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Cambodia, Japan Offer Training to Ukraine for Demining Efforts

Content image - Phnom Penh Post The Cambodian government and the Japanese government have provided support to CMAC for running the humanitarian mine clearance training course for deminers from Ukraine. The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) will run a training course on mine clearance technology for Ukrainian deminers in Cambodia in January

Ukrainian deminers will receive a training course on mine clearance technology from The Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) this month. 

Asendia Deepens Commitment to Asia-Pacific with Strategic CEO And Managing Director Hires

Senthil Kumar joins as CEO of Asendia Singapore/South Asia and Stuart Foster joins as Managing Director of Asian Desk, APAC in January 2023

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 16 January 2023 – Asendia, one of the world’s leading e-commerce logistics providers, announced today the strategic hire of Senthil Kumar as CEO of Asendia Singapore/South Asia (Asendia Singapore Pte Ltd) and Stuart Foster as Managing Director of Asian Desk, APAC (Asendia Asian Desk). The hires of Senthil and Stuart strengthen Asendia’s commitment to Asia-Pacific, in-line with its e-commerce logistics solutions that offer e-commerce focus companies a strategic foothold in the growing South-East Asia and North Asia.

“We are pleased to kick-start a new year by welcoming two industry stalwarts to Asendia. Senthil and Stuart are both highly experienced and bring with them a deep understanding of the industry and the region. They have great strategic vision to grow Asendia in Asia-Pacific while better serving our fast-growing customer-base. Asendia is on an expansion plan in Asia-Pacific, and we are excited by the region’s unexploited potential that we aim to be a market leader for sustainable cross-border e-commerce solutions by 2025.” said Lionel Berthe, Head of Asendia Asia Pacific.

The Asia Pacific B2C E-commerce Gross Merchandise Value is projected to increase from US$3,082.3 billion in 2021 to US$5,306.2 billion by 20261. Based on external data, Singapore has a significant 78% of online consumers shopped with international merchants, and cross-border e-commerce. While in Hong Kong, cross-border transactions make up 25% of all e-commerce sales2. “All these data forecasted great opportunity for brands and retailers, and Asendia is the perfect partner to support them as they leverage the full growth potential through the best and comprehensive e-commerce solutions. I am confident of Senthil and Stuart’s leadership and look forward to seeing them take the company to greater heights in the years to come,” Lionel commented.

Tapping on Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific boosts a growing middle-class with increasing levels of disposable income. This combined with high levels of internet penetration and accessibility, and smartphone ownership has driven an organic demand for e-commerce. The demand has also been driven by the popularity of social media amongst the youth with retailers using social media platforms to advertise and promote e-commerce3.

Senthil Kumar’s hire as the CEO for Singapore and South Asia is key to tapping the immense growth opportunities in Asia-Pacific for brands and retailers.

“Although the current market situations are not ideal from a macro-economic perspective – South and Southeast Asia is still very rife with opportunities from a cross-border logistics perspective. Having successfully deployed growth strategies in various companies in prior years, I look forward to working and implementing fresh growth trajectories by synergizing the strong Asendia products with the market needs. Further to this, I look forward to working with the entire Asendia team and contribute to the company from all angles in these challenging and exciting times!” said Senthil Kumar, CEO of Asendia Singapore/South Asia.

Senthil is a highly experienced leader who brings with him over 15 years of experience in general management, e-commerce and logistics and has held senior leadership positions in DHL E-commerce, Samsung and most recently Janio Asia. He has an intimate knowledge of, and experience across various facets of logistics and e-commerce and utilized this experience to build cohesive teams and grow sustainable revenue and profit in challenging market environments.

He was awarded the Asian Business Fellowship Award (by the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore) in the early years of his career and has had market exposure and hands-on knowledge across various geographies (South Asia, Southeast Asia, North Asia and Oceania) that would be critical in his new role with Asendia Singapore.

Breaking Cross-Border Barriers

Stuart brings with him 19 years of extensive and rich experience in the parcel delivery industry. He has built his career working in diverse functions from sales to the management of the pricing and customer solutions, and to international sales director. He believes that the success at an international level can be achieved with committed local partners and e-commerce players driven by good customer satisfaction.

Remarking on the need efficient Europe-Asia goods flow, Stuart Foster said: “The shipping routes from Asia to Europe are constantly evolving and the Asian Desk department of Asendia APAC is the single-entry point for all Asian clients who have facilities in Europe. We are taking care of the client on the operation and sales level. With Asendia APAC, we are not only talking about last mile but the entire parcel journey including the custom clearance. Joining a leader like Asendia, with its positioning across Asia, Americas, and Europe, is key to answer Asian client needs. Products like e-PAQ are aimed at ensuring that client needs are fully supported to high standards. We are also developing additional solutions to increase volume exchanges between Europe and Asia. Asian consumers are very keen on buying European goods. We want to facilitate the shipping process to empower European sellers on this strategic market.”

Stuart started his career with UPS before moving to La Poste France where he successfully launched the International Sales department of Colissimo (a subsidiary of La Poste) as the Head of International Sales. He led his team to support clients and local partners to develop cross-order shipments to France and Europe. His last stint was as Managing Director Asia for Seven Senders, a European leading delivery platform, where he oversaw the optimisation of international delivery services from Asia to Europe, and vice versa.

1 Asia Pacific B2C Ecommerce Market Report 2022
2https://www.scmp.com/presented/business/topics/global-trends-e-commerce/article/3188145/changes-consumer-behaviour-mean
3 https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/asia-pacific-ecommerce-market

Hashtag: #Asendia

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

Asendia Asia-Pacific

In Asia-Pacific, where Asendia has been active since its creation in 2012, the group has subsidiaries in Singapore, Hong-Kong, Australia and New-Zealand. We provide brands, retailers, marketplaces and consolidations logistics and digital solutions access to global markets through our extensive and innovative distribution solutions, harnessing our worldwide postal partnerships.

About Asendia

Asendia is one of the world’s leaders in international e-commerce and mail, delivering packages, parcels and documents to more than 200 destinations across the globe. Combining the experience and expertise of its founding companies, La Poste and Swiss Post, the Asendia Group brings together a wealth of international and local know-how. Asendia’s expertise is broad-reaching encompassing different aspects of e-commerce, from webshop software and marketplace management to international logistics. Asendia is committed to sustainability, offsetting all CO2 emissions worldwide. Since January 2022, Asendia is 100% carbon neutral.

Asendia employs over 1’500 people in Europe, UK, Asia Pacific and the USA – a global network blended with a local presence.

Find out more at

Carro issues epic 160-character #CarroProsperityRap challenge for Lunar New Year with big prizes worth over S$6,000

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 16 January 2023 – Southeast Asia’s largest used car marketplace, Carro, is spreading the festive cheer and challenging everyone to an epic 160-character #CarroProsperityRap on social media this Lunar New Year! Singaporeans can look forward to winning prizes worth over S$6,000, including a reunion dinner for 10 pax at award-winning Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at the Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel worth S$1,688 and other cash prizes.

Users are challenged to nail the full #CarroProsperityRap under 30 seconds, or show their best and most creative takes on Instagram or TikTok.

Co-founder and CEO Aaron Tan says, “This will be the first Lunar New Year since COVID-19 without major social distancing restrictions, and I believe everyone is looking forward to gathering and having fun together. We thought this epic 160-character rap would be perfect to share blessings with friends and family, and also an interesting way to recreate and remember the classic Lunar New Year greetings together.”

The auspicious 160-character rap takes inspiration from Carro’s very own 160-point inspection for all cars, a rigorous process that starts from understanding the vehicle’s full history, to inspecting every nook and cranny in and around the car. The 160-point inspection is part of the process that goes into Carro’s stamp of assurance for every vehicle: Carro Certified.

Carro Certified includes the following key touchpoints:

160-point inspection – a comprehensive evaluation and refurbishment of the car’s mechanical parts and details on key areas: exterior, interior, road test, safety and underbody
5-day money back guarantee – full refund, with no questions asked
12-month warranty on gearbox and engine – covers the costs of repairs and replacements, including spare parts and repair work
No mileage tampering – assurance of no mileage tampering
No major accidents, fire and flood damage – 100% transparency around data about the car’s previous usage history, any damage, accidents, or repairs made by past owners

Katherine Teo, Regional Head of Marketing says, “The 160-character rap is meant to be a fun twist on the 160-point inspection. Much like how ‘8’ is considered a lucky number in Chinese culture, we wanted to bring out how special and important ‘160’ is for us in a memorable way.”

Working on this campaign with Carro is local Key Opinion Leader Karyn Wong (@iamnotagirl on Instagram), who’s also an emcee, radio DJ and singer.

The social media challenge is issued on Carro’s Instagram (@carro.sg) and TikTok (@carro.sg) accounts and will run from 9-28 January. Winners will be announced on 30 January. Carro is giving away:

● Top prize: Reunion dinner at Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel worth S$1,688
● Second prize: S$588 cash
● Third prize: S$288 cash
● Next 20 prizes: $88 cash card

See the full lyrics and English translations for the 160-character #CarroProsperityRap: https://go.carro.co/CarroProsperityRap

Hashtag: #Carro

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

About Carro

Founded in 2015, Carro is Southeast Asia’s largest online car retailer. By offering a trustworthy and transparent experience, Carro transforms the traditional way of buying and selling cars through proprietary pricing algorithms, AI-enabled capabilities, and innovative technological solutions.

Headquartered in Singapore, Carro has a strong presence in Asia Pacific supported by more than 5,000 employees across Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Carro has raised over S$700M from Softbank Vision Fund and several sovereign funds. For more information, please visit:

Floristique Singapore Gets ‘Greener’, as The First Florist To Transition to Electric Vehicles

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 16 January 2023 – Floristique Singapore starts 2023 as a trailblazer, being the first Florist to transition away from diesel-powered vehicles — known for their high CO2 emissions — towards electric-powered ones. With a debut fleet of 7 electric vans to lead the way of this transition, Floristique aims to reduce its carbon footprint in a meaningful way with the reduced emissions.

Founder Wendy Han with delivery drivers and EV fleet
Founder Wendy Han with delivery drivers and EV fleet

A Pressing Impetus Towards Sustainability

Most online florists, like many other service on-demand businesses, heavily rely on diesel-powered vehicles to manage their volume of deliveries. Unfortunately, diesel engines are a significant source of CO2 emissions. What’s more, compared to gasoline-powered engines, diesel-powered engines emit higher amounts of CO2 per mile travelled. The high percentage of CO2 emissions harm the environment, exacerbating the pressing issue of climate change. As such, it is vital to reduce environmental footprints where possible. From decreasing the dependence on fossil fuel in its operations, Floristique helms the beginning of the paradigm shift towards a more sustainable future.

An Electrifying Solution

Since the purchase of its fleet of 7 electric vans, Floristique is now able to operate with the assurance that they have now made a more impactful step towards sustainability. Furthermore, this shift towards electric vehicles has serendipitously brought about a reduction in operating costs.

“I believed that we could, and should be doing more [as a business]. It was a good investment that has only provided benefits — both environmentally and as an added bonus of being more cost-effective to business operations,” shared Han, founder of Floristique Singapore.

“Personally, I do not hold much regard for being the first florist to make this transition but I do hope that it might inspire more businesses to do the same,” she continues.
Hashtag: #floristique #florist #flowers #ecofriendly #environment


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

Floristique

Brainchild of floral-enthusiast Wendy Han, Floristique specialises in floral arrangements of all types, from , , and even to . With free flower delivery across Singapore, Floristique ensures that flowers are readily available to those who need them. Same-day deliveries are also available for orders made before 2 pm on weekdays and 12 pm on weekends. For more information, visit their website: .

Miss Universe Laos Payengxa Lor Makes Top 16

Miss Universe Laos in Top 16 at 71st Miss Universe Competition
Miss Universe Laos in Top 16 at 71st Miss Universe Competition.

Miss Universe Laos, Payengxa Lor, has been selected among the Top 16 as the 71st Miss Universe Competition continues in New Orleans, United States.

Cornerstone Technologies’s First EHSS Project Completed Hong Kong’s Biggest Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Project Involving 302 Parking Spaces

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 13 January 2023 – Cornerstone Technologies Holdings Limited (“the Group” or “Cornerstone Technologies”; Hong Kong stock code: 8391) is thrilled to announce that its first construction of EV charging-enabling infrastructure (“The Project”), under the EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme (“EHSS”), has been successfully completed.

(From left) CLP Power eMobility Director Mr Saraansh Dave, President of the Owners’ Corporation of The Regalia Mr G.W. Tsai, Executive Director of WSP Hong Kong Limited Mr Eddie Leung, CEO of Cornerstone Technologies Mr Vincent Yip, Principal Assistant Secretary (Air Policy) of Environment and Ecology Bureau Dr Kenneth Leung Kai Ming and Legislative Council Member the Hon Frankie Yick.

The Project is located at The Regalia in Ho Man Tin, which is the first successful application under EHSS. Leverage our expertise in EV-charging solutions, Cornerstone Technologies was appointed as the contractor of the Project. Our team went through the whole project journey — from application for the EHSS, on-site survey and planning, consulting, EV-charging infrastructure design, construction and installation, power supply testing, through to acceptance inspections. 302 parking spaces with EV charging-enabling infrastructure have been equipped, with a coverage rate of 100%, making it the largest project of its kind in Hong Kong so far. Those parking spaces are “100% EV Ready” that can be installed with EV-chargers at anytime. Moreover, the Group will later provide suggestions and recommendations of EV-chargers to residents and further encourage them to become low-carbon drivers.

Mr Liang Zihao, Co-Chairman and Executive Director of Cornerstone Technologies, said, “The completion of the Project thanks to the recognition from Environmental Protection Department, the property management company and incorporated owners of The Regalia, as well as the close and effective communication between different stakeholders and Cornerstone Technologies. We have also received positive feedbacks from the partners, incorporated owners and residents. The completion of this Project not only marks an important milestone in Cornerstone Technologies’s commitment to promoting sustainable development, but also demonstrates our capability to undertake large-scale projects.”

Dr Kenneth Leung Kai Ming, Principal Assistant Secretary (Air Policy) of Environment and Ecology Bureau, said “The Regalia is the first successful application and launched project in Hong Kong, various difficulties and challenges were encountered throughout the process. As a result of the rich experience of the contractor, the Project was successfully completed in a short period of time. This Project is currently the largest EHSS project, and its completion is an important step towards carbon neutrality of Hong Kong.”

WSP Hong Kong Limited acted as a design consultant in this Project. Mr Eddie Leung, Executive Director of WSP Hong Kong Limited, said, “Cornerstone Technologies receives high recognition in the industry. They fully demonstrated its outstanding professional and problem solving ability by negotiating with different parties, so that the Project is able to be completed in a short period of time.”

CEO of Cornerstone Technologies Mr Vincent Yip, Principal Assistant Secretary (Air Policy) of Environment and Ecology Bureau Dr Kenneth Leung, Legislative Council Member the Hon Frankie Yick, CLP Power eMobility Director Mr. Saraansh Dave, WSP Executive Director Mr. Eddie Leung yesterday (12 January) joined representatives of the owners’ corporation and property management company at The Regalia for a completion ceremony for the newly installed EV charging facilities.

Mr Vincent Yip, CEO of Cornerstone Technologies added, “Another two EHSS projects are expected to be completed this year, and we will also commence to install EV-charging facilities for 33 parking spaces under Link in the near term.” Other than The Regalia in Ho Man Tin, Cornerstone Technologies was also appointed as contractor of the two private residentials, Visalia Garden in Mid-levels and Crown By The Sea in Tuen Mun, under EHSS. By then, there will be over a hundred parking spaces with EV charging-enabling facilities. It is believed that there will be more upcoming EHSS projects to be started in 2023. Cornerstone Technologies will continue to deploy its expertise to accelerate the installation and construction of EV-charging facilities, in order to make EV-charging accessible.

Hashtag: #CornerstoneTechnologies

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

About Cornerstone Technologies

Cornerstone Technologies (Stock Code: 8391) focuses on developing sustainable and environmentally friendly technology solutions. Cornerstone Technologies develops EV charging solutions with the latest technology together with convenient and thoughtful designs. Cornerstone Technologies is on the list of contractors and EV charging suppliers under “EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme”, and provides a one-to-one exclusive monthly fee plan for home charging. The Group is actively expanding its EV charging business into Southeast Asian countries, including Cambodia and Thailand, with an aim to create a cleaner and greener future. For more information, please visit .

Bank of Laos Shuts Down 113 Currency Exchange Businesses

The Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) issued a notice on Friday instructing 113 exchange businesses affiliated with commercial banks to suspend their operations.

Metalloinvest increases capacity of HBI-3 plant at Lebedinsky GOK

MOSCOW, RUSSIA – Media OutReach – 13 January 2023 – Metalloinvest has modernised the direct reduction plant at Lebedinsky GOK’s hot briquetted iron production facility No. 3 (HBI-3).

The upgrade increased HBI-3’s production capacity by 3%, to more than 2 million tonnes of briquettes per year. The overhaul made the equipment more reliable; in addition, it will result in less downtime during maintenance and repair of the direct reduction plant.

Metalloinvest’s investment in the project amounted to about RUB 2.5 billion.

“Hot briquetted iron is a popular product in Russia and in international markets. The modernisation of the plant provides additional guarantees of the strict fulfilment of all our obligations to our partners”, said Alexander Tokarenko, Lebedinsky GOK’s Managing Director.

In the modernisation process, 540 of the direct reduction plant’s reaction pipes were replaced. The new pipes have thick walls made of special heat-resistant steel, and they are also resistant to deformation and cracking under high temperatures. The new pipes also offer a longer service life, of up to 100 thousand hours.

The plant’s increased capacity is the result of an increase in the diameter of the pipes, which makes it possible to obtain more of the reducing gas necessary for the production of higher volumes of briquettes.

Hashtag: #Metalloinvest

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

About Metalloinvest

Metalloinvest is a leading metals and mining company, a world leader in proven iron ore reserves on a JORC-equivalent basis (15.4 billion tonnes). The company is the world’s largest producer and supplier of merchant hot briquetted iron (HBI) products, a low-carbon raw material used to produce green steel; Metalloinvest holds a leading position in the production of pellets, iron ore concentrate and high-quality steel.

Ticker (Bloomberg): METIN RU; official website: