Latest news with #KKH
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Lawyer convicted of defaming Singapore hospital cleared to join legal profession
SINGAPORE, Aug 9 — A lawyer fined for criminally defaming Singapore's KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) over a false miscarriage story has been approved for admission to the Singapore Bar. Singapore-based media organisation CNA reported yesterday that Ariffin Iskandar Sha Ali Akbar, 28, who published the fabricated story on the Wake Up Singapore website in 2022, was fined S$8,000 (RM26,400) last year. Despite objections from the Singapore attorney general and the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon ruled that Ariffin remained fit to practise law. The Chief Justice noted Ariffin's cooperation, remorse, and efforts to retract the story and apologise to KKH, adding that the offence stemmed from negligence rather than dishonesty. The Law Society of Singapore did not object to his admission, describing the offence as 'not one of serious gravity and did not involve any dishonesty.' Ariffin, also a former Singapore Democratic Party candidate, will be called to the Bar on August 13. He expressed gratitude following the court decision. 'I hope to use this privilege of practice to serve the community and help those in need,' he said, as reported by CNA.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Trump announces peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia at White House
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US President Donald Trump (centre), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev (left) and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan showing the signed agreements during a White House ceremony on Aug 8. WASHINGTON - Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a US-brokered peace agreement on Aug 8 during a meeting with US President Donald Trump that would boost bilateral economic ties after decades of conflict. The deal between the South Caucasus rivals - assuming it holds - would be a significant accomplishment for the Trump administration that is sure to rattle Moscow, which sees the region as within its sphere of influence. 'It's a long time - 35 years - they fought and now they're friends, and they're going to be friends for a long time,' Mr Trump said, at a signing ceremony at the White House, where he was flanked by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the late 1980s when Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous Azerbaijani region mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia. Azerbaijan took back full control of the region in 2023, prompting almost all of the territory's 100,000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia. Mr Trump said the two countries had committed to stop fighting, open up diplomatic relations and respect each other's territorial integrity. The agreement includes exclusive US development rights to a strategic transit corridor through the South Caucasus that the White House said would facilitate greater exports of energy and other resources. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore 'This is home', for retired shop owner putting up 11th flag display in Toa Payoh to mark SG60 Singapore Singapore leaders send congratulatory letters to South Korean counterparts to mark 50 years of ties Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar Mr Trump said the United States signed separate deals with each country to expand cooperation on energy, trade and technology, including artificial intelligence. He said restrictions had also been lifted on defence cooperation between Azerbaijan and the United States. Both leaders praised Mr Trump for helping to end the conflict and said they would nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. 'So who if not President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize?' Mr Aliyev said. Mr Trump has tried to present himself as a global peacemaker in the first months of his second term. The White House credits him with brokering a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand and sealing peace deals between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Pakistan and India. However, he has not managed to end Russia's war in Ukraine or Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza. US officials said the agreement was hammered out during repeated visits to the region and would provide a basis for working toward a full normalisation between the countries. Senior administration officials told reporters the agreement marked the first end to several frozen conflicts on Russia's periphery since the end of the Cold War and said it would send a powerful signal to the entire region. The peace deal could transform the South Caucasus, an energy-producing region neighbouring Russia, Europe, Turkey and Iran that is criss-crossed by oil and gas pipelines but riven by closed borders and longstanding ethnic conflicts. Armenia plans to award the US exclusive special development rights for an extended period on the transit corridor, administration officials told Reuters this week. The so-called Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity - or Tripp - has already drawn interest from nine companies, including three US firms, one official said on condition of anonymity. Ms Daphne Panayotatos, with the Washington-based rights group Freedom Now, said it has urged the Trump administration to use the meeting with Mr Aliyev to demand the release of some 375 political prisoners held in the country. Azerbaijan, an oil-producing country that hosted the United Nations climate summit in November 2024, has rejected Western criticism of its human rights record, describing it as unacceptable interference. REUTERS
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
He studied architecture to chase childhood dream of designing an NDP stage
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Architectural assistant Kenneth Chiang with NDP stage replicas he made, from 2009 (left), 2011 (right), and a scale model of the Padang he modelled and 3D-printed. SINGAPORE – Much like how people have the names of their favourite sports idols, movie stars or music artistes at their fingertips, Mr Kenneth Chiang can rattle off the names of National Day Parade (NDP) show segment creative directors by the year. As he does so, the architectural assistant offers short and at times unprompted commentaries on their shows, underscoring his fixation with Singapore's biggest annual production. It is unsurprising, then, that Mr Chiang – who has a 3D-printed scale model of the Padang complete with NDP bleachers and self-designed performance stage in his bedroom – dreams of one day being an NDP creative director. Since 2009, the self-professed NDP die-hard fan has watched the parade live on site at least once every year – including National Education shows and previews – missing just two editions during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Mr Chiang, 30, has already caught NDP 2025 at the Padang thrice, thanks to tickets from friends who know of his fascination with the parade. He has never been successful in the NDP ticket ballot, despite taking part every year. He said that since the early 2000s, when NDP creative directors were selected from the local arts scene, the storytelling of NDP shows has been much stronger, with a coherent narrative across the acts of each year's show segment. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore 'This is home', for retired shop owner putting up 11th flag display in Toa Payoh to mark SG60 Singapore Singapore leaders send congratulatory letters to South Korean counterparts to mark 50 years of ties Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar To say Singapore's annual birthday bash has had an impact on Mr Chiang's life is an understatement. In 2012, he chose to study architecture to fulfil a childhood dream of one day designing the NDP show stage – a step he hopes will eventually lead to him becoming the parade's creative director. Mr Chiang recalls a meeting with veteran show stage designer Randy Chan in 2011 that changed his life. Mr Kenneth Chiang (left) and NDP 2011 stage and set designer Randy Chan at a National Education show in July 2011. PHOTO: KENNETH CHIANG While watching an NDP National Education show at the now-demolished The Float @ Marina Bay in July that year, Mr Chiang – then 15 – saw Mr Chan in the stands out of the corner of his eye. Mr Chiang, spurred on by his friends, tapped Mr Chan on the shoulder. 'I love your work. I think what you do is damn cool,' Mr Chiang recalled saying to Mr Chan, the principal of architectural practice Zarch Collaboratives. That night, Mr Chiang left Marina Bay with Mr Chan's name card – which he got him to autograph – and an invitation to chat in Mr Chan's office. At Zarch's former office in Selegie, Mr Chan had an employee show Mr Chiang a model of the NDP 2011 stage that he had designed. The NDP 2011 stage (left) featured many smaller cubic spaces that could hold performers. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO 'It was the coolest thing ever,' said Mr Chiang. 'He told me, if you want to do the NDP stage, you need to study architecture. That is the condensed story of how I got into architecture – through the 'NDP route'.' If recent design competition results are anything to go by, Mr Chiang's goal of at least designing the NDP stage one day is no pipe dream. In the past year, he topped two ideas competitions organised by the authorities – one for Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and the other for Jurong Bird Park and Jurong Hill – proving his design chops. Mr Chan, 55, said the chance encounter with Mr Chiang in Marina Bay is etched in his memory. 'It lasted no more than 10 minutes, but it was magical. My family were seated nearby and they were surprised I had a fan,' said Mr Chan, who has designed five NDP stages since 2004. 'I told him to keep up the dream and to enjoy chasing it,' he said. By the time he enrolled in Singapore Polytechnic to study architecture in 2012, Mr Chiang had made models of about 10 stages – some of them replicas of NDP and other performance stages, others self-designed. A model of architect Randy Chan's NDP 2011 stage that Mr Chiang made when he was 16. PHOTO: KENNETH CHIANG The first of these was made in 2006, said Mr Chiang, who was then a Primary 5 pupil and was inspired by platforms that rose out of the NDP 2005 stage. It was on one of these platforms that singer Taufik Batisah and actress-singer Rui En stood as they performed Reach Out For The Skies in that year's finale. 'As a young kid watching, I wondered, 'How on earth did they make that happen?', so I spent months at home experimenting,' he said. Actress-singer Rui En and singer Taufik Batisah performing at an NDP 2005 preview at the Padang. PHOTO: ST FILE He eventually found some success with a cake tin and a toilet paper cardboard roll, and used McDonald's Happy Meal figurines as props. It was also around that time that video-sharing site YouTube was launched, allowing Mr Chiang to return home from school and rewatch NDP 2005 on demand daily, which ultimately cultivated his love for the spectacle. Chuffed by his success in re-creating the NDP 2005 stage, Mr Chiang started making more model stages, and at one point started projecting lights onto them. 'Every night I would return from school, hide in a dark room and project images on the fake stages, with figurines as props. I'd play with it for hours,' he said, adding that he took models to school to show his classmates. Mr Chiang's interest meant that his mother Judy, 65, often found him working on crafts instead of studying. 'Paper, scissors and colour pencils – those were his childhood toys,' she said. Almost two decades after making his first stage model, Mr Chiang is working at a local architectural firm and clocking requirements to be a registered architect in Singapore. Architectural assistant Kenneth Chiang holding a self-designed stage model inspired by Singapore's 60th birthday. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI He continues to dream of being an NDP show creative director, and his passion for the annual extravaganza shines through. On drives, he listens to NDP soundtracks of yesteryear, and in one look, he knows which year an NDP pack item, such as clappers or torchlights, came from. 'The NDP marries a few of my interests – a love for Singapore, theatre and live shows,' he said. 'The ultimate goal is to direct an NDP show, but stage design is something more relatable to me at the moment – from there, maybe I can make the step up.' He added: 'A good NDP stage has to fulfil the needs of the performance of that year – whether it requires a large screen or multiple levels. But I think what makes a good stage great is if it can offer something more than what the audience expects from your typical NDP stage.' Mr Chiang's collection of NDP paraphernalia includes items from as far back as 1998. PHOTO: KENNETH CHIANG As he awaits the chance to work on an NDP, Mr Chiang is happy to relive his childhood by designing and creating more stage models, including a scale model of the Padang he made in 2025. 'This is my second Padang model. 'The first was made of tissue paper boxes, and I wanted to also see how far I could push it this time, from making something rudimentary in primary school to 3D-printing something incredibly detailed now,' he said of his model, which includes details such as staircases for spectators to enter and leave the stands. For this model, Mr Chiang has also designed a projection mapping sequence that brings his model to life with motifs that represent various races in Singapore and includes tunes from the NDP 2013 soundtrack. Architectural assistant Kenneth Chiang, 30, with his model of the Padang NDP stage, illuminated by projection mapping he designed, at his home on July 19, 2025. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Mr Chan said he is proud to see Mr Chiang grow from the 'little boy' who approached him at the float in 2011 to become an accomplished designer. 'Our meetings have been serendipitous. Winning competitions is a result of his own resilience and resourcefulness. The 2011 meeting was a moment in time and I was glad to be a part of it,' he said. 'Kenneth is doing great work, has the energy, and I am happy that he still has that idealism in him and is pursuing his passion.'
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Two tourists from Vietnam die at sea in Greece amid gale-force winds
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Gale-force winds in Greece confined many ferries to port, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of summer travellers. ATHENS - Two Vietnamese tourists died at sea in Greece on Aug 8, the coastguard said, as gale-force winds confined many ferries to port, disrupting tens of thousands of summer travellers, and sparked wildfires. A coastguard spokeswoman said a man and woman had died at the Sarakiniko beach on the tourist island of Milos in the Cyclades, as firefighters battled blazes near Athens and on the island of Cephalonia. 'The man and woman were found unconscious in the sea and were taken to the local health centre,' the spokeswoman said. 'They were Vietnamese tourists on a cruise ship group. The woman fell in the water and the man apparently tried to save her,' she said. The civil protection ministry had said wind gusts would reach 88kmh, especially in the southern Aegean and the Sea of Crete. More than 200 firefighters backed by 11 water bombers and seven helicopters were battling a fire in Keratea, southeast of Athens, Costas Tsigkas, head of the association of Greek firefighter officers, told ERT state television. 'It's a difficult fire... (owing) to wind gusts,' he said, adding that several communities had been evacuated. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Opinion Singapore must look ahead, prepare to ride next wave of change Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Singapore Non-invasive depression treatment TMS helps engineer get his life back Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar 'The fire front is seven kilometres, homes are under threat,' a local mayor, Mr Dimitris Loukas, told ERT, adding that the wind was complicating efforts to douse the blaze from the air. The Cephalonia fire was earlier placed under control, local officials said. National weather service EMY said the winds would weaken after midnight. 'Left stranded' The coastguard said most ferries were unable to depart on schedule from Piraeus and other Athens ports, especially to the Cyclades or Dodecanese islands. Several services were cancelled and others postponed. At Piraeus, hundreds of people crowded outside a ferry that was bound for the Cycladic islands of Paros and Naxos, waiting for news on a possible departure. Nearby, stranded travellers surrounded by rucksacks and suitcases formed a huge queue outside a ticket office and made desperate phone calls hoping to make rearrangements to save their journeys. 'There's huge lines, huge commotion, everyone's waiting in the sun and it's a very tough time,' said Mr Philip Elias, an American tourist. Mr Sergi Gros, a 51-year-old civil servant from Spain, said he was scrambling to find last-minute accommodation in Athens for two nights, having already lost his booking on the island of Astypalea. 'We arrived at 6.45am in the morning and they told us the ferry was cancelled,' Mr Gros told AFP, saying there was a 'total lack of information'. 'I don't think (the hotel) can be refunded because it's not their fault. It's a great shame because we booked with a big (ferry) company, and there are people who reserve months in advance... they left us stranded,' he said. Maritime connections with the Saronic islands near Athens including Aegina, Hydra, Poros and Spetses and the Ionian Sea were unaffected, the coastguard said. Strong winds are common in Greece at this time of year, and firefighters have already faced several major blazes this summer, including on the islands of Evia and Chios and in the western Peloponnese. AFP
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
US and UK differ on Gaza policy but share common goals, says J.D. Vance
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox US Vice-President J.D. Vance (right) meets British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Britain on Aug 8. SEVENOAKS, England - Britain and the US may disagree about how to address the crisis in Gaza but they share common goals in the region, US Vice-President J.D. Vance said at the start of a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy in southern England. Mr Vance, who has previously criticised Britain and its governing Labour Party, landed with his wife Usha and their three children in London before heading to Chevening, the large, red-brick country residence used by the British foreign minister. Appearing before reporters and TV cameras, the two leaders exuded plenty of bonhomie, with Mr Lammy recommending Mr Vance enjoy a coastal walk in Kent and the vice-president professing his 'love' for Britain. Asked about Britain's plan to recognise Palestine, Mr Vance said the US and Britain had a common goal to resolve the crisis in the Middle East, adding: 'We may have some disagreements about how exactly to accomplish that goal, and we'll talk about that today.' Mr Vance also reiterated that the US had no plans to recognise a Palestinian state, saying he didn't know what recognition actually meant, 'given the lack of a functional government there.' Britain, by contrast, has taken a harder stance against Israel, declaring its intention to recognise Palestine along with France and Canada to put pressure on Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the continuing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Earlier on Aug 8, Mr Vance and Mr Lammy also went fishing in the lake behind Chevening House, appearing relaxed in blue button-down shirts and sharing a laugh. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Opinion Singapore must look ahead, prepare to ride next wave of change Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Singapore Non-invasive depression treatment TMS helps engineer get his life back Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar Mr Vance joked to reporters that the 'one strain on the special relationship' between Britain and the US was that all his children had caught fish but that the British foreign minister had not. 'Before beginning our bilateral, the Vice-President gave me fishing tips, Kentucky style,' Mr Lammy said in a post on X. After spending two nights in Chevening's bucolic surroundings with Mr Lammy, the Vances will travel to the Cotswolds, a picturesque area of English countryside and a popular retreat for wealthy and influential figures, from footballers and film stars to media and political figures. The visit comes amid heightened transatlantic tensions, domestic political shifts in both countries and increased attention on Mr Vance's foreign policy views as he emerges as a key figure in US President Donald Trump's administration . A source familiar with the planning described the trip as a working visit that will include several official engagements, meetings and visits to cultural sites. Mr Vance is also expected to meet with US troops. Mr Vance and Mr Lammy will also discuss the war in Ukraine, the pair told reporters. Close to Chevening House, a small group of protesters had gathered, some waving Palestinian flags and one holding up a sign showing a meme of a bald Mr Vance. REUTERS
