The heir to the British throne was welcomed with cheers at Singapore’s Changi Airport Sunday, where he turned on the world’s largest indoor waterfall—the HSBC Rain Vortex—to light it green. He shook hands, signed autographs and snapped selfies with hundreds of fans who lined up to meet him during his walkabout. It’s the first time he’s visited Singapore since 2012, when he was with his wife, then Duchess of Cambridge, for their tour of South Asia.
The prince, who wore a 10-year-old dark green blazer by Alexander McQueen for the glitzy ceremony, was accompanied by celebrities like actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor as well as actress Nomzamo Mbatha. They all walked the “green carpet,” which was made from recycled materials, to present the awards to innovators in categories including nature protection, clean air and ocean revival. The prince said the solutions presented showed that “hope does remain” even as climate change takes a toll on people around the globe.
In addition to presenting the prize winners, the prince also addressed an audience at the Singapore Expo. He highlighted some of the work being done by the Royal Foundation, which he launched with his wife in 2020. He praised Singapore for its commitment to environmental sustainability, and stressed the importance of working together with other nations in tackling global issues.
He added that “repair is our common purpose.” The prize ceremony was part of the United for Wildlife global summit, featuring representatives from law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations working to combat trade in illegal wildlife products, estimated at $20 billion annually.
Toto (known by other names in different countries) is a legalised form of lottery sold in Singapore. It is run by the Singapore Pools and generates revenue for the government. Profits are used for a variety of purposes, including helping the poor and needy in the country.
KIOS researchers have won the first prize in the Cooperative Aerial Robots Inspection Challenge, held during the flagship 62nd IEEE Conference on Decision and Control 2023 in Singapore. The team of Dr Savvas Papaioannou, Research Assist Prof Panayiotis Kolios and Research Assoc Prof Christos Panayiotou, developed an innovative cooperative strategy that enables drones to coordinate their operations and efficiently inspect the condition of infrastructure.
Singapore’s laws regulate gambling, but prize promotions and contests are specifically excluded from the rules. However, there may be tax implications for participants. A participant cannot be required to pay a fee or monetary amount to enter, and the promotion must not provoke in the person a psychological pressure to purchase the promoted product(s) and/or service(s). The winner will be announced in June. He or she will receive an uncapped cash prize of S$2 million. In addition, the winner will be able to secure a place in KIOS’s PhD programme and will be awarded a tuition grant of S$30,000 per month for up to three years. The programme offers an opportunity for aspiring young engineers to be mentored by leading industry experts and scientists.