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Manufacturing, finance and infocomm industries bright spots in Singapore economy in 2020

elean
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The manufacturing, finance and insurance, and information and communications industries were the few bright spots in Singapore's economy in 2020, posting rare growth while most sectors declined amid the coronavirus pandemic. The same industries are expected to continue seeing steady growth this year, while the economic outlook remains uneven across industries, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) noted in its economic survey released on Monday (Feb 15). On the other hand, tourism- and aviation-related sectors are likely to see a weaker recovery than previously expected, while other industries such as construction and marine and offshore engineering are likely to recover from the low base recorded last year. Singapore's economy contracted 5.4 per cent in 2020 - its worst full-year recession since independence. The manufacturing sector saw 7.3 per cent growth year on year for the whole of 2020, reversing the 1.5 per cent decline seen the previous year, because of output growth in the electronics, biomedical manufacturing and precision engineering clusters. Manufacturing accounts for more than 20 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product, and is likely to expand a...

ACN Newswire
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ALG Health Receives NIOSH Surgical Rating on Three Of Its American Made N95 Respirators

indie
3 minutes

BRYAN, OH, Feb 15, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - ALG Health announced today that it received National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Surgical N95 approval for three of its Made in the U.S.A. Patriot Masks. The approvals are for the ALG Health Foldable N95 Respirator and both sizes of their Molded N95 Respirators. The surgical ratings state these products are approved and cleared for use in Healthcare settings under Food & Drug Administration (FDA)/NIOSH MOU 225-18-006 regulations. ALG Health first received NIOSH N95 ratings on all their Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFR) in November 2020, meeting the OSHA and CDC product and manufacturing standards."Acquiring this next level approval for the N95 surgical rating is extremely exciting for us," said Adam Harmon, President and CEO of ALG Health. "The largest segment we work with are those in the Healthcare industry, these credentials will give them the comfort level they deserve to know they are wearing a quality mask, that will help protect them while saving lives."The process to become (NIOSH) approved includes both a documentation and facility review to ensure that the product and the manufacturing process meet...

ACN Newswire
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AppsFlyer Announces Predictive Analytics Product for SKAdNetwork as Part of SK360, Its Comprehensive SKAdNetwork Suite

indie
4 minutes

SINGAPORE, Feb 15, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - AppsFlyer, the global attribution leader, today announced the upcoming launch of PredictSK, a new predictive analytics solution that will be a part of its robust SKAdNetwork suite, SK360. The new product will be available after Apple will start enforcing its AppTrackingTransparency framework in early spring. The SK360 suite will continue to support the ecosystem throughout Apple's upcoming privacy updates.SKAdNetwork is about to become a major part of campaign measurement and optimization on iOS, following Apple's latest privacy changes. This deterministic attribution framework provides advertisers with some data on their iOS campaigns, and while Apple has been continuously making updates to improve its offering to advertisers and app developers, it also introduces critical limitations.To equip advertisers with the ability to continue driving positive results and accurately enhance their campaigns, AppsFlyer has added a new suite to its set of iOS 14 solutions - SK360. This comprehensive suite of tools enables brands to configure and optimize their conversion value, validate their data & keep it fraud free, and integrate with their cho...

ACN Newswire
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CUBERZ first Israeli, first female-led venture to partner UAE-based Privity FZ LLE post-Abraham Accords

indie
3 minutes

TEL AVIV & DUBAI, Feb 15, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - CUBERZ is the first Israeli, first female-led venture company to join hands with Privity FZ LLE, an independent venture-focused advisory firm in the UAE, after the normalization of the Abraham Accords last year. CUBERZ was launched in Tel Aviv by Nektar Solomon, CEO, and Ari Margalit, CSTO, and is developing a unique online marketplace aiming to change the way local craftsmen and small furniture manufacturers interact with potential customers, while proceeding to its seed round of venture capital fundraising.Ms Solomon commented: "We excited to start our journey with Privity as a stakeholder. It is truly amazing to find a partner who understands what CUBERZ is trying to achieve, and can open doors to global markets and financing opportunities. The Abraham Accords are a historic moment which we are thrilled to take part in, pushing Israeli innovation a step further with strong partnerships in the UAE."Sleem Hasan, Privity founder and CEO, commented: "We inked the deal on 12.02.2021 which will be recorded on Privity's ledger as a date to remember. Not only is it a palindromic and ambigrammic date, and therefore auspicious, but it ...

SeaPRwire
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Solidarity shown by WWII generation can guide Singapore in pandemic: Lawrence Wong

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The sense of solidarity and collective responsibility that the pioneer generation embodied during the Japanese Occupation serves as a guide to how Singapore should deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (Feb 15) on the anniversary of the fall of Singapore. Drawing parallels between the pandemic and World War II, he said the pandemic can be a defining moment in Singapore's history, where Singaporeans were tested but overcame the "toughest of circumstances" with resilience and resolve. The country's pioneers, who endured the hardships of war, were a generation who got things done, served with honour, and helped built Singapore, said Mr Wong, who also co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic. "They have taught us that there is no trouble we cannot endure; no calamity we cannot overcome as a people." While the Japanese Occupation of Singapore lasted more than three years, said Mr Wong, it is unclear how long the pandemic will last, although "at some point, it will be over". "At that time, I hope we can look back and say that this has been a defining moment in our history. We have been tested in this crucible, bu...

SeaPRwire
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Singapore Budget 2021: 5 things to look out for

aseanpr
7 minutes

SINGAPORE - This year's Budget will be unveiled on Tuesday (Feb 16) as Singapore continues to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic and its economic fallout. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat has said that helping workers and firms adapt, innovate and grow will be a key priority for Budget 2021 - his sixth Budget speech. The Government will also continue to support workers and businesses, especially those in hard-hit sectors, he said. Last year, the Government set aside a war chest of almost $100 billion - or nearly 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) - to cope with the pandemic, with most of the funds used to support businesses and help workers keep their jobs. Here are five things to look out for on Tuesday: 1. More targeted support This year's Budget is expected to target sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, but overall spending will be reined in after extensive support measures were rolled out last year. Mr Liang Eng Hwa, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade and Industry, told a pre-Budget round-table last month: "I expect this Budget to be a lot more targeted and differentiated than before, so we really channel and alloca...

JCN Newswire
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LENVIMA (lenvatinib) Plus KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Demonstrated Superior Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) Versus Sunitinib as First-Line Treatment for Patients With Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

ruth
4 minutes

TOKYO, Feb 15, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) today announced the first presentation of new investigational data from the pivotal Phase 3 CLEAR study (Study 307/KEYNOTE-581) in an oral presentation session (Abstract #269) at the virtual 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU) and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine(1). The trial evaluated the combinations of LENVIMA, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, plus KEYTRUDA, the anti-PD-1 therapy from Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., and LENVIMA plus everolimus versus sunitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in progression-free survival (PFS; HR=0.39 [95% CI: 0.32-0.49]; p"Continued efforts to improve outcomes in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma are critical, considering that the number of people diagnosed with the disease has more than doubled over the last 50 years, a...

SeaPRwire
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Public servant arrested for allegedly leaking police lookout message on Tampines stabbing

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - A 37-year-old public servant has been arrested for allegedly leaking a police lookout message that identified the suspect of the Tampines stabbing incident, which took place last Wednesday (Feb 10). The police said on Monday that the man is suspected of wrongful communication of information under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). The man, who is from another government agency, had received the lookout message when the police sent it to various law enforcement agencies at around 7.30am last Wednesday, after they had established the identity of the suspect in the stabbing. The lookout message included the police report number, the suspect's name, picture, date of birth and nationality. It also included an image taken from a security camera showing a person believed to be the suspect. The public servant had allegedly taken a photograph of the lookout message and shared it via WhatsApp with his friend, a 60-year-old man, who was not authorised to receive the classified information. The message was then further disseminated by the friend to other unauthorised recipients, which led to wider circulation. Police said their investigations are ongoing. "The Government takes a serio...

SeaPRwire
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Asia Presswire Announces Job Openings for Top Media Click-Through Analysts and Promotion Managers

pandora
3 minutes

Hong Kong - Asia Presswire, the top press release distribution newswire, has announced the expansion of Top Media Click-Through (TMC) team in order to help businesses achieve greater brand awareness, increased web traffic, and grow sales opportunities. For candidates in public relations, media, and sales who are looking to expand their career with the top rated press release distribution company for customer satisfaction, Asia Presswire is looking to hire Top Media Click-Through Analysts (TMCA) and Promotion Managers (PM). Asia Presswire continues to expand the program with the TMC market and sales accelerator. In support of these programs, Asia Presswire is actively seeking media, marketing, and communications professionals to fill the TMCA and PM roles. "Asia Presswire now has developed press release distribution programs globally, including USA, Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East Asia and Africa. We have built a network with over 17 languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Thailand, Filipino, Russia, German and France ... "said Arrow Fong, Asia Presswire's of Director of Top Media Click-Through Department, "We are lookin...

SeaPRwire
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Three men investigated by police for allegedly protesting outside Myanmar Embassy in S’pore

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Three men are being investigated for purportedly participating in a public assembly without a permit outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Singapore, the police said on Sunday (Feb 14). Two of the men are Japanese nationals, aged 48 and 61, and the third is a 49-year-old Indonesian. The police were alerted at 3.45pm on Feb 10 to three men allegedly protesting outside the embassy to demonstrate "their support for the people of Myanmar". Two placards, three mobile phones and a letter were seized. The police reminded the public that "organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is illegal and constitutes an offence under the Public Order Act". Organisers of illegal assemblies face fines of up to $5,000 and participants can be fined up to $3,000. "The police will not grant any permit for assemblies that advocate political causes of other countries," it said. "Foreigners visiting or living in Singapore should abide by our laws." On Feb 5, the police had warned against holding protests in Singapore related to the ongoing political events in Myanmar, saying: "The police are aware of online posts by Myanmar nationals working or residing in S...

SeaPRwire
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askST: Is there a quota on university places for polytechnic graduates?

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - In this first of the askST series on university education, senior education correspondent Sandra Davie of The Straits Times responds to questions on university places for this year and the chances of polytechnic graduates getting into university Q: My son was supposed to go to Australia to study, but we decided against it because the courses are being delivered online. Will there be more places offered by the local universities this year, as was the case last year? A: Education Minister Lawrence Wong told The Straits Times in an interview earlier this year that the six local universities offered around 1,000 extra places last year, on account of the disruption caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic which forced students to readjust their plans. Some of the additional places went to Singaporeans like your son who had planned to study overseas, but switched to local universities when their plans were disrupted. Others went to polytechnic diploma holders who opted to study instead of joining a weak job market. So, all in, 17,500 places were given out. This extra enrolment pushed the student participation rate in universities beyond the stated target of 40 per cent for eve...

SeaPRwire

Risks, opportunities and transition await Singapore and the region

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Three major transitions are affecting the world: the shift to Asia, the rapid acceleration of digitisation and the growing risk of climate change. All acutely impact South-east Asia. One common denominator for everyone during this crisis has been the need to adapt at pace. And this dynamism is here to stay. As South-east Asia emerges from the shadow of Covid-19, there's a real opportunity to use these transitions to our advantage. 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
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Singapore upgrades merchandise trade forecast for 2021; non-oil exports grew 4.3% in 2020

elean
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Overall merchandise trade for Singapore is expected to grow between 2 per cent and 4 per cent for the whole of 2021, up from an earlier forecast of 1 to 3 per cent growth made in November, with higher expected oil prices tipped to support oil and total trade. However, the forecast for non-oil domestic exports (Nodx) was kept at between 0 per cent to 2 per cent expansion, with continued risks and uncertainties in the global economy, said government agency Enterprise Singapore (ESG) in its trade performance review on Monday (Feb 15). Nodx grew 4.3 per cent in 2020, reversing the 9.2 per cent year-on-year decline seen in the previous year, due to higher shipments of both electronic and non-electronic products. This was despite a decline of 5.2 per cent in total merchandise trade year-on-year in 2020, after a 3.2 per cent dip the previous year. Total trade reached $969 billion in 2020, with both exports and imports seeing a decrease. This weakening in overall trade was mainly due to the contraction in oil trade by 31 per cent in 2020 amid lower oil prices than a year ago, continuing the 13.9 per cent slide seen in 2019. On a year-on-year basis, Singapore's overall trade shr...

SeaPRwire
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Singapore economy to grow by 4-6% this year; 2020 contraction shaved to 5.4%

elean
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Singapore economy will grow by 4.0 to 6.0 per cent this year, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) on Monday (Feb 15), maintaining its forecast announced last November, after weighing positive and negative developments in key external economies. The ministry raised its final estimate for coronavirus-hit 2020, stating that the economy shrank by 5.4 per cent, making it Singapore's worst-ever recession since independence. Still, this figure tops the flash estimate of 5.8 per cent given last month and is higher than the 6.25 per cent average for the 6.5 to 6.0 per cent range it gave in November. The economy grew by 1.3 per cent in 2019. MTI said that since the last Economic Survey of Singapore in November 2020, there has been further progress in Covid-19 vaccine development and deployment, with several approved vaccines being rolled out in many economies around the world. "Although the speed of vaccine deployment varies, advanced economies like the US and Eurozone are likely to reach population immunity by the second half of this year, which should in turn spur their economic recoveries," it said in a press release issued on Monday (Feb 15). Growth prospects fo...

SeaPRwire
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Bitcoin approaches US$50,000 as wider adoption fuels record rally

elean
2 minutes

TORONTO (REUTERS) - Bitcoin hit a new record high and approached US$50,000 (S$66,276) on Sunday (Feb 14), building on its record rally as Wall Street and Main Street increasingly adopt the world's biggest cryptocurrency. Bitcoin recently stood at US$48,700 on Sunday morning, up more than 3 per cent. It had traded as high as US$49,714 earlier in the day. The cryptocurrency is up almost 70 per cent year to date. After long being shunned by traditional financial firms, bitcoin and other virtual currencies appear to be increasingly entering the mainstream as an asset and routine payment vehicle. BNY Mellon said last week it formed a new unit to help clients hold, transfer and issue digital assets, just days after Elon Musk's Tesla revealed it had bought US$1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency and would soon accept it as a form of payment for its cars. On Friday, Canada's Ontario Securities Commission approved the launch of Purpose Bitcoin ETF, Toronto-based asset management company Purpose Investments Inc said in a statement. The OSC confirmed it had cleared the launch of the world's first bitcoin exchange-traded fund, in a separate statement to Reuters. "The institutional side and ...

SeaPRwire
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Crucial role oil giant plays in world a key driver for new boss

elean
1 minute

Staying nimble and flexible is key to leading a major firm amid the Covid-19 pandemic, says ExxonMobil Asia-Pacific chairman and managing director Geraldine Chin. Last year, Ms Chin, then responsible for product trading, sales and supply, saw how demand for jet fuel plunged to zero as Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill. 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.

ACN Newswire
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Suntrap Discovered ‘LeSoleil’ for COVID-19 and the Epidemic

indie
9 minutes

Guangzhou, China, Feb 14, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - AI-assisted computing has greatly improved the efficiency of new drug research and development. Suntrap Life Technologies Co., Ltd has taken the lead to establish the Suntrap IDDNU(R) platform to serve as an international drug discovery network alliance.In 2019, Suntrap Life Technologies established a drug research team, carried out comprehensive drug research and development projects, and built the Suntrap IDDNU (Suntrap International Drug Discovery Network Alliance) technology platform. Suntrap IDDNU is based upon the EK-DRD database, published by one of the researchers, Mr. Jason Zhao. (J Chem Inf Model. 2019 Sep 23;59(9):3619-3624. EK-DRD: A Comprehensive Database for Drug Repositioning Inspired by Experimental Knowledge). This database includes detailed information on the US FDA approved 1963 drugs (including those withdrawn from the market), and the activity information in the target, cell, animal, and clinical experiments. In addition, the Suntrap research team also included the structure and activity data of 400,838 natural compounds.Through the collection of these data and the construction of a database, the Suntrap researc...

SeaPRwire
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Four in 10 HDB residents shop online, more interacting with neighbours on Internet: Survey

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Online shopping may have had an impact on Housing Board (HDB) shops. Close to 50 per cent of those who bought items online reported they had shopped less at HDB shops in the latest HDB Sample Household Survey which is conducted once every five years. The latest survey, done in 2018, also showed that HDB residents also generally interacted slightly less with their neighbours, though the proportion who communicated with their neighbours in online chat groups or through social media more than doubled from 2013. The survey results, released on Sunday (Feb 14), said that about four in 10 HDB residents had made online purchases through websites and mobile applications in 2018, with a higher proportion of online shoppers living in four-room or bigger flat types. The majority of online shoppers were also aged 45 years and below, and likely to be from families with young children. Clothing and footwear were the top items purchased online, followed by phones and electronic products. Commenting on the survey results, Associate Professor Lawrence Loh from the National University of Singapore Business School said that the question of HDB shops' survival amid the rise of e-commerce w...

SeaPRwire
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Tanjong Pagar car crash: Flowers, photo, clothes placed at site as people pay respects to the 5 who died

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - Flowers, clothing and a photograph were placed at the scene of Saturday's (Feb 13) horrific crash at Tanjong Pagar, as people paid their respects to the five men who were killed when their BMW crashed into a shophouse and burst into flames. When The Straits Times arrived at the scene at around 7.45am, an old photo of a little boy had been placed on top of a set of clothes and a pair of shoes at the charred entrance of the shop. The photo, believed to be that of one of the victims, was later removed. Flowers, lit candles and condolence notes were among the items placed at the side and front of the shop. The accident on the second day of the Chinese New Year on Saturday killed all five men in the car. The police said it was the highest number of people killed in a single traffic accident in the past decade. Six workers from TS Engineering Works arrived to set up road safety cones at 8.28am. They started installing a metal barricade at 8.40am. Tanjong Pagar car crash: Workers install metal beams to cover the accident site on Feb 14, 2021 One of them, a man who wanted to be known as Harun, 38, said that he had been instructed to board up the place. A family member and frien...

SeaPRwire
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Race to go green on Singapore’s roads starts with clear rules and runway

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - American electric carmaker Tesla has returned to Singapore, posting prices which make equivalent petrol cars seem overpriced. An inter-ministerial Singapore Green Plan 2030 launched last week has also raised proposals to further incentivise the adoption of electric cars - on top of tax breaks already in place. 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.