The programme, called Audible Rewards, is being rolled out first in the United States for members on Standard and Premium plans. It allows users to earn benefits through daily listening, promotional activities, referrals and title-completion challenges. The company plans to expand availability to other markets from 2027, a timeline that keeps the first phase focused on its largest and most competitive subscription market.

The central feature is a listening-day system. Members who listen for at least five minutes on a given day can build progress towards milestones that unlock discounts on future titles. Those days do not need to be consecutive, avoiding the stricter streak model used by some fitness, language-learning and gaming apps. The approach appears designed to encourage regular engagement without penalising users who listen in bursts rather than every day.

Audible is also offering a “Spend 3 Credits, Get 1 Free” promotion, aimed at subscribers who use credits to build their libraries. Members can earn a $15 reward for every three friends they refer, while new customers joining through a referral receive a $5 reward. Active members are also eligible for a free credit or voucher every 12 months as an anniversary gift.

Gamification is another part of the strategy. Members who complete three, four or five titles within four months can earn achievement badges labelled Engaged, Enthusiastic or Dedicated. At launch, Audible is also offering a Harry Potter challenge, under which listeners who complete all seven audiobooks in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions receive an exclusive badge in their achievement collection.

Users can monitor their tier status, active rewards, challenge progress and anniversary milestones through a Rewards Hub inside the Audible app and on the web. The programme is accessible through iOS, Android, Audible. com and Amazon. com, reflecting the platform’s integration with the wider Amazon ecosystem.

The move comes as audiobook platforms compete for listener time against podcasts, streaming video, music services and social media. Audible has long depended on a credit-led membership model, where subscribers pay a monthly or annual fee and receive credits that can be redeemed for audiobooks. The Rewards programme adds a behavioural layer to that model, giving members more reasons to return to the app and finish titles.

The company has also been adjusting its broader offering. Members can now access hundreds of Audible podcast titles through Apple Podcasts, while new recommendation tools have been introduced through integrations with artificial intelligence assistants. These efforts point to a wider attempt to make Audible less dependent on one-time title purchases and more centred on continuous discovery.

For heavy listeners, the value proposition is clearer. A member who already listens frequently may unlock discounts and credits without materially changing behaviour. For casual users, the five-minute threshold lowers the barrier to participation and may encourage shorter, more frequent sessions. The anniversary gift gives long-term subscribers a predictable benefit, while the referral reward gives Audible another customer acquisition channel.

The programme also reflects a broader trend in subscription media: companies are trying to reduce cancellations by giving users visible progress, status and incentives. Loyalty mechanics are common in retail and travel, but they are becoming more prominent in digital entertainment as companies seek to protect recurring revenue at a time when consumers are reviewing monthly subscriptions more closely.

Audible’s rollout is not without limits. The first phase is confined to the US, leaving users in other markets waiting until at least 2027. Rewards are also tied to continued membership, though users who pause for up to 90 days can preserve tier status and accumulated rewards. That condition gives members flexibility while still linking benefits to an active paid relationship.

The launch could help Audible defend its position in a market where rivals have grown through library partnerships, creator-led podcasts and unlimited listening models. While Audible remains closely associated with premium audiobooks and exclusive originals, the new programme shows the company adding incentives that resemble retail loyalty schemes as much as media subscriptions.

For authors and publishers, the impact will depend on whether rewards drive more paid listening, higher completion rates and stronger discovery for catalogue titles. Credit promotions may encourage members to buy more titles, while challenges tied to multi-book series could support franchises and long-form listening. At the same time, discounts and rewards may intensify scrutiny over how revenue is shared across the audiobook supply chain.

The activity, tracked as CL-STA-1020, has been linked to intelligence-gathering operations focused on sensitive state information, including material tied to tariffs, trade disputes and government policy discussions. Security researchers have identified the campaign as part of a wider movement by advanced threat actors away from easily blocked attacker-owned servers and toward cloud-native infrastructure that is trusted by corporate and public-sector networks.

HazyBeacon’s most notable feature is its use of AWS Lambda Function URLs for command-and-control communications. Lambda Function URLs allow developers to expose serverless functions directly through HTTPS endpoints. When configured with weak access controls or public invocation settings, these endpoints can be used as relays between infected systems and attacker-controlled infrastructure.

This technique presents a problem for defenders because traffic to AWS domains is common in government, enterprise and contractor environments. Conventional network controls that rely on blocking suspicious IP addresses or unfamiliar domains may struggle to distinguish malicious beaconing from legitimate cloud activity. Encrypted HTTPS traffic further reduces visibility unless organisations have strong endpoint telemetry, cloud logging and behavioural detection in place.

The campaign does not appear to exploit a flaw in AWS itself. Instead, it abuses legitimate cloud features and poor security hygiene around identity, permissions and public endpoints. Lambda Function URLs support authentication settings that either require AWS identity-based access or allow unauthenticated public access where policies permit it. Attackers can exploit overly permissive configurations or compromised credentials to create infrastructure that looks benign from the outside.

HazyBeacon has been observed as a malicious DLL, with execution aided by DLL side-loading. The malware has used a file named mscorsvc. dll and has been associated with a legitimate-looking executable, mscorsvw. exe, to help evade casual scrutiny. Once running, the backdoor communicates with an AWS Lambda URL, receives commands and supports further payload delivery.

The operators also used legitimate file-sharing services during later stages of the intrusion. Google Drive and Dropbox were used for data movement, helping the campaign hide exfiltration activity among routine workplace traffic. Tools connected with the operation included archive utilities and custom upload components placed under system directories, enabling the collection, compression and transfer of targeted files.

Government entities in Southeast Asia are attractive targets because of the region’s role in trade negotiations, supply-chain policy, maritime disputes, economic security and strategic competition among major powers. Access to tariff-related material and policy documents can provide intelligence value well beyond the immediate victim, especially when negotiations involve multiple states, investors and industrial sectors.

The operation shows how espionage groups are adapting to the cloud era. Earlier command-and-control infrastructure often depended on rented virtual private servers, compromised websites or newly registered domains. Those assets could be identified through reputation systems, takedown requests or threat-intelligence feeds. Cloud-native C2 changes that equation by using legitimate platforms that defenders may be reluctant to block because of business disruption risks.

Serverless infrastructure adds another layer of difficulty. Lambda functions can be created quickly, scaled automatically and discarded with little operational footprint. A function URL can act as a lightweight proxy, forwarding requests between malware and a backend system while presenting defenders with traffic that appears to terminate at a trusted cloud provider. This makes identity controls and control-plane monitoring as important as traditional perimeter defence.

The risk is not confined to the HazyBeacon campaign. Security teams have warned for years that trusted services are increasingly being repurposed for malware delivery, payload hosting, command routing and data theft. Attackers have used cloud storage, collaboration platforms, content delivery networks and developer tools to reduce the chance of detection. HazyBeacon extends that pattern into serverless functions, underlining how legitimate application features can be turned into espionage infrastructure.

Defensive measures include enforcing least-privilege access for cloud identities, restricting public Lambda Function URLs, reviewing resource-based policies, enabling CloudTrail across regions and alerting on unusual function creation or invocation patterns. Monitoring should also cover unexpected use of regions that do not match an organisation’s normal operations, abnormal outbound traffic from sensitive systems and unauthorised use of file-sharing services.

Advancing Cross-Border Payments Across Latin America and Europe

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 June 2026 – XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border trade payment platform, and BBVA, a global financial group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during Money20/20 Europe 2026 in Amsterdam to deepen cross-border payment infrastructure across Latin America and Europe.

Under the MOU, XTransfer and BBVA will combine their respective strengths to explore the delivery of integrated cross-border financial solutions, spanning FX conversion, local payments and cross-border payments across Latin America, Europe and Hong Kong SAR.

The parties will also explore leveraging technology and innovation, including APIs, digital platforms, collection solutions and virtual accounts, to support more automated, real-time and seamless FX conversion and transaction processing. By streamlining payment flows and improving operational connectivity, the collaboration is expected to enhance the scalability, efficiency and reliability of cross-border financial services for SMEs engaged in international trade.

In recent years, trade between China and Latin America has grown closer. XTransfer data shows that in 2025, payment collections from Latin America on its platform rose 94% y-o-y. Yet many SMEs still face major cross-border settlement hurdles, including slow onboarding, FX constraints, and complex compliance. The partnership between XTransfer and BBVA is structured to tackle these barriers directly.

For XTransfer, the partnership strengthens the coverage and depth of X-Net, its global unified B2B cross-border settlement and risk management network, in two of the most important regions for its SME clients. With Latin America emerging as a high-growth corridor for Chinese exporter settlements, BBVA’s strong presence across Latin America and Europe further strengthens XTransfer’s reach and competitive position.

With XTransfer’s network of more than 897,000 SME clients worldwide, the partnership also strengthens BBVA’s position in global payments and expands its ability to serve a broader, more diverse client base across multiple regions.

Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, said, “Latin America remains an active but underserved B2B trade corridor, where SMEs still encounter significant challenges. We are pleased to sign this MOU with BBVA, enabling us to leverage their expertise to bring X-Net’s infrastructure directly into the region. Together, we aim to simplify cross-border finance and improve the efficiency and inclusivity for global traders.”

Ksenia Nekrasova, Global Sector Co-Head of TMT at BBVA, said: “Beyond the growth in flows, we are seeing a shift in how our clients operate: digital platforms with global, real-time and highly integrated needs. This agreement allows us to anticipate that evolution, strengthening our capabilities in the TMT space and supporting these clients in their international expansion with solutions designed for their scale and complexity.”
Hashtag: #XTransfer #BBVA #CrossborderPayments #SMEs

https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn

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

About XTransfer

XTransfer, the world’s largest B2B cross-border trade payment platform with over US$60 billion TPV in 2025, according to CIC. Founded in 2017 as one of the first payment platforms worldwide dedicated to B2B cross-border trade, we serve the largest customer base of over 800,000 registered SMEs globally as of March 31, 2026.

We connect top-tier financial institutions directly to SMEs, the backbone of global trade, giving businesses of every size access to the same secure, compliant and seamless payment infrastructure once reserved for multinationals. As of March 31, 2026, we provide payment services across more than 200 countries and regions through partnerships with financial institutions, including some of the most established international banks around the world.

XTransfer has obtained required licenses in major hubs, including the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada.

For more information, please visit: https://www.xtransfer.com

The Tokyo-based maker of NAND flash memory and solid-state drives has become one of the most closely watched stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange after a sharp rally tied to demand for data-centre storage, AI servers and high-performance memory systems. Its market capitalisation has climbed into the tens of trillions of yen, placing it near Toyota and behind SoftBank Group in a reshuffled ranking that would have seemed unlikely when Kioxia priced its initial public offering at 1,455 yen a share in December 2024.

The shift marks a wider challenge to the long-standing dominance of Japan’s manufacturing champions. Toyota, the global carmaker that symbolised the strength of Japan Inc. for decades, has been displaced from the top position by SoftBank during the latest AI-led surge, while Kioxia has risen rapidly from a former Toshiba memory unit backed by Bain Capital into a central player in the market’s technology rotation.

Kioxia’s climb reflects investor expectations that memory will remain a bottleneck in AI infrastructure. Generative AI systems require vast amounts of storage and high-speed data movement, pushing demand beyond the older cycle driven mainly by smartphones and personal computers. Data-centre operators, cloud companies and chip designers are competing for components needed to train and run large AI models, giving memory producers stronger pricing power after years of volatility.

The company’s earnings have strengthened sharply. Kioxia has projected operating profit of about 1.3 trillion yen for the April-June quarter, a figure that puts it among the most profitable listed companies in Japan. Its latest annual results showed strong momentum in revenue, margins and cash generation, helping ease earlier concerns about debt and cyclicality. Rating upgrades to investment grade have added to the perception that the balance sheet is improving at a time when investors are rewarding semiconductor exposure.

Kioxia’s origins give its rise broader industrial significance. The company traces its roots to Toshiba’s memory business, which was sold to a Bain-led consortium in 2018 after Toshiba’s financial crisis. The group was renamed Kioxia in 2019, drawing on the Japanese word for memory and the Greek word for value. Its public listing in 2024 valued it below 800 billion yen, after earlier IPO attempts were delayed by weak valuation conditions and pressure in the memory market.

That cautious debut contrasts sharply with its current status. Shares have multiplied as investors reassessed the role of NAND flash in AI systems, especially as large-scale data centres require higher storage density, faster access and more energy-efficient hardware. Kioxia has also been developing advanced BiCS FLASH technology and promoting next-generation SSDs for AI storage infrastructure.

The rally has also lifted questions over valuation risk. Memory chips remain one of the semiconductor industry’s most cyclical segments, with prices exposed to shifts in capital spending, inventory levels and customer demand. A sharp rise in market value leaves Kioxia vulnerable if hyperscaler investment slows, if competitors add capacity faster than expected, or if customers push back against higher pricing.

Competition is intense. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, Micron Technology and SanDisk remain key players across memory markets, with SK Hynix holding a dominant position in high-bandwidth memory used in AI accelerators. Kioxia’s strength is more closely tied to NAND flash and SSDs, where demand from AI infrastructure has broadened the market but does not eliminate the risk of oversupply once new capacity comes on stream.

Toyota’s relative decline in the rankings does not point to operational weakness alone. The carmaker remains one of the world’s largest manufacturers by sales and a major profit generator, but investors have been rotating away from traditional industrial leaders towards companies with direct AI exposure. Concerns over electric-vehicle competition, currency movements and the cost of future technologies have weighed on auto valuations, even as Toyota continues to command global scale in hybrid vehicles and supply-chain management.

SoftBank’s ascent has further highlighted the changing market narrative. Its exposure to Arm and AI-related investments has drawn investors seeking Japan-based access to global AI infrastructure. Together, SoftBank and Kioxia now represent a market story centred on chips, data centres, software platforms and computing capacity rather than the export-led industrial model that long defined Japan’s equity market.

Foreign investor flows have amplified the shift. Japan’s equity market has benefited from corporate-governance reforms, stronger capital returns and renewed interest in companies linked to the AI supply chain. The Nikkei 225 has reached record territory, though the rally has been uneven, with gains concentrated in a limited group of technology-linked names while broader market performance has been more mixed.

Kioxia’s next test will be whether it can convert favourable pricing and sold-out capacity into durable earnings. Investors will look for clearer shareholder-return plans, disciplined capital expenditure and evidence that AI storage demand can remain strong beyond the current investment wave. The company’s contemplated US share listing would widen access to global technology investors and could further raise its profile if market conditions remain supportive.

The UAE remittance and foreign exchange company said the number of companies processing salaries through its WPS platform rose by more than 151 per cent on the first day of implementation, signalling a swift adjustment by employers to the revised monthly wage deadline. Al Ansari Exchange is a subsidiary of Al Ansari Financial Services, the Dubai Financial Market-listed group that operates across remittances, foreign exchange, payroll, cash management and related financial services.

The increase followed Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, which requires private-sector establishments registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation to pay wages through the WPS by the first day of each month. The framework is overseen by the ministry and the Central Bank of the UAE, with approved banks, financial institutions and exchange houses handling salary transfers.

The change has placed payroll compliance at the centre of corporate operations for employers, particularly small and medium-sized businesses that rely on exchange houses and digital salary-card platforms to process wages. The WPS is designed to create a verifiable record of salary transfers, reduce wage delays and give regulators stronger oversight of payment practices across the labour market.

Al Ansari Exchange said employer activity through its WPS channel more than doubled as companies aligned salary disbursement schedules with the new timeline. The company has positioned its payroll services as part of a broader shift towards digital wage processing, offering employers systems that support salary-card issuance, electronic disbursement and compliance reporting.

Ali Al Najjar, chief executive officer of Al Ansari Exchange, said the implementation of the ministerial resolution marked an important step in strengthening transparency, accountability and employee protection in the UAE labour market. He said efficient payroll solutions were becoming more important as employers adapted to the updated requirements, while the company would continue investing in digital payment technologies and WPS infrastructure.

The rule change is expected to deepen the role of non-bank financial institutions in salary processing, especially among employers with large numbers of lower-income workers who depend on payroll cards rather than conventional bank accounts. Exchange houses have long played a significant role in wage distribution for labour-intensive sectors such as construction, facilities management, hospitality, retail and logistics.

For Al Ansari Exchange, the volume jump comes at a time when the group is expanding beyond its traditional remittance base into broader financial services. Al Ansari Financial Services describes itself as the largest non-banking financial institution in the GCC and says Al Ansari Exchange has operated in the UAE since 1966. The group listed 10 per cent of its share capital on the Dubai Financial Market in April 2023 and has continued to build its payroll, remittance and digital payment operations.

The company’s WPS activity also reflects a broader compliance push in the UAE labour market. Wage protection rules were introduced to ensure that employees receive salaries on time and in line with their contracts. The updated framework standardises the payment date across the private sector, reducing the scope for delayed wage cycles and improving visibility for regulators.

Employers now face stronger pressure to integrate payroll processing with approved WPS channels, maintain accurate wage records and ensure funds are available before the monthly deadline. Compliance failures can expose companies to administrative restrictions, penalties and disruption to labour-related services.

The policy shift is also likely to accelerate investment in payroll automation, employer dashboards, salary-card platforms and mobile-first wage services. Companies handling large workforces are expected to seek faster reconciliation tools, while smaller employers may turn to exchange-house platforms that combine branch support with digital processing.

For workers, the practical effect lies in greater predictability of wage receipt. Salary delays have long been a sensitive issue in labour markets with large expatriate workforces, and the revised WPS rules are intended to give employees stronger protection without requiring them to pursue lengthy complaint procedures before regulators identify non-compliance.

The June 1 surge at Al Ansari Exchange indicates that employers are treating the deadline as an operational priority rather than a narrow administrative adjustment. It also gives payroll providers an opportunity to capture a larger share of salary-processing flows as businesses adapt to a more tightly monitored wage-payment regime.

The product, announced on June 1, is aimed at reducing the gap between workplace discussion and follow-through. It combines enterprise search, AI-generated content, workflow orchestration and automated execution across applications such as Salesforce, Jira, Slack, ServiceNow, Workday, Google Workspace and Microsoft tools.

ZoomMate will initially be available to online and direct customers in North America, with pricing starting at $20 per user a month, including AI credits. A wider rollout to other regions, including EMEA and APAC, is expected later this year. The company has said access may be gradual, meaning some users will not see the product immediately even though it has entered general availability.

The launch extends Zoom’s effort to move beyond meeting summaries and position its platform as a “system of action” for modern work. Rather than only capturing what happened in a meeting, ZoomMate is designed to identify decisions, track commitments, draft follow-ups, create deliverables and trigger actions in connected business systems.

The product’s core functions are search, orchestration and completion. Its search capability can pull context from Zoom Meetings, Phone, Chat and connected enterprise systems, while also surfacing files, customer records, service tickets, policy documents, project updates and knowledge articles. The system is designed to respect enterprise access controls and permissions, a critical requirement for organisations dealing with customer data, employee records and regulated workflows.

The orchestration layer is intended to coordinate execution across teams and applications. ZoomMate can schedule events in Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, update records, create tasks, draft customer communications and initiate support or onboarding processes. For sales teams, it can retrieve account information before a call, update opportunity records after a meeting and prepare follow-up material using the transcript. Product and engineering teams can use it to connect meeting decisions with Jira issues, planning documents and project updates.

Its content-creation features bring Zoom’s AI Productivity Suite into the same workflow. The suite includes tools such as Canvas, Sheets, Slides and Paper, allowing users to generate presentations, spreadsheets, documents, reports and project plans from meeting context. Zoom’s premise is that deliverables should evolve as decisions change, reducing manual updates and repeated context-setting across fragmented tools.

The launch comes as enterprise software vendors compete to turn AI assistants into agents that can perform work rather than merely summarise it. Microsoft has pushed Copilot deeper into Office, Teams and business applications; Salesforce has built Agentforce around customer workflows; Google has expanded Gemini across Workspace; and ServiceNow has embedded generative AI into IT, HR and service operations. Zoom’s challenge is to show that meeting context gives it a stronger position in post-meeting execution than rivals that control productivity suites, customer data platforms or IT service systems.

The timing also reflects investor pressure on Zoom to show durable growth beyond the pandemic-era video conferencing boom. For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, the company reported revenue of $1.239 billion, up 5.5% from a year earlier. Enterprise revenue reached $755.7 million, rising 7.2%, while online revenue stood at $483.3 million, up 2.8%. Zoom also reported that paid users of AI Companion grew 184% year on year, and that My Notes reached 1.5 million licensed users within four months of launch.

For IT leaders, ZoomMate raises questions around governance, return on investment and operational control. Agentic systems depend on access to data from multiple platforms, and that makes permissions, auditability, retention policies and administrative oversight central to deployment. Organisations will need to decide which data sources ZoomMate can access, which users can trigger workflows, how actions are logged, and whether human approval is required before records are changed or external communications are sent.

Privacy and accuracy are also likely to shape adoption. Zoom says it does not use audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments or other customer communications-like content to train its own or third-party AI models. The company also says third-party model providers used for AI Companion features are subject to zero data retention policies, with limited exceptions for trust and safety requirements. Even so, AI-generated outputs can contain errors, and enterprises using ZoomMate for customer, legal, HR or financial workflows will need verification processes.

The product could appeal to businesses seeking measurable productivity gains from AI investments. Many organisations have adopted meeting summaries, chat drafting and document assistance, but leaders are increasingly asking whether such tools save time at scale or merely add another layer of software. ZoomMate’s commercial argument rests on its ability to reduce administrative handoffs, shorten follow-up cycles and convert decisions into trackable outcomes.

The transaction, valued at about $835 million, is the largest acquisition undertaken by AD Ports Group and is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals. The purchase will give the Abu Dhabi-listed group control of a business that operates key sugar and grain export terminals at the ports of Santos and Itaqui, two important gateways for Brazil’s agricultural trade.

CLI is being acquired from Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital, which developed the platform into one of Brazil’s leading independent agribulk terminal operators. Existing senior management will remain in place after completion, with Gabriel Motta continuing as chief executive, a move intended to preserve operational continuity while AD Ports builds its Latin American strategy.

The deal marks a major step in AD Ports Group’s international expansion, extending its network beyond its established positions in the Gulf, Europe, Africa and Asia. It also deepens the company’s exposure to agrifood logistics, a priority area as countries seek more resilient food import channels and as commodity flows shift in response to demand growth, weather disruption and geopolitical pressures.

CLI owns 100 per cent of CLI Norte, which operates a terminal at the Port of Itaqui in Maranhão, and 80 per cent of CLI Sul, which operates at the Port of Santos in São Paulo state. CLI Sul is a major sugar export terminal and also handles corn and soyabeans, while CLI Norte serves as a strategic grains gateway within Brazil’s “Arc of the North”, a logistics corridor that has gained importance as production expands across central and northern regions.

The two terminals handled a combined 17 million tonnes of agribulk cargo in 2025. CLI generated AED654 million in revenue and AED360 million in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation during the same year, underlining the scale of the platform AD Ports is adding to its portfolio.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and group chief executive of AD Ports Group, said the acquisition extends the group’s international reach into Latin America for the first time and strengthens agrifoods as one of its core verticals. The company plans to use CLI as a base for new trade routes linking Brazil with Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Food Hub in KEZAD, as well as wider markets across the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and Southeast Asia.

Brazil’s role in the transaction is central. The country is the world’s largest sugar exporter and among the top suppliers of soyabeans, corn and coffee. Sugar alone accounts for a substantial share of global export flows, while soyabeans and corn remain critical to feed, food and biofuel supply chains. AD Ports’ entry into this market gives it direct access to cargoes tied to long-term demand from Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The acquisition comes as the UAE seeks deeper economic ties with South America. Negotiations with Mercosur, the trade bloc that includes Brazil, are aimed at establishing a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, while bilateral investment links between the UAE and Brazil have already expanded across logistics, energy, infrastructure and food security. UAE investment in Brazil is estimated at about $5 billion.

For AD Ports Group, the transaction follows a series of large cross-border deals. The company acquired Spain’s Noatum in 2023 for AED2.65 billion, expanding its logistics and freight forwarding network, and bought a 51 per cent stake in Dubai-based Global Feeder Shipping in early 2024 for AED1.9 billion, strengthening its maritime capacity. The CLI purchase is larger than both and adds long-term concession-based port assets in a major commodity-exporting economy.

The acquisition also fits into AD Ports’ wider push to connect port infrastructure, shipping, logistics, economic zones and digital trade services. By linking CLI’s Brazilian terminals with Khalifa Port and Abu Dhabi’s food logistics infrastructure, the group aims to capture cargo flows from origin to destination rather than limiting itself to terminal operations.

Between 2018 and 2023, Dr Ivan Puah treated over 550 cases, addressing unique challenges in Singapore’s multi-ethnic population. His study included diverse case profiles. Results revealing no complications and high satisfaction prove the need to adapt surgical techniques for variations in skin type between Asian and Caucasian patients.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 June 2026 – The evaluation and management of surgical treatment for gynecomastia primarily focus on Western populations. However, Amaris B. Clinic’s decades of experience in Singapore highlight specific considerations for Asian patients.

Dr Ivan Puah, Medical Director at Amaris B. Clinic and the lead researcher on a recent study, has offered new insights into treating gynecomastia, a condition characterised by male breast enlargement, in Singapore.

The research paper titled ‘Surgical Management of Gynecomastia in Asian Men – Clinical Experience and Considerations for Different Patient Types’ provides detailed, important considerations, including the management of the consultation process, addressing varying patient expectations, and tackling the surgical aspects necessary to achieve desired aesthetic outcomes.

Between 2018 and 2023, Dr Puah treated over 550 cases at Amaris B. Clinic and presented six representative patient cases that illustrate the demographics and unique challenges faced by this multi-ethnic Asian population.

The typical patient profiles included obese, overweight, and lean adults, as well as adolescents. Common causes of gynecomastia observed in the patients included hormonal changes during puberty, drug-induced gynecomastia from anabolic steroids, and conditions related to weight loss.

Dr Puah’s proprietary surgical methods involve making a single incision along the areola to minimise scar visibility while effectively excising glandular tissue, performing liposuction to remove excess fat, and tightening the chest skin.

Six case studies of diverse gynecomastia patient profiles

At the 3-month follow-up after surgery, 5 of 6 patients reported no complications, highlighting the effectiveness of the tailored surgical approach. They expressed high satisfaction with the aesthetic results of the procedure, rating it a perfect 7 out of 7, and reported relief from emotional distress.

Only one patient experienced mild keloid formation at the edges of both areolae where incisions were made, which were not easily noticeable, and reported no complications or dissatisfaction.

Dr Ivan Puah emphasises, “It is important to adapt surgical techniques to address issues such as scarring and hyperpigmentation, which can be more pronounced in Asian patients due to their skin types. The differences in skin quality and glandular tissue characteristics between Asian and Caucasian patients with gynecomastia necessitate distinctions in treatment planning, particularly regarding careful incision placement.”

The full paper is available via World Journal of Plastic Surgery at https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12843043/

https://www.amaris-b.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/amaris-b.-clinic/
https://www.facebook.com/AmarisBClinic/
https://www.instagram.com/amarisbclinic/
https://www.tiktok.com/@amarisbclinic
https://www.youtube.com/amarisbclinic

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

ABOUT AMARIS B. CLINIC

Amaris B. Clinic, established in 2004 in Singapore and led by Dr Ivan Puah, focusing on medical aesthetics and cosmetic surgery.

The clinic offers facial and body sculpting services such as liposuction, gynecomastia surgery, and fat grafting, as well as non-surgical treatments like Ultherapy Prime, biostimulator injections, and hair loss therapy.

Amaris B. Clinic’s Signature Treatments

• Liposuction
• Vaser Liposuction
• Gynecomastia Surgery
• Accessory Breast Removal
• Corrective Surgery
• Fat Grafting
• Sports Aesthetics

ABOUT DR IVAN PUAH

Dr Puah, an MOH-accredited liposuction doctor with extensive training in various cosmetic procedures, is committed to providing personalised care with an artful eye and proven medical techniques.

• Dedicated surgical training in gynecomastia surgery in San Francisco
• Chairman of the Lipo Peer Review Committee in Singapore
• Trained in Vaser liposuction (fundamental and hi-definition) in Colorado and Argentina
• Trained in syringe liposculpture, fat grafting, and thread lift from renowned French plastic surgeon, Dr Pierre Francois Fournier
• Appointed trainer by Allergan and Merz for fellow doctors on cosmetic injectables
• Designated trainer for PDO thread lift and Picolaser from Venusys Medical
• Graduate Diploma in Family Dermatology from NUS
• Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture from TCMB
• Graduate Diploma in Sports Medicine from LKCMedicine, NTU

Jean-Jacques Muyembe and Peter Piot are being honored with the international award of €500,000 for exceptional life-long leadership spanning five decades since the first outbreak of Ebola

BERLIN, GERMANY – Newsaktuell – 2 June 2026 – The Virchow Prize 2026 has been jointly awarded to Jean‑Jacques Muyembe and Peter Piot for their pioneering and enduring leadership in the discovery, control, and understanding of epidemic threats, and for advancing equitable, multilateral cooperation and governance that have fundamentally strengthened global preparedness and solidarity in the face of infectious disease outbreaks.

The announcement was made today by the Virchow Foundation which is granting the annual award. The selection of the laureates by the independent Virchow Prize Committee was preceded by a nomination period that ended on February 28, followed by a three-month deliberation period.

This moment resonates with particular historical gravity: 2026 marks both fifty years since the emergence of Ebola and a renewed confrontation with the virus through the current outbreak and unpreparedness.

According to the committee, the careers of Jean‑Jacques Muyembe and Peter Piot are anchored in a defining moment of modern infectious disease history: the first identified Ebola outbreak in 1976. Their collaboration demonstrated the necessity of crossing contextual, disciplinary and geographic boundaries, highlighting both the potential and the inequities inherent in global health partnerships. Over the decades, both Muyembe and Piot have worked – partly closely together, partly independent from each other in complementary ways – to transform epidemic research in an exemplary manner, firmly rooted in equity, reciprocity, and shared leadership.

Taken together, the laureates’ contributions illustrate a continuum that is central to advancing health for all: from discovery to delivery, from local response to global coordination, from emergency action to long-term system strengthening. Their work has directly improved the ability to detect, understand, and control deadly outbreaks, while also influencing broader frameworks for addressing global health challenges in a manner that is equitable and inclusive.

By awarding the Virchow Prize 2026 equally to Muyembe and Piot, their scientific achievements and their commitment to strengthening health systems and fostering global solidarity are honored. The laureates’ work embodies Rudolf Virchow’s legacy that health is inseparable from social organisation, governance, and collective responsibility.

Full Article and detailed Virchow Prize Committee jury rationale at www.virchowprize.org/vp2026

Contact: Virchow Foundation | Dorotheenstr. 83 | DE-10117 Berlin, Germany | press@virchow.foundation

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

Green GSM Philippines has secured a strategic financing and digital banking partnership with Philippine National Bank, giving the all-electric ride-hailing operator fresh support for fleet expansion, driver payroll and nationwide growth as the Philippines accelerates its shift towards cleaner urban transport.

The partnership centres on P2 billion in credit facilities extended by PNB to finance the acquisition of electric vehicles and support working capital requirements. The bank has also provided Green GSM with a digitally enabled payroll solution through its Corporate Account Portal System, alongside digital onboarding tools designed to serve a widening pool of drivers across multiple depots.

The arrangement, agreed in December 2025 and formally announced as Green GSM prepares its next stage of expansion, brings together two priorities shaping the Philippines transport market: the need for large-scale private capital to fund electric fleets and the push to digitise services that support drivers, operators and passengers.

Green GSM, the Philippine brand of Green and Smart Mobility, entered the market in June 2025 as the country’s first all-electric taxi service. It began operations across 10 of Metro Manila’s 16 cities and districts, deploying VinFast Nerio Green electric vehicles and promoting a model built around app-based booking, street hailing, fixed service standards and professionally trained drivers.

The PNB financing gives the company additional balance-sheet capacity at a time when electric taxi operators across Southeast Asia are trying to move beyond pilot projects into commercially viable urban fleets. For Green GSM, the deal strengthens the operating base needed to acquire vehicles, manage driver accounts and expand service coverage without relying only on incremental deployment.

PNB said the digital payroll component has already helped reduce account onboarding time from as much as nine days to two days, easing a key administrative bottleneck for a driver-heavy business. The use of digital documentation and account management also reduces paper-based processing, aligning the bank’s sustainability messaging with Green GSM’s low-emission transport model.

Le Thi Thu Trang, chief executive officer of Green GSM Philippines, said the collaboration had enabled the company to scale efficiently while staying focused on sustainable transportation. PNB president and chief executive Edwin R. Bautista described banks as critical enablers of the transport sector’s move towards cleaner models, pointing to the role of finance and technology in supporting not only vehicles but the wider operating ecosystem.

The partnership follows a series of expansion moves by Green GSM and its affiliates. In March, Green Xentro launched the first phase of a 2,500-unit battery-electric taxi fleet in Rizal province under a partnership with Green GSM. That rollout built on an October 2025 memorandum of understanding and expanded the original target from 2,000 vehicles, signalling stronger confidence in the operating model.

Green GSM’s wider platform has also been positioned as a partner-led system for transport firms and cooperatives. Agreements announced in May with 75 Philippine transport companies and cooperatives outlined plans to deploy up to 18,497 VinFast electric vehicles for passenger transport operations. If implemented at scale, the plan would make Green GSM one of the most visible players in the country’s electrified public mobility market.

The company’s expansion is closely tied to the regional strategy of GSM, founded by Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong. GSM operates under different brands across Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines, using VinFast vehicles and presenting electric mobility as a bundled service covering cars, software, drivers, safety systems and fleet management.

The Philippines offers both opportunity and constraint. Demand for cleaner transport is rising in major urban centres, but charging access, capital cost, grid readiness and driver transition remain practical hurdles. Electric taxis need dependable charging networks, high vehicle utilisation and strong maintenance systems to compete with petrol and diesel fleets, particularly in congested areas where downtime can quickly affect earnings.

Government policy has created a more supportive backdrop. The Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act established the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry, setting a national framework for commercialisation, charging infrastructure and wider EV adoption. The Department of Energy has continued to recognise eligible EV models and promote rules intended to expand the charging network.

The competitive landscape is also shifting. Traditional taxi operators, ride-hailing platforms, vehicle distributors, charging providers and banks are all seeking roles in the mobility transition. For lenders, fleet electrification creates demand for structured financing, payroll systems, account services and potentially green finance products. For operators, access to credit could determine whether expansion stays confined to selected routes or reaches a national scale.

Alongside the credit facility, the two parties also implemented digital account management and payment systems for Green GSM’s driver network. Through PNB’s corporate banking platform and digitized onboarding processes, account opening and activation times are significantly reduced, helping Green GSM strengthen operational management as it expands driver network.

As cities continue to seek lower-emission transport solutions, financial systems, digital payments, driver management and operating standards are becoming increasingly important to supporting mobility platforms at scale.

In the Philippines, Green GSM is building mobility model through the integration of technology, an all-electric fleet, and standardized operating systems. Following its strategic partnership with Xentro Group in 2025 and the launch of the Green Xentro fleet in Rizal earlier this year, the company continues to expand its presence through long-term collaborations with local partners and domestic financial institutions.

“We appreciate Green GSM’s long-term development direction in the Philippines, not only in advancing low-emission mobility, but also in the way the company is building an operating model with scalability and clear governance foundations,” said Mr. Edwin R. Bautista, President and Chief Executive Officer of PNB. “The transition toward sustainable transport will require ecosystems capable of supporting stable long-term growth, together with the financial and operational foundations needed to enable that expansion.”

Ms. Le Thi Thu Trang, Chief Executive Officer of Green GSM Philippines, said: “For Green GSM, developing an all-electric mobility model is not only about expanding the fleet, but also about building an operating system that is stable, standardized, and capable of sustainable long-term growth. Our partnership with PNB will help strengthen the financial and operational foundations needed to enhance service quality and support Green GSM’s continued expansion in the Philippines.”

Green GSM develops its all-electric mobility model through the combination of technology, standardized operating systems, and professionally trained drivers. The platform is supported by real-time monitoring and operational systems designed to maintain service consistency across major urban areas.

The partnership with PNB further reinforces Green GSM’s long-term direction in the Philippines, where the company continues to strengthen its operating foundations, service standards, and driver support systems in order to maintain service quality as operations scale further.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

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

About GSM & Green SM

GSM (Green Smart Mobility) is a pioneering multi-platform company operating all-electric ride-hailing services. With a focus on sustainable transport development, GSM operates a mobility model powered entirely by VinFast electric vehicles, combining technology, service standards, and operational ecosystems to support the future of low-emission urban mobility.

Green GSM is GSM’s official brand in the Philippines and is part of the broader Green SM global ecosystem, alongside Xanh SM in Vietnam and Laos, and Green SM in Indonesia. Across all markets, the brand focuses on delivering modern mobility experiences through VinFast electric vehicles, professional drivers, and operating systems built around safety, consistency, and service quality.

About Philippine National Bank (PNB)

Philippine National Bank (PNB) is one of the Philippines’ largest private commercial banks in terms of assets and deposits. The bank provides a full range of financial and banking services to individual customers, businesses, institutions, and overseas Filipino communities. With a history spanning more than a century, PNB continues to focus on growth strategies driven by digital transformation, operational efficiency, and sustainable development in the financial sector.

Emirates Drug Establishment cleared Wegovy, the semaglutide medicine developed by Novo Nordisk, as a once-daily tablet for adults living with obesity or overweight linked to weight-related health conditions. The approval makes the UAE the second country globally to authorise the oral version of the drug, strengthening the country’s position as an early market for advanced obesity therapies.

Wegovy is already available in the UAE as an injectable prescription medicine, taken once weekly. The tablet form is expected to appeal to patients who are reluctant to use injections, while also giving physicians another option in long-term obesity care. The treatment is designed to be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, rather than as a stand-alone intervention.

Semaglutide belongs to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, which works by mimicking a hormone involved in appetite regulation, blood sugar control and satiety. The medicine helps patients feel full for longer and reduces food intake, supporting sustained weight loss when prescribed under medical supervision. Its rapid rise has reshaped the global obesity market, where Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are competing for leadership in injectable and oral therapies.

Clinical data reviewed by regulators showed that the oral formulation supports weight reduction and weight maintenance. Data also indicated a reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events among high-risk patients, including cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke. That added cardiovascular indication is significant because obesity is closely linked to diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Dr Fatima Al Kaabi, director general of Emirates Drug Establishment, said the approval reflected the regulator’s work to develop the pharmaceutical system and support a proactive approach to obesity and excess weight, which are among the major factors associated with chronic disease. She said the move was part of a wider effort to assess and approve modern treatments in line with recognised scientific standards.

Novo Nordisk Gulf general manager Venkat Kalyan said the availability of a daily oral semaglutide option would make the therapy easier to use and could support patient adherence. The company has had a long-standing presence in the UAE and has also selected the country as a regional distribution platform for pharmaceutical products, a decision that adds supply-chain significance to the approval.

The UAE’s move comes as oral obesity drugs gain momentum internationally. Wegovy’s tablet version has entered the US market and European regulators have recommended approval, while Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 therapy Foundayo has added pressure to a market that analysts expect to exceed $100 billion annually over the next decade. The shift from injections to tablets is becoming a key battleground because oral therapies may widen acceptance among patients and reduce some logistical barriers linked to injectable medicines.

Demand for weight-loss medicines has surged across the Gulf as obesity and metabolic disease place growing pressure on health systems. UAE health data show high levels of excess weight among adults, with overweight and obesity affecting a large share of the population. Physicians have warned that these drugs should not be treated as cosmetic aids, particularly because eligibility depends on body mass index, associated medical conditions and individual risk profiles.

Access will still depend on prescription rules, physician assessment, pharmacy availability and insurance coverage. Coverage for obesity medicines remains uneven in the UAE, with reimbursement often clearer when GLP-1 drugs are prescribed for type 2 diabetes than when used solely for weight management. Patients may therefore face out-of-pocket costs, particularly during the first phase of availability.

Doctors are also expected to monitor side effects closely. GLP-1 medicines commonly cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation, especially during dose escalation. Patients with certain medical histories may not be suitable candidates, and clinicians are likely to screen for risk factors before prescribing the treatment.

The approval also raises regulatory and safety considerations around counterfeit products and online sales. Global demand for semaglutide has already encouraged unregulated sellers to market fake or compounded products, creating risks for patients seeking cheaper or faster access. UAE authorities are expected to emphasise licensed pharmacies, verified prescriptions and medical follow-up as oral formulations become more visible in the market.

The shift marks a notable change in the way one of the world’s largest cloud operators builds the internal networks that connect servers, storage systems and routers across its data centres. The new design, called Resilient Network Graphs, moves away from the conventional “fat-tree” model that has dominated hyperscale cloud infrastructure for years and uses a more distributed layout intended to create multiple efficient paths for data.

AWS says the architecture can cut the number of routers by about 69 per cent, increase data throughput by up to 33 per cent and reduce network equipment electricity consumption by around 40 per cent. Internal cost comparisons indicate that the system could be as much as 45 per cent cheaper than traditional designs at scale, depending on workload and deployment model.

The technology has already been deployed in production facilities in Europe, beginning near Dublin at the end of 2024, with additional rollouts in Germany and Spain. By April 2026, quasi-random wiring had become the default design for most new AWS data centre builds globally, although older sites are expected to move gradually as hardware refresh cycles allow.

The network redesign comes as cloud providers face sharply rising demand from artificial intelligence, video, enterprise software, financial services and data-heavy consumer applications. Generative AI workloads, in particular, require high-bandwidth, low-latency communication between large clusters of processors, making the efficiency of internal data centre networks more commercially significant.

Traditional fat-tree networks use a layered structure, with traffic passing through set tiers of switches and routers. That model is predictable and relatively easy to operate, but it can create bottlenecks when traffic flows become uneven or when workloads require large numbers of servers to exchange data at high speed. AWS’s new model introduces a flatter arrangement in which routers are connected through a partly fixed and partly randomised pattern, giving data more possible paths across the network.

A central part of the system is a passive optical component known as ShuffleBox. It allows AWS to preserve the benefits of random graph-style connectivity without turning physical cabling into an unmanageable engineering problem. The device does not require electrical power and helps standardise connections between routers and server rooms, reducing the complexity that would otherwise come with quasi-random wiring across large sites.

AWS also developed a routing system designed to spread traffic across multiple available paths rather than relying on rigid, pre-determined routes. That approach is intended to improve resilience when links become congested or fail, while also raising the total amount of traffic the network can carry under demanding conditions.

The practical significance for customers is that the change should be invisible at the application level. Database queries, storage operations, cloud APIs and machine learning jobs should continue to run without code changes, while gaining from a more efficient underlying fabric. For Amazon, however, the gain is strategic: fewer routers mean lower capital spending, reduced power draw, less cooling demand and simpler operations at a time when data centre expansion is constrained by electricity supply in several markets.

Europe has become an important testing ground because cloud operators are expanding capacity while facing pressure over grid connections, land use, energy consumption and sustainability targets. Data centre developers in some European markets have faced long waits for power connections, making efficiency improvements commercially valuable beyond their engineering appeal.

AWS’s move also reflects a broader industry race to redesign infrastructure for AI-era computing. Cloud providers are investing in liquid cooling, higher-density server racks, custom chips, optical links and more flexible data centre layouts. The network layer is now part of that competitive push, as the cost and speed of moving data between processors can determine how efficiently expensive AI hardware is used.

The company’s work draws on long-standing academic research into random graph networks, an area that has promised strong performance and fault tolerance but was difficult to deploy in real-world facilities because of cabling and routing challenges. AWS’s claim is that its combination of quasi-random topology, passive optical hardware and new routing software has made the concept workable at hyperscale.

Competitors are pursuing their own approaches. Google has used optical switching in machine learning supercomputers, Microsoft continues to expand specialised AI infrastructure, and several chip and networking suppliers are pushing faster Ethernet, InfiniBand and optical interconnect technologies for large accelerator clusters. AWS’s decision to make Resilient Network Graphs a default design signals that data centre networking is becoming a core battleground in cloud economics rather than a background engineering function.

The financial implications could be considerable if the technology performs consistently across regions and workloads. Amazon’s cloud division remains a major profit engine for the group, and even modest efficiency gains can translate into large savings when applied across hundreds of facilities and millions of servers. Lower equipment counts may also help AWS respond to environmental scrutiny by reducing embodied hardware demand and ongoing electricity use.

Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 on the Civil Transactions Law replaces Federal Law No. 5 of 1985, the country’s four-decade-old Civil Code. The new framework is one of the most significant updates to the UAE’s civil legal system, with direct implications for everyday transactions, family arrangements, commercial dealings, compensation claims and property rights.

The most visible change is the reduction of the age of majority from 21 to 18. Legal experts say the shift means many young adults will be treated as having full civil capacity three years earlier than under the previous regime. That may allow 18-year-olds to sign binding agreements, manage money, take part in civil proceedings, establish businesses and deal with certain assets without the approval of a parent or guardian, provided no other legal restriction applies.

The change is expected to affect families with guardianship arrangements, parents managing assets on behalf of children, young entrepreneurs seeking trade licences, and students or early-career workers entering tenancy, employment-related, service or financing agreements. It also places greater responsibility on young adults, who may face direct civil liability for contractual commitments and wrongful acts.

The new law comes as the UAE continues to modernise its legal architecture to support economic diversification, investment inflows and a larger expatriate population. The civil code sits at the centre of private law, governing obligations, contracts, property rights, compensation, personal capacity and a wide range of non-criminal disputes. Its replacement signals an effort to align legal practice with the country’s expanded commercial base and more complex family and business structures.

Beyond the age threshold, the law introduces changes affecting contract formation, interpretation and performance. Lawyers have pointed to a stronger emphasis on good faith, clearer rules on disclosure and greater precision in how courts may assess contractual duties. These provisions are expected to influence lease agreements, service contracts, property transactions, family business arrangements and civil claims arising from failed deals.

The reforms may also affect compensation disputes by clarifying civil liability and the circumstances in which damages may be claimed. Businesses are expected to review standard agreements, internal approval processes and risk allocation clauses before entering new contracts under the updated regime. Consumer-facing companies may need to reassess how they deal with younger customers who now have wider capacity to enter agreements in their own names.

For families, the change to the age of majority may have practical consequences in estate planning, guardianship, wills and asset management. Parents who previously expected legal oversight to continue until a child turned 21 may need to revisit arrangements involving bank accounts, property, inheritances, company shares or guardianship-linked structures. Young adults reaching 18 may also gain greater control over civil claims, settlements and assets held for their benefit.

The legal transition is likely to prompt a period of adjustment among courts, lawyers, businesses and residents. Existing contracts will need to be assessed against transitional rules and the specific wording of the new law, while fresh agreements signed after June 1 are expected to be structured with the new civil code in mind. Companies operating across real estate, finance, education, retail, family offices and professional services are among those likely to feel the effects most quickly.

The reform also carries wider economic significance. By recognising 18-year-olds as adults for many civil purposes, the UAE is broadening the formal participation of younger residents in business and financial life. The change may encourage youth entrepreneurship, early investment activity and independent asset management, while also requiring better awareness of contractual risk among young adults.

Legal specialists have cautioned, however, that the lower age of majority does not mean every transaction will automatically become simple or unrestricted. Certain sectors may continue to impose their own regulatory requirements, and specific transactions involving property, banking, company formation or family assets may still require compliance with separate laws, licensing rules or institutional policies.

Federal Decree-Law No 25 of 2025 on the Civil Transactions Law replaces the 1985 framework that has underpinned much of the UAE’s private law system for four decades. The law was issued on October 1, 2025, published in Official Gazette No 809 on October 14, and becomes effective on June 1, 2026, marking one of the country’s most significant civil law updates since the formation of its modern legal architecture.

The most visible change is the reduction of the age of majority from 21 to 18 Gregorian years. From Monday, an 18-year-old with full legal capacity will be treated as an adult for most civil and financial matters, allowing them to enter into contracts, manage bank accounts, handle assets, run business activities, take legal action and defend claims in their own name without requiring parental or guardian approval in ordinary civil transactions.

The change is expected to have direct consequences for families, banks, landlords, employers, universities, insurers and service providers. Young adults who were previously treated as minors under many civil arrangements will gain wider independence in rental agreements, employment documents, education contracts, financing arrangements and certain property-related dealings. Financial institutions, however, are still expected to apply affordability checks, risk controls and sector-specific compliance rules before extending credit or approving complex products.

The new law also lowers the age at which a minor may seek judicial authorisation to manage their own funds from 18 to 15, giving courts a clearer role in assessing early financial responsibility. That provision is likely to matter in inheritance, family business, investment and guardianship cases where younger individuals seek controlled access to assets before reaching full legal adulthood.

For businesses, the law introduces a broader recalibration of contract rules. It retains the principle that clear contractual wording should govern agreements but strengthens the role of good faith in negotiation, interpretation and performance. Courts will be able to consider commercial custom, the circumstances surrounding contract formation and the relative positions of the parties when resolving ambiguity. That shift may reduce reliance on narrow technical readings of contracts where conduct or surrounding facts point to a different commercial understanding.

Pre-contractual negotiations are also given greater legal weight. Parties that negotiate or terminate negotiations in bad faith may face liability for actual damages, particularly where material information has been deliberately withheld. The law recognises disclosure duties during negotiations and treats decisive information linked to the substance of a contract, or to the characteristics of the parties, as relevant to the validity and fairness of the transaction.

Compensation rules are expected to become more structured. Misrepresentation may support claims for damages, while the law distinguishes between actual loss and expected profits unless the parties agree otherwise. The framework also reinforces limits on abusive exercise of rights, including situations where a right is used only to cause harm, without legitimate interest, or in a way disproportionate to the benefit sought.

Commercial parties are likely to review standard terms, negotiation protocols, disclosure practices, termination clauses and dispute-resolution strategies. Contracts entered into from June 1 will generally fall under the new regime, while earlier agreements are expected to remain governed by the previous framework except where limitation periods are still running and the new law provides otherwise. That transitional point is important for long-term supply agreements, construction contracts, finance documents and shareholder arrangements.

The law also updates rules affecting civil companies and professional partnerships. A single person may establish and own a civil company where permitted, while professional companies receive a clearer regulatory structure. Managers’ authority after dissolution is more tightly framed, with personal liability possible for actions taken after a company’s dissolution where such conduct creates obligations.

Judges are given broader discretion where no explicit statutory provision applies. In such cases, courts may refer to principles of Islamic Sharia and select the outcome that best serves justice and public interest without being confined to one school of jurisprudence. The approach is designed to preserve legal continuity while allowing courts to respond to modern transactions that may not have been fully anticipated under the older code.

CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund, led the round, with participation from NVentures, the venture capital arm of NVIDIA, as well as ServiceNow Ventures, MongoDB Ventures, Snowflake Ventures, Databricks Ventures, AMP PBC and Pace Capital. Existing backers Andreessen Horowitz and Menlo Ventures also took part, strengthening the company’s investor base at a time when enterprises are shifting from experimental AI projects to production systems that require reliability, cost control and governance.

The New York-based company, founded in 2023, has emerged as a marketplace and gateway for AI models. Its platform allows developers to connect through a single application programming interface and access more than 400 models from major providers including Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, xAI and DeepSeek. The service is designed to route each request to the most suitable model or provider, depending on factors such as cost, latency, capability, availability and data-handling requirements.

The funding round values OpenRouter at about $1.3 billion post-money, more than double the level reached after its $40 million Series A last year. That rapid increase reflects rising demand for infrastructure that sits between AI applications and the model providers powering them. As companies deploy AI agents, coding assistants, research tools and customer service systems, the operational challenge is moving beyond selecting the most powerful model and towards managing a shifting market of models, prices and performance levels.

OpenRouter’s usage figures underline that shift. Weekly volume on the platform has grown from 5 trillion tokens to 25 trillion tokens over six months, equivalent to about 100 trillion tokens a month. The company says it is on pace to process more than a quadrillion tokens this year and serves more than 8 million users, including AI-native start-ups, individual developers and large enterprises.

The expansion highlights a broader change in the AI economy. During the first wave of generative AI adoption, attention was concentrated on frontier model developers and the cost of training increasingly large systems. The market is now placing greater value on inference, the process of running models in live applications. That shift has created demand for gateways, monitoring tools, optimisation software and enterprise controls that can make AI systems more dependable and less expensive to operate at scale.

OpenRouter’s model reflects that transition. Instead of asking companies to standardise on one AI provider, it offers a layer that can switch between multiple providers. A software team might use a high-end reasoning model for complex coding, a cheaper model for summarising documents and a faster provider for customer-facing chat. Automated failover also allows requests to move to another provider when one service slows down or becomes unavailable.

Enterprise controls are becoming a central part of the company’s proposition. OpenRouter has been expanding workspaces, spending management, guardrails and data-retention options, aiming to address concerns from organisations that need audit trails, budget oversight and clearer internal rules on who can use which models. The company also supports multimodal inference, including text, image, audio, speech, transcription, embedding and video models, widening its role beyond conventional chatbot applications.

The investor line-up points to the strategic importance of the gateway layer. Alphabet and NVIDIA already occupy influential positions in AI through cloud services, chips, model development and software ecosystems. Their backing of OpenRouter signals that major technology groups see value in the routing layer even as they continue to build or support their own model offerings. Participation by enterprise software and data platform investors also reflects demand from business customers seeking a neutral control plane for AI deployment.

Competition in this market is likely to intensify. Cloud platforms, model providers and specialist start-ups are all trying to capture the infrastructure spending that follows AI adoption. Large providers may bundle routing and governance features into their own platforms, while independent gateways must persuade enterprises that neutrality, flexibility and performance visibility are worth paying for.

OpenRouter’s advantage lies in its position inside production traffic. By observing how models perform across real-world workloads, the platform can provide usage data, rankings and routing decisions that become more valuable as more developers use the system. That network effect could help the company become a central intermediary in the AI supply chain, though it also raises expectations around uptime, transparency, pricing and data protection.

The new capital will be used to expand routing, governance and optimisation capabilities as organisations move deeper into multi-model AI deployment. The funding also gives OpenRouter more room to invest in reliability and enterprise features, areas that are becoming critical as AI agents take on longer and more complex workflows across software development, data analysis, customer support and internal operations.

The eighth-grader from Rancho Cucamonga secured the title at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington after the two finalists reached a spell-off following a long run of error-free conventional rounds. His official winning word was “bromocriptine”, a medical term for a compound that mimics dopamine activity. Gupta, who also performed strongly under the same rapid-fire format, finished with 25 correct words.

Parikh’s victory brought him $52,500 in cash, a custom trophy and additional prizes, while placing him among the most dominant young spellers produced by the contest’s demanding study culture. The spell-off result also set a record for the format, which was introduced to prevent marathon endings and shared titles after the 2019 bee ended with eight co-champions.

The final carried added weight because Parikh had entered the event as one of the strongest contenders in the field. He had finished third in 2024 but failed to return to the national stage last year after illness affected him during a school-level contest. That setback became part of the larger storyline of his 2026 campaign, which ended with a composed and technically impressive performance under pressure.

Parikh represented the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools and was listed by the bee as a 14-year-old eighth-grader from San Bernardino, California. His public profile, however, has been closely tied to Rancho Cucamonga, where he attended Day Creek Intermediate School and built his reputation in competitive spelling circles. His return to the finals followed months of preparation, online contests and coaching aimed at eliminating repeated errors.

The closing rounds demonstrated the depth of the field. Nine finalists reached Thursday night’s contest after emerging from a group of 247 national competitors aged 15 or younger, all of whom had advanced through local and regional bees. The finalists included experienced spellers from California, New Jersey, Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Washington, D. C., and other spelling strongholds.

Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, Georgia, finished third for the second consecutive year, leaving Parikh and Gupta to contest the title. Both finalists survived one more conventional round before the buzzer was brought on stage for the tiebreaker. Under the spell-off rules, one speller is isolated while the other receives the same list of words, with only correctly completed words counted.

The format has divided spelling traditionalists, with critics arguing that speed changes the character of the bee by favouring rapid recall over the careful reasoning that often defines elite spelling. Supporters counter that the spell-off offers a decisive finish for television audiences and tests a different form of mastery, requiring contestants to combine preparation, pronunciation recognition and control under severe time pressure.

Parikh’s performance left little ambiguity about the outcome. After early signs of nerves, he settled into a rapid rhythm, moving through word after word with confidence. The final tally of 32 correct spellings surpassed Gupta’s 25 and gave the judges a clear margin. The two finalists shook hands after the result was announced, ending a contest that had moved from precise traditional spelling into a sprint-style finish.

The 2026 competition also marked the bee’s return to Washington, D. C., giving the finals a more intimate setting than the suburban Maryland venue used in earlier years. The event’s television presentation was refreshed, with Mina Kimes joining longtime analyst Paul Loeffler, while the audience at Constitution Hall was close enough to follow the emotional shifts that shaped the final night.

Parikh’s win extends a long pattern of success by spellers of South Asian heritage in the national bee, a trend rooted in family-backed preparation, specialist coaching networks and community spelling circuits. That dominance has sometimes prompted debate about the escalating intensity of youth academic contests, but it has also highlighted the discipline and linguistic skill demanded by the event.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee, founded in 1925, remains one of the United States’ best-known academic competitions. It now combines spelling with vocabulary questions, requiring competitors to understand meanings as well as orthography. For elite contestants, preparation can involve etymology, language patterns, word roots, medical terminology, classical languages and obscure regional vocabulary.

The initiative allows eligible customers to buy and sell shares listed on Dubai Financial Market, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Nasdaq Dubai through the bank’s mobile app without brokerage commissions. The offer gives retail investors direct access to more than 150 UAE-listed equities, including leading names such as Emaar Properties, DEWA, Salik, ADNOC-linked companies and other large-cap issuers that dominate local market turnover.

Emirates NBD is positioning the service as part of a broader strategy to make wealth products easier to access through digital channels. ENBD X already gives users exposure to global equities, exchange-traded funds, bonds, sukuk, mutual funds and precious metals, with the bank saying the platform offers access to more than 11,000 stocks and ETFs across UAE and international markets. Local equities can be traded through the same app used for day-to-day banking, reducing the friction that has historically kept smaller savers away from direct market participation.

The zero-commission local equities campaign is currently promoted as running until 15 July 2026, subject to terms and conditions. Investors are still expected to consider other applicable charges, market fees, custody arrangements, taxes where relevant outside the UAE, and product risks before placing trades. The removal of brokerage commissions lowers the visible cost of trading but does not eliminate market volatility, bid-ask spreads or the possibility of capital loss.

The bank’s earlier rollout of fee-free local equities trading has already gained traction. Within a year of launch, the initiative crossed AED5 billion in customer trade volumes and more than 300,000 commission-free trades across DFM, ADX and Nasdaq Dubai. That uptake suggests a growing appetite among UAE residents for direct exposure to listed companies, especially as mobile-first platforms simplify onboarding and portfolio monitoring.

The move comes as the UAE continues to deepen its capital markets through public listings, government-related offerings and private-sector floats. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both used initial public offerings to broaden market depth, while listed entities in utilities, tolling, logistics, energy, real estate and consumer sectors have attracted retail and institutional participation. Dividend yields, tax treatment on personal investment income and exposure to domestic growth remain important selling points for local equities.

Competition in digital wealth is also intensifying. Banks, securities firms, fintech platforms and international brokers are seeking to capture younger investors, affluent expatriates and high-net-worth clients who want app-based access to multiple asset classes. Zero-fee trading has become a common tactic globally, though it also raises questions about investor behaviour, especially if lower transaction costs encourage excessive short-term trading rather than disciplined portfolio building.

Emirates NBD’s advantage lies in its large customer base and ability to integrate banking, investment and advisory services inside one platform. The ENBD X model gives customers a single entry point for account opening, trading, research tools and alerts. Price alerts and real-time access to local markets may help active investors respond more quickly to earnings, dividend announcements, corporate actions and wider market swings.

For UAE exchanges, wider retail access supports liquidity and market participation. DFM, ADX and Nasdaq Dubai have been seeking deeper investor engagement as the country strengthens its position as a regional capital markets hub. Dubai International Financial Centre has also continued to attract asset managers, hedge funds and financial services firms, reflecting broader growth in the UAE’s wealth and investment industry.

The broader market backdrop remains mixed. UAE equities have benefited from economic diversification, corporate earnings in key sectors and investor interest in high-dividend stocks. At the same time, market sentiment remains sensitive to oil prices, interest-rate expectations, global risk appetite and regional geopolitical tensions. These factors can move valuations sharply, especially in sectors such as real estate, banking, energy and transport.

Highlights of FY25/26 Results

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 May 2026 – Johnson Electric Holdings Limited (“Johnson Electric”), a global leader in electric motors and motion subsystems, today announced its results for the twelve months ended 31 March 2026.

Group sales for the 2025/26 financial year were US$3,650 million, an increase of 0.1% compared to the prior year. Net profit attributable to shareholders decreased by 23% to US$202 million or 21.59 US cents per share on a fully diluted basis. Adjusted net profit, excluding the effects of non-cash foreign exchange rate movements, the impairment of intangible assets, restructuring charges, and adverse fair value movements in investments, declined by 13% to US$234 million.

Sales Performance

The Automotive Products Group (“APG”) achieved sales of US$3,054 million, which amounted to 84% of total Group sales. Excluding currency effects, APG’s sales decreased by 3%.

Global automotive industry production volumes increased slightly over the prior year, but growth remains lacklustre in most markets due to affordability concerns and the challenges faced by OEMs and suppliers in adjusting to geopolitical uncertainty, tariff pressures, and the shifting economics of battery electric vehicles that continue to be shaped by the level of government subsidies available to consumers.

APG’s sales are divided broadly equally across the three major geographic regions of demand, but performance over the past year reflected distinct variations in local market conditions, as well as APG’s own mix of OEM customers and the timing of new program launches.

In Asia, the division’s sales declined by 7% on a constant currency basis primarily due to the ongoing erosion in market share held by Sino-foreign joint venture OEM customers in China. APG has continued to win significant new business awards from Chinese domestic OEMs and their suppliers, which now account for the majority of its sales in China. However, the division’s historically large share among joint venture customers has acted as a drag on its recent sales performance that is taking time to reverse. The domestic passenger vehicle market in China itself experienced a sharp slowdown in sales in the first quarter of 2026 due to the phasing out of trade-in subsidies designed to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles.

APG’s sales to the Americas increased by 1% on a constant currency basis in a market that saw total light vehicle production volumes broadly flat. The predominant factor constraining new car sales in North America is cost of living concerns, with many low to middle income car buyers struggling to afford new vehicles that, on average, have increased in price by over 30% since 2020.

In Europe, APG’s sales decreased by 2% on a constant currency basis. The European auto market continues to experience sluggish consumer demand at the same time that OEMs are hampered by excess production capacity and the impact of shifting emissions regulations on their product model line-ups.

APG’s strategy in the context of the varied and unpredictable operating environment for component suppliers is, firstly, to focus on bringing to market innovative motion technologies that enable electrification, reduce emissions, and enhance passenger safety and comfort. Secondly, APG aims to offer its diverse base of customers an unrivalled total cost and value proposition that combines speed, scale, and reliability of production with an adaptable global operating footprint.

The Industry Products Group (“IPG”) achieved sales of US$596 million – an increase of 2% compared to the prior year on a constant currency basis. After three successive years of declining sales, this marks an important return to growth for the division. In more commoditized product application segments, new business development has been redirected towards the rapidly growing base of Chinese manufacturers who are capturing an increasing share of the global market for consumer and commercial hardware goods – particularly for low-priced, entry-level products. In parallel, IPG is focused on supplying motion subsystem solutions to more specialized, higher-growth segments, including humanoid robotics, warehouse automation, medical devices, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and liquid cooling applications.

Gross Margins and Operating Profitability

The Group’s gross profit of US$840 million, or 23.0% of sales, was essentially flat compared to the prior financial year. Slight increases in production staff costs, depreciation, and raw materials were offset by savings in other production overheads and direct labour.

Reported earnings before interest, tax and amortization (“EBITA”) amounted to US$258 million, a decrease of 22% compared to US$331 million achieved in the prior year. The decline was due to a combination of factors, including higher selling and administrative staff costs and other provisions, an impairment of intangible assets arising from a past acquisition, and reduced other income due to an adverse net change in the fair value of certain investments.

Net Profit and Financial Condition

Net profit attributable to shareholders decreased by 23% to US$202 million or 21.59 US cents per share on a fully diluted basis. Adjusted net profit, excluding the effects of non-cash foreign exchange rate movements, the impairment of intangible assets, restructuring charges, and adverse fair value movements in investments, amounted to US$234 million compared to US$268 million in the prior year.

The Group’s overall financial condition remains robust with a total debt to capital ratio of 10%, an interest coverage ratio of 22 times, and year-end cash reserves of US$902 million.

Dividends

The Board considers it appropriate to recommend maintaining the final dividend of 44 HK cents (5.64 US cents) per share, which together with the interim dividend of 17 HK cents per share, represents a total dividend of 61 HK cents (7.82 US cents) per share.

Chairman’s Comments on the Annual Results and Outlook

Commenting on the annual results for the financial year 2025/26, Dr. Patrick Wang, Chairman and Chief Executive, said, “Operating conditions for global manufacturing businesses during the financial year 2025/26 remained challenging, with end-market demand in most regions subdued and geopolitical events and uncertainties placing upward pressure on input costs.”

Dr. Patrick Wang further commented: “In the face of these headwinds, Johnson Electric maintained its long-standing resilience with sales and gross profit margins both holding up comparatively well. The bottom-line result, however, was negatively impacted by the effects of higher overhead expenses on a flat sales base, adverse net changes in the fair value of investments, and a non-cash intangible assets impairment charge.”

Concerning the near-term financial outlook, Dr. Patrick Wang said: “The global economy demonstrated resilience over the past year, despite the protracted conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the geopolitical shock of tariffs being imposed on US imports of goods from almost all countries. Looking ahead, the unstable and unpredictable conditions for trade and global manufacturing have been made even more precarious by the outbreak of war in the Middle East.”

“Johnson Electric has a long-standing track record in successfully navigating volatile global markets. In the near term, with geopolitical and macro-economic dynamics impossible to forecast with precision, management remains focused on cost control, managing the effects of inflation, and maintaining a prudent financial risk profile.”

“In parallel, however, we are also committed to invest in adapting and scaling our business model to meet strong underlying demand for our motion subsystem solutions in several high-growth end-markets and new product applications. Included among these are: thermal management systems for electric and hybrid vehicles that depend on a combination of water pumps, valves and actuators to support optimal vehicle cabin temperature, extend electric vehicle driving range, and contribute to longer battery life; solid oxide fuel cell power generation systems that are becoming established as an important source of low-emission, on-site electricity supply to AI data centres; and AI-enabled humanoid robots, which are widely viewed as one of the most significant industrial and commercial opportunities over the next ten to twenty years.”

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Johnson Electric and certain plans and objectives of the management of Johnson Electric.

Words such as “outlook”, “expects”, “anticipates”, “intends”, “plans”, “believe”, “estimates”, “projects”, variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risk, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results or performance of Johnson Electric to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements are based on numerous assumptions regarding Johnson Electric’s present and future business strategies and the political and economic environment in which Johnson Electric will operate in the future.

Note to Editors and Securities Analysts: The full text of the Annual Results announcement, includingfinancial statements, is available through the Investors section of company’s website at www.johnsonelectric.com
Hashtag: #JohnsonElectric

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

About Johnson Electric Group

At Johnson Electric, our vision is to be the world’s definitive provider of innovation and reliable motion systems.

We are a global leader in electric motors, actuators, motion subsystems and related electro-mechanical components, serving a broad range of industries including Automotive, Liquid Cooling, Robotic Joints, Smart Metering, Business Equipment, Ventilation, Home Automation, Large Appliances, Power Tools, Medical Devices and Lawn & Garden Equipment. The Group is headquartered in Hong Kong and employes over 30,000 individuals in more than 20 countries worldwide. We are listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ( Stock no. 179). For further information, please visit: www.johnsonelectric.com.

Versions 1.6.16 and 1.7.1, released on 24 May 2026, address vulnerabilities affecting the 1.6 long-term support line and the 1.7 branch. The most closely watched issue is a pre-authentication SQL injection flaw in the virtuserquery plugin, where a backslash escape bypass in pregreplace could allow attackers to run malicious database queries before logging in.

The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-48842, affects Roundcube Webmail 1.6. x before 1.6.16 and 1.7. x before 1.7.1. Its pre-authentication nature raises the risk profile because exposed installations may be targeted without an attacker first needing valid credentials. SQL injection weaknesses can be used to probe user data, alter records or chain attacks with other weaknesses depending on database privileges and server configuration.

Roundcube’s maintainers also patched a stored XSS, HTML and CSS injection issue in the subject field of the draft restore dialogue. That vulnerability, CVE-2026-48849, could be triggered in shared mailbox settings where maliciously crafted message data is rendered to another user. While its severity is lower than the SQL injection bug, stored XSS remains a serious concern for webmail platforms because attackers often use it to hijack sessions, steal credentials or manipulate mailbox content.

Another fixed flaw involves insufficient CSS sanitisation in HTML email messages. The weakness could lead to server-side request forgery or information disclosure when stylesheet links point towards local network hosts. Such issues are especially sensitive in hosted email environments because a webmail server may have access to internal services that are not reachable from the public internet.

The update also addresses an SSRF bypass through specific local address URLs, a local or private URL fetch bypass when remote resources are disabled, and a bypass of remote image blocking through CSS variables. Remote content restrictions are a core privacy control in webmail clients, helping prevent tracking pixels, information leaks and silent requests triggered when a user views a message.

A separate pre-authentication arbitrary file deletion vulnerability linked to redis or memcache session poisoning has also been fixed. Roundcube further removed support for code evaluation in the LDAP autovalues option to close a code injection route. Together, the patches point to a broad hardening effort across message rendering, authentication-adjacent plugins, session handling and directory integration.

Roundcube is widely deployed as a browser-based IMAP client and is commonly bundled in shared hosting environments. Its PHP code base supports MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite, and its plugin system allows hosting providers and enterprises to customise deployments. That flexibility also means exposure varies sharply depending on installed plugins, enabled features and hosting architecture.

The advisory recommends updating all production installations running Roundcube 1.6. x or 1.7. x. Administrators using distribution-packaged builds should check whether their operating system vendor has backported the fixes, as version numbers in Linux repositories can differ from upstream release numbering. Debian security tracking shows fixed packages for affected Roundcube builds in supported release channels, underscoring the need to follow vendor advisories rather than relying only on upstream package labels.

Security teams should prioritise internet-facing Roundcube instances, shared hosting panels and deployments used by journalists, government offices, law firms, financial firms and civil society groups. Webmail servers are attractive targets because they sit close to sensitive communications, password reset flows, contact lists and internal attachments. Compromise of one mailbox can give attackers a route into wider fraud, espionage or business email compromise campaigns.

Roundcube has been targeted repeatedly in previous cyber-espionage and credential-theft operations. Attackers have used crafted emails, malicious HTML, XSS payloads and server-side vulnerabilities to obtain mailbox access, harvest address books, steal session data and set forwarding rules. That history gives fresh Roundcube flaws immediate operational significance, even when proof of exploitation for a newly disclosed issue has not been publicly established.

Administrators should confirm the installed version, identify whether virtuser_query or related plugins are enabled, review logs for suspicious unauthenticated requests, and inspect outbound server traffic that may indicate SSRF activity. Mail server operators should also check for unexpected forwarding rules, new filters, unexplained login patterns and unusual database errors around the disclosure window.

Prudent Risk Management Yields Solid Outcomes metrics, Core Pawn Business Demonstrates Resilient Growth with Proposed Final Dividend of HK$1.15 cents per share

Results Highlights:

• Profit for the year attributable to shareholders increased by approximately 47.8% YoY to approximately HK$82.6 million
• Net profit margin increased by approximately 16.2 p.p. YoY to approximately 50.2%
• Impairment losses recognized on loan receivables decreased by approximately 72.6% YoY to HK$12.7 million
• Revenue from pawn loan business increased by approximately 12.9% YoY to approximately HK$98.6 million
• Proposed final dividend of HK$1.15 cents per share

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 May 2026 – The board of directors of Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited (HKEx stock code: 1319.HK, the “Group” or “Oi Wah”) announced its annual results and its financial position. For the year ended 28 February 2026 (“FY2026“), the Group recorded revenue of approximately HK$164.4 million. Profit attributable to shareholders of the Company reached approximately HK$82.6 million, representing an increase of 47.8% compared to the year ended 28 February 2025 (“FY2025“). During the year, net interest margin expanded to approximately 17.2%.

As of 28 February 2026, the cash and cash equivalents (net of bank overdraft) amounted to approximately HK$376.9 million, representing a substantial increase of approximately 74.8% YoY. The net assets increased to approximately HK$1,155.7 million. Concurrently, the gearing ratio dropped to 4.1%. During the year, the earnings per share increased by approximately 48.3% YoY to HK 4.3 cents. The Board of Directors recommends a final dividend of HK 1.15 cents per share.

BUSINESS REVIEW

Mortgage loan business

In FY2026, the economy entered a phase of gradual recovery, leading to a steady resurgence in financing demand. The revenue from the mortgage loan business was approximately HK$65.8 million and accounted for approximately 40.0% of the Group’s total revenue during the year. The gross mortgage loan receivables were approximately HK$612.5 million as at 28 February 2026. During the year, net interest margin of the mortgage loan business was approximately 10.1%.

In FY2026, the Group maintained a disciplined and risk-sensitive approach in its lending activities. While we observed an encouraging stabilization in the residential property market, the Group exercised intensified vigilance toward the commercial and industrial sectors due to persistent supply overhangs and valuation pressures. Our underwriting strategy remained focused on building a resilient loan portfolio by prioritizing high-quality collaterals and prudent loan-to-value ratios. During the year, the average loan-to-value ratio for first mortgage was approximately 56.27%, while overall average loan-to-value ratio for subordinate mortgage was approximately 40.82% of which, average loan-to-value ratio of subordinate mortgage that the Group participated in was approximately 3.73%.

Reflecting our robust credit risk management, the charge for impairment losses recognized on loan receivables decreased from approximately HK$46.3 million to approximately HK$12.7 million, representing a decrease of approximately 72.6% or HK$33.6 million.

Pawn Loan Business

The revenue from the pawn loan business increased by approximately 12.9% to approximately HK$98.6 million in FY2026. The business’s profitability was further bolstered by a significant 73.0% increase in the gain on disposal of repossessed assets, which reached approximately HK$19.2 million as compared to approximately HK$11.1 million in FY2025. This performance was mainly attributed to the unprecedented strength of gold prices and a highly active secondary market for luxuries, particularly high-end timepieces. These factors have further solidified the pawn loan business as a resilient and strategic hedge against broader economic volatility.

During the year, the Group continued to channel resources to advertising and promotion to enhance the Group’s brand exposure. Such effort has generated demand for one-to-one pawn loan appointment services for pawn loans exceeding HK$0.1 million.

PROSPECTS

Looking ahead, the Group maintains a stance of cautious optimism regarding the global economic recovery. While macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties may persist, we remain dedicated to a proactive yet prudent strategy to ensure sustainable long-term growth and maximize returns for our shareholders.

Within the mortgage loan market, our strategy will be characterized by a calibrated and divergent approach. We continue to hold an optimistic outlook on the residential property segment, where we intend to capitalize on the stabilizing interest rate environment by identifying high-quality mortgage opportunities. Conversely, we maintain cautious and vigilant towards the commercial and industrial sectors. Given the structural challenges of inventory overhang and the increasing prevalence of distressed assets, the Group will exercise intensified oversight in its credit underwriting and collateral appraisal to mitigate valuation risks.

Regarding our core operations, we anticipate our pawn loan business to remain resilient, supported by a firm gold price trajectory and sustained demand for liquidity management. To further enhance operational efficiency, the Group is actively optimizing its pawn shop network. We are strategically identifying more cost-effective locations within our established service areas, aiming to relocate our pawn outlets to premises with more competitive lease terms to reduce operating overheads while maintaining our leading market presence.

Simultaneously, our strategic partnership with PACM Group remains a key driver for geographic diversification. By proactively exploring institutional credit opportunities in developed markets while maintaining rigorous investment oversight, the Group is well-positioned to navigate evolving industry dynamics and deliver stable value to all stakeholders.

Mr. Edward Chan, Chairman and CEO of the Company, said, “Global geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties intertwine, placing pressure on the global economic recovery and posing ongoing challenges to the local property market. In the face of a complex external environment, Oi Wah has consistently adhered to a proactive yet prudent management strategy. Our core pawn loan business has fully demonstrated its role as a strategic tool to hedge against macroeconomic fluctuations, showcasing the Group’s strong resilience amidst market challenges.

Looking forward, we will adopt a carefully calibrated differentiation strategy and continue to drive regional diversification. Under strict investment monitoring, we will actively explore business opportunities in developed markets to further expand our revenue streams and customer base, striving to deliver long-term, stable, and sustainable returns for our shareholders.”

Hashtag: #OiWah

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

About Oi Wah Pawnshop Credit Holdings Limited

Oi Wah is a financing service provider in Hong Kong, mainly providing short-term secured financing, including pawn loans and mortgage loans. The Group established its first pawnshop in 1975 and currently owns 10 pawnshops and one premium service center in various locations in Hong Kong. Oi Wah diversified into mortgage loan business in 2009. The Group is the first local pawn shop which successfully listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited on 12 March 2013.

Another significant step towards the success of ICVAX®

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 May 2026 – Immuno Cure Group (“Immuno Cure“), headquartered at Hong Kong Science Park, is pleased to announce the inauguration of the research facility for its HIV therapeutic DNA vaccine (“ICVAX^®“) at the Center of International Innovation for Technology and Science (“CIITS”) located in Hetao, Shenzhen. The facility aims for the development and application of key technologies for the clinical research and commercialization of Immuno Cure’s ICVAX^®. ICVAX^® is developed by Immuno Cure with the aim of achieving antiretroviral therapy (“ART“)-free functional cure for HIV infection. This project is carried out in collaboration with Prof. Zhiwei CHEN, the Founding Director of the AIDS Institute of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (“HKU AIDS Institute“), and Prof. Hongzhou LU, President of the Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen, in the capacity as advisors.

CIITS is a national-level achievement transformation platform co-built by Guangdong Province, Shenzhen Municipality, and Tsinghua University, and is located at the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (“Hetao Co-operation Zone“). It is committed to building a world’s leading major technological innovation and industrialization platform with a global perspective. It focuses on key tracks including biomedicine, high-performance materials, and artificial intelligence (AI). It aims to aggregate global innovation resources, connect with leading enterprises, and conduct organized scientific research and achievement transformation to address national major strategic needs.

Since AIDS was first identified in 1981, 40.8 million people have died from HIV infection, with over 44.1 million people living with HIV globally. While antiretroviral therapy can effectively control HIV replication, it cannot cure the disease, highlighting the critical need for immunotherapies. Designed to enhance the host’s immune response, immunotherapies aim to achieve sustained viral control without lifelong ART, ultimately leading to complete viral suppression and functional cure. Immuno Cure’s proprietary innovative HIV therapeutic DNA vaccine, ICVAX^®, induces broad-spectrum, polyfunctional virus-specific T cells to achieve the ultimate goal of ART-free functional cure of HIV infection.

Immuno Cure completed the first-in-human Phase I clinical trial of ICVAX^® in November 2024, demonstrating excellent safety and promising immunogenicity. Two multi-center Phase II clinical trials—randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled—are scheduled to launch in Q2-2026 to evaluate the vaccine’s mechanism of action and efficacy. The trials will be conducted at Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong, as well as eight top-tier hospitals in China, including the Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, Beijing Ditan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing Youan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, the Eighth People’s Hospital of Guangzhou, the Second People’s Hospital of Tianjin, the Sixth People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, and Chongqing Public Health Medical Center.

Notably, standardized testing systems for evaluating immunological and virological indicators are crucial for HIV vaccine clinical trials. However, the lack of domestic standard operating procedures (SOPs) for infectious samples in clinical trials hinders the clinical development and regulatory approval of novel infectious disease therapies like ICVAX^®. The mission of this research facility at CIITS is to establish an internationally aligned standardized clinical testing system for T-cell immunogenicity and viral reservoirs, as well as identify core biomarkers associated with vaccine efficacy — filling a domestic technical gap. Immuno Cure will offer the ICVAX^® Phase II clinical trial to facilitate the development of this standardized precision testing method for clinical sample analysis.

Dr. Xia JIN, CEO of Immuno Cure, stated, “I am delighted to be appointed to lead this key project of CIITS. I would also like to thank CIITS for the fully fitted modern laboratory space and the RMB10.0m funding support for this 2-year initial phase. My whole scientific team is committed to contributing diligently to the success of this project. I have no doubt that the development of a standardised testing regime would not only enhance the quality of our clinical trials for ICVAX^® but would also eventually be adopted as industry and national standards for the clinical translation of medicine for HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.

Renchen LIU, Executive Deputy Dean of Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen and Director of CIITS, stated, “Warmest congratulations on the inauguration of the research facility for ICVAX^® at the CIITS. In the future, CIITS will continue to leverage its platform resources to implement full-chain incubation services. Project managers will provide service support throughout the entire project period, ensuring the smooth progress of the project through resource integration, talent recruitment and development, clinical collaboration, and achievement transformation. These efforts will safeguard the steady progress of the project.”

As the project advances, Immuno Cure’s ICVAX^® is positioned to become the world’s first therapeutic DNA vaccine to deliver an ART-free functional cure for HIV infection, bringing new hope to people currently living with HIV. In parallel, the standardized testing platform and collaborative innovation model developed through this effort will provide a scalable, replicable blueprint for R&D of novel therapies targeting other major infectious diseases. Together, these outcomes will strengthen the global competitiveness of biomedicine development in GBA and contribute to the development of national biosecurity capabilities and a more resilient public health system.

Hashtag: #ImmunoCure

https://immunocure.hk
https://www.linkedin.com/company/immuno-cure

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

About the Center of International Innovation for Technology and Science (“CIITS”)

Center of International Innovation for Technology and Science (CIITS), as the international headquarter of the Greater Bay Area National Center of Technology Innovation (GBA NCTI), is operated by Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen (RITS). CIITS actively promotes the commercialization of technology and scientific advances with overseas and domestic innovation institutions and teams, as well as industry partners, focusing on areas such as biomedicine, advanced materials and artificial intelligence.

To learn more about CIITS, please follow the WeChat official account: gh_425f503135d5

About Immuno Cure

Immuno Cure is a clinical-stage biotechnology group headquartered at Hong Kong Science Park. Immuno Cure is committed to the R&D of innovative DNA vaccines and antibody immunotherapies for infectious diseases, inflammations, and cancers. Immuno Cure possesses two technologies: the “PD-1 Enhanced DNA Vaccine Platform” and the “Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody”.

To learn more about Immuno Cure, please visit: www.immunocure.hk

The arrangement makes BlockShoals the approved local intermediary under the SEC’s StratBox framework, while Binance supplies technology, security systems, operational support and compliance expertise developed across regulated markets. The sandbox phase is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and run for at least two years, giving regulators direct oversight of product testing before any wider rollout to users.

The move marks a notable shift in Binance’s strategy in the Philippines. Rather than seeking to restore access through an offshore model, the exchange is now pursuing market participation through a domestic company operating under SEC supervision. BlockShoals, a Philippine-incorporated fintech firm, secured approval under the crypto asset intermediary framework after a multi-year process involving regulatory conditions, compliance checks and investor-protection requirements.

Binance’s online presence in the Philippines was blocked in 2024 after the SEC said the platform had offered investment and trading services without the necessary licence. The regulator had warned the public about the exchange in November 2023, then moved to restrict website access through telecommunications authorities the following year. The action became one of the clearest signals that Manila intended to bring offshore digital-asset platforms under local rules.

That enforcement drive has since widened. The SEC’s crypto-asset service provider rules, issued in 2025, require firms serving Philippine users to register, maintain sufficient capital, observe marketing standards, and meet operational and reporting obligations. The framework is intended to protect retail investors while allowing controlled innovation in a market where crypto use remains high by regional and global standards.

The Philippines ranked ninth in the 2025 global crypto adoption index, reflecting strong activity across retail centralised services and digital-asset platforms. Usage has been driven by a young, mobile-first population, remittance demand, online work, gaming-linked crypto activity and a broad appetite for alternative financial products. That adoption has also heightened regulatory concern over fraud, weak disclosures, market volatility and the risks of foreign platforms serving users without domestic accountability.

Seker, Binance’s head of Asia-Pacific, described the Philippines as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic digital economies, saying frameworks such as StratBox create a channel for regulators and industry participants to work together while maintaining user protection and market integrity. The company has presented the BlockShoals partnership as part of a compliance-first approach rather than a conventional market relaunch.

BlockShoals has framed its role around local accountability. A company representative said the partnership was an opportunity to show that global digital-asset platforms and domestic regulatory frameworks could operate constructively together, adding that the firm would work under direct SEC supervision while building a secure platform for users.

The sandbox structure gives the SEC room to monitor how products are configured, how customer onboarding is handled, how risks are disclosed, and how safeguards such as know-your-customer checks, anti-money-laundering controls and transaction monitoring are applied. It also gives Binance a pathway to rebuild trust after a period in which its Philippine operations were defined by access restrictions and licensing concerns.

The Philippine approach mirrors a broader shift across Asia, where regulators are moving away from informal tolerance of offshore crypto activity and towards domestic licensing regimes. Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan have tightened rules for exchanges, stablecoin activity, custody, marketing and investor suitability. The result is a more fragmented operating environment for global platforms, with access increasingly dependent on local registration, capital commitments and regulator-facing governance.

For Binance, the Philippine partnership carries strategic value beyond one market. The exchange has spent the past several years seeking to repair relations with regulators after facing scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. A successful sandbox test in Manila would support its argument that global crypto platforms can adapt to local rules through partnerships, product controls and supervised deployment.

The newly automated services are now available through the ministry’s official website and cover two main areas: large-vessel transactions and seafarers’ affairs. Ten services relate to big vessels, while four cover administrative requirements linked to maritime personnel. The move is designed to cut paperwork, shorten processing times and give users a more direct channel for completing regulatory procedures.

The vessel-related services include ship sanitation, permanent registration, provisional registration, payment of annual fees, renewal of provisional registration, extension certificates, exemption certificates, certificates of seaworthiness, no-objection letters for navigational warnings, and records and payment of penalties. The seafarer services include applications for recognition certificates, endorsements and related maritime workforce documentation.

The ministry’s latest step comes as Qatar’s maritime transport system has been handling a steady volume of administrative activity. Maritime Transport Affairs completed 3,074 service transactions in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting sustained demand from vessel owners, operators, agencies, freight forwarders and maritime professionals. A separate monthly period from late February to late March saw 430 transactions completed, indicating the scale of routine regulatory work passing through the sector.

Automation of these procedures is expected to reduce the need for physical visits, improve transparency in application tracking and standardise service delivery. For businesses, the shift can lower transaction costs and help prevent delays in vessel registration, operating permissions and compliance documentation. For seafarers, online access can make certificate-related procedures more predictable, particularly for those working across multiple jurisdictions and shipping schedules.

The development also fits Qatar’s broader digital government agenda, which places public-service automation, digital infrastructure and integrated data systems at the centre of state modernisation. Qatar’s Digital Agenda 2030 seeks to expand digital governance, improve service quality and support a more competitive digital economy. Transport is a key part of that transition because maritime, aviation and land logistics depend on fast regulatory clearances and reliable documentation.

Qatar has been positioning its maritime sector as an important pillar of economic diversification under Qatar National Vision 2030. Hamad Port, the country’s main commercial gateway, remains central to this strategy, supported by Doha Port and Al Ruwais Port. The ports handle containers, general cargo, vehicles, livestock, cruise traffic and other trade flows that connect Qatar with regional and global markets.

Hamad Port has capacity to handle 6mn containers annually once fully operational, along with large volumes of general cargo, food grains and vehicles. That infrastructure has given Qatar greater resilience in supply-chain management and helped strengthen its role as a regional logistics hub. Digitised maritime services are intended to complement that physical capacity by making the administrative side of shipping faster and more responsive.

The timing is significant for the sector. Qatar restored full maritime navigation for all types of vessels in April 2026 after precautionary restrictions linked to regional security conditions. Maritime authorities have since maintained emphasis on operational readiness, safe navigation and supply-chain continuity. Automating services gives regulators another tool to manage compliance while avoiding bottlenecks during periods of heightened demand or disruption.

Industry operators are also adjusting to tighter regulatory requirements. From January 2026, import and export transactions in Qatar are required to be processed through freight forwarding companies authorised by the Ministry of Transport. That directive has increased the importance of clear digital records, licensing accuracy and smoother interaction between shipping lines, freight forwarders, port operators and government departments.

Mwani Qatar, which manages Hamad Port and Al Ruwais Port and oversees the development of Old Doha Port, remains a key player in the wider maritime ecosystem. Its port operations, combined with the ministry’s regulatory role, form the backbone of Qatar’s maritime trade infrastructure. The automation of government-facing services is likely to benefit port users by reducing friction between operational activity and licensing or certification requirements.

The latest package also reflects a regional trend in which Gulf transport authorities are moving more maritime procedures online. Port community systems, electronic manifests, automated licensing and digital payment channels are increasingly viewed as essential for trade competitiveness. For Qatar, the priority is not only to simplify individual services but also to build an integrated transport environment capable of supporting higher cargo volumes, cleaner compliance processes and better data-driven planning.

The reported shift affects the company’s Experiences and Devices division, which covers major product groups including Windows, Microsoft 365, Outlook, Teams and Surface. Engineers using Claude Code have been given a June 30 deadline to move their workflows to Copilot CLI, aligning the transition with the end of Microsoft’s fiscal year and intensifying scrutiny of AI infrastructure costs across large technology companies.

Claude Code, Anthropic’s agentic coding tool, gained strong internal traction after Microsoft expanded access to employees last year. Its appeal extended beyond software engineers to designers, product managers and other staff who used it for prototyping, testing and automation. The adoption appears to have created a strategic complication for Microsoft: a third-party tool was winning favour inside teams that the company wanted to bring deeper into its own GitHub Copilot ecosystem.

The change does not mean Microsoft is cutting ties with Anthropic. Claude models remain available through Microsoft’s AI platforms and Copilot-related offerings, and the company has broadened model choice across parts of its product stack. The move is more narrowly focused on the Claude Code interface and internal development workflows, where Microsoft can exercise tighter control if engineers work through Copilot CLI.

Cost is a central factor. AI coding assistants can generate heavy inference expenses when used continuously across large engineering organisations, especially when agents read repositories, write code, run commands and iterate across long contexts. What begins as a productivity experiment can turn into a substantial operating cost when thousands of employees use these systems daily. For Microsoft, which has invested heavily in AI infrastructure, the issue is not just licence fees but also governance, data handling, telemetry, model routing and integration with existing security controls.

Copilot CLI gives Microsoft a more controllable path. The command-line assistant sits closer to GitHub’s developer workflow and can be adapted around Microsoft’s internal repositories, compliance processes and engineering standards. That matters because AI coding systems are no longer simple autocomplete tools. They increasingly operate as agents that can inspect files, suggest changes, generate tests, call tools and influence production pipelines. Standardising on an internal platform makes it easier to audit usage, apply policy controls and shape product development based on staff feedback.

The decision also underlines a competitive tension in the AI coding market. Claude Code, Cursor, OpenAI’s Codex-style agents and GitHub Copilot are all competing for developer loyalty as coding assistants move from chat-based help to task execution. Microsoft owns GitHub and has turned Copilot into one of the most visible commercial AI products for programmers, but developer enthusiasm for rivals has shown that incumbency alone does not guarantee preference. Ease of use, speed, code quality, repository awareness and agent reliability now shape adoption as much as corporate procurement.

For Anthropic, Claude Code’s popularity inside Microsoft offered a powerful signal of enterprise demand. Its tools have drawn attention because of strong performance in coding, reasoning and long-context tasks. Yet the Microsoft shift shows the limits of external vendor penetration inside a company that has its own strategic platform to protect. Even when a rival product wins users, procurement and governance decisions can redirect usage towards the company’s preferred stack.

The move comes as technology groups reassess the economics of enterprise AI deployment. Companies that rushed to expand access to generative AI tools are now studying whether productivity gains justify rising compute bills. Coding assistants are among the clearest test cases because software development is measurable, high-value and deeply tied to corporate intellectual property. Savings from faster coding, automated tests and reduced repetitive work must be balanced against model costs, security exposure and tool fragmentation.

Microsoft’s internal transition is likely to put pressure on GitHub to improve Copilot CLI quickly. Developers who became accustomed to Claude Code’s workflow may judge Copilot CLI against a high bar, particularly for multi-step coding tasks and non-trivial repository changes. If Copilot CLI narrows the gap, Microsoft gains a stronger showcase for customers weighing standardised enterprise AI tools. If the migration frustrates engineers, it could reinforce the view that corporate control and developer preference are pulling in different directions.

48% of job seekers now expect upfront salary disclosure before applying

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 May 2026 – As the European Union prepares to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive into law by June 2026, employers will soon be required not only to disclose pay scales but to provide unprecedented clarity on how pay decisions are made.

This movement is not confined to Europe. Across the US, UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Japan, a combination of strict regulation and rising employee expectations is pushing organisations toward a new standard of openness.

According to the latest Pay Transparency E-guide from the world’s most trusted talent solutions company Robert Walters, 48% of job seekers say they only apply for roles where salary ranges are disclosed upfront, which reflects salary transparency is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but prerequisite for even engaging in the hiring process.

In Hong Kong, where salary disclosure has traditionally remained limited and highly individualised, these global developments are beginning to prompt new conversations around how pay is determined and benchmarked in the hiring process.

Growing public debate over current hiring practice to benchmark offers in Hong Kong

The common practice of requesting candidates’ current or previous salary is beginning to attract more discussion in Hong Kong. While employers have traditionally used this information to benchmark offers, some professionals question whether it places too much emphasis on past earnings rather than the value of the role or prevailing market rates.

“Candidates are increasingly asking how compensation is determined, not just what is being offered,” said John Mullally, managing director at Robert Walters Hong Kong. “Where decisions appear to be anchored to previous salary rather than the scope of the role, it can shape perceptions of fairness during the hiring process.”

At the same time, candidates are also paying closer attention to the amount of personal information requested during recruitment, reflecting broader expectations for transparency and consistency.

Wage secrecy culture under reassessment as Gen Z shows greater openness toward salary disclosure

Traditionally, salary has been a deeply private matter in Hong Kong, often viewed as a “confined personal message” that is rarely shared even with family members, which can make it difficult for employees to understand how pay decisions are made or how they compare with peers in similar roles.

However, data from the Robert Walters Salary Survey suggests that Gen Z is beginning to dismantle these long-standing cultural roots.

While only 5.5% of Hong Kong professionals overall are comfortable discussing their compensation with colleagues, that openness jumps to 24% among Gen Z. This stands in stark contrast to the 4% of Millennials and 2% of Gen X who are willing to share such information. This shift indicates that as the younger workforce grows, the cultural resistance to pay transparency is starting to fade.

“For Gen Z, transparency is a marker of fairness, equity, and social responsibility,” says John Mullally. “Candidates today have more access to market information and are making more informed decisions. Greater transparency can help build trust earlier in the process and support more constructive conversations around expectations.”

Global standards, local implications

With stricter requirements emerging in regions such as Europe, practices in one location are increasingly shaping expectations in others. Companies that operate across borders may find that consistency in how compensation is communicated becomes more important in attracting and retaining talent.

“For multinationals, this is more than just a compliance task. Operating transparently in one market while remaining opaque in another creates an ‘information asymmetry’ that erodes internal trust. We are seeing forward-thinking firms ‘level up’ by adopting a consistent, global standard of transparency, even before local legislation mandates it.” comments John Mullally.

While standardisation is difficult in industries like sales or professional services, where pay is often tied to commissions and individual portfolios, companies may need to balance flexibility with clearer communication. As expectations evolve, greater openness may become an important factor in securing and retaining talent.

Navigating complexity: how organisations can prepare

To prepare for this shift, Robert Walters advises Hong Kong organisations to move beyond simple disclosure toward building a robust job architecture. This framework must clearly explain the logic behind pay decisions, ensuring that transparency provides clarity rather than confusion when employees compare compensation.

Businesses should also prioritise internal equity audits to resolve any unjustified pay gaps before they lead to friction. Ultimately, the success of this transition depends on communication; managers must be trained to lead data-driven, honest conversations about pay to ensure transparency becomes a foundation for trust and a stronger employer brand.

“While full transparency on pay is still some way off in Hong Kong, expectations are clearly evolving,” Mullally said. “Organisations do not need to replicate other markets overnight but taking steps towards clearer and more consistent communication around pay will become increasingly important in staying competitive.”
Hashtag: #RobertWaltersHongKong #HongKongHiringMarket #HiringTrends #Benefits #Salary #Hiring #2026 #PayTransparency

https://www.robertwalters.com.hk/
http://www.linkedin.com/company/robert-walters

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

Robert Walters Hong Kong

About Robert Walters – Robert Walters is the world’s most trusted talent solutions business. Across the globe, we deliver recruitment, recruitment process outsourcing and advisory services for businesses of all shapes and sizes, opening doors for people with diverse skills, ambitions, and backgrounds. We help organisations find the skills and solutions to reach their goals and assist talented professionals to power their unique potential.

The Hong Kong office specialises in placing high-calibre professionals on a permanent or contract basis in the following specialities: accounting & finance, construction, property & engineering, financial services, HR & business support, legal & compliance, sales & marketing, supply chain, logistics & procurement, and tech & transformation.

About the Robert Walters Pay Transparency E-guide

With landmark legislation going live in Europe this June and conversations around salary openness gaining momentum worldwide, the era of “confidential” compensation is rapidly coming to an end. In its place is a new corporate landscape defined by transparency, clarity, and open dialogue around pay. This comprehensive e-guide explores the practical realities of this global shift, defining what pay transparency actually looks like in practice and examining why open compensation structures matter now more than ever in the modern workplace.

The guide also provides deep insights into how employee and job applicant expectations are shifting on a global scale, highlighting the direct link between pay transparency and a company’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Ultimately, it offers actionable, strategic advice for businesses and hiring managers on how to successfully navigate the cultural and structural transitions within their own organisations.

To download the full Robert Walters Pay Transparency E-guide, please contact us or visit: https://www.robertwalters.com.hk/insights/hiring-advice/e-guide/global-pay-transparency.html

The temperature reached 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London and Heathrow on Tuesday, surpassing the 34.8C recorded at Kew Gardens a day earlier. Both readings exceeded the previous UK May record of 32.8C, set in 1922 and matched in 1944, underlining the scale of the heat anomaly before the start of meteorological summer.

The Met Office has described the readings as provisional, pending formal validation of equipment and observation sites. Still, the figures mark an extraordinary turn in the UK’s weather record, with spring temperatures reaching levels normally associated with peak summer. Several other stations across southern and central England also climbed above the old national May mark, while Wales set a new May record when Hawarden Airport in Clwyd reached 32.2C.

Health authorities in England extended amber heat-health alerts across London, the South East, South West, East of England, East Midlands and West Midlands until 5pm on Thursday. Yellow alerts remained in place for northern regions. The warning system is designed to alert health services, local responders and care providers when heat is likely to affect public health, particularly among older people, infants and those with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.

The alert came before the core heat-warning season, which normally runs from June to September, highlighting how early the episode has arrived. Officials advised people to keep homes cool, avoid the strongest sun between late morning and mid-afternoon, stay hydrated and check on relatives or neighbours at higher risk.

France faced a parallel escalation, with temperatures reaching the upper 30s in parts of the country and 13 departments placed under orange heat alerts for Wednesday. Western and south-western areas, including Charente, Charente-Maritime, Gironde and Loire-Atlantique, were among those under heightened warning. Temperatures of 30C to 35C were widespread, with local readings forecast to touch 36C to 38C across parts of Poitou-Charentes, Centre-Val de Loire and Mediterranean areas.

The intensity of the heat has also raised safety concerns around open-water swimming. Several deaths in France and the UK were linked to people entering rivers, lakes or reservoirs to cool down, with many seasonal lifeguard services not yet fully operational. Emergency services warned that deceptively cold water, hidden currents and unsupervised sites could turn the heat response itself into a hazard.

Spain, Portugal and Italy also recorded unusually high late-May temperatures. Spain’s southern and inland regions were forecast to approach 40C, particularly in river valleys including the Guadalquivir and Ebro. Italy’s Lazio region imposed restrictions on midday outdoor labour, reflecting growing concern over occupational heat stress as Europe’s warm season begins earlier and more abruptly.

The heat has been driven by a blocking area of high pressure that trapped hot air over Western Europe and drew warmth northwards from North Africa. Meteorologists described the pattern as a heat dome, a setup that can suppress cloud formation, intensify sunshine and keep night-time temperatures elevated. Such warm nights are especially dangerous because they prevent the body from recovering after daytime heat exposure.

Climate scientists have warned that episodes once considered rare are becoming more likely as greenhouse gas emissions raise baseline temperatures. The UK’s former May record was already judged to be far easier to exceed in the current climate than in a world without human-driven warming. Across Europe, heatwaves have become longer, more frequent and more intense, placing pressure on health systems, water supplies, transport networks and agriculture.

Infrastructure remains a central concern. Much of northern Europe was built for a cooler climate, with limited air conditioning in homes, schools, hospitals and public transport. Rail tracks, roads and electricity networks can become vulnerable when temperatures exceed design assumptions, while high demand for water and cooling strains utilities.

The latest heat episode follows a series of severe European summers that exposed gaps in adaptation planning. Governments have expanded alert systems, public health messaging and local emergency protocols, but the pace of warming is forcing authorities to reassess building standards, urban shade, workplace rules and care-home protections.

The new look, built around a contemporary grey palette with bold red accents, will be worn by onboard hosts, station staff and other customer-facing employees across the passenger network. The company has positioned the uniforms as part of a wider service identity designed to project professionalism, safety, warmth and modern UAE hospitality as the railway prepares to welcome travellers.

The reveal comes ahead of the planned 2026 launch of passenger services, a milestone that will transform Etihad Rail from a freight-focused operator into a national transport provider serving daily commuters, tourists and intercity travellers. The passenger network is expected to connect 11 cities and areas through stations in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah, Al Sila’, Al Dhannah, Al Mirfa, Madinat Zayed, Mezaira’a, Al Faya and Al Dhaid, with operations introduced in phases.

The uniforms were developed for the UAE’s climate and the practical demands of rail operations. Comfort, durability and ease of movement have been balanced with structured tailoring and a consistent visual identity. Grey tones are intended to convey calm, reliability and confidence, while red details reflect the Etihad Rail brand and the country’s wider ambition to expand high-quality public transport.

Adhraa Almansoori, executive director of commercial at Etihad Rail Mobility, said the uniforms would represent the people who become the public face of the passenger service. She said every detail had been considered to reflect safety, professionalism, hospitality and national pride, describing the design as part of the story of a modern railway built around people, connection and experience.

The introduction of the uniforms is more than a branding exercise. For a railway preparing to carry passengers for the first time, staff appearance, service training and customer recognition are central to the early travel experience. Clear uniforms help passengers identify staff quickly at stations and onboard trains, particularly during the initial launch period when travellers will be adapting to a new mode of long-distance public transport.

Etihad Rail has already built its reputation through freight operations, which began across the national network in 2023 after earlier industrial services linked Shah, Habshan and Ruwais. The 900km network connects ports, industrial centres and logistics hubs, reducing reliance on heavy road transport and supporting broader sustainability goals. Passenger services will extend that infrastructure into the daily lives of residents and visitors.

The passenger fleet will comprise 13 trains, each with capacity for up to 400 passengers. Services are designed to operate at speeds of up to 200km/h, offering faster intercity travel and an alternative to road congestion. Ten of the trains have already arrived and undergone testing and certification, while stations are being prepared for integration with other transport modes.

The first phase will place major population and business centres within easier reach of one another. Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah have been identified as key initial hubs, supported by locations such as Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Jumeirah Golf Estates, University City and Al Hilal. Future phases will broaden access to western and central regions, strengthening links between residential communities, economic zones and tourism destinations.

Onboard facilities are expected to include ergonomic seating, Wi-Fi coverage and power outlets at every seat. The company has also highlighted regular scheduling, safety systems and integration with wider transport networks as priorities for the passenger launch. These details suggest Etihad Rail is targeting both convenience-led commuters and leisure travellers seeking a more comfortable intercity option.

The passenger service forms part of a wider shift in UAE mobility policy, where rail, metro, bus and taxi systems are being linked more closely to reduce pressure on roads and support cleaner transport. Etihad Rail’s freight operations have already shown the commercial value of a national railway, while the passenger launch will test public appetite for rail travel in a country long shaped by car-based movement.

The uniform unveiling also underscores the competitive importance of service culture. As the network prepares to operate across diverse communities and tourist corridors, passenger-facing staff will be expected to combine operational discipline with customer care. Their role will range from safety guidance and boarding support to journey assistance and hospitality, making the uniform an early symbol of how the railway wants to be seen by the public.

Dubai entrepreneur Krishna Raji has been featured in the 100 Middle East Womenpreneurs initiative, placing the founder and managing director of Social Krowd among women-led businesses gaining attention for their role in shaping the region’s enterprise landscape.

The recognition highlights Social Krowd, a Dubai-based digital marketing and content creation agency focused on brand storytelling, social media management, content production, branding and creative campaign execution. The agency works with startups, small and medium-sized enterprises and established businesses seeking stronger visibility across digital platforms.

Raji’s inclusion comes as women-led ventures across the Middle East gain greater prominence in sectors linked to technology, media, services and creative entrepreneurship. The 100 Middle East Womenpreneurs initiative has positioned itself as a platform for profiling founders whose businesses combine commercial growth with innovation, visibility and community impact.

Social Krowd operates in a market where digital engagement has become central to business strategy. Companies in the UAE increasingly rely on social media campaigns, short-form video, search visibility, influencer partnerships and audience analytics to reach consumers in a highly connected environment. For smaller businesses, the shift has made professional content and structured campaign management less of a discretionary expense and more of a competitive requirement.

Raji has built Social Krowd around the view that effective marketing depends on consistency, clear messaging and a close understanding of the audience. The agency’s work spans content calendars, campaign planning, digital storytelling, creative design and brand positioning, reflecting the wider move away from one-off promotional activity towards sustained digital engagement.

The UAE’s social media landscape gives agencies such as Social Krowd a sizeable operating base. The country has one of the world’s highest levels of online connectivity, with social media user identities exceeding the total resident population because many individuals maintain accounts across multiple platforms. That has created strong demand for agencies able to translate brand messages into platform-specific content for Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and other channels.

For businesses in Dubai, the challenge is no longer simply being present online. Competition has shifted towards content quality, audience retention, conversion tracking and brand trust. Retail, hospitality, real estate, education, health services and professional advisory firms have all increased their use of digital campaigns to reach customers who compare services, prices and reputations online before making purchasing decisions.

Social Krowd’s positioning reflects these changes. Its services are designed to help brands move beyond basic visibility towards campaigns that support credibility and commercial growth. The agency’s emphasis on storytelling aligns with a broader industry trend in which businesses seek to humanise their brands, show expertise and create content that can be reused across paid, owned and earned media channels.

The recognition of Raji also underscores the growing role of women founders in the region’s services economy. Women entrepreneurs in the Gulf are increasingly active in areas such as marketing, fashion, food, education, wellness, technology and business consulting. Many are building lean, specialised companies that serve other entrepreneurs, giving them a role not only as business owners but also as enablers of wider SME growth.

Dubai’s business environment has helped accelerate that trend. The emirate’s free zones, licensing structures, international talent pool and strong consumer market have made it a base for agencies serving clients across the UAE and the wider Gulf. At the same time, the rapid pace of digital change has increased pressure on founders to keep pace with platform algorithms, advertising rules, brand safety concerns and customer expectations.

Regulation is also becoming a more important part of the digital media landscape. The UAE has tightened requirements for online advertising and promotional content, including mandatory advertiser permits for content creators and individuals posting promotional material. That shift places greater responsibility on agencies, creators and brands to ensure campaigns meet legal and ethical standards while maintaining commercial effectiveness.

For marketing agencies, the new environment rewards professionalism and strategic discipline. Brands are seeking partners who can produce visually engaging content while also managing compliance, audience targeting, reporting and reputational risk. This has created opportunities for boutique agencies that can offer customised service rather than standardised campaign packages.

The update, released on 22 May 2026, addresses defects that could allow a malicious server or a man-in-the-middle attacker to crash a PuTTY session or mislead a user during older, insecure remote-login workflows. The maintainers have not identified any route for code execution, but the flaws touch sensitive areas of the client, including authentication prompts and cryptographic negotiation before a trusted connection is fully established.

PuTTY remains one of the most widely used free terminal and remote access clients, particularly on Windows systems used by administrators, developers, support teams, network engineers and security practitioners. The suite supports SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SCP and SFTP functions, with tools such as PuTTY, Plink, PSCP, PSFTP and Pageant forming part of many operational workflows. That broad deployment means even modest security fixes can carry importance for organisations that depend on the client for server administration.

The most significant fix in version 0.84 concerns a remotely triggerable double-free condition in RSA key exchange. The issue affected the less commonly used RSA key exchange method and could be provoked when a server deliberately sent an unexpectedly short key during negotiation. Because this stage happens before host-key verification, an attacker positioned between client and server could also trigger the crash by interfering with the exchange.

A double-free error occurs when software attempts to release the same memory object more than once, a class of flaw that can sometimes create exploitation opportunities. In this case, the maintainers said they were not aware of a practical method to turn the defect into code execution. The immediate risk is denial of service, causing the affected PuTTY process to terminate. Since PuTTY typically runs one SSH session per process, other running sessions would not normally be affected.

A second security fix resolves a crash in NIST ECDSA signature verification. The problem was tied to an assertion failure in elliptic curve arithmetic involving NIST curves such as P-256, P-384 and P-521. A carefully chosen host key and signature could make PuTTY fail during the initial key exchange. Ed25519 and Ed448 were not affected.

That flaw also mattered because signature verification occurs before PuTTY checks the host key against its cache. A user attempting to connect to a trusted server could therefore encounter a crash caused by an attacker substituting malicious key material before the client displayed the normal warning about an unknown or incorrect host key. The practical effect was again limited to disruption rather than compromise, but it could interrupt administrative access or erase useful scrollback data in a restarted session.

The third vulnerability involves PuTTY’s trust sigil, a visual marker used to distinguish prompts generated by PuTTY itself from text sent by a remote server. This mechanism is designed to reduce the risk of spoofed prompts that attempt to trick users into entering sensitive information, such as a private key passphrase or proxy password.

The flaw appeared in Telnet and Rlogin sessions after proxy authentication. Under certain conditions, session data could continue to be marked as trusted after the authentication phase ended. A malicious server or attacker controlling traffic could use that confusion to present a fake prompt, potentially persuading a user to re-enter a proxy password. The impact is regarded as small, especially because it depends on older protocols that lack the security model of SSH, but it reinforces why Telnet and Rlogin are unsuitable for sensitive access.

Beyond security fixes, PuTTY 0.84 adds the ability to run a specified command before starting a connection, a feature that can support workflows such as wake-on-LAN or port knocking. Unix users also receive better handling of pre-edit text for composing Unicode characters and improvements for running graphical PuTTY tools on Wayland. Additional bug fixes address SSH certificate authority configuration on Unix, proxy authentication errors and cursor blinking behaviour on Windows.

The update follows PuTTY 0.83, which added support for ML-KEM, the NIST-standardised post-quantum key exchange mechanism, alongside earlier support for NTRU Prime. That trajectory shows the project continuing to adapt to cryptographic transition pressures while maintaining compatibility with older remote-access environments still present in enterprise networks.

Trump used a Truth Social post to say talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran were “proceeding nicely”, while warning that failure to reach what he called a “great deal” could send the parties back to the “battlefront and shooting”. The remarks placed Israel’s regional acceptance at the centre of a wider diplomatic bargain that the White House hopes could reduce conflict risks, expand trade corridors and reshape strategic alignments across the Gulf and beyond.

The president named Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan among countries he wants to see aligned with the Abraham Accords, the normalisation framework launched during his first term in 2020. The original agreements opened formal ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later followed by Morocco and Sudan, though Sudan’s path has been complicated by domestic conflict and uncompleted ratification.

Trump’s latest push reflects a broader attempt to turn a possible Iran understanding into a regional package rather than a narrow security arrangement. The approach seeks to bind de-escalation with Tehran to a parallel effort to widen Israel’s diplomatic and commercial acceptance among states that hold significant influence over Gulf security, energy markets, investment flows and Islamic public opinion.

The proposal faces immediate resistance. Pakistan has rejected any move to recognise Israel under the current circumstances, with officials treating the Abraham Accords and Iran talks as separate issues. Saudi Arabia remains the central prize for Washington and Israel, but Riyadh has repeatedly linked normalisation to credible, irreversible progress towards a Palestinian state. That condition has become harder to satisfy as the Gaza war continues to shape Arab public sentiment and diplomatic calculations.

Qatar occupies a particularly sensitive position. Doha has maintained working channels with Washington, Tehran, Hamas and Israel, making it a valuable mediator but a difficult candidate for open normalisation while the Gaza conflict remains unresolved. Egypt and Jordan already have peace treaties with Israel, signed in 1979 and 1994 respectively, but their relations with Israel have been strained by the humanitarian toll in Gaza and by domestic pressure over Palestinian rights. Turkey also maintains formal ties with Israel, though political relations have sharply deteriorated during the war.

The Iran negotiations add another layer of uncertainty. Trump’s comments suggested optimism, but he offered no public detail on the substance of the talks. Diplomacy is understood to centre on security guarantees, sanctions relief, regional military posture, shipping routes and the future scope of Iran’s nuclear programme. Tehran has signalled that any agreement must protect its sovereignty and economic interests, while Israel has insisted that any deal must eliminate what it regards as Iran’s nuclear and military threat.

The White House calculation is that a broader normalisation drive could give regional governments a stake in the success of an Iran settlement. Expanded diplomatic ties with Israel could unlock new investment, technology, defence and logistics arrangements across the Middle East, especially if paired with reduced risk in energy corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz. Supporters of the strategy argue that regional integration could limit the influence of armed non-state groups and encourage governments to prioritise trade over confrontation.

Critics view the proposal as overly ambitious and politically exposed. They argue that linking Iran talks to Arab and Muslim recognition of Israel could burden negotiations with issues that are already difficult on their own. The Palestinian question remains the clearest obstacle. Without visible progress in Gaza, the West Bank and final-status diplomacy, governments weighing normalisation risk being accused at home of rewarding Israel while Palestinians face displacement, military pressure and economic collapse.

Regulators have moved against Futu Securities International, Tiger Brokers and Longbridge Securities, accusing them of operating securities businesses on the mainland without approval, soliciting domestic clients and processing offshore trading orders in breach of securities, fund and futures rules. The action has disrupted a once-popular route for mainland investors seeking exposure to global technology stocks, Hong Kong initial public offerings and US-listed Chinese companies.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission and other agencies have ordered a two-year rectification programme aimed at closing unauthorised cross-border securities, futures and fund businesses. During the wind-down period, affected mainland clients will be allowed to sell existing holdings and withdraw money, but will not be permitted to make new purchases through the targeted channels.

The clampdown marks a sharp escalation from the regulatory warning issued in late 2022, when online brokers were told to stop opening new accounts for mainland investors and remove trading apps from domestic app stores. Existing clients had largely been allowed to continue trading, preserving a grey-zone channel that gave better-off retail investors access to overseas markets despite China’s capital controls.

Futu has disclosed a proposed penalty of about 1.85 billion yuan, while Tiger Brokers’ parent, UP Fintech Holding, faces penalties and confiscation of illegal income totalling more than 400 million yuan. Longbridge has said it will comply with rectification requirements and that client fund safety is not affected. Regulators have also indicated that illegal gains from related onshore and offshore entities will be confiscated, with final administrative decisions subject to formal procedures.

Market reaction was swift. Shares of Futu and UP Fintech fell sharply in US trading after the enforcement announcement, while pressure spread to parts of the Chinese ADR universe as investors assessed whether reduced mainland retail participation could weigh on offshore-listed stocks. Hong Kong market participants also began reassessing the impact on brokerage flows, custody transfers and IPO distribution.

Citic Securities has estimated that as much as HK$250 billion in assets in Hong Kong could be affected by the crackdown, with Futu accounting for a large portion. The figure underlines the scale of wealth that had moved through offshore brokerage platforms even after Beijing tightened scrutiny of capital outflows and online financial services.

Investors are now exploring alternatives, including moving positions by custodian transfer to licensed Hong Kong banking channels, using accounts with international banks, or relying on approved schemes such as Stock Connect, the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor programme and Wealth Management Connect. Those channels, however, have limits on eligibility, investment scope, quotas and product access, making them less flexible than the digital brokerage platforms that gained popularity during the pandemic-era boom in US and Hong Kong equities.

Beijing’s concern is not only securities law compliance. The wider policy objective is to control capital outflows, strengthen oversight of retail investment activity and prevent unlicensed overseas institutions from marketing financial products inside the mainland. The campaign also aligns with efforts to support domestic capital markets, where authorities have been trying to stabilise sentiment and encourage household savings to flow into regulated local investment products.

For the brokers, the enforcement action threatens an important part of their client base. Futu and Tiger expanded rapidly by offering low-cost, mobile-first access to overseas securities, appealing to younger and wealthier mainland clients who wanted exposure beyond A-shares. Both companies have been diversifying into Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia and the United States, but mainland-linked business remains material to investor perceptions of their growth prospects.

The crackdown may also reshape Hong Kong’s role as a financial gateway. Licensed institutions could benefit from account transfers and higher compliance-driven demand, but regulators in the city are expected to scrutinise whether account-opening documents, residency claims and fund-transfer routes meet legal requirements. That could raise operational costs and slow onboarding for brokers and banks serving mainland-related clients.

The campaign is attributed to Void Dokkaebi, also tracked as Famous Chollima, a threat group associated with operations against software developers, cryptocurrency firms and technology workers. The latest version uses Cython-compiled files, appearing as. pyd modules on Windows and. so files on macOS, marking a technical shift from the readable Python scripts that earlier versions relied on.

The change does not alter the core purpose of InvisibleFerret. The malware remains focused on remote access, data theft, browser credential harvesting, clipboard monitoring, keylogging and cryptocurrency wallet targeting. The difference lies in delivery and detection evasion. Security tools built to identify suspicious Python scripts may miss compiled extension modules that behave more like native binaries.

The development deepens concerns around a long-running pattern of attacks in which developers are targeted through fake recruitment exercises, malicious coding tests and compromised repositories. Victims are often persuaded to clone project files, run test applications or install packages during what appears to be a hiring process. Once executed, the files can trigger malware chains that collect credentials, steal wallet data and establish persistence.

InvisibleFerret has been linked to campaigns where BeaverTail, a JavaScript-based malware family, acts as an initial loader or data stealer before deploying follow-on payloads. BeaverTail has commonly been distributed through NPM packages and software repositories, making developers a particularly valuable target. The overlap between recruitment lures, open-source workflows and code-sharing platforms has allowed attackers to exploit ordinary development habits rather than relying only on conventional phishing attachments.

The use of Cython gives the operators a practical advantage. Cython converts Python-like code into C or C++ extension modules, which are then compiled for specific operating systems. This makes the malware less transparent to analysts and reduces the effectiveness of static signatures based on plain-text Python code. It also complicates automated triage because defenders must now inspect compiled artefacts, import behaviour, execution wrappers and embedded strings rather than simply scanning readable scripts.

Windows systems may encounter the payload as a. pyd file, a Python extension module that can be imported by Python processes. macOS systems may see. so shared object files used in a similar role. In both cases, the payload can be loaded into an execution flow that appears to be part of a legitimate Python application or developer task.

The campaign reflects a wider trend in which state-linked cyber groups are blending espionage, financial theft and supply-chain compromise. Software developers with access to production systems, signing keys, cloud credentials, cryptocurrency wallets or continuous integration pipelines represent a high-value entry point. A single compromised workstation can expose source code, authentication tokens and deployment infrastructure.

The threat is also notable because it targets the trust layer of the technology sector. Recruitment processes, Git repositories and coding assessments are expected to involve file sharing and execution of sample projects. Attackers exploit that expectation by embedding malicious packages inside workflows that appear normal to developers under interview pressure.

Defenders are being urged to treat compiled Python modules as high-risk artefacts when they appear in unexpected repositories or job-test packages. Detection strategies need to move beyond script scanning and include behavioural analysis, binary inspection, process monitoring and checks for unusual Python imports. Security teams should also review developer machines for unauthorised browser extension changes, credential access attempts, suspicious clipboard activity and connections to unfamiliar command-and-control infrastructure.

Organisations with software engineering teams face particular exposure if recruitment, open-source contribution or contractor onboarding processes are loosely controlled. Developers should avoid running code from unknown recruiters on primary workstations, use isolated environments for coding tests and verify company identities through official channels before engaging with technical assessments.

The campaign also underlines the continuing focus of North Korea-linked operators on cryptocurrency and digital infrastructure. Wallet credentials, seed phrases, password managers and browser-stored authentication data remain central targets. Compromised developers may provide access not only to personal crypto holdings but also to corporate repositories, cloud accounts and financial platforms.

The platform, first observed in April 2026 and distributed mainly through Telegram, marks a sharper turn in identity-based attacks because it abuses legitimate Microsoft authentication flows rather than relying on fake login pages alone. By capturing OAuth access and refresh tokens, operators can gain continued access to email, files, chats and cloud services inside Microsoft 365 environments even when an organisation has MFA in place.

Kali365 is being marketed as a ready-made crimeware service for attackers with varying levels of technical skill. Its capabilities include AI-generated phishing lures, automated campaign templates, real-time target tracking dashboards and token capture functions. The model lowers the operational barrier for account takeover campaigns, allowing less experienced actors to run attacks that would previously have required stronger knowledge of cloud identity systems.

The attack chain typically begins with an email designed to resemble a trusted cloud, document-sharing or workplace communication notice. The victim is instructed to enter a device code on a genuine Microsoft verification page. Because the user completes the sign-in process through Microsoft’s real authentication system, the interaction may appear legitimate and can satisfy MFA requirements. Once the code is entered, the attacker’s device or session is authorised, and OAuth tokens can be harvested for continued access.

The danger lies in the distinction between stealing passwords and stealing tokens. A compromised password can be changed, and MFA can block many credential-based intrusions. A stolen token, however, can allow an attacker to access services as an already authenticated user until the token expires or is revoked. Refresh tokens can extend that window, giving attackers time to search mailboxes, download files, monitor Teams conversations, set forwarding rules, or use the compromised account to reach other employees.

The emergence of Kali365 reflects a wider shift in phishing operations from crude credential harvesting to abuse of trusted identity protocols. Device code phishing has gained traction because it relies on legitimate Microsoft pages, reducing the effectiveness of user training that focuses only on spotting lookalike domains. It also complicates automated detection because the authentication event may not immediately resemble a conventional failed login or suspicious password entry.

Cybersecurity researchers have tracked similar tactics across financially motivated groups and state-linked operators since 2025. Campaigns using device-code abuse have targeted Microsoft 365 users in corporate, academic, government and public-sector environments. Some operations have used document-sharing themes, salary notices, meeting recordings and password expiry prompts to induce victims to follow instructions quickly.

The spread of such platforms through Telegram has amplified the threat. Closed and semi-open channels have become marketplaces for phishing kits, stolen credentials, malware loaders and automation tools. Kali365’s subscription format mirrors a broader cybercrime economy in which developers maintain platforms while affiliates or customers conduct campaigns. This separation of roles allows malicious services to scale rapidly and makes attribution more difficult.

Microsoft 365 remains a high-value target because it sits at the centre of enterprise communication and document management. Access to one mailbox can provide attackers with invoices, contracts, internal contacts, cloud storage links and authentication prompts from other services. A compromised account can also be used to launch business email compromise schemes, alter payment instructions, impersonate executives, or move laterally through an organisation.

Defensive measures now need to move beyond password resets and basic MFA enforcement. Administrators are being urged to review whether device code flow is required in their environment and to restrict it where possible through Conditional Access controls. Organisations can also shorten token lifetimes, monitor unusual OAuth consent activity, revoke refresh tokens after suspected compromise, and investigate unexpected sign-ins from unfamiliar locations, devices or applications.

User education remains necessary but must be updated to reflect the nature of the threat. Employees should treat unsolicited device-code prompts as suspicious, even when the page is hosted on a legitimate Microsoft domain. Verification requests should be checked through internal IT channels, particularly when linked to shared documents, Teams recordings, voicemail notifications or urgent account actions.

The surge, recorded between 9 May and 18 May, stood out because the 12 May peak was about 46 times higher than the normal daily volume seen during the previous 30 days. Researchers tracking the activity said the pattern resembled earlier reconnaissance that preceded a SonicWall vulnerability disclosure in February, although they stopped short of predicting a new flaw or confirming exploitation.

The scanning focused on SonicOS management interfaces, a sensitive part of firewall infrastructure because such consoles can expose configuration controls, administrative workflows and VPN-related functions when made reachable from the public internet. SonicWall firewalls are widely used by companies, managed service providers and branch-office networks, making them attractive targets for attackers searching for weak access controls, unpatched firmware or misconfigured remote administration.

A notable feature of the May activity was its consistency. About 99 per cent of the observed requests used a single browser user-agent string, Chrome 119 on Linux x86_64, suggesting highly standardised tooling rather than random background noise. More than 99 per cent of the traffic came from networks announced in the Netherlands and Ukraine, while one autonomous system accounted for roughly half of the recorded session volume. Ports 80 and 8080 carried almost all the scanning.

Security specialists view such activity as reconnaissance rather than proof of compromise. Still, the timing has drawn scrutiny because SonicWall disclosed several SonicOS vulnerabilities this year, including CVE-2026-0400 on 24 February. That issue is a post-authentication format string flaw that can allow a remote attacker to crash a firewall. Earlier spikes on 18 January, 30 January and 14 February came 37, 25 and 10 days before that disclosure, creating concern that large scanning bursts may sometimes precede public vulnerability announcements.

SonicWall also issued fixes on 29 April for three SonicOS vulnerabilities affecting Gen 6, Gen 7 and Gen 8 firewalls. The most serious, CVE-2026-0204, involves an access-control weakness that can allow certain management interface functions to become accessible under specific conditions. Two medium-severity flaws, CVE-2026-0205 and CVE-2026-0206, involve path traversal and firewall crash risks. Affected firmware included versions before 6.5.5.2-28n, 7.3.2-7010 and 8.2.0-8009.

The broader concern is that edge devices have become a priority target for criminal and state-linked actors. Firewalls, VPN gateways and routers sit at the perimeter of corporate networks and often remain reachable at all hours. Once compromised, they can give attackers a foothold before endpoint tools detect suspicious activity inside the network.

Ransomware operators have repeatedly exploited weaknesses in remote-access and perimeter appliances across the sector. Groups targeting firewall and VPN products often move quickly after advisories are published, scanning for unpatched systems and using stolen credentials or exposed portals to reach internal networks. That has placed pressure on administrators to treat edge-device patching as an emergency process rather than a routine maintenance task.

For SonicWall users, the immediate risk depends on configuration, firmware status and exposure. Devices with public management interfaces face the highest pressure. Security teams are being urged to restrict management access to known administrative IP ranges, disable unnecessary HTTP and HTTPS management access from the internet, enforce multi-factor authentication on SSL VPN accounts, and review administrative accounts created since 1 May.

Organisations unable to patch immediately are advised to apply temporary mitigations, including limiting access to SSH-only management where appropriate and blocking suspicious infrastructure at the edge. Those steps do not replace firmware updates, but they can reduce attack surface while change-control approvals or maintenance windows are completed.

The scanning spike also highlights a wider weakness in traditional defensive models. IP reputation feeds alone may not catch campaigns that rotate through fresh infrastructure or concentrate activity through providers not previously linked to malicious behaviour. Real-time telemetry, longer log retention and alerting on outbound traffic from firewalls are becoming more important as attackers focus on devices that were once treated as trusted security controls.

The eight-episode series places Cage at the centre of a 1930s New York crime story as Ben Reilly, a weary private investigator forced to confront his past as the city’s masked vigilante. The production marks a notable shift for the wider Spider-Man screen universe, moving away from contemporary superhero spectacle towards hard-boiled detective fiction, mob intrigue and stylised period drama.

Spider-Noir premiered domestically on MGM+’s linear channel on 25 May and is scheduled to stream worldwide on Prime Video two days later. The series is being released in two versions: “Authentic Black & White” and “True-Hue Full Color”, a dual-format strategy designed to preserve the noir aesthetic while widening its appeal to audiences more accustomed to contemporary colour television.

Cage, who voiced Spider-Man Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, returns to the character in live action with a performance critics have largely described as theatrical, eccentric and well suited to the pulp setting. The role also deepens his long association with comic-book cinema, following Ghost Rider and his near-casting as the Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man.

The cast includes Lamorne Morris as Robbie Robertson, a journalist navigating the hazards of 1930s New York; Li Jun Li as nightclub performer Cat Hardy; Karen Rodriguez as Janet, Reilly’s assistant; Jack Huston as Sandman; and Brendan Gleeson as crime boss Silvermane. Abraham Popoola, Lukas Haas, Cameron Britton, Cary Christopher and other supporting players round out a production built around mob politics, private-eye conventions and Marvel mythology.

Oren Uziel and Steve Lightfoot serve as co-showrunners and executive producers, while Harry Bradbeer directed and executive produced the first two episodes. The wider creative team includes Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal, whose earlier Spider-Verse work helped establish Spider-Man as one of the most commercially flexible superhero properties across film and animation.

Early reviews have highlighted the series’ visual ambition, Cage’s knowingly exaggerated performance and its willingness to lean into genre rather than treat noir as surface decoration. The positive critical score gives the show valuable momentum at a time when superhero television has faced sharper audience scrutiny, with viewers increasingly selective about franchise extensions and streaming spin-offs.

The 1930s setting allows the series to distance itself from the multiverse fatigue that has affected parts of the genre. Instead of building its appeal around cameos or continuity, Spider-Noir uses familiar comic-book names within a self-contained detective framework. That approach gives the series scope to attract both Marvel viewers and audiences drawn to crime drama, period production design and stylised cinematography.

The show’s scientific framing has also attracted attention because of the way it grounds spider mythology in real-world venom research. While Spider-Noir remains a comic-book fantasy, modern studies of spider venom have made the idea of spider-derived biology less fanciful than it once appeared. Researchers have identified thousands of bioactive peptides in spider venoms, many of which interact with ion channels in the nervous system.

These molecules are being studied for their potential in pain treatment, neurological research, cardiovascular protection and bio-insecticide development. Spiders are among the most diverse venomous animals, and their venoms contain compounds evolved to affect nerve signalling with high precision. Only a small fraction of spider species are dangerous to humans, yet their chemistry has become a growing field for drug discovery and biological research.

That scientific backdrop does not make Spider-Noir a laboratory drama, but it gives the franchise’s central idea a sharper contemporary resonance. The concept of spider powers has long rested on fantasy, mutation and radioactive accident. Today’s venom research gives writers and producers a credible biological vocabulary that can be woven into character backstories, villains and investigative plotlines without breaking the heightened style of the series.

New York University Abu Dhabi has launched ChatSign, a commercial AI spin-out developed from research at its Embodied AI and Robotics Lab. The system translates spoken Arabic and English into sign language in real time and supports both American Sign Language and Emirati Sign Language, with work continuing on wider sign-to-speech and text-to-sign functions for public deployment.

ChatSign Technology is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and registered in Abu Dhabi Global Market. Its founding team includes Associate Professor Yi Fang, director of the Embodied AI and Robotics Lab; Zhifei Maggie Li, a Class of 2026 student completing a double degree in computer science and mathematics; and Zhenhua Li, chief product officer and senior research engineer at NYU Abu Dhabi.

The launch positions ChatSign at the intersection of accessibility, applied AI and university-led commercialisation. The technology is designed for service counters, government offices, transport hubs, health facilities, schools, universities, museums, shopping centres and other spaces where deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors often depend on written notes, family members or pre-booked interpreters to complete routine interactions.

Its developers say the platform can convert speech into signs through a digital avatar and process sign input through computer vision to generate spoken output. The company’s product range includes portable dual-screen stations for smaller spaces, larger full-body avatar displays for airports and government offices, and media-interpreter systems that can convert recorded audio or video material into sign-language content for museums, public institutions and digital platforms.

The commercial model reflects a broader push in Abu Dhabi to turn university research into intellectual property-led companies. ChatSign has moved from a research prototype to a patent-protected system and has already been tested before a live audience of more than 200 people. It is also being positioned for use at major events, including university ceremonies and public gatherings where real-time announcements can be signed for deaf and hard-of-hearing attendees.

Global demand for such technology is substantial. More than 430 million people require rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, and that number is projected to rise sharply as populations age. More than 70 million deaf people worldwide use sign languages, which vary by country and region rather than forming a single universal language. That linguistic diversity has made automated sign translation more difficult than conventional speech translation, increasing the value of systems trained for specific spoken and signed languages.

ChatSign’s focus on Arabic and English, alongside American and Emirati Sign Language, gives it a practical base in the UAE’s multilingual service environment. Public-facing institutions in the country serve residents, citizens, tourists, students and workers from diverse language backgrounds, making communication access a recurring challenge across front desks, classrooms, hospitals, airports and cultural venues.

The company has emphasised that the product is not intended to replace human interpreters. Instead, it seeks to fill gaps in availability, cost and response time. Human interpreters remain essential in legal, medical, educational and sensitive social settings where nuance, consent and cultural fluency are critical. AI tools, however, can provide round-the-clock support for standardised communication, directions, announcements, basic service requests and information access.

Accuracy and trust will be central to ChatSign’s expansion. Sign languages have their own grammar, facial expressions, spatial structures and cultural context, meaning direct word-for-word conversion from spoken language can produce errors or unnatural signing. The company’s continued engagement with deaf and hard-of-hearing users in the UAE will therefore be important in refining vocabulary, avatar movement, facial expression, regional variation and context-specific interpretation.

The technology also raises operational questions for public-sector and private-sector buyers. Institutions adopting AI interpreters will need to assess data privacy, device security, offline functionality, maintenance, liability for mistranslation, and whether deaf users find the system acceptable in real service settings. ChatSign says its hardware can operate offline, a feature that may appeal to organisations handling sensitive conversations or working in locations with unreliable connectivity.

The initiative, launched by the Central Bank of the UAE, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, gives non-resident visitors a verified digital identity after arrival. That identity can be used through ADCB’s mobile app to open an account, activate a digital debit card and access basic payment services without the paperwork normally associated with non-resident banking.

The service marks a significant step in the UAE’s push to combine tourism, financial technology and digital public infrastructure. Visitors who meet eligibility conditions can use the account for point-of-sale purchases, online payments, supported digital wallets and ATM withdrawals within the country. The account is designed for short-term use and is tied to the visitor’s legal stay, rather than serving as a full long-term banking relationship.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank has positioned the product as one of the first digital-only bank accounts aimed specifically at international guests to the UAE. The account is available in dirhams, carries no minimum opening balance and is opened through the bank’s app. A digital debit card is issued by default, while a physical card can be requested through the bank’s digital service channels subject to applicable charges.

Eligibility rules remain strict. Applicants must be aged 18 or above, be physically present in the UAE, hold a valid tourist or visit visa and possess a valid passport. Visitors on 96-hour visas and transit visas are not eligible. The account cannot be opened jointly and cannot be converted into a standard resident account. If the customer later obtains a UAE residence visa, the tourist account must be closed and a new account opened under the bank’s normal resident eligibility framework.

The account is also time-limited. It remains available only during the visitor’s stay and may close upon departure, expiry of visit visa validity or after a maximum tenure of six months, with a seven-day grace period. Any balance or international transfer after closure must be routed to a registered overseas account held in the same name. A monthly maintenance fee of AED25 applies unless a minimum balance of AED2,500 is maintained.

Officials have framed the project as part of a broader effort to reduce cash reliance and strengthen the country’s digital payments ecosystem. The Tourist Identity connects visitors to national payment infrastructure, including Jaywan, the UAE’s domestic card scheme, and Aani, the instant payments platform. Saif Humaid Al Dhaheri, Assistant Governor for Banking Operations and Support Services at the Central Bank of the UAE, said the initiative would support “instant digital onboarding” and deliver “an integrated and secure banking experience for visitors from the moment they arrive in the UAE.”

The biometric layer is central to the system. The Tourist Identity is generated through identity and immigration data supported by facial recognition and other biometric tools developed by the federal authority. Major General Suhail Juma Al Khaili, Acting Director General of Citizenship at the authority, said the system was designed to let sectors across the country offer services to visitors securely “without the need to present or exchange traditional documents.”

For the tourism industry, the measure addresses a practical gap. Millions of visitors land in the UAE each year for business, leisure, events and family travel, yet many still rely on foreign cards, cash withdrawals or currency exchange counters. Dubai welcomed 19.59 million international overnight visitors in 2025, while Dubai International Airport handled 95.2 million passengers, reinforcing the scale of demand for faster financial access at arrival.

The move also gives banks a controlled route to serve short-stay customers while maintaining know-your-customer and anti-money laundering safeguards. Unlike conventional non-resident accounts, which often require bank statements, introduction letters and branch-level checks, the tourist product uses official entry data and verified identity records. That reduces friction but also places greater importance on data protection, consent, transaction monitoring and clear disclosure of account limits.

Revenue Up 35.4% Year-on-Year API Token Call Volume Surges Nearly 6 Times

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 May 2026 – Phancy Group Co., Ltd. (“Phancy” or “The Company”, stock code: 6682.HK), a leading general artificial intelligence company, today announced its unaudited consolidated results for the first quarter ended 31 March 2026.

During the period, Phancy achieved revenue of approximately RMB1.458 billion, representing a 35.4% year-on-year increase. Gross profit margin remained at 35.1%. Phancy leveraged its deep expertise in full-stack AI cloud services, to capitalize on the accelerating adoption of localized computing power and strong enterprise demand for AI solutions. The Company achieved robust growth in its core businesses, accelerated product innovation, and secured several major partnerships, sustaining strong operational momentum.

2026 First Quarter Business Highlights:

Unified Enterprise AI Platform Drives Explosive Core Business Growth

Global computing resources remain constrained, while demand for both private enterprise AI deployments and API-based model calls continues to grow rapidly. Phancy’s enterprise-grade AI platform is built on a unified core architecture that seamlessly supports both API calling scenarios and dedicated private deployments. This significantly boosts AI application efficiency and resource utilization. Supported by a mature computing power supply chain developed over many years, Phancy’s deployable computing power resources have increased by over 200%. This enables the Company to effectively meet surging Token demand and consistently deliver stable, high-quality AI services to its customers.

In the first quarter of 2026, API Token call volume surged nearly 6 times compared to the same period in 2025, and already accounted for nearly 40% of the full-year 2025 total. Meanwhile, the Agentic AI business expanded rapidly, with deepening commercial adoption. Orders on hand grew nearly 100% compared to the end of 2025, emerging as a major growth driver for the Company.

AI Technology Iteration Accelerates, Commercialization Beats Expectations

Building on its continued push into digital employee applications and AI empowerment across business units, Phancy has significantly shortened the product development cycle from R&D to commercialization, enhancing overall operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

As of mid-May 2026, ModelHub XC has completed adaptation and optimization for over 70,000 AI models on domestic chips, achieving more than 70% of its full-year target – well ahead of schedule.

In May, Phancy launched PhanthyMovie, a professional-grade AI video generation platform designed to enhance creativity, control, and stability in video production, enabling standardized and large-scale content creation for the industry.

Leveraging its advanced technology and proven execution capabilities, PhanthyMovie achieved rapid commercial traction. Just days after launch, the Company entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with Huanxi Media, covering approximately US$200 million in AI Token usage. The two parties will also collaborate on the development of a next-generation AI-powered film and television content production platform, further strengthening Phancy’s position in the AI-driven cultural and creative sector.

Core Products Align Closely with Policy Trends, Strengthening Compute-Model Integration

Since May 2026, China’s AI sector has seen a series of positive policy developments focused on computing infrastructure, data element circulation, and open-source compliance governance. Phancy’s core products, including HAMi vGPU and ModelHub XC, are well-aligned with national policy directions and mainstream industry trends.

In terms of computing resource allocation, policies emphasize cross-regional collaboration and broader access to computing power. Phancy’s HAMi vGPU offers unified scheduling and fine-grained resource partitioning, effectively improving utilization rates, optimizing data center energy efficiency, and supporting unified management across multiple chips to boost single-card efficiency.

In data and model governance, the government continues to promote high-quality dataset development and compliance management. ModelHub XC supports multi-model adaptation and optimization, incorporates data traceability and security certification features to help enterprises reduce compliance risks, and uses the EngineX engine for batch adaptation of domestic chips and models. This significantly improves compatibility while enhancing Token output efficiency through targeted model tuning.

Through deep integration of its computing and model layers, Phancy has built a comprehensive “Compute–Model” integrated solution. This addresses key industry needs such as efficient computing utilization, secure data supply, enterprise compliance, and domestic substitution, while strengthening its technological moat. The Company is well positioned to capture policy dividends and industry opportunities, supporting enterprises in their digital and intelligent transformation.

Hashtag: #PhancyGroup

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

About Phancy Group

Phancy Group (6682.HK) is a leading full-stack AI cloud services platform, providing comprehensive solutions for the AI 2.0 era. Our offerings include SageAIOS, HAMi vGPU and ModelHub XC, delivering efficient and scalable AI infrastructure with end-to-end capabilities. We provide a complete solution from heterogeneous compute resource management and optimization to the deployment of intelligent agent models. These solutions empower digital transformation across a wide range of industries, supporting our vision of building a large-scale and efficient “Token Factory.”

Guided by the mission of “AI for Everyone” and positioned as the “Navigator of AI,” Phancy Group is committed to becoming a global leader in Artificial General Intelligence.

The update, rolling out from 19 May to 26 May, turns the existing Fitbit app into Google Health rather than requiring users to install a separate application. It brings a redesigned interface, a Gemini-powered Health Coach, a new Android home-screen widget and a series of feature retirements that will reshape how millions of Fitbit and Pixel Watch users track exercise, sleep and wellbeing.

Google Health 5.0 reorganises the app around four main tabs: Today, Fitness, Sleep and Health. The new layout is intended to make daily metrics easier to scan, while separating workout planning, rest analysis and longer-term health data into clearer sections. Users without a connected Fitbit device or Pixel Watch will see a narrower experience focused mainly on Today and Health.

The change also completes a wider branding shift. Fitbit Premium is being renamed Google Health Premium, while Fitbit branding is being retained primarily for hardware. The move places Google’s health software under a single identity, with Fitbit devices, Pixel Watch, Android Health Connect, Apple Health and third-party services feeding data into one platform.

The most prominent addition is Google Health Coach, built with Gemini. The AI tool is designed to offer adaptive fitness plans, sleep guidance and personalised insights based on user goals, activity history and health signals. Premium subscribers in supported countries can chat with the coach to create weekly workout plans, adjust targets, change repetitions or duration, and receive guidance when routines are disrupted by fatigue, injury or schedule changes.

Google has positioned the coach as a wellness and fitness assistant rather than a diagnostic tool. That distinction is important as technology companies increase their use of generative AI in health-related products. Large language models can produce inaccurate or overly confident responses, and consumer health applications face additional scrutiny because advice may influence exercise, sleep or medication-related decisions. Google says the coach is designed with safety limits and is not meant to replace medical care.

The Android version of Google Health 5.0 adds a Quick Access Widget that replaces the old circular steps widget. The new widget can surface several metrics from the top of the Today tab, including activity and health statistics selected by the user. It can expand up to a 5×3 layout, display as many as six metrics, shrink to a single statistic, refresh from the home screen and provide a shortcut to the Health Coach.

The app update also introduces a new Google Health icon and removes Fitbit branding from the app interface. Version 5.0 is required to set up Fitbit Air, Google’s screenless tracker scheduled to launch after the app rollout. The device is designed to work closely with Google Health and the AI coach, reinforcing the company’s effort to link wearable hardware with subscription-based software.

Some Fitbit features are being removed or changed. Sleep Profile will no longer be available, meaning users will stop receiving monthly sleep animals. Estimated Oxygen Variation is also being retired. Badges will no longer be supported, new badges will not be generated and historical badges will be deleted. These removals may frustrate long-time Fitbit users who valued the app’s gamified elements and community identity.

Social functions are also changing. Users will no longer be able to send or receive direct messages and notifications within the app. Groups and the Community Feed are being removed. Social profiles will be tied more closely to Google Account information, including name, email address and profile picture, with users prompted before sharing those details. Leaderboards will remain, with support for steps and cardio load, but the older Fitbit social experience is being narrowed.

Several feature names have been revised. Health metrics are now grouped under Vitals, menstrual health has been renamed Cycle health, and Resilience replaces Stress score in the Mental Wellbeing section. Instead of showing a numerical stress score, the app will describe resilience as Optimal, Balanced or Low.

The redesigned platform also expands Google’s ambition to make Health a broader data hub. Users can connect third-party apps and devices through Health Connect, Apple Health and Google Health APIs. The app can bring together activity logs, nutrition data, sleep records, vitals and, in the US, medical records such as lab results, medications and clinical measurements.

Tracked as CVE-2026-45434, the vulnerability affects Apache OFBiz versions before 24.09.06. It stems from improper authentication handling in the platform’s password-change logic, where a forced password reset condition may be treated in a way that allows access to protected functions instead of blocking activity until credentials are properly changed. The weakness is significant because OFBiz is used to manage business processes including accounting, customer relationship management, inventory, order processing, warehousing, manufacturing and e-commerce.

Security assessments classify the issue as severe because a remote attacker may exploit the flaw over the network with low complexity and without user interaction. Apache has described the issue as important, while vulnerability scoring data gives it critical-level impact because successful exploitation can compromise confidentiality, integrity and availability. The fixed release, Apache OFBiz 24.09.06, was issued in May 2026 as the sixth release in the 24.09 series, which has been feature-frozen since September 2024 and is receiving bug fixes.

The flaw centres on accounts marked for mandatory password changes, a common administrative step after onboarding, password expiry, suspected compromise or credential resets. Such accounts should be restricted until the user completes the reset process. In vulnerable configurations, authentication checks may mishandle that state, allowing the password-change route to be abused as an entry point rather than a guardrail. Once access controls are bypassed, attackers may reach functionality that should remain limited to authorised users.

Security researchers have linked the weakness to a wider chain involving OFBiz web tools and code execution risks. The concern is not only unauthorised login, but the possibility that an attacker could move from bypassing authentication to executing commands in the context of the OFBiz process. That makes exposed internet-facing deployments particularly sensitive, especially where default accounts, weak operational controls or unpatched development instances remain present.

Apache OFBiz has faced a series of security disclosures over the past two years, keeping the platform under close scrutiny from defenders and attackers alike. Earlier flaws affecting OFBiz included authentication bypass and unauthorised remote code execution issues, some of which drew rapid attention because public-facing ERP systems often sit close to sensitive commercial data. The latest weakness reinforces concerns that complex business platforms with legacy configuration patterns can remain vulnerable even after prior patches if related logic paths are not fully closed.

Version 24.09.06 also addresses a wider set of security issues, including vulnerabilities involving authorisation, server-side request forgery, path traversal, expression handling, code injection and exposure of sensitive information. The breadth of fixes makes the upgrade more than a single-defect patch and places pressure on administrators to assess OFBiz installations across production, staging and development environments. Organisations using older 18.12. x deployments or 24.09. x releases up to 24.09.05 face the highest priority for remediation.

Enterprise risk is amplified by the role ERP platforms play inside organisations. These systems often hold supplier records, pricing data, customer information, internal workflows and financial processes. A compromise can therefore create operational disruption beyond a conventional web application breach, including data theft, invoice fraud, inventory manipulation and lateral movement into connected systems. For companies running OFBiz behind a reverse proxy or within internal networks, exposure may still exist if access controls, VPN gateways or administrative interfaces are misconfigured.

The protocol-level feature, backed at launch by Fireblocks, marks a push by the layer-1 blockchain to strengthen its role in payments, treasury movement and on-chain settlement. The change applies to supported stablecoins including USDC, USDsui, suiUSDe, AUSD, FDUSD, USDB and USDY, with qualifying peer-to-peer transfers carrying a stated network fee of $0.00.

The move targets one of the most persistent obstacles in blockchain payments: the need for users to maintain a separate native-token balance simply to move assets that are otherwise denominated in dollars. For retail users, that requirement has often created failed transactions and confusing onboarding steps. For businesses, it adds treasury, accounting and operational complexity, especially when handling high-volume payouts or customer-facing payment flows.

Adeniyi Abiodun, co-founder and chief product officer of Mysten Labs, the original contributor to Sui, said stablecoins had become a core part of global finance but their infrastructure still created unnecessary complexity. “From the start, we’ve said it should not cost individuals fees to move their own money,” he said, adding that the feature was aimed at businesses, AI agents and consumers.

Fireblocks’ involvement gives the rollout an institutional dimension. The digital asset infrastructure company serves banks, fintechs, exchanges and payment firms, and its support enables clients to process Sui-based stablecoin transfers without building separate gas-management systems. That matters for regulated firms and payment providers that need predictable workflows, clear controls and operational resilience before adopting public blockchain rails at scale.

Sui’s design gives it some advantages in this segment. Built around the Move programming language and an object-centric data model, the network has marketed itself on fast settlement, parallel transaction execution and consumer-scale applications. The gasless stablecoin feature builds on that positioning by narrowing the gap between blockchain transfers and familiar digital payment experiences.

The timing reflects a broader shift in digital assets from speculative trading towards payment utility. Stablecoins have expanded into a market worth more than $320bn, dominated by dollar-backed tokens such as USDT and USDC. Their use has spread across exchanges, decentralised finance, remittances, cross-border settlement and corporate treasury operations. Yet mainstream adoption remains constrained by uneven regulation, compliance requirements, wallet usability and the technical friction of public blockchains.

Sui’s own stablecoin base remains smaller than those of Ethereum, Tron and Solana, but it has grown as liquidity has entered decentralised finance applications on the network. DeFi tracking data puts stablecoin supply on Sui at more than $580m, with USDC accounting for the largest share. Removing gas from supported stablecoin transfers could help the network compete for payment flows where cost certainty and simplicity matter more than speculative yield.

The feature is not without limits. Sui documentation indicates that fee-paying transactions may receive priority when the network is congested, meaning gasless transfers could face lower execution preference under heavy demand. The system also applies only to qualifying stablecoin transfers rather than all blockchain activity, leaving more complex DeFi interactions, swaps and smart-contract operations subject to normal fee mechanics.

The approach also raises broader questions for blockchain economics. Gas fees serve several functions: they compensate validators, deter spam and ration scarce blockspace during peak usage. Any zero-fee model must manage those trade-offs without weakening network security or creating incentives for abusive transaction patterns. Sui’s decision to implement the feature at protocol level rather than relying solely on promotional subsidies or third-party relayers is intended to address part of that concern, but real-world usage will test its durability.

Competition is intensifying. Tron remains a major stablecoin transfer network, especially for USDT. Ethereum retains the deepest liquidity and institutional infrastructure, while layer-2 networks have reduced costs sharply for dollar-token transactions. Solana has built momentum in high-throughput consumer and trading applications. Payment companies, banks and fintech platforms are also exploring stablecoin settlement through private infrastructure and regulated issuers.

For Sui, the commercial opportunity lies in making stablecoin movement feel less like crypto and more like ordinary digital money. Businesses considering on-chain payouts, merchant settlement or programmable treasury operations are likely to weigh not just transaction cost, but compliance tooling, liquidity depth, wallet support and integration with custody providers. Fireblocks’ support strengthens that case, particularly among enterprises already using its platform.

The forum, themed “Developing the International Maritime Financial Ecosystem within the Vietnam International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City,” took place at the VIFC-HCMC Building, 08 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, and drew more than 100 senior delegates. Attendees included leaders from central ministries and agencies, the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, representatives from coastal provinces (Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang), domestic and international financial institutions, port and logistics enterprises, and international organisations.

The day’s agenda focused on three headline moments: a strategic industry report by Roland Berger, titled “Vietnam Maritime Industry: A Strategic Opportunity for Breakthrough Growth,” which benchmarked leading global maritime financial hubs and mapped a roadmap to raise Vietnam’s domestic value retention from the current 4–5% to 15% by 2035; the official launch ceremony of the IMFE initiative within VIFC-HCMC; and a memorandum of understanding signed between VIFC-HCMC and Gemadept Corporation, owner and operator of Gemalink International Port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai, formalising Gemadept’s role as a founding lead of the initiative. The forum also saw the introduction of the first maritime financial products and initiatives to be developed within the VIFC-HCMC framework.

A seaport system of growing global weight

The ambition behind IMFE is grounded in the rapid rise of southern Vietnam’s port infrastructure. Ho Chi Minh City is home to Cat Lai Port — ranked among the world’s top 21, handling approximately 7.5 million TEUs annually — and Gemalink International Port in Cai Mep – Thi Vai, capable of receiving ultra-large container vessels. These existing assets are set to be joined by the Can Gio International Transshipment Port, a 571-hectare project with a projected capacity of 17 million TEUs per year, further deepening the city’s integration into global logistics and trade networks.

In 2025, the Ho Chi Minh City port system handled over 24 million TEUs, ranking 8th globally according to Lloyd’s List, and was associated with approximately USD 200 billion in import-export turnover, accounting for around 20% of Vietnam’s total trade value. Surrounding this physical infrastructure, a broad ecosystem of supporting services has expanded significantly, spanning cargo handling, warehousing, freight forwarding, customs clearance, and supply chain management. The total annual trade transaction value flowing through the region — encompassing goods, logistics services, and related financial demand – is estimated at over USD 1 trillion.

The financial gap: billions flowing through offshore centers

However, the scale of this physical activity stands in sharp contrast to the financial value Vietnam currently retains. Despite enormous cargo volumes, most high-value maritime financial services generating the largest profit margin including trade finance, ship financing, marine insurance and reinsurance, international payments, and logistics risk management continue to flow through developed offshore maritime financial centers. Vietnam currently captures only around 4–5% of these financial transaction values domestically, leaving an estimated USD 6–8 billion in potential value accessible but unrealised. To complete the maritime value chain and retain these economic benefits onshore, Vietnam must evolve beyond purely physical cargo transshipment. The gradual development of a comprehensive maritime financial ecosystem is an essential and inevitable strategic step.

IMFE: from vision to institutional launch

Against this backdrop, the IMFE initiative took shape as a core component of VIFC-HCMC, with Gemadept Corporation serving as a founding lead. The initiative was first introduced on September 12, 2025, during the symposium “Ho Chi Minh City – A Modern, High-End, High-Value Service Hub,” where Gemadept presented a strategic vision of integrating Vietnam’s deep-sea port infrastructure with a dedicated maritime financial ecosystem. To materialise that vision, the corporation cooperates with the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, leading to its official designation as a Strategic Member of VIFC-HCMC on February 11, 2026, at the Center’s Launching Ceremony. Today, as the operator of Gemalink — a major deep-sea gateway at Cai Mep – Thi Vai — Gemadept is focused on channeling high-value capital flows and advanced financial services directly into Ho Chi Minh City’s real maritime economy.

With this foundation in place, today’s forum pursues three concrete objectives: to officially launch the IMFE as a strategic platform designed to localise maritime financial capital and services, laying the groundwork for Ho Chi Minh City to emerge as one of the region’s leading maritime hubs; to connect financial institutions, banks, insurance companies, shipping lines, logistics enterprises, and international organisations within an integrated ecosystem, bringing the port-to-finance model to life in Vietnam; and to introduce the first maritime financial products and initiatives, creating mechanisms for Vietnamese enterprises to access financing, insurance, and risk management tools domestically rather than through foreign intermediaries.

“Ports such as Can Gio and Cai Mep-Thi Vai are transshipment hubs for cargo flows — VIFC-HCMC must become the transshipment hub for capital flows serving Vietnam’s maritime economy,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Huu Huan, Vice Chairman of VIFC-HCMC.

Hashtag: #VIFC

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

Held at the Indonesia Safety Driving Center (ISDC) in Serpong on May 18, 2026, the program provided participants with practical instruction in defensive driving, emergency response, professional driving ethics, and Indonesian traffic regulations. The initiative combines classroom learning with hands-on exercises conducted in a controlled training environment at one of Indonesia’s leading driving safety facilities. The program reflects Green SM’s long-term commitment to building a professional driver network while promoting safer mobility experiences and higher service standards for Indonesian communities.

Since its launch in Indonesia in December 2024, Green SM had already implemented regular internal training programs for driver partners, focusing on safe driving practices, real-world situation handling, customer service standards, and traffic law compliance. Through this partnership, Green SM aims to further strengthen and standardize its training initiatives while also contributing to broader road safety awareness across Indonesia.

As of April 2026, Green SM vehicles have traveled more than 109 million kilometers across Indonesia, contributing to the reduction of approximately 20.9 thousand tons of CO2 emisssions, equivalent to the annual carbon absorption capacity of more than 964 thousand trees. As the company continues to expand, Green SM remains focused on supporting driver capability development and service quality initiatives to support safer and more reliable mobility experiences. Safety remains one of Green SM’s core operational priorities, spanning driver training, service standards, and the overall customer journey across every ride.

Korlantas Polri, the national authority responsible for traffic management, law enforcement, and road safety education across Indonesia, is supporting the initiative as part of broader efforts to encourage safer and more disciplined driving practices nationwide.

This program marks an important first step in the collaboration between Green SM and Korlantas Polri. Both parties expect to explore additional initiatives in the future to promote responsible driving practices and contribute positively to Indonesia’s evolving transportation ecosystem.

Mr. Deny Tjia, Managing Director of Green SM Indonesia, shared: “Our driver partners represent Green SM in every journey they complete. Through this program, we aim to strengthen their practical driving skills, road safety awareness, and service professionalism, while continuing to elevate the overall customer experience across Indonesia. At Green SM, safety is not only an operational standard, but also a long-term commitment embedded in how we develop and deliver our services in Indonesia. We are honored to work with Korlantas Polri and hope this collaboration can create meaningful benefits for both our drivers and the wider community.”

Head of the Traffic Corps (Kakorlantas) of the Indonesian National Police, Inspector General Agus Suryonugroho, stated, “The training is part of an effort to promote road safety, security, order, and smooth traffic flow. This collaboration in enhancing driver capabilities is important as part of efforts to improve driver professionalism, as the driver aspect plays a crucial role. We hope this initiative can serve as a benchmark.”

Through this initiative, Green SM and Korlantas Polri aim to promote higher standards of responsibility and professionalism that benefit drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and the broader transportation ecosystem across Indonesia.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

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

About GSM & Green SM

GSM (Green and Smart Mobility) is a pioneering company in electric mobility, founded by Phạm Nhật Vượng. The company is building an integrated mobility ecosystem powered by VinFast electric vehicles, intelligent technology, and a professional operating network.

The GSM ecosystem currently consists of four core companies:

• Green SM – GSM’s all-electric ride-hailing brand.
• VinDT – the professional driver training and testing company.
• VinBus – the electric bus operating company.
• Green Future – the company providing electric vehicle rental solutions.

Green SM is GSM’s global all-electric ride-hailing brand, offering high-quality transportation services using a 100% electric fleet of cars and motorbikes. Combining smart technology with a professional driver network, Green SM delivers a mobility experience that is safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible.

Green SM currently operates in Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, and the Philippines, advancing GSM’s mission to provide safe and dependable green journeys for everyone while helping shape a more sustainable future for urban transportation worldwide.

Investors should be seeking advice on a possible US stock market correction as surging bond yields driven by the ongoing war in Iran pose a near-term risk to stock gains.

The high-end roundtable establishes a premium communication channel bridging Chinese manufacturing and U.S. hard technology. While U.S. representatives cover artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors and new energy vehicles, Hisense represents China’s sophisticated technology manufacturing with a multi-dimensional technological layout. Shattering the long-standing stereotype of a conventional home appliance maker, the company has built inimitable technological barriers in high-end display and smart home sectors, maintaining sustained technological iteration and undisputed global technological advantages in 2026.

Empowered by its end-to-end industrial chain capability, Hisense occupies an apex position in the global display industry. The company’s self-developed RGB-Mini LED technology achieves comprehensive leadership in R&D, mass production and technological iteration. Equipped with the pioneering Linglong 4-Core True Colour Backlight system and independently developed Hi-View AI image processing chip, Hisense’s 2026 latest UX series features 110% BT.2020 ultra-wide colour gamut, 10,000 nits peak brightness and 134-bit high-precision colour control, reproducing over 120 million distinct colours. With these innovations, Hisense now has a one-year technological head start over its competitors, enabling the enterprise to set industrial benchmarks and secure rule-making authority within the global display ecosystem.

Hisense remains an undisputed global pioneer in laser display technology, holding full independent intellectual property rights covering laser light sources, optical modules and terminal devices. Continuous investment in underlying optical research enables superior imaging performance with ultra-high contrast, eye-friendly visual comfort and wide colour gamut. The persistent technological edge reinforces Hisense’s dominant market share in the global laser TV industry, consolidating its status as an indispensable Chinese technological powerhouse in the high-end display landscape.

Beyond display technologies, Hisense expands its technological frontier in premium smart home appliances. The self-developed heat pump washing machine adopts an innovative four-in-one integrated heat pump structure, delivering low-temperature fabric-friendly washing and drying while significantly cutting energy consumption. As an original global energy-saving home appliance solution, it embodies Hisense’s green manufacturing philosophy and diversified R&D strength beyond display technology.

During the banquet, Jia Shaoqian engaged in in-depth dialogues with international tech elites regarding technological innovation, transnational industrial collaboration and eco-friendly intelligent manufacturing. The high-level face-to-face communication enhances mutual trust and cooperation potential between Chinese and U.S. technology enterprises. Adhering to a globalised development strategy, Hisense maintains steady overseas revenue and robust independent brand influence, with its technology-oriented products widely recognised across mainstream international markets.

The prestigious seating arrangement serves as compelling proof of global recognition for China’s high-end manufacturing industry. As a leading Chinese tech enterprise, Hisense has obtained equal diplomatic-level dialogue status within the world’s top technological circle. Moving forward, Hisense will consistently invest in independent R&D, continuously iterate RGB-Mini LED, laser display and heat pump appliance technologies, and actively explore global industrial cooperation. Committed to technological empowerment, Hisense will further strengthen the global influence and industrial voice of Chinese high-end manufacturing.

Visit hisense.sg to learn more about Hisense’s innovative products available now in Singapore.

Disclaimer: This article is an objective industrial observation without exaggerated promotional statements. All technical parameters are sourced from Hisense’s official 2026 product releases.

Hashtag: #Hisense

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

About Hisense

Founded in 1969, Hisense is a global technology group operating in 160+ countries, with a strong portfolio across TVs, home appliances, air-conditioning and commercial solutions. Recognised as one of the Top 2 TV brands worldwide, Hisense continues to strengthen its global presence through innovation, quality manufacturing and major international partnerships, including its role as an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026™

The Justice Department said the Anti-Weaponization Fund would be created as part of a deal resolving Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the unauthorised leak of his tax records. Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization will receive an apology but no monetary payment under the arrangement, while the lawsuit and related claims are being dropped.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the fund would establish “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress”. The administration has framed the move as a corrective mechanism for people it says were targeted under the previous Justice Department, including figures caught up in investigations linked to the 2016 Trump campaign, the January 6 Capitol attack prosecutions and other politically sensitive cases.

The decision immediately drew accusations from Democratic lawmakers, watchdog groups and legal experts that the fund could become a taxpayer-financed vehicle for rewarding political loyalists. Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, described it as a “slush fund”, while critics questioned whether the executive branch had legal authority to create a compensation mechanism of this scale without explicit congressional approval.

The fund’s figure, $1.776 billion, appears designed to echo the year of the Declaration of Independence. It will be overseen by a five-member commission, with most members appointed by the attorney general. The commission will be able to review claims, recommend payments, issue apologies and send confidential findings to senior Justice Department officials. Public disclosure requirements remain limited, raising concerns among oversight groups about transparency and political influence.

Trump’s lawsuit stemmed from the leak of confidential tax information by Charles Edward Littlejohn, a former IRS contractor who admitted disclosing tax records to news organisations. He was sentenced in January 2024 to five years in prison after pleading guilty to unauthorised disclosure of tax return information. The leak included Trump’s tax records and data relating to thousands of high-income taxpayers.

The publication of Trump’s tax information became one of the defining transparency battles of his first presidency. The records showed years of complex business losses, low federal income tax payments in some years and extensive financial entanglements across his real estate, licensing and hospitality ventures. Trump argued that the disclosure caused reputational and financial harm and that the IRS and Treasury Department failed to safeguard protected taxpayer data.

The settlement also ends claims tied to other disputes involving federal agencies, including grievances over the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago and investigations into alleged links between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russia. The Justice Department has maintained that the fund will not be limited to Republicans, though its stated purpose and political framing have made it inseparable from Trump’s long-running argument that law enforcement institutions were used against him and his supporters.

Supporters of the move say many defendants and investigation targets faced career damage, legal costs and public stigma before courts or prosecutors resolved their cases. They argue that existing legal remedies are too narrow, expensive and slow for people who believe they were subjected to politically motivated action by federal agencies.

Opponents counter that the plan bypasses normal appropriations procedures and risks undermining public trust in the Justice Department. They warn that compensating people connected to the president’s political movement through an executive-controlled fund could blur the line between legal redress and patronage. Several legal specialists have also questioned whether claimants whose prosecutions resulted in convictions or plea agreements could lawfully receive compensation without contradicting court records.

Intersec Saudi Arabia 2026 will run from 16 to 18 November at Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center, shifting into a larger venue format and expanding exhibition space by 40 per cent. The event is expected to draw more than 25,000 visitors and over 500 exhibitors, bringing together suppliers, regulators, policymakers, project owners and procurement teams across commercial security, homeland security, policing, fire and rescue, workplace safety and cybersecurity.

The scale-up reflects a broader shift in the Kingdom’s safety and protection market, where security systems are increasingly tied to urban development, transport networks, hospitality, entertainment districts, energy assets and data-led public infrastructure. Demand is moving beyond conventional guarding and surveillance into integrated platforms combining video analytics, access control, command centres, perimeter protection, emergency response systems, fire detection and digital monitoring.

Market forecasts point to sustained expansion. Saudi Arabia’s security market is projected to reach about $3.4 billion by 2030, supported by annual growth of just above 9 per cent. Fire and safety equipment demand is also rising, with projections for the wider market extending into the next decade as construction, industrial compliance and life-safety regulation shape procurement decisions. Estimates differ by market definition, but the direction of growth remains clear across fire detection, suppression, alarms, evacuation technology and integrated safety systems.

Organised by Messe Frankfurt Saudi Arabia, the 2026 edition is expected to feature companies including Bristol, NAFFCO, Axis, Genetic, Saudi Sicli, Al Alamya and Elm. Their presence signals the increasingly mixed character of the market, where regional fire protection specialists, global surveillance companies, software vendors and government-linked technology players are competing for contracts linked to public safety and operational resilience.

Riham Sedik, Exhibition Director of Intersec Saudi Arabia, said the move to Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center would allow the platform to grow in line with market demand and create stronger avenues for business engagement. She said the event would connect international providers with key public and private sector decision-makers as the Kingdom’s infrastructure and development pipeline advances.

The event will also host two CPD-certified conferences, the Future Security Summit and the Fire Protection & Technology Summit. More than 110 experts, policymakers and industry leaders are expected to take part in discussions on integrated security, fire protection, resilience, operational continuity and technology adoption. The conference programme is likely to give added weight to issues such as regulatory compliance, cyber-physical risk, emergency preparedness and the use of artificial intelligence in surveillance and response systems.

Saudi Arabia’s development agenda has created a wide procurement base for security and safety vendors. NEOM, Red Sea Global, Qiddiya, Diriyah, Riyadh’s urban expansion and hospitality-led projects all require layered protection systems across construction, commissioning and long-term operations. Airports, industrial zones, logistics hubs, ports, malls, hotels, hospitals and entertainment venues are also adding demand for systems that can meet tighter safety codes and higher public expectations.

Cybersecurity is becoming more closely linked to the physical security market. As buildings, cameras, sensors, alarms and access systems become connected, the risk profile has shifted from standalone equipment failures to networked vulnerabilities. Buyers are increasingly looking for platforms that combine physical protection with secure data flows, centralised monitoring and incident response capability.

Fire safety is undergoing a similar transition. Conventional fire extinguishers and alarms remain essential, but project owners are placing greater emphasis on addressable detection systems, suppression controls, smoke management, evacuation planning and compliance documentation. High-rise buildings, mixed-use districts, transport assets and industrial facilities require systems that can operate reliably under complex conditions and integrate with wider building management platforms.

The liquid restaking protocol, working with Aave and other ecosystem participants, has completed the burn of exploiter-linked rsETH on Arbitrum and begun restoring the token’s backing through a staged refill into the LayerZero OFT adapter on Ethereum mainnet. The recovery covers 117,132 rsETH, with funds drawn from the Aave Recovery Guardian and Kelp’s own recovery safe.

By May 15, Kelp said rsETH deposits and withdrawals had been restored across mainnet and layer-2 networks, with asset support fully reinstated. The protocol also updated its exchange rate to account for staking rewards accumulated during the suspension period, while related EIGEN rewards became available for users to claim.

The exploit took place on April 18, when attackers manipulated Kelp’s cross-chain rsETH route from Unichain to Ethereum. A forged inbound packet was accepted through a configuration that relied on a single decentralised verifier network attestation, allowing 116,500 unbacked rsETH to be released from the Ethereum-side adapter without a corresponding source-side burn.

The attacker then used the unbacked rsETH as collateral on Aave to borrow wrapped Ether, creating a wider liquidity shock. Aave froze rsETH markets after the breach, stressing that its own lending contracts had not been compromised. The damage, however, spread through collateral assumptions that underpin much of decentralised lending, leaving Aave exposed to bad-debt risk and forcing a coordinated recovery campaign.

The burn on Arbitrum marked the first major technical step in repairing the imbalance. The remaining recovery plan centred on refilling the mainnet adapter over about two weeks, reopening withdrawals after the first tranche, and restoring deposits, redemptions, bridging and claims once contracts were reactivated.

Kelp has introduced tighter security measures following the breach. The bridge setup now requires four independent attestors rather than one, block confirmations have been increased, and layer-2 to layer-2 transfer routes have been deprecated. The protocol has also begun shifting cross-chain operations towards Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, reflecting a wider industry push to reduce reliance on fragile bridge configurations.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of operational controls in decentralised finance. Blockchain security specialists have noted that no publicly identified smart-contract bug caused the loss. Instead, the failure centred on cross-chain verification design and infrastructure assumptions, an area that has become a recurring source of large-scale losses across digital asset markets.

LayerZero’s role in the incident has drawn particular attention because the exploit involved an rsETH route using its messaging infrastructure. The company has maintained that other integrations were not affected, while Kelp challenged attempts to characterise the breach solely as a configuration issue on its side. The dispute has highlighted a familiar problem in DeFi: responsibility can become blurred when protocol teams, bridge providers, security councils and lending markets all depend on shared infrastructure.

Aave’s role has also placed decentralised governance under pressure. Its recovery effort, known as DeFi United, was designed to stabilise affected markets and prevent broader contagion. Recovery assets were routed through a multisignature structure, while liquidated collateral connected to the attacker was sent to recovery-controlled wallets.

Arbitrum became central to the recovery after the attacker moved part of the proceeds onto the network. Its security council froze more than 30,000 ETH, worth around $70 million at the time, before governance approved transferring the assets towards the restitution process. That transfer then encountered legal complications in the United States, where claimants linked to earlier judgments involving North Korea sought to restrict movement of the funds. A court allowed the assets to be transferred to an Aave-managed wallet but barred their sale or further redistribution pending additional approval.

The exploit has also revived concerns over state-backed cyber activity targeting DeFi. Several security analysts have linked the attack to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, though formal attribution in crypto thefts can remain contested. The methods used in the breach fit a broader pattern of high-value attacks on bridges, validator infrastructure and operational weak points rather than conventional smart-contract flaws.

State Administration for Market Regulation said the agenda would focus on removing market barriers, promoting a unified national market, improving law enforcement practices and curbing destructive price wars that have weighed on corporate margins. The measures form part of a broader policy push to reassure entrepreneurs after years of regulatory tightening, weak domestic demand, a property downturn and intense competition across technology, retail and manufacturing.

Private firms remain central to China’s economic model, accounting for more than half of tax revenue, over 60 per cent of economic output, about 70 per cent of technological innovation, more than 80 per cent of urban employment and the bulk of registered enterprises. Beijing’s latest move signals that policymakers see the sector as essential to stabilising growth, sustaining jobs and advancing innovation under the 2026–2030 development blueprint.

The 34-point programme places particular emphasis on equal treatment for private and state-backed enterprises. Regulators are expected to expand checks on local protectionism, discriminatory procurement rules, hidden entry restrictions and administrative practices that prevent companies from competing across provincial borders. The objective is to make China’s internal market function more like a single national marketplace rather than a patchwork of local systems shaped by regional preferences.

Fair competition has become a sharper policy concern as price wars spread across food delivery, electric vehicles, e-commerce and consumer services. Authorities have described extreme discounting and subsidy battles as “involution-style” competition, a term used in China to describe intense rivalry that consumes resources without producing sustainable gains. Regulators are now seeking to distinguish legitimate competition from practices that damage suppliers, workers and smaller rivals.

The plan also strengthens the legal dimension of private sector support. It follows the Private Economy Promotion Law, which came into force in May 2025 and formally placed protections for private business within the legal system. That law sought to address long-standing complaints over unequal access to finance, arbitrary penalties, delayed government payments, inconsistent enforcement and barriers to participation in infrastructure and public procurement.

Beijing is under pressure to show that those commitments can be enforced beyond policy slogans. Private entrepreneurs have frequently complained that local officials apply rules unevenly, with smaller companies facing heavier compliance burdens than larger state-linked groups. The latest regulatory agenda calls for more standardised enforcement, fewer unnecessary inspections and better coordination among agencies, reducing the risk that overlapping regulatory demands disrupt business operations.

The emphasis on efficient regulation also reflects a change in tone after the sweeping crackdowns that reshaped China’s platform economy from 2020 onwards. Internet groups, education providers, fintech companies and delivery platforms faced tighter controls, large fines and abrupt policy shifts, weakening investor sentiment. Although authorities continue to insist that capital must operate within defined boundaries, the current message is more focused on predictability, confidence and growth.

Financial support remains another pillar of the wider policy framework. China has encouraged banks and financial institutions to increase lending to private firms, particularly in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, green technology, biotechnology and other strategic sectors. Large banks have announced multi-year financing pledges for the private economy, while policymakers have called for broader fundraising channels and lower financing costs for smaller enterprises.

The regulatory agenda fits into China’s 2026 economic strategy, which prioritises stable growth, stronger domestic demand, technological self-reliance and risk control. The government has set a growth target range of 4.5 to 5 per cent for 2026, lower than earlier expansion rates but still demanding at a time of weak household confidence, subdued inflation and pressure from external trade frictions.

Private firms are especially important in technology and advanced manufacturing, where China is seeking to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains. Companies such as Huawei, BYD, CATL, Tencent and Alibaba remain closely watched as indicators of the relationship between the state and enterprise sector. Beijing’s message to these firms is twofold: innovation is encouraged, but expansion must align with national priorities and regulatory boundaries.

Foreign investors will watch whether the new priorities translate into measurable changes. China has pledged to widen market access and improve the business environment, but concerns remain over data rules, cross-border flows, procurement access, security reviews and policy transparency. For multinational companies and domestic entrepreneurs alike, the credibility of the 34-point programme will depend on implementation by local authorities as much as central-level messaging.

The market regulator’s plan also gives Beijing a mechanism to address deflationary pressures caused by excessive competition. Food delivery platforms, online retailers and electric vehicle producers have all faced pressure from aggressive pricing campaigns. While consumers may benefit from lower prices, sustained discount battles can weaken profitability, reduce wages across supply chains and discourage investment in quality improvements.

Tokayev signed the decree on May 12, directing the government to prepare concrete proposals by June 1 for an initial pilot in secondary education. The wider national plan, covering 2026 to 2029, must be approved by July 1 and is expected to define how AI tools will be used in classrooms, how teachers will be trained, how school infrastructure will be upgraded and how pupils’ personal data will be protected.

The decree places Kazakhstan among a small group of states moving from experimental classroom technology projects to a nationwide AI mandate for school education. The policy is framed as part of a broader effort to strengthen human capital, narrow learning gaps and prepare students for a labour market increasingly shaped by automation, data science and machine-assisted decision-making.

Schools selected for the pilot are expected to receive technical equipment, including stable high-speed internet access, by August 1. By September 1, authorities are due to approve official standards governing the use of AI in secondary education. A separate professional development plan for teachers is also expected by the same date, with the government stressing that AI should act as an additional educational tool rather than replace teachers’ professional role.

The initiative is likely to involve personalised learning systems, AI-supported assessment, digital content aligned with national curriculum standards and tools to help teachers identify gaps in pupils’ understanding. Officials have also been instructed to ensure that content generated or delivered through AI complies with state education requirements, a signal that the government is aware of the risks of inaccurate material, bias and overreliance on automated platforms.

A central feature of the plan is the attempt to reduce disparities between urban and rural schools. Kazakhstan’s education system has long faced uneven access to high-quality teachers, broadband connectivity and modern learning resources, particularly outside major cities such as Astana, Almaty and Shymkent. AI systems could help standardise access to tutoring, language learning and adaptive exercises, but only if the infrastructure gap is addressed before large-scale deployment.

Regional administrations in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and the country’s regions have been instructed to prepare local implementation plans by August 1. These plans must be synchronised with the national roadmap and include organisational measures for both the pilot and the wider rollout. Oversight of the decree has been assigned to the Presidential Administration, underlining the political importance attached to the programme.

The government is also expected to draw on recommendations from Kai-Fu Lee, the AI investor, author and former technology executive who serves on Kazakhstan’s Council for the Development of Artificial Intelligence. His involvement adds an international advisory element to the project at a time when governments are competing to build domestic AI capacity while managing risks around privacy, misinformation and job disruption.

Kazakhstan has been positioning itself as a Central Asian technology hub, with Astana promoting digital government services, AI development, start-up ecosystems and cross-border technology partnerships. The school decree follows that trajectory by moving AI policy beyond industry and public administration into compulsory education, where the impact will be broader and more politically sensitive.

Implementation will be challenging. Teachers will need training not only in how to use AI tools but also in how to question their outputs, protect pupils’ data and prevent automated systems from weakening basic learning skills. Schools will need clear guidance on acceptable classroom use, academic honesty, assessment integrity and the balance between machine support and human instruction.

Under the MOUs, international partners are expected to establish EV service workshops that meet VinFast’s global standards in their respective markets. VinFast will ensure uniform, high-quality service through globally-standardized technician training and certification programs, consistent operating procedures and quality control systems, as well as a parts supply network targeting delivery of common spare parts within 24 hours in key markets.

The new agreements are part of VinFast’s long-term strategy to develop a comprehensive EV ecosystem aligned with its international standards, covering aftersales services, charging infrastructure, and customer support. This expansion is expected to further accelerate the transition to electric mobility while ensuring VinFast customers receive support throughout the entire product lifecycle.

VinFast’s international strategy is built on the operational foundation and aftersales capabilities it has already proven in Vietnam. By the end of 2025, VinFast had developed nearly 400 service workshops nationwide, bringing its total global network to nearly 800 facilities.

Building on this foundation, VinFast aims to expand to more than 1,100 service workshops globally in 2026, spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The network will be deployed through multiple models, including dealerships serving retail customers, fleet and transportation business clients, and third-party local service workshop partners.

At the same time, VinFast is implementing a range of customer support policies, including repair time commitments in Vietnam, replacement vehicle support in international markets, as well as battery inspection, software updates, and technical support throughout the ownership experience.

As part of the conference, international partners also visited VinFast’s manufacturing complex and the broader Vingroup ecosystem to gain deeper insights into VinFast’s production capabilities, operational scale, and global growth strategy.

Mr. Bui Viet Hung, Deputy CEO of Global Aftersales of VinFast, said: “Our goal is not simply to expand the network, but to build a customer-centric aftersales ecosystem that delivers an outstanding experience on a global scale. Through partnerships with experienced local operators and the application of VinFast’s global standards, we aim to provide aftersales services that are exceptional, responsive, and reliable. We also aspire to bring Vietnam’s five-star service culture and spirit of dedication to the world, creating a unique experience for international customers. That is VinFast’s long-term commitment to the transition to electric mobility.”

In addition to expanding its aftersales operations, VinFast continues to develop an integrated EV ecosystem that includes products, services, and charging infrastructure through partnerships with strategic partners such as V-Green and local charging infrastructure operators. Through this partner network, VinFast aims to develop a system of more than 1.5 million charging ports globally, helping expand access to charging infrastructure and deliver a seamless, convenient EV ownership experience for customers in international markets.

Hashtag: #VinFast

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

About VinFast

VinFast (NASDAQ: VFS), a subsidiary of Vingroup JSC, one of Vietnam’s largest conglomerates, is a pure-play electric vehicle manufacturer with the mission of making electric mobility more accessible to everyone. VinFast’s current product portfolio includes a wide range of electric SUVs, electric motorcycles, electric bicycles, and electric buses.

VinFast is entering its next phase of growth by rapidly expanding its global distribution and dealer network while strengthening manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on key markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Learn more at: https://vinfastauto.com