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The Kospi closed 1.79% lower at 6,788.88, shedding 123.49 points and snapping a three-session advance. Samsung Electronics dropped 3.38% to 257,000 won, while SK hynix fell 4.45% to 1.653 million won as investors locked in gains following an earlier technology rally fuelled by strong results from Nvidia. Foreign and institutional investors sold a combined 2 trillion won of Seoul-listed shares, while retail investors were net buyers.

The retreat highlighted growing caution over valuations in artificial intelligence-linked stocks. Nvidia had jumped nearly 9% in the previous Wall Street session after delivering strong quarterly results and indicating that spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure remained robust. The performance initially lifted technology stocks across the region, but enthusiasm faded in Seoul as attention shifted towards interest rates and the outlook for global bond yields.

Warsh’s first keynote address as Federal Reserve chair at the annual Jackson Hole symposium became the central focus for markets. Investors were looking for guidance on how the central bank would respond to persistent inflation pressures and whether policymakers were moving closer to raising borrowing costs. Interest-rate futures before the speech indicated roughly a one-third probability of an increase at the September meeting, with markets pricing in a move by December.

Bond markets have become particularly sensitive to Federal Reserve communication after longer-term Treasury yields climbed amid concerns that inflation could remain above target. The 30-year US Treasury yield was around 5.2% on Friday after briefly exceeding 5.3%, its highest level since 2007. The 10-year yield stood near 4.67%, while the two-year yield was about 4.23% before Warsh addressed the gathering.

Elsewhere in Asia, market performances were mixed. Japan’s Nikkei advanced around 0.5%, supported by technology shares and inflation data that reinforced expectations of further monetary tightening by the Bank of Japan. Tokyo consumer inflation for August remained close to the central bank’s 2% objective, keeping expectations of another interest-rate increase alive.

Taiwanese shares gained about 1.2%, benefiting more directly from Nvidia’s strong performance because of the island’s extensive semiconductor supply chain. Hong Kong shares moved slightly lower during part of the session, while mainland Chinese equities traded in a narrow range. The CSI 300 slipped about 0.1% at one stage and the Shanghai Composite edged higher, with investors also preparing for purchasing managers’ index data due next week.

Australia’s ASX 200 gained around 0.5%, while Singapore’s Straits Times Index advanced modestly. The Nifty 50 also moved higher as technology shares supported a rebound after two sessions of losses. Regional investors nevertheless avoided large positions as the direction of US monetary policy remained the dominant influence on risk appetite.

Currency markets were similarly restrained. The dollar index hovered around 99.1 and was on course for a weekly gain. The Australian dollar performed strongly after hotter inflation data led traders to reassess the interest-rate outlook, touching a three-month high near $0.72 and extending what was set to become a ninth consecutive weekly advance.

Oil prices provided some relief for equities after falling sharply during the week. Brent crude traded around $89.6-$89.7 a barrel and was heading for a weekly decline of more than 5%, partly reflecting developments involving Iran and Oman over administration of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Lower energy prices eased one source of inflation concern, although geopolitical risks remained embedded in commodity markets.

Gold slipped towards $4,590 an ounce as traders awaited clearer signals on US rates. The broader MSCI Asia-Pacific index outside Japan was little changed, showing how the powerful Nvidia-led technology trade was being offset by uncertainty over monetary policy, elevated chip valuations and higher bond yields.

The reserves increased by $12.42 billion in the week ended August 21, extending their rise for an eighth consecutive week. The latest accumulation pushed the stockpile above the previous record of about $728.5 billion reached in February and marked an increase of roughly $63 billion over eight weeks.

Foreign currency assets, which form the largest part of the reserves, rose by $9.48 billion during the week to $591.33 billion. Gold reserves climbed by $2.80 billion to $114.22 billion, reflecting valuation gains as well as changes in reserve holdings.

Special Drawing Rights increased by $112 million to $18.85 billion, while the country’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund rose by $26 million to $4.93 billion. Total reserves were $38.22 billion higher than at the end of March and about $38.61 billion above their level a year earlier.

The sharp build-up follows measures introduced by the Reserve Bank of India in June to strengthen capital inflows during a period of pressure on the rupee and heightened uncertainty in global financial and energy markets. The steps provided favourable foreign-exchange swap arrangements for overseas deposits and borrowing programmes, encouraging banks and companies to bring additional dollars into the country.

Nearly $73 billion was mobilised through the programmes between early June and August 21, with foreign currency non-resident bank deposits accounting for about $65 billion. The scale of the response prompted the central bank to bring forward the closure of the special swap facility linked to these deposits.

Deposits mobilised until August 31 remain eligible under the scheme, while banks can complete qualifying swaps with the central bank until September 11. Facilities supporting external commercial borrowings and overseas foreign currency borrowing are scheduled to remain available until December 31.

The programme allows eligible foreign-currency funds to be swapped with the Reserve Bank of India, enabling the central bank to absorb dollars while supplying rupee liquidity to participating institutions. The structure reduces hedging costs for banks and borrowers and has made overseas fund-raising more attractive at a time when global borrowing conditions remain demanding.

Banks have also stepped up offshore debt issuance. Union Bank of India returned to the dollar bond market this month after a 12-year absence, raising $600 million through three-year and five-year securities. State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda have also raised dollar funds, while other lenders have used international financial centres and overseas markets to secure foreign-currency financing. Banks collectively raised more than $11 billion through offshore bond issuance from June into August.

The inflows have helped stabilise the rupee after months of pressure from portfolio withdrawals, elevated oil prices and uncertainty surrounding global interest rates. The currency ended Friday at about 95.38 to the dollar, gaining around 0.3% over the week as dollar supplies increased ahead of the closure of the deposit window.

The Reserve Bank of India has continued to intervene in foreign-exchange markets to limit excessive movements rather than defend a specific exchange rate. Its enlarged reserves provide greater capacity to sell dollars when needed while absorbing incoming foreign currency when supply becomes unusually heavy.

The strengthened reserve position is particularly significant because India remains dependent on imported crude oil and other commodities priced in dollars. A larger foreign-exchange buffer can soften the impact of sudden increases in energy prices, capital outflows or global market disruption, although sustained intervention can also influence domestic liquidity.

External risks remain substantial. Oil prices have stayed elevated amid geopolitical disruptions, while changes in US monetary policy could influence capital flows towards emerging markets. A stronger dollar or higher US interest rates could again increase pressure on the rupee and other Asian currencies.

For policymakers, the surge in reserves also creates a balancing challenge. Large dollar purchases add rupee liquidity to the financial system, potentially requiring the central bank to absorb excess funds through other instruments. At the same time, allowing the rupee to strengthen too sharply because of temporary inflows could affect exporters and create greater currency volatility once those flows diminish.

• IFPHK x YF Life: Hong Kong–Macau Retirement Expense Indexrises to 131.6 — Monthly Spending Reaches HK$15,090
• Retiree Living Costs Have Risen Nearly 3 Times Faster Than General Inflation Since 2020

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 27 August 2026 – The Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong (IFPHK), in collaboration with YF Life Trustees Ltd. (YF Life Trustees), today launched the “IFPHK x YF Life: Hong Kong–Macau Retirement Expense Index” (Index). While the Index has been tracking retiree living expenses since its inception in 2020, this year marks the first time IFPHK and YF Life Trustees have partnered to expand the study to cover both Hong Kong and Macau, providing a broader regional benchmark.

The findings show that retiree inflation in Hong Kong has continued to outpace general inflation. The Index rose to 131.6 in 2026, up from 127.0 in 2023 and 100 in 2020, while average monthly spending increased to about HK$15,090 in 2026. On an annualised basis, the Hong Kong Retirement Expense Index grew by more than 5% per annumfrom November 2020 to May 2026, compared with about 1.8% per annum for Hong Kong’s Composite CPI over the same period, showing that retiree living costs have effectively appreciated close to three times faster than Hong Kong’s general Composite CPI over the same period, underscoring how retirement-specific inflation — driven by travel and dining — is materially outpacing headline price trends.

Furthermore, the study reveals that more than 72% of retirees carry at least one regret regarding their retirement preparation. Most commonly, respondents feel they should have started saving or investing earlier and learned about financial planning sooner, while many continue to express concerns about medical costs, inflation, longevity risk and the risk of outliving their savings.

Dr. Paris Yeung, Chief Executive Officer of IFPHK, stated: “The findings show that satisfaction alone does not mean retirees are fully prepared. More than 72% say they have regrets, and the most common regrets point clearly to the need to start saving, investing and planning earlier. At the same time, retiree inflation has been rising faster than headline inflation, which means future retirees need more robust and flexible plans to protect their purchasing power over time. Through this expanded collaboration with YF Life, we aim to provide deeper regional insights to help future retirees plan with greater confidence.”

He added: “Turning regret into action requires starting earlier, integrating healthcare protection into retirement planning, viewing MPF as a steady retirement paycheck, and engaging qualified financial planners to address estate planning gaps. More importantly, retirement planning should shift from a rigid, set-and-forget approach to a flexible plan that adapts to each retiree’s evolving needs—what we call moving from a ‘fixed plan’ to a ‘flexible, evolving strategy’. Our goal is to help future retirees achieve sustainable and wellplanned golden years.”

Mr. Alvin Tse, Chief Executive Officer of YF Life Trustees, stated: “As the exclusive Project Sponsor of this expanded regional study, YF Life is proud to collaborate with IFPHK on this critical benchmark for Hong Kong and Macau. The 2026 data clearly shows that while retirees desire active lifestyles, they are heavily squeezed by medical inflation and the fear of outliving their wealth. To bridge this gap, retirees must shift away from viewing retirement savings as a static lump sum. By maximizing the flexibility of the MPF through phased withdrawals and mixed-asset strategies, alongside pairing them with lifetime annuity-style income streams and robust medical protection, individuals can effectively convert accumulated assets into a predictable, lifelong paycheck. True financial peace of mind comes from building an integrated fortress that safeguards against both market volatility and longevity risk.”

Key Highlights of the Study:

• Retiree Inflation Has Outpaced General Inflation: The Index rose from 100 in 2020 to 131.6 in 2026, with average monthly retiree expenses increasing to about HK$15,090 and the Index growing at more than 5% per annum versus about 1.8% for Hong Kong’s Composite CPI for the same period. This escalation is driven partly by travelling and cross‑boundary transport—with roughly four out of five retirees visiting GBA Mainland cities and spending about RMB 1,100 per trip. This suggests that general inflation figures may understate retirees’ actual cash‑flow needs, highlighting the importance of planning for inflation‑protected retirement income and periodically rebasing budgets using a retiree‑specific living expense index rather than general CPI so they can maintain their intended post‑retirement lifestyle.
• Retirees’ Satisfaction Masks Ongoing Financial Anxiety and Planning Gaps: Although many retirees report being satisfied with their current retirement life, concerns remain widespread, with 51% worrying about unexpected medical expenses, 41% about inflation and 77% still lacking any form of estate or asset planning. This suggests that retirees should turn present satisfaction into future resilience by building healthcare and contingency reserves, setting clear drawdown rules to manage longevity risk, and putting in place basic estate and incapacity documents such as wills, enduring powers of attorney and advance directives well before potential health or family crises arise.
• Conservative Spending but Widespread Regret—Especially Among Asset‑Rich Retirees
  Actual retirement spending remains conservative, with average retirement expenses in 2026 equal to about 49% of pre‑retirement income. Yet more than 72% of retirees say they would have done something differently in preparing for retirement, most notably saving or investing earlier, learning financial planning earlier and communicating more openly with family about money and care needs. This pattern emphasizes that future retirees should start disciplined saving, investing and family financial discussions much earlier, even when their asset position appears comfortable.
• MPF Transitioning Toward Income Support: While most eligible retirees still treat MPF as a lump sum, with about 76% having fully withdrawn their benefits in 2026, the scheme is gradually shifting toward an income‑support role, as 22% now use MPF to fund monthly expenses, up from 12% in 2023. Retirees are encouraged to treat MPF as part of a structured retirement income strategy, considering phased withdrawals, annuity‑style income solutions, and planned drawdowns rather than a single cash‑out, converting accumulated MPF assets into a more predictable and sustainable retirement paycheck.

Hashtag: #IFPHK #YFLife #RetirementPlanning

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

About “IFPHK x YF Life: Hong Kong–Macau Retirement Expense Index”

The “IFPHK x YF Life: Hong Kong–Macau Retirement Expense Index” was jointly launched in 2026 by the Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong (IFPHK) and YF Life Insurance International Limited. Since 2020, the Index has been the only long-term, retirement-specific benchmark tracking retirees’ actual living expenses. As the first study of its kind by IFPHK, the Index tracks and measures long-term changes in retirees’ actual living expenses with reference to the Composite Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the expenditure weightings published by the Government.

In the Hong Kong survey conducted in June 2026, NielsenIQ (NIQ) interviewed 304 retirees aged 55 to 74 with monthly personal income of at least HK$20,000 before retirement and not receiving means-tested social security or charitable support.

About IFPHK

IFPHK was established in June 2000 as a non-profit organization for the fast–growing financial industry. The Institute is the sole licensing body in Hong Kong authorized by Financial Planning Standards Board Limited to grant the much-coveted and internationally recognized CFP® certification and AFP® certification to qualified financial planning professionals in Hong Kong and Macau. Currently there are more than 236,000 CFP certificants in 29 regions; the majority of these professionals are in the U.S., China, Japan, Canada and Brazil. As at 28 February 2026, Hong Kong had approximately 3,238 CFP certificants.

At present, IFPHK has 5,298 members in Hong Kong including 956 Qualified Retirement Adviser (QRA) holders; and represents financial planning practitioners in diverse professional backgrounds such as banking, insurance, independent financial advisory, stock broking, accounting, and legal services.

About YF Life Trustees Ltd. & YF Life

YF Life Trustees is a member of YF Life Insurance International Limited (YF Life), and was among the first group of institutions approved as a Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme trustee. The company specializes in providing MPF services and is committed to creating long-term value for its scheme members.

The major indirect shareholders* of YF Life Insurance International Limited (“YF Life”) include Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (“MassMutual”), which itself has over 170 years of experience and is one of the Five Largest US Life Insurance Companies**, as well as Yunfeng Financial Holdings Limited, among others. YF Life is a long-term strategic partner of Barings. We stay at the forefront of Hong Kong’s insurance industry with our superior global investment capabilities, extensive partnership network, and fintech innovation.

* MassMutual and Yunfeng Financial Holdings Limited have indirect shareholdings in YF Life.
** The “Five Largest US Life Insurance Companies” are ranked according to the results of “Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)” and “Insurance: Life, Health (Stock)”on total revenues for 2025, and based on the FORTUNE 500 as published on June 3, 2026.

Packaging Empire was established in response to demand from businesses seeking one partner for both requirements. The Gift Empire has supplied customised corporate gifts and promotional gifts since 1999 to organisations including Amazon, Citibank, Maybank, Shopee, and Microsoft, and receives orders through GeBIZ, Ariba, and Coupa, the procurement systems used by Singapore government agencies and large corporate buyers. Accounts of that size have traditionally run separate vendors for promotional gifts and presentation packaging, which adds cost and complicates delivery schedules when both elements are tied to the same campaign date.

The division produces gift boxes, mailer boxes, retail packaging, product sleeves, and event packaging, covering product launches, corporate events, gift-with-purchase campaigns, festive gifting, roadshows, retail applications, and brand activations. Demand for everyday corporate gift items such as custom canvas tote bags and custom water bottles in Singapore has grown alongside the shift, and these are frequently ordered with matching boxes or sleeves timed to the same launch. Clients ordering both now work to a single production timeline under one supplier.

For buyers, consolidating the two functions changes how a project is run. A client briefs one team and works to a single production timeline, so the gift item and the packaging it ships in are scheduled against the same delivery date instead of being tracked as two jobs. Colour matching and print finishing are handled within one production process, which keeps branding consistent between the item and the box it arrives in. Quality control covers both components at the same stage, and any delay sits with a single point of accountability. Volumes across gifts and packaging can be quoted together instead of being priced by two vendors working to separate minimum order quantities. For procurement teams, a single supplier also means one vendor record to maintain and one invoice per campaign, which is a practical consideration for government agencies and large corporations buying through GeBIZ, Ariba, or Coupa.

The Vietnam operation serves a dual function. Alongside supplying Vietnamese businesses through its local platform, the office gives The Gift Empire direct presence in one of the region’s largest manufacturing bases, where a significant share of the product it already sources is made. Vietnam’s electronics sector contributed over 35 per cent of the country’s total exports in 2025, reaching a record US$165 billion, according to Vietnam Briefing. Working on the ground allows closer collaboration with manufacturing partners and tighter oversight of production and quality control. The company expects this to shorten lead times for its Singapore and Malaysia clients and reduce its exposure to disruption in any single supply market.

Vincent Lau, Sales Manager at The Gift Empire, said the changes came out of client requests and not a shift in the company’s focus.

“Most of our work is still corporate gifting for clients here in Singapore, and that has not changed. What has changed is that more of them want one team handling the gifting and the packaging instead of coordinating two suppliers against the same deadline, because when the packaging runs late, the whole campaign moves with it. Vietnam happened at the same time for a practical reason, which is that a lot of the manufacturing we already source from is there, and being on the ground changes how quickly we can sort things out.” – Vincent Lau, Sales Manager, The Gift Empire Pte Ltd

The two developments give The Gift Empire a broader service range and a wider sourcing base within the same quarter, with Singapore continuing as the primary market for its corporate gifting and packaging work. The direction Lau has set out for the company is to operate as a single-source provider for corporate gifting and packaging across Southeast Asia, where a client in any of its markets briefs one team and works to one production timeline supported by a regional sourcing network.

Hashtag: #TheGiftEmpire

https://giftempire.com.sg/

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

About The Gift Empire

Founded in 1999, The Gift Empire Pte Ltd is a Singapore-based one-stop provider of customised corporate gifts, promotional gifts, and branded packaging. With more than 25 years of industry experience, the company supplies SMEs, multinational corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, banks, hotels, and event agencies, and is registered on GeBIZ, Ariba, and Coupa. Its services span sourcing, design, quality control, logistics, and fulfilment, with a catalogue of over 400 branded products available with custom logo application. The Gift Empire operates in Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, and its packaging division, Packaging Empire, delivers bespoke packaging for corporate and retail applications.

The Group continued to accelerate the large‑scale commercial deployment of its AI capabilities, building system‑level AI capabilities around the framework of “one model system, one Token Factory, and one Agent Harness” to advance AI from intelligence generation toward end‑to‑end task execution and transform these capabilities into scalable commercial value.

Dr. Xu Li, Chairman of the Board and CEO of SenseTime, said: “SenseTime’s three-pillar core capability framework, built around ‘one model system, one Token Factory, and one Agent Harness’, uses a unified model system to continuously push the boundaries of intelligence, leverages infrastructure and optimization capabilities to reduce Token costs and strengthen cost‑based pricing power, and deploys agents deeply integrated into enterprise and individual workflows to deliver complete task execution capabilities. This framework enables SenseTime to move beyond pure price competition and create sustainable commercial value through differentiated technologies and services. At the same time, it allows us to expand our user base, drive recurring revenue growth, and lay a solid foundation for the Group’s high‑quality development.”

One Model System: Advancing Native Multimodal Intelligence and Long‑Horizon Agents with Global Leading Performance

In 2026, SenseTime released a series of models at a rapid pace, spanning native multimodal unification, visual perception and reasoning, controllable generation, long‑horizon agents, spatial intelligence, and physical world models. These included the NEO‑Unify architecture; SenseNova U1, U1.5 and U1.5‑Lite; SenseNova Vision; the office‑focused multimodal agent SenseNova 6.8‑Flash‑Lite; the content creation model SenseNova U1‑Pro; the spatial intelligence model SenseNova SI‑8B; and the Kairos 3.1 world model co‑developed with Ace Robotics. Across multiple core benchmarks, these models matched or outperformed leading international models, including Gemini, GPT, and DeepSeek. Less than four months after the U1 series was open‑sourced, the three projects had collectively garnered more than 11,000 stars on GitHub.

SenseTime is advancing from digital intelligence toward physical AGI through the closed‑loop framework of “architectural innovation, system capabilities, and high‑value delivery,” continuously translating technological breakthroughs into real-world applications and commercial value.

Token Factory: Upgrading from Compute Provisioning to Scaled Intelligence Production

SenseTime’s SenseCore is evolving into a production‑oriented Token Factory. Through integrated model and infrastructure optimization, as well as capabilities in model adaptation, inference optimization, heterogeneous scheduling, energy management and global service delivery, the Token Factory not only expands Token output and lowers unit costs, but also continuously enhances the reasoning, understanding, generation, and execution capabilities embedded in each Token.

In July 2026, SenseCore delivered an average daily Token service volume of 2.4 trillion, representing a YoY increase of approximately 22 times. As of the date of this announcement, the Group’s total deployed computing power had reached 48,000 Petaflops (P).

The Token Factory provides strong support for SenseTime in advancing the performance boundaries of its foundation models and scaling their commercial deployment. It has tripled the training speed for long‑context Agent models, increased image and video generation efficiency sixfold, improved reinforcement learning training efficiency, and shortened the cycle from model R&D validation to large‑scale deployment to just one week. In addition to supporting the SenseNova foundation model, the Token Factory now serves four external foundation model providers, establishing differentiated capabilities across high‑complexity computing domains, including AI for Science (“AI4S”), video generation, embodied intelligence, world models, and city‑level intelligent applications.

In addition, the Group remains committed to advancing the domestic compute ecosystem, increasing the MFU (Model Floating‑Point Utilization) of mainstream domestic chips by up to 2.5 times compared with the baseline levels established by chip manufacturers. SenseNova U1 has achieved Day 0 adaptation across more than ten domestic chip platforms.

Through compute‑energy synergy, the Company continues to reduce the unit cost of intelligence. During the Reporting Period, its Compute‑Energy Synergy Agent achieved load forecasting accuracy of 96% and generated cumulative electricity cost savings of more than RMB12 million. For every 10,000P of computing power, annual carbon emissions were reduced by 24,000 tons.

Agents Accelerate Adoption Across Enterprise and Consumer Markets, Delivering Value Through Workflow Integration and Enhanced Everyday Experiences

Building on its model and Token capabilities, SenseTime connects models, knowledge, tools, and workflows through a unified Agent Harness, transforming underlying AI capabilities into end-to-end task delivery solutions for enterprise and individual users.

The Group’s agents are rapidly expanding across both enterprise and personal workflows. During the Reporting Period, they served more than 1,000 enterprise customers across over 20 key industries, including education, government, marketing, logistics, banking, and insurance. The Office Agent, Raccoon, has served major enterprises including Lenovo, Ping An Technology, China’s three major telecommunications operators, JD.com, and Kylin Software. Total users increased more than fivefold YoY, enterprise users grew more than sixfold, and monthly active users on the cloud platform increased nearly tenfold. In addition, the video‑generation agent Seko reached a daily video production volume of 10,000 minutes. Content created on the platform has amassed an estimated 1.5+ billion views across short‑video platforms, including 10 short-form dramas that have each surpassed 100 million views. AI productivity solutions are also expanding beyond large organizations to serve smaller teams and One‑Person Companies (OPCs). In the consumer market, the Kapi series of agents, covering use cases such as health, finance, and content creation, has surpassed 45 million cumulative users.

Computer Vision remains a strategic gateway for the Group’s expansion into industry verticals and overseas markets. During the Reporting Period, revenue from the business reached RMB500 million, accounting for approximately 17% of the Group’s total revenue. The business extended across more than 20 countries and regions and served more than 4,500 customers worldwide, with recurring customers contributing 67% of revenue.

Bridging Digital and Physical Intelligence, Unlocking Ecosystem Value

SenseTime continued to invest in frontier areas, including world models and embodied intelligence, intelligent terminals, smart healthcare, and chips. The increase in the valuation of certain AI ecosystem investments generated fair‑value gains, contributing to the Group’s first‑ever IFRS profit and reflecting the gradual realization of financial value from our ecosystem assets. Beyond short‑term investment returns, the more significant long‑term value of these ecosystem investments lies in enabling the Group gain early access to frontier domains, continuously acquire real‑world tasks, data, and feedback, and further strengthen SenseTime’s unified multimodal models and system‑level delivery capabilities.

SenseTime is deepening its “Three-pillar Framework”: one model system to raise the ceiling of intelligence and expand agents’ ability to handle complex tasks; one Token Factory to improve quality and efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance global delivery capabilities; and one Agent Harness to integrate multimodal models with the Token Factory, enabling AI to complete end‑to‑end tasks in real-world scenarios.

Looking ahead, SenseTime will continue to advance the iteration of multimodal agents, driving the evolution of the Token Factory from pricing based on Token volume to pricing based on task outcomes. The Group will also deepen the application of multi‑agent collaboration across enterprise, individual, and OPC workflows, delivering efficient and reliable productivity solutions to users.

Hashtag: #SenseTime

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

About SenseTime

Founded in 2014, SenseTime is a leading artificial intelligence (AI) software company, committed to its mission of “creating a better AI-empowered future through original innovation”. The Company continues to lead cutting-edge AI research while accelerating the large-scale commercialization of AI technologies.

Leveraging deep academic expertise and strong in-house innovation capabilities, SenseTime continues to enhance its industry-leading multimodal, multi-task general AI capabilities, while fostering a vibrant developer ecosystem through structured open-source initiatives.

SenseTime’s business spans Generative AI, Vision AI, and emerging innovation-driven segments. Underpinned by SenseCore, its next-generation AI infrastructure, the Company integrates computing power, algorithms, and platforms to enable scalable AI deployment. Building on this foundation, SenseTime has developed the SenseNova foundation model series, delivering cost-efficient capabilities across a wide range of general AI tasks. SenseTime continues to lead the global Vision AI market, ranking No.1 worldwide by market share. Its SenseFoundry platform integrates years of accumulated computer vision expertise with advanced multimodal foundation models, providing stable and efficient Vision AI solutions to industries worldwide.

SenseTime is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, with operations spanning more than a dozen countries and regions.

By Subrata Majumder In the post Japanese Yen appreciation era, Japanese overseas investment shifted to China and ASEAN for low-cost manufacturing, leaving India behind. The trajectory is now witnessing movement in the reverse gear, owing to US President Trump’s high reciprocal tariff. Japanese investment has surged in India, leaving China and ASEAN behind. While Japanese […]

The article Trump’s high-tariff regime revives Japanese investment in India appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Running from July to October under the theme “Shanghai Summer, Join the Family Fun,” the international consumption season brings together payment networks, banks, hospitality groups and mobility providers to improve the visitor journey.

As a global strategic partner of Shanghai Summer, Visa is expanding its payment-friendly network across the city. Visa’s contactless “Tap to Pay” experience covers dining, accommodation, transport, tourism, shopping and entertainment. Visa data shows that in the first quarter of 2026, offline card spending by international visitors in Shanghai increased by more than 50% year-on-year, while transaction volumes rose by more than 60%.

China UnionPay is expanding its support for international visitors through the Nihao China App, an all-in-one digital platform combining payments, transportation, travel information and multilingual services. Available in more than 160 countries and regions, the app allows users to top up with international Visa or Mastercard cards and pay via UnionPay QR codes at more than 100,000 merchant locations. It also supports metro and bus travel in Shanghai, real-time translation, navigation and instant tax-refund services.

Bank of China Shanghai Branch has launched an upgraded Tax Refund 2.0 programme during Shanghai Summer. The initiative expands tax-refund services into hotels, supermarkets, restaurants, attractions and international talent service centres, supported by integrated POS refund functions and self-service tax-refund machines.

For travellers navigating the city, Shanghai Pass combines transportation, sightseeing and merchant benefits in one product. The card can be used across Shanghai’s metro, buses, ferries, suburban railways, Maglev services and taxis, while cardholders can access privileges at nearly 150 merchants.

Jin Jiang International is taking a similar integrated approach through its “2026 Jin Jiang ∞ Journey, Shanghai Summer” programme, combining hotels with cultural attractions, dining, guided city experiences and family entertainment. Its Shanghai Gourmet Passport 2.0 also connects dining, hotels and cultural experiences for international travellers.

Together, these products are making payment, transport, tax refunds, hotels, dining and attractions more connected — helping international visitors move more freely, pay more simply and experience more of Shanghai.

Hashtag: #ShanghaiSummer

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

Financial pressures and burnout emerge as key challenges to life preparedness according to Etiqa Insurance Singapore Life Preparedness Survey 2026

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 August 2026 – Only 49% of Singaporeans feel prepared for the next decade, despite 76% already taking action to improve their financial wellbeing, health and future readiness. The findings, unveiled in Etiqa Insurance Singapore’s Life Preparedness Survey 2026, reveal a disconnect between Singaporeans’ confidence about the future and the proactive steps they are taking today.

This survey, conducted by Kantar in May 2026, tracks indicators of life preparedness across body, mind, money, and future among 1,017 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 18 and above.

These findings highlight a growing preparedness gap across these dimensions, suggesting that being prepared today requires more than financial discipline alone. It calls for resilience and ability to navigate uncertainty and changing demands in life.

Key findings of the survey include:

• Financial security emerged as the single strongest definition of preparedness, with 68% of Singaporeans identifying it as the most important factor in being future ready. Nearly half of Singaporeans (47%) cite lack of money as their biggest barrier to life preparedness, significantly ahead of lack of knowledge (20%), lack of time (16%), and lack of motivation (15%).
• 68% of Singaporeans expressed readiness to take action to improve their life preparedness. They are most likely to start or increase savings (55%), exercise regularly (49%), spend more quality time with loved ones (38%), improve sleep habits (37%), and learn a new skill or take a course (33%).
• 76% of Singaporeans have already taken action to address their concerns for 2026. Some of the key concerns are financial worries (49%), conflict issues (32%), lack of exercise (30%), and limited time to upskill (28%).

Life preparedness takes a back seat for older mid-life Singaporeans

One in three (39%) Singaporeans aged 45 to 54 are not ready to take action to improve their life preparedness. Among this group, 24% prioritise managing household finances, while 21% are most concerned about planning for their future care needs.

These findings point to the pressures faced by Singapore’s mid-life population, where financial responsibilities and future caregiving concerns compete with longer-term planning. As competing demands increase, broader life preparedness goals such as improving health, building resilience, and preparing for the future can take a back seat.

Burnout emerges as a key challenge to future life preparedness

Over half (56%) of Singaporeans reported experiencing burnout in the past year, with one in five feeling burned out “very often”.

Burnout begins early in life, affecting 44% of Singaporeans aged 18 to 24. For the 18 to 24 age group, burnout is driven primarily by uncertainty about the future (49%), financial worries (43%), and workload or job demands (43%).

Despite these pressures, 42% of Singaporeans aged 18 to 24 identified wealth accumulation as their top focus area for 2026. This highlights a generation striving to build long-term stability despite elevated levels of mental and emotional strain.

Avoidance of future-planning conversations continues to hinder life preparedness

Many Singaporeans are uncomfortable discussing future care needs, finances and legacy planning with their families. Only 21% of Singaporeans have had open and detailed discussions with their family about these topics. Among Singaporeans aged 55 and above, 13% prefer to handle these matters on their own, reflecting a desire for independence and self-reliance when planning.

The findings suggest there is an opportunity to encourage earlier and more open conversations around future care, finances, and legacy planning to help reduce uncertainty and improve long-term preparedness.

Life Preparedness to navigate life’s uncertainties

“Financial readiness remains an important foundation, but resilience today also requires stronger support systems and more open conversations around long-term planning. People are more likely to take meaningful action when they feel supported, informed and empowered,” said Ms Claudia Soh, CEO, Etiqa Insurance Singapore.

“Our findings show that Singaporeans are taking positive steps to improve their financial wellbeing, health and future readiness, yet many still lack confidence about the future,” added Ms Soh.

“Life preparedness today is not just about financial discipline. It is about having resilience, support and flexibility to navigate life’s uncertainties, from rising living costs and caregiving responsibilities to health challenges and career transitions. Strengthening preparedness therefore requires building positive daily habits and longer-term planning horizons that help people feel more confident about the future.”

Etiqa Insurance Singapore life preparedness programmes

Etiqa Insurance Singapore supports the community through a range of initiatives focused on improving financial literacy, emotional wellbeing, and future planning. Through community outreach programmes, educational workshops, and accessible insurance solutions, Etiqa Insurance Singapore aims to help Singaporeans build greater confidence in navigating financial, emotional, and lifestyle challenges while preparing for the future.

The full Etiqa Insurance Singapore Life Preparedness Survey 2026 can be accessed here. For more information on our products and services, please visit us at www.etiqa.com.sg
Hashtag: #Etiqa

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

About Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. (Etiqa Insurance Singapore)

Protecting customers since 1961, Etiqa Insurance Pte. Ltd. (EIPL) is a life and general insurance company licensed and regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and governed by the Insurance Act 1966. Having protected customers in Singapore since 1961 under the name United General Insurance Co. Sdn. Bhd., the company transitioned into the Singapore branch of Etiqa Insurance Berhad in 2009. Today, EIPL in Singapore stands as the pivotal operating entity of Etiqa Insurance Group, a leading insurance and takaful provider in ASEAN.

EIPL offers a comprehensive range of life and general insurance products accessible through its diverse distribution channels, including bancassurance, agents, brokers, financial advisers, partnerships, direct and online sales via Tiq by Etiqa. Etiqa is rated ‘A’ by credit rating agency Fitch for the group’s ‘Favorable’ business profile. The company is a member of the Maybank Group.

Etiqa Insurance Singapore Life Preparedness Survey 2026

The Etiqa Insurance Singapore Life Preparedness Survey was conducted in collaboration with Kantar in May 2026, surveying 1,017 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 18 and above. This study delves into the attitudes, perceptions, and behaviours of Singaporeans, with a focus on life preparedness across body, mind, money, and future.

By TN Ashok The much-awaited political reunion between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal appears to have hit the rocks even before the two former allies could formally sit down to negotiate a seat-sharing formula for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election. The problem is not ideology. Nor is it the bitter history […]

The article BJP-SAD alliance shaky as BJP claims big brother role appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

The financing is a key milestone for TW1 Empyrion Digital’s strategy of developing high-quality digital infrastructure across Asia’s key markets.

Located in Neihu, Taipei, TW1 is a carrier-neutral colocation facility designed to meet Taiwan’s growing demand for reliable, scalable and well-connected digital infrastructure. The facility will offer colocation solutions to enterprise, cloud and digital infrastructure customers with the capacity and connectivity to support AI deployment alongside their evolving compute needs.

Teruo Iwamoto, Chief Financial Officer of Empyrion Digital, said:

“Closing this financing is another important step in our growth in Taiwan. It reflects the strong fundamentals of TW1 and our financing partner’s confidence in the project and Taiwan’s broader digital infrastructure market. We thank E.Sun Bank, our advisers and all our partners for their support throughout the financing process.”

E.Sun Bank, said:

E.Sun Bank is pleased to support Empyrion Digital in the financing of TW1. As AI, cloud computing and digital services continue to grow, resilient and high-quality digital infrastructure is becoming increasingly important to Taiwan’s digital economy. E.Sun Bank is committed to leveraging its financial expertise to support quality infrastructure projects with long-term development potential. We look forward to building a strong partnership with Empyrion Digital as TW1 progresses.”

The financing underpins the continued development of TW1 as Empyrion Digital advances its data centre portfolio across Asia. The company remains focused on delivering strategically located, high-quality colocation infrastructure to meet the region’s growing demand for AI, cloud, connectivity and data-intensive applications.

Empyrion Digital thanks E.Sun Bank, its advisers and the wider project team for their contributions to the successful completion of this financing.

Hashtag: #EmpyrionDigital

https://empyriondigital.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/empyrion-digital/

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

About Empyrion Digital

Empyrion Digital is a next-generation digital infrastructure platform committed to sustainable practices and operational excellence. Green-by-design, we develop and operate scalable, carrier-neutral AI-capable data centres for hyperscale and enterprise customers across Asia.

Headquartered in Singapore, Empyrion Digital is a portfolio company of Seraya Partners, a leading Asia infrastructure fund with USD 2.7 billion of assets under management.

For more information, visit www.empyriondigital.com.

The London-headquartered banking group said it will help qualifying customers integrate HKDAP into financial and commercial operations. Planned applications include money-market fund subscriptions, settlements with asset managers, transfers between entities within the bank’s international network and cross-border payments.

The move gives HKDAP a major banking distribution channel less than two weeks after Anchorpoint began its limited institutional rollout on August 12. The stablecoin, whose name stands for HKD At Par, is designed to maintain a one-to-one value with the Hong Kong dollar and is currently available through a controlled beta programme.

Standard Chartered is the majority shareholder in Anchorpoint, which was established with HKT and Animoca Brands. The venture received one of Hong Kong’s first stablecoin issuer licences in April, alongside HSBC, following the introduction of the territory’s Stablecoins Ordinance in August 2025.

Standard Chartered’s role as distributor is distinct from Anchorpoint’s function as issuer. Under Anchorpoint’s business-to-business-to-consumer model, authorised distributors provide access to the token after conducting customer onboarding and know-your-customer checks. That structure is intended to connect regulated tokenised money with banks, exchanges, asset managers, companies and, eventually, individual users.

Access remains restricted during the beta stage to corporates and professional investors. Anchorpoint aims to broaden availability to retail users as early as the end of 2026, subject to operational and market readiness.

HKDAP currently operates on the Ethereum mainnet. Its reserves are held under a trust arrangement for token holders, with Standard Chartered Trustee acting as trustee. The token does not pay interest and is not positioned as an investment product. Instead, it is designed as digital cash for payments, settlement and movement of funds.

Early activity remains deliberately limited. Anchorpoint disclosed circulation of HK$522,000 and transaction volume of HK$658,160 as of August 19, with reserve assets of about HK$1.62 million. Issuance over the preceding 30 days totalled HK$524,130, while HK$4,170 had been redeemed. The small amounts reflect the controlled institutional testing phase rather than a mass-market launch.

The distribution agreement nevertheless represents an important step towards commercial use. Standard Chartered plans to introduce additional HKDAP applications over the coming month, expanding beyond experiments into transactions that could demonstrate whether regulated stablecoins can reduce settlement times and connect conventional banking infrastructure with blockchain-based markets.

The bank has been accelerating its digital-asset strategy across several areas. It already provides institutional trading in deliverable spot Bitcoin and Ether, has expanded digital-asset custody services and has developed blockchain-based settlement and collateral arrangements. In July, it also launched integrated institutional access to Circle’s USDC minting and redemption infrastructure.

Standard Chartered’s scale could give HKDAP a distribution advantage. The group operates across 55 markets and reported total assets of about $993.4 billion at the end of June 2026, up from roughly $920 billion at the end of 2025. First-half operating income reached a record $11.6 billion, while pre-tax profit rose to $4.8 billion.

Hong Kong’s regulated stablecoin experiment is taking shape cautiously. The monetary authority has imposed capital, reserve-management, redemption, governance, anti-money-laundering and risk-management requirements on licensed issuers, seeking to distinguish supervised fiat-backed tokens from the less regulated stablecoins that dominate global cryptocurrency trading.

HSBC, the other initial licensed issuer, is preparing its own Hong Kong dollar stablecoin for launch during the second half of 2026. The entrance of two globally significant banks places Hong Kong among the jurisdictions attempting to develop regulated alternatives to dollar-denominated tokens such as USDT and USDC, which account for the overwhelming majority of global stablecoin activity.

HKDAP’s first commercial targets centre on areas where settlement speed can offer measurable benefits. Tokenised investment products can potentially be subscribed to and redeemed using programmable money without waiting for traditional banking hours. Cross-border corporate transactions and intragroup treasury transfers could similarly move continuously while maintaining a direct link to regulated fiat reserves.