Search the Community

MAN PLAYS GUITAR IN THE MIDDLE OF BRAIN SURGERY TweetShare South African jazz musician Musa Manzini recently underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his brain. Surgeons requested that Manzini remain awake throughout the operation and that he play his guitar as a means of assisting them with the procedure, known as an awake craniotomy. The six-hour operation was the result of a recurring tumor which threatened paralysis or loss of functions in the part of the brain that controls voluntary movement and was the preferred method to preserve and restore finger movement in the musician's hands. “In this way, we can test regions of the brain before they are removed. This allows for increased removal of the tumour, while minimising damage to the brain," Dr. Enicker, one of the surgeons who operated on Manzini, told IOL. See footage of Manzini playing guitar mid-surgery below. Manzini is seen lightly strumming his acoustic guitar, playing a series of notes as the team of surgeons work on his brain. “It can be very difficult to tell the difference between the tumor and normal brain tissue,’ said Enicker (via The New York Times). "Once you’re near a critical area, you can pick it up early, because he will tell you." As of one week ago, Manzini was said to be doing well and is recovering from the surgery. Source : loudwire.com

Additional buyer's stamp duty of 35% to apply on any transfer of residential property into living trust from May 9 SINGAPORE: Additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) of 35 per cent now will apply on any transfer of residential property into a living trust occurring on or after May 9, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced on Sunday (May 8). ABSD will be payable even if there is no identifiable beneficial owner at the time the residential property is transferred into a trust, MOF said in a media release late on Sunday. An identifiable beneficial owner of a trust residential property refers to a person identified in the trust deed or document as a beneficiary of the residential property and who, because of the trust, has beneficial ownership of the residential property that is not, under the terms of the trust, revocable, variable, or subject to any condition subsequent. Currently, buyer’s stamp duty (BSD) is payable when a residential property is transferred into a living trust. ABSD may also be payable, depending on the profile of the beneficial owners of the residential property transferred into the trust. "Where the living trust is structured such that there is no identifiable beneficial owner at the time when the residential property is transferred into the trust, ABSD currently does not apply," said MOF. "Arising from its periodic policy review, the Government will introduce ABSD (Trust) at 35 per cent, to address and close this gap," it added. As ABSD aims to promote a "stable and sustainable residential property market", it should apply to transfers of residential properties into all living trusts, it said. This is regardless of whether there are identifiable beneficial owners of the residential properties transferred into such trusts, it added. ABSD (Trust) is to be payable upfront, when the residential property is transferred into any living trust. As a concession, a trustee may apply to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) for a refund of ABSD (Trust), provided that all beneficial owners of the residential property are identifiable individuals and that beneficial ownership of the residential property has vested in all of these beneficial owners at the time of property transfer into the trust. In addition, the beneficial ownership cannot be varied or revoked, or be subject to any condition subsequent, under the terms of the trust, said MOF. The refund amount will be based on the difference between the ABSD (Trust) rate of 35 per cent and the ABSD rate corresponding to the profile of the beneficial owner with the highest applicable ABSD rate, said the ministry. "The application for the refund must be made to IRAS within six months after the instrument is executed," it said, adding that more information is available on the IRAS website. Source: CNA/az(ac) https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/absd-trust-residential-property-additional-buyers-stamp-duty-2671836

Sea levels rising twice as fast as thought in New Zealand 1 May 2022 Wellington. File photo: Getty Images Explosive new data shows the sea level is rising twice as fast as previously thought in some parts of Aotearoa, massively reducing the amount of time authorities have to respond. This story was first published by RNZ The major new projections show infrastructure and homes in Auckland and Wellington - as well as many other places - risk inundation decades earlier than expected. For example, in just 18 years parts of the capital will see 30cm of sea level rise, causing once-in-a-century flood damage every year. Previously, councils and other authorities had not expected to reach this threshold until 2060 - halving the time to plan for mitigation or retreat. The new information comes from a programme comprising dozens of local and international scientists called NZ SeaRise, which also includes GNS Science and Niwa. It combines data about where land is sinking with the latest international sea-level rise projections. The new information is a game changer, and will likely have serious consequences for climate adaptation planning, and could impact property prices. Globally the sea level is expected to rise about half a metre by 2100 - but for large parts of New Zealand it could more than double that because of land subsidence. Victoria University of Wellington Professor and SeaRise programme co-leader Tim Naish said: "We have less time to act than we thought." Wellington: Just 18 years or less before serious effects Naish said he was surprised how soon impacts would be felt in parts of Auckland and Wellington. Some areas are sinking 3mm or 4mm a year - about the annual rate at which the sea is rising. "[This] doubles the amount of sea level rise and it halves the time ... you thought you had to deal with the sea-level rise that was in the original guidance documents that councils were using." Naish described a case study of the road connecting Petone and Eastbourne in Lower Hutt, which would see 30cm of sea level rise by 2040. This threshold is important because at that level a one-in-100 year storm which closes the roads and damages infrastructure could happen every year. He said local and regional councils have been making plans for this threshold to be reached in 2060, giving 20 fewer years to plan and adapt accordingly. Other places on Wellington's south coast such as Ōwhiro Bay, Lyall Bay, Seatoun among others are also subsiding. "You are going to see the impacts of quite damaging sea level rise much sooner than we thought .... roads and properties inundated." He said road and rail infrastructure on State Highway 2 at the Korokoro interchange in Petone is another highly vulnerable area. The largest overall increases in the whole country are on the southeast North Island along the Wairarapa Coast. Here, the sea level could be be up well over one and a half metres by 2100. About 30cm of sea level rise is unavoidable because of the amount of climate gases already in the atmosphere. Auckland. Photo: Getty Images Homes and crucial infrastructure in Auckland in the firing line Naish said vulnerable places in Auckland included the waterfront around the bays, Tamaki Drive, the Viaduct, areas around the Northwestern Motorway at Point Chevalier, St Heliers and Mission Bay. He said many of these places already have issues during king tides, are close to sea level, and are sinking. At the Viaduct the land is sinking about about 2.5mm a year. "That almost doubles the rate of expected sea-level rise and halves the time you have. "The city council, [and] the port authority are all going to have to start looking closely in terms of their future activities at this new information." He said in many parts of Auckland the sea-level would rise 30 to 50 percent faster than what was previously thought. Meanwhile, he said parts of Thames township is also very vulnerable, and the sinking happening in the Hauraki plains means the stopbanks there have a shorter lifespan than previously thought. Richmond in Nelson a hotspot A major worry is the suburb of Richmond and nearby parts in the Nelson area which is subsiding at about 5mm a year. "That whole area there has been a lot of development, new subdivisions, housing ... the airport is very exposed, and that road around [the coast to Richmond] is vulnerable," Naish said. He said local and regional councils in the region have known for a long time there could be issues there with sea-level rise. "There is going to be some really big challenges for that region." Online tool lets residents, authorities check New Zealanders will soon be able to see for the first time how much and how fast sea-level will rise along their own stretch of coast. NZ SeaRise's online tool showing how your home could be affected will be available here from 5am, Monday 2 May. The entire coastline has been mapped down to a 2km spacing. The new advice combines data about where land is sinking with the latest international sea-level rise projections. It will be an major new tool for councils, businesses and homeowners to assess risk from erosion and floods. 'Information is power' Naish said the new data was important information and people should try not to be too overwhelmed. "Information is power, so don't be afraid of it. "We still have time ... but we don't have time to sit on our hands anymore. "If you're a [council representative] or you're a developer, or you're a decisions maker in the coastal areas of New Zealand you need to start thinking right now what the plan is for adapting to that sea-level rise. "Yes, it is a bit terrifying but there is still time and I think that is the way to look at it." The information is timely, coming hot on the heels of the climate change draft adaptation plan released last week. It asks for public input on the plans, and on so-called ''managed retreat'" - abandoning areas where it is not possible or financially viable to live any longer. Naish said uncertainty about the predictions were clearly laid out in the tool - but he said there was no question that there would be a response from property owners, the insurance and banking sectors to the new information. GNS Science Environment and Climate Theme Leader Dr Richard Levy said until now, the risk from sea-level rise has been quite poorly defined for New Zealand. "Current sea-level projections in the Ministry for the Environment coastal hazards guidance do not take into account local vertical land movements." Most of the information about sea-level rise was more or less extrapolated out from the global average. NZ SeaRise is a five-year research programme comprising local and international experts from Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, GNS Science, NIWA, University of Otago and the Antarctic Science Platform. It is funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. Climate change and warming temperatures are causing sea levels to rise, on average, by 3.5 mm per year. This sea level rise is caused by thermal expansion of the ocean, by melting land based glaciers, and by melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. RNZ https://www.thenewzealandtimes.com/sea-levels-are-rising-twice-as-fast-as-expected-in-new-zealand/

Grab could face class action suits in US following recent share price dive Grab's CEO Anthony Tan (left) and co-founder Tan Hooi Ling (right) with Nasdaq APAC chairman Robert McCooey at the Nasdaq bell-ringing ceremony on Dec 2, 2021. PHOTO: REUTER Choo Yun Ting Business Correspondent PUBLISHED 8 MAR 2022, 12:30 PM SGT https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/grab-could-face-class-action-suits-in-us-following-recent-share-price-dive SINGAPORE - Nasdaq-listed super-app Grab could face class action lawsuits, with several United States law firms calling for shareholders to contact them to investigate claims on their behalf. The mounting of such investigations, which is fairly commonplace for listed firms in the US, comes after Grab's shares crashed last week, falling about 37 per cent on March 3 after it announced a fourth-quarter net loss of US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion). Its results came amid a worse-than-expected drop in revenue, due to higher incentives being paid out to attract drivers and consumers. Singapore-headquartered Grab's shares last closed at US$3.36 on Monday (March 7), a far cry from the US$13.06 it reached on the day of its listing last December. At least eight law firms have announced their intention to investigate Grab for matters such as false and misleading statements, possible fraud and other violations of US federal securities laws. Grab declined to comment when contacted by The Straits Times.

CHD Says Pfizer and FDA Dropped Data Bombshell on COVID Vaccine Consumers Clinical trial data contradicts ‘safe and effective’ government/industry mantra March 03, 2022 15:54 ET | Source: Children's Health Defense Washington, DC, March 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a 55,000-page set of documents released on Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is for the first time allowing the public to access data Pfizer submitted to FDA from its clinical trials in support of a COVID-19 vaccine license. This follows U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman’s decision on January 6 to deny the request from the FDA to suppress the data for the next 75 years which the agency claimed was necessary, in part, because of its “limited resources.” A 38-page report included in the documents features an Appendix, “LIST OF ADVERSE EVENTS OF SPECIAL INTEREST,” that lists 1,291 different adverse events following vaccination. The list includes acute kidney injury, acute flaccid myelitis, anti-sperm antibody positive, brain stem embolism, brain stem thrombosis, cardiac arrest, cardiac failure, cardiac ventricular thrombosis, cardiogenic shock, central nervous system vasculitis, death neonatal, deep vein thrombosis, encephalitis brain stem, encephalitis hemorrhagic, frontal lobe epilepsy, foaming at mouth, epileptic psychosis, facial paralysis, fetal distress syndrome, gastrointestinal amyloidosis, generalized tonic-clonic seizure, Hashimoto's encephalopathy, hepatic vascular thrombosis, herpes zoster reactivation, immune-mediated hepatitis, interstitial lung disease, jugular vein embolism, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, liver injury, low birth weight, multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, myocarditis, neonatal seizure, pancreatitis, pneumonia, stillbirth, tachycardia, temporal lobe epilepsy, testicular autoimmunity, thrombotic cerebral infarction, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, venous thrombosis neonatal, and vertebral artery thrombosis among 1,246 other medical conditions following vaccination. “This is a bombshell,” said Children’s Health Defense (CHD) president and general counsel Mary Holland. “At least now we know why the FDA and Pfizer wanted to keep this data under wraps for 75 years. These findings should put an immediate end to the Pfizer COVID vaccines. The potential for serious harm is very clear, and those injured by the vaccines are prohibited from suing Pfizer for damages.” The U.S. government has already purchased 50 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine intended for children under five years of age to be delivered by April 30, 2022 although the FDA has yet to grant an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for this age group. The risk of serious injury or death from COVID to healthy children is practically nil and so far, the vaccine is not effective when used in young children. According to The Guardian, “Pfizer made nearly $37bn (£27bn) in sales from its Covid-19 vaccine last year – making it one of the most lucrative products in history – and has forecast another bumper year in 2022, with a big boost coming from its Covid-19 pill Paxlovid.” President Biden advertised Paxlovid in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, the same day the Pfizer data was released to the public. “We’re launching the ‘Test to Treat’ initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost,” Biden said during his speech. From mid-December, 2020 through February 18, 2022, the U.S. government’s database, the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), has received 1,134,984 reports of adverse events, including 24,402 deaths, following COVID vaccination. Additionally, there have been 4,021 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in the U.S. with 2,475 cases associated with Pfizer, 1,364 cases with Moderna and 171 cases with J&J’s COVID vaccine. These include 643 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis in children aged 12 to 17. “It would be criminal to expose infants and young children to this extremely risky product,” said Holland. “VAERS data show the catastrophic health impacts the vaccine is having on millions of people, yet Pfizer and other vaccine makers are raking in billions of dollars with no fear of being held accountable for injuries and deaths from their vaccines.” The FDA’s attempt to suppress these data in support of the pharmaceutical industry’s bottom line isn’t a new phenomenon in this country’s public health system. For more information on pharmaceutical corruption and the tight relationship the industry has with government regulatory agencies, read The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health by CHD Chair and lead counsel Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ### Children's Health Defense is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to end childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and establish safeguards to prevent future harm. For more information, visit ChildrensHealthDefense.org. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/03/03/2396681/0/en/CHD-Says-Pfizer-and-FDA-Dropped-Data-Bombshell-on-COVID-Vaccine-Consumers.html https://money.yahoo.com/chd-says-pfizer-fda-dropped-205400826.html

Temasek adds stakes in Robinhood, other consumer-focused companies By David Randall - Yesterday 12:20 AM © Reuters/Edgar SuFILE PHOTO: A Temasek logo is seen at the annual Temasek Review in Singapore NEW YORK (Reuters) - Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings added new positions in a number of consumer-focused companies during the quarter that ended Dec. 31, including ride-hailing and food delivery company Grab Holdings Ltd, brokerage firm Robinhood Markets Inc and fashion company Rent the Runway Inc, according to securities filings released Monday. The fund, which had a value of $278.81 billion as of March, also added a position in restaurant payment company Toast Inc and sports betting company Draft Kings Inc. At the same time, the fund sold all its shares in Uber Technologies Inc, Coinbase Global Inc and Tencent Music Entertainment Group. The fund is working with its portfolio companies to help them become more green as it focuses more on sustainability, the firm's chief sustainability officer said at the Reuters Next conference in December. [L1N2SN0R9] (Reporting by David Randall; Editing by Bernadette Baum) https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/temasek-adds-stakes-in-robinhood-other-consumer-focused-companies/ar-AATQa1m

Indonesia allows quarantine-free travel from Singapore to Bintan and Batam beginning Monday: Minister JAKARTA: Indonesia has opened a quarantine-free travel corridor that allows people from Singapore to travel to Batam and Bintan beginning Monday (Jan 24), said Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno. The travel scheme is for people to visit Nongsa in Batam and Lagoi in Bintan, and they are not allowed to leave for other places, he said in a virtual press conference. The minister also said that travellers must test negative for the coronavirus 72 hours prior to departure and again upon arrival at Batam’s Nongsapura ferry terminal or Bintan’s Bandar Bentan Telani terminal. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-singapore-travel-bubble-batam-bintan-2455481

In an interview with The Defender, 18-year-old Isaiah Harris and his father described how Isaiah had to be hospitalized within 48 hours of his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently had a heart attack. An 18-year-old from Springdale, Arkansas, who had a heart attack after receiving his second dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine said he’d rather get COVID than have a heart attack. In an interview with The Defender, Isaiah Harris said he received his first dose of Pfizer on April 8 and second dose on April 30. Within 12 hours of the second dose, the teen developed a fever and chills. His father, Justin Harris, initially didn’t think much about it because he got sick after both doses of the Moderna vaccine, although his symptoms weren’t serious. That wasn’t the case for Isaiah. Within 48 hours of the second dose, Isaiah’s heart started hurting “very very bad” and things started going downhill fast. Harris said they grew really concerned when their son started having trouble breathing. “We took him to the hospital but they didn’t take him seriously,” Harris said. “We waited in the waiting room for over two hours and then they left him in a hallway for six hours. Things went from bad to worse while waiting in the hospital. That’s when he had his heart attack and one of his lungs filled up with fluid.” Harris said it wasn’t until his wife — who was the only one allowed with Isaiah in the hallway due to COVID restrictions — told the staff multiple times her son was having a heart attack that they put him in a room and ran the EKG. Isaiah’s EKG was abnormal and his numbers kept getting worse. At one point, 80% of Isaiah’s heart was inflamed and only 40% was functioning. Isaiah’s troponin levels were so high doctors said he had suffered a heart attack. “Doctors kept denying it was the vaccine,” Harris said. “They didn’t want to say it was that. Then a nurse brought in a study showing the vaccine could cause myocarditis.” Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle that can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and death. According to researchers at the National Organization for Rare Disorders, myocarditis can result from infections, but “more commonly the myocarditis is a result of the body’s immune reaction to the initial heart damage.” Isaiah was hospitalized for four days for “acute myocarditis,” Harris said. “Doctors were saying six months of total bed rest with medications to numb his heart. That’s when I got a hold of the surgeon general of Arkansas and he gave us the link to VAERS because the hospital didn’t do anything.” VAERS is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Reaction Reporting System. Harris said he is bothered that the CDC is “passing this off” and “isn’t doing thorough research into this.” Facing long recovery, Isaiah regrets getting the vaccine Isaiah had a best friend with connections at the Cleveland Clinic who got him an appointment with Dr. Allan Klein, a heart specialist and director of the pericardial center at the Cleveland Clinic. “The doctor at Cleveland is doing research on myocarditis. He’s seen 100 patients personally with myocarditis from the vaccine, and did early research on this when there were just 77 cases,” Harris said. Isaiah, who graduated from community college as a senior in high school, said his condition right now is better than it was but he’s still in a little bit of pain. “The swelling has gone down,” Isaiah said. “I used to lift every day but for three to six months I cannot do any physical activity. The most I can do is walk my dog. If I get my heart rate up, it can reoccur and I could have another heart attack.” Isaiah said he had no pre-existing conditions prior to suffering a heart attack. “I was fairly healthy. I lift quite a bit. I’m active. I used to play football. No history of viruses or myocarditis.” When asked if he would recommend the vaccine to other teens, Isaiah said, “I am not anti-vaccine, but I do not think anyone should get this vaccine. Even in Canada I was talking to someone and it was being lowered to one dose for teens and they’re still having issues.” Isaiah’s father said: “I’ll be honest with you. I used to think anti-vaxxers were different and my wife had already decided she wasn’t going to get the vaccine. For my other two boys, it was an option for them, but they opted out. Isaiah decided because he’s more social to get the vaccine and now I’m totally against it. The doctors said Isaiah cannot get the booster and vaccines are out for him.” Harris said he’s totally against the vaccine, even though he got the Moderna shot, because the vaccines are causing myocarditis in older people, too. It’s just too dangerous and there aren’t enough studies, he said. “Isaiah would have been better off to have COVID and be healthy than have a possible life-long issue with his heart, and now another possible heart attack if he over extends himself in the next three to six months,” Harris said. “To look at Isaiah on the outside, he looks normal, but once you look at his numbers and the heart scans, it shows the inflammation — it shows a true case of myocarditis,” Harris said. Harris said he thought he was doing the right thing and has an overwhelming feeling of guilt. He said: “I think you know, I feel as a parent — there were two sides of it. My wife didn’t want him to get vaccinated and as a dad, I wanted him to because Isaiah is very outgoing and he’s getting ready to enter pharmaceutical school at UAMS and I wanted him to be safe. “Hearing the government push it — no matter if it was a republican or democrat president — this is what you need to do. I had hesitation but I did okay with Moderna. But I have an overwhelming guilt that I set up the appointment for Isaiah and encouraged him to go get it, even though he made his own choice. I helped him get the vaccine. I think as parents, maybe we need to step back and help educate ourselves and others. That’s why we finally shared his story — to educate people.” Isaiah said, “I believe President Biden said in a recent statement that if you aren’t vaccinated, you’ll end up paying the price or you’ll have to wear a mask, but I’d rather have COVID than a heart attack.” According to the latest data from VAERS, there have been 1,117 cases of myocarditis and pericarditis (heart inflammation) in all age groups reported in the U.S. following COVID vaccination between Dec.14, 2020 and June 11, 2021. Of the 1,117 cases reported, 686 cases were attributed to Pfizer, 391 cases to Moderna and 36 cases to Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine. Exclusive: Teen Who Had Heart Attack After Pfizer Vaccine: ‘I’d Rather Have COVID’ In an interview with The Defender, 18-year-old Isaiah Harris and his father described how Isaiah had to be hospitalized within 48 hours of his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and subsequently had a heart attack. childrenshealthdefense.org

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20211031_25/

How Japan became a Covid success story as daily cases drop below 100 Via AP news wire Fri, 22 October 2021, 8:21 PM Almost overnight, Japan has become a stunning, and somewhat mysterious, coronavirus success story. Daily new COVID-19 cases have plummeted from a mid-August peak of nearly 6,000 in Tokyo with caseloads in the densely populated capital now routinely below 100, an 11-month low. The bars are packed, the trains are crowded, and the mood is celebratory, despite a general bafflement over what, exactly, is behind the sharp drop. Japan, unlike other places in Europe and Asia has never had anything close to a lockdown, just a series of relatively toothless states of emergency. Some possible factors in Japan's success include a belated but remarkably rapid vaccination campaign, an emptying out of many nightlife areas as fears spread during the recent surge in cases, a widespread practice, well before the pandemic, of wearing masks and bad weather in late August that kept people home. But with vaccine efficacy gradually waning and winter approaching, experts worry that without knowing what exactly why cases have dropped so drastically, Japan could face another wave like this summer, when hospitals overflowed with serious cases and deaths soared — though the numbers were lower than pre-vaccination levels. Many credit the vaccination campaign, especially among younger people, for bringing infections down. Nearly 70 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. “Rapid and intensive vaccinations in Japan among those younger than 64 might have created a temporary condition similar to herd-immunity,” said Dr. Kazuhiro Tateda, a Toho University professor of virology. Tateda noted that vaccination rates surged in July to September, just as the more infectious delta variant was spreading fast. He cautioned, however, that breakthrough infections in the U.S., Britain and other places where inoculations began months earlier than in Japan show that vaccines alone are not perfect and efficacy gradually wears off. Japan’s vaccinations started in mid-February, with health workers and the elderly first in line. Shortages of imported vaccines kept progress slow until late May, when the supply stabilized and daily inoculation targets were raised to above 1 million doses to maximize protection before the July 23-Aug. 8 Olympics. https://sg.yahoo.com/news/japan-became-covid-success-story-091414511.html

PUB to raise 450m stretch of Dunearn Road to reduce risk of flash floods Flash floods along Dunearn Road have occurred three times this year.PHOTO: ST READER LYDIA LEE Jessie Lim and Isabelle Liew PUBLISHED AUG 28, 2021, 1:43 PM SGT FACEBOOKWHATSAPPTWITTER https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/pub-to-raise-450m-stretch-of-flood-prone-dunearn-road-to-reduce-risk-of-flash

last night news. watch to the end 3mins only.

Pfizer Shot Just 39% Effective Against Delta Infection, But Largely Prevents Severe Illness, Israel Study Suggests Robert Hart Forbes Staff Business I cover breaking news. Topline Recent data from Israel’s health ministry suggests Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is far less effective at preventing infection and symptomatic illness with the Delta variant than with previous strains of coronavirus, a finding that conflicts with other research indicating high levels of protection against the contagious variant as countries around the world struggle to contain new waves of infection. The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine appears to be significantly less effective against the Delta variant, ... [+] getty Key Facts A full course of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was just 39% effective at preventing infections and 41% effective at preventing symptomatic infections caused by the Delta Covid-19 variant, according to Israel’s health ministry, down from early estimates of 64% two weeks ago. The figures, based on data from an unspecified number of people between June 20 and July 17, are significantly lower than previous estimates of the vaccine’s efficacy against other variants, which initial clinical trials found to be 95%. The Israel findings also conflict with several other studies assessing the vaccine’s performance against the Delta variant, which indicated only slightly diminished degrees of protection against infection and mild illness (between 80% and 90%), including peer reviewed research from Public Health England published Wednesday. The vaccine still provides very high levels of protection against hospitalization (92%) and severe illness (91%) caused by the Delta variant, the ministry said. In a statement, Pfizer and BioNTech noted that while real-world data from Israel show vaccine efficacy in preventing infection and symptomatic disease to decline six months post-vaccination, “efficacy in preventing serious illnesses remains high.” Contra It is possible Israel’s findings diverge from other studies in reflection of the fact they have had access to vaccines for longer than most other parts of the world. In other words, it is the most up to date and accurate assessment of the Pfizer shot against Delta. However, the Israel health ministry has not revealed the data behind their results and there are a number of issues in the way the study appears to have been conducted that could create uncertainty. The study did not, for example, take the steps needed to rule out alternative explanations for the lower efficacy, such as bias in who is tested for Covid-19. Key Background Israel was an early leader in the global effort to vaccinate against Covid-19, moving swiftly to secure supply by paying above market price and offering to share medical data with Pfizer. It was a success and the country dropped pandemic restrictions in May, though a resurgent wave of cases driven by Delta has put it on the brink of another lockdown. Israel is not the only country to struggle with new surges caused by Delta—which is more contagious than other variants circulating and possibly more dangerous—which has prompted new lockdowns around the world. The U.K., which has one of the highest case rates in the world, almost all of which are caused by Delta, is an exception. High vaccination rates are helping contribute towards a possible decoupling between infection, severe illness and death, prompting the government to drop almost all social restrictions on July 19. What To Watch For In mid July, Israel’s health ministry greenlit booster shots—likely a third Pfizer shot—for immunocompromised people over concerns they could still be vulnerable to the disease. This includes some cancer patients, organ transplant recipients and people who are HIV positive. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering a similar move amid an ongoing debate over whether booster shots should be made available to everyone. Big Number 91%. That’s how effective the Pfizer vaccine is at preventing serious illness and hospitalization caused by the Delta variant after two doses, according to the Israeli study. This is only slightly lower than against other variants. As this is the primary purpose of a vaccine, it is still highly successful, though it does mean it will likely not be sufficient to stop outbreaks on its own. Tangent The Delta variant appears to be at least moderately resistant to many of the vaccines in widespread use, especially after just one shot. A recent study found the Johnson & Johnson shot to be just 33% effective at preventing symptomatic illness caused by the variant. https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/07/23/pfizer-shot-just-39-effective-against-delta-infection-but-largely-prevents-severe-illness-israel-study-suggests/

UEFA for threatening to strip the UK of Euro 2020 final unless 2,500 foreign VIPs are spared quarantine to attend the game at Wembley Uefa have threatened to relocate the Euro 2020 final to Hungary this summer This will happen unless the UK Government provides a quarantine exemption Ministers are discussing a proposal to exempt 2,500 officials from isolating But move would be likely to spark a furious public backlash amid holiday row Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent and Jack Wright For Mailonline Published: 01:06 BST, 18 June 2021 | Updated: 13:14 BST, 18 June 2021 European footballing body was hammered by MPs today for its 'deeply irresponsible' threat to move the Euro 2020 final out of the UK unless its VIPs are allowed to skip Covid quarantine. Uefa has threatened to move the prestige game and the two semi-finals from Wembley to Budapest unless some 2,500 bigwigs are given preferential treatment that would allow them to jet in to attend. And ministers are understood to be looking at ways to accommodate the extraordinary demand ahead of the game on July 11. It prompted a ferocious backlash this morning, coming just days after Freedom Day was postponed for four weeks due to a surge in Indian variant cases. Britons are also banned from taking foreign holidays in all but a handful of countries without quarantining, for fear of bringing more of the virus into the country. Mr Johnson admitted today that the Government would speak to Uefa and 'see if we can make some sensible accommodations, but the priority obviously has to be public health'. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9699193/Uefa-threatens-strip-Wembley-Euro-2020-final-unless-VIPs-allowed-WITHOUT-quarantining.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Example 1

Why is SIA taking delivery of 28 new planes this financial year amid Covid-19? Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/why-sia-taking-delivery-28-new-planes-financial-year-amid-covid-19 Published June 03, 2021 Updated June 03, 2021 Singapore Airlines has long had one of the industry’s most aggressive fleet modernisation programmes, rolling over nearly its entire fleet every 15 years. TODAY file photo Singapore Airlines has long had one of the industry’s most aggressive fleet modernisation programmes, rolling over nearly its entire fleet every 15 years. Most Southeast Asian airline groups have cut aircraft deliveries to a trickle in order to reduce expenditure and capacity amid extremely weak market conditions. However, Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group is a major exception and plans to take delivery of 28 new aircraft in its current fiscal year which runs from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. SIA has long had one of the industry’s most aggressive fleet modernisation programmes, rolling over nearly its entire fleet every 15 years. On average it took delivery of about 22 new aircraft per annum in the five fiscal years prior to the pandemic. So the 28 new planes it plans to take delivery of in the current fiscal year has raised some eyebrows, given the current environment and how competitors have responded to the pandemic by delaying most new aircraft deliveries. Why is SIA making such a move and what are the implications for the company? Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/why-sia-taking-delivery-28-new-planes-financial-year-amid-covid-19

Tata Sons Ltd and Singapore Airlines Ltd announced the infusion of an additional SGD 84.7 million (INR 465 crore) into Vistara However, during the last few weeks, the number of domestic air passengers per day has come down from the peak of more than 2.2 lakh to around 75,000 currently, according to the Indian civil aviation ministry's data. The airline’s board approved the allotment of 465 million shares of INR 10 each to the two promoters, data from business intelligence unit Tofler showed. The airline's promoters had slowed down on fund infusion in 2020 as international operations were shut for a large part of the year due to restrictions imposed by the governments to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus. However, they are now looking at equity injection to expand international operations. Vistara plans to expand its operation significantly by 2023, which is the primary reason behind the carrier’s aggressive capital infusion moves. The airline has already started flying to London and Tokyo this year and has filed for permission to fly to the US from September. However, during the last few weeks, the number of domestic air passengers per day has come down from the peak of more than 2.2 lakh to around 75,000 currently, according to the Indian civil aviation ministry's data. Similarly, international air traffic has also been affected by the second wave of the pandemic. https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/topstories/vistara-gets-fund-infusion-from-tata-sons-singapore-airlines/ar-BB1gJ8Sm

Singapore Airlines gets $13bn lifeline as airlines beg for help 27 Mar 2020 Singapore’s state investor Temasek Holdings and others will inject as much as 19 billion Singapore dollars ($13.27bn) into Singapore Airlines (SIA) in the world’s single-biggest rescue of an airline slammed by the coronavirus pandemic. The enormous financing plan, which drove SIA shares down as much as 10.5 percent on Friday, underscores the depth of financial trouble for the global airline industry, with nearly one-third of the world’s aircraft already grounded because of the pandemic, according to data provider Cirium. Many governments worldwide have already stepped in to help airlines amid the virus-induced travel slump, with the United States offering $58bn in aid. Many carriers have grounded fleets and ordered thousands of workers on unpaid leave to keep afloat. The 5.3 billion Singapore dollars ($3.72bn) in equity and up to 9.7 billion Singapore dollars ($6.8bn) in convertible notes – bonds that can be converted into equity stakes in the company – of the Singapore Airlines fundraising are being underwritten by Temasek, which owns about 55 percent of the group. The carrier has also obtained a 4 billion SIngapore dollar ($2.8bn) bridge loan facility with the country’s biggest lender, DBS Group Holdings Ltd, to support near-term liquidity requirements. read more https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2020/3/27/singapore-airlines-gets-13bn-lifeline-as-airlines-beg-for-help

Shangri-La Dialogue organiser remains 'committed' to holding this year’s event in person Delegates attend the Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting in Singapore on Jan 18, 2021. (Photo: Facebook/Ng Eng Hen) By Cindy Co 14 May 2021 05:08PM (Updated: 14 May 2021 05:42PM) SINGAPORE: The organiser of the Shangri-La Dialogue said it “remain(s) committed” to holding this year's event in person, after the Singapore government on Friday (May 14) announced tighter COVID-19 safety measures. The defence summit draws delegates from dozens of countries each year. It is scheduled to be held on Jun 4 and 5 this year. Since its launch in 2002, it has been held in Singapore annually except for last year when it was cancelled due to global COVID-19 travel restrictions. In a statement on Friday, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) told CNA that it is aware of the announcement by Singapore’s COVID-19 multi-ministry task force. “We remain committed to holding the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in person in early June,” said a spokesperson. “We will review our safe management measures in light of today’s news to ensure the highest safety levels for all our participants and the wider community in Singapore.” The spokesperson added that IISS will continue to monitor the local and global COVID-19 situation closely. Amid a rise in community cases, the multi-ministry task force held a media conference on Friday announcing tighter measures, including a cap of 100 people at conferences with pre-event testing and 50 without testing. On whether conferences such as the Shangri-La Dialogue and the World Economic Forum in August will go ahead, co-chair of the task force Lawrence Wong said that the organisers are monitoring the situation globally and in Singapore “very closely” and will provide updates in due course. “As far as the Singapore side is concerned, we are in touch with them and we will provide them the latest information on our prevailing public health updates and cases, measures we are taking, so that they have the latest information to decide on the events,” he said. Mr Wong added that organisers will also consider the broader public health situation and whether potential attendees are prepared to travel. Participants expected at the Shangri-La Dialogue include US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and keynote speaker Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shangri-la-dialogue-organiser-committed-to-hold-in-person-event-14809060

SIA raises S$2b from sale-and-leaseback transactions for 11 aircraft Mon, May 03, 2021 - 9:58 AM NATIONAL carrier SIA: C6L +0.4% has raised S$2 billion from sale-and-leaseback transactions for 11 aircraft comprising seven Airbus A350-900s and four Boeing 787-10s. Four different parties arranged the transactions, SIA said in a bourse filing on Monday. They are Aergo Capital, Altavair, EastMerchant/Crianza Aviation and Muzinich and Co. The deal with aircraft leasing company Aergo Capital involves one Airbus A350-900 and one Boeing 787-10 aircraft. Meanwhile, the transaction with aviation finance company Altavair involves four Airbus A350-900s. The EastMerchant/Crianza Aviation deal includes one Airbus A350-900 and two Boeing 787-10s. EastMerchant is a provider of asset-based finance and management solutions for the airline industry, while Crianza Aviation is a high-value aircraft lessor and asset manager. The deal with Muzinich and Co, a privately-owned, institutionally-focused investment firm, involves one Airbus A350-900 and one Boeing 787-10 aircraft. Including these sale-and-leaseback transactions, SIA has raised about S$15.4 billion in fresh liquidity since April 1, 2020. This amount includes the S$8.8 billion from its rights issue, S$2.1 billion from secured financing, S$2 billion via its convertible bonds and notes issuance, and more than S$500 million through new committed lines of credit and a short-term unsecured loan. SIA chief executive Goh Choon Phong said the additional liquidity from the sale-and-leaseback transactions reinforces the group's ability to navigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from "a position of strength". Shares of SIA closed at S$4.95 on Monday, down by S$0.11 or 2.17 per cent. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/companies-markets/sia-raises-s2b-from-sale-and-leaseback-transactions-for-11-aircraft

"East Coast Plan" (ECP) explained. Still Dont Get it????

More children infected in India's second and more devastating Covid-19 wave An 11-year-old with fever and severe cough being examined for Covid-19 at a Bangalore hospital's exclusive children's emergency room.ST PHOTO: ROHINI MOHAN Rohini Mohan India Correspondent Updated Apr 29, 2021, 9:23 pm BANGALORE - Nine-year-old Malhaar Inimai "was not happy" when he woke up with a mild fever at 3.30am last weekend. "I knew it was a Covid symptom," the fourth grader in Bangalore said. The next morning, Malhaar woke up to the "bad news" that he and his grandmother, 67, had tested positive for the coronavirus. "For the first three days, I felt dizzy and I just wanted to collapse and fall down. After three days, I was okay," said Malhaar. https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/more-children-infected-in-indias-second-and-more-devastating-covid-19-wave

DPM Heng receives highest May Day award; among 143 honoured for contributions to labour movement https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/dpm-heng-receives-highest-may-day-award-among-143-honoured-for-contributions-to-labour