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STB investigating gathering alleged to flout Covid-19 rules at RWS hotel

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - Another investigation has been launched over a possible breach of safety measures at a hotel at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). Videos of a group of at least six women and a man were uploaded on social media on Sunday (Nov 15), when they allegedly held a party to celebrate the 33rd week of pregnancy of one of the women. Some of the women had uploaded several videos on Instagram, showing themselves play-fighting with pillows and clothes on beds. Social gatherings of more than five people are prohibited due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Responding to queries from The New Paper on Monday, Mr Chew Tiong Heng, executive director of infrastructure planning and management at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said it was aware of the alleged incident and was investigating. "STB takes a serious view of any breach in safe management measures," he said. "Hotels are required to comply with all safe management measures, including ensuring that gatherings do not exceed five people if they are not from the same household." An RWS spokesman said it takes a serious view of non-compliance and requires all guests to be registered with the hotel front desk. Safe management measur...

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More than 5,700 BTO flats launched in last sale exercise of the year, including 1,500 in Bishan

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE -A total of 5,795 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats have been launched for sale by the Housing Board (HDB) on Tuesday (Nov 17), in the final sales exercise for the year. These flats are spread across seven housing projects in five estates. The biggest housing project is Bishan Ridges, where 1,502 two-room flexi, three-room and four-room flats are on offer. The site in Bishan Street 14 is next to the Kallang River and about 400m or a five-minute walk from Bishan MRT station. Prices start from $374,000, without grants, for a three-room flat and $528,000 for a four-room flat. Prices are slightly higher than the 472 units in Bishan Street 11 launched in the August BTO sales exercise, likely due to its proximity to the MRT station. Prices of the flats launched in August started at $302,000, without grants, for a three-room flat and $484,000 for a four-room flat. The estimated completion date is in the second quarter of 2026, When The Straits Times first reported on the flats in Oct last year before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the estimated completion date was 2025. Besides Bishan, the other flats are spread across the mature towns of Toa Payoh (Bidadari) and Tampines, and the non-matu...

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Jail, caning for ex-secondary school principal who molested 7 teenage boys

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The former principal of a secondary school who molested seven teenage boys on separate occasions at his workplace in 2017 was sentenced on Tuesday (Nov 17) to three years and eight months' jail. He will also receive seven strokes of the cane. The boys, who were between 13 and 15 years old at the time, were at-risk youths with family problems. They also had disciplinary records both in school and outside. The 48-year-old Singaporean offender had pleaded guilty in August to three counts of molestation involving three boys. Eight other charges for similar offences, including those linked to the other four boys, were taken into consideration during sentencing. Both the man and the school cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the boys' identities. The man ceased to be employed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as of Jan 1, 2018. The court earlier heard that the boys were often called to the general office by the school's operation manager, to either serve their detention or be counselled and informed of disciplinary action. "Upon noticing a student... the accused would call him into his room to speak to the student. "At times, the accused would also inform the stude...

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Global panel recommends Singapore’s hawker culture be added to Unesco list

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Hawker culture in Singapore had its chances of being inscribed as an official Unesco intangible cultural heritage boosted on Tuesday (Nov 17), with an expert body recommending to the official panel that it be put on the coveted list. An evaluation body comprising 12 experts around the world - appointed by the 24-member intergovernmental committee that will give the final verdict in December this year - said in a highly anticipated report that Singapore's application satisfied all criteria. The evaluation body recommended that hawker culture here be added to the official list. In the past, the final decision in December has not always adhered closely to what has been recommended by the evaluation body. However, The Straits Times understands that those which have been approved by the evaluation body are typically given the nod. The report recognised that hawker culture provides Singapore "a sense of identity and continuity for people across the generations and in a context of urbanisation". "It plays a crucial social role in enhancing community interactions, fostering an inclusive society irrespective of the diverse social, religious and ethnic backgrounds of its people,"...

SeaPRwire
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Singapore non-oil exports post surprise 3.1% drop in October

elean
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore's non-oil domestic exports (Nodx) shrank unexpectedly in October, snapping four straight months of growth, due to fewer shipments of non-monetary gold and electronics such as integrated circuits. Nodx fell 3.1 per cent, after expanding a revised 5.8 per cent in September, according to data from Enterprise Singapore (ESG) on Tuesday (Nov 17). Shipments also missed the 5.1 per cent growth forecast by analysts in a Bloomberg poll. Month on month and seasonally adjusted, Nodx in October fell 5.3 per cent, less than the previous month's drop of 11.4 per cent. Electronics shipments dipped 0.4 per cent, after rising 21.4 per cent the previous month. Integrated circuits, other computer peripherals and PC parts fell by 12.8 per cent, 6.9 per cent and 1 per cent respectively, contributing the most to the decline in electronic Nodx. Shipments of non-electronics also had a poorer performance, shrinking 3.9 per cent in October after a 1.7 per cent expansion the previous month. Exports of non-monetary gold plunged 61 per cent, while petrochemicals and miscellaneous manufactured articles fell 15.3 per cent and 37.3 per cent respectively, contributing the most to the decline ...

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Cortina plans to acquire Sincere Watch for $84.5 million

elean
2 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Mainboard-listed luxury watch retailer Cortina Holdings has proposed to acquire Sincere Watch for $84.5 million in cash, it said in an exchange filing early Tuesday morning (Nov 17). Cortina said the proposed acquisition will provide it with exclusive distributorship rights to the Frank Muller brand in 12 countries within the Asia-Pacific. It added that the deal will also give Cortina access to Sincere Watch's arsenal of brands that can be distributed across 40 combined outlets, and create operational synergies that will increase the Cortina group's value to both consumers and business partners. The target group to be acquired - including Sincere Watch's several subsidiaries and an associated company - operates 18 boutiques, with a portfolio including Omega, Audemars Piguet, Panerai and Tudor. Sincere Watch runs multi-brand retail under the Sincere brand in Singapore and Malaysia, and under the Pendulum brand in Thailand. In addition, it runs mono-brand boutiques for Franck Muller in Singapore and Australia, A. Lange & Söhne in Malaysia, as well as A. Lange & Söhne, Breitling and IWC in Thailand. The purchase price of $84.5 million represents a disc...

SeaPRwire
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Tesla to join S&P 500 next month as largest-ever new member

elean
5 minutes

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - Tesla, Elon Musk's 17-year-old upstart carmaker, took a giant step toward blue-chip respectability on Monday (Nov 16), getting named to one of the world's most famous stock indexes in an action that will greatly broaden its investor base. The announcement that Tesla will enter the S&P 500 on Dec 21 follows months of speculation, and one temporary setback, after the stock failed to make the cut during the index's quarterly rebalancing in early September. The anticipation has helped drive a nearly fivefold rally in the stock this year to almost US$390 billion (S$524.6 billion), making the electric vehicle (EV) pioneer the biggest company ever to be added to the gauge. It will also be one of the index's most influential constituents with a weighting that falls around those of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble Co. It's so big that S&P Dow Jones Indices said it is seeking feedback from the investment community to determine if Tesla should be added all at once or in two separate pieces. The company that Tesla is to replace in the index will be named later, the index provider said. Tesla shares rose as much as 15 per cent to US$467.50 o...

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Airbnb IPO filing shows Q3 profit of $294.6m amid pandemic

elean
3 minutes

SAN FRANCISCO (REUTERS) - Airbnb's initial public offering paperwork showed on Monday (Nov 16) the home rental start-up turned a profit in the third quarter due to aggressive cost cuts, as it prepares for one of the most anticipated stock market debuts in recent years. Its quarterly numbers were helped by a pick up in local travel, even though the overall revenue growth for the first nine months of 2020 was hurt by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. The IPO plans mark a turnaround of sorts for a company that was crippled at the outset of the health crisis. Airbnb's revenue fell 18 per cent to US$1.34 billion (S$1.8 billion) from a year earlier, but it reported net profit of about US$219 million (S$294.6 million) in the quarter, helped mainly by a clampdown on costs. "The recovery in the second and third quarters of 2020 is attributable to the renewed ability and willingness for guests to travel, the resilience of our hosts, and relative strength of our business model," Airbnb said. Airbnb had in May decided to lay off 25 per cent of its workforce, suspend marketing activities for the year and seek emergency funding from investors, including Silver Lake and Sixth Street Partners,...

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Businessman Mark Wee makes offer for Blumont at 80% discount

elean
2 minutes

SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Businessman Mark Wee Liang Yee has triggered a mandatory unconditional cash offer to buy out Blumont Group after acquiring from Ultimate Horizon a 50.8 per cent stake in the company. The transaction was done through the purchase of some 14 billion shares at 0.04 cent each. As a result, it is making a similar offer for the shares it does not already own at the same price. But unlike most offers which are at premiums to the prevailing trading prices, Mr Wee's offer carries an approximately 80 per cent discount to Blumont's share price, whether for the one-, three- or six-month period leading up to its last trading day before the offer. So far, Ultimate Horizon has undertaken to reject the offer for its remaining 29.5 per cent stake in the firm. Ultimate Horizon is owned by Malaysian businessman and non-executive chairman of Blumont, Siaw Lu Howe. It had in August 2017 launched a mandatory takeover of the company at 0.0182 cent apiece, but failed to amass sufficient acceptances to push the deal through. Blumont was one of the companies implicated in the 2013 penny stock collapse. The penny stocks trial is ongoing. Its latest annual report listed its bu...

ACN Newswire
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HKTDC continues to review Book Fair holding conditions

indie
3 minutes

HONG KONG, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced earlier that the HKTDC Hong Kong Book Fair, including the HKTDC Hong Kong Sports and Leisure Expo, had been rescheduled to run from 16 to 22 December 2020 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). It was also announced that an assessment would be made a month before the fair's scheduled opening on whether the event should proceed in light of the prevailing situation, while a final evaluation and decision would be made on 9 December, a week before the scheduled opening and just before exhibitors move in. This would help minimise any extra expenses on the part of exhibitors.The HKTDC has since been monitoring pandemic developments closely while maintaining close contact with the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) and the industry. Today (16 November), a meeting was held with representatives of the Book Fair's supporting organisations to assess the latest situation. With various factors taken into account, it was agreed that the circumstances supported continuing the preparation work for holding the Book Fair in December.With public safety remaining the HKTDC's top pri...

ACN Newswire
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Blockpass Provides eKYC Services for Base Protocol as Private Pre-Sale Launches

indie
5 minutes

HONG KONG, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Today, Blockpass has revealed its latest partner in the form of Base Protocol, a synthetic crypto asset that derives its price from the total market cap of all cryptocurrencies. Blockpass will be providing eKYC services to Base Protocol, which is currently preparing to launch its private BASE token pre-sale.Described at the 'S&P 500 for crypto', Base Protocol acts as a one-stop trading instrument which allows holders to speculate on all cryptocurrencies simultaneously, rather than just one or a select portfolio of multiple. It allows traders to agnostically invest in the entire crypto ecosystem. Although this is its primary function, BASE tokens can also be used for other means, such as a safe transitory currency when trading between other cryptocurrencies with volatile prices, a price reference for all cryptocurrencies, or as a lending instrument to hedge on leveraged crypto trading.Blockpass is a digital identity verification provider which provides a one-click compliance gateway to financial services and other regulated industries. From the Blockpass Mobile App, users can create, store, and manage a data-secure digital identity that...

JCN Newswire
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MHI Included in Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index for Fourth Consecutive Year

ruth
3 minutes

TOKYO, Nov 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has been selected again this year for inclusion in the Asia Pacific Index of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), one of the world's leading investment indices for ESG (environmental, social, and governance) performance. This is the fourth consecutive year that MHI has been included in the index, beginning in 2017. The high acclaim afforded to the MHI Group as an investment target reflects recognition of the social significance of its business operations and potential for sustainable growth.The DJSI was developed in 1999 by the U.S. firm S&P Dow Jones and the Swiss investment advisory company RobecoSAM. Listed companies around the world, based on long-term shareholder value, are assessed in terms of their overall economic, environmental, and social criteria, with those determined to have exceptional sustainability selected for inclusion in the index. MHI was one of 158 companies selected for the 2020 index (of which 32 were Japanese companies), from a total of around 600 major companies in the Asia-Pacific region.MHI has proactively implemented various ESG measures with the aim of realizing a s...

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Fujitsu Launches iCAD SX V8, 3D CAD Processing 3 Million Parts in 0.2 Seconds

ruth
5 minutes

TOKYO, Nov 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced the Japan launch of iCAD SX V8L1, the latest version of the 3D CAD software Fujitsu Manufacturing Industry Solution COLMINA Design & Manufacturing Support iCAD SX(1) for machinery design, which is powered by the world's fastest 3D CAD engine. Sales will begin November 16th, with expansion across the globe in stages at a later date. Design study and verification of motion utilizing 3D dataThis solution greatly enhances current high-speed processing performance by improving memory access processing and can handle large-scale 3D data consisting of as many as 3 million parts in the design examination and verification of machine equipment. It delivers processing performance that arrives at the result of trial and error by the designer in 0.2 seconds. Fujitsu has additionally developed and implemented new design functions that allow mechanical, electrical, and control designers to keep and utilize operation and manufacturing information, as well as functions that enable the use of 3D data in manufacturing and maintenance services. This enables the smooth sharing of information between departments in a digital environment ...

ACN Newswire
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Pizu Group Achieved Brilliant Interim Results, with Net Profit Surged 40.2% and Significant Increase in Rate of Dividend

indie
5 minutes

HONG KONG, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Pizu Group Holdings Limited ("Pizu Group" or the "Company", together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred as the "Group"; Stock Code: 8053.HK), a company mainly engaged in the production and sales of civil explosives, the relevant businesses related to blasting operation and the trade business of buck commodities, has recently announced its interim results for the six-month period ended 30 September 2020 (the "Reporting Period").Affected by the COVID-19 epidemic and the unstable international political environment, it is a challenging year for many enterprises in various industries in 2020. As a civil explosive enterprise which has a leading position in the industry and can provide customers with "integrated" services, Pizu Group has achieved brilliant business performance in the challenging environment with its flexible business strategy and high-quality service. For the six months ended 30 September 2020, the Group recorded a revenue of approximately RMB738.7 million, representing an increase of approximately 5.8% as compared to the corresponding period in 2019. The increase was mainly due to the Group has recently developed Taji...

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UCLOUDLINK GROUP INC.’s flagship brand ‘GlocalMe’ introduces New sim-free portable WiFi device – ‘GlocalMe U3’

indie
3 minutes

HONG KONG, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - UCLOUDLINK GROUP INC. ("uCloudlink" or the "Group") (NASDAQ: UCL), the first and leading mobile data traffic sharing marketplace in the world, is pleased to announce the introduction of its new sim-free portable WiFi device - 'GlocalMe U3' to the market this year, enabling users to enjoy better and seamless connectivity experience. 'GlocalMe U3' is a new global band sim-free WiFi product which can support 4G/3G international roaming by adopting the uCloudlink self-developed patented 'CloudSIM' technology. It can be connected to up to 10 devices and has a long stand-by time of up to 12 hours. Being able to automatically and intelligently connect to the best local 4G/3G network when users travel abroad, 'GlocalMe U3' will be able to provide faster speed, stronger signal and more stable international roaming service.Mr. Chaohui Chen, Founder, Director and CEO of uCloudlink, said, "With the encouraging news on COVID vaccine development recently, we believe the tourism industry is all set to recover very soon. During the past months, we are glad that our products have been well-received for use at home environment. With the launch of 'GlocalMe ...

ACN Newswire
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JCB sees contactless growth among cardmembers and retail partners, as economic uncertainty accelerates mobile payments

indie
3 minutes

London & Tokyo, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - JCB International Co., Ltd., the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., today reveals substantial growth of JCB Contactless usage by cardmembers and adoption by retail partners.The findings are part of an exclusive new whitepaper issued by JCB International Co., Ltd., titled 'Payment Perspectives and Future-Gazing'. The whitepaper includes insights from JCB business leaders evaluating some of the challenges and opportunities presented to stakeholders in the payments sector as well as the heightened expectations of customers as a result of the changing times.Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd. comments:"With the pace of change being forced by recent events, there is an even greater opportunity to accelerate the evolution of payments. This means adopting a growth mindset and not retrenching to 'the old' normal. The payment industry is fulfilling an increasingly more important role in the economic recovery phases, and as such, it is essential to find ways to diversify the way in which we meet customer needs alongside our partners.""There are now many options for people to pay for goods a...

JCN Newswire
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Eisai Receives Approval for Indication Expansion of Anti-Epileptic Agent Fycompa for Use in Pediatric Patients

ruth
7 minutes

TOKYO, Nov 16, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced that it has been received approval from the European Commission for the use of its in-house discovered and developed anti-epileptic agent (AED) Fycompa (generic name: perampanel) in the treatment of pediatric patients. This approval extends the use of Fycompa as adjunctive therapy for partial-onset seizures (POS) (with or without secondary generalization) by expanding the approved age range from 12 years and above to 4 years and above, and for primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (PGTCS) from 12 years and above to 7 years and above.The approval was based on the results of Phase III (Study 311) and Phase II (Study 232) clinical studies conducted globally to evaluate Fycompa as an adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients with POS or PGTCS. Study 311 evaluated the safety, tolerability, and exposure-efficacy relationship of Fycompa when administered as an adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients aged 4 to less than 12 years with inadequately controlled POS or PGTCS. This study showed that the safety and efficacy of the Fycompa combination therapy in pediatric epilepsy patients with poorly controlled partial seizures ...

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Central banks in Singapore and the Philippines to work together on data connectivity

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The central banks of Singapore and the Philippines issued a statement of intent on Monday (Nov 16) that they will work together on data connectivity. Unlike data localisation - the practice of keeping data within a country's borders - data mobility in the financial sector supports economic growth and the development of innovative financial services, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). They added that it also makes cross-border money laundering, terrorist financing patterns and proliferation financing easier to detect, and that it helps with the defence against cyber attacks and the management and assessment of risk on a global basis. In the statement, MAS and BSP said they intend to promote the adoption and implementation of policies and rules that facilitate three goals with respect to the operation of banks and non-bank financial institutions that fall under their jurisdiction. To begin with, the institutions should be allowed to transfer data, including personal information, across borders by electronic means, provided this activity is for the conduct of business within the scope of their licence, authorisation, or re...

ACN Newswire
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Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited Announces Interim Results for the Six Months Ended 30 September 2020

indie
6 minutes

HONG KONG, Nov 16, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Grand Ming Group Holdings Limited (the "Company" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group", stock code: 1271.HK) today announces its interim results for the six months ended 30 September 2020 ("FH 2020/21").Highlights- Revenue amounted to approximately HK$786.1 million, up by 114% from the last corresponding period.- Net profit reached approximately $70.2 million, representing an increase of 60%.- Underlying profit increased by 223% to approximately HK$83.4 million, excluding the change in fair value of investment properties.- Declared payment of an interim dividend of 4.0 HK cents per share.- Stays positive towards the booming business of data centre leasing, aiming at developing into two new high-tier data centres in near future.- Seizes opportunities to increase land reserve for property development in Hong Kong and cautiously eyes on the Mainland China market.The Group's consolidated revenue increased 114% from HK$367.5 million for the six months ended 30 September 2019 ("FH 2019/20") to HK$786.1 million for FH 2020/21. The increase was primarily due to a rise in revenue recognition from the construction segment, in which the con...

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Cash Frenzy became the fastest-growing free slots game, ranked Top3 in card category

pandora
3 minutes

Cash Frenzy is one of the most popular free slot games worldwide. Up to Oct. 2020, this Dark horse of free slots game has been staying on Top 3 grossing games in Google Play store and Top 10 in Apple store for more than one year. 10M+ download with 4.7 rate and 709k+ comment after launched only 2 years means Cash Frenzy becomes the fastest-growing free Vegas slots game in the intensely competitive Slots Game market. Cash Frenzy was first released at Aug.2018, ranked Top 10 on both IOS store and Google Play store in 2019, then have seen explosive growth during the beginning of 2020. As the developer Phoenix Studio said:' We are dedicated to provide joyful and immersive experience for both slot lovers and casual players. Especially in this special period, we hope our game can be a consolation for all the people who need entertainment and pleasure。As our group and our games are always aiming to be 'Playercentric' .' Slots game is quite special than any other game industry. It has to obey the classic Vegas slots rules to offer the players sense of security, at the main time, it has to output original and attractive design to preserve the clients. 'We kept add new slots machines and opt...