International Forums address Korean Peninsula peaceful reunification pathways, Feb 1-3

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has announced a series of Global Forums to be held Feb 1-3, 2022 on the theme of bringing peace on the Korean Peninsula.

According to a statement, the Forums are part of the upcoming World Summit 2022.

They are organised by UPF’s seven Peace Associations as part of its Think Tank 2022 project, which is gathering expertise from more than 2,000 people on the challenges and pathways to peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The regions (Africa, the Americas, Europe/Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Japan and Korea) will hold their fora from about 9am to 3pm in their respective time zones.

UPF’s seven Peace Associations are International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) and the International Association of First Ladies for Peace (IAFLP); International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP); and, Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD).

The others are International Association for Peace and Economic Development (IAED); International Media Association for Peace (IMAP); International Association of Academicians for Peace (IAAP); and International Association of Arts and Culture for Peace (IAACP).

To register visit https://upf-asiapacific.org/ and more details at http://www.upf.org.

— BERNAMA

“BRING BACK THE TIGER” – 2022 CHINESE NEW YEAR CULTURAL EVENT SHOWCASING THE LARGEST TIGER STATUE IN MALAYSIA AND THE TEN THOUSAND HANDS GUANYIN STATUE

SELANGOR, Jan 25 (Bernama) — Let us carry on the spirit of Tiger in this year of the Tiger and “Bring Back the Tiger” together!

Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, the founder of Country Heights Holdings Berhad, is looking forward to the year of the Tiger. To celebrate the arrival of the year of the Tiger, he will exhibit his tiger collection to the public, including the largest and most unique tiger statue in Malaysia. At the same time, he will also display his new Guanyin Statue Collection – “Ten Thousand Hands Guanyin”

Country Heights Holdings Berhad and Golden Horse Digital Investment Bank, founded by Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, have collaborated to organize the “Bring Back the Tiger” 2022 Chinese New Year Cultural Event to celebrate the year of the Tiger.

Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew stated that the year of the Tiger is significant for Malaysians because it is also the crucial year in which the Malaysian economy starts to recover from the pandemic.

“There is a tiger in everyone’s heart. In the year of the Tiger, I hope that Malaysia can awake its inner-tiger and make a strong comeback, to reclaim its former glory as one of the “Tiger Cub Economies”, Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew said.

Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew also stated that the year of the Tiger is a year for people of all races to come together to celebrate and promote the culture of the tiger, as well.

“Why does the culture of Tiger represent Malaysia? First, our national emblem was designed with two tigers, the national branded car, “Proton”, has the head of a Tiger as logo, and one of the endangered species – Malayan Tiger, is also protected by Malaysia,” said Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, stressing that we should spread the Tiger spirit and promote better cultural understanding as well as racial harmony among all Malaysians.

The “Bring Back the Tiger” 2022 Chinese New Year Cultural Event is made up of three parts, including tiger statue and art exhibition, Guanyin Cultural Exhibition, as well as flower market and tea party.

The tiger statue and art exhibition will showcase Malaysia’s largest tiger statue. It is about 28 feet tall and weighed approximately 3 tonnes, and is made of aluminum by a North Korean artisan. Visitors will also get the chance to visit Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew’s collection of tiger-themed artworks, such as tiger embroidery.

Guanyin Culture Exhibition will showcase the largest Guanyin statue – “Ten Thousand Hands Guanyin”, as well as over 100 Guanyin statues. The 20 feet tall Guanyin statue was crafted by a master carver from Fujian, China, by using Nanmu.

There will also be a flower market at the event, selling various types of Chinese New Year flowers, tea leaves, and so on. Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew stated that a portion of the revenues would be used for charity courses and go to associations such as the Malaysian Lion Dance Association, 24 Festive Drums Association Malaysia, and The Sun Art and Cultural Theatre.

“Because of the pandemic, the cultural groups in our country have had a hard time in recent years. Thus, I hope that by selling flowers and tea leaves during the event, while helping the local sellers, we can assist the cultural groups at the same time and support the cultural development in the country, by providing them with both financial aids and moral support,” added Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew.

 “Bring Back the Tiger” 2022 Chinese New Year Cultural Event will be held at the Palace of the Golden Horses from 1st February 2022 until 15th February 2022 (the Chinese Lantern or Yuan Xiao Festival), from 10am to 6pm. There will be a series of cultural performances on 12th February, including 24 Festive Drums Performance, “Malaysia Hundred Years of Drama Exhibition” by The Sun Art & Cultural Theatre, as well as public seminar on “Sun Yat-sen and Drama”. For more information, please visit Golden Horse Digital Investment Bank’s Facebook page.

All citizens are welcome to visit. Let us welcome the year of the Tiger together.

SOURCE:Golden Horse Investment Bank Ltd

http://mrem.bernama.com/viewsm.php?idm=42225

DISCOVERED: RAREST, LARGEST AUSTRALIAN HISTORIC MILITARIA COLLECTION

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) — Some of the rarest items ever to be offered to the public have been discovered in Australia in shipping containers and storage sheds containing a lifetime collection of militaria from the world over.

Over 10,000 items across many acres constituted a lifelong military collector’s passion. “We were in complete disbelief when we arrived to inspect the collection,” said Lee Hames, Chief Operations Officer for Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers in Australia.

“These are some of the rarest militaria collectables from WWI and WWII that we have ever seen, there is everything from military tanks to firearms, swords, military uniforms, helmets, boots and heavy artillery.

“As we were uncovering the special collection of militaria, we came across some very rare pieces many of which are ‘one off’ and may be worth significant amounts of money,” he noted in a statement.

The ‘Rod Bellars Collection’ was built by Rod over 60 years, accumulating items from worldwide. Sadly, his recent passing has meant these amazing icons of history have to find new custodians.

“We really hope that museums and libraries and passionate collectors from across the world are successful in securing some of these important pieces of history, so they can be preserved and displayed and educate people for many years into the future,” said Hames.

Items featured across the collection will be sold through 14 separate online auctions which are live now and include tanks, artillery, swords, firearms, helmets, radios, boots, parachutes, military uniforms and much more.

Anyone wanting to take a journey back in time and own some significant pieces of military history can head to www.lloydsauctions.com.au where bidding is open online now.

— BERNAMA

SWEEGEN PRAISES NEW FRAMEWORK ON STEVIA TECHNOLOGY BY INTERNATIONAL FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY

Sets Global Example on Standards for Countries

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Jan 20 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —Sweegen’s health and wellness commitment through global sugar reduction solutions became stronger after Codex Alimentarius (Codex), the international food standard safety authority, recently adopted the specifications for all four stevia technologies, including Sweegen’s bioconversion.

“The new Codex framework is timely as the benefits of steviol glycosides, the sweet component in the stevia leaf, fit into the broader health and wellness narrative, which is something consumers want to see more of, and global food and beverage manufacturers want greater access to,” said Luca Giannone, senior vice president of sales.

The significance of the adoption is that there is now a more streamlined approach to regional adoption of new production technologies. This will provide greater access to less common and better-tasting steviol glycosides at scale and a more sustainable supply of the sugar-like tasting ingredients.

Sweegen’s support for adopting the “Framework for Stevia Technology” started four years ago as a member of the alliance group, the International Stevia Council (ISC). Adopting the framework was a stevia industry effort and collaboration internationally where Sweegen represented bioconversion technology.

“With this framework, most countries in the world will gradually adopt this standard, and our global stevia footprint can expand more rapidly into countries where we are seeking approval for offering our pure, clean, and great-tasting Signature Bestevia ingredients produced by bioconversion,” said Giannone.

Modern technology advancements, such as bioconversion, produce clean new generation sweetener molecules such as Rebaudiosides M, D, and E, originally found in small quantities in the stevia leaf. Unlike first-generation ingredients like Rebaudioside A, these rebaudiosides impart a clean sugar-like taste with a better sensory profile and are highly sought-after by food and beverage manufacturers in countries where they have regulatory approvals.

“The adopted framework is good news for brands that want greater access to Sweegen’s pure and clean tasting stevia ingredients, Rebs D, E, M, and more,” said Giannone. “By leveraging proprietary bioconversion technology, we start with the stevia leaf, and with the support of enzymes, produce a final product that is a single purified steviol glycoside (not a mixture) that naturally occurs in the stevia leaf.”

Under the new framework, all of Sweegen’s rebaudiosides are approved by Codex. Last year, Sweegen earned regulatory approval for its Signature Bestevia Reb M in Europe, which enables greater flexibility in satisfying regional preferences for sweetness and great taste.

“We welcome the adoption of the Codex framework and the opportunity to support our customers globally with new sugar reduction innovations,” said Steven Chen, Sweegen’s chief executive officer. “Sweegen is proud to be part of this collaborative effort to bring much-needed innovation to the food and beverage industry.” 

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About Sweegen

Sweegen provides sweet taste solutions for food and beverage manufacturers around the world.

We are on a mission to reduce the sugar and artificial sweeteners in our global diet.  Partnering with customers, we create delicious zero-sugar products that consumers love.  With the best next-generation stevia sweeteners in our portfolio, such as Bestevia® Rebs B, D, E, I, M, and N, along with our deep knowledge of flavor modulators and texturants, Sweegen delivers market-leading solutions that customers want, and consumers prefer. Be well. Choose well.

For more information, please contact info@sweegen.com and visit Sweegen’s website, www.sweegen.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, among other statements, statements regarding the future prospects for Reb M stevia leaf sweetener. These statements are based on current expectations but are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are beyond the control of Sweegen, Inc.

Relevant risks and uncertainties include those referenced in the historic filings of Sweegen, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements, and therefore should be carefully considered. Sweegen, Inc. assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements due to new information or future events or developments.

Attachment

· Greater access to new generation steviol glycosides looks promising after new framework adopted by Codex, an international food safety authority.

Ana Arakelian
Sweegen
949-709-0583
ana.arakelian@sweegen.com

Source: Sweegen

–BERNAMA

TACONIC BIOSCIENCES ADDS NEW HUMANIZED IMMUNE SYSTEM (HIS) MODEL TO ITS PORTFOLIO FOR IMMUNO-ONCOLOGY RESEARCH

New huNOG-EXL EA Model Extends Study Windows Significantly

RENSSELAER, N.Y., Jan 19 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Taconic Biosciences, a global leader in providing drug discovery animal model solutions, announces the launch of the huNOG-EXL EA (Early Access) humanized immune system (HIS) mouse. This product expands Taconic’s widely used HIS portfolio. huNOG-EXL EA significantly lengthens the study window during which a myeloid-lineage HIS mouse model can be used successfully.

Taconic’s huNOG-EXL models support human myeloid and lymphoid cells, making these mice especially useful for immuno-oncology research and other immune-related applications. With the longest lifespan of any myeloid-supportive HIS model, the original huNOG-EXL model (now called huNOG-EXL SA, or Standard Access) has been successfully applied in preclinical drug discovery research since 2016. The huNOG-EXL SA model is provided after a quality control step at 10 weeks post-engraftment. Feedback from users suggests research applications requiring particularly long study timelines or importation into regions with long quarantine periods present experimental and logistical hurdles that can limit the utility of the Standard Access (SA) model.

The new huNOG-EXL EA model removes those challenges by providing access to huNOG-EXL mice soon after engraftment, extending the useful study window. This makes the huNOG-EXL EA ideal for engraftment of slow-growing tumors, longer treatment paradigms, or various study customizations. Early access to an extended myeloid lineage model is also advantageous to researchers who face model importation quarantines, which would otherwise consume a significant portion of the useful study window for these mice. Because the huNOG-EXL EA model is shipped before an engraftment QC step is possible, it is made using cells from donors previously validated to engraft well so as to reduce the risk of engraftment failures.

“The huNOG-EXL EA model meets critical scientific needs for investigators performing immuno-oncology research or studying other immune-related diseases,” said Dr. Michael Seiler, vice president of commercial products at Taconic. “After conducting extensive research and development, along with rigorous beta testing with several industry partners, Taconic is excited to now offer the new model and expand the usefulness of this unique humanized mouse.”

To learn more about Taconic’s huNOG-EXL EA model, please contact us at 1-888-TACONIC (888-822-6642) in the US, +45 70 23 04 05 in Europe, or email info@taconic.com.

About Taconic Biosciences, Inc.

Taconic Biosciences is a fully licensed, global leader in genetically engineered rodent models and services. Founded in 1952, Taconic provides the best animal solutions so that customers can acquire, custom-generate, breed, precondition, test, and distribute valuable research models worldwide. Specialists in genetically engineered mouse and rat models, microbiome, immuno-oncology mouse models, and integrated model design and breeding services, Taconic operates three service laboratories and six breeding facilities in the U.S. and Europe, maintains distributor relationships in Asia and has global shipping capabilities to provide animal models almost anywhere in the world.

Media Contact:

Nancy J Sandy

CEO

608-332-6320

Nancy.Sandy@taconic.com

Source: Taconic Biosciences

–BERNAMA