Sunday, October 2, 2022
Thursday, March 12, 2020
NTU student hacked Kopitiam cards for free food, drinks and cigarettes
NTU student hacked Kopitiam cards for free food, drinks and cigarettes
Tee Chin Yue hacked four Kopitiam cards more than 130 times, and used the ill-gotten credit to top-up more than 180 Singtel pre-paid SIM cards in exchange for cash.ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - He started by hacking stored value cards for hostel air-conditioning at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Realising he could take his exploits further, Tee Chin Yue, an NTU student at the time, hacked four Kopitiam cards more than 130 times, and used the ill-gotten credit to top up more than 180 Singtel pre-paid SIM cards in exchange for cash.
In total, his unauthorised transactions caused a loss of $80,800 to Kopitiam.
On Monday (March 9), Tee, 25, was convicted after pleading guilty to one charge under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act.
A similar charge was taken into consideration.
Tee, a Malaysian, had come to Singapore to study on an Asean scholarship.
He began his hacking spree in 2015, while pursuing a computer engineering degree at NTU.
While staying at the hostel, he researched how to hack stored value cards for free air-conditioning.
Around August that year, he realised he could also modify Kopitiam cards to get food and cigarettes for free.
He would change the last four digits of the hacked cards to avoid detection.
He soon discovered he could use the hacked cards to top up Singtel pre-paid SIM cards.
Tee saw this as a business opportunity and began offering discounted top-ups through online marketplace Carousell.
As an example, he would charge others $8 to top up $10 in their Singtel cards.
He received about $34,000 from Carousell users this way.
Some time in 2016, he discovered his hacked cards no longer worked. Afraid he would get caught, he threw them away.
Unknown to him, Kopitiam and the police were investigating after a police report was made on Dec 12 that year.
Tee was arrested on July 24, 2017.
He has since made full restitution to Kopitiam, and has graduated from NTU.
On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh urged the court to jail Tee for at least 14 months.
He said the accused used his expertise as a computer science major to exploit the system and in an attempt to cover his tracks.
DPP Koh added that Tee was motivated by greed and should receive little sympathy.
But Tee's lawyer, Mr Edmond Pereira, asked the court to call for a report to determine his client's suitability for probation.
He said Tee deserved a second chance, and had written about a solution to the loophole as part of his final-year thesis.
Tee's work superior at Trusted Services, a subsidiary of Temasek Management Services, also wrote a character reference letter, saying he would like to keep him in his employ regardless of the sentence handed to Tee.
District Judge Eddy Tham said he would like more time to consider the appropriate sentence, and adjourned sentencing for next month.
Tee is out on bail of $10,000 and expected to be back in court on April 1.
For hacking the cards, he can be jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $10,000, or both.
~The Straits Times~
Tee Chin Yue hacked four Kopitiam cards more than 130 times, and used the ill-gotten credit to top-up more than 180 Singtel pre-paid SIM cards in exchange for cash.ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - He started by hacking stored value cards for hostel air-conditioning at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Realising he could take his exploits further, Tee Chin Yue, an NTU student at the time, hacked four Kopitiam cards more than 130 times, and used the ill-gotten credit to top up more than 180 Singtel pre-paid SIM cards in exchange for cash.
In total, his unauthorised transactions caused a loss of $80,800 to Kopitiam.
On Monday (March 9), Tee, 25, was convicted after pleading guilty to one charge under the Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act.
A similar charge was taken into consideration.
Tee, a Malaysian, had come to Singapore to study on an Asean scholarship.
He began his hacking spree in 2015, while pursuing a computer engineering degree at NTU.
While staying at the hostel, he researched how to hack stored value cards for free air-conditioning.
Around August that year, he realised he could also modify Kopitiam cards to get food and cigarettes for free.
He would change the last four digits of the hacked cards to avoid detection.
He soon discovered he could use the hacked cards to top up Singtel pre-paid SIM cards.
Tee saw this as a business opportunity and began offering discounted top-ups through online marketplace Carousell.
As an example, he would charge others $8 to top up $10 in their Singtel cards.
He received about $34,000 from Carousell users this way.
Some time in 2016, he discovered his hacked cards no longer worked. Afraid he would get caught, he threw them away.
Unknown to him, Kopitiam and the police were investigating after a police report was made on Dec 12 that year.
Tee was arrested on July 24, 2017.
He has since made full restitution to Kopitiam, and has graduated from NTU.
On Monday, Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh urged the court to jail Tee for at least 14 months.
He said the accused used his expertise as a computer science major to exploit the system and in an attempt to cover his tracks.
DPP Koh added that Tee was motivated by greed and should receive little sympathy.
But Tee's lawyer, Mr Edmond Pereira, asked the court to call for a report to determine his client's suitability for probation.
He said Tee deserved a second chance, and had written about a solution to the loophole as part of his final-year thesis.
Tee's work superior at Trusted Services, a subsidiary of Temasek Management Services, also wrote a character reference letter, saying he would like to keep him in his employ regardless of the sentence handed to Tee.
District Judge Eddy Tham said he would like more time to consider the appropriate sentence, and adjourned sentencing for next month.
Tee is out on bail of $10,000 and expected to be back in court on April 1.
For hacking the cards, he can be jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $10,000, or both.
~The Straits Times~
Wednesday, March 11, 2020
NTU, NUS terminate passes of 2 foreign students for breaching 14-day leave, stay-home rules
Coronavirus: NTU, NUS terminate passes of 2 foreign students for breaching 14-day leave, stay-home rules
The first case is an international postgraduate student from NTU's National Institute of Education and the second case is an NUS international exchange student. ST PHOTOS: KELLY HUI, GAVIN FOO
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be terminating the student passes of two international students for breaching 14-day leave or stay-home rules.
The duo are the first students here to have been expelled for breaching the rules since they kicked in.
Announcing this on Tuesday (March 10), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that in view of the recent surge in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide, "it is imperative that all students issued with a stay-home notice comply strictly with its requirements to limit the risk from potential imported cases and to safeguard our community".
Covid-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The first case is an international postgraduate student from NTU's National Institute of Education (NIE), who breached his stay-home notice and repeatedly provided false information to the institution and the NIE board of discipline regarding his travel movements.
The second case is an NUS international exchange student. The student was placed on leave of absence - before stay-home notices kicked in - but was found to have breached the requirements and made a false travel declaration to NUS.
Stay-home notices are served to Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from mainland China, Iran, northern Italy and South Korea. Those issued such notices must remain in their place of residence at all times for a 14-day period after their return to Singapore.
These notices took effect from Feb 18, 11.59pm and initially only applied to all returnees with recent travel history to mainland China but was expanded to include travellers from other places.
Before stay-home notices came into effect, a leave of absence with a similar 14-day leave requirement was in place from Jan 31. But it was not as strict as the notices as those on leave were permitted to go out of their homes briefly to, for example, have their meals or buy household supplies.
MOE’s announcement comes after The Straits Times reported on Monday that NUS terminated the same international exchange student’s programme here for breaching a mandatory 14-day leave of absence and making a false travel declaration.
NUS dean of students Leong Ching said in an update on Saturday of the student: “The board of discipline has terminated her student exchange programme with NUS and she will return to her home university.
“She has been officially reprimanded and a report sent to her home university.”
NUS sent out an internal circular on Monday that was seen by ST, reminding staff and students to declare their overseas travel plans from March 9 to July 31. Those who do not intend to travel also had to indicate as such.
MOE urged all students served with a stay-home notice or leave of absence to comply with the respective requirements, and said that students who are found to have breached the rules will be subject to disciplinary actions from their schools and institutions.
In addition to school sanctions, students who do not comply with the stay-home notice may also be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Permanent residents, dependant's pass or student pass holders may also have their re-entry permits or passes revoked or shortened.
On Feb 24, the Ministry of Manpower said it had taken action against 14 work pass holders and 15 employers for breaching leave of absence requirements.
Separately, a 45-year-old Chinese national lost his permanent resident status and has been barred from re-entering Singapore after breaching his stay-home notice requirements while he was here from Feb 20 to 23.
The man was briefed on the requirements of the notice, but did not respond to phone calls and was not at his declared place of residence when Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers checked.
On Feb 23, he was spotted attempting to leave Singapore and was warned that he had breached the requirements of his notice and could face penalties. But he still insisted on leaving.
ICA rejected his application for renewal of his re-entry permit, which allows a person to retain his or her PR status while outside of Singapore.
~Straits Times~
The first case is an international postgraduate student from NTU's National Institute of Education and the second case is an NUS international exchange student. ST PHOTOS: KELLY HUI, GAVIN FOO
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be terminating the student passes of two international students for breaching 14-day leave or stay-home rules.
The duo are the first students here to have been expelled for breaching the rules since they kicked in.
Announcing this on Tuesday (March 10), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that in view of the recent surge in the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases worldwide, "it is imperative that all students issued with a stay-home notice comply strictly with its requirements to limit the risk from potential imported cases and to safeguard our community".
Covid-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The first case is an international postgraduate student from NTU's National Institute of Education (NIE), who breached his stay-home notice and repeatedly provided false information to the institution and the NIE board of discipline regarding his travel movements.
The second case is an NUS international exchange student. The student was placed on leave of absence - before stay-home notices kicked in - but was found to have breached the requirements and made a false travel declaration to NUS.
Stay-home notices are served to Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from mainland China, Iran, northern Italy and South Korea. Those issued such notices must remain in their place of residence at all times for a 14-day period after their return to Singapore.
These notices took effect from Feb 18, 11.59pm and initially only applied to all returnees with recent travel history to mainland China but was expanded to include travellers from other places.
Before stay-home notices came into effect, a leave of absence with a similar 14-day leave requirement was in place from Jan 31. But it was not as strict as the notices as those on leave were permitted to go out of their homes briefly to, for example, have their meals or buy household supplies.
MOE’s announcement comes after The Straits Times reported on Monday that NUS terminated the same international exchange student’s programme here for breaching a mandatory 14-day leave of absence and making a false travel declaration.
NUS dean of students Leong Ching said in an update on Saturday of the student: “The board of discipline has terminated her student exchange programme with NUS and she will return to her home university.
“She has been officially reprimanded and a report sent to her home university.”
NUS sent out an internal circular on Monday that was seen by ST, reminding staff and students to declare their overseas travel plans from March 9 to July 31. Those who do not intend to travel also had to indicate as such.
MOE urged all students served with a stay-home notice or leave of absence to comply with the respective requirements, and said that students who are found to have breached the rules will be subject to disciplinary actions from their schools and institutions.
In addition to school sanctions, students who do not comply with the stay-home notice may also be prosecuted under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Permanent residents, dependant's pass or student pass holders may also have their re-entry permits or passes revoked or shortened.
On Feb 24, the Ministry of Manpower said it had taken action against 14 work pass holders and 15 employers for breaching leave of absence requirements.
Separately, a 45-year-old Chinese national lost his permanent resident status and has been barred from re-entering Singapore after breaching his stay-home notice requirements while he was here from Feb 20 to 23.
The man was briefed on the requirements of the notice, but did not respond to phone calls and was not at his declared place of residence when Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers checked.
On Feb 23, he was spotted attempting to leave Singapore and was warned that he had breached the requirements of his notice and could face penalties. But he still insisted on leaving.
ICA rejected his application for renewal of his re-entry permit, which allows a person to retain his or her PR status while outside of Singapore.
~Straits Times~
Monday, March 9, 2020
NSF admits taking photos of men showering in NTU, performing sex acts in Jurong Point toilets
NSF admits taking photos of men showering in NTU, performing sex acts in Jurong Point toilets
A full-time national serviceman trespassed into Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and took photos of men showering on campus.
He also took photos and videos of other men performing sex acts in toilets at NTU and Jurong Point.
Lau Jun Wei, 20, pleaded guilty on Monday (Mar 9) to two counts of criminal trespass and one count of using insulting behaviour with intent to cause alarm.
An additional four charges of making an obscene film and criminal trespass will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court heard that Lau was in NTU "hanging out with his friend" on Feb 24 last year when he needed to use the toilet.
He headed to the toilet and as a dustbin was keeping the door ajar, did not have to use a key fob - an electronic device used by hall residents to enter secure places - to get in.
When he was done, Lau heard the sound of running water and realised someone was showering in the last toilet cubicle, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiam Jia Min.
He went to the cubicle, turned on his camera and placed his phone over the top of the door to film the naked man showering.
"The accused then took two photographs and one video of the unknown man fully naked and showering, as he was curious as to how men looked like when they showered," said Ms Thiam.
MADE OBSCENE VIDEOS AT JURONG POINT
Other than the offences committed at NTU, Lau also went to nearby Jurong Point, where he took obscene videos.
On Apr 3 last year, he took two videos of himself masturbating another man in a toilet at Jurong Point.
A few weeks later on Apr 16, he returned to NTU and took photos and videos of a man masturbating inside a toilet cubicle.
Days later, Lau went to a friend's dormitory room in NTU, where he stayed overnight. He went to use the toilet when he realised someone was showering in a cubicle.
He went over and took two photos of the naked victim.
This time, when Lau was leaving the toilet, he was confronted by one of the victim's friends, who had caught Lau holding his phone over the top of the cubicle door.
The victim eventually called the police, feeling alarmed, distressed and traumatised by Lau's actions. Because of what happened, the victim eventually moved out of the hall.
Lau's final offence took place on Jul 14 last year, when he filmed a man masturbating another man in a toilet at Jurong Point.
The prosecution said it was not objecting to the calling of a probation suitability report, but reserves its position on sentencing until after the report is produced.
She noted that Lau has expressed remorse. Lau's lawyer said his client had no previous criminal convictions, was young and has mental disorders.
The judge called for a probation suitability report and adjourned sentencing to Apr 6.
Source: CNA/ll(hs)
A full-time national serviceman trespassed into Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and took photos of men showering on campus.
He also took photos and videos of other men performing sex acts in toilets at NTU and Jurong Point.
Lau Jun Wei, 20, pleaded guilty on Monday (Mar 9) to two counts of criminal trespass and one count of using insulting behaviour with intent to cause alarm.
An additional four charges of making an obscene film and criminal trespass will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court heard that Lau was in NTU "hanging out with his friend" on Feb 24 last year when he needed to use the toilet.
He headed to the toilet and as a dustbin was keeping the door ajar, did not have to use a key fob - an electronic device used by hall residents to enter secure places - to get in.
When he was done, Lau heard the sound of running water and realised someone was showering in the last toilet cubicle, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiam Jia Min.
He went to the cubicle, turned on his camera and placed his phone over the top of the door to film the naked man showering.
"The accused then took two photographs and one video of the unknown man fully naked and showering, as he was curious as to how men looked like when they showered," said Ms Thiam.
MADE OBSCENE VIDEOS AT JURONG POINT
Other than the offences committed at NTU, Lau also went to nearby Jurong Point, where he took obscene videos.
On Apr 3 last year, he took two videos of himself masturbating another man in a toilet at Jurong Point.
A few weeks later on Apr 16, he returned to NTU and took photos and videos of a man masturbating inside a toilet cubicle.
Days later, Lau went to a friend's dormitory room in NTU, where he stayed overnight. He went to use the toilet when he realised someone was showering in a cubicle.
He went over and took two photos of the naked victim.
This time, when Lau was leaving the toilet, he was confronted by one of the victim's friends, who had caught Lau holding his phone over the top of the cubicle door.
The victim eventually called the police, feeling alarmed, distressed and traumatised by Lau's actions. Because of what happened, the victim eventually moved out of the hall.
Lau's final offence took place on Jul 14 last year, when he filmed a man masturbating another man in a toilet at Jurong Point.
The prosecution said it was not objecting to the calling of a probation suitability report, but reserves its position on sentencing until after the report is produced.
She noted that Lau has expressed remorse. Lau's lawyer said his client had no previous criminal convictions, was young and has mental disorders.
The judge called for a probation suitability report and adjourned sentencing to Apr 6.
Source: CNA/ll(hs)
Sunday, March 8, 2020
69岁南洋理工大学清洁工确诊
69岁南洋理工大学清洁工确诊
在南洋理工大学担任清洁工的69岁新加坡男子确诊感染冠病。（档案照片）
在南洋理工大学担任清洁工的69岁新加坡男子确诊感染冠病，他的感染源头不明。
根据卫生部文告，男子是在上个星期天（1日）出现症状，3日和6日到同一个诊所求医。他在6日被救护车送往黄廷方综合医院，昨天下午（7日）确诊。
入院前，男子在南洋理工大学Innovation Centre担任清洁工。
根据南大发给学生的教职员的电邮，这名清洁工最后一次到校园是本月3日，之后就一直放病假。
南大也透露，清洁工在本月2日和3日工作时，并未与南大学生有过接触，或与南大职员有过长时间接触。
他的主要活动范围是Innovation Centre的底层厕所和大楼外围。这些地方都已彻底消毒。 来
自同个清洁公司的其他清洁工，若与这名确诊病患有过密切接触，也被令放缺席假。
来源：zaobao.sg
在南洋理工大学担任清洁工的69岁新加坡男子确诊感染冠病。（档案照片）
在南洋理工大学担任清洁工的69岁新加坡男子确诊感染冠病，他的感染源头不明。
根据卫生部文告，男子是在上个星期天（1日）出现症状，3日和6日到同一个诊所求医。他在6日被救护车送往黄廷方综合医院，昨天下午（7日）确诊。
入院前，男子在南洋理工大学Innovation Centre担任清洁工。
根据南大发给学生的教职员的电邮，这名清洁工最后一次到校园是本月3日，之后就一直放病假。
南大也透露，清洁工在本月2日和3日工作时，并未与南大学生有过接触，或与南大职员有过长时间接触。
他的主要活动范围是Innovation Centre的底层厕所和大楼外围。这些地方都已彻底消毒。 来
自同个清洁公司的其他清洁工，若与这名确诊病患有过密切接触，也被令放缺席假。
来源：zaobao.sg
Friday, February 14, 2020
南大校园开放日网上虚拟举行 避免人潮群聚
南大校园开放日网上虚拟举行 避免人潮群聚
为防范2019冠状病毒传播，新加坡南洋理工大学的常年校园开放日和职业展将通过网上虚拟方式举行，以避免人潮群聚。
南大常务副校长兼教务长林杉教授今天（14日）宣布这个消息时说，会如期在这个月29日举行校园开放日，但校园导览将以网络虚拟方式进行，让有意报读南大的学生可以参观校园内的地标建筑物、学生宿舍、翻新后重新开放的云南园等。
而原定这个月7、11和14日举行的南大职业展，则改在下个月2到8日之间，通过虚拟职业展iFair方式举行。
南大的这两项活动每年可分别吸引大约2万和1万5000人参与。
~8视界~
为防范2019冠状病毒传播，新加坡南洋理工大学的常年校园开放日和职业展将通过网上虚拟方式举行，以避免人潮群聚。
南大常务副校长兼教务长林杉教授今天（14日）宣布这个消息时说，会如期在这个月29日举行校园开放日，但校园导览将以网络虚拟方式进行，让有意报读南大的学生可以参观校园内的地标建筑物、学生宿舍、翻新后重新开放的云南园等。
而原定这个月7、11和14日举行的南大职业展，则改在下个月2到8日之间，通过虚拟职业展iFair方式举行。
南大的这两项活动每年可分别吸引大约2万和1万5000人参与。
~8视界~
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Expelled NTU student gets short detention order for filming woman in hall toilet
Expelled NTU student gets short detention order for filming woman in hall toilet
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student who was expelled after filming a woman in a shower on campus was sentenced by a court on Monday (Jan 20) to a short detention order of 14 days.
Chinese national Han Shiyu, 18, pleaded guilty to one charge of insulting the modesty of a woman and another of criminal trespass, with two other charges taken into consideration.
A short detention order (SDO) detains an offender in prison for a short time, but does not leave a criminal record upon release.
Han was a scholar at NTU at the time of the offence in August 2019 and was in Singapore on a student pass, studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the court heard.
His girlfriend, who stayed at the same hall as the victim, gave him her key to retrieve some belongings. This gave Han access to the hall.
At about 9.20pm on Aug 12, 2019, Han entered the women's toilet at the hall in NTU using his girlfriend's key.
The victim, a 20-year-old woman studying at the university, was showering in a cubicle, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Lu.
Han heard the sound of water running and decided to record a video of the victim.
He entered the cubicle beside the victim's, and extended his phone with its recording mode on under a partition separating the two cubicles.
The victim noticed part of the phone under the cubicle partition, along with its red recording light.
Han retracted his phone after taking a six-second video, before using the toilet in another cubicle.
The victim was shocked and afraid to confront Han, so she texted a male friend, who went to look for her.
The victim later went to look for security guards for help while her male friend waited for Han outside the women's washroom.
A security officer called the police that night saying: "We have a case of Peeping Tom. A male subject was found in the female toilet."
Investigations revealed that the hall had specific levels for female residents only, with women's toilets located on those levels that are accessible only with keys issued to hall residents.
After Han was charged, NTU confirmed that it had expelled Han from October last year, stressing that the university "takes a zero tolerance approach towards harassment and takes all cases of misconduct involving harassment seriously".
"Students who are found guilty of misconduct face disciplinary proceedings that include expulsion from the university," said NTU.
SCHOLARSHIP REVOKED, NO LONGER INTENDS TO STUDY IN SINGAPORE
The court heard on Monday that Han has had his scholarship revoked, and indicated that he no longer has any intention to remain in Singapore to further his studies.
The prosecutor urged the court to impose the maximum 14 days' short detention order.
Ms Lu noted that while such cases typically warrant a custodial or short sentence, the accused in this case was a young and foreign offender who does not have any intention to remain in Singapore.
"Mr Han has been expelled from the university, and he will be providing the relevant undertaking that he will not be pursuing any tertiary studies in Singapore," said Ms Lu.
Defence lawyer Che Wei Chin noted that the prosecution had set in place certain conditions for the short detention order.
He said his client was going back to Liaoning, China, for an entrance examination after serving his sentence.
For insulting a woman's modesty, Han could have been jailed for up to a year, fined, or both.
For criminal trespass, he could have been jailed for up to three months, fined a maximum S$1,500, or both.
~Channel News Asia~
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student who was expelled after filming a woman in a shower on campus was sentenced by a court on Monday (Jan 20) to a short detention order of 14 days.
Chinese national Han Shiyu, 18, pleaded guilty to one charge of insulting the modesty of a woman and another of criminal trespass, with two other charges taken into consideration.
A short detention order (SDO) detains an offender in prison for a short time, but does not leave a criminal record upon release.
Han was a scholar at NTU at the time of the offence in August 2019 and was in Singapore on a student pass, studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the court heard.
His girlfriend, who stayed at the same hall as the victim, gave him her key to retrieve some belongings. This gave Han access to the hall.
At about 9.20pm on Aug 12, 2019, Han entered the women's toilet at the hall in NTU using his girlfriend's key.
The victim, a 20-year-old woman studying at the university, was showering in a cubicle, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Lu.
Han heard the sound of water running and decided to record a video of the victim.
He entered the cubicle beside the victim's, and extended his phone with its recording mode on under a partition separating the two cubicles.
The victim noticed part of the phone under the cubicle partition, along with its red recording light.
Han retracted his phone after taking a six-second video, before using the toilet in another cubicle.
The victim was shocked and afraid to confront Han, so she texted a male friend, who went to look for her.
The victim later went to look for security guards for help while her male friend waited for Han outside the women's washroom.
A security officer called the police that night saying: "We have a case of Peeping Tom. A male subject was found in the female toilet."
Investigations revealed that the hall had specific levels for female residents only, with women's toilets located on those levels that are accessible only with keys issued to hall residents.
After Han was charged, NTU confirmed that it had expelled Han from October last year, stressing that the university "takes a zero tolerance approach towards harassment and takes all cases of misconduct involving harassment seriously".
"Students who are found guilty of misconduct face disciplinary proceedings that include expulsion from the university," said NTU.
SCHOLARSHIP REVOKED, NO LONGER INTENDS TO STUDY IN SINGAPORE
The court heard on Monday that Han has had his scholarship revoked, and indicated that he no longer has any intention to remain in Singapore to further his studies.
The prosecutor urged the court to impose the maximum 14 days' short detention order.
Ms Lu noted that while such cases typically warrant a custodial or short sentence, the accused in this case was a young and foreign offender who does not have any intention to remain in Singapore.
"Mr Han has been expelled from the university, and he will be providing the relevant undertaking that he will not be pursuing any tertiary studies in Singapore," said Ms Lu.
Defence lawyer Che Wei Chin noted that the prosecution had set in place certain conditions for the short detention order.
He said his client was going back to Liaoning, China, for an entrance examination after serving his sentence.
For insulting a woman's modesty, Han could have been jailed for up to a year, fined, or both.
For criminal trespass, he could have been jailed for up to three months, fined a maximum S$1,500, or both.
~Channel News Asia~
Monday, January 20, 2020
参加南大短期课程 校园偷拍男子被捕
参加南大短期课程 校园偷拍男子被捕
一名26岁男子在南大涉嫌侮辱女性尊严而被捕。 （曾美玲 摄影）
男子涉在南洋理工大学巴士站偷拍裙底，被警方逮捕归案。
这起事件发生在上星期五（17日），一名男子疑因在南大校园内的巴士站偷拍女性裙底风光而被逮捕。
据悉，事发地点是位于南大北区大楼（North Spine）食阁与国立教育学院（National Institute of Education，简称NIE）附近的巴士站。
《新明日报》记者走访现场时观察，该处附近有至少3个巴士站，其中一个较靠近南大北区大楼食阁的巴士站人流量较多，就算是假日也有不少人在此处等候巴士。另外两个巴士站位置离南大北区大楼较远，也较偏僻。
警方受询时表示，在当天下午2时40分接获求助通报，并赶往南洋通道协助。一名26岁的男子因侮辱女性尊严而被捕，调查目前还在进行中。
《新明日报》
一名26岁男子在南大涉嫌侮辱女性尊严而被捕。 （曾美玲 摄影）
男子涉在南洋理工大学巴士站偷拍裙底，被警方逮捕归案。
这起事件发生在上星期五（17日），一名男子疑因在南大校园内的巴士站偷拍女性裙底风光而被逮捕。
据悉，事发地点是位于南大北区大楼（North Spine）食阁与国立教育学院（National Institute of Education，简称NIE）附近的巴士站。
《新明日报》记者走访现场时观察，该处附近有至少3个巴士站，其中一个较靠近南大北区大楼食阁的巴士站人流量较多，就算是假日也有不少人在此处等候巴士。另外两个巴士站位置离南大北区大楼较远，也较偏僻。
警方受询时表示，在当天下午2时40分接获求助通报，并赶往南洋通道协助。一名26岁的男子因侮辱女性尊严而被捕，调查目前还在进行中。
《新明日报》
Wednesday, January 1, 2020
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Student charged with filming woman in shower expelled
NTU student charged with filming woman in shower expelled from university
A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student charged with filming a woman in the shower has been expelled from the university.
Chinese national Han Shiyu, 17, is accused of intending to insult the modesty of a woman by filming her in the shower at NTU using his mobile phone.
In response to CNA's queries, a university spokesperson confirmed on Thursday (Dec 5) that Han had been an NTU student at the time of the incident, but was expelled with effect from October this year.
"The university takes a zero tolerance approach towards harassment and takes all cases of misconduct involving harassment seriously," said the spokesperson.
"Students who are found guilty of misconduct face disciplinary proceedings that include expulsion from the university."
The incident took place at NTU on Aug 12 this year, court documents showed.
Han is set to return to court later this month.
Source: CNA/nc(mi)
A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student charged with filming a woman in the shower has been expelled from the university.
Chinese national Han Shiyu, 17, is accused of intending to insult the modesty of a woman by filming her in the shower at NTU using his mobile phone.
In response to CNA's queries, a university spokesperson confirmed on Thursday (Dec 5) that Han had been an NTU student at the time of the incident, but was expelled with effect from October this year.
"The university takes a zero tolerance approach towards harassment and takes all cases of misconduct involving harassment seriously," said the spokesperson.
"Students who are found guilty of misconduct face disciplinary proceedings that include expulsion from the university."
The incident took place at NTU on Aug 12 this year, court documents showed.
Han is set to return to court later this month.
Source: CNA/nc(mi)
涉校园内偷拍女生洗澡 17岁中国籍南大生被开除
涉校园内偷拍女生洗澡 17岁中国籍南大生被开除
一名17岁南洋理工大学男生今年8月涉嫌在南大校园内，用手机偷拍女生洗澡，校方已在10月将他开除。（档案照）
一名17岁南洋理工大学男生今年8月涉嫌在南大校园内，用手机偷拍女生洗澡，校方已在10月将他开除。
《海峡时报》报道，这名中国籍前南大生韩诗宇（译音）被指在8月12日晚上9时20分左右，使用手机录下一名20岁女生在洗澡的视频，面对侮辱女性尊严的控状。
被告于星期一（2日）在国家法院面控。
南大发言人回复《联合早报》时证实，被告已被开除。
发言人说，南大对骚扰行为采取零容忍态度，并严厉看待所有涉及骚扰的不当行为。
今年4月，新加坡国立大学一名女学生在宿舍被同校男生偷拍的事件，引起民众对大学处理这类性相关不当行为的程序，以及校园保安的关注。
南大当时回应本报询问时说，校方其实已在今年1月加强处理骚扰事件的程序与步骤。
校方在考虑事件经过、严重程度和求情因素后，会对学生采取适当的纪律行动，包括从宿舍除名、开除学籍、勒令停学一段时间、指示学生参加强制性辅导和其他改造活动等。事件也可能交由警方处理。
此外，南大也已在7月针对新生和主办迎新会的学生推出网上单元，提高学生对防止骚扰的意识。
校方是在去年底展开检讨工作，探讨如何更有效地处理这类事件，为受害学生提供支援等。
~早报网~
一名17岁南洋理工大学男生今年8月涉嫌在南大校园内，用手机偷拍女生洗澡，校方已在10月将他开除。（档案照）
一名17岁南洋理工大学男生今年8月涉嫌在南大校园内，用手机偷拍女生洗澡，校方已在10月将他开除。
《海峡时报》报道，这名中国籍前南大生韩诗宇（译音）被指在8月12日晚上9时20分左右，使用手机录下一名20岁女生在洗澡的视频，面对侮辱女性尊严的控状。
被告于星期一（2日）在国家法院面控。
南大发言人回复《联合早报》时证实，被告已被开除。
发言人说，南大对骚扰行为采取零容忍态度，并严厉看待所有涉及骚扰的不当行为。
今年4月，新加坡国立大学一名女学生在宿舍被同校男生偷拍的事件，引起民众对大学处理这类性相关不当行为的程序，以及校园保安的关注。
南大当时回应本报询问时说，校方其实已在今年1月加强处理骚扰事件的程序与步骤。
校方在考虑事件经过、严重程度和求情因素后，会对学生采取适当的纪律行动，包括从宿舍除名、开除学籍、勒令停学一段时间、指示学生参加强制性辅导和其他改造活动等。事件也可能交由警方处理。
此外，南大也已在7月针对新生和主办迎新会的学生推出网上单元，提高学生对防止骚扰的意识。
校方是在去年底展开检讨工作，探讨如何更有效地处理这类事件，为受害学生提供支援等。
~早报网~
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
南大宿舍书架掉落 一学生头被砸中流血
南大宿舍书架掉落 一学生头被砸中流血
南大第11宿舍一间房内的书架日前无预警塌下。（受访者提供）
南大宿舍先后发生两起房内书架无预警掉落事故，一名男大生头部被砸中流血，送院治疗。
住在南洋理工大学第11宿舍的林先生（23岁）告诉《新明日报》，他的书桌上方的书架是在上周一（11月18日）下午5时半左右突然坍塌。
“幸好我当时外出，不是坐在书桌前，否则后果不堪设想。我的书架上当时只放了少过10本书、餐具还有一些文件，一些易碎品比如碗因此破裂。”
林先生指出，书架只用6根钉子固定在墙上。（受访者提供）
据林先生所知，这已不是宿舍第一次发生这种事故，今年二三月左右，隔壁房的书架也曾掉落，邻居没他那么幸运，头部被倒下的书架砸中流血，过后被送院治疗。
林先生事后再社交媒体发限时动态，提醒同住校内宿舍的同学多加留意，他指出，第8至11宿舍的房间都是使用这种壁挂式书架。
他也提到，书架掉下后，学校已派承包商到宿舍检查所有房间的书架，不过其他宿舍的同学并不知道发生这样的事，房间的书架也没有被检查，他认为这是个安全问题。
《新明日报》
南大第11宿舍一间房内的书架日前无预警塌下。（受访者提供）
南大宿舍先后发生两起房内书架无预警掉落事故，一名男大生头部被砸中流血，送院治疗。
住在南洋理工大学第11宿舍的林先生（23岁）告诉《新明日报》，他的书桌上方的书架是在上周一（11月18日）下午5时半左右突然坍塌。
“幸好我当时外出，不是坐在书桌前，否则后果不堪设想。我的书架上当时只放了少过10本书、餐具还有一些文件，一些易碎品比如碗因此破裂。”
林先生指出，书架只用6根钉子固定在墙上。（受访者提供）
据林先生所知，这已不是宿舍第一次发生这种事故，今年二三月左右，隔壁房的书架也曾掉落，邻居没他那么幸运，头部被倒下的书架砸中流血，过后被送院治疗。
林先生事后再社交媒体发限时动态，提醒同住校内宿舍的同学多加留意，他指出，第8至11宿舍的房间都是使用这种壁挂式书架。
他也提到，书架掉下后，学校已派承包商到宿舍检查所有房间的书架，不过其他宿舍的同学并不知道发生这样的事，房间的书架也没有被检查，他认为这是个安全问题。
《新明日报》
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
涉嫌南大宿舍偷拍男学生洗澡 20岁男子被控
涉嫌南大宿舍偷拍男学生洗澡 20岁男子被控
一名20岁男子涉嫌在南洋理工大学宿舍拍摄男学生洗澡的照片和拍摄猥亵视频，被控七项罪状。
有关案件今天再度过堂。被告Lau Jun Wei面对三项非法入侵的控状、一项对学生造成困扰的控状以及三项拍摄猥亵视频的控状。
案情显示，并非南大学生或职员的被告在今年2月24日、4月16日和21日三次非法进入南大，并在4月21日在一所宿舍拍下一名男学生洗澡的照片。他过后被多名学生制伏。
调查也发现，被告在去年7月中旬，涉嫌在裕廊坊的男厕里用手机拍摄猥亵视频。
~8视界~
一名20岁男子涉嫌在南洋理工大学宿舍拍摄男学生洗澡的照片和拍摄猥亵视频，被控七项罪状。
有关案件今天再度过堂。被告Lau Jun Wei面对三项非法入侵的控状、一项对学生造成困扰的控状以及三项拍摄猥亵视频的控状。
案情显示，并非南大学生或职员的被告在今年2月24日、4月16日和21日三次非法进入南大，并在4月21日在一所宿舍拍下一名男学生洗澡的照片。他过后被多名学生制伏。
调查也发现，被告在去年7月中旬，涉嫌在裕廊坊的男厕里用手机拍摄猥亵视频。
~8视界~
QS世界大学排行榜 国大连三年排名亚洲第一 南大第二
QS世界大学排行榜 国大连三年排名亚洲第一 南大第二
本地两所大学的表现继续领先亚洲其他学府。
英国教育市场咨询公司QS公布的2020年世界大学排行榜显示，新加坡国立大学连续三年称霸亚洲学府，排名第一；南洋理工大学则超越香港大学，名列第二。本地另一所大学新加坡管理大学也跃升两个名次，在亚洲排名第76。
其他跻身亚洲十大的大学是中国的清华大学、北京大学、浙江大学和复旦大学、香港的科技大学和中文大学，以及韩国科学技术院。
~8视界~
本地两所大学的表现继续领先亚洲其他学府。
英国教育市场咨询公司QS公布的2020年世界大学排行榜显示，新加坡国立大学连续三年称霸亚洲学府，排名第一；南洋理工大学则超越香港大学，名列第二。本地另一所大学新加坡管理大学也跃升两个名次，在亚洲排名第76。
其他跻身亚洲十大的大学是中国的清华大学、北京大学、浙江大学和复旦大学、香港的科技大学和中文大学，以及韩国科学技术院。
~8视界~
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
NTU investigating inappropriate student behaviour at freshman orientation camp
NTU investigating inappropriate student behaviour at freshman orientation camp
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is investigating inappropriate student behaviour at one of the university's freshman orientation camps.
A video which circulated on Instagram last weekend shows a group of male and female freshmen chanting an inappropriate word while gyrating and making some lewd gestures.
The Straits Times understands that it was likely part of cheers written by students.
Associate Professor Victor Yeo, deputy associate provost for student life at NTU, told ST that the university is investigating the incident.
"Looking at the video, the cheer is not in line with the standards set at NTU, as it runs contrary to the values of safety, respect and inclusiveness which are emphasised in the university's Transition and Orientation Programme," said Prof Yeo.
"Any student found to be responsible for allowing, condoning, arranging or participating in such cheers will be counselled and also face disciplinary action," he added.
Prof Yeo said if students are emotionally affected by the cheer, NTU would reach out to them and give them the support they need.
~Straits Times~
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is investigating inappropriate student behaviour at one of the university's freshman orientation camps.
A video which circulated on Instagram last weekend shows a group of male and female freshmen chanting an inappropriate word while gyrating and making some lewd gestures.
The Straits Times understands that it was likely part of cheers written by students.
Associate Professor Victor Yeo, deputy associate provost for student life at NTU, told ST that the university is investigating the incident.
"Looking at the video, the cheer is not in line with the standards set at NTU, as it runs contrary to the values of safety, respect and inclusiveness which are emphasised in the university's Transition and Orientation Programme," said Prof Yeo.
"Any student found to be responsible for allowing, condoning, arranging or participating in such cheers will be counselled and also face disciplinary action," he added.
Prof Yeo said if students are emotionally affected by the cheer, NTU would reach out to them and give them the support they need.
~Straits Times~
American oceanographer Sylvia Earle to join NTU institute's scientific advisory board
American oceanographer Sylvia Earle to join NTU institute's scientific advisory board
Dr Sylvia Earle will help guide the direction and growth of marine science research in Singapore and the region.PHOTO: NTU
As a small island state, the Republic has set its sights on understanding its marine environment better.
This effort will now be helped by world renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle joining the scientific advisory board of Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Earth Observatory of Singapore, one of the institutes here conducting ocean research.
The American is the first female chief scientist of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Announcing the appointment on Friday (Aug 16), NTU said Dr Earle will help guide the direction and growth of marine science research in Singapore and the region.
Associate Professor Fidel Costa, interim director for NTU's Earth Observatory, said Dr Earle could help the institute develop a more ambitious ocean programme beyond its current initiatives, such as on rising sea levels.
"Singapore is surrounded by sea and many of its economic interests are built on that. A more comprehensive and ambitious research programme will have an impact in terms of better hazards mitigation, through marine conservation, and the sustainability of marine resources."
Dr Earle, 83, delivered the keynote address at the Melting Ice and Plastic Seas symposium at NTU on Friday.
The symposium will focus on how humans are impacting the oceans, or as Dr Earle put it, "the blue heart of the planet".
Dr Earle, who has spent more than 7,000 hours underwater, is also in town for the Singapore premiere of the Elysium Epic Trilogy, a free photo exhibition that documents the impact of climate change at the poles and in the Coral Triangle.
It will be held until Sept 1 at Shaw Theatres Lido.
Dr Earle's love for the ocean is apparent from her speech, her actions, and her fashion choices.
On Thursday, as she spoke to The Straits Times, she was wearing a scarf - a gift from a friend, she said - which depicted colourful corals and fish.
Protecting the oceans, she said, is not just about saving the whales and sharks.
The oceans are a fabric of life with many connections and linkages. The whales, sharks, krill and every organism in the oceans contribute to their healthy functioning, she said.
Humans directly use more than 70 per cent of the Earth's ice-free land surface for food, feed, fibre, timber and energy.
"When we are oblivious to the complexity of life in the ocean, we break the links in the ocean that keep us all alive," Dr Earle told The Straits Times.
But she added: "We have learnt so much about how the ocean shapes the climate. It governs temperatures and the organisms in it generate oxygen."
The oceans are crucial to life on Earth.
The surface ocean, for instance, is home to tiny plants that produce half of the world's oxygen supply. And the deep ocean is one of the largest carbon banks in the world, making it an important regulator of Earth's climate.
When planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves into surface waters, a series of chemical, biological and physical processes occurs. Over time, the various processes break up the CO2 molecules, and take the dissolved carbon to the depths.
This prevents the carbon from de-gassing out into the atmosphere, and limits the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. This underwater bank of carbon is vast - it is much bigger than forests and other carbon sinks on land.
Asked how the oceans have changed over the decades, Dr Earle said: "In the past, plastics existed in small quantities and there were no plastics in the oceans."
Pointing to how human activity has put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and plastics in the oceans, she said: "Now, we are suffocating, and so are the fish."
One key link between Singapore and the oceans lies in the Republic's vulnerability to sea-level rise, pointed out National Geographic photographer Jennifer Hayes.
She is part of the Elysium team in Singapore to promote the launch of the exhibition.
Singapore's Second National Climate Change Study has shown that the mean sea level is estimated to rise by up to 1m by 2100.
There are a few ways global warming could cause this. The first is the thermal expansion of water, which expands when heated.
This has been the biggest contributor to sea-level rise so far, NTU's sea-level rise expert Benjamin Horton previously told The Straits Times.
Singapore is already feeling the impact of global warming. It is experiencing a long-term trend of warming, with last year being the Republic's eighth-warmest year on record, says the Meteorological Service Singapore. Furthermore, Singapore's Second
And just like how adding ice cubes to a glass of water raises the water level, melting land ice would also substantially contribute to sea-level rise.
Most of this water is now locked in the world's ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. If they were both to melt completely, sea levels would go up by about 65m, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Scientists say this would take thousands of years at the current rates of warming, although the worry is that accelerating rates of ice melt would pose a problem for small island states like Singapore.
Ice sheets are large blocks of ice that extend at least 50,000 sq km, as defined by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre. Their large masses allow them to attract ocean waters, raising surrounding sea levels.
"If an ice sheet melts, its gravitational attraction decreases and sea levels around it can go down," said Prof Horton. "Conversely, regions far from a melting ice sheet, such as Singapore, will see a rise in sea level greater than the global average."
Singapore recognises this vulnerability.
In July, the Government announced that it will be spending $400 million on upgrading and maintaining its drains over the next two years, and $10 million more on a National Sea Level Research Programme, which aims to boost the understanding of sea levels around Singapore and develop more robust projections of rising sea levels.
The ongoing Elysium Epic Trilogy exhibition at Shaw Theatres Lido aims to highlight the importance of the oceans to Singaporeans, said Elysium Epic project founder Michael Aw.
"The exhibition depicts the faces of climate change. We want to show people the things that we could lose with unabated global warming," said Mr Aw, highlighting how the Arctic is warming at a rate twice that of the global average. This is a phenomenon known to scientists as Arctic amplification.
He recalled a scene that, for him, was particularly emblematic of the climate change problem: A young polar bear was scaling the face of a cliff in search of food, its paws bloody.
A photograph of a young polar was scaling the face of a cliff in search of food. ST PHOTO: AUDREY TAN
Mr Aw said the image stood out as it seemed to highlight the increasing difficulties animals like polar bears will face in finding food as declining ice cover robs them of hunting grounds.
Said Dr Earle: "Polar bears cannot solve the problem. But it's up to us to look at them and realise that we can. We can look at the world they're living in melting around them."
We can mourn the loss of the polar bears, she added, but we can also think about the implications of global warming on humans.
"If they are in trouble, so are we. If the ocean is in trouble, so are we."
~Straits Times~
Dr Sylvia Earle will help guide the direction and growth of marine science research in Singapore and the region.PHOTO: NTU
As a small island state, the Republic has set its sights on understanding its marine environment better.
This effort will now be helped by world renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle joining the scientific advisory board of Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Earth Observatory of Singapore, one of the institutes here conducting ocean research.
The American is the first female chief scientist of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Announcing the appointment on Friday (Aug 16), NTU said Dr Earle will help guide the direction and growth of marine science research in Singapore and the region.
Associate Professor Fidel Costa, interim director for NTU's Earth Observatory, said Dr Earle could help the institute develop a more ambitious ocean programme beyond its current initiatives, such as on rising sea levels.
"Singapore is surrounded by sea and many of its economic interests are built on that. A more comprehensive and ambitious research programme will have an impact in terms of better hazards mitigation, through marine conservation, and the sustainability of marine resources."
Dr Earle, 83, delivered the keynote address at the Melting Ice and Plastic Seas symposium at NTU on Friday.
The symposium will focus on how humans are impacting the oceans, or as Dr Earle put it, "the blue heart of the planet".
Dr Earle, who has spent more than 7,000 hours underwater, is also in town for the Singapore premiere of the Elysium Epic Trilogy, a free photo exhibition that documents the impact of climate change at the poles and in the Coral Triangle.
It will be held until Sept 1 at Shaw Theatres Lido.
Dr Earle's love for the ocean is apparent from her speech, her actions, and her fashion choices.
On Thursday, as she spoke to The Straits Times, she was wearing a scarf - a gift from a friend, she said - which depicted colourful corals and fish.
Protecting the oceans, she said, is not just about saving the whales and sharks.
The oceans are a fabric of life with many connections and linkages. The whales, sharks, krill and every organism in the oceans contribute to their healthy functioning, she said.
Humans directly use more than 70 per cent of the Earth's ice-free land surface for food, feed, fibre, timber and energy.
"When we are oblivious to the complexity of life in the ocean, we break the links in the ocean that keep us all alive," Dr Earle told The Straits Times.
But she added: "We have learnt so much about how the ocean shapes the climate. It governs temperatures and the organisms in it generate oxygen."
The oceans are crucial to life on Earth.
The surface ocean, for instance, is home to tiny plants that produce half of the world's oxygen supply. And the deep ocean is one of the largest carbon banks in the world, making it an important regulator of Earth's climate.
When planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves into surface waters, a series of chemical, biological and physical processes occurs. Over time, the various processes break up the CO2 molecules, and take the dissolved carbon to the depths.
This prevents the carbon from de-gassing out into the atmosphere, and limits the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. This underwater bank of carbon is vast - it is much bigger than forests and other carbon sinks on land.
Asked how the oceans have changed over the decades, Dr Earle said: "In the past, plastics existed in small quantities and there were no plastics in the oceans."
Pointing to how human activity has put greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and plastics in the oceans, she said: "Now, we are suffocating, and so are the fish."
One key link between Singapore and the oceans lies in the Republic's vulnerability to sea-level rise, pointed out National Geographic photographer Jennifer Hayes.
She is part of the Elysium team in Singapore to promote the launch of the exhibition.
Singapore's Second National Climate Change Study has shown that the mean sea level is estimated to rise by up to 1m by 2100.
There are a few ways global warming could cause this. The first is the thermal expansion of water, which expands when heated.
This has been the biggest contributor to sea-level rise so far, NTU's sea-level rise expert Benjamin Horton previously told The Straits Times.
Singapore is already feeling the impact of global warming. It is experiencing a long-term trend of warming, with last year being the Republic's eighth-warmest year on record, says the Meteorological Service Singapore. Furthermore, Singapore's Second
And just like how adding ice cubes to a glass of water raises the water level, melting land ice would also substantially contribute to sea-level rise.
Most of this water is now locked in the world's ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. If they were both to melt completely, sea levels would go up by about 65m, said the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Scientists say this would take thousands of years at the current rates of warming, although the worry is that accelerating rates of ice melt would pose a problem for small island states like Singapore.
Ice sheets are large blocks of ice that extend at least 50,000 sq km, as defined by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre. Their large masses allow them to attract ocean waters, raising surrounding sea levels.
"If an ice sheet melts, its gravitational attraction decreases and sea levels around it can go down," said Prof Horton. "Conversely, regions far from a melting ice sheet, such as Singapore, will see a rise in sea level greater than the global average."
Singapore recognises this vulnerability.
In July, the Government announced that it will be spending $400 million on upgrading and maintaining its drains over the next two years, and $10 million more on a National Sea Level Research Programme, which aims to boost the understanding of sea levels around Singapore and develop more robust projections of rising sea levels.
The ongoing Elysium Epic Trilogy exhibition at Shaw Theatres Lido aims to highlight the importance of the oceans to Singaporeans, said Elysium Epic project founder Michael Aw.
"The exhibition depicts the faces of climate change. We want to show people the things that we could lose with unabated global warming," said Mr Aw, highlighting how the Arctic is warming at a rate twice that of the global average. This is a phenomenon known to scientists as Arctic amplification.
He recalled a scene that, for him, was particularly emblematic of the climate change problem: A young polar bear was scaling the face of a cliff in search of food, its paws bloody.
A photograph of a young polar was scaling the face of a cliff in search of food. ST PHOTO: AUDREY TAN
Mr Aw said the image stood out as it seemed to highlight the increasing difficulties animals like polar bears will face in finding food as declining ice cover robs them of hunting grounds.
Said Dr Earle: "Polar bears cannot solve the problem. But it's up to us to look at them and realise that we can. We can look at the world they're living in melting around them."
We can mourn the loss of the polar bears, she added, but we can also think about the implications of global warming on humans.
"If they are in trouble, so are we. If the ocean is in trouble, so are we."
~Straits Times~
NTU scientists grow 'mini kidneys' in lab to test drugs
NTU scientists grow 'mini kidneys' in lab to test drugs
A mini kidney measures around 1mm to 2mm wide - seen as a white dot above, in comparison to the 10 cent coin. The mini kidneys are grown outside the body from the skin cells of a patient with genetic polycystic kidney disease. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
A team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have found a way to grow "mini kidneys" in the laboratory.
These miniature versions of the human kidney are around one to two millimetres wide, and are used now at NTU to test how effective some drugs can be in curing polycystic kidney disease, which causes cysts to form on a kidney.
The mini kidneys are known as kidney organoids, and are grown outside the body from the skin cells of a patient with genetic polycystic kidney disease.
Over a three-month period, the skin cells can be reprogrammed into becoming stem cells, after which they can be manipulated to grow into organoids.
Due to the tissue being obtained from patients with the disease, the organoids will develop fluid-filled cysts. At this point, drug molecules can be applied to the organoids to test their efficacy.
Two drug molecules have since been tested on diseased organoids from patients with kidney cysts, with the tests proving that the drugs could reduce the size of the cysts on the "mini kidneys".
"Our kidney organoids, grown from the cells of a patient with inherited polycystic kidney diseases, have allowed us to find out which drugs will be most effective for the specific patient" said Dr Xia Yun, principal investigator on the project and assistant professor at the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.
"We believe that this approach can be extended to study many other types of kidney disease."
Dr Xia added that these kidney organoids will allow for medication to be tailored from patient to patient.
"Drug screening does not take into account some genetic errors that cause kidney disease," she said. "These genetic differences can influence directly how patients react to kidney disease treatment. Having these organoids allows us to test and develop personalised treatment for each patient, from their genetic material."
When grown to full size, the organoids function like human foetal kidneys in the first three to six months of development. These organoids could be used to understand the development of nephrons - the kidney's filtering units - that happens as the foetus grows.
Previous research has shown that having a higher number of nephrons at birth appears to to provide some degree of protection against conditions like hypertension and kidney failure, and decrease the incidences of these illnesses later in life.
Additionally, the proof that these miniature versions of the human kidney can be made in the lab, and that these organoids still function when implanted into a mouse's circulation system, also opens up possibilities that the kidneys can one day be used to replace diseased kidneys.
"Although we are still quite far away from using these kidney organoids for replacement therapy, this study has made a small step closer to this ultimate goal," said Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, stem cell scientist and an international collaborator on this study.
~Straits Times~
A mini kidney measures around 1mm to 2mm wide - seen as a white dot above, in comparison to the 10 cent coin. The mini kidneys are grown outside the body from the skin cells of a patient with genetic polycystic kidney disease. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
A team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have found a way to grow "mini kidneys" in the laboratory.
These miniature versions of the human kidney are around one to two millimetres wide, and are used now at NTU to test how effective some drugs can be in curing polycystic kidney disease, which causes cysts to form on a kidney.
The mini kidneys are known as kidney organoids, and are grown outside the body from the skin cells of a patient with genetic polycystic kidney disease.
Over a three-month period, the skin cells can be reprogrammed into becoming stem cells, after which they can be manipulated to grow into organoids.
Due to the tissue being obtained from patients with the disease, the organoids will develop fluid-filled cysts. At this point, drug molecules can be applied to the organoids to test their efficacy.
Two drug molecules have since been tested on diseased organoids from patients with kidney cysts, with the tests proving that the drugs could reduce the size of the cysts on the "mini kidneys".
"Our kidney organoids, grown from the cells of a patient with inherited polycystic kidney diseases, have allowed us to find out which drugs will be most effective for the specific patient" said Dr Xia Yun, principal investigator on the project and assistant professor at the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.
"We believe that this approach can be extended to study many other types of kidney disease."
Dr Xia added that these kidney organoids will allow for medication to be tailored from patient to patient.
"Drug screening does not take into account some genetic errors that cause kidney disease," she said. "These genetic differences can influence directly how patients react to kidney disease treatment. Having these organoids allows us to test and develop personalised treatment for each patient, from their genetic material."
When grown to full size, the organoids function like human foetal kidneys in the first three to six months of development. These organoids could be used to understand the development of nephrons - the kidney's filtering units - that happens as the foetus grows.
Previous research has shown that having a higher number of nephrons at birth appears to to provide some degree of protection against conditions like hypertension and kidney failure, and decrease the incidences of these illnesses later in life.
Additionally, the proof that these miniature versions of the human kidney can be made in the lab, and that these organoids still function when implanted into a mouse's circulation system, also opens up possibilities that the kidneys can one day be used to replace diseased kidneys.
"Although we are still quite far away from using these kidney organoids for replacement therapy, this study has made a small step closer to this ultimate goal," said Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, stem cell scientist and an international collaborator on this study.
~Straits Times~
Thursday, August 8, 2019
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
NTU scientists develop probes that light up when kidney failure is detected
NTU scientists develop probes that light up when kidney failure is detected
The team has filed a Singapore patent for the technology.PHOTO: NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE
Imaging probes that light up when acute kidney failure is detected have been developed by local scientists, helping to spot the condition 1½ days faster than other real-time molecular imaging methods. The probes, which are injected into the bloodstream, light up due to a chemical reaction when they detect molecular changes caused by the onset of acute kidney failure.
Developed by scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the probes have been tested on mice and will progress to human trials next year.
Acute kidney failure usually occurs in a few hours or a few days, and is most common among patients who are critically ill and need intensive care.
In 2015, there were 1,619 people diagnosed with kidney failure in Singapore, the main cause of this being diabetes.
Unlike the probes, current diagnostic platforms are unable to detect early stage, pre-morbid changes that underlie acute renal failure, said Associate Professor Pu Kanyi from the NTU School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.
These platforms include the serum creatinine test, which measures the level of creatinine in the blood and provides an estimate of how well the kidneys filter, and the blood urea nitrogen test, which measures the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. Higher-than-normal urea nitrogen levels suggest that the kidneys or liver may not be working properly.
In contrast, the probes are sensitive enough to track changes in the biological processes triggered by the onset of acute kidney failure.
"For patients who are critically ill, like those in the intensive care unit, every minute is precious in reversing a condition like acute kidney failure, which can cause a patient's health to deteriorate rapidly," he said.
When tested on mice, the probes lit up 12 hours after cancer drug cisplatin was given at a level destructive to the kidneys - 1½ days faster than other real-time molecular imaging methods.
The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Materials in May.
Prof Pu said there is also the possibility of developing the probes into test strips for urine samples, making it a non-invasive method of detecting acute kidney failure.
The NTU researchers found that the probe has high renal clearance - more than 97 per cent of the probes injected into mice flowed through the kidneys, and were excreted as part of urine.
When added to the urine sample and incubated for a few hours, the probes light up when exposed to UV light in the presence of biomarkers.
The team has filed a Singapore patent for the technology.
Their next phase of research will involve working with local and overseas medical institutions to further refine the probes using urine samples from patients in the intensive care unit by next year.
~News courtesy of Straits Times~
The team has filed a Singapore patent for the technology.PHOTO: NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE
Imaging probes that light up when acute kidney failure is detected have been developed by local scientists, helping to spot the condition 1½ days faster than other real-time molecular imaging methods. The probes, which are injected into the bloodstream, light up due to a chemical reaction when they detect molecular changes caused by the onset of acute kidney failure.
Developed by scientists from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the probes have been tested on mice and will progress to human trials next year.
Acute kidney failure usually occurs in a few hours or a few days, and is most common among patients who are critically ill and need intensive care.
In 2015, there were 1,619 people diagnosed with kidney failure in Singapore, the main cause of this being diabetes.
Unlike the probes, current diagnostic platforms are unable to detect early stage, pre-morbid changes that underlie acute renal failure, said Associate Professor Pu Kanyi from the NTU School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.
These platforms include the serum creatinine test, which measures the level of creatinine in the blood and provides an estimate of how well the kidneys filter, and the blood urea nitrogen test, which measures the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. Higher-than-normal urea nitrogen levels suggest that the kidneys or liver may not be working properly.
In contrast, the probes are sensitive enough to track changes in the biological processes triggered by the onset of acute kidney failure.
"For patients who are critically ill, like those in the intensive care unit, every minute is precious in reversing a condition like acute kidney failure, which can cause a patient's health to deteriorate rapidly," he said.
When tested on mice, the probes lit up 12 hours after cancer drug cisplatin was given at a level destructive to the kidneys - 1½ days faster than other real-time molecular imaging methods.
The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Materials in May.
Prof Pu said there is also the possibility of developing the probes into test strips for urine samples, making it a non-invasive method of detecting acute kidney failure.
The NTU researchers found that the probe has high renal clearance - more than 97 per cent of the probes injected into mice flowed through the kidneys, and were excreted as part of urine.
When added to the urine sample and incubated for a few hours, the probes light up when exposed to UV light in the presence of biomarkers.
The team has filed a Singapore patent for the technology.
Their next phase of research will involve working with local and overseas medical institutions to further refine the probes using urine samples from patients in the intensive care unit by next year.
~News courtesy of Straits Times~
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