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Young people demand healthier food environments in East Asia and the Pacific

Young people co-create and launch a campaign to support UNICEF’s ‘Fix My Food’ initiative for healthier food environments for children in the region

BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach – 2 March 2023 – The food systems in East Asia and the Pacific, known for its diverse and vibrant food culture is changing rapidly. Traditional healthy fresh food diets are being replaced by an increasing consumption of highly processed ‘junk’ food and drink full of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.

7 Fix My Food Group Photo .jpg

Children across the region, are growing up in food environments that promote the sale and consumption of these ‘junk’ foods and drinks, rather than healthier alternatives. As a result, more than one in three adolescents are drinking at least one sugary drink a day; more than half consume a fast-food once or more a week; and less than half, are eating enough fruit and vegetables every day.

“Today, children and young people are surrounded by junk-food marketing wherever they go: online, on their way to school, college or university, on television, and even while standing in the checkout-line of the grocery store. The result is that too many children in East Asia and the Pacific have poor, unhealthy diets that are having a devastating impact on their health and well-being. It is about time that we change this.” shared Ms. Debora Comini, Regional Director, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific.

UNICEF has been working closely with governments and partners to introduce policies and legislation to curb the increase in marketing of unhealthy food and drink, such as bans on advertising and sale of unhealthy foods in and around schools, clear front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages amongst others.

To further promote the need for healthier food environments, UNICEF is supporting the “Fix My Food” campaign led by young people to raise awareness of the need to create healthier food environments in China, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Mongolia, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Young people, together with celebrities and influencers from these eight countries were part of a two-day co-creation “Fix My Food” workshop in Bangkok – brainstorming ideas and identifying potential partners to help roll out the campaign in their respective countries.

Chef Nak, Ms. Ros Rotanak, Cambodia’s first female celebrity chef, and Miss World Vietnam 2019, Ms. Luong Thuy Linh were also part of the co-creation workshop and launch event.

Sharing her thoughts, Chef Nak said “I strongly believe in preserving, developing and promoting traditional Khmer cuisine as one of the world’s most remarkable culinary traditions. Food is much more than just what we eat. It is an essential part of our culture, our families and our communities. I am happy to support these young champions, to preserve, protect and ensure that our food environment is equally accessible to and benefits all.”

“I strongly believe in healthy eating and healthy lifestyles and have joined this campaign with the hope that together we will be able to change our failing food system. We need to ensure that people, especially children and young people, have the opportunity and the right to make healthy food choices, wherever they are, at home, in and around schools, and in their communities,” stated Ms. Linh, Miss World Vietnam 2019.

With the young people leading the Fix My Food” campaign and support from celebrities and influencers, UNICEF hopes to create awareness on the impact of the changing food environment in the lives of girls and boys and the urgent need for governments, the private sector and civil society to take collective action to build a healthier food environment across the region.

Speaking at the event, 24-year-old Mr. Ricardo Valente, from Timor-Leste said “This campaign is unique, it is designed and led by us and will be implemented by each of us, back in our own countries. We are excited about being part of this movement to make the food environment healthier and more accessible for every child and every young person in East Asia and the Pacific.”

As part of UNICEF’s work to mobilize and empower young people to take action, this initiative will be implemented in the eight participating countries and will be supported by UNICEF country offices and partners.

For more details and latest updates on the ‘Fix My Food’ initiative, please visit: Fix My Food UNICEF East Asia and Pacific

Hashtag: #UNICEFEAP #FixMyFood

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

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF East Asia & Pacific and its work for children, visit

Follow UNICEF East Asia & Pacific on , , , and

Swiss Food Conglomerate Nestle Halts Operations In Myanmar

Swiss Food Conglomerate Nestle Halts Operations In Myanmar
Nestle's factory at an industrial park in Yangon, Myanmar. ( Photo : Nikkei )

The Swiss food company Nestle has decided to halt all production in Myanmar’s commercial capital, Yangon, a spokesperson from the company said.

Uni-Asia Group More than Doubles Dividend Per Share on Record FY2022 Profit

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 2 March 2023 – Uni-Asia Group Ltd. (SGX:CHJ) an investment management group specialising in alternative assets, including shipping and real estate in Japan, Hong Kong and China, is pleased to announce its financial results for the six months and 12 months ended 31 December 2022 (“2H2022” and “FY2022” respectively). FY2022 net profit jumped more than 50% y-o-y to a record high of US$27.9 million, driven by a 24% increase in total income and expansion in net profit margins. Following the strong performance in FY2022, the Group proposed a dividend of S$0.08/share. Together with the interim dividend of S$0.065/share (which was paid in September 2022), the Group has more than doubled its dividend payout from a year ago to S$0.145/share for FY2022.

With the positive performance, the Group generated operating cash flow of US$34.9 million, which further strengthened its financial position. Net debt1 fell to US$25.6 million, while net debt to equity2 fell from 35.5% a year ago to 17.0% as of 31 December 2022. As of 31 December 2022, the Group has net asset value of US$1.92/share.

Charter income increased by 37% y-o-y to US$65.3 million in FY2022, driven mainly by higher average daily charter rates for the Group’s portfolio of dry bulk carriers during the year. The average daily charter rate for the Group’s 10 consolidated dry bulk carriers was US$18,841/day for FY2022 as compared to US$13,561/day in FY2021, and was 2.5 times that in FY2020. Fee income rose 15% y-o-y to US$6.6 million, driven primarily by an increase in arrangement and agency fees as well as brokerage commissions, as the Group closed more arrangement and brokerage commission deals during the year. Recurring asset management, administration fee income and incentive fees remained relatively stable versus a year ago. The increase in charter income and fee income was partially offset by a decrease in sale of properties under development and lower investment returns. Sale of properties under development was lower due to a weakening of JPY vis-à-vis USD in FY2022, as the properties under development are projects in Japan.

Commenting on the results, Chief Executive Officer of Uni-Asia Group, Mr Kenji Fukuyado said, “FY2022 has been a stellar year for the Group, as we benefitted from a robust bulk carrier market. The positive performance has strengthened our financial position and fundamentals, providing the Group with reserves to capture new growth opportunities and allowing us to reward our loyal investors with the highest dividend in the Group’s history.” Business Outlook While the bulk carrier market started to weaken in 2H2022 due to the softening of seaborne dry bulk trade demand and easing of port congestion, industry experts are cautiously optimistic of an improvement in the bulk carrier market through 2023. One of the key factors include the opening up and an improvement in the Chinese economy, which will help to boost demand for seaborne trade, including the bulk carrier market. In addition, supply-demand factors driving dry bulk shipping are expected to be positive, with dry bulk tonne-miles trade demand projected to grow by 2.0% and 2.2% in 2023 and 2024 respectively, while handysize dry bulk ship supply projected to decline by 0.2% in 2023 and 1.7% in 20243 . New emissions regulations could also further reduce supply in the market through slower speeds and retrofit time.

On the property front, the Group’s investments consist of mainly industrial and commercial projects in Hong Kong, as well as small residential property projects in Tokyo, Japan. While Hong Kong’s property market has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong remains a major financial hub in Asia and is home to a large number of multinational corporations. The Tokyo property market has been robust, driven by a combination of factors including a strong economy and low interest rates. Despite the impact of the pandemic, Tokyo’s property market has remained resilient. “While the bulk carrier market started on a soft note for 2023, the group is cautiously optimistic that our shipping portfolio’s performance will improve through the year, underpinned by the favourable supply dynamics for handysize dry bulk ships. For our property investments, as Hong Kong eases its border controls, we are confident that the commercial/industrial property market could also stabilise in 2023. For the Tokyo real estate market, the Group’s trademark small residential property projects – the “ALERO” series, as well as property asset management and related property operations, will continue to anchor the bottomline of the Group’s Japan property business.” Mr Fukuyado added.

Hashtag: #UniAsiaGroup



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

Uni-Asia Group Limited.

UNI-ASIA GROUP LIMITED and its subsidiaries (the “Group”) is an alternative investment group specialising in creating alternative investment opportunities and providing integrated services relating to such investments. The Group’s alternative investment targets are mainly handy dry bulk ships and properties. The Group also has extensive know-how and networks relating to such alternative investments and provides services relating these investments. The two main alternative asset classes the Group focuses on are Shipping and Property.

The business strategy for shipping employed by the Group is to offer one-stop, integrated ship-related service solutions for clients, including ship investments, ship asset management services, ship chartering, ship management, ship brokerage and ship finance arrangement solutions. The strategy of offering a wide array of maritime-related services ensures the Group remains resilient regardless of market conditions and allows for growth in the long term. The Group currently owns 10 wholly-owned ships and eight joint-investment ships.

The Group’s property investment business enhances its asset base as well as asset management business. Outside of Japan, the Group focuses on investments in Hong Kong office development projects and office assets in Guangzhou, China. Within Japan, the Group has a Japan-licensed property asset management subsidiary which specialises in property asset management as well as development of trademark small residential properties, the “ALERO” series.

Listed on the Mainboard of Singapore Exchange in August 2007, Uni-Asia’s offices are located in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

For more information, please visit the corporate website at

Fake Auto Parts Worth THB 10 Million Confiscated by Thai Authorities

Fake Auto Parts Worth THB 10 Million Confiscated by Thai Authorities
Thai authorities searching through the warehouse in Nakhon Chaisi ( Photo : Lao Phatthana )

Officers from the Department of Intellectual Property, Ministry of Commerce along with other relevant authorities raided and seized THB 10 million (USD 286,916) worth of fake auto parts in Thailand’s Nakhon Chaisi district on Wednesday.

VinFast officially delivers first VF 8 City Edition vehicles to U.S. customers

LOS ANGELES, USA Media OutReach – 2 March 2023 Today VinFast delivered the first 45 VF 8 City Edition all-electric SUVs to U.S. customers at its 9 stores across California, which signals the company’s official entry into the North American market. The City Edition vehicles will continue be delivered to customers at VinFast’s stores or through a home-delivery service in the following days.


The VF 8 City Edition includes 999 vehicles which were imported to the U.S. last December. As a limited edition, the VF 8 City Edition comes with a special financing offer for customers.

The VF 8 City Edition Eco and Plus models have an EPA estimated range of 207 miles and 191 miles respectively. The VF 8 City Edition is equipped with a wide range of advanced technologies including ADAS and Smart Services. VinFast firmware over-the-air (FOTA) may provide all VinFast vehicles regular updates designed to enhance vehicle functionality and performance.

With a customer-centric philosophy, VinFast also offers outstanding after-sales policies including a 10-year warranty for vehicles and batteries, mobile services, 24/7 roadside assistance, and many more to provide customers with piece of mind throughout their electric vehicle ownership experience.

The handover event took place throughout the day at VinFast stores across California. Mr. Gareth Dunsmore, VinFast Deputy CEO, Global Sales & Marketing said: “The event drew tremendous attention from our U.S. consumers. It’s extremely gratifying in fulfilling our delivery promise and to witness the excitement our customers have for the VinFast brand. This is a great moment for all of us and more motivation to continuously strive to exceed the expectations of our valued customers.”

VinFast continues to organize large-scale test drive programs across California to provide customers with a hands-on experience to interact with VinFast’s products and services.

Hashtag: #VinFast #Vingroup

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

About VinFast

VinFast – a member of Vingroup – envisioned to drive the movement of global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90% automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam.

Strongly committed to the mission for a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility and a sustainable planet. Learn more at: .

VinFast Safe Harbor Disclosure

This news release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions and include VinFast’s expectations. Forward-looking statements typically can be identified by the use of words such as “will,” “expect,” “believe,” and similar terms. While these forward-looking statements represent VinFast’s current judgment on what the future holds, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated above include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, hazards customary in the automotive industry, competition in certain markets, the volatility of battery prices, failure of customers to perform under contracts, changes in government regulation of markets and of environmental emissions, and our ability to achieve the expected benefits and timing of our electric vehicle projects. VinFast undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The foregoing review of factors that could cause VinFast’s actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in the forward-looking statements included in this news release should be considered in connection with information regarding risks and uncertainties that may affect VinFast’s future results.

China, Belarus presidents call for Ukraine cease-fire, talks

In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The presidents of China and Belarus joined Wednesday in urging a cease-fire and negotiations to bring about a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict. (CCTV via AP)
In this image taken from video footage run by China's CCTV, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a welcome ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. The presidents of China and Belarus joined Wednesday in urging a cease-fire and negotiations to bring about a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict. (CCTV via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — The presidents of China and Belarus joined Wednesday in urging a cease-fire and negotiations to bring about a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict.

Laos Has No Threats from Bird Flu, Say Authorities

Laos Reports No Threat From Bird Flu, Despite Neighboring Countries’ Alertness
This image is used only for representational purpose (photo: Farmers Guide)

Despite Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia putting measures in place against a potential bird flu outbreak, officials have assured that the bird flu does not present a significant threat to Laos at the moment.

OPPO Pledges Carbon Neutrality Across its Operations by 2050 at MWC 2023

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Media OutReach – 1 March 2023 – In recent years, the issue of climate change has gathered momentum, with the frequency of persistent hot weather and climate-related natural disasters drawing worldwide attention to the urgent need for action.

Caption
Billy Zhang, President of Overseas Sales and Service at OPPO, releases the OPPO Climate Action Report on the first day of MWC, with congratulation from Steven Moore, Head of GSMA Climate Action

OPPO believes that better environmental protection can only be achieved through the parallel advancement of science and technology. Following years of research and analysis, OPPO released the OPPO Climate Action Report: Climate Pledges and Low Carbon Development Strategy, at MWC 2023. In the report, OPPO pledges for the first time to achieve carbon neutrality across its global operations by 2050. With technical support from global consultancy Deloitte[1] , the report outlines five key areas in which OPPO will work towards achieving this goal: low-carbon manufacturing, reducing the carbon footprint of products, investing in options that generate less carbon, utilizing digital technology to manage carbon emissions, and collaborating on industry standards to address climate change.

Starting in 2020, OPPO has published a sustainability report each year to publicly disclose its plans and practical progress towards sustainability goals. In 2022, OPPO completed its first global inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and used this data as the scientific basis for its carbon reduction strategy. Now, in the new Climate Action Report, OPPO pledges to make its operations carbon neutral by 2050.

Commenting on this commitment, Tony Chen, OPPO Founder and CEO, said: “Achieving our goal of becoming carbon neutral will require both determination and patience. Guided by our mission of ‘Technology for Mankind, Kindness for the World’, we promise to pursue carbon neutrality with the same zeal and commitment that we invest in our technological innovation.”

OPPO pledges to become carbon neutral across its global operations by 2050 and identifies low carbon development roadmap
OPPO pledges to become carbon neutral across its global operations by 2050 and identifies low carbon development roadmap

Promoting green manufacturing and operations through innovation

OPPO has held onto its global position as the fourth-largest phone manufacturer for two consecutive years,with users in over 60 countries and regions worldwide. As its business grows rapidly, OPPO is equally concerned about how to reduce its environmental impact.

Among the carbon emissions generated by OPPO’s various operations, factories and data centers are the two most significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 62% and 31.9% respectively. While continuing to drive commercial growth, OPPO is also exploring innovative ways to achieve greener manufacturing and business operations. Through energy saving and emission reduction initiatives, by the end of 2022, OPPO has managed to reduce 6000 tons of greenhouse gas emission from its operation each year. This is equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gas absorbed by 3,330 square kilometers of forest in a year.

Since 2020, OPPO has systematically carried out a series of energy-saving upgrades to key machinery in its factories. One such project has involved automating previously manually operated machines. Compared with manual control, the automated equipment can be set to operate precisely according to the real-time requirement, thus reducing power consumption to the bare minimum. For example, with the automation upgrades introduced to the corner cutting machines, power consumption has fallen by 54%.

In addition, OPPO is also working on the construction of carbon neutral data centers. Its first self-built data center, OPPO Binhai Bay Data Centre not only uses 100% renewable energy, but also continues to explore and apply cutting-edge, low-carbon technology. One of the key outcomes of this exploration has been the research and implementation of immersion cooling technology for GPU server clusters.

We are living in a digital era, with ever-increasing demand for data storage, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing. Thus, the power consumption of data centers and their GPU server clusters is also rising significantly. Not only does this increased power consumption present a major challenge, but we must also work out how to dissipate the heat produced as efficiently as possible. Most traditional data centers rely on mechanical equipment such as fans and air conditioners to cool the building, which in turn consumes more energy and produces higher levels of CO2.

In order to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, OPPO is deploying immersion cooling technology for GPU server clusters in its data center. Immersion cooling technology, which refers to the direct immersion of servers in a non-conductive liquid, directly draws the heat generated during operation away through the liquid, without the need for active cooling by devices such as fans and air conditioners. The liquid that has risen in temperature is cooled by circulation and then returned to continue absorbing thermal energy. The heat recovered is then put to good use in other areas such as heating and hot water provision, significantly improving the energy efficiency of the overall system. The deployment of immersion cooling technology leads to a 45% improvement in energy efficiency, and an industry-leading data center power usage efficiency (PUE) as low as 1.15.

OPPO Binhai Bay Data Center deploys immersion cooling for GPU server clusters
OPPO Binhai Bay Data Center deploys immersion cooling for GPU server clusters

Introducing sustainability into the product management life cycle

While constantly thinking about how to improve the user experience of its products, OPPO also aims to provide greener products. To this end, OPPO has made sustainability a key goal in the life cycle management of its products to minimize their impact on the environment.

While designing the packaging of its products, OPPO follows the internationally recognized green packaging principle of 3R+1D (reduce, reuse, recycle and degradable). In 2023, starting in the European market, nearly all plastics have been removed from the packaging of OPPO’s smartphones, making it 100% biodegradable and more eco-friendly. Approximately 45% is also made from recycled fibers, sourced from recycled wastepaper or plant-based materials (such as sugarcane and bamboo byproducts), helping to reduce the demand for raw materials.

OPPO has also made technological breakthroughs aimed at improving the durability of its products. For example, OPPO’s proprietary Battery Health Engine technology can maintain 80% of the original battery capacity for up to 1600 charging cycles, significantly extending battery life.

OPPO's progress towards low carbon development
OPPO’s progress towards low carbon development

The volume of electronic waste generated globally has grown by 21% over the past 5 years, making it the fastest growing category of household waste[2]. To tackle the problem of e-waste pollution, OPPO has established a number of product recycling systems and launched a trade-in service in both domestic and international markets to promote the recycling of used electronic devices. In 2021, 1.2 million phones were recycled in China, amounting to a total weight of 216 tons. This number rose to 1.3 million phones and 240 tons in 2022. In the EU and other regions, OPPO is involved in the Green Dot program as well as partnering with professional recycling firms to help recycle used products.

For a long time, OPPO has not only been investing in low carbon initiatives but has also taken action to inspire more of its peers. During the Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards at MWC 2023, OPPO Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Jun Liu, was invited to present the Tech4Good award, recognizing companies that have used technology and innovation to make the world better and to solve global challenges. In recognition of its own efforts, OPPO was also invited to join the judging panels for the Best Mobile Innovation for Climate Action Award and the Outstanding Mobile Contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Award.

Jun Liu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at OPPO, presents the 2023 GLOMO Tech4Good Award to winners
Jun Liu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at OPPO, presents the 2023 GLOMO Tech4Good Award to winners

The road to a greener future is a long one, but with its Climate Action Report and low carbon development strategy, OPPO is already well on the way to achieving this goal. OPPO is committed to playing its part as it works with both partners and the public to build a better future for all.

To learn more about OPPO’s low carbon development strategy, please refer to the OPPO Climate Action Report: https://www.oppo.com/content/dam/oppo/common/mkt/footer/OPPO-Climate-Action-Report-EN.pdf


[1] Deloitte provided technical support to OPPO when it developed its GHG emissions inventory, emission reduction goals and long-term roadmap for low carbon development.

Hashtag: #OPPO

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

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been relentless in its pursuit of the perfect synergy between aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services such as OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO has footprints in more than 60 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.