A team of Vietnamese medical personnel is working with the Lao Ministry of Health to assist the southern provinces in fighting Covid-19.
Hi Sun Fintech Global Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary of Redefining Banking in SEA
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 19 May 2021 – Hi Sun Fintech Global (HSG), a dynamic provider of IT banking solutions in Asia, today celebrated its one-year anniversary of establishment as a subsidiary of Hi Sun Technology (China) Limited in Hong Kong. During the past year, the company has supported their partners and clients through business expansion efforts by providing and supporting seamless implementation of banking operations and systems. With a new headquarter office in Shenzhen Futian District, HSG has taken a strategic move to pave the way for opportunities in overseas markets.
Out of many rewarding milestones in the past year, one of the highlights has been receiving the 2020 APN Industry Cloud Applications Partner – Finance Sector award in AWS Partner Summit Greater China. APN Partners are recognised for their leadership in driving innovation, collaboration, and specialisation. The company has also actively participated in major global events to showcase its diverse range of offerings. Some of the events include Africa FinTech Summit, Hong Kong FinTech Week, Singapore FinTech Festival, and the Asian Financial Forum.
Bridging the gap for wealth management and consumers
The global pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital and tech trends. Digitalisation has become a lifeline for many traditional businesses to stay afloat in a volatile market. Using a myriad of solutions, HSG empowers digital transformation in what was once known as a highly conservative industry. Client profiles range from established banks, virtual banks and fintech companies. With a scalable model and a customer-centric mindset, HSG has made it possible for players in the industry to gain a competitive edge through open source technology.
The SOA-based Hi Sun Banking Suite (HBS) acting as the complete banking infrastructure to keep up with fintech trends and foster productivity. Offerings include: Core Banking, E-Banking, Customer 360, Payment, Loan and Banking-Engine. Leveraging on its ease of customisation and a versatile “plug-&-play approach”, HSG can tailor their offerings to fit into existing and unique systems to ultimately meet the needs of the consumer market.
Driving necessary digital innovation in the financial industry
Since establishing in March 2020, HSG has had several rewarding aspects. Major key wins include kicking off two projects – with Oriental Bank PLC and APD Bank to popularise digital banking in Cambodia. To further ramp up digital financial servicing, HSG completed Phase 1 of core bank implementation with EAI Bank, a boutique investment bank in Malaysia. Diving into Phase 2, this partnership will work on mobile banking development to bring accessibility, especially to the underbanked demographic in the country. Other great achievements include a successful launch of the first and second virtual bank in Hong Kong. Besides its focus market in Southeast Asia, HSG also partnered with CBI Money to expand in Europe, and carried out projects in Puerto Rico and Vanuatu.
The journey ahead
The successful implementation of HSG solutions in Southeast Asia and Greater China can also be attributed to an accumulation of over 23 years of banking domain expertise in banking software design and development, a flexible deployment approach and a dedication to bringing true value to customers.
“Moving forward, HSG will continue to deliver effective IT solutions through innovation and a customer-first approach. Our goal is ultimately to equip institutions with the banking infrastructure needed to survive in the current digital landscape. At HSG, empowering businesses through expansion and development is critical to our success,” said Terry Liang, CEO of HSG.
Learn more on: https://hisunglobal.com/
#HiSunFintechGlobal
Vientiane Vehicle Registration Division Bars Entry to Unvaccinated Individuals
The Vientiane Capital Vehicle Registration and Driving License Division (VRDLDV) has declared that individuals and employees who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be barred from entering their offices.
Bokeo Requests Support from Central Taskforce as Outbreak Continues
Bokeo province has called for support from the Central Taskforce to tighten restrictions on the movement of foreign nationals to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.
Wi Ha-Joon Of MSteam, Wholly-Owned By Spackman Entertainment Group’s Associated Company, Spackman Media Group, Stars In Webtoon Film SHARK: THE BEGINNING Expected To Be Released On 17 June Via Korean OTT Platform TVING
Wi Ha-joon of MSteam headlines in webtoon film SHARK: THE BEGINNING which is slated to be screened online on 17 June via Korean OTT platform TVING
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (“Spackman Entertainment Group” or the “Company” and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group“), one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups, wishes to announce that up-and-coming Korean actor Wi Ha-joon of MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (“MSteam“), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group’s associated company, Spackman Media Group Limited, stars in upcoming webtoon film, SHARK: THE BEGINNING, which is expected be released on 17 June 2021 via Korean OTT platform TVING.
The next project of Wi Ha-joon is Korean crime thriller film, MIDNIGHT, scheduled to be screened at the Korean theatres and online in late June or early June 2021. MIDNIGHT is written & directed by Kwon Oh- seung and produced by Peppermint & Company.
Wi Ha-joon of MSteam previously starred in GONJIAM: HAUNTED ASYLUM (2018), which was one of the biggest March openings ever achieved by a Korean film, accumulating 1.4 million admissions in its opening weekend and accounted for 40% of the total weekend box office.
Other than Wi Ha-joon, MS Team also represents iconic Korean actress Son Ye-jin, who starred in highly popular romance drama CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2020), and top actress Lee Min-jung who won the Top Excellence Award at the 2020 APAN Star Awards.
About Spackman Entertainment Group Limited
Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (“SEGL” or the “Company“), and together with its subsidiaries, (the “Group“), founded in 2011 by Charles Spackman, is one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups. SEGL is primarily engaged in the independent development, production, presentation, and financing of theatrical motion pictures in Korea. According to Variety, Korea was the world’s fourth largest box office market in 2019, behind only North America, China and Japan.
The Group also invests into and produces Korean television dramas. In addition to our content business, we also own equity stakes in entertainment-related companies and film funds that can financially and strategically complement our existing core operations. SEGL is listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited under the ticker 40E.
Production Labels
SEGL’s wholly-owned Zip Cinema Co., Ltd. (“Zip Cinema“) is one of the most recognised film production labels in Korea and has originated and produced some of Korea’s most commercially successful theatrical films, consecutively producing 10 profitable movies since 2009 representing an industry leading track record. Recent theatrical releases of Zip Cinema’s motion pictures include some of Korea’s highest grossing and award-winning films such as CRAZY ROMANCE (2019), DEFAULT (2018), MASTER (2016), THE PRIESTS (2015), COLD EYES (2013), and ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012). For more information on Zip Cinema, do visit http://zipcine.com
SEGL also owns Novus Mediacorp Co., Ltd. (“Novus Mediacorp“), an investor, presenter, and/or post-theatrical distributor for a total of 79 films (58 Korean and 21 foreign) including ROSE OF BETRAYAL, THE OUTLAWS and SECRETLY, GREATLY, which was one of the biggest box office hits of 2013 starring Kim Soo-hyun of MY LOVE FROM THE STARS, as well as FRIEND 2: THE GREAT LEGACY. In 2012, Novus Mediacorp was also the post-theatrical rights distributor of ALL ABOUT MY WIFE, a top-grossing romantic comedy produced by Zip Cinema. In 2018, THE OUTLAWS, co-presented by Novus Mediacorp broke the all-time highest Video On Demand (“VOD“) sales records in Korea. For more information on Novus Mediacorp, do visit http://novusmediacorp.com.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Simplex Films Limited (“Simplex Films“) which is an early stage film production firm. The maiden film of Simplex Films, JESTERS: THE GAME CHANGERS (2019), was released in Korea on 21 August 2019. Simplex Films has several line-up of films including HURRICANE BROTHERS (working title).
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Take Pictures Pte. Ltd. (“Take Pictures“) which produced STONE SKIPPING (2020) and THE BOX (2021), and shall release GUARDIAN (working title) in 2021 tentatively.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Greenlight Content Limited (“Greenlight Content“) which is mainly involved in the business of investing into dramas and movies, as well as providing consulting services for the production of Korean content. Through the acquisition of Greenlight Content, the Group’s first co-produced drama, MY SECRET TERRIUS, starring top Korean star, So Ji Sub, achieved #1 in drama viewership ratings for its time slot and recorded double digits for its highest viewership ratings. Greenlight Content was one of the main investors of MY SECRET TERRIUS.
The Company owns a 20% equity interest in The Makers Studio Co. Ltd., which plans to produce and release four upcoming films, the first of which will be THE ISLAND OF THE GHOST’S WAIL, a comedy horror film.
Our films are theatrically distributed and released in Korea and overseas markets, as well as for subsequent post-theatrical worldwide release in other forms of media, including online streaming, cable TV, broadcast TV, IPTV, video-on-demand, and home video/DVD, etc. We release all of our motion pictures into wide-theatrical exhibition initially in Korea, and then in overseas and ancillary markets.
The Company holds an effective shareholding interest of 43.88% in Spackman Media Group Limited (“SMGL“). SMGL, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, together with its subsidiaries, is collectively one of the largest entertainment talent agencies in Korea in terms of the number of artists under management, including some of the top names in the Korean entertainment industry. SMGL operates its talent management business through renowned agencies such as MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Son Ye-jin, Lee Min-jung, Ko Sung-hee), UAA&CO Inc. (Song Hye-kyo, Yoo Ah-in, Park Hyung-sik), Fiftyone K Inc. (So Ji Sub, Ok Taec-yeon), SBD Entertainment Inc. (Son Suk-ku), and Kook Entertainment Co., Ltd. Through these full-service talent agencies in Korea, SMGL represents and guides the professional careers of a leading roster of award-winning actors/actresses in the practice areas of motion pictures, television, commercial endorsements, and branded entertainment. SMGL leverages its unparalleled portfolio of artists as a platform to develop, produce, finance and own the highest quality of entertainment content projects, including theatrical motion pictures, variety shows and TV dramas. This platform also creates and derives opportunities for SMGL to make strategic investments in development stage businesses that can collaborate with SMGL artists. SMGL is an associated company of the Company.
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Constellation Agency Pte. Ltd. (“Constellation Agency“). Constellation Agency, which owns The P Factory Co., Ltd. (“The P Factory“) and Platform Media Group Co., Ltd. (“PMG“), is primarily involved in the business of overseas agency for Korean artists venturing into the overseas market. The P Factory is an innovative marketing solutions provider specializing in event and branded content production. PMG is a talent management agency which represents and manages the careers of major artists in film, television, commercial endorsements and branded entertainment.
Strategic Businesses
The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Frame Pictures Co., Ltd. (“Frame Pictures“). Frame Pictures is a leader in the movie/drama equipment leasing business in Korea. Established in 2014, Frame Pictures has worked with over 25 top
directors and provided the camera and lighting equipment some of Korea’s most notable drama and movie projects including ITAEWON CLASS (2020), HOW TO BUY A FRIEND (2020), KIM JI-YOUNG, BORN 1982 (2019), FOUR MEN (2019) and ASADAL CHRONICLES (2019).
We also operate a café-lounge called Upper West, in the Gangnam district of Seoul and own a professional photography studio, noon pictures Co., Ltd.
For more details, do visit http://www.spackmanentertainmentgroup.com/
#SpackmanEntertainmentGroup
Bybit to Launch Ether Futures Contract
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has announced today it will launch Ether futures contract on May 20, further diversifying its offerings of the leading altcoin.
ETHUSD0625 will start trading on May 20 at or after 10AM UTC if liquidity conditions are met; ETHUSD0924 will start trading on May 24 at or after 10AM UTC if liquidity conditions are met. Ether futures will not require funding fee; so as long as the contracts are valid, traders can hold their positions free of charge.
The previously announced Bybit Cloud Mining, a mining-as-a-service (MaaS) product that gives users instant access to ETH mining from as little as $100, will arrive with ETHUSD0924 on May 24.
“As the Bitcoin price continues to stagnate, traders and investors are increasingly looking towards alternatives,” said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit. “We are pleased to launch our new Ether futures contract as rising retail and institutional demand paves way for a new alt season. Ether futures contract and Bybit Cloud Mining join our existing ETHUSD and ETHUSDT perpetual contracts in the ETH product lineup, and will create new opportunities for our clients, whether they are looking to hedge their positions or to further capitalize on future price movements of ETH.”
ETH, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, has seen its price explode 20-fold over the last 12 months, four times that of Bitcoin during the same period. The Ethereum gas fee has stabilized after April 15’s Berlin Upgrade, even as the upcoming EIP 1559 (London) fee market overhaul, expected in July, promises further gas cost reduction and a deflationary monetary policy.
About Bybit
Bybit is a cryptocurrency exchange established in March 2018. The company provides online trading and mining services, as well as API support to retail and professional clients around the world.
For more information please visit: https://www.bybit.com/
For updates, follow Bybit’s social platforms on Twitter and Telegram.
#Bybit
The race against the virus: DHL white paper update reveals learnings from one year into COVID-19
- Involving over 350 facilities, DHL distributed more than 200 million vaccine doses to over 120 countries to date
- From 2022 onward, a further 7-9 billion doses of vaccines are necessary annually to keep (re-)infection rates low and slow down the pace of virus mutations
- Locally adapted last-mile delivery, distribution models and a constant stock of vaccines will continue to be critical beyond 2021
BONN, GERMANY – Media OutReach – 18 May 2021 – It has been more than a year since the world woke up to the news of the new SARS-COV-2 virus. What followed was the largest global health crisis in 100 years. The disruptions to every aspect of society have been profound. Logistics and supply chain management have played a vital role in pandemic management right from the start to ensure the availability and distribution of key pandemic management tools: medicines and medical supplies, such as vaccines, test kits, ancillary supplies, treatments, and personal protective equipment (PPE). With over 200 million doses of all approved vaccines distributed to over 120 countries and 9,000 operated flights in which more than 350 DHL facilities were involved, DHL was part of the response strategy from the beginning. Over 50 bilateral and multilateral collaborations with partners in both the pharma and public sector and several new dedicated services were created to stem this task. The recently published DHL white paper on “Revisiting Pandemic Resilience” takes one step back and sheds light into what the sector has learned from the race against COVID-19 to be best prepared to handle public health emergencies in the future.
“Logistics and supply chain management play a key role in pandemic management. Keeping supply chains running and ensuring delivery for essential health supplies provided valuable lessons”, explains Katja Busch, Chief Commercial Officer DHL. “We rolled out new dedicated services for the vaccine distribution at unprecedented speed. All sectors, industries, and nations must work together to successfully end the acute phase of this pandemic. Forming strong partnerships and leveraging data analytics will be key. We also need to remain prepared for high patient and vaccine volumes, maintain logistics infrastructure and capacity, while planning for seasonal fluctuations by providing a stable and well-equipped platform for the years to come.”
There are important achievements across research and development, production, and supply chain management as well as policy that will help us get through the crisis as a global community. The foundation of this was laid by research and development by developing a vaccine five times faster than any other vaccine in history and ramping up production in record time – quadrupling pre-COVID vaccine production capacities. Together with logistics and supply chain, they were able to get the life-saving vaccines to patients worldwide. Although unprecedented cold chain requirements of up to -70°C had to be met, logistics were able to roll out the distribution three times faster than usual. Furthermore, multilateral action by public health and policy actors has provided a conducive framework for rapid vaccine development and deployment.
“We are proud and privileged to have been involved in the shipments of vaccines, including to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Our trained specialists have ensured that the stringent requirements were strictly adhered to and everything proceeded as planned. We believe that it is important for the logistics community to continue to play our part and equally advocate for constructive collaborations to boost our efforts in the fight against the pandemic,” said Leonora Lim, Head of Life Science and Healthcare, DHL Customer Solutions and Innovation, Asia Pacific.
Collaboration key to global vaccine distribution
For high levels of immunization, around 10 billion vaccine doses are required globally by end of 2021. However, only four countries have achieved vaccination rates >50% to date and many of the remaining countries and territories have less-developed infrastructure, making the rollout more difficult. To speed up vaccine distribution, the following areas need to be looked at:
- Industries and nations must foster collaboration, paying special attention to building strong partnerships and a supportive data backbone.
- For safe inbound supply flows, proactive transport-capacity management and sustainable return flows for packaging are needed. This is particularly critical as more than 95% of global COVID-19 vaccine doses are produced in just eight countries and need to be delivered worldwide.
- Also locally tailored last-mile, ground distribution models should be put into place with a focus on strategic location of warehouses, the synchronization of vaccines and ancillaries flow as well as the number and location of vaccination points.
The set-up logistics infrastructure and capacity should be kept on that level as in the coming years further 7-9 billion doses of vaccines are necessary annually to keep (re-)infection rates low and slow down the pace of virus mutations – seasonal fluctuations not counted.
Planning for the future
Planning for the future it is essential to identify and prevent health crises early through active partnerships, expanded global warning systems, an integrated epidemic-preventions agenda and targeted R&D investments. It is also recommended to expand and institutionalize virus containment and countermeasures (e. g. digital contact tracing and national stockpiles) to ensure strategic preparedness and more efficient response times. To facilitate a speedy rollout of medication (i. e. diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines), governments and industries should employ “ever-warm” manufacturing capacity, blueprint research, production, and procurement plans, as well as expand local deployment capabilities.
To read the complete white paper, please click on the following link:
https://www.dhl.com/pandemic-resilience
Note to editors:
As the leading logistics provider for the life sciences and healthcare industry, DHL provides forward-thinking, intelligent healthcare logistics through a holistic range of patient-centric solutions. More than 9,000 specialists work across DHL’s dedicated global network so that pharmaceutical, medical devices, clinical trials and research organizations, wholesalers and distributors, as well as hospitals and healthcare providers are connected across the value chain and through digitalization, from clinical trials to point of care, and every step in between.
The organization provides high-quality, fully compliant logistics and supply chain services, and champions innovative technologies that benefit customers and deliver better care for patients. DHL’s portfolio for the healthcare industry includes 150+ pharmacists, 20+ clinical trials depots, 100+ certified stations, 160+ GDP-qualified warehouses, 15+ GMP-certified sites, 135+ medical express sites, and a time-definite international express network covering 220 countries and territories.
You can find the press release for download as well as further information on dpdhl.com/pressreleases
On the Internet: dpdhl.com/press
Follow us at: twitter.com/DeutschePostDHL
DHL – The logistics company for the world
DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 400,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.
DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 66 billion euros in 2020. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero-emissions logistics by 2050.
#DHL
Champasack Hit By Heavy Storms
A heavy storm hit parts of Champasack Province this morning, damaging a large number of residential properties.