DUBAI, UAE, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is excited to announce Bybit Combo Bot Hub, a centralized platform for portfolio-based automated trading strategies supporting traders for both digital assets and traditional financial markets.
The Combo Bot Hub allows users to browse, deploy, and manage multi-asset strategies from a single interface, consolidating two portfolio-level trading products:
Futures Combo automates rebalancing across diversified crypto asset portfolios
TradFi Combo provides automated portfolio exposure to CFD trading of traditional financial assets including stocks, indices, gold, and forex.
The platform includes a curated selection of pre-built strategy portfolios that can be deployed with a single click, with no manual configuration needed. Users select a strategy aligned with their investment approach, and the underlying bot manages allocation and rebalancing automatically.
Averaging about $3.5 million in daily trading volume, Bybit’s popular Combo Bots support a broad spectrum of strategies. Once set up, traders can go long or short across sectors, choosing from diverse strategies including Semiconductor Supply Chain, Mega 7 Core Tech, AI Downstream Applications, Top 10 Cryptocurrencies, and Solana Ecosystem, among others.
The hub also centralizes information on Combo Bot-related trading events, challenges, and reward programs, helping users take advantage of the best features and rewards Bybit has to offer.
Bybit’s Futures Combo and TradFi Combo products translate complex trading strategies into executable, deployable features. The automation tools help traders diversify across multiple assets, reduce the influence of emotional decision-making in trading, and maintain target portfolio allocations through automated rebalancing.
Bybit Launches Combo Bot Hub, Expanding Automated Portfolio Trading Across Crypto and TradFi Markets
The Combo Bot Hub is available now to eligible Bybit users. For a limited time only, eligible users can access boosted APRs when they follow curated strategies in the Combo Bot Hub.
We believe every person should have access to every financial opportunity on earth. That’s why we’re building the first intelligent platform that connects anyone, anywhere to the world’s finance.
Trusted by more than 80 million users worldwide, Bybit brings together investing, trading, payments, and wealth-building in a single secure and intelligent ecosystem. Through the combination of AI-powered technology, deep global liquidity, robust security, and transparent operations, Bybit makes global finance more accessible, efficient, and empowering for everyone.
Built for everyone. Powered by intelligence. Open to the world.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – AIA Group Limited (“AIA” or the “Group”) is proud to unveil the winners of the fourth annual AIA Healthiest Schools Competition, a flagship initiative of the AIA Healthiest Schools programme (“AHS”) which empowers students aged five to 16 to turn healthy living into everyday action.
Group Photo AIA Healthiest School
Since its launch in 2022, AHS has continued to scale its impact across the region, expanding to 10 Asia-Pacific markets. The programme supports schools and communities in embedding health and wellbeing into the lives of young people, across four pillars: Healthy Eating, Active Lifestyles, Mental Wellbeing and Health & Sustainability.
The 2025/26 competition attracted a record number of entries, reflecting the growing momentum of the programme and the increasing commitment of educators and young people to drive wellbeing initiatives in their communities.
Entries demonstrated how schools are generating breakthrough ideas and turning healthy habits into daily routines that influence behaviour across classrooms, families and communities, with many showing sustained impact over time.
Stuart A. Spencer, AIA Group Chief Marketing Officer and Head of the AHS Competition Judging Panel, said, “The AIA Healthiest Schools Competition is one of the leading programmes of its kind in Asia and is helping young people take ownership of their health by turning knowledge into action.
Across the region, we are seeing rising levels of inactivity, poorer nutrition, and increasing mental health pressures among young people and the evidence shows that early intervention can make a lasting difference. Through this programme, students are developing healthier habits and essential life skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.
This programme goes far beyond awareness – it is driving lasting behaviour change and is a powerful manifestation of our Purpose of helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.
Congratulations to our Regional Winner, SMP IL Kapten Fatubaa from Indonesia and the pillar winners. Your shining examples will inspire countless others across the region, shaping a healthier future for young people all over Asia.”
The winners were honoured at a regional awards ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand, where a total prize pool of US$100,000 was awarded to support schools’ ongoing health and wellbeing initiatives.
Regional Winner – SMP IL Kapten Fatubaa, Indonesia
In a remote border village where students cross rivers and rugged terrain to reach school, SMP IL Kapten Fatubaa transformed a local waste challenge into a powerful learning opportunity. Through its “Huka Upcycling Project,” students convert banana peel waste into ice cream, compost, and liquid fertiliser – combining science education with entrepreneurship and community impact. The initiative has benefited over 1,000 people, strengthening environmental literacy, supporting local farmers, and fostering cross-border collaboration.
Category Winners
Health & Sustainability Award – Angchum Secondary School, Cambodia
Student-led campaigns and community partnerships promoted plastic reduction, hygiene, and environmental care. The initiative strengthened sustainable habits and improved health practices across both the school and surrounding community.
Mental Wellbeing Award – Chongqing Nan’an District Shanhu Puhui Experimental Primary School, China
The “Emotion Eco-Park” helps students develop emotional awareness and resolve conflicts through structured activities and dedicated learning areas. The initiative has reduced conflicts and created a more positive school environment.
Active Lifestyles Award – Sekolah Kebangsaan Manir, Malaysia
The “Sihat Aktif Manirian” programme uses digital tracking and goal-setting to encourage healthier daily habits. It has improved hydration, fitness awareness, and student ownership of wellbeing.
Healthy Eating Award – Chu Van An Primary School, Vietnam
The “Happy Meal” project promotes healthy eating through nutrition education, organic gardening, and hands-on cooking. It significantly improved student diets and increased the proportion of students at a healthy weight, while rebuilding trust in school meals.
Looking Ahead
The 2026/27 AHS will continue to build on this strong momentum, expanding its reach to include Myanmar and New Zealand, alongside its existing markets of Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR(1), Indonesia, Mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
By broadening its footprint, AIA aims to extend the programme’s positive impact to even more students and communities across Asia-Pacific, further advancing its Purpose of helping people live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.
To learn more about the programme, visit ahs.aia.com.
Notes:
(1) Hong Kong SAR refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
(2) Macau SAR refers to the Macau Special Administrative Region.
Hashtag: #AIA
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About AIA
AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Brunei and Macau SAR(2), and a 49 per cent joint venture in India. In addition, AIA has a 24.99 per cent shareholding in China Post Life Insurance Co., Ltd.
The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai more than a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in Asia (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$345 billion as of 31 December 2025.
AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia, AIA serves the holders of more than 44 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.
AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock codes “1299” for HKD counter and “81299” for RMB counter with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market under the ticker symbol “AAGIY”.
Exclusive Co-Development: The partnership covers the exclusive supply and co-engineering of the IVECO URANIA and IVECO TUTELA ranges – the only fluids officially recommended by IVECO
Network Support: PLI will strengthen support for IVECO’s European dealer network, driving customer value, reliability, and total cost-of-ownership (TCO) optimisation
TURIN, ITALY – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – IVECO, one of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, and PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) have officially renewed their long-standing strategic partnership for an additional five years. The agreement extends the partnership through 2032, reinforcing a collaboration that has driven innovation, performance, and sustainability in the commercial transport sector for more than 50 years.
PETRONAS Lubricants International and IVECO renew their strategic partnership through 2032, marking over 50 years of collaboration
The renewal ensures the continued supply and joint engineering of a comprehensive range of lubricants designed for commercial vehicles. From advanced engine oils to transmission fluids, brake fluids and coolants, PLI and IVECO will continue to formulate solutions specifically engineered to meet the demanding operational requirements of IVECO’s commercial vehicle portfolio across Europe.
A Legacy of Technical Excellence
This milestone reflects the sustained success of the co-branded IVECO URANIA engine oils and IVECO TUTELA technical fluids, developed through decades of joint R&D and a shared commitment to delivering high-performance, energy-efficient solutions that maximise vehicle uptime and extend component life. The ranges are also the only fluids recommended by IVECO.
The partnership’s rapid pace of innovation was recently highlighted by the launch of Urania Next 0W-16. This breakthrough –the first SAE 0W-16 engine oil developed specifically for heavy-duty applications – delivers exceptional fuel efficiency, reduced CO₂ emissions, and extended oil drain intervals. Furthermore, the formulation is Euro 7 ready, supporting improved efficiency and emissions performance for IVECO’s latest generation of engines.
Domenico Nucera, Chief Quality & Operations Officer, Iveco Group, commented, “The renewal of the agreement with PETRONAS Lubricants International confirms the strength of a long-standing collaboration built on shared technical expertise and a common ambition to continuously improve performance, efficiency, and sustainability across our vehicle and powertrain portfolio. Through the co-engineering of our IVECO URANIA and IVECO TUTELA ranges, we are able to deliver solutions that maximise vehicle uptime, optimise total cost of ownership, and support our customers and dealer network with the highest standards of quality and reliability.”
Driving Dealer and Customer Value
The renewed agreement also places a strategic focus on the IVECO dealer network. Beyond providing cutting-edge products, PLI will implement targeted initiatives aimed at strengthening dealer engagement and reinforcing customer awareness of IVECO’s officially approved lubricants. These initiatives are expected to support dealer business growth across European markets, while helping customers benefit from enhanced vehicle reliability and optimised total cost-of-ownership.
Domenico Ciaglia, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer of PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI), said: “This partnership renewal demonstrates what can be achieved through a long-term forward-thinking collaboration, with consistency, and a shared commitment to excellence. Through continuous product innovation, we have been able to co-develop market-leading solutions such as the Urania Next 0W-16 engine oil formulation, seamlessly integrated into IVECO’s ecosystem. This collaboration enables us to deliver greater value to the industry by combining our expertise and driving innovation together.
Looking ahead, PETRONAS Lubricants International remains fully committed to supporting the IVECO Group with forward integrated reliable, high-performance products and solutions that create lasting value for its network and customers.
This renewed collaboration further reinforces the foundation of PLI’s broader strategic roadmap, demonstrating how technical excellence and trusted partnerships can drive sustainable, long-term value internationally.” Hashtag: #PETRONASLubricantsInternational #PLI #IVECO #industrial #lubricants #technology
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI)
PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) is the global lubricants manufacturing and marketing arm of PETRONAS, Malaysia’s dynamic global energy group. Established in 2008, PLI manufactures and markets a full range of high-quality automotive and industrial lubricant products in over 100 markets internationally. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, PLI also has offices around the world including Turin, Belo Horizonte, Beijing, and Chicago. PLI is the technical resource behind PETRONAS’ partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team, responsible for the design, development and delivery of the Fluid Technology Solutions™, which includes customised lubricants, fuels and transmission fluids to power the Silver Arrows.
We are a progressive energy and solutions partner, enriching lives for a sustainable future. Our commitment remains to conduct and grow our business in ways that contribute positively to society and the environment.
PLI is driving an aggressive business growth agenda as one of the leading global lubricants companies at the forefront of the industry, providing custom-made solutions for every need. For more information, please visit www.pli-petronas.com.
BANGKOK, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DigiTech ASEAN Thailand & AI Connect 2026, the premier international exhibition and business networking platform for digital business solutions, is making a grand return. The event will take place from 25-27 November 2026at Hall 7-8, IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand.
With a focus on helping businesses navigate today’s economic challenges and rapid technological shifts, this year’s event has expanded its exhibition space. It will showcase a comprehensive range of digital and AI solutions aimed at driving business growth and promoting sustainability across various industries. Attendees will discover how to leverage tech to reduce costs, boost efficiency, and keep pace with the fast-evolving business landscape.
This year’s event is expected to attract over 400 leading global tech brands and companies—catering to enterprises, mid-sized businesses, and SMEs alike—and welcome more than 12,000 tech buyers and visitors.
The event serves as a direct bridge connecting tech providers with high-potential buyers. The exhibition will cover six key technology sectors which are Business Software, Cybersecurity, E-commerce & Digital Marketing, Data & Cloud, Smart Solutions & IoT, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Visitors can stay ahead of the curve with technology trend updates and practical business workshops led by industry experts at the Global Tech Stage and The Future of AI Stage. The event will also feature face-to-face product demonstrations, allowing attendees to experience solutions firsthand and see how they work in real-world business scenarios. In addition, a pre-arranged Business Matching Program will be available to help drive digital transformation and create opportunities for targeted strategic partnerships.
Ms. Peerayaphan Pongasanam, Assistant Director of Exhibition Project Departmentat IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd., shared:“DigiTech ASEAN Thailand & AI Connect reflects the continuously rising demand for digital and AI solutions as businesses look to stay competitive in a volatile economy. IMPACT is dedicated to making this event a powerful regional business and knowledge hub. It offers tech providers of all sizes the chance to connectface-to-face and strengthens Thailand’s position as a vital digital and AI hub for ASEAN.”
This landmark event is proudly supported by its Silver Sponsors, whose innovation drives the region’s digital transformation forward: 9 Dots Consulting Co., Ltd., Adobe, Axons,DCSS (Thailand) Co., Ltd., SambaNova Systems Inc, Socket 9, Wholix, and Zoho Corporation.
Kelly Chong, Sales Executive, Southeast Asia at Adobe, added:“At Adobe, we believe creativity and productivity are the heart of success in the modern business era. We are thrilled to support DigiTech ASEAN Thailand & AI Connect 2026 as a Silver Sponsor. As the ASEAN market rapidly adopts advanced digital marketing strategies and tech-driven frameworks,this event is the perfect opportunity to showcase Adobe’s AI-powered smart solutionsto businesses in Thailand and across the region.”
Join us at DigiTech ASEAN Thailand & AI Connect 2026, taking place 25-27 November 2026 at Hall 7-8, IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand, where leading technology providers, AI innovators, business leaders, and industry professionals will come together to explore the future of digital business.
10th Fl., Bangkok Land Building 47/569-576 Popular 3 Road, Banmai Sub-district, Pakkred District, Nonthaburi 11120 GREATER BANGKOK, THAILAND
PR Newswire is the Official Press Release Distribution Partner of DigiTech ASEAN Thailand & AI Connect 2026.
About the organiser
IMPACT Exhibition Management Co. Ltd.
IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd. is the leading exhibition organiser in Thailand. We organise and manage professional trade and public exhibitions, conferences, meetings and training, working in hand with international trade associations, organisers, and corporations across a broad spectrum of industries. For more information, please visit https://impactorganizer.com/
Cognizant’s Frontier workforce model to create the human infrastructure that turns AI investment into enterprise outcomes
Backed by decades of running technology and operations at enterprise scale, Cognizant’s human capital operating model embeds outcome-owning Frontier talent inside client operations
Cognizant Frontier talent operates across any cloud, any model to help close the gap between AI capability and enterprise results
TEANECK, N.J., July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH), a leading AI Builder and technology services provider, today announced it was committing to scaling its Frontier-certified workforce, the human and operational infrastructure enterprises need to convert AI capability into measurable business results, to 5,000 Frontier Certified Engineers and 10,000 Frontier Business Operators.
Cognizant is an AI Builder company www.cognizant.ai
Cognizant’s people investment will yield its first cohort, which will be both Frontier-assessed and deployment-ready, by fourth quarter, 2026. Cognizant also plans to augment its own Frontier talent pipeline through annual direct hires of Frontier-native talent from American and global universities.
This human capital investment is focused on solving an urgent problem facing enterprises today: most organizations have spent more on AI than on any technology in a generation, and most have little to show for it. Cognizant measures the gap between what AI can deliver and what enterprises actually realize at $4.5 trillion. That gap is not a compute problem. It is a people and process problem, and it will not be closed by provisioning more infrastructure. The required investment is skilling and deploying more Frontier-ready talent into client-oriented delivery to help clients realize a return on their technology investment.
“Closing the AI outcome gap demands talent who not only understands a client’s industry deeply but can also reimagine the way work is structured and take end-to-end responsibility for delivering results in collaboration with clients, on any model or cloud the client selects,” said Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar S. “That is what a Frontier workforce does. By taking accountability for outcomes rather than stopping at technology deployment, we can help clients accelerate measurable results while managing risk. Cognizant’s industry context and experience position us uniquely to unlock the value that has remained out of reach during this shift toward outcome-based delivery and a new chapter in human capital.”
Cognizant’s Frontier workforce is model- and cloud-agnostic by design. Its teams build an organization’s unique context into whatever stack the client has already chosen, across a partnership footprint that spans Anthropic, OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, AWS, NVIDIA, Salesforce, and ServiceNow. The result is durable capability designed for enterprise ownership and portability across environments, otherwise known as solutions that are geared towards the problems being experienced by our client, not the closest thing a proprietary platform can accomplish.
“AI has exposed 93% of jobs to change, and the associated labor value remains untapped because the workforce architecture built for a pre-AI world cannot capture it. So we rebuilt the architecture for the world we are in now,” said Cognizant Chief People Officer, Kathy Diaz. “Industry domain depth is a core strength of Cognizant, and we bring enterprise-scale experience across technology, processes and operations. We know how to take these powerful frontier tools and turn them into real business value, and we are training our workforce to do it at scale.”
Cognizant Chief Learning Officer, Thiru Arohi said: “We are developing a new professional identity for the AI era. We are investing in the infrastructure behind this identity: the Academy, the assessment architecture, the certification pathway, and the talent pipeline from campus to senior practitioner. What we are scaling is not headcount, but a workforce capable of closing the outcome gap that no model, platform, or deployment engineer can close alone.”
This Frontier model is anchored in six principles: interdisciplinary capability; a direct linkage to customer value; building, deploying, or working alongside agents as routine; end-to-end accountability; delivery through a small operational pod; and a single, unified Cognizant experience for the client. The workforce will be organized as a single premium job family of seven roles across two complementary tracks, Frontier Certified Engineers and Frontier Business Operators:
Frontier Certified Engineers: Frontier Certified Engineers architect and build agentic systems, engineer the retrieval and context layers that keep those systems grounded in domain reality, and orchestrate multi-agent pipelines into live production, remaining accountable for every system they deploy, including ongoing monitoring, tuning and improvement cycles that follow go-live. They are where industry domain expertise, full-stack AI engineering and production accountability converge in a single practitioner. They enter a client environment already fluent in its regulatory constraints, operational failure modes and business logic, and use that fluency to determine not just what AI can do, but what it should do, and how it must be governed to be trusted in alignment with client requirements.
Frontier Business Operators: Frontier Business Operators are responsible for delivering operational outcomes in collaboration with client stakeholders in environments where the workforce is simultaneously human and digital, managing agent fleets and human teams against a committed outcome, in real time, with no separation between the two. Their edge is not technical configuration; it is the judgment that comes from having run the operations floors, claims pipelines, and service workflows that AI agents are now being asked to take on. They know how to feed every exception and override back into agent calibration, so the system is continuously refined to improve reliability over time.
What sets these roles apart from being forward deployed engineers is permanence, accountability and something that cannot be trained overnight: Cognizant’s deep industry domain expertise and the hard-won experience of an AI builder running enterprise operations at scale. The model is already live — a two-person Engineer-and-Operator pod recently reimagined a large food service company’s account-management workflow into seventeen production AI agents, reclaiming roughly eleven hours per account manager each week while cutting handoff cycles by about 60 percent and nearly tripling their revenue per engagement.
Underpinning the commitment is a model built to scale and to reach the client. Cognizant stands up local capacity inside client clusters so certified pods deploy close to the work they own, while its global capability centers supply the talent base behind them. The elevation funnel narrows at each stage: from a broad base of AI-fluency skilling across hundreds of thousands of associates, through structured AI-Bridge programs to 40,000 in Frontier certification, credentialed directly by the frontier-model companies, including GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and OpenAI’s Codex. Today’s announced investment will expand Cognizant’s SkillSpring™ capacity, deliver AI-fluency and responsible-AI training across the workforce, and fund embedded client engagements worldwide.
For enterprises, the payoff is measured where it matters most: AI investment converted into business results, delivering value from the technology stack they already run, with accountability through an AI builder firm that lasts well beyond go-live. In committing to the people who deliver those outcomes, Cognizant is making a strategic bet that the defining edge of the AI era will be human and operational, and positioning its clients to pursue the financial return from their technology investment which has eluded them. That is the future of AI: not just capability, but outcomes that endure.
About Cognizant
Cognizant (Nasdaq: CTSH) is an AI Builder and technology services provider, bridging the gap between AI investment and enterprise value by building full-stack AI solutions for our clients. Our deep industry, process and engineering expertise enables us to build an organization’s unique context into technology systems that amplify human potential, drive tangible outcomes and keep global enterprises ahead in a fast-changing world. See how at www.cognizant.ai or @cognizant.
A picture of seized drugs weight around 2 tons by Vientiane Police. (Photo by Viengchan Police news)
Laos arrested 4,025 suspects in connection with 1,786 drug cases during the first six months of 2026 as authorities intensified a nationwide crackdown on narcotics, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone told the National Assembly on 6 July.
Laos has been stepping up in its anti-drug campaigns by targeting both domestic drug networks and international trafficking routes.
Recent months have also seen a series of major drug seizures across the country.
On 5 July, police in Bolikhamxay Province seized 1.2 million methamphetamine tablets after a suspected trafficker abandoned a pickup truck and fled into a nearby forest during a police pursuit.
Earlier in July, authorities in Khammouane Province arrested one suspect and confiscated 300 kilograms of crystal meth, a firearm, cash, and other evidence during a raid. Police said two additional suspects escaped and remain at large.
In April, police in Vientiane Province intercepted a truck carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine tablets and 500 kilograms of crystal meth. The driver was arrested, while investigations are continuing to identify other suspects.
Authorities have also continued destroying drugs seized in previous cases. On 25 June, police in Bokeo Province destroyed more than 17.3 tons of narcotics including methamphetamine, heroin, crystal meth, and ketamine from final court rulings and unresolved cases without known offenders.
Alongside enforcement efforts, Sonexay said authorities admitted 7,046 people to drug rehabilitation centres nationwide during the first half of the year. Of those, 2,769 have completed treatment and returned home.
The government said tackling drug trafficking and addiction remains one of its national priorities as authorities continue strengthening enforcement and rehabilitation efforts across the country.
By Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 July 2026 – Op-ed by Paul Murray, CEO Life & Health Reinsurance, Swiss Re.
Ten years.
That is roughly how long we have before many societies reach one of the most defining demographic tipping points of our era: the point at which the “new” silver economy (over 65’s) outnumber people aged 30-59 who have traditionally been the bedrock of the life and pensions system.
The intergenerational contract needs a re-write
The significance of this shift goes far beyond demographics.
It represents a symbolic moment that forces us to rethink the intergenerational contract: how we provide care and financial security for people as they move into later life – and how we finance a new set of needs.
The demographic evidence is already visible across major economies. In the US, adults aged 65 and over already outnumber children in 11 states. Singapore’s over-65 population has nearly doubled in a decade to 21%. Japan is approaching 30%. The UK, France and Germany are not far behind
These numbers are well-known. But their meaning is not yet fully reflected in our industry’s existing product strategy.
The tipping point is also more than a statistical curiosity. We will experience it through the decisions we make coming into retirement and to secure the future of the generation coming after us. We will need to make new choices on how we fund care. We will need to make new assumptions about when to retire. And we will face a new reality around how much of the financial burden falls on the state, families or the individual.
Families have always carried the weight of old age, even as pensions, healthcare systems and social care programmes have broadened that responsibility across society.
But the arithmetic underpinning the system is breaking. Globally, the ratio of working-age people financially supporting each person over 65 is projected to fall from around five-to-one in 2021 to three-to-one by 2050. Across developed markets, debates about pension reform, healthcare funding and retirement ages reflect the same underlying question: how do we maintain security and dignity later in life when there are fewer hands to carry the weight?
It’s not a crisis of demographics. It’s a crisis of design – our systems were built for shorter lives and larger workforces, and they haven’t been rebuilt for the world we are actually entering.
That insight matters because it challenges how we think about insurance’s role. I believe we have less than a decade to develop the products that the older consumers who make up the Silver Economy – and their families – will need.
There will be no silver bullet. We cannot return to a single solution based around family care versus public provision. The individual retiree will be the focus, but our thinking will need to be based on a more collaborative model in which families, governments, communities and the private sector work together.
Recent Swiss Re consumer research in France and Germany revealed something striking. People don’t think about later life in terms of pensions or insurance policies. They think about practical outcomes: staying independent, being resilient when health shocks hit, not becoming a burden to their children.
Our industry has spent decades optimising for wealth accumulation and income protection during working years. Ageing societies demand we apply the same rigour to what happens after.
That does not mean the intergenerational contract has failed. It means it is evolving.
We are already seeing what that evolution looks like in practice.
Senior health products in Asia are closing a real gap —The median age of cancer diagnosis is 67, yet many critical illness policies expire before retirement even begins. The result is high out-of-pocket expenses, stressed public healthcare, and increased burden on families. With dedicated products to cover later life illnesses, such as senior cancer products we are effectively closing a protection gap.
Long term care in France has had some success with private solutions alongside public provision. With over 1.4 million people covered by private long term care insurance, France has built a strong risk pool that directly addresses one of the strongest concerns expressed by consumers: not becoming a burden on the next generation.
Deferred annuities offer a third path beyond the binary “draw-down versus annuity” thinking. By combining flexibility today with guaranteed income later, they help transform longevity from an individual financial risk into one that can be shared more broadly.
At first glance these solutions appear very different. In reality, they are pieces of the same puzzle. Each expands the circle of support around the individual. They help families carry less of the burden alone, and they complement the work of state safety nets.
That is what the next evolution of the intergenerational contract looks like in practice.
Ageing societies are one of humanity’s great achievements. But if our products and institutions stay built for a demographic reality that no longer exists, achievement curdles into liability.
We have a decade to close that gap. Let’s treat it as a product-development window, not a deadline.
Disclaimer Certain statements and illustrations contained herein are forward-looking and are made for informational purposes only. These statements (including as to plans, objectives, targets, and trends) and illustrations provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to a historical fact or current fact. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Swiss Re undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Further information on forward looking statements and the use of information contained in this publication can be found in the Legal Notice section on Swiss Re’s website.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Swiss Re
The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cyber crime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 70 offices globally.
A picture of WIG NAGA welcoming celebration on 8 July after winning the defended its title at the IberCup in Portugal. (Photo by Phoudasack Vongsay, Laotian Times staff)
While the FIFA World Cup dominates football headlines, a Lao youth footballers has returned from Europe with two international titles.
On 5 July, W.I.G NAGA’s under-13 team successfully defended its IberCup title in Portugal, defeating Portuguese side GD Estoril Praia B 4-2 in the final to become back-to-back champions of one of the world’s best-known youth football tournaments.
Just weeks earlier, in mid-June, the club’s under-10 team also won the MIC Football 7 tournament in Spain, giving Laos two international youth football titles during a single European tour.
When the players returned to Vientiane on 8 July, parents, supporters, and football fans gathered at the airport to welcome them home.
A picture of WIG NAGA’s Tonjukkit Noysomsy during interview with the Laotian Times
For the coach Tonjukkit Noysomsy, defending the IberCup title was always going to be the team’s toughest challenge.
“We knew it would be very difficult,” he said. “We never underestimated any opponent. We prepared for a long time through training, studying matches, and analysing replays.”
Tonjukkit said the tournament also gave the team an opportunity to introduce Laos to people who knew little about the country.
“We are proud to represent Laos,” he said. “Many people there knew very little about Laos. During the tournament I often had to explain where Laos is, sometimes even showing them on Google.”
Friendship
a picture of the WIG NAGA team after wining at the IberCup in Portugal, defeating Portuguese side GD Estoril Praia B 4-2 in the final on 5 July. (Photo by Wilaikul NAGA Academy)
Asked what has helped the team succeed, Tonjukkit pointed to the bond the players have built over years of training together.
“These boys have been together for five or six years. They have hearts and fight for each other because they are friends.”
The players train six days a week, with one session before school and another after classes.
But Tonjukkit said winning trophies is only part of what the club is trying to achieve.
“We don’t only teach technical skills,” he said. “The most important thing is that they enjoy football, enjoy playing together, and learn how to be good teammates.”
He said the club’s long-term goal is to help develop the next generation
of Lao footballers.
“We don’t want this to be the end,” Tonjukkit said. “Our goal is to develop quality players for the Lao national team and one day help them compete in Asia and on the international stage.”
The team will not have much time to celebrate. Its next challenge is an international tournament in Shanghai, where W.I.G NAGA will face eight invited teams, including youth sides from Spain, Japan, and South Korea.
“We’ll train hard and make sure we’re fully prepared. W.I.G NAGA will never stop developing and will keep fighting.”
Young Players
The welcome home was one of the biggest surprises for the Lao Footballers
A picture of Centre-back Nino (left) and Righer winger Niou (right) during the interview with Laotian Times and Talk2Teen staff.
Right winger Niou said winning the title was unforgettable, but seeing so many supporters at the airport made the moment even more special.
“I feel really happy that we defended our title,” he said. “I am also very excited to see so many fans welcoming us.”
Niou’s teammate and centre-back Nino said the team never expected such a large crowd.
“We didn’t think this many people would come. I’m very thankful.”
The team is already looking ahead to more international competitions.
Following the tournament in China, W.I.G NAGA is expected to compete in the United States, Brazil, and Italy.