SeaPRwire

School holiday on Aug 10 remains despite postponed NDP: MOE

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - There is no change to the scheduled school holiday on Aug 10, the day after National Day, the Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Straits Times on Wednesday (July 28). MOE also told ST that the Monday (Aug 23) after the postponed National Day Parade (NDP) will not be a school holiday. National Day, which falls on Aug 9, is a public holiday, and MOE designates Aug 10 as a school holiday. This arrangement remains in place unaffected by the postponed NDP, which will take place on Aug 21 instead of on National Day. The NDP was postponed as Singapore reverted to stricter measures under phase two (heightened alert) for a month, starting July 22 and lasting till Aug 18. Instead, a small ceremonial parade will commemorate National Day on Aug 9, similar to the one held last year at the Padang. This year, it will be held at the Marina Bay floating platform. More on this topic Related Story Composers of NDP 2021 theme song overwhelmed by positive response online Related Story Special edition National Day ez-link cards depicting S'poreans' pandemic resilience go on sale on Friday

SeaPRwire

13 under probe for Covid-19 breaches in Ubi Road entertainment outlet suspected to be operating illegally

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Thirteen people are being investigated for allegedly committing breaches of safety measures in a public entertainment outlet suspected to be operating illegally, the police said on Thursday (July 29). They had conducted enforcement operations on 77 massage establishments and 59 public entertainment outlets across Singapore between July 20 and July 24. The 13 were found on commercial premises in Ubi Road 1 last Saturday during one of the operations. The unit was believed to have been operating as a public entertainment outlet, the police said in a statement. A 25-year-old man is also being investigated for allegedly providing public entertainment and supplying liquor without a licence at the outlet. He is suspected to be involved in managing the alleged illegal public entertainment outlet. Eight massage establishments also allegedly committed various licensing breaches under the Massage Establishments Act and are being investigated. Those found carrying on a business of providing massage services in an establishment for massage without a valid licence under the Massage Establishments Act can be fined $10,000, jailed for up to two years, or both. Those found to have breac...

SeaPRwire
Read More

4 S’pore students launch hackathon to encourage mental health innovation

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The bullying first started when Mr Timothy Liau was eight and happened again when he was 14. When he was a Pri 2 student, his seniors would snatch the snacks he brought to school and crush them, calling him names. In secondary school, his classmates would throw his pencil case around the classroom and attempts to fight back against his bullies were futile. The experiences caused Mr Liau to develop symptoms of anxiety and depression. Stigma against mental health issues kept him suffering alone, afraid to seek help. Eventually, fuelled by a desire to break out of the vicious cycle of negative thoughts, he learnt to focus on things he found meaningful and invested his efforts in various mental health initiatives. On Sept 4, Mr Liau, 21, a second-year computer engineering student in Singapore Polytechnic, and his team - Mr Low Jia En, 23, Ms Rachel Lee, 21, and Ms Bhawana Sapkota, 18 - will launch what they believe is Singapore's first student-run mental health-themed hackathon, MindfulHacks. Mr Low is a student at Kaplan Higher Education Institute doing a management and international business degree from University of London; Ms Lee is a third-year computer science student...

SeaPRwire
Read More

askST: What does oxygen supplementation for Covid-19 patients involve?

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - As the nation moves towards living with endemic Covid-19, the Government's focus is shifting away from the number of daily cases to the condition of such cases - including those who require supplementary oxygen. The Straits Times spoke to Professor Dale Fisher, senior consultant at the National University Hospital's Division of Infectious Diseases and professor of medicine at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, to find out more about what this means. Q: What does oxygen supplementation involve? A: Blood oxygen levels can be routinely measured in patients with a simple clip device placed on the finger. When these levels are low, patients need to be given oxygen at a higher level than is in the air. This is done using nasal prongs or an oxygen mask, which helps to provide them with the extra oxygen. Q: There are many photos of hospitals around the world with patients lying in beds next to oxygen tanks. Is that how Singapore does it? A: You will only see tanks in less sophisticated hospital settings or in makeshift facilities. In Singapore, we have oxygen tanks when transferring patients or in temporary overflow structures used during a surge in patients at hospitals....

JCN Newswire
Read More

Showa Denko Installs Additional Lines to Produce Aluminum Heat Radiators for xEVs

ruth
3 minutes

TOKYO, Jul 29, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004) decided to double Oyama Plant's capacity to produce aluminum heat radiators for power modules (PMs)[1] to be installed in electrified vehicles (xEVs) including battery electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles, in order to respond to an increase in demand for aluminum heat radiators for PMs. SDK has started installation of the additional production line whose start-up of operation is scheduled to be at the beginning of 2022.Aluminum heat radiator for PMPMs are important parts of xEVs and contribute to the improvement in the performance of xEVs. For example, PMs contribute to extension of cruising range and improvement in fuel economy of cars. PMs are usually installed into limited spaces of xEVs. Therefore, heat radiators for PMs must be small, be designed to allow various installation methods, and have high energy efficiency and large heat dissipation capacity.Aluminum heat radiators for PMs produced by SDK adopt direct vacuum brazing[2] between insulated substrates and other parts including aluminum fins produced by SDK. Therefore, SDK's aluminum heat radiators for PMs a...

ACN Newswire
Read More

Alphaus enters Singapore Cloud Financial Management market with Cloud Comrade win

indie
6 minutes

KUALA LUMPUR, Jul 29, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Alphaus Inc. (https://alphaus.cloud/jp/), a prominent start up in the Cloud Financial Management space in Japan, has made a successful foray into the Singapore market in line with its strategic growth plans. The company will provide its suite of cloud financial management (CFM) solutions to the fast-growing Managed Services Provider (MSP) Cloud Comrade (https://cloudcomrade.com/). The overall value of Alphaus' solutions and support, with the ability for bespoke integrations to the financial services system, were key considerations for Cloud Comrade to switch to Alphaus' products as critical components for its business operations. Andy Waroma and Hajime HiroseSigning Cloud Comrade- the first Singapore-headquartered AWS Premier Consulting Partner that is also a Google Premier Partner and Microsoft Gold Cloud Platform partner- as a client gives Alphaus great impetus in achieving its strategic goals for the Southeast region. Its growing Global Delivery Centre in Kuala Lumpur, established last year, is a testament to the company's commitment to provide dedicated support for the unique needs of a diverse clientele across var...

SeaPRwire

Robinhood, gateway to ‘meme’ stocks, raises $2.85 billion in IPO: Source

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Robinhood Markets, the owner of the trading app which emerged as the go-to destination for retail investors speculating on this year's 'meme' stock trading frenzy, raised US$2.1 billion (S$2.85 billion) in its initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday (July 28). The company is seeking to capitalize on individual investors' fascination with cryptocurrencies and stocks such as GameStop, which have seen wild swings after becoming the subject of trading speculation on social media sites such as Reddit. Its monthly active users surged from 11.7 million at the end of December to 21.3 million as of the end of June. Robinhood sold 55 million shares in its IPO at US$38 apiece, the bottom of its targeted price range of US$38 to US$42, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. In an unusual move, Robinhood had said it would reserve between 20 per cent and 35 per cent of its shares for its users. The IPO values Robinhood at US$31.8 billion. It makes it one of the most valuable US companies to have gone public year to date, amid a red-hot market for new listings. The source requested not to be identified ahead of an official announcement. Robinhood did not immed...

SeaPRwire

Facebook doubles profit, but sees cooling growth from regulatory actions

elean
4 minutes

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Facebook on Wednesday (July 28) reported its profit doubled in the recently ended quarter as digital advertising surged, but warned of cooler growth in the months ahead in an update which sent its shares sinking. Profit jumped to US$10.4 billion (S$14.1 billion) on revenue of US$29 billion, a 56 per cent increase from last year, mainly from a jump in ad revenues, Facebook said in its second quarter report. The number of people using the social network monthly climbed to 2.9 billion, a year-on-year gain of 7 per cent. And some 3.5 billion people used at least one of the company's apps including Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. "We had a strong quarter as we continue to help businesses grow and people stay connected," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in an earnings release. However, Facebook shares slipped some 4 per cent as the tech giant warned that growth was expected to slow due to regulatory actions and a tweak to the Apple iPhone operating software that could hurt its ad targeting. "We continue to expect increased ad targeting headwinds in 2021 from regulatory and platform changes, notably the recent iOS updates," Facebook said in the earnin...

SeaPRwire

China convenes banks in bid to restore calm after stock rout

elean
3 minutes

BEIJING (BLOOMBERG) - China's securities regulator convened a virtual meeting with executives of major investment banks on Wednesday night (July 28), attempting to ease market fears about Beijing's crackdown on the private education industry. The hastily arranged call, which included attendees from several major international banks, was led by China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) vice-chairman Fang Xinghai, sources said, asking not to be named discussing private information. Some bankers left with the message that the education policies were targeted and not intended to hurt companies in other industries, the sources said. It is the latest sign that the Chinese authorities have become uncomfortable with a sell-off that sent the nation's key stock indexes to the brink of a bear market on Wednesday morning. State-run media have published a series of articles suggesting the rout is overdone, while some analysts have speculated government-linked funds have begun intervening to prop up the market. London-based Aberdeen Standard Investments emerging-market fund manager Adam Montanaro said: "What this shows is that there isn't an intention to unilaterally destroy business models ...

SeaPRwire

US stocks mixed as market digest earnings, Fed decision

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - The Nasdaq rallied while the Dow fell on Wednesday (July 28) as investors digested a slew of mostly positive earnings reports and a Federal Reserve decision that maintained accommodative monetary policies. One of the busiest 24-hour stretches of earnings season featured mostly strong reports from a litany of huge companies, including Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Starbucks and Boeing. But several of the companies declined anyway, suggesting investors believe "that it will be hard to sustain the same level of growth moving forward and that a lot of the good news has been priced in," according to Briefing.com. Meanwhile, the Fed again described the US economy as improving but still in need of support, with Fed chairman Jerome Powell offering little specificity on when stimulus measures will be reduced. "There's a range of views on what timing will be appropriate," he said. "No decisions were made." The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.4 per cent at 34,930.93. The broad-based S&P 500 was flat at 4,400.64, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.7 per cent to 14,762.58. Among individual companies, Boeing surged 4.2 per cent after reporting a su...

SeaPRwire

US Federal Reserve keeps rates unchanged but cites ‘progress’ towards its goals

elean
2 minutes

WASHINGTON (NYTIMES) - The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday (July 28) and said it would continue buying large quantities of government debt, but suggested that it could slow those purchases before long if the economy continues to strengthen. The central bank has been buying US$120 billion (S$160 billion) in mortgage-backed securities and Treasury debt each month since last year, but economists expect the Fed to begin slowing those purchases later this year or early next. Its policy interest rate is still set to near-zero, and is not expected to increase anytime soon. At a news conference following the Fed's two-day meeting, Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, said that "the timing of any change in the pace of our asset purchases will depend on the incoming data." "We're going to continue to try to provide clarity as appropriate, on timing, pace and composition," Powell, adding that the July meeting discussion was the first deep-dive into those issues. "I'd say we have some ground to cover on the labour market side," Powell said, noting that he would "want to see" strong job numbers before declaring that the Fed's "substantial further progress" standard has been ...

ACN Newswire
Read More

DigiMax Expands Global Marketing into Asia with Signing of Collaboration Deal in Hong Kong

indie
7 minutes

TORONTO, ON, Jul 28, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - DigiMax Global Inc. (the "Company" or "DigiMax") (CSE:DIGI)(OTC:DBKSF), a company that provides artificial intelligence ("AI") and cryptocurrency technology solutions, is pleased to announce that it has signed its first collaboration agreement to expand CryptoHawk services into Hong Kong and surrounding areas.CryptoHawk is an Artificial Intelligence driven, price-trend prediction tool that can be profitably used by any investor interested in trading Bitcoin or Ethereum. The tool is different as it uses AI and machine learning to capture profit from the volatility of crypto currencies, rather than incur the risk of buy-and-hold investments. As previously announced by the Company, in its first full month of operation in June 2021, CryptoHawk signals achieved a 1-month, long-short return on BTC of more than 25% compared to a buy-and-hold return for the same period of a loss of 10%. In both up and down markets, CryptoHawk has the potential to deliver subscribers much higher returns when trading.DigiMax is collaborating with Mr. Tony Tong in Hong Kong and other Asian regions where he has substantial influence. Mr. Tong is Co...

ACN Newswire
Read More

Redsun Properties and Redsun Services again garner “China Property Award of Supreme Excellence” and “Quality Property Management Award”

indie
3 minutes

HONG KONG, Jul 28, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Redsun Properties Group Limited ("Redsun Properties"; stock code: 1996) and Redsun Services Group Limited ("Redsun Services"; stock code:1971) have won the "China Property Award of Supreme Excellence" and "Quality Property Management Award" from the Organizing Committee of China Property Award of Supreme Excellence.Redsun Properties Group Limited receives "China Property Award of Supreme Excellence" Redsun Services Group Limited receives "Quality Property Management Award"Given that the industry attracts significant attention and widespread recognition, the "China Property Award of Supreme Excellence" and "Quality Property Management Award" are considered major annual achievements within the industry, hence are also referenced by China's real estate sector, financial sector and investors. Winning the accolades again clearly demonstrates the respect and interest that Redsun Properties and Redsun Services are able to garner from the industry and investors, and which extends to their development. The accolades also represent tremendous encouragement to the two companies.About Redsun Properties Group Limited ("Redsun Properti...

ACN Newswire
Read More

Moonstake Integrates Muse Finance for MUSE Lockdrop and Advanced DeFi Connectivity

indie
4 minutes

SINGAPORE, Jul 28, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Moonstake is pleased to announce that we've integrated our DeFi application partner, Muse Finance (shortened as Muse), into the Web Wallet to bring advanced DeFi connectivity to our platform. This means that directly through the Moonstake wallet interface, you can now participate in Muse's current lockdrops and use the DeFi applications that Muse plans to implement in the future. This will be the first time in the world that Muse will be integrated. Since the announcement of our joint entrance to DeFi in March 2021, we have been working together closely to develop and promote high-quality DeFi products that aim to resolve staking illiquidity.Moonstake launched its staking business in 2020 with the aim to create the largest staking network in Asia. Since then, it has developed the most user-friendly Web Wallet and Mobile Wallet (iOS/Android) with support for over 2000 cryptocurrencies. After a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, Moonstake's total staking assets have grown rapidly to reach $1 Billion, allowing Moonstake to become one of the top 5 staking providers globally. Currently, Moonstake supports 12 high-de...

ACN Newswire
Read More

Leo Secures a Total of HKD1.15 Billion Green Loan after Successful Completion of Third Round of Green Financing

indie
7 minutes

HONG KONG, Jul 28, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Leo Paper Group (Hong Kong) Limited (the "Group"), a global printing communications company based in Hong Kong, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Leo Paper Group Finance Limited ("Leo"), has signed a HKD400 million four-year green term loan and revolving credit facility ("Green Loan") with a group of eight major banks today. Together with the green loans totalling HKD750 million obtained in 2018 and 2019, the Group has secured a total of HKD1.15 billion in Green Financing. Also, the Group has been recognised as the first batch of local companies eligible for the Green and Sustainable Finance Grant Scheme of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA"), entitling it to full subsidy for all external review service expenses. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has raised notably worldwide attention on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) endeavours of business corporations. In the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Circular Economy" recently released by the National Development and Reform Commission, there is a clear direction of achieving full implementation of "circular production" by 2025, encour...

SeaPRwire

13 people convicted for illegal online sale of e-vaporisers

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Thirteen people were convicted for selling electronic vaporisers, or e-vaporisers, and their related components illegally online, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Wednesday (July 28). They were convicted in Court from March to June. A total of $164,500 in fines was handed out. Electronic vaporisers are battery-operated devices that deliver vaporised nicotine for users to inhale. They come in the form of e-cigarettes, e-pipes and e-cigars. Those convicted were between 20 and 40 years old. HSA noted that they had purchased the e-vaporisers and related components from overseas suppliers and sold them illegally on various local social media and e-commerce platforms. "HSA conducts active surveillance on these platforms and will take enforcement actions against those who buy or sell such products online," it said. More than $20,000 worth of e-vaporisers and related components have been seized. One of the offenders, Goh Yew Teck, 40, was fined $13,000 in May for offences relating to importing, advertising and offering to sell e-vaporisers, related parts, and e-liquids with nicotine. He was also selling unregistered medicine like cough syrup and sleeping pills, by bu...

SeaPRwire

Elderly recalcitrant offender jailed for molesting 2, including child

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - An elderly recalcitrant offender, who has been in and out of jail since 2018 over multiple counts of molestation, is back behind bars for molesting two people, including an 11-year-old girl. Poh Seng Khian, 86, who is also hard of hearing, had been sentenced to 18 weeks' jail last year for a similar offence. He did not learn his lesson after his release and pleaded guilty on Wednesday (July 28) to two molestation charges. The Singaporean was then sentenced to 10 months' jail. Poh, who was unrepresented, had earlier pleaded for the court to sentence him to a fine, adding: "I'm old and about to die." He appeared in court on Wednesday in a wheelchair, but was not using one when he committed his latest offences. He was sitting in bus service number 30 on Oct 23 last year when he targeted a 27-year-old woman, who was standing beside him. Poh touched the victim's arm about five times and she shifted back slightly as she assumed that the touches were accidental. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Woon Yee said: "In total, the accused touched (the woman) on her left bicep repeatedly for about 15 seconds, before he slowly got up from his seat with the help of his walking aid. "After w...

ACN Newswire
Read More

VFS Global opens new UAE Attestation Centres in the Philippines

indie
4 minutes

MANILA, Jul 28, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Customers in the Philippines can directly visit the UAE Attestation Centres located in Makati City, Malate in Manila and Cebu without any prior appointment for document attestation services which commenced on 1 July 2021. Services at the Centre include personal documents (Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate etc.), educational documents (School Certificate, Diploma etc.), and commercial documents (Business Registrations, Invoices).Customers who are travelling to UAE or the Middle East can submit their documents in person for attestation by walk-in directly at our new centres that adhere to the stringent safety and physical distancing guidelines prescribed by the World Health Organisation and local authorities. The convenience of doorstep document collection and delivery with real-time tracking of key documents via courier will be made available soon for the residents in these three locations. The mode of payment is cash only at present. Please note that all documents submitted for attestation should already have an apostille by DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), UAE.Commenting on the inauguration of the new UAE Attestat...

SeaPRwire
Read More

China’s Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine could soon be available in Singapore

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - China's Sinopharm vaccine could soon be made available in Singapore, with several private healthcare groups already taking steps to secure doses of the jab. This will likely see it becoming the fourth Covid-19 vaccine available here, as the country ramps up nationwide vaccination rates in order to ease restrictions on social gatherings and get the economy back to normal. IHH Healthcare Singapore told The Straits Times that the Health Sciences Authority has given approval for it to import the Sinopharm vaccine under the Special Access Route framework. "This will give people in Singapore access to another... vaccine option," said Dr Noel Yeo, the group's chief operating officer. "Details are still being worked out at the moment. We will make a formal announcement when more information becomes available." Separately, Raffles Medical Group has put up a Facebook post asking people to register their interest in the Chinese vaccine, which uses an inactivated virus to elicit protection against Covid-19. The Straits Times has approached the group for comment. The Special Access Route framework allows private healthcare groups to bring in Covid-19 vaccines that have been put on t...

SeaPRwire

KTV cluster involved fewer than 50 social hostesses with valid work passes: MOM

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The cluster of Covid-19 cases linked to KTV lounges involves fewer than 50 foreign hostesses with valid work passes, all of which were approved before last year, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said on Tuesday (July 27). In a written answer to a parliamentary question filed by Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang GRC), Dr Tan said these work pass holders had been allowed to perform non-hostessing jobs since October last year, after their employers temporarily pivoted to other allowed business activities such as food and beverage (F&B). "Nightlife establishments also hire work pass holders in other occupations, such as operations executives and waitresses. Even before Covid-19, they were not allowed to work as hostesses," Dr Tan said. Mr Wee had also asked for the number of hostesses linked to the cluster who were social visit pass holders, and what measures were being taken to minimise the health risks posed by such interactions. Dr Tan did not provide a figure for social visit pass holders, but he said foreigners with these passes working as hostesses are in breach of the Immigration Act. He added that the police and various government agencies have been taking enforcement action ...