MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As extreme heatwaves and devastating bushfires continue to impact communities across Victoria, causing widespread power outages and disruption, VTOMAN, a global innovator in portable power solutions, has mobilized its resources to aid recovery efforts. In a targeted relief initiative on February 8, the company donated 30 high-capacity portable power stations to impacted families, ensuring access to essential electricity during this critical period.

The donation ceremony, held at St. Hilary’s Anglican Church in partnership with local charity HOPE FOR BOROONDARA AND BEYOND, marked a direct effort to bridge the energy gap for those affected by the crisis. With the region facing unstable grid conditions, reliable power has become a safety necessity rather than a luxury.

“In times of natural disaster, connection is the first thing to be lost, but often the most important thing to maintain,” said a spokesperson for VTOMAN. “Our goal with this donation is not just to provide electricity, but to provide a lifeline. Whether it’s keeping phones charged to reach loved ones, powering medical devices, or simply having a light on during a dark night, we stand with the Australian community to offer tangible support and reassurance.”

The event at St. Hilary’s brought together community volunteers, charity representatives, and VTOMAN team members to facilitate the immediate handover of the units. The donated power stations are designed for rapid deployment, offering plug-and-play usability that requires no installation—crucial for families in temporary accommodation or those facing intermittent blackouts at home.

The partnership with HOPE FOR BOROONDARA AND BEYOND ensured that the aid was distributed efficiently to the households with the most urgent needs, reflecting VTOMAN’s data-driven yet empathetic approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR).

“We listen to the communities we serve,” the VTOMAN team emphasized. “Real-world usability means stepping up when the grid goes down. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen in Australia.”

About VTOMAN

VTOMAN is a globally recognized leader in portable energy storage, dedicated to making power accessible, reliable, and safe. From outdoor adventures to home backup and emergency relief, VTOMAN delivers cutting-edge LiFePO4 battery technology and user-centered design. Driven by a philosophy of practical innovation and social responsibility, VTOMAN continues to empower communities worldwide to live without limits.

For more information, please visit: vtoman.com

Contact: marketing@vtoman.com 

HONG KONG, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Organised by the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) with full support from the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Testing and Certification Manpower Development Award Scheme 2025-26 award presentation ceremony was held on February 6. Each awardee from testing and certification (T&C) bodies and practitioners was presented with a trophy and an award certificate at the event, which was attended by over 200 industry representatives, guests and awardees.     

The Award Scheme is a biennial flagship event for the local T&C industry. This year, both applications and awardees reached record highs, reflecting the industry’s support for and acknowledgement of the importance of manpower development. A total of 71 awards were presented to 46 outstanding T&C bodies in talent training and professional development, and 25 T&C practitioners in recognition of their striving for continuous learning and commitment to service excellence.

The Chairman of the HKCTC, Professor Wong Wing-tak, highlighted that talent was a vital asset for the sustainable development of the industry. The Award Scheme fully demonstrated the industry’s commitment to nurturing talent and showcased the rich pool of talent in the T&C industry. The success of the industry depended on the participation and collaboration of its practitioners to build a better society.

The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, spoke highly of the T&C industry’s contributions to Hong Kong’s economy and innovation and technology development. He said that the professional integrity of the T&C industry has forged the prestigious brand of “Tested in Hong Kong, Certified in Hong Kong”. It plays a key role in supporting the development of Hong Kong’s trade, industrial, and other service sectors. He said he hopes the industry will continue to contribute its professional expertise to the development of Hong Kong and the country.

Since its first launch in 2021, the Award Scheme includes two categories of awards – the Testing and Certification Manpower Development Corporate Award and the Excellent Testing and Certification Professional Award. There are two tiers of awards, i.e. the Platinum Award and the Gold Award under the Corporate Award category. As regards the Professional Award category, it encompasses two sub-groups of the Senior Professional and Junior Professional respectively.     

The Award Scheme has received tremendous support from the T&C industry as well as different stakeholders. The 19 supporting organisations are the Association of Construction Materials Laboratories; BEAM Society Limited; the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Department of Chemistry); City University of Hong Kong (Department of Chemistry); the Consumer Council; the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce; the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology); the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong; the Hong Kong Association of Medical Laboratories; the Hong Kong Association for Testing, Inspection and Certification; the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; the Hong Kong Institution of Certified Auditors; the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers – Materials Division; Hong Kong Metropolitan University (School of Science and Technology); Hong Kong Society for Quality; the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; the Qualifications Framework Secretariat; the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences; and the Vocational Training Council.

Applications received for the two categories of awards were respectively assessed (including conducting interviews with applicants for the Professional Award) by two independent Assessment Panels, which comprised members from the academia, public bodies and industrial associations, to decide on the awardees. The lists of awardees are available on HKCTC website (www.hkctc.gov.hk/en/events-promotion/award-scheme2526).

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HKCTC’s 15th Anniversary commemorative publication “Nicety to Novelty” : https://bit.ly/4qZlhKo

The “TCMD Award Scheme 2025–26” commemorative publication: https://bit.ly/4ay7Knm

About the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC)

The local T&C industry plays a vital role in our daily life and helps assure the safety and quality of products as well as their compliance with international and regional standards.  Its quality assurance work also supports the manufacturing, export and other services, which is an integral part of the supply chain, making significant contributions to Hong Kong’s external trade.

The Government established HKCTC in 2009 to advise it on the overall development strategy of the T&C industry.  HKCTC has been adopting a market-oriented approach to promote the development of the industry.  On the general front, continued enhancement has been made to the accreditation service and the factors of production of the industry.  On the other hand, HKCTC is also exploring new T&C opportunities in different business areas.  It aims to reinforce the branding of “Tested in Hong Kong, Certified in Hong Kong” and to develop Hong Kong into a T&C hub in the region.

Members of HKCTC include practitioners from the T&C industry, business industry, professional organisations as well as representatives of the relevant public bodies and government departments.

HKCTC had just commemorated its 15th anniversary, symbolising the achievement of a significant milestone.  To commemorate this milestone, HKCTC produced a commemorative publication “Nicety to Novelty”, featuring 15+1 interviews with industry leaders and promising young talents whose diverse perspectives collectively illustrate the evolution of the industry and outlining the vision for the industry’s growth.

High-Level Dialogue Demonstrates Shared Commitment Between Government, Corporates

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This week, the Clean Energy Buyers Association (CEBA) was pleased to cohost “Renewable Energy in the Republic of Korea: A New Year & New Ambition,” a high-level dialogue and reception featuring Vice Minister Lee Ho-hyun from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) and senior leaders from South Korean and multinational corporate clean energy buyers and developers.

“CEBA and its members are eager to support the government of Korea’s ambitious plans to rapidly expand clean energy, which will drive investment, strengthen national energy security, enhance industrial competitiveness, and make South Korea a clean energy leader in Asia,” said Eric Gibbs, CEBA’s Senior Vice President of Global Strategy, who spoke at the event on Monday in Seoul.

The event was hosted in partnership with the Asia Clean Energy Coalition and the Corporate Renewable Energy Foundation of South Korea. The dialogue underscored the shared interest of government and industry in expanding renewable energy supply, strengthening grid infrastructure, and improving market mechanisms to enable corporate procurement.

CEBA’s global corporate members and South Korean companies joined together in support of the government’s ambitious goal to deploy 100 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. The event highlighted the key role of voluntary corporate clean energy procurement and affirmed the sector’s commitment to partnering with the government and accelerating renewable energy expansion.

“Corporate clean energy buyers, including CEBA members and their South Korean suppliers, play a critical role in realizing this future,” Gibbs said. “Voluntary clean energy procurement underpins the investment needed to accelerate clean energy project development and deployment.”

CEBA has supported Korea’s clean energy ecosystem through the Clean Energy Procurement Academy and collaborative research on corporate procurement pathways, including power purchase agreements and utility green tariffs.

CEBA looks forward to continued dialogue and cooperation with the MCEE and its partners to support the successful achievement of Korea’s renewable energy ambitions.

CEBA is a business trade association that activates a community of energy customers and partners to deploy market and policy solutions for a carbon emissions-free global energy system. CEBA’s members represent $38 trillion in market capitalization and include institutional energy customers of every type and size — corporate and industrial companies, universities, and cities. For more information, visit cebuyers.org and follow us on X and LinkedIn. 

Contact:
Susan Buehler, sbuehler@cebuyers.org

Logo – https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ceba_logo.jpg

SINGAPORE, Feb. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In an era of noise, Light Stone Jewellery articulates a new dialect of quiet luxury through the silence of its forms. Unveiling a portfolio that functions as a “Wearable Culture Map,” the brand introduces a curatorial approach to designer jewellery, bridging the structural rigour of modern aesthetics with the profound resonance of Eastern antiquity.

Light Stone stands as an intellectual proposition for the contemporary woman. It rejects the transient nature of trend-driven fashion, choosing instead to anchor its identity in the permanence of the modern heirloom. The brand’s philosophy treats every necklace and earring as a geographical coordinate—a precise intersection where the weight of history meets the lightness of contemporary design. Simultaneously, the designs channel a “quiet power,” reflecting the inner strength of the contemporary woman—one who, like deep waters, remains composed and unaffected by the external noise of the world.

The Urban Planner’s Eye: Structure and Void

At the helm of this aesthetic system is Founder Jingjing, whose pedigree in Urban Planning and a Master in Management from ESCP Europe, combined with GIA certifications, informs the brand’s distinct architectural logic.

Jingjing approaches jewellery not merely as ornamentation, but as “Spatial Composition.”

“To me, a piece of jewelry is a coordinate,” says Founder Jingjing. “It maps the silence of history onto the modern body. I navigate the space between structure and instinct, applying the principles of urban planning—balance, void, and tension—to allow the wearer to inhabit the design, rather than simply display it.”

The Brutality of Perfection: The Celadon & Ru Kiln Collection

The core of the collection is the Celadon Tianqing (天青) Collection, a testament to the brand’s uncompromising standards. This series utilizes two primary elements: the nearly lost Ru Kiln technique and Longquan Celadon—a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Among these, the Ru Kiln pieces are exceptionally rare. The firing process requires temperatures exceeding 1380°C, with rare agate infused into the glaze to achieve the legendary “sky after rain” hue. The extreme chemical volatility of this process results in a high failure rate. Light Stone collaborates with master ceramicists to revive this millennial art, yet the selection criteria are ruthless. In every batch of Ru Kiln beads, those meeting the brand’s standard are far below 10%, often dropping to a mere 5%.

The majority are discarded for microscopic imperfections in form or glaze surface. Only the surviving 5-10%—possessing the perfect “Ice Crackle” texture and an unblemished jade-like warmth—are elevated into the Celadon Imperial Earrings. This scarcity is not manufactured; it is the physical residue of a structural dialogue between fire and gravity.

A Cartography of Four Dimensions

The “Wearable Culture Map” extends beyond porcelain, plotting four distinct aesthetic coordinates across China’s material history:

• The Silk Road (Dunhuang) Collection: Capturing the golden echoes of desert murals, these pieces translate ancient floral patterns into geometric gold vermeil structures.
• Totem (Majiayao) Collection: Drawing from prehistoric motifs, this series creates a primitive tension, turning Neolithic lines into bold, sculptural forms.
• Filigree (Huasi) Collection: A study in silver precision. This series deploys the imperial art of thread-weaving to build air-light structures that possess the strength of architectural steel.
• Celadon (Tianqing) Collection: The crystallization of silence, offering a tactile serenity that cools the skin and calms the mind.

The “Culture Map” is a living geography. Continuing its exploration of diverse regional craftsmanship, Light Stone has announced an upcoming expansion into the art of Lacquer, marking a new coordinate on this unfolding aesthetic journey.

About Light Stone Jewellery

Light Stone is a designer jewellery brand established in 2018 by founder Jingjing. The brand is dedicated to exploring the tension between “historical gravity and aesthetic ease.” Currently, Light Stone leverages dual studios and logistical hubs in Singapore and Shanghai, utilizing Singapore’s efficient global infrastructure to offer Global Priority Shipping. This ensures that every precious artistic asset reaches international collectors with speed and security.

Media Contact:
Email: marketing@lightstone-jewellery.com 
Website: www.lightstone-jewellery.com