Chinese actor Jet Li and Australian pro golfer Adam Scott have both launched their own foundations in Singapore. They were at the Global Philanthropy Forum which is being held in Asia for the first time. The forum is a leading platform for promoting private philanthropy. Li said he made the move because he believes Singapore is emerging to be a leading centre for charity work. He also feels the country...
The idea of a self-contained township for foreign workers has been given a thumbs-up by foreign workers themselves. But foreign worker advocates said more should be done to help these workers integrate with the wider community. Singaporeans who do not want foreign workers living near them cite security concerns and even a downgrade in their property value as reasons. But are these fears rational? Some...
Television sets on its premises and in each of its 28 capsules showing live Formula 1 action. Fringe activities such as fire twirlers, samba dance and live band performances. Deejays hitting the deck and gigs by local celebrities like Kumar and John Molina. The Singapore Flyer is going all out with these to woo visitors during the Republic’s inaugural night Grand Prix race over the weekend of September...
Australian companies BHP Billiton and Macquarie Group have been confirmed as the newest tenants of Marina Bay Financial Centre (MBFC). Mining firm BHP Billiton and banking giant Macquarie will take up 142,000 and 74,000 sq feet of space respectively in Tower 1 of the office building at downtown Marina, said Raffles Quay Asset Management, which manages MBFC, in a statement. Both firms will take 10-year...
Ascott Raffles Place retains the old world charm of the former Asia Insurance Building, including its letters Lovingly preserved in the Ascott Group’s new serviced apartments in the former Asia Insurance Building at Finlayson Green, is a link with the age before email. It is the original mail chute from the 53-year-old building, which when the renovations were being carried out was found stuffed with...
Serviced apartment operators have fared well It is an industry that went relatively unscathed through the Sars epidemic, despite the deserted airports and near-empty hotels. Even during those times, serviced apartments in Singapore, which cater primarily to expatriates, were able to maintain an occupancy rate of more than 70 per cent. While health scares may make merrymakers rethink their holiday plans...
The Marina Bay Financial Centre has leased out over 65 per cent of its space, even though it is two years away from completion. Two of Australia's biggest companies are the latest to lease space at the centre. The Macquarie Group and BHP Billiton are taking up more than 216,000 sq ft of office space. They will be there for 10 years, with options to renew and expand. Software development firm, Murex...
Singapore kept its top ranking for the third year in a row as the easiest place in the world to do business, the World Bank said in a report Wednesday. The Asian city-state edged out New Zealand and the United States in the "Doing Business 2009" ranking by the World Bank. Filling out the list of the 10 easiest business environments was Hong Kong, Denmark, Britain, Ireland, Canada, Australia and...
JTC Corporation has announced the ten winning entries, selected from close to 1,600 submissions, for the contest to name the buildings at Fusionpolis. The online contest was held between November 2007 and January this year, and the winners – consisting of students, executives and a homemaker – will each bag a S$1,000 cash prize. Fusionopolis is styled as a hub for cutting-edge research in infocomm,...
The idea of a township for foreign workers had taken off in places like the Middle East, where dormitories for foreign workers, which are sustainable and self-contained, are said to house more than 100,000 people. In Singapore, dormitory operators said this idea could take off given the acute shortage of foreign workers' housing. There are 756,000 foreign workers in Singapore in 2006, with a higher...