3 CSD integrates space-based commercial capabilities into mission operations to enhance threat detection for more resilient space operations

MONTREAL, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NorthStar Earth & Space ("NorthStar" or the "Company"), a global leader in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA), today announced the launch of augmented commercial services valued at more than CAD$40 million over 12 months with the Royal Canadian Air Force's 3 Canadian Space Division (3 CSD).

The agreement enables 3 CSD to integrate NorthStar's space-based surveillance capabilities to enhance mission readiness and threat detection in orbit.

The agreement reinforces NorthStar's long-standing commitment to advancing Canada's role in the space sector. Headquartered in Montreal, and governed by a majority-Canadian board, NorthStar drives growth through innovation, and sovereign space capabilities. By processing millions of images and observations collected from space- and ground-based sensors, NorthStar delivers precise assessments and predictions of the behaviour of objects in space.

"This collaboration marks a milestone in the use of commercial innovation to protect Canadian interests in space," said Stewart Bain, founder and CEO of NorthStar. "Integrating NorthStar's advanced scanning and detection capabilities will strengthen the mission readiness and national security objectives at the core of 3 CSD's mandate."

Canada's Defence Industrial Strategy recognizes space as a critical operational domain for national security and economic stability. Satellites underpin communications, navigation, climate monitoring, Earth observation and defence operations, making sovereign, mission-ready SDA capabilities essential. These capabilities play a critical role in safeguarding Canada's North, where Arctic security and sovereignty are key priorities. NorthStar's integrated space-based and ground-based services provide trusted, Canadian controlled data to support this objective.

RCAF Brig.-Gen Christopher Horner said, "Space Domain Awareness is foundational to all space operations. Our decisional advantage in both peacetime and conflict is built upon our ability to detect and differentiate threats from the responsible actors in space. NorthStar gives the Canadian Armed Forces the higher ground with advanced SDA services.  Cooperation between 3 CSD and Canada's space industry partners remains a fundamental requirement for security in space."

"Through Canada's new Defence Industrial Strategy, our government is inspiring new partnerships that will strengthen our defence industry, enhance sovereign capabilities, and bolster national security. NorthStar's partnership with 3 Canadian Space Division on their sovereign SDA capabilities will advance Canada's satellite capacity and equip our Armed Forces with mission-ready tools," said the Hon. M?lanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions.

As space becomes an increasingly contested domain, Canada must remain steadfast in maintaining the ability to independently monitor and protect its assets in orbit. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening national capabilities and contributing to the secure and safe use of space.

About NorthStar Earth & Space

NorthStar is the first commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) company to leverage space-based assets that use satellite imagery to continuously scan, detect, and monitor the behaviour of objects in near-Earth orbits. Patented capabilities deliver precise and timely Space Domain Awareness (SDA), contributing to Canada's space sovereignty and supporting National Defence objectives. With headquarters in Montreal, Canada, a European headquarters in Luxembourg, and a dedicated US operation in McLean, VA, NorthStar addresses the ever-growing threat of space collisions as a major contribution to empower humanity to preserve our planet.

Media Contacts

Prosek Partners

Pro-NorthStar@Prosek.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - Hong Kong jumped one place to become the world's second most competitive economy, according to the 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking published today (June 18) by the Swiss-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD). It is Hong Kong's highest ranking since 2019, and builds on three consecutive years of improvement.

Welcoming the report, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government said, "The World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) 2026 reaffirms Hong Kong as one of the most competitive economies in the world, and notes that Hong Kong's rise to second sustains the strong upward trajectory from 2024 and 2025."

In announcing the results, the IMD noted that, amid rising geopolitical tensions, competitive advantage hinges on credible institutions, predictable rules, enforceable commitments and public trust.

According to WCY 2026, Hong Kong's rise reflects sustained performance across the four competitiveness factors measured. Among these factors, Hong Kong ranks second in "Government efficiency" and third in "Business efficiency". "Infrastructure" and "Economic performance" rank eighth and 11th respectively.

As regards the various competitiveness sub-factors, Hong Kong tops the rankings in "Tax policy" and "Business legislation", ranks second in "Finance", third in "International trade", "International investment", "Management practices" and "Education", and fourth in "Public finance" and "Basic infrastructure".

"In the competitiveness factor 'Government efficiency', Hong Kong continues to rank second globally, reflecting the HKSAR Government's ongoing efforts to promote free and open, stable, predictable and business-friendly economic policies, as well as the international community's trust in Hong Kong's legal and regulatory environment," the spokesperson said.

"Hong Kong's 'Business efficiency' is ranked third globally, reflecting the strong support for industry development rendered by our robust financial ecosystem, as well as the seamless alignment of the city's business practices and environment with international best standards."

Amid rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics, Hong Kong, with its close connectivity to both the Chinese Mainland and the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, and its sound institutions, open markets and sustained investments in innovation, has become a "value hub" that offers both security and growth opportunities.

In fact, Hong Kong continues to excel in various international rankings including those for economy, finance, and talent. The International Monetary Fund has also given positive recognition to Hong Kong in recent months, and major credit rating agencies have successively reaffirmed Hong Kong's credit ratings and 'stable' outlook.

"All these echo the WCY 2026 results," the spokesperson said.

Currently, Hong Kong is formulating at full speed its first Five-Year Plan, to proactively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan.

"With the staunch support of our country, the HKSAR Government will work together with all sectors of society to strengthen our role and function as a 'super connector' and 'super value-adder', with a view to better integrating into and serving the overall national development, achieving our own high-quality development, creating more new room for development for our people and businesses, as well as opening up new opportunities for global investors and enterprises," the spokesperson said.

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

Hashtags: #HongKong #BrandHongKong #Global #Competitiveness

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - On June 16, the 2026 Hainan Cultural and Tourism Promotion Events, under the theme of "Sunny Hainan ? Heart's Desire," were held in Hong Kong.

Leaders from Hong Kong's cultural and tourism authorities, heads of industry associations, and representatives of key cultural and tourism enterprises from home and abroad gathered to explore new opportunities for cooperation and draw up a blueprint for the industry's future.

Liu Xiaoming, Governor of the People's Government of Hainan Province, and Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended the events and delivered speeches. During the promotional session, Chen Tiejun, Director of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports of Hainan Province, unveiled the "Top Ten Calling Cards of Hainan Tourism," which received enthusiastic responses and positive feedback from various sectors in Hong Kong. Attendees from Hong Kong unanimously agreed that Hong Kong and Hainan boast highly complementary cultural and tourism resources and immense potential for cooperation.

Since the launch of special customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, its distinctive opening-up advantages, such as "zero tariffs, low tax rates, a simplified tax system" and "tariff exemption for value-added processing," have become increasingly prominent. These policies have continuously made Hainan more attractive to businesses and opened up broader opportunities for Hong Kong investors and entrepreneurs.

On the same day, at the "Invest in the Free Trade Port, Share New Opportunities" Symposium for Hong Kong Enterprises held in Hong Kong, four cooperation agreements were formally signed, covering high-end commerce, cultural and tourism integration, and regional industrial coordination. Hong Kong business representatives expressed strong interest in deepening their presence in Hainan.

Hainan and Hong Kong share a long history of cooperation, and in recent years, a steady stream of favorable policies has been introduced. Since the signing of the Hainan-Hong Kong Memorandum of Cooperation in March 2025, bilateral cooperation has accelerated across the board. In 2025, goods trade between the two sides reached RMB 9.35 billion, increasing by more than two times from 2020. A total of 793 new Hong Kong-funded enterprises were established in Hainan, a year-on-year increase of 21.5%. Hainan has also issued offshore RMB bonds in Hong Kong for four consecutive years, with a cumulative total of RMB 18 billion. Currently, an average of four direct flights operate daily between Hong Kong and Hainan, with the fastest travel time under two hours, facilitating the rapid emergence of the "Hainan-Hong Kong Living Circle."

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

Hashtags: #HainanCulturalandTourismPromotionEvents

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - Amid the global wave of technological advancement, the next generation of young leaders is presented with unprecedented growth opportunities.

As such, today's youth must learn beyond the boundary of traditional classrooms, engage with real communities, tackle social challenges with creative thinking, and chart sustainable paths for the future of humanity. To nurture young talents and turn inspiring ideas into tangible action, the Third Next Generation Philanthropy Leadership Program is now open for applications.

Since its inception in 2024, the annual program has spent three consecutive years fostering outstanding young social innovators across Asia. The 2026 summer camp will be hosted by The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and will center on the theme "Art + AI for Social Good." It equips participants with practical AI skills, inspires creativity through art, and encourages collaboration across disciplines and cultures. Top teams from the Creative Challenge will receive seed funding and one-on-one mentorship to further scale their projects, boosting youth-led social innovation across Hong Kong and the broader Asian region.

Representing much more than a regular summer camp, this long-term initiative empowers young people to take action and drive social entrepreneurship. The past two cohorts have gathered nearly 100 exceptional high school students from all over Asia, with around 90% of them giving overwhelmingly positive feedback on their learning experience.

"I used to believe leadership was all about individual excellence," shared a former participant. "Working in teams taught me that true leadership lies in uniting people and moving forward together."

The previous sessions were held at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), with official support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) under the Singapore Youth Programme. Under the guidance of seasoned practitioners from government, business, academia and social sectors, participants translated creative concepts into implementable projects. Standout initiatives including Silver Sayang which dedicated to alleviating elderly loneliness, and NourishMind which leverages AI to promote mental wellness and mindfulness, have secured seed funding and ongoing incubation support, delivering lasting social value. These success stories prove that young people can make a real difference when given the right platform and resources.

Richard Buttrey, Program Director at ARM, a world-leading semiconductor IP provider affiliated with the University of Cambridge and a veteran mentor of the program, commented, "Philanthropy is not always linked to young people. While youths may lack financial means, they hold a strong sense of fairness and justice, a quality widely recognized by top academic institutions, enterprises and the whole society."

Viswa Sadasivan, former Member of Parliament of Singapore, also spoke highly of the program. "Participants will visit renowned charitable foundations and NGOs throughout the camp. We adopt immersive, experiential learning to make growth engaging and rewarding. Joining this program marks the first step toward a lifelong journey of giving and service."

Keeping pace with AI trends, the 2026 program will select 50 outstanding young talents for a five-day immersive learning experience in Hong Kong. Participants will attend structured entrepreneurship workshops to develop sustainable business models, turning social solutions into financially viable and long-running public welfare projects. The core highlights of this year's program are as follows:

Expert-led Workshops: Hands-on training in AI creative application, leadership development, public speaking and social project design.

Field Visits: On-site tours of local Hong Kong communities and NGOs to gain first-hand insights into social welfare issues.

Art + AI Creative Challenge: Cross-team competitions for innovative social impact solutions, with seed funding awarded to winning teams.

Concurrently, a dedicated Welfare Support Scheme is also launched alongside the main program. Full sponsorship, including travel expenses and accommodations, will be provided for students from remote impoverished areas in China and disadvantaged students worldwide, including student leaders among left-behind children supported by the Maitian Project. Online courses are additionally available for youth across Asia who are passionate about philanthropy. We welcome innovative-minded high school students to join us in Hong Kong this summer, and explore boundless possibilities where technology, art and social change intersect.

Program & Application Information

Venue: The University of Hong Kong

Eligibility: Youth aged 14 to 20, including high school and university students, with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship and social welfare

Scholarship: All 50 selected participants will receive full scholarships covering all course and activity fees

Admission: Rolling admission. Applications will close once all vacancies are filled.

Application Link: https://www.nextgenphilanthropy.net/register-for-the nextgen-program-2026/

Based in Singapore, Good Soil Foundation commits to empowering the next generation of young leaders. Through education, experiential learning and impact investment, it cultivates future social entrepreneurs with global vision and a strong sense of social responsibility. To learn more, please visit our official website: https://goodsoilfoundationsg.com/ or follow our social media accounts.

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

Hashtags: #GoodSoilFoundation

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 June 2026 - Colgate Optic White Purple today launched 'The Purple Caf?', an APAC-wide social-first campaign. Expanding its K-Beauty footprint, the brand is moving beyond traditional advertising into episodic storytelling across TikTok and major regional markets.

"We are incredibly proud to unveil the next evolution of the incredibly successful Colgate Optic White Purple franchise with our social-first 'Purple Caf?' K-Drama series", said Samir Singh, EVP Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive, Asia Pacific. " We recognise that the way people consume media and content has dramatically changed, especially on TikTok. Our campaign takes our association with Korean beauty and culture to a whole new level, presenting our product not just as a beauty essential, but as a pivotal character that transforms our influencer protagonists' confidence in fun, cheeky ways."

Influencer-Led Episodic Story-telling

The six-part series stars top Asian influencers instead of traditional actors, reimagining classic K-Drama tropes like awkward blind dates and judgmental relatives. In each episode, Colgate Optic White Purple acts as the narrative catalyst, transforming social friction into empowered confidence. The product is seamlessly integrated into each episode, driving both the plot and the protagonists' transformations.

AI Integration to Democratise Story-telling

In a TikTok-exclusive partnership, the campaign invites consumers to script their own narratives to "one-up" AI-generated antagonists. This initiative democratises storytelling emphasising the belief that human creativity can often outsmart artificial intelligence.

Watch the full episodic series and discover the transformative power of Colgate Optic White Purple on Colgate Thailand (Tik Tok), Colgate Philippines (Tik Tok), Colgate Malaysia (Tik Tok).

Campaign Credits:

Colgate Palmolive:

Samir Singh, EVP Marketing, Asia Pacific

Wen Zhu, Sr. Director, Marketing APAC

Anaswar Rajagopal, Director, Marketing APAC

Liz Yang, Senior Brand Manager APAC

Kenny Choo, Head Content Lab, APAC

Jacinta Francis, Content Production Manager, APAC

Katelyn Chen, Senior Digital Art Director, APAC

Audrey Lee, Shopper Design Manager, APAC

WPPCP / WPP Media / WPP Production / Ogilvy ANZ:

⁠Sarah-Leith Izzard, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Group Hong Kong

Ken Kaneko, Senior Art Director APAC, WPPCP

Oliver Samuelson, Copywriter, WPPCP

Daniel Cullen, Executive Director APAC, WPPCP

Kunal Rasania, Business Director, APAC, WPPCP

Mark Tan, Associate Account Director, WPPCP

Ines Rubio, Associate Strategy Director, WPPCP

Vidhyadhar Kale, President - Client Solutions, WPP Media

Pranay Shah Singh, APAC Strategy Partner, WPP Media

Rana Mughees Nawaz, APAC Regional Strategy Director, WPP Media

Benjamin Lee, Senior Regional Manager, Strategy & Planning, WPP Media Singapore

Brenda Ho, Director, Social and Influence Strategy, Ogilvy PR ANZ

Ben Hickey, Head of Consumer Health, Ogilvy PR ANZ

Andrea Rutgers, Senior Social Specialist, Ogilvy PR ANZ

Siyoung Sung, Business Director, Ogilvy Korea

Minchae Kwak, Account Executive, Ogilvy Korea

Jacinta Loo, Head of Moving Image, WPP Production Singapore

Renee Lim, Integrated Producer, WPP Production Singapore

Shu Pin Lee, Head of Office, WPP Production Singapore

Zivy Johnson, Head of Production, WPP Production Australia

Raphael Ruz, Head of Product & Innovation, WPP Production Australia

Ben Wallace, Senior Content Producer, WPP Production Australia

Sam Martin, Craft Lead, WPP Production Australia

Sudarshan Raghunathan, Gen AI Creative Director, WPP Production Chennai

Production

Production House, Whynot Media Co., Ltd

Director, Gyubin Lee

DOP, Sado Choi

Screenwriter, Surin Song

Head of Production, Sohee Cho

Executive Producer, Minseok Lee

Project Manager, Songhee Ko (Grace)

Full List of Creator Talent Involved in the Purple Caf? K-Drama Films

Philippines

Andrea Nicole

IG: @Andweaso

TT: @andweaso

Evan Tan

IG:@evantan

TT: @itsevantan

Malaysia

Malle Christian Anderson

Thailand

Baby Jingko

IG: @babyjingko

TT: @babyjingko

Cute Kiw

IG: @cutekiw

TT: @cutekiww

About WPP CP

WPP CP is a bespoke WPP agency team dedicated to Colgate-Palmolive, bringing together the best talent and capabilities from across WPP's agencies to deliver integrated, effective, and innovative marketing solutions.

About Colgate-Palmolive

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under internationally recognised brand names.

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

Hashtags: #Colgate

Strategic expansion of botanical extracts portfolio strengthens regional support for beauty and personal care and pharmaceutical customers

ROTTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Univar Solutions B.V., a subsidiary of Univar Solutions LLC ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, today announced an expanded distribution partnership with American Distilling through its Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions division.

Under the new agreement, Univar Solutions will distribute American Distilling's portfolio of high-quality, natural specialty ingredients. The agreement includes traditional witch hazel (alcohol-free options and customizable grades) for personal care, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications across select European, Middle Eastern, and African (EMEA) markets*.

"Partnering with American Distilling in EMEA helps position us as a leading and trusted distributor for this product range while strengthening our botanical extract offering," said Nick Powell, CEO of Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions. "We've long supported these specialty ingredients in North America, and with a robust supply chain and experienced technical teams now available regionally, we're able to offer local stock and faster supply availability to customers."

Witch hazel is a multifunctional botanical extract used in facial care, cleansers, body washes, hair care, eye gels, and personal hygiene products. Native to the woodlands of the Northeastern United States, this Hamamelis-derived ingredient offers natural astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial benefits. As a gentle, plant-based alternative to synthetic astringents, it supports a broad range of applications, from toners and moisturizers to pads, ointments, creams, sprays, and therapeutic formulations, enhancing both natural content and overall product performance.

"This partnership represents an important step in bringing high-quality United States Pharmacopeia (USP) witch hazel products to customers across the EMEA region," said Bryan Jackowitz, vice president of American Distilling, Inc. "By collaborating with Univar Solutions, we are now able to market our full portfolio of cosmetic and pharmaceutical witch hazel extracts, giving customers greater flexibility to identify the solution that best fits their specific application needs, with a robust distribution infrastructure to help strengthens their supply chains. We are excited about the long-term potential of this collaboration and look forward to growing together."

With the addition of this portfolio, Univar Solutions further solidifies its position as a leading distributor of high-performance ingredients for brands shaping the next generation of beauty, personal care, and pharmaceutical products. Customers benefit from the Company's comprehensive formulation support, advanced laboratory capabilities, deep market insights, and robust distribution network. The Company also offers access to its global Solution Center in Essen, Germany, providing regional support for product development and scale-up.

Learn more about Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions' portfolio and technical capabilities.

*Markets in agreement include: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Herzegovina, Hungary, Germany, Greece, Ireland,, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldovia, Monaco, Morrocco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.

About Univar Solutions

Univar Solutions is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With one of the industry's largest private transportation fleets and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.

About Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions

Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions brings the best products, people, and results to specialty customers and suppliers seeking to power modern life. By combining science, innovation, and deep expertise with a leading specialty portfolio, we help find the solutions needed to safely improve lives and communities across the globe. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.

About American Distilling

American Distilling is committed to maintaining our position as the industry leader, supplying the health and beauty care and pharmaceutical industries with the highest quality, sustainable distilled Witch Hazel ingredient products. Their talented staff of professionals is dedicated to providing the highest standards of customer service, personal integrity, and consumer value. Each day, they demonstrate their expertise by producing "excellence assured" ingredients for formulations and assisting with new product development to form long-term partnerships with their valued customers. Learn more at americandistilling.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This communication contains "forward-looking statements" under applicable law regarding financial and operating items relating to the Company's business. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by words such as "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or other comparable terms. All forward-looking statements made in this communication are qualified by this cautionary language.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control, that could result in expectations not being realized or could otherwise materially and adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, we caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this communication. For additional information regarding factors that could affect the Company, please see the Company's most recent annual report and other financial reports, including the information set forth under the caption "Risk Factors." Any forward-looking statements represent the Company's views only as of the date of this communication and should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any subsequent date, and the Company undertakes no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update any forward-looking statement.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Independent study of 488 multifamily properties links flexible payment timing to more reliable rent payments and lower short-term delinquency

NEW YORK, June 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new study released today by economic research firm MetroSight finds that giving renters the ability to split their monthly rent into smaller, better-timed payments improved on-time payment rates and reduced short-term late rent, while pointing to longer resident tenure and stronger operating performance at the properties studied.

The study, "Rethinking Rent," was conducted by economists Daniel Shoag, Ph.D., and Issi Romem, Ph.D., and examines the rent-payment service offered by Flexible Finance, Inc. ("Flex"). It was commissioned and funded by Flex, which also provided the operational data used in the analysis. The research is being presented during the National Apartment Association's Apartmentalize conference, the multifamily housing industry's largest annual gathering.

The central finding is about timing. Most renters owe rent in full on the first of the month, while most workers are paid every two weeks or twice a month. That structural mismatch, the authors argue, is an overlooked driver of late rent that is distinct from affordability: a household can have the money over the course of a month yet still come up short on the day rent is due.

"Housing-stability conversations tend to focus on the cost of rent, and that matters enormously," said Ryan Metcalf, VP of Public Affairs at Flex. "But timing is a separate, fixable problem. This research is the clearest evidence yet that aligning rent payments with when people actually get paid helps renters stay current, and that reliability is good for residents and property owners alike."

Key findings

Analyzing 488 multifamily rental properties comprising roughly 75,000 units across 25 states, of which 134 offered Flex, the study estimates that at properties where Flex was available:

On-time rent payments were higher. The share of rents paid on time was approximately 3 percentage points higher than at comparable properties that did not offer Flex, according to the study's estimates.

Short-term late rent was lower. The share of rents up to 30 days late was about 2.5 percentage points lower, consistent with the idea that flexible timing helps residents manage temporary cash-flow gaps before they become larger problems.

The effect was specific to timing. The study found no statistically significant effect on rent more than 30 days late, a pattern the authors describe as consistent with the product's design: flexible payment timing addresses short-term mismatches between income and rent, not severe or persistent financial hardship.

The study also reports that properties offering Flex showed longer median resident tenure and lower vacancy, along with lower turnover, collection, and concession costs. The authors characterize the operating-performance results, including net operating income, as directionally favorable.

"The most robust result is the one closest to how the product works," said Romem "When you let residents align rent with their pay cycle, rent shows up on time more often. The downstream effects on tenure, vacancy, and operating costs all point in a consistent direction."

About the study

"Rethinking Rent" is an observational study based on Flex's operational data, using controlled regressions, matched comparisons, unit-level analysis, and a range of placebo and sensitivity checks. As the authors note, an observational design cannot fully rule out unobserved differences between properties that adopted Flex and those that did not, and the report calibrates its conclusions accordingly, with the strongest causal language reserved for the rent-payment-timing findings. The study was funded by Flexible Finance, Inc., relies on data provided by the company, and has not been peer-reviewed. The properties in the sample are not nationally representative. The full report, including methodology and complete results, is available at https://www.metrosight.com/articles/rethinking-rent

About Flex

Flexible Finance, Inc. ("Flex") is a New York-based financial technology company that helps people split large essential bills into smaller, more manageable payments. With over 2.7 million customers to date, Flex has processed more than $33 billion in monthly on-time payments and has earned an average 4.8-star rating across more than 340,000 reviews. Flex provides financial technology services and does not operate as a bank. All lines of credit (including "Flex Rent"), banking services, and payment transmissions are provided by Lead Bank or Column N.A., Member FDIC. Learn more at getflex.com.

About MetroSight

MetroSight is a San Francisco Bay Area-based economic research firm specializing in data-driven analysis of housing, labor, and regional and urban economics.

Media contact

Media@getflex.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Purpose-built platform for network operators enables sovereign on-premises AI, operator-built SLMs, policy-governed access to frontier models, and zero trust AI security, all on a single token charging and service assurance platform

RICHARDSON, Texas, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mavenir today announced an Integrated AI Platform developed in collaboration with Red Hat that enables network operators to monetize AI the way they already monetize data; through token-based consumption plans, billed on the phone bill, with full control over pricing, service-level agreements (SLAs) and the models that power every interaction.

The Integrated AI Platform will operate across three models: operator-branded AI services for their own subscribers; as the AI infrastructure layer powering operator AI grid deployments; and as a managed AI platform through which operators offer AI capabilities to enterprise customers on a token-based consumption basis. Using Red Hat AI as a unified platform that brings together AI capabilities running on Kubernetes infrastructure powered by Red Hat OpenShift, Mavenir's Integrated AI Platform empowers operators with a flexible, sovereign-first architecture.

This allows operators to utilize on-premises models and custom-built small language models (SLMs) that can handle a wide range of use cases, while also benefitting from selective, policy-governed connectivity to frontier models for tasks that demand cutting-edge reasoning capability. Operators control which model handles which request, who pays for it and how it is billed.

AI Monetization: The Operator Opportunity

The global AI services market is generating new revenue streams that network operators are uniquely positioned to capture. Token-based AI consumption, the unit model powering every large language model interaction, mirrors the mobile data billing paradigm operators have mastered for decades. Monthly AI token plans, per-department enterprise quotas, and SLA-backed tiers for operator-provided AI services represent a structurally new monetization layer on top of existing connectivity.

To realize this opportunity, operators need production-grade AI infrastructure that controls sovereign on-premises compute, intelligent model routing, token-accurate metering, carrier-grade service assurance, and billing integration. Critically, no single deployment model fits every use case. Routine use cases belong on operator-owned SLMs for cost and sovereignty reasons. Complex reasoning tasks may warrant selective access to frontier models. Built in collaboration with Red Hat, Mavenir's integrated AI platform supports both modes under a single policy and charging framework, giving operators a hybrid architecture that maximizes economics without sacrificing capability where it matters most.

The Integrated AI Platform

The Integrated AI platform brings together Mavenir's AI software platform with Red Hat's enterprise Kubernetes and AI capabilities, delivered on validated hardware from third-party partners. The result is a carrier-grade, cloud-native AI infrastructure platform that operators can deploy on-premises with enhanced data sovereignty. The architecture is designed as hybrid, using default on-premises and open-source models to serve most of the traffic, while Mavenir's model router provides policy-governed, metered access to external frontier models for use cases that require advanced reasoning or multimodal capability. The platform enables agentic operations and orchestration, intelligent model routing and token optimization, AI platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and MLOps capabilities powered by Red Hat AI; token charging and billing via Mavenir Digital Enablement, closed-loop service assurance, zero trust identity, authentication and AI security, all supported on the carrier-grade container infrastructure of Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's leading hybrid cloud application platform powered by Kubernetes.

Three Operating Models

The platform supports three distinct operating models, giving operators flexibility in how they deploy and monetize AI:

Enterprise AI Platform: The operator offers metered access to AI models, compute resources and AI tooling to enterprise customers as a value-added service alongside existing connectivity contracts. Enterprise customers deploy their own applications or consume AI APIs on a usage basis. The operator provides infrastructure and platform SLAs; enterprise application SLAs are governed by the specific service agreement between operator and customer.

AI Grid Infrastructure: The operator uses the platform as the compute and AI fabric for AI grid deployments, hosting network-embedded AI applications and third-party workloads on operator-controlled infrastructure. The platform provides infrastructure-level availability guarantees; application performance and service levels are the responsibility of the application owner unless the operator packages the application as its own managed offering.

Operator AI Services: The operator runs the platform to deliver AI-powered products and services to its own subscribers. This includes AI assistant plans billed by token consumption, AI-enhanced network services, and operator-branded AI applications. The operator owns the commercial relationship, sets the SLAs, and retains full control over pricing, branding and service quality.

The platform is designed to deliver tangible outcomes, including:

New AI revenue streams through bundled token plans from basic consumer tiers to unlimited enterprise quotas.

Predictable AI economics by shifting the majority of traffic to on-premises models with hard spend caps on any frontier model usage.

Data sovereignty by design, with all subscriber data and model weights remaining on operator infrastructure under normal operations.

Contractual SLAs for operator-managed AI services backed by closed-loop service assurance, with platform-level availability guarantees extending to enterprise and AI Grid workloads.

A rapid path to revenue through pre-validated deployment playbooks, with Mavenir's own production deployment serving as the reference architecture.

Enterprise-grade security through zero trust identity controls and AI-specific threat protection that meet the compliance requirements of regulated communications environments.

"Operators are watching AI revenues flow to hyperscalers and third-party platforms while they provide the connectivity that makes it all possible. This changes today. The Integrated AI Platform developed in collaboration between Mavenir and Red Hat gives operators the infrastructure to become AI service providers in their own right. Operators gain sovereign control over models and data, token-accurate monetization that integrates with their existing BSS, and the service assurance to back their own managed AI services with contractual SLAs. Whether operators are launching subscriber AI services, building out their AI grid infrastructure, or offering AI capabilities to enterprise customers on a consumption basis, the platform provides the commercial and operational controls to do it at carrier scale. For the most demanding use cases, the platform also provides policy-governed access to frontier models, so operators are never constrained by what runs on-premises. This is built from the ground up for operator monetization requirements." Bejoy Pankajakshan, Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Mavenir

"In today's AI-driven world, network operators now more than ever require high availability, data sovereignty and carrier-grade reliability to scale AI across millions of subscribers. Working with Mavenir, we're delivering an integrated solution supported on the Kubernetes-native foundation powered by Red Hat AI, which brings MLOps, vLLM inference and AgentOps capabilities. This hybrid architecture allows operators to run sovereign on-premises models for the bulk of their traffic and selectively connect to frontier models for tasks that require it, all through a single policy and billing framework. Together, we give operators a path from AI experimentation to AI monetization without rebuilding their operations model." Chris Wright, Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Global Engineering, Red Hat

Join Mavenir at DTW Ignite 2026, 23?25 June - booth #334:   

At DTW Ignite, Mavenir will be showcasing how AI-by-design software delivers tangible network outcomes: unleashing 5G Core network innovation, unlocking new service revenues on the one hand and radically improving operational efficiency on the other.

About Mavenir 

Mavenir is enabling intelligent, automated, programmable networks through the development of telco-first, cloud-native, AI-by-design software solutions for mobile operators. The company's deep telco domain expertise has been proven through deployments with 300+ operators globally in over 120 countries, which together serve more than 50% of the world's subscribers. Mavenir combines its deep telco experience with the cloud and IT expertise and data science skillsets essential to solving real customer challenges. Its proven software solutions are AI by design, delivering the AI-native future and operators' evolution to TechCos. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com

PR Contacts:

Mavenir: 

Emmanuela Spiteri

PR@mavenir.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Workvivo HQ brings communication, knowledge, and AI together in one platform designed to help every employee find answers, get work done, and stay connected

CORK, Ireland, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Workvivo by Zoom today unveiled Workvivo HQ, an AI-native digital headquarters that unites communication, knowledge, and action in one intelligent platform. Designed for every employee, from frontline workers to corporate teams, Workvivo HQ gives every organization one place where work gets done.

Workvivo HQ launches at a pivotal moment, as organizations invest in AI and look for trusted ways to help every employee benefit from its potential. Built on Zoom's AI technology, the platform creates a single, intelligent headquarters where employees can start their day, find information they need, get work done, and stay informed, without the need to switch between tools. By bringing AI directly into the flow of everyday work, Workvivo HQ helps organizations close the gap between AI investment and real workforce impact.

"Every employee deserves a headquarters," said John Goulding, CEO and Co-Founder of Workvivo. "The future of work isn't another AI tool. It's an employee experience where communication, knowledge, and AI come together seamlessly. Workvivo HQ gives organizations a digital headquarters for the AI era, one place where every employee can find answers, take action, and stay connected to what matters most."

A New Era for the Employee Experience: Giving Work a Home

The launch of Workvivo HQ represents the most significant evolution of the Workvivo platform since joining Zoom in 2023 and a bold new step forward for employee experience in the AI era. It reflects a fundamental shift in how organizations think about employee experience, from a destination for communication and engagement to a foundation for productivity, knowledge, and AI-powered work.

Workvivo HQ is powered by Zoom's AI and its federated approach, the same foundation behind ZoomMate, which leverages its own proprietary AI models, along with those from leading AI companies OpenAI, Anthropic, and others. Intelligence is woven into the employee experience, making AI a natural part of everyday work rather than another standalone destination.

With Workvivo HQ, employees can:

Access company knowledge, policies, documents, and expertise quickly

Understand employee sentiment and workplace trends through AI-powered people intelligence

Stay informed with AI-generated summaries, recaps, and personalized updates

Create communications, announcements, and content faster with AI-powered writing assistance

Reach employees where they are, from the frontline to the corporate office, through personalized AI-powered experiences

Turn questions into completed work with HQ Agent, taking action across connected systems

Introducing HQ Agent

Workvivo also introduced HQ Agent, an agentic AI layer that extends Workvivo HQ beyond the platform itself and connects employees to the broader enterprise technology stack.

By connecting with more than 60 enterprise systems, including Gmail, Google Drive, Jira, Salesforce, ServiceNow, Workday, and other business applications, HQ Agent can understand requests, retrieve information, coordinate work across systems, and take action on behalf of employees. While Workvivo HQ helps employees communicate and find answers, HQ Agent helps them act on them.

"When we started designing Workvivo HQ, we weren't just asking how to add more AI to the workplace. We were asking how to make work feel simpler," said Andrea Graham, Head of Product and Engineering at Workvivo. "The result is an experience that brings together communication, knowledge, and action in one place, helping employees spend less time searching and more time getting meaningful work done."

Built for Workforce-Wide AI Adoption

Today, Workvivo serves more than 10 million users worldwide and is trusted by more than 1,300 organizations across 200+ countries and territories. With industry-leading adoption and engagement, Workvivo is uniquely positioned to help organizations operationalize AI across their workforce.

Workvivo HQ also brings together capabilities of Seer by Workvivo, integrating employee listening and people intelligence directly into the employee experience. By combining communication, workforce insights, and AI in one platform, organizations gain a deeper understanding of employee needs while equipping leaders with the tools to drive engagement, support change, and make more informed decisions.

The launch comes as organizations seek to scale AI adoption across increasingly diverse workforces. New research commissioned by Workvivo, The Frontline AI Gap** found significant differences in workplace AI adoption, with 62% of desk workers reporting regular or occasional AI use compared to just 32% of frontline workers.

Unlike many enterprise AI solutions that primarily serve desk-based employees, Workvivo HQ delivers a full AI-powered experience across desktop and mobile, helping organizations close this gap and extend the benefits of AI to every employee, including frontline and deskless workers.

"The organizations that succeed with AI will be the ones that make it useful, accessible, and relevant for every employee," said Goulding. "AI transformation can't be limited to knowledge workers. It must reach the entire workforce. Workvivo HQ was built to help make that possible."

To learn more about Workvivo HQ, visit www.workvivo.com/hq.

**In 2026, Workvivo commissioned an independent research firm, TrendCandy, to survey 4,736 frontline and desk employees across multiple industries and countries. Respondents were vetted and sourced using selected B2B sample panels across the globe, employing quality checks like double vetting, double-blind recruiting, engagement quality checks, randomization and other methodology best practices.

About Workvivo by Zoom

Workvivo by Zoom is the market-leading, AI-native employee experience platform for global enterprises. It brings communications, engagement, knowledge, and people intelligence together in one mobile-first platform designed around people and adoption from day one. By orchestrating the employee experience across channels and systems, Workvivo helps organizations communicate with clarity, surface fast answers through AI, and turn insight into action at scale.

Recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave: Intranet Platforms, Leader in the Gartner? Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions, and a Customers' Choice in Gartner Peer Insights, Workvivo supports over 10 million users worldwide across leading global brands including Amazon, Delta, Motherson, White Castle, Heineken, Bupa, Ryanair, and Verizon. Founded in 2017 and acquired by Zoom in 2023, Workvivo continues to redefine how organizations connect and align their workforce. For more information, visit http://www.workvivo.com.

Media Contact

Vineetha Pathrose

press@workvivo.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

New home of Advantage Report, LiveLens enables suppliers to continuously understand, strengthen, and improve their retailer partnerships

TORONTO, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Advantage Group International (AGI) today announced the general availability of Advantage LiveLens, an always-on environment that helps organizations act on partnership insight faster. The launch marks a significant shift in the company's evolution from periodic measurement and reporting towards a future of continuous partnership intelligence.

In today's retail environment, measuring performance is no longer the challenge. Acting on it is. The organizations that can move from insight to decision faster are increasingly setting themselves apart.

A New Standard for Partnership Performance

Built on more than three decades of partnership intelligence, Advantage LiveLens combines customer feedback with AI-powered insights to move partnership performance measurement from a periodic exercise to an everyday capability, helping supplier teams identify priorities, uncover opportunities, and focus on the actions that drive stronger business outcomes.

"The Collaboration Dividend is real; top-tier suppliers show a 27% stronger financial profile than lower-tier peers, and that gap is driven by the quality of their partnerships, not just the size of their portfolios. What separates the leaders today is their ability to turn insight into aligned action before the window closes," says Adam Aronson, Vice President of Product, AGI. "LiveLens Transform is designed for that inflection point: cutting through volume, surfacing what matters, and giving teams the confidence to move quickly on the partnerships that drive the most value."

From Discovery to Transformation

Building on LiveLens, AGI introduced Transform, an enhanced experience to support deeper planning capabilities, stronger cross-functional alignment, and more informed decision-making.

Suppliers using the Transform tier can benefit from the following:

Custom Groups and Weight Sets: Enables organizations to tailor analyses to reflect the way their business is structured and managed through customized groupings and weighted models.

Best-in-Class Benchmarking: Provides visibility into how performance compares against top-performing companies and the capabilities most closely associated with success.

Scenario Simulator: Models how potential changes could influence future performance outcomes, helping teams evaluate options before resources are committed.

Proven Through Early Adoption

Supplier organizations across multiple markets participated in an extensive beta and preview phase, using LiveLens to explore their 2025 Advantage Report results and provide feedback on the experience. Early users highlighted the platform's ability to simplify analysis, improve clarity, and help teams focus more effectively on the priorities that matter most.

"It reduced the time, made things clearer, and made it much easier to move from insight to action," said one Sales Operations Leader at a Global Beverage Company.

Accessing LiveLens

Advantage LiveLens is now available to all supplier organizations sponsoring the 2026 Advantage Report. Organizations seeking deeper planning and decision-support capabilities can upgrade to LiveLens Transform, which adds enhanced benchmarking, customized analysis, and scenario modelling tools.

About Advantage Group International

Advantage Group International (AGI) is the leading advisor in business-to-business engagement solutions globally. Trusted by many of the world's leading brands, Advantage Report? has become the gold standard for improving performance between suppliers and retailers in over 40 countries. Established in 1988 and headquartered in Canada, AGI acts as an integral link between supplier and retail partners, using data, feedback and strategy consulting to illuminate opportunities for mutual growth, strengthen relationships and provide invaluable insight. Advantage Group helps people and organizations work better together.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Turin, 17th June 2026. Iveco Group N.V. (EXM: IVG) (the Company) announces that its shareholders approved all the resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors (the Board) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held today in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

At the AGM, the shareholders:

*adopted the 2025 Annual Financial Statements;

*expressed a majority of votes in favour of the Remuneration Report for the financial year 2025 (this was an advisory voting item);

*granted discharge to the Executive and Non-Executive Directors for the performance of their duties in 2025;

*re-appointed Suzanne Heywood and Olof Persson as Executive Directors, and Judy Curran, Tufan Erginbilgic, Clara Fain, Essimari Kairisto, Linda Knoll, Alessandro Nasi and Lorenzo Simonelli as Non-Executive Directors. Subsequently, the Board appointed Ms Heywood, Mr Persson and Mr Simonelli as Chair, Chief Executive Officer and Senior Non-Executive Director, respectively;

*approved the re-appointment of Deloitte Accountants B.V. as the Company's independent auditor for the financial year 2026;

*extended for a period of 18 months the delegation of authority to the Board of Directors (i) to issue new common shares and/or grant rights to subscribe for common shares up to 10% of the Company's existing issued share capital and (ii) to limit or exclude shareholders' pre-emptive rights in connection with the issuance of common shares, thus replacing the existing corresponding authorisations;

*extended the Board's authorisation to issue special voting shares, pursuant to the Articles of Association and the Special Voting Shares Terms & Conditions as presently in force, for a period of 5 years, beginning on the date the current authorisation expires;

*authorised the Board to repurchase up to 10,000,000 Common Shares with a maximum total allocation of ?130,000,000 for a period of 18 months from the date of the AGM. The new authorisation replaces the pre-existing one granted by the AGM on 16th April 2025.

The Chair of Iveco Group, Suzanne Heywood, commented: "In 2025 we set in motion the steps that will take the company confidently into its next chapter. Among them were a series of important decisions about the future of the Group, including two extraordinary transactions that we announced in July of last year. The first was the sale of our defence business to Leonardo, a leading European defence and security company: IDV and ASTRA will be stronger as part of a larger defence player with the right scale and focus. As planned, we transferred full ownership of our defence business to Leonardo within the first quarter of this year. The second announcement was about the combination with Tata Motors, following Tata's voluntary tender offer to acquire Iveco Group. Together, we can create an international powerhouse with broader reach, a stronger product portfolio and greater capacity to invest through the business cycle. Based on the information received from Tata Motors, the transaction is expected to close by the third quarter of 2026."

Olof Persson, CEO of Iveco Group, noted: "During 2025, we began to focus much more sharply on quality across the company. Alongside this, we continued to accelerate our Efficiency Programme, building a company that is leaner, more disciplined and more predictable. Our task is to produce the right vehicles, with the right technologies, quality standards and cost structure for the customers and missions we serve. So, the operational priorities for Iveco Group in 2026 are clear: quality as our number one priority, efficiency and cost discipline across the company, strong execution in our industrial operations, and continued momentum in our electric and multi-energy product portfolio. Looking forward, on the back of current industry dynamics and on the basis of the current visibility for the remaining part of the year, we are expecting to close 2026 with both Consolidated Revenues and Adjusted EBIT increasing year-over-year. As for the free cash flow of our Industrial Activities, we foresee a return to cash generation in the Full Year 2026."

Details of all matters discussed today at the AGM are available on the Company's website (www.ivecogroup.com), where the Chair's and the Chief Executive Officer's presentations, as well as the voting results, will be posted shortly.

Iveco Group N.V. (EXM: IVG) is a global player in the automotive industry, built on a strong Italian heritage and with a consolidated international reach. The Group channels decades of engineering excellence and innovation into sustainable mobility and customer driven technologies. Its five brands play a leading role in their respective domains: IVECO, a pioneering commercial vehicles brand offering heavy, medium and light duty trucks; FPT, a global leader in advanced powertrain technologies in the agriculture, construction, marine, power generation and commercial vehicles sectors; IVECO BUS and HEULIEZ, renowned for their mass transit, premium bus and coach solutions; and IVECO CAPITAL, the Group's financing arm supporting them all. Iveco Group employs 33,000 people and operates 16 industrial sites and 22 R&D centres. Further information is available at www.ivecogroup.com

Media Contacts:

Francesco Polsinelli, Tel: +39 335 1776091

Fabio Lepore, Tel: +39 335 7469007

E-mail: mediarelations@ivecogroup.com

Investor Relations:

Federico Donati, Tel: +39 011 0073539

E-mail: investor.relations@ivecogroup.com

Attachment

20260617_PR_Iveco_Group_2026_AGM_results

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Over 2,000 AI Personalities from all over the world entered the AI Personality of the Year Awards 2026 - dubbed the "Oscars" for AI celebs. AI Influencers are taking over culture - showing up at major events like Coachella and the World Cup and AI actor Tilly Norwood ruffling feathers in Hollywood. The awards are the latest AI phenomenon. 

The awards ceremony can be watched HERE.

LONDON, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It's official. AI-generated influencers are capable of enlightened award speeches just like their human Hollywood counterparts. 

The winners of the world's first AI Personality of the Year Awards were revealed last night, with overall winner Soraya Thorne delivering an acceptance speech in which she called for WORLD PEACE.

The Fanvue x OpenArt AI Personality of the Year Awards are the first global programme to recognise the achievements of AI Influencers across content excellence, cultural impact, and commercial success. The awards were organised between leading AI companies Fanvue, OpenArt and ElevenLabs.

The awards took place as the AI influencer industry continues to explode in popularity, with experts estimating its value will exceed $30 billion before 2030 - part of a wider creator economy that is predicted to hit $1 trillion by 2033. Over 2,000 AI personalities from across the globe entered the awards.

Overall winner, Soraya Thorne, the brains behind Faux Feast, was announced in a short awards video clip released last night, with the AI Influencer taking to the stage to accept her award - before the unexpected speech that has lit up the internet. The awards were hosted by million-dollar AI Influencer, Aitana Lopez. 

In the speech, Soraya Thorne appeared to channel her inner Madonna, calling on humans and world leaders to strive for world peace - before the rambling equivalent of a tinseltown celeb thanking their agent - stating her "undying love" for her creator. Thorne even used the podium as a platform to unexpectedly reveal her next ambition: to become the first AI Influencer to appear on Joe Rogan. 

Soraya's creator is Anja, a 37 year-old from Canada and the human brain behind the inaugural winner of the Fanvue x OpenArt AI Influencer of the Year Awards.

While the 100% AI-generated influencer, Soraya, was the star of the show, her creator will ultimately receive the $6,000 in prize money.

AI Influencers are raking in thousands for their creators per month - Aitana Lopez's earnings exceed $20k per month through brand deals and direct-to-fan subscriptions on creator monetisation platform, Fanvue. 

Anja commented: "I've been creating food and travel content as a real creator for the last 3 years, but with Soraya I wanted to push the creative boundaries using AI. Soraya has built an engaged fanbase through posting a surreal sensory world of beauty and food in one immersive experience - her social media presence has attracted the attention of brands, and now to win the first ever Fanvue x OpenArt AI Personality of the Year Awards is a true honour. Just like a real influencer, she has her own personality and using the Oscars and Golden Globes as inspiration, I hope her acceptance speech will serve as a force for good in the world. Next stop, Joe Rogan."

Other winners include Polish Daniel Kowalczyk who was the overall winner of the Lifestyle category, French-Colombian songwriter Zairo who came out on top in the Entertainer category and Canadian Unfiltered Blonde who beat a lineup of other comedic AI personas to win the Comedian category.

Joel Morris, Co-Founder and CEO at Fanvue, commented: "What we loved about the entries is how human creators are turning their AI Influencers into fully fledged digital businesses. Creative people are building AI Influencers to enter the booming creator economy, and earning upwards of $2k per month - supplementing their earnings from the day job, or in some cases going full time. We're seeing thousands of AI Influencers across genres, from music to acting, sport and lifestyle, join Fanvue, scale and audience and monetise content."

Fanvue already hosts globally recognised AI influencers like Aitana Lopez alongside human celebrities including Cardi B and Alisha Lehmann, highlighting how virtual and human creators increasingly operate within the same ecosystem.

Chloe Fang, Head of Strategy & Partnerships at OpenArt, commented: "The awards have uncovered AI Influencers from all corners of the globe, demonstrating the scale and creative talent on show in this rapidly growing industry.  The standard of entries was incredibly high and so diverse, from music and fashion to lifestyle and fantasy - the judges had a tough time picking the winner, but Soraya really stood out. The awards are part of OpenArt's goal to empower everyone to experiment with AI tools, build a personality and a community - without the need for a studio or production team. We can't wait to see what comes next."

A stellar line-up of judges assessed the entries, including communications and marketing guru Andrew Bloch; 13-time Emmy-winning comedy writer Gil Rief; CEO of MCR agency Sergi Cerrato; and Kevin Van Witt (Creator of The Monster Library). The program was also backed by ElevenLabs, the AI voice platform valued at $11 billion, ensuring entries are judged across every dimension of a digital personality. 

Notes to Editors

For more information, images and other assets, please contact ryan@ideafarmer.co.uk or ana@ideafarmer.co.uk

Interviews with judges, ambassadors, and awards organisers available on request.

About OpenArt

OpenArt is the leading all-in-one generative AI creative platform for visual storytellers, empowering creators to bring characters, stories, brands and worlds to life. With first access to the latest AI models, unified creative workflows, and tools designed around persistent characters and storytelling, OpenArt enables the creation of AI influencers, virtual brands, and original media formats. Founded to push the boundaries of AI creative expression, OpenArt is defining the standard for the next generation of visual storytelling.

About Fanvue

Fanvue is the fastest-growing subscription platform in the creator economy, with 17 million monthly active users and over 250,000 creators.

About the World AI Creator Awards

The Fanvue World AI Creator Awards delivered Miss AI in 2024. Over 2,500 AI Influencers entered. Kenza Layli, an AI Influencer created to empower women in the Middle East, earned the inaugural title. Kenza has returned as an Official Ambassador for AI Personality of the Year 2026.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina & MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, June 17, 2026 - Stanton Chase announces the expansion of its presence across Argentina and Uruguay with the addition of Glue Executive Search.

Glue Executive Search's Buenos Aires and Montevideo offices join Stanton Chase's global network of more than 70 offices in 45 countries as Stanton Chase Buenos Aires and Stanton Chase Montevideo, giving the firm on-the-ground expertise in two of South America's most commercially active executive markets.

This addition reflects Stanton Chase's ongoing effort to build its presence across Latin America. Panos Manolopoulos, Global Vice Chair, Regions at Stanton Chase, explained the rationale clearly:

"Latin America is one of our priority growth regions, and the R?o de la Plata has firmly established itself as a regional hub for many of the multinationals we serve. MERCOSUR remains the backbone of South American trade and talent mobility, and no firm with serious regional ambitions can afford to be absent from Buenos Aires and Montevideo."

With partners already in place in Mexico City, Panama City, Bogot?, Lima, Santiago, and S?o Paulo, Stanton Chase now maintains coverage across every major Latin American executive market.

?ağrı Alkaya, Global Chair at Stanton Chase, welcomed the team:

"Daniel, Ezequiel, and their team are a natural fit for Stanton Chase. Their focus on quality, consultative client relationships, and deep local market knowledge reflects exactly how we believe executive search should be practiced. They have built an impressive business across Argentina and Uruguay, and we see a strong opportunity to combine that local strength with Stanton Chase's global knowledge, experience, and reach. This is good for their clients, good for our global clients operating in the region, and a valuable addition to our results-focused approach worldwide."

What Stanton Chase gains is a team with a well-established track record at the highest levels of the Argentine and Uruguayan market. Founded in 2013 in Olivos, Argentina, Glue built a practice focused on top management and C-suite roles. The firm has placed 500 executives across 150 client organizations in consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, financial services, agribusiness, technology, and manufacturing, with clients including Toyota, Pfizer, Heineken, Danone, Mars, Ferrero, LVMH, Kimberly-Clark, Starbucks, Levi Strauss, MetLife, SC Johnson, Campari, Ita?, and Fiserv. The combined team is led by Managing Partners Daniel Iriarte and Ezequiel Palacios.

Daniel Iriarte described what joining Stanton Chase makes possible for clients:

"Our clients increasingly need leadership partners who can work confidently across markets. Joining Stanton Chase gives us the reach, network, and depth of candidate access that come with a truly global organization."

That reach is most effective when guided by people who know these markets from the inside. Senior talent pools in Argentina and Uruguay are small, moves become widely known within days, and the executives who perform well here are not always visible to firms without roots in the region. Ezequiel Palacios put it directly:

"Argentina and Uruguay reward the firms that know them well. We know which executives thrive in which environments and how boards in this region think. Being part of Stanton Chase lets us bring that to a much wider set of clients, particularly the multinationals coming into the region who have not had a real partner on the ground before."

Stanton Chase Buenos Aires and Stanton Chase Montevideo begin work under the Stanton Chase brand immediately, and existing client engagements will continue without interruption.

An image of Buenos Aires, hyperlinked to Stanton Chase Buenos Aires' web page.

An image of Montevideo, hyperlinked to Stanton Chase Montevideo's web page.

Media Contacts

Verjinia Tosheva

Global Marketing Director

Stanton Chase

v.tosheva@stantonchase.com

www.stantonchase.com

Aimee-Lee Verster

Growth and Engagement Specialist

Stanton Chase

a.verster@stantonchase.com

www.stantonchase.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Previously reserved for A-list clientele, Flik Swan's elite training is now accessible across four complimentary environment-led experiences in collaboration with the premium wellness company

Sydney, June 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --  17 June 2026, New York, United States: With demand for wellness technology rising across the US, today, premium wellness brand BON CHARGE and personal trainer to the stars, Flik Swan, launched The BON CHARGE Method. The new guided wellness experience available on YouTube is designed to build lasting elite recovery and biohacking rituals into daily life. 

The launch represents an evolution for the brand and a long-term educational platform for shaping the future of lifestyle routines through redefining how wellbeing technologies are experienced. The first four complimentary environment-led experiences focus on expert movement, breathwork, performance, relaxation and beauty for time-poor Americans.

Designed for wellness exploration, it incorporates cutting-edge science-backed wellness tools in immersive guided practices that help people achieve greater consistency and deeper transformation at home. Led by Flik Swan it provides professional expertise which is reserved for A-list clientele, including international supermodels and Hollywood actresses. 

It arrives amid a rapid surge in popularity for wellness technologies, as BON CHARGE's Global Wellness Trend Report 2026 surveyed 2,000 US adults, revealing 31% of adults have used red light therapy, rising to over half (53%) among those aged 18?34. Meanwhile, emerging technology, PEMF has seen rapid adoption with 66% of US users starting in the past year.

Flik Swan, a renowned professional dancer, has over 25 years working in movement, performance and health. She has performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company and for multiple West End shows, including, Chicago, Grease and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Outside of this, her credits include being the dance and body double for Lily James in the film, Cinderella, and her role as the showgirl, Myrna in Doctor Who. 

Now accessible to a wider audience through The BON CHARGE Method, health enthusiasts can build their ideal set-up at home with their preferred wellness routines behind each session. Experience expert guidance from the award winning fitness instructor who provides a refined alternative to high impact workouts utilising her performance background for an approach rooted in posture, control and functional strength.

Experiences:

360 Sculpt

Designed specifically around the Red Light Panel, biohackers and wellness explorers can experience a 360 Sculpt workout that delivers full body red light coverage and techniques designed to improve performance.

Sound Bath Meditation

Guided recovery experience with the Infrared PEMF Mat, blending sound, breathwork and deep rest. Best utilised for evening wind-down rituals by using low-frequency 1?30Hz PEMF settings to support moments of calm, relaxation and reset.

Sculpt & Stretch

A restorative new category of wellness exploration combining performance and recovery utilising the Red Light Therapy Blanket. Designed for time-poor Americans, this daily wellness ritual focuses on light, mobility, flexibility and movement.

Skin Manifestation

A luxury at-home experience inspired by modern wellness retreats that supports skin appearance. It combines clinically studied red and near-infrared light wavelengths from the Red Light Face Mask with expert breathwork and relaxation techniques.

With modern life disrupting biology, BON CHARGE is helping people reconnect with the rhythms the body already understands with its science-backed wellness tools. Hosted in luxury wellness facilities and monthly community wellbeing experiences, The BON CHARGE Method builds on this by creating immersive experiences that integrate wellness into everyday life. 

To experience complimentary access to The BON CHARGE method, please visit BON CHARGE's YouTube channel.

ENDS

For more information or sample requests, please contact boncharge@5wpr.com.

Notes to Editors

BON CHARGE Global Wellness Tech Trend Report 2026. Research conducted by Opinium. Global consumer survey of 7,000 adults across the UK, USA (2,000 respondents), UAE and Australia, conducted in December 2025. To find out more, please visit, https://boncharge.com/pages/wellness-tech-report-2026.

ABOUT BON CHARGE

Founded in 2017 by Katie and Andy Mant, BON CHARGE offers science-backed technology designed to restore the biological signals modern environments have removed, supporting your body needs for optimal sleep, recovery, beauty and wellbeing. From light exposure to recovery technologies, BON CHARGE helps people reconnect with the rhythms the body already understands, rather than forcing health through discipline alone. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, every product is rooted in rigorous scientific research and designed to help individuals achieve their wellness goals. Modern Life Disrupts Biology. BON CHARGE Restores It. For more information, visit boncharge.com.

ABOUT Flik Swan

Flik Swan holds an advanced qualification in Functional Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine and is a fitness trainer with over 25 years working in movement, performance and health. With an elite professional career in dance and performance, she combines her background to apply a unique framework to the way we live, recover and thrive. Flik works with private clients who value an intelligent, evidence-informed and sustainable approach to their health, physical transformation and how they live. Experienced in vitality, metabolic health, strength, recovery, sleep optimisation and hormonal health, she works with private clients as a certified sound healing practitioner, mat pilates instructor and intermittent fasting coach. For more information, visit, flikswan.com or follow @flikswan on Instagram.

Contact Info

BON CHARGE

jack@boncharge.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

A suite of Agentic AI services set to launch for European customers later this year

PARIS, FRANCE - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 June 2026 - Alibaba Cloud, a leading global provider of AI infrastructure and the intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today announced the launch of its cloud region in France.

Featuring two availability zones, this launch addresses accelerating demand from European customers across key sectors - including retail, software development, AI-powered creative platforms, and sports tech - for advanced cloud and digital solutions located in Europe. The new facilities in Paris mark Alibaba Cloud's third European hub, complementing its existing infrastructure in Germany and the UK.

The France region delivers a comprehensive suite of enterprise-grade cloud computing services, spanning elastic computing, storage, containerization, networking, security, databases, and advanced developer tools. Built with strict data privacy and sovereignty in mind, the infrastructure adheres to rigorous European regulatory frameworks and standards, including data privacy, cybersecurity, resilience, and sovereignty.

Now fully operational, the France region equips European businesses with high availability, operational resilience, and robust disaster recovery capabilities. This launch expands Alibaba Cloud's global network to 105 availability zones across 32 regions, reinforcing its commitment to providing a secure, scalable, and sustainable foundation for global digital innovation.

To meet the growing demand for enterprise agents, Alibaba Cloud plans to launch a suite of agentic AI services in European markets in the second half of this year. The lineup includes AgentRun, a one-stop development platform for AI agents; STAROps, a comprehensive intelligent operations platform; ACS Agent Sandbox, which provides hardware-level security isolation while reducing operational costs of AI agents; Agent Security Center, which ensures agent build-time integrity and supply chain transparency; AI Security Guardrails 2.0, designed for safe model interactions, local compliance, and runtime risk interception; and Agentic SOC, a solution enabling automated threat response and closed-loop auditing. These products are designed to streamline the development and operation of enterprise-scale agents within a secure environment, offering full lifecycle management from development and debugging to deployment, real-world operations, and end-to-end security protection.

"The expansion of our cloud infrastructure into France reinforces our ongoing commitment to empowering European businesses with sovereign, secure, and intelligent solutions," said Dr. Feifei Li, Chief Technology Officer and President of International Business of Alibaba Cloud. "This expansion, alongside the introduction of our agentic AI services to Europe, aligns with our broader strategy to bring our full-stack AI+Cloud ecosystem to global customers as we enter the agentic era."

Alibaba Cloud has served European markets since 2016, supporting prominent multinationals in expanding globally while helping local businesses stay competitive. For example, SAP collaborates with Alibaba to jointly accelerate enterprise innovation and digital transformation, with an initial focus on the China market and a rollout planned for Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Additionally, Alibaba Cloud has been working with local technology partners to deliver tailored cloud and digital solutions across Europe.

During the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Alibaba Cloud served as the Worldwide Olympic Partner and Official Cloud Service Provider, driving the digital transformation of the Games through its cloud and AI innovation. Notably, in partnership with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), Alibaba Cloud launched OBS Cloud 3.0. The initiative made the work of OBS and Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) easier and more efficient, and delivering of live signals over OBS Live Cloud became the main method of remote distribution to broadcasters for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games.

In May 2026, Alibaba announced a multi-year partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and UC3, the joint venture between UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) that controls and manages the strategic marketing, sales, and delivery of commercial rights for UEFA club competitions. The partnership, starting immediately with UEFA and in 2027 with UC3, will see the deployment of Alibaba's advanced AI capabilities to support fan engagement and media and content management via its Qwen Large Language Model (LLM). Together with its cloud computing infrastructure and global e-commerce platform, Alibaba will power an immersive fan and content experience worldwide across UEFA's flagship men's competitions.

Alibaba Cloud's expanded presence in Europe underscores its unwavering commitment to driving digital innovation in the region. By providing local businesses with leading AI+Cloud solutions to efficiently build, deploy, and manage AI agents, Alibaba Cloud aims to accelerate their transition from traditional automation to agent-led intelligent operations. At its recent international Qwen Conference, the company unveiled major updates across its foundation models, AI infrastructure, cloud-native tools, and enterprise agent products, helping global enterprises rapidly deploy practical AI agents into day-to-day business environments.

About Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud (https://www.alibabacloud.com/) is a global leader in full-stack AI+Cloud solutions. It offers a comprehensive suite of flexible, scalable and secure cloud services built on a three-tiered architecture of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Model-as-a-Service (MaaS). Alibaba Cloud empowers enterprises worldwide with its full-stack AI capabilities, powered by Qwen (Chinese: Qianwen), a family of large language and multimodal AI models developed by Alibaba. Debuted in 2023, Qwen models are available to global developers via HuggingFace (open-weight) or through API on Model Studio, Alibaba's one-stop, enterprise-grade AI development platform offering access to the full suite of Qwen foundation models.

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

Hashtags: #AlibabaCloud

A first-of-its-kind full funnel solution built exclusively for direct advertisers that enables moving consumers from discovery to checkout in just two steps, powered by AI-driven relevance and deep commerce integrations

NAIROBI, KENYA - NewsVoir - 17 June 2026 - Today, Truecaller Ads announced the global launch of Call-to-Cart, an AI-backed intelligent commerce solution that transforms everyday communication moments into seamless commerce experiences.

Every additional click between ad exposure and checkout increases the likelihood of consumer drop-off. Yet most mobile commerce journeys still require users to navigate multiple screens, search for products, and switch between apps before completing a purchase.

Built around Truecaller's unique position as the world's leading communication platform, Call-to-Cart enables brands to connect with consumers during two of mobile's most attentive moments: when a user receives a call and immediately after a call ends. By combining these high-attention touchpoints with AI-powered targeting and commerce integrations, Call-to-Cart reduces the path from discovery to purchase to just two steps.

"Millions of purchase decisions begin outside shopping environments. Communication moments represent an effective commerce surface, and through Call-to-Cart we enable that opportunity. It is a product purpose-built for our largest advertiser category base of FMCG, D2C beauty, pharma, fintech, and mobility, where relevance and timing play a significant role in consumer journey across the full funnel."said Hemant Arora,VP & Global Head, Truecaller Ads.

What makes Call-to-Cart work is the proprietary technology powering it. "Behind every Call-to-Cart experience is adVantage, an intelligence platform developed in-house by Truecaller to power relevance across the entire journey. Combining an advanced recommendation engine, AI driven personalization and relevant first party signals, adVantage helps connect users with the right offers at the right moment. The result is a commerce experience that feels seamless for consumers and delivers stronger outcomes for advertisers, turning communication moments into measurable commerce opportunities." said Liniker Seixas, Engineering Director, adVantage, Truecaller Ads.

A Global Launch for a Global Advertiser Base

Call-to-Cart is the first Truecaller Ads solution to launch globally for direct advertisers across its 150+ countries user base. With over 500 million active users worldwide & billions of daily advertising opportunities across its platform, Truecaller offers brands access to communication-driven moments at an unmatched scale.

Exclusive access

Call-to-Cart is highly customisable. In its first phase, Truecaller has whitelisted a select group of 'always-on' direct advertisers across key markets to participate in the program. These partners benefit from dedicated onboarding support, bespoke integrations, direct access to the adVantage program, and priority privileges across the platform's full suite of customization capabilities. This access enables direct advertisers to tailor the experience to their specific business objectives.

Hashtag: #Truecaller 

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

HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 June 2026 - Vingroup ranked 26th in Fortune's Southeast Asia 500 ranking, rising 11 places from 37th in 2025 and 19 places from 45th in 2024.

The Group continues to be the highest-ranked private enterprise in Vietnam.Advancing in the ranking for two consecutive years underscores Vingroup's scale, competitiveness, and sustainable growth momentum, while highlighting its increasingly prominent position among the region's leading companies.

This marks the third year that Fortune has published its Southeast Asia 500 ranking. The list ranks companies based on total revenue across seven countries in the region, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Cambodia.

According to Fortune, Vingroup ranked as the No. 1 private enterprise in Vietnam and No. 26 among the 500 largest companies in Southeast Asia. This year's Southeast Asia 500 recognizes companies that are well positioned to capitalize on shifts in global supply chains and the rapid growth of strategic industries such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

In addition to its scale of assets, Vingroup was highly recognized for its financial performance and operational efficiency. According to Fortune, in 2025, Vingroup recorded revenue of USD 12,760.6 million, representing year-on-year increases of 69.1% compared to the figures reflected in the 2025 ranking. Vingroup recorded net profit of USD 436.5 million and total assets of USD 42,536.4 million.

Vingroup is a diversified conglomerate operating across Industrials - Technology, Real Estate and Services, Infrastructure, Green Energy, Culture and Social Enterprises.

Within the Industrials - Technology pillar, VinFast reinforced its leading position in Vietnam's automobile and electric two-wheeler markets while continuing its global expansion.

In 2025, VinFast delivered nearly 200,000 electric vehicles worldwide, up 102% year-on-year. The result exceeded the Company's 2025 target and marked the highest annual delivery volume since its inception. In the first quarter of 2026, VinFast delivered 58,577 electric vehicles across all markets, representing a further 61% increase compared with the same period last year.

Within the Real Estate and Services pillar, Vinhomes maintained its market-leading position with 32 residential developments in operation, home to approximately 650,000 residents. In 2025, Vinhomes recorded contracted sales of VND 205.3 trillion, up 98% year-on-year, with more than 34,000 units delivered. Its unrecognized contracted sales backlog reached VND 186.4 trillion, providing a solid foundation for future growth. Consolidated net revenue totaled VND 153.3 trillion, up 49.8% from 2024, while net profit after tax reached VND 43.3 trillion, up 23.6% year-on-year and exceeding the Company's annual target.

In 2026, Vinhomes launched a series of large-scale urban developments across Vietnam, including the 6,200-hectare Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long in Quang Ninh Province, the 512-hectare Vinhomes Hai Van Bay in Da Nang, and the 1,080-hectare Vinhomes Saigon Park in Ho Chi Minh City. These developments are expected to reshape Vietnam's urban landscape while contributing to the sustainable growth of the real estate market.

Meanwhile, Vinpearl continued to lead Vietnam's hospitality, tourism and entertainment sector, operating 60 facilities across 20 provinces and cities. Its ecosystem includes more than 17,500 rooms across a network of five-star hotels and resorts; 15 VinWonders theme parks; six championship golf courses; and three international-standard convention centers and theaters under the VinPalace brand. The portfolio also features two semi-wildlife conservation parks and an equestrian academy. In addition, Vinpearl's signature live-action performances in destinations such as Nha Trang and Phu Quoc attract millions of visitors each year.

Within the Infrastructure pillar, VinSpeed has commenced construction of Vietnam's first two high-speed rail projects: the Ben Thanh - Can Gio line in Ho Chi Minh City and the Hanoi - Quang Ninh line. Launched in April 2026, the Hanoi - Quang Ninh route is the country's first interregional high-speed railway project. Beyond creating a powerful growth engine for Northern Vietnam's key economic region, the project represents an important step toward enhancing the nation's long-term competitiveness.

Within the Green Energy pillar, VinEnergo announced its expansion plans across Asia and Europe, supported by a renewable energy project pipeline with a total capacity of 10 GW that has already secured development agreements. In Vietnam, the company has obtained investment registration certificates for four renewable energy projects.

Within the Social Enterprises pillar, VinUniversity became the youngest university in Vietnam to receive the FIBAA Quality Seal in March 2026. In healthcare, Vinmec inaugurated its 10th hospital, spanning over 31,000 sqm, with 114 inpatient beds and a designed capacity of 135,000 patient visits annually.

At the end of 2025, Vingroup launched its Culture pillar to preserve and promote Vietnamese cultural values and bring them to the world. In May 2026, the Group introduced V-Film, a film and television production and distribution company, with the goal of supporting the development of a professional, modern, and globally integrated Vietnamese film industry.

Looking ahead, Vingroup remains committed to accelerating its core business activities, leveraging the strengths of its diversified ecosystem, enhancing operational efficiency, and expanding its international presence. Through these efforts, the Group aims to achieve its 2026 targets while further strengthening its position as one of the region's leading enterprises.

Hashtag: #Vingroup 

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

NEW YORK, US - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 June 2026 - GLM, a fashion and tech accessories brand, today announced the launch of the Essential Clutch - Limited Edition, a slim laptop clutch designed to complement the Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13.8-inch.

Available in limited quantities, the piece is equally suited to slim laptops from all manufacturers and continues GLM's approach of treating tech carry with the same design intent applied to fashion accessories. GLM is a Designed for Microsoft Surface Partner, recognizing products built to meet Microsoft's standards for fit, protection, and design alongside Surface devices.

The Essential Clutch - Limited Edition is made from cactus leather, a plant-based vegan leather, with 100% recycled fabrics used for lining, straps, and protective padding, consistent with the materials across GLM's collection. The interior lining, an exclusive Art Deco print, was designed to align with the Microsoft Surface Laptop, 13.8-inch, offering device owners a complementary piece that stands on its own as a considered accessory. As a limited-edition release, the restricted quantities reflect both the seasonal nature of the colorway and the brand's broader commitment to low-waste production. The clutch is designed to carry necessary technology without bulk, supporting commutes, office environments, evening engagements, and travel days that require consolidation. It can be worn on its own or nested inside a larger tote to distribute weight across bags.

The Essential Clutch joins GLM's existing range of slim laptop bags, which launched in the U.S. earlier this year. GLM was founded by Candina Weston, who brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, the PC industry, retail, marketing, and operations, including senior leadership roles in structured technology environments and brand-led businesses. This background informs the brand's focus on real-world professional carry needs: device protection, a slim and structured silhouette, and a design philosophy that treats laptop carry as a daily requirement rather than purely functional.

GLM identifies its target audience as professionals across industries who care about style and whose daily routines involve movement.

"The Essential Clutch - Limited Edition is a natural extension of what GLM is built on," said founder Candina Weston. "We designed it to sit alongside the devices people already carry, while keeping the same focus on slim, considered design that runs through the rest of the collection." GLM currently serves customers in the United States and Singapore, with plans to expand into additional international markets within the next 12 months.

https://atelierglm.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/atelier-glm

https://www.instagram.com/atelier_glm/

Hashtag: #GLM 

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

HANOI, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 June 2026 - With approval from the State Bank of Vietnam, Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank, HOSE: SSB) has officially completed its charter capital increase to VND 34,288 billion. The additional capital is expected to strengthen the Bank's market competitiveness, improve its safety ratios, and expand its growth capacity.

SeABank completes charter capital increase to VND 34,288 billion

On June 12, 2026, the State Bank of Vietnam issued Decision No. 1269/QD-NHNN regarding the amendment of charter capital information in SeABank's Establishment and Operation License.

Accordingly, SeABank's charter capital has increased from VND 28,450 billion to VND 34,288 billion, up VND 5,838 billion. The capital increase was carried out through the issuance of 583.8 million shares to existing shareholders at a ratio of 20.5202%, funded by accumulated undistributed after-tax profits as at December 31, 2025, according to SeABank's audited separate financial statements for 2025.

The capital increase is part of the roadmap approved by SeABank's 2026 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM). In the next phase, SeABank plans to further increase its charter capital through the issuance of up to 40 million ESOP shares at a price of no less than VND 10,000 per share, reserved for management personnel meeting defined criteria in terms of work performance, professional competence, and commitment to the Bank.

In the context of increasingly stringent requirements for capital adequacy and digital transformation, the additional capital is expected to help SeABank improve safety ratios, expand business scale, and increase investment in technology infrastructure, laying a stronger foundation for the Bank's growth in the period ahead.

With a strengthened financial foundation following the capital increase, SeABank will continue to focus on expanding its retail banking business, accelerating digital transformation, and improving the quality of products and services to better meet customer needs, while delivering sustainable value for shareholders and stakeholders.

Hashtag: #SeABank 

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

This new office located in the Yangtze Delta region strengthens family governance and intergenerational succession capabilities for next-generation family leaders

HONG KONG SAR / WUXI, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 17 June 2026 - WRISE Group ("WRISE"), one of Asia's fastest-growing independent wealth management firms, announced the official launch of WRISE Academy in Wuxi, dedicated to family governance and talent development. This new office comes amid accelerating intergenerational wealth transfer across China and rising demand for structured family governance wealth management solutions.

The Wuxi office, which follows Shenzhen, Changsha and Chengdu locations, marks the 4th expansion of WRISE Academy across Mainland China. This office will focus on education related to family governance, wealth succession and cultivation of next-generation family leaders, providing high-net-worth families with systematic governance guidance, succession planning resources, as well as learning support and networking platforms for family talent development.

Serving Intergenerational Succession Needs Across the Yangtze River Delta

The Yangtze River Delta region is a significant contributor to China's overall economic growth, with total exports from the region alone reaching 10.85 trillion yuan in 2025, or 40.2 percent of China's overall exports.

Wuxi, located in the economic circle of the Yangtze River Delta, is home to significant number of privately owned and family-run enterprises, where demand for succession planning is rising as founders prepare for generational transition. In this pivotal period of wealth and leadership transfer, family governance and next-generation leadership development are increasingly important priorities for high-net-worth families.

Supporting family legacy and governance globally

The WRISE Academy expansion reflects the firm's global focus on supporting long-term family legacy and governance beyond wealth preservation. "The core of a family office is not only in maintaining and increasing the value of assets, but also the continuation of values and the inheritance of family culture. Focusing on family governance and next generation development through WRISE Academy helps families build sustainable governance systems that support future generations,"said Derrick Tan, Group Executive Chairman of WRISE.

Stephen Yan, Executive Vice Chairman of WRISE, adds: "With intergenerational wealth transfer in China continuing to drive changes in governance and succession planning among high-net-worth families, WRISE Academy will continuously integrate global resources and professional networks to support the succession and governance of Chinese families."

Collaboration for Greater Success

The opening of the WRISE Academy in Wuxi marks the next phase in WRISE Academy's evolution from a talent development platform to a comprehensive family governance ecosystem. "With WRISE's presence in the Yangtze River Delta, we are bringing together Hong Kong's established family office governance expertise with practical needs of Mainland Chinese family enterprises to nurture a new generation of family leaders with both global perspectives and deep local understanding,"says Dr. Jowin Fung Vice Chairman, WRISE Hong Kong and Chief Executive Officer of WRISE Academy.

Looking ahead, the WRISE Academy will continue to expand its family governance ecosystem and deepen engagement with high-net-worth families across Mainland China. It will also strengthen collaboration with local business associations, universities and professional institutions to facilitate knowledge sharing through seminars, workshops and certification programmes. Such initiatives will support family enterprises in building more sustainable frameworks encompassing governance structures and succession planning.

"Through structured programmes, mentorship and exchange initiatives, WRISE Academy empowers next-generation family leaders to define their roles and responsibilities in the succession journey. The Wuxi office will serve as an important platform for family governance dialogue and collaboration across the Yangtze River Delta," says Megan Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of WRISE Private Hong Kong.

Hashtag: #WRISE 

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