Linc Energy dumps ASX for Singapore

Linc Energy boss Peter Bond says mid-sized firms are finding it impossible to take the next step on Australia’s share market, and that is why he is ditching it for Singapore.

The oil, gas and coal company will need 51 per cent support from shareholders to de-list from the ASX and move to Singapore’s SGX in December.

Mr Bond, one of Australia’s richest men with wealth of about $450 million, will vote with his 39 per cent stake, meaning just 12 per cent of the remaining votes will be needed to back the move.

He says he is frustrated with a lack of support from Australian institutional investors, including superannuation funds, which has caused Linc to be undervalued.

The company’s current listed value is less than $730 million.

Large investors tend to only back the 50 or 60 largest ASX stocks, he said, and other chief executives are equally frustrated and want to relocate their share listings.

“A country as rich as we are, the fourth to fifth largest saving nation in the world, we have literally a trillion dollars sitting in banks … but the stocks outside the top 50 to 60 aren’t getting the full benefit of superannuation in general and funds under management,” Mr Bond said.

“I’d like to see more of that superannuation money in general funds management start to focus on our own backyard.”

The value of Singapore’s stock exchange is smaller than Australia’s, but would unlock Linc’s value as it would be a big player in a market with less exposure to energy companies, he said.

Brisbane-based Linc’s assets include oil and gas production assets in the US, shale in South Australia and underground coal gasification technology, in which Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has invested in.

“(Singapore) is becoming the energy hub of Asia in the Asian century, where it is the highest growth market for energy demand consumption for foreseeable generations,” Mr Bond said.

Linc’s shares dropped 14.75 cents, or 10.5 per cent, to $1.258 on Wednesday, before they were placed in a trading halt pending an announcement by the company of a purchase of Queensland coal mining assets.

Linc Energy dumps ASX for Singapore

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Singapore disappointment still fresh for di Resta

Force India pilot Paul di Resta has admitted the disappointment from Singapore is still ‘fresh’ heading to Korea this weekend.

The Scot looked set for a good result at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and was running in the points until he crashed out with just seven laps to go.

It was a bitter blow, especially as it means he has now gone five races without finishing in the top-ten, his last points coming at his home race at Silverstone back at the end of June.

“The disappointment still feels quite fresh,” di Resta confirmed when quizzed on his feelings about Singapore in the countdown to the 14th round in the 2013 F1 World Championship in Yeongam. “When you have a race like that you just want to get back in the car as soon as possible.

“[But] after the race I went back to Europe for some training and to get myself ready for the final push of the season. October will be the busiest month of the year so it was good to have some quality time at home before we spend the next couple of months travelling.”

“The Korea International Circuit is an unusual track, but definitely a place that I enjoy driving,” he continued. “The three sectors are all very different with long straights linked by hairpins, some high-speed corners and a slower technical part of the lap. The tyre choices are the same as in Singapore so it will be interesting to see how they perform. We’ve always gone well on the supersofts, but struggled more on the medium compound so hopefully we can switch it on this weekend.”

Team-mate Adrian Sutil meanwhile will be looking for his third points finish from the last four races this Sunday – and his first in Korea after retiring in 2010 and only finishing eleventh in 2011.

“Singapore was a lot of work for one point, that’s for sure! In the race I started on the mediums to do something different with the strategy and that worked out quite well. In the closing laps I was right on the back of the train of cars fighting for points. My tyres were so worn that it was hard to push, so getting a point was a good feeling after a long race,” he stated.

“I’m now looking forward to Korea and I quite like the track. I haven’t been so successful there yet, but I want to make up for that this year,” added the German.

“The circuit has a nice layout and a nice flow in the second part of the lap with some high-speed corners. Let’s see how the supersoft performs because the corners are very hard on the tyres. That could open up some interesting strategies.”

Singapore disappointment still fresh for di Resta

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Food Fridays: At Raffles, Sling Back in Time

• 
  

  By Gaurav Raghuvanshi

  
  

It’s the only place in squeaky clean Singapore where you can litter with impunity.

Gaurav Raghuvanshi/The Wall Street Journal

The Singapore Sling was invented in 1915 by a bartender at the Raffles Hotel as a woman’s drink, as it was not nice for ladies to be seen drinking alcohol openly in those days.

Well, you can’t exactly start a fire, but the staff at the Long Bar at Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel encourages you to toss your peanut shells on the floor. Helpfully, every table has a huge bowl of peanuts waiting to be cracked, and a carpet of shells cover the teak wood and tile flooring.

But we weren’t at the Long Bar to derive cheap thrills by messing up the floor. This was where the Singapore Sling, the most famous cocktail of the city state, was invented. And, that was where our interest lay.

Sitting at the bar, we tried to spy on Kiver Yong as he prepared the classic drink that was created by Hainanese-Chinese bartender Ngiam Tong Boon in 1915. That was needless, as Mr. Yong was more than happy to show us how it was prepared. He even gave a card with the recipe and a brief history of the Singapore Sling.

The Raffles Hotel previously had a museum where it had preserved the safe in which Mr. Ngiam locked away his precious recipe books and also the Sling recipe hastily jotted down on a bar chit in 1936 by a guest. The museum has since been closed and most of the articles donated.

The Singapore Sling was invented as a woman’s drink as it was not nice for ladies to be seen drinking alcohol openly in those days. A look around at the tables reveals that the cocktail, despite its pink color, is very popular among men, too.

“Most of the foreigners who visit the hotel want to try it. We even have some locals who are regular patrons,” said Mr. Yong, the bartender.

Raffles Hotel sells about 700 glasses of Singapore Sling daily, of which 500 are sold at the Long Bar itself.

Often, taxi drivers suggest the Singapore Sling to their passengers and bring them to the hotel that opened in 1887. Dwarfed by shiny skyscrapers around it, the three-storied Raffles Hotel is still able to keep its old world charm with its white marble colonnades and wide verandahs. The elevators, though with modern steel panels, smell heavily of machine oil and take almost as long to climb one floor as a modern lift would take to shoot up 10 floors.

Raffles

At the Raffles Hotel’s Long Bar, guests can watch the original Singapore Sling be prepared as they take part in a tradition — tossing peanut shells on the floor.

The original Singapore Sling (recipe below) is a gin-based drink that has a nice balance between sweetness of pineapple juice and the spiciness of Dom Benedictine with a dash of Angostura bitters to finish. It’s one of the most refreshing cocktails that you can get in Singapore, and indeed, anywhere.

The Long Bar offers variations that are based on vodka or Bacardi rum and different fruit juices. While the Singapore Sling is definitely worth trying for its history, we would also recommend its ‘Autumn Sling’ variation.

The drink itself is quite attractive with its rich dark purple color from blackberries. The sweetness of the apple and pineapple juice is perfectly balanced with the tanginess of the lemon wedges and blackberries. We dare say we liked it more than the original Singapore Sling.

How to make the Raffles Hotel Singapore Sling:

Ingredients:

30 ml Gin

15 ml Heering cherry liquor

120 ml pineapple juice

15 ml lime juice

7.5 ml Contreau

7.5 ml Dom Benedictine

10 ml Grenadine

A dash of Angostura Bitters

Mix ingredients well in a cocktail shaker and pour in a tall glass full of ice cubes. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.

Food Fridays: At Raffles, Sling Back in Time

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Meritus Hotels & Resorts Advances Service Levels to Singapore MICE Market ...

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The driving force in our decision to deploy GroupMAX is what it allows us to offer our MICE clientele. We will not just be fulfilling meeting planner requests; we will be consistently exceeding their expectations and enabling new levels of their success.

Waltham, MA, USA and Singapore (PRWEB) September 30, 2013

Singapore-based hospitality group Meritus Hotels Resorts now has the most technologically advanced meetings and group management solution available for its planners and guests.    

The adoption of Passkey’s award-winning hotel booking solution, GroupMAX, will allow Meritus to offer meeting planners not only a personalized booking experience for every event, but will allow its guests to book their stay for any event at Meritus using any web connected device. Both Meritus’ flagship hotel, the Mandarin Orchard Singapore, and its Marina Mandarin Singapore property are deploying the GroupMAX toolset as of this Fall.

The implementation of GroupMAX by Meritus adds to the momentum Passkey is experiencing in international markets, where over 50 major hotel properties in Europe and Asia have added GroupMAX to their arsenal over the past 12 months.

At Meritus, every planner will have the opportunity to enjoy a custom designed website for their event and every attendees will be able to browse a wide range of accommodation options and make their hotel bookings online. Moreover, planners will have access to a live dashboard to track their room block from any web connection.

“There certainly is a lot for us to gain,” remarked Paul Stocker, regional vice president of sales at Meritus Hotels Resorts. “But the driving force in our decision to deploy GroupMAX is what it allows us to offer our MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) clientele. We will not just be fulfilling meeting planner requests; we will be consistently exceeding their expectations and enabling new levels of their success.” Specifically, planners hosting events at the two Meritus properties will enjoy:

• 
      Increased block pickup: The ability for attendees to book their rooms online has been proven to consistently increase booking pace and room block pickup.



•     Visibility into event performance: Advanced dashboards and reporting make it easy for planners and hotel staff to view up-to-date information and make timely decisions.


•     Secure, automated room lists: GroupMAX’s room list tool ensure that all attendee data is PCI (Payment Card Industry) secure. In addition, planners can make their own changes online, avoiding the often tiresome back and forth with hotels.


•     A rich attendee booking experience: Attendees can now book their event accommodations from any connected device using event-branded, visually rich booking websites. In addition they’ll be able to browse a wide variety of room upgrades and hotel add-on options such as Wi-Fi, spa services, late checkout, etc., all in a simple and fun booking experience.

“For hotels, having the right tools to serve this growing and highly competitive market is often the difference between mere survival and major success,” commented Passkey’s president and CEO, Greg Pesik. “We are delighted with Meritus’ decision to deploy our technology and are looking forward to its impact on the local event landscape.”

About Meritus Hotels Resorts    

Meritus Hotels Resorts (http://www.meritushotels.com) is part of the hospitality division of Overseas Union Enterprise Limited, which is amongst the key property players in Asia, and one of the few integrated developers in Singapore boasting a complete portfolio of prime assets across the retail, commercial, residential, and hospitality sectors.

Meritus is an award-winning hospitality brand inspired by the richness of its Asian heritage, providing guests its signature Asian grace, warmth and care through hotels and resorts strategically located in key cities and idyllic resort destinations in Singapore, Malaysia, Mainland China, and Indonesia. Its growing portfolio currently includes the flagship Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Marina Mandarin Singapore, Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort Spa Langkawi, Meritus Mandarin Haikou, Meritus Shantou China, and Meritus Surabaya City Centre.

Meritus Hotels Resorts was conferred the Heritage Brand Award at the Singapore Prestige Brand Awards 2012. The Group was also cited Global Winner for Luxury Hotel Chain at the World Luxury Travel Awards 2012, and Most Admired Enterprise in the categories of Growth and Innovation at the 2012 ASEAN Business Awards.

About Passkey International, Inc.

Passkey (http://www.passkey.com) is the travel industry’s leading hotel booking technology for meetings and events. The company’s cloud-based platform, GroupMAX is used by thousands of hotels, destinations and meeting planners worldwide to manage the hotel accommodation process for events of every size. At the heart of GroupMAX is the ability for group guests to book their hotel rooms online in event-specific booking websites while enjoying multiple stay and upgrade options. With offices in the US, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, the Passkey global network now includes over 90% of major US and UK Convention and Visitors Bureaus, as well as a wide range of hotels, casinos, resorts, meeting planners, corporations and meeting management companies.

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Meritus Hotels & Resorts Advances Service Levels to Singapore MICE Market ...

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20 months' jail for woman who went on shopping spree with stolen credit cards

Dressed in designer wear, Shahna Liu Mei Li, 39, would breeze into Marina Bay Sands Hotel pretending to be a guest. But her real intention was to steal and cheat.

She would filch the credit cards of patrons at the swimming pool and use these to splurge on herself at nearby boutiques. The favourite purchases of the 39-year-old Indonesian included sunglasses, earrings, shoes and clothes.

Assistant Public Prosecutor Chew Xin Ying said that the total amount Liu cheated or tried to cheat on the three occasions she went to the hotel between Sept 28 and Jan 28 came up to $29,230.

Liu was sentenced yesterday to a year and eight months in jail for 31 counts of stealing, cheating, and attempted cheating, and one count of lying to the police. She had pleaded guilty to all the charges.

TO READ THE FULL STORY…

20 months" jail for woman who went on shopping spree with stolen credit cards

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Bloomberry appoints new president

Malaya Business Insight’s weekday sections treat readers to timely articles on shipping, banking, information and technology, automotive and motoring, real estate and property development, travel and tourism and people and sectoral events. Special issues and supplements are designed to enrich current information and data files of readers with pre-selected topics of national and local significance.

Bloomberry appoints new president

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Stratasys Demonstrates Industry Leadership at the First Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE, Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ –

– To Deliver Keynote on 3D Printing Industry Trends of Mass

Customization, Rapid Prototyping and Direct Digital

Manufacturing

– Opens local operation in Singapore to Support Growing

Demand for 3D printing in the ASEAN Region

– Inside 3D Printing Conference Expo — October 1-2,

2013; Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Stratasys Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd. (SSYS), a manufacturer of 3D printers and materials for personal use, prototyping and production, today announced its participation in the first Inside 3D Printing Conference Expo in Asia Pacific. Stratasys’ Jonathan Jaglom, General Manager, Asia Pacific Japan, will be delivering a keynote speech at the event on October 1 in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2012/12/05/20121205155959811273-l.jpg )

Stratasys also announced the opening of its local office in Singapore. The new office will enable Stratasys to meet the demands its Asean-based customers and the local 3D printing market. The Singapore government recently announced the support of the industry with an investment of S$500 million over the next five years under its “Future of Manufacturing” program. This program is designed to drive the development and adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies. The new local operation allows Stratasys to capture this opportunity. Inside 3D Printing Conference Expo will feature many influential industry leaders and analysts from within the industry, sharing insights on 3D printing industry trends and policy issues and showcasing advanced 3D printing technologies and services. In his keynote, Jaglom will address the 3D printing trends in areas of mass customization, rapid prototyping and direct digital manufacturing.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to share our views on the 3D printing industry with industry leaders and stakeholders,” said Jonathan Jaglom. “Adoption of 3D printing, particularly in the Asia Pacific region, has increased significantly in the past few years. In addition to Singapore, other governments, including China and Japan, have also stated their support for the industry. We expect adoption to grow in the region. As an industry leader, we strive to continue offering cutting-edge technologies, helping to shape the industry’s innovation and service excellence standards. “

Stratasys has been serving customers in the South East Asia and in particular, in Singapore, for many years, spanning multiple sectors including automotive, consumer electronics, consumer goods, industrial machinery, education, medical and dental. Establishing local presence in Singapore will enable Stratasys to offer the most appropriate solutions and support to both its channel partners and customers in Singapore.

About Stratasys

Stratasys Ltd. (SSYS), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel, manufactures 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production. The company’s patented FDM(R) and PolyJet(R) processes produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include 3D printers for idea development, prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape and the company operates the RedEye On Demand digital-manufacturing service. Stratasys has more than 1500 employees, holds over 500 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: www.stratasys.com or http://blog.stratasys.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Statements regarding Stratasys’ beliefs, intentions and expectations, including without limitation statements regarding the development and performance of our products, are forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the United States federal securities laws). The statements involve risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk and uncertainty that the businesses of the two companies may not be integrated successfully; the risk that the merger may involve unexpected costs or unexpected liabilities; the risk that synergies from the merger may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; the risk that management’s focus on and disruptions arising from the merger make it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees, or suppliers. Stratasys’ ability to achieve the results presented in any forward-looking statement will depend on numerous factors, including its ability to penetrate the 3D printing market; its ability to achieve the growth rates experienced in preceding quarters; its ability to introduce, produce and market both existing and new consumable materials, and the market acceptance of these materials; the impact of competitive products and pricing; its timely development of new products and materials and market acceptance of those products and materials; the success of Stratasys’ recent RD initiative to expand the DDM capabilities of its core FDM technology; and the success of Stratasys’ RedEye On DemandTM and other paid parts services. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. These and other applicable factors are discussed in this presentation and in Stratasys’ Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2012, as well as other filings that Stratasys, Inc. has made with the SEC and that Stratasys Ltd. has made and will make with the SEC in the future. Any forward-looking statements included in this presentation are as of the date they are given, and Stratasys is not obligated to update them if its views later change, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Stratasys’ views as of any date subsequent to the date they are given.

Stratasys Demonstrates Industry Leadership at the First Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo in Asia Pacific

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