Google Cloud is placing general-purpose Gemini models at the centre of its cybersecurity strategy, betting that broad frontier AI systems paired with specialised agents will outperform narrow models built only for security tasks. The approach, articulated by Francis deSouza, Google Cloud’s chief operating officer and president of security products, signals a deliberate shift in how the company wants enterprises to defend themselves in an era of faster […]
Google has moved to tackle one of enterprise AI’s hardest problems by giving each autonomous software agent its own cryptographic identity, part of a broader Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform unveiled at Cloud Next on 22 April. The idea is straightforward but consequential: every agent action can be tied to a unique, verifiable ID and checked against a defined set of permissions, creating an audit trail designed for […]
Under the agreement, IHG will develop four hotels with a total of more than 1,000 rooms at Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio, including InterContinental Saigon Can Gio with 400 rooms, Crowne Plaza Saigon Can Gio with 400 rooms, Holiday Inn Express Saigon Can Gio with 130 rooms, and Garner Saigon Can Gio with 130 rooms.
InterContinental Saigon Can Gio, a world-renowned luxury brand, will deliver premium hospitality experiences tailored to international travelers and domestic guests seeking high-end accommodation. Crowne Plaza Saigon Can Gio, one of the largest upscale hotel brands globally, will cater to frequent travelers with modern, flexible spaces designed to optimize productivity and foster connections.
Holiday Inn Express Saigon Can Gio and Garner Saigon Can Gio will expand the destination’s accommodation offering with efficient, high-quality stays focused on value, making the development more accessible to a broader range of guests. This also marks the official debut of both brands in the Vietnamese market.
According to the development timeline, Holiday Inn Express Saigon Can Gio and Garner Saigon Can Gio are expected to open in 2028, followed by InterContinental Saigon Can Gio and Crowne Plaza Saigon Can Gio in 2030.
In this partnership, Vinpearl, a member of Vingroup, will act as the project operator and lead the collaboration with IHG Hotels & Resorts, while coordinating with all stakeholders throughout the development and operational phases.
Together with Vinpearl’s world-class hospitality brand, the addition of four premium IHG hotels will help realize a 7,000-room accommodation ecosystem at Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio, meeting the growing demand for extended stays and diverse experiences year-round in Can Gio and Ho Chi Minh City.
Complementing the hospitality offering, a series of large-scale entertainment and resort facilities unique to Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio will further elevate the destination. These include the 122-hectare VinWonders theme park featuring the world’s tallest artificial snow mountain and nearly 200 attractions, the 5,000-seat Blue Waves Theater, the 800-hectare Paradise Lagoon, the five-star international cruise port Landmark Harbour, and two 18-hole international-standard golf courses. Together, these developments aim to position Can Gio as a globally-recognized tourism and resort hub, targeting 40 million visitors annually and standing alongside leading destinations in Vietnam and worldwide.
Mr. Rajit Sukumaran, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, East Asia & Pacific, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “This agreement marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between IHG and Vingroup. Bringing four of our standout brands to Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio reflects the diversity of our portfolio, as well as our strong commitment to supporting Vietnam’s goal of becoming a leading global tourism destination. With brands spanning multiple segments, we believe this collaboration will help create an integrated hospitality ecosystem that meets the diverse needs of travelers at one of Vietnam’s most significant developments.”
Ms. Ngo Thi Huong, Chief Executive Officer of Vinpearl Joint Stock Company, said: “We selected IHG not only for its global brand portfolio but also for its proven operational expertise across international markets. Introducing InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, and Garner to Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio is a key step in completing our service structure and establishing international operating standards for the mega project’s hotel system. With this partnership as a foundation, we believe Vinhomes Green Paradise will progressively emerge as a world-class destination, where a fully integrated ecosystem continues to enhance its appeal to residents and both domestic and international visitors.”
Vinhomes Green Paradise is located in the southeastern part of Ho Chi Minh City. Construction began on April 19, 2025, with a total area of 2,870 hectares. The development features three sides facing the sea and is adjacent to the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized site. The project is being developed to leading ESG++ standards, integrating green, smart, ecological, and regenerative principles.
The development benefits from a well-connected transport infrastructure network, including the Ben Thanh – Can Gio high-speed railway, which will reduce travel time from central Ho Chi Minh City to just 13 minutes, the Can Gio Bridge, the interchange connecting Rung Sac Road with the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway, and the Can Gio – Vung Tau sea-crossing route, enabling travel between two major tourism hubs in just 10 minutes.
With a diverse range of accommodation options, internationally-standardized hotel systems, and a wide array of cultural, artistic, sports, and entertainment facilities aligned with green, smart, and community-friendly principles, Vinhomes Green Paradise Can Gio stands out as a rare mega urban development that both sets new benchmarks for ESG living and delivers a world-class tourism and resort experience.
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
IHG Hotels & Resorts is a global hospitality company with a portfolio of 21 brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world’s largest hotel loyalty programs with over 160 million members. IHG currently franchises, leases, manages, or owns more than 6,900 hotels across over 100 countries, with more than 2,300 hotels in its development pipeline.
IHG’s brand portfolio spans Luxury & Lifestyle, Premium, Essentials, and Suites segments, including well-known brands such as Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn Express, Garner, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites.
About Vinhomes
Vinhomes is Vietnam’s leading real estate developer, pioneering the development of large-scale, well-planned urban areas with integrated amenities, green living environments, and modern lifestyles. In addition to 36 urban developments currently in operation nationwide, Vinhomes continues to focus on building next-generation mega and super urban developments of regional scale and significance, aspiring to create some of the most livable cities in the world while significantly transforming Vietnam’s urban landscape.
For more information, please visit 
https://vinhomes.vn/vi
Dubai has set out the biggest public-transport expansion in its history with approval of the Metro Gold Line, a Dh34 billion underground corridor designed to bind older neighbourhoods to newer growth districts and give the emirate a fresh rail spine by 9 September 2032. The scheme covers 42 kilometres and 18 stations, will run as Dubai’s first fully underground metro line, and is intended to serve 1.5 […]
Investcorp Capital has deployed $200 million into a three-asset US residential real estate portfolio, betting that demand for senior living and rental housing in supply-constrained metropolitan markets will stay firm as demographic pressure builds. The Abu Dhabi-listed alternative investment company said the portfolio spans nearly 500 units and includes two senior housing properties in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas, alongside a multifamily community […]
GamesIndustry. biz is set to return to Brazil next week to cover Gamescom Latam in São Paulo, as the event prepares for a five-day run from April 29 to May 3 at the Anhembi District, with April 29 reserved as a VIP day before the main public programme opens. The trip places the publication back at one of the gaming sector’s fastest-expanding regional gatherings, at a time […]
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 April 2026 – In a world where beauty trends are increasingly shaped by everyday creators, Vaseline is redefining its role from product maker to platform for its community. Rather than simply validating trends, the brand is now taking the next step by turning ideas from the community into real products and recognising the original voices who brought them to life.
Introducing Vaseline Originals (OGs), a first-of-its-kind product line inspired by verified viral hacks and the voices behind them. Developed by Ogilvy Singapore for Unilever’s Vaseline, the campaign flips the script on how beauty products are made, turning real community ideas into actual products.
“For years, creators have been reimagining what Vaseline jelly can do, often without recognition. This campaign is about giving credit where it’s due: acknowledging, celebrating and rewarding the people behind those ideas. More than a campaign, it signals how we want to build going forward with our community, not just for them,” said Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director, Vaseline at Unilever.
From Hack to Shelf: Meet the Vaseline OGs
At the heart of the campaign are two content creators who were among the early voices sharing hacks that helped shape the brand’s newest innovations.
In 2008, beauty creator Jen Chae (@frmheadtotoe) shared a simple Vaseline brow tamer hack on her blog. Lauren Luke (@laurenluke_panacea81), one of YouTube’s earliest beauty creators, introduced her Vaseline primer hack, making beauty techniques more accessible to everyday users.
Today, almost two decades later, their ideas have inspired actual Vaseline products. These include the Vaseline Brow Tamer, inspired by Jen Chae, and Vaseline All-In-One Primer & Highlighter Jelly, inspired by Lauren Luke. Beyond product innovation, the campaign recognises these content creators as Vaseline OGs and acknowledges their role in shaping ideas that have since become part of global beauty culture.
Both products sold out within minutes during their TikTok Live debut on 30 March 2026, featuring both content creators.
From Vaseline Verified to Vaseline Originals
What began as individual beauty hacks has grown into a global movement, with more 3.5 million Vaseline hack-related posts shared online. This is a testament to the brand’s enduring role in everyday routines and conversations across generations.
The campaign builds on Vaseline Verified, the brand’s award-winning effort that validated hacks shared by thousands and earned multiple Grand Prix awards, including the coveted Titanium Lion at Cannes Lions. Where Vaseline Verified proved what works, Vaseline Originals shines a spotlight on the people behind some of the most popular hacks.
And this is just the beginning. The search for content creators behind other viral Vaseline hacks is ongoing. More individuals are set to be recognised and certified as Vaseline OGs, bringing more of the community into the brand’s future.
Nicolas Courant, Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy Singapore, said, “We started with a simple creative provocation: what if the best ideas were never in the boardroom, but already in people’s bedrooms and everyday routines? We traced how Vaseline was being used in culture back to its origins and found the OG creators who had been shaping these hacks long before they became mainstream. Vaseline Originals is a move from ownership to stewardship, honouring our OG content creators by sharing our success with them.”
Aanchal Sethi, Asia Managing Director Unilever, Ogilvy Singapore said “Vaseline Originals represents a deliberate strategic shift in how we build this brand, moving from validating what the community creates to actively shaping and developing ideas inspired by them. The commercial signals have been unambiguous: products selling out in minutes, demand scaling with every drop. But what this campaign confirms goes beyond a single launch. It shows that community-led innovation isn’t just culturally resonant. It’s a growth engine. This is how Vaseline stays relevant for the next generation, and how we intend to keep building.”
Link to campaign assets here.
| Campaign Credits |
| Agencies: Ogilvy Singapore (Creative & PR), Edelman UK (PR), RADA (PR & Influencer), Acommerce (PR), PinPung (Influencer), Catch+Release (Research) |
| Production Houses: Double Y (Film), Chameleon (Post-Production), Pop & Strange (Post-Production), Neon Sound (Music) |
| Client: Unilever / Vaseline
– Leandro Barreto, Chief Marketing Officer – Fernando Kahane, Global Brand Vice President, Vaseline |
| – Nathalia Amadeu, Global Brand Director, Vaseline
– Stella Megalou, Global Project Lead, Vaseline – Rebecca Thomas, Global Senior Manager Brand Public Relations |
| – Shazan Zahir, Head of Beauty and Wellbeing Unilever International
– Xingyun Tan, Assistant Brand Manager, Unilever International – Sarah Guia, Regional eCommerce Manager, Unilever International – Manali Deshmukh, Global R&D Lead, Vaseline, Unilever International – Manan Goel, Packaging Lead, Unilever International – Sabhya Gupta, SEA R&D Lead |
| Agency: Ogilvy Singapore |
| – Liz Taylor, Global Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy
– Reed Collins, Chief Creative Officer, Asia, Ogilvy – Nicolas Courant, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Singapore – Marco Versolato, Chief Creative Officer, WPP@Unilever |
| – Maggie Michella, Associate Creative Director, Art, Ogilvy Singapore
– Elder Caldeira, Associate Creative Director, Art, Ogilvy Singapore – Nusrah Nizam, Junior Art Director, Creative, Ogilvy Singapore – Sneha Sanil, Junior Copywriter, Ogilvy Singapore |
| – David Dahan, Global Client Lead, Unilever
– Aanchal Sethi, Managing Director, Unilever – Nayna Kotian, Group Account Director, Ogilvy Singapore – Aurea Nonis, Account Manager, Ogilvy Singapore – Bok Jo-Ann, Project Manager, Ogilvy Singapore |
| – Sumegha Rao, Chief Strategy Officer, WPP@Unilever
– Shivendra Dikshit, Senior Strategy Director, Ogilvy Singapore – Mellita Angga, Senior Strategist, Ogilvy Singapore |
| – James Baldwin, Head of Influencer, Asia – PR & Influence, Social, Ogilvy Singapore
– Jesslyn Laiyenes, Manager, Influence, Ogilvy Singapore |
| – Gerri Hamill, Head of Production
– Carolyn Ong, Senior Integrated Producer – Siti Saleh, Project Manager |
| Campaign Assets |
| Links to original hacks: |
| – Jen Chae’s blog post: Clean & Natural Eyebrows Tutorial |
| – Lauren Luke’s YouTube video: Vaseline Primer Hack |
| Follow the conversation: #VaselineOriginals #VaselineVerified |
Hashtag: #Ogilvy #Vaseline
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Vaseline is the OG, a household staple for over 155 years, trusted by generations for its healing properties. As one of Unilever’s most iconic global brands, Vaseline continues to evolve, listening to its community and finding new ways to show up for the people who have championed it most.
Ogilvy has been creating impact for brands through iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas since the company was founded by David Ogilvy in 1948. It builds on that rich legacy through Borderless Creativity – innovating at the intersections of its advertising, public relations, relationship design, consulting, and health capabilities with experts collaborating seamlessly across more than 120 offices spanning 90 countries. Ogilvy currently ranks as the #1 global agency network for creative excellence and effectiveness by WARC, signifying its ability to deliver creative solutions that drive unreasonable impact for clients and communities. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and Facebook
Parody outlet The Onion has unveiled a fresh attempt to take control of Infowars, recasting a long-running legal and commercial fight over Alex Jones’s media platform into a new phase driven by state-court liquidation rather than the failed bankruptcy auction that stalled the deal in late 2024. The latest proposal, filed in Texas, would give The Onion an exclusive temporary licence over key Infowars intellectual property while […]
A key highlight of the programme was a closed-door Governors’ and Chairs’ Strategic Roundtable on “Sovereign Intelligence,” where senior policy leaders, financial regulators, and central bank governors convened under Chatham House Rule to address the challenge of maintaining national policy autonomy in an era of AI and digital finance.
The session reached consensus on three strategic pillars:
Ian Fong, VP of Content – Asia, Money20/20, said: “Today’s consensus signals that the region’s policy and regulatory leaders are moving from observation to production-grade governance. They are not just managing technology; they are defining the blueprint for how sovereign intelligence will safeguard the future of global finance.”
The Shift to Co-Creation & Trust
A dominant theme emerging from Policy20: the future of financial systems in Asia will be built not just on innovation, but on trust, collaboration, and intelligent infrastructure.
One of the most striking insights was the industry-wide shift from traditional regulatory models toward co-creation. Regulators are increasingly positioning themselves as enablers rather than enforcers, working alongside the private sector to design frameworks that evolve in real time with technological advancements. This marks a fundamental move away from static, compliance-led approaches toward dynamic, partnership-driven regulation.
At the same time, trust has become the cornerstone of financial innovation. As digital ecosystems expand, trust is derived from transparent systems, strong governance, and regulatory alignment, particularly as AI and digital assets continue to outpace traditional regulatory cycles.
Infrastructure with Purpose
The discussions also highlighted that innovation without usability is problematic. Discussion points centered on the idea that true financial inclusion in Asia depends on intelligent infrastructure, systems that are not just accessible, but intuitive and affordable enough to remove friction for underserved populations at scale.
A Multi-Rail Future
Looking ahead, Policy20 experts outlined a multi-rail financial ecosystem where tokenised deposits, stablecoins, and traditional banking coexist. The takeaway was clear: the future is not about one dominant model, but achieving seamless interoperability, through shared cross-border standards and frameworks.
Scale vs. Safety
Ultimately, the discussions underscored a regional commitment to balancing speed with safety. While innovation is accelerating, regulators and industry players alike emphasised that growth must not come at the expense of consumer protection, financial stability, or accountability. There was a strong agreement that meaningful adoption, not just access, has become the ultimate measure of success, with a focus on whether financial innovation is genuinely improving lives.
As Policy20 continues, one message is clear: Asia is no longer just adapting to the digital age; it is defining the global blueprint for responsible regulation.
Hashtag: #money20/20 #fintech #bangkok
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 22 April 2026 – Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) today outlined how enterprise AI adoption across Asia Pacific (APAC) is moving from experimentation to implementation, with 48% of organisations with more than 500 employees in the region already deploying AI PCs and 95% expecting workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years. Together, these trends point to a more distributed AI environment – one that brings intelligence closer to users while supporting increasingly complex and compute-intensive workloads.
Two IDC InfoBriefs, commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel reinforce this shift – Future-Ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption and Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You. The research highlights growing enterprise momentum behind both intelligent endpoints and higher-performance systems as organisations shape the next phase of AI adoption.
For Dell, this shift reflects a broader industry trend toward aligning the right compute resources with specific workload requirements, as organisations balance intelligent endpoints for everyday productivity with high-performance systems designed for advanced AI and professional use cases. Enterprise AI deployments are increasingly spanning client devices, edge environments and the data centre, reflecting a more distributed approach across the IT environment.
AI PCs: Bringing intelligence closer to everyday work
AI PCs are becoming a core component of the modern workplace, enabling AI workloads to run directly on the device to deliver faster, more responsive user experiences while reducing reliance on continuous cloud connectivity. This approach also supports enhanced data privacy and security, provides IT teams with greater control over deployment and management across device fleets, and enables more consistent scaling of AI capabilities across the workforce.
The IDC research commissioned by Dell Technologies and Intel underscores this momentum. As AI becomes embedded in day-to-day work, device strategy is shifting accordingly. 89% of APAC organisations now consider AI capabilities a very important factor in future PC purchasing decisions.
In Singapore, 54% of organisations have already deployed AI PCs – 12% higher than the regional average – highlighting strong early adoption momentum. Southeast Asia’s AI PC adoption is outpacing the regional average by 6%, driven by the ability to adopt new technologies without legacy constraints, strong infrastructure in markets like Singapore, favourable market conditions and supportive government initiatives.
APAC Organisations with over 50% AI PCs in their fleet report saving 2.17 hours per employee per day, a 30% productivity increase compared to using AI on traditional PCs. AI PCs are enabling a new class of enterprise use cases – from real-time collaboration and report generation to natural language search and content creation – delivering tangible productivity gains.
In practical terms, this can translate into faster proposal turnaround for sales teams, quicker analysis cycles for finance and operations, streamlined drafting for HR, faster document review for engineering teams, and more responsive support for customer-facing employees. As organisations prepare for more autonomous and agentic AI in hybrid work environments, AI PCs are increasingly becoming the governed way to scale intelligent experiences across the workforce – safely, consistently, and with clearer business impact.
Four out of five APAC organisations expect AI PCs to drive adoption of agentic AI, with the same proportion agreeing they enhance control and security for these applications. The broader momentum is clear: within APAC, 84% of organisations expect AI PCs to increase employee productivity, while 78% cite security benefits and 77% highlight cost advantages of running AI locally.
This shift is leading to a tangible investment. Across APAC, 65% of organisations are willing to pay a premium of 10% or more for AI PCs, reflecting their role as core infrastructure for enterprise AI.
Workstations: Powering advanced AI and specialised workloads
While AI PCs distribute intelligence across the workforce, workstations continue to serve as the performance backbone for more demanding workloads – particularly as organisations shift more AI development on-premise. Developers, engineers, designers, and data teams rely on workstation-class systems for AI model development, simulation, rendering, data preparation, and other compute-intensive activities that require reliability, low latency, and sustained performance.
The IDC research on workstations reflects this reality. 95% of organisations across APAC expect workstations to play a critical or important role in AI initiatives over the next two years, while 50% would choose a workstation as their preferred device for AI development, and 97% of organisations agree workstations are high-performance devices that fuel innovation for the organisation by empowering teams to explore cutting-edge technology like AI and Machine Learning models.
Across Southeast Asia, 92% of organisations surveyed reported higher productivity among workstation users, while 52% expect the share of workstations in their fleet to grow over the next five years. Organisations in this part of the region also reported workstation use for data preparation (66%), model fine-tuning (62%), and foundational model training (55%), underscoring the role of high-performance systems in advanced AI and professional workloads.
Use cases vary by sector – from engineering and architecture workflows in manufacturing, to content rendering in media, software development in technology, and risk modelling in financial services. AI has become the top technical computing use case for workstations, supporting the full lifecycle from data preparation (62%) and model training (60%) to fine-tuning (59%), deployment (44%) and inference (29%).
This also shifts the conversation from upfront device price to total cost of ownership – including lifecycle longevity, scalability, performance consistency, and risk reduction. As AI initiatives move closer to production, workstations are increasingly seen as long-term platforms that can scale with evolving workloads, rather than short-term tools for experimentation.
Toward an AI compute continuum that supports the next phase of enterprise AI
Together, AI PCs and workstations form an AI compute continuum, supporting everything from everyday productivity to advanced AI development and professional workloads across the enterprise.
For organisations across Asia Pacific, the next phase of AI will not be defined by a single environment or device category, but by the ability to place the right workload on the right compute. AI PCs are extending AI into everyday workflows, while workstations are helping organisations industrialise more advanced, compute-intensive, and specialised AI use cases. Combined, they give leaders a more practical foundation for scaling AI with greater speed, control, and long-term value.
Perspectives:
“AI is changing where work happens and where intelligence needs to live,” said Jacinta Quah, vice president, client solutions group, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China (APJC), Dell Technologies. “AI PCs and workstations are not simply device categories in a refresh cycle – they are foundational platforms built for the next phase of enterprise AI era. AI PCs bring intelligence to everyday workflows, at the fingertips of employees where data is generated. Meanwhile, workstations provide the performance and control needed for more specialised, compute-intensive workloads. Together, they enable organisations to scale AI more effectively, strengthen security and privacy, and drive meaningful business outcomes.”
“AI is placing new demands on compute, requiring both local intelligence and high-performance processing to work seamlessly together,” said Jack Huang, regional sales director, PC client commercial and channel, Asia Pacific and Japan, Intel. “As AI workloads become more diverse, organisations need silicon innovations and platforms that can support both efficient on-device experiences and more demanding workstation use cases. Together with Dell, we are helping to enable the next phase of enterprise AI with technologies built for responsiveness, efficiency and scale.”
“The speed at which AI models are being compressed to run on-device has been remarkably fast,” said Bryan Ma, vice president, client devices, IDC. “In the next year or two, very robust models will run on PCs that far exceed today’s capabilities. At the same time, organisations continue to depend on high-performance workstations for advanced AI development and specialised workloads, reinforcing a more distributed AI environment across the enterprise.”
Research Methodology:
The findings are based on two IDC InfoBriefs:
Future-ready Workforce: The Strategic Case for AI PC Adoption is based on a survey of 720 IT and business decision-makers across Asia Pacific organisations with more than 500 employees. Powering Future-Ready Computing with Workstations: Built for AI. Built for You surveyed 960 IT and business decision-makers in the region to assess workstation adoption, usage, and their role in enterprise AI strategies.
Hashtag: #DellTechnologies
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) helps organisations and individuals build their digital future and transform how they work, live and play. The company provides customers with the industry’s broadest and most innovative technology and services portfolio for the AI era.
Blackstone-owned AirTrunk is preparing what could become a landmark financing for Asia-Pacific digital infrastructure, with the data-centre operator seeking to raise at least A$500 million through asset-backed bonds backed by its facilities, according to market reports and company disclosures on its broader funding platform. The move would mark a notable step in bringing securitised debt structures, long familiar in other asset classes, into the region’s fast-growing data-centre […]
Arjavi Indraneesh While demand for shisha smoking is steadily going up, air quality regulations, fire safety concerns and the operational burden of managing charcoal-based systems have historically presented challenges to hospitality venues. Ronan Barry, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs at AIR, the global leader in hookah and pioneer in advanced inhalation technologies, spoke to the Arabian Post on the emerging shisha trends and the company’s future plans. […]
Building on last year’s theme “Super Every Moment”, this year’s edition introduces a brand-new Super Video category alongside expanded support programs offering creators more visibility and professional support. This year’s competition also includes a total prize pool of $76,500 distributed across the various prize categories.
“Over the past four years, the OPPO Photography Awards has evolved into a truly global platform that empowers mobile creators everywhere to express their inspiration effortlessly through OPPO’s powerful imaging capabilities,” said Ling Liu, Overseas CMO at OPPO. “Championing young creators has always been central to the Awards, and this year, we are taking this further by creating more opportunities for the next generation to be seen, supported, and recognized. Smartphone users have always embraced video as a powerful tool for mobile storytelling, and through our advanced imaging technologies and long-term partnership with Hasselblad, we hope to empower more creators worldwide to tell rich and authentic stories with their mobile devices.”
New Categories Celebrate New Possibilities in Mobile Imaging
The OPPO Photography Awards 2026 introduces two new categories—Super Video and Super Zoom—as part of an updated six-category lineup that also includes Journey, Me, Live, and Snap.
Marking the first dedicated video category in OPPO Photography Awards history, the Super Video category aims to highlight the growing influence of video alongside photography as a distinct medium for mobile storytelling. With life’s meaningful moments taking place not only in static frames but the dynamic motion and emotions that unfold between them, OPPO is empowering storytellers from all walks of life to capture this motion through the latest innovations in mobile videography. Building on its longstanding focus on video, OPPO continues to deliver industry-leading capabilities across its product portfolio, enabling both enthusiasts and professionals to fully embrace the fun of creation.
Beyond offering cutting-edge technology, OPPO is equally committed to enhancing how these creations are shared. OPPO and Meta are closely collaborating to optimize the video-sharing experience on Instagram. OPPO Find X9 Ultra users can now achieve near-lossless video quality from capture to share. Videos shared on Instagram will retain quality virtually indistinguishable from the original footage, achieving the industry’s highest standards and ensuring that every shared moment remains true to the original creation. This reflects OPPO’s continued focus on optimizing the entire creative lifecycle for a truly seamless user experience.
This year’s other new category, Super Zoom, seeks to explore the creative potential made possible through OPPO’s long-term investment in advanced telescope zoom technology. By pushing the boundaries of mobile imaging, OPPO has brought smartphone zoom capabilities closer than ever to those of traditional standalone cameras, allowing users to capture unseen details with precision and explore life’s hidden beauty from completely new perspectives.
Committed to Supporting Young Creators
OPPO is committed to supporting young creative talents and amplifying their voices globally. Through the 2026 Awards, this commitment is taken even further with several new programs designed to empower creators’ long-term growth through professional guidance and coaching.
In partnership with Discovery Channel, OPPO has launched the Filmmaker Accelerator Program, offering young creators exclusive mentorship from industry professionals. Creators who submit videos to the Super Video category will have the chance to be invited to produce a short film with end-to-end creative support and potential broadcast opportunities, alongside a grant provided by OPPO.
OPPO is also extending support to the wider creator community through a range of accessible learning resources. Among them, the new OPPO Imaging Academy features a series of tutorial videos designed to help users tap into the full power of OPPO’s cutting-edge technology to transform creative inspiration into artistry.
In addition to these initiatives, the OPPO Creators program further expands visibility and creates more professional development opportunities for young creators. Through the program, outstanding works will be showcased across various OPPO platforms, and creators will also gain priority invitations to flagship launches and collaboration opportunities, along with complimentary professional equipment to support their ongoing development.
Opening Diverse Pathways for Creators Worldwide
As part of efforts to recognize a wider range of creators and expand participation in the Awards, the OPPO Photography Awards 2026 introduces a diverse awards program that gives creators more opportunities to gain global exposure and showcase their work on a bigger stage.
In addition to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards up for grabs in the main competition, participants can also earn recognition and generous incentives through Honorable Mentions, Regional Awards, and the Audience Choice Awards. A total of 38 different awards or acknowledgements are on offer recognizing outstanding creators across all categories, with a total prize pool of $76,500.
The year’s judging panel also brings together renowned industry professionals in both photography and cinematography, including Tina Signesdottir Hult and Wang Jianjun, Hasselblad Masters; Vikram Channa, Vice President, Co-Lead, and Editorial Chief at Warner Bros. Discovery; Zhu Jiong, Professor at the School of Visual Media and Communication, Beijing Film Academy; Pete Lau, Senior Vice President and Chief Product Officer at OPPO; and Joy Cheng, Director of Imaging Cognition at OPPO.
To further encourage participation, the 2026 Awards also introduces a new monthly contest format. Through the new format, young creators can receive feedback and more visibility on an ongoing basis, while also having the opportunity to progress into the main competition.
Global Competition Submissions Open Until December 31
Submissions for the OPPO Photography Awards 2026 and the first round of monthly contests are now open. Creators worldwide are invited to submit their entries and showcase their creativity and storytelling visions captured on OPPO, OnePlus or realme devices.
Entries for the global competition will remain open until 24:00 (UTC+8), December 31, 2026. Submissions for all categories can be made via the official OPPO Photography Awards website. Submissions for the Super Video category can also be made through Instagram and TikTok using the hashtags #SuperVideo and #ShotOnOPPO.
Entries for the first global monthly contest can be submitted via the official website or on Instagram with the hashtags #SuperEveryMoment and #ShotOnOPPO. Upcoming monthly contests will feature different themes, with future submissions accepted through both social platforms and the official website.
For more information on the OPPO Photography Awards 2026 and the monthly contests, please visit the official website at https://lumo.oppo.com/en/.
Hashtag: #OPPO
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai Dubai International Financial Centre has unveiled plans to remake itself as what it describes as the world’s first AI-native financial centre, tying the ambition to a projected $3.5 billion contribution to Dubai’s economy and the creation of 25,000 jobs as artificial intelligence is woven into regulation, operations, talent development and the district’s built environment. The move marks a step beyond the common industry […]
The move is more than a straightforward route launch. It signals how Dubai’s low-cost carrier is sharpening its focus on high-demand leisure and business corridors in Asia while using its partnership model to compete more effectively against full-service rivals. Bangkok has long been a major draw for Gulf-based travellers, migrant communities, short-break tourists and business passengers, and the use of Don Mueang rather than Suvarnabhumi suggests flydubai is aiming for a cost-efficient operating base while still tapping into the Thai capital’s large catchment area.
According to the published schedule, outbound flight FZ1333 will leave Dubai at 01:35 and arrive in Bangkok at 11:25, while return flight FZ1334 will depart Don Mueang at 23:50 and land in Dubai at 03:25 the next day, all in local times. Introductory return fares start at AED 11,100 in Business Class and AED 3,000 in Economy Class Lite from Dubai, with corresponding starting fares from Bangkok at THB 83,900 and THB 22,100. Those fare levels position the route as a hybrid offering rather than an ultra-budget play, reflecting flydubai’s steady shift towards a broader market that includes premium leisure and corporate demand.
The airline’s management has framed the Bangkok launch as a response to strong summer demand and as part of a wider effort to deploy capacity where yields and passenger volumes justify expansion. The commercial logic is supported by flydubai’s broader performance. In 2025, the carrier reported revenue of AED 13.6 billion, pre-tax profit of AED 2.2 billion, passenger traffic of 15.7 million and a network spanning 140 destinations, underlining both scale and financial resilience at a time when many airlines continue to wrestle with fleet bottlenecks, maintenance costs and geopolitical disruptions.
That backdrop matters because airline route announcements do not happen in isolation. Carriers are adding capacity cautiously, especially where aircraft supply remains constrained. flydubai ended 2025 with a fleet of 97 aircraft and has been pursuing long-term growth with major Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX orders, broadening a fleet strategy that was once almost entirely centred on Boeing narrow-bodies. That gives the airline more room to grow deeper into medium-haul markets where price-sensitive demand overlaps with demand for better connectivity and upgraded cabin products.
Thailand fits that strategy well. Demand between the Gulf and Thailand has been supported by tourism, retail travel, medical trips, visiting friends and relatives, and small-business movement. Bangkok also works as a distribution point for wider travel into Thailand and neighbouring markets. By choosing Don Mueang, flydubai enters a major airport with a strong low-cost profile and dense domestic and regional links. For passengers, the appeal is likely to rest on timing, one-stop connectivity through Dubai, and the convenience of booking through the Emirates partnership on a single ticket with baggage checked through.
The Bangkok service also reflects a wider pattern in Gulf aviation. Airlines based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have spent years turning geographic advantage into network depth, linking Europe, Asia and Africa through hub operations that can absorb both premium and value-focused traffic. flydubai’s role in that system has evolved significantly. It no longer operates purely as a low-cost feeder or point-to-point budget airline. Its commercial model now leans on network breadth, underserved routes, codeshare traffic and selective premium demand, a shift reinforced by a 19 per cent rise in Business Class uptake last year.
Tether has led an $8 million strategic funding round in Abu Dhabi-based tokenisation firm KAIO, backing a business that says it wants to move institutional funds onto blockchain rails and widen access to products that have traditionally sat behind high minimum investment thresholds. The deal places one of the digital-asset sector’s most influential companies behind a UAE platform seeking to turn regulated fund interests into on-chain instruments. […]
Nvidia has delivered another blockbuster quarter, posting revenue of $68.1 billion and giving a next-quarter forecast of $78 billion, a result that underlined how aggressively the world’s largest technology groups are still spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. Data centre sales reached $62.3 billion, up 75 per cent from a year earlier, showing that demand for high-end chips, networking gear and full AI systems remains strong despite growing […]
The collaboration combines Paymentology’s cloud-first processing platform with Change Financial’s local BIN sponsorship, regulatory expertise and in-market presence – enabling fintechs, digital banks and programme managers to launch and scale debit, credit and prepaid programmes more efficiently in the Australian market.
Change Financial is a Mastercard Principal Issuer in Australia, providing local scheme connectivity and compliance support. Together with Paymentology’s real-time, multi-cloud processing infrastructure, the partnership creates a streamlined pathway for fintechs looking to enter or expand in the country.
Australia represents one of the world’s most advanced digital payments markets. The national payments market was valued at USD 849.1 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 1.35 trillion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 5.09% between 2026 and 2034. Cards and mobile wallets now sit at the centre of everyday transactions, as digital adoption continues to accelerate. Australians made approximately AUD 160 billion in mobile wallet payments in the past year alone, with billions of transactions recorded annually, highlighting strong demand for digital-first, contactless and mobile-enabled payment experiences.
Minh Ha Truong, Head of Growth Asia Pacific at Paymentology commented: “Australia is one of the most sophisticated payments ecosystems globally, with strong consumer adoption of digital, contactless and mobile-first experiences. By partnering with Change Financial, we’re combining next-generation issuing infrastructure with trusted local BIN sponsorship and expertise, unlocking faster payment method adoption for fintechs and helping them scale confidently in the Australian market.”
Change Financial brings deep experience supporting fintechs and financial institutions through local sponsorship, scheme relationships and programme enablement.
Jennifer Mateer, Chief Commercial Officer at Change Financial added: “We collaborate closely with fintechs and programme managers every day to launch innovative payment solutions with speed and confidence. Our partnership with Paymentology combines our local market expertise with global-scale issuing infrastructure, enabling innovators to accelerate time to market and deliver compelling card payment experiences to Australian consumers and businesses.”
Hashtag: #Paymentology #Fintech
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Paymentology is the leading next-generation issuer processor, empowering fintechs, digital banks and retail banks to effortlessly launch and manage innovative payment solutions on a global scale. The company drives greater customer choice and value through easy-to-use, integrated platforms and services that help clients to disrupt the status quo, accelerate time to market, and achieve growth.
With a superior multi-cloud platform offering a vast global footprint, and enhanced real-time data, Paymentology distinguishes itself as a leader in the payments industry. Its team of payments experts, with deep local market knowledge, operates across 50 countries and 14 time zones, providing 24/7 support. Paymentology is deeply committed to expanding financial inclusion globally, changing lives and positively impacting the communities in which it operates.
For more information, visit https://www.Paymentology.com.
America’s gross national debt is closing in on $39tn, extending a climb that has more than doubled the federal government’s outstanding obligations since 2011 and sharpening debate over how long Washington can sustain large deficits, rising interest bills and expanding borrowing needs without broader economic consequences. Official daily Treasury data put total public debt at about $38.99tn in mid-April 2026, meaning the widely shared claim that the […]
Gold prices fell on Monday as a fresh flare-up in waters around the Strait of Hormuz rattled energy markets, pushed up the dollar and Treasury yields, and raised doubts over diplomatic efforts aimed at halting the war. Bullion, which often draws support in periods of geopolitical strain, came under pressure as traders focused instead on the inflationary impact of another oil-supply shock. The move highlighted a familiar […]
OVHcloud has added Quandela’s Belenos quantum computer to its cloud platform, giving customers on-demand access to a second physical quantum machine as Europe pushes to turn research strength into commercial computing capacity. The announcement, made on April 17 at the Quantum Defence Summit, expands OVHcloud’s Quantum Platform less than six months after the French cloud group launched it as a European Quantum-as-a-Service offering. Belenos is a 12-qubit […]
Quantum computing has taken a meaningful step from theory towards application after researchers showed that a hybrid system combining quantum hardware with artificial intelligence can improve predictions of chaotic physical systems, a class of problems that has long frustrated scientists because small errors grow quickly over time. The work, led by University College London and published in Science Advances on April 17, found that the method delivered […]
The deal did not arrive in isolation. It came only weeks after KKR invested $95 million, taking the wider financing linked to that phase of fundraising to about $315 million. Lenskart said the fresh capital would support expansion of its online business and physical store network, reinforcing its strategy of building an omni-channel model rather than relying solely on digital sales. That approach helped distinguish it from many internet-first companies that were still testing how to translate app traffic into durable consumer brands.
Founded in 2010, Lenskart entered physical retail in 2013 and built its business around prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and sunglasses, using technology tools such as virtual try-on features and a tightly managed supply chain to bring down delivery times and widen consumer choice. The 2021 fundraising gave investors another signal that eye care and vision products could support a scaled consumer business in a market where organised retail had long remained fragmented. It also underlined growing confidence that health-linked discretionary categories could attract repeat spending even outside the big metropolitan centres.
At the time, the broader market backdrop was unusually supportive. India’s start-up sector went through a record funding cycle in 2021, with Reuters later reporting that start-ups in the country raised about $35 billion that year before the market turned more difficult in 2022. Lenskart’s round therefore became part of a larger story: global investors were competing for exposure to domestic consumption, digital adoption and a new generation of companies that blended software, logistics and offline distribution. That enthusiasm also produced a wave of unicorns, richer private valuations and a heavier pipeline for later public listings.
What makes the Lenskart story more durable than a single boom-year headline is what followed. The company continued to attract capital after the 2021 round, raising another $200 million in 2024 from Temasek and Fidelity in a deal that valued it at about $5 billion, according to reports. That step-up suggested investors still saw room for growth despite the post-2021 funding reset that hit many privately held technology firms. It also showed that consumer-facing businesses with large store networks, repeat demand and clearer revenue visibility were being treated differently from cash-burning platforms built around discount-led expansion.
By 2025, Lenskart had moved into the next phase of that journey, filing for an initial public offering and seeking a valuation of nearly $8 billion at the top end of its price band. Reuters reported that the company had 2,067 stores across the country and another 656 overseas, reflecting a business that had grown well beyond its original online-only identity. That proposed public market debut placed Lenskart among a wider group of venture-backed companies testing whether private-market optimism could translate into sustained investor demand on the stock exchange.
Operationally, the business has also shown signs of maturing. Reuters reported in November 2025 that Lenskart had turned profitable in financial year 2025 and posted a 23% rise in revenue to 66.53 billion rupees. Another Reuters report in February 2026 said about 80% of its revenue came from prescription eyeglasses, while international revenue from Southeast Asia, Japan and the Middle East was rising strongly. Those figures matter because they suggest the company’s scale is now being supported not only by funding rounds and valuation jumps, but by a more established earnings and expansion profile.
Dubai’s commercial property market opened 2026 with fewer deals but a sharply higher value profile, as investors paid more for offices, warehouses and retail assets in a market increasingly defined by scarcity, asset quality and longer-term positioning. CRC, the commercial arm of Betterhomes, said 3,619 commercial units changed hands in the first quarter, down 3% from a year earlier, while total sales value rose 30% to AED37.9 […]
