Wood Mackenzie scales renewable markets data reach as Canadian Solar joins Lens Power Development Partner Program

Lens® decision intelligence platform pinpoints investment opportunities in utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects

Wood Mackenzie

Solar Irradiation

LONDON/HOUSTON/SINGAPORE, April 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Wood Mackenzie welcomes Canadian Solar as a development partner for its industry-leading Lens® decision intelligence platform, which delivers live data across the industrial landscapes of every global economy.

Canadian Solar, (Nasdaq: CSIQ) one of the world’s largest solar technology companies, is the latest among leading companies across financial, manufacturing, renewable developer and utilities industries to collaborate with Wood Mackenzie (a Verisk business [Nasdaq: VRSK]) to connect the dots in the analysis of data across a rapidly changing energy landscape.

International pressure to decarbonize is intensifying and, through its continued addition of specialist organizations on all continents, Wood Mackenzie’s Lens platform has become instrumental in helping key players rapidly visualize, value, model and optimize energy assets, portfolios and companies.

Integration of renewable and conventional power sources in a single interface, drawing from Wood Mackenzie’s trusted commercial intelligence on the world’s natural resources sector, transforms how Lens Power customers drive investment strategy decisions and ignite growth plans.

Joe Levesque, Co-president for Wood Mackenzie states, “Battery storage capacity and hybrid solar-storage are on steep growth trajectories, as organizations look to capture the energy produced from renewable technologies to meet peak demand for electricity.”

“Canadian Solar is an important development partner for us, as it is in a unique and specialized position as a solar PV manufacturer and a large-scale solar and energy storage project developer. The insights its team will provide will further support our delivery of key data in what is an increasingly high activity segment, at a time of significant pressure in others.”

Canadian Solar has one of the world’s largest and most geographically diversified utility-scale solar and energy storage project development platforms, with a strong track record of originating, developing, financing and building over 6.3 GWp of solar power plants across six continents.

Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar states, “Energy storage technology will be a critical enabler of the solar PV market going forward. Understanding the hybrid solar-storage project economics will give us a growth advantage to develop cost-effective, end-to-end integrated dispatchable solar energy solutions.

“We look forward to working with Wood Mackenzie as we build our technological capabilities in the solar plus energy storage space, as efforts to scale capacity and secure new growth opportunities intensify.”

Lens® Power offers an integrated, thirty-year view of global power markets supply, demand, cost and energy price forecasts alongside high-fidelity geospatial data including solar irradiance and transmission infrastructure. As Wood Mackenzie continues to integrate real-time and historic nodal congestion and price data, Lens Power will provide unmatched insight into greenfield site selection and asset optimization.

Among Lens® initiatives is Wood Mackenzie’s collaboration with early adopters to design a power solution that provides a holistic understanding of what is happening in the world of energy, allowing organizations to improve profitability and minimize risk.

About Wood Mackenzie Lens®
Wood Mackenzie’s Lens® platform is the industry standard in critical decision-support, harnessing the power of digital technology to provide answers to complex questions across the natural resources value chain, enabling customers to manage their capital, operations, and processes swiftly and efficiently. https://www.woodmac.com/wood-mackenzie-lens-power/

About Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie, a Verisk Analytics business, is a trusted source of commercial intelligence for the world’s natural resources sector. We empower clients to make better strategic decisions, providing objective analysis and advice on assets, companies, and markets. For more information, visit: www.woodmac.com or follow us on Twitter @WoodMackenzie

WOOD MACKENZIE is a trademark of Wood Mackenzie Limited and is the subject of trademark registrations and/or applications in the European Community, the USA and other countries around the world.

About Canadian Solar Inc.
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 in Canada and is one of the world’s largest solar technology and renewable energy companies. It is a leading manufacturer of solar photovoltaic modules, provider of solar energy and battery storage solutions, and developer of utility-scale solar power and battery storage projects with a geographically diversified pipeline in various stages of development. Over the past 20 years, Canadian Solar has successfully delivered over 67 GW of premium-quality, solar photovoltaic modules to customers across the world. Likewise, since entering the project development business in 2010, Canadian Solar has developed, built and connected over 6.3 GWp in over 20 countries across the world. Currently, the Company has around 445 MWp of solar projects in operation, nearly 6 GWp of projects under construction or in backlog (late-stage), and an additional 18.6 GWp of projects in pipeline (mid- to early- stage). Canadian Solar is one of the most bankable companies in the solar and renewable energy industry, having been publicly listed on the NASDAQ since 2006. For additional information about the Company, follow Canadian Solar on LinkedIn or visit www.canadiansolar.com

About Verisk
Verisk (Nasdaq: VRSK) provides data-driven analytic insights and solutions for the insurance and energy industries. Through advanced data analytics, software, scientific research and deep industry knowledge, Verisk empowers customers to strengthen operating efficiency, improve underwriting and claims outcomes, combat fraud and make informed decisions about global issues, including climate change and extreme events as well as political and ESG topics. With offices in more than 30 countries, Verisk consistently earns certification by Great Place to Work and fosters an inclusive culture where all team members feel they belong. For more, visit Verisk.com and the Verisk Newsroom.

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For further information, please contact:

The Big Partnership (UK PR agency)
woodmac@bigpartnership.co.uk

Sonia Kerr
+44 330 174 7267
Sonia.kerr@woodmac.com

Canadian Solar Inc. Investor Relations Contact: Isabel Zhang, Director of Investor Relations and Strategic Analysis, investor@canadiansolar.com

Cambridge Innovation Capital Raises £225 million ($300 million) Fund II

Cambridge Innovation Capital Raises £225 million ($300 million) Fund II

CIC’s first fund made more than 30 investments in potentially world-leading deeptech and life sciences companies

Cambridge, UK: April 25, 2022Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC), the venture capital investor focused on building world-leading deeptech and life sciences businesses connected with the Cambridge ecosystem, has raised £225 million ($300 million) for its oversubscribed second fund (Fund II).

Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner of CIC, commented: “Cambridge, UK is one of the fastest-growing science and technology innovation ecosystems in the world. Since our inception, CIC and our co-investors have invested more than £2 billion in sectors as diverse as robotics, semiconductors, genomics, gene therapy, therapeutics, liquid biopsy, artificial intelligence, and edge computing. We are delighted to launch our new fund and to work with a dynamic group of entrepreneurs and investors to capture the full potential within the thriving Cambridge ecosystem.”

With Fund II, CIC now manages in excess of £500 million, giving it the scale to support its portfolio companies throughout their life cycle, providing investment capital as well as strategic and operational support.

Investors in Fund II include a geographically diverse group of around 50 institutional and strategic investors, with almost half of the capital raised having come from UK-based investors.

CIC has invested in c. 40 deeptech and life sciences companies to date, with Fund II already having made six investments. These include Riverlane, a quantum computing software provider; Pretzel Therapeutics, a leading developer of mitochondrial therapeutics; Salience Labs, the photonic compute company; and Epitopea, a cancer immunotherapeutics company.

CIC’s first fund portfolio companies include CMR Surgical, which closed the largest medtech private financing round in the world in 2021 (£425m), valuing the company at more than £2 billion; and Pragmatic Semiconductor, which recently raised $80 million to build its second manufacturing facility in the North of England.

CMR’s next generation Versius robotic system is bringing the benefits of keyhole surgery to patients around the world, while Pragmatic has launched a low-cost flexible electronics manufacturing process which is disrupting the existing silicon chip manufacturing market and enabling a whole new class of innovative electronics.

CIC was founded to improve the success rate of businesses originating from the University of Cambridge and the broader Cambridge ecosystem, to encourage more academics and entrepreneurs from the area to build businesses. In addition to its portfolio companies, CIC has co-founded two Cambridge-based business accelerators, DeepTech Labs and Start Codon. The goal here is to support deeptech and life science entrepreneurs develop their commercialisation and technology strategy, bridging the gap between translational research and Series A-ready businesses.

About Cambridge Innovation Capital

Cambridge Innovation Capital (CIC) is a leading venture investor backing and building category-leading deep tech and life sciences companies. CIC was founded to improve the success rate of businesses originating from the University of Cambridge and the broader Cambridge ecosystem, to encourage more academics and entrepreneurs from the area to build businesses. CIC currently manages in excess of £0.5 billion and has invested in around 40 companies. CIC is a preferred investor for the University of Cambridge, Europe’s top source of founders for venture-backed start-ups.

Cambridge Innovation Capital Manager Limited (FRN:918898) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. For more information, please visit www.cic.vc or follow us on Twitter at @CIC_vc and LinkedIn.

Contacts:

Cambridge Innovation Capital
Andrew Williamson, Managing Partner
enquiries@cic.vc

Media Enquiries:
Consilium Strategic Communications
Mary-Jane Elliott / Sukaina Virji
CIC@consilium-comms.com

                              

Philips delivers Q1 sales of EUR 3.9 billion, with good demand driving 5% comparable order intake growth

April 25, 2022

First-quarter highlights

  • Group sales amounted to EUR 3.9 billion, with a 4% comparable sales decline on the back of 9% comparable sales growth in Q1 2021
  • Comparable order intake increased 5%, driven by the Diagnosis & Treatment businesses and Hospital Patient Monitoring
  • Income from continuing operations amounted to a loss of EUR 152 million, compared to a loss of EUR 34 million in Q1 2021
  • Adjusted EBITA of EUR 243 million, or 6.2% of sales, compared to 9.5% of sales in Q1 2021
  • Operating cash flow was an outflow of EUR 227 million, compared to an inflow of EUR 321 million in Q1 2021
  • Philips provides update on Philips Respironics field action related to specific CPAP, BiPAP and mechanical ventilators

Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips:
“Our customers confirm the relevance of our strategy and portfolio, as evidenced by the further growth of our all-time-high order book. Comparable order intake growth for the Group amounted to 5%, driven by good growth across the Diagnosis & Treatment businesses, as well as Hospital Patient Monitoring and Connected Care Informatics. In addition, we partnered with 12 more hospitals to help them transform the delivery of care, further building on the 80 new long-term strategic partnerships signed in 2021. In China, we signed an agreement with Shanghai East Hospital to provide its hospitals in the Shandong and Hainan provinces with a broad range of advanced imaging and critical care solutions. I am also pleased with the 8% comparable sales growth for our Personal Health businesses, which demonstrates continued strong consumer demand for our propositions enabling people to take care of their health and well-being.

Thanks to the hard work of our people, we recorded better than expected sales of EUR 3.9 billion in very challenging circumstances, with significant supply chain headwinds as well as the consequences of the Respironics field action. Adjusted EBITA margin for the Group was 6.2% in the quarter.

The strong customer demand and order book, coupled with our first-quarter sales performance, support the growth and margin expansion range for the full year as communicated in January 2022. At the same time, it is important we recognize the increasing risks related to the COVID-19 situation in China, the Russia-Ukraine war, supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures, which may potentially impact our ability to convert our strong order book to sales and achieve our margin target if conditions deteriorate further. Our teams are fully focused on everyday execution, delivering on the customer demand and strong order book, and addressing the supply chain risks. We are implementing additional cost measures, as well as price increases, to mitigate the inflationary headwinds.”

Business segment performance
The Diagnosis & Treatment businesses’ comparable sales decreased 2%, on the back of 9% comparable sales growth in Q1 2021. High-single-digit growth in Image-Guided Therapy was more than offset by a decline in Ultrasound and in Diagnostic Imaging due to electronic component shortages, and on the back of strong growth in these businesses last year. Comparable order intake increased 7%, with double-digit growth in Image-Guided Therapy and mid-single-digit growth in Ultrasound and Diagnostic Imaging, reflecting robust traction for Philips’ very attractive offering. The Adjusted EBITA margin was 5.9%, mainly due to the decline in sales and the impact of supply chain headwinds.

The Connected Care businesses’ comparable sales decreased 21%, mainly due to the consequences of the Respironics field action. Comparable order intake was in line with Q1 2021, with continued strong demand and share gains in Hospital Patient Monitoring and Connected Care Informatics. The Adjusted EBITA margin amounted to 0.4%, mainly due to the decline in sales and the impact of supply chain headwinds, partly offset by cost savings.

The Personal Health businesses’ comparable sales increased by a strong 8%, primarily driven by double-digit growth in Oral Healthcare. The Adjusted EBITA margin amounted to 15.3%, mainly due to the increase in sales, partly offset by supply chain headwinds and an adverse currency impact.

Philips’ ongoing focus on innovation and partnerships resulted in the following key developments in the quarter:

  • Philips signed 12 new long-term strategic partnerships in the quarter, including a 10-year agreement with Oulu University Hospital in Finland to deliver the latest Philips Azurion image-guided therapy solutions, as well as maintenance, consultancy and financing services.
  • Philips expanded its leading ultrasound portfolio with advanced hemodynamic measurement capabilities on its handheld ultrasound Lumify, enabling clinicians to quantify blood flow in a wide range of point-of-care diagnostic applications, including cardiology and obstetrics & gynecology.
  • Philips entered into partnerships with healthcare providers in the UK and Germany to deliver its vendor-neutral Radiology Operations Command Center, which enables remote collaboration between technologists, radiologists and imaging operations teams across multiple sites, to help increase productivity and expand access to MR- and CT-based diagnosis.
  • Building on the market share gain in 2021, Philips MR delivered strong double-digit order intake growth in the quarter, driven by all major product families. Further highlighting the success of its unique helium-free operating MR portfolio, since its launch Philips has installed more than 500 of its Ingenia Ambition MRI systems, which deliver superb image quality and perform MRI exams up to 50% faster.
  • Philips is successfully expanding into interventional oncology with the installation of its innovative lung cancer diagnosis and treatment solution Lung Suite in hospitals in Belgium, France, Israel, and the UK. Based on Philips Azurion, this solution enhances the accuracy of biopsy procedures and provides a therapy option to immediately treat early-stage lung cancer patients.
  • Underlining the clinical and economic value of remote cardiac patient monitoring, Philips announced new research demonstrating increased atrial fibrillation detection and significant cost savings using Philips’ mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry monitoring. In addition, Philips expanded its remote cardiac monitoring portfolio with a patch-based, clinical-grade ECG to improve patient recruitment, compliance and retention for clinical trials.
  • Philips completed the global introduction of its new Philips Shaver S9000 with SkinIQ with its launch in Japan, resulting in accelerated sales growth for this category, and a 4.9 (out of 5) consumer rating and review score within the first month.
  • Following the successful refresh of its entry-range electric toothbrushes, the launch of the Sonicare 9900 Prestige premium range, and the launch of innovative interdental cleaning devices in 2021, Philips Oral Healthcare recorded strong double-digit comparable sales growth in the quarter, driven by North America and China.

Cost savings
Our cost savings programs delivered EUR 97 million in the first quarter. After deducting supply cost increases, net savings amounted to EUR 8 million in the first quarter. In response to the inflationary headwinds, the company is implementing additional cost-saving measures of EUR 150-200 million for the full year.

Philips Respironics field action related to specific CPAP, BiPAP and mechanical ventilators
“We are committed to supporting the community of patients who rely on our sleep and respiratory care solutions for their health and quality of life, and the physicians and customers who are dedicated to meeting patient needs. We are replacing or repairing the devices related to the Respironics field action as fast as possible and are continuing to update patients and customers about the progress of the program. We have a strong program management in place overseeing every aspect of the remediation, which involves more than 1,000 of our colleagues,” said Frans van Houten, CEO of Royal Philips.

Philips has a strong program management in place led by Roy Jakobs, Chief Business Leader of the Connected Care businesses and member of Philips’ Executive Committee, to ensure the Respironics field action is executed with speed and accuracy. Management responsibility and oversight have been strengthened with organizational changes implemented in Philips Respironics and the Quality & Regulatory function. Staffing and expertise related to post-market surveillance, medical affairs, toxicology and bio-compatibility have also been increased.

Philips Respironics has more than tripled its weekly production output compared to 2020, despite the ongoing global supply chain challenges. To date, Philips Respironics has produced more than 2.2 million repair kits and replacement devices. Following another wave of Philips Respironics’ comprehensive patient and customer communication outreach and based on current insights, the total expected units to be remediated have increased by approximately 300,000, primarily in the US. Philips Respironics recorded a EUR 65 million increase in the field action provision in the quarter to cater for the higher expected volume of devices eligible for remediation and higher communication costs. Additionally, a further EUR 100 million provision was recorded for potential higher cost of execution and to ensure the speed of the program in a volatile environment. Philips Respironics expects to complete over 90% of the production and shipments to customers in 2022.

Philips Respironics continues to make good progress with the comprehensive test and research program to better characterize the possible health risks associated with the sound abatement foam in the affected devices. Comprehensive testing and analyses related to the affected CPAP and BiPAP devices are expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2022.

On April 8, 2022, Philips Respironics and certain of Philips’ subsidiaries in the US received a subpoena from the US Department of Justice to provide information related to events leading to the Respironics recall. The relevant subsidiaries are cooperating with the agency.

Click here to view the release online

For further information, please contact:


Ben Zwirs
Philips Global Press Office
Tel.: +31 6 1521 3446
E-mail: ben.zwirs@philips.com

Derya Guzel
Philips Investor Relations
Tel.: +31 20 59 77055
E-mail: derya.guzel@philips.com


About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people’s health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum – from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 79,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Forward-looking statements and other important information

Forward-looking statements

This document and the related oral presentation, including responses to questions following the presentation, contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements made about our strategy, estimates of sales growth, future Adjusted EBITA*), future restructuring and acquisition- related charges and other costs, future developments in Philips’ organic business and the completion of acquisitions and divestments. Forward-looking statements can be identified generally as those containing words such as “anticipates”, “assumes”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “should”, “will”, “will likely result”, “forecast”, “outlook”, “projects”, “may” or similar expressions. By their nature, these statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements.

These factors include but are not limited to: Philips’ ability to gain leadership in health informatics in response to developments in the health technology industry; Philips’ ability to transform its business model to health technology solutions and services; macroeconomic and geopolitical changes; integration of acquisitions and their delivery on business plans and value creation expectations; securing and maintaining Philips’ intellectual property rights, and unauthorized use of third-party intellectual property rights; Philips’ ability to meet expectations with respect to ESG-related matters; failure of products and services to meet quality or security standards, adversely affecting patient safety and customer operations; breaches of cybersecurity; Philips’ ability to execute and deliver on programs on business transformation and IT system changes and continuity; the effectiveness of our supply chain; attracting and retaining personnel; COVID-19 and other pandemics; challenges to drive operational excellence and speed in bringing innovations to market; compliance with regulations and standards including quality, product safety and (cyber) security; compliance with business conduct rules and regulations; treasury and financing risks; tax risks; reliability of internal controls, financial reporting and management process. For a discussion of factors that could cause future results to differ from such forward-looking statements, see also the Risk management chapter included in the Annual Report 2021.

Philips has recognized a provision related to the voluntary recall notification in the US/field safety notice outside the US for certain sleep and respiratory care products, based on Philips’ best estimate for the expected field actions. Future developments are subject to significant uncertainties, which require management to make estimates and assumptions about items such as quantities and the portion to be replaced or repaired. Actual outcomes in future periods may differ from these estimates and affect the company’s results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Third-party market share data

Statements regarding market share, contained in this document, including those regarding Philips’ competitive position, are based on outside sources such as specialized research institutes, industry and dealer panels in combination with management estimates. Where information is not yet available to Philips, market share statements may also be based on estimates and projections prepared by management and/or based on outside sources of information. Management’s estimates of rankings are based on order intake or sales, depending on the business.

Market Abuse Regulation

This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This press release was distributed at 07:00 am CET on April 25, 1922.

Use of non-IFRS information

In presenting and discussing the Philips Group’s financial position, operating results and cash flows, management uses certain non-IFRS financial measures. These non-IFRS financial measures should not be viewed in isolation as alternatives to the equivalent IFRS measure and should be used in conjunction with the most directly comparable IFRS measures. Non-IFRS financial measures do not have standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. A reconciliation of these non-IFRS measures to the most directly comparable IFRS measures is contained in this document. Further information on non-IFRS measures can be found in the Annual Report 2021.

Fair value information

In presenting the Philips Group’s financial position, fair values are used for the measurement of various items in accordance with the applicable accounting standards. These fair values are based on market prices, where available, and are obtained from sources that are deemed to be reliable. Readers are cautioned that these values are subject to changes over time and are only valid at the balance sheet date. When quoted prices or observable market data are not readily available, fair values are estimated using appropriate valuation models and unobservable inputs. Such fair value estimates require management to make significant assumptions with respect to future developments, which are inherently uncertain and may therefore deviate from actual developments. Critical assumptions used are disclosed in the Annual Report 2021. In certain cases independent valuations are obtained to support management’s determination of fair values.

Presentation

All amounts are in millions of euros unless otherwise stated. Due to rounding, amounts may not add up precisely to totals provided. All reported data is unaudited. Financial reporting is in accordance with the accounting policies as stated in the Annual Report 2021 except for the adoption of new standards and amendments to standards which are also expected to be reflected in the company’s consolidated IFRS financial statements as at and for the year ending December 31, 2022.

Prior-period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-period presentation; this includes immaterial organizational changes.

*) Non-IFRS financial measure. Refer to Reconciliation of non-IFRS information.

North Korea Begins Military Parade Amid Revived Tensions

North Korea began a much-anticipated military parade in its capital on Monday to mark the 90th anniversary of its army’s founding, with outside experts saying it was likely to display powerful missiles and other weapons capable of targeting the United States and its allies.

South Korea’s military said the march began late Monday evening in Pyongyang after a pre-parade ceremony. It didn’t immediately provide other details, such as whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present.

NK News, a North Korea-focused news site, cited unidentified sources as saying that 12 illuminated flying objects, possibly drones or helicopters, were seen in the sky above Pyongyang, followed by the sounds of fireworks.

In past parades, North Korea has often displayed newly built nuclear-capable missiles and goose-stepping soldiers in an attempt to intimidate its rivals and bolster internal unity. Kim has also given speeches highlighting his commitment to boosting the armed forces to cope with what he calls U.S. hostility.

The parade comes as Kim is reviving nuclear brinkmanship aimed at forcing the United States to accept North Korea as a nuclear power and remove crippling economic sanctions. Analysts say North Korea is exploiting a favorable environment to push forward its weapons program as the United Nations Security Council remains divided over Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since 2019 because of disagreements over the potential easing of U.S.-led sanctions in exchange for North Korean disarmament steps. Kim has stuck to his goals of simultaneously developing nuclear weapons and the country’s dismal economy in face of international pressure and has shown no willingness to fully surrender a nuclear arsenal he sees as his biggest guarantee of survival.

North Korea has conducted 13 rounds of weapons tests this year, including its first flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile since 2017. There are also signs that North Korea is rebuilding tunnels at a nuclear testing ground that was last active in 2017, possibly in preparation for a resumption of testing.

It could also conduct a banned launch of a long-range rocket to put a spy satellite into orbit or test-fly missiles over Japan, experts say. North Korean state media did not immediately report the parade. Earlier Monday, official newspapers ran editorials calling for stronger public support of Kim.

“The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un is the symbol of the mightiness of our party, state and revolutionary armed forces and the representative of their great dignity,” the main Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in an editorial. “All happiness and rosy future lie in following the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un.”

North Korea’s recently tested weapons are potentially capable of striking the U.S. mainland as well as South Korea and Japan. The North has spent much of the past three years focusing on expanding its short-range arsenal targeting South Korea as nuclear negotiations with the United States stalled.

Kim’s aggressive military push could also be motivated by domestic politics since he doesn’t otherwise have significant accomplishments to show to his people as he marks a decade in power. He failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from his diplomacy with former U.S. President Donald Trump, and the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed further shocks to the country’s broken economy, forcing him to acknowledge last year that North Korea was facing its “worst-ever situation.”

Source: Voice of America

Moderate Earthquake Hits Eastern Indonesia

JAKARTA– A 5.7-magnitude earthquake, jolted Indonesia’s eastern province of Papua, early this morning, the meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency, said.

The quake rocked at 06:50 Jakarta time, with the epicentre at 43 km south-west of Keerom district, and the depth at 87 km under-earth, the agency said.

The intensity of the quake was felt at III to IV MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) in Keerom district and Jayapura, the capital of the province, it said.

The quake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami, according to the agency.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

Malaysia To Benefit from Indonesia’s Palm Oil Export Ban, CPO Prices Likely To Rise

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia is set to benefit with palm oil importers shifting demand from Indonesia to Malaysia following Indonesia’s ‘surprising’ and ‘unexpected measure’ to impose an export ban on the commodity, which will also further raise overall global vegetable oil prices, Public Investment Bank said.

Indonesia, the world’s top producer, and exporter of palm oil announced its decision to impose an export ban on the commodity from April 28 until further notice to tackle rising domestic cooking oil prices. Malaysia is the second largest palm oil producer.

Indonesian palm oil exports make up about 57 per cent of global palm oil exports and 32 per cent of global vegetable oil exports.

“The surprising move comes amid the heightened concerns over the tightening global vegetable oil supplies. In response to the unexpected measure, soybean oil prices soared to a record high of US$1,795 per tonne (US$1 = RM4.34) and palm oil futures rose RM36 to RM6,349 per tonne,” it said, maintaining an “overweight” call on the plantation sector.

In its note Monday, the investment bank’s research said with the export ban, there is little room for upstream plantation players to bargain for higher prices with the refiners.

“Based on the latest combined crude palm oil (CPO) export tax and CPO excise levy of US$575 (RM2,415) per tonne, coupled with the CPO export tax of RM474 per tonne in Malaysia, we think Indonesia is currently trading at a steeper discounted CPO price of RM4,800 per tonne compared to Malaysia’s RM6,773 per tonne.

“Malaysian plantation players such as Genting Plantation, KLK, Sime Darby Plantation and TSH that have strong exposure to the Indonesian market, would not be able to fully capture the current strong CPO price performance due to the hefty export duties and zero export policy in place,” it added.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK