Facebook completes US$19b purchase of WhatsApp

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/technology/facebook-completes-us-19b/1401092.html?cid=TWTCNA&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Facebook on Monday (Oct 6) completed its purchase of mobile messaging application WhatsApp, with the mostly stock deal tallying nearly US$22 billion.

Facebook, the world's biggest social network, announced the buyout of the WhatsApp messenger service in February.

US authorities approved the deal in April.

The buyout included 177 million Facebook shares, plus US$4.59 billion in cash. In addition, the social network agreed to provide 45.9 million restricted shares to WhatsApp employees.

The acquisition was given the colossal price tag of US$19 billion when the deal was struck in February, but a rise in Facebook shares has pushed the value even higher.

Terms of the deal include WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum remaining head of the company and taking a seat on the Facebook board of directors.

Koum's salary will be one dollar a year, according to a filing on Monday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The symbolic annual pay mirrors that of Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg.

"We are looking forward to connecting even more people around the world, and continuing to create value for the people who use WhatsApp," Facebook said in a statement emailed to AFP.

Address root causes of anti-foreigner sentiments

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/forum-letters/story/address-root-causes-anti-foreigner-sentiments-20141007

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called upon Singaporeans not to be overly distracted by internal issues while losing sight of the bigger picture ("PM calls on S'pore to look outwards and to the future"; last Saturday).

In a globalised economy, Singapore's success depends on reaching out to the world and staying connected.

While Mr Lee acknowledged ground concerns of tensions caused by immigrants, it is unrealistic for the Government to expect citizens to simply surmount the uneasiness.

Most Singaporeans are not jingoistic by nature and accept that immigrants contribute to the country's growth.

However, with liberal immigration policies in the past, citizens have the perception that they are being marginalised in their own homeland.

Recent reports on how certain individuals could obtain permanent residency using fake credentials have reinforced the perception that we are accepting under-qualified foreigners as permanent residents.

In maintaining the social fabric between citizens and immigrants, the Government must address the root causes of anti-foreigner sentiments, to convince Singaporeans that only qualified foreigners are granted permanent residency and, eventually, citizenship.

Some measures to address such sentiments include revealing the criteria for granting permanent residency and citizenship, instead of keeping these conditions vague and hence allowing the public to speculate; reviewing the contributions of foreigners and PRs on a regular basis, so that only those who contribute have the right of abode; and recognising the contributions of citizens vis-a-vis the responsibilities shouldered, such as national service.

Lee Yong Se

PSI hits unhealthy range, conditions 'expected to persist'

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/psi-hits-unhealthy-range/1400490.html

The Republic's air quality reached unhealthy levels on Monday (Oct 6), after days of relatively clear skies.

The air quality reached levels understood to be the worst since a new air quality reporting system - which takes into account fine particulate matter - was implemented in April this year.

Monday's 3-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading was 136 as of 9pm, after hitting a high of 153 at 7pm.

The hazy conditions are "expected to persist overnight" and into Tuesday, said the National Environment Agency (NEA).

"The overall air quality for the next 24 hours is expected to be in the high-end of moderate and unhealthy range," added the NEA. The 24-hr PSI was at 9pm stood at 84-98, in the moderate range.

It said 97 hotspots were detected in Sumatra on Monday, 74 of which were in Kalimantan. The agency said it has requested for an "urgent update" of the situation on the ground from Indonesian authorities and has also asked them to take immediate action to suppress the fires.

NEA has encouraged Singaporeans to reduce outdoor activities and physical exertion to "help limit the ill effects from haze exposure".

"The elderly, pregnant women and children should minimise prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion, while those with chronic lung or heart disease should avoid prolonged or strenuous outdoor physical exertion. Persons who are not feeling well, especially the elderly and children, and those with chronic heart or lung conditions, should seek medical attention."

New GNSS ERP system may boost demand for off-peak cars

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/new-erp-system-using-gnss/1400758.html

The use of off-peak cars have been going down for four consecutive years, currently forming only 6.4 per cent of all vehicles in Singapore.

However, analysts say their popularity may return, if authorities use a new electronic road pricing system based on Global Navigation Satellite System technology, or GNSS.

The Land Transport Authority said only 97 new off-peak cars were registered in the first eight months of the year, a 10 per cent reduction compared to last year - but that trend may change.

With the use of GNSS, LTA is also considering allowing off-peak cars (OPCs) to pay only for short periods of usage rather than the whole day.

Analysts say this could mean more off-peak cars on the roads during peak hours, meaning authorities would need to come up with an effective fee structure that can control the number of cars on the roads.

If the new system is founded on the principle of "vehicle use" rather than quantity, there is also a possibility Certificate of Entitlement quotas may go up, causing COE prices to fall.

And if more people buy cars, an expert says the authorities would need to do more, to improve Singapore's infrastructure.