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Teen Innovators Win Top Prize for Plastic Alternative in Hang Seng x HKFYG’s Seek Our Ways Social Ideation Programme

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HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 May 2025 – A team of four Form Three students from Good Hope School has developed a revolutionary plastic alternative, earning them the Junior Division Grand Award in the inaugural Seek Our Ways Social Ideation Programme. Their invention, the “Fully Biodegradable Gel”, offers an edible, dissolvable and eco-friendly solution to single-use plastic.

Eric Chan Sui-wai, Commissioner for Youth officiates at the Seek Our Ways Ideation Programme Awards Presentation Ceremony, alongside Diana Cesar, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of the HKFYG, Grace Chan Man-yee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, distinguished guests and over 400 students.

Supported by Hang Seng Bank and organised by The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) Leadership Institute, the Programme themed “Future Exploration is in the Hands of Youths”, focused on three key social areas: “Environment and Sustainable Development,” “Promoting Sports for All,” and “Elderly and Wellness.” It encourages young people to tackle social issues through creative solutions. The debut edition attracted an overwhelming response, receiving nearly 1,000 applications from students. After over 10,000 hours of diverse learning and mentorship over six months, more than 400 participants developed nearly 90 innovative solutions to drive social progress.

Following rigorous rounds of competition, nine teams advanced to the finals held recently, where they presented their ideas to a panel of judges. Three winning teams were selected based on their solutions’ effectiveness, innovation, scalability and their presentation skills.

The Final Pitching Competition and Award Presentation Ceremony took place at Hang Seng Headquarters, with Eric Chan Sui-wai, Commissioner for Youth officiating as the Guest of Honor. He was joined by Diana Cesar, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of the HKFYG and Grace Chan Man-yee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. The event also brought together school representatives, mentors and over 400 students to witness the emergence of winning teams.

Diana Cesar, Executive Director and Chief Executive of Hang Seng Bank, said, “As Hong Kong’s largest local bank, Hang Seng Bank is very pleased to leverage our connections and the expertise of our colleagues to empower youth in driving social innovation through this Programme, alongside our financial support. We hope this Programme encourages young people to engage with societal issues, broaden their horizons and ignite their interests in social innovation.”

Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of the HKFYG, remarked, “Social innovation requires keen insight and the courage to change; every change begins with attention to issues and imagination for the future. I am delighted to see participants actively engage in the Programme, injecting new hope and possibility into society.” She also expressed her gratitude to Hang Seng Bank and other partnering organisations for their support in nurturing future leaders.”

Fifteen-year-old students Ho Lok Ting, Law Hau Wing, Lo Sin Sum and Tsang Lok Yu, the Grand Award winners in the Junior Secondary Division, designed their “Fully Biodegradable Gel” after learning about sea turtles harmed by plastic waste. The material, made from gelatin and agar, can package dry foods or even serve as shopping bags while decomposing harmlessly.” Law Hau Wing said, “Traditional plastic linger for centuries as it is non-biodegradable and harmful to the environment. Our ‘Fully Biodegradable Gel’ disappears without a trace. We hope to collaborate with food manufacturers to bring the product to market.”

The Senior Secondary Division Grand Award went to Fanling Kau Yan College, where five Form Four and Form Five students, Chen Tin Oi, Lee Yan Ue, Liang Ka Ki, Ng Ka Yin and Zou Tsz Ham designed a “One School, One Elderly Centre” proposal to pair schools with elderly centres, fostering mutual learning and companionship. Inspired by an initiative in their sister school in Mainland China, the team developed a sustainable model including curricula, activities, and a B2B framework to scale the project in Hong Kong.

A cross-university team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong College of Technology, won the Tertiary Division Grand Award for “Fruitful”, a project repurposing apple pulp into leather-like material. Over the past six months, team members Cheng Hoi Kei, Ho Ka Hei, Lai In Ha, Wong Ngai Fung and Yau Ho Lun conducted in-depth research on this technology and overcame technical challenges. They aim to produce wallets, coasters and other accessories, reducing reliance on synthetic fabrics to promote sustainable development in Hong Kong.

Each winning team will receive HK$20,000 and an opportunity for valuable career immersion experience at Hang Seng Bank. Audience-voted “My Favourite Team” Awards were also presented, with each winning team receiving HK$5,000. For further details about the winning teams, please refer to the appendix. The second edition of the Programme will open for applications by the end of this year, encouraging more youngsters to drive social progress.

Winning teams of Grand Award

Grand Award – Junior Secondary Division
School and
Name of Students
Good Hope School
Lo Sin Sum, Ho Lok Ting, Law Hau Wing, and Tsang Lok Yu
Theme Environment and Sustainable Development
Proposal Byebye Traditional Plastic
Description “Fully Biodegradable Gel” is a new material designed to support heavy items, similar to conventional plastic. It is available in two types:

  • Type 1: Crafted from gelatin, this variant offers a firmer texture, making it ideal for packaging noodles and dry foods. It comes in red, green, orange, and transparent colours, dyed using vegetable and plant powders.

  • Type 2: Made from agar powder, this type provides a softer, a more flexible texture with strong water resistance. Distinguished by its blue colour, its texture is similar to traditional plastic, making it ideal for shopping bags.

Teen Innovators Win Top Prize for Plastic Alternative in Hang Seng x HKFYG’s Seek Our Ways Social Ideation Programme / Page 7

Grand Award – Senior Secondary Division
School and
Name of
Students
Fanling Kau Yan College
Chen Tin Oi, Lee Yan Ue, Zou Tsz Ham, Liang Ka Ki and Ng Ka Yin

Theme Elderly and Wellness
Proposal One School, One Elderly Centre
Description Through interviews with frontline elderly service social workers, elderly policy researchers and secondary school management, the team discovered that current intergenerational integration programmes are often one-time services lacking continuity and depth, failing to fully address the needs of the elderly and wasting school resources. The “One School, One Elderly Centre” initiative aims to:

1. Match elderly centres with secondary schools

2. Equip members of elderly centre and secondary school students with knowledge

3. Facilitate communication between the two groups

4. Document their interactions for improved communication

The programme offers sustained, face-to-face exchange activities over one year, along with matching support, lesson plans, teaching materials and suggested activities for participating organisations through an online platform to facilitate collaboration between schools and elderly centres.

Grand Award – Tertiary Division
School and
Name of
Students
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong College of Technology
Lai In Ha, Cheng Hoi Kei, Wong Ngai Fung, Yau Ho Lun and Ho Ka Hei

Theme Environment and Sustainable Development
Proposal Fruitful
Description The team proposed an innovative biomaterial solution that converts waste pulp from the juice industry into high-performance eco-friendly materials. This technology can increase the bio-based content of the pulp to over 85%, reducing carbon emissions by 95% compared to traditional materials. Additionally, it boasts excellent physical properties, effectively addressing the challenges posed by limited food waste recycling facilities.

Winning teams of “My Favourite Team” Award voted by the event’s audience

Divison Theme School Name of
Students
Proposal
Junior Secondary Environment and Sustainable Development Good Hope School Ho Lok Ting, Law Hau Wing, Lo Sin Sum and Tsang Lok Yu Byebye Traditional Plastic
Senior Secondary Promoting Sports for All St. Paul’s Convent School Chan Hoi Yau, Jiang Ka Yi, Kwok Hiu Ching, Tai Cheuk Wing and Yung Chi Kay

City of Maze Runners
Tertiary Environment and Sustainable Development The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong College of Technology Cheng Hoi Kei, Ho Ka Hei, Lai In Ha, Wong Ngai Fung and Yau Ho Lun

Fruitful

Hashtag: #TheHongKongFederationofYouthGroups

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Woodfibre LNG Marks 2025 as a Year of Construction Progress, Environmental Stewardship and Community Partnership

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 December 2025 – Woodfibre LNG recently marked 2025 as a year of significant progress across construction, environmental protection and community partnerships, as the project moved deeper into its development phase toward delivering responsibly produced Canadian liquefied natural gas to global markets.

Over the past year, the project advanced from planning into visible, on-the-ground execution. Major construction milestones included the pouring of foundations for key modules, continued progress on marine piling, and further implementation of modular construction techniques designed to reduce on-site footprint while accelerating delivery timelines.

These advancements were achieved through close collaboration with project partners, suppliers and contractors, and in partnership with the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation).

In 2025, Woodfibre LNG, a member of the RGE group of companies founded by Sukanto Tanoto, continued to operate its floatel workforce accommodation solution, designed to minimise pressure on local housing and community services. As of November, two floatels were in active operation, providing high-quality, safe and comfortable living conditions for the project workforce while supporting construction efficiency.

Environmental protection remained a central focus throughout the year. The project’s Marine Mammal Monitoring Programme, which includes hydroacoustic monitoring, exclusion zones and shore-based observation posts, delivered measurable outcomes by enabling real-time operational decisions, including pauses to marine activities when marine mammals entered exclusion areas.

In parallel, remediation of legacy materials from the former pulp mill site continued, with hundreds of thousands of tonnes of historical waste removed. These efforts have contributed to improving site conditions for both local communities and marine and terrestrial ecosystems in Howe Sound.

Woodfibre LNG’s Operator Training Programme, delivered in partnership with the Squamish Nation Training and Trades Centre and the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), progressed throughout the year. The programme’s first cohort of graduates transitioned into full-time roles, supporting the development of long-term, skilled local employment opportunities linked to the project.

Through its Community Partnership Programme (CPP), Woodfibre LNG continued to invest in local communities across the Sea-to-Sky corridor. In 2025, the programme surpassed $1 million in total grants since its inception, supporting initiatives in sports, healthcare, emergency services, arts and culture, and youth development.

Luke Schauerte, CEO of Woodfibre LNG, said, “2025 has been a year of significant progress for Woodfibre LNG. We are proud of what our team and partners have accomplished together and look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead.”

With more than half of the project’s development now complete, Woodfibre LNG remains focused on advancing construction safely and responsibly, while maintaining strong partnerships with Indigenous communities, local stakeholders and regulators.

As the project looks ahead to 2026, Woodfibre LNG continues its work toward delivering lower-carbon, responsibly produced Canadian energy to international markets.

Hashtag: #RGE #PacificEnergy #PacificCanbriamEnergy #WoodfibreLNG #LNG #environment #partnerships #LNG #liquefiednaturalgas #energy #sustainability

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About Woodfibre LNG

The Woodfibre LNG Project is owned by Woodfibre LNG Limited Partnership, owned 70 per cent by Pacific Energy Corporation (Canada) Limited and 30 per cent by Enbridge Inc. The Woodfibre LNG facility is being built on the site of the former Woodfibre pulp mill site, which is located about seven kilometres southwest of Squamish, B.C. Woodfibre LNG will source its natural gas from Pacific Canbriam Energy, a Canadian company with operations in Northeastern British Columbia. Pacific Canbriam is an industry leader in sustainable natural gas production. Woodfibre LNG and Pacific Canbriam Energy are subsidiaries of Pacific Energy Corporation Limited. Woodfibre LNG is the first industrial project in Canada to recognise a non-treaty Indigenous government, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), as a full environmental regulator.

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New Opportunities in Southeast Asia’s Digital Shift: Thailand Emerges as the New ASEAN’s AI Hub

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BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 December 2025 – As global attention remains fixed on the AI race, Thailand is now carving out a new identity as an emerging “AI Hub for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).” The government is steadily advancing its “Thailand 4.0” initiative, positioning the digital economy as the key driver of national transformation.

The expansion of AI and data centers (DCs) in Thailand is driving several transformative trends:

  • Changing data traffic patterns. As DCs multiply in Bangkok, Chonburi, and beyond, Thailand is evolving from a traditional data “transit point” into a regional “convergence hub.” East-west digital traffic is accelerating, with Thai DC clusters increasingly meeting the computing demands of Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific.
  • Optimized data routing. Data flows that once relied on submarine cables via Hong Kong and Singapore are gradually shifting to land-based digital corridors linking China, Laos, and Thailand. This route reduces data transmission latency from southwestern China to Southeast Asia.
  • Elevated business expectations. Demand is shifting beyond “sufficient bandwidth” toward “high-quality experience.” Thailand sits in a “latency sweet spot” for key Asia-Pacific markets, with latencies to Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia falling within an optimal range—a crucial advantage for latency-sensitive sectors like autonomous driving, telemedicine, and fintech.

New opportunities inevitably bring new challenges, and Thailand also addresses the following three challenges:

1. Massive traffic impacting existing networks: Compared with mature hubs like Singapore, Thailand has insufficient international submarine cables. A large volume of cross-border data still needs to be transmitted through detours. Meanwhile, as DC investments continue to accelerate, traffic will keep rising. Analysis shows that by 2029, Thailand’s DC capacity may reach 2000 MW, with cross-region traffic surging to 630 Tbps. The current network architecture is no longer capable of supporting such heavy traffic.

2. Latency advantages not fully realized: Despite its geographic advantages, Thailand’s network latency performance has yet to reach its full potential. Routes to key markets, like China, still require third-party transit. What’s more, traditional network scheduling lacks intelligent route selection capabilities, making it difficult to provide deterministic assurance for latency-sensitive services like financial transactions and real-time AI interactions.

3. Potential risks in network reliability: Thailand’s network reliability faces structural challenges. Single points of failure have previously caused hours-long interruptions to critical services, directly undermining enterprise users’ confidence.

To overcome these challenges, Thailand can take a systematic approach to upgrading its digital infrastructure, aiming to build next-generation AI-ready networks.

1. Building ultra-high-bandwidth “sea-land” connectivity. By actively introducing new submarine cables, Thailand can significantly enhance its connectivity with the Asia-Pacific region and the world. Meanwhile, accelerating the construction and expansion of key terrestrial cable routes—such as China-Laos-Thailand and Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore—will transform Thailand’s geographic advantage into a tangible connectivity advantage.

2. Optimizing network routes to create a regional low-latency core. Strengthening the Kunming-Laos-Thailand terrestrial cable route will continuously reduce transmission latency between China and Thailand, meeting the needs of real-time applications. In addition, the introduction of autonomous networks will enable automatic selection of the optimal, shortest route, shifting from “best effort” to “deterministic low latency.”

3. Designing a “never-interrupted” high-resilience architecture. Deploying active-active DC networks with millisecond-level switchover capabilities ensures the continuity of core services. Meanwhile, AI-driven intelligent O&M can reduce fault detection and diagnosis from hours to minutes.

Thailand’s booming AI and DC industries are driving rapid growth in regional and cross-border business demand. In this trend, network infrastructure construction centered on DCs is the core engine that drives AI transformation, propelling Thailand toward its vision of becoming the new AI hub for ASEAN.

Hashtag: #huawei

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MyRepublic Launches Card Sub, Singapore’s First Subscription Service for Trading Card Game Fans

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SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 December 2025 MyRepublic today announced the launch of Card Sub, a new subscription-based service designed for Trading Card Game (TCG) enthusiasts. Card Sub offers subscribers a convenient way to receive Magic: The Gathering (MTG) products monthly, including access to premium booster packs not typically available through standard retail purchases.

MyRepublic Launches Card Sub, Singapore’s First Subscription Service for Trading Card Game Fans

Card Sub introduces a structured monthly subscription model in which customers pay a fixed monthly rate and receive up to 3 Play Booster packs or 2 Play booster boxes from the current MTG release. In addition, subscribers will receive free premium booster packs or boxes. These premium boosters may include Collector Booster Packs or Boxes, such as the highly sought-after Final Fantasy Collector Booster, which is constantly sold out worldwide which features the extremely valuable serialised Golden Chocobo card
“The trading card community in Singapore is incredibly passionate, and Card Sub is our small way of adding value to that ecosystem,” said Terry Williams, Head of Consumer at MyRepublic. “As TCG players ourselves, we wanted to offer something to the community to provide an easier access to the latest release every month, and the chance to secure premium packs that might not be readily accessible to players. We see Card Sub as a community-driven initiative, open to all who share a passion for growing the hobby.”
The subscription tiers available at launch are:
MyRepublic Card Sub Plans
MyRepublic Card Sub Plans

Card Sub will be available to both MyRepublic and non-MyRepublic customers. All product redemptions will take place in person at the upcoming Card Arena by MyRepublic, located at Suntec City. Customers will redeem their Premium booster or box in-store.

Card Sub is positioned to serve cost-conscious TCG consumers by providing reliable monthly access to boosters with the added benefit of premium packs or boxes at no additional charge. The inclusion of Collector Boosters in the premium pool provides an opportunity for subscribers to obtain higher-value products through a predictable monthly model. MyRepublic also plans to expand Card Sub to additional TCG franchises, including Pokémon.
Card Sub is open for sign-up at cardsub.net and available to everyone in Singapore. Monthly redemption of subscription items will be fulfilled exclusively at:
Card Arena by MyRepublic
Suntec City, 3 Temasek Boulevard, #02-323/324

Hashtag: #CardSub, #MyRepublic #MyRepublicCardSub #CardSubSG #TCG #GeeksUseUs





The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

MyRepublic

MyRepublic is an award-winning telecom operator whose values lie in the future of connectivity, the next opportunity to disrupt, and innovations that will make a real difference. The provider’s priority is to redefine broadband and mobile connectivity in the markets it operates and empower customers to understand what a true modern connectivity experience can be.
For more information, please visit
cardsub.net

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