NUS launches degree course to beef up pool of audiologists By Sara Grosse 6 hours 17 min ago SINGAPORE — With the Republic facing a growing demand in hearing-related services, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has launched a Master of Science in Audiology course to beef up the number of locally-trained audiologists. Audiologists work with ear, nose and throat doctors to evaluate hearing and ear-related balance disorders, fit hearing aids and assistive learning devices as well as middle and cochlear inner ear implants. Singapore currently has only 60 audiologists — who received their training overseas — in the public and private sectors. The two-year programme started in August, with 18 students in its pioneer batch, at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Siemens Medical Instruments has donated S$19.5 million to help fund the programme over eight years Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was at the official launch of the programme yesterday, noted that as the population ages, the manpower pool for audiologists needs to be grown to meet healthcare needs. The National Health Survey in 2010 found that one in five Singaporeans between 50 and 59 years old, and one in four between 60 and 69, suffer from some degree of hearing impairment.
Three buildings in Queenstown to be conserved Alexandra Hospital once served the medical needs of the British armed forces. TODAY file photo By Saifulbahri Ismail 6 hours 16 min ago SINGAPORE — Queenstown Public Library, the former Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market and Alexandra Hospital will be conserved as part of the coming Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) master plan, Acting Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin announced yesterday. Speaking at the URA Architectural Heritage Awards, he said these three buildings in Queenstown are “important representations of what conservation can do to reinforce a community’s identity and preserve its ‘flavour’ for past, present and future residents”. The conservation of Queenstown library, which is Singapore’s first branch library and is used by many of the area’s residents, will ensure its longevity as a community touchstone and gathering place, noted Mr Tan. The same goes for the former Commonwealth Avenue Wet Market — the only remaining market built by the Singapore Improvement Trust; the Housing and Development Board’s predecessor — which remains a marker of important changes. It was the first to house itinerant hawkers to serve the suburban public housing estates. Alexandra Hospital has also been a stage to significant scenes from Singapore’s history, said the minister. At various times, it served the medical needs of the British armed forces, was overrun by Japanese troops, and it was also where the first successful limb re-attachment in South-east Asia was performed, he pointed out. The three buildings in Queenstown that will be conserved follow three others in the town that have already been conserved: Princess House, the Blessed Sacrament Church and Anchor Brewery. Mr Tan also noted that while conservation is important in reflecting the nation’s growth, social history and memories, it is “rarely a cut-and-dried process”. “We require your continued support, as we work together to build a consensus on the legacy we want to create through the conservation of our built heritage,” he said. “Conservation is never just for one person’s advantage — when done well, its benefits ripple to the surrounding community and beyond.”
BreadTalk officially opens $67 million international headquarters in Tai Seng Published on Oct 04, 2013 10:25 AM http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/photo 5e_0.jpg BreadTalk staff at the Toast Production room and baking facilities located in the Central Kitchen on Level 6. BreadTalk's international headquarters officially opened on Oct 4, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/photo 3e_0.jpg Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam (extreme right), accompanied by BreadTalk Group chairman Dr George Quek (foreground, second from right), as he smells freshly-baked bread from the Toast Production room located within the Central Kitchen on Level 6. BreadTalk's international headquarters officially opened on Oct 4, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/photo 2e_0.jpg Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam goes on a media tour in the Frozen Dough department located at the Central Kitchen on Level 6 during the opening of BreadTalk's international headquarters at Tai Seng Street on Oct 4, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/photo 1e_0.jpg Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam (fourth from right) opens BreadTalk's $67 million international headquarters at Tai Seng Street on Oct 4, 2013. Also in the photo are (from second right) Ms Katherine Lee, Dr George Quek, Mrs Shanmugaratnam, Mr Oh Eng Lock, and Dr Tan Khee Giap at the ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the BreadTalk headquarters. -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/28285478e.jpg (From left) Ramen Play, Food Republic, Toast Box and BreadTalk on level one of BreadTalk's international headquarters building in Tai Seng. BreadTalk officially opened its $67 million international headquarters at Tai Seng Street on Oct 4, 2013. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/20131004/28285485e.jpg The new international headquarters of BreadTalk in Tai Seng on June 13, 2013. BreadTalk officially opened its $67 million international headquarters at Tai Seng Street on Oct 4, 2013. -- ST FILE PHOTO: KEVIN LIM By Chia Yan Min Food and beverage group BreadTalk officially opened its $67 million international headquarters at Tai Seng Street on Friday. The building houses the group's corporate office, research and development laboratories, training academy, warehousing facilities and central kitchens. The architecture of the 10-storey building was inspired by Danish pastry, the group said. BreadTalk plans to hit sales of $1 billion by 2016 and have more than 2,000 outlets across its businesses by 2018.
Always, Singaporean first As a cosmopolitan society, we should capitalise on being able to live amid a very diverse population. TODAY file photo By Laletha Nithiyanandan 4 hours 30 min ago Twenty years ago, I, a Singaporean of Indian descent, married an Englishman and we chose to build a life in this city. So it was with a mix of amusement and disappointment that I read just recently about a study that found, among other things, that Singaporeans aren’t yet comfortable with a spouse of another race. I have been following the dialogue about racial harmony in Singapore all my adult life. As a female entrepreneur of a minority race, I am often asked about the repercussion of discrimination on my business. And while I have sometimes spoken about being discriminated as a woman, I have never spoken about being discriminated as a Singaporean of Indian descent because I feel ashamed to talk about it. This is because I believe in the Singapore I grew up in. It was one where we played in each other’s homes and ate each other’s food; where neighbours would send food to your house if they were making something special; where people just turn up at someone’s house for their new year because it was about community. We never missed the opportunity to eat rendang on Hari Raya or chicken curry on Deepavali, and my favourite was those delectable love letters during Chinese New Year. The best part? We received hongbaos at every festival. I see myself as a Singaporean first and whenever I introduce myself to others outside Singapore, I add that a true Singaporean has a bit of Malay, Indian, Chinese and Eurasian in them. It’s not about descent or blood line but about the fact that we embrace each other’s culture. And most times, this is my experience of Singaporeans. A DIFFERENT GENERATION? A lot of this, I know, is owed to my parents. This was a generation that survived war and the Japanese Occupation. My dad didn’t tell us many stories of the war but I remember the one story he did share — of how he helped a young Chinese woman escape a Japanese soldier and seek refuge in his home by posing as her husband. This is the Singapore I yearn for now, when I read about the findings of the recent survey on the state of racial harmony by OnePeople.sg and the Institute of Policy Studies. Growing up, my grandmother would dress us in ethnic Chinese clothes to carry lanterns around the neighbourhood during the lantern festival. No one saw us differently. In today’s world, would that have been quite a funny sight, two dark girls in Chinese silk pyjamas carrying lanterns? My parents took us to every place of worship. I remember going to the temple near Kim Keat Road and the turtles there. They took us to the church at Novena and they took us to Muslim shrines, Buddhist and Indian temples. We didn’t just visit, we had to pray and I think something happens when you can understand someone else’s faith — it suddenly breaks down the differences between you and someone else. When I became a professional recruiter later, it added a dimension that was invaluable. It helped me understand others around me and what was important to them. Has something of that been lost today? When I celebrated the lantern festival with my own children, we were pointed at and giggled at. And the kids, embarrassed, didn’t want to do it again. But, still, we try celebrating everything from Chinese New Year to Christmas. COSMOPOLITAN CITIZENS We have managed, I think, to “engineer” citizens who are more racially unaware, and that’s shame on us. But the good news is that if we can create something, we can also un-create it. And it starts with each one of us as individuals, how we want our children to grow up and fit into this rapidly globalising world. When my daughter was born, a friend commented on how mixed-race children don’t belong anywhere. “They’ll be nothing,” she said. I laughed and said I think they’d be everything. I called them “planetary citizens”, and said it at the time with tongue planted firmly in cheek. But there is some truth to it. As a cosmopolitan society, we have the rare gift of being able to live amid a very diverse population and we should capitalise on that. The Government can do its part to update policies or campaigns that appear to create divisiveness, as some other commentators have argued, but as citizens we can do our part to educate one person at a time. Many times , people come into my home and when I greet them, they express surprise that I am Indian because they thought it was a Chinese home based on the décor. This presents just one of many opportunities for me to educate the people I come in contact with — that we aren’t races, we are people. We don’t always have control over how people view us. They may persist in putting us in boxes and stereotype us by just by a glance. But we can also choose the “box” we want to be put in, and in my case I decided long ago that mine was going to be a big one filled with rich experiences. What about you? What do you want your world to look like and who will your children marry? ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Laletha Nithiyanandan is the founder of the Behavioural Consulting Group
Land Transport Masterplan: Peak hour public transport mode share back up Published on Oct 07, 2013 10:21 AM MRT commuters at Raffles Place station on June 24 2013. More people are opting to take public transport during the peak hours with the public transport mode share hitting 63 per cent, up from the 59 per cent in 2008. This however is still lower than the mode share of 67 per cent in 1997. -- ST FILE PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN More people are opting to take public transport during the peak hours with the public transport mode share hitting 63 per cent, up from the 59 per cent in 2008. This however is still lower than the mode share of 67 per cent in 1997. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced this on Monday, while launching a refreshed land Transport Masterplan. He said that the Government made good progress in its last masterplan in 2008 and had raised the quality of public transport to attract new users. The public transport mode share was captured in the latest Household Interview Travel Survey (HITS) 2012 conducted by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) between June 2012 and May 2013. A total of about 10,000 households participated in the survey. As a whole, the survey also found that there was a 14 per cent increase in trips made on public transport as a whole, with strong growth in train trips from 1.7 million daily train trips in 2008 to 2.3 million in 2012. Daily bus trips also grew, from 3.1 million trips in 2008 to 3.2 million in 2012. The survey also captured an increase in the rate of public transport usage from 65 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2012, for those already living close to an MRT station.
Thus, I argue that the newspapers should not state the ethnic origin of students who get outstanding academic results in their reporting as one example.
Land Transport Masterplan: Downtown Line Stage 1 to open on Dec 22 Published on Oct 07, 2013 9:57 AM The interior of the new Downtown Line trains, which are fully automatic and driverless. The reserved seats are in red to highlight the fact that they are meant for passengers with special needs. The first stage of the Downtown Line will open on Dec 22, providing commuters with more connections to get around the city centre. -- FILE PHOTO: JOYCE FANG By Royston Sim The first stage of the Downtown Line will open on Dec 22, providing commuters with more connections to get around the city centre. Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced the opening date as he unveiled the Land Transport Masterplan 2013 - a refreshed version of the plan that was last set out in 2008. The first stage of the Downtown Line will see six stations open for service, including Chinatown. These stations will link with three other MRT lines - the Circle Line, North East Line and East-West Line - enhancing connectivity in the city area. The second stage of the 42km line is due to open in 2016, and the third stage in 2017. Mr Lui was speaking at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Singapore International Transport Congress and Exhibition, which is jointly organized by the Land Transport Authority and International Association of Public Transport (UITP).
First MRT stations equipped with flood barriers Published on Oct 07, 2013 8:05 AM By Royston Sim With storms likely to occur more often in future, the authorities have started equipping MRT stations with flood barriers. The first six have been retrofitted at a cost of $2.2 million, with barriers similar to those used in Hong Kong's MTR stations. Design works for another 11 stations are ongoing, said a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman. The first batch of stations - Tanjong Pagar, Orchard, Raffles Place, City Hall, Novena and Little India - were selected as they are more vulnerable to flooding, said SMRT director for media and marketing communications Alina Boey. In its Code of Practice on surface water drainage, national water agency PUB states that the underground rapid transit system must be "stringently protected against flood risks". Workers (above) showing how the barriers at Tanjong Pagar MRT station take two people up to 15 minutes to install. The first six stations were chosen as they are more vulnerable to flooding. -- ST PHOTO: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN - ST PHOTOS: MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN
As you probably have read, our MOE, under the direction of a new Minister for Education, is now initiating changes not only to our education system to allow for more diversity and inclusiveness, but also in the way academic performance and grades are reported. This is an attempt to avoid any hint of discrimination and elitism among schools and our various races. In real live, it is unavoidable that the vernacular papers will single out outstanding academic or non-academic performances by the various races. In a way this is to encourage achievement by the various ethnic groups. However I guess reporting of this nature will be more subdued in the future. To provide for a more level playing field, MOE has publicly announced that primary schools will allocate at least 40 places in "elite" schools for pupils whose parents have no previous connection. This is to prevent "old-school elitist ties" from expanding and enable children from lower social groups to be admitted. Not that our neighbourhood schools are no good. Increasingly they have produced a fair share of scholars who have won Public Service Scholarships and even the prestigious President Scholarship. Having said this, the intention of the government is to encourage achievement to the highest degree but also to provide opportunities for children who may not be as academically endowed so that they can also achieve the best they can. This also hopes to level-up children from lower income social groups. Laletha Nithiyanadan is an excellent model for all Singaporeans. But to reach her stage of "enlightenment" will not be easy for many. Hopefully through our continually revised school education system and curriculum, our children will learn to visualize that skin colour is not everything and that thought and action in deeds are more important. I can see our education system evolving in that direction and this is a cause for hope and silent happiness!
‘I can’t believe I’ve done it’ Sports Pole vaulter Sean Lim (pictured) set a national record of 4.83m at the 2013 Singapore Under-23 Open Track and Field Champioship on Oct 6 and, in the process, also qualified for the upcoming Dec 11-22 SEA Games in Myanmar. Photo: Sean Lim Pole vaulter Sean Lim’s mark of 4.83m also meant he qualified for the coming SEA Games in Myanmar. Photo: Terry Tan Lee Ban Pole vaulter Sean Lim sets national mark despite hardly training due to NS By Gerard Wong 8 hours 8 min ago SINGAPORE — It was only his second competitive meet this season, and he entered it having hardly trained because of his National Service (NS) commitments. But despite training just once a week for the past four months, pole vaulter Sean Lim, 20, managed to set a national record at the 3rd Singapore Under-23 Open Track and Field Championships at the Choa Chu Kang Stadium yesterday. Under the blazing sun, Lim hoisted himself 4.83m into the air to erase the previous benchmark of 4.82m set last April by training mate Chan Sheng Yao at the National Schools Track and Field Championships. Benjamin Lim was second (4.40m), with Aaron Koh third (4m). Sean Lim’s result also cleared the 4.70m qualifying mark for this December’s South-east Asian (SEA) Games in Myanmar, which means Singapore could have two pole vaulters at the regional meet as Sheng Yao, 18, has also qualified. His record-breaking feat was still sinking in for Lim, a signaller who completes his NS in December, when TODAY contacted him. “I’m still trying to figure out how I did it,” said the former Hwa Chong Institution student who also set the national mark of 4.81m back in 2011. “After I entered the army, I wasn’t able to train for a year and a half. I only resumed four months ago, and even then, it’s been once a week. “So I wasn’t expecting a national record today. Funny thing was, David Yeo, my coach, felt I could do it, and that gave me confidence.” After failing in his first two attempts, Lim finally cleared the bar on his third, although he brushed it on the way down. Yeo said he always knew his trainee could do it because he had already mastered his vaulting technique before enlisting for NS. “He cleared 4.40m at last month’s Track and Field Series 6, which was his first meet since entering NS,” said Yeo, who has been Lim’s coach since 2007. “So it was just a case of pointing out to him what areas to fix, such as his run-up and his take-off. As I watched him warming up today, I already knew he could do it.” Lim now wants to go to Myanmar to erase bitter memories of his last SEA Games outing four years ago in Laos. He said: “I tore my hamstring on my first attempt, and that was the end,” he said. “I want to put that behind me once and for all.” Meanwhile, Amirudin Jamal clocked 10.67 to edge out Calvin Kang (10.69) in the men’s 100m final yesterday to clinch the second slot reserved for Singapore at the SEA Games. As the national 4x100m men’s relay team already qualified for the SEA Games, it means two members from the squad can also compete in the 100m. Gary Yeo took the first berth when he clocked 10.44 at the ASEAN University Games last December, which was faster than the SEA Games qualifying time of 10.47.
Lim-Prasad breaks 29-year-old 200m record Sports Dipna Lim-Prasad in Women 4 X 400m during 75th Singapore Open Track and Field Championship 2013. Photo: Wee Teck Hean She pips Shanti Pereira in thrilling battle at U-23 S’pore Open C’ship By Gerard Wong 05 October SINGAPORE – Dipna Lim-Prasad added yet another national record to her collection when she smashed one of Singapore athletics’ oldest national marks this afternoon (Oct 5). The 22-year-old Nanyang Technological University student - who already holds the national 100m hurdles and 400m hurdles records - rewrote Prema Govindan’s 29-year-old national 200m mark of 24.54sec, when she clocked 24.36sec at the 3rd Singapore U-23 Open Track and Field Championships. Teen talent and national 100m record holder Shanti Pereira, 17, had been tipped to be the one to finally break Govindan’s record, which was set in 1984, after she had equalled the time at last July’s IAAF World Youth Championships. But this afternoon, in a thrilling neck-to-neck battle on the Choa Chu Kang Stadium tarmac which had all the spectators in the stands on their feet, it was Lim-Prasad who pipped Shanti at the tape to take both the gold and the honour of becoming the first woman in almost three decades to break the 200m mark. Shanti finished with the silver in 24.56sec, just 0.02sec shy of the record, and 0.2sec behind Lim-Prasad. Tyra Ree Summer was third in 26.39sec. Lim-Prasad told TODAY that she did not go into today’s final expecting to break the record. “Actually, my recent training times have been quite promising but I never enter an event expecting to break a record,” confided the Singapore Sports School (SSP) alumnus. “There is always the worry of not being able to replicate training times in a competition setting,” she said. “So, yes, I am really happy, and I hope this spells promising times ahead for the 400m and 400m hurdles.” Lim-Prasad’s coach Viatcheslav Vassiliev said he was pleased with his protege’s performance but noted areas for improvement. Said the Georgian who also coaches at the SSP: “Dipna had a very good start and came out of the curve very strongly. “But she was leaning back towards the end so that’s an area we will need to work on and improve.” Despite missing out on the 200m record, Shanti, 16, was pleased with her timing and performance. The Republic Polytechnic student also paid tribute to Lim-Prasad who was once her senior at SSP: “Running against Dipna is always a scary experience because she is one of the top athletes in Singapore. “She gave me the motivation to run even faster today. I am quite happy with my result as I managed to run faster in the final than in the heats.”
Singapore Sports Hub wins world architecture award Artist impression of Singapore Sports Hub. Photo: Singapore Sports Hub Upcoming Sports Hub beat six other projects, including hotels and resorts across the globe 05 October SINGAPORE — The Singapore Sports Hub has won the World Architecture Festival (WAF) Award for Best Future Project in the leisure-led development category. The award was given out at this year’s festival, held at Marina Bay Sands from Oct 2- to Oct 4. The Sports Hub was one of seven projects across the globe to be shortlisted for the award. The other projects include resort, hotel, summer home and market place developments in Australia, India, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. CHANNEL NEWSASIA
Strong showing from S’pore in World Architectural Fest shortlist Design Kaiseki Yoshiyuki designed by Asylum PARKROYAL On Pickering by WOHA. The Star Performing Arts Centre by Aedas Horse's Mouth designed by Asylum Could more of our buildings and interiors join the architectural honour roll call this year? By Serene Lim 05 July SINGAPORE — Singapore buildings and interiors are standing tall and proud these days. Last week, PARKROYAL On Pickering was named as a joint winner for Hotel of the Year at the annual World Architecture News Awards. The WOHA-designed hotel, which opened early this year, has already stirred up excitement among design and architectural buffs worldwide with its striking façade and green credentials. It has also been featured in countless spreads and photos in magazines and the web sphere. The hotel shared the honour with luxury boutique hotel Raas in Jodhpur, India, and judges for the awards of the influential global resource centre for architecture have been effusive in their praise. Larry Traxler, Senior Vice President of Global Design at Hilton, referred to it as “a new typology in sustainable hotel design”. It’s also been described as “a masterpiece” by Dr Lin Hao, a director of multi-disciplinary firm, Oval Partnership. It’s the first international architecture-based award for PARKROYAL On Pickering, but it might not be the only one. The hotel is also a shortlisted awards nominee both for the World Architectural Festival (WAF) and its interior design offshoot Inside Festival. The WAF is the largest festival for the global architecture community and is set to return to Marina Bay Sands in October. But PARKROYAL On Pickering isn’t the only Singapore building on the radar. The WAF shortlist also included The Star Performing Arts Centre, Kent Vale Faculty Housing and Marina Bay Cruise Centre, as well as several churches like Bethel Assembly Of God in Geylang East Central and a handful of private residences. Meanwhile, designphase dba’s Zafferano restaurant in Ocean Financial Centre, and Asylum’s Kaiseki Yoshiyuki and Horse’s Mouth at Forum The Shopping Mall were also nominated in the bars and restaurants category of the Inside Awards. It’s going to be a tough contest for the Singapore nominees for the WAF. O ther nominees include Zaha Hadid’s Heydar Aliyev Centre in Azerbaijan, TeamMinus’ Jinamani visitor centre in Tibet, Mecanoo’s Kaap Skil Maritime And Beachcombers Museum in the Netherlands, Wingardh Arkitektkontor AB’s Empora in Sweden and 3XN’s The Blue Planet in Denmark. Still, Singapore buildings are no pushovers. Last year, the conservatories of Gardens By The Bay took top honours as WAF’s World Building Of The Year. Could back-to-back wins be in the works? For the shortlists for World Architectural Festival and Inside Awards, visit www.worldarchitecturefestival.com
I would have thought it's better to admit those who can reach the required academic standard but who do not have the socioeconomic means to enter the school. One has to be careful about trying to "pull up students" - the risk is that they drop out of the school due to poorer results - especially in Singapore's pressure cooker style. Thus the point of the whole exercise in balancing acts is lost. I know that many of the children undergo extra tuition outside of school. Something that lower socioeconomic groups have less access to.
I would have thought it's better to admit those who can reach the required academic standard but who do not have the socioeconomic means to enter the school. One has to be careful about trying to "pull up students" - the risk is that they drop out of the school due to poorer results - especially in Singapore's pressure cooker style. Thus the point of the whole exercise in balancing acts is lost. I know that many of the children undergo extra tuition outside of school. Something that lower socioeconomic groups have less access to.
We do have bursaries and other means to ensure that the good student will not have to drop out due to financial circumstances. For those who are weak in their respective subjects, teachers are available to coach them outside of official school hours in order that they can catch up and not having to pay for extra private tuition that the more financially prepared parents are apt to do. Indeed the recent message to all parents is not to load their children with unnecessary tuition, but it seems that parents are still too "kiasu" to let go. The authorities are trying their best to make schooling more enjoyable to the children who can better spend their time learning new activities like non-academic stuff such as sports, music, dance, etc.
Water polo: S'pore men finish second in Asian Cup after losing 6-10 to Iran Published on Oct 05, 2013 7:24 PM THE Singapore men's water polo team ended runners-up in the six-team Asian Cup on Saturday, after losing 6-10 to Iran at Toa Payoh Swimming Complex. The home side, ranked 24th in the world, sixth in Asia and top in South-east Asia, kept pace with their 21st-ranked opponents at 2-2 after the first quarter and actually led 4-3 at half-time. But they ran out of steam - going down 1-4 and 1-3 in the final two quarters. Eugene Teo scored two goals, while Paul Tan, Chiam Kun Yang, Samuel Yu and Koh Jian Ying had one each. Mohammadsaeid Seyed Mir Mehdi scored three for Iran. Singapore had earlier beaten world No.19 side Kuwait 8-4, a Chinese youth team 8-0, the Philippines 22-2 and Sri Lanka 26-5.
CPF scheme among top 10 pension systems in the world Published on Oct 07, 2013 7:15 PM The Singapore skyline as seen from Swissotel the Stamford at dusk on Sept 16, 2013. Singapore's Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme has been named one of the top 10 pension systems in the world, among the likes of countries such as Denmark and Sweden. -- ST FILE PHOTO: CAROLINE CHIA By Amelia Tan SINGAPORE'S Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme has been named one of the top 10 pension systems in the world, among the likes of countries such as Denmark and Sweden. The annual Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index ranked Singapore seven out of 20 countries, an improvement from last year's 13 out 18 countries showing. Singapore scored 66.5 overall, up from 54.8 last year. Denmark took first place with 80.2 and Indonesia with 42 stood in last place. On a letter grade level, Singapore scored a "B" which is for pension systems with a "a sound structure, with many good features, but has some areas for improvement".
A*Star scientists may have found a way to drive cancer cells to "suicide" Published on Oct 07, 2013 12:44 PM By Grace Chua Scientists have found that the difference between life and death for some cancer cells hinges on a tiny molecular change - which could one day be harnessed to drive cancer cells to suicide. Researchers from Oxford University, the University of Texas, and the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), found that E2F, a protein which helps control cell growth, can be affected by a process called methylation, where a cluster of carbon and hydrogen atoms latches on to the outside of a gene and makes it harder or easier for that gene to be active. Depending on where E2F is methylated, it can either cause cells to die off or to proliferate, with what researchers termed "an exquisite level of precision". Professor Nick La Thangue of the department of oncology at Oxford University, who supervised the project explained: "It's like there's an angel and a devil competing to get on each shoulder of the protein. Which one gets the upper hand is able to whisper in the ear of the protein and tell it what it should do. With the molecular flag on one shoulder, E2F goes into cell kill mode. With the flag on the other, it goes into cell growth mode."
Calls to save Mandai site that's rich in biodiversity Researchers highlight its 'full ecosystem' where mangroves, horseshoe crabs thrive Published on Oct 07, 2013 8:04 AM Researchers N. Sivasothi (left) and Dan Friess at the Mandai mangrove site, which has been zoned as a reserve site - which means it could be subject to future development. Some feel the area needs formal management to conserve it. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO By Grace Chua Environment Correspondent Ads by Rubicon Projec THE strip of mangroves and mudflats at the edge of the Sungei Mandai Besar river may not be as well-known here as the ones at Sungei Buloh or Pasir Ris Park. But it is home to the largest horseshoe-crab concentration in the world, and two-thirds of Singapore's mangrove species. Migratory birds also use it as a feeding ground to supplement the food they find from the shores of Sungei Buloh. As birdwatcher Alan Owyong noted: "Without Mandai, there's no Sungei Buloh." These were among the findings presented by researchers, students and amateur naturalists at a recent conference, the first to focus on the Mandai mangrove, leading to calls to protect the area. This habitat contains a full ecosystem in a sliver of land, said National University of Singapore (NUS) biology lecturer N. Sivasothi, one of the conference organisers. Mandai mangrove Background story All's not lost, mangroves are getting help SINGAPORE'S mangrove area may have dwindled to less than 1 per cent of its total land area due to development and the damming of natural rivers - a practice which lasted till the early 2000s. But not all of the mangrove patches here have been lost. Three decades ago, when Pasir Ris Park was reclaimed from a patch of natural swamp, Sungei Api Api had to be deepened and the mangroves on its banks removed. But the authorities later replanted Avicennia mangroves along Sungei Api Api to stabilise the embankment. And last year, the National Parks Board (NParks) announced it would carry out a two-year biodiversity study of the 6ha Pasir Ris mangroves. Earlier this year, the Housing Board announced that the Punggol Waterway, where a pilot 160 sq m patch of freshwater-tolerant mangroves was tested, will get 0.6ha more of such plantings. The HDB's Building Research Institute and Ngee Ann Polytechnic are studying how effective the mangroves and floating wetlands there are at cleaning the water and attracting more wildlife to the waterway. Even the mangroves along a 3km stretch of coast in Pulau Tekong, which were at risk from erosion, got help. In 2010, NParks embarked on a project to stabilise the coastline by shoring it up with rocks and mud-filled sacks, and putting in mangrove seedlings and bakau wood poles to soften the impact of waves. GRACE CHUA - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breakin...ch-biodiversity-20131007#sthash.HBoLiIDA.dpuf
