WESTERN UNION EXPANDS ITS GLOBAL PLATFORM NOW TO NEW PARTNERS IN ASIA

Japan’s KYODAI Remittance and Korea’s Fintech Hanpass Money Transfer Companies Will Now Use Western Union’s Global Network

DENVER & TOKYO & SEOUL, South Korea Oct 23 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE)--Western Union, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today further expanded its white label offerings* to Asia enabling customers of third-party money transfer companies to pay out through Western Union.

Customers of Japan’s oldest remittance company KYODAI Remittance, a service of Unidos Co., Ltd., and Korea’s leading fintech company Hanpass, became the latest collaborators to move funds globally through Western Union. Their customers may choose to pay out into billions of bank accounts in more than 100 countries, millions of wallets in a dozen countries or the Western Union^® retail Agent network across 200 countries and territories.

Western Union has opened its cross-border platform to power other brands to move money and enable international cross-border payments in minutes by leveraging its core cross-border assets – including global settlement capabilities, compliance, operations, network, and technology systems.

During his visit to Asia, Hikmet Ersek, CEO, Western Union said, “More global brands are turning to Western Union for cross-border money transfer solutions that provide their customers the ability to transfer money quickly and reliably to almost anywhere in the world. The expansion of our open platform initiative into Asia with leading financial institutions is a decisive step towards the execution of our strategy to tap into incremental growth opportunities.”

KYODAI Remittance and Hanpass join a growing group of leading global and national brands that have partnered with Western Union to expand or enhance cross-border money transfer and payment capabilities for their customers. Other platform partnerships include:

• Kenya’s leading mobile network operator Safaricom enables its over 23 million largely unbanked M-PESA mobile wallet users to transfer money globally from their wallets.
• Korea’s leading bank KEB Hana Bank enables its foreign national customers to move money from its app across the world through Western Union.
• Russia’s major bank, Sberbank, allows its over 50 million customers to send money from its app to the world.
• Saudi Telecom’s STC Pay allows its 2.5 million app users to send money from its app to the world.

These collaborations with KYODAI Remittance and Hanpass are live today with payout functionality available immediately.

WU-G

*Payout at Western Union Agent locations

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of June 30, 2019, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering Western Union, Vigo or Orlandi Valuta branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2018, is available in more than 70 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About Kyodai

Kyodai Remittance is the brand name of Unidos. Co, Ltd. Unidos was established in 2000 to support home money transfer for the Peruvian community in Japan. Under the Funds Settlement Act in 2010, Unidos was registered as a money transfer company (Registration: Money Transfer Agent Kanto Regional Financial Bureau 00004) and started the service "KYODAI REMITTANCE" for all nationalities in Japan to all destinations in the world.

Since then, Unidos has provided a fast and safe remittance service to customers built around confidence, respect, know-how and experience. Unidos' greatly diversified international staff communicate directly to each community in its own language and demonstrate a key understanding of differing cultures.

The company's headquarters are in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. A face-to-face remittance service is provided in 18 locations in Japan so far.

About Hanpass

Hanpass is a leading Korean fintech company providing remittance and O2O currency exchange services via mobile app services. Hanpass enables its users to safely send money across borders without going through the hassle of making local bank accounts and physically going through identification process by simply completing mobile identification process. Moreover, Hanpass differentiated itself from traditional banks using SWIFT network to wire transfer by forming strategic alliance with MTO (Money Transfer Operator) partners like Western Union, which significantly reduced the time required to send money out of the country from 3~5 days to an almost instant transfer with much lower fees. With solid industry experience and knowhow along with global financial network base, Hanpass is sprinting towards becoming a true global platform offering an effortless cross border remittance, currency exchange and cross border payment experience for customers.

View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191023005323/en/

Contact

Western Union Global Communications and Social Channels
Pia De Lima, Pia.DeLima@westernunion.com

Western Union Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific
Karen Santos, Karen.Santos2@westernunion.com

Source : The Western Union Company

--BERNAMA

TELEDYNE PHOTOMETRICS ANNOUNCES NEW SCMOS CAMERA FOR SCIENTIFIC IMAGING - 400 FPS AND 10 MP RESOLUTION

New Kinetix sCMOS platform delivers an unmatched combination of speed, sensitivity, and field of view for scientific imaging

TUCSON, Ariz., Oct 23 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teledyne Photometrics, a Teledyne Technologies [NSYE:TDY] company and global leader in scientific imaging, announces the release of its Kinetix sCMOS camera which delivers an unmatched combination of speed, sensitivity, field of view, and resolution.

The Kinetix is an all-new camera platform that builds on the success of the industry-defining Prime 95B and Prime BSI back-illuminated sCMOS cameras and redefines expectations of sCMOS camera speeds.

Designed for the most demanding and highest-speed scientific imaging techniques, the Kinetix ensures that extremely dynamic events are captured by acquiring over 400 frames per second. The near perfect 95% quantum efficiency coupled with Correlated Multi-Sampling (CMS) maximizes the amount of light captured, even at the dimmest levels, and the 10-megapixel sensor provides high-resolution imaging over a huge imaging area by leveraging 6.5 µm pixels that span an almost 30 millimeter field of view.

Key features:

·  >400 frames per second, full-frame
·  10 megapixel resolution, 29 mm field of view
·  3200 x 3200 pixels, 6.5 x 6.5 µm pixel area
·  >95% peak QE, Correlated Multi-Sampling (CMS)

“The Kinetix redefines expectations for scientific cameras. While the super-low noise and back-illumination help when there isn’t much light, the unmatched speed of the camera truly opens up possibilities for new discoveries,” said Rachit Mohindra, Senior Product Manager at Teledyne Photometrics. “Scientists have continuously requested faster pixel readout rates for cameras, and the Kinetix definitely delivers speed.”

For more information about the Kinetix sCMOS camera, please visit the Teledyne Photometrics website.

About Photometrics
Founded as Photometrics in 1978, Teledyne Photometrics is part of the Teledyne Imaging Group. Teledyne Photometrics is the world’s premier designer and manufacturer of high-performance CMOS, EMCCD and CCD cameras for life science research. The original architect of the world’s first scientific-grade microscopy EMCCD camera, Teledyne Photometrics maintains its leadership role with the release of Prime, the first sCMOS camera with built-in computational intelligence for image restoration, and Prime 95B, the first sCMOS camera with 95% quantum efficiency. Teledyne Photometrics also offers comprehensive OEM support, including fully characterized, cost-efficient imaging systems and components. Teledyne Photometrics is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.

Teledyne Imaging is a group of leading-edge companies aligned under the Teledyne umbrella. Teledyne Imaging forms an unrivalled collective of expertise across the spectrum with decades of experience. Individually, each company offers best-in-class solutions. Together, they combine and leverage each other’s strengths to provide the deepest, widest imaging and related technology portfolio in the world. From aerospace through industrial inspection, radiography and radiotherapy, geospatial surveying, and advanced MEMS and semiconductor solutions, Teledyne Imaging offers world-wide customer support and the technical expertise to handle the toughest tasks. Their tools, technologies, and vision solutions are built to deliver to their customers a unique and competitive advantage.

© Copyright 2019, Photometrics. All rights reserved. Teledyne Photometrics and the Teledyne Photometrics logo are registered trademarks. Photometrics Prime BSI and Photometrics Prime 95B are trademarks of Teledyne Photometrics. All other product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact:

Dan Croucher
Applications and Marketing Communications Manager
Teledyne Photometrics
daniel.croucher@teledyne.com
+44 7887 456543 main

Rachit Mohindra
Senior Product Manager
Teledyne Photometrics
rachit.mohindra@teledyne.com
+1.520.547.2576 office
+1.520.448.1293 main
 

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/42f48489-f76d-4645-a1e5-0700f41231f1 

Source: Teledyne Photometrics

--BERNAMA

Taconic Biosciences adds Dr Frank Sistare to Scientific Advisory Board

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 -- Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions has added Dr Frank Sistare to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

Dr Sistare joins existing SAB members Andrew Goodman, PhD; David Hill, PhD; and Robert Rosenthal, PhD, according to a statement.

The SAB will continue to collaborate with Taconic’s management in providing scientific insight and guidance on the evolution of its product and service portfolio.

Dr Sistare’s extensive career and expertise in the field of toxicology complements the standing board members as it provides expertise in microbiome, oncology and toxicology spaces to drive Taconic’s innovation in these and other research areas.

“We welcome Dr Sistare and his deep experience as Taconic continues developing solutions that are more precise and relevant to human clinical outcomes,” shared Taconic Biosciences chief executive officer, Nancy J. Sandy.

Dr Sistare has served for the past 16 years as executive director, associate vice-president and scientific associate vice-president within safety assessment and laboratory animal resources at Merck Research Laboratories.

He earned his BS in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island, PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Virginia, and was awarded a postdoctoral PRAT Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.

-- BERNAMA

Lithium Werks prioritises watertight safety in marine technology

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 -- Serving the marine sector for over a decade, Lithium Werks has seen the market transition from small lithium batteries in racing yachts to large battery systems in ferries and work vessels.

Lithium Werks does not use nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) as a battery technology but instead, sells safer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) technology.

NMC is much more prone to extreme events such as thermal runaway than Lithium Werks’ LFP chemistry.

Additionally, Lithium Werks’ modules use smaller cylindrical cells, making the energy released is minimal compared to the large format NMC cells. This further increases the safety of its battery system.

Lithium Werks has spent over 20 years perfecting its LFP chemistry to now provide the perfect combination of inherent safety, power and energy density, along with class-leading lifetime in a modular, scalable package that does not require complex cooling systems.

More details at https://lithiumwerks.com

-- BERNAMA

PSAV COMPLETES ITS ACQUISITION OF ENCORE EVENT TECHNOLOGIES

Two companies unite to jointly serve a global customer base

Schiller Park, Ill., Oct 16 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PSAV announced today that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Encore Event Technologies. PSAV and Encore, both global leaders in event experiences and production services, combine their deep expertise and shared commitment to be an invaluable global partner for the meeting industry. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

“The combination of Encore and PSAV is monumental for the industry and all who rely on us for their event experience needs. It provides us with the ability to expand our capabilities and footprint in order to better serve our collective meeting planner customers and valued venue partners,” said Mike McIlwain, CEO of PSAV. “The Encore team is very much aligned to our purpose, mission and values, and I am confident our expanded team will exceed our own expectations when it comes to helping our customers achieve their meeting and event goals.”

Bob Priest-Heck, Chief Executive Officer of The Freeman Company, said, “This divestiture is an important milestone and will allow Freeman to invest deeper in our broad competencies in brand and event strategy, world-class creative, event technology, digital and logistics. The combination of Encore and PSAV creates tremendous opportunities for Encore to accelerate its growth and provide enhanced value to its clients, partners and world-class team. We wish our Encore colleagues continued success as part of PSAV moving forward.”

Encore has a long and distinguished history dedicated to helping create high-impact meetings and live events for the hospitality industry. Encore operates as an in-house partner to some of the world’s leading resorts, hotels, as well as a creative production company for clients around the world.
PSAV has an equally impressive history that includes more than 80 years as a global leader in event experiences. Its extensive footprint and menu of capabilities have effectively served its customers across the globe.

About PSAV_®

PSAV is a global leader in event experiences, providing creative, production, advanced technology and staging services to help meeting professionals deliver more dynamic and impactful experiences at their meetings, trade shows and events. The team consists of more than 10,000 professionals across 1,600 on-site venue locations and 49 branch offices within the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. It is the trusted partner and on-site provider of choice at leading venues worldwide. PSAV was recently named to the Forbes 2019 America’s Best Employer list. The company is headquartered in Schiller Park, Ill.  www.psav.com.
  
About Encore Event Technologies

Encore is a leading global provider of audiovisual, event technology, staging and production services.  Encore serves as the in-house provider at more than 500 hotels, conference centers and resorts in North America and Asia Pacific.  Encore Productions, the production division of Encore Event Technologies, is a full-service creative production company helping clients tell their stories around the world.  For more information, visit www.encore-us.com, www.encore-anzpac.com and www.freemanav-ca.com.


Bob Niersbach
PSAV
847.385.3619
rniersbach@psav.com

Source: PSAV

--BERNAMA

Papua New Guinea´s CGI under review with negative implication status removed - AM Best

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 -- AM Best, a global rating agency focused on the insurance industry has removed from under review with negative implications of Capital General Insurance Company Limited (CGI) Papua New Guinea.

The agency also affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of C+ (marginal) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ‘b-’ of CGI, making negative outlook assigned to these ratings.

The ratings reflect CGI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best described as adequate, as well as its strong operating performance, limited business profile and weak enterprise risk management.

The ratings factor is in a neutral impact from the company’s 100 per cent ownership by Capital Insurance Group Limited.

Following the identification of historical misreporting of reinsurance transactions over a number of years, the company restated its 2017 year-end financial position as part of its latest annual report and accounts.

This restatement resulted in the company’s shareholders’ equity exhibiting a high degree of volatility over recent years, which has driven variability in CGI’s risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio.

Prospectively, AM Best expects the company’s small absolute capital base (US$8.6 million as of last year-end), to remain highly sensitive to changes in earnings, reserves or other balance sheet items. (US$1 = RM4.18)

The negative outlooks reflect AM Best’s expectation of near-term pressure on operating performance and the potential for continued volatility in risk-adjusted capitalisation. More details at http://www.ambest.com

-- BERNAMA

Crown Bioscience unveils tumour organoid drug development platform

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 -- Crown Bioscience Inc has launched a new tumour organoid drug development platform with potential to significantly improve the predictivity and speed of preclinical drug discovery.

The initial phase of the platform launch features the first commercially available 3D in vitro PDX-derived organoid (PDXO) models, generated from the company’s uniquely-characterised library of over 2,500 patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models.

Further benefits of patient-relevant PDXO models include preserving the genomic, morphological and pathophysiological identity of their parental PDX tumours.

PDXOs are biologically equivalent to highly predictive in vivo PDX models, both being cancer stem cell driven disease models.

PDXOs bring the added benefits of speed and scalability inherent to in vitro systems which are ideal for high-throughput, large-scale screens and simultaneous testing of multiple combination strategies.

These 3D in vitro models have been developed using best-in-class Hubrecht Organoid Technology (HUB) protocols, originating from the Clevers lab, guaranteeing robustness and proven translatability.

CrownBio has an exclusive licence from HUB to provide preclinical oncology drug development and validation services using HUB’s Organoid Technology.

The initial launch of PDXO models includes more than 10 cancer types. Phase 2 of the platform will see HUB patient-derived organoids available exclusively from CrownBio in first quarter next year.

-- BERNAMA

MEGAZONE CLOUD, LG CNS PARTNERSHIP ACCELERATES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- Megazone Cloud has signed a joint venture agreement with LG CNS, a subsidiary of LG Corporation based in Korea, to help companies with digital transformation including cloud migration and operation.

The combined experience and expertise will provide synergistic support for enterprises, from assessment and planning to development and operation. 

Two partners will go through detailed operation planning together and expect to finalise setting up the new joint venture by year-end.

Both will also expand coverage to overseas markets to support ever-increasing global cloud service market.

Megazone Cloud chief executive officer, Max Joo Wan Lee said: “The combination of the core competencies of the two companies will enable us to offer a more reliable end-to-end cloud service.

“The two companies will forge ahead in the international cloud market of finance and public sectors.”

Gartner, the world’s leading research and advisory company, forecasts that the size of the international public cloud service market will reach US$249.8 billion by next year. (US$1 = RM4.18)

Megazone Cloud is one of the largest cloud managed service providers in the Asia Pacific region. Since 1998, the company has offered business-to-business IT services.

-- BERNAMA

KYOTO BY THE SEA: SACRED MOTOISE SHRINE AND NARIAIJI TEMPLE TRANSFORM INTO AN IMMERSIVE WORLD OF ART

Nariaiji Temple (Photo: Business Wire) Special Exhibitions: ALTERNATIVE KYOTO + Nariaiji Temple Illumination KYOTO, Japan, Oct 7 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Kyoto by the Sea DMO (Destination Management/Marketing Organization): This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191006005063/en/ Exhibitions: Artspaces of Light: 9/13–11/4 & 11/9,11/10 (open fri, sat, sun, holidays) venues: Motoise Kono Shrine Sept. 13 – Nov. 4 (6–9pm) Nariaiji Temple, Amanohashidate Nov. 9-10 (sunset-9pm) Amanohashidate, one of Japan’s Three Scenic Views, along with the area’s major temples and shrines, will be transformed into a dream-like atmosphere with light, video projection, and sound-based digital art. Internationally renowned media artists Hiroaki Umeda and NONOTAK will use Motoise Kono Shrine, the most sacred and highest-ranked shrine in the history of the region, as their stage, recreating the origin of Amanohashidate by way of a “Path of Light” and “Sea of Light.” Exhibit “JIKU” features Nariaiji Temple, one of Japan’s 33 Western Pilgrimage Temples set to beautiful lights. The fall foliage will be in full-effect on this mountain temple overlooking the Sea of Japan, which will be highlighted with a special staging by Seiichi Saito, the executive of the internationally acclaimed, Rhizomatiks By connecting Nariaiji Temple and Chionji Tempe (separated by the 3.6km land bridge of Amanohashidate) with light, Seiichi captures the creation of Amanohashidate, a legend born of light. event info contact: Amanohashidate Station Tourist Information Center 314-2 Monju, Miyazu, Kyoto, JAPAN [TEL] +81-772-22-8030 (Office Hours: 9am-6pm) SPONSORS: Amanohashidate Area Association / Agency for Cultural Affairs, Kyoto Prefecture *DON’T MISS* Fall Foliage key viewing spots in Kyoto by the Sea Amanohashidate: Viewland, Kasamatsu Park, Nariaiji Temple Ayabe: Komyoji Temple & Niomon Gate Fukuchiyama: Fukuchiyama Castle, Oeyama Mountain Range View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191006005063/en/ Contact {media contact} Jesse Efron, Overseas Promotion Manager Kyoto by the Sea DMO www.uminokyoto.jp/english +81-772-68-5055 / info@uminokyoto.jp Source : Kyoto by the Sea Destination Management/Marketing Organization --BERNAMA

Asia Pacific has best outlook in packaged food sales

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 -- Asia Pacific ranks top in the region with the best outlook in packaged food sales, and is expected to grow four per cent by 2023, according to Euromonitor International.

This is followed by Middle East and Africa, which are expected to grow 3.7 per cent by 2023.

In a statement, the market research company said the global food and nutrition industry increased by 1.6 per cent from 2013 to 2018, and has kept growing.

“In view of the evolving trends, manufacturers need to span their product offerings from indulgent to nutritious to reach consumers with wide-ranging needs and in expectation of a sensory experience,” said Euromonitor International industry manager, Katharina Bagul.

“The meat-free space saw the most interesting developments with meat analogues being the game changer in 2019.

“In terms of alternative proteins, the future will tell if edible insects and lab-cultured meat will be able to achieve a breakthrough and acceptance by a wider consumer base,” said Bagul.

Euromonitor International recently launched a new white paper looking at the evolving trends in the food and nutrition industry at Anuga 2019.

The white paper highlights consumer segmentation, mindful consumption and plant-based eating as the three key themes currently shaping new product developments in food and nutrition.

-- BERNAMA

VIRGINIA'S PATH TO 55 FEET IS SET; FIRST PHASE OF DREDGING TO BEGIN IN JAN. 2020

VIRGINIA'S PATH TO 55 FEET IS SET; FIRST PHASE OF DREDGING TO BEGIN IN JAN. 2020

Egypt´s international trade fairs to set numerous business opportunities, connections

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Egypt, the gateway to key markets in the Middle East and Africa is scheduled to host two major international trade fairs in December that will set numerous business opportunities in motion and establish new international trade connections.

Food Africa, the 5th International Trade Exhibition for Food & Beverages will return to Cairo at the Egypt International Exhibitions Center beginning Dec 9, according to a statement.

The three-day exhibition has earned its reputation as a leading F&B business platform to promote international trade and investment opportunities in the Egyptian and greater African & Middle Eastern markets.

Last year, the event welcomed 350 exhibitors from 28 countries, hosted 420 leading buyers from Egypt and the region and attracted 13,590 professional visitors, recording an eminent success with numerous partnerships and trade deals signed on the spot.

Running alongside Food Africa this year is a brand-new international exhibition, organised by one of the world’s leading event organisers, Messe Düsseldorf.

pacprocess Middle East Africa, the International Exhibition for Processing & Packaging in the Middle East and Africa is the latest addition to the interpack alliance, spanning all international events staged by Messe Düsseldorf under its Processing & Packaging portfolio.

The trade fair brings together local and international industry stakeholders from across the entire value chain to showcase cutting-edge technologies and forge lucrative partnerships.

The exhibition features two specialised conferences; innovationparc and SAVE FOOD Initiative that will address the latest innovations, technologies, and trends in this industry and highlight optimal solutions for reducing food waste.

More information at http://www.pacprocess-mea.com and http://www.foodafrica-expo.com.

-- BERNAMA

PT Pollux Aditama Kencana opens Chadstone Cikarang Mall to public

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 -- PT Pollux Aditama Kencana, a joint venture company of PT Pollux Properti Indonesia Tbk and Virginia Properti Group, recently held an opening ceremony of its Chadstone Cikarang Mall.

Attended by the Board of Directors of PT Pollux Aditama and most of its tenants, the event began with a tumpeng rice tradition as a symbolic form of gratitude for the hard work of all parties who were committed to the development process of the mall.

“The mall occupancy has now reached 88 per cent and the demand for retail space remains strong as Chadstone Mall will be the only modern mall in Cikarang to cater to the needs of the community,” said Chadstone Operations director, Yanto Zefania.

PT Pollux Properti Indonesia Tbk chief executive officer, Dr Nico Po also stated the event was testament of Pollux commitment and vision to provide the best quality retail centres in Indonesia.

Chadstone will become the largest and tallest integrated development in west Java. It will position itself to target expatriates and millennials, and is expected to attract a daily minimum of 40,000 visitors and combined with residents from its 3,500 apartment units.

Currently, PT Pollux Properti Indonesia Tbk is known as one of the top 10 property developers in Indonesia with a market capitalisation of more than US$3 billion, as of Aug 19, this year. (US$1 = RM4.19)

-- BERNAMA

AM Best revises Singapore´s EQI Credit Rating outlook

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of EQ Insurance Company Limited (EQI), Singapore.

The global rating agency and information provider, in a statement, also affirmed EQI’s Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (good) and the Long-Term ICR of ‘bbb+’. The outlook for the FSR remains stable.

These credit ratings reflect EQI’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorised as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

The revision of the Long-Term ICR outlook to negative reflects AM Best’s expectation of pressure on the company’s operating performance assessment over the near term.

While the company continues to execute on improvements aimed at returning underwriting performance to a position of profitability, the competitive conditions in Singapore’s insurance market remain a key challenge.

Despite the company exhibiting limited internal capital generation over the past five years (2014 to 2018), shareholder equity has been supported by a series of capital injections from the company’s parent over this period.

AM Best views EQI’s business profile as limited. The company is a small-sized, non-life insurer in Singapore, with a market share of approximately one per cent based on 2018 gross written premium. More information at http://www.ambest.com.

-- BERNAMA

BitHarp mining rigs offering extended

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 -- New Zealand-based cryptocurrency manufacturer, BitHarp has extended the ‘3 Plus 1 Offer’ until Oct 12, for its profitable mining rigs introduced a couple of weeks ago.

Both Lyre Miner and Harp Miner have been designed to take the needs of the common mining enthusiasts into account, unlike hundreds of mining hardware requiring significant knowledge and experience.

Suitable for home use, these miners are pre-configured and can start mining as soon as they are plugged in, according to a statement.

Along with the ease of mining, BitHarp has also done well to ensure the profitability of its customers by delivering high hash power rates that have surprised many industry stalwarts.

Lyre Miner and Harp Miner are amongst the most power-saving mining hardware in the market with consumption of 600 and 2,400 watts, respectively. Both can be used for mining Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Dash.

More information at https://www.bitharp.com.

-- BERNAMA

GMAC™ releases GMAT™ Official Advanced Questions

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 -- The Graduate Management Admission Council™ (GMAC™), administrator of the Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) has released the GMAT™ Official Advanced Questions, comprising hard questions from past GMAT exams.

The product rounds out the GMAT™ Official Prep portfolio, offering candidates an option to challenge themselves after completing the mix of easy, medium and hard questions in the GMAT™ Official Guide.

“Gaining confidence to solve the hardest questions on the GMAT can help increase a candidate’s performance and confidence on test day,” said GMAC (Product Management) director, Pam Brown.

“By studying with Advanced Questions, candidates can feel empowered on test day while also increasing their chances to stand out in front of target schools.”

Consisting of 150 Quantitative Reasoning and 150 Verbal Reasoning questions, GMAT™ Official Advanced Questions give candidates more materials to extend their preparation and challenge themselves further.

Questions are grouped by ‘fundamental skills’ areas, allowing candidates to align their study plan with GMAT’s Enhanced Score Report structure, according to a statement.

GMAT Official Advanced Questions are available for purchase in print or as an e-book through GMAC’s partner, Wiley Efficient Learning at a price of US$29.99. (US$1 = RM4.19). More information at https://www.gmac.com.

-- BERNAMA

AUTH0’S ‘SIGN IN WITH APPLE’ ENABLES LOG INTO APPS USING APPLE ID CREDENTIALS

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Auth0, a global leader in Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) has announced the general availability of its integration for Sign in with Apple, a feature enabling end users to log into apps with their Apple ID credentials.

Sign in with Apple will be a requirement for any app that exclusively offers third-party or social login. With a simple toggle switch in the Auth0 dashboard, developers can immediately have support for both native and web-based flows.

The enforcement of this requirement leaves developers with the task of integrating this feature into their apps when exclusively using social login, risk rejection or removal of any apps that do not comply.

Sign in with Apple also addresses a much larger issue of privacy concerns, as it will offer obfuscated email addresses wherever needed to prevent users’ personal emails from being shared, according to a statement.

“The integration of Sign in with Apple reinforces our platform’s extensibility, and our mission to provide secure access to any application in one click or less,” said Auth0 chief technology officer and co-founder, Matias Woloski.

By offloading authentication to Auth0, developers can quickly bring their apps to compliance with Apple’s mandate, while also providing a frictionless experience for app entry.

More information at https://auth0.com.

-- BERNAMA

ACCA MALAYSIA CONNECTS ACCOUNTING STAKEHOLDERS VIA 'A.C.T.' TOUR 2019

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Malaysia’s nationwide ACCA ‘a.c.t.’ Tour makes its final stop in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on 5 October 2019 connecting with close to 200 stakeholders ranging from students, affiliates, members, employers and Approved Learning Partners.

The ACCA ‘a.c.t.’ Tour 2019 is an initiative by ACCA Malaysia visiting Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to provide direct support while connecting with and obtaining feedback from stakeholders who are not based in the Klang Valley. The maiden ACCA ‘a.c.t’ Tour in 2018 registered 1,500 attendees across six cities in Malaysia who were updated, connected and inspired.

Building upon last year’s installation, the ACCA ‘a.c.t.’ Tour 2019 adds a new dedicated panel session featuring employers from Sabah Energy Corporation Berhad and Ernst & Young discussing traits and skillsets that are in demand. This is complemented by a mini career fair with booths by employers for students and affiliates to submit their resumes. Kota Kinabalu-based employers participating in the mini career fair included Ernst & Young, Deloitte, KPMG, Baker Tilly, UHY and Kaplan. The mini career fair provides a profession-specific platform for future accountants to gain firsthand information from potential employers on requirements and chart their professional careers.

Local ACCA members who will be sharing inspirational accounts of their journey with ACCA at the ACCA ‘a.c.t.’ Tour are Datuk Alexandra Chin, ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee Member; Daniel Teo, Audit Director, KPMG; Farizal Ab Gaffar, Assistant Manager, Internal Audit, IOI Corporation Berhad and Marphy Wong, Partner, Marphy & Associates. Attendees of the ‘a.c.t.’ Tour can learn about career skills, digital transformations and future technology that will shape the profession. There will also be a session highlighting trends in finance. This will help them to be future-ready and champions of change in the industry.

ACCA Malaysia Country Head, Edward Ling said, “Our members, affiliates, students and employers are located throughout the nation. This ‘a.c.t.’ Tour engages them in the cities where they are in. It serves as an avenue to connect future accountants with Approved Employers, Approved Learning Partners (ALPs) and other stakeholders. It also enables us to provide direct update on the developments within ACCA. This nationwide tour helps us support our students and members better in developing the accounting profession. I believe the strength of ACCA’s connections and partnerships within Malaysia and globally can help our students, affiliates and members soar to greater heights in their professional careers.”

This event is part of a series of ACCA outreach programmes to connect with its 36,000 students, close to 15,000 members, over 7,500 affiliates, 51 university partners, 180 Approved Employers and 22 Approved Learning Partners. Malaysia is the third largest network for ACCA globally.

http://mrem.bernama.com/nteprimages/acca%20KK%201.jpg

The ‘a.c.t.’ Tour last year visited six cities: Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Terengganu and Penang where many students and affiliates were inspired by the success stories and lessons learnt from local ACCA members in their own cities who have gone ahead of them in the ACCA journey. The congregation of different stakeholders in the accounting value chain enabled a dynamic exchange of ideas as it connects students, educators and affiliates to the members and employers. It underscores the value of ACCA Malaysia in the ecosystem.

Please click this link for more photos of the ACCA ‘a.c.t.’ Tour in Kota Kinabalu today:
ttps://drive.google.com/open?id=1fD2YpsdDkILh4T0hgsXUAbWvhA6L6uL3

About ACCA
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants, offering business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

ACCA supports its 219,000 members and 527,000 students (including affiliates) in 179 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 110 offices and centres and 7,571 Approved Employers worldwide, and 328 approved learning providers who provide high standards of learning and development.

Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence. ACCA has introduced major innovations to its flagship qualification to ensure its members and future members continue to be the most valued, up to date and sought-after accountancy professionals globally. Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. More information is here: www.accaglobal.com

SOURCE: ACCA Malaysia

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Adeline Fong
Senior Manager, Public Relations
ACCA Malaysia
Tel: +6012-381 5589
Email: adeline.fong@accaglobal.com

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YOUNG AND FEARLESS: POLLUX PROPERTI'S NICO PO NAMED AS 'CEO OF THE YEAR 2019' AT THE 14TH INDONESIA PROPERTY AND BANK AWARD

YOUNG AND FEARLESS: POLLUX PROPERTI'S NICO PO NAMED AS 'CEO OF THE YEAR 2019' AT THE 14TH INDONESIA PROPERTY AND BANK AWARD

GALERI PETRONAS COLLABORATES WITH UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA IN THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 4 (Bernama) -- Galeri PETRONAS together with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) co-organised the 9th International Conference on Local Knowledge (ICLK 2019) at the Galeri PETRONAS, Suria KLCC on 2 October 2019.

The Conference, as part of the Bersama Merentas Zaman: Bersama Melakar Identiti Melalui Bakat dan Semangat series is a strategic meeting of minds with a common objective to marry the Arts and Sciences/Technology in sustaining local heritage.

The Conference is also a platform to explore how “local knowledge” and wisdom can become a basis to devise and implement a highly imaginative concept or technology on tradition and heritage, to conserve heritage and sustain local practices through arts.

The arts and artistic creation do not occur in a vacuum. Creative inspiration emerged in a myriad of ways, but the influence of local history, cultural practices, current events,  progress in science and technology, cannot be ignored as influences that inspire artists.

USM’s track record in organising the annual Local Knowledge Group since 2011, has to-date resulted in 44 books being published with Penerbit USM, documenting various research topics on local knowledge, including arts.

USM’s sustainability programme was acknowledged by the United Nations University's Regional Centre of Expertise in 2005 and the university also functions as custodian of arts and heritage while championing internal approaches to sustainability.

The University is ranked by Times Higher Education’s (THE’s) inaugural University Impact Rankings 2019 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as the number one institution of higher learning in Malaysia, and 49th in the world. This accolade is especially significant for USM as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Similarly, Galeri PETRONAS has been at the forefront to support the development of arts in Malaysia by providing a versatile, world-class art gallery for Malaysian and international artists to display their works. Through this collaboration with USM in organising ICLK 2019, Galeri PETRONAS has added another dimension to the appreciation and conservation of the arts, by providing a venue to explore the different contexts within which art is produced and consumed.

The papers presented during this conference will be edited for publication and will be made accessible to the public.

ICLK 2019 is honoured to host the Merdeka Award recipient Hassan Abdul Muthalib as the Keynote Speaker at the conference on 2 October 2019.

For more information on the 9th International Conference on Local Knowledge (ICLK 2019), please visit https://iclk.usm.my/.

About GALERI PETRONAS

GALERI PETRONAS was established by PETRONAS in 1992 to promote, develop and to preserve modern and contemporary art in Malaysia by providing a versatile, world-class venue for Malaysian and international artists to showcase their works and inspire thought-leadership. Among the leading corporate galleries in Southeast Asia, GALERI PETRONAS aims to make art accessible, enjoyable and engaging to the public and will continue to enthral audiences with exciting exhibitions and programmes. Since its inception, GALERI PETRONAS has played an instrumental role in nurturing creativity, innovative ideas, and critical thinking through art.

GALERI PETRONAS has received almost two million visitors since it opened its doors 27 years ago to the public through hosting numerous local and international exhibitions.

Located on Level 3, Suria KLCC, GALERI PETRONAS is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm.

www.instagram.com/galeripetronas
www.facebook.com/GALERIPETRONAS

About Bersama Merentas Zaman Exhibition

Bersama Merentas Zaman is the third GALERI PETRONAS’ 2019 exhibition programme, held in conjunction with PETRONAS’ 45th Anniversary, National and Malaysia Day celebrations. It integrates the PETRONAS’ corporate narratives through digital displays that summarises its journey in nation-building for the past 45 years and a heartfelt dedication to the people of Malaysia for their unwavering support.

It is further complemented and enhanced by a fine art section to capture the spirit of past achievements and potentials of future progress. Featuring three renowned Malaysian artists – Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Zulkifli Yusoff and Multhalib Musa – the exhibition represents PETRONAS’ growth alongside the nation and a glimpse of its next undertakings.
 
About Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)

USM is a pioneering transdisciplinary research-intensive university that empowers future talents and enables the bottom billions to transform their socio-economic well-being.

USM began its journey as the nation’s second institution of higher learning over 50 years ago. The idea for a university in Penang was first mooted by the Penang Legislative Assembly, in line with the government’s mission to increase professional and managerial manpower in the country. Its mission then was to complement in nation-building and its motto was “We lead”. Initially named Universiti Pulau Pinang it was renamed Universiti Sains Malaysia in 1972 to embody the importance of Science and Technology in developing the workforce in our country.

Over time, the university has evolved into a sustainability led university, with an institutional vision to transform higher education for a sustainable tomorrow. The holistic strategy behind this vision contributed towards USM being awarded APEX (Accelerated Programme for Excellence) status by the Ministry of Higher Education in 2008.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, various events have been organised by USM throughout 2019 including a Commemorative Convocation ceremony during which Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir was conferred the first-ever USM Chancellor’s Sustainability Award.

About USM’s Local Knowledge Study Group

Local Knowledge or Local Wisdom was the brainchild of Professor Tan Sri Dato’ Dzulkifli Abdul Razak and Emeritus Professor Dr Muhammad Haji Salleh, National Laureate. The Local Knowledge Study Group (LKSG) was established in 2010 on a voluntary basis, whereby the Student Advisory and Development Unit (U3P) of the Student Development Affairs (HEPP) Department was appointed as the Secretariat and centered at H24, Cahaya.

By the end of 2011, the Local Knowledge Group had established a Repository Centre for Local Knowledge at B-10 Building, USM. The Repository Centre was set up to document research, information and data, as well as collect working papers pertaining to Local Knowledge for reference and research/teaching-learning purposes.

In early 2016, The Local Knowledge Secretariat relocated to Level 3 of the Toray – USM Building. Known as the Toray USM Knowledge Transfer Centre, this building was originally established to centralize all research programs/projects related to preserving and transferring Local Knowledge under one roof.

Through the years, LKSG has organized many knowledge sharing activities with the stakeholders namely the community of practitioners, students and agencies that share similar aims at studying the Sustainable values in Local Wisdom and Indigenous Science.
Since 2011, the Local Knowledge Study Group (LKSG) has successfully organized a variety of events such as Regional Dialogues, Seminars and Conferences.

The events have usually been  on a collaborative basis between LKSG and various partners, such as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuching Sarawak, Institut Aminuddin Baki Cawangan Kuching Sarawak, Sarawak Convention Bureau, Sarawak Cultural Village in Kuching Sarawak, Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, Universitas Langlangbuana (UNLA), Indonesia, Universitas Pasundan (UNPAS), Indonesia, Yayasan Warisan Johor, Kadazandusun Culture Association (KDCA), Prince of Songkhla University (PSU), Thailand, Jabatan Muzium Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Terengganu.

Papers presented at the LKSG conferences are published in proceedings, and research books under Penerbit USM, whilst selected papers are published in indexed journals.

Issued by
Media Engagement
Group Strategic Communications
PETRONAS

Source: PETRONAS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Dr Darlina Md Naim
Tel: +6011 11070300
Email: darlinamdn@usm.my

Name: Nursyazlin Shamsulbaha
Tel: +603 23924966
Email: nursyazlin.shamsulb@petronas.com

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FINANTEC HAS REVAMPED ITS IR PORTAL WEBSITE IR STREET (JAPANESE / ENGLISH) !

FINANTEC HAS REVAMPED ITS IR PORTAL WEBSITE IR STREET (JAPANESE / ENGLISH) !

Cloudflare serves modern internet with HTTP/3 support

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Cloudflare has announced support for HTTP/3, the new standard of the web, making the Internet faster, more secure and reliable.

The security, performance and reliability company has collaborated with industry peers, including Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, to bring HTTP/3 to the masses and progress the Internet into the future.

HTTP/3 is built on top of QUIC, designed for the modern Internet. It will speed up connections and make use of the web more reliable and secure, especially for mobile devices.

Innovations in the HTTP/3 standard include encryption by default, improved performance and support for network migration.

All Cloudflare customers can enable HTTP/3 in their dashboard today, for free. The latest version of Chrome includes support for HTTP/3 while Firefox is expected soon.

More details at https://www.cloudflare.com/

-- BERNAMA

Charles River clinches ´Multi-asset Trading System of the Year´ award

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 -- Charles River Development, a State Street Company and Charles River Investment Management Solution (Charles River IMS) provider, bagged the ‘Multi-asset Trading System of the Year’ award for the second consecutive year by FOW and Global Investor Group.

The annual awards programme recognises and promotes exceptional client service or innovation by organisations and technology vendors across the Asian buy-side capital market industries.

“Receiving this award acknowledges the commitment we’ve made to our clients as we continually develop and invest in Charles River IMS and grow our third-party provider ecosystem across asset classes,” said Charles River managing director (Asia Pacific), Cameron Field.

Charles River IMS is a complete front and middle office solution that enables asset managers to support large and complex multi-asset portfolios on a single platform.

It has won a number of awards this year for portfolio management, trading and compliance, including Fund Technology’s ‘Best Trading Platform – Overall’ and ‘Best Buy-Side Portfolio Management System’ by WatersTechnology.

More information at https://www.crd.com.

-- BERNAMA

Infogain expands digital transformation services with Silicus acquisition

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Bernama) -- Infogain, a software platform engineering services and solutions leader has acquired Silicus Technologies (Silicus), a Houston-headquartered Microsoft Gold Partner and Microsoft Azure Expert MSP.

“The acquisition expands Infogain’s capabilities to deliver digital transformation services and reinforces our position as a leading digital innovator in the Microsoft Azure ecosystem,” said Infogain chief executive officer (CEO), Sunil Bhatia.

“We will now deliver solutions from Edge to Cloud for clients in the Hi-Tech, Travel & Hospitality, Retail and Insurance industries. We welcome Silicus’ customers and employees to our growing Infogain family.

Silicus, a Microsoft Azure-focused cloud transformation services company, enables enterprises to drive business differentiation at scale through cloud-enabled innovation and modernisation across apps, IoT, data, AI and infrastructure solutions.

Silicus has over 500 employees across Houston, Texas and Pune, India. It provides services to over a dozen billion-dollar companies based in the United States, according to a statement.

“This is a great time for us to join Infogain to achieve even greater success. We share a similar culture of innovation as well as the experience and expertise required to deliver the best digital solutions for our clients,” said Silicus CEO, Sumant Ahuja.

-- BERNAMA

Just a tick away: SmartStream unveils new AI module for digital payment

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 -- SmartStream Technologies, the financial Transaction Lifecycle Management (TLM®) solutions provider, today launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) module that uses machine learning for continuous digital payment processing.

In a statement, the company said it was a typical project to maintain and improve the matching rules that would take up to two days; it could now be achieved with a simple tick.

The new module will enable match rates to be instantly updated, whilst at the same time, system reconfigurations will be done automatically, helping to reduce operational costs and minimise risk.

It will help financial firms to keep maintenance costs down, as well as lessen business users’ reliance on busy IT departments. It also takes away the need to carry out time-consuming and expensive projects to redesign their technical architecture.

The new module is designed to work with SmartStream’s TLM Aurora Digital Payments Control solution. The module is easy to deploy, providing a speedy and convenient boost to efficiency for managing reconciliations daily.

More details at www.smartstream-stp.com

-- BERNAMA