AECFeed

Users of American Express (Amex) cards in Singapore now can tap their iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch to pay for services and goods through Apple’s mobile payment service.
Apple Pay uses near-field communication technology to transmit data between the Apple device and a contactless reader. Users must first add their Amex credit-card details to a digital wallet stored on their devices. This information is transmitted when the device is placed near the contactless reader during payment.
There are some 30,000 taxis and retail outlets fitted with these contactless readers in Singapore, with participating merchants that include the FairPrice chain of supermarkets, and Starbucks and StarHub outlets.
Apple Pay’s roll-out in Singapore follows its introduction in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and China. It is expected to be launched in Spain and Hong Kong later this year.
Visa cards issued by DBS, United Overseas Bank and Standard Chartered will be supported soon, Apple said.
Apple Pay works with devices that have the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, such as the iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPad Pro and the iPad Air 2. The Apple Watch must be running on watch OS 2.1 or later to use Apple Pay. – The Straits Times

Japanese firms invest in Nam Long subsidiary
Two Japanese companies, Hankyu Realty and Nishi Nippon Railroad, are set to buy stakes of 25 per cent each in an subsidiary of Vietnamese property giant Nam Long Investment Company (NLG).
The price of the deal was not disclosed. ASPL PLB-Nam Long has a chartered capital of 738 billion dong (Bt1.15 billion).
The company will begin work on its 1.3-trillion-dong Fuji Residence this quarter on 5.38 hectares of land in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 9.
Its 84 villas and almost 800 apartments will be handed over to buyers at the end of 2018.
The Japanese companies have also joined hands with NLG for a bigger housing project – Flora Anh Dao also in District 9 – and Toshihiro Matsuo, director of Nishi’s residential business, expects to cooperate for more projects. – Viet Nam News

Ninja Van to expand
to Thailand
The Abraaj Group, an investor operating in global growth markets, has led a US$30-million (Bt1 billion) round of fundraising for Ninja Logistics, a technology-enabled, last-mile logistics provider with operations in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The investment, led by Abraaj through one of its funds, alongside existing investor Monk’s Hill Ventures and new investors B Capital Group and YJ Capital, marks Abraaj’s 28th investment in Southeast Asia.
Logistics is a major beneficiary and enabler of the e-commerce sector in which Abraaj has been active. Abraaj has also made investments in the logistics sector including Urbano, a leading courier and light logistics solutions company present in Peru, Ecuador and El Salvador, and Aramex, one of the most successful public-to-private transactions in the Middle East.
Having successfully executed its model in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, Ninja Van plans to use the capital raised to roll out this comprehensive approach to last-mile delivery in new markets, including Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, by the end of this year, said Omar Lodhi, partner and head of Asia for the Abraaj Group. |– The Nation

McDermott shift to Malaysia done by June
The relocation of Houston-based McDermott International from Singapore to Malaysia is expected to be completed by June, according to Bernama news agency.
Its vice president and general manager for Asia-Pacific, Hugh Cuthbertson, said the transition was underway and new personnel were being recruited in Kuala Lumpur since two months ago.
“We will continue this and hope to have the office fully manned by June. – The Star