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Cambodia Wins World’s Best Rice Award for the Fifth Time

Phka Romduol rice from Cambodia has won the World's Best Rice 2022 Award in World Rice Conference( Photo: The Phanom Penh Post).

Cambodia’s Phka Romduol rice has received the World’s Best Rice 2022 Award at the World Rice Conference (WRC).

Rescued Tiger Cubs Get New Names at Wildlife Center in Thailand

Two of the tiger cubs being fed at the wildlife clinic in Thailand.

The four Tiger cubs that were smuggled from Laos, have been receiving care at a wildlife clinic in Ubon Ratchathani. They have been named after provinces in Laos and Thailand.

In Laos, Smoking Kills More People than Road Accidents

Photo credit: Krisanapong Detraphiphat

According to statistics revealed by the Ministry of Health, smoking causes more deaths than road accidents every year.

GMO Announces Initial Net Zero Asset Targets

BOSTON, US – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo LLC (GMO), a global investment manager, has released its initial net zero targets and transition plan. In October 2021, GMO became a signatory of the Net Zero Asset Managers initiative (NZAM) and committed to reducing GMO investment portfolios’ net emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner, in line with efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. GMO believes that climate change poses critical risks for the companies and countries in which it invests and that the net zero pledge will help to improve long-term investment outcomes for GMO clients.

As part of the NZAM commitment, GMO has submitted its initial net zero targets and transition plan, including:

  • Reducing the carbon intensity of included investment portfolios by 65% by 2030, compared to levels in GMO’s baseline year of 2019, and
  • Increasing the percentage of GMO assets covered under this target from 53.5% to 60% by 2025.

GMO efforts to meet these goals will include growing the proportion of GMO investments in companies that have put in place science-based targets in line with net zero, engaging with issuers on net zero targets, refining its measurement capabilities to go beyond Scope 1 and 2 emissions to include Scope 3, developing new climate and net zero-aligned strategies, and partnering with the Grantham Foundation on climate solutions.

“There are stark differences between how the world will be impacted by warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warming of 2 degrees Celsius, or more, which we believe would pose challenges to our ability to earn returns for our clients. Therefore, we think supporting the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is critical to our future investment success. Setting initial net zero targets is an important step in our efforts to aid the fight against climate change and demonstrates our commitment to leading on this issue within the investment industry,” said Deborah Ng, Head of ESG and Sustainability.

“Climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. It is the race of our lives. Investing in sustainability means investing in our grandchildren, in our civilization, in our survival as a species. Initiatives aligning with net zero are critical ways our industry can show the leadership that will be a necessary part of combating these challenges. All of us need to make sustainability integral to what we do. It is the fight for our very existence on this planet,” said Jeremy Grantham, Co-Founder and Long-Term Investment Strategist, and a leading global advocate for climate change efforts and investment.

The Net Zero Asset Managers initiative was launched in December 2020 and is designed to enable asset managers to play their part in helping to deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement. Its signatories now include 291 asset managers with $66 trillion in assets under management, more than half of the entire asset management industry globally in terms of total funds managed.

Hashtag: #GMO

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

About GMO

GMO is a global investment manager that brings together focused expertise within our investment teams, industry-leading research, and tailored client service to advance our clients’ goals. Privately owned and renowned for our conviction in a valuation-based, long-term investment philosophy, GMO has been a partner to institutions, family offices, wealth managers, and consultants for over 40 years. For more information, please visit .

Laos Ranks Lowest in Global English Proficiency Test

An English language class in Laos. Photo Credit: English Club Laos Community class Room Facebook Page.

The Education First English Proficiency Index (EF EPI) conducts the world’s most expansive ranking of adults by their fluency in English. This year’s index featured 111 countries, Laos ranked the lowest on the list and Netherlands ranked the highest. 

Southco Introduces New Products to Popular Cam Latch Line

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Southco Asia Ltd., a subsidiary of Southco Inc., a leading global provider of engineered access solutions such as locks, latches, captive fasteners, electronic access solutions and hinges/ positioning technology has expanded its line of cam latches with three new products targeting specific customer use cases. Soutcho’s E5 Cam Latch series makes it possible to provide secure, reliable door closure with a simple 90-degree turn. The comprehensive line includes both fixed-grip and adjustable-grip options, providing the ideal solution for a wide range of industries including HVAC, industrial machinery, off-highway vehicles, and bus and coach.

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E5 Cam Latch

Southco’s new cam latch products include a Low Profile Wing Knob, a Wing Knob with Shuttered Lock Plug, and a Key-Locking Mini Cam Latch. The Low Profile Wing Knob is an extension of Southco’s E5-9 wing knobs, offering hand actuation of the cam latch with a more compact wing size. The Low Profile Wing Knob delivers affordable simplicity in applications where space is at a premium. These latches are a cost-effective choice for service or maintenance doors on construction vehicles or industrial equipment.

Southco’s E5-9 Wing Knob with Shuttered Lock Plug features improved sealing for harsh environments and applications with a large amount of debris. The latch enables key-locking security with an improved shutter. The shuttered lock plug offers resilient protection against dust, debris and water, making it a suitable solution for construction equipment service doors and ATVs.

The Key-Locking Mini Cam Latch is an extension of the popular E5 Mini Cam Latch line, adding a key-locking capability for increased security. The new mini cam latch is available in both key-locking wing knob

and low profile key-locking or tool secured versions, offering a secure solution even in applications with limited space.

For more information about the latest Southco’s E5 Cam Latch, please visit https://www.southco.com/E5-CamLatch.

Hashtag: #Southco

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

About Southco

Southco, Inc. is the leading global designer and manufacturer of engineered access solutions. From quality and performance to aesthetics and ergonomics, we understand that first impressions are lasting impressions in product design. For over 70 years, Southco has helped the world’s most recognized brands create value for their customers with innovative access solutions designed to enhance the touch points of their products in transportation and industrial applications, medical equipment, data centers and more. With unrivalled engineering resources, innovative products and a dedicated global team, Southco delivers the broadest portfolio of premium access solutions available to equipment designers throughout the world.

Southco Asia Limited
2401, Tower 2, Ever Gain Plaza
88 Container Port Road, Kwai Chung
Hong Kong

PolyU researchers compile world’s first “atlas” of airborne microbes that provides an important new perspective for public health research

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Bacteria are truly abundant across the Earth’s surface, from the soil to the oceans. The microbial population of the air that surrounds us is comparatively unknown, but a research expedition led by PolyU scientists is about to change that. After nearly a decade of effort, they have compiled a comprehensive map of the world’s airborne microbes, providing fresh insights into how these species interact with the surface environment – as well as their likely future changes.

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The research team analysed the bacterial communities of 370 individual air particulate samples collected from 63 sites around the world, from ground level to mountaintops, as well as from densely populated urban centres to the Arctic Circle.

A cubic metre of “empty” air contains 10,000 bacteria or more, and interest in the role of air as a habitat – not merely a conduit – for microbes has grown enormously since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with researchers on the mainland and the US, the PolyU-led team spent around a year sampling airborne microbes across the world, from ground level to mountaintops. Combining their own results with the most accurate global data collected in past studies, they and their research partners compiled the first ever atlas of the global airborne microbiome.

The atlas provides a wealth of insights into the microbial communities floating above the ground. There is no doubt that the air is a unique harbour of bacterial life. Genetic analysis by the team showed that the core communities – the handful of species that form an outsized proportion of the microbe population – were not the same in the air as those in marine or soil ecosystems. In fact, even though the air is a free-flowing medium with seemingly no internal boundaries, these core bacterial communities are distinctly localised and stable.

The research team analysed the bacterial communities of 370 individual air particulate samples collected from 63 sites around the world, ranging from those at ground level (1.5 – 2 m high) to rooftops (5 – 25 m high) and high mountains (5,238 m asl), as well as from densely populated urban centres to the Arctic Circle, for a more diverse coverage in terms of altitudes and geographic regions.

Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology and Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment of PolyU who led the research team, said, “We have verified that human activities have certainly changed the structure of microbiomes in the natural ambient air, particularly with a higher abundance of pathogenic bacteria in urban air. Having experienced the pandemic for three years, people now pay more attention to this invisible but influential microbial community. The research outcomes could be served as a critical reference for predicting planetary microbiome responses and the health impacts of inhalable microbiomes with future environmental changes.”

The researchers estimate that the total number of microbes occupying the sea or soil is thousands of times larger than those in the air. Nonetheless, the aerial diversity of microbes – known as “richness” – is just as high. This suggests that surface habitats directly contribute microbes to the air. Overturning previous assumptions, vegetation is not the main terrestrial source of airborne bacteria, and the Earth’s vast tracts of soil provide very small fraction. The crashing of waves, the shaking of leaves, and even frequent activities and constant respiration of animals and humans are bigger drivers of bacterial exchange between the surface and the air.

Macroscopic life, notably animals and plants, is most diverse in equatorial regions (consider, for example, warm and wet rainforests), and its diversity decreases closer to the poles. For microbes, the picture is more interesting – moving from the equator, diversity maximises at mid-latitudes before falling away again. This pattern was well established for terrestrial and aquatic microorganisms, but the new atlas confirms that it applies to the airborne microbiome, too. The authors surmise that the “bump” in diversity at mid-latitudes is caused by stronger sources of microbial input to those regions.

Overall, the researchers estimate that half of airborne bacteria originate from ground sources. Urban air has especially high rates of human-associated bacteria – some harmless, others pathogenic. Direct transfer of germs from people to air is not our only effect on the airborne microbial world. Broad-scale activities such as industrialisation disrupt natural environments and impact air quality. This weakens the environment’s “filter” effect on microbial structure, making the composition of airborne bacteria more affected by random processes – although weather still plays an important role too.

The close relationship between modern human activities and the microbes around us underscores the need to predict future changes accurately. The inhalable infectious bacteria that proliferate in cities are particularly of concern considering rapid urbanisation and our growing understanding of airborne contagion, spurred by COVID-19 research. Climate change is another impetus, given the marked effect of temperature on microbial richness, as revealed by the atlas. Hence, the study provides an invaluable resource and an important new perspective for future public health research.

The PolyU team collaborated with Prof. James M. TIEDJE, University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University and scientists from mainland China in the study. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2204465119), a peer-reviewed journal of the USA National Academy of Sciences.

Hashtag: #PolyU

Of Dreams & Knowledge (Asia) Presents A New Sustainable Nutrition Solution, MILESTONE®

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 21 November 2022 – Should there be a debate about which is more valuable, natural or synthetic nutrients, Of Dreams & Knowledge (Asia) would tell you that it would be that of naturally-occurring nutrients. This conclusion is MILESTONE®, the bio-functional food brand that arrived after countless years of research into the subject. Backed by the belief that prevention is better than cure — MILESTONE® is proud to present its new line of olive oils that are geared towards adapting to an individual’s genes to enrich and maximize the body’s potential to fend off chronic ailments.

Years of Dedicated Research

MILESTONE® stands out as a health food solution that addresses the deficiencies in today’s nutrition in a completely natural way, without the use of synthetic nutrients. It is through the carefully calibrated formulas of complementary active ingredients that aid in boosting the body’s natural responses, effectively treating ailments in a preventative manner.

A New Paradigm Towards Preventative Nutrition

Take the MILESTONE®‘s proprietary blend of medical graded 100% High Phenolic Olive Oil series for instance. Carefully formulated and enriched with naturally-found nutrients in its ingredients, this series of olive oils aims to treat ailments before they become chronic.

With its high concentration of polyphenols, the Medical Grade 100% High Phenolic Olive Oil Exclusive Vegan Hybrid contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. In addition, this formula is rich in Omega 3 (ALA), Omega 6 and Omega 9 (oleic acid) fatty acids, with natural hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol bioactive compounds, without additives or preservatives. As more Singaporeans adopt intermittent fasting practices, a vital compound known as Oleuropein can activate cell autophagy. Autophagy is the process where the body reuses old damaged cells which make the body less insulin-resistant, resulting in the burning of unwanted fat which promotes optimal weight maintenance. Thus, this is the ideal food for diabetes and food for inflammation, it is the first medical-grade olive oil in the world to be awarded three health claims.

The Medical Grade High Phenolic Olive with Vegan Algae D3 Oil is another remarkable formulation by MILESTONE®. Apart from its antioxidant properties derived from the high polyphenol concentration, it is also the first medical grade olive oil to be enriched with Vitamin D3 found in algae — providing almost fifty times more antioxidants, effectively creating an immunity booster for the body. This makes it ideal as a food for vitamin D3, food for immunity, food for bones and food for kids formula.

Lastly, the Medical Grade High Phenolic Olive with Vegan Algae Omega3 Oil (EPA + DHA + ALA) is not only rich in Omega 3 (EPA+DHA+ALA), Omega 6 and Omega 9 (oleic acid) fatty acids as the other bottles are, but it is also sustainably sourced from the purest form of algae that is efficiently cultivated in indoor fermentation pools. Perfect as a Food for Brain and Food for Heart formula, it is beneficial for the reduction of cholesterol and high blood pressure without side effects and interactions.

A Sustainable Solution for Humanity and the Environment

Beyond organic is the philosophy that MILESTONE® upholds. With quality standards that go beyond how and where an ingredient is grown. As such, MILESTONE® seeks to confirm the purity and potency of ingredients after harvest to guarantee that the final finished product is free of more than 800 chemical contaminants.

With most supplemental health solutions, there often lies the risk of missing out a step from time to time. However, MILESTONE® products are made to be a sustainable practice that are easily integrated into daily life. For instance, simply consume the recommended daily portion (10ml) of the Medical Grade 100% High Phenolic Olive Oil Exclusive Vegan Hybrid first thing in the morning and never miss a step for the rest of your day.

Hashtag: #OfDreams&Knowledge

About Of Dreams & Knowledge (Asia)

Established in 2013 in Patras, Greece, Of Dreams & Knowledge actively participates in clinical studies and collaborates with top universities and advanced labs in Greece and the US to unravel more and more unique bioactive compounds that have profound health benefits, found within their three medical grade olive oil based formulas.

Functional health foods elicit the most positive response to promote optimum balance. This in turn allows the human body to address all health issues and concerns. As such, the company is driven with the aim to create the most innovative and powerful liquid functional foods that are able to adapt to and target an individual’s set of genes. All in a bid to provide consumers worldwide with the epitome of nature’s most healing properties and holistic benefits.