Worldwide launch accompanies the UK debut of the Disclosure Checklist Agent, complimentary Caseware Verity trials for CwX London attendees and the UK edition of the Caseware 30 Under 30 Awards

LONDON, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Caseware, the leading AI platform for assurance and financial reporting, today launched its Verity-powered Risk Suggestion Agent worldwide, helping auditors use engagement data and supporting documents to develop a stronger starting point for risk assessment.

Announced at CwX London 2026 at County Hall, the agent draws on current and prior-year financial information, existing risks, controls and selected documents to suggest engagement-specific risks for auditors to review. It is included at no additional cost within a firm's existing Caseware Verity licence.

Caseware also announced the UK availability of its Disclosure Checklist Agent, which drafts checklist responses from financial statements and provides supporting reasoning and source citations. Until now, the Disclosure Checklist Agent has been available exclusively to US Dynamic Assurance Solution (DAS) Suite customers. The UK launch marks a significant expansion of Caseware's offering in one of its key markets.

The launches advance Caseware's goal of automating the repetitive, time-consuming parts of the assurance and financial workflow, freeing auditors to spend their time on judgment and insight only they can provide. That ambition is based on a detailed mapping of repetitive tasks across the engagement lifecycle - covering the Prepare, Plan, Evaluate and Report Agent Suites that support it.

Risk Suggestion Agent

Caseware Verity's Risk Suggestion Agent gives audit teams an AI-assisted, faster, more considered starting point for engagement risk assessment, without ever taking the decision out of their hands.

Rather than beginning each engagement's risk assessment from a blank page, auditors can now gain access to a considered set of risks grounded in the engagement's own context.

The result is a meaningful reduction in the time and effort required to produce a strong first draft, allowing audit teams to direct more of their attention toward the professional judgment that risk assessment ultimately depends on. That judgment remains squarely with the auditor throughout: every suggestion Verity produces is a draft for independent review, and none can be accepted, edited, or incorporated into the engagement without an explicit decision by the practitioner.

The feature reflects the same governance standard applied across the Verity platform - operating entirely within a firm's own Caseware environment, with engagement data never used to train AI models.

Tricia Katebini, Partner in GRF CPAs & Advisors said, "Risk assessment is one of the most important parts of an engagement, and it can also be incredibly time-consuming. Caseware's Risk Suggestion Agent gives our teams a strong starting point, helping us identify and consider relevant risks more efficiently while keeping professional judgment at the center of the process. That time savings allows us to spend more time on the testing, follow-up, and deeper analysis of the risks we identify."

Disclosure Checklist Agent

Now available to UK firms, the Disclosure Checklist Agent works inside the Caseware engagement to read a firm's financial statements and draft Yes, No and N/A responses to disclosure checklist questions. Each suggestion includes reasoning and cited source evidence for review.

The agent also scopes the checklist by analysing the financials to flag which sections apply, so teams only work through relevant questions. Auditors review, refine, accept or override every suggestion directly within the workflow, and firms choose whether to retain the full AI reasoning and citations or approved answers only.

In testing, the agent's run time on a typical disclosure checklist has fallen from around 18 minutes to approximately two to three minutes. Manual checklist completion typically takes several hours; auditors still review the agent's suggested responses before accepting them.

Today's launch marks the first time the Disclosure Checklist Agent has been made available outside the US.

Complimentary Verity trials for CwX London attendees

Attendees of CwX London will be able to access a complimentary trial of Caseware Verity, giving firms hands-on experience with its newest agents.

"Today, we are putting the Disclosure Checklist Agent directly into the hands of UK firms and giving global audiences their first look at the Risk Suggestion Agent as we continue to deliver efficiencies by operating Caseware Verity directly in the engagement," said David Marquis, chief executive officer of Caseware.

He added, "Caseware Verity sits inside the workflow our customers already trust, saves reviewers real time, and leaves the final judgement exactly where it belongs - with the auditor. We're proud to continue our legacy of innovation by expanding the agentic platform behind that work. CwX London is where we get to celebrate the firms shaping what comes next - and this year, for the first time, that includes the UK edition of our 30 Under 30 Awards."

UK edition of the Caseware 30 Under 30 Awards

CwX London 2026 features the UK edition of the Caseware 30 Under 30 Awards, recognizing emerging accounting professionals whose innovation, leadership and problem-solving are helping shape the profession.

Ericka Podesta McCoy, chief marketing officer of Caseware said, "Winners of the UK 30 Under 30 Awards automatically become part of the wider Caseware 30 Under 30 Excellence Network, joining honorees from around the world in an ongoing community for the profession's most promising rising talent who will drive the next wave of innovation and help raise the bar on quality and integrity. The network gives members a lasting home to keep learning from one another, exchange ideas, and help steer where the profession goes next."

Watch live on LinkedIn

The launch will be streamed live on LinkedIn, with a dedicated broadcast scheduled for 10:00 (ET) / 15:00 (BST). Viewers can register via the link below:

Register for the LinkedIn Live broadcast

About Caseware

Caseware is the leading global AI platform for accounting professionals, serving 23,000+ firms in over 130 countries. Caseware's platform powers audit, financial reporting, and compliance workflows for firms of every size - from regional practices to the world's largest networks. Caseware enables the world of audit and accounting to unlock efficiency, deliver excellence, and grow with confidence. Through precision, partnership, and innovation, we are powering trust in the global economy. For more information, visit www.caseware.com.

Media Contact

Elise Sallis

VP, Global Communications & Brand Management

Caseware

Elise.sallis@caseware.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

Platform adheres to five key aviation-centric principles with hundreds of agents planned across commercial, business and military aviation segments

PARIS, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeppesen ForeFlight today unveiled the first of hundreds of planned agents for Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow, its Aviation Operating Intelligence platform. Customers can bring or build their own agents on the platform, use Jeppesen ForeFlight's agents, third-party tools, or combine them.

All agents run on a unique, aviation-centric context layer, with customer data and knowledge remaining sovereign, governance grounded in the industry's Safety Management System framework, and the ability to set the level of automation while keeping humans at the center of decision-making.

The company introduced Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow as its agentic AI strategy in July. The platform adheres to five key aviation-centric principles with customer choice and control as the platform's foundation. Operators decide the pace of adoption, the level of automation and whether to run their own agents, third-party tools or Jeppesen ForeFlight's agents, or any combination of the three.

Every option reasons over the same certified aviation data and each operator's own rules. The company showcased several agents during its annual commercial aviation users conference, and has hundreds more, each designed to grow revenue, reduce costs and better protect an airline's most valuable assets.

"Our industry is unique in terms of the safety, efficiency, comfort and global regulations required to fly passengers and cargo. Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow is an aviation-grade platform that every operator can adopt at their own pace and level of automation and with their own mix of agents or ours," said Brad Surak, CEO, Jeppesen ForeFlight. "Every recovery option, weighed and recommended in seconds, with the reasoning attached for trusted decision-making. That is what operators have told us they need most."

Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow reasons through operational cause and effect rather than general pattern matching. The platform is built on more than 90 years of aviation expertise and informed by insights from more than 60 million flights that rely on the company's products each year. Every recommendation an agent produces in the platform carries the facts, sources and reasoning behind it, so operators can review a decision rather than take it on faith, and a person stays accountable for the decision.

The first Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow agents target three of the largest sources of operational friction in commercial aviation:

Trip Trading helps the hundreds of thousands of crew members who trade trips every year get a faster, fairer outcome, improving quality of life on the line and helping airlines cut the unplanned absences and premium pay that follow when a trade is too hard to make.

Target Mastery changes how pairings and rosters get built. Planners set the business outcome they want, cost, fatigue, robustness, connection buffer, reserve coverage, and Target Mastery translates that target directly into a plan, instead of forcing planners to tune parameters by trial and error.

Augmented Ops Control is Jeppesen ForeFlight's first step into one of aviation's hardest AI problems, disruption management, giving operations controllers a tangible, practical tool: every recovery option, evaluated and ranked, with the reasoning attached, while the cheapest options are still on the table.

Additional agents for the business and military aviation segments will also debut soon, part of Jeppesen ForeFlight's plan to rapidly expand Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow across every market it serves. The company has already begun seeking commercial aviation partners for its co-development phase ahead of a broader rollout early next year.

Unlike other aviation industry approaches, Jeppesen ForeFlight Airflow agents deliver on five critically important principles:

Reason in Context - Trusted workflows that fully grasp how the aviation industry operates, not just what tended to happen last time.

Reason from Certified Inputs - Provenanced intelligence, with every outcome carrying the regulatory authority and certified accuracy of Jeppesen ForeFlight's longstanding aviation data foundation.

Carry a Visible Why-Trail - Every recommendation reveals the underlying causal logic, from specific inputs and operational constraints through evaluated alternatives and associated uncertainty.

Operate Inside the Safety Management System (SMS) - Applies the safety framework aviation already runs on.

Human-Centered Judgment - AI handles the volume. Customers select how much automation they need, with an assurance that humans remain in control of decision-making.

Operators interested in joining the co-development phase can learn more at ai.jeppesenforeflight.com.

About Jeppesen ForeFlight

Jeppesen ForeFlight provides the data, software, and insights that power every segment of aviation. Pilots, operators, and flight crews trust us to plan, navigate, monitor, and optimize more than 60 million commercial, military, business, and general aviation flights each year.

Our platforms support crew, fleet, and flight planning; network and operations management; and flight deck solutions. Our navigation data remains the global standard. From inventing paper charts a century ago to leading today's AI-enabled era, we deliver deep domain expertise with unmatched insights as the platform for the aviation industry.

Media Contact: Brett Griffin, Jeppesen ForeFlight, Press@Jepp.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

NEW TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 October 2026 - Jazz Hipster Corporation, an ODM specializing in high-end audio systems, today announced a new high-resolution wireless audio platform that advances the wireless audio signal path to 24-bit/96kHz, moving beyond the 48kHz design baseline long used in the market.

Designed for active speakers, the platform supports both 2-way and 3-way product configurations on a single core architecture. Brand customers can now request a technical evaluation, with customer projects potentially entering mass production as early as the end of this year.

Built on Wi-Fi 6, the platform supports high-resolution audio and streaming services over an existing home wireless network. For stereo and other active speaker configurations with up to four channels, the audio signal path supports resolutions of up to 24-bit/96kHz. End-to-end transmission latency is kept within 20 milliseconds to maintain audio-video synchronization when watching television or other video content. The platform also integrates a USB-C digital input for direct connection to computers, streaming players, mobile devices, and other high-resolution audio sources.

High-resolution streaming has become commonplace at the source, yet wireless transmission remains a persistent industry bottleneck. Most wireless active speakers on the market still use 48kHz as their transmission design baseline. High-resolution files supplied by streaming services are often downsampled during wireless transmission, creating a gap between advertised specifications and the actual listening experience.

The platform also forms part of Jazz Hipster's broader home entertainment audio architecture. Brands entering the market with active speakers can build on the same technical foundation to develop wireless subwoofers, surround speakers, and home theater systems. In multichannel configurations, the architecture can distribute up to 12 audio channels and supports Dolby Atmos speaker layouts. For consumers, this means they can start with a pair of active bookshelf speakers and expand their systems without replacing existing equipment.

"The active speaker market is undergoing a major shift," said Ben Hsu, Senior Product Manager at Jazz Hipster. "Traditional combinations of passive speakers and separate amplifiers are gradually giving way to integrated active designs, with streaming serving as a key driver. This presents brands with a dilemma: product lines need to become increasingly segmented, while engineering resources are not growing at the same pace. We believe that over the next three years, competition in active speakers will center on platforms rather than individual models. The key will be whether a single architecture can support both stereo configurations that prioritize the highest sound quality and home theater configurations with the greatest number of channels."

For brand customers, supporting two product paths on a single architecture means that expanding a product line does not require duplicating development work. Brands can enter the market with a relatively straightforward 2-way design, then extend their offerings to 3-way bookshelf speakers without changing the core platform architecture or the scope of software integration. This allows development resources to focus on acoustic tuning and product voicing. A single app can also serve the entire product range.

Jazz Hipster has timed the platform launch ahead of the autumn trade show season to align with brand customers' year-end mass production schedules. A technical brief is now available on request, covering the platform architecture, 2-way and 3-way applications, connectivity specifications, and key considerations for evaluating adoption. For product information and details on requesting an evaluation, visit https://jazzhipster.com/solutions.

About Jazz Hipster

Founded in 1981, Jazz Hipster Corporation is an ODM partner specializing in the development and manufacturing of high-end audio systems. With more than 40 years of audio engineering and manufacturing experience, the company focuses on streaming audio, Dolby Atmos, wireless audio, all-in-one audio systems, digital signal processing, acoustic integration, and precision manufacturing, helping global brands create the next generation of high-end audio solutions. Visit https://jazzhipster.com.

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

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JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 October 2026 - The VinFast VF 3, a mini SUV from Vietnam, has been honoured with the "Trusted & Popular Brand 2026" title in the Passenger BEV category at the Disway Awards 2026. The accolade reflects the VF 3's strong appeal and growing recognition among Indonesian consumers, while also underscoring VinFast's ability to understand and respond to the needs of the local market.

The Disway Awards is an annual awards programme organised by Disway National Network, one of Indonesia's leading media networks, in partnership with independent research firm Infovesta Utama. The awards recognise brands and products that have made a strong impression on consumers across sectors including banking, technology, retail, healthcare, transportation, food and beverage, education, and public services.

This year's results were based on a survey of 20,000 people across 20 major cities in Indonesia. Brands recognised in each category were those mentioned first by respondents and achieving an awareness rate of more than 70%.

In the Passenger BEV category, the VinFast VF 3 achieved the highest level of awareness among respondents. The model's appeal comes down to three key strengths. Its bold, modern design and compact size make it easy to manoeuvre and well suited to urban driving. Despite its mini-SUV dimensions, the VF 3 offers four seats with the comfort and practicality needed for everyday use. Its accessible price and running costs also make EV ownership more attainable for a wider range of Indonesian consumers.

VinFast has also introduced a range of ownership benefits to support customers as it expands in Indonesia. These include free charging at V-GREEN charging stations until March 31, 2029, a residual value guarantee of up to 80%, subject to applicable terms and conditions, and the flexibility to either purchase the battery or subscribe to a battery plan.

With its practical size, distinctive design, extensive personalization options, and accessible ownership proposition, the VF 3 is particularly well suited to mainstream consumers making the switch to an electric vehicle for the first time.

Arunodoy Das, CEO of VinFast Indonesia, said: "The recognition received by the VinFast VF 3 at the Disway Awards 2026 is a strong testament to the model's quality, appeal, and suitability for Indonesian consumers, while also reflecting the country's growing shift toward electric mobility. It motivates us to continue developing vehicles that are practical and accessible, backed by solutions that make EV ownership easier for consumers. Through these efforts, we hope to contribute to the development of greener, cleaner mobility in Indonesia."

The Disway Awards 2026 recognition adds to a growing list of accolades VinFast has received in Indonesia. In 2025, the VF 3 was named "The Best Newcomer Electric Car" at the Carvaganza Editors' Choice Awards.

VinFast was also honoured at the detikcom Awards 2025 with the "Accelerator of Indonesia's Electric Vehicle Ecosystem" award, while at the CNN Indonesia Awards 2025, the company received the "Outstanding Innovation in Sustainable Electric Mobility" and "Remarkable Contribution to Energy Independence" awards. At the Road to CNBC Indonesia Awards 2025, VinFast was named "Pioneering Brand in Green Transition and Sustainability", while the VF 7 received the "Compact SUV of the Year" award.

With a growing product portfolio spanning the VF 3 mini SUV to the seven-seater MPV 7, as well as an expanding sales and after-sales network, charging infrastructure, and flexible ownership solutions, VinFast is building an increasingly comprehensive EV ecosystem in Indonesia and supporting the country's transition to greener mobility.

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

Hashtags: #VinFast

Upgrades improve print quality, strengthen security and simplify ID card issuance

SINGAPORE - Media OutRech Newswire - 6 October 2026 - HID, a global leader in trusted identity solutions, is rolling out enhancements across its FARGO DTC ID card printers, including the DTC1250e, DTC4500e and DTC1500 models, to help organizations issue secure, professional-quality ID cards faster, with less IT support and the ability to easily scale as needs evolve.

Organizations that issue ID cards - from schools and healthcare systems to government offices, corporate campuses and others - need printers that are easy to operate, produce consistently high-quality credentials and keep pace with growing security requirements. The latest enhancements address each of those priorities.

Built to Print: Faster, Sharper Output and Stronger Security

Speed and reliability are essential for high-volume credential issuance. Printing more cards in less time with fewer interruptions, these printers have been updated with newer, faster hardware and electronics platforms. Support for high-capacity ribbons also streamlines the issuance workflow and maintains high productivity, reducing reloads and lost time. For front-desk and HR staff who issue dozens of badges a day, this means shorter lines and less time waiting on a stalled print job.

"We've been at this for a long time. For more than three decades, organizations have trusted us to power their ID badging programs," said Apryl Erickson, VP and Head of FARGO. "With thousands of printers in the field worldwide, we're excited to build on that legacy by delivering enhanced solutions that provide greater value to our end users and support their mission-critical issuance processes."

Card quality matters just as much as issuance speed. With 300 x 600 dpi resolution, an enhanced color profile and adjustable K-panel printing, organizations benefit from having professional-quality ID cards that look sharper, have crisper text, cleaner logos and more accurate color.

When an organization issues credentials, they need to enhance card security and safeguard cardholder data. As such, all DTC printers offer enhanced AES-256-GCM encryption and resin scramble data protection. On the DTC1500 and DTC4500e, a built-in, customizable watermark overlay adds a layer of security at no added cost.

Built to Last: Secure, Reliable, Sustainable Performance and Less Downtime

Reliable and sustainable, the enhancedDTC printers are backed by three-year product warranties, provide ongoing printer health monitoring and are specifically engineered for efficient energy use.

Organizations also need to keep operator maintenance low. An integrated diagnostic utility and Color Assist tool are now built directly into the printer driver, so common issues can be identified and resolved without a support call. An optional OLED SmartScreen on the DTC1250e further simplifies day-to-day operation, helping non-technical staff be productive from day one with no IT ticket required.

Built for More: Room to Grow Without Starting Over

Programs rarely remain static, and organizations need to scale as their needs grow without incurring the cost of new hardware. FARGO DTC printers offer field-upgradable dual-side printing and encoding options that let organizations start with what they need and add capabilities later, without having to buy new base hardware, as programs expand.

These upgrades build on more than 30 years of DTC printing expertise. The portfolio also integrates with HID's broader ecosystem for access control and identity management, helping organizations expand their credentialing programs as needs evolve. The DTC1500 and DTC4500e are also compatible with FARGO Connect, a secure, cloud-based card printing platform that provides real-time fleet visibility.

The enhanced DTC printer portfolio is commercially available now. Product availability for enhanced FARGO DTC1250e and DTC4500e printers is slated for late October/early November, varying by region. Enhanced FARGO DTC1500 units will follow later in Q4 2026.

Building on these enhancements, HID plans to further expand the FARGO DTC portfolio later this year with a streamlined, single-sided printer designed for organizations with lower-volume issuance needs. It will not be available in the United States and Canada. It will be offered only in select regions outside these markets. The new model will bring the same reliability and ease of use while providing an accessible entry point into the broader FARGO portfolio.

FARGO printers are available through HID's partner and distributor network.

Stay Connected with HID

Visit our Media Center, read our Industry Blog, and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

About HID

HID powers the trusted identities of the world's people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be identified, verified and tracked digitally.

Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and billions of things are connected through HID technology. We work with governments, educational institutions, hospitals, financial institutions, industrial businesses and some of the most innovative companies on the planet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID has over 4,500 employees worldwide and operates international offices that support more than 100 countries. HID is an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com.

2026 HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, the HID Blue Brick logo and the Chain Design are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global, ASSA ABLOY AB, or its affiliates(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission. All other trademarks, service marks, and product or service names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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

Hashtags: #HID #FARGO #TrustedIdentity

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Combining real-time AI credit monitoring with Ethereum smart contracts and USDC settlement, Asia's digital trade finance leader addresses a US$2.5 trillion SME trade financing funding gap opportunity.

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 October 2026 - Qupital, Asia's leading AI-driven fintech platform specializing in cross-border e-commerce trade finance, today announced the official launch of the world's first AI-driven on-chain e-commerce lending protocol.

The breakthrough solution shifts day-to-day trade loan operations into an automated, highly transparent framework powered by smart contracts and proprietary AI credit monitoring.

The launch comes directly ahead of Token 2049, as Qupital positions itself at the intersection of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) and Real-World Assets (RWA). By deploying USDC via Ethereum smart contracts, Qupital eliminates legacy banking delays and manual oversight, delivering instant, 24/7 liquidity to high-growth global merchants.

The protocol utilizes automated dynamic credit monitoring to continuously adjust credit exposure based on real-time sales-to-loan performance. When store metrics deviate from set parameters, smart contracts automatically invoke payment gateway APIs to intercept platform cashflows, which captures store earnings to satisfy debt obligations and revenue targets.

Key Innovations of the Protocol

Instant, 24/7 Global Liquidity: Complements existing banking channels by deploying USDC directly to e-commerce merchants via smart contracts, enabling real-time capital access synchronized with global e-commerce velocity.

AI-Guarded Risk Control: Integrates Qupital's proprietary AI engine with automated payment gateway APIs to monitor sales performance and capture settlement cashflows directly, drastically reducing credit risk. Merging AI intelligence with on-chain execution for trade finance. Powering digital trade through automated, smart-contract-driven liquidity vaults unlocks unprecedented operational efficiency and dynamic risk control without human intervention.

Automated Capital Efficiency: Replaces manual back-office drawdown verification and settlement calls with smart contracts, accelerating capital turnover and reducing operational overhead.

Real-Time Proof of Reserves & Auditability: Every active loan is tokenized on-chain to Qupital's Treasury Vault, providing institutional lenders and partners with 1:1 real-time balance sheet verification.

A Multi-trillion Market opportunity

B2B cross-border stablecoin settlements are projected to reach $5 trillion by 2035, with over 54% of cross-border enterprises preparing to adopt stablecoin payment infrastructure. Qupital's protocol directly addresses this surge in institutional and merchant demand.

"Agentic commerce and instant global settlement require financing infrastructure that operates around the clock. While traditional banking channels remain a core pillar of our trade finance operations, utilizing blockchain rails allows us to streamline distribution and accelerate settlement times. Integrating our proprietary AI risk engine directly into on-chain frameworks eliminates operational friction, minimizes non-performing loans, and expands our global footprint."

- Winston Wong, Co-Founder & CEO of Qupital

Having processed over US$9.5 billion in cumulative trade financing while maintaining industry-leading credit performance, Qupital's move on-chain sets a new institutional standard for tokenized trade finance. The company already has an active pipeline of USD 100 million in financing to be fulfilled on-chain.

Building on its recently announced Series C financing, Qupital continues to execute on its long-term growth roadmap. The launch of the protocol further diversifies Qupital's capital execution options and accelerates its entry into new global markets. By bringing real-world quality trade assets on-chain, Qupital directly addresses the multi-trillion-dollar SME financing gap, delivering accessible, frictionless capital to digital enterprises that are underserved by traditional banks and financial institutions worldwide.

About Qupital

Qupital is a Series C stage fintech platform and Asia's leader in data-driven financing solutions for digital businesses. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Qupital empowers e-commerce businesses trading on global platforms including Amazon, JD.com, Tmall, TikTok Shop, and Pinduoduo.

As the first platform in Asia to securitize e-commerce merchant loans, Qupital combines industry-leading credit performance and sustained profitability with backing from global financial institutions including HSBC and MUFG, as well as strategic investors including M Capital, Alibaba, MindWorks Capital, Greater Bay Area Homeland Development Fund, and the Innovation and Technology Ventures Fund of the Hong Kong SAR Government.

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

Hashtags: #Qupital

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Aventra Group secures the international ISO/IEC 42001 standard across its operations, technology infrastructure, and core business applications-unifying AI governance with existing ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II frameworks to eliminate vendor procurement friction and empower APAC enterprises to scale seamlessly into international markets.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 October 2026 - Aventra Group today achieved the world's first international AI standard, securing the prestigious ISO/IEC 42001 certification for Artificial Intelligence Management Systems (AIMS).

This milestone positions the technology provider within an elite tier of single-digit early adopters leading AI governance within Malaysia, and among fewer than 400 organizations worldwide holding this certification.

By embedding the framework natively across its entire operational footprint, Aventra Group has unified its existing ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II frameworks into a unified governance baseline, directly addressing the deep anxieties surrounding data liability and shifting regulatory gray areas that frequently gridlock modern enterprise growth.

Historically, corporate procurement, legal, and risk teams have routinely stalled technological rollouts for months to perform exhaustive, custom risk evaluations on unvetted software. Aventra Group's certified framework allows enterprise clients to entirely bypass these multi-month vendor review cycles on day one. By providing an instantly procurable compliance foundation, the framework clears the path through traditional corporate risk holdups, stripping away the operational barriers that typically limit APAC organizations from expanding into tightly governed international markets.

"The primary barrier to enterprise AI scaling across the Asia-Pacific region isn't a lack of technological innovation; it is a profound trust deficit," said Mohan Vasudevan, Group Chairman at Aventra Group. "Corporate leaders want the efficiency gains of automation and AI but cannot compromise on institutional risk or data safety. By anchoring our foundational operations to the world's most rigorous AI operational framework, we have institutionalized trust, giving regional enterprises a pre-vetted runway for rapid cross-border scale globally."

This certified AI governance framework serves as the foundation for Aventra Group's transition into a borderless digital ecosystem, enabling AI-ready solutions for enterprise clients worldwide through the AG ONE Marketplace:

AG ONE Intelligent Workforce Management (IWM) Suite: An AI-native enterprise platform that unifies end-to-end workforce processes and talent management into a single intelligent ecosystem. The suite comprehensively automates operations while ensuring rigorous governance, data privacy, and fully compliant AI adoption.

AG ONE Safe: An advanced enterprise GRC solution engineered as an "Agentic OS for Cyber Resilience" to deliver autonomous risk protection and continuous security compliance.

For more information, visit AG ONE Marketplace: https://www.ag-one.aventragroup.com/

Aventra Group Sdn Bhd

Aventra Group is a leading global technology provider specializing in enterprise digital transformation across Cloud, Enterprise Applications, Smart City solutions, and the AG ONE AI-native SaaS series. Through its enterprise-grade AG ONE Marketplace, the company delivers trusted, compliant, and highly scalable digital architectures engineered to advance institutional capabilities, secure data infrastructure, and protect organizational integrity worldwide.

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

Hashtags: #AventraGroup #ISO42001 #AIGovernance #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseAI #ResponsibleAI #AICompliance #CyberSecurity #DigitalTransformation #AGONE

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Optica congratulates Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel

WASHINGTON, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, congratulates Karl Deisseroth (Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA), Peter Hegemann (Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany), and Georg Nagel (University of W?rzburg, Germany), who were today awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They share the prize equally "for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics."

The prize recognizes one of the most impactful applications of light in the life sciences. This work established and developed the use of light-sensitive proteins to control the activity of specific cells with light. Hegemann and Nagel's foundational studies of channelrhodopsins helped establish these proteins as light-gated ion channels, while Deisseroth and collaborators subsequently developed their use for precise optical control of neurons.

Researchers worldwide now use optogenetics to trace the neural circuits behind memories, emotions and behaviors. Clinical researchers are currently using the method to attempt to restore sight to those with visual impairment.

"The impact of the research of Drs. Deisseroth, Hegemann and Nagel that is recognized with today's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been absolutely transformative," said Gisele Bennett, 2026 Optica President and founding and managing member of MEPSS LLC. "Optogenetics gives researchers the ability to control selected neural circuits with light with high spatial and temporal precision, providing a powerful way to establish links between neural activity, behavior and disease. This work has truly opened a new era in the field of neuroscience. We congratulate these researchers for their well-deserved recognition, and we celebrate what their work means for the entire optics and photonics community."

Karl Deisseroth received his PhD in 1998 and his MD in 2000 from Stanford University, USA. He is the D.H. Chen Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University, USA. Deisseroth's work showed that light-sensitive proteins such as channelrhodopsins could be used to control the activity of genetically defined neurons with millisecond precision.

Peter Hegemann received his Ph.D in 1984 at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany. He is the Hertie Senior Professor of Neuroscience, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. The prize-awarded discoveries were conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany. Hegemann's studies of how microorganisms respond to light helped uncover the biological function of channelrhodopsins, the light-gated ion channels that became central to optogenetics.

Georg Nagel received his Ph.D. in 1988 at the University of Frankfurt, Germany. He is Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the Department for Molecular Plant Physiology and Biophysics - Botany I, University of W?rzburg, Germany. The prize-awarded discoveries were conducted at Max Planck Institute for Biophysics, Frankfurt, Germany. Nagel's research demonstrated that channelrhodopsins function as light-gated ion channels and showed that they could make other cells responsive to light.

Select Relevant Papers Available from Optica Publishing Group

The Nobel Laureates have published papers with Optica. A selection of their papers related to their work recognized by the Nobel Prize is included below:

Karl Deisseroth:

Highly Multiplexed Nanophotonic Probes With Independently Controllable Emitters for Optogenetic Brain Stimulation

Segev, Eran; Moreaux, Laurent C.; Reimer, Jacob; Fowler, Trevor M.; Chi, Derrick; Sacher, Wesley D.; Lo, Maisie; Deisseroth, Karl; Tolias, Andreas S.; Faraon, Andrei; Roukes, Michael L. Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics 2016, Paper# JTh4B.2 

Extended field-of-view and increased-signal 3D holographic illumination with time-division multiplexing

Yang, Samuel J.; Allen, William E.; Kauvar, Isaac; Andalman, Aaron S.; Young, Noah P.; Kim, Christina K.; Marshel, James H.; Wetzstein, Gordon; & Deisseroth, Karl. Optics Express, 23(25), 32573-32581 (2015).

Wave optics theory and 3-D deconvolution for the light field microscope

Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Yang, Samuel; Cohen, Noy; Andalman, Aaron; Deisseroth, Karl; Levoy, Marc. Optics Express 21(21) 25418?25439 (2013).

Enhancing the performance of the light field microscope using wavefront coding

Cohen, Noy; Yang, Samuel; Andalman, Aaron; Broxton, Michael; Grosenick, Logan; Deisseroth, Karl; Horowitz, Mark; Levoy, Marc. Optics Express 22(20) 24817-24839 (2014).

Extended Field-of-view and Increased-signal 3D Holographic Illumination with Time-division Multiplexing

Yang, Samuel J.; Allen, William E.; Kauvar, Isaac; Andalman, Aaron S.; Young, Noah P.; Kim, Christina K.; Marshel, James H.; Wetzstein, Gordon; Deisseroth, Karl. Imaging and Applied Optics 2016, Paper CW5D.6

Multifocal panoptic recording of cross-cortical neuronal dynamics in behaving mice

Kauvar, Isaac V.; Machado, Timothy A.; Yuen, Elle; Kochalka, John; Allen, William E.; Raja, Cephra; Pichamoorthy, Nandini; Wetzstein, Gordon; Deisseroth, Karl. Biophotonics Congress: Optics in the Life Sciences Congress 2019 (BODA,BRAIN,NTM,OMA,OMP), Paper JW3B.2

Peter Hegemann:

Picosecond Measurements on Halorhodopsin of Halobacterium Halobium

Polland, H.-J.; Franz, M. A.; Zinth, W.; Kaiser, W.; Hegemann, P.; Oesterhelt, D. International Quantum Electronics Conference, Paper# MAA4 

About Optica

Optica, Advancing Optics and Photonics Worldwide, is the Society dedicated to promoting the generation, application, archiving and dissemination of knowledge in the field. Founded in 1916, it is the leading organization for scientists, engineers, business professionals, students and others interested in the science of light.

Optica's renowned publications, meetings, online resources and in-person activities fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate scientific, technical and educational achievement. Discover more at: Optica.org

Media Contact

mediarelations@optica.org

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

HUANGSHAN, China, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For young Koreans who live at a fast pace and place increasing value on emotional well-being, meaningful experiences, and sharing travel moments, Huangshan in China is emerging as an appealing new choice for a short getaway.

With its world-class landscapes, ancient Huizhou villages, intangible cultural heritage experiences, and diverse nighttime activities, Huangshan has launched a five-day, four-night independent travel itinerary themed "Warm Breezes and Light Clouds, Time to Recharge". Designed with Korea's MZ generation in mind, the itinerary combines Oriental aesthetics, visual storytelling, and opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation.

Huangshan is linked by high-speed rail to Shanghai and Hangzhou. Charter flights between South Korea and Huangshan are also planned for October and November 2026. The Incheon?Huangshan route is scheduled for Wednesdays and Saturdays from October 14 to November 4, while the Busan?Huangshan route is planned for the same days from October 28 to November 28.

On the first day, travelers visit the Huashan Mystery Grottoes, where ancient caves are presented alongside contemporary light and media art. The itinerary then continues to a Korean-themed area at Huishang Guli and to Tunxi He Street, followed by a performance of Huixiu. The suggested overnight stay is at UPCLOUD?SHEDEMOYUN VILLA.

Day two is devoted to the Huangshan Scenic Area, including the Welcoming Guest Pine, the West Sea Grand Canyon and the Monkey Watching the Sea rock formation. An overnight stay on the mountain gives visitors an opportunity to see the sea of clouds and sunrise, weather permitting.

On day three, the route takes in the Mukeng Bamboo Forest, one of the filming locations for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Xidi, a UNESCO World Heritage village. The two stops offer time among bamboo groves and the traditional architecture of Huizhou.

Day four begins in Huizhou Ancient City with activities such as gilding Huizhou inksticks, paper cutting and making fish-shaped lanterns. Visitors then travel to Xixinan and Tangmo, where the suggested evening program includes an aoyu lantern procession.

On the final day, travelers visit Mount Qiyun for a walk among its Danxia rock formations and historic buildings. The itinerary concludes at Huangshan North station, where visitors can take a high-speed train to Shanghai or Hangzhou and connect with flights to South Korea.

Contac:Zhong Lei50983824@qq.com

The proprietary trading firm joins bankers, treasury heads and FX professionals at the Forex Association of India assembly, held from 2 to 5 October

Funded Trader Markets has paid more than $8.6 million in trader rewards, with on-chain verification for every crypto payment.

PHUKET, Thailand, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Funded Trader Markets (FTM) is attending the 35th Annual Forex Assembly of the Forex Association of India, held in Phuket, Thailand from 2 to 5 October 2026.

The organiser states that delegates comprise FX dealers, treasury heads and risk managers from banks, FX broking houses, large corporates and service providers, with senior officials from the RBI, FEDAI and FIMMDA, economists and analysts expected to take part. Treasury participants from the Middle East, Asia and Europe are also expected. Business sessions comprise speeches and panel discussions on current market developments.

FTM operates simulated funding programmes in more than 160 countries. Participants pay a one-time fee, trade against published risk parameters in a simulated environment, and earn a share of simulated performance without placing personal capital at risk. One-step, two-step and instant routes lead to a simulated funded trading account, with accounts from $5,000 to $300,000.

FTM has paid more than $8.6 million across 5,870 trader rewards since August 2024, at an average time to pay of 23 minutes 2 seconds, with 99.2% settled inside a one-hour service level. Rewards are requested on demand, closer to prop firms with instant payouts than to a fixed cycle, and the full reward history is published to a live ledger with on-chain verification.

Accounts run on MetaTrader 5, cTrader, TradeLocker or Match-Trader, covering 76 instruments across forex, metals, energies, indices and cryptocurrencies. All accounts are swap-free, with no activation fee and no time limit.

1-Step Nitro sets a 10% profit target against a 4% daily and 6% overall limit, paying 90% of the first $10,000 in simulated profits and 80% thereafter. 2-Step Plus runs two phases against a 10% balance-based static drawdown, and Instant Funding begins without an evaluation at up to 80%.

Rewards are guaranteed within 24 hours or doubled, with a minimum request of 1% of starting balance, paid in cryptocurrency or through Rise Works. Simulated allocation is capped at $1,000,000 per trader.

Media Contact

Funded Trader Markets (FTM)

Email: support@fundedtradermarkets.com

Website: fundedtradermarkets.com

Press enquiries: GrowthNXT - connect@growthnxt.com

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KVB, a global financial service platform provider, is expanding its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as part of its broader global development strategy. The company is strengthening its regional capabilities and establishing deeper connections across the market as it responds to developments in the region's financial services landscape.

KVB marked a milestone in its regional development by participating in Forex Expo Dubai 2026 as a Featured Sponsor on September 22?23 at Dubai World Trade Centre, the largest forex trading expo in the Middle East. The sponsorship featured a sports car display and branded conference seating, reflecting KVB's focus on performance, technology and innovation, while also supporting its commitment to industry education and knowledge-sharing. As KVB's first major industry event in the region, the expo provided an opportunity to engage with the wider forex community and exchange perspectives on the industry's development.

Forex Expo Dubai 2026 Traders Hall"KVB sees strong potential in MENA, supported by its dynamic financial markets, growing trading community and increasing demand for technology-driven financial services," said Dr. Billy Prakash, CEO of KVB. "Our participation in Forex Expo Dubai was an important first step in deepening our understanding of the market and hearing directly from traders, partners and industry professionals. As we continue to develop our presence, we remain focused on bringing KVB's international experience and technology-driven capabilities together with a stronger understanding of local market needs."

KVB is also taking steps to strengthen its local capabilities, including the preparation of a regional office and expansion of its local team. KVB has introduced Arabic as a language across its online platform and website, broadening accessibility for Arabic-speaking clients and market participants throughout the MENA region.

Looking ahead, KVB plans to continue developing its regional operations, investing in its people and technology, and strengthening relationships with clients and industry partners. The company looks forward to building on the momentum of 2026 and further developing its presence in MENA in 2027 and beyond.

About KVBFounded in 2001, KVB is a global financial service platform provider serving clients across more than 100 countries and regions. With more than 25 years of industry experience, KVB combines financial market expertise with technology to provide online trading solutions across forex, commodities, indices, and shares.

KVB continues to invest in proprietary financial technology, trading platforms, market analysis and risk management capabilities to support clients in an evolving global market. Through its international network and technology-driven approach, KVB is committed to providing accessible, reliable and innovative trading solutions for clients worldwide.

Contact

Marketing ExecutiveGabriella BKVBmarketing@kvbplus.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e5b0461-9e93-497e-8d9f-89829781d9a0

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7de42063-57a9-4d3a-8335-cb948bef1007

Ten-year initiative will support communities across the Indian Ocean region to restore threatened ecosystems while creating sustainable livelihoods. Launch comes amid growing pressure on international climate and development funding, highlighting the need for approaches that deliver both environmental and economic returns.

London, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is launching ReGeneration, a major ten-year initiative designed to tackle one of climate action's toughest challenges: how to restore nature while importantly enabling the communities who depend upon it to prosper. 

Across six countries in the Indian Ocean region, ReGeneration will bring nature restoration and economic development together ? creating sustainable livelihoods and new economic opportunities while protecting and restoring critical ecosystems. 

The initiative was recently launched as world leaders, governments, philanthropies and businesses gathered in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and New York Climate Week, against a backdrop of increasing pressure on traditional sources of international development and climate finance. 

Across the Indian Ocean region, more than two billion people live in countries whose communities and economies are closely connected to the coast. But these communities are facing growing pressures from a changing climate and the degradation of the natural environments on which they depend. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall, more frequent and severe cyclones, floods and droughts, declining fish stocks and the loss of mangrove forests are putting livelihoods, food security and resilience at risk. 

As pressure on natural resources grows, communities need practical ways to adapt while securing sustainable sources of income. Over the next decade, ReGeneration aims to combat this by restoring 150,000 hectares of mangrove and coastal ecosystems, alongside supporting regenerative agriculture, sustainable fisheries, clean energy and enterprise development across six countries bordering the Indian Ocean. 

The initiative will support communities on the frontline of climate change to restore critical natural environments while creating new sources of income, jobs and economic opportunity. By linking healthier ecosystems with stronger local economies, ReGeneration seeks to demonstrate that environmental restoration and community prosperity can reinforce one another.

Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan said: "We have a shared responsibility to care for our oceans and the communities living along their coastlines. As part of the fight against climate change, our institutions are regenerating the shores of the Indian Ocean so that those who depend on them can thrive for generations to come." 

Apoorva Oza, Global Climate Lead at Aga Khan Foundation, said: "Too often, climate action asks communities to protect nature without addressing the economic realities that determine how land, oceans and natural resources are used. ReGeneration starts from a different premise: protecting nature must work economically for the people who live alongside it. Whether through sustainable fisheries, regenerative agriculture, clean energy or new forms of enterprise, we want to create livelihoods that strengthen rather than deplete the natural environment. That is how restoration becomes sustainable, and how climate action can translate into stronger local economies and more resilient communities." 

An early milestone in ReGeneration came in May 2026, when the Aga Khan Foundation and Agence Fran?aise de D?veloppement (AFD), representing the French Republic, signed a EUR100 million declaration to support joint efforts to protect and restore coastal ecosystems across the Indian Ocean region, beginning in Mayotte, Madagascar and Tanzania.

The declaration, made in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron and His Highness the Aga Khan, anchors this wider ambition to drive $500 million of investment into this critical but neglected ecosystem. 

Upon the signing of the MOU in May 2026, Eleonore Caroit, French Minister Delegate to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said: "France's partnership with the Aga Khan Development Network is one of the most enduring and impactful in our development cooperation. Today's agreement, signed here in Nairobi at the Africa Forward Summit, demonstrates our joint commitment to addressing the climate and environmental challenges facing the African continent. Together with the Government of Tanzania, we are investing in the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems and in agricultural practices that strengthen food security and community resilience." 

ReGeneration builds on decades of AKF experience working with communities to tackle poverty, improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience. Rather than treating conservation and economic development as competing priorities, the programme will work with communities to develop practical alternatives to activities such as overfishing, deforestation and unsustainable farming. 

This means restoring mangroves while developing more sustainable fisheries; supporting farmers to adopt regenerative approaches that improve productivity and soil health; expanding access to clean energy; or creating enterprises and jobs connected to healthier natural environments. The ambition is to demonstrate a model in which communities have a direct economic stake in protecting the ecosystems around them ? and where environmental restoration becomes a driver of wider economic regeneration. 

The programme is also being brought to life through a new series of films produced in partnership with Open Planet Studios. Filmed initially in Kenya and India and narrated by Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, the first ReGeneration film explores the relationship between nature, livelihoods and economic opportunity through the experiences of the communities at the heart of the programme.

Following early screenings in Mombasa and during London Climate Action Week, the films are now being showcased internationally, including around New York Climate Week and at events in Houston and Paris, with further screenings planned as the initiative develops. Future films will explore individual countries and themes within ReGeneration, with further filming planned in Tanzania, Mozambique, Pakistan and Madagascar.

ReGeneration forms part of a wider message: that retreating from long-term investment in communities now risks reversing progress on some of the world's most pressing development challenges. 

Matt Reed, Global Director of Partnerships and CEO of Aga Khan Foundation UK, said: "We are at a point where the international community is having to think differently about how development is funded and delivered. But stepping back from investment in climate resilience, education and economic opportunity now would carry enormous long-term costs. Whether we are talking about restoring an ecosystem or improving a child's education, the principle is the same: invest in the capacity of communities to shape their own futures. ReGeneration is an example of what that can look like in practice - bringing together environmental restoration and economic opportunity rather than asking communities to choose between the two." 

For media enquiries please contact Ellen Agnew.

About ReGeneration 

ReGeneration is a ten-year Aga Khan Foundation initiative working with communities across six countries in the Indian Ocean region to restore natural environments while strengthening livelihoods and local economies.

The programme brings together approaches including mangrove and ecosystem restoration, regenerative agriculture, sustainable fisheries, clean energy and enterprise development. 

ReGeneration films 

A series of films is being produced with Open Planet Studios to document ReGeneration and the communities involved in the programme. 

The first films were shot in Kenya and India and are narrated by Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan. Further filming is planned in Mozambique, Pakistan and Madagascar. 

To view the films: 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfGEhmFM8tg

12 minute film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWcGDCksLG8

Attachments

ReGeneration, India

ReGeneration, Mozambique

Ellen Agnew

Aga Khan Foundation

ellen.agnew@akdn.org

Copyright ? 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curia Global, Inc. (Curia), a leading global contract, development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced a strategic investment to expand its sterile API manufacturing capabilities for both steroid and non-steroid products in Valladolid, Spain. This expansion is set to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2028.

Together with Curia's sterility assurance and solid-state engineering expertise, including aseptic crystallization, milling and micronization, the expansion will enhance support for injectable suspensions and other complex sterile formulations.

Closed systems with barrier isolators will provide primary containment for sterile API handling while minimizing operator interaction through integrated service panels. The expanded capabilities will also support flexibility in scale from grams to metric tons and offer customizable aseptic packaging configurations designed to preserve sterility assurance, reduce handoffs and mitigate contamination risk during transfer and storage.

"Our Valladolid site is uniquely positioned to deliver variable batch size manufacturing for sterile APIs, and this investment is an important step in the continued growth of our sterile API capabilities," said Scott Wagner, President, API, at Curia. "It will enable us to build on the site's decades of sterile manufacturing expertise, while offering our partners greater flexibility in scale and more support from development through commercial manufacturing."

This expansion follows Curia's recent $4 million upgrade of its API aseptic suites in Valladolid, which was completed in May, further strengthening its integrated R&D, analytical and manufacturing services.    

About Curia

Curia is a contract research, development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) with an integrated network of 20+ global sites and 3,000+ employees supporting biopharmaceutical customers from discovery through commercialization. Our capabilities span small molecules, generic APIs and biologics, with expertise in regulatory support, analytical services, drug substance and sterile fill-finish manufacturing.

Founded in 1991 as Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI), Curia built its foundation on scientific innovation and was originally known for the discovery and development of the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Allegra. Over the last three decades, we expanded our capabilities and global footprint through strategic acquisitions, including Crystal Pharma, Euticals, Gadea Pharmaceutical Group, Integrity Bio, LakePharma and Ragactives. Today, Curia partners with customers to accelerate discovery, development and manufacturing timelines to help bring life-changing therapies to patients. Visit us at curiaglobal.com.

Corporate Contact:

Viana Bhagan

Curia

+1 518 512 2111

corporatecommunications@CuriaGlobal.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Curia Global, Inc. (Curia), salah satu perusahaan penyedia layanan pengembangan dan manufaktur berbasis kontrak (CDMO) terkemuka di dunia, hari ini mengumumkan investasi strategis untuk memperluas kapabilitas produksi bahan aktif farmasi (API) steril, baik untuk produk steroid maupun nonsteroid, di Valladolid, Spanyol. Perluasan ini ditargetkan rampung pada kuartal keempat tahun 2028.

Perluasan ini sendiri didukung oleh keahlian Curia dalam penjaminan sterilitas dan rekayasa bentuk padat, termasuk kristalisasi aseptik, penggilingan, dan mikronisasi. Langkah ini akan meningkatkan kemampuan perusahaan dalam mendukung formulasi suspensi injeksi dan formulasi steril kompleks lainnya.

Sistem tertutup dengan isolator penghalang akan menyediakan perlindungan utama dalam penanganan API steril, sekaligus meminimalkan interaksi operator melalui panel layanan terintegrasi. Perluasan kapabilitas ini juga akan mendukung fleksibilitas skala produksi, mulai dari hitungan gram hingga ton metrik. Selain itu, fasilitas ini akan menawarkan konfigurasi pengemasan aseptik yang dapat disesuaikan. Konfigurasi ini dirancang untuk mempertahankan jaminan sterilitas, mengurangi proses serah terima, serta meminimalkan risiko kontaminasi selama pemindahan dan penyimpanan.

"Fasilitas kami di Valladolid memiliki keunggulan khusus dalam memproduksi API steril dengan ukuran batch yang bervariasi. Investasi ini merupakan langkah penting dalam pengembangan berkelanjutan kemampuan produksi API steril kami," ujar Scott Wagner, Presiden Divisi API di Curia.

"Investasi ini memungkinkan kami untuk terus mengembangkan keahlian fasilitas tersebut yang telah terbangun selama puluhan tahun dalam produksi steril. Investasi ini juga memberi mitra kami fleksibilitas skala produksi yang lebih besar serta dukungan yang lebih luas, mulai dari tahap pengembangan hingga produksi komersial."

Perluasan ini menyusul peningkatan fasilitas produksi API aseptik Curia di Valladolid senilai US$4 juta yang baru-baru ini rampung pada Mei lalu. Peningkatan tersebut semakin memperkuat layanan Litbang, analisis, serta manufaktur terintegrasi perusahaan.

Tentang Curia

Curia adalah perusahaan penelitian, pengembangan, dan manufaktur berbasis kontrak (contract research, development and manufacturing organization/CDMO) dengan jaringan terpadu yang mencakup lebih dari 20 lokasi global dan didukung oleh lebih dari 3.000 karyawan. Curia mendukung pelanggan biofarmasi mulai dari tahap penemuan hingga komersialisasi.

Kapabilitas kami mencakup molekul kecil, API generik, dan produk biologis, dengan keahlian dalam dukungan regulasi, layanan analitik, manufaktur bahan obat, serta pengisian dan penyelesaian akhir secara steril.

Didirikan pada tahun 1991 dengan nama Albany Molecular Research, Inc. (AMRI), Curia berkembang dengan berlandaskan inovasi ilmiah dan pada awalnya dikenal atas penemuan serta pengembangan bahan aktif farmasi (API) yang digunakan dalam obat alergi Allegra.

Selama tiga dekade terakhir, kami telah meningkatkan kapabilitas dan kehadiran kami di pasar global melalui sejumlah akuisisi strategis, termasuk Crystal Pharma, Euticals, Gadea Pharmaceutical Group, Integrity Bio, LakePharma, dan Ragactives. Saat ini, Curia bermitra dengan pelanggan untuk mempercepat proses penemuan, pengembangan, dan manufaktur guna membantu menghadirkan terapi yang dapat mengubah kehidupan pasien. Kunjungi kami di curiaglobal.com.

Kontak Korporat:

Viana Bhagan

Curia

+1 518 512 2111

corporatecommunications@CuriaGlobal.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

New Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector brings Wood Mackenzie's proprietary energy insights, data and analytical capabilities directly into Microsoft Copilot, enabling faster, more confident decisions

LONDON/HOUSTON/SINGAPORE, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wood Mackenzie | www.woodmac.com

Wood Mackenzie today announced that customers can now access Wood Mackenzie's proprietary content, data and analytical capabilities directly within their Microsoft Copilot environment. Wood Mackenzie for Microsoft Copilot gives authorised users access to Wood Mackenzie research, data and analytical insight through natural-language prompts, directly within Copilot.

The new capability is built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open standard that enables AI environments to dynamically discover and use external intelligence. The integration connects Wood Mackenzie's trusted research, datasets and analytical models to Copilot, so that energy and natural resource professionals can surface relevant intelligence without leaving the workflows they already use.

Embedded where decisions happen

As enterprise organisations move from AI experimentation toward embedded AI solutions and agentic workflows, the demand for high-quality, governed external intelligence inside those environments has grown significantly. Enterprise teams increasingly need trusted domain intelligence inside day-to-day decision workflows, not simply general-purpose answers. Wood Mackenzie's plugin for Copilot is designed to meet that demand, bringing trusted energy and natural resource intelligence directly into the environment where professionals are already working.

Intelligent discovery across content, data and analytics

Teams have previously needed to navigate workflow fragmentation, switching between platforms and manually exporting, cleaning and reconciling information from separate systems. Wood Mackenzie's plugin for Copilot addresses this directly. Customers can now ask natural-language questions and surface relevant Wood Mackenzie written analysis, discover and retrieve content without manually searching across separate platforms, and bring Wood Mackenzie insights into documents, spreadsheets and internal workflows, all within their Microsoft  Copilot environment.

The result is faster access to precise, domain-specific intelligence, less manual searching, exporting and reconciling, and more confident decisions grounded in trusted Wood Mackenzie data, methodologies and analyst expertise.

Grounded in proprietary data, methodology and analyst expertise

The intelligence surfaced through the integration is grounded in Wood Mackenzie's proprietary datasets, methodologies, models and analyst expertise all of which is enhanced by Synoptic, Wood Mackenzie's own application of AI, giving customers greater confidence in the evidence behind critical decisions. By reducing workflow friction and accelerating time to insight, Wood Mackenzie for Copilot is designed to help organisations improve the quality and speed of decision-making across screening, benchmarking, strategic analysis and decision preparation.

The Microsoft Copilot integration marks the beginning of Wood Mackenzie's AI connector strategy, designed to bring trusted intelligence into the platforms and workflows customers already use.

"AI is becoming the primary environment where analysis is done, decisions are prepared and strategies are tested. Our job is to make sure Wood Mackenzie intelligence, enhanced by our own Synoptic AI, is available inside that environment, governed, traceable and ready to use. This integration means our clients spend less time moving between systems and more time connecting with and applying the insight that matters. This is the first step in a broader initiative and there is more to come as we continue to expand."

-- Bernardo Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and Chief Product & Technology Officer, Wood Mackenzie

"Wood Mackenzie's plugin for Microsoft Copilot demonstrates how domain-specific knowledge can be made accessible directly within the workflows and AI environments organizations are already using. For customers in the energy and natural resources sector, this means the evidence they need to support critical decisions is available where the work is happening."

-- Chantrelle Nielsen, Principal Product Manager for Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft

The integration is available now, with expanded data and analytical capabilities being introduced on a phased basis as additional datasets and models become MCP-ready.

Wood Mackenzie for Microsoft Copilot connects trusted energy and natural resources intelligence with enterprise AI workflows, helping customers access relevant research, data and analytics through natural-language discovery.

Learn more here: Connecting to our intelligence | Wood Mackenzie

About Wood Mackenzie: Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape. For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world's most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments. Now, with the world's energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough.

That's why we've redefined what's possible with Intelligence Connected: the fusion of our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, to deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe to empower our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunity faster and make every decision with complete confidence.

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

HOUSTON, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VoltaGrid (the "Company") announced the closing of the equity investments that were previously announced on May 11, 2026.

In addition to the primary investment of $775 million from funds managed by Blackstone Tactical Opportunities and from Halliburton Company, the secondary investment from existing investors was upsized from $225 million to $800 million and was comprised of purchasers that included institutional and other investors.

The announced investments broaden the Company's long-term investor base as the Company scales its buildout of behind-the-meter power generation capacity for data center, microgrid and industrial customers across North America. The secondary purchases provided liquidity to certain existing members of the Company and did not result in additional proceeds to the Company.

Advisors

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays and TD Securities acted as placement agents to VoltaGrid. Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to VoltaGrid.

About VoltaGrid

VoltaGrid is an advanced energy management and generation company delivering firm, off-grid power solutions for some of the world's most demanding applications. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, VoltaGrid provides behind-the-meter generation, portable power, CNG fuel supply, infrastructure, and energy management services to data centers, AI infrastructure, utilities, and industrial customers across North America and beyond.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which reflect the Company's current views with respect to, among other things, the Company's operations and financial performance, its buildout of behind-the-meter power generation capacity and the benefits of the strategic equity investment referred to herein.

You can generally identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "indicator," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "scheduled," "estimates," "anticipates," "opportunity," "leads," "forecast," "possible" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking.

These statements include declarations regarding the Company's management's beliefs and current expectations. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and the Company is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, alter, or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Media Contact

Susan Johnson - susan.johnson@voltagrid.com

Copyright 2026 GlobeNewswire, Inc.

CEBU, Philippines, Oct. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dmitry Shubov of Dmitry Shubov Consulting attended the Cebu Summit 2026, held October 2-3 at the Bai Hotel Cebu. The summit convened digital agency founders, automation specialists, and technical operators from across Southeast Asia and global markets to examine workflow automation, agentic deployment, and client acquisition.

As Southeast Asian technology agencies and service firms increasingly integrate artificial intelligence into production environments and scale client engagements across borders, operational readiness and cross-border corporate architecture have emerged as key priorities. Participation in the summit provided direct insight into how regional agency leaders are structuring service delivery, managing cross-border commercial agreements, and addressing client data isolation requirements.

Summit sessions highlighted a growing operational divide between teams treating automation as an internal productivity experiment and those packaging agentic workflows into recurring enterprise contracts. For agencies actively serving cross-border accounts, discussions centered on the practical mechanics of scaling without importing legal risk, specifically around data sandboxing, contractor intellectual property assignments, and cross-border payment structures.

"It was great seeing how aggressively regional operators are building out agentic systems, but the conversations around scaling repeatedly hit the exact same friction point: client procurement," said Dmitry Shubov, CEO and Founder of Dmitry Shubov Consulting.

"When an overseas agency wins an enterprise client in the States or Europe, the buyer's legal team is immediately going to scrutinize who owns the underlying workflows and how proprietary data is protected. Getting those contract terms and corporate structures sorted out early is what keeps commercial momentum going."

The summit's focus on operational discipline reflects a broader shift across Southeast Asia, where establishing sound cross-border frameworks is becoming central to participating in international technology markets. For more information, please visit dmitryshubovconsulting.com directly.

About Dmitry Shubov Consulting

At Dmitry Shubov Consulting, our mission is to connect accredited investors with groundbreaking legal technology startups, fostering innovation and growth across Southeast Asia and helping Asian businesses enter the U.S. market. For more information, please visit our website or contact us directly.

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SHANGHAI, CHINA - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 October 2026 - On October 3, 2026, local time, a Shanghai-themed cultural exchange event was held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., bringing a taste of Shanghai to the U.S. Titled "Future Resonance - ShanghaiEye Night," the event was also part of the "Shanghai Let's Meet" city promotion initiative and a broader series of China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges.

Through a variety of cultural activities and interactions, the event built bridges between people across the Pacific and offered a glimpse of Shanghai as an open, inclusive and dynamic international metropolis.

The event, held by Shanghai Media Group, brought together nearly 100 prominent figures from China and the United States across the political, business, technology, cultural and arts sectors. Song Jiongming, President of Shanghai Media Group, and Susan Lee, Secretary of State of Maryland, attended the event and delivered remarks. Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng was also in attendance.

In the afternoon, the National Mall was transformed into a "mini Shanghai" carnival. The carnival featured 50 stalls showcasing international cuisine, a "Shanghai Charm" themed exhibition area and displays of China's intangible cultural heritage.

Visitors got a glimpse of Shanghai's cutting-edge technological innovation through a model of the C919 passenger jet, explored the city's latest trends through a model of the Oriental Pearl Tower and popular Chinese cultural and creative IPs, and took a virtual journey through Shanghai's past and present with VR headsets provided by the Shanghai Museum.

Time-honored brands such as White Rabbit candy, Hero fountain pens and Lao Feng Xiang Jewelry offered visitors a taste of Shanghai's iconic homegrown brands. Meanwhile, an IP SHANGHAI lenticular art exhibition brought the city to life through dynamic images that changed as visitors moved around the displays.

From such an immersive experience showcasing Shanghai as a first stop for international visitors entering China to distinctive IPs spanning culture, commerce, tourism, sports and exhibitions, the carnival offered Americans and international visitors a glimpse of the city and a chance to experience Shanghai firsthand at one of Washington's most iconic landmarks. Many visitors said they hoped to visit Shanghai in person and explore the city on foot through a "city walk."

As the sun began to set, its golden glow fell over the Capitol dome. Against an iconic backdrop featuring the two cities, the "Future Resonance" outdoor concert got underway.

Young performers from China and the United States took the stage alongside renowned artists from both countries. The One Voice Children's Choir from the United States and the Manhattan Philharmonic joined forces to perform "We Are Together," a song created in Shanghai to celebrate friendship between the two countries.

The program featured a rich mix of symphonic works, traditional Chinese music, Chinese opera and anime music. Footage from Shanghai's city image film "UP! SHANGHAI" played on the large screen behind the stage throughout the concert.

Later that evening, nearly 100 guests from China and the United States, including prominent figures from politics, business, technology, culture and the arts, took part in the ShanghaiEye Night dialogue session.

Themed "Invest in China for a Win-Win Future," the dialogue highlighted the China International Import Expo and Shanghai's development as an international economic, financial, trade, shipping and technological innovation center. It also showcased the city's world-class business environment and provided a platform for high-level dialogue and practical cooperation between Chinese and U.S. companies.

The dialogue also featured a "Shanghai Charm" city image reception area. On one side, twenty selected historical photographs capturing key "Shanghai moments" in China-U.S. relations were displayed, including the signing of the Shanghai Communiqu?, the launch of the first China-U.S. air route, the opening of Apple's first store in China, the Tesla Gigafactory and the 10th anniversary of Shanghai Disney Resort.

On the other side, 20 photographs from the IP SHANGHAI platform, under the theme "Chasing Dreams in Shanghai," showcased Lujiazui Financial City, Yangshan Deep-Water Port, Shanghai Grand Opera House, the North Bund shipping hub, and the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek. Together, the displays offered guests a visual introduction to the city and created lasting memories of Shanghai.

With the support of the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government and co-hosted by Shanghai Media Group, the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Conservation Center and the Washington Chinese Community Alliance, the event brought together guests from a range of sectors in China and the United States.

The event brought Shanghai closer to American audiences and the international community through city promotion, cultural performances, interactive experiences and high-level dialogue. It also provided a platform for people-to-people and cultural exchange between China and the United States.

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

Hashtags: #ShanghaiEye

Mr. Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 October 2026 - The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa has attracted 12,010 high-potential foreigners to Thailand in four years, generating approximately USD 1.28 billion (THB 43 billion) in economic value, according to the Board of Investment (BOI).

The visa is a key mechanism for attracting executives and highly skilled personnel for future industries while increasing purchasing power and stimulating domestic spending and economic activity. A new online system now links services from four government agencies in an integrated process.

Introduced in September 2022 to attract high-potential foreigners to reside and conduct economic activities in Thailand, the LTR visa program has generated an average economic value of more than USD 107,000 (THB 3.6 million) per recipient, according to BOI data. The calculation covers visa fees, spending in Thailand by visa holders, direct investment, and tax revenue from highly skilled professionals.

Amid intensifying global competition for highly skilled personnel, the LTR visa is an important mechanism for bringing global talent into Thailand. This is particularly relevant as the country prepares for a new wave of investment in advanced-technology industries, including semiconductors and advanced electronics, digital technology and AI, humanoid robotics, aviation, and biotechnology.

"The LTR visa is a strategic pillar to attract global talent as Thailand absorbs a new wave of advanced technology investments," said Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Secretary General of the Board of Investment. "Drawing top-tier executives and technical specialists from around the world is vital to strengthening our national competitiveness and securing technology transfers from international partners."

Approved LTR visa recipients primarily come from leading economies. The United States accounts for the largest group, with more than 2,400 approvals, followed by Japan with more than 1,300 and the United Kingdom with more than 1,000. Japanese nationals comprise a notable share of the specialist bracket, aligning with Japan's heavy footprint in Thailand's automotive and precision-electronics supply networks.

The 12,010 approved LTR visa recipients fall into five categories: 1,779 Highly-Skilled Professionals; 1,043 Work-from-Thailand Professionals, who work from Thailand for overseas employers; 737 Wealthy Global Citizens; 4,561 Wealthy Pensioners; and 3,891 Dependents of recipients in the first four categories.

Among recipients in the Highly-Skilled Professionals and Work-from-Thailand Professionals categories, 54% hold executive-level positions and 36% are professionals in various fields; the remainder are at the technical level. Applicants in each category must meet specific criteria, such as requirements relating to assets, income, investment evidence, work experience, and health insurance, and undergo rigorous checks by the relevant agencies.

To handle rising application volumes and remove long-standing administrative bottlenecks, the BOI rolled out an integrated digital processing portal in September 2026. The platform centralizes review procedures across four primary state bodies: the Department of Consular Affairs, the Immigration Bureau, the Department of Employment, and the Revenue Department.

Complementing the portal, the Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center (TIESC), a one-stop service center, is located on floors 6-7 of the Parade Zone at One Bangkok. "The center is intended to strengthen Thailand's competitiveness in continuously attracting high-potential talent from around the world," said Mr. Narit.

In addition to attracting foreign talent through the LTR visa, BOI also facilitates visas and work permits for executives and personnel working in BOI-promoted businesses through the BOI Visa, and offers the Smart Visa for startups. BOI also supports the skills development of Thai personnel through the Skill Bridge measure, and helps Thai entrepreneurs adopt modern technology to enhance their competitiveness through the Business Transformation measure.

These measures work hand in hand to attract international experts, develop Thai personnel, and upgrade Thai businesses, strengthening Thailand's readiness for the transition to a new economy driven by technology and innovation.

Note: Currency conversions are based on the Bank of Thailand's average selling rate of approximately 1 USD = 33.6 THB.

Thailand Board of Investment (BOI)

Established in 1966, the Office of the Board of Investment (BOI) has played an important role for more than 60 years in promoting value-creating investment by both foreign and Thai investors, strengthening competitiveness and supporting Thailand's sustainable economic restructuring toward the new economy.

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

Hashtags: #Thailandboardofinvestment #BOI #FDI #Investment

https://www.boi.go.th/en/index/