SeaPRwire

Ventilation duct at Nex mall fell due to accumulated water, says BCA after probe

aseanpr 7 12 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The collapse of the ventilation duct in a Nex mall cinema was due to "a significant amount of water" accumulating in the insulation material surrounding the duct. The investigation findings were released by the Building and Construction Authority in a statement on Monday (Dec 7), following the incident at a Shaw Theatres cinema hall on Aug 30 that left two moviegoers injured. The water accumulation was a result of "unforeseen excessive condensation over a sustained period", and its weight had overloaded the air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) dropper duct. This overloaded the brackets supporting the ACMV duct, causing it to give way. The acoustic material surrounding the duct typically serves to regulate the surface temperature around the duct to prevent water from forming due to condensation, and to insulate the noise caused by air travelling through the duct. Checks on other cinemas' ACMV systems and ducts had found no such excessive condensation, said BCA. A spokesman for Nex said in a statement on Monday that it will “continue to support and work closely with (its) tenant, Shaw Theatres, throughout the course of rectifications for the planned reopenin...

7 years’ jail for babysitter who poisoned 2 babies under her care with medicines

aseanpr 7 12 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A babysitter who poisoned two babies under her care with an assortment of medicines, including some used to treat insomnia and anxiety disorders, was sentenced on Monday (Dec 7) to seven years' imprisonment. After an earlier trial, District Judge John Ng convicted Sa'adiah Jamari, 39, of two counts of administering poisons to the little girls, who both survived. Sa’adiah, who was a freelance nurse, committed the offences on separate occasions in November and December 2016 on the children who are not related to each other. One of them was just five months old at the time, while the other was 11 months old. Sa'adiah is appealing against her conviction and sentence, and is out on a $20,000 bail. The victims and their mothers cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the children's identities. On Monday, the judge said the victims were “helpless babies totally dependent on their caregivers” and were the “most vulnerable of vulnerable victims”. He added that the drugs Sa’adiah had given the girls had put their lives at risk. The younger girl's mother, 29, had testified during the trial that in October 2016, she needed a babysitter for her baby and older daughter, who was...

Asia shares at all-time highs on US stimulus, vaccine hopes

elean 7 12 月

4 minutes

SYDNEY (REUTERS) - A gauge of Asian shares hit a record peak on Monday (Dec 7) on hopes of a much-needed US stimulus package before year-end just as coronavirus vaccines roll out, while oil prices hovered near their highest since March. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.2 per cent to 643.1 points, on track for its fifth straight session of gains. It is up 16.3 per cent so far this year, the best since a 33 per cent jump in 2017. Japan's Nikkei added 0.1 per cent while Australian shares climbed 0.8 per cent. Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week. US authorities will also this week discuss the programme before the expected first round of vaccinations this month. Hopes the vaccines will help curb the pandemic which has so far killed more than 1.5 million people globally sent shares soaring in recent weeks. On Wall Street, stock indexes reached fresh all-time highs on Friday with the Dow rising 0.8 per cent, the S&P 500 gaining 0.9 per cent and the Nasdaq adding 0.7 per cent. "The vaccine will break the link between mobility and infection rate, allowing for the strongest global GDP gro...

Debenhams in 11th-hour rescue talks with Frasers Group

elean 7 12 月

3 minutes

LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - Mike Ashley's Frasers Group is in last-ditch talks to buy the ailing Debenhams department store in a move which could save thousands of jobs. The owner of the Sports Direct brand confirmed it was in negotiations in an emailed statement and said "we hope to be able to save as many jobs as possible" at Debenhams, one of the UK's most iconic retail brands. News of Mr Ashley's interest comes just a few days after Debenhams said it could have to liquidate the business after talks with JD Sports Fashion ended. Debenhams has been struggling for many years, weighed down by costly stores with hefty rents and large property taxes. The failure of Debenhams, which employs 12,000 people, capped a terrible week for British retail after Philip Green's Arcadia Group, the owner of the Topshop and Dorothy Perkins brands, filed for insolvency putting 13,000 jobs at risk. Debenhams has 124 stores, all rented, and if a deal is completed Frasers could operate them on a 12-month licence while determining how many stores could be saved, said a person familiar with the matter, who declined to be identified as the matter is confidential. Debenhams declined to comment on the talks with F...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Dec 7

aseanpr 7 12 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Monday, Dec 7. Phase 3 unlikely by end of year unless more use TraceTogether, experts say The uptake of TraceTogether is 50.8 per cent, a far cry from the 70 per cent target. READ MORE HERE S'pore continuing to seek new travel bubble partners despite HK setback: Ong Ye Kung Countries that the Republic has unilaterally opened its borders to make natural partners, said Mr Ong. READ MORE HERE Choosing Singapore's Covid-19 vaccines An expert committee has reviewed more than 40 vaccine candidates over the past seven months. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani tests positive for coronavirus The 76-year-old is the latest in a long string of people close to the White House who have been infected. READ MORE HERE Indonesia regional elections: Covid-19's impact on polls Indonesians will cast their ballots in regional elections on Wednesday amid a surging coronavirus pandemic. READ MORE HERE S'poreans flock to attractions, hotels on first weekend after launch of tourism voucher scheme Many used their SingapoRediscovers vouchers at Gardens by the Bay, Un...

Sci-fi gadgets I wish I have as a parent

aseanpr 7 12 月

1 minute

Parenting is tough, which is why businesses target parents with a slew of high-end products touted to make the job easier. Among this year's offerings: infant suits that monitor if your baby is still breathing and socks that track their heart rate (so useful for when I used to stare at my firstborn in the middle of the night to check that he were alive); and baby monitors that live-stream junior in full HD glory. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Bill Gates among star speakers at S’pore’s biggest fintech fest

elean 7 12 月

2 minutes

Singapore's biggest fintech festival and innovation week kicks off today with a star-line up of speakers, including Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Google chief executive Sundar Pichai and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies and Minister for Finance, will open the Singapore FinTech Festival and Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SFF x Switch 2020) by speaking on the state of the economy. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's festival will largely be held online from today till Friday. Events will happen round the clock and participants can visit technology exhibitions, attend masterclasses by fintech and deep tech experts, as well as network with private equity and investment firms from around the world, said a joint statement from organisers Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Enterprise Singapore. There will also be live sessions with climate scientists in the polar regions, the Amazon forest and the Himalayas. About 1,400 speakers are slated to speak, among them finance and technology leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers, including Facebook co-founder Ed...

Bullish in the Year of the Ox

elean 7 12 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - It's been a tough year for many around the world. But financial markets, despite their wild swings, have proven far more resilient. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Grocery vouchers to be delivered to homes

aseanpr 7 12 月

2 minutes

The second batch of $150 grocery vouchers to help less well-off Singaporeans living in one-and two-room Housing Board flats will be given out over the next four Saturdays, starting Dec 12, this time directly to the homes of recipients. This comes after about 229 sets of the previous batch of vouchers were stolen from letterboxes, some damaged or unlocked. The Ministry of Finance said the changed delivery method should "better balance safety, security and convenience to recipients". For those not at home after SingPost agents try to deliver it twice, recipients will be notified to collect their vouchers at a specified post office within 10 working days. The grocery vouchers were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat earlier in the year during the Budget. About 150,000 eligible recipients - Singaporeans aged 21 years and above living in one-and two-room flats, and who do not own more than one property - will get $300 this year and a further $100 in October next year. The first $150 was already given out in an exercise in October. Mr Heng said some recipients have shared how the vouchers made a difference to them, and he hoped this second set of vouchers will similarly hel...

Local start-ups pursue innovation opportunities here and abroad

elean 7 12 月

1 minute

Start-ups have been actively participating in innovation calls and pursuing opportunities both locally and abroad this year. There have been 84 joint applications between Singapore firms and overseas partners for the Eureka GlobalStars-Singapore innovation call this year, more than double the number last year. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Shapes of Home photo contest: Winning black-and-white photo of Toa Payoh Central took almost 20 hours to post-process

aseanpr 6 12 月

4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A black-and-white photo of Toa Payoh Central that took close to 20 hours to post-process is the winning image in the Housing Board's (HDB) Shapes of Home photo contest. The photo, which shows off the straight architectural lines of buildings and HDB blocks set against wispy clouds on a sunny day, was a labour of love by videographer Stefan Tan. "Initially, I corrected all the shadows and highlights but after looking at the final image, it did not achieve the vision I desired," said the 32-year-old, who picked up photography as a hobby in 2011 and turned professional in 2017. "For the final edit, I decided to completely darken all the other elements that were distracting, keeping only the key elements. Black-and-white photography is one of the hardest things to master," said Mr Tan, who is particularly interested in landscape and architecture photography. But his laborious work paid off, as the panel of judges said the image was a clear choice for the first prize - a Canon EOS 90D with an 18-135mm kit lens, worth $2,379 in total. One of the judges, Mr Bryan van der Beek, 44, a professional commercial and editorial photographer, said the photo was a "clear standout" for h...

22 taken to hospital after car and bus carrying foreign workers collide on Jurong Island

aseanpr 6 12 月

1 minute

SINGAPORE - A total of 21 bus passengers believed to be foreign workers were taken to hospital on Sunday morning (Dec 6) after the bus they were on collided with a car on Jurong island. Police said they were all conscious when taken to three hospitals. The 42-year-old driver of the car was sent to National University Hospital. The impact of the accident caused the bus to topple on its side, and the front half of the car to be crushed almost beyond recognition. The Singapore Civil Defence Force said the 22 victims were taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, National University Hospital and Singapore General Hospital. The accident happened at 7am at the end of Jurong Island Highway in Jurong island. Police investigations are ongoing. 22 taken to hospital after car and bus carrying foreign workers collide on Jurong Island

Second batch of $150 grocery vouchers for about 150,000 Singaporeans to be delivered directly to homes

aseanpr 6 12 月

2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The second batch of $150 grocery vouchers to help less well-off Singaporeans living in one- and two-room Housing Board flats will be given out over the next four Saturdays, from Dec 12, this time directly to the homes of recipients. This comes after about 229 sets of the previous batch of vouchers were stolen from letterboxes, some damaged or unlocked. The Ministry of Finance (MOF) said the changed delivery method should "better balance safety, security and convenience to recipients". For those not at home after SingPost agents try to deliver it twice, recipients will be notified to collect their vouchers at a specified post office within 10 working days. The grocery vouchers were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat earlier in the year during the Budget presentation. About 150,000 eligible recipients, Singaporeans aged 21 years and above living in one- and two-room flats, and who do not own more than one property, will get $300 each this year and a further $100 in October next year. The first $150 was already given out in an exercise in October. Mr Heng said some recipients have shared how the vouchers have made a difference to them, and hoped this second ...

S’pore’s only human milk bank sees boost in breast milk donation during pandemic

aseanpr 6 12 月

5 minutes

SINGAPORE - For 15 days from when Vianna was born on March 17, her mother, Ms Vivienne Low, 35, could only touch the infant's tiny hands and watch her fight for her life through the clear glass panes of the incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). Born 10 weeks early and a fourth of the weight of a regular baby - at just 758g - she pulled through, thanks in part to a rich supply of breast milk from her mother. Between 8 per cent and 9 per cent of babies here are premature, a figure that has held steady between 2014 and last year, the Ministry of Health said. These premature babies (preemies) need nutritious breast milk to give them a fighting chance, as their immature digestive systems are not tolerant of formula milk. Formula milk is also associated with a three to 10 times increased risk of premature babies developing necrotising enterocolitis (NEC), a serious intestinal illness. Babies who develop NEC may be required to stay in hospital for an additional three weeks and in more severe cases, may need surgery. But many mothers of premature babies may experience difficulties in providing enough breast milk for their own babi...

Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Dec 6

aseanpr 6 12 月

2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Dec 6. SIA, other firms look to build on existing vaccine handling capabilities Significant volumes of Covid-19 vaccines are set to pass through Changi Airport. READ MORE HERE Bangladeshi worker who beat Covid-19 after 5-month battle in S'pore longs to go home Mr Raju Sarker, who was case 42, has yet to hold his son Safun, who was born in March. READ MORE HERE Condo builds around Geylang terraced houses as owners refuse to sell The condo developer worked closely with the architects to design three distinct blocks around the unusual site. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Walking through history: Top 5 heritage trails in Singapore Four Life reporters road-tested 19 heritage trails, and these are their picks of the best routes – and must-sees – to check out. READ MORE HERE All I want for Christmas this year... is a tree Demand for real trees is outstripping supply amid Covid-19 travel curbs and shipment delays. READ MORE HERE Ensure estates like Toa Payoh or Marine Parade are not beyond the reach of the low-income Inequity crops up when owners of subsidised fl...

‘Peter Pans’ may find themselves short of money in old age

elean 6 12 月

1 minute

They are in their 30s to 50s, mature and inching towards retirement, but they still think they are very young and can, well, live forever - so they tend to spend more rather than save. After all, they keep fit, exercise regularly and are confident they can keep working way past their 60s or even 70s. So why plan for retirement when they don't actually plan to retire at all? Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

US student dorms turn trendy homes

elean 6 12 月

1 minute

When Yeshiva University in the United States got into financial trouble a few years ago, some property developers saw an opportunity. To free up cash, the oldest school in the country began selling pieces of its real estate, including the Alabama, a student housing property in Manhattan that served students at Yeshiva's Cardozo Law School. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Four money sins to avoid

elean 6 12 月

1 minute

Financial planners might roll their eyes in disbelief but it is probably fair to say that one of the key retirement strategies for many Singaporeans is to bank on hitting the jackpot in the lottery. Sadly, this is no laughing matter - almost half of the 2,000 or so adult Singaporeans polled by OCBC Bank recently admitted that gambling is one of the financial activities they dabbled in. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

Property market’s state of play

elean 6 12 月

1 minute

The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis that has overwhelmed healthcare systems and upended businesses around the world. While it has ravaged economies worldwide and consumer sentiment remains largely subdued, the skies seem brighter for Singapore's property sector so far. A surge in buying activities and an uptick in sales were observed across many housing segments after the circuit breaker period. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

4 money sins to avoid

elean 6 12 月

1 minute

Financial planners might roll their eyes in disbelief but it is probably fair to say that one of the key retirement strategies for many Singaporeans is to bank on hitting the jackpot in the lottery. Sadly, this is no laughing matter - almost half of the 2,000 or so adult Singaporeans polled by OCBC Bank recently admitted that gambling is one of the financial activities they dabbled in. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

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