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Students Worldwide Support CNN’s #MyFreedomDay Initiative to Champion the “Freedom to Learn”

HONG KONG, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrating its laudable ninth year, #MyFreedomDay, CNN’s one-day, student-driven social media event to raise awareness of modern-day slavery, returns on March 11.

The launch of this year’s #MyFreedomDay campaign focuses on the theme of “Freedom to Learn,” which aims to raise awareness about the pressing issue of education access for children worldwide. As thousands of students prepare to participate in this year’s initiative, #MyFreedomDay seeks to create empathy and understanding about the harsh realities facing over 12 million children globally trapped in modern slavery.

Recognizing that education is a fundamental right, students involved in #MyFreedomDay will engage in activities designed to connect with the struggles of their peers who are confined in situations where learning is impossible. This year’s theme hopes to reinforce that through education, both the free and the oppressed can visualize a future where every child can learn, evolve, and break the cycle of exploitation.

This initiative empowers students across schools and communities to be advocates for education. With these series of events, conversations, and social media campaigns, the message of empathy and education equity will resonate and encourage participants to speak out for those unable to voice their aspirations for learning.

Students from more than 100 countries around the world have undertaken this year’s challenge, through presentations, panel discussions, video messages, art exhibitions, public events, and so many other meaningful activities.

#MyFreedomDay coverage will commence at 6 am HKT on March 11th in Hong Kong on CNN International, with correspondents contributing throughout the day from Hong Kong, Atlanta, London, and Sao Paulo among others.

CNN’s #MyFreedomDay microsite CNN.com/MyFreedom will offer interactive content to bolster “Freedom to Learn” and serve as educational devices for students and larger audiences worldwide.

Leif Coorlim, executive editor of the CNN Freedom Project, shared “#MyFreedomDay’s focus on the ‘Freedom to Learn’ theme reminds us that millions of children trapped in modern slavery are denied the basic right of an education. By engaging young people, we aim to foster empathy and an understanding that education is the most powerful tool we must use to break the cycles of vulnerability that lead to human trafficking. Join us in standing up for every child’s hope to learn and live in freedom.”

About The CNN Freedom Project
The CNN Freedom Project produces original reports, articles, and documentaries on human trafficking in all of its forms – from debt bondage in India to sex trafficking rings in Southern California and African slaves in the Sinai desert. Since its launch in 2011, the multi-award-winning CNN Freedom Project is among the most successful and highly visible programming initiatives on CNN International. It has generated more than 1,000 investigative stories of modern-day slavery from across six continents. Various NGOs report that these CNN Freedom Project stories have contributed to changing laws and corporate policies, led to more than 1,000 survivors receiving assistance and sparked more than $24 million in donations to anti-trafficking organizations. www.cnn.com/freedom

About CNN Worldwide
CNN Worldwide is the most honored brand in cable news, reaching more individuals on television and online than any other cable news organization in the United States. Globally, CNN International is the most widely distributed news channel. CNN Digital is the #1 online news destination, with more unique visitors and video viewers than any other news source. The award-winning portfolio of CNN includes non-scripted programming from CNN Original Series and documentary feature and short films for broadcast, streaming and distribution by CNN Films across multiple platforms. CNN programming can be found on CNN, CNN International, HLN and CNN en Español channels, on the CNN Originals hub on discovery+ on HBO Max and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. Additionally, CNN Newsource is the world’s most extensively utilized news service partnering with over 1,000 local and international news organizations around the world. CNN is a division of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Conexus Studio Expands Footprint in Southeast Asia with New Offices in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 6 March 2025 – Conexus Studio, a leading workplace design and build firm based in Singapore, is strengthening its Southeast Asia presence with new offices in Bangkok, Thailand, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This strategic move enhances Conexus’s ability to serve clients across the region, reinforcing its reputation as a trusted partner in workplace transformation.

From left to right: Brendan Khor, Group Managing Director; Nat Jentraichan, Country Director, Thailand; Darius Chin, Country Head, Malaysia
From left to right: Brendan Khor, Group Managing Director; Nat Jentraichan, Country Director, Thailand; Darius Chin, Country Head, Malaysia

The new offices complement Conexus Studio’s Singapore headquarters, which serves as a hub for collaboration across Southeast Asia and China. The expansion allows Conexus to work more closely with businesses, providing localized expertise for clients across the region. With teams in Thailand and Malaysia, Conexus ensures tailored solutions that fit the unique needs of each market.

Brendan Khor, Group Managing Director of Conexus Studio, said: “This expansion isn’t just about growing our footprint — it’s about strengthening partnerships and delivering solutions with greater precision and relevance. It reflects our vision of building meaningful relationships and supporting clients with localized expertise and seamless service.”

A Strategic Move into Malaysia and Thailand

Darius Chin, Country Head of Malaysia, shared that growth opportunities, including Special Economic Zones and the rapidly growing data center landscape, made expansion a logical next step. “Our projects and relationships in Kuala Lumpur laid the groundwork for this move, enabling us to support businesses in creating dynamic work environments,” he added.

Nat Jentraichan, Country Director for Thailand, highlighted opportunities in Thailand’s evolving workspace design market, where businesses are increasingly prioritizing creative, people-centric office spaces. “Conexus Studio is well-positioned to contribute meaningfully to this transformation. Our goal is to create workspaces that authentically reflect the unique culture and needs of companies in Thailand,” she said.

Elevating Workplace Excellence Across Southeast Asia

The expansion represents a pivotal step in Conexus Studio’s mission to redefine workplace design and elevate industry standards across the region. This move enables Conexus to deliver bespoke solutions that meet the evolving needs of enterprise clients, reinforces the firm’s leadership in innovative design and its dedication to creating employee-centric environments that inspire collaboration, boost productivity, and reflect each market’s cultural identities. With this expansion, Conexus Studio continues to empower businesses to redefine their workspaces and thrive in a competitive global landscape.
Hashtag: #ConexusStudio, #RegionalGrowth, #BusinessExpansion, #NewLeadership, #EmployeeCentricDesign #SoutheastAsiaNews




Wechat: Conexus Studio

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

About Conexus Studio

Founded in March 2019, Conexus Studio is a design and build company specializing in workplaces that bring communities, aspirations, and capabilities together. The name Conexus (a portmanteau of “Connect” and “Nexus”) reflects this commitment, and our award-winning projects have been recognized for creating human-centric spaces that foster collaboration and engagement. To date, Conexus Studio has received 37 design awards, including Singapore’s SG Mark, Good Design Japan, and Asia Pacific International Property Awards, for clients such as Korn Ferry, BBC Studios, Decathlon, Hitachi, and Doctor Anywhere.

For more information, visit .

ZEISS Lightfield 4D for instant volumetric high-speed imaging

Capturing physiological and neuronal processes in 3D

  • High-speed fluorescence imaging of physiological and neuronal processes
  • Gentle long-term observation of living organisms
  • Accelerated data collection on large samples

JENA, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 6 March 2025 – ZEISS announces the launch of Lightfield 4D, a new microscopy technology based on the light-field principle. As a new imaging mode integrated into the new ZEISS LSM 910 and LSM 990 confocal microscope systems, ZEISS Lightfield 4D redefines the way researchers observe living organisms, especially in the neurosciences, cancer research, developmental biology, and plant sciences. It enables instant volumetric high-speed imaging, allowing researchers to image the dynamic processes of life in complete samples with unprecedented temporal resolution.

ZEISS Lightfield 4D enables instant volumetric high-speed fluorescence imaging, capturing physiological and neuronal processes in 3D. Copyright: ZEISS
ZEISS Lightfield 4D enables instant volumetric high-speed fluorescence imaging, capturing physiological and neuronal processes in 3D. Copyright: ZEISS

The new technology addresses the critical need for 4D imaging – combining volume and time to truly understand biological processes. Traditional optical sectioning techniques that rely on sequential image acquisition to create Z-stack images have long struggled with the limitations of sequential image acquisition, which introduces time delays and compromises the spatiotemporal accuracy of data. ZEISS Lightfield 4D overcomes these challenges by imaging entire 3D data sets at a precise moment in time, eliminating time delays within a captured volume.

Accelerating microscopic imaging: One snap, one volume

Utilizing a micro lens array, ZEISS Lightfield 4D generates 37 individual images simultaneously, capturing comprehensive 3D information in real-time. This innovative approach allows for the creation of Z-stacks through advanced deconvolution-based processing, achieving an impressive rate of up to 80 volume Z-stacks per second, providing insights into rapid biological events such as physiological and neuronal processes.

Improving biological insight with speed and gentleness

A complete Z-stack is captured in one illumination event. This reduces light exposure and phototoxic effects. It allows for long-term imaging of entire living organisms at high temporal density, following biological processes over long periods of time. The unmatched speed of ZEISS Lightfield 4D facilitates the capture of multi-color volumes of large samples, enhancing productivity of experiments across various applications.

“Combining volume and time to enhance our understanding of complex biological processes, ZEISS Lightfield 4D represents a leap forward in 4D imaging,” says Dr. Bernhard Zimmermann, Head of Life Sciences Microscopy at ZEISS. “We believe that Lightfield 4D will redefine the imaging landscape. This innovative system empowers researchers to capture biological processes in real-time, providing unprecedented insights into the dynamic nature of life.”

New LSM platforms

The combination of the remarkable imaging flexibility of laser scanning microscopes (LSMs) and the gentle and instant volume imaging capabilities of ZEISS Lightfield 4D enables previously impossible experiments and pushes scientific research to new frontiers.

In conjunction with the launch of Lightfield 4D, ZEISS introduces enhanced versions of its LSM platforms: ZEISS LSM 910 and LSM 990. These upgraded systems feature new high-bandwidth electronics that support beampath technology for exceptional light preservation, visualization of high dynamic ranges, and a broad wavelength bandwidth. Additionally, image quality improvements with ZEISS Airyscan jDCV are now available for all Airyscan Multiplex modes. With the help of the Microscopy Copilot, a personal AI assistant, researchers can interactively explore new possibilities for their imaging experiments.

For more information, please visit: https://zeiss.ly/nw-lightfield-4d

Hashtag: #ZEISS

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

Everest Medicines Announces First Patient Dosed with EVM16, Its First Internally Developed Personalized mRNA Cancer Vaccine

  • The first patient has been dosed with EVM16 at Peking University Cancer Hospital, marking a major milestone as Everest’s proprietary AI-based tumor neoantigen prediction algorithm and clinically validated mRNA platform progress into human trials.
  • In preclinical studies, EVM16 demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition in syngeneic mouse model, with repeated dosing showing favorable safety and tolerability.
  • Preclinical data also showed a synergistic anti-tumor effect when EVM16 was combined with a PD-1 antibody, supporting its potential use in combination therapies in clinical settings.

SHANGHAI, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Everest Medicines (HKEX 1952.HK, “Everest”, or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of innovative therapeutics, today announced that the first patient has been dosed with the Company’s internally developed personalized mRNA cancer vaccine EVM16 at Peking University Cancer Hospital in the investigator-initiated clinical trial (IIT) EVM16CX01. EVM16CX01 is the first-in-human (FIH) trial for EVM16, conducted jointly at Peking University Cancer Hospital and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer center, to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and preliminary efficacy of EVM16 as a monotherapy and in combination with a PD-1 antibody in patients with advanced or recurrent solid tumors.

EVM16 is a novel personalized therapeutic mRNA cancer vaccine internally developed by Everest. It contains neoantigens with high immunogenicity potential, predicted based on the unique tumor mutations of each patient using Everest’s proprietary AI-based neoantigen prediction algorithm, EVER-NEO-1. The vaccine is designed to encode dozens of tumor neoantigens. The vaccine uses a lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery system to efficiently deliver neoantigen-encoded mRNA in vivo, activating neoantigen-specific tumor-killing T cells and inhibiting tumor growth.

In preclinical studies, vaccination with EVM16 stimulated a strong neoantigen-specific T cell response in different mouse models and showed significant tumor growth inhibition in the syngeneic B16F10 mouse melanoma model. EVER-NEO-1, the AI-based neoantigen prediction algorithm developed in-house by Everest, can identify the majority of reported tumor neoantigens, as well as several previously unreported neoantigens. Furthermore, the neoantigen prediction capability of EVER-NEO-1 was shown to be either comparable to or superior to leading industry algorithms in multiple independent validation studies.

Preclinical data also demonstrated that the combination of EVM16 and a PD-1 antibody has synergistic effects, which supports the combination of EVM16 with checkpoint inhibitors in clinical settings. In preclinical toxicity studies, repeated dosing with EVM16 was well tolerated and safe. Taken together, the preclinical studies show that EVM16 is safe and efficacious and has potential to bring benefits to cancer patients. 

“The first patient dosed with the personalized mRNA cancer vaccine EVM16 represents a notable milestone in its clinical development. EVM16 is a customized vaccine based on each patient’s tumor-specific mutations, and using the cutting-edge mRNA technology, to activate the patient’s tumor-specific immune response to recognize and attack tumor cells.” said Professor Shen Lin, Director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Department at Beijing Cancer Hospital and Chair of the Gastric Cancer Expert Committee of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology. ” In preclinical studies, we are excited to discover that EVM16, when combined with PD-1 antibodies, demonstrated synergistic anti-tumor effects, further highlighting its broader potential for clinical application. We are confident in achieving positive outcomes in the upcoming clinical trials, bringing hope to cancer patients.”

“In recent years, AI has become a major force in drug development, especially in the area of mRNA vaccines. AI is increasingly seen as a crucial tool for boosting research efficiency and accuracy, attracting substantial attention from both the biopharmaceutical industry and governments worldwide. Everest has demonstrated the clinical validation capabilities of its mRNA platform since 2021, with an emphasis on employing AI to identify tumor neoantigens. By continually optimizing its algorithms, the company has enhanced the precision of neoantigen recognition and validation, giving it a strong foundation and a competitive edge in developing mRNA-based cancer vaccines.” said Rogers Yongqing Luo, Chief Executive Officer of Everest Medicines. “EVM16 is the first personalized mRNA cancer vaccine internally developed by Everest. The first patient dosing marks a significant milestone in its clinical development of EVM16, indicating our proprietary tumor neoantigen AI-based algorithm system and mRNA technology platform have advanced to human trials. As a cancer vaccine candidate developed using our proprietary mRNA platform, we look forward to demonstrating EVM16’s therapeutic potential in upcoming clinical trials, with the goal of offering innovative treatment options to cancer patients worldwide and expand choices for those facing life-threatening diseases.”

According to the Globocan’s data in 2022, there were 19.976 million new cancer cases globally, with 9.744 million cancer-related deaths1. Immunotherapy including checkpoint inhibitors has become an important part of treating some cancer types. However, they are only effective for some patients, and there is an urgent need to develop new generations of immunotherapies, such as personalized mRNA cancer vaccines, that have demonstrated early promise in clinical setting.  

Everest Medicines is currently developing a range of mRNA cancer therapeutics, including personalized cancer vaccines (PCVs), tumor-associated antigen (TAA) vaccines, immunomodulatory cancer vaccines, etc. Additionally, the company is working on next-generation lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery systems to enhance cell-mediated immune responses.  Everest Medicines will submit an investigational new drug application for its TAA vaccines in China and the United States in 2025.

About EVM16

EVM16 is a novel personalized mRNA cancer vaccine independently developed by Everest Medicines. EVM16 contains neoantigens with high immunogenicity potential and predicted by Everest-proprietary algorithm EVER-NEO-1 and uses an LNP delivery system to efficiently deliver neoantigen-expressing mRNAs into the human body. After vaccination with EVM16, neoantigens-encoding mRNAs are delivered into human body to produce neoantigen peptides, which activate neoantigen-specific T cell immune responses to kill tumor cells, thereby inhibiting tumor growth.

About EVM16CX01 study

The study is a FIH, dose escalation and expansion study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, and initial efficacy of EVM16 injection as a single and in combination with PD-1 antibody in subjects with advanced or recurrent solid tumors. The primary objectives are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of EVM16 monotherapy and EVM16 in combination with PD-1 antibody in subjects with advanced or recurrent solid tumors, and to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of EVM16. The secondary objectives are to evaluate the immunogenicity of EVM16, and the initial efficacy of EVM16 in combination with PD-1 antibody in subjects with advanced or recurrent solid tumors.

About Everest Medicines

Everest Medicines is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, manufacturing and commercializing transformative pharmaceutical products and vaccines that address critical unmet medical needs for patients in Asian markets. The management team of Everest Medicines has deep expertise and an extensive track record from both leading global pharmaceutical companies and local Chinese pharmaceutical companies in high-quality discovery, clinical development, regulatory affairs, CMC, business development and operations. Everest Medicines has built a portfolio of potentially global first-in-class or best-in-class molecules in the company’s core therapeutic areas of renal diseases, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. For more information, please visit its website at www.everestmedicines.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may make statements that constitute forward-looking statements, including descriptions regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company or its officers with respect to the business operations and financial condition of the Company, which can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” “confident” and similar statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, or other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the Company and are unforeseeable. Therefore, the actual results may differ from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and assumptions, such as future changes and developments in our business, competitive environment, political, economic, legal and social conditions. The Company or any of its affiliates, directors, officers, advisors or representatives has no obligation and does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or circumstances after the date of this news release, except as required by law.

Reference:

1.     Globocan 2022: https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/900-world-fact-sheet.pdf

 

Top 10 News Stories on 2024 China-ASEAN Cooperation

BEIJING, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — By China Report ASEAN:

As we wrapped up the year 2024 and prepared for 2025, China International Communications Group’s Center for Asia-Pacific joined hands with the Institute of Asian Studies of China Foreign Affairs University and Guangxi University to recount the biggest moments in the passing year and chose the top 10 stories of China-ASEAN cooperation in 2024. The top 10 stories were first released in Nanning, Guangxi Province on February 27.

  1. Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) receives warm response from across ASEAN
    The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee held in July 2024 marked a new milestone in China’s efforts to advance reform in the new era. All sectors in ASEAN followed this meeting closely. They spoke highly of the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization adopted at the meeting. Many recognized it as a milestone gathering in the process of China’s reform and opening up which demonstrated the determination of the CPC to comprehensively deepen reform and opening up even further along the path to modernization while also creating important opportunities and major dividends for all countries in the world, especially neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, and injecting new impetus into the common development of the region. 
  2. Premier Li Qiang attends Leaders’ Meetings on East Asia Cooperation in Laos
    On October 10, Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the 27th China-ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos. In his speech, Li remarked that the China-ASEAN relationship has moved far beyond the bilateral scope and taken on great significance for Asia and the world. China seeks to work hand-in-hand with ASEAN to jointly create a better future for Asia. First, it seeks to create a multidimensional connectivity network, enhance infrastructure cooperation with ASEAN, and expedite the signing and implementation of the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA 3.0). Second, moves will be made to expand cooperation in emerging industries, tap the cooperation potential in areas such as the digital economy and green development, and accelerate the digital transformation of traditional industries. Third, it will deepen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and promote implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative in the region.    
  3. A wave of high-level visits by Southeast Asian countries to China
    In 2024, the top leaders of the 10 ASEAN member states and East Timor visited China successively, culminating in an unprecedented wave of visits to China. Among them, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited China in his first overseas trip right after he was elected in March and chose China as the first country to visit after taking office, attracting tremendous attention. The intensive exchange of high-level visits has played an important role in China-ASEAN cooperation for a shared future. The visits have empowered the two sides to actively carry out friendly cooperation, continuously enhance mutual understanding and trust, and jointly achieve development and revitalization, injecting stability and positive energy into regional peace and development.
  4. Negotiations on the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA 3.0) wrap up
    On October 10, the leaders of China and the 10 ASEAN member states announced the substantial conclusion of negotiations on CAFTA 3.0 and issued the Joint Statement on the Substantial Conclusion of the CAFTA 3.0 Upgrade Negotiations. The upgraded version covers both the existing areas of the CAFTA and emerging areas with great potential for cooperation between the two sides, which is of great pioneering significance. China and the ASEAN member states agree that the substantial conclusion of the CAFTA 3.0 upgrade negotiations demonstrates their firm commitment to upholding a rules-based trading environment, deepening economic integration and practical cooperation in a complex global environment, and accelerating post-pandemic economic recovery. 
  5. China-ASEAN trade reaches new heights, with both sides remaining each other’s largest trading partner
    In 2024, the total trade value between China and ASEAN reached 6.99 trillion yuan (US$962.98 billion), up 9.0 percent, accounting for 15.9 percent of China’s total foreign trade. Its exports to ASEAN reached 4.17 trillion yuan (US$575 billion), up 13.4 percent, and its imports from ASEAN reached 2.82 trillion yuan (US$388.88 billion), up 3.2 percent. Denominated in US dollars, the total value of China-ASEAN trade was US$982.34 billion, up 7.8 percent. Chinese exports to ASEAN were US$586.52 billion, up 12.0 percent, and Chinese imports from ASEAN were US$395.81 billion, up 2.0 percent. China has always taken concrete actions to support East Asia cooperation and regional economic integration. It has strengthened industrial chain cooperation with ASEAN, with imports from and exports to ASEAN having grown for nine consecutive years. ASEAN has remained China’s largest trading partner for five consecutive years, and China has remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.
  6. The China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges yields fruitful results
    In September 2023, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of President Xi Jinping proposing the building of an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, China and ASEAN jointly announced that 2024 would be designated as the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-people Exchanges. Both sides placed the preparations and arrangements for the Year of People-to-People Exchanges high on the agenda. The various activities effectively promoted people-to-people and cultural exchanges in various fields and helped people on both sides enhance mutual understanding and friendship. On October 10, the leaders of the two sides jointly released the China-ASEAN Joint Statement on Deepening Cooperation in People-to-People Exchanges, which affirmed the achievements of the Year of People-To-People Exchange and agreed to extend the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchanges to 2025. 
  7. China and ASEAN continue to deepen cross-border payment cooperation
    At the 27th China-ASEAN Summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang indicated that China stands ready to strengthen the linkage of cross-border payment systems with ASEAN. Cross-border QR code payment connectivity has already been realized between the payment institutions of China and many ASEAN countries. A China-ASEAN cross-border trade and financial connectivity platform was officially launched at the China-ASEAN Financial Cooperation and Development Conference 2024, marking new progress in building a smart system for China-ASEAN cross-border trade and finance. All sides are now working to deepen China-ASEAN cross-border payment connectivity and enhance cooperation in infrastructure, product services, technical support, and legal supervision to ensure strong support for economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges while promoting regional economic integration and prosperity.
  8. China and ASEAN accelerate connectivity to elevate regional cooperation to new heights
    In 2024, China and ASEAN achieved fruitful results in connectivity. The annual freight train trips along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (NILSTC) exceeded 10,000 for the first time. ASEAN Express freight train service was successfully launched, realizing seamless connection of the two major trade channels of the NILSTC and the China-Europe Express freight train service and creating new arteries for Eurasian trade. At the same time, significant progress was achieved with the pan-Asia railway network: round-trip freight train service commenced on the ChinaLaosThailandMalaysia cross-border railway for the first time, the volume of goods transported across borders on the China-Laos Railway surpassed 10 million tons, the Lao section of the China-Laos Railway set numerous records of the average daily passenger flow, China and Vietnam officially signed an intergovernmental agreement on a cross-border standard-gauge railway cooperation project, and Chinese and Malaysian companies signed an agreement on operation and maintenance of Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link and announced plans for the Electric Multiple Unit train design. These achievements in connectivity have not only promoted traffic convenience in the region, but also helped lift China-ASEAN cooperation to new heights.   
  9. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Support Unit (RSU) officially begins operation 
    On December 9, the RCEP Support Unit (RSU) was officially inaugurated at the ASEAN Secretariat. As the non-ASEAN rotating chair of RCEP in 2024, China worked with ASEAN chair Indonesia to actively lead the 15 parties to establish the RSU as scheduled. The full operation of the RSU is an important milestone in the development of RCEP mechanism and a solid step towards the concrete goal of establishing a separate RCEP secretariat, which is conducive to providing adequate secretarial and technical support for basic implementation of RCEP and promoting full and high-quality implementation.
  10. China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) enters a new stage of development
    From September 24 to 28, the 21st CAEXPO took place in Nanning, Guangxi, with the theme “Upholding amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness for common development, creating a diamond crown new future—promoting development of a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and high-quality growth of the region.” The scale of participation by ASEAN member states continued to exceed all domestic and international exhibitions. The latest CAEXPO made new achievements in the following 10 aspects: development of friendly relations, empowerment of innovative action, orders on trade transactions, results of investment cooperation, impetus for implementation of CAFTA 3.0, the effects of institutional opening, the effects of the “Nanning Channel,” a platform for the “Never-Ending CAEXPO,” people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and expansion of the influence of CAEXPO.

Samitivej Hospital Expands Pediatric Care with New Children’s Hospital

Samitivej International Children’s Hospital
Samitivej International Children’s Hospital

Bangkok’s Samitivej Hospital has officially opened its newly expanded International Children’s Hospital at the Samitivej Srinakarin location, marking a key milestone in its commitment to pediatric care. 

The expansion, which involved a THB 2 billion (USD 59.4 million) investment, strengthens the hospital’s position as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, providing advanced treatments and specialized care for children both in Thailand and internationally.

The newly upgraded facility is designed to handle complex pediatric cases, offering a range of specialized services. 

Samitivej International Children’s Hospital provides comprehensive heart care, from open-heart surgery to minimally invasive catheterization for children with heart conditions. It also offers advanced treatments for blood disorders and cancers, including Haploidentical Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and CAR-T Cell Therapy. The hospital is equipped to manage a wide range of pediatric and newborn surgeries, with specialized expertise in treating complex conditions from head to toe. Additionally, the hospital offers innovative solutions for children suffering from drug-resistant epilepsy, including Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) implants.

Bangkok’s Samitivej Hospital beds
Bangkok’s Samitivej Hospital beds

The hospital’s new eight-floor building features 111 beds, with 12 beds designated for critically ill children and 8 neonatal intensive care beds. The facility integrates cutting-edge technology to improve efficiency and enhance patient care. 

Bangkok’s Samitivej Hospital driven surgical procedures
Bangkok’s Samitivej Hospital driven surgical procedures

Among its features is a hybrid operating room, which allows for precision-driven surgeries using advanced biplane imaging technology. The hospital also has multidisciplinary pediatric specialties, which enable the treatment of rare and complex conditions. It provides advanced neonatal and pediatric intensive care, particularly for premature infants weighing under 500 grams, and includes a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center with robotic-assisted therapies.

Samitivej International Children’s Hospital also offers a range of services designed to support international patients. These services include pre-arrival teleconsultations, multilingual care teams, and medical evacuation and repatriation support, ensuring families from around the world can access the care they need.

The hospital has built strong global partnerships to enhance its capabilities in treating critically ill children. Through collaborations with Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in the United States and Takatsuki General Hospital in Japan, Samitivej gains access to the latest pediatric advancements and specialized care, especially in areas like neonatal and allergy treatments.

To further improve patient care, Samitivej has integrated digital healthcare innovations. The hospital has launched the Well Kidz app, which allows families to manage medical records, appointments, and access remote consultations. Additionally, Smart ER and ambulance services enable real-time monitoring, ensuring rapid emergency responses. Other technological advancements include AI-powered Smart OPD and IPD services, which assist with cost estimation, queue tracking, and seamless communication between patients and medical teams.

Samitivej’s clinical outcomes further demonstrate its commitment to excellence. The hospital treats more than 7,000 critical pediatric cases annually and performs over 1,000 newborn and pediatric surgeries, including minimally invasive procedures. It boasts a one-year survival rate of 92 percent for bone marrow transplants, exceeding global benchmarks, and has successfully treated over 400 newborns with heart conditions through surgical intervention. Additionally, the hospital provides specialized care for premature infants weighing less than 500 grams and enjoys a 98 percent trust rating from families.

Dr. Surangkana Techapaitoon, Deputy CEO of Samitivej and BNH Hospitals and Director of Samitivej International Children’s Hospital, emphasized the hospital’s commitment to improving pediatric health, stating, “This expansion strengthens our role as a pediatric referral hub, ensuring that children everywhere receive the best care from infancy through adolescence.”

With this new expansion, Samitivej International Children’s Hospital is set to continue its leadership in pediatric healthcare, providing world-class care to children both locally and internationally.

 

UN Global Compact and PRI Convene Business Leaders to Accelerate Sustainable Finance for a Resilient Future

SINGAPORE, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) successfully convened the Executive Roundtable on Sustainable Finance – Driving Leadership in Sustainable Finance for a Resilient Future at the Orchard Hotel in Singapore today. This high-level gathering brought together CEOs, CFOs and institutional investors to mobilize private and institutional capital towards financing sustainable development, addressing biodiversity loss, and closing the SDG financing gap in the Asia-Pacific region.

With Asia facing an annual shortfall of $1.5 trillion to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), discussions centered on scaling innovative financing mechanisms to drive inclusive growth, climate resilience, and sustainable development. The roundtable, aligned with the UN’s Road Map for Financing the 2030 Agenda, emphasized the urgent need for private sector leadership in mobilizing capital for the Global South and integrating sustainability-related factors into financial decision-making.

Key Themes and Insights
The discussions were structured around two key themes:

  • Financing for Development: Participants explored strategies for increasing capital flows into emerging economies, tackling investment barriers, and aligning financial markets with long-term sustainability goals.
  • Biodiversity & Climate Finance: Leaders deliberated on how businesses and investors can incorporate nature and biodiversity into investment frameworks, ensuring that capital supports climate resilience and ecosystem restoration.

Speaking at the event, Neha Das, Head of Asia & Oceania, UN Global Compact, underscored the role of corporate leaders in advancing sustainable finance: “Achieving the SDGs requires bold leadership and concrete action from the private sector. By embedding sustainability into business and investment strategies, companies and financial institutions can accelerate progress toward a more resilient and equitable global economy.”

David Atkin, CEO of PRI, emphasized the importance of investor action: “Institutional investors have a fiduciary responsibility to consider sustainability-related factors in their investment and ownership decisions. Alongside investor action, an enabling policy environment has a critical role in advancing sustainable finance. We are grateful to the UNGC-PRI roundtable participants for an important discussion on how leadership in these areas can create a sustainable future in Singapore and beyond.”

The roundtable concluded with a call to action for businesses and investors to:

  • Strengthen commitments to sustainable finance by aligning corporate financial strategies with sustainability-related factors.
  • Collaborate with policymakers to address policy barriers and enhance regulatory frameworks supporting sustainable investment.
  • Advance standardized reporting on biodiversity and climate-related financial risks.

This event also set the stage for deeper engagement at future UN Global Compact events reinforcing the commitment to scaling sustainable finance solutions across the Asia-Pacific region.

Notes to Editors

About the UN Global Compact
The ambition of the UN Global Compact is to accelerate and scale the global collective impact of business by upholding the Ten Principles and delivering the SDGs through accountable companies and ecosystems that enable change. With more than 20,000 participating companies, 5 Regional Hubs, 63 Country Networks covering 80 countries and 13 Country Managers establishing Networks in 18 other countries, the UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative — one Global Compact uniting business for a better world.

About Principles for Responsible Investment: 
The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. Supported by the United Nations, it works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions. The PRI acts in the long-term interests of its signatories, of the financial markets and economies in which they operate and ultimately of the environment and society as a whole. Launched in New York in 2006, the PRI has grown to more than 5,300 signatories, managing over US$121 trillion. For more information visit www.unpri.org.

Golden Agri-Resources Partners with Verborg Group to Pilot SmartTrace EUDR Compliance System

  • Blockchain-powered SmartTrace platform is designed to integrate with EU TRACES system, supporting EUDR due diligence for operators. 
  • Limited trials have been launched as part of GAR’s efforts to help customers prepare for EUDR implementation.

UTRECHT, Netherlands, March 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) has launched limited customer trials for its SmartTrace due diligence platform, as part of a broader programme to support compliance with the incoming European Union Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), set to take effect on 30 December 2025.

9,500 metric tonnes of 100% Traceable to the Plantation palm oil products were delivered to Verborg Group’s refinery in the Netherlands.
9,500 metric tonnes of 100% Traceable to the Plantation palm oil products were delivered to Verborg Group’s refinery in the Netherlands.

Among the first customers to pilot the SmartTrace system is Verborg Group, which operates a state-of-the-art tropical oil refinery in Farmsum, the Netherlands. GAR and Verborg Group established a strategic partnership for tropical oil supply in early 2024 to bring high-quality, traceable and deforestation-free oils to customers across Europe.

The trial involved a shipment of 9,500 metric tonnes of palm oil products delivered to Verborg Group’s refinery in late February. This shipment is 100% traceable to the plantations where it was grown in Indonesia and is part of ongoing tests of compliance systems and processes ahead of EUDR implementation.

Goedhart Borgesius, Director of Verborg Group, emphasised the importance of the trial to reassure European buyers about EUDR preparations: “We recognise the responsibility we have to our customers to provide sustainably-produced, high quality and deforestation-free tropical oils. This shipment marks a milestone in our ability to demonstrate these attributes and offer our customers confidence that they are helping to eradicate deforestation risk from the tropical oil supply chain.”

Enhancing Trust in Complex Supply Chains

The EUDR mandates that operators importing selected commodities into the EU provide detailed due diligence reports confirming these products are free from deforestation risk and are produced in accordance with local laws. 

GAR’s SmartTrace platform is designed to provide enhanced visibility and security for this due diligence data, enhancing trust and transparency in complex commodity supply chains.

The web-based platform gives operators unprecedented oversight of their entire palm oil supply chain. The system can track each constituent part of a palm oil shipment down to plantation level, giving users an end-to-end view of product sourcing that is authenticated using blockchain technology.

SmartTrace builds on a decade of investment into supply chain traceability from GAR. The company can trace 100% of the palm produced on its estates to plantation level and has extended Traceability to the Plantation (TTP) to 99% of its total palm oil supply chain in Indonesia. Supply of soy, sugar, coconut and sunflower oil are also 100% Traceable to the Mill.

Addressing Emerging Compliance Needs

In addition to showing where palm products have been produced and traded, the system provides critical information and analysis to support buyers’ compliance with incoming regulations.

Companies and traders using the system will be able to produce detailed reports that address vital requirements for EUDR compliance including due diligence and risk mitigation status for deforestation and legality. These reports are tailored to integrate with the EU’s TRACES platform, providing customers with the necessary information to complete their due diligence statements efficiently.

Maarten van der Hoeven, GAR’s Head of Europe and LatAm, explained the advantages of the system: “By digitising the due diligence process, SmartTrace helps our customers to collect, manage and share the data needed to meet EUDR requirements. In a complex supply chain where compliance data for one shipment can contain millions of data points, we want to ensure our customers can access accurate, efficient and trusted data to demonstrate their palm oil is deforestation-free.”

Beyond the EUDR, SmartTrace is also adaptable to other regulatory frameworks and complex data and reporting requirements.