Crowne Plaza Vientiane welcomed its newest family member, Mr. Murali Viswanathan, as the Cluster General Manager for Crowne Plaza Vientiane and the soon-to-open Holiday Inn & Suites Vientiane.
Laos, ASEAN Vow to Uphold Women’s, Senior Citizens’ Rights
Laos along with other members of the bloc has vowed to safeguard women and older people’s rights to create a more inclusive society during the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development chaired by Malaysia last month.
RISCfp announces inaugural issue of its managed treasury pool (RISCMTP) notes
New and innovative investment instruments that may also strengthen the resilience of global money markets, targeted at investors seeking liquid assets and collateral of high credit quality.
LONDON, UK – Media OutReach – 12 June 2023 – RISCfp, a financing solutions advisory and platform management company, has launched the inaugural issue of its managed treasury pool (RISCMTP) notes, a unique and versatile investment and collateral instrument designed to provide institutional investors with attractive returns, multiple liquidity options, collateral utility and unprecedented efficiency. They will also aid investors seeking to diversify their short-term investments or reduce their exposure to runs and other short-term market risks.
Labelled RISCMTP-Notes, these notes are a Moody’s-rated “(P)Aaa(sf)” and listed debt security combining the liquidity of high-quality bank deposits with the superior quality and managed returns of government money market funds.
RISCMTP-Notes represent a proportional interest in the assets backing the notes (i.e., US Treasury bills and notes and temporary assets such as government money market funds [GMMFs] and cash), and are redeemable annually at par. Over and above their stand-alone return, liquidity and utility attributes, the Notes are structured to avoid run and contagion risk and, as such, RISCMTP-Notes may lower the investor’s exposure to hidden risks in the short-term investment market.
They may be redeemed at any other time for same-day value by transferring the investor’s share of each asset in the portfolio (i.e., a “vertical slice”) to a redemption account where, at the investor’s option, they may either be delivered to the investor or sold for cash at market prices for the liquidated asset value (“LAV”). The issuer’s and investor’s right to redeem annually at par is noted in the (P)Aaa(sf) rating by Moody’s, as set out in their RISCMTP-Note Pre-Sale Report.
RISCMTP-Notes are an effective complement to other holdings in that they support growing investor appetite for safe short-term investments in a manner that bolsters the overall market resilience, answering calls from regulators for scalable investment solutions that promote enhanced financial stability.
Derrell Hendrix, CEO of RISCfp, said: “RISCMTP-Notes are designed to serve as versatile investment and collateral instruments that are more liquid, capital-efficient and secure than short-term credit securities (e.g. commercial paper and CDs), bank deposits and prime money market funds. They also provide greater flexibility as a collateral vehicle than ETFs and government money market funds. While it is the latest in a long line of market innovations that RISCfp and its affiliates have developed, the potential scope of the MTP asset class goes well beyond anything we have ever attempted in our 27-year history.”
The long-term potential for RISCMTP-Notes is to provide not just a flexible, liquid and high-quality collateral asset for supporting reinsurance capital and reserves, but an asset class that has a broader stabilising effect on the global financial markets.
Insurers and re-insurers, institutional investors, corporate treasurers and others regularly face the requirement to access liquidity and pledge collateral to meet their investment and financing needs. While market alternatives such as cash (e.g., bank deposits), US Treasuries, and investments in credit assets (e.g., short and medium-term bank and corporate securities) are available to meet the needs of these industry players, RISCMTP-Notes were created specifically to address challenges such as credit risk, liquidity risk, collateral eligibility, and operating costs, as well as an investor desire to obtain expert asset management expertise efficiently while minimizing systemic risk (e.g., avoiding “run-on-the-bank” risk).
The following are supporting RISCfp to deliver RISCMTP-Notes to financial markets:
- BNY Mellon, custodian roles including paying agent, trustee and custodian
- Merganser, investment manager of inaugural issue
- Centaur, a Waystone Company, operations support
Hashtag: #RISCfp
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Background for editors:
RISCMTP-Notes have several advantages compared with traditional short-term investment alternatives.
- Money market funds: RISCMTP-Notes are transferable assets that employ the services of a professional manager of short-duration assets to produce a return comparable to that of a government money market fund (GMMF). RISCMTP-Notes use specially designed investment and portfolio guidelines to avoid losses and achieve all-in returns equal to or better than that of GMMFs but with less risk. As marketable redeemable fixed income securities, noteholders may exit at any time by selling their securities in the market or redeeming them for LAV, without any risk of gating or penalties, or at book value on each annual optional redemption date (i.e., with no loss).
- Self-managed short-term US Treasuries and Separately-Managed Accounts: Owning a self-managed short-duration portfolio of Treasuries is an alternative to RISCMTP-Notes but involves the need to set up and maintain an appropriate trading and risk management eco system, including front (trading and PM functions), middle and back-office personnel and systems, as well as risk management and compliance resources. Separately-Managed Accounts eliminate the management and eco-system costs, but require a fixed decision by the investment manager, which may be disadvantageous and difficult to replace if the IM’s performance lags.
- Cash on deposit with banks: RISCMTP-Notes are predominantly US Government backed and structured to keep credit and banking system risk (i.e., run and contagion) to a minimum. With the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) coverage of up to $250,000 in case a bank fails, RISCMTP-Notes also cater to investors with investment capital in excess of this amount to fully maximise their returns and in a more capital-efficient manner.
- Exchange traded funds (ETFs): RISCMTP-Notes are redeemable at any time under the noteholder optional redemption right for the noteholder’s share of the underlying securities (i.e., an in-kind redemption) or their LAV (i.e. a cash redemption). They are also redeemable annually at book value (i.e., the equivalent of par) on each annual optional redemption date. They are like zero risk-weighted debt securities without all the market risk and capital charges associated with ETF shares.
For further information on RISCMTP-Notes: https://www.riscmtpnotes.com/
Taiwan Presidential Hackathon International Track 2023 deadline extended to June 16, offers a bigger window for talented minds to showcase creativity
In response to significant interest in this event, and in an attempt to draw more international participation, technology, and creativity, Taiwan has been determined to extend the registration period until June 16, 1700. It is anticipated this measure will assist in fostering diverse and dynamic cross-border and multidisciplinary collaborations. Additionally, participants can benefit from the “Taiwan Employment Gold Card” in the “Digital Field” initiative, launched by the Ministry of Digital Affairs this year. Participation in the Taiwan Presidential Hackathon International Track could serve as proof of professional competency and possibly secure employment opportunities in our burgeoning digital industry.
Beyond the competition, the Taiwan Presidential Hackathon International Track will feature engaging workshops and matchmaking activities. Participants can gain insights into the latest technology trends and practical expertise through personalized coaching sessions with industry professionals. They will also have the opportunity to engage in dialogues and exchanges with top hackers and potential partners, fostering invaluable learning experiences, collaboration opportunities, and possible project realizations.
The Taiwan Presidential Hackathon International Track is a high-profile platform for hackers seeking opportunities and challenges. It is a stage for displaying one’s technical talents and innovative thinking, as well as a hub for fostering international collaborations and exchanges. If one dream of collaborating with top-notch hackers from around the globe to collectively forge a smarter, more prosperous future, do not miss this chance—join the Taiwan Presidential Hackathon International Track.
Taiwan invites the global community to join the event until June 16. Submit proposals and register via the official website. For further details, visit https://gov.tw/cYQ.
If one is interested in becoming a partner and can offer a venue, technology, or other resources, complete the online form https://s.moda.gov.tw/Bn1iPE4e4Jn1, and a member of our team will reach out. For additional information, contact Ms. Chang at katie@mail.tca.org.tw.
Hashtag: #TaipeiComputerAssociation
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Oi Wah and PACM Group join hands to develop the international private credit investment market, their first overseas roadshow kick-off in Taiwan, with an expected fund size of up to US$300 million
As part of this strategic partnership, the two parties will participate in a series of overseas investor roadshows, with Taiwan as their first stop. Through the roadshows, the two parties will introduce the fund’s investment strategy and uniqueness to potential investors to attract more participants. The expected fund size will be up to US$300 million.
As the first listed Pawnshop group in Hong Kong, Oi Wah has nearly 50 years of industry experience and is a market leader in providing pawn loans and mortgage secured loans to customers. The natural synergies that Oi Wah can create with partnering up with PACM Group – a real estate private credit investment management firm with extensive international investment experience and professional knowledge – are apparent and will enable both parties to consolidate the market landscape and become the new leader in the real estate private credit investment sector.
According to the MOU, one of the potential cooperation models between both parties is to jointly establish a limited partnership fund with Oi Wah acting as the cornerstone investor by providing initial capital for the fund; and a company to be jointly established by both parties to act as the general partner of the fund, the specific content of the cooperation model will be set out in a formal agreement to be entered into between both parties.
Mr. Edward Chan, Chairman and CEO of Oi Wah, said, “As the global economy continues to grow, real estate private credit investing has emerged as a fast-expanding market. Our cooperation with PACM Group will help tap into this market’s potential and enhance both companies’ competitiveness internationally. We look forward to opening a new chapter for both companies in the global market and achieving better joint development.
Taiwan is an economically advanced region with a favourable investment environment and a broad investor base. The financial market and regulatory framework are also very stable. We hope to attract more Taiwanese investors to participate through roadshows in Taiwan, thereby providing a properly risk adjusted alternative investment solution in the region.”
Mr. Francis Ng, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of PACM Group, said, “We are privileged to launch a real estate private credit fund with Oi Wah. This is the second fund under the PACM Group. We believe that with the professional experience of both parties in the private credit fund and lending industries, the fund will successfully capture the market recovery opportunities and bring a properly risk adjusted returns product to investors. We target to achieve double-digit returns, with the fund investing in private debt instruments that is secured by real estates assets located in developed markets. Taiwan Investors have always been interested in fixed income commodities and real estate markets, and we have seen an enthusiastic response to the fund during our initial conversations with Taiwanese investors. We look forward to communicating with more investors in the future.”
Hashtag: #OiWah
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited
Oi Wah is a financing service provider in Hong Kong, mainly providing short-term secured financing, including pawn loans and mortgage loans. The Group established its first pawnshop in 1975 and currently owns 10 pawnshops in various locations in Hong Kong. Oi Wah diversified into mortgage loan business in 2009. The Group is the first local pawn shop which successfully listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on 12 March 2013.
PACM Group (Holdings) Limited
PACM Group (Holdings) Limited (“PACM Group”) is a real estate private credit investment management firm based in Hong Kong specializing in distressed investments / special situations in developed markets with projects in Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom , and Canada. Pacific Aegis Capital Management (IM) Limited is a HKSFC regulated entity with a Type 9 Asset Management license.
OOm Singapore Shortlisted For 6 Categories From Marketing-Interactive’s Agency Of The Year Awards

Organised by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, these awards celebrate excellence within the marketing and advertising industry, providing agencies with a coveted platform to showcase their exceptional capabilities, stand out from their competitors and highlight their overall strength. Esteemed as Singapore’s Premier awards programme, The Agency Of The Year Awards honours agencies that have demonstrated outstanding performance, innovative strategies and remarkable achievements.
With a rich history spanning 19 years since MARKETING-INTERACTIVE published its inaugural report on the top 50 agencies in Singapore, this milestone event commemorates the 16th anniversary of the first Awards Gala. It was a momentous occasion that celebrated the very best agencies across the marketing-communications spectrum. Over the years, these initiatives have become integral pillars of the industry, recognising the exceptional contributions made by agencies in Singapore.
The award programme prides itself on a rigorous evaluation process, leveraging a distinguished panel of independent, senior client-side marketers as judges. These professionals bring together their expertise and experience to assess agencies based on their overall performance, setting the highest standards of excellence in the marketing and advertising realm.
OOm Singapore has been selected as a finalist in six categories, including:
- Digital Agency of the Year
- eCommerce Marketing Agency of the Year
- Independent Agency of the Year
- Lead Generation Agency of the Year
- Performance Marketing Agency of the Year
- Search Marketing Agency of the Year
This prestigious recognition showcases OOm Singapore’s exceptional business performance, remarkable client portfolio and campaigns, and steadfast dedication to pushing the limits of innovation.
As OOm Singapore eagerly anticipates the results, the agency remains resolute in delivering exceptional digital marketing services and solutions, driving business growth for their clients, and upholding their position as a trailblazer within the industry in Singapore. Reflecting on their achievement, Ian Cheow, CEO and co-founder of OOm Singapore, expressed his gratitude, stating, “Our team at OOm Singapore is honoured to be shortlisted for multiple categories at the esteemed MARKETING-INTERACTIVE Agency of the Year Awards. They reflect our unwavering commitment to perfection and our relentless pursuit of innovative digital marketing strategies. We are dedicated to helping our clients thrive in the competitive landscape and will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the industry”.
Wyvan Xu, the company’s COO and co-founder also thanked their clients for their trust and partnership in driving the agency’s success.”We are incredibly grateful to our clients for their support and collaboration. It is through their trust in our abilities that we have been able to consistently deliver outstanding results and make a significant impact in their digital marketing efforts. Being a finalist proves the strong relationship we have built with our clients, as we continue to strive for excellence and maintain our position as industry leaders in digital marketing,” said Wyvan Xu.
The winners of the MARKETING-INTERACTIVE Agency of the Year Awards will be unveiled during a highly anticipated gala event on the 14th of July, 2023, where the agency with the highest overall score will be bestowed the honourable title of Overall Agency of the Year.
Hashtag: #OOmSG #AOTYAwards #DigitalMarketingAgency #IndependentAgency #PerformanceMarketing #SearchMarketing #LeadGeneration #eCommerceMarketing
https://www.linkedin.com/company/oom-pte-ltd/
https://www.facebook.com/oomsingapore/
https://instagram.com/oom_sg/
https://www.youtube.com/c/OomSg
https://www.tiktok.com/@oom_sg
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About OOm Singapore:
OOm Singapore, a digital marketing and SEO company, specialises in providing strategic and result-oriented digital solutions across diverse digital channels including
Google Ads Management and Social Media Marketing. With a team of highly skilled professionals and a strong focus on clients’ needs, OOm empowers businesses to optimise their online presence, generate qualified leads, and attain their growth objectives.
Leveraging their expertise in digital marketing, they implement innovative strategies tailored to each client, ensuring maximum impact and tangible outcomes. OOm’s commitment to excellence and delivering measurable results has earned them a reputation as a trusted partner in driving digital success for businesses across various industries.
From Diplomacy to Sustainability: British Ambassador John Pearson’s Remarkable Tenure in Laos
In an exclusive interview with the Laotian Times, John Pearson, outgoing British Ambassador to Laos, reflects on his four-year diplomatic mission in Laos, sharing insights into his overall experience and shedding light on the environmental challenges faced by the country.
Beyond Limits and IQM Quantum Computers Forge Strategic Partnership to Power Quantum AI Growth in Asia Pacific
Companies to develop disruptive hybrid quantum AI algorithms, introduce a joint education and training offering, and explore quantum hardware collaboration in Singapore in this industry-first partnership.
- Beyond Limits, a leading enterprise-grade artificial intelligence (AI) software company built for the most demanding sectors, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IQM Quantum Computers, the European leader in building quantum computers, to drive the advancement of quantum AI technology within the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.
- This collaboration, a remarkable first in the industry, will embark on a quest to unravel unprecedented technology breakthroughs and forge disruptive hybrid quantum AI algorithms. Notably, quantum computing takes center stage in Singapore’s latest Digital Connectivity Blueprint, spotlighting it as a nascent focus area for the next decade. By harnessing Singapore’s advantage in implementing quantum-secure communications, this partnership aims to revolutionise the quantum computing landscape in the APAC region.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 12 June 2023 – Beyond Limits, a leading enterprise-grade artificial intelligence (AI) software company built for the most demanding sectors, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IQM Quantum Computers, the European leader in building quantum computers, to drive the advancement of quantum AI technology within the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. The partnership, an industry first between quantum computing and AI, will explore technology breakthroughs and develop disruptive hybrid quantum AI algorithms, which rank among the top five technologies of the future by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).

As part of the MOU, Beyond Limits and IQM Quantum Computers seek to pioneer a Quantum AI education and training offering, and new product research opportunities by the end of this year. The companies will also develop industry use cases together within the next two years. In addition, the partnership will lay the groundwork for quantum hardware collaboration in Singapore, aimed at accelerating research and innovation within the regional quantum ecosystem.
“Quantum AI is a growing field of technology, and we see many cross-sector opportunities especially within heavy weight industries, from oil and gas and manufacturing to aviation, healthcare, and financial services. This strategic partnership enables us to leverage the power of quantum computers to future-proof AI algorithms, and help our customers reap the early benefits of commercial quantum computing. With our highly innovative technologies, strong research, and development capabilities, as well as presence within APAC, we are confident that together, we are able to support our customers to effectively address key challenges, such as material discovery for decarbonisation,” said David Liu, Executive Vice President, Global Partnerships and Channels, Beyond Limits.
Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are home to some of the largest data centres in the world, and the planned joint offerings will be a unique differentiator for large-scale industrial enterprises within the APAC region. Both companies will leverage the combination of talent, world-class research, and a vibrant tech ecosystem to spearhead the region as a natural centre for quantum AI development in the near future.
“This partnership with Beyond Limits reinforces our commitment to quantum technology development in APAC. In line with our recent office opening in Singapore, we aim to accelerate research, development, and education of quantum technology through strategic private-public collaborations in the value chain. This MOU is one of the several initiatives underway in the region to strengthen our position as a trusted quantum computing leader here,” said Dr. Juha Vartiainen, Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of IQM Quantum Computers.
“The quantum ecosystem in APAC is growing rapidly. Our partnership with Beyond Limits positions us as the first mover to leverage the competitive edge that quantum AI brings. We are excited to tap into these new opportunities together. With our technical track record and world-class expertise, combined with Beyond Limits’ cutting-edge cognitive AI solutions, we will integrate our innovative experience to better serve existing and new customers in the heavy weight industries,” said Raghunath Koduvayur, Head of Asia Pacific Business at IQM Quantum Computers.
While quantum computing and AI development have traditionally occurred in silos, Beyond Limits and IQM Quantum Computers are pioneers to have joined forces, harnessing their respective domain expertise. The partnership has great synergy as both companies are growth and science-driven scaleups that are focused on ground-breaking innovation, making them well-equipped to power quantum AI growth in APAC and effectively solve problems of the future for customers.
Hashtag: #BeyondLimits #CognitiveAI #QuantumComputing #ArtificialIntelligence #IndustrialGradeArtificialIntelligence #AI
https://www.linkedin.com/company/beyond-ai/
http://www.facebook.com/BeyondLimitsAI
http://instagram.com/beyond.ai
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific
Beyond Limits Asia-Pacific is an enterprise-scale AI company that optimises operations, boosts efficiency, and increases productivity for demanding industries including energy, advanced manufacturing, fintech and healthcare.
Beyond traditional artificial intelligence, Beyond Limits’ software products are powered by award-winning Cognitive AI technology, utilising a hybrid AI approach that combines data-centric techniques with embedded human knowledge to affirm trust in software-driven decisions, manage operational risk, and drive profitability.
Beyond Limits Asia Pacific is regionally headquartered in Singapore with operations in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Taipei and Tokyo. The regional headquarters drives strategic investments for joint ventures and partnerships in Asia to expand Beyond Limits’ AI in verticals including financial services, led by the Hong Kong office, advanced manufacturing, led the Taiwan office, and the energy sector led by the Singapore, Shenzhen and Tokyo offices.
Founded in 2014, Beyond Limits leverages a significant investment portfolio of advanced technology developed at Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA space missions. The company was recently honoured by Frost & Sullivan as a Company of the Year for their 2021 Best Practices Award and by CB Insights on their 2020 List of Top 100 Most Innovative Artificial Intelligence Startups.
For more information, please visit www.beyond.ai.
About IQM Quantum Computers
IQM is the European leader in building quantum computers. IQM provides on-premises quantum computers for supercomputing centres and research labs and offers full access to its hardware. For industrial customers, IQM delivers quantum advantage through a unique application-specific, co-design approach. IQM’s commercial quantum computers include Finland’s first commercial 54-qubit quantum computer with VTT, IQM-led consortium’s (Q-Exa) HPC quantum accelerator in Germany, and IQM processors will also be used in the first quantum accelerator in Spain. IQM has over 250 employees with offices in Paris, Madrid, Munich, Singapore, and Espoo.