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Linde Announces CEO and Chairman Succession

GUILDFORD, UK – EQS Newswire – 25 October 2021 – Linde (NYSE: LIN; FWB: LIN) today announced its Board of Directors has appointed Sanjiv Lamba to succeed Steve Angel as Chief Executive Officer and Steve Angel to succeed Wolfgang Reitzle as Chairman, effective March 1, 2022.

Lamba was named Linde’s Chief Operating Officer in October 2020. Throughout his more than 30-year tenure with Linde, he served in various leadership roles including Executive Vice President APAC, Head of Regional Business units (South & South East Asia) and Managing Director India. In addition to his appointment as CEO, Lamba will join Linde’s Board of Directors, effective March 1, 2022.

“I am truly honored to lead this outstanding company into the future,” said Lamba. “Linde is exceptionally well-positioned to capitalize on profitable growth opportunities in several end markets, including electronics, healthcare and clean energy. I look forward to working with the talented Linde team to continue driving our high-performance culture and create sustainable value for Linde shareholders.”

Angel was named Chief Executive Officer of Linde plc in 2018, having successfully led the merger of Linde AG and Praxair into the world’s largest global industrial gases and engineering company. Under his leadership, the company implemented a culture of operational excellence and capital discipline which, when combined with industry leading growth, generated 100% Total Shareholder Return over the last three years. Prior to his role as Linde CEO, Angel served as Chairman, President and CEO of Praxair, Inc. since 2007.

“It has been a privilege to lead Linde to become the best performing industrial gases and engineering company in the world,” said Angel. “As Chairman, I look forward to working with Sanjiv as we further strengthen Linde’s reputation for excellence. I’m confident that under Sanjiv’s leadership, Linde will maintain our high-performance culture, aggressively implement our new sustainability goals and leverage the many growth opportunities we have in front of us to create significant shareholder value.” Angel continued, “I want to thank Wolfgang for his partnership in enabling our highly successful merger and his leadership as Chairman of the Board of Directors.”

Reitzle retires from Linde after nearly 20 years with the company, during which he served as President and CEO of Linde AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Linde AG.

“It was an honor to work with Linde’s outstanding board members and senior management throughout my tenure as Chairman,” said Reitzle. “I’m pleased to know Steve will now lead the Board of Directors and Sanjiv will be at the helm of the company. Linde could not be in better hands.”

About Linde

Linde is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with 2020 sales of $27 billion (€24 billion). We live our mission of making our world more productive every day by providing high-quality solutions, technologies and services which are making our customers more successful and helping to sustain and protect our planet.

The company serves a variety of end markets including chemicals & refining, food & beverage, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing and primary metals. Linde’s industrial gases are used in countless applications, from life-saving oxygen for hospitals to high-purity & specialty gases for electronics manufacturing, hydrogen for clean fuels and much more. Linde also delivers state-of-the-art gas processing solutions to support customer expansion, efficiency improvements and emissions reductions.

For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.linde.com

digiXnode Technology Limited unveils digixnode.io — access digital economies economically

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 October 2021 – digiXnode Technology Limited (dXn) today launched the exclusive service portal for the Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN) in Hong Kong and Macau. In the past, users could only easily have access to a couple of mainland China or foreign blockchain frameworks and needed to spend tremendous costs, time and resources to use blockchain technology. By subscribing blockchain services from the dXn website, digiXnode.io, blockchain application developers and users can legally access to numerous blockchain frameworks in both mainland China and worldwide, saving time, cost and effort while accelerating cross-border deployments of distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based applications. 

 

Paul Wong, co-Founder of dXn, mentioned, “dXn provides a one-stop portal for subscriptions to both mainland China and global blockchain infrastructure services. Users can access the frameworks on Blockchain-based Service Network with the cheapest, easiest, and quickest way to make secure and trusted cross-border digital transactions.”

 

dXn believes that data trust and privacy play are pivotal to the success of digital economies. The exclusive access to trusted infrastructure on both sides of the border provided by dXn will spur innovation and create immense benefits by enabling talent, information, value and goods flow between enterprises, users, and partners. A virtuous cycle will be created and it can reinforce confidence, synergy and better cost performance for all parties involved.

 

dXn envisions to be the enabler of the fairest shared economies of the world. With the launch of digiXnode.io, dXn has built bridges between digital economies by offering the most economical means for blockchain-based application development and deployment. Upping the ante, dXn will next focus on bringing these bridged digital economies to the masses, building up and operating the most secured and trusted marketplace. Soon, developers and consumers will be able to publish and subscribe to various digital assets and services in the most convenient and cost-effective manner.

 

High resolution event photos downloadable HERE.

 

Photo 1: Group photo

Photo 2: Paul Wong, Co-Founder of dXn

Photo 3: Lo Wai Shun, Co-Founder & Chairman of dXn

Photo 4: Tim Bailey, Vice President of Red Date Tech

Photo 5: Sean Lee, CEO & Director of Algorand Foundation

About BSN and the consortium

The BSN Consortium consists of the Chinese government’s State Information Center (SIC), China Mobile, China UnionPay and Red Date. It operates a global public Blockchain-based Service Network (BSN), where all types of blockchain distributed applications (DApps) can be deployed on its cross-cloud and cross-framework public city nodes (PCN) around the world.

To participate in digital economies, visit www.digixnode.io.

#digiXnode

Hong Kong Baptist University’s discovery of new coral and nudibranch species reflects Hong Kong’s rich marine biodiversity

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 25 October 2021 – Biologists from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have discovered in Hong Kong waters a new species of hard coral and two new species of nudibranch, a type of marine mollusc, that have never been identified anywhere else in the world. The discoveries of new species from these commonly seen animal groups are a vivid reflection of Hong Kong’s rich marine biodiversity.

Professor Qiu Jianwen (right) and Mr Yiu King-fung, a member of the research team and a research postgraduate student (left) introduce the new coral and nudibranch species.

 

The new marine species were identified by research teams led by Professor Qiu Jianwen, Professor of HKBU’s Department of Biology. The descriptions of the new coral and nudibranch species were published in the academic journals Zootaxa and Zoological Studies, respectively.

 

First new hard coral species discovered and named in Hong Kong in the past two decades

 

The new coral species belongs to the genus Tubastraea, which is commonly known as sun coral due to its bright orange polyps (individuals making up the colony) and the circle of tentacles that surround its mouth. HKBU biologists discovered the new species while conducting underwater surveys at the Breaker Reef in the eastern waters of Hong Kong in the summer of 2020.

 

The team named the coral Tubastraea megacorallita, with “mega” and “corallite” meaning “big” and “skeletal cup”, respectively. The species name reflects the fact that it has the biggest and most structurally complex corallite among the eight recognised Tubastraea species around the world. This species forms small colonies of between three and 12 polyps, and they share a common calcareous skeleton.

 

Sun corals are different from most reef-building corals, as they do not host symbiotic algae that produce energy via photosynthesis. Instead, these corals gain energy and nutrients by capturing small animals called zooplankton from seawater using their tentacles. While reef-building corals in Hong Kong typically inhabit shallower waters up to a depth of 10 metres, sun corals live in deeper waters at a depth of between 10 and 30 metres.

 

“Although 98 species of hard coral have been recorded in Hong Kong, the last time a new coral species discovered in Hong Kong waters was in 2000. It is in over around 20 years a new hard coral species discovered and named in Hong Kong,” said Professor Qiu.

 

Two new nudibranch species

 

Nudibranchs, commonly known as sea slugs, are gastropod molluscs that only have a shell during their larval stage. They are eye-catching animals, and they can often be spotted on coral reefs due to their vivid body colour patterns.

 

The HKBU team also discovered in Hong Kong waters two coral-eating species of nudibranch, both belonging to the genus Phestilla that has only nine recognised species prior to these discoveries. One of them, named Phestilla goniophaga, was collected from Sharp Island and Chek Chau. The word goniophaga” derives from the name of the host coral, “Goniopora“, which is commonly known as flowerpot coral, and the Latin word “phaga“, which means “eat”.

 

Phestilla goniophaga is rather big, and its body is around three centimetres long. It can be distinguished from other species of the genus by the large number of long finger-like, brown and white striped projections called cerata, and the white rounded hump on its back. The hump resembles the host coral’s mouth, while the cerata resemble the coral’s tentacles. This mimicry makes it difficult for its potential predators, such as fish, to spot them. Its egg masses, however, are bright orange in colour and they can normally be found glued to the coral skeleton.

 

The other newly discovered nudibranch species is smaller in size, and its body is less than one centimetre long. It lays eggs and feeds on the tissue of the leaf coral Pavona decussata. It has a white body with brown stripes and exhibits excellent mimicry against the colour pattern of its coral host. It was named Phestilla fuscostriata, with the species epithet adopting the Latin words “fuscus” and “striatus”, which mean “brown” and “streaky”.

 

This new species was discovered while culturing the leaf coral samples collected from Sharp Island during a study of coral bleaching mechanisms. The HKBU team discovered the new nudibranch species and its crescent-shaped white egg masses after noticing the wounds on the coral surface caused by its feeding.

 

While the seas around Hong Kong are only 1,651 square kilometres in size, the territory has around six thousand marine species – one-quarter of all the marine species recorded in China.

 

The work conducted by Professor Qiu’s team highlights the rich biodiversity found in Hong Kong, and reflects the urgent need to train local young talent to implement the Hong Kong Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

 

Man Arrested for Attempted Murder with Improvised Firearm

An improvised firearm seized by police.
An improvised firearm seized by police..

A man was arrested in Vientiane’s Saysettha District last week on charges of attempted murder using an improvised firearm.

Village House Opens Up More Jobs in Japan Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

To support its community through challenging times, Village House is working with a job matching service to offer local and foreign residents additional income.

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 25 October 2021 – Village House, a trusted rental housing service company in Japan, has recently leveraged Erikura to provide employment opportunities to its tenants and local residents. A job matching service owned by Recruit Co., Ltd, Erikura enables residents to apply for one-off cleaning work at any of the Village House properties.

On top of affordable homes and rooms for rent with no brokerage fees, Village House continues to support its community in the best ways possible. 

Supporting Livelihoods During Difficult Times


In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic which has had a serious economic impact, Japan has experienced the largest decline in average job availability ratio in nearly half a century as of fiscal 2020, with the unemployment rate up for the first time in 11 years.

The sudden reduction in demand, especially in the services sector, during the pandemic meant that many firms had no choice but to lay off workers or stop renewing contractors who depended on part-time work.

For those who suddenly find themselves unemployed or have some time to spare, they can acquire income with the help of Village House. In addition to supplying safe and secure rental housing to everyone including low-income earners, the company now enables job seekers to tide over this period with jobs that they can apply for as and when they want. 

Through Erikura, Village House will post available job vacancies which mainly involve cleaning of common areas that can be completed within minutes.

Those interested can easily sign up for the job and proceed to complete the task. Once finished, they are required to report with photo proof to receive the matching fee.

As of January 2021, this service has been introduced to 31 prefectures in Japan with over 9,000 successful trials. This job matching service is available in the following regions:

●       Aomori

●       Iwate

●       Akita

●       Miyagi

●       Kanagawa

●       Nagano

●       Niigata

●       Toyama

●       Gifu

●       Aichi

●       Mie

●       Shizuoka

●       Shiga

●       Kyoto

●       Nara

●       Osaka

●       Hyogo

●       Wakayama

●       Okayama

●       Hiroshima

●       Totori

●       Shimane

●       Yamaguchi

●       Kagawa

●       Kochi

●       Tokushima

●       Fukuoka

●       Nagasaki

●       Kumamoto

●       Kagoshima

●       Oita

This service will be phased in all prefectures sequentially to improve the quality of life for all Village House residents. This will include:

●       Hokkaido

●       Yamagata

●       Fukushima

●       Ibaraki

●       Tochigi

●       Gunma

●       Saitama

●       Chiba

●       Tokyo

●       Yamanashi

●       Ishikawa

●       Fukui

●       Ehime

●       Saga

●       Miyazaki

●       Okinawa


Increasing the Quality of Life in Japan


Village House Management is promoted by the Japan Organization for Employment of the Elderly, Persons with Disabilities and Job Seekers (JEED). With almost 1,100 properties operating in 47 prefectures in Japan, Village House caters to the needs of the people who live and thrive in its community.

About Village House

Village House provides high-quality rental properties with easy procedures at affordable prices in Japan. Starting from ¥20,000 per month, explore their promotions and discover a new life in one of their low-cost units today!

#VillageHouse

NHK WORLD-JAPAN Launches “17 Goals for Our World” Campaign to Complement Upcoming COP26 Climate Change Conference

TOKYO, JAPAN – Media OutReach – 25 October 2021 – NHK WORLD-JAPAN, the English-language international service of Japan’s public media organization, NHK, today announced it will present a collection of premiere and encore programming to commemorate and complement the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow, Scotland from October 31-November 12, 2021.

NHK WORLD-JAPAN, long committed to bringing issues of global importance to the forefront, in January 2021 launched a SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) campaign that features programming and a special “17 Goals for Our World” website that mirrors the SDGs set forth by the United Nations. The website highlights NHK WORLD-JAPAN’s vast collection of premiere and video on demand (VOD) programs that maps to each of the 17 goals, which include striving for clean water, health/well-being, education, sustainable cities, and responsible production/consumption; and eliminating poverty, hunger, and social inequalities.

 

The wide range of COP26-themed programming spans topics from man-made environmental damage to pollution to extreme weather and sustainability, and includes the popular series Zeroing In: Carbon Neutral 2050. The series, available now on VOD, was created in partnership with several public broadcasters in the U.S., and focuses on grassroots actions people can take to reach a carbon-neutral future.

 

Another currently available campaign program is Zero Waste Life, a series that highlights Japan’s “Mottainai” philosophy of striving for a life of wasting nothing and treasuring what we have. It airs as part of the event in November. Past episodes are also available to watch on VOD.

 

An episode of Direct Talk that highlights the “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” SDG is also featured among the VOD content. “Braving Press Freedom:  Maria Ressa/Journalist,” offers insight and interviews with Ressa around her news site Rappler’s unwavering coverage of the struggle of journalists and activists fighting Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s attacks against press freedom and human rights. On October 8, 2021, Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – the first Filipino journalist to be honored with the prestigious award.

 

Other programs related to the campaign feature a new documentary, Five Frames for Love, a short-form series of 15-minute vignettes that follow the unique, creative lifestyles of youth through five specific “frames”: Fashion, Family, Followers, Freedom, and Future. The series begins airing on November 20.

 

A short drama series, Mini-Dramas on SDGs, convey the message of the importance of individuals joining to create a society in which no one is left behind. Each two-minute film is based on one of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs, with each depicting how Japan is endeavoring to achieve these goals. This series are available to watch on VOD.

 

Numerous other programs that highlight the 17 SDGs are available via VOD on the website.

About NHK WORLD-JAPAN

NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan’s sole public broadcaster, operating the nation’s largest domestic and international television network. In Japan, NHK broadcasts six TV channels including 4K and 8K along with three radio stations. NHK also transmits two international television channels, NHK WORLD-JAPAN (English, HD, 24/7) and NHK WORLD PREMIUM (Japanese, HD, 24/7), as well as international radio services in eighteen languages. NHK WORLD-JAPAN reaches over 380 million households in 160 countries and regions via local satellite and cable TV providers. Online live streaming and VOD (video-on-demand) services through the free mobile app and the website, give viewers access to NHK WORLD-JAPAN anywhere and anytime. You can also connect through Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. Presenting an extensive range of Asia-centered programming, NHK WORLD-JAPAN is your window to Japan, Asia, and the rest of the world. For more details, visit nhk.jp/world.

About Japan International Broadcasting, Inc.

Japan International Broadcasting Inc. (JIB), a subsidiary of NHK, is responsible for the worldwide distribution of the HD English language news/lifestyle channel “NHK WORLD-JAPAN,” as well as the HD Japanese language channel “NHK WORLD PREMIUM.” Currently, the two channels are broadcast around the world on three international plus domestic satellites in their respective markets and reach households, hotels, and others via DTH, cable, IPTV, and terrestrial broadcast.

#NHK #JIB

Canopy Sands Provides Care Packages to Childcare NGO M’Lop Tapang, Sihanoukville Residents

SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA – Media OutReach – 25 October 2021 –  Canopy Sands Development (“Canopy Sands”), a member of Prince Holding Group (“Prince Group”), one of Cambodia’s largest and fastest-growing conglomerates, has distributed care packages to M’Lop Tapang, a local non-governmental organization as well as villagers living at Ong Village in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. The outreach was part of Canopy Sands’ ongoing efforts to support local communities as Cambodia reopens for a post-pandemic recovery.

The Canopy Sands team handed over 30 tons worth of food packs containing essentials such as rice, cooking oil and canned food during the outreach programme involving M’Lop Tapang and residents of Ong Village. Additionally, the donation to M’Lop Tapang also covered medical and hygiene products alongside educational aid like made-to-order school bags from the Indochina Starfish Foundation, a Cambodian charity that focuses on educational initiatives for the underprivileged children in Cambodia.

“We had several conversations with representatives from M’Lop Tapang and Ong Village to understand their specific needs before putting together these care packages. It is our sincere hope that ongoing programs like these will be of assistance and somewhat lessen the hardships of those hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Khong Weng Fook, Managing Director of Canopy Sands.

M’Lop Tapang is one of the leading charitable organizations in Sihanoukville and currently works with more than 5,000 children in Sihanoukville providing a safe environment, medical care, education, training and safe employment, counseling, psycho-social support, family strengthening and protection from abuse. Ong Village is a settlement of over 200 families near the Ream City project by Canopy Sands.

Earlier in September, Prince Holding Group’s philanthropic arm, Prince Foundation, responded to a request for assistance from the Prey Nob district, Preah Sihanouk province, in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by donating 5,000 PPE suits, 1,000 rapid antigen test kits, and 4,500 liters of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. In the same month, Prince Foundation had also launched the Chen Zhi Scholarship in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), offering full tuition fees and stipends for 400 Cambodian university students via an investment of US$2 million over the coming seven years.

Through distributing essential aid via established NGOs and the local authorities, Canopy Sands is working to develop a constructive dialogue between local communities and the developer to ensure a productive long-term relationship. During the donation at Ong Village, the Ream Commune Chief, Lin Sarin, expressed his support for Ream City, hoping the project’s success will bring prosperity to his local community.

Canopy Sands is currently working on its 834-ha Ream City project, a multi-decade coastal development project working off a master plan issued by Singaporean urban consultancy Surbana Jurong that will involve construction efforts along sustainable real estate development principles.

About Canopy Sands Development:

Canopy Sands Development Co., Ltd (“Canopy Sands”) aims to accelerate the development of key Cambodian economic sectors by initiating and driving forward economically sustainable projects that aim to fulfill important public needs and make meaningful contributions to local communities in Sihanoukville. By working closely with local businesses and core sector supply chains, the overall company strategy adopts a unique, holistic approach that delivers sustainable economic returns, positive social benefits to the local population and attractive investment returns. Over the next 5-10 years, the company’s rapidly expanding collaborations with public and private players in business, tourism, logistics, retail, transportation, healthcare and education will gradually establish an incredibly diverse portfolio of high-value projects.

In line with its strategy to improve people’s quality of life and well-being as well as strengthen the local tourism sector in Sihanoukville, Canopy Sands is currently developing a world‐class business and entertainment destination which will be the first of its kind in Cambodia.

Known as ‘Ream City’, the new multi-cluster development will house many exciting attractions, such as an integrated family theme park, recreational and educational zones, and a business and financial centre, along with residential villas and apartments, hospitality properties including 5-star hotels, resorts and apartments, convention and wedding halls, retail and duty-free stores and airport expansion area.

#CanopySandsDevelopment

About Prince Holding Group:

Prince Holding Group is one of the largest conglomerates in Cambodia, with its various units focusing on three core areas: real estate development, financial services and consumer services.

Prince Holding Group’s key business units in Cambodia include Prince Real Estate Group, Prince Huan Yu Real Estate Group, Prince Bank, Cambodia Airways, Belt Road Capital Management, as well as Awesome Global Investment Group. Via its subsidiaries, Prince Holding Group has over 80 businesses in Cambodia operating in real estate development, banking, finance, aviation, tourism, logistics, technology, food and beverages, and lifestyle sectors etc.

Rising foreign direct investment, free trade agreements with leading countries and future participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership are expected to act as key drivers for the Cambodian economy, supported by pro-industry policy initiatives by the government.

Leveraging a network of industrial, business and financial professionals across Asia, Prince Holding Group has laid the foundation to be a vital conduit for local and international capital. Moving forward, Prince Holding Group will continue to seek out opportunities to play an important role in Cambodia, through partnerships or direct investments into key industries for the betterment of Cambodians and the local economy.

Laos Must Reopen Schools To Ensure Its Future

An empty school building in Sopcham Village, Luang Prabang Province
An empty school building in Sopcham Village, Luang Prabang Province.

Is it time for Laos to reopen schools? What might the future hold if classrooms remain closed?