SeaPRwire

5 taken to hospital, 120 evacuated after fire in North Bridge Road HDB block

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Five people were taken to hospital after a fire in North Bridge Road on Saturday (June 12) night. A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman said it was alerted to the blaze at Block 8 at about 10.15pm. The fire involved contents of a seventh-floor unit in the Housing Board block, and was extinguished using a water jet. About 120 people were evacuated from the sixth to 10th floors of the block by the police. Four persons were taken to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) while one was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The spokesman said people who suffer smoke inhalation or serious burn injuries will be taken to the Burn Centre at SGH. "However, if their condition is too unstable, they will be conveyed to the nearest Ministry of Health-designated hospital," he added. The cause of the fire is under investigation. More on this topic Related Story Neighbour saves unconscious man from fire in Bukit Batok flat Related Story Young delivery rider who died in PMD lift fire in Woodlands was kind and helpful

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on June 13

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, June 13. MOH revises Covid-19 community case count down to 9; Ion cleaner among unlinked cases The woman is employed by Hong Ye Group, whose cleaners were also linked to earlier cases at Changi Business Park. READ MORE HERE Who's to blame when a child goes 'beyond parental control'? Dozens of such applications are made against children under the age of 16 each year. READ MORE HERE Offensive comments and dirty looks: Life in Singapore as an interracial couple It is not uncommon for them to be on receiving end of racially insensitive or offensive comments. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Aviation workers hold the fort at Changi despite Covid-19 risks The new normal for the workers means the discomfort of regular Covid-19 swab tests, as well as donning PPE for most of their shifts. READ MORE HERE The humble 5-cent coin: Legal tender but falling out of favour Engraved on one side of its surface is an image of The Esplanade - Singapore's iconic performing arts centre, otherwise known as the "Durian". READ MORE HERE Denmark's Eriksen had cardiac massage on pitch...

SeaPRwire

Runaway teen rebuilds ties with family through counselling

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE- He was arrested for shoplifting five times and frequently ran away from home, at times for up to three weeks. On the rare occasions when Adam (not his real name) spoke to his parents, his speech was peppered with expletives. 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.

SeaPRwire

Counsellor steps in early to help delinquent teens avoid court order

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE- When parents of delinquent teens come to him for help, senior counsellor Ibrahim Abdul Alim aims to help as much as possible so the parents do not have to resort to filing for a Family Guidance Order (FGO) in court. Previously known as the Beyond Parental Control order, the FGO can result in a child being placed in a home for up to three years. 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.

SeaPRwire

Tips on investing in ethical companies

elean
5 minutes

(NYTIMES) - Vital Farms says on its website that its eggs and butter "are delicious, ethical food you don't have to question". But a lawsuit filed against it last month claims that its marketing has misled consumers and investors into believing they're supporting a company that is more ethical and humane than it actually is. Vital Farms responded that it has operated in an ethical and humane way and that it has always been transparent about its practice of raising hens to lay eggs. But the lawsuit, brought on behalf of a group of consumers who felt they were deceived, raises a broader point for investors seeking to put their money into companies that have environmentally conscious business practices. What criteria need to be met for an investment to satisfy an environmental, social and governance screen known as ESG? Any company that says it is operating in an ethical way should be able to prove that claim is true or face charges of greenwashing, a term that implies deception. But it is not always clear-cut. Does a fossil fuel company that is making strides to invest in renewable energy and is doing more than its competitors make the cut? Can a solar company have problematic human ...

SeaPRwire

Why it is important to take breaks from work

elean
6 minutes

(NYTIMES) - It's probably never been easier to acknowledge that a lot of us work too much and too hard, and should take more time off. Indeed, the very idea of burnout seems to be having a cultural moment. "If you think you're burned out, you're burned out. And if you don't think you're burned out, you're burned out," Jill Lepore wrote recently in The New Yorker. To believe this is one thing, but to act on it is another. For years, surveys have found that American workers tend not to use all of their vacation days. And according to NordVPN Teams, a provider of virtual private network technology that is important to remote work set-ups, the stay-at-home workforce created by lockdowns and office closures put in more hours on the job than before the pandemic. Your biggest obstacle to getting time off is probably you: It can be hard to give yourself that permission to do nothing when there's just so much to do. Consider, however, that Amazon's founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has said he sets aside "puttering time" every morning before taking any calls or meetings - basically carving out a scheduled chunk of do-nothing time. Are you really that much busier than him? Breaks as 'ruthless pragm...

SeaPRwire

Winners and losers of rise in renminbi

elean
3 minutes

(BLOOMBERG) - China's rising renminbi has given equity investors a touchstone in their search for potential winners and losers. Benchmark stock indexes in Hong Kong and the mainland have been buoyed by the renminbi's recent strength, as capital chases assets denominated in a strengthening currency. The correlation between China's benchmark CSI 300 Index and the onshore renminbi's strength is near the highest in seven months, while the Hang Seng Index is also most linked to the currency's movements since February, data compiled by Bloomberg shows. But not every share is a beneficiary. Likely winners include firms that can take advantage of currency dichotomies, including Chinese property developers with sizeable dollar debt and firms that generate most revenue in the mainland but are Hong Kong-listed, according to analysts. On the flip side of the currency equation are exporters, whose products will be less price-competitive when sold in foreign markets. The renminbi has surged 12 per cent against the dollar since May last year, with the rally accelerating recently amid inflation concerns and the greenback's weakness. Some investors expect the renminbi rally to continue, despite the...

SeaPRwire

Start-up that is driving towards fewer cars

elean
4 minutes

(BLOOMBERG) - The idea is simple: A transport service that's so good, you'll never need a car again. It is what Finnish start-up MaaS Global Oy has been working towards since 2015. It has developed a mobile app, Whim, that's already being used in several European cities and in Tokyo. In the capital of Finland, 12 per cent of users already say it has prompted them to give up their cars, with as many again saying they plan to. MaaS Global, whose investors include BP, Mitsubishi Corp and Toyota Financial Services, says its app can fix urban congestion and reduce pollution. That's as research shows that living in an environment with cleaner air contributes measurably to happiness and well-being. Finland, where the service pioneered, happens to have the best air quality in the world. Coincidentally, it is also ranked the world's happiest country. MaaS Global chief executive officer Sampo Hietanen says creating a world in which it is more convenient not to have your own car is an obvious way to cut carbon emissions in the transport sector. In the United States alone, transport accounts for almost 30 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other industry. "Realistically,...

SeaPRwire

How WFH is threatening iconic buildings

elean
5 minutes

(BLOOMBERG) - When the Gherkin tower opened 17 years ago, its skyline-defining silhouette heralded a new era in the low-rise City of London. Now, a spate of new planned skyscrapers threaten to erase it from view and from relevance. As one of the Gherkin's main residents weighs a move, even iconic buildings risk struggling to keep or replace tenants in London's premier financial district. While the pandemic is emptying city offices at the fastest pace in more than a decade, it hasn't slowed the coming wave of towers. That carries a warning for landlords: if there is a return to the office, it won't be to drab buildings that feature only endless rows of desks. In a financial hub that draws more international capital than any other, the fate of the older buildings could hit the fortunes of some of the world's biggest real-estate investors, from China Investment Corp to Norway's sovereign wealth fund and Malaysia's biggest pension fund. "Would I buy an existing investment property in the City of London today? Probably not," says Mr John Ritblat, the octogenarian former chairman and chief executive officer who built British Land into one of London's biggest landlords over nearly four de...

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KOMBAI Inu Builds the Ecosystem to the Benefit of Its Community

indie
2 minutes

Mumbai, India, June 13, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Recently, KOMBAI Inu, the Ethereum blockchain and community-based Digital Deflationary Meme Token is utilizing a wealth management ecosystem to the great benefit of its supporting community.The company already has 525 holders and looking for an extensive growth in upcoming days. The team are about to get listed in many listing sites and Exchanges.Their vision is to help people during the very hard time the entire world is facing. Their mission, to be smart and work hard. Their driver, the long-standing support of their very aware community. The team are building up on these a solid foundation for KOMBAI Inu.KOMBAI Inu is providing and protective of the community while also an aggressive hunter of opportunities for the benefit of the community. The teams love KOMBAI as well as other animals and figures.When the company designed the KOMBAI project, their goal was very altruistic to allow fair distribution and ownership from day one. The team have no more potential for ownership than anyone else in the world. The team will continue to adhere to this standard. With a max circulating supply of 1 quadrillion with 50% token...

SeaPRwire

Naked man in viral video clips charged, remanded at IMH

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The man caught naked on several video clips this week, including while riding a motorcycle, was charged on Saturday (June 12). Yeo Qi Wei, 24, faced one charge of appearing nude in a public place. He is alleged to have appeared nude at the open space carpark of Block 212 Lorong 8 Toa Payoh on June 9 at about 5.45am. District Judge Ronald Gwee ordered that Yeo be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks for psychiatric observation. The police told The Straits Times on Friday that a man had been arrested and was being investigated for other offences, including public nuisance, performing an obscene act in public, trespass and traffic violations in other separate incidents reported. Interest in the incident followed the circulation of a photo on June 10, which showed a naked man on a motorcycle at a cross junction in Eunos. A video clip of the man also began circulating the same day, showing him riding nude on a motorcycle along the Pan Island Expressway at about 100kmh. A second clip later surfaced, showing him climbing on top of a car while naked. The driver of the car could be seen coming out from his vehicle and making a call while looking at the man, w...

SeaPRwire

Front-line workers, including cleaners, at Changi Airport to get $50 ez-link card

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A thousand front-line workers at Changi Airport will receive ez-link cards with a stored value of $50 as a gift next month. The move to help with their transport costs is the result of a ground-up initiative by about 70 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) officers who wanted to show their appreciation for the workers. Calling themselves Friends for Aviation (FFA), the group of officers said on Saturday (June 12) that cleaners, trolley and baggage handlers will be among the workers to benefit. FFA said that some of these workers now needed to travel more often for their routine Covid-19 testing, following stepped-up measures at the airport last month to guard against another cluster of Covid-19 cases emerging. A total of 43 workers at Changi tested positive for Covid-19 last month. This resulted in the closure of the terminal buildings to the public for an initial two weeks. The closure has now been extended indefinitely to allow the airport community to adjust to new safety measures. FFA's founder, Ms Angela Ng, who works as an aviation policy officer at CAAS, said the Covid-19 outbreak at Changi has added to the challenges in the aviation sector, which has bee...

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Over 100 people who visited Ion Orchard turn up for Covid-19 testing at Raffles Medical in Shaw Centre

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - More than a 100 people who had visited Ion Orchard in the past two weeks turned up for testing at a medical centre in Scotts Road on Saturday (June 12) morning. Long lines formed outside and inside Shaw Centre as people waited their turn to get swabbed at Raffles Medical Centre from 8.30am. Most of the people in the line said they were getting tested just to be safe. Others, like Madam Aparna, 71, a housewife, said she and her husband wanted to get tested for the safety of the people around them. “We are doing it more for the others,” she said. The couple visited the Daiso outlet in Ion last Tuesday (June 8) for about 30 minutes. Madam Aparna added that they have both been fully vaccinated and feel safe. Ms Margie Ceitom, 39, a maid who was at Shaw Centre with her employer, said she did not have any symptoms, but since she and her employer had visited Ion on May 27, the two of them decided to get tested on her employer’s advice. Another man in the line, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ng, said he could not remember when he visited Ion but had received a message from the TraceTogether app a few days ago. The 51-year-old said: “The message said I may have been possibly ...

SeaPRwire
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The Financial Investment Industry Goes Digital with the Help of AsiaPresswire’s Distribution Platform

pandora
3 minutes

Hong Kong / SEAPRWire June 12, 2021/ AsiaPresswire's Distribution Platform has aided financial investment companies in their marketing and promotional efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. The digital adoption wave has led to certain brands excelling over the past 6-7 months, as at-home workouts and health-conscious workarounds have accelerated sales revenue and online traction for multiple financial investment companies. Now, with AsiaPresswire's opportunities for multi-channel press release distribution, brands can amplify their online presence and catch the attention of financial investors through a targeted press release distribution campaign. Jarral Barrack of Infinite Investing Co., Ltd. cited the digital success of its company, making significant strides in online financial investment instruction. Infinite, in particular, generated $200 million in revenue in Q4, up 80% from the same quarter from the previous year. "The success is amazing, but the major players aren't the only ones that are benefiting from this online adoption," said Alex Xie, AsiaPresswire's VP. "We have worked with multiple small and midsize financial investment companies that have taken advantage of the gr...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on June 12

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Saturday, June 12. Helping low-wage workers in S'pore climb the wage ladder While cleaners, security officers and landscape workers have much to cheer about, things are less upbeat for low-wage workers outside of these industries. READ MORE HERE Ion Orchard to close for 4 days from June 12 due to Covid-19 cases; visitors to mall to get free swab tests It is the first mall in the popular Orchard Road shopping belt to be closed amid the pandemic. READ MORE HERE Wet weather in Malaysia, tighter Covid-19 curbs driving up some vegetable prices in S'pore The price of tomatoes was the hardest hit, doubling to up to $3 per kilogram. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news 4 young men in Singapore had heart inflammation after Covid-19 jabs, all have recovered As a precaution, vaccinated people should avoid strenuous physical activity for one week after their second dose. READ MORE HERE What is it like to take a DIY Covid-19 test? ST reporter tries it out From June 16, self-administered Covid-19 test kits will be sold in pharmacies here. READ MORE HERE Malaysia to extend Covid-19 l...

SeaPRwire

Helping low-wage workers in S’pore climb the wage ladder

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - It was slim pickings for gardener Lim Goh Heng when he joined the landscape maintenance sector in 2010 but his prospects have blossomed somewhat, thanks to a trade union initiative that is changing workers' lives across the island. There is no doubt Mr Lim and others like him needed a helping hand. His pay in 2010 was $700 a month, putting him among the bottom 20 per cent of Singaporean earners. 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.

SeaPRwire

Website simplifies licensing process for business owners

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - About 10 years ago, staff at Sing Swee Kee Chicken Rice discovered how tedious it was to apply for the licences restaurants required in Singapore. Ms Eliss Pang, the restaurant's director of operations, said they had to go through different agencies, each requiring its own set of documents. 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.

SeaPRwire

S’pore’s transition towards a sustainable economy requires a collective effort

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Policymakers worldwide have woken up to the costs that climate change will inflict and are trying to smoothen the transition to a green economy. Environmental scientists believe 2020 to 2030 is the decisive decade for climate change action. But there is another factor that could push businesses into changing their ways even more urgently - consumers and investors may shun them if they do not. 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.

SeaPRwire

S&P 500 ends choppy session at fresh record

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - The S&P 500 finished at a fresh record on Friday (June 11), concluding a choppy session on an upbeat note as investors weighed consumer confidence and inflation data. A report released on Friday from the University of Michigan showed a rise in consumer confidence as the widespread availability of Covid-19 vaccines brought shoppers back to stores. "Looking ahead, we expect consumers will be more upbeat as the economy continues reopening and employment conditions heal further," said a note from Oxford Economics. "Current pandemic-related supply constraints will steadily ease, supporting a healthier laboor market and easing price pressures as economic dynamics normalise." Data released on Thursday showed the inflation rate at its highest level in 13 years, but the S&P 500 still finished the day's trading at a record as the market seemed to conclude the May data represented a peak for inflation. The Dow Jones Industrial edged up less than 0.1 per cent to 34,479.60. The broad-based S&P 500 added 0.2 per cent at 4,247.44, a second straight record, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.4 per cent to 14,069.42. For the week, the Dow finished with modest losse...

JCN Newswire
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Honda Announces the Establishment of Ashirase, Inc., a Startup Originated from IGNITION, a Honda New Business Creation Program

ruth
5 minutes

TOKYO, Jun 11, 2021 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced the establishment of Ashirase, Inc., the first business venture to originate from IGNITION, Honda's new business creation program. Ashirase, Inc. is currently developing an in-shoe navigation system to support the visually impaired with walking and will strive to begin sales of the system, also named "Ashirase," before the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. Overview of Ashirase navigation systemThe Ashirase is a navigation system consisting of a smartphone app and a three-dimensional vibration device including a motion sensor, which is attached inside the shoe. Based on the route set with the app, the device vibrates to provide navigation. When the user should go straight, the vibrator positioned on the front part of the foot vibrates, and when the user is approaching a right or left turn, the vibrator on the right or left side vibrates to notify the user. The navigation provided by Ashirase enables intuitive understanding of the route, and therefore the user does not have to be constantly mindful of the direction, which makes it possible for the user to walk more safely and wi...