30.7 C
Vientiane
Saturday, August 23, 2025
spot_img
Home Blog Page 58

Global book-loving community crowns winners in largest-ever 1000 Libraries Awards 2025 competition

SYDNEY, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 1000 Libraries has announced the winners of its 2025 competition following a two-month voting period that recorded over 200,000 votes from book lovers worldwide.

Most beautiful library, Trinity College Dublin, in Ireland
Most beautiful library, Trinity College Dublin, in Ireland

 

Most beautiful bookstore, Boekhandel Dominicanen, in Maastricht, Netherlands
Most beautiful bookstore, Boekhandel Dominicanen, in Maastricht, Netherlands

 

Most beautiful book café, Minoa Pera, in Istanbul, Turkey
Most beautiful book café, Minoa Pera, in Istanbul, Turkey

Trinity College Dublin’s Library claimed first place in the Most Beautiful Libraries category, while Boekhandel Dominicanen in the Netherlands won Most Beautiful Bookstore, and Minoa Pera in Istanbul, Turkey, took the top spot for Most Beautiful Book Café.

Voting ran from May 15 to July 15, 2025, with participation from librarians, students, tourists, and literary enthusiasts across six continents. The competition nominated 19 libraries, 19 bookstores, and 16 book cafés from exceptional venues worldwide.

Why Ireland won

Trinity College Dublin’s victory highlights the appeal of historic libraries that combine architectural grandeur with literary significance. The library’s Long Room, often compared to the Hogwarts library from Harry Potter, features dark polished shelves and a stately aesthetic that creates what the awards described as “an aged and dignified atmosphere.”

The library serves as Ireland’s largest library and houses the famous Book of Kells alongside thousands of other rare manuscripts. Its 65-meter length and busts of famous literary figures contributed to its appeal among voters seeking spaces that “capture the beauty of libraries old and new.”

Other category winners

Most Beautiful Bookstore: Boekhandel Dominicanen in Maastricht, Netherlands, won first place. The bookstore operates in a restored 13th-century Gothic church featuring vaulted ceilings, original frescoes, and a steel bookcase installation.

Most Beautiful Book Café: Minoa Pera in Istanbul, Turkey, claimed the top position. Part of the Minoa Books chain, it features modern design with stone flooring and sells over 45,000 Turkish and English books across multiple floors.

Complete winner lists

TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL LIBRARIES:

  1. Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
  2. State Library of South Australia, Australia
  3. Abbey Library of St Gall, Switzerland
  4. Duke Humfrey’s Library (University of Oxford), United Kingdom
  5. Admont Abbey Library, Austria
  6. Cuypers Library (Rijksmuseum), Netherlands
  7. State Library Victoria, Australia
  8. The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Brazil
  9. Wiblingen Abbey Library, Germany
  10. Sainte-Geneviève Library, France

TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOKSTORES:

  1. Boekhandel Dominicanen, Netherlands
  2. Shakespeare and Company, France
  3. El Ateneo Grand Splendid, Argentina
  4. The Gently Mad Bookshop, United Kingdom
  5. Word on the Water, United Kingdom
  6. Dujiangyan Zhongshuge, China
  7. Eterna Cadencia, Argentina
  8. Daunt Books, United Kingdom
  9. Albertine Books, United States
  10. The Last Bookstore, United States

TOP 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK CAFÉS:

  1. Minoa Pera, Turkey
  2. The Used Book Café at Merci, France
  3. Halle Saint-Pierre, France
  4. Péniche L’Eau et les Rêves, France
  5. Cafebrería El Péndulo Polanco, Mexico
  6. Ampersand Café & Bookstore, Australia
  7. Ler Devagar, Portugal
  8. Maison Assouline, United Kingdom
  9. Bibliotheque NYC, United States
  10. Livraria Funambule, Brazil

Global reach reveals diverse winners

The competition’s international scope produced winners spanning multiple continents, from Europe’s historic monastery libraries to South America’s converted theaters and Asia’s modern architectural marvels.

Vincent Phan, Founder of 1000 Libraries, said: “These places represent the enduring power of the written word in our digital age. Visitors now want destinations that offer visual beauty, local storytelling, and intellectual engagement. Each winner offers something unique: breathtaking historical architecture, innovative modern design, and that intangible quality that makes you want to lose yourself among the stacks, while serving as crucial ‘third places’ where bookish communities flourish.”

Notable geographic diversity included Switzerland’s 612-year-old Abbey Library of St Gall, Argentina’s El Ateneo Grand Splendid housed in a 1919 theater, and China’s Dujiangyan Zhongshuge with its mirrored ceiling creating infinite reflections of bookshelves.

# # #

Please contact Haikel Fahim for any interview requests: +65 9852 2024

1000 Libraries is the world’s largest online community of book-lovers (1.5M+) dedicated to the art of literary travel, celebrating the world’s most beautiful libraries, bookstores, book cafés, book towns, and book‑inspired destinations.

At the heart of our platform is the 1000 Libraries Magazine – an ad‑free, reader‑friendly publication delivering weekly stories on literary culture, the bookish lifestyle, and the joy of reading. Every piece is freely accessible and written to inspire an enduring appeal for physical books in the age of digital technology.

Founded and led by Editor-in-Chief Vincent Phan, 1000 Libraries is on a mission to inspire a global resurgence in book culture through content created for book-lovers, by book-lovers.

AirAsia X Flight Diverted to Gimpo Amid Weather, Fuel Concerns

AirAsia X Flight Diverted to Gimpo Amid Weather, Fuel Concerns
Passengers on AirAsia X Flight D7 506 from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport experienced a delay of over two hours after the aircraft was diverted to Gimpo International Airport due to adverse weather and air traffic congestion. (photo credit: Yonhap pic)

An AirAsia X flight bound for Seoul’s Incheon International Airport was forced to make an unscheduled landing at Gimpo International Airport on the evening of 13 August, delaying its arrival by more than two hours and leaving passengers uncertain about the situation on board.

Bakery ASEAN Talk 2025 Jakarta to Open on September 9

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Under the guidance of the China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry and organized by Bakery China Exhibition Co., Ltd., Bakery ASEAN Talk 2025 Jakarta will take place on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at the Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts Indonesia in Jakarta.

This program represents a key international extension of Bakery China, the world’s largest professional trade platform for the bakery and confectionery sector. Each year, Bakery China draws more than 400,000 industry professionals from over 130 countries and regions, driving sustained knowledge exchange and collaboration across bakery market worldwide. In recent years, Southeast Asia—particularly Indonesia—has experienced rapid growth, with China–Indonesia partnerships in bakery and confectionery deepening through expanded industrial connectivity and technology sharing, creating strong new business opportunities.

Three Key Features of the Program:

  • Strengthening Industry Connections: Insightful discussions on emerging trends and opportunities in the Chinese and Indonesian bakery and confectionery markets, offering a direct platform for high-value, in-person engagement with key industry resources.
  • Showcasing Market Innovation: Twelve supply chain leaders, including Angel Yeast, Namchow Food Group, and Wilmar International, will present the latest ingredient innovations and product applications. The champion mentor team from China’s Wangsen Education Group will conduct live demonstrations and technical sessions on more than 30 bakery and pastry creations, enabling attendees to capture market developments early.
  • Access to Qualified Buyers and Partners: The program will bring together select representatives from manufacturing, chain retail, distribution, food service, hospitality, trade associations, and training institutions to facilitate productive business connections.

Program Schedule Highlights:

  • Opening Remarks: Zhang Jiukui, President, China Association of Bakery and Confectionery Industry
  • Industry Overview: Senior representatives from China and Indonesia’s bakery and confectionery associations share authoritative perspectives on current conditions and future outlook
  • Round table Dialogue: Focused on “China–Indonesia Bakery and Confectionery Industry Development and Exchange,” featuring executives from leading companies and brands
  • Product Trend Showcase: Twelve companies, including Angel Yeast, Namchow Food Group, and Wilmar International, present new product launches and application cases
  • Masterclass: Wangsen Education Group’s champion mentor team delivers live demonstrations, tastings, and in-depth technical analysis

Why You Should Attend:

  • Build Strategic Relationships: Engage directly with industry leaders and leading supply chain partners
  • Expand Your Footprint: Tap into the fast-growing Southeast Asian bakery market
  • Stay Informed: Gain first-hand insight into developments shaping China and Indonesia’s bakery and confectionery industries
  • Develop Skills: Take part in masterclasses to refine technical expertise and inspire product innovation

Participation Details:

  • Audience: Bakery and confectionery manufacturers, chain bakery operators, distributors/wholesalers, restaurants/cafés/hotels, industry associations, and bakery education/training institutions
  • Capacity: Main forum limited to 100 seats; masterclass limited to 50 seats. Participation subject to review and confirmation by the organizer
  • Date & Venue:Tuesday, September 9, 2025, 09:00–17:00, Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts Indonesia (The Flavour Bliss Unit 19/20, Jl. Alam Sutera Boulevard, Pakulonan, Serpong Utara, Kota Tangerang Selatan, Banten 15325, Indonesia)

Pre-registration: 

https://bakerychina.mikecrm.com/YQgf0FT

For more information:
Website: www.bakerychina.com
Social Media: Search BakeryChina on Facebook / LinkedIn / Instagram

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with industry leaders and help shape the future of Asia’s bakery sector.

Join us on September 9 in Jakarta, Indonesia — we look forward to seeing you there.

NX Global Engineering Conducts Park Cleanup Activity

– Pursuing Environmental Protection and CSR for Sustainable Societies –

TOKYO, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — NX Global Engineering Pte. Ltd. (hereinafter “NXGE”), a group company of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., conducted a park cleanup activity at West Coast Park in Singapore on Thursday, June 26.

Logo: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dqm0cxpYamnvMUra1AGXMuGlX932Z353/view?usp=drive_link 

Group photo of participants: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15X99GQZLEWOjMOSjozfF0qM7Wv3nXToq/view?usp=drive_link 

Cleanup in progress: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17tHI1Ah_Np-2TUsz8iSFw17y5gtfjaqz/view?usp=sharing 

This activity was conducted as part of the company’s efforts to fulfill its corporate social responsibilities (CSR) based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Twenty NXGE employees took part in this endeavor to beautify the park by collecting trash and properly disposing of waste. Their particular focus was picking up plastic trash, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, and other waste materials that negatively impact the natural environment, thereby helping protect the local natural surroundings. Following the cleanup, the participants exchanged opinions on the importance of sustainability and waste reduction, using the opportunity to further raise awareness among all employees about the need for environmental protection. One member of the cleanup crew commented, “I’m proud to have been part of this meaningful cleanup activity, through which we renewed our commitment to creating a cleaner and greener community. We are making a solid difference by working together as one.”

The NX Group will continue to recognize its social and public missions as a logistics company, actively communicate with local communities and engage in community-based social contribution activities to help bring about sustainable societies.

About the NX Group: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mbvBL6C8THZNrR5LREgGeafNkEdaAmV-/view?usp=drive_link 

NX Group official website: https://www.nipponexpress.com/ 

NX Group’s official LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nippon-express-group/ 

Valuedynamx Commerce Platform Offers Apple Products for Premium Shopping Experiences and Rewards to Deepen Customer Engagement

Available across three continents, Valuedynamx commerce platform integration with Apple products helps banks, airlines, and hotels drive customer acquisition, enhance engagement, boost revenue

LONDON, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Valuedynamx, a Collinson company and leading provider of purchase rewards, is transforming loyalty reward offerings by enabling banks, hotels, and airlines to optimize their rewards programs by offering Apple products to drive customer loyalty, acquisition and engagement through an unrivaled retail experience built for today’s most valuable audiences. Live in three continents with additional growth underway, this allows financial services and travel companies to directly offer their most valuable customers and reward program members Apple products (including MacBooks, iPhones, AirPods and more) via a dedicated and fully branded commerce platform. Through this optimized customer engagement solution, organizations can deliver earn and burn, cash back and acquisition opportunities through a single intuitive interface.

Research has unequivocally confirmed that reward program customers expect to receive exceptional value from participation. An effective way to create this value is through frequent, relevant “earn and burn” opportunities where customers can earn loyalty currency (e.g., points, miles, cash back) and redeem (“burn”) it in quick succession. Another option is to provide customers with relevant offers and promotions. This offering does both, providing access to Apple products, enabling customers and/or reward program members to purchase Apple products with cash or loyalty currency—and simultaneously earn rewards for doing so. These actions translate to increased revenue potential, new customer acquisition, higher engagement, improved customer experience and satisfaction, and customer account upgrades.

“Meaningful offers and reward programs represent the most critical engagement and acquisition avenues for banks and travel loyalty programs, which invest millions in optimizing their customer relationships every year,” said James Berry, Managing Director at Valuedynamx. “The ability to offer Apple products is already proving to be highly successful. Among the banking and travel companies that have implemented this offering, many are quickly experiencing massive returns via increased customer earning, burning, retention, and acquisition. The integration provides a prime opportunity to feature Apple products via an authentic experience on a global scale—helping improve user engagement, while positively impacting the bottom line.”

Valuedynamx delivers exceptional value for businesses in the financial services and travel sectors as they aim to offer optimal customer and reward program experiences. Top program benefits include:

  • Higher margins. A shopping experience including better, more relevant deals that resonate with customers and reward program members, resulting in better ROI and improved revenue across the board. For instance, this bottom-line boost could be driven by successfully marketed account upgrades or new services signups for banking customers or more frequent “earn and burn” engagement from reward program members.
  • Better customer experiences. From unlocking direct shipping to new product access and pre-orders, Valuedynamx’s partners can deliver a more seamless and exciting shopping experience to their customers—while offering extensive payment flexibility via loyalty currency.
  • Happier customers. Building trust and loyalty with customers via distinctive shopping experiences with a top brand they love.
  • End-to-end support. Valuedynamx offers comprehensive support through a seamless API-enabled delivery, managing the creation of an integrated commerce platform for Apple products, and providing ongoing site merchandising, customer journey optimization, order fulfillment, post-order servicing, and financial reconciliation.

For more information about Valuedynamx’s solutions, visit Valuedynamx.com

About Valuedynamx: 

Valuedynamx is a leading global provider of curated, data-driven omnichannel purchase rewards. Part of Collinson, a group acknowledged for delivering the world’s most valued travel ecosystem, Valuedynamx combines its expertise across payments, card-linking, affiliate marketing, earning and redemption into a single entity that delivers relevant and engaging solutions for its clients. Valuedynamx enhances customer loyalty and drives transactional engagement for some of the world’s largest airlines, banks, financial institutions and hotel groups. Valuedynamx supports over 400 million consumers, maintains 50,000 retail and travel partners and provides more than 400,000 rewards in more than 180 countries. 

Collinson has more than 30 years loyalty and customer engagement experience, and more than 10 years focused on delivering loyalty commerce solutions. The organization has been at the forefront of loyalty innovation, continually evolving and building capability to meet the changing needs of clients and their customers. 

China-ASEAN Cultural and Museum Institutions Jointly Explore “Museums and Future of Cities”

LIUZHOU, China, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — This is a report from china-asean-media.com. Titled “Museum and Future of Cities,” the 2025 ASEAN-Oriented Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Forum was held in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China on August 18. Co-hosted by the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, P.R. China and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the forum closely addressed the timely topic of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and ASEAN.

Venue of the 2025 ASEAN-Oriented Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Forum
Venue of the 2025 ASEAN-Oriented Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Forum

Focusing on “Museum and Future of Cities,” it centered on two topics for thematic discussion: “Conservation of Industrial Heritage and Innovative Urban Tourism Experiences” and “Integration of Digital Technologies and Museums for In-Depth Development.” Through keynote speeches and special presentations, participants engaged in extensive and in-depth sharing and discussions from various dimensions of theoretical research and applied practice. A total of 18 prominent experts and scholars from ASEAN countries and host China — representing fields of cultural heritage and museums — contributed their insights from angles including cultural policy, heritage management, research trends, and practical experience, reaching numerous consensuses.

At the forum, the Asia-Pacific Alliance of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Liuzhou Industrial Museum of China signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperative Research on the Conservation of Industrial Heritage and Sustainable Development.” Aimed at building an international platform to jointly study paths for the conservation, activation, and sustainable development of industrial heritage and cities, this agreement marks a solid step forward in cooperation within this field.

On the occasion of the forum, key guests also attended the “Guangxi Night” 2025 Guangxi (Liuzhou) Inbound Tourism Promotion Conference. They further visited cultural and tourism venues such as Baili Liujiang River Scenic Area (Night Cruise on the Liujiang River), Liuzhou Industrial Museum, Liuzhou Bauhinia Cultural and Creative Corridor, Luosifen Industrial Park, and SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Base for inspection and research. Through on-site visits and hands-on experiences, they deepened their understanding of the vivid practices and diverse pathways of “Museum and Future of Cities,” thereby boosting cultural exchange and tourism cooperation between China and ASEAN.

SKF divests non-core aerospace operation in Elgin, USA

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — As part of SKF’s strategic focus on its core aerospace areas and exit of non-strategic business lines, the Group has signed an agreement to divest its precision elastomeric device (PED) operation in Elgin, Illinois, USA. Additionally, with the completed divestment of the Hanover operation, announced on 14 April 2025, SKF is expected to have successfully divested both non-core businesses identified in its aerospace strategic review.

The Elgin PED operation represents 2024 annual sales of approximately SEK 260 million. It is divested to Carco PRP Group for a total estimated enterprise value of USD 70 million, corresponding to approximately SEK 700 million.

“The Hanover and Elgin divestments are examples of our ongoing efforts to execute on our strategy and manage our portfolio to accelerate profitable growth. With this agreement, Elgin will be in a good position to develop its business even further, while we can focus on driving innovation and growth in our remaining core aerospace business,” says Thomas Fröst, President, Independent and Emerging Business.

SKF will maintain its focus on core aerospace segments related to aeroengine and aerostructure bearing offerings, which represent approximately SEK 6 billion in annual sales. These areas will be further strengthened through increased investments aimed at advancing digitalization, automation, and further modernizing the Group’s factories.

The Elgin PED divestment is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to authorities’ approval.

Previous press releases on similar topics:
14 April 2025: “SKF completes previously announced divestment of its ring and seal operation in Hanover, USA” [link]29 October 2024: “SKF divests non-core aerospace operation for USD 220 million” [link]

Aktiebolaget SKF
      (publ)

For further information, please contact:
Press Relations: Carl Bjernstam, +46 31-337 2517; +46 722 201 893; carl.bjernstam@skf.com
Investor Relations: Sophie Arnius, +46 31-337 8072; +46 705 908072; sophie.arnius@skf.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com.

https://news.cision.com/skf/r/skf-divests-non-core-aerospace-operation-in-elgin–usa,c4218724

The following files are available for download:

 

RuggON Showcases AI-Powered Rugged Solutions to Boost Efficiency, Safety, and Connectivity in Logistics at TILOG LOGISTIX 2025

From AI-powered driver safety to real-time fleet diagnostics and always-on connectivity, RuggON empowers logistics operators to thrive in the most demanding warehouse, fleet and field environments.

TAIPEI, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — RuggON, a subsidiary of Ubiqconn Technology and a leading provider of rugged mobile computing solutions, will showcase its latest logistics-focused innovations at TILOG LOGISTIX 2025 (Booth No. A29). Designed to address the toughest operational challenges in today’s supply chain, RuggON’s solutions empower warehouse, fleet, and field operators to achieve higher efficiency, safety and always-on connectivity.

RuggON Showcases AI-Powered Rugged Solutions to Boost Efficiency, Safety, and Connectivity in Logistics at TILOG LOGISTIX 2025
RuggON Showcases AI-Powered Rugged Solutions to Boost Efficiency, Safety, and Connectivity in Logistics at TILOG LOGISTIX 2025

Key highlights include AI Safety for driver behavior analysis and blind spot detection, and Smart Monitor featuring CAN bus and SAE J1939 compatibility to deliver real-time diagnostics that minimize downtime. Reliable Connectivity through LEO satellite, 5G, 4G/LTE, and WiFi-ready capabilities ensures uninterrupted data exchange, while rugged performance is engineered to withstand shock, dust, and extreme temperatures, making it ideal for warehouse docks, delivery fleets, and challenging outdoor logistics environments.

“Logistics today demands not only speed and accuracy but also systems that can operate without fail in any environment,” said Sean Lee, VP of RuggON Business. “By combining AI-driven analytics with our proven expertise in rugged design, we deliver solutions that help logistics operators stay productive, protect their assets, and adapt to the fast-evolving demands of global supply chains.” By integrating AI intelligence with proven durability, RuggON equips logistics operators to optimize fleet management, enable real-time tracking, and enhance inventory control, paving the way for smarter and more resilient supply chains.

Visitors can experience RuggON’s rugged solutions in action at TILOG LOGISTIX 2025, Booth No. A29.

About RuggON

RuggON Corp., a subsidiary of Ubiqconn Technology, is a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile computing solutions. Combining Ubiqconn’s advanced technology to drive innovation and expand in the Mobile Industrial (IioT) market, RuggON leverages decades of expertise to improve mobile productivity in harsh environments. A committed engineering team delivers devices of exceptional value and quality that enhance user experience. The company understands the diverse demands of industries to provide tailored, efficient solutions. RuggON is dedicated to higher standards for customer satisfaction and prides itself on offering endless possibilities to meet tomorrow’s needs. For more information, visit http://www.ruggon.com or follow us on LinkedIn.