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Bridge Data Centres and Morong Electric Jointly Launch the World's First Fully Prefabricated Power Module for AI Data Centres

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:23:00 +0700

Called PowerCore 5.0, the containerised module will reduce power infrastructure delivery timelines by more than 50%.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 6 August 2026 - Bridge Data Centres (BDC), a Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data centre provider, and Morong Electric, an electrical manufacturing specialist, have launched PowerCore 5.0, the world's first fully prefabricated power module designed for high-density AI data centres.

Built for high-density AI workloads on accelerated deployment timelines, the module complies with the technical standards of BDC's proprietary i-Power Cube, its power system designed for high-performance computing. It integrates seamlessly with the Bridge Omni Platform, BDC's modular intelligent infrastructure platform for the AI era. PowerCore 5.0 combines BDC's global hyperscale delivery experience with Morong Electric's end-to-end electrical manufacturing expertise.

Rapid AI advancement has driven rack power densities from 10kW to more than 100kW, placing stringent new demands on mission-critical power infrastructure. Traditional delivery models, which rely on fragmented procurement and on-site system integration, struggle to cater to the rigorous requirements of AI-optimised data centres. Drawing on BDC's global campus delivery footprint and Morong Electric's electrical engineering expertise, PowerCore 5.0 addresses these challenges through four core design attributes: factory pre-integration, standardised global transport, parallel construction and maintenance without downtime.

Factory pre-integration

Each unit integrates transformers, power distribution, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), cooling, fire suppression and monitoring systems into a single module, fully assembled and tested off-site. Site teams need only complete the final cable connections on delivery, removing the quality inconsistencies that accompany conventional field construction.

Standardised global transport

Built on a standard 40ft ISO container frame, the module integrates seamlessly with global shipping networks, eliminating oversized freight premiums, dedicated transport and protracted customs delays that hinder cross-border deployments. Purpose-engineered for BDC's core markets, it complies with local climatic benchmarks and industrial standards to enable dependable global rollout.

Shortened delivery timelines by more than 50%

On-site civil works and factory prefabrication proceed simultaneously, shortening total delivery timelines by more than 50% compared with conventional build methods[1]. Large campuses can deploy units on a bi-weekly cadence, matching the rapid scaling and flexible capacity expansion that AI demands.

Maintenance without downtime

In an industry first, core components including UPS units, transformers and precision cooling are mounted on slide-out rails. Technicians can withdraw and service individual units without interrupting power to the data centre, keeping high-density compute clusters running around the clock.

Mr Zhang Binghua, Chief Technology Officer of BDC, said, "The AI infrastructure sector is scaling at an unprecedented rate, and operators now require higher power density, faster hardware refreshes and maximum uptime. This shift requires us to rethink how power systems are designed and deployed. PowerCore 5.0 raises the bar on system integration, cross-climate operation, delivery speed and intelligent operations and maintenance. It will enable standardised, low-carbon compute deployments across the globe and provide the stable power foundation to support the continued growth of the global AI ecosystem."

Mr Zhang Kai, Chairman of Morong Electric, said, "AI hardware now evolves on a monthly cycle, and traditional on-site system integration can no longer keep pace with the operational needs of modern AI data centres. Prefabricated power modules clear the delivery bottlenecks holding back compute infrastructure expansion. This launch marks a critical milestone in our strategic partnership, and we will continue to co-develop high-performance, integrated power solutions that meet global market standards and regional compliance requirements."

BDC and Morong Electric will continue to develop prefabricated power modules engineered for ultra-high-density compute and cross-border regulatory alignment. Both companies aim to advance industry-wide technical standardisation and the collaborative development of compute infrastructure. Their low-carbon, modular power solutions will support the sustainable and scalable growth of AI operations across international markets.

[1] Conventional build methods typically deliver power modules on a monthly cycle. PowerCore 5.0 is delivered on a bi-weekly cycle.

About Bridge Data Centres

Bridge Data Centres (BDC) is a Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data centre provider delivering high-performance, next-generation digital infrastructure across Asia Pacific. Backed by Bain Capital, BDC operates in Malaysia, Thailand, India, and other high-growth markets, with the capability to deliver up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity globally by 2030 through partnerships with sister platforms in Europe and the United States.

About Morong Electric

Morong Electric is a power solutions provider for AI data centers worldwide and a developer and manufacturer of modular AI data center infrastructure products. Its PowerCore 5.0 is a Factory-built AI Infrastructure product system spanning core product lines including GridHub (medium-voltage intake), RingNode (medium-voltage ring network), GridBlock (core power transformation and distribution), and EnergyVault (backup energy). Guided by the principles of modular data centers, productized design, global standardization, elastic scalability, factory-grade smart manufacturing, rapid deployment, and integrated intelligent control, Morong Electric is committed to advancing power infrastructure for the AI computing era through industrialized mass production.

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

Hashtags: #BridgeDataCentres

RXR Nuclear Receptor Agonists Promote Clearance of Alpha-Synuclein in Cellular Models

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:18:00 +0700

Investigators Present Data Supporting Disease-Modifying Potential of the Io Therapeutics RXR Agonist Compound IRX4204 in Parkinson's Disease

SPRING, Texas, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Io Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held pharmaceutical company headquartered in Spring, Texas, announced today the presentation of new research demonstrating that IRX4204, the company's phase II clinical stage highly selective RXR nuclear receptor agonist, promotes degradation of alpha-synuclein protein in human neural cells.

The findings were presented in an oral session titled "Targeting RXR Nuclear Receptor Signaling for Lysosomal Clearance of Alpha-Synuclein: Translational Perspectives and Emerging Pharmacological Applications in Parkinson's Disease" at the International Retinoids Conference VIII in Niagara Falls, New York. The work was conducted by scientists at the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham. The presentation was delivered by Arati Tripathi, Ph.D., who led the research efforts with Ulf Dettmer, Ph.D.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is driven by abnormal aggregation, over-accumulation, and toxic effects of alpha-synuclein protein in dopaminergic neurons. Toxicity from accumulated alpha-synuclein leads to neuronal cell death and the progressive clinical manifestations of PD, including tremor, loss of motor and cognitive functions, and ultimately death.

Dr. Tripathi stated: "Alpha-synuclein is genetically tied to PD and accumulation of αSyn as intraneuronal aggregates in Lewy bodies and neurites is the neuropathological hallmark in PD patients. Strategies aimed at chronically reducing αSyn levels thus represent a rational approach to PD treatment and ultimately prevention. Our work demonstrated that pharmacological modulation of RXR targets alpha-synuclein clearance and counters proteotoxicity. In human cell models and human PD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons, RXR agonism actively stimulates the autophagy-lysosome pathway to drive clearance of accumulated alpha-synuclein. This protective response was observed with multiple small-molecule RXR agonists, including bexarotene, an FDA-approved drug for T-cell lymphoma. For further validation, we utilized the experimental clinical-stage RXR agonist IRX4204. Our data show that IRX4204 markedly reduced alpha-synuclein levels in a human cellular model of PD, more potently than bexarotene. We look forward to building upon this promising preliminary observation."

Dr. Dettmer stated: "There are currently no approved drugs proven to slow or reverse progression of PD. Our studies on RXR-mediated alpha-synuclein degradation have important clinical implications. The data demonstrate a druggable pathway for inducing alpha-synuclein clearance from diseased neurons, and provide a mechanistic rationale for continued evaluation of selective RXR agonists such as IRX4204 for treatment of alpha-synuclein-associated pathologies, including Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy."

Martin E. Sanders, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Io Therapeutics, stated: "IRX4204 is a phase II clinical-stage compound invented by Vidyasagar Vuligonda, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Io Therapeutics, and Roshantha Chandraratna, Ph.D., co-founder of the company. IRX4204 is approximately 100-fold more potent as an RXR agonist and far more selectively activates RXR than the earlier-generation RXR agonist bexarotene, which is associated with clinical adverse events linked to its off-target activation of multiple non-RXR nuclear receptors.

The finding that IRX4204 promotes degradation of alpha-synuclein in human neural cells expands the drug's previously reported mechanisms of action relevant to PD. In addition to the newly demonstrated effect of IRX4204 promoting alpha-synuclein clearance, we have previously reported that IRX4204 promotes recovery of functional motor disability, and increases dopaminergic neuron survival in a rat model of PD.

IRX4204 has demonstrated an excellent chronic dosing safety profile in clinical trials, including in patients with Parkinson's disease and other conditions. The safety profile observed to date in more than 100 patients treated with IRX4204 shows it is likely to be suitably safe for chronic treatment of Parkinson's disease.

We previously reported that IRX4204 showed clinical anti-Parkinson's disease activity assessed by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the UPDRS Total Motor Subscale in an open-label, dose-ranging Phase I/II clinical trial of up to 28 days' duration. Notably, 13 of 15 PD patients treated with IRX4204 showed UPDRS improvement, with some patients achieving more than 40% improvement from baseline in their UPDRS Total Motor Subscale scores within two to four weeks. Cumulatively, preclinical and clinical observations support the potential of IRX4204 to modify disease-course progression in PD. The company is planning future Phase IIb and Phase III clinical trials of IRX4204 in patients with Parkinson's disease to study its effects on PD progression."

More information about Io Therapeutics, Inc. and its product development programs is available at www.io-therapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Io Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:

Io Therapeutics, Inc.

Spring, Texas

info@io-therapeutics.com

*Pengadilan Membuka Bukti Kunci dalam Perkara Coventry yang Menunjukkan Abacus Global Management...

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:13:00 +0700

*Pengadilan Membuka Bukti Kunci dalam Perkara Coventry yang Menunjukkan Abacus Global Management Mengandalkan Estimasi Harapan Hidup yang Lebih Pendek dari Lapetus dan Menyesatkan Investor

Dokumen Pengajuan Lapetus kepada Kantor Regulator Asuransi Florida Mengungkap Rasio Aktual terhadap Perkiraan yang Mengkhawatirkan, Hanya 41,5%

Abacus Menyesatkan Investornya dengan Menyembunyikan Fakta Penting Terkait Laporan Valuasi Lewis & Ellis yang Disusun atas Permintaannya

FORT WASHINGTON, Pennsylvania, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coventry First LLC ("Coventry") dan Salah Satu Pendiri sekaligus Ketua Eksekutifnya, Alan H. Buerger, berhasil memperoleh putusan penting dalam sengketa hukum yang sedang berlangsung dengan Abacus Global Management Inc. ("Abacus") (NYSE: ABX).

Pada 29 Juli 2026, Pengadilan Distrik AS untuk Distrik Tengah Florida memerintahkan dibukanya sejumlah dokumen penting yang sebelumnya berusaha dirahasiakan Abacus dari publik. Dokumen tersebut mencakup catatan internal yang menunjukkan bahwa Abacus dengan sadar mengandalkan estimasi harapan hidup yang jauh lebih pendek dari biasanya dari Lapetus Solutions ("Lapetus"), sekaligus menghilangkan sejumlah fakta penting dalam penjelasan publiknya mengenai laporan valuasi Lewis & Ellis yang dibuat atas permintaan Abacus.

Coventry Mengajukan Kembali Jawaban dan Gugatan Balik dengan Menyertakan Bukti yang Baru Dibuka kepada Publik

Sesuai dengan putusan Pengadilan, Coventry dan Tn. Buerger kemarin mengajukan kembali Jawaban dan Gugatan Balik terhadap Abacus dengan menyertakan lampiran bukti yang baru dibuka kepada publik. Bukti-bukti tersebut semakin memperkuat klaim Coventry bahwa Abacus telah menyesatkan investor dan publik mengenai ketergantungan Abacus pada estimasi harapan hidup Lapetus sebagai data penting yang digunakan dalam memperoleh, menjual, dan menentukan nilai polis asuransi jiwa yang dijual kembali di pasar sekunder. Polis-polis tersebut mencakup polis yang dimiliki dalam portofolio Abacus sendiri maupun yang dijual kepada dana kelolaan afiliasinya, termasuk dana tempat koperasi kredit telah menginvestasikan lebih dari $500 juta.

Dokumen yang Dibuka kepada Publik Menunjukkan Rasio Aktual terhadap Ekspektasi (A/E) Lapetus Hanya 41,5%

Dalam dokumen pengajuan hukumnya, Abacus menyatakan bahwa estimasi harapan hidup Lapetus "tidak kalah akurat dibandingkan estimasi yang diterbitkan penyedia estimasi harapan hidup lainnya." Abacus juga menyatakan bahwa "estimasi Lapetus yang dilaporkan kepada Negara Bagian Florida sesuai dengan estimasi dari penyedia lainnya." Namun, bukti yang baru dibuka kepada publik menunjukkan bahwa pernyataan-pernyataan tersebut tidak benar dan bahwa Abacus mengetahui hal tersebut. Faktanya, Lapetus melaporkan rasio A/E hanya sebesar 41,5%. Ini berarti selama periode pengukuran, kurang dari separuh jumlah kematian yang diperkirakan Lapetus benar-benar terjadi. Sebagai perbandingan, penyedia estimasi harapan hidup terkemuka telah melaporkan secara terbuka rasio A/E yang mendekati 100%. Perbedaan mencolok ini membuktikan bahwa Lapetus secara sistematis memperkirakan harapan hidup terlalu rendah dan risiko kematian terlalu tinggi.

Dokumen Menunjukkan bahwa Abacus Mengetahui Estimasi Harapan Hidup Lapetus Secara Konsisten Terlalu Pendek

Dokumen lain yang baru dibuka kepada publik menunjukkan bahwa Abacus mengetahui adanya kesenjangan antara estimasi harapan hidup Lapetus dan estimasi yang dibuat oleh penilai risiko medis lainnya. Dalam salah satu korespondensi email yang baru dibuka kepada publik, CEO Abacus Jay Jackson membahas sebuah polis dengan estimasi harapan hidup antara 209 hingga 248 bulan dari tiga penyedia terkemuka. Sementara itu, Lapetus memperkirakan harapan hidup untuk polis yang sama hanya 72 bulan. Saat mengamati valuasi awal polis tersebut tampak "sangat tinggi," Tn. Jackson bertanya, "Apakah itu karena kita hanya menggunakan estimasi Lapetus?" Dalam contoh lain, dokumen yang baru dibuka kepada publik mengungkap korespondensi para investor berpengalaman di pasar sekunder polis asuransi jiwa yang membahas keengganan mereka membeli polis dari Abacus dengan harga yang ditetapkan berdasarkan estimasi Lapetus. Salah satu investor mengatakan bahwa estimasi Lapetus "biasanya jauh lebih pendek dibandingkan estimasi dari penyedia harapan hidup lain yang lebih terkemuka (seperti yang tentu sudah Anda ketahui!)."

Mantan CEO Lapetus Mengatakan Ia Tidak Lagi Dapat Bekerja Sama dengan Abacus dengan Itikad Baik

Kekhawatiran serupa juga diungkapkan oleh mantan CEO Lapetus dalam pesan teksnya kepada salah satu anggota Dewan Direksi Lapetus terkait niatnya untuk mengundurkan diri. Dalam pesan tersebut, yang dilampirkan sebagai salah satu bukti dalam Jawaban, eksekutif Lapetus itu menulis, "Saya tidak dapat lagi bekerja sama dengan [Abacus] dengan itikad baik. Saya tidak memercayai mereka. Karena mereka merupakan klien utama kami dan bahkan pada dasarnya satu-satunya, saya tidak dapat lagi memimpin bisnis ini."

Abacus Menerbitkan Siaran Pers yang Menyesatkan tentang Laporan Lewis & Ellis

Pada 10 Juni 2025, Abacus menerbitkan siaran pers untuk meyakinkan kembali para investor setelah Morpheus Research, perusahaan independen yang melakukan short selling, merilis sebuah laporan. Siaran pers tersebut membahas laporan valuasi yang disusun oleh perusahaan aktuaria Lewis & Ellis atas permintaan Abacus. Menurut Abacus, laporan Lewis & Ellis disusun tanpa mengandalkan estimasi harapan hidup Lapetus dan menghasilkan valuasi portofolio yang berada dalam rentang 1% dari valuasi yang dinyatakan Abacus. Namun, lampiran bukti yang menyertai Jawaban menunjukkan bahwa Abacus menghilangkan atau menyajikan secara keliru sedikitnya tiga fakta penting mengenai laporan tersebut:

Pertama, Abacus meminta Lewis & Ellis menghitung valuasi dengan beberapa tingkat diskonto. Namun, valuasi Lewis & Ellis yang dikutip Abacus untuk mendukung valuasi portofolionya dihitung menggunakan tingkat diskonto yang lebih rendah daripada tingkat yang digunakan Abacus dalam valuasinya sendiri sehingga menghasilkan valuasi yang lebih tinggi hingga jutaan dolar. Seandainya Abacus merujuk pada valuasi Lewis & Ellis yang dihitung menggunakan tingkat diskonto yang digunakan Abacus sendiri, selisih hasil valuasi tersebut tidak akan berada dalam batas 1% seperti diklaim Abacus.

Kedua, Abacus tidak mengungkapkan bahwa untuk lebih dari sepertiga polis yang dimintanya untuk dinilai oleh Lewis & Ellis, Abacus hanya memberikan estimasi harapan hidup "internal" yang dibuatnya sendiri, bukan estimasi yang disusun oleh penyedia pihak ketiga independen. Hal tersebut mengurangi independensi dan keandalan data yang digunakan dalam analisis Lewis & Ellis. Abacus juga tidak mengungkapkan bahwa Lewis & Ellis secara tegas memperingatkan bahwa estimasi yang disebut "internal" tersebut "tidak akan digunakan secara luas dalam industri, karena pelaku industri mungkin lebih mengandalkan pendapat estimasi Harapan Hidup Komersial."

Ketiga, Abacus tidak memberikan kepada Lewis & Ellis seluruh estimasi harapan hidup yang dimilikinya untuk polis-polis yang ditinjau. Hal ini bertentangan dengan asumsi yang dinyatakan Lewis & Ellis dalam laporannya bahwa Abacus telah memberikan "seluruh informasi relevan mengenai estimasi harapan hidup yang disusun untuk seorang tertanggung oleh berbagai penyedia estimasi Harapan Hidup." Dalam beberapa kasus, Abacus memberikan estimasi harapan hidup yang lebih lama dan lebih pendek, tetapi tidak memberikan estimasi yang lebih baru dan lebih panjang yang sebenarnya telah dimilikinya. Dengan memberikan estimasi harapan hidup versi lama yang lebih pendek untuk beberapa polis terbesarnya, Abacus menyebabkan valuasi polis-polis tersebut menjadi jauh lebih tinggi dari nilai yang semestinya.

Sejumlah dokumen penting lainnya yang bertentangan dengan pernyataan publik Abacus masih disegel. Coventry akan terus mendesak agar seluruh informasi yang relevan dibuka kepada publik.

Tautan ke Dokumen Pengadilan

Dokumen Jawaban dan Gugatan Balik Coventry yang diajukan kembali dapat diakses di sini https://www.coventry.com/coventry-and-alan-h-buerger-file-answer-to-abacus-global-management-first-amended-complaint/.

Tentang Coventry

Coventry adalah pemimpin dan pencipta pasar sekunder untuk asuransi jiwa. Selama lebih dari 25 tahun, kami telah memajukan industri ini dan memperluas peluang bagi pemilik polis asuransi jiwa. Pengalaman Coventry yang mendalam dipadukan dengan komitmen kuat terhadap hak-hak konsumen menjadikan Coventry pemimpin pasar yang jelas, posisi yang kami gunakan untuk meningkatkan standar industri dan memperluas pilihan bagi konsumen. Hingga saat ini, kami telah menyalurkan lebih dari $6 miliar kepada pemegang polis yang tidak lagi membutuhkan polis mereka. Untuk mempelajari selengkapnya tentang Coventry, kunjungi Coventry.com.

Kontak Media

Coventry First LLC

Info@Coventry.com

Circle CVI Advances Cardiovascular Imaging Innovation with cvi42 v6.5

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:10:00 +0700

New cvi42 v6.5 capabilities automate 4D Flow preprocessing, streamline CT workflow, and enhance reporting to help clinicians move from acquisition to insight faster

CALGARY, Alberta, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc. (Circle CVI) today announced the release of cvi42? v6.5, the latest version of its cardiovascular imaging platform. The update introduces workflow automation, reporting enhancements, and platform improvements designed to help clinicians move more efficiently from acquisition to insight.

From prevention and early detection through diagnosis, planning, and surveillance, cardiovascular imaging plays a critical role in helping care teams make informed decisions across the patient journey. As Signify Research notes in its latest MRI market outlook, expanding access to advanced imaging will depend on continued innovation, streamlined workflows, and more efficient use of existing capacity - priorities reflected in cvi42 v6.5.

In cvi42|4D Flow, automated phase offset correction, anti-aliasing, and segmentation help remove steps that can slow advanced analysis, supporting faster, more reproducible interpretation. A redesigned workflow with MPR navigation, velocity overlay, on-screen results, and up to 12 analysis planes helps readers assess more of the vasculature with less context switching and less manual preparation.

In cvi42|CORE CT, editable plaque segmentation, expanded calcium scoring references, and broader coronary CTA and PowerScribe support are intended to streamline interpretation and improve communication of findings. Circle CVI also introduced a Plaque Education Report for referring physicians, helping extend the value of imaging beyond the reading room and support patient conversations with clearer visual output.

cvi42|Quantitative Perfusion adds improved motion correction, a redesigned polar map display, and native integration into cvi42|Report, while reporting updates allow direct PDF printing and new vascular CT templates to reduce friction in report generation. Simplified TLS configuration also helps hospital IT teams reduce setup burden and support easier deployment.

"4D Flow has never been short on clinical value. What held it back was the preparation," said Scott Galbari, Chief Product Officer, Circle CVI. "In v6.5 that work happens automatically when the case is opened."

"A cardiovascular study produces far more information than any report can carry," said Dr. Kevin Steel, Chief Medical Officer, Circle CVI. "v6.5 shortens the path from acquisition to a reproducible measurement, and the Plaque Education Report gives the referring physician something they can actually discuss with the patient."

cvi42 v6.5 is available globally to existing customers as part of their current agreement. Feature availability varies by regulatory clearance in each market

To request a demonstration of cvi42 v6.5, visit circlecvi.com/get-started.

About Circle Cardiovascular Imaging

Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc. (Circle CVI) is a Canadian-based company founded in 2007 with a mission to develop innovative software solutions that enhance cardiovascular and cerebrovascular imaging analysis and ultimately improve patient care. Circle's flagship platform, cvi42, delivers best-in-class image reading and reporting tools for quantitative and qualitative assessment of cardiac MR, cardiac CT, vascular CT, and neuro CT. Today, millions of medical imaging exams each year, across 2,100+ hospitals in over 90 countries, are interpreted using Circle's cvi42 platform.

Media Contact

Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc.

marketing@circlecvi.com | circlecvi.com

cvi42 is a registered trademark of Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc. cvi42|Quantitative Perfusion is not for clinical use. Product features and availability are subject to regulatory clearance and vary by market.

New Velo Global Research Reveals the "Ripple Effect" of Self Expression

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:06:00 +0700

61% of Adults Feel More Comfortable Expressing Themselves When Others Do the Same

*New survey data shows four in ten (39%) adults find making genuine connections harder with age, but music and dancefloors found to be the ultimate fix

*Over a quarter (27%) of 25-35-year-olds say the strongest friendships are made at live music events

*Velo and Tomorrowland joined forces for "Echoes of Tomorrowland" to champion authentic self-expression and create a unique space for dance music fans to experience something new together.

LONDON, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New global research* from Velo highlights the growing need for shared experiences, as Velo launches "Echoes of Tomorrowland" - a global network of live events and synchronised livestreams that bring the magical experience of Tomorrowland to fans around the world.

The campaign is backed by new research* that found that almost two in five adults (39%) say building meaningful connections has become harder with age. This is driven by a range of factors, including difficulty in finding people with the same interests (28%), feeling awkward (27%) fear of rejection (24%), and a fear of being judged (21%).

Velo, the leading nicotine pouch brand in Europe** made for true originals, and Tomorrowland together believe the ultimate catalyst for breaking down these barriers is the music itself. The physical dancefloor acts as a powerful space for connection, driven by its unique role in self-expression. 30% of respondents agree the dancefloor is where they feel most able to show up as their authentic selves and "dance like nobody's watching", while 61% feel more comfortable expressing themselves when they see others doing the same. This leads to meaningful connections, with 27% of 25-35 year olds agreeing that friendships made at live music or cultural events are more genuine than those formed in other social settings.

With many fans unable to attend Tomorrowland in person, Velo brought the festival's energy, culture, and community beyond. And to prove that self-expression is contagious, the campaign kicked off with a bespoke social experiment at the Tomorrowland Store in Ibiza where guests were handed a beautifully crafted physical butterfly half and challenged to find a stranger holding the other half to complete the butterfly. This interactive social experiment instantly turned a room of strangers into an active, collaborative community.

The event, which took place on Friday 17th July, was headlined by Ukrainian house and techno DJ, Korolova, and featured a livestream from Tomorrowland's mainstage. Recreating Tomorrowland's unique culture of spontaneous community, Velo welcomed a mix of consumer fans alongside hosted media from the UK and Spain, and lifestyle and music creators flown in from all corners of the globe.

Through connected "Echo" events in Ibiza and others - featuring live stages, synchronised streams, and DJ sets - "Echoes of Tomorrowland" creates a unique space and opportunity for dance music fans to fully express themselves and experience something new together.

Reflecting on the unique energy of the night, global DJ headliner Korolova said: "The dancefloor is one of the few places where people feel completely free to express who they are without judgment. That's the energy I felt throughout the night in Ibiza, thanks to Velo - it was incredible to watch everyone let go, show up as their true selves, and celebrate their originality together."

Supporting artist Camden Cox added: "What stayed with me from the night was watching total strangers connect so easily through a shared experience. Sometimes all people need is a small invitation to start a conversation, and seeing the crowd use the physical butterflies to break the ice and dance together was pure magic."

Malky Brown, Global Head of Content & Partnerships at BAT, commented: "With 'Echoes of Tomorrowland', we wanted to recreate the sense of connection that makes the festival so special. By encouraging people to step outside their comfort zones and connect with others, we brought to life Velo's belief that self-expression can bring people closer together."

To watch the official event wrap film and discover more about Velo, visit @velo.global.

For +18 nicotine consumers only. This product contains nicotine and is addictive.

* 2009 Nicotine users (Aged 18+), who have used nicotine products for at least the past six months and are currently at least weekly users of nicotine products across the UK, Spain, Pakistan, Poland, and Austria. Research conducted between 16.06.2026 - 22.06.2026.

** Based on Velo estimated volume share in measured retail in the following key nicotine pouch markets in Europe: Sweden, Denmark, UK, Poland and Switzerland, calculated for the year 2025.

Enquiries  

For more information, please contact:

Elin Thomas

Consumer & Brand PR Manager

BAT (Nicoventures Communications (Switzerland) SA)

elin_thomas@bat.com

Riset Global Terbaru Velo Mengungkap Bagaimana Ekspresi Diri Menciptakan "Efek Berantai"

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 10:01:00 +0700

61% Orang Dewasa Merasa Lebih Nyaman Mengekspresikan Diri Ketika Orang Lain Juga Melakukannya

*Data survei terbaru menunjukkan bahwa empat dari sepuluh orang dewasa (39%) merasa semakin sulit membangun hubungan yang tulus seiring bertambahnya usia. Namun, musik dan lantai dansa terbukti menjadi solusi paling ampuh

*Lebih dari seperempat orang berusia 25-35 tahun (27%) mengatakan bahwa persahabatan paling erat terjalin di acara musik langsung

*Velo dan Tomorrowland berkolaborasi melalui "Echoes of Tomorrowland" untuk mendukung ekspresi menjadi diri sendiri sekaligus menciptakan ruang unik bagi penggemar musik dansa untuk menikmati pengalaman baru bersama.

LONDON, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Riset global terbaru* dari Velo menyoroti meningkatnya kebutuhan akan pengalaman bersama. Velo pun meluncurkan "Echoes of Tomorrowland" - jaringan global rangkaian acara langsung dan siaran langsung tersinkronisasi untuk membawa pengalaman magis Tomorrowland kepada para penggemar di seluruh dunia.

Kampanye ini didukung oleh riset terbaru* yang menunjukkan bahwa hampir dua dari lima orang dewasa (39%) merasa semakin sulit menjalin hubungan yang bermakna seiring bertambahnya usia. Kondisi ini dipengaruhi oleh berbagai faktor, antara lain kesulitan menemukan orang dengan minat serupa (28%), merasa canggung (27%), takut ditolak (24%), dan takut dihakimi (21%).

Velo, merek kantong nikotin terkemuka di Eropa** yang diciptakan untuk mereka yang berani jadi diri sendiri, bersama Tomorrowland meyakini bahwa musik itu sendiri merupakan katalis utama yang mampu meruntuhkan berbagai hambatan tersebut. Lantai dansa menjadi ruang yang sangat mendukung terciptanya koneksi berkat peran uniknya sebagai wadah ekspresi diri. Sebanyak 30% responden sepakat bahwa lantai dansa adalah tempat mereka merasa paling bebas untuk tampil sebagai diri sendiri dan "menari dengan bebas dan lepas". Sementara itu, 61% merasa lebih nyaman mengekspresikan diri ketika melihat orang lain melakukan hal yang sama. Hal ini mendorong terciptanya hubungan yang bermakna. Sebanyak 27% responden berusia 25?35 tahun sepakat bahwa persahabatan yang terjalin di acara musik langsung atau acara budaya terasa lebih tulus dibandingkan persahabatan yang terbentuk di lingkungan sosial lainnya.

Karena banyak penggemar tidak dapat menghadiri Tomorrowland secara langsung, Velo pun membawa energi, budaya, dan semangat kebersamaan festival tersebut kepada penggemar di seluruh dunia. Untuk membuktikan bahwa ekspresi diri dapat menular, kampanye ini dibuka dengan eksperimen sosial yang dirancang khusus di Tomorrowland Store, Ibiza. Setiap pengunjung diberi separuh ornamen kupu-kupu yang dibuat dengan indah, lalu ditantang mencari orang asing yang memegang bagian pasangannya untuk menyatukan kupu-kupu tersebut. Eksperimen sosial interaktif ini seketika menyatukan orang-orang yang sebelumnya tidak saling mengenal menjadi komunitas yang aktif dan kolaboratif.

Acara yang digelar pada Jumat, 17 Juli ini menampilkan Korolova, DJ house dan techno asal Ukraina, sebagai bintang utama, serta menghadirkan siaran langsung dari panggung utama Tomorrowland. Untuk menghadirkan kembali budaya khas Tomorrowland yang menumbuhkan kebersamaan secara spontan, Velo menyambut para konsumen penggemar Tomorrowland, media undangan dari Inggris dan Spanyol, serta kreator gaya hidup dan musik yang diterbangkan dari berbagai penjuru dunia.

Melalui rangkaian acara "Echo" yang saling terhubung di Ibiza dan sejumlah lokasi lainnya, pengunjung dapat menikmati panggung pertunjukan langsung, siaran langsung tersinkronisasi, dan penampilan DJ. "Echoes of Tomorrowland" pun menghadirkan ruang dan kesempatan unik bagi para penggemar musik dansa untuk mengekspresikan diri secara bebas serta menikmati pengalaman baru bersama.

Saat mengingat energi unik malam itu, DJ internasional sekaligus penampil utama, Korolova, mengatakan: "Lantai dansa adalah salah satu dari sedikit tempat di mana orang merasa benar-benar bebas menjadi diri sendiri dan mengekspresikannya tanpa takut dihakimi. Itulah energi yang saya rasakan sepanjang malam di Ibiza berkat Velo. Sungguh luar biasa melihat semua orang bebas menjadi diri sendiri dan bersama-sama merayakan jati diri mereka."

Artis pendukung, Camden Cox, menambahkan: "Hal yang paling membekas bagi saya malam itu adalah melihat orang yang sepenuhnya masih asing dapat terhubung dengan begitu mudah melalui pengalaman bersama. Terkadang, yang dibutuhkan seseorang hanyalah sebuah ajakan kecil untuk membuka percakapan. Melihat keramaian pengunjung yang menggunakan ornamen kupu-kupu tersebut untuk mencairkan suasana dan menari bersama benar-benar terasa magis."

Malky Brown, Global Head of Content & Partnerships di BAT, mengatakan: "Melalui 'Echoes of Tomorrowland', kami ingin menghadirkan kembali rasa saling terhubung yang menjadikan festival ini begitu istimewa. Dengan mendorong orang untuk keluar dari zona nyaman dan terhubung dengan sesama, kami membuktikan keyakinan Velo bahwa ekspresi diri dapat mendekatkan satu sama lain."

Untuk menyaksikan video resmi rangkuman acara dan mengenal Velo lebih lanjut, kunjungi @velo.global.

Khusus untuk konsumen nikotin berusia 18 tahun ke atas. Produk ini mengandung nikotin dan dapat menyebabkan ketergantungan.

* Survei melibatkan 2.009 pengguna Nikotin (berusia 18+ tahun) di Inggris Raya, Spanyol, Pakistan, Polandia, dan Austria. Seluruh responden telah menggunakan produk nikotin selama sedikitnya enam bulan dan saat ini menggunakannya minimal seminggu sekali. Riset dilakukan pada 16.06.2026 - 22.06.2026.

** Berdasarkan estimasi pangsa volume penjualan Velo di kanal ritel terukur pada sejumlah pasar utama kantong nikotin di Eropa: Swedia, Denmark, Inggris Raya, Polandia, dan Swiss, yang dihitung menggunakan data tahun 2025.

Permintaan informasi

Untuk informasi selengkapnya, silakan hubungi:

Elin Thomas

Consumer & Brand PR Manager

BAT (Nicoventures Communications (Swiss) SA)

elin_thomas@bat.com

Tokenized Equities Surge 140% in 2026 as New DeFiLlama Research Maps the Market

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:58:00 +0700

VICTORIA, Seychelles, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), today highlighted key findings from a new independent DeFiLlama research report examining the rapid growth and evolving market structure of tokenized equities.

According to the report, tokenization's active market capitalization has grown by more than 140% in 2026, increasing from $814 million at the beginning of the year to nearly $2 billion at the time of publication.

The research explores how leading tokenized equity platforms are evolving across market structure, liquidity, settlement, and execution quality as adoption continues to accelerate.

The report evaluates leading tokenized equity platforms across brokerage integration, reserve verification, dividend treatment, settlement mechanisms, and trading infrastructure. It also benchmarks quoted liquidity and execution quality across multiple venues, providing an independent assessment of how the tokenized equities market is evolving.

DeFiLlama's analysis found that Bitget recorded the lowest median bid-ask spread at 0.83 basis points and the deepest top-of-book liquidity across all five tokenized equity markets evaluated. In its broader execution benchmark covering 36 stock perpetuals and eight metals and commodity perpetuals, Bitget led 32, 34 and 33 contracts across the 5, 10 and 50 basis point depth measurements respectively, while also recording the greatest aggregate order-book depth across all measured depth ranges. The findings suggest that as tokenized equity infrastructure matures, execution quality and liquidity are becoming increasingly important differentiators between platforms.

"A tokenized stock is only as good as the market behind it. Investors don't care how the asset is packaged if they can't trade it efficiently," said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. "That's why liquidity and execution matter. DeFiLlama found Bitget recorded the lowest median bid-ask spread and the deepest top-of-book liquidity across the markets they evaluated. As this market grows, those are the things investors will increasingly expect."

The report also examines adoption trends within Bitget's Reality rTokens, which generated more than $1.16 billion in cumulative trading volume between June and July. Semiconductor and technology-linked assets accounted for the majority of activity, underscoring continued demand for tokenized exposure to innovation-driven public companies.

For more information, read the full DeFiLlama report here.

About Bitget

Bitget is the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships such as MotoGP. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry's lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord

For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

Danantara Reopens DPT Registration to Accelerate Waste-to-Energy Project Development in Indonesia

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:52:00 +0700

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Indonesia's waste-to-energy ("WtE") development enters its next phase as PT Danantara Investment Management ("DIM"), through its subsidiary PT Daya Energi Bersih Nusantara ("Denera"), announces the re-opening of registration for Daftar Penyedia Terseleksi ("DPT") as a pre-qualification under the Danantara WtE or Pengelolaan Sampah Menjadi Energi Listrik (PSEL) Program.

As Indonesia accelerates efforts to address growing urban waste challenges while building a cleaner energy base, Denera serves as the integrated waste management company established by DIM to lead the development and implementation of PSEL projects across Indonesia. The initiative is supported by Presidential Regulation No. 109 of 2025, which provides the regulatory framework for accelerating the development of PSEL projects through environmentally responsible technologies.

DPT registration builds on the strong momentum generated by the previous pre-qualification rounds which attracted participants from seven countries and demonstrated significant international interest in Indonesia's WtE sector. DIM and Denera invite qualified companies and consortium members with proven capabilities in PSEL project development, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), technology provision, operations and maintenance (O&M), project financing, and other related infrastructure services to participate in the selection process. The program seeks partners with the technical expertise, financial capability, and long-term commitment required to deliver PSEL projects at scale in support of Indonesia's sustainable waste management and clean energy transition.

Fadli Rahman, Investment Director of Danantara Investment Management (DIM) and Chief Executive Officer of Denera, stated that the expansion of DPT reflects Danantara's commitment to building a strong and competitive partner ecosystem to support Indonesia's long-term waste management transformation.

"Indonesia's waste management challenges cannot be addressed through individual projects alone. They require a credible ecosystem of partners with proven technology, financing capacity, operational capabilities, and a long-term commitment to delivering large-scale infrastructure projects. Through DPT registration, we are expanding that ecosystem while creating opportunities for more domestic and international companies to contribute their expertise and capabilities to Indonesia's PSEL Program. Our priorities remain unchanged: strong partnerships, demonstrated capabilities, and effective execution that delivers measurable impact on the ground," said Fadli.

PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance ("IIF") has been appointed as the Registration and Verification Agent for DPT registration. Interested parties are encouraged to contact IIF through the official DPT registration email at danantara.wtepartnership@iif.co.id. IIF will provide prospective participants with the Registration Pack and guidance on the DPT registration process, including the Expression of Interest (EOI) requirements, required supporting documentation, submission procedures, and applicable timelines, as well as access to the virtual data room.

*Important Notice*

DPT registration is a pre-qualification process intended solely to identify and evaluate prospective strategic partners for potential participation in the Danantara PSEL Program. It does not constitute and shall not be construed as an award for any project, partner selection process, contractual agreement, any guarantee of appointment, exclusive rights, or future participation in any project.

DIM/Denera reserves the right, at their sole discretion and without prior notice, to modify, clarify, supplement, suspend, postpone, extend, terminate, or otherwise amend, any aspect of the DPT registration process, including its scope, eligibility requirements, timeline, evaluation methodology, or documentation requirements. Neither DIM, Denera, nor IIF shall be liable for any costs, expenses, or losses incurred by prospective participants in connection with their participation in DPT registration.

To support prospective participants, IIF will host two Open Briefing sessions on 7 August 2026. These sessions are open to all interested parties and will provide an overview of the DPT registration process, registration requirements, submission procedures, documentation expectations, and guidance on using the Intralinks Virtual Data Room.

The deadline for submission of the Expression of Interest and payment of the administrative fee is 13 August 2026. Prospective participants are encouraged to begin the registration process early to allow sufficient time for document preparation and submission. Interested parties may obtain the Registration Pack by contacting danantara.wtepartnership@iif.co.id.

Only information issued in writing through the official DPT registration communication channels shall be considered valid. Participants should not rely on any statements or representations made outside such official communications.

Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon Returns on 11 October

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:45:00 +0700

Registration opens on 20 August for a one-of-a-kind cycling adventure through Hong Kong's iconic cityscapes along enhanced routes

HONG KONG, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mark your calendar for Sunday, 11 October, as the Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon (Hong Kong Cyclothon) returns. Organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), Hong Kong's largest annual cycling event this year features two scenic rides - a 56km Ride and a 32km Ride - inviting visitors and cycling aficionados from around the world to enjoy a unique cycling journey through Hong Kong's iconic bridges, tunnels and urban landscapes.

Participants can look forward to a distinctive cycling experience like nowhere else, while immersing themselves in the vibrant energy of the Events Capital of Asia. Registration for the event opens at 10am (Hong Kong Time) on 20 August. Be among the first to secure your spot and experience Hong Kong from a rare perspective.

Beyond the cycling routes, visitors can further discover Hong Kong's charm as a dynamic metropolitan destination, where urban excitement meets breathtaking natural landscapes and a wealth of outdoor adventures.

56km Scenic Ride with an All-New Route Takes Cyclists Through Hong Kong's Diverse Cityscapes to Showcase Different Sides of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Cyclothon will once again feature two popular non-competitive rides, both set against the breathtaking backdrop of Victoria Harbour's signature skyline. More than 6,000 cyclists from around the world will set off from the heart of the city at West Kowloon Cultural District, passing through multiple Hong Kong landmarks along major roads while taking in Hong Kong's distinctive scenery blending a dynamic metropolis with a picturesque harbour. Whether taking on the more challenging 56km Ride featuring an all-new route or the shorter 32km Ride, participants will have the rare opportunity to cycle on major roads that are closed to all traffic, savouring the thrill of riding through the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Cyclothon Carnival

The excitement of the Hong Kong Cyclothon will extend far beyond the cycling routes. On event day, the HKTB will present an action-packed Cyclothon Carnival at the West Kowloon Cultural District, featuring a fascinating array of activities from morning until dusk. Spanning sports, entertainment, family-friendly experiences and gourmet offerings, the carnival will immerse cyclists, visitors and locals alike in a vibrant celebration that captures Hong Kong's dynamic city charm.

Registration for the 2026 Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon will open on 20 August at 10am (Hong Kong Time). Cycling enthusiasts and visitors are invited to experience this premier annual sporting event. Stay tuned for more event and registration details at https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/events/cyclothon.html.

An Autumn Escape to Discover the Natural Wonders Found "Only in Hong Kong"

Autumn is one of the best times to visit Hong Kong, thanks to its mild and pleasant weather. Beyond the adrenaline-pumping Cyclothon, visitors can also embrace the city's spectacular natural landscapes and remarkable geological wonders through a wide variety of outdoor experiences. Home to an abundance of natural attractions, Hong Kong offers everything from lush countryside and scenic outlying islands to magnificent hiking and cycling trails.

Visitors can transition effortlessly from the electrifying city to tranquil natural surroundings in less than an hour. From exploring iconic routes such as Dragon's Back, The Victoria Peak Walk and the MacLehose Trail, to discovering the extraordinary coastal scenery of the Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark and enjoying various water sports in GO PARK Sai Sha (Aqua), you can experience the unique proximity of urban and natural environments that can be found "Only in Hong Kong". For more inspiration on Hong Kong's outdoor experiences, visit https://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/outdoors.html.

Images can be accessed at: https://assetlibrary.hktb.com/assetbank-hktb/action/browseItems?categoryId=2528&categoryTypeId=2&cachedCriteria=1

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mr Chokie Cheng Tel: 2807 6342 Email:chokie.cheng@hktb.com

Ms Elisa Luk Tel: 2807 6236 Email:elisa.luk@hktb.com

STAR Systems Powers India's Growing Multi-Lane Free Flow Network

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:43:00 +0700

SINGAPORE, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STAR Systems International, a global leader in tolling and vehicle identification technology, is proud to support the successful launch of a new series of Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling projects across India, including the landmark Delhi-Jaipur Pink City Expressway in Rajasthan.

The projects mark an important milestone in India's transition toward seamless, barrier-free highway travel and demonstrate the growing role of advanced RFID technology in modernizing tolling infrastructure.

As one of India's flagship MLFF deployments, the Delhi-Jaipur corridor in Rajasthan, commonly known as the Pink City Expressway, demonstrates the next generation of intelligent tolling, enabling vehicles to travel at highway speeds while tolling transactions are automatically identified, validated, and processed in real time. By eliminating the need for conventional toll barriers, the MLFF system is designed to reduce congestion, improve traffic throughput, lower fuel consumption and emissions, and enhance the overall travel experience for motorists, commercial fleets, and highway operators along one of India's busiest transportation corridors.

The launch of these MLFF projects represents a transformative advancement in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), supporting the Government of India's vision for a safer, smarter, and more efficient national highway network through the digitization of India's tolling ecosystem and the modernization of National Highways in line with global best practices.

STAR Systems' MLFF deployment footprint in India continues to expand, with projects at Choryasi in Gujarat, Mundka on Delhi's Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), Shahjahanpur, Daulatpura, and Manoharpura in Rajasthan on the NH-48 corridor, and Gharaunda on NH-44 in Haryana. This expanding deployment footprint reflects STAR Systems' proven ability to support high-speed, multi-lane tolling applications across diverse roadway environments, helping operators deliver reliable vehicle identification and efficient free-flow toll collection at scale.

At the heart of these deployments are STAR Systems' Titan Pro reader and Avior antenna, two high-performance products engineered specifically for demanding tolling environments. The Titan Pro delivers exceptional read accuracy, advanced flexibility, and seamless integration capabilities for high-speed, multi-lane applications. Paired with the Avior antenna's powerful and precise radiation patterns, the system creates highly controlled read zones that support reliable vehicle identification in complex live traffic conditions. Together, they help enable accurate, free-flow tolling without requiring vehicles to stop or slow down.

"Free flow tolling demands uncompromising performance," said Tarun Ahlawat, Director of STAR RFID & Systems India and STAR RFID. "Our Titan Pro reader and Avior antenna deliver the accuracy, reliability, and lane-level performance needed to support seamless toll collection at high speeds. These deployments demonstrate how proven RFID technologies can help accelerate the transition toward barrier-free tolling across India. STAR Systems remains committed to delivering proven technologies and deployment expertise to support the government's vision for world-class, technology-driven highway infrastructure.

For more information about the Titan Pro and other high-performance readers, antennas, and transponders, please contact STAR Systems at salesinquiry@star-int.net.

About STAR Systems International

Founded in 2013, STAR Systems International is a world leader in Automatic Vehicle Identification Technologies. STAR Systems focuses on providing best-in-class transponders, readers and professional consulting services for Smart City Initiatives, including Electronic Tolling (ETC), Congestion/Road Use Charging, Electronic Vehicle Registration (EVR), Express/HOT Lane, Fleet Management, Parking and Secure Access Control applications.

STAR Systems strives to ensure customer success by leveraging the Company's technical expertise and implementation experience. For more information, please visit www.star-int.net.

Media Contact

Zhihan Chen

+(1) 469-838-2649

zhihan.chen@star-int.net

VinFast's Expansion Mirrors the Global Shift in EV Growth

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:14:00 +0700

Issuer: VinFast

Emerging economies are becoming the EV industry's fastest-growing markets, creating new opportunities for automakers with an international footprint. VinFast's latest expansion reflects that shift.

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Media OutReach Newswire - 5 August 2026 - For much of the past decade, the global electric vehicle conversation has revolved around three markets: China, the United States, and Europe. But recent industry data suggests the next chapter may be written elsewhere.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global car sales fell about 5% in the first half of 2026 as economic pressures, fuel price volatility and policy changes weighed on demand in China and the US. Yet electric vehicle sales rebounded strongly in the second quarter, reaching record levels in 50 countries. Markets including Vietnam, India, Australia and South Korea roughly doubled EV sales compared with a year earlier, while more than 90 countries posted year-on-year growth during the first half of the year.

The shift reflects a broader change in where future industry growth is likely to come from. While China remains the world's largest EV market, the IEA expects sales there to stagnate this year for the first time this decade, even as electric vehicles account for more than 60% of new car sales. Meanwhile, emerging markets are becoming increasingly important, supported by expanding policy incentives, growing charging infrastructure and rising consumer interest.

The agency also notes that China and other emerging economies are expected to account for around 60% of global car demand over the next decade, making success in these markets an increasingly important determinant of future automotive leadership.

VinFast's latest performance reflects this changing landscape.

The Vietnamese automaker delivered 70,085 electric vehicles globally in the second quarter of 2026, up 96% year-on-year, bringing first-half deliveries to 128,662 vehicles, a 78% increase from the same period last year. The company's two-wheel business also continued to expand rapidly, with 286,039 electric scooters and e-bikes delivered during the quarter, up 311% year-on-year.

The delivery mix also highlights the importance of products designed for diverse market needs. Models ranging from the compact VF 3 and VF 5 to the Limo Green MPV and the newly introduced VF MPV 7 all contributed meaningfully to second-quarter volumes, suggesting demand is spread across both personal mobility and commercial transportation segments.

Just as significant is where those vehicles are going.

In July, VinFast exported more than 5,000 electric vehicles aboard two dedicated vessels. One shipment, consisting of approximately 1,500 VF 6 SUVs, was designated for partner Green SM's planned expansion in Europe, while another transported more than 3,500 vehicles to the Philippines and Indonesia. The voyages marked VinFast's 37th and 38th international export shipments in fewer than four years, underscoring the increasing operational scale behind its global expansion.

VinFast's effort in international market, including in the Middle East, shows that as growth becomes more geographically diversified, automakers can no longer rely on a handful of mature markets to drive expansion. Instead, success will increasingly depend on building products, distribution networks and operations that can compete across a wide range of emerging economies.

For the global EV industry, the center of gravity is not disappearing from established markets. It is becoming far more distributed. VinFast's recent momentum suggests that companies positioned across multiple high-growth regions may be among the best placed to benefit from that shift.

https://me.vinfast.com/en

Hashtag: #VinFast

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

AuctuCel launches AuctuPrime to reduce biological variability in cell therapy manufacturing

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:09:00 +0700

| Issuer: AuctuCel

Chemically defined medium removes animal serum and human platelet supplements as Malaysia and Singapore strengthen advanced therapy capabilities

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 August 2026 - Singapore is estimated to record approximately 19,290 new cancer cases in 2024, underscoring the growing demand for advanced treatment options and the manufacturing systems needed to produce them consistently. As cell therapies move from research towards clinical use, the reliability of every raw material used in production becomes increasingly important.

AuctuCel Pte Ltd, a Singapore biotechnology company specialising in AI-powered bioprocess technologies, today announced the launch of AuctuPrime, a next-generation chemically defined cell culture medium developed in collaboration with Sperikon. The formulation is designed to remove dependence on both animal serum and donor-derived human platelet supplements during cell therapy manufacturing.

The launch comes as both markets continue to deepen their advanced therapy ecosystems. The Singapore Economic Development Board reported that the country saw a fourfold increase in locally incorporated biotechnology companies since 2015. In Malaysia, the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency issued updated cell and gene therapy product guidance in September 2025, including revised Good Manufacturing Practice requirements. As more research moves towards clinical translation, the reliability and traceability of manufacturing inputs are receiving greater attention.

A less visible bottleneck in cell therapy

Cell therapies are advancing across cancer, autoimmune disease and regenerative medicine, but manufacturing remains one of the major barriers to wider clinical and commercial adoption. Many conventional culture processes still use animal serum or platelet-derived supplements from human donors. These biological materials can vary between batches and may introduce additional sourcing, testing and documentation requirements.

AuctuPrime replaces these supplements with a fully chemically defined formulation. By giving researchers and manufacturers clearer control over what enters the process, it is intended to provide a more reproducible foundation for scale-up from laboratory research to clinical and commercial manufacturing.

The formulation is designed to support:

* Elimination of animal serum and human platelet supplements

* Reduced batch-to-batch variability in the culture process

* Lower dependence on donor-derived biological raw materials

* Greater supply chain resilience through chemically defined inputs

* More consistent scale-up and technology transfer across manufacturing stages

* A xeno-free approach for regenerative medicine and cell therapy workflowsWhy the manufacturing medium matters to patients

"Culture medium is not the therapy itself, but it can influence how reliably cells are produced. By removing animal serum and human platelet supplements, AuctuPrime gives researchers and manufacturers greater control over the process, helping to reduce variability and prepare for larger-scale production." said Dr Zach Pang, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of AuctuCel.

Supporting Singapore's advanced therapy ecosystem

Singapore is strengthening its position as a regional hub for advanced therapies, supported by its universities, hospitals, research institutions and biotechnology companies. These organisations are building capabilities that connect early-stage research with regulated manufacturing and future clinical applications. Chemically defined media can support this progress by reducing reliance on variable biological inputs and enabling processes to be reproduced more consistently across local research and manufacturing facilities.

"Singapore's continued progress in regenerative medicine will depend not only on scientific breakthroughs, but also on the ability to manufacture therapies safely, consistently and at scale. AuctuPrime represents an important step towards building a more reproducible manufacturing platform and can support local research and industry teams as they prepare for future clinical and commercial demand," said Dr Chee Wai Fhu, Chief Executive Officer of AuctuCel.

For the wider region, stronger manufacturing foundations also matter for healthcare resilience. Cell therapies are complex products with demanding quality requirements, and the ability to manufacture them consistently will shape how quickly promising research can progress towards clinical use.

"The future of regenerative medicine depends not only on scientific breakthroughs, but on our ability to manufacture these therapies safely, consistently and at scale," said Dr Chee Wai Fhu, Chief Executive Officer of AuctuCel. "AuctuPrime is an important step towards a more reproducible manufacturing platform. By removing dependence on animal serum and human platelet supplements, we hope to help researchers and manufacturers build processes that are better prepared for future clinical and commercial demand."

Regional collaboration behind the launch

AuctuPrime was developed through a collaboration between AuctuCel and Sperikon, combining AuctuCel's bioprocess and culture media expertise with Sperikon's experience in regenerative medicine and cell therapy development.

Behind every cell therapy breakthrough is a production process that must work repeatedly, not only once. Improving that process is one of the practical steps needed to bring the next generation of therapies closer to the patients who may benefit from them.

Hashtag: #AuctuCel

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

Univar Solutions Mengakuisisi H.M. Royal, Memperluas Jangkauan di Pasar Bahan Aditif untuk Karet, Plastik, dan Perekat di Amerika Serikat

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 09:05:00 +0700

Memperkuat layanan dan rantai pasok di pasar-pasar utama AS dengan memadukan satu abad keahlian teknis dan hubungan pelanggan yang dilandasi kepercayaan

DOWNERS GROVE, Illinois, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Univar Solutions LLC ("Univar Solutions" atau "Perusahaan"), penyedia solusi global terkemuka bagi pengguna bahan baku dan bahan kimia khusus, hari ini mengumumkan pihaknya telah mengakuisisi H.M. Royal, distributor spesialis berusia 101 tahun yang sangat disegani di bidang bahan aditif untuk industri karet, plastik, dan perekat.

Bergabungnya H.M. Royal memperkuat bisnis Performance Materials (Material Berkinerja Tinggi) dalam divisi Ingredients + Specialties di Univar Solutions dengan memperluas akses terhadap produk-produk khusus, keahlian teknis, serta hubungan jangka panjang dengan pelanggan.

Penguatan ini terutama akan dirasakan di wilayah Pantai Timur dan Pantai Barat Amerika Serikat, tempat H.M. Royal memiliki kehadiran yang kuat. Dengan bergabungnya kedua perusahaan, pelanggan H.M. Royal akan memperoleh akses ke skala operasi yang lebih luas, jaringan logistik, dan perangkat digital Univar Solutions. Mereka juga akan tetap memperoleh manfaat dari keahlian teknis serta hubungan yang dilandasi kepercayaan, yang selama ini menjadi bagian penting dari keberhasilan H.M. Royal.

"Kami bangga menyambut H.M. Royal sebagai bagian dari keluarga Ingredients + Specialties di Univar Solutions," ujar Nick Powell, CEO Ingredients + Specialties dari Univar Solutions. "Mereka membawa keahlian teknis yang mendalam di bidang karet, plastik, dan perekat, serta kemitraan jangka panjang dengan pelanggan dan pemasok. Bersama kami dapat menghadirkan portofolio yang lebih luas dan tim profesional untuk memberikan dukungan yang lebih baik kepada pelanggan di AS. Dilandasi komitmen bersama terhadap pelayanan dan keunggulan, kemitraan strategis ini melanjutkan rekam jejak kedua perusahaan dalam menjalankan bisnis yang menjunjung tinggi nilai-nilai dan berfokus pada pelanggan."

"H.M. Royal telah lama menjadi mitra tepercaya di sektor karet, plastik, perekat, sealant, dan pelapis pelindung. Akuisisi ini menandai langkah maju yang penting bagi bisnis Performance Materials kami," ujar Matthew Oliver, Wakil Presiden Senior Performance Materials untuk Univar Solutions. "Kombinasi ini memungkinkan kami membangun platform yang lebih terkoneksi di sektor karet dan plastik, memperkuat kolaborasi, serta membuka peluang pertumbuhan baru di seluruh rantai nilai. Kami berkomitmen untuk mempertahankan dan memperkuat keahlian teknis, hubungan dengan pemasok, dan fokus pasar yang selama ini menjadi kunci keberhasilan H.M. Royal, terutama untuk aplikasi yang sangat mengutamakan konsistensi, kinerja pemrosesan, dan keandalan pasokan."

Bergabungnya kedua perusahaan diharapkan dapat memperluas akses terhadap produk, meningkatkan dukungan teknis, serta menjamin kesinambungan pasokan bagi pelanggan dan mitra pemasok. Langkah ini melanjutkan rekam jejak pelayanan dan keahlian kedua perusahaan yang telah dibangun selama lebih dari satu abad.

"Selama lebih dari 100 tahun, H.M. Royal membangun reputasinya melalui hubungan yang kuat, integritas, keahlian teknis, serta komitmen yang teguh kepada pelanggan dan pemasok," ujar Joseph Royal, Presiden H.M. Royal. "Kami sangat antusias bergabung dengan Univar Solutions, perusahaan yang menjunjung nilai-nilai inti yang sama. Bersama-sama, kami berharap dapat meneruskan rekam jejak membanggakan H.M. Royal sekaligus membuka peluang baru bagi karyawan, pelanggan, dan mitra pemasok kami."

Tentang Univar Solutions

Univar Solutions merupakan distributor global terkemuka untuk bahan baku dan bahan kimia khusus, yang mewakili portofolio produk unggulan dari berbagai produsen terkemuka dunia. Didukung oleh salah satu armada transportasi milik sendiri dan tim penjualan teknis terbesar di industri, keahlian teknis tentang logistik yang tak tertandingi, pengetahuan mendalam tentang pasar dan regulasi, kemampuan pengembangan formulasi dan resep, serta perangkat digital terdepan, Perusahaan memiliki posisi kuat untuk menawarkan solusi khusus dan layanan bernilai tambah untuk berbagai pasar, industri, dan aplikasi. Dalam mewujudkan tujuannya untuk membantu menjaga masyarakat tetap sehat, terpenuhi kebutuhan pangannya, bersih, dan aman, Univar Solutions berkomitmen membantu pelanggan dan pemasok berinovasi serta berfokus pada semangat Tumbuh Bersama. Pelajari lebih lanjut di univarsolutions.com.

Tentang H.M. Royal

H.M. Royal merupakan distributor bahan baku dan bahan kimia khusus yang telah lama berkiprah, didukung oleh hubungan kemitraan selama puluhan tahun dengan pemasok serta pengalaman industri selama 101 tahun. Perusahaan ini menyediakan lebih dari 1.000 grade bahan kimia serta memiliki kapabilitas untuk menyediakan pasokan yang terjamin, melakukan pengemasan ulang, dan mengelola persediaan sesuai kebutuhan pelanggan. Dengan 10 gudang yang berlokasi strategis di seluruh Amerika Serikat, H.M. Royal mampu melakukan pengiriman tepat waktu dalam berbagai volume, mulai dari kemasan kecil hingga muatan penuh satu truk. Portofolio produknya melayani berbagai sektor industri, termasuk transportasi, elektronik, medis, konstruksi, pertanian, pertambangan, dan pasar industri. Sebagai perusahaan milik keluarga yang kini berada di bawah kepemimpinan generasi ketiga, H.M. Royal mengutamakan layanan yang personal, dukungan yang andal, serta solusi yang hemat biaya bagi pelanggan di Amerika Utara.

Pernyataan Berwawasan ke Depan

Komunikasi ini memuat "pernyataan berwawasan ke depan" berdasarkan hukum yang berlaku tentang aspek keuangan dan operasional yang terkait dengan bisnis Perusahaan. Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan umumnya dapat dikenali dari penggunaan kata-kata seperti "meyakini," "memperkirakan," "mungkin," "akan," "seharusnya," "dapat," "berupaya," "bermaksud," "berencana," "mengestimasi," "mengantisipasi," atau istilah lainnya yang sebanding. Seluruh pernyataan berwawasan depan yang disampaikan dalam komunikasi ini dibatasi oleh pernyataan kehati-hatian ini.

Pernyataan berwawasan ke depan mengandung berbagai risiko dan ketidakpastian yang diketahui maupun tidak diketahui, yang sebagian besar mungkin berada di luar kendali Perusahaan, yang dapat menyebabkan ekspektasi tidak tercapai atau dapat berdampak secara signifikan dan merugikan terhadap bisnis, kondisi keuangan, hasil operasi, atau arus kas Perusahaan. Meskipun pernyataan berwawasan ke depan didasarkan pada asumsi yang dianggap wajar oleh manajemen, kami mengingatkan bahwa informasi berwawasan ke depan yang disajikan dalam komunikasi ini bukan merupakan jaminan atas peristiwa atau hasil di masa mendatang, dan bahwa peristiwa atau hasil aktual dapat berbeda secara signifikan dari hal-hal yang dinyatakan secara tersurat maupun tersirat oleh informasi berwawasan ke depan yang dimuat dalam komunikasi ini. Untuk informasi tambahan mengenai faktor-faktor yang dapat memengaruhi Perusahaan, silakan lihat laporan tahunan terbaru Perusahaan dan laporan keuangan lainnya, termasuk informasi yang tercantum dalam bagian berjudul "Faktor Risiko." Setiap pernyataan berwawasan ke depan hanya mencerminkan pandangan Perusahaan pada tanggal komunikasi ini dan tidak boleh dianggap sebagai menggambarkan pandangan Perusahaan pada tanggal setelahnya dan Perusahaan tidak berkewajiban untuk memperbarui pernyataan berwawasan ke depan apa pun, kecuali sebagaimana diwajibkan oleh hukum.

UNTUK INFORMASI TAMBAHAN:

Hubungan Media

Dwayne Roark

+1 331-777-6031

mediarelations@univarsolutions.com

Foto yang menyertai pengumuman ini tersedia di: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a9bb0270-0253-4491-bae2-351ba1147ad6

Court Unseals Key Evidence in Coventry Filing Showing Abacus Global Management Relied on Short Lapetus Life Expectancy Estimates and Misled Investors

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:58:00 +0700

Lapetus Filings With the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Reveal an Alarmingly Low 41.5% Actual-to-Expected Ratio

Abacus Misled Its Investors by Concealing Critical Facts About the Lewis & Ellis Valuation Report It Had Commissioned

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coventry First LLC ("Coventry") and its Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Alan H. Buerger, secured a significant ruling in their ongoing litigation with Abacus Global Management Inc. ("Abacus") (NYSE: ABX). On July 29, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida ordered the unsealing of a number of key documents that Abacus has tried to keep from becoming public, including internal Abacus records demonstrating that Abacus knowingly relied on unusually short life expectancy estimates from Lapetus Solutions ("Lapetus") and omitted critical facts from its public description of the Lewis & Ellis valuation report it commissioned.

Coventry Refiles Answer and Counterclaims with Newly Unsealed Evidence

In accordance with the Court's ruling, Coventry and Mr. Buerger yesterday refiled their Answer and Counterclaims against Abacus with the newly unsealed exhibits. These exhibits provide further support for Coventry's claims that Abacus has misled investors and the public about its reliance on Lapetus's life expectancy estimates as a critical input used to originate, sell, and value life settlement policies held in Abacus's own portfolio and sold to its affiliated managed funds, including funds in which credit unions invested more than $500 million.

Unsealed Documents Show Lapetus's Actual-to-Expected (A/E) Ratio Was Just 41.5%

Abacus has asserted in its legal filings that Lapetus's life expectancies are "not less accurate than the estimates of any other life expectancy provider" and that "Lapetus's estimates reported to the state of Florida are in line with other life expectancy providers." However, the newly unsealed evidence shows that those statements were false and that Abacus knew they were false. In fact, Lapetus reported an A/E ratio of just 41.5%, meaning that fewer than half of the deaths Lapetus predicted occurred during the measurement period. By comparison, leading life expectancy providers have publicly reported A/E ratios close to 100%. This stark difference proves that Lapetus systematically underestimated life expectancies and overstated mortality risk.

Documents Show Abacus Knew Lapetus's Life Expectancy Estimates Were Chronically Short

Other unsealed documents show that Abacus was aware of the disparity between Lapetus's life expectancy estimates and those of other medical underwriters. In one newly unsealed email exchange, Abacus CEO Jay Jackson discussed a policy for which three established life expectancy providers produced life expectancy estimates ranging from 209 to 248 months, while Lapetus estimated just 72 months. Observing that the initial policy valuations looked "really high," Mr. Jackson asked, "Is that because we did Lapetus only?" In another example, the newly unsealed documents reveal correspondence from experienced life settlement investors discussing their unwillingness to purchase life settlement policies from Abacus using pricing based on Lapetus because, as one investor put it, "they usually seem significantly shorter than the other more established LE providers (as I'm sure you're well aware!)."

Lapetus's Former CEO Said He Could No Longer Work with Abacus in Good Faith

Similar concerns were expressed by Lapetus's former CEO in a text message that he sent to a Lapetus Board member regarding his intent to resign. In that message, which is one of the exhibits to the Answer, the Lapetus executive wrote, "I can't continue to work with [Abacus] in good faith. I don't trust them. Since they're our primary and basically only client, I can no longer lead this business."

Abacus Issued Misleading Press Release About the Lewis & Ellis Report

On June 10, 2025, in an effort to reassure investors following an independent short-seller report from Morpheus Research, Abacus issued a press release about a valuation report it commissioned from actuarial firm Lewis & Ellis. According to Abacus, the Lewis & Ellis report was prepared without reliance on Lapetus's life expectancies and produced a portfolio valuation within 1% of Abacus's stated valuation. However, the exhibits to the Answer show that Abacus omitted or misrepresented at least three critical facts about the report:

First, Abacus instructed Lewis & Ellis to provide valuations at multiple discount rates; however, the Lewis & Ellis valuation that Abacus cited as supporting its portfolio valuation was calculated using a lower discount rate than Abacus had used for its own valuation, thereby generating a valuation millions of dollars higher. Had Abacus referenced the Lewis & Ellis valuation calculated using Abacus's discount rate, the resulting valuation would not have been within 1% as Abacus claimed.

Second, Abacus failed to disclose that for more than one-third of the policies it asked Lewis & Ellis to value, Abacus provided only its own "internal" life expectancy estimates rather than estimates prepared by independent third-party providers, thereby compromising the independence and reliability of the inputs used in the Lewis & Ellis analysis. Abacus also failed to disclose that Lewis & Ellis expressly cautioned that these so-called "internal" estimates "would not be as utilized within the industry, as the industry may rely on the more Commercial LE opinions."

Third, Abacus failed to provide Lewis & Ellis with all the life expectancy estimates in its possession for the policies under review, despite Lewis & Ellis's stated assumption in the report that Abacus had provided "all relevant life expectancy information produced for an insured from various LE providers." In several instances, Abacus provided older - and shorter - life expectancy estimates while withholding more recent - and longer - estimates already in its possession. By supplying older, shorter estimates for several of its largest policies, Abacus caused those policies' valuations to be significantly inflated.

Several other key documents that contradict Abacus's public statements remain sealed. Coventry will continue to press for all relevant information to be made public.

Links to Court Documents

Coventry's refiled Answer and Counterclaims can be found here https://www.coventry.com/coventry-and-alan-h-buerger-file-answer-to-abacus-global-management-first-amended-complaint/.

About Coventry

Coventry is the leader and creator of the secondary market for life insurance. For more than 25 years, we have been driving the industry forward and expanding opportunities for life insurance policyowners. Coventry's deep experience combined with a fierce commitment to consumer rights makes Coventry the clear market leader, a position we use to raise industry standards and expand consumer choice. To date, we have delivered more than $6 billion to policyowners who no longer have a need for their policies. To learn more about Coventry, please visit Coventry.com.

Media Contact

Coventry First LLC

Info@Coventry.com

Mexico's Dominant Luxury Brokerage, Ronival Real Estate, Partners with eXp Realty

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:54:00 +0700

Baja California Sur's leading luxury brand just made a defining move

BELLINGHAM, Wash., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- eXp Realty, the most agent-centric real estate brokerage on the planet and the core subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGNT), today announced that Ronival Real Estate, the number one transaction company in Baja California Sur, Mexico, has chosen eXp Realty as its global platform. Founders Nick Fong and Rocio Monta?o, two of the most recognized names in luxury real estate in the region, are bringing their full operation into eXp's global network.

Baja California Sur is no longer the market it once was. What began as a vacation destination has matured into one of the world's most competitive luxury real estate markets, closing over $1.1 billion in sales in 2025 with an ultra-luxury average of $3.2 million in the San Jos? Corridor and a regional average of $970,000. The buyers driving that market are overwhelmingly international, high-net-worth individuals from the United States, Canada, and beyond who are no longer just visiting, but relocating, investing, and putting down permanent roots.

"Nick and Rocio built Ronival into the dominant luxury brokerage in Baja California Sur by seeing borders as opportunities where others saw obstacles. That's the eXp mindset," said Leo Pareja, CEO of eXp Realty. "Our agents now have a direct line into one of the most sought-after luxury markets in the world through a team that spent 20 years earning its place at the top. When the best brokerage in the market chooses eXp, that's a statement. We're proud to welcome them to the network."

Fong, who co-founded Ronival in 2010 alongside Monta?o and built it into the dominant force in Baja Sur real estate, described what drew them to eXp.

"We were looking for scale without sacrifice, a structure that could grow our agents' income, expand our referral reach internationally, and give us the infrastructure to compete at the highest level without dismantling everything that made Ronival work. When we looked at what this partnership makes possible, it stopped being an addition problem. It is not additive, it is geometric, each side amplifies what the other has built. That multiplier effect is what we were looking for, and we could not find it anywhere else," said Fong.

For eXp, this move establishes an immediate anchor in one of Mexico's most competitive luxury markets and advances its expansion across the broader CALA region. For Ronival, it opens the door to the global infrastructure, referral network, and technology platform needed to scale across new markets and serve an increasingly international client base.

"What Nick and Rocio have built in Baja California Sur is exceptional by any measure. The fact that they are now choosing eXp is a reflection of their vision and ambition. They saw that their clients were already operating globally, that their market had outgrown the infrastructure around it, and that the next chapter required a platform built to match that scale. This is exactly the kind of signal that advances what eXp is building across CALA and beyond," said Felix Bravo, Managing Director of eXp Realty International.

As the real estate industry continues to globalize, eXp Realty and Ronival joining forces represents a new model for how world-class local operators and global platforms can grow together.

About eXp World Holdings, Inc. (AGNT)

Built by Agents. Built for Agents. eXp World Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGNT) is the global parent company of eXp Realty, the most agent-centric real estate brokerage on the planet, NextHome, Inc., an award-winning national real estate franchise, FrameVR.io, a virtual collaboration platform, and SUCCESS? Enterprises, a leading personal development and media brand for entrepreneurs. Together, the AGNT platform provides a world-class multi-model operating system empowering independent agents, franchise owners, and team leaders across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and South Africa. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings prioritizes transparency, innovation, and long-term value for agents, franchise owners, staff, and shareholders.

Safe Harbor and Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements reflect the Company's and its management's current expectations but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could impact actual results materially. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated success of agents or teams joining eXp Realty, future production goals or volume projections, and participation in or benefits derived from the Company's platform, tools, compensation model, or equity programs. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include real estate market fluctuations, changes in agent retention or recruitment, competitive pressures, regulatory changes, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K. We do not undertake any obligation to update these statements except as required by law.

Media Contact

eXp World Holdings, Inc.

mediarelations@expworldholdings.com

Investor Relations

Denise Garcia

investors@expworldholdings.com

Medela Marks World Breastfeeding Week with Research Contribution and Educational Campaign

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:48:00 +0700

To mark World Breastfeeding Week, Medela announces the recipient of its research contribution and launches a month-long campaign highlighting evidence-based lactation care

Baar, Switzerland, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baar, Switzerland, August 4, 2026 - To mark World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), observed globally from August 1-7, Medela, the brand trusted by millions of moms worldwide and the #1 brand in hospitals1, today announced the recipient of its CHF 20,000 research contribution supporting community-based initiatives that strengthen breastfeeding support.

Throughout August, Medela will also spotlight leading experts in human milk research and lactation science through webinars, podcasts and educational content for healthcare professionals and families.

The winning project, "Building Sustainable Lactation Care After Hospital Discharge: A Community-Anchored Implementation Model in West Michigan," is led by Anita Esquerra-Zwiers, PhD, RN, CBS, with Rebecca Antaya, RD, IBCLC, through their work with Lactation Collective, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization focused on expanding access to lactation care. Supported by Medela's research contribution, the project aims to advance a research-informed model that combines in-home lactation care, education, community partnerships, medical oversight, documentation workflows, and reimbursement pathways to improve access to continued lactation services.

Medela's research contribution was launched as part of the With You, Every Step of the Way campaign to support community-based breastfeeding initiatives and sustainable support systems. The winning project was selected following a review process informed by an expert jury of maternal, lactation, and public health professionals, based on community impact, innovation, scientific rigor, and long-term sustainability.

Supporting What Works: Strengthening Breastfeeding Support Systems

This year's WBW theme, "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works," highlights the importance of identifying effective approaches and expanding systems that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. Through its research contribution, Medela sought projects that strengthen community-based breastfeeding support, build sustainable support systems, improve timely access to lactation care, and generate practical solutions that can be replicated and sustained.

"Across many settings, breastfeeding care remains fragmented, and the gaps are often greatest for families with the fewest resources," said Angela Lang, DNP, CNS, RN, IBCLC, Global Director of Medical Affairs and Clinical Education at Medela. "Families need more than encouragement. They need access to trained support, connected care pathways, and follow-up that continues after they leave the hospital. This research contribution was created to support evidence-based, community-rooted projects that improve access to skilled lactation care and create lasting impact."

The winning project addresses a critical point in the infant feeding journey: the transition from hospital to home. According to the project team, more than 94% of infants in Ottawa County initiate breastfeeding at discharge, yet only 27% of under-resourced families are still breastfeeding at six months. Similar trends are seen in neighboring Muskegon County, where limited access to ongoing lactation care and community resources contributes to families stopping breastfeeding earlier than intended. To help close this gap, the project will expand access to personalized lactation care, strengthen connections between community and clinical resources, and establish a framework designed to continue beyond short-term grant funding.

"For years, my work has focused on understanding why breastfeeding becomes difficult in the early postpartum period and what helps families continue," said Anita Esquerra-Zwiers, PhD, RN, CBS. "What we are building now is rooted in a simple but urgent idea: families need trusted care that fits real life after they leave the hospital. Medela's contribution will help us evaluate and strengthen a community-based model that connects research, clinical expertise, and local partnerships so care remains available when and where families need it most."

Advancing Lactation Science Awareness During World Breastfeeding Week and Beyond

As part of its WBW activities, Medela will share educational content and expert perspectives on human milk research and lactation care. The campaign includes resources for healthcare professionals and families, including a webinar with Rebecca Hoban, MD, MPH, Associate Professor in the Division of Neonatology and Director of Breastfeeding Medicine at the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics, and a podcast with Lars Bode, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics, Endowed Chair of Collaborative Human Milk Research, and Director of the Human Milk Institute at the University of California San Diego.

Together, the research contribution and WBW initiatives reflect Medela's commitment to advancing lactation care through research, education, innovations, and collaboration, helping expand access to the support families need throughout the breastfeeding journey.

About Medela

Through advancing research, observing natural behavior and listening to our customers, Medela turns science into care while nurturing health for generations. Medela supports millions of moms, babies, patients and healthcare professionals in more than 100 countries all over the world. As the healthcare choice for more than 6 million hospitals and homes across the globe, Medela provides leading research-based breast milk feeding products, healthcare solutions for hospitals, and clinical education. Medela is dedicated to building better health outcomes, simplifying and improving life, and developing breakthroughs that help moms, babies and patients live their life to the fullest. For more information, visit medela.com.

Attachments

Rebecca Antaya and Anita Esquerra-Zwiers lead the nonprofit The Lactation Collective and authored the research project recognized through Medela's Research Contribution

The Lactation Collective

Medela Media Office

Media.Inquiries@medela.com

Descartes Introduces New AI-Powered Free Trade Intelligence (FTI) Solution to Help Reduce Trade Costs

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:39:00 +0700

LONDON and ATLANTA, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, introduced its new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled Descartes Free Trade Intelligence (FTI) solution to help manufacturers, importers and exporters lower costs by making more informed sourcing and trade decisions.

For organizations with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that lack comprehensive global trade management (GTM) capabilities, the solution helps qualify appropriate goods for preferential tariff treatment faster, maximize duty savings opportunities, and reduce compliance risk.

"Free trade agreement eligibility can unlock significant duty savings, but qualification remains one of the most complex and resource-intensive areas of compliance. Many organizations continue to manage analysis using spreadsheets, disconnected systems and manual interpretation of regulations. This can create operational inefficiencies, risk and missed opportunities to leverage preferential trade programs," said Brian Hodgson, General Manager, Global Trade Intelligence at Descartes. "By combining AI-driven analysis and decision support, Descartes' new solution helps organizations understand how sourcing decisions, supplier changes and evolving trade agreements can impact qualification outcomes."

Leveraging Descartes' Global Logistics Network (GLN) and built on one of the industry's most comprehensive libraries of rules of origin covering more than 250 regimes globally, the Descartes FTI AI solution combines rules-of-origin analysis, regional value content (RVC) calculations, tariff shift logic, supplier declaration management and explainable recommendations in one auditable workflow. The platform uses AI to analyze bills of materials (BOM), tariff classifications, rules of origin and supplier declarations while retaining qualification logic for binding compliance decisions. The solution integrates with Descartes' Global Trade Intelligence suite and ERP environments, enabling organizations to embed AI-powered qualification into existing trade compliance workflows.

Descartes FTI AI provides manufacturers, importers and exporters with:

Faster duty/tariff savings decisions with AI-enabled analysis across multiple agreements that reduces manual review cycles

Stronger audit readiness for internal governance and customs inquiries with documented analysis of reasoning, calculations and tariff shift logic behind recommendations

Less manual supplier outreach and data collection with automatic requalification that tracks declarations, supplier responses and requalification triggers

More informed production and purchasing decisions with scenario modeling to proactively evaluate sourcing alternatives and optimize preferential duty opportunities

"Organizations are looking for practical AI solutions that deliver measurable business value for quickly changing supply chains," said Ken Wood, EVP, Product Management at Descartes. "By combining AI with trusted regulatory expertise and transparent decision-making, Descartes FTI AI helps customers accelerate complex qualification across multiple agreements, capture preferential duty savings more efficiently and improve compliance readiness."

Learn more about Descartes' Global Trade Intelligence solutions.

About Descartes

Descartes powers more responsive, efficient, secure and sustainable international and domestic supply chains by uniting logistics-intensive businesses on its Global Logistics Network (GLN). Shippers, carriers, and logistics service providers connect and collaborate on the GLN leveraging technology, data and AI to manage last mile deliveries, domestic and international shipments, transportation rating and payment, global trade research, customs compliance and a variety of regulatory processes. Learn more about Descartes at www.descartes.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and X.

Global Media Contact

Cara Strohack

Tel: 226-750-8050

cstrohack@descartes.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' global trade intelligence solution offerings, including AI-enabled capabilities and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters.

Forward-looking statements may also include statements regarding the anticipated capabilities, performance, adoption and benefits of Descartes' AI-enabled solutions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to customer adoption, data quality and availability, technological developments, and evolving regulatory requirements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities regulatory authorities across Canada including Descartes' most recently filed annual and interim management's discussion and analysis which are available under Descartes' profile through the EDGAR website at http://www.sec.gov or through the SEDAR+ website at http://www.sedarplus.com/. If any such risks actually occur, they could, among other consequences, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.

Ingredion Incorporated Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:05:00 +0700

Second quarter 2026 reported and adjusted* operating income decreased 31% and 5% compared to the second quarter 2025

Second quarter 2026 reported and adjusted EPS were $1.78 and $2.82, compared with $2.99 and $2.87 in the second quarter 2025

Reaffirming amended full-year guidance, which now reflects the sale of a majority stake in the Pakistan business, for reported EPS to be in the range of $9.15 to $9.75 and adjusted EPS to be in the range of $10.30 to $10.90

Ingredion's 595 pence all-cash offer to acquire Tate & Lyle accepted by their shareholders

WESTCHESTER, Ill., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ingredion Incorporated (NYSE: INGR), a leading global provider of ingredient solutions to the food and beverage manufacturing industry, today reported its second quarter 2026 results.

"Ingredion delivered a solid second quarter, with Texture & Healthful Solutions continuing its quarterly net sales volume growth and Food & Industrial Ingredients-U.S./CAN operating results sequentially improving during the quarter," said Jim Zallie, chairman, president and CEO of Ingredion. "Additionally, we completed the sale of our majority stake in the Pakistan business, and we are pleased to report that Tate & Lyle's shareholders approved our recommended all-cash offer on July 28, marking an important step toward completing the transaction."

"Texture & Healthful Solutions delivered its ninth consecutive quarter of broad-based net sales volume growth, driven by continued strong customer demand for our solutions offerings, including clean-label ingredients, demonstrating the durability and margin enhancement of our solutions-selling model."

"Food & Industrial Ingredients-LATAM continued to deliver in line with expectations, which was a result of focused execution across the region, the resilience of our diversified businesses, and the advancement of network optimization opportunities, which included the announced closure of our Cabo, Brazil facility. We also successfully navigated foreign exchange headwinds and macroeconomic pressures."

"In Food & Industrial Ingredients-U.S./CAN, reliability at our Argo plant improved, with sequentially better production rates and yields achieved throughout the quarter. We are pleased to say that the plant is operating at normal production rates across all major operating units."

"Looking ahead, we are focused on continued operational execution across our Food & Industrial Ingredients businesses and accelerating the growth of our Texture & Healthful Solutions portfolio. We have also commenced the integration planning work for the pending acquisition of Tate & Lyle, which, when completed, will establish Ingredion as a more comprehensive global leader in ingredient solutions with the innovation expertise and geographic reach that will help create the future of food."

* Reported results are in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). Adjusted financial measures are non-GAAP financial measures. See "II. Non-GAAP Information" in the Supplemental Financial Information that follows the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS)

	2Q25			2Q26
Reported Diluted EPS	$	2.99		$	1.78
Acquisition/integration costs		-			0.64
Impairment charges		(0.02	)		0.34
Restructuring costs		0.03			0.14
Net (gain) on sale of business		-			(0.27	)
Tax items and other matters		(0.13	)		0.19
Adjusted Diluted EPS**	$	2.87		$	2.82

Factors affecting changes in Reported and Adjusted EPS

	2Q26
Total items affecting adjusted diluted EPS**	(0.05	)
Total operating items	(0.17	)
Margin	(0.34	)
Volume	0.03
Foreign exchange	0.05
Other income	0.09
Total non-operating items	0.12
Financing costs	0.05
Non-controlling interests	?
Tax rate	?
Shares outstanding	0.07
Other non-operating income	-

** Totals may not sum or recalculate due to rounding

Business Review

Total Ingredion

Net Sales

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Volume		Price Mix		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	1,833	36	20		(39	)	1,850	1	%	(1	%)
Year-to-Date	3,646	69	(12	)	(61	)	3,642	-	%	(2	%)

Second quarter net sales increased 1%. The increase was primarily driven by higher net sales volume in T&HS and favorable foreign exchange in F&II-LATAM, partially offset by less favorable overall price mix and lower net sales volume in F&II-U.S./CAN.

Reported Operating Income

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Business Drivers		Restructuring/Impairment		Other		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	271	5	(20	)	(42	)	(26	)	188	(31	%)	(32	%)
Year-to-Date	547	11	(87	)	(46	)	(34	)	391	(29	%)	(31	%)

Adjusted Operating Income

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Business Drivers		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	273	5	(20	)	258	(5	%)	(7	%)
Year-to-Date	546	11	(87	)	470	(14	%)	(16	%)

Second quarter reported and adjusted operating income were $188 million and $258 million, respectively. The difference between reported and adjusted operating income was primarily attributable to impairment charges and costs from the closure of our Cabo, Brazil facility, as well as costs attributable to the previously announced thermal event at our Argo plant. Excluding foreign exchange translation impacts, reported operating income was down 32% and adjusted operating income was down 7% from a year ago.

Texture & Healthful Solutions

Net Sales

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Volume	Price Mix		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	599	5	44	(21	)	627	5	%	4	%
Year-to-Date	1,201	18	57	(32	)	1,244	4	%	2	%

Segment Operating Income

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Business Drivers	2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	111	1	5	117	5	%	5	%
Year-to-Date	210	4	3	217	3	%	1	%

Second quarter operating income for Texture & Healthful Solutions was $117 million, up $6 million from a year ago, driven by sales volume growth, partially offset by unfavorable price mix and higher tapioca costs. Excluding foreign exchange translation impacts, segment operating income was up 5%.

Food & Industrial Ingredients-LATAM

Net Sales

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Volume		Price Mix		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	596	30	(5	)	(10	)	611	3	%	(3	%)
Year-to-Date	1,169	48	(12	)	(15	)	1,190	2	%	(2	%)

Segment Operating Income

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Business Drivers		Argentina JV	2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	127	4	(17	)	4	118	(7	%)	(10	%)
Year-to-Date	254	6	(31	)	4	233	(8	%)	(11	%)

Second quarter operating income for Food & Industrial Ingredients-LATAM was $118 million, a $9 million decrease from a year ago, driven primarily by Mexico's transactional currency impacts and a more challenging demand environment. Excluding foreign exchange translational impacts, segment operating income was down 10%.

Food & Industrial Ingredients-U.S./CAN

Net Sales

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Volume		Price Mix		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	523	-	(22	)	(13	)	488	(7	%)	(7	%)
Year-to-Date	1,043	2	(60	)	(22	)	963	(8	%)	(8	%)

Segment Operating Income

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Business Drivers		2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	86	-	(28	)	58	(33	%)	(33	%)
Year-to-Date	178	1	(87	)	92	(48	%)	(49	%)

Second quarter operating income for Food & Industrial Ingredients-U.S./CAN was $58 million, a $28 million decrease from the prior year. The decline resulted from lower production at our Argo facility, which had normalized by the end of the quarter, as well as softer volumes and price mix. Excluding foreign exchange translation impacts, operating income was down 33%.

All Other*

Net Sales

$ in millions	2025	FX Impact	Volume	Price Mix	2026	Change		Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	115	1	3	5	124	8	%	7	%
Year-to-Date	233	1	3	8	245	5	%	5	%

All Other Operating Income (Loss)

$ in millions	2025		FX Impact	Business Drivers	2026	Change	Change excl. FX
Second Quarter	(1	)	-	7	6	NM	NM
Year-to-Date	(1	)	-	10	9	NM	NM

Second quarter operating income (loss) for All Other increased $7 million from the prior year, reflecting continued improvements in the Protein Fortification business.

All Other consists of the businesses of multiple operating segments that are not individually or collectively classified as reportable segments. Net sales from All Other are generated primarily by sweetener and starch sales from the Pakistan business, sales of stevia and other ingredients from our PureCircle and other sugar reduction businesses, and pea protein ingredients from our Protein Fortification business.

Other Financial Items

At June 30, 2026, total debt was $1.8 billion, and cash, including short-term investments, was $952 million, versus $1.8 billion and $1.0 billion, at December 31, 2025.

Net financing costs were $55 million in Q2 2026, compared to $12 million in Q2 2025, primarily due to a $47 million mark-to-market foreign exchange loss on derivatives used to hedge British pound sterling exposure related to the pending Tate & Lyle acquisition.

The reported and adjusted effective tax rates for the second quarter were 33.7% and 27.2%, compared to 23.6% and 27.2%, for the year-ago period. The increase in the reported effective tax rate was primarily attributable to the gain on the sale of a majority stake in the Pakistan business and the change in value of the Mexican peso relative to the U.S. dollar. These impacts were partially offset by the utilization of previously unbenefited capital losses.

Net capital expenditures totaled $210 million through June 30, 2026.

Dividends and Share Repurchases

In the second quarter, the Company paid $52 million in dividends to shareholders. On May 20, 2026, the Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.82 per share, which was paid on July 21, 2026. Year-to-date, the Company has repurchased $14 million of common stock and remains committed to its $100 million full-year target.

Full-Year 2026 Outlook

Ingredion reaffirms its 2026 full year outlook after reflecting the impact of the sale of a majority stake in the Pakistan business on the second half of the year. The Company expects its full-year 2026 reported EPS to be in the range of $9.15 to $9.75, and its adjusted EPS to be in the range of $10.30 to $10.90.

The Company still expects full-year 2026 net sales to be flat to up low single digits, reflecting volume growth and favorable foreign exchange, partially offset by lower price mix as well as the impact of the previously mentioned sale of its majority stake in the Pakistan business.

Reported operating income is expected to be down low double digits, with adjusted operating income now expected to be down mid-single-digits for full-year 2026, which reflects the second half impact from the sale of a majority stake in the Pakistan business.

The 2026 full-year outlook further assumes the following: Texture & Healthful Solutions operating income is now expected to be up mid-to-high single-digits, driven by sales volume growth, partially offset by expected higher input cost inflation; Food & Industrial Ingredients-LATAM operating income is still anticipated to be down low single-digits, reflecting the continued strength of the Mexican peso; Food & Industrial Ingredients-U.S./CAN operating income is now expected to be down 20-25%, driven by the operational headwinds Argo incurred in the first half of 2026; and All Other's operating loss is now anticipated to be approximately $(15) million, which reflects the removal of the second half earnings contribution of the Pakistan business.

Corporate costs for full-year 2026 are now expected to be down mid-single-digits.

For full-year 2026, the Company expects a reported effective tax rate of 27.4% to 28.9% and still expects an adjusted effective tax rate of 26.0% to 27.5%.

Cash from operations for the full year 2026 is now expected to be in the range of $700 million to $800 million. Capital expenditures for the full year are now expected to be approximately $450 to $490 million.

This guidance reflects tariff levels in effect as of the end of July 2026. In addition, this guidance excludes acquisition-related integration and restructuring costs, as well as any potential impairment costs.

Third Quarter 2026 Outlook

For the third quarter of 2026, compared to the same quarter last year, the Company expects net sales to be up low single-digits. Reported and adjusted operating income are both expected to be down mid-single-digits, which again reflects the impact of the sale of our majority stake in the Pakistan business.

Conference Call and Webcast Details

Ingredion will host a conference call on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 8 a.m. CT/9 a.m. ET, hosted by Jim Zallie, chairman, president and chief executive officer and Jason Payant, vice president and interim chief financial officer. The call will be webcast in real time and can be accessed at https://ir.ingredionincorporated.com/events-and-presentations. A presentation containing additional financial and operating information will be available on the Company's website above and can be downloaded a few hours before the call begins. A replay will be available for a limited time at https://ir.ingredionincorporated.com/financial-information/quarterly-results.

For notes (i) through (vii), see notes (i) through (vii) included in the Reconciliation of GAAP Net Income attributable to Ingredion and Diluted Earnings Per Share ("EPS") to Non-GAAP Adjusted Net Income attributable to Ingredion and Adjusted Diluted EPS.

CONTACTS:

Investors: Noah Weiss, 773-896-5242

Media: Rick Wion, 708-209-6323

The world's best travel "dupes" to avoid overtourism

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:01:00 +0700

DUBLIN, Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There are some iconic destinations that never go out of style, such as Venice, Aspen, Kyoto or Ibiza, but in recent years the desire to escape crowded tourist hotspots has grown just as quickly. More travellers are looking to enjoy the same breathtaking scenery and cultural experiences without the crowds, queues or higher prices.

This summer, the biggest travel trend isn't swapping one crowded destination for another nearby; it's crossing borders entirely.

Holafly's first Travel Dupe Index identifies the best international alternatives to some of the world's most iconic destinations by comparing visual and cultural similarity, accommodation costs, overtourism, accessibility and social momentum. Unlike traditional "dupe" rankings, every alternative is located in a different country from the destination it replaces, offering travellers a genuinely new experience while maintaining the same appeal.

The results reveal that the best alternative to Venice isn't elsewhere in Italy, but Ghent, Belgium, whose medieval canals and historic architecture offer a remarkably similar atmosphere while experiencing significantly lower tourism pressure. The ranking also highlights alternatives such as Banff instead of Aspen, Jeonju instead of Kyoto, and Budva instead of Ibiza, with travellers saving up to 83% on accommodation depending on the destination.

Travel dupes are becoming an alternative to overtourism

As overtourism continues to affect many of the world's best-known destinations, travellers are increasingly looking beyond obvious substitutes. Rather than replacing one crowded destination with another nearby, international travel dupes allow visitors to discover similar landscapes, architecture and cultural experiences while reducing costs and avoiding peak visitor numbers.

The world's best travel dupes

Rank Travel Dupe Instead of

1 Ghent, Belgium Venice, Italy

2 Banff, Canada Aspen, United States

3 Jeonju, South Korea Kyoto, Japan

4 Budva, Montenegro Ibiza, Spain

5 Cascais, Portugal Saint-Tropez, France

6 Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia Lake Como, Italy

7 Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic Tulum, Mexico

8 Menton, France Amalfi Coast, Italy

9 Ciudad Perdida, Colombia Machu Picchu, Peru

10 Siargao, Philippines Bali, Indonesia

Methodology

To identify the world's best travel dupes, Holafly compared ten iconic destinations with international alternatives using a weighted scoring model. Each destination pair was evaluated across five criteria: visual and cultural similarity (25%), measuring how closely the alternative replicates the look and feel of the original; accommodation savings (25%), based on average peak-season hotel prices; overtourism contrast (20%), comparing visitor pressure between the original destination and its alternative; accessibility (15%), considering flight availability and travel times; and social momentum (15%), analysing Instagram, TikTok and online search trends to identify emerging destinations.

To ensure the ranking highlighted genuinely new travel experiences, every alternative had to be located in a different country than the destination it replaces, with no more than two alternatives from the same country included in the final ranking. This methodology prioritises destinations that deliver a similar experience while providing better value, fewer crowds and the opportunity to discover somewhere new.

Media contact: press@holafly.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f1e0551-dbc0-4ba9-95f6-3c4ac7c55993

Vinhomes' 6,200-Hectare Ha Long Bay Project: Evolving the Concept of Urban Scale

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:56:00 +0700

Issuer: Vinhomes

HA LONG, VIETNAM - Media OutReach Newswire - 4 August 2026 - Vinhomes has outlined the master plan for Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long, an integrated urban development spanning approximately 6,200 hectares beside the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay. It is the company's largest urban development to date, marking a shift in how success in city-building is measured: not by the size of the land developed, but by the value every hectare delivers to the people who live there.

For decades, the size of a master planned community has been one of the industry's clearest measures of ambition. Across many markets, developments spanning 2,500 acres or more are regarded as large scale projects, distinguished by their mix of housing, retail, schools, parks and lifestyle amenities (1).

Today, as cities confront mounting pressure from climate change, population growth and changing patterns of mobility, urban development is being judged by a different standard. The OECD notes that future cities must do more than expand. They must connect people to jobs and services, strengthen climate resilience and integrate nature into the fabric of urban infrastructure (2).

Positioned along the Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh Expressway, at the intersection of northern Vietnam's tourism, industrial and logistics corridors, Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long is planned not as a residential complex but as a fully integrated city, bringing together world-class housing, public services, commerce and ecological infrastructure within a single connected environment. The project represents Vinhomes' most comprehensive urban vision to date, extending two decades of evolution from landmark residential projects to fully integrated townships.

A City Engineered for Connectivity and Daily Convenience

At the core of the master plan is the principle of an integrated urban ecosystem, designed to shorten the distance between where people live, work, learn and access essential services. Transportation, education, healthcare, commerce and hospitality are embedded within a single, unified environment.

Reinforcing this connectivity is the project's location adjacent to the future depot station of the Hanoi-Quang Ninh high-speed railway, which is expected to connect residents to the capital in approximately 23 minutes, reshaping regional mobility and enabling a single daily commute between the intensity of metropolitan Hanoi and the UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Ha Long Bay.

Residents will also enjoy uninterrupted views of Ha Long Bay itself, alongside clean air, expansive waterfronts and exceptional ecological quality. Residential offerings span villas, townhouses, shophouses and high-rise apartments across six major districts.

Embedding Sustainability and World-Class Amenities

Environmental regeneration underpins the development at scale. More than 2,500 hectares are dedicated to green spaces, water bodies and mangrove landscapes, including 680 hectares of naturally filtered seawater, approximately 200 kilometers of coastline and the 660-hectare Globe Ha Long Forest Park. Together, these ecological assets are designed to support biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience and foster healthier living conditions, forming the core of Vinhomes' ESG++ vision for regenerative urban development.

The city is organized around interconnected ecosystems. Culture and entertainment feature a 60,000-seat outdoor waterfront venue, the 3,000-seat Wonder Theatre, an 81-hectare VinWonders destination featuring what is planned to be the world's largest aquarium park, an international convention center for more than 4,500 guests, and an 18.5-hectare Vietnamese Cultural and Culinary Village.

Hospitality and leisure offerings include internationally managed luxury hotels and resorts, integrated casino facilities, a 950-hectare golf complex comprising 12 courses, an 800-hectare mangrove recreational park, and Wonder Marina, which provides direct access to Ha Long Bay.

Commerce and lifestyle amenities are centered around Vincom Mega Mall, premium outlet shopping, Vincom Collection retail streets and dedicated lifestyle destinations, creating a 24-hour retail and dining environment.

Sports and wellness infrastructure includes Vietnam's first purpose-built Sports District, spanning 13.3 hectares, a professional sports academy, and more than 50 kilometers of cycling routes woven throughout the city.

Health and education needs are met by the 14-hectare Vinmec Cleveland Clinic International Hospital; Vin New Horizon, Vietnam's largest senior living center; Golden Residence retirement villas; Vinschool campuses; an American international school; and Wonder Young Hub, a dedicated center for youth development.

Anchoring the city's economic future is a new central business district featuring office towers of 30 to 45 stories, designed to attract domestic and international businesses and reinforce Ha Long's role as a major economic and financial hub.

Setting a New Standard for Future Urban Development

Vinhomes Global Gate Ha Long has been planned in alignment with ISO 37125, the latest international guidance for sustainable urban development, while incorporating Vingroup's ESG++ approach, extending beyond environmental protection to encompass ecological regeneration, resource efficiency, digital governance, resilient infrastructure and long-term community wellbeing.

Smart technologies, including artificial intelligence, Internet of Things applications and data-driven urban management, are intended to optimize city operations alongside green mobility systems and efficient public infrastructure.

Guided by three core principles, connectivity, regeneration and excellence, the project seeks to demonstrate how mobility, environmental stewardship, public services, commerce and culture can function within a single planning framework. Through this approach, Vinhomes underlines its commitment to developing integrated urban environments designed for long-term sustainability.

1. https://www.newhomesource.com/learn/all-about-master-planned-communities/

2. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2025/12/integrated-urban-policy-to-achieve-the-sdgs_e1bb165d/ada07311-en.pdf

Hashtag: #Vinhomes

About Vinhomes

Vinhomes is Vietnam's largest residential real estate and integrated township developer. The company pioneers the development of synchronized, modern large-scale townships, delivering premium living standards and unlocking sustainable investment opportunities for domestic and international clients.

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