Saturday, March 31, 2018

THE SALVATION ARMY LAUNCHES RED SHIELD INDUSTRIES TO REUSE, RECYCLE AND RESTORE

PETALING JAYA, March 30 (Bernama) -- Members of the public can now donate large quantities of items including bulk items to The Salvation Army. Last Wednesday, Red Shield Industries (RSI), the social enterprise arm of The Salvation Army was launched to look more holistically into efforts to reuse, recycle and restore donations in-kind. Donated items will be resold at affordable prices through The Salvation Army’s Family Thrift Stores located in Banting, Melaka, Ipoh, Penang and Kuching.

The warehouse located in Taman Desaria, Petaling Jaya, aims to be highly regarded for excellence in delivery of a donation in-kind service, which is sensitive and responsive to the needs of the community while meeting the welfare and funding needs of The Salvation Army. Managing Director of Red Shield Industries, Mr Tian Toh Kian, said he was excited to create more opportunities for people to give, which will in turn, give hope to others.

Income generated through RSI will go towards funding The Salvation Army’s social and community services to help the underprivileged. Donated goods may also be distributed overseas to provide humanitarian aid in times of crisis.

To donate your used items to help the needy in our community, call our friendly RSI team at 03-7496 5834. Collections can be arranged for large and bulky items. If it's too good to throw away, give it to The Salvation Army.

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31569

Friday, March 30, 2018

A.M. Best affirms credit ratings of China Taiping Insurance (Macau)

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (excellent) and the long-term issuer credit rating of 'a' of China Taiping Insurance (Macau) Co Ltd (CTIM) Macau.

"The outlook of these credit ratings is stable," A.M Best said in a statement.

"The ratings reflect CTIM's balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorised as adequate, as well as its strong operating performance, favorable business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

"The ratings also reflect the lift that the company receives from its parent, China Taiping Insurance Holdings Co Ltd," the statement added.

CTIM's risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), dropped to the adequate level at year-end 2017 due to significant additional reinsurer credit risk related to reinsurance recoverables from Typhoon Hato - a 1-in-50-year storm that struck in August 2017 - and major losses in the following month from the SJM's Grand Lisboa Palace fire.

The company's reinsurer panel is highly rated and the vast majority of the typhoon claims are expected to be settled and closed within one year, A.M. Best expects the risk-adjusted capitalisation to return to the strongest level within the next two years.

CTIM maintains a leading market position in Macau, with strong operating performance and a five-year average return on equity of 22.3 per cent from 2012 to 2016.

The company achieved net profits in 2017 due to investment income, despite the occurrence of two severe underwriting events.

A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source.

--BERNAMA 

Shiga Prefecture releases video promoting charms of Omi Beef in five languages



KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 (Bernama) -- The Shiga Prefectural Government has produced 'The Premium Culinary Tour Shiga Prefecture', a publicity video to promote the charms of Omi Beef, one of Japan's top three 'wagyu' beef brands on March 30, 2018.

The video will be posted on YouTube in five languages -- English, Chinese (both traditional and simplified), Korean and Thai, a statement said.

The video retraces an event, titled a 'Journey to Fully Enjoy Omi Beef in Shiga Prefecture' which was held in December 2017 to promote Omi Beef and sightseeing spots in Shiga by inviting tour operators from Hong Kong and Singapore to the western Japan prefecture.

A statement said the four-day tour not only features all kinds of Omi Beef gourmet treats but also tourist attractions in Shiga Prefecture including a cruise on Lake Biwa; the hot spring resort of Ogoto Onsen; Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei and Hikone Castle.

The Omi Beef, Japan's oldest branded beef has its origin dating back 400 years and its history is considered long for well-known branded beef exported to Macao, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar as well as Taiwan.

Shiga Prefecture organised this farm trip targeting Hong Kong and Singapore, where wagyu draws much attention and a great number of potential buyers to create a tour combining Omi Beef and sightseeing spots in the prefecture.

The farm trip aims to expand demand for inbound tourism via Kyoto, attract visitors to Shiga and boost consumption of Omi Beef.

Shiga Prefecture is neighbouring to the east of Kyoto and accessible from big cities, about 10 minutes from Kyoto and about 30 minutes from Osaka by train. The video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw69E1PLVCOCbgU0_2l9WsA

--BERNAMA


A.M. BEST AFFIRMS CREDIT RATINGS OF ASIAN REINSURANCE CORPORATION

SINGAPORE, March 30 (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 Asian Reinsurance Corporation (Asian Re) (Thailand). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Asian Re’s balance sheet strength, which A.M. Best categorizes as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.

Asian Re’s balance sheet strength reflects solid risk-adjusted capitalization that is supported by low underwriting leverage and an investment portfolio consisting mostly of cash and deposits. However, there is the potential for transfer restrictions as some of these deposits are placed with entities that have been sanctioned in the past.

In terms of operating performance, the company experienced deterioration in underwriting results this year, partially due to reserve developments. A steady stream of interest income has mitigated the impact of this deterioration. Overall, Asian Re’s capital and surplus has remained fairly stable.

Following losses from catastrophe events in 2011 and 2012, Asian Re recapitalized and improved its capital position. As of year-end 2017, its capital stood at USD 69 million, above the USD 55 million it reported at year-end 2010, before the catastrophe events. However, the company continues to face challenges in rebuilding its business profile, and premium volumes remain considerably lower than before the catastrophe events. In addition, regulatory requirements also have made it harder for Asian Re to access certain markets.

Positive rating actions could result from the company successfully rebuilding its premium base while improving underwriting results.

Negative rating actions could result from material deterioration in Asian Re’s operating performance or if transfer restrictions are placed on its assets.

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. For information on the proper media use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best’s Credit Ratings and A.M. Best Rating Action Press Releases.

A.M. Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.
Copyright © 2018 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/20180329005907/en/

Contact
A.M. Best
Wesley Chia
Financial Analyst
+65 6303 5018
wesley.chia@ambest.com
or
Chi-Yeung Lok
Director, Analytics
+65 6303 5016
chi-yeung.lok@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

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

China's Zhongshan Investment Fair Promotes Greater Bay Area Development

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- The 2018 Zhongshan Trade, Investment and Top Talent Fair and Fifth Top Talent Networking Zhongshan kicked off on March 28, with 1,000 participants from more than 10 countries and regions.

The theme of the event is 'Innovation Spearheads Development and Collective Wisdom Shapes Bay Area'.

This year, investment attracting was more aligned with the city's core objective -- to steer the economy towards high-quality development driven by innovation, said the organising committee of the fair in a statement.

The opening ceremony of the fair saw the signing of a cluster of projects to drive growth in gathering innovative resources, transforming and upgrading industrial sectors, and deepening cooperation within the Greater Bay Area.

The accumulating innovative elements and collective wisdom have enabled Zhongshan to further contribute to the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with its competitiveness in geographical location, industries, innovation and living environment.

"The city aims to build itself into a world-class base for advanced manufacturing, regional transportation hub, industrial innovation centre, and notable historic and cultural city," said vice-mayor of Zhongshan, Lei Yuelong.

"The fair, sticking to those goals, helps bring in teams specialising in technological innovation, carriers for research and development, inspection and testing platforms, and projects of premium productive services and cultural tourism from overseas," he added.

The fair consists of 20 themed sessions, including Partnering Forum on Zhongshan Intelligent Manufacturing and International Industrial Cooperation to help increase connectivity among industries, technologies, projects, talents and professional teams.

Over recent years, Zhongshan has yielded fruitful results in drawing talents through the signature event of Top Talent Networking Zhongshan and introduction of 18 new talent-oriented policies.

The past four talent networking events with 47 special sessions, had drawn 23 academicians, 100 figures from China's Recruitment Program of Global Experts and 136,000 global talents. Up to 220 talent cooperation projects were signed, some involving bringing in teams of academicians.

-- BERNAMA

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

IF YOU PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED OR OTHERWISE ACQUIRED CERTAIN PETROBRAS SECURITIES, YOU COULD GET A CASH PAYMENT FROM A CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

NEW YORK, March 26 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) -- The following statement is being issued by Pomerantz LLP regarding In re Petrobras Securities Litigation.

Important Legal Notice from the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Two proposed settlements have been reached in a securities class action lawsuit brought by investors against Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (“Petrobras”) and certain of its affiliates, underwriters, external auditors, and current and former directors and officers. The Settlements include certain securities issued by Petrobras. Petrobras, the Underwriter Defendants, and PricewaterhouseCoopers Auditores Independentes (“PwC Brazil”) deny any and all allegations of wrongdoing, and the District Court has not decided who is right.
http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=31522

Monday, March 26, 2018

VISTAJET CONNECTS CUSTOMERS AND THEIR PASSIONS WITH THE GLOBAL BRITISH POLO DAY TOUR




Customers to join the most prestigious worldwide polo tournament

LONDON, March 22 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VistaJet, the first and only global private aviation company, will be offering customers the opportunity to enrich their passion for polo as the company partners with British Polo Day for the 2018 worldwide tournament, following a successful inaugurate partnership last year.

The sport is a key interest for many of VistaJet’s customers, both as spectators and riders, and is in line with 39% of the world’s animal-loving Ultra High Net Worth population having a passion for horses*. VistaJet continuously develops and offers exceptional experiences for its customers inspired by their true passions, including art, sport and travel, across all cultures worldwide. Its global partnership with British Polo Day will offer customers an exclusive opportunity to enjoy one of their most cherished interests by watching some of the sport’s top players, including the world’s number one player Adolfo Cambiaso, in the most spectacular and iconic settings, such as the enchanting Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.

“Our customers expect the most extraordinary experiences at the highest standards,” explains Ian Moore, Chief Commercial Officer at VistaJet. “Our customers’ passions become our passions and supporting them is a cornerstone of the VistaJet brand. In partnering on such opportunities with British Polo Day, we are able to continue to deliver second-to-none events to our community.”

Originating in ancient Persia, polo has been played for over 2,600 years with the modern game beginning in Northeastern India in 1859. From there, polo spread as widely as its enthusiasts across Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. On a trip to England, the publisher James Gordon Bennett Jr. experienced his first polo match, and upon returning to his native New York in 1876, the game soon spread across North America.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

JAPAN INVITES 30 POWERFUL INFLUENCERS FROM 20 FOREIGN COUNTRIES AND REGIONS IN BID TO RECEIVE 40 MILLION INBOUND TOURISTS IN 2020

TOKYO, Mar. 22, 2018 /Kyodo JBN-- AsiaNet/ --

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) carried out a project to showcase the charms of tourism resources in each region of Japan, inviting 30 powerful influencers (bloggers) from 20 foreign countries and regions to visit various parts of the country in March 2018 with the aim of introducing abroad sightseeing resources in each region. As for selecting the places to be visited by influencers, JNTO made every effort to showcase and raise the profile of Japan's charms in each region by including "instagrammable" (photogenic) spots and hands-on programs unique to Japan in addition to tourist spots that are already highly recognized abroad.
 
- Invitation period: One week for each course
- Number of people invited: 30 people in total
- Countries and regions involved in the project: South Korea, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, Australia, the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain
 
- Period: March 5-9, 2018  *(4) February 26-March 2, *(6) March 12-17
(1) Hokkaido/Tohoku Course (Hokkaido, Akita Pref., Iwate Pref., Yamagata Pref.)
    Participating influencers from Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines
(2) Kanto/Koshinetsu Course (Tokyo, Yamanashi Pref., Nagano Pref., Gunma Pref., Tochigi Pref.)
    Participating influencers from Russia, Britain, the United States, India, Singapore
(3) Chubu/Hokuriku Course (Gifu Pref., Toyama Pref., Ishikawa Pref., Fukui Pref., Aichi Pref.)
    Participating influencers from Vietnam, the United States, Mainland China, Malaysia, Taiwan
*(4) Kansai Course (Osaka Pref., Nara Pref., Kyoto Pref.)
    Participating influencers from South Korea, Indonesia, Australia
(5) Chugoku/Shikoku Course (Shimane Pref., Okayama Pref., Tokushima Pref., Kagawa Pref., Ehime Pref.)
    Participating influencers from Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
*(6) Kyushu/Hokkaido Course (Kagoshima Pref., Kumamoto Pref., Kushiro City in Hokkaido)
    Participating influencers from Hong Kong
 
- Common SNS hashtags: #undiscoveredjapan, #enjoymyjapan, #visitjapanjp
Please note that the following URLs also contain some photographs and articles that are not related to the above-mentioned project. The photographs and articles listed through the project contain all of the above-mentioned hashtags.
 
Reference URL:
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/undiscoveredjapan/
https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/undiscoveredjapan?source=feed_text
 
 
SOURCE: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)

POLYPLASTICS INTRODUCES NEW SERIES OF LOW-DIELECTRIC LAPEROS (R) LCPS FOR NEXT-GENERATION COMMUNICATION DEVICES

TOKYO, Mar. 22, 2018 /Kyodo JBN-- AsiaNet/ --
 
Polyplastics Co., Ltd., a leading global supplier of engineering thermoplastics, has announced the launch of a new series of low-dielectric liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) for next-generation communication devices. LAPEROS (R) E420P is the first in a series of low-dielectric grades which also possess inherent high heat resistance, mechanical properties, chemical resistance, high flow, and low warpage for films and connectors in cabling, antennas and circuit boards.
 
(Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201803121805-O1-9BHl0BJ7)
 
(Image: Narrow-pitch connectors
https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/201803121805-O2-7u0M9Z3K)
 
Polyplastics developed the new LCP series amidst increasing demand for low-dielectric and low-dielectric-tangent materials to satisfy the needs of 5G telecommunications and V2X telecommunications for autonomous automobiles and materials applicable for high-speed and high-frequency transmission components.
 
LAPEROS (R) E420P makes use of an optimum combination of filler and formulation technology to achieve a low-dielectric constant of less than 3.0 measured perpendicular to the flow direction for the 1-20 GHz frequency band. Further, the dielectric loss tangent is stable over the entire frequency band. The material also fulfills downsizing requirements and increasingly complex designs in connector applications and can be used in surface-mount technology (SMT) processes.
 
Polyplastics will expand its series of low-dielectric LCPs to meet broader performance requirements for connectors. The company plans to extend its product portfolio to include grades with enhanced low warpage, higher heat resistance and greater flow for compact, fine-pitched connectors. Since connectors are the primary target application, these grades are formulated with good flowability. Polyplastics reports that in tests using the company's connector molds, the new grades are molded at lower packing pressure than conventional grades.
 
For more information, visit
https://www.polyplastics.com/en/product/lines/lcp_e420p/index.vm
 
LAPEROS (R) is a registered trademark of Polyplastics Co., Ltd. in Japan and other countries.
 
About Polyplastics

Polyplastics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in the development and production of engineering thermoplastic solutions. The company's broad product portfolio includes polyoxymethylene (POM), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), and LCPs. The company has the largest global market share of POM and LCPs. With more than 50 years of experience, the company is backed by a strong global network of R&D, production and sales resources capable of creating advanced solutions for an ever-changing global marketplace.
 
 
SOURCE: Polyplastics Co., Ltd.