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New research reveals the growing prevalence of “conversational everything” for customer communications

Infobip data from more than 449 billion interactions in 2022 shows conversational experience is becoming more popular across all forms of customer communication, from sales to customer support

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 29 March 2023 – New research from global cloud communications platform Infobip reveals the growing trend towards conversational experiences for customer communications. The data, from 449 billion communications interactions on Infobip’s platform across 2022, shows the rapid growth of interactions on chat apps such as WhatsApp Business Platform and social media channels such as Instagram for many customer needs.


Customer conversations on their preferred chat channel

Customers have access to more channels and devices than ever before. Infobip’s analysis shows that traditional channels like SMS still play an important role for time-sensitive messages, two-factor authentication, and one-time passwords. But when it comes to engagement and support, customers are shifting to more conversational experiences over chat apps.

The data shows a 73% and 51% increase in WhatsApp Business Platform and Email interactions in 2022 compared to 2021, highlighting the ongoing critical nature of these channels. Demonstrating the desire of customers to connect with brands on channels they already use, the data also reveals a thirty-fold increase in Instagram interactions last year. Meanwhile Google Business Messages and Apple Messages for Business interactions increased by 186% and 232%.

For customer engagement, WhatsApp Business Platform, Voice, and mobile app messaging saw the highest growth in 2022. Since the introduction of marketing messages over WhatsApp Business Platform, customer engagement and promotional usage increased interactions on the channel by 2.5 times. Meanwhile, Voice and mobile app messaging increased by 191% and 92%, demonstrating how customers now prefer instant, rich, and human-like experiences with a business or brand.

Chatbots with conversational experience for customer queries

The data also shows how customers increasingly prefer to seek answers to their queries through chatbots on channels they use every day and that have rich capabilities. For instance, WhatsApp Business Platform interactions on Infobip’s chatbot increased by 69% in 2022 while Telegram and SMS interactions increased seven-fold and five-fold respectively.

Conversational customer support

When it comes to customer support, Infobip’s analysis shows customers now seek support on the conversational channels they use with their family and friends. Reflecting the desire for instant and rich messaging experiences, WhatsApp Business Platform interactions for customer support increased by 91%. Voice remains popular with a 51% increase.

Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer at Infobip, said: “Our data reveals that conversational everything is rapidly becoming the norm for customer communications. Whether for marketing, support, or sales, customers want a conversation with a brand or brand on the channels they already use. For customers, the benefits are clear. They get a richer, more convenient, and more personalized experience. Businesses and brands meanwhile benefit from better customer loyalty and ultimately stronger sales.”

The move towards conversational everything is mirrored across many industries:

  • Reflecting the shift from traditional banking to conversational banking, rich messaging is picking up pace with huge increases recorded on Google Business Messages, Instagram, and Telegram
  • The retail and eCommerce sector recorded significant increases in MMS, Instagram and mobile app messaging interactions in 2022
  • The data shows skyrocketing growth among rich communications channels including Instagram, Telegram, and Messenger within the transport and logistics sector last year
  • In 2022, marketing and advertising companies have increasingly turned to rich communication on MMS, Messenger, and Google Business Messages
  • MMS and Google Business Messages are leading rich channels within the telecoms industry for customer communication

Ivan Ostojić continued: “We expect to see conversational experiences continue to expand across sectors from ride sharing to healthcare and even the public sector as organizations adapt to conversational everything. But organizations may struggle to meet customer demand for such experiences without scalable and easy-to-use omnichannel communications. That is why Infobip’s most comprehensive capacity and capabilities of any global communications provider helps ensure we are the one communication platform for every platform.”

Hashtag: #Infobip

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

About Infobip

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip’s omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty. With over a decade of industry experience, Infobip has expanded to 70+ offices globally. It offers natively built technology with the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices and ‘things’ in 6 continents connected to over 9,700+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. Infobip was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić, Roberto Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.

Recent award wins include:

  • Infobip named a leader in the CPaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (February 2023)
  • Infobip named a leader in the CCaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Aug 2022)
  • Omdia Ranks Infobip as Leader in CPaaS Universe Report (May 2022)
  • Ranked the leading service provider in CPaaS by Juniper Research in its new Competitor Leaderboard CPaaS Vendors (October 2021)
  • Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2021 Vendor Assessment (doc #US46746221, May 2021)
  • Best A2P SMS provider for the fourth year running by mobile operators and enterprises in ROCCO’s annual Messaging Vendor Benchmarking Report
  • Best CPaaS Provider of the Year, Best RCS Provider of the Year, and Mover & Shaker in Telco Innovation at the 2021 Juniper Digital Awards

First Phosphate Corp. Signs LFP Production Technology Licensing Agreement with Integrals Power Limited

Saguenay, Quebec – Newsfile Corp. – 28 March 2023 – First Phosphate Corp. (CSE: PHOS) (FSE: KD0) (“First Phosphate” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has finalized a joint lithium iron phosphate (“LFP”) homologation agreement and LFP production technology licensing agreement with Integrals Power Limited (“IPL”) of Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. The agreement was entered into on January 10, 2023 and became effective March 24, 2023. The agreement could serve to anchor the Company’s future LFP cathode active material production facilities and is currently of unknown potential future monetary value. The agreement provides for the following mutually beneficial, perpetual arrangements between the parties:

  • IPL will validate First Phosphate LFP-grade purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate for the use in LFP battery cells.
  • IPLs LFP cathode active material homologation process will use First Phosphate LFP-grade purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate.
  • IPL provides LFP production technology license to First Phosphate in the production of LFP cathode active material at any First Phosphate LFP cathode active material production facilities to be built in Quebec, Canada or elsewhere in North America. A royalty fee of 1.5% will apply to all LFP cathode active material sales.
  • First Phosphate has acquired 7,386 common shares of IPL for a cost of CAD $83,060.35 and has the right to make follow-on investments in future funding rounds.
  • First Phosphate and IPL plan to leverage First Phosphate’s access to green hydro-electric energy in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region of Quebec for optionality in the build-out of IPL’s future production facilities.

“We have visited the IPL facilities in the United Kingdom and were able to see and touch the LFP cathode active material produced by IPL,” says First Phosphate CEO, John Passalacqua. “We have also viewed the performance logs of test battery cells created using LFP cathode active material produced by IPL. We are cautiously optimistic that IPL technology could hold the answer to improved LFP battery performance.”

“There is the traditional solid-state method of making LFP cathode active material from ferro-phosphate and lithium-phosphate precursors which is currently the main production formula used in China. Then there are promising new advanced hydrothermal methods such as those being pioneered by IPL that produce higher performance LFP batteries,” says First Phosphate President Peter Kent. “We believe it prudent for the Company to have access to IPL’s advanced method of LFP cathode active material formulation.”

“We are pleased to partner with First Phosphate in gaining strategic access to properly curated LFP-grade purified phosphoric acid and iron sulphate which will be in short supply in the near future as LFP production comes online in the Western World,” says IPL Chief Executive Officer Behnam Hormozi. “We require a development partner like First Phosphate which is fully committed to the LFP battery industry, to a low carbon footprint, to ESG compliancy, to non-conflict ethical sourcing, to traceable and secure supply and to just-in-time provisioning. All of these are strategic production advantages for IPL and our clients.”

IPL technology demonstrates improvements that should allow for the production of LFP batteries that will have more simplified cooling systems, greater compactness, lighter footprint and lower pre-heating requirements in colder temperatures. Some of the benefits include:

  • Increased capacity at high discharge rates
  • High capacity retention within ambient and extreme environmental temperature
  • Lower cost or higher capacity

The Company is informed that IPL has recently closed its oversubscribed equity investment round which received co-investment by the UK government grant funded project for LFP battery material pilot plant development. The IPL pilot plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2023.

First Phosphate has a measured and phased development approach to becoming a fully vertically-integrated producer of LFP cathode active material in North America. First Phosphate can undertake this strategy because it has access to clean igneous anorthosite phosphate-bearing rock in Quebec, Canada that it will be able to purify into large quantities of battery-grade purified phosphoric acid. Today’s agreement with IPL allows First Phosphate to gain another important technological advantage in the production of LFP cathode active material for North America.

For additional information, please contact:
Peter Kent, President
peter@firstphosphate.com
Tel: +1 (647) 707-1943

Investor Relations: investor@firstphosphate.com
Media Relations: media@firstphosphate.com
Website: www.FirstPhosphate.com

Follow First Phosphate:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FirstPhosphate
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/first-phosphate/

Forward-Looking Information and Cautionary Statements

Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”, “potential”, “believe”, “intend” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements relating to: the Company’s commitment to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s plans to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s proposed development of its land claims in the Saguenay Region; the anticipated benefits for entering into the IPL agreement, including access to IPL’s licenses, technologies, rights to make follow-on investments; the anticipated timeline and benefits of the IPL pilot plant; that the Company will be able to purify into large quantities of battery-grade purified phosphoric acid; and that the IPL agreement will allow the Company to gain another important technological advantage in the production of LFP cathode active material for North America.

Forward-looking information in this press release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: the Company’s ability to producing high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s ability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s ability to develop its land claims in the Saguenay Region; the Company has the ability to realize on the anticipated benefits for entering into the IPL agreement; the Company has the ability to realize upon the anticipated timeline and benefits of the IPL pilot plant; that the Company has the ability to purify into large quantities of battery-grade purified phosphoric acid; and that Company has the ability to realize on the IPL agreement to gain another important technological advantage in the production of LFP cathode active material for North America.

These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements, including but not limited to: the Company’s inability to produce high purity phosphate materials at full ESG standard under a low carbon footprint; the Company’s inability to integrate directly into the functions of certain major North American LFP Battery producers; the Company’s inability to develop its land claims in the Saguenay Region; the Company’s inability to realize on the anticipated benefits for entering into the IPL agreement; the Company’s inability to realize upon the anticipated timeline and benefits of the IPL pilot plant; that the Company will not have ability to purify into large quantities of battery-grade purified phosphoric acid; and that Company will not have the ability to realize on the IPL agreement to gain another important technological advantage in the production of LFP cathode active material for North America.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable law.

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

About First Phosphate Corp.

First Phosphate is a mineral development company fully dedicated to extracting and purifying phosphate for the production of cathode active material for the Lithium Iron Phosphate (“LFP”) battery industry. First Phosphate is committed to producing at high purity level, at full ESG standard and with low anticipated carbon footprint. First Phosphate plans to vertically integrate from mine source directly into the supply chains of major North American LFP battery producers that require battery grade LFP cathode active material emanating from a consistent and secure supply source. First Phosphate holds over 1,500 sq. km of total land claims in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec, Canada that it is actively developing. First Phosphate properties consist of rare anorthosite igneous phosphate rock that generally yields high purity phosphate material devoid of high concentrations of harmful elements.

About Integrals Power Limited (IPL)

IPL is a next-generation battery nano-material company committed to accelerated research, development and commercialisation of state-of-the-art battery. The team of entrepreneurs, scientists and engineers have conducted comprehensive market verification & validation to form their strategy for the development of commercially feasible state-of-the-art battery materials. This broad market research empowered the accelerated development and production of Integrals power proprietary high-performance, cost effective and scalable battery cathode materials for LFP for lithium based batteries. IPL’s latest battery material development results empower economical cells with higher performance compared to the conventional alternatives.

Hongkongers predict over 20 years of poor health in retirement highlighting need to plan for the future – Manulife Asia Care Survey

  • Residents expect to retire at 63 and chronic or other health issues to set in at 64
  • With the average life expectancy at 85, they possibly face over 20 years in retirement with poor health
  • Hongkongers recognize importance of health planning but savings timeline is unrealistic


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 March 2023 – Hongkongers live longer than most people in the world, but they expect their later years to be dogged by poor health, a period many think will start when they enter their early-to-mid sixties. These findings show there is a compelling need for people in Hong Kong to have a savings plan in place to help with the medical costs in later life.

Patrick Graham, Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau

Patrick Graham, Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau

According to Manulife Asia Care Survey 2023, which was conducted across seven markets in Asia, Hong Kong residents expect to retire at 63 and for poor health to set in at 64. With the average life expectancy in the city at 85, many people face the prospect of over 20 years in retirement with poor health. The pessimism is strongest among 25- to 34-year-olds who expect poor health to start at 57 before retiring at 60. This pessimism, however, fades with age, with the 45-plus age group more upbeat, expecting to retire at 64 and stay healthy until they are 69.

In terms of physical and mental health, just one-in-ten Hongkongers describe their physical (10%) and mental (11%) health to be excellent, less than half the regional average for each (respectively 21% and 24%). Interestingly, it is the 25-34 age group that drags Hong Kong’s overall percentages down with 7% and 8% for physical and mental health respectively.

“Hong Kong people enjoy a long-life expectancy but early onset of poor health might affect their quality of life in retirement,” said Patrick Graham, Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Hong Kong and Macau. “They will need to find a way to tackle their health issues to stretch out their retirement. Putting a plan in place can open the door to a happier retirement with peace of mind, while offering more freedom and flexibility in choosing quality healthcare.”

The Manulife Asia Care Survey takes a deep dive into local economies across the region to explore in detail the health and wealth trends and sentiment, along with insurance buying habits. This year, more than 7,000 people across Asia shared their health and financial thoughts and concerns in the post-Covid environment.

According to the survey, Hongkongers’ main concern is the challenge of paying for medical treatment, which continues to rise, and finding ways to mitigate or delay its impact. Nearly half (47%) of Hong Kong respondents said they are concerned about the cost of treatment if diagnosed with a serious illness, while just over a third (36%) worry about loss of income or job if they become seriously ill. More than a quarter (29%) are not sure who will take care of them if they become ill.

Hongkongers recognize importance of health planning but savings timeline is unrealistic

In general, Hongkongers think rising healthcare costs (45%) and poorer health (40%) are barriers to achieving their financial goals, especially among those aged 45 or over. More than a third (37%) of those surveyed identified saving for healthcare or medical needs as one of their top three financial goals and are working towards it to support themselves in retirement.

Among these respondents, more than half (56%) said they use cash savings to achieve the financial goal of saving for healthcare or medical needs. However, insurance also plays a significant role, with a third saying they had health and critical illness insurance (33%), and a fifth utilizing savings and endowment insurance to cover healthcare costs. Beyond that, a quarter said they rely on their Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) savings to support their medical needs.

On average, the Hong Kong respondents expect to achieve this financial goal within seven years. The younger segment and mid-income group are more optimistic – or aggressive – in their expectations, aiming to achieve their goals in six years.

Alongside financial planning, taking personal action to improve health and well-being is important to delay health issues in later life. The vast majority – more than 9-in-10 – said they are taking action to help address health issues, with more exercise (54%), better diet (47%), regular body check (40%) and closer self-monitoring of their health (35%) the main methods.

“The timeframe for meeting savings targets reflected in our survey may not be realistic, given a lengthy retirement and much of it possibly in poor health, especially with the over-reliance on cash. After all, cash is particularly exposed to inflation, which can erode its value very quickly,” said Graham. “To avoid getting caught short, we would encourage people to talk to a financial planner on how best to plan for their future.”

Hashtag: #Manulife

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

About Manulife Asia Care Survey

The Manulife Asia Care Survey was conducted via online self-completed questionnaires in seven markets: mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam. A total of 7,224 people, aged 25 to 60 years old, were surveyed in late December 2022 and early January 2023. In Hong Kong, 1,035 people were surveyed. Each respondent either owns insurance or intends to buy insurance.

About Manulife Hong Kong
Manulife Hong Kong has been a trusted name for 126 years. Since our operations started in Hong Kong in 1897, we have grown to become one of the top-tier providers of fi­nancial services, offering a diverse range of protection and wealth products and services to over 2.4 million customers in Hong Kong and Macau. We are committed to helping make decisions easier and lives better for our customers.

Manulife Hong Kong, through Manulife International Holdings Limited, owns Manulife (International) Limited, Manulife Investment Management (Hong Kong) Limited and Manulife Provident Funds Trust Company Limited.

About Manulife
Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2022, we had more than 40,000 employees, over 116,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 34 million customers. We trade as ‘MFC’ on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under ‘945’ in Hong Kong.

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit .

Vingroup named “Best Issuer for Sustainable Finance”

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – 29 March 2023 – Vingroup has just been named “The Best Issuer in Sustainable Finance in 2022”. At the same time, Vingroup and subsidiary VinFast also jointly received the “Best Green Loan” award from The Asset Triple-A Country Awards. With these two prestigious awards, Vingroup has affirmed its pioneering role in sustainable investment and international finance.

Photo 1 (3).jpg

The Asset Triple-A Country Awards is one of the region’s leading prestigious financial awards with a history of more than 20 years, attracting the participation of major issuers and financial institutions from 18 Asian countries. The awards are held annually, with an objective and independent evaluation process by a council of leading international finance, banking and capital markets professionals.

Photo 2 (1).jpg

Overcoming many candidates, Vingroup was awarded the “Best Issuer for Sustainable Finance in 2022” award, a prestigious award recognizing the commitment to sustainable finance and implementing effective activities towards the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals.

In addition to the “Best Issuer in Sustainable Finance in 2022”, Vingroup and VinFast were also honored in the category of “Best Green Loan” for a US$500 million syndicated term loan (including US$400 million for Vingroup and US$100 million for VinFast). Although this is the first syndicated green loan financing from Vietnam, Vingroup and VinFast drew strong interest from the market very quickly, allowing the borrowers to increase the total facility amount from $300 million to $500 million, marking a new milestone in the Group’s international fund raising track record.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Quang, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vingroup said: “The Asset Triple-A’s award affirms Vingroup’s prestige in the international capital market, as well as our long-term commitment to sustainable development in Vietnam. It also serves as a vote of confidence from international investors in the Vietnamese capital markets and particularly Vingroup and VinFast.”

Recognitions awarded to Vingroup and VinFast demonstrate the partnership and trust from international financial institutions and lenders in our sustainability efforts. Most prominently, VinFast aims to become a global smart electric vehicle manufacturer to promote green private and public passenger transportation in Vietnam and our international markets.

Hashtag: #Vingroup

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

About Vingroup

Founded in 1993, Vingroup is one of the leading private conglomerates in the region and currently focuses on three business pillars: Technology and Industrials, Real-estate and Services, and Social Enterprises. Find out more at: .

About The Asset
The Asset, founded in 1999, is the leading Asian financial and banking magazine. Since its foundation, The Asset has provided essential news, analysis and insights addressed to a distinct community of corporate leaders and financial decision-makers. The Asset news are delivered through multi-media platforms before print and digital audiences of 130,000.

ROSEN, GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Rite Aid Corporation Investors With Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action Commenced by the Firm – RAD

New York, New York – Newsfile Corp. – March 27, 2023 – WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) between April 26, 2018 and March 13, 2023, both dates inclusive (the “Class Period”), of the important May 19, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action commenced by the firm.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Rite Aid securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 19, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Until at least June 2019, Rite Aid filled at least hundreds of thousands of unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances that lacked a legitimate medical purpose, including for potentially lethal opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl; (2) Rite Aid pharmacists filled these prescriptions despite clear “red flags” that indicated that the prescriptions were unlawful; (3) Rite Aid ignored evidence that its stores were dispensing unlawful prescriptions, and intentionally deleted internal notes about suspicious prescribers written by concerned pharmacists; (4) by knowingly filling unlawful prescriptions for controlled substances, Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act and, where Rite Aid sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs, also violated the False Claims Act; (5) as a result, it was at risk of prosecution by federal authorities such as the United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and (6) as a result, Defendants’ statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Rite Aid class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=9388 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

——————————-

Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com

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

SUNeVision Celebrates Grand Opening of its Hyperscale Data Centre MEGA Gateway

Replicate success of Asia’s No. 1 connectivity hub MEGA-i and support high power-density demands

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 28 March 2023 – SUNeVision Holdings Ltd. (‘SUNeVision’, SEHK: 1686), the number one data centre provider in Hong Kong, celebrates an exciting milestone today with the grand opening of its hyperscale data centre MEGA Gateway located in Tsuen Wan, the seventh data centre on its portfolio. MEGA Gateway is the latest state-of-the-art addition to SUNeVision’s interconnected MEGA Campus, complementing MEGA-i’s world-leading position in connectivity. Featuring high power density and exceptional connectivity with robust high-performance fibre coverage, MEGA Gateway is built to support mission-critical IT workloads with its future-proof infrastructure. MEGA Gateway has achieved 65% pre-commitments from several major customers, with some customers having gained early access to the data centre facilities.

SUNeVision, the number one data centre provider in Hong Kong, celebrates the grand opening of its hyperscale data centre MEGA Gateway located in Tsuen Wan.

Photo (from left to right):
  1. Elisha Tong, General Manager, Commercial of SUNeVision
  2. Robert Chan, Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties and Non-Executive Director of SUNeVision
  3. Allen Fung, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Non-Property Portfolio Businesses of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of SUNeVision
  4. Raymond Tong, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of SUNeVision
  5. Martin Chan, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of SUNeVision
  6. Helen Lo, General Manager, Commercial of SUNeVision

An Extension of MEGA-i to be the Next Connectivity Hub

MEGA Gateway is positioned as the next connectivity hub extended from MEGA-i through a dedicated dark fibre network. This enables MEGA Gateway customers to interconnect with major cloud gateways and hundreds of global and local IT service providers in MEGA-i through SUNeVision’s inter-data centre MEGA Connect. With diversified telecom lead-ins, MEGA Gateway features carrier and cloud-neutral interconnections with high-speed access, providing customers with extra resiliency and redundancy in today’s highly dynamic business environment.

Future-proof Design for High Power-density Customers

MEGA Gateway is an en-bloc data centre purpose-built for customisation and flexibility, providing unrivalled power density, connectivity and strategic importance for hyperscalers. Certified for LEED Gold Building Design and Construction, MEGA Gateway features 200,000 square feet GFA and 20MW power capacity with on-premise and dedicated-use 132kV substation, ensuring adequate and timely power supply. The modular design with optimal floor height and high floor loading are all perfectly designed to meet today and future needs of cloud services, telco carriers, ISP and high power-density customers.

Strategic Location in Tsuen Wan as Critical Pathway to Mainland China and the World

Hong Kong, taking advantage of its geographical location at the heart of Asia, well-established telecom infrastructure and business-friendly environment, remains a prime location for data centre development with enduring attraction among Asia-Pacific and global regions. Strategically located in Tsuen Wan, the central hub in Kowloon and New Territories of Hong Kong, MEGA Gateway is in mid-way along different cross-border fibre paths from mainland China to data centres at MEGA Campus. MEGA Gateway is well positioned as a strategic springboard connecting customers to mainland China from the rest of the world, vice versa.

Unveil SUNeVision’s Next Chapter of Sustainable Growth

Riding on Sun Hung Kai Properties’ strong technical know-how and expertise, SUNeVision has completed the construction of MEGA Gateway amid pandemic headwinds. The joint team from Sun Hung Kai Properties and SUNeVision has managed the entire lifecycle from design, construction to operation. MEGA Gateway is launched as one of the first movers in new hyperscale projects in the Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung districts with world-class facility to meet the ever-increasing connectivity demands in the region. As part of SUNeVision’s ever-expanding footprints, MEGA Gateway is the critical addition to the interconnected MEGA Campus, advancing the company to the next chapter of sustainable growth.

Allen Fung, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Non-Property Portfolio Businesses of Sun Hung Kai Properties, Vice Chairman and Executive Director of SUNeVision said, ‘At SUNeVision, we carry the spirit of our parent company Sun Hung Kai Properties. We are committed to building superior infrastructure and providing exceptional services with a long-term view. We have developed MEGA Gateway to supplement MEGA-i and provide customers opportunities for expansion and upgrades. SUNeVision aspires to support Hong Kong to further enhance its position as a regional data hub, and this is important for Hong Kong in becoming an international innovation and technology centre in line with the National 14th Five-Year Plan.’

Robert Chan, Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties and Non-Executive Director of SUNeVision said, ‘SUNeVision shares same core values with Sun Hung Kai Properties by delivering first-class carrier and cloud-neutral data centre services, continuously improving its service quality and reinforcing good teamwork, which are fully reflected in the launch of MEGA Gateway. This single purpose-built en-bloc data centre provides the best power density, connectivity, and strategic importance for hyperscalers. The construction of MEGA Gateway has been challenging because of the pandemic but problems were resolved promptly thanks to the great team. SUNeVision’s continuous expansion demonstrates our commitment to cementing Hong Kong as the technology hub in the region.’

Raymond Tong, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of SUNeVision said, ‘We are happy to announce the birth of our hyperscale data centre MEGA Gateway. We are witnessing a strong momentum and are proud to expand our data centre footprints in Hong Kong. Backed by Sun Hung Kai Properties, we have unique competitiveness in the Hong Kong market. As the leading data centre in Hong Kong with more than 20 years of proven track record, SUNeVision is well positioned to ride on the upcoming wave of data explosion. As the number one connectivity hub in Asia, our MEGA-i is second to none to provide unmatched connectivity solutions to our customers. MEGA Gateway is the natural extension of our MEGA-i and is a strategic springboard connecting our customers to anywhere they need to be, whether internationally or to mainland China. The new development is not only a significant milestone on our business roadmap, but also a demonstration of our firm belief in Hong Kong as a regional technology hub.’

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

About SUNeVision

SUNeVision (SEHK: 1686), the technology arm of Sun Hung Kai Properties (SEHK: 0016), is the largest data centre provider in Hong Kong. We provide industry-leading carrier and cloud-neutral data centre services with Asia’s number one connectivity. We connect providers of telecommunications, cloud, ISP, CDN, OTT from local, mainland China and global with enterprises of different businesses on our Asia leading data centre ecosystem.

SUNeVision forms MEGA Campus by extending the connectivity edge from highly connected MEGA-i to other high-tier data centres, including MEGA Gateway, MEGA IDC, MEGA Plus and MEGA Two. Facilities on MEGA Campus are interconnected through a dedicated dark fibre network and around 15,000 cross-connects. Together with City PoPs of major submarine cables in our facilities, we enable our customers for direct connections to multi-cloud platforms and multi-cloud exchanges with the best connectivity in town. The addition of cable landing stations HKIS-1 and HKIS-2 to our data centre portfolio will provide a one-stop-solution to cable owners and users, strengthening our position as the leading connectivity hub in Asia. We are committed to supporting Hong Kong as a regional information hub and a strategic gateway to mainland China.

For more information, please visit SUNeVision’s , or .

WMI and the Private Banking Industry Join Forces to Strengthen Singapore’s Position as a Philanthropy Hub

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 March 2023 – The Wealth Management Institute (WMI) and the Private Banking Industry Group (PBIG) announced the launch of the Impact Philanthropy Partnership (IPP) today, which aims to bring together family principals and offices to tackle society’s most pressing challenges and issues. The IPP, supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), will create a dedicated series of events and research publications to build greater awareness and momentum for philanthropy and newer models of giving such as venture philanthropy and impact investing.

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“The number of family offices in Singapore continues to grow, and many have a strong appetite to give back to society, both in Singapore and regionally. The IPP will convene thought leaders, changemakers and innovative philanthropists from Asia and around the world, to inspire a broader movement for more strategic and impactful giving,” says Foo Mee Har, CEO of WMI.

“Philanthropists and family offices can do tremendous good, especially in areas that lack market support. They can quickly deploy unrestricted funds in response to urgent problems such as natural disasters, back high-risk purposeful ventures, convene stakeholders and promote collaboration, develop and share research, and support large-scale implementation of solutions to pressing social problems. The IPP will build momentum to grow support of causes in Singapore as well as regionally,” she adds.

One of the key initiatives under the IPP will be a Social Impact Discovery Series, a structured programme providing learning opportunities and thought leadership covering approach-related ‘how-to’ topics, as well as cause-related topics focused on specific areas of need locally and regionally.

Each partner will play a vital role in the partnership by leveraging their unique networks and expertise to raise awareness and convene the ecosystem, further amplifying the impact of the initiative. WMI will lead and execute the events, programmes and research.

Commenting on the partnership, Arnaud Tellier, CEO BNP Paribas Wealth Management Asia and Chairman of the PBIG Philanthropy Workgroup, says, “The PBIG Philanthropy workgroup has been working in close partnership with the private, public and people sectors to deepen philanthropic capabilities in the private banking industry. We started this journey in 2021 to enhance Singapore’s traditional philanthropy eco-system, through continuous development of philanthropic infrastructure, services and capabilities from Singapore and for the region. The workgroup is now looking to foster growth in other innovative models of philanthropy, such as that of blended finance and impact investing. We look forward to play a catalytic role is transforming Singapore into a philanthropy centre for Asia.”

Phua Wee Ling, Executive Director, Financial Centre Development Department, MAS, says, “The IPP is an important initiative in line with MAS’ vision for Singapore to become Asia’s centre for Philanthropy. It will facilitate collaborations between like-minded families and individuals who are keen to utilise their wealth to be a force for good to address needs ranging from climate action and poverty alleviation to inclusive education and resilient healthcare. The IPP initiative complements other efforts to build a supportive ecosystem that include deepening the talent pool for philanthropic advisory services in Singapore, developing due diligence and impact monitoring solutions and enhancing policies to encourage giving.”

Beyond supporting the IPP, the PBIG has recently also worked to incorporate Philanthropy Advisory as a new Technical Skill and Competency (TSC) under the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore Standards. This reflects the growing importance for wealth advisors of advising clients on philanthropy. In line with this, WMI has launched the Certificate in Philanthropy and Social Impact to support deeper learning in this critical area.

The IPP is open to members of the Global-Asia Family Office Circle as well as networks from PBIG, MAS and ecosystem partners. For more information about the IPP, please contact georgewong@wmi.edu.sg.

Hashtag: #WMI #TheWealthManagementInstitute

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

About WMI

Established in 2003, the Wealth Management Institute (WMI) is committed to building capabilities for investing in a better tomorrow. Founded by GIC and Temasek, our vision is to be Asia’s Centre of Excellence for wealth and asset management education and research. WMI is appointed as Singapore’s Lead Training Provider for Private Banking by the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBF) and supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). WMI also helms the Global-Asia Family Office Circle, a network platform that fosters a trusted environment to build capabilities and community in the family office sector.

WMI provides a comprehensive suite of practice-based certification and diploma programmes and collaborates with leading universities for master’s qualifications. With over 18,000 annual enrolments, WMI provides training in asset management, wealth management, compliance, risk management, family office, as well as the development of the next generation across more than 100 programmes.

About the Private Banking Industry Group

The Private Banking Industry Group comprises senior industry leaders and representatives from the private banking industry. It was re-constituted from the Private Banking Advisory Group in 2011, with the support of the Monetary Authority of Singapore to further strengthen the competency and market conduct standards of the private banking industry in Singapore.

The Private Banking Industry Group is currently co-chaired by Monetary Authority of Singapore and UBS AG. The Private Banking Industry Group Executive Committee comprises the Association of Banks Singapore (ABS) and 14 banks.

Watsons and FWD Celebrate Anniversaries with the Pilot Launch of Retailssure – Asia’s First-of-its-Kind Makeup Exchange Assurance Programme

  • This marks Watsons’ 35th anniversary and FWD Group’s 10th anniversary
  • The programme allows Watsons members to shop for makeup worry-free from 8 March 2023

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 28 March 2023 – Singapore’s leading health and beauty retailer, Watsons, is turning 35 this year and is set to kick off the celebration with the momentous launch of Retailssure, a first-of-its-kind makeup exchange assurance programme in Asia in partnership with pan-Asian insurer, FWD, on 8 March 2023.

Sign-up Retailssure today on https://www.fwd.com.sg/retailssure!
Sign-up Retailssure today on https://www.fwd.com.sg/retailssure!


With the support of FWD and in line with Watsons’ commitment to set the standards and bring more to its shoppers’ lives, Retailssure’s trailblazing makeup exchange assurance programme will for the first time allow its shoppers who have bought an unsuitable makeup product in-store or online to exchange it in-store even if it has been opened and tried.

Retailssure’s pilot programme will kickstart on 8 March and is applicable for first 5,000 exchanges till 30 June 2023. With its debut on International Women’s Day, Watsons also takes the opportunity to call for equity, empowerment and inclusion with its #WatsonsForWomen movement where individuals can leave their thumbprints using different types of makeup shades as the ink of each stamp print is a unique representation for any one regardless of skin colour.

Extended free and exclusively to Watsons’ members, Retailssure is set to benefit its members by enabling them to purchase makeup products with assurance and a greater peace of mind by addressing key pain points that makeup shoppers tend to face including wrong colour shades and unsuitable product textures.

Since the pandemic, shoppers are less comfortable trying out product testers and there are more instances of unsuitable or incorrect purchase of makeup products. In addition, not all makeup products have testers for shoppers to sample and online shopping of makeup products without testing can also lead to erroneous purchases.

As Singaporeans step out of the pandemic and head back out for work and leisure, makeup purchases are on the rise again. With the introduction of a makeup exchange assurance programme like Retailssure, shoppers can enjoy a worry-free shopping experience as they stock up on their makeup essentials. It also increases their confidence to experiment with new makeup and take on different looks for different occasions.

Watsons members can exchange makeup products bought from any Watsons store or online via Watsons eStore that are unsuitable after trying them out within seven calendar days from the date of receipt for in-store purchases or from date of delivery for online orders. For every transaction, one makeup product can be exchanged for another within the same makeup functionality at any Watsons store islandwide.

“Even as Watsons turns 35, we are constantly seeking new and innovative ways to meet the evolving needs of our discerning shoppers. Retailssure will empower the retail experience of over one million Watsons members that we currently have, especially when shopping for makeup. With close to 30 reputable makeup brands from all over the world to choose from, and many exclusive to Watsons, we hope that this first-of-its-kind, consumer-oriented programme will increase our shoppers’ top-of-mind-recall and elevate Watsons’ position as the go-to, accessible retailer for makeup products in Singapore,” said Ms Irene Lau, Managing Director of Watsons Singapore.

“At FWD, we strive to make digital insurance more accessible and deliver innovative propositions to customers. Retailssure is another example of how we work closely with partners to meet customers’ needs. As FWD turns 10 as a Group, we are excited to embark on this strategic partnership with Watsons to launch this first-of-its-kind innovative makeup exchange programme to meet the needs of their members in Singapore.” saidTerence Lim, Group Chief Officer, Digital Commerce, FWD Group.

Adrian Vincent, CEO-Designate of FWD Singapore, added, “Through this programme, we aim to offer a transformative retail experience for customers at Watsons. We are dedicated to empowering customers and encouraging them to enjoy life to the fullest and celebrate living, knowing that we have got their back. We look forward to an exciting partnership with Watsons and more upcoming initiatives to further empower Singaporeans.”

In addition to Retailssure, Watsons’ ‘Colour Me Virtual Makeup Try-on’ further empowers its shoppers to shop for makeup and hair colouring products with ease by creating an integrated experience to better serve its shoppers’ needs. Via the Watsons App, shoppers can virtually try on makeup or hair colouring products including lipsticks, mascara, eyeshadow, brow colouring and foundation to find the right match in just a few clicks.

Retailssure Launch Promotion

10 lucky Watsons members stand to win brow grooming and full-face makeover sessions (worth $540.00) when members register on Retailssure and purchase any makeup items at Watsons stores islandwide or online via eStore.

35th Anniversary Promotions

As part of its 35th anniversary celebrations, Watsons has special not-to-be-missed promotions lined up from 2 to 29 March 2023:

  1. Hot Buys of up to 50% off on more than 5,400 items, available in-store and online
  2. Collectible limited edition Hello Kitty eco-friendly foldable bag at $4.50 each (for members) and $6.50 each (for non-members) with a minimum $18.00 spend in-store and online While stocks last and limited to 3 pieces per transaction
  3. Brand Week with attractive 35% off popular health, beauty and personal care products from participating brands, available in-store and online
  4. Watsons’ member exclusive with additional 5% off selected Sustainable Choice products, available in-store and online

International Women’s Day Celebration

As part of Watsons’ commitment to support women and address issues such as colourism, there will be a special Women’s Day Mural from 7 March 2023 at Watsons Ngee Ann City where Singaporeans are encouraged to pledge their support to the #WatsonsForWomen movement by stamping their thumbprint using inclusive shades of foundations. Each thumbprint will be a unique representation of one’s individuality and contribution to the movement towards equity and inclusivity, including the fight against colourism. Watsons believes that every person has the power to make a difference, and by leaving this mark, one will be joining efforts to promote a more equitable and inclusive world for all, regardless of skin colour.

Find Watsons Singapore online and on social media:

Website: https://www.watsons.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watsons.sg
Instagram: @watsonssg
Official Hashtags: #WatsonsRetailssure, #WatsonsSG, #WatsonsForWomen

Hashtag: #Watsons #FWD #WatsonsRetailssure #WatsonsSG #WatsonsForWomen

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

About A.S. Watson Group

Established in 1841, A.S. Watson Group is the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer operating over 16,300 stores under 12 retail brands in 28 markets, with about 130,000 employees worldwide. For the fiscal year 2021, A.S. Watson Group recorded revenue of US$22 billion. Every year, we are serving over 5.5 billion shoppers via our O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms, providing tech-enabled retail experience to customers offline and online. A.S. Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has four core businesses ‐ ports and related services, retail, infrastructure, and telecommunications in over 50 countries. Please visit for more information.

About Watsons Singapore

Watsons is Singapore’s leading beauty and health retailer with close to 100 stores located islandwide, including their enhanced health platform with 38 pharmacies located within the key stores. Their aim is to bring more value to customers’ lives, and enable them to “look good, do good and feel great”. Watsons clinched the top spot for ‘Personal Care Store’, ‘Best Retail Loyalty Card’ and won the ‘No. 1 in Asia’s Top 1000 brands’ by Nielsen and Campaign Asia for the 13th consecutive year this year. Watsons is also Retail Asia Awards’ winner for ‘Health & Beauty Retailer of the Year – Singapore’ consecutively from 2021-2022; besides being conferred the title of 2021-2022 Top Employer by Influential Brands and HR Asia Best Companies to Work for by Asia Award 2021.

About FWD Group

FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with more than 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world. FWD reached its 10-year anniversary in 2023. The company is focused on making the insurance journey simpler, faster and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD is committed to changing the way people feel about insurance. Visit

About FWD Singapore

In Singapore, FWD started operations in 2016 and is one of the first insurers that provides a direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform that allows customers to buy their preferred life and general insurance products directly from our website as well as a network of preferred Financial Advisory (FA) firms for customers who want to speak with an advisor before committing to an insurance plan. For more information, please visit