JPMorgan Chase has evaluated launching its own stablecoin as major banks reconsider their approach to blockchain-based money amid growing demand for digital payments and clearer US regulation. The deliberations mark a potential shift for the world’s largest bank by market capitalisation, which has so far concentrated on tokenised bank deposits rather than issuing a conventional stablecoin. JPMorgan already operates JPM Coin, a dollar-denominated deposit token designed for […]
Project integrates UNESCO-recognized Can Gio mangrove forest as core climate infrastructure, expanding ESG to include Regeneration and Climate Adaptation
HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 26 August 2026 – Vinhomes Green Paradise, the 2,870-hectare coastal urban development in Can Gio, has become the first greenfield project worldwide to receive the Interim Custom ISO 37122 Smart City Certification from the World Council on City Data (WCCD), even before the arrival of its first residents.
An aerial master plan of Vinhomes Green Paradise in Can Gio, the world’s first greenfield project to achieve early-stage ISO 37122 Smart City Certification from the World Council on City Data.
The milestone reinforces Vinhomes’ pioneering “ESG++” model for the project, a framework that moves beyond traditional environmental, social and governance pillars to explicitly incorporate Regeneration and Climate Adaptation as core design principles.
By placing the adjacent UNESCO-recognized Cần Giờ Mangrove Biosphere Reserve at the center of its urban strategy, rather than treating it as peripheral landscape, Vinhomes is demonstrating that large-scale coastal development can simultaneously address biodiversity loss, carbon sequestration and long-term climate resilience.
A measured response to the global urban health crisis
The urgency of rethinking urban models is underscored by global health data. According to the Health Effects Institute’s State of Global Air 2025 report, air pollution was linked to 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021, overtaking tobacco to become the second-leading global risk factor for death and the leading cause of death for children under five after malnutrition. The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 89% of the 4.2 million annual premature deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution occur in low- and middle-income countries, precisely the regions experiencing the fastest urban growth.
This reality has redirected global capital flows. Grand View Research projects the global smart-city market to reach USD 3.76 trillion by 2030, compounding at nearly 30% annually, one of the fastest expansion rates across any industry sector. In this context, the question is no longer whether smart cities are worth building, but which developments can demonstrate independently verifiable performance.
Vinhomes Green Paradise has addressed this global benchmark through its Interim Custom ISO 37122 Smart City Certification, awarded by the World Council on City Data (WCCD), which validates its smart infrastructure and data-driven urban governance against international standards.
Moving beyond conventional standards, the project operates under an elevated philosophy known as ESG++, integrating two commitments that extend well past standard corporate reporting: Regeneration and Climate Adaptation. Under the pillar of Regeneration, the development goes beyond traditional conservation by actively restoring local coastal ecosystems through targeted mangrove reforestation, biodiversity preservation and community environmental education.
Concurrently, its Climate Adaptation strategy re-engineers urban infrastructure to proactively withstand long-term environmental hazards such as sea-level rise, storm surges and coastal erosion, ensuring the city is built for future resilience rather than simply reacting to present conditions.
Community perspectives reflect the broader appeal of this approach. Ho Chi Minh City-based content creator FABO Nguyen, speaking to CNBC, described his affection for the city’s dynamism alongside growing concerns about air quality and congestion. For him, and for many urban residents weighing similar trade-offs, the Vinhomes Green Paradise model offers a forward-looking alternative that does not require leaving the region, but instead redefines what a sustainable, livable urban environment can look like.
Mangrove forests as climate infrastructure
What sets Vinhomes Green Paradise apart from most coastal megaprojects globally is not merely its size, but its ecological adjacency. The development borders the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized site spanning over 75,000 hectares, one of southern Vietnam’s most valuable natural assets.
Recent scientific research has revalued the role of mangroves in climate regulation. A study published in Nature Communications indicates that while mangroves account for just 0.36% of global forest area, they sequester carbon per hectare at nearly four times the rate of mature terrestrial forests, making them among the most efficient natural carbon sinks on Earth. According to the Blue Carbon Initiative, a single hectare of mangrove forest can store carbon equivalent to approximately 1,500 tons of CO₂, a figure no concrete structure can replicate.
Against a backdrop where global mangrove cover has declined by as much as 67% in some estimates, Vinhomes has adopted a preservation-first strategy. The Vinhomes Green Paradise master plan limits building density to just 16% of the total area and establishes a dedicated Forest Regeneration and Climate Adaptation Fund. These measures treat the adjacent mangrove ecosystem not as passive scenery but as active, natural defensive infrastructure against coastal erosion and storm surges, precisely the approach that climate scientists are urging coastal cities worldwide to adopt.
This ecological commitment aligns with measurable economic value. JLL’s research across Asia Pacific, based on an analysis of nearly 3,100 Grade A office buildings in 14 cities, shows that green-certified buildings can command rental premiums as high as 28% over non-certified equivalents in the region’s tightest markets, with supply continuing to lag behind occupier demand. Sustainability, in other words, has ceased to be simply a virtue and has become a measurable asset class.
Similarly, the global energy transition reinforces the viability of Vinhomes Green Paradise’s renewable-energy targets. The Global Wind Energy Council forecasts offshore wind capacity to nearly triple from 83 GW in 2024 to approximately 238 GW by 2030, while the International Energy Agency projects global renewable capacity to grow by 4,600 GW over the same period, equivalent to adding the combined current generation capacity of China, the European Union and Japan. Against this backdrop, Vinhomes Green Paradise’s ambition to run on offshore wind, solar and battery storage reflects a broader global trajectory rather than an isolated pledge.
A blueprint for 21st-century urbanization
Taken together, the ISO 37122 certification, the ESG++ framework, the strategic integration of the Can Gio mangrove ecosystem and the economic revaluation of green assets, Vinhomes Green Paradise presents a coherent response to a defining question in contemporary real estate: how to build cities that are both worth living in and built to endure.
The project’s recognition as the first Official Participant in New7Wonders’ global “7 Wonders of Future Cities” campaign further underscores its international relevance. Vinhomes Green Paradise serves as a notable reference point for coastal urban development, illustrating how economic growth and ecological preservation can be integrated in regional contexts.
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Vinhomes
Vinhomes is Vietnam’s largest residential real estate and integrated township developer. The company pioneers the development of synchronized, modern large-scale townships, delivering premium living standards and unlocking sustainable investment opportunities for domestic and international clients.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has awarded Elon Musk the Order of Freedom as Kyiv intensifies efforts to secure broader access to SpaceX’s Starlink network for military operations against Russia. The honour, announced by presidential decree on Wednesday, recognises Musk for his contribution to protecting human life and freedom and for strengthening relations between Ukraine and the United States. Musk, the head of SpaceX and Tesla, has emerged […]
SpaceX has unveiled plans to invest $100 billion in a vast Louisiana spaceport designed to become its largest launch complex and support thousands of Starship missions each year. The project, named Starbase Louisiana, will occupy about 125,000 acres in Vermilion Parish near Pecan Island on the Gulf Coast. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, while SpaceX is targeting its first Starship launch from the site in […]
The Linux Foundation has taken TRACE, an open specification designed to create hardware-backed evidence of how artificial intelligence agents operate, under vendor-neutral governance as companies seek stronger controls over increasingly autonomous AI systems. TRACE, short for Trust, Runtime Attestation and Compliance Evidence, creates cryptographically verifiable records showing what software executed, the policies governing it, the class of data it accessed and the tools it called. The initiative […]
By TN Ashok The much-awaited political reunion between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiromani Akali Dal appears to have hit the rocks even before the two former allies could formally sit down to negotiate a seat-sharing formula for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election. The problem is not ideology. Nor is it the bitter history […]
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 August 2026 – Knitup, a design-to-manufacturing platform, is introducing a flexible production model tailored to the rapidly expanding global creator economy. As online creators move beyond basic print-on-demand merch, Knitup bridges the gap by offering custom, high-end knitwear with low barriers to entry.
Over 45% of online creators are diversifying revenue through direct product launches, but the creator apparel industry is still stuck in cheap screen-printed blanks that dilute premium IP. Top creators want to build fashion-grade consumer brands, but traditional fashion manufacturers requires high MOQs, long lead times, and technical literacy. High-end creators face a trade-off: basic promotional blanks or massive inventory risk on fashionable products. Knitup solves this by enabling creators with no technical know-how to go from idea to premium products with no minimum requirement. With the advantage of full creative freedom, zero inventory liability, and rapid replenishment cycles, creators can target the premium segment with offerings of BCI Cotton and sustainable merino wool sweaters and beanies, or even step into the luxury tier segment with cashmere cardigan, dresses and blankets.
“We created Knitup to empower the next generation of creators by making the capabilities of a fashion design house accessible,” said Dorothy Pun, Founder of Knitup. “Creators and designers are enabled to make better products with minimal capital outlay. Brands and the planet are saved the burden of inventories. The world sees more creativity and innovation.”
Knitup addresses bottlenecks around mass customization for any knitted products by automatically turning digital design into knitting data that goes straight to knitting machines. What usually takes hours can now take minutes.
Since launching its online design platform in 2022, Knitup has grown to serve over 1,000 brands, ranging from emerging labels to established global names. Key capabilities include:
No Minimums: Produce exactly what the market demands, precisely when it wants it, helping eliminate excess inventory.
Design Expression: Bring visuals to life, from detailed custom jacquards to classic solid stitches and crisp embroidery.
Creation Process, Edited: Styles are visualized using high fidelity virtual samples. No waste even if users over-design and kill many styles. All costed instantly. Guilt-free and simple. Also a perfect tool to get consumers’ feedback on social media.
Sustainable Yarns: Access to environmental friendly materials that deliver both quality and great hand-feel.
Agile Manufacturing: A frictionless three-week production lead time that allows brands to restock rapidly, introduce new styles at speed, or launch limited capsule collections in weeks.
From bold statement graphics to quiet luxury, Knitup makes conscious fashion accessible without sacrificing speed, quality, or creative expression. Hashtag: #Knitup #CreatorCommerce #PremiumKnitwear
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Knitup
Knitup is a new kind of design-to-manufacturing platform that caters to everyone, from visionary artists and makers to small businesses and even large global corporations.
We bridge the gap between creativity and commerciality by enabling easy access to a complex knitwear supply chain. Our deep heritage in manufacturing, combined with cutting-edge technology and extensive know-how, unlocks a world of possibility for a creator, brand, or business.
Ultimately, we believe in the power of self-expression. By providing the tools and resources for anyone to bring to life high-quality and sustainable products, we enable creativity to flourish everywhere. From fostering vibrant communities built on shared stories and collaboration, to established corporations venturing out into new avenues.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s Museum of the Future will close temporarily from September 1 as it begins its most extensive transformation since opening, replacing its main exhibitions with a new generation of immersive experiences scheduled to debut in early 2027. The landmark attraction has urged visitors to see its existing exhibitions before the end of August, bringing forward an earlier indication that the current visitor experience […]
India’s data centre real estate footprint is projected to exceed 101 million square feet by 2030, nearly four times the 27 million square feet recorded in the first half of 2026, as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and hyperscale investments accelerate demand for digital infrastructure.
The expansion is being backed by more than $300 billion in announced investment commitments across data centres and associated digital infrastructure, putting the sector among the country’s fastest-growing infrastructure segments. The development pipeline could lift installed data centre capacity beyond 6.7 gigawatts by the end of the decade from more than 1.8 GW in the first half of 2026.
The scale of investment reflects a fundamental shift in the market as generative AI dramatically increases computing requirements. Cloud migration, digital payments, video streaming, 5G networks, enterprise digitisation and growing demand for local processing capacity are adding to workloads that require high-density computing facilities operating around the clock.
Forecasts differ considerably because industry studies use different definitions of operational capacity, committed projects and IT load. A separate assessment released in July projects operational data centre capacity at 12 GW by 2030, compared with 2.2 GW in 2025, as AI-focused capacity expands sharply. AI-dedicated capacity alone could rise from about 275 MW in 2025 to more than 6.5 GW by the end of the decade.
Power availability is emerging as one of the biggest constraints on that growth. Electricity demand from data centres is estimated to reach 13.56 GW by 2031-32, requiring major additions to generation, transmission and renewable-energy infrastructure. Developers are also adopting direct-to-chip liquid cooling, immersion cooling and other technologies designed to reduce the electricity and water requirements of increasingly dense AI computing installations.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Chennai remain the largest established data centre markets, benefiting from submarine cable connectivity, fibre infrastructure and concentrations of enterprise customers. Their position at international cable routes connecting Europe, West Asia and Southeast Asia has helped establish both regions as major gateways for hyperscale capacity.
Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru are now attracting a larger share of planned development as operators seek new land, power and connectivity options. Hyderabad could add 600-700 MW by 2030 to its existing capacity of about 178 MW, while Delhi-NCR is expected to receive another 500-600 MW against a current base of roughly 179 MW.
Global technology companies and large domestic groups are driving the investment cycle. Google has begun construction of an AI hub in Visakhapatnam as part of an approximately $15 billion investment planned between 2026 and 2030. The project combines gigawatt-scale computing infrastructure with subsea connectivity and new energy capacity, making Visakhapatnam an emerging data centre location on the east coast.
Reliance Industries is developing a 168 MW AI-enabled data centre in Jamnagar that Meta will lease, with an option to expand capacity. The facility, expected to be delivered within two years of the June 2026 announcement, will use renewable electricity and desalinated seawater for cooling. It will become Meta’s first built-to-suit data centre capacity in the country.
Real estate groups are also moving into infrastructure traditionally dominated by specialised data centre operators. Lodha Developers has earmarked about 400 acres at Palava near Mumbai for a data centre park and plans roughly 1 GW of powered-shell capacity, with Amazon Web Services and STT Global Data Centres identified as anchor operators. The powered-shell development alone is expected to require roughly ₹10,000 crore to ₹11,000 crore.
Other projects are expanding the competitive field. Yotta Infrastructure is developing additional capacity in Greater Noida, Anant Raj is targeting 357 MW of IT load across locations in Haryana by FY2032, while Prestige Group and NTT Data have agreed to develop a Bengaluru facility with 100 MW of overall capacity and 67.2 MW of critical IT load. NTT is also among the companies pursuing substantial additions in Hyderabad.
Flipkart has emerged as a serious challenger to India’s established quick-commerce platforms two years after launching Minutes, with daily orders surging past one million and its fulfilment network expanding rapidly across large and smaller cities.
The Walmart-owned company’s rapid-delivery service is handling an estimated 1.1 million to 1.2 million orders a day, compared with roughly 390,000 to 400,000 in November. That has brought Flipkart Minutes within striking distance of Swiggy Instamart, which is processing about 1.4 million daily orders.
Blinkit remains well ahead, with estimated daily volumes of roughly 3.4 million to 3.6 million orders, while Zepto handles about 2.4 million to 2.6 million. The gap nevertheless underlines the speed with which Flipkart has transformed itself from a late entrant into a major force in one of the country’s fastest-growing retail segments.
Flipkart Minutes was launched in August 2024, several years after Swiggy introduced Instamart and after Zepto established itself around ultra-fast grocery delivery. Blinkit’s origins stretch further back to Grofers, which began as an online grocery service before moving towards the dark-store model.
Flipkart has compensated for that late start with an aggressive infrastructure build-out. Minutes crossed 1,000 micro-fulfilment centres in June and now covers more than 130 cities and 8,000 pin codes. The company plans to expand its network to about 1,500 centres by the end of 2026. Orders have increased fivefold year on year.
The expansion is increasingly focused beyond the largest metropolitan markets. Around 90 cities added to the Minutes network over the past year are in smaller urban centres, where demand is growing from a relatively low base. Flipkart says its tier-two and tier-three business has expanded 42-fold compared with a year earlier.
That strategy distinguishes Flipkart from competitors that built much of their quick-commerce scale in affluent metropolitan neighbourhoods. The company can draw on an established e-commerce customer base, logistics infrastructure and merchant relationships while extending instant delivery to places where dark-store penetration remains lower.
Average baskets also offer Flipkart another competitive lever. Its average order value has been estimated at about ₹700, reflecting efforts to broaden rapid delivery beyond groceries into electronics, beauty products, wellness items and lifestyle merchandise. Fruits and vegetables remain important, but the average order value within that category has risen about 30% as customers become more comfortable buying larger baskets through Minutes.
The market itself continues to expand sharply. The six largest quick-commerce platforms together are now processing more than nine million orders a day. Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart still account for nearly four-fifths of that volume, but the accelerating expansion of Flipkart and Amazon is changing a market once dominated almost entirely by venture-backed start-ups.
Amazon is scaling its Now service while Reliance and other retailers are also seeking a larger share of instant commerce. Competition is increasingly shifting from simply entering new cities to placing additional fulfilment centres inside already-served pin codes, shortening delivery distances and expanding product selection.
For Swiggy, the pressure comes as Instamart concentrates increasingly on economics rather than network growth alone. The platform operates more than 1,200 dark stores across over 130 cities and serves more than 14 million monthly transacting users. Its gross order value reached ₹7,907 crore in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, rising 40% year on year, while its contribution-margin loss narrowed to 0.2% of gross order value. More than 45% of its dark-store network is contribution-margin positive.
Swiggy is also moving Instamart towards an inventory-led structure after changes to its foreign ownership arrangements, a model designed to improve purchasing efficiency, reduce wastage and give the company greater control over assortment and margins.
Walmart’s financial strength gives Flipkart considerable capacity to sustain investment while the quick-commerce business scales. Walmart International reported a 19% increase in e-commerce sales in its fiscal second quarter, while its operating income benefited partly from lower e-commerce losses. Flipkart’s advertising operations also remained a growth driver for the international division.
Washington has sanctioned the Wellbred commodities group and businesses spanning Singapore, the UAE, Switzerland and France, expanding pressure on a global commercial network linked to Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani. The measures designate Singapore-based Wellbred Capital Pte Ltd, UAE-based Wellbred Trading FZCO and Switzerland-based Wellbred Trading SA. La Nivernaise de Raffinage SAS, a French cooking-oil refinery controlled by Wellbred Trading SA, has also been placed under […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Aramco has signed agreements with French companies carrying a potential combined value of more than $3.7 billion, expanding cooperation in drilling equipment, specialised oilfield products and industrial artificial intelligence. The agreements were announced during a Saudi-French investment roundtable in Paris on Monday, August 24, attended by Aramco president and chief executive Amin H. Nasser. They form part of a broader push by […]
When a government has to step into the market and start buying back its own debt, it is not a display of strength. It’s an admission. Scott Bessent’s US Treasury doubled the size of its bond buyback programme this week. Reports now suggest officials are considering drawing close to $1 trillion from the Treasury General Account to help fund it. Washington will call this prudent debt management. […]
Alibaba Cloud has opened its third data centre in South Korea, increasing local computing capacity as businesses accelerate investment in artificial intelligence, cloud applications and data-intensive services.
The facility, launched on August 18, expands the company’s Korea region only about 14 months after its second data centre began operating. Alibaba Cloud established its first South Korean data centre in 2022 after entering the market in 2016, reflecting a faster infrastructure build-out as demand for generative AI and enterprise AI agents increases.
The third site adds capacity for computing, storage, networking, databases, security, containers and cloud-native services. It will also support workloads requiring lower latency and stronger disaster-recovery arrangements, while giving customers more options to distribute applications across separate facilities.
Alibaba Cloud has not disclosed the new centre’s power capacity, investment cost, number of graphics processing units or current utilisation rate. The company has indicated that additional computing equipment can be installed as customer demand expands.
Operating three data centres also changes the resilience of Alibaba Cloud’s South Korean infrastructure. With two facilities, disruption at one centre could leave the remaining location handling workloads alone. The addition of a third allows applications to remain distributed between two facilities if another suffers an outage.
The expanded configuration has enabled Alibaba Cloud to raise the service-level availability commitment for its Korea region from 99.95% to 99.99%, strengthening its pitch to companies running business-critical applications and AI services.
Enterprise AI is becoming an increasingly important part of that strategy. Alibaba Cloud is introducing six agentic AI services in South Korea covering development, testing, deployment, operations and cybersecurity. They include AgentRun, STAROps, ACS Agent Sandbox, Agent Security Center, AI Security Guardrails 2.0 and Agentic SOC.
The services are aimed at companies seeking to move AI agents from experimental projects into production environments, where governance, reliability and security become more demanding. Enterprises are increasingly looking beyond access to large language models towards infrastructure capable of operating autonomous or semi-autonomous software agents at scale.
Alibaba Cloud is pairing those services with its broader full-stack AI offering, including infrastructure, development platforms and the Qwen family of AI models. Qwen models have recorded more than 3 billion downloads globally, while developers have created more than 300,000 derivative models based on the family.
South Korean companies are already using parts of Alibaba Cloud’s AI ecosystem. Gwangju-based Gendive has integrated Alibaba models including Wan for video generation and HappyHorse for image generation into its DevDive enterprise automation platform. NAVER Z’s ZEPETO platform also uses Alibaba Cloud infrastructure to support real-time 3D avatar generation and immersive services across Asian markets.
Alibaba Cloud has built local partnerships with companies including Megazone Soft and Team Sparta, seeking to combine its infrastructure with consulting, implementation and industry-specific services. Such alliances are important in a South Korean cloud market where global hyperscalers compete with strong domestic technology groups.
Data sovereignty is another factor shaping cloud investment. Businesses handling sensitive information increasingly want workloads hosted within national borders, particularly as regulators pay greater attention to cybersecurity, resilience and governance surrounding AI systems. Alibaba Cloud says its South Korean infrastructure is designed to comply with applicable local data-protection and cybersecurity requirements.
The Korea expansion forms part of Alibaba’s wider commitment to spend about 380 billion yuan, roughly $53 billion when the programme was announced, on AI and cloud infrastructure over three years. The group has already committed substantial capital to computing capacity, chips and AI development as it attempts to establish cloud services as a larger growth engine.
Alibaba Cloud revenue rose sharply in the April-June quarter of 2026, with cloud and AI-related sales reaching about 48.4 billion yuan and growing 45% from a year earlier. The expansion has come at a cost: Alibaba’s quarterly capital expenditure climbed to nearly 67.7 billion yuan as spending on computing infrastructure and semiconductor components increased.
The company has also expanded cloud infrastructure in France, Japan, Malaysia and Mexico. With the new South Korean facility, Alibaba Cloud says its global network has reached 104 availability zones across 30 regions.
Bitcoin climbed back above $79,000 on Monday, extending a powerful rebound that has restored bullish momentum after weeks of pressure across cryptocurrency markets. The world’s largest digital asset briefly traded around $79,200 before encountering resistance near the psychologically important $80,000 level. The move capped a sharp recovery from levels near $63,400 earlier in the week, representing a gain of more than 20% from the trough. Bitcoin subsequently […]
Onix is pushing a specialised model of artificial intelligence that gives individual experts control over AI systems trained on their own work, betting that trust, privacy and domain knowledge can offer an alternative to general-purpose chatbots. The Montreal-based company, co-founded by David Bennahum and Nicholas Nadeau, has concentrated initially on health and wellness, where users can interact with AI versions of recognised specialists whose knowledge bases are […]
More than 9,300 Amazon Web Services access keys exposed publicly over four years remained usable this month, including hundreds capable of giving an intruder unrestricted control of corporate cloud accounts. Security researchers examining AWS credentials exposed between August 2022 and August 2026 re-tested 10,616 complete key pairs on August 10. Some 9,308, or about 88%, still authenticated successfully, pointing to a persistent failure by organisations and developers […]
Standard Chartered has become the first bank to distribute a regulated Hong Kong dollar stablecoin, opening access to Anchorpoint Financial’s HKDAP for eligible institutional clients and partners as Hong Kong pushes tokenised money deeper into mainstream financial services.
The London-headquartered banking group said it will help qualifying customers integrate HKDAP into financial and commercial operations. Planned applications include money-market fund subscriptions, settlements with asset managers, transfers between entities within the bank’s international network and cross-border payments.
The move gives HKDAP a major banking distribution channel less than two weeks after Anchorpoint began its limited institutional rollout on August 12. The stablecoin, whose name stands for HKD At Par, is designed to maintain a one-to-one value with the Hong Kong dollar and is currently available through a controlled beta programme.
Standard Chartered is the majority shareholder in Anchorpoint, which was established with HKT and Animoca Brands. The venture received one of Hong Kong’s first stablecoin issuer licences in April, alongside HSBC, following the introduction of the territory’s Stablecoins Ordinance in August 2025.
Standard Chartered’s role as distributor is distinct from Anchorpoint’s function as issuer. Under Anchorpoint’s business-to-business-to-consumer model, authorised distributors provide access to the token after conducting customer onboarding and know-your-customer checks. That structure is intended to connect regulated tokenised money with banks, exchanges, asset managers, companies and, eventually, individual users.
Access remains restricted during the beta stage to corporates and professional investors. Anchorpoint aims to broaden availability to retail users as early as the end of 2026, subject to operational and market readiness.
HKDAP currently operates on the Ethereum mainnet. Its reserves are held under a trust arrangement for token holders, with Standard Chartered Trustee acting as trustee. The token does not pay interest and is not positioned as an investment product. Instead, it is designed as digital cash for payments, settlement and movement of funds.
Early activity remains deliberately limited. Anchorpoint disclosed circulation of HK$522,000 and transaction volume of HK$658,160 as of August 19, with reserve assets of about HK$1.62 million. Issuance over the preceding 30 days totalled HK$524,130, while HK$4,170 had been redeemed. The small amounts reflect the controlled institutional testing phase rather than a mass-market launch.
The distribution agreement nevertheless represents an important step towards commercial use. Standard Chartered plans to introduce additional HKDAP applications over the coming month, expanding beyond experiments into transactions that could demonstrate whether regulated stablecoins can reduce settlement times and connect conventional banking infrastructure with blockchain-based markets.
The bank has been accelerating its digital-asset strategy across several areas. It already provides institutional trading in deliverable spot Bitcoin and Ether, has expanded digital-asset custody services and has developed blockchain-based settlement and collateral arrangements. In July, it also launched integrated institutional access to Circle’s USDC minting and redemption infrastructure.
Standard Chartered’s scale could give HKDAP a distribution advantage. The group operates across 55 markets and reported total assets of about $993.4 billion at the end of June 2026, up from roughly $920 billion at the end of 2025. First-half operating income reached a record $11.6 billion, while pre-tax profit rose to $4.8 billion.
Hong Kong’s regulated stablecoin experiment is taking shape cautiously. The monetary authority has imposed capital, reserve-management, redemption, governance, anti-money-laundering and risk-management requirements on licensed issuers, seeking to distinguish supervised fiat-backed tokens from the less regulated stablecoins that dominate global cryptocurrency trading.
HSBC, the other initial licensed issuer, is preparing its own Hong Kong dollar stablecoin for launch during the second half of 2026. The entrance of two globally significant banks places Hong Kong among the jurisdictions attempting to develop regulated alternatives to dollar-denominated tokens such as USDT and USDC, which account for the overwhelming majority of global stablecoin activity.
HKDAP’s first commercial targets centre on areas where settlement speed can offer measurable benefits. Tokenised investment products can potentially be subscribed to and redeemed using programmable money without waiting for traditional banking hours. Cross-border corporate transactions and intragroup treasury transfers could similarly move continuously while maintaining a direct link to regulated fiat reserves.
Bitcoin held close to $78,000 on Monday after its strongest weekly advance in more than three years, while gold climbed to a three-month high and major alternative cryptocurrencies paused after sharp gains. The largest cryptocurrency was trading around $77,000-$78,000 after gaining about 23% over the week ended August 23. Bitcoin briefly rose above $79,000 during the surge, its highest level in roughly three months, before profit-taking and […]
BEIJING, CHINA– Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games opened yesterday at Beijing’s National Speed Skating Oval, also known as the “Ice Ribbon.” As another real-world validation of 5G Capital in robotics and embodied AI, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei have built an integrated digital foundation powered by a 5G-A GigaUplink network, supporting intelligent event operations, robot competition, and spectator experiences. The deployment also lays a connectivity foundation for humanoid robots to move beyond the arena and into everyday life. Across Beijing, 5G Capital’s region-wide GigaUplink network is providing ubiquitous, secure, and reliable connectivity for a growing range of cultural tourism, embodied AI, and Mobile AI applications and events.
China Unicom Beijing and Huawei Power the 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games with 5G-A GigaUplink
This year’s Games feature major upgrades in both scale and competition design. A total of 1,301 competitions across 51 events will see 2,056 humanoid robots from 666 teams worldwide take part. The number of events has nearly doubled from 26 in the inaugural Games to 51 this year, with new high-intensity head-to-head events such as table tennis and kickboxing. Scenario-based competitions have also expanded into real-world settings including industrial production, hotels, homes, and logistics, while dance events place greater emphasis on synchronized movement across multiple robots. More autonomous competition formats and significantly higher task complexity are placing stringent demands on networks for high-capacity uplink, millisecond-level responsiveness, and high reliability, supporting real-time robot telemetry, precise control signaling, and multi-robot coordination.
To meet these requirements, China Unicom Beijing and Huawei deployed a dedicated 100 MHz network, complemented by a 300 MHz LampSite ultra-wideband indoor network, to support real-time robot telemetry and precise signaling exchange. A dedicated 5QI 7 slice combined with carrier isolation keeps end-to-end latency for humanoid robots within 30 milliseconds, supporting millisecond-level decision-making and response while helping ensure the precision of multi-robot coordination, obstacle avoidance, and fine-motion control.
By further integrating the dedicated network with BeiDou RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) positioning, the solution delivers decimeter- to sub-decimeter-level positioning accuracy, supporting autonomous navigation, agile obstacle avoidance, and precision racing in complex environments. On-site tests recorded a peak uplink speed of 1 Gbps, with average latency below 30 milliseconds.
While safeguarding mission-critical connectivity for the robots, China Unicom has also made the network experience of on-site spectators a priority. To address the high-density, heavy-traffic demands of large crowds, network resources and service assurance policies are dynamically adjusted according to different phases and areas of the event, including admission, waiting, competition, and departure. Core services such as instant messaging, ticket inquiries, QR-code admission, and mobile payments are prioritized for stable access, while the network also accommodates data-intensive services such as photo uploads, short-video sharing, and live streaming. This allows spectators to stay connected, interact seamlessly, and share highlights in real time even during peak traffic periods.
On the operations side, China Unicom has also developed China’s first embodied AI robot management platform designed for event scenarios. Through a unique network ID assigned to each robot, event staff can monitor its location within the venue, competition status, and operational metrics in real time, creating a closed-loop operations and management system.
China Unicom and Huawei Together Advancing the 5G Capital initiative
Yang Lifan, Deputy General Manager of China Unicom Beijing, said: “This network deployment is not only a real-world test of China Unicom’s network capabilities; it will also help us accumulate valuable network assurance experience for the large-scale deployment of embodied AI. China Unicom will continue to build on the experience gained through the 5G Capital initiative and turn technological innovation into tangible and replicable network capabilities for the Mobile AI era. In doing so, we aim to support industrial innovation and help bring Chinese solutions to the world with China Unicom’s expertise.”
David Li, President of Huawei’s Wireless TDD Product Line, said: “The 2nd World Humanoid Robot Games have provided a compelling real-world validation of the 5G-A 100 MHz GigaUplink network based on 3.5 GHz 2CC + 2.1 GHz SUL for embodied AI scenarios. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with China Unicom Beijing to strengthen uplink capabilities and advance spectrum coordination, building multidimensional network capabilities with tiered and differentiated service assurance for multimodal device-to-cloud transmission. This will enable real-time interaction and precise control across a wide range of embodied AI scenarios.
“Networks are about more than speed. Low latency, high reliability, and ubiquitous coverage are equally important. Building on these capabilities, we will further advance the 5G Capital initiative, continue to expand the boundaries of network performance, and lay a solid foundation for the Mobile AI era, working with industry partners to enable an intelligent future.”
Hashtag: #Huawei #WorldHumanoidRobotGames
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Iran’s rial plunged through the psychologically important barrier of two million to the US dollar on Monday, setting a record low as tighter sanctions, accelerating inflation and dwindling access to foreign currency intensified pressure on the economy. The currency traded at about 2.02 million rials per dollar on the open market, extending a sharp sell-off that has gathered pace during August. The fall marks another milestone in […]
HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – A Vietnamese men’s grooming brand is preparing to enter the U.S. market with a business model that has been developed and scaled across Asia. The move will be an important test of East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s ability to expand internationally, taking one of Asia’s leading men’s grooming chains into the world’s most competitive barbershop market.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) has established a presence in several overseas markets, including Thailand, China, Uzbekistan and Europe.
From a Vietnamese barbershop to an international network of more than 130 locations
In the global men’s grooming industry, building an international brand requires barbershop chains to solve a fundamental challenge: How can they standardize services, train staff, maintain a consistent customer experience and scale their model without losing their identity?
This is the formula behind many of the world’s leading names in the hair and grooming industry, including Great Clips, Supercuts, Sport Clips Haircuts, TONI&GUY, QB House and Jawed Habib Hair & Beauty. These brands have transformed a service industry traditionally dependent on individual craftsmanship into scalable business systems.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) is pursuing a similar path. Founded in Vietnam in 2018, the company has grown into a network of more than 130 locations, with over 1,000 barbers, while gradually expanding into international markets. At this scale, East West operates in a different league from independent barbershops.
The value of a barbershop chain with hundreds of locations lies in its ability to deliver a consistent experience across the entire network. This is also why East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) has been ranked among the Top 10 large-scale grooming brands in the world.
But as it prepares to enter the U.S. market, the key question is whether this model can be successfully transferred and operated in a completely different market.
Beyond the haircut: When a barbershop becomes an experience
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) seeks to differentiate itself by developing an “Experiential Barbershop” concept, combining grooming with relaxation and entertainment.
From the moment customers walk through the door, they are greeted by a space filled with greenery, along with relaxation areas featuring pool tables, chess, a piano, a bar and bookshelves. The chain, which caters exclusively to men and boys, also features car-themed barber chairs and dedicated play areas for its younger customers.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) — The ultimate destination for men to relax and unwind
Its services extend well beyond a haircut, including hair washing, ear cleaning, massage, hair restoration treatments, perming, coloring, nail care, shoe cleaning and phone sanitization.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) aims to change the way customers perceive a barbershop. Rather than simply purchasing a grooming service, customers can take time to relax, look after themselves or bring their children along to a space designed around the overall experience.
As consumers increasingly value the overall experience alongside service quality, this approach reflects the changing dynamics of the men’s grooming market.
The United States: East West Barbershop’s next major test
The United States is no random choice. It represents the next step in East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s international strategy, building on a business model that has already been tested in Vietnam and several overseas markets.
Mr. Nguyen Hoai Thanh, Chairman of Dong Tay Barbershop Vietnam Joint Stock Company, said: “We chose the United States not because it is the easiest market to enter, but because it is one of the most demanding and competitive barbershop markets in the world. If a model built in Vietnam can succeed in the U.S., it would be the clearest testament to East West Barbershop’s ability to take its brand and business model to the international stage.”
The U.S. is home to many major barbershop and salon brands and is one of the world’s most mature markets for franchising in the service sector.
Great Clips is a prime example. With thousands of salons across the United States and Canada, the brand demonstrates the scale a haircut business can achieve when its model is standardized and successfully replicated.
Supercuts, Sport Clips and many other chains have likewise spent years building strong brand recognition and extensive customer networks.
Against this backdrop, the Vietnamese brand must answer a fundamental question: Why would American consumers choose a brand from Vietnam over names they already know and recognize?
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s answer is not simply to compete on price. Its goal is to “export” a business model that combines customer experience, workforce training, operating standards and franchising.
This requires the company to turn its operational experience into a transferable system while addressing the many differences between Vietnam and the United States.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) identifies barber training, skills standardization and the ability to adapt to a new environment as key foundations of this process. International expansion also creates opportunities for Vietnamese barbers to gain exposure to international working environments.
East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) has also linked its development with social initiatives, including free vocational training for young people, mobile haircut programs offering free services, and contributions to charitable activities. These efforts contribute to a distinctive brand story: a service business seeking to develop its brand, its profession and its community at the same time.
After nearly a decade of establishment and development, East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop) is gradually proving that a business model built in Vietnam can be standardized, franchised, and compete on the same playing field as the major players in the global hair industry.
If successful in the U.S., East West Barbershop (Dong Tay Barbershop)’s story will go beyond being a Top 10 brand or a network of more than 130 locations. It will be the story of how a Vietnamese service business transformed capabilities built at home into a model capable of reaching the global stage.
Special Exhibition Launches Ahead of Hong Kong Stop of the Age of Romance World Tour
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 August 2026 – Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is pleased to announce the arrival of renowned singer-songwriter Silence Wang’s wax figure for a special six-month exhibition in its Glamour zone. The exhibition coincides with the Hong Kong stop of Silence Wang’s highly anticipated Age of Romance World Tour, offering fans an additional opportunity to celebrate the artist’s visit to the city.
This marks the first time Silence Wang’s wax figure has been exhibited in Hong Kong and the first collaboration between Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and the acclaimed artist. Running alongside his Hong Kong concerts from 4 to 6 September, the exhibition extends the concert experience beyond the stage, allowing visitors and fans to get up close to the star in an immersive themed setting.
Silence Wang Wax Figure Makes Hong Kong Debut
Since his debut, Silence Wang has established himself as one of the most influential singer-songwriters and music producers in the Chinese music industry. With 12 albums and more than 200 original songs to his name, he has built a strong following through hits including One Hundred Thousand Volts, 21st Century Romance, and Age of Romance ACT I. His upcoming Hong Kong concerts will also mark an important milestone, as he becomes the first Mainland Chinese artist to headline three consecutive shows at Kai Tak Stadium.
To celebrate Silence Wang’s achievements and his upcoming concerts in the city, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong has brought his wax figure from Shanghai to Hong Kong for a limited-time exhibition. Located at Victoria Peak, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic attractions, the exhibition offers local and visiting fans a unique opportunity to experience the figure in person. Created by Madame Tussauds’ studio artists in the United Kingdom over more than 240 days, the figure faithfully captures Silence Wang’s distinctive stage presence, from his signature pose to the intricate details of his performance styling. From Beijing’s National Stadium to Hong Kong
The figure was first unveiled in March 2025 during Silence Wang’s One Hundred Thousand Volts 2.0 concert at Beijing National Stadium, commonly known as the Bird’s Nest. The launch marked a milestone for Madame Tussauds, representing the first time a celebrity wax figure had been officially unveiled on stage during a major concert production.
The figure is dressed in a replica of the custom-made outfit worn during Silence Wang’s The Great Entertainer New Year’s Concert, recreating one of the artist’s most memorable stage looks. Following its successful display in Shanghai, the figure now makes its Hong Kong debut ahead of the Age of Romance World Tour concerts. The exhibition offers fans an opportunity to revisit key moments from Silence Wang’s musical journey while celebrating his latest concert tour in Hong Kong.
Immersive Fan Experiences and Exclusive Ticket Offer
To celebrate the exhibition, Madame Tussauds Hong Kong will introduce a series of exclusive fan experiences. Inspired by the Age of Romance World Tour, a dedicated themed zone featuring lighting, sound and visual effects will recreate the atmosphere of a live concert.
In addition, an exclusive “Xiao Long Bao” Fans Ticket will be available via the official Madame Tussauds Hong Kong Douyin account for HK$199. Fans can enjoy close-up interactions with Silence Wang’s wax figure, take photographs in themed settings, listen to an exclusive greeting, receive a limited-edition souvenir ticket, and stand a chance of winning autographed memorabilia. Availability is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis while stocks last. Visitors can also purchase an Admission + VR Experience Package on-site for just HK$210, offering excellent value access to both Madame Tussauds Hong Kong and its immersive virtual reality experience.
With limited quantities available, fans are encouraged to visit and experience the excitement surrounding Silence Wang’s Age of Romance World Tour at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong. Hashtag: #MadameTussaudsHongKong
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds has been inviting people to walk the red carpet and get closer to the revered for over 250 years. With 17 Merlin-operated attractions in the world’s top destination cities, we are dedicated to giving millions of visitors the opportunity to mingle with the mighty from A-listers to music legends, heroes of sport, to world leaders. Today, we continue to partner with the global icons of a generation to create astonishing lifelike figures from sittings and offer exciting and interactive experiences to ensure guests have never felt closer to fame.
About Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments is a world leader in branded entertainment destinations, offering a diverse portfolio of resort theme parks, city-centre gateway attractions and LEGOLAND Resorts which span across the UK, US, Western Europe, China and Asia Pacific. Dedicated to creating experiences that inspire joy and connection, Merlin welcomes more than 60 million guests annually to its diverse global estate in over 20 countries. An expert in bringing world-famous entertainment brands to life, Merlin works with partners including the LEGO Group, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Peppa Pig, DreamWorks and Ferrari to create destinations where guests can immerse themselves in a wide array of brand-driven worlds, rides and uplifting learning experiences.
Iran is preparing for a sharp escalation in US economic pressure as President Masoud Pezeshkian says the country is fighting an “all-out economic, military and security war” and Washington readies another sanctions package. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to outline the measures on Monday, with the Trump administration signalling that the campaign will seek to isolate Tehran from international trade and financial networks. The measures […]
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