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Laos Cosmetics Boss Denies Connection to Thai Drug Bust

An image of the tanker that was confiscated in Thailand.

The self-described CEO of a cosmetics company came forward Thursday evening to maintain her innocence amid claims on social media that she may have been identified as the mysterious woman behind a drug trafficking scandal.

President of Laos to Visit Chinese President Xi Jinping

President Thongloun Sisoulith and President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in January 2020( Photo: South China Morning Post and AFP).

The President of Laos will pay a state visit to China from 29 November to 1 December in response to an invitation from the Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

HKBU joint research develops multifunctional nanoparticle for diagnosis and treatment of glioma

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 November 2022 – A Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) collaborative research team has synthesised a nanoparticle named TRZD that can perform the dual function of diagnosing and treating glioma in the brain. It emits persistent luminescence for the diagnostic imaging of glioma tissues in vivo and inhibits the growth of tumour cells by aiding the targeted delivery of chemotherapy drugs. The nanoparticle offers hope for the early diagnosis and treatment of glioma, especially cerebellar glioma, which is even harder to detect and cure with existing methods.

The research team led by Dr Wang Yi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry at HKBU, has developed a near-infrared persistent luminescence nanoparticle named TRZD for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.

The research team led by Dr Wang Yi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry at HKBU, has developed a near-infrared persistent luminescence nanoparticle named TRZD for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.

The research results have been published in Science Advances, an international scientific journal.

Limitations of existing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches

Glioma is the most common form of malignant primary brain tumour, and it accounts for about one-third of all brain tumours. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to diagnose glioma, but the technology is not that sensitive. Cerebellar glioma, a relatively rare brain tumour, is even harder to detect with MRI. To facilitate early detection and treatment, an alternative method with improved sensitivity and precision is needed to diagnose glioma.

Doxorubicin, a chemotherapy agent, is an effective treatment for glioma. However, its application may also damage normal cells, and it is associated with a range of side effects. To enhance doxorubicin’s clinical efficacy and minimise its side effects, a novel approach is needed to apply the drug to tumour cells in a more targeted manner.

In response to the diagnostic and therapeutic needs of glioma, a research team co-led by Dr Wang Yi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chemistry at HKBU, and Professor Law Ga-lai, Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has synthesised a novel near-infrared (NIR) persistent luminescence nanoparticle called TRZD, which can play a dual role in diagnostic imaging and as a drug carrier for glioma.

TRZD has the characteristic of emitting NIR persistent luminescence after excitation with ultraviolet (UV) light. The basic structure of TRZD is a combination of nanoparticles, loaded with the mesoporous structure of silica, which makes it a good carrier of doxorubicin particles. Its surface is coated with red blood cell membranes to increase its stability, and it is embedded with T7 peptides. T7 peptides have a strong affinity for transferrin receptors which are abundant on the surface of tumour cells, and they can facilitate TRZD’s penetration through the blood-brain barrier.

An imaging probe for glioma diagnosis

The research team evaluated the efficacy of TRZ (i.e. TRZD without doxorubicin) in diagnostic imaging for glioma with a mouse model. TRZ particles were first excited by UV light to initiate luminescence. Mice with tumour tissues injected into their cerebrum and cerebellum were then treated with TRZ. In the following 24 hours, TRZ luminescence was detected at the tumour sites of the mice.

However, when the same experiment was conducted with TRZ without T7 peptides, and TRZ without both the red blood cell membrane coating and T7 peptides, no luminescence was detected at the tumour sites of the mice. The results show that the red blood cell membrane coating can prolong the function of TRZ by stabilising the nanoparticle, and it can slow down its natural uptake by the human body. On the other hand, T7 peptides are instrumental in TRZ’s penetration into and accumulation in tumour cells, so that it can perform its imaging function for glioma.

Dr Wang said: “Our experiment suggests that TRZ is a promising bioimaging agent for the diagnosis of glioma. It was observed that TRZ’s luminescence can be detected in tumour cells in both the cerebrum and cerebellum regions of the brain, which is an encouraging result because glioma in the cerebellum region is difficult to detect with existing diagnostic methods. As a result, TRZ offers new hope for the timely and accurate diagnosis of glioma.”

TRZD inhibits the growth of glioma and extends the lifespan of mice

The research team further evaluated the anti-tumour efficacy of TRZD using a group of mice who had had their cerebrum and cerebellum injected with tumour tissues. After applying TRZD for 15 days, the average diameter of their tumours was reduced to 1 mm. They also survived 20 days longer on average compared to the control group, who had not received TRZD. Besides, cell death was observed in the tumour region but not in normal brain tissue.

Dr Wang said: “The experimental results indicate that TRZD’s therapeutic effect on glioma has good selectivity, because doxorubicin is brought specifically to tumour cells due to T7 peptide’s strong affinity with tumour cells’ surface receptors and its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. As a result, doxorubicin can be applied in a more targeted manner, and hopefully its side effects can be minimised with a reduced drug dosage.

“We concluded that TRZD demonstrates promising potential, and it could be developed into a new generation of anti-glioma drugs that can perform the dual function of diagnosis and treatment. It also offers hope for the development of treatment protocols for other brain diseases.”

Hashtag: #HKBU

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

Bank of the Lao PDR Changes its Logo

The Bank of Laos PDR.

Bank of the Lao PDR (BOL) has announced that it would be using a new logo starting this week.

Hongkong Land HOME FUND announces new strategic partnerships and initiatives for 2023 to mark its second anniversary of supporting communities

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 November 2022 – Hongkong Land HOME FUND (“HOME FUND“) yesterday completed two momentous years of empowering younger generations, promoting social inclusion, and helping disadvantaged families facing housing-related social issues. To mark the second anniversary of HOME FUND, Hongkong Land announced new partnerships for 2023, and shared various achievements of the past two years.

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(from left to right) Ms Cressida Leung, Deputy Chief Executive, The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong, Ms Anita Lai, Chairperson, Make-A-Wish Hong Kong, Mr John Simpkins, Executive Director & General Counsel of Hongkong Land, Ms Sian Taylor, CEO, Box of HOPE, and Ms Winnie Ngan, Director, Institutional advancement office, Vocational Training Council, commemorate the second anniversary of Hongkong Land HOME FUND.

Launched in November 2020, with an initial investment of HK$100 million, HOME FUND has been actively collaborating with various non-governmental organisations (“NGOs”) on a series of community outreach programmes aimed at helping local communities aspire for a better future. Since its inception, HOME FUND has already committed over HK$80 million, touching the lives of more than 150,000 people and growing its NGO partnerships from an initial three to more than 80.

To provide support during the fifth COVID-19 wave in Hong Kong earlier this year, a further HK$15 million was injected into HOME FUND, to provide emergency support to 116,000 people in Hong Kong. Some of HOME FUND‘s key projects in 2022 include:

Empowering Youth through Life and Career Coaching Initiatives:

  • In partnership with The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong, HOME FUND sponsored a career and life planning project for nearly 300 young people from ethnic minorities aged 15 to 29, to equip them with Chinese language skills, expand career opportunities and aspire to a promising future.
  • HOME FUND collaborated with the Hong Kong Christian Service to set up a dedicated team as part of early intervention efforts to identify the hidden disadvantaged youth in society and design social, family and career programmes to help them become productive members of society, approaching life with renewed confidence.
  • In line with HOME FUND‘s community investment strategy, the Hongkong Land HERE2HELP volunteer team contributed at least 1,900 volunteering hours through well-structured programmes like career coaching, homework tutoring and thematic educational workshops. With a 20% participation rate from Hong Kong-based employees, their efforts have helped over 15,000 people in need.
  • Sponsored by HOME FUND and curated by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, ‘Project Futuremark’ is a two-year programme to assist the upward mobility of 1,000 young people living in sub-divided flats through creative learning workshops related to education, social connections, family relations, health and hygiene, and employment experience. More than 30 workshops have been completed and the programme is currently recruiting more partners. With the commencement of the second cohort in November, over 30 NGO partners have been engaged.


Providing a Better Living and Study Environment for the Community:

  • HOME FUND collaborated with twelve Hongkong Land business partners to work on an Improvement Project for the Christian Zheng Sheng Association. Recognised as the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Project of the Year’ at the RICS Awards 2022, the project has improved the living conditions of students by revamping their dormitory and equipping the kitchen with essential items for cooking and training purposes.
  • Supported by HOME FUND, the Jockey Club Design Institute of Social Innovation at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) produced ergonomically designed furniture to enable a conducive learning environment for nearly 2,000 children living in sub-divided units. The furniture will be distributed by the end of this year and volunteers will be deployed by PolyU, to teach the children how to use the furniture safely.

“Two years ago, HOME FUND established with a vision to empower the local community in Hong Kong and inspire our next generation with better opportunities for the future. Looking back on our journey, we are proud of how far we have come and all the lives that have been impacted along the way,” said Mr John Simpkins, Executive Director & General Counsel of Hongkong Land. “In the years to come, we hope that our projects will serve as a leading model for social impact collaboration and encourage more organisations to join hands with us as we continue to serve the needs of the community.”

In 2023, HOME FUND will continue to renew its investments across all its key projects, whilst growing its network of NGO partners:

  • As part of a multi-year commitment, HOME FUND will partner with Light Be over the next three years on ‘Youth Light Home’, where it aims to improve the upward mobility of disadvantaged young adults who are going through the transition from school to the workplace. This initiative will offer young adults transitional housing and help them develop their careers and financial resilience.
  • In addition to supporting young adults, HOME FUND will also provide assistance to primary and secondary students with various special needs. The partnership with RMHC Hong Kong will promote the academic development of nearly 200 underprivileged children suffering from chronic illness, by providing them with timely guidance from qualified part-time teachers, to enhance their opportunities and learning abilities.


This festive season, Hongkong Land has once again aligned HOME FUND to support young people in need and promote social inclusion. Built around a special theme that honours the idea of ‘Love is in the Giving’, Christmas at LANDMARK this year reflects HOME FUND‘s spirit of giving back to the community. Proceeds from LANDMARK’s Christmas installation ticketing, merchandising and Christmas Charity Booths will be shared with four designated charity partners, all of whom have been empowered by Hongkong Land HOME FUND, including Box of Hope; Make-a-Wish Hong Kong; The Society of Rehabilitation & Crime Prevention, Hong Kong (SRACP); and Shine Skills Centre of Vocational Training Council.

Notes to Editors

The Hongkong Land HOME FUND was launched in November 2020 and has been injected with a total investment of HK$115 million over the past two years. It demonstrates Hongkong Land’s long-term commitment to the development of future generations and its aspiration to contribute to the fostering of an inclusive society. Hongkong Land HOME FUND‘s initiatives aim to address long-term underlying socio-economic issues, by supporting young people in unleashing their potential and improving the standards of living and the upward social mobility of low-income households.

To date, Hongkong Land HOME FUND has extended support to over 80 NGO partners and has touched the lives of more than 150,000 people in need, with impact extending beyond Hong Kong, to the Chinese mainland and Singapore.

Hashtag: #HongkongLand

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

Hongkong Land

Hongkong Land is a major listed property investment, management and development group. Founded in 1889, Hongkong Land’s business is built on excellence, integrity and partnership.

The Group owns and manages more than 850,000 sq. m. of prime office and luxury retail property in key Asian cities, principally in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Jakarta. Its properties attract the world’s foremost companies and luxury brands.

The Group’s Central Hong Kong portfolio represents some 450,000 sq. m. of prime property. It has a further 165,000 sq. m. of prestigious office space in Singapore mainly held through joint ventures, a luxury retail centre at Wangfujing in Beijing, and a 50% interest in a leading office complex in Central Jakarta. The Group also has a number of high quality residential, commercial and mixed-use projects under development in cities across China and Southeast Asia. In Singapore, its subsidiary, MCL Land, is a well-established residential developer.

Hongkong Land Holdings Limited is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the standard segment of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group’s assets and investments are managed from Hong Kong by Hongkong Land Limited. Hongkong Land is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

Motorcyclist Robbed by Elderly Man in Vientiane

Photo credit: Freepik

A victim who was robbed by an elderly man posted about his encounter yesterday, warning others to take greater care when offering assistance to strangers.

Lenovo Think P Series Workstations Up To 43 Per Cent Off During Black Friday

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 25 November 2022 – Lenovo Singapore today announced the range of Lenovo ThinkPad P Series and ThinkStation on offer for its Black Friday promotion between November 24 to 28, only on Lenovo Official Website. The Think P Series Workstations deliver uncompromised performance that power intensive artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and deep learning workflows for fintech companies. The workstations deliver maximum levels of performance under today’s most demanding AI workloads and removes start up challenges data scientists face with full turnkey solutions, leveraging the latest GPU-accelerated AI frameworks and software stacks for maximum productivity, operations and profits, transforming the way people work with smarter technology.

Enjoy up to 43 per cent off during Lenovo's Black Friday promotion from November 24 to 28 2022

Enjoy up to 43 per cent off during Lenovo’s Black Friday promotion from November 24 to 28 2022

According to NVIDIA’s State of AI in Financial Services 2022 Survey, 91 per cent of financial services firms are driving critical business outcomes with investments in AI. Groundbreaking technology such as AI, ML and big data analytics have created opportunities for the fintech sector in the fight against financial fraud, using algorithms that analyze large data sources in real time.

“Designed with purpose to meet customers’ needs, Lenovo enables fintech firms to address business challenges by modernizing their data center IT architecture in the age of AI and big data,” said Nigel Lee, General Manager of Lenovo Singapore. “From blockchain to regulatory compliance and infrastructure to end-users, Lenovo empowers thousands of financial services customers globally through workforce-enabling technology and services to align IT with financial industry innovations, pushing the boundaries and building a smarter and faster future.”

Driven by customer feedback, Lenovo mobile and desktop workstations are designed and engineered to deliver their biggest contribution to AI and data science, and meet rigorous performance and computing requirements of the fintech industry’s processor-intensive workflows.

Preloaded with Lenovo ThinkShield security suite for protection across device and data, the ThinkPad P1 Gen 5 mobile workstation (starting at $3,723) features the latest 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor and graphics support up to an NVIDIA® RTX™ A5500 GPU. The ThinkPad P14s Gen 2 (starting at $2,219), Lenovo’s most portable mobile workstation, combines 11th Generation Intel® Core™ processors and NVIDIA® professional graphics engineered for intensive renderings and workflows. The ThinkStation P360 Ultra (starting at $1,491) delivers unmatched performance in half the size of a traditional small form factor desktop workstation, powered by 12th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-12400 Processor with a fully integrated, five-year life cycle solution.

Don’t miss out on huge Black Friday Savings with Daily flash deals on our range of Think P Series workstations and ThinkStation at up to 43 per cent off from November 24 to 28. Looking for your next WorkStation? Visit our Lenovo Official Website. Call us at 800-601-1481 or chat with us to enjoy complimentary IT consultation.

BLACKFRIDAY shopping promotion
Get up to 43% off purchase of Lenovo products (PC, accessories, monitors and Tablets)
Use promo code “YEAREND” to save up to an extra 26% off

Offer Period: 14 Nov 2022 to 30 Nov 2022

Terms and Conditions:

  1. This promotion is only available for customers purchased on Lenovo eShop (www.lenovo.com/sg/en)
  2. The offer cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions and/or discounts.
  3. Discounts stated are on a while stocks last basis
  4. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no refund will be accepted for orders with a discount code offer.
  5. In the event of dispute, Lenovo (Singapore) Pte Ltd decision shall be final.

Hashtag: #Lenovo

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

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$70 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 75,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company by further expanding into key growth areas including server, storage, mobile, solutions and services. This transformation together with Lenovo’s world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable digital society for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit ,and read about the latest news via our .

DHL Supply Chain names Mihaela Isac as new CIO in Asia Pacific

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 25 November 2022 – DHL Supply Chain, the world’s leading contract logistics provider and a business division under Deutsche Post DHL Group, has appointed Mihaela Isac as its Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Asia Pacific. Mihaela was most recently Vice President of IT Life Sciences & Healthcare in North America, where she was responsible for enhancing the organization’s IT offering in transportation and warehousing in the life sciences sector.

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“Mihaela has been with DHL Supply Chain for over a decade, and her achievements during this period speak for themselves. I am confident that her international experience and capabilities make her the perfect choice to enhance our digitalization agenda and standardization processes further to drive growth in the region, said Terry Ryan, CEO DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific.

Mihaela joined DPDHL Group in 2011 as part of DHL Consulting in Bonn, Germany. In 2014, she relocated to Miami, where she continued her consulting career and held roles of increasing responsibility. She was an Associate Partner before moving to DHL Supply Chain IT North America as Senior Director Strategic IT Projects in 2019. She was appointed Senior Director IT Transportation Solutions in 2020 before stepping into her most recent role as Vice President IT Life Sciences and Healthcare.

During her three years with DHL Supply Chain IT in North America, Mihaela spearheaded innovation initiatives and digital projects for customers successfully while achieving strong employee engagement and NPS scores.

“I have seen firsthand how our teams at DHL Supply Chain have used technology to maintain business continuity for our customers throughout the pandemic and other disruptions. Customer needs have evolved and we need to focus on enhancing capabilities and enabling success for data analytics and accelerated digitalization to build resilience in our customers’ supply chains. I’m honored to have this opportunity to bring direct impact and influence on deploying the very best digital solutions and innovations for our customers,” said Mihaela.

Hashtag: #DHLSupplyChain

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

DHL – The logistics company for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air, and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. With about 400,000 employees in more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global sustainable trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, engineering, manufacturing & energy, auto-mobility and retail, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world.”

DHL is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 66 billion euros in 2020. With sustainable business practices and a commitment to society and the environment, the Group makes a positive contribution to the world. Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions logistics by 2050.