Anti-ageing out? Longevity is the next frontier in beauty and wellness
SINGAPORE – Once the domain of scientists and Silicon Valley biohackers, longevity has become mainstream and is rewriting the rules of beauty and wellness.
According to a report by London-based financial advisory firm Deloitte, the longevity sector – though still emerging – is drawing significant investment from venture capitalists, research institutions and governments.
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Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
Australian biotech giant CSL to spin off vaccine unit Seqirus, cut 15% of workforce
[SYDNEY] Australian biotech giant CSL said that it will spin off its Seqirus vaccine business into a separately listed company as part of a restructure that will see it reduce its workforce by as much as 15 per cent and cut costs by around US$500 million a year. CSL Seqirus, which makes seasonal influenza vaccines, contributed US$2.2 billion of the firm's total revenue of US$15.6 billion in the 12 months ended Jun 30, the Melbourne-based company said on Tuesday (Aug 19). Net profit rose 17 per cent to US$3 billion, just above analyst estimates of US$2.97 billion. Seqirus will list on the Australian securities exchange by the end of this fiscal year. The spinoff will give Seqirus, which will be chaired by Gordon Naylor, 'autonomy to set an independent strategic direction, including capitalising on potential opportunities that may arise in a highly dynamic vaccines market, as well as reducing complexity, making the business more agile and efficient to manage', CSL said. CSL also closed 22 underperforming US plasma centres this month, and will consolidate its research and development from 11 sites into six. The restructure will unlock US$500 million in annual savings by the end of fiscal 2028, though CSL will incur one-off restructuring costs of US$700 million to US$770 million. While CSL employs around 32,000 people, no firm number was put on the job cuts. Further details on the Seqirus spinoff will be given at CSL's capital markets day on Nov 4 to 6 in the US. CSL also plans to buy back A$750 million (S$626 million) of shares this financial year, the first step in a multi-year buyback. BLOOMBERG
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
With just 1 tap, this doctor lost his Telegram account to cyber criminals
In a poll by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, only 13 per cent of respondents were able to distinguish between all phishing and legitimate content In 2024, there were 8,552 cases of phishing scams in Singapore in 2024, placing it among the top five scam types. Minutes after Dr Chai Chwan tapped on a link within a Telegram message from an acquaintance, his phone buzzed non-stop. A flood of Telegram messages poured in from 10 friends, asking the 60-year-old general practitioner the same urgent question: 'Is your Telegram account hacked?' They had all received an identical Telegram message sent from Dr Chai's phone number. It contained a link inviting recipients to apply for We Care @ North East Fund, a genuine scheme by the North East CDC that provides financial support to needy families. The text claimed there was a 'limited time' offer for Singaporeans to receive up to $1,000 in cash assistance and urged recipients not to 'miss out'. That was when Dr Chai realised he had fallen prey to a phishing scam. His Telegram account was compromised. In phishing scams, victims are tricked into clicking malicious links or into revealing personal information. The scam happened on a Saturday afternoon in July this year. Just 10 minutes earlier, Dr Chai had received the same link from an acquaintance. Without thinking, he tapped on it. The page that opened mimicked a Singpass login. Dr Chai tapped the QR code, but an error message appeared. This glitch saved him from handing over his personal data, but it didn't stop scammers from hijacking his Telegram account. Within minutes, the same scam message was sent to Dr Chai's Telegram contacts, this time under his name. What followed was a scramble to report the incident to both the police and Telegram. Dr Chai also spent the next few hours sending warning messages in batches to all 7,000 of his phone contacts, hoping to contain the damage. He's unsure how many of his friends received the phishing text on Telegram. 'I feel quite embarrassed,' Dr Chai admits. 'It should have been common sense (not to click on the link).' With scams becoming more sophisticated, it can be hard to spot phishing attempts, says Mr Luke Ho, deputy director of National Cyber Threat Analysis Centre of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA). In the CSA's Cybersecurity Awareness Survey 2024, only 13 per cent of respondents were able to distinguish between all phishing and legitimate content. The survey polled 1,050 respondents aged 15 years and above on their attitudes towards cyber incidents and their awareness and adoption of good cyber hygiene practices. Phishing scams 101 There were 8,552 cases of phishing scams in Singapore in 2024, placing it among the top five scam types, say the police. Victims lost at least $59.4 million. How it works: Scammers impersonate legitimate individuals or organisations on social media and messaging platforms. Upon clicking on links embedded within messages on these platforms, victims are directed to a fraudulent site. They will be asked to key in their personal, bank login or credit card details. Scammers then gain access to their messaging or bank accounts. They may even impersonate the victims to scam their circle of acquaintances, family members and friends. Evolving tactics Why is it becoming harder to spot phishing scams? One reason is the use of generative artificial intelligence by scammers, says Mr Ho. 'Scammers (can) now create content that is increasingly indistinguishable from legitimate ones.' Gone are the days when poor grammar or awkward phrasing gave phishing messages away, he adds. Cyber criminals also increasingly use security certificates – depicted as 'https' in the URL – in their fake websites. Mr Ho adds that scammers often exploit emotions, such as the fear of missing out, or the false sense of urgency in Dr Chai's situation. Such tactics pressure victims to respond quickly without checking the legitimacy of the messages. Taking action Staying safe from scams requires more than just awareness, says Mr Ho. It requires a change in how we behave online. He shares some actions that one can take to protect against scams: Set strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication – such as using biometric features, like fingerprint or facial recognition, for your online accounts Ensure that your devices are running the latest version of its software by enabling automatic updates Install the ScamShield app to filter out scam messages and block scam calls Install anti-virus apps to detect and remove malware, and malicious phishing links If you're unsure whether something is a scam, 'always check with official sources by calling the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799,' Mr Ho says, 'or with family members and friends before proceeding.' For Dr Chai, the anxiety from the phishing scam has not fully gone away. 'There's always this discomfort,' he shares, from the fear that scammers still have personal information of his that they haven't used. And though his bank accounts remain secure, Dr Chai has since taken extra steps to protect himself. He downloaded the ScamShield app that helps to block out reported scam numbers and messages, giving him some peace of mind.
Business Times
6 days ago
- Business Times
Buffett buys US$1.6 billion UnitedHealth stake, sells T-Mobile
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