Nation

KINGSTON (Reuters) - Barbados' declaration of a republic on Tuesday may fuel fervor in other Commonwealth countries to follow suit, but experts say removing the queen requires overcoming political hurdles that have for decades stymied republican initiatives. Barbados inaugurated President Sandra Mason as its head of state on Tuesday to replace Britain's Queen Elizabeth in a ceremony attended by Prince Charles, marking a cordial severing of ties to the monarchy. It was able to do so thanks to the Labor Party's sweeping parliamentary majority as well as a constitution that allowed the change without a referendum - conditions that may not materialize elsewhere. In nearby Jamaica, which is among the 15 remaining nations that still recognize Queen Elizabeth as sovereign, polls show that voters would support the declaration of a republic. On the streets of the capital Kingston, some people said the time was ripe to follow Barbados. "I think we can start the process," said Abraham ... » Learn More about Commonwealth nations face hurdles to follow Barbados’ republican path

PHOTO FROM DOST MANILA, Philippines — Vice President and presidential aspirant Leni Robredo has said that any reintroduction of the mandatory use of face shields should be based on science. “Ano ba iyong sinasabi? Sinabi ng WHO (World Health Organization) na hindi ni-rerecommend na gawing mandatory siya, so sa akin, anuman iyong desisyon, kailangan naka-base sa ano ba iyong pagtingin ng experts tungkol dito,” Robredo told reporters. (The WHO has said that it does not recommend making it mandatory, so to me, whatever their decision is, it should be based on what the experts think about it.) National Task Force Against COVID-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said during a taped briefing with President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday that mandatory face shield policy would be implemented again once the Omicron variant of COVID-19 enters the Philippines. Meanwhile, the WHO has maintained that face shields are not yet recommended despite the threat posed by the ... » Learn More about Make face shield decisions based on science, Robredo says

Dr. Glenn Mathew Baggao, chief of the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC), gets his booster shot of Pfizer vaccine against COVID-19 on Wednesday, Nov. 17. (Photo courtesy of CVMC photo) MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sonny Angara on Wednesday backed the private sector’s call to provide booster shots for employees, noting the country’s steady supply of  COVID-19 vaccines. Citing the government’s own pronouncement that there is no longer shortage of COVID-19 vaccines supply, 26 business groups have earlier requested that they be allowed access to their “large stockpile” of vaccines which they can use as booster shots for their employees and their families. Angara said the appeal is “reasonable” especially in light of various reports that there are already vaccines expiring supposedly due to logistical issues, slow administration, and vaccine hesitancy particularly in areas outside of Metro Manila. “The country now has a steady supply of vaccines and the volume will continue to ... » Learn More about Angara to gov’t: Consider call of business groups on booster shots

Agriculture is an important economic sector in Vietnam. In 2020, agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry sectors contributed 14.9 percent to Vietnam’s GDP, which is lower than 41.6 percent of the service and 33.7 percent of the industry sector. Although agriculture has doubled in terms of value in the last decade, its share in GDP has witnessed an average annual decrease of 0.3 percent. Science and technology are key to increasing the capacity and quality of products while improving farmer lives. Vietnam’s government in 2018 stated that it was important to develop a production value chain of high-added value farming products while promoting the link of cooperatives with businesses, as well as to encourage technology transfer and provide preferential loans to agricultural cooperatives. This is where agricultural technology (Agtech) comes in. Agtech is the use of technology in agriculture with the aim of improving yield, efficiency, and profitability. Agtech can be products, services, ... » Learn More about Why the Agtech Industry Will Aid Vietnam’s Hi-Tech Growth

Datasonic Group Bhd announced a stronger set of results for the second quarter ended Sept 30, 2021 following the reopening of the economy and believes the worst is behind it. In a statement on Tuesday, it said Its 2QFY22 revenue increased by 65.3% on-quarter to RM28.7mil from RM17.4mil in the first quarter. Its 2QFY22 net profit was RM1mil versus a net loss of RM5.6mil in 1QFY22. The top and bottom-line improvement was largely due to higher supply of passport and personalisation services. Datasonic group managing director/CEO Wan Zalizan Wan Jusoh said: “We are delighted to see a turnaround in our 2QFY22 financial performance from the immediate preceding quarter in line with the reopening of the economy. "We believe the worst is behind us and it will be brighter times ahead for Datasonic. In tandem with the reopening of international borders, we are seeing pent-up demand for passport. We are readying ourselves in anticipation of the surge in orders to ensure continuous and ... » Learn More about Improved 2Q performance for Datasonic as economy opens

KUALA LUMPUR: Axiata Group Bhd said its 63% owned subsidiary edotco Group Sdn Bhd has acquired a telecommunication infrastructure firm Touch Mindscape Sdn Bhd in deal worth RM1.7bil, expanding the group's tower assets. The proposed acquisition would add about 1,000 owned and operated towers, including build-to-suit customer orders for around 60 towers sites to be formalised, Axiata said in a filing today. edotco Malaysia currently owns and operates approximately 4,700 towers and manages a further 12,000 towers. edotco on Tuesday entered into a share sale agreement with Touch Group Holdings Sdn Bhd to acquire a 100% stake in Touch Mindscape. "Both companies are keen to leverage on each other’s strengths to improve national connectivity and modernise ICT infrastructure that will be critical in sustaining ecosystems necessary for the nation’s pivot towards becoming a digital economy," Axiata said. ... » Learn More about Axiata unit edotco buys tower firm for RM1.7bil, expanding its market share

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled nearly 3% on Tuesday after Moderna's CEO cast doubt on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines against the Omicron coronavirus variant, spooking financial markets and adding to worries about oil demand. The head of drugmaker Moderna told the Financial Times that COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as they have been against the Delta variant. Brent crude futures fell US$2.15, or 2.9%, to US$71.29 a barrel at 1123 GMT after slipping to an intraday low of US$70.52, the lowest since Sept. 1. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell US$1.83, or 2.6%, to US$68.12 a barrel, off a session low of US$67.06, the weakest since Aug. 26. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will also tell U.S. lawmakers later in the day the variant could imperil economic recovery, prepared remarks show. "The economic impact is driven by fear, and by the policy response... Fear is impacting travel. There are ... » Learn More about Oil falls 3% on jitters over vaccine efficacy

KUALA LUMPUR: UMW Group saw a surge in automotive sales to 9,512 units in August, about 4.5 times higher than the 2,105 units sold in the previous month, as its showrooms and automotive assembly plants restarted operations. The August figures were based on about two weeks of operations, which resumed following the easing of the movement control order restrictions on Aug 16. “Both, UMW Toyota Motor and its associate company Perodua, registered improved sales in August despite operating for less than half the month,” it said in a statement yesterday. UMW Toyota Motor delivered 2,524 units, 74% higher than 1,450 units in July, underpinned by sales of the Toyota Vios, Yaris and Hilux, which made up 69% of total sales for the month. Perodua Aruz Year-to-date, UMW Toyota Motor has sold 38,085 vehicles, 20% higher than 31,734 units in the corresponding period in 2020. Perodua posted sales of 6,988 units in August, up from only 655 units in July. Sales of the national marque ... » Learn More about UMW sees surge in automotive sales in August

A flight deck crew member signals to colleagues on the USS Carl Vinson in Western Pacific, south of Japan, on Tuesday. (Reuters photo) USS CARL VINSON: The United States on Tuesday completed ten days of joint military drills in Asian waters with Japan and other allies as it ups the ante on deterring China from pursuing its territorial ambitions amid growing tension in the region over Taiwan. The ANNUALEX drill included 35 warships and dozens of aircraft in the Philippine Sea off Japan's southern coast. The US and Japanese forces were led by the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson carrier, which was also joined by ships from Canada, Australia, and for the first time, Germany. On Tuesday, the Vinson was being shadowed by a Chinese navy ship. "We try to deter aggression from some nations that are showing burgeoning strength that maybe we haven't experienced before," US Seventh Fleet commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas said at a briefing aboard the carrier. The exercise was meant to ... » Learn More about US caps year of drills to deter China with 10-day military exercise

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg Refuse collection fees for households will go up from January 2022. This is the first time fees will increase since 2017, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Nov. 30. The increase is to keep up with the operational and manpower costs of providing household refuse and recyclables collection services. How much more? From Jan. 1, 2022, HDB flat households will pay S$9.63 per month, up by S$1.38, for refuse collection fees. This is the same amount private apartments that have not opted out of the public waste collection scheme will pay. Those living in landed premises will pay S$32.07, which is S$4.60 more. In 2017, the monthly fees increased from S$7.49 to S$8.25 for HDB households and private property households that have not opted out of the public waste collection scheme. Those living in landed homes saw the fees go up from S$24.81 to S$27.47. Rebates can be used to ... » Learn More about HDB households refuse collection fees up S$1.38 to S$9.63/month from 2022