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Producing food-grade protein in a resource crunch

elean
1 minute

Sophie's Bionutrients, a Singapore-based start-up, has been working on plant-based protein flours that can be used to make milk alternatives or energy beverages. Its co-founder and chief executive Eugene Wang, 51, shared that the market for plant-based liquids is more accessible than the one for meat alternatives, given that plant-based milk does not require the same extensive research and development that meat-like products do. 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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Singapore’s budding start-ups: Producing food-grade protein in a resource crunch

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Sophie's Bionutrients, a Singapore-based start-up, has been working on plant-based protein flours that can be used to make milk alternatives or energy beverages. Its co-founder and chief executive Eugene Wang, 51, shared that the market for plant-based liquids is more accessible than the one for meat alternatives, given that plant-based milk does not require the same extensive research and development that meat-like products do. 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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Singapore firms keen to use new EDB Tech.Pass scheme to boost talent pool

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - When cyber protection company Acronis wanted to grow the team for its research and development centre here last year, it targeted locals. But when it could not hire enough with the required know-how, the Singapore-based firm tapped the Tech @ SG programme, which provides for more flexible requirements for foreign professionals to secure an Employment Pass (EP). The programme, jointly administered by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Enterprise Singapore, endorses EP applications to the Manpower Ministry (MOM). Acronis is now eyeing another EDB initiative - the Tech.Pass - while hiring and training more locals. Unlike an EP, foreign professionals with the new work pass are free to choose who they work for. "We could definitely use Tech.Pass to recruit the best people and expand our engineering team - the new scheme provides certain flexibility to the holder, since it's not tied to one company," Acronis' co-founder and Technology President Stanislav Protassov told The Straits Times. Many tech companies here like Acronis say it has been difficult to secure enough top-tier talent to grow their Singapore workforce and boost capabilities. EDB says Tech.Pass, ...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 29

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Nov 29. More new business entities set up in Singapore despite Covid-19 recession Some 5,500 to 6,400 new businesses were formed monthly between June and October. READ MORE HERE Infected after holiday to Europe, pregnant mum gives birth to baby with Covid-19 antibodies Celine Ng-Chan is one of a few women in Singapore who were infected with the coronavirus during their pregnancies to have given birth so far. READ MORE HERE 68-year-old S'porean man dies of Covid-19 complications, 29th such death in S'pore The man returned from work in Indonesia on Nov 17, and had a history of hypertension and heart disease. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Why is stacking of $100 tourism vouchers not allowed: STB Some consumers have lamented that the vouchers cannot be combined with those of their family and friends within the same redemption. READ MORE HERE Lunch With Sumiko: Chair man of the gaming world When he was 22, Ian Ang set out to build the perfect chair for gamers. Secretlab, which he co-founded, has since sold more than one million chairs, the 28-year-old CEO tel...

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Bringing buyers and sellers of surplus food together

aseanpr
1 minute

Mr Preston Wong, 31, is chief executive and lead innovator at Treatsure, an app that serves as a mobile market place for businesses and consumers to sell and buy surplus food that would otherwise go to waste. A: I saw my family throwing out consumables and expiring surplus food from our refrigerator and realised others are probably doing the same, perpetuating the problem of food wastage. An idea then sprang to mind. What if I were to build a platform to sell or share surplus food items? 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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Prepping student-managers for a post-Covid-19 Asia

aseanpr
1 minute

As the pandemic rolls on unabated, one group that's most affected worldwide are students, especially those in tertiary education for whom book work and lectures are only part of the learning. So much of the rest of their education depends on group discussions, onsite work experience and other activities that need them to work closely with others, a potential health hazard now. If you were Singapore Management University, the last bits are particularly important. Covid-19 has upended so much. 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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Unclear if baby born with antibodies is immune to coronavirus

aseanpr
1 minute

Though it has been reported that babies might be born with Covid-19 antibodies if their mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy, it remains unclear if this would mean the baby is immune to the coronavirus or how long the immunity would last. Earlier this month, Mrs Celine Ng-Chan, 31, gave birth to her second child and was told by her son's paediatrician that he has antibodies against the virus. 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 businesses set up in S’pore despite Covid-19 recession

elean
1 minute

Despite Covid-19 tightening the noose around some businesses, more firms have been set up in the past five months than in the same period last year, with experts describing this new wave of entrepreneurs as a sign of confidence in Singapore's recovery. About 5,500 to 6,400 new businesses were formed monthly between June and last month, compared with about 5,300 a month over the same timeframe last year, checks by The Sunday Times show. 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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The quicksand of overspending

elean
1 minute

By the time you read this, you might have already spent quite a bit of money shopping for great deals in the Black Friday sale, and there is still Cyber Monday to come. Christmas is just weeks away, so now seems as good a time as any to splurge with a vengeance. 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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Cadet pilot and friends aim to inspire next generation of aviators

elean
2 minutes

Cadet pilot Jason Koor's flying ambitions may have been put on hold for the next few years due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the 26-year-old is using this downtime to inspire the next generation of aviators. Mr Koor, along with two friends, incorporated aviation enrichment company Aircademy last month. It hopes to help youth who are keen in the aviation industry to learn more, through courses that will teach them about planes and aviation-related work, like ground handling. Industry players such as pilots will be invited to share their experiences with participants. The co-founders hope to be able to stretch the $30,000 they put in to get the business off the ground, as they have managed to get discounts on costs such as rent. They will run a trial programme next month - during the school holidays - to test their curriculum and study the feasibility and viability of the business, said Mr Koor, who graduated from the National University of Singapore last year with a double degree in civil engineering and management. The trio hope to help nurture an interest in aviation through means which they feel were not as accessible to youth when they themselves were younger. Mr Koor, whose ...

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She nearly went bust in her quest for beauty

elean
1 minute

If you look at her profile photograph on LinkedIn, it is almost impossible to find any flaw with her looks - attractive with a bright smile and good complexion. Yet, beneath that cheerful and confident appearance is a woman who was so obsessed with wanting to look perfect that she ended up almost bankrupt due to excessive spending on beauty-related products. 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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Covid-19 situation pushed fresh grad onto entrepreneurship path

elean
2 minutes

A one-year stint in Stockholm where he worked for medical technology firm Meloq and was exposed to budding entrepreneurs inspired Mr Yap Jun Yi to strike out on his own - a decision which he says was made easier with the coronavirus pandemic. The 25-year-old is one of five co-founders of personal finance company Taby Technologies, and the only one working full-time at the start-up. His co-founders, aged 24 to 29, are either studying or have other full-time jobs. The Covid-19 situation gave him "more assurance" to start his own business, said Mr Yap. "I'm going to give myself a year, till probably the end of next year, to see where this business is going to take me, and whether I want to continue with it or not," he said. "I think the current situation gave me the assurance to pursue my entrepreneurship passion." Many of his friends are on traineeships, and most of his peers would prefer the stability and security of a full-time job, instead of making it on their own fresh out of university. "But when I asked myself whether I would regret not pursuing this opportunity five years from now, I think I would," he said. The start-up received a capital grant of $30,000 from Startup SG Fou...

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16-year-old boy among 87 suspected drug offenders nabbed in CNB raids

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Two young mothers, aged 19 and 26, were using drugs in front of their five-year-old and four-month-old children when officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) raided the apartment in Bukit Merah on Monday (Nov 23). The two were among 87 suspected drug offenders arrested over five days from Monday to Friday in islandwide raids conducted by CNB officials. They seized drugs estimated to be worth nearly $400,000, including heroin, cannabis, ketamine, Ecstasy, and LSD stamps. A 16-year-old Singaporean boy was the youngest person arrested, the CNB said on Saturday in a news release that included details of the operations in Boon Lay, Buangkok and Aljunied. The two children at the Bukit Merah unit have been placed in the custody of their next of kin. Investigations into all suspects are currently ongoing. In a raid on Thursday of a unit near Edgefield Plains in Punggol, the CNB also found that inhabitants had erected a false wall to conceal a storeroom, in which a 25-year-old Singaporean man was hiding. He resisted arrested and "necessary force" was used to subdue him, the CNB said, without elaborating. A total of 631g of Ice, 113g of cannabis, 16 Ecstasy tablets, and $...

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Kindergarten principal has no regrets giving up architecture five years ago

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - When 33-year-old Eudora Tan made the switch to early childhood education from architecture five years ago, there were many people who questioned her decision. She had spent five years studying to be an architect at the National University of Singapore, including completing a master's degree. "To them, architecture seemed like a profession that took me such a long time but I gave it up after just a few years of working," said Ms Tan. She found the work too demanding because of the long hours involved, and decided to try something different. "I've always had an opportunity to be with children in terms of like Sunday school in church or even with my nephews, and that got me thinking - that I do like working with children," she said. In 2014, Ms Tan took the leap by taking a Diploma (Conversion) in Kindergarten Education - Teaching at Singapore Polytechnic. She joined St James' Church Kindergarten (Gilstead) as a maths teacher in 2015, and was promoted to principal in July this year. She received the Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Award at the Early Childhood Development Agency Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Development virtual ceremony on Saturday (Nov 28). ...

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By Singaporeans, for Singaporeans: Report could shape mandatory curriculum for new citizens

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - What makes a Singaporean? New citizens contemplating this are now offered some guidance in the form of a report by Singaporeans, both local-born and naturalised, that was published on Saturday (Nov 28). The eight chapters in the 57-page report explore what it means to be a Singaporean. They share insights regarding a citizen's values, roles and responsibilities, and contributions to society. They also delve into the nation's art, culture and history. The report highlights five "shared values", including placing society above self, seeking consensus instead of conflict, and appreciating racial and religious harmony. Coming after seven months of dialogue and deliberation by the Citizens' Workgroup for the Singapore Citizenship Journey, the report also urges new citizens to contribute to society in various ways. An example would be volunteering as a museum docent to improve one's own - as well as the visitors' - understanding of Singapore's intricacies and nuances. Volunteering in areas such as community gardening could also help to foster connections among the community, said the report. A member of the workgroup, Ms Shereen Mohd Idris, said participating in the discussio...

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Despite early doubts, former nurse finds success working in pre-school

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The sight and sound of infants laughing are among the reasons Ms Jacintha Jayadas looks forward to her work as an early childhood educator. The 27-year-old said that even on weekends, when she is off, she misses the children. Ms Jacintha, who is single, now works at Tots and Teddies in Telok Ayer, after making the switch from nursing in 2017. Despite initial worries that she might not be able to handle the work, the nurse of two years feels more confident now in caring for infants aged two months to 18 months. This is due to guidance she received from senior teachers, principals and others, she said. Ms Jacintha, who has a diploma in counselling, is among 17 pre-school educators and eight centres to receive awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Development in a virtual ceremony held on Saturday (Nov 28). The awards are meant to highlight the professionalism of the early childhood sector and recognise outstanding and promising early childhood educators and centres, according to the Early Childhood Development Agency. Ms Jacintha received the Promising Early Childhood Educarer Award for her work in building relationships with the families of the children as well as the...

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Newly Launched Bitcoin Latinum Set to Become World’s Largest Insured Digital Asset

pandora
5 minutes

PALO ALTO, CA, USA - Bitcoin Latinum, the next-generation Bitcoin fork capable of massive transaction volume, digital asset management, cyber security, and capacity is announcing its official pre-sale launch. Bitcoin Latinum will trade under the symbol LTNM with a total supply of 888,888,888 LTNM [verifiable by LTNM]. Bitcoin Latinum is now available for pre-sale on www.bitcoinlatinum.com and will be available on exchanges in 2021. Marsh & McLennan, one of the world's leading specialty insurance brokers and risk advisers, has been appointed to arrange a comprehensive insurance program for Bitcoin Latinum. The insurance coverage, to be arranged by Marsh Asia, will protect Bitcoin Latinum holders in case of external theft and internal collusion, potentially up to the full value of their holdings. This contemplated insurance coverage will make Bitcoin Latinum the world's largest insured digital asset. The Bitcoin Latinum tokens are a part of a blockchain ecosystem being adopted by companies in media, gaming, storage, cloud, and telecommunications. Bitcoin Latinum tokens will be interchangeably used on each of these partner/supplier networks by consumers. In addition, Bitcoin Latin...

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Some households to receive e-vouchers to switch to energy- and water-efficient appliances

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Households living in one- to three-room Housing Board flats can now get some help buying appliances that are more energy or water efficient, under a new programme launched on Saturday (Nov 28). Those eligible will receive three e-vouchers totalling $225. They include a $150 e-voucher to pay for an energy-efficient and climate-friendly refrigerator, a $50 e-voucher to offset the cost of changing their shower fittings to more water-efficient three-tick models, and a $25 e-voucher to buy LED lights. Details of the Climate-Friendly Households Programme were announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat at the launch of the annual Clean and Green Singapore movement on Saturday morning. The programme was first floated earlier this year. Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister, said: "I am happy to share that starting today, eligible households will be able to apply online for their e-vouchers. I hope this $25 million Climate-Friendly Household Package will encourage households to take action to reduce their energy and water consumption. "By doing so, they will also be saving money," he added. When households switch from a one-tick to a three-tick refrigerator model, for ins...

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More revenue for Singapore’s service sector in Q3 than Q2

elean
3 minutes

Singapore's service sector reported a 9.5 per cent year-on-year drop in receipts in the third quarter, although receipts improved on a quarterly basis compared with the second quarter - the Republic's circuit breaker period - according to the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) yesterday. The third-quarter performance marks a smaller contraction than that seen during the second quarter's year-on-year decline of 13.4 per cent. All industries except information and communications services registered lower business receipts year on year, said SingStat. The figures exclude wholesale and retail trade and accommodation and food services. On a quarter-on-quarter non-seasonally adjusted basis, however, overall business receipts grew 5.4 per cent in the third quarter, compared with the low base of activities due to circuit breaker measures imposed during Singapore's partial economic shutdown in April and May. All industries except financial and insurance reported higher revenue quarter on quarter, SingStat said. Among all the categories, recreation and personal services saw the largest drop of 41.3 per cent in revenue, attributed mainly to companies in the attractions segment. On ...

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Gold prices headed further south as hopes rise for coronavirus vaccine

elean
3 minutes

Gold prices were yesterday set for a third straight week of declines as growing optimism over a coronavirus vaccine drove investors into traditionally riskier assets and out of the safe-haven metal. Spot gold fell 0.2 per cent to US$1,807.86 per ounce in early trading yesterday. US gold futures were steady at US$1,806. Bullion was set to fall 3.3 per cent on the week. Asian shares stalled near record highs yesterday as AstraZeneca faces tricky questions about the success rate of its vaccine candidate that could hinder its chances of getting speedy United States and European Union regulatory approval. "For the markets, I don't think that (doubts over the effectiveness of a vaccine) changes the perception there's going to be a vaccine coming sooner than previously expected," said IG Markets analyst Kyle Rodda. Investors are starting to buy into the narrative that the economic recovery is going to gather steam next year and that is driving investors to liquidate gold holdings, he added. On the technical front, support for gold remains intact at US$1,800 an ounce, while silver continues to see supportive interest near the psychological US$23 level, MKS PAMP said in a note. Raising the ...