Monday, 26 August 2013
Students raise funds for social cause through RunNUS
Over hundreds of eager participants took part in 7th installment of the RunNUS on 25 August to raise funds for social cause. The race not only aims to promote healthy lifestyle through marathon running, but also gives students an opportunity to give back to their community and help out their fellow students who are in need.
Set in motion by the NUS Student Sports Club in 2007, the RunNUS is an annual running event that is popular among NUS students and the general public. Since 2010, RunNUS adopted a social cause and have been partnering the NUS Annual Giving Campaign to help raise funds for financially needy students in the campus.
“I think that this is a really great idea to help raise money. It is a chance for us students to help contribute in any way we can. It not only benefits those who need it, but also benefits us in one way or another,” said Rosan Rongen, a student from NUS.
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
MediShield Life premium increases to be affordable: Health Minister
SINGAPORE: Health Minister Gan Kim Yong has assured Singaporeans that the premium increases for MediShield Life will be affordable.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Singapore Healthcare Management Congress 2013 on Monday, Mr Gan said the public consultation for MediShield Life will be conducted over the next few months to give the government a better idea of how to implement the scheme.
Changes to the MediShield scheme signal a major shift in Singapore's healthcare financing policy. Coverage will no longer stop at 90 years of age and will include those with pre-existing illnesses. As a result of these enhancements, premiums will go up.
The health minister said the amount of increase will depend on the feedback from the public.
Friday, 16 August 2013
Caffeine may help in some cases of fatty liver disease
SINGAPORE: An international team of researchers, led by Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (Duke-NUS) and the Duke University School of Medicine, has suggested that increased caffeine intake may reduce fatty liver in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Using cell culture and mouse models, the team - headed by Associate Professor Paul Yen and Dr Rohit Sinha - observed that caffeine stimulates the metabolisation of lipids stored in liver cells and decreases the fatty liver of mice that were fed a high fat diet.
A news release issued by Duke-NUS on Friday said that the findings suggest that a caffeine intake of about four cups of coffee or tea a day may help prevent and protect against the progression of NAFLD in humans.
Singapore's first driverless vehicle on trial
SINGAPORE: Singapore's first driverless electric vehicle will soon hit the roads, plying a two-kilometre route between Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and JTC Corporation's CleanTech Park.
NTU's Energy Research Institute, in conjunction with JTC and vehicle manufacturer Induct, and supported by EDB, are running trials on the electric vehicle, which can seat eight passengers and have a maximum speed of 20 kilometres per hour.
The electric vehicle is already in use in USA and Europe, but NTU is developing and testing new technologies to reduce its charging time and improve performance.
The two-year test project is the first of its kind in the region, and could be used to replace shuttle buses.
Thursday, 15 August 2013
More needs to be done for ASEAN Economic Community 2015: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said much work needs to be done for the ASEAN Economic Community 2015.
Mr Shanmugam, who was speaking at the ASEAN Day reception on Thursday evening, also said the Masterplan on ASEAN connectivity needs a lot of attention.
He added that even as political-security and economic community blueprints are being rolled out, there is a need to build a stronger sense of common identity among the people of ASEAN.
He said ASEAN will continue to be a player in the region's geopolitical future as long as it stays relevant.
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
Causes of conflict the same despite evolving nature of warfare
While the nature of warfare has evolved and will continue to transform in the future, the sources of the conflict will not.
Senior Minister of State for Defence Chan Chun Sing made this point during his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 15th Asia Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO) held at The Sentosa Resort & Spa on 6 Aug.
In his speech, Mr Chan highlighted that three main sources of conflict - contest for resources, conflict over race and religion and contest over rights - will "continue to be with us for a very long time to come".
Contesting for resources has always been an evergreen challenge for societies throughout history, and had been one of the major contributing factors to the start of World War II, he said. "This is particularly challenging when countries are growing rapidly because they need tremendous resources to sustain their growth trajectory and momentum. Hence, the security of their sources of resources will be of utmost importance."
Badminton: Derek scores upset victory at World Championships
SINGAPORE: Shuttler Derek Wong has claimed a major scalp at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships in Guangzhou after posting a 24-22, 21-16 first round victory over Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro, who is seeded tenth for the men's singles.
Both players had only met once at the Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold in 2011, with world No 10 Sony - a bronze medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games - claiming victory, 21-18, 21-18, two years ago.
But a first round match-up at the world championships saw a lower-ranked Wong (No 52) upsetting the form books on Monday evening to claim a hard-fought 2-0 win over the three-time Asian champion (2002, 2003, 2005).
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