Workers’ Party chair Sylvia Lim to marry long-time partner Quah Kim Song in January

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Ms Lim, 59, has held the post of WP head since 2003.

She has remained a member of Aljunied GRC since becoming the first opposition team to capture a Group Representation Constituency ( GRC ) in 2011.

A former federal player, Mr Quah, 72, was one of the biggest actors of his time and was instrumental in Singapore’s 1977 Malaysia Cup defeat where he scored a buckle.

He hails from a sports community of&nbsp, 11 kids, six of whom played for the Lions.

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Singapore blocks 10 websites set up by foreign actors over potential hostile information threat

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According to studies conducted by Google-owned security firm Mandiant in 2023, the two websites are also reportedly part of a system connected to Shanghai Haixun Technology, a Chinese public relations company.

In what scientists dubbed the HaiEnergy control activity, Mandiant discovered a year earlier that websites in this community “present themselves primarily as separate news outlets from various regions across the world and publish articles in 11 languages.”

According to Mandiant, the battle “loaned resources and infrastructure pertaining to Haixun to network and spread content,” by 72 websites targeted at consumers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

It has carried information criticising the United States and its allies, and supporting the Chinese administration’s transformation of Hong Kong’s electoral system.

Among the other blocked sites, seven have the phrase” Singapore” or associated words – including Singapura, Singdao and Lioncity – in their domain name, and publish articles related to the region.

According to MHA and IMDA,” they carried willing that was similar to that carried by another international newswire, which appears to have carried out HICs and impact campaigns against other nations.”

According to press releases from the PR agency SeaPRwire, these seven websites are part of a system. Additionally, the websites have published articles that were shared across each other as well as on the TimesNewswire site, which, according to the former, has a” proper relationship” with SeaPRwire.

The Citizen Lab, a research firm focused on online threats, reported earlier this year that TimesNewswire even strongly appears in an impact campaign involving at least 123 websites operating in China and posing as regional information outlets in 30 different European, Asian, and Latin American countries to distribute pro-Beijing propaganda.

Around 100 realms linking back to the organization, which has also been linked to the HaiEnergy function, are a major source of the campaign’s information, which is largely sourced from TimesNewswire.

The next site, Alamak. dai, which uses the local vernacular appearance as its site name and features Singapore-related news that paraphrases local media articles, masquerades as a Singaporean website.

CNA and The Straits Times, two Singapore media sources, are among the ones whose articles have occasionally been used as repurposes for an unauthentic website.

According to MHA and IMDA,” studies found that the majority of the content published on this web were good written using Al equipment.”

This website also published commentary on political issues, including one that falsely claimed that Singapore had permitted other nations to conduct their natural warfare research around.

Alamak. fai has carried many articles written by Russia’s ambassador to Singapore Nikolay Kudashev, on issues such as Russia-ASEAN relationships and with stories like” Replacing the Rules-Based Neocolonial Framework”.

REVIEW OF THE LAW FOR European INTERFERENCE

MHA and IMDA added that there were currently no provisions in the Foreign Interference ( Countermeasures ) Act of 2021 to preemptively act against websites, whether inauthentic or not.

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Nightclub, call centre employees could be at risk of noise-induced deafness: Experts

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SINGAPORE: Full hearing loss due to loud sounds is generally associated with staff dealing with heavy equipment, but employees at nightclubs, training studios and visit centres may also be at risk of the state, experts said. &nbsp,

In a statement released earlier this month by the Manpower Ministry, noise-induced impairment was named as the major occupational disease in Singapore. &nbsp,

Around 300 of these cases were identified in the first half of this year alone, making up nearly two-thirds of all vocational illnesses during that time. Those in the developing industry, &nbsp, particularly metal-working, are at the highest risk of developing the condition. &nbsp,

Clinical audiologist Alicia Tay told CNA that call center people, for example, have sought support at The Listening Lab, where she heads its financial department.

They must always raise the level in their headphones in order to discover the person speaking over the phone or through the ambient noise. So they do come in with some signs of noise-induced reading costs”, she said. &nbsp,

She added that trainers who teach inside cycling, or spin, several times a day, are also susceptible to hearing issues, despite their less well-known status.

The teachers must shout into a speaker to make the audience hear the extremely audible music that they play, she observed.

” That blend of sound is often reach 100 decibels, and that is a risk of hearing loss because they’re but generally exposed for long durations”.

For eight continuous hours, listening at 85 decibels is the maximum acceptable levels. The length of coverage that is considered healthy “rapidly decreases” when it gets louder, Ms Tay pointed out. &nbsp,

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Small modular reactors a possible solution to power Singapore’s data centres, says Energy Market Authority CEO

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Singapore: The CEO of the Energy Market Authority stated on Monday ( October 21 ) that small modular reactors being considered for powering AI data centers by big tech might one day be used there.

Modern nuclear units with a power capacity of about a fourth of the generating power of conventional nuclear power reactors are known as small modular units.

On the outside of the Singapore International Energy Week mountain, Mr. Puah Kok Keong told CNA that the country has been considering using nuclear power for some time.

He noted that the government conducted a feasibility study on nuclear power about ten years ago, and the result was that Singapore’s size would be incompatible with standard nuclear energy reactors due to space constraints. &nbsp,

However, systems designers are looking at smaller, safer modular units, and it is a place that Singapore is “going to be watching quite closely”, he said. &nbsp,

These have much more passive safety features that will shield the units from panic, they claim. They are suitable for smaller energy techniques like Singapore’s, he said because of their smaller size.

Singapore may look into the choice when it is available, he said, even though there are no commercially operated small modular reactors however.

” Once those are available, we will be very willing to look at how they are operated, to look at, in more depth, their safety features, their health problems, and then we make another analysis whether or not those may be ideal for deployment in Singapore”, he said.

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India looks to build much-needed low-cost homes in Mumbai, but challenges persist

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MUMBAI: Labourer Joginder Kumar lives in his father-in-law’s cramped apartment, located in a tenement on the fringes of India’s most popular area.

He makes less than US$ 200 per quarter, which is a meager wage that must also provide for his wife and two children. Additionally, he is unable to purchase a home for them, let alone book one.

I have to cover medical expenses and additional costs. Groceries are costing more by the evening. How may we control? Whatever I earn is used for our fundamental demands”, he told CNA.

Mumbai, where Kumar lives, has become the region’s most expensive city for cover. Indians have long sought employment in the commercial hub, which has resulted in a community boom of more than 21 million.

Some citizens of the country, who make an average of US$ 650 per month, are now unable to purchase a house.

Average house prices in Mumbai increased 10 % on the year in the next quarter of 2024, reaching about US$ 119, 000, according to home organization Square Yards.

According to experts, this has forced many people to live in impoverished neighborhoods like Kumar.

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Singapore software game developers seek to crack global market

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While Chinese builders Cygames and SNK opened new headquarters in Singapore this year, along with their already-established rivals Hyundai and Capcom, businesses like Tencent, miHoYo, and NetEase from China have established bases there.

As more international games companies establish their presence in this country, Mr. Chia stated that the association is working closely with higher education institutions and government organizations to develop a native talent pool to match industry demands.

” This creates a lot of organisational knowledge. He told CNA that local talent who enters these companies can also emerge and offer options for some of their individual businesses and studios.

HUB FOR SEA GAMING SCENE

Mr. Chia added that Singapore could foster cross-collaboration and advancement with provincial game makers and serve as a hub for East Asian gaming.

” Collectively as a region … ( we can ) make better games, staff better studios… and drive the uplifting of the storytelling from our region to the rest of the world”, he said.

Southeast Asia has advantages over cookie-cutter games that are already on the decline, Mr. Barnard claimed, as well as low labor costs and distinct nations.

” We’ve reached a point where video game ‘ graphics are unmatchable. If you have some sort of art concept that’s interesting and does n’t look like anything else that’s out there … it can get a lot of attention”, he said. &nbsp,

Publishers who invest in and promote video games have said that the game’s creativity must be balanced with caution and be approachable to buyers.

” We have to consider ( whether ) … we present these stories and narratives in a way that matters to the global audience”, said Mr Brian Kwek, the founder of Ysbryd Games, an indie game publisher based in Singapore and Britain.

He added that investments are necessary for the native gaming industry’s continued expansion.

Mr. Leyden’s suggestion to fresh developers would be to create solid foundations with games that can appeal to the target market right away.

” If you are just starting up, do n’t shoot for the moon… walk before you run. Build up your expertise set and acquire it frontward”, he said.

” Create a game that speaks to you, that compels you, that your neighbour, your town, your country is going to enjoy. Create a skill set that the people you know you appreciate as a key component of your career.

According to data-gathering company Statista, the global entertainment market is projected to grow at an monthly rate of about 9 % to reach US$ 363 billion by 2027.

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Oil pipeline leak: Booms deployed at Marina Barrage, Sentosa and East Coast Park

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In response to the oil leak from a Shell pipeline on Sunday ( October 20 ), Singapore’s authorities deployed booms at locations like Marina Barrage, Sentosa, East Coast Park, and West Coast Park.

The National Environment Agency ( NEA ) has also issued a “precautionary measure” to residents of East Coast Park, Kusu, St John’s, and Lazarus islands to prevent swimmers and other primary contact water activities.

No fuel has been discovered as of October 21 day near the Marina East Desalination Plant and Jurong Island Desalination Plant, which are closest to the fuel leak site, according to federal waters firm PUB in a Facebook post on Monday. &nbsp,

” As a precautionary measure, PUB has also deployed fuel containment boom across the Marina Barrage, which separates the water from Marina Reservoir”.

PUB added that it is closely monitoring the desalination plants ‘ water consumption, making it apparent that operations are unaffected and that excellent readings remain consistent.

Around 1pm, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore ( MPA ) received an alert about oil leakage from a Shell land-based pipeline between Bukom Island and Bukom Kecil.

The hole occurred at around 5.30am and “was reported to have stopped at origin”, it added. &nbsp,

In a Facebook post, NEA also stated that it has installed absorbent boom at the rivers, and that it will continue to monitor the condition in key locations like East Coast Park and West Coast Park.

On the oil leak, the Sentosa Development Corporation ( SDC ) said in a Facebook post it was aware of the incident, adding that” there are no signs of oil or smell at any of our beaches, and Tanjong, Palawan, and Siloso Beach remain open for all water activities”. &nbsp,

” As a precaution, we’ve deployed oil absorbent booms across key areas, including our beaches, Sentosa Golf Club, and Sentosa Cove” .&nbsp,

VOLUME OF OIL Poured INTO SEA SHELL ASSESSED

In response to the event, the power activated drones and dish capabilities in addition to build from its company Singapore Salvage Engineers. In addition, the authority even activated drones and satellite capabilities to help with the sighting of the oil spill.

Shell confirmed to CNA on Sunday that the fuel hole at Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore was stopped on Sunday at around 3 o’clock.

The power giant&nbsp stated in a statement on its website that it is still looking into the volume of oil leaking into the water and that investigations are looking into the incident’s induce are ongoing. No accidents or fatalities have been reported, it added. &nbsp,

Shell has deployed dispersant-equipped art to clear up the oil spotted in the vicinity of the hole, according to MPA, and has placed containment booms away from the leak site.

An oil spill in June involving about 400 kilograms of fuel&nbsp, led to the closure of beaches around Singapore, with clean-up operations just completed in early September.

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How a Singapore team braved poor communications and equipment to provide free eye surgery for Laotians

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Physician Dr. Keovongkoth Nouanphanthakoun from the National Ophthalmology Center in Vientiane was in Singapore at the beginning of 2024 as part of the SNEC program.

That, the&nbsp, 34-year-old learned more about issues like as glaucoma and glaucoma treatment.

He cited as one of his key takeaways the thorough person treatment and rigorous work practices at the SNEC, as well as the use of modern technology.

The problem is to replicate Singapore’s system in Laos, where more sophisticated treatment techniques and equipment are required in addition to improved overall specialized knowledge of health personnel.

However, through the SNEC’s initiative in Vientiane, some disadvantaged people who live far away from the funds have been able to get “proper and secure treatment, which makes them had a better quality of life”, said Dr Keovongkoth.

They were “very pleased to be able to see clearly afterwards.”

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Dr. Tan remarked that Singapore, a developed nation, has its own problems with vision difficulties.

” For Singapore, ageing conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetes are more pressing vision problems causing blindness”, she told CNA.

In Laos, most cases of physical damage are caused by refractive error or blindness, she noted.

Singapore has better primary and secondary heath care systems with resources to address those specific issues, according to Dr. Tan, who believes it is share expertise in this area.

A memorandum of understanding is being finalized with the Vientiane National Ophthalmology Center.

It will facilitate specialized training in Laos, with a focus on district-level hospitals and tasked with educating native trainers on their subject matter.

” We intend to strengthen the skills of not only the skilled eye wellness professionals, but also the support personnel, such as medical engineers and administrators,” said Dr. Tan, adding that more exchange trips and training opportunities are also on the cards.

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