Home Blog Page 101

Lao President Thongloun Calls for Action on Illegal Mining, Social Problems

By
Thongsavanh Souvannasane
-
Laos’ President Thongloun Sisoulith has called for stronger action against illegal mining, online scams, drugs and other social problems, officials said. (Photo: Phouthen Pasaxon News)

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has urged stronger action against illegal mining, unlawfully imported vehicles, drugs and online scams as the 12th Party Central Committee closed its extraordinary plenary session on 1 October.

Thongloun, who also serves as Party General Secretary, chaired the four-day session, which focused on turning the resolutions of the 12th National Party Congress into concrete action. Delegates adopted three draft resolutions, and Thongloun instructed all party committees to combat illegal vehicle imports, unauthorized mineral extraction, illegal logging and other exploitation of natural resources.

Thongloun told Central Committee members to take more responsibility and closely watch the sectors and areas they oversee. He urged them to streamline procedures, improve efficiency and ensure officials at all levels respond more quickly to people’s needs.

Illegal Mining

His call on illegal mining follows a series of recent cases. 

Earlier in September, Xaysomboun authorities identified four companies that allegedly mined alluvial gold under permits for unrelated stone and sand extraction, including AFA Exploration Mining and Agriculture Trading Export-Import and Kesana Herchaleun.

Authorities detained seven people at the Kesana site in June, including the company’s president.

In July, they suspended Daochalearn Mineral Processing after unauthorized iron ore operations polluted the Nam Song River in Vang Vieng. Investigators have also opened gold mining cases in Luang Prabang, Xieng Khouang and Savannakhet. Officials now call for stricter permit compliance inspections.

In addition, Thongloun told party committees to intensify leadership on illicit weapons, narcotics, online scams, armed robbery, road accidents and distorted online media content. 

Scams

On scams, Lao police have arrested at least 6,200 suspects in cybercrime and online scam cases since the start of 2026. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security is leading nationwide collection campaigns and tighter security measures. In August, the government reviewed its 2024-2026 firearms and explosives collection campaign and set new priorities for 2026-2028.

Thongloun also turned to the aftermath of recent floods in Khammouane, Savannakhet, Oudomxay and other areas. He asked authorities to rehabilitate damaged roads, irrigation systems and farmland, ease living costs for citizens, civil servants and security personnel, and support struggling families and farmers. 

Finally, he urged officials to be more open about how the government works and told them to deal with problems “as soon as they arise.”

 

DP World Expands Contract Logistics Network in Thailand with New Bang Na Distribution Centre

By
Advertorial Desk
-

New 10,000-square-metre distribution centre supports high-value and time-sensitive supply chains, connecting Greater Bangkok with Laem Chabang Port and manufacturing centres in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor.


BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – DP World today announced the opening of a new contract logistics distribution centre in Bang Na expanding its logistics capacity in Thailand and strengthening its ability to support customers across key manufacturing and consumer sectors.

Image is only for reference. This is the interior of one of DP World's warehouses in the region
Image is only for reference. This is the interior of one of DP World’s warehouses in the region

The approximately 10,000-square-metre facility is located in a modern industrial park in Bang Na, an established distribution hub within the Greater Bangkok metropolitan area, with connectivity to Laem Chabang Port and major manufacturing centres along Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

The distribution centre provides storage and distribution services for high-value and time-sensitive products, including consumer electronics, semiconductors and automotive cargo. The facility operates around the clock, helping businesses manage critical inventory and maintain reliable flows across domestic and international supply chains.

Jeanie Tan, Chief Commercial Officer, Logistics, Asia Pacific, DP World, said: “Thailand sits at the heart of some of Asia Pacific’s most important manufacturing and distribution networks. Our investment in Bang Na gives customers additional capacity in this important market while connecting them with DP World’s wider freight and logistics capabilities. By bringing these services together, we help customers reduce complexity, respond more quickly to changing demand and keep goods moving reliably within Thailand and across the Asia Pacific region.”

The opening of the Bang Na distribution centre is part of DP World’s continued investment in contract logistics capabilities across Asia Pacific, following recent investments in Singapore and Johor, Malaysia. With additional facilities set to open in Kuala Lumpur and the Philippines later this year, DP World is expanding its logistics capabilities across key manufacturing and consumer markets in Southeast Asia. The expanded network gives customers greater access to integrated logistics services across increasingly complex regional and international supply chains.

Hashtag: #DPWORLD



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

DP World

DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 125,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.

In Asia Pacific, DP World employs over 12,000 people across 22 geographies. We operate 16 ports and terminals, complemented by a comprehensive suite of end-to-end supply chain solutions – to connect the region to the rest of the world.

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW

1win Charity Directs Over $170,000 to Charitable Purposes in India

By
Advertorial Desk
-

NEW DELHI, INDIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – 1win Charity continues to expand its community initiatives across India, directing more than $170,000 to projects supporting elderly care, sports infrastructure, disaster recovery, and environmental restoration.

1win Charity Directs Over $170,000 to Charitable Purposes in India

As part of its ongoing work with elderly communities, 1win Charity partnered with Indian professional boxer Neeraj Goyat to provide wheelchairs and essential medication to residents of elderly care homes. The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration with Goyat that provided pensioners with everyday essentials, drinking water, food, and medicine, including support for residents with mobility difficulties.

The organization has also invested in improving access to sports facilities. Between May and August, 1win Charity restored cricket and football grounds and outdoor workout areas across Bengaluru, Shillong, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Gurugram and Noida. The playgrounds were reopened to local communities free of charge.

Following severe flooding in Assam, 1win Charity supported the reconstruction of a local village to help affected families regain permanent housing. The project focused on long-term recovery and rebuilding after floods damaged homes and displaced residents.

Environmental restoration has been another focus area. In July, 1win Charity partnered with environmental activist and Touchforearth founder Adesh Soni to plant 100,000 trees in Haryana’s Bhiwani district. More than 100 volunteers participated in the ten-day initiative, preparing land, improving soil conditions, transporting saplings, and planting trees.

These projects are part of 1win Charity’s global “We Care. We Share” program, through which the organization works with local partners, volunteers, and communities to develop initiatives that serve local needs. 1win Charity plans to continue its work in India with further

community-oriented initiatives, prioritizing practical support and projects intended to provide lasting benefits to the communities involved.

Hashtag: #1win

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

About 1win Charity

1win Charity is the philanthropic branch of 1win, dedicated to advancing sustainability, community development, and humanitarian assistance. Guided by its mission, “We Care. We Share”, the organization supports vulnerable communities worldwide through programs focused on emergency relief, healthcare, education, and sustainable development. Partnering with nonprofit organizations, local institutions, and community leaders, 1win Charity develops initiatives that create lasting social impact.

Channels

Website:
Instagram:
YouTube:
LinkedIn:

Awards Sweep Reflects OR’s ‘Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth’ Vision in Action Across Business and Society

By
Advertorial Desk
-

PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited secured 12 awards across international, industry and consumer sectors in 2026, reflecting broad recognition of its vision to link business growth with opportunity, quality of life and a sustainable future for all stakeholders.


BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 October 2026 – PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (OR), the retail and lifestyle arm of Thailand’s PTT Group, has received 12 awards in 2026 spanning three sectors of recognition: international capital markets, domestic industry and consumers. These include six awards from the 16th Asian Excellence Awards organised by Hong Kong-based financial magazine Corporate Governance Asia, the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 by BUSINESS+ magazine and the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy, Thammasat University, and five brand awards from Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, each affirming a different dimension of the company’s vision: “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth.”

09BN or rewards 1920x1080

At the heart of OR’s vision is a commitment to ensure that business growth creates tangible value beyond financial returns, expanding opportunity, raising quality of life and building a sustainable future for investors, communities, partners and consumers alike. This vision is executed through four core missions: Seamless Mobility, All Lifestyles, Global Market and OR Innovation, each underpinned by three sustainability pillars: Economic Prosperity, Living Community and Healthy Environment. Also, OR’s Sustainability concept “OR Term Okad Dee Dee Dee” empowering opportunity for three Good Dimension, Good Community, Good Environment and Good Growth.

Under the leadership of M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer, OR has expanded its operations across 10 countries, delivered 2025 EBITDA of 20,357 million baht (approximately USD 623 million), up 15.2% year-on-year, with net profit rising 47.8% to 11,304 million baht (approximately USD 346 million), and grown blueplus+, its lifestyle and membership application, to 9.3 million registered members. These results underpinned both the Thailand Top CEO of the Year 2026 in the retail and wholesale category and Asia’s Best CEO at the Asian Excellence Awards.

The remaining five Asian Excellence Awards reflect the financial and social dimensions of OR’s vision. Asia’s Best CFO, Best Investor Relations Company and Best Investor Relations Professional recognise OR’s structured stakeholder communication, including quarterly analyst meetings, non-deal roadshows and bilingual disclosure for domestic and international investors. The Sustainable Asia Award and Asia’s Best CSR reflect OR’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than one third against a 2022 baseline by 2030, progressing towards Net Zero by 2050, alongside programmes such as Thaidet, which supports over 500 local entrepreneurs through OR’s retail network, and Café Amazon for Chance, which creates employment for people with disabilities, senior workers including underprivileged people. OR is also a constituent of the Dow Jones Sustainability Best in Class Indices in the Emerging Markets category for 2026.

At the consumer level, five brands — PTT Station, EV Station PluZ, Café Amazon, PTT LPG and PTT Lubricants — claimed top positions at the Marketeer No.1 Brand Thailand 2026, affirming the All Lifestyles mission through a network serving 3.9 million users daily, EV charging infrastructure covering all 77 provinces, and a Café Amazon footprint of 4,830 domestic outlets and 256 international locations.

“These awards reflect recognition from the people and institutions that matter most to OR — our investors, our industry peers and our customers,” said M.L. Peekthong Thongyai, Chief Executive Officer of PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited. “Each one affirms that our vision of building an integrated ecosystem, one that creates opportunity, improves quality of life and drives sustainable growth, is delivering results across every dimension of our business.”

Across all 12 awards, each recognition maps to OR’s four missions in action: Seamless Mobility and Global Market through network expansion and digital platform growth; All Lifestyles through consumer brand leadership across energy, food and beverage, and services; and OR Innovation through the digital infrastructure connecting it all. Together, they confirm that OR’s “Empowering All Toward Inclusive Growth” vision is producing measurable, multi-dimensional results across every stakeholder group the company serves.

Hashtag: #OR

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

Relativity Names 2026 Innovation Awards Winners at RelFest Chicago

By
Advertorial Desk
-

Innovation Awards celebrate the creativity, dedication and impact of Relativity’s customer and partner community

CHICAGO, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Relativity, a legal data intelligence company, today announced the winners of the 2026 Relativity Innovation Awards at its annual user conference, RelFest Chicago. The awards celebrate the creativity and innovation of Relativity’s customer and partner community, recognizing those who build custom solutions, champion new ways of working and shape what’s next for the industry.

“When the pressure is high and the pace of change keeps accelerating, our community digs in and does the hard work. We rise to the challenge, finding innovative ways to work smarter, solve new problems and make our industry better,” said Laurie Usewicz, Chief Partner Officer at Relativity. “Even amid the demands of the day-to-day, we make time to uplift our communities, teach and mentor the next generation of legal professionals, and open doors for our peers to thrive. We are incredibly proud to celebrate the organizations and individuals honored in this year’s Relativity Innovation Awards.”

The awards are presented across two categories, Best Innovation and Best Innovator, each encompassing five distinct awards. The Best Innovation awards recognize those solving tough legal data challenges through custom solutions and creative workflows, while the Best Innovator awards honor the tech mavericks and curious changemakers transforming the industry. This year’s winners work at, or directly with, law firms, corporations, legal service providers and legal technology companies.

The winners of the 2026 Innovation Awards are:

Best Innovation Categories

  • Beyond: Complete Discovery Source, AI Empowered Forensic Triage
  • Organize: Bayer, Bluefin
  • Discover: Troutman Pepper Locke eMerge, eMerge SearchCraft
  • Act: JND eDiscovery, AutoRedact: AI-Assisted Redaction for Relativity aiR
  • Workflows: ModeOne, ModeOne

Best Innovator Categories

  • Access to Justice: Kara Schooley-Proud, Senior Analyst at Ashurst Perkins Coie
  • Customer Experience: Philip Weldon, Senior Director of eDiscovery and AI Assisted Review at Hecker Fink LLP
  • Inclusion: Monique Jiggetts, Director at UnitedLex
  • Legal Education: Joe Stephens, Director of Legal Solutions at Steno
  • Stellar Women: Katherine Li, VP, Analytics & AI Consulting at UnitedLex

Finalists and winners in the Best Innovation categories are determined through a combination of community voting and judging committee review, while Best Innovator finalists are selected by a judging committee, with winners decided by community vote.

Relativity congratulates participants for the transformative work delivered over the past year. For more information on the Innovation Awards, visit https://www.relativity.com/relfest/innovation-awards/.

About Relativity 
Relativity is a leading legal data intelligence company that builds technology to help users organize data, discover the truth, and act on it. Its AI platform, Relativity aiR, transforms complex data into actionable insights at massive scale for litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, data breach responses, and other legal use cases. The world’s largest law firms and corporations, government agencies, and a robust network of channel partners rely on Relativity’s legal AI to securely surface and manage the most relevant and impactful information in their matters. The company also expands access to technology by providing its platform at no cost to academic institutions through its Relativity Academic program and to organizations supporting pro bono legal work through its Justice for Change initiative. 

CONTACT: PR@relativity.com

SQC and Schneider Electric Use Hybrid Quantum-Classical Models to Improve Energy Forecasting

By
Advertorial Desk
-

Partnership moves to Stage 2 of Australia’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program following an average 20% improvement in forecasting accuracy with SQC’s Watermelon™ system

SYDNEY, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) and Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, have progressed to Stage 2 of the Australian Government’s Critical Technologies Challenge Program (CTCP), receiving A$3.6 million (US$2.5m) in funding to continue their work in partnership with UNSW Sydney.

Energy grids are under increasing pressure and urgent solutions are required. As rooftop solar, home batteries and electric vehicles become widespread, household energy systems have become more dynamic and difficult to predict. Schneider Electric uses advanced forecasting and optimisation technologies to help balance distributed energy resources, including forecasting when to switch back and forth to solar energy deployment.

During Stage 1, the joint team explored whether SQC’s atomically engineered, quantum-enhanced AI chip, Watermelon, could improve the accuracy of Schneider Electric’s forecasting models. Watermelon generates quantum features that, when used alongside classical features, deliver richer models with greater predictive abilities.

For companies like Schneider Electric, more accurate forecasting can improve the management of distributed energy resources, increase renewable energy utilisation and contribute to lower energy costs for consumers. Even modest improvements in forecasting accuracy can deliver these benefits, and Stage 1 results delivered well beyond that threshold.

By applying Watermelon to next-day forecasting data over a 12-month period, SQC and Schneider Electric achieved an average 20% improvement in forecasting accuracy against the classical benchmark, with gains up to 41%.

Building on these results, Stage 2 funding will expand modelling to hundreds of homes across Australia, with direct integration into Schneider Electric’s AI workflows. This work provides a clear pathway for today’s quantum computing systems to be used in production environments.

Michelle Simmons, Founder and CEO of Silicon Quantum Computing, said: “We have always believed that quantum processors would work alongside CPUs and GPUs to deliver real-world performance gains. The results we have achieved with Schneider Electric demonstrate how quantum-enhanced AI can address practical challenges across the energy sector and time-series datasets more broadly. We’re grateful to the Australian Government for continuing to back this important work.”

Colette Munro, Pacific Zone President at Schneider Electric, added: “The energy system is becoming more dynamic with variables like rooftop solar, EVs, and home batteries creating new levels of complexity. Together with SQC, we’ve demonstrated how advanced energy technology has the potential to better manage this complexity, lowering costs for consumers and using energy more efficiently across the system.”

Launched in 2025, Watermelon is deployed with customers across telecommunications, banking, high-frequency trading and more. The system is available via cloud and hardware sale, including turnkey data center deployment.

About Silicon Quantum Computing
Silicon Quantum Computing (SQC) is at the forefront of global efforts to deliver a commercial-scale quantum system. Backed by 25 years of technological leadership, SQC holds a singular advantage: exclusive capability to manufacture silicon chips with atomic precision, enabling quantum computing systems with world-leading algorithmic fidelity. With in-house QPU manufacturing, SQC iterates new chips weekly while delivering quantum-enhanced AI and materials simulation systems to customers today. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Sydney, Australia.

For more information, visit www.sqc.com or follow SQC on LinkedIn.

About Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a global energy technology leader, driving efficiency and sustainability by electrifying, automating, and digitalizing industries, businesses, and homes. Its technologies enable buildings, data centers, factories, infrastructure, and grids to operate as open, interconnected ecosystems, enhancing performance, resilience, and sustainability. The portfolio includes intelligent devices, software-defined architectures, AI-powered systems, digital services, and expert advisory.

With 160,000 employees and one million partners in over 100 countries, Schneider Electric is consistently ranked among the world’s most sustainable companies.

For more information, visit www.se.com.

Media Contact
press@sqc.com

Midea and Electrolux Group Officially Begin New Chapter in North America as All Three Joint Ventures Go Live

By
Advertorial Desk
-

By combining their complementary strengths, the two companies are creating a more localized and competitive platform to develop innovative products, enhance operational efficiency and support long-term sustainable growth.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Midea Group and Electrolux Group are advancing their long-term strategic partnership in North America as all three joint ventures are now live. This milestone brings together two global industry leaders with a shared ambition: to strengthen product competitiveness, accelerate innovation and deliver even greater value to consumers and customers.

The partnership was announced on April 23, 2026, building on more than 20 years of collaboration. It brings together the companies’ capabilities in manufacturing, product development, innovation, supply chain and commercial strategies to deliver stronger value to customers and consumers in North America.

“As all three joint ventures go live, the partnership marks a concrete step forward in the companies’ long-term strategy in North America. By bringing our strengths together and working more closely across product development, operations and go-to-market, we can convert years of collaboration into new opportunities to innovate, improve efficiency and better serve consumers and customers,” said Louis Zhao, Vice President of Midea Group & President of Smart Home Business Group.

“This partnership marks a major milestone in the execution of Electrolux Group’s strategy and puts us in a position to accelerate profitable growth. It enables us to continue to invest in sustainable, consumer-centric innovations to serve our customers and consumers with even stronger product offerings in North America,” said Yannick Fierling, President & CEO of Electrolux Group.

Looking ahead, Midea Group and Electrolux Group will continue strengthening local manufacturing and supply capabilities to meet evolving consumer needs. Together, the companies plan to achieve annual North American production of Food Preservation and Fabric Care products that is roughly double current capacity, while also expanding into new product categories.

About Midea Group

Midea is a global technology group covering seven business segments, including smart home, industrial technology, building technologies, robotics and automation, energy, healthcare, as well as smart logistics.  Founded in 1968, Midea serves over 500 million users annually and operates more than 400 subsidiaries, 41 R&D centers and 68 major production bases across more than 200 countries and regions. The group has invested over USD 10.4 billion in R&D over the past five years.

About Electrolux Group

Electrolux Group is a leading global appliance company that has been shaping living for the better for more than 100 years. Through leading brands including Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, the group delivers solutions across taste, care and well-being to consumers in around 120 markets, with sustainability at the heart of its products and operations. In 2025, Electrolux Group recorded sales of 131 billion Swedish kronor and employed approximately 39,000 people worldwide.

Midea Group x Electrolux Group JV go live-1
Midea Group x Electrolux Group JV go live-1

Midea Group x Electrolux Group JV go live-2
Midea Group x Electrolux Group JV go live-2

 

Sekisui Specialty Chemicals Announces Global Price Increase

By
Advertorial Desk
-

DALLAS, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Sekisui Specialty Chemicals announced today that it will increase the price of Selvol® Polyvinyl Alcohol, Selvol Ultiloc®, Selvol Ultalux®, and Selvol Premiol® products up to the amounts shown in the table.

Region

Increase:

North America

$220/mt

Latin America

$220/mt

Asia

$220/mt

EMEA

200€/mt

Sekisui Specialty Chemicals remains committed to meeting customers’ needs with high quality products. The increase will take effect on October 15th, 2026, or as contracts and agreements allow. Customers should contact their local Sekisui sales representative for more details.

Sekisui Specialty Chemicals’ primary product is Selvol, a line of high-performance polyvinyl alcohol polymers and copolymers used in paper, adhesive, packaging, construction, personal care, and many other specialty formulations. Selvol Ultiloc copolymers are Sekisui’s most recent innovation, bringing new functionality to the long trusted Selvol product line. The company also represents Advancell expandable microspheres and S-LEC BK polyvinyl acetal resins. Sekisui Specialty Chemicals is a subsidiary of the Sekisui Chemical Group, a multibillion-dollar, global company that delivers a wide range of products and services to enrich people’s lives. The company is comprised of core businesses and technologies in housing, social infrastructure, and chemical solutions. For more information, visit www.sekisui-sc.com/

1...100101102...6,680Page 101 of 6,680