Strengthening protection amid rising climate risks and growing cross-border mobility

HONG KONG, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AXA Hong Kong and Macau (“AXA”) and MOTOGO are pleased to announce a strategic partnership, introducing two innovative insurance solutions provided at no cost to eligible MOTOGO members under Dah Chong Hong Motors. These offerings include the market’s first typhoon parametric insurance – ‘Tropical Cyclone Coverage’ – and a new cross-boundary travel insurance – ‘MOTOGO Care – Guangdong and Macau Travel Insurance’, which aims to enhance protection for car owners navigating increasingly volatile weather conditions and expanding regional travel.

The ‘Tropical Cyclone Coverage’ guarantees automatic benefit payouts when Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 9 or above is issued for a specified period, without the need to file a claim. Launched on 17 July 2025, just ahead of Typhoon Wipha’s arrival in Hong Kong, this parametric solution empowers eligible MOTOGO members to manage disruptions more easily and with greater resilience. Benefits are awarded in MOTOS points, which can be redeemed for motor services, exclusive experience and gift via the MOTOGO platform.

The ‘MOTOGO Care – Guangdong and Macau Travel Insurance’^[1] offers comprehensive protection for eligible customers traveling within the region. The plan includes medical coverage of up to HKD 300,000, along with benefits for travel delays, missed events, and journey curtailment. This initiative addresses a notable protection gap in the region, where insurance penetration remains relatively low despite increasing cross-border mobility.

MOTOGO, backed by Dah Chong Hong Motors, marks a new era for Hong Kong’s digital automotive services. As the city’s first “one-stop driving lifestyle platform”, MOTOGO integrates car repair, fuel and charging stations, insurance, lifestyle offers, and a dynamic car owner community. MOTOGO leverages innovative technology to redefine the customer experience. By empowering local merchants, it leads the automotive industry towards a new milestone in intelligence, digitalisation, and community engagement.

Kenneth Lai, Chief General Insurance Officer, AXA Hong Kong and Macau, said, “We are excited to partner with MOTOGO to launch Hong Kong’s first ‘Tropical Cyclone Coverage’, alongside the ‘Guangdong and Macau Travel Insurance’. This collaboration represents another milestone in AXA’s product innovation journey and reinforces our commitment to delivering timely, responsive and forward-looking insurance solutions for our customers and partners. By combining advanced climate modelling with an automated payout, we empower customers to navigate the growing risks posed by extreme weather events with confidence. As cross-boundary mobility becomes an integral part in daily life for Hong Kong residents, our tailored travel insurance ensures seamless protection across the region.”

Michelle Chan, General Manager of Digital Platform Business at DCH Motors, said: “MOTOGO is reshaping mobility across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area by connecting car owners and partners through innovative technology and an enhanced customer experience. Our partnership with AXA brings the region’s first typhoon parametric insurance and cross-boundary travel protection, delivering greater safety and convenience for drivers in both Hong Kong and the GBA. Together, we are building a smarter, more connected ecosystem for the future of regional mobility.”

This collaboration underscores AXA and MOTOGO’s dedication to delivering innovative and accessible protection that meets the evolving needs of customers, empowering customers to face rising climate risks and regional mobility with greater resilience.

About AXA Hong Kong and Macau

AXA Hong Kong and Macau is a member of the AXA Group, a leading global insurer with presence in 50 markets and serving 95 million customers worldwide. Our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters.

As one of the most diversified insurers in Hong Kong, we offer integrated solutions across Life, Health and General Insurance. We are the largest General Insurance provider and a major Health and Employee Benefits provider. Our aim is to not only be the insurer to provide comprehensive protection to our customers, but also a holistic partner to the individuals, businesses and community we serve. At the core of our service commitment is continuous product & service innovation and customer experience enrichment, which is achieved through actively listening to our customers’ needs and leveraging and investing in technology and digital transformation.

We embrace our responsibility to be a driving force against climate change and a force for good to create shared value for our community. We are proud to be the first to address the importance of mental health through different products and services and thought leading iconic research. Our overall Sustainability Strategy, with emphasis on climate strategy and biodiversity commitment, is developed based on TCFD recommendations. We are committed to integrating environmental, social and governance factors across our business and strive to contribute to a sustainable future through 3 distinct roles – as an investor, an insurer and an exemplary company.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS AVAILABLE ON AXA’S WEBSITE: AXA.COM.HK

About MOTORGO

MOTOGO is a brand-new digital membership platform launched by DCH Motor, dedicated to delivering a one-stop automotive lifestyle experience for car owners and enthusiasts. MOTOGO provides members in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area with exclusive privileges, rewards, lifestyle offers, and the latest automotive news, fostering community interaction and enhancing the quality of life for car owners.

DCH Motors has over 60 years of motor distribution and dealership expertise with a diversified brand portfolio including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, electrical buses, special purpose vehicles and luxury yachts. We operate more than 130 showrooms and 4S shops in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore and Myanmar. DCH Motors also operates a wide portfolio of motor services including vehicle repair, used car sales, parts trading, motor leasing, motor financing, auto insurance, airport services and engineering projects.

For more information, please visit: www.mymotogo.com

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause AXA’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to Part 4 – “Risk factors and risk management” of AXA’s Universal Registration Document for the year ended December 31, 2019, for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect AXA’s business, and/or results of operations. AXA undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as part of applicable regulatory or legal obligations.

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Amid rapid urbanization and an increasingly fast-paced lifestyle, Vietnam’s ready-to-eat (RTE) food market is witnessing remarkable growth. In 2024, the market value reached approximately USD 430 million and is projected to nearly triple to USD 1.28 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.8% (BlueWeave Consulting). This surge underscores a clear consumer trend: the demand for quick meal solutions that still meet high standards of nutrition, quality, and safety.

Yet, convenience alone is not enough. Flavor, nutrition, and product quality remain top priorities for today’s consumers. Rising to meet this demand, Nature Foods Company (NFC) has firmly established itself as a pioneer in Vietnam in applying freeze-dried technology—delivering convenient products without compromising taste, color, or nutritional value.

Recognized on HTV9 – Reinforcing Credibility and Value

Recently, NFC was featured on “An Lanh Song Chat” (Eat Well, Live Well), a reputable television program aired on HTV9 that provides audiences with knowledge about smart eating solutions and raises awareness on food safety. During the program, NFC representatives shared in-depth insights into the freeze-dried process, the company’s rigorous quality control system, and its guiding philosophy: “Eat Well – Live Well.”

This appearance not only reinforced NFC’s pioneering role in the high-tech food sector but also underscored its commitment to spreading the message of scientific, safe, and sustainable eating.

Freeze-dried Technology – Preserving Flavor, Nutrition, and Quality

Unlike traditional drying methods, freeze-dried removes water from ingredients while they are frozen, turning ice directly into vapor without passing through the liquid stage. This process preserves the natural flavor, vibrant color, and nutritional content of the food—eliminating the need for artificial preservatives.

With extremely low moisture levels, products enjoy extended shelf life while remaining safe, convenient, and capable of delivering a “freshly prepared” taste experience—perfectly aligning with the needs of modern consumers.

Nature Foods Company – Pioneering Excellence

Founded in 2002, NFC has made substantial investments in a fully integrated production line that adheres to rigorous international standards including HACCP, ISO 22000, BRCGS, FDA, and HALAL. Every stage—from ingredient selection and preparation to freeze-dried and packaging—is tightly controlled. Each product undergoes sensory, microbiological, and physicochemical testing before reaching consumers.

A modern traceability system further ensures transparency across the entire production process, reinforcing consumer trust.

Convenience Without Compromise

NFC products are ideal for various occasions: a quick office breakfast, outdoor trips, or as a reliable home pantry staple. Most importantly, this convenience does not come at the expense of safety, quality, or flavor.

Mr. Phan Hoang An, CEO of Nature Foods, emphasized:

“We do not view technology merely as a production tool, but as a commitment to community responsibility. Every NFC product is a combination of convenience, nutrition, and safety—so consumers can feel confident choosing it for their families.”

A Sustainable Vision

By pioneering the use of freeze-dried technology, NFC is not only creating high-quality products but also helping to elevate the standards of Vietnam’s food industry. Looking ahead, the company is committed to expanding its range of convenient, nutritious, and safe products—offering modern dining experiences that retain the authentic essence of their ingredients.

SINGAPORE, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The SkyWork AI Technology Release Week officially kicked off on August 11. From August 11 to August 15, SkyWork releases one new model each day for five consecutive days, covering cutting-edge models for core multimodal AI scenarios. Skywork has already launched the SkyReels-A3, Matrix-Game 2.0, and Matrix-3D models.

On August 13, the Skywork UniPic 2.0 model was officially open-sourced. It is an efficient training and inference framework for unified multimodal modeling, designed with lightweight generation and editing modules while integrating multimodal understanding models for joint training. This equips it with unified core capabilities—understanding, image generation, and editing—with the goal of achieving an “efficient, high-quality, and unified” multimodal generative model.

Skywork UniPic 2.0 and its model series are now fully open-source, releasing model weights, inference code, and optimization strategies. They will enable developers and researchers to rapidly deploy and develop multimodal applications.

Project homepage:

https://unipic-v2.github.io/

Technical report:

https://github.com/SkyworkAI/UniPic/blob/main/UniPic-2/assets/pdf/UNIPIC2.pdf

GitHub:

https://github.com/SkyworkAI/UniPic/tree/main/UniPic-2

HuggingFace Gradio:

https://huggingface.co/spaces/Skywork/UniPic2-Metaquery

HuggingFace Model:

https://huggingface.co/Skywork/UniPic2-SD3.5M-Kontext-2B; https://huggingface.co/Skywork/UniPic2-Metaquery-9B

Skywork UniPic 2.0 consists of three core modules:

Image generation & editing: Based on the SD3.5-Medium architecture, the originally text-only model has been upgraded to process both text and image inputs simultaneously. Through training on high-quality image generation and editing datasets, its functionality has evolved from standalone image generation to integrated generation and editing capabilities.

Unified model capability : By freezing the image generation/editing module and leveraging a multimodal model (Qwen2.5-VL-7B) with a pre-trained connector, we have established integrated understanding/generation/editing capabilities. Through joint fine-tuning of both the connector and the image generation/editing module, a unified model capable of seamless understanding, generation, and editing has been achieved.

Post-training for image generation & editing: To boost overall performance, we have developed a Flow-GRPO-based progressive dual-task reinforcement strategy. This approach achieves collaborative optimization of generation and editing tasks without cross-interference, yielding performance gains beyond standard pre-training.

The upgraded Skywork UniPic 2.0 delivers the following key advantages:

Lightweight yet high-performance generation module:

Built on the 2B-parameter SD3.5-Medium architecture, our generation module surpasses competitors in both image generation and editing benchmarks – including models like Bagel (7B params), OmniGen2 (4B params), UniWorld-V1 (12B params), and Flux-kontext.

Enhanced reinforcement learning capability:

Our groundbreaking Flow-GRPO-based progressive dual-task reinforcement strategy significantly enhances the model’s ability to interpret complex instructions, and maintain consistency across image generation and editing tasks. All while enabling collaborative optimization without cross-task interference.

Unified architecture with scalable adaptation

The system features seamless end-to-end integration of the Kontext image generation/editing model with multimodal architectures. Through lightweight connector fine-tuning, users can rapidly deploy unified understanding-generation-editing models while further improving both generation and editing performance.

The UniPic2-SD3.5M-Kontext model achieves remarkable performance despite its compact 2B parameter size. In comprehensive benchmarks, it surpasses both Flux.dev (12B parameters) in image generation metrics and Flux-Kontext (12B parameters) in editing performance. Furthermore, it outperforms nearly all existing unified models – including UniWorld-V1 (19B parameters) and Bagel (14B parameters) – across both generation and editing tasks.

When extended into the unified UniPic2-Metaquery architecture, the model demonstrates additional performance gains, showcasing exceptional scalability beyond its already impressive baseline capabilities.

Skywork UniPic 2.0’s exceptional understanding, generation, and editing capabilities are powered by the Skywork team’s groundbreaking optimizations across all training stages – from pre-training and co-training to post-training refinement.

Pre-Training (image generation/editing model)

SD3.5-Medium was initially trained to synthesize images from both textual instructions and reference images while preserving its original architecture. The system processes text inputs (encoded into instruction representations via the text encoder) and reference images (compressed into latent variables by the VAE and projected as context tokens). These components are then concatenated with the target image’s noise tokens into a unified sequence, where the model’s inherent positional encoding maintains clear differentiation between reference and target tokens. This methodology retains SD3.5M’s native structure while simultaneously enabling both text-to-image (T2I) generation and text-conditioned image editing (I2I).

Joint-Training

Starting from our pre-trained image generation/editing model, we implement the Metaquery framework to achieve cross-modal alignment between Qwen2.5-VL (multimodal) and the image synthesis model, thereby creating a unified architecture. This integration is achieved through two key processes:

Connector pre-training

We substituted SD3.5M’s original T5 text encoder with Qwen2.5-VL and a Connector, maintaining frozen weights in both Qwen2.5-VL and SD3.5M’s DiT backbone. The Connector underwent pre-training on 100M+ curated image-generation samples to establish precise feature-space alignment between Qwen2.5-VL’s transformed outputs (via the Connector) and SD3.5M’s DiT input expectations.

Joint SFT training

Following connector pre-training, we replaced SD3.5M with the pre-trained UniPic2-SD3.5M-Kontext model (specialized in image generation/editing), then unfreezed both the connector and UniPic2-SD3.5M-Kontext parameters. Using high-quality generation and editing datasets, we jointly trained the connector and Kontext model to achieve optimal unified performance. The resulting UniPic2-Metaquery model not only preserves the base multimodal model’s comprehension capabilities but also exhibits superior generation and editing performance compared to the standalone Kontext model.

Post-training: Multi-task reinforcement learning for concurrent generation/editing enhancement

Traditional multi-task RL often faces performance trade-offs, where optimizing one task compromises another. To overcome this limitation, we pioneered a progressive Flow-GRPO-based dual-task reinforcement strategy that achieves breakthrough concurrent optimization of text-to-image generation and image editing within a unified architecture. This represents the first demonstrated instance of interference-free, synergistic task improvement in multimodal model development.

As a pioneer in AI technology, Skywork continues to redefine the frontiers of artificial intelligence. In recent months, we have open-sourced multiple state-of-the-art foundation models that established new industry standards, including SkyReels-V1: the first video generation model specialized for AI-driven short film production; SkyReels-V2: the world’s first unlimited-duration cinematic generation model employing a diffusion-forcing framework; and SkyReels-A3: an audio-driven portrait video generation model.

In multimodal AI development, Skywork has introduced two groundbreaking advancements: (1) the Skywork-R1V series—a 38B-parameter multimodal reasoning model that effectively bridges textual and visual reasoning while matching the performance of significantly larger proprietary models, and (2) pioneering spatial intelligence systems including the Matrix-Game 2.0 interactive world model and Matrix-3D generative world model.

Explore more open-source models in the Skywork family:

https://huggingface.co/Skywork

• TGRA has partnered with smallholder farmers in India to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate high integrity carbon credits

NEW DELHI, Aug. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Good Rice Alliance (TGRA), which focuses on advancing sustainable rice farming in India, has received an ‘Ae’ (pronounced ‘single A’, ‘e’) ex ante rating from BeZero Carbon, a leading independent carbon ratings agency. Through TGRA, Bayer, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of agriculture and healthcare, in collaboration with GenZero, a Temasek-owned investment platform dedicated to accelerating decarbonization globally, Shell Energy India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Shell Plc and investor in nature-based solutions, are committed to reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions through sustainable agricultural practices.

The ‘Ae’ rating reflects the project’s high standalone carbon rating (‘a’) combined with a very high likelihood of successful project execution (‘aa’).

A standalone Carbon ex ante of ‘a’ is comparable to the highest rated ex post Soil Carbon & Agriculture credits. Receiving an ‘Ae’, a top-quartile rating confirms a high likelihood that each TGRA credit will deliver one ton of CO2e avoidance.  

Speaking on the rating achieved, Suhas Joshi, India Carbon Initiative Lead at Bayer said, “We are incredibly proud of this milestone. The Ae rating is not only a validation of TGRA’s scientific and operational rigor, but also a testament to the collective commitment of our alliance. We are committed to establishing a nature-based carbon market quality benchmark, by implementing Total Quality Management principles in the agricultural space. Through TGRA, we leverage high-quality management practices and robust measurement tools to help generate high-integrity carbon credits by helping farmers reduce emissions, conserve water, and unlock new income streams while reinforcing a future-ready farming ecosystem. For carbon credit offtakers worldwide, this represents a rare opportunity to support decarbonization at scale while uplifting smallholder communities.”

BeZero is an independent carbon ratings agency boasting a 180+ strong team made up of climate scientists, geospatial experts, data scientists, financial analysts and policy specialists. BeZero’s ratings are based on a rigorous analysis of various factors, including additionality, carbon accounting, and permanence risks, providing transparency and building trust in carbon markets. Higher BeZero ratings are correlated with higher prices and increased demand for carbon credits.

BeZero Carbon’s ex ante assessment evaluates TGRA’s exceptional credibility across five key categories: additionality, carbon accounting, permanence, project execution, and safeguards. The ‘Ae’ certification offers assurance of delivery of impact-driven, high-integrity credits that meet the highest transparency and quality standards.

Since May 2023, TGRA has partnered with smallholder farmers across thirteen Indian states to implement Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR). As of October 2024, TGRA has enrolled more than 12,000 farmers in the program, covering 35,000 hectares of farmland, reducing methane emissions equivalent to nearly 1,20,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. Underpinned by best-in-class on ground and digital Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) and secured land and carbon rights, TGRA is well equipped to play a pivotal role in GHG reductions in agriculture.

Currently, TGRA covers major rice-producing states in the country, like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra. On average, it takes over 1 million litres of water to produce one ton of rice. TGRA, through the implementation of climate-smart practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), can reduce water consumption by up to 30% without impacting yields. This equates to over 12,50,000 million litres of water savings across 35,000 hectares per season in total, the equivalent of 330 billion US gallons. TGRA is also armed with a stringent Quality Management System, farmer training, support and hand holding mechanism and a Monitoring, Report and Verification (MRV) mechanism which are in place to help maintain program integrity.

Paddy rice cultivation is responsible for approximately 10% of global methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential over 27 times that of carbon dioxide. Rice farms occupy 15% of the global farm area, equivalent to more than 150 million hectares worldwide. With a keen focus on sustainability, the alliance is closely aligned with UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and plans to work together with smallholder farmers from the grassroots to drive maximum co-benefits and mitigate climate change.

Photo: https://laotiantimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/bezero_tgra_bayer.jpg