Cloud deployment

SINGAPORE - Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza shopping centres were buzzing for the first time in months on Sunday (April 11) after restrictions limiting entry to the two malls on weekends were lifted the day before. The tills rang as workers on their day off, mainly from the Philippines and Myanmar, flocked to their popular hangout spots to shop, eat and get their hair done. "I'm tired but happy," said Ms Sanda Kyaw Naint, owner of Ye Yint Cafe in Peninsula Plaza. The 51-year-old could hardly catch a break on Sunday as she served, during breakfast and lunch hours, almost twice as many customers as she had the previous weekend. Mr Bob Kok, 60, who owns a grocery store in Lucky Plaza, told The Straits Times that the weekend entry restrictions imposed from Aug 29 last year made business even worse for shop owners already struggling with the pandemic. Under the restrictions, those whose identification numbers end in even digits could visit the two malls only on even dates, while ... » Learn More about Crowds return to Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza after lifting of weekend entry curbs

SINGAPORE - From June 2, pre-schools will start to resume general services for children in stages, Minister for Social and Family Development Desmond Lee said on Tuesday (May 19). Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 children - five- and six-year-olds - will be the first to return from June 2, while Nursery 1 and Nursery 2 children may go back a week later, from June 8. From June 10, the youngest group of children in infant care and playgroups may return. In tandem with circuit breaker measures, pre-schools have been closed  since April 8 to most children except for a small group who need care support. When they reopen, centres will have to adhere to safe management measures such as compulsory mask or shield wearing for all staff and children aged two years and older, having smaller groups of children during activities, as well as staggering drop-off and pick-up timings of children. Speaking at a press conference by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 in Singapore, ... » Learn More about Pre-schools in Singapore to open from June 2 in stages, with K1 and K2 kids returning first

SINGAPORE - Lucky Plaza has been the go-to spot for Filipina domestic worker Ludivina Ellorengco and her pals on days off but new entry restrictions that kicked in this weekend have taken much of the buzz away. New rules to reduce overcrowding on weekends meant the usually thriving Orchard Road mall was much quieter when she dropped in on Saturday (Aug 29). The restrictions - they also apply at Peninsula Plaza in North Bridge Road - allow people with ID cards ending in an odd number to enter odd dates, and those with ID cards ending with even numbers to enter only on even dates. "All my friends' (identification cards end in) even numbers, so I can't meet them here," said Ms Ellorengco, who has been working here for five years. Ms Glyda Lopez, 34, is another fan of Lucky Plaza. She usually spends her regular Saturday days off there meeting friends and buying clothes and food. Popular Philippine fast food chain Jollibee at the mall's basement and sixth floor is another draw ... » Learn More about Quieter affair at Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza as odd-even Covid-19 entry restrictions kick in

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India on Sunday banned the export of anti-viral drug Remdesivir and its active pharmaceutical ingredients as demand rocketed due to a record surge in COVID-19 infections, leading to a crippling shortages in many parts. Authorities have blamed the ferocious resurgence of the virus mainly on crowding and a reluctance to wear masks. Still, religious gatherings have continued and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have themselves addressed election campaigns attended by tens of thousands of people, many without masks and hardly any following social distancing. As new COVID-19 cases surged to 152,879 on Sunday, the sixth record rise in seven days, harried relatives of patients made a kilometre-long queue to buy Remdesivir outside a big hospital in the western state of Gujarat, witnesses said. India, known as the pharmacy of the world, has already stalled major exports of coronavirus vaccines though its supply too has run short in some ... » Learn More about India bans Remdesivir exports as coronavirus rages on; rallies continue

MANILA has urged all parties with overlapping claims in the South China Sea (SCS) to adhere to the rule of law and exercise self-restraint. The Spratly Islands in the SCS are claimed in whole by China and in part by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. The Philippines, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), made the appeal during the virtual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) held on April 7. Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and Asean Affairs Elizabeth Buensuceso underscored Manila’s commitment to the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea that is being negotiated between Asean member-states and China. The Philippines is the country coordinator for Asean-China Dialogue Relations. “The continued deployment and lingering presence of a large swarm of maritime militia vessels within the Philippines’ maritime zones remains a serious concern and we reiterate that a conducive environment is ... » Learn More about PH calls for restraint in maritime dispute

DAVAO CITY: At least 1,130 families in some villages in Santo Tomas town in Davao del Norte were displaced by flash floods early morning of April 11, 2021. Mart Sambalud, municipal information officer, said relief efforts for the affected families, particularly in San Miguel Village, have already been conducted by the local government headed by Mayor Ernesto Evangelista. Evangelista ordered the deployment of the personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Santo Tomas, the Santo Tomas Philippine National Police and the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) and other offices of the Santo Tomas local government unit (LGU) that are part of the disaster response initiative to provide the needed assistance on the ground. Food packs and ready-to-eat meals were provided to the displaced families. Evangelista said the MSWDO was coordinating with Barangay Kimamon, Barangay Lunga-og and Barangay San Vicente ... » Learn More about Over 1,000 families flee Davao del Norte floods

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said Thursday (Friday in Manila) she is confident the United States will soon reach an agreement to provide another cash infusion to the ailing economy. “Let’s see how quickly it would be deployed, but I have no doubt it will be deployed, because it is necessary before the end of the year,” Georgieva said during a debate on the global economy. The comments came amid the persistent gridlock in Washington between President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders over how much to spend and where to direct resources to boost the world’s largest economy. Treasury Secreatary Steven Mnuchin said again Thursday that a deal is unlikely before the November 3 presidential election, but that negotiations would continue with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The stakes are high, with implications both for the global economy and millions of Americans facing job losses and bankruptcy. As the pandemic took hold, the US Congress in late March passed a $2.2 trillion rescue ... » Learn More about US to impose more stimulus soon – IMF

SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI), through its health and wellness programs, offers a wide array of efforts for stakeholders when it comes to giving access to basic healthcare services. One of these social good efforts is the roaming SMFI mobile clinic, which provides medical services to grassroots communities, especially in areas where SM operates. Currently, SMFI has five state-of-the-art mobile clinics, which are equipped to conduct diagnostic services such as x-ray, electrocardiogram, glucose test, uric acid test, ultrasound and many more. These five mobile clinics are deployed across the country, mainly to complement the medical mission activities of SM Foundation. More so, these medical laboratories on wheels are also used to provide immediate healthcare in areas devastated by calamities and other emergencies. “Our SM mobile clinics were deployed to support our ‘Gamot Para sa Kapwa’ medical missions. The mobile health facility intends to provide diagnostic and laboratory services to ... » Learn More about SMFI mobile clinics bring healthcare closer to grassroots communities

Sabin Aboitiz Over a year into the devastating COVID-19 pandemic, the Aboitiz Group is ready to march toward recovery with renewed —yet prudent—optimism. Like most other organizations, the Aboitiz Group encountered setbacks last year given quarantine restrictions that have dampened consumer demand and investor appetite. And yet the group’s strategic business units (SBUs) that operate in various critical industries including power, financial services and banking, food, infrastructure, and land, rose to the COVID-19 challenge and found ways to innovate and continue operating even with reduced budgets. This year, Aboitiz Group president and chief executive ffficer Sabin M. Aboitiz said the key was to keep the group’s “economic engines running” while proactively managing ever-present risks. “The full extent of its impact remains to be seen even as our economy is beginning to see marginal gains. While the Aboitiz Group is optimistic about recovery, we continue to closely observe ... » Learn More about Aboitiz keeps ‘economic engines’ running toward recovery

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will return to Brussels this week for discussions on Iran, Afghanistan and Russian activities directed at Ukraine, a U.S. official said. Blinken will join U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Brussels. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity on Saturday, did not release additional details on the trip. Austin was scheduled to visit NATO headquarters in Belgium on a trip that started on Saturday and also includes Israel, Germany and Britain, the Pentagon said last week. The trip by two of President Joe Biden's Cabinet members coincides with increasing tensions over Russian activities near Ukraine's eastern border, where Washington says Russia has amassed more troops than at any time since 2014, when it annexed Crimea. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine on Friday of "dangerous provocative actions" in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region. Turkey, a NATO ally, said on Friday the United States ... » Learn More about Blinken to return to Brussels for talks on Ukraine, Afghanistan