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Laos, Thailand Discusses Building Second Friendship Bridge in Vientiane to Boost Tourism

Laos, Thailand Discusses Building Second Friendship Bridge in Vientiane to Boost Tourism
Tawee Sermpakdeekul, the governor of Loei and Khamphan Sithidampha, the governor of Laos' Vientiane province (photo: MGROnline)

Laos and Thailand discussed building a new Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge between Vientiane Province and Thailand’s Pak Chom District, Loei Province, to boost tourism, at the 20th Lao-Thai border security meeting on Sunday in Vang Vieng.

Prince Holding Group Clinches Best in Cambodia at 15th Global CSR & ESG Summit

Chen Zhi Scholarship Earns Silver for Top Community Program

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – Media OutReach – 18 September 2023 – Prince Holding Group, a leading business group in Cambodia, is honored to have been recognized with the Platinum Award for Best Country Excellence — Best in Cambodia at the 15th Annual Global CSR & ESG Summit and Awards. This acknowledgment shines a light on Prince’s ongoing efforts in education, community engagement, and sustainable development within Cambodia.

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Additionally, the Chen Zhi Scholarship, an initiative by the Prince Foundation, was honored with the Silver Award for Best Community Program. This seven-year commitment by our philanthropic arm, led by Neak Oknha Chen Zhi, aims to support 400 Cambodian university students with a $2 million pledge. Neak Oknha Chen Zhi’s dedication as a philanthropist and his role as Chairman of Prince Group have been instrumental in this initiative.

“We are humbled by this recognition. The awards serve as a testament to our commitment to making a meaningful difference in Cambodia,” expressed Gabriel Tan, Chief Communications Officer at Prince Holding Group. “Our aim is to continually contribute to the community, believing that purposeful actions can pave the way for a brighter future.”

The Best Country Excellence Award also recognized the other important CSR initiatives by the Group which include the Prince Horology Vocational Training Center, a training center unique in the region that aspires to be one of the world’s finest watchmaking schools and showcases Cambodian artisanal craftsmanship. Prince Group partnered with the Cambodia Wheelchair Basketball Federation (CWBF) and facilitated friendly matches with other countries, raised awareness for disabled athletes and successfully defended its crown by winning again the gold medal at the 12th ASEAN Para Games held in Cambodia.

Additionally, it supported the Cambodia Men’s Volleyball Team by sponsoring its coach, who led the team to a silver medal finish in the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Prince Group also backed the Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority (CMAA) fundraiser initiative, which cleared unexploded ordnance and landmines in Kampong Speu province. The effort has freed up land for housing and agriculture for 9 million Cambodians.

Prince Foundation allocated US$2.6 million in 2022. The foundation’s cumulative philanthropic contributions over the past seven years have amassed over US$16 million, positively impacting over 1 million Cambodians.

Organized by Singapore-based Pinnacle Group International to recognize outstanding CSR and ESG initiatives in the Asia Pacific region, this year’s theme of the Global CSR & ESG Summit and Awards was “Driving Transformational Change Beyond Greenwashing”. Other fellow awardees across the region include Schneider Electric in Indonesia, Tata Consultancy in Singapore, and Krungthai-AXA Life Insurance in Thailand.

Hashtag: #PrinceHoldingGroup

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

About Prince Holding Group

Prince Holding Group is one of Cambodia’s largest business groups spanning across real estate development, financial services, and consumer services.

Prince Holding Group’s key business units in Cambodia include Prince Real Estate Group, Prince Huan Yu Real Estate Group, Prince Bank, Cambodia Airways, Belt Road Capital Management, as well as Awesome Global Investment Group. Via its subsidiaries, Prince Holding Group has over 100 businesses in Cambodia operating in real estate development, banking, finance, aviation, tourism, logistics, technology, food and beverages, and lifestyle sectors, etc.

Leveraging a network of industrial, business and financial professionals across Asia, Prince Holding Group is firmly committed to the long-term development of Cambodia.

Moving forward, Prince Holding Group will continue to seek out opportunities to play an important role in Cambodia, through partnerships or direct investments into key industries for the betterment of Cambodians and the local economy.

About Prince Foundation

Prince Foundation, founded in 2015, is one of Cambodia’s leading philanthropic foundations. A member of Prince Holding Group, which is one of the largest business groups in Cambodia, the Foundation aims to work with local communities to build thriving living and working environments that elevate people’s well-being and livelihoods following the vision: “Together, Building a Better Future for Cambodia”.

Focusing on education and youth development, healthcare, and community engagement initiatives, Prince Foundation works with partners to deliver sustainable programs that enhance opportunities for Cambodia’s youths, build resilience in communities and contribute to sustainable infrastructure.

The Foundation’s flagship projects are the Chen Zhi Scholarship, offering full scholarships, stipends, internship and work opportunities to 400 Cambodian university students over a period of seven years, and Prince Horology, where aspiring Cambodian watchmakers learn the art of Swiss-style watchmaking in a state-of-the-art facility. Prince Foundation has launched more than 260 philanthropic initiatives, benefiting over 1 million people, with donations exceeding US$16 million.

Prince Foundation, founded in 2015, is one of Cambodia’s leading philanthropic foundations. A member of Prince Holding Group, which is one of the largest business groups in Cambodia, the Foundation aims to work with local communities to build thriving living and working environments that elevate people’s well-being and livelihoods following the vision: “Together, Building a Better Future for Cambodia”.

Focusing on education and youth development, healthcare, and community engagement initiatives, Prince Foundation works with partners to deliver sustainable programs that enhance opportunities for Cambodia’s youths, build resilience in communities and contribute to sustainable infrastructure.

The Foundation’s flagship projects are the Chen Zhi Scholarship, offering full scholarships, stipends, internship and work opportunities to 400 Cambodian university students over a period of seven years, and Prince Horology, where aspiring Cambodian watchmakers learn the art of Swiss-style watchmaking in a state-of-the-art facility. Prince Foundation has launched more than 260 philanthropic initiatives, benefiting over 1 million people, with donations exceeding US$16 million.

PM Sonexay Urges Businesses to Increase Agricultural Production and Reduce Imports

Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (Photo: Pasaxon)

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone held a meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and relevant businesses in Vientiane Capital on Friday, 15 September, to discuss ways to boost agricultural production in the country.

September Fed meeting: expected hawkish rhetoric may support the U.S. dollar

  • According to the latest labour report, the unemployment rate rose sharply from 3.5% to 3.8%. The Fed is expected to hold the key rate hike at next week’s FOMC meeting.
  • Due to the mixed August inflation report, the Fed will likely have to take a hawkish tone in its messaging.
  • The U.S. dollar will likely rise significantly due to the expected hawkish tone—USDJPY could rise to the 148.50–149.00 range.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 18 September 2023 – The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the U.S. Federal Reserve will meet on 19 – 20 September to decide on changes to monetary policy. Market expectations indicate that the Fed will likely announce a pause, keeping the rate at 5.25%–5.5%, nearing a 22-year-high.

During the previous FOMC meeting in July, the Federal Reserve raised the key rate again after one break of 25 bps and now stands at 5.25%–5.5%. The Fed’s policy of raising rates aims at maximising employment and reducing and then holding inflation at 2%.

According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released on 1 September 2023, the unemployment rate unexpectedly jumped to 3.8 % in August from 3.5% in July. The rising unemployment rate will add to expectations that the Federal Reserve will slow or pause rate hikes.

Fresh inflation data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics on 13 September 2023 reported that the U.S. consumer inflation rate increased sharply in August by 0.63% from 0.17% in July, and the annual inflation rate accelerated in August to 3.7% from 3.2% in July. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, fell to 4.35% in August, down from 4.65% a month earlier and matched the consensus.

‘According to the latest labour report, the Fed is widely expected to hold the key rate hiking at next week’s FOMC meeting,’ said Kar Yong Ang, the OctaFX financial market analyst. ‘But due to August’s mixed inflation data report, the Fed must keep a hawkish tone in its messaging. The core CPI is still too high and could accelerate,’ he added.

The key rate will likely remain unchanged at the September meeting of the U.S. Fed. Still, the accompanying rhetoric could be quite tough, signalling further possible monetary policy tightening. This will hurt capital markets, favouring the strengthening of the U.S. dollar. For example, this could impact currency pairs with the dollar, potentially leading to a rise in USDJPY to the 148.50–149.00 range.

Hashtag: #OctaFX

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

About OctaFX

is an international broker that has been providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and various services already utilised by clients from 180 countries who have opened more than 42 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.

In the APAC region, OctaFX managed to capture the ‘Best Forex Broker Malaysia 2022’ award and the ‘Best Global Broker Asia 2022’ from Global Banking and Finance Review and International Business Magazine, respectively.

Judo Bank partners with Backbase to enhance digital customer experience

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Media OutReach – 18 September 2023 – Backbase is pleased to announce the partnership with Judo Bank (ASX: JDO) is now live. Judo selected Backbase’s Engagement Banking Platform (EBP) to create new digital experiences for its small and medium (SME) business banking and term deposit customers.

The adoption of Backbase’s EBP will enable Judo’s relationship bankers to dedicate more time to customers. The platform will also allow for monthly releases of additional features going forward.

Judo’s purpose-built, modern, cloud-based, flexible technology stack uses adoptive technology principles. Judo was looking for a global leading, digital platform capability that embraced both strong design and security principles, with the customer at the core. Backbase was selected after a comprehensive search with the build commencing in 2022.

Judo Bank is Australia’s first purpose-built challenger bank, uniquely focused on SMEs and on 1 November 2021, was the first commercial bank to list on the Australian Stock Exchange in 30 years. Relationship Banking is the core of Judo’s strategy. Technology at Judo is designed and built to enable banker and customer relationships. This differentiated, human-centered approach has seen Judo’s growth since inception reach a lending book of over $9B and a deposit book over $6B with over 35,000 customers.

Judo Bank’s Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Frazier, said: “Our vision is to become a world-class SME bank. Our unique, relationship-led operating model creates a sustainable and competitive advantage for our business.

“Through our partnership with Backbase, we have enhanced our high-tech, high-touch model, further empowering SME business owners with digital experiences related to their Judo portfolio. Our new digital experience will help our SME customers and bankers stay on top of business needs and support the exceptional service they receive from our relationship-led bankers. Partnering with Backbase enables us to deliver a superior digital experience to our customer base cost effectively with the build of the platform taking just on a year.”

Backbase Managing Director, ANZ, Iman Ghodosi, said, “We are thrilled to partner with an ambitious innovator like Judo Bank and look forward to continuing to leverage EBP for the success of Judo and their customers.

“The power of the Backbase EBP lies in its ability to provide the composable fabric, modularity, and options to banks, freeing them from the burden of building everything themselves.

“We’re proud to empower banks like Judo Bank to focus on building their innovation and differentiation in the market they are disrupting. With Backbase EBP as their foundation, Judo Bank can confidently navigate the market, leverage its capabilities, and drive their unique value proposition to new heights.”

Hashtag: #Backbase #digitalbanking #engagementbanking #smebanking #businessbanking #judobank

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

Backbase

is on a mission to re-architect banking around the customer.

Backbase created the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform – a unified platform with the customer at the center, empowering banks to accelerate their digital transformation. From customer onboarding, servicing, loyalty and loan origination. Our single platform — open and frictionless, with ready-to-go apps — improving every aspect of the customer experience. Built from the ground up with the customer at the heart, our Engagement Banking Platform easily plugs into existing core banking systems and comes pre-integrated with the latest fintechs so financial institutions can innovate at scale.

Industry analysts Gartner, Omdia, and IDC continuously recognize Backbase’s category leadership position. Over 120 financials around the world have embraced the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform. In APAC, the customers we serve include ABBANK, BDO Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands, EastWest Bank, HDFC, IDFC First, JudoBank, OCB, Techcombank, TPBank, and UBank.

About Judo Bank

Judo Bank is Australia’s first purpose-built challenger bank for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and on 1 November 2021, was the first commercial bank to list on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) in 30 years.

Judo was founded by a small group of experienced lending professionals and its purpose is to be the most trusted SME business bank in Australia. The company’s relationship-led lending model, which brings back the craft of relationship banking, is enabled by its digital, cloud-based technology architecture.

Amazon Brings First Prime Big Deal Days to Singapore with Early Holiday Deals for Prime Members on 10 & 11 October

Prime members can save big—early—this holiday season with deep discounts on popular brands like Nespresso, Nintendo, and Philips Get Amazon Singapore’s lowest prices this year so far on Bosch, OPPO and Barbie.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 18 September 2023 – (NASDAQ: AMZN) Prime members can start their holiday shopping early with Amazon Singapore’s first-ever Prime Big Deal Days available exclusively on Amazon.sg from 10 to 11 October. This new event offers Prime members the chance to access a bonanza of deals across top brands and grab their holiday season favourites early. With deals dropping throughout the event across a wide selection of products with fast and convenient delivery options, Prime members can enjoy exclusive access to early holiday deals at https://www.amazon.sg/primebigdealdays. Not a Prime member yet? Anyone can join Prime or start a 30-day free trial at Amazon.sg/prime to participate in Prime Big Deal Days.

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“This is the first time that we are bringing Prime Big Deal Days to Singapore, and we are thrilled to offer our Prime members more exclusive savings ahead of the holiday season,” said Leo Laforgia, Country Manager, Amazon Singapore. “On top of Prime membership benefits which includes fast and convenient delivery, access to streaming entertainment and our international stores, Prime members can enjoy early access to amazing deals from the most sought-after brands during Prime Big Deal Days. Our aim is to help our customers spend less and smile more, by providing a seamless shopping experience with a wide selection of authentic products at great prices that customers can trust.”

Start Holiday Shopping Now
Prime members can enjoy exclusive early access to holiday deals now, ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, with over hundreds of deals from top brands including MUJI, Panasonic, Delonghi. Prime members can also easily discover products from the many small business brands at Amazon.sg/smallbusinesses. Find the best deals from small businesses, including from SPIGEN, Omnidesk, Beelink.

  • First dibs on early holiday deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days: Prime members don’t have to wait to shop. In the lead up to Prime Big Deal Days, members can enjoy great deals from trusted brands sitewide, across key categories including toys, books, electronics, home, and more. Top deals and discounts include:
    • Amazon.sg
      • Up to 35% off on Smartwatches & Trackers from Fitbit, Garmin and more on Amazon.sg
      • Up to 50% off books including children’s books, business books, self-improvement, fiction, and more on Amazon.sg
      • Up to 50% off on Bose on Amazon.sg
      • Up to 70% off International Toys such as Melissa & Doug and VTech, and get an additional S$10 off with min spend of S$100 from Barbie, HotWheels, Star Wars and more on Amazon.sg
      • Up to S$500 off PC products from Acer, HP and MSI on Amazon.sg
    • Amazon Fresh
      • S$20 off S$120 spend on Baby, Grocery, Health & Personal Care and more on Amazon Fresh
      • Up to 30% off carton deals on Amazon Fresh
      • Up to 30% off, buy 4 get an additional 15% off on Kettle Chips, Coca-Cola, Lavazza, and more on Amazon Fresh
      • Up to 35% off, buy more save more on Cadbury, Oreo, Marigold, Ritz, and more on Amazon Fresh
    • International Store
      • Up to 35% off on REVLON, Neutrogena, OGX on Amazon US
      • Up to 35% off Fitbit, SanDisk on Amazon US
      • Up to 50% off storage drives & accessories on Amazon US

*Terms and conditions apply to all promotions listed above.

More ways to shop this PBDD

  • Amazon Vouchers: Discover more ways to save with Amazon Vouchers. Find discounts on everyday essentials, as well as gifts, electronics, beauty, toys, and more. Simply clip the voucher and the discount will be applied at checkout. Visit Amazon.sg/vouchers for information.
  • Amazon.sg Gift Cards: Amazon.sg Gift Cards offer an easy, simple, and convenient gifting experience, providing access to an extensive selection of products on Amazon.sg at Amazon.sg/giftcard.
  • Promotions: Enjoy greater savings when shopping on Amazon.sg. From 11 October, visit amazon.sg/bankpromotions for more information.
    • Bank promotions
      • Citibank MasterCard cardholders can get S$15 off S$160 or more when they spend on Amazon.sg.
      • DBS cardholders can get S$12 off S$120 or more when they spend on Amazon.sg.
      • UOB cardholders can get S$12 off S$120 or more when they spend on Amazon.sg.
    • Looking for more payment promotions? Get 1% off your purchase when you use PayNow, with no minimum spend from 18 September.
    • Buy Now, Pay Later with Grab and Atome on Amazon.sg
      • Get S$15 off S$150 min spend with PayLater by Grab
      • Get S$10 off S$150 min spend with Atome

*Terms and conditions apply to all promotions listed above.

Get Ready for the Big Day
Learn how to best prepare for Prime Big Deal Days to maximise your savings.

  • Join Prime: New customers can enjoy a 30-day free trial when they register for Prime membership. For S$2.99 a month, Prime membership includes unlimited access to award-winning movies and TV episodes with Prime Video, unlimited access to video game benefits with Prime Gaming, access to epic deals on Prime Day, free delivery on selected delivery windows for orders of S$150 and above on Amazon Fresh, free 2-hour scheduled delivery for orders of S$60 and above on Watsons and Little Farms on Amazon.sg, and more.
  • Set up personalised deal alerts: Prime members can subscribe to receive deal alert notifications related to their recent Amazon searches and recently viewed items. All they have to do is visit the Prime Big Deal Days event page on the Amazon app between now and Prime Big Deal Days to create deal alerts. Once Prime Big Deal Days arrives, members will receive push notifications on any available deals.


Access Prime Big Deal Days Globally

Prime Big Deal Days will kick off in 19 countries around the world on 11 October, including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the U.S., and the UK. Prime members in Japan can shop the Prime Big Deal Days event later in the month.

Every Day Made Better with Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime was designed to make your life better every single day. Over 200 million paid members around the world enjoy the many benefits of Prime, including the best of shopping and entertainment. In Singapore, Prime membership includes unlimited access to award-winning movies and TV episodes with Prime Video, unlimited access to video game benefits with Prime Gaming, Prime Day, and more. Prime was built on the foundation of unlimited fast, free shipping. Prime members enjoy access to free one-day delivery on domestic Prime eligible selection on Amazon.sg, free delivery on selected delivery windows for orders of S$150 and above on Amazon Fresh, free 2-hour scheduled delivery for orders of S$60 and above on Watsons and Little Farms on Amazon.sg, as well as early access to deals and exclusive deals. Prime is S$2.99 per month. Start a 30-day free trial of Prime at Amazon.sg/prime.

Hashtag: #AmazonSG #AmazonPrime

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

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, and Kindle are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit .

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Lao PM Gives Interview to Chinese Media, Says Debt Trap Not Real

Chinese Loans Not A Debt Trap, Lao PM Says
President Sonexay Siphandone during an interview with CGTN's Liu Yang. (Photo: CGTN)

During his visit to Nanning Province, China, Laos’ Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone sat down for an interview with CGTN, a state-run English news channel, to discuss Laos-China relations, along with Laos’ mounting foreign debt, on Sunday.

Semula Pte Ltd: Partnerships and Upcycling Initiatives to Inspire a More Sustainable Future for Singapore

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 18 September 2023 – Semula Pte Ltd, a newcomer in the local plastic recycling industry, today announced its latest initiatives that underscores its commitment to sustainability and the environment in Singapore.

Semula aims to be a key player in sustainability. Since boot-strapping its own operation, Semula has been largely focused on reimagining plastic waste. Through its own research and experimentation, Semula has adopted a unique process to transform discarded HDPE plastic waste into a reusable alternative material, reducing the need for businesses to rely on new resources. Semula’s approach to sustainability and minimising waste is very much in alignment with Singapore’s Zero Waste Masterplan.

In collaboration with like-minded partner Roger&Sons, Semula created cafe furniture from used HDPE milk bottles collected from Foreword Coffee Roasters’ for its own outlet at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore. This proudly showcased how, with a little imagination and the right processes in place, plastic waste can be turned into one-of-a-kind creations. Today, Foreword Coffee continues to provide Semula with empty plastic bottles to turn into an alternative material which can be reintroduced into the marketplace. The partnership has inspired Foreword’s staff to actively participate in the collection and cleaning of empty milk bottles from their various outlets.

In June 2022, Semula won the Grand Prize award in the annual Singapore Design Awards organised by the Design Business Chamber Singapore. Semula is also a proud recipient of the Sg Eco Fund set up by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to support projects that advance environmental sustainability and involve the community.

Jeryl Yep, Co-founder of Semula Pte Ltd, said : “We are thankful for the ongoing support from the government, community and businesses. While it feels good to be recognised for the work that we have done, at the end of the day, it means more to us to know that we are making a positive contribution towards changing behaviour. We believe that long lasting change can happen when we band together to create a collective conscience and take responsibility for our environment, for the sake of our present and future generations.”

Semula’s initiatives are not limited to production of its upcycled Semula plastic and finished products. The company also offers talks aimed at building awareness of the environment and sustainability, hands-on upcycling workshops to create memorabilia from plastic waste and nature trails through some of Singapore’s beloved parks and nature reserves.

Hashtag: #Semula #PlasticUpcycling #PlasticRecycling #EcoFriendly

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

About Semula Pte Ltd

Semula Pte Ltd is a plastic upcycling company dedicated to transforming waste materials into reusable products. With a strong commitment to environmental action, Semula seeks to preserve our natural resources while inspiring change and progress within the plastic recycling industry.