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Hong Kong Design Centre Welcomes Chief Executive’s 2022 Policy Address and New Measures to Foster the Development of the Cultural and Creative Industries

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2022 – Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) strongly supports the policies proposed in Chief Executive John Lee’s first Policy Address, in particular the government’s initiatives to foster the development of Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, in accordance with the 14th Five-Year Plan. In fulfilling this role, HKDC believes it would also be important to foster the development of the design industry and economy to build competitiveness and sustainable growth for Hong Kong as an international city.

As the Hong Kong SAR Government’s strategic partner in promoting design and design thinking to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international design hub, HKDC is most encouraged by the following four points which align with our strategic directions:

(i) Nurturing a diversified talent pool and promotion of STEAM education – HKDC believes design and design thinking should be integrated into primary and secondary education to nurture creativity among our youths, who are the foundation of Hong Kong’s future competitiveness. This calls for the introduction of design-dedicated subjects starting at the primary level, and promoting design education in tandem with the STEM curriculum. Thus, the government’s proposal to promote STEAM education is most encouraging. In addition, the development of design and design industries can also improve youth upward social mobility by providing more career prospects to young people.

(ii) Continuous upgrade of cultural infrastructure – With HKDC soon to be relocated to Sham Shui Po as a new creative landmark in 2024, HKDC believes Sham Shui Po could be developed into a Design and Creative District, using HKDC as a creative anchor to facilitate cultural exchanges and the development of the cultural industries. Design and creative districts are increasingly an integral part of major cities such as South Korea, Thailand, the UK, Finland and the Netherlands, and could reinforce the city’s role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

(iii) Enriching arts, cultural and creative content – It was proposed that a Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund be set up to promote the staging of more international cultural events in Hong Kong. While international cultural events and exchanges are important, Hong Kong’s long-term competitiveness is more ensured by cultivating its own creative district and talent. HKDC proposes that this fund be used to support relevant activities in the Sham Shui Po Design and Creative District and attract youth participation, so that it can better capitalize on opportunities in the fastest growing sector (i.e. creative industries) of the global economy.

(iv) Promoting platforms for arts and cultural industries – Business of Design Week (BODW), HKDC’s annual flagship event since 2002, was mentioned among the globally acclaimed platforms for fostering the development of arts, cultural and creative industries. In addition to strengthening copyright trading activities to foster the growth of these industries, HKDC advocates the drawing up of a comprehensive blueprint for fostering the development of the Design Industry and Economy in Hong Kong. A design economy can also bring significant cultural values to Hong Kong, and become a main driver of economic and environmental values to the wider economy and community.

Prof. Eric Yim, Chairman of HKDC said, ‘We believe design and design thinking can play a crucial role in leveraging the creative and cultural industries to strengthen our city’s overall competitiveness, and create more value for different sectors of the economy. We will continue to work closely with partners such as the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Brand Hong Kong, InvestHK and West Kowloon Cultural District to strengthen the creative industries and foster the continuous growth of the design economy.’

Hashtag: #HongKongDesignCentre #HKDC

About Hong Kong Design Centre

A non-governmental organisation registered in 2001 and established in 2002, Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC) is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government in establishing Hong Kong as an international centre of design excellence in Asia. Our public mission is to promote wider and strategic use of design and design thinking to create business value and improve societal well-being.

The year 2022 marks our 20th Anniversary, where we will celebrate with a series of activities under the theme ‘Design for Sustainable Community’. Learn more about us at .

Police in Bokeo Seize 3 Million Amphetamine Pills from a Pick-up Truck

A pile of drugs seized by Bokeo Police on Saturday. Photo Credit: Lao Security News

Authorities in Bokeo’s Tonphueng district confiscated 3 million amphetamine pills from a pick-up truck parked on the roadside on Saturday.

Sunlight Real Estate Investment Trust (“Sunlight REIT”) attains a Two-Star Rating in the 2022 GRESB Real Estate Assessment

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2022 – Henderson Sunlight Asset Management Limited (the “Manager“) is pleased to announce that Sunlight REIT has been awarded a two-star rating in the 2022 GRESB Real Estate Assessment, a globally recognized environmental, social and governance (“ESG“) framework in the real estate sector. This achievement attests to the Manager’s dedicated commitment to integrating sustainability criteria into the business of Sunlight REIT.

Mr. Wu Shiu Kee, Keith, Chief Executive Officer of the Manager, said, “We are honoured to receive a two-star rating for our first GRESB Real Estate Assessment. This important milestone reflects our dedication and capability to advance sustainability through blending ESG considerations into the management and operations of our properties. Echoing the theme of our latest annual report, “Crafting A Brighter Future“, we will continue to extend good practices on multiple ESG fronts, notably including the crafting of a greener portfolio and a more sustainable environment at our workplace and shopping destinations. In this regard, it is my pleasure to unveil “Care and Conserve“, the guiding theme of our ongoing renovation at Metro City Phase I Property, which upon completion will provide a refreshing and eco-friendly experience for our customers and stakeholders.”

GRESB Assessments are investor-driven with the objectives of assessing and benchmarking ESG performance of real estate portfolios and assets and providing standardized and validated ESG data to the capital markets. The 2022 GRESB ESG benchmark covers more than 1,820 property companies, real estate investment trusts, funds and developers, translating to an asset coverage of USD6.9 trillion spanning across 74 countries.

Hashtag: #SunlightREIT

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

About Sunlight REIT

Listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited since 21 December 2006, Sunlight REIT (stock code: 435) is a real estate investment trust authorized by the Securities and Futures Commission, and constituted by the amended and restated trust deed dated 10 May 2021 (the “Trust Deed“). It offers investors the opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of 11 office and five retail properties in Hong Kong with a total gross rentable area of over 1.2 million sq. ft.. The office properties are located in both core and decentralized business areas, while the retail properties are situated in regional transportation hubs, new towns and urban areas with high population density.

About the Manager

The Manager of Sunlight REIT is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Henderson Land Development Company Limited. Its main responsibility is to manage Sunlight REIT and all of its assets in accordance with the Trust Deed in the sole interest of its unitholders.

Indonesia to Demolish Football Stadium Where Over 130 People Lost Their Lives

Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, Indonesia (Photo: EPA-EFE/MAST IRHAM)

Indonesia will demolish and rebuild a football stadium where more than 130 people including football fans and police died in a stampede earlier this month.

Over a Million Tourists Visit Laos This Year

Tourism in Luang Prabang
A tourist rides a bicycle in Luang Prabang

Laos has seen an increasing number of visitors traveling to the country ever since it removed its travel restrictions in May following the Covid-19 crisis.

70% of CEOs say their network is slowing business growth, new NTT study finds

NTT’s new 2022 Global Network Report surveyed more than 1,300 enterprise networking professionals globally, uncovering a need for network modernisation to enable business growth

  • 70% of CEOs globally say their level of network maturity is negatively affecting business delivery
  • 72% of top performing businesses already outsource more than half of their network infrastructure
  • The top trends driving modernisation of the enterprise network are cybersecurity, cloud-native platforms, Private 5G and the hybrid workplace
  • 94% of business leaders are increasingly looking to partner with a Managed Service Provider or single specialist provider

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 20 October 2022 – NTT Ltd., a leading global IT infrastructure and services company, has today launched its 2022 Global Network Report, which found that 70% of CEOs believe their network maturity level is negatively affecting their business delivery. The adoption of hybrid, distributed work environments with multiple connected devices is erupting through enterprises but, despite investments, just two in five businesses say they are very satisfied with their current network capabilities. This has resulted in a new era of network modernisation, with the majority of executives relying on it to enable business growth (>90%) and support artificial intelligence (AIOps) (91%).

Keeping hybrid environments secure

With distributed hybrid work models presenting far more attack opportunities for malicious actors, the importance of network security has become a major component of network architecture. This has inspired organisations to move to more centralized, cloud-based security solutions and a managed endpoint security model, as well as increasing their investments in network cybersecurity. Most business leaders believe new threats will drive increased security demands for their enterprise network, requiring a deeper level of access control and inspection (93%).

The transformation to network as a service models

Respondents reported that their highest concerns, above even cost, are security, modernisation, and access to a full suite of services from their provider. In terms of managing the network, more than 90% of senior executives prefer the network as a service model, citing the flexibility to scale up and down as a major benefit. Additionally, a complexity in deploying effective AIOps and automation solutions, which simplify ongoing network operations but are complex to configure initially, make the network as a service model more attractive.

“Levels of investment in the network have surged, with the results of this research showing many organisations are leaning towards key partners and managed service solutions to fulfil their requirements. This is primarily to drive security and gain access to skills that can both optimize capability and accelerate innovation-based advances” said Amit Dhingra, Executive Vice President at NTT Ltd. Network Services.

Dhingra, concludes “We are in the midst of a modernisation of network services, however, many of the solutions that are currently in play for a minority will become standard inside just two years. Instead, organisations should turn their attentions to a network as a service model. Businesses should consider security, skills competency, ability to scale, private 5G, and software defined networking when selecting a network service provider. In the long term, blockchain, further AI and automation, AR and VR, quantum networking, 6G and photonic computing will affect how networks are delivered.”

Chris Barnard, Vice President at International Data Corporation (IDC) comments, “As new ways of working drive transformation, high performing enterprises realize the value of investing in strategic technologies – core enterprise networks, 5G, edge, artificial intelligence. To support the networking requirements of emerging digital services and applications, organisations are modernizing their enterprise networks, allowing for more efficient use and management of the networks that underpin their enterprises. Enterprises that have not invested risk negatively affecting their growth opportunities. As the network plays a fundamental role in digital transformation strategies and distributed working and processing, we can expect to see more enterprise network upgrades as technologies such as AI and security defenses are layered on to mainstream enterprise networking. While it can seem complex, service providers such as NTT can evaluate flexible deployment options that drive business value.”

The report concludes with seven considerations for executives to evolve and future-proof their network. Read the full 2022 Global Network Report here.

In tandem with the report’s launch, NTT Ltd. will also be hosting the latest iteration of its APAC iNTTerconnected virtual summit – ‘Enable the connected future through smarter networks’ – on Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 13:00 – 14:30 (GMT +8). Participants will be able to find out more about the report’s key findings as well as understand why network architecture is critical to organisations and how business leaders can leverage Network as a Service to transform their customer’s experience of their business. You can register for the event here.

NTT Ltd. is a leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Network Services, Global, positioned highest for both its “Completeness of Vision” and “Ability to Execute” among 18 network service providers.

Methodology

The report is based on research conducted by Jigsaw Research on behalf of NTT Ltd. across 21 countries in five regions in July and August 2022. The research spanned 16 industry sectors including: retail and wholesale, manufacturing and automotive, financial services, technology and health. The research is based on a sample of network decision-makers/influencers in IT and wider business roles.

Hashtag: #NTT

About NTT Ltd.

As part of NTT DATA, a USD 30 billion IT services provider, NTT Ltd. is a leading IT infrastructure and services company serving 65% of the Fortune Global 500 and more than 75% of the Fortune Global 100. We lay the foundation for organisations’ edge-to-cloud networking ecosystem, simplify the complexity of their workloads across multicloud environments, and innovate at the edge of their IT environments where networks, cloud and applications converge. We offer tailored infrastructure and ensure consistent best practices in design and operations across all of our secure, scalable and customizable data centers. On the journey towards a software-defined future, we support organisations with our platform-delivered infrastructure services. We enable a connected future.

Visit us at

Lao Central Bank Bans Money Exchangers From Selling Foreign Currencies

Foreign and Lao currencies.

The Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) has put out a notice preventing currency exchange units associated with commercial banks from selling foreign currency.

Vientiane’s Chanthabouly District Police Double Down on Crimes

In the first six months of the year, Vientiane Capital’s police have cracked down on numerous crimes being committed in the district and were able to solve many of them.