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CNA
20 minutes ago
- CNA
Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions linked to newly installed power system, says SMRT
SINGAPORE: The recent service disruptions along the Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit (LRT) network were related to a newly installed system which monitors and controls power distribution, said train operator SMRT on Sunday (Jul 20). This "Power SCADA" (supervisory control and data acquisition) system is part of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) ongoing power renewal project, said the president of SMRT Trains, Mr Lam Sheau Kai. The system is designed to "improve safety and reliability by remotely monitoring and controlling power distribution" across the Bukit Panjang LRT line, said Mr Lam on Sunday night. In a Facebook post, Mr Lam said that based on initial on-site investigations conducted on Sunday evening, the power fault that caused Saturday's train disruption across all stations on the line shares a "similar failure mode" to the incident that occurred on Jul 3. A fault in the Power SCADA system on Saturday affected the emergency trip system (ETS), "triggering a network-wide traction power trip". The on-site investigation was carried out jointly by SMRT, the LTA power renewal project team, and Schneider Electric - the system's original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The incident occurred at about 2.45pm on Saturday, which led to train services being unavailable across all stations on the Bukit Panjang LRT line. Four trains were stalled between stations due to the power loss. "To facilitate the safe resumption of train services, the ETS was bypassed, allowing traction power to be reinstated across the line," Mr Lam said. "The LTA project team is conducting a thorough investigation, including a full design review by the OEM contractor to strengthen network stability and prevent further recurrence," he added. "A key focus is ensuring that the traction power supply remains stable, especially while the system is still being commissioned." The Bukit Panjang LRT system is an 8km line connecting residential estates within Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the North-South and Downtown Lines Mr Lam said that the Bukit Panjang LRT power renewal project is targeted for completion by the end of 2026, and it will continue to monitor the system closely as works progress. "We thank all affected commuters for their patience and understanding during the disruption."
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Japan faces rice shortage as South Korea battles oversupply
HAENAM, South Korea / TOKYO: Japan is grappling with rice shortages and price hikes, forcing it to ramp up imports. Just across the sea, South Korea is facing the opposite problem — an overwhelming surplus that has driven prices so low, some regions are practically giving rice away. As shortages and surpluses hit wallets and livelihoods, the instability of rice supply could have an impact far beyond the dining table, said observers. TACKLING OVERSUPPLY Farmer Park Geun Sik spent his life working the land in Haenam, a farming town in South Jeolla province, about 330km south of Seoul. When he started, everything from planting seedlings to threshing rice was done by hand. Rice was so scarce that there were designated no-rice days banning its sale. Then, machines arrived and high-yield rice varieties were introduced as South Korea embarked on a drive for self-sufficiency. Like most farmers in South Korea, Park is a member of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Nonghyup. Nonghyup buys rice directly from farmers, then handles everything from drying and storing it to packaging and distribution. 'There is never a year when we can't sell the harvested rice,' Park told CNA. 'Most co-op members find it more convenient that way.' Every year, the South Korean government imports and also purchases rice from farmers to ensure food security. It also buys 'quarantine rice', which is the supply it wants to take off the market in order to stabilise prices. The government purchased 1.2 million tonnes of rice from 2021 to 2024, according to official data. This amounts to about US$1.9 billion worth of rice sitting in government storage. Haenam County Office said the government stores about 17 to 18 per cent of annual rice consumption in case of disaster or war. That is around 700,000 to 800,000 tonnes. Kim Ung Il, an officer with the office's distribution support division, said older reserves are usually sold to manufacturers of processed food, and recent harvests to low-income families, for as little as US$2 for a 10kg pack. For rice released for retail, the price fluctuates based on factors such as harvest yields. Korean farmers frustrated by thinning margins have taken to the streets to demand change. Gu Gwang Seok, executive director of the non-profit Korean Peasants League (Gwangju), said rice prices have barely risen in the 30 years he has been farming, blaming imports for pushing down prices. 'Every year, we import about 13 per cent of our domestic rice production. In terms of volume, that's around 408,000 tonnes (required under World Trade Organization agreements),' he added. 'That is why farmers are protesting. They are demanding that the government guarantee the price of rice and stop importing it.' Meanwhile, the door to exporting rice has never really opened. Most countries do not favour the short-grain, sticky Japonica rice South Korea produces except Japan. DEALING WITH SHORTAGE In April, Japan bought Korean rice for the first time since 1999 when it was facing a rice shortage. Rural Japanese families traditionally get their rice at negotiated prices from a local dealer or directly from farmers. At supermarkets across Japan, rice is selling at record prices or simply out of stock. Rice prices doubled from a year ago in May this year. In July, it's about US$27 on average for a 5kg pack, prompting the government to release emergency reserves. But the sales are massively depleting stockpiles, with only about 100,000 tonnes of rice left. Japan imports 770,000 tonnes of rice a year under WTO rules. Anything more brought in by the private sector incurs hefty tariffs of about US$2.30 per kilogram. But as domestic rice prices soar, private sector imports are rising. In May, they amounted to some 10,600 tonnes - mostly from the United States - up from just 115 tonnes a year ago. Kazuyoshi Fujimoto owns a 15-hectare rice farm in Kakogawa city - passed down for generations - but began shifting away from growing rice two years ago due to high costs. 'To tend to paddy fields, you need to invest in machinery,' he said. 'If it malfunctions, it costs 5 million to 6 million yen (US$33,700 to US$40,400) to replace it. So eventually, I plan to move entirely from paddy fields to growing figs.' Japan began paying farmers to reduce rice acreage in the 1970s to tackle overproduction and keep rice prices high. Now, production targets are still set by the government and influenced by Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) which nearly all farmers belong to. Around 70 per cent of crops harvested are sold through JA, according to experts, and the rest to wholesalers, retailers or straight to consumers. It sent Fujimoto a flyer offering to buy his rice for at least 11,500 yen (US$77.50) for every 30kg this year, which is about twice as much as last year. 'Until three years ago, prices (paid by JA) were stable,' said Fujimoto. 'But in the past year or two, prices rose a little, by 30 per cent. Then this year, it was a big hike." Rice production has tumbled over the years, from a peak of 14.45 million tonnes in 1967 to less than 7 million tonnes last year. Farmers told CNA they were puzzled by the sudden severe shortage, with some pointing to the complexity of the supply chain. In Nagano, known for its mountainous terrain and high-quality rice, some farmers said middlemen are paying three times more for their rice compared to last year. Poor harvests caused by heatwaves and a spike in inbound tourism are being cited as factors for the shortage. Japan's farming population, too, is steadily shrinking. Analysts said it is critical to stop reducing rice acreage and consolidate small-scale farms by encouraging their owners - who are mostly elderly - to lease their land to larger operations. 'Full-time farmers will be richer by accumulating more land. They could improve the efficiency of rice production,' said Kazuhito Yamashita, research director at the think tank Canon Institute for Global Studies. 'But it is not easy to implement in Japanese politics because we have to face politically powerful agricultural cooperatives.' LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES Meanwhile, South Korea's growers are watching closely. In Haenam, conditions are ripe to adapt rice fields for other crops. Farmers like Kim Jun Hyeong get government incentives to switch from rice to beans. 'In the case of rice farming, you usually have to grow the seedlings for about 20 days before transplanting. But when there is no need for that process (such as when growing beans), it becomes more advantageous,' he said. 'For beans, they go for about 4,000 to 4,500 won (US$2.90 to US$3.30) per kilogram,' he added. 'Rice, on the other hand, doesn't even fetch 2,000 won per kilogram." Kim now sets aside half his farmland for beans. His income has almost doubled, propelled by the incentives. In cities like Seoul, rice is finding a second life. Rike Bakery, which opened a few months ago, sets itself apart by using rice flour — a pricier alternative to wheat flour — as its key ingredient. The government is also promoting it as a substitute to raise rice consumption. 'I think rice has a better image than wheat,' said Jeon Hee Ju, owner of Rike Bakery. 'So when customers hear it's made from rice, they feel it's healthier and more comforting to eat.'
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Japan PM Ishiba vows to stay on after bruising election defeat
TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba vowed to remain in office on Monday (Jul 21) after his ruling coalition suffered a bruising defeat in Upper House elections, prompting some of his own party to deliberate his future as the opposition weighed a no-confidence motion. The embattled premier told a news conference he would remain in office to oversee tariff talks with the United States and other pressing matters such as rising consumer prices that are straining the world's fourth-largest economy. "I will stay in office and do everything in my power to chart a path toward resolving these challenges," Ishiba said, adding that he intended to speak directly with US President Donald Trump as soon as possible and deliver tangible results. Analysts say his days may be numbered, having also lost control of the more powerful Lower House in elections last year and shedding votes on Sunday to opposition parties pledging to cut taxes and tighten immigration policies. "The political situation has become fluid and could lead to a leadership change or the reshuffling of the coalition in coming months, but Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will likely stay to complete the tariff negotiations with the US for now," said Oxford Economics' lead Japan economist Norihiro Yamaguchi. Facing a voter backlash over rising consumer prices, investors fear his administration will now be more beholden to opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending that the world's most indebted country can ill afford. The 68-year-old leader said he had no plans to expand his coalition but would work with opposition parties to address voter concerns about inflation. He cautioned, though, that tax changes would not deliver the immediate help households need. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday on Monday, although the yen strengthened and Nikkei futures rose slightly, as the election results appeared to be priced in. Yields on Japanese government bonds sold off sharply ahead of the ballot as polls showed the ruling coalition - which had been calling for fiscal restraint - was likely to lose its majority in the upper house. Adding to the economic anxiety, Ishiba's lack of progress in averting tariffs set to be imposed by its biggest trading partner, the US, on Aug 1 appears to have frustrated some voters. "Had the ruling party resolved even one of these issues, it (its approval rate) would have gone up, but we didn't feel anything and it seems like the US would continue to push us around," Hideaki Matsuda, a 60-year-old company manager, said outside Tokyo's bustling Shinjuku station on Monday morning. Japan's chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa departed for trade talks in Washington on Monday morning, his eighth visit in three months. POPULIST POLITICS Ishiba's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has ruled Japan for most of its post-war history, and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs. The leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party (CDPJ), Yoshihiko Noda, said on Sunday he is considering submitting a vote of no-confidence in the Ishiba administration as the result showed it did not have voters' trust. The CDPJ returned 22 seats in the ballot, finishing second. Some senior LDP lawmakers were also quietly voicing doubts over whether Ishiba should stay, according to local media reports on Monday. Among them was former prime minister Taro Aso, leader of a powerful faction within the ruling party, who said he "couldn't accept" Ishiba staying on, Japan's TV Asahi reported. Senior party members, including Aso, met on Sunday evening to discuss whether Ishiba should resign, Sankei newspaper reported. "It is natural that there are various opinions within the party," Ishiba said, when asked about the members of his party calling for his resignation. The far-right Sanseito party clocked the biggest gains of the night, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube during the pandemic by spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the party found wider appeal with its "Japanese First" campaign and warnings about a "silent invasion" of foreigners. Dragging once-fringe rhetoric into the mainstream, its success could mark the arrival of populist politics in Japan, which until now has failed to take root as it has in the US and western Europe. Sanseito's party leader Sohei Kamiya, a former supermarket manager and English teacher, has previously pointed to Germany's AfD and Reform UK as a possible blueprint for future success.
