PETRONAS and Staatsolie Declare Commerciality for Sloanea Field, Marking Suriname’s First Gas Development Milestone

PARAMARIBO, Suriname, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- PETRONAS, through its wholly-owned subsidiary PETRONAS Suriname E&P B.V. (PSEPBV), together with Staatsolie Maatschappij Suriname N.V. (Staatsolie), has achieved a significant milestone with the Declaration of Commerciality (DoC) of Sloanea field in Block 52, marking Suriname’s first gas development milestone in its expanding deepwater energy landscape.

The DoC confirms the project’s readiness to progress from discovery towards development, subject to the final investment decision. It builds on the positive momentum from the Sloanea-1 exploration success in 2020 while underscoring both parties’ confidence in the hydrocarbon potential of Suriname’s offshore basin and the shared commitment to unlock Suriname’s deepwater potentials.

PETRONAS Vice President of International Assets of Upstream, Mohd Redhani Abdul Rahman remarked, “The DoC of Sloanea-1 affirms the field’s economic feasibility towards its development and commercialisation. This milestone underscores the robust collaboration and mutual trust between PETRONAS and Staatsolie, founded on technical proficiency, environmental stewardship, and a commitment to delivering shared benefits for the people of Suriname.”

PETRONAS entered into the Production Sharing Contract for Block 52 in 2013, and has since achieved three significant discoveries within the block.

PETRONAS is the operator of Block 52 with 80% participating interest, while the remaining 20% participating interest is held by Paradise Oil Company (POC), a Staatsolie subsidiary. PETRONAS currently holds interests in eight offshore blocks in Suriname — Blocks 9, 10, 48, 52, 53, 63, 64, and 66 — strengthening its position as a committed partner in Suriname’s energy growth agenda.

This achievement highlights PETRONAS’ focus on high-value growth through partnership and expertise, while strengthening Suriname’s position as an emergent deepwater hub in the Suriname-Guyana Basin.

Issued by:
Media Management, Channels & Media Relations
Group Strategic Relations & Communications
PETRONAS

SOURCE: PETRONAS

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Hana Nazsulaeeqa Harun
Tel: +60 10 455 3378
Email: hananazsulaeeqa.haru@petronas.com

--BERNAMA

Bitget Ranks #2 Globally in Monthly CEX Inflows, Attracting $1.78 Billion, DefiLlama Confirms

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Nov 14 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has released its October 2025 Transparency Report, revealing another month of record-breaking institutional inflows, product innovation, and global community growth. The findings underscore how Bitget's UEX model continues to redefine modern finance by uniting centralized precision, decentralized innovation, and real-world accessibility within one seamless ecosystem.

A major highlight of the report was the joint Bitget x Nansen study, which uncovered a striking $23.1 billion surge in institutional liquidity flowing through the exchange. The research showed that institutional participation on Bitget's spot markets climbed from 39.4% in January to 72.6% by July, while futures market-maker activity increased from 3% to 56.6% during the same period. Nansen's data positioned Bitget among the top two exchanges globally for institutional trading volume across BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP pairs, citing its deep liquidity and advanced infrastructure as key drivers behind the shift.

The report also highlighted Bitget's continued ascent in global market rankings. According to DefiLlama's CEX Transparency dashboard, Bitget ranked No. 2 globally for monthly asset inflows, recording $1.78 billion in net inflows and total reserves of $7.83 billion in October. Notably, Bitget's Bitcoin reserves rose from 28.6K BTC to 30.3K BTC, a 6% monthly increase, defying the broader industry trend of shrinking centralized exchange reserves. This sustained growth underscores Bitget's consistent capital integrity and user trust even amid volatile market conditions.

Bitget's product lineup also expanded its reach into new asset classes. Its US Stock Futures surpassed $1 billion in cumulative trading volume, giving users exposure to synthetic perpetual contracts linked to global equities such as Apple, Tesla, and NVIDIA. The milestone reinforced Bitget's growing influence at the intersection of traditional and digital markets while advancing its UEX vision of multi-asset accessibility.

The company's flagship AI assistant, GetAgent, introduced "Ask Satoshi," an interactive campaign celebrating the Bitcoin Whitepaper's 17th anniversary. The activation let users engage in real-time conversation with an AI simulation of Bitcoin's anonymous creator, sparking curiosity and dialogue across global communities while showcasing Bitget's blend of education, technology, and culture.

Bitget Wallet also took major strides toward mainstream usability by rolling out multichain gas abstraction, enabling users to pay fees in USDT, USDC, or BGB across multiple networks. Additional integrations with HyperEVM and Plasma further enhanced cross-chain accessibility, positioning Bitget Wallet as one of the industry's most versatile gateways for onchain activity and self-custody.

Beyond technology, Bitget continued its commitment to education and youth empowerment through social impact initiatives. CEO Gracy Chen joined UNICEF's Global Game Jam, encouraging young developers to explore blockchain for social good, while the company's collaboration with Google Developer Group at KU Leuven brought AI and blockchain innovation together in the "AI Accelerate Hack."

Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget, said: "Our evolution as a Universal Exchange is guided by constant progression and a drive to serve our users better. From institutional liquidity and tokenized markets to AI-powered trading and cultural activations, every milestone brings us closer to a more open and intelligent financial future. UEX is not just a model, it's how we're building the next era of global finance."

Bitget's October 2025 Transparency Report reflects a company in motion, scaling liquidity, broadening access, and bridging traditional and decentralized finance through innovation, transparency, and inclusion. As UEX continues to evolve, Bitget remains at the forefront of the movement to make finance universally connected and accessible to all.

Read the full transparency report here.

About Bitget

Established in 2018, Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 120 million users with access to millions of crypto tokens, tokenized stocks, ETFs, and other real-world assets on a single platform. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI-powered trading tools, interoperability across tokens on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and BNB Chain, and wider access to real-world assets. On the decentralized side, Bitget Wallet runs as the leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into the platform.

Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World's Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with NICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. In the world of motorsports, Bitget is the exclusive cryptocurrency exchange partner of MotoGP™, one of the world’s most thrilling championships.

For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7a571e00-4676-4f7f-9668-ca8467bbc249

SOURCE: Bitget Limited

DISCLAIMER: BERNAMA MREM are not accountable for any causes of website defacement, misuse, or illegal activities connected to cryptocurrency, blockchain, tokenisation, or bitcoin. This material should not be considered as guidance or an opinion, as it does not constitute financial or investment advice. Use this information at your own risk; we are not liable for any losses or damages caused by the republication of this article.

--BERNAMA

WORLD’S FIRST AGENTIC TOURISM PROTOCOL LAUNCHED AT TOURISE SUMMIT

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISE, launches the Agentic Tourism Initiative on the second day of TOURISE.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The Agentic Tourism Initiative was launched at the inaugural TOURISE Summit, unveiling the world’s first Agentic Protocol for Tourism, a universal digital framework designed to transform every stage of the traveller’s journey.

Developed in partnership with TOURISE and Globant, the initiative builds on the whitepaper Tourism’s AI Takeover: Reinventing Travel through Agentic Tourism, which called for an open protocol defining how artificial intelligence (AI) agents interact throughout the travel experience.

The Agentic Protocol aims to create intelligent, seamless and sustainable travel experiences by integrating AI across the global tourism ecosystem, according to a statement.

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb said the initiative reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to shaping the future of global travel through innovation and collaboration.

He said the protocol harmonises technology with the human spirit of exploration by anchoring AI in empathy and cultural intelligence, enabling destinations to grow sustainably and inclusively.

Meanwhile, Globant Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Martín Migoya said the initiative marks the beginning of a new era for tourism, combining technology and human ingenuity to create smarter, more personal and memorable travel experiences.

A coalition of founding members from technology, infrastructure, aviation and destination leadership backs the initiative, including Globant, Red Sea Global, HUMAIN, Riyadh Air, King Salman International Airport, World Travel & Tourism Council, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Hollibob and Trip.com.

Guided by the principle “Digitise the expected. Humanise the unexpected”, the initiative seeks to enhance human creativity and connection, using AI as an enabler to support meaningful travel and long-term destination development.

-- BERNAMA

IHERB LAUNCHES MONTH-LONG BLACK FRIDAY EVENT WITH GLOBAL DISCOUNTS UP TO 65 PCT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- iHerb, an online retailer for health and wellness products, has kicked off its annual Black Friday sales campaign, launching a month-long promotion that will offer escalating discounts to customers worldwide on vitamins, supplements, beauty products, sports nutrition and other wellness essentials.

The promotion begins immediately with pre-Black Friday discounts starting at 20 per cent off across top categories, with savings increasing significantly during the week of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, when deals start at 25 per cent off sitewide.

iHerb in a statement said the month-long event is designed to meet growing international demand, as cross-border e-commerce for Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2024 increased by more than 40 per cent compared to the previous year, reflecting the event’s global reach for health and wellness essentials.

iHerb Chief Revenue Officer, Hyeyoung Moon said the promotion offers customers a season of discovery and convenience, allowing shoppers worldwide to stock up on wellness essentials and select high-quality holiday gifts at their own pace.

This year’s Black Friday event features weekly deal drops with new categories and brands, a curated Holiday Gift Guide, and an exclusive “12 Days of Favorites” gift set at 50 per cent off standard retail prices. iHerb’s Specials page will also offer discounts of up to 65 per cent on selected products while supplies last.

In addition, iHerb eGift Cards are available, providing recipients with access to a wide range of products on the platform. The digital cards never expire and allow personalised messages and scheduled delivery for convenience.

The month-long Black Friday celebration aims to provide international shoppers with ample time to secure wellness essentials and meaningful gifts, highlighting the company’s commitment to global customer engagement.

-- BERNAMA

Equinox Partnership Launched To Boost Oxford’s Global Innovation Ecosystem

 

Professor Irene Tracey, Oxford University Vice-Chancellor

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- A new regional partnership, Equitable Innovation Oxford (Equinox), has been launched to position Oxford as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

The initiative, launched by Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford East, Anneliese Dodds, aims to create a robust ecosystem that supports business scale-up, attracts investment, and nurtures talent across the region.

Supported by over 40 key partners, including the University of Oxford, Oxfordshire County Council, Moderna, Oxford Science Enterprises, Siemens Healthineers, and the Ellison Institute of Technology, Equinox unites universities, government, businesses, and investors under one collaborative platform.

In conjunction with the launch, NatWest announced the launch of a new NatWest Accelerator in Oxfordshire to provide tailored support and specialist banking expertise for start-ups, according to a statement.

University of Oxford Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey said the university’s mission was to ensure discoveries “develop, thrive, and have impact here in our region”, adding that Equinox would turn “discovery into opportunity, and opportunity into shared prosperity.”

NatWest Commercial and Institutional Chief Executive Officer, Robert Begbie described the partnership as a milestone that would embed deep local support for founders and help scale businesses with confidence.

Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear, and Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion, Lord Vallance hailed Equinox as a pivotal step for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, promoting inclusive growth and innovation with benefits extending nationally and globally.

Meanwhile, Equinox partners said the collaboration would help strengthen Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem, attract investment, and ensure that the region’s scientific and technological advancements generate shared, sustainable impact.

With Equinox now operational, Oxford is set to harness its world-leading research, entrepreneurial talent, and collaborative networks to drive inclusive, sustainable innovation—from local communities to the global stage.

-- BERNAMA

Pacifica Hotels To Introduce Marriott’s City Express Brand In Japan

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Pacifica Hotels G.K. has signed a franchise agreement with Marriott International Inc to introduce the City Express by Marriott brand to Japan, marking its Asia Pacific debut through the conversion of two existing hotels in Osaka.

Following a full rebranding, the hotels—to be known as City Express by Marriott Osaka Namba South and City Express by Marriott Osaka Shin-Imamiya—are expected to open in spring 2026.

City Express by Marriott caters to value-conscious travellers seeking reliable, modern, and accessible accommodation. The brand focuses on quality, simplicity, and consistency, offering guests a comfortable stay experience across urban, suburban and emerging destinations.

Pacifica Hotels Chief Executive Officer, Seth Sulkin said the new openings would provide affordable, high-quality lodging amid rising hotel rates in Japan.

“These hotels will allow travellers to experience the dynamic Nishinari Ward south of Namba, an area with strong potential and growing demand,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Marriott International Chief Development Officer, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Shawn Hill said: “This signing reflects our commitment to strategic growth and to meeting the evolving needs of travellers. With its strong value proposition and Marriott Bonvoy’s powerful distribution platform, City Express is well positioned to support Osaka’s vibrant tourism landscape.”

The City Express by Marriott Shin-Imamiya, featuring 100 guest rooms, will be a nine-storey standalone property in Haginochaya, directly adjacent to Shin-Imamiya Station, a major interchange for the JR Osaka Loop Line, Nankai Main Line and Osaka Metro.

The City Express by Marriott Osaka Namba South, with 143 guest rooms, will occupy a 14-storey building in Hanazono-kita, next to Hanazonochō Station on the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line, offering convenient subway and road access to central Osaka.

Both hotels are strategically located near key attractions such as Abeno Harukas, Tennoji, Namba, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Osaka Dome, and Osaka Castle Park, with direct links to Kansai International Airport via the Nankai Main Line.

The development underscores Marriott’s continued expansion in Japan’s midscale segment, strengthening its presence with thoughtfully designed, affordable accommodations for both domestic and international travellers.

-- BERNAMA

TOURISE Summit Opens In Riyadh, Redefining The Future Of Global Travel

 

His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISE, opens the inaugural TOURISE Summit in Riyadh.​

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Saudi Arabia has unveiled the inaugural TOURISE Summit under the patronage of Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, marking the launch of a landmark global platform aimed at reshaping the future of tourism.

The event was officially opened by Minister of Tourism and TOURISE Chairman Ahmed Al Khateeb, according to a statement.

Taking place from Nov 11 to 13, the summit follows the 50th United Nations Tourism General Assembly and gathers ministers, business leaders, and innovators from across the world to accelerate tourism’s evolution into a more connected, sustainable, and technology-driven sector.

In his keynote, Ahmed declared that the world stands at a “defining moment” for the industry, as international arrivals and investments soar past pre-pandemic levels. Yet, he cautioned that the sector faces “unprecedented disruption” from new technologies, shifting travel values, and global economic and environmental uncertainties.

“TOURISE is more than an event; it is a platform for action where we will solve long-standing challenges in skills, investment, infrastructure, sustainability, and digital transformation—to deliver results for travellers, communities, and investors alike,” he said.

The summit’s speaker lineup features an impressive cross-section of global leaders, from Ariane Gorin (Expedia) and Sébastien Bazin (Accor) to Francis Suarez (Mayor of Miami) and Paul Griffiths (Dubai Airports), representing sectors rarely seen on the same stage. Their presence underscores TOURISE’s mission to unite tourism, technology, and investment under one forward-looking platform.

Over the course of three days, discussions will explore artificial intelligence-powered experiences, frictionless borders, destination design, and investment models to meet the expectations of tomorrow’s travellers.

The TOURISE Awards, to be presented, will honour destinations leading the way in innovation and excellence.

Backed by the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, TOURISE aims to live beyond the summit—as an always-on, year-round platform driving collaboration, investment, and transformative action across the global tourism ecosystem.

-- BERNAMA