Day: March 22, 2022

Posted on

Descartes Combines Warehousing and Shipping Solutions for Ecommerce Companies

ATLANTA and LONDON, March 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq: DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that its Descartes ShipRush™ multi-carrier parcel and less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping solution has been integrated with its suite of ecommerce warehouse management systems (WMS). This integration allows customers to improve their warehouse and shipping performance through a unified solution.

“Fulfillment excellence requires warehouse and shipping operations to work in unison,” said Dirk Haschke, General Manager Ecommerce at Descartes. “The combination of WMS and shipping solutions allows customers to seamlessly execute their entire ecommerce fulfillment process, improving warehouse accuracy and productivity, reducing order lead-time and minimizing shipping costs.”

The Descartes ShipRush ecommerce shipping solution allows businesses to grow their shipping volume through advanced automation capabilities, a powerful business rule engine and a strong set of APIs for rating, shipping and tracking. Descartes ShipRush is quick to deploy and one of the most widely integrated multi-carrier shipping solutions available. Descartes ShipRush also connects ecommerce companies to their parcel and LTL carriers of choice using their own negotiated rates or using rate discounts available through Descartes ShipRush.

Descartes ShipRush is integrated with Descartes’ ecommerce warehouse solutions: Descartes Peoplevox™ and Descartes pixi™. The combined ecommerce warehouse and shipping solutions are available for ecommerce pure players and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands that have the need to quickly scale their fulfillment operations to keep pace with sales growth and meet their delivery promise to ship on time, and at the lowest cost.

“We support ecommerce merchants and 3PLs of all sizes along their growth journey,” said Johannes Panzer, Head of Industry Solutions for Ecommerce at Descartes. “With our unique product portfolio, we can empower companies from start-ups to mid-sized to improve their warehouse and shipping performance, so they can always deliver an outstanding customer experience.”

To learn more about Descartes’ ecommerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, join us April 5-6, 2022 (English)/April 7, 2022 (German) for Descartes Ecommerce Innovation Forum. This free virtual event will share domain expertise in shipping, order fulfilment and warehouse management technologies with collaboration between attendees. More information about Descartes’ ecommerce solutions is available here.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world’s largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack                                                    
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025                        
cstrohack@descartes.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”) that relate to Descartes’ solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, “Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results” in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Posted on

Philochem and Bracco Imaging Announce a Collaboration on the Development of a Small Molecule for Diagnostic or Medical Imaging Applications

PHILOCHEM AND BRACCO IMAGING ANNOUNCE A COLLABORATION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL MOLECULE FOR DIAGNOSTIC OR MEDICAL IMAGING APPLICATIONS

Siena, Italy, 22th March 2022 – Philochem, a subsidiary of the Philogen Group, and Bracco Imaging today announce that they have entered into a license and collaboration agreement to develop and commercialize a small organic molecule for imaging applications, with proven ability to selectively detect a variety of metastatic solid tumors in cancer patients, paving the way for a new approach to tumor diagnosis.

Philogen and Bracco share an Italian heritage and operate globally in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. Bracco and Philochem will pioneer the development of cutting-edge technologies for the discovery and optimization of small molecule ligands that enable unprecedented specificity and sensitivity for the imaging of solid tumors.

Prof. Dr. Dario Neri, Member of the Board of Philochem and CEO of the Philogen Group, commented: “We are extremely pleased to establish a new collaboration with Bracco Imaging, a leading global company in the image diagnostics field. This new collaboration will focus on the development and commercialization of a small molecule for imaging applications, which promises to improve the diagnosis, staging and monitoring of response-to-treatment for cancer patients. Both companies are committed to the development of the product and making it available to patients who may benefit from it.”

“We are very excited about this collaboration with Philochem, a leader in the discovery and development of novel pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products. It demonstrates Bracco’s commitment to long-term value creation in medical imaging. Over the years, Bracco has built a portfolio of leading products across all imaging modalities and is continuing to invest in innovation to shape the future of precision imaging and improve people’s lives”, commented Fulvio Renoldi Bracco, Vice-Chairman & CEO of Bracco Imaging.

About Philochem and the Philogen Group
Philochem is a fully owned subsidiary of the Philogen Group, a Swiss-Italian clinical-stage biotechnology company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Philogen is engaged in the discovery and development of novel pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products. Philogen’s strategy is to selectively deliver bioactive agents (such as radionuclides, cytokines or drugs) to the site of disease using antibodies or small organic ligands. This technology has generated a strong proprietary pipeline of clinical-stage products and preclinical compounds in an array of disease indications. Philogen is headquartered in Siena, Italy, and has research activities at its subsidiary company Philochem near Zurich, Switzerland. Philogen has signed agreements with several major pharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.philogen.com and www.philochem.com.

About Bracco Imaging
Bracco Imaging S.p.A., part of the Bracco Group, is a world‐leading diagnostic imaging provider. Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Bracco Imaging develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic imaging agents and solutions. It offers a product and solution portfolio for all key diagnostic imaging modalities: X‐ray imaging (including Computed Tomography‐CT, Interventional Radiology, and Cardiac Catheterization), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), and Nuclear Medicine through radioactive tracers and novel PET imaging agents to inform clinical management and guide care for cancer patients in areas of unmet medical need. Our continually evolving portfolio is completed by a range of medical devices, advanced administration systems and dose‐management software. In 2019 Bracco Imaging also enriched its product portfolio by expanding the range of oncology nuclear imaging solutions in the urology segment and other specialties with the acquisition of Blue Earth Diagnostics. Visit: www.braccoimaging.com.

Contacts:

Philogen contacts

Dr. Emanuele Puca (Investor Relations), emanuele.puca@philogen.com

+41 (0) 43 544 88 00

Bracco contacts

Giuliano Faliva
Corporate Communications Director
+39 335 5980048
Giuliano.Faliva@bracco.com

Dr. Duccio Manetti
Bracco Imaging Global Communications Director
+39 340 9016191
Duccio.Manetti@bracco.com

Consilium Strategic Communications contacts

Mary-Jane Elliott, Davide Salvi

Philogen@consilium-comms.com

Posted on

TA GLOBAL LAUNCHES EXCITING NEW HOSPITALITY BRAND: PARADOX

Paradox welcomes the return of international travel with Canadian-born Hospitality concept for boutique-lifestyle hotel & resort properties located around the world

Kuala Lumpur, March 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TA Global Berhad today announced the launch of its highly anticipated Paradox collection of hotels and resorts. Paradox is a Canadian-born boutique hospitality brand inspired by the tastes and desires of the new generation of travellers. The Paradox brand is set to stand out of the traditional hospitality norms through a series of quirky, cultured and highly experiential offerings, capturing the true spirit of each city where a Paradox hotel is located.

“The hospitality sector is currently going through a key moment of transformation as technology, and social media are quickly changing the way we travel and interact with others. We recognized a shift was occurring in how people engage with each other and also with the built environment. The height of the COVID-19 pandemic was the global catalyst for a resurgence of interest in authentic human connection and a greater expectation of personalised hospitality. As an industry leader, it was an opportune moment to realign and reinvent our business proposition to meet and adapt the current needs and desires of the market,” says Joo Kim Tiah, CEO of TA Global.

He continues, “Paradox Hotel Group was born out of an extensive study of this evolution. We have always wanted to consolidate our hotels, and the time to embark on this meaningful journey is right now. Our global teams possess decades of experience and an established network of industry partners, having developed and operated numerous high-profile hotels across the world. Passionate about what we do, our team has a strong understanding of every aspect of hospitality business, from concept development to operations. We strongly believe that a distinct identity rooted in local culture is crucial for a successful hotel group. We strive to be at the vanguard of curating inspiring and exceptional experiences for our travellers, so it was imperative to not only come out with our own distinct brand, but also create something that would exceed expectations by challenging the industry status quo.”

The unique concept of Paradox will make its debut in Vancouver, Canada, with its flagship hotel, Paradox Hotel Vancouver, set to open its doors in April 2022. The brand will also be introduced in Southeast Asia, with Paradox Resort & Residences Phuket which opened in January 2022, and Paradox Singapore Merchant Court at Clarke Quay in April 2022. Also joining the Paradox portfolio are independently branded properties Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel and Aava Hotel in Whistler. With five hotels and resorts located in distinct destinations around the world, Paradox Hotel Group provides an exciting journey of brand discovery for its international guests.

“This transition to one cohesive brand positioning will not compromise the unique heritage and distinctive personalities of each Paradox hotel, most of which have already gained global recognitions from the hospitality and travel industry. We are confident that the diversity of our Paradox hotel, resort and lifestyle-hospitality offerings will serve as an immersive gateway to culturally enriching destinations worldwide; truly exemplifying the strength and momentum behind our ambition to be recognised among the top boutique hotel brands in the coming years,” added Tiah.

As the first international hotel group to emerge from Vancouver, all Paradox destinations will proudly channel the true spirit of Canadian hospitality –manifested through thoughtful design, best-in-class facilities and guest services, and bespoke dining and gathering concepts. Curated to highlight the different characteristics of each respective location, the multifaceted experience will differ from one destination to another; celebrating the individuality and vibrant perspective each city offers.

The curious and adventurous guests seeking culture, history, shopping, and culinary rendezvous will always find a like-minded travel companion, a welcoming home away from home, and a sophisticated playground at Paradox, no matter where they are.

Sharing the brand inspiration behind Paradox, Head of Brand Experience, Lorraine Simonds depicts Paradox as playfully refined and curiously unconventional. “The name Paradox aptly embodies the duality of this new genre of lifestyle-oriented hotels we are creating – they are tasteful and well-designed while remaining approachable, witty and clever.

More importantly, Paradox holds the foundational belief in placing authentic human-to-human relationships first. We strive to demonstrate how selfless, thoughtful and everyday acts of grace can inspire, elevate and add a touch of delightfully unexpected whimsy to everyday moments, and touch the lives of everyone we meet,” she explained.

Tapping into its 20-year experience as a global hotelier and developer of some of the most exclusive properties across North America, Australia and Southeast Asia, TAG has plans to steadily expand Paradox’s international presence in the next decade, launching new boutique lifestyle hotels and resorts in taste-making destinations around the globe.

About TA Global Berhad

TA Group of Companies proudly boasts over 30 years of excellence with an astounding track record in the financial and property market in Malaysia. The reputation has set the foundation for success for its property arm, TA Global Berhad which was incorporated in 2008. TA Global Berhad, a leading property developer in Malaysia, is involved in a diversified range of property services which includes property development, property management, property investment, trading and hospitality operations. The company has made significant strides in establishing itself as a niche luxury lifestyle property developer with its successful launches of niche premium residential properties. The Group also boasts an extensive global hotel portfolio spanning five countries on three continents in Australia, Singapore, Thailand, China and Canada. Over the years, the company continued to expand their business, gaining a truly outstanding reputation as a leading property developer recognized locally and internationally. For more information about TA Global, please visit http://taglobal.com.my/

About Paradox Hotel Group

Paradox Hotel Group is an innovative hospitality brand and award-winning hotel collective that develops, operates, and markets exceptional boutique lifestyle hotels & resorts across the world. All Paradox hotels proudly showcase Canadian hospitality, manifested through thoughtful design, best-in-class facilities and guest services, and bespoke dining and gathering concepts. Each location features multifaceted experiences that differ from the others, celebrating individuality and vibrant perspectives. Paradox Hotel Vancouver is the first Paradox-branded hotel in Canada under the Paradox Hotel Group umbrella, including Summit Lodge Boutique Hotel and Aava Hotel in Whistler, and global locations Paradox Resort & Residences in Karon Beach Phuket, and Paradox Hotel Merchant Court at Clarke Quay in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.paradoxhotels.com

Attachments

Janice Wong
TA Global Berhad
janicewong@ta.com.my
Posted on

Laos sees new record high of 2,328 Covid-19 infections

Laos has logged 2,328 new Covid-19 infections over the past twenty four hours, the highest figures ever recorded since late March 2020.

Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, Ministry of Health Dr Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh told a press conference on Tuesday that the newly confirmed infections were detected among 5,976 people tested for Covid-19 yesterday.

The new daily cases included 2,306 domestic transmissions and 22 imported cases.

Vientiane reported the highest share of the infections at 1,331 followed by Savannakhet 170, Xieng Khuang 144, Oudomxay 106, Khammuan 85, Xayaboury 84, and Vientiane (province) 75.

Since late March 2020, the total caseload in the country has reached 154,094 including 2,280 active cases and 651 deaths.

As of Mar 21, over 5.5 million people, representing 75.08% of population in the country, have been vaccinated with at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Centre of Information and Education for Health, Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the number of people fully vaccinated against Covid-19 currently stands at 4.4 million people, accounting for 60.16% of the population, and those given a booster shot has shared 14.8% of the population.

Source: Lao News Agency

Posted on

Hackers Hit Authentication Firm Okta; Customers ‘May Have Been Impacted’

Okta whose authentication services are used by companies including Fedex and Moody’s to provide access to their networks, said on Tuesday that it had been hit by hackers and that some customers may have been affected.

The scope of the breach is still unclear, but it could have major consequences because thousands of companies rely on San Francisco-based Okta to manage access to their networks and applications.

Chief Security Officer David Bradbury said in a blog post that the computer of a customer support engineer working for a third-party contractor was accessed by the hackers for a five-day period in mid-January and that “the potential impact to Okta customers is limited to the access that support engineers have.”

“There are no corrective actions that need to be taken by our customers,” he said.

Nevertheless, Bradbury acknowledged that support engineers were able to help reset passwords and that some customers “may have been impacted.” He said the company was in the process of identifying and contacting them.

The nature of that impact wasn’t clear, and Okta did not immediately respond to an email asking how many organizations were potentially affected or how that squared with Okta’s advice that customers did not need to take corrective action.

On its website, Okta describes itself as the “identity provider for the internet” and says it has more than 15,000 customers on its platform.

It competes with the likes of Microsoft, PingID, Duo, SecureAuth and IBM to provide identity services such as single sign-on and multifactor authentication used to help users securely access online applications and websites.

Okta’s statement follows the posting of a series of screenshots of Okta’s internal communications by a group of ransom-seeking hackers known as Lapsus$ on their Telegram channel late on Monday.

In an accompanying message, the group said its focus was “ONLY on Okta customers.”

Lapsus$ responded to Okta’s statement on Tuesday by saying the company was trying to minimize the importance of the breach.

Some outside observers weren’t impressed with Okta’s explanation either.

Dan Tentler, the founder of cybersecurity consultancy Phobos Group, earlier told Reuters that Okta customers should “be very vigilant right now.”

There were signs that Okta customers were taking action to revisit their security.

Web infrastructure company Cloudflare issued a detailed explanation of how it reacted to the Okta breach and saying the company did not believe it had been compromised as a result.

FedEx said in a statement that it too was investigating and “we currently have no indication that our environment has been accessed or compromised.” Moody’s did not return a message seeking comment.

Lapsus$ is a relatively new entrant to the crowded ransomware field but has made waves with high-profile hacks and attention-seeking behavior.

The group compromised the websites of Portuguese media conglomerate Impresa earlier this year, tweeting the phrase “Lapsus$ is now the new president of Portugal” from one newspaper’s Twitter accounts. The Impresa-owned media outlets described the hack as an assault on press freedom.

Last month, the group leaked proprietary information about U.S. chipmaker Nvidia to the Web.

More recently the group has purported to have leaked source code from several big tech firms, including Microsoft. In a blog post published Tuesday and devoted to Lapsus$, the software firm confirmed that one of its accounts had been compromised, “gaining limited access.”

The hackers did not respond to a message left on their Telegram group chat seeking comment.

Source: Voice of America

Posted on

Surprise Hit ‘Flee’ Tells Human Story of Refugees

An Oscar-nominated Danish documentary chronicling a gay Afghan refugee’s perilous journey to Europe tries to show that being a refugee is what happens to you, not who you are, its director told AFP.

“Flee,” an animated film which is up for three Academy Awards, is in the spotlight ahead of Sunday’s Oscars ceremony as the world witnesses another mass exodus, the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the war in their country.

“I really hope that we can give some nuance and some perspective,” director Jonas Poher Rasmussen told AFP in an interview held on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Being a refugee is not an identity. It’s a circumstance of life.”

In 2015, “we had Syrian refugees on the highways here in Denmark, and all over Europe. And I felt a need to give these people a human face,” he said.

The idea for the documentary stemmed from a conversation between the 40-year-old director and his childhood friend, dubbed “Amin” in the movie to protect his identity.

Amin arrived as a teenage refugee in Rasmussen’s small village near Copenhagen in 1996.

“The story is told from inside a friendship,” Rasmussen said. In the beginning, “I didn’t think about making a political film.” But his perspective changed over the 10 years between the film’s conception and the start of production.

Combining 2D, sketch animation and archive newsreel footage, “Flee” is as much a reflection on the agony of a refugee’s flight as the universal theme of man’s quest for a place in the world.

“I think people can really relate to the universality of the story,” Rasmussen said. “Most people at some point of their life look for that place where they feel they can be, honestly, who they are.”

The film also evokes parallels with the Taliban’s seizure of power again in Afghanistan last summer.

As a young boy and teenager in the 1980s and 1990s, Amin donned his sister’s dresses and later fantasized about secret crushes, such as Hollywood muscleman Jean-Claude Van Damme.

But he was not able to freely express his homosexuality.

His situation grew even more untenable with the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in 1990s.

“It’s really a story about someone who’s had to flee himself all his life,” said Rasmussen. It is “about looking for a place in the world where you can be who you are, with everything that entails, with your sexuality, with your past, and everything else.”

Amin spent years not daring to speak about his past and his secrets, building up walls that prevented him from opening up to others.

Now married, he is thrilled that animation allowed him to tell his story incognito, without everyone he meets having to know his personal traumas and his innermost secrets, the director said.

“Flee,” which won the Sundance festival’s jury prize, has been nominated for three Academy Awards: best international film, best documentary, and best animated feature.

Ironically, Denmark is known for its ultra-restrictive immigration policy, even if it has eased its curbs during the Ukraine crisis.

Rasmussen said he was surprised by the success of “Flee.”

A former radio documentary-maker, he has made several other films, but the success enjoyed by his Danish contemporaries Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg has thus far eluded him.

This is his international breakthrough.

“At the beginning … our criteria for success was going to be a national TV broadcast here (in Denmark). And then the project grew and grew and grew and all of a sudden here we are with three nominations for the Academy Awards,” Rasmussen said.

Source: Voice of America