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NHG Health and DFI Retail Group Collaborate to Empower Holistic Wellness in Asia

Start of a long-term partnership to explore clinically relevant solutions

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 October 2025 – NHG Health and DFI Retail Group, a leading Asian retailer, today signed a Collaboration Agreement (CA) to make preventive care and everyday health and wellness more accessible to the public in Singapore and across Asia. This kickstarted a long-term partnership between the organisations to jointly explore more opportunities in science-backed and clinically relevant health and wellness solutions for the region.

DFI Retail Group and NHG Health have established a new partnership to make preventive care and everyday health and wellness more accessible to the public in across Singapore and Asia, and will collaboratively develop affordable solutions for general well-being, healthy ageing and family health.
DFI Retail Group and NHG Health have established a new partnership to make preventive care and everyday health and wellness more accessible to the public in across Singapore and Asia, and will collaboratively develop affordable solutions for general well-being, healthy ageing and family health.

This partnership seeks to address the growing public health need by offering clinical-based solutions for better health management in the areas of general well-being, healthy ageing and family health. These solutions emphasise preventive care, empowering individuals to take charge of their health early: act early to lower the risk of escalation to severe conditions and potential to reduce the need for future clinical treatment.

Addressing a Critical Regional Need

Asia has been experiencing some of the world’s fastest demographic transitions of rapidly ageing populations1 and rising lifestyle-related diseases2, with increasing prevalence of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic disorders. This has created complex healthcare needs that require early intervention and culturally-sensitive preventive strategies.

Traditional hospital-centric models alone cannot meet these demands at scale, as communities require care that is accessible, culturally-attuned, and focused on staying well, not just treating illnesses. Preventive care delivered at the community level, where it can be most effective, remains a significant gap.

This partnership between NHG Health and DFI Retail Group recognises these regional realities and brings clinical expertise into everyday community touchpoints—supporting preventive health and general well-being and enabling successful ageing in place.

Under this partnership, NHG Health will provide clinical expertise, research capabilities and public health experience. This includes providing clinical and scientific guidance on unmet clinical needs, supporting clinical research and health studies, and driving public education on preventive health and early intervention. DFI Retail Group will contribute retail expertise, customer insights, and omnichannel distribution across its Guardian and Mannings stores to ensure wide accessibility of these solutions. Beyond physical retail distribution, DFI will also support with customer engagement and education, marketing and e-commerce capabilities.

This partnership underscores the importance of public-private collaboration in shaping the future of healthcare, with Singapore as a launchpad for impact across Asia. By combining clinical depth and trusted infrastructure of the public sector with the innovation, scale and reach of the private sector, this partnership will support new pathways to preventive care and health ownership in a strategic and sustainable way for consumers in Singapore and across Asia.

The Collaboration Agreement (CA) to formalise this partnership was signed by Professor Benjamin Seet, Group Chairman Medical Board (Research), NHG Health, and Ms Fann Yuen, Group Own Brand Director, DFI Retail Group.

Prof Seet said, “With population health as a national priority, there is greater focus on care provided in the community, rather than in hospitals and clinics. This partnership with DFI achieves exactly that. Through its extensive retail network, we will be able to reach millions of people across Singapore and the region, allowing us to bring evidence-based solutions closer to home to impact more lives.”

Andrew Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Health & Beauty, DFI Retail Group, said, “This partnership sets a new benchmark for public-private healthcare collaboration, and we are very proud to be the first retailer in Asia to lead the way with NHG Health. In the growing wellness space where health and beauty converge, customers are increasingly looking for holistic solutions so they can take charge of their well-being. Teaming up with NHG Health strengthens Guardian’s and Mannings’ role as the trusted advisors for wellness, delivering accessible, affordable and relevant solutions to the communities we serve in Singapore and across Asia.”

Long-term Partnership

Singapore’s value as a launchpad for healthcare innovation across Asia reflects both its unique advantages and the broader regional opportunity. Our robust and well-established healthcare system, supportive regulatory environment, and strong smart nation foundation create an ideal testing ground for these new health and wellness solutions. Our multicultural population can also provide valuable insights that can be applied across diverse Asian markets.

In the longer term, NHG Health and DFI Retail Group will explore co-developing health and wellness solutions for Asia in other areas such as preventive screening tools, lifestyle interventions including wellness offerings and nutritional solutions, and integrated care solutions. These address unique health challenges facing Asian populations, particularly ageing demographics and rising lifestyle-related diseases.

1. ESCAP Asia Pacific Report on Population Ageing 2022
2. Asian Development Bank: Redirecting Revenue Toward Health Could Curb Asia’s Chronic Disease Surge

Hashtag: #DFIRetailGroup#NHGHealth#Mannings#Guardian

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

About DFI Retail Group

DFI Retail Group (the ‘Group’) is a leading Asian retailer, driven by its purpose to ‘Sustainably Serve Asia for Generations with Everyday Moments’.
At 30 June 2025, the Group and its associates operated over 7,500 outlets and employed over 83,000 people. The Group had total annual revenue in 2024 of US$24.9 billion and reported revenue of US$8.9 billion.

DFI is dedicated to delivering quality, value and service to Asian consumers through a compelling retail experience supported by an extensive store network and highly efficient supply chains.

The Group, including associates, operates a portfolio of well-known brands across five key divisions: health and beauty, convenience, food, home furnishings and restaurants. The principal brands are:
Health and Beauty
Mannings on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R.; and Guardian in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Convenience

7-Eleven in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Singapore and Southern China.

Food

Wellcome and Market Place in Hong Kong S.A.R.; Cold Storage and Giant in Singapore; Lucky in Cambodia.

Home Furnishings

IKEA in Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Indonesia and Taiwan.

Restaurants
Hong Kong Maxim’s group on the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau S.A.R., Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Group’s parent company, DFI Retail Group Holdings Limited, is incorporated in Bermuda and has a primary listing in the equity shares (transition) category of the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Bermuda and Singapore. The Group’s businesses are managed from Hong Kong. DFI Retail Group is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

About NHG Health

NHG Health is a leading public healthcare provider in Singapore recognised for its quality clinical care and its commitment in enabling healthier lives through preventive health, innovative solutions and person-centred programmes tailored to every life stage. Our integrated health system, which spans primary care, hospitals and national specialty centres, includes Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Woodlands Health, Yishun Community Hospital, NHG Polyclinics, the Institute of Mental Health, National Skin Centre and the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.

Together with academic and industry partners, we advance medical education, research and healthcare innovation in Singapore, addressing areas that are critical to Singapore’s population needs. As the Regional Health Manager for Central and North Singapore, NHG Health partners general practices and health and social care agencies to ensure the physical, mental and social well-being of residents in the community.

Together, we are committed to building healthier and resilient communities, and Adding Years of Healthy Life to the people we serve.

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Field Medical First-in-Human 6-Month Data Selected for Late-Breaking Clinical Trial at VT Symposium 2025

Three sessions feature new outcomes, a live case, and preclinical research with the FieldForce™ Ablation System.

CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., and PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Field Medical, Inc., a leader in pulsed field ablation (PFA) technology for ventricular tachycardia (VT), today announced its participation at the 20th Annual International Symposium on Ventricular Arrhythmias (VT Symposium), taking place Oct. 10 –11 in Philadelphia.

Field Medical: Engineered to reach the epicardium from the endocardium, the FieldForce™ Ablation System catheter is designed to enable focal pulsed field ablation for full-thickness, transmural lesions.
Field Medical: Engineered to reach the epicardium from the endocardium, the FieldForce™ Ablation System catheter is designed to enable focal pulsed field ablation for full-thickness, transmural lesions.

Field Medical will be featured across three sessions, including first-in-human six-month outcomes from its FieldForce™ Ablation System, the first focal contact-force PFA platform designed for VT, a pre-recorded live VT case and translational preclinical research.

Field Medical Scientific Presentations at VT Symposium

In the Late-Breaking Clinical Trial Competition, Vivek Reddy, MD, will present “High-Voltage Focal Pulsed Field Ablation to Treat Scar-Related Ventricular Tachycardia: Final 6-Month Outcomes of the First-in-Human VCAS Trial” on Friday, Oct. 10, 3:50–4:00 p.m.

On Saturday, Oct. 11, 9:30–9:40 a.m., Cory Tschabrunn, PhD, will deliver “High Voltage PFA for VT: Insights from Porcine Model of Chronic Infarction.”

Later that day, in the Pre-Recorded Live Case Demonstrations, Vivek Reddy, MD, will illustrate “Image Guided High Voltage VT Ablation” from 12:35–1:55 p.m.

“The VT Symposium is a critical venue for advancing clinical science and Field Medical is proud to share meaningful new data that underscores the urgent need for innovation to help patients with VT. Our six-month outcomes demonstrate the potential of our PFA technology in treating these challenging arrhythmias, highlighting both the strength and uniqueness of our approach,” said Mark Wisniewski, chairman of the board at Field Medical.

Field Medical also announced leadership changes to strengthen its focus on innovation and strategy. Steven Mickelsen, MD, founder, is now chief technology officer (CTO), leading clinical innovation and development of the FieldForce Ablation System. Kit Schneider has been appointed chief strategy officer (CSO), responsible for long-term corporate strategy, partnerships, and growth.

“Field Medical has made remarkable progress in bringing pulsed field ablation into the ventricle,” Schneider said. “My focus will be on positioning the company for the next stage of growth, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring we are ready to deliver these innovations to physicians and patients worldwide.”

About Field Medical® Inc.
Founded in 2022, Field Medical is a clinical-stage medical technology company committed to advancing pulsed field ablation (PFA) solutions for complex cardiac arrhythmias. Its FieldForce™ Ablation System integrates a focal catheter design with proprietary FieldBending™ energy designed to safely deliver efficient, precise ablation with the goal of improving outcomes in ventricular and atrial arrhythmia treatment. In 2024, Field Medical earned Breakthrough Device Designation and gained entry into the FDA TAP Pilot Program for its ventricular tachycardia indication.

For more information, visit www.fieldmedicalinc.com and follow us on LinkedInX and YouTube.

The FieldForce™ Ablation System is an investigational device and is limited by federal (or United States) law to investigational use.

Media Contact
Holly Windler
619.929.1275
holly.windler@gmail.com

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K11 ECOAST Art and Cultural District by the Sea Unveils Coastal Cultural Event Featuring Local and Western Experiences

SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In the context of the accelerating integration of culture and tourism in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), K11 ECOAST Art and Cultural District by the Sea is presenting a multi-dimensional immersive cultural experience starting from National Day holiday. Under the guidance of the Nanshan District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, K11 ECOAST focuses on Sino-Western artistic dialogue, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) revitalization, and local intellectual property (IP) innovation. This initiative aims to create new cultural consumption scenarios and artistic experiences for GBA residents, further enhancing the GBA’s cultural soft power and international influence.

As the first waterfront cultural district in the GBA that integrates art, humanities, and nature, K11 ECOAST combines the talents of international emerging artists with traditional cultural practices. It offers a diverse array of experiences that encompass international theatrical performances, art exhibitions, and cultural interactions, allowing the rich heritage of Chinese culture to blend seamlessly with contemporary life. The district aims to explore innovative paths in “art + tourism” and “performance + tourism,” positioning itself as an international cultural and tourism destination with a distinct GBA identity.

K11 ECOAST Art and Cultural District by the Sea Unveils Coastal Cultural Extravaganza
K11 ECOAST Art and Cultural District by the Sea Unveils Coastal Cultural Extravaganza

An “At-Sea Encounter” of Western Opera and Chinese Festivals
As a pioneer in the GBA’s economic landscape, K11 ECOAST continues to introduce high-quality domestic and international brands and IPs, creating experiences that go beyond mere sightseeing. From October 6 to 8, the GBA premiere of the acclaimed Dutch environmental theatre production Floating Diva took place in K11 ECOAST. This three-day performance, guided by the Nanshan District Committee Propaganda Department and co-organized with the Nanshan Federation of Literary and Art Circles, perfectly merges Western opera with Chinese festival traditions. 

The Dutch soprano, adorned in a spectacular umbrella-shaped gown inspired by 17th-century European fashion, floated on the water and perform classic arias from Madam Butterfly and The Moon Represents My Heart, among other well-known pieces. This unique visual presentation, set against the backdrop of Mid-Autumn celebrations, created a poetic “sea spectacle” that resonates emotionally with the audience, which received enthusiastic acclaim and positive feedback from audiences from various places.

K11 ECOAST aims to facilitate cross-cultural exchange between the East and West through organic blend of Western art and Chinese traditional festivals, establishing a new landmark for international cultural experiences in the GBA.

The Dutch national treasure environmental theater production Floating Diva makes a stunning debut at K11 ECOAST.
The Dutch national treasure environmental theater production Floating Diva makes a stunning debut at K11 ECOAST.

Contemporary Narratives of Traditional Crafts
In recent years, Shenzhen has actively explored innovative developments of traditional culture in contemporary contexts through models like “ICH + commercial districts.” Leveraging the festive occasions, K11 ECOAST is constructing scenes that merge modern coastal lifestyles with folk cultural experiences through multi-dimensional creative narratives.

Collaborating with emerging paper artist Wen Qiwen, K11 ECOAST is presenting a luminous paper art installation displayed outside the seaside promenade from now until the end of October. Inspired by Mid-Autumn moon-viewing traditions and the Shekou fishing port, the installation transforms the sea into an artistic stage, providing consumers with a visually engaging and imaginative experience. This work utilizes sustainable materials, echoing K11 ECOAST’s commitment to green development.

As a significant folk art form deeply rooted in the integration of agricultural and maritime cultures, the Fish Lantern Dance holds a prominent place in Lingnan traditional customs and has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. During the festival period, K11 ECOAST invited folk artists from the GBA to perform the “Fish Lantern Walk,” while also responding to the rise of the night-time economy by establishing interactive scenes for night tours, leisure, and appreciation. This experience not only resonates with the coastal cultural context of Shekou but also enhances the cultural and artistic depth of Shenzhen’s night-time economy, providing consumers with tangible experiences of urban intangible heritage.

Additionally, from now until the end of October, a 20-meter lantern show featuring the national intangible cultural heritage is staging at K11 ECOAST. The event also includes interactive experiences that highlight traditional Chinese culture, such as flower arranging, Hanfu photography, lantern riddles, and traditional throwing games, inviting GBA citizens to embark on a comprehensive sensory journey into intangible heritage.

A Collection of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Treasures Presented at K11 ECOAST.
A Collection of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Treasures Presented at K11 ECOAST.

Local IP Innovation: “Nailoong” Debuts New Look
The original animated IP “Nailoong,” born in Shenzhen, has gained global popularity, becoming a cultural phenomenon. From now until the end of October, K11 ECOAST invites “Nailoong” back to its hometown shores for the thematic debut of “Cute Dragon at Sea, Infinite Fun,” showcasing the “Shenzhen school uniform series” that blends with the coastal landscape, offering fans and the entire city a new photo opportunity.

This event celebrates Shenzhen’s 45th anniversary, featuring a large inflatable Nailoong donned in a custom “signature skin” vibrant Shenzhen school uniform, designed to evoke emotional resonance among Shenzhen students and create a nostalgic yet warm coastal social space. The event will also feature retail pop-up shops and immersive experiences, creating a playful environment for families. This innovative introduction of the Nailoong IP will further enrich the all-age experience at K11 ECOAST, supporting the “IP +” economy as a new driving force for high-quality development in the GBA.

K11 ECOAST serves as a stage along the Prince Bay coast, merging the cultural heritage of intangible traditions, international artistic flair, and local IP vibrancy to create a new cultural realm. By blending traditional and contemporary elements and integrating local and international influences, K11 ECOAST will continue to immerse the GBA in a rich artistic experience and assist in enhancing regional cultural soft power.

Saudi Arabia Accelerates Its Industrial Transformation Through the Fourth Industrial Revolution

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector is entering a new era of transformation, driven by innovation, advanced technology, and sustainable growth. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, this shift supports the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the economy and position industry as a key engine of development through investment attraction, infrastructure advancement, and talent empowerment.

Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2025: uniting global leaders to connect, innovate, and lead Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation journey. December 1 to 3
Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2025: uniting global leaders to connect, innovate, and lead Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation journey. December 1 to 3

At the center of this transformation lies the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is reshaping manufacturing through automation and digitization technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printing. These tools are enhancing productivity, streamlining supply chains, and enabling smarter, more efficient industrial operations across the Kingdom.

The National Industrial Strategy reinforces these priorities through initiatives such as the Future Factories Program, which aims to transform 4,000 traditional facilities into smart factories that meet international standards. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s vision for a dynamic, competitive, and diversified industrial economy. By investing in digital infrastructure and advanced capabilities, the Kingdom is building an ecosystem that empowers innovation and efficiency at every stage of production.

According to the General Authority for Statistics, the Industrial Production Index (IPI) increased by 6.5% in July 2025 compared to the same period the previous year. This growth, led by manufacturing activities, reflects the tangible impact of ongoing industrial development programs on productivity and competitiveness.

Across the Kingdom, industries are rapidly adopting AI, IoT, robotics, and big data analytics to optimize design, engineering, logistics, and quality control, reducing waste, increasing precision, and elevating performance.

In support of these efforts, the upcoming Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2025, taking place from 1 to 3 December 2025 in Riyadh, organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in partnership with Deutsche Messe, will serve as a platform to showcase the latest 4IR technologies and strengthen international partnerships for the localization of advanced industrial solutions.

Through these initiatives, Saudi Arabia continues to build a globally competitive, technology-driven industrial economy that not only embraces the future of industry but defines it.

Registration: 
https://saudiindustrialtransformation.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23090132083&gbraid=0AAAAA_juaZYs99zeFkQuV_36GUS77jRC9&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl5jHBhDHARIsAB0YqjzX1QRaVZ8k9K0YdKu0C_-ju8qOoPSCf3QPt-8q07Y3H2DFbbU-o2YaAtABEALw_wcB

 

 

 

Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2025 : highlighting the future of automation and Industry 4.0technologies under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. December 1 to 3
Industrial Transformation Saudi Arabia 2025 : highlighting the future of automation and Industry 4.0technologies under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. December 1 to 3

 

 

Starburst Unveils AI-Ready Data Platform to Power the Agentic Workforce

The first lakehouse platform to unify AI agents, governed data products, and metadata, enabling context-aware enterprises to scale AI with confidence

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Starburst, the data platform for apps and AI, today announced at AI & Datanova, a new set of capabilities designed to operationalize the Agentic Workforce—a paradigm where humans and AI agents collaborate seamlessly across workflows to reason, decide, and act faster and with confidence. With new, built-in support for model-to-data architectures, multi-agent interoperability, and an open vector store on Iceberg, Starburst delivers the first lakehouse platform that empowers AI agents, with unified enterprise data, governed data products, and metadata, empowering humans and AI to reason, act, and decide faster while ensuring trust and control.

Starburst_Logo_v1
Starburst_Logo_v1

Unlike legacy platforms that require data movement or rely on black-box retrieval, Starburst gives AI agents secure, governed access to data wherever it resides, on-premises or in the cloud, at enterprise scale. This federated, model-to-data approach helps organizations maintain sovereignty, reduce costs, and avoid compliance pitfalls, especially in highly regulated industries or cross-border environments.

To further strengthen enterprise confidence in AI, Starburst is introducing advanced observability and visualization features for its agent framework. Organizations can now monitor usage of LLM interactions, set guardrails with usage limits, and view activity through intuitive dashboards. In addition, Starburst’s agent can visualize responses into charts and graphs giving teams not only accurate answers but also clear, actionable insights. These capabilities provide a new level of transparency, governance, and usability as enterprises scale AI adoption.

“With the Agentic Workforce, enterprises move beyond analyzing data to taking intelligent action,” said Justin Borgman, CEO and Co-Founder of Starburst. “Our latest innovations bring models directly to governed data, allow AI agents to interoperate across multi-agent ecosystems, and provide open access to vector stores without lock-in. Starburst empowers organizations to scale AI securely and confidently across clouds, borders, and business-critical use cases.”

“Enterprises have been looking for a way to bring structured data and governance into AI workflows, and the emergence of Model Context Protocol (MCP) has made that possible,” explained Andrew Brust, Founder & CEO, Blue Badge Insights. “But Starburst takes this much further. Not only does it unify vector store connectivity for RAG, but it provides AI agents with secure access to governed data products, leveraging Trino’s federated architecture to do it all without data movement, thus ensuring compliance. The result is a pragmatic path for enterprises to scale AI with the trust, transparency, and regulatory control their business environments demand.”

Key Innovations Driving the Next Generation of AI and Analytics

Starburst’s new AI capabilities are built upon the core principle of flexibility, giving organizations the freedom to choose between model-to-data and data-to-model architectures. This approach enables enterprises to scale AI securely, while preserving sovereignty, reducing infrastructure costs, and ensuring compliance. These enhancements include:

  • Multi-Agent Ready Infrastructure: A new MCP server and agent API allows enterprises to create, manage, and orchestrate multiple AI agents along-side the Starburst agent. This enables customers to develop multi-agent and AI application solutions that are geared to complete tasks of growing complexity.
  • Open & Interoperable Vector Access: Starburst unifies access to vector stores, enabling retrieval augmented generation (RAG) and search tasks across Iceberg, PostgreSQL + PGVector, Elasticsearch and more. Enterprises gain flexibility to choose the right vector solution for each workload without lock-in or fragmentation.
  • Model Usage Monitoring & Control: Starburst offers enterprise-grade AI model monitoring and governance. Teams can track, audit, and control AI usage across agents and workloads with dashboards, preventing cost overruns and ensuring compliance for confident, scalable AI adoption.
  • Deeper Insights & Visualization: An extension of Starburst’s conversational analytics agent enables users to ask questions across different data product domains and provide back a natural language response in natural language, a visualization, or combination of the two. The agent is able to understand the user intent and question to do data discovery to find the right data before query processing to answer the question.

Beyond Dashboards and Copilots: The Next Era of AI

AI is rapidly moving past dashboards and copilots toward autonomous workflows that demand both real-time decisioning and long-term context. For enterprises in regulated sectors, including finance, telecom, manufacturing, and public services, this shift raises a critical challenge: how to harness AI’s potential without compromising on data sovereignty,governance, or compliance.

“Starburst’s federated approach eliminates the need to centralize data while delivering consistent policy enforcement and transparent lineage,” said Matt Fuller, VP of AI/ML Products at Starburst. “This means companies operating across European borders can confidently build AI and agentic workflows without compromising compliance. Our AI-ready lakehouse is designed with privacy, trust and performance at its core, giving teams governed access to the data that matters, whether they’re training LLMs, deploying retrieval-augmented generation, or orchestrating multi-agent workflows, without limitations of legacy architectures or vendor lock-in.”

Starburst’s Platform: Built for Global-Scale, Compliance-First AI

Building on its core capabilities, Starburst enables enterprises operating across the EU and other regulated regions to deploy AI without breaching data residency, privacy, or compliance mandates. The platform provides federated access to distributed data, allowing organizations to query and analyze information in place without unnecessary movement.

By design, Starburst ensures data sovereignty across borders, clouds, and business units, while metadata-driven policy enforcement supports GDPR, Schrems II, and other evolving global regulations. With governance embedded at every layer, enterprises gain the confidence to scale AI securely and compliantly, no matter where their data lives.

Availability

New innovations in the Starburst Data Platform will be generally available in Q4.

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

About Starburst 

Starburst is the data platform built for flexibility, delivering fast, secure access to all your data, wherever it lives. Whether on-premises, across clouds, or in hybrid environments, Starburst provides choice and control to your architecture. Built on an open data stack with Trino and Apache Iceberg, it unifies distributed data without complex or costly migrations, unleashing the full power of the data lakehouse for analytics and AI.

With our Lakeside AI architecture, enterprises gain federated access, governed collaboration, and full data lineage, laying the foundation for scalable, compliant AI innovation. Starburst empowers data-intensive and security-conscious organizations to unlock the full potential of their data while ensuring performance, governance, and control.

Enterprises in 60+ countries, including Comcast, Citigroup, and 4 of the top 5 global banks, trust Starburst to maximize data value. Our strategic partnerships with AWS, Dell Technologies, and top cloud providers ensures seamless interoperability across environments.

From insights to action to AI, Starburst fuels innovation at every level. Learn more at starburst.ai.

GNSS Chipset Shipments to Hit 2.4 Billion by 2029, Fueled by Wearables and High-Precision Applications

NEW YORK, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Demand for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chipsets is rising globally, driven by growth in key verticals such as automotive and transportation, consumer electronics, and asset tracking applications. According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, global GNSS chipset shipments are projected to grow to 2.4 billion by 2029. China is expected to lead this growth with the highest Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.2% between 2024 and 2029, followed closely by Western Europe at 6.7% and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region (excluding China) at 5.6%. In contrast, the Middle East and Africa is anticipated to see slower growth, with a CAGR of 2.7%.

“We are seeing a growing demand for consumer electronics, especially in countries like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand,” explains Rachel Kong, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “This is fueled by the rapidly growing middle-class populations and smartphone penetration rates, which are boosting the adoption of GNSS-enabled smartphones, wearables, and tablets. In particular, the Sport & Wearables category – which includes devices such as smartwatches, smart glasses, fitness & wellness trackers, and wearable cameras – is forecast to see the highest CAGR of 13.2% between 2024 and 2029.”

Another key technology experiencing rapid growth is GNSS chipsets supporting the E6 band, an emerging GNSS frequency designed for high-precision applications. These chipsets are expected to achieve a strong CAGR of 36.7% between 2024 and 2029, largely driven by high-precision applications such as autonomous driving, aerospace, critical infrastructure monitoring, land surveying, and new location-based services.

With increasing global interoperability and integration of multiple GNSS solutions, worldwide demand for seamless, high-precision navigation continues to rise.

“Manufacturers are more willing to adopt multi-constellation chipsets to support a broader range of applications and geographies,” said Kong.

In addition, vendors such as Quectel, Unicore, Trimble, and ComNav Technology are increasingly launching and developing products that support the E6 band. Recent updates, including Trimble’s firmware enabling Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) on its devices, and Unicore introducing the UM981 high-precision positioning model, demonstrate the growing traction of this frequency band. Multi-frequency bands are also gaining significance by offering enhanced positioning accuracy, improved signal reliability, and better resistance to interference.

“These bands are already widely used in sectors such as aviation, maritime, and automotive, and their adoption will continue to grow as new use applications emerge and evolve over time,” said Kong.

These findings are from ABI Research’s Outdoor/Wide Area Location Technologies market data report, part of the company’s Space Technologies and Innovation research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. 

About ABI Research

ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm uniquely positioned at the intersection of technology solution providers and end-market companies. We serve as the bridge that seamlessly connects these two segments by providing exclusive research and expert guidance to drive successful technology implementations and deliver strategies proven to attract and retain customers.

ABI Research是一家全球性的技术情报公司,拥有得天独厚的优势,充当终端市场公司和技术解决方案提供商之间的桥梁,通过提供独家研究和专业性指导,推动成功的技术实施和提供经证明可吸引和留住客户的战略,无缝连接这两大主体。

For more information about ABI Research’s services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com.

Contact Info:

Global                                                             
Jason Scheer
Tel: +1.516.624.2558                                                   
pr@abiresearch.com 

DBS recognised as Safest Bank in Asia yet again

Recognised by Global Finance as Asia’s Safest Bank for the 17th year and ranked 2nd globally among the 50 Safest Commercial Banks

SINGAPORE, Oct. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — DBS announced today that it has once again been named “Safest Bank in Asia” in 2025, marking its 17th consecutive year receiving this distinguished recognition. The bank also retained its position at 2nd in the ‘World’s 50 Safest Commercial Banks’ list. The rankings underscore DBS’ solid financial performance, strong risk management and governance, as well as robust balance sheet.

The Global Finance annual rankings of the World’s Safest Banks have been the recognised and trusted standard of financial counterparty safety for more than three decades. Winners were selected through an evaluation of long-term foreign currency ratings – from Fitch, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s – of the 500 largest banks worldwide.

“In a year marked by tariff uncertainty, shifting interest rate environments, technological disruption, and heightened regulatory oversight, Global Finance’s World’s Safest Banks have proven their strength as anchors of stability in the global economy. Their resilience and innovation continue to underpin trust in the financial system and support global commerce,” said Joseph Giarraputo, Founder & Editorial Director of Global Finance.

Chng Sok Hui, Chief Financial Officer of DBS, said: “We’re honoured to be named Global Finance’s Safest Bank in Asia for the 17th consecutive year. In times of turbulence, customers turn to institutions they trust – seeking safe harbours amid uncertainty. We have benefitted from that flight to quality and remain committed to being a trusted partner, safeguarding our clients’ financial interests and supporting the communities we serve.”

DBS has received global recognition from several prestigious financial publications, having been named “World’s Best Bank” multiple times by Euromoney, Global Finance and The Banker, and “World’s Best Bank for Customer Experience”, “World’s Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility” and “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney.

About DBS

DBS is a leading financial services group in Asia with a presence in 19 markets. Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS is in the three key Asian axes of growth: Greater China, Southeast Asia and South Asia. The bank’s “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings are among the highest in the world.

Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance, “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney and the world’s “Most Innovative in Digital Banking” by The Banker. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for 17 consecutive years from 2009 to 2025.

DBS provides a full range of services in consumer, SME and corporate banking. As a bank born and bred in Asia, DBS understands the intricacies of doing business in the region’s most dynamic markets.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, as it banks the Asian way. Through the DBS Foundation, the bank creates impact beyond banking by uplifting lives and livelihoods of those in need. It provides essential needs to the underprivileged, and fosters inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills. It also nurtures innovative social enterprises that create positive impact.

With its extensive network of operations in Asia and emphasis on engaging and empowering its staff, DBS presents exciting career opportunities. For more information, please visit www.dbs.com.

Jiashi, the County with a Touch of Sweetness


JIASHI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 October 2025 – China Prune Industry Conference 2025 and the 10th Kashgar·Jiashi Prune Expo, Xinjiang kicked off On August in Jiashi County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

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In recent years, Jiashi has become China’s largest plum producer.The county boasts 38,000 hectares of plum orchards with an expected output of 410,000 metric tons this year, and attracted 25 enterprises to produce 22 types of plum-based products, including juice, dried fruit, wine, and jam.

Blessed with abundant sunlight and trace elements such as calcium, potassium, and selenium in both soil and water, the region offers an ideal environment for growing plums. As a result, the plums are rich in anthocyanins and vitamins, which provide antioxidant and digestive benefits—making them highly popular among consumers.

Fresh plums and orther fruits in Jiashi county, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region
Fresh plums and orther fruits in Jiashi county, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

Located in the Kashgar Prefecture, Jiashi County enjoys an average of 2,800 hours of sunshine annually, with a daily temperature difference of up to 20 degrees Celsius. The soil here is mildly alkaline and rich in selenium. The extreme temperature variations, prolonged sunlight, and excellent soil conditions make this area renowned as China’s “Land of Melons and Fruits.”

Melons have been cultivated here since the Han dynasty, more than two millennia ago. Today Jiashi’s melons come in 28 varieties, all of exceptional quality. Each one is honey-sweet, incredibly delicious, and leaves a lasting, memorable taste. They offers not just a pleasure for the palate but a balm for the soul, and are hailed as “the finest melon under heaven”.

Sweetness has become the signature flavor of Jiashi County. Yet this sweetness is not merely a natural gift to the palate, it is also a symbolic expression of the local people’s warm hospitality and simple, sincere way of life.

Today, Jiashi’s plum and melons are making their way across the country and beyond to overseas markets. As a historic hub along the ancient Silk Road, Jiashi is now experiencing renewed vitality in economic, trade and cultural exchanges under the Belt and Road Initiative.

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