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By Ashok Nilakantan Ayers For much of independent India’s history, the security response to communal violence and terrorism was essentially reactive: an attack occurred, intelligence agencies investigated it, police made arrests, and security forces moved in after violence had already begun. Over the past five years, however, India’s counter-terrorism architecture has been moving towards a […]

The article From reaction to prevention: India’s five-year turn against radicalisation appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).

The Malaysian Palm Oil Board has developed Sawit EcoTherm, a non-conductive dielectric fluid made largely from palm-derived materials that allows servers and other computing components to be immersed directly in coolant. The technology eliminates the need for conventional evaporative cooling towers and is being positioned for AI and hyperscale facilities where rising processor densities are producing substantially more heat.

Sawit EcoTherm remains at the pre-commercial stage, with pilot projects, technical validation and partnerships with data centre operators among the steps required before widespread deployment. Researchers say the fluid could reduce cooling-related energy consumption by about 30% to 50%, largely by removing server fans and transferring heat directly from electronic components.

MPOB estimates that conventional water-based cooling across Malaysia’s expanding data centre industry could eventually require as much as 876 million litres of water a day. Other projections based on currently identified developments are lower, illustrating the uncertainty surrounding future capacity and cooling configurations. Data centres planned across Selangor, Johor and Negeri Sembilan have been estimated to require more than 445 million litres daily if projected demand materialises.

The pressure is particularly acute in Johor, which has become one of Asia’s fastest-growing data centre clusters because of its proximity to Singapore, available industrial land and established power and connectivity infrastructure. Water availability and grid capacity have increasingly become constraints as developers seek to commission large AI facilities.

Malaysia’s data centre and cloud computing investment approvals reached RM144.4 billion between 2021 and the middle of 2025. Global technology and infrastructure groups including Microsoft, Amazon, Google, ByteDance, Equinix and AirTrunk have committed billions of dollars to expanding computing capacity in the country.

AirTrunk announced plans this year to invest about $3 billion in two additional hyperscale campuses in Johor, adding more than 280 megawatts of capacity. Equinix separately unveiled an investment exceeding $190 million for another Kuala Lumpur facility designed to support more than 2,200 cabinets and equipped for advanced liquid cooling.

Those developments are accelerating interest in alternatives to traditional air and water cooling. AI servers can generate several times more heat than conventional computing equipment, making direct liquid cooling and immersion systems increasingly attractive as rack power densities rise.

Sawit EcoTherm uses palm-derived ester formulations engineered to provide electrical insulation while absorbing heat from processors, memory, power supplies and graphics processing units. MPOB has developed two formulations, EcoTherm 5s and EcoTherm 8s, both with dielectric breakdown strength exceeding 75 kilovolts.

The fluids are designed for single-phase immersion systems, where coolant remains liquid while circulating through a closed loop. The 8s formulation has a minimum flash point of 200 degrees Celsius, while the 5s version has a minimum of 160 degrees. Their characteristics are intended to combine thermal performance with relatively low pumping requirements.

Palm-derived material can also offer a cost advantage. Commercial synthetic and petroleum-based immersion fluids can cost about RM50 to RM80 per kilogram, while the raw-material cost for producing the palm formulation has been estimated at roughly RM20 to RM25 per kilogram. Final commercial pricing has not been announced.

MPOB says up to 95% of the material used in Sawit EcoTherm can come from renewable bio-based sources. The formulations are biodegradable and free from PFAS, a class of persistent chemicals that has attracted growing regulatory scrutiny because of its resistance to environmental degradation.

The technology nevertheless carries broader sustainability questions because expansion of oil-palm cultivation has historically been associated with deforestation, biodiversity loss and pressure on wildlife habitats. The environmental case for palm-based coolant will therefore depend partly on traceable sourcing, lifecycle emissions and whether demand can be met without encouraging additional land conversion.

Immersion cooling itself is not new. Vegetable-derived, mineral-oil and synthetic dielectric fluids are already available, while many operators developing AI facilities favour direct-to-chip liquid cooling because it can be integrated into server architectures without fully submerging equipment. Commercial success for Sawit EcoTherm will depend on compatibility with hardware, long-term fluid stability, maintenance requirements and acceptance by server manufacturers.

At this year’s awards ceremony, Academician Zhang Boli of the Chinese Academy of Engineering received the Global Chinese Lifetime Achievement Award, while actress Sylvia Chang received the Global Chinese Special Tribute Award. Academician Pan Jianwei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lu Chaoyang, Chair Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, picture-book illustrator Cai Gao, Chinese freestyle skier Xu Mengtao, Gao Du, professor at the Beijing Dance Academy, and actress Xin Zhilei received the Global Chinese Award.

In his speech, Xu Wei, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Phoenix TV, said: “Each generation of Chinese people has its own responsibilities. The older generation worked hard with their roots in their homeland, while the younger generation embraces innovation and the world, becoming connectors between different cultures.” Phoenix TV will continue to serve as an on-the-ground reporter of major global events, an international storyteller of Chinese culture, and a platform builder for international exchange, enabling audiences around the world to see more of the vibrant and diverse achievements of Chinese people.

The tribute section of the ceremony opened with an immersive children’s picture-book theatrical performance based on classic works including The Story of the Peach Blossom Spring and Bao’er. Both works were created by Cai Gao, who received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in April this year. During the ceremony, the host recalled the children’s song Cai sang at the Andersen Award ceremony, prompting her to smile and sing “The Cuckoo” once again.

Upon receiving the Global Chinese Award, Cai Gao said that the splendid and outstanding artistic heritage of China has been a source of inspiration for her work, and that she has a deep love for the culture of this land. Seeing so many Chinese people achieve remarkable accomplishments in different fields has also given her spiritual strength. Quoting the phrase, “As long as life goes on, the struggle continues,” she encouraged herself to keep creating with passion and curiosity. “Life and creation require dedication and perseverance. I am willing to devote myself to them, as I always have.”

Joining the ceremony via video link, Lu Chaoyang shared his joy and said that the honor belongs to all Chinese researchers who have climbed, generation after generation, along the long and steep road of quantum science. Looking to the future, he offered this message: “The quantum world is very small, so small that it cannot be seen with the naked eye; but China’s dreams in science and technology are immense. Through fundamental innovation, we should illuminate a farther future for human civilization.”

In her acceptance speech, Xin Zhilei said she particularly liked the phrase “YOU BRING CHARM TO THE WORLD.” “Everyone is a unique ray of light in this world. Through our efforts and down-to-earth dedication, we each make our own small contribution to the beauty of the world. As an actress, what I can do is put my heart into every role and bring to the world a little bit of the unique color that belongs to me.” Lu Yang, director of Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield, also sent his congratulations via video, expressing hope for continued collaboration and for the creation of more outstanding Chinese-language stories.

“If the dance steps of a people disappear, that chapter of history will also lose its voice.” Over the past 50 years, Gao Du and his team have traveled across more than 20 provinces and autonomous regions throughout China, venturing deep into remote mountains and visiting people’s courtyards and fireside gatherings. They learned from local communities dances that had no names, no stages and sometimes not even an audience, devoting themselves to the creation of the Chenxiang series.

Gao Du said he would continue dancing, both in the classroom and on larger stages, bringing folk dance traditions rooted in the land to the world and fostering dialogue among different cultures, so that the world can see the beauty of the East.

Wu Qingcai, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China News Service, presented Xu Mengtao with the Global Chinese Award. Xu shared that August 13, 2026, marked exactly 24 years since she began competing in the aerials discipline of snow sports. She hopes everyone can create something extraordinary through perseverance and dedication. “In the future, I will once again stand on the starting platform and set off again. See you again at the summit.”

As one of the creators of the song Tomorrow Will Be Better, Sylvia Chang said that she and fellow Chinese-language singers hope to use music to build a bridge for peaceful communication. She expressed gratitude for being able to continue pursuing a career she loves and for having a wonderful family. “I hope to share this gratitude and these blessings with everyone.”

At the ceremony, the host recounted the eight-character motto that Academician Zhang Boli has followed throughout his life: “Uphold virtue to broaden its influence; use medical skills to serve humanity.” Now approaching 80, Zhang Boli continues to see patients at a clinic every week. When patients have difficulty walking, he takes the initiative to go downstairs and see them in their cars.

Zhang Boli said that the concepts of traditional Chinese medicine—including health preservation, wellness and preventive treatment—represent one of the best practices of “proactive health management.” Looking to the future with the compassion of a physician, he said: “Let traditional Chinese medicine benefit Chinese people around the world, and let traditional Chinese medicine benefit people everywhere. The world will be healthier because of traditional Chinese medicine.”

It is reported that the “YOU BRING CHARM TO THE WORLD — Global Chinese Awards” was initiated by Phoenix Media Group in collaboration with China News Service and numerous Chinese-language media organizations in China and overseas. Together, they select and honor outstanding Chinese people who have achieved excellence and made a global impact in different fields, helping to amplify the achievements of exceptional Chinese individuals and inspire more generations to come.

Hashtag: #PhoenixTV

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Experts say a self-contained, service-led residential format built for multigenerational ownership is emerging at the very top of the market — and that demand for it is rising worldwide.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 August 2026 – Experts in premium residential real estate note that a distinct new category is forming at the top of the market, and that demand for it is rising around the world. Property market specialists describe the emerging tier as the presidence: a self-contained community of private residences bound together by shared infrastructure and anchored by a five-star hotel under an international brand — a format designed to be lived in and passed down across generations, rather than simply owned.

The trend reflects a structural shift in global wealth. According to Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2026, the number of individuals worth more than US$30 million climbed from 551,435 to 713,626 between 2021 and 2026 — a gain of more than 160,000, equivalent to 89 people crossing that threshold every day. Forbes, meanwhile, records 3,428 billionaires worth a combined US$20.1 trillion.

This wealth is also increasingly mobile. Henley & Partners projects that 165,000 high-net-worth individuals will relocate internationally in 2026 — a 16 per cent rise on the record 142,000 of 2025 — as affluent families build cross-border portfolios of homes and residence rights rather than tying themselves to a single jurisdiction. The appetite for professionally serviced, brand-anchored homes is visible in the development pipeline: Savills reports that the number of branded residential schemes worldwide grew 19 per cent in 2025, to around 910, and is on course to reach 1,747 by 2032, with the Middle East and North Africa the fastest-growing region over the past five years, at 187 per cent.

As the apex of the wealth pyramid rises, specialists say, demand at the very top is moving away from headline price-per-square-foot toward space, privacy, wellbeing, autonomy and a home that can be held and handed down across generations. The case for treating this as a distinct category was set out in a recent column by real estate adviser Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor Pte Ltd and an adjunct faculty member at Singapore Management University, where he teaches Real Estate Investments & Finance.”Luxury residence has a new crown, and it has a name: presidence,” he writes.

According to the expert, a property of this kind should meet several defining criteria: it should occupy an exceptional location among peer residences, be built to the highest standards of quality, provide space, a healthy natural environment, security and self-sufficiency, and create a place where owners and their families can live out every stage of life — building careers, raising children, enjoying leisure, prioritising health and wellbeing, welcoming family and friends, and ultimately passing the home down through generations. Privacy in this case does not mean isolation: rather than retreating behind their own gates, members of the presidence become part of a carefully formed community of peers, surrounded by people with comparable values, interests and ways of life.

These principles are, in practice, being formalised into a fuller set of criteria that distinguish a presidence from a conventional luxury development. At its most complete, the format is defined by:

• A five-star hotel operated by an international brand present in at least three countries, located within the development;
• A single estate of 200 hectares (around 500 acres) or more;
• Full-spectrum infrastructure within one perimeter — indoor and outdoor sport, a central clubhouse, wellness, dining, parks and natural areas, a medical centre, recreation and security, plus a lifestyle anchor such as a golf, equestrian or yacht club;
• A clear separation of public and private zones, with residences kept behind their own multi-layered security perimeter and isolated from guest-facing spaces such as the hotel, restaurants and spa;
• A 24/7 premium service model featuring a dedicated resident care team, concierge services, standardised service-level agreements (SLAs), and a digital platform for managing every household and lifestyle need;
• A unified architectural code governing the style and coherence of every building on the estate;
• An equal-neighbour principle, under which a community of like-minded owners who can enjoy privacy while remaining part of an engaging social environment is formed.

Fully integrated examples remain rare worldwide, and demand, specialists say, is running ahead of supply as the number of ultra-wealthy households continues to grow.

Hashtag: #property #realestate #residentialproperty #hnwi

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