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Takeda Ukraine & Bulgaria Earn #8 Global Ranking in Best Places to Work 2024


LONDON, UK – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2025 – Takeda, a global value-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, has been proudly recognized as one of the Top 10 Best Places to Work in the World for 2024, achieving the No. 8 global ranking by both Ukraine and Bulgaria countries. This prestigious recognition underscores Takeda’s commitment to creating a workplace that embraces diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), fostering an empowering culture across all locations it operates. This accolade reflects Takeda’s consistent focus on employee well-being, trust-based leadership, and a people-centered approach to business.

At Takeda, we are committed to delivering an exceptional employee experience by cultivating an inclusive, purpose-driven workplace where our people can grow both personally and professionally. Being recognized as a Best Place to Work reflects our unwavering dedication to building a culture where every colleague feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Volodymyr Pedko, General Manager of Takeda Ukraine, shared:
“It gives me great pride to receive this recognition during such challenging times! It stands as a testament to the exceptional quality of work and everyone’s commitment to building and sustaining an innovative and inclusive workplace in our organization.”

Todor Kesimov, General Manager of Takeda Romania & Bulgaria, commented:
“I am extremely proud that Takeda has been recognized as one of the top ten employers in the world for 2024. This confirms our efforts to build a culture of trust, care, and respect in every country, including Bulgaria. This recognition inspires us to continue building a better future – for our employees, for patients, and for society.”
Hashtag: #BestPlacesToWork

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

About Takeda

Takeda is focused on creating better health for people and a brighter future for the world. We aim to discover and deliver life-transforming treatments in our core therapeutic and business areas, including gastrointestinal and inflammation, rare diseases, plasma-derived therapies, oncology, neuroscience and vaccines. Together with our partners, we aim to improve the patient experience and advance a new frontier of treatment options through our dynamic and diverse pipeline. As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, we are guided by our commitment to patients, our people and the planet. Our employees in approximately 80 countries and regions are driven by our purpose and are grounded in the values that have defined us for more than two centuries. For more information, visit .

For more information, please visit the program website: .

Lao Language Ranked ‘Moderately Difficult’ by US Foreign Service Institute

Lao Language Ranked 'Moderately Difficult' by US Foreign Service Institute
The Lao alphabets (photo credit: Autour Asia)

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the United States Department of State has classified Lao as a “moderately difficult” language for native English speakers to learn. It falls under Category III, alongside languages such as Hungarian, Russian, and Thai.

OPPO Licenses Cellular Standard-Essential Patents to Volkswagen Group for Connected Vehicles


SHENZHEN, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2025 – Leading smart device company OPPO today announced the signing of a global patent licensing agreement with Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (hereafter referred to as Volkswagen) to license OPPO’s cellular standard-essential patents portfolio to the group, including 5G. Under the agreement, OPPO’s cellular standard-essential patents will be licensed to Volkswagen to enhance user experiences for its connected vehicle offerings across its global product lineup.

Joint Logo

“We are delighted to collaborate with Volkswagen through this patent licensing agreement,” said Vincent Lin, Head of Patent Licensing at OPPO. “Volkswagen IP team’s hard work and foresights in recognizing the value of this cooperation are highly appreciated. This partnership is further recognition of OPPO’s leadership in cellular technology innovation and our commitment to creating a long-term, healthy and sustainable intellectual property ecosystem that empowers long-term innovation and industry growth.”

“The partnership with OPPO is an example of efficient, respectful, business focused collaboration in the space of licensing of Standard Essential Patents,” said Robin Cefai, Chief IP Licensing Officer at Volkswagen. It illustrates Volkswagen’s willingness to recognize the value of IP and find sustainable solutions for all parties.

Marking OPPO’s first ever bilateral patent licensing agreement with a connected-car company, the collaboration reflects the broader adaption of OPPO’s cellular standard-essential technologies beyond smartphones, especially in the automotive sector. OPPO’s 5G SEPs are currently distributed in over 40 countries and regions globally, and according to LexisNexis® IPlytics, a leading patent analytics platform, OPPO ranked eighth globally in overall 5G patent strength as of January 2025.

As of March 2025, OPPO has filed over 113,000 patent applications and holds more than 62,000 granted patents globally. OPPO continues to invest in core technology areas including 5G/6G, artificial intelligence, charging, imaging, and video, reinforcing its position as a global leader in innovation and high-value intellectual property.

Hashtag: #OPPO #Business

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

About OPPO

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with ColorOS operating system and internet services. OPPO has footprints in more than 70 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.

Cambodia Confirms Participation in JBC Meeting with Thailand, Excludes Disputed Temples Referred to ICJ

Cambodia and Thailand: Border dispute intensifies with legal and diplomatic efforts underway.

Cambodia has confirmed its participation in the upcoming Joint Boundary Commission (JBC) meeting with Thailand, scheduled for 14 June, with Phnom Penh serving as host.

However, four contested temple sites, Mom Bei, Ta Moan Thom, Ta Moan Tauch, and Ta Krabei—will be excluded from the meeting agenda following their formal referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 2 June.

The development follows a border clash on 28 May between Nam Yuen District in Thailand’s Ubon Ratchathani Province and Techo Morokot village in Cambodia’s Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear Province, which resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

On 4 June, Cambodia reiterated its commitment to bilateral dialogue but clarified that the temple disputes now fall under ICJ jurisdiction and will be addressed solely through international legal proceedings in The Hague. The Cambodian government condemned the incident as an unprovoked violation of sovereignty and cited it as evidence of the limitations of current dispute resolution mechanisms.

Cambodia has expressed hope that Thailand will engage constructively in the ICJ process in line with principles of peaceful conflict resolution and neighborly cooperation. 

Thailand, however, has rejected ICJ arbitration, instead expressing a preference for resolving the border issue through bilateral negotiations. 

In response to rising tensions, Thailand’s Ministry of Interior issued a directive today  to governors of seven border provinces, Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaeo, Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram, calling for enhanced security and emergency preparedness. 

The directive includes increased surveillance by local authorities and village defense units, updated evacuation and contingency plans, public communication campaigns to prevent panic, expedited incident reporting, and increased readiness among territorial defense volunteers, particularly in high-risk areas such as Chong Bok, where the fatal clash took place.

Both countries now appear to be pursuing parallel strategies: Cambodia is pursuing a legal path through the ICJ, while both sides maintain diplomatic engagement through the JBC to manage broader border coordination.

National Youth Council, KPMG in Singapore and Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (IPRS) co-design youth action programme for youths to drive social sustainability projects with industry mentors

  • Launch of Gen2050, a structured accelerated programme to drive youth action in the area of social sustainability with an engagement series on key social issues
  • Avails opportunities for youths from all backgrounds to start ground-up initiatives with the support of industry mentors and subject matter experts
  • Provides youths with critical skillsets such as stakeholder management and seed funding to advance innovative ideas

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 5 June 2025 – The National Youth Council (NYC), KPMG in Singapore and Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (IPRS) today unveiled a youth action programme, Gen2050, to nurture youths’ ability in tackling pressing societal challenges. The tripartite collaboration aims to bring together expertise and support of the public, private and non-profit sector in the areas of youth engagement, industry perspectives and mentorship.

Two-prong programme to enable youths to drive meaningful change

As part of commemorating SG60, Gen2050 seeks to equip more than 1,000 youths with practical skills to influence, mobilise and drive meaningful change. The programme aims to reach out to youths of all backgrounds, including students with disadvantaged backgrounds, to provide easy access to critical skills and competencies including social entrepreneurship, problem solving, stakeholder management, and knowledge to develop impactful and scalable solutions.

Gen2050 offers two tracks – a structured programme with four key modules led by industry experts who will share insights to help participants develop and refine their ideas, and receive funding and mentorship to pilot them. The mentorship process also allows students to be plugged into professional networks where they get to discover potential career paths. Following the programme, selected participants of this track may be considered for national youth leadership programmes.

The second track features a curated series of youth engagements that offer youths the opportunity to directly engage with policymakers, industry leaders, and peers to discuss critical societal issues like the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs, equitable access to digital skills and mental wellness. These insights from these engagements will support the development of the SG Youth Plan, a five-year action plan that holds the hopes and aspirations of young Singaporeans for themselves and for Singapore, and outlines how youth, supported with opportunities, platforms, and resources, can take action to do good for Singapore with the support from the rest of society.

Gen2050 demonstrates how public-private collaboration amplifies youth-driven impact. NYC brings its expertise in youth engagement and understanding of the youth landscape, KPMG supports programme implementation with industry insights and its Leaders 2050 network of young professionals focused on driving positive impact. IPRS equips youths with strategic communication skills to augment the impact of their solutions.

“This tripartite collaboration demonstrates how the whole of society, and not just government, can collaborate as a collective to give our young people opportunities to learn, grow and drive impact at the same time,” said David Chua, Chief Executive Officer of NYC. “And if they do not succeed in implementing their ideas, they will still gain invaluable lessons, connections and insights that will shore up their confidence. We also aim to give youths with less access the opportunity to go through this programme.”

“Young people have the passion and energy to address the pressing challenges of our time, from social sustainability to climate change,” said Lee Sze Yeng, Managing Partner, KPMG in Singapore. “Channelling that restlessness into collaborative movements that drive meaningful progress is not straightforward. At KPMG, our experience with global youth programmes gives us a deep understanding of our next generation talents’ challenges and potential. Through Gen2050, we are dedicated to equipping youth with the guidance, skills and networks they need to transform their aspirations into impactful, lasting change.”

Ross Gan, President of IPRS, said, “Great ideas often make their biggest impact when they are clearly and authentically communicated in a manner that rallies others to the vision. At IPRS, one of our focus areas is on equipping youth and participants with practical strategies and skills to sharpen their messaging, build credibility, and drive action, ensuring their go-to-market solutions translate into real-world, measurable outcomes.”

For more details about Gen2050’s structured accelerated programme and youth dialogues, please see: https://kpmg.com/sg/en/home/media/press-releases/2025/06/gen2050-youth-action-programme.html
Hashtag: #KPMG

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

About KPMG

KPMG in Singapore is part of a global organisation of independent professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 142 countries and territories with more than 275,000 partners and employees working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.

For more detail about our structure, please visit kpmg.com/governance.

For more information, visit kpmg.com.sg

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/kpmg-singapore

About the National Youth Council

At NYC, we believe in a world where young people are respected and heard and have the ability to influence and make a difference in the world. Together with our partners, we develop future-ready youth who are committed to Singapore by instilling in them a heart for service, resilience and an enterprising spirit.

About the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore

Established in 1970 as a non-profit organisation, IPRS is the only accrediting body for Public Relations (PR) practitioners in Singapore. The Institute promotes excellence in the industry through knowledge exchange platforms and training programmes that are aligned with the many changes and developments in the practice of PR and Communications today.

IPRS has a growing membership consisting of professionals from diverse backgrounds in public relations, journalism, advertising, marketing, education, and management – a factor that has contributed to the Institute’s strength and dynamism.

There are 10 Student Chapters with various tertiary institutions to create opportunities for communications students and IPRS members to share expertise and experiences. The IPRS introduced the Biennial PRISM Awards (Public Relations In the Service of Mankind) in 1987 to recognise and reward excellence in PR and Communications in Singapore and the region.

About the SG Youth Plan

SG60 is about Building Singapore Together, and how each of us can contribute to a Singapore that we will proudly call home. NYC and its partners are organising a year-long series of engagements for youths to connect with others who are just as passionate about making a difference and taking action to build our shared future. The engagements will culminate in an SG Youth Plan – a five-year action plan created by youths, for youths, and supported by all of us, so that we collectively do our part for Singapore and fellow Singaporeans.

The SG Youth Plan will hold the hopes and aspirations of young Singaporeans for themselves and for Singapore, and outlines how youth, supported with opportunities, platforms, and resources, can take action to do good for Singapore, and details ideas for how every part of society can play a part in empowering youths to be the best versions of themselves.

Laos to Upgrade National Road No. 12 in 2025, Enhancing Thailand-Vietnam-China Trade Link

Upgrading Laos' National Road No. 12 to boost regional connectivity and trade between Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China. (Photo: Wikipedia)

Laos will begin upgrading National Road No. 12 in late 2025. The project, expected to take around 30 months, aims to improve the 147-kilometer highway that links Thailand, Vietnam, and southern China.

Construction will start after the rainy season in 2025, beginning from Thakhek district, near Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom border checkpoint. The road will pass through Yommalath and Boualapha districts and end at the Na Phao border checkpoint, connecting to Vietnam’s Cha Lo checkpoint in Quang Binh Province.

On 22 May, the Lao Ministry of Public Works and Transport signed contracts with the construction company. The project is split into two parts: the first covers the 61.5 kilometers from Thakhek to Yommalath Junction; the second covers the remaining 86 kilometers to Na Phao.

Thailand’s Neighbouring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency (NEDA) is funding the project with a low-interest loan of THB 1.8 billion (about USD 49.3 million) at 1.75 percent interest annually. The loan comes with a 30-year repayment period and a seven-year grace period.

The agreement requires at least half of the project’s materials and equipment to come from Thailand, with Thai contractors and supervisors leading the work.

When finished, National Road No. 12 will meet Asian Highway standards and improve transport and border facilities along the route. The road supports trade and travel between Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and southern China, especially connecting to Nanning City in Guangxi Province.

Emirates Launches New Flights to Shenzhen, Da Nang, Siem Reap

Emirates, the popular Middle Eastern airline, is expanding its presence across Asia by launching three new destinations: Shenzhen in China, Da Nang in Vietnam, and Siem Reap in Cambodia. 

According to the company’s website, these new services will begin in June and July of this year.

Starting 1 July, Emirates will become the first Middle Eastern carrier to offer daily non-stop flights to Shenzhen, China’s southern tech hub. This route will complement the airline’s existing services to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, increasing its mainland China destinations to four.

In Southeast Asia, Emirates is boosting connectivity with two new routes linking Da Nang and Siem Reap to Dubai via Bangkok. 

Flights to Da Nang will commence on 2 June, operating four times weekly, while Siem Reap flights will launch on 3 June, running three times a week.

These routes are tailored to meet growing demand for leisure travel to Vietnam’s beautiful coastline and Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage, including the renowned UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat.

With these additions, Emirates now operates 269 weekly flights to 24 destinations in East Asia, solidifying its status as one of the most connected non-Asian airlines in the region.

The expansion into Da Nang aligns with Emirates’ broader strategy to strengthen regional trade and tourism, supporting ongoing economic partnerships in Southeast Asia.

This move comes in the wake of the UAE-Vietnam Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), according to Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

By launching this new route, Emirates aims to deepen bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

In Cambodia, Emirates anticipates growing interest in cultural tourism. Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat, remains one of Southeast Asia’s top tourist destinations, and the new flight is expected to attract travelers from Europe and beyond.

HEIDELBERG focuses on economic efficiency in FY 2025/26 – operating margin set to rise further

  • Targets for financial year 2024/25 achieved – sales and adjusted EBITDA margin match previous year’s figure
  • Significantly positive free cash flow of € 51 million
  • China Print trade show’s positive impact on orders creates basis for good start to FY 2025/26
  • Areas with growth potential range from packaging and digital printing to software and lifecycle products
  • Outlook for FY 2025/26 – slight increase in sales expected and adjusted EBITDA margin set to rise to as much as around 8 percent

HEIDELBERG, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 5 June 2025 – Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is starting financial year 2025/26 on a strong note. Based on its global market position, its portfolio expansion in strategic growth markets, and a much-improved cost basis, and despite a difficult economic climate, the company is expecting a slight increase in sales to around € 2,350 million in the new financial year and an adjusted operating margin of up to 8 percent. It sees growth potential in a number of areas. These include playing a leading role as a systems integrator for packaging and digital printing with hybrid printing solutions, combining software and service business in a digital ecosystem, and expanding the operation of charging infrastructure, including DC technology. HEIDELBERG is also expecting a big boost from the Asia/Pacific region. Healthy incoming orders at May’s China Print trade show confirmed this and created the basis for a successful start to the new financial year.

HEIDELBERG is optimistic about FY 2025/26 and is opening the industry's largest customer demonstration center for its 175th anniversary with the redesigned Home of Print.
HEIDELBERG is optimistic about FY 2025/26 and is opening the industry’s largest customer demonstration center for its 175th anniversary with the redesigned Home of Print.

“Significant strategic and operational improvements have paved the way for further profitable growth,” said Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG. “Our measures will make a substantial contribution to the expected increase in sales. Enhanced efficiency and performance will further boost our profitability. Encouragingly, the capital market is also increasingly acknowledging our focus on economic efficiency and liquidity,” he added.

Targets for financial year 2024/25 achieved – sales and adjusted EBITDA margin match previous year’s figure
In financial year 2024/25, HEIDELBERG held its own in a difficult market environment and met its targets. The adjusted EBITDA margin remained stable at 7.1 percent, for example, ending the financial year on a successful note. The cost-cutting and efficiency measures initiated by the company successfully compensated for a slightly lower volume of sales than in the previous year, rising wage costs, and expenses relating to the drupa trade show. In the fourth quarter alone, the adjusted EBITDA margin doubled compared with the previous year and reached around 10 percent. At € 2,280 million, sales were slightly down on the previous year’s figure (€ 2,395 million). Following a weak first quarter due to purchasing restraint ahead of the drupa industry trade show, sales during the financial year increased quarter by quarter and were particularly strong in the fourth quarter. The free cash flow was once again significantly positive at € 51 million (previous year: € 56 million).

China Print trade show’s positive impact on orders creates basis for good start to FY 2025/26
HEIDELBERG ended financial year 2024/25 with a high level of incoming orders. In the fourth quarter, the figure of € 611 million for incoming orders was up on the previous quarters of the financial year. One reason for this is the company’s global and diversified setup, which enables HEIDELBERG to benefit from the different growth dynamics in the individual regions. This is emphasized by the high level of incoming orders at May’s China Print trade show, which will have a positive impact in the new financial year.

During financial year 2024/25 as a whole, HEIDELBERG generated incoming orders of around € 2,433 million, which was 6 percent up on the previous year’s level (€ 2,288 million). This also resulted in a corresponding big increase in the order backlog as at March 31, 2025 – from € 652 million on the same reference date the previous year to € 722 million. The Packaging Solutions and Print Solutions segments benefited from the product innovations presented at drupa. Their incoming orders for financial year 2024/25 both increased – by around 7 percent to € 1,272 million for the Packaging Solutions segment and by about 6 percent to € 1,155 million for the Print Solutions segment.

“Thanks to the improving order situation and the positive momentum from the China Print trade show, we are expecting a better start to the new financial year than we had the previous year,” said Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “Our new portfolio of very large format presses for packaging reaffirms our approach of gradually further expanding our portfolio in growth segments. By also incorporating automation, robotics, and software, we now offer customers integrated end-to-end solutions for the entire production process. Our aim as a system provider is to tap into the sizable potential in the growing packaging segment. All in all, we are therefore embarking on the new financial year full of confidence,” he continued.

Outlook for FY 2025/26 – slight increase in sales expected and adjusted EBITDA margin set to rise to as much as around 8 percent
In view of macroeconomic developments, taking into account the various opportunities and risks, and assuming the global economy does not see weaker growth than predicted by the relevant institutions, the company is expecting sales of around € 2,350 million in financial year 2025/26 (2024/25: € 2,280 million). The EBITDA margin adjusted for special items is predicted to rise to as much as 8 percent (previous year: 7.1 percent).

The changed segment structure at HEIDELBERG from April 1, 2025 means the company will, in the future, report figures for the Print & Packaging Equipment, Digital Solutions & Lifecycle, and HEIDELBERG Technology segments. The purpose of this new segment structure is to strengthen the focus on product-oriented management in line with market and customer needs, and also on systematically taking responsibility for results.

Hashtag: #HEIDELBERG

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

About HEIDELBERG

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth, HEIDELBERG as a total solution provider is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions and the lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency. The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control, automation technology and robotics as well as the growing green technologies. With a strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its around 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China and the USA and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is well-positioned for future growth.

Figure 1: HEIDELBERG is optimistic about FY 2025/26 and is opening the industry’s largest customer demonstration center for its 175th anniversary with the redesigned Home of Print.
Figure 2: With the new Cartonmaster CX 145, HEIDELBERG is expanding its range in the growing packaging sector with a large format sheetfed offset press.
Figure 3: Jürgen Otto, CEO of HEIDELBERG, sees the course set for further profitable growth.

Image material and further information about the company are available in the portal and of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at .

Important note:
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates made by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even if the company management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, actual future developments and future actual results may deviate considerably from these assumptions and estimates due to a variety of factors. These factors may include, for example, changes in the overall economic situation, exchange rates and interest rates as well as changes within the graphic arts industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability that future developments and the actual results achieved in the future will correspond to the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.