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Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Monday, December 12th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

Highlights:

    BenQ strengthens partnership with NSOA
    Event highlights latest additions to BenQ’s digital signage solution range

Renown provider of digital lifestyle innovations and visual display expert, BenQ held the second edition of their annual Digital Signage Product Showcase. With visual communication taking on new avenues in the region, the event showcased BenQ’s strength through their latest additions of signage display solutions and their commitment to the Digital Signage (DSP) business.

BenQ commemorated their strong partnership with NSOA (New Smart Office Automation LLC), their authorised distributor in UAE of their digital signage products by honouring them with the Partnership Excellence Award.  Jumbo Distribution and ITQan were among others to receive a Performance awards.

With the unparalleled collabo ... Read more »

Doha, Qatar - Sunday, December 11th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

Al Khaliji Commercial Bank (al khaliji) P.Q.S.C., Qatar’s next generation bank, has been recognized for having the ‘Best Premium Bank Service’ and the ‘Best Private Bank Service’ from CPI Financial’s prestigious magazine, adding two more coveted titles to the awards the bank has received from the ‘Banker Middle East’ in 2016 year.

On claiming the ‘Best Premium Bank Service’ title, Ms. Rana Al Asaad, al khaliji Head of Personal Banking noted:

“We are honored to continue our winning ‘accolade streak’, which reflects the bank’s success in developing top-tier products that are tailored to premium clients’ needs, coupled with privileges that facilitate banking activities including our dedicated relationship managers, access to upgraded and premium lounges, preferential rates on all types of loans and deposits, and a choic ... Read more »

LONDON & ROME & LUXEMBOURG - Saturday, December 10th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Quercus Assets Selection, which specialises in renewable infrastructure investments announces that it has reached its first close of €150 million, led by its Co-Founder and CEO, Diego Biasi.

The three new funds are targeting an annual dividend yield of 6%, distributed semi-annually and an IRR above 11%. Quercus is looking to raise a combined €500 million across the three funds by December 2018, which will place Quercus among the top three renewable energy infrastructure funds in Europe. The funds’ next closing is expected to take place during the first half of 2017.

Quercus launched the three funds early in 2016 as part of a unique project to combine three separate renewable energy funds to provide choice and flexibility. The funds are a €150 million Italian Wind fund, a €150 million Italian Solar fund and a €200 million European Mu ... Read more »

James Quincey to Succeed Muhtar Kent as Chief Executive Officer in May 2017 

Kent to Continue as Chairman

ATLANTA - Saturday, December 10th 2016 [ME NewsWire]
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Coca-Cola Company today announced that its Board of Directors has approved unanimously the recommendation of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Muhtar Kent for an evolution of the company’s senior leadership structure. Under the new structure, company veteran James Quincey, President and Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Kent as CEO, effective May 1, 2017. Kent will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The Board intends to nominate Quincey to stand for election as a director at the 2017 Annual Shareowners Meeting in April.
“Managing The Coca-Cola Company to ensure our long-term growth requires a thoughtful and orderly succession planning process,” said Muhtar Kent. “I have been engaged with our Management Development Committee ... Read more »

Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates - Monday, December 5th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

Students at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) have successfully implemented vertical farming for the first time within the context of the harsh climate of the United Arab Emirates.

The project, which was prepared by two junior biotechnology students, Najath Abdulkareem and Nada Anwar, was one of several submitted by the university as part of the UAE’s second annual Innovation Week, an initiative mandated by the prime minister of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dr. Abdul Gafoor Puthiyaveetil, chair of the university’s biotechnology program, supervised the two students. Discussing the significance of the research, Dr. Abdul Gafoor stated, “With the rapidly increasing population of the planet, we expect the earth’s population to reach 8.5 billion by 2050. Food production is more important than ever. The students have adapted the ... Read more »

First and only type 2 diabetes treatment approved to reduce cardiovascular death

INGELHEIM, Germany & INDIANAPOLIS - Tuesday, December 6th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new indication for Jardiance® (empagliflozin) tablets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. Jardiance® is the first type 2 diabetes treatment approved with this additional indication and the only oral type 2 diabetes medicine shown in a clinical trial to provide a life-saving cardiovascular benefit. Jardiance® is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY).

“As the only diabetes treatment approved by the FDA to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, Jardiance® represents a tremendous step forward in our efforts to reduce the impact of heart disease among adults with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular dis ... Read more »

Phase I/II trial findings add to growing body of data on acalabrutinib clinical profile

CAMBRIDGE, England - Monday, December 5th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AstraZeneca and its haematology Centre of Excellence, Acerta Pharma, today announced preliminary results from the Phase I/II ACE-CL-001 clinical trial of acalabrutinib in subsets of patients with two difficult-to-treat forms of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the most common type of leukaemia in adults.1 The trial includes data from individuals with intolerance to ibrutinib and those with Richter transformation, when CLL transforms into a more aggressive lymphoma.2 Findings were shared with the medical community during two oral presentations at the 58th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting in San Diego, USA.

Acerta Pharma Chief Executive Officer, Flavia Borellini, PhD, said: “The data at ASH further validate previous clinical trial findings and continue to demonstrate t ... Read more »

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT AN OFFER WILL BE MADE

NEW YORK - Saturday, December 10th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21st Century Fox”) notes the announcement made today by Sky plc (“Sky”) and confirms that it has reached an agreement in principle in relation to a possible offer (the “Possible Offer”) to acquire all of the outstanding shares in Sky it does not already own at a price of £10.75 per share payable in cash less the value of any dividends subsequently paid by Sky. However, certain material offer terms remain under discussion and the Possible Offer may or may not lead to an offer being made by 21st Century Fox.

The Independent Directors of Sky have indicated to 21st Century Fox that they are willing to recomm ... Read more »

COLOMBES, France - Friday, December 9th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- OT (Oberthur Technologies), a leading global provider of embedded security software products, services and solutions, has today signed an agreement to provide its digital payment enablement technology to Inamo’s wearable solutions, starting with the CURL which is being launched in Australia today.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161208005500/en/

The CURL is a multi-functional wearable that will initially enable consumers to make payments by simply tapping their device to any point of sale terminal where Visa payWave is accepted. The action would be the same as with a credit or debit card. What makes this different from smart phones, smart watches and other wearables is that the CURL is rugged, waterproof and will not need any power to facilitate payment. So there would be no fears of bringing it fo ... Read more »

Companies to co-create a social gifting feature early next year aimed at fostering human connections through the instant delivery of gratitude and love with Starbucks gifts

Partnership extends WeChat Pay across Starbucks stores in Mainland China beginning December 8

SEATTLE & SHENZHEN, China - Thursday, December 8th 2016 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Starbucks Coffee Company (NASDAQ: SBUX) and Tencent Holdings Limited (SEHK: 00700), a leading provider of internet value-added services in China, today pioneered a strategic partnership to co-create a new social gifting feature on WeChat, China’s leading mobile social communications service, in early 2017.

This partnership positions Starbucks as the first retail brand to combine and bring a locally-relevant social gifting and digital payment experience to life on WeChat in China. Tapping into the 846 million global monthly active user accounts (as of the third quarter of 2016), the new integra ... Read more »