Bitget chief executive Gracy Chen has said preliminary evidence indicates North Korean-linked hackers were likely behind a security breach that transferred about $387.5 million in crypto assets from the exchange’s wallets. The assessment remains unconfirmed, but Chen said investigators had identified internet protocol behaviour and on-chain patterns consistent with techniques used by known North Korean hacking organisations. Bitget has not publicly named a specific group, and the […]
NVIDIA and an international research coalition have made AI-predicted protein-complex structures from more than 2,800 viruses openly available, alongside a GPU-accelerated BioNeMo pipeline that researchers can use to generate structure predictions for their own targets. The dataset, released through the AlphaFold Database on September 24, focuses on viral families known to infect humans and is intended to give scientists a faster starting point for studying unfamiliar pathogens, […]
Green SM has begun pilot operations for its fully electric taxi service in Amsterdam, making the Netherlands its eighth market worldwide and its second European market after Denmark. The mobility company held a technical opening on September 25 and said the trial would initially cover Amsterdam’s Centrum, West and Zuid districts. Operations are planned to extend progressively to Oost, Noord, Nieuw-West and Zuidoost as the company tests […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Iran has floated a plan to dilute and transfer its stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 per cent to a third country, as Tehran seeks to break a diplomatic deadlock with the United States and secure a phased reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. People familiar with Iran’s position said the proposal would involve first reducing the enrichment level of the material and […]
By P. Sreekumaran THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The VD Satheesan-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government has temporarily stayed an order implementing minimum marks for classes VI-II, IX and X in the 2026-27 academic year. Implementation of minimum marks was one of the most significant and debated decisions of the previous LDF Government. The LDF had in 2024 approved […]
Both are appealing versions of life in the city. Choosing between them starts with understanding how you want your home to serve you. For buyers considering Dubai property, exploring different housing types within one developer’s portfolio can make that decision more concrete. Liam Real Estate’s guide to Binghatti properties brings together apartment projects such as Spectre and Wraith alongside the villa-focused Tilal Binghatti, offering a useful starting […]
Three-phase roadmap prioritizes photonics, power semiconductors, and sensors to advance the “Made in Thailand” chip initiative, targeting over 230,000 new jobs.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 September 2026 – Thailand has approved its first national strategy for the semiconductor and advanced electronics industry, establishing a long-term framework to build an integrated domestic ecosystem spanning chip research and design, front-end manufacturing, conventional and advanced assembly, packaging and testing, and high-value electronics applications.
Thailand Unveils First National Semiconductor Strategy
Approved on Thursday by the National Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics Policy Board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, the strategy targets about $80 billion in cumulative investment and about $150 billion in annual industry revenue by 2050. It also aims to create more than 230,000 new jobs under Thailand’s long-term “Made in Thailand” chip initiative.
“This is Thailand’s first comprehensive national framework for building semiconductor capabilities and moving the country into higher-value activities across the global supply chain,” said Mr. Ekniti. “It gives investors a clear view of our technology priorities, infrastructure commitments and workforce-development plan through 2050.”
The roadmap will be implemented in three phases. By 2030, Thailand will reinforce its established assembly and testing base, scale advanced packaging capabilities and lay the foundations for front-end wafer production. By 2040, it will seek more anchor investors in upstream activities, including chip design, wafer fabrication and advanced-technology manufacturing, to fill gaps in the supply chain. By 2050, Thailand aims to have a complete domestic supply chain. Thai companies are expected to grow into local champions that co-develop innovation and hold key positions in the chain.
The strategy identifies three priority technology platforms aligned with Thailand’s industrial strengths and global demand: photonics for artificial intelligence, data centers and high-speed communications; power semiconductors for electric vehicles, energy-storage systems and power grids; and sensors, building on Thailand’s micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) capabilities, for connected devices, automation, automotive, smart devices and medical applications.
Implementation will be supported through five coordinated mechanisms: tax incentives, grants and low-interest financing; high-skilled workforce development with industry and academic partners; upgraded research and chip-design infrastructure and partnerships between foreign and Thai companies; investment-ready infrastructure, including cluster sites, reliable water and electricity, clean energy and disaster-resilience systems; and regulatory reform and business facilitation for foreign investors and Thai suppliers including a broader market access through FTAs.
The board also approved a workforce program under the national strategy coordinated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation with universities, research institutes, industry and international partners. By 2030, the program aims to develop 86,600 people, including 84,900 highly skilled personnel and approximately 1,700 advanced researchers, through specialized curricula, industry placements, overseas training, and programs for faculty members, researchers and technical instructors.
The strategy builds on strong investment momentum. From 2023 through the first half of 2026, the BOI received investment-promotion applications for 879 semiconductor and advanced electronics projects worth about $27.2 billion (909 billion baht). The projects span chip production at various stages, printed circuit boards (PCBs), hard disk drives, AI servers, networking and power-management equipment, and electronic parts for vehicles and office equipment.
Infineon Technologies, the world’s largest maker of power semiconductors and automotive chips, will open its first Thai factory in Samut Prakan on Oct. 1. The facility will produce and package advanced power modules for electric vehicles, energy storage, clean energy and advanced electronics. Infineon also plans to establish an R&D center, develop joint curricula with Thai educational institutions and employ more than 5,000 people in Thailand at full operation.
Thailand’s expanding ecosystem also includes Foxsemicon Integrated Technology in semiconductor-equipment supply, Analog Devices in analog and mixed-signal chips, Zhen Ding Technology in printed circuit boards, Terahop in optical communications, and Malaysian Pacific Industries (MPI) in semiconductor assembly, packaging and testing.
“The ‘Made in Thailand’ chip initiative will bring together the country’s technology, infrastructure, investment and talent through a strong, coordinated and comprehensive national plan to turn this ambition into reality,” said Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI). “For semiconductor investors, specialized talent is as critical to site selection as infrastructure and incentives. The strategy is also designed to provide a dependable workforce pipeline for faster ramp-up and long-term expansion.”
Note: Investment, revenue and job figures are strategy targets. The U.S. dollar equivalent of 909 billion baht is based on an exchange rate of approximately 33.44 baht per dollar.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)
Established in 1966, the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) has continuously played an essential role for over 60 years in promoting value-adding investment for the country, from both foreign and Thai investors, to enhance national competitiveness and drive towards a new era of sustainable and balanced growth.
Investment Services Center- PR Section, The Office of the Board of Investment (BOI)
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Iran has presented the United States with a proposed regional ceasefire framework that would halt attacks on Arab states, gradually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and set a timetable for broader negotiations aimed at ending the conflict, according to officials briefed on the diplomatic effort. The proposal, conveyed during talks around the United Nations General Assembly in New York, envisages a ceasefire lasting […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia is driving a $90 billion hotel and resort development pipeline across the Gulf and North Africa, accounting for about 110,000 of nearly 200,000 rooms planned across the region, new HVS data show. The pipeline would expand the region’s existing hotel room supply by about 27 per cent, underlining the scale of investment continuing across major tourism markets despite a more selective […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi-listed MAIR Group has agreed to acquire a 70 per cent stake in Eslab, owner of Turkish-origin specialty coffee chain Espressolab, marking the investment group’s first international acquisition since its stock-market listing. The company said it had signed a share purchase agreement for 70 per cent of Eslab’s issued share capital. Eslab’s founders and existing shareholders will retain the remaining 30 per […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Huspy has acquired Italian credit intermediary Integra Finance and committed $86 million to Italy, marking the UAE-founded property technology company’s entry into its fourth market and a stage in its European expansion. The Dubai-based company said the investment, equivalent to about AED315 million, will support plans to build a mortgage finance and real estate business in Italy by combining Integra’s distribution network with […]
By Ashok Nilakantan Ayers NEW YORK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived at the 81st UN General Assembly with an unusually broad diplomatic canvas before him. In meetings with European, Ukrainian, Arab, Asian and other counterparts, India was simultaneously talking to countries that sit on opposite sides of some of the world’s sharpest geopolitical divides. […]
By Ashok Nilakakntan Ayers WASHINGTON: The confrontation between Donald Trump and the American press has entered a new phase. What began on Friday as a presidential declaration against three news organizations — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — became a physical ban on Saturday, when reporters from the three organizations were stopped at the White […]
Inspiring Asia Launched by HKAWL in Hong Kong for the First Time to Support its Impact Link Initiative to Foster Community Empowerment, Exchange and Strategic Philanthropy
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 September 2026 – The Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL) brought the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival to Hong Kong for the first time as Regional Lead Partner, and recognised three winning entries at the inaugural Hong Kong regional awards. The festival culminated in a Screening and Award Ceremony on 21 September 2026 at The Hong Kong Jockey Club University of Chicago Academic Complex | The University of Chicago Francis and Rose Yuen Campus in Hong Kong, and was supported by Lee Hysan Foundation as Strategic Partner and Sponsor.
The inaugural “Inspiring Asia” Hong Kong Regional Awards introduced by the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy has successfully concluded. Hong Kong’s winning entries and selected finalists will advance to the Main Phase of Inspiring Asia.
Guided by the theme “Community Empowerment” and the tagline “Belonging, Resilience, and Thriving”, participating filmmakers, students and community changemakers shared stories that explored inclusion, connection and resilience. The Festival encourages creators and community organisations to document community stories through micro films, fostering dialogue and greater social participation.
Award-Winning Films Spotlight Inclusion, Resilience and Community Connection
The three winning entries reflected these aspirations through stories of cross-cultural friendship, ageing with purpose and disability inclusion, offering perspectives on experiences that are often overlooked in everyday conversations.
A chance encounter lies at the heart of Between the Unsaid, the winner of the Best Micro Film Award, as an unexpected friendship blossoms between a Pakistani tailor and a local florist. Directed by Qasim Khan and produced by Kaneeta Arshad, the Hong Kong drama shows how kindness can cross linguistic and cultural boundaries, bringing comfort amid grief and isolation.
Best Micro Film
The Story Hunter, winner of the Best AI Film Award, follows an 80-year-old Hong Kong resident who finds renewed purpose by sharing lived experiences. Created by Yimin Chen and Ethan Wong, the drama combines human-written script with AI-assisted production to amplify older adults’ voices and value as storytellers, mentors and active contributors to the community.
Best AI Film
Recipient of the Best Project Award, The Superpower of Little Hands challenges perceptions of congenital limb differences through stories co-created by children and parents from the Hand in Hand Association. The documentary shows how peer support, inclusion and understanding can build confidence, belonging and ambition.
Best Project
Empowering Communities Beyond the Awards
As a flagship annual event of HKAWL’s Impact Link initiative, the Festival reflects its wider efforts to foster dialogue between philanthropy, the social sector and the creative community. As Regional Lead Partner, HKAWL worked with a diverse network of partners to support the Festival’s Hong Kong debut. Beyond the competition itself, Inspiring Asia serves as a platform for capacity building, community participation and collaborative philanthropy, bringing together filmmakers, NGOs, foundations, universities and other partners through activities such as workshops, mentorship, screenings and peer exchange.
“Seeing these powerful community stories come to life on screen was incredibly moving,” said Angel Chia, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy. “The winning films demonstrate how storytelling can help people better understand the realities and aspirations of different communities. As a flagship annual event of HKAWL’s Impact Link initiative, Inspiring Asia connects creators and social impact organisations with philanthropists and supporters, helping foster dialogue around strategic philanthropy.”
The journey continues as Hong Kong’s winning entries and selected finalists advance to the Main Phase of Inspiring Asia, bringing their Hong Kong stories to audiences across Asia.
The Screening and Award Ceremony marked the festival’s conclusion in the city, but its impact in creating lasting change continues well beyond the event. In particular, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Programme on Social Innovation (HKJCPSI), operated by The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, will provide capacity-building resources to the Best Project Award winner and shortlisted project teams, helping them strengthen their organisational capabilities and advance the community initiatives featured in their films.
Extending the impact further, the stories will continue to resonate across wider audiences through community screenings from October to December 2026, enabling more people to learn about the experiences and issues they bring to light. Screening details will be announced through HKAWL’s official channels.
Appendix: Hong Kong Regional Competition Award Winners
Award Category
Film Title
Director / Producer
Film Synopsis
Best Micro Film
Between the Unsaid
Qasim Khan, Kaneeta Arshad
The film features Saira, a Pakistani shopkeeper in Hong Kong who is isolated by loneliness, homesickness, and a language barrier. After the sudden loss of her mother, an unexpected friendship with local florist Kim brings comfort, showing how kindness and empathy can bridge cultural and linguistic divides to create strong communities.
Best AI Film
The Story Hunter
Yimin Chen, Ethan Wong
The film follows Granny Fa, an 80-year-old widow living alone like an isolated island — until Story Hunters knocked on her door and walked with her through storytelling training. She brought her real-life experiences to university stages, and the warm applause from the younger generation rekindled her passion for life. In the end, she becomes a Story Hunter herself, knocking on the next closed door.
Best Project
The Superpower of Little Hands
Hand in Hand Association
Produced by Hand in Hand Association, Hong Kong’s first patient self-help organisation for congenital hand differences, this joyful documentary moves beyond traditional narratives of pity. It highlights four vibrant children with hand differences, celebrating their unique talents, creativity, and zest for life. By showcasing a strong peer-support network of families empowering one another, the film demonstrates how love, confidence, and supportive community allow every special hand to shine without limits.
Hashtag: #HKAWL
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About The Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL)
The Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy (HKAWL) is committed to invigorating a vibrant ecosystem for family offices worldwide by fostering knowledge sharing, capacity building, peer connection, and collaboration. It equips business and wealth owners and inheritors with knowledge in building enduring family legacies, while mobilising family capital to drive measurable social impact and facilitating a strategic philanthropy platform via its Impact Link initiative. By bridging wealth with purpose, HKAWL reinforces Hong Kong’s status as a principal centre for managing family wealth legacies.
Established in 2015, Under Production Ltd. (UP) is a dynamic social enterprise dedicated to empowering aspiring creative talents. By bridging the gap between youth and the creative industries, UP equips creators with production expertise and social awareness to transform complex issues into compelling narratives. UP’s expertise spans three core pillars: Film & Video Production, Multi-platform Publishing, and Integrated Campaign Management. Notable projects include social films Constellation and May It Rain, which have gained recognition for their intimate storytelling on social themes. Over the years, UP has built a sustainable creative ecosystem with NGO partners and community collaborators, consistently delivering innovative solutions that create lasting community impact.
About Lee Hysan Foundation (LHF)
Lee Hysan Foundation (LHF) is a private foundation incorporated in 1973 by the Lee Hysan Family to institutionalise the philanthropic work which the family had been doing for many decades. It currently operates as an endowment fund in perpetuity and does not fundraise. LHF’s mission is to advance the well-being of Hong Kong by catalysing policy and systemic change and scaling evidence-based models to transform Education, Social Welfare, Health, Arts and Culture, and the Environment. Through this work, LHF seeks to enable under-resourced people from diverse backgrounds to flourish.
*Although established by the same family, Hysan Development Company Limited is operated separately from LHF and has its own independent management and board of directors.
South Korea’s central bank began a pilot of a 24-hour won settlement network on Monday, advancing preparations to give overseas investors broader access to the country’s currency market from next year.
The Bank of Korea said the Bank of Korea Won International Wire Network started trial operations at 9am local time with KB Kookmin Bank, Woori Bank, Hana Bank and Shinhan Bank participating. Two of the banks completed transactions worth about 1.4 billion won during the initial test, according to the central bank.
Full operation is scheduled for January 2027, when foreign financial institutions are expected to gain wider access to the network. The system is designed to allow won payments and settlement during the business hours of major overseas financial centres rather than limiting activity to South Korea’s domestic banking day.
Under the planned framework, offshore investors will be able to trade the won with other foreign participants using accounts opened with Registered Foreign Institutions for KRW Business, known as RFI-Ks, in their home markets. This is intended to reduce the need for investors to open and operate separate accounts directly with financial institutions in South Korea.
The network will function continuously from 9am on each business day until 9am the following day, effectively providing round-the-clock settlement on weekdays. It will remain closed on weekends and public holidays. Foreign banks are also due to participate in the trial, although the Bank of Korea has not specified when they will enter the testing phase.
The central bank said it would monitor the pilot, refine operating arrangements and expand participation before the system moves into full service. It expects the new infrastructure to improve foreign investors’ access to won settlement and support wider international use of the currency.
The trial follows South Korea’s move in July to extend onshore dollar-won trading to a 24-hour schedule. That change removed the previous gap between Seoul trading hours and active periods in major centres such as London and New York, allowing transactions to continue through the global trading day.
Authorities have paired the longer trading window with changes to settlement arrangements because extended dealing hours alone do not remove operational barriers if investors cannot complete payments outside domestic banking hours. The new network is intended to address that mismatch by keeping settlement infrastructure available while overseas markets are active.
The initiative forms part of a broader programme to open South Korea’s foreign-exchange market and make local assets easier for global institutions to access. Seoul has also been seeking improvements in market infrastructure as it pursues developed-market classification for its equities from MSCI, whose accessibility assessments examine areas including foreign-exchange convertibility, investment flows and operational arrangements.
South Korea has already introduced the RFI framework to permit eligible overseas financial institutions to participate directly in the domestic foreign-exchange market. The settlement network extends that approach by enabling those institutions to hold and transfer won through designated accounts linked to the central bank’s payment infrastructure.
The Bank of Korea has also been modernising its core settlement systems. Its 2025 payment and settlement systems report, released last week, said operating hours for BOK-Wire+ were extended in March and that work continued on the international won network and the adoption of the ISO 20022 financial messaging standard.
The central bank has said the international network will use real-time gross settlement, a structure in which transactions are settled individually and continuously rather than being netted for later settlement. That approach is intended to limit credit risk during the payment process while supporting cross-border compatibility.
Preparations have included linked-system testing and business-continuity planning before the scheduled commercial launch. The authorities have also revised foreign-exchange regulations to accommodate the wider use of overseas won accounts and settlement channels.
US President Donald Trump will expand a planned meeting with Gulf officials in New York this week to include Iraq and Jordan, broadening consultations with Arab governments as Washington weighs its next steps in the conflict with Iran. The meeting is expected on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where leaders and senior officials from the six Gulf Cooperation Council states are due […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 21 September 2026 – Phancy Group Co., Ltd. (“Phancy” or “the Group”, stock code: 6682.HK), a leading full-stack enterprise-AI cloud services platform, ranked first overall in the latest 2026 China AI Computing Resource Management Platform Technology Capability Assessment, published by International Data Corporation (“IDC”), a global technology intelligence firm.
The assessment evaluated multiple leading AI computing resource management platform providers in China and noted Phancy’s industry-leading technological maturity across heterogeneous accelerator compatibility and adaptation, large-scale cluster operations, and delivery in hybrid cloud environments. Drawing on its accumulated capabilities in heterogeneous computing resource management, fine-grained GPU virtualization and agent-oriented computing services, Phancy received full scores and outperformed the industry benchmark in four out of six evaluated dimensions[1].
According to the IDC report, as AI moves into large-scale deployment, the growing adoption of AI agents is reshaping cloud infrastructure. In the meantime, AI infrastructure is evolving beyond basic computing capacity to become a core part of the enterprise technology stack, supporting digital and intelligent transformation.
Dr. Dai Wenyuan, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Phancy, said: “The AI industry is moving beyond the ‘model race’ and entering a new phase of large-scale deployment. For enterprises, the real challenge is no longer whether they can access large language models, but about how to translate agentic AI capabilities into sustained productivity while keeping costs under control and operations stable. IDC’s assessment reflects the growing importance of unified management, flexible scheduling and fine-grained operations for heterogeneous computing resources. Phancy will continue to advance its capabilities in heterogeneous computing resource scheduling and agent infrastructure, helping more enterprises unlock the value of AI with greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness and reliability.”
Five Core Capabilities Behind Phancy’s Vendor-Neutral Unified Management Platform
At the core of Phancy’s offering is vendor-neutral unified management software that supports large-scale training and high-concurrency inference for mainstream models across chips from over ten leading vendors[2]. Its core technological capabilities include:
Code-compatible multi-chip virtualization: Phancy supports the partitioning of a single AI accelerator across multiple workloads, enabling mainstream frameworks and inference engines, including PyTorch, TensorFlow, vLLM and SGLang, to run without changes to application code. Resource quotas help maintain stability when multiple workloads run concurrently.
Three-tier resource pools and intelligent workload scheduling: Phancy’s platform provides three types of resource pools: dedicated, shared and overcommitted pool. Resources can be intelligently scheduled based on four dimensions (workload priority, hardware topology, real-time load and resource requirements), enabling large-scale training and high-concurrency inference workloads to run on the same infrastructure.
AI gateway and dual-track metering: The AI gateway provides unified management of model routing, API calls and audit activities. Usage is measured through both accelerator hours and token consumption, helping enterprises track costs and resource utilization from the perspectives of both resource consumption and model usage.
Agent-oriented computing services: Phancy’s platform turns heterogeneous computing resources into standardized services that AI agents can call on demand. These services support partitioning, reuse and elastic scaling. Combined with intelligent routing through the AI gateway, this accommodates the frequent calls and fluctuating workloads associated with AI agents, while token quotas and circuit-breaking mechanisms also help enterprises manage usage risks and costs when predefined limits are exceeded.
Operations and maintenance for heterogeneous computing resources: Phancy’s platform provides end-to-end observability spanning nodes, accelerators, workloads and model services. It supports fault isolation, workload rescheduling and private deployment in environments without public internet access, helping enterprises improve operational efficiency across complex heterogeneous computing environments.
The report highlighted a use case in which a Chinese policy bank significant improved resource utilization by using Phancy’s three-tier resource pool architecture to manage computing resources across three data centers in two locations, while also enabling a smooth business migration.
Looking ahead, Phancy will continue to advance its AI computing resource management platform as AI infrastructure shifts from traditional “cloud + AI” architectures toward greater cloud-native, agent-oriented integration. The Group will continue to help enterprises manage computing resources more efficiently, deploy AI across a wider range of production environments, and turn AI into sustainable business productivity at scale.
[1] The assessment evaluated platforms across six dimensions: computing resource management, computing service management, compute operations, Technical architecture, business scenario support, and delivery services. According to the IDC report, the findings are intended to help enterprises evaluate and select the platforms best suited to their needs.
[2] Phancy’s platform now supports accelerators from more than ten vendors, including Ascend, Hygon DCU, Cambricon, Iluvatar CoreX, MetaX, Moore Threads, Kunlunxin, Enflame, T-Head and Biren Technology.
Hashtag: #Phancy
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Phancy Group
Phancy Group (6682.HK) is a leading full-stack AI cloud services platform, providing comprehensive solutions for the AI 2.0 era. Our offerings include SageAIOS, HAMi vGPU and ModelHub XC, delivering efficient and scalable AI infrastructure with end-to-end capabilities. We provide a complete solution from heterogeneous compute resource management and optimization to the deployment of intelligent agent models. These solutions empower digital transformation across a wide range of industries, supporting our vision of building a large-scale and efficient “Token Factory.”
Guided by the mission of “AI for Everyone” and positioned as the “Navigator of AI,” Phancy Group is committed to becoming a global leader in Artificial General Intelligence.
Spain’s data protection authority has disclosed its first notified personal-data breach in which an artificial intelligence agent allegedly carried out several stages of an intrusion, including vulnerability discovery, data modification and access to billing records. The Agencia Española de Protección de Datos said the incident involved an agent using a known large language model and marked a significant shift in the operational use of AI in cyberattacks. […]
Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club moved to the front on the opening day of Round 7 of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday, with Al Jazira Jiu-Jitsu Club second and M. O. D UAE third. The first day of the three-day Gi round featured Under-18, Adults and Masters competitors, with results across the divisions contributing to club standings as […]
Waymo will launch a fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Singapore in 2028, making the city-state its first Southeast Asian market as the Alphabet-owned company accelerates its international expansion.
The company said an initial fleet of all-electric Jaguar I-PACE vehicles will arrive in Singapore over the coming months, with preparations beginning before a phased testing programme in 2027. Trained autonomous specialists will initially drive the vehicles manually while Waymo maps roads and adapts its self-driving system to local conditions.
The programme will expose the Waymo Driver to Singapore’s road geometry, dense traffic environment and monsoon weather patterns before the company seeks to move towards autonomous operation. Commercial rides are scheduled to be offered through the Waymo app in 2028, subject to regulatory approvals.
Initial operations are expected to focus on western Singapore, including the Labrador and HarbourFront area, before any broader passenger rollout is considered locally.
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority said Waymo would become the country’s newest autonomous vehicle operator, joining ComfortDelGro and Grab. The authority said it would work closely with the company to ensure deployments meet safety and regulatory requirements and help build public confidence in autonomous vehicles.
Waymo is entering a market where autonomous transport is already moving from trials towards limited passenger services. Public rides on autonomous shuttle services began in Punggol in April, while operators including Grab, WeRide, ComfortDelGro and Pony. ai are expanding deployments and testing additional routes.
Waymo’s arrival therefore adds a major US developer to a field that already includes regional and China-based autonomous driving companies. Singapore has sought to attract multiple operators as it develops a competitive autonomous mobility sector and evaluates how driverless vehicles could supplement existing public transport.
Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow said Waymo would bring technology and operational expertise while supporting Singapore’s goal of creating additional transport options. Authorities have also stressed that autonomous vehicle deployment will not be allowed to move faster than measures to retrain and support drivers whose jobs could be affected.
The government announced a manpower transition package in July aimed at helping drivers acquire new skills and, where appropriate, move into jobs created by the autonomous vehicle sector. The issue has become more prominent as testing expands from controlled trials towards services carrying members of the public.
Singapore’s regulatory framework requires autonomous vehicles to clear technical and operational assessments before carrying passengers and progressing towards driverless operation. The Land Transport Authority assesses performance on authorised routes, including whether vehicles can cover sufficient distance without intervention and handle a range of traffic situations within their approved operating areas.
The Ministry of Transport also opened a public consultation this year on a broader legislative framework covering autonomous vehicles, including responsibility, licensing, insurance, liability and enforcement. Existing rules already require authorisation for autonomous vehicle trials and use on public roads.
Waymo said its Singapore expansion would follow the phased approach it has used elsewhere. The company has completed more than 20 million fully autonomous passenger rides and more than 300 million autonomous kilometres, according to company figures, giving it one of the largest operating datasets among commercial robotaxi developers.
Its overseas push is gathering pace. Waymo is preparing for commercial autonomous services in Tokyo and has also announced plans involving London and Munich, as it seeks to extend technology developed largely on US roads to markets with different driving environments, regulations and weather conditions.
Singapore offers a compact but demanding testing ground. Heavy rainfall, complex urban traffic, motorcycles, cyclists and dense interactions around public transport infrastructure create operating conditions that differ from many of Waymo’s established US service areas.
The company says its vehicles use lidar, radar and cameras to maintain a 360-degree view of their surroundings. The Singapore fleet will initially use Jaguar I-PACE sport utility vehicles, although Waymo has not disclosed how many vehicles will be deployed at launch or the eventual size of its commercial fleet.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Odisha has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company and the Adani Group to explore 14 projects carrying an indicative investment of ₹2.105 trillion across minerals, energy, manufacturing, healthcare, tourism and infrastructure. The agreement was concluded during Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s investment outreach in the UAE, with the state describing the portfolio as a major expansion of its […]
Aldar has set Saadiyat Grove, its new luxury retail and fine-dining destination in Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Cultural District, for a fourth-quarter 2026 opening, with more than 100 global brands and 20 concepts entering the region for the first time. The development will sit between Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, with Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi and teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi close by. […]
Dubai has cleared an 80-kilometre Fourth Corridor road project linking Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah, adding a major new route intended to ease pressure on the emirate’s existing inter-emirate network. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, approved implementation of the project under directives […]
By T N Ashok The passage by the US Congress of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 has confronted India with a problem that is simultaneously diplomatic, economic and strategic. The immediate headline is stark: the legislation creates a statutory pathway allowing President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up […]
https://www.boi.go.th/en/index/
LinkedIn
Instagram
