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Aptos Powers EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET, Enhancing User Experience for Millions of Visitors

– The EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET is the digital wallet service for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan with over 28 million visitors expected from April to October 2025.

– As of April 21, the wallet has processed over 558,000 transactions and attracted over 133,000 new accounts to Aptos since its migration in January 2025.

OSAKA, Japan, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Aptos Labs, a core contributor to the Aptos Layer-1 blockchain, announced that the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET has successfully migrated to the Aptos blockchain as part of the Palette Chain ecosystem integration into Aptos.

This strategic integration significantly enhances user experience of the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET, offering improved speed, enhanced security, and seamless management of user’s digital assets. It also underscores Aptos Labs’ commitment to driving mass adoption and delivering high-performance Web3 solutions for enterprises in Japan.

Migration to Aptos Elevates the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET Experience

The EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET is the digital wallet service for Expo 2025, Osaka, Kansai, Japan (‘the Expo’), with an anticipated influx of over 28 million visitors from April to October 2025. Users can access a variety of features, including MYAKU-PE!, a versatile payment service usable both inside and outside the Expo site; MYAKU-PO!, a rewards program that incentivizes engagement; MYAKU-N!, a digital platform where users can create and collect their Expo-exclusive NFTs; and the MYAKU-MYAKU Rewards Program, which grants users status based on their digital wallet usage and provides benefits according to their status level.

The migration aligns seamlessly with EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET’s mission to provide cutting-edge technology and a user-friendly platform for a seamless digital experience at the Expo. The Aptos blockchain, powered by the innovative Move programming language, emphasizes scalability and efficiency, making it the ideal blockchain to support the rapidly growing user community of the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET. 

Robust User Activity and Adoption

Since its migration in January 2025, the Aptos-powered EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET has garnered significant interest and engagement, achieving 18,000 transactions and 2,600 new accounts created on Aptos within the first 48 hours. As of April 21, the wallet has processed over 558,000 transactions and attracted over 133,000 new accounts to Aptos.

This robust user activity reflects a high level of trust and excitement in the capabilities of the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET on Aptos. Aptos Labs anticipates continued growth in these figures leading up to the opening of the Expo.

“We are thrilled to witness such enthusiastic response from users following the WALLET’s migration to Aptos,” said Avery Ching, Co-Founder and CEO of Aptos Labs. “This strong engagement demonstrates the confidence that users and partners have in us and the vast potential of the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET, as well as the Aptos ecosystem. By collaborating with local enterprises and communities, the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET is positioned at the forefront of blockchain innovation, serving as a bridge to Web3 for millions. We look forward to fostering innovation and growth continuously in both the Japanese and global markets.”

Exciting Features on the Horizon

With the migration complete, the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET team is working diligently to expand its features and integrations with organizations, including the Japanese National Tourism Organization, Osaka Restaurant Management Association, and Nankai Electric Railway Co.,Ltd.. Their goal is to enrich the digital experience and provide even greater value to users throughout the duration of the Expo.

Aptos is among the fastest-growing Layer-1 blockchains, with its Total Value Locked (TVL) ranging around USD 1 billion since November 2024[1], showcasing the increasing global adoption of its technology. This migration follows Aptos Labs’ strategic partnership with HashPort and HashPalette, initiated in October 2024. These collaborations further solidify Aptos’ position as a leader in blockchain and Web3 innovation, and enhance the value proposition for EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET users.

To further encourage the adoption of the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET, a substantial advertising campaign has been launched at key locations across Osaka, Japan, including the bustling Osaka JR station and on surrounding train lines.

For updates and details about the EXPO2025 DIGITAL WALLET, please visit: https://expo2025-wallet.com/en

– ENDS –

About Aptos Labs

Aptos Labs is dedicated to creating network tooling and seamless usability for users of the Aptos network, a next-generation high-performance public Layer 1 blockchain. Aptos is backed by top-flight investors including a16z, Katie Haun, Apollo Global Management, Binance Labs, Dragonfly, PayPal Ventures, and Franklin Templeton Investments.

About Aptos Network

Aptos is a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain. Aptos’ breakthrough technology, scalable infrastructure and user safeguards are designed to power the next generation of financial systems by offering unparalleled high throughput and low latency that can scale to billions of users.

[1] https://defillama.com/chain/Aptos

Global Employee Engagement Drops for Only the Second Time in 12 Years, Costing the World’s Economy US$438 Billion

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — For only the second time in the past 12 years, the global percentage of engaged employees fell — from 23% in 2023 to 21% in 2024, according to Gallup’s latest State of the Global Workplace report. The primary cause was a drop in manager engagement: While engagement among individual contributors remained flat at 18%, managers’ engagement fell from 30% to 27%.

The drop in global employee engagement cost the world economy US$438 billion in lost productivity in 2024.

Managers’ Engagement

No other worker category experienced as significant a decline in engagement as the world’s managers. Two types of managers were particularly affected:

  • Young (under 35) manager engagement fell by five percentage points.
  • Female manager engagement dropped by seven points.

“Manager engagement affects team engagement, which affects productivity. Business performance — and ultimately GDP growth — is at risk if executive leaders do not address manager breakdown,” said Jim Harter, Gallup’s chief workplace scientist.

Gallup recommends three actions leaders can take to boost manager engagement:

  • Ensure all managers receive training to cut extreme manager disengagement in half. Manager development has declined globally in recent years, and most say they have not received any training. However, active disengagement is cut in half for those who receive training.
  • Teach managers effective coaching techniques to boost their performance. Participants in training courses focused on management best practices experienced up to 22% higher engagement than non-participants. Teams led by those participants saw engagement rise by up to 18%.
  • Increase manager thriving through ongoing development. When employers provide manager training, it improves manager thriving from 28% to 34%. However, if they have training and someone at work who actively encourages their development, manager thriving increases to 50%.

Regional Engagement Trends

Since 2011, the U.S. and Canada region has had the highest engagement in the world. 2024 is the first time it has tied with another region — Latin America and the Caribbean, which is at a new high.

Despite a three-percentage-point drop in engagement in 2024, South Asia is still ahead of the global average. The regional decline in engagement is driven by its most populous country, India, where engagement fell three points in the latest three-year rolling average.

For the fifth year in a row, European workers’ engagement is lower than in any other world region. The Middle East and North Africa, East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa also continue to lag the global average.

Post-Soviet Eurasia recorded a new high in engagement (26%); meanwhile, Southeast Asia’s latest 26% engagement rate is more than twice as high as what Gallup recorded for the region in 2011. Employee engagement in Australia and New Zealand is also on the high end of the trend since 2012.

The Global Job Market

Over half of employees (51%) say it is a “good time” to find a job where they live, but this is down to the lowest point since 2021.

Of all world regions, employees are most optimistic about their local job markets in Australia and New Zealand, where 72% say it is a good time to find a job. New highs in job market optimism were recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean (58%), Europe (57%) and Post-Soviet Eurasia (53%).

Half of global employees (50%) are watching for or actively seeking a new job, slightly lower than figures recorded in 2022 and 2023.

Employee Wellbeing

The percentage of employees thriving in their lives (33%) dropped for a consecutive year, falling to the lowest point since 2021.

  • A record-low 52% of employees in the U.S. and Canada region are thriving in their lives.
  • Over half of employees in Australia and New Zealand are thriving (56%) — the highest percentage in the world. However, the latest figure marks a new low for the region, down 13 points from Gallup’s measure in 2011.
  • Employees in South Asia are the least likely to be thriving in their lives across world regions.
  • About one in three employees in Post-Soviet Eurasia (33%) and Southeast Asia (36%) are thriving, marking new highs for both regions.
  • Most employees in Latin America and the Caribbean (54%) now rate their lives positively enough to be considered thriving — the highest level in a decade.

Global employees’ reports of stress are slightly lower than in recent years but remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic figures. Reports of experiencing daily anger are stable, while experiences of sadness are on the high end of Gallup’s trend since 2009. More than one in five employees report having experienced loneliness.

  • Sub-Saharan African employees’ reports of experiencing stress the previous day (47%) are at a new high.
  • European employees’ reports of experiencing anger (14%) the previous day are lower than the 15% to 19% range previously recorded.
  • Fourteen percent of East Asian employees report having experienced sadness the previous day — twice as high as what Gallup recorded in 2011 (7%).

About Gallup 
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

Media Contact:
justin_mccarthy@gallup.com

 

MiL.k partners with Galxe to Expand Network and Connect Korean Users to Global Web3 Ecosystem

Following its migration to Arbitrum, MiL.k teams up with Galxe to launch global quests, drive user growth, and bring real-world loyalty rewards to the Web3 ecosystem.

SEOUL, South Korea, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Milk Partners, the company behind the blockchain-based loyalty integration platform ‘MiL.k,’ announced a strategic partnership with leading web3 growth platform, Galxe, to connect its 1.5 million Korean users with Galxe’s 33 million-strong global community and unlock new Web3 engagement opportunities. The partnership marks MiL.k’s first global collaboration following its recent migration to the Arbitrum blockchain.

MiL.k partners with Galxe to Expand Network and Connect Korean Users to Global Web3 Ecosystem
MiL.k partners with Galxe to Expand Network and Connect Korean Users to Global Web3 Ecosystem

Galxe, is an end-to-end growth platform powered by analytics, automation, and engagement solutions. With over 7,000 partners, it is one of the most actively operated social platforms within the Arbitrum ecosystem, enabling user base retention and ecosystem scalability.

MiL.k’s 1.5 million users and its loyalty ecosystem – built through strategic partnerships with major corporations – will seamlessly be integrated into Galxe’s platform. Together, the two companies aim to create synergies through mid-to-long-term marketing collaborations, bridging Korea with global markets,driving community growth, and expanding their ecosystems.

As part of their first collaboration, MiL.k’s exclusive quest will gradually launch on Galxe’s platform starting April 16. The quest will be available to domestic and international users, with co-hosted quests planned with various global projects in the Arbitrum ecosystem. The collaboration will offer a range of substantial rewards and benefits for participants – providing users with an enriched web3 experience. 

Additionally, both parties will expand their technical cooperation to connect onchain environments between their services and make it easier for global users to access a variety of content from both MiL.k and Galxe. The collaboration will accelerate the expansion of the Web3 ecosystem through multi-layered efforts including technology integration, marketing, and global user onboarding.

Through its partnership with Galxe, MiL.k aims to collaborate with various global web3 projects within the Arbitrum ecosystem including projects in sectors such as DeFi, gamification, social, and more.

Jung Min Cho, CEO of Milk Partners, stated, “The collaboration with Galxe is significant as it marks MiL.k’s first global project within the Arbitrum ecosystem. We will rapidly enhance our position as a global project by offering new Web3 experiences and practical benefits to users worldwide through various quests we will create together.”

Charles Wayn, Co-Founder of Galxe, echoed similar sentiments,”We’re excited to welcome MiL.k to the Galxe ecosystem in expanding global Web3 engagement. By connecting MiL.k’s robust loyalty network with Galxe’s powerful growth infrastructure, we’re not only bridging Korean users to a global community—we’re unlocking a new wave of utility, collaboration, and opportunity across the Arbitrum ecosystem.”

KLN Opens New Logistics Facility in the Netherlands To Meet Growing E-commerce Demand in the EMEA Region

HONG KONG, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — KLN Logistics Group Limited (‘KLN’, Stock Code 0636.HK) has opened a new 61,000 sq ft bonded logistics facility in the Netherlands (the ‘Hoofddorp facility’) by upgrading its Hoofddorp site to a new warehouse and processing facility, in order to boost its capabilities in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (‘EMEA’) region and meet the rising demand for e-commerce capacity.

Riding on the growing e-commerce demand, the Hoofddorp facility has allocated 40 percent of its operations specifically for e-commerce shipments. With a dedicated warehouse and six loading docks, it enables KLN to provide customers with comprehensive solutions, including customs clearance, cross docking, bonded storage, pick and pack, e-fulfilment and distribution.

Martin Stoekenbroek, Managing Director – Europe, Middle East and Africa of KLN, said, “This new facility will enhance our operational capacity in the Netherlands and the EMEA region, particularly in response to the recent growth in e-commerce, with up to 40 percent of our capacity dedicated to this emerging market. Our team is eager to transition to this new facility, which is easily accessible and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to improve the efficiency and quality of operations.”

The Hoofddorp facility is located less than 30 kilometres from Amsterdam and under 60 kilometres from Rotterdam, strategically positioned between Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest airports, and Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s largest seaport. It is also KLN’s newest addition in the Netherlands, complementing existing facilities in Rotterdam and Middelharnis.

About KLN Logistics Group Limited (Stock Code 0636.HK)
KLN is an Asia-based, global 3PL with a highly diversified business portfolio and extensive coverage in Asia. It offers a broad range of supply chain solutions from integrated logistics, international freight forwarding (air, ocean, road, rail and multimodal) and e-commerce to industrial project logistics and infrastructure investment.

With a global presence across 59 countries and territories, KLN has established a solid foothold in half of the world’s emerging markets. Its diverse infrastructure, extensive coverage in international gateways and local expertise span across the Mainland of China, India, Southeast Asia, the CIS, Middle East, LATAM and other locations.

KLN generated a revenue* of close to HK$60 billion in 2024. It is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index.

* For continuing operations only

 

Hong Kong Life Sponsors Local Sailing Team B.L.U. for Races

Promoting the Development and Heritance of Sports, Advocating the Spirit of “Fearless against Challenges and Pursuing Excellence”


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2025 – Hong Kong, geographically surrounded by the sea, is an ideal venue for water sports events, while sailing is being one of the most focused water sports events. This year, Hong Kong Life sponsors the local sailing team B.L.U. to support the development and heritage of local sports culture, encourage the public to cultivate a habit of exercising and embrace a healthy lifestyle, ride on the wind and waves to breakthrough together.

Sailing competition requires not only teamwork and technical skills but also flexible strategic adjustments to adapt to various environmental factors, ensure a sustained sailing and leading position, fully embody the spirit of “Fearless against Challenges and Pursuing Excellence”. Similarly, Hong Kong Life leverages our insurance profession and experience, focuses on understanding customers’ needs and market changes, strives to breakthrough traditional boundaries by providing diverse insurance products and services, helps customers to seize every opportunity and become the helmsman of an extraordinary life.

Hong Kong Life sponsored B.L.U. team to participate in the race of “Monsoon Spring Series 2025” held on 12 April. On the race day, B.L.U. team competed with more than 10 other sailing teams vigorously under the unexpected heavy rain and strong wind, and finally won several awards including the “Line Honour” in PHS/ORC division, the “1st Place” in PHS/ORC division and the “3rd Place Overall” in ORC division, which totally demonstrated the spirit of “Fearless against Challenges and Pursuing Excellence”.

Mr. Jonathan Ko, Chief Marketing Officer of Hong Kong Life, said, “Hong Kong Life has always been passionate about promoting the development and heritage of multiculturalism and sports. We hope that this sponsorship will advocate the philosophy of ‘Fearless against Challenges and Pursuing Excellence’ and encourage the public to engage more in sports to improve their health, joining hands to build a vibrant and positive community. The core philosophy of Hong Kong Life resonates with sailing competitions, both emphasizing high level of teamwork and technical standards, requiring flexible strategic adjustments to maintain a leading position. Hong Kong Life team adheres to this philosophy and is committed to understanding customers’ needs and market changes, providing diverse and competitive insurance products and services to safeguard every life stage of our customers, creating a more prosperous future.”

Monsoon Spring Series 2025
The “Monsoon Spring Series 2025” is organized by Hebe Haven Yacht Club. The race will be held in the scenic waters of Port Shelter and the outlying islands, offering the challenging geometric and island courses.

About B.L.U.
The B.L.U. sailing team was established in 2014 and is dedicated to promoting the development of sailing sports. Over half of the team members hold sailing coach qualifications and have more than 10 years of sailing experience. The team has actively participated in various competitions over the years and has won championships in major events such as the Island Race, the China Cup, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Sailing Competition and the Macao Match Cup. The team also engages in sailing training and community activities, aiming to cultivate new generation of sailing enthusiasts and pass on the passion with the ocean culture.

Hashtag: #香港人壽 #HongKongLife




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

About Hong Kong Life

Established in 2001, Hong Kong Life Insurance Limited (“Hong Kong Life”) was founded by five local financial institutions including Asia Insurance Company Limited, Chong Hing Bank Limited, CMB Wing Lung Bank Limited, OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Limited and Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited, which laid their foundations and have been serving people in Hong Kong for more than 50 years in average. Through our extensive network of around 130 distribution points comprising Chong Hing Bank, CMB Wing Lung Bank, OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) and Shanghai Commercial Bank, we offer an integrated one-stop service of insurance and financial planning to customers.

360 Years of Building the Future: Saint-Gobain Champions Sustainability and Startups in Singapore

Saint-Gobain has built a global legacy of over 300 years, driving innovative techniques in sustainable construction for the green building revolution


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 April 2025 – Saint-Gobain, a global leader in sustainable construction, celebrates its 360th anniversary in 2025 with its ‘360 Years Young’ campaign, marking three and a half centuries of innovation as it continues to drive breakthrough design and light construction solutions that provide sustainability and performance.

Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360th anniversary at a gala night
Saint-Gobain celebrates its 360th anniversary at a gala night

With over 30 years of presence in Singapore, Saint-Gobain has been part of the Singapore story since the 1980s, with a strong focus on advancing Singapore’s green building revolution through cutting-edge materials and nurturing startups that drive innovative construction methods through its venture capital and innovation arm, NOVA.

360 Years Young: Continuing a legacy of transformation in the construction sector
For 360 years, Saint-Gobain’s innovative and sustainable materials and solutions have been transforming the built environment, enhancing the way we live, work and play across diverse settings, from homes to offices, schools, hospitals, industrial and recreational facilities. Saint-Gobain has provided its innovative products and solutions for the construction of iconic projects, including Bird Paradise, Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay, and the recently launched Rainforest Wild Asia, amongst others.

For Saint-Gobain, the number 360 represents more than just its years of business – this also refers to their 360-degree approach around the world, where they develop high-performance, environmentally friendly solutions and optimise its industrial processes.

“At 360 years young, Saint-Gobain continues to be driven by a pioneering and innovative mindset.We are singularly focused on building better for people and the planet with circularity, decarbonisation and reducing environmental impact at the core of everything we do. As we celebrate this milestone over 360 days, we look forward to contributing our expertise to enhance the wellness of communities across 80 countries around the world, including Singapore and Malaysia, with more sustainable habitats and environments,” said Lynette Siow, CEO Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia.

Saint-Gobain cemented this milestone with a gala night that was held on 28 March at JW Marriott Singapore, attended by 260 of its partners, team members and customers, where the company reinforced its commitment to build a healthier, fairer, and more inclusive world and achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Being at the forefront of the green revolution in Singapore
For over 30 years, Saint-Gobain Singapore has established itself as a trusted partner in the country, providing new and sustainable construction products and solutions, including tile waterproofing, building glass, fireproofing, concrete admixtures, and more. Bolstering its strategy to be a global leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain recently completed the acquisition of FOSROC, a leading construction chemicals company in Asia and emerging markets. The acquisition further expands Saint-Gobain’s construction chemicals portfolio to include cement additives and grinding aids, reinforcing its commitment to providing advanced materials and integrated solutions.

At present, Saint-Gobain Singapore brings together 12 business units under one roof, delivering comprehensive solutions for energy-efficient buildings, healthier living spaces, and industrial decarbonisation that align with Singapore’s Green Mark Certification and 2030 Green Plan.

Saint-Gobain has conducted significant investment in research and development to reduce their existing products’ carbon footprint, through utilising renewable energy and low-carbon raw materials – lowering its overall footprint to 20-25% in 2017.

The company continues to make headway in its sustainability roadmap. This includes incorporating 30% recycled content in its packaging, as well as circularity projects to reduce its reliance on virgin raw materials, as well as offering low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paint and coatings and other light solutions.

Looking ahead, Saint-Gobain plans to expand its collaborations with Singaporean universities and government institutions such as the Singapore Green Building Council and the Building and Construction Authority while continuing to support the nation’s ambitious sustainability targets through its net-zero carbon roadmap.

Accelerating innovation through NOVA
Through its venture capital and open innovation arm NOVA, Saint-Gobain is actively shaping Singapore’s construction technology landscape by investing in and partnering with promising early-stage startups focused on sustainable building materials, circular economy solutions, and construction productivity tools.

NOVA has already nurtured successful Singapore-based startups in its portfolio including Livspace, a tech-driven interior design platform, and C-Cube, which specialises in modular construction solutions.

NOVA continues to grow its collaborations with more startups in Singapore and Southeast Asia through initiatives such as the Sustainability Open Innovation Program with Enterprise Singapore, and through strategic partnerships, such as Saint-Gobain’s collaboration with smart construction solutions provider DaFang AI to promote robotic wall finishing solutions in Singapore.

In 2023, the company launched the “Build the Future” startup challenge in partnership with Enterprise Singapore’s Slingshot competition, scouting for innovative deep-tech solutions to transform the construction industry.

Building on this momentum, Saint-Gobain recently participated as a platinum partner and domain expert judge in the 2024 CapitaLand Sustainability X Challenge, evaluating breakthrough solutions for construction decarbonisation and building wellness.

“Singapore’s dynamic innovation ecosystem and commitment to green infrastructures present tremendous opportunities to be at the forefront of sustainable construction,” said Lynette Siow, CEO of Saint-Gobain Singapore & Malaysia. “As we celebrate 360 years of global expertise, we’re doubling down on our commitment to partner with local startups, researchers and developers to build Singapore’s greener future.”

Hashtag: #SaintGobainSingapore

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

About Saint-Gobain

Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. Its integrated solutions for the renovation of public and private buildings, light construction and the decarbonization of construction and industry are developed through a continuous innovation process and provide sustainability and performance. The Group’s commitment is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME”.

€46.6 billion in sales in 2024
161,000 employees, locations in 80 countries
Committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050

For more information about Saint-Gobain Singapore, visit

Luang Prabang Surges Past Tourism Goals with Over 1.1 Million Visitors, Fueling Economic Growth

Tourists in Luang Prabang during Lao New Year festival (Photo: Kheuakham Chanlivong)

Luang Prabang experienced a tourism boom in the first quarter of the year, generating USD 584,665,369 million in revenue, marking a 162 percent increase in tourist numbers compared to the same period last year.

US Judge Orders Preliminary VOA Funding Restoration in Blow to Trump

US Judge Orders Preliminary VOA Funding Restoration in Blow to Trump
(FILES) US President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the WHite House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

RFA REAX/AFP – A judge on Tuesday ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore funding to Voice of America and other US-funded media, saying its abrupt shutdown broke the law.