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Farmers, Workers, Business Professionals See Highest HIV Infection Rates in Laos

Farmers, Workers, Business Professionals See Highest HIV Infection Rates in Laos
Farmers, Workers, Business Professionals See Highest HIV Infection Rates in Laos

The Lao Ministry of Health reported 1,896 new HIV cases identified between January and November 2024. 

On 29 November, ahead of World AIDS Day, Deputy Minister of Health Phayvanh Keopaseuth presented new data revealing that 1,523 individuals were living with HIV from January to September 2024, with 53 percent of them aged 15–29. 

Data from the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Center showed that 218 individuals in the 25–29 age group were newly infected in the first half of 2024. 

The three occupations with the highest infection rates were farmers (25.4 percent), general workers (21.7 percent), and business professionals (12.3 percent). 

This brings the cumulative total to 22,584 cases since the first recorded HIV infection in Laos in 1990. These figures were discussed at the National AIDS Committee meeting on 17 December in Vientiane.

Minister of Health Bounfeng Phoummalaysith highlighted the rise in HIV cases in recent years, particularly among young people aged 15–24, who accounted for 81 percent of new infections in 2023. The national HIV infection rate increased to 0.42 percent in 2024, up from 0.39 percent in the previous year.

Last month’s meeting also reviewed Laos’ progress toward the United Nations’ 95-95-95 targets, which aim for 95 percent of people living with HIV to know their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed to access treatment, and 95 percent of those treated to achieve viral suppression.

Currently, Laos operates 196 HIV testing facilities and a network of treatment centers across all 18 provinces, providing antiretroviral therapy to 12,803 individuals.

Efforts to combat HIV in Laos include improving healthcare services, conducting public awareness campaigns, and implementing preventive measures for at-risk groups. The government remains committed to its 2030 goal of ending HIV transmission.

 

Finex Launched ‘Get X2’ Trading Competition to Celebrate the New Year

Finex, an Indonesian broker with over a decade of success, launched a trading marathon campaign to start the New Year with 100% rebates and other attractive rewards.


JAKARTA, INDONESIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2025 – On December 24, Finex started a month-long promotion, offering an engaging trading experience with gifts and a generous 100% rebate. Titled “Get X2”, the promo allows participants to exchange traded lots for valuable gifts and raffle tickets, receiving weekly rebates for every traded lot. Collected tickets will enable participants to join the live draw and compete for the grand prize.

Get X2 promo by FINEX
Get X2 promo by FINEX

The promotion is only available exclusively to verified Finex traders with the Finex Trading application and MetaTrader 5 trading platform. Any existing or new trader automatically becomes a participant. To enjoy the full Get X2 experience, traders must activate rebates.

Agung Wisnuaji, CEO of Finex, said: “With Get X2, we are creating a place for our traders to feel the joy of year-end holidays and financial gains. The double benefit concept perfectly reflects this idea and rhymes with the festive New Year period—the time of celebrations and gifts”.

The active trading phase of the Finex – Get X2 promo ends on January 30. During this period, traders will trade lots to unlock digital and physical gifts, including subscriptions to trading services, Finex merchandise, gold, and high-tech devices.

January 31 will mark the promo’s finale, featuring the live raffle which requires participants to stake their collected tickets for a chance to win the grand prize – a BYD M6 car.

Derivative transactions involve high risks and high returns. By joining the Promo, you confirm that you have read and agreed to its terms and conditions.

Hashtag: #Finex #trading #Forex #promo



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

About Finex

Finex is a regulated Forex broker based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Finex provides competitive conditions for trading Forex currencies, commodities, and indices. Established in 2012, Finex is supervised by BAPPEBTI (Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency), an Indonesian regulatory body, which ensures the protection of traders’ funds by the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.

Trend Micro and Intel Innovate to Weed Out Covert Threats

Harnessing the power of software and hardware security to drive stronger ransomware detection for businesses


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2025 – Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global cybersecurity leader, today announced a new collaboration with Intel ® (NASDAQ:INTC) designed to help joint enterprise customers protect critical systems from stealthy threats, including fileless malware and advanced ransomware.

When Trend’s proactive security platform and Intel’s technology are used together, the integrated solution can better determine if encryption behavior is legitimate—such as a user backing up files or malicious—ensuring the appropriate action is taken to protect critical systems.

Carla Rodriguez, Intel VP: “Threat actors are increasingly targeting endpoints with sophisticated attacks that evade traditional software-based security. Trend Micro’s integration of Intel® Threat Detection Technology provides a hardware-accelerated detection layer to uncover stealthy threats. This technology, deployed across a billion PCs, is the only AI-based silicon security solution of its kind. Our mutual customers will benefit from enhanced protection with Trend Micro’s AI-powered Trend Vision One™ – Endpoint solutions on Intel AI PCs.”

Protecting critical assets across endpoints, email, networks, and cloud workloads is increasingly challenging as malicious actors favor covert threats such as fileless malware, which was reportedly present in 40% of attacks in 2023. These can be used to deploy ransomware, steal sensitive data, and cause significant financial and reputational damage.

Fileless attacks are particularly dangerous as they rely on in-memory execution, reside in the registry, or abuse legitimate tools like PowerShell and Windows Management Instrumentation.

That’s why Trend and Intel are teaming up by combining the AI-powered Trend Vision One. This collaboration provides organizations with powerful tools to detect and respond to ransomware and fileless attacks before they can cause damage.

Rachel Jin, chief enterprise platform officer at Trend Micro: “Proactive security has long been desired but just recently feasible. Through our work with Intel, we’re redefining what’s possible in cybersecurity—empowering enterprises to proactively safeguard their systems, data, and operations against an increasingly complex threat landscape.”

How AMS works:

  • Intel® TDT offloads advanced memory scanning (AMS) workloads from CPU to GPU
  • This enables Trend endpoint security solutions to scan more deeply and more often to uncover fileless attacks before they can launch malicious payloads.
  • Using fewer CPU resources enhances threat detection and response without affecting performance, slowing down PCs, or reducing battery life.

Trend Vision One™ – Endpoint Security leverages AMS to improve memory scanning capacity by 7 to 10X[1]. This means that organizations can scan more and detect more threats.

CPU-based threat detection:
Advanced ransomware is increasingly capable of evading EDR detection thanks to packing and obfuscation techniques and VM cloaking. EDR solutions are too often playing catchup with behavior-based approaches, which take time to get up to speed.

Intel® TDT augments Trend’s behavioral analysis, runtime machine learning, and expert rules by providing critical visibility into the hardware layer, increasing ransomware detection efficacy by 24% over software alone.

It does this by:

  • Using CPU telemetry and Intel® AI, offloading Intel AI and memory scanning from the CPU to the integrated GPU to provide a detection assist to Trend’s ransomware defenses which won’t disrupt the user experience.
  • Integrating Intel TDT source code directly into the Trend Micro agent to deliver deeper insights from CPU telemetry. This enables instant discovery of zero-day attacks and new, fast-moving variants.
# # #


[1] Trend Micro, Fileless Attacks Prompt Intel’s Next-Gen Security, https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/24/d/fileless-malware-attack-solution.html.

Hashtag: #trendmicro #trendvisionone #visionone #cybersecurity #intel #intelaipc #aipc




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

Trend Micro

Trend Micro, a global cybersecurity leader, helps make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Fueled by decades of security expertise, global threat research, and continuous innovation, Trend Micro’s AI-powered cybersecurity platform protects hundreds of thousands of organizations and millions of individuals across clouds, networks, devices, and endpoints. As a leader in cloud and enterprise cybersecurity, Trend’s platform delivers a powerful range of advanced threat defense techniques optimized for environments like AWS, Microsoft, and Google, and central visibility for better, faster detection and response. With 7,000 employees across 70 countries, Trend Micro enables organizations to simplify and secure their connected world.

The Best of Both Worlds: Enjoy Authentic, World-Class Deli Meats this Chinese New Year

The “Enjoy the Authentic Joy from Europe” campaign brings the irresistible flavours of renowned deli meats to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year.


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2025 – Food plays an essential role in bringing people together during moments of celebration, and this is especially true for the upcoming Chinese New Year. While it may seem that European deli meats and the Chinese New Year are worlds apart, both share a rich cultural significance and have a remarkable ability to connect generations.

Photo 1

Across the globe, European deli meats like Mortadella Bologna PGI, Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora PDO, and Zampone and Cotechino Modena PGI are staples in festive meals and family gatherings, born from centuries-old culinary traditions. Similarly, Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions, honouring customs, and celebrating with delicious foods that symbolise good fortune, unity, and prosperity.

Both culinary traditions emphasise the importance of food in fostering community bonds and honouring heritage. Additionally, a central ingredient that both European deli meats and Chinese New Year dishes have in common is pork.

The Role of Pork in Chinese New Year

In Chinese culture, pork symbolises strength, wealth, and good fortune. It’s the most commonly used meat in festive meals, with iconic dishes like pork-filled dumplings representing the hope for financial prosperity. As one of the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac, the pig is a symbol of good luck and abundance. Its forward movement while rooting for food is seen as a sign of progress in life, reflecting hopes for a prosperous year ahead.

Due to its positive associations and rich cultural symbolism, pork is an integral part of Chinese New Year meals.

Celebrating Authentic Deli Meats

As pork plays a central role in both Eastern and Western traditions, people worldwide seek to plate up the most high-quality products for their loved ones – no matter if it’s pork-based Chinese dishes or a spread of rich deli meats.

The esteemed deli meats are recognised with labels that are strictly upheld by the consortia in their regions of origin. These are the PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) or PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) certifications from the European Union – they assure consumers of the product’s authenticity, premium quality, and nutritional benefits.

Mortadella Bologna PGI is a timeless classic, made from finely ground pork and precious throat lardons infused with aromatic herbs and natural spices. Its soft, smooth texture and mildly sweet aroma create a refined taste. A true representation of artisanal craftsmanship, this deli meat offers an unparalleled experience for the discerning palate.

Known for its exceptional quality, Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora PDO is crafted from minced pork, and expertly spiced to create a sweet and delicate flavour. Its firm texture and irresistible flavour make it a standout among its peers, offering a taste that reflects the finest traditions of European charcuterie.

Zampone and Cotechino Modena PGI are iconic delicacies of savoury pork encased respectively in pig’s trotter and pig’s skin, delivering a robust yet refined flavour. Made using recipes originating in the 16th century, they offer an authentic, flavourful experience that brings European heritage to life.

As pork continues to unite different culinary traditions, these exceptional European deli meats, certified with PDO and PGI labels, stand as a testament of quality and craftsmanship for all cultures to enjoy.

City’Super’s Celebration of Two Cultures

To celebrate this Chinese-European cultural fusion, City’Super will feature these renowned deli meats across six stores in Hong Kong from January 10 to 26, 2025.

This comes as a part of the “Enjoy the Authentic Joy from Europe” campaign, co-financed by the European Union and supported by three esteemed non-profit consortias: Consorzio Italiano Tutela Mortadella Bologna, Consorzio Cacciatore Italiano, and Consorzio Zampone e Cotechino Modena IGP. The campaign will showcase how the deli meats perfectly complement the festive spirit of Chinese New Year.

Join us at City’Super and experience firsthand how these authentic European deli meats can add a unique touch to your Chinese New Year feasts.

Interested consumers can also check out the campaign’s website https://www.enjoytheauthenticjoy.co/ and social media accounts – Instagram and Facebook – for the latest news and updates with more announcements to follow soon.

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The content of this promotion campaign represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The European Commission and the European Research Executive Agency (REA) do not accept any responsibility for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

Hashtag: #EnjoytheAuthenticJoyfromEurope

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

Chinachem Group Attains International Recognition for Sustainable Development Efforts

Achieves GRESB Five-Star Rating


HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2025 – Dedicated to achieving a sustainable, zero-carbon future by prioritising environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors across its businesses, Chinachem Group (“Chinachem”) has been recognised as a Global Sector Leader for 2024 in the prestigious Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), achieving the highest possible five-star rating in both the Development Benchmark and Standing Investment Benchmark categories.

Chinachem has been recognised as a Global Sector Leader for 2024 in the prestigious Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), achieving the highest possible five-star rating in both the Development Benchmark and Standing Investment Benchmark categories.
Chinachem has been recognised as a Global Sector Leader for 2024 in the prestigious Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), achieving the highest possible five-star rating in both the Development Benchmark and Standing Investment Benchmark categories.

Having received a four-star rating from GRESB in 2023, Chinachem has taken it up a notch by achieving the five-star rating for the first time. This recognition marks a milestone for the Group, highlighting the significant progress it has made in governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement and the green performance of its properties.

Over half of all annual carbon emissions globally are generated by the built environment, making it a major contributor to climate change. Chinachem has addressed this challenge by implementing an ambitious Carbon Reduction Roadmap – CCG 3050+ – which commits it to reducing carbon intensity by 51.8% by 2030, compared with the 2020 baseline. As of this year, Chinachem has already achieved a 33% reduction in carbon intensity.

Chinachem has been an industry pioneer in introducing green building technologies in Hong Kong. It has promoted the adoption of a smart site safety system, and is the first private developer in the city to adopt Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) technology for a private residential development, helping to reduce construction waste, noise and carbon emissions.

Lee Garden Eight, a joint venture commercial property project by Chinachem and Hysan Development at Caroline Hill Road, Causeway Bay, is the first private construction project in the city to extensively adopt the Multi-trade integrated Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (“MiMEP”) technology. This innovative approach not only reduces on-site construction waste and carbon emissions but also shortens construction time and reduces the need for mechanical and electrical manpower.

In addition, Chinachem has partnered with CLPe to build and operate the first Net Zero Carbon Chiller in Hong Kong at the NINA MALLs to enhance energy efficiency. It also encourages its tenants to contribute to a sustainable future by offering partial management fee waivers to promote their participation in carbon reduction initiatives.

Chinachem Sustainability Conference in November 2024 attracted over 5,000 participants in-person and online. With the theme “Integrating Sustainability Solutions towards a Resilient Future”, the Conference brought together stakeholders from government, business, academia and research, and provided constructive recommendations for the interim review of Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050.

GRESB is a leading sustainability assessment and benchmark organisation for the global real estate industry. Each year, it evaluates companies’ sustainability performances and examines their progress toward achieving global sustainability goals. A total of 2,223 real estate portfolios participated in the GRESB assessment in 2024.

To learn more about Chinachem’s sustainable development initiatives, please visit this webpage.

Hashtag: #ChinachemGroup

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

Key trading trends to watch in 2025: insights by global broker Octa


KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 10 January 2025 – Developments such as Forex market volatility, rising commodity prices, and Southeast Asia’s economic growth are poised to reshape the trading landscape in 2025. Market participants need to be aware of these trends to develop strategic approaches and mitigate risks. Kar Yong Ang, a financial market analyst at Octa broker, highlights key trading trends to expect in 2025.

Octa

Global changes in currency pairs
Currency markets are bracing for heightened volatility in 2025, driven by shifting global economic conditions and monetary policy adjustments. According to S&P Global’s Economic Outlook, slowing global growth, rising inflation, and divergent interest rate policies among major central banks are expected to weigh heavily on currency pairs like EURUSD and GBPUSD. These factors, combined with trade uncertainties, could disrupt Forex market liquidity, increasing short-term volatility and widening spreads.

The U.S. dollar is expected to maintain its status as a safe-haven asset amid continued global uncertainties. Emerging markets, however, face potential pressure as currency depreciation risks rise, particularly in regions reliant on external financing. As a result, traders are likely to focus on hedging strategies and closely monitor monetary policy decisions from the U.S. Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, and Bank of England.

Commodity trading: new opportunities
Commodity markets are set for dynamic shifts in 2025, shaped by inflationary pressures, geopolitical risks, and the global energy transition. Gold, which saw strong demand in 2024 as a safe-haven asset, is projected to maintain its upward trajectory as global economic uncertainty persists. Analysts point to ongoing geopolitical tensions and a slowdown in economic growth as key drivers of gold’s appeal in the coming year.

Meanwhile, oil markets are likely to experience continued volatility. Supply constraints, coupled with shifts in energy demand, could push prices higher. Additionally, green energy-related commodities like lithium, copper, and nickel are increasingly valuable as governments accelerate their renewable energy initiatives. Reports highlight that commodities essential for electric vehicle production and energy storage will see sustained demand growth, creating new opportunities for commodity traders.

Growth of trading in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia remains a focal point for global trade and investment, driven by strong economic fundamentals and rapid digital transformation. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are leading the charge, with the region’s GDP growth forecasted to outpace global averages in 2025.

Indonesia’s digital economy continues to expand, supported by strong consumer adoption and increased investments in infrastructure. By 2025, Southeast Asia’s internet economy is expected to reach $330 billion, reflecting a steady rise in e-commerce, fintech, and online services. Malaysia, on the other hand, remains a significant player in electronics and renewable energy, with government policies aimed at enhancing infrastructure and attracting foreign investment. Singapore, as a financial hub, maintains its strategic role in driving innovation and green technology adoption.

Risks and challenges for 2025
While trading opportunities are abundant, 2025 brings its share of challenges. Rising global debt levels, coupled with higher borrowing costs, present risks to both developed and emerging economies. Bain & Company’s 2024 report highlights concerns over potential recessions in major markets, which could disrupt trade flows and investor sentiment.

Geopolitical conflicts and protectionist trade policies also remain key risks. Tensions in global supply chains, particularly between the U.S. and China, could impact commodity prices and currency markets. Traders must rely on robust risk management strategies, incorporating both technical and fundamental analysis to navigate these uncertainties.

Trading in 2025 will be defined by the volatility of the Forex market, rising demand, and the strength of Southeast Asian economies. Traders are advised to acknowledge these and other trends in advance to adjust their long-term strategies accordingly. To facilitate trend watching, market players can rely on advanced tools that allow for faster and more accurate decision-making. Such tools include Space from OctaTrader, which provides predictive insights and expert strategies for traders. Such an approach allows for improved risk management amidst volatile markets.
Hashtag: #Octa

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

Octa

is an international broker that has been providing online trading services worldwide since 2011. It offers commission-free access to financial markets and various services used by clients from 180 countries who have opened more than 52 million trading accounts. To help its clients reach their investment goals, Octa offers free educational webinars, articles, and analytical tools.

The company is involved in a comprehensive network of charitable and humanitarian initiatives, including the improvement of educational infrastructure and short-notice relief projects supporting local communities.

In the APAC region, Octa received the ‘Best Trading Platform Malaysia 2024’ and the ‘Most Reliable Broker Asia 2023’ awards from Brands and Business Magazine and International Global Forex Awards, respectively.

Dah Sing Bank and Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association Join Hands to Support SMEs to Better Understand and Practice ESG

“SME ESG Charter” 2024 enhanced brand image and expanded business opportunities for participating SMEs

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 January 2025 – Close to 90% of small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”) participating in the SME ESG Charter 2024 (“ESG Charter 2024”) have acknowledged that they have benefited from enhanced brand image, reflecting the significance of the ESG Charter 2024 jointly launched by Dah Sing Bank, Limited (“Dah Sing Bank” or “the Bank”) and the Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association (“HKSMEA”). The Bank and HKSMEA have confirmed to continue their collaboration with the SME ESG Charter 2025 (“ESG Charter 2025”) to encourage more SMEs to improve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and accelerate the transition towards economic sustainability.

HKSMEA surveyed 302 SMEs in December last year on their business challenges and their knowledge and implementation of ESG. The survey results showed that the top challenge faced by SMEs in the past year was rising cost of business (57.7%), followed by increased competition (46.5%), loss of customers (42.3%) and manpower shortages (36.6%). Meanwhile, 77% of SMEs considered ESG practices to be ‘very important’ and ‘important’, while 85.2% of the surveyed companies indicated willingness and interest to participate in the ESG Charter.

Dah Sing Bank launched its partnership with HKSMEA when the ESG Charter 2024 was introduced last year. The initiative was well received with 35 SMEs having participated, of which 26 qualified to receive free independent assessment and certification. The participating SMEs acknowledged that the initiative has helped deepen their understanding of ESG, and that gaining certified in the ESG Charter 2024 not only improved their corporate image but also helped to increase business opportunities.

“Dah Sing Bank has always been committed to supporting SMEs and helping them seek opportunities. Whilst the climate change driven ESG megatrend may seem remote, it is in fact shaping the development of a sustainable economy, presenting both challenges and potential opportunities for companies. We hope to encourage different industries and stakeholders to participate in this megatrend, and to help more SMEs transition towards economic sustainability so that they may progress further with enhanced competitiveness to capture new opportunities. We joined forces with HKSMEA to provide SMEs with hands-on training and support in the ESG Charter 2024. In 2025, we hope to enhance the scope of the ESG Charter to reach out to more local SMEs,” said Ms. Phoebe Wong, Deputy Chief Executive, Senior Executive Director and Group Head of Personal Banking of Dah Sing Bank.

Through the ESG Charter 2024, Dah Sing Bank and HKSMEA provided comprehensive support to SMEs which included publicity, workshops, technical advice, auditing and certification, public education and business liaison. Dah Sing Bank will award SMEs that have successfully qualified for the ESG Charter 2024 an incentive of up to HKD1,400 in account opening fee rebates. The Bank also plans to introduce various product and service incentives in the coming year to encourage customers to implement ESG practices.

Mr. Andrew Kwok, President of HKSMEA, said, “The transition towards economic sustainability is an important global trend. HKSMEA is committed to encouraging more SMEs to participate in the ESG Charter and to achieving our long-term goal of enabling more SMEs to understand the importance of learning and practicing ESG. We support local SMEs to integrate ESG elements into their operating structures and governance mechanisms, and meet the long-term development needs of Mainland China and Hong Kong.”

HKSMEA’s SME survey also showed that 88.9% of SMEs participating in the ESG Charter 2024 acknowledged that their brand image has improved, 72.2% acknowledged funding support for certification and 50% for professional advice.

Furthermore, 62% of SMEs surveyed have started to implement ESG-related initiatives. Among the areas that SMEs have started to implemented, social responsibility ranked highest at 95.5%, followed by environmental protection at 93.2% and corporate governance at 86.4%. Meanwhile, 84.1% of SMEs agreed that good ESG practices can increase customer trust and build a positive brand image, while 54.5% of SMEs believed that implementing ESG practices can help them gain access to large companies’ supplier lists, thereby increasing business opportunities. Similarly, 54.5% of SMEs believed that they can effectively reduce operating costs through savings in electricity, water and waste management costs.

Among the SMEs surveyed, 77% saw adopting ESG practices as “very important” and “important”; 61.5% said it would help to attract investors; 46.2% said it could reduce operating costs through environmental protection measures; 46.2% believed it could increase employees’ sense of belonging and morale; 30.8% said it has improved their own operational management systems, and 30.8% said it could increase customer loyalty and trust.

According to the survey, 85.2% of companies surveyed indicated willingness and interest to participate in the ESG Charter. The key reason for not yet implementing ESG measures was a lack of human resources (48.1%), followed by a lack of financial resources (40.7%). Tight cash flow has prevented SMEs from investing in the necessary resources to implement ESG measures.

The ESG Charter 2024 is a not-for-profit assessment framework that references the sections of the ESG Reporting Guide in Appendix C2 of the HKEX Listing Rules that are applicable to SMEs. Participating SMEs will be assessed by and will receive an assessment report from a third party professional consultancy. SMEs who have successfully attained the ESG Charter 2024 status will be placed in the SME ESG Register by HKSMEA, and will enjoy priority when large corporations supporting the charter consider their products and services.

Hashtag: #DahSingBank

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

About Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association

Founded in 1996, Hong Kong Small and Medium Enterprises Association was one of the most important SMEs chamber of commerce in Hong Kong. As an non-profit making organization, we have been working for the development of SMEs from manufacturing, food & beverage industry, professional service sectors, marketing and allied industrial / business sectors for almost three decades.

Our main mission is to serve as a bridge of communication between SMEs and HKSAR Government, increasing the competitiveness and productivity of SMEs, assisting them in upgrading, restructuring, entering GBA market and developing globally.

About Dah Sing Bank Limited

Dah Sing Bank, Limited (the “Bank”) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dah Sing Banking Group (HKG:2356). Founded in Hong Kong over 75 years ago, the Bank has been providing quality banking products and services to its customers with a vision to be “The Local Bank with a Personal Touch”. Over the years, the Bank has been rigorous in delivering on its brand tagline to grow with its customers in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and beyond – “Together We Progress and Prosper”. Building on our experience and solid foundation in the industry, our scope of professional services now spans retail banking, private banking, business and commercial banking. Meanwhile, the Bank is also making significant investments in its digital banking capabilities to stay abreast with smart banking developments in Hong Kong and to support financial inclusion at large.

In addition to its Hong Kong banking operations, the Bank has wholly-owned subsidiaries including Dah Sing Bank (China) Limited, Banco Comercial de Macau, S.A., and OK Finance Limited. It is also a strategic shareholder of Bank of Chongqing with a shareholding of about 13%. Dah Sing Bank and its subsidiaries now have 64 operating locations in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China.

FEV develops AI-supported driver monitoring system CogniSafe


AACHEN, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 9 January 2025 – FEV, a leading global innovation driver for the mobility of tomorrow, presents CogniSafe, a state-of-the-art Driver Monitoring System (DMS) that significantly increases road safety. The system uses advanced technologies such as deep learning and computer vision to monitor driver conditions such as distraction, fatigue and inattention in real time and under even the most challenging conditions.

FEV's CogniSafe uses deep learning to monitor driver conditions, thereby increasing road safety.
FEV’s CogniSafe uses deep learning to monitor driver conditions, thereby increasing road safety.

“CogniSafe is a holistic, innovative system that uses a variety of sensors and combines them with artificial intelligence (AI) to precisely analyze driver behavior and alertness”, said Dr. Thomas Hülshorst, Group Vice President Intelligent Mobility & Software at FEV. In (semi-) autonomous vehicles in particular, legal safety requirements are increasing, and the driver must be able to intervene in any situation. “With our latest development, we are actively reducing accidents caused by human error. At over 90 percent, these make up the majority of all accidents,” said Hülshorst.

CogniSafe uses a combination of functions which are unique on the market and coordinate with each other. It uses a network of cameras in the visible light and infrared spectrum to analyze driver behavior from different angles. On this basis, the system continuously tracks the driver’s gaze, analyzes eye condition (percentage of eye closure, PERCLOS) and assesses head posture, providing further information on alertness, fatigue and drowsiness.

AI plays a pivotal role in the functions of FEV’s latest development. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are used to perform precise real-time analyses that dynamically adapt to different drivers and environmental conditions, such as different lighting conditions, and continuously improve.

“The solution is also very interesting for target groups such as fleet operators or insurance companies, who have a strong interest in safe driving practices”, said Hülshorst.

Further information is available at https://shorturl.at/hy3dq

Hashtag: #FEV

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