Author: Business News Asia

Nubian Resources Ltd announced that it has completed its acquisition of a 60 per cent interest in the Yandoit Gold Project, situated in the historic Daylesford gold corridor of central Victoria, Australia. The Project consists of approximately 38 square kilometre (3,800 ha) of property interest held under one Mining Licence and two Exploration Licences, containing six historic gold mines. In connection with the acquisition, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary Blackwood Prospecting Pty Ltd (“Blackwood”), paid Ballarat Investment Management Pty Ltd (“BIPM”), the owners of the Project, A$370,000 (C$X) and issued 4,695,093 common shares in the capital of the Company at a…

Singapore headquartered, Women Icons Network (WIN), a platform that captures the value of gender-balanced workplaces by engaging women, corporates and D&I professionals, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Myanmar Business Coalition for Gender Equality (BCGE). Under the terms of the MoU signed on November 5, 2020, WIN and BCGE will work towards increasing commitment and social conversations around gender equality at the workplace. BCGE is a non-profit association that encourages businesses to initiate gender equality practices in the workplace. The association and its member firms have made considerable progress towards creating gender-equal places of work. WIN is…

Sony Music Brazil announced the launch of a new Digital Accelerator Programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (A.I) and Machine Learning (M.L) developments in the Brazilian music market. Sony Music Brazil will work with a number of companies in the Brazilian developer and start up communities to explore how technology can accelerate the growth of music consumption in Brazil. A key area of focus will be identifying music solutions powered by A.I and M.L that can support artist career development and better fan experiences, and developing approaches to help further the adoption of those solutions. Within the business, Sony Music Brazil…

Singapore financial technology (fintech) startup Sleek has raised $4 million in a new funding round led by SEEDS Capital, the investment arm of Enterprise Singapore and participated by MI8 Limited, a Hong-Kong multi-family office, and investor Pierre Lorinet. Founded in Singapore by Julien Labruyere and Adrien Barthel, Sleek strives to become every entrepreneur’s operating system with its wide range of services from company incorporation and on-going compliance management, to digital accounting and tax filing in Singapore and Hong Kong. The cloud-based solution, with an AI-driven customer platform and automations, makes Sleek five times more efficient compared to traditional service providers in the…

Mornings with Industry Leaders: Adam Lewinson, Dr Michael Gryseels, Archana Anand, Jon Penn, Jimin Fang, Priya Dogra and Jacques du Puy (L-R) Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) 2020 returns in less than a week with a jam-packed schedule tailored for the online audience. Charging forward into 2021 and into the realm of content connectivity, commerce and beyond, the programme line-up will see industry leaders discuss and provide insights on a range of topics from digital transformation to partnership announcements and an exclusive look at how China’s Film & TV Industry has developed in 2020 with a 2021…

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), one of the leading integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, will open on Friday, November 27th, its first mall in Zamboanga City and seventh mall in Mindanao, SM City Mindpro. Offering almost 38,000 square meters (sqm.) of gross floor area (GFA), this newest landmark is located at the heart of the downtown area along La Purisima Street, Zamboanga City. “The opening of SM City Mindpro in Zamboanga is a testament to the flourishing economic activities in Mindanao boosting the confidence of SM Prime to continue its expansion plans in the region. We are delighted…

As the world grapples with consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cultural and creative industries are experiencing a rapid digital migration, with increasing digital consumption of culture, digital art production and streaming viewing. Yet, in this digital transition, women are facing many challenges. To address these issues, UNESCO will host ‘You Are Next: Empowering Creative Women’ on 25 November 2020, with an online debate to celebrate women’s creativity in the digital sphere. The debate also marks the conclusion of the UNESCO Sabrina Ho initiative strengthening the technical and entrepreneurial skills of young women in Mexico, Palestine, Senegal and Tajikistan. Women…

SiteMinder, the global hotel industry’s guest acquisition platform, has partnered with AsiaPay, a digital payment solution and payment service provider, to simplify the online payments process for consumers booking a hotel room in Asia. Through the partnership, which comes amid rising consumer expectations for choice and contactless experiences, AsiaPay’s payment gateways – PayDollar, PesoPay and SiamPay – have been integrated into SiteMinder’s online booking engine to provide an automated and secure way for hotel customers to make an upfront payment when booking on their desktop or mobile. SiteMinder’s online booking engine is used by thousands of hotels across Asia to…

Ascendas Funds Management Ltd, the manager of Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (Ascendas Reit), has competed its acquisition fo two office properties located in San Francisco, USA, for $560.2 million. Ascendas Reit acquired the properties from B505 Industries LLC and ARE-San Francisco No. 47. These are located at 510 Townsend Street and 505 Brannan Street in the South of Market submarket. “This acquisition allows us to plant a foothold in San Francisco, one of the most dynamic and progressive cities in the US. The properties are newly completed in 2017 and are fully leased to two high-quality technology tenants, Stripe…

Private equity firm Protective Technologies Capital (PTC) has committed $6.5 million in Sonicu, an Internet of Things (IoT) technology company that provides remote wireless monitoring solutions. Sonicu has grown to serve a broad range of industries including; healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, lean manufacturing, food safety, and industrial applications. Its web-based, SoniCloud software platform provides simplified implementation and scalability for enterprise customers, advanced asset protection, and streamlined regulatory compliance. The SoniCloud platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services and utilizes wireless sensors that monitor sound, room pressure, room conditions, cold-chain temperatures, -80 freezers, ultra-low/cryogenic temperatures, ambient room temperature and humidity, and IoT…

Aligning with the national plan to boost digital inclusivity and fulfill its commitment to serve its customers, Globe Telecom has been focusing on improving its network infrastructure by expanding its reach through new site builds and network upgrades all over the country. As part of the national plan in shaping a new normal for the Philippines, the country is ramping up the shift into a new, digital economy. Technological enhancements to further boost the digital economy can help facilitate continuity of businesses and enhance productivity, especially as the country aims to thrive in the new normal. At a time when…

Emaar, the master developer of the Burj Khalifa, will celebrate New Year’s Eve with a grand masterpiece of fireworks and light & laser show on the world’s tallest building in Downtown Dubai. To ensure public health and safety for all visitors, Emaar will implement several preventative measures, including thermal cameras, social distancing, contactless payments and frequent deep cleaning and disinfection, in line with Dubai Government guidelines and directives. “Delivering world-class experiences is part of Emaar’s DNA and this year we will deliver an even bigger gala event. The world is facing challenges, but we are united, and we will come out of this…

IBM (NYSE:IBM) today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Instana, an application performance monitoring and observability company. The acquisition will help businesses better manage the complexity of modern applications that span the hybrid cloud landscape. Today’s news further advances IBM’s Hybrid Cloud and AI strategy and strengthens its AI-powered automation capabilities. Financial details were not disclosed. With the acquisition of Instana, IBM will help companies overcome the challenge of managing application performance across multiple teams, and across 2 to 15 clouds, on average.i And it is another example of how IBM is building on its AI-powered automation capabilities, including: –  the launch…

RedHill Biopharma Ltd (Nasdaq: RDHL), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Phase 2 study with opaganib (Yeliva®, ABC294640) in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia has completed enrollment of the last patient in the study. The study is not powered for statistical significance. Topline data is expected in the coming weeks. “Completing enrollment in this U.S. Phase 2 study of orally administered opaganib in severe COVID-19 is a key milestone, indicating that we are just weeks away from important safety data and increased understanding of the potential of opaganib. In parallel, our global Phase 2/3 study is…

A safe, decent, and healthy home has been the first line of defense for families around the globe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the work of Habitat for Humanity, more than 5.9 million people accessed better housing in the last year, according to the global nonprofit’s fiscal year 2020 annual report released today. In Asia and the Pacific region, Habitat has helped more than 1.9 million people have access to better housing. The report highlights how the organization addressed the need for safe, decent and affordable shelter worldwide, under mounting headwinds from the pandemic that restricted some of the…

The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund will be critical to dramatically scale up investments to reach everyone with sanitation services, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General has said as the new financial mechanism to drive billions of dollars into the sanitation sector was launched Tuesday. Speaking at the launch of the new Sanitation and Hygiene Fund, Ms Amina J. Mohammed described safe sanitation and hygiene as “critical to the response that we want to see, first, because it is about human dignity. Second, it is a health issue.” The coronavirus pandemic has made clear the fundamental role that sanitation and hygiene play in…

Global travel authority Lonely Planet has today unveiled a radical reimagining of its much-awaited Best in Travel picks for 2021, reflecting an unprecedented year of disruption in the travel industry. For the first time, this year’s list spotlights not only places but also people and communities who are transforming the travel industry. In 2021, Lonely Planet is looking ahead to the important changes taking place globally, from sustainability to diversity, and shining a light on the future of travel. “Travel is a much more considerate exercise in 2021 than it has been ever before,” Lonely Planet CEO Luis Cabrera said.…

On 16-19 November 2020 (09:00, GMT+8), The Future Energy Show Philippines (16-17 November) and The Future Energy Show Vietnam (18-19 November) launches live online, bringing together thousands of virtual participants to chart the future of energy in two of Southeast Asia’s most exciting markets. With Vietnam’s growing population, industrialization, and position as the next cost-competitive global manufacturing hub the country’s demand for electricity is expected to increase to 526 billion kWh in 2030, an increase of 8.3 percent from 2021-30. Vietnam targets have 15-20% of its power capacity produced by renewable energy by 2030, doubling renewable energy capacity, to help…

Gotianun family-led Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) reported a net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company of P8.9 billion in the first nine months of 2020, growing by 3 percent from the P8.6 billion in the same period last year, while consolidated net income was recorded at P11.3 billion, slightly dropping by 1 percent. The net income growth that FDC continued to demonstrate amidst the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions was brought about largely by the higher revenue contribution from its banking subsidiary combined with lower direct costs. Cost control measures, particularly the decline in direct costs by 36 percent…

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) (the Company) announced the expansion to the partnership between its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies (Janssen) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which is part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the ongoing development of Janssen’s investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Under the amendment, Janssen will commit approximately $604 million and BARDA will commit approximately $454 million to support the ongoing Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial evaluating Janssen’s investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate as a single-dose in up to 60,000 volunteers worldwide. Paul Stoffels,…