A freight train enters Laos-China Railway tunnel between Mohan border, China and Boten border, Laos.
The first China-Laos-Thailand freight train departed from Kunming on Tuesday carrying nine cold-chain containers packed with about 280 tonnes of fresh vegetables for export to Laos and Thailand.
Netflix will reportedly crack down on password sharing among all users later this year following the company’s error in posting a set of guidelines regarding password sharing termination earlier this month.
Can’t enjoy a night out without worrying about leaving your home unattended? With Arlo, now you can!
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 9 February 2023 – This Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to a stress-free date night with the help of Arlo. With an award-winning portfolio of smart home security solutions, Arlo will help keep an eye on your home while you are out enjoying a well-deserved romantic night with peace of mind.
Not sure which Arlo product to go for? Some of the most popular options from Arlo’s range of offerings include the Arlo Essential Indoor Security Camera, which helps you monitor activities inside your home, and the versatile Arlo Pro 4 Wireless Security Camera, which is ideal for both indoor and outdoor settings.
Arlo Essential Indoor Security Camera
Worrying about leaving your little ones at home? Whether it’s your toddlers or beloved pets, the Arlo Essential Indoor Security Camera will be there to watch over them while you are out. Offering 1080p HD video, a 130-degree diagonal field-of-view, motion and audio detection, full-duplex audio for two-way conversations as well as a built-in siren as an added safety measure, this camera will be all you need to monitor what goes on in your house from afar and take immediate action if needed.
Arlo Essential Indoor Security Camera: SGD169 (RP: SGD209)
Arlo Pro 4 Wireless Security Camera
With couples going out to enjoy their romantic date, Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity for burglars to target your homes. The Arlo Pro 4 Wireless Security Camera features advanced technologies such as 2K HDR video quality, an integrated spotlight with colour night vision and a 160-degree field of view to deliver superior video quality, allowing you to keep an eye on your property whether day or night, outdoor or indoor.
Easily connect the Pro 4 directly to Wi-Fi to enable a hassle-free set-up as a standalone security solution or a complimentary camera to an existing Arlo ecosystem. Its two-way audio allows users to have crystal-clear communication, while the built-in smart siren wards off any unwanted visitors on the property.
Arlo Pro 4 Wireless Security Camera: SGD369 (RP: SGD409)
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Arlo Technologies, Inc.
Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo’s deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cuttingedge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company’s cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart Wi-Fi and 4G LTEenabled security cameras, audio and video doorbells, and floodlight.
With a mission to bring users peace of mind, Arlo is as passionate about protecting user privacy as it is about safeguarding homes and families. Arlo is committed to supporting industry standards for data protection designed to keep users’ personal information private and in their control. Arlo doesn’t monetize personal data, provides enhanced controls for user data, supports privacy legislation, keeps user data safely secure, and puts security at the forefront of company culture.
Sebastien Perret, Co-Founder of Vientiane Rescue and volunteers at the accident scene.
Founder of Vientiane’s volunteer emergency service, Sebastien Perret, discusses Vientiane Rescue’s operations amid the continued problem of road accidents.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 9 February 2023 – PandaiSuite, an online course management platform based in Singapore, is bridging the gap between digital transformation and individual learning. Cognotiv, the parent company of PandaiSuite, is further developing an advanced and cutting-edge system that takes a systematic approach to improve efficiency in learning and training. Titled PandaiSuite Phase II, the game-changing system uses advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence to provide personalised courses and optimise the overall training cycle. This new iteration comprises four key features: PandaiMind, PandaiKM, PandaiHR and PandaiNetwork. Their approach to learning has enabled them to capitalise on the growing ASEAN smart education and learning market, which is estimated to be worth US 354,597.8 million by 2027, according to the Coherent Marketing Institute.
PandaiMind, a patent-protected solution, intends to improve training and learning neural networks while leveraging learner profile-driven training and course design improvement. PandaiKM, another ground-breaking feature, aims to offer comprehensive knowledge management and course recommendations, as well as an AI-enabled career path training planner to help users identify relevant courses for their career goals. The next phase also sees the rollout of PandaiHR, which is designed to bridge the gap between SME/Enterprise and Training Providers (TPs) while enabling learners to acquire relevant skills through AI-enabled training. The final advanced addition to PandaiSuite Phase II includes PandaiNetwork, which seeks to facilitate networking between learners and trainers, creating a community based on learning and development. Together, these improvements will provide a more effective learning management systemwhile enhancing the inclusive learning experience for users.
The new additions of PandaiSuite Phase II are projected to bolster the existing components of PandaiSuite Phase I, which include PandaiCore, PandaiCart, PandaiCampus, and PandaiCorner. This first phase laid the framework for PandaiSuite to be an online course platform that offers learners the flexibility to personalise their learning journey. Designed to cater to corporate training providers and individual learners looking to enhance their skill set and knowledge base, the current platform allows users to select from various short courses, monitor their progress, and take relevant tests. It also enables users to learn at their own speed, offering access to professional trainers attached to the platform and allowing learners to achieve their goals regardless of their prior knowledge or skills.
With its proposed action plans, PandaiSuite has been selected to participate in the innovSpur Programme, which supports the advancement and early adoption of viable learning innovations for EdTech solutionists. As a result, the platform has been awarded a grant that is projected to support the implementation of PandaiSuite Phase II and its next steps of development.
Through its participation in the innovSpur Programme, PandaiSuite is equipped to benefit from the resources available and thereby has the potential to push its learning initiatives forward. The grant of up to $500,000 or 75% of the project value offered by the programme will allow PandaiSuite to cover a significant portion of the costs associated with scaling up and early adoption. The live-testing support offered in the real market and customer conditions also aim to aid PandaiSuite in understanding their customers better and fine-tuning their product to cater to market needs.
Lao workers waiting in line at the airport to depart to South Korea (photo: Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, 2023)
Laos’ Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and BNK Capital Lao Non-Deposit Taking Microfinance Institution Co., Ltd. (BNK MFI) of the Republic of Korea inked a deal last week to provide financial support for Lao workers to work overseas.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 9 February 2023 – Winston Churchill famously said: ‘We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.’ This approach seems to be behind the global transformation of businesses towards a more society-oriented model that tries to ensure that the local community and, more broadly, the world thrives. With that aim in view, some companies effectively reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, Mercedes-Benz Group’s Ambition 2039 strategy involves shifting to a fully electric vehicle fleet. Other companies aim to support local communities facing challenges often related to education, infrastructure, and environmental conditions.
What does this trend, or rather a new societal norm, have to do with fintech companies? In what ways can they help, and what actions do they already take to improve our world? This article aims to answer these questions for emerging and already established fintech companies, as well as for their clients.
Fintech companies and corporate social responsibility
Fintech companies can advance social causes in several unique ways: from bringing financial services to people who have not had access to them to promoting financial literacy. Here are some of the most pressing issues fintech companies are already addressing:
Giving made easier. Some companies, such as Fidelity Charitable, present an opportunity to contribute cash, securities, and other assets to donor-advised funds at public charities. This makes it possible to increase tax savings for donators. Others, like Binance Charity, attempt to revolutionise global giving by employing Web3 technology, which makes donations more transparent, efficient, and, most importantly, direct.
Serving the underserved. Financial exclusion in rural and underdeveloped areas has become a major issue many fintech companies decide to centre their CSR activities around. In some cases, the whole purpose for creating a fintech service is built around bridging this gap. For instance, the mobile financial service bKash was specifically designed to cater for the 70% of the Bangladesh population who live in rural areas and have limited access to formal banking.
Advancing financial literacy. Unfortunately, few schools teach banking, investments, and savings, while those are some of the most important skills students might need in their adult life. Fintech companies become increasingly aware of the issue and start developing educational courses that serve their clients and a much wider audience.
Other charitable activities major fintech companies are involved in include environmental projects, such as HSBC’s efforts to help preserve Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park in Taiwan, emergency aid and various initiatives corresponding to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
What can just one fintech company do to advance social causes worldwide?
Let’s take one fintech company to illustrate the CSR approach in fintech and its impact. In 2022, the international Forex broker OctaFX directed its efforts at helping local communities overcome global challenges. Here’s what it managed to accomplish:
The broker helped 1855 people and 46 small businesses in emergency situations, mostly during natural disasters.
OctaFX supported educational efforts of 4452 students and 50 schools and organisations by funding scholarships, extracurricular educational workshops, professional courses, renovating and building new schools and classes, purchasing computers and other necessary educational equipment.
In total, OctaFX helped more than 6000 people across multiple countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Some of the most impressive projects included the following:
In India, the broker helped construct six computer classrooms for the Lala Bulaki Das Babu Ram Sahai Hindu Mahila Inter College in Tilhar.
In Malaysia, OctaFX provided twelve-month allowances to six students pursuing different degrees in Malaysian universities.
In Indonesia, the broker provided humanitarian aid for families affected by an earthquake in Cianjur district, which left 58,362 people hurt and displaced.
In Pakistan, OctaFX financed the Health, Education and Safety (HES) project, which aimed at improving the health, education, and safety of children in twelve rural areas of Muzzafargarh, Punjab.
In Nigeria, OctaFX provided fifty unemployed youths with ICT training as part of the charitable project Youth Employability Skills (YES).
In Mexico, the broker is currently sponsoring Empowerment Program, which is going to benefit 110 elementary school students in Fundación Dr. José María Álvarez I.A.P.
The current CSR trend in the fintech industry is set to expand, while both stakeholders and employees expect their values to align with those of their companies. As more companies start to actively participate in socially beneficial projects, we become yet closer to a more sustainable, educated, and healthy future for the world.
Hashtag: #OctaFX
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About OctaFX
OctaFX is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and a variety of services already utilised by clients from 150 countries with more than 21 million trading accounts. Free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools they provide help clients reach their investment goals.
The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charitable and humanitarian initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure and short-notice relief projects supporting local communities and small to medium enterprises.
On a side note, OctaFX has also won 60 awards since its foundation, including the ‘Best Online Broker Global 2022’ award from World Business Outlook and the ‘Best Global Broker Asia 2022’ award from International Business Magazine.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 9 February 2023 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, has named Stephen Rudman as head of Marine for Asia, effective January.
Based in Singapore, Rudman will be part of Aon’s global marine executive team and report to Paul Young, head of Commercial Risk Solutions for Asia at Aon. He joins Aon from Gallagher, where he worked for the past 10 years, most recently as head of Marine, Transport and Logistics for Australia.
“Businesses in the region are facing several challenges including rising inflation, workforce shortages and increasing climate risks. Stephen’s extensive experience will further enhance our team’s capability to bring scalable solutions to our clients in the marine industry in such a challenging environment. I am confident that he will build on the team’s success and continue to help our clients manage volatility and make better business decisions,” Young said.
Aon has a significant presence in the marine industry globally with over 250 colleagues based in key locations dedicated to serve clients in this industry. In his role, Rudman will be responsible for growing the team and driving business growth in the region while providing clients with solutions and services for their risk management needs.
“I am excited to join the Aon team and look forward to leveraging Aon’s global expertise and state-of-the-art analytics to provide innovative solutions and ensuring our clients in the marine industry continue to receive the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business,” Rudman said.
More information about Aon in Asia is available here.
Hashtag: #Aon
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Aon
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
OctaFX is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and a variety of services already utilised by clients from 150 countries with more than 21 million trading accounts. Free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools they provide help clients reach their investment goals. 
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business. 
LinkedIn, 
Twitter, 
Facebook and 
Instagram. Stay up-to-date by visiting the 
