Tag: Singapore

NUS Is Asia’s Top University, NTU 55th in Tmes Higher Education World University Rankings

SINGAPORE – The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have both made a good showing in the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings published today (Oct 1).

As the only Asian university in the global top 30, NUS was crowned Asia’s top university – a first for NUS in the ranking’s 12-year history – while NTU scaled six spots to rank 55th globally in the 2015-2016 rankings.

The rankings are based on 13 separate performance indicators to reflect a university’s strengths in five areas: Teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook. It draws on data from 1,100 institutions, 11 million academic papers and more than 11,000 academic surveys to list the top 800 universities across 70 countries.

In the latest rankings, NUS was at 26th spot globally. In the previous 2014-2015 edition of the rankings, NUS ranked a spot higher at 25th place and was the second best Asian university, behind the University of Tokyo (ranked 23rd globally).

In the latest list, the University of Tokyo dropped to 43rd place, just behind China’s Peking University (ranked 42nd). After NUS, these were the next highest ranked Asian institutions.

Screenshot showing the scores of NTU and NUS in five areas.

Within the five areas that the universities were scored, NUS was placed in the top 10 in the area of international outlook, which considers a university’s international-to-domestic-student ratio, international-to-domestic-staff ratio and international collaboration. In the areas of teaching (the learning environment) and research (volume, income and reputation), NUS was in the top 30.

NTU was in the top 20 in the areas of industry income – an indicator for knowledge transfer activity – and international outlook. Neither university placed in the top 30 in the area of citations, which is the research influence indicator that looks at universities’ role in spreading new knowledge and ideas.

NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan said: “We are pleased that NUS has been placed among the leading universities in the world and top in Asia.” He credited the university’s achievements to “strong support from the government, as well as commitment to excellence by our faculty, staff and students”.

Pointing to NTU’s leap to 13th place from 39th in the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings a fortnight ago, NTU President Professor Bertil Andersson said: “Although the two indices use different methodologies, they show one common trend – that NTU is on a rapid upward trajectory.” At the 55th spot, NTU has leaped 114 places on the Times Higher Education World University Rankings over the last four years.

“We will continue to work hard to be a leading global university that is academically and intellectually rigorous and vibrant, and one that serves the needs of Singapore and Singaporeans,” said Prof Andersson. Still, he noted that while rankings are useful for young universities like NTU as it allows them to be benchmarked with the best, “rankings do not shape our strategies”. “We are focused on our fundamentals – to create a world-class environment for learning, teaching and research,” he said.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings’ editor Phil Baty said NTU’s “consistent rise is particularly impressive” given the 13 rigorous performance indicators used for the rankings. “Singapore is one of the most exciting countries in global higher education at the moment, and NTU is at the heart of that,” he added.

On NUS, Mr Baty said its new position as Asia’s top university and among the very best of the world’s elite research universities is “thoroughly deserved”. “NUS has proven its strength in depth against the highest global standards,” he said.

Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings

Source: www.todayonline.com

October 1, 2015
Off-Duty Medic’s Quick Thinking Saved Badly Injured Motorcyclist

Dear Editors,

Sharing with you the incident occurred yesterday morning. #agoodsamaritan Thank you for being the saviour of the day!! Earlier this morning despite on his off duty day, our own medical crew has stepped forward in rendering first aid for a road traffic accident casualty while awaiting for 995 ambulance to arrive.

Mr Abdillah whom is certified/trained in medical and emergencies offered his help to the casualty who was badly injured due to the accident. The casualty who was suffering from a dislocated right shoulder and a deep laceration cut on his left eye was found lying on the road near Selatar Link road this morning moaning in pain.

Mr Abdillah’s fast thinking act has improvised all the treatments by using a long sleeve shirt (given by a bangladeshi workers nearby) as a sling to support the arm, while a cloth to stop the profused bleeding.

Later, the casualty was conveyed to the hospital by the SCDF personnel.

We wish the casualty a speedy recovery!

Thank you once again Mr Abdillah – Founder of First Medic Training Services est 2013

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

October 1, 2015
Singapore’s Population Growth At Slowest In More Than A Decade

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Singapore’s population rose 1.2 percent over the past year, the slowest in more than a decade, as it tried to reduce numbers of foreign workers, while long-standing efforts to encourage citizens to have more children bore some fruit.

The total population stood at 5.54 million as of June 2015, according to data released on Wednesday, including 3.38 million citizens.

The citizen population continued to age, with 13.1 percent 65 or older, compared with 12.4 percent last year, due to slowing fertility rates and increasing life expectancy.

Singapore has for years tried to get its well-educated and well-off citizens to have more children, with little success but births in 2014 rose 7 percent, to 33,193, close to the 2012 level, which was the highest in a decade.

Increasing numbers of foreign workers led to grumbling about high property prices and crowded public transport and in response, the government has been curbing numbers, exacerbating a labour crunch, particularly in manufacturing, services and construction.

Businesses faced a tight labour market but help was at hand, the government said in its 2015 population report.

“The government will support businesses to shift towards skills- and capital-intensive ways to grow, so that businesses can continue to grow and succeed here, to create quality jobs for Singaporeans,” the government said.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

October 1, 2015
Malaysians In ISIS Trained To Become Snipers And Suicide Bombers

KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Malaysians recruited by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group in Syria are moving up the ladder in terrorism – they’re leaving their janitorial posts to become snipers and suicide bombers in Iraq.

Previously cleaners and guards at the camps, Malaysians who fell for the ISIS promise of a false “jihad” are now being trained to become snipers and suicide bombers with the specific goal of regaining the group’s grip on Iraq.

Malaysia’s Special Branch Counter-Terrorism Division head Ayub Khan said the terror group now counted on some Malaysians to carry out its special ops missions all over Iraq.

“The presence of the ISIS in Syria is quite solid but the group is losing control over Iraq as many territories have fallen back to Iraqi government forces.

“Our intelligence show that they are relying more on Malaysians now to carry out strike missions against several key structures in Iraq,” he told The Star on Wednesday (Sept 30).

Senior Asst Comm (SAC) Ayub said the Malaysian militants were plucked from the Khatibah Nusantara cell in Syria to join the special ops squads.

“The Khatibah Nusantara consists of Malaysian and Indonesian ISIS fighters. They band together as their language and interests are similar,” he said.

This new development came to light following the deaths of three Malaysians in Iraq, believed to be on special ops missions, he said.

One of them was Zid Saharani Mohamed Esa, 43, who died in a clash with Iraqi forces in Bayji, Iraq, on Aug 29.

“We believe he was one of the snipers assigned to take out targets at a Iraqi government structure in Bayji.

“Zid, also known as Abu Hoor, went to Syria in July last year. He went to Bangkok and took a flight to Turkey before securing safe passage to Syria by land.

“Prior to this, he was involved with Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia and was detained under the ISA (Internal Security Act) in 2002,” he said.

SAC Ayub said the two others killed were Muhamad Syazani Mohd Salim, 28, and Fadzly Ariff Zainal Ariff, 31.

Muhamad Syazani, known as Abu Aydan, was also killed in Bayji in a skirmish with Iraqi forces on Sept 18 and was believed to be part of an ISIS infantry trained to fulfil a specific mission objective.

“He went to Syria on Sept 23 via Istanbul along with his older brother Muhamad Syazwan,” said SAC Ayub.

Fadzly Ariff Zainal Ariff died on Sept 26 after driving a truck filled with seven tonnes of explosives towards a bridge in Buhayrat, located in Fallujah.

“The attack also killed a group of Iraqi soldiers.

“Our intelligence indicates that Fadzly Ariff, known as Abu Ubaidah, had attempted suicide bombings twice but failed as his explosives malfunctioned the previous times,” said SAC Ayub, adding that the former burger seller went to Syria on Oct 11, 2013.

SAC Ayub said Fadzly Ariff’s mother Azizah Md Yusof was detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act on April 28 last year for giving support to ISIS, and subsequently charged on May 23 the same year.

The latest deaths bring the number of Malaysians killed in Syria and Iraq to 14.

“As with some deaths involving Malaysians in both countries, it was hard to get a DNA sample to completely verify and identify the militants involved,” he said, adding that they relied on their intelligence gathering network.

He said the police had identified 69 Malaysians with ISIS in Syria.

“Previously, there were militants who joined other terror groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda’s official affiliate in Syria.

“However, this trend has stopped as all of them have joined ISIS,” he said.

While the official figure was 69, SAC Ayub said the actual number of Malaysians in Syria could be about 100, including children.

Source: www.thestraitstimes.com

October 1, 2015
2 Self-Radicalised Singaporeans Detained Under Internal Security Act

Two self-radicalised Singaporeans have been detained under the Internal Security Act for involvement in terrorism-related activities, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday (Sep 30).

Muhammad Shamin Mohamed Sidek, 29, and Muhammad Harith Jailani, 18, were detained in August this year. Investigations showed that they had harboured the intention to make their way to Syria to join the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and engage in violence there, MHA said.

Shamin was influenced by ISIS’s online radical propaganda and was earlier convicted and sentenced to three months’ jail under Section 267C of the Penal Code for inciting religious violence through his pro-ISIS postings on social media. MHA said he continued to express support for ISIS throughout his three-month imprisonment and was thus arrested under the ISA in July this year to assess if he posed a threat to Singapore’s security.

Subsequent investigations by the Internal Security Department showed that Shamin planned to travel to Syria to join ISIS once he had raised enough money to fund the trip.

Shamin had also decided that if he was unable to join ISIS, he would consider fighting alongside a regional militant group that he considered to be aligned with ISIS. “He was undeterred by his arrest under the ISA and said he would pursue his plans to join ISIS after his release from detention. Shamin said he was prepared to die in the course of defending the ‘caliphate’ that was declared by ISIS,” MHA added.

Like Shamin, 18-year-old Harith was radicalised by online propaganda put up by ISIS. He harboured the intention to carry out armed attacks for the terrorist group, MHA said. “He was prepared to be trained by ISIS to fight and kill the group’s enemies, and to die in the process so that he would receive divine rewards for dying as a martyr.”

Harith had collected information on how he could travel to Syria and also tried to radicalise those around him to support ISIS’ cause in an attempt to recruit them to join ISIS together with him.

The detentions of Shamin and Harith underline the “persistent ISIS threat” and the threat posed by self-radicalised Singaporeans, MHA said. The ministry noted that a few of the
Singaporeans who have been detained had even been prepared to carry out terrorist attacks in Singapore.

“The Government takes a very serious view of any form of support for terrorism, including but not limited to the use of violence, and will take firm and decisive action against any person who engages in such activities,” the ministry said.

It encourages those who are aware that someone is involved in terrorism-related activities, or who see suspicious activities to promptly inform the Internal Security Department (1800-2626-473) or call the Police (999).

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

September 30, 2015