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Circles’ digital telco wins two 2023 Asian Telecom Awards

Recognized in the categories of Marketing and Brand Initiative of the Year and Travel Product of the Year

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 10 April 2023 – Circles, the leading global digital telco and consumer company, won two prestigious awards from the Asian Telecom Awards 2023. The award recognises the remarkable achievements and initiatives of Asia’s leading telco companies.

Lawrence Corbett, Chief Operating Officer of Circles and Simon Hyett, Contributing Editor of Asian Telecom Magazine.
Lawrence Corbett, Chief Operating Officer of Circles and Simon Hyett, Contributing Editor of Asian Telecom Magazine.

The Travel Product of the Year was awarded to Circles’ digital telco, Circles Life Singapore’s travel lifestyle app, Jetpac. Launched in 2022 to provide greater convenience and experience to post-COVID travellers, Jetpac promises travel freedom for all with its fuss-free e-sim activation, unbeatable global roaming rates and travel perks. Within 4 months of launch, Jetpac achieved more than 10x growth in sign-ups, of which, more than 50% were new customers.

The second award, Marketing & Brand Initiative of the Year, was awarded to Circles Life Australia for its ‘Big Freeze’ campaign. When several leading national telco operators raised their mobile plan prices, Circles Life did the ‘untelco’ thing and froze their prices for 18 months to help the everyday Australians adapt to the rising cost of living without compromising on their digital experiences. Through the campaign, Circles Life saw a 28% increase in sales, including a significant spike in new customers from the leading telcos.

Abhishek Gupta, co-founder of Circles said, “We are honoured to receive two accolades from the Asian Telecom Awards 2023. This recognition is a strong testament that we are delivering the digital telco experiences that people want and need. It also reflects our agility in rapidly bringing innovative services that deliver greater convenience and value to our customers.”

“We are pleased to confer Circles’ digital telco two Asian Telecom Awards. Circles’ innovative and customer-centric marketing approach has truly set them apart from the competition, and it’s no surprise they’ve earned the Marketing & Brand Initiative of the Year and the Travel Product of the Year awards. We can’t wait to see what they come up with next,” says Tim Charlton, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Asian Telecom Magazine.

Hashtag: #Circles #CirclesLife #CirclesX #AsianTelecomAwards #SaaS #TelcoSaaS #Telco #Telecom #Telecommunications #DigitalTelco #DigitalTelcoBrand



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

About Circles

Founded in 2014, Circles builds technologies that power digital telcos to connect people with communication services globally.

Today, Circles is partnering operators in 13 countries with the mission to deliver delightful digital experiences to millions of people through our businesses.

With Circles Life, our digital lifestyle brand, we empower and delight customers across the world by offering digital experiences that go beyond traditional telco services.

With Circles X, our digital telco technology empowers operators to launch digital telco from anywhere in the world. Built for operators by an operator, Circles X is powering both Circles Life and our partner operators’ digital mobile brands.

Circles is backed by global investors such as Sequoia, Warburg Pincus, EDBI and Founders Fund – renowned institutions with a track record of backing industry-shaking innovators.

To learn more, visit .

EQUITY ALERT: ROSEN, GLOBAL INVESTOR COUNSEL, Encourages Hesai Group Investors with Losses to Secure Counsel Before Important Deadline in Securities Class Action First Filed by the Firm – HSAI

New York, New York – Newsfile Corp. – April 7, 2023 – WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Hesai Group (NASDAQ: HSAI) pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus (collectively, the “Registration Statement”) issued in connection with the Company’s February 2023 initial public offering (“IPO” or the “Offering”). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2023.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Hesai securities you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Hesai class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13347 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs’ Bar. Many of the firm’s attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, the IPO Registration Statement contained false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Hesai Group’s gross margin decrease was caused by a lower in-house utilization rate; (2) Hesai Group’s gross margin was 30% for the fourth quarter-which was completed over a month before the date of the amended registration statement; and (3) as a result, defendants’ public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times and negligently prepared. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Hesai class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=13347 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor’s ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

——————————-

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
lrosen@rosenlegal.com
pkim@rosenlegal.com
cases@rosenlegal.com
www.rosenlegal.com

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

MIXI Joins Oasys Blockchain as a Validator

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 7 April 2023 – Oasys, a gaming-optimised blockchain, today announced that MIXI, Inc. (MIXI), Japan’s leading media powerhouse, has officially joined as the latest node validator in the blockchain’s network. The partnership is also expected to lay the foundation for further collaboration in games between the two organizations down the line.

MIXI is well-known for their adept entertainment and sports offerings, including the social network mixi, the mobile game Monster Strike, which has grossed more than $9 billion since its launch in 2013, and their most recent release TIPSTAR, a sports betting service. MIXI is now turning to Web3, primarily through DAZN MOMENTS, a sports-focused NFT marketplace, to enable its consumers to interact and explore the digital world.

MIXI joins Japanese technology and telecommunications conglomerates SoftBank and KDDI, as well as one of the largest gaming companies, Nexon, as Oasys’ second batch of validators announced this year, bringing the total number of Oasys Validators to 25. With the comprehensive backing of institutions, Oasys reaffirmed its commitment to expand its ecosystem and accelerate mass adoption of Web3 games, backed by a high-speed and stable architecture.

Yuko Nemoto, Senior Corporate Officer, Digital Entertainment Business Operations, MIXI, said: MIXI aims to enrich the connections between people by providing communication services, such as the social media platform “mixi,” and bring close friends and families together with our smartphone game “Monster Strike.” Through our participation as a validator for Oasys, which creates new user experiences with its unique approach, we hope to enhance existing communication pathways and create captivating content for our user base.

Daiki Moriyama, Director, Oasys, said: “The inclusion of MIXI, the company behind the blockbuster title Monster Strike that led mobile gaming to mass adoption, as our validator is significant for Oasys as we forge partnerships to enable the mass adoption of blockchain games. We believe that this opens the door to many more collaborations to come, be it working with our Genesis Council or creating game content, ultimately, making significant strides to pioneer the future of blockchain gaming.”

In just over a year since its formation, Oasys revolutionized the way gamers and developers create and interact on blockchain. It recently achieved full decentralization with its native OAS token now approved for listing in both South Korea and Japan, and launched its mainnet blockchain protocol with over a dozen playable games available to its community. Oasys continues to advance its mission of bringing blockchain gaming to the world, by encouraging the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

Hashtag: #Oasys #MIXI

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

About MIXI, Inc

With the purpose of enriching communication and inspiring moments of joy, MIXI is committed to providing enjoyable communication services for friends and families, including mixi, Monster Strike, FamilyAlbum, and TIPSTAR. We place User Surprise First at our core and focus on promoting deep and meaningful connections rather than simply increasing the quantity and frequency of communication. Through this endeavor, we believe we inspire deeper, richer communication in the world.

About Oasys

Oasys was established in February 2022 to increase mainstream play-and-earn adoption, and at launch, committed to partnering with 21 gaming and Web3 tech companies to act as validators, such as Bandai Namco Research, SEGA, Ubisoft and Yield Guild Games. Led by a team of blockchain experts and joining forces with the biggest gaming company names to serve as the initial validators, Oasys is revolutionising the gaming industry with its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) based blockchain.

With a focus on creating an ecosystem for gamers and developers to distribute and develop blockchain-based games, Oasys solves the problems game developers face when building games on the blockchain. The trifecta approach of the fastest network powered by the gaming community, a scalable network powered by AAA game developers and the blockchain offering the best user experience with fast transactions and zero gas fees for users, readies participants to enter the Oasys and play.

More information on Oasys is available at:
Website:
Twitter:
Discord:

Laos Records Increase in Road Accident Casualties in March

Road Accidents in Laos Claim Over 90 Lives in March
A moderate damaged car after an accident in Laos (Lao Phatthana)

The Traffic Police Department reported that 95 people died in road accidents across Laos in March, an increase from the previous month’s figure of 85 casualties.

Son Ye-Jin And Son Suk-Ku Of Spackman Media Group Secure Leading Positions At CBC News Netizen Awards For Best Actress And Actor

  • Spackman Media Group flagship artist Son Ye-jin ranked first in the female actor category of CBC News Netizen Awards in Korea on March 31, 2023
  • Represented by MSteam of Spackman Media Group, Son Ye-jin secured 58.1% or 37,606 of the votes at the CBC News Netizen Awards
  • Spackman Media Group artist Son Suk-ku of Disney+ record-breaking Korean drama BIG BET took second place in the male actor category

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 7 April 2023 – Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (the “Group“), one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups founded in 2011 by global media & technology investor Charles Spackman, wishes to announce that Son Ye-jin of MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (“MSteam“), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Group’s associated company, Spackman Media Group Limited (“Spackman Media Group“), was awarded Best Actress by CBC News Netizen Awards in Korea on March 31, 2023. Son Suk-ku, who is also represented by Spackman Media Group, achieved second place in the male actor category.

Spackman Media Group flagship artist, Son Ye-jin, achieved 58.1% or 37,606 of the votes at the CBC News Netizen Awards in Korea. Park Eun-bin of EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO (2022), Kim Hye-soo of DEFAULT (2018), which was produced by the Group, and Song Hye-kyo of THE GLORY (2022/2023) took the second, third and fourth place respectively. Accordingly, they secured 36.7%, 2.1% and 1.7% of the votes.

Another Spackman Media Group marquee artist, Son Suk-ku, secured 13.2% or 2,928 of votes, surpassing Song Joong-ki of REBORN RICH (2022), Lee Byung-hun of MASTER (2016), which was produced by the Group, and Lee Jung-jae of SQUID GAME (2021). The top spot went to Hyun-bin of highly popular drama CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019), starring Son Ye-jin of Spackman Media Group.

Son Ye-jin starred in 39 (2022), which ranked as the #1 drama on OTT in Korea and the 8th most watched Netflix TV shows worldwide in March 2022. Her previous tvN K-drama, CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019), achieved massive record-breaking viewership success in Korea and became a top hit in Japan, attaining #1 on Japan’s Netflix for four months. The K-drama was one of the top 10 Most Watched Netflix Shows in the United States during its release[1].

Son Ye-jin was also awarded the Hallyu Drama Best Actress Award at the 15th Seoul International Drama Awards for her role in CRASH LANDING ON YOU and ranked #1 in the brand reputation of drama actors in Korea in February 2022, based on the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute.

Some of her well-known films include BE WITH YOU (2018), THE NEGOTIATION (2018), and THE LAST PRINCESS (2016), all of which were invested by the Group and/or Spackman Media Group.

Represented by MSteam, Son Ye-jin was selected as the brand ambassador for US skin care brand Skinceuticals and as luxury fashion brand Valentino’s muse. She was also the face of Crocodile’s woman apparel and Smart Communications Inc., a leading telecommunications service provider in the Philippines.

Other than Son Ye-jin, MSteam also represents internationally recognized actor Wi Ha-jun of SQUID GAME and top actress Lee Min-jung, who won the Top Excellence Award at the 2020 APAN Star Awards.

Son Suk-ku of Spackman Media Group starred in BIG BET Season 2, which broke the record for the highest viewership in its first week of release, overtaking all previous Disney+ Korean original content.

In February this year, Son Suk-ku was also ranked #1 in the 2023 MALE ACTORS TO WATCH survey conducted by Cine21, a weekly film magazine in Korea.

Son Suk-ku also took the top spot in movie star reputation, according to the Korea Corporation Reputation Research Institute in January 2023. Moreover, in December 2022, he won the JTBC Grand Prize at the 2022 TV Drama Acting Awards held by Good Data Corporation, an online competitive analysis agency for K-content in Korea.

The top ranking of Son Suk-ku and the highest viewership of BIG BET Season 2 of all time for Korean content on Disney+ continue to underscore his star power in the Korean entertainment sector.

Last year, Son Suk-ku dominated both the big and small screens in Korea with his lead roles in the 2022’s top box office performing film, THE ROUNDUP, and the most popular K-drama in May 2022, MY LIBERATION NOTES.

Son Suk-ku is represented by SBD Entertainment Inc. (“SBD Entertainment“), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spackman Media Group that represents and manages the careers of 12 artists. In addition to Son Suk-ku, SBD Entertainment also represents one of Korea’s rapidly rising young actors, Han Ji-hyun of popular K-drama THE PENTHOUSE 3, who won the Best Rookie Female Actor in the 2021 Brand Customer Loyalty Awards in Korea and endorsed Shiseido in 2022.

Hashtag: #SpackmanEntertainmentGroup

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

About Spackman Entertainment Group Limited

Spackman Entertainment Group Limited (“SEGL” or the “Company“), and together with its subsidiaries, (the “Group“), is one of Korea’s leading entertainment production groups. SEGL is primarily engaged in the independent development, production, presentation, and financing of theatrical motion pictures in Korea.

The Company was founded in 2011 by renowned media and technology investor Charles Spackman who served as the Company’s Executive Chairman until 2017. For the past two decades, Mr. Charles Spackman has been a powerhouse in the Korean entertainment industry starting in the early 2000’s with the pioneering success of Sidus Pictures, the largest movie production company at the time and the first to be listed in Korea. Mr. Spackman is also the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the global investment firm, Spackman Group. For more information, please visit and .

Since its founding, SEGL had produced more than 30 major motion pictures including a number of the highest grossing and award-winning films in Korea, namely #ALIVE (2020), CRAZY ROMANCE (2019), DEFAULT (2018), MASTER (2016), THE PRIESTS (2015), SNOWPIERCER (2013), COLD EYES (2013) and ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012).

Our films are theatrically distributed and released in Korea and overseas markets, as well as for subsequent post-theatrical worldwide release in other forms of media, including online streaming, cable TV, broadcast TV, IPTV, video-on-demand, and home video/DVD, etc. Generally, we release our motion pictures into wide-theatrical exhibition initially in Korea, and then in overseas and ancillary markets.

The Group also invests into and produces Korean television dramas. In addition to our content business, we also own equity stakes in entertainment-related companies and film funds that can financially and strategically complement our existing core operations. SEGL is listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited under the ticker 40E.

Production Labels

SEGL owns a 100% equity interest in Studio Take Co., Ltd. (“Studio Take“) which produced STONE SKIPPING (2020) and THE BOX (2021). Its latest film, A MAN OF REASON, is set to be screened theatrically and digitally in North America and at theatres in Korea in the first half of 2023. A MAN OF REASON premiered in the US at the 42nd Hawaii International Film Festival. The film was also invited to the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, the largest film festival in North America, and the 55th Sitges Film Festival, one of the world’s top three genre film festivals. Studio Take shall also release an upcoming film, THE GUEST, in 2023 tentatively.

SEGL owns Novus Mediacorp Co., Ltd. (“Novus Mediacorp“), an investor, presenter, and/or post-theatrical distributor for a total of 80 films (59 Korean and 21 foreign) including OKAY MADAM (2020), LONG LIVE THE KING (2019), MY FIRST CLIENT (2019), ROSE OF BETRAYAL (2018), THE OUTLAWS (2017) and SECRETLY, GREATLY (2013), which was one of the biggest box office hits of 2013 starring Kim Soo-hyun of MY LOVE FROM THE STARS (2013), as well as FRIEND 2: THE GREAT LEGACY (2013). In 2012, Novus Mediacorp was also the post-theatrical rights distributor of ALL ABOUT MY WIFE (2012), a top-grossing romantic comedy produced by Zip Cinema. In 2018, THE OUTLAWS, co-presented by Novus Mediacorp broke the all-time highest Video On Demand (“VOD“) sales records in Korea. For more information, please visit

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Greenlight Content Limited (“Greenlight Content“) which is mainly involved in the business of investing into dramas and movies, as well as providing consulting services for the production of Korean content. Through the acquisition of Greenlight Content, the Group’s first co-produced drama, MY SECRET TERRIUS, starring top Korean star, So Ji Sub, achieved #1 in drama viewership ratings for its time slot and recorded double digits for its highest viewership ratings. Greenlight Content was one of the main investors of MY SECRET TERRIUS.

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Simplex Films Limited (“Simplex Films“) which is an early stage film production firm. The maiden film of Simplex Films, JESTERS: THE GAME CHANGERS (2019), was released in Korea on 21 August 2019. Simplex Films has several line-up of films including HURRICANE BROTHERS (working title).

The Company owns a 20% equity interest in The Makers Studio Co. Ltd., which plans to produce and release four upcoming films, the first of which will be THE ISLAND OF THE GHOST’S WAIL, a comedy horror film.

Talent Representation

The Company holds an effective shareholding interest of 43.88% in Spackman Media Group Limited (“SMGL“). SMGL, a company incorporated in Hong Kong, together with its subsidiaries, is collectively one of the largest entertainment talent agencies in Korea in terms of the number of artists under management, including some of the top names in the Korean entertainment industry. SMGL operates its talent management business through renowned agencies such as SBD Entertainment Inc. (Son Suk-ku, Han Ji-hyun, Park Keun-rok), MSteam Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Son Ye-jin, Wi Ha-jun, Lee Min-jung, Ko Sung-hee, Lee Cho-hee), UAA&CO Inc. (Kim Sang-kyung) and Play Content Co., Ltd. (Hwang-hwi). Through these full-service talent agencies in Korea, SMGL represents and guides the professional careers of a leading roster of award-winning actors/actresses in the practice areas of motion pictures, television, commercial endorsements, and branded entertainment. SMGL leverages its unparalleled portfolio of artists as a platform to develop, produce, finance and own the highest quality of entertainment content projects, including theatrical motion pictures, variety shows and TV dramas. This platform also creates and derives opportunities for SMGL to make strategic investments in development stage businesses that can collaborate with SMGL artists. SMGL is an associated company of the Company. For more information, please visit

The Company owns a 100% equity interest in Constellation Agency Pte. Ltd. (“Constellation Agency“). Constellation Agency, which owns The P Factory Co., Ltd. (“The P Factory“) and Platform Media Group Co., Ltd. (“PMG“), is primarily involved in the business of overseas agency for Korean artists venturing into the overseas market. The P Factory is an innovative marketing solutions provider specializing in event and branded content production. PMG is a talent management agency which represents and manages the careers of major artists in film, television, commercial endorsements and branded entertainment.

Strategic Businesses

The Company also operates a café-restaurant, Upper West, in the Gangnam district of Seoul and own a professional photography studio, noon pictures Co., Ltd.

For more details, please visit

EuroCham Business Networking Event Welcomes Austrian Delegation to Laos

ECCIL EuroCham Hosts Successful Laos-Europe Business Networking Event to Welcome Austrian Delegation and Elect New Executive Committee

ECCIL EuroCham, the EU, and Advantage Austria hosted a Laos-Europe Business networking event to welcome an Austrian Business delegation to Laos.

Op-Ed: Laos Marks Incredible Progress on Health in Recent Decades

A local nurse in Laos suggests food nutrition pyramid to a new mother. ( Photo : World Health Organization in Laos).

Today we mark World Health Day and the 75th anniversary of WHO and have a chance to reflect on the gains secured, and what is needed to sustain and build on these, writes Dr. Ying-Ru Lo, WHO Representative to Laos in an Op-ed.

Chinese President Xi Calls for Ukraine Peace Talks

Chinese President Xi Calls for Ukraine Peace Talks
Chinese President Xi Calls for Ukraine Peace Talks. French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping take part in a Franco-Chinese business council meeting in Beijing, Thursday, April 6, 2023. ( Photo : AP )

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping called Thursday for peace talks over Ukraine after French President Emmanuel Macron appealed to him to “bring Russia to its senses,” but Xi gave no indication Beijing would use its leverage as Vladimir Putin’s diplomatic partner to press for a settlement.