Saturday 29 April 2017

PKNS COMMITTED TO PRODUCE YOUNG ENTREPENEURS

SHAH ALAM, April 29 (Bernama) -- The Selangor State Development 
Corporation (PKNS) is committed to produce a generation of young 
entrepreneurs through the Tunas Niaga (Protune) programme and 
Entrepreneurial Pilot programme that have been carried out since 1998.

PKNS chief executive officer Noraida Mohd Yusof said the programme to make 
entrepreneurship as a culture among primary and secondary school students 
was provided by PKNS under the supervision of the Entrepreneur Development 
Division.

"Such programmes aims to provide exposure on the actual business environment 
and opportunities to students to gain experience in directly interacting and 
communicating with the buyers," he told reporters after officiating the 
Protune and PPU sales promotion programme here today.

The four-day programme, which began on Thursday until tomorrow, is organised 
by KNS jointly with the Selangor Education Department.

It is attended by 192 students from 50 primary and secondary schools 
throughout Selangor.

Noraida said since its inception until last year, 20,650 students and 1,652 
counselling teachers had taken part in the Protune programme.

"For the PPU programme, introduced since 2007, 120 students have 
participated in it, among others, involves the sale of products in schools, 
PPU camp and sales promotion undertaken to nurture an interest in 
entrepreneurship among primary school students.

Noraida added PKNS also provided entrepreneurship programmes for various 
ages such as those that catered to graduates and contractors.

-- BERNAMA

Friday 28 April 2017

A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF NATIONAL REINSURANCE CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

SINGAPORE, April 28 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of National Reinsurance Corporation of the Philippines (NRCP) (Philippines). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains negative.

The ratings reflect NRCP’s strong risk-adjusted capitalization and low net underwriting leverage.

NRCP’s risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), is supported by its low underwriting leverage. NRCP has low premium retention and cedes a significant portion of risk to a panel of highly rated retrocessionaires.


http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=29000

SINGAPORE FACES PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGE ACCORDING TO NEW OLIVER WYMAN REPORT



SINGAPORE, April 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Over the past decade, Singapore has lost some of its economic competitiveness. While the economy has been growing steadily, the pace of growth has stagnated according to a new report from Oliver Wyman.
 
“Singapore is lauded as one of the greatest economic success stories in history. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown at an average annual rate of around 7.7 percent since its independence in 1965,” said Christian Pedersen, Oliver Wyman partner and co-author of the report. “However, the pace of progress in Singapore is slowing, mainly due to a decline in productivity – a phenomenon which affects most economies. In lieu also of broader global uncertainties, the leadership of Singapore’s industrial and financial industries needs to be bold, adopt new techniques, and view productivity through a different lens in order to help reverse this trend.”

The report, entitled “Singapore Productivity Challenge: Role of the Private Sector” can be viewed here. The report examines how rising wages combined with a decline in labour productivity are making it more difficult for Singapore to stay ahead of the emerging Asian economies such as China, India, and Indonesia.

Key findings of the report include:
  • GDP growth decreased from 4.7 percent in 2013 to 2.0 percent in 2015. This is comparable to Australia (2.3 percent), Hong Kong (2.4 percent) and South Korea (2.6 percent). But many competing economies in the region continue to outpace Singapore, including Indonesia (4.8 percent), China (6.9 percent) and India (7.6 percent).
  • The global outlook pointing to a retreat of globalisation will further exacerbate the economic uncertainty in Singapore. The protectionist economics growing in strength in Europe and US will slow down cross-border flows of goods, services and capital, which will have further impact on Singapore’s competitiveness.
  • Several industries contributing significantly to Singapore’s GDP have seen a rise in market capitalisation over the last five years, but at the same time experienced a decline in numerous productivity metrics. These include profit per employee, return on capital, and – in some cases – return on equity.
  • Recognising the importance of workforce productivity, the Singapore government has promoted its improvement as a focus area for the economy. The government has highlighted the need to improve employee skills rather than reduce employee numbers and has also taken the lead by driving greater productivity within its own departments.
  • With further pressures coming from digitization, the larger private-sector companies operating in Singapore need to further evolve their organisations by raising the skills, effectiveness, and – ultimately – productivity of their employees.

DREAM TO SET UP ITS FIRST U.S. DEVELOPMENT FUND "DREAM US FUND"

TOKYO, April 27 (Bernama) -- Diamond Realty Management Inc. ("DREAM"), a 100%-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation ("MC"), announced on April 27 that it has launched a development fund in the U.S., dubbed "DREAM US Fund." The launch of the "DREAM US Fund" represents the first outbound overseas fund-raising offered to Japanese domestic investors by DREAM. DREAM will robustly pursue cross-border transactions, including making this "DREAM US Fund" into the fund series. Being a member of the MC Group enables DREAM to be a competent global and local asset manager in Japan and globally.

The "DREAM US Fund" will co-invest in multi-family and logistics development projects (for less than 49% interests) in the U.S. which have been undertaken by DREAM's sister company, Diamond Realty Investments Inc. ("DRI"), a U.S.-based real estate investment company. DRI is a 100%-owned subsidiary of MC Americas. DREAM will act as an asset manager for the Fund.

With total equity commitment of US$51 million from Japanese institutions, the Fund will invest in three development projects. The Fund has a life of 4 years and plans to exit through third-party sale of properties after the three development projects' completion and lease-up reaching stabilized occupancy levels. The total cost of the projects is approximately US$250 million, which will consist of two multi-family development projects (located in Texas and Colorado) and one logistics development project (located in California).

DREAM plans other multiple overseas initiatives, including a series of the Fund. DREAM will continue to leverage the MC Group's global network and local expertise, and offer diverse high-quality products to its investors.

(Reference)
1. Mitsubishi Corporation
(1) Head Office: 3-1, Marunouchi 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
(2) Businesses: MC is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse businesses range from natural resource development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and the manufacturing of industrial goods.
(3) Representative: Takehiko Kakiuchi, President and Chief Executive Officer
(4) Established: 1950
(5) Number of employees: 68,247 (consolidated basis, as of March 31, 2016)

2. Diamond Realty Investments Inc.
(1) Head Office: 5215N. O'Connor Boulevard, Suite 670, Irving, TX 75039, USA
(2) Representative: Zack Zaizen (seconded from Mitsubishi Corp.)
(3) Established: 1994
(4) Number of employees: 24 (as of March 31, 2016)

About Diamond Realty Management Inc.
- Head Office: 16-1, Hirakawacho 2-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Businesses: Real estate asset management/advisory services
- Representative: Takashi Tsuji, President and Chief Executive Officer
- Established: 2004 - Number of employees: 70 (as of March 31, 2017)

(Notes)
- This press release does not fall under the category of advertisements or the like defined by the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act.
- This press release is not aimed at providing investment and fund management services or soliciting investors to buy specific financial instruments. Furthermore, Diamond Realty Management does not use this press release to solicit investors to buy funds or other financial instruments carried in this document.
- Diamond Realty Management does not guarantee or promise that descriptions in this press release estimating, predicting or projecting on future matters or expressing views will accord with actual results.

SOURCE: Diamond Realty Management Inc.

--BERNAMA

NASDAQ REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY EARNINGS; ANNOUNCES 19% INCREASE IN QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

NASDAQ REPORTS RECORD QUARTERLY EARNINGS; ANNOUNCES 19% INCREASE IN QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

NASDAQ ANNOUNCES 19% INCREASE IN QUARTERLY DIVIDEND TO $0.38 PER SHARE

NEW YORK, April 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Nasdaq, Inc (Nasdaq:NDAQ) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share on the company's outstanding common stock, an increase of 19% from the prior $0.32 per share quarterly dividend.  

The dividend is payable on June 30, 2017 to shareowners of record at the close of business on June 16, 2017.  The Board of Directors has adopted a dividend policy with the intention to provide shareholders with regular and growing dividends over the long term as earnings and cash flow grow. 

Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are subject to approval by the Board of Directors.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information set forth in this communication contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  Nasdaq cautions readers that any forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and that actual results could differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information.  Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to (i) projections relating to our future financial results, total shareholder returns, growth, trading volumes, products and services, order backlog, taxes and achievement of synergy targets, (ii) statements about the closing or implementation dates and benefits of certain acquisitions and other strategic, restructuring, technology, de-leveraging and capital return initiatives, (iii) statements about our integrations of our recent acquisitions, (iv) statements relating to any litigation or regulatory or government investigation or action to which we are or could become a party, and (v) other statements that are not historical facts.  Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond Nasdaq’s control.  These factors include, but are not limited to, Nasdaq’s ability to implement its strategic initiatives, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations, government and industry regulation, interest rate risk, U.S. and global competition, and other factors detailed in Nasdaq’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q which are available on Nasdaq’s investor relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.  Nasdaq undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

ABOUT NASDAQ

Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 89 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to 3,800 total listings with a market value of $11.0 trillion. To learn more, visit: nasdaq.com/ambition or business.nasdaq.com.

NDAQF

MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT:
Allan Schoenberg
+1.212.231.5534
allan.schoenberg@nasdaq.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
Ed Ditmire, CFA
+1.212.401.8737
ed.ditmire@nasdaq.com

SOURCE : NASDAQ, Inc.

--BERNAMA

AXA AFFIN GENERAL INSURANCE (AAGI) BAGS THREE AWARDS AT ASIA RECRUITMENT AWARDS 2017

Mohd Syukri bin Ahmad Sudari, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) of AAGI, with the three awards received at Asia Recruitment Awards 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 (Bernama) -- AXA Affin General Insurance Berhad (AAGI) recently won three awards at the Asia Recruitment Awards 2017:

*Gold – Best Recruitment Evaluation Technique

*Silver – Best Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

*Bronze – Best Use of Digital Media

The Asia Recruitment Awards 2017 is organized by Human Resources Magazine, featuring the Top 25 organizations in Malaysia, and is the only regional recruitment awards to recognize and celebrate the best in talent acquisition within Asia. The ceremony was held at Aloft Kuala Lumpur on 31 March 2017, and was attended by 200 out-performing corporate Human Resource (HR) personnel from top companies in Malaysia.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28898

Thursday 27 April 2017

SNOOPY MUSEUM TOKYO HOLDS 1ST ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION, STARTING APRIL 22, 2017

SNOOPY MUSEUM TOKYO HOLDS 1ST ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION, STARTING APRIL 22, 2017

SNOOPY MUSEUM TOKYO HOLDS 1ST ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION, STARTING APRIL 22, 2017

SNOOPY MUSEUM TOKYO HOLDS 1ST ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION, STARTING APRIL 22, 2017

TACONIC BIOSCIENCES EXPANDS MICROBIOME PRODUCT AND SERVICE PLATFORM

HUDSON, N.Y., April 27 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in genetically engineered mouse models and associated services and the only commercial provider of germ-free mice, announced that effective April 26, 2017 they will expand their microbiome product and services platform to include custom Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) services. To support these new FMT services, Taconic will also offer custom germ-free derivations using either client mouse models, Taconic’s commercial offerings, or mice sourced from third parties.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28987

A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF UNITED OVERSEAS INSURANCE LIMITED

SINGAPORE, April 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “aa-” of United Overseas Insurance Limited (UOI) (Singapore). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
 
The ratings reflect UOI’s excellent earnings track record, favorable business profile and strong risk-adjusted capitalization. As a subsidiary of United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) group, Singapore’s third-largest bank by asset value, UOI maintains a stable market presence despite challenging market conditions through cross-selling initiatives with the group. The company continues to register strong underwriting margins that are above its peers, supported by a favorable claims experience and a low expense ratio averaging 20% in the five years ending in 2016.

An offsetting rating factor is the small and competitive operating landscape, which limits the company’s growth opportunities in Singapore. In response, management has introduced strategies aimed at expanding its regional business through the UOB group’s regional network. A.M. Best expects UOI’s focus on prudent underwriting and its efficient operating model to mitigate the risks associated with regional growth.

Positive rating actions are unlikely in the near term. Negative rating actions may arise if there is material deterioration of UOI’s operating results or risk-adjusted capitalization.

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 A.M. 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 A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2017 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 
Contacts
A.M. Best
Faith Tan, +65 6589 8400, ext. 212
Financial Analyst
faith.tan@ambest.com
or
Christopher Sharkey, +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
Manager, Public Relations
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
or
Chi Yeung Lok, +65 6589 8400, ext. 211
Associate Director
chi-yeung.lok@ambest.com
or
Jim Peavy, +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
Director, Public Relations
james.peavy@ambest.com
 
Source: A.M. Best
 
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170425006001/en

--BERNAMA

Wednesday 26 April 2017

EOS INC. SIGNED CONTRACTS FOR THREE FLAGSHIP STORES OPENING IN NANNING, CHINA

TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On April 22nd, 2017, Mr. Ben Yang, the chief representative of Asian market, EOS Inc., arrived in Nanning City, Guangxi, China, to sign the agency contracts with three owners of new flagship stores being launched there.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f5794ad4-8667-4914-bedc-e7714706bfda

There were more than one hundred guests from other cities in China attending the banquet to celebrate such a successful progress in Guangxi province.

Now there have been a total of 4 flagship stores set up in China, including the first one in Quanzhou. It will make a great contribution to broadening the business of EOS Inc. in China.

Nanning City is the largest economy of Guangxi province. According to "China's top 100 cities in 2016" released by Wharton Institute of Economic Research in Shanghai, Nanning City was ranked 42, which was 5 ranks higher than the previous year.

The overall consuming power of the city is also increasing rapidly.  This is why the new local agents have high confidence in EOS's business development in Nanning city.

It is expected that by the end of this year there will be 3 to 5 new flagship stores opened in China, and the total business turnover of EOS enterprise is estimated to increase by 4 million US Dollars.

ABOUT EOS INC.:

EOS Inc. is a holding company registered in Nevada, USA, who has a vast distribution network associates with many dealer companies providing health care, beauty care, and environment friendly cleaning products in Asia.

Since the first quarter of 2017, EOS Inc. has aggressively expanded its marketing channels in China and Southeast Asian countries. Its beauty and health care products are positively confirmed in these markets.  The opening of the three flagship stores in Nanning is its new mile stone.

For more information on EOS, Inc. please visit the website: https://eosinc999.us/

Forward-Looking Statements:
Statements made in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions, managing growth, and political and other business risks. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this paragraph and the risks and other factors detailed in EOS Inc.'s reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. EOS INC. undertakes no duty to update these forward-looking statements.


CONTACT: Frank Jia, frank.ctc@eosinc999.com

SOURCE : EOS Inc.

BAYSHORE NETWORKS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF EDGEX FOUNDRY

Cyber protection seen as a critical component of new open source edge computing framework

HANNOVER, Germany, April 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HANNOVER MESSE -- Bayshore Networks, the leading provider of cyber protection for industrial infrastructure, announced that it is a founding member of EdgeX Foundry, which launched today.

Hosted by The Linux Foundation, EdgeX Foundry is an open source project to build a common open framework for Internet of Things (IoT) edge computing. EdgeX Foundry will create an ecosystem of interoperable components that unifies the marketplace and accelerates secure enterprise and industrial IoT solutions that can be easily scaled.

“Secure edge computing has emerged as a complicated but critical element driving the realization of industrial IoT,” said Ram Boreda, VP Product Management at Bayshore Networks. “Bayshore is partnering with Yokogawa, along with Foghorn, Telit, and Microsoft in developing their innovative Industrial IoT architecture, where cyber protection is proving critical. We believe EdgeX Foundry can become a catalyst for even further innovation in industrial markets, by simplifying interconnection of edge devices, and are thrilled to contribute our cyber protection expertise to this new open-source initiative as a founding member.”

"Our goal is to accelerate enterprise IoT deployments by delivering interoperability at the edge through a common open framework,” said Philip DesAutels, Senior Director of IoT with The Linux Foundation. “We are so excited to have Bayshore Networks as a member to help us grow the EdgeX ecosystem and build a secure framework that benefits the entire IoT community."

The announcement was made at Hannover Messe, the world’s leading industrial event, being held this week in Hannover, Germany. Bayshore’s Industrial Cyber Protection Platform and EdgeX will be on display in their respective kiosks at the Industrial Internet Consortium Pavilion (Hall 8, Stand C24). Additionally, Bayshore executives will present throughout the week in Hall 8, Stand D19. 

RedHill Biopharma Announces Enrollment of Last Patient in the BEKINDA® Phase II Study for IBS-D

  • Top-line results are expected in the third quarter of 2017 
     
  • The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of BEKINDA® (RHB-102) 12 mg in 127 U.S. patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D)
     
  • IBS is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders; it is estimated that at least 30 million Americans suffer from IBS, of which over 40% are cases of IBS-D
     
  • If approved, BEKINDA® 12 mg has the potential to be a preferred once-daily treatment for a broad segment of patients suffering from IBS-D, targeting a U.S. potential market estimated to exceed $1 billion by 2022
     
  • Top-line results from a Phase III study with BEKINDA® 24 mg for acute gastroenteritis and gastritis (the GUARD study) are expected in the second quarter of 2017
     
  • RedHill will host an R&D Day and live webcast on BEKINDA® on Thursday, April 27, 2017 in NYC, discussing the product, indications, potential markets and the ongoing Phase III and II studies for acute gastroenteritis and IBS-D, respectively
TEL-AVIV, Israel, April 25 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (NASDAQ:RDHL) (Tel-Aviv Stock Exchange:RDHL) (“RedHill” or the “Company”), a specialty biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on the development and commercialization of late clinical-stage, proprietary, orally-administered, small molecule drugs for gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases and cancer, today announced enrollment of the last patient in the Phase II study with BEKINDA® (RHB-102)1 12 mg for the treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

BEKINDA® is a proprietary, bimodal extended-release, once-daily oral pill formulation of ondansetron, targeting several gastrointestinal indications.


The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of BEKINDA® 12 mg in adults over the age of 18 with IBS-D. The study enrolled 127 subjects in 16 U.S. clinical sites. Top-line results are expected in the third quarter of 2017.

SOURCE : RedHill Biopharma Ltd.




TGS ANNOUNCES CREAN 3D MULTI-CLIENT PROJECT IN IRELAND

ASKER, Norway, April 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TGS announces new multi-client acquisition project, Crean 3D on the Irish Atlantic Margin.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/325303aa-b36f-4de5-a678-60be534ae895

Crean 3D (CRN 3D) is a multi-client survey of more than 5,400 km2 located in the South Porcupine Basin between the Porcupine High and the Irish Mainland Platform. Multi-level targets exist, such as Paleocene and Mesozoic channel/fan systems overlying tilted fault blocks. Exploration success on the Newfoundland Labrador conjugate margin coupled with historical exploration in Atlantic Ireland has resulted in significant acreage being licensed. TGS will acquire new 3D data to provide the higher spatial resolution required to delineate multiple plays at multiple levels. Acquisition is expected to commence in June 2017. Data processing will be performed by TGS using its Clari-FiTM broadband technology.

“Crean 3D will expand TGS’ modern 3D coverage in the underexplored Porcupine Basin. With the successful Atlantic Ireland license round in 2016, we see that activity across the Porcupine Basin is continuing to increase, creating exciting new opportunities. The Crean 3D survey further adds to our Atlantic Margins library which also includes data and new acquisition in the Norwegian Sea, North West Africa and Newfoundland Labrador,” commented Kristian Johansen, CEO for TGS.

This survey is supported by industry funding.

Company Summary

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company (TGS) provides multi-client geoscience data to oil and gas Exploration and Production companies worldwide.  In addition to extensive global geophysical and geological data libraries that include multi-client seismic data, magnetic and gravity data, digital well logs, production data and directional surveys, TGS also offers advanced processing and imaging services, interpretation products, and data integration solutions.

For more information visit TGS online at www.tgs.com.

Forward-looking statements and contact information

All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove accurate. These factors include TGS' reliance on a cyclical industry and principle customers, TGS' ability to continue to expand markets for licensing of data, and TGS' ability to acquire and process data products at costs commensurate with profitability. Actual results may differ materially from those expected or projected in the forward-looking statements. TGS undertakes no responsibility or obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements for any reason.

TGS-NOPEC Geophysical Company ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSLO:TGS).

TGS sponsored American Depositary Shares trade on the U.S. over-the-counter market under the symbol "TGSGY".

For additional information about this press release please contact:

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

Sven Børre Larsen
Chief Financial Officer
Tel: +47 90 94 36 73
Email: sven.larsen@tgs.com

Will Ashby
VP HR & Communication
Tel: +1 713 860 2184
Email: will.ashby@tgs.com

SOURCE : TGS

--BERNAMA

A.M. BEST ASSIGNS CREDIT RATINGS TO PEAK REINSURANCE AG

HONG KONG, April 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” to Peak Reinsurance AG (Peak Re AG) (Switzerland). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.
 
The ratings reflect Peak Re AG’s sound business plan, supportive risk-based capitalization and retrocession support provided by its parent company, Peak Reinsurance Company Limited (Peak Re). Peak Re established a Zurich branch office in September 2015. In December 2016, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) awarded Peak Re AG a subsidiary license to underwrite non-life reinsurance business. A.M. Best expects Peak Re AG to operate with a high degree of integration with Peak Re, which will include retrocession support and the sharing of branding and core operational functions such as underwriting, pricing, marketing, reserving and risk management.

Positive rating actions are not likely in the short term. Negative rating actions may occur if Peak Re’s ratings are downgraded, or if A.M. Best determines that Peak Re AG’s level of importance to Peak Re has diminished materially.

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 A.M. 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 A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2017 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 
Contacts
A.M. Best
Vivian Cheung, +852 2827 3421
Senior Financial Analyst
vivian.cheung@ambest.com
or
Christie Lee, +852 2827 3413
Director, Analytics
christie.lee@ambest.com
or
Christopher Sharkey, +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
Manager, Public Relations
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
or
Jim Peavy, +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
Director, Public Relations
james.peavy@ambest.com
 
Source: A.M. Best
 
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170421005441/en

--BERNAMA

A.M. BEST COMMENTS ON CREDIT RATINGS OF TUGU INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED

SINGAPORE, April 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best has commented that the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb” of Tugu Insurance Company Limited (TIC) (Hong Kong) remain unchanged. The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains negative.
 
This follows a disclosure by TIC’s parent, PT Tugu Pratama Indonesia (TPI), that TPI intends to dispose of its shares in TIC. Further details of the disposal, including the level of capital to be maintained in TIC, have not yet been disclosed.

A.M. Best considered the risks related to the intended disposal in its Feb. 24, 2017, rating update, which stated that a material decline in TIC’s capital position could result in negative rating action.

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 A.M. 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 A.M. Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Understanding Best’s Credit Ratings.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright © 2017 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 
Contacts
A.M. Best
Chi Yeung Lok
Associate Director, Analytics
+65 6589 8400, ext. 211
chi-yeung.lok@ambest.com
or
Christie Lee
Director, Analytics
+852 2827 341
christie.lee@ambest.com
or
Christopher Sharkey
Manager, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159
christopher.sharkey@ambest.com
or
Jim Peavy
Director, Public Relations
+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644
james.peavy@ambest.com
 
Source: A.M. Best
 
View this news release online at:
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170421005345/en

--BERNAMA

TACONIC BIOSCIENCES ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW PARKINSON'S DISEASE ANIMAL MODEL

HUDSON, N.Y., April 26 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in genetically engineered mouse models and associated services, announced that effective April 17, 2017, in conjunction with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), began commercial distribution of a new Parkinson’s disease mouse Model 13940 (C57BL/6- Lrrk2tm4.1Arte).

The development of Model 13940 underscores the commitment of both Taconic and MJFF to provide novel models for expediting Parkinson’s disease testing.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28975

POWERPHASE AND PLN SIGN MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR TURBOPHASE® APPLICATION IN INDONESIA

JAKARTA, Indonesia, April 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Powerphase and PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), the state power company of Indonesia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today. The MoU was signed by PLN and Powerphase in conjunction with USA Vice President Pence’s visit to Indonesia. With this agreement, both parties agree to cooperate on a phased implementation plan of Turbophase® Dry Air Injection, beginning with a feasibility study and including two 50 MW projects, followed by a full implementation of 2 GW of additional power. The 2 GW is forecasted to be contracted and installed at existing PLN assets over the next two years.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28972

POLYPLASTICS DEVELOPS NEW DURAFIDE (R) PPS GRADES WITH IMPROVED HEAT SHOCK RESISTANCE

TOKYO, April 26 (Bernama-AsiaNet) --
 
- Better Materials for Automotive Components and Others -

Polyplastics Co., Ltd. has developed new DURAFIDE (R) PPS grades, 6150T73 and 6150T8, which applied advanced technology to improve heat shock resistance of highly filled, high-toughness PPS materials.

(Image: http://prw.kyodonews.jp/prwfile/release/M100475/201704211145/_prw_PI1fl_B49uBz0Y.jpg)

Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) is a highly heat-resistant resin that is categorized as super engineering plastic. It exhibits outstanding flame retardancy, mechanical property, dimensional stability and chemical resistance. In order to meet market requirements, particularly in the automotive sector, we have been making efforts to develop new highly filled, high-toughness PPS grades with greatly improved heat shock resistance.

Previously, it was not so easy to improve heat shock resistance of a PPS material while keeping other properties in balance. First, conventional grades with improved heat shock resistance generate large quantities of mold deposits, caused by gases originating from the impact modifier. And increased frequency of metal mold maintenance was an issue. Second, the trend toward reduction of product thickness and weight has resulted in an increased requirement for materials with higher flowability. However, increasing flowability and improving toughness to give heat shock resistance normally have conflicting effects and it was difficult to achieve both at the same time.

Polyplastics has now developed the new grades DURAFIDE PPS 6150T73 and 6150T8 that have overcome the abovementioned problems. DURAFIDE PPS 6150T8 exhibits high flowability and improved heat shock resistance, while DURAFIDE PPS 6150T73 benefits from even higher heat shock resistance. Additionally, both grades demonstrate low outgassing (low mold deposit) characteristics. These new materials are expected to boost productivity at customers not only in the automotive sector but in a wide range of fields by helping to increase freedom of product design while also reducing the frequency of metal mold maintenance. Polyplastics is not only a developer of materials technology; it is also actively engaged in the development of molding and processing technologies. In addition to the abovementioned materials technologies, we aim to offer new solutions that combine molding and processing technologies.

For more information, visit
https://www.polyplastics.com/en/product/lines/pps_hs/index.vm

DURAFIDE (R) is a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.

SOURCE: Polyplastics Co., Ltd.

--BERNAMA

Tuesday 25 April 2017

NTT COM ACQUIRES INTERNATIONAL TELECOM LICENSE IN INDIA

First Japanese ICT provider to receive this license

 
MUMBAI, India, April 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT Communications (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group, today announced that it acquired a Virtual Network Operator – International Long Distance (VNO-ILD) license in India through its affiliate, NTT Communications India Network Services (NTTCINS), on March 1 this year.

The license acquisition will allow NTT Com to add Arcstar Universal One International Network Services to its portfolio of existing services in India. Currently, NTT Com provides National Long Distance “NLD” network services through NTTCINS and Colocation, Managed Hosting, Cloud and ICT Management Services through Netmagic, an affiliate. Beginning this July, NTT Com will leverage its full stack of high-quality ICT solutions to help enterprise customers build their ICT environments for business expansion in India.

"With the enhanced network capabilities coupled with Managed Hosting and Cloud services, we are always committed to enable our customers to reap the maximum value from their technology investments. This suite of offerings provides a robust value proposition as an ICT provider to meet our customers’ IT infrastructure and connectivity requirements,” said Sharad Sanghi, Managing Director and CEO of Netmagic Solutions.

NTT Com now looks forward to offering a comprehensive range of ICT solutions, including WAN, LAN, Data Centers and associated Value Added Services to support Indian businesses and multinational corporations.

NTT Com also plans to enhance its network services by adding Internet access options and to improve the service quality by way of closer relationships with local carriers.

Service Image
http://www.ntt.com/en/about-us/press-releases/news/article/2017/0425/a.html

About NTT Communications India Network Services

NTT Communications India Network Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Com and currently provides national long distance network services to enterprises in India.

About Netmagic Solutions (An NTT Communications Company)

Netmagic, an NTT Communications company, is India’s leading Managed Hosting and Cloud service provider, with 9 carrier-neutral, state-of-the-art data centers and serving more than 2000 enterprises globally. Headquartered in Mumbai, Netmagic also delivers Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM) services to various Enterprise customers globally including NTT Communication’s customers across Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific region. The Company was the first in India to launch services – Cloud Computing, Managed Security, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) and Software-Defined Storage. Netmagic has been recognized with 6 awards at the CIO Choice Award 2016 and Frost & Sullivan India ICT Award 2016. To learn more, visit us at: www.netmagicsolutions.com.

About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company’s worldwide infrastructure, including the leading global tier-1 IP network, the Arcstar Universal One™ VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and 140 secure data centers worldwide. NTT Communications’ solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.

www.ntt.com | Twitter@NTT Com | Facebook@NTT Com | LinkedIn@NTT Com
 
Contacts
For further information, please contact –
Netmagic Solutions (An NTT Communications Company)
Sikta Samantaray
Sikta.s@netmagicsolutions.com
 

Source: NTT Communications Corporation

TECH MAHINDRA EXPANDS RELATIONSHIP WITH COVISINT TO UTILIZE COVISINT'S IOT PLATFORM TO CREATE VERTICAL SOLUTIONS

Global Partnership Drives Digital Business Transformation by Securely Connecting Complete Ecosystems of People, Systems and Things

DETROIT, April 21 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Covisint Corporation (Nasdaq:COVS) and Tech Mahindra, a leader in digital transformation for the Telecommunications and Manufacturing industries, today announced that Tech Mahindra will be using the Covisint IoT Platform to enable digital transformation solutions across a variety of IoT initiatives – including smart cities, and the telecommunications and automotive markets.

Through this partnership, there will be a focused solution building and joint go-to-market efforts around:
  • Smart Cities – Diverse technologies need to be integrated to connect smart city ecosystems and realize the full potential of large-scale smart city initiatives.  Tech Mahindra is an early innovator in this evolving market.
  • Telecommunications – The vast ecosystem around telco providers brings upon many disparate technology stacks – that need to act as one to help realize the full benefits of connected initiatives.  Solutions that result from the new expansion of the Tech Mahindra and Covisint relationship will be aimed squarely at solving this problem.
  • Automotive – Both Tech Mahindra and Covisint have a long heritage in the Automotive space.  The two companies will be creating solutions that will focus on the Connected Vehicle and Supply Chain markets. 
"We are excited to be a part of this initiative and we are confident that this collaboration will provide us a distinct edge with alliances and customers.  Leveraging Covisint's cloud-based platform and Tech Mahindra's expertise in IoT and digital transformation opens up promising vistas for us," said Karthikeyan Natarajan, Global Head, Engineering, IoT and Enterprise Mobility at Tech Mahindra.

The Covisint IoT Platform – delivered as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) at scale with global support – offers a complete set of capabilities required to rapidly build enterprise IoT solutions, including advanced identity, authentication, authorization, real-time messaging and orchestration, as well as digital ecosystem definition and management capabilities to facilitate secure information sharing and trusted interactions with the world around that connected asset.  Covisint’s IoT Platform brings together a set of foundational capabilities that helps businesses rapidly deliver IoT solutions supportive of digital transformation, including:
  • A unified data model that brings together the devices, the systems and the people that interact with into one coherent logical data store.
  • Dynamic security that helps businesses respond quickly and contextually to deliver better value, while minimizing security risk.
  • Unified messaging that brings together messaging and orchestration in both real-time and batch interactions to effectively digitize end-to-end business processes.
  • API-first approach for enabling agnostic and loosely coupled business service integration for complex transformations.
  • A microservices architecture to meet the scalability demands of billions of connected devices and digital businesses.
“We couldn’t be more excited about what we can achieve together with Tech Mahindra, as our partnership has already produced great benefits for both companies,” said Joel Kremke, SVP of Partnerships and Alliances, Covisint.  “We believe the expanded alliance can be one of the largest in the IoT market, and will provide both organizations a whole new path to creating value for the market and for both of our customers.  Tech Mahindra are not only market leaders but are also thought leaders in all of the verticals that we’re pursuing with them – it’s an honor to be working with them.”

About Covisint Corporation

Covisint is the connected company – we securely connect ecosystems of people, systems and things to enable new service offerings, optimize operations, develop new business models and ultimately enable the connected economy.  Today, we support more than 2,000 organizations and connect to more than 212,000 business partners and customers worldwide.  Learn more at www.covisint.com.

Follow us:
About Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra represents the connected world, offering innovative and customer-centric information technology experiences, enabling Enterprises, Associates and the Society to Rise™. We are a USD 4.2 billion company with 117,000+ professionals across 90 countries, helping over 837 global customers including Fortune 500 companies. Our convergent, digital, design experiences, innovation platforms and reusable assets connect across a number of technologies to deliver tangible business value and experiences to our stakeholders. Tech Mahindra is amongst the Fab 50 companies in Asia (Forbes 2016 list).

We are part of the USD 17.8 billion Mahindra Group that employs more than 200,000 people in over 100 countries. The Group operates in the key industries that drive economic growth, enjoying a leadership position in tractors, utility vehicles, after-market, information technology and vacation ownership.

Connect with us on www.techmahindra.com

Follow us on
Facebook   I   LinkedIn  I   Twitter  I  YouTube

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements 

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Covisint’s present and future technology design, architecture, performance and operations which affects the Covisint IoT Platform’s market growth and the demand for Covisint’s solutions.  Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon Covisint’s historical performance and its current plans, estimates and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved.  These forward-looking statements represent Covisint’s expectations as of the date of this press release.  Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change, and Covisint disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements in the future except as may otherwise be required by the federal securities laws.  These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially.  Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to work with Tech Mahindra to attract new customers; the continued growth of the market for these solutions; competition from current competitors and new market entrants; unpredictable macro-economic conditions; the loss of any of our key employees; and the length of the sales for our solutions.  Further information on potential factors that could affect actual results is included in Covisint’s reports filed with the SEC.

Investor Relations Contact
866-319-7659  
investors@covisint.com

Media Contact 
Brad Schechter, Vice President, Corporate Marketing
248-483-2097
bschecht@covisint.com

Shalini Singh, Global Media Relations & PR
media.relations@techmahindra.com

For Sales and Marketing Information 
Covisint Corporation, 26533 Evergreen Road, Suite 500, Southfield, MI 48076, 800-229-4125
http://www.covisint.com

SOURCE : Covisint Corporation

--BERNAMA

NTT COM ACQUIRES INTERNATIONAL TELECOM LICENSE IN INDIA

First Japanese ICT provider to receive this license

 
MUMBAI, India, April 25 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NTT Communications (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications business within the NTT Group, today announced that it acquired a Virtual Network Operator – International Long Distance (VNO-ILD) license in India through its affiliate, NTT Communications India Network Services (NTTCINS), on March 1 this year.

The license acquisition will allow NTT Com to add Arcstar Universal One International Network Services to its portfolio of existing services in India. Currently, NTT Com provides National Long Distance “NLD” network services through NTTCINS and Colocation, Managed Hosting, Cloud and ICT Management Services through Netmagic, an affiliate. Beginning this July, NTT Com will leverage its full stack of high-quality ICT solutions to help enterprise customers build their ICT environments for business expansion in India.

"With the enhanced network capabilities coupled with Managed Hosting and Cloud services, we are always committed to enable our customers to reap the maximum value from their technology investments. This suite of offerings provides a robust value proposition as an ICT provider to meet our customers’ IT infrastructure and connectivity requirements,” said Sharad Sanghi, Managing Director and CEO of Netmagic Solutions.

NTT Com now looks forward to offering a comprehensive range of ICT solutions, including WAN, LAN, Data Centers and associated Value Added Services to support Indian businesses and multinational corporations.

NTT Com also plans to enhance its network services by adding Internet access options and to improve the service quality by way of closer relationships with local carriers.

Service Image
http://www.ntt.com/en/about-us/press-releases/news/article/2017/0425/a.html

About NTT Communications India Network Services

NTT Communications India Network Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Com and currently provides national long distance network services to enterprises in India.

About Netmagic Solutions (An NTT Communications Company)

Netmagic, an NTT Communications company, is India’s leading Managed Hosting and Cloud service provider, with 9 carrier-neutral, state-of-the-art data centers and serving more than 2000 enterprises globally. Headquartered in Mumbai, Netmagic also delivers Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM) services to various Enterprise customers globally including NTT Communication’s customers across Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific region. The Company was the first in India to launch services – Cloud Computing, Managed Security, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) and Software-Defined Storage. Netmagic has been recognized with 6 awards at the CIO Choice Award 2016 and Frost & Sullivan India ICT Award 2016. To learn more, visit us at: www.netmagicsolutions.com.

About NTT Communications Corporation

NTT Communications provides consultancy, architecture, security and cloud services to optimize the information and communications technology (ICT) environments of enterprises. These offerings are backed by the company’s worldwide infrastructure, including the leading global tier-1 IP network, the Arcstar Universal One™ VPN network reaching 196 countries/regions, and 140 secure data centers worldwide. NTT Communications’ solutions leverage the global resources of NTT Group companies including Dimension Data, NTT DOCOMO and NTT DATA.

www.ntt.com | Twitter@NTT Com | Facebook@NTT Com | LinkedIn@NTT Com
 
Contacts
For further information, please contact –
Netmagic Solutions (An NTT Communications Company)
Sikta Samantaray
Sikta.s@netmagicsolutions.com
 

Source: NTT Communications Corporation

NEW TESTING PROCEDURE HOLDS PROMISE AS A CRITICAL TOOL IN THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO ELIMINATE MALARIA

Field laboratory-deployable molecular test up to 80,000 times more sensitive than current options

CINCINNATI, April 25 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the global community gathers for World Malaria Day to celebrate successes and plot strategy to eliminate the disease from the face of the earth, a new ray of hope is emerging from a surprising place: the testing side of the equation.

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio (NASDAQ:VIVO) has developed illumigene® Malaria, a molecular-based, field laboratory-deployed test for malaria that is up to 80,000 times more sensitive at detecting the malaria parasite than current testing options. The test was developed by Meridian with the technical assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Senegal.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28961

Saturday 22 April 2017

NETEASE GAMES DEBUTS CRUSADERS OF LIGHT, A FULL-FLEDGED MOBILE MMORPG WITH MASSIVE RAIDS

Pre-registration offering up to $50 USD worth of in-game gifts is now open and soft launch begins today in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Philippines

BRISBANE, Calif., April 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) today announced a new MMORPG, Crusaders of Light, for iOS and Android phones and tablets. The full-fledged MMORPG is free to download and currently available in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Philippines, and coming soon to North America, Europe, Russia and Brazil. Pre-registration is now open and all participating players can unlock up to $50 worth of valuable in-game items, including virtual currency, weapons and a ram mount.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28941

Friday 21 April 2017

OPENING-UP AND INNOVATION, LEADING GUANGZHOU DEVELOPED INTO A CITY WITH THE MOST INVESTMENT VALUE

 GUANGZHOU, China, April 20 (Bernama-AsiaNet) -- 
 
On April 25th and 27th, Guangzhou will hold the Fortune Global Forum 2017 Symposium in Tokyo, Japan and Singapore respectively. Guangzhou will be sending invitations again, inviting guests from the world's top 500 enterprises to attend the Fortune Global Forum 2017, which will be held in Guangzhou this December. Predictably, Japan and Singapore as Guangzhou's important partners in Asia, the symposiums will attract much attention.

As the birthplace of the Maritime Silk Road in the east, Guangzhou engaged economic and trade exchanges frequently with Asian countries along the Maritime Silk Road since ancient times. Opening-up and innovation, the lifeblood of Guangzhou, enabled the city's strong economic growth. Guangzhou is becoming one of the cities with the most investment value in the world.

For nearly three decades, Guangzhou has been the third largest city in China, following Shanghai and Beijing. In 2016, the city's Gross Domestic Product reached about 2 trillion yuan, equivalent to that of Singapore and neighboring Hong Kong. As the capital city of Guangdong Province, Guangzhou is at the core of the Pearl River Delta, one of the most dynamic economic areas in the world.

To reach the goal of "establishing open, loose and free innovative ecology", Guangzhou municipal government is increasing its fiscal spending on the innovation of science and technology, reaching 11 billion yuan in 2017. Besides, the city is improving its commercial environment, emphasizing on the rule of law, market-oriented system and international business-friendly environment.

According to the city's latest plan, it would become "the nation's innovation hub with global influence by 2020".

In fact, Guangzhou is one of the most business-friendly cities in China, topping the Forbes list in this category five times over the past six years.

To encourage the innovation of enterprises, Guangzhou is streamlining government administration and delegating power to the lower level of government. Last month, Foxconn Technology Group, the world's largest electronics contractor and a major supplier of Apple, began construction of a new panel factory in Guangzhou's Zengcheng District, with an investment of 61 billion yuan. It only takes 50 days from project negotiation to sign the contract, and 60 days from the contract signed to start the project, which hailed as "China speed" by The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

"It will not only be a panel processing factory, but a concept of building an ecological town featuring high-end technology in the city of Guangzhou," said Terry Gou, CEO and chairman of Foxconn Technology Group.

A favorable business environment attracts foreign investors enormuosly. According to the data from the Commerce Department of Guangzhou, newly established foreign-invested enterprises in 2016 reached 1757, with year-on-year growth of 23 percent. The actual use of foreign capital reached 5.7 billion US dollars, an increase of 5.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

In the study report of Chinese Cities of Opportunity 2017, which jointly published by PwC and China Development Research Foundation in March this year, Guangzhou ranked first for two consecutive years as the city with the most opportunities. Guangzhou favored by many industry giants and recognized by international organizations, is rooted in the lifeblood of innovation and opening-up, presenting a powerful attraction for high-end resources, and thus creates huge investment opportunities.

Source: Guangzhou Municipal Government

--BERNAMA

NASDAQ LAUNCHES VENTURE INVESTMENT PROGRAM

Dedicated unit will focus on fintech investment and strategic partnership opportunities

NEW YORK, April 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nasdaq (Nasdaq:NDAQ), one of the world's leading providers of technology and services to the capital markets, announced today the launch of a venture investment program, Nasdaq Ventures, dedicated to discovering, investing in and partnering with unique fintech companies worldwide. The program's main objective is to identify and collaborate on new technologies and groundbreaking services and solutions which align with Nasdaq’s clients' needs and the company’s long-term objectives in the global capital markets.

"With the launch of our new venture investment program, we are reinforcing our focus on driving growth and innovation by evaluating, distributing, licensing and integrating disruptive technologies for the long-term benefit of our global clients," said Adena Friedman, President and CEO, Nasdaq. "Investing in pioneering fintech firms, who are developing unique technologies, continues our history of being a platform and partner of choice for the most innovative companies in the world. In addition, through this program we plan to accelerate the pace of innovation to ensure our clients continue to benefit from the technologies that are reshaping the capital markets."
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28933

GTA TO JOIN HOTELBEDS GROUP¹

- Hotelbeds Group and GTA2 combine forces to drive distribution excellence in the B2B travel wholesaler and retail space.

- Deal brings together companies with complementary operations and geographic footprints. 3

- Significant presence of GTA in fast growing Asia-Pacific and Middle East markets closely aligns with Hotelbeds Group's growth strategy.

PALMA, Spain, April 21 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hotelbeds Group, a global bedbank and business-to-business provider of services to the travel industry, has announced today plans for GTA to join its Bedbank business unit.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28947

Thursday 20 April 2017

BOTSWANA MOST ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT DESTINATION IN AFRICA

- Quantum Global Research Lab launches Africa Investment Index
- Morocco, Egypt, South Africa and Zambia amongst top five investment destinations
- Top five investment destinations attracted a combined net FDI of $13.6bn

LONDON, April 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Botswana is the most attractive economy for investments flowing into the African continent, according to the latest Africa Investment Index 2016 (http://APO.af/sUtRNQ) by Quantum Global’s (www.QuantumGlobalGroup.com) independent research arm, Quantum Global Research Lab.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28932

NEW STUDY PUBLISHED IN PLOS ONE ADVANCES SCIENCE AROUND VTS-270 FOR TREATMENT OF NIEMANN-PICK DISEASE TYPE C1

ROCKVILLE, Md., April 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Sucampo) (NASDAQ:SCMP), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the publication of a new study in an independent scientific journal that confirms the unique composition of VTS-270, a 2-Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) product under investigation as a novel treatment for Niemann-Pick Disease Type C1 (NPC-1).

NPC-1 is a rare, progressive and ultimately lethal genetic disorder affecting an estimated 2,000-3,000 patients globally. The results were published today in an article entitled, “Characterization of hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrins used in the treatment of Niemann-Pick Disease type C1,” in PLOS ONE, the world’s first multidisciplinary, Open Access journal, and are available at http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0175478.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28926

MOBIL JET™ OIL 387 GOES FLEET-WIDE WITH SINGAPORE AIRLINES

- Singapore Airlines now using Mobil Jet Oil 387 across entire fleet
- Decorated carrier operates one of the youngest fleets in the industry
- Mobil Jet Oil 387 has accrued nearly one million hours of on-wing performance

SPRING, Texas, April 19 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- ExxonMobil announced today that Mobil JetTM Oil 387, a synthetic High Performance Capability (HPC) turbine engine oil, will be used in all of Singapore Airlines’ aircraft.

Among the world’s most awarded carriers, Singapore Airlines operates one of the youngest fleets in the aviation industry. Its fleet includes a range of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft powered by some of the most advanced and popular engine technologies, including numerous Rolls-Royce Trent and General Electric’s GE90 variants.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28924

AXA CUSTOMER DAY GOES NATIONWIDE TO SHOW APPRECIATION TO CUSTOMERS

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Bernama) -- Great customer service means closer interaction with customers, to listen to what they have to say, and be there to assist them. As part of its continuous efforts to enhance customer experience, AXA Affin General Insurance Berhad (AAGI) recently celebrated AXA Customer Day 2017 at its Customer Service Centre at Wisma Boustead, Kuala Lumpur on 13 April 2017. This event was created by AAGI as a platform to show appreciation, interact and gather feedback from customers, in a casual and fun environment. AAGI is hosting AXA Customer Day for the second consecutive year.


Emmanuel Nivet, CEO of AAGI (right), presenting a caricature drawing to a happy customer at AXA Customer Service Centre, Wisma Boustead KL


“We had a great time interacting with our customers in last year’s event, where all our executive members personally served customers at our Customer Service Centre. This year we are back with our Head of Departments as a show of commitment to putting customers first at all levels of the organization. As part of our vision to transform from being a Payer to a Partner, this is a great avenue for us to have more frequent and meaningful interactions with customers,” said Emmanuel Nivet, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AAGI.

It was a fun-filled day of food, activities and casual chatter between AAGI staff, customers, agents, their families and children, with the AAGI management team and employees.  The AAGI executive committee team, including CEO Emmanuel Nivet, together with various Heads of Departments, were at hand to serve customers including handling walk-in enquiries, customer calls, purchase and renewal of policies. Customers were also engaged in open conversations with the AAGI management and staff, a welcoming occasion to provide feedback on their lifestyle and insurance needs.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=28914