UK cities resilient in wake of Brexit, US‘s fall

#BestCities

Montreal has ended Paris’s five-year run as the world’s best student city, according to global higher education analysts QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The fifth edition of its QS Best Student Cities  Ranking , enumerates the world’s top 100 urban student destinations.

This year’s ranking features a ‘Student View’ indicator for the first time. Findings for the United Kingdom provide reassurance to those concerned about the potential effects of the UK’s impending exit from the EU on its higher education sector.

Montreal’s success is the latest of a series of propitious signs for a city beginning to escape a period of economic stagnation, following positive growth forecasts for 2017, and the recent announcement of its selection as the ‘World’s Most Intelligent City’. Its first-place ranking is also the highlight of a series of positive performances from Canadian cities: four of the country’s five ranked cities improve their position. Other key findings include:

• Paris drops to second place, receiving reduced rank for Affordability and Desirability;
• London rises from fifth place to third place;
• The results suggest that UK cities remain excellent study destinations in the face of Brexit, with rises in QS’s Affordability indicator a major contributor to all eight of its ranked cities improving their rank;
• Affordability issues adversely affect American cities: though Boston places eighth, ten of its twelve ranked cities drop;
• Australia’s high cost-of-living and tuition fees are proving disadvantageous: all of its seven ranked cities drop, with Sydney plummeting from fourth to thirteenth, and Melbourne falling from second to fifth;
• Seoul is Asia’s best student city, rising to 4^th, followed by Tokyo (7^th) , Hong Kong (11 ^th ) andSingapore (14 ^th )
• Berlin rises to 6^th; Munich (9^th), and Vancouver (10^th) complete the top 10.

Over 18,000 students responded to QS’s inaugural survey for this ranking, providing input about their own student experiences, and, for prospective students, the relative desirability of a city. The full ranking will be hosted here . The methodology can be viewed here

SOURCE QS Quacquarelli Symonds

DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum , Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai , and their children, HH Sheikha Al Jalila Bint Mohammed Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Zayed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum , today donated 28 million Jordanian Dinars (approx. US$ 40 million ) in memory of HM the Late King Hussein Bin Talal and HM the late Queen Alia Al Hussein.

HM King Hussein passed away on the 7 ^th of February 1999 , and HM Queen Alia passed away on the 9^th of February, 1977.

Tkiyet Um Ali was originally the idea of HM the Late Queen Alia Al Hussein more than 40 years ago; she had worked on the idea shortly before her death. In 2003, HRH Princess Haya , who had the original concept documents, established Tkiyet Um Ali, the first non-governmental organization to provide sustainable food support by serving hot meals and distributing food parcels, in addition to providing humanitarian food aid to Jordan’s underprivileged.

Tkiyet Um Ali seeks to realise a hunger free Jordan through the provision of sustainable food assistance to families living in extreme poverty. In May 2013 , Tkiyet Um Ali launched a project to eradicate hunger to provide families living in extreme poverty with sustainable food assistance. Currently, Tkiyet Um Ali feeds 18,000 households that have been identified as families who live below the hunger and poverty line.

“The donation comes at a time where food insecurity in Jordan has tripled following the Syrian Refugee Crisis,” stated HRH Princess Haya , Chairperson of Tkiyet Um Ali. “We conducted recent field studies that indicate that today around 30,000 Jordanian families are food insecure, reinforcing the urgent need to reach an additional 10,000 households.”

As Tkiyet Um Ali aims to cover these 30,000 families across the Kingdom, HRH Princess Haya has assigned a task force headed by her brother, HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein , and HE Hussein Al Majali and Mr. Zaid Al Hamdan , to oversee the ramp up and ensure any necessary logistical help required on an official basis.

“This year marks 18 years since the passing of HM the Late King Hussein Bin Talal and 40 years since the passing of HM the Late Queen Alia Al Hussein who, above all, were people who cared about humanity,” stated HRH Princess Haya . “There is no more fitting way to celebrate their lives and continue their legacies by doing something they would have done themselves.”

Tkiyet Um Ali is named after Her Majesty Queen Alia (‘um Ali’) and is inspired by an Islamic concept of providing food for the poor while demonstrating social responsibility towards those less privileged. HMQueen Alia was fondly named in Jordan as the ‘mother of the poor’.

SOURCE Office of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein

Young women and girls encounter challenges every day. Many of those challenges are triggered simply by virtue of being female. These include physical and sexual violence, being kept out of school, disproportionate vulnerability to HIV infection and lack of access to property and other rights.

In many parts of the world, girls and young women continue to carry the double burden of being both young and female. They often face negative cultural attitudes and practices as well as gender- biased social and political processes that limit their opportunities and undermine their self esteem. Moreover, girls and women shoulder the heaviest burdens of poverty and inequality as they stand on the frontlines as victims of climate change, including those of natural disasters.

Despite all the hardships and difficulties encountered by women and girls all around the world, without a doubt, they possess the collective power to change their lives, the societies and the world we live in. Just as they solve their daily issues in their families, women are continually developing innovative, effective ways to improve their lives and even, develop their communities. By bringing together their wisdom, intelligence and creativity, young women are, indeed, leading change and innovation.

Girls continue to face stereotypes, social and cultural restrictions as well as limiting access to education and funding for research, preventing them to explore and grow in scientific careers and reaching their full potential. In fact, up to today, women remain a minority in science research and decision-making. According to a study conducted in 14 countries, the probability for female students of graduating with a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree and Doctor’s degree in science-related field are 18%, 8% and 2% respectively, while the percentages of male students are 37%, 18% and 6%.

Observed on the 11^th of February every year, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science recognises the critical role that women and girls play in both Science and Technology. Science and gender equality are both vital for the achievement of the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over the past 15 years, the global community has made a lot of effort in inspiring and engaging women and girls in science.

The World Assembly of Youth as per our Fourth Millennium Plan of Action, we encourage all stakeholders to adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all young women, at all levels. WAY also encourage all members to undertake necessary reforming actions to give young women the equal rights to economic resources, as well as to ownership and control over the other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources.

We believe meaningful progress must start with the rights and dignity of women, by nurturing their ingenuity as well as creativity, and enhancing the use of enabling technologies, in particular Information and Communication Technology, to empower young women.

Let us raise awareness about the work of women scientists by providing equal opportunities for their participation and leadership in a broad spectrum of high-level scientific bodies and events. Together, we can make a difference.

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!

We provide you the flexibility and scalability to upsize or downsize as and when environment or your business dictates. VVV Suites Serviced Office Kuala Lumpur culture supports your business in current demanding climate of an ever changing business and technological environment and disruptions.

YM CONSULTANTS SDN BHD (CO 1080760-U) was incorporated on the 14^th February 2014. It started with a brand name called VVV Suites Serviced Offices. Our first centre in Malaysia is in the most prestigious building located in Kuala Lumpur Sentral’s most strategic location. This will place you on the world map, to do business on an international level.

We inspire to reach out in Malaysia and the rest of the world with our philosophy of being PASSION, FOCUS and DISCIPLINE. We inspire to grow fast and be amongst the top providers in the world. We inspire to be the Best amongst the BEST! VVV Suites serviced offices’ vision is to create an opportunity, and identity in this industry throughout the world. VVV Suites serviced offices will revolutionize this industry through our inspirations, visions and missions.

VVV suites has a vision to provide a space crafted for innovators and entrepreneurs with ideas derived from inspiration that leads to innovation and into results. Our vision is to reduce clients’ CAPEX and OPEX, and facilitate clients’ execution of business effectively and efficiently. At VVV suites, our mission is to bring in the best into the space crafted, in order to provide a lifetime working environment to work alongside the best.

VVV Suites business concept is based on :

• We are a one stop business centre. You pay only for spaces your business need while share the cost of common area such as corridors, meeting room, pantry, toilets etc.
• Low startup cost as you do not pay for renovation works.
  Low downtime as office is ready to use with all Furnishing, M&E and IT.
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• Professional support services, Cost-saving convenience for your business to enhance work efficiency with corporate establishment, financial consulting, legal advice and personal management services.
• One single bill in all-inclusive bill covering rent, receptionist, secretarial services, ,water, electricity, telephone, Internet and office maintenance.
• Makes your budgeting easier when the cost of the space and service is fixed
• Provides your business flexible agreement, no long-term contract
• Provides your business scalability to expand or contract easily, efficiently and effectively

VVV Suites Serviced Office Kuala Lumpur Grade A office suites, meeting rooms, lounge and break-out area together with our professional staff and advance technological infrastructure will surely raise your company to be the crème of the crowd among your competitors. Our readymade offices suites with meetings rooms, soft and hard infrastructure allows you to start your business immediately without incurring renovation cost and has no hidden cost to mitigate your risk on monthly expenses.

Our unique Call management service remove the need for clients to hire receptionist to answer their calls as our reception will handle your calls with your ONLINE REALTIME instructions thru our web portal.

Dubai Municipality on Sunday launched the eighth “Car Free Day” with the participation of government, semi-government and private organizations and a number of dignitaries, including heads of government departments and various sectors such as education, real estate, retail, hotels, banks and people with special needs, ensuring comprehensive support for the initiative.

Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah , Director General of Dubai Municipality stressed on the constant efforts of the Municipality to raise Dubai’s profile among the world’s eco-friendly cities by finding all sustainable and effective solutions to meet the various environmental challenges, most notably air pollution and increase in the carbon footprint resulting from vehicle emissions.

“Each vehicle, with a full tank fuel size of 15 gallons, emits nearly 140 kilograms of carbon dioxide into the air, taking the annual emissions to four tons, contributing towards global warming. The campaign will contribute in achieving our objectives of UAE National Agenda 2021 in preserving air quality and reducing carbon footprint,” said Lootah.

He said that the initiative will effectively contribute towards promoting the use of public transport instead of using personal vehicles to get to work. “It shows Dubai’s commitment to international climate change agreements on reducing emissions of gases that causes global warming,” he said.

Lootah revealed that this year the initiative has been linked to the Year of Giving by having specialists in the Municipality calculate the carbon footprint and convert it into cash and donate it to charity work in line with the Year of Giving that was announced by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan .

“From two organizations during the first Car Free Day, the participation has grown to 1,070 last year. The environmental results achieved have also multiplied. Compared to 1,000 people in the first year, 30,000 people abandoned personal vehicles and turned to environmentally-friendly transport instead,” said Khalid Sharif , Assistant Director General for Environment, Health and Safety Control.

He said that the exhibition, held alongside the eighth event, displayed environmentally-friendly vehicles, which run on alternative fuel sources, whether solar or electric power or biofuels. “It also showcased the latest practices, techniques and achievements related to air quality and the conservation of natural resources,” said Al Awadhi.

“The need to balance spending on infrastructure projects and social well being programs remains a challenge for the government yet the current GDP growth and revenues from tax collection will ensure that the government’s continued commitment to the people in both in the near future and over the long haul is fulfilled.”

“Continued spending on infrastructure that improves the investment environment for food production which will lead to higher levels of food security as a strategy to reduce food based inflation should also be a priority.”

“Affordable housing should be seen as key enablers for sustainable development and one that will have a lasting impact on the people in both rural and urban areas of the country.”

“Both these measures would be in line with the government’s stated goal of poverty eradication, managing the cost of living and ultimately moving from a middle income nation to that of a high income nation.” Stated Nordin Abdullah when commenting on the upcoming budget.

Nordin Abdullah Managing Director of Glenreagh Sdn Bhd a boutique consultancy firm, he is also currently the Vice President of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) and an EXCO member of the Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC)

Commentary Featured in the following media :
BUDGET: SMEs In Food Sector Need To Capitalise On New Export Promotion Funds – BERNAMA
BUDGET: SMEs In Food Sector Need To Capitalise On New Export Promotion Funds – SME CORP
Infrastructure, Affordable Housing Key Sectors, Says Glenreagh Md – MALAY MAIL

The recent decision by President Donald Trump to pull the United States of America out to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) means that there will be no change in the trade and investment framework for the near future.  The TPPA was a key component of the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia as part of a broader geopolitical strategy to counter rise of China’s influence in the region.

This decision doesn’t come as a surprise to any of the countries who were involved in the agreement as it was a key component of the presidential election campaign.  What is clear is that the Trump administration’s policy will put the perceived benefits of domestic concerns over the possible benefits of international engagement with established allies and trade partners.  This internal strengthen of America’s domestic economy through revitalisation of domestic infrastructure and domestic job creation may in fact have a positive effect on the global economy, however this is yet to be seen.

The impact on the Malaysian economy and Malaysian business in general will most likely be minimal for the simple fact that Malaysia has a host of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) both bilateral and multi-lateral and that export figures to these countries are steadily growing.

While the US market will remain important, Malaysian exporters should continue to look at the high growth markets in Asia and Middle East as they are both geographically closer and easier markets to operate in for Malaysian companies looking to expand internationally.

The TPPA would have contributed to the long term strategic goals of sustainable economic growth for the country but the long time frames for implementation would also mean that it would take time for these to take effect.  Now Malaysia has the opportunity to negotiate with those partners again to bring those potential benefits into something that will be of benefit in the near future.

What is likely to be the main effect of the recent decision is that “Asia will pivot to Asia” bringing countries like Australia and New Zealand along with it.

Nordin Abdullah Managing Director of Glenreagh Sdn Bhd a boutique consultancy firm, he is also currently the Vice President of the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) and an EXCO member of the Malaysia Australia Business Council (MABC)

Commentary Featured in the following media :
US Move has ‘killed’ TPP, says Moody – The Edge
Malaysia should capitalise FTAs to do business worldwide – MALAYSIA OUTLOOK
‘Asia Will Pivot To Asia’ Main Effect Of Us Withdrawal From TPPA – BERNAMA
‘Asia Will Pivot To Asia’ Main Effect Of Us Withdrawal From TPPA – MYNEWSHUB
“Asia akan utamakan Asia” – kesan utama penarikan AS daripada TPPA – BERITA HARIAN

Kuala Lumpur: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) the body that supports aviation with global standards for airline safety, security, efficiency and sustainability recently renewed the IOSA Operators Certification for Eaglexpress.

The certificate which was signed by Gilberto Lopez Meyer who is the Senior Vice President, Safety and Flight Operations confirmed that Eaglexpress has conformed to provisions of the IOSA Program Manual under the IATA Operational Safety Audit Program.

According to the IATA official website, the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.  The total accident rate for IOSA carriers between 2011 and 2015 was 3.3 times lower than the rate for non-IOSA operators. As such, IOSA has become a global standard.

This is the second time that the Haj and Umrah charter flight operator has been confirmed this status. Eaglexpress remains proud to be one of only a few airlines that operate out of Malaysia to have reached this level of safety and performance.

Eaglexpress is now moving from being a provider of ‘wet lease’ aircraft to becoming the leading private provider of scheduled charter flights for Hajj and Umrah.  Ultimately we want to make Hajj and Umrah to be more accessible to the global Muslim population.  Safety is the primary concern of pilgrims and their families that is why this certification is critical, the well-being of pilgrims is a responsibility that we take seriously.

Eaglexpress (9A) which is based in KL International Airport currently operates four Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

Kuala Lumpur, 13/12/2016: Eaglexpress is pleased to inform that the airline has conformed to all the relevant regulations and safety standards to operate scheduled charter flights for Hajj and Umrah from Malaysia and other countries to Saudi Arabia. Eaglexpress has undertaken these noble operations over the past 5 years with other airlines in the Middle East.

The Eaglexpress team is now working with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia to confirm the landing slots in Jeddah and Madinah. Thus our maiden flight under the Eaglexpress call sign “9A” is expected to leave KL International Airport on Wednesday, the 14th of December, 2016.

Eaglexpress would like to thank the pilgrims who have chosen the Al-Fajr Umrah package for this important and meaningful journey, we will continue to work hard to ensure that our quality of service remains high and the travel experience is in-line with expectations for pilgrims completing the Umrah and Hajj.

Eaglexpress will continue to work with Al-Fajr Travel and Tours Sdn. Bhd. who have been diligent with the front line interactions with the 250 pilgrims and their families who are scheduled to travel on this maiden flight, many of these pilgrims will be travelling to Mecca for the first time, we thank them for their patience and understanding in this initial period.

The staff, board of directors and shareholders of Eaglexpress would like to thank the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) and Ministry of Transport in Malaysia (MOT) together with the General Authority Civil Aviation (GACA) and Ministry of Transport of Saudi Arabia for their ongoing efforts to make this a reality.

This flight marks an important milestone in the company’s development, Eaglexpress is now moving from being a provider of ‘wet lease’ aircraft to becoming the leading private provider of scheduled charter flights for Hajj and Umrah. Ultimately we want to make Hajj and Umrah to be more accessible to the global Muslim population, it is a responsibility that we take seriously.

Eaglexpress (9A) which is based in KL International Airport currently operates four Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

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GUANGZHOU, China, Jan. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — On 9 January 2017, Infinitus (China) Company Ltd., a member of LKK Health Products Group, was awarded the Second Class of the National Science and Technology Progress Award by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China , in recognition of its efforts in accomplishing the Efficient Preparation of Function Lipids from Oilseed and Products Creation Program (the “Program”). The award ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People. The honor demonstrates that Infinitus has taken a leading role in functional lipids extraction and preparative technology.

Infinitus Functional Lipids Technology Honored the National Science and Technology Progress Award

When lipids are mentioned, what first comes to most people’s minds are thoughts of “oily” and “obesity”. In fact, lipids, together with proteins and carbohydrates, are called the three major nutrients: they provide the human body with indispensable substances, such as essential fatty acids, that can’t be produced by the body itself. As for functional lipids, they are active substances that promote health and provide other medical benefits, including acting to prevent hypertension, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Many drug-and-food-homologous Chinese medicinal herbs contain rich functional lipids. For example, the alpha-linolenic acid found in perilla frutescens seeds, is capable of reducing blood lipids, improving memory, preventing Alzheimer’s disease, and slowing down the aging process.

In the past, the traditional extraction method for functional lipids could hardly meet the requirements of the lipid industry for high-quality lipids. The award-winning program which Infinitus has participated is succeeded in developing an industry-leading green technology for the extraction and preparation of functional lipids. The technology largely addresses the drawbacks of functional lipids, including instability, easy oxidation, a low dissolution rate and the inability to meet the health needs of a diverse range of groups. The technology has been successfully applied to both Infinitus Yi Rui Capsules and Infinitus Dried Tangerine Peel Pu’er Tea, enabling conversion from an innovative technological idea into saleable products.

The State Council of China has, over the past few years, continued to raise the bar on what it expects in terms of the quality of the product or technology that might be deserving of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. From 2011 to 2015, 12 food programs were recipients of the Award, accounting for a mere 1.63 percent of all award-winning programs, while very few of them involved health foods. Infinitus finally received the award by virtue of the Program after applying for four years in a row (since 2012), a testament to the company’s strength in scientific research and innovation.

Mr. Harry Yeung , Senior Vice President of LKK Health Products Group, commented, “With innovation, our company has infinite growth potential. Winning the national award is a recognition of our innovative research in the field of herbal health products, and will motivate us to continuously innovate and give back to society.”

About the National Science and Technology Progress Award

The National Science and Technology Progress Award, one of the five major national-level awards in science and technology launched by the State Council of China , recognizes Chinese citizens and organizations who have made creative contributions to scientific and technological progress, including technological research, development and innovation, promotion and application of advanced scientific and technological achievements, high-tech conversions of existing manufacturing processes, and completion of key scientific and technological projects and plans. The winners of the Award are programs that have made a major contribution to both the country and society, including China’s Lunar Exploration Project and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, among other world-class projects.

For additional information, visit LKK Health Products Group’s corporate website: www.lkkhpg.com

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