KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 (Bernama) — Pacific Prime has successfully led an emergency relief mission to support victims of the earthquake that struck northern Cebu last month, leaving hundreds displaced, mourning, and in urgent need of shelter, food, and clean water.
In a statement, Pacific Prime said 57 team members and volunteers helped gather and pack relief goods, with 25 volunteers travelling north to deliver supplies directly to the most severely affected areas.
In addition, staff from Pacific Prime offices in Cebu, Singapore, and Dubai contributed generously, with donations matched by global leaders Neil Raymond and Vittoria Depino. A total of US$5,400 was raised, allowing the team to support over 450 individuals and families across five municipalities. (US$1=RM4.19)
“In times of crises, our team rises – driven by compassion, collaboration, and community spirit. A huge thank you goes out to all the volunteers for their dedication and courage, enduring long hours and tough conditions.
“It is truly inspiring to be part of an organisation that leads with heart, one that lives its values of Impact, Courage, and Selflessness,” said Pacific Prime Cebu head, Lohrie May Labra.
The initial wave of aid reached 354 families and individuals, while the following week, with remaining funds and support from Lacson & Lacson, additional relief such as drinking water, blankets, sleeping mats, and sacks of rice was delivered to over 100 residents still living in tents due to ongoing aftershocks.
This initiative, while not part of the originally planned corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities for the year, became one of the most meaningful, reflecting Pacific Prime’s commitment to its CSR pillars, where Community stands as a core value – driving efforts to support those in need and build resilience in times of crisis.
Established in 2000, Pacific Prime is an award-winning global insurance brokerage and employee benefits specialist that offers individual and corporate insurance solutions.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 30 (Bernama) — The MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2026 has unveiled its fourth edition, showcasing the city’s evolving culinary scene with 11 new restaurants, including three Bib Gourmand awardees for exceptional food at great value, and three establishments retaining their One MICHELIN Star distinctions.
The MICHELIN Guide International Director, Gwendal Poullennec said the selection reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing sophistication and diversity, offering cuisines from Italian and Japanese to Khaleeji-inspired and innovative fusion concepts.
“The addition of new Bib Gourmand distinctions and the retention of One MICHELIN Star awards further underscore the city’s commitment to excellence and creativity in gastronomy,” he said in a statement.
MICHELIN Stars are awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking, based on five universal criteria, namely the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine, and consistency across the menu and over time.
Meanwhile, the Bib Gourmand award highlights restaurants within the selection that offer good-quality food at a great price.
Three new Bib Gourmand awards go to Bua Thai Café, which offers a cosy and colourful escape for lovers of authentic Thai cuisine; 3Fils Abu Dhabi, located at Al Bateen Marina with a large, contemporary Japanese eatery spread over three floors; and Goldfish, offering a selection of sushi, tasty skewers, and larger dishes such as ramen, Wagyu sliders, and spicy noodles.
Eight new restaurants added to the Guide’s selection are Cipriani Dolci, Antonia, Novikov Abu Dhabi, Villa Mamas, Taparelle, Pincode by Kunal Kapur, Strawfire by Ross Shonhan, and Sand & Koal. Each restaurant brings its own unique flair to Abu Dhabi’s vibrant culinary landscape, contributing to the city’s growing reputation as a world-class dining destination.
Through its Special Awards, The MICHELIN Guide shines a spotlight on outstanding contributions across hospitality, honouring the industry’s most gifted and motivated individuals. The Young Chef Award goes to Villa Toscana, Ray’s Grill receives the Service Award, and the Opening of the Year Award is presented to 3Fils Abu Dhabi.
Damojiao Mountain in the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City Park
The 3rd Liangzhu Forum will be held in Yuhang District, east China’s Hangzhou from October 18 to 20, showcasing the symbiosis of global civilizations as well as an innovative way of how a city can blend the ancient and the modern.
In Yuhang, on one side lies the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu — slumbering for 5,000 years — where jade cong (ritual jade artifacts), ancient dams, and the layout of the old city stand as tangible proof of China’s glorious early civilization. On the other, modern cities and communities evolve constantly; in sleek yet poetic workspaces, young innovators wield technology like a brush to script a new chapter of history.
Through the mutual empowerment of heritage protection and urban development, Yuhang has not only breathed life into this millennium-old legacy but also drawn cultural and creative industries, as well as global young talent, to take root. Today, it stands as a one-of-a-kind landmark — where deep historical roots meet youthful energy.
Technology as a Shield: Keeping the Millennium-Old Heritage Visible and Secure
Preserving Liangzhu’s earthen ruins was once a global challenge. In southern China’s humid climate, soil erodes quickly; seepage, microbial activity, and even the faint thud of tourists’ footsteps all threaten this fragile heritage. Instead of locking it away in sealed protection, Liangzhu turned to technology to build a digital safety net.
At the Laohuling Dam Ruins, a massive white protective shell wraps around the 5,000-year-old water conservancy project like an eggshell. Inside, water level gauges, infrared cameras, and small weather stations monitor humidity, temperature, and water levels in real time. The moment abnormal data is detected, the drainage system kicks in automatically. Across the entire 162-square-kilometer heritage protection zone, over 600 cameras, 5 drone ports, and underground sensor cables weave together a 3D intelligent monitoring network.
Technology is more than a guardian — it is a time tunnel linking past and present. At the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu park, scanning a QR code near the Mojiaoshan Ruins makes a Neolithic palace “emerge” in visitors’ phone screens, with wooden beams and thatched roofs crisply visible. Inside Liangzhu Museum, putting on AR glasses and reaching toward a jade cong in a display case brings a virtual version of the artifact “breaking out” and settling into the palm of one’s hand.
This summer, a new VR project was introduced to elevate this experience further: donning headsets, visitors will “travel back” to Liangzhu 5,000 years ago, watching ancestors tend rice fields, carve jade in workshops, and hold rituals in plazas. In just 35 minutes, they will live through the rise and fall of this civilization.
“Cultural relics may fade, but data endures forever,” says Luo Xiaohong, director of the digital information department at Liangzhu Museum. As early as 2014, Liangzhu launched its cultural relics digitization initiative. Now, a new round of data collection is underway: over 200 precious artifacts will gain permanent digital lives, ensuring that even thousands of years from now, people can still “touch” this civilization through a screen.
Culture as the Core: Liangzhu Cultural Corridor Becomes Fertile Ground for Global Digital Creativity
Liangzhu’s allure extends beyond its ancient ruins. In 2022, Yuhang District launched the Liangzhu Cultural Corridor, with Liangzhu culture at its heart. This corridor weaves together Canal culture, Jingshan culture, Tiaoxi culture, and digital culture, advancing cultural development in a connected, corridor-style model, and emerging as an incubator for the global digital cultural industry.
Within the corridor’s industrial ecosystem, the fusion of technology and culture spawns one innovation after another. At Small Design, employees can create a comic strip in just 90 seconds: the company’s self-developed AI tool streamlines the 11-step traditional comic creation process to 5, cutting costs by 37%. Suoyi Technology Enabled Vision, a firm specializing in 3D computer imaging and digital animation, has integrated AIGC into its production workflow, slashing the overall cycle by 60% and reducing costs to 50-60% of the industry average.
Such enterprises are far from rare here. Today, the Liangzhu Cultural Corridor is home to over 1,000 enterprises above the designated size, with growing strength in digital content, animation, and gaming. This 5,000-year-old civilization has become a sought-after IP in the global creative industry.
To support these businesses, Yuhang District has rolled out 20 industrial policies to promote the cultural industry, offering end-to-end support from talent recruitment to project launch. It has also established a 200-million-yuan fund for literary and artistic development and a 200-million-yuan micro-drama fund, injecting capital into every link of the chain — from creation and filming to distribution.
In 2024, 203 of Yuhang’s cultural enterprises above the designated size achieved 609.978 billion yuan in revenue and 191.82 billion yuan in added value, accounting for over 55% of Hangzhou’s total in both metrics. A single district now contributes half of the city’s cultural industry growth.
Livability as Its Charm: Global Youth Settle in Yuhang to Share a Better Life
Liangzhu’s appeal goes beyond industrial opportunities as it makes living amid history a reality. This livable atmosphere radiates from Liangzhu New City to the entire Yuhang District, drawing young people from around the world to build their homes here.
As evening falls, the Yuying Bridge by Yuhu Lake lights up with rainbow-hued glow, spanning the water like a floating arc. Around the lake, art galleries, markets, and camps have sprung up, earning it the nickname “an art gallery without ceilings or walls” among young people. Along Liangzhu Port, 13 cultural installations dot the greenway: some mimic the shape of jade cong, others bear patterns from Liangzhu pottery. What was once an ordinary riverbank has transformed into an open-air cultural corridor, which is perfect for strolling and photography. On weekends, the Liangzhu 5000+ art & innovation park hosts a steady stream of cultural and creative markets and art exhibitions, each more vibrant than the last.
Yuhang has linked high-quality resources across three key areas: the Liangzhu Cultural Corridor, the Hangzhou West Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, and the central axis of Hangzhou’s major new urban center.
On one hand, abundant cultural heritage and facilities offer young people diverse spaces for sports, art, and reading. On the other, the thriving tech industry opens up vast horizons for innovation and entrepreneurship, turning the vision of “experiencing history in Liangzhu, chasing one’s dream in Yuhang” into reality.
Along the central axis, landmark cultural venues like concert halls, grand theaters, and libraries add to the city’s dynamic, youthful energy. At the China Liangzhu Digital Culture Community, enterprises covering games, animation, film/television, and the metaverse employ nearly 4,000 digital trade professionals, many of whom moved here from Shanghai, Beijing, or even abroad, lured by Yuhang’s reputation.
From a cradle of civilization 5,000 years ago to a core engine driving Yuhang’s high-quality development today, Liangzhu has preserved its roots through protection, unlocked the future with technology, and united people through a high quality of life. Every mound here holds a piece of history; every enterprise nurtures creativity; every young person writes a new chapter in this civilization’s story.
For the world, Liangzhu stands as proof: ancient heritage and modern life are never at odds. They can empower each other, growing together into a future brimming with vitality.
Source: The 3rd Liangzhu Forum
Caption: Damojiao Mountain in the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City Park
Series A led by The Column Group, DCVC Bio, and Lux Capital, with participation from the Gates Foundation and Alexandria Venture Investments
NEW YORK, Oct 9 (Bernama-GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nilo Therapeutics, a biotechnology company harnessing neural circuits to restore immune homeostasis in disease, launched today with a $101 million Series A financing led by The Column Group (TCG), DCVC Bio, and Lux Capital, with participation from the Gates Foundation and Alexandria Venture Investments. Coinciding with its launch, Nilo announced the appointment of Kim Seth, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer and Board director.
Founded by world-leading scientists Charles Zuker, Ph.D. (Columbia University), Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D. (Yale University), and Steve Liberles, Ph.D. (Harvard University), Nilo was created in collaboration with TCG to translate groundbreaking scientific insights in neuro-immunology into new therapeutic strategies. Dr. Seth joins Chief Scientific Officer Laurens Kruidenier, Ph.D., in leading the company’s transition from stealth into its next stage of growth. The financing fuels the establishment of Nilo’s laboratories in New York City, growth of its interdisciplinary research and development team, and advancement of the company’s preclinical programs.
Nilo is developing drugs that harness neural circuits to restore immune homeostasis centrally, offering a differentiated approach to immunomodulation and moving beyond conventional immunosuppression. The company builds on seminal scientific discoveries from the laboratory of Charles Zuker, Ph.D. (Columbia University Principal Investigator and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator), which identified specific vagal neurons that regulate systemic immune activation and inflammation. By targeting these central “master regulator” brain-body circuits, Nilo is employing its novel therapeutic approach to modulate multiple immune pathways in concert, reducing the risk of therapeutic resistance and broadening potential impact across a wide spectrum of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases with large unmet need.
Dr. Seth brings over 25 years of biopharma industry experience, with operating roles across multiple early-stage and public biotech companies and large pharma. He has broad expertise in company building, strategy and R&D operations, business development, finance and capital markets. Prior to Nilo, Dr. Seth served as Chief Business Officer at Repare Therapeutics, a precision oncology company, where he was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and was instrumental in scaling the company from pre-Series A through its Series B financing and IPO. He was responsible for establishing the company’s US business operations and led business development to generate over $250 million in financing through a range of global platform, asset, and clinical partnerships, representing over $4 billion in total potential value. Prior to Repare, Dr. Seth held leadership positions in BD, strategy, and operations across a number of biopharma companies including Pfizer, and was a Large-cap Pharmaceuticals /Specialty Pharmaceuticals research analyst at Goldman Sachs. He earned his BA cum laude in Economics at Harvard College, and his Ph.D. in Neurobiology in the Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard University.
Dr. Seth joins Laurens Kruidenier, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, an accomplished immunology and drug discovery leader. Dr. Kruidenier previously served as CSO at Cellarity and at Prometheus Biosciences (acquired by Merck), where he advanced multiple innovative therapies from concept to clinic in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Earlier in his career at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and GSK, he led preclinical and discovery research teams as well as business development strategy. He earned his Ph.D. in immunology from Leiden University, and his research has been published in leading scientific journals, including Nature.
“Nilo is at a transformative moment,” said Laurens Kruidenier, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Nilo Therapeutics. “Kim’s leadership and experience will accelerate our mission to translate breakthrough neuro-immunology into medicines that could benefit patients across a broad range of immune-driven diseases.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Kim as CEO,” said Dr. Tim Kutzkey, Managing Partner at The Column Group. “With a track record of guiding companies from their earliest stages through IPO, and successfully advancing programs, Kim brings both breadth and vision. His passion for translating bold science into breakthrough medicines makes him the ideal partner to complement Laurens’ scientific leadership and lead Nilo into its next phase of growth.”
“It’s an honor to join the incredibly talented and committed team at Nilo,” said Kim Seth, Chief Executive Officer of Nilo Therapeutics. “Together with Laurens, our world-class scientific founders, and our investors, we are building a company positioned to deliver a new generation of therapies that harness the brain-immune axis to transform the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.”
About Nilo Therapeutics
Nilo Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a new class of medicines that harness neural circuits to restore immune homeostasis in disease. By targeting master regulator brain-body circuits that centrally control systemic inflammation, Nilo is pioneering a differentiated approach to immunomodulation with the potential to treat a wide spectrum of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases with large unmet need. The company is headquartered in New York, NY. www.nilotx.com
Photo: Group photograph of our employees and family members with PLASTIFY
Spreading awareness on marine trash in support for World Cleanup Day
SINGAPORE, Sept 30 (Bernama-BUSINESS WIRE) — Mitsui Chemicals Asia Pacific (MCAP) – In the early hours of 20 September 2025, a dedicated group of 15 employees from the affiliates in Singapore and their family members came together to make a tangible impact on the environment in celebration of World Cleanup Day. Partnering with sustainability-focused organization PLASTIFY, the team conducted a coastal cleanup that resulted in the collection of more than 145kg of trash.
The cleanup effort, under the group’s global cleanup name, Clean-up Caravan, uncovered a wide range of marine debris, including washed-up jerry cans, polystyrene foam bits, cigarette butts, and single-use plastic bags. It is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by plastic pollution.
The event was part of a global movement that unites millions of volunteers across the world to tackle the mismanaged waste crisis. The group’s efforts contribute to a cleaner, healthier planet and underscore the importance of collective action.
About Mitsui Chemicals Group Clean-up Caravan
Launched in 2019, the Clean-up Caravan brings affiliates worldwide together to prevent litter from entering waterways and oceans. In Singapore, employees are encouraged to join these activities to better understand litter issues and promote proper waste disposal and recycling.
About Mitsui Chemicals Group in Singapore
Singapore is home to five affiliates for the Mitsui Chemicals Group. Besides MCAP, the Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters of Mitsui Chemicals Inc., the four other entities are Mitsui Elastomers Singapore, Prime Evolue Singapore, SDC Technologies Asia Pacific, and Mitsui Chemicals Singapore R&D Centre.
Being the Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters, MCAP strives to drive business growth, provide robust functional services to regional affiliates and businesses, and deliver value to customers by leveraging on the strengths of all affiliates in the Mitsui Chemicals Group.
About Plastify
PLASTIFY recycles plastic waste into functional goods, including custom products and furniture, and facilitates educational workshops.
For enquiries about this release, please contact the following: Eric Lim Corporate & Marketing Communication Mitsui Chemicals Asia Pacific, Ltd. eric.lim@mitsuichemicals.com
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