Latest news with #Yim
Sky News AU
6 days ago
- Health
- Sky News AU
Fears over new highly contagious Covid-19 strain surging as states records increase in infections
Health experts have urged people to keep up to date with their Covid-19 vaccinations amid fears of a dangerous new strain as reported cases surge. Omicron strain subvariant NB. 1.8.1 is already rising in Queensland, which has seen a sudden spike in the number of people infected with Covid-19. A report by Queensland Health said 671 people in the state were diagnosed with the disease in the week ending May 25, which was an 18 per cent increase from the week prior. There had been 15,693 notified cases of Covid-19 in the state since the beginning of this year according to the report, meaning an average of over 100 new cases per day. There were 54 people in hospital with the disease in Queensland as of Sunday, and the health authority reported 3,388 hospitalised cases between January 1 and May 25. University of South Australia biostatistics and epidemiology professor Adrian Esterman said the new strain was behind the rise in cases being observed. 'In the last four weeks, cases have gone up each week, and that is most certainly due to this new strain,' Mr Esterman told the Courier Mail. 'We have to be concerned about older people and those with impaired immune systems or other health conditions, they need to be keeping up to date with booster shots.' AMA Queensland president Dr Nick Yim told the masthead evidence indicates the NB. 1.8.1 variant could potentially spread easier than previous strains. 'The emergence of NB. 1.8.1 is a timely reminder that Covid-19 is still circulating in our community and continues to evolve,' Dr Yim said. With winter on the way and Covid-19 cases increasing, he urged people to 'protect yourself and those around you'. 'We are worried that some complacency has set in and urge all eligible Queenslanders to get their free booster as soon as possible,' Dr Yim said. In New South Wales, Covid-19 increased to a 'moderate level of activity' last week and NSW Health outlined that vaccinations are 'especially important' at the moment. NSW emergency department visits and admissions for people with Covid-19 have been increasing over the last three weeks, with a report published on Thursday said. In the week ending May 24, the state has seen an increase of 29.2 per cent in notified Covid-19 cases and the rate of positive test results spike to 6.7 per cent. In Victoria, the Department of Health's latest respiratory surveillance report said though Covid-19 activity had remained low, the state had seen a 43.8 per cent Covid-19 notifications in the second week of May.
Korea Herald
22-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Woori Financial chief heads to Asia roadshow with post-M&A plan
Woori Financial Group Chairman Yim Jong-yong will embark on a five-day investor relations trip to Asian countries, marking his first solo overseas IR initiative since taking office in March 2023. From May 26 to 30, Yim will visit Indonesia and Hong Kong to outline his strategy for expanding group value following the acquisitions of Tongyang Life Insurance and ABL Life Insurance from China's Dajia for a total of approximately 1.54 trillion won ($1.1 billion). Yim will begin the trip in Indonesia, visiting Bank Woori Saudara, a local subsidiary with 31 branches and 130 offices alongside Woori Card to review performance and encourage staff. Bank Woori Saudara reported a net profit of 13.5 billion won in the first quarter. From May 28 to 30, Yim will host IR meetings in Hong Kong with major shareholders and institutional investors. The agenda includes plans to strengthen synergies across banking, insurance and securities arms, reduce Woori Bank's dominant share of group earnings, and share updated shareholder return policies and risk management frameworks. With regulatory approval now in place for Tongyang Life and ABL Life, Yim is expected to present Woori's roadmap to evolving into a comprehensive financial services provider. He will also address investor questions on the macroeconomic outlook in Korea and its implications for the group. This trip marks Lim's first in-person overseas IR event since joint appearances in London and the Middle East in late 2023. A Woori official said that foreign ownership of the group rose by over 8 percentage points last year. As of Tuesday, foreign shareholding stood at 45.2 percent, up from 37.96 percent at the end of 2023.
The Star
21-05-2025
- The Star
Couple on a hit-and-scam spree
KUALA LUMPUR: Conmen are staging car crashes and demanding compensation from victims in a new scam. MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said he had received complaints from at least 12 individuals, claiming that they became victims of extortion after getting involved in road mishaps. At the centre of the scam, he said, was a couple in their late 20s who would stage a car crash with the victims. To resolve the matter, the couple would intimidate and threaten the victims for as much as RM2,000, resulting in some of them agreeing to pay. One victim, who was present at a press conference at Chong's office, said she agreed to pay RM500 after negotiating with the conmen. The 59-year-old woman, known only as Yim, said her sister-in-law was driving her car during the incident in April. As the sister-in-law was trying to make a turn at a T-junction, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) hit their car. 'Initially, the SUV driver demanded RM2,000 but after negotiating, we agreed to pay RM500 instead. Be aware, drivers: Chong with some of the complainants who fell victim to the couple, during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur. — Low Lay Phon/The Star 'I wanted to file a police report but the couple persuaded me not to do so, saying that they were rushing to Penang,' said Yim. To ensure the matter could be settled without having to go to the police, Yim struck a deal and asked one of the couple to sign an 'agreement' between them with their details. However, after checking social media, she found that the details provided were fake. Another victim, Chow, 46, experienced a similar incident while trying to reverse her car in Bandar Bukit Puteri, Puchong. She said the couple involved in the incident demanded RM2,000 from her. However, Chow only paid RM150 after negotiating with the other party. 'But as I was chatting with a friend about the incident, I learned that my friend was also involved in a similar case involving the same car and plate number,' she said. Chow then lodged a police report as she suspected that the whole incident had been staged. Meanwhile, Chong urged the police to investigate the matter under Section 384 of the Penal Code for extortion. He said that based on the total complaints received, it was estimated that the total money paid to the conmen to 'settle' amounted to RM10,000. 'The victims had to suffer even greater losses as they needed to pay to repair their cars and also lost their No Claim Discount in their vehicle insurance,' he added. Chong warned motorists, especially women, to be careful of such incidents.
New Straits Times
20-05-2025
- New Straits Times
Beware, accident scam syndicate prowling in Puchong, preying on women drivers
KUALA LUMPUR: A scam syndicate staging accidents to extort money from women drivers has been reportedly on the prowl in Puchong, with over 27 cases reported in just one month. Recently, two victims came forward to share their experience during a press conference organised by the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department today. The first victim, known only as Chong, 47, related her ordeal through her sister in-law named Yim, 59. Yim said Chong, 47, was making a right turn at a junction after checking the road was clear when her car was suddenly struck on the left side by a sports utility vehicle. "She panicked because her child was in the car. The man then grabbed an umbrella from a nearby Japanese restaurant and started hitting her bumper with it," Yim said. Chong, who was shaken by the incident, contacted Yim to assist her. Upon arriving, they attempted to lodge a report, but the sports utility vehicle driver insisted on settling the matter privately. He claimed that he was rushing back to Penang due to his pregnant girlfriend and did not want to be delayed by police procedures. "He initially asked for RM2,000, but after about 20 minutes of back and forth, the amount was reduced to RM500," Yim said. Chong was later shocked to discover on social media that the same sports utility vehicle bearing the number plate VCT 180 was involved in at least two other similar collisions on the same day in April 20. In another case, a woman known only as Chow was reversing her car on April 7 when it accidentally knocked into a white multipurpose vehicle with the number plate NDN 9927. "The driver came out and asked how we could settle it privately. When I said I would lodge a police report, he tried to dissuade me, saying it would result in a RM300 summons," Chow said. After some negotiation, the driver lowered his demand from RM2,000 to RM150. Later, when Chow talked about the incident with a friend, she was shocked to find out that the same car with the same number plate had been involved in a similar case. The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the syndicate's modus operandi involves targeting women often alone or with children in quiet areas. They deliberately caused minor accidents and immediately pressured the victims to pay compensation. "Victims are urged to avoid police involvement and are emotionally manipulated, often being told the scammer is in a rush due to a pregnant partner or a need to return to Penang." To date, 21 cases had been reported in Kuala Lumpur and five in Johor Baru. The suspected vehicles involved a Proton Saga (WTF 6865), Honda Jazz (NDN 9927) and Honda HR-V (VCT 180). "Many victims expressed frustration not only over the money lost, but also over having to bear the cost of repairing their own vehicles and in some cases, facing traffic fines for failing to report the incident promptly," he added. Chong said the scam amounts ranged between RM150 and RM1,500, and many victims opted to pay simply to avoid further complications. Commenting on the matter, MCA Selangor Public Services and Complaints Bureau head and lawyer Ivan Tan said a similar case occurred last year involving a motorcyclist. "The suspect in that case was charged under Section 384 of the Penal Code for extortion and sentenced to 11 months in prison," he said. Regarding the current spate of cases, Ivan reminded the public that accident reports could be lodged at any police station, regardless of the location of the incident. "It doesn't matter if the accident happened in Selangor, the report can still be lodged in Penang or anywhere else. Police stations remain open and accessible to all," he said. Authorities urge members of the public to remain vigilant and to lodge police reports promptly if they suspect they have fallen victim to similar scams.
Straits Times
13-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
NTU launches new research facility to study health risks of climate change in the tropics
Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Dr Amy Khor speaking at the launch of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health (CCEH) on April 15. PHOTO: NTU NTU launches new research facility to study health risks of climate change in the tropics SINGAPORE - A new research centre that aims to tackle the health risks of climate change in the tropics was launched at Nanyang Technological University on April 15. Research efforts at the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health will focus on three pillars – air quality, extreme heat, and water supply and quality, said its director Steve Yim. These are issues that are becoming increasingly urgent in South-east Asia due to rising global temperatures and environmental changes, he added. Associate Professor Yim said there is a significant lack of research focusing on tropical regions like South-east Asia, which faces issues specific to the region. These include high humidity, monsoons and transboundary haze pollution, all of which have impacts on human health and well-being. 'South-east Asia is one of the regions most exposed to climate-related health risks, yet remains under-represented in global research,' he said. The centre was officially launched at the Experimental Medicine Building at NTU on April 15. Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor was the guest of honour. Dr Khor said Singapore, being a highly urbanised and densely populated city-state, is exceptionally vulnerable to climate impacts on its environment and public health. For example, climate change causes changes in rainfall patterns and a higher likelihood of extreme weather events. This potentially contributes to the increase and spread of various vector-borne diseases, especially arboviruses, which are those spread by mosquitoes, according to the Duke-NUS Medical School. '(The centre's research) will build on findings from Singapore's Third National Climate Change Study to advance our understanding of tropical climate variability and its potential impact on Singapore and the larger South-east Asia region,' she added. The new centre will bring together researchers at NTU who conduct research in the domains of climate and health. These experts come from NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Asian School of the Environment, Earth Observatory of Singapore, Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, and Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute . Over the next five years, they will be trained in interdisciplinary studies on the health impact of climate change, said Prof Yim. 'By bringing together experts across fields and partnering with regional centres, we will develop practical solutions to help governments, hospitals and communities respond more effectively.' The centre also aims to establish a regional consortium to bring universities and health institutes from Indonesia, India, Thailand, Taiwan and Britain together to study the relationship between human health and climate change in the three research areas. Imperial College London's Medical Research Council Centre for Environment and Health was revealed as one contributing member of the consortium. Local partners like the National Environment Agency and Ministry of Sustainability and Environment are also expected to contribute in supporting the development of evidence-based policies and solutions. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone, according to the World Health Organisation. The direct damage costs to health are estimated to be between US$2 billion (S$2.63 billion) and US$4 billion per year by 2030. Additionally, around 489,000 heat-related mortalities had been reported annually between 2000 and 2019, with an estimated 45 per cent of cases in Asia. Unicef had also in February 2025 reported that more than 100 children under the age of five die each day in East Asia and the Pacific from air pollution-related causes. Research done under the centre would add to pre-existing interdisciplinary research on the climate-health nexus being conducted by NUS entities. This includes the Heat Resilience and Performance Centre and Centre for Sustainable Medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, as well as the Climate, Environment and Health programme by Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. Existing studies are being further developed under the centre, including one led by Prof Yim, and co-authored by Dr Tao Huang, a research fellow at NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Health. The study looks at how heat caused by greenhouse emissions and air pollution combine to affect human health in various regions across the world. The project currently involves the joint collaboration between researchers and PhD students from NTU's Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Earth Observatory of Singapore and Asian School of the Environment. They recently received a grant to collaborate with experts from the National University of Singapore and Stanford University School of Medicine. 'Many government agencies like the National Environment Agency, National Parks Board and Land Transport Authority have also supported us by offering us real-time information like weather-related data, urban morphology and traffic data respectively. We hope we will be able to work with more organisations through this centre to expand on the study,' said Dr Huang. Such studies show how climate change is a multidisciplinary topic that requires the combined knowledge of climate science, environmental science and health science, Prof Yim said. However, he said the different organisations are not working as effectively as they should be with one another. 'We now have to fix this problem. (The centre) thus offers a platform for multiple perspectives to work with each other to understand and tackle issues in a more robust manner, so that we can provide feasible solutions for policymakers,' he said. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
