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Indonesia honored to host MotoGP pre-season at Mandalika

indie
2 minutes

Lombok, Indonesia, Aug 29, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Indonesia is honored to host the MotoGP pre-season test at the Mandalika Circuit, Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, on February 11-13, 2022, Chief Strategic Communication Officer of the Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) Happy Harinto stated.Flyer of MotoGP Pre-season on February 11-13, 2022 at Mandalika Circuit. (ANTARA/HO/rst)"It is an honor for the Mandalika circuit, and for Indonesia, to be able to serve as a location for the pre-season test in 2022," Harinto told ANTARA on Saturday.Although counted as a new circuit, the Mandalika Circuit has also joined the World Superbike calendar as the host of the closing series on November 12-14 this year.Harinto believes this is an extraordinary opportunity for Indonesia, since not all countries can be trusted as locations for holding pre-season tests. Various aspects are tested during the pre-season test, starting from the physical racers, motorbikes, engines, chassis, tires, to clothes and helmets."Hence, basically everything is being tested from drivers to test technicians, so later standardization or technological specifications will be applied during the 2022 racing ...

SeaPRwire

Singapore crosses 80 per cent Covid-19 vaccination milestone: Ong Ye Kung

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - The nation's Covid-19 vaccination rate has reached a new milestone, with 80 per cent of the population having received two doses of the vaccine as at Sunday (Aug 29). Revealing this in a Facebook post on Sunday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said: "Singapore has taken another step forward in making ourselves more resilient to Covid-19." Mr Ong said more than 4,300 homebound individuals have received their Covid-19 jab by the home vaccination teams. The Health Ministry receives about 700 requests for home vaccinations each week and it has tripled its home vaccination teams from 11 to 33 teams with help from 200 volunteer doctors and nurses and the Singapore Armed Forces, he said. As a result, waiting time has been halved from eight weeks to four weeks, he added. "We aim to complete all home vaccinations by end-Sept. That will be another important step forward," he said. On Friday, the Health Ministry said that three unvaccinated seniors died of Covid-19 complications on Thursday and Friday. Two were "non-ambulatory and had limited movement outside of their homes", the ministry said in its nightly update. More on this topic Related Story Number of home-vaccination teams tri...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Aug 29

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Sunday, Aug 29. More Housing Board projects to integrate rental flats, improving inclusivity Estates will have several blocks with a mix of housing types, says Minister of State for National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim. READ MORE HERE Plan to let migrant workers into community still on hold after new Covid-19 clusters in dorms over past month But with more than nine in 10 dorm residents now fully vaccinated, experts say it is hard to justify the curbs, especially given the impact on mental health. READ MORE HERE National Day Rally 2021: Follow ST’s live coverage of PM Lee Hsien Loong’s speech from 6.45pm on Aug 29 Get instant updates on our special live blog and watch the live stream of the speech on our platforms. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news Plan early to have enough money for life More than half of Singaporeans will run out of money in the last 14 years of their lives, a survey finds. READ MORE HERE US believes new Kabul airport attack 'highly likely' soon, says Biden He also said a drone attack that killed two high-profile targets after Thursday's ...

SeaPRwire
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Can home cleaning scheme replace live-in maids?

aseanpr
9 minutes

SINGAPORE - Ms Poe Ei San, 25, a Myanmar migrant, could not find work as a nurse in Singapore, so she cleaned homes instead. Every day, the Yangon University graduate washes toilets, scrubs floors and wipes down kitchens. "Because of the low pay and instability in Myanmar, many young people look for jobs overseas," she said. Ms Poe is among a small but growing number of home cleaners under the Household Services Scheme (HSS), a five-year-old programme that allows companies to hire migrant workers from countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka to provide part-time cleaning services to households. HSS is primarily designed to meet the demand for part-time help and, by extension, reduce Singapore's reliance on live-in foreign domestic workers. Singapore's maid population grew by about 40 per cent in the past decade, and there were more than 250,000 maids in the Republic as at 2018. "It is not sustainable for the population of foreign domestic workers to grow unchecked," the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had said. Over the years, Singapore's 1.4 million households have come to depend heavily on maids for chores, cooking and caring of the elderly, children and pets. These ma...

SeaPRwire

Plan to let migrant workers into community still on hold after new Covid-19 clusters in dorms over past month

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - A pilot programme to allow migrant workers living in dormitories back into the community remains on hold, 16 months after movement restrictions were introduced to curb the spread of Covid-19. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told The Sunday Times that this is to protect workers and mitigate the risk of further transmission as new Covid-19 clusters have emerged in dorms over the past month. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

SeaPRwire

Torn between staying here to earn money or going home to family

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Over the last 15 months, construction worker M. Muthu has not been able to meet his relatives for a meal at a South Indian restaurant in Norris Road. It was something he did with his relatives, who also work in Singapore, every week pre-pandemic. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

SeaPRwire

Sales of homes in Sentosa Cove soar to new heights

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - Sales of apartments and houses in Sentosa Cove hit record heights in the first eight months of the year, racking up multimillion-dollar takings in the process. There have been 103 transactions this year until Aug 16 - for 85 condominiums and 18 landed homes - a new benchmark and 84 per cent up on the 43 condos and 13 landed homes sold for all of last year, according to data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

SeaPRwire

How climate-focused are sovereign funds?

elean
5 minutes

(REUTERS) - Risks don't come much longer term than climate change, so you might expect sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) to be all over it, as investment giants with decades in their sights. Yet the world's biggest SWFs are making only patchy progress in adapting investment plans to account for environmental, social and governance factors, according to data on energy investments, an environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) analysis of the equity holdings of some of the funds, plus a survey of the players. Such data provides snapshots of the complex and often opaque world of sovereign funds, which collectively hold nearly US$8 trillion (S$10.8 trillion) in assets. The industry has invested US$7.2 billion in renewable energy since 2015, for example, less than a third of the amount poured into oil and gas, data from the International Forum of SWFs (IFSWF) showed. The Antipodean funds, which publicly disclose their investments, scored highly in the ESG analysis of major corporate holdings. New Zealand also said it planned to cut the emissions intensity of its overall portfolio by 40 per cent by 2025, referring to a measure of emissions proportional to revenue. Middle Eastern fu...

SeaPRwire

Dilemma of saving for puny returns

elean
6 minutes

(NYTIMES) - If you are saving money for the future, one way or another you had best be prepared to lose some of it. That is the implication of today's upside-down world in the financial markets. The combination of high inflation, strong economic growth and very low interest rates has meant that "real" interest rates - what you can earn on your money after accounting for inflation - are lower than they have been in modern times. This outcome is a result of a glut of global savings and the Federal Reserve's extraordinary efforts to bring the United States economy back to health. And it means the choice for a saver is stark. You can invest in safe assets and accept a high likelihood that you will get back less, in terms of purchasing power, than you put in. Or you can invest in risky assets in which you have a shot at positive returns but also a substantial risk of losing money should market sentiment turn negative. "For people who are risk averse, they have to get used to the worst of all possible worlds, which is watching their little pool of capital go down in real terms year after year after year," said Franklin Templeton Fixed Income's chief investment officer Sonal Desai. Inflat...

SeaPRwire

Mall guy: Investor mints a fortune in retail scene

elean
4 minutes

(BLOOMBERG) - Mr Igal Namdar has made a fortune buying shopping malls no one else wants. He scoops up struggling centres at bargain-basement prices after their landlords lose faith, betting he can turn a profit before the last tenants turn out the lights. So far, that strategy has netted big gains - as well as lawsuits accusing him of letting his real estate slide into disrepair. In building an empire of 268 properties in 35 US states, he has accumulated a personal net worth of about US$2 billion (S$2.7 billion). The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the shift to e-commerce, forcing many already-ailing department stores and apparel shops to go dark. Landlords that own lower-end malls - with high proportions of tenants that have fallen behind on rents or shuttered stores - have been hit especially hard. For Mr Namdar, that smells like opportunity. He expects a flurry of deals next year as more owners of troubled retail properties head for the exits. "Any seller of retail - malls or open air - any size of portfolio, we're there," Mr Namdar, 51, said in an interview from his base in New York. "We can close immediately, as is, where it is, with no due diligence." The formula for Namdar ...

SeaPRwire
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PUB to raise 450m stretch of flood-prone Dunearn Road to reduce risk of flash floods

aseanpr
7 minutes

SINGAPORE - National water agency PUB will be raising a 450m stretch of Dunearn Road, where flash floods have occurred three times this year, to reduce the risk of such incidents there. The works are expected to be completed by November this year, PUB said in a statement on Saturday (Aug 28). Details on how high the road will be raised is still being fine tuned. The raising of the road will be an interim flood-proofing measure before ongoing drainage expansion works along Bukit Timah complete by the first quarter of 2024. PUB said that the drainage improvement project to widen and deepen a 900m section of the Bukit Timah Canal will help to address the problem. Last Tuesday (Aug 24), heavy rain caused a flash flood that resulted in the stretch of Dunearn Road between Sime Darby Centre and Binjai Park to become impassible for about 40 minutes. That day, more rain pelted western Singapore in three hours than the average rainfall for the whole month of August. On July 12 and April 17 this year, heavy rain also caused flash flooding incidents there. PUB said: "When completed, the upgraded canal will enhance flood protection for the surrounding area including Dunearn Road, and reduce the...

SeaPRwire

3 new TEL train stations to serve as emergency shelters

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The opening of Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Stage 2 on Saturday (Aug 28) means there will be three more emergency shelters added to the existing network here - Lentor, Mayflower and Bright Hill MRT stations. With the three latest shelters, there are now 584 civil defence shelters, of which 52 are in underground MRT stations. More will be added over time to shelter more people, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Like the other shelters, the three stations have been reinforced with air vents that can be shut in the event of chemical warfare - restricting air exchange in and out of the underground shelter but also minimising the amount of contaminated air entering it. The SCDF said it did a study which showed that this method of protection is effective, reducing exposure to safe levels, based on international toxic chemical exposure guidelines. All those entering the shelter during a chemical attack will have to remove their clothes and decontaminate themselves using specially developed wipes, in cubicles that are separated by gender. A standard-issue change of clothes will then be provided. Other than underground MRT stations, shelters have been built in scho...

SeaPRwire
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First batch of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine available from Aug 30 in Singapore

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The first batch of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will be available at some hospitals and clinics from Monday (Aug 30). People can book an appointment at healthcare firm Clearbridge Health's Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic at Tanjong Pagar Plaza from Saturday, and it will begin administering the vaccine on Monday. The vaccine is priced at $98 for two doses, including goods and services tax (GST). It is understood that many of the Monday slots have already been taken. IHH Healthcare Singapore - which offers the Sinopharm vaccine at Gleneagles Hospital, Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Shenton Medical Group clinics in One Raffles Quay and Duxton - will open appointment bookings on Monday. The vaccine will be available at Gleneagles Hospital and the Shenton Medical Group clinics on Wednesday, while Mount Elizabeth Hospital will begin administering it from Sept 7. IHH Healthcare Singapore offers the vaccine at $99 for two doses, including GST. The Sinopharm vaccine is administered in two doses, which are given three to four weeks apart. It is approved to be used for people aged 18 and above. Clearbridge Medical Group, which runs Medic Surgical and Laser Clinic, said on Saturday...

SeaPRwire
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Commuters on first trains at new TEL2 stations reminisce inaugural 1980s MRT rides

aseanpr
8 minutes

SINGAPORE - At 5.15am on Saturday (Aug 28), minutes before the Thomson-East Coast Line gantry at Caldecott MRT station officially opened to the public, a middle-aged man in a blue shirt and shorts walked to station personnel and said: "I want to take the first train." It was also a nostalgic trip for the school teacher, Mr Yap Siew Meng, 49, because in the 1980s, he was among the first to ride an MRT train when services for the mass rapid transit started and stations opened. On Saturday, Mr Yap joined at least three other passengers who were the first to be travel along the newly opened extended stretch of the Thomson-East Coast Line, spanning six stations from Caldecott to Springleaf. The first train at Caldecott MRT station departed at 5.50am, at the crack of dawn. At around 7am, trains were starting to fill up slowly, with about four passengers scattered around each car. The highly anticipated six-station stretch, named TEL2, connects the new Springleaf, Lentor, Mayflower, Bright Hill, Upper Thomson and Caldecott stations. The line's first three stations - Woodlands North, Woodlands and Woodlands South, collectively called TEL1 - opened in January last year. Mr Yap, who lives in...

SeaPRwire
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Changes to testing arrangements for students taking national year-end exams: MOE, SEAB

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Students who have been placed on leave of absence (LOA) after coming into close contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases will now be allowed to take national examinations if they test negative for the virus in antigen rapid tests (ARTs). This is provided they are not awaiting a quarantine order. They will also have to take the ART at their school or examination venue every two days until their LOA is rescinded. These updated arrangements will allow as many students as possible to take their exam papers while keeping candidates and staff safe, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said in a joint statement on Saturday (Aug 28). The national year-end written examinations for key subjects will start on Sept 15, starting with the GCE N levels and ending with the GCE A levels. Those who are placed on LOA because they are staying with individuals who have been given a quarantine order or are under a stay-home notice will be allowed to take their papers if their ART is negative. Likewise, they will also have to undergo testing at regular intervals. Those on approved absence because they are staying in the same household with me...

SeaPRwire

US stocks end with records as Fed’s Powell signals no rush to end stimulus

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - Wall Street ended the week with new records after Fed chairman Jerome Powell signalled the central bank could slow its stimulus by the end of the year but is in no rush to raise rates. The broad-based S&P 500 advanced 0.9 per cent to close at 4,509.37 - its first close over the 4,500 mark - and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 1.2 per cent to 15,129.50. Both had retreated on Thursday after multiple records. The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.7 per cent to end at 35,455.80. The Federal Reserve's stimulus has helped push equities steadily higher in recent months, and in his highly anticipated speech to the annual Jackson Hole central banking symposium, Powell highlighted the Fed's focus on waiting for the labor market to improve further. While rising infections from the Delta variant of Covid-19 remain a risk, the Fed chief said the economy should continue to improve and policymakers could start the process of tapering its massive bond purchases by the end of the year. But the comments at the Jackson Hole central banking symposium did not provide any specifics on the timetable. Kim Forrest at Bokeh Capital Partners said the focus on "fixin...

SeaPRwire

Covid-19 persistence makes domestic reopening critical for Singapore’s economic growth outlook

elean
1 minute

SINGAPORE - The surprisingly significant impact of Covid-19 Delta variant on the global growth outlook has also started to check enthusiasm over the prospects of the trade-driven Singapore economy. The only thing standing in the way of a double dip - two straight quarters of negative growth - is Singapore's roll-out of its plan to live with Covid. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

ACN Newswire

淘屏：区块链新锐乘势出海，未来前景值得期待

tallulah
1 minute

HONG KONG, Aug 27, 2021 - (亚太商讯 via SEAPRWire.com) - 哈萨克斯坦地处中亚地区，拥有稳定的政治环境、自由化的经济政策和丰富的自然资源储备。近些年来，该国积极推动加密货币挖矿在国内的合法化，这也使得哈萨克斯坦被不少人视为是新兴的数字货币处理中心。而为了支持数字货币/区块链的发展，哈萨克斯坦这些年下了很多功夫，也取得了不少成绩。成为超级金融中心？AIFC在行动阿斯塔纳国际金融中心（AIFC）正式成立于2018年7月5日，是哈萨克斯坦阿斯塔纳的金融中心，其定位是成为中亚、高加索地区、欧亚经济联盟（EAEU）、中东、中国西部、蒙古和欧洲国家的金融中心，在吸引金融资源方面肩负着重要角色。该中心下设AIFC管理委员会、AIFC管理局、阿斯塔纳金融服务管理局、AIFC法院、AIFC国际仲裁中心等部门，架构非常清晰且全面。据悉，AIFC的目标是协助吸引投资投入哈萨克斯坦经济。为了实现这个目标，AIFC将为金融服务领域的投资创造有吸引力的环境，发展哈萨克斯坦证券市场，同时确保该市场与国际资本市场的一体化。AIFC还计划发展金融科技领域、资本市场、资产管理、绿色金融和伊斯兰金融市场。与此同时，AIFC还积极扶持了加密矿业的发展。目前，矿工在AIFC注册登记的企业将能获得签证、税务、法律咨询等一系列服务，而这些完善的服务能满足矿工在哈萨克斯坦工作、生活等多个方面的需求，帮助解决后顾之忧。经过发展，剑桥另类金融中心的数据显示，哈萨克斯坦的比特币挖矿算力占比在2021年4月就已经达到了8.2%，在全球算力市场排名上大幅跃升，一举拿下了第三名，占比相较于2019年9月增长了6倍。能取得如此成绩，AIFC算得上是功不可没。淘屏进军哈萨克斯坦受益于政策支持以及在金融服务上的大胆尝试，哈萨克斯坦近些年其实吸引了不少外国公司的入驻，而老牌中概股淘屏有限公司（以下简称淘屏）也即将入驻。淘屏是一家集科技和金融于一体的集团公司，业务遍及中国大陆、香港和其他海外国家。依托其在云技术和芯片供应链方面的独特优势，为影视制作、教育、新媒体、人工智能、资产管理等行业提供解决方案和云服务。公司致力于国内外区块链技术的研究与应用，以及金融资产的投资与管理。经过前期的的尝试和探索，已成功将核心业务扩展至数字资产（即以太+比特+数据中心矿场）和数字文化产业为主。该公司已经宣布其在香港的全资子公司淘屏数字资产（亚洲）有限公司（TDAA）和哈萨克斯坦的咸海石油公司（APC）签署了一份投资备忘录，计划在哈萨克斯坦建立一家合资企业。资料显示，咸海石油公司注册于哈萨克斯坦当地，是加拿大里海石油公司的全资子公司，其总部位于阿拉木图市。公司在哈萨克的“油都”阿克纠宾市以南的里海盆地拥有面积接近2000平方公里区块。该公司致力于建成一个集油气田勘探开发、油气处理与集输、商品油与天然气...

ACN Newswire

国美零售积极响应国家战略 2021年上半年业务质量同步扩张

tallulah
1 minute

HONG KONG, Aug 27, 2021 - (亚太商讯 via SEAPRWire.com) - 业务战略与国策高度契合 全力推进「家·生活」第二阶段深化升级2021年上半年，国美(493.HK)加快推进「家·生活」第二阶段的战略落地，聚焦科技零售，以数字化赋能，全力打造线上线下虚实融合，以用户思维、平台思维、科技思维、闭环思维为导向的国美新零售生态圈，以积极响应国家推动新型消费加快发展的战略方向。自年初起，国家持续加大力度打击垄断及不正当竞争行为，为行业提供更公平健康的营商环境及发展空间。与此同时，多项促消费、扩内需的政策相继出台，大大缓和新型冠状病毒疫情对零售行业造成的阴霾。国美凭藉持续优化其双平台新零售生态系统、精细化供应链优势、覆盖全国的物流网络及专业化服务，零售服务能力得已大幅提升。报告期内，公司整体销售收入达26,040百万元(人民币，下同)，同比上升36.5%；综合毛利达3,711百万元，同比上升67%；综合毛利率稳步回升，同比上升2.7百分点至14.3%。鉴于国内三线以下城市的消费市场渗透率较低，增长空间广阔，国美积极开发低线市场蓝海，采取「先大后小，先县后镇，以县拓镇」战略，于2021年上半年新开县域店近600家，计划全年新开店1,000家。截止2021年6月30日，公司线下门店总数为3,895家，县域店达2,556家。同时，国美灵活运用社交化的方式，以线下门店员工为种子用户，网格化组建社群，迅速扩大会员体系。报告期内，国美新建社群超过18万个，累计社群近100万个，累计社群成员数量同比增长30%，线上线下会员达2.28亿。国美网上平台「真快乐」于报告期内亦实现显著增长，平台购买人数同比约10倍增长，购买商品总数及订单数同比约4倍增长，活跃用户数量呈近3倍同比增长，会员复购率约30%，月平均复购人数同比增长约10倍，SKU数突破60万，其中90%来自于非家电领域，产品丰富度不断提高。发挥供应链及渠道优势 降本增效提升盈利能力在供应链方面，国美融合娱乐、科技、低价、服务四大元素，构建起「招商+自采+定制」三位一体的供应链平台，并以智能定制，真选商品的原则，打造精细化供应链体系。公司持续深化家电供应链，优化采购、运营、服务等环节，实现高效率、低成本的运营模式；携手线上线下第三方商家，打造产品丰富、具有价格优势的专业家电供应链能力；更与多个战略合作伙伴开展合作，借助创新的营销工具及线上线下销售场景的改变，不断扩大市场占有率，持续提升市场份额。在渠道经营方面，国美采用「自营+第三方+代运营」模式，通过自营线上线下平台、第三方平台(京东、拼多多、抖音等)及第三方代运营商，实现全渠道输出。国美亦积极深化与行业领先的代运营商合作，于供应链方面进行深度合作与赋能，把代运营转化为销售商，打造创新的代运营生态体系。高效运用娱乐化手段 全面激发消费市场动...

ACN Newswire

TAOP Signs Memorandum of Understanding to Establish Cryptocurrency Mining Joint

indie
4 minutes

HONG KONG, Aug 27, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Taoping Inc. (NASDAQ: TAOP, the "Company" or "TAOP"), a provider of blockchain technology and smart cloud services, today announces that its wholly-owned subsidiary Taoping Digital Assets (Asia) Limited ("TDAA") and a Kazakhstan company Aral Petroleum Capital LLP ("APC") have signed a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") to establish a joint venture in Kazakhstan, of which TDAA and APC will own 51% and 49%, respectively. TDAA will control the board of directors of the joint venture.APC is an oil and gas exploration and development company operating in Kazakhstan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CaspianEnergy Inc. It holds an exclusive license which entitles it to explore and develop certain oil and gas properties known as the "North Block", an area of 1,916 square km, and a production contract for the area known as "East Zhagabulak". With a strong industry position and integration experience, APC is able to ensure high-quality utility-scale electricity supply at a low cost to the joint venture.The joint venture plans to invest and build cryptocurrency mining sites with a total capacity of 100MW, the first stage construction o...