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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Howe upbeat as Newcastle eye late transfer moves amid Isak absence
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Newcastle United lacks attacking options for the start of the season as wantaway striker Alexander Isak remains unavailable but there is still time to add the right players before the transfer window closes on September 1, manager Eddie Howe said. Newcastle endured a sluggish start to the transfer window, with winger Anthony Elanga arriving from Nottingham Forest in early July. Several pursuits failed to progress before they signed defender Malick Thiaw from AC Milan and goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale on loan from Southampton in August. "The top end of the pitch isn't ideal but we still have time. We are still active in the window – we'd love to add one or two. But it's now quality over quantity," Howe told reporters on Friday. "Initially a lot of frustration as we were trying to be active early but that didn't happen. It's no-one's fault, gradually we have become stronger. "The squad has good depth and we should be resilient enough to get through a tough season. The fixture list is relentless. It's an important two weeks, we need to do a little more." Newcastle's top scorer last season Isak, who appears determined to leave the club, has been training away from the squad. Howe confirmed the 25-year-old Sweden international is unlikely to feature in their opening Premier League match at Aston Villa on Saturday. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures "There is no change to the (Isak) situation. All my focus has been on the training, Villa and the transfer front in terms of getting players in -- that is all-consuming for me," Howe said. "I want (Isak) to play. I want him to train. I've had those conversations (with him)." Asked whether Isak could be reintegrated with the squad, Howe said: "Yes, I believe there is (a way), but of course discussions and talks would have to take place in order for that to happen, but that's for another day." "At the moment I would (expect him to stay) but I've got no change of feeling. It's not in my hands but he's contracted to us and that's why I say that." After winning the League Cup last season, Newcastle edged Aston Villa on goal difference to finish fifth in the Premier League and secure the last Champions League spot. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Italian court frees city councillor arrested in Milan property probe
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The arrest was commuted to a one-year ban on professional activity and in dealing with government offices. MILAN - A Milan court freed a city councillor and two other local figures who had been placed under house arrest for alleged fast-tracking of planning permits, as part of investigations that have led to a construction freeze in Italy's financial capital. According to a closed-door ruling issued late on Aug 14 and reviewed by Reuters, an appeals court commuted the three arrests to one-year bans on professional activity and in dealing with government offices. Mr Giancarlo Tancredi, a member of the Milan city council, resigned from his post after the prosecutor's office filed requests for his arrest on July 16. His lawyer did not reply to a request from Reuters for comment about the latest court decision. Mr Tancredi and five others involved in the alleged scandal had been arrested on July 31. They all are still under investigation and deny any wrongdoing. The appeals court previously released on August 12 two other suspects in the investigation, a builder and an architect, without imposing any other restrictive measures. The court is expected on August 20 to examine the appeal of the sixth suspect, the head of real estate firm Coima, who is currently under house arrest. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures Coima, one of Italy's biggest developers, issued a statement 'taking note' of the measure against its founder Manfredi Catella, and said that, in response, the powers of other board members had been expanded to ensure business continuity. The Milan property market began booming in 2015, when the Expo international exhibition helped to transform the city into a hot spot for developers from Italy and abroad. But complaints from local residents objecting to a sharp increase in multi-storey buildings triggered investigations into alleged abuses in the fast-tracking of building permits, stalling construction activity. REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Love that saves lives: Seniors in Singapore who overcome challenges to donate organs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox (From left) Ms Joreen Poh, a senior transplant coordinator with Nucot; Adjunct Associate Professor Benjamin Goh, a senior consultant with the Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme at Nucot; Adjunct Associate Professor Hersharan Kaur Sran, medical director of the Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme at Nucot; Mr Chan Yew Weng, who donated his kidney to his daughter-in-law; and Mr Tan Kim Loon, who received a kidney from his wife Marjorie Tey. SINGAPORE – Despite undergoing treatment for a bulging blood vessel near the spleen just a month earlier, former church manager Chan Yew Weng, 68, donated a kidney to his daughter-in-law Hazel Tan, 35, in January. Retiree Marjorie Tey, 65, also donated a kidney to her husband, Mr Tan Kim Loon – a gift that marked his 60th birthday, which fell on National Day. Mr Chan and Madam Tey are among a small group of older live organ donors in Singapore. Despite their age, doctors said seniors can have just as profound an impact on lives as younger donors. In Singapore, the two main hospitals with well-established kidney transplant programmes are National University Hospital (NUH) and Singapore General Hospital (SGH). The National University Centre for Organ Transplantation (Nucot) at NUH has a strong track record in both living and deceased donor transplants, while SGH has the oldest and largest Renal Transplant Programme in the country. The first kidney transplant in Singapore – involving a deceased donor – took place in 1970, according to SingHealth's website. This was followed by the first living related donor transplant in 1976. In 2024, Singapore had 103 kidney transplants – 57 cases involving living donors and 46 with dead donors. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures The average wait time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 97 months, or around eight years, according to a website of the National Organ Transplant Unit. Since its establishment in 1970, Nucot at NUH has facilitated kidney donations from 65 people aged 60 and above, including Singapore's oldest kidney donor at age 79 . Adjunct Associate Professor Hersharan Kaur Sran, medical director of the Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme at Nucot, said: 'On average, a living donor transplant in Nucot, which has one of the best outcomes in the world, (allows the kidney to survive for) around 21 years.' She noted that patients typically survive longer than that, though the survival period may be slightly shorter for those whose donors are older. This means that Ms Tan – Mr Chan's daughter-in-law who is 35 – may need a second transplant in her lifetime, said Dr Hersharan. 'Sometimes the transplant may last 30 years, but that would still take the patient to her 60s so it is not inconceivable that she may need a second transplant in her lifetime, which was a relevant concern for the family,' she said. Donation saves life, reveals aneurysm Ms Tan, a co-founder of Singapore-based digital healthcare provider Cloud Clinic (Sire and Dame), said her difficult pregnancy in 2018 resulted in a deteriorating kidney condition, caused by preeclampsia and the physical stress of carrying a foetus. Preeclampsia is characterised by high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine, indicating kidney damage. 'My kidney condition continued to decline to end-stage renal failure in 2022. I was faced with the option of a kidney donation, or dialysis. This period was a dark time for our family, with a three-year-old (son to care for),' Ms Tan recalled. Dr Hersharan said: 'For someone in their 30s with a young child, being on dialysis is not anywhere near a normal life, and you want to live long enough to see (your child) grow up. Having a transplant (would) make a difference in family life.' She added that living donor transplants, especially from family members, often result in better outcomes. Ms Tan's father-in-law and husband were both found to be compatible with her, though her father-in-law's age, pre-diabetes and prostate issues posed some challenges. Still, Mr Chan insisted on donating one of his kidneys to Ms Tan. Despite his multiple health problems including pre-diabetes and prostate issues, Mr Chan Yew Weng, 68, gave one of his kidneys to his daughter-in-law Hazel Tan, 35. PHOTO: NUH 'I told her on the day she married my son that there was no such thing as in-laws. She had become a daughter and a father is willing to do anything for his daughter,' Mr Chan told reporters. 'I also told my son, who was willing to donate a kidney to his wife, that his was on stand-by in case the one I donated failed,' Mr Chan said. Determined to get his health on track to donate his kidney, Mr Chan put himself on a strict exercise regimen, increasing his gym workout from an hour to two hours daily, including a 30-minute swim. 'Also, if it were not for the check-ups to ensure that I was good to go (for the transplant), the doctors would not have found the aneurysm near my spleen. I had to have it 'repaired', otherwise my life would have been in danger,' Mr Chan said. The rare but potentially serious condition occurs when the splenic artery, which supplies blood to the spleen, develops a bulge. Dr Hersharan said surgeons closed off the aneurysm and Mr Chan recovered quickly. The transplant was eventually carried out in January. 'My father-in-law and I have gotten even closer now. We even continue our healthcare journey together, sharing medical reviews and experiences,' Ms Tan said. In sickness or in health, till death do us part Madam Tey took her marriage vows to heart, so when her husband's kidneys failed, she did not hesitate to give him one of hers. '(My husband) started his dialysis on June 17, 2021. There was no freedom, no free time, no travelling as he was tied to the machine. That was during the Covid-19 pandemic,' she said. Over 2½ years, the Tans – who are both retired – made many trips to the emergency room as Mr Tan would often faint due to low blood pressure. Madam Marjorie Tey took her marriage vows to heart, so when her husband's kidneys failed, she did not hesitate to give him one of hers. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI 'The doctor gave us options – continue with dialysis, which was not a long-term solution – or go for transplant. Without any hesitation, I agreed (to the transplant),' Madam Tey said. The couple refused to let their two daughters donate their kidneys. Their 31-year-old daughter works in the United States, while the younger one, who is 28, is an early childhood teacher in Singapore. Both are not married. 'It was a peaceful and easy decision for me as I wanted to fight alongside him, to journey together. After all, according to our marriage vows, we promised each other to be together 'in sickness or in health, till death do us part' for as long as we have,' Madam Tey said. 'While he was not critically ill, it was painful to watch him struggle, and we were always living in fear and uncertainty.' To prepare for the surgery in March 2024, Madam Tey had to reduce not only her weight, but also her blood pressure and sugar levels. Working closely with a dietitian to change her diet, she took months to get her weight and sugar levels down to a point where the doctors were satisfied. She lost more than 5kg in about two months, and was cleared for surgery in March 2024. Although Madam Tey was optimistic about the surgery, she still became emotional and was constantly updated on her husband's condition by the medical team. Said Mr Tan: 'I was also kept in the know of Marjorie's (condition)'. Both the donors had their kidneys extracted using keyhole surgery. Adjunct Associate Professor Benjamin Goh, a senior consultant with the Adult Kidney Transplantation Programme at Nucot, said the kidneys were removed through the bikini line – where caesarean sections are carried out – 'as that is where the natural fold of the body exists'. 'There is less pain. We do not cut the muscles. Instead, we split the muscles, take out the kidney and let (the incision) close. There is less pain and the scarring is much better and over the years, we had improved the technique and brought down the number of days that the patients stayed at the hospital,' he said. Dr Goh said it took about 2½ to three hours to operate on the donors and about three to 3½ hours to transplant the kidney into the recipients. Kidney recipients have to take anti-rejection drugs for life, while donors do not need to be on medication. The Tans recently celebrated their new-found freedom with a three-week holiday to Britain and Norway.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Wallabies change their mind about flyhalf cover for Bok clash
JOHANNESBURG - Australia have made a change to their bench for Saturday's Rugby Championship clash against South Africa after re-evaluating the cover they want for veteran flyhalf James O'Connor. Coach Joe Schmidt on Friday decided he would pick Tane Edmed, who has a single cap, as cover and has taken loose forward Nick Champion de Crespigny off the list of replacements he had named on Thursday. Ben Donaldson was originally meant to be cover for the 35-year-old O'Connor, who will play for the Wallabies for the first time in three years, but went down with an unspecified upper leg injury in training on Thursday ahead of the test at Ellis Park. It added to the woes at No. 10 for Australia, whose first choice Tom Lynagh suffered a concussion in the third test against the British & Irish Lions in Sydney a fortnight ago and did not travel for the two matches against the Springboks. The second clash is in Cape Town next weekend. 'Dono (Donaldson) went down in last-minute training on Thursday afternoon, which wasn't ideal after the team has been announced internally,' explained captain Harry Wilson at a press conference on Friday. 'We named Crep (Champion de Crespigny) but the coach has had a few meetings overnight and again this morning to work out what would be the best replacement and decided to put in Tane, which he's really excited about. "We've got a lot of confidence in him, he's been around the group now for a little while and what he's put in on the training park has been first class," Wilson added. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures The captain is also pleased to see O'Connor back in the line-up. 'After three years, I know he's really excited to be out there. He's 35 years old. He's got plenty of experience. He's got plenty of confidence, and we can't wait to see him go out there and do his job.' O'Connor will also form an experienced halfback combination with Nic White, who put off his retirement from international rugby to travel with the Wallabies after injury to Jake Gordon, who played at scrumhalf in the first two tests against the Lions last month. 'When you have two players in two really key positions, who have played everywhere around the world and in really big matches, definitely it's a lot of confidence and they both have quite loud voices in the group and a lot of respect from everyone in the group," added Wilson. "So I'm really looking forward to seeing them lead us around the park.' REUTERS
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
More job fairs targeted at fresh graduates to come
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Embargoed until 4pm, Aug 15, 2025. Computer science graduates (L-R), Oliver Syn, 25, Louis Mineo, 26, Noah Ng, 26, and Eugene Ho (back) 29, at NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) University Graduates Fair on Aug 15, 2025. SINGAPORE – The stress and difficulty of landing a job after university is being made that much easier thanks to a jobs fair tailored to new graduates. The event – the University Graduates Fair – doesn't guarantee that participants land a position but it does help with the seemingly unsurmountable task of getting their feet in the door. Recent graduate Oliver Syn, who has a computer science degree, told The Straits Times at the Fair on Aug 15 that the hardest part is not securing a job, but getting an interview. 'Most employers are looking for fresh graduates with a minimum of two years of experience,' said Mr Syn, 25. 'We just try our luck to send in our applications for entry-level job openings; we still don't know what the statuses are, whether they are pending or rejections.' Mr Syn and fellow computer science graduate Noah Ng were able to talk to recruiters from Singapore General Hospital, one of the 20 or so employers at the Fair. 'We were perhaps looking for backend IT roles, and wondering if they have job openings for fresh graduates like us,' said Mr Ng, 26, adding that family and peer pressure had added to the stresses of finding a job. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures One of their uni course mates, Mr Louis Mineo, 26, said he appreciated such face-to-face job fairs as they offered a faster track to getting responses from employers compared with applying online. 'This provides a bit of advantage as we get to pass them our resumes and they can keep track of who we are and follow up. It's like an express lane,' he added. The two-day fair – being held at Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability in Jurong East and ending on Aug 16 – is the first staged by NTUC's Employment and Employability Institute e2i targeted at young entrants. Firms in the tech, engineering, humanities and sciences sectors were on hand with ST Engineering, Huawei, Sony Singapore, Mandai Group, Goldman Sachs and Marina Bay Sands among those with actual jobs to offer. A Huawei spokesperson said while fresh graduates show strong passion for tech innovation, they have understandably voiced concerns about the uncertain future. About 200 job seekers were interviewed on-site, out of the 300 or so graduates who attended the Fair on Aug 15. Apart from giving participants the opportunity to network and explore possible jobs, the Fair also provided resources to help them understand their strengths, improve their resumes and explore career pathways. Mr Desmond Tan, Senior Minister of State of the Prime Minister's Office and NTUC Deputy Secretary-General, noted: 'We don't do this very often, but we decided we had to make some effort to help our undergraduates because over the last couple of months, we have also been engaging many young people to hear their concerns. 'One of the feedback we keep hearing is that there are not even interview opportunities. So today's job fair is unique because, on the spot today, you will get an interview opportunity. 'We are going quite aggressively in the coming months to work with institutes of higher learning and with our partners, including industry partners, to create more platforms like today, so that young people and jobseekers can come together with employers, so there is a better match in the process.' Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, announced at the event that NTUC e2i has launched a new career development framework to help young jobseekers transition confidently into their first or second jobs after graduation. The framework includes imparting know-how such as career advisory, connecting with employers through face-to-face interviews and networking sessions, and advancing career progression through engagements with industry experts. The initiatives were developed against a backdrop of heightened global economic uncertainty and come after the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce noted that job security was a key concern for fresh graduates. The taskforce has been working with institutes of higher learning to step up efforts to help fresh graduates secure good posts, including career counselling and holding job fairs. Graduates can also find more than 800 job vacancies from 90 employers online at . Ms Yeo Lay, who leads the Student Success Centre as Dean of Students in Singapore University of Social Sciences, told the ST that a big challenge for fresh graduates is recognising the transferrable skillsets they have, which allow them to pivot in many different career domains, and not just in their own programme major. 'Our fresh graduates also need to expand their industry network, so that they are able to find opportunities through expanded channels,' she said.
