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Efforts Underway to Enhance Tourism Standards in Laos

Tourists visiting Kuangsi Falls in Luang Prabang Province. (Photo: Xinhua News)

The Lao government, along with stakeholders in the tourism sector, is increasing efforts to elevate tourism standards with the aim of attracting more visitors to the country.

K11 ARTUS plays host to Chow Yiu Fai as its fifth Artist In Residence

The Artisanal Home brings Lyricist and Scholar Chow Yiu Fai under its roof to inspire creativity.


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – K11 ARTUS, through its programme, Artist In Residence, is welcoming talented creatives to its residential home to inspire new and inventive works of art.

Chow Yiu Fai at K11 ARTUS
Chow Yiu Fai at K11 ARTUS

During the programme, each unique artist will draw inspiration from the thoughtfully curated and specially designed artisanal residence, and produce a work of art that is reflective of their immersive experience and interactions at the property.

Following the success of the first cohort, which includes Filmmaker Man Lim Chung, Writer & Illustrator Sophia Hotung, Figurative Portrait Artist Brendan Fitzpatrick and Conductor Wilson Ng, the Artisanal Home is proud to introduce the latest Artist In Residence, Lyricist & Scholar Chow Yiu Fai.

Born in Hong Kong, Chow is currently a Professor at the Department of Humanities and Creative Writing of Hong Kong Baptist University. Chow is also an award-winning writer. He released his first lyrics in 1989. Since then he has penned more than 1,000 lyrical works for a diversity of pop artists in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. In 2023, he became the first lyricist to win the Taiwanese Golden Song Award with Cantonese work Homo Sapiens’ for Eason Chan.

Inspired by his residency at K11 ARTUS, the Hong Kong based lyricist and scholar created a digital poetry book – ’11 pm, Where Are You?’, consisting of 11 stories and soundtracks (in partnership with music maker hirsk), recording 11 precious trajectories evoked at 11 pm on 11 evenings.

According to Chow, “I decided to record where I was at 11 pm, the trajectory of my homecoming, and all the things that happened to me during that day. Thus, the 11 pieces of words. And I thought of music – I have been writing lyrics for decades. My homecoming should be accompanied by music. I invited Khris Nung (hirsk), and together we created 11 soundtracks with his music and my vocal rendition: this may be how homecoming sounds like.” K11 ARTUS is delighted to collaborate with Chow on this exciting project.

The digital poetry book ’11 pm, Where Are You?’ and the soundtracks are now available via https://www.artus.com.hk/en/artistinresidence and all major streaming platforms.

More information about the Artist In Residence programme is available on the same website link above.
Hashtag: #K11ARTUS #ArtistInResidence #artofcreation #arthome



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

Air Pollution Reaches Unhealthy Levels in Laos, Affecting Three Main Provinces

Air Pollution Reaches Unhealthy Levels in Laos, Affecting Three Main Provinces
FILE: this image is used only for representational purpose (photo: teakdoor.com)

Laos is experiencing a rise in air pollution levels, reaching unhealthy levels in three main provinces, including Vientiane Capital, Luang Prabang Province, and Champasack Provinces.

Transamerica Life Bermuda launches Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan for wealth maximization and lifetime protection

The upgraded indexed universal life plan aims to empower HNW customers in building and enhancing multi-generational wealth with a wider choice of index account options, extended protection and new benefits


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – Transamerica Life (Bermuda) Ltd. (TLB), a leading high net worth (HNW) life insurance provider, today announced the launch of its upgraded indexed universal life (IUL) insurance plan – Genesis II Indexed Universal Life (Genesis II). The upgraded IUL plan is designed to better empower high net worth individuals (HNWIs) to maximize and safeguard their wealth with a suite of new features such as a wider choice of index account options, extended coverage to infants and juveniles, and enhanced life benefits.

Backed by 115 years of experience in serving HNW customers
With Transamerica’s heritage of serving high net worth (HNW) customers for 115 years and pioneering expertise in managing universal life insurance portfolios for over 40 years, TLB first launched its innovative Genesis IUL series in 2021 to serve the increasing needs of HNWIs for lifetime protection, options for wealth optimization and liquidity to accessing cash. The newly upgraded Genesis II offers even greater growth potential and flexibility, as well as extended life protection for different family wealth and business continuation needs.

Greater flexibility for aligning personal priorities and family goals with fortified life benefits
According to a research, more than half of HNWIs across Asia-Pacific (APAC) indicated that protecting their families and ensuring they are taken care of is a clear constant goal, but more needs to be done in terms of aligning and structuring their family wealth. Also, more than half indicated they require a balance among their values, beliefs and returns in their insurance portfolios.

Jeremy Young, Chief Commercial Officer of TLB said, “While providing our customers with a wider variety of options and personalized solutions to meet their specific family and business needs, the upgraded Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan also allows us to better serve a more diverse group of target customers across the globe as we strive to diversifying our offerings and distribution approaches to drive overall business growth over the coming years.”

Customers of Genesis II can opt for a Fixed Account, Index Accounts, or a combination of both, and transfer funds across the accounts under a policy to suit their evolving wealth maximization and preservation needs.

A wider and innovative choice of index account options to seize opportunities and maximize wealth
Taking into account the shifting needs of HNW customers in aligning their personal priorities and family goals, Genesis II incorporates a wider choice of index account options. In addition to a focus index account tracking a major index’s performance and a global index account covering three major indices across the globe, two new index account options have been added for Genesis II:

  • US market index account: This index account is tied to U.S. stock indices covering the three major market capitalization segments, namely large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap, to form the best performance framework and to provide diversification across U.S. companies of different sizes and growth stages. A special feature of the US market index account is that every year, it combines large-cap performance with whichever segment performs better between mid-cap and small-cap, so as to help minimize volatility while enhancing return potential.
  • Shariah compliant index account: Solely tied to a Shariah index, this option focuses on Shariah-compliant constituents. The index company applies a screening process to exclude companies involved in activities prohibited by Islamic law, such as those related to alcohol, gambling, pork, interest-based financial services and certain forms of entertainment.

Chirag Rathod, Chief Executive Officer of TLB, said “The investment sentiments and strategies of HNWIs are changing to reflect shifting priorities and we need to make sure we are there to support the changes,”. Chirag continued, “The introduction of Genesis II Indexed Universal Life insurance plan is not only timely in providing greater flexibility for our customers to seize investment opportunities amid market volatility, it also underscores our longstanding commitment to pioneering new and innovative ways in safeguarding their wealth with a lifetime of financial security.”

The launch of Genesis II aligns with TLB’s growth ambition by making the business more accessible and more accommodating to a wider variety of preferences of our distribution partners, brokers and banks. Through product offerings diversification we are able to better serve customers’ unique needs as a globally aligned and locally relevant HNW insurance solutions provider.

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This press release serves only as an overview and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any of TLB’s products. It is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, tax or legal advice. Customers and other interested parties should seek independent financial, tax and legal advice. All monetary values reflected in these materials are in US dollars. This information is current as of February 2024. Customers and other interested parties should refer to the policy contract for detailed terms and conditions. Although care is taken in preparing this material, TLB disclaims any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of the content and any liability with respect to it. For detailed product information, applicable terms and conditions, please read the product summary of Genesis II (downloadable at https://www.transamericalifebermuda.com/Genesis%20II_ProductSummary_SG_PR.pdf).

Hashtag: #TransamericaLifeBermuda

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

About Transamerica Life Bermuda:

Transamerica Life (Bermuda) Ltd. (TLB) is a recognised leading HNW life insurance provider with extensive expertise in all aspects of HNW wealth protection, including handling large sums assured and complex cases supporting legacy and business planning. The Transamerica heritage began in 1928 as Transamerica Corporation, has been rooted in Asia for over 90 years and a pioneer in managing universal life portfolios from over 40 years ago. TLB was awarded an “Outstanding Responsible Insurer (2021)” award and a “Best-in-Class (2021)” award for its Universal Life Alpha product at the 12th Benchmark Wealth Management Awards in Hong Kong. TLB is part of the Aegon Group, an integrated, diversified, international financial services group that offers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Further information about TLB is available here:

About Aegon:

Aegon is an international financial services holding company. Aegon’s ambition is to build leading businesses that offer their customers investment, protection, and retirement solutions. Its portfolio of businesses includes fully owned subsidiaries in the US, UK, and a global asset manager. In addition, Aegon has partnerships in Spain & Portugal, Brazil, and China, which create value by combining strong local partners with Aegon’s international expertise. In the Netherlands, Aegon generates value via a strategic shareholding in a market leading insurance and pensions company. Aegon’s purpose of helping people live their best lives runs through all its activities. As a leading global investor and employer, Aegon seeks to have a positive impact by addressing critical environmental and societal issues, with a focus on climate change and inclusion & diversity. Aegon is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, and listed on Euronext Amsterdam and the New York Stock Exchange. More information can be found at aegon.com.

Laos, Thailand to Implement Permanent Border Checkpoint, Boost Trade Cooperation

Laos and Thailand are working together to elevate a temporary border trade checkpoint to a permanent facility. (Photo: BNN Breaking)

Update;
Laos and Thailand have joined forces to elevate a temporary border trade checkpoint to a permanent facility, aiming to bolster trade relations between the two countries.

Citi appoints Joy Cheng as Head of Citi Commercial Bank for Hong Kong


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2024 – Citi today announced the appointment of Joy Cheng as Head of Citi Commercial Bank (CCB) for Hong Kong, effective February 1, 2024. She succeeds Anson Kwok who retired on January 1, 2024.

In this role, Joy has oversight of the CCB business and operations in Hong Kong and is responsible for driving the business’ growth as well as financial performance. She reports to Gunjan Kalra, Head of Citi Commercial Bank for Asia North, Australia & Asia South clusters, and Aveline San, CEO and Head of Banking for Citi Hong Kong & Macau.

Joy brings over 30 years of experience in the banking industry across different roles. She began her career as a Management Associate at Citi and has held several senior roles in Corporate Banking. She was most recently Head of Corporate Banking for Hong Kong, a position she has held since 2019, where she was responsible for managing top-tier institutional clients, including corporates, public sector organizations, financial institutions, and local subsidiaries of multinational companies. In the past, she held other senior roles including Head of Financial Institutions for Hong Kong and Head of Asia Pacific Multinational Coverage for the Financial Institutions Group.

CCB is an integral part of Citi’s global strategy and a key engine for growth. It focuses on delivering Citi’s competitive product suite, including cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, trade finance, capital markets, and lending solutions among others, to mid-sized corporates that are either global or looking at building an international footprint.

“Hong Kong is one of the largest markets by flow revenue for Citi Commercial Bank globally. We have gained considerable market share in Hong Kong over the past few years, working closely with mid-sized corporates in the healthcare, technology, industrials, consumer & retail, and services sectors. I am confident that under Joy’s leadership our business will thrive. Joy’s track record, experience and focus on client connectivity will be instrumental in taking us to the next stages of success in our Hong Kong business,” said Gunjan Kalra.

Citi is also focused on capturing the emerging opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) as entrepreneurship and wealth creation in GBA flourishes. Citi’s global network and strong foothold across geographies is becoming increasingly relevant to these fast-growing mid-sized companies in GBA, which are going global at record pace.

“We are well-positioned to support Greater Bay Area companies with cross-border banking needs, helping them enter new markets and expand internationally,” said Aveline San. “Joy’s strong background in corporate banking will be invaluable as we support commercial bank clients on the next phase of their growth journeys.”

In Asia, CCB serves clients in 11 markets including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Click HERE to download the official headshot of Joy Cheng.

Hashtag: #Citibank

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

About Citibank

Citi is a pre-eminent banking partner for institutions with cross-border needs, a global leader in wealth management and a valued personal bank in its home market of the United States. Citi does business in nearly 160 countries and jurisdictions, providing corporations, governments, investors, institutions and individuals with a broad range of financial products and services.

Additional information may be found at | Twitter: | YouTube: | Blog: | Facebook: | LinkedIn:

“It’s a Family Matter” Stories of Abuse Gone Silent

“It’s a Family Matter” Stories of Abuse Gone Silent
FILE: the image is used only for representational purpose (photo: fighterlaw.com)

In Laos, family conflicts, especially between spouses, are generally known to be kept within the family’s scope. While outsiders might intervene elsewhere to ease the situation for couples, their assistance would often face refusal to prevent possible consequences towards the family, including gossip, retaliation, and being perceived as weak.

Former Thai PM Thaksin is Released on Parole After Serving 6 Months in Hospital

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, center, sits in a vehicle with his daughters Paetongtarn and Pinthongta after being released on parole on 18 February 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole early Sunday, 18 February from a Bangkok hospital, where he spent six months serving time for corruption-related offenses.