World

SAP sees flat 2021 revenue after fourth-quarter beat
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, World

SAP sees flat 2021 revenue after fourth-quarter beat

Business software group SAP forecast flat revenue and a decline in operating profit in 2021, as it released preliminary annual results that came at the high end of guidance slashed last autumn. BERLIN: Business software group SAP forecast flat revenue and a decline in operating profit in 2021 after reporting fourth-quarter results that beat market expectations, sending its shares up in early trading on Friday. Giving an early view of 2020 results and setting 2021 guidance, SAP said adjusted revenue, at constant currency, would be unchanged to up 2per cent this year, while adjusted operating profit was seen falling by 1per cent-6per cent. "This update should trigger a modest relief rally," said Citi analyst Amit Harchandani, adding, however, that the overall level of near-term uncert...
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Japan eyes use of robots to boost COVID-19 testing as Olympics loom
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

Japan eyes use of robots to boost COVID-19 testing as Olympics loom

TOKYO: Japan's health minister watched a demonstration on Tuesday of a prototype automated COVID-19 testing machine that uses a robotic arm to take a sample from a person's nose and can deliver the results in about 80 minutes. The robot system, built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Inc, fits in a standard shipping container that can be transported by truck and set up at stadiums, theme parks and other mass gatherings, the company said. "Looking at the global trend, we need to increase the number of people receiving tests, and the demand for preventive testing is rising," Health Minister Norihisa Tamura told reporters at the demonstration. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's administration has attracted criticism for Japan's paucity of testing. His government is under pressure to show it ha...
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Taiwan accuses China of ‘bullying’ after Guyana calls off agreement
5Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

Taiwan accuses China of ‘bullying’ after Guyana calls off agreement

Taipei has lashed out at China for “bullying” and “suppression” after Guyana terminated an agreement with Taiwan to set up a representative office in the South American country.Taiwan’s remarks come after the Guyanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement announcing the termination of the agreement soon after China called the accord a “mistake”.On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded to the “agreement,” urging Guyana to “earnestly take steps to correct their mistake.”There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Wang.“We hope the relevant party will abide by the one-China principle, refrain from any form of official exchanges and establishment of official institutions with Taiwan, take concrete actions to correct the er...
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India a major player in the Indian Ocean Region: Madagascar Defence Minister
5Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia, World

India a major player in the Indian Ocean Region: Madagascar Defence Minister

India is a major player in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the neighbouring countries rely on India to play its part in ensuring peace and prosperity in that region, said Madagascar Minister of Defence, General Richard Rakotonirina on Thursday.He was speaking at the IOR Defence Minister’s Conclave on the sidelines of Aero India 2021, Asia’s largest Aero show held at Bengaluru.At the Conclave, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India was ready to supply various types of missile systems, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and other weapons systems including missiles, helicopters, tanks and artillery guns to friendly foreign countries in the IOR.He also pointed out that India’s approach and vision to tackle the global challenge in IOR is highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s d...
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US charges Indonesian extremist Hambali over 2002 Bali bombings
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

US charges Indonesian extremist Hambali over 2002 Bali bombings

WASHINGTON: US military prosecutors have filed formal charges against an Indonesian extremist and two others in the 2002 Bali bombings and 2003 Jakarta attack, the Pentagon said Thursday. The charges were filed nearly 18 years after the three were captured in Thailand and after each has spent more than 14 years in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The first charged was Indonesian militant Riduan Isamuddin, better known by his nom de guerre Hambali, the leader of the Indonesian jihadist group Jemaah Islamiyah and believed to have been Al-Qaeda's top representative in the region. Undated picture of Hambali Riduan Isamuddin taken from a Malaysian Police website wanted list. (Photo: AFP/Malaysian Police) The group, with support from Al-Qaeda, carried out bombings of touri...
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Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar to be held online on new digital platform due to COVID-19 outbreak
5Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Singapore, World

Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar to be held online on new digital platform due to COVID-19 outbreak

SINGAPORE: The annual Geylang Serai Hari Raya Bazaar will continue to be held online this year, said the People's Association (PA) on Wednesday (Jan 13). "In view of the evolving COVID-19 situation, physical bazaars and trade fairs, which traditionally attract large crowds, will not resume," said PA in a media release, adding that for residents' safety and wellbeing, the Geylang Serai bazaar will continue to be held online and on a new digital platform. The bazaar will take place from Apr 9 to May 13, and will be a "celebration of the Malay/Muslim culture and heritage, with varied food and lifestyle experiences for Singaporeans from all walks of life to enjoy", the association said. "Similar to last year, the online experience will enable many residents to learn new skills and enj...
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COVID-19 batters Asia’s already-struggling democracies
3Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, World

COVID-19 batters Asia’s already-struggling democracies

Over the past 15 years, democracy across Asia has regressed. Although the region still has strong democracies like South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, many other leading Asian democracies and countries with democratic potential have slid backwards, turning into near-autocracies or outright authoritarian states. While Thailand had been one of the freest states in Asia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it has suffered two military coups in the past decade and now is run by a parliamentary government that took power after a seriously flawed election in 2019. Bangladesh had built itself into a shaky but increasingly vibrant democracy by the early 2010s, but in the past decade has deteriorated into a de facto one-party regime, with opposition activists, civil society leaders and journalists jailed...
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Asia’s rise doesn’t necessarily mean the West’s decline
3Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, World

Asia’s rise doesn’t necessarily mean the West’s decline

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a growing geopolitical perception of Asia’s rise and the decline of the West. To a large extent, East Asian countries have managed to control the number of infections and particularly the number of virus-related deaths proportional to population. By contrast, case totals are between 50 and 100 times higher in Europe and the United States. Even in Germany, which has put up the best fight against the virus in Europe, the COVID-19 fatality rate is almost 20 times higher than that of Japan or South Korea. While the pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to economic activity in both the East and West, East Asia has a much easier path to recovery. China is acting as an engine of growth. Japan has seen an increase in capital investment (including planned i...
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UK summons Myanmar Ambassador in London over military coup
3Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

UK summons Myanmar Ambassador in London over military coup

Myanmar's ambassador in London has been formally summoned to hear the UK's concern over the military's seizure of power, British Envoy Barbara Woodward said.As the military in Myanmar seized power, state counselor Aung Suu Kyi along with other top politicians were detained in the early hours of Monday, with Myanmar's military declaring a one-year state of emergency."Myanmar's ambassador in London has been formally summoned to hear the UK's concern," Woodward told a press conference at the UN.Woodward said her deputy at the UN had held a "useful conversation" with Myanmar's UN envoy, who represented the toppled government.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier condemned the coup and detention of civilians and called on the military to respect the vote of the people."I condemn the coup and ...
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US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden
3Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

US may re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following coup: Biden

The United States might re-impose sanctions on Myanmar following the military coup there in which Counsellor Aung Suu Kyi along with other top politicians were detained and a state emergency of one-year was imposed.In a statement dated Monday, US President Joe Biden said that Washington will “stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack.”“The military’s seizure of power in Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law,” Biden said in a statement.“The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanctio...
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