ACN Newswire

China Medical System (00867.HK) MSCI-ESG Rating Upgraded to AA, Reaching Global Level

indie
2 minutes

HONG KONG, Dec 22, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - On December 17, the largest index provider, Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) updated a report on the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) rating for China Medical System Holdings Limited ("China Medical System"), a well-established, innovation-driven specialty pharma with a focus on sales & marketing in China. According to the report, China Medical System's ESG rating has been upgraded from "BBB" to "AA", surpassing 88% of companies in the global pharmaceutical industry, and symbolizing that the Company has reached a leading level among its global peers in ESG management.In the report, MSCI recognized China Medical System's outstanding performance in Corporate Governance, Corporate Behavior, Product Safety and Quality, Human Capital Development and Access to Health Care, and commented: "Leads peers in business ethics and talent management practices". MSCI also gave a positive assessment of the Company's Corporate Behavior, "China Medical System has evidence of detailed policies on business ethics and corruption".There are seven levels of the MSCI-ESG rating, from the highest to the lowest are: AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B an...

ACN Newswire

China Medical System (00867.HK) MSCI-ESG Rating Upgraded to AA, Reaching Global Level

indie
2 minutes

HONG KONG, Dec 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) issued a report on December 17 upgrading the ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Rating for China Medical System Holdings Limited ("China Medical System"), a well-established, innovation-driven specialty pharma with a focus on sales & marketing in China. China Medical System's ESG Rating has been upgraded from "BBB" to "AA", surpassing 88% of companies in the global pharmaceutical industry, symbolizing that the Company has attained a level among its global peers in ESG management.MSCI recognized China Medical System's outstanding performance in Corporate Governance, Corporate Behavior, Product Safety and Quality, Human Capital Development, and Access to Health Care, noting that the Company "Leads peers in business ethics and talent management practices". MSCI also gave a positive assessment of the Company's Corporate Behavior, "China Medical System has evidence of detailed policies on business ethics and corruption".There are seven levels of the MSCI-ESG Rating, from the highest to the lowest are AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, and CCC. Among them, companies with AA or AAA ratings are consider...

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BYD Delivers Largest Pure Electric Bus Fleet in Colombia

indie
6 minutes

Bogota, Colombia, Dec 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - On December 17, BYD announced the delivery of 470 pure electric buses to Bogota, the capital of Colombia. This is the country's largest pure electric bus fleet, and also the largest bus fleet BYD has delivered in the Americas, which will effectively promote the already fast-growing electrified public transport systems in Colombia, Latin America and the entire Americas.120 BYD electric buses delivered to BogotaEach bus takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours to fully charge, with a cruising range that exceeds 300 kilometers on a single chargeClaudia Nayibe Lopez Hernandez, Mayor of Bogota (fourth from left, first row) and Lara Zhang, Regional Director of BYD Latin America (third from right, first row) were among those in attendance at the delivery and operation ceremonyThe Bogota City Government and the Bogota City Public Transport Authority (TRANSMILENIO S.A) held a grand launch and delivery ceremony for the first batch of 120 buses. This batch of buses will be delivered to 9 bus routes across the city by TRANSMILENIO S.A on December 26, 2020, and will serve approximately 69,300 passengers along the routes. The remaining 350 units will be put on the...

ACN Newswire

“One Yangtze” Sustainable Development Forum encourages communication between capital market and environmental protection field through ESG investing

indie
6 minutes

BEIJING, Dec 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Huatai Securities Co., Ltd. (601688.CH; 6886.HK; HTSC.LI; "Huatai Securities" or "The Company") sponsored the "One Yangtze" Sustainable Development Forum in Beijing, to encourage communication between the capital market and ecological environment protection field. Representatives from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with representatives from ecological environment organizations and the financial industry, jointly explored the ecological environment access in ESG investment to improve the application of data in order to promote sustainable development.In recent years, many investment projects have caused damages on the ecological environment and biodiversity. Although under the supervision of environmental protection departments, many of these projects resulted in forced suspensions due to strong opposition and backlash from civil organizations and mounting media scrutiny. These projects have caused not only significant economic losses to the financial industry, but have also severely impacted the re...

SeaPRwire
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6000 CREAM Airdrop to those who are participating in Vault Tokensale

pandora
4 minutes

VaultSwap, a crypto-swapping service, has entered into a partnership with CREAM Finance to officially add CREAM to its Staking platform. And 6000 CREAM airdrop to those who participate in Vault tokensale. Vault tokensale, which was set to close by 20th December is now extended to 30th December, as in line with allowing the community more participation and development opportunity. VaultSwap enables some tokens' smooth operations and security by holding them in a unique wallet while their values improve significantly. Stakers earn some percentage profits, depending on the period they stake their token. 6000 CREAM Airdrop VaultSwap will airdrop 6000 CREAM to Vault Tokensale participants with the AirDrop calculated as 1 cream for 10 VAULT tokens, which would be for the FIRST 60,000 VAULT tokens buyers. What is CREAM Finance CREAM Finance is a decentralized peer-to-peer (P2P) DeFi platform that renders borrowing, lending, swapping, tokenization, and payment services for digitized assets. The Compound Finance fork birthed the CREAM Finance protocol, while the code of Balancer Labs controls its CREAM SWAP exchange. To hasten the development of the CREAM Finance open source, the community ...

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Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Dec 22

aseanpr
2 minutes

Good morning! Here are our top stories to kick-start your Tuesday, Dec 22. First shipment of Covid-19 vaccine arrives in S'pore on SIA flight from Brussels It is the first shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to arrive in Asia. READ MORE HERE S'pore's sole Covid-19 case on Monday was tested before cruise trip, visited Southern Islands in group of 12 Raffles City, Ngee Ann City and Anchorpoint were also added to the list of places visited by Covid-19 cases. READ MORE HERE Eyes to the sky to witness 'Christmas Star' - a close encounter between Jupiter and Saturn The event, also known as the Great Conjunction or Christmas Star, fell coincidentally on the winter solstice. READ MORE HERE More on this topic Related Story ST newsletters: Get alerts on the latest news WHO says no need for major alarm over new coronavirus strain WHO expects more detail on new coronavirus strain in coming days, weeks WHO said new tools to track the virus were working, even as a slew of countries imposed travel restrictions on Britain and South Africa. READ MORE HERE Lighting up a downturn: A look back at 4 Orchard Road Christmas light-ups in recession years The Orchard Road Christmas light-up has remained...

SeaPRwire

S&P 500 ends lower on new Covid strain, losses pared by stimulus

elean
3 minutes

NEW YORK (REUTERS) - The S&P 500 closed lower on Monday (Dec 21), having clawed its way back from steep losses early in the session as investors juggled the outbreak of an ominous new strain of Covid-19 with the passage of a long-anticipated stimulus package. The Nasdaq joined the S&P 500 in the red, but financials helped the blue-chip Dow reverse course for a modest gain. "The 'Santa rally' will have to wait," said David Carter, chief investment officer at Lenox Wealth Advisors in New York."Troubling news about Covid in the UK has reminded markets that Covid isn't solved yet; the road ahead may be bumpy and uncertain." Congress hammered out a pandemic relief agreement on Sunday after months of partisan wrangling. The US$900 billion (S$1.19 trillion) package, expected to pass on Monday, includes unemployment aid, small business relief, and vaccine distribution, but the dollar amount fell short of what many had hoped for. "Fiscal stimulus plan appears big enough to hold off a recession, but not for long," Carter added. "But while it's not as large as many market participants hoped, it does include many meaningful actions that can support markets." But the emergence of new, highly in...

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Lighting up a downturn

aseanpr
1 minute

Despite the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, the Orchard Road Christmas light-up remains a bright spot in Singapore. It has gone ahead as planned this year, with retail experts saying it will give the shopping belt a boost. 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

Oil price falls on fears of Covid-19 mutation

elean
3 minutes

NEW YORK • Oil fell to less than US$48 a barrel in Asian trading - after posting a seventh weekly gain - on concern a Covid-19 mutation discovered in Britain could speed the virus' transmission and lead to more lockdowns. Futures in New York dropped nearly 3 per cent after closing at the highest level in almost 10 months last Friday. Over 16 million Britons are now required to stay at home as a full lockdown came into force in London and the south-east of England, with some European countries limiting travel with Britain. A stronger dollar also reduced the appeal of commodities that are priced in the currency, while a stimulus deal in the United States could not stem the slide. Physical oil prices are also falling as Asian refiners ease purchases after an earlier-than-usual buying spree. Abu Dhabi's Murban crude was sold last week on the spot market below its official selling price for the first time since August, while differentials for Russia's Espo have fallen from a six-month high. Crude has rallied around 33 per cent since the end of October on a series of vaccine breakthroughs that have created expectations for a recovery in energy demand next year. In the short term, however...

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Gold climbs to six-week high on US stimulus news

elean
2 minutes

BENGALURU • Gold climbed to a six-week high yesterday, driven by news that United States congressional leaders had reached an agreement on a Covid-19 aid package, while lockdowns in Britain soured appetite for riskier assets and added to the metal's support. Spot gold rose 0.9 per cent to US$1,896.56 an ounce by 0745 GMT, having earlier hit its highest since Nov 9 at US$1,906.46. US gold futures gained 0.8 per cent to US$1,904.20. The US$900 billion (S$1.2 trillion) stimulus deal reached on Sunday comes as the pandemic accelerates, infecting more than 214,000 people in the US each day. "Now that we've got fiscal stimulus behind us, gold has enough momentum to close above US$1,900 by year end and it could climb up to US$1,925," said Axi chief global market strategist Stephen Innes, adding that dovish central bank policies signalled last week were also supportive. The Fed last week vowed to keep funnelling cash into financial markets and keep rates low until a US economic recovery is secure. Aiding gold, Asian stocks slipped as Britain's Health Minister suggested tighter curbs in London and south-east England might stay for some time to counter a new coronavirus strain. Gold has once...

SeaPRwire

SIA has spent $7.1b of $8.8b raised in rights issue

elean
2 minutes

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has used approximately $7.1 billion of the $8.8 billion raised from a rights issue in June, it said in a filing to the Singapore Exchange yesterday. Between Oct 14 and Dec 13, the flag carrier spent a further $900 million of the gross proceeds from the rights issue. Of this amount, $500 million was used to fund ongoing operating expenses, $200 million went towards refunding tickets sold on flights that have been cancelled in view of continuing border controls and travel restrictions, and $200 million was applied towards debt servicing. Its last update on the use of proceeds from the rights issue was in mid-October, when SIA said it had spent $1.8 billion over about two months. The amount was used for ongoing operating expenses, ticket refunds and debt servicing. In addition to the funds raised during the rights issue, SIA said it has raised for FY2020/21 a total of $2.1 billion through loans secured on its aircraft and a short-term unsecured loan, $850 million through a convertible bond issue, and $500 million via a private placement of new 10-year bonds. It has access to about $2.1 billion of lines of credit available for drawing, and has the option to iss...

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E-shopping addiction lays waste to green packaging drive in China

elean
5 minutes

SHANGHAI • If you worry about all the waste generated by the annual rush of holiday shopping and gift giving, it is nothing compared with the mountains of discarded packaging that comes from a single event in China. On Nov 11 each year, the world's biggest consumer market goes into overdrive as e-commerce giants like Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com lure shoppers with huge bargains during the Singles' Day sale. Alibaba reported almost 500 billion yuan (S$102 billion) in sales this year, nearly four times the United States' Black Friday and Cyber Monday spending combined. On its Tmall platform, transactions reached a peak when 583,000 orders were made in a single second. All those purchases meant 675 million packages had to be delivered, a 26 per cent increase from last year. Online shopping in China generated 9.4 million tonnes of packaging in 2018, according to Greenpeace, which projects that the amount could rise to 41 million tonnes by 2025, about the same as all the waste produced by Japan in a year. Greenpeace estimates that Singles' Day generated 52,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide from manufacturing, packaging and shipping in 2017. The national railway has to employ hundreds of ...

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Singapore’s first head of navy Jaswant Singh Gill dies, aged 97

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Mr S. Jaswant Singh Gill, Singapore's first head of navy and a pillar of the Sikh community, died last Saturday (Dec 19) at about 10am, aged 97. He was running a fever caused by pneumonia and was being readied to be taken to hospital when he died in his home. He is survived by two sons and four daughters. Mr Gill had come to Singapore with his uncle when he was six, and served in key defence positions in Singapore's fledgling years after fighting for Singapore during Konfrontasi, a conflict between Indonesia and the then Federation of Malaysia which took place between 1963 and 1966. In addition to being Commander of the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force when the British left in 1967, he was the Commanding Officer of Pulau Blakang Mati Camp, the head of the Singapore Armed Forces training department in the general staff division, and the Commander of Tengah Air Base and Changi Air Base. He retired from the Singapore Armed Forces in 1972, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. The Republic of Singapore Navy, in a tribute to Mr Gill, said on Facebook on Sunday that it is deeply indebted to the commander. "Just as our white ensign continues to fly daily, his words will be etche...

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First Singaporean appointed to Unesco evaluation body

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - A director from the National Heritage Board (NHB) is the first Singaporean to be appointed to Unesco's evaluation body, said the statutory board on Monday (Dec 21). Mr Yeo Kirk Siang will serve a term of four years, starting Jan 1. His appointment by Unesco's 15th intergovernmental committee for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage was announced last Friday in Paris. Mr Yeo, who is NHB's director of heritage research and assessment, will be part of the international panel of 12 members - six experts in fields of intangible cultural heritage from state parties and six representatives from non-governmental organisations accredited by Unesco. The Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage has been around since 2003. As a member of the evaluation body, Mr Yeo will screen and recommend nominations for Unesco's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, as well as applications by state parties for international assistance of more than US$100,000 (S$133,000). Mr Yeo, 41, has been part of NHB sinc...

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HDB to launch 17,000 BTO flats in 2021, including in Bidadari, Queenstown and Geylang

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - About 17,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will be launched in 2021, keeping the supply of new flats in line with what was launched this year. However, given the economic uncertainty due to Covid-19, the Housing Board will monitor the housing market closely and calibrate flat supply if required, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee in a Facebook post on Monday (Dec 21). A total of 16,752 BTO flats were launched across three sales exercises this year. Typically, the HDB holds four BTO sales exercises in a year, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the May BTO exercise was deferred and combined with the August BTO exercise. Next year, new flats will be offered in mature estates such as Geylang, Kallang/Whampoa, Bidadari estate in Toa Payoh and Ulu Pandan estate in Queenstown. Non-mature estates such as Bukit Batok, Tengah and Woodlands will also see new flats, to offer flat buyers "a wide range of options to choose from", said Mr Lee. This includes Singapore's first assisted living public housing for seniors in Bukit Batok, which will be launched next February. These 160 flats, which are expected to be completed in 2024, come with a mandatory service package to suppor...

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A*Star, alternative protein firm Perfect Day setting up joint R&D lab in Singapore

aseanpr
4 minutes

SINGAPORE - Alternative protein company Perfect Day, which produces animal-free dairy proteins, is linking up with the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) to set up a research and development lab here. The lab, which will open in April 2021, will support the California-headquartered firm's global R&D activities. It will help ensure the accuracy, specificity and consistency of the firm's processes and products, which can be used to make milk, cheese and ice cream. At the same time, Perfect Day will also hire and train a pool of researchers, scientists and engineers for microflora protein innovation in Singapore, helping to develop the local R&D talent and exposing them to high-value opportunities. It anticipates that its workforce in Singapore will be about 10 per cent of its headcount in the near term, said Perfect Day co-founder Perumal Gandhi. The firm currently has about 200 employees. Announcing the lab on Monday (Dec 21) during a visit to A*Star, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing noted how the agri-food tech sector is one of growing importance in Singapore's economy as the world looks for innovative, cost-effective and sustainable food solutions to fee...

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S’pore could help in fill-and-finish production, regional distribution of Covid-19 vaccines: Chan Chun Sing

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore is in discussions with the major suppliers of coronavirus vaccines and could possibly play a role in distributing them, said Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday (Dec 21). Singapore's role would not be in the production itself, added Mr Chan, as he addressed a question on the Republic's possible role in vaccine production and distribution given the surge in Covid-19 infections in the United States and Europe. While vaccine production is done in the US and Europe, "it is a possibility" for Singapore to help in "fill-and-finish" manufacturing, which refers to the packing part of production, said Mr Chan. "We will be able to do that from Singapore to help distribute the vaccines to the region," he said. Mr Chan was speaking at a press conference during a visit to the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) where he announced a new research and development lab set up by A*Star and alternative protein firm Perfect Day. On vaccine distribution, Mr Chan said he had visited logistics giant FedEx last week, where he found out about the scale of the operations and capabilities required to distribute vaccines. "We are quietly confident that we...

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Taco Bell Indonesia Officially Opens Its First Restaurant in Jakarta

pandora
5 minutes

Bringing its unique Mexican-inspired cuisine to Jakarta for the first time JAKARTA, Dec 19, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Taco Bell officially opened its doors to the public in Indonesia on December 18, 2020. PT Fast Food Indonesia (IDX: FAST) will be utilizing its expertise in developing global retail restaurant brands in the Indonesian market by introducing Taco Bell. PT Fast Food Indonesia is committed to advancing Indonesia's food and beverage industry and contributes to the nation's economic growth by performing a sustainable development in fast food restaurant retail through the Taco Bell establishment in Indonesia. The first restaurant is located on Jalan Senopati, South Jakarta, a cosmopolitan neighborhood located near the heart of the city's CBD. This restaurant truly captures Taco Bell's 'Live Mas' brand philosophy which translates to 'Live More', as in more fervently and authentically, giving customers a truly unique dining experience accompanied by great food. The restaurant design is modern and features a combination of glass and LED lighting to bring in natural light and give a dynamic indoor experience. What stands out is its colourful, iconic branded tower and a spread-ou...

ACN Newswire

Strawbear Entertainment Group has passed the hearing of HKEX and will launch IPO in earlier next year

indie
2 minutes

HONG KONG, Dec 21, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - Strawbear Entertainment Group has passed the hearing of HKEX and will launch IPO in earlier next year. Strawbear Entertainment Group is a major drama series producer and distributor in the PRC, covering the investment, development, production and distribution of TV series and web series. In addition, the Company is the only drama series producer and distributor that distributed new drama series on all of the eight dominant distribution channels, namely the top five TV channels and top three online video platforms in 2019.According to the Frost & Sullivan Report, Strawbear Entertainment Group ranked fourth among all drama series producers and distributors in the PRC in terms of the number of the first-run broadcast TV series in 2019, representing a market share of 6.0%. The Company's revenue has increased from RMB 542.9 million to RMB 765.1 million at a CAGR of 18.7%. As of 1H2020, the Company's adjusted net profit, which excluding the changes in fair value of financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss and equity-settled share award expense, has reached approximate RMB 72.08 million, representing an YOY increase of 71%, ...

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QRC Sponsors PAS 19668 Security Token Specification with BSI

indie
4 minutes

HONG KONG / LONDON, Dec 20, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The QRC Group (QRC) announces publication of the world's first Security Token Specification, independently facilitated and published by BSI, the UK National Standards Body. "PAS 19668" provides for the technical specification and cross-blockchain publication of security tokens, covering tokens issued on any distributed ledger system. This PAS (Publicly Available Specification) takes effect from 31 December, 2020.In the absence of an industry-wide standard, security token information has been organized and presented in various formats and different locations, making access highly inefficient and increasingly complex for investors and active market participants. PAS 19668 is an effort to fill that gap by specifying how information and properties relating to security tokens should be structured and presented.PAS 19668 is for use by international security token issuers. It is also a reference for security token holders, security token exchanges and custodians, investors in security tokens and auditors checking conformity, and any third parties that provide services to issuers of security tokens. PAS 19668 does not cover utility tokens...