News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs. Below are snippets of all the media releases that we received from Jan 10 till Jan 16. Please check back throughout the week for more updates.

Fintel Identifies Most-Shorted Australian Companies

New York, Jan 10: Fintel.io, a provider of advanced research tools for data-driven investors, has developed a mathematical model that provides investors and traders with data that identifies the most-shorted stocks by ranking companies on a number of factors such as relative short interest, borrow fee rates, trading volume, and others.
The Australian Short Interest Leaderboard provides a leaderboard ranking of companies with the highest short interest so traders can easily identify companies with the highest negative sentiment by institutional investors. The leaderboard is also useful for identifying potential short squeeze opportunities.

Below are the list of most-shorted Australian companies as of January 9, 2022 at 6:00pm ET:

• MIN / Mineral Resources, Ltd. (97.09)
• NHC / New Hope Corp, Ltd. (97.00)
• NVX / Novonix, Ltd. (96.29)
• CIM / Cimic Group, Ltd. (95.93)
• BPT / Beach Energy, Ltd. (95.42)

Short Squeeze Scores scoring model ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being most likely, relative to its peers.
The Australian Short Squeeze Leaderboard also compiles data like Short Interest % Float, Change in Volume, Change in Price, and Borrow Fee Rate into an easy-to-use leaderboard for investors to reference when making decisions. For more information visit here.

Qatar Airways Celebrates Anniversary With Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 10: Qatar Airways celebrates its 25th Anniversary by launching a Global Sales campaign for passengers in Malaysia, offering great savings of up to 25 per cent on flight tickets.
This is in addition to special savings on seat selection, extra baggage allowance, hotel bookings and car rental, for a seven-day campaign period starting Jan 11.
Passengers joining the airline’s award-winning loyalty programme, Privilege Club, using the enrolment promo code FLYQR22, will instantly earn an additional 2,500 bonus Qmiles in celebration of Qatar Airways 25th Anniversary.
Travellers can experience Qatar Airways’ award-winning services and utilise the special promotion with guaranteed flexibility* on Business and Economy Class with savings of up to 25 per cent on an expanding network of more than 140 destinations across Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.
The Global Sale 25th Anniversary Campaign is valid on all Qatar Airways flights for travel until October 31.
To take advantage of this offer, passengers must book on qatarairways.com/25Years or visit any local Qatar Airways sales office or visit their preferred travel agents.

India Ready For The AFC Women’s Asian Cup 

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 10: The AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 Local Organising Committee (LOC) has expressed its readiness to stage Asia’s marquee women’s national team competition that kicks off in 10 days.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) President and LOC Chairman Praful Patel shared the tournament’s preparations leading up to the first match day on January 20.
“All facilities to be used for the prestigious AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 are ready,” Patel said.
Asia’s leading 12 teams will battle for the top honours in the showpiece with the top five finishers joining 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup co-hosts Australia at the global finals.
Click here to follow all the latest news from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022.

15th Asian Financial Forum Begins

Hong Kong, Jan 10: Organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 15th Asian Financial Forum (AFF) opened today as an online-only event.
AFF 2022 is a highlight event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the HKSAR.
The two-day forum features 60 sessions including keynote speeches and in-depth discussions along with an array of activities such as exhibitions and the AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session.
All activities at AFF 2022 will be streamed live on the event’s virtual platform.

Beware Of Scammers

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 11: Shopee advises the public to beware of individuals online impersonating Shopee employees offering employment opportunities, cash rewards, and lucky draw prizes via messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp.
Shopee does not employ any individuals to recruit employees through messaging platforms for purposes of ‘increasing the exposure rate of merchants’. Moreover, Shopee will only be hosting contests such as “Lucky Draws”, “Tap and Win” and “Spin and Win” via the official Shopee app, official Shopee social media pages and official Shopee WhatsApp verified business account, which will bear the “verified” check marks.
Shopee wishes to remind Malaysians to avoid these scams, and not to fall prey to these fake employment offers or rewards. 
Should any member of the public find themselves being offered questionable job opportunities or contests, or have fallen victim to such scams, please contact the nearest police station and file a police report immediately.
Shopee will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities in tackling these scams.

Roar Ahead This CNY At IPC Shopping Centre

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 12: IPC Shopping Centre celebrates the auspicious Lunar New Year with a bold and ferocious shopping experience to reward shoppers with five blessings this year of the Tiger.
From now until today, shoppers are set to enjoy special Chinese New Year promotions and great rewards when they shop at IPC Shopping Centre.
To usher in the year of the Tiger, shoppers who spend a minimum of RM188 in two receipts will receive a red wishing amulet to pen down their wishes and hang them on the Tree of Blessings at the Tiger Garden.
Shoppers will also be entertained with fun and exciting activities such as thrilling Lion dance shows, appearance by the God of Prosperity, cultural performances, kids craft workshops, calligraphy and many more.
In addition, shoppers who spend RM200 in two receipts are eligible to receive RM10 Woohoo E-Vouchers, while those who spend RM688 in three receipts will be rewarded with a Fortune Bowl set. Furthermore, IPC Tack Club members will enjoy the same promotional offers at a lower shopping value.
Ensuring that shoppers have peace of mind, IPC has increased its sanitisation efforts and is committed to a high standard of hygiene, contact tracing, and social distancing protocols according to the latest government directives to curb the spread of the virus to ensure the safety of all shoppers, tenants, and the community.

AFC General Secretaries’ Conference Delivers Unrivalled Experience

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 12: The senior leadership of the Asian football family looks set to benefit from a comprehensive and diverse agenda to be delivered by a stellar line-up of expert speakers at the upcoming AFC Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) General Secretaries’ Conference 2022, which will kick off on Thursday, January 13, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Asian Football Confederation (AFC) General Secretary Datuk Windsor John will set the tone for the three-day conference with an opening presentation on the AFC’s ambitions to elevate the standards of Asian football in the coming years, before the attention shifts towards achieving longer-term outcomes with a ground-breaking session on Creating the Learning Culture that develops the next generation of Asia’s football leaders, which will be led by Kleinmann Wang CEO, Anter Isaac.
Participants will also be presented with the opportunity to enhance their capabilities on the first day through the Team Value Management and Talent Development session, which will be conducted by Senior Partner & Managing Director at Double Pass, Koen Put.
On day two, the importance of developing a global perspective will be the focus when Hicham Al Amrani, the former General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football and CEO and Founder of HEA Sports Management & Consulting takes the stage with an in-depth presentation on the African-Asian Perspective.
The AFC Deputy General Secretary – Member Associations, Vahid Kardany will also take the spotlight on the second day with a presentation on the AFC’s development programmes and landmark policies on good governance, the recently launched AFC Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE), the Confederation’s continued commitment towards social responsibility. FIFA Council Member and Romanian Football Federation President Răzvan Burleanu’s presentation on UEFA Assist programme will also be an informative session for all attendees.

AFC Establishes Landmark Child Safeguarding Policy

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 12: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC)’s commitment towards fulfilling its duty of care and protection of the rights of children and young people as well as ensuring that football and all its related activities are carried out in a safe, positive and encouraging environment marked a significant milestone today with the launch of the first-ever AFC Child Safeguarding Policy.
Designed to elevate the safeguarding standards across the Continent, the breakthrough policy reinforces the AFC’s ambitions to safeguard children and young people within the AFC’s Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) as well as the larger Asian football ecosystem by creating and maintaining the safest possible conditions for any child or youth through the development and implementation of a robust safeguarding framework.
“Our children, our youth are our future,” AFC President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who has previously underlined safeguarding and the protection of children and young players as a core function for the AFC said.
“They represent our hopes and aspirations for a better and brighter legacy for Asian football.”

15th Asian Financial Forum Attracts 63K Views

Hong Kong, Jan 12: A highlight event celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the 15th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), organised by the Government of the HKSAR and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), came to a successful conclusion on Tuesday.
Running on the theme “Navigating the Next Normal towards a Sustainable Future”, the online-only AFF 2022 featured real-time polls to gauge the views of participants on a spectrum of topics, including the global economic outlook, environmental, social and governance (ESG), climate risks and green investment trends.
This year, over 700 one-on-one matchmaking meetings between investors and project owners have been arranged in the three-day AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session.
As of Tuesday, the AFF virtual platform had seen more than 63,000 views from 80 countries and regions.
A video playback of all the sessions and virtual exhibitions from AFF 2022 will be available through the event’s online platform until March 11, 2022.

Fave Launches Chinese New Year Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: Chinese New Year is almost upon us! Whether it be Angpaos, new outfits or reunion dinners, we know that celebrating Chinese New Year can really take a toll on your wallet.
That is why Fave has launched its PayLater ‘Huat Ah’ campaign to welcome the Lunar New Year.
Why spend all your money in one go, when you can split your payments into smaller, more manageable sums?
Fave PayLater divides your bills into three payments, with no added interest to ease your financial stress this Chinese New Year.
Don’t spend this festive period with your bank account at a low, choose the smart option and use PayLater instead.

Soft Space Enters Into Partnership With JCB

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: The world’s leading fintech player, Soft Space Sdn Bhd , has announced a new strategic partnership with Japan’s only international payment brand, JCB Co Ltd.
This strategic partnership is the first of its kind in Malaysia for the payment giant and involves a combination of US$5 million investment in Soft Space and a series of business collaborations that are aimed at capitalising on Soft Space’s fintech-as-a-service business model, technology and regulatory knowhow, and JCB’s global recognition, vast alliances and brand reach.
This is part of the first tranche of funding on the horizon for Soft Space with other investments to follow in the future. The partnership also demonstrates the confidence JCB has in Soft Space’s management, technology portfolio and execution strategy in today’s highly competitive fintech industry.
JCB owns and operates one of the largest payment schemes in Japan supporting about 37 million merchants and 140 million cardmembers around the world, by capitalising on Asia’s economic growth.
Backed by these assets, JCB has a vision to become “Asia’s leading payment brand” and will expand the brand globally by leveraging its strength in Asia – especially in Southeast Asia (“SEA”) – to become a competitive brand preferred by Japanese and international cardmembers.

AFC Women’s Asian Cup History Book Unveiled

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) today launched the first-ever AFC Women’s Asian Cup History Book, which details the evolution of the storied competition and its remarkable growth since the first edition was played in 1975.
With the AFC Women’s Asian Cup India 2022 kicking off in less than a week, this trip down memory lane could not have been more well timed with fans now able to relive the history of the Continent’s flagship women’s national team competition and how it continues to inspire and provide an enduring platform for Asia’s future and current stars.
The AFC Women’s Asian Cup History Book spans over 180 pages filled with rich and detailed research that chronicles every edition of the competition.
The history book also carries inspiring interviews with former players and honours former officials, whose tireless dedication is now memorialised within the pages.
The history book also helps one retrace the arc of the competition, which was initially played on a biennial basis, with New Zealand scooping the title in the inaugural edition staged 47 years ago in Hong Kong.

Latest Update On The AFC Champions League

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: The AFC Champions League (ACL) 2022 dates have been revised after careful consideration of the emerging complications caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the associated risks, as well as the unique circumstances surrounding the football schedule before and after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. 
Travel procedures around Asia have become more challenging with new travel restrictions and protocols being introduced by several countries in efforts to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
The ACL final will be played over two legs on February 19 and 26, 2023. 
The first leg will be hosted in the West Region by the finalist club while the second leg will be hosted in the East by the other finalist club.
The bidding for the host Member Associations will be opened soon.

Standing United With Malaysians

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: As Malaysia continues in its battle against the unprecedented.
COVID-19 pandemic, Coway took it upon themselves to step up and ‘Stand Together as One’ with everyone in Malaysia during this challenging period − rolling out a slew of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives over the past year.
In line with its We Stand as One (WSAO) campaign, which has made waves on social media since its first debut in September, Coway has been extending a helping hand to various non-profit organisations.
This CSR initiative is part of the company’s commitment to unite with Malaysians in the fight against challenges brought on by the pandemic.
Coway Malaysia is also working with FAF to supply groceries and cooked meals to vulnerable communities including disabled homes, the homeless, urban and rural B40 families and recent flood victims.
This on-going programme started in December 2021 and aims to feed 7,600 families.

PIAM, MTA Launch Nationwide Road Safety Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 13: In an bid to reduce road accidents and fatalities as well as to foster greater road safety awareness amongst road users, the Persatuan Insurans Am Malaysia (PIAM) and the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) jointly kickstarted the year-long PIAM-MTA 2022 Nationwide Road Safety Campaign in Kuala Lumpur today.
The Campaign aptly themed “#steadybrader”, hopes to educate and promote safe driving behaviour while encouraging road users to remain steady when riding or driving vehicles.
With the Campaign, both PIAM and MTA hope that road accidents and fatalities will be significantly reduced amidst the nation’s attention and focus on battling the COVID-19 pandemic for the past two years.
The campaign was officiated by Datuk Lokman Jamaan, Director of Enforcement Division of the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
In delivering the keynote address, Lokman had confirmed that human negligence is one of the main contributors to road accidents. 

Boost To Enhance Telehealth Experiences For Patients And Doctors

Melbourne, Jan 14: Monash University researchers will lead a $2 million Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) project to enhance telehealth capabilities that aim to improve patient, clinician and caregiver experiences for mental health and palliative care services. 
The new “Enhanced Telehealth Capabilities” project will deliver user-centred and research-based software solutions to enhance telehealth services like real-time transcription, smoother integration of personal diagnostic data from medical devices and better accessibility for the elderly or Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The project will be led by Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology (IT). Affiliates include Monash Health, researchers from the University of Melbourne, industry partners, Healthdirect Australia and the Department of Health (Victoria). 
Project Lead, Associate Professor Rashina Hoda, from Monash University’s Faculty of IT, said with more than 16 million Australians accessing health services remotely since March 2020, it is essential that telehealth experiences are robust, especially for those in regional and rural communities. 

Sophos Premiers Sophos Switch Series 

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 14:  Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, has unveiled the Sophos Switch Series, featuring a range of network access layer switches to connect, power and control device access within a Local Area Network (LAN).
The new offering adds another component to Sophos’ secure access portfolio, which also includes Sophos Firewall and Sophos Wireless. 
“Sophos Switch seamlessly integrates with the Sophos adaptive cybersecurity ecosystem to extend 
connectivity across office LANs,” Sophos CEO Joe Levy said.
“We’re removing the complexities of multi-vendor deployments by providing organizations and channel partners with a single source of management, monitoring and troubleshooting.”
Switches are remotely managed in the cloud-based Sophos Central platform which enables partners to oversee all customer installations, respond to alerts, and track licenses and upcoming renewal dates via a single, intuitive interface. 

AFC Champions League, AFC Cup 2022 Reveals Thrilling Matches

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 14: Asia’s top clubs will discover their Group Stage opponents when the draw ceremonies for the Continent’s two major club competitions are held in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, January 17.
The Group Stage draws for both the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup 2022 will be conducted virtually at 2pm and 4pm (GMT+8) respectively.
The AFC Champions League draw will see Asia’s top 40 clubs divided among 10 groups, with the 33 contenders who have already secured their places in the Group Stage to be joined by seven Play-off winners.
The 2022 edition of Asia’s flagship club competition will follow the expanded format introduced in last season’s tournament, with both the East and West Regions to feature five groups of four teams, and five group winners and the best three runner-ups from each Region advancing to the Round of 16.
The teams from each region will be divided into four pots of five teams, with defending champions Al Hilal SFC among the contenders placed in Pot 1 in the West Region.

AFC MAs And RAs General Secretaries’ Conference Concludes

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 15: The AFC Member Associations (MAs) and Regional Associations (RAs) General Secretaries’ Conference 2022 successfully concluded today, completing three days of knowledge-sharing and collaboration among Asia’s senior football leaders.
Industry specialists from Asia and beyond delivered valuable insights on a range of topics on the final day of the landmark Conference, which drew praise from the General Secretaries across the Asian football family.   
“The Conference was an invaluable exercise in benchmarking ourselves against the current best practices in the global football industry, and the knowledge shared throughout the last three days has provided us with a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities before us,” Central Asian Football Association General Secretary Ulugbek Karimov said.