Defence chiefs of all five FPDA member countries meet for first time in a decade
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CNA
15 minutes ago
- CNA
NEL disruption: Authorities reviewing measures to strengthen power system resilience
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SBS Transit are reviewing measures to strengthen the power system's resilience after an hours-long disruption hit train services on the North-East Line (NEL) and Sengkang-Punggol LRT on Tuesday (Aug 12). Train services between 11 stations on the NEL were affected on Tuesday after a power trip occurred at a depot substation. The Sengkang-Punggol LRT service was disrupted as well. "Based on preliminary investigations LTA conducted with SBS Transit, a fault had occurred in the switchboards which fed power to the system," said the transport authority in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "There are two switchboards that act as backups for each other. Normally, if one trips, the other can continue supplying power from the main source." However, during Tuesday's fault, the first switchboard was damaged and the surge triggered a safety feature that shut down the second switchboard to protect it from damage, said LTA. This also cut off the main power supply from Sengkang Depot. As a result, SBS Transit had to manually connect the backup power source from Dhoby Ghaut to the second switchboard to restore services progressively. 'As part of post-incident follow-up, LTA and SBS Transit are also reviewing measures to strengthen our power system's resilience,' said the transport authority. DISRUPTION Tuesday's disruption was announced by SBS Transit at around 11.30am, stating that train services between Farrer Park and Punggol Coast MRT stations on the NEL and the entire Sengkang-Punggol LRT were affected. Power was progressively restored to the affected stations, and NEL services fully resumed at 2.10pm. However, services on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT were down for about five hours. SBS Transit Group CEO Jeffrey Sim said that recovery works for the LRT service had to be carried out in stages to ensure a steady increase of the electrical load and prevent another power trip, as both the NEL and Sengkang-Punggol LRT were now relying on a shared substation. Power on the Sengkang LRT was restored at 3.34pm, while Punggol LRT had begun progressively resuming services from 4.15pm. However, to avoid stressing the power supply from the single substation, services on the Sengkang-Punggol LRT operated on a single track for both the east and west loops during the evening peak periods. Full services on the LRT were resumed as of 9.20pm. Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow expressed disappointment last week at the rail disruptions in the last few months.
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
International Left-Handers Day: Everyday tasks lefties have to adapt to
Fun fact: Aug 13 is International Left-Handers Day. Here's a look at some everyday tasks lefties have to find a way around, as told by CNA Lifestyle's Grace Yeoh. Illustrations: CNA/Jasper Loh Using a chair with a writing board is a nightmare for lefties. "In my experience, the solution is not to hope left-handers will turn their body slightly to the right, risking backache and arm cramps. It is to invest in proper furniture," she says. The classic pen holder at information counters always comes with an elastic chain. It's great for preventing theft, but with the pen holder almost always placed on the right-hand side, how do lefties ensure the chain doesn't get in the way? Most watch crowns are on the right side, which is convenient for adjusting when the watch is worn on the left wrist. But many lefties prefer wearing their watches on their right wrist, making it an awkward affair to toggle the watch crown. It's tough to always be the person asking for a left-handed demonstration or option when learning a new activity like playing the guitar. For lefties, the can opener is a contraption more complicated than the military's weapons system. Of course, there's also the signature pinky finger ink smudge - the infamous mark of a left-hander. Next Story
CNA
4 hours ago
- CNA
Australia and Vanuatu agree US$325 million security and economic pact amid China competition
SYDNEY: Australia and Vanuatu on Wednesday (Aug 13) agreed a A$500 million (US$326.50 million) deal to strengthen economic and security ties between the two countries, amid increasing competition from China, the Pacific island nation's largest external creditor. Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat said the deal, known as the Nakamal Agreement, will see Australia invest the funds into Vanuatu over the next decade and was a "win win" for both countries. "The agreement ... will transpire into a lot of trade benefits between the two countries, whether it be the security agreement, economic transformation, with some specific focus on labour mobility," Napat told a news conference on the island of Tanna in southern Vanuatu. Australia Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the agreement showed the two nations had a "shared destiny". "It acknowledges that as neighbours, we have a shared security environment and a commitment to each other," Marles said The deal will be formally signed by Napat and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the coming weeks, he added. The deal also covers funding for climate resilience following a December earthquake that hit the capital Port Vila, killing at least 14 people and injuring hundreds. In recent years Vanuatu has moved closer to China, the country's largest external creditor after a decade of infrastructure loans for construction, including a new president's office last year.
