Has social media made us more lonely?
This week, we look at social media's effects on how we communicate.
This is a special Straits Times resource for pre-university students as part of The Straits Times-Ministry of Education News Outreach Programme.
The team behind the ST-MOE News Outreach Programme has compiled a series of news resources for you. This week, we look at social media's effects on how we communicate.
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Poland fixes fault that briefly disrupted flights, officials say
Find out what's new on ST website and app. WARSAW - Polish authorities said they had fixed a fault in air traffic control systems that briefly disrupted take-offs in Warsaw and other cities on Saturday morning, and operations were returning to normal. Warsaw's Chopin Airport said take-offs and landings were running as usual by midday. Earlier outages had forced authorities to limit the number of flights in Polish airspace. Airports in Krakow, Katowice and Gdansk had also reported issues through the morning. "The temporary problems were caused by a fault that was promptly resolved," the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) wrote in a statement, without providing further details on the fault. "After implementing all necessary procedures, the primary air traffic management system was restored," the agency said. Backups had kept safety systems running through the outage, it added. Earlier, the Interior Ministry said the security agency had investigated the outage and made routine checks for sabotage. Poland and other countries have accused Russia of stepping up disruption and sabotage campaigns since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - accusations that Moscow has denied. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: Train service resumes after power fault affects 13-station line
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Commuters being guided off four stalled trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT line on July 19. SINGAPORE – Train service on the Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT) line resumed on July 19, almost two hours after a power fault affected the entire 13-station line. Transport operator SMRT said on Facebook at 2.58pm that four trains had stopped between stations after the power fault at about 2.45pm. SMRT staff safely guided the passengers from these trains to the nearest stations, it added. Also, announcements were made in trains and stations to keep commuters updated on the situation. 'Our engineers are on-site to investigate and resolve the issue. We are sorry for affecting your afternoon commute,' said SMRT Trains president Lam Sheau Kai. In an earlier Facebook post at 2.45pm, SMRT said trains were moving slower towards Choa Chu Kang LRT station on Service A, and that it was investigating the fault. In an update about five minutes later, the transport operator said that train services were not available as the power fault spanned all 13 stations. It added that free regular or bridging buses are available outside the stations. In an update at 4.22pm, about two hours after the fault surfaced, SMRT said train services have resumed normal operations. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Singapore Who decides when you can't? A guide on planning for end-of-life care Singapore Why hiring more teachers makes sense, even with falling student numbers About 10 minutes after that, the operator said the free regular and free bridging bus services were no longer available. Ms Fay Goh was heading from Fajar to Teck Whye station at around 2.45pm when the LRT train she was in stopped between the Fajar and Bangkit stations for eight to 10 minutes. Ms Goh said she was worried as she was rushing to her workplace at 3pm, and felt that her body temperature was rising as the train was under the sun. 'It was so hot inside and the other commuters looked blur as to what to do. Fortunately, one of the young men in the train helped to call the (intercom) and lent me a fan to cool down. Even now, my cheek is still feeling hot,' she said. Several engineers later arrived at the stationary train and helped the commuters out of the train. They then walked on the tracks to Fajar station. Another commuter, Mr Libin Sim, was travelling from Bukit Panjang to Choa Chu Kang station when the LRT train stopped just before South View station. The 46-year-old director of a trade association said that the train was stuck for about 10 minutes before two engineers helped them off the train. They walked on the tracks to South View station. Commuters were guided off four stalled trains on the Bukit Panjang LRT line on July 19. PHOTO: COURTESY OF LIBIN SIM 'Everyone was very composed. There was no panic. There were about 20 of us, including elderly, kids and parents. The tracks were quite wide... In fact, everyone was very amused with the experience,' he said. This is the second LRT train disruption to occur in July . Train service on the line resumed at about 11.40am on July 3, about three hours after a power fault led to disruption at all stations.
Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Straits Times
A recipe for Singapore: A dash of religion and concern for the planet
Most faiths teach us to care for the environment. We can bring these religious traditions together in a common cause that will also strengthen Singapore. In Singapore, we can tap the common refrain among different faiths to care for mother earth, says the writer. On June 24, 2025, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam delivered the opening address to delegates at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS) in Singapore. During his presentation – subsequently published in The Straits Times – he argued that multicultural societies have traditionally been conceived as a quilt composed of many individually distinctive patches that create a beautiful effect when stitched together. However, when factors such as polarisation or economic inequalities put pressure on the quilt, the stitches can come apart. The President argued that Singapore should strive to create a stronger fabric – for example, something more like a tapestry in which many threads of different colour are woven together to create a single integrated textile that cannot so easily be torn apart at the seams. What would it take to create such a material?
