Portage, Mich., USA and Cambridge, England, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Strategic alliance combines CMR Surgical's established platform and robotics expertise with Stryker's scale, customer relationships and commercial reach to accelerate growth of the Versius Surgical Robotic portfolio

Stryker will make an approximately $400 million (EUR300 million) preferred equity investment in CMR Surgical to support future innovation and global commercialization of the Versius portfolio, subject to customary closing conditions

The preferred equity investment also grants Stryker an exclusive option to acquire 100% of CMR Surgical's outstanding equity in the future, subject to the agreement's terms

Stryker will serve as the exclusive U.S. sales agent for the Versius portfolio

Stryker (NYSE:SYK), a global leader in medical technologies, and CMR Surgical, a global robotics company, today announced a strategic equity investment of approximately $400 million (?300 million) by Stryker with an exclusive option for Stryker to acquire the remaining equity of CMR Surgical, and an exclusive U.S. commercial agency agreement for the Versius portfolio.

The agreement brings together CMR Surgical's globally established soft-tissue robotics portfolio, clinical experience and culture of innovation with Stryker's scale, deep customer relationships, commercial execution and proven track record of bringing innovative technologies to market. Stryker will serve as the exclusive U.S. sales agent for the Versius portfolio, while CMR Surgical will continue to lead portfolio development and commercialization in markets outside the United States.

The alliance comes as demand for robotic-assisted surgery continues to grow, creating an opportunity to help healthcare providers expand robotic-assisted surgery programs with a scalable and practical solution. CMR Surgical's second-generation robot, with established clinical experience globally, supports a broad range of soft tissue procedures. Designed for real-world operating environments, the Versius platform's modular architecture supports flexibility across procedures, surgeon access and sites of care, and can help healthcare providers grow robotic adoption within existing operating room workflows. This scalable approach can help health systems meet growing demand for robotic-assisted surgery while preserving operational flexibility and supporting long-term program economics.

"Soft-tissue robotics is a high-growth adjacency and a natural extension of Stryker's strengths in endoscopy, visualization and enabling technologies. We have evaluated the segment carefully for years, and this alliance represents a thoughtful and disciplined entry that combines the complementary strengths of both companies," said Andy Pierce, Group President, Medsurg and Neurotechnology, Stryker. "We selected CMR Surgical and the Versius portfolio because of the opportunity to help healthcare providers grow robotic-assisted surgery adoption across a broad range of procedures in hospitals and ASCs."

 "This strategic alliance is a significant milestone for CMR and a strong endorsement of the technology, clinical experience and global business we have built," said Massimiliano Colella, Chief Executive Officer of CMR Surgical. "Stryker's investment will give us additional strength to accelerate innovation and the continued global expansion of the Versius portfolio, while its scale and deep customer relationships create a significant growth opportunity in the United States. We also look forward to welcoming Andy Pierce to our board of directors and benefiting from his more than 30 years of MedTech leadership experience at Stryker as we continue expanding access to robotic-assisted surgery globally."

Stryker's exclusive acquisition option provides Stryker the opportunity to acquire 100% of CMR Surgical's outstanding equity in the future, subject to the agreement's terms. This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

About Stryker

Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with our customers, we are driven to make healthcare better. We offer innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology and Orthopaedics that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside our customers around the world, we impact more than 150 million patients annually. More information is available at www.stryker.com.

About CMR Surgical

CMR Surgical is a global medical devices company dedicated to transforming surgery with Versius Plus, a next-generation surgical robot. Headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom, CMR is committed to working with surgeons, surgical teams and hospital partners, to provide an optimal tool to make robotic minimal access surgery universally accessible and affordable. With Versius Plus, CMR Surgical is on a mission to redefine the surgical robotics market with practical, innovative technology and data that can improve surgical care. Founded in 2014, CMR Surgical is a private limited company backed by an international shareholder base.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Suite unifies six AI-powered capabilities inside the nCino Mortgage Point of Sale to help originators work more efficiently and spend more time with borrowers

WILMINGTON, N.C., Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- nCino, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCNO), the platform for agentic AI banking, today introduced its Loan Officer Productivity Suite, a comprehensive set of AI-driven tools designed to boost mortgage originator productivity by putting faster answers and automated actions directly into the nCino Mortgage Solution.

The Suite brings together features in one accessible experience inside nCino's mobile-native point of sale, where originators already work. Together, they reduce time spent on manual work so originators can spend more of it with borrowers. The Suite uses each institution's own data, product guidelines, and workflow rules to give originators institution-specific answers and let them take action from one place, without bouncing between tools.

Customers are putting Loan Officer Productivity Suite features to work, with early adopters like Educated Mortgage already using them in daily origination workflows to reclaim time and move loans through the pipeline more efficiently, and Security National Financial Corporation preparing to equip its loan officers:

"I asked Mortgage Advisor for Loan Officers something specific, and it cited the guidelines and gave me the guideline almost immediately," said Dan O'Brien, President and Loan Officer at Educated Mortgage. "With other AI search tools, you almost have to sit there with 10 different prompts to get the information you're looking for. This is better."

"We're excited to equip our loan officers with nCino's intelligent features so they'll have more confidence knowing exactly what each file needs to keep moving and can trust that routine tasks and borrower questions are being handled along the way," said Thayne Atkinson, Vice President and CIO at Security National Financial Corporation.

What Makes Up the Loan Officer Productivity Suite

Mortgage Advisor for Loan Officers: Extends the conversational AI behind nCino's borrower-facing Mortgage Advisor to the loan officer's side of the file, letting originators ask questions naturally and get plain-language answers about their pipeline, individual loan files, and GSE guidelines. It can also execute routine actions, such as creating tasks or sending reminders, with the loan officer's approval.

Loan PreCheck: An AI underwriting tool that automatically evaluates borrower eligibility against Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, VA and USDA guidelines and recommends the best-fit loan program before a file ever reaches underwriting.

Mortgage MCP for Loan Officers: Lets loan officers connect their own AI agents directly to the nCino Mortgage Suite through a single conversational interface, eliminating the screen-switching that slows origination workflows.

AUS Smart Tasks: Turns automated underwriting findings into a plain-language summary and suggested tasks that loan officers can work through one by one or automate by template.

Automated Pre-approval: nCino's workflow unifies credit authorization, verification services, fee calculations, and dual AUS integrations into one seamless process. This powerful feature automatically processes loan applications with less loan originator intervention, shortening traditional approval cycles to minutes.

Automated Disclosures: Automation of Initial Disclosures and Redisclosures for standard loan templates allowing for time to be spent on other activities.

"Loan officers are being asked to handle more work without sacrificing responsiveness to borrowers," said Casey Williams, General Manager of Global Mortgage at nCino. "The Loan Officer Productivity Suite helps create that capacity by taking routine work off originators' plates and putting answers and next steps at their fingertips, so they can stay responsive and competitive without adding more hours to the day."

Prospective customers can request a personalized demo.

About nCino

nCino (NASDAQ: NCNO) is the platform for agentic AI banking. With over 2,700 customers worldwide - including community banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and the largest financial entities globally - nCino offers a trusted agentic platform purpose-built for financial services and regulated industries. By deploying AI agents alongside human teams, nCino's dual workforce enables institutions to eliminate inefficiencies, sharpen decision-making and deliver better outcomes for the customers they serve. For more information, visit www.ncino.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements about nCino's financial and operating results, which include statements regarding nCino's future performance, outlook, guidance, the benefits from the use of nCino's solutions, our strategies, and general business conditions. Forward-looking statements generally include actions, events, results, strategies and expectations and are often identifiable by use of the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "plans," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "may," "will," "could," "might," or "continues" or similar expressions and the negatives thereof. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon nCino's historical performance and its current plans, estimates, and expectations and are not a representation that such plans, estimates, or expectations will be achieved.

These forward-looking statements represent nCino's expectations as of the date of this press release. Subsequent events may cause these expectations to change and, except as may be required by law, nCino does not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to risks associated with (i) adverse changes in the financial services industry, including as a result of customer consolidation or bank failures; (ii) adverse changes in economic, regulatory, or market conditions, including as a direct or indirect consequence of higher interest rates; (iii) risks associated with acquisitions we undertake, (iv) breaches in our security measures or unauthorized access to our customers' or their clients' data; (v) the accuracy of management's assumptions and estimates; (vi) our ability to attract new customers and succeed in having current customers expand their use of our solution, including in connection with our migration to an asset-based pricing model; (vii) competitive factors, including pricing pressures and migration to asset-based pricing, consolidation among competitors, entry of new competitors, the launch of new products and marketing initiatives by our competitors, and difficulty securing rights to access or integrate with third party products or data used by our customers; (viii) the rate of adoption of our newer solutions and the results of our efforts to sustain or expand the use and adoption of our more established solutions; (ix) fluctuation of our results of operations, which may make period-to-period comparisons less meaningful; (x) our ability to manage our growth effectively including expanding outside of the United States; (xi) adverse changes in our relationship with Salesforce; (xii) our ability to successfully acquire new companies and/or integrate acquisitions into our existing organization; (xiii) the loss of one or more customers, particularly any of our larger customers, or a reduction in the number of users our customers purchase access and use rights for; (xiv) system unavailability, system performance problems, or loss of data due to disruptions or other problems with our computing infrastructure or the infrastructure we rely on that is operated by third parties; (xv) our ability to maintain our corporate culture and attract and retain highly skilled employees; and (xvi) the outcome and impact of legal proceedings and related fees and expenses.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

*The partnership combines the catalytic capital capabilities, convening platforms, and innovation networks of the Temasek Trust Collective with the World Bank Group's global development expertise, reach, and country-level insights to help promising solutions move from pilot to scale.

*Both organisations will explore co-financing and innovative financing approaches to mobilise additional resources, initially focusing on climate and energy, water, agriculture, and health.

*A regional Knowledge Node will be established at Temasek Shophouse in Singapore to connect philanthropic partners with development expertise, networks, and opportunities, and to help promising solutions move from pilot to scale.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - Temasek Trust and the World Bank Group today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at harnessing the complementary strengths of philanthropy and development finance to advance shared development priorities. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the inaugural World Bank Group Philanthropy Forum held as part of its Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

The partnership combines the Temasek Trust Collective's catalytic capital capabilities, convening platforms, and innovation networks with the World Bank Group's global development expertise, reach, and country-level insights. Together, they will strengthen cross-sector collaboration and help promising solutions achieve impact at scale.

Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer, World Bank Group, said: "As development needs grow and resources come under pressure, partnership matters more than ever. Philanthropic organizations bring deep expertise and innovative solutions that align closely with our core missions and jobs agenda. The Philanthropy Hub will connect ideas, resources, and partners to take those solutions to scale, and to deliver for people and communities around the world."

Desmond Kuek, Executive Director and CEO of Temasek Trust, said: "Today's development challenges do not fit neatly into silos - and neither can our response. Philanthropy can move early, take risks, and unlock the partnerships and capital needed to turn bold ideas into lasting impact. Working in concert with the World Bank Group and its Philanthropy Hub, we can bridge systemic gaps, scale what works, and forge new pathways for collective action."

Under the MoU, Temasek Trust and the World Bank Group plan to collaborate across three areas:

Convening and knowledge exchange: Bringing together governments, development institutions, businesses, philanthropies, and other partners to deepen collaboration, learning, and partnership development around shared priorities. This includes mutual participation in platforms such as the World Bank Group Philanthropy Forum and the Philanthropy Asia Summit; engaging senior leaders in high-level dialogues; and facilitating dedicated exchanges on World Bank Group missions, including Mission 300 and Water Forward, as well as approaches to co-funding, building coalitions, and developing country compacts.

Shared knowledge and insights: Connecting philanthropic partners more effectively with World Bank Group platforms, expertise, programmatic support, and institutional knowledge. The collaboration may also facilitate country-level engagement by providing insights into local development challenges, innovations, and opportunities, together with guidance and connections to relevant stakeholders, knowledge, and partnerships. By building shared knowledge and a repository of effective solutions, the parties aim to help translate promising pilots into replicable and scalable models that can advance impact outcomes.

Coordinating partners and capital towards shared priorities: Identifying capital mobilisation approaches to support larger, more coordinated, mission-aligned partnerships. Temasek Trust and the World Bank Group will also assess how their respective philanthropic networks and partners can be better aligned around common interests, while sharing knowledge on models for deploying and aggregating capital to support development solutions. Any specific financing arrangements or projects would be considered separately and remain subject to each party's mandates, policies, procedures, resources, and approvals.

Initial priority areas include water, agriculture, health, climate, and energy, with potential collaboration linked to relevant World Bank Group initiatives.

Knowledge Node at Temasek Shophouse

In 2027, under the strategic partnership and as part of the Philanthropy Hub, Temasek Trust will establish a Knowledge Node at Temasek Shophouse in Singapore. It will connect philanthropic partners with a wide range of World Bank Group datasets, expertise, and relevant networks to support evidence-building and collaboration and will help promising solutions progress towards wider adoption.

About Temasek Trust

Temasek Trust is the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings, with community stewardship goals of protecting the planet, uplifting communities, connecting people, and advancing capabilities. By forging new pathways in philanthropy and impact investing with like-minded partners, Temasek Trust advances catalytic philanthropy as a force for good.

Through the Temasek Trust Collective, an ecosystem of organisations united by a shared purpose of building better for every generation, Temasek Trust builds capacity, convenes partnerships, mobilises capital, and catalyses solutions to drive positive impact. For more information, visit www.temasektrust.org.sg. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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

Hashtags: #TemasekTrust

*Stillbirth affects families everywhere, but the burden is not shared equally: Of the nearly 2 million babies stillborn each year, almost half occur in sub-Saharan Africa

*New investment will focus on advancing innovations with the potential to cut stillbirth rates by half in select countries through a new program called Uzima

*Joint commitment will begin with partners in sub-Saharan Africa advancing promising new tools and creating a blueprint for reducing stillbirths globally, with additional partners and funding coming later

BERLIN, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Gates Foundation and Wellcome Leap today announced a new initiative called Uzima: A Stillbirth Prevention Program, which aims to demonstrate that stillbirth rates can be reduced by half over the next decade across select countries.

Uzima will identify, validate, and scale promising innovations that can help families and health workers recognize risks earlier and respond to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. By showing what works in partnership with different health systems, the program will create a model for bringing these advances to women and babies around the world.

Nearly 2 million babies worldwide are stillborn each year-one every 17 seconds. Each loss has real and lasting consequences for women and families. Despite the scale of the challenge, stillbirth prevention remains underfunded and overlooked in maternal and newborn health, with significant gaps in research and innovation around the pregnancy complications that contribute to these losses.

"As a pediatrician, I know how critical the moments surrounding birth are for babies and their families-and how much is at stake when complications arise," said Anita Zaidi, president of the Gender Equality Division at the Gates Foundation. "We're working toward a future where no mother, baby, or child dies from a preventable cause. That's why we're supporting Uzima: to give health workers better tools to recognize risks in pregnancy and act in time, so more families can welcome healthy babies into the world."

Uzima will validate and scale a suite of innovations across pregnancy and childbirth, including tools and processes that can dramatically reduce stillbirths when effectively integrated into health systems. Participating countries will help shape the program so that it reflects their priorities, fits within their health systems, and meets the needs of families in their communities. While Uzima is focused on settings where the burden is highest, many of the innovations will have broad applications in middle- and high-income countries as well?particularly in underserved, rural, and resource-constrained communities.

The program will explore several categories of innovation, including:

Biomarker-based, imaging-based, and other diagnostic tools, including fundoscopy, that support earlier detection and risk stratification of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, enabling timely referral and management.

Artificial intelligence-enabled ultrasound and other screening tools that could make risk assessment and detection of complications more accessible in settings with limited resources.

Sensors and monitoring technologies used during labor that could help health workers detect complications sooner.

Decision-support tools that are enabled with AI and could help health workers interpret warning signs and make timely clinical decisions.

Integrated, personalized support and patient navigation systems for mothers, families, and community health workers to provide actionable data and track progress.

Named for the Swahili word meaning "life and well-being," Uzima is designed to generate the evidence needed to take effective, innovative tools from large-scale demonstration to broader implementation. The program expects to identify an initial package of innovations by early 2027 and announce its first participating country partner in the coming months.

"By the time you read this paragraph, another baby will be stillborn. Each year, millions of mothers will suffer the grief of their loss?a grief that does not observe borders or spare families," said Regina E. Dugan, CEO of Wellcome Leap. "Stillbirth is not an inevitable tragedy. We have new tools and the science needed to change outcomes. With our partners at the Gates Foundation and in communities, we can bring these new advances together, demonstrate what is possible at convincing scale, and build a blueprint that can save lives around the world. The question is not whether we can make the next decade one of extraordinary progress in maternal health. The question is whether we will."

The Gates Foundation and Wellcome Leap are each contributing $50 million during the program's first three years to identify and validate promising candidates. The effort will build on technologies developed through Wellcome Leap's In Utero program and innovations supported by the Maternal, Newborn, Child Nutrition and Health (MNCNH) program at the Gates Foundation. The two organizations are calling on investors, philanthropies, governments, and other partners to join the effort because additional partners and funding will be needed to expand approaches that prove effective. They're also inviting ministers of health to help shape the program and explore opportunities for their countries to participate.

Following the initial three-year phase, Uzima will work with participating countries to implement and expand the approaches that prove most effective. While the program will initially focus on settings with the fewest resources and a strong commitment to partnership, its longer-term goal is to generate evidence that can help effective tools reach more health workers, women, and families around the world.

About Wellcome Leap

Wellcome Leap is a billion-dollar breakthrough engine for human health-at global scale. Founded by the Wellcome Trust in 2020 as a U.S. nonprofit, Wellcome Leap builds and executes bold, unconventional programs with the urgency required to deliver breakthroughs in years, not decades.

Operating at the intersection of life sciences and engineering, Leap programs require best-in-class, multi-disciplinary, global teams assembled from universities, companies, and nonprofits working together to solve problems that they cannot solve alone. To date, Wellcome Leap has committed more than $250 million to ambitious programs aimed at fundamentally improving health outcomes for women worldwide. Explore the portfolio at wellcomeleap.org/womens-health.

About the Gates Foundation

Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we work with partners to create impactful solutions so that people can take charge of their futures and achieve their full potential.

In the United States, we aim to ensure that everyone-especially those with the fewest resources?has access to the opportunities needed to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Bill Gates and our governing board.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

FREMONT, Calif., Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As Southeast Asia's digital economy continues to expand, more businesses across the region are starting to look seriously at the U.S. as their next growth market.

In response, Dmitry Shubov Consulting, a startup consulting firm, has issued a strategic analysis outlining the legal and structural groundwork Southeast Asian technology and service firms should address before expanding into the U.S. The timing follows ASEAN's 2026 Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) study, which projects the region's digital economy could reach US$2 trillion by 2030.

For many founders, interest in the U.S. market starts with growth. New customers, stronger partnerships, and a bigger commercial footprint. But making that move successfully usually depends on work happening behind the scenes first. Business structure, contracts, intellectual property, and internal documentation all play a role in whether expansion moves forward smoothly or stalls under pressure.

Dmitry Shubov Consulting works with internationally focused companies on the planning needed to make cross-border growth more practical and less reactive. As more Southeast Asian businesses explore U.S. expansion, the firm is encouraging leadership teams to prepare early by looking closely at entity structure, governance, commercial agreements, and day-to-day operational readiness.

That process may include choosing the right U.S. business structure, clarifying responsibilities between related entities, reviewing customer agreements, organizing IP records, and making sure the company is prepared for banking, diligence, and partnership conversations.

"Many companies feel ready to grow internationally because the demand is there," said Dmitry Shubov, founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting. "But once expansion starts, it becomes clear very quickly whether the business has the right structure behind it. When that groundwork is done early, companies are usually in a much better position to move with confidence."

The firm notes that many delays in cross-border expansion are avoidable and often come down to preparation rather than opportunity. With more Southeast Asian companies thinking globally, market-entry readiness is becoming a more important part of growth planning. For more information, visit DmitryShubovConsulting.com.

About Dmitry Shubov Consulting

At Dmitry Shubov Consulting, our mission is to connect accredited investors with groundbreaking legal technology startups, fostering innovation and growth across Southeast Asia and helping Asian businesses enter the U.S. market. For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emdoor Information (SZ: 001314), a publicly listed rugged computing solutions provider, recently announced its financial results for the first half of 2026. The company reported total revenue of RMB 2.746 billion (approximately USD 380 million), representing a year-over-year increase of 80.68%.

The strong performance comes as Emdoor marks 18 years of rugged computing excellence and continues to expand its vertically integrated capabilities for industrial customers worldwide.

Founded in 2008 and listed on China's A-share main board in 2023, Emdoor Information delivers sustained growth, world-class manufacturing, resilient supply chains, full-stack R&D, and comprehensive lifecycle services. Its rugged computing products and industrial customers now span North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, serving sectors such as public utilities, intelligent manufacturing, warehouse management, transportation, energy industry.

As industrial automation, smart manufacturing, and field operations increasingly depend on mission-critical mobile computing, global demand for reliable rugged tablets, rugged laptops, and rugged handhelds continues to accelerate. Emdoor Information has established itself as a key provider of rugged computing solutions for industrial customers worldwide.

Financial Strength & Governance: Listed and Well Governed

Emdoor Information's financial performance reflects the durability of its business model. Listed on China's A-share main board in 2023, the company reported first-half 2026 revenue of RMB 2.746 billion (approximately USD 380 million), up 80.68% year over year. This growth is driven by disciplined governance and sustained innovation: R&D staff account for over 40% of the workforce, and cumulative R&D investment over the past five years reached RMB 964 million, a compound annual growth rate of 15.9%. As a publicly listed company with transparent reporting, Emdoor Information offers industrial customers and channel partners the governance stability needed for long-term cooperation.

Integrated Manufacturing & Quality: Own Lines, 7.8M Units

Emdoor Information owns its self-built Emdoor Building, which includes corporate offices and a 20,000-square-meter intelligent manufacturing base. The base has four production floors, 15 integrated assembly and testing lines, and an annual capacity of 7.8 million units.

Co-locating manufacturing and R&D within the headquarters enables rapid design validation and faster time-to-market. The facility holds ISO five-system certification and uses advanced automation, including AI-powered visual inspection and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for full-process traceability.

The Emdoor Building also houses a reliability testing base backed by tens of millions of RMB in investment, with dedicated labs for waterproofing, drop testing, environmental simulation, and mechanical durability. All rugged tablets, laptops, and handheld terminals undergo rigorous validation against IP ratings and MIL-STD-810 standards, ensuring reliable operation under extreme field conditions.

Supply Chain Resilience: Steady Supply, Controlled Costs

Emdoor Information's supply chain is anchored by long term partnerships with global semiconductor and technology leaders, including Intel, Qualcomm, and Rockchip. These relationships, recognized by honors such as Intel Premium Partner and Microsoft ODM Strategic Champion, provide early access to platform level technical resources and prioritized supply allocation.

The company centralizes component procurement through its group supply chain management center. With annual procurement in the hundreds of millions of RMB, this approach optimizes hardware Bill of Materials (BOM) costs while maintaining tier one supplier quality.

To mitigate volatility, especially in memory and storage, Emdoor maintains strategic bulk inventory and dynamic safety stock across critical materials. This discipline is supported by a rolling finished goods inventory valued at RMB 120 million, enabling delivery of standard configurations in one to three days and customized units in seven to thirty days. As a result, the company ensures stable pricing, controlled cost fluctuations, and protection of customer project margins.

Full Stack R&D & Product Innovation: 100 Models, 5 Platforms, 3 OS

Emdoor Information offers a broad product portfolio: rugged tablets and laptops, rugged handhelds, vehicle mounted computers, and industrial panel PCs from 4 to 21.5 inches. It supports five platforms, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Rockchip, across Windows, Android, and Linux. With nearly 100 models in active production, the company matches precise configurations to industrial scenarios such as quality inspection, intelligent patrol, and edge computing.

These platforms are often specified among the best rugged tablet, laptop, vehicle mount tablet, and industrial panel PC solutions for mission critical operations. A key strength is full stack internal development, covering industrial design, structural engineering, hardware architecture, software integration, and validation testing. All products carry international certifications including CCC, CE, FCC, RoHS, GMS, and UN38.3, plus specialized certifications for hazardous environments and automotive deployments.

On software, devices ship with pre-installed productivity tools such as physical key remapping, kiosk mode, and granular system controls. The integrated Mobile Device Management (MDM) platform enables fleet wide deployment, batch configuration, and remote control. Open SDK and API access for modules like barcode scanning facilitates rapid secondary development and enterprise integration, eliminating the need to build adapter frameworks from scratch. Beyond standard configurations, Emdoor provides rugged devices customization across hardware, software, and structural redesign for specialized operational needs.

Lifecycle Service Excellence: Worldwide Reach, Lasting Alliances

Recognizing that enterprise and industrial computing deployments often operate on lifecycles of five to ten years, Emdoor Information has built a service architecture for long term reliability. It provides repair services in Hong Kong. Technical support is available through a dedicated hotline, official social media, email, and an online support system with full lifecycle traceability from issue submission to resolution.

The company offers structured maintenance training to help customer engineering teams manage devices autonomously. It also operates a continuous feedback mechanism with after sales follow up and annual satisfaction surveys. Insights from frontline customers are integrated into product development, keeping device capabilities and service delivery aligned with field needs. For channel and distribution partners, Emdoor provides market development support including marketing collateral, agent training, industry salons, and trade show facilitation. Sales enablement includes project registration, territorial protection, and flexible inventory allocation, creating a full spectrum collaboration framework from pre sales consultation to long term after sales engagement.

Conclusion

Backed by financial strength & governance, integrated manufacturing & quality, supply chain resilience, full-stack R&D & product innovation and lifecycle service excellence, Emdoor Information has built a global partner network across multiple continents and earned recognition from customers in industrial automation, logistics, transportation, and field service. "Our growth reflects not only market demand but also the strength of our vertically integrated model, from manufacturing and supply chain to R&D and lifecycle services," said a company spokesperson. Looking ahead, Emdoor Information remains committed to deepening its rugged computing expertise, optimizing product performance and service delivery, and expanding worldwide. Its vision is to become a leading global provider of rugged computing solutions, delivering reliable, mission critical devices for the most demanding environments.

About Emdoor Information

Emdoor Information (SZ: 001314) specializes in providing high-quality rugged mobile computing devices and customized solutions for industry clients worldwide. Its portfolio includes rugged handhelds, rugged tablets, rugged notebooks, vehicle PCs, and industrial panel PCs. For more information, visit www.emdoorrugged.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Source: City University of Hong Kong

Marking the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery's 10th anniversary, the three-day conference will bring together around 120 participants from 23 cities across 13 countries and regions.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - Organised by the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery (the Gallery) of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), 10AFEST 2026 will be held from 8 to 10 October 2026. Marking the Gallery's 10th anniversary, the inaugural conference focuses on "Asian Art-Tech & Cultural Innovations," convening museum leaders, artists, scholars, and innovators to explore cross-disciplinary collaboration and the real-world impact of Art-Tech on Asian culture.

The three-day festival will welcome around 120 participants from 23 cities across 13 countries and regions. The programme features four East-West Plenary Dialogues and six Network Presentation tracks, alongside performances, installations, exhibitions, and networking activities across CityUHK and local partner venues.

Connecting Knowledge, Art, and Technology

Across Asia, technologies like artificial intelligence, extended reality, and data science are transforming how culture is preserved and experienced. Art-Tech is shifting rapidly beyond conventional gallery walls into education, research, entrepreneurship, conservation, and direct community engagement.

Mr Charles Chin Ying-on, Council Treasurer of CityUHK, said, "International collaboration lies at the heart of our mission to address global challenges. For this inaugural edition of 10AFEST, we are honoured to bring together participants from 13 countries and regions and 23 cities. Through intercultural dialogues and interactive networking events, I am confident that participants will forge lasting friendships and lay the groundwork for future collaboration. As CityUHK continues to advance its mission of innovating into the future, 10AFEST exemplifies how art and technology can come together to inspire new ideas and create a positive impact on society."

Building on this vision, 10AFEST connects established cultural leaders with a new generation of practitioners to share perspectives, showcase emerging practices and develop relationships across disciplines and borders. 10AFEST aims to inspire new ideas and lasting partnerships that will contribute to the continued development of Art-Tech and cultural innovation in Asia.

Four East?West Dialogues on Culture and Innovation

The sessions pair distinguished global cultural leaders from contrasting institutional and geographic backgrounds to explore how organisations navigate technological shifts and evolving public expectations.

The four key plenary sessions will focus on:

(De)globalisation and (Re)connectivity: Explore how cultural institutions navigate shifting geopolitical landscapes and changing global networks. Professor Kyong Park (Seoul/Store Front Gallery New York) and Professor Matthias B?ttger (Basel Academy of Art and Design) will examine the changing impact of globalisation and cross-border engagement, focusing on how institutions can stay relevant to a new generation of digital natives while considering whether traditional intercultural diplomacy remains vital today.

Legacy, Diversity, and Interdisciplinarity: Focusing on the evolution of historical collections, this panel highlights the intersection of diverse cultural narratives and multi-disciplinary research. Professor Lu Xiaobo (Tsinghua University) and Monsignor Alberto Rocca (Pinacoteca Ambrosiana) will discuss how institutional structures and traditions both support and limit the pursuit of new knowledge, offering insights on bridging curation with contemporary practices.

University Museums and Experiential Learning: Centering on the evolving role of academic museums as active spaces for immersive learning, Professor Jin Jun (Central Academy of Fine Arts) and Doctor Luke Syson (Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge) will look at the changing role of university galleries, and its contribution to campus living and whole-person education at large.

Digital Museology and Intangible Collection: Addressing the digital transformation of heritage, this session investigates the future use of advanced technologies like XR and AI in conservation. Mr Hing Chao (Hong Kong Cultural Festival) and Ms Cora W?rmell (State Art Collections Dresden) will explore the relationship between physical artifacts and living archives, looking at new methods to bridge the traditional museum divides between science, art, and history.

Celebrating a Decade of Interdisciplinary Exchange

Since its inception in 2016, the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery has served as a dynamic platform for bridging the humanities and sciences through transformative exhibitions.

Mrs Indra Banga, Founding Patron and Honorary Chairperson of the Gallery's Advisory Committee, concluded: "Over the past decade, Harry and I shared a vision with CityUHK to support a pioneering platform that brings together art, culture, technology and research. Today, the Gallery has grown into a vibrant hub for learning and discovery, connecting talent and ideas from Hong Kong and around the world. We are delighted to reaffirm our continued support for the Gallery and the University.

About 10AFEST

10AFEST is an Asian interdisciplinary platform for Art-Tech and Cultural Innovation, bringing together participants from 13 countries/regions and 23 cities to exchange ideas, present projects and build future collaborations.

10AFEST Programme

10APLENARY - Plenary Dialogues of Cultural Leaders

10ANETWORK - Network Presentations of Emerging Talents

TRACK 1A - Translational Research in Art-Tech

TRACK 1B - Cultural Entrepreneurship

TRACK 2A - Deep Engagement & Interactive Learning

TRACK 2B - Inter-Cultural Collaboration

TRACK 3A - Asian Heritage & Digital Museology

TRACK 3B - Art for Social / Environmental Impact

10ADEMO - Performances and Exhibitions

10AGALA - Networking and Matching for Future Collaboration

Participating countries include China, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, the UK and Vietnam.

Participating cities include Bangkok, Basel, Beijing, Cambridge, Cavite, Dresden, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jinan, Macao, Makati City, Manila, Milan, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Tianjin, Ulaanbaatar, Yangon and Yogyakarta.

About the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery

Located on the CityUHK campus, the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery serves as a vibrant platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, cultural innovation, translational research, and community education since its inception in 2016.

The Gallery has garnered recognition for its distinctive exhibitions, including Leonardo da Vinci: Art & Science, The Atlas of Maritime Buddhism, Central African Art - Invocation of an Unseen World, Zodiac Heads from the Yuanmingyuan and Important Treasures, On the Road: Young Media Artists in China, Prototyping: , The Power of Play, and more.

Information and photographs of past exhibitions are available on the Gallery's official website: https://www.cityu.edu.hk/bg/

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

Hashtags: #CityU

Initiating discussions around establishing fully reserved sterling, US dollar and Euro-referenced digital currencies on ADI Chain, creating new infrastructure for regulated global settlement

GIBRALTAR and ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- His Majesty's Government of Gibraltar and ADI Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore establishing a multi-currency stablecoin consortium, marking a significant step in building regulated digital financial infrastructure connecting international markets.

Under the memorandum of understanding, ADI Foundation will further explore opportunities around setting up a consortium alongside founding members drawn from banks and other institutions licensed in Gibraltar to develop fully reserved digital currencies referenced to sterling, the US dollar and the Euro, with issuance infrastructure provided through ADI Chain; the GCC and MENA region's 1st sovereign digital infrastructure built for governments and institutions.

This future opportunity places particular focus on bringing digital money on-chain at institutional scale, strengthening Gibraltar as the home for a responsibly operated, fully reserved currency referenced stablecoin (including sterling) under its own bespoke framework; Gibraltar was the first jurisdiction to introduce a purpose-built regulatory framework for distributed ledger technology in 2018.

The consortium exploration is intended to be structured on an open and equitable basis, with ownership shared fairly among ADI and participating founding members. Each digital currency would be issued through a separate entity, with reserves held one-for-one in high-quality liquid assets denominated in the respective reference currency, independently attested and subject to annual audit.

Beyond issuance, the Project is designed to support institutional settlement, cross-border payments and international trade, with a longer-term opportunity to connect Europe and Africa. This builds on ADI Foundation's joint venture with the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to develop digital trade infrastructure across its member states.

Ajay Bhatia, Principal Council Member at ADI Foundation, said:

"This is bigger than launching another stablecoin. Our ambition is to explore building a regulated financial infrastructure that allows digital money to move seamlessly between institutions, markets and economies. Gibraltar brings a sophisticated financial ecosystem and pioneering experience in DLT, while ADI brings the infrastructure and international network. Together, we are exploring building the foundations for a new digital settlement bridge connecting Europe, the Middle East and Africa."

The Hon Nigel Feetham KC MP, Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, said:

"For the past nine months, we have been actively engaged in an international outreach programme, connecting with leading digital-finance businesses and investors, including at major industry events around the world. Our aim has been clear: to strengthen Gibraltar's position at the forefront of digital innovation.

"The Stablecoin Project represents an exciting opportunity for Gibraltar and is another important step in our efforts to foster innovation and attract investment. It builds on recent legislative initiatives, including a world-first bespoke prediction market regime and legislation facilitating tokenised fund shares and DLT-based share registers, alongside further legislative developments currently underway, and reinforces Gibraltar's position as a leading international centre for the digital economy."

ADI Foundation and the Government of Gibraltar will explore the potential for establishing the consortium's management, operations and compliance functions in Gibraltar, including opportunities to engage with Gibraltar's licensed financial institutions. The parties will also assess the pathway towards a potential future issuance, subject to commercial viability, participation of founding members and all necessary regulatory authorisations.

About ADI Foundation:

The ADI Foundation is an institutional gateway enabling public and private sector organizations to adopt blockchain technology through purpose-built, policy-aligned infrastructure, expanding financial access for underserved communities globally.

Central to ADI's mission to connect one billion people and institutions to the digital economy by 2030 is ADI Chain, the first institutional blockchain for stablecoins and real-world assets in the MENA region. ADI Chain acts as settlement infrastructure for a dirham-backed stablecoin, DDSC, initiated by IHC, Sirius International Holding and First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and licensed by the UAE Central Bank.

ADI collaborates with leading global institutions including BlackRock, Mastercard, M-Pesa, Visa, and Franklin Templeton and is headquartered in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the world's first jurisdiction with a bespoke digital asset framework. ADI was founded by Sirius International Holding, the technology-focused subsidiary of International Holding Company.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTCPrime has closed out its participation as Gold Sponsor at iFX Expo Hong Kong 2026, held on October 8-9 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Over the two days, the GTCPrime team welcomed clients, partners, and industry peers at Booth 14 to discuss market developments and the changing needs of investors across Asia-Pacific.

And GTCPrime Chief Analyst, Jameel Ahmad, also took part in a panel discussion, "The Future of Wealth Is East: Why Hong Kong Matters More Than Ever." The session brought together leaders from private banking, wealth management, WealthTech, and family offices to examine Hong Kong's role as a premier wealth hub as global wealth shifts eastward.

The discussion covered four themes:

Global capital: Why Hong Kong continues to attract international capital, family offices, and high-net-worth investors.

WealthTech and AI: How digital platforms and AI-powered advisory are changing wealth management and client engagement.

The Greater Bay Area: Its role in unlocking cross-border investment and new growth opportunities.

Evolving expectations: How wealth managers are adapting as investors become more digital and global, and seek stable, transparent, well-regulated financial centres.

Headquartered in Dubai and serving clients across more than 100 countries, GTCPrime took part in iFX Expo Hong Kong as one of Asia's leading financial centres continues to draw global attention. Dubai and Hong Kong are both international financial hubs that connect capital, firms, and markets across regions, and the exchange of perspectives in Hong Kong sits naturally alongside GTCPrime's global outlook.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Source: SIM Global Education

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - An international university education no longer has to begin with a move to the United Kingdom, Australia or the United States. Qualifications delivered in Singapore now sit alongside local universities and traditional overseas study.

Global Education No Longer Means Studying Halfway Around the World

Choosing a college can be a challenging decision for prospective students and their parents. A university name and destination tell only part of the story; parents also need to examine the awarding institution, programme structure, cost, student support and possible routes after graduation.

SIM Global Education (SIM GE) provides one such regional route. It offers more than 140 full- and part-time programmes, with university partners including institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Students can obtain qualifications from these overseas universities while studying on SIM's Singapore campus.

The Regional Advantage: Why Pursue Global Degrees at SIM in Singapore

For Asian families considering overseas education, Singapore offers access to international qualifications within the region. SIM GE's full-time student body is also international: approximately 41% are international students from around 50 countries.

International students in Singapore can also receive all-round support at SIM. SIM's International Student Office provides onboarding information, Student's Pass application guidance, accommodation information, a buddy programme and orientation activities.

Support continues after arrival. SIM's Learning Development department provides resources, workshops and consultations on academic writing, essay structure, referencing and presentation skills, while Student Care and wellness services offer further assistance.

Career preparation is another part of the offer. Career Connect services include workshops, r?sum? reviews, mock interviews, career guidance, internship and job listings, employer events and CareerSense.

International students should confirm their eligibility for any Singapore-based internship or employment opportunity with SIM and the relevant authorities. Access to career services does not itself confer permission to work in Singapore.

Exploring UK, Australian and US Qualifications at SIM

SIM GE's university-partner model covers different academic systems and programme structures.

UK options include programmes from the University of London and the University of Birmingham. The Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics and Finance, for example, is awarded by the University of London, with academic direction from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Australian partners include RMIT University and the University of Wollongong. Examples include Bachelor of Business and the Bachelor of Computer Science in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data. Programme length and entry routes vary, and some applicants may receive exemptions or advanced standing for prior qualifications.

For students considering a US qualification, SIM works with the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. Current options include programmes such as the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Communication, as well as selected double-major and double-degree combinations. These qualifications are awarded by the University at Buffalo and delivered at the SIM campus in Singapore.

How Parents Can Guide Their Child in Choosing the Right International Qualification

1. Match the Programme to Your Child's Strengths and Future Goals

The first question should be academic: what does the student want to study, and what type of curriculum suits their strengths?

Parents can compare compulsory modules, electives, assessment methods and specialisations, as well as whether the qualification provides an appropriate basis for further study. A programme in business, computing or communication from different university systems may vary significantly in curriculum and assessment even when the degree titles appear similar.

2. Compare Programme Structure, Entry Requirements and Study Pathways

Entry routes deserve the same scrutiny. SIM advises applicants to meet the relevant academic and English-language requirements by the application closing date; requirements vary by programme and prior qualification.

Some programmes accept students into a standard three-year route, while others offer exemptions, advanced entry or top-up structures for applicants with relevant prior study.

3. Assess the Full Cost, Scholarships and Financial Commitment

Tuition is only one part of the financial calculation. Families should also account for accommodation, living expenses, insurance, travel, application costs and other programme-specific fees.

Scholarships should be treated as potential financial assistance. SIM's Diploma Scholarships, for example, are open to eligible new international diploma students. Other awards have separate eligibility rules, so applicants should check current terms before incorporating scholarship funding into a financial plan.

4. Review Student Support, Career Preparation and Long-Term Opportunities

Finally, parents should consider what happens beyond lectures and examinations. Academic support, international-student onboarding, career guidance, internships, student activities and access to alumni networks can all contribute to the overall university experience.

The same caution applies to exchange, transfer, placement and further-study opportunities. Eligibility may depend on academic performance, nationality, student status, capacity, regulation and separate applications. An option available in one programme should not be assumed to apply across SIM GE.

For families comparing universities across several countries, the central question is therefore not simply whether to study locally or overseas. The better test is whether a particular qualification offers the right academic structure, cost and support environment for the student's goals, and whether its conditions are clearly understood.

Parents who want to explore these considerations in greater detail can find further guidance on choosing the right degree pathway from SIM.

About SIM Global Education

SIM Global Education (SIM GE) is a leading private education institution in Singapore and the region. We offer more than 140 academic programmes ranging from diplomas and graduate diploma programmes to bachelor's and master's degree programmes with some of the world's most reputable universities from Australia, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

SIM GE's cohort is made up of 17,000 full- and part-time students and adult learners, of which approximately 41% are international students hailing from over 50 countries. SIM GE's holistic learning approach and culturally diverse learning environment aim to equip students with knowledge, industry skills and employability competencies, as well as a global perspective to succeed as future leaders in a fast-changing, technologically driven world. For more information on SIM Global Education, visit www.sim.edu.sg.

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

Hashtags: #SIMGlobalEducation #GlobalDegrees #StudyInSingapore

https://www.sim.edu.sg

Source: De Beers Group

LONDON, UK - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - De Beers Group today published its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting significant progress across its Building Forever sustainability framework, with advances in livelihoods, nature conservation, climate action and diamond provenance.

Key achievements during 2025 include:

Reducing Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 14% since 2021, progressing towards De Beers Group's science-based target to reduce its carbon footprint by one third by 2030.

Supporting 2.6 jobs offsite for every one job created onsite, as the Group works towards its ambition to support four offsite jobs for every onsite role by 2030.

Managing 375,000 acres of land for conservation across Southern Africa, alongside continued investment in nature-positive initiatives and biodiversity conservation.

Supporting the designation of Angola's first Ramsar Wetland, helping protect the source of 95% of the water flowing into the Okavango Delta through the Okavango Eternal partnership with National Geographic.

Achieving the safest year in De Beers Group's history, with a 19% reduction in Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate compared with 2024 and zero work-related fatalities.

Passing the milestone of five million rough diamonds individually scanned on Tracr, strengthening transparency and traceability across the natural diamond value chain.

Training a further 500 women through EntreprenHER, delivered with UN Women and government partners, taking the total number of women trained through the programme to more than 3,900 since 2016.

Committing to invest US$70 million to the Diamonds for Development Fund in Botswana, supporting the country's ambition to accelerate long-term economic diversification.

These achievements are detailed in the Group's 2025 Sustainability Report, published here today.

Al Cook, Chief Executive Officer of De Beers Group, said : "At De Beers, we believe natural diamonds can do more than sparkle. Through the natural diamond value chain, they can support jobs, skills development, nature conservation and climate action in diamond-producing countries. During 2025, De Beers Group sharpened its focus on a set of ambitious sustainability targets where the business can make the greatest difference, aligned with partner country priorities, global standards and UN Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud of the progress we are making to ensure every diamond we recover creates lasting impact for people, communities and the environment, but we also understand that this requires sharp focus, deliberate action and constant monitoring. As the pace of change around us increases, and as the risks and opportunities ahead of us become clearer, so must our commitment to progress grow."

Sandrine Conseiller, CEO, De Beers Brands, added, "We're pleased to share our 2025 sustainability achievements, demonstrating that our ambitions can lead to real, impactful change. Consumers increasingly expect the brands they choose to consider their wider impact, not as something exceptional, but as a matter of course. This report is about showing what De Beers' sustainability commitments mean in practice, sharing openly the actions we are taking and the impact we are having, so customers can choose natural diamonds with confidence, knowing the value they create reaches far beyond the diamond itself."

Other achievements in the Group's Building Forever focus areas include:

Nature

De Beers has managed nature reserves in Southern Africa for more than 130 years, and our sites have biodiversity management programmes to avoid, reduce or restore our impact on nature.

Today, De Beers' conservation efforts are helping to protect vast swathes of land and keystone species across Southern Africa. Overall, De Beers Group manages 375,000 acres of land for conservation, and continues to explore scalable, nature-positive models across its conservation properties.

The Okavango Eternal partnership with National Geographic reached a major milestone with the designation of Angola's first Ramsar Wetland, helping protect the source of 95% of the water flowing into the Okavango Delta, the world's largest inland delta and one of the most biodiverse areas in Africa.

With Debswana, a joint enterprise between the Government of the Republic of Botswana and De Beers Group, De Beers celebrated the birth of the 70th rhino calf born safely on our nature reserves in Botswana since our rhino conservation efforts began in 2012, while the Group also successfully translocated 31 rhinos to support wider rewilding efforts in the region.

Looking ahead, De Beers Group aims to secure three times more land for nature than we impact and fund partnerships that aim to safeguard a further 13 million acres by 2030, through our continued partnership and support with Debswana, National Geographic and local organisations delivering our nature conservation ambitions.

Climate

By aiming to reduce the climate impact of our operations and developing partnerships to accelerate the energy transition, De Beers is working towards a lower carbon future that benefits everyone.

De Beers Group has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 14% since 2021, progressing towards the Group's SBTi-approved targets to reduce its carbon footprint by a third by 2030.

As part of its focus on reducing carbon emissions, De Beers Group is proud to support Envusa, which brings 520MW of renewable energy to southern Africa, from solar and wind. Envusa forms part of a broader portfolio of climate initiatives designed to reduce emissions across the natural diamond value chain in a transparent and responsible way.

Other examples of this work include advancing trials to create 'drop in' biofuels, progressing pioneering tyre circularity initiatives with Anglo American and Sasol, and supporting Kelp Blue, an award-winning startup that grows Giant Kelp on a large-scale off the coast of Namibia, to help sequester carbon, support the re-wilding of oceans and create a range of jobs and products that support the local economy.

Priorities for the next phase of progress include accelerating the reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions through further expanding renewable energy capacity, focusing on the electrification of mining equipment and enhancing supplier engagement to address Scope 3 emissions.

Livelihoods

Natural diamonds have an inherently human story to tell - through jobs they create, communities they build, and societies they support. For over a century, natural diamonds have acted as an engine for economic growth. Today, the diamond industry continues to play a role in supporting the economic diversification of the countries we operate in.

The Stanford Seed programme, which focuses on providing leadership training, management coaching and networking tools to help SMEs in De Beers' southern African diamond producing partner countries grow, has now supported 128 businesses since launch.

The EntreprenHER programme, run in partnership with UN Women to support opportunities for female entrepreneurs in diamond producing partner countries, trained a further 500 women in 2025, taking the total number of women trained since 2016 to 3,900.

Overall, for every job that we created onsite, De Beers supported 2.6 jobs offsite in 2025, continuing towards the Group's commitment to support 4 jobs offsite for every 1 job onsite by 2030.

The recent establishment of the Diamonds for Development Fund in Botswana in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Botswana carries the ambition to support the country's emerging knowledge-based economy and accelerate its long-term economic diversification. De Beers Group has committed to make an initial investment to the value of BWP1 billion (approximately USD70 million) to deliver a transformative positive impact in the country.

This priority is also reflected in De Beers' ambition and ongoing support through programmes such as Stanford Seed, EntreprenHER and the Diamond Entrepreneurship Programme, an incubation initiative designed to help local small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) scale in cutting, polishing, jewellery design, and trading.

Provenance

Every natural diamond goes on a unique journey, from deep in the earth to its polished form, touching countless lives along the way. De Beers Group continued to strengthen industry standards and diamond traceability during 2025.

The Group marked the 20th year of its Best Practice Principles programme, a rigorous set of standards, compliance with which is third-party audited.

The programme covers around a quarter of a million people across more than 70 countries - including all De Beers Group operations globally, as well as all Sightholder customers and their diamond-related contractors.

The Group also ensured 100% of its precious metal suppliers met rigorous sourcing standards to supply gold, platinum, and silver to its De Beers London and Forevermark retail brands.

With regards to traceability, Tracr passed the milestone of five million rough diamonds being individually registered on the blockchain-backed diamond traceability platform

Tracr also established a new partnership with Sarine to integrate rough diamond source registration with advanced scanning data, helping to create an end-to-end, cost-effective traceability solution to verify a diamond's journey.

The Tracr platform also provided the traceability backbone for the De Beers London capsule collection using GemFair diamonds developed in 2025, demonstrating that artisanally mined diamonds can be purchased ethically and transparently by luxury brands.

These developments help provide greater confidence to consumers, retailers and industry partners in a diamond's provenance and journey through the value chain.

The expansion of the Tracr platform's reach represents the key area of future focus for the work on provenance. While the platform has continued to scale, with the onboarding of suppliers such as the Okavango Diamond Company, there remains the potential for the platform to expand to other production sources and bring on more midstream participants.

The full De Beers Group 2025 sustainability report can be found at: https://www.debeersgroup.com/sustainability/sustainability-report-2025.

About De Beers Group

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world's leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group recovers diamonds in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group's strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers London and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair.

De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology services. De Beers Group is committed to 'Building Forever,' a holistic and integrated approach to sustainability that underpins our efforts to create meaningful impact for the people and places where our diamonds are discovered.

Building Forever focuses on three key areas where, through collaborations and partnerships around the globe, we have an enhanced ability to drive positive impact; Livelihoods, Climate and Nature. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.

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

Hashtags: #DeBeersGroup

Issuer: Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore, today highlights its elevated positioning as a refined city retreat, blending modern residential-style comfort with the architectural heritage of Bugis and Bras Basah district to meet the evolving demands of today's discerning global travellers.

Set within a historic cultural hub, Frasers House stands as a house of ateliers designed for global travellers and the city's creative minds. Through its curated house of ateliers experiences, guests connect with local craftsmanship at The Maker's Serambi, indulge in heritage flavours via Epicurean Moments, and explore neighborhood history through guided Destination Discoveries.

The hotel is also home to distinctive dining experiences, including the award-winning Man Fu Yuan, LUCE Buffet Restaurant, and The Lobby Lounge, alongside over 1,000 sqm of versatile event spaces, including an elegant pillarless Grand Ballroom and the distinctive Library, ideal for intimate celebrations, business gatherings and refined social occasions.

Prioritising Comfort, Space and Thoughtful Design

A refined city stay requires accommodation that supports both rest and everyday routines. Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore offers 406 rooms and suites crafted with residential ease, featuring plush bedding, custom furnishings, and carefully considered details. Guests can choose between light-filled rooms in the Main Tower and the more intimate Heritage Wing, whose interiors reference authentic Singapore shophouse traditions.

Travellers comparing accommodation can explore Frasers House - luxury hotel room Singapore on the official hotel website. The 38-square-metre Classic Room is available with King or Double bedding and includes a bathtub and separate walk-in shower. For additional space, the 52-square-metre Junior Suite adds a distinct living room that accommodates quiet work as well as relaxation.

Amenities That Support the Modern Travel Style

Practical features make a noticeable difference for travellers combining meetings, sightseeing, and downtime in the same trip. The rooms and suites provide high-speed internet, dedicated work desks, and coffee- and tea-making facilities, supplemented by essential services such as laundry and shoeshine.

Beyond the room, guests have access to a 24/7 fitness centre and an outdoor swimming pool to maintain routines or unwind between plans, ensuring a balanced and rejuvenating stay.

A Location Integrated with Local Culture

A luxury room is most useful when the hotel also functions seamlessly as a base for exploration. Located at 80 Middle Road, Frasers House places guests steps from the Bugis MRT and close to cultural landmarks like Arab Street and Kampong Glam.

For broader trip planning, readers exploring where to stay in Singapore will find that Frasers House offers a strategic, culturally immersive base.

Address: 80 Middle Road, Singapore 188966

Transit: 20 minutes from Changi Airport; steps from Bugis MRT Station

Dining Destination: Man Fu Yuan, LUCE, The Lobby Lounge

Event Space: 8 event rooms including the pillarless Grand Ballroom

Advance booking is recommended for preferred room categories, dining reservations and event planning.

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sinlb-frasers-house-a-luxury-collection-hotel-singapore/overview/

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Hashtag: #FrasersHouse

Situated at 80 Middle Road in the vibrant Bugis and Bras Basah cultural precinct, Frasers House, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Singapore, is a refined city retreat designed as a living 'house of ateliers'. The property features 406 residential-style guest rooms and suites divided between a sleek Main Tower and a Heritage Wing that honors traditional shophouse architecture.

The hotel is home to celebrated dining destinations, including the award-winning Cantonese restaurant Man Fu Yuan, LUCE, and The Lobby Lounge, alongside over 1,000 sqm of flexible event space anchored by a pillarless Grand Ballroom. Blending rich local heritage with bespoke Luxury Collection hospitality, Frasers House serves as an immersive sanctuary for discerning global travelers.

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

Issuer: World Health Summit

BERLIN, GERMANY - Newsaktuell - 11 October 2026 - The World Health Summit (WHS) 2026, the leading platform for global health, brings together more than 4,000 participants from 130 countries in Berlin and tens of thousands more online from October 11 to 13.

Under the theme "From Crisis to Resilience: Innovating for Health," the Summit convenes leaders from politics, science, civil society, and the private sector. Discussions address Ebola and other infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, pandemic preparedness, resilient health systems, health care in conflict settings such as Ukraine, and climate-related health threats. The Summit will also address WHO leadership through a conversation with prospective candidates for the next WHO Director-General.

Against this backdrop, WHS President Axel R. Pries emphasized the need for innovation and collaboration: "Past achievements and continued progress in global health are increasingly challenged by multiple and overlapping crises. To build resilient, effective, and equitable health systems, we need innovation across biomedicine and technology, financing, delivery, and political coordination. This requires partnership and trust within and beyond the health sector and is at the heart of the World Health Summit 2026 leitmotif."

Announcements and new pledges during the official WHS press conference:

Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA, highlighted the Government of Bangladesh's landmark investment of 250 million euros in women's health, supported by the European Investment Bank.

John-Arne R?ttingen, CEO of Wellcome, launched the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, which shows trust in science has fallen since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ilana Ron Levey, Managing Director at Gallup, shared findings from the State of the World's Emotional Health 2026 Report, examining the relationship between social media use and emotional well-being.

The entire main program is livestreamed free of charge: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldHealthSummit/streams

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

Verdant Rock now holds Financial Strength Ratings from both Fitch Ratings and Morningstar DBRS, providing counterparties with dual-agency confirmation and reinforcing the security architecture behind each financial guarantee.

HAMILTON, BERMUDA - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - Verdant Rock Limited, a Bermuda Monetary Authority-regulated Class 3B insurance company, has received an A (low) Financial Strength Rating from Morningstar DBRS. The rating reflects Verdant Rock's financial strength and its capacity to meet policyholder obligations as an investment-grade financial guarantor for Emerging Markets credit.

Morningstar DBRS is a global credit rating agency with coverage across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Its assessment of Verdant Rock reflects the company's strong projected earnings ability, robust risk profile, sound liquidity, and good capitalization. Morningstar DBRS also assigned an A (low) Issuer Rating to Verdant Rock. The rating follows Verdant Rock's BBB+ Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Rating with a Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings, assigned on 12 June 2026. Verdant Rock now holds Financial Strength Ratings from both Fitch Ratings and Morningstar DBRS, providing counterparties with dual-agency confirmation of the company's investment-grade standing.

Verdant Rock's guarantees are designed for beneficiaries with investment-grade mandates. Banks and insurers that hold guaranteed paper issued by Verdant Rock may reference both the Fitch Ratings and Morningstar DBRS ratings as independent, agency-confirmed assessments of the company's investment-grade standing. The Morningstar DBRS A (low) Financial Strength Rating adds a second layer of external validation to the security architecture behind each guarantee Verdant Rock issues.

"Receiving an A (low) Financial Strength Rating from Morningstar DBRS six months after our BMA license is a result we are proud of. Morningstar DBRS assessed our projected earnings ability, risk profile, liquidity, and capitalization, and reached a conclusion consistent with what we have been telling counterparties since we launched: that Verdant Rock is built on sound structural foundations. We now hold Financial Strength Ratings from two internationally recognized agencies. For any counterparty that requires dual-agency confirmation before it can accept a financial guarantee, that question is answered." - Tolga Uzuner, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Verdant Rock Limited

ABOUT MORNINGSTAR DBRS

Morningstar DBRS is a global credit rating agency with more than 4,500 issuers and 68,000 securities rated worldwide, with broad coverage across financial institutions, corporates, and structured finance. Morningstar DBRS is part of Morningstar, Inc. Credit ratings, research, and risk analysis are produced by DBRS, Inc., DBRS Limited, DBRS Ratings GmbH, and DBRS Ratings Limited.

ABOUT VERDANT ROCK

Verdant Rock Limited is a Bermuda-based insurance company regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as a Class 3B insurer. It holds a BBB+ Long-Term Insurer Financial Strength Rating with a Stable Outlook from Fitch Ratings and an A (low) Financial Strength Rating from Morningstar DBRS. Verdant Rock issues irrevocable, unconditional, on-demand financial guarantees for Emerging Markets credit across five exposures: Infrastructure, Corporate Loans, Bank Portfolio, ABS, and RMBS. The guaranteed paper is designed for beneficiaries with investment-grade mandates.

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

Hashtags: #VerdantRock

Source: Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Debut of ASEAN and Qinghai Pavilions alongside four key themes spanning energy, technology, green cities and waste management

ECO Expo Asia 2026 - Connecting the World for a Sustainable Future

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 October 2026 - Eco Expo Asia 2026, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, co-organised by the Environment and Ecology Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), will be held from 26 to 29 October at AsiaWorld-Expo.

HKTDC Associate Executive Director Silas Chu said: "Last month, the Hong Kong SAR Government unveiled the Policy Address and first Five-Year Plan, setting out a vision for building a green and liveable city. Across the region and beyond, China, the European Union and many ASEAN economies are actively pursuing carbon-neutrality or net-zero emission targets, and driving decarbonisation through regulations and industrial policies. Green transformation has shifted from policy aspiration to market rule. As global demand for ESG and green solutions continues to grow, Eco Expo Asia will bring together green technologies, innovative solutions, and global business opportunities to help enterprises capitalise on the new prospects emerging from this transition."

He added, "This year's Eco Expo Asia brings together over 340 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions, including first-time participants from Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, highlighting the Expo's growing international reach. Some 200 key officials and representatives of semi-official organisations from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Belt and Road countries, and ASEAN, will attend and tour the Expo, further promoting cross-regional cooperation and exchange."

Speaking at the press conference, the Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Department of the HKSAR Government, Dr Vanessa Au, expressed: "The 21st edition of Eco Expo Asia, held under the theme 'Connecting the World for a Sustainable Future', dovetails with the HKSAR Government's First Five-Year Plan, and implements the Policy Address precisely aligning with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. It underscores our commitment to advancing Hong Kong's green transformation, fostering green innovation, seizing the opportunities presented by the low-carbon economy, creating economic benefits and enhancing citizen well-being. Key highlights of this year's expo include the HKSAR Government booth, the Environmental Campaign Committee Pavilion, the Hong Kong Pavilion and the newly established comprehensive experience zone for green technology. This year during the expo, the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China will, for the first time, co-host the Belt and Road Green Innovation Conference in Hong Kong. In addition, the Environmental Protection Department, in association with the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will jointly organise the second edition of the 'Green Silk Road' International Training Programme. This expo brings together stakeholders from all sectors, uniting our efforts to advance global carbon neutrality and sustainable development."

Businesses show continued strong confidence in Hong Kong as an ESG business hub

The HKTDC has also released the "HKTDC ESG Index 2026". The latest ESG Index stood at 67.3, up from 64.2 last year and well above the neutral threshold of 50, reflecting the continued strengthening of corporate confidence in Hong Kong's role as an ESG hub. The survey also showed that 93% of respondents have integrated ESG into their overall business decision-making processes, while the share of businesses sourcing or selling ESG-related products and services rose from 29% in 2025 to 46% in 2026.

Silas said, "The rise in the ESG index reflects the continued strengthening of global businesses' confidence in Hong Kong's role as an ESG business hub. Results further demonstrate that ESG is increasingly being built into business decisions on investment, sourcing, and supply chain management, fuelling steady growth in demand for ESG products, services and solutions. ESG has evolved beyond a compliance requirement into a source of competitive advantage for companies."

With strong demand for ESG solutions, Hong Kong is well positioned to unlock commercial opportunities across banking and finance, professional services, and innovation and technology. In terms of technological innovation, surveyed businesses identified the most impactful Hong Kong digital and ESG platforms for boosting performance as sustainable supply chain platforms (45%), AI analytics (37%), and cloud data reporting (30%). On supply chain management, respondents most valued Hong Kong's ESG certification services (50%), followed by transparency and traceability tools (41%), and ESG audit and risk analysis solutions (36%).

Pavilion line-up expands with ASEAN and Qinghai Pavilion debuts

Eco Expo Asia brings together green innovations and technologies from around the world, offering the industry a platform to exchange ideas and explore new business opportunities. This year, the number of participating pavilions has risen to 18, covering a wider spread of regions. On the Chinese Mainland front, Qinghai Province makes its first appearance with a pavilion of its own, joined by the nine Chinese Mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, Macao, Guangxi, Hunan, Shanghai, and Nanjing in Jiangsu Province.

Among the international group pavilions, the headline addition is a new ASEAN Pavilion, featuring 13 green technology companies from eight member countries, including Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. An ASEAN networking reception on the opening day will further strengthen business ties with the region. In addition, Korea Institute of Fusion Energy (KFE), bringing two companies, will showcase their marine environmental technologies and waste gas treatment equipment. The US State of Illinois returns after several years, while Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands maintain their regular presence.

Regarding Hong Kong exhibitors, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation once again leads 11 start-ups to the Expo to showcase local green innovation achievements. The Hong Kong Pavilion, supported by the Environmental Protection Department and coordinated by the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, is back with 19 local exhibitors presenting a diverse range of eco-friendly products, technologies and solutions. Rounding off the home-grown line-up, the HKSAR Government booth, featuring 11 bureaux and departments including the Environment and Ecology Bureau, and the Environmental Campaign Committee Pavilion, will highlight the city's latest work in environmental protection and green development.

As a member of the HKSAR Government's GoGlobal Task Force, the HKTDC will set up a GoGlobal Connect Zone, helping Chinese Mainland environmental enterprises tap international markets through Hong Kong's professional services. A seminar on going global rounds out the programme, sharing practical experiences in expanding overseas.

Four thematic areas spotlight green innovation

Aligned with global trends and policy directions, this year's Expo centres on four areas: Green Energy in Motion, Frontier Green Tech, Building for a Greener City and From Waste to Worth, showcasing the latest innovative green technologies, products, and solutions.

Under"Green Energy in Motion", the Expo features green energy solutions spanning the maritime, land transport and aviation sectors. Echoing the call in the Policy Address and Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan to build a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry chain, EcoCeres Ltd. (Booth: 3-F30), a global leading SAF producer, makes its Expo debut with its advanced renewable SAF made from waste materials, alongside Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Pavilion (Booth: 3-E02) will also focus on energy, with start-ups presenting innovations such as EV chargers and modular EV conversion technology.

Under the "Frontier Green Tech" theme, around 30 start-ups and university spin-offs will show how research achievements have been transformed into practical environmental applications. Among them, first-time exhibitor Stellerus Technology Limited (Booth: 6-D27) will display the Multi‑Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), the world's first lightweight, high‑resolution, high‑precision synergistic greenhouse gases observatory, which has already been deployed on China's Tiangong space station. MUSICO monitors greenhouse gas emissions, supporting enterprises in formulating emission-reduction measures and supplying precise data to green finance institutions.

In keeping with the "building a green and liveable city" policy direction under Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan, the "Building for a Greener City" theme gathers a host of innovations now in real-world use. Green Vigor Limited (Booth: 3-E02) will exhibit a modular hydropower system that converts wasted hydraulic resources from water tanks and cooling systems in buildings into electricity, a solution already in use in local shopping malls, commercial buildings and schools. AEC GreenTech Innovations Limited (Booth: 3-C20) brings a robot designed for plastering and paint spraying, which works at least five times faster than manual labour while halving material use, delivering environmental benefits. The technology has been adopted in local construction projects.

The fourth area, "From Waste to Worth", assembles a number of leading Chinese Mainland enterprises in the waste management sector, including Chongqing Sanfeng Environment Group (Booth: 3-E30), named among Top 50 Environmental Enterprises in China and the Top 10 Influential Enterprises in China's Solid Waste Industry, as well as listed environmental companies Dynagreen Environmental Protection Group (Booth: 3-B30) and Beijing Enterprises Environment Group (Booth: 3-D30), showcasing their waste management and resource circular solutions. Hong Kong-based Green AI Technology Limited (Booth: 3-E26) will launch REV, its new generation of the unmanned recycling station at the Expo, demonstrating how AI and automation can be applied to recycling.

Over 30 key events to gather experts from government, industry, academia and research

More than 30 forums and seminars will be held during the Expo, bringing together over 80 government officials, industry leaders and business representatives from the Chinese Mainland, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, and other Belt and Road countries to share insights on green opportunities, success stories and forward-looking strategies.

The annual flagship event, Eco Asia Conference, will also feature a series of seminars centred on four key themes, with industry and academic experts presenting the latest developments. On 26 October, Professor Su Hui, Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, who spearheaded the development of MUSICO, will join Professor Kenneth Leung, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health at CityUHK, to discuss technologies for monitoring extreme weather and explore Hong Kong's role as a regional green innovation hub.

On 27 October, representatives from the Construction Industry Council and China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Ltd will examine green building development from the perspectives of policy, certification and practice.

On 28 October, Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor on Climate Change to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and a member of the High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance for the COP26, 27 and 28 Presidencies, will take to the stage. Drawing on his extensive experience spanning international finance, public policy, and climate finance, he will analyse emerging global trends in the field.

Public Dayinvites everyone to embrace green lifestyles

The final day of the Expo (29 October) will be Public Day, with free admission for the public, aiming to raise awareness of environmental protection and sustainability and to encourage the adoption of green lifestyles. A series of seminars on climate, environmental protection and food waste upcycling will be held that day.

Speakers include representatives from the Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong meteorologist and former Assistant Director of the Hong Kong Observatory Leung Wing Mo, and guests from Ways Out HK, a local social enterprise that turns food waste into jewellery. Visitors can also take part in interactive workshops, including a recycled paper making workshop, green cleaners making workshop and green mini games, enabling participants to learn hands-on how to put resource recycling and green living into practice.

Register now : https://tinyurl.com/33s7wf64

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

Hashtags: #HKTDC #EcoExpoAsia #ESG #Sustainability

https://www.hktdc.com/event/ecoexpoasia/en

https://www.instagram.com/hktdclifestyle/

*The 2026 iCAUR International User Summit will take place from October 19-23 in Wuhu, China, under the theme "Classic Never Fades | Make It Yours".

*The theme stems from iCAUR's ongoing reflection on its relationship with global users: vehicle delivery is not the end of a product's story, but the beginning of the user's journey - the rest of the narrative is theirs to shape.

*Translating this philosophy into tangible, hands-on experiences, the main conference will be anchored by three core experience pillars: the inaugural iCAUR MOD FEST, a Life Ecosystem Exhibition, and a Multi-Scenario Test Drive Camp.

*During the summit, iCAUR will also share its plans for a global modification ecosystem and owner communities, transforming user engagement from one-off events into a lasting, ongoing relationship.

WUHU, China, Oct. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 2026 iCAUR International User Summit is set for October 19?23 in Wuhu, China, with "Classic Never Fades | Make It Yours" confirmed as its official theme. Global users, media representatives and partners will get together to explore what iCAUR vehicles can become as they become part of different lifestyles.

For iCAUR, "Make It Yours" is more than a brand slogan for this summit. It reflects the brand's deeper thinking on the relationship between people and cars: vehicle delivery is not the end of the product story, but the beginning of the user's story.

The Origin of 'Make It Yours'

Previously, automotive brands largely focused on answering the question of "what a car is." However, iCAUR seeks to pose a different question: Once a car is in the user's hands, what can it become?

As Chery Group's iCAUR enters into more than 40 markets worldwide, users across countries and regions interact with and interpret the brand in their own unique ways. Some use their vehicles for daily urban commuting, others venture off-road for outdoor exploration, while many modify their cars to add new functions and expressive styling.

Global users reimagine the same vehicle model differently, shaped by their cultural backgrounds, lifestyles and personal preferences. One single car can carry vastly different meanings, defined by its owner's choices.

This is the inspiration behind iCAUR's presentation of "Make It Yours".

iCAUR aims to reserve sufficient flexibility within its products, design and ecosystem, empowering users to define their personal bond with an iCAUR vehicle according to their preferences and lifestyles.

"Make It Yours" means placing choices and creative possibilities in users' hands, enabling them to become genuine co-authors of their car's story.

After Delivery, iCAUR Hands the "Right to Define" to Users            

"Make It Yours" first manifests in iCAUR's product philosophy.

A vehicle needs a distinct character-and enough flexibility for users to build on its factory configuration. Take the iCAUR V23 for example: it comes pre-fitted with over 20 factory-standard modification interfaces. Its loop-style roof rack supports a maximum static load of 200 kg and can accommodate side tents, side ladders and outdoor gear. In addition, users can alter the vehicle's appearance and functionality via interchangeable exterior kits.

The iCAUR V27 follows the same design mindset. As an all-round hybrid SUV blending classic boxy design with new-energy technology, the V27 boasts a 5-meter-class body, the Golden REEV (Range-extended Electric Vehicle) powertrain and i-AWD (Intelligent All-wheel Drive) system. It features 39 ecosystem interfaces and more than 1,000 ecosystem modification parts, covering functional upgrades, outdoor leisure and storage expansion. Factory-level compatibility lets users tailor the vehicle to match their real-world usage scenarios.

The core logic behind these designs is straightforward: iCAUR builds the car, while users decide what it evolves into. Owners receive not a fully predefined "standard solution", but a starting point for continuous exploration. The summit will also host the global launch of the latest V-family model, the iCAUR V25, adding a new product chapter to this theme.

Global Creativity Sparks the Inaugural iCAUR MOD FEST

iCAUR users have long embodied the spirit of "Make It Yours":

Some draw inspiration from South Africa's wilderness, adopting military green, orange-and-white stripes and star motifs to align the V23 with local off-road culture and outdoor lifestyles. Other creators take cues from traditional Malaysian batik and hibiscus flowers, reinterpreting local heritage through minimalist graphic designs. The V27 transforms under different creators' visions too: some are inspired by Omani sunsets, mountains and eagles, linking the vehicle to local landscapes and driving culture; others reference classic Woodie station wagons, fitted with wood side panels and Route 66 motifs. There are also builds featuring heart-shaped headlamps, pink wheels and rooftop camping gear, turning the vehicle into a mobile living space filled with companionship, leisure and imagination.

These creations hail from diverse nations and reflect varied lifestyles. They demonstrate that iCAUR users are not merely drivers, but passionate car modifiers and self-expression advocates. On October 19, these creative concepts will gather on one stage for the first time. The inaugural iCAUR MOD FEST will run during the summit, welcoming users, modification enthusiasts and lifestyle companions from multiple markets to showcase bespoke vehicles and innovative lifestyles.

Attendees can browse modified works, cast on-site votes, and learn about vehicle specs, modification approaches and local practices from global markets in the heavy-modification zone. iCAUR will join hands with global modifiers, modification brands and professional engineers to deliver deep dives into modification details, cross-market lifestyle exchanges and accessible hands-on workshops around real vehicles, shifting users from spectators of modification to active participants.

The festival also places vehicles back into real-life scenarios. The urban lifestyle zone features experiences such as coffee and pet-friendly spaces, while the outdoor zone offers interactive activities like pull-up challenges and fishing. Attendees can talk about modifications beside the cars, or discover their own way of being with their vehicle over a cup of coffee, an outdoor challenge or city excursion.

Running in parallel with the iCAUR MOD FEST, the Life Ecosystem Exhibition showcases the open ecosystem iCAUR has built around users' daily lives. Spanning vehicles, accessories, functional upgrades and lifestyle scenarios, a broad roster of ecosystem partners will explore with iCAUR the endless possibilities of what a car can do.

The Multi-Scenario Test Drive Camp puts V-series models into authentic operating environments, letting global users experience vehicle performance across varied road conditions and lifestyle settings. Modification showcases, ecosystem displays and test drives are not isolated activities. Instead, they represent three dimensions of "Make It Yours": showing users what is possible, inviting them into creation, and helping them bring new ideas into their daily lives.

From One-Off Event to Ongoing Co-Creation

For iCAUR, "Make It Yours" extends far beyond the closing of the summit.

During the event, iCAUR will share its plans for a global modification ecosystem and owner communities, spanning vehicle modification, ecosystem collaboration and user communities around the world. This carries the brand-user relationship beyond car purchase and usage, into shared participation.

When a vehicle rolls off the production line, it has fixed design, technology and intended purpose. But once it reaches its owner, its true story unfolds. It travels through different cities, tackles diverse roads, carries people's daily lives, and gradually gains new functions, appearances and meanings shaped by user choices. This captures the true essence of "Make It Yours": it is not simply about "making the car yours", but enabling the vehicle to integrate deeply into the user's life and develop unique personal significance.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

BEIJING, Oct. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGTN menerbitkan artikel tentang upaya Tiongkok dalam memberdayakan perempuan melalui teknologi digital. Merujuk pada pernyataan Peng Liyuan dalam upacara penganugerahan Penghargaan UNESCO untuk Pendidikan Anak Perempuan dan Perempuan 2026 pada hari Jumat.

Artikel itu menyoroti berbagai upaya Tiongkok dalam meningkatkan keterampilan digital perempuan dan mendorong kesetaraan gender.

Artikel ini juga mengulas langkah Tiongkok dalam memperluas kerja sama internasional guna mempersempit kesenjangan digital berbasis gender.

"Saat itulah saya menyadari bahwa saya harus menguasai teknologi ini," ujar Saba Aliyeva, peserta asal Azerbaijan, setelah mencoba pengeditan foto dengan AI untuk pertama kalinya dalam program pelatihan di Dongguan, Provinsi Guangdong, Tiongkok selatan, pada Juni 2026.

Saba Aliyeva termasuk di antara 51 perempuan dari 10 negara yang mengikuti dua program pelatihan mengenai AI, kewirausahaan digital, dan pemberdayaan melalui teknologi. Kedua program itu diselenggarakan untuk membantu perempuan dari negara-negara berkembang meningkatkan keterampilan yang diperlukan di era digital.

Pengalaman mereka mencerminkan upaya berkelanjutan Tiongkok dalam mengubah teknologi digital menjadi peluang nyata bagi perempuan. Visi ini juga ditegaskan oleh Peng Liyuan, istri Presiden Tiongkok Xi Jinping sekaligus utusan khusus UNESCO untuk memajukan pendidikan anak perempuan dan perempuan.

Dalam pidato melalui video pada upacara penganugerahan Penghargaan UNESCO untuk Pendidikan Anak Perempuan dan Perempuan 2026 pada hari Jumat, Peng Liyuan menyerukan kepada masyarakat internasional untuk memperkuat pendidikan dan pelatihan vokasi bagi perempuan serta memperluas pendidikan digital dan berbasis teknologi cerdas. Langkah tersebut bertujuan agar perempuan dapat menggunakan dan memperoleh manfaat dari teknologi ini.

Beliau mengatakan bahwa pemanfaatan AI di Tiongkok untuk meningkatkan kualitas pendidikan telah membantu mendorong kesetaraan gender dalam pendidikan serta perkembangan perempuan secara menyeluruh. Hal itu juga memberikan pengalaman yang bermanfaat bagi negara-negara di Selatan Global.

Kebutuhan akan pemberdayaan semacam ini sangat besar. Penelitian yang dilakukan oleh International Finance Corporation menemukan bahwa peningkatan partisipasi perempuan dalam pasar e-commerce di Afrika dan Asia Tenggara berpotensi menghasilkan pendapatan lebih dari $300 miliar antara tahun 2025 dan 2030.

Tiongkok terus meningkatkan keterampilan digital perempuan melalui berbagai inisiatif nasional di bidang literasi digital dan pembangunan perdesaan. Inisiatif itu mencakup program pelatihan serta dukungan bagi bisnis e-commerce yang dikelola oleh perempuan. Pada tahun 2024, 14.147 perempuan memperoleh sertifikat keterampilan vokasi sebagai pelatih AI.

Angka itu mencakup 42,3 persen total penerima sertifikat pada tahun itu. Perempuan juga menyumbang lebih dari separuh jumlah wirausahawan di sektor internet Tiongkok. Selain itu, perempuan mengisi sekitar sepertiga dari total tenaga kerja di bidang-bidang yang sedang berkembang, seperti perdagangan digital, e-commerce, dan siaran langsung.

Tiongkok juga turut membagikan pengalamannya dengan negara-negara lain. Pusat Pertukaran dan Kerja Sama Global untuk Pemberdayaan Digital Perempuan, yang didirikan pada Juli 2025, mencerminkan tujuan yang diuraikan Presiden Xi Jinping dalam surat ucapan selamat kepada Forum Perempuan Organisasi Kerja Sama Shanghai 2024. Dalam surat itu, Presiden Xi Jinping mengungkapkan kesediaan Tiongkok untuk bekerja sama dengan semua pihak guna mendorong inovasi ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi serta pengembangan perempuan melalui pemberdayaan digital.

Selain memberikan pelatihan keterampilan, Tiongkok juga mendukung tata kelola digital yang inklusif. Melalui Inisiatif Tata Kelola AI Global yang diluncurkan pada Forum Sabuk dan Jalan ketiganya, Tiongkok menyerukan penghapusan bias gender dalam pengembangan AI. Lebih lanjut, Tiongkok turut mendorong pengesahan resolusi bertajuk "Peningkatan Kerja Sama Internasional dalam Pengembangan Kapasitas Kecerdasan Buatan" oleh Majelis Umum PBB. Resolusi itu bertujuan untuk memperluas inklusi digital dan mendorong kesetaraan gender.

Seperti yang disampaikan Peng Liyuan pada hari Jumat, pendidikan bagi anak perempuan dan perempuan menabur benih harapan, memupuk impian, dan menuai kebahagiaan. Melalui perpaduan pelatihan keterampilan praktis dengan pertukaran dan kerja sama internasional, Tiongkok turut berkontribusi dalam upaya memastikan semakin banyak perempuan dapat memanfaatkan teknologi digital, berpartisipasi dalam ekonomi digital, serta menikmati manfaat transformasi digital.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

The documentary was broadcast during prime time on Bernama TV and simultaneously released across the agency's digital media platforms.

The 30-minute documentary was filmed by a Bernama reporting team in mid-July 2026 across multiple cities and counties in Hainan, including Haikou, Sanya and Danzhou. Focusing on the preferential policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, it offers an in-depth look at the market opportunities for ASEAN businesses seeking to enter the Chinese mainland market through Hainan.

The documentary also highlights the Yangpu Economic Development Zone, showing how manufacturers can benefit from zero-tariff treatment for products with no less than 30% value added through processing under the "freer access at the first line, regulated access at the second line" customs supervision model.

ASEAN has been Hainan's largest trading partner for six consecutive years, with Hainan exporting to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. Yangpu Port has also opened multiple direct shipping routes to Malaysia's Port Klang and Pasir Gudang Port.

The documentary further introduces Hainan's preferential tax policies - including a 15% corporate income tax rate for eligible enterprises and an individual income tax exemption for the portion of tax burden exceeding 15% for qualifying talent - duty-free imports of production equipment and raw materials, as well as efforts by the Sanya International Yacht Center to explore cross-border routes with Malaysia.

Hashtag: #Hainan

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

BEIJING, Oct. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CGTN published an article on China's efforts to empower women through digital technologies. Drawing on Peng Liyuan's remarks at the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education award ceremony on Friday, the article highlights China's efforts to advance women's digital skills, promote gender equality and expand international cooperation to bridge the gender digital divide.

"At that moment, I realized I had to master this technology," said Saba Aliyeva, a participant from Azerbaijan, after trying AI photo editing for the first time during a training program in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, in June 2026.

She was among 51 women from 10 countries who took part in two training programs on AI, digital entrepreneurship and technology empowerment, organized to help women from developing countries build skills for the digital age.

Their experience reflects China's ongoing efforts to turn digital technologies into practical opportunities for women, a vision also underscored by Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping and a UNESCO special envoy for the advancement of girls' and women's education.

In a video address to the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education award ceremony on Friday, Peng called on the international community to strengthen vocational education and training for women and expand digital and intelligent education, enabling them to use and benefit from these technologies.

She noted that China's use of AI to improve education quality had helped advance gender equality in education and women's all-round development, offering useful experience for countries in the Global South.

The demand for such empowerment is substantial. Research by the International Finance Corporation found that greater female participation in e-commerce markets in Africa and Southeast Asia could generate over $300 billion in revenue between 2025 and 2030.

China is expanding women's digital skills through national initiatives on digital literacy and rural development, including training programs and support for women-led e-commerce businesses. In 2024, 14,147 women obtained vocational skills certificates as AI trainers, accounting for 42.3% of the annual total. Women also account for more than half of entrepreneurs in China's internet sector and about one-third of workers in emerging fields such as digital trade, e-commerce and livestreaming.

China is also sharing its experience internationally. Established in July 2025, the Global Exchange and Cooperation Center for Digital Empowerment of Women reflects the goals outlined by President Xi in a congratulatory letter to the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Women, in which he expressed China's willingness to work with all parties to promote scientific and technological innovation and women's development through digital empowerment.

Beyond skills training, China advocates for inclusive digital governance. Through its Global AI Governance Initiative, launched at the third Belt and Road Forum, China called for eliminating gender bias in AI development. Furthermore, China promoted the resolution on "Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence," adopted at the UN General Assembly, to improve digital inclusion and promote gender equality.

As Peng said on Friday, education for girls and women sows the seeds of hope, nurtures dreams and reaps happiness. By combining practical skills training with international exchanges and cooperation, China is contributing to efforts to ensure that more women can use digital technologies, participate in the digital economy and benefit from the digital transformation.

For more information, please click:

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-10-10/How-China-uses-digital-tech-to-empower-women-globally-1R7KuZ2GTMk/p.html

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Issuer: ONYX Hospitality Group

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 October 2026 - ONYX Hospitality Group, a leading hospitality management company in Asia-Pacific specialising in hotels, resorts, serviced apartments and luxury residences, is bringing its 60th anniversary campaign, "More of What You Love," to life through a series of collaborations designed to create new experiences for today's travellers.

Bringing together Thai heritage, contemporary creativity and digital connectivity, ONYX Hospitality Group is collaborating with ChaTraMue, Thailand's iconic tea brand; internationally recognised Thai artist Benzilla; and Grab Thailand, a leading digital platform for mobility and everyday services. Each partnership adds a different dimension to the ONYX experience, spanning food and beverage, art, lifestyle and mobility, while connecting the Group's Thai roots and hospitality expertise with the way people travel, dine and discover today.

Two Thai Brands, One Shared Heritage

ONYX Hospitality Group and ChaTraMue unite two Thai brands with longstanding legacies and generations of consumer recognition. With a tea-making heritage dating back to 1925, ChaTraMue contributes one of Thailand's most familiar flavours, complemented by ONYX's expertise in hospitality, dining and experience creation.

The collaboration will introduce new menus, beverages and guest experiences that give a much-loved part of Thai culture a fresh expression across ONYX hotels and restaurants. From a familiar cup of Thai tea to new interpretations created for different occasions, the partnership invites guests to experience more of a flavour they already know and love.

OZO Meets the Creative World of Benzilla

For OZO, Thai artist Benzilla brings the brand's playful personality to life through a collection of four specially designed luggage stickers, turning the suitcase into a canvas for travel memories. Inspired by OZO's lively, youthful spirit and interpreted through Benzilla's bold contemporary style, the collection captures the fun and spontaneity at the heart of the brand. Designed to travel beyond the hotel, the stickers give guests a reminder of their journey while showing how Thai creative talent can translate OZO's personality into something personal, expressive and shareable.

Connecting Travel and Discovery with Grab Thailand

ONYX Hospitality Group's collaboration with Grab Thailand brings hospitality and digital convenience closer together, connecting Grab's ecosystem and consumer reach with ONYX hotels, restaurants and lifestyle experiences. By integrating transport, dining and destination discovery, the partnership helps make the guest journey more seamless while allowing travellers to engage with ONYX through a platform already part of their everyday lives.

It also creates new opportunities for the Group to reach digitally active consumers before, during and beyond their stay, making its brands, dining and destinations easier to access and enjoy.

Different Strengths, More to Experience

While each initiative is distinct, they share a common idea: combining ONYX's hospitality expertise with the strengths of each partner to create meaningful value for today's guests.

Pornthip Paothong, Vice President, Brand and Marketing, ONYX Hospitality Group said: "Our 60th anniversary celebrates our Thai roots and the hospitality experience we have built over the past six decades, while also looking at what guests value today. 'More of What You Love' is about giving people more reasons to enjoy their time with us - from the hotels they stay in and the food they discover to the destinations they explore. Together, they allow us to create experiences that reflect how people live and travel today."

The collaborations form part of ONYX Hospitality Group's wider 60th anniversary campaign, creating new reasons for guests to engage with and return to its brands. Across Amari, OZO, Shama and Oriental Residence, ONYX Hospitality Group continues to develop experiences shaped around the distinct character of each brand, supported by its deep understanding of hospitality and destinations across Asia-Pacific.

As ONYX enters its seventh decade, the Group will continue to explore partnerships that connects its heritage with creativity and contemporary lifestyles, with further anniversary initiatives to be introduced throughout the year.

Hashtag: #ONYXHospitalityGroup

About ONYX Hospitality Group:

ONYX Hospitality Group is a leading hospitality management company in Asia-Pacific, with a complementary portfolio of brands comprising Amari, OZO, Shama and Oriental Residence. Together, these brands serve the diverse needs of business and leisure travellers across the region, where ONYX has deep market expertise.

Beyond accommodation, the Group also operates spa and food and beverage businesses. Drawing on six decades of management experience, ONYX delivers innovative hospitality solutions across the region while upholding internationally recognised standards and maintaining operational agility. By building enduring relationships with like-minded business partners, ONYX Hospitality Group delivers distinctive experiences in a dynamic and competitive market, responding to the evolving needs of today's travellers.

More information: www.onyx-hospitality.com

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