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SINGAPORE: A batch of 233 swab samples for COVID-19 testing was "accidentally discarded" before the samples were tested, in an incident traced to "compliance lapses", a private laboratory said on Monday (Oct 12). Quest Laboratories had collected the samples from clinics across Singapore under the Swab-and-Send-Home programme, the lab said in a press statement. "The issue came to the laboratory's attention two days later when clinics began contacting the lab for the test results for these patients," it said. Quest Laboratories informed the Ministry of Health (MOH) about the disposal of the samples on Oct 9, the ministry said in a separate statement. It said the clinic had verified that no other specimen samples were affected. As of Sunday, a total of 102 affected patients had been tested, with all testing negative for COVID-19, Quest Laboratories said. All affected clinics had also been notified. READ: 'We can’t afford to make any mistake’: Inside a COVID-19 testing lab in … [Read more...] about 233 swab samples ‘accidentally discarded’ before COVID-19 testing due to ‘compliance lapses’ at Quest Laboratories

BERLIN: It will take more than renaming Facebook's cryptocurrency to address the concerns regulators have about authorising its launch in Germany and Europe, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Monday. In a statement after a video conference of G7 finance ministers at which cryptocurrencies were discussed, Scholz said that relaunching Libra under its new name of Diem was only a cosmetic change. "A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf," he said. "It is clear to me that Germany and Europe cannot and will not accept its entry into the market while the regulatory risks are not adequately addressed." He added: "We must do everything possible to make sure the currency monopoly remains in the hands of states." … [Read more...] about Facebook’s renamed cryptocurrency is still ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’: German Finance Minister

BERLIN: German consumers remain gloomy ahead of the traditionally big-spending Christmas season and a temporary reduction in sales tax worth up to 20 billion euros has failed to get them into shops or online - even when companies have passed it on. The six-month cut in value-added tax from 19per cent to 16per cent was the centrepiece of a 130 billion euro (US$155 billion) stimulus package launched by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz in June to drag Europe's biggest economy out of a pandemic-induced slump. Those measures, including cash handouts for parents and incentives to buy "green" cars, helped fuel growth of 8.5per cent in July-September, a big rebound from the previous quarter's unprecedented 9.8per cent plunge. But households remain focused on savings while many firms have used the VAT relief to shore up their battered margins rather than lowering retail prices, data and interviews show. "Even if I wanted to spend more on the things that I like such as travelling and … [Read more...] about Analysis: German stimulus fails to turn anxious savers into big spenders

Playing Halo 5's campaign, you get the feeling developer 343 is being pulled in two opposing directions: one direction heads towards the tried and trusted Halo gameplay perfected by Bungie before Microsoft took over development duties after the release of Halo: Reach, the other direction heads towards a need to grow the Halo franchise while establishing new characters. Where does Halo 5's meaty, crisp and fun campaign end up? Further along the gameplay road than the story road. Let's start with the story. In the build up to the release of Halo 5, Microsoft's marketing has zeroed in on an apparent conflict between Master Chief, the series star, and a new Spartan, the ex-ONI agent Jameson Locke. Is Master Chief, who goes AWOL alongside a few of his Spartan friends (Fred, Linda and Kelly), really a traitor? Locke, leader of Fireteam Osiris (Buck, voiced by the suitably wise-cracking Nathan Fillion, Tanaka and Vale) is dispatched to hunt Master Chief down under orders issued by a … [Read more...] about Halo 5’s campaign goes back to basics – and it’s all the better for it

Recently, Labyrinth hosted a table of local vegetable farmers, giving them the full weight of its Michelin-starred experience. The urban farmers, who tend crops at Edible Garden City, weren’t very much accustomed to fine dining. But they were pretty much the VIPs that night and, in fact, every night at Labyrinth – as they are the people who supply the restaurant with its herbs, flowers and vegetables. When a chef puts food on a plate, it’s the final step in a journey that begins at the source. Many chefs start their day at the market or placing orders online – but for Labyrinth’s chef-owner LG Han, his market consists of farms all over Singapore. From seafood kelongs to a quail farm, a goat’s milk dairy and more, the 34-year-old makes it a point to visit the network of local farmers he works with on a regular basis. That was why it was important to him to have Edible Garden City’s farmers over for dinner – in the spirit of exchange and understanding. Labyrinth is the only … [Read more...] about Why this Michelin star chef spends so much time on Singapore farms

WASHINGTON/BERLIN: Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies strongly supported the need to regulate digital currencies, the US Treasury Department said in a statement on Monday (Dec 7) after a virtual meeting of the officials. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz issued a sharply worded statement after the meeting, underscoring his concerns about authorising the launch of Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency - newly renamed Diem - in Germany and Europe. "A wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf," he said. "It is clear to me that Germany and Europe cannot and will not accept its entry into the market while the regulatory risks are not adequately addressed." He added: "We must do everything possible to make sure the currency monopoly remains in the hands of states." US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hosted the 12th meeting of the G7 finance officials this year related to the COVID-19 pandemic as Washington prepares to hand over the … [Read more...] about G7 finance officials back need to regulate digital currencies: US Treasury