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Pokémon Battle Festival Asia 2021 challenges idol groups, regional influencers

December 15, 2021 7:33 p.m.

The Pokémon Company, together with ESL Gaming Asia, announced a special tournament showcase featuring idols from JKT48, BNK48, MNL48 and CGM48 and special invitationals for influencers of various regions to battle it out!

Pokémon UNITE AKB48 Group Invitational

The Pokémon UNITE AKB48 Group Invitational will feature idols from the popular AKB48 group, mainly JKT48 from Jakarta, BNK48 from Bangkok, MNL48 from Manila, and CGM48 from Chiang Mai. Fourteen teams have been formed in total. Groups with more than 2 teams will compete in an internal qualifier.

The top 2 teams from each 48 Groups will be the representatives in the Group Stage on January 8 and 9, 2022. The Playoffs will be held on January 16, 2022. Fans can look forward to cheering for their favorite idols as the Group Stage and Playoffs will be broadcasted live.

Regional influencers battle it out in special invitationals

Popular influencers from across the region will battle it out on various popular Pokémon games happening from December 2021 till February 2022. Here are some important dates: Pokémon Trading Card Game Invitational on January 22, 2022, and Pokémon UNITE Invitational on February 5, 2022.

Don’t miss all the action from the following influencers: 蔥蔥 ChungChung, Deer 鹿兒, Kisabbb, KZee, 馬馬 Rose Ma from Hong Kong; AK Gaming, Alpats Gaming, Gilang FA GAME, Lynnda from Indonesia;  Bexed, Cometopapa, MasterRamen, MissRose Gaming, Obot Gaming, Vokey Gaming from Malaysia; Arthars, Nadia, Sean, SynC, SkyWee from Singapore; 小潔_Mina from Taiwan; Attempt Z, HotHead – เกมเมอร์หัวร้อน, JAI RAW ใจร้าว, Jz O.racle, Online Station from Thailand; and Alodia Gosiengfiao, Dexie Diaz, Elie Gaming, Lhea Bernardino, Moymoy Palaboy from the Philippines. More influencers to be announced!

Pokémon Battle Festival Asia Highlight Show & Giveaway

The Highlight Shows uploaded on YouTube will bring fans the latest Pokémon Battle Festival Asia news. Join the cast of international hosts such as Markki Stroem, Danelie, Tashbunny, SHINN, LoDay and Pierre Liu.

For fans who watch the Highlight Show, there are many giveaways in store. In the first giveaway, fans who make a TikTok video of themselves watching the Pokémon Battle Festival Asia Highlight Show and mention who their favorite Pokémon from the Pokémon Diamond & Pearl Animation Series, can stand a chance to win a Nintendo Switch™ and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. Fans can watch Episode 1 at https://youtu.be/X_NIzXbtYU0

Stay tuned to the Highlight Show so they won’t miss future giveaways! For different regions, giveaways may vary.

For more information on Pokémon Battle Festival Asia, please visit: https://pokemonbattlefest.com/

Pokémon UNITE announces new content for players

On December 9, Remoat Stadium changed into a wintery look, holiday holowear and much more will also be available soon.

New Pokémon’s participation

Tsareena and Dragonite joined the UNITE Battle on December 9 and on December 20, respectively! Also, players who log in between December 9 (after the update) and January 1, 2022, 9 a.m. will receive a free UNITE License for Tsareena.

New look of Remoat Stadium

Starting December 9, the Remoat Stadium had a fresh new look and different wild Pokémons will change as well. Articuno made an appearance at the Legend Pit. Get ready for a hot UNITE Battle amidst the ice and snow!

Special UNITE Battle in Shivre City

From December 15 to January 16, 2022, trainers will be able to play “Snow Battle” at Shivre City. In this special UNITE Battle, Delibird will appear as a wild Pokémon carrying a present. At the start of the battle, trainers will not be able to choose a battle item. However, when a Delibird comes along and drops a present, trainers will be able to temporarily use one out of nine powerful special battle items at random. So, trainers, use those wisely to win your battles!

All Pokémon Trials Period

From January 1, 2022 at 8 a.m. until January 4, 2022 at 8 a.m., all Pokémon Trial Licenses will be valid for use, and all Pokémon, including the new Tsareena and Dragonite, will be playable in Standard and Quick Matches.

Holiday-style holowear

The holiday-style holowear for Pikachu, Dragonite, Blastoise, Mamoswine, Garchomp, and Gardevoir together with Crustle’s cake-style holowear that looks like a Christmas cake will be available.

Light Up Challenge

From December 15 to January 16, 2022, trainers who complete daily missions and challenge missions not only get items, but also “Ray” too! Trainers will be able to collect holiday items depending on the amount of “Ray” gathered.

Special Gifts

From December 24 to January 1, 2022, players will receive a daily gift. Moreover, if players log in during a certain period, they can choose several items out of the special gifts.

Photo Challenge

From December 24 to January 6, 2022, players will receive a “Snowflake” everytime they participate in a UNITE Battle. Collecting “Snowflakes” will reveal the hidden silhouettes in the photo and give players holiday items. Players should collect as many “Snowflakes” they can to complete their photo!

NEWS

SM Prime explores potential partnership with Japanese firm for waste-to-fuel solutions

September 25, 2023 12:39 p.m.

Shown here are (from left) SM Supermalls Vice President Liza Silerio, SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, GUUN Chief Executive Officer Shinji Fujieda, GUUN Philippine Branch Senior Managing Director and General Manager Takeshi Konishi

Leading real estate developer in Southeast Asia, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s GUUN Co. Ltd. to explore a potential partnership to implement waste management solutions by recycling waste paper and plastics as an alternative source of energy called ‘fluff fuel’.

Fluff Fuels are one type of RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) which are produced from shredded and compressed plastics, papers, and fibers. These are used as fuels in cement manufacturing, paper mill companies, or power companies in Japan.

SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy is positive that a partnership with GUUN will contribute to the waste reduction goals of the country. “Today, Japan’s waste management and recycling technology is among the most advanced in the world,” he said. “There is no better partner for SM because we do not just talk about being big, we make sure we do it; we do not talk about being environment friendly but we do take bold steps to save the environment. I am looking forward to growing with GUUN as among leaders in solving environmental issues in the Philippines.”

GUUN Co., Ltd., founded in March 2001 and headquartered in Yokohama City, Japan, piloted the production of fluff fuel from plastic waste in Inayawan, Cebu in 2014 and recently inaugurated its P200-million, 2,400-square meter waste recycling plant in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu.

Since then, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has adopted GUUN’s waste-to-fuel technology as a model for advanced low-carbon technology innovation for further deployment in developing countries.

“This will be a milestone partnership for us,” GUNN Chief Executive Officer Shinji Fujieda said after the signing ceremony. “I understand very much how important waste management is for SM and for the Philippines and we look forward to more projects we can do with the properties of SM Prime.”

SM Prime’s initiatives for waste management include waste reduction and effective waste collection and segregation. Over the years, it has implemented programs such as Trash to Cash, Plastic Waste Collection, and E-Waste Collection that have contributed to reducing the total solid waste generation across its real estate portfolio.

Through its pioneering Trash to Cash recycling market, SM Prime has collected and recycled 1.4M kg of plastics, paper, metals, and others in 2022. “We have saved 16,766 trees from the 986,222 kg of paper recycled,” SM Prime disclosed in its 2022 Integrated Report to shareholders.

Meanwhile, SM’s Plastic Waste Collection program, a partnership with the Plastic Credit Exchange that was launched in February 2021, has accumulated 42,541kg of plastic waste from 14 mall sites. Also present in all its 83 SM Supermalls is the E-Waste Collection program for the responsible disposal of WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment). This drive has helped process close to 7,000 kilograms of e-waste. (ENDS)

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NEWS

Satisfy your cravings with these best-selling Nanyang drinks

September 15, 2023 3:30 p.m.

Nanyang isn’t only known for its Laksa Prawn, Cheesy Chicken Chop Noodles and Singapore’s best selling Hainanese Chicken Rice and Kopi.

It also has several best-selling drinks to whet your appetite and satisfy your sweet tooth, such as Iced Teh Melaka, Kopi Jelly Milk Tea, Milo Dinosaur and Kopi O.

Head over to your nearest Nanyang branches nationwide.

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USA back on top; Germany takes Top 3 spot in FIBA World Ranking

September 15, 2023 1:28 p.m.

MIES (Switzerland) – The recent completion of the prestigious FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has produced some eye-catching positive climbs in the latest FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.

USA reclaim pole position with 786.6 points after benefiting from their consistency at major tournaments over the last three summers. Finishing in fourth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup where they outperformed former number one nation Spain, their run to the Semi-Finals came off the back of winning an Olympic title at Tokyo in 2021 and also taking bronze at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. 

Recently crowned FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 champions Germany have another slice of history to enjoy as they step into the top three of the rankings for the very first time after moving up a massive eight places and onto 759.7 points. Their stunning success made all the more incredible because of the fact they made the journey to the top step of the podium without tasting defeat. 

Canada also have another reason to celebrate too, with their maiden FIBA Basketball World Cup medal fueling an even bigger rise of nine spots. They now occupy sixth position with 745.5 points. 

Serbia performed in outstanding fashion to make the title game and their second-placed finish gave their fans something to be proud of. Those supporters can also now enjoy and reflect on their country being a top five nation again as they move up a place and into fifth position on 755.6 points.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the scale and impact of climbing the rankings in the upper echelon, nobody can match Latvia. They have rocketed up a staggering 22 places and into the top 10 after their heroic underdog displays which ensured they took fifth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. They now sit in 8th position on 743.7 points.

There were many other teams who impressed at the flagship event, including Brazil who recorded three wins in five games and moves up a place into 12th in the rankings on 660.5 points. The Americas region can also boast a nice move upwards of five places into 16th for Puerto Rico on 611.1 points, while Dominican Republic rise six spots into 18th place on 561.9 points.

There were also notable improvements for Georgia who move up 10 positions and into 23rd on 465.9 points, Japan jump 11 spots to 26th on 432.2 points and Lebanon claim an uplift of 16 places into 28th on 423.3.

One nation that truly made everyone sit up and take notice at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 were first-timers South Sudan. They made history by beating China to claim a first win at the event, then pushing on to beat the Philippines and Angola. This has resulted in a sensational climb of 32 spots in the rankings. They now find themselves in 31st place with 375.5 points.

For more information about the method used in the calculation of the FIBA World Ranking Men, please refer to the “How It Works” section.

Click here to view the full FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.

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