Five hunters have been sentenced to jail by the Thong Pha Phum provincial court in Kanchanaburi, Thailand for killing a tiger and her cub in a national park last year.
Southco introduces New Ejectors for E1.S Solid State Drives

Southco’s new ejectors have undergone rigorous testing through Intel’s Donahue Pass testing platform. This testing platform evaluates performance in EMI/ESD, Thermal, and LED in addition to other criteria.
Southco’s new P7 ejectors for E1.S are designed in three sizes for 9.5, 15, and 25mm wide drives. The ejector features a die-cast zinc lever that is retained by a nylon button. The button is available in three standard colors and can be color matched to the customer’s design criteria.
Southco Product Manager Ike Teng adds, “We have developed this new ejector to meet the needs of this new and increasingly popular form factor. We have worked closely with Intel to ensure that we maximize the design potential of the ejector. Our parts are 100% compliant with E1.S form factor defined by SNIA.”
For more information about the functionality of P7 Ejectors, please visit southco.com or email the 24/7 customer service department at info@southco.com
Hashtag: #southco #ejector #industrialhardware #server #enclosure
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Southco Asia Limited
Southco, Inc. is the leading global designer and manufacturer of engineered access solutions. From quality and performance to aesthetics and ergonomics, we understand that first impressions are lasting impressions in product design. For over 70 years, Southco has helped the world’s most recognized brands create value for their customers with innovative access solutions designed to enhance the touch points of their products in transportation and industrial applications, medical equipment, data centers and more. With unrivalled engineering resources, innovative products and a dedicated global team, Southco delivers the broadest portfolio of premium access solutions available to equipment designers throughout the world.
Eliminating Malaria in Laos: 462,000 to 2,300 Cases in 25 years
Malaria cases in Laos have decreased from an estimated 462,000 cases in 1997 to 2305 in 2022, thanks to new ‘accelerator’ strategies that were put in place to eliminate the disease.
SPTel launches Singapore’s first Sensor Network powered by LoRaWAN Gateways that run on solar energy to scale Smart Nation Vision
The SPTel Sensor Network allows authenticated sensor devices to wirelessly connect to its secure IoT-as-a-service platform and backhaul connectivity. Instead of investing to build their own network, businesses and IoT solution providers can now connect to this network with ease, speed and cost efficiency, which was not possible previously. Data collected from LoRaWAN sensors can be sent for analysis to automate manual processes, enable predictive maintenance, increase productivity, and improve overall operational efficiency.
The LoRaWAN gateways, which run on solar energy, are also cost-efficient and fast to deploy. LoRaWAN is a long-range, bidirectional communication protocol with very low power consumption. This makes it a highly sustainable solution for the long-term deployment of sensors and a boost to scale massive deployment of potential smart solutions quickly such as asset tracking, street lighting, waste management, water level and flood management, air quality control and rodent monitoring system in hawker centres and wet markets which enable targeted and effective pest control. These are but some of the use cases which will herald not only a new era of business management efficiency in environment and building management, but also improve citizens’ lives in the areas of public health and services. SPTel’s Sensor Network coverage currently extends to more than 70% of heartlands, 42% hawker centres, 52% town councils, and will continue to expand to meet the growing needs of partners and customers.
Titus Yong, CEO, SPTel said, “The SPTel Sensor Network is a great leap towards a comprehensive and reliable offering for IoT solution providers. Businesses can tap on this ready infrastructure to jumpstart their IoT applications in a fast, flexible, and affordable manner. With the assurance that gateways are implemented on ultra-secure critical infrastructure locally and on a robust end-to-end IoT-as-a-Service platform, there is peace of mind over data sovereignty and security. Businesses and government agencies can focus on ramping up their digitalisation efforts towards IoT adoption nationwide. Besides being another step forward in our digital roadmap, this new solution places us in a strong position to capture growth opportunities from growing IoT demands.”
For more information on the SPTel Sensor Network, please visit https://sptel.com/sensor-network-lorawan-singapore.
Hashtag: #SPTel
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About SPTel
SPTel is a joint venture company of ST Engineering and SP Group. SPTel uses unique fibre pathways that combine leased SP Group infrastructure and owned fibre pipes, laid alongside the power network cables. Through this, SPTel provides a differentiated design and diverse business class digital network solution for discerning, best-in-class enterprises, and mission-critical businesses.
For more information, please visit www.sptel.com.
China Re-Elects President Xi Jinping For Third Term

The ongoing session of the 14th National People’s Congress of China on Friday saw President Xi Jinping re-elected for a third term, after winning an unprecedented 2952-0 votes.
BNM decision to affect Malaysian ringgit’s fate this week

However, things started to turn sour in February. Over the past month, MYR has been the worst-performing currency among the 10 major Asian currencies that we track (see the chart below). Indeed, MYR has risen above all key moving averages and closed at 4.4730 against the U.S. dollar (USD) on Friday, setting a new three-month high. Meanwhile, the ringgit also traded mostly lower against its Asian counterparts. It eased versus the Singapore dollar (SGD) to 3.3255/3269 from 3.3210/3252 set on Thursday, fell against the Thai baht (THB) to 12.8998/9105 from 12.8583/8789 previously, and depreciated vis-a-vis the Philippine peso (PHP) to 8.16/8.17 from 8.13/8.14.

The ultimate reason for the general decline in most Asian currencies is essentially the same. Investors have turned bearish on riskier assets, such as emerging markets’ debt, after the Fed indicated that it would continue hiking interest rates for longer. Rising U.S. Treasury yields due to the Fed’s hawkish stance on monetary policy are making riskier assets less attractive.
‘The relative underperformance of MYR vis-a-vis other Asian currencies is primarily attributable to the fact that Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has been rather cautious in its approach to monetary policy during the current tightening cycle,’ explained Kar Yong Ang, a financial market analyst at OctaFX
Indeed, BNM has hiked the rates by only 100 basis points since May and its benchmark interest rate, which currently stands at 2.75%, is still among the lowest in the region. The last hike took place in November last year and Malaysian monetary policy tightening has been essentially on pause ever since. Thus, the divergence between the U.S. and Malaysian monetary policies widened, putting a downward pressure on MYR.
This week should be rather decisive for MYR as BNM’s monetary policy committee will meet to decide on the overnight policy rate on March 9. The market seems to expect BNM to keep the rates unchanged, but in our opinion, a hawkish surprise is quite probable. Two factors are making a rate hike more likely this time around:
- No signs of a recession. China, one of Malaysia’s top trading partners, recently recorded a very strong growth in its manufacturing and services sectors. According to NBS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), China’s manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in more than a decade in February 2023, as production zoomed after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions late last year. In addition, a private survey showed that China’s services PMI advanced to 55 in February, signaling more vigorous expansion in the sector.
- The Fed remains hawkish. Traders are now pricing in at least three more 25-basis point rate (bps) hikes from the Fed this year, with rates peaking at 5.43% by September. In other words, the Fed is all but certain to raise rates at its next meeting on March 22.
On balance, the Malaysian economy is strong and will likely continue to expand in 2023. The economy of the Asia Pacific region in general is expected to pick up in the short term with gross domestic product (GDP) projected to expand by 3.1% this year, according to a new report published by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Support Unit. MYR, which has already devalued by more than 5% since late January, will increase aggregate demand in the Malaysian economy and will likely fuel inflation. In addition, rising interest rates in the U.S. will continue to dampen investors’ sentiment in the emerging markets.
‘It looks prudent for the BNM to hike the rates preemptively in order to offset the negative impact of the hawkish Fed in advance. While forecasting future changes in interest rates is extremely difficult, I believe that BNM will undertake a forward-looking approach and will hike the rates by 25 bps this week. Furthermore, there are signs that the market itself is beginning to price in more rate hikes ahead as the yield on Malaysian 3-year government bonds has risen to 3.465%, the highest in more than two months,’ the OctaFX expert Gero Azrul commented.
If BNM does increase rates on March 9, MYR will appreciate and USDMYR exchange rate will likely drop towards 4.400 and possibly below. Alternatively, if BNM decided to leave the rates unchanged, USDMYR will likely continue to trade in a sideways mode with a minor bullish tilt, targeting 4.500.
Hashtag: #OctaFX
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About OctaFX
OctaFX is a global broker providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and a variety of services already utilised by clients from 150 countries with more than 21 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.
OctaFX has also won more than 60 awards since its foundation, including the ‘Best Online Broker Global 2022’ award from World Business Outlook and the ‘Best Global Broker Asia 2022’ award from International Business Magazine.
Xapo Bank Becomes the First Bank to Offer Near-Instant Bitcoin Payments On the Lightning Network Powered by Lightspark
Xapo Bank is the first fully licensed bank in the world to integrate Lightning Network.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 9 March 2023 – Xapo Bank, a leading Bitcoin custodian and licensed private bank, has partnered with Lightspark and integrated with the Lightning Network to enable lightning-fast Bitcoin payments for its customers. Xapo Bank members can now instantly pay for small purchases of up to $100 USD at any vendor which accepts Lightning payments without suffering high transaction fees and long blockchain confirmation waiting times.

The Lightning Network enables scalable payments at millions of transactions per second across the network. This integration will reduce the time-consuming and costly experiences that often plague users who pay for small transactions in Bitcoin. Xapo Bank will be the first fully licensed private bank to offer near-instant Bitcoin payments, and its goal is to be the largest Lightning node, expanding the network’s use across a host of new users.
Seamus Rocca, CEO of Xapo Bank, said: “The average transaction confirmation time of one hour combined with potentially large fees during periods of high usage make the Bitcoin network unsuitable for small daily payments such as groceries. By integrating with the hyper-efficient Lightning Network, we are the first bank in the world to streamline this process and allow our members to pay for small purchases with Bitcoin without having to convert to USD first.
“Against a backdrop of hyperinflation, economic uncertainty and political turmoil, we are entering a world where digital money is ubiquitous, and we need integrations like this that open up access to Bitcoin payments. We are bringing together the benefits of fast, cost-efficient, and global Bitcoin payments with the security, privacy, and flexibility unmatched in the traditional banking industry.”
Founded in 2013, Xapo was the first institutional holder of Bitcoin and is one of the most trusted custodians in the industry, providing users with a secure platform to store and transact with their Bitcoin. It was the first crypto company in the world to obtain a banking licence, evolving into Xapo Bank, and has since expanded its offerings to include interest-bearing accounts for both USD and BTC and continues to develop its Wealth Management offering alongside other traditional banking services. Unlike other financial services businesses, members at Xapo Bank own and control their Bitcoin fully, meaning they can receive, hold and send it directly.
David Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder of Lightspark, said: “We’re thrilled to enable the first bank on the Lightning Network to offer instant, cheap Bitcoin payments to its customers. Xapo has been one of our early closed beta partners, and we’re delighted they chose Lightspark’s enterprise-grade solution to reliably send and receive payments on the Lightning Network without all the complexity and operational overhead that typically comes with running a node on it. We look forward to talking more about our solution in the months to come.”
To pay via the Lightning Network, Xapo Bank members will need to hold Bitcoin in the Xapo Bank App. After that, they can simply scan and pay an invoice at any merchant accepting Lightning Network payments. The network charges a small fee for each transaction, usually a few Satoshis. Xapo Bank has set a fixed payment fee for SAT 15 (less than $0.01 USD as of Feb 24th) to protect members from executing transactions with high fees.
To learn more about Xapo Bank and apply for membership, visit: https://www.xapo.com/
Hashtag: #XapoBank
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Xapo Private Bank:
Xapo is an international private bank that accepts members who may apply and join the bank from anywhere in the world, digitally. Similar to other licensed banks in Europe and the UK, deposits at Xapo Bank are guaranteed for up to USD 100 000.00 under the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme. It is currently paying 4.1% interest on USD, available on demand, with no lock ups.
Xapo is the first fully licensed private bank to offer total real-time transactability in USD, alongside investments in USDC and Bitcoin, through a single, secure, simple and user-centric account and app. The bank and its members are strictly protected by UK and EU standard laws in the trusted UK jurisdiction of Gibraltar, under the authority of the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.
Led by the leading minds in traditional banking, fintech and future-forward crypto adoption, Xapo is a best in class banking platform from end to end. Xapo’s advisory panel includes former Citibank CEO and chairman John Reed and former US Secretary of Treasury Larry Summers (and included the late Visa founder Dee Hocks until his passing last year), and its C-Suite is comprised of global leaders in fintech and banking from companies such as PayPal, Libra, Standard Chartered, Credit Suisse and more. CEO Seamus Rocca was previously Group Head of Liquidity and Funding Risk at Standard Chartered Bank in London, and founder Wences Casares is a world renowned serial entrepreneur and Bitcoin pioneer who previously served on the board of PayPal.
Xapo’s distributed workforce across 42 countries brings unrivalled diversity of problem-solving talent to the world of private and decentralised banking. A tech company first and foremost, 65% of the bank’s staff are world class engineers who are developing its innovative technology platform.
The world’s first fully licensed crypto-native bank, Xapo was conceptualised and funded in Silicon Valley and uses best in class technology to safeguard its members’ and its own reserves. It holds one of the world’s largest distributed reserves of Bitcoin.
- Instagram @xapoprivatebank
- Facebook @xapoprivatebank
- Twitter @xapoprivatebank
- LinkedIn @xapoprivatebank
About Lightspark
Lightspark is building infrastructure for the Lightning Network. Lightspark is in a closed beta, but services and tools will be available soon.
About Lightning Network
The Lightning Network is a decentralised network on the Bitcoin blockchain that enables instant, low-cost payments across a network of participants. The Lightning protocol makes use of the security and liquidity of the Bitcoin network to create a secure network of participants who are able to transact bitcoin at high volume and high speed with low cost and instant settlement.
Array Go Has Launched: ArrayFi’s Answer to AI in Blockchain
Daniel Kahneman and Prof. Amos Tversky proposed a well-known behavioral economic theory, which states that individuals have different risk attitudes and psychological tolerances based on different reference points. The Array protocol is designed based on this theory.
If Web2 industries feel AI’s power, imagine how Web3 pioneers are doing.
Array Go is an AI-powered algorithm with all the benefits of the bounding curve, such as stability and risk mitigation. It is a full AI that is not under the control of any human or institution. Array Go drives itself based on 100% market action. In order to ensure the value of the token remains stable and predictable for investors and traders indefinitely, a traditional bonding curve is implemented manually to a smart contract that governs the issuance and trading of $ARA.
Array Go can:
- Learn from the historical market data.
- Observe the up-to-date market behaviors.
- Predict the future market trends.
The key function of Array Go is to reduce the risks associated with this technology. As market trends rise, the AI system will feed more $ARA to the market (minting) in order to balance supply and demand – or remove $ARA (burn) based on the same principle. This reduces the risk of greater price fluctuations.
About $ARA and $USDR. The gold standard operates on a 4:1 relationship, allowing $ARA holders to mint $USDR tokens on the chain themselves. Users can also stake $ARA to obtain $USDR tokens, which serve as the only circulation medium for the DEGA(Decentralized Gaming Alliance) application platform.
Array is focused on building a software of the future, a bridge to a refined platform with endless potential. Array believes that wealth creation should be smooth, serene and endless. Array wants to simplify the investment and reward process to allow users to be more creative and help with their journey of reaching their investing potential.
Hashtag: #Array
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.