Singapore’s women’s floorball team set sights on top-8 finish at World Championships

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Better communication and understanding also means better morale within the team, she added.

Singapore will be fielding several debutantes in the championships, including 20-year-old Nasha Jeffri, who will be playing in just her second major competition.

While she is nervous, the SEA Games and training in Perth have made her feel more prepared for the big stage.

“The seniors have definitely helped a lot … let’s say if I have any doubts on the tactics or anything, they will always be there to answer my questions. And also if they have any feedback regarding what I can do better, they’ll always drop me a text, and screenshot from our training videos (to show) which area I can improve on,” she said.

ORGANISERS HOPE TO BOOST SPORT

Organisers are hoping that the action on and off the court will boost not just the local floorball community, but also bring in new fans.

When Singapore first hosted the tournament in 2005, floorball only had a small following in the country, said Mr Kenneth Ho, chair of the Women’s World Floorball Championships 2023.

However, the sport has grown and is now practiced in many schools, he noted.

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Kyrgios thanks Murray for mental health support

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Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios says he is “very thankful” to Andy Murray for helping him with his mental health struggles.

Kyrgios said he later got a sleeve tattoo on his right arm to cover up evidence of self-harm.

“He [Murray] saw it [the self-harm], and he said, ‘What’s that on your arm?'” Kyrgios told TalkTV.

Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored he added: “It was pretty bad at that stage. Andy obviously was trying to give me advice on it. But I was just so stuck in my ways at that time that I didn’t listen.

“Obviously I’m very thankful. I thank him a lot.”

According to the Timesexternal-link, three-time Grand Slam champion Murray had asked Kyrgios about the marks on his arm during a practice session, before the Scot alerted Kyrgios’ manager John Morris to what he had seen.

“Andy was always a big supporter of me,” Kyrgios, 28, added.

“As soon as I came on the tour, he kind of saw a work in progress and took me under his wing.

“Then he realised later in my career that I don’t think I was coachable or I was on my own path, but he was always someone that was looking out for me.”

Kyrgios wrote a lengthy Instagram post in February 2022 about his mental health struggles, saying he had had “suicidal thoughts” and “struggled to get out of bed” in 2019, pointing out self-harm marks on his arm in a photo from the Australian Open.

He finished the post by saying he was currently in a much better place.

The Australian, who reached last year’s final of Wimbledon before losing to Novak Djokovic, says the most “powerful thing” in his career is now being able to help people with their mental health problems.

“I’ve almost been a beacon for people who are struggling,” he added. “When they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they’re going towards drinking, drugs and stuff, they open up and they feel like I’m relatable.

“That’s been the most powerful thing in my career, people coming to me with genuine issues.”

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by any issues raised in this article, support and information is available at BBC Action Line. You can also contact the Samaritans on a free helpline at 116 123, or visit the website.external-link

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Wet weather to continue with thundery showers over first two weeks of December: Met Service

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SINGAPORE: Thundery showers are expected on most days over the next two weeks, with temperatures likely to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius. The Meteorological Service Singapore (Met Service) released its forecast for the coming fortnight on Friday (Dec 1), saying that the thundery showers are expectedContinue Reading

New HIV infections among Singapore residents up 10% after hitting two-decade low

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SINGAPORE: Singapore saw 10 per cent more newly diagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases among residents in the first 10 months of 2023 than it did during the same period last year, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Friday (Dec 1).

A total of 188 cases were reported between January and October, MOH said in an update on the HIV and AIDS situation in the country.

This comes after three straight years of decline, with last year’s number – 202 cases – being the lowest since 1998. There were 250 new HIV infections in 2021, 261 in 2020, and 323 in 2019.

Of the 104 cases reported between January and June, 97 per cent were male and 48 per cent had a late-stage HIV infection at the time of their diagnosis, which is 11 per cent lower than the figure for the same period last year.

Twenty-seven per cent were aged between 30 and 39, while 21 per cent were 40 to 49 years old and 23 per cent were 50 to 59 years old.

Sexual intercourse remained the main mode of HIV transmission, accounting for 96 per cent of the cases reported in the first half of the year, MOH said.

Heterosexuals accounted for 28 per cent of the 104 cases, while 68 per cent of the cases occurred in men who have sex with men. This includes men who reported sexual activity with men and women, who accounted for 4 per cent of cases.

One case occurred as a result of intravenous drug use.

More than half of the newly reported cases – 58 per cent – were detected during the course of medical care, of which a greater proportion were at a late stage of HIV infection compared with other modes of detection, MOH said.

Another 13 per cent were detected through routine programmatic HIV screening, while 18 per cent were detected through self-initiated HIV screening. The rest were detected through other forms of screening.

A higher proportion of men who have sex with men had their infections detected via self-initiated HIV screening compared to heterosexuals, at 25 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.

In a public advisory, MOH said that every adult should get tested for HIV at least once in their lifetime regardless of risk factors.

“Individuals who engage in high-risk sexual behaviours should go for regular HIV testing every three to six months,” the ministry added.

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‘No amount of money can replace it’: Parents demand answers after Cordlife mishandles children’s cord blood

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UNCLEAR IF AFFECTED

Some clients also pointed out that the email did not specifically state whether those who received it had been affected. 

One of the recipients, Ms Cher, told CNA that the email she received only referred to the cord blood of her younger child and not the elder. 

Before her first child was born in 2018, Ms Cher and her husband had spent three to four months speaking to all the cord blood banks here, researching online and attending baby fairs before deciding on Cordlife. 

“It was a decision we mulled over for a long time before deciding on which company to store with, so we were crushed to hear the news,” the 33-year-old account director told CNA.

She took to her blog in 2018 to detail why she had settled on Cordlife, including that it had the longest track record with the most number of successful transplants, as well as its accreditation with MOH and Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies.

“It’s good that they sent out the email, although I wish we received it before the news broke. In our case, we saw the news first, and then the email came in hours later,” Ms Cher said. 

“At this stage, there’s still a lot of questions unanswered. We would like to see Cordlife investigate properly and give a full account of what happened, how the lapse occurred, why, rectification measures, and work with all affected clients on a viable solution for everyone.”

Responding to queries from CNA, the spokesperson for Cordlife Singapore said the company is currently contacting all clients, including the 1,841 who have cord blood units stored in the affected tank where testing is complete.

Cordlife clarified that the 1,841 excludes clients who have terminated their accounts with the company.

The spokesperson also reiterated that the tank contains 2.66 per cent of all cord blood units stored by Cordlife Singapore as per current records.

“This is an evolving situation, and our team is working hard to communicate with all of our affected and unaffected clients directly. 

“We seek our clients’ understanding as we continue our outreach and ongoing testing.”

The company added that it will be reaching out to clients who have either not registered an email address or have an outdated email via post.

“For the other six tanks where irregular temperature readings were detected, investigations with the Ministry of Health are presently ongoing. We will provide those clients with updates as soon as possible,” said Cordlife’s spokesperson. 

For clients who are considering transferring their cord blood from Cordlife to another facility, the spokesperson said: “Moving cord blood units from one location to another is not recommended because this could potentially affect the stem cells.”

If clients continue to store with Cordlife, the company said it will be able to “continue to honour the commitments” in the service agreement signed with clients.

“However, if they insist on transferring, we will assist them in completing the transfer,” added the spokesperson. 

PARENTS PAID HIGH PRICES FOR STORAGE

Other parents pointed to the high cost of storing their children’s cord blood and demanded explanations. 

Mr Chia Hong Loon, a father of two, had placed his firstborn’s cord blood, cord lining, and cord tissue with Cordlife in August 2020. 

For these services, he estimated having paid close to S$10,000 (US$7,474) to Cordlife thus far. 

Sharing the price plan he subscribed to, the 31-year-old financial consultant pointed out that his package for cord blood and cord tissue banking was a 21-year plan with an upfront payment of S$6,800. 

“I will need an explanation and see what they are going to do about it. (I am) definitely upset because it’s something that can be used if (there is) an emergency which we won’t want to see happen.

“But now it might become something useless, (in addition) we just paid the renewal fee,” said Mr Chia, who added that he had not stored the cord blood of his second child. 

Likewise, Ms Aiza Bumacod, a mother of three, also forked about S$10,000 to store her second child’s cord blood with Cordlife in 2019. 

“I feel deeply saddened and disappointed, thinking that I had invested a large sum of money and placed my trust in one of the best cord blood banks in Singapore,” said the 36-year-old nurse, adding that she chose the company for its high standards and integrity in promoting the safety and security of cord blood storage.

“If they believe that compensating us will resolve this issue and address their irresponsibilities, I hope they understand that the damage caused to thousands of parents here in Singapore has brought us immense sorrow, and no amount of money can replace it.”

Asked if it intends to refund or compensate clients, Cordlife repeated its previous reply that it will waive off future storage fees for clients until their child turned 21 while continuing to store the cord blood. This is in view of developments in the field of cell and gene therapy.

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Apple device owners advised to immediately update software: SingCERT

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SINGAPORE: Apple users are advised to update their devices to the latest versions immediately after hackers were found actively exploiting two zero-day vulnerabilities, the Singapore Cyber Emergency Response Team (SingCERT) said on Friday (Dec 1). Apple has released security updates to address the two vulnerabilities that affect certain products, SingCERT said in an updateContinue Reading

Smith Street revamp: Chinatown businesses look to preserve culture, experts warn against gentrification

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He believes that if businesses focus on things locals can enjoy, then foreigners will naturally also start coming.

The Chinatown Business Association’s executive director Lim Yick Suan said the organisation is looking forward to new offerings and concepts to bring the buzz back to the district.

“We are hopeful to have a very, very close collaboration with the new operator to promote and augment Chinatown’s rich heritage and culture,” she said.

“With this, we hope that visitors to Chinatown, (including) Singaporeans and tourists from all around the world, can enjoy and deepen their experience in Singapore’s Chinatown even more.”

PREVENTING GENTRIFICATION

Dr Lee Nai Jia, head of real estate intelligence at PropertyGuru, said the move to rejuvenate the Chinatown district is timely.

He noted the efforts that have taken place since 2001, including the introduction of new food concepts in the area, and said that much more can be done to better utilise the space.

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Meet the 73-year-old baker in Toa Payoh selling old-school buns for just S$1

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FANN WONG AND CHRISTOPHER LEE USED TO BE REGULARS AT HIS THOMSON BAKERY

The bakery sells around 20 varieties of old-school buns with fillings like coconut, curry potato, red bean and hae bee hiam, all baked fresh by Ah Poh. He has been plying the trade for more than six decades, first as an apprentice before starting his own business 30 years ago. He continues to churn out bread the traditional way, without preservatives and in a deck oven.

If you’re wondering why this old-school bakery has such a non-traditional name, that’s because the signboard belongs to the previous tenant. “I was told by the landlord that I couldn’t change it so I used the one from the previous bakery,” explained Ah Poh. His shop is not related to the Omzyn Cake outlets in Bukit Merah and Bukit Batok.

Before this, Ah Poh ran Singapura Bakery at Upper Thomson Road for six years. He relocated to Toa Payoh in 2008 when the landlord wanted the space back. “Mediacorp used to film drama shows at my bakery. The late Huang Wenyong, Christopher Lee, and Fann Wong used to frequent my shop and we would bake fresh buns for them,” he recalled.

HE’S A ONE-MAN SHOW

Ah Poh, who lives in the HDB flat above the bakery, starts his day at midnight, baking at the store before opening at 4am. He single-handedly churns out more than 1,000 buns. He sometimes leaves the store unmanned when he’s busy in the kitchen and customers just leave their money on the table.

When we dropped by before 7am on a weekday, the shop was surrounded by customers and more than half of the day’s offerings had already been snapped up.

We promptly grabbed a few packs of buns. By 7.30am, all the buns were sold out, disappointing several customers who came after that. 

Why not open later in the day instead so he can sleep in and more people can buy his bakes? “Old already, cannot sleep,” Ah Poh replied with a laugh. He’s also used to working overnight as a baker, having been doing this for decades.

“When I sell out, I will quickly close shop, then go have a coffee and chat with my neighbour before going home to take a nap,” he quipped.

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CNA Explains: What is cord blood banking and why do parents do it?

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Public vs private: What’s the difference?

Singapore Cord Blood Bank is the only public bank in the country. Besides Cordlife, Singapore has two other private cord blood banks: Cryoviva and Stemcord.

Singapore Cord Blood Bank was officially opened in September 2005.

According to Singapore’s National Library Board, the public cord blood bank was opened in response to demand from paediatricians and haematologists to increase the number of cord blood units available for unrelated stem cell transplant patients.

Ten hospitals in Singapore offer public cord blood donation and direct family cord blood banking. They are KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, National University Hospital, Singapore General Hospital, Gleneagles, Mount Alvernia, Mount Elizabeth (Orchard and Novena), Parkway East, Raffles and Thomson Medical.

If cord blood is stored in a public bank, it is for everyone – the donor does not have exclusive rights to their blood stem cells. In a private bank, it is kept for the child’s personal use.

Cord blood donations to a public bank are voluntary, confidential and at no cost to the donor.

But keeping cord blood at a private bank comes at a cost. 

Cordlife charges an annual fee of S$250 when a child is aged between 1 and 20. When the child reaches 21, they will have direct ownership of their cord blood and have to decide whether or not to continue storing it.

Cordlife customers are also charged an upfront initial payment, although the amount is not made known on Cordlife’s website.

Stemcord says on its website that customers can bank their child’s cord blood for “as little as S$0.80 per day”. It offers various pricing plans, although potential customers will have to enquire about prices.

Cryoviva’s price plan is not published on its website.

All three private cord blood banks in Singapore allow parents to make payments using the Child Development Account – a savings scheme which can be used for a child’s healthcare expenses. 

The Singapore Cord Blood Bank also offers private cord blood banking. With this service, parents can initially store the cord blood units for their family and later donate them to the public inventory, if it meets the necessary public donation criteria.

The BBC reported in August that the global cord blood banking market was valued at US$1.3 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow to US$4.5 billion in the next decade. 

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Commentary: Dangers and opportunities in the role of religion in Israel-Hamas war

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GOING BEYOND SELF-DEFENCE

Israel’s justification, supported by some of its Western allies, is that it is acting in self-defence. In and of itself, self-defence is not blameworthy. But destroying hospitals, refugee camps, schools and places of worship, in what appear as indiscriminate bombings, undermines this narrative.

The current war, and the images of violence and destruction coming out of Gaza, now give the impression that peace with the Palestinians was never really on the agenda. Instead, it suggests Israeli opportunism, which has driven much of the global outrage.

The journey towards peace has to be founded on mutual trust and confidence. Everyone needs to feel safe in the presence of others, even as we are different and live differently. Tragically, this is a far-fetched dream for Palestinians and Israelis today.

CO-EXISTENCE CAN PREVAIL

In Singapore, we live in conditions that others can only dream of, where our religious diversity does not weaken us. We must therefore try harder to make it a reality for others too, because it is not impossible.

Singaporeans, including the Muslim community, are anguished by the war, but on humanitarian and not religious grounds. It helps that the Muslim community’s relations with Singapore’s Jewish community have been cordial and constructive.

Such social and interreligious capital can tide us over difficult times, such as this, when external conflicts could easily cause misunderstanding and division. Israel’s actions have just made our work harder. In fact, the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on Singapore’s social cohesion was one of my concerns at its onset.

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