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Laos Confirms 69 New Cases of Covid-19

Covid-19 Update

Laos has confirmed 69 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases to 2,469.

APRIL Group Supports Training of 300 Integrated Health Service Post Volunteers in Riau, Bolstering National Stunting Prevention Efforts

PELALAWAN, INDONESIA – Media OutReach – 8 July 2021 – 300 integrated health service post (posyandu) volunteers received special training to bolster efforts in stunting mitigation during the pandemic. Initiated by APRIL Group’s Indonesia operations PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), the 15-29 June 2021 online training aimed to support healthcare workers in the management of 276 posyandu in Riau. The volunteers were from various regions that included Pelalawan, Siak, Kuantan Singingi, Kampar, and Meranti Islands.

Meranti Islands District Health Office Head Dr. Misri Hasanto said: “Posyandu volunteers serve on the frontline in rural areas and support the management of the posyandu. This important training will broaden and improve their skillsets. This will then positively impact maternal and child health, and help with wider stunting prevention efforts.”

Susanti, a Mekar Sari Village posyandu volunteer, said: “The training injects newfound energy in all the volunteers. We learn how to better manage a posyandu during a challenging time such as the pandemic. We have also learned useful skills in development, data recording and reporting, in addition to developing a deeper understanding on infant and toddler health and stunting prevention.”

The Riau government has been actively working with stakeholders to reduce the stunting prevalence to 14 percent in 2014. Governor Syamsuar said on the sidelines of an event in which food packages under its Supplementary Feeding Program were distributed to the community: “The stunting prevalence in Riau has declined from 27.4 percent in 2018 to 23.7 percent in 2020. The figures are still high and we require more support to fight stunting. It is important we have continued collaboration between the government, the people and the private sector. We are very grateful to be working with PT RAPP, which has committed to tackle stunting in the province.”

RAPP’s Community Development Strategic Planning Manager Bertone Anwar said that stunting prevention required all stakeholders to work together, and more can be done to improve the nutrition of children and pregnant women. He added that the posyandu volunteer training program was part of APRIL Group’s commitment to supporting the national stunting mitigation efforts. In Nov 2020, APRIL Group launched APRIL2030, the company’s vision for meeting the challenges of the next decade. The company counts stunting reduction in the areas near its operations as one of its many targets in sustainable development.

APRIL Group is part of a global group of resource manufacturing companies managed by RGE. RGE’s business philosophy is to create value for the community, country, climate, customer and company, and is founded by its Chairman Sukanto Tanoto.

About APRIL Group:

APRIL Group is a leading fiber, pulp and paper producer operating in Riau Province, Indonesia. We are committed to sustainability in doing business as well as in the broader landscape in which we operate. Under the production-protection model, we adopt a 1-for-1 goal in which for every hectare of plantation, we conserve and restore one hectare of natural forest ecosystems. We have succeeded in restoring around 365,000 hectares of forests, including the RER program. APRIL Group is a holding company of PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP). For more information, visit www.aprilasia.com and follow our IG at @discoverapril.

#APRIL Group

Results of the Global Offering of YesAsia Holdings Limited announced

The Hong Kong Public Offering was approximately 145.3 times subscribed and Offer price set at HK$3.28 per share

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 8 July 2021 – YesAsia Holdings Limited (“YesAsia” or the “Company“; together with subsidiaries, the “Group“; SEHK stock code: 2209), a Hong Kong-headquartered E-commerce platform operator engaging in the procurement and sale of Asian fashion and lifestyle, beauty and entertainment products to customers around the world, announced that the Hong Kong Public Offering, as part of its Global Offering, was approximately 145.3 times subscribed while the International Offering was moderately oversubscribed. The Offer Price was set at HK$3.28 per Share.

YesAsia offered 39,540,000 new shares (“Offer Shares“) at an indicative price range of HK$3.00 to HK$3.33 per Share. About 35,586,000 Shares or 90% of the Offer Shares were available for placing with institutional and professional investors (“International Offering“) while about 3,954,000 Shares or 10% of the Offer Shares were available for subscription by the public in Hong Kong (“Hong Kong Public Offering“, together, “Global Offering“).

Since the Hong Kong Public Offering was more than 100 times subscribed, the total number of the Offer Shares available under the Hong Kong Public Offering will be 19,770,000 Offer Shares, representing 50% of the Offer Shares initially available under the Global Offering, while the number of Offer Shares available under the International Offering Placing will be adjusted to 19,770,000 Offer Shares.

Mr. Lau Kwok Chu, Founder and CEO of YesAsia, said: “We are pleased with the positive responses from both the institutional and retail investors during the Global Offering, reflecting investors’ confidence in our business model, track record and prospects. With this enlarged capital and shareholder base, we shall continue to build our strengths with our established E-commerce platform with a global reach, our loyal and engaged customer base driving a virtuous cycle in our business ecosystem; and deliver satisfactory return for shareholders.”

Dealings in the Company’s shares on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited are expected to commence under the stock code 2209 at 9:00 am on Friday, 9 July 2021. The board lot is 1,000 shares.

UOB Kay Hian (Hong Kong) Limited is the Sole Sponsor and the Sole Global Coordinator of the Global Offering.

#YesAsia #IPO

EasyPrint Technologies Helps Companies Get Corporate Gifts Faster with Real-time Design Tool and Instant Price Check

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 8 July 2021 – EasyPrint Technologies (“EasyPrint”), a fast-growing supplier for corporate gifts in singapore, promises to help companies get their corporate gifts faster and more conveniently, with the introduction of a real-time design tool and instant price check on its newly revamped website, eliminating the labourious and time-consuming process that is typical of corporate gift procurement.

Most companies engaged in corporate gifting activities are too familiar with the dreaded practice of sending an enquiry to a gift supplier asking for a quotation, followed by a series of back and forth emails to clarify the specifications of the order and accuracy of the design artwork that is to be imprinted onto the gift item.

The conventional approach to business gift procurement takes up too much time and creates unnecessary administrative work for the purchasers. And EasyPrint is determined to change that.

A young upstart but no stranger to the corporate gifting industry, EasyPrint has since its inception in 2018 been constantly developing new capabilities to deliver a better gift procurement experience to its clients, counting among them major international brands, established corporations, as well as Singapore government agencies, educational institutions and local businesses alike.

Despite being a relatively new entrant to the industry, EasyPrint has quickly earned a reputation for itself, in particular as the go-to supplier for popular corporate gifts such as lanyard, tote bag printing and customised notebook in Singapore, as well as pandemic related accessories such as face shield and mask holder.

With the new real-time design tool and instant price check capabilities, EasyPrint is making it even easier and faster for companies to order their gift items, all directly on its new website.

Real-time design tool

Clients can now create the desired artwork for their gift items directly on EasyPrint’s website with the help of its new web-based, real-time design tool. Gone are the days where purchasers had to send their logo files and other design elements to the gift supplier and then wait for a mockup of how it appears on the gift item, and then bounce back and forth between iterations of changes.

Now, clients can directly preview how their designs will look like on the gift items in real-time and can make changes or adjustments to their hearts’ desire before confirming the design and order, totally eliminating the to and fro communication that used to accompany it.

Instant price check

Beyond design freedom and flexibility, EasyPrint now gives business gift buyers the convenience of checking prices in real-time with its new instant price check capability. No longer would buyers need to wait for days to get a quotation on their gift items that they’re interested in.

Whenever site visitors choose a gift item and selects the available options, such as print method, finishing or order quantity, pricing formation for the gift is dynamically pulled from the central database and displayed instantaneously, thereby allowing the buyers to make a quick procurement decision.

A procurement experience that endears clients

Select clients privy to this new way of ordering their customised gifts from the system’s soft launch earlier this year are already enjoying the convenience and snappiness that they’re getting out of it.

“With just a few clicks, we can get price information on the gift items that we are interested in, without having to wait. We also like the fact that we can customise the design directly online to the exact way we want it, rather than bouncing back and forth with the designer”, described Red Forklifts Pte Ltd, a forklift rental company in Singapore that are among the businesses that got to try out the new real-time design tool.

Making corporate gift buying seamless

At the heart of developing and introducing such new capabilities is a mission to redefine the gift procurement experience for businesses. “We strongly believe that with the smart use of digital technology and automated processes, companies and organisations can enjoy a much smoother, seamless and hassle-free gift buying experience that supports their marketing agenda, and we’re committed to creating the environment to support and deliver that to all corporate gift buyers”, explained Mr. Darren Choong, Manager of EasyPrint.

Even as most marketing activities go online in recent years, business gifting remains one of the few physical forms of marketing that continues to hold a firm place in today’s digitised world. Moreover, at a time when a global pandemic severely restricts our abilities to connect with one another, physical corporate gifting takes on a bigger significance and is poised to play an even greater role in helping brands and companies stay connected with their customers and stakeholders.

EasyPrint firmly believes that nothing can replace the experience of receiving a well-thought gift from the people one does business with, and advocates corporate gifting as an effective and meaningful way of cultivating long-lasting business relationships.

Visit EasyPrint’s new website and try out the real-time design tool and instant price check at https://easyprintsg.com/.

About EasyPrint Technologies

Founded in 2018, EasyPrint Technologies is one of the fastest growing corporate gift suppliers in Singapore, counting top global and regional brands, as well as local established corporations and public institutions such as government agencies and universities among the clients it regularly serves.

Always striving to be at the forefront of the industry, EasyPrint is steadfast in its mission to create the ultimate gift procurement experience, helping businesses “get corporate gifts the easy way”.

For more information on EasyPrint Technologies, visit https://easyprintsg.com/.

#EasyPrint #EasyPrintTechnologies

Champasack Hospitals Overwhelmed With Covid-19 Patients

Phonthong Hospital Champasack Province
Phonthong Hospital in Champasack Province.

Hospitals in Champasack Province have been overwhelmed with Covid-19 patients as the number of imported cases surges.

Children Now Have the Opportunity to Choose Their Sponsor with World Vision Malaysia’s Chosen Campaign

Chosen aims to alleviate poverty and empower vulnerable children by giving them the power to choose

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 8 July 2021 – Malaysians are invited to participate and be chosen by children from vulnerable communities starting today until 26 July 2021 in an inaugural child sponsorship campaign titled Chosen by international humanitarian organisation, World Vision Malaysia.

World Vision’s Chosen campaign empowers children to take the first step in changing their future. For the first time ever, children have the opportunity to choose their sponsor. Pictured above, children showing photos of their sponsor they chose for themselves.

World Vision Malaysia CEO Mr. Daniel Boey said Chosen is World Vision’s new invitation to child sponsorship that puts the power to choose in a child’s hands. For the first time in World Vision’s 70-year history, the child will choose their sponsor!

The campaign will kick off with a community in Cambodia where since the first case of COVID-19 was identified, children have been deprived from their childhood and live in fear for their well-being.

A monthly sponsorship of RM65 will bring clean water, nutrition, education, basic healthcare, protection and hope to the sponsored child and their community. Sponsors can foster a relationship with the child through letters and photos due to the one-donor-one-child policy.

A father of two, Mr. Boey added: “Many children wait years to be chosen by sponsors. As a father, I can’t imagine how that could feel for the child, let alone the family. When we give children the choice to choose their sponsor, we give them the opportunity to choose who they want to accompany them on their journey out of poverty. More than that, we empower them to participate in a decision that will impact their life, sending the message that we care about what they think. We hope that this will spark the power to choose what their future can be.”

He said his team at World Vision Malaysia have been monitoring and adjusting programmes to respond to the global COVID-19 situation. “Children will select their sponsors at a choosing event (with all COVID-19 safe practices in place) on 5 and 6 August, and we will reveal the matches to the sponsors in the weeks after. We thank all Malaysians ahead for joining us in protecting and empowering the world’s most vulnerable children and their communities.”

Helping one little girl with US$5 in his pocket, founder Bob Pierce started World Vision in 1950 and its Child Sponsorship Programme focuses on improving the physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of the most vulnerable children. In Cambodia, World Vision has implemented relief and development programmes to benefit vulnerable children since the early 1970s.

Around the world, the program has brought so much joy and hope to families. Six-year-old Kelmer from Guatemala, chose Justin Hollander’s family to be his sponsors.

“Their daughter is very pretty. She looks like she likes to have conversations and likes to play,” he says. “The parents are very pretty. They look like they like to give hugs. And that they like to play.”

There are five people in Kelmer’s family. Mother, father, 9-year-old, 6-year-old, 8-month-old. Kelmer is in preschool. He loves to learn. When he grows up, he wants to be a teacher. His mother, Yesica, says that sometimes the children get sick, but she can’t afford to take them to the nearby centre. Yesica says that Kelmer choosing was “his decision all the way. He felt really good.” He told her that when he saw all the pictures, “I just wanted to grab that one.”

Kelmer likes to play soccer and marbles. He says, “If they (sponsors) came here, I would like to play football with them. I would like to send pretty words. I am happy for your visit. Te quiero.”

Earlier this year, some children in a local community were invited to choose their sponsors as shown in this video: https://youtu.be/a562CDbVccY.

Visit https://bit.ly/WorldVision-Chosen or email admin@worldvision.com.my to be chosen by a child and help make a difference!

#WorldVisionMalaysia

K-Pop is Leading ‘Twitter Spaces’ Globally; 3 of The Top 5 Most Listened-to Twitter Spaces Are K-Pop Artists

  • NCT, the first K-pop artist who hosted a Space, was the most listened-to Space before launch
  • GOT7 BamBam set the record for the most listened-to Space since launch with his interactive Q&A
  • Global K-culture festival ‘KCON:TACT’ created a series of Spaces with talk show format
  • K-culture like movies and webtoons also use Spaces in innovative ways

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – Media OutReach – 8 July 2021 – K-pop fans come to Twitter to talk about what’s happening. While K-pop fans already flock to Twitter for their favorite artists’ Tweets, Spaces now gives fans a way to listen to their favorite artists’ voices – live. Joining K-pop artists’ live audio conversations brings them to life in a completely new way and helps fans to feel closer to their favorites.

Many K-pop fans have already used Twitter Spaces to hear directly from their favorites. Fans of artists like NCT (@NCTsmtown), TWICE (@JYPETWICE), BamBam (@BamBam1A), LOONA (@loonatheworld), and MonstaX (@OfficialMonstaX) among many others, have been able to listen to their favorites via live audio.

Worldwide Top 5 Twitter Spaces (Jan 1~June 30, 2021)

Already, 3 of the top 5 Twitter Spaces with the most listeners in the world as of June 30, 2021 have included K-pop artists:

GOT7 BamBam (@BamBam1A) set the record for the most listened-to Space since launch, with his Space on June 9. BamBam’s Space was noteworthy for including an interactive Q&A with fans, where fans were able to ask BamBam their questions themselves.
(https://twitter.com/BamBam1A/status/1402624948124798976)

NCT (@NCTsmtown) was the first K-pop artist to host a Space, and set the record for the most listened-to Space before Spaces launched to the public. NCT’s Space was also the most liked Tweet for live Spaces, despite Spaces still being in beta at the time on March 11.
(https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/1369945981567922176)

TWICE (@JYPETWICE) was the first K-pop girl group to host a Space and connect with their fans, when they led an ‘After Party’ Space of the comeback premiere live-streaming of ‘Taste of Love’ on June 9.
(https://twitter.com/JYPETWICE/status/1400829738793332742)

Other notable firsts

As more and more artists continue to use Spaces, fans have a chance to join artists’ Spaces as they set noteworthy firsts for K-pop artists in Spaces. In addition to the firsts set by the above artists, other firsts include Sandara Park (@krungy21, 2NE1) becoming the first K-pop artist to join a Space as a speaker, to have an interactive Q&A with fans on March 8. #KCON:TACT became the first series of K-pop talk shows on Spaces, as KCON (@KCON_official) established the Spaces with two K-pop artists with pairings like ONF (@WM_ONOFF) & ONEUS (@official_ONEUS), SF9 (@SF9official) & P1Harmony (@P1H_official), to talk about KCON (@KCON_official) events.

K-pop artists also use #TwitterBlueroom to connect with their fans via livestreamed Q&A. Now, artists are using Spaces in tandem with #TwitterBlueroom to make their live connections with their fans better. ENHYPEN (@ENHYPEN) went live on Spaces immediately before going Live on #TwitterBlueroom, giving fans who were waiting for the Blueroom a fun way to connect with the group. ASTRO (@offclASTRO) used Spaces as an after party instead, going live on #TwitterBlueroom, then switching to Twitter Spaces after the Blueroom finished for a quick surprise to delight their fans.

Even the next wave of K-pop artists can be found on Spaces. As Twitter’s recent research “K-pop Generations Analysis by Twitter Usage” shows, K-pop artists are now utilizing Twitter even before their debuts to drive excitement and gain fans, like new K-pop boy group JUST B (@JUSTB_twt), which debuted at the end of June 2021. JUST B opened its Twitter handle in advance on May 21, but everything about its debut was kept confidential. JUST B utilized Twitter Spaces as the first time that the world heard its members’ voices, which fans were able to share live with each other.

Beyond K-pop

Other parts of K-culture see the benefits of Twitter Spaces, and are starting to use them more as well. Cine21(@cine21_editor), the most influential film magazine in Korea, hosted a Space for six prominent movie journalists around the 2021 #Oscars, where the journalists shared their predictions and analysis live, as well as discussed major moments like ‘Minari’ star Yuh-Jung Youn’s win. In another K-culture Space, before the #TwitterBlueroom live-streaming for the K-movie ‘The Book of Fish’, actors (Seol Gyeong-gu, Byun Yo-han) and film director (Lee Joon-ik) joined a Twitter Space to drive up excitement. Hip Hop artist Simon Dominic and popular webtoonist Jongbeom Lee are among others that have had conversations with fans on Spaces.

YeonJeong Kim, Head of Global K-pop & K-content Partnerships at Twitter, said, “One of fans’ favorite parts of #KpopTwitter is feeling closer to their favorite artists, and Twitter Spaces bring them even closer than ever before. Spaces is where live audio conversations happen, and it’s just getting started, meaning that fans can look forward to even more of their favorite K-pop, Kmovie, and Kdrama stars trying new ways to connect using Spaces live.”

K-pop fans also have used Spaces proactively to share their stories among fans and to show their support towards their favorite artists, since Twitter launched Spaces on May 4 globally. On July 2, EXO-L (EXO’s fandom) and IGOT7 (AHGASE, GOT7’s fandom) drove an ‘EXOxGOT7 Streaming Party’, hosted by fan @exo9sh, creating a ‘playlist’ together on Spaces for about 8 hours, helping the hashtag #EXOxGOT7 trend worldwide.

Follow your favorite artists on Twitter right now to get real-time updates about Topics and more.

K-pop and K-content related Twitter Spaces

● GOT7 BamBam: https://twitter.com/BamBam1A/status/1402624948124798976

● NCT: https://twitter.com/NCTsmtown/status/1369945981567922176

● TWICE: https://twitter.com/JYPETWICE/status/1400829738793332742

● LOONA: https://twitter.com/loonatheworld/status/1409783712955330563

● JUST B: https://twitter.com/JUSTB_Official/status/1395575110250110980

● Sandara Park (2NE1): https://twitter.com/krungy21/status/1368924818821685254

● ASTRO: https://twitter.com/offclASTRO/status/1379786395246465024

● ENHYPEN: https://twitter.com/enhypen/status/1390283685807628292

● KCON:TACT: https://twitter.com/KCON_official/status/1404755569890766850
https://twitter.com/KCON_official/status/1402158455251628032

Kmovie – Cine21 about #Oscars: https://twitter.com/cine21_editor/status/1386207798963302400

● Kmovie – The Book of Fish: https://twitter.com/TwitterKorea/status/1369959546819506179

About Twitter, Inc.

Twitter is what’s happening and what people are talking about right now. To learn more, visit about.twitter.com and follow @Twitter and @TwitterKorea. Let’s talk.

#Twitter

Laos and Russia Agree to Strengthen Ties and Expand Cooperation

Russian Foreign Minister Meets Laos Foreign Minister
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith.

Foreign ministers from Laos and Russia have agreed that both countries must work together to strengthen ties and expand cooperation.