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Northgate Public Services Becomes NEC Software Solutions UK from July 2021

ruth
4 minutes

TOKYO, Feb 22, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - NEC Corporation (TSE: 6701) and Northgate Public Services (NPS) today announced a name change that means from July 2021, NPS will become NEC Software Solutions UK.The new name brings NPS under the global NEC brand, strengthening the company's position as a market leader in the development of cutting-edge software and services for the local government, police, health and housing sectors.Tina Whitley, CEO designate of Northgate Public Services, said, "Since being acquired by the NEC group in 2018, our customers have benefited from over £71 million of investment, comprising £42 million on products and £29 million for acquisitions. This has enabled us to develop innovative solutions and services to meet continually changing market needs. "We've transformed our cloud first enterprise housing software to become the market leader. Our policing system, Connect, has evolved so that police officers can access information about crimes, victims and suspects while on the beat, and in health, we have evolved to become the foremost supplier of non-cancer screening services in the UK."NEC values our expertise. They believe in what w...

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Private clinic nurse allegedly molested male patient at Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - A male nurse from a specialist clinic at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital is accused of molesting a male patient in 2018. Ivan Lee Yi Wang, now 32, is said to have targeted the man twice on Oct 31 that year at the hospital in Irrawaddy Road, off Balestier Road. The Singaporean faces two counts of molestation and is claiming trial on Monday (Feb 22). The 26-year-old alleged victim cannot be named due to a gag order. Lee is represented by lawyers Peter Low and Christine Low. An online search of registered healthcare professionals in Singapore reveals that he is still a nurse. Healthcare provider Parkway Pantai, which runs the hospital, told The Straits Times that Lee had been hired by the clinic independently and was not hospital staff. Its spokesman added: "We are unable to comment further as the matter is before the courts." For each count of molestation, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined or caned. More on this topic Related Story Former IMH employee who molested patients and insulted colleagues' modesty given jail, caning Related Story Courts & Crime: Read more stories LISTEN TO THE BIG STORY PODCAST

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 22

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Monday, Feb 22. Singapore hopes to balance its Budget as economy picks up: DPM Heng With vaccination exercises taking place globally, there is hope for the economy to gain strength in 2021. READ MORE HERE Over 20 roads to be assessed for space to provide cycling paths They include stretches along Aljunied Road, Braddell Road and Upper Serangoon Road. READ MORE HERE Malaysian truck driver with Covid-19 suspected of visiting Resorts World casino earlier He was denied entry to Singapore after he tested positive at Woodlands Checkpoint. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Dover Forest case: Debate over alternative sites highlights core land, housing issues The potential clearing of Dover Forest to make way for BTO flats sparked concerns among the public. READ MORE HERE S’pore firm's high-rise fish farm to produce 2,700 tonnes of fish a year by 2023 Apollo Aquaculture's eight-storey fish farm is the tallest in Singapore and the region. READ MORE HERE 2 injured after wild boar attacks in Punggol One of the victims was reportedly bitten and dragged for nearly a metre. READ M...

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15,600 first-time flat buyers get $500m in grants

aseanpr
1 minute

About 15,600 first-time flat buyers have received nearly $500 million in grants under the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant since the scheme was launched in September 2019. Of these, 7,700 bought new flats and got about $270 million in all. Another 7,900 bought resale flats, getting about $226 million in grants. The Housing Board yesterday said it has also disbursed some $748 million under the Proximity Housing Grant scheme to about 40,200 households since August 2015. SEE THE BIG STORY

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Battle for young hearts and minds as extremists grow savvy online

aseanpr
1 minute

A 17-year-old detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in January last year had begun to walk down the path of radicalisation in 2017 when he was 15 years old, after imbibing Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) material online. Last December, a 16-year-old became the youngest detainee yet to be dealt with under the ISA, and the first to be enthralled by far-right extremist ideology. 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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S’pore’s tallest fish farm to produce 2,700 tonnes of fish a year by 2023

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - High-rise living is not just for humans in Singapore. An eight-storey fish farm - the tallest in Singapore and the region - is slated to start operations in the first quarter of this 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.

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Nets eyes larger footprint in online payments space

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - The ubiquity of Nets terminals - there are more than 130,000 of them in Singapore today - may find its equivalent in the online sphere, as the e-payment service provider's chief seeks to grow the company. Nets group chief executive officer Lawrence Chan, who took over the company's reins in June last year, told The Straits Times in a recent interview: "Today, Nets is not strong enough online. That is something we've started to recognise and we have gone to our board for approval to invest in making ourselves even stronger online." 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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More market volatility expected ahead

elean
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - It was another volatile week for US equity markets as fears of potential inflation, stubbornly high US joblessness and an uneven recovery clashed with hopes of an accelerated vaccine roll-out, strong retail sales and more fiscal stimulus. Tech stocks retreated amid concerns that many tech names are trading at nose-bleed-level valuations. Meanwhile, a deep freeze rolling through Texas and the central United States has knocked out power, wreaked havoc on oil and gas production, slowed the vaccine roll-out and stirred up fears of economic fallout. The Dow Jones index ended the holiday-shortened week at 31,494, down slightly from its record a couple of days earlier at 31,613.02, while the broader S&P index closed at 3,906.71, down from its peak at 3,934.83. The tech-heavy Nasdaq bore the brunt of the slide to end at 13,874.46 for the week, down from 14,162.87 earlier in the week. In Singapore, the Budget statement had little impact on market sentiment, with the Straits Times Index taking its cue from Wall Street to end at 2,880.64 points, down 44.84 points for the week. Much of the interest continued to be on rotational play on second-liners. Earnings and recovery are provi...

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Reigniting drivers of growth key to Asean’s economic resilience

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Pivoting towards the Asian global growth engine is one of the major world transitions of this century with a strong contributor coming from the economic emergence of Asean. South-east Asia's trade and economic integration, relatively lower labour costs and the growing wealth among its 650 million-strong population has made it a key destination for many multinational companies seeking new opportunities to produce, invest and sell. 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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Nets eyes larger footprint in online payments space

elean
1 minute

The ubiquity of Nets terminals - there are more than 130,000 of them in Singapore today - may find its equivalent in the online sphere, as the e-payment service provider's chief seeks to grow the company. Nets group chief executive officer Lawrence Chan, who took over the company's reins last June, told The Straits Times in a recent interview: "Today, Nets is not strong enough online. That is something we've started to recognise and we have gone to our board for approval to invest in making ourselves even stronger online." 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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Bitcoin hits new high of $1.3 trillion in market value

elean
3 minutes

Bitcoin's market value reached US$1 trillion (S$1.32 trillion) for the first time, a surge that's helping cryptocurrency returns far outstrip the performance of more traditional assets like stocks and gold. The largest digital asset has added more than US$450 billion of value this year to more than US$1 trillion, data compiled by Bloomberg shows. The Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index, which includes bitcoin and four other coins, has more than doubled. Bitcoin hit another fresh high on Saturday after its market capitalisation went above US$1 trillion on Friday. It rose to a record US$57,553, taking its weekly gain to around 20 per cent. Speculators, corporate treasurers and institutional investors are thought to have stoked bitcoin's volatile ascent. Crypto believers are duelling with sceptics for the dominant narrative around the climb: The former see an asset being embraced for its ability to hedge risks such as inflation, while the latter sense a precarious mania riding atop waves of monetary and fiscal stimulus. At the same time, the argument has been made that assigning a market capitalisation is not an accurate representation since bitcoin isn't a company or even an asset. Sceptic...

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Almost $500 million in Enhanced CPF Housing Grants given to 15,600 first-time HDB flat buyers

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Close to $500 million has been disbursed to about 15,600 first-time flat buyers since the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) was launched in September 2019. Another $748 million in Proximity Housing Grants (PHG) has been given to about 40,200 households since August 2015, said the Housing Board in a statement on Sunday (Feb 21). Both figures were accurate as at Dec 31 last year. The EHG, which goes up to $80,000, is available to eligible first-time buyers regardless of whether they buy a new or resale flat, and has no restrictions on the flat type and location. Of the 15,600 households that received EHGs, 7,700 were first-time buyers of new flats who received about $270 million in total. A further 7,900 were first-timer households who bought resale flats, receiving a total of about $226 million in grants. Another 400 households who are buying resale flats and have applied for the EHG will receive it when their resale transactions are completed. The EHG was announced in 2019 by then National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, and replaced the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG), which each amounted up to $40,000. Mr Wong said then th...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Feb 21

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Feb 21. Over 8,600 fines issued for breach of Covid-19 safety measures From April to December last year, more than 6,900 fines were meted out to those who broke safe distancing and safe management rules. READ MORE HERE Two killed in Mandalay city in bloodiest day of Myanmar protests Hundreds of police and soldiers gathered at Yadanarbon shipyard in Mandalay to disperse protesters. READ MORE HERE Tanjong Pagar crash: Several factors could impact insurance claims If you voluntarily get into a car knowing there are risks involved, and end up in an accident, the amount - and result - of your compensation claims may be affected. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news 'I jaywalk because I'm fast enough': Why senior jaywalkers continue to risk life and limb The number of senior pedestrian deaths ranged from 25 to 28 between 2015 and last year. READ MORE HERE Marina Bay view could be priciest real estate feature in Singapore A collection of five penthouses, put up for sale recently at Marina Bay Residences with an indicative price of $138 million, will give a sense of ho...

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9 in 10 Yale-NUS graduates employed within six months

aseanpr
3 minutes

Nine in 10 Yale-NUS graduates found jobs within six months of completing their final examinations, with those who hold a Bachelor of Science with Honours degree earning gross median salaries of $5,350. This was higher than any of their counterparts at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said the liberal arts college in a statement yesterday. However, it noted that the salary figure was based on a relatively small sample of fewer than 30 graduates. Among NUS graduates, newly minted lawyers and doctors and those with computing degrees earned the most, with starting salaries also around the $5,000 mark. Those in more general fields, such as sciences or the arts, had lower salaries - especially if they did not do an honours degree. In the statement yesterday, Yale-NUS said graduates who hold a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree earned a median gross starting salary of $3,890. All its graduates secured jobs in a variety of fields, including IT, consulting, financial services, education and the public sector. In total, 147 of the liberal arts college's 187 fresh graduates took part in the annual joint graduate employment survey, details of which were released on Friday. The sur...

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‘I jaywalk because I’m fast enough’

aseanpr
4 minutes

Last Monday, around 11.30am, an elderly man on crutches slowly approached the road along Circuit Road Food Centre, looking to get to the bus stop opposite. He looked to his right, where a traffic light was about 50m away. He then looked to his left, where cars were turning into the road he was at. Despite that, the old man crossed slowly, unconcerned about approaching cars. The drivers did not honk at him and slowed down to give way. He made it across safely that day. But 15 senior pedestrians died last year, about half of them from jaywalking. Last Monday's scene played out several times at Circuit Road and Serangoon Avenue 3 when The Sunday Times was there to observe seniors' attitudes towards road safety. Some were also using crutches, pulling trolleys and holding the hands of young children as they jaywalked. At Circuit Road, The Sunday Times found more than 20 seniors jaywalking to get to the Block 79 and 79A Circuit Road Food Centre or to Housing Board blocks, between 11am and 12.30pm. Though there was a pedestrian crossing nearby and a sign prohibiting jaywalking, many seniors jaywalked across the three-lane road. There were also many parked vehicles along the road, which co...

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Ex-NMP steps down from NUS alumni advisory board

aseanpr
3 minutes

Talk show host and former Nominated MP Viswa Sadasivan has stepped down as a member of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Alumni Advisory Board. This comes after allegations of sexual harassment made against him by two women. In an e-mail to its alumni yesterday evening, the university's Office of Alumni Relations said it would discontinue all projects with him and his communications consultancy firm, Strategic Moves. The NUS statement said this was in the light of the allegations made by stand-up comedian Sharul Channa and doctoral researcher Kiran Kandade against Mr Viswa. NUS said that "the university does not condone any behaviour or action that is disrespectful and disparaging of individuals, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion or age". It added that the incident between Mr Viswa and Ms Sharul took place during the online interview series, Inconvenient Questions. The series is a collaboration between Strategic Moves and the National University of Singapore Society - a graduate club and registered society that is a separate and independent entity from NUS. Before interviewing Ms Sharul online about her profession and work on women's issues, Mr Viswa, 61, allegedly...

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Staying afloat amid pandemic: What will happen to some firms when Jobs Support Scheme ends

elean
3 minutes

Wage subsidies under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) will be extended until September for businesses badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, but other employers in sectors that have recovered will stop receiving these subsidies after March. The Sunday Times speaks to some employers. What is the Jobs Support Scheme? Subsidies ranging from 10 per cent to 30 per cent will cover the wages of local workers from April to September. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said last Tuesday that wage subsidies under the JSS will be extended by up to six months to help businesses that remain badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic to retain workers. Under the scheme, subsidies ranging from 10 per cent to 30 per cent will cover the wages of local workers from April to September to help them stay employed during the pandemic. Firms in sectors worst hit by the crisis, such as aviation, aerospace and tourism, will receive 30 per cent of wages paid from April to June in September. They will also receive 10 per cent of wages paid from July to September in December. READ MORE HERE Some companies fear they won't survive without support scheme, others pin hopes on taking new directions EU As...

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Man loses $130k to fake bitcoin trader

elean
1 minute

If someone tells you that your investment has turned a tidy profit and that you should put in more money to earn even more, just say "no" until you can do your checks. Chances are the person who brings such "good news" has a motive to make you part with more cash because such a line, which is aimed at stoking greed, happens to be the most used ruse by cheats. 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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Marina Bay view could be priciest real estate feature in Singapore

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - A panoramic view of the iconic Marina Bay Sands and the Central Business District could well be the most pricey amenity in Singapore real estate. A collection of five penthouses, put up for sale recently at Marina Bay Residences with an indicative price of $138 million, will give a sense of how much a buyer would pay for this sought-after view. 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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Staying afloat amid pandemic

elean
2 minutes

What is the Jobs Support Scheme? Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said last Tuesday that wage subsidies under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) will be extended by up to six months to help businesses that remain badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic to retain workers. Under the scheme, subsidies ranging from 10 per cent to 30 per cent will cover the wages of local workers from April to September to help them stay employed during the pandemic. Firms in sectors worst hit by the crisis, such as aviation, aerospace and tourism, will receive 30 per cent of wages paid from April to June in September. They will also receive 10 per cent of wages paid from July to September in December. Firms in industries also hit hard by the pandemic in the next tier, including food services, retail, marine and offshore, as well as arts and entertainment, will receive 10 per cent of wages paid from April to June. They will receive this payout in September. The new tiered wage subsidies in the latest extension, which cost the Government $700 million, apply to the first $4,600 of gross monthly wages paid to each Singaporean or permanent resident employee. This is the latest extension under the JSS to help empl...