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ECO Clean Office and Helpling Join Hands to Revolutionise Home Services

  • ECO Clean Office, a leading provider of cleaning services, has forged a partnership with Helpling, a home service platform. Keep reading on to find out how this collaboration is set to reshape the landscape of home services, ushering in a new level of convenience, quality, and innovation.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 22 September 2023 – ECO Clean Office, a leading provider of commercial cleaning services in Singapore, is thrilled to announce a partnership with Helpling, a renowned platform in the home service sector. This alliance marks a crucial step in the company’s pursuit of excellence, emphasising its dedication to industry standards, customer satisfaction, and innovation for growth.

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Synergy of Strengths
In contrast to conventional collaborations between companies and tech platforms, the unique partnership forged between ECO Clean Office and Helpling has given rise to a distinct service delivery model. This alliance seamlessly merges ECO Clean Office’s wealth of expertise in manpower with Helpling’s tech-driven approach, resulting in a cleaning service that caters to the full spectrum of client preferences. Clients not only enjoy the digital convenience they actively seek but also get to savour the cherished human touch, making this partnership a perfect blend of the best of both worlds.
Empowering the Team Through Holistic Training
Helpling’s training for ECO Clean Office’s staff goes beyond merely elevating service quality – it also brings these services into alignment with industry standards. This holistic training approach ensures consistency and quality across all service touchpoints. Clients can place their trust in services that adhere to the highest industry standards, thanks to Helpling’s comprehensive training programme.
Transforming Customer Experiences
With Helpling’s robust technological infrastructure and ECO Clean Office’s dedicated workforce, the partnership has the capacity to easily scale services according to demand. Clients get to enjoy flexibility in service scheduling without compromising on quality. This adaptability guarantees that ECO Clean Office and Helpling are well-equipped to meet the diverse needs of valued clients, no matter the scope of the service they seek.
Furthermore, ECO Clean Office’s integrated approach combines back-end expertise with Helpling’s streamlined front-end booking system to guarantee a hassle-free experience for clients from start to finish. From booking a service to its execution, this simplifies and streamlines the entire process, setting a new standard for customer experience in the home services industry.
Sustainable Growth: ECO Clean Office and Helpling’s Vision for the Future
With a focus on core strengths, the partnership between ECO Clean Office and Helpling has established a sustainable growth model that effectively reduces overhead costs and eliminates redundancies. This forward-thinking and efficient collaboration assures clients that ECO Clean Office and Helpling are committed to providing high-quality services while maintaining a sustainable and cost-effective business model.
In essence, this collaboration represents a pioneering approach to service delivery within the home services sector, highlighting the possibilities that emerge when technology, comprehensive training, and human expertise converge.
Experience improved air quality and healthier environments all at competitive rates when you partner with ECO Clean Office today!
About ECO Clean Office
ECO Clean Office, a reputable cleaning company based in Singapore, is your trusted partner for a range of specialised services, including office cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation, and carpet cleaning for commercial establishments across the entire island.
Their main objective is to guarantee exceptional results and safe environments through their cleaning solutions. This is achieved by engaging only highly skilled cleaning professionals and utilising cutting-edge technologies to provide top-tier cleaning services.

Hashtag: #cleaningcompanysingapore #officecleaningsingapore #carpetcleaningsingapore #cleaningservicescommercial

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Khammouane Province Destroys Hunting Weapons and Other Prohibited Items

Khammouane Provincial Authorities destroyed hunting weapons and other prohibited items in a ceremony on 22 September 2023. (Photo: Khammouane News)

Khammouane Provincial Authorities destroyed hunting weapons, firearms, and other seized prohibited items in a ceremony on Friday, 22 September.

Lao Govt Debunks News of Fuel Shortage, Affirms Fuel Distribution Still Strong

Lao Government Debunks Fuel Shortage, Affirms Fuel Distribution Still Strong
Residents get in line to fill their tank at a gas station in Laos (photo: ພໍພຽງ ແບບບ້ານບ້ານ)

The Lao Fuel and Gas Association (LFGA) and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) have assured residents that the country’s fuel distribution situation is under control, in response to a statement from PTT Lao Limited that Laos may experience a fuel shortage due to difficulties in exchanging foreign currency for fuel purchases.

FBS Joins Forces with Education Africa to Empower Youth in Orange Farm

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Media OutReach – 22 September 2023 – FBS, a leading global broker, and Education Africa, a renowned educational nonprofit organization, announce their collaboration to make real change happen for children and teenagers in the Johannesburg township, Orange Farm. This partnership represents a significant step towards providing quality education and equal opportunities to underserved communities.

Masibambane College Students
Masibambane College Students

In September, FBS and Education Africa solidified their commitment to educational accessibility and excellence by establishing a partnership. As part of this agreement, FBS will make monetary contributions to support the students of Masibambane College, in Orange Farm founded by Education Africa and partnered with St John’s College. Since 2019, Masibambane College has been laying the groundwork to transform the College into a STEM Educational Centre of Excellence.

The first donation from FBS has been utilized to acquire essential school supplies, including stationery and exercise books, that will be used by the entirety of Masibambane College. These school resources will equip young learners with crucial resources, as they advance on their STEM journey, a core dimension of the school’s curriculum.

To mark the commencement of this collaborative endeavor, the FBS Team paid a visit to Masibambane School on September 20, engaging with young learners and enjoying a guided tour of the school. This meeting marks the official handover of the donated supplies and symbolizes the commencement of a collaborative journey towards making STEM education accessible at the school.

Diego Lima, FBS Business Development Lead in the African Region, comments on this charity partnership, “FBS is delighted to partner with Education Africa in supporting Masibambane College on its STEM journey. As the global fintech platform and financial services provider, we understand the role of quality education as the cornerstone of global development. Investing in STEM education, we are helping young learners to be more prepared to fit into the tech-driven job market in the future. FBS is committed to making a positive impact in local communities.”

“Education Africa is thrilled to partner with FBS in our shared mission to provide quality education to underserved communities. It is easy to forget that Masibambane College is entirely dependent on donor support, but this partnership will enable us to further enhance our school and empower students with the skills they need to excel. Together, we will certainly Make real change Happen,” adds James Urdang, Founder & CEO of Education Africa.

The learners at Masibambane College were thrilled to hear of the donation to the school and are equally as grateful, David Jennings, Executive Head of Masibambane College stated that “On behalf of Masibambane College, I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation to our school. Your kind gesture will go a long way in supporting the education of our learners and it is heartwarming to acknowledge organizations such as FBS who care for the education of our future generations.”

FBS is proud to align its philanthropic efforts with Education Africa’s mission to expand Masibambane College’s capacity, transforming it into a STEM Educational Centre of Excellence. This partnership exemplifies a shared commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of ensuring equal access to quality education and eliminating disparities.

Hashtag: #FBS #EducationAfrica #CSR #charity


The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About FBS

FBS is a licensed worldwide broker with over 14 years of experience and more than 75 international awards. FBS is steadily developing as one of the market’s most trusted brokers, with its traders numbering more than 27,000,000 and its partners exceeding 500,000 around the globe. The annual trading volume of FBS clients is over $8.9 trillion. FBS is also the Official Partner of Leicester City Football Club.

About Education Africa

Education Africa is a non-profit organization with a proud track record of successful delivery on its thriving projects. Established in 1992, Education Africa strives to reach and uplift the poorest of the poor. Delivering economy-focused education, it assists those most in need with opportunities to improve their access to relevant education, thus enabling them to participate in the global economy and become global citizens and competitive, productive elements in the job market.

Delivery Hero Confirms Talks on Partial Sale of Foodpanda’s Asian Business

Delivery Hero Confirms Talks on Foodpanda Sell to Grab
A Grab delivery person wearing Foodpanda's raincoat. (Photo: Straits Times)

Delivery Hero, a Berlin-based multinational online food ordering and delivery company confirmed it is in talks to sell part of its Asia business on Wednesday.

South Korea’s President Warns Against Russia-North Korea Military Cooperation

U.S. President Joe Biden (center), greets South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol (left) and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (right) on 18 August 2023 at Camp David, the presidential retreat. (Photo: AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol said the international community “will unite more tightly” to cope with deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, as he plans to raise the issue with world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

HKU Scientists Pioneer Dual Trojan Horse Approach to Combat Superbugs

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 22 September 2023 – In the relentless battle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, science continues to unveil ingenious strategies to address their vulnerability. Like other bacteria, superbugs have a unique weakness – their dependence on iron for growth and survival. Iron serves as an essential nutrient that bacteria utilise for various cellular processes, including DNA replication, energy production, and other vital functions. In essence, iron is like a ‘food’ for bacteria.

The Research Team of Professor Hongzhe SUN (Second from the left) in the Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong.
The Research Team of Professor Hongzhe SUN (Second from the left) in the Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong.

Building upon this understanding, a research team led by Professor Hongzhe SUN from the Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), introduced a ‘Dual Trojan Horse’ strategy, where a metal-based-drug and sideromycins, a class of antibiotic structurally resembling iron, work together in combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This approach allows these antibiotics to be delivered into bacterial cells through a pathway that mimics iron uptake. When bacteria encounter sideromycins, they are deceived into believing they are acquiring iron, prompting them to usher these compounds into their cells. This strategy not only enhances the effectiveness of sideromycins but also prolongs their lifespan, marking a significant advancement in our battle against antibiotic resistance. These promising results were successfully replicated in a live mice model, introducing an innovative strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance, offering hope in the fight against superbugs in clinic. These findings have recently been published a in Nature Communications entitled ‘Metallo-sideromycin as a dual functional complex for combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR)’.

‘We are short of new antibiotics, and infection caused by resistant bacteria (i.e. superbugs) may lead to another pandemic. We have uncovered a dual Trojan Horse strategy to restore antibiotics activity, such as cefiderocol, and hope to provide a novel arsenal for combating antimicrobial resistance,’ commented Professor Sun.

Research Background
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial infections has emerged as a significant global health concern. The overuse and misuse of existing antibiotics have accelerated the acquired drug resistance in bacteria, resulting in resistance to almost all antibiotics used in clinical settings across various bacteria strains.

Gram-negative bacterial infections, such as those caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, pose significant challenges in treatment due to their complicated structure. For example, the high resistance of P. aeruginosa against conventional antibiotics can be attributed in part to the limited permeability of the outer membrane (OM) and the expression of ‘efflux pump’, specialised proteins within bacteria that actively remove antibiotics, thus reducing their effectiveness. These factors collectively impede the accumulation of antibiotics at the bacterial target site.

Gram-negative bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, can cause a range of infections in humans. These infections often affect the respiratory system, leading to pneumonia or lung infections, as well as urinary tract infections. They can also lead to skin and soft tissue infections, bloodstream infections (sepsis), and infections in wounds or surgical sites. In severe cases, these infections can be particularly challenging to treat due to the bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics, making them a significant health concern. For these reasons, there is now an urgent need for both new antibiotic discovery and other modifications or strategies to enhance or prolong the antibacterial activity of existing clinical antibiotics.

Sideromycin is a novel type of antibiotic where the parent antibiotics or prodrug incorporates a siderophore molecule that utlises iron transport system for delivery. This incorporation enables the active transport of the antibiotic into bacterial cell through nutrient pathways. Cefiderocol (FetrojaÒ) is a recently FDA-approved sideromycin antibiotic in 2019. The antibacterial activity of cefiderocol is improved under the iron-deficient condition because of the enhanced uptake of cefiderocol, with a component of catechol, which coordinate with iron and facilitate the transportation of cefiderocol-iron complex in P. aeruginosa.

Although the frequency of resistance of P. aeruginosa to cefiderocol is much lower than its parent antibiotic ceftazidime, the resistance to cefiderocol was developed inevitably in several Gram-negative bacteria strains recently, for example, in Carbapenem-Resistant Escherichia coli strains and Acinetobacter baumannii in the burned infections. Resistance to cefiderocol was related to the production of β-lactamases, siderophore receptor mutations, expression of efflux pump and the combination of these mechanisms.

Metal compounds have been used as promising antimicrobial agents for years and show low resistance frequency since they are multi-targeted modes of action. Bismuth (Bi3+) compounds have exhibited potent antibacterial properties against bacterial that have become resistant to a variety of antibiotics. These bismuth compounds act as versatile inhibitors of a group of enzymes called metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors, which are involved in antibiotic resistance. Gallium(Ga3+) also offers antibacterial activities by disrupting Iron (Fe3+)uptake system and iron homeostasis.

Interestingly, catecholate siderophores exhibit exceptionally high affinity not only to iron (Fe3+), but also to metals like bismuth (Bi3+) and gallium (Ga3+). These metals behave similarly to iron when they link up with catecholate molecules. These special catechol-metal combinations have been observed to do two things: they can compete with iron to get inside bacterial cells, and they can imitate iron in biological systems, disrupting important iron functions. Thus, the team propose a dual ‘Trojan Horse’ strategy to ‘sneak in’ the antibiotic sideromycins and metal ions simultaneously through siderophore receptor, the same pathways that bacteria use to grab nutrients, leading to synergistic effect against bacterial infections.

Key findings
In this study, the team demonstrated a bismuth drug (CBS) could enhance the potency of cefiderocol against P. aeruginosa in both laboratory experiment (in vitro) and live animal test (in vivo). This enhancement included improved efficacy against biofilm formation by cefiderocol, suppression of the development of high-level bacterial resistance to cefiderocol, and restoration of the efficacy of cefiderocol against resistant P. aeruginosa strains, including those isolated from clinical cases involving real patients.

Such phenomena are likely due to the competition of Bi3+ with Fe3+ to cefiderocol, which leads to decreased uptake of Fe3+ and increased uptake of antimicrobial Bi3+/Ga3+. This competition disrupts the integrity of bacterial membrane, making antibiotic more permeable.

The in vitro interaction of Bi3+ with cefiderocol was confirmed by both UV-vis spectroscopy and MS spectrometry, analytical techniques which confirmed the interaction between Bi3+ and cefiderocol, resulting in the formation of a 1:1 complex of Bi3+-cefiderocol. The metallo-sideromycin might not only improve the efficiency of sideromycin, but also prolong the effective life span of this type of antibiotics. Their animal studies have further validated the efficacy of the approach. It is worth of further investigation of other sideromycins and metals, to thoroughly explore the potentials of metallo-sideromycins in treating infections caused by drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. The research team has filed a patent for the discovery.

About the research team
This study was done jointly by the Department of Chemistry, Department of Microbiology and Carol Yu Centre for Infection, The University of Hong Kong. Ms Chenyuan WANG and Dr Yushan XIA are the co-first authors of this paper. Other members of participating in the research include Dr Hongyan LI, Dr Patrick H TOY, Dr Runming WANG, postgraduate student Ms Jingru LI, and Mr Chun-Lung CHAN of Department of Chemistry, Professor Richard Yi-Tsun KAO of Department of Microbiology, Professor Pak-Leung HO of Carol Yu Centre for Infection. This research was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR (R7070-18, 17308921, 2122-7S04), the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau of Hong Kong SAR (CID HKU1-13) and The University of Hong Kong (URC (202107185074) and Norman & Cecilia Yip Foundation).

About Professor Hongzhe Sun
Professor Hongzhe Sun is the Norman & Cecilia Yip Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry and Chair Professor of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on metalloproteomics and metallomics, the discovery of antimicrobial and antiviral agents, and inorganic chemical biology. Dr Hongyan Li is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at The University of Hong Kong.

To view the research paper ‘Metallo-sideromycin as a dual functional complex for combating antimicrobial resistance’, please visit: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40828-3

Image download and caption: https://www.scifac.hku.hk/press

Hashtag: #HKU

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Singapore Carpentry Partners Bamboo Veneer Specialist to Redefine Affordable Luxury Interiors

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 22 September 2023 – Singapore Carpentry, one of the leading companies in Singapore for custom carpentry, is thrilled to announce its partnership with Bamboo Veneer Specialist to introduce its latest offering – bamboo charcoal veneer.

The unveiling of the new bamboo charcoal veneer caters to the ever-expanding demand for affordable yet opulent interior design solutions, and showcases Singapore Carpentry’s dedication to offering high-quality, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable finishing options. These veneers are manufactured using renewable and recyclable materials, thereby minimising both the environmental and financial impact associated with interior design renovations.

The bamboo charcoal veneers offer a range of benefits, including swift installation within a day’s time and the ability to mimic various premium materials, such as wood, mirrors, marble, and metal, through a range of customisable colours and patterns. This versatility makes them an ideal choice for crafting luxurious interiors at attainable price points.

In addition to their eco-friendliness and versatility, these veneers are highly durable, capable of withstanding wear and tear, neutralising odours, and resisting moisture and mould growth — qualities that make them particularly well-suited for Singapore’s humid climate.

Beyond its renowned status as a leading custom carpentry firm in Singapore, Singapore Carpentry extends its expertise to a variety of other services, including design and build, landscaping, lighting, and commercial interior design services. This comprehensive offering provides homeowners and business owners with a seamless, all-encompassing solution for their renovation needs.

The introduction of the bamboo charcoal veneer expands the choices available to clients, enabling them to achieve premium designs at sustainable and cost-effective rates. With manufacturing facilities strategically located in Singapore, Malaysia, and China, Singapore Carpentry has earned a reputation for delivering efficient, flexible, high-quality, and budget-conscious services.

For further information about Singapore Carpentry and its extensive range of renovation and carpentry services, please visit their website at https://www.carpentry.sg/.

Hashtag: #SingaporeCarpentry #BambooCharcoalVeneer

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.