AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF CHINA TAIPING INSURANCE (MACAU) CO., LTD.

HONG KONG, March 29 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” of China Taiping Insurance (Macau) Co., Ltd. (CTIM) (Macau). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect CTIM’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect the lift the company receives from its parent, China Taiping Insurance Holdings Company Limited.

CTIM’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), returned to the strongest level at year-end 2018 from the adequate level a year ago, after settling the majority of its claims and receiving most of its reinsurance recoverables for two major loss events – Typhoon Hato and SJM’s Grand Lisboa Palace fire – in the second half of 2017. The company has demonstrated strong operating performance, with a five-year average return on equity of 18% from 2013 to 2017. Despite the major losses in 2017, the insurer turned a net operating profit due to investment income. CTIM maintains a leading position in Macau’s non-life insurance market through a balanced distribution network of banks, agents, brokers and direct channels. The company also enjoys a wide range of support from its parent and affiliates in areas including brand recognition, reinsurance and investment, as well as financial support in times of need.

An offsetting rating factor is the company’s geographic concentration in Macau, a small market that is prone to tropical storms. Due to its underwriting of large commercial accounts and moderate dependence on reinsurance, CTIM also is exposed to potentially elevated reinsurer credit and liquidity risks in the event of large losses, which could lead to volatility in its risk-adjusted capitalization. Nonetheless, these risks are mitigated by prudent underwriting and a highly rated reinsurer panel.

While positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term, negative rating actions could occur if there is a significant deterioration in the company’s operating performance, a material decline in its risk-adjusted capitalization, or a substantial loss of its market share in Macau.

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CrownBio granted exclusive licence for pre-clinical oncology drug development

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- JSR Corporation, the parent company of Crown Bioscience, a global drug discovery and development services company, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB).

Under the agreement, CrownBio has an exclusive licence to provide pre-clinical oncology drug development and validation services using HUB Organoid Technology, including access to HUB’s highly characterised tumour organoid biobank.

CrownBio and HUB will also launch a collaborative research and development programme to accelerate further development of Organoid Technology, while CrownBio establishes a new operations centre in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Building on a global leadership in Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX), CrownBio will offer comprehensive pharmacology and translational services based on HUB Organoid Technology.

The services will establish a unique platform that incorporates in vitro screening of Patient-Derived Organoids and PDX derived organoids, matched to downstream in vivo models.

CrownBio chief executive officer, Dr Jean-Pierre Wery said the partnership positioned the company at the forefront of global preclinical research by creating an unparalleled translational platform to accelerate drug development and validation.

Meanwhile, HUB executive director, Dr Robert Vries said the partnership equipped the drug development community with powerful new translational tools to guide the creation of novel and improved treatments for cancer.

-- BERNAMA

NEXT RUN OF CHIBA AQUALINE MARATHON 2020 TO BE HELD IN AUTUMN 2020

NEXT RUN OF CHIBA AQUALINE MARATHON 2020 TO BE HELD IN AUTUMN 2020

Alsop is jury chairman of 2021 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The Cliburn has announced Marin Alsop will be the jury chairman for the Sixteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition from May 28 to June 12, 2021 in Texas, United States.

She will oversee the jury selection process, consult on jury rules and procedures, and set the tone and mandate of the jury. She will be abstained from voting throughout the competition, except in the case of a tie after the final round.

“We could not be more pleased with this new partnership with Marin Alsop and look forward to working closely with her to spread classical music around the globe and launch the careers of our new winners,” said Cliburn president and chief executive officer, Jacques Marquis.

In addition to her role as jury chairman, Alsop will also conduct the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with the six finalists during the competition’s final round, according to a statement.

She is among the world’s most distinguished and innovative conductors, having been recognised for her innovative approach to programming and deep commitment to education and development of audiences of all ages.

Beyond cash prizes, winning a Cliburn medal means comprehensive career management, artistic support, and bolstered publicity efforts for the three years following.

The international contest is organised to share excellent classical music with the largest international audience possible and to launch the careers of its winners every four years.

Building on a rich tradition that began with its 1962 origins in honour of Van Cliburn and his vision for using music to serve audiences and break down boundaries, the Cliburn seeks to achieve the highest artistic standards while utilising contemporary tools to advance its reach.

For more information, contact https://www.cliburn.org.

-- BERNAMA

AJC awards tour products promoting ASEAN destinations

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- The ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) has awarded 11 tour products in six categories for trips to destinations in the ASEAN Member States as winners of the ASEAN Tourism Awards Japan 2018.

The Member States are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The awards were organised to honour excellent, quality tour products to all ASEAN destinations and aimed at encouraging the Japanese tourism sector to diversify tour products and promote the ASEAN Member States as attractive tourism destinations.

Two Malaysian recipients awarded the tour products were PURPOSE JAPAN CO LTD, Malaysia Airlines (Product: Try being Cabin Attendant at Malaysia Airlines training centres); and, U Tour Service Co Ltd, Ocean Delight Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia (Product: Wildlife sanctuary in the heart of Borneo, Bilit along Kinabatangan river).

The judging committee comprising members of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, Overseas Tour Operators Association of Japan and AJC screened 76 entries to choose the winners.

The award ceremony took place at Tokyo Prince Hotel early this March, participated by some 90 guests from travel agents, land operators and airlines, and representatives of tourism organisations and the governments of the ASEAN Member States and Japan.

AJC is an intergovernmental organisation established by the ASEAN Member States and Japan to promote exports from ASEAN to Japan while revitalising investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the Member States and Japan.

Full list of the winners is available at https://www.asean.or.jp/en.

-- BERNAMA

AM Best Rating: stable outlook for LIG Insurance China

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 (Bernama) -- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘a-’ of LIG Insurance (China) Co Ltd (LIG China), and the outlook of these ratings is stable.

The ratings reflect LIG China’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best classifies as very strong, adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Moreover, the insurance company also received a wide range of support from its parent, KB Insurance Co., Ltd. in business development, reinsurance and investment.

LIG China’s risk-adjusted capitalisation remains at the strongest level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), supported by very low underwriting leverage and a highly conservative investment portfolio.

The company has generated positive nett profits consistently in the past five years, mainly attributable to a solid stream of interest income and low acquisition costs from its direct distribution channel.

Despite having small market share, LIG China occupies a niche market by focusing on servicing Korean Interests Abroad (KIA) operating in China - generating more than 90 per cent of the company’s revenue.

As a foreign-owned insurer concentrated on KIA businesses, LIG China is vulnerable to regulatory and political uncertainties in its operating environment.

-- BERNAMA

Promising environmental, social, governance investment in ASEAN - AJC Study

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment has gained momentum globally and the force is moving towards Asia, especially in the ASEAN Member States.

According to a study by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), although ESG investment has been implicitly and unsystematically undertaken among ASEAN firms, it is nevertheless, promising.

AJC has issued a study entitled, “ESG Investment: Towards Sustainable Development in ASEAN and Japan”.

The study is aimed at urging investors to invest responsibly by understanding ESG investment and contribute to the betterment of, and sustainable investment environment and society in Japan and the ASEAN Member States.

Based on the study, ASEAN-5 (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines) shows a promising trend of ESG investment, whereas more efforts are necessary for the rest of the member states.

All companies, regardless of their size and whether they are listed in the stock market, should integrate ESG investment in their core business strategies and consider ESG investment as an essential part of the growth strategies.

The investment also helps firms lower costs and boost revenue and profit.

ESG firms’ profitability is, on average, higher than that of non-ESG firms. The ratio of net profits to total revenue is 11.4 per cent for ESG firms as opposed to 9.6 per cent for non-ESG firms.

More details on the study at https://www.asean.or.jp/en/

-- BERNAMA

smartTrade is Mizuho Bank´s core technology provider for FX platform

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- Multi asset, end-to-end trading solutions provider, smartTrade Technologies has been chosen by Mizuho Bank Japan to deliver the bank’s next generation e-FX platform.

smartTrade’s LiquidityFX platform provides low latency connectivity combined with sophisticated aggregation, execution, smart order routing, order management, distribution, analytics and risk management.

By selecting the platform, Mizuho Bank will centralise the aggregation process as well as optimise and internalise the management of their very significant FX flows.

This will not only generate considerable cost savings for Mizuho but also create new opportunities for its clients.

Mizuho’s core requirements include an advanced and open out-of-the-box solution, allowing the bank an easy injection of its own intellectual property, advanced algos and AI, while supporting the financial institution in constantly assessing new technologies to obtain further improvements.

“After a thorough review process, we are very pleased that Mizuho has selected our LiquidityFX platform to support their e-FX growth,” said smartTrade Technologies chief executive officer, David Vincent.

“The combination of our low latency connectivity and execution stack combined with sophisticated pricing and distribution functionality will allow them to enhance their execution and risk management efficiency.”

-- BERNAMA

Kyriba set to receive US$160 mln investment capital from Bridgepoint

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- Kyriba, the global leader in cloud treasury and finance solutions, is in advanced talks with Bridgepoint - an international private equity group - to receive a US$160 million (US$1 = RM4.08) investment round to accelerate innovation and growth.

Once the deal is inked, Bridgepoint will have a majority stake in the business, and Kyriba will be valued at US$1.2 billion while Daher Capital, Iris Capital and Kyriba chairman and chief executive officer, Jean-Luc Robert will remain as investors in the company.

“Bridgepoint will help us fulfil our mission of enabling CFOs (chief financial officers) and treasury executives to be more agile and efficient in managing their global cash and liquidity,” said Robert.

With the new capital, Kyriba will enhance product development, customer support and expand its ecosystem. It will specifically invest US$60 million into product innovation over the next two years, according to a statement.

Kyriba’s cloud platform seamlessly connects siloed financial systems to enable global organisations to improve key capabilities for cash and risk management, payments and working capital optimisation.

Its unique value proposition resulted in a record growth year in 2018, including surpassing US$110 million in revenue, netting 229 new clients and also planning to acquire FiREapps, a leader in enterprise currency management.

Kyriba will continue to be led by Robert and will operate with its current management structure and strategy. For more information, contact https://www.kyriba.com and http://www.bridgepoint.eu.

-- BERNAMA

Earth Networks protects African airspace via aviation early warning system

KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 (Bernama) -- Earth Networks has completed a new aviation early weather warning system for one of Africa’s largest air navigation service providers, the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

The system is designed for air traffic management and airport operation professionals to issue alerts on severe weather and lightning threats that can potentially affect air and land operations.

Earth Networks said the early warning system included real-time lightning detection, on-the-ground weather monitoring, a web-based severe weather monitoring and alerting platform, severe weather data and visualisation tools and short-range point forecasts.

ASECNA Aeronautical Meteorology director, Moctar Mahfoud said there were areas in Central Africa affected by heavy cloud cover and thunderstorms for a staggering nine months in a year.

“The need to have real-time information about weather phenomena that can cause severe turbulence and plane diversions is crucial,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Earth Networks Global Sales senior vice-president, Jim Anderson expressed excitement with the operational results and its clear impact on safety and operational efficiency improvements in the African airspace.

“Working with ASECNA, we have substantially enhanced the ability to detect, track and alert for severe weather across an airspace, 50 per cent larger than all of Europe. These capacity improvements will have significant economic benefits across much of Africa,” he added.

Earth Networks comprehensive weather monitoring, visualisation, alerting and forecasting decision support tools help the aviation industry reduce delays due to weather, eliminate false alerts and provide safe operating conditions during flight and on the ground.

-- BERNAMA

1.1 MILLION PEOPLE BENEFIT FROM THE UAE-BASED BIG HEART FOUNDATION'S HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS IN 2018

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, March 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Humanitarian aid worth US$ 15.8 million (AED 58 million) to 1,091,000 million refugees, internally displaced and acutely disadvantaged people in 12 conflict-laden nations worldwide has been offered by The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF), a leading international humanitarian organisation based in Sharjah, UAE.

Operating under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, UNHCR Eminent Advocate and TBHF Chairperson, the humanitarian non-profit operating out of Sharjah – the third largest emirate in United Arab Emirates (UAE) – has mobilised the funds to support and initiate 20 projects in collaboration with UNHCR, Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) in vital sectors of food security, healthcare and education.

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Typhoid conference sees experts dedicated to protect communities from disease

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- More than 450 researchers, policy-makers and advocates gathered at the 11th International Conference on Typhoid and Other Invasive Salmonelloses, beginning today, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The three-day conference hosted by the Coalition against Typhoid, a programme of the Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) is dedicated to improving the lives of young children and their families suffering from typhoid, paratyphoid and invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella.

From more than 40 countries, attendees discuss the latest research and strategies to take on enteric fever, with the goal of translating recent global advancements into local impact for prevention and control at the community level.

Typhoid continues to cause an estimated 11 million cases and more than 116,000 deaths annually, largely affecting children in low-income communities in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a statement.

“During the next three days, we will lay the groundwork for a coordinated prevention and control strategy to protect the millions of children who are mostly at risk of typhoid,” said Sabin chief executive officer, Amy Finan.

Since the last conference in 2017, significant strides in global policy have paved the way for accelerated progress against enteric fever, beginning with the World Health Organisation pre-qualifying and subsequently, recommending the use of typhoid conjugate vaccines.

Helping to ensure access to these vaccines for low-income countries, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance committed US$85 million (US$1 = RM4.07) in 2018, to support its introduction whereby, countries have begun to submit applications for Gavi support for routine immunisation.

The agenda for the 11th International Conference on Typhoid and Other Invasive Salmonelloses is available at http://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org.

-- BERNAMA

DOCOMO to Further Expand 5G Trials with Overseas Partners

— Initiates business co-creation with cross-border partners —

TOKYO, March 27 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today that it has agreed with enterprises and organizations in the United States and Israel as well as Japan to collaborate in trials involving a 5G mobile test network established in Guam with the aim of verifying 5G-compatible systems and equipment for new business solutions.

The trials will involve Field Partners, Solution Partners and DOCOMO as the provider of the 5G test network. Solution Partners will develop and provide solutions incorporating 5G systems and equipment and Field Partners comprising companies and organizations will use these solutions in practical applications on an experimental basis for testing and verification.

The Field Partners include the electricity utility Guam Power Authority, the University of Guam Office of Information Technology, and major enterprises and organizations in Guam engaged in such diverse fields as bridal services and a marathon administrative office. They will test various solutions that incorporate 5G’s extra-high-speed, large-capacity and low-latency technologies, including a remote training system using high-definition virtual reality, a monitoring system using AI surveillance cameras to detect suspicious individuals, and many others.

DOCOMO also announced today that it has launched its DOCOMO 5G Open Lab^TM GUAM, its first center outside of Japan for verifying 5G technologies. The facility will provide a 5G trial environment that companies from Japan and other countries can use to verify 5G solutions. Field Partners will be able to use the network for outdoor testing of new services that incorporate equipment compatible with 5G networks. To utilize this network, in addition to Japanese companies, a number of overseas ventures with advanced 5G technology have announced that they will participate in cross-border 5G testing with DOCOMO as part of the 5G Open Partner Program. The program promotes partner collaboration with the aim of creating innovative 5G services. There are already more than 80 overseas companies and organizations participating in the program.

Going forward, DOCOMO will further collaborate with partners in Japan and overseas, to create new value and businesses through 5G that solve social issues for a brighter future.

5G Trials Overview
Fields Partners		Solution Partner(s)		Details
Guam Power Authority (electricity utility)		Humaneyes Technologies Ltd. (Israeli VR camera developer)		5G virtual-reality training Live video using a 360-degree high-definition VR camera (Vuze XR) for remote training of new technicians
		Aegis Systems Inc. (U.S. developer of object-detection AI)		5G monitoring with AI technology High-speed video processing of AI surveillance cameras to reduce costs of nighttime surveillance at an electrical substation
University of Guam Office of Information Technology		PLEN Robotics Inc. (Japanese developer of facial-recognition technology)		5G education Low-cost AI-based robot system for identifying examinees at test sites via high-speed, low-latency 5G network
		Smart Home Sentry, Inc. (U.S. developer of motion-detection AI)		5G monitoring with AI technology High-speed processing of video from AI-based surveillance camera to detect abnormal behavior and suspicious individuals on campus at night
ARLUIS Wedding Guam (Guam-based wedding services)		AMATELUS Inc. (Japanese developer of video streaming software)		5G live streaming of multi-screen video High-definition video system incorporating multiple cameras to allow people to richly experience wedding ceremonies from remote locations
United Airlines Guam Marathon Organizer		Flashframe (U.S. photo-sharing platform provider)		5G sports High-speed, large-capacity, low-latency system for uploading official photos from United Airlines Guam Marathon 2019 this coming April 14
		NS Solutions Corporation (Japanese system integrator) Meritech Co., Ltd. (Japanese software developer) Space Entertainment Laboratory (Japanese integrator of aerospace technologies)		5G drones System for wide-area, extended-flight monitoring of remote areas, such as the ocean and jungles, using special ocean-going drones
		JTB Corp (Japanese travel agency)		5G tourism Services to provide tourists with increased safety, convenience and excitement
		Sony Corporation (Japanese electronics maker)		5G AI robotics Remote outdoor operation of concept vehicle equipped with high-definition video cameras and high-definition 4K digital signage
DOCOMO 5G Open Lab is a trademark of NTT DOCOMO, INC.

About NTT DOCOMO
NTT DOCOMO, Japan's leading mobile operator with over 77 million subscriptions, is one of the world's foremost contributors to 3G, 4G and 5G mobile network technologies. Beyond core communications services, DOCOMO is challenging new frontiers in collaboration with a growing number of entities ("+d" partners), creating exciting and convenient value-added services that change the way people live and work. Under a medium-term plan toward 2020 and beyond, DOCOMO is pioneering a leading-edge 5G network to facilitate innovative services that will amaze and inspire customers beyond their expectations. DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (9437). www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190326005442/en/

Contact

For further information, please contact:
NTT DOCOMO
Mr. Michael Bristow or Ms. Saori Yoshimatsu
Public Relations Department
Tel: +81-3-5156-1366
Fax: +81-3-5501-3408
Website: www.nttdocomo.co.jp/english

Source : NTT DOCOMO, INC.

Toshiba Memory adds BiCS FLASH enabled UFS to embedded flash memory products

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- World leader in memory solutions, Toshiba Memory Corporation has begun sampling new Automotive JEDEC UFS Version 2.1 embedded memory solutions, utilising 3D flash memory.

The new products are embedded flash memory devices that integrate the company’s BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory and a controller in a single package.

The sequential read and write performances are improved by approximately six per cent and 33 per cent, respectively, over existing devices.

The company’s Automotive UFS supports a wide temperature range (-40°C to +105°C), meets AEC-Q100 Grade2 requirements and offers the enhanced reliability required by various automotive applications.

The line-up consists of four capacities - 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

The new UFS devices feature several functions well-suited to the requirements of automotive applications, including Refresh, Thermal Control and Extended Diagnosis.

Technology advances in automotive information and entertainment systems and ADAS-related products for the realisation of connected cars and autonomous vehicles will continue to push the storage demands in automotive applications ever higher.

As these demands continue to grow, Toshiba Memory Corporation will retain a leadership position in the market by reinforcing its line-up of high-performance, high-capacity memory solutions targeting the sector.

More details on the product on https://business.toshiba-memory.com/en-apac/top.html

-- BERNAMA

SHONAI REGION IN YAMAGATA PREFECTURE PRODUCES PR VIDEO"FOOD CAPITAL: SHONAI"

SHONAI, Japan, Mar. 25, 2019 /Kyodo JBN - AsiaNet/ --

- Tasty Japanese Food Isn't Only Found in Kyoto and Osaka! -

The Shonai Branch Office of the Yamagata Prefectural Government has produced a promotional video titled "Food Capital: Shonai," to be released on March 25, 2019. The Shonai Branch Office hopes that people all over Japan and the rest of the world will know the many charms of food sourced in and around the Shonai region in northeastern Japan.

1. Why people say "Food Capital: Shonai"

1) Abundant land surrounded by the ocean, mountains and rivers brings various delicious ingredients

Fertile plains on an alluvial fan surrounded by an abundant ocean and Mt. Gassan and Mt. Chokai, each measuring around 2,000 meters high. A miraculous natural environment brought about by varied terrain and a clearly defined difference in temperatures across the four seasons. Abundant fishing grounds where warm and cold currents meet.

2) Ingredients with a story

Rare ingredients few in number but high in variety -- there exist over 70 types of native produce passed down throughout the generations. Each type of produce has its own folklore, and each has its own special flavor suited to Shonai, making them "edible cultural assets."

3) Delicious cuisine

The Three Mountains of Dewa's "shojin ryori" -- vegan meals eaten by Japanese monks and priests -- refined by its long history (Tsuruoka City designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy). Traditional local cuisine and creative Western cuisine using local fish and native produce in abundance, soy sauce-flavored ramen with clear broth, with "dashi" made from seafood, and more!

2. Closer than you think! "Food Capital: Shonai"

Transfer at Haneda Airport and arrive at Oishii Shonai Airport in just one hour! Four return flights a day between Haneda Airport and Oishii Shonai Airport. (Oishii = Delicious)

3. Take the chance to try it in Hong Kong!

Fresh ingredients imported to Hong Kong by special express! Japanese restaurants across Hong Kong are planning to use these ingredients in their cooking.

For further information, please check the following website.

Website: http://syokunomiyakoshounai.com/international/

Promotion video website:
https://youtu.be/hcf6XRKaygA
https://youtu.be/JNEOkwxkiOI

SOURCE: Yamagata Prefectural Government

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AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS LIMITED

AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS LIMITED

Real Madrid scores world´s top sport club ranking

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Real Madrid is the world’s top performing sport clubs, ranked by their commercial attractiveness in 2018, according to Global Club Attractiveness Index by Euromonitor International.

The global market research company’s new report shows that European football clubs from leagues such as La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga, as well as teams from the major United States leagues dominate the ranking.

Real Madrid is the most followed sports club globally, with over 226 million followers on social media platforms.

The club continues to invest heavily in growth markets, inking broadcast deals in India and seven new South Asian countries.

FC Barcelona is the runner-up with a record total ticket spend of US$91.9 million and one of the highest average attendances in football, as well as the second highest social media following globally. (US$1=RM4.06)

Third club in the rank are Manchester United. The Red Devils are one of the strongest professional sports brands globally, ensuring lucrative broadcast and commercial revenues for the club.

Arsenal is placed fourth and Bayern Munich, fifth.

Euromonitor International sport analyst, Egle Tekutyte said football clubs in Europe claimed the top spots in the Global Club Attractiveness Index.

“Those clubs contain the key factors of success, from strong local support to extensive digital media footprint globally, guaranteeing a high return on investment for sponsor companies.”

-- BERNAMA

Japan's Kirin Beverage smashes own national record, developing lightest plastic bottle

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Kirin Beverage Co Ltd has managed to reduce the weight of its two-litre plastic bottle from 28.9 grams to 28.3 grams by making the bottle’s top part lighter to help further reduce environmental impact.

The lightest plastic bottle in Japan will be used for ‘Kirin Alkali Ion Water’, beginning this April, according to a statement.

It was developed in collaboration with the Kirin Group’s Research Laboratories for Packaging Technologies by successfully reducing its weight through modification of the threaded portion of the bottle top with a narrower screw thread and a shorter screw.

By utilising this plastic bottle, the company will be able to reduce the use of polyethylene terephthalate resin by about 107 tonnes per year and cut CO2 emissions by about 375 tonnes per year.

The achievement is a result of improving the sustainability of raw materials for plastic bottles under the ‘Kirin Group Plastic Policy’ - an initiative established by Kirin Holdings Co Ltd - to promote the sustainable use of plastics and circulation of resources.

Kirin Beverage has been pursuing activities to reduce environmental impact by developing environmentally conscious containers and packaging. It introduced an ultra-light ‘pecology bottle’ for the two-litre plastic bottle (42 grams) of ‘Alkali Ion Water’ in June 2003.

The bottle was further applied to the two-litre plastic bottle of ‘Kirin Nama-cha (green tea)’ and ‘Kirin Amino Supli’ in March 2005, and to the 1.5-litre plastic bottle of ‘Kirin Gogo no Kocha (black tea)’ in April 2008.

-- BERNAMA

Earth Networks provides warning system for Philippine weather service provider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 26 (Bernama) -- Earth Networks has completed the Philippines’ first severe weather monitoring and alerting network with associated software services for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA is the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) agency of the the republic.

The technology partnership between PAGASA and Earth Networks is the first of its kind in the Philippines and surrounding regions, powered by a network of total lightning sensors and real-time automatic weather stations for mesoscale monitoring.

Installed and operated together with the Philippine partner, West Point Engineering, the 10-year programme includes real-time lightning detection, on-the-ground weather monitoring, web-based severe weather monitoring and alerting platform, severe weather data and visualisation tools and short-range point forecasts.

Data from the collaboration will be commercially available to public and private industries in the region to improve and inform decision-making around severe weather.

This will further enable a commercial sustainability model for these severe weather monitoring and alerting systems.

Earth Networks has also deployed its first Outdoor Alerting System in the country to provide wide area public alert.

PAGASA is the Philippines’ public weather service provider, issuing typhoon and flood warnings, public weather forecasts, advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological products and other specialised services.

Newly-expanded in the Philippines, Earth Networks is the world’s most advanced lightning network technology, featuring comprehensive monitoring of both in-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning.

-- BERNAMA

SEE RTLS LEADER AND INNOVATOR SONITOR® AT AHCW19 - BOOTH DZ33

SEE RTLS LEADER AND INNOVATOR SONITOR® AT AHCW19 - BOOTH DZ33

World Free Zone Organization sets up Asia-Pacific headquarters in Haikou, China

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 (Bernama) -- The World Free Zone Organization (World FZO) will set up its Asia-Pacific headquarters at the Jiangdong New Area in Haikou, China.

World FZO director-general (China Office), Li Guanglian said the World FZO would support the development of China's free trade zones (FTZs), especially Hainan FTZ and Hainan free trade port by providing related services for governments, enterprises and investors.

It will also support the development of China’s related industries, strengthen liberalisation and facilitation of bilateral investment, promote economic globalisation, and develop Haikou into the gateway for China's communication and cooperation with others.

The Asia-Pacific headquarters will be the administration centre for the region, and will also deal with some businesses of the Dubai headquarters. It will develop the hub for international free trade, and attract the world's major FTZs and related enterprises to set up regional offices.

A research institute on world free zones will be established to conduct research and provide training on free zones to establish standards for China's FTZs, as well as collect and compile data on China's FTZs.

Registered in Geneva and headquartered in Dubai, World FZO has a profound global impact launched by 14 FTZs, including Shanghai Free Trade Zone and Dubai Airport Free Zone, according to a statement from The Municipal Government of Haikou City.

The organisation has members from 100-odd countries and regions, and has established long-term and stable cooperation with many important international organisations, including the World Trade Organisation.

-- BERNAMA

Train of events await tourists in Odakyu's cherry blossom ´2019 SAKURA Campaign´

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Japan’s Odakyu Group and its member companies in Shinjuku, Hakone, Enoshima and Kamakura have started the ‘2019 SAKURA Campaign’ in welcoming tourists from abroad from March 15 to April 21.

According to Odakyu Electric Railway Co Ltd, the campaign is designed to ensure tourists worldwide will enjoy viewing cherry blossoms along the Odakyu lines such as at Hakone and Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, whereby numerous cherry blossom-viewing spots are scattered along the lines.

A campaign page has been placed on Odakyu Railway’s global website which carries information on cherry blossoms such as maps of cherry blossom-viewing spots in Chinese (simplified/traditional), English, Korean and Thai in real time.

Campaign participants stand a chance to receive goods featuring cherry blossoms and hotel coupons if they post photos of cherry blossoms along the Odakyu lines and upload to their Instagram account or submit to the campaign website.

Accommodation coupons for a couple, coming together with round-trip tickets for ‘Romancecar’ limited express trains and Hakone Freepasses will also be presented to the winner from among the campaign participants.

Original novelty goods featuring cherry blossoms (chopsticks or paper fans) will also be presented to participants who show tablet computers or smartphones, showing photos of cherry blossoms that they already uploaded on designated websites at 12 locations along the lines.

A passenger who buys ‘Hakone Freepass’, ‘Hakone Kamakura Pass’ or ‘Fuji Hakone Pass’ for adults at the Odakyu Sightseeing Service Center in Tokyo's Shinjuku Station will receive a 500-yen coupon that can be used at designated Odakyu Group facilities.

For more information, contact https://www.odakyu.jp/english/springcampaign.

-- BERNAMA

​PIVOT FINTECH GETS CAPITAL MARKETS SERVICES LICENSE FROM THE MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

​PIVOT FINTECH GETS CAPITAL MARKETS SERVICES LICENSE FROM THE MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

​CARRIER AQUAEDGE 19DV MARKS A CUMULATIVE COOLING CAPACITY MILESTONE

​CARRIER AQUAEDGE 19DV MARKS A CUMULATIVE COOLING CAPACITY MILESTONE

​AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF ENERGAS INSURANCE (L) LIMITED

​AM BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF ENERGAS INSURANCE (L) LIMITED

Far-sighted: NexOptic welcomes Rich Geruson on board of directors

KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 (Bernama) -- Innovative optical development company, NexOptic Technology Corp (NexOptic) has appointed Richard J. Geruson to its board of directors, with immediate effect.

He has served on numerous public and private boards across three continents and holds graduate degrees from Oxford University, including a D.Phil. in economics.

Geruson’s experience spans chief executive officer (CEO) roles at Lexmark International, Phoenix Technologies and VoiceSignal Technologies. He has also served as senior vice-president and executive positions at Nokia, IBM, Toshiba and McKinsey & Co.

As CEO of Lexmark International, a multibillion-dollar imaging technology and solutions company, he grew printer sales faster than at any time in the preceding 10 years.

He had also simultaneously executed extensive process re-engineering, transforming the business from EBITDA and high debt, to positive multi-hundred-million-dollar EBITDA and a healthy debt profile.

NexOptic chairman, Darcy Daugela said the newly-appointed Geruson brought unparalleled organisational expertise and an exceptional track record of success in manufacturing, sales and global distribution.

Meanwhile, Geruson has expressed excitement at joining the board whose technology has such tremendous potential to impact many verticals in a variety of industries – from smartphone lenses to binoculars.

“I look forward to bringing my experience and expertise to bear as we move NexOptic’s sophisticated and award-winning offerings to global markets,” he said.

The company is now ready to globally launch its reimagined binoculars, the multi-award winning DoubleTake, its first consumer product engineered to disrupt the growing outdoor recreation market.

DoubleTake utilises NexOptic’s high magnification lenses for a state-of-the-art digital experience. More details at www.nexoptic.com

-- BERNAMA

​TOMMY HILFIGER CALLS ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS TO TAKE ON THE TOMMY HILFIGER FASHION FRONTIER CHALLENGE

​TOMMY HILFIGER CALLS ON SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS TO TAKE ON THE TOMMY HILFIGER FASHION FRONTIER CHALLENGE

​TMALL GLOBAL UNVEILS NEW INITIATIVES TO BOOST CHINA'S IMPORTS

​TMALL GLOBAL UNVEILS NEW INITIATIVES TO BOOST CHINA'S IMPORTS

VALIDATED WITH MICROSOFT SKYPE FOR BUSINESS, PATTON DELIVERS CLOUD-POWERED INTEGRATION

VALIDATED WITH MICROSOFT SKYPE FOR BUSINESS, PATTON DELIVERS CLOUD-POWERED INTEGRATION

HUANYU ENTERTAINMENT AND TVB JOINED FORCES ONCE AGAIN FOR THE NEW TV SERIES COURT LADY, WHICH ATTRACTS GLOBAL ATTENTION

HUANYU ENTERTAINMENT AND TVB JOINED FORCES ONCE AGAIN FOR THE NEW TV SERIES COURT LADY, WHICH ATTRACTS GLOBAL ATTENTION

​SMARTSTREAM PARTNERS WITH CASSINI SYSTEMS TO HELP FIRMS MEET UNCLEARED INITIAL MARGIN OBLIGATIONS

​SMARTSTREAM PARTNERS WITH CASSINI SYSTEMS TO HELP FIRMS MEET UNCLEARED INITIAL MARGIN OBLIGATIONS

​SATURNA SDN BHD NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

​SATURNA SDN BHD NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

Just one click, and Seclore expands protection for sensitive emails, documents

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- With one click, Seclore, provider of the first open Data-Centric Security Platform expands its Seclore Data Classification solution to enable users adding classification, protection and tracking, to sensitive emails and documents.

Powered by Boldon James, the solution’s appropriated usage controls (read, edit, print, and share) are automatically applied to the email and attachment once a user selects an email classification label and sends the email, according to a statement.

“The seamless integration between Seclore Data Classification and Seclore Rights Management assures sensitive and regulatory data are protected and tracked when utilised and wherever it travels, going well beyond traditional email encryption,” said Seclore chief executive officer, Vishal Gupta.

The solution is also able to detect sensitive words in an email or attachment, authorise users to forward a classified and protected email to a new user, as well as right-click capability on any file for one-click classification and protection, among others.

Seclore gives organisations the agility to utilise best-of-breed solutions to discover, identify, protect and track the usage of data wherever it goes, both within and outside of the organisation’s boundaries.

For more information, contact https://www.seclore.com.

-- BERNAMA

Music to the ears: GVIDO device receives iF DESIGN AWARD 2019

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- GVIDO, digital music score device produced by GVIDO

MUSIC Co Ltd has bagged the iF DESIGN AWARD 2019, organised by iF Industrie Forum Design.

The award is one of the world’s most important design awards which a jury consisting of 67 design experts, selected GVIDO as one of the winners from almost 6,400 entries from 52 countries for 2019.

The device was also selected as one of the GOOD DESIGN BEST 100 in the GOOD DESIGN AWARD, the Red Dot Design Award and other design awards, both at home and abroad.

The dual-screen music score device which has functional features such as its light weight and ease in viewing music scores will be exhibited at the iF design exhibition Hamburg from March 16 to April 14 in Hamburg, Germany.

GVIDO MUSIC is a group company of Warehouse TERRADA. Encouraged by the recognition, it will continue to contribute for quality products.

For more information, contact https://www.gvido.tokyo.

-- BERNAMA

Willis Lease Finance Corporation achieved record US$56.3 million annual pre-tax profit

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- Willis Lease Finance Corporation (WLFC), for the period ended Dec 31, 2018, has recorded an annual pre-tax profit of US$56.3 million last year, an increase of 56.3 per cent as compared to 2017. (US$1 = RM4.09)

Last year, the company’s total revenue increased by 26.7 per cent.


WLFC generated US$348.3 million in 2018, in comparison to US$274.8 million in the previous year.

WLFC pretax 2018 results were driven by continued revenue growth in the core leasing business and increase in spare parts and equipment sales.

In addition, aggregate lease rent and maintenance reserve revenue of US$262.6 million, were driven by high utilisation of a lease portfolio that grew 24.6 per cent to US$1.67 billion at year-end.

As of Dec 31, 2018, WLFC had a total lease portfolio consisting of 244 engines and related equipment, 17 aircraft and 10 other leased parts and equipment with a net book value of US$1.67 billion.

WLFC chairman and chief executive officer, Charles F. Willis said the company’s global client base recognised the value of its vertically integrated offering of core lease services, materials, fleet transition solutions, asset management and materials services.

WLFC leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repairs and overhauls providers in 120 countries.

-- BERNAMA

Kohler's winning products designed to stun at Milan Design Week, April

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- Global lifestyle brand, Kohler will pull out all the stops in showcasing its stunning products at the five-day Milan Design Week 2019, beginning April 9, in Palazzo Del Senato, Milan.

Nature plays a pivotal role with the inclusion of a ‘digital garden’ at the entrance of the exhibit, as well as an infinity garden that whimsically juxtaposes Kohler’s Smart Home collection, according to a statement.

The collection includes intelligent toilets that offer the perfect combination of sophisticated design and unmatched technology, digital showering which transforms users’ daily routine by allowing customisation down to the tiniest detail, and a range of products from Kohler Co brands.

In partnership with Kohler Co, ANN SACKS debuts The Crackle Collection by Kohler WasteLAB, an innovative tile series that employs Kohler’s unfired pottery cull as its medium, transforming the waste into a responsive tile body.

Kohler will also use the Palazzo as the platform for the launch of its second global design theme, Experiential Luxury, an examination of the details and layers that create rich and dynamic environments.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Wisconsin, Kohler Co has more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide. It is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products, among others.

For more information, contact https://www.kohlercompany.com.

-- BERNAMA

Magnetism: Crocus Technology unveils new high-performance TMR magnetic sensor

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 (Bernama) -- Supplier of disruptive Tunnel Magneto-Resistance (TMR) sensors, Crocus Technology Inc., has unveiled an advanced, high-performance linear magnetic sensor, based on Crocus’ patented and unique TMR-based technology.

The CT100 device has best-in-class performance across a wide temperature range coupled with an extremely low linearity error, low hysteresis and low noise.

The device is able to sense the presence of a magnetic field (either from a magnet or a field generated by a current carrying conductor); and outputs a differential signal with a linearity error that is less than ±0.5% over a magnetic field range from -20 mT to +20 mT with negligible hysteresis and extremely low noise.

The robust device operates from -40°C to +150°C and yields a predictable temperature coefficient of sensitivity of less than 300 ppm/°C and a temperature coefficient of offset which does not exceed 3 µV/V/°C across a supply voltage range from 1.0 V to 5.5 V.

The CT100 is a perfect fit for products such as current and field sensors, fuse current monitors, IoT smart devices, electric motors, magnetic card readers, window/door sensors and mobile electronics where excellent linearity performance and thermal stability is a must.

Crocus Technology chief executive officer, Zack Deiri said many applications currently, demanded performance but not at the expense of large deviations due to temperature fluctuation which impacted system performance and safety.

“The CT100 offers superior performance to our competitors’ fully integrated and highly compensated solutions, in terms of accuracy and robustness over field and temperature.”

Samples and evaluation boards are currently available and production is targeted for early third quarter this year. More details at http://www.crocus-technology.com

-- BERNAMA

P&G SETS NEW GOAL TO DELIVER 25 BILLION LITERS OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER TO FAMILIES IN NEED WORLDWIDE

After achieving its 2020 goal of delivering 15 billion liters one year early, the Company increases its target to 25 billion liters of clean water by 2025

CINCINNATI, March 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- This World Water Day, Procter & Gamble (P&G) is celebrating the achievement of its 2020 goal of delivering 15 billion liters of clean drinking water through its non-profit Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. P&G is now accelerating its efforts to help provide clean drinking water to even more people by delivering 25 billion liters – more than 100 billion glasses of water – worldwide by 2025.

Since the program launched in 2004, P&G has worked closely with a network of more than 150 partners to raise awareness of the global water crisis and provide water to families in more than 90 countries through a simple purification process invented by a P&G laundry scientist. With just one packet, a bucket, a stick and a clean cloth, 10 liters of dirty, potentially deadly, water can be turned into clean, drinkable water in only 30 minutes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 844 million people globally do not have access to clean drinking water. UNICEF estimates that women and children spend 40 billion hours each year collecting and managing water that is often contaminated. The United Nations has prioritized the need to address this through UN Sustainable Development Goal #6 which aims to ensure clean water and proper sanitation for all by 2030.

To date, P&G’s efforts to provide access to clean water are transforming communities by improving health, enabling education and increasing economic opportunities.

“We are proud to have reached this 15 billion liter milestone and inspired by the opportunity to make an even greater impact through our new goal,” said David Taylor, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of P&G. “This life-changing technology has helped many families over the past 15 years, and we’re eager to help even more in the years to come.”

P&G is partnering with National Geographic again this year to celebrate World Water Day and share the stories of five “Water Champions” – who are working each day, individually and collectively with P&G, to help solve the water crisis. The Water Champions represent four of P&G’s largest partners and include:
- Patricia Heaton, Emmy award-winning Actress and World Vision Ambassador
- Carolyn Miles, President & CEO of Save the Children
- JP Suarez, Executive Vice President & Chief Administration Officer, Walmart International
- Job Wasonga, Project Manager, CARE International Kenya
- Alllison Tummon Kamphuis, Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Leader, P&G

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=34065

Twin effect: Jumio-ComplyAdvantage solution thwarts money laundering

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- Jumio, the leading AI-powered trusted identity as a service provider has launched Jumio Screening, a fully automated anti-money laundering (AML) screening solution that integrates ComplyAdvantage, a dynamic real-time database of people and companies that pose financial crime risk.

The partnership provides Jumio customers an access to a global proprietary database of structured risk profiles covering enhanced sanctions, regulatory and enforcement watchlists, politically exposed persons (PEPs) and adverse media.

“This integration equips our clients with market-leading data and best-of-breed digital identity and screening technologies to make the right AML risk decisions with automated customer onboarding and ongoing monitoring,” said Jumio’s chief product officer, Philipp Pointner.

The service automatically flags any new online customers when they are initially on-boarded if their names are listed within the databases and delivers proactive alerts and ongoing monitoring after the initial on-boarding process to help financial organisations maintain compliance.

It streamlines the process with ID verification and complete AML screening and monitoring within a single and automated solution, providing regulators and banking partners confidence that they’re complying with all regional AML and counter-terrorist financing requirements.

Customers can leverage a single dashboard for identity verification and watchlist, sanctions and adverse media screening. Jumio’s identity verification detail page will immediately alert customer’s compliance team if there is a watchlist, PEPs or adverse media hit.

For more information, contact https://www.jumio.com and https://complyadvantage.com.

-- BERNAMA

Bolster PMTQ to improve performance, Project Management Institute tells leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- The Project Management Institute (PMI) has called on project leaders worldwide to evaluate and bolster their Project Management Technology Quotient (PMTQ).

According to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession report, organisations wasted almost 12 per cent of their investment in project spend last year due to poor performance.

The company has developed the tenets of PMTQ by drawing on insights from innovator companies that put a high priority on digital skill acquisition and knowledge, coupled with a commitment to a strong project management culture.

PMTQ adds a layer of project management to the concept of technology quotient which is defined as a person’s ability to adapt, manage and integrate content advances in technology for a project or organisation.

Based on data from the report, PMI’s annual global survey of project management professionals was used to identify PMTQ Innovators – organisations that prioritise the development of digital skills for project management – versus the Laggards.

Project managers with high PMTQ are always looking out for what’s next and trying out new project delivery approaches, ideas, perspectives and technology as compared to PMTQ Laggards.

Moreover, leaders not only effectively manage people but also technology as the report indicates that 78 per cent of PMTQ innovators prioritise developing project management business skills, in comparison to five per cent of PMTQ Laggards.

In addition, these innovators recruit and retain project talent with the skills needed for the digital workforce. They identify employees who can keep up with the trends and adapt their abilities, accordingly.

The report highlights feedback and insights from 3,133 project management professionals, 441 Project Management Office directors and 368 executive leaders from a range of industries. For more information, contact https://www.pmi.org.

-- BERNAMA

​KEIO PLAZA HOTEL TOKYO HOSTS CINDERELLA THEMED DESSERT BUFFET -

​KEIO PLAZA HOTEL TOKYO HOSTS CINDERELLA THEMED DESSERT BUFFET -

Announced: 3 Singapore finalists in Alipay-NUS Enterprise Social Innovation Challenge

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- SmartPeep, Wika Media and Whizpace are the Singapore finalists in the Alipay-NUS Enterprise Social Innovation Challenge.

The challenge was jointly launched by Alipay, the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform, operated by Ant Financial Services Group (Ant Financial) and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Launched in November last year, the challenge aims to identify and support the growth of start-ups in Southeast Asia that use digital technology to build an inclusive society.

Hence, the finalists were selected for their ability and potential to leverage digital technology to improve lives, based on five criteria: innovation, social impact, market potential, economic model and team strength.

SmartPeep has developed an artificial intelligence system to help medical professionals closely monitor seniors and patients who are at risk of falling and who suffer from sub-acute and chronic conditions.

Meanwhile, Wika Media has developed solutions to enable people afflicted with hearing impairment to watch movies, television (TV) shows and videos, using Wika’s app, smartglass or set-top box.

Whizpace has created a Super Wi-Fi connectivity solution that makes use of TV White Space, an under-utilised TV spectrum due to the shift from analog broadcast to digital.

Finalists from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia will each receive a cash prize of SGD10,000 to support their future growth and will proceed to the next stage of the competition. (SGD1 = RM3.02)

The grand finale next month will see the finalists compete for the grand prize of SGD50,000.

They will also be eligible to join the 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion programme, jointly set up by International Financial Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, and Alipay.

-- BERNAMA

Talking art: Japan´s first art museum to organise 'Let´s Talk Art!' programme

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Come March 22, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, will launch an English programme to enable foreign visitors to appreciate Japanese art masterpieces since the 20th century.

The ‘Let’s Talk Art!’ programme participants will not listen to explanations of artworks but enjoy artworks through a delightful conversation among them and a facilitator.

Specifically, participants will take an hour to explore three works from the displayed ‘MOMAT Collection’ and discuss Japan’s art and culture, as well as those of participant countries, based on what the works portray.

The museum will not notify in advance the three works for discussions in each session, hoping that participants will look forward to knowing the selected works under a theme given on the day of the programme, on the spot.

In response to the interests of participants, the facilitator will provide basic information on the history of the locations and others found in the works, as well as tourist information.

Japan’s first national art museum situated near the Imperial Palace, aims to provide the country’s new attractions through the programme, including a venue for communication, leading to mutual respect on diverse cultures and values.

The MOMAT Collection is Japan’s sole exhibition of artworks, enabling visitors to sense more than 100 years of the history of modern Japanese art, where about 200 from over 13,000 works are displayed.

Besides the programme, there are signs explaining artworks on display and audio guidance in English (paid) while free guide apps in English, Chinese and Korean are also available.

Pre-registration is necessary (up to six people), for foreign visitors above 11 years old and adult fee is 1,500 yen. Discounts are offered for students and senior visitors. (100 yen = RM3.66)

More details at http://www.momat.go.jp/english/

-- BERNAMA

Teledyne DALSA releases new 3D laser profiler series

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- Teledyne DALSA has unveiled its new, high-accuracy 3D laser profiler series, adding to its successful 1D and 2D camera portfolio.

The Z-Trak(TM) LP1 series of 3D laser profilers deliver accurate and precise height measurements in an ergonomically designed compact unit, with a powerful FIR-peak detector.

The new series profilers are factory-calibrated and bundled with Teledyne DALSA’s Sapera Processing 8 Runtime or Sherlock 8 3D software for easy setup and deployment.

In addition, the LP1 series feature a GigE Vision® interface, support the GenICam® standard and are easy to interface with other off-the-shelf software.

Z-Trak laser profilers are ideal for in-line metrology, volumetric measurements, parts inspection and identification, and bin-picking applications for semiconductor, electronics, factory automation and logistics.

Teledyne DALSA (Montreal), vice-president and general manager, Ghislain Beaupré said the feature-rich and cost-effective new series had the backing of a powerful technological foundation.

“This strong foundation is critical, not only to achieve superior results, but sets the stage for future innovations around our advanced sensor and software capabilities.”

The new laser profiler will be live-demonstrated at Vision China Shanghai, Automation World Korea, Automate 2019 and Control 2019 Germany. More details at www.teledynedalsa.com/z-trak

-- BERNAMA

TELEDYNE E2V ANNOUNCES NEW 5 MPIXEL, 1/1.8 INCH CMOS IMAGE SENSOR FOR MACHINE VISION

TELEDYNE E2V ANNOUNCES NEW 5 MPIXEL, 1/1.8 INCH CMOS IMAGE SENSOR FOR MACHINE VISION

​60 AWARD-WINNING AGENTS GEAR UP FOR HONG KONG'S NEW MICE TOURISM ERA IN 2019

​60 AWARD-WINNING AGENTS GEAR UP FOR HONG KONG'S NEW MICE TOURISM ERA IN 2019

Tourism players meet at Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart 2019

KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi today officiated at the Tourism Malaysia Travel Mart 2019 programme in conjunction with the MATTA Fair 2019 which runs from tomorrow until March 17.

The one-day programme gathered tour operators and tourism product owners and hoteliers under one roof to develop various domestic tourism travel packages together.

Conducted in a business-to-business format, the Travel Mart organised by Tourism Malaysia involved two-way meetings between product owners and hotel from each state and potential buyers who were participating in the MATTA Fair.

In his speech, Mohamaddin said the programme enhanced relations among those involved in the tourism industry and was a commendable business networking platform.

“Cooperation from the tourism industry players is much needed especially to develop tourism packages that are exciting and creative as this would help make Visit Malaysia 2020 a success," he said.

A total of 200 buyers and 60 sellers from around the country took part in today's programme that was estimated to generate a value of RM1 million in sale contracts.

-- BERNAMA

SEA LIFE MALAYSIA WELCOMES FIRST GROUP OF FISH

The first interactive aquarium with LEGO® elements in Malaysia will house 13,000 marine creatures 
 
ISKANDAR PUTERI, March 14 (Bernama) -- On the 23^rd February 2019, SEA LIFE Malaysia welcomes over 23 species of fishes including Bala Sharks, Rasboras and Tinfoil Barbs to its Malaysian Rainforest habitat zone, an exclusive habitat zone only available in SEA LIFE Malaysia. With the completion of third milestone in the construction of SEA LIFE Malaysia, LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort is one step closer to launch its brand new attraction in April 2019.
 
As part of LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort’s commitment to bring new attractions for guests, SEA LIFE Malaysia will feature 13,000 marine creatures from 11 different habitat zones including Stingrays, Zebra Sharks, Black Tip Reef Sharks and seahorses. The largest tank with over 385,000 litres of water ; The Ocean Tank features a tunnel where visitors can  mesmerize  as sharks, rays and other sea creatures swim around the biggest habitat zone in the aquarium. SEA LIFE Malaysia will also have an interactive touch pool where children could get to experience and interact with marine creatures up close and personal.
 
“The arrival of the fishes marks another milestone in our construction of SEA LIFE Malaysia, ahead of the grand opening in April 2019. Our SEA LIFE aquarists have been working diligently to ensure that the water, health and safety of SEA LIFE’s marine creatures meet the required standards. Once the first group of the fishes are accustomed to their new environments, we will be bringing in the larger fishes such as the rays and sharks in the coming weeks,” said Kurt Stocks, General Manager of LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resorts.
 
“Through SEA LIFE Malaysia, our children will be able to learn the importance of marine life conservation through interactive experiences designed at the aquarium. Additionally, SEA LIFE Malaysia will be the only SEA LIFE in the region that will combine the interactive aquarium concept with unique LEGO® elements,” Kurt added.
 
To celebrate the launch of SEA LIFE Malaysia, LEGOLAND Malaysia is offering MyKAD holders an early bird promotion on its brand new annual pass holders for a limited time only. For the price of a one-day combo ticket at RM263 for adults and RM209 for kids aged between 3 – 11 years old, Malaysians receive an annual pass and have unlimited access all year-round to LEGOLAND® Theme Park and Water Park. Once SEA LIFE Malaysia opens in April 2019, annual pass holders will also get free access to the aquarium. The all-new annual pass is available for purchase at LEGOLAND®’s official website (https://www.legoland.com.my/).
 
For the latest update on promotion and activities, stay connected with us via Facebook and Instagram.   
 
Kindly find the download link for additional hi-res photos and videos of the Fish Arrival event  here.
 
SOURCE: LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort
 
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Stephanie Lee 
LEGOLAND^® Malaysia Resort | Merlin Entertainments Group
Tel: +6 07 597 8829 
Email: Stephanie.Lee@legoland.my
 
Name: Sophia Koay / Sarah Soo
Text100 Malaysia
Tel: +6 03 2282 2152   
Email: legoland@text100.com.my
 
--BERNAMA

BLACK HAT ASIA 2019 EXPANDS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EXTENDS PROGRAMMING TO LOCAL SINGAPORE INFOSEC COMMUNITIES

The event will offer talks related to the latest community trends and topics, an array of scholarship opportunities, specialized networking events, and more

SAN FRANCISCO, March 13 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Black Hat, the world’s leading producer of information security events, reveals new programming for Black Hat Asia, developed to continue its service to the wider InfoSec industry as well as the local Singapore community. Black Hat has made strategic steps in welcoming a wide range of professionals and offering a platform to discuss issues impacting the community. This year’s additions to the Black Hat Asia program will deliver opportunities to address issues impacting the industry, offer a platform for local research, invite and educate individuals from all backgrounds, and more.

Black Hat Asia will take place March 26-29, 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. For more information and to save S$200 on registration prices by March 22, please visit: blackhat.com/asia-19/registration.html

H.A.S.H. event taking place alongside Black Hat Asia: Thursday, March 28
Taking place Thursday during Black Hat Asia, the Hackers Appreciation & Social Hour (H.A.S.H.) is a networking and appreciation session organised by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) & Cyber Security Agency (CSA) for participants of the Government Bug Bounty Programme.

Community Talks: Thursday, March 28
Black Hat community talks were developed to provide a focus on relevant issues currently impacting the InfoSec community. For the first time, these talks will be offered to the Black Hat Asia audience, providing insights to help individuals both new to InfoSec, as well as seasoned professionals.

• “Keep Everyone In Sync: Effective Approaches Borrowed from Open Source Communities”: Wang Kang, Security Expert with the Alibaba Group, will provide an in-depth discussion around keeping the InfoSec community communications in sync without consuming additional resources or energy. His Briefing will not only provide proven research, but real world examples for an all-encompassing deep dive.

• “The Missing Pieces in Cyber Insurance”: Director at CrowdStrike and Black Hat Review Board member, Vincenzo Iozzo, will lead a discussion on the current state of risk modeling for cyber insurance, how the two industries are interacting, and what are the key missing pieces to have a functional insurance market for cyber risk.

• “Are We Converting Community Knowledge into Secure Organisations”: Pamela O’Shea, Director of Shea Information Security, will host a talk that identifies where the focus is in our community and what is expected of us in our day-to-day occupations according to industry standards. This analysis sets out where our interests overlap with our work and how we can use new knowledge circulating among researchers to the benefit of our organisations.


Local Arsenal Tools:
Black Hat Arsenal, which showcases the hottest developments from the open-source community, will be welcoming several local researchers to demo their tools onsite at Black Hat Asia. Among these local tools are researchers who participated and won via HackSmith v2.0, a hackathon co-organised by Black Hat Asia and Division Zero in Singapore that aims to promote Singapore InfoSec tools development.

• npm-scan: An Extensible, Heuristic-Based Vulnerability Scanning Tool for Installed NPM Packages - Eugene Lim, Bernard Lim, Matthew Wong

• RF-Xfil: Prototype Toolkit for Data Exfiltration Over Radio Frequencies - Jie Feng Ho, Ragul Balaji Velusamy Sathiakumar, Andre Ng

• NFC Scrambler - Davis Zheng, Ashley Tan

Scholarships
For the fourth year, the Black Hat Scholarship program will introduce the next generation of security professionals by awarding 75 complimentary Academic Briefings Passes to a limited number of student applicants. Black Hat is also pleased to announce a new partnership with IN Security Movement that has awarded 20 complimentary Briefings passes to women with a passion for information security looking to successfully start their careers. This year will also see the return of the Educator Scholarship program, through which 10 local educators will be given complimentary Briefings passes as an effort to meet the growing demands placed on local educators and to make training and education accessible to all.

Women in Security Meetup: Friday, March 29
Review Board members, local associations and attendees of Black Hat Asia will be invited to connect and network at the Women in Security Meet Up.  Black Hat Asia Review Board members Ashley Chen, security researcher at FireEye, and Asuka Nakajima, researcher at the NTT Secure Platform Laboratories, will share their experiences launching and attending Women in InfoSec events and discuss how attendees can do the same in their local communities.

Association Partners
AISP, Division Zero (Div0), ICE71, Information Security Development Association (ISDA), ISACA Singapore Chapter, Japan Network Security Association (JNSA), OWASP, Singapore Cybersecurity Consortium, Taiwan Cyber Security Alliance, TechTalkThai, and Computer Audit Association.

Black Hat Asia Sponsors
Top sponsors of Black Hat Asia 2019 include Diamond Sponsors: Infoblox, Tenable; Platinum Sponsors: PolySwarm, Qualys, Tripwire; and Gold: Anomali, Darktrace. For more information on sponsorship opportunities and to see the full list of participating companies, visit: blackhat.com/asia-19/event-sponsors.html

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Eureka! Mary Kay reveals groundbreaking research on facial redness

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- Listen up, women! Here’s excellent news for you.

Mary Kay Inc. senior principal scientist, David Gan has shared new insights in evaluating and understanding facial redness at the 20th World Dermatology Congress in Singapore.

Mary Kay scientists have identified botanical extracts that help reduce the production of pro-inflammatory proteins and enzymes in the skin, and developed a cosmetic formulation containing these extracts to effectively address facial redness.

After four weeks of use, the cosmetic formula reduced overall facial redness and skin temperature in subjects with persistent skin irritation.

Gan said at Mary Kay, there was nothing more rewarding than addressing skin issues that impacted women and creating innovative products that provided skin benefits which were sought by consumers.

“The results of this continued research will help us make Mary Kay® products better as we consider the concerns and experience of our consumers.”

Mary Kay Inc. continues its decades-long commitment to skin science research as a sponsor of the two-day event, beginning today (March 13).

Themed, ‘Exploring the New Approaches in Dermatology’, the event gathered researchers, academicians and scientists from the dermatology community worldwide to exchange information on technological advances and new scientific achievements.

The conference focused on skin health, skin ailments, allergy manifestations, clinical dermatology and cosmetic dermatology.

-- BERNAMA

Stamping Mid-East mark, Allscripts secures first Qatar client for ambulatory services

KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 (Bernama) -- Allscripts has marked its maiden expansion to the Middle East, providing ambulatory care services for the ‘Alfardan Medical with Northwestern Medicine’ project in Qatar.

The healthcare information technology solutions provider has been selected by the Alfardan Group, one of the leading family-owned conglomerates in Qatar and Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine.


Allscripts’ ambulatory care services includes Sunrise™ Ambulatory; Sunrise™ Surgery; Sunrise™ Radiology; Allscripts® Clinical Performance Management; Allscripts Lab;™ and, iPro Anesthesia™.

Based at Burj Alfardan in Lusail, Alfardan Medical with Northwestern Medicine is the first of Alfardan Group's investments in the health sector.

The project is part of its social responsibility towards the State of Qatar and its vision to develop projects that will contribute to the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

High quality healthcare and a range of multi-disciplinary medical specialisations in a unique clinical environment will be offered through the project.

Allscripts Global president, Alan Fowles said with the help of the new partnership in the Middle East, the company could demonstrate the value of Allscripts commitment to open, connected communities of care to its people and across the globe.

Meanwhile, Alfardan Group chief executive officer and president, Omar Hussain Alfardan said the group believed Allscripts was the suitable partner to help them deliver world-class integrated healthcare to Qatar.

-- BERNAMA

Kount CEO, IMF Advisory Group's sole fraud control executive

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- Kount Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bradley J. Wiskirchen has the distinction of being the sole fraud control industry executive in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) High-Level Advisory Group on Finance and Technology.

By deepening the IMF’s understanding of machine learning and digital fraud prevention, Wiskirchen believes he will ultimately support merchants, vendors, banks and agencies worldwide in their effort to protect their digital innovation.

As cyberattacks continue to increase in frequency and sophistication, the committee has recognised a need to address questions regarding data ownership, use, access and protection.

The CEO of the digital fraud prevention solutions provider has deep expertise in these areas and previously served as board chairman for the Salt Lake City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.

According to Wiskirchen, Kount protects the digital innovation of over 6,500 customers spanning 180 countries and without exception, he sees a pervasive focus on data protection and fraud prevention.

“From new account creation to account takeover, companies’ vigilance must extend beyond chargebacks and payment fraud. Protecting and securing their customer and partner information is paramount to their success.”

The IMF estimates that approximately, 1.7 billion adults worldwide do not have access to financial services.

Following the Bali Fintech Agenda, 12 policy elements have been outlined to support major social and economic impacts of empowering this population.

This effort will help IMF member countries harness the benefits and opportunities of fintech, while simultaneously managing the inherent risks as they rapidly transform the provision of banking services.

The Advisory Group also includes Ripple.com Executive Chairman (Chris Larsen); Alibaba Digital Economy Institute President (Dr Long Chen); and Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Financial Markets, US Treasury (Sharon Yang).

-- BERNAMA