SINGAPORE – Commuters on five bus services from Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang and Woodlands will get to charge their mobile devices on the go from Thursday (Sept 1).
Commuters on SMRT Services 61, 67, 963, 969 and 985 will be the first to try out the new…
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10 buses with USB ports to hit the roads on Thursday
9 found dead in Japan elderly home after typhoon: Police
TOKYO – Nine people were found dead inside a home for elderly people in northern Japan, police said Wednesday, after a powerful typhoon tore through the region.
“We are trying to confirm the identities of these bodies,” Iwate prefectural police Shuko Sakamoto told AFP, confirming that nine corpses were found inside the care home in the town of Iwaizumi, which suffered flooding.
Police found the bodies after rushing to the facility to rescue people who were trapped because of flooding caused by Typhoon Lionrock, public broadcaster NHK reported.
NHK footage showed a helicopter hovering over the care complex, half buried in mud and rubble, and rescuing people.
Typhoon Lionrock slammed into northern Japan on Tuesday evening, dumping heavy rain, causing flooding and triggering power outages.
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Buses with USB charging ports to hit the road on Thursday
The USB ports can be found on 10 SMRT buses starting from Thursday. An additional 137 buses with the feature will be rolled out on other routes from October onwards, says the Land Transport Authority.
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NUS named 11th most innovative university in Asia
SINGAPORE – Institutions in Japan and South Korea dominate a list of Asia’s 75 most innovative universities, but the National University of Singapore (NUS) ranks the highest outside of north-east Asia.
The list by Reuters, released on Tuesday (Aug 30),…
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16-year-old Malaysian excels in Beijing singing contest
KLANG – Despite a Mat Salleh-sounding name and speaking English with her parents, 16-year-old Vanessa Reynauld is quite an old pro in singing Chinese songs.
Having won awards from nearly 20 local singing competitions, the spunky girl travelled to China alone on July 19 to take part in Beijing’s “Water Cube Cup” overseas Chinese youth singing contest where she won the silver medal.
She spent three weeks surviving five elimination rounds, competing with 67 young aspirants from 42 different countries.
Eventually, Vanessa and another Malaysian were among the 10 contestants picked for the final round.
“I didn’t expect to get such a high award because I didn’t even get chosen in Malaysia,” said Vanessa who was eliminated from the selection held in Malaysia.
She had joined the Beijing contest under a wildcard invitation
“When I got to Beijing, I thought there were so many good singers and it would be a very big challenge for me,” she said in an interview yesterday.
The contest was eventually won by an 18-year-old boy from New York.
“I felt a little bit disappointed because I was almost there,” she admitted.
Having exhausted her repertoire in the earlier rounds, Vanessa had to learn two new songs.
She picked a love ballad by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung and another number by Taiwanese pop diva A-mei.
Apparently, the judges during the final felt that her selection of songs appeared too easy for her and did not showcase the extent of her talent.
Still, Vanessa’s parents – Ben Renauld and Elizabeth Lee – were proud of the achievement of Vanessa, the youngest of their three children.
After all, this was the teenager’s first international competition.
“We told her she shouldn’t be disappointed. Even if someone else is better than her, she must always do her best. That is what counts,” said Ben, who is a port management consultant.
Vanessa attributed her achievements to her family’s support especially her sister Rosanne, 18, who encouraged her and helped her sign up for competitions.
Her greatest motivation remained her older brother who has Down Syndrome.
“I want to help my family and I want to help my brother who is sick now. My brother is 28 years old and my family does not have that much money for his education and his prescriptions.
“I want to support my family,” said the Klang-born Vanessa, who studied Chinese up to Year Six and is now in Methodist Girls’ School.
The “Water Cube Cup” overseas Chinese youth singing contest is held to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics and to promote cultural exchanges between China and young people from other countries.
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Singapore Zika cases double to 82; more countries issue travel warnings
CASES of the Zika virus in Singapore have risen to 82, twice the number of cases confirmed by the island state just three days ago, according to reports.
On Tuesday, the U.S. joined a growing list of countries to issue travel warnings to mums-to-be or those trying to get pregnant, as the Zika infection can have serious consequences on pregnant women and their unborn children.
If infected, the virus is thought to cause microcephaly, a congenital condition that causes incomplete brain development. Babies with the infection are typically born with abnormally small heads.
SEE ALSO: Singapore: 41 infected with Zika virus, more cases expected
According to Straits Times, 26 cases were confirmed yesterday, five involving people living or working in Kallang Way and Paya Lebar Way, which is north of Aljunied and Sims Drive.
On Sunday, a Malaysian woman living and working in Aljunied was identified as the first known case of a person who was infected locally by the mosquito-borne virus, the report said.
A Reuters report said apart from the U.S., other countries that have issued travel warnings to pregnant women include Australia, Taiwan and South Korea.
SEE ALSO: Malaysians on alert after first reported Zika case in Singapore
Meanwhile, Singapore has advised all pregnant women who develop fever and rash or other possible signs of Zika infection to get tested for the virus for free.
Straits Times’ report said that this is regardless whether they have been to the areas where Zika cases were reported. Those whose male partners are found to be carrying the virus should also get tested.
The island nation’s Health Ministry has also updated its guidelines, following the spike in cases.
Among others, expectant mothers are advised to “undertake strict precautions against mosquito bites”, which includes wearing clothes that covers the limbs, sleeping in mosquito nets or in air-conditioned rooms.
Free testing for pregnant women with #Zika symptoms as number of confirmed cases rise https://t.co/qt0v5rOPAa pic.twitter.com/2fttKPcQz0
— TODAY (@TODAYonline) August 30, 2016
Singapore had on Sunday confirmed that 41 people have been infected by virus and that most had recovered.
The first Zika infection in Singapore was announced in May. The virus, according to reports, had been imported by a 48-year-old man who had traveled to Brazil.
Zika is typically mild and seldom causes death, but shares symptoms with its vastly more fatal cousin, dengue – a common viral scourge in tropical Southeast Asia. Both are viruses are spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This makes nations ordinarily ravaged by dengue particularly vulnerable to Zika as well.
SEE ALSO: WHO declares Zika a global emergency as Southeast Asia braces for outbreak
Zika and dengue are both endemic to tropical climates, and patients tend to display similar symptoms, such as muscle and joint pain, rashes, headaches and fever. Southeast Asian countries have had cases of Zika as recently as 2010.
However, the outbreak of the Zika virus in South America and its suspected link to causing microcephaly among babies has raised serious health concerns around the world.
There are no vaccines for either disease, though researchers are currently carrying out clinical testing in regions vulnerable to the viruses.
The post Singapore Zika cases double to 82; more countries issue travel warnings appeared first on Asian Correspondent.
Six Johor entry points ramp up Zika screening
SINGAPORE – Six entry points into Johor are stepping up health screening after the detection of the Zika virus here.
The Johor Health and Environment committee has deployed extra teams from the state’s health and immigration departments to work around the…
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Myanmar tourism ministry warns tourists visiting Bagan
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar – A recent statement released by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism sets multiple guidelines for tourist visiting Bagan, Myanmar’s well-known cultural heritage site and tourism hotspot.
The statement instructs tourists not to enter any closed-off buildings, not to approach damaged structures, not to pick up any pieces of the buildings from the ground, not to touch murals and not to get in the way of archeologists and renovation professionals.
The 6.8-Richter scale earthquake damaged or destroyed 264 religious and historical buildings in Mandalay Region, while Magway Region reportedly suffered damage to 206 religious buildings, three deaths and two injuries.
6.8 magnitude earthquake hits central Myanmar
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Bagan saw 185 pagodas destroyed or damaged.
A Spanish woman visiting Myanmar was reportedly injured during the quake.
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Signalling issues plague Circle Line for 3rd day, frustrating commuters
SINGAPORE – Commuters on the Circle Line on Wednesday (Aug 31) morning were told to expect delays of 5 to 10 minutes due to “intermittent signaling issues”. This is the third consecutive day that such issues have caused delays, frustrating…
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Protective custody for 553 Japanese minors in 'Pokemon Go' cases
TOKYO – About a month after the Japan release of the “Pokemon Go” smartphone game app, 553 minors had been taken into protective custody in Tokyo by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) in relation to the game, according to investigative sources.
The police intend to continue to patrol the busy streets in September after school summer vacations end, the sources said.
According to MPD officials, the number of children who play “Pokemon Go” late at night in parks and on busy streets in central Tokyo has rapidly increased since the game app became available on July 22.
Pokemon Go fever
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Police took 449 minors into protective custody by the end of the month for misconduct such as loitering between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m, defined as “the middle of the night” by a metropolitan ordinance.
Read also: Theft, accidents reported amid ‘Pokemon Go’ fever in Japan
Reflecting a calming of the “Pokemon Go” boom, the number of minors taken into protective custody was just 104 during the four weeks from August 1 to 28, the sources said.
However, notable recent cases include ones in which high school students gather in groups at locations that have been identified online as places where rare Pokemon appear, and continue to play the game deep into the night.
Hundreds of Pokemon Go fans gather in Yokohama for Pikachu parade
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When minors taken into protective custody are categorised by age, the number of 17-year-olds ranks first at 195, followed by 16-year-olds at 134 and 15-year-olds at 106.
The number of minors taken into protective custody for loitering late at night during summer vacation ranges between 3,000 and 4,000 in ordinary years.
But, an investigative source said, “As the ‘Pokemon Go’ release overlapped with summer vacations, there is a risk that the number of minors under protective custody could increase further.”
Apart from minors in protective custody, there was a case in which a middle school student who had used up his own smartphone battery while playing the game shoplifted a battery charger at a convenience store, and another case in which a boy stole a bicycle while searching for Pokemon with friends.
Accidents related to “Pokemon Go” have occurred nationwide. In Tokushima, a light van driven by a man playing the game hit two pedestrians on the night of August 23, leading to the death of one person and seriously injuring the other.
Gotta catch ’em all: Pokemon Go now in Singapore
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