Tag: panda

  • Foodpanda to drive Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaign across Asia

    Foodpanda to drive Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaign across Asia

    Food and grocery delivery service Foodpanda has launched a Covid-19 vaccination awareness campaign across Asia in the lead-up to WHO’s World Immunisation Week. The campaign, which aims to reach more than 10 million people across Asia, will include a series of content across digital and social media channels, providing information and resources on local vaccination programs.

    It will be rolled out in phases across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Japan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

    “The region’s battle with Covid-19 is ongoing, and we have to stay vigilant on keeping our ecosystem safe,” said Jakob Angele, CEO of Foodpanda. “Leveraging existing channels with our network of riders, merchants, employees and customers, we can raise greater awareness around fighting misinformation and share information around local vaccination programs so that our entire delivery ecosystem can be informed and mobilized.”

    Besides its social media campaign, Foodpanda will also join hands with local authorities to support vaccination programs in Singapore, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

    “We will continuously explore ways to play a part in the fight against Covid-19.”

  • Fiat Chrysler Plans To Resume Panda Production On June 16

    Fiat Chrysler Plans To Resume Panda Production On June 16

    Fiat Chrysler (FCA) plans to resume production of its Panda small car at its plant in Pomigliano, near Naples in southern Italy, on June 16, a union representative said on Wednesday.

    The restart, initially scheduled for June 8, had been postponed this month because of weak demand in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

    The company has informed unions that production would restart at pre-crisis levels, said Gianluca Ficco of the UILM union.

    “FCA told us it aimed to give continuity of production and jobs, even if that will also depend on demand, which is still very weak,” Ficco said. “So we can’t rule out further stops if demand proves too weak”.

    Reuters sources say EU competition watchdogs may demand concessions before clearing Fiat-Chrysler’s proposed merger with Peugeot-maker PSA.

    A spokesman for the Italian-American carmaker confirmed plans to restart Panda production on June 16.

    FCA has already resumed regular production of vans and of Jeep’s Renegade and Compass models in Italy, as well as preparatory work for the new electric Fiat 500 small car.

    Ficco said he hoped that the new hybrid version of the Panda would help to support volumes and that the government would agree measures to support demand and production in the Italian automotive industry.

    Italy is considering incentives of up to 4,000 euros ($4,550) to buy the latest generation of petrol and diesel cars, joining France and Germany in offering support to an industry that has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis

  • UOB Prices First Panda Bond

    UOB Prices First Panda Bond

    United Overseas Bank announced it has priced Singapore’s first Panda Bond at 3.49 percent, one of the lowest rates among all Panda bonds. The Singapore based lender UOB said that its three-year, 2 billion renminbi (S$404 million) offering garnered strong demand with a subscription rate of 2.7 times from asset managers and commercial bank investors across Asia. Thirty-eight percent was placed to China’s onshore investors and 62 percent to international offshore investors.

    «Our participation in China’s onshore debt market, one of the largest globally, enables us to grow our presence in China as the country continues to liberalize the renminbi and its financial markets. Further, through this offering, we can diversify our funding sources and continue to tap the increased connectivity between China and ASEAN arising from the Belt and Road Initiative to serve our customers’ needs,» said Wee Ee Cheong, CEO of UOB, said in a media statement.

  • Giant panda Bao Bao arrives in Chengdu onboard FedEx Boeing 777F

    Giant panda Bao Bao arrives in Chengdu onboard FedEx Boeing 777F

    FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., has donated the use of its extensive global transportation network to ship a giant panda from the United States to Chengdu, China.

    The giant panda Bao Bao landed at China’s Chengdu Shuangliu Airport on 22 February 2017 at 6:59 pm onboard a custom-decaled FedEx B777 Freighter (B777F)—known as the FedEx Panda Express—from Washington D.C. in the US. Upon arrival, the panda was transported to her new home in Sichuan province, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda’s Dujiangyan City Reserve.

    “It’s a great honor for FedEx Express to be able to support this latest mission by donating our expertise and resources, and to be entrusted once again with such a valuable and symbolic shipment,” said Karen Reddington, president, FedEx Express Asia Pacific. “We’ve assisted with giant panda shipments several times in the past and have considerable experience of managing the process, which involves months of planning and cross-disciplinary teamwork. Transporting Bao Bao is also an act of good global citizenship that leverages our unique network and specialized capabilities to help connect the world.”

    Bao Bao, a three-and-a-half-year-old female panda born in August 2013 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, is the offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, both currently living in the US.

     

    FedEx provided a dedicated aircraft to bring Bao Bao’s brother Tai Shan to China in 2010, and her parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, to the United States in 2000.

  • FedEx transports giant panda from United States to China

    FedEx transports giant panda from United States to China

    FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx, will donate its logistical services to transport a giant panda named Bao Bao from the United States to China on 21 February 2017. Working in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, FedEx Express will fly the panda on a direct charter flight non-stop from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China.

    Bao Bao, a female panda born in August 2013 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, is the offspring of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, both currently living in the U.S.  Bao Bao will be placed in a special crate provided by FedEx and travel onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter, known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”

    “The transport of Bao Bao represents the seventh time that FedEx is transporting a giant panda, a national treasure of China,” said Eddy Chan, senior vice president, FedEx China.  “We are honored and proud to serve as the trusted carrier.  Using our extensive global network and strong operations, our professional team will surely deliver Bao Bao to Chengdu, China fast and securely.”

    In addition to donating all the necessary air transportation for Bao Bao, FedEx Express will provide ground and logistical support in Washington, D.C., including a vehicle to deliver the panda from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to the airport.  FedEx pilots, drivers and operations specialists selected to transport the panda are among the company’s most seasoned team members.

    FedEx Express, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and the China organizers will work collaboratively to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken to provide a safe and comfortable flight for Bao Bao.  The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is already preparing the panda for her move to make sure she is comfortable and safe throughout her journey.  Part of the preparations includes acclimating Bao Bao to a travel crate.

    One panda keeper and one veterinarian from the zoo have been granted special flight privileges to accompany Bao Bao onboard the aircraft.  The panda team will continuously monitor Bao Bao during the trip and will travel with a supply of water, bamboo and her favorite treats, including apples, pears and cooked sweet potatoes.

    Upon arrival in Chengdu, Bao Bao will be driven to one of the bases run by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.  A panda keeper from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo will follow and remain with Bao Bao for a short time while she acclimates to her new home.

    Due to security regulations, the departure and arrival events for the panda will be closed to the general public.

  • A parade of pandas aims to raise awareness in Thailand

    A parade of pandas aims to raise awareness in Thailand

    A parade of 1,600 papier-mache pandas will be touring Bangkok this month as part of a worldwide campaign for the conservation of the endangered species.

    Campaigning in a country that has no wild pandas at all may sound odd, but the message from World Wide Fund for Nature Thailand goes beyond just those cuddly creatures. Thailand is home to a vast population of wild animals, including Asian elephants and Bengal tigers. The panda campaign intends to raise awareness for the conservation of these species, too. At the end of the exhibition, all the pandas will be offered for “adoption” for 600 baht ($16.8) and the proceeds donated to WWF Thailand.

    The pandas, created with recycled materials by French artist Paulo Grangeon, represent the 1,600 or so that were left in the wild when the campaign was first launched in France in 2008. Since then, the art project has traveled to around 100 locations around the world and the number of wild pandas has increased to 1,864, according to the WWF.

    In the Thailand tour, the pandas will appear, flash-mob style, at 10 landmarks in Bangkok and the ancient city of Ayutthaya. They will be on exhibit for just three hours at each spot sometime between March 3 and 16.

    After that, the pandas will be on exhibition through April 10 at Central Embassy, an upscale shopping mall in Bangkok that belongs to retail giant Central Group.

    It is hoped that the pandas will also draw visitors to the mall, which opened just before the military staged a coup in May 2014. The country’s economy and consumer confidence have been sluggish since.

    “Pandas are cute, and the campaign will attract everyone from young children to families and tourists,” Barom Bhicharnchitr, managing director of the mall, said.