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New Hougang Heritage Trail places spotlight on historic heartland gems

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - In a 3km-stretch along Upper Serangoon Road stands three religious institutions that have stood the test of time. The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Hougang Tou Mu Kung Temple and Haji Yusoff Mosque have a combined age of almost four centuries, with two - the church and the temple - gazetted as national monuments. The road itself is almost 200 years old. These places of worship were among 18 sites on the National Heritage Board's (NHB) latest self-guided trail - the Hougang Heritage Trail - that was unveiled on Thursday (Oct 29). The trail, the NHB's 20th, follows the launch of another heartland trail in Pasir Ris last December, when NHB said it was working to launch more such heartland trails to bring the nation's heritage to the doorsteps of Singaporeans. The new Hougang trail also features the highest number of community contributions of all of NHB's trails, with 28 individuals familiar with Hougang contributing their stories through interviews and photos. Previous trails mostly had between 10 and 20 community contributions. Such contributions help make the trail more interesting for visitors, said NHB deputy chief executive of policy and communit...

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Covid-19 breathalyser tests may be deployed more widely in trials here before Q1 2021

aseanpr
6 minutes

SINGAPORE - More people here may soon be able to get tested for Covid-19 and know their results in less than a minute, simply by breathing into a tube. A test kit that can accomplish this has been developed by National University of Singapore (NUS) spin-off Breathonix. Following a successful trial at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the company said on Thursday (Oct 29) that it is currently in discussions with the Health Ministry (MOH) to deploy its breathalyser tests in trials at public locations in the coming months. Dr Jia Zhunan, chief executive of Breathonix, said the firm is also working to expand the NCID trial to include a further 250 patients in addition to the current 180. The company's chairman, Associate Professor Neo Kok Beng, added that they are in talks with a "major hospitality player" here to deploy the tests at such events as conferences following approval from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). The company hopes to receive it in the first quarter of next year. Prof Neo declined to name the hospitality player. He added that Breathonix has also received some requests from groups overseas for the tests to be rolled out there. For the test, peopl...

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DENSO Announces First-half Financial Results

ruth
4 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 29, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - DENSO, a leading mobility supplier whose 2021 fiscal begins April 1, 2020, and ends March 31, 2021, today announced its global financial results for the first half of its fiscal year, ending September 30:- Consolidated revenue totaled 2,074.7 billion yen (US$19.6 billion), a 20.8 percent decrease from the previous year.- Consolidated operating profit totaled -69.6 billion yen (US$-658.1million).- Consolidated profit attributable to owners of the parent company totaled -71.1 billion yen(US$-672.2 million)."Revenues decreased due to a significant decline in vehicle sales in the first quarter as a result of COVID-19, and although there was a recovery trend from the second quarter, overall sales decreased in the first half. Operating income was in the black in the second quarter because of additional measures, but operating loss was recorded in the first half due to production volume decreases," said Yasushi Yamanaka, executive vice president of DENSO Corporation.In Japan, despite an increase in sales due to the transfer of the Hirose Plant and an increase in sales to Toyota Motor Corporation in the 2nd Quarter, sales revenue decreased to 1,324.8 ...

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IT glitch prevents Sengkang Town Council from receiving cash for conservancy payments

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The new Sengkang Town Council (SKTC) has been unable to receive cash payments for service and conservancy charges at its offices, due to a glitch in its IT system. The problem was discovered after the Workers' Party-run SKTC on Wednesday (Oct 28) took over the full management of estates in Sengkang GRC that were previously under two People's Action Party-run town councils. In a statement on Facebook on Wednesday night, SKTC said staff at the town council found at 8am on Wednesday morning that "configurations for the front end collection systems were not in place". As a result, the town council could not take cash payments for S&CC. The problem was not resolved as at 6pm on Wednesday. "During our engagements with the existing IT Vendor for the Town Council Management System (TCMS), we were assured of the functionality of the system. However, the staff of SKTC noted at 8am this morning that configurations for the front end collection systems were not in place," the statement said. It added that SKTC was "working closely with the IT vendor to restore operational functionality of the TCMS as soon as possible". The town council also apologised to residents over the inconveni...

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TANAKA Receives 2020 Technology Award from Catalyst Manufacturers Association, Japan

indie
4 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 29, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - TANAKA Holdings Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Koichiro Tanaka) announced today that TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Koichiro Tanaka), which operates the TANAKA Precious Metals manufacturing business, has received the 2020 Technology Award from the Catalyst Manufacturers Association, Japan, (CMAJ). The award was in recognition of the company's joint development of a hydrophobic precious metal catalyst in collaboration with the National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (Headquarters: Chiba-shi, Chiba; President: Toshio Hirano; QST). Hitoshi Kubo, from TANAKA, and Yasunori Iwai, from QST, received the award and gave an acceptance speech at the 2020 CMAJ award ceremony, held online on October 14.Hydrophobic precious metal catalystHydrophobic precious metal catalyst floating on waterExamples of Hydrophobic Precious Metal Catalyst ProductsThe hydrophobic precious metal catalyst for which the Technology Award was received was developed through a collaboration between TANAKA and QST. It was developed as an ambie...

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MITSUBISHI MOTORS Starts Production of XPANDER in Malaysia

ruth
3 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 29, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (MMC) has started production of its crossover MPV XPANDER in Malaysia. This is the third country where MMC produces the vehicle following Indonesia and Vietnam.The XPANDER is produced at Hicom Automotive Manufacturers (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., a vehicle assembly contractor in Malaysia, and will be sold from November this year through the sales network of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia, the exclusive distributor of Malaysia.Since its launch in Indonesia in 2017, the XPANDER,--including the XPANDER CROSS--has been well received for its futuristic styling, comfort, and high driving performance. By the end of September 2020, the total sales volume for the series has reached approximately 270,000 units."We are very pleased to be able to deliver the XPANDER made in Malaysia to the country's customers," said Takao Kato, chief executive officer of MMC, on the launch of production. "We plan to have our plant in Indonesia, which is the main plant of XPANDER export more assembly parts for the local production in Malaysia, in addition to finished vehicles. MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION will contribute to the economic development of e...

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Oil plunges over 5% as pandemic surges, US crude output soars

elean
3 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Oil prices fell more than 5 per cent on Wednesday (Oct 28), sending Brent to a four-month low as surging coronavirus infections in the United States and Europe prompted renewed lockdowns and fed expectations for new declines in fuel demand. Also pressuring prices, US crude stockpiles rose more than expected last week as production surged in a record build, according to the US Energy Information Administration. "The increase in oil production led to an unexpected build of crude oil, and given the additional lockdowns we are seeing in Europe, that is just further heaping bad news on the oil market," said Andy Lipow, president of consultants Lipow Oil Associates. Brent futures fell US$2.08, or 5.1 per cent, to settle at US$39.12 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell US$2.18, or 5.5 per cent, to US$37.39. That was the lowest close for Brent since June 12 and for WTI since Oct 2. It was the biggest daily percentage losses for both benchmarks since Sept. 8. Crude price declines mirrored downturns in other risk-asset markets, as US stock indexes were all lower, with the S&P 500 down 2.9 per cent. The safe-haven US dollar rose 0.5 per cent on pros...

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Global economic rebound at risk from rising coronavirus cases

elean
5 minutes

BENGALURU (REUTERS) - There is a high risk the resurgence in coronavirus cases halts the global economic recovery by year-end, according to Reuters polls of around 500 economists, a majority of whom expected the rebound next year to be weaker than previously thought. Governments and central banks around the world have pledged trillions of dollars of stimulus, helping most economies out of deep recessions. But a second wave of infections in places that eased lockdowns is now underway, leading to more restrictions. That was a top risk repeatedly highlighted by Reuters surveys of economists, forex analysts, bond and equity strategists, as well as global fund managers since the start of the pandemic. The Oct 6-27 Reuters polls of economists across Asia, Europe and the Americas covering 46 economies showed scant sign of activity recovering to pre-Covid-19 levels anytime soon. Nearly three-quarters of 150 analysts who responded to an additional question said the resurgence in coronavirus cases posed a high risk of halting the current global economic recovery as early as this year. "Even before the renewed lockdowns there was already a broad acceptance that many countries will see a perma...

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Samsung Q3 operating profit jumps 59% on strong smartphone sales

elean
1 minute

SEOUL (REUTERS) - Samsung Electronics reported a 59 per cent rise in quarterly operating profit on Thursday (Oct 29) as US restrictions on China's Huawei Technologies boosted the South Korean tech giant's phone and chip sales. Operating profit rose to 12.35 trillion won S$14.95 billion) for the quarter ended September from 7.78 trillion won a year earlier, the world's top maker of memory chips and smartphones said. That was in line with the company's estimate of 12.3 trillion won earlier this month. Net profit rose 49 per cent to 9.36 trillion won. Revenue climbed 8 per cent to 66.96 trillion won. The result likely reflects gains in Samsung's share of the smartphone market as U.S. restrictions hit Chinese rival Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, as well as lower marketing costs amid the coronavirus pandemic, analysts said. The US restrictions on Huawei also boost Samsung's chip division, as the Chinese company is buying more of the South Korean company's semiconductors to replace chips made with US technology.

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TikTok sues US rival Triller in patent dispute

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - TikTok and its parent ByteDance sued rival Triller Inc, asking a US judge to clear up a "cloud" over the China-based popular video-streaming app after Triller accused it of using its technology without permission. ByteDance is in talks to sell parts of its TikTok unit in a deal that could be worth tens of billions of dollars after US President Donald Trump moved to ban its US operations over national security concerns. The case filed on Wednesday (Oct 28) in San Francisco federal court is a response to a patent-infringement suit Triller filed against ByteDance in late July in Waco, Texas, a hub for complaints by patent owners looking for a friendly judge and quick litigation. Representatives of Triller and ByteDance didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. Triller's allegations against TikTok and its users "cast a cloud" over ByteDance's business, according to the complaint. ByteDance is seeking a court order that it, its products and its users don't infringe the patent and that none of them are liable for damages or injunctive relief. The patent, issued in June 2017 and assigned to Brooklyn-based Mibblio Inc, covers systems and methods for creatin...

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ECB to pave way for more stimulus as recession fears grow

elean
3 minutes

FRANKFURT (REUTERS) - The European Central Bank is expected to resist pressure to unveil fresh stimulus measures on Thursday (Oct 29) but it will likely pave the way for action in December as fresh restrictions aimed at containing a coronavirus resurgence fuel fears over a new recession. Having already lined up unprecedented firepower to prop up the 19-member currency bloc's economy, the ECB is in no hurry to act, as its ongoing bond buying could keep markets calm well into next year. Policymakers also appear keen to push governments to take the lead. But economic gloom is quickly spreading as coronavirus infections surge again, and the ECB is facing calls to signal even greater and longer-term support for an economy that has already suffered an unprecedented recession this year. That puts the onus on ECB President Christine Lagarde to signal the ECB's commitment to keeping financing conditions super easy without raising market expectations so much that even sizable support in December would be seen as a disappointment. "Lagarde needs to walk a fine line with openness to do more, without pre-committing," Danske Bank economist Piet Haines Christiansen said. "I think that risks are s...

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Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference Goes Online

indie
7 minutes

HONG KONG, Oct 28, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - In light of the global pandemic, the 10th Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC), an annual signature event for the industries jointly organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is being held online for the first time.The 10th Asian Logistics, Maritime and Aviation Conference (ALMAC) will be held online on 17 and 18 November. Themed "Capturing Opportunities Amidst Volatility", more than 40 luminaries from the logistics, maritime and aviation sectors will share their insights on industry prospects and business opportunities.Running on 17 and 18 November under the theme "Capturing Opportunities Amidst Volatility", ALMAC Online will focus on three key areas - rebuilding supply chain resilience under the new normal, Asia's evolving role in global supply chains, and the trendsetting technologies and innovations for reinvigorating logistics operations and management - to help industries navigate through a challenging business environment. More than 40 leaders from the logistics, maritime and aviation sectors will share their insights a...

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Wintermar Offshore (WINS:JK) Reports 9M2020 Results

indie
5 minutes

JAKARTA, Oct 28, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Wintermar Offshore Marine (WINS:JK) has announced results for 9M2020. Wintermar's Owned Vessel revenue for 9M2020 was 17% lower YOY at US$24.6 million and there was a slight improvement on a quarterly basis in 3Q2020 compared to 2Q2020.--Owned Vessel DivisionFor the 9M2020 period, Owned Vessel Division recorded a gross loss of US$2.8 million, largely due to cancellations and postponement of contracts caused by the pandemic. Cost efficiency measures and a streamlining of the fleet undertaken since last year led to a 14% YOY decline in Owned Vessel direct expenses, which helped mitigate some of the losses.On a quarterly basis, revenue for 3Q2020 was slightly improved as compared to 2Q2020 while direct expenses fell.Measures taken to improve cost efficiency resulted in a 14% reduction in direct expenses for Owned Vessels. Fuel costs dropped sharply by 71% YOY while depreciation fell by 14% YOY due to the sale of 4 vessels in the period 1 January 2020 until 30 September 2020. However, due to the cost of extra precautions taken to ensure the health and safety of crew and clients crewing costs were only 3% lower YOY for 9M2020.--Chartering and Oth...

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Jail for maid who purposely dipped baby’s hand in hot water, causing second degree burns

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A maid who wanted to work for another household deliberately dipped the hand of her employer's 16-month-old baby into a pot of hot water after finding out that she would have to incur costs for a transfer. The 30-year-old Myanmar national, who cannot be named to protect the girl's identity, was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 28) to 14 months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of using a heated substance to voluntarily cause hurt. The maid started working for the family on Dec 8 last year. Her job scope included housekeeping, cooking as well as taking care of the baby and her eight-year-old sister. After two weeks, the maid decided she wanted to work elsewhere as she did not know how to care for the baby. She approached her agency but when she learnt that she had to pay for a transfer, continued working for the family. Court documents did not state the costs involved. The maid was cooking chicken curry on Jan 14 this year in the family flat in the Buangkok area when the baby started crying at around 5.15pm. She carried the baby in her arms and continued cooking. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim said: "While the accused was carrying the victim, she felt agitated and m...

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Trials of Jointly Developed Compact LNG Filling System to Commence in Hokkaido

ruth
4 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 28, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Air Water Inc. (Air Water) have jointly developed a compact LNG filling facility (Facility)(1) that can be used in space-limited logistics facilities. The equipment will be used to fuel heavy LNG-powered trucks.A compact LNG Filling Station and Heavy LNG TruckThis is the first portable filling system in Japan and the world's first off-grid power-generation system capable of fueling trucks with LNG even during power outages. Furthermore, by circulating hot water through its waste-heat recovery mechanism, the system can help to prevent freezing problems associated LNG operations in cold or highly humid regions.In November, MC and Air Water will begin testing the system in Hokkaido, where it will be used to fuel three heavy LNG trucks, one manufactured by Isuzu Motors Ltd. and the other two by Italian firm. With the cooperation of Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Inc., the partners plan to assess the system's overall effectiveness and how much it can reduce CO2 emissions and fuels costs typically generated by heavy trucks. The results of the tests will help the partners to determine whether or not to make the system co...

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Facial and iris scans replace fingerprint scans as main mode for identifying travellers at all S’pore checkpoints

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Facial and iris scans have replaced fingerprint scans as the main mode for identifying travellers at all immigration checkpoints, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced on Wednesday (Oct 28). Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders and other travellers who have registered their iris and facial biometrics with the agency can use the new scans at all land, sea and air checkpoints. Over two million Singaporeans, or about 70 per cent of all eligible Singaporeans, have registered their iris and facial biometrics with the agency, while 130,000 permanent residents have done so. Those who have not, or are unsuccessful when using the iris and facial scans at checkpoints, will still be able to check in by scanning their fingerprints, said ICA, which rolled out the technology together with Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). ICA said the technology, which were trialled at Changi Airport and Tuas Checkpoint last year, will provide "even more reliable authentication of the identity of travellers", and is less prone to misuse as it requires specialised equipment. HTX's Wong Weiyang, who is the lead engineer of the agency's Biometrics an...

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Eisai to Present Latest Data on Pipeline Assets in the Area of Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia at the 13th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease Conference

ruth
3 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 28, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. announced today that the company will conduct a total of 7 presentations, including the latest data of the investigational anti-amyloid beta (Abeta) protofibril antibody lecanemab (Development Code: BAN2401), at the 13th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) conference to be held virtually from November 4 to 7, 2020.Regarding lecanemab, Eisai will conduct four oral presentations. The first oral presentation will cover clinical study design and initial screening results of the newly initiated Phase III clinical study AHEAD 3-45 for preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. The second oral presentation will cover the latest analysis results on expression of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema (ARIA-E) from the Phase II study (Study 201) conducted on early AD patients. The third oral presentation will cover changes in brain-Abeta amounts and preliminary analysis results on ARIA-E expression as observed in the first 12-month treatment period of the ongoing open-label extension (OLE) study of Study 201. The fourth oral presentation will cover baseline characteristics of currently enrolled subjects in the Phase I...

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Eisai and JD Health Establish JV Company in China to Implement Health Service Platform

ruth
5 minutes

TOKYO, Oct 28, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and JD Health announced today that Eisai's Chinese subsidiary Eisai China Inc. and JD Health have established a joint venture company, Jingyi Weixiang (Shanghai) Health Industry Development Limited Company, to build a Health Service Platform for the elderly in China.In China, due to the aging population, as of the end of 2019 the elderly population over the age of 60 was 253.88 million, which accounted for 18.1 % of the total population of China1. With the rapid aging of the population, there is an increasing need for high-quality medical and nursing care for the elderly, and thus the provision thereof is an issue. The onlineization in the medical field utilizing digital technology is rapidly developing in China; for example, the ban on internet hospitals under private medical insurance has been lifted as of 20122.Eisai has over 35 years of experience in drug discovery activities in the area of Alzheimer's disease/dementia with a rich development pipeline thereof. Eisai also has an understanding of the true needs of those living with dementia and their families as derived from the marketing of anti-Alzheimer's agent Aricept, as...

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Job recovery in S’pore likely slow and uneven despite immediate rebound in retail, F&B: MAS

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The road to recovery for the labour market is likely to be slow and uneven, with resident unemployment rates taking a longer time to reach pre-crisis levels compared with during the global financial crisis, said the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). In its review of the macroeconomic situation released on Wednesday (Oct 28), MAS said the unemployment rate of Singaporeans and permanent residents is expected to decrease gradually next year after peaking in the second half of 2020, but will remain elevated overall. It added that this will weigh on wages for the rest of this year and possibly into 2021. These projections for the labour market are despite employment prospects looking up in the immediate term in the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors, and in support services such as cleaning and security industries. These business areas rebounded quickly with Singapore exiting the circuit breaker in June, said MAS. In construction, the gradual resumption of activities in the second half of this year would also likely lead to more hiring. As for the travel-related sector, MAS said some modest employment recovery can be expected with the easing of safe distancing m...

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TikTok to hire 3,000 engineers, including in Singapore, for global expansion

aseanpr
2 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - TikTok has plans to hire about 3,000 engineers over the next three years, mostly in Europe, Canada and Singapore, the company told Reuters on Tuesday (Oct 27). The move shows that the popular short-video app has not given up on its expansion plans despite lingering uncertainty over its ownership. US President Donald Trump has ordered China's ByteDance to divest TikTok amid concerns over the safety of the personal data it handles. "To support our rapid global growth, we plan to continue expanding TikTok's global engineering team, including adding approximately 3,000 engineers in Canada, Europe, Singapore, as well as the US, over the next three years," a TikTok spokesperson said. The US will remain one of the engineering hubs for the company and hire more staff, the spokesperson added. There are about 1,000 engineers working for TikTok outside of China, nearly half of them based in Mountain View, California. Reuters previously reported that ByteDance plans to invest billions of dollars and recruit hundreds of employees in Singapore, which it has selected as its South-east Asia headquarters. Mr Trump said last month that a preliminary deal for Oracle and Walmart t...