ANN/THE STRAITS TIMES – Singapore’s elusive leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), typically found on offshore islands and in the central and western catchment areas, may have expanded its range to Changi.
The Singapore Wildcat Action Group (Swag), a volunteer-led organisation, plans to conduct a rapid survey of the Changi coastal area in 2025 to confirm the presence of the rare feline.
The group will apply for a research permit from the National Parks Board (NParks), said its co-director Dr Vilma D’Rozario.
“We aim to monitor leopard cat activity near the construction site of Singapore’s new airport terminal, given the heavy vehicle traffic in the area,” she said. Construction of Changi Airport Terminal 5 is slated to begin in the first half of 2025, with the mega-terminal expected to be operational by the mid-2030s.
Dr D’Rozario noted that several leopard cats have been killed in road accidents, raising concerns about the species’ survival as development encroaches on its habitat.
“In the last 25 years, five leopard cats were found dead on Singapore’s roads – one too many, when we have a population of fewer than 50,” she added.
The roadkills were found at different locations: Bukit Timah Expressway near Mandai Road, Mandai Lake Road, Jalan Bahar, Neo Tiew Road and Changi Coast Road. The incident in Changi was in 2018, although in 2024, two sightings of the leopard cat were reported in the same area, Dr D’Rozario added.
“We would like to see mitigations to this real threat put into place,” she said.
The recent sightings in Changi hint at a leopard cat population in the area but other researchers are less sure.
Lecturer at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences Dr Ian Chan said leopard cats sighted in Changi are likely to have swum across from Pulau Tekong or Pulau Ubin, given Changi’s distance from the leopard cat’s existing habitats on the mainland.
In 2024, there were two reported sightings of the leopard cat in Changi. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
AP – Within hours of taking office, United States (US) President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate American greatness and to recognise those who have made contributions throughout history.
He jumpstarted the effort by ordering the name of North America’s tallest peak to be changed from Denali back to Mount McKinley in honour of the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley. He also called on the US Interior Department to work with Alaska Natives and others to adopt names for other landmarks that would honour their history and culture.
The US Board on Geographic Names will play a role. The little known panel made up of officials from several federal agencies has been in existence since 1890.
HOW DID THE BOARD GET ITS START?
As more settlers and prospectors headed west following the American Civil War, it became apparent the federal government needed some kind of consistency for referencing landmarks on maps and in official documents.
In comes President Benjamin Harrison. He issued an executive order establishing the board in hopes of resolving some of the confusion.
President Theodore Roosevelt took it further in 1906, making the board responsible for standardising geographic names for use across the federal government. That included changing names for some spots and identifying unnamed features.
It was President Franklin Roosevelt who dissolved the board in 1934, opting instead to transfer duties to the Interior Department. After World War II, Congress changed course and re-established the panel.
The board under the Trump administration will have new members, but the makeup will be the same with representatives from several agencies ranging from the Interior and Commerce departments to the Post Office and the Library of Congress. Even the CIA plays a role when the board considers place names beyond US borders.
The members are appointed for two-year terms by the respective heads of the agencies they represent. The committee that deals with names on US soil meets monthly.
Denali is visible from Pt Woronzof. PHOTO: APUnited States President Donald Trump. PHOTO: AP
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
The board is quite aware of the importance of a name, noting in its guiding principles, policies and procedures that the names of geographic features throughout the US reflect the nation’s history and its changing face.
The board points out that names of Native American origin are found sprinkled throughout the land and there are traces of the languages spoken by early explorers.
“It is in these ways and many others that geographic naming gives us a clear, exciting profile of the US that is unmatched in any other medium,” the board states.
In the case of Mount McKinley, original inhabitants had unique names for the mountain long before prospectors showed up. For the Koyukon Athabaskans, it’s always been deenaalee, roughly translated as “the high one”.
Despite never having visited Alaska, McKinley’s name became attached to the mountain in 1896, labelled by a gold prospector after the Republican was nominated as a presidential candidate. McKinley, who signed legislation in 1900 making gold the sole standard for US currency, was assassinated just six months into his second term and the name Mount McKinley stuck.
Alaska wasn’t a state then and it would take decades before elected officials there would petition the Board on Geographic Names to return to what locals knew best. But their efforts were repeatedly blocked. Then in 2015, after years of pressure from Alaska Natives and other advocates, President Barack Obama issued an order making Denali official for federal purposes.
Like so many sites across the US, the peak is more than a tourist attraction. It’s woven into the cultural fabric of those who call the area home, said Executive Director of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Valerie Grussing.
“It’s a sacred place,” she told The Associated Press (AP), adding, “the name we use for it should reflect that sacred relationship between the people and the land.”
HAVE NAME-CHANGING CAMPAIGNS MADE A DIFFERENCE?
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Board on Geographic Names took action to eliminate the use of derogatory terms related to Japanese and Black people.
More recently, former US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland initiated a campaign to eliminate offensive names at hundreds of places around the nation. She highlighted the work during her farewell address to department employees just weeks ago, saying the effort to address derogatory words would continue.
In 2023, the board voted to change Mount Evans southwest of Denver to Mount Blue Sky at the request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Two years earlier, more than a dozen sites with racist and offensive names in Texas were renamed. In 2008, the board approved a proposal to change the name of a prominent Phoenix mountain to Piestewa Peak to honour Army Spc Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat while serving in the US military.
And now there’s a campaign brewing in Alaska to have Denali restored. It’s too early to say whether that will result in a new proposal before the board.
The Interior Department on Friday took steps to update the peak’s name in the federal Geographic Names Information System. Since the board’s decisions are binding only for the federal government, it’s possible Denali will live on through Google and Apple map applications and other private mapping services.
WHO CAN PROPOSE A NAME CHANGE?
Any person, government agency, Native American tribe or organisation can submit a proposal to the board, as long as there is a compelling reason and evidence to support it.
The support of local communities and historical or genealogical societies helps.
“A new name will affect many people for a long time; thus, it must be acceptable to local citizens, involved local, state, and federal agencies, and other users,” board policy states.
While its role over the years has grown, the board said its principles for deciding whose name may be applied to a natural feature for US official maps and publications have stood the test of time. In some cases, the board may be able to suggest alternatives to geographic naming that might better commemorate an individual.
The board prohibits consideration of any derogatory names and it won’t consider proposals involving the names of living people or anyone who has been dead less than five years.
Once settled on, the names are listed in the official repository of geographic names used by the federal government. The system includes more than 2.5 million name records. – Susan Montoya Bryan
ANN/ THE PHNOM PENH POST – A massive wildfire has destroyed up to 30 per cent of the forest area at Techo Sen Russey Treb Park in Preah Vihear province’s Chheb district, devastating wildlife and vegetation across thousands of hectares.
Park Director Sot Samnang attributed the blaze to human activity, particularly by individuals residing in nearby communities.
“The fire has spread extensively, affecting approximately 20 to 30 per cent of the park,” he said. “While the dry season’s extreme heat worsens the situation, the primary cause is deliberate burning by local villagers.”
According to Samnang, some villagers set fires while hunting or gathering forest resources, a practice that has led to severe environmental destruction.
“They ignite fires to drive out animals, but in doing so, they destroy vital habitats. Many species are unable to escape, and trees – both naturally felled and those illegally cut – are being lost in the flames. It is deeply regrettable,” he said.
Authorities and conservationists have expressed concern over the continued impact of human-induced wildfires on Cambodia’s forests, calling for stricter enforcement and community awareness efforts to prevent further devastation.
Samnang noted that there are 16 communities near the park, which is administered by the Royal Academy of Cambodia. The park’s management team and local authorities regularly engage in educational outreach and awareness campaigns to promote forest conservation efforts. However, he observed that some people continue to engage in illegal activities, such as setting fires for hunting.
“We urge them to stop and think about the benefits for future generations. They are destroying the forest and its products, which are habitats for many species of wildlife, just for the short-term gain of catching one or two animals,” he said.
“If we can preserve the forest and its products, we could generate from USD200,000 to 300,000 annually,” he added.
The aftermath of a poacher’s fire in the Techo Sen Russey Treb Park in Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. PHOTO: THE PHNOM PENH POST
ARROYOMOLINOS (AFP) – They take off their flip flops and put on ski suits and gloves. Outside this Madrid mall, it’s scorching, but at Snozone, customers are happy to ignore the heat – and environmental issues.
An icy breeze in the lobby and a polar bear at the entrance plunge these summer visitors into another world at the Xanadu shopping centre 20 kilometres south of Madrid.
Opened in 2003, Snozone has a 250-metre long ski slope covered in artificial snow, open 365 days a year.
Outside it is 34 degrees Celsius (Co), but inside it is -3Co, and between a chairlift and a ski drag, about 30 skiers race down the slope watched by spectators.
Two hours of skiing costs about EUR40 (USD44).
Members of the Carcassonne ski club in southern France have been coming here for seven years, said instructor at Les Angles ski resort in the eastern Pyrenees Thomas Barataud.
“We used to ski on the glaciers, but the climate has complicated that. Here you’ve got hard snow and cold weather, so the kids can keep skiing, which is good,” he said.
About 10 students who compete in skiing events are spending a week here doing slaloms on the section reserved for clubs, which has a hard and more technical surface.
“It’s not very environmentally friendly,” admitted Barataud, 43.
“But it’s what we’re looking for. We make do with what we have and this is a good alternative. When we leave at 4pm, it’s a bit weird, because we are wearing shorts and flip flops,” he chuckled.
Student Cyrila Pena talks about the “heat shock when the sun beats down on you”.
The 18-year-old said being here is “fantastic”, but added that some of her friends are surprised, asking her, “Aren’t you embarrassed to be skiing indoors? If older generations had looked after the environment, we could have skied on the glaciers,” she retorted.
Every year, 200,000 people come here – on a good day, they can have 1,800 customers.
On the ramp, snowboarder Izan Romano tries a trick. This 20-year-old bricklayer has a EUR600 annual pass and comes four or five times a week. “Summer, winter, it’s all the same – there is always snow. It is my escape, I forget what is outside,” said Romano, who lives in Madrid. “I came today because I was dying of heat at home. Some go to the pool, I take the car and drive to the snow.”
And what about the environment? “What are you talking about? It doesn’t bear
thinking about.”
A skier enjoys a run at Xanadu Snozone, the only indoor ski slope in Spain, located in Arroyomolinos, south of Madrid. PHOTO: AFP
UPI – The Oregon Zoo announced that Rose-Tu, a 30-year-old Asian elephant, gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Saturday after a pregnancy lasting over 20 months.
“We couldn’t be happier with how everything is going so far,” Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant programme, said in a news release.
“This was one of the smoothest births I’ve ever seen. Rose knew just what to do. She helped her baby up right away. The kid was standing on her own within 15 minutes and took her first steps soon after that.”
The mother and baby are being given time to bond in an off-exhibit area and the calf will make her debut to the public at a later date, the zoo said.
“Rose is a fantastic mom,” Lefave said.
“She’s so gentle and protective, and the calf is already nursing well. These are signs that they will have a strong bond, which is exactly what we want to see. We’re ready to help if needed, but so far mom and baby are doing just fine on their own.”
MIAMI (AP) – Art gallery, science exhibition and 21st Century funhouse, Paradox Museum Miami takes guests on a tour through optical illusions and other enigmas geared for the age of Instagram.
The 11,000 square-foot museum, housed in Miami’s trendy Wynwood arts and entertainment district, features more than 70 exhibits that challenge the imagination, executive director Samantha Impellizeri said.
“It ebbs and flows between periods of highly tactile and interactive exhibit pieces and fully immersive photo opportunities where you yourself become the paradox and walk away with some really fun and unique social media content,” Impellizeri said.
Paradox Museum has more than a dozen locations throughout North America, Europe and Asia. The Miami location, which opened in 2022, was the first in North America, followed by Las Vegas and New Jersey.
“Each paradox is uniquely tied to its community,” Impellizeri said. “So as you walk throughout the experience, you’ll notice different themes and art installations that directly reflect not only Miami but the Wynwood community specifically.”
Many of the exhibits at Paradox Museum harken back to old carnival funhouses, like the mirror maze, the spinning tunnel and the upside-down room. The difference is that Paradox Museum explains the math and science behind each illusion.
“We’re a top field trip destination for pre-K all the way up through college students,” Impellizeri said. “We have a full curriculum of educational activities to do before, during and after the visit to expand upon that educational scope.”
ABOVE & BELOW: Photos show visitors posing at the Paradox Museum Miami. PHOTO: APPHOTO: AP
COLOMBO (AP) – Sri Lanka marked its 77th independence anniversary yesterday with a military parade, while the country’s newly elected president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, pledged to heal Sri Lanka’s economic woes by the end of his five-year term. Yesterday, Dissanayake said he would improve the living standards of all Sri Lankans during his tenure, giving them opportunities to enjoy modern scientific and technological innovations.
Addressing a ceremony in the capital, Colombo, he urged Sri Lankans to work together to win economic, social and cultural freedom, and said, “Everyone has a role to play in this struggle.”
Under Dissanayake’s leadership, Sri Lanka is trying to emerge from bankruptcy by restructuring its staggering debt.
When Sri Lanka declared bankruptcy, it sought the help of the International Monetary Fund, which approved a USD2.9-billion four-year bailout package in 2023, under which Sri Lanka was required to restructure its debt. In September, Sri Lanka announced it had concluded the debt restructuring process after reaching agreements with bilateral and multilateral creditors and private bond holders.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake hoists the Sri Lankan national flag during the country’s 77th Independence Day ceremony in Colombo. PHOTO: AP
SYDNEY (AFP) – Mud-brown floodwaters have swamped scores of homes and caused “incredible” damage in eastern Australia, authorities said yesterday, warning of a long-haul recovery ahead.
Storms dumped more than 1.5 metres of rain in parts of Queensland in the past week, engulfing homes, businesses and roads, officials said.
“The devastation is quite frankly, incredible,” the state’s premier David Crisafulli told a news conference.
“There are people who have been inundated at home, at their businesses and in their farms.”
The city of Townsville, a popular tourism destination by the Great Barrier Reef, had “dodged a bullet” as flood warnings were downgraded overnight, he said.
Townsville residents were allowed to return to their homes yesterday but should remain alert for further evacuation orders, officials said.
Further north in Ingham, a rural town of about 4,500 people, the waters had likely flooded “well north” of 100 homes, the premier said in a separate interview with national broadcaster ABC.
“This is going to be a recovery that doesn’t go for a week or a month, this is going to take some time,” Crisafulli said.
A 63-year-old woman was killed in Ingham on Sunday after the rescue boat she was being carried in struck a tree and capsized, officials said – the only confirmed death in the floods.
An aerial view of flood-affected areas around Townsville, Queensland, Australia. PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump will discuss the future of the Gaza ceasefire as the Israeli prime minister becomes the first foreign leader to visit the White House since the United States (US) president’s return to power.
Netanyahu is in Washington for talks with the new Trump administration on a second, longer-term phase of Israel’s fragile truce with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has not yet been finalised.
Trump has meanwhile repeatedly touted a plan to “clean out” Gaza, calling for Palestinians to move to neighbouring countries such as Egypt or Jordan, despite all those parties strongly rejecting his proposal.
Before leaving for Washington, Netanyahu said that Israel’s wars with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and its confrontations with Iran had “redrawn the map” in the Middle East.
“But I believe that working closely with President Trump we can redraw it even further, and for the better,” Netanyahu said.
The White House meeting promises to be a crucial one for a region shattered by war since the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
Netanyahu hailed the fact that he would be the first foreign leader to meet Trump since his January 20 inauguration as “testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance”.
The Israeli premier had tense relations with Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden over the growing death toll in Gaza, despite Biden’s steadfast maintenance of US military aid.
But Trump, who has claimed credit for sealing the ceasefire after 15 months of war and prides himself on his dealmaking ability, will be pushing Netanyahu to stick to the agreement.
He is also expected to lean on Netanyahu to accept a deal to normalise relations with Saudi Arabia, something he tried to do in his first term.
Trump said that talks with Israel and other Middle Eastern countries were “progressing” – but then warned less than 24 hours later that there that were “no guarantees that the peace is going to hold”.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff – who met Netanyahu on Monday over terms for the second phase of the Gaza truce – said however that he was “certainly hopeful” that the truce would stick.
File photo shows President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, United States. PHOTO: AP
SAN SALVADOR (AFP) – El Salvador’s iron-fisted leader offered to jail Americans so President Donald Trump can outsource the United States (US) prison system, an extraordinary step that was hailed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
There is virtually no precedent in contemporary times for a democratic country to send its own citizens to foreign jails, and any attempt to do so is sure to be challenged in US courts.
But Rubio welcomed an offer to do just that by President Nayib Bukele, whose sweeping crackdown on crime has won him soaring popularity at home and hero status for many in President Donald Trump’s orbit.
“He has offered to house in his jails dangerous American criminals in custody in our country, including those with US citizenship and legal residency,” Rubio told reporters in San Salvador.
“No country’s ever made an offer of friendship such as this,” Rubio said.
“We are profoundly grateful. I spoke to President Trump about this earlier today,” he said.
Bukele said that El Salvador would ask for payment and was ready to incarcerate Americans in a prison he opened a year ago that is Latin America’s largest.
“We have offered the US of America the opportunity to outsource part of its prison system,” Bukele wrote on X after Rubio’s statement.
“The fee would be relatively low for the US but significant for us, making our entire prison system sustainable.”
Rubio said that Bukele was also willing to take back Salvadoran citizens and nationals of other countries.
Rubio appeared to suggest the focus in El Salvador would be on jailing members of Latin American gangs, such as El Salvador’s MS-13 and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. “Any unlawful immigrant and illegal immigrant in the US who is a dangerous criminal – MS-13, Tren de Aragua, whatever it may be – he has offered his jails,” Rubio said.
Since his return to the White House last month, Trump has put a top priority on speeding up the deportation of millions of people in the US without legal status.
Trump has sought to crack down on the right to birthright citizenship, which is enshrined in the US Constitution.
Trump has also unveiled plans to detain 30,000 migrants at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba – a prison which previous Democratic presidents hoped to close. The Trump administration is especially eager to deport Venezuelans.
Since taking office last month, Trump has stripped roughly 600,000 Venezuelans of protection from deportation ordered by his predecessor Joe Biden, citing the economic and security crisis in the South American country run by US nemesis Nicolas Maduro.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in Panama City, United States. PHOTO: AP
