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Laos, Cambodia Collaborate to Combat Corruption

Laos, Cambodia Committed in Combating Corruption
Men Sam An (right), Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection met with Lao’s Khamphanh Phommathath on June 21. (Photo: Men Sam An/FB)

Lao and Cambodian State Inspection Authorities met in Cambodia last week to share experiences in tackling corruption, and to express their mutual commitment to anti-corruption cooperation.

Aon: Catastrophes and Natural Disasters in the Asia Pacific Region in 2022 Led to Total Economic Loss of USD 80 Billion

  • 86 percent of disaster losses uninsured
  • Floods were costliest peril for the third consecutive year, accounting for more than 61 percent of total economic loss


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 June 2023 – Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, today published its 2023 Weather, Climate and Catastrophe Report: Asia Pacific Insights, which identifies Asia Pacific (APAC) and global natural disaster and climate trends to help make better decisions to manage volatility and enhance resilience. The report reveals that natural disasters in the Asia Pacific region in 2022 caused a USD 80 billion economic loss — of which only USD 11 billion was covered by insurance.

The report shows that 2022 was the fifth costliest year on record for insurers globally, with six of the top 10 events happening in Asia Pacific. Flooding remained a recurring threat with annual losses exceeding USD 30 billion every year since 2010. Pakistan, India, southern China and South Korea saw record rain and significant flooding in 2022. Floods in Pakistan were the costliest event for the peril, tied with seasonal flood losses in China, which were at their highest since 2016. The only two geophysical disasters that cost approximately USD 1 billion in economic losses in 2022 were the March Fukushima Earthquake in Japan and September Sichuan Earthquake in China.

The report also highlights that approximately 31,300 people lost their lives due to global natural catastrophe events in 2022, with Asia Pacific accounting for approximately 4,000 deaths. The number of fatalities from tropical cyclones was also at its lowest in at least 66 years. This is not only a result of below-average activity, but also improved disaster response and adaptation measures. Tropical cyclone losses in Asia Pacific dropped to one of the lowest with accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) scores in the northwest Pacific and north Indian oceans reaching their fifth and fourth lowest values since 1991, respectively.

George Attard, chief executive officer, Reinsurance Solutions, Asia Pacific at Aon said, “The extreme weather in the region throughout the year highlights the continuing need to strengthen resilience by adopting effective adaptation and risk management strategies. This includes improved mitigation through warning systems and advanced analytics that help assess the potential impact of events and enhance disaster response. There is an increasing need for organisations to shift to a data-driven and analytical approach to address and navigate emerging and evolving risks, build a resilient workforce, have access to new forms of capital, as well as scalable innovative solutions regardless of their size. The data, statistics and analytics of this report are intended to help organisations understand natural disaster and extreme weather trends, quantify and qualify issues influencing catastrophe risk, and make better decisions to protect and grow their business.”

Further findings of the 2023 Weather, Climate and Catastrophe Report: APAC Insights include:

  • Nearly 86 percent of economic losses in the region are not covered by insurance.
  • Flood losses continued to maintain dominance as the costliest peril for the third consecutive year, accounting for more than 61 percent of the total economic loss. Much of the flood losses in 2022 occurred in South Asia, where the protection gap remains very high as flood insurance cover is not widespread.
  • In recent years, flooding has been prominent in terms of economic losses, partly from continuing La Niña conditions, which drove prolific rainfall in Sydney, Australia, Sindh, Pakistan and Meghalaya, India, increasing risks of deadly landslides and/or overflowing rivers.
  • High temperatures affected India and Pakistan early in March 2022. In India, it was the hottest March on record since 1901.
  • In Japan, a record number of people were admitted to hospitals due to heatwaves, which followed an early end to the plum rain season. China had its second driest summer and most extensive and longest heatwave on record.
  • Monsoonal floods in Pakistan had a far-reaching humanitarian impact on the country, with 1,739 lives lost and over 33 million people affected. Ongoing impacts were felt through acute malnutrition or waterborne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea and malaria. Hospitals were overwhelmed as thousands of health facilities were destroyed in the flooding. In a summary of the 2022 monsoon season, the Pakistan Meteorological Department noted that country-wide rainfall from July to September was 175 percent above average.

While technological innovation has allowed for better insight, including faster and more thorough assessments of damages during and after a catastrophic event, the Aon study examines resilience and the ability to overcome climate-related consequences – not only for physical risks, but also in areas such as the health of the workforce – reiterating the need to build multi-faceted strategies that account for climate change risk mitigation on all fronts.

Brad Weir, head of Analytics for Asia at Aon, said, “While a majority of total losses in 2022 were left uninsured, the 86 percent ‘protection gap’ highlights the vulnerability of our region’s communities, but also the opportunity for new solutions. As climate change continues to affect the frequency, location and intensity of weather events, the physical and tangible risks will continue to evolve. Through private and public sector collaborations and data-driven analytics, organisations can help turn climate science into action to enhance their own risk mitigation and also support addressing the protection gap to better safeguard the communities in which we live and work.”

The top 10 global economic loss events in 2022 were:

Date Event Location Deaths Economic Loss Insured Loss
($ billion) ($ billion)
09/27 – 10/01 Hurricane Ian United States, Cuba 157 95.5 52.5
Annual European Drought Southern, Western & Central Europe N/A 22 3
Annual U.S. Drought United States N/A 16 8
06/14 – 10/30 Pakistan Seasonal Floods Pakistan 1,739 15 0.1
06/01 – 09/30 China Seasonal Floods China 195 15 0.4
03/16 Fukushima Earthquake Japan 4 9.1 2.9
02/23 – 03/31 QLD & NSW Floods Australia 22 8 4
Annual China Drought China N/A 7.6 0.2
02/18 – 02/19 Windstorm Eunice Western & Central Europe 17 4.5 3.4
05/17 – 10/31 India Seasonal Floods India 2,135 4.2 0.1
All other events ~27,100 115.6 57.4
TOTALS ~31,300 313 billion 132 billion

The full report and a short video are available on Aon’s interactive microsite. Along with this report, readers can access current and historical natural catastrophe data and event analysis at catastropheinsight.aon.com. For additional regional insights, view the 2023 Weather, Climate and Catastrophe Report: APAC Insights here.
Hashtag: #ClimateRisk #Aon #WeatherClimateCatastrophe #NaturalDisasters #AsiaClimateRisks #FloodLoss #EconomicLoss

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

Aon

(NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries and sovereignties with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.

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Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is solely for information purposes, for general guidance only and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although Aon endeavours to provide accurate and timely information and uses sources that it considers reliable, the firm does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of any content of this document and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. There can be no guarantee that the information contained in this document will remain accurate as on the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No individual or entity should make decisions or act based solely on the information contained herein without appropriate professional advice and targeted research.

VHIS101 is Committed to Address VHIS’s Lack of Understanding

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 June 2023 – Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) is an important policy measure introduced by the Hong Kong government to adjust the balance between public and private healthcare systems. Its aim is to regulate the quality of existing personal medical insurance and enhance the transparency of insurance products. However, since its launch in 2019, many people still have insufficient knowledge of VHIS. Therefore, VHIS101 hopes to introduce VHIS to everyone in a simple and direct way, while adhering to three editing principles to simplify complex concepts.

Nearly 60% of people don’t know enough about VHIS

Since its launch four years ago, many people still have insufficient knowledge of the VHIS.

In a 2022 public opinion survey in Hong Kong, nearly 60% of respondents indicated that they were “not very familiar” with the VHIS program. For example, they could not distinguish between traditional medical insurance and VHIS, or they only knew that VHIS offers tax incentives, but had no understanding of its other standardized protection and features.

On the other hand, an electronic lifestyle information media also conducted a survey on the public’s intention to take out VHIS insurance. They found that most of the respondents who held medical insurance did not take out VHIS, and more than 60% of them would not consider switching to or taking out additional VHIS insurance. This reflects that the popularity of the VHIS program is relatively low, possibly due to the public’s lack of understanding of VHIS, not knowing that they can switch from existing medical insurance to VHIS, or even how to flexibly combine VHIS with existing medical insurance plans to obtain greater protection.

Online insurance has become a major trend

The same survey conducted by the electronic life information media also revealed that online insurance is becoming more and more popular. 75% of the respondents intend to apply for insurance online. Save time by not having to make an appointment to meet with an insurance broker or intermediary.

Undoubtedly, applying for insurance online has become a major trend in the insurance industry in recent years. With the popularity of the Internet and the improvement of information transparency, more and more policyholders are willing to purchase insurance products through online platforms instead of relying on insurance intermediaries.

The advantage of online insurance applications is that it is convenient, fast, time-saving and labor-saving. The policyholder does not need to make an appointment for an interview or wait for an insurance intermediary to reply. All he needs is an electronic device and an internet connection to complete the insurance application process easily.

In addition, online insurance premiums are usually more affordable than traditional insurance products because policyholders do not need to pay insurance intermediary commissions and other fees. However, online insurance also has some disadvantages. For example, policyholders may not be able to accurately understand insurance products, which makes it difficult to apply for insurance on their own.

Seeing that most Hong Kong citizens still have little understanding of voluntary health insurance, and “disintermediation” has become a major trend, VHIS101 hopes to dismantle common questions about voluntary health insurance and explain common insurance terms for the public through simple and easy-to-understand words, so that Everyone can increase their understanding of voluntary health insurance and have one more choice when purchasing medical insurance.

VHIS101 strictly adheres to the 3 major editorial guidelines

VHIS101 has noticed that when searching for information about Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) online, most websites exist to sell insurance, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish which information is truly objective content.

Therefore, VHIS101 strictly adheres to three editing guidelines, striving to allow consumers to absorb VHIS-related knowledge with peace of mind and without being influenced by irrelevant advertisements.

VHIS101 promises not to display any advertisements on the website, but rather focuses on providing high-quality insurance knowledge and information. We will not allow advertisements to affect our content, so that readers can focus on learning and understanding VHIS-related information.

At the same time, VHIS101 will not sell readers’ personal information, nor will we profit from any personal data, ensuring that users can share their questions and opinions with confidence.

VHIS101 hopes to become the insurance knowledge partner of Hong Kong people, dedicated to simplifying complex insurance concepts, making the VHIS’s coverage, terms and conditions of VHIS easier to understand. Therefore, the VHIS101 editorial team will introduce various VHIS concepts and knowledge to readers in a light-hearted and humorous manner, making learning more relaxed and fun.

Hashtag: #vhis

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

About VHIS101

The editorial team is composed of members with rich insurance knowledge and experience, committed to providing objective and neutral Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) insurance knowledge, allowing readers to make wise insurance decisions based on their own needs.

Pro-govt Ethnic Militias in East Myanmar Shift Loyalty to Join Fighters Against Military Rule

Villagers and resistance fighters gather and bury what they say are victims of an airstrike by planes of the military government, outside the town of Pasuang in Myanmar's eastern state of Kayah on Sunday, June 25, 2023. The military government use air and ground attacks to try to crush the armed resistance that arose after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Fighting has been fierce in isouthern Kayah, where members of an army-established ethnic Karenni militia recently defected en masse to the resistance side.(Free Burma Rangers via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — Units of an ethnic militia in eastern Myanmar that is nominally part of the military have switched sides, allying themselves with the country’s pro-democracy movement, and have carried out attacks in recent weeks on army outposts and a police station, its members said.

Lao Officials Educate Students on Effects of Drugs at Golden Triangle SEZ

Laos Educates Students on Effects of Drugs at Golden Triangle SEZ
Students from Ton Pheung High School, Boeko province, Laos. (Photo: PathetLaoDaily)

Authorities in Bokeo province organized an event to discuss the harmful effects of drugs with students and young adults on the occasion of the 36th anniversary of the International Anti-Drug Day on 25 June.

Motorcyclist Struck by Rock, Sustains Serious Injuries in Luang Prabang

The Luang Prabang Red Cross Emergency Rescue Team assist the injured motorcyclist (Photo: Luang Prabang Red Cross Unit)

A motorcyclist sustained serious injuries last week, after being hit by a rock while traveling along a stretch of mountain road in Luang Prabang.

Media OutReach Newswire guarantees news posting on 300 news sites for press release distribution to China

A new milestone for the newswire industry

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 June 2023 – Media OutReach Newswire, Asia’s first global newswire, has strengthened its China distribution network, expanding the number of media partners to guarantee online news posting for its press release distribution service to 300 leading English and Simplified Chinese media partners.

Caption

As companies in China look to global markets for new growth opportunities, Media OutReach Newswire offers comprehensive local and global press release distribution across 26 Asia Pacific markets, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, UK, Canada and USA to support Chinese companies in building their brand internationally.

Media OutReach Newswire has been supporting Chinese corporations from OPPO to Fosun, Alibaba Cloud, IMAX China and ECOVACS Robotics to build their global brand reputation in markets including the USA, UK, Germany, Canada and Dubai and key Southeast Asia regions Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia as well as Mainland China.

Media OutReach Newswire’s global press release distribution network offers an authentic service that connects clients in China with journalists to build media relations, post their news on real media sites and reach investors through the companies news posting into all of the world’s leading financial services in English and Simplified Chinese such as Bloomberg, Refinitiv Eikon, Dow Jones Newswire, Factset, Infront, Morningstar and international news services Reuters News Agency, Associated Press (AP) and Agence France Presse (AFP).

As the first global newswire in Asia to build a dedicated distribution network for China brands to expand globally, clients will have unlimited access to multiple industry media from business, finance, automotive, cryptocurrency, education, fashion, mobile, eSports, gaming, healthcare, consumer technology, travel, women, the arts and other news categories.

Media OutReach Newswire is the only global newswire that specialises in Asia Pacific with its own distribution network spanning 26 countries in the region. It has a database of 140,000 journalists and editors, covering 400 news trade categories and partnership with more than 600 online media to provide guaranteed online news posting.

Across the China market, Media OutReach Newswire’s partners include leading national news sites Netease, Sohu, Sina, Tencent, TouTiao, iFeng, Zhong Guo Wang, in addition to top finance platforms Futu Niu Niu Juan, EastMoney and Xueqiu.

The expansion further cements Media OutReach Newswire as the most comprehensive press release distribution partner in China and across the Asia Pacific region that connects Chinese clients with real journalists to generate coverage and build media relations. Post-release reports, available in English and Simplified Chinese, show how many journalists engaged with their press release by publication and country through the Media and Journalist Insights Report, the only newswire to offer this service.

To help PR professionals communicate their news effectively, Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, says Media OutReach Newswire’s pricing structure in China will remain unchanged, with a single fee applied for unlimited trade categories.

“Our commitment lies in providing a robust platform that empowers companies in China to establish and strengthen their brand using our authentic newswire service, without incurring any additional costs,” Kok says.

“With this expansion, Media OutReach Newswire solidifies its position as the most comprehensive press release distribution partner, dedicated to empowering Chinese companies to build their brand through an authentic and specialised press release distribution service across the Asia Pacific, including key Southeast Asia markets, as well as the USA, UK, Germany, France the Middle East and Africa.”

Media OutReach Newswire has established a strong footprint in China, launching the industry’s first dedicated press release distribution network for the Greater Bay Area.

The Greater Bay Area, encompassing major cities Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing, plus Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, has emerged as a crucial economic powerhouse and innovation hub strategically positioned as a gateway to connect Southern China to global markets, while empowering global business to secure a footprint in one of the fastest-growing economic regions in Asia.

Hashtag: #MediaOutReachNewswire #pressrelease

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

About Media OutReach Newswire

Launched in 2009, Hong Kong-based Media OutReach is the first global newswire founded in the Asia-Pacific region with offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, China, Thailand and Taiwan.

As a pioneering global newswire agency and the voice of Asian companies, Media OutReach is the only press release newswire that owns its distribution network in 26 countries across Asia Pacific region. Our network of media assets includes more than 140,000 journalists, 400 trade categories, 65,000 media titles and partnerships with more than 600 authentic media to guarantee online news postings.

With proprietary SAAS technology at our core, we distribute multi-language and multimedia press release content directly to the inbox of editors and journalists to optimise coverage, build media relations and provide pioneering insights on PR campaign performance. Our guaranteed online news posting turns our clients’ releases into organic stories on our media partner news sites.

For more information about Media OutReach Newswire’s services and distribution network, please visit .

Oasys Explores Potential Partnership with MIXI Corporation to Accelerate Growth of Blockchain Gaming

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 June 2023 – Oasys, a gaming-optimised blockchain, today announced that it is in talks with MIXI Corporation to expand their partnership beyond MIXI’s current role as a validator on the Oasys Chain. The two companies are exploring ways to collaborate on content production and other Web3-related initiatives to accelerate the growth of blockchain gaming.

MIXI.png

MIXI, renowned for its blockbuster mobile game “Monster Strike,” has been at the forefront of Web3 innovation with its sports-focused NFT marketplace, “DAZN MOMENTS.”

The partnership between Oasys and MIXI would bring together the expertise of two leading companies in the blockchain gaming space. The two companies believe that they can work together to create innovative and engaging blockchain games that will appeal to a wide audience.

The two companies are still in the early stages of discussions, but they are both optimistic about the potential of the partnership. They believe that the partnership could help to accelerate the growth of blockchain gaming and make it more accessible to a wider audience.
Hashtag: #Oasys #blockchain #gaming #japan

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

About Oasys

Oasys is a blockchain-based game development platform that offers a highly scalable Layer 1 hub and specialised Layer 2 using Ethereum’s Layer 2 scaling solution. The ecosystem provides game developers with a secure and scalable blockchain infrastructure for creating more efficient, secure, and interoperable games. Among Oasys’ validators are leaders in gaming and Web3, such as SEGA, Ubisoft, and Yield Guild Games, in our Proof-of-Stake (PoS) based blockchain. Oasys’ expert blockchain team, combined with the biggest names in gaming, is revolutionising the gaming industry.

Oasys solves the challenges that game developers face when building blockchain-based games by focusing on creating an ecosystem for gamers and developers to distribute and develop games. The company’s trifecta approach includes a fast network powered by the gaming community, a scalable network powered by AAA game developers, and a blockchain that provides the best user experience with fast transactions and zero gas fees. This approach prepares participants to enter the Oasys and play.

More information on Oasys is available at:
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