Myanmar quake one month on: Impact still felt by thousands as monsoon season approaches
A month ago, Bangkok was hit by a massive tremor, followed by several aftershocks. A massive earthquake in Myanmar sent buildings in the Thai capital shaking and one solitary office tower, still under construction, folded in on itself. Meanwhile, tens of thousands are still homeless and at risk of diseases as Myanmar struggles to rebuild in the aftermath of the powerful tremor. Alexander Matheou, Regional Director for Asia Pacific at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, talks to CNA's Loke Wei Sue.
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Business Times
11 hours ago
- Business Times
Cordlife collection rates still under pre-incident levels, but resumed Singapore operations are ‘encouraging'
[SINGAPORE] Cordlife said that the full resumption of its Singapore operations is an 'encouraging step' in restoring client confidence and regaining operational momentum, even though collection rates have not recovered to average levels from before a storage lapse in December 2023. The cord blood bank resumed operations earlier this year after the Ministry of Health (MOH) renewed its licences for cord blood banking and human tissue banking services with effect from Jan 14. The ministry had suspended it from carrying out operations after uncovering lapses in the storage of its cord-blood tanks. In a Friday (Jun 6) business update, the embattled private cord blood bank said that it is continuing to engage customers affected by the incident. As at May 30, 2025, 56 per cent of affected customers have accepted Cordlife's offers to refund annual fees they paid from the start of the temperature lapse, as well as its offers to waive all subsequent fees for active customers whose children's cord blood units (CBU) are stored in the damaged, high-risk tanks, and to continue storing the CBU of affected customer's children until their child turns 21. It added that it has received correspondence from clients, assessing the losses resulting from alleged breaches of contract, negligence and misrepresentation, and that it is 'actively monitoring' these matters in consultation with legal advisers and taking steps at appropriate junctures. To return to pre-incident levels of performance, Cordlife said, it will continue to expand its outreach initiatives in order to maintain a strong sales pipeline. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up It sank into the red with a S$6.3 million net loss for its second half ended Dec 31, 2024, reversing from a S$1.3 million net profit in the previous corresponding period, as a result of the fallout from the lapses. Loss per share for the half-year stood at S$0.0247, from earnings per share of S$0.0051 previously. Its revenue plunged 32 per cent to S$18.7 million, from S$27.4 million, due to the suspension of its Singapore operations until Sep 14, 2024, after the lapses were discovered. In May this year, the group received a voluntary conditional cash partial offer from Medeze Treasury, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thai-listed stem cell company Medeze Group. The offer was for a 10 per cent stake in the group as Medeze is seeking to explore business opportunities with Cordlife. The group added that it has been taking 'active steps' to raise public awareness on the importance of cord blood banking and its role in safeguarding future health outcomes by ramping up marketing efforts. These measures include participating in baby fairs and engaging with the medical community to strengthen its ecosystem of doctors and hospitals. The group said it has strengthened and renewed relationships with the medical community in Singapore by engaging stakeholders in the community to inform them of its rectification efforts and improved procedures. It added that it is working closely with the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies and the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy to restore its accreditations for Singapore. Shares of Cordlife ended Thursday 1.9 per cent or S$0.005 higher at S$0.275, before the announcement.
CNA
17 hours ago
- CNA
Can't stand the different foods on your plate touching each other? There might be a name for that
We don't blame you for feeling slightly vulnerable when you're eating out with people you hardly know. Whether you're a loud chewer, soup slurper or double dipper, your manners and habits are all laid bare on the table for your dining companions to see and hear. Including some that others might think of as unusual – like separating the components of even the simplest dishes. A co-worker once shared how she would painstakingly compartmentalise each ingredient. "Even if the ingredients are cooked together, like prawn aglio olio, I will start by pushing the prawns aside," she said. "I seldom order from places like Stuff'd because the ingredients and sauces are all over each other." And it's a peculiar habit that's not as uncommon as you might think. In a previous interview with CNA, Jasmin Lau, the newly appointed Minister of State with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Ministry of Education, revealed: 'When I eat, I deconstruct my food." For instance, when having a burger, she would eat the bun, patty and vegetables separately. 'When I buy cai png, I will tell the aunty, do not pile the dishes on top of each other because I need to eat them separately. The worst is sushi. It's actually a crime against sushi chefs when they put the fish on top of the rice and then I deconstruct it. But that's how I eat,' she said. Drenching food with gravy is another no-no. "I hated doing that because I find it gross, even if it doesn't taste bad," said a Reddit user. "I still remember having to chew and swallow rice that was absolutely drenched in a whole bunch of juices and it was so gross.' But where does this dislike of food-touching-other-food come from? Is it just a fussy eating habit as children that some carry into adulthood or something else? IS THIS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF FUSSY EATING HABITS? Turns out, it could be an actual food phobia with a name: Brumotactillophobia. Affected individuals may find it unbearable to have different foods touching each other on their plate. "It is likely that cases are very rare," said Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist with Gleneagles Hospital. 'Brumotactillophobia is not officially recognised in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5, and thus, specific prevalence data in Singapore is lacking. Likely due to its rarity or that sufferers do not seek treatment, I have not seen brumotactillophobia per se,' he said. Dr Lim noted that the cause of brumotactillophobia is unknown. However, 'fussy eaters almost never evolve to have brumotactillophobia', he added. Not all individuals with food separation preferences have an underlying clinical condition. What is known is that affected individuals often display 'heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli, a preference for routine and discomfort with changes in their environment'. 'These traits are commonly observed in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)'. 'There have been a few cases of patients with OCD that I have seen with similar behaviour,' he said. But Dr Lim emphasised that not all individuals with food separation preferences have an underlying clinical condition. WHY THE NEED TO SEPARATE FOOD? Autistic individuals tend to have a higher prevalence of brumotactillophobia as they can be hypersensitive to stimuli. And when it comes to food, certain tastes, textures or colours can be intensely stimulating for them, according to The ADHD & Autism Clinic in the UK. For instance, they tend to eschew fruits and vegetables such as bananas and mushrooms, and prefer processed and bland carbohydrates. As much as 90 per cent of children with autism show food separating patterns; and the strong preference doesn't diminish with age. In fact, they may grow into adults with deeper-ingrained aversions due to lifelong patterns of selective eating, according to The ADHD & Autism Clinic. As autistic writer Devrupa Rakshit wrote on The Swaddle, keeping her food compartmentalised lets her regulate the flavours in each bite and prevent her senses from being overwhelmed. 'The rationale is the same for textures, too. I'd want to make sure I am the one dipping my momos in chutney because, otherwise, a happy meal can quickly turn into a sensory nightmare for me.' ARE THERE DEGREES OF BRUMOTACTILLOPHOBIA? Yes, it can manifest in varying degrees of severity, said Dr Lim. 'In mild cases, individuals may simply prefer foods to be separated without significant distress. They are still in control and may be able to resist the urge to separate the food.' However, 'in more severe instances, the aversion can lead to anxiety, avoidance of social situations involving food, and interference with daily functioning'. 'When such behaviours are driven by intrusive thoughts and compulsions, they may be indicative of OCD,' said Dr Lim.
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- AsiaOne
Boy, 4, caught smoking under a Bangkok bridge sent to government-run shelter, Asia News
A 4-year-old boy in Bangkok was caught smoking under a bridge, a Thai Facebook user shared last month. In the video, the child is seen sitting on the stairs with a cigarette resting between his index and ring finger, exhaling smoke and smiling widely. The video has since amassed over eight million views. The boy has since been placed under temporary care of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security due to the unsafe living conditions caused by his parents' homelessness, reported Thai portal The Thaiger. The parents have been homeless for over a year, and the child has been living with them for that duration, Thai media reported. In the video, the man is seen asking the child to throw the cigarette away. "Don't touch it again. Absolutely no more smoking, no. Give it to me. I'm going to tell your father." He takes the cigarette away from the boy, stubbing it out. The man wrote in his Facebook post: "If he were older, I wouldn't have intervened because I've been through that myself when I was young." He shared that his own parents had both smoked, and he did the same. "The boy is the same," the man said in the post. His hashtags shared his concern for the boy.: "This clip is posted to warn your children" and "only four or five years old". The last frame in the video shows the boy's parents resting under a makeshift shelter. They appear to be homeless. According to the Thai portal, a social media influencer, Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, sent his team to locate the boy's parents. When asked about the video on Facebook, the father said: "My son was probably just copying the teenagers. There were some teenagers loitering around." The parents had said earlier they do not smoke. The boy's mother added that her husband was suffering from health problems, leaving him unable to work. She is the sole breadwinner, often selling fish caught from a nearby river, but her earnings are not enough to make ends meet. The family started living under the bridge because they cannot afford to pay rent and have been relying on charity groups for meals, reports said. The parents added they plan to enroll their son in a school soon. The boy has two siblings who are living with relatives in other parts of Thailand, the parents said. According to Tobacco Control Laws, the legal age to buy and use tobacco products in Thailand is 20 years old. [[nid:718388]]
