children 4-12 and SGD39 ($47) for seniors over 60 and the centre will be open daily from 10am-7pm. Singapore Oceanarium has taken over the former site of S.E.A. Aquarium and is three times larger than its predecessor, with a strong focus on advancing marine education, research and impactful conservation. The underwater journey includes a trip back in time to encounter ancient ocean giants through animatronics, digital displays and live prehistoric habitats, an adventure through Singapore's native mangroves and an otherworldly display of illuminated jellyfish. A 36m-wide viewing panel ensures plenty of space to witness majestic reef manta rays and zebra sharks up close in the Open Ocean exhibit. Singapore Oceanarium vice-president Lam Xue Ying says the opening signifies the site's evolution into a purpose-driven institute years in the making. 'We are dedicated to inspiring a new generation of ocean stewards by taking ocean education and interactive storytelling to the next level, through naturalistic habitats and immersive technology,' Ying says. 'Supported by academic partnerships, international accreditations and memberships, as well as our new research and learning centre, we're furthering our commitment to marine conservation, research and education.' + Bookings for Singapore Oceanarium at Resorts World Sentosa are via .
Straits Times
06-07-2025
- Science
- Straits Times
Life After... blazing biomedical research trail in S'pore: Renowned scientist breaks new ground at 59
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox So much of the news is about what's happening in the moment. But after a major event, people pick up the pieces, and life goes on. In this new series, The Straits Times talks to the everyday heroes who have reinvented themselves, turned their lives around, and serve as an inspiration to us all. World-renowned nanotech scientist Jackie Ying moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023 to help further the country's biomedical research potential. SINGAPORE - Professor Jackie Ying, a pint-sized dynamo never seen without her signature headscarf, dark suit and track shoes, has always lived life on her terms. As she approaches 60, she has again met change head-on. The world-renowned nanotech scientist has relocated from Singapore – where she spent two decades as one of the pioneers transforming the nation into a research powerhouse – to Saudi Arabia. Prof Ying has given up all she has accomplished here to move to the Middle East, where she is building a laboratory in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh to advance novel diagnostics and treatments in genetic diseases, which are particularly prevalent there. It is yet another milestone in a career of many firsts for the Taiwan-born, US-trained scientist. 'I'm really excited. I feel 20 years younger because of all these new things I want to do,' she told The Straits Times. 'Physically, I think I'm running after myself because of the excitement of my lab and the collaborators.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore First BTO project in Sembawang North to be offered in July HDB launch World Tariffs will kick in on Aug 1 barring trade deals: US Treasury Secretary Singapore Woman on SMRT's 190 bus injured after bottle thrown at vehicle leaves hole in window Business Great Eastern says Takeover Code not breached when it shared IFA valuation with OCBC Asia 'Don't be seen in India again': Indian nationals pushed into Bangladesh at gunpoint Asia Thousands evacuated as Typhoon Danas lashes Taiwan Asia Two women fatally stabbed at bar in Japan by man Life Star Awards 2025: Christopher Lee wins big, including Special Achievement Award and Best Actor The plan is to help advance Saudi Arabia's budding biomedical scene, as Prof Ying did for Singapore many years ago. Blazing a trail in Singapore Prof Ying, 59, is among a pool of top researchers, coined 'whales', who were wooed here from all over the world more than two decades ago by then A*Star chairman Philip Yeo to turn Singapore into a biomedical hub. Among other achievements, she helped to establish Biopolis. One of the youngest people to make full professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at the age of 35, she moved to Singapore in 2003 to become the founding director of A*Star's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), which has since been merged with a consortium to form the A*Star Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging. In 2018, Prof Ying and her team built A*Star's NanoBio Lab, a research incubator, from scratch. Prof Ying is a master of building materials thinner than a strand of hair which can be harnessed in areas as varied as medicine, chemistry and energy. She has helped to build more than 13 start-ups, invented and patented hundreds of technologies, and won numerous awards. Among her inventions are a device that can test for dengue within 20 minutes with just saliva, and tiny particles that automatically deliver insulin to diabetic patients when their blood glucose levels are high. One of her start-ups, Cellbae, developed the first made-in-Singapore antigen rapid test kits for Covid-19, which were subsequently exported to Europe. With her many awards and accolades, Prof Ying is a well-known figure in Singapore, and is often approached by strangers for photographs when she is in the country. But her last few years working in Singapore were not easy, she said, as leadership changes led to major changes that impacted various institutes under A*Star. Without divulging details, she said: 'We didn't have the same level of independence as what we used to have, and that really affected our smooth operations.' In mid-2023, Prof Ying was invited to become a visiting distinguished professor and senior adviser to the president of the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia, which had just formed a bioengineering department. The move took substantial courage Moving to a new environment was not an easy decision because of her strong ties with Singapore, admitted Prof Ying. She lived in Singapore as a child and studied at primary and secondary schools here when her father, who taught Chinese literature, was a faculty member at the former Nanyang University. But she took the leap, and moved to Saudi Arabia in 2023. 'I also looked at potentially returning to the US, but this possibility opened up in Saudi Arabia, and I think that was far more exciting... something different in another continent,' said Prof Ying. 'It was a very difficult decision to leave Singapore. Our lab was very nicely established, and blessed with excellent staff who have worked with me for many years. It was very painful to leave them; they are like family members,' she added. Now, while she is with King Fahd University, her main appointment is head of the bioengineering and nanomedicine department of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh. In less than two years , she has set up the foundations of her new office: a 1,500 sq m lab – the size of more than 10 four-room Housing Board flats. 'We have received major funding internally from KFSHRC to build a large, new lab with lots of state-of-the-art equipment. We have successfully recruited over a dozen research staff and students in a year, and will continue to grow in the coming years,' said Prof Ying. Professor Jackie Ying treats her researchers in Singapore like family, and in Saudi Arabia, she does the same. PHOTO: KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE 'I find I'm just racing (against) time to get as much done as possible. In your 50s, to make a major change in your working environment, especially in one that has been so productive, took substantial courage,' she said. On a mission to tackle Arab world's genetic diseases The doors to Saudi Arabia opened wide for Prof Ying in 2023 when she became the first woman to receive what is known as the 'Arab Nobel prize' – the King Faisal Prize in Science for her work in nanomedicine. Some past laureates have gone on to win a Nobel Prize. At the same time, research received a boost as pursuing biotechnology and improving public health became a focus area under the Saudi Vision 2030 – a government push to diversify the Saudi Arabian economy beyond oil and gas. The kingdom had recently set out a strategy to advance its self-sufficiency in vaccines, biomanufacturing and genomics. Prof Ying is particularly interested in tackling genetic diseases. People in the Middle East and North Africa region have a malaise of inherited disorders – higher than the global average – a result of the cultural practice of marrying within tribes. Walking up to her lab in the hospital, she sees children in wheelchairs – afflicted with cancers such as leukaemia and neurological diseases such as spinal muscular atrophy, a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness and breathing problems. 'The doctors will be knocking on your door; they are anxious to do research. We see the frustrations some clinicians have when it comes to genetic diseases. They know what their patients are suffering, but there's a lack of therapies that are effective and affordable,' said Prof Ying. Her team is working on identifying genetic clues called biomarkers that indicate the presence of a disease. New gene therapies can then be developed to attack the disease-causing biomarkers. For example, her team is developing man-made patches of DNA that attach to molecules that produce disease-causing proteins and block their production. This is a form of RNA (ribonucleic acid) therapy. 'Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, we hope to accelerate the creation of effective RNA therapies that could be much less expensive than the available DNA therapies, which can cost over $2 million for a patient with spinal muscular atrophy,' said Prof Ying. She added: 'KFSHRC specialises in the most challenging diseases. In the region, patients with complicated diseases will flock to the hospital. Access to the patients really helps with biomarker discovery and clinical trials.' She is also keen on tracking emerging infectious diseases, and her lab is collaborating with Cellbae to monitor wastewater for traces of viruses at hospitals, farms and religious sites. 'A citizen of the world' In early 2025, Prof Ying was appointed to lead research and innovation at KFSHRC, which has three main hospitals in the kingdom. 'I'm really trying my best because I'm at a certain age. I really want to see this happen. But more importantly, I want to train the students, those doing their PhD, and the more senior people, so that they can front a lot of things.' Prof Ying, who has a 23-year-old daughter pursuing a dual doctorate in medicine and scientific research at Texas A&M University, said she takes pride in nurturing many young researchers who pass through the doors of her labs. Several of her former A*Star colleagues from IBN and her NanoBio Lab have followed her to Saudi Arabia. The move was not easy for some, who have young families in tow, added Prof Ying. One of them is Dr Muhammad Nadjad Abdul Rahim, who was Prof Ying's PhD student back in the NanoBio Lab, which has since closed down. Prof Jackie Ying and her Cellbae colleagues Muhammad Nadjad Abdul Rahim (looking through microscope) and Kian Ping Chan, both of whom recently moved to Riyadh. PHOTO: KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTRE Dr Nadjad, 37, is now operations and product development director of Cellbae, which expanded to Saudi Arabia in 2024. It was founded in Singapore with another branch in the US. In addition to producing Covid-19 test kits, Cellbae creates test kits for various pathogens, and for food and environmental monitoring, and other medical devices. The company is looking at improving diagnostics for genetic diseases and cancers that are more pronounced in the kingdom, like Hodgkin's lymphoma – an aggressive form of blood cancer that is increasingly afflicting young people there. It is also developing a method to amplify signatures of virus families so that scientists can keep an eye on circulating diseases in wastewater. Said Dr Nadjad: 'Prof Ying doesn't sleep enough. Our team has no idea how she finds that energy. But I think this is encapsulated in her belief of how hard we must work to solve problems in the world.' Commenting on Prof Ying's move to Saudi Arabia, he added: 'A scientist is a citizen of the world. She is always rolling up her sleeves to solve difficult problems and not one who would be comfortable sitting down collecting salary.' Prof Ying, a devout Muslim who has been to Mecca in Saudi Arabia more than 15 times to perform the haj and umrah pilgrimages, said she has fit in well in her new home. Born into a Christian family, she converted to Islam in her 30s. 'There is this notion that Saudi Arabia has issues with human rights. I have told others: 'Please come and see for yourself.' Over the last few years, I would say people are very well treated – women or men, it doesn't matter. It's a very safe, very secure, very peaceful place,' she said. 'I love living here. Riyadh is a dynamic and rapidly growing city, with lots of great restaurants.' Working harder as a minority In the light of her many achievements, it can be hard to remember that the odds were stacked against Prof Ying, who has been known to call herself a 'minority of minorities', as a Chinese Muslim female in the male-centric world of science. In the early 1990s, she was the first female Asian American professor at the MIT School of Engineering, and the lecture hall blackboards were not built for those with a smaller stature. 'I could only reach the bottom half of the lowest blackboard. After writing just a few equations, I had to erase them because I couldn't reach the higher blackboards,' she said with a laugh. In the locker room of her New York high school – famous for being where folk rock duo Simon and Garfunkel first started performing together as students – a couple of taller teenage girls would stare her down to intimidate her. 'I wouldn't say it was bullying, but there are people who are not particularly friendly. You go to high school through metal detectors. I wouldn't say students were carrying guns, but some of them certainly had knives,' she said. Those moments helped her build grit. 'As a minority, I told myself I've got to work twice as hard.' And she did. In 2017, she received the highest accolade for academic inventors as a fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors. And each year since 2012, she has been listed among the world's 500 most influential Muslims. 'It's important to speak up despite being a minority. I am not a yes-man and don't expect my staff to be yes-men,' she said. Looking ahead towards the next phase of her career in the kingdom, Prof Ying said: 'It's a lifetime of work ahead. We always pray hard and wish for good health and abundant resources.'
News18
29-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
FIH Pro League: China Condemn Indian Women's Team To Eighth Straight Defeat
Last Updated: The Indian women, who were already relegated to the second-tier FIH Nations Cup in the subsequent season, let a lead slip as the Chinese women rallied to pick up a victory. The Indian women's hockey team succumbed to their eighth straight defeat in the FIH Pro League, with a 2-3 loss against China on Sunday. The Indian women, who were already relegated to the second-tier FIH Nations Cup for the upcoming season, let a lead slip as the Chinese women rallied to pick up a victory. Sunelita Toppa put the Indians ahead before Zhang Ying pegged the Chinese back on level terms. Ying went on to nullify India's lead yet again as she struck near immediately after Rutuja Dadaso Pisal's strike for India. Xu Wenyu handed her side the win as she converted a set piece to pile on the Indian women's side's miseries. The defeat condemned India ended to the bottom of the nine-team standings with 10 points from 16 matches. China earned the first real chance of the match, but Chen Yang shot wide. India soon found their footing and took the lead through Toppo. After receiving the ball from Neha Goyal, Sunelita entered the circle and scored with a well-executed reverse hit. China secured their second penalty corner in the 11th minute, but the Indians defended bravely. Trailing, China went on the offensive and secured back-to-back corners in the 18th minute, but India continued to defend stoutly. India committed a rare defensive lapse when Manisha Chauhan's clearance hit the head of a Chinese forward, resulting in the onfield referee giving a penalty stroke against India. India opted for a referral, and the video referee reversed the decision, awarding a penalty corner instead of a stroke as the foul was unintentional. However, this time the Indian defence fell short as Ying struck with a perfect drag flick to level the scores. China had another penalty corner 30 seconds before halftime, and Ying slammed the ball into the top left corner of the Indian goal to take a 2-1 lead. In the 37th minute, Neha's effort was brilliantly saved by an alert Chinese goalkeeper, but the Indians got back-to-back penalty corners. Rutuja scored from a fine variation assisted by Navneet Kaur to level the scores at 2-2. The Indians went all out thereafter and earned another penalty corner in the 40th minute, but China's first rusher defended well. After that, it was all China as they secured a penalty corner in the 48th minute, but India survived despite scrappy defending. China earned two more penalty corners in the 50th minute but wasted the chances. However, the relentless Chinese secured another penalty corner in the 53rd minute, and Zhang's flick was beautifully deflected in by Xu for the winner. First Published:
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
‘It's a big problem in Baton Rouge': Authorities suspect human trafficking in massage parlors
ZACHARY, La. (Louisiana First) — The day after multi-agency raids at massage parlors across the Capitol area, each location was closed. Authorities said deportations are possible, and more parlors could be busted next. 'This is just the beginning of actions we hope to be able to take,' said Hillar Moore, East Baton Rouge's District Attorney. The nine locations include spots in St. George, Baton Rouge, and Zachary: •14111 Airline Highway, St. George, La. – Y& L Body Relaxation •9065 Perkins Road, St. George, La. – Spring Body Conditioning •17301 Jefferson Highway, St. George, La. – Magnolia Spa •712 O'Neal Lane, Baton Rouge, La. – Wonderful Land Spa •804 O'Neal Lane, Baton Rouge, La. – All Natural Spa •4528 Bennington Avenue, Baton Rouge, La. – YY Rainbow Spa •12240 Coursey Boulevard, Baton Rouge, La. – Oriental Relax Spa •156 McGehee Drive, Baton Rouge, La. – Orange Spa •5145 Main Street, Zachary, La. – Vivian's Therapy Spa 'The sheriff's office received a lot of complaints from regular businesses operating in these malls, plus citizens who were complaining,' Moore said. Moore said the massage board issued cease and desist letters, fines, and more, trying to shut these parlors down. It took a multi-agency approach, including federal government agents, to act. 'We picked out these nine as being those that are the top level that we wanted to pay attention to,' Moore said. Authorities said they detained nearly a dozen women, nine of whom were in the country illegally. They said the parlors were illegal because they did not have a license, operated prostitution, and violated other codes. The Zachary location had documents taped to its door on Thursday. One was from the state fire marshal's office outlining code violations. Two were from the Department of Homeland Security, including a subpoena and a notice of inspection that mentioned potential immigration violations. A number for an owner was listed in a document, and Louisiana First Investigates contacted that person, listed as Hu Ming Ying. In a phone conversation, Ying initially acknowledged the raid when asked. 'Yes, somebody called me, I know,' Ying said. Ying was then asked whether prostitution was going on at the parlor. 'I don't understand,' Ying said. Ying called back several minutes later with another woman to help translate on the line. The question was repeated. 'Sorry, she doesn't know anything about that,' Ying said. Moore said most of the women could be deported, and they are also likely victims of human trafficking. He said counselors who speak Chinese were made available to them, and authorities want to hone in on who the owners of these parlors are. 'Our goal is to get to the larger person that's behind this, that's trafficking the women, that's making money,' Moore said. Moore said more massage parlors could be next. 'You'd better make sure you have a license,' Moore said. 'You'd better make sure you're doing everything above board.' EBR Metro Council picks new advisor for Raising Canes River Center redevelopment project 'It's a big problem in Baton Rouge': Authorities suspect human trafficking in massage parlors College Drive flyover project complete, brings relief to Baton Rouge drivers Louisiana lawmakers push for transparency in drug pricing, bill advances Judge blocks Trump's National Guard deployment in Los Angeles Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
RTHK
01-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
'Clear definition of gig workers needed'
'Clear definition of gig workers needed' Roy Ying says any definition of gig workers has to be precise and not overly broad, to help prevent possible disputes. File photo: RTHK A human resources expert said a lack of clarity over the definition of gig workers is hindering efforts to protect these employees in Hong Kong. Gig workers often refer to people who are paid per task, or in short-term and freelance work arrangements, rather than permanent employment. Typical examples include private tutors; hourly staff at exhibitions, events and restaurants; and content creators on social media. But there's no statutory definition. A 2020 report by the Law Reform Commission estimated that there may be as many as 700,000 gig workers in the city. The government has taken steps to better protect their rights, such as by revising the 'continuous contract' rule under the Employment Ordinance. Legislative amendments are currently vetted by the Legislative Council. If passed, people who work a total of 68 hours over four-week periods are entitled to statutory employment benefits, such as minimum wage, paid leave and work-injury compensation. It's a different story for the estimated 114,000 delivery couriers and ride-hailing drivers in the city, who are largely classified as freelancers, which means they don't enjoy statutory benefits. Last year, when Deliveroo exited Hong Kong, about 12,000 delivery couriers were left without severance pay or long-term service payment because the platform treated them as independent contractors. And recent rulings offered different views of employment status. In 2023, the Labour Tribunal ruled that six gig workers for the now-defunct Zeek delivery platform were employees, citing factors such as the company's control over work, pay structure and restrictions on subcontracting, which established an employment relationship. But in a more recent District Court decision involving a Deliveroo rider seeking compensation for work injury, the court found that the rider was an independent contractor, not an employee. In an interview with RTHK, Roy Ying, co-chair of the advocacy and policy research committee at the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management, called on the government to step in and provide clarity. 'I'm actually more inclined to think that if a delivery worker only works a few hours a week, that is more likely to be a gig worker, unless the delivery worker is working near full-time,' he said. 'And that's why I think the statute needs to have a little bit more clarity, because if we rely on the judgement, as you can see, the District Court, the tribunals, they are the lower courts. There could be future appeals, and that is just adding uncertainty.' Ying added that the definition of gig workers has to be precise and not overly broad. "We also have to be mindful about the cost of compliance because there could be hundreds of thousands of gig workers around Hong Kong. 'And if we are setting the rules in a lenient way, then that means more people will claim that they are employees and that is going to open up quite a lot of disputes.' Ying stressed the need to reach a consensus through dialogue, with the government holding a longer public consultation and engaging all stakeholders. He also said Hong Kong could follow in the footsteps of the UK and establish a third type of employment status, between employees and the self-employed, so as to grant gig workers partial employment rights. 'The government can do a pilot case, ringfencing this special categorisation in one or two different sectors and see how it runs for one or two years before it is rolled out to different sectors. I think that is more of a prudent approach,' he said. 'It's pretty obvious. It's got to be all the platform workers, for example, the Uber drivers and the food delivery people.'
