Malaysia will relocate its railway station near Singapore’s central business district to an area close to one of the two bridges linking the two countries, freeing up land in the city-state for redevelopment.
Actor Jackie Chan has come forward to aid those affected by a drought in China by personally bringing much-needed water to the area.
The ‘Rush Hour’ star delivered 48,000 bottles of fluids when he travelled to TongRen in China’’s Guizhou province.
He also visited an elementary school, where he gave students backpacks filled with notebooks, t-shirts and [...]
Hyflux Water Trust says it generated cash available for distribution of S3.5 million in 1Q10, with Operating and Maintenance Income and Finance Income comparable to that of the corresponding period last year.
Mainboard-listed Darco Water Technologies Limited, the provider of integrated engineering and knowledge-based water treatment solutions, says it has recently clinched 15 industrial turnkey projects worth an aggregate of $10 million from customers in the electronic, semi-conductor and solar power manufacturing facilities across Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Phillipines. These orders are mainly air management and water treatment projects.
Darco Water Technologies appointed Adept Public Acccounting Corporation of Singapore to investigate on the past three years’ accounting records of its Taiwanese unit, Darco Engineering Taiwan (DET), on possible misappropriation of funds. The company has been concerned with several extraordinary and large administrative cash advances, unsatisfactory explanation of items in DET’s accounting records last year.
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The deal will expand Sembcorp’s water and wastewater operations in 11 countries from five and allow it to enter new markets such as South Africa and Latin America.
Singapore stocks holding above water but off early highs as investors quick to book gains amid lingering concerns over recent external developments, including Goldman Sachs probe, China’s property-market tightening, according to Dow Jones.
Do you need caffeine to get through your day? I’ve experienced every over-the-counter wakefulness supplement produced before 2007 (when I smartened up) and can promise you that it all has the same effect: A brief period of increased alertness is followed by a dramatic increase in lethargy (a crash) or anxiety and fidgeting. Consume enough caffeine combined with whatever jungle juice is in vogue and you’ll eventually turn into an over-clocked grouch.
Perhaps you already are? You don’t have to be. Here are 7 ways to increase your alertness and subsequent productivity without reaching for that 6th cup of coffee before lunch:
A quick version of the power nap, a drop nap takes only a few minutes and will usually give you enough of a boost to get through the last few hours of work. How to do it? Sit in a comfortable chair and hold something in one hand that, when dropped on the floor, will make enough noise to wake you from a shallow sleep. Hold the object you’ve chosen so that it will drop to the floor when you relax your hand and let yourself fall asleep. As soon as you fall asleep the object will drop and you’ll wake up with a boost of alertness. If you’ve ever fallen asleep for a few seconds while driving you already know what it feels like to wake from a drop nap!
A micro project is any small project that can be completed in a very little time. Taking a few minutes away from your sleep-inducing labor to work on a small project of your own can provide the excitement and immediate fulfillment needed to get your brain back in gear for the less interesting work you face.
Get your hind parts out of that seat and release some of that lethargy and tension with a few minutes of stretching! You can start with some basic stretches and move to more complex ones as you feel comfortable.
Play a game that makes your mind work as you push for a win over another, preferably somebody you know. The combination of competition, strategy, and social interaction will give you the boost in brainpower you need to keep going. WeeWar is a recent favorite of mine. The combination of strategy, simplicity, and a bit of luck make for a fun way to take an “alertness break” from my work while connecting with a friend.
Your brain is mostly water so it makes sense that you’d need to keep yourself hydrated for maximum alertness and productivity! They Mayo Clinic recommends three hydration styles to make sure you keep your body stocked with fluids:
Trading that 4pm cup of coffee for a glass of water may have the extended benefit of guarding you from the hours-long affects of caffeine that might otherwise keep you up late.
Fight away the drowsiness by connecting with a friend for a short conversation. Making plans for the weekend or just chatting about something that’s on your mind can give you a big mental boost and get you back into the game quickly. Keep your conversation short so you don’t end up spending any of your new-found wakefulness on chatting while you still have work to do!
Depending on your fitness level, you should be able to engage in an activity that raises your heart rate for a few minutes without breaking a sweat. Feel stupid doing crunches or jumping jacks in your cubicle? You’d feel much worse if you were caught sleeping on the job! If you have more time and don’t mind getting sweaty, take an hour to make use of that gym pass you bought in January or go for a run. You’ll come back mentally refreshed and enjoy increased alertness for a few hours as your heart continues the increased blood flow to your brain.
What about you? Have you got into the habit of gulping caffeinated beverages whenever you feel a bit drowsy? Perhaps you’ve broken free of caffeine and have a tip or two of your own to share?
Image: Jraj7
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Cai Yutian has been appointed non-executive chairman/non-ED wef April 7
Work experience: ED/vice chairman/CEO, Shanghai Industrial Holdings Ltd; ED/president, Shanghai Industrial Investment (Holdings) Co Ltd
Gains across Asian bourses keep Singapore shares above water, though market generally quiet as investors avoid big positions ahead of long weekend, says Dow Jones.
LAHORE – India has agreed to the proposal put forward by Pakistan to review the design of Nimo Bazgo Dam project, also declaring the Pak demand of reactivating the telemetry system on rivers as acceptable.
This was decided on the first day of three-day meeting of the Indus River Commission held in the provincial capital on Sunday. G Aranga Nathan heads the nine-member Indian delegation while Jamaat Ali Shah is leading the Pakistani side. Pakistan informed the Indian delegation about the objections to Nimo Bazgo Dam, which was the main agenda of the first day of the meeting comprising the issues of the rapid decrease of water level in River Chenab, the construction of controversial Nimo Bazgo Dam and Chutak Power Plants on the River Indus by India that would cause blockage of more than 35,000 cusec water.
The Indian delegation, however, agreed to the proposals put forward by Pakistan and assured to consider the suggestions in near future but sought more time to deliberate the issue.
The Pakistani delegation informed Indians that Pakistan had already installed telemetry system for monitoring water shares among the provinces of the country while there were apprehensions and unrest among the people, particularly the farmersÂ’ community, over the water shortage due to the Indian projects on rivers.
PakistanÂ’s representatives stressed that it was the duty of India to ensure provision of complete water share of Pakistan despite having partial facility of use of water under Indus Water Treaty.
However, Jamaat Ali Shah said as the dialogues were of non-political nature, no immediate breakthrough could be expected, adding that Pakistan recorded its protest against the construction of all the controversial dams by India. He further said that the Indus Water Treaty Commission wanted to resolve all the pending issues in order to win the trust of public.
Appreciating the suggestion of the installation of telemetry system, Aranga Nathan asked for more time to deliberate the issue with the Indian experts. He said the telemetry system would help in minimising uncertainty and confusion between the two countries.
He said in case the commission failed to resolve the water issues in present session, another meeting was likely to be called soon. The meeting between the Indus River Commissioners of both the countries would continue on Monday (today) and Tuesday as well.
More people are getting improved access to drinking water
THE glass is more than half full: according to the World Health Organisation, some 5.9 billion people, or 87% of the world’s population, enjoyed access to drinking water from an “improved” source in 2008. In other words, those people had water piped to a dwelling, or got it from a public tap or a protected well. Back in 1990 only 77% of the world’s population enjoyed such a luxury. Yet in some parts of the world, notably in Africa, great improvements in water supply are still needed. Some 884m people are still not using an improved water source, more than a third of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Eastern Asia has seen the greatest recent progress: 89% of the population in that region now have access to an improved water source, up from just 69% in 1990.
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Catalist-listed Dayen Environmental has been awarded a $6.55 million contract by The Public Utilities Board of Singapore (PUB) to undertake the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works to construct a pumping station with a capacity of 68,000 cubic metres per day (equivalent to 15 million gallons per day) within Jurong Water Reclamation Plant to deliver additional industrial water to Jurong Island.
Darco Water Technologies, the provider of integrated engineering and knowledge-based water treatment solutions, announced its full-year results for the 12 months ending 31 December 2009 (FY2009) with revenue of $57.5 million and net loss attributable to shareholders of $192,000.
The group’s revenue decreased year-on-year by 42% largely due to slowdown in projects arising from the global economic downturn, as well as fewer projects available in Taiwan as a result of a change in government policy in FY2009. Nevertheless, the group saw gross margin improvement to 24.9% in FY2009 from 17.1% in FY2008.
Darco Water Techologies won a contract worth $79 million to build and operate a wastewater and sewerage project in Taiwan, it said in a Singapore stock exchange filing today.
The project will generate about $298 million in revenue over a 35-year period, the statement said. When the sewerage network is finished in 10 years’ time, it will service 10,777 households, as well as industrial and commercial buildings in Taiwan’s Puding district.
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Zac Efron reportedly spent an entire day mopping up water damage after torrential rain caused his swimming pool to overflow and flooded his “modest” multimillion Hollywood mansion.
The High School Musical star found his lavish home filled with ankle-high water after a night of torrential rain flooded his infinity pool last month.
“While Zac slept, his [...]
Water levels of rivers in Serbia are increasing, but are still in most places bellow the regular flood protection mark. The most critical situation is still in the areas around rivers Crni and Beli Timok in eastern Serbia.
Hyflux Water Trust has announced a 36% year-on-year increase in distributable cash to $7.8 million for 2H09.
DPU for 2H09 is 2.86 cents for all units except for those held by Hyflux and the manager.
Total DPU for 2009, including 1H09 DPU of 2.56 cents, is 5.42 cents and is 9.3% higher than the DPU of 4.96 cents for 2008.
LAHORE – Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir maintained on Wednesday that Pakistan’s agenda for talks with India is open in every respect and Kashmir dispute and water issue will be on top of it during today’s (Thursday’s) parleys in New Delhi as both sides exchanged terse allegations over the disputed territory of Kashmir ahead of the meeting.
“We are optimistic about the dialogue and we will discuss all issues. We should not look into it (dialogue) with the angle of ‘success or failure’ and wait for the best. It is premature to speculate about the outcome at this stage,” Salman Bashir told reporters before departure of his delegation to New Delhi, here at Allama Iqbal International Airport.
According to Bashir, Pakistan wants to move forward the current process of talks and has the desire to hold talks at the foreign minister level between the two countries. He said that to say anything about the outcome of negotiations at this stage would be premature and the situation would be clear after the conclusion of talks between the two countries. He rejected the news reports that any change has been made in the delegation and termed it as ‘misunderstanding’.
Bashir said all major issues would be discussed during talks with Indian counterparts. The major issues to be discussed in the talks include counter terrorism, Kashmir dispute and water issue, Salman Bashir said, adding there is no bar from any side to discuss any other issue.
“Any issue can be raised and discussed,” he said. “World knows Pakistan’s efforts and struggle in counter terrorism and international community has recognised Pakistan’s efforts in this regard and India should also realise that it is a global as well as regional issue,” he said. Responding to a question, he stressed the need for continuing the process of composite dialogue and preparation of a road map for future engagements at foreign office level of both the countries.
When he was informed about the arrest of a 13-year-old boy who inadvertently boarded India-bound train from Lahore and was arrested by the Indian authorities, he said this issue would also be raised in the dialogue besides discussing similar issues which are equally important for both the countries.
He pointed out that at “Sharam el Shaikh “ it was agreed between Pakistan and India that terrorism was a common problem and Pakistan has a clear stand vis-a-vis counter terrorism and it would be productive to bracket it in the dialogue.
Responding to another query, he said that after tomorrowÂ’s (Thursday) dialogue there would be more clarity on important issues.
The Foreign Secretary said all issues would be discussed in these meetings and Pakistan would also raise the issue of Kishan-Ganga dam and other important issues. Analysts say the talks could eventually pave the way for the resumption of the formal peace process, broken off after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Recently, Indian officials have admitted that one Abu Jindal, an Indian national and a key figure who taught the ten gunmen to speak Hindi and prepare for the attack, is Syed Zabiuddin Ansari from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
The disclosure that an Indian played a key role in the fedayeen commando attacks on the countryÂ’s commercial capital also caused deep discomfort to New Delhi and the Prime Minister had blamed Pakistan for the atrocity.
“Both the countries are poverty-hit and inflation-stricken. A great number of people are living below poverty line in India (population wise) as compared to Pakistan. Both the South Asian neighbours should resolve all issues through dialogue to promote peace in the entire region,” Muhammad Azhar, advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan said.
Observers on Indo-Pak relations are not seeing any breakthrough in the first round of secretary-level talks between the south Asian neighbours, but believed that it would pave way for the resumption of composite dialogue.
Agencies add: Talking to newsmen at Indira Gandhi International Airport upon arrival in New Delhi, Salman Bashir said he was hopeful of positive outcome of Pak-India talks. He said dialogue was a way forward and Pakistan would hold talks with positive mind.
“It is good to be back,” Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told reporters. “I have come here to bridge the differences (and) I am hopeful of a positive outcome.”
Responding to a question on whether he would raise the issue of Balochistan during the talks, Bashir said all this was part of counterterrorism and could be discussed.
Issuing a statement on BashirÂ’s arrival, Indian External Affairs Ministry said during his stay, the Pakistani Foreign Secretary is also scheduled to call on minister SM Krishna and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon.
Meanwhile, on the eve of long-awaited talks, Indian border guards in Kashmir said they came under fire from Pakistan on Wednesday, a claim denied by Islamabad.
The conflicting claims coincided with the arrival of the Pakistani foreign secretary in Delhi for the talks.
“The firing from across the border started early morning. A BSF personnel was injured,” Vinod Sharma, a spokesman for the Indian border guards, told Reuters. But Nadeem Raza, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Rangers, told Reuters: “Our troops were not involved in any firing. There may be some problem on their own side.”
ISLAMABAD – Senior PPP leader Senator Raza Rabbani on Friday called upon the Prime Minister to convene meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to resolve the water disputes among the provinces.
Speaking on a point of order in the Senate, Senator Rabbani said that the prevailing water crisis was badly affecting the relations between Punjab and Sindh provinces, adding that the ‘Babus’ of Indus River System Authority (IRSA) were neither capable nor interested in resolving disputes among the provinces over the issue of water. The Prime Minister should, therefore, instantly convene CCI meeting so that political leaders of the four provinces could settle the issue, Senator Rabbani said. He said that under Article 153 of the Constitution, the CCI was the right forum to settle disputes among the provinces.
Earlier, while taking part in the debate on law and order situation in the country, JUI-F Senator from Sindh, Khalid Mehmood Soomro, demanded provision of due share of water to Sindh. He said that power plant project on Chashma Link Canal was violation of the 1991 Accord and that Sindh had been deceived over the issue. He also called for purging Karachi from weapons to ensure lasting peace.
Senator Prof Khurshid while taking part in the debate urged for imparting enhanced training to police as well as bringing parity in their salaries. He also regretted that Government had not fulfilled its commitment regarding release of missing persons and implementation on Supreme CourtÂ’s verdict in the NRO case.
Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash said that Pukhtuns were fighting the war of PakistanÂ’s survival but regretted that they were being treated as third class citizens in other provinces.
The House also offered Fateha for the victims of Bannu blasts.
