iSpace: First private Moon landing likely to have failed

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Photos taken from the spacecraft over the weekendiSpace
By George Wright
BBC News

A Japanese company hoping to make history by carrying out the first private Moon landing says its mission is likely to have failed.

Communication was lost with the Hakuto-R lunar lander moments before it was due to touch down.

Engineers are investigating what happened.

The Tokyo-based iSpace had hoped the lander would release an exploratory rover, as well as a tennis ball-sized robot developed by a toymaker.

The craft was launched by a SpaceX rocket in December, and took five months to reach its destination.

“We have not confirmed communication with the lander,” iSpace CEO Takeshi Hakamada said about 25 minutes after the planned landing.

“We have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface,” he added.

The M1 lander appeared set to touch down at around 16:40 GMT on Tuesday after coming as close as 295 feet (89 m) from the lunar surface, a live animation showed.

The lander was just over 2m tall and weighed 340kg, relatively small and compact by lunar spacecraft standards. It had been due for an hour-long landing manoeuvre from its orbit, around 100km above the surface, where it was moving at nearly 6,000km/hour.

After reaching the landing site in the Moon’s northern hemisphere, the Hakuto-R was to deploy two payloads to analyse the lunar soil, its geology and atmosphere. One of them was made by the toy company TOMY, which created the Transformers.

The United States, Russia and China are the only countries to have managed to put a robot on the lunar surface, all through government-sponsored programmes.

The primary aim of the mission was to assess the viability of commercial launches to the lunar surface. It was the first test by iSpace of what they hope will be a series of commercial landers over the next few years, each more ambitious than the previous.

The company’s vision is to provide commercial services for a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, such as sending up equipment for mining and producing rocket fuel.

According to Dr Adam Baker, who is director of a space consultancy firm not involved with the project, Rocket Engineering, a successful landing would have represented a “step change” in commercial involvement in space exploration.

“If it is affordable and can be repeated, it opens up the door for anyone who is prepared to pay the price to land something on the surface of the Moon,” he told the BBC.

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Senate committee mulls use of foreign satellites

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Anantaporn Kanchanarat (third from left): Getting recommendations
Anantaporn Kanchanarat (third from left): Getting recommendations

A Senate committee on information technology, communication and telecommunications on Tuesday met to discuss the state telecom regulator’s plan to revise regulations governing the use of foreign-owned satellites to provide domestic telecoms services.

Anantaporn Kanchanarat, chair of the Senate committee, said the discussion was meant to gather recommendations and concerns over the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s (NBTC) plan to review the regulations.

Raised during the discussion were the minimum qualifications for foreign satellite operators, licence fees, service disruptions and responsibilities, said Gen Anantaporn.

While the meeting’s participants agreed that allowing the use of foreign satellite transponders to provide domestic services would give customers more options, it could put Thai satellite service providers at a disadvantage, he said.

While satellite service operators Thaicom and National Telecom (NT) have invested millions of baht to obtain their licences, foreign satellite providers who want to provide domestic services in Thailand only need to pay 2 million baht for a five-year licence, he said.

According to Gen Anantaporn, the committee also debated a proposal seeking to allow the use of foreign satellite services on Thai and foreign planes, sea-faring vessels and high-speed rail systems.

The NBTC is currently gathering the public’s input on its planned changes to the regulations, which have been in use for three years.

The findings will be submitted to the NBTC’s board for consideration with the revised regulation expected to be announced in October.

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British American Tobacco to pay 5m for North Korea sanctions breaches

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KJU smoking in 2017Getty Images

British American Tobacco is to pay $635m (£512m) plus interest to US authorities after a subsidiary admitted selling cigarettes to North Korea in violation of sanctions.

The US authorities said the settlement related to BAT activity in North Korea between 2007 and 2017.

BAT’s head Jack Bowles said “we deeply regret the misconduct”.

The US has imposed severe sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile activities.

Tuesday’s settlement was between BAT and America’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

BAT is one of the world’s largest tobacco multinationals and one of the UK’s 10 biggest companies. It owns major cigarette brands including Lucky Strike, Dunhill and Pall Mall.

In a statement, BAT said it had entered into a “deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ and a civil settlement agreement with OFAC, and an indirect BAT subsidiary in Singapore has entered into a plea agreement with DOJ”.

The DOJ said BAT had also conspired to defraud financial institutions in order to get them to process transactions on behalf of North Korean entities.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is known to be a heavy smoker. Last year the US attempted to get the UN Security Council to ban tobacco exports to North Korea, but this was vetoed by Russia and China.

The justice department also revealed criminal charges against North Korean banker Sim Hyon-Sop, 39, and Chinese facilitators Qin Guoming, 60, and Han Linlin, 41, for facilitating sales of tobacco to North Korea.

They were accused of buying leaf tobacco for North Korean state owned cigarette makers and falsifying documents to trick US banks into processing transactions worth $74m. North Korean manufacturers including one owned by the military made about $700m thanks to these deals.

The DOJ announced rewards of $1m for information leading to the capture of Mr Sim and $500,000 each for Mr Qin and Mr Han, who all remain at large.

Pyongyang has for years faced multiple rounds of tough sanctions in response to its ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

However that has not deterred Mr Kim from continuing to develop the country’s weapons programme.

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Thais from Sudan due home late Wednesday

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Three air force planes en route to Saudi Arabia to help complete evacuation

The Royal Thai Air Force sent three aircraft to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night to bring back Thai nationals who have fled conflict-torn Sudan. (Photo: Wassana Nanuam)
The Royal Thai Air Force sent three aircraft to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night to bring back Thai nationals who have fled conflict-torn Sudan. (Photo: Wassana Nanuam)

The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) sent three aircraft to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday night to repatriate Thai people evacuated from conflict-torn Sudan. They are expected to arrive at Don Mueang Airport around 8pm tomorrow.

The two C-130s and an Airbus A340-500 departed from the air force’s Royal 6 airport next to Don Mueang, said air force spokesman AVM Prapas Sornchaidee.

The planes are headed to King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had designated as the gathering place for Thai nationals wishing to return home.

The Airbus will pick up Thai people evacuated from Sudan on Monday, while the C-130s would remain on standby for those unable to join the first round of repatriation, AVM Prapas said, adding that they could also fly to Sudan if the opportunity arises.

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said 212 Thai nationals and three foreign spouses had expressed their desire to return to Thailand as of Monday.

The foreign ministry, the Royal Thai Embassy in Cairo, and the honorary consul in Sudan assisted in providing buses in Khartoum on Monday that took them to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, the staging point for efforts to help nationals of several countries get to Saudi Arabia.

From Port Sudan the Thais were to board a ship provided by the Saudi Arabian government for a trip expected to take around 15 hours. They would then board buses to Jeddah and fly to Thailand. The flight time is about eight hours. They will arrive at Don Mueang around 8pm Wednesday, said Ms Rachada.

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said five Thai nationals living in a part of Sudan where there is no fighting had also registered to return. The ministry will send a vehicle to collect this group, he added.

Fierce clashes erupted in Sudan on April 15 between forces allied with two generals involved in a 2021 coup.

Rescue operations to extract foreign nationals intensified on Tuesday as a 72-hour ceasefire took effect, but gunfire still rang out in the capital Khartoum.

The World Health Organization said that more than 450 people have been killed and over 4,000 wounded so far.

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Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein aims to be more sustainable

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BARCELONA: Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein plans to become more focused on sustainability, Executive Vice Chairman Donald Tang said on Tuesday (Apr 25), adding that consumers are no longer just concerned about affordability. Shein sells US$10 dresses and US$5 tops and has taken market share from other affordable fashion retailers. TheContinue Reading

Former MP gets jail for B5m bribe

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Pheu Thai member sought kickback in return for not cutting a department budget

Anurak Tangpanitanon, a former Pheu Thai MP for Mukdahan, was exposed by a civil servant who said the MP demanded 5 million baht in return for not cutting his department's budget. (Photo: Thai Journalists Association)
Anurak Tangpanitanon, a former Pheu Thai MP for Mukdahan, was exposed by a civil servant who said the MP demanded 5 million baht in return for not cutting his department’s budget. (Photo: Thai Journalists Association)

A former Pheu Thai MP for Mukdahan has been sentenced to six years in jail for demanding a 5-million-baht bribe.

The sentence against Anurak Tangpanitanon was handed down on Tuesday by the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Persons Holding Political Positions.

Mr Anurak plans to appeal the sentence.

He had been found guilty earlier of demanding the bribe in exchange for passing a proposed budget allocation deal when he served on the House committee vetting the 2021 budget bill.

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) recommended his indictment after its inquiry found there were grounds for the allegation.

In its ruling, the court found Mr Anurak guilty of violating the Criminal Code and the anti-corruption law for demanding the bribe from Sakda Wichiansilp, director-general of the Department of Groundwater Resources, in exchange for not cutting the department’s budget.

In addition to the six-year prison sentence, the court also retrospectively stripped Mr Anurak of the MP position he had held from April 19, 2021. It banned him from running in an election and holding political positions for life and from voting for 10 years.

In January this year, the court found him guilty of violating the parliamentary code of ethics for demanding the bribe. The misconduct was deemed an abuse of his authority as an MP to obtain personal gain, which is prohibited under Section 87 of the 2018 organic law on corruption suppression and prevention.

The scandal came to light when Mr Sakda revealed it during a meeting with the sub-committee reviewing the budget allocation for his department. He said a sub-committee member had demanded 5 million baht in exchange for passing the proposed budget allocation.

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Summer storm pounds Prachin Buri

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More than 50 stalls at local market damaged

More than 50 stalls were damaged when a storm struck a flea market in tambon Dong Bang of Prachantakham district of Prachin Buri. (Photos: Manit Sanabboon)
More than 50 stalls were damaged when a storm struck a flea market in tambon Dong Bang of Prachantakham district of Prachin Buri. (Photos: Manit Sanabboon)

A summer storm, gusty winds and hail damaged more than 60 residential units and a flea market and brought down five power poles in Prachantakham district of Prachin Buri on Tuesday afternoon.

More than 50 vending stalls at the flea market in tambon Dong Bang were damaged when the storm pounded the district at around 2.30pm. The storm also caused a metal structure to fall on a stall selling fried bananas, striking a 60-year old vendor. She sustained leg injuries and was rushed to Prachantakham Hospital, said her husband Or Sangvornkit, 73.

Market owner Ratchanee Kerdprasert, 66, said more than 50 stalls were damaged.

Prachin Buri governor Ronnarong Nakhonchinda said the storm also damaged 50 rooms and 10 twin houses for local officials and five warehouses at the Region 3 offices of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department in Prachantakham district.

The storm also brought down five power poles, said the governor. Some big trees were uprooted as well.

A summer storm warning remains in effect for most of upper Thailand through Wednesday, the meteorological Department said on Tuesday.

The storm on Tuesday brought down five power poles in Prachantakham district. (Photo: Manit Sanabboon)

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Court of Appeal dismisses eleventh-hour application of cannabis trafficker on death row

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SINGAPORE: The Court of Appeal on Tuesday (Apr 25) dismissed an application by a cannabis trafficker to have his case reviewed, a day before the death row convict was set to be hanged.

Justice of the Court of Appeal Steven Chong dismissed Tangaraju Suppiah’s bid for a review application to be made, and for his execution to be stayed.

The 46-year-old Singaporean has drawn support from British billionaire Richard Branson who claimed that his conviction did not meet standards and that “Singapore may be about to kill an innocent man”.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said in response that Mr Branson’s comments showed “disrespect” for Singapore’s judges and criminal justice system.

In a 15-page judgment, Justice Chong explained that Tangaraju had failed to show a legitimate basis for the court to review his case. 

“There is also no basis for the court to exercise its inherent power to reopen a concluded criminal appeal,” he said. “This application is therefore dismissed without being set down for hearing.”

Tangaraju was convicted in October 2018 by a High Court judge of a capital charge of abetting an accomplice by conspiring to traffic cannabis.

This was by delivering about 1kg of cannabis to himself, an offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Tangaraju was sentenced to death after failing to fulfil any of the criteria that would free him from death row.

He later appealed against his conviction and sentence, but it was dismissed in August 2019, with the court agreeing that Tangaraju had conspired to traffic in cannabis, and that he had used a phone to communicate with his accomplice, Mogan Valo.

Tangaraju filed a criminal motion in November 2022 for permission to apply to review the concluded appeal. The court dismissed this as well in February 2023.

In his latest bid, Tangaraju, who was self-represented, argued that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he and Mogan had an agreement to traffic the specific quantity of 1017.9g of cannabis.

However, Justice Chong said it was never Tangaraju’s case at trial that the agreement with Mogan was to traffic an amount that was below the threshold amount for capital punishment, or any lesser quantity.

“It thus appears that the applicant is essentially seeking to advance an entirely new argument,” said Justice Chong.

He added that the agreement to traffic the quantity found in Mogan’s possession was proven beyond a reasonable doubt, in any event.

Justice Chong agreed with the prosecution that this new argument was premised on “false assertions”. Mogan had testified that he had collected cannabis from another person and had been instructed to deliver the drugs to Tangaraju.

He testified that he knew the “two rectangular-shaped blocks wrapped in white packaging” were cannabis upon his own inspection, and the drugs were subsequently analysed and found to contain 1017.9g of cannabis.

Justice Chong found that there was no legitimate basis for the court to exercise its power of review.

“The new arguments which the applicant has advanced at the eleventh hour, without more, do not warrant the court’s exercise of its inherent power to reopen a concluded criminal appeal,” he said.

CNA has contacted the Singapore Prison Service about what will happen next for Tangaraju.

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Asia’s Best Managed Companies 2023 – Market winners

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Every year, FinanceAsia publishes its highly regarded benchmark of Asia’s best companies.

Based on nomination by Asia’s active community of influential investors and financial analysts, the poll evaluates the corporate behaviour and performance of Asian peers over the past 12 months.

It is with this in mind that the FA team is delighted to announce the winners for 2023.

Following very positive market participation, we have decided to award up to three medals per category to reflect corporate achievements. Gold, silver and bronze medallists are detailed where applicable.

Read on for the winners of the following categories:

– Best Overall Company
– Best Large-cap
– Best Mid-cap
– Best Small-cap
– Best Corporate Esg Strategy
– Best DEI Strategy
– Best Investor Relations
– Best CEO
– Best CFO

Don’t forget to read about our Industry Winners here.

Thank you to all those who participated and congratulations!

—  WINNERS BY MARKET —

— Best Overall Company —

China
Gold – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Silver – Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Bronze – Xiaomi Inc.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
Silver – Link Real Estate Investment Trust
Bronze – Swire Pacific Ltd.

India
Gold – Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. & Tata Power Company Ltd.
Silver – Infosys Consultants Private Ltd.
Bronze – Hdfc Bank Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk
Bronze – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc. / Megawide Construction Corporation
Silver – Bank Of The Philippine Islands
Bronze – Ayala Corporation

Singapore
Gold – Amtd Group Company Ltd.
Silver – Dbs Bank Ltd.

Taiwan
Gold – Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.
Silver – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
Bronze – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd. & Wistron Neweb Corporation

Thailand
Gold – Ptt Global Chemical Public Company Ltd.
Silver – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.
Bronze – Central Retail Corporation Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vingroup Joint Stock Company
Silver – Vinfast Joint Stock Company
Bronze – Vinhomes Joint Stock Company

— Best Large-cap —

China
Gold – China Mobile Ltd.
Silver – Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk
Bronze – Pt Bank Central Asia Tbk

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd.
Silver – Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.

— Best Mid-cap —

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Asiainfo Technologies Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Perusahaan Minyak Nasional
Bronze – Pt Mayora Indah Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Bloomberry Resorts Corporation
Silver – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc.
Bronze – Gt Capital Holdings, Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

— Best Small-cap —

China
Gold – Yiren Digital Ltd.
Silver – Tarena International Inc.
Bronze – Hello Group Inc.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Sa Sa International Holdings
Silver – Far East Consortium International Ltd.
Bronze – Viva China Holdings Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt Bank Keb Hana Indonesia
Silver – Pt Perikanan Nusantara (Persero)
Bronze – Pt Adi Sarana Armada Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Manila Water Company, Inc.
Silver – Security Bank Corporation
Bronze – Megawide Construction Corporation

Singapore
Gold – Amtd Digital Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Wistron Neweb Corporation
Silver – Hwahsia Glass Co., Ltd.

Thailand
Gold – Dohome Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Forth Corporation Public Company Ltd.
Bronze – Gunkul Engineering Public Company Ltd.

— Best Corporate Esg Strategy —

China
Gold – China Telecom Corporation, Ltd.
Silver – Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.
Bronze – Meituan Inc.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
Silver – Sino Land Company Ltd.
Bronze – The Mass Transit Railway Corporation

India
Gold – Infosys Consultants Private Ltd.
Silver – Tata Power Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk
Bronze – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Ayala Corporation
Silver – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc.
Bronze – Sm Investments Corporation

Singapore
Gold – Sp Group Pte. Ltd.

Taiwan
Gold – Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.
Silver – Wistron Neweb Corporation
Bronze – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

Thailand
Gold – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Ptt Global Chemical Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vinfast Joint Stock Company
Silver – Vingroup Joint Stock Company
Bronze – Vinhomes Joint Stock Company

— Best DEI Strategy —

China
Gold – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Silver – Baidu, Inc.
Bronze – Trip.Com Group Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Far East Consortium International Ltd.
Silver – Asiainfo Technologies Ltd.

India
Gold – Tata Power Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk
Bronze – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Wistron Neweb Corporation
Silver – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
Bronze – Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.

Thailand
Gold – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vinfast Joint Stock Company

— Best Investor Relations —

China
Gold – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Silver – Asiainfo Technologies Ltd.
Bronze – Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Far East Consortium International Ltd.
Silver – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
Bronze – Asiainfo Technologies Ltd.

India
Gold – Tata Power Company Ltd.
Silver – Tata Motors Ltd.
Bronze – Titan Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk
Bronze – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc.
Silver – Bdo Unibank, Inc.
Bronze – International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Wistron Neweb Corporation
Silver – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
Bronze – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd. & Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.

Thailand
Gold – Central Retail Corporation Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Dohome Public Company Ltd.
Bronze – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vingroup Joint Stock Company
Silver – Vinhomes Joint Stock Company
Bronze – Vinfast Joint Stock Company

— Best CEO —

China
Gold – Liu Qiangdong – Jd.Com, Inc
Silver – Pony Ma Huateng – Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Bronze – Ke Ruiwen – China Telecom Corporation, Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Adrian Cheng – New World Development Company Ltd.
Silver – David Chiu – Far East Consortium International Ltd.
Bronze – Raymond Kwok – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.

India
Gold – Rajesh Gopinathan – Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.
Silver – Sandeep Bakhshi – Icici Bank Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Sunarso – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Royke Tumilaar – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk
Bronze – Jahja Setiaatmadja – Pt Bank Central Asia Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Jeffrey C Lim – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc. & Tg Limcaoco – Bank Of The Philippine Islands
Silver – Edgar Saavedra – Megawide Construction Corporation
Bronze – Enrique K Razon – International Container Terminal Services, Inc. /Bloomberry Resorts Corporation

Singapore
Gold – Piyush Gupta – Dbs Bank Ltd.

Taiwan
Gold – Chee Ching – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd.
Silver – Douglas Tong Hsu – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
Bronze – Jeffrey Gau – Wistron Neweb Corporation

Thailand
Gold – Preeyanart Sunthornwatha – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Phawat Witoopakorn – Eastern Polymer Group Public Company Ltd.
Bronze – Gunkul Dumrongpiyawut – Gunkul Engineering Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Le Thi Thu Thuy – Vinfast Joint Stock Company

— Best CFO —

China
Gold – Li Yuchao – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Silver – Li Yinghui – China Telecom Corporation, Ltd.
Bronze – Li Ronghua – China Mobile Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Vanessa Lau – Hong Kong Exchanges And Clearing Ltd.
Silver – Brian Sum – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
Bronze – Edward Lau – New World Development Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – Viviana Dyah Ayu Retno K – Pt. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – Sigit Prastowo – Pt Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk
Bronze – Novita Widya Anggraini – Pt Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk

Philippines
Gold – John Nai Peng Ong – Sm Prime Holdings, Inc.
Silver – Estela Tuason-Occena – Bloomberry Resorts Corporation
Bronze – Riza Maniego – Globe Telecom, Inc.

Singapore
Gold – Chng Sok Hui – Dbs Bank Ltd.

Taiwan
Gold – David Wang – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
Silver – Jona Song – Wistron Neweb Corporation

Thailand
Gold – Siriwong Borvornboonrutai – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – David Mansfield – Vinfast Joint Stock Company

 

¬ Haymarket Media Limited. All rights reserved.

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Asia’s Best Managed Companies 2023 – Industry winners

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On:
In: Asia, Finance, South-East Asia

Every year, FinanceAsia publishes its highly regarded benchmark of Asia’s best companies.

Based on nomination by Asia’s active community of influential investors and financial analysts, the poll evaluates the corporate behaviour and performance of Asian peers over the past 12 months.

It is with this in mind that the FA team is delighted to announce the winners for 2023.

Following very positive market participation, we have decided to award up to three medals per category to reflect corporate achievements. Gold, silver and bronze medallists are detailed where applicable.

Read on for the winners of the following categories:

– Best Basic Materials Company
– Best Consumer Cyclicals Company
– Best Consumer Non-Cyclicals Company
– Best Energy Company
– Best Financial Company
– Best Healthcare Company
– Best Industrials Company
– Best Real Estate Company
– Best Technology Company
– Best Telecommunications Company
– Best Utilities Company

Don’t forget to read about our Market Winners here.

Thank you to all those who participated and congratulations!

— WINNERS BY SECTOR —

— Basic Materials Company —

Indonesia
Gold – PT Aneka Tambang Tbk
Silver – PT Krakatau Steel (Persero) Tbk & PT Petrokimia Gresik

Philippines
Gold – Nickel Asia Corporation

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

— Consumer Cyclicals Company —

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – ANTA Sports Products Ltd.
Silver – Viva China Holdings Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk
Silver – PT Erajaya Swasembada Tbk
Bronze -mPT Media Nusantara Citra Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Megawide Construction Corporation

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

— Consumer Non-Cyclicals Company —

China
Gold – Chongqing Hongjiu Fruit Company, Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Hengan International Group Company, Ltd.
Silver – Chongqing Hongjiu Fruit Company, Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk
Silver – PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk
Bronze – PT Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd.

— Best Energy Company —

China
Gold – China Shenhua Energy Company Ltd.
Silver – CNOOC Ltd
Bronze – China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation

Indonesia
Gold – PT Perusahaan Minyak Nasional
Silver – PT Adaro Energy Indonesia Tbk
Bronze – PT AKR Corporindo Tbk & PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero)

Philippines
Gold – Aboitiz Power Corporation
Silver – ACEN Corporation & Semirara Mining And Power Corporation

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

Thailand
Gold – B. Grimm Power Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Energy Absolute Public Company Ltd. & Gunkul Engineering Public Company Ltd.

— Best Financial Company —

China
Gold – Industrial and Commercial Bank Of China (Asia) Ltd.
Silver – China Life Insurance Company Ltd.
Bronze – American International Assurance Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk & PT Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk
Bronze – PT Bank Central Asia Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Bank Of The Philippine Islands
Silver – BDO Unibank, Inc. & Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company

Taiwan
Gold – Cathay Financial Holding Company, Ltd.
Silver – Chailease Holding Company Ltd. & First Financial Holding Company Ltd.

— Best Healthcare Company —

China
Gold – Wuxi Biologics Cayman Inc. & Innovent Biologics, Inc.
Silver – Akeso, Inc.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd.
Silver – Canbridge Pharmaceuticals Inc.

India
Gold – Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd

Indonesia
Gold – PT Prodia Widyahusada Tbk
Silver – PT Kalbe Farma Tbk
Bronze – PT Medikaloka Hermina Tbk

Thailand
Gold – Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Intermedical Care and Lab Hospital Public Company Ltd.
Bronze – Praram 9 Hospital Public Company Ltd.

— Best Industrials Company —

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – TK Group Holdings Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Astra International Tbk
Silver – PT United Tractors Tbk
Bronze – PT Krakatau Steel (Persero) Tbk

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

— Best Real Estate Company —

China
Gold – China Resources Land Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Far East Consortium International Ltd.
Silver – Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd.
Bronze – Swire Properties Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Ciputra Development Tbk
Silver – PT Bumi Serpong Damai Tbk
Bronze – PT Pakuwon Jati Tbk

Philippines
Gold – SM Prime Holdings, Inc.
Silver – Ayala Land, Inc. & Robinsons Land Corporation

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation

Thailand
Gold – Origin Property Public Company Ltd.
Silver – Quality Houses Public Company Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vinhomes Joint Stock Company

— Best Technology Company —

China
Gold – Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Silver – JD.Com, Inc.
Bronze – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Asiainfo Technologies Ltd.
Silver – BYD Electronic Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – PT DCI Indonesia Tbk
Bronze – PT Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk

Taiwan
Gold – Wistron Neweb Corporation
Silver – Sercomm Corporation
Bronze – Topco Scientific Co. Ltd.

Vietnam
Gold – Vinfast Joint Stock Company

— Best Telecommunications Company —

China
Gold – China Mobile Ltd.
Silver – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd.
Bronze – China Telecom Corporation, Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)
Silver – China Tower Corporation Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Telkom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk
Silver – PT XL Axiata Tbk
Bronze – PT Sarana Menara Nusantara Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Globe Telecom, Inc.
Silver – Converge ICT Solutions Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Chunghwa Telecom Company, Ltd.
Silver – Far Eastone Telecommunications Co., Ltd.
Bronze – Taiwan Mobile Corporation Ltd.

— Best Utilities Company —

China
Gold – China Power International Development Ltd.
Silver – China Datang Corporation Ltd.

Hong Kong SAR
Gold – Tian Lun Gas Holdings Ltd.

India
Gold – Tata Power Company Ltd.

Indonesia
Gold – PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk
Silver – PT Indonesia Kendaraaan Terminal Tbk
Bronze – PT Kencana Energi Lestari Tbk

Philippines
Gold – Manila Water Company, Inc.

Taiwan
Gold – Far Eastern New Century Corporation
 

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