logo
Travel with a purpose: Finding contentment in slow travel and a community in protecting coral reefs

Travel with a purpose: Finding contentment in slow travel and a community in protecting coral reefs

Straits Times6 hours ago

From April to June 2025, Ms Venny Lewis volunteered at Coral Catch, an NGO in Indonesia that focuses on coral conservation. She is currently working there. PHOTO: COURTESY OF VENNY LEWIS
SINGAPORE – Ms Venny Lewis, 27, quit her job in August 2024 to embark on a sabbatical that has landed her work in a different field in another country.
Her job of two years in a healthcare technology firm was her first since graduating with a degree in information systems from National University of Singapore. But she says she 'never felt passionate about the technology space' and wanted to travel for a while.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former head of major Chinese airline under graft investigation
Former head of major Chinese airline under graft investigation

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Former head of major Chinese airline under graft investigation

Mr Liu Shaoyong, who headed the airline from 2009 until 2022, is being investigated for 'serious violations of discipline and law'. PHOTO: AFP Former head of major Chinese airline under graft investigation BEIJING - The former head of China Eastern Airlines is under investigation over corruption allegations, two Chinese anti-graft bodies said on June 28. Mr Liu Shaoyong, who headed the airline from 2009 until his resignation in 2022, is being investigated for 'serious violations of discipline and law', the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said in a statement. The Shanghai-based airline, primarily owned by the Chinese government through its parent company, is one of the three largest Chinese airlines. Mr Liu was credited with turning the carrier around after it posted record losses before he was appointed. China Eastern Airlines under his leadership merged with Shanghai Airlines and joined the SkyTeam airline alliance, strengthening its position in domestic and international markets. Mr Liu also led another one of China's major airlines, China Southern, before taking the reins of China Eastern. Chinese President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting crackdown on corruption since coming to power over a decade ago. Proponents say the policy promotes clean governance but others say it also serves as a means for Mr Xi to purge political rivals. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Trump dismisses reports US is weighing up to $30bln civilian nuclear deal for Iran
Trump dismisses reports US is weighing up to $30bln civilian nuclear deal for Iran

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Trump dismisses reports US is weighing up to $30bln civilian nuclear deal for Iran

CNN cited officials as saying that several proposals were floated and were preliminary. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump dismisses reports US is weighing up to $30bln civilian nuclear deal for Iran WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on June 27 dismissed media reports that said his administration had discussed possibly helping Iran access as much as US $30 billion (S$38.2 billion) to build a civilian-energy-producing nuclear programme . CNN reported on June 26 and NBC News reported on June 27 that the Trump administration in recent days had explored possible economic incentives for Iran in return for its government halting uranium enrichment. The reports cited sources. CNN cited officials as saying that several proposals were floated and were preliminary. "Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that 'President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.' Never heard of this ridiculous idea," Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social late on June 27 , calling the reports a "HOAX." Since April, Iran and the US have held indirect talks aimed at finding a new diplomatic solution regarding Iran's nuclear programme . Tehran says its programme is peaceful and Washington says it wants to ensure Iran cannot build a nuclear weapon. Mr Trump, earlier this week, announced a ceasefire between US ally Israel and its regional rival Iran to halt a war that began on June 13 when Israel attacked Iran. The Israel-Iran conflict had raised alarms in a region already on edge since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023. The US struck Iran's nuclear sites over the last weekend and Iran targeted a US base in Qatar on June 23 in retaliation, before Mr Trump announced the ceasefire. Israel is the only Middle Eastern country widely believed to have nuclear weapons and said its war against Iran aimed to prevent Tehran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Iran is a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, while Israel is not. The UN nuclear watchdog, which carries out inspections in Iran, has said it has "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons programme in Iran. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll
Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Flood-hit China expands social security net as extreme rain takes toll

FILE PHOTO: A drone view shows buildings and roads are half submerged in floodwaters after heavy rainfalls, in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province, China June 24, 2025. China Daily via REUTERS/File Photo BEIJING - China has expanded the economic safeguards for segments of its population affected by flood control schemes in times of extreme rainfall, including pledges of direct compensation from the central government and payments for livestock losses. In China, diverting flood-waters to areas next to rivers is a major step in managing downstream flooding. As extreme rainfall grows in frequency, China is increasingly utilising such areas, some of which have been unused until now and have been populated by farms, croplands and even residential buildings, stoking social tensions. According to revised rules on compensation related to flood diversions released late on Friday, the central government will now bear 70% of all compensation funds, with local governments responsible for the rest. Previously, the ratio was to be decided based on actual economic losses and the fiscal situation of local governments. Livestock and poultry that cannot be relocated in time before the arrival of diverted flood-waters will also be included in the compensation scheme for the first time. Previously, only the loss of working animals could be claimed for compensation. In the summer of 2023, almost 1 million people in Hebei, a province on the doorstep of Beijing, were relocated after record rain forced authorities to divert water from swollen rivers to some populated areas for storage, triggering anger over the homes and farms sacrificed to save the Chinese capital. China currently has 98 designated flood diversion areas spanning major river basins including the Yangtze River basin, home to a third of the country's population. During the 2023 Hebei floods, eight flood storage areas were used. Since the start of the East Asia monsoon in early June, precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze has been up to two times higher than usual, officials from the China Meterological Administration told reporters on Friday. In other parts of China, daily rainfall measured by 30 meteorological stations in provinces such as Hubei and Guizhou broke records for the month of June, they said. Guizhou was the focal point of China's flood alleviation efforts this week, with one of its cities hit by flooding on a scale that meteorologists said could only happen once in 50 years, and at a speed that shocked its 300,000 residents. That prompted Beijing to issue pledges on Thursday to move vulnerable populations and industries to low-flood areas and allocate more space for flood diversion. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store