FIFA president Gianni Infantino has abandoned a proposal to sell a stake in the World Cup’s commercial operations to private investors after opposition from football authorities threatened to fracture the global game. Infantino confirmed that the FIFA Forward Enterprise project “will not proceed”, acknowledging that it had created divisions that were no longer compatible with the governing body’s stated aim of uniting and developing football. The reversal […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Lebanese authorities have arrested former central bank governor Riad Salameh at a hospital north of Beirut after he failed to appear for questioning in a widening investigation into the alleged misuse of Banque du Liban funds. Salameh was detained at Bhannes Hospital on Friday after investigators searched three addresses linked to him. An arrest warrant was issued when judicial officials concluded that he […]
Meta’s push to build artificial intelligence agents that understand users, remember personal context and complete everyday tasks is set to face an extensive European regulatory test as key provisions of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act become applicable. The company is developing increasingly autonomous versions of Meta AI capable of planning activities, shopping, finding information and acting across Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads. Meta describes the project […]
The European Union has invited bids to build as many as seven artificial intelligence gigafactories, launching a public-private investment drive worth more than €30 billion to expand Europe’s computing capacity and reduce its dependence on foreign technology providers. The facilities will combine more than 100,000 advanced AI processors with specialised software, secure cloud systems, high-speed networks, large-scale storage and energy-efficient data centres. They are designed to support […]
FIFA has abandoned plans to sell a stake in the commercial business surrounding its global tournaments after football associations threatened to boycott competitions and senior executives challenged the proposal’s secrecy. President Gianni Infantino confirmed that the governing body would not proceed with the project, acknowledging that it had created divisions across world football. The reversal followed opposition from UEFA’s 55 member associations and resistance from Concacaf, leaving […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia has established a multinational maritime defence coalition to protect commercial shipping and energy supply routes across the Red Sea, placing Riyadh at the centre of efforts to secure one of the world’s most vulnerable trade corridors. The kingdom will serve as the founding and leading state of the alliance and host its permanent headquarters. Representatives from 43 countries and the European […]
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 July 2026 – Green SM today officially launched its fully electric taxi service in Copenhagen, marking the company’s first entry into the European market. The launch represents an important milestone in Green SM’s international expansion, following the successful rollout and operation of its services across Vietnam and several Asian markets.
The launch ceremony was attended by Mr. Do Quang Thai, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Kingdom of Denmark, together with representatives from leading Danish organizations, including 3F, Dansk Erhverv, DPT and Carnegie Investment Bank, alongside strategic partners and industry stakeholders from the transport, technology, energy, finance and infrastructure sectors.
As one of the world’s leading cities in sustainable urban mobility, Copenhagen was chosen as Green SM’s first European market. Here, the company aims to complement the city’s existing transport network by offering another reliable, fully electric mobility option for residents and visitors alike.
In Denmark, the company operates a fully electric fleet of VinFast VF 6 and VF 8 vehicles, serving a wide range of everyday urban travel needs. Unlike many ride-hailing platforms that primarily connect passengers with independent drivers, Green SM directly owns and manages its fleet and oversees driver operations to help ensure consistent service quality and customer experience. During the initial phase of operations, Green SM will focus on establishing a reliable local operation, ensuring full compliance with Danish regulations, and continuously improving its service based on feedback from customers, drivers, and other stakeholders.
Delivering a safe, professional, and consistent customer experience begins with Green SM’s drivers. Before serving customers, every driver completes comprehensive training in road safety, customer service, operating procedures, and electric vehicle operation. Together with ongoing training and a robust local operations system, this helps ensure every journey reflects the high standards Green SM is committed to delivering.
Customers can book rides through the Green SM app, available on the App Store and Google Play. Fares are displayed before each trip is confirmed, and electronic receipts are issued automatically at the end of every journey. To mark its launch in Copenhagen, Green SM is offering new customers five (5) vouchers worth 25% off each trip, up to a maximum discount of 100 DKK per ride throughout the Grand Launch period from July 30 to September 30, 2026.
Richard Nabil Chahine, CEO of Green SM Europe, said: “Cities shape the future of mobility long before companies do. Copenhagen is one of those cities. That is why beginning our European journey here carries special meaning for Green SM. We come with deep respect for the standards already established here, drawing on what we have learned from serving millions of journeys across Asia. Our ambition is simple: to become a trusted mobility partner by delivering safe, professional and fully electric journeys that people can rely on every day. If we earn that trust, growth will naturally follow.”
Green SM’s expansion into Europe reflects the company’s long-term approach to international growth. Rather than prioritising rapid expansion, Green SM focuses on building well-structured local operations, adapting its services to local market needs, and earning trust through consistently reliable service.
With its fully electric fleet and low-emission operating model, Green SM hopes to contribute to Denmark’s long-standing ambitions for more sustainable mobility while providing another practical transport choice for everyday journeys.
Founded in Vietnam in 2023, Green SM currently operates in Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Kazakhstan. Through its fully electric fleet, technology platform and consistent operating standards, the company is steadily expanding internationally while adapting its services to local market needs.
Hashtag: #GreenSM
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
By Dr. Gyan Pathak National Convention of Workers and Farmers has called for a nationwide protests on August 10 as part of immediate programme of action against the anti-workers and anti-farmers policies of the Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have resolved organize demonstrations at state and district levels through several form of […]
Masdar and Montenegro’s state power utility have moved a planned 2-gigawatt renewable energy partnership into execution, signing agreements for two solar plants and exploring large-scale pumped hydro storage. Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, known as Masdar, and Elektroprivreda Crne Gore, or EPCG, will jointly develop the 115-megawatt Štedim solar photovoltaic project and the 35-megawatt Krupac solar plant. The agreements cover 150 MW of initial generation capacity under […]
Joins a limited group of 30 EU banking institutions to offer Crypto-Asset Services under the new legal framework, bridging traditional finance with the digital asset economy.
LISBON, PORTUGAL – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 July 2026 – Bison Bank has become the first bank in Portugal to operate directly as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the European MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation, consolidating its position at the forefront of financial innovation. Bison Bank’s CASP activity will be undertaken through the merger of its fully owned subsidiary, Bison Digital Assets (BDA), already approved by the Bank of Portugal. The move follows a journey that began in 2022, when BDA became the first bank-owned Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Portugal.
“We were pioneers three years ago when we realized the future of banking would involve integrating digital assets. Now, with a clear and solid European framework like MiCA, we are bringing this area into the heart of the bank,” states António Henriques, CEO of Bison Bank. “The CASP license and the merger realize our vision for the bank of the future: a single, regulated entity with the robustness of a bank and the agility of the crypto world.”
Bison Bank’s CASP license, along with the integration of BDA, which in 2025 served approximately 275 clients and handled traded volume of €165 million, positions the bank to accelerate its on-chain strategy. The new CASP structure offers institutional clients simplified access to custody, exchange and advisory services for crypto-assets under a bank-grade compliance and risk management framework. It also supports new products, including the recently launched EUB and USB E-money tokens (stablecoins), and future real-world asset (RWA) tokenization solutions.
This strategy is backed by the bank’s strength. Bison Bank closed 2025 with recurring net profit of €5 million, doubling the previous year, and a CET1 capital ratio of 38.5%, amongamong the highest in European banking. Its leadership in digital assets was recognized with the “Portugal’s Best for Digital Assets” distinction at the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2026.
Bison Bank, S.A. is a Portuguese bank providing Private Banking, Depositary Bank, Corporate Advisory and Digital Assets services to individual and institutional clients, connecting European and global markets.
Bison Digital Assets S.A. is the first Virtual Asset Service Provider licensed by the Bank of Portugal and fully owned by a Portuguese bank, offering digital asset custody and exchange services.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai A claim that the United States and the UAE have launched their first joint military artificial intelligence initiative under the name Task Force Talon Synapse has circulated online, but no official announcement confirming the programme could be identified. The assertion, promoted by the social media account BRICS News, described the purported project as a new bilateral defence effort. However, neither the US Department […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai International Financial Centre has surpassed 10,000 active registered companies for the first time, sustaining rapid growth despite war-related disruption, weaker regional confidence and pressure on several parts of Dubai’s economy. The number of active companies operating from DIFC reached 10,018 at the end of June, up 30 per cent from a year earlier. The centre attracted 2,318 additional active businesses over the […]
Louvre Abu Dhabi has placed Pierre-Auguste Renoir’s celebrated double portrait of Berthe Morisot and her daughter Julie Manet on display for a year, bringing one of the Abu Dhabi Collection’s most significant Impressionist works into the museum’s permanent galleries. Painted in 1894, the oil-on-canvas work depicts Morisot, a founding figure of Impressionism, seated closely beside her teenage daughter. The portrait combines the intimacy of a family image […]
Europe’s tougher digital-asset rules are creating conditions for a new wave of mergers and acquisitions as crypto companies seek licences, compliance expertise, customers and stronger links with established banks. The European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, known as MiCA, entered a decisive phase on July 1, when the final transitional arrangements expired across the bloc. Crypto exchanges, custodians and other service providers can no longer rely on […]
Fast-moving wildfires forced about 92,000 people from their homes and holiday accommodation across southwestern France and central Spain on Friday, as intense heat, dry vegetation and shifting winds overwhelmed containment lines. French authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire Cap Ferret peninsula on the Atlantic coast after flames advanced through pine forests west of Bordeaux. Thousands of residents and tourists left through the peninsula’s only main road, […]
Abu Dhabi Festival has announced its full 2026 programme, bringing leading orchestras, opera singers, ballet companies, jazz musicians and contemporary artists to the capital for a season running from October 10 to December 19. The festival’s 23rd edition will be presented under the theme “The Wisdom of Culture”, with performances staged at Etihad Arena, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, the Cultural Foundation, Sorbonne University Abu […]
Google has been fined €890 million for breaching European Union competition rules by favouring its own services in search results and restricting app developers from directing users towards cheaper payment options. The European Commission imposed two penalties under the Digital Markets Act, marking the first sanctions against Google under the bloc’s flagship legislation aimed at curbing the power of dominant technology platforms. A €460 million fine covers […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia’s Air Connectivity Program has signed an agreement with premium leisure airline beOnd to explore direct flights between Red Sea International Airport and six major European cities. The proposed all-premium services would connect the Red Sea tourism destination with London, Paris, Moscow, Milan, Munich and Zurich. The memorandum of understanding was signed during Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Farnborough International Airshow 2026, […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 July 2026 – Watsons, the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson, today announced the launch of Watsons Evergreen, as part of AS Watson’s 185th anniversary celebrations. To elevate its significance and create a consistent and credible expression across markets, Watsons partnered with the Pantone Color Institute™, the world’s leading authority on colour. Combining Watsons’ rich heritage with Pantone’s expertise, the collaboration helped define and articulate a global brand asset that captures the essence of Watsons and its vision for the future.
A Colour That Brings the Brand to Life Watsons Evergreen is a vibrant blue-green hue that symbolises everyday vitality, care and reassurance, reflecting Watsons’ purpose of helping customers LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. As a distinctive visual identity, it creates a shared language that connects Watsons markets worldwide.
From Watsons’ logo and store design to merchandising displays, digital channels and Own Brand products, Watsons Evergreen has long been a familiar presence across customer touchpoints. The Watsons Evergreen campaign will roll out across 16 markets, including Asia, Europe and the Middle-East, through a series of customer and community activations, as well as a curated range of products, reinforcing the brand’s long-standing connection with customers and communities around the world.
Celebrating a Heritage of Trusted Care At the heart of the initiative is a simple belief: Watsons has always been there for customers and will continue to be for generations to come.
For 185 years, Watsons has supported customers in their everyday health needs, beauty routines and wellbeing moments, whether in-store or online. Watsons Evergreen reflects this enduring relationship, serving as a symbol of consistency, trust and care in an ever-evolving world.
Jared DeGuzman, Customer Director of Watsons International, said, “For 185 years, Watsons has helped customers feel healthier, happier and more confident in their daily lives. Watsons Evergreen captures that role in a simple yet powerful way. By partnering with Pantone, we’ve transformed our iconic brand colour into a global symbol of vitality, care and wellbeing that will connect customers across every Watsons market.”
Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute™, added, “Watsons Evergreen captures the essence of a brand that has stood the test of time while continuing to grow and evolve. It is a colour that speaks of vitality and longevity, and of a deep, lasting connection to the customers and communities Watsons has served for generations.”
As Watsons marks this milestone anniversary, Watsons Evergreen stands as both a reflection of its rich heritage and a symbol of its forward-looking vision – uniting past and future in one distinctive expression of the brand.
Hashtag: #ASWatson
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Watsons
Watsons is the leading O+O (Offline plus Online) health and beauty retailer in Asia, currently operating 8,000 stores and more than 1,500 pharmacies in 16 Asian, European and Middle-East markets.
Watsons is named as the No.1 Personal Care and Beauty retailer in Asia*, providing personalised advice and counselling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. Watsons is the flagship health and beauty brand of AS Watson Group.
Launched in 2019, Watsons’ Asia One Pass rewards our customers with local-member privileges and enables them earn points when they shop with Watsons in ten markets in Asia including Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Türkiye and the Philippines.
*Campaign Asia-Pacific’s Top 50 Brands survey with 10,000 respondentsacross 6 Asian countries
About AS Watson Group
Established in 1841, AS Watson Group is one of the world’s longest-standing and most recognised retail companies with roots in Asia. Today, the company operates over 17,000 stores across 12 retail brands in 31 markets, employing 130,000 people globally. This makes AS Watson Group the largest international health and beauty retailer in the world.
In the fiscal year 2025, AS Watson Group reported revenue of over US$26 billion. The company’s technology-enabled O+O (Offline plus Online) platforms serve over 6 billion shoppers annually, seamlessly integrating physical and digital retail experiences.
AS Watson Group supported over 180 charitable and non-profit organisations every year, dedicating over 40,000 hours of volunteer work to serve over 370,000 people in need in our operating markets.
AS Watson Group is also a member of the world-renowned multinational conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, which has four core businesses – ports and related services, retail, infrastructure and telecommunications in over 50 countries.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai DP World has agreed to develop and operate two new terminals in Fujairah under a 50-year concession, expanding the UAE’s cargo-handling capacity and creating a deep-water gateway with direct access to the Gulf of Oman. The agreement in principle with Fujairah Ports Authority covers the Al Rugaylat container and multi-purpose terminal and the Dibba General Cargo terminal. The projects will be developed in […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Airlines should adopt a globally consistent method for calculating and displaying flight emissions as travellers and corporate customers demand clearer carbon information, the International Air Transport Association has said. The industry body is pressing carriers, booking platforms, travel agencies and regulators to use comparable operational data rather than competing calculation models that can produce sharply different estimates for the same journey. The absence […]
The European Commission has fined Alibaba-owned AliExpress €550 million, or about $629 million, for failing to control the sale of illegal, unsafe and counterfeit products on its online marketplace. The penalty, announced on July 20, is the largest imposed under the European Union’s Digital Services Act and marks a significant escalation in Brussels’ enforcement campaign against global technology and e-commerce platforms. Regulators said AliExpress had not adequately […]
ADNOC has approved a $6.2 billion investment to develop the Umm Shaif Gas Cap, advancing Abu Dhabi’s plans to raise natural gas production and expand supplies for domestic and international customers. The offshore project is expected to produce more than 600 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas and associated gas liquids by 2030. That volume is equivalent to almost 10 per cent of the […]
A US federal judge has ordered Paramount Skydance to suspend its proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery for at least 14 days, giving a coalition of states time to pursue claims that the transaction would unlawfully weaken competition across film, television and streaming markets. US District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the temporary restraining order in Oakland, California, preventing the companies from completing or implementing the merger until […]
www.aswatson.com/our-company/o-and-o-strategy/
