Cisco is closing in on a deal to buy Astrix Security for as much as $350 million, according to multiple reports, in a sign that one of the world’s largest networking and security groups is moving faster to secure the fast-growing risks created by AI agents and other non-human identities inside large organisations. The talks, first reported on April 10, value the Israeli startup at roughly three […]
KK Éclat, a France-founded luxury skincare label with Hong Kong ties, has staged an invitation-only gala in Central after its UV and Pollution Blocker Cream won “Best Everyday Sunscreen” at the 2026 Vogue Hong Kong Beauty Awards, giving the brand a fresh marketing lift in an increasingly crowded premium sun-care market. Vogue Hong Kong’s awards coverage lists the product among this year’s winners, while the company said the celebration was held in March at The Pin, a private club in Central.
The company said more than 30 guests attended the dinner, including business figures, tastemakers and industry personalities, as founders Karen and Katherine used the event to underline the brand’s positioning at the intersection of prestige beauty and science-led formulation. The award matters because it comes from a high-visibility fashion and beauty title in Hong Kong, where premium skincare remains a strong draw and brand differentiation is increasingly tied to product efficacy claims, texture, convenience and visible daily-use appeal.
Vogue Hong Kong published a dedicated winners’ article on 22 March naming KK Éclat’s UV and Pollution Blocker Cream as the new “Best Everyday Sunscreen”, and a broader recap of the 2026 awards ceremony on 19 March also listed the same product in that category. That dual confirmation helps anchor the company’s claim to a recognised editorial accolade rather than a self-created brand distinction.
KK Éclat has built much of its identity around what it calls Nano Frame Technology, which the brand says helps active ingredients disperse evenly, remain on the skin surface where needed and deliver hydration over an extended period. On its website, the company presents itself as a science-backed luxury line designed for consumers with irregular routines, frequent travel and high exposure to urban stress. The product page and brand materials place the sunscreen within a broader narrative of multifunctional skincare that promises protection, hydration and cosmetic elegance in a single formula.
That pitch aligns with a wider industry shift. Market researchers tracking sun-care cosmetics say Asia-Pacific is one of the strongest growth regions for the category, with demand increasingly favouring SPF products that merge protection with skincare benefits and easy everyday wear. Industry analysis has also pointed to a move toward lighter, less visible formulas and premium products that can slot into daily beauty routines rather than sit apart from them as purely functional beachwear items.
KK Éclat’s own messaging leans heavily on a long-running debate in sunscreen formulation. Founder Katherine, speaking in the company-issued announcement, contrasted the white cast often associated with mineral blockers with continuing consumer questions around the absorption of some chemical filters. That is a commercially potent argument, though one that requires careful reading. US regulators and medical literature have indeed examined systemic absorption of certain sunscreen ingredients, but dermatology guidance continues to stress that sunscreen use remains essential and that both mineral and chemical formats can play an important role depending on skin type, tolerance and formulation.
For KK Éclat, the commercial challenge now is scale and credibility. Awards can accelerate awareness, especially for younger labels, but the premium skincare segment is unforgiving and crowded with multinational incumbents, heritage luxury houses and a fast-growing pipeline of boutique science-led brands. Vogue Hong Kong’s 2026 awards list itself illustrates that competitive backdrop, with winners spanning names such as Chanel, Dior, La Mer, Clé de Peau Beauté and SkinCeuticals alongside smaller players.
Mirax, an emerging Android banking trojan being marketed as a malware-as-a-service operation, is drawing attention from mobile security researchers after reports that it can do more than steal banking credentials. Analysts say the malware can remotely control infected phones and repurpose them as residential proxy nodes, giving cybercriminals a way to hide malicious traffic behind ordinary consumer devices while pursuing financial fraud across Europe. The threat stands […]
“Service is the foundation of our business, and innovation in how service is delivered is increasingly important as customers seek greater reliability and better visibility into performance,” said Judy Marks, Chair, CEO and President, Otis Worldwide Corp. “WeMaintain has built a strong technology platform and agile operating model that reflects how quality service is delivered in a fast-paced, digital and customer-centric environment. We are confident in their growth potential and believe this investment supports their continued success while creating long-term value for both organizations.”
“Otis’ investment allows us to stay focused on what we do best – continuing to build and advance our technology and scale our business as an independent company,” said Benoit Dupont, WeMaintain CEO. ” With the stability and support of the global industry leader, we are well positioned to strengthen our offering while maintaining the close customer relationships and high standards that have always defined our approach.”
Otis and WeMaintain will operate as separate entities, and WeMaintain will continue to offer its agnostic IoT and AI-based solution to its current and future customers.
Hashtag: #Otis #WeMaintain
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Otis gives people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. The global leader in the manufacture, installation, service and modernization of elevators and escalators, we move 2.5 billion people a day and maintain approximately 2.5 million customer units worldwide – the industry’s largest Service portfolio. You’ll find us in the world’s most iconic structures, as well as residential and commercial buildings, transportation hubs and everywhere people are on the move. Headquartered in Connecticut, USA, Otis is 72,000 people strong, including 45,000 field professionals, all committed to manufacturing, installing and maintaining products to meet the diverse needs of our customers and passengers in more than 200 countries and territories. To learn more, visit 
www.otis.com and follow us on 
LinkedIn, 
YouTube, 
Instagram and 
Facebook @OtisElevatorCo.
About WeMaintain
WeMaintain was founded in 2017 by Benoit Dupont and Jade Francine on the belief that building maintenance could be smarter, more transparent, and more impactful. We combine AI-driven insights, IoT-powered data, and on-the-ground expertise to deliver real-time visibility, enhanced operational efficiency, and increased asset reliability for building owners and operators.
With operations across Asia and Europe and more than 350 employees, we provide services and solutions for elevators, escalators, automatic doors, and fire safety systems.
Our human + tech approach sets a new standard for service quality, customer experience, and growth.
To learn more, visit WeMaintain.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Kraken said on April 13 that it is being extorted by a criminal group threatening to publish videos showing parts of its internal systems and limited client data, as the cryptocurrency exchange sought to reassure users that its core platform had not been breached and customer funds remained safe. The company’s public statement said the threat followed unauthorised access tied to a small number of accounts rather […]
Apple’s higher-memory Mac mini and Mac Studio models are becoming harder to buy in several markets, as pressure on the global memory supply chain collides with strong demand for AI hardware and growing industry talk of fresh desktop upgrades later this year. Apple continues to sell both desktop lines, but availability has tightened most visibly around customised configurations with larger memory allocations rather than entry-level machines. That […]
Michael Saylor’s Strategy has expanded its Bitcoin stockpile by another $1 billion, buying 13,927 coins between April 6 and April 12 and taking its total holdings to 780,897 Bitcoin, according to a filing lodged on April 13. The latest purchase was made at an average price of $71,902 per coin, while the company’s average cost across its entire treasury now stands at $75,577. Bitcoin treasury push gathers […]
Basic-Fit has disclosed a cyber breach affecting about one million members across several European markets, with roughly 200,000 of those accounts in the Netherlands, exposing a wide range of personal and financial details and sharpening concerns over how consumer-facing digital platforms protect routine lifestyle data. The company said the unauthorised access was detected by internal monitoring systems and halted within minutes, but not before information had been […]
Iran-linked cyber operatives using the CyberAv3ngers banner are again in the spotlight after U. S. authorities warned on April 7 that Iranian-affiliated hackers have stepped up efforts to compromise programmable logic controllers and supervisory control systems used in water, energy and government facilities, with some intrusions already causing operational disruption and financial loss. The alert marks a sharper phase in a campaign that security officials say has […]
By Nantoo Banerjee The country is experiencing a significant surge in commodity and transportation costs following geopolitical tensions in the Persian Gulf region and a weak Indian Rupee. Retail prices of daily essentials are rising rapidly. The prices of edible oils, pulses and packaged foods, including drinking water, have moved up since last month. Precious […]
The article Prices Are Fast Shooting Up Fanning Inflation appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).
Rockstar Games has confirmed that a data breach affected company information, saying a “limited amount of non-material company information” was accessed through a third-party incident and that the episode has had no impact on its operations or players. The disclosure lands at a sensitive moment for one of the world’s most closely watched game developers, with Grand Theft Auto VI still one of the industry’s biggest commercial […]
Starting from April 13, 2026, owners and renters of VinFast electric vehicles in Indonesia and the Philippines can register to become service partners on the Green SM Platform. Developed within GSM’s fully electric mobility ecosystem, the platform is designed to expand driver and vehicle supply, while ensuring all operations are delivered under consistent, professional service standards.
Upon successful registration, driver partners will undergo structured training programs covering operational procedures and service standards to ensure a consistent and high-quality customer experience. The platform offers a competitive revenue-sharing model of up to 90%, along with performance-based incentive schemes, enabling driver partners to maintain stable income and pursue long-term development opportunities.
In parallel, Green SM Indonesia and Green GSM Philippines are introducing comprehensive support policies to help partners access vehicles more easily through VinFast electric vehicle purchase and rental programs. These initiatives reducebarriers to entry and accelerate the expansion of the driver network.
In Indonesia, partners can register for the program and quickly gain access to VinFast electric vehicle models such as VF 5, VF e34, VF 6, and Limo Green, enabling them to begin operation as soon as the required procedures . are completed. The model requires no loans or significant upfront investment, enabling drivers tobuild stable income streams.
In the Philippines, Green GSM is rolling out the program with VF 5 and Limo Green models, supported by comprehensivepolicies covering registration, insurance, and operations. This enables drivers to join the platform with ease and gradually build stable operations, with income potential aligned with local market conditions and business needs.
Notably, drivers operating VinFast electric vehicles will continue to benefit from free charging policies through March 31, 2029, significantly reducing operating costs and improving income efficiency.
Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Global CEO of GSM, said: “Green SM Platform is not only a step forward in service expansion, but also a solution to accelerate the transition to green mobility across Southeast Asia. By building an open platform with high service standards, we aim to rapidly increase the number of electric vehicles in operation, delivering a sustainable, modern, and reliable mobility experience for the community. This is a strategic move toward shaping a comprehensive green transportation ecosystem across the region.”
Amid growing demand for flexible employment in major cities, the Green SM Platform enables workers to quickly access vehicles, start earning, and generate stable income withoutlarge upfront investments or complex financing schemes. The platform rollout in Indonesia and the Philippines not only strengthens Green SM’s regional presence but also helps shape a sustainable urban mobility model, where technology, environmental responsibility, and livelihoods can grow in parallel.
| Further information on the Green SM Platform, including partner registration and vehicle leasing programs, is available at:
Indonesia: Philippines: |
Hashtag: #GreenSM #GSM
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
France and Britain are preparing to convene partner countries for what President Emmanuel Macron described as a peaceful multinational mission to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, marking a European push to keep one of the world’s most important energy arteries open without joining Washington’s new blockade of Iranian ports. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not support the US blockade and insisted […]
The early-April figures reinforce a broader pattern already visible through the first quarter. South Korea, one of the world’s most closely watched export economies because of its central role in memory chips, displays and consumer electronics, has been benefiting from a steep recovery in semiconductor sales after a prolonged industry downturn. Reuters reported at the end of February that the country’s chip exports had jumped 160.9 per cent in that month alone, passing $20 billion for a third straight month as AI investment and stronger memory prices lifted demand.
Semiconductors were again the main engine in the latest 10-day release. Chip exports surged 152 per cent from a year earlier, underscoring how heavily South Korea’s trade performance is now tied to data-centre investment, high-bandwidth memory demand and the wider AI build-out led by large technology firms. That strength has helped offset a less even backdrop in other parts of the economy, where investment, household demand and external policy risks remain more mixed.
The export rebound matters well beyond monthly trade headlines. South Korea’s central bank raised its 2026 growth forecast to 2.0 per cent in February and signalled that a chip-led upswing was giving policymakers more room to hold interest rates steady while watching inflation and financial stability risks. Reuters also reported this month that central bank officials see strong semiconductor exports and an extra budget as factors easing downward pressure on growth, even as won weakness and higher energy costs complicate the inflation outlook.
Factory data has pointed in the same direction. A Reuters report on S&P Global survey findings showed South Korea’s manufacturing activity expanded in January at the fastest pace in nearly a year and a half, helped by stronger export orders from China, North America and Europe. Manufacturers reported improving optimism as orders strengthened in sectors such as autos and semiconductors, indicating that the recovery is not only statistical but also visible in production and order books.
Still, the trade picture is not free of risk. South Korea remains highly exposed to swings in global demand, to US trade policy and to supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East. Reuters polling before the March trade data showed imports rising sharply as higher oil prices pushed up the energy bill, even while exports surged on semiconductor strength. That combination can support headline trade values, but it also leaves the economy vulnerable to a renewed squeeze from commodity inflation and currency volatility.
Another uncertainty lies in concentration. The same chip boom that is lifting exports also raises dependence on a narrow cluster of products and companies. South Korea’s trade resilience is being powered largely by memory and advanced semiconductor demand, especially products linked to AI servers. Investment plans such as SK Hynix’s announcement in February of 21.6 trillion won in new facilities show confidence in long-term demand, but they also underline how central the semiconductor cycle has become to the country’s broader growth model.
For now, the momentum remains hard to ignore. Reuters polling ahead of the March data had already pointed to the fastest export growth in nearly five years, with shipments to the United States and China both showing strong gains alongside the semiconductor surge. Monday’s early-April figures suggest that pace has carried into the second quarter, strengthening the case that South Korea’s exporters are entering another period of outsized performance after a weak stretch in 2025.
TCL Electronics is exploring the sale of a stake in its television manufacturing business in India to local buyers, in a move that could help the Chinese consumer electronics group expand more deeply in one of the world’s fastest-growing electronics production bases, according to people familiar with the matter. Bloomberg reported the company is working with an adviser and is seeking to raise at least $200 million from the proposed stake sale.
The deliberations point to a broader shift in strategy for global electronics groups operating in India, where policy support for domestic manufacturing, supply-chain localisation and greater local participation in ownership are increasingly shaping investment decisions. India approved more than $750 million in projects for electronic component manufacturing at the end of March and has set a target of lifting electronics output to $500 billion by fiscal 2031, up from $125 billion in the year to March 2025.
TCL has spent years building out its industrial footprint in the country. The group’s Tirupati manufacturing base, unveiled as its largest such facility outside China, was designed to produce TV and mobile phone screens at scale. Economic Times reported the plant was built with annual capacity for eight million large-sized TV screens and 30 million small-sized mobile screens.
That industrial push has since been reinforced by TCL CSOT India, the company’s display-panel arm, which said it had completed three production lines with monthly capacity of 1.2 million units and was moving towards full bonding, lamination and assembly operations with capacity reaching two million units a month. The company said the India operation was supplying panel modules to customers including Samsung, underscoring that the business is not only about selling finished televisions under the TCL brand but also about embedding itself in the wider supply chain.
A partial stake sale to domestic investors would therefore carry strategic weight beyond capital raising. It could give TCL stronger local alliances, improve regulatory comfort, and help the company navigate a market where manufacturing, sourcing and ownership are increasingly entwined with industrial policy. It may also position the business more favourably in dealings with state governments, suppliers and large retail channels as competition intensifies across the television segment. The company has not publicly announced any transaction, and the talks may not lead to a deal.
For TCL, India matters not just as a sales market but as a production and export platform. The company’s 2024 annual report showed it shipped 29 million televisions worldwide last year, with global market share by shipments rising to 13.9%, placing it among the top two TV brands globally, according to Omdia data cited by the company. The same report said TCL ranked among the top three in retail sales volume in nearly 20 overseas markets and recorded strong growth across emerging markets, including the Middle East and Africa.
Those figures help explain why TCL may be seeking a structure that allows it to preserve momentum in India while adapting to local realities. India is becoming harder to treat as a simple import destination. Policy incentives are encouraging assembly, component manufacturing and deeper supply-chain integration, while geopolitical tensions and tariff shifts are prompting multinational groups to diversify production beyond a single geography. For television makers, that means scale alone is no longer enough; local manufacturing depth and political acceptability also matter.
The move also reflects a wider pattern among Asian electronics manufacturers, many of whom have expanded capacity in India to reduce dependence on imports and align themselves with official manufacturing goals. Reuters reported in late March that New Delhi’s incentive programmes are aimed at cutting import dependence and strengthening local supply chains. That policy environment has created room for both foreign and domestic investors, but it has also made partnership structures more attractive than wholly externally controlled operations in sensitive or high-volume sectors.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Global bond markets fell on Monday as the collapse of US-Iran peace talks shifted investor attention away from hopes of de-escalation and back towards a harsher inflation outlook, with oil above $100 a barrel reinforcing bets that central banks will keep borrowing costs elevated for longer. Government bond yields moved higher across major markets as traders reassessed how persistent energy-driven price pressure could […]
Britain will not back a United States blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, drawing a firm line between protecting shipping routes and joining a wider military escalation around Iran. His intervention came after Washington announced it would block maritime traffic entering or leaving Iranian ports, while saying vessels transiting between non-Iranian ports could still pass through the strategic waterway. Starmer’s […]
Hexagon has agreed to buy Waygate Technologies from Baker Hughes for about $1.45 billion in cash, giving the Swedish measurement technology group a bigger presence in industrial inspection and opening a new front in its push beyond traditional metrology. The deal, announced on Monday, hands Hexagon control of a business that supplies non-destructive testing equipment used to inspect critical components and assets without taking them apart or […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai AD Ports Group is accelerating its effort to turn itself from a Gulf port operator into a broader trade and logistics network, using expansion in Egypt, Africa, Pakistan and the Mediterranean to win a larger role in global supply chains as companies seek more resilient routes and integrated cargo services. For the Abu Dhabi-based group, 2025 marked another year of record financial growth. […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority said a temporary technical issue disrupted services across multiple channels on Sunday, affecting access to its app and website and triggering complaints from users who said they were unable to complete tasks such as parking payments. The authority said its team was working to restore services as quickly as possible, while asking customers for understanding as the problem […]
Scientists have identified 37 active subglacial lakes beneath glaciers in the Canadian Arctic, with 35 of them not previously documented, adding a significant new layer to understanding how one of the planet’s fastest-changing cryospheric regions behaves as temperatures climb. The findings, published on 23 March 2026 in The Cryosphere, are based on satellite-derived elevation data collected between 2011 and 2021 and point to a far more dynamic […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Oil vaulted above $100 a barrel and share markets retreated on Monday after President Donald Trump ordered a US naval blockade targeting traffic to and from Iranian ports, sharply escalating tensions around the Strait of Hormuz after weekend talks between Washington and Tehran collapsed in Islamabad. The move revived fears of a wider confrontation across the Gulf and renewed concern over inflation, shipping […]
DIFC Art Nights will return to Gate Village in Dubai from 23 to 26 April, offering free entry to a four-day programme of visual art, performances, panel discussions and workshops as the financial district once again turns part of its public realm into an open-access cultural venue. Organisers have billed the 2026 edition as the 21st staging of the event, with visitors able to attend from 5pm […]
Google has moved to harden Chrome against one of cybercrime’s most effective tactics by making Device Bound Session Credentials publicly available for Windows users in Chrome 146, a step designed to stop attackers reusing stolen session cookies to enter accounts without passwords or multi-factor authentication. The change binds a signed-in web session to the user’s device, meaning a cookie lifted by malware should quickly become unusable on […]
