By K Raveendran Another session of Parliament has closed with an uncomfortable sense of déjà vu. Repeated adjournments, slogan-shouting, demonstrations inside and outside the chambers and legislation moving through amid uproar have again raised the question of whether Parliament is performing the function for which representative democracy created it. The problem is no longer simply […]
Google has opened Google Earth’s flight simulator to users worldwide through the web, bringing a feature that spent almost two decades largely confined to its desktop application directly into the browser. The experimental tool allows people to fly across Google Earth’s satellite imagery and three-dimensional terrain without installing separate software. The simulator is available from the Tools menu after users launch the web version of Google Earth […]
Nintendo will begin officially selling the Nintendo Switch 2 and original Switch in Indonesia in December, giving the Japanese games company its first direct hardware presence in Southeast Asia’s largest economy while leaving a significant gap in its digital offering.
The December 2026 launch was announced by Nintendo executive officer Juro Takeuchi at a business conference in Jakarta. Distribution will be handled by PT Nusantara Interactive Niaga, part of the Salim Group, with Nintendo’s Singapore operation involved in the market rollout. Prices and a precise sales date have yet to be disclosed.
Nintendo’s move formalises a market that has for years relied heavily on imported consoles and third-party retailers. Switch systems and games have long been available in Indonesia through unofficial distribution channels, but an authorised presence should improve access to locally supported products, warranties and retail partnerships.
The expansion arrives more than a year after Nintendo launched the Switch 2 in its major markets. The successor to the original Switch has become a substantial part of the company’s hardware business, with cumulative shipments reaching 23.68 million units by the end of June. Nintendo shipped another 3.82 million Switch 2 consoles during the April-June quarter, while lifetime shipments of the original Switch exceeded 156 million units.
Indonesia offers Nintendo considerable scale. Estimates of the country’s gaming population vary considerably depending on methodology, platform and definition of an active player. Government-linked figures have previously placed the number above 174 million, while officials this year have cited more than 200 million active gamers. The market is valued at roughly $2 billion annually, although mobile gaming accounts for a large proportion of participation.
That mobile-heavy profile makes Nintendo’s challenge different from simply putting consoles into more shops. Smartphone games have built enormous audiences through free-to-play models, localised payment systems and low barriers to entry. Nintendo must persuade consumers to spend substantially more on dedicated hardware and premium software, while competing for attention with mobile titles, personal computers and rival console ecosystems.
One potential obstacle is the absence of a dedicated Indonesian Nintendo eShop when the hardware goes on sale. Buyers seeking digital games will not initially receive a local storefront alongside the official console launch. Players have commonly used Nintendo Accounts registered in supported territories to gain access to digital purchases, but that workaround is less convenient than a domestic store with local pricing and payment options. Nintendo has not given a timetable for introducing an Indonesian eShop.
The omission is commercially significant because digital distribution has become central to Nintendo’s software business. Digital sales reached 132.7 billion yen in the quarter ended June, up 90% from a year earlier, and represented 61.5% of dedicated video-game platform software revenue. That category includes downloadable packaged titles, download-only software, add-on content and Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo nevertheless has an advantage in Indonesia through established brand recognition. Franchises including Mario, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing have maintained large followings even without a formal local hardware operation. Official distribution could also make it easier for major retailers to carry consoles, accessories and physical games with more predictable supplies and after-sales arrangements.
The timing gives Nintendo a new market as Switch 2 enters its second full year. The company is supporting the platform with a widening catalogue of first-party and third-party games while maintaining compatibility with much of the original Switch software library. Nintendo has said regular software releases are important to expanding the installed base, particularly as consumers decide whether to move from the original system.
Indonesia could also provide a test for Nintendo’s broader Southeast Asian strategy. The company already operates official services in markets including Singapore and Malaysia, but the region remains fragmented by differences in income, digital payments, retail infrastructure and consumer preferences. Indonesia’s size makes it attractive, while its dependence on mobile gaming and sensitivity to hardware pricing create a more demanding commercial environment.
Snowflake and Anthropic are expanding the use of AI agents across corporate workflows as businesses shift from experimental generative AI projects towards systems capable of analysing governed data and carrying out multi-step tasks inside production environments. The collaboration is increasingly centred on Snowflake Cortex Agents, which combine Anthropic’s Claude models with Snowflake’s enterprise data, governance and security infrastructure. The approach allows organisations to build agents that retrieve […]
Rackspace Technology posted modest second-quarter revenue growth as stronger private cloud sales offset weakness in its larger public cloud business, while higher costs and investment in artificial intelligence pushed the company deeper into the red. The San Antonio-based cloud and technology services group generated revenue of $670.1 million for the three months ended June 30, up 0.6% from $666.3 million a year earlier. Private Cloud revenue climbed […]
KOTA DAMANSARA, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 12 August 2026 – Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (“Thomson”) is the first hospital in Malaysia to introduce a next-generation integrated surgical energy platform into its operating theatres. This innovation strengthens its minimally invasive surgical capabilities and enhances patient experience.
From left: Dr Savitha Dharan, CEO of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, Dr Wong Sze Ming, Consultant General & Colorectal Surgeon, Jo-Ann Gan, Commercial Lead (Surgery) Malaysia & Brunei, J&J MedTech, Prof Dr Prasanna Supramaniam, Consultant in O&G, Fertility Specialist, Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine, Minimal Invasive Gynaecological Surgeon & Ng Yee Voon, Senior General Manager, Thomson Fertility.
Multidisciplinary Tertiary Hospital with Comprehensive Surgical Capabilities
As a multidisciplinary tertiary hospital, Thomson offers minimally invasive surgery across a broad range of specialties through laparoscopic, thoracoscopic (VATS), endoscopic, arthroscopic, and microsurgical approaches.
Thomson has also further expanded to its wide range of surgical offerings with two advanced procedures: the Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach (TOETVA), a scarless thyroid surgery performed through the mouth that eliminates visible neck incisions, and laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis, a keyhole procedure that enables the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis through small incisions. Together, these procedures provide patients with more treatment options while supporting faster recovery where clinically appropriate.
Dr Savitha Dharan, Chief Executive Officer of Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara, explains, “Our aim is to provide patients with access to comprehensive, outcome driven surgical care under one roof. By continuously expanding our minimally invasive surgical capabilities, we empower our multidisciplinary teams to tailor the most appropriate treatment for every patient while delivering care that prioritises safety, precision and better patient outcomes.”
Advancing Surgical Care Through Technology
This next-generation integrated surgical energy platform brings multiple surgical energy technologies together on one platform, equipping surgeons with advanced technology that supports greater surgical precision and shorten overall procedure times. By combining tissue dissection and vessel sealing on a single platform, it enables more efficient surgical workflows targeted in reducing operating times, tissue trauma and recovery time where clinically appropriate.
“When investing in technology, Thomson’s main priority is delivering value-based care; we want better patient outcomes, operational efficiency and long-term value for both patients and our clinical team. This platform allows us to do just that – perform precise minimally invasive procedures and help deliver safe, effective care tailored to each patient’s clinical needs,” Dr Savitha expanded further.
Supported by experienced multidisciplinary teams and modern operating theatres, Thomson continues to invest in technologies that enhance surgical capabilities and improve the overall patient journey.
Supporting Sustainable Healthcare
Beyond its clinical benefits, this advanced integrated surgical energy platform aligns with Thomson’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments by reducing equipment redundancy and improving operating theatre efficiency. This enables the hospital to optimise resource utilisation while continuing to deliver high-quality patient care.
The introduction of the advanced integrated surgical energy platform marks another milestone in Thomson’s ongoing investment in advanced medical technologies, reinforcing its position as one of Malaysia’s leading private hospitals committed to innovation, clinical excellence and patient-centred care.
KKLIU 3218 / EXP 31.12.2028
Hashtag: #ThomsonHospital
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara
Thomson Hospital Kota Damansara (“Thomson”), the flagship hospital of TMC Life Sciences Berhad, is a multi-disciplinary tertiary care centre strategically located in the prime alcove of Kota Damansara, Selangor, established in 2008. Thomson holds a capacity for 554-beds including 25 critical care beds, and houses more than 160 consultant specialists across over 60 specialties and sub-specialties.
An award-winning institution, Thomson’s regional accolades include recognition by Newsweek and Statista as one of Asia’s Top Private Hospitals and Clinics 2026, awarded the Specialist Hospital of the Year, and Specialty Hospital of the Year – Malaysia in 2024 for paediatric services and in 2025 for pulmonology services.
Guided by its vision to be the “Premier Provider of Outstanding Value-Based Medical Services in Southeast Asia”, Thomson remains committed to clinical excellence and is poised for continued growth to meet evolving healthcare needs.
For more information, please visit thomsonhospitals.com or follow THKD on social media platforms @thomsonhospitalKD.
Cursor has patched a security flaw in its command-line coding agent that allowed a malicious repository to execute commands on a developer’s computer before the user was asked whether the workspace should be trusted. The weakness affected Cursor CLI’s worktree feature and could be triggered when a user launched the agent with the -w option inside a repository containing a specially crafted. cursor/worktrees. json file. The file […]
HandyGames has rebranded its publishing business as THQ Nordic Mobile, sharpening its focus on adapting premium PC and console games for smartphones and tablets while keeping its long-established development operation under the HandyGames Studios name. The change, effective from August 2026, brings the German publisher more visibly under the THQ Nordic brand eight years after the companies joined forces. THQ Nordic Mobile will operate as a dedicated […]
Washington’s accelerating adoption of autonomous artificial intelligence is colliding with warnings from cybersecurity specialists that AI agents could inadvertently breach government systems, after a model evaluation led to an intrusion into Hugging Face’s production infrastructure. The General Services Administration has expanded federal access to agentic AI through its OneGov programme, including an agreement with CORAS. ai that gives agencies access to GARY, an AI orchestration platform designed […]
Nvidia is joining forces with six of the world’s biggest investment groups to mobilise more than $500 billion for artificial intelligence infrastructure, creating financing platforms designed to expand access to the computing capacity underpinning the global AI boom. The chipmaker has signed memorandums of understanding with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs and KKR. The firms plan to establish independent platforms that will provide dedicated pools of […]
South Korea has approved the removal of the 1 million won threshold from its cryptocurrency Travel Rule, requiring regulated virtual asset businesses to exchange sender and recipient information for transfers of every size as Seoul tightens safeguards against money laundering. The Cabinet approved amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information on Tuesday, August 11. The expanded Travel Rule […]
Mark Zuckerberg has laid out his most expansive case yet for putting powerful artificial intelligence into the hands of billions of people, arguing that widely available “personal superintelligence” can improve education, work, healthcare and creativity while preventing control of advanced AI from becoming concentrated among governments and a handful of companies. The Meta chief executive’s essay, titled “The Future is for Everyone”, runs to more than 6,400 […]
The compromise of LiteLLM has sharpened concerns that software underpinning artificial intelligence systems is becoming a strategic target for attackers seeking credentials, cloud access and pathways into other technology projects. Two malicious versions of the widely used LiteLLM Python package, 1.82.7 and 1.82.8, were published to the Python Package Index on March 24. They remained available for about 40 minutes before PyPI quarantined the project. The affected […]
Arabian Post Staff -Dubai dubizzle Cars has partnered with Al-Futtaim Auto Centers to offer prepaid vehicle maintenance packages to buyers in the UAE, extending the online marketplace’s reach deeper into aftersales services and the wider car-ownership cycle. The agreement gives customers purchasing eligible vehicles through dubizzle Cars access to Al-Futtaim Auto Centers’ servicing network. The offering covers scheduled maintenance by certified technicians, quality parts, mobile servicing and […]
Ravencoin is confronting the prospect of a deep blockchain reorganisation that could reverse several days of transactions after a critical software vulnerability allowed invalid blocks to enter its ledger. Two of the network’s largest mining pools, 2Miners and RavenMiner, are building an alternative chain from block 4,487,775, the last block before the first known invalid block appeared on August 7. Together, the pools control a majority of […]
MoneyGram has expanded its crypto-to-cash infrastructure to Solana, allowing wallets, exchanges and decentralised applications on the blockchain to connect directly with the payments company’s worldwide network for converting digital assets into local currency. The launch brings MoneyGram Ramps to the Solana ecosystem through a single application programming interface. Developers can now offer cash deposits in more than 25 countries and cash withdrawals across more than 170 countries […]
Coinbase has chosen Abu Dhabi as its international base for tokenised securities after securing regulatory approval to arrange investment transactions and provide custody services within Abu Dhabi Global Market, accelerating its expansion beyond cryptocurrency trading into blockchain-based capital markets. The Financial Services Permission granted by ADGM’s Financial Services Regulatory Authority gives the US-listed crypto exchange the regulatory foundation to develop tokenised investment products from the emirate. Coinbase […]
Pokémon trading cards are evolving from childhood collectibles into a multibillion-dollar alternative asset market, prompting blockchain companies to build digital trading systems around physical cards stored securely in vaults. The technology can speed up transactions, but attracting enough buyers and sellers remains the larger challenge. Estimates put the wider trading-card market at roughly $10 billion to $15 billion, while the value of graded cards alone has been […]
Aptoide Games has become the first rival Android app store to be distributed directly through Google Play in the United States, marking a significant change in the mobile software market after years of legal challenges to Google’s control over app distribution. The Portugal-based company’s games marketplace can now be installed from Google Play like a conventional application, removing the need for users to sideload the store or […]
OpenAI has restricted development work involving its upcoming Astra artificial intelligence model after internal evaluations raised the possibility that it may possess cyber capabilities powerful enough to cross the company’s highest risk threshold. The company said preliminary testing showed major advances in autonomous coding and cybersecurity performance. Those results were strong enough that it could not rule out Astra reaching what its Preparedness Framework defines as “Critical” […]
Anthropic is introducing invisible, machine-readable markings into Claude-generated text and supported files, adding a new layer of provenance as artificial intelligence companies face tougher transparency requirements in Europe. The system is designed to follow generated material beyond the Claude interface, although the company acknowledges that substantial editing can defeat detection. Claude models launched on or after August 2, 2026 are being designed to support the marking system […]
OnePlus has opened closed beta testing of ColorOS 17 for the OnePlus 15 and OnePlus 15R in India, putting its planned transition away from OxygenOS into the hands of users for the first time.
The programme represents an important stage in OnePlus’s software overhaul after the company confirmed that eligible devices would move from OxygenOS to OPPO’s ColorOS platform. The change is intended to consolidate software development, shorten update cycles and make greater use of shared engineering and research resources across the brands.
Testing for the OnePlus 15 and 15R is initially restricted to about 300 participants. Applicants are required to complete a 15-question assessment, with three attempts allowed and the highest score used when their application is evaluated. Participants may also be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement and provide account information before gaining access to the firmware.
The beta programme follows OnePlus’s decision to retire OxygenOS as its principal software identity in favour of ColorOS. OnePlus had already brought the underlying technologies of OxygenOS and ColorOS increasingly close together, but the latest strategy removes the remaining distinction at the operating-system branding level.
OnePlus has said the transition will not alter its commitment to providing a fast and intuitive user experience. Eligible existing devices are expected to receive an option to migrate to ColorOS after the stable version is released, while support, warranty coverage and scheduled software updates will continue under the company’s existing commitments.
The OnePlus 15 and 15R are therefore serving as early test devices for the company’s next software generation. The 15R currently ships with OxygenOS 16, underlining the significance of testing ColorOS on hardware originally marketed around OnePlus’s own operating-system brand.
ColorOS 17 is based on Android 17 and is expected to emphasise performance, efficiency and system stability. Its development also comes as OPPO expands the use of shared software infrastructure across affiliated smartphone brands, reducing duplicated engineering work while seeking more consistent updates.
The shift carries implications beyond cosmetic interface changes. Enterprise technology teams managing Android devices may need to review device-management policies, application compatibility, security settings and deployment procedures as OnePlus phones move onto a differently branded software environment.
For businesses operating fleets of OnePlus devices, the practical impact will depend on whether management APIs, security controls, certificate handling and application behaviour remain consistent during the migration. Android Enterprise functions are largely governed by the underlying Android platform, but manufacturers can alter system applications, permission interfaces, battery controls and other components that affect corporate deployments.
OnePlus has framed the consolidation as a way to improve software reliability and accelerate delivery rather than fundamentally change how customers use its devices. Its expanded collaboration with OPPO also extends to after-sales support, giving OnePlus customers access to more than 600 service centres across India.
OxygenOS developed a loyal following partly because of its restrained interface and emphasis on speed. Although later versions increasingly shared their technical foundation with ColorOS, OnePlus retained several visual differences, including interface elements and distinctive design touches. ColorOS 17 will test how much of that OnePlus-specific character survives under the unified platform.
Early indications suggest users will not necessarily be locked permanently into the new environment. OnePlus has indicated that customers installing the stable ColorOS 17 release on supported devices will have the ability to return to OxygenOS 16, providing a degree of flexibility during the transition.
The closed beta is also being conducted alongside testing for other devices using the broader OPPO software ecosystem, including the OPPO Find X9 Pro, Reno 15 Pro and Realme GT 8 Pro. That simultaneous testing illustrates the increasingly central role of a common software platform across the group’s smartphone portfolio.
Atlassian has fixed a security flaw in its Rovo artificial intelligence assistant that could have allowed attackers to turn a single malicious link into a channel for stealing sensitive corporate information from services accessible to a logged-in employee. The vulnerability, dubbed RovoBlast, exploited the way Rovo Chat processed externally supplied information embedded in URLs. An attacker could construct a link containing malicious instructions and persuade an authenticated […]
A coordinated campaign involving 77 counterfeit extensions on the Open VSX Registry exposed sensitive information about developer machines, Git repositories and continuous integration environments, highlighting a growing software supply-chain risk around code-editor plugins. The extensions appeared between July 26 and August 1 and impersonated legitimate tools available through the Visual Studio Code ecosystem. All 77 had been removed from Open VSX by August 3, but security specialists […]
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