Bokeo International Airport, whose construction started in 2020 is expected to be complete by next year.
Russia Starts Direct Flight to Laos from Vladivostok to Vientiane
The first flight operated by Ural Airlines flying non-stop from Vladivostok, Russia, landed at Wattay International Airport on Saturday evening.
Kenanga Investment Bank and AntChain Technology Inks Agreement to Adopt ‘mPaaS’ Technology for Malaysia’s First Wealth SuperApp
Kenanga’s SuperApp aims to help Malaysians save and grow their wealth through our innovative and interactive platform – one that delivers our competitive financial products simply and transparently, enabled by our extensive experience in wealth creation and in today’s leading technology.
“The SuperApp will integrate a spectrum of financial and wealth offerings under one easy to access ecosystem, transforming how Malaysians view and approach wealth creation,” commented Datuk Chay Wai Leong, Group Managing Director, Kenanga.
“A big part of Kenanga’s SuperApp success will ride on our ability to deliver a seamless and engaging digital customer experience. This is primarily the reason Kenanga is adopting AntChain’s mPaaS solution because it allows us to rapidly evolve the SuperApp to keep up with changing needs of our customers and react quickly in today’s fast-changing world,” added Datuk Chay.
AntChain’s proprietary solution, known as the Mobile Platform as a Service (“mPaaS”), is a cutting-edge product which originated from Alipay App and a one-stop mobile app lifecycle management solution that will enable Kenanga to realize its SuperApp ambitions in an expedient yet robust and secure manner. The mPaaS product has been trialed and tested by numerous successful e-commerce and e-wallet brands around the region.
“We are excited and honored to provide mPaaS to Kenanga, and support Malaysia’s leading investment bank in building its wealth SuperApp with speed and reliability,” said Geoff Jiang, President of Digital Technology Business Group, Ant Group.
Ant Group Digital Technologies is a global leader in blockchain, privacy computing, security technologies and distributed databases. The technology provider is proactively committed to driving change and enhancing trust with its leading-edge digital services and solutions for consumers, businesses and partners in the digital economy.
The SuperApp will extend the suite of digital products that Kenanga has successfully rolled out, from Rakuten Trade, Malaysia’s fastest growing online stock trading platform, to Kenanga Digital Investing, a robo-advisor that has amassed more than RM250 million* in AUM since its launch in February 2022.
*As at end September 2022
Hashtag: #Kenanga
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (197301002193 (15678-H))
Established for more than 45 years, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad (the Group) is a financial group in Malaysia with extensive experience in equity broking, investment banking, treasury, Islamic banking, listed derivatives, investment management, wealth management, structured lending and trade financing with strong foundations in regulatory compliance and risk management.
An innovative and established home-grown brand, the Group’s digital ambition includes building a robust digital ecosystem that meets the needs of its clients and businesses. Some of its game-changing products includes Malaysia’s fully online digital stockbroking platform Rakuten Trade and a fully A.I. robo-advisor, Kenanga Digital Investing. The Group also launched Malaysia’s first securities broking e-wallet, Kenanga Money, paved the way in AI-led Quan and algorithmic trading, kick-started a revolutionary supply chain financing solution for SMEs and made inroads into the digital assets space through its investment in Tokenize Technology (M) Sdn.Bhd.
The Group has garnered a host of awards and accolades reflecting its strong market position. It was awarded under the categories of Highest Returns to Shareholder Over Three Years, Best Overall Equities Participating Organisation by Bursa Malaysia, Best Overall Derivatives Trading Participant, Best Structured Warrant Issuer, Best Retail Equities Participating Organisation, Best Institutional Equities Participating Organisation Investment Bank; along with Best Trading Participant and Best Institutional Equities Participating Organisation and for Equity and Financial Derivatives for 18 consecutive years. The Group was also accorded the title of Best Institutional Derivatives Trading category by Bursa Malaysia.
The Group continues to be a regular and repeat recipient of distinguished industry accolades, such as the Lipper, Fundsupermart and Morningstar awards. Rakuten Trade, Malaysia’s first fully digital securities broker in 2017 via a joint venture with Japanese fintech giant Rakuten Securities Inc was also named Malaysia’s fintech company of the year in 2018 by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). For its continued efforts towards community outreach and employee volunteerism, the Group was awarded the coveted Company of the Year award for environmental and sustainability at Sustainability & CSR Malaysia Awards 2021. The Group is also a Participant of the United Nations Global Compact and adheres to its principle-based approach to responsible business.
Today, Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad is an award-winning leading independent investment bank in the country with a continuous commitment towards driving collaboration, innovation, digitalisation and sustainability in the marketplace.
This Press Release was issued by Kenanga Group’s Marketing, Communications & Sustainability department.
Swiss Chamber Eyes Bigger Role in Singapore: Businesses to Drive Innovation, HR Development

SwissCham members have increasingly harnessed their core competencies of innovation and people-focussed expertise to develop a pole position in Singapore. With the onset and through the Covid pandemic, Swiss companies doubled their efforts in people retention and development by supporting, training, and developing their Singapore staff. This has increasingly given SwissCham members greater recognition as employers of choice. SwissCham announced this at their annual gala event.
Present as Guest-of-Honour at the SwissCham Gala event over the weekend was Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Mr Heng Swee Keat.
Speaking at the event, SwissCham Chairman, Mr Georg von Wattenwyl, shared a four-pronged strategy will help deliver on the bigger goal. These are:
– Providing a more conducive platform for cross-border knowledge transfer and creation. Four sub-committees – ClimateTech, Digital Transformation, International Relations Asia, and Hospitality – will support Swiss businesses in their pursuits.
– Widening and fostering stronger collaboration with Singapore-based trade associations and chambers and government agencies. A new “International Relations” sub-committee will build on this new initiative.
– Strengthening networking within the business community, both through informal and formal channels. Such regular engagements aim to deliver on this strategy.
– Increasing the profile and presence of SwissCham so that it can be a more prominent “voice” in the Singapore business community.
He said: “The Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry is eager to foster and recognise innovation in the business communities and sectors that we work in and this drives us. A key undercurrent is the understanding that innovation is a key focus of Swiss businesses, in fact, innovation is in the DNA of Switzerland.
“Innovation equally applies in good measure to human resource development. Socio-economic developments over the past three years have intensified the need for good talent, especially from the positions of acquisition and retention. Much can be learnt from Swiss businesses how innovated and adapted to these new realities by relying on emerging business practices, showing creativity and innovation, while developing sustainable activities in new formats,” he said.
Currently, SwissCham comprises 200 companies and collectively these businesses account for 25,000 jobs in Singapore. These companies come from a cross section of industries, notably, Technology, Finance & FinTech, Pharmaceutical, and Luxury.
Globally, Switzerland recently received the top accolade as the most innovative country in the world in 2022 from the Global Innovation Index, which is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Looking ahead, SwissCham will be a key participant under the Swiss Pavilion – hosted by Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) and the Swiss Business Hub ASEAN – at Singapore Fintech Festival 2022. Running from 2 – 4 November 2022 at the Singapore Expo, the event is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in collaboration with the Association of Banks in Singapore.
In recent years, Switzerland has become a vibrant hub for emerging technologies, such as fintech, blockchain, and distributed ledger technology (DLT). With regard to the new DLT Framework coming into effect in 2021, Switzerland became one of the first countries in the world to deliver advanced regulatory solutions and specific amendments for fintech and blockchain, among others.
In 2023, Swiss Cham will launch the 6th edition of its Business Excellence Awards in the first quarter of 2023. The award recognises excellence in the categories of People & Skills Development and Digital Transformation. More details on the awards will be made available at https://swisscham.sg/.
In the 2021 Awards, Swiss-based DKSH Singapore was chosen as the grand winner for the People & Skills Development Award 2021 by an independent jury of experts.
DKSH Singapore Human Resources Director Lee Yu Chuan then said “As a people-driven company, we seek to be an attractive employer known for our commitment to developing our talent, embracing diversity and inclusion, and offering a supportive work environment. This award is a great acknowledgment of the progress achieved through the outstanding efforts of our team.”
Another winner for the People & Skills Development Award in 2020 was Acronis, whose core business lies in protecting organisational data, applications, systems and productivity – safeguarding them against cyberattacks, hardware failures, natural disasters and human errors. The citation said that Acronis exemplified a corporate culture focused on making a positive impact on the lives of employees and the communities in which they operate.
Hashtag: #SwissChamberOfCommerceAndIndustrySingapore #SwissCham
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Myanmar Warns that ASEAN Pressure for Peace Could Have ‘Negative Implications’

Last week, Myanmar’s military government warned that any coercion from ASEAN member nations to put a time frame on peace negotiations would have “negative implications.”
SDAX lists private real estate fund to drive social impact in the UK with social housing
CR Global Social Housing Fund, in its second series, will continue to invest in a portfolio of UK social housing to achieve social impact
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 31 October 2022 – SDAX, a leading integrated investment and trading platform based in Singapore, will list CR Global UK Social Housing Fund II, a social housing fund-managed by FXHB Asset Management Pte Ltd, a Registered Fund Management Company in Singapore, to drive social impact in the UK. The second series of the GBP 200M fund will be tokenised and be made available for trading on SDAX’s platform at the end of its fund-raising round, where the first series is being listed.

Raymond Poh, CEO of SDAX & Dr Paul Inthaseni, President & CEO of Century R Pte Ltd
A report from the UK government in December 2021 highlights that 8.5 million people in England are facing some form of unmet housing need, with approximately 1.6 million households on urgent need for social rented housing[1]. Overcrowding is also the largest problem in this statistic, with almost 2 million children living in such households. With the purpose of driving social impact in the UK, the fund will be channelling the investments towards real estate supporting the cause of meeting these social housing needs, with payments guaranteed by the local housing associations.
CR Global UK Social Housing Fund II is structured as a sub-fund of CR Global Investments Variable Capital Company (VCC) as the investment vehicle. Introduced by the MAS, the VCC is a new corporate structure for investment funds that provides greater flexibility and improved operational and tax efficiency, thereby facilitating investment fund operations and addressing global investment funds’ needs. CR Global Investments VCC works with a multitude of institutional stakeholders ranging from multi-family offices, asset management companies, securities companies, corporate clients, listed companies, and pension funds to banks.
The first series of the CR Global UK Social Housing Fund was closed for subscription and has been listed on SDAX Exchange since July 2022 for trading. The second series of the fund will continue to focus on investing in UK social housing to serve urgent social needs. Adopting a core-plus strategy with capital preservation through an asset-backed structure, the fund has an investment tenure of two-plus-two years, providing up to 7% per annum coupons with the potential for capital appreciation up to 7% upon exit.
SDAX partners with CR Global Investments VCC to raise funds in a fast, secure and cost-effective way through blockchain technology, tokenising the fund and making the investment accessible to investors through fractionalisation. With the partnership and the technology of tokenisation, investors from both the first and second series of the fund are able to trade their tokens on SDAX’s trading platform. Fractionalisation allows for investors to access this investment from GBP 50,000.
“Our partnership with SDAX helps to bring this investment opportunity to more investors in the market. The fund will address a social need and we believe in making a difference for those in need of it most in the UK. With the VCC, the economies of scale achieved will help in cost efficiencies and bridge capital channels to the UK,” said Dr Paul Inthaseni, President & CEO of Century R Pte Ltd and cornerstone investor of the fund.
The fund is managed by an experienced team of real estate professionals, and holds strong ESG credentials, including being a signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. The fund had also undergone SDAX’s proprietary ESG assessment framework to ensure the fund’s adherence to internationally recognised ESG standards for driving social impact.
“We are excited to be partnering with CR Global Investments VCC in this investment that drives tangible social impact, and bring this opportunity to our investors. With the increasing scrutiny of ESG investments in recent months, it becomes more of a necessity to exercise rigorous financial stewardship. Our ESG investments serve as a pillar of what we stand for at SDAX, and this is an excellent opportunity for us to further a social cause with rigor. We hope to work with more partners such as CR Global Investments VCC to finance towards more social causes, as well as initiatives towards net-zero (FTT),” said Raymond Poh, Chief Executive Officer, SDAX.
For more information on SDAX’s digital investment services and solutions, visit: SDAX.co
Hashtag: #realestate #socialhousing #uk
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About SDAX
SDAX is a MAS-regulated investment and trading platform serving institutional, accredited and retail investors. We provide access to uniquely curated assets that until now have not been available to most investors, through asset tokenization. Our strength lies in real estate, ESG and impactful investment opportunities. SDAX partners with corporate and institutions to raise capital more efficiently to support their growth and expansion.
In everything that we do, we commit our energy, technology and expertise to unlock innovative investment opportunities that drive sustainable, impactful growth.
SDAX represents the merged entities of digital asset exchange Digiassets Exchange Singapore (SDAX) and fintech company Minterest Holdings. The merger and rebranding bring synergy for SDAX by combining capabilities to offer both a Digital Asset Exchange, regulated under its Recognized Market Operator (RMO) licence, and Capital Markets Services, regulated under its Capital Markets Services (CMS) licence.
Find out more about us here
theDesk teams up with Kumospace to launch the first virtual work and collaboration platform
The first coworking space platform to enable hybrid work for businesses
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 31 October 2022 – theDesk, the coworking space platform headquartered in Hong Kong, debuted its partnership with Kumospace, the leading immersive office software platform headquartered in the United States, to launch the virtual work and collaboration platform for businesses to create an immersive virtual space and enhance employee experience with a hybrid working environment.
Businesses are transforming their ways of working to keep pace with disruption. As the first coworking space operator in Hong Kong to provide a truly “across space” solution for businesses, theDesk’s virtual work and collaboration platform is equipped with all essential features to support communication and collaboration, from video conferencing, presentation, screen sharing, chat to whiteboard, etc. Workers can leverage “Spatial Audio” function to start multiple simultaneous conversations in the same space, enjoy games or other features to interact and build genuine connections with their team members and working counterparts.
Images of the virtual work and collaboration platform: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16cWHWVgIfv3v8DN5eU6rY8KsQMlnyfpW?usp=sharing
The partnership comes at a time when theDesk is gearing its solution for the redefinition of “space” of work – to reshape a physical work space combining innovation and technology as a highly connected multiverse space, where organizations can embrace an inclusive culture to evolve further beyond “space” and grabbing hold of the new future of work to achieve real business agility.
With the virtual work and collaboration platform, theDesk and its members can also host events of different types for business networking and opportunities without borders to unlock the full potential of every business through establishing connections and fostering collaborations.
According to theDesk’s research, 82% of the workers from the tenants expect a hybrid arrangement to continue and among 89% of them cited in-person time with the teams is highly preferred. However, about two-thirds often struggle to find the right tool to facilitate and erode team engagement in hybrid settings.
Image of the survey result: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16cWHWVgIfv3v8DN5eU6rY8KsQMlnyfpW?usp=sharing
“More and more organizations continue to embrace a return to the office as we see over 80% of occupancy in our major coworking locations. But equally they perceive an interest in a more agile and flexible work space solution in times of economic turbulence,” said Thomas Hui, CEO and Co-founder of theDesk. “Along with this trend, we also see businesses demand for an inclusive and secure work collaboration platform that can engage the workforce and build togetherness in a hybrid environment. We believe that the partnership with Kumospace is building new possibilities for our tenants to modernize the way they work effectively. ”
Brett Martin, President of Kumospace, said: “Post-pandemic, the very definition of a virtual office changed from merely hosting video conferences to building a digital headquarters where it is designed for better productivity and creativity. Work has changed— the need for in-person connection, whether offline or in the metaverse, has become obvious to all. Through our strategic collaboration with theDesk, we are providing our clients with access to their own fully-featured and personalized virtual office in Kumospace. The future is flexible, and bright.”
Hashtag: #theDesk
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About theDesk
Founded in 2016, theDesk offers flexible and productive workspaces with a focus on building inclusive and collaborative communities that enable meaningful business connections. Across 10+ prime locations in Hong Kong and Greater China, each community is moulded by and personalised for our members. As workspaces and workforce needs continue to evolve, theDesk has been growing alongside our member businesses to further support and accelerate their growth. theDesk is developing an integrated service platform that enables everyone to exchange and interact in both offline and online environments, offering a seamless community experience.
Website: www.thedesk.com.hk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeskhk
LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/company/thedesk-hong-kong
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkELKXp779d99GquwejxLMw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeskhk
About Kumospace
Kumospace, founded in 2020, is building the world’s most powerful virtual office software. The company mission is to help remote teams iterate faster, collaborate across silos, and create a true sense of belonging.
Website: www.kumospace.com
“CryptoPARD” OTC Flag Store HQ settles in Mong Kok with Education, Interaction and Exchanges Service

Rise of the Metaverse has aroused the attention of cryptocurrencies and digital assets
In recent years, digital assets investment has been the hottest topic, various products ranging from cryptocurrencies (Crypto), non-fungible tokens/digital artworks (NFT, NonFungible Token), decentralized finance (DeFi, Decentralized Finance), and Play To Earn gamified finance (GameFi, Game Finance). The rise of new economic structure has attracts global attention. To capture the opportunities brought by the metaverse economy, one must devote themselves into the blockchain technologies, the origin, application, and application of cryptocurrencies at the same time safely manage their assets and manage risk.
Digital assets are becoming more and more popular, and physical OTC creates convenient liquidity
There are more than 20,000 cryptocurrencies in the world, and the market size once exceeded three trillion US dollars. The rise of NFT has led to a rapid increase in trading volume and a sharp increase in the demand for deposit and withdrawal services in OTC. CryptoPARD offers physical OTC service and there are well-trained assistants provide human touch assistance. In CryptoPARD, companion is the most essential part of the service and accompanying novice investors through different steps is the main goals of the physical set up.
Crypto PARD is a “crypto academy” that provides a variety of cryptocurrency and blockchain ecology workshops, practical training, and certificate courses. It is also a physical OTC and a cryptocurrency exchange shop. The “CryptoPARD Fans Club” gathers like-minded communities and welcomes novices participants through learning, playing, and value added courses. There are options for small classes from 20 people to one-to-one teaching when in need. From simple to deep understanding of the origin, application, trading, and management of cryptocurrencies, as well as investment and financial operations on various platform. Through the courses, the clients could be able to find the most suitable financial planning with a comprehensive and clear understanding and experience.
CryptoPARD Cryptocurrency Academy – Practical training, Professional certificates, Value-added Choice
Under the rapid development of the global cryptocurrency economy, market knowledge and analytical skills are essential. CryptoPARD Cryptocurrency Academy accompanies everyone to in exploring their ability in adopting training, in-depth understanding of smart contracts, creation of non-fungible tokens NFT in different courses.
Energetic founders launches CryptoPARD flagship store
Solomon, CHAN Siu Long, the founder of “CryptoPARD,” is a professional cryptocurrency investor who has worked as a senior VP in a global securities firm and a marketing director in a private bank. Transformed from a traditional financial analyst to a cryptocurrency expert, with rich experience and a unique set of chart technical analysis skills, developed a core course in “Three Principles in Crypto Management” and “Secret Skills for Controlled Loss and Unlimited Gain”. He believed a positive attitude toward investing could cultivate long term increases in returns.
The COO and co-founder of CryptoPARD, Kim, TANG Ho Chun, is a wealth management trainer. His first encounter with the cryptocurrency’s world was in 2016, and shifted his variety of experience in wealth management, investing and creating personal passive income into the new market. His venture investment has included games, cosmetic products, health care and migration service. His prediction made accurate judgement over the market trends. He currently has accumulated for millions of dollars of digital assets and cryptocurrencies and he multiplied his fortune in crypto market in a short period of time. They were aware of the potential for the Metaverse to develop, shared their experiences, and continuously promoted it.
They were aware of the potential for the Metaverse development and thus they established CrypotPARD with the intention of creating the most entertaining and dynamic OTC flagship store, with cryptocurrency academy to share market information and financial management skills with the public.
CryptoPARD|Your Best Crypto Partner
CryptoPARD official website: https://cryptopard.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cryptopard_hk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cryptopard_hk/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpluAo8a4etzyDmS2UojPPg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cryptopardhk
Hashtag: #CryptoPARD