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Chinese Citizens Arrested in Laos After Hiring Minors for Online Dance Performances

Duan Zhi Wen, 33, and Liu Xi Gua, 18, were arrested after hiring minors for online dance performances.

Lao police have arrested two Chinese nationals for luring underage Lao girls into live streaming dance performances over the internet.

Vietnamese Driver Stuck in Landslide Last Week Found Dead

Vietnamese Driver Stuck in Landslide Last Week Found Dead
Recovery efforts on the first day of the landslide. (Photo: OICT Khounkham)

After an extensive search operation by provincial authorities and the military, the deceased body of a missing Vietnamese citizen was found buried under a landslide in Khounkham District, Khammouane Province.

Appier surpasses projections to report further accelerated revenue growth for the second quarter

This quarter marks the highest Q2 QoQ growth rate since IPO amidst seasonality, demonstrating stronger business momentum for 2023

TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Media OutReach – 14 August 2023 –

Highlights and achievements of Q2 FY23

  • Revenue increased by 42% YoY to reach a historically high quarterly revenue of JPY 6.2 billion
  • Highest QoQ revenue growth rate (11.1%) for the second quarter since its IPO in 2021, driven by stronger market expansion and deeper vertical penetration
  • Gross profit reached a historical high of JPY 3.2 billion with a 45% YoY growth rate, while gross margin improved to 51.3%
  • Operating income and net income surpass projections to turn positive with an operating margin of 1.3% and net profit achieved 1.9%
  • EBITDA increased by 158% YoY with an 8.9% margin


Exceeding forecast in first-half revenue performance, charting the course to fulfill year-end guidance

Appier Group Inc (TSE: 4180), henceforth referred to as Appier, today announced its earnings results for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2023. This quarter, Appier accomplished its best-performing Q2 in terms of QoQ growth versus Q1. This achievement positions the company firmly on a trajectory to achieve its full-year 2023 guidance. The company’s headway in the E-commerce and Digital Content verticals, as well as its strong customer traction in the US, EMEA, and Northeast Asia Markets, stand as a testament to its exceptional performance in the first half of 2023.

Appier reported an accelerated revenue YoY growth of 42% to reach a historical high of JPY 6.2 billion. This figure was paralleled by a YoY gross profit growth of 45%, reaching a historical high of JPY 3.2 billion. Appier’s operating income and net income surpassed projections to turn positive from last quarter, reflecting a notable operating margin of 1.3% and a net profit margin of 1.9%. The company’s financial health was underscored by the 158% YoY growth in EBITDA, achieving a record-high JPY 550 million with an 8.9% margin.

These achievements underscore Appier’s steadfast commitment to sustainable and profitable growth, underpinned by its core principles of transforming AI into predictable returns. The rising demand for ROI-driven solutions, coupled with the growing acceptance of AI trends, has played a pivotal role in enhancing customer adoption and embracing key differentiators, culminating in its accelerated second-quarter results that have surpassed initial budget projections.

Embracing diverse verticals and strengthening relationships for AI-driven customer growth

Appier achieved a 22% YoY growth in its overall customer base, with the majority of new customers originating from the Digital Content (39%), E-commerce (22%), and Consumer Brands & BFSI (22%) verticals. This expansion has also spurred a 16.5% YoY increase in the Average Revenue per Customer (ARPC), driven by the expansion of existing customer relationships and heightened activity within the Digital Content vertical, boosted by seasonal factors. This aligns with the company’s ongoing strategic focus on large enterprise customer acquisition, driven by growing confidence in AI-powered solutions among major brands.

Appier also maintained a low overall customer churn rate of 0.619% this quarter, underscoring its success in nurturing lasting customer partnerships. The company’s financial strength and growth trajectory are further accentuated by the fact that its annual recurring revenue is showcasing a YoY expansion of 35%.

Strong growth momentum fueled by expanding market reach

The vertical expansion and the deeper engagement of existing customers, especially in the E-commerce vertical, fueled impressive growth in Northeast Asia (66%). Meanwhile, the US and EMEA markets (15%) displayed robust revenue growth of 78% YoY, with an overall contribution up 15% from 12% a year ago.

“Our first-half revenue performance has surpassed our projections, laying a strong foundation for our growth trajectory in the coming quarters. Our strength in cutting-edge AI capabilities helps us push the boundaries of businesses and establishes new benchmarks within the realm of digital marketing. Our years of R&D in both predictive AI and generative AI allow us to provide differentiated products to boost our customers’ ROI,” said Dr. Chih-Han Yu, CEO and Co-Founder, Appier. “Our ongoing pursuit of vertical expansion, combined with heightened vertical awareness and strategic market penetration, fuels our confidence in achieving our year-end guidance and sustaining strong growth well into the future.”

Pioneering Generative AI synergy to transform business-customer dynamics

Leveraging Appier’s core essence of AI, combined with the augmented capabilities of predictive AI and generative AI synergy, Appier is poised to revolutionize business-customer interactions and bring fresh ideas for industry-leading applications. These insights derived from predictive AI act as a guiding compass for generative AI, facilitating the creation of content that yields exceptional outcomes. Simultaneously, the influx of data from generative AI empowers predictive AI to continuously refine its model training, thus enhancing campaign performance. One accelerates output generation, while the other ensures heightened efficacy. This initiative epitomizes Appier’s commitment to delivering personalized marketing experiences and positions itself at the forefront of the generative AI era.

Looking ahead, Appier remains poised for continued success in the latter half of the fiscal year. The momentum generated by exceptional performance is anticipated to propel even more substantial growth in the Digital Content and E-commerce verticals. Bolstered by these prospects and the ongoing alignment with its core values, Appier is well-positioned to not only sustain its trajectory of remarkable financial growth but to also elevate its impact further in the dynamic landscape of AI-driven business solutions.
Hashtag: #appier #earnings #artificialintelligence #marketing #generativeAI

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

About Appier

Appier (TSE: 4180) is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that uses artificial intelligence to power business decision-making. Founded in 2012 with a vision of democratizing AI, Appier now has 17 offices across APAC, Europe and US, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Visit for more company information and visit for more IR information.

Wattay Airport Shuttle Bus Service Set to Resume Operations Next Week

Wattay Airport Shuttle Bus Service Set to Resume Operations Next Week
Wattay Airport Shuttle Bus Stop at the international Wattay airport (photo: vientianebybus)

The Wattay Airport Shuttle Bus Service from Vientiane City Center, suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to reopen after a three-year hiatus on 23 August.

Installation of Turbines Begins in Laos for SE Asia’s Largest Wind Power Project

The delivery of wind turbines to Laos from Thailand on Saturday.

The Monsoon Wind Power Project in Laos has begun installing wind power turbines after the turbines and blades were delivered from Thailand on Saturday.

Hong Kong Life Presents “HKL Walk Together: Everyphone Everywhere – Triple Privileges – Ultimate Lucky Draw”

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 14 August 2023 – Further to the announcement of the branding campaign “HKL Walk Together: Everyphone Everywhere – Triple Privileges”, Hong Kong Life will roll out the HKL Walk Together: Everyphone Everywhere – Triple Privileges – Ultimate Lucky Draw” (“Ultimate Lucky Draw”) following the 1st wave and 2nd wave games which have been successfully held in July and early-August.

From now on until 3 September 2023, participants holding a Facebook account can enter the “Ultimate Lucky Draw” for free by completing all steps stated in the campaign posted on Hong Kong Life’s official Facebook page and may have a chance to win the fabulous prizes including iPhone 14 Pro, Beats Studio Buds and the soundtrack of the movie “Everyphone Everywhere”.

Prizes are as follows:

Prizes No. of Winners
1st Prize
iPhone 14 Pro 128GB (valued at HK$8,599)
1 Winner
2nd Prize
Beats Studio Buds (valued at HK$1,299)
1 Winner
3rd Prize
Soundtrack of the Movie “Everyphone Everywhere” (valued at HK$150)
20 Winners

“Ultimate Lucky Draw” will be conducted on 13 September 2023. The result of the Lucky Draw will be announced on Hong Kong Life’s Facebook page and published on Sing Tao Daily and The Standard on 22 September 2023. The Facebook username used to enter the lucky draw will be used for result announcement.

For details and terms and conditions of “HKL Walk Together: Everyphone Everywhere – Triple Privileges – Ultimate Lucky Draw”, please visit the campaign post on our Hong Kong Life’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/hklifeinsurance).

(Trade Promotion Competition Licence No.: 57502)

Remarks:

  1. “HKL Walk Together: Everyphone Everywhere – Triple Privileges – Ultimate Lucky Draw” is subjected to the terms and conditions.
  2. Each Facebook account can enter the “Ultimate Lucky Draw” once only and can win one prize in the “Ultimate Lucky Draw” at maximum.
  3. Hong Kong Life is not the business partner of Facebook, and the “Ultimate Lucky Draw” is not sponsored, supported or managed by Facebook.


Hashtag: #香港人壽 #HKLife #全個世界都有電話 #EveryphoneEverywhere #獎賞浪接浪 #抽獎



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 and Shanghai Commercial Bank, we provide a comprehensive range of insurance products and services.

Macau Leisure and Travel Service Innovation Association and Macau Pass Jointly Organize Tourism Promotion and “Experience Macao Unlimited” Product Launch

SINGAPORE – EQS Newswire – 14 August 2023 – The tourism promotion jointly organized by Macau Leisure and Travel Service Innovation Association and Macau Pass and “Infinite Fun in Macau” product launch for Travel Pass for international travelers are held at National Association of Travel Agency of Singapore (“NATAS “) Travel Fair on August 11.

Mr. Cheng Wai Tong, Deputy Director of Macao Government Tourism Office; Mr. Zhou Zheng and Ms.Wang Jin, Deputy Directors of China Tourism Office in Singapore; Ms. Kong Yuan, Deputy Director of Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre; Mr. Charles Tan, Secretary General of the NATAS Executive Committee; Mr. Paul Wong, President of Macau Leisure Travel Services Innovation Association; Ms. Yeni Li, President of Customer Service Division of Macau Pass Group Holdings Limited; Mr. Bobby Wong, Vice President of Industry Operations of Macau Pass Travel Agency Limited; and representatives from Macao and Singapore travel agencies attended the event.

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Mr. Paul Wong said that in response to the direction of the Macao SAR Government to explore the international tourism market, and to promote the use of travel+ cross-regional cooperation package products to further enrich the experience and convenience of international tourists in Macao, the Association and Macau Pass jointly launched Limited Edition Macau Pass Card for “Infinite Fun in Macau” (“Card”) for international tourists. The Association will continue to encourage the industry to provide tourists with more intimate service experiences, make full use of Macao’s unique advantages, implement the “1+4” strategy of appropriately diversified development, and assist the Macao SAR Government to build a new platform for “Tourism+” cooperation, expand regional and international tourism, and generate more business opportunities.

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Ms. Yeni Li said that Macau Pass is honored to cooperate with the Macau Leisure Tourism Innovation Association to launch the Card. This electronic spending card with the theme of Macao tourism, can be used by tourists for shopping, dining, taking buses and light rail, and almost all consumption in Macao. It also provides Macao tourism information to tourists so that they can feel the fun of traveling the whole of Macao with one card in hand. mPay, the largest e-wallet in Macao’s payment market and a member partner of Alipay+, enables Macao merchants to connect with 15 digital payment tools in the Asia-Pacific region in one stop, covering more than 1 billion consumers. Singapore has always been an important international market for Macao, and Macau Pass will continue to optimize the payment experience for travelers. Macau Pass hopes that the Card can give Singaporean tourists the best travel memories in Macao.

Hashtag: #MACAUPass

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

About Macau Pass S.A.

Macau Pass S.A. is a non-bank local financial institute with the scope of financial clearance, and is also a credit institution qualified to issue cards in Macao. In 2007, Macau Pass introduced the first contactless smart card in Macao, “Macau Pass Card”, which is now the largest contactless smart card and electronic payment system in Macao. Macau Pass introduced mobile payment into Macao in 2015 and created mPay app in 2018, which has now become the most used payment app in Macao, and is now actively integrating more non-payment scenarios to serve local merchants, residents and tourists. For details on Macau Pass’ information, please visit

MyRepublic Launches HyperSpeed 10Gbps Fibre Broadband for $59.99 per Month

New fibre broadband plan boasts powerful connectivity at the best value per dollar

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 14 August 2023 – MyRepublic, the award-winning telecom operator and enterprise technology provider, today unveiled HyperSpeed 10Gbps along with GAMER 10Gbps, their 10Gbps home broadband trial offerings built with lightning-fast connectivity for those who seek speedier in-home connectivity, especially with simultaneous multi-device usage. The most powerful broadband plans released by the company to-date, HyperSpeed 10Gbps is the most competitively priced 10Gbps home broadband trial offering in the market, providing consumers an unprecedented combination of speed and value.

MyRepublic Hyperspeed 10Gbps - From S$59.90/month

Engineered to provide hyper-fast bandwidth for both work and leisure, HyperSpeed 10Gbps allows users to enjoy faster upload and download speeds with minimal-lag streaming and gaming, across multiple devices all at once. This comes on the back of MyRepublic’s recent win for ‘Best Fibre Broadband Service Provider’ at the HardwareZone + HWM Tech Awards 2023.

Lawrence Chan, Managing Director, MyRepublic Singapore said: “We entered the 1Gbps market many years back during its early infancy stage, disrupting the industry to create greater accessibility to the fastest broadband speed at market-friendly pricing. While the digital world today is moving at a breath-taking speed, as a technology company at the forefront of agility and innovation, MyRepublic is committed to reshaping the broadband market in Singapore once again with best value per dollar at the fastest speed plans to enable everyone to get the most out of their digital experience through seamless, and reliable connectivity. Through our HyperSpeed 10Gbps and GAMER 10Gbps plans, we are proud to make this a reality for our customers, fulfilling their connectivity needs from the comfort of their homes.”

HyperSpeed 10Gbps and GAMER 10Gbps are available at $59.99/month and $64.99/month with a one-time top up of $150 respectively.

HyperSpeed 10Gbps GAMER 10Gbps
  • Suitable for bigger households with multiple devices and users
  • Symmetrical download and upload speeds
  • Stream 4K movies with ease
  • Instantaneous uploads and downloads
  • No-fuss livestreaming
  • Suitable for gamers
  • Low latency to international servers with Custom Network Routing and Live Latency Monitoring
  • Download and update games at up to 10x the speed of 1Gbps
  • Multiple gaming devices can play simultaneously online with minimal lag
  • Optimised for Cloud Gaming – stream games in full HD with minimal lag
All plans include:

  • FREE Termination Point Installation (worth up to $162 For New Customers with No Prior TP)
  • FREE Home Phone Line with Unlimited Local Calls
  • 1Gbps and 24-month contract + 10Gbps speed during the public trial period (currently ending 31 December 2023)

MyRepublic is working with TP-Link, the first vendor to launch Wi-Fi 6E and 10GbE products in the world. Its Archer AXE300 router, which won the iF Design Award in recognition of its innovative design, features the latest advances in Wi-Fi 6E and 10GbE networking technology.

MyRepublic, TP-Link, Archer AXE300 router

“We are pleased to be working with MyRepublic, the HWM Tech Award Winner for Best Fibre Broadband Service Provider, to help their customers achieve a high-quality lifestyle with various internet access scenarios and whole home wireless coverage demand,” said Hugo Cai, Regional Director of TP-Link Technologies.

In addition to its home broadband plans, MyRepublic offers 10Gbps plans for businesses and enterprises. With Big Pipe 10Gbps, companies can enjoy unrivalled bandwidth, low latency connections and enhanced productivity for their critical operations. More information on its business offering can be found here.

For more information and to sign up for a HyperSpeed 10Gbps or GAMER 10Gbps plan, you may visit https://myrepublic.net/sg/10gbps/.

Hashtag: #MyRepublic

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

About MyRepublic

MyRepublic is an award-winning telecom operator that aims to transform lives by creating a connected world that is seamless, smart and safe, while innovating the way telcos operate.