President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has instructed related parties to devise early plans to tackle land and forest fires as hot spots have begun to emerge in several regions over the past two weeks. The official dry season begins in late January.
Jokowi warned all stakeholders attending the coordinated meeting on land and forest fire prevention at the State Palace that a failure to contain hot spots before they turned into fires could see the trauma of 2015 repeat itself this year. The fires that ravaged the country in 2015 resulted in Rp 220 trillion (S$23.5 billion) in material losses.
“We have to anticipate all possibilities in order not to see a repeat of 2015,” Jokowi said.
During the meeting, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto reported on the progress made by the government to contain land and forest fires in 2016.
The number of hot spots in 2016 decreased by up to 82.14 per cent according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA satellites and up to 94.58 per cent according to Terra and Aqua satellites.
Wiranto said that in 2015 a total of 2.6 million hectares of land and forest were burned up but the figure decreased in 2016 to just 438,360 hectares, thanks in part to the La Nina weather phenomenon that lengthened the rainy season in a number of regions.
“In 2015, the emergency status went for 151 days, while in 2016 the figure decreased to zero. This is a very good achievement,” Wiranto said.
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A dog rescuer, who was filmed punching and kicking his pet husky, has been fined $8,000 for animal cruelty and breaching dog licensing rules.
Alan Chiam Choon San, 41, had punched and kicked his pet husky in his residence last May. The incident, where he also “held the dog up in mid-air in a choking position”, was caught on camera by a neighbour who then shared the footage online.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a statement that the dog suffered no external injuries as a result of the attack. An abrasion found on the dog could not be conclusively linked to any act of cruelty.
Investigations revealed that Chiam had also breached dog licensing rules by keeping more that three dogs at his home.
Chiam told The New Paper in an interview last year that he and his wife took in 36 dogs at one point. They had to rent a terrace house when neighbours at their HDB block complained, the newspaper reported. He eventually quit his job to care for dogs full time.
The husky seen in the video is currently under the care of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), and will be re-homed.
People who are convicted of animal cruelty for the first time can be fined up to $15,000 and can also be jailed for 18 months.
Those found to have breached dog licensing & control rules can be fined up to $5,000.
Sculptor Nonthivathn Chandhanaphalin passed away on Saturday night at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.
The royal bathing rites will be held Monday from 4-5pm at Wat Klueywan on Arun Amarin Road in Thonburi’s Bangkok Yai area.
The funeral prayers begin at 6.30pm and will continue through January 29.
Nonthivathn was best known for designing and creating a prototype of the Mahajanaka commemorative coin that accompanied His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s book titled “The Story of Mahajanaka”.
It was launched to mark the 50th anniversary of the late King’s accession to the throne.
Born October 16, 1946 in Bangkok, Nonthivathn was one of the country’s best–known modern sculptors and created artworks reflecting Buddhist philosophy and nature for almost 50 years.
He may be best known for playing a cherubic and nerdy full-time national serviceman in the army-themed Ah Boys To Men movies, but actor Maxi Lim, 29, has had enough of “fat roles”.
In fact, he is so serious about revamping his pudgy image that he went on a rigorous exercise and dieting regime and shed 13kg over the past five months.
The 1.71m-tall actor now sports a trim physique at 59kg – the slimmest that he has been.
Hoping to move away from the role of Aloysius Jin, the ambitious recruit whom he plays in the Ah Boys To Men movie series, he says: “Although that is my breakthrough role, I want to re-invent myself as an actor. Since I can’t grow taller, I can lose weight, which opens up more acting opportunities for me, such as in action movies.”
To shed the pounds, he limits his intake of carbohydrates, especially rice and sweet treats. The latter proved more challenging, given he has a sweet tooth.
“I love having desserts such as creme brulee and had to order a Frappuccino whenever I passed by a Starbucks shop,” he says. “The first three weeks of dieting were tough as I had mood swings and got depressed. Whenever I had a crazy craving for sugar, I ate dark chocolate cube by cube to help burn fats.”
His attempt to lose weight also re-ignited his love for martial arts, which he had not done since he started acting eight years ago.
Lim, who used to participate in kickboxing and mixed martial arts fights, picked up martial arts at 15 to defend himself against classmates who were associated with gangs in a neighbourhood secondary school.
These days, he sweats it out with muay thai training two to three times a week. He is also skilled in ninja-do, which involves the use of fight weapons.
His deft mastery of nunchucks can be seen in his upcoming comedy film, Take 2, which sees four ex-convicts turn over a new leaf with business ventures such as opening a ramen shop and a tuition centre that provides free massages and food. Lim plays an ex-convict-turned-teacher in the film, which also stars getai veteran Wang Lei and actor Ryan Lian. Take 2 opens on Thursday.
Chinese New Year is a true test of discipline as Lim is surrounded by his favourite festive snacks such as kueh bangkit, shrimp rolls and peanut cookies.
Not this year. “I am not even going to look at them. That’s the best way to avoid them,” he guffaws.
Lim, who has a girlfriend, hopes to hit his goal weight of 58kg and “being all ripped without any fats”, he says, pointing to his abs.
“With my new weight, I am much more agile and not so clumsy, and I sleep much better at night.”
Maxi Lim and his favourite plate of nasi lemak from Ponggol Nasi Lemak, which includes two fried eggs, brinjal and a fried chicken wing.Photo: The Straits Times
How do you celebrate Chinese New Year with food?
For reunion dinner, I always look forward to my mother’s ngoh hiang (five-spice prawn roll). It is my grandmother’s recipe and it goes very well with a homemade chilli sauce. We also have steamboat, with ingredients such as abalone, seaweed and quail eggs, my favourite.
On the first day of the new year, my grandparents will make noodlelike rice cakes with ginkgo nuts and dates in a sweet ginger soup, and steamboat. The next day, I visit my mother’s relatives. We catch up over kong bak bao (braised pork buns) and do-it-yourself popiah.
What is your favourite food and where do you get it in Singapore?
I visit Legendary Bak Kut Teh in Rangoon Road to catch up with the other Ah Boys To Men actors once every two months. I prefer the Hokkien-style herbal bak kut teh, but this is the only peppery version I like as it has a good dose of heat. We hang out there as we get VIP treatment with a table always reserved for us.
I also like Sushi Goshin in Robinsons Orchard for tempura and sliced steak. I also always order the cold soba noodles. The dipping sauce comes with mashed quail eggs and has a slimy texture that goes well with the springy noodles.
Share with us an incident that sparked your weight loss.
Six months ago, I was rejected by a sportswear brand for an endorsement deal as the representatives thought that I was fat and nerdy from my on-screen roles. I was quite affected by that. I exercised regularly, but I also ate a lot. So I decided to become disciplined in my diet so that I could change my image.
How do you eat healthy?
I avoid sweet drinks and rice. When I need to have carbohydrates, I eat steamed sweet potatoes or wholemeal bread with organic peanut butter. I cook steamed chicken fillet, broccoli and eggs almost every day. I also take apple cider vinegar with water twice a day to curb my appetite.
What do you eat on cheat days?
One of my favourite places to visit on those days is Ponggol Nasi Lemak in Upper Serangoon Road. My standard order is a plate of coconutinfused rice, with two sunnyside-up eggs that are not too oily, brinjal and chicken wings with chilli. I will never get tired of this combination. I also have fast food and a bit of beer.
What is the most adventurous thing that you have eaten?
Deep-fried whole pufferfish from a Chinese restaurant – I cannot remember its name – 10 years ago. The fish is eaten off its spine – like eating a drumstick. It is the best-tasting fish that I have had – the flesh was so sweet and soft. Now, I am interested to try raw pufferfish.
What is comfort food to you?
My mum’s cooking, especially since I do not eat at home often. Some of my favourite dishes are her fried prawns, wontons and curry chicken.
Where is your favourite overseas foodie destination?
Malaysia. I was in Kuala Lumpur recently for filming and discovered Thai boat noodles. I ate three to four bowls every day, as the noodles go down well with coconut and chilli sauces. I also like a char siew and wonton mee stall in Penang. The char siew is charred and crisp on the outside, but soft inside.When I am in Malaysia, I indulge in durians, from red prawn to Mao Shan Wang varieties.
If you could choose anyone to have a meal with, who would that be?
Arnold Schwarzenegger as I grew up watching his movies such as The Terminator series and Predator, and am a big fan of his.
kengohsz@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on Jan 22, 2017. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
China plans to build a next-generation synchrotron radiation facility in Beijing, according to a researcher from Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the country’s top research institutes.
Dong Yuhui, the researcher, said that the project is expected to start construction in Nov next year and will be completed within six years.
The total investment will reach 4.8 billion yuan ($698.4 million).
The facility, dubbed Beijing Light Source, will meet the national security demands and create aerospace materials among other products.
It will provide high-resolution method to know substantial structures better.
Beijing Light Source will be the so-called fourth generation light source, and its key performance indicators would be higher than the third-generation ones.
It will create the brightest X-rays in the worldwide, 70 times brighter than the US National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) and 10 times brighter than Sweden’s MAX IV, the strongest of its kind in the world so far.
Bright X-rays could help measure the atomic structure of various substances, and the higher brightness will help people to see more details of substances, something akin to using flashlight to see things, Dong said.
Currently, China has the light sources from first generation to third generation, such as the first-generation facility BSRF in Beijing, the second-generation facility NHLS in Hefei, Anhui province, and the third-generation SSRF in Shanghai.
Around the world, there are more than 50 such facilities providing support in many research fields.
The light source plays an important role in the medical field, helping researchers know mechanisms of tumours and cerebrovascular diseases.
When his sister was sick, singer and musician Tim De Cotta asked himself what he would do if he were to die the next day.
His answer? Play music.
The 31-year-old songwriter appears in the third episode of the third season of ST Sessions, The Straits Times’ online video series featuring rising talents in the home-grown music scene performing stripped- down live sets. The video can be viewed at http://str.sg/st-sessions
In it, he recalls the time his sister went through a health issue. “It made me ask the question: ‘If I die tomorrow, what is the one thing I’d want to do if I had one more chance to live?’ The only answer that was clear and emphatic in my mind was music.”
De Cotta is a familiar name and face among the community of neo-soul musicians here. He makes music under his own name, but he also sings and plays the bass in jazz, R&B, hip-hop and funk groups such as L.A.B, Neodominatrix and TAJ.
His life revolves around music. Besides writing songs and performing, he also teaches music. He is active in organising shows and had a hand in events such as Getai Soul, a two-day neo-soul music festival that took place at Pearl’s Hill City Park last year.
“Music is an enabler, music is my life,” he says.
In the video, he sings and plays the bass on two of his compositions.
The first, Rain, was inspired by how “change is the only constant”.
“The song is about us being averse to change, taking too much comfort in what is around us, not asking that many questions.”
The second song, Ride, reveals his romantic side. “It was inspired when I was in a car with the woman that I love, just moving around, seeing different things as we spend that time in the car together.”
ST Sessions’ third season is part of a series of digital video programmes under a partnership between the Info-communications Media Development Authority and Singapore Press Holdings.
The new season features eight acts, including singer-songwriter Lewis Loh and indie band Take Two. A new episode is launched every other Friday.
This article was first published on Jan 20, 2016. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.
SINGAPORE – They are abandoned, neglected and often feared.
The sad state of Singapore’s stray dogs is the reason why Dr Siew Tuck Wah is committed to SOSD (Save Our Street Dogs).
The 37-year-old aesthetic doctor is president of SOSD, an organisation set up in 2011 and now has 400 volunteers.
There are an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 stray dogs in Singapore, says Dr Siew, who has been volunteering with SOSD since 2012.
The shelter rescues about 30 dogs a month and rehomes around 20.
In this episode of video series Heroes Among us, he talks about the challenges of dealing with Singapore’s stray dog problem.
“The Government’s way of dealing with the stray dog problem previously was to catch and cull, but you can’t catch and cull faster than they reproduce. So if you don’t rescue and sterilise them, the problem will perpetuate,” says Dr Siew.
SOSD receives two to five calls a day alerting them to a stray dog sighting. They have rescued more than 1,000 dogs over the past five years.
The organisation spends close to $80,000 a month, mostly on medical bills because a lot of the dogs in the animal shelter in Pasir Ris are sick.
“For these dogs, it’s not about having a good life. All they want is to have shelter, food and just to live,” he says.
Kansas City – Nathan Chen landed five quadruple jumps in a near perfect free skate programme Sunday to capture the men’s singles title at the US National Figure Skating Championships.
The 17-year-old Chen became the youngest US men’s champion in more than five decades and the first in the world to land five clean quads during his free skate to the music of “The Polovtsian Dances”.
“That was an amazing performance. I’m really happy with what I did,” Chen said.
“Component-wise, I kind of faltered a little bit. That stuff happens when you’re pushing these secondary elements to the max. It’s definitely something that I’m looking forward to working on improve for worlds.”
He finished with a total score of 318.47 to place ahead of runner-up Vincent Zhou, who had a score of 263.03. Jason Brown took the bronze.
Chen delivered an epic performance that not only tagged him as a favourite at the upcoming World Championships in March but also a skater to watch at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“The US is back on the map, on the world stage,” Chen said. “With us three, we’ll push the US back to where they should be.” Last year’s champion Adam Rippon was unable to compete at the Spirit Center arena in Kansas City because of an injury.
Rippon broke a bone in his left foot during a training session two weeks ago. He is expected to be sidelined for up to three months.
The 2016 silver medallist Max Aaron placed ninth on Sunday.
Melbourne – Serena Williams battled into her 11th Australian Open quarter-final on Monday, joining sister Venus, in her unrelenting quest for a record Grand Slam title and the return of her top world ranking.
The American powerhouse was tested by Czech 16th seed Barbora Strycova but she dug deep to win 7-5, 6-4 in hot conditions and will face either Johanna Konta or Ekaterina Makarova for a place in the last four.
Williams has made clear in Melbourne she is here for one reason only – to win – and she was in a fighting, but nervy, mood during an entertaining contest.
The 35-year-old had added incentive after the shock defeat on Sunday of top seed Angelique Kerber, the woman who beat her in the final last year and then snatched her top world ranking.
Williams, seeded two, can again become world number one if she lifts the trophy this week.
“I love pressure, I deal well with pressure,” she said, when asked why she keeps coming back for more.
“I love this game and I honestly have nothing to lose. Everything is a bonus for me now.” Williams winning the title on Saturday would rewrite history. She is not just chasing a seventh Melbourne crown, but also a 23rd Grand Slam to surpass Steffi Graf’s Open-era record.
With her sister, a potential final opponent, already safely into the last eight in the other side of the draw, Williams had to use all her experience to get past a dogged Strycova.
Despite the temperature already past 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) when they began at 11:00am, Williams opted to wear knee-length black leggings and sleeves, and she made a slow start.
It was Strycova who drew first blood, breaking the first Williams serve, but with the sweat starting to drip off her she immediately broke back with a sizzling crosscourt forehand.
But Williams’ first serve was still not firing, with just 33 per cent successful in the opening games, and the Czech took full advantage to break to love and go 2-1 in front.
It was woeful serving from both players with Williams broken again before they both began to warm to the task.
Williams finally held serve in the fifth game but it didn’t last long when Strycova broke again to go 4-3 ahead.
Another break – an incredible sixth in eight games – put Williams level and she then held, before a defensive Strycova saved four set points in a marathon 10th game.
Williams was fired up and screaming “C’mon!” and she went 6-5 ahead before Czech, serving to stay in the set, was finally undone on the eighth set point by a lucky shot from the American that came off her racquet frame.
Strycova, at a career-high ranking of 16, is a two-time former girls champion in Melbourne but had never been past round four in the main draw.
And with her nose in front, Williams was never going to let that happen and a netted volley from the Czech gave her an early break for 2-1 in the second set.
Strycova was wilting and Williams was in control, and despite being broken when serving for the match she broke straight back to book her place in the last eight.
