News related to
First

At the center of VinDynamics’ showcases is Dyno, an intelligent humanoid robot designed to serve as a versatile assistant for modern living environments. Equipped with an advanced AI platform and a highly responsive environmental sensing system, Dyno is optimized for security and surveillance applications across urban areas, campuses, and integrated service complexes. The robot is also being developed as a household assistant capable of supporting a wide range of everyday tasks through its flexible arm span and dexterous object manipulation capabilities.

A key highlight at both ICRA 2026 and Computex 2026 is Dyno’s live demonstration as a robotic guide. The humanoid robot was previously piloted at Vinpearl Safari Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam’s largest semi-wildlife conservation parks. Operating in a demanding outdoor environment, Dyno demonstrated natural communication abilities, multilingual narration, and flexible responses to visitors’ questions, delivering a distinctive and engaging guest experience.

The pilot program at Vinpearl Safari showcased Dyno’s adaptability in real-world service scenarios and highlighted the potential of humanoid robots across tourism, hospitality, and customer service applications. Its ability to operate reliably in real-world environments, handle dynamic situations, and interact directly with people represents an important step toward future commercial deployment of humanoid robotics.

At both events, VinDynamics is also presenting a comprehensive robotics technology ecosystem developed by its team of Vietnamese engineers. In addition to the fully-integrated Dyno humanoid robot, the company is showcasing two high-value core components: a specialized actuator system and a robotic hand with internationally-benchmarked dexterity. VinDynamics is also introducing a dedicated AI training dataset optimized for real-world application scenarios.

Mastering the entire humanoid robotics value chain, from hardware to software and from mechanical design to artificial intelligence, stands as clear evidence of the research and development capabilities of Vietnamese engineers. VinDynamics’ efforts also provide a strong foundation for its global expansion strategy and long-term technology partnerships with leading technology corporations, research institutions, and international enterprises in robotics and AI. These initiatives will gradually position humanoid robotics developed by Vietnamese engineers more deeply within the global technology value chain.

Mr. La Manh Hung, Chairman of VinDynamics, said: “The introduction of Dyno at ICRA 2026 and Computex 2026 is not only an important milestone for VinDynamics but also reflects the aspirations of Vietnamese engineers to contribute to one of today’s most advanced technology fields. With the belief that humanoid robots will play an increasingly important role in daily life, VinDynamics is focused on developing practical technologies with people at the center.”

Founded in September 2025, VinDynamics is Vingroup’s pioneering humanoid robotics company, with a vision to develop versatile, human-centric robots capable of seamlessly integrating into everyday life and scaling globally. As the global humanoid robotics market is projected to reach tens of trillions of dollars by 2050, driven by rapid advances in AI, sensors, and automation, VinDynamics’ presence at ICRA 2026 and Computex 2026 further reinforces the pioneering role of Vietnamese enterprises in one of the 21st century’s most strategic technology trends.

Hashtag: #VinDynamics

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

About VinDynamics

VinDynamics is a technology company under Vingroup, dedicated to the research, development, and manufacturing of advanced robotics and automation solutions, particularly in the field of humanoid robots. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, mechatronics, and motion control, VinDynamics aims to deliver intelligent, safe, and cost-effective robotic products that enhance productivity and improve quality of life.

Learn more at: https://vindynamics.net/en

By Nantoo Banerjee Bangladesh’s involvement of China in the country’s US$ 1.5-billion Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) seems to have posed a significant geopolitical tension for India and its defence concerns. Dhaka made a formal request to China for the project during Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman’s recent visit to Beijing, reflecting a […]

The article Chinese Part In Bangladesh Teesta Project Alarms India appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

The May figure, based on provisional operational data for the month ended 31 May, came against a monthly target of 66.28 million tonnes. Coal offtake, the volume supplied to power utilities and other customers, rose 2.26 per cent to 66.18 million tonnes, showing that dispatches continued to outpace production as the company worked down inventories rather than pushing output at full pace.

The fall marks the second straight month of reduced production after April output dropped 9.7 per cent to 56.1 million tonnes. The pattern points to a deliberate balancing act by Coal India, which remains central to electricity security but is also facing the consequences of heavy stock accumulation at mines and the growing role of solar, wind, hydro and nuclear generation in meeting demand.

Coal India, through its subsidiaries, accounts for about four-fifths of domestic coal output. Its production in the first two months of the 2026-27 financial year stood at 112.19 million tonnes, below the target of 127.85 million tonnes. The company’s annual production target for the year is 815 million tonnes, a demanding goal at a time when the power market is becoming more seasonal and less dependent on continuous coal expansion.

Demand for coal has not collapsed. Peak electricity demand touched a record level of about 270.8 gigawatts in May as a severe heatwave lifted cooling needs across several regions. Coal-fired plants remain the backbone of the grid, generating more than 70 per cent of electricity despite the rapid expansion of non-fossil capacity. Yet the pressure on Coal India is no longer simply to mine more. It is to supply coal to the right locations at the right time while avoiding excessive stock build-up at pitheads.

Inventories have become a key concern. Coal stocks across the system stood at about 168 million tonnes in late May, including 47.6 million tonnes at power plants and 113.5 million tonnes at Coal India mine-heads. The company has said those reserves are enough for 19 days of consumption. Mine-head stocks were about 10 per cent higher than a year earlier, creating operational and financial incentives to moderate production while dispatches catch up.

The May subsidiary-wise data showed a mixed picture. Mahanadi Coalfields produced 14.26 million tonnes, about 20.1 per cent lower than a year earlier, while Northern Coalfields fell 23.69 per cent to 9.47 million tonnes. Bharat Coking Coal declined 25.51 per cent to 2.28 million tonnes. Western Coalfields dropped 8.4 per cent and Eastern Coalfields was down 3.63 per cent. South Eastern Coalfields was the exception, increasing output 4.53 per cent to 14.42 million tonnes, while Central Coalfields edged up 0.44 per cent to 6.2 million tonnes.

The company’s offtake profile was more resilient. Mahanadi Coalfields dispatched 18.34 million tonnes in May, up 5.77 per cent, while Central Coalfields rose 17.45 per cent and Eastern Coalfields gained 6.48 per cent. South Eastern Coalfields increased dispatches by 3.18 per cent. The weaker areas included Bharat Coking Coal, where offtake fell 16.16 per cent, and Northern Coalfields, down 8.44 per cent.

The wider power sector is changing quickly. Non-fossil fuel capacity reached 283.46 gigawatts by the end of March, including 150.26 gigawatts of solar, 56.09 gigawatts of wind, 51.41 gigawatts of large hydro and 8.78 gigawatts of nuclear power. Renewable energy additions in 2025-26 were driven mainly by solar, which has become a significant contributor during daylight peaks. Even so, the grid still leans heavily on coal after sunset and during periods when renewable output weakens.

That split has created a more complex operating environment. Coal India is being asked to ensure reliability during heatwaves, support power plants with low stocks and maintain supplies to non-power consumers, while policymakers are also pushing cleaner energy, storage and transmission upgrades. The result is a coal market where peak demand can be exceptionally strong even as average growth in coal consumption becomes less predictable.

Shares in Masayoshi Son’s technology investment group surged in Tokyo trading, lifting its market value to about ¥47.2 trillion, or roughly $296 billion, ahead of Toyota’s ¥45.7 trillion after the carmaker’s stock fell nearly 5 per cent. The move placed SoftBank at the top of Japan’s corporate valuation table for the first time in more than two decades and added momentum to a Nikkei 225 rally that pushed the index above 67,000.

The change is more than a stock-market milestone. It reflects how the AI boom has reshaped capital allocation in Japan, where investors are assigning higher value to companies with exposure to semiconductors, data centres, power infrastructure and generative AI platforms. Toyota remains one of the world’s largest and most profitable carmakers, but its valuation is now being weighed against a slower earnings outlook, tariff pressure, currency swings and the heavy cost of electrification.

SoftBank’s advance has been driven by a powerful combination of portfolio gains and expectations that its AI-linked holdings could generate fresh liquidity. The group’s exposure to Arm, the British chip-design company it took public in 2023, has become a key pillar of its market value. Arm’s technology is used widely across smartphones, cloud computing and increasingly AI-related chips, giving SoftBank a central position in the semiconductor supply chain.

OpenAI has become the second major driver of investor attention. SoftBank has committed tens of billions of dollars to the ChatGPT developer and is positioning itself as a core financier of AI infrastructure. Expectations that OpenAI could move towards a public listing have intensified interest in SoftBank’s asset base, even as analysts continue to debate how much of the group’s valuation depends on private-market pricing and future monetisation.

The latest surge followed SoftBank’s plan to invest up to €75 billion in AI infrastructure in France, including data centres and power-intensive computing capacity. The first phase is expected to involve about €45 billion of investment to build 3.1 gigawatts of capacity by 2031, with further expansion potentially taking the total to 5 gigawatts. The project places France at the centre of Europe’s push to develop sovereign AI infrastructure, helped by its nuclear-heavy power system and available industrial sites.

SoftBank is also moving to create public-market vehicles around AI infrastructure. SB Energy, its power and data-centre platform, is preparing for a potential US listing and has been linked to a valuation above $50 billion. The company is involved in large-scale power projects designed to support AI workloads, including a 1.2-gigawatt data-centre development in Texas. A separate robotics venture, Roze, is also being prepared for a possible listing, highlighting SoftBank’s attempt to build an ecosystem around energy, construction automation and computing capacity.

Toyota’s fall in ranking does not signal operational weakness. The carmaker reported operating income of ¥3.8 trillion for the financial year ended March 2026, supported by vehicle sales and pricing power despite tariff costs and rising expenses. It remains a global force in hybrid technology, production efficiency and supply-chain management. However, investors have become more cautious about its growth outlook as the auto sector faces higher regulatory costs, slower battery-electric vehicle adoption in some markets, and intensifying competition from China-based manufacturers.

The contrast between SoftBank and Toyota captures a broader reordering of Japan’s equity market. AI-linked names, chip suppliers and infrastructure companies are drawing strong inflows, while parts of the auto sector and older industrial groups face questions over margin durability. Kioxia, the memory-chip maker, has also climbed sharply this year, showing how investor enthusiasm has spread beyond SoftBank into companies tied to storage and high-performance computing.

The rally has strengthened the profile of Son, whose investment record has swung between spectacular gains and painful losses. SoftBank’s Vision Fund suffered heavy write-downs after the collapse in technology valuations in 2021 and 2022, while earlier bets such as WeWork damaged confidence in the group’s risk controls. Its comeback has been powered by a more concentrated AI narrative, but that also leaves the shares vulnerable if expectations around OpenAI, Arm or infrastructure listings are revised lower.

For details: https://www.eternal.hk/the-eternal-path-to-china/

Downloadable Photo: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1awiWHa161_BbmFiJVdW_dE8gIm7imaJV?usp=sharing

A Flagship Seminar with Industry Leaders

The flagship session, “Paving the Way to China Fragrance Market,” will take place on 5 June 2026 from 15:00 to 15:45 (CEST) at the Conference Hall on the Main Stage of Esxence 2026. A distinguished panel of industry experts will examine China’s economic landscape and fragrance market, offering practical and insight-driven perspectives on successful market entry strategies. The confirmed speakers are Mr. Stefano De Paoli, Italy Chief Representative of InvestHK; Mr. Haocong Weng, Director of the Xuelei Fragrance Museum; Ms. Wincy Tang, General Manager of Marketing and Partnership at Experience 11 Limited, and Ms. Cindy Chung, Director of General Affairs of Eternal Group.

Beyond the Seminar: A Full Suite of Brand Resources

Beyond the seminar, Eternal Group has curated a comprehensive suite of resources to equip brands with actionable intelligence and operational guidance. Six industry talks will be held at Business Lounge No. 8 with speakers from Hong Kong Productivity Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Loops Hong Kong, as well as expertise from Eternal Group. Topics will cover regulatory compliance, emerging marketing trends, and brand storytelling tailored for Chinese consumers. One-on-one consultations will offer bespoke advisory sessions with Eternal Group’s senior experts. In addition, attendees will have access to The China Market Entry Blueprint, a proprietary guide featuring market insights and consumer trend analysis, NMPA compliance pathways and formula testing requirements, localization best practices, as well as marketing, PR, and retail channel strategies across shopping malls, pop‑ups, and museums.

“For more than 40 years, Eternal Group has served as a trusted bridge for international fragrance brands navigating the complexities of the China market,” said Ms Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Group.”With ‘The Eternal Path to China’ at Esxence 2026, we are transforming complexity into clarity—providing strategic insights, trusted partnership and a clear pathway to market success. Whether a brand is taking its first step or strengthening its existing presence, we are here to guide its journey into the China market.”

Registration & Inquiries

You are invited to attend the seminar, industry talks, and exclusive briefings. To register or schedule interviews with speakers or Eternal Group representatives, please contact the PR & Corporate Communication Department at [email protected]. To register for the seminar, please visit: https://bit.ly/3PRfOrM.

Remarks:

To access both the Conference Hall and Business Lounge, please purchase a standard Esxence ticket on VivaTicket.com. The ticket includes exhibition access (first 3 days are open to industry professionals only; the final day is open to the public). Consumers may register by contacting: [email protected].

Hashtag: #EternalGroup

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

About Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 6883.HK)

Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Eternal Group) is the largest perfume group (apart from brand-owner perfume groups) in China (including Hong Kong and Macao) in terms of retail sales in 2023*. It primarily sells and distributes products procured from third-party brand licensors, and deploys market for these brand licensors, offering such services as brand management, and designing and implementing customized market entry and expansion plans for their brands. The Group boasts large and diversified brand portfolios that include not only perfumes, but also color cosmetics, skincare products, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. As at 31 March 2026, it conducted product distribution and market deployment for a total of 75 external brands, including Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Albion and Laura Mercier, with products in different pricing tiers and of versatile features that meet the differentiated demands of consumers in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and/or Macao. Website: www.eternal.hk

*Data source: Frost & Sullivan

About Esxence

Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event has been the International Artistic Perfumery Event since 2009, it represents for professionals and enthusiasts the opportunity to meet the real protagonists of this fascinating world of fragrances, where history and tradition combine with innovation and research. An exhibition area dedicated to excellence, together with a rich and interesting calendar of meetings and events, which offer to the public – last edition reached more than 10,000 attendees – a unique and unmissable experience. Website: http://esxence.com

Ancestral halls and the scholars who never left

In Shunde’s Yang’e Village in southern Guangdong Province, Julian and Absalom step into the cultural space of a community – once the Lu Ancestral Hall, where scholar Lu Cang founded an academy after retiring from office. It is a small village but home to 14 civil and military jinshi scholars during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, a reflection of its long-held reverence for education. A jinshi was the highest and most prestigious rank in China’s imperial civil service examination system – a scholar who passed the final court-administered exam. But the village’s living heritage does not stop at books. Here, the lion dance – an intangible cultural heritage item – passes down from old masters to children. “If they want to learn, we just provide the opportunity for the kids,” said lion dance coach Feng Jianhua. “So, they can carry forward our millennia-old culture.”

The village that gave the world kung fu

Few know Bruce Lee’s ancestral home stands in Jun’an, Shunde. Guangdong has long been the heartland of southern Chinese martial arts. Locals greet each other not with “Have you eaten?” but “Have you had your night porridge?” – a phrase that means “Have you been practicing kung fu?”

Luo Dezhi, a fifth-generation inheritor of Shaolin Wing Chun and Bruce Lee’s fellow disciple, has trained for over 50 years. “For a martial artist, virtue comes first, then a strong body,” he said. “Kung fu represents traditional Chinese culture – to strengthen the body, protect oneself, and help others.”

Soft gold from village waterways

A century ago, merchant He Mingshi shipped xiangyunsha – gambiered Canton gauze, known as “soft gold” – from Shunde’s villages down the Pearl River Delta to countries abroad, like Malaysia.

The saying goes: “A tael of gold for a tael of silk.” Today, this UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage is still made by hand. “It’s way harder than it looks,” Absalom said as he tried the process. Inheritor Chen Hongfa watched and smiled. From Shunde, Guangdong, the craft reaches the world.

UNESCO gastronomy inside towns

Shunde is one of only a handful of UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy worldwide. Within Guangdong – a province famous for Cantonese cuisine – Shunde is widely regarded as its birthplace. “About ten years ago, they converted this place into a food street,” a fish skin vendor said. Now, visitors come for crispy African crucian carp skin, fried milk (a recipe unchanged since 2002), and Shunde raw fish slices. “This is the best choice I’ve made this year so far,” Absalom said. “I would never imagine tasting this in a village.”

More than a series – a travel companion

Village Voyage is more than a television feature. It is a living travel guide – a “road book” that maps Shunde’s hidden gems through detailed itineraries, rich photo essays, and short-form videos. The series expands beyond the screen with guest vlogs and first-person POV footage, placing viewers directly into the boat, the kung fu training hall, and the bustling food street. For armchair travelers and policymakers alike, it offers an immersive, replicable vision of rural development. Whether you seek cultural roots, martial arts legacy, merchant wisdom, or the simple warmth of a village meal, this series delivers it all, through the quiet rituals of daily life: a bowl of porridge, a punch practiced at dawn, a piece of silk dried in sunlight.

An open, confident rural China is not a relic. It is a flight or train ride away.

Hashtag: #CGTN

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

The state-run Ceylon Petroleum Corporation increased the price of 92-octane petrol to 434 Sri Lankan rupees a litre from 410 rupees, while auto diesel rose to 407 rupees from 392 rupees. The revision adds to household and transport costs at a time when the island’s recovery from its 2022 debt default remains exposed to global energy shocks, a weaker currency and pressure on public finances.

The adjustment follows the IMF executive board’s approval of fresh funding under Sri Lanka’s $2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility, agreed in early 2023 after the country ran out of foreign exchange and suspended repayment on about $46 billion in external debt. The programme requires cost-reflective pricing for fuel and electricity, stronger revenue collection, improved governance and protection for vulnerable households as subsidies are gradually unwound.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has told the IMF that fuel subsidies will be phased out by September. The pledge marks a politically sensitive step for a government facing pressure from consumers, transport operators and small businesses that remain scarred by the shortages and inflationary spiral of 2022. Fuel pricing has become a central test of the administration’s ability to maintain reform commitments without provoking a deeper squeeze on living standards.

Sri Lanka imports all its petroleum requirements and also relies on imported coal for part of its electricity generation. That exposure has sharpened the impact of turmoil in the Middle East, where higher crude prices and disruption risks have increased the cost of energy imports. Petrol and diesel prices have climbed sharply since late February, while electricity tariffs have also been raised as part of the effort to prevent losses at state-owned utilities from spilling into the budget.

The price increase comes amid renewed inflation concerns. Headline inflation rose to 5.4 per cent in April from 2.2 per cent in March, reversing part of the disinflation that had helped stabilise the economy after the crisis. Fuel and transport costs are expected to feed into food distribution, public transport fares and logistics charges, with lower-income households likely to feel the effects first.

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka responded to the pressure last week with an unexpected 100-basis-point increase in its benchmark policy rate, lifting the overnight policy rate to 8.75 per cent from 7.75 per cent. The move was designed to contain inflation expectations, limit rupee depreciation and support external stability, though it also raised concerns that tighter credit could slow investment and consumption.

Foreign reserves fell 3.8 per cent in April to $6.7 billion, reflecting higher import costs and currency pressure. The IMF disbursement is expected to help rebuild reserve buffers, but the broader challenge remains keeping the external account stable while meeting fuel, fertiliser, medicine and food import needs. A sustained rise in energy prices could widen the import bill and complicate the government’s debt-restructuring path.

Economic growth is projected to slow to about 3 per cent this year after expanding 5 per cent in 2025. Tourism, remittances and improved fiscal management have supported the rebound, but higher interest rates and energy costs could weigh on activity. Businesses that depend on transport and electricity are likely to pass on part of the cost increase, while exporters face mixed effects from a weaker rupee and higher domestic input prices.

The fuel adjustment also revives debate over the balance between reform and relief. Cost-recovery pricing is intended to stop Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and the power sector from accumulating losses that would eventually require budget support. Critics argue that faster price transmission can deepen hardship unless social protection systems are strengthened and targeted cash transfers reach households most exposed to rising food, transport and utility bills.

Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Oslo’s decision had moved beyond a procurement setback and raised wider questions about trust in global relations. He argued that rules and agreements lose credibility when advanced economies can withdraw from signed deals after payments, integration work and delivery schedules have already been set.

Kuala Lumpur is seeking more than RM1 billion in compensation after Norway revoked approvals linked to the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace missile system intended for Royal Malaysian Navy littoral combat ships. Malaysia says it had paid about 95 per cent of the contract value before the reversal, which disrupted plans for weapons installation on ships already designed around the Norwegian system.

The dispute centres on the Naval Strike Missile, an anti-ship weapon produced by Kongsberg and selected under Malaysia’s long-delayed littoral combat ship programme. The original 2018 contract was valued at about €124 million and covered missiles for six vessels, while Malaysia has also referred to a second arrangement involving two additional naval platforms.

Norway has defended the decision as part of tightened export controls over sensitive defence technology. Its foreign ministry has said exports of some Norwegian-developed systems will be limited to allies and closest partners because of changes in the European and global security environment. Oslo has also said it values relations with Malaysia and wants continued dialogue, while Kongsberg has maintained that licensing decisions rest with Norwegian authorities.

Kuala Lumpur’s anger has deepened because the decision came after years of planning around the missile system. Officials say the financial claim includes direct payments and indirect costs, including work needed to remove or modify equipment already fitted to accommodate the system, integration of replacement weapons and retraining of personnel.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called Norway’s action unilateral and unacceptable, warning that signed contracts cannot be treated as disposable commitments. He has said the move could damage confidence in European defence suppliers if commercial and strategic agreements can be reversed without adequate safeguards for the buyer.

Khaled’s remarks have widened the argument from a bilateral dispute to a broader critique of defence procurement norms. He said smaller countries must ask whether powerful states can invoke shifting policy considerations after contracts have been finalised, leaving customers to absorb operational, financial and strategic consequences.

Malaysia’s immediate concern is the impact on the littoral combat ship programme, one of the country’s most politically sensitive defence projects. The programme began in 2011 with an initial plan for six vessels at RM6 billion but became mired in delays, cost escalation and allegations of mismanagement. The government later revived the project after a review, reducing the number of vessels to five.

The first ship, originally expected earlier, is now due for delivery in December 2026. The absence of the missile system adds another layer of difficulty to a programme already under scrutiny, though the defence ministry has said construction will continue while alternative missile options are assessed.

Replacing the Naval Strike Missile is not a simple procurement switch. Any substitute must be compatible with the combat management system, launch architecture, ship design, maintenance regime and training pipeline. Defence analysts have warned that retrofitting could raise costs and extend integration timelines, especially when warship systems have been configured around a specific weapon package.

Malaysia is also weighing the diplomatic cost of the dispute. Norway is not among Malaysia’s largest defence partners, but the controversy could influence how Kuala Lumpur assesses future purchases from Europe and NATO-aligned suppliers. Khaled has indicated that trust, technology transfer and support for Malaysia’s self-reliance goals will carry greater weight in future procurement decisions.

The episode comes as Southeast Asian states are modernising naval capabilities amid busier sea lanes, contested maritime zones and growing demand for precision strike systems. Malaysia has sought to strengthen its maritime posture while avoiding alignment with any major bloc, making reliability of suppliers a central issue in long-term planning.