Pilot programme transforms employment verification from weeks to minutes, starting with the Singapore–India corridor.

SINGAPORE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Affinidi has launched a pilot to advance global and regional interoperability, enabling seamless cross-border flows of trade, assets, and talent through verifiable credentials that benefit Singapore businesses. The pilot saw collaborations with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and employment background screening companies to launch a reusable credential ecosystem specifically targeting cross-border talent corridors.

The pilot programme addresses a critical industry challenge: background screening companies currently rely on manual verification processes of candidates that take five to fifteen days on average, creating substantial delays, inflating costs, and exposing employers to fraud risks, particularly given Gartner’s prediction that by 2028, 1 in 4 hiring profiles will be fraudulent.

Affinidi’s solution converts background checks into cryptographically signed verifiable credentials that can be stored in digital wallets. Candidates no longer need to submit identical documents to multiple employers repeatedly, and verification time is reduced significantly from weeks to minutes. This creates a reusable professional ‘passport’ that gives candidates complete control over their verified career-related credentials.

Built on World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Verifiable Credentials and Decentralised Identifiers standards, the solution replaces manual document checks with tamper-evident, cryptographic proof almost instantaneously. The interoperable architecture reduces both integration costs, which adds flexibility and scalability of the system, and operational expenses across hiring workflows.

Affinidi currently collaborates with several leading background screening companies, including Avvanz, eeCheck, and Risk Management Intelligence (RMI), among others, to transform employment verification approaches.

“We’re not just solving hiring inefficiencies, we’re creating the foundation for a trust-based digital economy,” said Glenn Gore, CEO of Affinidi. “What starts with employment verification between India and Singapore demonstrates how the same can be applied to transform access to healthcare, financial services, education, and beyond. When individuals own and control their data, entire economies operate more efficiently and with trust.”

Background screening companies are evolving from one-off transaction providers to ecosystem partners offering recurring verification services while maintaining their assurance role.

“Just as the adoption of digital technologies and international standards have dramatically transformed the financial sector, and enhanced interoperability, the use of digital verifiable credentials has the ability to further engender trust and ensure that the best talent pools can be identified and tapped,” said Chek-Tchung Foo, Executive Director of Public Policy, GFTN. “This will also unlock new pathways towards the seamless flow of talent and skills across borders, which will power us towards the long-term objective of accelerating and modernising economies.”

This pilot establishes a building block for frictionless cross-border verification, enabling individuals, businesses and their partners to transact with global trust.

About Affinidi 

Affinidi is a data and identity management technology company founded by Temasek in 2020 that is transforming the global data value chain through the Internet of Trust. Headquartered in Singapore with strategic presence in Berlin, Ukraine, and Bangalore, the company builds technical infrastructure and services that shift value creation from traditional data silos to collaborative ecosystems. 

Through developer tools and open standards, Affinidi enables secure collaboration between individuals, businesses, and AI agents. By replacing surveillance-based systems with trust-based systems, it preserves privacy and ensures individuals retain complete control over their data. 

For more information: https://www.affinidi.com 

Driving Diversity and Inclusion Workplace Through the 3H Strategy: Happy, Healthy, Hearty

TAIPEI, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Cathay United Bank (CUB) has earned global recognition for fostering a people-centric, flexible workplace that prioritizes employee well-being and career growth. At this year’s HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia Awards, CUB’s Singapore Branch took home five prestigious honors, reaffirming its commitment to innovation and inclusivity.

At the 2025 HR Asia Best Companies to Work for in Asia Awards—hosted in Singapore by HR Asia, a leading HR media outlet—CUB Singapore Branch stood out among 181 competitors. For the third consecutive year, it earned the “Best Companies to Work for in Asia Awards,” along with four additional honors: “Tech Empowerment Awards,” “Most Caring Company Awards,” “Sustainable Workplace Awards,” and “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards.” Notably, this year marks the branch’s first time winning the “Tech Empowerment Awards.”

The “Best Companies to Work for in Asia Awards” is based on an employee questionnaire survey and a three-tier evaluation covering organizational culture, employee engagement, and diversity and inclusion development—ensuring that the authentic voices of employees are accurately reflected. CUB Singapore Branch consists of a diverse workforce, including expatriates from Taiwan and staff of various nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Guided by its “3H Strategy: Happy, Healthy, Hearty,” the branch fosters open communication, interaction, and inclusivity through a fair grievance mechanism, open-concept office, and a variety of exchange activities.

Quek Li Ling, Senior Vice President of CUB Singapore Branch, emphasized the bank’s commitment to building a diverse, flexible, transparent, and efficient workplace culture. She noted that CUB prioritizes employee well-being and encourages collaboration to drive sustainable organizational growth. According to the HR Asia survey, CUB outperformed the market average in three key indicators—Core, Self, and Group. Winning these awards for three consecutive years reaffirms CUB’s effectiveness in creating a supportive and adaptive work environment.

In response to rapid fintech development, CUB Singapore Branch is committed to enhancing employee digital capabilities by offering specialized courses and AI application tools to boost technological proficiency and improve work efficiency. The branch also demonstrates its dedication to employee well-being across four dimensions: physical health, family, society, and community. Initiatives include ergonomic office furniture, workshops on health, nutrition, and emotional wellness, as well as a Family Day event at Singapore’s Bird Paradise to strengthen family bonds. Additionally, the branch continued its “CU Smile” CSR Day program under the philosophy of “giving back to society,” mobilizing nearly 100 employees and volunteers from Taiwan-invested companies to support disadvantaged seniors with house cleaning, painting, and repairs—showcasing how international companies can leverage local resources to benefit the community.

Cathay Financial Holdings (Cathay FHC), with over 60 years of deep roots in Taiwan, continues to expand its presence across Asia, now operating 969 branches throughout the region and managing more than USD 400 billion in assets. Its subsidiary, Cathay United Bank (CUB), has built a strong presence in Singapore since entering the market in 2009, and is committed to creating a workplace that embraces cross-domain thinking and fosters diversity and inclusion. CUB Singapore Branch embraces innovative learning models and internal knowledge sharing mechanisms to help employees maximize their strengths and grow with the company, truly embodying the brand value of “Better Together.”

BEIJING, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Once hailed by Marco Polo as a “great eastern port” teeming with merchants and goods, Quanzhou, a world heritage city in southeast China’s Fujian Province, today continues to captivate visitors with its living heritage, vibrant street life and enduring openness.

In 2024, Quanzhou received more than 100 million tourist visits, up 16.8 percent year on year. Travelers come not only to trace history, but also to experience a city where daily life and cultural legacy remain closely intertwined.

From tusun jelly made of coastal marine worms to festive spring rolls known as runbing, Quanzhou’s cuisine reflects both maritime traditions and folk customs.

On Oct. 31, the city was designated a “Creative City of Gastronomy” by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Covering just over six square kilometers, Quanzhou’s ancient city remains home to generations of residents. Local authorities have adopted a “micro-renovation” approach, preserving original neighborhoods while improving living conditions and visitor access.

Intangible cultural heritage is another highlight. Quanzhou is regarded as a cradle of traditional Chinese operas such as Liyuan Opera, Gaojia Opera, and string-puppet theater. Performances at the Marionette Theatre of Quanzhou are often sold out within minutes, drawing audiences from across the country. Many young performers have joined the troupes, ensuring the vitality of these art forms.

In Xunpu Village, the once-local custom of wearing elaborate floral headdresses has gone viral nationwide, while oyster-shell houses testify to centuries-old overseas trade.

Today, Quanzhou is home to thousands of foreign merchants engaged in textiles, trade and e-commerce. With improved multilingual services and visa facilitation, the city is welcoming a growing number of international visitors, once again reviving its role as a global port of cultural exchange.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348816.html 

BEIJING, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — A wine-themed folk culture festival kicked off in Mengshan Town in east China’s Jiangxi Province on Dec. 4, offering visitors an immersive experience of local culture, wine and cuisine.

On the event, visitors were invited to join many interactive experience activities including ring toss game, making Maci, a glutinous rice cake, calligraphy writing, breaking wine bowls, Touhu game, a game in which the winner is decided by the number of arrows thrown into a distant pot, and a wine competition.

The event, already been celebrated for six sessions, attracted large amount of visitors to enjoy the cultural activities, and taste local fine wines and food.

Original link: https://en.imsilkroad.com/p/348815.html 

APAC’s leading enterprise CX platform enables large-scale, multi-country customer experience operations across the region, starting with Bahrain and Qatar

SINGAPORE, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Toku, Asia Pacific’s leading AI-powered 360° customer experience platform, today announced its entry into the Middle East. A leading on-demand services enterprise operating across the region has selected Toku to power its contact centre operations, with the first phase now live in Bahrain and Qatar.

The multi-market deployment represents a significant validation of Toku’s strategy to expand beyond Asia Pacific into other high-growth, complex regions. The phased rollout will take place across the Middle East and North Africa, with additional markets scheduled to go live progressively throughout 2026.

Why the Middle East, Why Now

The MENA region is a fast-growing contact centre market, driven by enterprises seeking cloud-native platforms that can navigate its diverse regulatory landscape and multilingual customer base. For on-demand services enterprises operating across multiple Gulf states, delivering consistent customer experiences while meeting local compliance requirements has become a critical competitive differentiator.

Toku’s hybrid deployment model, which combines cloud flexibility with in-country processing for data sovereignty, proved decisive in winning the mandate. The platform’s ability to integrate seamlessly with existing enterprise systems while supporting Arabic, English, and other regional languages addressed requirements that global incumbents have historically struggled to meet.

Thomas Laboulle, Founder and CEO of Toku commented, “Our first partnership in the Middle East demonstrates how our APAC-first approach has equipped us to succeed in markets with complex regulatory fragmentation, diverse infrastructure, and multilingual requirements. From Asia Pacific to Latin America, and now the Middle East, this is a strong testament to why complexity is Toku’s competitive moat. We look forward to continuing to deliver meaningful value in markets that global incumbents often find too difficult to navigate.”

A Proven Playbook for Complex Markets

The MENA expansion follows Toku’s entry into Latin America, where the company deployed its Contact Centre solution across 15 Spanish-speaking countries. This pattern of winning large-scale customers in complex, multi-country environments underscores Toku’s differentiated positioning: a composable customer engagement platform purpose-built for markets where one-size-fits-all solutions fall short.

Toku was recently recognised in the Frost Radar™: Customer Experience Platforms in Asia-Pacific, 2025 report and named in the 2025 Gartner Cool Vendors in Composable Customer Engagement Platforms report, validating its approach to enterprise customer experience in emerging markets. A comprehensive update on the deployment is expected upon completion of the regional rollout.

Platform Capabilities

Toku’s modular 360° CX platform operates at the convergence of cloud communications, customer engagement, and enterprise AI:

• Embeddables: Programmable Voice and Messaging APIs that enable enterprises to embed communications capabilities directly into their applications and workflows
• Customer Engagement Solutions: Omnichannel Contact Centre with intelligent routing, enabling agents to deliver consistent service across all channels from a unified workspace
• Conversational AI Capabilities: The Core AI Suite, comprising Toku Transcribe, Toku Summarise, Sentiment Analysis, and Conversation Analytics, is purpose-built for complex multilingual environments
• Flexible Deployment: Cloud, in-country processing, or hybrid architectures to meet data residency and regulatory requirements

The platform integrates seamlessly with enterprise systems of record, including CRM, ITSM, and business intelligence platforms, enabling organisations to orchestrate customer journeys across all touchpoints.

About Toku

Headquartered in Singapore, Toku empowers enterprises to elevate customer experiences with innovative, cloud-based communications and engagement solutions. Leveraging its expertise in the APAC region and an expanding global reach, Toku’s modular 360° CX platform features an enterprise-grade cloud contact centre solution, Programmable APIs, and AI capabilities, including transcription, summarisation, conversation analytics, and virtual agents. Designed to integrate seamlessly with customer data and business processes, Toku’s solutions streamline interactions and drive scalable growth. Trusted by leading brands, Toku helps organisations achieve optimised outcomes and deepen customer relationships.

For more information, visit toku.co

The latest Android update for the Wacom MovinkPad series enhances creative workflows by connecting ibisPaint X, Wacom Canvas, and Wacom Shelf, while introducing a complimentary 180-day ibisPaint Prime Membership.

TOKYO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Wacom today released a new Android update for the Wacom MovinkPad series that introduces ibisPaint X as a pre-installed app and deepens the integration between Wacom Canvas, Wacom Shelf, and ibisPaint X — one of the world’s most popular illustration platforms — enabling creators to move seamlessly between sketching, editing, and managing their artwork.

Wacom’s MovinkPad series continues the company’s vision of portable, all-in-one creative pads for drawing anywhere. The series includes the Wacom MovinkPad 11, introduced in mid-2025, and the Wacom MovinkPad Pro 14, launched in October. These standalone pen displays combine Wacom’s signature pen technology with a built-in Android environment to deliver a complete, PC-free drawing experience.

On both devices, users will be able to open sketches created in Wacom Canvas directly in ibisPaint X or view ibisPaint X project files within Wacom Shelf. Wacom Shelf now supports IPV, the native ibisPaint X format, in addition to JPG, HEIC, PNG, CLIP, BMP, WEBP, and TIFF, allowing users to browse and organize their creations more intuitively. These improvements reflect Wacom Canvas and Wacom Shelf optimization for ibisPaint X, designed to make creative workflows even smoother.

With over 500 million downloads worldwide, ibisPaint X stands as one of the most recognized digital art apps globally.

ibisPaint X will be added with the latest Android update on the Wacom MovinkPad 11, while MovinkPad Pro 14 users can update ibisPaint X, Wacom Canvas, and Wacom Shelf through Google Play.

“With the integration of ibisPaint X, the Wacom MovinkPad series will expand to enable even more diverse creative experiences,” said Koji Yano, Senior Vice President, Creative Experience Unit at Wacom. “By connecting Wacom’s creative ecosystem with vibrant art communities around the world, we believe we can offer new opportunities and possibilities for creative expression to even more people.”

The update also introduces a complimentary 180-day ibisPaint Prime Membership for all Wacom MovinkPad users — both new and existing — giving them access to the full range of Prime features available through ibisPaint X. The Prime Membership removes ads, expands cloud storage to 20 GB, and adds access to vector tools, exclusive Prime Materials, apply Canvas Papers, Prim Fonts, and advanced filters such as Tone Curve and Gradation Map — letting users explore every detail of ibisPaint X right away.

“With ibisPaint now available on the Wacom MovinkPad series, users can enjoy a more intuitive and liberating creative experience than ever before,” said Yuka Inoue, Section Manager at ibis inc. “We believe this freedom—to draw whenever and wherever inspiration strikes—will further expand the possibilities of artistic expression. We’re also truly delighted to support creators on their creative journeys.”

This update reflects Wacom’s ongoing commitment to supporting everyone who loves to draw — from beginners exploring digital art to experienced illustrators seeking a portable, all-in-one device that adapts to their style and workflow.

To learn more about the Wacom MovinkPad series, visit: https://www.wacom.com/products/portable-pads

About Wacom

Wacom is a global leader in digital pen solutions, offering intuitive tools for writing and drawing. Our products are trusted across creative fields — from studios and classrooms to healthcare — supporting students and professionals alike. Wacom pen technologies also power many pen-enabled PCs, tablets, and phones through partnerships with top tech brands.