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Singapore will roll out Covid-detecting breath test developed by NUS grads

By
The Independent
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0

Singapore – NUS graduates have developed a breath test that helps detect the virus in a minute. The test will go on trial, as it were, at Tuas Checkpoint in a few days.

Breathonix, a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS), has got provisional authorisation from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for its breath-testing system.

The system will speed up Covid-19 testing.

No swab samples will be needed.

One will simply exhale into a disposable one-way valved mouthpiece connected to a breath sampler.

A mass spectrometer will analyse the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the invisible particles, in the exhaled breath.

A healthy person will have a different VOC signature from someone who is ill. Different diseases produce different signatures.

The system has already undergone clinical trials in three locations from June last year till last month. Two of the locations were in Singapore — the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and Changi Airport — and the other was in Dubai.

The deployment trial will be held at Tuas Checkpoint by Breathonix and the Ministry of Health.

Incoming travellers will be screened.

Besides having their breath analysed, they will continue to undergo the compulsory Covid-19 antigen rapid test.

Anyone with a positive test result must undergo a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test.

Dr Jia Zhunan, chief executive of Breathonix, confirmed that the breath test was “non-invasive” and users only needed to breathe out normally into the mouthpiece provided.

Professor Freddy Boey, deputy president of innovation and enterprise at NUS, shared that the success of Breathonix was a proud achievement for the NUS start-up programme.

Breathonix was set up by three NUS graduates — Dr Jia, Mr Du Fanf and Mr Wayne Wee — with the help of NUS Professor T Venky Venkatesan.

The NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (Grip) also provided some support, encouraging as it does talented NUS graduates and research staff to run tech start-ups.

Phuong Le Ha is an intern at The Independent SG/TISG

SDP’s Bryan Lim reads Singapore’s Marxist Conspiracy, urges people to ‘find out the truth’

By
The Independent
-
0

Singapore — Singapore Democratic Party treasurer Bryan Lim dismisses the 1987 Marxist conspiracy as fiction.

He urges people to read 1987: Singapore’s Marxist Conspiracy 30 Years On (Solidarity Edition) to “find out the truth”.

He is reading the book himself two months after it was mailed to him, he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 23).

“4 years ago, I bought the original edition from none other than the purported ‘ringleader’ of the Marxist conspirators, Mr Vincent Cheng himself,” he shared, explaining that Mr Cheng was a former vice-chairman of the SDP.

In 1987, Mr Cheng was one of the 22 Singaporeans branded as a “Marxist conspirator” and arrested under Operation Spectrum. Then 40, he was the executive secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church and worked with low-income workers and the disadvantaged segments of society.

“Those who know him would find it laughable that a man who couldn’t even bear to hurt a fly was accused of having the guts to direct & pull off a Communist ploy to overthrown the PAP government then.” Mr Lim added, referring to the 1987 incident.

“If Vincent & the rest of the wrongfully detained are Marxist conspirators, then I am the King of Spain. Such fiction is only fit for the library shelves where you find Little Red Riding Hood & Cinderella,” he added.

“If you want to find out the truth from these honourable men & women, please support them by purchasing the book,” he wrote.

 

Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG

Taxi driver often buys extra food on his way home for anyone in need of a meal

By
The Independent
-
0

Singapore – A cab driver’s daily routine home often consists of buying an extra meal just in case he meets others who need free food, his selfless habit garnering respect and appreciation from the online community.

“Any passenger taking Cabby Lim Hong Kiong’s cab may get more than a ride – a free meal,” wrote ComfortDelGro (CDG) Taxi on its Facebook page on Saturday (May 22).

The transport company featured the story of 59-year-old Mr Lim, who would frequently order extras while buying supper for his family “just in case he chances upon others who may need a meal”.

Passenger Grace Tan boarded Mr Lim’s cab on March 13 at midnight and was greeted with the aroma of freshly packed Hokkien mee, which the cab driver had just bought.

Ms Tan casually commented that the noodles were fragrant.

Upon realising how late his passenger was getting home from work, Mr Lim asked if she was hungry. The passenger confirmed she was without giving any further to the question.

“But at the destination, to Ms Tan’s surprise, Cabby Lim offered her a pack of Hokkien mee,” wrote CDG.

Ms Tan initially declined the offer, but Mr Lim didn’t take no for an answer.

“I had expected this trip to be no different from my other taxi rides in which fares are paid, and pleasantries exchanged, nothing more,” shared Ms Tan regarding her experience.

“I was thus surprised by this cabby’s kindness and generosity, especially when it has been tough for him during this Covid-19 period,” she added.

Mr Lim has reminded Ms Tan that being kind is intentional and a choice that is embraced.

“Could he be an angel sent to remind me to be kind in our harried pace of life,” she wondered.

However, Mr Lim thought nothing of the kind gesture.

“He said with a chuckle, ‘I kept telling her never mind, never mind! It’s just a small gesture of mine, I’m happy to share,’” wrote CDG.

Members of the online community noted how Mr Lim has a “heart of gold” and wished him the best with his endeavours.

In one of the comments, one Fiona Lim wrote, “This is my dad! So proud of him!” to which CDG replied they were equally proud of his actions./TISG

Read related: Kind passenger surprises Bishan Interchange bus captains with 80 packs of food

Kind passenger surprises Bishan Interchange bus captains with 80 packs of food

Covid-19 vaccine effective against B.1.617.2 variant after second shot, shows UK study

By
The Independent
-
0

The UK — Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca vaccines protect against the B.1.617.2 variant of Covid-19 after the second dose. This was found in a recent study by Public Health England.

A group of 21 researchers across five medical organisations in the UK carried out the study.

Their research showed that no matter whether one takes Pfizer or AstraZeneca, one has to have two doses. For both the vaccines are significantly more effective after the second shot.

The study also found that two doses of either vaccine are just as effective at protecting against the B.1.1.7 variant, which first emerged in the UK.

Conducted between April and May, the research found that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 88 per cent effective against symptomatic disease from the B.1.617.2 Covid variant two weeks after the second dose. The vaccine also proved to be 93 per cent effective against the B.1.1.7 variant two weeks after the second dose.

“It is likely that vaccine effectiveness against more severe disease outcomes will be greater, wrote the authors of the study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed.

UK Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock praised the study as “groundbreaking”, noting the study “shows how important the secnd dose is to secure the strongest protection against Covid-19”.

 

Denise Teh is an intern at The Independent SG. /TISG

Former Project Superstar runner-up Shi Xinhui welcomes her first child with Swedish husband

By
The Independent
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0

Malaysia – Former Project Superstar runner-up Shi Xinhui found herself living a real-life fairy tale after meeting a Swedish traveller, which blossomed into a long-distance romance. And now, the happily married love birds have welcomed their newborn child.

Up until earlier this month when she uploaded a photo of her baby bump, the Malaysian singer kept her pregnancy a secret.

Photo: Instagram screengrab (@iamshixinhui)

On May 22, the singer decided to share a photo of their newborn with the caption, “Truly blessed”, on Instagram – with no mention of their baby’s gender.

Photo: Instagram screengrab (@iamshixinhui)

Her friends including Singaporean singers Guo Mei Mei, Serene Koong and Joi Chua congratulated them in the comments.

With that said, it’s been a long time coming as she had previously mentioned that she’d want to have a child with her husband. It was back in 2017 when she shared her wish on Instagram with a post of her husband and a child with a caption saying: “I want to bear him a child, because… #akidwhocallshimfatherisablessedkidindeed”

Photo: Instagram screengrab (@iamshixinhui)

In February that same year, the singer also shared how she met her husband, Anders Stenquist, in a separate Instagram post with a long caption about their encounter.

Photo: Instagram screengrab (@iamshixinhui)

“The small space beside the dining table used to be where a traveller from across the world slept on a foldable mattress. A traveller who was only coming to bunk for three days, ended up reserving a permanent spot in the owner’s heart, house, and life.”

“I married a guy that I have never even spent Valentine’s Day with before. Today he and I are still unable to spend our first as a married couple together. I don’t mind if he gives me no special gift or romantic arrangements, all I need is for each and every one of my long-distance calls to connect so that I can hear his voice, and that will be bliss for me.”

The couple tied the knot in December 2016, when the singer performed her hit track, ‘From Taipei to Beijing’. After they wedded, she was back and forth between Malaysia, Singapore, and Sweden.

In May 2018, Xinhui decided to settle down in Sweden to be closer to her hubby.

 

‘MBS badge woman’ claims in court that she did not know she was required to wear a mask in public

By
Obbana Rajah
-
0

Singapore — After being arrested on Tuesday (May 25), 53-year-old Phoon Chiu Yoke claimed that she was not familiar with the new legislation that required her to wear a mask in public.

During her appearance in court on Monday (May 24), Phoon walked in without a mask on. However, after seeing press photographers, she hooked a mask over one ear. A security guard then told her to put the mask on properly and she complied.

Before District Judge A Sangeetha, Phoon stood in the dock and tried to take off the mask but was cautioned by the judge.

When leaving the State Courts, Phoon took off her mask and smiled at the photographers as she walked towards a pickup point.

In light of her behaviour, the police arrested her on Tuesday. A report by TODAY online said that Phoon appeared in court through a video-link from the Central Police Division, with her blue disposable mask covering only her mouth and not her nose.

Speaking to District Judge Adam Nakhoda, Phoon claimed that she was not familiar with “this new legislation” that required her to wear a mask in public. She added that after coming back from a six-to-seven-week holiday in Scotland, she had “never heard of this regulation to put on a mask”.

Phoon said she was only made aware of Singapore’s Covid-19 regulations after the incident at Marina Bay Sands on May 15.

MBS incident

Earlier in May, Phoon was caught on camera refusing to wear a face mask, despite being asked to do so by safe distancing ambassadors.

Phoon was spotted repeatedly asking for the safe distancing ambassadors’ badges as they advised her to wear a mask while queueing at Marina Bay Sands.

“If you have no badge, why are you asking me to do something?” she was heard saying. “Who are you representing?” she asked.

When the ambassador introduced herself, Phoon replied, “That’s what you say. I can say I am the police.”

The ambassador asked her once more to comply with safety measures; however, the woman repeated, “But you don’t have a badge.”

She eventually asked, “Are you harassing me? Are you creating a scene?”

She went back to her previous point about a badge. “If you want authority, then put on your badge.”

“I said to you, if you have no badge, don’t speak to me,” she told the other ambassador. “You have no right to ask me to do anything.”

Phoon faces face six new criminal charges, including failing to have a mask on outside the State Courts on Monday.

Her new charges comprise five counts of failing to wear a mask on separate occasions, and one under the Infectious Diseases Act of exposing others to the risk of infection by violating her stay-home notice when she returned from the United Kingdom.

She had allegedly left her MBS hotel room during the stay-home notice period — June 28 to July 12 last year — on several occasions while not wearing a mask.

District Judge Adam Nakhoda ordered her to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks for psychiatric assessment but Phoon asked for an “exemption” from the IMH remand.

She will return to court on June 8.

Anyone found not wearing a mask or not wearing it properly outside their place of residence can be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to six months, or both. /TISG

 

Read related:‘MBS badge woman’ daringly shows up in court without wearing a mask

Fan gives Cecilia Cheung a surprise kiss

By
Shikha
-
0

Zhengzhou — Although Cecilia Cheung did not win in the second season of Sisters Who Made Waves when she did not make it to the final group, she can’t be called a “loser”. The star’s fame and value went up in China thanks to her high-profile participation, which garnered several headlines both good and bad, with brands all over China scrambling to recruit Cheung as their ambassador. Seeing the waves she made at her recent public appearance, you will understand why.

The mother of three, who turns 41 on May 24, appeared at an event on May 16 at a fashion boutique in Zhengzhou, where she received a warm welcome from a large number of onlookers. It was reported that there were endless shouts of “Love you, Cecilia!” and “Cecilia, you’re so beautiful!” “At least 50” security guards were present to maintain order, but that could not avoid what happened to Cheung at the photo wall.

Cheung was posing for photos with her fans when she suddenly received a surprise hug and kiss on the cheek from a very enthusiastic female admirer,  reported 8days.sg. It looks like social distancing is no longer a thing there. The actress appeared surprised and even slightly afraid initially, then she quickly calmed down and smiled awkwardly. The fan looked happy that she managed to pull off the stunt.

Cecilia Cheung still maintains her youthful beauty. Picture: Weibo

If the fan were a man, the outcome definitely would have been different. Interestingly, the kiss did not attract as much talk among netizens as something else: Cheung’s looks.

Photos started circulating online after the event with the hot topic, “Cecilia Cheung’s unedited pictures”, trending on Weibo.

Gushing comments include: “Does one experience any troubles in life looking like that?”, “She hasn’t changed from 20 years ago”, and “An ageless goddess! She really hasn’t changed at all even after giving birth to three children!”/TISG

Fan gives Cecilia Cheung a surprise kiss

By
Lydia Koh
-
0

Zhengzhou — Although Cecilia Cheung did not win in the second season of Sisters Who Made Waves when she did not make it to the final group, she can’t be called a “loser”. The star’s fame and value went up in China thanks to her high-profile participation, which garnered several headlines both good and bad, with brands all over China scrambling to recruit Cheung as their ambassador. Seeing the waves she made at her recent public appearance, you will understand why.

The mother of three, who turns 41 on May 24, appeared at an event on May 16 at a fashion boutique in Zhengzhou, where she received a warm welcome from a large number of onlookers. It was reported that there were endless shouts of “Love you, Cecilia!” and “Cecilia, you’re so beautiful!” “At least 50” security guards were present to maintain order, but that could not avoid what happened to Cheung at the photo wall.

Cheung was posing for photos with her fans when she suddenly received a surprise hug and kiss on the cheek from a very enthusiastic female admirer,  reported 8days.sg. It looks like social distancing is no longer a thing there. The actress appeared surprised and even slightly afraid initially, then she quickly calmed down and smiled awkwardly. The fan looked happy that she managed to pull off the stunt.

Cecilia Cheung still maintains her youthful beauty. Picture: Weibo

If the fan were a man, the outcome definitely would have been different. Interestingly, the kiss did not attract as much talk among netizens as something else: Cheung’s looks.

Photos started circulating online after the event with the hot topic, “Cecilia Cheung’s unedited pictures”, trending on Weibo.

Gushing comments include: “Does one experience any troubles in life looking like that?”, “She hasn’t changed from 20 years ago”, and “An ageless goddess! She really hasn’t changed at all even after giving birth to three children!”/TISG

60-yr-old woman spends S$2,400 on beauty products in 2 hours, netizens share similar stories

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0

Singapore—On Monday (May 24), The New Paper (TNP) carried a report about a 60-year-old woman who ended up purchasing $2,400 worth of beauty products at a mall, when she had originally intended to withdraw cash.

According to TNP, on May 8, the woman made four Nets transactions within a span of two hours at an Aqua Mineral store.

Several sales staff pitched their products to her, and although she never bought skin care products in the past, she spent a considerable amount on them.

Her daughter Nurhuda Halim, 23, reported the matter to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), and the family was able to get a full refund.

TNP quotes Ms Nurhuda as saying that her mother was shocked at the purchases she had made, and “did not know what had happened”.

The salespersons had asked her to sample the products as she passed by, and the woman bought one product for $180.

“She agreed to buy one product for $180. Then, she was recommended even more products and it all came up to $2,400,” Ms Nurhuda told TNP, including a neck device worth $1,199 and a wrinkle-reducer serum for $1,000.

A representative of Aqua Mineral told TNP that while Ms Nurhuda’s mother had agreed at first to buy the products, they “respected her decision” to obtain a full refund.

Moreover, the company also offered “our sincere apologies for this experience”.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the president of Case, told TNP that the beauty industry is consistently among the top three when it comes to receiving customer complaints. In the first four months of the year, 108 similar complaints have been filed.

The TNP report also carried a warning from Ms Nurhada, especially when it comes to older family members buying costly items.

“One should exercise caution as much as possible, and should they be in such a situation, they should call a family member or someone they trust,” she is quoted as saying.

After the TNP report came out, a number of netizens commented that they experienced similar incidents.

“It feels like the beauty promoter use some kind of magic,” wrote one.

Others warned that they target the elderly in particular.

One woman wrote that she had not been able to get a refund.

 

/TISG

 

 

 

 

60-yr-old woman spends S$2,400 on beauty products in 2 hours, netizens share similar stories

By
Anna Maria Romero
-
0

Singapore—On Monday (May 24), The New Paper (TNP) carried a report about a 60-year-old woman who ended up purchasing $2,400 worth of beauty products at a mall, when she had originally intended to withdraw cash.

According to TNP, on May 8, the woman made four Nets transactions within a span of two hours at an Aqua Mineral store.

Several sales staff pitched their products to her, and although she never bought skin care products in the past, she spent a considerable amount on them.

Her daughter Nurhuda Halim, 23, reported the matter to the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), and the family was able to get a full refund.

TNP quotes Ms Nurhuda as saying that her mother was shocked at the purchases she had made, and “did not know what had happened”.

The salespersons had asked her to sample the products as she passed by, and the woman bought one product for $180.

“She agreed to buy one product for $180. Then, she was recommended even more products and it all came up to $2,400,” Ms Nurhuda told TNP, including a neck device worth $1,199 and a wrinkle-reducer serum for $1,000.

A representative of Aqua Mineral told TNP that while Ms Nurhuda’s mother had agreed at first to buy the products, they “respected her decision” to obtain a full refund.

Moreover, the company also offered “our sincere apologies for this experience”.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan, the president of Case, told TNP that the beauty industry is consistently among the top three when it comes to receiving customer complaints. In the first four months of the year, 108 similar complaints have been filed.

The TNP report also carried a warning from Ms Nurhada, especially when it comes to older family members buying costly items.

“One should exercise caution as much as possible, and should they be in such a situation, they should call a family member or someone they trust,” she is quoted as saying.

After the TNP report came out, a number of netizens commented that they experienced similar incidents.

“It feels like the beauty promoter use some kind of magic,” wrote one.

Others warned that they target the elderly in particular.

One woman wrote that she had not been able to get a refund.

 

/TISG

 

 

 

 

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