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Melco Style Presents: The Black Pearl Diamond Restaurants Gastronomic Series to Commence the 2024 Events this March

Tickets for the Yí x Xujiacai, Bi Ying x Huaiyangfu, and Aurora x Amico BJ dinners in Macau to go on sale starting February 19


MACAO SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – The acclaimed Melco Style Presents: The Black Pearl Diamond Restaurants Gastronomic Series, which has successfully launched four of the 10 four-hands themed banquets in 2023, will continue to roll out the remaining six highly-anticipated collaboration dinners starting this March and running through this year. The fifth through seventh installments of the Gastronomic Series will be represented respectively by Yí of City of Dreams Macau x Xujiacai from Chengdu, Bi Ying of Studio City Macau x Huaiyangfu from Beijing, and Aurora of Altira Macau x Amico BJ also from Beijing. Reservations for these three events will begin on Monday, February 19 with an exclusive 10% discount for Melco Style members.

Supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office, Melco Style Presents: The Black Pearl Diamond Restaurants Gastronomic Series represents Melco’s ongoing effort in promoting Macau as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy while reinforcing Melco’s Macau properties as top dining destinations for locals and tourists alike. These unprecedented cross-regional extravaganzas have been offering gourmands the opportunity to discover and savor the regional specialties from all over China, and at the same time helping to promote some of the greatest restaurants of Macau both locally and beyond, as well as preserving Macau’s diversity in food culture through “Inheritance, Innovation, and Exchange.”

Yí of City of Dreams Macau x Xujiacai from Chengdu on March 9-10 at Yí
Yí of City of Dreams Macau x Xujiacai from Chengdu on March 9-10 at Yí

Priced at MOP 2,888* per person (an exclusive 10% discount for Melco Style members), Chapter 5 of the Gastronomic Series will see chef Angelo Wong from City of Dreams Macau’ Black Pearl one diamond contemporary Chinese restaurant Yí team up with chef Lai Xiaohui from Chengdu’s Black Pearl one diamond Sichuan restaurant Xujiacai to deliver a unique “Sichuan and Canton’s Diamond Feast”.

The exquisite six-course menu will bring together the best flavours of authentic Cantonese and Sichuan cuisines in sublime delicacies such as Crab Meat and Black Pearl in Fermented Rice Wine; Wok-Seared Fish with Japanese Tomatoes and Telomsa Cordata; Oven-Roasted 23 Days Pigeon with Lemon Grass and Sichuan Pepper; and Braised Abalone with Rock Rice for two nights only on March 9-10 at Yí in the iconic Morpheus at City of Dreams.

For details and reservations, please call (853) 8868 3446 or visit www.cityofdreamsmacau.com/en/offer/melco-style-sichuan-and-cantons-diamond-feast.

Bi Ying of Studio City Macau x Huaiyangfu from Beijing on April 20-21 at Bi Ying
Bi Ying of Studio City Macau x Huaiyangfu from Beijing on April 20-21 at Bi Ying

Coming up next will be Chapter 6: Huaiyang Diamond Feast on April 20 and 21 to be held at Studio City Macau’s Bi Ying restaurant that serves up delectable flavours from mainland China’s Northern and Southern regions. Bi Ying’s chef Yuk Lam will join forces with chef Wang Changrong, winner of the Chinese Chef Honor Award and the title of Chinese Cooking Master, from 2023 Black Pearl one diamond Huaiyangfu in Beijing to craft an elegant six-course menu that is characterized by the spring scenery of Jiangnan and old Yangzhou.

Priced at MOP 1,588* per person (an exclusive 10% discount for Melco Style members), this four-hands dinner is set to showcase some of the restaurants’ signature specialties as well as hidden treasures off their regular menus, such as Lobster and Rice Cracker with Passion Fruit Sauce, and Steamed Yellow Croaker with Sichuan Pepper and Cured Meat from Bi Ying, and Braised Eight Treasures Pork Meat Ball in Premium Soy Sauce, and Glutinous Rice Dumplings and Fruits in Sweet Rice Wine Soup from Huaiyangfu.

For details and reservations, please call (853) 8865 6650 or visit www.studiocity-macau.com/en/offer/huaiyang-diamond-feast.

Aurora of Altira Macau x Amico BJ from Beijing on May 4-5 at Aurora
Aurora of Altira Macau x Amico BJ from Beijing on May 4-5 at Aurora

Chapter 7 of Melco Style Presents: The Black Pearl Diamond Restaurants Gastronomic Series, entitled “Italian-Japanese Diamond Feast”, will take place on May 4-5 at Altira Macau’s Italian seafood steakhouse Aurora. This gourmet experience will showcase an exciting crossover between Aurora’s chef Safa Rodas and Black Pearl one diamond Amico BJ’s founder and head chef Guo Qiang, who will join hands to present an innovative menu that will be characterized by the beauty of Italian and Japanese cuisines.

Priced at MOP 1,588* per person (an exclusive 10% discount for Melco Style members), the Aurora x Amico BJ four-hands feast will bring to gourmands six extraordinary dishes such as Sea Scallops Confit with Green Asparagus and Five Color Sesame; Foie Gras Mousse in Savory Cannoli; and White Crab Three Ways with Sea Urchin and Caviar.

For details and reservations, please call (853) 2886 8868 or visit www.altiramacau.com/en/offer/italian-japanese-diamond-feast#All.

More details on the remaining lineup of Melco Style Presents: The Black Pearl Diamond Restaurants Gastronomic Series in 2024 will be revealed at a later stage. Stay tuned for the latest privileges and promotions exclusively for Melco Style WeChat members: www.cityofdreamsmacau.com/en/melcostyle.


* Price is subject to 10% service charge.

Hashtag: #MelcoStyle

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

“Scamdemic” Continues to Threaten Livelihood of Lao Residents

"Scamdemic" Continues to Threaten Livelihoods of Lao Residents
FILE: this image is used only for representational purpose (Photo: Freepik)

Social media has become a prevalent source of communication and entertainment in Laos, especially with the rise of readily accessible electronic devices. However, due to late exposure to social media, combined with a rise of illegal hubs in the country, the threat of scams is becoming all too familiar.

Efforts Underway to Enhance Tourism Standards in Laos

Tourists visiting Kuangsi Falls in Luang Prabang Province. (Photo: Xinhua News)

The Lao government, along with stakeholders in the tourism sector, is increasing efforts to elevate tourism standards with the aim of attracting more visitors to the country.

K11 ARTUS plays host to Chow Yiu Fai as its fifth Artist In Residence

The Artisanal Home brings Lyricist and Scholar Chow Yiu Fai under its roof to inspire creativity.


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – K11 ARTUS, through its programme, Artist In Residence, is welcoming talented creatives to its residential home to inspire new and inventive works of art.

Chow Yiu Fai at K11 ARTUS
Chow Yiu Fai at K11 ARTUS

During the programme, each unique artist will draw inspiration from the thoughtfully curated and specially designed artisanal residence, and produce a work of art that is reflective of their immersive experience and interactions at the property.

Following the success of the first cohort, which includes Filmmaker Man Lim Chung, Writer & Illustrator Sophia Hotung, Figurative Portrait Artist Brendan Fitzpatrick and Conductor Wilson Ng, the Artisanal Home is proud to introduce the latest Artist In Residence, Lyricist & Scholar Chow Yiu Fai.

Born in Hong Kong, Chow is currently a Professor at the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of Hong Kong Baptist University. Chow is also an award-winning writer. He released his first lyrics in 1989. Since then he has penned more than 1,000 lyrical works for a diversity of pop artists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. In 2023, he became the first lyricist to win the Taiwanese Golden Song Award with Cantonese work Homo Sapiens’ for Eason Chan.

Inspired by his residency at K11 ARTUS, the Hong Kong based lyricist and scholar created a digital poetry book – ’11 pm, Where Are You?’, consisting of 11 stories and soundtracks (in partnership with music maker hirsk), recording 11 precious trajectories evoked at 11 pm on 11 evenings.

According to Chow, “I decided to record where I was at 11 pm, the trajectory of my homecoming, and all the things that happened to me during that day. Thus, the 11 pieces of words. And I thought of music – I have been writing lyrics for decades. My homecoming should be accompanied by music. I invited Khris Nung (hirsk), and together we created 11 soundtracks with his music and my vocal rendition: this may be how homecoming sounds like.” K11 ARTUS is delighted to collaborate with Chow on this exciting project.

The digital poetry book ’11 pm, Where Are You?’ and the soundtracks are now available via https://www.artus.com.hk/en/artistinresidence and all major streaming platforms.

More information about the Artist In Residence programme is available on the same website link above.
Hashtag: #K11ARTUS #ArtistInResidence #artofcreation #arthome



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Air Pollution Reaches Unhealthy Levels in Laos, Affecting Three Main Provinces

Air Pollution Reaches Unhealthy Levels in Laos, Affecting Three Main Provinces
FILE: this image is used only for representational purpose (photo: teakdoor.com)

Laos is experiencing a rise in air pollution levels, reaching unhealthy levels in three main provinces, including Vientiane Capital, Luang Prabang Province, and Champasack Provinces.

Transamerica Life Bermuda launches Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan for wealth maximization and lifetime protection

The upgraded indexed universal life plan aims to empower HNW customers in building and enhancing multi-generational wealth with a wider choice of index account options, extended protection and new benefits


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – Transamerica Life (Bermuda) Ltd. (TLB), a leading high net worth (HNW) life insurance provider, today announced the launch of its upgraded indexed universal life (IUL) insurance plan – Genesis II Indexed Universal Life (Genesis II). The upgraded IUL plan is designed to better empower high net worth individuals (HNWIs) to maximize and safeguard their wealth with a suite of new features such as a wider choice of index account options, extended coverage to infants and juveniles, and enhanced life benefits.

Backed by 115 years of experience in serving HNW customers
With Transamerica’s heritage of serving high net worth (HNW) customers for 115 years and pioneering expertise in managing universal life insurance portfolios for over 40 years, TLB first launched its innovative Genesis IUL series in 2021 to serve the increasing needs of HNWIs for lifetime protection, options for wealth optimization and liquidity to accessing cash. The newly upgraded Genesis II offers even greater growth potential and flexibility, as well as extended life protection for different family wealth and business continuation needs.

Greater flexibility for aligning personal priorities and family goals with fortified life benefits
According to a research, more than half of HNWIs across Asia-Pacific (APAC) indicated that protecting their families and ensuring they are taken care of is a clear constant goal, but more needs to be done in terms of aligning and structuring their family wealth. Also, more than half indicated they require a balance among their values, beliefs and returns in their insurance portfolios.

Jeremy Young, Chief Commercial Officer of TLB said, “While providing our customers with a wider variety of options and personalized solutions to meet their specific family and business needs, the upgraded Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan also allows us to better serve a more diverse group of target customers across the globe as we strive to diversifying our offerings and distribution approaches to drive overall business growth over the coming years.”

Customers of Genesis II can opt for a Fixed Account, Index Accounts, or a combination of both, and transfer funds across the accounts under a policy to suit their evolving wealth maximization and preservation needs.

A wider and innovative choice of index account options to seize opportunities and maximize wealth
Taking into account the shifting needs of HNW customers in aligning their personal priorities and family goals, Genesis II incorporates a wider choice of index account options. In addition to a focus index account tracking a major index’s performance and a global index account covering three major indices across the globe, two new index account options have been added for Genesis II:

  • US market index account: This index account is tied to U.S. stock indices covering the three major market capitalization segments, namely large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap, to form the best performance framework and to provide diversification across U.S. companies of different sizes and growth stages. A special feature of the US market index account is that every year, it combines large-cap performance with whichever segment performs better between mid-cap and small-cap, so as to help minimize volatility while enhancing return potential.
  • Shariah compliant index account: Solely tied to a Shariah index, this option focuses on Shariah-compliant constituents. The index company applies a screening process to exclude companies involved in activities prohibited by Islamic law, such as those related to alcohol, gambling, pork, interest-based financial services and certain forms of entertainment.

Chirag Rathod, Chief Executive Officer of TLB, said “The investment sentiments and strategies of HNWIs are changing to reflect shifting priorities and we need to make sure we are there to support the changes,”. Chirag continued, “The introduction of Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan is not only timely in providing greater flexibility for our customers to seize investment opportunities amid market volatility, it also underscores our longstanding commitment to pioneering new and innovative ways in safeguarding their wealth with a lifetime of financial security.”

The launch of Genesis II aligns with TLB’s growth ambition by making the business more accessible and more accommodating to a wider variety of preferences of our distribution partners, brokers and banks. Through product offerings diversification we are able to better serve customers’ unique needs as a globally aligned and locally relevant HNW insurance solutions provider.

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This press release serves only as an overview and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any of TLB’s products. It is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, tax or legal advice. Customers and other interested parties should seek independent financial, tax and legal advice. All monetary values reflected in these materials are in US dollars. This information is current as of February 2024. Customers and other interested parties should refer to the policy contract for detailed terms and conditions. Although care is taken in preparing this material, TLB disclaims any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of the content and any liability with respect to it. For detailed product information, applicable terms and conditions, please read the product summary of Genesis II (downloadable at https://www.transamericalifebermuda.com/Genesis%20II_ProductSummary_SG_PR.pdf).

Hashtag: #TransamericaLifeBermuda

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Transamerica Life Bermuda:

Transamerica Life (Bermuda) Ltd. (TLB) is a recognised leading HNW life insurance provider with extensive expertise in all aspects of HNW wealth protection, including handling large sums assured and complex cases supporting legacy and business planning. The Transamerica heritage began in 1928 as Transamerica Corporation, has been rooted in Asia for over 90 years and a pioneer in managing universal life portfolios from over 40 years ago. TLB was awarded an “Outstanding Responsible Insurer (2021)” award and a “Best-in-Class (2021)” award for its Universal Life Alpha product at the 12th Benchmark Wealth Management Awards in Hong Kong. TLB is part of the Aegon Group, an integrated, diversified, international financial services group that offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Further information about TLB is available here:

About Aegon:

Aegon is an international financial services holding company. Aegon’s ambition is to build leading businesses that offer their customers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Its portfolio of businesses includes fully owned subsidiaries in the US, UK, and a global asset manager. In addition, Aegon has partnerships in Spain & Portugal, Brazil, and China, which create value by combining strong local partners with Aegon’s international expertise. In the Netherlands, Aegon generates value via a strategic shareholding in a market leading insurance and pensions company. Aegon’s purpose of helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, Aegon seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion & diversity. Aegon is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. More information can be found at aegon.com.

Laos, Thailand to Implement Permanent Border Checkpoint, Boost Trade Cooperation

Laos and Thailand are working together to elevate a temporary border trade checkpoint to a permanent facility. (Photo: BNN Breaking)

Update;
Laos and Thailand have joined forces to elevate a temporary border trade checkpoint to a permanent facility, aiming to bolster trade relations between the two countries.

Citi appoints Joy Cheng as Head of Citi Commercial Bank for Hong Kong


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – Citi today announced the appointment of Joy Cheng as Head of Citi Commercial Bank (CCB) for Hong Kong, effective February 1, 2024. She succeeds Anson Kwok who retired on January 1, 2024.

In this role, Joy has oversight of the CCB business and operations in Hong Kong and is responsible for driving the business’ growth as well as financial performance. She reports to Gunjan Kalra, Head of Citi Commercial Bank for Asia North, Australia & Asia South clusters, and Aveline San, CEO and Head of Banking for Citi Hong Kong & Macau.

Joy brings over 30 years of experience in the banking industry across different roles. She began her career as a Management Associate at Citi and has held several senior roles in Corporate Banking. She was most recently Head of Corporate Banking for Hong Kong, a position she has held since 2019, where she was responsible for managing top-tier institutional clients, including corporates, public sector organizations, financial institutions, and local subsidiaries of multinational companies. In the past, she held other senior roles including Head of Financial Institutions for Hong Kong and Head of Asia Pacific Multinational Coverage for the Financial Institutions Group.

CCB is an integral part of Citi’s global strategy and a key engine for growth. It focuses on delivering Citi’s competitive product suite, including cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, trade finance, capital markets, and lending solutions among others, to mid-sized corporates that are either global or looking at building an international footprint.

“Hong Kong is one of the largest markets by flow revenue for Citi Commercial Bank globally. We have gained considerable market share in Hong Kong over the past few years, working closely with mid-sized corporates in the healthcare, technology, industrials, consumer & retail, and services sectors. I am confident that under Joy’s leadership our business will thrive. Joy’s track record, experience and focus on client connectivity will be instrumental in taking us to the next stages of success in our Hong Kong business,” said Gunjan Kalra.

Citi is also focused on capturing the emerging opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as entrepreneurship and wealth creation in GBA flourishes. Citi’s global network and strong foothold across geographies is becoming increasingly relevant to these fast-growing mid-sized companies in GBA, which are going global at record pace.

“We are well-positioned to support Greater Bay Area companies with cross-border banking needs, helping them enter new markets and expand internationally,” said Aveline San. “Joy’s strong background in corporate banking will be invaluable as we support commercial bank clients on the next phase of their growth journeys.”

In Asia, CCB serves clients in 11 markets including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Click HERE to download the official headshot of Joy Cheng.

Hashtag: #Citibank

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Citibank

Citi is a pre-eminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.

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