‘We lived to tell a story’: Couple trapped in tunnel for 24 hours after Taiwan earthquake

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SINGAPORE: When Ms. Namrata Kohli learned that a Malaysian pair had vanished in Taiwan’s Taroko National Park as a result of a 7.4-magnitude earthquake, she assumed it to be her husband and her husband. &nbsp,

The 39-year-old Employment Pass holder who has worked in Singapore for more than six years at the tech firm Meta said,” I do n’t know how it was n’t us.” &nbsp,

” I also pray that they are properly brought out .” &nbsp,

Ms. Namrata and her husband were trapped in a hole in the same national park for 24 hours as they were battling Taiwan’s worst quake in 25 years on Wednesday ( April 3 ). &nbsp,

The pair had made the 12-day journey to Taiwan on March 29 for what was supposed to be. The Taiwanese couple was last seen on the Shakadang Trail in the national area the day before the earthquake, which they had earlier visited. &nbsp,

Ms. Namrata and her father had driven from Hualien City to the Tunnel of Nine Goes in the area on the day of the earthquake to climb another road it.

They set off on the small path through the hilly terrain and parked the car at the tunnel. It was on the way up from the road, at about 8am, that the earth started to shake. &nbsp,

Both of us only ran as the noise started to increase, she said. ” We both started to run as fast as we could, but then the rocks started to fall as well” .&nbsp,

Her husband’s ears and face were hurt when one of the rocks struck him in the face. As stones fell around them, and she could feel the little stones pelting her feet and legs, they sought sanctuary in a small cave-like construction. &nbsp,

When the spasms subsided, they saw they were nearly at the end of the road, and so walked about 100m to their vehicle parked in the hole. &nbsp,

They assumed the next step would be to leave the regional park and return to Hualien City, but they were improper. They were wrong, though, and they were safely in the car. &nbsp,

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CNA Explains: What is red yeast rice, its health benefits and safety concerns?

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What are the allegedly health advantages of crimson bacteria rice? &nbsp,

Red yeast rice is frequently used in wellbeing products that claim to lower cholesterol.

According to Professor Eric Chan, a pharmaceutical scientist at the National University of Singapore’s ( NUS) Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, red yeast rice contains a compound called monacolin K, which is chemically identical to lovastatin.

Lovastatin belongs to a group of statin drugs. Statins lower the amount of “bad cholesterol” and fat in the blood as well as increase the amount of” good cholesterol”.

According to Singapore’s HealthHub site, great “bad cholesterol” levels can cause blood vessels to fill up and lead to stomach pain, heart attack or stroke. &nbsp,

According to Prof. Chan, previous research has shown that red yeast products ‘ levels of monacolin K can vary, but such products often disclose the levels of the substances they contain. &nbsp,

As a result, it is possible that the success and side effects of such products may get “unpredictable”, he added. &nbsp,

What are some of the issues with crimson bacteria rice? &nbsp,

There have been reports of people in Europe and the United States having negative results after consuming dark bacteria corn, according to a 2018 review by the European Food Safety Authority. These included body pain, kidney injury and digestive disorders.

While red bacteria rice’s monacolin K helps lower cholesterol, it also has side effects that are comparable to those of lipitor, according to Prof. Chan.

Statins may trigger muscle wound, with signs of increasing intensity, such as weakness, tenderness and cramps, he said. In some cases, it can lead to liver deterioration.

According to him,” statins are only prescribed by dosage, with recommendations to program safety tests regularly.” &nbsp,

However, for side effects are “uncommon” for people taking statin drugs, said&nbsp, Dr Yeo Khung Keong, a mature expert physician. He added that between 3 and 5 percent of his people experience body problems and aches.

Unlike lipitor treatment, over- the- counter health supplements for as&nbsp, those containing dark yeast rice undergo&nbsp, “less demanding” &nbsp, regulation controls, said Dr Yeo.

A certain degree of scrutiny is put forth when it comes to medication, making sure that its active ingredients are replicated in every pill.

What active ingredient in the drug must be made known. And whether this active ingredient is in a particular dose that is known can be replicated”, Dr Yeo explained. It can be reliably established that a pill that says 20 mg of statin always contains 20 mg of the drug, within a certain margin of error.

Red yeast rice products have some guidelines.

According to HSA’s regulatory guidance, supplements with red yeast rice are required to contain less than 1 per cent of lovastatin.

Additionally, the HSA places strict restrictions on toxic heavy metals and forbids the addition of substances like steroids to health supplements. &nbsp,

Dealers have an obligation to ensure that their products are not harmful or unsafe, and that they conform with HSA’s guidelines, said the authority.

What went wrong with the three Kobayashi products?

Dr Yeo pointed out that in the case of&nbsp, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical’s recalled products, the side effects might have been caused by a contaminant, rather than the active ingredient. &nbsp,

The Japanese pharmaceutical company has reported that its Osaka factory located what appeared to be potentially toxic puberulic acid. It could have been made by the penicillium from the red yeast rice produced at the factory between last April and October.

According to nutritionist Ms. Jeffy, under certain circumstances in the fermentation process, the mold used to make red yeast rice can also produce citrinin, a toxin that has been linked to various negative health effects like liver damage and kidney failure.

” As much as possible, manufacturers would attempt to control the citrinin levels in their products but, nevertheless, ( they ) cannot control a lot of environmental factors which could result in the inconsistent level of these toxins”, she added.

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Police in Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea arrest 272 suspects in joint operation targeting child porn

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SINGAPORE: Police in Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea have arrested 272 citizens in a joint operation targeting child sexuality and sexual abuse.

The suspects, aged between 12 and 73, were arrested during a five- year activity from Feb 26 to Mar 29, during which officials raided a full of 236 areas.

In Singapore, 28 people&nbsp, were arrested for various alleged offences such as distributing baby abuse materials, physical contact with a slight and the purchase of vulgar materials. &nbsp,

The suspects were aged&nbsp, between 18 and 59, &nbsp, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) said in a media release on Friday ( Apr 5 ). &nbsp,

A salesman and his seven consumers of child maltreatment materials in Singapore were among the detained, according to SPF.

According to preliminary investigations, some of the men “got child abuse materials through messaging platforms” ( ph ).

Lots of electronic devices were discovered in 44 places in Singapore. The items included 50 servers, 39 cellular phones and 91 storage products, SPF said.

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CNA launches FAST experience for app, website to better serve time-pressed readers

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WITH THE ENGAGE OF GEN AI

With the assistance of relational AI (artificial knowledge ), our reporters and editors have the ability to produce these quick, useful summaries that you see in FAST tickets. Before being published online, any conclusion is reviewed by an editor.

FAST is just one of the many fresh efforts being announced as CNA honors its 25th anniversary. We previously made AI-generated voice available in content for users who prefer to read stories.

” As we mark 25 years of service, we are working on new activities to expand our existing base, match new demands, &nbsp, and reach new audiences”, said&nbsp, Mediacorp Chairman Niam Chiang Meng at a dinner meal on Tuesday to celebrate the anniversary. The integration of AI “promises interesting promise in the newsroom and in terms of increasing productivity and introducing new capabilities.”

CNA CATCH UP

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Singaporean influencer KiaraaKitty, who staged egg attack, banned from re-entering Taiwan

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Cheng told Taiwanese news reporters the following day, Feb 10, that she had reported the incident to the police. The Kaohsiung police said on Feb 11 that this was not the case and that Cheng had not filed any reports. 

Police investigations then found that the attacker was Cheng’s 32-year-old Singaporean male assistant, who had worked with Cheng to garner attention with the staged attack, according to Taiwanese media.

Cheng admitted in a livestream on Feb 24 that the video was a prank and apologised for her actions, after Kaohsiung police asked her to issue a public apology as the incident “had impacted negatively on the image of the southern port city”, reported Focus Taiwan.

On Tuesday, Taiwan’s Central News Agency, citing the immigration department, said that Cheng and her assistant had left the island and would not be allowed to enter Taiwan for up to five years.

The immigration department stated that foreigners were welcome in Taiwan as tourists but would not be allowed to engage in illegal activities.

“If cases similar to those that undermine social harmony and stability are found to be true after investigation, law enforcement will be implemented and severe punishment will be imposed,” read the statement.

CNA has approached Cheng for comment.

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Singapore congratulates Taiwan’s William Lai on election victory

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On Saturday, Mr Lai won 40.05 per cent of the vote, comfortably ahead of the Kuomintang’s (KMT) Mr Hou Yu-ih with 33.49 per cent and the Taiwan People’s Party’s (TPP) Dr Ko Wen-je with 26.46 per cent, according to the Central Election Commission.

The DPP lost its legislative majority, securing 51 seats out of the 113 available. The KMT took the most seats, with 52, and the TPP won eight seats. Two seats were taken by independent candidates.

Mr Lai, the former mayor of Tainan, is a noted proponent of Taiwan’s independence. His rivals and critics have said his election would endanger Taiwan and threaten peace with China.

In his victory speech, he extended an olive branch to the opposition and to China.

He said: “Under the principles of dignity and parity, we will use exchanges to replace obstructionism, dialogue to replace confrontation, and confidently pursue exchanges and cooperation with China.

“This furthers the well-being of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and achieves our objective of peace and common prosperity.”

Shortly after Mr Lai’s win, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office said his victory would not change the basic landscape of cross-strait relations.

Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said the results showed the DPP cannot represent mainstream public opinion on the island, according to a statement carried by Xinhua state news agency.

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IN FOCUS: Untangling Singapore-Malaysia food fights – what’s it got to do with identity and pride?

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“THE GREAT STOMACH”

Food rivalries, and the stream of public sentiments and “misconceptions” that accompany each episode, are part of the reason Dr Ong writes about food.

“Unfortunately, most of the people who made the comments, including the politicians, don’t know much about their local food, or the origins,” he said.

“We should all get together and promote our ASEAN dishes and talk about our local variations, similarities and differences.”

Across the Johor strait, Mr Ronald Gan, president of the Melaka Peranakan Association, is in the midst of the Wangkang – an 11-day ceremony recognised by the UN as intangible cultural heritage.

At the end of it, a Wangkang or deity’s barge is consumed by fire, giving deliverance to wandering souls on board the boat.

In his role, Mr Gan works with groups in China’s Xiamen city to preserve the traditions of the ritual. He believes a similarly collaborative approach is necessary for something as culturally significant as food.

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