JCB expands its merchant network with 3C Payment in Spain

Madrid / Tokyo, Jun 30, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – JCB International, Co., Ltd. (JCBI), the international operations subsidiary of JCB Co., Ltd., Japan's only international payment brand, and 3C Payment, a leading global payment solutions provider, today announce the activation of JCB payment acceptance in over 85 locations of a well-established Hotel Group in Spain.

This partnership strengthens JCB's coverage across Spain and further enhances the payment brand's goal to expand its network of 34 million merchant partners; and to provide a unique and seamless shopping experience to its 140 million global cardmembers.

With over 30 years' experience, 3C Payment provides integrated payment solutions for hotels, Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), retail and parking industries across over 47 countries and territories, providing an effective solution to protecting cardholder data.

Mr. Tsuyoshi Notani, Managing Director, JCB International (Europe) Ltd., said: "JCB is happy to collaborate with 3C Payment because we understand the importance of global PSPs for providing excellent service to our cardmembers, as well as to increase acceptance in more international locations. Spain is a key market for JCB's expansion and this collaboration could be introduced to the other European markets, so we have strategically chosen to partner with 3C Payment because of its ability to provide broad-coverage payment solutions in the T&E sector across Europe."

Damien Estrade, General Manager Europe at 3C Payment said: "This partnership will help to encourage increased revenue for our clients who will now be able to cater to JCB card members looking to spend in Spain. The JCB card has a strong presence across the hospitality sector spend which matches well with the aspirations of our client base worldwide. We look forward to being able to widen our collaborations together with JCB in future".

About 3C Payment

3C Payment makes it easy for consumers to pay anyhow, anywhere, using highly secure specialised transaction flows that supports the needs of their clients. 3C Payment cover the full transactional journey from integrated P2PE EMV hardware linked to their hosted infrastructure and payment gateway services, to online and in-app payment acceptance linked to onsite and ERP systems. Their secure 3C Integra hosted platform unifies multiple payment channels allowing merchants to confidently trade in person and online in over 47 countries worldwide with local or centralized reporting accessible from anywhere through 3C Payment's web portal. 3C Payment has agreed to be acquired by payment company, Planet, subject to regulatory approval by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK.

About JCB

JCB is a major global payment brand and a leading credit card issuer and acquirer in Japan. JCB launched its card business in Japan in 1961 and began expanding worldwide in 1981. Its acceptance network includes over 34 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in the world. JCB cards are now issued in 24 countries and territories, with more than 140 million Cardmembers. As part of its international growth strategy, JCB has formed alliances with hundreds of leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and Cardmember base. As a comprehensive payment solution provider, JCB commits to providing responsive and high-quality service and products to all customers worldwide.

Press Contacts:

JCB International/Europe
Contact: India Stone
Email: istone@jcbeurope.eu
Phone: +44 020 7087 4754

JCB (Head Office in Japan)
Contact: Kumiko Kida, Ayaka Nakajima
Email: jcb-pr@jcb.co.jp
Phone: +81 3 5778 8353

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates Say They Want Australian Ban on Liquid Nicotine Aborted, Not Delayed

BANGKOK, Jun 29, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Tobacco harm reduction advocates across Asia-Pacific called on the Parliament of Australia to abort, not delay, the planned ban on imports of liquid nicotine for vaping to provide smokers with alternatives to combustible cigarettes. Factasia, a non-profit regional tobacco harm reduction consumer advocacy, said e-cigarettes or vapes, along with other smoke-free nicotine products such as heat-not-burn tobacco products and snus, have the ability to significantly reduce the health risks of millions of Australian smokers.

"This is a technology that needs to be regulated, not restricted and banned. Adult consumers should be able to access a choice of regulated devices and liquids, including those containing nicotine. Underage use should be effectively and comprehensively banned," Factasia founder Heneage Mitchell said in separate letters sent to Australia's members of parliament.

Mitchell made the statement even as Health Minister Greg Hunt decided to postpone the ban on imports of liquid nicotine by six months amid opposition from vapers, consumer groups, tobacco harm reduction experts and even members of Parliament. This means that the ban will now be delayed to 1 January 2021 from the original plan of 1 July 2020.

Mitchell said MPs should instead push for the regulation of e-cigarettes and other smoke-free nicotine products that can substantially reduce the risks suffered by smokers from the tar – the byproduct of smoke.

"Consumers need to be truthfully and fully informed of the life-saving potential of vaping and granted access to a choice of regulated harm-reduced nicotine products which, at the moment, in Australia, they are not," Mitchell said.

"To be clear, there has never been a recorded death from vaping-regulated nicotine products since the introduction of the e-cigarette in 2001. But over the same period of time, more than 130 million smokers worldwide have died from tobacco-related illnesses and disease. They include many hundreds of thousands of our Australian brothers and sisters," he said.

Ines Hage Nebyl from the Office of Tim Wilson MP acknowledged the receipt of the letter from Factasia and assured that Wilson remains a well-established supporter of allowing people to vape.

"In the last Parliament, he was part of an inquiry into the health impacts and regulation of vaping. The committee opposed legalisation and regulation. Tim was part of a dissenting report arguing the law should change as a regulated product. That was his view then. That is his view now. Tim's views have not changed; he wants people off tobacco. Further to this, Tim has expressed his views to the minister on the recent action, and will continue to do so," Nebyl said.

Wilson is among the politicians who opposed the ban on vaping, which they felt would encourage vapers to return to smoking. Sydney Morning Herald reported that 28 Coalition MPs and senators signed a petition opposing the ban on the importation of vaping products containing nicotine.

In a statement on 26 June 2020, Hunt said the delayed implementation of the ban aimed to help the group of people who have been using e-cigarettes with nicotine as a means to ending their cigarette smoking.

"In order to assist this group in continuing to end that addiction, we will therefore provide further time for implementation of the change by establishing a streamlined process for patients obtaining prescriptions through their GP," the minister said.

Tobacco harm reduction advocates said Hunt's statement provided them an opportunity to advocate for legalization and regulation of nicotine vaping in Australia, which has nearly 500,000 vapers, according to some estimates.

Mitchell said Hunt should review scientific evidence showing that vaping is 95 percent safer than smoking, as shown in the evidence review carried out by Public Health England, and is regarded as the most effective method of smoking cessation available to smokers by a vast number of researchers, medical professionals, genuine tobacco control experts and governments who looked at the evidence, including the U.K., the EU, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the U.S., and recently, Hong Kong.

"The countries listed above continue to see historic declines in the number of citizens smoking as they switch to these far less harmful technologies," he said.

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) said it is time for MPs to reject the ban.

"In Australia, 21,000 citizens die every year from smoking-related disease. We feel that Australians who have made the informed choice to switch to alternative nicotine consumption, such as e-cigarettes, need to be heard by their elected representatives," said CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas.

Loucas noted that in neighboring New Zealand, the Ministry of Health concluded that the effects that punitive regulation would have on the people who had chosen to move away from combustible cigarettes would be negative.

Other groups have also expressed their opposition to the ban, including the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association (ATHRA), the Progressive Public Health Alliance (PPHA), Aotearoa Vape Community Advocacy (AVCA) and Legalise Vaping Australia (LVA).

About Factasia

factasia.org is an independent, not-for-profit, consumer-oriented advocate for rational debate about – and sensible regulation of – the rights of adult citizens throughout the Asia-Pacific region to choose to use tobacco or other nicotine-related products.

About CAPHRA

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) is an alliance of consumer organizations from Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand that aims to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jena Fetalino, JFPRC jena@jfprc.com, +639178150324

Push for Regulation

MPs should instead push for the regulation of e-cigarettes and other smoke-free nicotine products that can substantially reduce the risks suffered by smokers from the tar – the byproduct of smoke.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Komatsu’s Dismal Safety Record

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jun 26, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – According to Good Jobs First's violation tracker, Komatsu (OTCMKTS: KMTUY) ranked 6th worst within their industry with over $3mm in penalties since 2000, as cited by OSHA, EPA and NLRB. Eight of the 14 primary offenses include workplace safety and employment related violations. According to a 2017 OSHA violation report, fall protection had the highest number of citations.

This continual pattern of negligence, as shown by Federal citations and courts cases involving Komatsu America, points to a caviler attitude towards safety.

Below is a summary of several recent safety violations credited to Komatsu America. January 24, 2020, a Komatsu employee in the State of Utah was caught driving a commercial vehicle with a suspended or revoked Commercial Driver License.

December 5, 2019, another Komatsu employee in the state of Utah was found to be operating a commercial vehicle without possessing a valid Medical certificate.

September 26, 2006, Henry Ross of North Dakota was killed operating a Komatsu piece of equipment that came with no seat belts or roll over protection (ROPS) that should have been installed on the equipment. Komatsu America choose not to equip the basic operator protective pieces to the equipment Mr. Ross was operating which could have kept Mr. Ross safe.

In another case in 2012 at a Norwood, IL Komatsu plant, Stanley Musgrave Jr., 53, died from an industrial accident. In 2011, OSHA cited the same Illinois Komatsu plant. The two repeat violations included "failing to develop machine-specific energy control procedures and training to ensure workers understood energy control procedures."

"Komatsu America has a responsibility to ensure equipment is maintained in good working order and that employees are properly trained in the safe operation of equipment they are required to use," said Tom Bielema, OSHA's area director in Peoria, IL. "This unfortunate incident might have been prevented had the employer addressed previous incidents where the hydraulic coupler had failed."

Timothy Rivers, a 35-year-old Komatsu American employee with one year of experience, died on March 6, 2019 at a mine in Grants City, New Mexico, after being struck by a relief valve from a 500-ton hydraulic bottle jack (bottle jack). As Rivers attempted to raise an electric shovel, the hydraulic pressure ejected the relief valve from 1 of 4 bottle jacks. The relief valve struck Rivers causing his death. The ensuing review by MSHA came to the conclusion this accident would not have occurred had the contractor (Komatsu America) ensured that the bottle jack was being maintained in operable condition.

July 20, 2016 a semi-truck hauling a pair of Komatsu excavators hit the overpass spanning Interstate 5 near Chehalis, WA, causing damage leading to the aforementioned lawsuit.

The contention in the ongoing Federal lawsuit is the same pattern of gross negligence was the cause of the bridge strike. The Komatsu America contractor's employee has testified under oath that he was never instructed to curl the boom under to reduce the shipping height on a Komatsu excavator. This increased height from the failure to curl the boom led to the disastrous bridge strike on July 22, 2016.

Komatsu had several opportunities to audit its contractor Modern Machinery to see if there were an ongoing training program, and ensure that the Komatsu contractor was training its employees correctly, or if it were training them at all. Komatsu chose not to audit its contractor for OSHA compliance. OSHA requires all operators to be trained on the equipment they are to operate. The contractor employee testified he was never trained to operate the equipment involved in the bridge strike.

The suit alleges that Komatsu America's agent Modern Machinery failed to load the excavators properly and in accordance with Komatsu's published shipping dimensions for the equipment under transport. ETON alleges that the knowing failure to load pursuant to the manufacturer recommendations was the cause of the accident and damage to the bridge.

Modern Machinery is part of a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies, owned by billionaire Dennis R. Washington. Modern Machinery sells and rents high quality heavy equipment and provides product support to the construction, mining, and forestry industries. The Modern Machinery terminal in Rochester, WA is a home to a large staging area for a variety of Komatsu product brought from overseas awaiting shipment to other Komatsu dealers.

ETON is a Las Vegas-based premier transportation company serving the Western United States with equipment, professional drivers and superior on-time service.

Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd. (OTCMKTS: KMTUY), the world's second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment.

CONTACT:
ETON.me
Mitchell Truman
+1 (702) 348 6370
http://www.ETON.me
Environmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Launch of EIU report showing lack of integrated follow up care can increase risk of subsequent heart attack or stroke in APAC economies

HONG KONG, Jun 23, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Rehabilitation services designed to keep patients well and prevent their hospital readmission is key to reducing the incidence and cost of recurring (secondary) heart attacks or strokes (2). However, these services across the region remain underdeveloped (1).

This is according to a white paper "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific", released today by leading public policy commentator The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and sponsored by Amgen. (https://tinyurl.com/y8xwmu4w).

The report included a Scorecard which assessed the policy response to cardiovascular disease (CVD) across eight Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. It follows the 2018 EIU report, "The cost of silence: Cardiovascular disease in Asia", which examined the prevalence and costs of the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVD across the same eight markets.

An estimated 80% of CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is preventable (3]. For example, lowering
LDL-C ('bad' cholesterol) reduces cardiovascular events (4), yet patients in Asia-Pacific are routinely not meeting guideline-defined LDL-C goals (5-8), due to lack of medication adherence (5).

Due to the high risk of recurrence of heart attacks and stroke (9), the two deadliest forms of CVD (10), secondary prevention through quality follow up care once patients leave hospital, is important to help to minimize the CVD economic burden (11).

"Patients who have experienced a heart attack or stroke carry a 30% higher risk of another event over the ensuing four year (9). Furthermore, two in three stroke survivors experience disabilities, such as paralysis or loss of vision (12). As a result, survivors may be unable to work or study, and may require the support of family members. This can pull family caregivers away from employment, training or education. As such, CVD-related disability can disrupt households and threaten family stability (13)," said Mr. Vernon Kang, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Heart Foundation. "CVD already accounts for approximately 18 million deaths each year worldwide (10). The findings from 'The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific' confirms more can be done to ensure patients are supported to comply with their treatment and rehabilitation needs, and to reduce their risk of secondary disease, for which they are at high risk (4,5,14)."

Key findings from the report include (1):
– Heart attacks are rising among younger people across the Asia-Pacific markets examined.
– Heart disease is costing the Asia-Pacific markets USD 46.3 billion (estimated across Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand).
– CVD policies do exist in some form in all economies studied, however there is substantial room for improvement.
– Policies on modifiable risk factors exist, but the success of translating these into legislation and action, along with measuring impact, remains to be defined.
– Only one market (Australia) has implemented a comprehensive secondary prevention of CVD public health awareness campaign.
– Clinical practice guidelines for CVD secondary prevention, heart attack and stroke, vary substantially across economies.
– Government audits are lacking. Only two study economies have any form of audit in place.
– Integrated primary care systems are still emerging in many Asian economies, and in many cases, patient uptake of services remains low.

"Empowering patients through education and awareness may help to overcome the various barriers to attendance at, and participation in, cardiac rehabilitation across the region. Cardiac rehabilitation involves multidisciplinary CVD management plans combining exercise, education and behaviour modification. Although they have been shown to significantly improve patient outcomes (15,16), the white paper revealed participation rates across Asia-Pacific were as low as 6% in some economies," Mr Kang said.

Commenting on the findings, Amgen Vice President and regional General Manager, Penny Wan, said now more than ever, avoiding re-hospitalization from Cardiovascular disease, was imperative. "In many countries, good emergency care stops people dying from a heart attack or stroke. However, these patients are at higher risk of having another attack, which is compounded by lack of follow-up care, making future events more difficult to manage."

"Amgen is committed to working as part of a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach to shift healthcare models from 'Break It Fix It', to one that seeks to 'Predict and Prevent' to support patients and health care systems to become more resilient to health care shocks such as a pandemic," Ms. Wan said.

The Economist Intelligence Unit managing editor, Thought Leadership, Asia, Mr. Jesse Quigley Jones said "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" white paper found that despite the availability of effective interventions and proven care models for CVD, these were inconsistently implemented across the eight economies studied. "For instance, although each had policies for controlling CVD risk factors, such as obesity and tobacco use, few make explicit provision for preventing recurrent cardiovascular events. Furthermore, lack of government audits against quality care standards and poor compatibility of electronic health and medical records, makes it difficult to track the application of guidelines, referral to rehabilitation services, treatment adherence and outcomes."

"Healthcare systems that integrate patient-centric intervention, education and empowerment, such as electronic reminders and health records, may help to increase adherence, and subsequently improve overall patient outcomes," Mr Quigley Jones said.

Available for interview
– Ms Penny Wan, Amgen Regional Vice-President and General Manager, JAPAC, HONG KONG
– Jesse Quigley Jones, The Economist Intelligence Unit, Managing Editor, Thought Leadership, Asia, HONG KONG
– Dr. Chan Ngai-Yin, President, Hong Kong College of Cardiology, HONG KONG
– Dr Saikiran Leekha, Amgen Regional Medical Director, JAPAC, HONG KONG
– Prof. Carolyn Lam, Senior Consultant, National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), Professor of Duke-NUS Cardiovascular Academic Clinical Programme, SINGAPORE
– Mr Vernon Kang, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Heart Foundation, SINGAPORE
– Edwin, 29, financial adviser & former hip-hop dancer who survived a heart attack last year, SINGAPORE

Media contacts:
Kirsten Bruce and Julia Slater, VIVA! Communications, AUSTRALIA
+61 401 717 566 / +61 422 074 354
kirstenbruce@vivacommunications.com.au / julia@vivacommunications.com.au

Eleanor Ng, Amgen, JAPAC, HONG KONG
+852 9469 3000 / eng03@amgen.com

About cardiovascular disease (CVD)
As the world's leading cause of premature death (10,17) CVD claims the lives of 26,000 people a day in Asia alone (18). In fact, Asia currently bears half the global CVD burden (19) as the world's fastest ageing region (20,21). The elderly are on track to cost the region* an estimated USD 20 trillion in healthcare expenses between 2015 and 2030 (20). Based on findings of the GBD Study 2016, ischemic heart disease and stroke are forecast to be the top two causes of early death in 2040, not only on a global basis, but also for the regions of East Asia and Southeast Asia. The rising incidence and CVD-related cost-of-illness will challenge the sustainability of health and financial systems worldwide. Therefore, health systems will need to apply primary and secondary prevention strategies to reduce healthcare costs, increase economic productivity, and improve quality of life.
* Includes the 14 economies of Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

About the research
The Amgen-sponsored "The Cost of Inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" is an Economist Intelligence Unit and EIU Healthcare report. The report describes the EIU Healthcare-created Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Asia-Pacific Scorecard findings, together with 11 in-depth interviews featuring global CVD experts. The scorecard was developed to assess the burden and health system response to secondary cardiovascular events in eight Asia-Pacific economies: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The report follows the 2018 EIU report, "The Cost of Silence: Cardiovascular disease in Asia", which examined the prevalence and costs arising from the top four modifiable risk factors that contribute to CVDs across the same eight economies.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics, to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world, and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential. For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on the current expectations and beliefs of Amgen. Unless otherwise noted, Amgen is providing this information as of the date of this news release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this document as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

References
1. Economist Intelligence Unit, "The cost of inaction: Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Asia-Pacific" 2020. https://tinyurl.com/y8xwmu4w.
2. Secondary prevention and rehabilitation after coronary events or stroke: a review of monitoring issues. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Editor. 2003, AIHW Cat. No. CVD 25: Canberra.
3. American Heart Association. CDC Prevention Programs. 2018 February 2020; Available from: https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/advocate/federal-priorities/ cdc-prevention-programs.
4. Chan, M.Y., et al., Acute coronary syndrome in the Asia-Pacific region. Int J Cardiol, 2016. 202: p. 861-9.
5. Poh, K.K., et al., Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol target attainment in patients with stable or acute coronary heart disease in the Asia-Pacific region: results from the Dyslipidemia International Study II. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2018. 25(18): p. 1950-1963.
6. Mach, F., et al., 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidaemias: lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk. Eur Heart J, 2020. 41(1): p. 111-188.
7. Kim, H.S., et al., Current status of cholesterol goal attainment after statin therapy among patients with hypercholesterolemia in Asian countries and region: the Return on Expenditure Achieved for Lipid Therapy in Asia (REALITY-Asia) study. Curr Med Res Opin, 2008. 24(7): p. 1951-63.
8. Park, J.E., et al., Lipid-lowering treatment in hypercholesterolaemic patients: the CEPHEUS Pan-Asian survey. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2012. 19(4): p. 781-94.
9. Bhatt, D.L., et al., Comparative Determinants of 4-Year Cardiovascular Event Rates in Stable Outpatients at Risk of or With Atherothrombosis. JAMA, 2010. 304(12): p. 1350-1357.
10. G. B. D. Causes of Death Collaborators, Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet, 2018. 392(10159): p. 1736-1788.
11. Notara, V., D.B. Panagiotakos, and C.E. Pitsavos, Secondary prevention of acute coronary syndrome. Socio-economic and lifestyle determinants: a literature review. Cent Eur J Public Health, 2014. 22(3): p. 175-82.
12. Deloitte Access Economics, The economic impact of stroke in Australia. 2013, National Stroke Foundation.
13. Harikrishnan, S., et al., A race against time: The Challenge of Cardiovascular Diseases in Developing Economies. Centre for Chronic Disease Control, 2014.
14. Yusuf, S., et al., Cardiovascular risk and events in 17 low-, middle-, and high-income countries. N Engl J Med, 2014. 371(9): p. 818-27.
15. Piepoli, M.F., et al., Challenges in secondary prevention after acute myocardial infarction: A call for action. Eur J Prev Cardiol, 2016. 23(18): p. 1994-2006.
16. Briffa, T.G., et al., An integrated and coordinated approach to preventing recurrent coronary heart disease events in Australia. 2009. 190(12): p. 683-686.
17. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. 2018: Seattle.
18. Roth, G.A., et al., Global, Regional, and National Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases for 10 Causes, 1990 to 2015. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2017. 70(1): p. 1-25.
19. Ohira, T. and H. Iso, Cardiovascular disease epidemiology in Asia: an overview. Circ J, 2013. 77(7): p. 1646-52.
20. Asia Pacific Risk Centre, Advancing into the Golden Years: Cost of Healthcare for Asia Pacific's Elderly. 2016.
21. Deloitte, Voice of Asia. 2017: p. 25.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Standard Chartered and HKTDC Launch “Standard Chartered GBA Business Confidence Index”

HONG KONG, Jun 22, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Standard Chartered and Hong Kong Trade Development Council ("HKTDC") are pleased to announce the launch of the "Standard Chartered GBA Business Confidence Index", the first forward-looking quarterly survey in the market that looks at the business sentiment and synergistic effects across cities and industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("Greater Bay Area" or "GBA"), to provide the latest business intelligence for those who are keen to grow their presence in the Greater Bay Area.

(from left) Standard Chartered's Kelvin Lau, Senior Economist, Greater China; Rose Kay, Head, Greater Bay Area; Mary Huen, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong; HKTDC's Margaret Fong, Executive Director; Johnny Wan, Director, Publications & E-Commerce; and Nicholas Kwan, Director of Research, at the launch ceremony of "Standard Chartered GBA Business Confidence Index".

The index will be released every quarter and is computed from the analysis of more than 1,000 responses of GBA companies on their overall operations, business environment and expansion plan. The index includes five sub-indices which give indications on the business confidence for each industry, including manufacturing & trading, retail & wholesale, financial services, professional services and innovation & technology. It enables investors and businesses to better understand the current business climate, gauge future performance and formulate their market strategies in the Greater Bay Area.

Mary Huen, CEO, Hong Kong, Standard Chartered, said: "We are very pleased to join forces with the HKTDC to introduce the first GBA business confidence index in the market. We believe that the survey will help the public and companies in the region make appropriate strategic decision with economic insight in today's ever-changing market environment. The Greater Bay Area is one of the biggest growth drivers of the Chinese economy and plays a significant role in the opening of China and gives companies in the region full play to the composite advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. It will also help promote coordinated regional economic development and inject new impetus into the diversified development of Hong Kong economy. Standard Chartered will endeavour to expand our business in the region and would like to leverage its talents and technology in finance to develop our innovative financial products and services."

Margaret Fong, Executive Director, HKTDC, said: "We are delighted to collaborate with the Standard Chartered again. By launching the first GBA Business Confidence Index in the market, we can assist businesses to formulate timely development plans and capture new opportunities. The HKTDC has signed agreements with the other 10 Greater Bay Area cities to facilitate companies in the region to expand their businesses through Hong Kong's two-way platform, strengthening the city's position as the region's global investment and business hub. Going forward, we will help businesses tap into Greater Bay Area markets by providing them with intelligence, promotion and business matching opportunities through our exhibitions, conferences, missions and more."

As a leading global bank with extensive branch network in the Greater Bay Area, Standard Chartered has been promoting the local economic development and put it as one of its key strategic priorities. Our unique global footprint and business expertise such as Belt and Road, RMB internationalisation, trade finance, bond market, digital innovation, wealth management and sustainable finance can meet the financial needs in the development of the Greater Bay Area.

About Standard Chartered

We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 59 of the world's most dynamic markets, and serving clients in a further 85. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India.

The history of Standard Chartered in Hong Kong dates back to 1859. It is currently one of the Hong Kong SAR's three note-issuing banks. Standard Chartered incorporated its Hong Kong business on 1 July 2004, and now operates as a licensed bank in Hong Kong under the name of Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC.

For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

For further information, please contact:

Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited
Gabriel Kwan / Daniel Ip
Tel: +852 2820 3036 / +852 2820 3871
Email: gabriel.kwan@sc.com / daniel.ip@sc.com

Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Beatrice Lam
Tel: +852 2584 4049
Email: Beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

There is still a role for the office in a post Covid-19 world, says TEC

HONG KONG, Jun 22, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – While the pandemic has led many to believe remote work will become the norm, concerns about lagging creativity and loneliness demonstrate that there is still a role for the office in a post Covid-19 world, according to The Executive Centre (TEC). While there are advantages to working from home, such as reduced commuting times, costs and pollution, there are also disadvantages for businesses and employees. In a video produced in association with Business Reporter, Paul Salnikow, founder and CEO of TEC, discusses what the future of work could look like.

"Being one of Asia's largest premium flexible workspace operators give us a good insight into how companies have been adapting," he says. "Once our centres reopened, we found our members were looking forward to coming back as they missed the social interaction their office provided." Other disadvantages to remote working include a disruption to creative thinking and the additional logistical steps required to ensure business can continue as usual.

The situation has also made it difficult for companies to accurately predict headcount. "What we're seeing now is a re-evaluation by organisations of their office strategy," Salnikow says. "The current market uncertainty is creating huge demand for the flexible workspace sector as companies try to manage costs and become less willing to commit to long-term leases." Vast resources are wasted paying leases for real estate businesses simply don't need. Flexible working spaces are a vital way of ensuring that no longer happens.

"Every healthy business needs to consider what mix of traditional and flexible is right for its teams and their work," says Senior Development Director of TEC, Todd Liipfert. "Sales teams who need to work both remotely and in different places will benefit from flexible access to broad networks. Creative teams that use the office as a place to spark ideas need more permanent and fixed spaces."

The workspace of the future must be agile and versatile to adapt to unprecedented and unpredictable challenges that are becoming more common in our society. Wherever and however, businesses choose to move forward post Covid-19, there will be a workspace trend where professionals place higher value on their flexibility.

For further details, watch the video at https://bit.ly/3eeD8I7.
This release is provided by Business Reporter, www.business-reporter.co.uk.

About Business Reporter
Business Reporter is distributed with The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph and City AM, with each publication reaching an average of 1.5 million people. Content is also published through the Business Reporter and teiss websites, which include video debates, online articles and digital magazines, delivering news and analysis on the issues affecting businesses to a global audience.

Business Reporter also hosts conferences, breakfast meetings and exclusive summits, events which bring together some of the most influential decision makers and innovators in modern business. These exclusive events for business leaders give Business Reporter direct contact with readers and help to inform the content and direction of its editorial projects.

Business Reporter is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and was the first UK member of the UN SDG Media Compact. We have launched a website dedicated to showcasing the work of companies towards these goals at 17globalgoals.com. We're committed to providing meaningful analysis to everyone in business. Whether you're running a small business, the head of a local company or an executive in a multinational corporation, there's something for you at Business Reporter. For more information please visit www.business-reporter.co.uk.

About The Executive Centre
The Executive Centre (TEC) opened its doors in Hong Kong in 1994 and today boasts over 135+ centres in 32 cities and 14 countries. It is the third largest serviced office business in Asia with annual turnover in excess of US$275 million. The Executive Centre caters to ambitious professionals and industry leaders looking for more than just an office space – they are looking for a place for their organization to thrive.

TEC has cultivated an environment designed for success with a global network spanning Greater China, Southeast Asia, North Asia, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia, with sights to go further and grow faster. Each Executive Centre offers a prestigious address with the advanced infrastructure to pre-empt, meet, and exceed the needs of its Members. Walking with Members through every milestone and achievement, The Executive Centre empowers ambitious professionals and organizations to succeed.

Privately owned and headquartered in Hong Kong, TEC provides first class Private and Shared Workspaces, Business Concierge Services, and Meeting & Conference facilities to suit any business' needs. For more information please visit www.executivecentre.com.

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

Black Wealth Matters Group Protests Racist SEC Attack Against Entrepreneur Solomon Ali; Asks Congressional Black Caucus to Intervene

LOS ANGELES, CA., Jun 19, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – A newly formed group of African American community members are demanding that the Securities and Exchange Commission immediately drop their complaint and apologize to entrepreneur Solomon RC Ali who has been enduring a long battle protesting his innocence to the government agency. The group, which refers to itself informally as Black Wealth Matters, is calling the SEC, members of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee which is charged with overseeing the agency, and other influential figures in the black community to rally to support Mr. Ali.

Solomon Ali is the picture of the American success story. Raised in South Los Angeles, he joined the military and served his country. After leaving the service, he built a maintenance company, then a nursing home business, then built Universal Bioenergy – one of the largest minority owned energy companies in the country. Most recently, he acquired the patent rights to smart doorbell technology through his most recent venture Revolutionary Concepts Inc. Prior to the SEC's involvement, many investors made as high as a 30,000% return on their investments based on aggressive licensing deals negotiated with Amazon, ADT and others. Solomon and his executive team never sold a single share. Moreover, Solomon continued to take his salary entirely in stock.

"It is tragic that in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and on the 100th anniversary of the bombing of the 'Black Wall Street' in Tulsa that the SEC weeks to put another black man down and continues to stifle black entrepreneurs," said Arletta Saafir, the group's leader.

"We know that this is a deliberate attempt by the SEC to tell black entrepreneurs a simple message: don't even try to create wealth."

"We call on members Congressional Black Caucus and the House Financial Services Committee – particularly Maxine Waters and Alma Adams to tell the SEC that if they continue to attack Solomon Ali that they will be defunded."

The group is recommending people call SEC Chairman Jim Clayton's office at (202) 551-2100

Additionally, they are recommending people call SEC Inspector General Carl Hoecker and report this racist prosecution.

Lastly, they recommend contacting Congresswoman Maxine Waters at (323) 757-8900 and letting her know that Solomon needs her help.

More information can be found at www.supportsolomon.org

Contact
Arletta Saafir
T: +(470) 317-3877
E: standbysolomon@gmail.com
www.SupportSolomon.org

This news release was first published at EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

HKTDC predicts Hong Kong 2020 exports to fall 10%

HONG KONG, Jun 16, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – Uncertainties about the length and depth of the economic downturn brought by COVID-19 and the ongoing threat of trade protectionism have led the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) to revise its forecast for Hong Kong's export performance for 2020 to a decline of 10%, down from the previous prediction of a 2% fall.

At a press conference today, HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan (centre), HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Greater China) Alice Tsang (left) and HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Global Research) Louis Chan (right) forecast Hong Kong's 2020 exports forecast to decline 10%.

"The revision takes into account the latest HKTDC Export Index survey, which indicated that 82% of the 500 exporters surveyed forecast their total sales will drop 10% or more year-on-year," HKTDC Director of Research Nicholas Kwan said at a press conference today. "The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (64.6%), weak global demand (19.5%) and the trade tensions between Mainland China and the United States (10.8%) are seen as the biggest threats."

Meanwhile, 97.5% of the respondents – up 3.6 percentage points from last quarter – have experienced adverse shocks to their businesses because of COVID-19. These include buyers purchasing less (57%) or cancelling orders (52.3%), delays in product delivery (55.8%) and logistical disruptions (53.1%). In response to the pandemic, 67.6% of respondents had implemented remote-working arrangements, while more than 41% developed online sales channels to supplement conventional sales operations.

New normal
HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Global Research) Louis Chan said the unprecedented and overwhelming nature of the COVID-19 outbreak can be a timely game changer to taper the disconnect between words and actions in challenging the status quo, and encourage a new phase of creativity and sustainability, while preparing the global economy for a more resilient and robust post-COVID-19 future.

"Some businesses – including e-commerce marketplaces, pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, logistics solution providers, video-conferencing solution providers and entertainment streaming and online gaming platforms – are likely to thrive in this 'new normal'," Mr Chan said.

He predicted the pandemic will accelerate automation, and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology will become more mainstream as the global economy and industry reboots and tilts more towards digitalisation and automation. At the same time, business-model innovations that use big-data analytics, contactless solutions and new digital channels would help traditional commercial operations – such as restaurants, last-mile delivery, health, insurance, human resources, marketing and product development – undergo digital transformation and survive the COVID-19 crisis.

Export Index stabilises
The HKTDC Export Index rose a marginal 2.2 points to 18.2 in the second quarter of 2020. "This may indicate that the negative sentiment is now plateauing, yet the reading is still well below the 50-point watershed, indicating that Hong Kong's exports performance is not likely to improve dramatically in the short term," HKTDC Assistant Principal Economist (Greater China) Alice Tsang said.

"In addition, the Procurement Index fell by 4.3 points to a record-low of 10.5, with all major sectors dropping further – jewellery (2.0), clothing (9.4), electronics (10.4), toys (11.3), machinery (14.8) and timepieces (17.3) – showing buyers will source less in the coming months," she said.

"Having said that, demand for electronics items related to computers, webcams, microphones and medical applications, wearable tech and smartwatches with health-monitoring functions, as well as comfortable, multi-purpose and athleisure wear are on the rise, while stylish fashion jewellery and design pieces and wedding items may also perform better," Ms Tsang analysed.

Trade tensions back in focus
Ms Tsang said exporters remained cautious on near-term prospects in Hong Kong's major markets. Japan (46.5) continued to be seen as the most promising, followed by the US (39.3) and Mainland China (39), while the European Union (35.0) was again rated as the least-appealing market.

"The US is the only market that recorded a drop in the index this quarter, this may be attributed to the fact that Hong Kong exporters had again become cautious on Sino-US trade tensions," she said. "A total of 69.8% of respondents, up 20 percentage points from last quarter, were concerned the dispute would damage their exports prospects."

"Smooth implementation of the deal under the current disruptive environment remains highly challenging," Ms Tsang added.

Reference
– HKTDC Research website: http://research.hktdc.com/
– Podcast: https://bit.ly/37G92uJ
– 2020 Mid-Year Export Review: Double-digit decline due to pandemic and protectionism https://bit.ly/2XZlbaF
– Hong Kong Export Index 2Q20: Exporters Pessimistic as COVID-19 Outbreak Persists https://bit.ly/3cWfD56
– Navigating COVID-19: The Economic Shakeup https://bit.ly/2Uwhw2b
– Photo Download: https://bit.ly/2UOhKS8

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: http://www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org

Washington Companies Failure to Train Employee Causes Bridge Strike

LAS VEGAS, NV, Jun 15, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – In the deposition of a Washington Companies employee in the on-going Federal lawsuit regarding a destructive bridge strike, it was revealed that the Washington Companies employee was never trained to curl the excavator bucket for transportation purposes as instructed in an official Komatsu operators handbook. Washington Companies employee, Mr. Tyler Piles, was asked under oath if he was aware that the Komatsu operator's handbook gave approved instructions on how the bucket was to be curled under for transportation to reduce the height of the machine. Mr. Piles answered he was not aware of Komatsu requirements and stated that, "I was not given directions."

Environmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC (ETON), in the Federal Lawsuit maintains that Washington Companies subsidiary Modern Machinery should had complied with the OSHA requirement that "ensure that all operators have been trained on the equipment that they will use." Had that happened, Mr. Piles would have been properly trained at their Modern Machinery facility and would have known that the bucket on the excavators involved in the accident would be required to have the buckets curled to reduce the height to the published Komatsu transportation height.

Modern Machinery is a part of a large consortium of privately held companies collectively known as the Washington Companies, owned by billionaire Dennis R. Washington. Modern Machinery sells and rents high quality heavy equipment and provides product support to the construction, mining, and forestry industries. The Modern Machinery terminal in Rochester, WA is a home to a large staging area for a variety of Komatsu product brought from overseas awaiting shipment to other Komatsu dealers.

ETON is a Las Vegas-based premier transportation company serving the Western United States with equipment, professional drivers and superior on-time service.

Komatsu America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary of Komatsu Ltd., the world's second largest manufacturer and supplier of earth-moving equipment, consisting of construction, mining and compact construction equipment.

CONTACT:
ETON.me
Mitchell Truman
+1 (702) 348 6370
http://www.ETON.me
Environmental Transportation of Nevada, LLC

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com

DL Holdings (1709.HK) intends to acquire ONE Carmel luxury residential project in California to accelerate its diversification

HONG KONG, Jun 12, 2020 – (ACN Newswire) – On June 11th, 2020, DL Holdings (1709.HK) announced a MOU for a significant transaction involving a capital of approximately $40 million HK dollars. According to the announcement, DL Holdings Group Ltd. will invest $5 million US dollars in Carmel Reserve LLC for a 28.5% stake in the company. Carmel Reserve LLC owns 891 acres of land in Carmel Valley which is located at San Francisco Bay Area in California, US. This project, ONE Carmel, planes to develop a premier community with 73 ultra-high-end residential lots. After acquiring securities business and establishing fund investment business, DL Holdings further added real estate development and global fund portfolios to expand its total asset and business lines.

U.S. real estate has always been an important part of global asset allocation, especially in San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. These places have been the favoured region in recent years. Due to the impact of the COVID-19, property prices in some areas have witnessed declines. However, both the volume and value of transactions of High-end houses and prime land lots have increased as more people chose to work from home. Particularly, in Bay Area and Silicon Valley, the new tech billionaires and wealthy families are actively purchasing land and even moving their corporate headquarters to more suitable areas for future working and living environment.

The core business of DL Holdings is the Multi-family office services for ultra-high-net-worth family clients and it has been in stable operation for nearly 10 years. The growing demand for real estate investments from Asian clients have prompted the firm to look around the World for high quality properties. This investment transaction will accelerate the expansion of DL Holdings, serve more family office clients, and contribute to the development and sales of the ONE Carmel project. DL Holdings is expected to benefit from the long-term asset appreciation and penetrate into a broader set of real estate investment opportunities globally. Headquartered in Hong Kong, DL Holdings has also established offices in San Francisco, Singapore, and Shanghai, to serve the global investment needs of family offices and family businesses.

For more details, please refer to WeChat official account: ONE Carmel

Copyright 2020 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. http://www.acnnewswire.com