Attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways have reached their highest monthly level since the war involving Iran began in February, with fresh strikes during the final days of October intensifying concerns over maritime security. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy recorded 28 confirmed and reported attacks during October as of October 23, bringing its tally to 113 since the US-Israeli […]
US intelligence officials believe a former senior executive of Singapore-based Megaspeed International cultivated a relationship with Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang while allegedly supplying information to Beijing, raising fresh concerns about Chinese intelligence operations targeting America’s artificial intelligence industry. Alice Huang, also known as Huang Le, came under American surveillance after investigators began examining whether Megaspeed was helping Chinese companies circumvent restrictions on advanced Nvidia semiconductor exports. […]
Britain’s competition regulator has launched an investigation into Meta Platforms over proposed commercial terms that could allow the technology company to use publishers’ website content for its own products, including artificial intelligence services. The Competition and Markets Authority announced the investigation on Friday, saying it would examine whether Meta was abusing a dominant market position by imposing unfair conditions on publishers, advertisers and other businesses using its […]
India Blockchain Week 2026 will bring cryptocurrency executives, financial regulators and technology developers to Mumbai on November 1 and 2, with institutional adoption of blockchain and digital assets occupying a prominent place on the conference agenda. The fourth edition, organised by Web3 investment firm Hashed Emergent, will take place at Fairmont Mumbai. It marks the event’s first move to the financial centre after three editions in Bengaluru, […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Binance has estimated the impact of a security breach at $6.3 billion, potentially making it the largest cryptocurrency theft on record, while confirming that approximately $3 billion in affected assets has been frozen. The world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange said on Friday that its preliminary investigation pointed to a compromised laptop belonging to a DevOps engineer. The intrusion may have enabled an attacker to […]
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 October 2026 – Ridger, an AI infrastructure company, today announced the official delivery of its MUX private AI solution to Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors in Hong Kong. The solution features MIMO, the world’s first AI-native storage system, making Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors the first law firm in Hong Kong Northern Metropolis to deploy it.
Representatives from Ridger, Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors, xFusion, and Fadada’s RicheeAI team attended the delivery ceremony. During the event, Ridger presented the firm with the “Global AI Pioneer Law Firm” certificate in recognition of its forward-looking investment in private AI infrastructure.
The solution brings together AI-native storage and compute infrastructure, a dedicated large language model (LLM) environment, and AI applications tailored to legal workflows. Operating entirely within the firm’s own security perimeter, it marks a significant step toward enabling Hong Kong’s legal profession to harness the productivity of generative AI while safeguarding client data and meeting compliance requirements.
About the Deployment
In space-constrained Hong Kong, Ms. Careen H.Y. Wong, Founding Partner of Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors and Vice President of The Law Society of Hong Kong, set aside room in the Firm’s latest office in the Northern Metropolis for a standard equipment rack, ready for on-premise AI. It is more than a space decision: it reflects her view of the future of legal services—that while harnessing AI to improve efficiency, a firm must retain control of its data and technology boundaries, so that sensitive materials are always properly protected.
Under the engagement, Ridger built a privately owned, independently operable AI foundation for Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors, comprising high-performance storage and data infrastructure optimized for AI workloads, together with a dedicated LLM platform over which the client retains full control of model weights and the inference environment. The platform supports use cases including contract review and risk flagging, legal research and case-law retrieval, large-scale document review in due diligence, drafting and multilingual translation of legal documents, and internal Knowledge Base question answering. It also provides role-based access control, tiered permissions, comprehensive audit trails and content provenance to meet enterprise-grade governance requirements.
Called MUX, the private solution lets the firm begin with no barrier and without capital-intensive build-out or a dedicated server room, scaling on demand; it natively supports Hong Kong’s common law system and integrates seamlessly with existing systems such as email, document management and calendar, embedding AI into lawyers’ daily work. MUX can be ordered directly through Ridger’s website (https://ridger.tech), out of the box.
The delivery reflects the collaboration of legal expertise, AI infrastructure, compute platforms and industry applications: Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors defined the requirements for data confidentiality and on-premise deployment from its actual practice; Ridger provided the end-to-end MUX solution and led its design and integration; xFusion supplied the FusionXpark local AI compute platform and technical support; and Fadada provided the Richee Legal AI Agent Platform, leveraging specialized AI agents and skills to support lawyers in their daily work and improve workflow efficiency. Ridger notes that while an AI model determines capability for a moment, AI infrastructure determines long-term competitiveness.
Why Private AI Matters for the Legal Sector
1. Safeguarding client confidentiality and legal professional privilege
Client materials, transaction documents and dispute information handled by law firms are protected by legal professional privilege (LPP) and strict professional duties of confidentiality. Disclosure to third parties—including public cloud services—may be treated as a waiver of privilege, causing it to be lost and the materials to become disclosable in subsequent proceedings. Private deployment keeps storage, processing and inference entirely within the firm’s own environment, with no disclosure to external providers, preserving privilege and confidentiality at source.
2. Embedding data sovereignty and regulatory compliance
The solution aligns with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) and is designed with reference to the Privacy Commissioner’s “Checklist on Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI by Employees” and the “Model Framework on AI: Personal Data Protection,” as well as The Law Society of Hong Kong’s 2024 position paper on the impact of AI on the legal profession and the Manifesto on “Legal Ethical Code of Conduct Regarding the Deployment of AI.” It embeds the principles of lawfulness, transparency, traceability, interpretability, security and appropriate human oversight into a unified AI governance framework.
For a firm handling cross-border work, the same private environment also addresses the requirements of the major jurisdictions: for Mainland China, it aligns with the Personal Information Protection Law, the Data Security Law and data-export mechanisms such as security assessments and standard contracts; for Europe, it maps to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and standard contractual clauses; for the United States, it meets the confidentiality and competence duties under the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct and Formal Opinion 512 on generative AI. Because data always remains within the firm’s own perimeter, the firm can confidently meet local data-confidentiality and regulatory expectations wherever its clients are based.
3. Eliminating the hidden risk of “shadow AI”
Where a firm offers no convenient, approved AI tool, individual lawyers may turn to consumer-grade public chatbots for work, creating “shadow AI” that sits outside IT and compliance visibility—unapproved, unlogged and unaudited, with unknown data flows and no clear accountability. MUX channels that demand into a single, visible, auditable controlled environment, giving lawyers the efficiency they want while bringing every use under the institution’s governance and oversight.
4. Keeping institutional knowledge within the firm
The case law, templates and practical know-how accumulated by a firm are core competitive assets. A private platform continuously refined on the firm’s own corpus keeps these assets within the institution and compounds their value over time, rather than depositing them with an external vendor.
5. Ensuring control and business continuity
Private deployment insulates the firm from external API changes, model versioning, service outages or shifts in vendor strategy, giving it full control over capabilities, upgrade timing, cost and availability — a foundation for durable, long-term AI adoption.
Executive Quotes
“For industries built on trust and confidentiality, such as the law, the value of AI should never come at the price of data sovereignty,” said Ray Hu, General Manager Asia-Pacific Region of Ridger. “Private deployment lets a firm turn generative AI into auditable, governable and sustainable productivity without crossing confidentiality lines. We are proud to set this benchmark with Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors”
Ray Hu, General Manager Asia-Pacific Region, Ridger
“In Hong Kong, office space is scarce and precious, but data sovereignty is worth setting aside a place for. Building our own AI infrastructure lets us embrace AI while always safeguarding our clients’ trust and the boundaries of our profession.”
Careen H.Y. Wong, Founding Partner, Shum Wong & Co., Solicitors, Solicitors
Hashtag: #Ridger #MIMO #MUX #PrivateAI #LegalAI #AIInfrastructure #HongKong
https://ridger.tech
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridger/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Ridger is a technology company focused on data and storage infrastructure for the AI era. The company provides private, high-performance AI infrastructure and solutions that enable enterprises to deploy and run large models and AI applications within their own security perimeter. Through its proprietary storage and data management technologies, Ridger helps clients safeguard data sovereignty, security and compliance while fully realizing the business value of artificial intelligence.
Texas regulators have suspended permits linked to new data centres as Governor Greg Abbott seeks to curb a construction boom that has provoked voter opposition ahead of November’s midterm elections. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed this month that it had paused permits for construction and infrastructure directly supporting data centres. The commission provided its account after a watchdog examination of permitting records highlighted possible gaps […]
GitHub has made Copilot Fusion generally available, introducing an artificial intelligence orchestration system that automatically selects and coordinates multiple AI models to complete software development tasks without requiring programmers to manage individual model choices. The Microsoft-owned platform announced the launch on 28 October, making the technology available across all GitHub Copilot subscription plans. Fusion evaluates coding requirements, selects appropriate models and determines whether tasks should be handled […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has secured four awards at the 23rd International Business Awards 2026, including one gold and three silver distinctions, recognising its performance in judicial administration, institutional governance and public service innovation. The department received the Gold Stevie Award in the Large Legal Organisations category, alongside Silver Stevie Awards for Innovation in Public Administration and Governance, Operational Excellence, and Large […]
Sudan has accused Ethiopia of allowing drones to launch attacks against its electricity infrastructure and civilian facilities, presenting what officials described as technical evidence linking strikes across several states to Ethiopian territory. The allegations, renewed on Thursday, follow a series of drone attacks that have disabled power stations, damaged fuel installations and disrupted electricity supplies across army-controlled areas of Sudan. Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muawiya Osman Khalid said […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai The United Arab Emirates and Canada have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to lower trade barriers and encourage bilateral investment. The agreement was signed in Ottawa on 27 October by UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and […]
Uganda’s Olara Otunnu remains in contention to succeed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as diplomatic consultations continue over the organisation’s next leader, with the Security Council yet to recommend a candidate. Otunnu, a former UN under-secretary-general, is campaigning for the post following Uganda’s formal nomination on 24 July. His candidacy remains active on the United Nations’ official selection register, alongside six other contenders, after two other nominations […]
Personal information concerning more than 40,000 employees and contractors of the US Department of Homeland Security has been published online, exposing staff involved in surveillance, intelligence gathering and undercover operations. Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit organisation that publishes leaked material, announced the release on Wednesday. The records contain names, work telephone numbers, email addresses, job titles and internal group memberships across several federal security agencies. The […]
Swedish technology startup Strawberry has released version 1.0 of its artificial intelligence browser, moving beyond beta testing with a product designed to help employees automate work without writing code. The Stockholm company announced the launch on 26 October, positioning its browser as an alternative to established American AI platforms, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini. Its software places AI assistants directly alongside websites and business […]
Meta has introduced Waddle World, an artificial intelligence-powered virtual pet application that combines Tamagotchi-style gameplay with personal journalling, initially offering the service to adult smartphone users in the Philippines. The free application is available through Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. Although its appearance attracted attention on Wednesday, October 28, store listings indicate that it first became available in late September. Meta has not announced a […]
OpenAI has announced three artificial intelligence-generated research results spanning mathematics, computer science and physics, including a claimed disproof of the Exponential Time Hypothesis, a longstanding assumption about computational difficulty. Outside specialists will examine the findings before they can be treated as established scientific advances. The company said on Monday that its systems had produced mathematical arguments challenging problems that have resisted researchers for decades. Two results have […]
Winning recognition in the global premium market ultimately relies on what the product itself says. GREE’s reputation for quality among global consumers stems from sustained investments in core technologies, superior user experiences, and user value over many years.
To address the harsh challenges posed by diverse global climates, GREE independently developed a matrix of core compressor technologies covering all climatic zones. The Timo series, equipped with G-Boost single-stage enthalpy-adding compressors, was specifically developed for extremely hot regions like the Middle East. It remains reliable operation even at ambient temperature of 68℃, achieving non-declining cooling performance at 54℃. The Airy series pioneered the commercialization of ultra-wide frequency rotary compressors, capable of continuous heating for 10 hours without defrosting, improving the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) by 9.5% to 16.7%. The S-cool series, equipped with G-Hyper dual-cylinder two-stage compressors, was crafted for extremely cold regions such as Northern Europe and North America. It operates stably within an ultra-wide temperature range of -40℃ to 54℃, achieving industry breakthroughs of “non-declining heating at -25℃ and non-declining cooling at 46℃”. These three compressor technologies provide “all-climate comfort” solutions for users in different climate belts through their respective differentiated technical paths.
In key dimensions of user experience, GREE also addresses consumer pain points with hardcore technology. The newly launched 2026 “Ai Silent King” features GREE’s self-developed AI energy-saving chip. Paired with artificial intelligence algorithms, it saves energy from the moment it is turned on, improving annual energy efficiency by 23%. Meanwhile, GREE’s SilenzX series air conditioners achieve ultra-low sound pressure levels of just 29 dB(A) for the outdoor unit and 15 dB(A) for the indoor unit—far below the industry average. This achievement earned the Gold Medal at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva, marking GREE’s leadership in the field of noise reduction technology globally.
From compressors to whole unit systems, from AI energy saving to quiet technology, GREE has built the core competitiveness of Premium products through solid technological accumulation and continuous innovation breakthroughs, creating truly high-quality air experiences for global users.
As of July, GREE holds 50 “world-leading” technologies. From residential air conditioners to central air conditioning systems, from single-refrigerant systems to solutions covering all climatic zones, GREE has constructed a complete, autonomous, and controllable technology matrix. It is this systemic innovative capability that allows GREE to maintain rapid response and technical adaptation capabilities in the face of differentiated needs across global markets.
Currently, GREE products serve more than 190 countries and regions worldwide. By adhering to serving users with core technologies and high-quality service, GREE continues to meet people’s pursuit of a better life. Honors are witnesses to the past, and innovation is the eternal coordinate. Standing at a new starting point, GREE Electric Appliances will continue to drive high-quality development through independent innovation, moving from “scale leadership” to “value guidance,” and from “Chinese Manufacturing” to “Global Brand”, thus achieving “Made in China, Loved by the World”.
Hashtag: #GREE
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
The forecast identifies large language models, which underpin generative AI applications, as an area where China is particularly well positioned to establish leadership. It also anticipates that Chinese companies and research institutions will become at least competitive across other critical technology sectors, potentially reshaping the balance of technological capabilities between Beijing and Washington.
The assessment comes as Chinese AI developers narrow the performance gap with American competitors despite restrictions on access to advanced semiconductors. Improvements in model efficiency, expanding domestic computing infrastructure and competitive pricing have strengthened China’s position in the global market.
Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst Robert Lea identified a sharp improvement in Chinese model performance earlier this month. Leading Chinese systems trailed their American counterparts by approximately 3% on benchmark scores, compared with around 9% in May and 15% earlier this year.
That narrowing gap followed the September introduction of DeepSeek’s V4.1 Flash model, which demonstrated further advances in reasoning and computational efficiency. The findings suggest that restrictions on sophisticated American chips have not prevented Chinese developers from improving their systems.
The projections nevertheless remain conditional on technological progress, investment and commercial adoption over the next four years. Competitive performance in individual benchmarks does not necessarily establish overall leadership, particularly when computing capacity, profitability and enterprise deployment are considered.
China’s expanding capabilities are already influencing international adoption patterns. Models developed by DeepSeek, Alibaba and Moonshot AI have attracted developers seeking alternatives to comparatively expensive proprietary systems offered by American technology companies.
Data from OpenRouter, a platform providing access to multiple AI models, showed Chinese systems gaining substantial shares of usage during 2026. However, the figures represent activity through that platform rather than the entire global market, where direct subscriptions and enterprise contracts remain significant.
Chinese developers have also benefited from distributing models with openly available weights, allowing businesses and programmers to customise systems without depending entirely on proprietary services. This approach has encouraged international experimentation and strengthened adoption among cost-conscious users.
American companies retain important advantages, particularly in advanced semiconductor access, large-scale computing infrastructure and commercial relationships with enterprise customers. OpenAI, Anthropic and Google continue investing heavily in frontier models and the infrastructure required to train increasingly sophisticated systems.
Financial performance illustrates the distinction between technological competitiveness and commercial success. Anthropic disclosed revenue of $16.3 billion for the first half of 2026, compared with $1.2 billion during the corresponding period a year earlier, reflecting strong demand for its enterprise services.
Chinese developers face greater pressure on pricing, with intense domestic competition limiting opportunities to convert growing usage into sustainable earnings. Lower-cost models can accelerate adoption while simultaneously reducing margins available to finance future development.
Semiconductor manufacturing remains another constraint. Washington’s export controls restrict Chinese access to certain advanced processors and manufacturing equipment, although domestic suppliers including Huawei are developing alternatives intended to support national computing requirements.
China’s response increasingly combines domestic chip development with software optimisation. Researchers have demonstrated that improvements in training methods, architecture and inference efficiency can reduce dependence on the most powerful available hardware.
Beijing is also pursuing greater integration between artificial intelligence and telecommunications infrastructure. A three-year programme issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in June established targets for autonomous networks, computing access and specialised AI applications through 2028.
The programme envisages significant breakthroughs in core technologies by 2030, alongside improved coordination between communications networks, computing resources and intelligent services. Its objectives complement broader efforts to establish domestic technological capabilities.
Regulatory developments could influence the international availability of Chinese technology. Authorities proposed export restrictions this month covering 23 categories of AI technology, including language models, autonomous agents, chip designs and computing clusters.
The draft measures would potentially subject transfers of certain model weights, source code and advanced technologies to government approval. Their final scope and implementation remain undetermined.
China’s Ministry of Commerce has presented the proposals as part of a wider effort to regulate strategically sensitive technology transfers. The consultation also covers technologies beyond artificial intelligence, reflecting the government’s expanding attention to intellectual property and national security.
For overseas developers using Chinese models, the eventual rules could affect access to advanced systems and associated technical resources, depending on the restrictions adopted and the thresholds applied to particular technologies.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Saudi Arabia and Türkiye have signed a memorandum of understanding to expand educational cooperation, covering student exchanges, teacher development, academic research and educational technology, following talks between their education ministers in Ankara. Saudi Minister of Education Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Benyan and Turkish Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin signed the agreement on October 26 during Al-Benyan’s official two-day visit to Türkiye, which concluded […]
Generation Z singles are showing greater interest in dating while remaining cautious about artificial intelligence features introduced by matchmaking platforms, according to surveys that expose a divide between enthusiasm for technology and expectations of authentic relationships. Research commissioned by Bloomberg Intelligence and conducted by Attest among nearly 1,000 US respondents in May 2025 found younger adults more uncomfortable than millennials with AI drafting profile descriptions, composing replies […]
General Motors will transfer its stock market listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq on November 17, aligning its market identity with an expanding emphasis on artificial intelligence, autonomous driving and software-driven vehicles. The Detroit-based automaker announced the decision on Tuesday, confirming that its shares will continue trading on the NYSE until November 16 before moving to the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The company will […]
Europe’s maize harvest is shrinking sharply as prolonged drought and extreme summer heat damage crops in Hungary and Romania, prompting farmers to abandon vulnerable fields and reconsider what they plant. The European Commission’s latest crop assessment, published on 23 October, confirms that summer crop yields remain below their five-year averages across much of the European Union. Persistent moisture shortages have also disrupted preparations for the next growing […]
The Summit explored the trends reshaping customer expectations and the future of financial services. Discussions focused on rising wealth, increasing cross-border mobility, and the growing convergence of data, artificial intelligence and human expertise. Participants exchanged perspectives on how deeper partnerships can enhance customer outcomes and unlock new opportunities for the next phase of growth.
Chengdu’s history provided a fitting backdrop for the Summit. More than a thousand years ago, the city pioneered “jiaozi”, widely regarded as the world’s first paper money. Its success depended on trust in the promise behind it, a principle that remains equally important in successful partnerships today.
Dennis Tan, Regional CEO, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar; Group Partnership Distribution, Prudential plc, said: “Keeping promises sits at the heart of every partnership for Prudential. Founded on trust and strengthened through collaboration, these relationships help us meet customers’ increasingly interconnected health, protection and wealth needs.
“The Summit demonstrated the strength of Prudential’s partnership ecosystem and the opportunities ahead. By bringing together distribution expertise, digital capabilities and market insights, we are working to create better customer experiences and drive long-term, sustainable growth with our partners.”
The programme also featured guest speaker Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer and referee of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final. Drawing on his experience at the highest level of international football, he shared perspectives on leadership, accountability and sound decision-making in complex and rapidly changing environments.
Partnership distribution at Prudential
Prudential harnesses the strength of its partnership ecosystem to translate shared priorities into action, helping more customers achieve greater financial security and confidence for the future.
Partnership distribution has long been central to Prudential’s growth strategy. Since establishing its first strategic bancassurance partnership in 1998, Prudential has built one of Asia’s largest bancassurance franchises, comprising more than 180 banking partnerships across markets. In the first half of 2026, the bancassurance channel delivered US$586 million in new business profit, up 13 per cent on a constant exchange rate basis from US$505 million in the same period last year.
Hashtag: #Prudentialplc
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Prudential provides life and health insurance and asset management in Greater China, ASEAN, India and Africa. Prudential’s mission is to be the most trusted partner and protector for this generation and generations to come, by providing simple and accessible financial and health solutions. The business has dual primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (HKEX: 2378) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: PRU). It also has a secondary listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX: K6S) and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: PUK) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. It is a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index and is also included for trading in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme and the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.
Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.
