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For generations, mahjong has been far more than a pastime. Rich in symbolism, strategy and tradition, the centuries-old game has long brought families and friends together around a table, and today it is enjoying a global resurgence, winning new audiences across the United States and beyond.

Against this backdrop, the one-of-one creation brings together exceptional materials, artisanal craftsmanship and Imperial Feng Shui principles into a collector’s piece that channels cultural heritage into meaningful change.

Turning Prosperity Into Hope for Children

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) is a rare and aggressive brain tumour that primarily affects children between the ages of five and 11, and has long been considered incurable. In 2024, doctors reported the world’s first case of a child effectively cured of DIPG, renewing global momentum in the field — yet research into the disease remains critically underfunded.

All proceeds from the sale of the mahjong set will be donated to DIPG Foundation Singapore, Singapore’s first foundation dedicated to advancing research into DIPG and other paediatric brain cancers. Founded by families who each experienced the loss of a child to the disease, the foundation supports research, advocates for greater access to innovative therapies and clinical trials, and provides resources for affected children and their families.

For Grand Master David Goh, founder of Imperial Harvest, donating the proceeds reflects a belief that prosperity carries its greatest meaning when it can be shared. The mahjong set celebrates abundance through symbolism and craftsmanship while channelling that value into research that brings hope to affected children and their families.

A Fading Craft, Reimagined

The set arrives at a time when the traditional art of mahjong tile carving is fading worldwide, lending its craftsmanship a significance beyond luxury alone. At the heart of the set are 156 playing tiles, including Animal, Fei and Joker tiles, individually crafted in untreated Burmese Grade A Black Jadeite. Revered for its rarity and cultural significance, the stone has long been associated with protection, resilience and prosperity, with every tile retaining its natural individuality.

The tiles are housed in a bespoke trunk wrapped in exceptionally rare Himalayan Niloticus crocodile leather, prized for its naturally occurring gradient reminiscent of snow-capped mountain peaks and sourced from a tannery that supplies some of the world’s most prestigious luxury maisons. Inside, aerospace-grade Alcantara — the same premium material found in the interiors of Ferrari and Lamborghini supercars — creates a soft, durable lining that protects every tile.

Where Feng Shui Meets Design

Guided by third-generation feng shui master Grand Master David Goh, every detail has been considered not only for its visual appeal but also for its symbolic significance, resulting in a collector’s piece that seeks to harmonise Heaven, Earth and humanity.

The conventional Singapore animal tiles have been replaced by the Four Celestial Guardians — the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Phoenix, White Tiger and Black Tortoise — mythical creatures deeply rooted in Chinese cosmology that traditionally represent protection, balance and harmony. Likewise, the flower tiles have been redesigned to depict four auspicious creatures: the bat, deer, crane and magpie, collectively symbolising fortune, prosperity, longevity and happiness.

Even one of mahjong’s most recognisable tiles, the Seven Dots, has been reimagined. Instead of following its conventional arrangement, the seven circles are positioned according to the “Seven Star Lighting” formation, an Imperial Feng Shui configuration believed to represent stability, clarity and strategic balance. The Character suit, meanwhile, features English transliterations such as “Yi Wan”, “Er Wan” and “San Wan”, making the set accessible to an international audience while preserving its cultural identity.

As Grand Master David Goh describes it, the set is “far beyond a Mahjong set. Every detail has been calibrated to harmonise Heaven, Earth and Man, ensuring that its owner engages not just in a game, but in a field of aligned opportunity, protection and infinite prosperity.”

A New Definition of Luxury

Whether viewed as a collector’s piece, a work of design or cultural heritage, the Imperial Feng Shui Mahjong Set occupies a category of its own — a reminder that the greatest luxury may ultimately be the opportunity to create meaningful change. It is a philosophy that Imperial Harvest carries through its bespoke Feng Shui consultation services in Singapore, where prosperity is understood as something to be built, and shared.

Hashtag: #ImperialHarvest #GrandMasterDavidGoh #ImperialHarvestMahjongSet #ImperialFengShui

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About Imperial Harvest

The launch combines a unified, action-oriented world model with Ambient Capture Engine 2.0, three commercial solutions and a new industry benchmark, connecting high-density data with real-world robotic operations.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 July 2026 – ACE ROBOTICS today unveiled Kairos 3.1, its latest action-oriented world model, alongside Ambient Capture Engine 2.0 and three commercial solutions spanning instant retail, hospitality and outdoor service scenarios.

The announcements were made at a forum ACE ROBOTICS organized during the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, convened around the theme of advancing physical AI from “understanding” to “execution.” The event brought together economists, technology executives and embodied AI researchers to examine how general-purpose world models can move from laboratory research to industrial deployment.

The forum also marked the launch of PHYSICAL IQ, a unified benchmark for embodied physical intelligence. It was jointly initiated by the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Association, the Shenzhen Loop Area Institute and the East China branch of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, with participation from more than 20 universities and industry partners.

Thomas J. Sargent, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, discussed the limitations of current intelligent systems in rare and previously unseen situations.

A world model built for the physical world

“In the digital world, a model error may result in a flawed image or paragraph. In the physical world, an incorrect action can have real consequences,” said Wang Xiaogang, Chairman of ACE ROBOTICS. “Kairos 3.1 is built around a first-principles approach to embodied world models, helping robots act more reliably in complex and uncertain environments, and accelerating the arrival of physical AI’s Kairos moment.”

Kairos 3.1 is designed as a natively unified model that integrates generative, physical and cognitive intelligence within a single architecture, rather than combining separately developed capabilities.

Built on a hybrid Transformer architecture with a shared mixed-attention mechanism, it brings visual observations, language instructions, force and tactile signals, and policy trajectories into a unified latent space.

This supports an “understand, reason, execute and reflect” loop. The model can break down long-horizon tasks, simulate physical cause and effect across multiple scenarios, rank candidate actions, execute the selected strategy and evaluate the outcome for further adjustment.

At the core of its spatial understanding is ACE-BRAIN-0.5. ACE ROBOTICS said it has achieved state-of-the-art results across 12 public evaluations covering spatial understanding, navigation, manipulation and task-progress assessment, among publicly reported models as of July 2026.

In a household laundry scenario, for example, a robot can identify spatial relationships between objects, divide a task into more than a dozen steps and verify each stage in real time. If a failure occurs, it can identify the affected step and restart from that point rather than repeating the entire task.

For physical generation and reasoning, Kairos-HomeWorld supports whole-home scene generation and object interaction. It is built on 300,000 residential floor plans, 5,000 simulated home environments and 8,700 3D assets covering six categories of physical properties, designed to reflect common residential layouts in China.

The model can simulate multiple action trajectories in parallel and rank them based on predicted success and execution cost before sending instructions to a physical robot.

In internal testing, the Kairos 3.1 8B model achieved an inference latency of 125 milliseconds on the NVIDIA Jetson Thor platform at BF16 precision. Its in-house KairosRT computing engine supports real-time, on-device inference.

Kairos 3.1 also incorporates self-reflective iteration. When an action fails, the robot can evaluate the result and adjust its strategy. In one test, for example, it changed from a three-finger to a four-finger grasp after an unsuccessful attempt and subsequently completed the task.

From high-density data to continuous learning

ACE ROBOTICS also introduced what it calls the “Information-Density Law” for embodied models: the value of data is determined not only by its volume, but by whether it contains information capable of changing the outcome of an agent’s actions.

ACE ROBOTICS classifies embodied data across five information-density levels, from L1 to L5. L1 and L2 data support foundational pre-training; L3 and L4 data remain focused on known tasks; and at L5, data incorporates three-dimensional force and tactile signals, failure-recovery trajectories and variables from open environments. The company says these higher-density forms of interaction data support stronger generalization, reflection and continuous learning.

Built on this principle, Ambient Capture Engine 2.0 is a human-centric system for capturing, processing and reusing high-density physical-interaction data.

ACE Ego Kit is a lightweight wireless wearable comprising head, hand and chest components. It includes the ACE Sense Glove, which offers sensitivity of 0.01 newtons and a joint-angle error of less than two degrees. The system can synchronize data from more than 20 heterogeneous sensors with a timing error of less than one millisecond.

ACE Data Engine is an automated data-production platform for continuous, high-precision annotation of long-horizon tasks. It incorporates ACE-ViDiHand, a generative 4D hand-motion-capture framework designed to track movements despite occlusion and rapid motion, which ACE ROBOTICS reports led across three public benchmarks (ARCTIC, HOT3D and HOI4D) as of July 2026. The company recorded a frame-level accuracy of 0.997 and up to a 4.8-fold improvement in motion smoothness.

ACE Ego Matrix standardizes embodied data across four dimensions: spatial coordinates, embodiment structure, action timing and data quality. It is designed to align data collected by different operators, devices and robot platforms for reuse across systems. ACE ROBOTICS has open-sourced the framework, which it says placed first on the RoboCase and RoboTwin leaderboards.

ACE ROBOTICS also announced the open release of ACE-Data-0, an L5 household-interaction dataset featuring complex physical tasks and high-precision annotations.

Three solutions moving into commercial operation

Building on its data infrastructure and Kairos world-model capabilities, ACE ROBOTICS introduced three standardized industry solutions designed for deployment within existing commercial workflows.

Xiaoman, its integrated fulfillment solution for instant retail, is paired with the new W1 fulfillment robot. The W1 has a robot-to-payload weight ratio of less than 2:1, force-control precision within one newton and a minimum required aisle width of 75 centimeters, making it suitable for high-density shelving environments. It is able to grasp both flexible packaging and rigid goods.

The solution connects robot hardware, world-model capabilities, motion control, product information, warehouse locations and order management. It supports lightweight deployment within days across flash-fulfillment warehouses, small-format stores and integrated warehouse-store setups. It has been deployed with customers including Sense MartGo, Kuaikeda and PetroChina convenience stores, using real order and shelf data to improve fulfillment performance. ACE ROBOTICS plans to deploy the solution across 1,000 retail locations over the next year and expand to approximately 10,000 stores within two years.

Xiaoxin addresses hotel-laundry operations, where ACE ROBOTICS estimates that approximately 80% of demand occurs at night.

The solution enables robots to handle collection, loading, unloading, washing, sorting and folding, with ironing capabilities planned for future versions. It is designed to reduce night-shift staffing pressure and improve operational consistency across non-standard hotel laundry environments.

Xiaotu is designed for autonomous operation in complex outdoor environments. Using a “one brain, many bodies” architecture, it applies a general-purpose intelligent brain (Agentic AI) across multiple quadruped robot platforms.

The system supports indoor and outdoor navigation, dynamic obstacle avoidance, autonomous charging, remote dispatch and multi-robot coordination. It has been deployed in visitor-guidance and interactive experience services at cultural-tourism events, including the Begonia Flower Festival in Tianjin.

Building an open embodied AI ecosystem

ACE ROBOTICS also announced a series of partnerships spanning infrastructure, computing and commercial deployment.

The company entered into a strategic collaboration with the Caohejing Development Zone to develop an embodied AI innovation platform.

In retail and fulfillment, ACE ROBOTICS announced collaborations with PetroChina, Kuaikeda and SenseTime Shanhui covering autonomous warehouse stores, front warehouses and unmanned retail environments.

To support the computing requirements of world-model development, ACE ROBOTICS launched the World Model Cloud Ecosystem initiative with Baidu AI Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Tencent Cloud and SenseCore AI Cloud.

By connecting high-density data, unified world models, robot platforms, commercial applications and shared evaluation standards, ACE ROBOTICS aims to support the transition of embodied AI from individual technical demonstrations to sustained operations in real-world environments.

Hashtag: #ACEROBOTICS

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About ACE ROBOTICS – Equipping robots with intelligent “brains” and engaging “souls”

ACE ROBOTICS is a pioneering robotics company dedicated to advancing the field of embodied intelligence. Through breakthrough technological innovations and deep insights into embodied intelligence scenarios, we aim to empower robots with the ability to autonomously understand and explore the physical world, thereby accelerating their commercial implementation.

The company pioneered the ACE R&D paradigm and built a vision-based “environmental data engine, real-world cognition, embodied interaction generalization” technology chain. Using full spatiotemporal and multi-perspective environmental capture as its engine, along with Kairos 3.0 – China’s first open-source and commercially applicable world model – plus the Embodied Foundation Model as its technical backbone, ACE ROBOTICS addresses core industry challenges such as data scarcity, common sense gaps, poor generalization, and limited versatility. Simultaneously, the company unveiled its flagship A1 Embodied Super Brain Module, accelerating the large-scale commercial deployment of embodied intelligence across diverse scenarios.

ACE ROBOTICS is both a technology pioneer and an ecosystem builder. Through strategic cooperation with top hardware manufacturers, cloud service providers, and vertical scenario partners, we have broken through the “model-hardware-scenario” industrial deadlock, providing standardized and customized solutions that are driving the development of China’s embodied intelligence industry.

By Dr. Gyan Pathak The monsoon session of the parliament beginning next week from July 21 is going to be politically very significant on account of delimitation and women reservation bills, passage of which can alter the political map of the country. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has said with confidence that the bills will be […]

The article Cracks Taking Place In INDIA Bloc In Meeting Delimitation Bill Challenge appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

Dr. Benson Wu, CEO and Co-Founder of CyCraft, stated: “We believe, being listed as a Sample Providerin the Gartner report demonstrates that the global market now views AI security as the next battlefield for AI commercialization. From day one, CyCraft has developed proprietary models, simultaneously deploying AI reasoning capabilities across three core pillars: cybersecurity defense, AI governance, and unmanned vehicle reconnaissance. Technical leadership is our starting point, not the destination. Our goal is to translate this leadership into rapid growth driven by strategic deployment and disciplined execution. Launched this year, our AI Red Teaming and AI Guardrail solutions have already been productized and commercially shipped, seeing active deployment in sectors like semiconductors and sovereign AI.”

AI Reasoning Models Drive Up Operating Costs, Restructuring Profit Logic

As AI transitions from “training models” to “reasoning models,” the industry officially moves from the research and development phase into commercial application. Reasoning models possess logical deduction, self-reflection, and complex problem-solving capabilities. However, these advanced capabilities have caused AI operational costs to skyrocket, forcing the tech industry to redefine its expectations of AI as a tool for massive cost reduction and profit maximization.

CyCraft’s XCockpit Threat Exposure Management Platform features built-in AI reasoning models that triage thousands of alerts in real time, automatically providing mitigation recommendations and effectively eliminating alert fatigue. From overall security posture scoring to specific actionable tickets for individual alerts, XCockpit transforms defensive benefits—which were historically difficult to define—into concrete, quantifiable technical metrics. This embodies CyCraft’s pragmatic philosophy: the value of defense must be visible, and it must be measurable.

Standing at the Frontier of AI Security, CyCraft Advances Commercial Implementation with Profound R&D Momentum

Deeply integrating AI with cybersecurity, CyCraft has launched XecGuard and XecART—two major AI security products deployable across both cloud and on-premises environments, both featured on the OWASP AI Security Map. These solutions directly address the core pain points of Agentic AI, LLM, and GenAI applications. XecART utilizes Agentic Red Teaming to run multi-round stress tests on models, identifying risks and generating compliance reports that adhere to international standards. Meanwhile, XecGuard acts as a real-time Guardrail for LLMs and AI Agents, intercepting anomalous inputs and outputs. One solves “how to stress-test AI,” while the other solves “how to protect AI,” providing the fundamental AI governance for enterprises.

CyCraft’s research achievements are equally outstanding. The CyCraft research team recently presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), one of the world’s top three prestigious academic conferences for AI and machine learning. The research focused on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) Data Poisoning. Utilizing their self-developed “Eyes-on-Me” attack framework, the team proved that attacks can simultaneously breach both the retrieval and generation phases. The end-to-end average attack success rate surged from 21.9% to 57.8%. This breakthrough exposed a long-neglected vulnerable attack surface existing between “attention focus” and “model output.”

In 2025, the CyCraft research team was also selected for NeurIPS, one of the most iconic academic sanctuaries in the AI field. The team proposed an innovative “unified supervision framework” that embeds verifiable checkers into synthesized instruction-conflict instances, enabling self-supervised learning without requiring oracle labels or reasoning traces. This framework not only applies to different models but also significantly enhances both safety robustness and instruction adherence.

CyCraft believes that as AI moves from R&D to commercial deployment, the barrier for enterprises is no longer “whether they can use AI,” but “whether they can use AI responsibly.” Once Agentic AI enters financial transactions, government services, or critical infrastructure, every autonomous decision must leave a traceable path, accept auditing, and allow for real-time human intervention when necessary. This is true AI governance. It is not a compliance document, but a complete control chain stretching from pre-launch to runtime, and onto post-incident traceability.

CyCraft deconstructs this control chain into three actionable phases: XecART stress-tests model risks before deployment; XecGuard safeguards inputs and outputs during runtime; XCockpit quantifies the overall risk posture into traceable metrics. Interlocking these three components ensures that every step AI takes is visible, manageable, and auditable. CyCraft’s objective is clear: make AI behavior measurable before its value can be priced. Ultimate technical leadership must be converted into commercial resilience that is governable, auditable, and open to investor scrutiny.

The technological revolution of AI Reasoning Models and Agentic AI is an undeniable reality. The ultimate challenge lies in whether enterprises can implement “controllable, auditable, and highly transparent” AI governance within real-world commercial environments. From being recognized in international research reports to taking the stage at top-tier academic conferences, CyCraft continues to prove that from visionary R&D to product commercialization, Taiwan’s AI cybersecurity prowess helps herald the future of a secure, trusted, and prosperous AI era.

Reports
Gartner, Emerging Tech: AI Vendor Race: Reasoning Models Reshape Providers’ Approaches to AI Pricing, 5 June 2026.

Disclaimer
Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and its affiliates.

Hashtag: #CyCraftTechnology

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About CyCraft

Geological Wonder: Exploring an Ancient Underwater World from 460 Million Years Ago

Located in Taiyanghe Township in the northwest of Enshi City, Suobuya Stone Forest is approximately a one-hour drive from the city center. The scenic area was formed during the Ordovician Period 460 million years ago. Originally covered by an ancient ocean, it gradually evolved through geological transformations over hundreds of millions of years into the extraordinary stone forest landscape seen today. Covering a total area of 21 square kilometers, the area features towering stone peaks surrounded by lush greenery, resembling a vast “underwater labyrinth.” As a “crowned stone forest” with one of the highest vegetation coverage rates in China, the scenic area enjoys a cool and pleasant average summer temperature, making it an ideal destination for summer retreats and nature-based relaxation.

The four major scenic areas currently open to visitors each have their own unique appeal. Qinglongtai serves as the highest point of the scenic area, offering panoramic views of the entire stone forest from above. Lianhuazhai features the breathtaking “Xiniugou” secret landscape, where towering cliffs on both sides and changing light and shadows create a dreamlike atmosphere. Mozigou is rich in ancient biological fossils, allowing visitors to touch traces of life from the Ordovician Period with their own hands. Jiulonghui features circular rock walls and groups of waterfalls, with stone peaks rising dramatically from the ground to create a magnificent landscape. The scenic area also features the 5D theater “Shanhaijing,” where visitors can enjoy an immersive experience of the evolution of the Ordovician ocean world. With gentle walking trails and an easy travel route, the area is suitable for families and nature exploration enthusiasts.

Cultural Feast: Immersive Experiences of Tujia Folk Traditions

Suobuya Stone Forest is not only a treasure trove of geological wonders but also an important carrier of Tujia culture. The Tujia ethnic group is one of the major ethnic minorities in the Enshi region, with a long history and distinctive cultural traditions. The “Baishou Dance” is one of the most representative folk dances of the Tujia people and has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. The dance movements often imitate scenes such as hunting, farming, and warfare, featuring a lively rhythm. Visitors can personally participate in this cultural experience at the Tiejiazhai Square and Duigetai Stage.

The Tujia Girls’ Festival is one of Enshi’s most distinctive traditional folk festivals and has been held at Suobuya Stone Forest during the seventh month of the lunar calendar for many consecutive years. The festival is a traditional social activity where young Tujia men and women use songs as a medium for communication and dances to express emotions. It carries the unique marriage customs and collective memories of the Tujia people and has been recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Hubei Province and one of the “Top Ten Most Charming Festivals in China.” During the festival, the scenic area hosts a variety of activities, including matchmaking through folk songs, traditional cultural parades, and traditional handicraft exhibitions, allowing visitors to experience the rich ethnic culture amid the stone forests and mountain scenery. Suobuya Stone Forest has therefore also been recognized as the “Hometown of Chinese Folk Art” and the “Hometown of Mountain Folk Songs.”

Since 2026, the scenic area has continued to enhance its tourism products and cultural experiences. During the May Day holiday, it launched the “Exploring Wonders on Horseback · Fun in the Million-Year Stone Sea” folk culture series, featuring interactive programs such as folk song and dance flash mobs, the “Nature Guardians” activity where visitors exchange collected litter for cultural souvenirs, the immersive intangible cultural heritage experience “Stone Workers’ Chant,” and the outdoor role-playing game “Stone Forest Secret Order · Pursuing the Shadow of Rocks.” These activities allow visitors to explore the ancient stone sea while deeply engaging with Tujia cultural traditions.

Improved Transportation: Easier Access to Enshi for Southeast Asian Tourists

Since the opening of Enshi Xujiaping International Airport’s aviation port, the international flight network has continued to improve. In 2026, the Enshi–Hong Kong route achieved year-round regular operation, while flights between Enshi and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have resumed successively, creating a dual-route network connecting Vietnam’s two major cities in the north and south. According to the development plan of the Enshi aviation port, new routes to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and other destinations will be steadily promoted in the future, further strengthening the Southeast Asian aviation network. Tourists from major Southeast Asian cities can fly directly to Enshi and reach this 460-million-year-old underwater world after only a one-hour drive. Hidden deep within the Wuling Mountains, this ancient stone forest wonderland is welcoming visitors from around the world with a more open and international approach.
Hashtag: #SuobuyaCulturalTourism

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Two-day flagship youth to career exploration event unites 30+ corporates and organisations for youth empowerment, officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 July 2026 – The Central and Western District Office, Central and Western District Youth Network, and FutureGen Youth Foundation (“the Foundation“) co-organised the two-day Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo on 9 and 11 July. This event is funded by the Government of HKSAR, with the Hall of the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex provided as a venue. The event, part of the IGNITE18: Jumpstart Your Career series, brought together over 1,200 participants —including students, parents, teachers, and careers masters —alongside education institutions, prominent industry leaders, and community partners to explore future careers, AI, and the evolving world of work. Committed to expanding the program’s reach across the district, The Council of Central & Western District School Heads served as the event’s education partner.

Hosted at co-organiser and seed school St. Stephen’s Girls’ College, and the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex, the event was officiated by Alice Mak, SBS, JP, Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, with a rich lineup of keynote sharing sessions on career insights, future trends and opportunities; AI and future skills workshops; youth dialogue sessions; and career exploration company booths.

Building A Future Talent Pipeline Through Early Industry and AI Exposure

Successfully equipping youth with direct access to leading industry representatives and companies, the signature youth event supported students across the Central and Western District in navigating their career and life planning journeys while strengthening Hong Kong’s future talent pipeline across diverse industries. Bringing together education institutions, corporations, government departments, professional organisations, NGOs and community partners, and spanning across more than 20 industries, the event bridged the gap between education and the rapidly evolving world of work, connecting young people with real-world industry insights and equipping them with the access, opportunities, and resources they need to explore future pathways and prepare for tomorrow’s workforce.

The IGNITE18 event series was pioneered by the FutureGen Youth Foundation, which aims to establish a citywide collective impact ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and parents to support students navigating career and life planning. The initiative seeks to provide exposure to diverse industries, future career pathways, and hands-on future skills and AI experiences, while offering valuable workforce market insights and professional development opportunities for teachers and careers masters. By engaging parents in understanding AI and future-ready skills, the program actively strengthens Hong Kong’s future talent pipeline across diverse sectors. The Foundation plans to expand IGNITE18 across all 18 districts in Hong Kong in the next two years.

“In a world where AI, business transformation, and entirely new fields are reshaping career pathways, there is an urgency to create greater access earlier – from secondary age – to better equip and support youth on their career development journey,” said Jennifer Yu Cheng, JP, Founder of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

“At our Foundation, we have created a platform connecting over 140 Supporting Organisations with representation from education institutions, corporations, public institutes, NGOs, entrepreneurs and innovators to support youth career exploration and development in Hong Kong. Through IGNITE18, we aim to open doors earlier and inspire students to explore diverse career opportunities to be better equipped for tomorrow’s world – with the ultimate hope of building a stronger and more diverse talent pipeline for Hong Kong’s future.”

Uniting Corporate and Education Leaders in a Collective Impact Ecosystem

The Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo brought together an extensive network of participating and supporting organisations across corporate, tech, education, and public service sectors, including:

Strategic Partner: Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited

Fully Supported By: McDonald’s Hong Kong

Supporting Organisations: DALLOYAU; Deloitte Foundation; DETERMINANT; Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer Family Registry; Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management; Police Community Relations Office, Central District,Hong Kong Police Force; Hong Kong Qualifications Framework; HSBC; JEMS Character Academy; L’Oréal Hong Kong; Microsoft Hong Kong; MTR Corporation Limited; Ocean Park Corporation; Pet Space Group Limited; PRISTER Corporation Limited; Project Management Institute; Story Jungle Education; Tencent Wetech Academy; XPENG Hong Kong; XPENG Hong Kong ARIDGE; Y.L.Yang Foundation; iREd Solutions Limited; Plus One Dimension Interactive Company Limited

Education Partners: Center for Global & Community Engagement (GCE), School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; The University of Hong Kong; Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong; Faculty of Science, The University of Hong Kong; Hong Kong Association of Careers Masters and Guidance Masters; Hong Kong Association of the Heads of Secondary Schools; Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Chai Wan), Higher Diploma in Food Technology and Safety; Lingnan University Department of Digital Art and Creative Industries; Pre-incubation Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; School of Business, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong; The Council of Central & Western District School Heads; The Education University of Hong Kong; The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

Supporting Statutory Body: The Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen

The event also featured prominent leaders and experts sharing insights across business, finance, education, technology, innovation, and the public sector:

• Lawrence Hung – Immediate Past President and Executive Council Member, Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management
• Gary Wong Chi-him, MH, JP – Chief Hong Kong and Macao Liaison Expert, Authority of Qianhai SZ-HK Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone of Shenzhen
• Professor Ava Kwong – Chairman, Hong Kong Hereditary Breast Cancer FamilyRegistry; Clinical Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong
• Professor Lee Man Hoi – Professor, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Hong Kong
• Serena Tang – Career Development and Training Director, HKU Business School

“We are deeply grateful to our seed schools, education partners, and Supporting Organisations for transforming the Foundation’s vision into action and for joining us in empowering young people,” said Secy Cheung, Founding Board Director of FutureGen Youth Foundation.

“Through our work with students, we have seen how powerful it can be when young people hear directly from industry leaders, professionals, and innovators. Often, a single conversation, sharing unexpected angles, can spark new aspirations and help students see pathways they had never previously imagined. IGNITE18 is about planting those seeds of possibility – inspiring young people to explore, discover, and take their first steps towards shaping their own futures.”

The signature event showcased the boundless possibilities of a strong ecosystem connecting schools, industry, universities, and families in supporting Hong Kong’s future leaders and talents. The IGNITE18 Central & Western District Youth-to-Career Explo generated strong community momentum that will continue to support students in understanding the future world of work, discovering their own pathways, and stepping into the future with confidence.

Hashtag: #FutureGenYouthFoundation

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The Central and Western District Youth Network

The Central and Western District Youth Network, established under the Central and Western District Office, is a platform for young people aged 12 to 29 providing them with opportunities to develop their potential, cultivate personal interests, enhance self‑confidence, and encourage active participation in community affairs, thereby fostering a stronger sense of social belonging. Each year, the District Youth Network organises a diverse range of activities tailored to meet the interests and needs of its members.

Collaboration Provides Students Access To Xsolla’s Publishing Suite And Launcher, Bridging Academic Learning With Commercial Game Development Practices

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 14 July 2026 – Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Management and Science University (MSU), one of Malaysia’s leading private universities, to strengthen collaboration between academia and the video games industry while providing students with access to professional publishing, monetization, and distribution technologies.

The partnership is designed to support knowledge exchange and talent development across game development, digital commerce, and game monetization. Through industry talks, guest lectures, best-practice sharing sessions, and collaborative educational initiatives, Xsolla and MSU will work together to provide students and faculty with direct exposure to current industry practices and commercial opportunities in the global games market.

As part of the collaboration, Xsolla will facilitate access to its end-to-end game commerce ecosystem across its payments, monetization and distribution platforms. Students will be able to integrate professional-grade publishing, monetization, payment, and distribution capabilities into their projects, helping bridge the gap between academic learning and commercial game development.

“Today’s game developers need more than technical skills; they need to understand the complete business of bringing games to market,” said Chris Hewish, President of Xsolla. “Our partnership with MSU gives students access to the technologies, workflows, and commercial infrastructure used throughout the industry, helping prepare the next generation of developers to successfully launch and grow their games on a global scale.”

MSU is recognized as one of Malaysia’s leading private universities and is ranked #597 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. Through strategic industry partnerships and experiential learning programs, the university continues to connect studios with real-world opportunities across Information Sciences, Engineering, Technology, and related disciplines.

In addition to educational initiatives, Xsolla will participate in selected MSU convocation activities by presenting industry awards to recognize outstanding graduates. Both organizations will continue to explore additional collaborative opportunities that support talent development, innovation, and growth within Malaysia’s interactive entertainment ecosystem.

To learn more about the MoU signing between Xsolla and Management and Science University (MSU), visit: https://xsolla.pro/MSU

Hashtag: #Xsolla #ManagementAndScienceUniversity #MSU

https://xsolla.com

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

About Xsolla

Xsolla is a global commerce company that builds and provides all the things developers need to launch, grow, and monetize video games. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company supports studios of every size, from indie to AAA, with solutions across direct-to-consumer commerce, intelligent payments, entertainment-based IP, and player engagement products. Xsolla helps developers fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games at scale. Trusted by more than 60% of the top 100 highest-grossing games, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record across 200+ geographies with access to over 1,000+ local payment methods worldwide. Grounded in a deep belief in the future of gaming, Xsolla is resolute in bringing opportunities together and unlocking growth for creators everywhere.

The online fashion retailer is considering an offer of between $2 billion and $3 billion, although the final size will depend on its valuation, investor demand and prevailing market conditions. The timetable could also change as the company completes the remaining stages of Hong Kong’s listing process.

Shein is scheduled to face the Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s listing committee this week. Approval at the hearing would allow the company and its advisers to move towards investor presentations, price discovery and bookbuilding.

Some people involved in the process expect the shares to begin trading in September or October rather than August, reflecting the time required to complete regulatory documentation and market the offer to institutional investors. A successful listing would rank among Hong Kong’s largest consumer-sector flotations in years.

China’s securities regulator has approved the proposed sale of up to 341.6 million H shares. The clearance removed one of the biggest obstacles confronting Shein, which submitted confidential listing documents in Hong Kong about a year ago after encountering difficulties in New York and London.

The company could seek a valuation of between $40 billion and $50 billion. That would represent a sharp retreat from the $100 billion valuation achieved during a private funding round in 2022, when pandemic-era online shopping growth and investor enthusiasm for digital retail pushed its value above several established fashion groups.

Shein was valued at about $66 billion in 2023. The lower range being discussed for the Hong Kong offer reflects tighter investor scrutiny, greater competition, changing customs rules and concern over the durability of its low-cost cross-border business model.

The retailer, founded in Nanjing in 2012 by entrepreneur Sky Xu and now headquartered in Singapore, sells inexpensive clothing and lifestyle products across roughly 150 markets. Its data-driven system tests products in small batches, measures consumer demand and orders additional stock when items gain traction.

That model has helped Shein respond rapidly to fashion trends while limiting unsold inventory. It has also placed pressure on traditional retailers and brought intense scrutiny of production volumes, environmental impact, working conditions and supplier oversight.

Although Shein has positioned itself as a global company, much of its manufacturing network remains concentrated in China, particularly around Guangzhou and other parts of Guangdong province. That dependence brought the company within the scope of China’s overseas-listing review system despite the relocation of its corporate headquarters.

Shein previously pursued a New York flotation but faced political resistance and demands for deeper examination of its supply chain, data practices and alleged exposure to forced labour in Xinjiang. The company has said it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards forced labour and requires suppliers to comply with its sourcing standards.

A subsequent attempt to list in London also stalled. Britain’s financial regulator had cleared the company’s prospectus, but the transaction could not proceed without approval from Beijing. Disagreements surrounding disclosures about supply-chain risks complicated the process.

Hong Kong offers Shein a venue closer to its manufacturing base and within a regulatory framework more acceptable to Beijing. The city’s market, however, may produce a lower valuation than the company once expected from New York or London, where international consumer and technology companies have traditionally attracted broader investor coverage.

The proposed offer comes during a strong period for Hong Kong listings. Companies raised about HK$209.9 billion across 85 new flotations during the first half of 2026, the market’s best first-half performance in five years. A pipeline of hundreds of applicants has strengthened expectations that the city could remain among the world’s leading fundraising centres this year.

Shein’s leadership is also changing as the listing approaches. Executive chairman Donald Tang is expected to step down and continue as a senior adviser. Tang played a central role in the company’s engagement with governments, regulators and investors during its attempts to secure a Western listing.

Xu is expected to take a leading role in presenting the investment case to prospective shareholders. Investors are likely to examine Shein’s growth prospects, profit margins and ability to adapt to customs changes, particularly the removal of duty-free treatment for low-value packages entering the United States from China and Hong Kong.

• Revenue increased to US$113.2 million (up 23.8% YoY), driven by the 2 January 2026 acquisition of the Active Apparel Group Pty Ltd and Active Apparel Group (America) LLC (“AAG”) business which is now successfully integrated into the Group’s platform
• Net profit grew to US$ 5.4 million representing a 1.8% increase YoY, after absorbing one-off integration costs arising from the AAG acquisition

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

• Deployed proprietary Product Lifecycle Management (“PLM”) system and in-house AI engine, advancing our transformation into a tech-enabled apparel platform and driving greater operating leverage

SHAREHOLDER RETURNS

• Interim dividend maintained at HK3.0 cents per share, reflecting confidence in cash generation

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 July 2026 – Lever Style Corporation (HKEX: 1346, “Lever Style”), the world’s premier apparel production platform, today reported financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026.

For the first half of 2026, Lever Style recorded a return to top-line growth. Following a defensive strategy in 2025 aimed at managing credit risk, the Group recorded total revenue of US$113.2 million, representing a 23.8% increase compared to the same period last year. “This revenue expansion was driven by the 2 January 2026 acquisition of the AAG business, which has now been integrated into our operating platform, providing a broader foundation for our growth trajectory.” said William Tan, CEO of Lever Style.

Navigating Integration for Long-Term Value

“While revenue expanded substantially, net profit for the period grew to US$5.4 million, representing a by 1.8% increase, compared to the first half of 2025. This short-term pressure on our bottom line reflects one-off, upfront integration costs. These primarily included temporary staff duplication costs as we merged workflows, systems, and personnel. We regard these transitional costs as necessary investments to secure the structural, long-term profitability of the acquired business.” Mr. Tan added.

With the integration phase now largely completed, the group’s cost structure is better optimized, and the group will enjoy the operating leverage that enhanced scale provides.

Strategic Technology & In-House AI Solutions

The group’s platform-based strategy continues to progress, converting its operational capabilities from a traditional apparel supplier into a tech-enabled enterprise. During the period under review, Lever Style successfully developed and deployed its own PLM system, among other solutions. These internal enterprise systems are designed to enhance workflow transparency, accelerate speed-to-market, and reduce waste across the group’s asset-light supply chain.

Capitalizing on its expanding internal R&D capabilities, the group has also customized AI solutions to fit its specific business model. Rather than relying on generic off-the-shelf software, these proprietary tools support day-to-day merchandiser productivity and factory coordination, reinforcing Lever Style’s long-term competitive advantage.

Market Outlook: Premium Resilience in a K-Shaped Economy

“The US market—our primary market—has proven surprisingly resilient through the first half of 2026. However, underneath the headline figures lies a visible ‘K-shaped’ economic split: a highly promotional and pressured middle market where retail liquidity remains tight and consumers are value-sensitive, and a premium/affluent tier of high-income consumers whose discretionary spending remains relatively stable, sustaining steady demand for premium products and services.” Stanley Szeto, Executive Chairman of Lever Style, commented.

Lever Style remains largely insulated from mass-market volatility due to its focus on upscale designers and premium fashion brands. Because the group’s brand portfolio aligns with this more resilient premium sector of the market, it remains well-positioned to navigate current economic conditions.

Future Prospects & Financial Synergies

Looking toward the second half of 2026 and into 2027, the group’s strategic roadmap focuses on three primary operational and financial levers:

• AAG Bottom-Line Contribution: With major integration headwinds resolved, the AAG activewear business is expected to start contributing to the bottom line in H2 2026, with net profit margins of this business targeted to improve steadily, with the aim of approaching the margin profile of Lever Style’s legacy business in 2027.
• Targeting Operating Leverage: As expanded volume is funneled through the group’s upgraded digital platform, Lever Style is targeting synergies from operating leverage across its vendor network, allowing fixed overheads to be managed more efficiently.
• Pursuing M&A Opportunities: By integrating the AAG business, Lever Style has demonstrated the scalability of its own platform. Consequently, the group remains active in evaluating a pipeline of further value-accretive acquisitions to expand its product capabilities and geographical production footprint.

“The Group has completed the primary phases of integration, upgraded its technology base, and remains aligned with the more resilient segments of consumer demand. The Board remains confident in our underlying business model and our ability to deliver long-term value to shareholders.” Mr. Szeto concluded.

For more details, please visit: https://www1.hkexnews.hk/listedco/listconews/sehk/2026/0713/2026071300602.pdf

Hashtag: #LeverStyle

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/lever-style-inc./
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2xFoI4FpTh5SOU6O63nNUQ

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Lever Style Corporation

Listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Lever Style (HKEX 1346) is the world’s premier apparel production platform for premium contemporary and designer brands such as Alexander Wang, Theory, Todd Snyder, and Aimé Leon Dore; active and performance brands such as Arc’teryx, Columbia Sportswear, Helly Hansen, Spanx, Skims, and J.Lindeberg; and digitally native brands and platforms such as Mizzen+ Main and Bonobos.

Our supply chain solutions encompass fashion design, prototype development, raw material procurement, production, quality control, and logistics. Our innovative, modularized multi-country platform delivers high-mix, low-volume orders and reduces excess inventory and stockouts. Our versatile approach is rooted in decades of technical expertise gained from working with many of the world’s highest-quality and most demanding brands. We support production for 175 brands through a network of more than 150 factories across eight countries: Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. A certified B Corp, Lever Style is a committed ESG leader in the apparel production sector.

For much of the past century, urban development followed a relatively straightforward equation: build housing, expand infrastructure and accommodate population growth. This formula is now showing its limitations. As climate risk intensifies, biodiversity declines and cities compete not only for investment but also for talent, developers around the world are now forced to redefine the very nature and purpose of what they build.

From the Gulf to Singapore, and from Scandinavia to Southeast Asia, large-scale urban projects are evolving into integrated ecosystems where mobility, green infrastructure, education, healthcare, digital services and environmental restoration are planned together. The industry paradigm has shifted from constructing buildings to designing places capable of sustaining both economic growth and quality of life over generations.

Vinhomes has initiated a comprehensive repositioning to navigate this global transition.

Known as Vietnam’s largest residential developer, the company is increasingly recognized not merely as a builder of housing projects, but as a creator of large-scale lifestyle ecosystems, communities where urban planning, technology, ecology and public services are conceived as parts of the same system.

When Nature Becomes Urban Infrastructure

For decades, environmental considerations were often introduced after a city’s masterplan had already been completed.

The emerging model reverses that sequence. Across many of its recent developments, Vinhomes operates on the principle that natural systems should become the starting point of planning. Hydrology, coastal conditions, biodiversity and existing vegetation are treated as design inputs that shape the urban layout from the earliest stages.

This philosophy marks a notable departure from conventional large-scale development, particularly in rapidly urbanising markets where natural landscapes have frequently given way to intensive construction.

With more than 30 developments across Vietnam and a land bank equivalent to roughly two-thirds the size of Singapore, Vinhomes has the unusual opportunity to test this planning approach at a metropolitan scale.

Rather than replicating identical urban formulas, each project is designed around the ecological characteristics of its location.

The company maintains that the long-term success of a city should ultimately be measured not by how much has been built, but by whether natural ecosystems continue to thrive decades after residents have moved in. That perspective aligns with an increasingly influential school of urban planning in which green infrastructure is viewed as essential public infrastructure.

Factors Compelling Cities Toward Regeneration

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks have become standard across global investment. Urban planners, however, are beginning to question whether sustainability alone is sufficient.

Maintaining today’s environmental conditions may no longer be enough if tomorrow’s cities must also respond to rising temperatures, sea-level change and growing demographic pressures.

Vinhomes’ strategic response is crystallized in its ESG++, a framework that extends beyond conventional ESG principles by introducing two additional objectives: Regeneration and resilience.

The distinction is subtle but important.

Regeneration implies restoring ecological systems rather than simply reducing environmental impact. Resilience focuses on designing cities capable of adapting to changing climatic, technological and social conditions over many decades.

Projects such as Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio and Vinhomes Global Gates Ha Long are intended to demonstrate how these concepts can be incorporated into large-scale urban planning, combining renewable energy, smart infrastructure and ecological restoration within a single development model.

This shift highlights a growing global consensus: the success of next-generation cities will ultimately be measured by their ability to adapt to increasingly complex environmental challenges.

Vietnam’s Urban Story Is Becoming Part of a Global Conversation

For many international audiences, Vietnam remains associated primarily with its cultural heritage and natural landscapes. Urban development may become an equally important part of that story.

Rapid urbanisation, expanding infrastructure investment and a national commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 have created conditions in which entirely new urban models can be planned without many of the legacy constraints facing older cities.

This developmental opportunity is capturing increasing global interest.

Commenting on Vinhomes Green Paradise’s participation in the global 7 Wonders of Future Cities initiative, Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of the New7Wonders Organisation, described Vietnam as undergoing a “transformative step change” in its national identity and global positioning. He pointed to the country’s progress in reducing the carbon footprint of urban mobility as an example of coordinated action between government and the private sector that offers valuable insights extending beyond Southeast Asia.

For Vinhomes, participation in international platforms such as 7 Wonders of Future Cities is therefore less about showcasing a single project than about contributing to a broader discussion on how rapidly developing economies might approach urban growth differently. The company’s evolution mirrors a wider shift taking place across the global property sector.

Increasingly, the core value proposition for developers is no longer anchored in how many buildings they can deliver. Instead, it centers on whether they can create cities that remain economically competitive, environmentally resilient and socially relevant long after construction has ended.

Hashtag: #Vinhomes

https://vinhomes.vn/en

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

England completed a commanding nine-wicket win in Bristol on Thursday, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The opening match was abandoned without a result, leaving Harry Brook’s side with the chance to complete a 4-0 sweep in Southampton on Saturday and replace India at the head of the rankings.

India made 158 for seven after choosing to bat, with captain Shreyas Iyer carrying the innings through an unbeaten 80. England reached 159 for one in only 13.5 overs, finishing the chase with 37 balls unused as Brook and Phil Salt dismantled a bowling attack that struggled for control.

Brook struck an unbeaten 79 from 35 deliveries, while Salt made 59 not out from 42. Their unbroken 146-run partnership turned what could have been a competitive chase on a slow surface into a one-sided contest.

The result extended India’s sequence of defeats across Ireland and England. Their tour began with a 2-0 series loss in Belfast, where Ireland recorded their first men’s international victory over India before completing a clean sweep. England then won three completed matches in succession, exposing weaknesses in India’s batting, bowling and fielding.

The slide represents an abrupt reversal for a team that entered the tour as the leading side in the format after defending its T20 World Cup title. India’s depth, power-hitting and varied bowling attack had made it the standard-setter in international T20 cricket, but a reshaped squad has struggled to reproduce that authority in unfamiliar conditions.

Iyer’s innings in Bristol prevented a lower total, yet India failed to build partnerships around him. The captain arrived after the early loss of Abhishek Sharma and watched the middle order repeatedly surrender momentum. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shivam Dube offered brief support, but England’s bowlers controlled the scoring rate and forced mistakes.

Jofra Archer led the attack with two wickets for 20 runs, combining pace with well-directed slower deliveries. England also fielded sharply, cutting off boundaries and converting pressure into dismissals as India failed to accelerate decisively during the closing overs.

Iyer acknowledged that 158 was below the total required and said India had fallen short in all three departments. His unbeaten effort offered evidence of personal form, but it also highlighted the dependence on one batter during a series in which the top order has been inconsistent.

England’s chase demonstrated the growing confidence within Brook’s side. An early wicket did little to interrupt their approach. Brook attacked the shorter boundaries while Salt maintained the tempo, ensuring India could not settle into defensive bowling patterns.

The hosts have won 19 of their 22 completed T20 internationals since Brook assumed the captaincy, a run built on aggressive batting, flexible selection and an increasingly effective pace group. Their victories against India have come through different routes, underlining the balance of the squad.

Jacob Bethell guided England through an early collapse in Manchester, scoring an unbeaten 76 as the hosts chased 191 with six balls remaining. At Trent Bridge, the pace attack dominated after England posted 201 for seven. India were dismissed for 76, suffering their heaviest defeat by runs in a T20 international.

Josh Tongue took four wickets in that match and Archer claimed three as India lost by 125 runs. Iyer described the batting display as unacceptable, but the response in Bristol was limited despite his own substantial contribution.

The tour has also intensified scrutiny of India’s transition under a new captain. Sooryavanshi became the youngest player to represent the country at senior level when he debuted at 15 in Manchester. His selection reflects an effort to prepare a new generation, although the decision to introduce inexperienced players during a demanding away campaign has increased the pressure on the established members of the squad.

Injuries have further disrupted India’s plans, with fast bowler Prasidh Krishna and all-rounder Washington Sundar among the players rotated into the side. The changes have complicated efforts to establish a settled combination and clear roles.

By Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – Op-ed by Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re.

Ten years.

That is roughly how long we have before many societies reach one of the most defining demographic tipping points of our era: the point at which the “new” silver economy (over 65’s) outnumber people aged 30-59 who have traditionally been the bedrock of the life and pensions system.

The significance of this shift goes far beyond demographics.

It represents a symbolic moment that forces us to rethink the intergenerational contract: how we provide care and financial security for people as they move into later life – and how we finance a new set of needs.

The demographic evidence is already visible across major economies. In the US, adults aged 65 and over already outnumber children in 11 states. Singapore’s over-65 population has nearly doubled in a decade to 21%. Japan is approaching 30%. The UK, France and Germany are not far behind

These numbers are well-known. But their meaning is not yet fully reflected in our industry’s existing product strategy.

The tipping point is also more than a statistical curiosity. We will experience it through the decisions we make coming into retirement and to secure the future of the generation coming after us. We will need to make new choices on how we fund care. We will need to make new assumptions about when to retire. And we will face a new reality around how much of the financial burden falls on the state, families or the individual.

Families have always carried the weight of old age, even as pensions, healthcare systems and social care programmes have broadened that responsibility across society.

But the arithmetic underpinning the system is breaking. Globally, the ratio of working-age people financially supporting each person over 65 is projected to fall from around five-to-one in 2021 to three-to-one by 2050. Across developed markets, debates about pension reform, healthcare funding and retirement ages reflect the same underlying question: how do we maintain security and dignity later in life when there are fewer hands to carry the weight?

It’s not a crisis of demographics. It’s a crisis of design – our systems were built for shorter lives and larger workforces, and they haven’t been rebuilt for the world we are actually entering.

That insight matters because it challenges how we think about insurance’s role. I believe we have less than a decade to develop the products that the older consumers who make up the Silver Economy – and their families – will need.

There will be no silver bullet. We cannot return to a single solution based around family care versus public provision. The individual retiree will be the focus, but our thinking will need to be based on a more collaborative model in which families, governments, communities and the private sector work together.

Recent Swiss Re consumer research in France and Germany revealed something striking. People don’t think about later life in terms of pensions or insurance policies. They think about practical outcomes: staying independent, being resilient when health shocks hit, not becoming a burden to their children.

Our industry has spent decades optimising for wealth accumulation and income protection during working years. Ageing societies demand we apply the same rigour to what happens after.

That does not mean the intergenerational contract has failed. It means it is evolving.

We are already seeing what that evolution looks like in practice.

• Senior health products in Asia are closing a real gap —The median age of cancer diagnosis is 67, yet many critical illness policies expire before retirement even begins. The result is high out-of-pocket expenses, stressed public healthcare, and increased burden on families. With dedicated products to cover later life illnesses, such as senior cancer products we are effectively closing a protection gap.
• Long term care in France has had some success with private solutions alongside public provision. With over 1.4 million people covered by private long term care insurance, France has built a strong risk pool that directly addresses one of the strongest concerns expressed by consumers: not becoming a burden on the next generation.
• Deferred annuities offer a third path beyond the binary “draw-down versus annuity” thinking. By combining flexibility today with guaranteed income later, they help transform longevity from an individual financial risk into one that can be shared more broadly.

At first glance these solutions appear very different. In reality, they are pieces of the same puzzle. Each expands the circle of support around the individual. They help families carry less of the burden alone, and they complement the work of state safety nets.

That is what the next evolution of the intergenerational contract looks like in practice.

Ageing societies are one of humanity’s great achievements. But if our products and institutions stay built for a demographic reality that no longer exists, achievement curdles into liability.

We have a decade to close that gap. Let’s treat it as a product-development window, not a deadline.

Disclaimer
Certain statements and illustrations contained herein are forward-looking and are made for informational purposes only. These statements (including as to plans, objectives, targets, and trends) and illustrations provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to a historical fact or current fact. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Swiss Re undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further information on forward looking statements and the use of information contained in this publication can be found in the Legal Notice section on Swiss Re’s website.

Hashtag: #SwissRe #lifeinsurance #reinsurance

https://www.swissre.com/
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About Swiss Re

The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cyber crime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 70 offices globally.

• Exclusive Co-Development: The partnership covers the exclusive supply and co-engineering of the IVECO URANIA and IVECO TUTELA ranges – the only fluids officially recommended by IVECO
• Network Support: PLI will strengthen support for IVECO’s European dealer network, driving customer value, reliability, and total cost-of-ownership (TCO) optimisation

TURIN, ITALY – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – IVECO, one of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, and PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) have officially renewed their long-standing strategic partnership for an additional five years. The agreement extends the partnership through 2032, reinforcing a collaboration that has driven innovation, performance, and sustainability in the commercial transport sector for more than 50 years.

The renewal ensures the continued supply and joint engineering of a comprehensive range of lubricants designed for commercial vehicles. From advanced engine oils to transmission fluids, brake fluids and coolants, PLI and IVECO will continue to formulate solutions specifically engineered to meet the demanding operational requirements of IVECO’s commercial vehicle portfolio across Europe.

A Legacy of Technical Excellence

This milestone reflects the sustained success of the co-branded IVECO URANIA engine oils and IVECO TUTELA technical fluids, developed through decades of joint R&D and a shared commitment to delivering high-performance, energy-efficient solutions that maximise vehicle uptime and extend component life. The ranges are also the only fluids recommended by IVECO.

The partnership’s rapid pace of innovation was recently highlighted by the launch of Urania Next 0W-16. This breakthrough –the first SAE 0W-16 engine oil developed specifically for heavy-duty applications – delivers exceptional fuel efficiency, reduced CO₂ emissions, and extended oil drain intervals. Furthermore, the formulation is Euro 7 ready, supporting improved efficiency and emissions performance for IVECO’s latest generation of engines.

Domenico Nucera, Chief Quality & Operations Officer, Iveco Group, commented, “The renewal of the agreement with PETRONAS Lubricants International confirms the strength of a long-standing collaboration built on shared technical expertise and a common ambition to continuously improve performance, efficiency, and sustainability across our vehicle and powertrain portfolio. Through the co-engineering of our IVECO URANIA and IVECO TUTELA ranges, we are able to deliver solutions that maximise vehicle uptime, optimise total cost of ownership, and support our customers and dealer network with the highest standards of quality and reliability.”

Driving Dealer and Customer Value

The renewed agreement also places a strategic focus on the IVECO dealer network. Beyond providing cutting-edge products, PLI will implement targeted initiatives aimed at strengthening dealer engagement and reinforcing customer awareness of IVECO’s officially approved lubricants. These initiatives are expected to support dealer business growth across European markets, while helping customers benefit from enhanced vehicle reliability and optimised total cost-of-ownership.

Domenico Ciaglia, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer of PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI), said: “This partnership renewal demonstrates what can be achieved through a long-term forward-thinking collaboration, with consistency, and a shared commitment to excellence. Through continuous product innovation, we have been able to co-develop market-leading solutions such as the Urania Next 0W-16 engine oil formulation, seamlessly integrated into IVECO’s ecosystem. This collaboration enables us to deliver greater value to the industry by combining our expertise and driving innovation together.

Looking ahead, PETRONAS Lubricants International remains fully committed to supporting the IVECO Group with forward integrated reliable, high-performance products and solutions that create lasting value for its network and customers.

This renewed collaboration further reinforces the foundation of PLI’s broader strategic roadmap, demonstrating how technical excellence and trusted partnerships can drive sustainable, long-term value internationally.”
Hashtag: #PETRONASLubricantsInternational #PLI #IVECO #industrial #lubricants #technology

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

PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI)

PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) is the global lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of PETRONAS, Malaysia’s dynamic global energy group. Established in 2008, PLI manufactures and markets a full range of high-quality automotive and industrial lubricant products in over 100 markets internationally. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, PLI also has offices around the world including Turin, Belo Horizonte, Beijing, and Chicago. PLI is the technical resource behind PETRONAS’ partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, responsible for the design, development and delivery of the Fluid Technology Solutions™, which includes customised lubricants, fuels and transmission fluids to power the Silver Arrows.

We are a progressive energy and solutions partner, enriching lives for a sustainable future. Our commitment remains to conduct and grow our business in ways that contribute positively to society and the environment.

PLI is driving an aggressive business growth agenda as one of the leading global lubricants companies at the forefront of the industry, providing custom-made solutions for every need. For more information, please visit www.pli-petronas.com.

HMG is a premier leader in healthcare management in the Asia-Pacific sector, having established an extensive and mature multinational medical network across the region. The group has long been dedicated to optimizing medical administration and claims processes through digital transformation and cutting-edge technology. Serving over 700,000 clients of its insurance partners, HMG provides comprehensive, transparent, and high-quality healthcare solutions. In 2025 alone, the total medical expenses processed through HMG exceeded HKD 150 million.

OncoCare is a leading private oncology institution that firmly believes in and practises “patient centric” care. Its aim is to add years and quality of life to all patients through highly efficient, knowledge-based integrated cancer diagnosis and personalised treatment. OncoCare brings together a team of clinical oncologists, and in combination with the robust specialist network of Tamarind Specialists, a member of the same group in Hong Kong, provides patients with medical services across fields such as colorectal surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, breast surgery, respiratory medicine, and family medicine. Patients have access to cross-disciplinary medical assessments, precision cancer treatment plans and personalised cancer care, ensuring they and their families receive the most reassuring support during challenging times.

The core highlight of this Pan-Asian Strategic Cooperation Agreement lies in the deep integration of HMG’s pan-Asian service network with OncoCare’s Asia-leading oncology expertise. Together, they will build Asia’s premier “Pan-Asian Closed-Loop Medical Ecosystem.” With Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia serving as the core hub locations, the key highlights include:

• Integrated Closed-Loop Service: From initial medical record review and cross-border “green channels” to clinical treatment and financial settlement, patients will experience seamless services within the joint management system of HMG and OncoCare. Coupled with transparent medical billing, this ensures the highest standard of medical quality control.
• Cross-Border Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Diagnosis: Using OncoCare’s Singapore headquarters, its Hong Kong flagship centers in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, and its Malaysia branch as central hubs, the ecosystem brings together experienced specialists from all three regions to provide international-grade second medical opinions for cancer patients in need.
• Seamless Network Integration & Financial Transparency: HMG’s 700,000+ clients can instantly connect with OncoCare’s healthcare teams. Furthermore, both parties have introduced personalised treatment plans for common cancers, offering clear financial predictability and budget protection.

Mr. Chan Kin-chung, Founder of HMG, stated: “We are deeply honored to partner with OncoCare. Through the Pan-Asian Closed-Loop Medical Ecosystem, we have successfully aligned top-tier resources across Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Clients can enjoy treatment plans jointly formulated by regional experts within a single secure and transparent system, fulfilling our highest cross-border commitment to ‘patient centric’ healthcare.”

Mr Lim Eng Seng, Group CEO of Tamarind Health, the parent company of OncoCare, added, “As a patient centric oncology-focused group, we recognise the challenges cancer patients face in navigating increasingly complex private and cross-border healthcare systems. Through this integrated ecosystem, we will leverage the collective strengths of our multidisciplinary teams and directly managed centres across Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia to deliver seamless, high-quality cancer care. Looking ahead, we remain committed to making expert oncology services accessible anytime, anywhere, while elevating patient experience and improving treatment outcomes.”

Looking ahead, the Pan-Asian Closed-Loop Medical Ecosystem plans to further introduce green channels for the latest overseas medications, personalised genetic testing, and cross-border post-operative rehabilitation management, continuously pioneering a more comprehensive and forward-looking landscape for private cancer care for patients in Asia.

Riau Complex Sets a New Standard for Employee Living, Supporting Asia Pacific Rayon’s Workforce and Families

Media Inquiries, please contact:
HMG
Tracy Ng
Email: [email protected]

OncoCare
Marketing & Communications
Karen Ng
Email: [email protected]

Hashtag: #HealthMutualGroup #OncoCare #PanAsianStrategicCooperationAgreement #PanAsianClosedLoopMedicalEcosystem #CrossBorderCancerPatients #OneStopFullCycleCare #CrossBorderReferrals #MultidisciplinaryTeamMDT #PersonalisedTreatment #PrecisionCancerCare

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• SNP builds on Palantir platforms to deliver new AI-powered solutions for solving mission-critical customer challenges
• The partnership will build on SNP’s strong base with more than 3,000 customers globally and 15,000 successful SAP transformation projects
• SNP and Palantir will leverage their strengths to help customers modernize their SAP landscapes and business processes in a predictable and secure way

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – SNP SE, a leading provider of software for AI-enabled digital transformation, automated data migration and data management in the SAP environment, and Palantir, a global leader in artificial intelligence and data platforms, today announced a strategic partnership at SNP’s flagship event, Transformation World, in Heidelberg, Germany. The collaboration positions SNP to develop new AI-powered solutions with an aligned approach to accelerate SAP transformations for joint customers.

The two partners will offer solutions for mission-critical challenges across all types of SAP projects, helping customers improve speed, efficiency and quality. The first joint solution, Test Data Proposal, solves a so far highly manual area of SAP migrations, the identification of relevant test data for given customer test cases. By leveraging AI, this process runs automatically and saves customers’ time and resources. Test Data Proposal will expand SNP’s proven Kyano® platform.

As part of the partnership, SNP and Palantir are also collaborating in large-scale moves to SAP Cloud ERP applications where customers seek to accelerate these modernization programs. Both companies combine complementary, category-leading strengths. SNP contributes deep real-world SAP data migration expertise while Palantir provides state-of-the-art AI-driven software platforms, which enable and accelerate secure modernizations for customers.

“Organizations are looking for new ways to increase speed, efficiency, and quality in large-scale SAP transformations,” said Jens Amail, CEO of SNP. “We are hugely excited to collaborate with Palantir, a company that has leveraged AI to revolutionize and accelerate the way enterprises modernize mission-critical systems and automate operations. Together, we will deliver secure outcomes and new solutions to customers and partners.”

“We have seen exceptional momentum accelerating SAP migrations for customers, and helping them do so via the Ontology and AIP (Artificial Intelligence Platform) in a way that significantly compresses the timeline and delivers operational value along the way,” said Sameer Kirtane, Head of US Commercial at Palantir. “SNP over the last 30 years has built an impressive track record of delivering predictable, compliant and auditable outcomes in thousands of successful engagements. We are proud to partner with SNP to fundamentally rethink how customers transform their SAP landscapes.”

Hashtag: #SNP #Palantir #SAP #AI

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

About SNP

SNP (ticker: SHF.DE) is the global technology platform leader and trusted partner for companies seeking unparalleled data-enabled transformation capabilities and business agility. SNP’s Kyano^® platform integrates all necessary capabilities and partner offerings to provide a comprehensive software-based experience in data migration and management. Combined with the Bluefield^® approach, Kyano sets a comprehensive industry standard for restructuring and modernizing enterprise data faster and more securely while harnessing AI-driven innovations based on over 30 years of experience.

The company works with more than 3,000 customers of all sizes and in all industries in over 80 countries, including numerous DAX 40 and Fortune 500 companies. The SNP Group has more than 1,600 employees worldwide at over 34 locations in 22 countries. The company is headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, and generated revenues of around EUR 297 million in the 2025 fiscal year.

More information is available at www.snpgroup.com

About Palantir

Foundational software of tomorrow. Delivered today.

Additional information is available at https://www.palantir.com

Palantir Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, Palantir’s expectations regarding the amount and the terms of the contract and the expected benefits of Palantir’s software platforms. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and were based on current expectations as well as the beliefs and assumptions of management as of that time with respect to future events. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond Palantir’s control. These risks and uncertainties include the ability to meet the unique needs of customers; the failure of Palantir’s platforms to satisfy customers or perform as desired; the frequency or severity of any software and implementation errors; Palantir’s platforms’ reliability; and customers’ ability to modify or terminate the contract. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties is included in the filings Palantir makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Palantir’s forward-looking statements speak only as to Palantir, and Palantir assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any forward-looking statements made by any other party. Except as required by law, Palantir does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.

A Vision Built on Innovation

The event opened with a keynote by Eric Wang, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of CUKTECH, who shared the brand’s global vision and product roadmap for Southeast Asia, with Vietnam identified as one of its key strategic markets.

Eric Wang highlighted CUKTECH’s continuous investment in research and development (R&D) to solve the everyday challenges faced by modern consumers, including slow charging speeds, limited product innovation, and the increasing need for reliable, high-performance charging solutions that support multiple devices simultaneously. By combining advanced charging technologies with user-focused design, CUKTECH aims to deliver a faster, safer, and more intelligent charging experience.

Real-World Experience from Technology Reviewer Hung Khuc

One of the event’s highlights was a sharing session by Hung Khuc, one of Vietnam’s leading technology reviewers, who discussed his hands-on experience using CUKTECH products in his daily work.

“As a content creator who frequently shoots outdoors, I need charging devices that are both powerful and reliable. What impressed me most about CUKTECH’s power banks and chargers is their real-world performance. They can simultaneously fast charge my MacBook Pro, smartphone, and camera at full speed without power drops or interruptions.”

To promote transparency and foster closer engagement with the local technology community, the event concluded with an extensive media Q&A session. Eric Wang, together with CUKTECH’s product research and quality management teams, addressed questions on product localization, international safety standards, the brand’s one-for-one warranty policy, and future product development plans.

More than a product launch, Charge & Connect represents CUKTECH’s official step toward establishing a lasting presence in Vietnam. By combining cutting-edge charging technology, award-winning design, and a strong focus on user experience, CUKTECH is committed to delivering premium charging solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern consumers.

As the brand continues to expand its product ecosystem, CUKTECH aims to become a trusted technology partner for Vietnamese users while helping shape the future of premium charging accessories in the market.

Hashtag: #CUKTECH

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