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(REUTERS) - A handful of prominent late withdrawals may have taken some of the sheen off the Palermo Ladies Open but the importance of the clay-court event is not lost on the sport as it marks the return of professional tennis on Monday (Aug 3) after the Covid-19 shutdown.

Plenty of exhibition events have taken place across the world since the sport was abruptly halted in early March but the women's tournament in the Sicilian capital will be the first across both the elite WTA and ATP tours in five months.

Later on Saturday (Aug 1), the WTA said the eventwill continue as planned even though aplayer set to participate has tested positive for Covid-19.

The WTA did not name the player but said she had pulled out and all those who may have been in close contact with her were being tested.

A player has tested positive for Covid-19 at the 31st Palermo Ladies Open and has subsequently withdrawn from the tournament. The player is asymptomatic, the WTA said in a statement.

Following this information, the WTA, in coordination with the Tournament Infection Control Officer and along with its medical advisers and infectious disease specialist from the Mayo Clinic, immediately put its Covid-19 response plan into action.

Any individual who tests positive will remain in isolation until cleared by a physician per the established protocols, and will receive proper medical treatment.

The organisers had earlier said that two players tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies, adding they returned negative results when they underwent a polymerase chain reaction test currently being used to detect the virus.

WTA chief Steve Simon recently told Reuters that he hoped Palermo would provide a blueprint for tournament operations for the rest of 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The WTA International-level event would usually attract only a modest field but its initial entry list boasted a host of players in the top 20, including twice Grand Slam champion Simona Halep of Romania.

World No. 2 Halep has since withdrawn from the tournament owing to concerns over international travel amid the coronavirus pandemic as has Britain's Johanna Konta, who will be focusing on hard-court events in the United States.

Croatia's Petra Martic will be the highest-ranked player at 15th with Czech Marketa Vondrousova and Maria Sakkari of Greece being the other top 20 players in the field.

The event has put in place strict health protocols with everyone having to undergo Covid-19 tests before they come to the tournament as well as on arrival and then every four days.

During the event players have to handle their own towels and there will be a smaller team of ball kids and line officials but a limited number of spectators are allowed in the stands.

"We are happy to play in front of the public, even though in a drastically reduced number due to Covid-19 prevention measures," tournament director Oliviero Palma said, adding that only a few tickets remained unsold.

"Now more than ever, we could have filled a 5,000-spectator stadium."

Palma has said that the event, which will have a reduced prize pot of US$202,250 (about S$278,000) due to financial constraints, will run losses but his responsibility was to prove that professional tennis can resume safely.

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Tennis: All eyes on Palermo Open which marks return of professional tours and will point the way ahead - The Straits Times

PARIS (AFP) - Swathes of Western Europe wilted under intense heat Friday (July 31), with socially-distanced crowds seeking relief in fountains and pools as authorities warned of health and wildfire risks.

From Britain to Italy, temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius made face masks almost unbearable for many, as more cities begin requiring them outdoors to prevent surges in Covid-19 cases.

"Even in this stifling heat, it's better to put up with 38 degrees than catch the coronavirus," said Daniela Iannelli, a 55-year-old municipal employee in Rome.

Fourteen Italian cities were placed on high alert, while France issued warnings for about one-third of the country's 101 departments.

Paris officials imposed driving restrictions to limit ozone pollution as tens of thousands of vacationers prepared to flee to cooler climes, according to the nation's traffic surveillance agency.

Earlier Friday, a dramatic wildfire fanned by high winds on France's southwestern Atlantic coast was brought under control after it destroyed nearly a dozen homes and forced about 100 people to evacuate.

The blaze broke out late Thursday in the Chiberta forest park at Anglet, whose beaches just north of Biarritz draw surfers from around the world.

It was the latest of several in southern and central France this week, kicking off the annual fire season which officials warn could be worsened by drought and dry heat.

"The heatwave requires the state to be vigilant, and everyone to be cautious," French Prime Minister Jean Castex said while visiting firefighters in Bourg-en-Bresse, southeastern France.

Officials also urged families and neighbours to check in on the elderly, and retirement homes were on high alert since air-conditioners are being discouraged over fears they could foster coronavirus contagion.

An increase in Covid-19 cases prompted French officials to tighten face mask requirements in several cities this week, with many making them mandatory outdoors as well as in enclosed public spaces.

In the Netherlands, beachgoers were told to avoid the coastal resort of Zandvoort near Amsterdam, with public safety authorities saying it was too crowded to maintain social distancing.

"There are much quieter beaches on our coast and on other waters, I advise you to look for them," the regional safety authority chairperson Marianne Schuurmans was quoted as saying by Dutch media.

Long queues of cyclists formed to take the ferry to Schiermonnikoog, one of the West Frisian islands near the German border, as temperatures in the southern Netherlands jumped to 35 Celsius.

Britain's national weather service said it was "the hottest day of the year by some way", with the mercury climbing to 37.8 degrees at London's Heathrow Airport.

Many in the capital packed onto trains heading for Brighton on the southern coast.

Austria and Bulgaria also reported their hottest day yet this year, with Vienna topping 37 degrees before a summer storm brought some relief.

The Spanish weather service said most of the country was scorching under an air mass moving north from Africa, with Madrid reporting 38 degrees while several cities in the interior saw 40 degrees or more.

As the traditional August holidays approach, swimming pools were in high demand despite face mask requirements.

In Germany, which also recorded its hottest day for 2020 with temperatures exceeding 35 degrees in parts of the south, public pools imposed limits on swimmer numbers in a bid to reduce the infection risk, with online-only ticket sales, no access to the showers or changing rooms and a 1.5-metre distance to be observed in the pools and out.

Authorities also urged people to observe a safe distance between one another at rivers and lakes.

Western Europe can expect relief from the high temperatures from Saturday, forecasts show.

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Health warnings issued as Europe swelters under heatwave - The Straits Times

Schneider Electric and Jordan Engineering collaborate to deliver superior system integration solutions

MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 31, 2020 /CNW/ - Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, and Ontario-based Jordan Engineering have partnered to bring industry and system integration to a superior level. The collaboration leveraged Schneider Electric's Exchange platforma digital community that connects industry peers with resources and solutionsto help Jordan Engineering deliver proven solutions to a leading chemical manufacturer in the Greater Toronto Area.

Handling a wide array of recipes, and with more than 40 processes needing to connect to multiple systems, the chemical manufacturer required a control solutions platform that was cost-effective, resilient, expandable and agile for the expansion of an existing facility. Given the project criteria and complexity, Schneider Electric and Jordan Engineering worked together to implement EcoStruxure Process Expert (formerly called EcoStruxure Hybrid DCS)an automation system that allows users to engineer, operate and maintain the entire plant in one database. For additional reliability and security in classified areas of the plant, the HOT Standby M580 PLC module was also applied.

"At Schneider Electric, we recognize the invaluable benefits of partnering with organizations that share our commitment to delivering custom, innovative solutions to our clients," said Adrien Lemaire, National Industry Business Development Manager, Schneider Electric. "Our EcoStruxure Process Expert platform is the next generation of control automation systems, supporting safe, controlled, efficient and profitable businesses. We enjoyed working alongside Jordan Engineering and their team of experts on this project and know there will be many more to come."

"We build relationships with our clients that allow us to work closely with their operations, maintenance and industry specialists to jointly develop customized, user-friendly systems," said Janelle de Vries, Business Development, Jordan Engineering. "In addition to this, we leverage key relationships like our Master Alliance Certified partnership with Schneider Electric to select and integrate platforms that fit our client's short- and long-term needs. For this project we added a new tool to our toolbox, Schneider Electric`s Exchange. Exchange enabled us to connect with knowledgeable experts and access products from certified partners like ourselves. Working in the Exchange ecosystem allowed us to achieve more for this client than we could have working alone. We look forward to the opportunity to implementEcoStruxure Process Expert and Exchange on future projects."

EcoStruxure is Schneider Electric's open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform. EcoStruxure delivers enhanced value around safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and connectivity for our customers. EcoStruxure leverages advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver Innovation at Every Level. This includes Connected Products, Edge Control, and Apps, Analytics & Services which are supported by Customer Lifecycle Software. EcoStruxure has been deployed in almost 500,000 sites with the support of 20,000+ developers, 650,000 service providers and partners, 3,000 utilities and connects over 2 million assets under management.

For more information on the Schneider Electric SI Alliance Program, visit: https://www.se.com/ca/en/partners/channels/system-integrators/industry/

For more information on Schneider Electric Exchange, visit: https://exchange.se.com/

About Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centres, Infrastructure and Industries. With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is the undisputable leader in Power Management Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power and Automation Systems. We provide integrated solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency. We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.

For more information visit http://www.se.com.

About Jordan Engineering:

For over 20 years Jordan Engineering has been providing industrial software solutions throughout various markets including power generation, mining and minerals, transportation, chemical compounding, pharmaceutical, food and beverage and water treatment. Our solutions span the industrial control environment from instrumentation and control panels on the manufacturing floor, through the PLC and HMI, to operator training and interfaces with corporate ERP systems. We have a history of working closely with operations, maintenance, IT, project management, and industry specialists to develop customized, user-friendly systems with both long term and short-term return on investment.

In 2017 Jordan became the first company in the Americas to be Master Certified within Schneider Electric's Alliance Program by completing extensive exams on Networking, PLC programming and SCADA design and implementation. We are the only System integrator in Canada with this level of certification.

For more information visit http://www.automationgroup.ca

SOURCE Schneider Electric Canada Inc.

For further information: Media Contact: Edelman for Schneider Electric, Shae Pollock, 403.993.6397, [emailprotected]; Jordan Engineering, Janelle de Vries, 647.794.3372, [emailprotected]

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Schneider Electric Engages Master Certified Alliance Partner to Share Knowledge and Spur Innovation for Plant Automation Project - Canada NewsWire

SINGAPORE - Major Neo Choon Chea will be making his debut with the Red Lions on National Day this year.

He will be one of the six-person team landing near Sengkang General Hospital.

After being part of the ground coordinating party in two previous National Day Parades, the 40-year-old said he was honoured to get his turn as a parachutist this year.

The Red Lions will land in heartland grass fields near Sengkang General Hospital (SKGH) and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH), which means smaller crowds on the ground but also a different set of challenges.

This year's jump is a 1,524m plunge from a Republic of Singapore Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft, about half of the typical free-fall distance at NDP.

Back in 2018, the Red Lions jumped from a height of 3,810m.

Jumping at lower altitude reduces wind drift, and with high-rise buildings and expressways in the vicinity, the parachutists need to be very precise about where they drop, Maj Neo told the media on Friday (July 31).

It also means that the Red Lions will not be getting into their usual ring formation, as they need to deploy their parachutes soon after they jump from the aircraft.

"But this year... we will be flying with the state flag and NDP banners bearing the theme of unity," said Maj Neo, who has 350 jumps under his belt.

As part of the preparation before the jump, the parachutists do a mental rehearsal on board the aircraft. They visualise what they have to do: the leap from the C-130, openthe parachute, deploythe banner and flag, and land, he added.

Besides Maj Neo, First Warrant Officer Chew Eng Seng, 45, is also participating in the NDP as a Red Lion for the first time this year. He is part of the six-person team landing near NTFGH.

(From left) Maj Neo Choon Chea, 1WO Melvin Ho, 2WO Ong Kah Soon, 1WO Lim Chun Heng, 3WO Jeffrey Heng and 2WO Shirley Ng. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

One of the parachutists landing at Sengkang this year is Second Warrant Office (2WO) Shirley Ng, 42.

She is the only woman in the Red Lions and made her first parade appearance in 2014.

While she was also part of the Red Lions team in 2013, that year's jump did not happen due to poor weather.

Although the rehearsals started a month later this year in July, the parachutists have also used the parachute flight simulator to prepare prior to rehearsals on-site.

Comparing the landing experience this year to her previous jump at Marina Bay floating platform, 2WO Ng said: "In the heartland, even though it's not as rah-rah as usual... this jump is more for the front-line medical staff. It's about putting up a good show to give them moral support."

A member of the Red Lions landing at a field next to The Vales Executive Condominium near Sengkang General Hospital on July 26, 2020. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

But this does not mean that it is a quiet affair for the Red Lions, she added.

"It has been a surprise that the residents over here, as we land, they are cheering for us, waving to us from their windows and balconies, so it's very heartwarming (to see)."

Maj Neo, who is married with three daughters, said that his family came to watch one of the rehearsals in mid-July.

But while having them witness his parachute feat is a nice bonus, "this jump is (really) for the country and for the front-line fighters".

"Although there is no emcee and no spectators... (the residents) put up a very lovely message for the Red Lions and we are really touched and encouraged by all these gestures," he said, referring to a banner which was put up at the open field near SKGH.

The Red Lions will be landing at open fields near SKGH and NTFGH, on Sengkang East Road and Toh Guan Road respectively, on National Day morning.

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Red Lions take on new challenge with jump into the heartland for NDP2020 - The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - The mobile column, a drive-past of military vehicles and assets, will be scaled down for this year's National Day Parade, with 66 assets from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on display.

There will be 22 different types of equipment rumbling through five routes as the mobile column makes its way into the heartland for the second year in a row.

This includes the crowd favourite Leopard 2SG main battle tank and the SPF's new, next-generation fast response car.

The mobile column in last year's NDP featured 79 types of equipment and a total of 171 assets.

Each of the five routes for this year - in the north, south, west, north-east and south-east areas of Singapore - will feature 13 or 14 assets and 60 to 70 participants, including the mobile column crew. About 100 front-line workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic and essential workers will also be aboard the vehicles.

The routes will cover a total distance of about 200km, the longest distance covered by a mobile column in the heartlandto date. Last year's routes totalled 133km and the previous one in 2010 totalled 80km.

"The NDP mobile column is a display of our nation's strength and unity. It is a perennial Singaporean favourite," said Lieutenant-Colonel Low Youwen, chairman of the mobile column committee, at a media briefing on Saturday (Aug 1).

He said the goal was to bring the mobile column to as many residential areas as possible so viewers can experience it safely from their homes.

Lt-Col Low said the NDP organisers have adopted safe management measures to ensure the mobile column segment of the parade is carried out safely, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He added that the mobile column will also salute healthcare workers as it travels past several key locations.

These include Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Sengkang General Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and the community isolation facility at Singapore Expo.

One of the crew members participating in the mobile column this year is Captain Eastina Tan, 29, who is the formation liaison officer for the Terrex infantry carrier platform.

The SAF regular, who is taking part in the NDP for the second time, said honouring healthcare workers on the front line as part of the mobile column will be especially meaningful for her, as her mother is a nurse with the Methodist Welfare Society who continued to look after patients during the circuit breaker period.

Cpt Tan said the drive-past and salute will pay tribute to the perseverance and dedication of front-line workers during the pandemic.

Another serviceman taking part is Cpt Syafiq Mohd Abdul Muhaimin Ong, 25, an SCDF regular who has been deployed to the command centre of a government quarantine facility to help with administrative and logistical work.

He will be a vehicle commander for one of the SCDF's fifth-generation Pump Ladder fire engines in the mobile column.

"This NDP is not just a tribute to our front-line fighters, but also a celebration of Singaporeans' resilience, adaptability and compassion," said Cpt Syafiq.

Station Inspector Jacky Kwan, 38, will be a vehicle commander for the only asset to make its NDP debut this year, the SPF's next-generation fast response car.

The new police dispatch vehicle is being rolled out progressively, with new systems and features to help ground response officers like him respond quickly to 999 calls.

Station Insp Kwan, who is participating in the NDP for the first time, will drive past his own neighbourhood in the Whampoa area on his designated route.

He added that his son and daughter, aged seven and five respectively, are looking forward to cheering him on.

The mobile column will travel through Singapore from 10am to 1pm on National Day, after the morning parade at the Padang.

It will also be broadcast live on free-to-air TV channels and the NDPeeps YouTube channel.

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NDP2020: Mobile column to cover record 200km route and reach more heartland areas - The Straits Times