LINKING PORTS, BULK COMMODITIES AND TRADING WITH INDEXES, PROVIDING A "BELLWETHER" FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY

 QINGDAO, China, Oct. 27, 2021 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/

At the 2021 "Belt and Road" Land-sea Linkage Qingdao Summit held on October 22, the Global International Shipping Center Index - Northeast Asia Report (2021), Xinhua-Shandong Port Bulk Commodity Index and trade connectivity index report of RCEP member states (2021) were published. Experts believe that through accurate depiction of the changes of port bulk commodity trade in the form of indexes and establishment of the efficient linkage among ports, bulk commodity and trade, the competitiveness of ports will be enhanced, trade transformation and upgrading will be expedited, and the ability to stabilize the price and supply of bulk commodities will be strengthened, so as to provide a "bellwether" for the development of the industry. The "Global International Shipping Center Index", established by China Economic Information Service with support of the Baltic Exchange, is another world-class port and shipping evaluation index launched globally, on the basis of the "Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index". The first phase of the index focused on Northeast Asia, and 17 ports in China, Japan, South Korea and Russia were selected as the sample ports. According to the comprehensive scores, the sample ports were grouped into four echelons, of which Qingdao Port, Busan Port and Tianjin Port were in the first echelon, due to their leading network connectivity, operation level and basic scale. The three ports are absolute regional international shipping centers in Northeast Asia. Xinhua-Shandong Port Bulk Commodity Index was developed and established by Shandong Port Group Co., Ltd. in collaboration with China Economic Information Service. It is an important move for the Port to probe into the possibility of taking the index as the starting point to enhance the ability of global resource allocation. To establish the index, three varieties (iron ore, coke and crude oil) with large throughput scale and high market attention in Shandong Port, as well as two steel trading varieties (billet and hot rolled SPHC material) with active trading at the bulk commodity trading center were selected based on the advantageous varieties at Shandong Port. The purpose is to truly reflect the fluctuation trend of port bulk commodity market, and provide a value benchmark and effective reference for port trade activities. According to the planning, the varieties involved in the index will be gradually enriched in the future, and the index will also be extended to cover other coastal ports. With constant efforts made to build an index information platform of "seeing Shandong for port bulk commodities", it will provide accurate positioning and comprehensive data reference for the bulk commodity market. In the trade connectivity index report of RCEP member states (2021), a number of bilateral trade network relations were established in terms of trade exchanges, capital flows and key commodities to show the overall trade status and future evolution among RCEP member states, and reflect the development level of trade interoperability of RCEP member states. in 2020, the indexes of China-Japan, China-ASEAN, Japan-ASEAN, China-Australia and China-South Korea ranked among the top five, indicating that these countries maintained close cooperation in trade exchanges, capital flows and key commodities. The report also points out that the major member states of RCEP are highly complementary in terms of industrial structure and have a close trade and investment relation in import and export, with a promising prospect for future cooperation. Source: China Economic Information Service  --BERNAMA

FASTLY RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN EDGE DEVELOPMENT PLATFORMS, ONLY VENDOR WITH DIFFERENTIATED RANKING IN SECURITY

Independent Research Firm ranks Fastly as one of only two leaders in new report on emerging edge development platforms SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Fastly, Inc. (NYSE: FSLY), a global edge cloud platform provider, today announced it was named a Leader in The Forrester New Wave™: Edge Development Platforms, Q4 2021 report. Fastly’s Compute@Edge was given differentiated scores, the highest possible, across six criteria, including vision, roadmap, developer experience, platform execution model, and day-two-plus experience. Fastly was also the only vendor to receive a differentiated rating in the security criterion, and believes this validates the strength of the company’s current serverless compute offering. According to the Forrester New Wave report, Fastly’s Compute@Edge “offers secure edge compute with negligible cold starts” and “starts within the time it takes to complete a transport layer security handshake. The result: no more pre-warming for maximum serverless performance. Fastly’s custom-built runtime isolates requests on a per-instance basis and supports Rust and Javascript software development kits.” “When we built Compute@Edge, our goal was to empower developers to architect globally distributed applications faster and more securely on the network edge. Years of investment in custom-built technology have allowed us to do this, and today we are honored to be recognized as a leader by Forrester in the New Wave report for Edge Development Platforms,” said Tyler McMullen, CTO at Fastly. “I’m particularly thrilled to have maintained our commitment to security and the developer experience, allowing our customers to enjoy a more secure, higher-performing serverless compute environment designed to build the next era of modern applications. ” Fastly’s Compute@Edge received differentiated scores in the following criteria, all of which have been foundational priorities for Fastly’s Compute@Edge from the beginning: · Security: Compute@Edge leverages Fastly’s unique isolation technology that creates and destroys a sandbox for each request flowing through its platform in microseconds. This effectively eliminates an entire class of security vulnerabilities and side-channel attacks while simultaneously and holistically minimizing attack surface area. http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41405

JUNIPER RESEARCH: FUTURE DIGITAL AWARDS FOR TELCO INNOVATION 2022 - NOW OPEN

BASINGSTOKE, England, Oct 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Juniper Research is pleased to announce that the 2022 Telco Innovation Future Digital Awards are open!

Since 2008, the Future Digital Awards have been awarded to tech companies at the forefront of their respective fields: companies that deliver imaginative and innovative products or services that have the potential to disrupt their ecosystems and provide significant benefits to their target audience.

These awards aim to reward the most innovative vendors and solutions in the fast-paced mobile communications market; following a year of unparalleled innovation. This year’s Telco Innovation Future Digital Awards cover the following categories: 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41338

ALR Technologies unveils select results from market research on diabetic pet industry

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 -- ALR Technologies (ALRT or the Company), the diabetes management company, has released select results from comprehensive market research conducted by the consulting firm SmartPharma, evaluating the current approach to diabetes diagnosis, glucose monitoring and insulin treatment in cats and dogs.

The conclusions speak strongly about the market demand for innovation to modernise the arcane standard of care today, which ALRT interprets as highly favourable for introducing the GluCurve™ Pet CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) as a simple, accurate, reliable and pain-free system to treat the approximately 4.5 million diabetic dogs and cats worldwide.

GluCurve™ is the world’s first and only CGM for cats and dogs. Once applied to the pet, it automatically collects blood glucose readings every five minutes for up to 14 days, according to a statement.

Over the course of 24 hours, 288 data points are transmitted via Bluetooth to the pet owner’s synchronised device and then to the ALRT portal where the data is analysed and presented to the veterinarian to quickly and effortlessly facilitate optimal care.

“The market research included veterinarians from across the United States and ranged from small private practices to large corporate clinics, and the responses were simply fantastic, as they validated our contention that GluCurve™ would fill a large void in animal health care,” said ALR Technologies Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sidney Chan.

SmartPharma was commissioned for, amongst other things, the purpose of gaining preliminary product concept for the GluCurve™ Pet CGM.

This includes the evaluation of attribute tradeoffs that could increase or decrease utility and use, as well as determining expected uptake and ongoing use of a novel CGM product designed specifically for DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) use in cats and dogs.

Four Key Takeaways from Market Research include large market opportunity; multiple factors driving high interest from DVMs for GluCurve; and, DVMS surveyed had overwhelmingly favourable impression of GluCurve product.

Leveraging leading technology developed by ALRT for monitoring and managing diabetes in humans, including all requisite hardware and software to consistently deliver accurate results, GluCurve is redefining the standard of care in diabetic companion animals by providing precise and effortless glucose readings while the pet is in the comfort of their home.

-- BERNAMA

​AM BEST PLACES CREDIT RATINGS OF CIGNA LIFE INSURANCE NEW ZEALAND LIMITED UNDER REVIEW WITH POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS

SINGAPORE, Oct 12 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- AM Best has placed under review with positive implications the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Cigna Life Insurance New Zealand Limited (CLINZ) (New Zealand).

These Credit Rating (rating) actions follow the announcement on 7 October 2021, that Cigna Corporation [NYSE:CI], CLINZ’s ultimate parent, has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its life, accident and supplemental benefits businesses in seven countries, including CLINZ, to Chubb Limited (Chubb group) [NYSE:CB] for USD 5.75 billion. The transaction, which is subject to required regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed in 2022.

The ratings have been placed under review with positive implications as AM Best needs to assess the impact of the planned acquisition on CLINZ’s credit fundamentals, including any potential increase in rating enhancement that could arise from the change in ownership. In addition, AM Best will need to consider the planned integration of CLINZ within the Chubb group, any expected changes in strategy and any implicit or explicit support to be provided by the new parent. 

The ratings will remain under review pending completion of the transaction, and until AM Best can fully assess the post-acquisition credit rating fundamentals of CLINZ.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2021 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211011005573/en/ 

Contact 

Sin Yee Chuah
Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5022
sinyee.chuah@ambest.com 

Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com 

Myles Gould
Director, Analytics
+44 207 397 0304
myles.gould@ambest.com 

Jim Peavy
Director, Communications
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com 

Source : AM Best 

--BERNAMA

ADSW Opening Ceremony, Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony will kick off at Expo 2020 Dubai

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 -- Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, hosted by Masdar, has announced a new collaboration, bringing elements of the Week to Expo 2020 Dubai.

The ADSW Opening Ceremony and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony will take place at the Dubai Exhibition Centre on Jan 17, 2022, according to a statement.

UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Special Envoy for Climate Change, and Chairman of Masdar, Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said: “Hosting the opening of ADSW together with the ZSP award ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai will serve to reinforce the UAE’s commitment to climate action and sustainability, as key drivers of the UAE’s progressive model for economic growth.”

“The combination of ADSW’s experience as a convenor with Expo 2020 Dubai’s global reach will help expand partnerships, drive innovation and open up new economic opportunities.”

The announcement was made during Expo 2020’s Climate and Biodiversity Week (the first of 10 Theme Weeks that anchor the Programme for People and Planet) which aims to mobilise the world to take decisive action for the health of our world.

Bringing ADSW’s vital platforms to Expo 2020 will further demonstrate the UAE’s leading role in driving action on climate change, at home, in the region, and worldwide.

ADSW is one of the largest of gatherings of its kind, which welcomes each year more than 45,000 participants from more than 170 countries. The week will return between Jan 15 – 19, 2022 and feature a series of high-level in person and virtual events.

The ADSW Opening Ceremony and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony, will bring together over 600 VIPs from worldwide, including heads of state, government ministers, industry leaders and country ambassadors.

The week will bring together policy makers, industry specialists, technology pioneers and the next generation of sustainability leaders to engage in dialogue and take action to advance the global sustainability agenda.

All ADSW events other than its Opening Ceremony and the Zayed Sustainability Prize Awards Ceremony will take place in Abu Dhabi or will be hosted virtually.

More details at https://abudhabisustainabilityweek.com/

-- BERNAMA

THE TOURISM DIGITAL PLATFORM ALENTOUR RELIES ON DAWEX TECHNOLOGY TO POWER ITS DATA HUB DEDICATED TO TOURISM PROFESSIONALS

Dawex Data Exchange technology contributes to transforming the tourism sector by facilitating data circulation

PARIS, Oct 6 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Dawex, the leading data exchange and data marketplace technology company, today announced powering Alentour, the French tourism digital platform, with Dawex Data Exchange technology. To accelerate the digitization of the French tourism industry, Alentour brings together the whole industry’s ecosystem of producers of tourism activities, hotels, campings, touristic residences, tourist information offices, regional tourism committees, local territories and mobility players on Dawex Data Exchange Platform to source, distribute, exchange and commercialize data securely. By providing the data hub to Alentour, Dawex technology facilitates data circulation between all economic stakeholders in compliance with regulations, and brings the security and traceability of the data transactions and exchanges.

La Banque des Territoires partners with Dawex and one of the top travel technology companies in the world, to launch and develop Alentour with the objective to enrich the travelers’ experience by offering a simplified digitized access to personalized, bookable lists of local tourism and leisure activities. 

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=41208

J.P. Morgan Securities plc: Pre-stabilisation Period Announcement

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 -- J.P. Morgan Securities plc hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/xxx/2016 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2016).

According to a statement, Stabilisation Manager(s) are BNP Paribas; Citi; and, Goldman Sachs International.

In connection with the offer of the securities, the Stabilising Manager(s), or persons acting on behalf of the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities, provided that the aggregate principal amount of the securities allotted does not exceed 105 per cent of the aggregate principal amount of the securities, or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail.

However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time, but it must end no later than the earlier of 30 days after the issue date of the securities and 60 days after the date of allotment of the securities.

Stabilisation period expected to start on Sept 28, while Stabilisation period expected to end no later than Oct 28.

This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments.

This also includes high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. 

-- BERNAMA