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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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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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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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Airbnb sets stage for blockbuster IPO with choice of Nasdaq listing

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Home-rental startup Airbnb plans to list its shares on the Nasdaq, setting the stage for one of 2020's most high-profile stock market debuts. Earlier this month, Reuters reported the company was aiming to raise US$3 billion (S$4.1 billion) in its initial public offering ( IPO), which could give it a valuation of more than US$30 billion, and that it was targeting a listing before the end of the year. The push to go public and the growth in its potential valuation underscores Airbnb's dramatic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year, when it secured emergency funding from investors and the outlook for the travel industry was uncertain. San Francisco-based Airbnb, which has benefited as travelers shy away from larger hotels and instead prefer to drive to local vacation rentals, said in July that customers had booked more than 1 million nights in a single day for the first time since March 3. Airbnb did not give a timeline for when it may complete its IPO. The company had filed confidentially for an IPO with US regulators in August. Reuters reported earlier this year that billionaire investor William Ackman had approached Airbnb about going public thr...

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Jail, caning for ex-SAF regular who molested a girl and tried to molest another 4 months later

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular was sentenced on Tuesday (Oct 27) to 7 1/2 years' jail and six strokes of the cane for molesting a girl and attempting to molest another victim four months later. Mohamed Ardlee Iriandee Mohamed Sanip was convicted on Feb 27, following a trial, of molesting an eight-year-old girl in January 2018. On March 23, he admitted in court that he had tried to molest a 10-year-old girl in May that year as well. The two girls cannot be named due to a gag order. Court documents did not disclose Ardlee's rank and role at the Safti Military Institute - his deployment at the time of the offences. Before sentencing Ardlee on Tuesday, District Judge John Ng noted that the 40-year-old was a first-time offender but added that his offences were "very serious" and they involved young schoolgirls. Judge Ng said the punishment should be severe enough to "reflect the condemnation" of such acts. In her submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sruthi Boppana stated that Ardlee had developed an interest in young girls a month before targeting the first victim. The DPP added that he was also "predisposed to thoughts of molesting them, and had thought of d...

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A ride to remember

aseanpr
1 minute

A roller-coaster ride at the Wonderland Amusement Park in Kallang on its opening day on Aug 22, 1969. Buy this photo at: bit.ly/SGWonderland Photonico is a website offering high-quality stock photos that celebrate Asian contemporary culture and heritage. It is a platform that showcases the thousands of editorial and stock photos that our staff and contributing photographers shoot. These photos can be purchased for personal and commercial use at an affordable price. www.photonico.asia To contribute photos, get in touch with us at team@photonico.asia ​1 SEARCH SEARCH from a vast selection of curated Asian culture and heritage photos. 2 BUY BUY photos of old and modern Singapore, travel, nature, food, daily life and more. 3 USE USE the photos on different platforms with our various licensing options. 1 SHOOT SHOOT your own photos of Singapore and Asian street scenes, nature, daily life and travel. 2 SHARE SHARE them with us and be part of our community of photographers at Photonico.asia 3 EARN EARN when your photos are sold with our 50 per cent revenue share programme.

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MOE to follow up with NUS, other varsities on students’ safety after dismissal of Tembusu fellow over sexual misconduct allegations

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Education Ministry is following up with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and other universities to ensure the safety of students, after the dismissal of former Tembusu College fellow Dr Jeremy Fernando amid allegations of sexual misconduct. In a Facebook post on Saturday night (Oct 24), Minister of State for Education Sun Xueling said that the university leadership has been asked what more can be done to prevent such instances from happening in the future. "At the end of the day, our institutes of higher learning (IHL) have a duty of care to their students. There must be zero-tolerance in our campuses for any form of sexual misconduct, harassment or violence," she wrote. Dr Fernando was sacked from NUS on Oct 7 after internal investigations found that he "had an intimate association" with an undergraduate - a serious breach of its code of conduct for staff, NUS said last Wednesday. Two students had alleged that Dr Fernando made non-consensual advances towards them, and the university said that it had made a police report, "given the seriousness of the allegations". Ms Sun said: "The issues around this case lead us to question: How can we better guard again...

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The cost of taking care of parents

elean
1 minute

How much is the cost of filial piety in Singapore? Of course, you would say that the love and care that you shower on your parents are probably priceless. 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

AGC files disciplinary complaint against lawyer M. Ravi with Law Society

aseanpr
3 minutes

A disciplinary complaint against lawyer M. Ravi was filed with the Law Society by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) last Friday. The complaint relates to "possible professional misconduct" by Mr Ravi, the AGC said in a statement last Friday evening. It was filed because Mr Ravi had neither apologised nor retracted statements he made earlier which the AGC had said were "false, misleading, and unfairly and illegitimately discredit AGC", the statement added. The AGC further said Mr Ravi's conduct "falls short of the standards of professional conduct to be expected from an advocate and solicitor of the court". Last Monday, Mr Ravi told alternative news website The Online Citizen that the prosecutor had been "overzealous" in prosecuting his client Gobi Avedian, and this "led to the death sentence" being given to him by a High Court judge. Mr Ravi made the comments after the five-judge Court of Appeal reversed a 2018 decision to convict Gobi on a capital charge for drug trafficking. He also said, among other things, the apex court's judgment calls into question "the fairness of the administration of justice in Gobi's case by the prosecution". The AGC said in last Friday's statement t...

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Catholic stance on marriage remains unchanged, says S’pore Catholic Church in response to Pope Francis’ remarks

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Responding to reports that Pope Francis had endorsed same-sex civil unions in the new documentary Francesco, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore on Thursday (Oct 22) said the Catholic Church's stance on marriage remains unchanged. Any comment made by Pope Francis that has been recorded in a documentary "is not considered or admissible as an official papal teaching", the Catholic Church of Singapore said in a statement. It said the "Catholic understanding of marriage is defined as the sacrament by which a baptised man and a baptised woman bind themselves for life in lawful marriage". This constant teaching on marriage "remains unchanged regardless of a civil union between two persons of the same sex approved by the state", the Church added. "We do not know at the moment what the Holy Father actually said in the interview and the context of what he said," the Church said, adding that it has not had an official statement or communication from the Vatican. "What is legal in society is not necessarily moral or licit for Catholics in the teaching of the Church." Civil unions are legally recognised relationships that are granted similar legal rights to conventional mar...

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Court of Appeal allows Singaporean death row inmate to argue his case on scheduling of executions

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Court of Appeal on Friday (Oct 23) gave the green light for Singaporean drug trafficker Syed Suhail Syed Zin, 44, to argue his case that death row inmates are not being treated equally in the scheduling of executions. Suhail is seeking judicial review of the Singapore Prison Service's decision to carry out the death sentence on him before those who were convicted before him, which he contends is a violation of his right to equality under the Constitution. The decision by the apex court to grant permission for judicial review came after Suhail's lawyer, Mr M. Ravi, cited the case of Malaysian drug trafficker Datchinamurthy Kataiah, who was given the death sentence before Suhail in 2015. Mr Ravi also pointed out that Datchinamurthy's inmate number is 944, while Suhail's is 949, to support his case about the sequence in which they were put on death row. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, giving the decision of the three-judge apex court, said that on the face of it, there is an inconsistency between the known facts and an affidavit submitted to the court by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Based on this apparent inconsistency, the threshold to grant permission for judic...

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Chief Justice grants leave to probe DPPs for misconduct in former maid Parti Liyani case

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - The Chief Justice has given the green light for an investigation to be conducted into former domestic worker Parti Liyani's complaint of misconduct against the two Deputy Public Prosecutors involved in her theft trial. Ms Parti had earlier sought leave to start disciplinary proceedings against DPP Tan Yanying and DPP Tan Wee Hao who handled the theft charges against her. Ms Parti was later acquitted by the High Court on appeal. She was accused of stealing from her former employer, Mr Liew Mun Leong, who is the former chairman of Changi Airport Group. The charge alleged that Ms Parti had stolen, among other things, a Pioneer DVD player and, on appeal to the High Court, she was acquitted of all charges. In his judgment on Friday (Oct 23), Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon wrote: "In particular, the applicant contends that the DPPs had, in their conduct of the trial, concealed material facts and thereby created the false impression that the device was fully functional. "She contends that but for the false impression that had been conveyed, she would not have agreed, under cross-examination, that the device was operational. On this basis, the DPPs suggested that she had lied ab...

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Singapore fines Goldman Sachs $165 million over 1MDB corruption scandal

elean
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Goldman Sachs Singapore will pay US$122 million (S$165 million) to the Singapore Government for its role in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) bond offerings corruption scandal. The penalty is believed to be the largest-ever imposed here, far exceeding the $13.3 million slapped on BSI Bank, whose Singapore unit was shut down in 2016 for its role in the scandal. The fine is on top of the nearly US$3 billion that parent Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay after its Malaysia unit said it will plead guilty to violating foreign bribery laws, drawing a line under a saga that has dogged the investment banking giant for years. Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) has also served Goldman Sachs Singapore with a 36-month conditional warning, in lieu of prosecution, for three counts of corruption offences punishable under Section 5(b)(i) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chapter 241. Meanwhile the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has directed the Singapore unit of Goldman Sachs to appoint an independent external party to conduct a review of its remedial measures, it said in a joint statement with the Attorney-General's Chambers and CAD early on Friday morning (O...

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Tesla profit doubles as electric car deliveries surge

elean
3 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - Tesla on Wednesday (Oct 21) said profits in the past quarter more than doubled as the electric car giant forecast deliveries hitting 500,000 this year. Net profit in the quarter rose to US$331 million (S$448.7 million), up from US$143 million a year earlier, as revenue rose nearly 40 per cent to US$8.7 billion. Tesla's share price was up more than 3 per cent in after-hours trade on the results. "We continue to see growing interest in our cars, storage and solar products and remain focused on cost-efficiency while growing capacity as quickly as possible," Tesla said in a letter to shareholders. With its hot-selling electric cars, Tesla has stood out among auto industry peers and as it invests in building up its lineup with more affordable prices than in the past. It delivered 139,000 vehicles in the past quarter, amid strong growth in its Model 3 car, the least expensive in its line-up. "We are increasingly focused on our next phase of growth," the letter said. "Our most recent capacity expansion investments are now stabilising with Model 3 in Shanghai achieving its designed production rate and Model Y in Fremont (California) expected to reach capacity-level product...

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Keeping trade flowing while containing Covid-19 regionally is key to Asean’s recovery: Koh Poh Koon

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - There is a clear need to keep global trade flowing to ensure the supply of essential goods and services in order to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic, said Senior Minister of State for Health Koh Poh Koon on Wednesday (Oct 21). Dr Koh said that the regional organisation Asean needs to work together "to show the world that we are open for business", and emphasised that countries must cooperate to uphold a rules-based global trading system and maintain supply chain connectivity in these difficult times. Speaking during the opening of the three-day virtual 35th Asean Roundtable, themed The Covid-19 Crisis: Impact on Asean and the Way Forward, Dr Koh also upheld factors like digitalisation and vaccine multilateralism as ways for Asean to emerge from the crisis. He said pandemic-induced lockdowns and travel restrictions caused severe disruptions to global economic activity, with the air transport and tourism sectors hit the hardest. It has exposed the fragility of global value chains by disrupting cross-border trade and transport, he said. There are further uncertainties in how long countries' lockdown measures will last, when an effective vaccine will be available, and the ris...

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TEC presents Welcome Back to The Office! Good to leave, even better to come back?

indie
3 minutes

HONG KONG, Oct 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The COVID-19 work-at-home has pushed businesses and employees globally to re-evaluate the workplace. The Executive Centre (TEC), the leading premium flexible workspace provider in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, is also re-evaluating - with a 'Welcome Back to The Office' video campaign, and characters that find new ways of adapting to the new normal working environment.The 'Welcome Back' video campaign is a take on the work-at-home phenomenon, and while the characters in the videos are fictional, their triumphs and struggles are drawn from real experiences of TEC's 1000+ global team.Don't miss: "Welcome Back to the Office!" Episode 1: "Good to leave, even better to come back"Watch the premiere [3'40] :: https://youtu.be/cGzLjfneslESynopsis: "They were told that as a precautionary measure and in-line with their global head office's pandemic response, that they would be 'WFH'. Some were excited. Some unphased. And some were really not enthused in the slightest. Find out how the typical workday has, and is continuing to change. Follow four co-workers on their first day back to work: Welcome Back To The Office addresses the full spectrum of ...

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Netflix falls short on new subscribers as Covid-19 boost fizzles

elean
3 minutes

BENGALURU (REUTERS) - Netflix on Tuesday (Oct 20) posted its weakest subscriber gains in four years as streaming competition increased, pandemic restrictions eased and live sports returned to television. The company added 2.2 million paid subscribers globally during the quarter that ended Sept 30, missing Wall Street's target of 3.4 million and its own forecast. Earnings per share also landed below analyst expectations at US$1.74. The consensus forecast was US$2.14, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. Shares of Netflix, one of the biggest gainers this year as people stayed home amid the pandemic, dropped nearly 6 per cent to US$494 (S$670) in after-hours trading on Tuesday. "Domestic subscribers were nearly flat, which highlights Netflix's saturation in the US," said Ross Benes, analyst with eMarketer. With domestic additions slowing, revenue growth will likely come from price increases, he said. The company reported a blockbuster quarter at the start of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, adding 15.8 million paying customers from January through March. Netflix had warned investors that a sudden surge in new sign-ups would fade in the latter half of the year as Covid-19 restrict...

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Wall Street shares end higher on stimulus optimism

elean
3 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - Wall Street shares closed higher Tuesday (Oct 20) on growing optimism that US lawmakers are nearing a deal on a stimulus package aimed at cushioning the economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late on Tuesday that she hoped a coronavirus aid agreement could be accomplished by the end of this week. Pelosi spoke with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the stimulus deal. "I think no matter who gets elected, we will get the stimulus," said Brian Reynolds, chief market strategist, at Reynolds Strategy. "The current headlines are short term in nature. Eventually, they would get together and produce more stimulus for the economy because all the sectors that are lagging need it badly," he added. Uncertainty over the coronavirus aid package weighed on Wall Street's main indexes on Monday and analysts expect market turbulence to increase with only two weeks left until Election Day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 113.37 points, or 0.4%, to 28,308.79, the S&P 500 ended 16.2 points higher, or 0.47%, to 3,443.12 and the Nasdaq Composite closed 37.51 points higher, or 0.33%, to 11,516.49. A majority of the...

ACN Newswire
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The Babylon Project concludes with developers from 65 Countries

indie
3 minutes

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, Oct 20, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The Babylon Project, a hackathon initiative committed to democratizing access to global innovation and fostering the inclusion of minority backgrounds in tech, kicked off on Friday, October 9th, 2020 with 1000 active participants on its virtual Discord server.The virtual hackathon had renowned international speakers calling in from different parts of the world. Pavel Cherkashin, the Managing Partner of Mindrock Capital; Miko Matsumura, General Partner of Gumi Ventures; and Naomi Freeman, Leadership Fellow at Women Who Code, along with an exceptional and diverse group of panelists, who shared industry knowledge, startup advice, and technical expertise with the participants.Additionally, a variety of technical workshops were also conducted by several blockchain companies, most notably Aave, Polkadot, BTCU, and Suku. A virtual yoga session, intended to instruct participants on rejuvenating wellness exercises, was provided by Kirin Power, a yoga & meditation teacher from San Francisco and a director and partner at Outdoor Yoga SF. Along with the grand prize, corporate partners issued their own pre-determined challenges to hackers a...

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The Executive Centre launches the “Welcome Back to The Office” campaign

indie
3 minutes

HONG KONG, Oct 20, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The COVID-19 outbreak has led to businesses and employees re-evaluating what the workplace means to them. Today, The Executive Centre (TEC), the leading premium flexible workspace provider across Asia Pacific and the Middle East, launches the "Welcome Back to The Office" video campaign, where characters find ways to adapt to the new working environment.The campaign is a take on the work-from-home phenomenon, and while the characters in the videos are fictional, their triumphs and struggles are drawn from real experiences of TEC's 1000+ global team.What's clear is that while homeworking arrangements are becoming normalised and people are enjoying less commuting, not having to dress to impress and spending more time with their families; on the flip side, there are also irreplaceable benefits of working in an office such as proper coffee in a proper coffee cup, chatting to colleagues and collaborating on projects, IT that works, comfortable ergonomic furniture, admin support, and a highly-productive environment that boosts concentration and minimises distractions."After an extended period of time working from home, we are inspired to explore ...