Empowering global enterprises across software, electronics, logistics, gaming, IT and entertainment to enhance efficiency and accelerate innovation through full-stack cloud and AI solutions.

HANGZHOU, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 September 2026 - Alibaba Cloud, a leading global provider of AI infrastructure and the intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today announced its latest global infrastructure expansion plan at the 2026 Apsara Conference, alongside a series of new AI capabilities designed to help enterprises build, deploy and scale AI applications more efficiently.

The technology company has also announced its comprehensive collaboration with global enterprises including Panasonic Digital, Unity China, Lion Parcel, Loomi Entertainment Group and SHAKE to accelerate enterprise innovation via its advanced AI and cloud technologies.

Over the next 12 months, Alibaba Cloud will establish its first cloud regions in T?rkiye, Finland and the Netherlands, while expanding its data center footprint in Malaysia, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, France and Hong Kong. The expansion will further increase Alibaba Cloud's global computing capacity and strengthen its ability to provide localized cloud and AI services to customers across key markets. The cloud leader currently operates 107 availability zones in 31 regions around the world.

"As Alibaba Cloud has advanced from AI-native infrastructure to an Agent-Native Cloud architecture, AI is also moving rapidly from experimentation to real-world deployment, creating demand for both scalable infrastructure and more accessible AI capabilities," said Dr. Feifei Li, Chief Technology Officer and President of International Business of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. "We are expanding our global cloud footprint to bring computing resources closer to customers and partners, while continuing to evolve our AI technologies to help enterprises deploy models, optimize multi-model workloads and create new AI-powered applications. At the same time, our growing ecosystem of customers and partners demonstrates how these capabilities can translate into tangible business value across industries and markets. We are committed to working closely with our global ecosystem to make AI more scalable, practical and accessible for businesses."

At the conference, Alibaba Cloud launched three new AI solutions to help international businesses build and scale production-grade applications. Smart Studio, an out-of-the-box product designed to help businesses build dedicated Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platforms in minutes. It provides everything needed to package, price, meter, and bill model APIs under their own brand. Its advanced inference architecture delivers up to 505% higher throughput than standard open-source frameworks on the same hardware.

Smart Fusion serves as an intelligent engine that helps users and businesses achieve state-of-the-art model performance at low cost through a unified standard model API. The engine supports multi-model collaboration within one task, selecting the best-suited available models to work together by analyzing real-time dimensions. By abstracting multi-model deployment into a single endpoint, it can help reduce token spending by around 50%.

Smart Video is an AI video agent designed for short-drama studios and advertisers to automatically create videos up to one hour long. With a single prompt, creators can turn an idea into a finished cut, while continuously refining it through natural language. The platform supports multiple video models, including Wan, and offers seamless support for more than 20 languages.

Turning AI Innovation into Real-World Impact

Alibaba's cloud and AI technologies are helping customers and partners across industries address diverse business needs, from digital transformation and enterprise applications to logistics, gaming and AI-powered content creation. Through collaborations with enterprises including Panasonic Digital, Unity China, Lion Parcel, Loomi Entertainment Group and SHAKE, Alibaba Cloud is enabling businesses to enhance efficiency, accelerate innovation and explore new opportunities with cloud and AI.

Panasonic Digital (Shanghai) has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to accelerate its comprehensive digital and AI transformation. Leveraging Alibaba Cloud's Bailian (Model Studio) to securely access the Qwen models, alongside advanced data management tools like DataWorks, MaxCompute, and Hologres, Panasonic has built a custom capability hub that powers specialized AI agents across manufacturing, supply chain, and corporate functions.

This collaboration has delivered significant operational benefits. It has achieved an 80% reduction in documentation time through automated meeting minutes, a 10-fold increase in contract review efficiency using the "Smart Compare" agent, and enhanced data-driven decision-making by empowering non-technical staff to perform complex inventory analyses using natural language-all while ensuring strict data security and compliance through Alibaba Cloud's robust governance features.

"We are very grateful for our strategic collaboration with Alibaba Cloud, which has been instrumental in accelerating Panasonic Digital's enterprise-wide AI transformation. By seamlessly integrating their world-class AI models and robust data infrastructure into our operations, we have successfully moved beyond isolated IT optimizations to build a highly scalable, secure, and unified intelligence platform," said Yueming Li, Head of GenAI Innovation & Workforce, Panasonic Digital (Shanghai).

Unity China, a leading game engine and real-time 3D development platform that operates the Tuanjie Engine, has leveraged Alibaba Cloud's Model Studio to deploy Qwen and third-party foundation models for Tuanjie AI-Codely, its AI-native engineering platform. Unity is a leading game engine and real-time 3D development platform. The platform streamlines production-scale game development by automating mission-critical workflows, including code comprehension, real-time editing, and debugging, while supporting cross-team collaboration.

"Game development is becoming increasingly complex, and our goal with Tuanjie AI is to remove technical friction so creators can focus on innovation and gameplay," said Junbo Zhang, CEO of Unity China. "Alibaba Cloud's Model Studio and the Qwen model family provide the performance, flexibility, and low latency our developers require. By integrating these advanced AI capabilities directly into the development pipeline, we are enabling studios to debug, iterate, and bring ambitious game projects to life faster than ever before."

Lion Parcel, a leading Indonesian logistics and delivery provider, has leveraged Alibaba's Qwen model to improve its finance and document processing workflows. To eliminate time-consuming and error-prone manual data transcription, Lion Parcel deployed the Qwen-VL-Plus model through Alibaba's Model Studio platform to automate routine workflows. Supported by Alibaba Cloud's fully managed platform and predictable pay-per-token pricing, Lion Parcel has significantly accelerated processing efficiency, maximized data accuracy, and established a centralized digital repository that boosts overall business scalability.

"Alibaba Cloud's OCR solution powered by Qwen helped us accelerate Document Order processing in Finance. It's improving accuracy while saving both time and operational costs," said Probosetyo Krishna, Head of IT, Lion Parcel.

Loomi Entertainment Group (LEG), a Malaysia-based entertainment company, has partnered with Alibaba Cloud to accelerate the adoption of AI-generated content (AIGC) among creators and businesses in Malaysia and the wider region. LEG has integrated Alibaba 's visual generation models, including Wan and HappyHorse through Model Studio, into Imaginary, its proprietary cinematic AI engine. The integration enables high-quality video and visual generation, streamlines content production workflows, and helps reduce production costs. Additionally, the two companies have hosted two AIGC hackathons and trained more than 100 local content creators through online and offline workshops, providing creators with practical exposure to the latest generative AI tools and applications. Alibaba Cloud and LEG are also exploring the use of Wan in Loomi's micro-drama production pipeline, alongside joint go-to-market initiatives and talent development programmes.

"Alibaba Cloud's advanced AI models give creators new ways to turn ideas into engaging content more efficiently. Through this partnership, we look forward to bringing AIGC capabilities to more creators in Malaysia and the wider region, while exploring new possibilities for AI-powered content production," said Ivan Tan, CTO of Loomi Entertainment Group.

SHAKE, a pioneer in agentic resource planning (ARP) for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is leveraging Alibaba Cloud's powerful compute resources and Qwen models to expand its services across APAC markets. Through this partnership, SHAKE is building a proprietary AI model based on Qwen to deliver highly optimized ARP solutions. Additionally, SHAKE's ARP services will be featured on the Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, supporting SMBs across industries to seamlessly transition into and thrive in the agentic era.

"By fusing SHAKE's pioneer expertise in Agentic Resource Planning with Alibaba Cloud's world-class compute infrastructure and cutting-edge Qwen models, we are unlocking unprecedented value for our customers. This collaboration serves as a powerful catalyst for our regional growth across APAC and marks a monumental milestone in our journey. Together, we are accelerating our vision to empower SMBs with the intelligent tools they need to thrive and scale in the agentic era," said Sean Hinton, CEO of SHAKE.

AnyMind Group, a BPaaS company for marketing, e-commerce and digital transformation, has today announced a strategic agreement with Alibaba Cloud to integrate Qwen, a family of large language and multimodal AI models developed by Alibaba, into AnyLive, AnyMind Group's AI-powered live commerce platform. The integration is designed to improve how AnyLive understands customer questions and delivers accurate, contextually relevant responses in real time. Qwen will be added as one of the models within AnyLive's multi-model AI architecture, utilized and delivered through lifelike AI avatars. Its language understanding capabilities will help AnyLive better interpret customer intent, including conversational or ambiguous questions, and generate more natural and relevant responses across Asian languages.

Akinori Kubo, Managing Director, Global E-Commerce, AnyMind Group, said: "The quality of a live commerce experience depends on how well brands understand customers and respond to their needs in the moment. Adding Qwen to AnyLive's multi-model stack will strengthen intent analysis and response accuracy across Asian languages, helping brands create live rooms where customers feel understood and can make more informed purchase decisions."

About Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud (www.alibabacloud.com) is a global leader in full-stack AI+Cloud solutions. It offers a comprehensive suite of flexible, scalable and secure cloud services built on a three-tiered architecture of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Model-as-a-Service (MaaS).

Alibaba Cloud empowers enterprises worldwide with its full-stack AI capabilities, powered by Qwen (Chinese: Qianwen), a family of large language and multimodal AI models developed by Alibaba. Debuted in 2023, Qwen models are available to global developers via HuggingFace (open-weight) or through API on Model Studio, Alibaba's one-stop, enterprise-grade AI development platform offering access to the full suite of Qwen foundation models.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #AlibabaCloud

Solusi gabungan ini memadukan AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir dengan layanan AI cloud milik Neysa untuk menyediakan jalur yang berdaulat dan siap digunakan di lingkungan produksi bagi operator, perusahaan, serta penyedia neocloud dalam membangun, menerapkan, dan memonetisasi AI

RICHARDSON, Texas dan MUMBAI, India, Sept. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mavenir, perusahaan penyedia perangkat lunak jaringan berbasis cloud yang membangun masa depan telekomunikasi, hari ini mengumumkan kemitraan strategisnya dengan Neysa, penyedia layanan AI Cloud.

Kemitraan ini mengintegrasikan kemampuan orkestrasi AI, agen AI, dan pengukuran penggunaan token milik Mavenir dengan infrastruktur GPU berbasis AI, lingkungan penerapan, serta platform AI cloud milik Neysa yang siap digunakan oleh pelanggan.

Mavenir dan Neysa bersama-sama menghadirkan stack yang dirancang agar perusahaan-perusahaan mampu menerapkan platform AI berdaulat pada infrastruktur yang mereka kendalikan. Orkestrasi model, alur kerja agen, keamanan, dan pemantauan penggunaan berjalan langsung di atas infrastruktur GPU yang dikelola melalui cloud berbasis AI milik Neysa. Hal ini memungkinkan tim TI dan tim platform meluncurkan inisiatif AI tanpa perlu menyusun stack satu per satu.

Bagi para penyedia neocloud, kemitraan ini mengubah kapasitas GPU mentah menjadi layanan AI yang siap dijual dan terkelola, tanpa perlu membangun sendiri platform yang mendasarinya. Neysa menyediakan stack AI cloud, kapasitas GPU, dan lingkungan penerapan. AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir menambahkan kemampuan orkestrasi, kontrol kebijakan, dan pengukuran penggunaan pada tingkat token untuk mengemas kapasitas tersebut menjadi solusi AI yang dapat ditagih dan siap digunakan oleh perusahaan. Platform ini dirancang untuk memenuhi standar kelas operator telekomunikasi serta dapat diterapkan secara lokal (on-premise) maupun di berbagai lingkungan hibrida.

Bagi operator jaringan seluler, kemitraan ini memperluas kemampuan AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir, yang diumumkan awal tahun ini. Platform tersebut memberikan jalur bagi operator untuk mengubah jaringan mereka menjadi layanan AI dengan meng-hosting model, menjalankan agen, dan memonetisasi penggunaan token pada infrastruktur mereka sendiri. Layanan cloud milik Neysa kini memberikan cara tambahan berbasis GPU bagi operator untuk menjalankan platform yang sama, selain menerapkannya pada infrastruktur yang telah mereka miliki.

"Perusahaan dan penyedia neocloud sama-sama berupaya mengatasi persoalan yang sama dari dua sisi berbeda, yaitu bagaimana mengubah investasi GPU menjadi layanan AI berdaulat yang dapat dimonetisasi. Perpaduan AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir dengan layanan AI Cloud milik Neysa mengatasi kesenjangan tersebut. Perusahaan memperoleh platform yang dapat mereka percayai dan kendalikan, sedangkan penyedia neocloud memiliki sarana untuk menawarkan AI sebagai layanan, bukan sekadar menyediakan infrastruktur," ujar Bejoy Pankajakshan, Chief Technology & Strategy Officer Mavenir.

"Mavenir, penyedia perangkat lunak jaringan yang melayani operator di lebih dari 120 negara, memilih Neysa untuk membantu mengembangkan dan menjalankan portofolio AI miliknya. Pilihan tersebut mencerminkan perubahan yang lebih luas dalam ekspektasi perusahaan terhadap infrastruktur AI. Perpaduan AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir dan layanan AI Cloud milik Neysa memberikan cara yang terkelola dan terukur bagi perusahaan untuk menjalankan AI pada infrastruktur yang mereka kendalikan, dengan transparansi biaya yang terintegrasi," ujar Xavier Kurian, Chief Revenue Officer, Neysa.

AI Integrated Platform milik Mavenir menyediakan kemampuan orkestrasi, alur kerja agen, keamanan dan kontrol kebijakan, serta pengukuran penggunaan tingkat token dan penagihan.

Layanan AI cloud milik Neysa memadukan infrastruktur berbasis AI, kapasitas GPU, lingkungan penerapan, dan model penyediaan layanan yang siap digunakan oleh pelanggan. Dengan solusi ini, operator, perusahaan, dan penyedia neocloud dapat membangun infrastruktur AI tanpa harus membentuk dan mengelola tim khusus rekayasa platform.

Mavenir berencana mengembangkan, menguji, dan meningkatkan skala produk AI miliknya pada infrastruktur berdaulat berbasis GPU milik Neysa, yang juga tersedia bagi operator dan perusahaan melalui kemitraan ini. Produk-produk ini mencakup AI Service Assurance untuk operasi jaringan yang otomatis, AI Security Agents untuk mendeteksi penipuan dan ancaman, serta AI Voice Services, seperti penerjemahan secara real time dan agen virtual bagi usaha kecil dan menengah (UKM). Hal ini memungkinkan Mavenir mempercepat peluncuran dan pemasaran (go-to-market) untuk produk-produk ini sekaligus menjaga kedaulatan data.

Mavenir juga memanfaatkan layanan cloud milik Neysa untuk transformasi AI internalnya, yang menerapkan orkestrasi dan infrastruktur GPU yang sama pada berbagai inisiatif internal, seperti pengembangan perangkat lunak berbantuan AI dan pemilihan model secara cerdas. Mavenir terlebih dahulu menjalankan stack tersebut untuk kebutuhan internal, lalu memperluas penerapannya kepada operator, perusahaan, dan penyedia neocloud.

Kenaikan biaya model AI termutakhir menjadi tantangan bersama bagi setiap perusahaan yang menerapkan AI dalam skala besar. Pengoptimal token dan alat perutean model pada AI Integrated Platform dirancang untuk mengatasi tantangan ini dengan mengarahkan setiap permintaan ke model yang diidentifikasi oleh logika perutean Mavenir sebagai opsi paling hemat biaya yang mampu menangani permintaan tersebut. Dalam penerapannya sendiri, Mavenir berhasil mengurangi biaya penggunaan model AI termutakhir tanpa mengubah cara pengembangan aplikasi.

"Kami tidak hanya mendorong operator untuk mengadopsi AI, tetapi juga mengembangkan produk AI kami sendiri di stack yang sama, mulai dari penjaminan layanan hingga agen keamanan dan layanan AI suara. Kami juga menggunakan pengoptimal token dan alat perutean model yang sama untuk mengelola biaya penggunaan model AI termutakhir kami sendiri. Dengan demikian, kami dapat meneruskan penghematan tersebut kepada seluruh pelanggan yang menggunakan Neysa," ujar Bejoy Pankajakshan, Chief Technology & Strategy Officer Mavenir.

Tentang Mavenir

Mavenir menghadirkan jaringan cerdas, otomatis, dan dapat diprogram melalui pengembangan solusi perangkat lunak berbasis cloud yang dirancang khusus untuk operator telekomunikasi seluler, dengan mengintegrasikan AI sejak tahap perancangan. Keahlian mendalam perusahaan ini di bidang telekomunikasi telah terbukti melalui implementasi bersama dengan lebih dari 300 operator secara global di lebih dari 120 negara, yang secara bersama-sama melayani lebih dari 50% pelanggan di dunia.

Mavenir menggabungkan pengalaman telekomunikasinya yang mendalam dengan keahlian cloud dan IT serta keahlian sains data yang sangat penting untuk memecahkan tantangan nyata yang dihadapi pelanggan. Solusi perangkat lunaknya yang telah terbukti mengintegrasikan AI sejak tahap perancangan sehingga membawa masa depan yang sepenuhnya berbasis AI dan membantu operator bertransformasi menjadi perusahaan teknologi. Untuk informasi selengkapnya, silakan kunjungi www.mavenir.com.

Tentang Neysa

Neysa membangun infrastruktur cloud AI bagi perusahaan yang perlu menjalankan AI pada infrastruktur yang mereka kendalikan. Velocis, sistem unggulan Neysa, menyatukan komputasi GPU, inferensi, orkestrasi, dan keamanan AI dalam satu lingkungan. Neysa, yang didirikan pada tahun 2023 dan berkantor pusat di Mumbai, mengumumkan penggalangan dana hingga $1,2 miliar yang dipimpin oleh Blackstone pada bulan Februari 2026. Pelajari selengkapnya di www.neysa.ai.

Pernyataan Berwawasan ke Depan

Siaran pers ini dapat memuat pernyataan berwawasan ke depan sebagaimana dimaksud dalam peraturan perundang-undangan pasar modal yang berlaku. Pernyataan tersebut termasuk, namun tidak terbatas pada, pernyataan mengenai kemampuan produk Mavenir, kinerja yang diharapkan, manfaat yang diperkirakan bagi operator, perusahaan, dan pelanggan, peluang pasar, perkembangan teknologi, tren industri, serta prospek bisnis di masa mendatang.

Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan umumnya dapat dikenali dari penggunaan kata-kata seperti "mengantisipasi", "meyakini", "dapat", "dirancang untuk", "memungkinkan", "memperkirakan", "mengharapkan", "bermaksud", "mungkin", "merencanakan", "berpotensi", "seharusnya", "akan", "akan dapat", atau ungkapan lain yang memiliki makna serupa.

Pernyataan tersebut didasarkan pada ekspektasi, asumsi, dan/atau informasi yang tersedia bagi Mavenir pada tanggal rilis siaran pers ini. Hasil aktual dapat berbeda secara signifikan dari yang dinyatakan atau tersirat karena sejumlah faktor, termasuk namun tidak terbatas pada perubahan dalam industri telekomunikasi dan lanskap persaingan, perkembangan regulasi yang memengaruhi jaringan telekomunikasi dan teknologi AI, ketergantungan pada teknologi dan infrastruktur pihak ketiga, serta kondisi ekonomi dan pasar secara umum.

Mavenir tidak berkewajiban untuk memperbarui atau merevisi pernyataan berwawasan ke depan apa pun, baik sebagai akibat dari informasi baru, peristiwa di masa mendatang, maupun alasan lainnya, kecuali sebagaimana diwajibkan oleh hukum.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cloudera, the only company bringing AI to data anywhere, today announced it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Asia/Pacific Sovereign AI Platform 2026 Vendor Assessment.

This recognition affirms how Cloudera enables organizations to securely access, govern, and deploy sovereign AI workloads across private, hybrid, edge, and air-gapped data environments.

Enterprises across Asia Pacific are facing growing pressure to deploy sovereign AI initiatives while adhering to strict local data privacy, residency, and compliance regulations. Recent research from Cloudera underscores the scale of this challenge: nearly 92% of Asia Pacific enterprises reported delaying or canceling AI projects due to data governance and compliance issues, while 63% have shifted AI workloads back to private cloud or on-premises environments to regain control.

A Trusted Data Foundation for Hybrid Sovereign AI

Cloudera's platform delivers Private AI anywhere, extending the company's hybrid data management background to sovereign AI. It addresses these hybrid infrastructure demands by combining data-in-motion processing, an open data lakehouse, enterprise AI tooling, and a unified data fabric with integrated security and governance across all analytics spanning the entire data estate.

By combining Apache Ranger for access control, Apache Atlas for lineage, and Cloudera Data Lineage for automated metadata collection, the platform provides trace-level visibility from source data directly to deployed models, helping companies comply with stringent audit requirements.

By bringing compute directly to governed data rather than requiring sensitive information to cross corporate boundaries, Cloudera enables organizations to build AI models in one environment and seamlessly deploy them to another, including air-gapped data centers or edge devices such as Jetson boards, without rewriting code. Its recognition as a Leader reflects proven success across long-tenured financial and public sector deployments in the region.

Open and Flexible by Design

Cloudera's open architecture gives organizations the freedom to deploy data and AI workloads across environments without being locked into a single hardware or infrastructure vendor. With contributions to more than 50 Apache open-source projects, nearly 2,000 active partner accounts, and direct delivery presence in nine Asia/Pacific countries, Cloudera continues to expand its sovereign capabilities, including the recently announced Cloudera Anywhere Cloud, which is designed to run the sovereign AI stack directly within a customer's own cloud account.

"As Asia Pacific organizations accelerate generative and agentic AI adoption, maintaining strict governance and sovereignty over data and model lineage is essential," said Deepika Giri, VP, Asia/Pacific AI Platforms and Advisory at IDC. "Platforms that deliver robust auditability alongside deployment flexibility across private, hybrid, and edge environments give regulated enterprises the control required to scale AI with confidence."

"Enterprise AI is only as valuable as the data behind it, and for the world's most regulated organizations, that data must remain under strict sovereign control," said Sergio Gago, Chief Technology Officer at Cloudera. "To me, being named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Asia/Pacific Sovereign AI Platforms reinforces our commitment to giving enterprises the freedom to bring AI to trusted data wherever it lives. We believe this recognition validates our approach to helping organizations maintain complete data sovereignty, openness, and auditability while turning sensitive data into business value."

"Enterprises throughout Asia Pacific have shifted focus from simply adopting AI to ensuring workloads drive business outcomes while adhering to stringent sovereign governance standards," noted Remus Lim, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan at Cloudera. "I believe our recognition as a Leader by IDC MarketScape underscores our dedication to the Asia Pacific market, empowering organizations with the agility required to transition data fluidly across cloud, edge, and on-premises environments without compromising control or compliance."

See this tech in action and more at Cloudera EVOLVE26 on October 27 in New York City. Register here.

About IDC MarketScape

IDC MarketScape's vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market.

IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors.

About Cloudera

Cloudera is the only hybrid data and AI platform company that large organizations trust to bring AI to their data anywhere it lives. Unlike other providers, Cloudera delivers a consistent cloud experience that converges public clouds, on-prem data centers, sovereign clouds, and the edge, leveraging a proven open-source foundation.

As the pioneer in big data, Cloudera empowers businesses to apply AI and assert control over 100% of their data, in all forms, improving security, governance, and real-time and predictive insights. The world's largest brands across all industries rely on Cloudera to transform decision-making and ultimately boost bottom lines, safeguard against threats, and save lives.

To learn more, visit Cloudera.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. ?2026 Cloudera and associated marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cloudera, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 September 2026 - Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee announced the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and his fifth Policy Address on September 16, rolling out measures to further sharpen Hong Kong's edge amid global competition, consolidate development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and promote green transformation.

Initiatives aim to support high-quality development of the GBA, align rules and mechanisms within the region, and promote cross-boundary collaboration.

"The HKSAR Government will continue its efforts in fostering synergistic development of the GBA," said Mr Lee. "We will strengthen co‑operation in technological innovation, promote 'hard connectivity' in infrastructure, foster 'soft connectivity' by deepening the alignment of rules and mechanisms, and achieve 'connectivity of hearts' among residents of the three places."

The HKSAR Government will continue to actively participate in the development of the various major co-operation platforms, including Qianhai of Shenzhen, Nansha of Guangzhou, Hengqin of Zhuhai and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Co-operation Zone, to promote mutual benefits.

In terms of "hard connectivity" the HKSAR Government will support Nansha in its role as a high‑standard gateway for opening up, including encouraging the trade to participate in Nansha's infrastructure development.

"To promote the co‑ordinated development of rail transit in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, we are pressing ahead with the Northern Link Project and the Hong Kong‑Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu‑Qianhai), with target commissioning in 2034 and 2035 respectively, to fully connect the rail transit networks of Hong Kong and Shenzhen," Mr Lee said.

Regarding "soft connectivity", Mr Lee said the HKSAR Government will set up a Task Force to explore ways to advance the alignment of rules and mechanisms within the GBA.

To achieve "Connectivity of Hearts" among residents across the GBA, Hong Kong will strengthen co-operation between its higher education institutions and those in other GBA cities by establishing cross‑disciplinary partnerships, facilitating scientific research, knowledge transfer, and commercialisation, with a view to promoting high‑level research.

Hong Kong's Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Janice Tse, noted that the First Five-Year Plan clearly states that Hong Kong will participate in the development of the GBA into an international first‑class bay area and a world‑class city cluster with global influence.

"Hong Kong will forge closer alignment and synergy with the nine GBA cities in Guangdong Province and Macao, making full use of our respective advantages to jointly promote the high-quality development of the GBA," Miss Tse said.

To foster financial development in the GBA, Hong Kong will continue to capitalise on institutional innovation, financial infrastructure upgrading and enhanced regulatory alignment to encourage the orderly flow of financial elements among GBA cities.

The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited's Core Climate, in collaboration with the Guangzhou Power Exchange Centre, is working towards the pilot trading of national renewable‑energy, green electricity certificates in Hong Kong in 2026.

"On connecting the Chinese Mainland and the world, the HKSAR Government will continue to support green technology development through the HK$400 million (aboutUS$51 million) Green Tech Fund, leveraging Hong Kong's function as a springboard for green technology and assisting national green technologies and products in going global," said Hong Kong'sSecretary for Environment and Ecology, Tse Chin-wan. "On the development of hydrogen energy, we have participated in drafting national hydrogen energy standards with a view to helping these standards align with international practice."

To meet the country's "dual carbon" targets and fulfil Hong Kong's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality before 2050, the HKSAR Government steered the establishment of a production base for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Dongguan, leveraging the leading position of Hong Kong enterprises in the international SAF industry.

"By combining technology strengths with industrial foundation, Hong Kong and Guangdong will jointly develop a globally influential green industry," Mr Lee said.

The HKSAR Government will take forward the construction of an SAF blending facility in Hong Kong to build an end‑to‑end SAF value chain and reduce logistics costs to make SAF prices more competitive. The target is to achieve an SAF consumption ratio of 1% to 3% for flights departing from Hong Kong International Airport in 2030.

Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan promotes the integrated development of culture, sports, and tourism, to develop the GBA into a cultured bay area.

Under the strategic framework of the Agreement on Strengthening of Sports Cooperation and Promotion of Integrated Development, Hong Kong will deepen co-operation, and strive to co‑organise important regional and international single‑sport events. It will also strengthen cultural exchanges, pass on Cantonese opera and the characteristics of Lingnan culture, and promote the sales and cross‑boundary exhibition of Hong Kong publications.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #HongKong #PolicyAddress #First5YearPlan #GBA #Green #Transformation

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Leadership updates reflect continued investment in internal talent, regional expertise, and customer-facing execution

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Syncron, a global leader in intelligent aftermarket solutions, today announced a series of appointments and promotions that strengthen its global leadership team. 

The updates reflect a broader evolution at Syncron over the past year, focused on promoting internal talent, strengthening customer-facing expertise, and bringing regional and functional perspectives into the executive team.  

"As Syncron continues to grow, we need leadership that is close to our customers across the world and deeply connected to the teams delivering value every day," said Josh Weiss, CEO of Syncron. "These appointments and promotions reflect the strength of the talent we have inside Syncron, while also bringing in new experience where it helps us execute faster and serve customers better." 

Leadership Appointments and Promotions 

Alexandre Aim?, Jan Klingen, Mark Dabe, Erik Kjellstrom, and Cole Sutter have joined Syncron's Executive Group Management Team. 

Alexandre Aim? joins Syncron as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing more than two decades of international marketing leadership experience across IT, energy management, industrial technology, and enterprise software. Most recently, he led marketing revenue and demand generation initiatives for a global industrial technology business, having previously held marketing and e-commerce roles at APC and spent 14 years at Schneider Electric, including significant experience in Asia.

At Syncron, Alexandre will focus on positioning marketing as a business and revenue driver, sharpening Syncron's market presence, and building closer alignment between marketing and sales. 

Jan Klingen joins Syncron as Executive Vice President, EMEA. Based in the Netherlands, he brings several decades of leadership experience across industrial technology, manufacturing, aftermarket, and service-focused markets. His background includes scaling customer-centric operations, developing high-performing teams, and leading commercial organizations through growth and transformation. At Syncron, Jan will focus on deepening market coverage across EMEA, strengthening alignment with customer needs, and building pipeline for 2027 and beyond. 

Mark Dabe, who joined Syncron in 2025 as Vice President of Sales, North America, has been promoted to Executive Vice President of the Americas. He will now lead Syncron's business across North and South America as the company continues to scale its presence across the region. 

Erik Kjellstrom has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Solution Consulting and Center of Excellence. Erik first joined Syncron in 2013 and returned to the company four years ago. In his expanded role, he will lead the team responsible for translating customer needs into Syncron's solution strategy and helping customers connect business challenges with the right aftermarket capabilities. 

Cole Sutter, an eight-year Syncron veteran, has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Customer Success. He will continue to lead Syncron's global customer success organization, focused on helping customers realize measurable value from Syncron's solutions. 

These appointments build on other leadership updates over the past year, including the promotions of Prasanna R Nanjudeswara to Chief Technical Officer and Daniel Shearly to Chief Product Officer, further strengthening executive leadership across product, engineering, and technology. 

The result is a leadership team better aligned to customers and markets worldwide as manufacturers look to the aftermarket for more growth, margin, and resilience. 

About Syncron 

Syncron is the aftermarket growth platform for the world's leading manufacturers and distributors. Trusted by customers across more than 80 countries, Syncron offers connected solutions across parts and service pricing, service supply chain management, and warranty management. Global heavy equipment and automotive brands use Syncron to protect revenue, grow margins, and strengthen customer relationships across the asset lifecycle. For more, visit www.syncron.com. 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

New data highlights the contribution of Dusit Central Park's rooftop park to urban cooling, air quality, biodiversity, and community well-being. The park will also mark Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026 with a special Tree Walk.

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 September 2026 - Following its first anniversary on 3 September 2026, Suan Dusit Arun - the 11,200 sq m public rooftop park at Dusit Central Park in the heart of Bangkok - has released its first set of visitor, community, and environmental performance data. The figures demonstrate strong public demand for accessible green space in the Thai capital, with an average of 2,621 unique daily visitors during the 12-month reporting period.

The largest public rooftop park in Bangkok's central business district, Suan Dusit Arun is a defining feature of Dusit Central Park and provides elevated views across Lumpini Park, one of the city's most important green spaces. It was designed as a practical response to critical urban challenges facing Bangkok, including rising temperatures, limited access to green space, and declining biodiversity.

Open to all, the park offers the luxury of space, nature, and calm in the centre of Bangkok. Its public use and programming are thoughtfully managed to protect the landscape, preserve a comfortable atmosphere, and ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy the park without compromising the qualities it was designed to provide.

Combining beautiful views with a strong social and environmental purpose, the park serves as the unifying landscape connecting the principal elements of Dusit Central Park: the flagship Dusit Thani Bangkok hotel, Central Park Offices, the Central Park shopping centre, and a 69-storey residential tower comprising the ultra-luxury Dusit Residences and contemporary Dusit Parkside.

The design of Suan Dusit Arun reflects the wider architectural philosophy of Dusit Central Park, responding to wind flow and solar orientation while drawing on Feng Shui principles to foster harmony, balance, and a positive flow of energy between people and their surroundings.

With approximately 98% of its layered landscape dedicated to green space, the park combines 184 plant varieties, including 48 Thai species, with accessible areas for recreation, learning, community gatherings, and quiet reflection. Its planting includes native shade trees, flowering varieties, and climate-adapted plants.

The planting includes nine tree species in the three threatened categories of the IUCN Red List - two Critically Endangered, two Endangered, and five Vulnerable. It also reflects Thailand's cultural heritage through sacred spirit trees, species referenced in classical Thai literature, and jasmine, a symbol of Mother's Day in Thailand. Pollinator-friendly species include mangrove apple and queen's crape myrtle.

Water management is another important part of the park's operation. Harvested or recycled water supplies approximately 25% of irrigation demand, supported by an automated, timer-controlled irrigation system. The planted landscape is estimated to reduce stormwater runoff entering the city's drainage system by 30-50% compared with a conventional hard-surfaced roof.

While assessment of the park's environmental performance is ongoing, monitoring conducted within and outside the project area on 13 and 14 March 2026 provided an initial snapshot of conditions. Air temperature within Suan Dusit Arun was recorded at 31C, compared with 33C outside the project area. Suspended particulate matter concentrations were also approximately 35% lower within the park during the monitoring period.

"When we conceived Suan Dusit Arun, we wanted it to become an active part of Bangkok's daily life - a public landscape with a clear social and environmental purpose," said Chanin Donavanik, Group CEO, Dusit International. "Welcoming more than 951,000 visitors in its first year shows how strongly people value accessible green spaces where they can exercise, learn, connect, and spend time in nature.

"For Dusit, this is how responsible hospitality reaches beyond hotel operations: by creating places that deliver meaningful value for the communities and environments around them. The initial data from Suan Dusit Arun indicates the potential of thoughtful design and responsible operation to improve everyday urban life. We will continue to monitor the park's performance and report its contribution with care and transparency."

Beyond its daily public use, Suan Dusit Arun hosted a thoughtfully curated programme of 43 recreational, wellness, and educational events and visits during its first year. Together, these activities engaged more than 9,500 people. They ranged from aerobics, Pilates, and city runs to Children's Day celebrations, live music, design talks, and study visits by schools and universities.

Partners included Silpakorn University, SCG Packaging Public Company Limited (SCGP), and the Thai Red Cross, alongside schools, community groups, and commercial organisations.

Collaboration with SCGP also extends to waste reduction. Suan Dusit Arun participates in the company's "Old for New" recycling initiative and separates around 100 kg of cardboard from its operational waste each month for recycling. Event organisers are also encouraged to reduce disposable plastics and choose reusable or recyclable materials wherever practical.

Tree Walk for Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026

To mark Bangkok Climate Action Week 2026, Suan Dusit Arun and Dusit International will collaborate with Big Trees Foundation to host Tree Walk: Discovering the Value of Urban Trees at Suan Dusit Arun on 9 October 2026. Led by landscape architect Touchapon Soontrajarn and professional arborists, the half-day programme will explore how thoughtful landscape design and tree care can support urban cooling, cleaner air, biodiversity, and public well-being.

Running from 9:00-11:30 hrs, the event is limited to 30 participants and costs THB 250 per person, with all proceeds to be donated to Big Trees Foundation to support urban tree conservation. Registration will be available through the Bangkok Climate Action Week platform.

More information is available at bangkokclimateactionweek.org/en/programme/325.

About Suan Dusit Arun

Suan Dusit Arun is an 11,200 sq m public rooftop park at Dusit Central Park, a mixed-use development in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Opened on 3 September 2025, the park was designed according to Universal Design principles and brings together Thai flora, shaded walkways, water features, cultural spaces, and panoramic views of Lumpini Park.

Its principal features include the Bird Nest Viewpoint, Cascade 2513 waterfall, and Dusitpini Amphitheatre. Suan Dusit Arun connects Dusit Thani Bangkok, Central Park Offices, Central Park shopping centre, and a 69-storey residential tower comprising Dusit Residences and Dusit Parkside. The park is open to the public free of charge.

For more information, please visit dusitcentralpark.com/roofpark

About Dusit International

Established in 1949, Dusit International is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its operations comprise five distinct yet complementary business units: Dusit Hotels and Resorts, Dusit Hospitality Education, Dusit Foods, Real Estate Development, and Hospitality-Related Services.

Dusit's diversified investments in real estate development, hospitality-related services, and the food sector are part of its long-term strategy for sustainable growth, which focuses on three key areas: balance, expansion, and diversification.

For more information, please visit dusit-international.com

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #Dusit

International Artificial Intelligence Awards Program Announces its Finalists

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caseware, the leading AI platform for assurance and financial reporting, has been named as a finalist at The 2026 A.I. Awards in the Most Advanced AI Environment, Best Use of AI-driven Personalization and Best Use of AI in Finance categories for Caseware Verity.

Unlike standalone AI assistants, disconnected copilots or single-task AI agents, Caseware Verity and the Caseware AI platform operate within the end-to-end assurance and financial reporting workflow. The platform is designed to understand the engagement itself, drawing on longitudinal engagement context, firm methodology, supporting documentation and professional standards to help practitioners surface risks, analyze documentation, guide judgment and move through complex work with greater speed and confidence.

Operated by global cloud computing awards body, The Cloud Awards, The A.I. Awards celebrate international leaders driving the next generation of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Now in its third year, the 2026 program saw entries from organizations worldwide, spanning established technology powerhouses to disruptive startups across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC.

The awards highlight transformative advances across the entire AI ecosystem: from core infrastructure and governance to cutting-edge agentic workflows and AI assistants. Special emphasis is placed on practical implementations that deliver measurable value within dedicated operational units and specific vertical markets.

CEO of The Cloud Awards, James Williams, said: "Unveiling the finalists for the 2026 A.I. Awards is a significant moment. With the sheer volume of entry submissions this year, the competition is fierce, and the quality of work on display is extraordinary.

"We look for genuine real-world execution that turns technological promise into tangible outcomes. Caseware and their fellow finalists have exemplified this.

"Making it to the finals is a remarkable achievement, and we wish everyone the very best as our panel selects the ultimate category winners."

David Marquis, chief executive officer at Caseware said, "Being a finalist in three categories reflects the Caseware vision to build trust in the global economy. The Caseware AI platform is a scalable, governed and composable agentic foundation for the assurance profession - the product of more than $100M in investment and years of innovation. Caseware Verity, our AI intelligence layer built directly into the end-to-end assurance workflow, enables professionals to leverage agentic efficiencies in the systems they already rely on ensuring defensibility, governance and control. We're honored that Caseware Verity has been named a finalist alongside such strong competition."

  

The program will now begin its final round of judging, where The Cloud Awards judges will select a winner in each category. A.I. Awards winners will be revealed on October 13.

The program will return to welcome new submissions for 2027, to continue recognizing excellence in artificial intelligence solutions and platforms.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Equativ becomes a technology partner of ChatGPT ads, bringing full-funnel contextual and native expertise to brands worldwide

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equativ, the leading independent end-to-end media platform, today announced it is now a technology partner of ChatGPT Ads, becoming one of a select group of partners to help brands and agencies advertise within ChatGPT.

As a technology partner, Equativ offers ChatGPT Ads to engage users at every step of their customer journey, from discovery to purchase intent, with bespoke ad formats, layouts, and messaging tailored to each stage.

ChatGPT has become one of the fastest-growing platforms in internet history, now reaching more than 1B weekly active users and processing 2.5 billion prompts per day, with 20% of conversations showing shopping intent. As consumers increasingly use ChatGPT over traditional search engines to discover, research, compare, and purchase products, the platform represents a significant and largely unexplored opportunity for brands to reach high-intent audiences at every stage of the consumer decision journey.

Unlike traditional search engine marketing that relies on specific keywords, ChatGPT's sophisticated LLM understands the nuances of user intent and conversation context.

That's also Equativ's clearest point of difference. While traditional campaigns are built around lower-funnel, keyword-style campaign management, Equativ delivers a comprehensive full-funnel strategy thanks to its contextual advertising expertise and years of honing native ad copy best practices.

They used this expertise and lessons from live ChatGPT Ads campaigns to build a proprietary full-funnel tool called the Equativ Ad Studio, which helps recommend a customized targeting and creative strategy to allow advertisers to maximize the full-funnel of visibility, brand discovery, and purchase intent.

This enables advertisers to engage audiences across every stage of brand discovery within ChatGPT with the optimal targeting and ad copy. The result is advertising that respects the ChatGPT user experience and ad principles while still driving measurable outcomes for brands at every touchpoint.

ChatGPT + Equativ: ChatGPT Ads with Equativ

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

"This transition represents a natural step forward for Equativ. Our strategy has always centered on consumer-centric solutions, and building on over a decade of native advertising and contextual technology, we are uniquely positioned to help brands show up meaningfully within ChatGPT conversations while preserving the user experience that makes the platform so valuable," said Ben Skinazi, Chief Commercial Officer, Equativ.

Our partnership covers the markets where ChatGPT is currently available, including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with additional countries launching on an ongoing basis.

Brands and agencies interested in activating ChatGPT Ads campaigns through Equativ can learn more at: Equativ ChatGPT Ads

About Equativ

Equativ is a global, end-to-end media platform empowering advertisers and publishers to achieve real outcomes by uniting premium inventory, dynamic creative formats, and engaged audiences with advanced curation and AI-powered ad tech across all channels. Purpose-built for the attention economy, Equativ delivers quality, engagement, and performance while prioritizing respectful, user-centric ad experiences. With a team of over 750 professionals across 19 countries, Equativ combines global scale with deep local expertise. Learn more at Equativ.com.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Smith+Nephew (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN), the global medical technology company, today announces it received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has completed the first surgical cases with LANDMARK Total Knee System, a next-generation knee replacement solution designed to replicate healthy knee anatomy and the knee's natural motion and support a more personalized approach to total knee arthroplasty.

As expectations for total knee arthroplasty continue to evolve, surgeons and patients are seeking the most advanced and tailored solutions when they choose a knee replacement solution. The LANDMARK Knee meets those goals through an anatomy-driven implant that was designed to leverage the full capabilities of CORI KNEE Handheld Robotics Arthroplasty.1 The compact footprint and mobility of Handheld Robotics is optimized for use across both hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) environments.

Key features of the LANDMARK Knee include:

    * Designed to replicate healthy knee anatomy and restore the natural motion and A/P position with less compromise2-6*

    * Smooth, flat trochlear groove entry point to promote more natural patella tracking 2,7,8*

    * Fully 3D-printed femoral component utilizing CONCELOC Technology3

"It is truly a landmark moment for Orthopaedics at Smith+Nephew. The future of knee replacement is increasingly personalized, and surgeons need technologies that help them deliver individualized care with confidence and efficiency," said Nate Folkert, President, Smith+Nephew Orthopaedics. "Together, the natural design of LANDMARK Knee paired with CORI KNEE Handheld Robotics Arthroplasty provides a powerful solution to address the evolving needs of orthopaedic surgery."

The first LANDMARK Knee surgical cases were completed this week by Dr. Steven MacDonald, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Western University and London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, who is one of the surgeons who helped with the design and development of this innovative implant system.

"Knee replacement surgery has changed so much in recent years driven by the momentum of personalized medicine and an influx of innovative approaches," explained Dr. MacDonald. "Whether achieved via the state-of-the-art new LANDMARK instrumentation system or in combination with the planning and balancing capabilities of the CORI KNEE Handheld Robotics Arthroplasty, the LANDMARK Knee provides us the flexibility to make patient-specific decisions while maintaining procedural efficiency. It is the perfect fit for surgeons looking to align with the principles of personalized care as the LANDMARK Knee was designed to meet the needs of surgeons and patients today and tomorrow." 

Dr. Steven Haas, Chief of the Knee Service at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York, was also a surgeon developer for the LANDMARK Knee. "The LANDMARK Knee was designed to address one of the biggest challenges in total knee arthroplasty, which is restoring anatomy without forcing unnecessary compromise," Dr. Haas said. "Its anatomic design helps accommodate the patient's natural anatomy while supporting personalized alignment and patellofemoral function."

The LANDMARK Knee will be commercially introduced through a phased launch focused on early customer adoption, with broader availability across markets expected throughout 2027. Smith+Nephew will be unveiling its new knee system to HCP attendees during the American Association of Hip & Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) Annual Meeting in Dallas November 5-8. Stop by booth number 621 to see the new LANDMARK Knee in action.

*Compared to conventional TKA designs

References

1. Smith+Nephew 2026. Internal Report. CSD.REC.26.003_v1

2. Smith + Nephew 2026. Internal Report. CSD.REC.26.004_v1

3. Smith+Nephew 2026. Internal Report. K24-PFET/CFET

4. Grieco TF, Sharma A, Dessinger GM, Cates HE, Komistek RD. In Vivo Kinematic Comparison of a Bicruciate Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty and the Normal Knee Using Fluoroscopy. J Arthroplasty. 2018;33(2):565-571.

5. Almaawi A, Hutt J, Masse V, Lavigne M, Vendittoli P. Impact of mechanical and restricted kinematic alignment on Knee anatomy in Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty. 2017;32(7):2133-2140.

6. MacDessi SJ, Griffith-Jones W, Harris IA, Bellemans J, Chen DB. Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) classification. Bone Joint J. 2021;103-B(2):329-337. 7. Smith+Nephew 2026. Verification for Femur Implants

7. Fugit W, Lenz N. "Challenging Native Patella Positions Benefit with Flat Proximal Trochlea" The International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty, 37th Annual Congress, 2026, Munich, Germany, September

8. Fugit W, Lenz N. "The Benefits of a Kinematically Designed Femoral Implant Versus Symmetric Implants" The International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty, 37th Annual Congress, 2026, Munich, Germany, September

About Smith+Nephew

Smith+Nephew is a portfolio medical technology business focused on the repair, regeneration and replacement of soft and hard tissue. We exist to restore people's bodies and their self-belief by using technology to take the limits off living. We call this purpose 'Life Unlimited'. Our 17,000 employees deliver this mission every day, making a difference to patients' lives through the excellence of our product portfolio, and the invention and application of new technologies across our three global business units of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine & ENT and Advanced Wound Management.

Founded in Hull, UK, in 1856, we now operate in around 100 countries, and generated annual sales of $6.2 billion in 2025. Smith+Nephew is a constituent of the FTSE100 (LSE:SN, NYSE:SNN). The terms 'Group' and 'Smith+Nephew' are used to refer to Smith & Nephew plc and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

Trademark of Smith+Nephew. Certain marks registered in US Patent and Trademark Office.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

*Supported by Schneider Electric's SE Advisory Services, the FRC Will Help Provide Fashion Industry Suppliers with Resources to Adopt Renewable Electricity 

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Levi Strauss & Co. and  Marks & Spencer (M&S), in partnership with SE Advisory Services, Schneider Electric's global consulting practice, today launched the Fashion Renewable Collaborative ("FRC") and are inviting fashion brands across the industry to join the effort.

Announced at New York Climate Week, the FRC is designed to help interested suppliers adopt renewable electricity at scale through coordinated brand engagement and practical implementation support.

By modeling a shared approach to supplier engagement, the collaborative aims to facilitate renewable electricity adoption across global fashion supply chains and help manufacturers understand, access and implement renewable electricity solutions at scale. 

The launch comes as fashion brands seek new ways to translate their individual climate commitments into measurable, durable emissions reductions across complex global supply chains. While many companies have established ambitious climate goals, supplier adoption of renewable electricity remains a critical challenge due to market barriers, limited resources, fragmented engagement efforts, and differing requests from multiple customers. The opportunity is significant: textile processing, the fabric mills and dye houses at the heart of global fashion supply chains, accounts for more than half of the apparel industry's emissions, according to the  Apparel Impact Institute, making supplier adoption of renewable electricity one of the fastest and most scalable paths to progress. 

The FRC was established to address this challenge through a comprehensive framework that can reduce the burden on interested suppliers while accelerating impact across the fashion industry. According to the Roadmap to Net Zero from the World Resources Institute and the Apparel Impact Institute, shifting manufacturing to renewable electricity is the single largest decarbonization lever, representing roughly two-thirds of the sector's identified emissions-reduction potential. 

Katharine Beacham, Head of Sustainability and Materials in Fashion, Home & Beauty at M&S, said: "At M&S, we know that real change happens when we collaborate. Through our sustainability programme, Plan A, we're committed to becoming a net zero business across our value chain by 2040, and that means working with others to make the transition to renewable electricity easier for our supply partners. Building on the work already underway through Re:Spark, our supply chain decarbonisation programme, the Fashion Renewable Collaborative will provide practical support, resources and greater access to renewable electricity, helping suppliers take action and facilitating change in the fashion supply chain." 

The FRC is one of the first fashion industry initiatives focused on providing real renewable electricity solutions. Unlike programs primarily focused on commitments or a roadmap, the FRC gives suppliers the opportunity to access the tools, knowledge and support to accelerate their energy transition. This includes digital education, powered by  Resource Advisor+, SE Advisory Services AI-native energy and sustainability intelligence platform, market guidance, and significant support in assessing and procuring renewable electricity.  

The FRC is built around a structured implementation model that helps suppliers first learn and then execute through digital education modules. Participating brands benefit from a common approach, while suppliers gain access to support designed to reduce complexity and improve access to credible renewable electricity solutions, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy attribute certificates (EACs), on-site and distributed renewable generation, energy storage, and other proven procurement and deployment pathways.  

The Potential of Coordinated Support

At New York Climate Week and beyond, the Fashion Renewable Collaborative is inviting additional fashion brands to join as sponsors and members to broaden the reach and impact of renewable electricity education, resources, and support among participating suppliers. 

"It's become abundantly clear that the most effective way forward on emissions reduction is working in partnership with suppliers," said Jennifer DuBuisson, Senior Director, Sustainability, Levi Strauss & Co. "Initiatives like this create better working relationships and a more effective path forward. The Fashion Renewable Collaborative enables greater support of suppliers that want to access or would like to increase use of renewable electricity but haven't been able to so far, helping facilitate adoption while reducing unnecessary duplication. It's a natural extension of work we've already been doing with our own suppliers, and we're glad to bring that experience into this effort with M&S and SE Advisory Services."  

The FRC initiative builds on successful engagement efforts already underway. Together, the two programs registered nearly 500 supplier facilities, demonstrating growing interest among suppliers seeking practical pathways to decarbonization.  

The FRC is supported by SE Advisory Services, which will serve as the program's global implementation partner. Schneider Electric brings extensive experience in designing and managing large-scale supply chain decarbonization programs, including more than 20 active initiatives globally involving over 3,100 supplier companies and 16 multi-buyer renewable energy cohorts. As a global energy technology leader, Schneider Electric combines deep energy markets expertise, digital platforms, and on-the-ground implementation support to help suppliers move from commitment to execution. 

"Many fashion brands have made their individual commitments. Now the focus must be on helping suppliers deliver against them," said Steve Wilhite, Executive Vice President, SE Advisory Services. "The Fashion Renewable Collaborative is designed to provide suppliers with practical support and engagement that can help accelerate renewable electricity adoption at scale. We're excited to support Levi Strauss & Co. and M&S, and future participating brands as they work together to drive meaningful supply chain decarbonization." 

The FRC will leverage SE Advisory Services'  Resource Advisor+ for Supply Chain product to support supplier onboarding, engagement tracking, readiness assessments, and progress monitoring. Together, these capabilities help create a consistent, digitally scalable experience for both brands and suppliers.  

By participating, brands can directly support suppliers' ability and desire to adopt renewable electricity while reducing supplier fatigue, expand renewable electricity access, and helping brands achieve their individual supply chain decarbonization goals. 

About Marks & Spencer 

Marks & Spencer ("M&S") is a leading British retailer with a strong presence across the UK and in 32 international markets. M&S serves 32 million customers every year with exceptional quality products at value they can trust. Behind M&S is over 63,000 colleagues who bring passion and expertise to everything they do.   

For more than 140 years, M&S has built trust by doing the right thing by its colleagues, customers and the communities. Underpinning this commitment is Plan A - M&S' sustainability programme - a promise to always source and make products with care. Plan A is also an integral enabler of M&S' strategy to reshape for sustainable, profitable growth and to become a net zero business across its value chain by 2040.  

About Levi Strauss & Co. 

Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel companies and a global leader in jeanswear. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi's?, Levi Strauss Signature, and Beyond Yoga brands.

Its products are sold in approximately 120 countries worldwide through a combination of chain retailers, department stores, online sites, and a global footprint of approximately 3,300 retail stores and shop-in-shops. Levi Strauss & Co.'s reported 2025 net revenues were $6.3 billion. For more information, go to http://levistrauss.com , and for financial news and announcements go to http://investors.levistrauss.com . 

About Schneider Electric

Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability.

The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory. With 160,000 employees and 1 million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world's most sustainable companies. 

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

New international summit and expo will unite the global DALI ecosystem and celebrate excellence through the 2027 DALI Lighting Awards

PISCATAWAY, N.J. and UTRECHT, The Netherlands, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The DALI Alliance will host the first-ever Global DALI Summit + Expo, DALI 27, on February 23 and 24, 2027, at the Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands. DALI 27 will connect experts from across the lighting, smart buildings, and smart cities sectors to shape the future of digital lighting control.

The event will establish a new international forum for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation, bringing together the global DALI ecosystem. DALI 27 will conclude in a gala dinner featuring the 2027 DALI Lighting Awards, which recognize outstanding projects and achievements in DALI-based lighting control.

DALI 27 combines the DALI Alliance General Assembly with a conference and expo for lighting designers, manufacturers, system integrators, and technology providers. The program will feature keynote presentations, panel discussions, technical sessions, case studies, and an expo showcasing the latest DALI technologies and solutions. Networking events throughout DALI 27 will provide opportunities for professionals to connect and exchange ideas.

"DALI 27 brings together experts from across the lighting, smart buildings, and smart cities value chains to advance interoperable digital lighting control," says Paul Drosihn, General Manager of the DALI Alliance. "For the first time, we are bringing the global DALI ecosystem together for a dedicated summit and expo to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and inspire innovation."

DALI 27 will open on Tuesday morning, February 23, 2027, at the centrally located venue in Utrecht. Throughout the two-day event, sponsors and partner companies will showcase their latest technologies and solutions in the Expo. The full conference program will be announced in fall 2026, with registration details, ticket options, and participation fees to follow. Companies and industry experts interested in presenting, exhibiting, or sponsoring DALI 27 are encouraged to contact the DALI Alliance.

The stage is set for the DALI Lighting Awards

The 2027 DALI Lighting Awards will be presented during a gala dinner on Wednesday evening. With these awards, the DALI Alliance honors outstanding projects, innovations, and achievements that exemplify the use and further development of DALI-based lighting control in professional lighting.

DALI 27 at a Glance

Event: DALI 27 Global Summit + Expo

Date: February 23-24, 2027

Venue: Supernova in Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs

Address: Jaarbeursplein 6, 3521 AL Utrecht, Netherlands

Organizer: DALI Alliance

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Pakar M&A lintas negara memperluas jangkauan layanan konsultasinya di Malaysia, Singapura, dan Asia Tenggara

WINA dan KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lukas Naujack sebagai Associate Partner. Langkah ini semakin memperkuat kapabilitasnya dalam merger dan akuisisi (M&A) lintas negara serta layanan konsultasi strategis di Asia Tenggara.

Venionaire, yang didirikan di Wina pada tahun 2012, bergerak di bidang modal ventura, ekuitas swasta, dan keuangan perusahaan, dengan transaksi dan proyek investasi yang memiliki volume agregat lebih dari EUR1 miliar. Jaringan internasionalnya mencakup London, Luksemburg, New York, San Francisco, dan berbagai pasar lainnya.

Naujack, yang berbasis di Kuala Lumpur dan aktif di Singapura, akan mendukung perusahaan-perusahaan Eropa yang ingin melakukan akuisisi, investasi strategis, dan ekspansi pasar di Asia Tenggara dengan menyediakan keahlian lokal serta akses ke jaringan regional.

"Asia Tenggara menghadirkan peluang signifikan bagi perusahaan-perusahaan Eropa untuk mengembangkan bisnis dan melakukan diversifikasi. Namun, keberhasilan transaksi membutuhkan pengetahuan lokal, jaringan yang sudah terbentuk, serta pemahaman mendalam mengenai praktik bisnis regional," ujar Berthold Baurek-Karlic, Pendiri dan CEO Venionaire Capital. "Lukas memiliki keahlian yang dibutuhkan untuk memperkuat jembatan yang menghubungkan peluang bisnis di Asia Tenggara dengan ekosistem investasi kami di Eropa."

Naujack mendirikan FalkensteinAsia pada tahun 2026 untuk memberikan layanan konsultasi kepada perusahaan-perusahaan Eropa terkait ekspansi regional, investasi strategis, serta M&A. Sebelumnya, beliau berkarier selama lebih dari lima tahun di Evonik Industries di Jerman dan Asia Tenggara, dan pernah menduduki berbagai posisi di bidang Keuangan dan Analisis Bisnis, Kepala Strategi Divisi APAC untuk Nutrition & Care, serta Direktur Proyek Strategis untuk Care Solutions & Animal Nutrition. Selama itu pula, beliau memimpin berbagai proyek investasi di kawasan Asia Pasifik.

Pengalamannya juga mencakup karier di Accenture serta penulisan artikel di M&A REVIEW pada tahun 2026 yang mengulas peluang akuisisi regional, khususnya di Malaysia. Beliau memiliki gelar Magister Teknik Industri dan Manajemen dari Karlsruhe Institute of Technology serta telah menyelesaikan program Emerging Leaders di IMD.

"Perusahaan-perusahaan Eropa mengakui potensi Asia Tenggara, tetapi keberhasilan investasi bergantung pada hubungan yang kuat antara kedua kawasan," ujar Naujack. "Dengan memadukan keahlian Venionaire dalam transaksi dan jaringan internasionalnya dengan pengalaman regional saya, kami dapat mendukung klien mulai dari penyusunan strategi hingga pelaksanaannya."

Tentang Venionaire Capital

Venionaire Capital AG adalah perusahaan independen yang bergerak di bidang investasi dan keuangan perusahaan, dengan kantor pusat di Wina. Perusahaan, yang didirikan pada tahun 2012 ini, menyediakan layanan konsultasi bagi investor, perusahaan, dan lembaga publik di bidang modal ventura, ekuitas swasta, M&A, serta investasi strategis.

Layanan yang tersedia mencakup uji tuntas, valuasi, penyusunan struktur transaksi, negosiasi, penggalangan dana, serta pengelolaan dana investasi alternatif. Jaringan internasionalnya mencakup Eropa, Amerika Serikat, dan Asia Tenggara.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

*High- performance AI chips announced at Apsara Conference

*Next-generation Qwen 4 Model in training with future model's scale to 10 trillion parameters

HANGZHOU, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 September 2026 - Alibaba today announced comprehensive updates with a roadmap for its full-stack AI strategy to fully unleash the value of AI at scale to customers through its latest innovations.

At this year's Apsara Conference, Alibaba Cloud's annual flagship technology conference, the technology innovator announced a series of updates featuring Qwen foundation models and multimodal models, new proprietary AI chips, a purpose-built agentic cloud, and an AI agent platform for mobile phones reinforcing Alibaba Cloud's leading global position in the new AI era.

"The theme of this year's Apsara Conference is 'Intelligence Goes Beyond'. Over the past few years, AI has continuously expanded our imagination of technological capabilities. AI possesses vast potential for development-it can be deployed and scaled in real-world scenarios, boosting productivity across thousands of industries," said Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba Group. "This is the true meaning of 'Intelligence Goes Beyond': guiding AI from technological breakthroughs toward value creation."

"Today, the total volume of Machine Thinking is less than 3% of all Human Thinking. If that volume eventually scales to 1,000x human capacity, the simple math tells us: Machine Thinking still has an enormous growth runway. As machines are becoming the primary force behind Thinking, turning intelligence into a commodity supplied at scale, the truly groundbreaking products of the Machine Intelligence era have not yet arrived," said Eddie Wu, CEO of Alibaba Group. "With this in mind, our target is that by 2032, the global data center capacity operated by Alibaba Cloud will surpass 20GW, fueling the industry's exponentially rising demand for AI."

Qwen 4 in training

At the conference, Alibaba revealed that its next-generation model, Qwen 4, is currently in training. The company further announced its roadmap for the upcoming Qwen 4.5 and Qwen 5 model series, projected to scale up to 5 to 10 trillion parameters.

Alibaba has revealed progress in RSI (Recursive Self-Improvement) driven by empirical feedback. Over a month of fully automated runs - spanning pipeline design, data validation, iterative experimentation, and error diagnosis - Qwen3.8-Max completed 33 iterative cycles. Through autonomous training optimisation and post-training techniques, the updated Qwen3.8-Max boosted its Artificial Analysis score from 40 to 45.

In a chip design experiment, the model underwent over 60 hours of self-improvement across the entire design lifecycle, making more than 10,000 EDA tool calls to produce production-grade chip bus modules. This reduced chip area by 42% with zero compromise in performance.

Multimodal Model Family Upgrades

Alibaba introduced multimodal model updates spanning speech, audio, and vision.

The company debuted Qwen3.8-LiveTranslate, a simultaneous interpretation model that enhances translation fidelity, fluency, and brevity, reduces latency (LAAL) nearly 20% from 2.8 to 2.3 seconds for a smoother, more responsive real-time translation experience.

It also unveiled Qwen-Audio-3.1-TTS-Next, a next-generation audio generation model capable of creating complete cinematic soundscapes by blending dialogue and ambient sounds all at once from a text script, designed for professional creative needs such as audiobooks, film and television, podcasts and games.

The updated speech suite also includes Qwen-Audio-3.1-ASR (Automatic Speech Recognition), Qwen-Audio-3.1-TTS (Text-to-Speech), and Qwen-Audio-3.1-Realtime, offering enhanced voice AI capabilities for understanding, generation, and real-time interaction.

Qwen-Image 3.1, an image-generation model optimized for creative design and e-commerce marketing, is set to launch later this year. It cuts visual design turnaround from hours to seconds while offering advanced generative tools, including native transparent-background generation and versatile image-editing capabilities.

To standardize world model evaluation, Alibaba Token Hub, alongside leading academic and industry partners, has introduced a six-tier capability framework and launched Happyworld Arena benchmarking platform, spanning video generation, embodied AI, and spatial reconstruction.

Bringing the models closer to general users, Alibaba has launched Qwen Intelligence, a business-facing full-stack agentic solution optimized for smartphones. It provides phone makers with access to a Qwen-powered agent platform to support next-generation AI phones that can handle complex, cross-app tasks reliably.

T-Head Unveils Zhenwu V900 and Yitian CPU Roadmap

T-Head, Alibaba's chip design unit, has unveiled the Zhenwu V900, its latest AI training and inference processor featuring high-capacity memory and robust inter-chip bandwidth.

The Zhenwu V900 delivers three times the performance of its predecessor, the Zhenwu M890 (released in May). Featuring 216 GB of GPU memory and 1,200 GB/s of inter-chip bandwidth, the new accelerator is built to power demanding AI workloads with native support across multiple data precisions, including FP8 and FP4. By significantly reducing inference costs while increasing compute density, it seamlessly handles both high-precision model training and ultra-low-precision inference. It is scheduled for mass production and commercial release in Q1 2027.

T-Head's Zhenwu AI chips have been serving over 650 customers across different industries including automobile, finance, large language models, embodied intelligence, energy, and manufacturing.

Alibaba also unveiled its upgraded supernode server, which integrates the Zhenwu V900 processor, ICN Switch, Panmai SmartNIC, and Zhenyue SSD controller chip. Optimized for full-stack system-level synergy across compute, storage, and networking, the server can support a supernode cluster comprising up to 500,000 cards.

Additionally, Alibaba unveiled its roadmap for next-generation proprietary CPUs tailored for agentic AI tasks, scheduled for launch in 2027. The Yitian 720 features enhanced single-core performance, higher core density, and increased energy efficiency compared to its predecessor, the Yitian 710; The Yitian 730, the first CPU built on T-Head's proprietary microarchitecture, boasts up to a 40% increase in SPECint2017/GHz performance over Yitian 710's.

Agentic Cloud

Alibaba Cloud unveiled a comprehensive suite of upgrades centered on its agentic cloud strategy, built around three core scenarios ? model, harness and context. The upgrades span three corresponding layers: AI Native Cloud for model, powering large-scale model training and inference; Agent Native Cloud for harness, enabling enterprise-grade agent deployment, operation and security; and Context Engine for context, providing real-time data and long-term memory, helping customers create real-world value with AI at scale.

AI Native Cloud

Alibaba Cloud's Platform for AI (PAI) has integrated synergistic optimizations integrating inferencing, caching, sample replay and training services. In real-world post-training of Qwen models, PAI completed state-of-the-art model training in just five days, advancing from pre-training toward Agentic RL.

Cloud Parallel File Storage (CPFS) system is a new-generation system optimized to better support AI model training, delivering hundred-terabyte-per-second throughput and hundred-million input/output operations per second (IOPS), helping cut enterprise AI storage costs by 69%.

HPN 8.0 Pro, Alibaba Cloud's latest proprietary AI networking architecture, delivers 100 petabits bandwidth with ultra-low latency. A single cluster can support over 130,000 network ports at 800G speeds, with built-in redundancy ensuring that neither optical transceiver nor link failures cause service interruptions, while reducing the impact of network upgrades and failures from 50% to 25% compared to previous generation.

Agent Native Cloud

AgentCore, is a new enterprise platform to build, run and manage AI agents throughout their entire lifecycle. It enables businesses to easily build and run their AI tools, safely control human-agent collaboration, and monitor performance for continuous improvements. With enterprise-grade security embedded at the operating layer, AgentCore provides organizations with a single, controlled foundation to deploy diverse AI agents and seamlessly integrate them into critical business systems at scale.

The Agent Security Center delivers full-lifecycle security and compliance management for enterprise AI agent applications. The platform provides a multi-layered defense system powered by real-time threat detection, ensuring agents operate securely within controllable boundaries at scale.

Context Engine

Agent Context is an enterprise-grade context data service that gives AI agents real-time context and long-term memory. By connecting a company's documents, business systems, chat records and multimodal data into a single foundation, it enables agents to remember past tasks, share knowledge across teams, and learn continuously. In knowledge-intensive scenarios such as customer service, AI coding and data analytics, it cuts token usage by up to 67%.

OpenLake has been upgraded into a unified, multi-modality data lakehouse, where a single copy of data-structured, semi-structured, unstructured, vector, and streaming formats-serves multiple compute engines for processing, search, analysis, and model training. Compared with traditional architectures, OpenLake reduces total costs by 38% and cuts query response times by 40%.

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group is a global technology company focused on AI + Cloud and commerce. We empower consumers and enterprises with our full-stack AI capabilities and services, from applications to compute infrastructure. Our AI technology based on the Qwen family of large language and multimodal models powers the intelligence behind our services across enterprise solutions and consumer platforms. Our commerce business puts consumers first and provides the technology and marketing reach to help merchants, brands, retailers and small businesses to engage with customers and operate efficiently.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Hashtags: #Alibaba

SINGAPORE, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valeura Energy Inc. (TSX:VLE, OTCQX:VLERF) ("Valeura" or the "Company") announces that along with its partner, PTTEP Energy Development Company Limited, a subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company limited ("PTTEP"), it has taken a Final Investment Decision ("FID") to proceed with an initial gas development at the Bussabong gas field (Block G3/65, 40% non-operated working interest) in the offshore Gulf of Thailand ("Phase 1"). 

The project will be Valeura's first organic gas development in its Thailand portfolio.  Phase 1 of the Bussabong development establishes a repeatable development template for the eventual full development of the field.

Highlights

Efficient design: Two gas wellhead platforms with 24 well slots each, tied in to processing infrastructure with a nine km sub-sea pipeline;

Fully funded: Approximately US$35 million capex for facilities, installation, and pipelines spread over approximately two years, plus capex associated with drilling 25 development wells, estimated at approximately US$20-25 million (net to Valeura 40% share);

Rapid development: Phase 1 entails deployment of two wellhead facilities with first production approximately year-end 2028;

Economically resilient: Robust economics, in keeping with Valeura's strategy to pursue value-accretive growth; and

Substantial running room: Valeura's first gas production in Thailand, opening the way to  further phases of development in the future.

Dr. Sean Guest, President and CEO commented:

"I am pleased to have rapidly turned our strategic farm-in with PTTEP into tangible development action.  Within 14 months of entering into this arrangement, we are taking our first gas FID, which we believe sets us on a course to broaden and diversify our business in the Gulf of Thailand.

Phase 1 is set to unfold quickly, with first gas planned for approximately the end of 2028.  This quick action reflects PTTEP's customary streamlined approach and underscores the importance of establishing this strategic relationship.

Moreover, the capital outlay associated with the project is modest, in part reflecting the resource synergies available through the operator PTTEP, but also reflecting the initial nature of this development.  The Bussabong field production area is expected to offer significant appraisal and exploration upside already identified on 3D seismic data, with the potential for further phased development in the future.  As such, we see this as just the beginning - an exciting first step in what will be a methodical, phased approach to build production materiality and longevity, both from the Bussabong gas field, and also from the various other oil and gas focus areas we have identified on Block G3/65."

Bussabong

Bussabong is a gas field in the eastern part of Block G3/65, with geological similarities to many other gas fields in the offshore Gulf of Thailand.  The field's reservoirs are divided into multiple fault-block compartments, which lend themselves to a phased, repeatable development model. 

The Bussabong area was fully covered in pre-existing 3D seismic data and contained several historic gas discoveries prior to Valeura entering into the farm-in agreement with PTTEP (the "Farm-in").  An additional exploration well in 2025 was also successful which led PTTEP and Valeura to immediately engage in development planning once the partnership began. 

Thailand's upstream regulator has already approved a defined production area for the Bussabong field, for which full field development could ultimately entail further phased development to fully commercialise the field and identified prospects.  Valeura envisages further final investment decisions in the coming years, subject to favourable definition of resources through step-out exploration and appraisal drilling. 

Initial Development

Phase 1 entails two wellhead platforms of 24 well slots each, to be deployed toward the northern end of the Bussabong field, in water depths of between 75 and 90 metres, and tied in by way of a short 12" seabed pipeline to gas processing infrastructure at the Bongkot gas field, nine km east in the neighbouring Block G2/61.  Bongkot is operated by PTTEP and no new processing capacity is required to accommodate the Bussabong production.

The platforms' design specifications are consistent with a large number of other facilities in the Gulf of Thailand.  Valeura anticipates that both construction and maintenance thereafter will benefit from PTTEP's optimised supply chain, owing to its position as the dominant gas operator in Thailand. 

Capital Investment and Timeline

Phase 1 capital spending associated with the facilities, installation, and  pipelines, net to Valeura's 40% working interest, is expected to be approximately US$35 million, and will be spent in 2027 and 2028.  In addition, the Company anticipates drilling capex associated with the currently planned 25 development wells, in the range of US$20-25 million (Valeura 40% working interest share).  No material spending is planned for 2026 in connection with the development. 

The Company anticipates first gas production at approximately the end of 2028.

Economics and Production Profile

The operator has indicated to Valeura that the facilities and wells planned as part of Phase 1 are intended to deliver sales gas production of approximately 30 mmcf/d (12 mmcf/d Valeura share(2)) in 2029, and then increase to approximately 40 mmcf/d (16 mmcf/d Valeura share(1)) in 2030.  Based on samples collected during exploration drilling, the gas is expected to be relatively dry (approximately 20 bbls of condensate per mmcf gas).

In accordance with standard practice in Thailand, the operator will now work with regulators and the gas customer to formalise a gas sales agreement.  The gas sales price is expected to reflect established pricing arrangements in the Gulf of Thailand and details will be subject to confidentiality obligations owed to the government, regulators and gas customer.  

Thai domestic gas is typically sold under long-term, take-or-pay contracts priced against a basket of commodities including fuel oil and is adjusted for inflation indices.  The Company expects that the customary pricing framework will yield terms that support robust project economics for the development, subject to successful negotiation of a gas sales agreement on anticipated terms.

Valeura's reserves will next be evaluated as of 31 December 2026, at which time the Company expects its external reserves evaluator will, providing a gas sales agreement has been executed, add these volumes to the Company's reserves. 

(1)   Once in operation, Valeura intends to report production as its 40% working interest share of gross sales gas, before government take (including royalties).  Valeura and PTTEP entitlement to production revenue is defined by the terms of a production sharing contract which provides a mechanism for cost recovery and for the sharing of profits, as more fully described in the Company's 25 July 2025 announcement.

Farm-in Status

Valeura's interest in Bussabong arises through the Farm-in, under which the Company earns a 40% non-operated working interest in each of Blocks G1/65 and G3/65.  The cabinet of the government of Thailand has granted executive approval for the transfer of this working interest from PTTEP to Valeura, which is anticipated to occur as an administrative step later in September or early October 2026.  The Company does not intend to make a further announcement on the transfer of interest. 

Contact details for the Company's advisors, covering research analysts and joint brokers, including Auctus Advisors LLP, Beacon Securities Limited, Canaccord Genuity Ltd (UK), Cormark Securities Inc., Research Capital Corporation, Roth Canada Inc., and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, are listed on the Company's website at www.valeuraenergy.com/investor-information/analysts/.

About the Company

Valeura Energy Inc. is a Canadian public company engaged in the exploration, development and production of petroleum and natural gas in Thailand and T?rkiye.  The Company is executing a growth-oriented strategy, reinvesting into its producing asset portfolio while deploying capital toward further organic and inorganic growth across Southeast Asia.  Valeura is committed to delivering value-accretive growth for all stakeholders, underpinned by high standards of environmental, social and governance responsibility.

Additional information relating to Valeura is also available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

Advisory and Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information included in this news release constitutes forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation.  Such forward-looking information is for the purpose of explaining management's current expectations and plans relating to the future.  Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes, such as making investment decisions.  Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project", "target" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook.  Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to: completion of administrative steps to constitute closing of the Farm-in and anticipated timing thereof; the anticipated timing for first gas production at Bussabong; estimated capital expenditures for Phase 1 and the anticipated allocation thereof across 2027 and 2028; anticipated production rates and production profiles, including plateau gross sales gas rates; the expectation that the gas sales price will reflect established pricing arrangements in the Gulf of Thailand; the expectation that Phase 1 will support robust project economics; expectations regarding the addition of reserves following execution of a gas sales agreement and year-end evaluation; the anticipated timing and completion of regulatory and government approvals, including formalisation of a gas sales agreement; the potential for subsequent development phases and further final investment decisions fully commercialise the Bussabong field and exploit identified prospects; the Company's strategy to broaden and diversify its business in the Gulf of Thailand; the Company's growth-oriented strategy, including further organic and inorganic growth across Southeast Asia; expectations regarding the benefits of PTTEP's supply chain and operational efficiencies; and management's belief that the development meets the Company's investment criteria for value-accretive growth.   

Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions regarding, among other things: political stability of the areas in which the Company is operating and the continuity of existing fiscal and regulatory regimes; continued safety of operations and ability to proceed in a timely manner; continued operations of and approvals forthcoming from governments and regulators in a manner consistent with past conduct, including approval of gas pricing and formalization of gas sales agreements; future drilling activity on the required/expected timelines; the prospectivity of the Company's lands; the continued favourable pricing and operating netbacks across its business; future production rates and associated operating netbacks and cash flow; decline rates; future sources of funding; future economic conditions; the impact of inflation on future costs; future currency exchange rates; interest rates; the ability to meet drilling deadlines and fulfil commitments under licences and leases; future commodity prices; the impact of geopolitical conflicts, including conflicts in the Middle East, and between Russia and Ukraine; royalty rates and taxes; future capital and other expenditures; the success obtained in drilling new wells and working over existing wellbores; the performance of wells and facilities; the availability of the required capital to fund its exploration, development and other operations, and the ability of the Company to meet its commitments and financial obligations; the ability of the Company to secure adequate processing, transportation, fractionation and storage capacity on acceptable terms, including access to processing facilities; the capacity and reliability of facilities; the application of regulatory requirements respecting abandonment and reclamation; the recoverability of the Company's reserves and contingent resources; future growth; the sufficiency of budgeted capital expenditures in carrying out planned activities; the impact of increasing competition; the ability to efficiently integrate assets and employees acquired through acquisitions; global energy policies going forward; future debt levels; the Company's continued ability to obtain and retain qualified staff and equipment in a timely and cost efficient manner; PTTEP's continued participation as operator and joint venture partner in accordance with expectations; the timely completion of construction and deployment of wellhead platforms; and the continued applicability of customary Thai domestic gas pricing frameworks. In addition, the Company's work programmes and budgets are in part based upon expected agreement among joint venture partners and associated exploration, development and marketing plans and anticipated costs and sales prices, which are subject to change based on, among other things, the actual results of drilling and related activity, availability of drilling, offshore storage and offloading facilities and other specialised oilfield equipment and service providers, changes in partners' plans and unexpected delays and changes in market conditions. Although the Company believes the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect.

Forward-looking information involves significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties.  Exploration, appraisal, and development of oil and natural gas reserves and resources are speculative activities and involve a degree of risk.  A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company including, but not limited to: the ability of management to execute its business plan or realise anticipated benefits from the Farm-in and the Bussabong development, including the risk that actual capital expenditures exceed estimates or that development timelines are delayed; the risk of disruptions from public health emergencies and/or pandemics; competition for specialised equipment and human resources; the Company's ability to manage growth; the Company's ability to manage the costs related to inflation; disruption in supply chains; the risk of currency fluctuations; changes in interest rates, oil and gas prices and netbacks; potential changes in joint venture partner strategies and participation in work programmes; uncertainty regarding the contemplated timelines and costs for work programme execution; the risks of disruption to operations and access to worksites; potential changes in laws and regulations, the uncertainty regarding government and other approvals; counterparty risk; the risk that financing may not be available; risks associated with weather delays and natural disasters; geopolitical risks and instability; and the risk associated with international activity. See the Company's most recent annual information form and the MD&A for a detailed discussion of the risk factors.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by applicable securities laws.  The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction, including where such offer would be unlawful.  This news release is not for distribution or release, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States, Ireland, the Republic of South Africa or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which its publication or distribution would be unlawful.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This information is provided by Reach, the non-regulatory press release distribution service of RNS, part of the London Stock Exchange. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

LONDON, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SASE OpsLab Ltd, the software-driven SASE automation marketplace, today announced its latest platform release, designed to tackle long-term SASE infrastructure lifecycle management.

Moving beyond the vendor "deploy and forget" approach, the solution provides Enterprise IT teams with a scalable lifecycle oriented platform to handle infrastructure changes and related remediation in hybrid IT environments.

The SASE OpsLab Enterprise edition delivers the following:

1. Simple and Vendor and domain agnostic Change Management

The platform's signature OpsKits make infrastructure changes simple and low-risk. IT professionals can execute complex modifications across network and security architectures, without specialized, vendor-specific expertise.

2. Self-Designed, Automated Auto-Remediation

The platform introduces Self-Designed Auto-Remediation OpsKits, empowering IT professionals to build custom, automated remediation scenarios. Response scenario can extend beyond the original SASE technology, orchestrating connected actions across enterprise domains, including cloud asset migrations and broader infrastructure layers.

3. Continuous Infrastructure Drift Detection and RollBack

A continuous, real-time infrastructure drift detection capability is integrated as part as the SASE OpsLab interface with users given the option to automatically rollback to a prior infrastructure state in case of unauthorized changes.

"For too long, the SASE channel and vendors have focused on initial rollout, leaving enterprise IT teams with the operational burden of complex hybrid infrastructure Day-2 management," said Nabil Lawrence Souli, CEO of SASE OpsLab Ltd. "This new release offers the Ops lifecycle tool meant to ease SASE migrations and future evolutions"

About SASE OpsLab Ltd

SASE OpsLab Ltd is an automation marketplace for prepackaged deployment, migration, and lifecycle management use cases, purpose-built to simplify and scale SASE operations. Headquartered in London, UK, the company provides ready-to-use "Ops Kits" that enable customers, resellers, and vendors to accelerate rollouts, automate operations, and eliminate operational risk.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

LONDON, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SASE OpsLab Ltd, marketplace otomatisasi SASE yang berbasis perangkat lunak, hari ini mengumumkan perilisan versi terbaru platformnya yang dirancang untuk mengatasi tantangan pengelolaan siklus hidup infrastruktur SASE dalam jangka panjang. Solusi ini melampaui pendekatan vendor yang sekadar "menerapkan lalu melupakan".

Platform yang skalabel dan berorientasi pada siklus hidup ini memungkinkan tim TI Perusahaan menangani perubahan infrastruktur serta tindakan perbaikan terkait di lingkungan TI hibrida.

Edisi SASE OpsLab Enterprise menghadirkan kemampuan sebagai berikut:

1. Manajemen Perubahan yang Sederhana serta Tidak Terikat pada Vendor atau Domain Tertentu

Fitur unggulan platform ini, OpsKits, menjadikan perubahan infrastruktur sederhana dan berisiko rendah. Tenaga TI profesional dapat melakukan modifikasi kompleks pada arsitektur jaringan dan keamanan tanpa memerlukan keahlian khusus yang spesifik untuk vendor tertentu.

2. Perbaikan Otomatis yang Dirancang Sendiri dan Berjalan Secara Otomatis

Platform ini memperkenalkan Self-Designed Auto-Remediation OpsKits, yang memungkinkan tenaga TI profesional merancang skenario perbaikan kustom yang otomatis. Skenario respons dapat melampaui teknologi SASE awal dengan mengoordinasikan berbagai tindakan yang saling terkait di seluruh domain perusahaan, termasuk migrasi aset cloud dan pengelolaan berbagai lapisan infrastruktur lainnya.

3. Deteksi Penyimpangan Infrastruktur Secara Berkelanjutan dan Pembatalan Perubahan (RollBack)

Antarmuka SASE OpsLab dilengkapi kemampuan untuk mendeteksi penyimpangan infrastruktur secara berkelanjutan dan real-time. Jika terjadi perubahan yang tidak sah, pengguna dapat memilih untuk secara otomatis membatalkan perubahan tersebut (rollback) agar infrastruktur kembali ke kondisi sebelumnya.

"Selama ini, saluran distribusi dan vendor SASE terlalu berfokus pada penerapan awal sehingga tim TI perusahaan harus menanggung beban operasional pengelolaan infrastruktur hibrida yang kompleks setelah tahap implementasi (Day-2)," ujar Nabil Lawrence Souli, CEO SASE OpsLab Ltd. "Perilisan terbaru ini menghadirkan perangkat pengelolaan siklus hidup Ops yang dirancang untuk mempermudah migrasi SASE dan evolusinya di masa mendatang."

Tentang SASE OpsLab Ltd

SASE OpsLab Ltd merupakan marketplace otomatisasi yang menyediakan solusi terpaket untuk kasus penggunaan, seperti penerapan, migrasi, dan pengelolaan siklus hidup, yang dirancang khusus untuk menyederhanakan dan meningkatkan skala operasional SASE.

Perusahaan, yang berbasis di London, Inggris Raya ini, menyediakan "Ops Kits" siap pakai yang memungkinkan pelanggan, reseller, dan vendor mempercepat penerapan, mengotomatiskan operasional, serta menghilangkan risiko operasional.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Singapore focuses on infrastructure readiness, Australia advances on AI returns, Japan prioritizes compliance, and South Korea highlights interconnection as markets take different paths to value

SINGAPORE, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the world's largest cloud- and carrier-neutral data center platform, recently released its 2026 Global Data Insights Survey (GDIS), showing strong AI investment momentum across the region alongside significant differences in how individual markets are turning that investment into business value.

Based on the Asia Pacific (APAC) findings, nearly six in ten (59%) of the region's respondents expect their organizations to increase AI investment by more than 25% in 2026 compared with 2025, versus 55% globally. More than one-third (36%) have already identified repeatable, high-impact AI use cases, while a similar proportion reports measurable business outcomes from AI.

Beneath the regional picture, the findings show that enterprises are progressing at different stages and prioritizing different requirements as they move AI into wider deployment.

APAC markets are taking different routes from AI investment to value

In Australia, enterprises appear further along in converting AI deployment into financial returns. One-third (33%) of organizations say they are currently realizing AI ROI, more than double the APAC average of 16%. Nearly half (47%) also have real-time AI in deployment, compared with 36% across the region.

In Japan, compliance features prominently in how respondents assess AI strategy and infrastructure decisions. 30% of respondents rank ensuring compliance with AI and data privacy regulations as the top requirement for a successful AI strategy, compared with 18% across APAC. When deciding where to host AI workloads, 22% rank regulatory compliance as their top consideration, compared with 12% regionally.

In Singapore, infrastructure readiness is becoming an important consideration as enterprises advance their AI plans. Half (50%) of respondents cite a lack of specialized AI infrastructure as a challenge, compared with 40% across APAC, while 39% are already reporting measurable business outcomes from AI.

In South Korea, enterprises emphasize connecting distributed data sources to support AI execution. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents rank reliable interconnection first among requirements for AI strategy success, compared with 14% across APAC. Almost half (46%) report integrated interconnection across key cloud and infrastructure platforms or architecture centered on dynamic, on-demand interconnection.

"AI investment is accelerating across APAC, and enterprises are entering the next phase with different priorities. As they scale AI, organizations are balancing priorities that range from demonstrating returns and preparing infrastructure to meeting compliance requirements and connecting distributed environments," said Serene Nah, Managing Director and Head of APAC at Digital Realty.

"These differences matter for enterprises operating across the region. Infrastructure decisions need to reflect the requirements of each market and workload, while giving organizations the flexibility to connect and grow across APAC."

Different AI paths are shaping infrastructure decisions

As enterprises put more investment behind AI, the survey indicates that decisions around infrastructure and data location are becoming more closely tied to how AI is deployed.

Across APAC, 92% of respondents tie their data-location strategy to their AI plans. At the same time, 88% already follow a distributed data approach, meaning enterprise data, applications and workloads increasingly sit across multiple locations and environments.

Connecting those environments remains a challenge. Only 22% of APAC respondents describe their hybrid infrastructure as fully integrated, even as enterprises increasingly need to bring together data, compute, clouds and partners across markets.

This creates a more complex infrastructure requirement for organizations operating regionally. The location of AI workloads needs to account for factors such as infrastructure availability, performance and local operating requirements, while remaining connected to the wider enterprise architecture.

As AI moves further into production, enterprises will need to make increasingly deliberate choices about where workloads and data reside and how those environments connect. The priority is giving organizations the flexibility to deploy according to local requirements without creating disconnected infrastructure across the region.

Through PlatformDIGITAL, Digital Realty provides AI-ready infrastructure and connectivity across markets, helping customers bring together the data, applications, clouds and ecosystems they need as their AI strategies evolve.

The research surveyed 2,131 IT decision-makers across 19 countries, including 707 respondents across seven APAC markets: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

The full report is available at Global Data Insights Survey 2026.

Methodology

The 2026 Global Data Insights Survey surveyed 2,131 IT decision-makers across 19 countries and eleven industries, including financial services, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, travel, transportation and logistics, business and professional services, energy and utilities, and media and entertainment. Respondents represented organizations with between 500 and more than 10,000 employees.

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation, from cloud and digital transformation to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges.

Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 55+ metros across 30+ countries on six continents.

To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the APAC market, emerging technologies including AI, expected growth in digital transformation, adoption of AI infrastructure, company strategy and capabilities and customer demand.

For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

CGTN published an article on Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming state visit to the United States. Highlighting the new positioning of China-US relations set out by the two heads of state in May, the article stressed that head-of-state diplomacy has always served as the "anchor" of the relationship, playing an irreplaceable strategic guiding role and providing important strategic safeguards for the improvement and development of bilateral ties.

BEIJING, Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.

It will be the second meeting between the two heads of state within half a year, following Trump's state visit to China in May.

Detailing Xi's upcoming visit on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the exchange of visits marks a historic milestone.

A review of bilateral relations, which have maintained overall stability despite ups and downs, demonstrates that head-of-state diplomacy has always served as the "anchor" of the relationship, playing an irreplaceable strategic guiding role and providing important strategic safeguards for the improvement and development of bilateral ties.

New positioning

Over the years, Xi and Trump have maintained communication through face-to-face meetings, phone calls and other exchanges. Bilateral relations have moved forward along the track charted by the two leaders.

When they met in May, the two presidents agreed on a new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability over the next three years and beyond. Xi defined the nature of "constructive strategic stability" as a positive stability with cooperation as the mainstay, a sound stability with moderate competition, a constant stability with manageable differences and an enduring stability with promises of peace.

It was more than a new phrase. At a time of mounting global uncertainty and accelerating changes unseen in a century, the consensus sends an important message: China and the US should choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over conflict, and stability over turbulence.

Describing the new positioning of ties as "accurate," Wang Honggang, director of the Institute of American Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told CGTN that "constructive strategic stability" is the long-term direction for the development of China-US relations.

Elaborating on the new positioning, Zhang Tengjun, associate research fellow at the Institute of American Studies at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is a new calibration of the logic of China-US relations, adding that "constructive" implies an action-oriented approach, signifying that competition is by no means a zero-sum game, and pragmatic cooperation should be used to offset differences.

Guided by the consensus reached by the heads of state, the two countries' economic and trade teams have held multiple rounds of consultations, aiming to continuously build consensus, manage differences and strengthen cooperation to promote the stable, sound and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations.

The strategic guidance provided by head-of-state diplomacy steers the course of bilateral relations ? a role that is irreplaceable, Zhang told CGTN.

Stable China-US relations good for the world

China's 15th Five-Year Plan started this year, and the country is comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization through high-quality development. Meanwhile, 2026 also marks the 250th anniversary of US Independence.

"Success in one is an opportunity for the other, and a stable bilateral relationship is good for the world," Xi stressed.

Despite differences, economic and trade cooperation continues to serve as the stabilizer and ballast of China-US relations. According to a 2026 survey of 175 US companies by the US-China Business Council, a resounding 95% of US firms operating in China consider the Chinese market to be "somewhat to very important" for staying globally competitive.

Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, has said more US companies are looking to partner with Chinese businesses, aiming to learn from their strengths and leverage developments in China to stay competitive globally. "China is an important part of their global competitiveness," Stein told CGTN.

Beyond business, since 2026, law enforcement agencies of the two countries have engaged in practical cooperation in areas including counternarcotics, combating telecom and online fraud, and fugitive repatriation, achieving tangible results. A growing number of young Americans travel to China to experience the country through cultural activities, building a bridge to carry forward the friendship between the two peoples.

The two countries will respectively host major global gatherings this year, the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen and the G20 Leaders' Summit in Miami, which will place them at the center of the international agenda.

Just as the Chinese leader has noted on many occasions, China and the United States, as two major countries, can shoulder their responsibilities and work together to accomplish more great and concrete things for the good of both countries and the whole world.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

BAZHONG, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 September 2026 - The 24th Sichuan Guangwu Mountain International Red Leaf Festival will run from October 1 to November 18 at the Guangwu Mountain Tourism Area in Bazhong, Sichuan Province, China.

Located in southwest China, Guangwu Mountain boasts a forest coverage rate of 97%, earning its reputation as a "natural oxygen bar." Each autumn, 680 square kilometers of mountain forests burst into a dazzling palette. Over 40 tree species, including Fagus pashanica, maples and lindens, weave the mountains into a stunning autumn landscape.

Known as "Asia's longest natural red carpet," the Mountain has become a top autumn destination for backpackers, photographers and travelers seeking immersive cultural and nature experiences, and is widely recognized as one of western China's signature autumn attractions.

The tourism area caters to international visitors who prefer slower-paced, in-depth, off-the-beaten-path travel. The new Yanziling Loop Boardwalk, launched in May 2026, winds along mountain cliffs, with a sea of clouds rolling beneath visitors' feet and brilliant foliage unfolding alongside the trail, creating the feeling of "stepping into a painting."

Guangwu Mountain offers a wealth of outdoor attractions. Highlights include the 1,888-meter Red Leaf Coaster and a glass water slide certified by Guinness World Record, combining thrilling experiences with stunning natural scenery.

The large-scale immersive production "New Dream of Guangwu Mountain" integrates cutting-edge light and visual technology with Bashan folklore and traditions, transforming the forest into an atmospheric nighttime experience. Visitors can also enjoy welcome performances and interactive robot activities, which offer more ways to discover the mountain's late-autumn charm.

A major highlight of this year's festival is the newly completed Micang Avenue. Stretching 85 kilometers, the route connects seven core scenic spots, including Guangwu Mountain, Micang Mountain, and Nuoshui River, reducing a four-hour drive to just one hour. Lined with continuous stretches of colorful forest and layered peaks, the avenue brings brand-new travel experiences for autumn foliage enthusiasts.

The festival will also feature cultural, sports and international exchange activities, including the third season of the "Sending You a Red Leaf" campaign, the China Micang Avenue International Road Cycling Race, and the "World Red Leaf Landmark" global collection campaign.

In addition, 31 scenic attractions and 18 museums and cultural venues across Bazhong will provide special ticket offers and visitor benefits during the festival.

Across mountains and seas, Guangwu Mountain invites visitors from around the world to witness one of China's most vibrant red-and-gold autumn displays.

Source: Bazhong Culture and Tourism Development Group

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