Woodleigh MRT Station to open on June 20
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 08 March 2011 1735 hrs
SINGAPORE : SBS Transit has said that Woodleigh, the last unopened station along the North East Line, will begin revenue service on Monday June 20, thanks to an increase in new developments that have come up in the area.
With its opening, residents in new developments like 'Blossoms@Woodleigh' and 'Parc Mondrian' can hop onto the 20-kilometre line to get to places like Punggol and HarbourFront in less than 19 minutes.
They can also transfer to other MRT lines at Serangoon, Dhoby Ghaut or Outram Park stations to get to other suburban towns such as Jurong, Tampines or even Woodlands.
Besides residents, the new station will also be able to serve students and staff from the nearby Stamford American International School, which is slated to open next year.
On the same day that Woodleigh Station opens, Damai LRT Station, which is located in Punggol New Town, will also begin service, following the increase in residential developments in its vicinity.
With the opening of Damai Station, all the seven stations on the Punggol East LRT system will be operational.
As such, the Punggol East LRT system will operate in both directions for passenger convenience and to cater to ridership growth.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
IT show 2011 boasts 830 exhibitors
IT show 2011 boasts 830 exhibitors
By Zhao Quan Yin & Wayne Chan | Posted: 10 March 2011 2342 hrs
SINGAPORE: 830 exhibitors are showing off their wares at the IT Show 2011, with 20 per cent of the products in Singapore for the first time.
One of the rarities in the show is a S$4,500 iPad casing, studded with 8,000 Swarovski crystals.
iPod and iPhone accessories, particularly the type that allows users to wear their devices around their necks, were cleaned out in two hours.
Also, a new over-the-top box unveiled by StarHub allows users to play internet and multimedia content on their televisions.
The show is on at Suntec Singapore till Sunday.
- CNA/cc
- wong chee tat :)
By Zhao Quan Yin & Wayne Chan | Posted: 10 March 2011 2342 hrs
SINGAPORE: 830 exhibitors are showing off their wares at the IT Show 2011, with 20 per cent of the products in Singapore for the first time.
One of the rarities in the show is a S$4,500 iPad casing, studded with 8,000 Swarovski crystals.
iPod and iPhone accessories, particularly the type that allows users to wear their devices around their necks, were cleaned out in two hours.
Also, a new over-the-top box unveiled by StarHub allows users to play internet and multimedia content on their televisions.
The show is on at Suntec Singapore till Sunday.
- CNA/cc
- wong chee tat :)
Pine Grove's DC may deter property developers: analysts
Pine Grove's DC may deter property developers: analysts
By Jo-ann Huang | Posted: 10 March 2011 2351 hrs
SINGAPORE : Experts have said Pine Grove's high development charge (DC) of S$460 million may be a deal breaker for property developers.
They add that the site's DC has increased by 9.5 per cent, in line with the DC rate hike earlier this month.
Including the DC, analysts said Pine Grove's total cost for a buyer works out to S$2.16 billion or S$1,152 per square foot per plot ratio.
A lush green view is what Pine Grove resident Lisa Chong is giving up if the site - worth an estimated S$1.7 billion - is sold.
Upon the sale, Ms Chong and her family will be receiving more than S$2 million.
Pine Grove home owners will receive between S$2.1 million and S$2.75 million for each of the units, which range in size from 1,163 square feet to 1,938 square feet.
Ms Chong said: "Probably part of it will go towards our new place, wherever that is going to be, and we would probably try to invest the rest."
Analysts said Pine Grove's hefty price tag will squeeze out small and single property developers.
Christina Sim, director of investment at Cushman & Wakefield, said: "For such a huge project, you will be looking at a consortium of developers because it is far too big a risk for a single developer to undertake. We will probably be looking at the big developers who might team up to buy this plot."
With the market looking robust, experts said property developers are now stocking up on their land banks.
And private property owners are cashing in on the trend.
Currently, there have been at least eight collective sale tenders and two done deals so far this year.
Meanwhile, Ms Chong is positive that Pine Grove's third enbloc attempt will be a success.
She said: "At the end of the day, it is still a prime location. We are on the major bus routes, we are relatively close to the CBD by expressway and we are also close to town, we are not in an overly noisy neighbourhood so...we hope for the best."
But analysts said DC rates have increased significantly in the last four years, which have thinned profit margins for some enbloc property residents.
Ms Sim said: "We were looking at as high of a profit margin of 50 to 100 per cent, but now if you get a margin of 15 to 30 per cent, I think you are considered quite lucky."
Analysts said the DC rate increase is the government's way of keeping the enbloc property market in check.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
By Jo-ann Huang | Posted: 10 March 2011 2351 hrs
SINGAPORE : Experts have said Pine Grove's high development charge (DC) of S$460 million may be a deal breaker for property developers.
They add that the site's DC has increased by 9.5 per cent, in line with the DC rate hike earlier this month.
Including the DC, analysts said Pine Grove's total cost for a buyer works out to S$2.16 billion or S$1,152 per square foot per plot ratio.
A lush green view is what Pine Grove resident Lisa Chong is giving up if the site - worth an estimated S$1.7 billion - is sold.
Upon the sale, Ms Chong and her family will be receiving more than S$2 million.
Pine Grove home owners will receive between S$2.1 million and S$2.75 million for each of the units, which range in size from 1,163 square feet to 1,938 square feet.
Ms Chong said: "Probably part of it will go towards our new place, wherever that is going to be, and we would probably try to invest the rest."
Analysts said Pine Grove's hefty price tag will squeeze out small and single property developers.
Christina Sim, director of investment at Cushman & Wakefield, said: "For such a huge project, you will be looking at a consortium of developers because it is far too big a risk for a single developer to undertake. We will probably be looking at the big developers who might team up to buy this plot."
With the market looking robust, experts said property developers are now stocking up on their land banks.
And private property owners are cashing in on the trend.
Currently, there have been at least eight collective sale tenders and two done deals so far this year.
Meanwhile, Ms Chong is positive that Pine Grove's third enbloc attempt will be a success.
She said: "At the end of the day, it is still a prime location. We are on the major bus routes, we are relatively close to the CBD by expressway and we are also close to town, we are not in an overly noisy neighbourhood so...we hope for the best."
But analysts said DC rates have increased significantly in the last four years, which have thinned profit margins for some enbloc property residents.
Ms Sim said: "We were looking at as high of a profit margin of 50 to 100 per cent, but now if you get a margin of 15 to 30 per cent, I think you are considered quite lucky."
Analysts said the DC rate increase is the government's way of keeping the enbloc property market in check.
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Medtronic opens manufacturing facility in Singapore
Medtronic opens manufacturing facility in Singapore
By Stella Lee | Posted: 10 March 2011 2143 hrs
SINGAPORE : Medtronic, the largest maker of heart devices globally, opened a new manufacturing facility in Singapore on Thursday.
The unit, in which Medtronic will have invested a total of S$71 million by the end of this year, will give a further boost to Singapore's standing as a biomedical sciences hub.
The Singapore facility, which will make sophisticated cardiac devices, will employ more than 120 people by the end of 2011.
According to research firm Frost and Sullivan, annual sales of medical devices in Asia-Pacific will amount to US$6.3 billion by next year, accounting for a quarter of the global total.
The researcher said that by next year, medical device sales in Asia-Pacific will be growing almost twice as fast as global demand for these products.
Medtronic, which opened its regional headquarters in China recently, expects revenue from its Asian operations to grow substantially.
William A Hawkins, chairman and chief executive of Medtronic, said: "So today if you look at emerging markets, it makes up 9 per cent or 10 per cent of our total revenues, and we are projecting that in the next five years that it will double to say 20 per cent of our business for the emerging markets."
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
By Stella Lee | Posted: 10 March 2011 2143 hrs
SINGAPORE : Medtronic, the largest maker of heart devices globally, opened a new manufacturing facility in Singapore on Thursday.
The unit, in which Medtronic will have invested a total of S$71 million by the end of this year, will give a further boost to Singapore's standing as a biomedical sciences hub.
The Singapore facility, which will make sophisticated cardiac devices, will employ more than 120 people by the end of 2011.
According to research firm Frost and Sullivan, annual sales of medical devices in Asia-Pacific will amount to US$6.3 billion by next year, accounting for a quarter of the global total.
The researcher said that by next year, medical device sales in Asia-Pacific will be growing almost twice as fast as global demand for these products.
Medtronic, which opened its regional headquarters in China recently, expects revenue from its Asian operations to grow substantially.
William A Hawkins, chairman and chief executive of Medtronic, said: "So today if you look at emerging markets, it makes up 9 per cent or 10 per cent of our total revenues, and we are projecting that in the next five years that it will double to say 20 per cent of our business for the emerging markets."
- CNA/ms
- wong chee tat :)
Psoriasis condition more than skin deep
Psoriasis condition more than skin deep
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 12 March 2011 1553 hrs
SINGAPORE: Experts have urged those who are suffering from psoriasis -- a non-contagious but incurable inflammatory skin condition -- to come forward to seek treatment.
Psoriasis leads to the thickening of the skin and scaling, and affects about one per cent of Singapore's population.
Thirty-six-year-old Shawn Wong, a psoriasis patient of 21 years, said the condition caused him to be constantly depressed, as he had to cope with the social stigma and endure pain.
"You have a lot of things to be mindful of, in terms of putting on the lotion and psychologically," the marketing professional said.
"You have to be careful not to be affected by stares; people may wonder what the red patches on your skin are, and if they are contagious. From there, you get emotionally affected and distressed by it."
Psoriasis has been shown to affect health-related quality of life to an extent similar to effects of other chronic diseases like hypertension and congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes.
According to The National Skin Centre, there are about 2,000 new cases each year.
There are about 50,000 persons affected by psoriasis in Singapore.
There are five main types of psoriasis are plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic.
The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is commonly seen as red and white scaly patches appearing on the skin.
While psoriasis may appear at any age, research suggests it is more likely to affect those in their 20s and 30s.
Experts stressed that while the disease is incurable, it is not contagious.
They said they hope the public will be more compassionate to patients.
Psoriasis Association of Singapore president Colin Theng said: "Just imagine walking around with red patches all over yourself.
"Patients are affected mentally, feel very embarrassed and depressed about their (condition). There are often times they want to isolate themselves from other people for fear of what people would think".
Eighty per cent of the new cases reported here each year are scalp psoriasis patients, and the patients can now turn to a more effective treatment in the form of a gel called Xamiol.
Experts say it's easy to use and a quick improvement was seen as early as one to two weeks of treatment.
The standard treatment is to use coal tar, salicyclic acid and steroid lotions which can be messy and time-consuming for patients.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 12 March 2011 1553 hrs
SINGAPORE: Experts have urged those who are suffering from psoriasis -- a non-contagious but incurable inflammatory skin condition -- to come forward to seek treatment.
Psoriasis leads to the thickening of the skin and scaling, and affects about one per cent of Singapore's population.
Thirty-six-year-old Shawn Wong, a psoriasis patient of 21 years, said the condition caused him to be constantly depressed, as he had to cope with the social stigma and endure pain.
"You have a lot of things to be mindful of, in terms of putting on the lotion and psychologically," the marketing professional said.
"You have to be careful not to be affected by stares; people may wonder what the red patches on your skin are, and if they are contagious. From there, you get emotionally affected and distressed by it."
Psoriasis has been shown to affect health-related quality of life to an extent similar to effects of other chronic diseases like hypertension and congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes.
According to The National Skin Centre, there are about 2,000 new cases each year.
There are about 50,000 persons affected by psoriasis in Singapore.
There are five main types of psoriasis are plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic.
The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is commonly seen as red and white scaly patches appearing on the skin.
While psoriasis may appear at any age, research suggests it is more likely to affect those in their 20s and 30s.
Experts stressed that while the disease is incurable, it is not contagious.
They said they hope the public will be more compassionate to patients.
Psoriasis Association of Singapore president Colin Theng said: "Just imagine walking around with red patches all over yourself.
"Patients are affected mentally, feel very embarrassed and depressed about their (condition). There are often times they want to isolate themselves from other people for fear of what people would think".
Eighty per cent of the new cases reported here each year are scalp psoriasis patients, and the patients can now turn to a more effective treatment in the form of a gel called Xamiol.
Experts say it's easy to use and a quick improvement was seen as early as one to two weeks of treatment.
The standard treatment is to use coal tar, salicyclic acid and steroid lotions which can be messy and time-consuming for patients.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
Renovated ROM, ROMM ready by June
Renovated ROM, ROMM ready by June
Posted: 12 March 2011 1715 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Registry of Marriages (ROM) and Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) will resume operations at the newly-renovated Registries of Marriages Building at Canning Rise from June 14, 2011.
Couples planning to get married from this date can opt to solemnise their marriage at the upgraded building.
Bookings for the solemnisation rooms can be done from March 14, 2011.
Couples can file their notice of marriage at the ROM website or for Muslim marriages, at the ROMM website.
The couples may also choose to have their marriage solemnised at an external venue of their choice.
Both registries have been operating at a temporary office at the Ministry of National Development Building (MND) at Maxwell Road since January 26, 2010 while the building at Canning Rise was undergoing renovation.
The registries will continue to serve marrying couples at the MND Building until the move back to Canning Rise.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
Posted: 12 March 2011 1715 hrs
SINGAPORE: The Registry of Marriages (ROM) and Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) will resume operations at the newly-renovated Registries of Marriages Building at Canning Rise from June 14, 2011.
Couples planning to get married from this date can opt to solemnise their marriage at the upgraded building.
Bookings for the solemnisation rooms can be done from March 14, 2011.
Couples can file their notice of marriage at the ROM website or for Muslim marriages, at the ROMM website.
The couples may also choose to have their marriage solemnised at an external venue of their choice.
Both registries have been operating at a temporary office at the Ministry of National Development Building (MND) at Maxwell Road since January 26, 2010 while the building at Canning Rise was undergoing renovation.
The registries will continue to serve marrying couples at the MND Building until the move back to Canning Rise.
-CNA/wk
- wong chee tat :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)