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Government of Laos Opens Bidding for Electric Vehicle Purchase

Electric vehicle

The government of Laos has opened a bidding process to purchase over a hundred electric vehicles for Party and government leaders.

Babel Finance: Ukraine war accelerates mainstream adoption of cryptocurrency as store of wealth

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 30 March 2022 – The conflict in Ukraine, as well as the sanctions imposed on Russia as a result, has heightened interest in cryptocurrencies. Regulators are concerned that Russia may use cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions, while more investors are wary of traditional assets’ safety, has hastened the use of cryptocurrencies as a means of wealth protection.

Investor understanding that sanctions against Russia may be more limited than initially assumed boosted Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin towards the end of February. Furthermore, Russia’s partial ban from the SWIFT payment network might also enhance crypto transaction volumes – until potential cryptocurrency sanctions are decided.

Regulators from the West are concerned that cryptocurrencies and other digital tokens could provide an alternative monetary system to help keep businesses afloat during the crisis. The United States, EU, and Japan are all exploring controls to guarantee that cryptocurrencies are not used to circumvent financial sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine. The Babel Finance crypto trading team is following the latest developments closely.

The specifics of these cryptocurrency controls remain unknown. The United States has warned cryptocurrency exchanges not to assist transactions for Russian billionaires and businesses on its sanctions list. The EU might issue an order to prohibit cryptocurrency exchanges and organizations from issuing crypto assets or offering associated services to Russian clients. Japan may also request that exchanges block any cash-outs by Russians.

For institutions to enforce these controls, they may soon begin tracking transactions on cryptocurrency exchanges and the registered bank accounts associated with these trades. Despite this, the Babel Finance crypto trading team notes that some of the large exchanges are located outside of the United States, EU, and Japan. With no real headquarters or set location, they might be able to avoid worldwide regulatory oversight.

Our experts at Babel Finance’s Hong Kong and Singapore offices believe enforcement will be difficult. Outside of exchanges, direct transfers between bitcoin wallets are unregulated. Bitcoin’s and other digital tokens’ decentralized nature ensures anonymity and makes it technologically difficult to monitor all individual payments and follow every computer’s transaction.

The Babel Finance cryptocurrency research team believes that the conflict in Ukraine has also prompted investors to be concerned about the security of traditional assets. Many individuals now realize that the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies might help them better diversify their wealth risks. In turn, this is encouraging more people to invest in encrypted assets. Coinbase had the highest outflow of bitcoin in four years from March 7th to 11th, owing to institutional investors buying bitcoin in huge amounts and moving bitcoin to personal accounts.

Babel Finance and its experts will continue to monitor the crypto-asset market’s trends and threats. The team will analyze the regulatory and supervisory implications of the global crypto-assets market to pivot market opportunities and threats.

Notes to editors and readers

The report is based on the author’s own research, analysis, and judgment and does not constitute an investment recommendation. Babel Finance assumes no responsibility for any consequences that readers may have.

About Babel Finance

Babel Finance is a global leading crypto financial services provider, offering institutional and HNWI investors professional services covering crypto lending and crypto trading.

The company is backed by prominent investors, including Sequoia Capital China, Tiger Global Management, BAI Capital, Zoo Capital, Dragonfly Capital, and NGC Ventures.

With a business focus in Asia and a business headquarters in Singapore, Babel Finance has established close cooperative relationships with major global exchanges, custodians, investment funds, and mining institutions.


#BabelFinance

GEODIS takes center stage at the Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC

High-tech features of GEODIS’ road transportation system praised for enhancing the networks’ resilience to supply chain disruptions

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 30 March 2022 – GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, was named the winner in the transportation category at this year’s Computer Weekly Innovation Awards APAC for its innovative use of Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) in the development and design of its road services.

The awards, presented by TechTarget, celebrate the best digital transformation projects across sectors such as transportation, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance. GEODIS’ high-tech road transportation solution was selected by TechTarget’s members across APAC for its strategic integration of technology to afford customers greater control and visibility over their cargo.

GEODIS’ road transportation system recognized at the awards includes an advanced truck system designed to track and streamline scheduling processes by leveraging robust data collected from the deployed trucks, as well as other digital solutions that provide real-time updates and visibility across the journey of the cargo.

“Amidst an increasingly complex supply chain landscape, digitalization as well as being at the forefront of change has never been more essential for the industry. This is why we are relentless at driving innovation here at GEODIS” said Evelyn Ooi, Chief Information Officer, Asia Pacific, GEODIS. “We are honored to have the technology used in our road transportation system recognized. We believe that it serves as a testament to our sustained efforts towards thinking outside the box and delivering the most dynamic, agile, and competitive solutions to our customers.”

GEODIS’ road transportation system has already been rolled out across Southeast Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. GEODIS plans to further expand this system to operations in China and India, amongst other key markets.

GEODIS – www.geodis.com

is a top-rated, global supply chain operator recognized for its commitment to helping clients overcome their logistical constraints. GEODIS’ growth-focused offerings (Supply Chain Optimization, Freight Forwarding, Contract Logistics, Distribution & Express, and Road Transport), coupled with the company’s truly global reach thanks to a global network spanning nearly 170 countries, is reflected by its top business rankings: no. 1 in France and no. 7 worldwide. In 2021, GEODIS employed over 46,000 people globally and generated €10.9 billion in revenue.

#GEODIS

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

Hugill & Ip and PathFinders Join Hands for the #PathGuardiansHK Campaign

An initiative to protect children and their migrant mothers through donations received from Children’s Day to Mother’s Day

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 30 March 2022 – Next week Hugill & Ip and PathFinders will launch a joint campaign to raise funds to benefit the many vulnerable children and their migrant mothers in Hong Kong.

The fundraiser officially kicks off on 4 April 2022. The starting date marks Children’s Day and the campaign will last until 8 May – Mother’s Day. The campaign includes a series of events to raise awareness about the challenges that many working mothers and Migrant Domestic Workers (MDW) face. As the only charity in Hong Kong dedicated to supporting the unique vulnerabilities of children born to migrant mothers, PathFinders strives to ensure that these vulnerable and unsupported children are protected and respected, and their mothers are empowered to find a path to a bright future.

Starting on Children’s Day (4 April), Hugill & Ip’s Estate Planning team will prepare temporary and/or permanent Deeds of Guardianship, on a pro-bono basis, in exchange for minimum charitable donation of $2,888 to PathFinders. Every dollar will go directly to PathFinders and support them to maintain critical services and safeguard the wellbeing and future of children born to migrant mothers, particularly critical during uncertain times like the current COVID-19 pandemic.

While donations can only be received from 4 April to 8 May 2022, the period for taking appointments and the preparation of Deeds of Guardianship with the Estate Planning team at Hugill & Ip will run until 30 September 2022. This is a great opportunity for everyone who has not yet put in place or needs to update their guardianship wishes, while supporting an important charitable organisation. All donations are tax-deductible.

Having helped almost 9,200 babies, children and women since 2008, PathFinders is a respected charity committed to supporting the welfare of children and mothers by providing child protection, counselling, shelter, healthcare, education and supplies. Hong Kong currently employs 330,000 MDWs, many of whom are women of childbearing age. Often social and cultural norms in their home countries does not encourage comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and/or gender equality, which can result in an unplanned pregnancy during their stay in Hong Kong.

Despite legal protections, once an MDW’s pregnancy is announced or discovered, many of these expectant mothers are unlawfully fired, pressured to leave or resign because they, and their employers, simply don’t know what else to do. PathFinders adopts an educational and preventive approach towards ensuring every pregnancy is considered and planned, thereby enabling a clear, stable and brighter path is established for every child.

However, without systemic and policy change, the problems PathFinders tackles will likely escalate with the number of MDWs employed in Hong Kong expected to increase to 600,000 by 2047 to help care for a rapidly ageing population. To influence change, PathFinders engages with HKSAR Government Departments, Consulates, United Nations agencies, academics and key local and international stakeholders to ensure policies and practices do not actively exclude or omit to protect children and mothers it serves.

Since its founding days, Hugill & Ip has continued supporting different charitable causes and NGOs. In the past 18 months, a specific effort has been given to social responsibility initiatives related to children, the elderly and cancer-affected individuals. The firm hopes to see an increased number of local organizations getting involved in projects that impact our community and also give their workforce a platform to develop a wider commitment towards society.

Call to action

  1. Get a Deed of Guardianship for your child(ren) upon direct donations to PathFinders
  2. Find out more about issues pertaining to safety and security of children throughout the campaign and help raise awareness
  3. Celebrate #WorkingMomsHK and understand how corporates can better support their female employees to integrate work and family, in the spirit of promoting a more diverse, inclusive and family friendly workplace culture.

More information is available on the #PathGuardiansHK campaign page.

About Hugill & Ip

Hugill & Ip Solicitors is an independent law firm providing bespoke legal advice and exceptional client service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses, in Hong Kong and internationally. Hugill & Ip provides high quality legal services with integrity, professionalism and respect for clients and the community.

#HugilandIP

About PathFinders

PathFinders is the only Hong Kong charity dedicated to supporting the unique vulnerabilities of children born to migrant mothers. Since 2008, PathFinders has supported almost 9,200 mothers and children find a path to a brighter future.

First Thai Durians Enter China via Laos-China Railway

Thai durians arrive in China.
Thai durians arrive in China (Pattaya Mail).

Thai durians have been being shipped to China via the Laos-China Railway for the first time.

Comodo and Plexus Partner to Protect Enterprises from Cyber Attacks in Sri Lanka Market

Sri Lanka-based value-added distributor to provide Comodo security solutions to the South Asian market

BLOOMFIELD, US – News Direct – 29 March 2022 – Comodo Security Solutions, a leading provider of endpoint protection solutions, today announced that they have partnered with Plexus, a leading value-added distributor based in Sri Lanka, to provide Comodo’s solutions in Sri Lanka as well as other countries in the South Asian market.

Comodo’s Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP) is the only solution that prevents 100% of ransomware and other malware before any damage is done. Because endpoints are the entry point for virtually all malware attacks, Comodo AEP utilizes a patented virtual isolation capability that isolates unknown files and code in a protective container until it is determined to be 100% safe. Comodo AEP is the only endpoint security solution that applies the Zero Trust principle of ‘Never Trust; Always Verify’.

“We welcome the opportunity to work with an established and leading value-added distributor in Sri Lanka such as Plexus,” said Ezra Correa, Vice President of International Business Development at Comodo. “We now have the opportunity to expand our business into a growing market, and to help organizations in Sri Lanka and surrounding countries to protect themselves against the latest ransomware and malware attacks.”

Plexus already represents world-class Enterprise Server Solutions, Data Management, IT services, Backup Power, Networking, and Network Security Solutions. Now, with Comodo added as their security solutions portfolio and trusted cyber advisor, Plexus can turn on a world-class security operation and position itself as a leader with the best security practice in the markets they serve.

“We are pleased to be working with Comodo and to have the opportunity to distribute their leading security solutions to the South Asian market,” said Damitha Haegoda, Director from Plexus. “With this partnership in place, Plexus can now offer a full breadth of IT security solutions to our customers.”

Comodo will be presenting this week at Plexus Inspire 2022, Plexus’ annual channel partner event.

About Plexus

Founded in 2017, Plexus offers global products and services to clients through its strong distribution network across Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Singapore. Plexus is a state-of-the-art value-added distributor, with a mission to enhance the business operations of clients by providing high-value products and services and to act as the bridge between customers and solutions. For more information, visit .

About Comodo

Headquartered in Bloomfield, NJ, Comodo’s mission is to help customers avoid breaches with groundbreaking isolation technology that fully neutralizes ransomware, zero-day malware, and cyber-attacks that other security providers can’t do. We deliver active breach prevention with patented auto containment technology. Our Unified Endpoint integrates this technology with critical components like our highly rated advanced endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, and endpoint management to offer a single cloud-accessible Active Breach Protection solution. Comodo’s SOC-as-aService team makes the solution a frictionless, high-security implementation. For more information, visit .

#CYBERSECURITY #ENDPOINT SECURITY #ENDPOINT PROTECTION

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

Chinachem Group: City’s largest Community Vaccination Centre on private land opens today, offering convenient service for hundreds of thousands

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – A new pop-up Community Vaccination Centre (CVC) commenced operations in the heart of Causeway Bay today (29 March), potentially allowing several hundred thousand more citizens to get fully vaccinated and help Hong Kong return to normal life as soon as possible. The CVC at the junction of Leighton Road and Caroline Hill Road is the largest yet set up within a private property portfolio, having been jointly offered to the Government for three months by Chinachem Group (the Group) and Hysan Development, who will later be developing a retail, commercial and community complex on the 160,000 sq ft site.

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The Chief Executive Carrie Lam (5th from right), Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip (5th from left), Executive Director and CEO of Chinachem Group Donald Choi (3rd from right), Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Hysan Development Ricky Lui (4th from left), Chief Executive of Gammon Construction Kevin O’Brien (2nd from right), Chairman of the Council of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Poly U) Dr Lam Tai-fai (4th from right) and President of Poly U Prof Teng Jin-guang (3rd from left), East Asia Regional Chairman of Arup Michael Kwok (right), Vice Chairman of Ronald Lu and Partners Bryant Lu (2nd from left) and Managing Director, Property & Buildings, China Region of WSP Colin Chung (left) take a group photo at the Caroline Hill Road pop-up Community Vaccination Centre.

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The new pop-up Community Vaccination Centre at Caroline Hill Road is the largest yet set up within a private property portfolio, created using pre-fabricated containers. It is expected to be capable of serving several hundred thousand more citizens to get fully vaccinated during its 3-month operational period.

Constructed in an exceptionally short period of just 18 days, the CVC offers 18 vaccination booths, providing a smooth and comfortable experience for the public. Gammon Construction, which has also sponsored the initiative, took the lead in creating the temporary facilities using pre-fabricated containers, working alongside other partners including Arup, Ronald Lui and Partners and WSP. The site was handed over to the Hong Kong Government on 23 March 2022 and will be operational for three months until the end of June. The School of Nursing at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University will operate the vaccination centre in a non-profit-making mode.

“Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve assiduously explored how we can use our property spaces and other resources to help the Government and the community combat the pandemic,” explains Chinachem Group’s Executive Director and CEO Donald Choi. “As in this case, we’ve also joined hands with like-minded partners where possible to maximise the support we can offer, and help speed Hong Kong’s recovery through a team effort. This exemplifies our people-centric philosophy and our vision of creating shared value for the community through a ‘Triple Bottom Line’ approach, which balances People, Prosperity and Planet.”

Chinachem Group has also made a number of its hotels available for quarantine or isolation purposes, while Nina Hotel Tsuen Wan West recently hosted a community vaccination day co-organised with Tsuen Wan District Office. In late January, the Group organised pop-up mini-flower markets at selected properties to support local farmers affected by the last-minute cancellation of the traditional Chinese New Year markets.

Besides putting its properties to good use amid the pandemic, the Group has helped make 100,000 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits available to people in need, donating 50,000 kits directly and a further 50,000 through matching donations by C-MER Eye Care Holdings and Shenzhen YHLO Biotech. The first batch of 20,000 RAT kits were delivered to the Fu Hong Society to help its residential care homes and daycare centres combat the pandemic. The remaining 80,000 were packed into 8,000 goodie bags – together with other anti-epidemic supplies and daily necessities such as masks, hand sanitiser, canned food and more – then distributed to subdivided flat households in Tsuen Wan, Sham Shui Po and Yau Tsim Mong districts, benefiting around 4,000 low-income families. To ensure the timely and safe delivery of these supplies and ease the current pressure on NGOs, the Group arranged distribution through smart logistics start-up Zeek, in which it is an investor.

The Group has also donated HK$500,000 to Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Welfare Council to alleviate their substantial expenses of employing temporary care workers, paying special allowances, and purchasing anti-epidemic supplies and disinfection.

In the earlier stages of the Government’s vaccination drive, the Group organised a HK$20 million Vaccination Lucky Draw to encourage more people to get vaccinated. By playing its part to boost the city’s vaccination rate, the Group hopes that Hong Kong can build a sufficient immunity barrier to speed up its relaxation of anti-epidemic measures and return to a healthy economy.

The Group will continue to provide support and care to citizens in need while paying close attention to their well-being. The Group will join hands with others in the city to fight against the epidemic and build a beautiful home together.

Chinachem Group

Since 1960, Chinachem Group has been a leading property developer in Hong Kong, with a portfolio covering residential, commercial, retail and industrial buildings for sales and investment, in addition to operating hotels and property management services. The Group actively seeks to make a positive contribution to society through its adherence to the “Triple Bottom Line”, a commitment that its activities will benefit People, bring Prosperity to the community and preserve the Planet. Please visit .

#ChinachemGroup

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

Creation Design & Contracting launches a one-stop school engineering service to help schools handling summer vacation projects

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 29 March 2022 – To improve learning environments, many schools strive to carry out school refurbishments during summer vacations. In addition, many schools are also preparing to build onsite STEM LABs to cooperate with the STEM education that is actively promoted by the Education Bureau in recent years. However, the “early summer vacation” caused by the raging fifth wave of the epidemic has disrupted many school refurbishments plans.

Given this, Creation Design & Contracting , with its professional team of experienced School Design, Construction, and Education experts, has launched a one-stop school refurbishment service to ensure that every part of the design is conducive to the development of a diverse learning space by improving communication.

School refurbishment design should ensure the high quality of the learning environment and the safety of students. There are many areas to pay attention to in school refurbishment, and thus an experienced construction team is required. Creation Design & Contracting has a wealth of STEM ROOM Design and Decoration experience, from materials, design, furniture customization, time management, to school refurbishment budgets, such as subsidies from the Quality Education Fund (QE Fund) or kindergarten school building decoration allowance. As these mentioned funds will be processed through strict approval and review, further details cannot be ignored.

To cope with the epidemic, Creation Design & Contracting has also assisted many schools in optimizing the ventilation conditions of the school premises, including purchasing ventilation testing services and purchasing air purifiers or carrying out other minor improvement works to meet the government’s ventilation requirements. Professional designers and refurbishment teams would commit to fulfilling the needs of each teacher and student, customizing the refurbishment planning of the learning space, and creating a unique cooperative learning space.

About Creation Design & Contracting Limited:

Creation Design & Contracting Limited is a refurbishment design company that undertakes various types of refurbishment works, minor refurbishment works, , and works. The company is sincerely committed to providing a one-stop service, providing customers with professional analysis and design solutions free of charge. Moreover, the company also provides easy-to-follow quotations. Each refurbishment project progress would be supervised, and the company would report each stage of the refurbishment progress and keep close contact with its customers.

#CreationDesign&Contracting