Media OutReach
Melco chef selected for global Young Chefs Programme
One of ten chefs chosen for a programme organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Forum
MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 15 January 2026 – Melco Resorts & Entertainment is committed to promoting Whole Person Development, while actively deepening Macau’s role as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy and enhancing its influence on the global culinary stage. The Company is pleased to announce that Ms. Safa Rodas, Head Chef of L’ATTITUDE at Morpheus, City of Dreams Macau, has been selected for the Young Chefs Programmme (YCP).
Jointly organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Forum (WFF), the YCP selects ten young chefs aged 18 to 35 worldwide to leverage culinary practices in driving agrifood system transformation and sustainable development. From advancing better nutrition to promoting food security and biodiversity, the YCP’s ultimate goal is to nurture leaders who can inspire and guide fellow chefs to advocate for more sustainable and healthier consumption habits. As part of the WFF Youth Initiative’s mission, the YCP focuses on the next generation of chefs, providing training, mentorship, and advocacy opportunities, that help participants gain both technical expertise and soft skills to become influential agents of change.
Mr. Lawrence Ho, Chairman & CEO, Melco, said, “Melco is honored to see Chef Safa selected as one of the ten participants in this global Young Chefs training programme organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Food Forum. The YCP places emphasis on empowering young female chefs to ensure more equitable and thriving agrifood systems, which is well aligned with Melco’s goals of supporting youth and female leadership, as well as sustainable development. Melco will continue to develop and support programmes that contribute to Macau’s economic diversification and youth talent development initiatives.”

Chef Safa is set to commence the one-year international training programme this month, receiving professional mentorship from the World Association of Chefs’ Societies network and participating in global exchanges. Through this journey, Chef Safa is expected to further broaden her professional perspective, enhance practical capabilities, and apply her learnings to advance the sustainable development of Macau’s culinary industry.
Hashtag: #Melco #CityofDreams #Morpheus #FoodandBeverage
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Melco Resorts & Entertainment Limited
Melco, with its American depositary shares listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq: MLCO), is a developer, owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe. The Company currently operates City of Dreams (
www.cityofdreamsmacau.com) and Altira Macau (
www.altiramacau.com), integrated resorts located in Cotai and Taipa, Macau, respectively. In addition, the Company operates Studio City (
www.studiocity-macau.com), a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Cotai, Macau. In the Philippines, the Company operates and manages City of Dreams Manila (
www.cityofdreamsmanila.com), an integrated resort in the Entertainment City complex in Manila. In Europe, the Company operates City of Dreams Mediterranean, an integrated resort in Limassol, in the Republic of Cyprus (
www.cityofdreamsmed.com.cy). In South Asia, the Company manages the Nüwa hotel at City of Dreams Sri Lanka (
www.cityofdreamssrilanka.com), an integrated resort in Colombo, Sri Lanka. For more information about the Company, please visit
www.melco-resorts.com.
Melco is majority owned by Melco International Development Limited, a company listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, which is in turn majority owned and led by Mr. Lawrence Ho, who is the Chairman, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
Media OutReach
XTransfer Joins Forum Ekonomi Malaysia 2026
Signals Plan to Make Malaysia Regional Compliance Hub
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 February 2026 – XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border financial platform, was honoured to be invited to join the Malaysia Economic Forum (Forum Ekonomi Malaysia 2026). Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, shared insights on how Malaysia can accelerate technology application and innovation to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) scale exports under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), during FEM 2026’s panel discussion, “Made by Malaysia: Accelerating Technology Applications & Innovation”.
Bill was honoured to join YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Finance of Malaysia, and Mr Ooi Ching Liang, Senior Director of Engineering at SkyeChip, for a discussion focused on strengthening high-growth, high-value industries, advancing R&D commercialisation, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and supporting MSMEs in global value chains.
Drawing on XTransfer’s work with MSMEs across markets, Bill noted that many Malaysian businesses are “able to export,” but face persistent barriers to scaling exports. The most common issues are trust, compliance, and scale, which often surface as payment delays, repeated documentation requests, FX uncertainty, and working capital pressure as orders grow.
“For B2B SMEs in foreign trade, the biggest constraint isn’t demand. It’s the operational complexity behind cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and compliance,” Bill said. “In particular, AML requirements can be difficult for both traditional banks and SMEs to manage efficiently, creating friction that slows down legitimate trade.”
Bill highlighted a structural shift in global trade flows from a single dominant corridor to non-U.S., intra-Asia, and broader South–South routes. This trend is increasingly clear in real SME transaction patterns. Bill shared, “In 2025, XTransfer’s average collection amount from Asia, Africa, and Latin America grew by 106% year-on-year, with Africa exceeding 270%, Latin America reaching 94%, and ASEAN reaching 82%.” YB Liew noted the trend and thinks it is a direction Malaysia should pursue.
XTransfer also said it plans to establish Malaysia as its regional compliance centre, citing Malaysia’s strong geographic and time-zone advantages, a mature regulatory environment, availability of talent in compliance and risk operations, and cost efficiency. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scale compliance as intra-Asia and emerging-market trade accelerates,” Bill added.
Hashtag: #XTransfer #Malaysia #SMEs #13MP #FEM2026
https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn
https://x.com/xtransferglobal
https://www.facebook.com/XTransferGlobal/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
CGTN: Little Chinese New Year opens big window to China’s soul
As the lunar calendar turns its final pages, China enters a period of joyful anticipation known as Xiaonian, or Little Chinese New Year. Often celebrated as the Festival of the Kitchen God, it marks the official start of the “busy year” – a traditional term for the intense, joyful period of preparing food, cleaning homes, and shopping for the upcoming Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival is a deeply significant time for family reunion. In 2024, UNESCO inscribed the “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year” onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
While daily routines continue to evolve, they remain anchored in rituals that provide a sense of normalcy and meaning. It is perhaps no wonder that in a climate of uncertainty, traditional Chinese lifestyles are finding a new audience beyond the country’s borders, with the Spring Festival chief among those unique traditions that are fast becoming a shared human experience.
Diverse traditions, shared aspirations
In a prelude to the broader celebrations, Xiaonian, observed on February 10 and 11 this year, kickstarts a focused period of preparation. According to ancient lore, families offer Zaotang, or sticky “Kitchen Candy,” to the Kitchen God to ensure he delivers a favorable report on the household’s conduct before he ascends to the heavens. This lighthearted tradition marks the beginning of several symbolic rituals aimed at welcoming a fresh start.
A key element of this transition is donning new clothes. In Chinese culture, the New Year represents a moment when “all things are renewed,” and wearing new garments symbolizes shedding the “dust” or misfortunes of the past to embrace auspicious energy for the year ahead. Alongside this personal renewal, families nationwide engage in “sweeping the dust,” a deep-cleaning ritual to purify the home and prepare it for new blessings.
Whereas these practices are universal, celebratory flavors vary by geography. In the north, families traditionally gather over steaming plates of dumplings, whereas in the south, the menu often features sweet rice cakes (Niangao) and glutinous rice balls (Tangyuan).
As Mao Qiaohui, a researcher at the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explains, these variations highlight the inclusive nature of Chinese civilization.
“Although folk customs differ between different regions across China, this diversity reflects the cultural pluralism within the Spring Festival tradition,” she notes. “Different regional identities contribute to a shared pursuit of harmony and reunion.”
The vitality of these traditions is also evident in local craftsmanship. In northern regions like Shandong and Henan, artisans are currently making Huamo, decorated steamed buns, featuring horse designs for the upcoming zodiac year. Meanwhile, in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, intangible heritage inheritors are carving spirited stallions onto traditional gourds. These creations reflect the regional diversity of the festival and a collective desire for progress in the year ahead.
Cultural dialogue: From global stage to daily life
The festive atmosphere is reflected further in preparations for the Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), produced by China Media Group.
Recent rehearsals show performances meshing traditional Chinese culture with international artistry. One performance piece combines the wooden clog dance of the Hani and Lisu ethnic groups with the rhythmic tap of Spanish Flamenco and Hungarian folk dance. And with global stars like Jackie Chan and Lionel Richie on the bill, the Gala’s stage is set to become a stage for the world to come together.
The reach of the gala has expanded far beyond a domestic audience. Through the “Spring Festival Gala Prelude” events held in the United States, Russia, France, Italy, and several African nations, the program has become a gateway to Chinese New Year customs and cultural exchange.
This interest extends beyond art and into the lives of people worldwide, as seen in the #BecomingChinese trend. This phenomenon features international social media users adopting elements of Chinese daily life – such as keeping a thermos of hot water handy, wearing quilted indoor slippers or practicing mindful movement with Baduanjin exercises.
The festival is no longer a distant event but a gateway to Chinese lifestyle, rooted in ancient wellness wisdom and constantly updated by modern convenience, and the first step to a journey of exploration into a culture that values ritual, safety and hospitality.
Whether through global broadcasts or shared daily habits, the Spring Festival increasingly strengthens a sense of cultural empathy between China and the rest of the world.
For more information, please click here:
Hashtag: #CGTN
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
De Beers Group and Assouline Celebrate the Launch of “A Diamond Is Forever: The Making of A Cultural Icon 1926-2026”
Hashtag: #DeBeersGroup #NaturalDiamonds #diamonds #ADiamondIsForever #Assouline
https://www.debeersgroup.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/debeersgroup/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.facebook.com/DeBeersGroupOfCompanies
https://www.instagram.com/debeersgroup/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘
Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit
www.debeersgroup.com.
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