New Client Studio Just Steps from Tower Bridge Enables Issuers to Design, Test, Sample & Refine Metal Card Programs Real Time and in Person

LONDON, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CompoSecure, a leader in metal payment cards, security and authentication solutions, today opened a Design Centre and office in central London.

At the new facility, banks, fintechs and card program partners across Europe, the Middle East and Asia can design premium metal cards alongside CompoSecure's specialists, see finished materials and techniques up close, and move from concept to specification faster. Sessions will include strategic counsel on the five elements that contribute to an effective metal card program.

Premium metal cards have become a key differentiating tool for issuers competing for new customer acquisition, revenue growth, elevated customer experience and retention. For many international issuers, designing a successful metal card program has meant working remotely with partners often an ocean away. The London Design Centre brings that process closer.

Visitors can explore first-hand an extensive range of card designs and finishes, from colours and textures to laser engraving and embedded features. They can also work directly with CompoSecure's design, metal and engineering teams at every stage, from concept and visualisation through to specification and implementation.

"The most successful card programs come from building a vision together with our clients, and that's much easier when you're in the same room," said Ian Snadden, Chief Commercial Officer, International, at CompoSecure. "Cards are used by consumers every day; they have become the primary embodiment of the bank's brand, so issuers need to see and feel the possibilities. In London, clients can do exactly that, with our experts beside them from the first sketch to the final product. We look forward to welcoming clients and partners from around the world."

"Monavate has collaborated closely with CompoSecure on several projects, including the iconic MetaMask metal card. We participated in design sessions in the U.S. headquarters and are looking forward to working with their experts in the London Design Centre, as we look to launch several new programs in Europe and the Middle East region," stated Scott Lucas, Co-Founder and President, Monavate.

The Design Centre sits in a restored industrial building beside the Thames, a setting that reflects the craft and engineering behind every CompoSecure card. The opening builds on 25 years of co-creating card programs globally and marks the next step in the company's international growth.

About CompoSecure

CompoSecure, a GPGI business (NYSE: GPGI), is the leading manufacturer of Premium Metal Payment Cards and offers best-in-class Authentication and Digital Asset solutions. The Company's offerings combine elegance, simplicity, and security to deliver exceptional experiences and peace of mind, enabling trust for millions of people around the globe. For more information, please visit www.CompoSecure.com and www.GetArculus.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but are statements about plans, expectations, targets, goals, and future performance, including with respect to metal cards, potential future partnerships, and the London Design Centre.

Although we believe that our plans, intentions, and expectations reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or realize these plans, intentions, or expectations. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including but not limited to, risks associated with our plans and strategies, including international expansion and the operation of the London Design Centre, demand from issuers and partners, anticipated benefits of metal cards, and those additional risks disclosed in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in sections entitled "Risk Factors". 

Forward-looking statements may be preceded by, followed by, or include the words "may," "will," "should," "expect," "opportunity," "intend," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "target," "goal," or "continue," or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements should not be relied on as predictions of future events and are not guarantees of performance or results.

You should not put undue reliance on these statements which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any of these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

WUHU, China, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2026 Chery International User Summit will be held from October 18 to 24 at Chery Auto's global headquarters in Wuhu, China.

Focusing on three core areas - artificial intelligence, intelligent vehicles and new energy - Chery Auto will present its full-stack technological capabilities, from foundational architectures to global mass-production deployment, as it accelerates its transformation into a global high-tech green ecosystem enterprise.

Rooftop solar panels at Chery Auto's green factory in Wuhu generate electricity for production.

R&D Spending Rises 28.3% Year-on-Year as Chery Accelerates Smart Tech Deployment

In the first half of 2026, Chery Auto's R&D expenditure reached RMB 6.672 billion, up 28.3% year-on-year, with a focus on electrification platforms, advanced driver assistance systems, and intelligent cockpits. Following an expanded collaboration with Qualcomm on cockpit-driving integration in April, Chery Auto will demonstrate its deployment of smart technologies at the Summit.

Ultra-Long-Range Performance Sets a Guinness World Records Title, Showcasing New Energy Technologies

The JAECOO 7 SHS covered 828 miles (approximately 1,333 kilometres) on a single tank of fuel and a single charge at the UTAC Millbrook test facility in the UK, exceeding its official WLTP range by 11.14%. Meanwhile, the JAECOO 8 SHS-P set a new global benchmark for hybrid driving range, earning a Guinness World Records title in Indonesia for its 1,660-kilometer combined driving range. OMODA & JAECOO's SHS Super Hybrid technology and JETOUR's C-DM Super Hybrid technology have been deployed across markets on all five continents. The all-new CHERY Q, a pure-electric model, will also make its global debut at the Summit.

Chery Auto Develops Zero-Carbon Factories, Accelerating a Green Ecosystem Across the Full Vehicle Lifecycle

Renewable energy currently accounts for 52.77% of electricity consumption across Chery Auto's vehicle manufacturing facilities. Chery Auto currently operates 5 national-level green and 2 zero-carbon factories. Its "100% recycled aluminium + heat treatment-free + integrated die casting" technology can reduce carbon emissions by 80% compared with primary aluminium. The low-carbon aluminium utilisation rate of the JAECOO 7 SHS has reached approximately 75%. Chery Auto is advancing low-carbon innovation across the full value chain through recycling and processing capacity for scrap steel, scrap aluminium and waste plastics.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Source: Hung Yen Provincial People's Committee

A corner of Daikin's air-conditioning plant, a Japanese-invested facility at Thang Long II Industrial Park in Hung Yen Province. Photo: VNA

HUNG YEN, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 1 October 2026 - With an increasingly attractive investment climate, improving industrial infrastructure and strong growth prospects, Hung Yen Province in northern Vietnam is emerging as a major destination for foreign direct investment (FDI), with investors from Northeast Asia accounting for roughly 75% of the province's total registered FDI capital.

The province is rapidly expanding its industrial base to accommodate new investment, helping sustain strong economic growth and support its goal of achieving double-digit growth.

Strong industrial growth bolsters FDI momentum

According to Hung Yen Provincial Statistics, the province's Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose 15.78% year on year in the first eight months of 2026, with manufacturing and processing industries remaining the main engine of growth, expanding 16.45% over the same period.

Several industrial sectors posted particularly strong growth. Repair, maintenance and installation of machinery and equipment surged 90.49%, while pharmaceutical, pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemicals and medicinal materials rose 40.56%. Paper and paper products grew 31.62%, apparel manufacturing increased 28.50%, and the production of electronic, computer and optical products rose 21.85%.

Strong growth was also recorded across a range of key industrial products. Output of integrated electronic circuits increased 47.62%, insulated copper wire 42.52%, motorcycles and motorbikes with engine capacities below 50cc 32.32%, plastic bags and sacks 27.56%, flat-rolled non-alloy steel products in coils 21.51%, and garments 19.45%.

FDI inflows also remained strong. By the end of August 2026, Hung Yen had attracted 40 newly registered FDI projects with total registered capital of $645.67 million. The province had a cumulative 1,006 valid FDI projects with total registered capital of $20.23 billion.

Investors from Northeast Asia account for a particularly significant share of Hung Yen's FDI. Japan ranks first, with 204 projects and more than $8.19 billion in registered capital, representing 40.49% of the province's total FDI. China follows with 389 projects and more than $4.64 billion, or 22.94%, while South Korea has 217 projects with more than $2.33 billion, accounting for 11.53%.

Combined, Japan, China and South Korea account for roughly 75% of total registered FDI capital in Hung Yen. The figures underscore the province's strong appeal to Northeast Asian investors and reflect a broader trend of businesses seeking locations with well-developed industrial infrastructure, strong connectivity and room for long-term expansion.

Expanding industrial space to attract new investment

To create additional space for new investment, Hung Yen is accelerating the development of industrial parks and clusters. To mark the 81st anniversary of National Day, the province simultaneously broke ground on or inaugurated 10 industrial parks and clusters, including six projects launched on September 12.

The projects represent a combined investment of VND18.222 trillion and $288 million. They are expected to serve as key drivers of industrial development by creating new production space and expanding the province's capacity to attract both domestic and foreign investment.

Among them, Tho Hoang Industrial Park covers 250 hectares, while Lac Dao Industrial Cluster spans approximately 42.5 hectares, with combined investment of nearly VND6 trillion. The two projects are expected to attract a further VND10 trillion in domestic investment in supporting industries and logistics.

Hung Yen has also broken ground on Industrial Park No. 10 in An Thi Commune, covering 199.62 hectares with investment of nearly VND3 trillion; Industrial Park No. 15 in Nguyen Trai Commune, spanning 199 hectares with investment of more than VND2.8 trillion; and Van Giang Industrial Park in Nghia Tru Commune, covering 203.55 hectares with investment of VND3.32 trillion.

Notably, Lien Ha Thai Industrial Park (Green iP-3) in Thai Ninh Commune covers 234 hectares and has total investment of VND2.4 trillion. Meanwhile, Nitto Vietnam's project at Thang Long II Industrial Park has been inaugurated with an investment of $160 million, further highlighting Hung Yen's appeal to Japanese and other Northeast Asian investors.

According to the Hung Yen Provincial People's Committee, the new industrial parks and clusters will focus on attracting light industry, diversified industrial projects and environmentally friendly investments, as well as businesses operating in fields such as cybersecurity, big data, cloud computing and AI applications.

Laying the groundwork for double-digit growth

FDI is not the only driver of Hung Yen's economic momentum. The province's domestic business sector is also expanding rapidly. Since the beginning of the year, 3,775 new businesses have been registered, with total registered capital of VND41.535 trillion, while 610 businesses have resumed operations.

Real estate accounted for the largest share of newly registered capital, at VND19.872 trillion or 47.84%, followed by manufacturing and processing at 19.40% and wholesale and retail at 14.72%. New investment is generating greater synergies across industrial development, infrastructure, logistics, trade and supporting services.

Commercial activity has also maintained strong growth. Total retail sales of goods and consumer service revenue in the first eight months of the year were estimated at VND197.106 trillion, up 17.57% year on year. State budget revenue was estimated at VND50.374 trillion, while realized investment capital from locally managed state budget funds reached VND24.098 trillion, up 15.88%.

Chairman of the Hung Yen Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Manh Quyen said the province benefits from well-developed infrastructure, major modern industrial hubs and a young, dynamic workforce. These advantages provide a strong foundation for rapid industrial development, contributing significantly to socioeconomic growth and strengthening Hung Yen's position as it enters a new era.

The province is currently reviewing and updating its 2021-2030 Master Plan, with a vision to 2050, with a focus on expanding its development space. In the industrial sector alone, Hung Yen has planned 66 industrial parks covering more than 23,000 hectares, along with 126 industrial clusters spanning nearly 8,000 hectares.

With industrial infrastructure continuing to improve, development space expanding and the investment climate becoming increasingly attractive, Hung Yen is well positioned to attract more high-quality foreign investment, particularly from Northeast Asia. These inflows will provide an important source of momentum for the province's industrialization, raise the value of industrial production and help sustain double-digit economic growth in the years ahead./.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #HungYen

SINGAPORE, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StoneX Group Inc. ("StoneX"; NASDAQ: SNEX) today announced the launch of its Singapore FX booking center and SG1 connectivity, marking a significant expansion of its foreign exchange capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region.

StoneX FX, the institutional FX division of StoneX, offers OTC trading solutions for institutional and corporate hedging. Its award-winning FX market access model enables clients to trade spot, forwards, NDFs, swaps, and options with efficiency and transparency.

The new booking center enables StoneX FX to provide local pricing and execution from Singapore, improving response times, enhancing regional expertise, and aligning client support with APAC market hours. The development builds on the firm's established global FX infrastructure, including its NY4 and LD4 hubs, and reflects continued investment in delivering global market access with localized service.

By bringing pricing, support, and decision-making closer to clients in Asia, StoneX aims to improve execution quality and operational efficiency for both institutional and corporate clients. The Singapore booking center is designed to support a broad range of trading and hedging needs, from low-touch, high-frequency institutional flows to high-touch corporate treasury operations.

The launch also strengthens StoneX FX's offering for deliverable FX in Asia, helping clients better manage settlement timelines, regional currency workflows, and intraday liquidity requirements. Local booking reduces reliance on overnight handovers, allowing for faster execution adjustments, improved cash flow management, and more precise risk controls.

In parallel with the SG1 launch, StoneX FX has expanded its APAC currency coverage, adding seven new CNH pairs and enhancing liquidity across key regional currencies including JPY, SGD, HKD, KRW, TWD, INR, IDR, PHP, THB, and AED. This broader coverage supports clients trading, hedging, and managing exposure across Asian markets.

Gerard Melia, Global Head of FX Sales, StoneX, commented:

"The launch of our Singapore booking center is a meaningful step in strengthening our FX offering in Asia-Pacific. By aligning pricing and execution with regional market hours, we are able to deliver faster, more relevant support and help our clients navigate increasingly dynamic FX markets with greater precision."

Greg Kallinikos, CEO of APAC, StoneX, stated:

"Singapore is a key global FX hub, and establishing SG1 connectivity for our new, local booking center allows us to bring our liquidity, technology, and expertise closer to clients in the region. This enhances not only execution quality, but also the overall client experience across trading, hedging, and settlement."

About StoneX:

StoneX Group Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates a global financial services network that connects companies, organisations, traders, and investors to the global market ecosystem through a unique blend of digital platforms, end-to-end clearing and execution services, high-touch service, and deep expertise. The company strives to be its clients' trusted partner, providing its network, products, and services to help them pursue business opportunities, manage market risks, make informed investment decisions, and improve their business performance. 

A Fortune 50 company headquartered in New York City and listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (NASDAQ: SNEX), StoneX Group Inc. and its more than 5,400+ employees serve over 80,000+ commercial, institutional, and payments clients, as well as more than 260,000 retail accounts, across more than 80 offices on six continents. Further information is available at www.stonex.com/en/ 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAPI (Technology & API Services) today announced the appointment of Serge Rogasik as its Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rogasik will lead a global business that combines a broad API portfolio, deep scientific and technical capabilities, and an extensive global operations network serving customers worldwide.

"I am honored to join TAPI at such an important moment in its evolution," said Mr. Rogasik. "TAPI combines a unique set of capabilities, assets and talented people with a well-earned reputation as a trusted partner to customers worldwide. As the pharmaceutical industry increasingly focuses on supply chain resilience and geographic diversification, TAPI is uniquely positioned to support its customers. Few companies can match one of the industry's broadest technology platforms and an integrated manufacturing and R&D network spanning India, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. I am excited by the momentum in the business and see significant opportunities ahead to further strengthen TAPI's position as a leading integrated API and CDMO partner."

Founded in 1935, TAPI is one of the world's largest producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients and a leading CDMO partner with more than 4,000 employees, 13 manufacturing sites and six R&D facilities, supplying more than 350 active ingredients to customers around the world. Through its API and CDMO businesses, TAPI helps customers bring effective medicines to patients around the world.

Mr. Rogasik and the TAPI team will be at CPHI Milan, October 6?8, 2026, in Hall 3, Booth A73. Customers and partners are invited to stop by to meet him and the teams behind TAPI's catalog and CDMO businesses.

About Serge Rogasik

Mr. Rogasik is a transformation-focused global executive with more than 25 years of experience building, scaling and repositioning businesses across specialty ingredients, active ingredients, specialty chemicals and life sciences. He has spent a significant part of his career leading private equity-backed companies through complex carve-outs, accelerated growth, portfolio transformation, M&A and operational improvement in highly regulated markets - building stronger, more focused businesses that deliver sustainable long-term value.

Most recently, as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kensing, a specialty ingredients company owned by One Rock Capital Partners, he helped transform a single-site carve-out from BASF into a global platform serving the personal care, nutrition, pharmaceutical and agrochemical markets. Under his leadership, Kensing integrated four acquisitions, expanded its global footprint and became the world leader in natural vitamin E and sterols.

Prior to Kensing, Mr. Rogasik led growth and transformation initiatives at Vantage Specialty Chemicals and Addivant, where he helped turn carve-outs and underperforming businesses into stronger, more focused global platforms through commercial expansion, operational improvement and strategic acquisitions. Earlier in his career, he held senior strategy, commercial, marketing and research roles with BASF, General Electric, Eastman Chemical Company, Rh?ne-Poulenc and Colgate-Palmolive, building deep international experience across specialty chemicals, life sciences and consumer markets.

Mr. Rogasik holds a Master of Science in Industrial Pharmacy and a postgraduate degree in Pharmaceutical Industry Management from the Institut des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques de Lyon. Since 2023, he has served as Chairman of the International Association of Sterol and Stanol Producers and previously served on the Board of Directors of World Child Cancer USA.

About TAPI

TAPI is a global leader in the development and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), building blocks and key starting materials (KSMs) providing one of the industry's most comprehensive API portfolios. TAPI also offers customized CDMO services, utilizing their extensive expertise in a wide range of technologies to meet the diverse needs of partners, ensuring flexibility and excellence in every project.

With 4,100 employees, a global footprint in 100+ countries, 13 sites worldwide, and a robust portfolio of 350+ high-quality products, TAPI's operations are integral to the delivery of high-quality, safe and effective medications to patients worldwide, supported by a sophisticated supply chain, focused innovative manufacturing, regulatory and quality excellence and a commitment to sustainability. For more information about how TAPI is advancing health from the core, visit www.tapi.com.

Teva Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "may," "project," "intend," "plan," "believe" and other words and terms of similar meaning and expression in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance.

Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully execute TAPI's next phase of growth and anticipated business performance; our ability to successfully execute on our Pivot to Growth strategy, including to expand our innovative and biosimilar medicines pipeline and profitably commercialize the innovative medicines and biosimilar portfolio, whether organically or through business development; our significant indebtedness; our business and operations in general; compliance, regulatory and litigation matters; other financial and economic risks; and other factors discussed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2026 and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, including in the sections captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-looking statements."

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

JINAN, Tiongkok, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bodor Laser telah mencapai tonggak baru dalam lini produksinya dengan secara resmi menyelesaikan mesin ke-10.000-nya pada tahun 2026.

Pencapaian ini mencerminkan peningkatan berkelanjutan dalam kapasitas manufaktur Bodor. Hal ini sekaligus menunjukkan kemampuannya dalam mengoordinasikan produksi, pengendalian mutu, pengiriman, dan dukungan pelanggan seiring dengan bertambahnya jumlah unit yang terpasang secara global.

Meningkatkan skala manufaktur membutuhkan lebih dari sekadar peningkatan output. Volume produksi lebih tinggi menimbulkan tuntutan lebih besar terhadap penyiapan material, penjadwalan, perakitan, pengujian, dan pemeriksaan. Di Bodor Laser, setiap mesin menjalani prosedur produksi dan pemeriksaan yang telah ditetapkan sebelum dikirim. Langkah ini menjaga konsistensi seiring peningkatan skala produksinya.

Pencapaian ini juga memiliki arti penting bagi pelanggan secara langsung. Setiap mesin akan menjadi bagian dari lingkungan manufaktur sehingga kinerjanya dapat memengaruhi efisiensi produksi, kapasitas pemrosesan, dan kelangsungan operasional. Seiring meningkatnya pengiriman mesin ke berbagai penjuru dunia, menjaga keandalan standar manufaktur menjadi semakin penting.

Bersamaan dengan pertumbuhan produksi, Bodor Laser terus memperkuat kemampuan layanannya secara global. Sistem layanannya mendukung pelanggan di berbagai tahap pengoperasian mesin, mulai dari instalasi, dukungan teknis, pemecahan masalah, hingga layanan berkelanjutan.

Bertambahnya jumlah unit yang terpasang di berbagai negara juga menimbulkan kebutuhan layanan yang semakin beragam. Perbedaan pasar, konfigurasi mesin, dan aplikasi membutuhkan koordinasi tim layanan, proses yang dibakukan, serta akses ke keahlian teknis dan aplikasi. Oleh karena itu, bagi Bodor, peningkatan kapasitas layanan bersamaan dengan manufaktur menjadi bagian penting dalam mendukung pelanggan di sepanjang masa pakai mesin.

Pencapaian produksi 10.000 mesin ini menunjukkan keterkaitan antara manufaktur dan layanan: manufaktur menentukan bagaimana mesin diproduksi dan dikirim, sedangkan layanan mendukung pelanggan setelah mesin mulai dioperasikan. Keduanya menjadi landasan untuk menjalin hubungan jangka panjang dengan pelanggan.

Ke depannya, Bodor Laser akan terus memperkuat kemampuan manufaktur dan layanannya di tengah ekspansi bisnisnya secara global.

Bagi Bodor Laser, pencapaian ini mencerminkan hasil terukur dari perkembangan manufakturnya di sepanjang 2026 serta komitmen berkelanjutan untuk memastikan peralatannya terus mendukung produksi harian pelanggan.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CAPHRA reminds everyone that the Asia Forum on Nicotine (AFN26) will convene in Manila on 16 and 17 October 2026.

No more policy made in silos: Asia's nicotine forum brings scientists, doctors, consumers, law enforcement specialists and policymakers to one table from across the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region for two days of evidence-based discussion on tobacco harm reduction (THR) at a moment when the region's approach to nicotine policy stands sharply divided.

The timing is pointed. Eight of 11 ASEAN member states now ban e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products, with Myanmar the latest in February. Vietnam is writing its ban into law. India has ordered a crackdown on nicotine pouches. Meanwhile, the United States regulator is moving to speed up approvals for the same products.

"Asia is home to millions of adults who smoke, yet most of our region bans the products that help them quit," said Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA). "AFN26 asks one question. What does the evidence say, and why are so many governments ignoring it?"

AFN26 will be held in person at the Astoria Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig City, with the full programme simulcast live and free on the conference website for virtual attendees worldwide. The forum is organised and hosted by the Harm Reduction Alliance of the Philippines (HARAP), The Vapers Philippines, the Malaysia Society for Harm Reduction, and the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).

A Region at a Turning Point

The forum opens with a scene-setting keynote, The State of THR in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, charting the progress made, the challenges ahead, and the urgency of the moment across APMEA.

The keynote lands against a backdrop of accelerating, and increasingly divergent, regional policy activity. Eight of eleven ASEAN member states have now banned e-cigarettes or heated tobacco products outright, with Myanmar the most recent in February 2026. Against this, the organisers have launched the Asia-Pacific Declaration, a formal call on health ministers across the region to legalise safer nicotine alternatives for adults who smoke.

Sessions cover real-world outcomes, consumers and the WHO tobacco treaty, and illicit trade. A press conference and media briefings will be held on the morning of Day Two.

The Asia-Pacific Declaration

A centrepiece of the forum is the Asia-Pacific Declaration. Launched in September, it calls on health ministers across the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions to legalise safer nicotine alternatives for adults who smoke. It will be tabled on Day One, setting out a regional roadmap for reform.

Speakers

Eighteen speakers from 12 countries are confirmed, including Professor Marewa Glover (New Zealand), Dr Alex Wodak (Australia), Dr Hiroya Kumamaru (Japan), Professor Tikki Pangestu (Indonesia), Michael Ellis (UK), Professor Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh (Malaysia), Professor Dr Rohan Savio Sequeira (India), Asa Saligupta (Thailand), Ron Christian Sison (Philippines), Professor Young-Bum Park (South Korea), Professor Jay Jazul (Philippines), Dr Lorenzo Mata (Philippines), Jagannath (Jaggi) Sarangapani (India), Heneage Mitchell (Thailand), Sairah Salim-Sartoni (UK/Pakistan), Clarisse Virgino Adriatico (Philippines), and Nancy Loucas (New Zealand), with Gabriel Oke (Nigeria/UK) as the Master of Ceremonies.

"AFN26 puts our own data, case studies and experiences in front of the people who set the rules," said Clarisse Virgino, CAPHRA's Philippines representative. "The Declaration gives that a formal regional voice. A forum only matters if it changes what happens next in policy rooms."

How to Attend

AFN26 is free to attend, in person or virtually. Seating on site in Manila is capped at 60 and registration closes 10 October 2026. Registered in-person attendees receive a QR code for on-site check-in. Those unable to travel can register as virtual attendees to receive the livestream link, with recordings available afterward on the CAPHRA Youtube channel.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

BEIJING, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 September 2026 - A new fusion of technology and traditional craftsmanship is taking shape in Jingdezhen, China's renowned porcelain capital.

American artist Michael May from Oklahoma City has joined forces with local ceramic artist Master Xie to create a one-of-a-kind ceramic vessel combining 3D printing with traditional Chinese ceramic craftsmanship.

The process brings together modern technology and the centuries-old art of blue-and-white porcelain. The vessel is shaped through a combination of handcraft and 3D printing, decorated with traditional qinghua patterns, then glazed and fired in a kiln.

From shaping and painting to glazing and firing, follow the camera to see how a new ceramic artwork comes to life through cross-cultural collaboration.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #CGTN

SHANGHAI, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 September 2026 - During HUAWEI CONNECT on September 17, 2026, Eric Xu (Huawei's Rotating Chairman) and Dr. Liao Heng (Chief Scientist of HiSilicon) had a Q&A session with journalists of media outlets to discuss Huawei's Peerium Computing Architecture for the AI era as well as UnifiedBus (UB).

At last year's HUAWEI CONNECT, Eric Xu gave a keynote speech and released Ascend chips and their roadmap (including the 950, 960, 970, and SuperPoDs and SuperClusters). He also announced the open release of the UnifiedBus protocol.

At this year's HUAWEI CONNECT, Huawei announced the Ascend 950 and the Atlas 950 SuperPoD. While the industry is talking about SuperPoDs or supernodes, the ways of making these products differ hugely. The key of SuperPoDs is about allowing several thousand or even tens of thousands of processors to work as one computer.

Today, Huawei announced a SuperPoD based on the Ascend 950 chip. The SuperPoD is powered by a new computing architecture that Huawei has pioneered. This architecture now can make one million processors work as one computer. This architecture is called Peerium, and it can achieve strong scaling to the million-processor level through nested parallelism, unified memory addressing, and peer-to-peer interconnect. It extends the parallelism paradigm of Turing with the introduction of Nested BSP (Nested Bulk Synchronous Parallel).

This architecture also extends the von Neumann single-machine architecture and overruns the master-slave design paradigm that has prevailed for decades. Given that the available technologies in the industry could not support this architecture, Huawei invented a key interconnect technology - UnifiedBus. Ultimately, one million processors can truly work as one larger computer.

UnifiedBus is a high-speed bus that uses an open protocol to scale without a limit to connect CPUs, NPUs, memory, SSDs, interface cards, and switches. With UnifiedBus, peer-to-peer interconnect is achieved across compute, storage, and networking. This fundamentally overruns the traditional master-slave architecture.

The Atlas 950 SuperPoD is a product built upon the Peerium Computing Architecture. A SuperCluster with 256,000 computing cards is currently being deployed and tested.

Q: Dr. Liao, your paper mentioned a SuperPoD that's made up of 256,000 cards. Is that the upper limit of your technology? Can you tell us more about market demand for your products?

Liao Heng: 256,000 or roughly 200k, this number is not an arbitrary number.

First of all, the purpose of these large clusters is for training. It has a hardware infrastructure that can support the training of foundation models, which today are already in the 5T parameter range.

Over the next two years, there will be roughly 6 or 7 frontier AI labs in China, and all will aim at training foundation language models of sizes ranging from 10 to 40 trillion parameters. These numbers kind of match up to the memory capacity and the size of the SuperPoD. So you need such a scale of infrastructure to train these models.

The second thing is that in China, most data centers have a national plan on this power grid. So 200,000 is a relatively conservative number, given the design of the power delivery system in a single autonomous zone and single data center campus.

As I said, everybody must be quite familiar with the AI model race that's happening across the globe. And in China, there are at least 3 or 4 tier-1 players that are already well recognized and have achieved tier-1 status.

Q: What are your plans to encourage Chinese model providers to use Ascend chips for training?

Eric Xu: For the Ascend 950, we first launched the 950PR to the market. It's primarily used for AI inference, and currently the total volume of supply available in the market is not very big. The SuperPoDs based upon the Ascend 950DT are mainly used for AI training. Right now, they are under testing, and their large-scale supply will start at the end of this year or early next year. We are having extensive dialogues and discussions with AI model providers. The testing result of using the Ascend 950DT for training is pretty good. I believe that starting from next year, a lot of AI model training will be based upon SuperPoDs that use the Ascend 950DT. I think at the end of the day, it's not about how hard we are going to push model providers, but about how much supply capacity we will have. We can only supply based on how much that's produced. And we hope the value chain will expand its capacity faster to increase supply.

Q: What is Huawei's take on recent calls by leading AI model providers in the US to slow down AI development?

Eric Xu: We need to look at the level and cadence of AI development in China and the US. AI models in China are largely open-source models and their progress is relatively transparent. If we look at the mainstream model providers in the US, they have more computing power, so maybe only they themselves know where they are in terms of the level of sophistication of their models. The market feeling about AI risks might be weaker in China than in the US. Model providers in China need to speed up their pace to reach a level where they could also feel the risks from AI development. And then, maybe they will feel the same as the leading US model providers. But I always believe that we need to strike a balance between driving AI development and managing AI risks. At the very least, the bottom line is we need to ensure AI for good, not AI for evil.

Q: Does Huawei have plans to bring the Atlas 950 SuperPoD to other markets outside China? If yes, which markets are you going to target? Can you share with us data about your market share in China? What is your take on China's push for chip self-sufficiency?

Eric Xu: Since we don't have enough capacity to even satisfy the demand in China, we don't have plans to expand to the international market in a fully-fledged way. But indeed, there are several countries that have very strong demand. We are doing some testing, and we are providing some supply to those countries, but the volume is quite limited.

Right now, it's pretty hard to collect data about the market share of NVIDIA in China. But based on the data we have collected, Ascend has surpassed NVIDIA.

China's push for chip self-sufficiency is an inevitable path forward. China is a country of 1.4 billion people and it's an industrial powerhouse, so the way people work and live is closely tied to chips. Chinese people have a keen sense of urgency, and will not accept a future in which others decide whether or not we can have access to certain products.

Even though our chips may be less advanced, at least their supply is assured, so that you don't have to worry about chip supply day in and day out. I think that's certainly the path forward. For the Chinese government, for the domestic industry, and for Huawei, the path forward is undoubtedly to push for full self-sufficiency in terms of chips and the entire semiconductor value chain. We also believe this will become a reality sooner or later.

To read the full Q&A session: https://www.apmultimedianewsroom.com/multimedia-newsroom/huawei-pioneers-a-new-computing-architecture-for-the-ai-era-making-one-million-processors-work-as-one-computer-2

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #Huawei

AI platform scores every server, storage and network device from 0 to 100, giving IT teams OEM-level data to decide whether to refresh, repair or retire equipment.

CLEVELAND, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ParkView Asset Intelligence, an AI-powered platform that shows IT managers the health of their infrastructure and insights to act on it, launched today from Park Place Technologies.

Called ParkView Asset IntelligenceTM, the new proprietary platform provides a detailed view into the condition of hardware devices, including servers, storage, network, security appliances and hyperconverged infrastructure, at a level previously only accessible to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

"ParkView Asset Intelligence is able to provide the insights, previously only visible to OEMs, to our customers and business partners - empowering them to make the most informed asset and financial decisions for their enterprises," said Chris Adams, CEO, Park Place Technologies. "Significant resources have been dedicated to its development."

Each lifecycle health score, expressed as a 0 to 100 rating, is built from three streams of data - Park Place's own hardware maintenance records, spanning more than 35 years and a million serviced assets across every major manufacturer; regional spare-parts availability; and customers' own asset performance and service history.

A score of 66 means something very different once a team can see that comparable devices in the same model family average 92, Adams gave as an example. The result is designed to help experienced IT teams decide whether to refresh, repair or retire a specific piece of hardware.

Paul Bevan, Research Director, IT Infrastructure for independent industry analyst firm Bloor Research said "In reality, it is at the same time both prosaic but, potentially, hugely impactful. What Park Place Technologies has done is to build an intelligence system on top of the huge amount of data that ParkView holds about the health, performance, and lifecycle of every asset in a customer's environment, helping make maintenance and refresh decisions planned, not reactive."

What ParkView Asset Intelligence Does

The platform combines hardware telemetry, Park Place's service history and live supply-chain data into a single view of fleet health:

Scores every asset, 0 to 100 - Hardware-level data is collected out-of-band from enrolled assets, independent of the operating system, so scoring continues even when the OS is unreachable. Each score is paired with a confidence indicator.

Reads failure patterns no single customer can see - Park Place service records across nearly one million of hardware assets reveal how specific models fail, and at what age. No individual enterprise runs a fleet large enough to detect those patterns on its own.

Factors in whether parts actually exist - data on spare-part stock by geography feeds directly into the score, so an asset's supportability in its own region is part of the reading rather than a separate calculation.

Surfaces risk before it becomes a failure - Configuration problems, firmware gaps and deteriorating component trends move the score before they generate a support ticket.

Benchmarks against the peer group - Every score is set against aggregated data from comparable devices across Park Place's global customer base, showing whether an asset is performing above or below the expected range for its model.

Rolls up to the whole fleet - A portfolio dashboard breaks health scores out by OEM, product family and location, making it possible to spot trends across thousands of assets and concentrate attention where it matters most.

For organizations running hardware past OEM support on a third-party maintenance contract, the scores supply the documented evidence needed to justify that decision internally - or the early warning needed to act before a failure forces the issue.

"IT managers using ParkView Asset Intelligence gain visibility not just into their own assets' data, but into how those assets compare to thousands of similar devices at every stage of the lifecycle," said Daniel Nelson, Chief Product Officer, Park Place Technologies. "We can now give users an objective, data-driven picture of where their infrastructure stands, and help them anticipate what to do next.

"For example, data across hundreds of thousands of device health assessments from multiple tier-1 OEMs reveals that about 1 in 50 devices today have been identified as high risk, indicating a change is needed. The insights gathered from those devices help ParkView Asset Intelligence customers to take action on their lifecycle decisions faster and avoid a break that causes prolonged downtime."

Availability

The beta version of ParkView Asset Intelligence is available now to all existing Park Place customers and will close on October 31. New customers of Park Place can receive the full version of ParkView Asset Intelligence immediately.

For more information about ParkView Asset Intelligence, visit https://www.parkplacetechnologies.com/parkview-asset-intelligence/.

# # #

About Park Place Technologies

Park Place Technologies is a leading global IT infrastructure services firm with $1.2 billion in annual revenue and 3,000+ employees. We help 25,000+ organizations in 180 countries - including half the Fortune 500 - fuel innovation by dramatically reducing time and money spent on IT infrastructure management, while boosting performance and uptime.

Powered by the world's largest on-the-ground engineering team, a robust group of advanced engineers, and our global Enterprise Operations Centers, Park Place delivers significant cost savings on hardware maintenance, software technical support, hardware procurement, and more. We also streamline IT infrastructure management, freeing internal teams from day-to-day tasks, enabling them to focus on strategic initiatives.

For more information, visit ParkPlaceTechnologies.com.

ParkView Asset Intelligence is a trademark of Park Place Technologies. All other product names are the property of their respective owners.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Trump Towers Hyderabad Will Feature Two 65-Storey Towers Rising Approximately 800 Feet, Connected by a State-of-the-Art Suspended Sky Bridge

The 2.2 Million-Square-Foot Development is Being Jointly Developed by IRA Realty and Tribeca Developers

MIAMI, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SKYX Platforms Corp. (NASDAQ: SKYX) (d/b/a SKYX Technologies) (the "Company" or "SKYX"), an award-winning advanced, safe, smart home and AI platform technology company with over 100 U.S. and global pending and issued patents, today announced that it has signed an agreement to supply its patented safe advanced and smart home technologies to Trump Towers Hyderabad, a landmark luxury residential development on Golden Mile Road in Kokapet, Hyderabad, India.

Trump Towers Hyderabad will feature two 65-storey towers rising approximately 800 feet and connected by a suspended sky bridge at the 28th floor. The development will include more than 450 residences, including 3.5- and 4.5-bedroom units and a collection of double-height simplex residences. Each residence is expected to include a private lift lobby and floor-to-ceiling glazing, with additional amenities located across a landscaped podium. The Trump Club will be located above the sky bridge, connecting the two towers with open views across the city.

During the course of the development, SKYX is expected to supply tens of thousands of units of its patented safe advanced and smart home plug & play technologies.

Hyderabad has developed into a major technology and innovation center in India, with a significant concentration of global technology companies and IT professionals. The project's location in Kokapet places it within one of the city's rapidly developing technology and residential corridors.

Trump Towers Hyderabad India

The 2.2 million-square-foot development is being jointly developed by IRA Realty and Tribeca Developers, prominent Indian real estate developers, and is expected to bring the Trump standard of luxury, design and service to one of Hyderabad's most prestigious locations.

Dr. Rama Raju Kanumuri, President of Brane Cognitive and President of Trump Towers Hyderabad, said: "Trump Towers Hyderabad stands as the definitive monument to this city's spectacular evolution as a global superpower of AI, disruptive technologies, and next-gen automation. This development holds the prestigious designation as The Trump Organization's largest luxury residential project in India. Perfectly situated in the premium Golden Mile in Kokapet, just across the newly unveiled Donald Trump Avenue which adjoins the US Consulate at Gachibowli, this project commands the absolute epicenter of what has indisputably become the Silicon Valley of the East with a workforce of over 1.3 million IT professionals operating within a few-mile radius. This corridor is the chosen home for the largest global campuses of tech titans like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Apple, establishing a massive live blueprint for intelligent cities. By fusing the unmatched prestige of the Trump brand with SKYX's pioneering engineering, we are delivering the future of smart homes to an intensely tech-addicted, forward-thinking populace. This flagship development proves that Hyderabad possesses the cutting-edge infrastructure and digital maturity to seamlessly blend architectural grandeur with cognitive, fully automated living."

Narsi Reddy, Founder and Managing Director of IRA Realty, said: "Our partnership with SKYX Platforms is a defining milestone in IRA Realty's development group targeted quest to dominate the branded residences sector. When you build under a legendary global flag like Trump Towers, the brand equity mandates that your underlying engineering matches the world-class reputation on the door. We chose the branded residences path because modern luxury buyers aren't just buying square footage; they are investing in an uncompromised ecosystem of safety, global prestige, and lifestyle perfection. SKYX Platforms is a leading technology partner capable of honoring that premium brand promise. They deliver highly decorated infrastructure that has captured seven prestigious CES awards from the Consumer Technology Association and elite global tech publications.

SKYX's patented smart and safety system has secured historic inclusion in the U.S. National Electrical Code, NEC-NFPA, ANSI-NEMA and premier global Underwriters Laboratories (UL), which is critical for our domestic operations, as we align our execution with India's National Building Code (NBC) and ensure strict compliance under RERA. SKYX's systems provide an unprecedented baseline for electrical fire prevention. By embedding SKYX's weight-bearing, plug-and-play ceiling and wall receptacle systems directly into the structural skeleton during core construction, we are delivering the effortless operational excellence that global branded residence buyers expect. This collaboration establishes the definitive blueprint for our future. Moving forward, IRA Realty intends to lead with SKYX's advanced technology as a mandatory building standard across our entire upcoming pipeline of premium branded townships and commercial portfolios."

Rani Kohen, Founder and Executive Chairman of SKYX Platforms, said: "Our collaboration on this premier development marks a historic milestone in our mission to establish SKYX Platforms as the new global standard for safe, intelligent infrastructure. For years, the international real estate market has treated smart home features as a fragmented collection of aftermarket gadgets. Through this partnership, we are proving that true digital living begins at the architectural level, anchored by foundational electrical safety.

Our patented weight-bearing plug-and-play ceiling and wall receptacle systems are built to meet the most rigorous regulatory and building safety codes. By embedding our U.S.-certified innovations directly into the building's infrastructure, we are mitigating traditional electrical and fire hazards while creating an open, adaptable gateway for thousands of units of next-generation smart technology, ceiling lighting, climate fixtures, and environmental automation. We view this project as an ideal international stage to demonstrate how unified, code-compliant technology can elevate high-end residential real estate. By standardizing SKYX technology across a property of this caliber, we are providing residents with total flexibility, absolute peace of mind, and a truly seamless lifestyle-ultimately shaping the blueprint for how premium connected communities will be built worldwide."

About SKYX Platforms Corp.

As electricity is a standard in every home and building, our mission is to make homes and buildings become safe-advanced and smart as the new standard. SKYX has a series of highly disruptive advanced, safe, smart and AI platform technologies, with over 100 U.S. and global patents and patent-pending applications.

Additionally, the Company owns 60 lighting and home decor websites for both retail and commercial segments. Our technologies place an emphasis on high quality and ease of use, while significantly enhancing both safety and lifestyle in homes and buildings. We believe that our products are a necessity in every room in both homes and other buildings in the U.S. and globally. For more information, please visit our website at https://www.skyx.com/ or follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements made in this press release are not based on historical facts, but are forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "can," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "evaluate," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "likely," "may," "might," "objective," "ongoing," "outlook," "plan," "potential," "predict," "probable," "project," "seek," "should," "target," "view," "will," or "would," or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

These statements reflect the Company's reasonable judgment with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which have outcomes difficult to predict and may be outside our control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Such risks and uncertainties include statements relating to the Company's ability to successfully launch, commercialize, develop additional features and achieve market acceptance of its products and technologies and integrate its products and technologies with third-party platforms or technologies; the Company's ability to achieve positive cash flows; the Company's efforts and ability to drive the adoption of its products and technologies as a standard feature, including their use in homes, hotels, offices and cruise ships; the Company's ability to capture market share; the Company's estimates of its potential addressable market and demand for its products and technologies; the Company's ability to raise additional capital to support its operations as needed, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to execute on any sales and licensing or other strategic opportunities; the possibility that any of the Company's products will become National Electrical Code (NEC)-code or otherwise code mandatory in any jurisdiction, or that any of the Company's current or future products or technologies will be adopted by any state, country, or municipality, within any specific timeframe or at all; risks arising from mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other collaborations; the Company's ability to attract and retain key executives and qualified personnel; guidance provided by management, which may differ from the Company's actual operating results; the potential impact of unstable market and economic conditions on the Company's business, financial condition, and stock price; and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.

There can be no assurance as to any of the foregoing matters. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws. 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

After more than 425,000 autonomous investigations in Early Access, Elevate turns alerts into audit-ready verdicts that analysts can inspect, challenge and govern.

PARIS, France, September 30, 2026. Sekoia, the European agentic cybersecurity company, today announced the general availability of Sekoia Elevate, the agentic AI layer of its autonomous SOC platform.

Elevate's AI agents investigate alerts end to end, directly from customers' security data, and deliver an audit-ready verdict in 99 seconds on average, backed by a traceable record of every query and piece of evidence. With Elevate, the alert is no longer a request for human work. Machines perform the investigative work at speed, while security teams retain governance and control over final decisions.

Security tools have spent twenty years producing better alerts, and SOC teams have grown to process them. As telemetry expands and attackers adopt AI, that model no longer scales. For each case, Elevate's agents gather and correlate raw logs, detections, threat intelligence, runbooks and response context - the manual groundwork that absorbs analyst time - so security teams can apply their expertise where it protects the business, without giving up control.

From early access to general availability

Elevate reaches general availability after an Early Access program conducted in real production environments. During this phase, it was deployed to more than 2,000 customers and hundreds of SOC analysts, and completed more than 425,000 autonomous investigations, correlating evidence across all connected data sources. Leading managed security service providers (MSSPs) in Europe and the US report up to a fivefold reduction in overall investigation time, alongside deeper and more consistent threat analysis.

Investigations analysts can inspect and challenge

Transparency is built into every investigation. Elevate records the queries its agents run and the evidence behind each finding, so analysts see how a verdict was reached and where further review may be needed. They can review, correct or override any conclusion, and every change is logged for incident review and audit. Each validated or corrected investigation also enriches the context available to the next one.

Autonomous cyber defense requires a system, not just a model

Elevate draws on assets Sekoia has built for years: proprietary threat intelligence, security data infrastructure, deep integrations and investigation workflows across thousands of production environments. The platform is model-agnostic, choosing the right model for each task, and open by design, working across the customer's existing security stack.

"The alert economy is ending," said Freddy Milesi, CEO of Sekoia. "The model alone is not the moat. What makes an agent effective in the SOC is the system around it: threat intelligence, customer context, memory and the ability to act. Elevate is that system in production, delivering autonomous cyber defense independent of any single stack or model."

"Elevate shifts the analyst's role from data miner to decision-maker," said Georges Bossert, Chief Technology and Product Officer at Sekoia. "Our agents do the exhaustive groundwork from raw data and explain every step, so security teams can focus on the decisions that protect the business, without giving up control."

About Sekoia

Sekoia is the European agentic cybersecurity company building autonomous cyber defense in the AI era. Its security platform connects threat intelligence, customer context, investigation memory, AI models, security capabilities and response actions, so machines investigate and act at scale while security teams set intent, policy and control.

Open and independent by design, it works across any security stack, any model and any deployment environment. From small and midsize businesses supported by MSSPs to Fortune 2000 enterprises, Sekoia makes advanced defense accessible to all. www.sekoia.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Ireland Launch Demonstrates a Scalable Approach to Branded Calling Across Vodafone Markets

Key Takeaways

*First Orion and Vodafone are expanding INFORM Branded Calling to Ireland, building on launches in the United Kingdom and Germany.

*Ireland is supported through the same Vodafone CAMARA-based API integration already incorporated into First Orion's platform, with no additional integration or development work required from First Orion.

*The launch advances First Orion and Vodafone's efforts to expand trusted business communications across Europe and globally.

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Orion, a leader in Transparency in Communications and Branded Communications solutions, today announced the continued expansion of its partnership with Vodafone, bringing network-based INFORM Branded Calling capabilities to enterprise customers in Ireland.

The launch marks the latest step in First Orion's efforts to expand trusted and recognizable business communications across Europe and globally.

The Ireland launch builds on First Orion and Vodafone's growing branded calling footprint in Europe, including the recent launch in the United Kingdom and an earlier deployment in Germany. Together, these markets demonstrate a scalable approach to extending branded calling across Vodafone networks and helping enterprises establish a recognizable identity when reaching customers across borders.

The expansion comes as fraudulent communications remain widespread and continue to increase in Ireland. Recent FraudSMART research found that 78% of Irish adults receive scam communications at least monthly, and 45% reported experiencing more scam activity than during the same period in the previous year. As consumers grow more cautious of unfamiliar calls, legitimate businesses face a growing challenge in reaching customers with important information.

The Ireland launch is enabled through the same Vodafone CAMARA-based network API integration already incorporated into First Orion's branded calling platform. As Vodafone enables additional markets through its unified approach, First Orion can support those markets through the existing integration without additional integration or development work. INFORM Branded Calling enables enterprises to present a recognizable identity when calling customers, giving consumers greater context around who is trying to reach them.

"People are understandably cautious about answering calls from numbers they don't recognize. By expanding branded calling to Ireland with First Orion, we're helping trusted businesses identify themselves more clearly and giving customers greater confidence in the calls they receive. Just as importantly, our CAMARA-based approach gives partners a simpler way to extend the service across Vodafone markets," said Johanna Wood, Director of Network APIs at Vodafone."

Businesses operate across borders, and their ability to identify themselves to customers should, too," said Temim Adwan, EMEA Managing Director at First Orion. "Expanding branded calling to Ireland with Vodafone brings us closer to delivering that consistency across Europe. It's an important part of our broader mission to make trusted business calling available globally."

The continued rollout also advances First Orion's broader international strategy. Through its Global Exchange, First Orion is expanding carrier connectivity and supporting more standardized branded calling deployments across Europe and other international markets. Vodafone's CAMARA-based approach supports that strategy by providing a more efficient path for extending branded calling as additional Vodafone markets are enabled.

About First Orion

First Orion is a global leader in Transparency in Communications, helping businesses, carriers, and consumers make every connection more transparent, trusted, and secure. As the pioneer of branded calling, First Orion delivers branded communication solutions that improve engagement, strengthen brand trust, and help combat fraud, spoofing, and unwanted communications. Headquartered in North Little Rock, Arkansas, First Orion serves leading enterprises and mobile operators worldwide.

About Vodafone (everyone.connected)

Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company.

Vodafone serves over 360 million mobile and broadband customers, operating networks in 15 countries with investments in a further five and partners in over 40 more. We have capacity on more than 70 subsea cable systems - the backbone of the internet - and we are developing a new direct-to-mobile satellite communications service to connect areas without coverage.

Vodafone runs one of the largest IoT platforms, with over 230 million connections globally, and we provide financial services to around 94 million customers across seven African countries  managing more transactions than any other provider.

From the seabed to the stars, Vodafone's purpose is to keep everyone connected.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

ATLANTA and LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, will showcase its artificial intelligence (AI) and logistics technology innovations at its 2026 Innovation Forum, which takes place October 6-8 in Chicago.

The innovations address time-consuming work across supply chain operations, including chasing shipment updates, rekeying trade documents and investigating delivery exceptions. Combining the connectivity and operationally ready data of the Descartes Global Logistics Network (Descartes GLN) with logistics expertise and embedded AI, these capabilities help customers act faster, increase capacity and keep customer commitments on track.

"Too much of a logistics professional's day can still be consumed by tracking down information, reconciling data and following up on routine tasks," said Ken Wood, Executive Vice President, Product Management at Descartes. "Our AI innovations take on more of that operational legwork, giving people more time for the decisions, exceptions and customer relationships that require their expertise. At this year's Innovation Forum, we're showing how trusted data, logistics expertise and intelligent automation come together to help customers put AI to work with measurable results and appropriate human oversight."

Some of the technology highlights at the event include:

Transportation Management

AI agents that take on freight visibility follow-up. Descartes MacroPoint OpsForce automates driver engagement, restores interrupted tracking, confirms shipment milestones and collects missing proof-of-delivery documents. Previously reported customer results include an average 30% increase in no-touch tracking automation and 1.5x productivity gains for tracking teams, helping transportation providers manage more freight with less manual follow-up.

Fleet Performance Management

Machine learning that increases delivery capacity. The Descartes Fleet Data Intelligence platform learns from actual delivery durations and route conditions to improve service time predictions. Early deployments increased route density by up to 30%, enabling fleets to schedule more stops within existing driver hours.

Predictive AI to help reduce accidents. Descartes Fleet Safety draws on more than 40 billion miles of telemetry and 500,000 accident records to identify driver risk and guide targeted coaching. By combining predictive insights with training and monitoring workflows, the solution helps fleets intervene earlier to improve driver behavior and reduce preventable accidents.

Global Trade Intelligence

AI-powered free trade qualification to uncover duty savings. Descartes Free Trade Intelligence combines AI-enabled analysis with rules of origin covering more than 250 regimes globally to help assess eligibility for preferential tariffs. Explainable recommendations and documented calculations support faster qualification, more informed sourcing decisions and audit readiness.

AI-assisted screening that reduces false positives. Descartes Visual Compliance AI Assist uses machine learning to filter low-risk screening results and reduce unnecessary reviews. Configurable risk settings, human oversight and audit trails help compliance teams focus on potential threats while maintaining control over screening decisions.

Conversational AI that accelerates global trade research. The Descartes Datamyne AI Agent answers natural-language questions with insights linked to supporting shipment records, helping teams evaluate suppliers, monitor competitors and identify market opportunities. It helps reduce research and analysis time, depending on user experience and query complexity.

Logistics Service Providers

AI that turns shipment documents into operationally ready data. Descartes' AI-powered Image Document Management interprets related commercial invoices, bills of lading and packing lists to prepare data for customs entries and shipment creation. Embedded AI agents reduce repetitive rekeying and manual corrections within the applications customers already use.

Faster quoting to capture new business. Descartes Spot combines live carrier rates, fees and surcharges with quotation management, helping forwarders return 90% of customer quotes in under 30 seconds while evaluating shipping options and protecting margins.

Ecommerce Operations

AI-driven purchasing and inventory planning. Descartes ForecastMine uses sales data to generate SKU-level demand forecasts and purchasing recommendations, including for bundles, kits and product variants. It flags slow-moving products and helps merchants reduce stockouts and excess inventory.

Descartes' innovations will be showcased at a unique and interactive Technology Fair on October 6 from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM CT, offering attendees hands-on experience with its latest capabilities and solutions. After the Technology Fair, the company plans to donate monitors and flat screen televisions used at the event to Compudot, a national non-profit organization with a local office in Chicago that provides free computers, low-cost or free internet solutions, and technology education to schools for underserved youth and families to help them support educational goals for students.  

Through sessions, peer discussions and hands-on demonstrations, the Innovation Forum brings customers, partners and Descartes teams together to explore how technology can reduce operational friction across the shipment journey from order to delivery.

To learn more about event speakers, sessions and sponsors, visit 2026 Innovation Forum.

About Descartes

Descartes powers more responsive, efficient, secure and sustainable international and domestic supply chains by uniting logistics-intensive businesses on its Global Logistics Network (GLN). Shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers connect and collaborate on the GLN leveraging technology, data and AI to manage last mile deliveries, domestic and international shipments, transportation rating and payment, global trade research, customs compliance and a variety of regulatory processes. Learn more about Descartes at www.descartes.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and X.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' logistics and supply chain solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; the innovations Descartes intends to present at its Innovation Forum in Chicago; and other matters.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities regulatory authorities across Canada including Descartes' most recently filed annual and interim management's discussion and analysis which are available under Descartes' profile through the EDGAR website at http://www.sec.gov or through the SEDAR+ website at http://www.sedarplus.com/. If any such risks actually occur, they could, among other consequences, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Except as required by applicable law, Descartes does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

AREZZO, Italy, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Italpreziosi S.p.A. will attend the Global Precious Metals Conference 2026, taking place from 4 to 6 October at the Hilton Sorrento Palace in Sorrento, marking the 25th edition of the international event dedicated to the precious metals industry.

The company will also be the sponsor of the Gala Dinner and Entertainment, to be held on the evening of 5 October.

Organised by the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) and the LPPM (London Platinum and Palladium Market), the conference represents an important meeting point for the international precious metals community, bringing together refineries, banks, traders, institutions and industry professionals from around the world.

A delegation from Italpreziosi, including CEO and Founder Ivana Ciabatti and members of the company's management team, will be present in Sorrento to meet with partners, clients and industry professionals and to take part in the conference's discussions and networking opportunities.

The relationship between Italpreziosi and LBMA dates back many years: the company has been an Associate Member since 2008, joined the LBMA Gold Good Delivery List in 2018 and, as of 20 May 2026, is also included in the Silver Good Delivery List.

"We are proud to support the gala dinner of a conference that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has chosen Italy as its host country. It is an opportunity to welcome the international precious metals community to Italy, in a year that holds particular significance for us, with our inclusion in the Silver Good Delivery List alongside gold. In a market built on trust, meeting in person still matters greatly," said Ivana Ciabatti, CEO and Founder of Italpreziosi S.p.A.

With more than 40 years of experience in the precious metals industry, Italpreziosi is today one of Italy's leading industrial companies operating in international markets across precious metals refining, recovery and trading, as well as the production and sale of investment gold.

In 2024, Italpreziosi obtained B Corp certification, joining the international community of companies meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. The company's ESG achievements also include UNI/PdR 125:2022 gender equality certification and ISO 14064-1 certification for the measurement and management of its carbon footprint.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Inviting Visitors and Locals to Enjoy an "Only in Hong Kong" Halloween Experience

HONG KONG, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hong Kong's Halloween celebrations have long been recognised across Asia for their vibrant atmosphere and creative diversity. This year, the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is scaling up the event by joining hands with industry partners to launch the first-ever "Hong Kong Halloween Month", a city-wide, cosplay-themed street party that will roll out over several weeks at popular tourist spots.

Combined with signature Halloween programmes at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and Ocean Park Hong Kong, as well as a range of exclusive, limited-time experiences around town, the initiative will transform the entire city into a giant Halloween party and give travellers a compelling reason to visit.

HKTB Executive Director Anthony Lau said, "Following the tremendous response from both residents and visitors to our new 'International Lantern Spectacular', which blended local tradition with international culture, we are expanding the scale of our Halloween promotions. What was once concentrated on a single day or a few venues is being upgraded into 'Hong Kong Halloween Month', a city-wide celebration spanning an entire month.

We want to turn up the festive energy across all corners of the city and invite visitors and locals alike to dress up, join the street party themed 'Make the Streets Your Runway', and experience a Halloween celebration found 'Only in Hong Kong'. I extend my sincere gratitude to all our partners, supporting organisations and the wider industry for coming together to deliver the most exciting Halloween festivities possible. Our shared ambition is to make Hong Kong the go-to Halloween destination in Asia - the first city that comes to mind when people think of where to celebrate - while drive footfall and business opportunities across districts and sectors."

Hong Kong's Largest Halloween Cosplay Street Party Takes Centre Stage as The Whole City Dresses Up to Join the Revelry

In addition to promoting the Halloween celebrations at the two major theme parks, HKTB has partnered with Hongkong Land, Kai Tak Sports Park, the Lan Kwai Fong Association, Langham Place and Sino Group to elevate the city's Halloween festivities, creating Hong Kong's largest-ever cross-district Halloween cosplay street party and calling on people of all ages to dress up and join in the Halloween revelry.

Starting on 17 October and spanning three consecutive Saturdays, popular tourism districts including Central, Kai Tak, Lan Kwai Fong, Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui will come alive with Halloween cosplay street parties featuring a wide array of programmes, including electronic music parties, cosplay carnivals, interactive ghost performances and immersive experiences.

Blending classic Halloween elements with popular anime and movie characters, contemporary art and distinctive local culture such as Hong Kong's iconic red minibuses and Cantopop, the events will offer a uniquely Hong Kong Halloween experience. The citywide festivities will culminate on Halloween night, 31 October, inviting locals and visitors alike to join in the fun across the city.

Halloween in Central

Event Partner: Hongkong Land

Venue: Statue Square Gardens (South) & Chater Road, Central (Pedestrianised Zone)

Highlights: Fixed hero installations, themed activation days

Kai Tak Sports Park Halloween Party

Event Partner: Kai Tak Sports Park

Venue: Dining Cove, Kai Tak Sports Park

Highlights: Halloween Cosplay Party, neon lighting installations, pet photo spot, busking performances

Only in LKF! Halloween Cosplay Party @ LKF Monster Mash

Event Partner: Lan Kwai Fong Association

Venue: Lan Kwai Fong District (D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong & Wo On Lane)

Highlights: Monster flash mob, cosplayers roaming and interacting with everyone, DJ music performances, open cosplay carnival, photo livestream for cosplayers

Next Stop, Mong Kok! Langham Place Halloween Street Fest

Event Partner: Langham Place

Venue: Outside Langham Place

Highlights: Hong Kong-style red minibus "Mong Kok Haunted Minibus", free Halloween-themed soft-serve ice-cream, high-energy street music carnival

TST East Halloween Beats

Event Partner: Sino Group

Venue: Mody Road Garden, Tsim Sha Tsui East

Highlights: Halloween cosplay DJ party, neon light display, Halloween-themed market

Please refer to the "Appendix" for more details.

Signature Halloween Events at Two Major Theme Parks Now in Full Swing

Hong Kong's two theme parks have once again rolled out their highly anticipated signature Halloween events, complementing the citywide festive atmosphere and adding even more exciting experiences to "HK Halloween Month".

From now until 1 November, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort presents "Disney Halloween Time", transforming the resort into an ultimate playground for guests to dress-up and have fun! Disney Villains and Disney friends are ready for wicked encounters with guests, bringing a line-up of entertainment offerings, including the all-new musical celebration "Mickey's Happy Halloween Adventure", a grander "Uninvited! A Villains Takeover Party", award-winning musical "Let's Get Wicked", along with a variety of themed food and beverages, merchandise, and Trick-or-Treat experiences.

Ocean Park Hong Kong's annual "Halloween Fest" is making a sensational return! Running from now until 1 November, the event unlocks four thrilling scare experiences and a packed line-up of unmissable Halloween entertainment. Highlights include a landmark collaboration with "Under the Castle", an original intellectual property (IP) created by internationally renowned artist Jackson Wang, delivering an immersive, multi-sensory horror experience. Visitors can also enjoy themed dining, limited-edition merchandise, and a series of interactive activities. Blending scares with high-energy fun, Ocean Park welcomes visitors and locals alike to celebrate Halloween at the Park.

Open-Top Sightseeing Buses and "Ding Ding" Specially Open for Halloween - Free Rides for Festively Dressed Visitors

The "Hong Kong Halloween Month" festive experience will further extend across the city as HKTB has teamed up with Citybus and Hong Kong Tramways to offer complimentary Halloween night rides, allowing visitors to soak up the atmosphere and capture memorable photos along the way.

Citybus will launch a Halloween-themed open-top sightseeing bus route on three Saturday evenings ? 17, 24 and 31 October ? calling at major festive hotspots on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon, including Statue Square in Central, Langham Place in Mong Kok, Kai Tak Sports Park, Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Lan Kwai Fong. Visitors who turn up in creative Halloween costumes can ride for free and take in the city's lively Halloween atmosphere from a whole new perspective.

Meanwhile, the long-established Hong Kong Tramways will also transform two themed trams into Halloween party trams, running between Causeway Bay and Sheung Wan (Western Market) on the same three Saturday evenings. Normally reserved for private hire, the party trams will be specially opened to the public this Halloween. Visitors dressed in festive attire can hop on board free of charge and enjoy Hong Kong's night scenery as part of a one-of-a-kind Halloween "Ding Ding" tram experience.

Share Your Halloween Moments and Win Prizes

To encourage locals and visitors to take part in "Hong Kong Halloween Month" and share their festive experiences, HKTB will host a social media campaign during the event period. Participants simply need to post photos or short videos taken in Hong Kong that capture the Halloween atmosphere, tag @discoverhongkong, and include the designated hashtags #HKHalloweenMonth and #OnlyInHongKong. HKTB will then select the most creative and entertaining entries. Winners will receive attractive prizes, and their works may also be featured on HKTB's promotional platforms to showcase Hong Kong's unique Halloween charm to global audiences. Stay tuned to Discover Hong Kong's social media channels for full event details.

HKTB "Hong Kong Halloween Month" Page - Your Go-To Guide for All Halloween Highlights

During "Hong Kong Halloween Month," festive spirit will fill districts across the city. Large-scale Halloween installations and themed activities will be staged at venues such as the West Kowloon Cultural District and Tai Kwun. To make it easier for visitors and locals to plan their itineraries, HKTB has launched a dedicated "Hong Kong Halloween Month" page on its Discover Hong Kong one-stop travel information platform (https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/events/halloween.html). The page consolidates details of Halloween events across the city, including popular photo spots, cosplay street parties, programmes at the two major theme parks, festive transport experiences, and limited-time offers.

HKTB "Hong Kong Halloween Month"

Overview of Five Festive Party Grounds and Signature Events

Hongkong Land - Halloween in Central

The Halloween in Central marks Hong Kong's first large-scale Halloween celebration inspired by the heritage streetscape of Central. Spanning two major landmarks, Statue Square Gardens and Chater Road, the event will transform Central into a vibrant Halloween playground, blending art, culture and festive atmosphere.

Chater Road will stage a variety of themed programmes, including a wellness experience day, an outdoor music party, a family carnival, and a large-scale cosplay street party on Halloween night. The Statue Square Gardens will feature a series of large-scale Halloween-themed art installations and popular photo spots, including giant eyeballs, a mysterious gateway and a haunted jail. Illuminated each evening, these installations will create a rich festive Halloween atmosphere.

The event will also collaborate with HKTB's Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival and local merchants to launch the Central Passport reward programme. Blending local creativity, arts and dining, the programme encourages locals and visitors to explore different corners of Central and experience the unique charm of an "Only in Hong Kong" Halloween celebration. For more information: https://www.halloweenincentral.com/

Kai Tak Sports Park - Kai Tak Sports Park Halloween Party

The Kai Tak Sports Park Halloween Party will feature Halloween-inspired cosplay, a Canto classic hits DJ party, street dance and high-energy dance performances, and a large-scale Halloween Cosplay Party. Participants are invited to dress up in full costume and immerse themselves in the festive celebrations.

The venue will feature vibrant neon light installations and a Halloween-themed marketplace, alongside distinctive three-dimensional photo spots created in collaboration with local comic artists. Veteran cosplayers, who also serve as costume design instructors, will present exclusive original works, giving visitors a taste of Hong Kong's creative culture. Additionally, family-friendly activities and a dedicated pet photo zone will invite visitors of all ages and their furry companions to join.

On Halloween day, special festivities, including trick-or-treat activities, a treasure hunt, and professional body painting experiences, will connect different corners of Kai Tak Mall and Dining Cove. Complemented by live performances and a festive marketplace, the event will create a waterfront Halloween carnival combining music, food, creativity, and interactive experiences. For more information: https://www.kaitaksportspark.com.hk/events-tickets/kai-tak-sports-park-halloween-party

Lan Kwai Fong Association - Only in LKF! Halloween Cosplay Party @ LKF Monster Mash

Set against the backdrop of Lan Kwai Fong, the Only in LKF! Halloween Cosplay Party @ LKF Monster Mash will feature three major themed cosplay street celebrations: "Monster DJ Night", "Wizard Block Party", and "Monsters Night". The festivities will offer interactive cosplay experiences, live street broadcasts, themed photo installations, DJ performances and distinctive dining experiences. Locals and visitors alike are invited to explore the district's streets and alleyways, immersing themselves in Hong Kong's most iconic Halloween revelry hotspot.

Participants can interact with featured cosplayers, capture Halloween memories at themed photo zones, and enjoy a series of DJ parties and street performances to experience Lan Kwai Fong's vibrant nightlife atmosphere.

Among the highlights, "Monsters Night" will feature interactive elements, like the "Monster Photo Hunt", allowing everyone to engage through live photo streaming. The evening will close with a mega DJ party as the climax of the night's celebrations. Combining Lan Kwai Fong's unique party culture, creative cosplay and a festive atmosphere, the programme will deliver a vibrant Halloween experience for both locals and visitors. For more information: https://lankwaifong.com/pages/lkf-halloween-2026

Langham Place - Next Stop, Mong Kok! Langham Place Halloween Street Fest

The Next Stop, Mong Kok! Langham Place Halloween Street Fest is the largest Halloween street party ever staged in Mong Kok, combining cosplay, live music, street culture and distinctive Hong Kong elements. The event invites residents and visitors to immerse themselves in Mong Kok's unique Halloween atmosphere.

Highlights will include a series of Hong Kong-style monster characters and the "Mong Kok Haunted MiniBus", a giant installation modelled after the iconic red minibus and created by internationally renowned designer-toy artist DANSIN, reinterpreting local culture into a creative Halloween experience. The event will also feature performances by world-champion cosplayers Ar Lu and Ronnie, Hong Kong Breaking representatives, local bands and DJs. Combined with street dance performances, busking, costume photo opportunities and interactive games, the programme will deliver a dynamic street party experience.

In addition to performances, locals and visitors can enjoy a variety of Halloween-inspired Hong Kong delicacies, including egg waffles in innovative flavours, themed snacks and limited-edition desserts. Trendy sticker tattoo experiences and trick-or-treat activities will also be added to the festive fun. In collaboration with Langham Place, Cordis, Hong Kong and various participating merchants, the event will offer exclusive promotions and privileges, inviting participants to fully enjoy an "Only in Hong Kong" Halloween experience at Mong Kok that brings together music, food, creativity and local culture. For more information: https://www.langhamplace.com.hk/happenings/998

Sino Group - TST East Halloween Beats

The TST East Halloween Beats will bring together cosplay culture, electronic dance music and street carnival elements in a vibrant Halloween celebration. Local and international DJs will take turns performing, whilst the venue will feature limited-edition neon photo installations that echo the distinctive lighting displays of Tsim Sha Tsui East.

The event will also feature a special collaboration with local artiste Kenny Kwan, whose intellectual property (IP) characters "Riceball" and "Meatball" will make their debut in whimsical Halloween costumes. Complemented by a quirky market, unique food stalls, and fancy dress and face-painting experiences, the event invites locals and visitors alike to join in the Halloween revelry.

The event will feature distinct themes each weekend. The first weekend will kick off with the "Character Cosplay" theme, inviting anime and gaming enthusiasts to show up in full costume, with renowned cosplayers Ar Lu and Ronnie making special appearances. The second weekend, themed "Movie Magic", will encourage participants to transform into iconic local and international film characters and immerse themselves in a cinematic music party. On Halloween night (31 October), the event will culminate in the "Grand Halloween Gala", inviting participants to showcase their most creative looks and join the ultimate Halloween celebration in Tsim Sha Tsui East.

Beyond the music performances, participants can explore a distinctive marketplace combining food and Halloween elements. Face painting and costume booths will also be available, allowing them to join the cosplay fun at any time. Tsim Sha Tsui Centre and Empire Centre will also launch a Halloween edition of 'Cheers Fiesta', offering a Halloween street party that combines music, fashion, dining and creative culture against the dazzling backdrop of Victoria Harbour - inviting everyone to join in and #ScreamTSTEast. For more information: https://www.tsimshatsuicentre.com.hk/en/promotions/tst-east-halloween-beats/

[Attachment 2]

Wicked Wardrobes Around Town

Looking for the fanciest Halloween costume? From classic ghosts and witches to trending pop culture icons, Hong Kong's bustling street markets offer endless treasures for partygoers of all ages. Explore these local hotspots across the city to find the wickedest looks! 

Pottinger Street 

Address: Pottinger Street, Central, Hong Kong Island (MTR Central Exit D2) 

 

Li Yuen Street East and West 

Address: Li Yuen Street East and Li Yuen Street West, Central, Hong Kong Island (MTR Central Exit C) 

 

Stepping onto the historic stone steps on Pottinger Street or exploring the bustling open-air stalls of nearby Li Yuen Street East and West is a partygoer's shortcut to a chic Halloween look. Both market hotspots boast trend-forward wigs, masquerade masks and eye-catching costumes. Their close proximity to Lan Kwai Fong makes them ideal for last-minute shopping, allowing locals and tourists to grab a stylish outfit from the stalls and head straight into the nightlife within minutes! 

Tai Yuen Street 

Address: Tai Yuen Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island (MTR Wan Chai Exit A3) 

 

For a standout Halloween outfit that won't break the bank, Wan Chai's Tai Yuen Street is a must-visit market. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, this vibrant market hub offers an array of festive disguises at bargain prices. From classic costumes to playful accessories, its open-air stalls deliver great looks at wallet-friendly prices ? making it the top local spot to score festive looks before stepping out into the citywide celebrations. 

 

Fuk Wing Street 

Address: Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po, Kowloon (MTR Sham Shui Po Exit B2) 

 

Affectionately known as "Toy Street", Fuk Wing Street is Hong Kong's ultimate family-friendly destination for Halloween prep. This bustling street market has an incredible variety of costumes, trick-or-treat buckets, and festive props for all ages. In addition to character costumes and toddler outfits, shoppers can discover vintage novelties, retro toys and unique props spilling from the stalls. For those looking for a wholesome Halloween treasure hunt, this Sham Shui Po hot spot is hard to beat! 

 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Source: People's Daily APP

BEIJING, CHINA  - Media OutReach Newswire - 30 September 2026 - Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. At a White House welcoming ceremony, Xi invited 100,000 young Americans to visit China for exchange and study programs over the next five years.

"The hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, and its future lies in the youth," Xi said.

This new initiative builds on an earlier announcement Xi made in San Francisco in November 2023, where China committed to inviting 50,000 young Americans to participate in exchange programs over five years. Two and a half years later, that target was achieved ahead of schedule, with the total number of participants exceeding the initial goal.

To coincide with the state visit, People's Daily released a video titled "Through Xi's eyes: Where youth bridges the Pacific." The video highlights young people from China and the United States who formed lasting connections through their shared passion for pickleball-a dynamic fostered by the "50,000 in Five Years" initiative.

In the feature, students from both nations recall meeting six months ago at the 2026 China-US Youth Pickleball Friendship Tournament in Beijing and say they hope to meet again. Pickleball has emerged as a new bond of friendship, bringing young people closer through teamwork, high-fives and shared laughter.

The video also highlights a personal exchange. Following a 2025 exchange trip to China, delegation leader Jeffrey Sullivan and his students wrote to President Xi to express their gratitude for the experience. About a month later, President Xi replied-arriving on Sullivan's birthday. In his letter, Xi expressed delight in seeing pickleball serve as a bridge for youth exchanges between the two nations.

"It's a great initiative in that it provides opportunities for friendships to form and for bonds to deepen, while setting the stage for intentional learning among our youth," Sullivan said.

Just as "ping-pong diplomacy" famously opened doors to China-US relations decades ago, pickleball is building a modern bridge of friendship. Exchange and cooperation continue to reflect the shared aspirations of both peoples, with young goodwill ambassadors injecting fresh momentum into long-term bilateral ties.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

LONDON, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SUNCUN presented its SS2027 collection, "Wen Feng Ji Meng" ("WIND & DREAM"), at London Fashion Week, completing founder Zhang Turan's decade-long trajectory from Northeast China to New York, Paris, London and Milan. The presentation marked the brand's 10th anniversary and closed its four-city fashion-week loop.

The runway presentation comprised 59 looks with flowing silhouettes, layered construction and negative space, translating the collection's wind-and-dream concept. It drew attention from international buyers and media. Having completed its second global new-product launch in London, SUNCUN plans to open a physical store in the city, bringing a new lifestyle to London while continuing to build a mature contemporary Eastern fashion system and deepen global craft collaboration.

The route began in New York in February 2019, when IMG invited him to New York Fashion Week for "Wuwei Fusheng." At 24, he was widely reported as the youngest haute couture designer to present there. Overseas coverage described his work as "a mysterious power from the East." Later that year, "Shanhai" at the Petit Palais extended the route to Paris. SUNCUN's AW2024 "Kaitian," reported by CRI, was Zhang's first London release. Seven months later, SS2025 "Bridge" at Milan Fashion Week was covered by Xinhua and reviewed by Italy's national fashion chamber.

The London collection carries that development into design. Built around the phrase "Use wind as traces, dream as messages," it treats wind as worldly movement and dream as floating life. Rather than reproduce literal landscapes or stack cultural symbols, Zhang uses flowing silhouettes, layered construction and virtual-real contrasts and negative space to translate Eastern philosophy into a contemporary wardrobe.

"The beauty of Eastern clothing is not just the style - it is the Eastern philosophy itself," Zhang said. The return completes the four-city route and shows how SUNCUN is moving intangible-heritage craft beyond one-off couture into a fashion language spanning couture and ready-to-wear.

About SUNCUN

Founded in 2015 in Shenyang, SUNCUN is a Chinese haute couture and new-Chinese-style fashion brand founded by Zhang Turan. The brand works with Chinese artisans and develops intangible-heritage embroidery, traditional fabrics, single-client tailoring and ready-to-wear through La Brocart / Chengyi Bureau and TURANZZ.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Perolehan kontrak baru meningkatkan kepastian bisnis berbasis kontrak YYForce untuk operasional manajemen fasilitas terintegrasi di Singapura. Seluruh kontrak itu mulai berlaku pada Oktober 2026, dengan periode layanan utama berlangsung sekitar tiga tahun

SINGAPURA, Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YYForce Inc. (Nasdaq: YFOR) ("YYForce" atau "Perusahaan"), penyedia layanan manajemen tenaga kerja berkemampuan AI dan manajemen fasilitas terintegrasi ("IFM"), hari ini mengumumkan bahwa anak perusahaannya di Singapura, Hong Ye Group Pte. Ltd. ("Hong Ye Group"), telah memperoleh sejumlah kontrak baru untuk layanan kebersihan untuk area komersial dan layanan fasilitas terkait di Singapura, dengan total nilai kontrak sekitar S$15,96 juta (sekitar US$12,5 juta).

Kontrak-kontrak baru yang berhasil diperoleh itu mencakup berbagai properti di Singapura dan dijadwalkan mulai dilaksanakan pada Oktober 2026. Setiap kontrak memiliki periode layanan berbeda, dengan kontrak utama memiliki jangka waktu layanan sekitar tiga tahun. Berdasarkan jadwal kontrak saat ini, total nilai kontrak diperkirakan mencapai sekitar S$5,57 juta pada Tahun ke-1, S$5,55 juta pada Tahun ke-2, dan S$4,84 juta pada Tahun ke-3.

Fakta Utama Kontrak

 

Memperkuat Kepastian Bisnis melalui Kontrak Multitahun

Perolehan kontrak baru itu memperluas portofolio Hong Ye Group dalam layanan kebersihan untuk area komersial dan layanan fasilitas berbasis kontrak di Singapura. Kontrak-kontrak itu juga memberikan YYForce tambahan kepastian bisnis berbasis kontrak untuk beberapa tahun ke depan, yang didukung oleh dimulainya seluruh kontrak pada Oktober 2026.

Perolehan kontrak-kontrak itu menyusul laporan terbaru YYForce mengenai hasil keuangan semester pertama 2026. Pada periode itu, pendapatan IFM meningkat 11,1% dibandingkan tahun sebelumnya menjadi sekitar US$16,06 juta. Perusahaan melaporkan bahwa pertumbuhan IFM selama periode itu didukung oleh perolehan kontrak baru, perpanjangan proyek yang sudah ada, serta kontribusi selama satu periode penuh dari anak-anak perusahaan yang diakuisisi pada tahun 2025.

Nilai Kontrak dan Pengakuan Pendapatan. Nilai total kontrak berbeda dengan pendapatan yang diakui untuk tujuan akuntansi. Dengan seluruh kontrak mulai berjalan pada Oktober 2026, pengakuan pendapatan aktual akan bergantung pada pelaksanaan layanan secara berkelanjutan, ketentuan kontrak, persyaratan pelanggan, serta standar akuntansi yang berlaku. Perusahaan tidak menjamin bahwa seluruh nilai kontrak itu akan diakui sebagai pendapatan sesuai jadwal yang saat ini diproyeksikan.

Komentar dari Eksekutif

"Perolehan kontrak-kontrak multitahun baru ini memperluas bisnis layanan komersial kami di Singapura dan memperkuat kepastian bisnis berbasis kontrak Hong Ye Group, dengan seluruh kontrak itu mulai berjalan pada bulan Oktober," ujar Mike Fu, Chief Executive Officer YYForce.

"Dalam menjalankan strategi manajemen fasilitas terintegrasi, kami berfokus pada perpaduan antara pelaksanaan layanan garis depan yang disiplin dengan teknologi tenaga kerja, penjadwalan cerdas, AI, dan otomatisasi. Kontrak-kontrak ini memperluas basis operasional yang memungkinkan kami untuk terus meningkatkan produktivitas, konsistensi layanan, dan skalabilitas dari waktu ke waktu."

Mendukung Strategi Manajemen Fasilitas Terintegrasi YYForce

Hong Ye Group merupakan bagian penting dari operasional IFM YYForce di Singapura. Strategi YYForce adalah memadukan layanan fasilitas garis depan yang telah mapan dengan manajemen tenaga kerja berbasis teknologi, serta meningkatkan penerapan AI, otomatisasi, dan robotika seiring berjalannya waktu.

Tenaga Kerja Manusia + Teknologi Tenaga Kerja + IFM + AI + Otomatisasi + Robotika

Perusahaan meyakini bahwa model ini dapat mendukung peningkatan pengerahan tenaga kerja, konsistensi layanan, efisiensi operasional, dan skalabilitas. Kontrak-kontrak yang baru diperoleh itu memperluas basis operasional yang memungkinkan YYForce untuk terus mengembangkan dan menerapkan solusi berbasis teknologi dalam kegiatan operasional layanan fasilitasnya.

Tentang YYForce Inc.

YYForce Inc. (Nasdaq: YFOR) adalah penyedia layanan manajemen tenaga kerja berkemampuan AI dan manajemen fasilitas terintegrasi (IFM), yang berkantor pusat di Singapura serta beroperasi di Asia dan wilayah lainnya. Melalui bisnis IFM dan teknologi tenaga kerjanya, YYForce menyediakan solusi pengerahan dan manajemen tenaga kerja serta layanan fasilitas di berbagai industri jasa.

Platform tenaga kerja Perusahaan, YY Circle, mendukung pengerahan dan manajemen tenaga kerja di berbagai sektor, termasuk perhotelan, makanan dan minuman, ritel, serta industri jasa lainnya. Dalam operasional IFM-nya, YYForce memadukan layanan fasilitas garis depan dengan solusi teknologi yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan produktivitas tenaga kerja dan efisiensi operasional.

Strategi jangka panjang YYForce berfokus pada pembangunan ekosistem tenaga kerja masa depan terintegrasi. Dalam ekosistem ini, kolaborasi antara tenaga kerja manusia, perangkat lunak cerdas, otomatisasi, dan robotika akan terus ditingkatkan untuk memberikan layanan dengan lebih efisien.

Pernyataan Berwawasan ke Depan

Siaran pers ini berisi pernyataan yang berwawasan ke depan dalam artian yang terkandung di Pasal 27A Securities Act tahun 1933, sebagaimana diubah, dan Pasal 21E Securities Exchange Act tahun 1934, sebagaimana diubah. Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan dapat dikenali melalui penggunaan kata-kata seperti "dapat," "akan," "seharusnya," "mengharapkan," "mengantisipasi," "memperkirakan," "meyakini," "merencanakan," "bermaksud," "memproyeksikan," "memprediksi," "potensi," "melanjutkan," "target," atau ungkapan serupa.

Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan ini mencakup, antara lain, pernyataan mengenai perkiraan pelaksanaan kontrak dan pengakuan pendapatan, strategi manajemen fasilitas terintegrasi Perusahaan, integrasi teknologi tenaga kerja, kecerdasan buatan, otomatisasi, dan robotika ke dalam kegiatan operasionalnya, serta efisiensi operasional, skalabilitas, dan strategi pertumbuhan di masa depan.

Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan didasarkan pada ekspektasi dan asumsi saat ini serta mengandung risiko dan ketidakpastian yang dapat menyebabkan hasil aktual berbeda secara signifikan dari hasil yang dinyatakan secara tersurat atau tersirat. Risiko dan ketidakpastian ini mencakup, antara lain, persyaratan pelanggan, waktu dimulainya dan pelaksanaan kontrak, ketersediaan dan biaya tenaga kerja, kondisi persaingan, kondisi ekonomi dan pasar, penerapan teknologi, perkembangan regulasi, serta risiko lainnya yang dijelaskan dalam dokumen YYForce yang diserahkan kepada Komisi Sekuritas dan Bursa A.S.

Pembaca dianjurkan untuk meninjau dokumen-dokumen Perusahaan yang diserahkan kepada SEC, termasuk bagian "Faktor Risiko" dalam laporan tahunan terbaru pada Formulir 20-F serta dokumen-dokumen yang diserahkan setelahnya. YYForce tidak berkewajiban untuk memperbarui atau merevisi secara terbuka setiap pernyataan berwawasan ke depan, kecuali sebagaimana diwajibkan oleh hukum yang berlaku.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.