Latest news with #Ho
Straits Times
3 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
Forum: Removing barriers to opportunity key to discovering Singapore's ‘lost Einsteins'
We read with great interest the Opinion piece by Associate Professor Terence Ho on the need to empower Singapore's 'lost Einsteins' through deeper social investment and greater opportunities for social mixing (How Singapore can expand opportunities for its 'lost Einsteins', May 23). The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) fully concurs with this call. For over three decades, CDAC has worked to uplift families through education, enrichment and community support. CDAC also recognises the important role of social mixing in closing the social capital gap. This is achieved through the involvement of volunteers of various backgrounds, particularly students from secondary schools who conduct programmes for primary year students to develop their interests. Youth volunteers from different professional backgrounds also mentor upper primary children under our Supervised Homework Group project started about 31 years ago. For students from lower-income families, such experiences broaden networks, boost aspirations and open windows to real-world opportunities. We have also sharpened our focus on nurturing the potential of every child, especially those from less advantaged backgrounds, by building up their social and emotional competencies and helping them discover and pursue their interests. For example, we have a mentoring programme targeted at primary school children, providing long-term developmental support from their early years through to post-secondary education. It helps ease school transitions by building confidence, developing strengths, encouraging interest exploration and fostering peer friendships. The programme also involves parents and community organisations, creating a supportive ecosystem around each child. We have partnered with several schools, and early feedback shows promising outcomes: improved emotional regulation, a more positive mindset towards learning, and greater openness in sharing experiences at home. We also have a programme called Spot : Beyond, that enables students to explore and deepen their interests in areas like the arts, sciences and technology. Through progressive and curated experiences, students develop their skills in alignment with their passions. By fostering interaction across socio-economic backgrounds, the programme builds confidence, aspiration and inclusivity – nurturing young talents who might otherwise remain unseen. These efforts form part of CDAC's broader strategy to provide sustained, holistic support that nurtures aspiration and unlocks potential. In line with Professor Ho's insights, we believe that removing barriers to opportunity and encouraging interest-based exploration are essential to discovering the 'lost Einsteins' who may one day shape Singapore's future. Tan Yap Kin Executive Director Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Herald Malaysia
4 days ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Faith helps Vietnam's Catholics overcome war scars, hardship
Catechumens join the offertory procession during a Mass for baptism of Catholic converts in Phu Cam Cathedral in Hue, Vietnam on May 24. (Photo: Archdiocese of Hue) HANOI: Irenaeus Ho lost his right leg during the Vietnam War, but he never misses out on Sunday Mass at his small parish Church in Quang Tri he was a teenager, Ho was a South Vietnamese soldier and fought against northern communist forces until he was seriously injured in a battle at Khe Sanh in 1968.'In those days, we didn't dare dream of having a church here,' Ho told UCA the war ended in 1975 and the communists took over all of Vietnam, soldiers and civil servants like Ho who worked under the Western-backed South were detained, sent to re-education camps and forced to clear land Catholics were forced to relocate to other areas as a form of punishment after being labeled as traitors and anti-communist. Churches and Church-run properties were confiscated nationwide.'This land was destroyed by war, and religion was under tight control for decades,' Ho Ba Long sub-parish in Khe Sanh was once dubbed 'hell on earth' during the war. When the fighting intensified, most of the local Catholic population fled south or were detained, sent to re-education camps, or crossed the border into Laos.A Catholic father of four and now in his seventies, Ho was among many Catholics forcibly resettled in Ba Long decades ago. There was no Church, no priest and no religious activity due to an unofficial but effective ban on recalled that Catholic families lived under surveillance, endured discrimination, and faced restrictions on their religious practices.'Back then, we had to walk 70 kilometers through forests to attend Mass in Dong Ha and stay the night just to join the Sunday liturgy,' he recalled. 'Government officials insulted and threatened us when we returned.'Priests ministered discreetly. Father Francis Xavier Le Van Cao, then pastor of Dong Ha Parish, would disguise himself as a farmer and bike to Khe Sanh to administer sacraments secretly. He dared not celebrate Mass openly, fearing local chapel, bombed in 1968, lay in ruins for years. But faith refused to die. Families gathered quietly to pray.'Those were painful years, but they strengthened our belief and deepened our unity,' Ho said. 'Rising from the ashes' Prompted mainly by Vietnam's worsening socio-economic situation following the war, the communist government adopted the Doi Moi (renovation) policy in the 1980s. From ruins to renewal After the country's 1975 reunification, Hue archdiocese — like many other dioceses in the Southeast Asian country — saw its seminaries, schools, hospitals, charities and other facilities confiscated by the government. A Church reborn Further south, covering Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, the Catholic Church has experienced a dramatic resurgence. Faith passed on with gratitude For younger generations, the sacrifices of their parents and grandparents are a source of deep pride. 'For the past 50 years, we have lived our faith by loving, forgiving, and entrusting everything to God — even in the darkest times,' Tran
Borneo Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Toastmasters gain insight into Sarawak's legislative process in visit to DUN
Ho (fifth left) and the Toastmasters International District 87 delegation in a group photo with Dr Sim (fourth left) and Kho (left). KUCHING (May 28): A group from the Toastmasters International District 87 club gained firsthand insight into the state's legislative process and the role of public institutions in nation-building during a visit to the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Complex on Tuesday. According to a statement, the visit was made possible through a special invitation by a political secretary to the Premier, Kho Teck Wan, who shared an overview of the DUN's history, structure and significance. She also explained the state's decision-making process, which sparked meaningful discussion among the attendees. A key highlight of the visit was a dialogue session with Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, who shared his perspective on the responsibilities of elected representatives and the far-reaching impact of the laws passed. 'Laws passed here are not merely procedures – they shape development, safeguard our future, and reflect the aspirations of all Sarawakians,' he said. Division D director Dr Lucy Ho Jia Yiing described the visit as inspiring. 'We are grateful for this opportunity. It was more than just a visit – it was a reminder that public speaking is not just about confidence, but also purpose, civic awareness, and the courage to engage with systems that shape our society,' she said. Toastmaster Chua Wei Ling of Azam Toastmasters Club said the visit helped her reconnect with her heritage. 'As an 'Anak Sarawak' returning from overseas, this visit helped me reconnect deeply with my roots. It reminded me that we, as Toastmasters, are not just speakers – we are empowered citizens who can carry the Sarawak spirit forward through leadership, service, and storytelling,' she said. The visit reinforced the importance of civic education, youth involvement, and people-oriented leadership, leaving members inspired to contribute with purpose. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organisation dedicated to empowering individuals through communication and leadership training.
RTHK
6 days ago
- RTHK
Police arrest two in illegal ride-hailing crackdown
Police arrest two in illegal ride-hailing crackdown Police arrested two people during an undercover operation targeting illegal ride-hailing services. Photo: RTHK Undercover police officers on Tuesday arrested two people suspected of providing illegal ride-hailing services. The pair, aged 35 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of illegally carrying passengers for hire and not having third party liability insurance. Two vehicles were seized in the operation, which saw officers posing as customers. "According to the Road Traffic Ordinance, no person shall use a car to carry passengers for hire unless a hire car permit is issued," noted inspector Ho Kin-pong, adding that the offence carries a maximum punishment of HK$10,000 or a six-month prison term for a first conviction. Ho urged people to use legal means of transport.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ARCPOINT REPORTS Q1 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS
Greenville, South Carolina, May 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ARCpoint Inc. (TSXV: ARC) (the 'Company' or 'ARCpoint') is pleased to report that it has filed its unaudited Q1, 2025 Financial Statements and related Management Discussion and Analysis as summarized below. Interim CFO and Director, Adam Ho commented, 'In addition to a year over year reduction in overall costs as a result of the CRESSO transaction, we have also recently enacted additional temporary reductions in overall compensation and professional services costs of approximately USD$57k per month. These temporary reductions are a testament to the commitment of our team members in our pursuit of increasing value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.' Beginning in mid-April of this year, the Company enacted temporary reductions in overall compensation and professional services costs totalling approximately USD$57k on a monthly basis. These temporary reductions represent approximately 40% of total monthly compensation and key, monthly recurring professional services costs. The reductions are temporary and are intended to help the Company manage its finances while it works to increase revenues through the addition of new users of the Company's MyARCpointLabs ('MAPL') technology platform. Mr. Ho added, 'Although a reduction in costs is important and we are grateful for the sacrifices our team members are making, we remain focused on adding new users of our MAPL platform and look forward to reporting on our progress in this regard soon'. On Aug. 20, 2024, the company announced that it had entered into a transaction with Any Lab Test Now (ALTN) to bring together the franchise operations of both Any Lab Test Now and ARCpoint into a new joint venture company, CRESSO Brands LLC. ALTN, based in Atlanta, Ga., was founded in 1992 and at the time of the Aug. 20, 2024, transaction, had more than 235 United States franchise locations, providing direct access to clinical, DNA, and drug and alcohol lab testing services, as well as phlebotomy and other specimen collection services, through its retail storefront business model. When combined with the more than 135 ARCpoint franchise group locations, also at the time of the transaction, CRESSO is now the largest franchise network of its kind in the United States. At the time of the CRESSO transaction, ALTN and ARCpoint also agreed to make ARCpoint's MyARCpointLabs technology platform (MAPL) the systems choice for CRESSO brand franchisees. Given that the Company now holds a 29.5% interest in the CRESSO, ARCpoint's interest is accounted for using the equity method. As a result, revenues and costs previously attributable to the Company's franchise operations, are no longer consolidated into the ARCpoint's financial statements. All results below are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards and in US dollars. The Company reminds readers to take into consideration that the CRESSO transaction was concluded in the third quarter of 2024 on August 20, 2024. For accounting purposes, the Company has deconsolidated ARCpoint Franchise Group and recorded its 29.5% interest in CRESSO as an equity investment going forward. The Company advises readers to see its unaudited interim Financial Statements (the 'Financial Statements') and the interim Management Discussion & Analysis of the Company (MD&A') under the Company's profile at On January 3, 2025, the Company completed the sale of its 68% share ownership interest in ABH Greenville, as originally announced on December 30, 2024. In exchange for its ownership interest in ABH Greenville, the Company received a cash consideration of $360,000. As at March 31, 2025, the Company had total cash on hand of approximately US$0.23 million. All results below are reported under International Financial Reporting Standards and in US dollars. Summary of 2025 Q1 Financial Results Total revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were $0.18 million compared to $1.61 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in revenue was primarily due to decreased royalty and franchising revenues as no royalties and brand fund revenues were included after the CRESSO joint venture transaction ('CRESSO Transaction') on August 20, 2024. Net loss for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $0.62 million compared to a net loss of $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The decrease in net loss was primarily due to a decrease in cost of revenue of $0.6 million, a decrease in salary and wages of $0.7 million, a decrease in general and administrative expenses of $0.1 million and a decrease in sales and marketing costs of $0.1 million, partially offset by a gain in the disposal of ABH Greenville of $0.3 million and a gain in the share of income of CRESSO of $0.2 million. Operating cash flow for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was negative $0.9 million compared to negative $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was negative $0.4 million compared to negative $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was negative $0.6 million compared to negative $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. DEFINITION AND RECONCILIATION OF NON-IFRS FINANCIAL MEASURES The Company reports certain non-IFRS measures that are used to evaluate the performance of its businesses and the performance of their respective segments. Securities regulators require such measures to be clearly defined and reconciled with their most comparable IFRS measures. As non-IFRS measures generally do not have a standardized meaning, they may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Rather, these are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of the results of the operations of the Company from management's perspective. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation, nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. Non-IFRS measures used to analyze the performance of the Company's businesses include 'EBITDA' and 'Adjusted EBITDA'. The Company believes that these non-IFRS financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company's performances and may be useful to investors because they allow for greater transparency with respect to key metrics used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. These financial measures are intended to provide investors with supplemental measures of the Company's operating performances and thus highlight trends in the Company's core businesses that may not otherwise be apparent when solely relying on the IFRS measures. These non-IFRS measures are calculated as follows: 'EBITDA' is comprised as income (loss) less interest, income tax and depreciation and amortization. Management believes that EBITDA is a useful indicator for investors, and is used by management, in evaluating the operating performance of the Company. See 'Consolidated EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation' appended to this press release for a quantitative reconciliation of EBITDA to the most directly comparable financial measure. 'Adjusted EBITDA' is comprised as income (loss) less interest, income tax, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation, Brand Fund revenue and expense timing difference, change in fair value of warrant liability, foreign exchange gain (loss) and other income / expenses not attributable to the operations of the Company. Management believes that EBITDA is a useful indicator for investors, and is used by management, in evaluating the operating performance of the Company. See 'Consolidated EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation' appended to this press release for a quantitative reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable financial measure. A reconciliation of how the Company calculates EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA is provide in the table appended to this press release. For more information, please see the unaudited interim Financial Statements (the 'Financial Statements') and the interim Management Discussion & Analysis of the Company (MD&A') under the Company's profile at About ARCpoint Inc. ARCpoint is a leading US-based health care company that leverages technology along with brick-and-mortar locations to give businesses and individual consumers access to convenient, cost-effective healthcare information and solutions with transparent, up-front pricing, so that they can be proactive and preventative with their health and well-being. ARCpoint is based in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. ARCpoint Corporate Labs LLC develops corporate-owned labs committed to providing accurate, cost-effective solutions for customers, businesses and physicians. AFG Services LLC serves as the innovation center of the ARCpoint group of companies as it builds a proprietary technology platform and a physician network to equip all ARCpoint labs with best-in-class tools and solutions to better serve their customers. The platform also digitalizes and streamlines administrative functions such as materials purchasing, compliance, billing and physician services for ARCpoint franchise labs and other clients. For more information, please contact: ARCpoint Ho, Interim Chief Financial OfficerPhone : (604) 329-1009E-mail : invest@ CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION : Forward-Looking Information – this news release contains 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws which are based on ARCpoint's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'expect', 'likely', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'intend', 'anticipate', 'potential', 'proposed', 'estimate' and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions 'may', 'would' or 'will' happen, or by discussions of strategy. The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Froward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the ability of the Company to implement its business strategies, the COVID-19 pandemic; competition and other risks. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all such factors. When considering the forward-looking information contained herein, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in the Company's disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this Press release. ARCpoint EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Reconciliation(Expressed in United States Dollars) Finance expense comprised of interest on bank loans, notes payable and lease liabilities (see Financial Statements). Share-based compensation expense comprised of non-cash compensation (see Financial Statements). See 'Cresso Transaction' section of this MD&A for further details. Previous to the 'Cresso Transaction' on August 20, 2024, the Group operated a Brand Fund to collect and administer funds contributed for use in advertising and promotional programs designed to increase sales and enhance the reputation of the Group and its franchisees. The Group reported contributions and expenditures on a gross basis on the Group's statement of profit and loss. Brand Fund contributions are recognized as revenue when invoiced, as the Group has full discretion on how and when the Brand Fund revenues are spent. Brand Fund revenue received may not equal advertising expenditures for the period due to timing of promotions and this difference is recognized to earnings. This adjustment is made to normalize for the timing difference of the Brand Fund revenues and Brand Fund expenditures. Sign in to access your portfolio
